Author: News Room

Virginia lawmakers on Friday advanced bills to start adult-use marijuana sales and allow cannabis businesses to make certain tax deductions at the state level while they’re barred from doing so federally under the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) code known as 280E. The 280E bill passed the Senate unanimously in a 40-0 vote, carried by Sen Adam Ebbin (D). The House of Delegates companion version from Del. Jeffrey Campbell (R) moved through an Appropriations subcommittee in a 7-1 vote and now heads to the full panel for consideration. The legislation seeks to decouple Virginia’s marijuana industry from the federal tax code,…

The Amazon-owned live streaming platform just banned one of its most popular broadcasters. His presumed crime: Vibing out on an edible. The war on weed across social media platforms took another absurd turn on Thursday when popular live-streaming platform Twitch banned one of its most subscribed streamers, Kai Cenat, for seemingly breaking its community guidelines. Twitch bans are usually temporary, but some are permanent, and even short bans can have a huge impact on the streamer’s account. The company has not officially confirmed the reason for Cenat’s suspension, but fans and Cenat himself believe a January 24 stream of Cenat…

Congressional researchers say that there’s a “growing gulf” between federal and state drug laws as states have started to pursue psychedelics reform, expanding the policy gap that already exists as it relates to marijuana. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a comprehensive report last week on the federal Controlled Substance Act (CSA), which describes current statutes, scheduling considerations, the state-level policy landscape and options for federal lawmakers. It touches on marijuana legalization, safe drug consumption sites and the burgeoning psychedelics reform movement. A clear theme develops throughout the report: Congress has the authority to change federal drug laws but has…

Virginia senators have approved a bill in committee to establish a statewide psilocybin advisory board and move the psychedelic to a lower schedule under state statute. The legislation from Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) passed in the Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Health Professions in a 6-1 vote on Friday morning. This comes about a week after a separate Virginia House of Delegates panel rejected a measure to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use for people with serious conditions who obtain a doctor’s recommendation. Hashmi’s legislation, which now heads to the full committee for consideration, is more narrowly tailored than a…

A Mexican senator announced on Wednesday that she will be introducing a bill to legalize and regulate psychedelics nationwide to give people an alternative treatment option for serious mental health conditions. At an Intercultural Forum on Entheogenic Medicine that took place in the Senate, Sen. Alejandra Lagunes of the Ecologist Green Party said that substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca have “high therapeutic potential, low toxicity and don’t create physical dependence or abuse.” U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) also made remarks in a video recording that was played at the forum, applauding lawmakers in the neighboring country for taking initial steps…

Massachusetts adult-use marijuana sales have officially exceeded $4 billion since the state’s market launched in late 2018, regulators announced on Friday. As of January 12, the state saw $4,000,732,608 in gross cannabis sales, according to data from the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC). This comes less than a year after Massachusetts hit the $3 billion mark, demonstrating continued growth in the industry. The state currently has 265 retailers and 14 delivery services operating, and regulators track and publish data on sales through the commission’s Open Data Platform. In 2022 alone, the state sold $1,483,898,510 worth of marijuana. That portal also shows…

In a study published earlier this month, researchers help dispel the idea of cannabis as a gateway drug—a substance that leads to the use of other harder drugs. It shows that when a state legalizes weed, it does not lead to adults using other substances, nor an increase in substance abuse, either with cannabis or other substances. In fact, the study found that legalization may lead to a decrease in alcohol-related problems. The theory of cannabis as a gateway drug came about in the 1970s, wrapped up in the messaging of the War on Drugs, a campaign that ostensibly tries…

Americans say that marijuana should be less strictly regulated than it is now, while also favoring greater regulations on cryptocurrencies, social media, electric vehicles and coal, according to a new poll. The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll surveyed voters about a wide range of national issues, including where they stand on federal regulations for eight consumer products. For each item, they were asked if they felt the federal government should regulate them more or less, or keep regulations at the current level. A 45 percent plurality of respondents said that there should be fewer regulations for cannabis, while 22 percent said the…

For nearly the last quarter century, American couples have been moving in together at higher rates. In 2019, the Pew Research Center analyzed data from the National Survey of Family Growth, concluding that the rate of U.S. couples cohabitating increased from 3% to 7% between 1995 and 2019.  Whether planning to marry or for other reasons, millions of couples live together in America. It’s a rather significant milestone that takes people by surprise. Challenges come in many forms, from communication changes to financial worries to losing personal space. Differences in opinion and living habits are sure to rear their head…

Saying federal safety standards are insufficient to manage the CBD industry, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called on Congress to set rules for the products through legislation. The agency said Thursday that not enough is known about CBD products to regulate them as foods or supplements under the FDA’s current structure. “A new regulatory pathway would benefit consumers by providing safeguards and oversight to manage and minimize risks related to CBD products,” FDA Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.  Same old song FDA has repeatedly cited studies that say CBD could harm the liver and male reproductive…