Author: News Room

As advocates and stakeholders wait to see whether a large-scale spending bill will contain marijuana banking reform, the incoming Republican chair of a key House committee says that while he still opposes the proposal, he wouldn’t stand in its way. At the same time, reform friendly law enforcement representatives are sending a clear and coordinated message to Congress to pass the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act now with the limited time that’s left in the lame duck session. The omnibus appropriations legislation that supporters are hoping will serve as the vehicle for the cannabis banking measure is expected…

DENVER, Dec. 19, 2022 /CNW/ – PRESS RELEASE – Medicine Man Technologies, operating as Schwazze, a vertically integrated, multi-state operating cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico, reaches company milestone of 40 dispensaries across both states. On Dec. 15, Schwazze closed the transaction to acquire certain assets of Lightshade Labs LLC. The transaction included the adult-use Lightshade dispensaries located at 503 Havana St. in Aurora, as well as 2215 E. Mississippi Ave. in Denver’s vibrant Washington Park neighborhood. The consideration for the acquisition was US$2.75 million which was paid as all cash.On the same day, Schwazze’s New Mexico…

Marijuana banking reform has been excluded from a large-scale spending bill that’s expected to be released on Monday, a Senate staffer familiar with negotiations confirmed with Marijuana Moment. It’s not currently known whether the omnibus appropriations legislation includes a number of other marijuana and drug policy reforms that the House included in its versions of various spending bills earlier this year, or it if maintains a rider that has prevented Washington, D.C. from implementing a system of regulated, adult-use cannabis commerce. The omnibus development represents the second major setback for supporters of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act…

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is adding cannabis education to its state driving curriculum.The RMV, in partnership with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and AAA Northeast, will implement “Shifting Gears: The Blunt Truth about Marijuana and Driving” in January 2023 to educate teens on the risks of cannabis-impaired driving. Massachusetts becomes the first adult-use state to mandate this education for new drivers, according to a release.“Today’s young drivers in Massachusetts are the first generation to get behind the wheel since cannabis became legal in the state. Considering that, it is critically important they also understand how THC…

A California senator has refiled a bill to legalize possession of certain psychedelics after his last attempt was derailed in the eleventh hour of the 2022 session. Sen. Scott Wiener (D) had made clear that he would be working the legislation and introducing it again for 2023. He did that on Friday, filing a revised psychedelics reform bill that his office officially announced on Monday. The measure would legalize the “possession, preparation, obtaining, transfer, as specified, or transportation of” specific amounts of psilocybin, psilocyn, DMT, ibogaine and mescaline for personal or facilitated use. Notably, “synthetic” psychedelics like LSD and MDMA…

States where marijuana is still criminalized see people initiate cannabis use at a younger age, consume more frequently and drive while under the influence more often, according to a new, large-scale survey from a marijuana policy consulting firm. Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) analyzed a wide range of marijuana use trends and public health outcomes in 25 states—including those where cannabis is completely prohibited, where only medical marijuana is allowed and where adult-use is legalized. The overall findings support the idea that regulated markets promote more responsible behavior and “encourage positive cannabis-related outcomes to public health,” the CPCC paper says.…

A California cannabis group has called for legislators to close loopholes in federal laws to avert a “public health disaster” caused by widely available delta-8 THC and other potentially intoxicating cannabinoid products it says are illegal and frequently adulterated. In a recently released white paper, “Pandora’s Box: The Dangers of a National, Unregulated, Hemp-Derived Intoxicating Cannabinoid Market,” the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA) said Congress should establish a single federal regulatory framework that oversees both hemp- and cannabis-derived cannabinoid products for human consumption. Unregulated sales Alternatively, “absent a single federally regulated cannabinoid market . . ., the Farm Bill urgently…

By Richard Stratton Thirty years ago, when High Times was in its infancy, I did a long interview with Norman Mailer that was published in two parts in Rolling Stone magazine. Mailer and I first met in Provincetown, MA, in the winter of 1970 and have been close friends ever since. At one time we owned property together in Maine, which was put up as collateral for bail when I got busted for smuggling marijuana in the early ’80s. The Feds were all over the connection between Mailer and me; he testified for the defense at the trial of my…

As the Biden administration works to conduct a review into the marijuana’s federal scheduling, a bipartisan coalition of congressional lawmakers is asking the president to officially get on board with outright legalization. In a letter obtained by Marijuana Moment on Friday that’s expected to be sent to President Joe Biden and top cabinet officials next week, the lawmakers said that while they appreciate the scheduling review directive, “the administration should recognize the merits of full descheduling.” “While we do not always agree on specific measures, we recognize across the aisle that continued federal prohibition and criminalization of marijuana does not…

As New York works to roll out its adult-use program, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) is implementing a certificate in the Business of Cannabis in spring 2023 to stay on top of market demand and support cannabis career pathways.The certificate in the Business of Cannabis will consist of various courses designed to give students an in-depth understanding of the industry. Industry professionals will teach the courses.The certificate will consist of an introductory course: Overview of the Cannabis Industry and four core foundational courses: Managing a Cannabis Dispensary and the Regulation of Operations; Cannabis Sales and Marketing; The…