Author: News Room

If you read this January 10 Wall Street Journal piece, you might conclude that a wave of cannabis-induced psychosis among teenagers is sweeping the country. The story highlights research on the correlation between cannabis use and conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. It suggests access to higher-potency cannabis is leading to ever-increasing rates of psychosis in teens. But the actual data paints a different picture. Population studies of over 63 million people show that rates of psychosis do not go up amid legalization. Teen use rates of marijuana are actually going down. And our best science suggests that genetic factors—rather than…

Maryland senators took up two GOP-led marijuana bills on Friday: one that would let police search vehicles based on the smell of cannabis and another that’s meant to protect gun rights for medical marijuana patients. Members of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee discussed the legislation during a hearing, listening to testimony in support and opposition, but did not vote on the proposals. Sen. William Folden (R) is sponsoring the bill to authorize law enforcement searches based on marijuana odor, a measure he said attempts to “correct a wrong, an error, that the legislature made” when it passed reform legislation that…

Attention, America’s terp army of weed gardeners. It’s time to lock and load.Ignore the freezing winter outdoors. Valentine’s Day marks the beginning of germination season indoors for the 2024 outdoor full-sun run in North America. The world’s most elite, tasty, potent, and beautiful weed isn’t going to grow itself. You need to scoop the perfect seeds for your situation—this week!Feast thine eyes on this fine directory of magic beans, Terp Army. It’s distilled from dozens of queries to the world’s winningest, most reputable breeders.Thanks to the federal legalization of cannabis seeds, it’s never been easier to stand on the shoulders…

The City Council of Osseo, Minnesota is considering whether to open the state’s first municipally run marijuana retailer—a move leaders say would provide more local control over the look, feel and operations of the store. “There’s not really a way for a community to say, ‘No, we don’t want this type of a store here,’” Councilmember Mark Schulz said in an interview with local TV station FOX 9. “If we are going to have to have a store and our public safety department is apprehensive, why not give them a seat at the table?” Schulz called the plan “a viable…

In a discussion about reparations on the HBO show Real Time With Bill Maher at the start of Black History Month on Friday, rapper Killer Mike suggested that Black people could be given control over America’s marijuana industry as a way to redress racial harm. “With Native Americans, we gave them the casino industry,” Maher said. “What about, you know, supermarkets?” “Could Black people have the marijuana industry?” replied Killer Mike. “Give us marijuana. Multibillion-dollar industry. It’s still fresh, it’s still growing.” New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), another guest on the show Friday night, made clear his distaste for…

Pennsylvania lawmakers have convened another hearing on marijuana legalization issues—this time focusing on the industry perspective, with multiple stakeholders from cannabis growing, dispensing and testing businesses, as well as clinical registrants, testifying. Members of the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care took up cannabis policy reform at Monday’s meeting, which marked the panel’s third hearing centered on marijuana legalization in recent months. Representatives of multi-state operators such as Cresco Labs, Trulieve, PharmaCann and INSA participated in the discussion. They advised lawmakers about regulatory considerations, including the need to balance equity with expediency in the legalization rollout as well as concerns…

Marijuana use alone is not associated with higher odds of car accidents, according to a new study by researchers who looked at drivers who visited emergency departments. In fact, high self-reported acute cannabis use was actually associated with lower odds of a crash. Alcohol, meanwhile—whether used by itself or combined with marijuana—showed a clear correlation with odds of a collision. To arrive at the results, researchers gathered data from emergency departments in Denver, Colorado; Portland, Oregon; and Sacramento, California. They obtained drivers’ blood and measured it for THC and metabolites, recorded alcohol levels as measured by a breathalyzer or in…

A hemp industry trade group announced this week that an organization of feed control officials has tentatively approved the use of hemp seed meal as animal feed for egg-laying hens—a move that was recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine. According to a press release from the Hemp Feed Coalition, the ingredient definition committee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)—which oversees new feed approval—tentatively approved the action at a mid-year meeting on January 23. The definition of hemp seed meal (HSM) as an acceptable protein and fat source for hens will next…

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers with diverging views on marijuana policy are jointly asking the Justice Department to investigate the nexus between state-level legalization and the “proliferation” of illicit cannabis farms linked to the Chinese Community Party (CCP)—including the possibility that some are banked by U.S. financial institutions. In a letter signed by 50 members of the House and Senate and sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday, the lawmakers said they are “deeply concerned with reports from across the country regarding Chinese nationals and organized crime cultivating marijuana on United States farmland.” “In some cases, the grow operators were also…

Across Canada, nearly 8 in 10 people (79.3 percent) believe psilocybin-assisted therapy is “a reasonable medical choice” to treat existential dread at the end of one’s life, according to a new survey, while almost 2 in 3 (63.3 percent) feel the substance should be legal for medical purposes generally. Notably, 84.8 percent said the country’s public health system should cover costs of the psychedelic therapy. Published last month in the journal Palliative Care, the study says that while interest in psilocybin as an end-of-life option has grown worldwide in recent years, little has been known about attitudes in society toward…