Author: News Room

The state and federal marijuana policy conflict is creating a “litigious environment” for the trucking industry and contributing to the challenges of a major labor shortage, the head of the American Trucking Association (ATA) told Congress on Wednesday. During a hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Michael Bost (R-IL) asked ATA President Chris Spear about how much the state-level legalization movement is impacting the trucking sector, particularly as it concerns drug testing requirements. Spear said that it was an issue that “keeps me up at night,” emphasizing his concern about impaired driving and the legal liability for…

The Australian government has rescheduled the psychedelics psilocybin and MDMA to provide access to people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treat-resistant depression. The substances aren’t being legalized for broad use, but by placing them in Schedule 8 for therapeutic use under the country’s drug code, psychiatrists who meet the required standards will be able to prescribe the psychedelics. The drugs will remain in the stricter Schedule 9 for unauthorized use. From 1 July this year, medicines containing the psychedelic substances psilocybin and MDMA can be prescribed by specifically authorised psychiatrists for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant…

By Paul Derienzo Top-level federal researchers and bureaucrats, as well as grass-roots activists in drug-ravaged urban communities, have discovered ibogaine, the controversial drug that advocates tout as an “addiction interrupter” and one scientist calls a “probe into the inner workings of the human brain.” Derived from iboga, an hallucinogenic plant of the West African rainforests, ibogaine is illegal in the USA. But addicts have been successfully treated with the drug in programs run overseas by private outfits, which are now pressuring the federal government to legalize the treatment. The ibogaine controversy was aired at a March 8 conference in the…

Australia surprised the world yesterday by announcing it will allow psilocybin and MDMA to be prescribed to treat certain health conditions, starting July 1 this year.  The announcement represents a first for medical MDMA use in any country. As for psilocybin, the substance, is available for adults 21 and over in the US state of Oregon, and will soon be available in Colorado. In Canada,  it’s available for limited medical use.   Australia’s new law will only allow specific uses: psilocybin for aiding in treatment-resistant depression, and MDMA to treat PTSD, for which research has shown promise.  The substances will need…

Missouri officially joined the adult-use club early this morning, as state officials gave the green light to recreational sales three days ahead of schedule. This marks the fastest vote-to-sale time in legal cannabis history. Missouri voters approved adult-use legalization on the Nov. 8, 2022, ballot. Less than three months later, local residents lined up to sample the goods. Sales were expected to begin on Monday, Feb. 6, but yesterday afternoon state regulatory officials said they would allow adult-use sales to start on Friday morning at 196 operating medical marijuana dispensaries. That caused some confusion, as it remained unclear whether all…

“This was the first report that we saw the fewest improvements in the states. So much so that I felt a little shocked at first.” By Adam Goldstein, States Newsroom A report from a patient advocacy group found the future of medical cannabis in the states is hazy unless costs are decreased, product safety standards are improved, and civil rights are strengthened for patients and prescribers. Americans for Safe Access issued its annual State of the States report on Thursday. The organization, a nonprofit, has put out the document to advocates and state policymakers since 2014, as a tool to…

HBI President and Founder Jacob Waddell will work alongside a board of directors of industry professionals to help tackle industry-wide barriers and establish the necessary standards and testing procedures for hemp building materials. Read the full article here

Maryland House and Senate lawmakers on Friday unveiled a much-anticipated bill to tax and regulate marijuana, months after voters approved a legalization referendum on the ballot. Dels. Vanessa Atterbeary (D) and C. T. Wilson (D) are sponsoring the House legislation, while Sens. Brian Feldman (D) and Antonio Hayes (D) are carrying their chamber’s companion. The measures would get the state prepared to regulate cannabis commerce as the state law legalizing possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana for adults takes effect on July 1. Under the proposals, cannabis would be taxed at six percent for the first fiscal year…

A federal court on Thursday granted the early release of a man who’s served 14 years in prison over his role in operating a state-legal medical marijuana dispensary in California—with the judge recognizing that compassionate release is warranted, in part, due to the dramatic shift in the legal landscape for cannabis. Luke Scarmazzo was 26 years old in 2006 when he faced federal prosecution over the California-based dispensary. He was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison over the activity at a time before the Justice Department started formally taking a more hands-off approach to state marijuana programs. Activists have…

“This isn’t saying that there’s no circumstance in the world where odor can’t be a factor. But we’re saying it can’t be the stand-alone reason.” By William J. Ford, Maryland Matters Rusty Carr of Mount Airy stood before the Maryland Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee and hoisted a 3 1/2 gram container of cannabis he uses for medical purposes, specifically for chronic pain. “If you have questions, I will allow you to smell if you’d like. I have samples to compare,” he said, suggesting that the odor is not as strong as people think. Carr testified at a hearing Thursday in…