Author: News Room

The Irish government is proposing to delay a vote on advancing a bill to legalize marijuana possession by nine months, asserting that the issue requires consideration by a special committee. Lawmakers are still set to debate the legislation from People Before Profit TD Gino Kenny on Wednesday, but the taoiseach, which is the country’s equivalent of prime minister, told lawmakers that the government feels more time is needed to contemplate Ireland’s reform model following the release of a citizen commission report last week that recommended broadly decriminalizing drugs and implementing harm reduction programs. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who met with the…

Scientists say they’ve identified an alternative way to test for recent marijuana use that’s significantly more accurate than standard THC blood tests that sometimes misrepresent a person’s potential impairment depending on frequently they use cannabis. And they’re actively working to build on that research with an expanded study. The initial study, which was funded in part by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and published in the journal Clinical Toxicology, could have key criminal justice implications, as police currently rely on basic THC blood tests for evidence of possible intoxication in criminal investigations, such as after car accidents. But…

A Missouri House committee considered a proposal on Tuesday that would legalize the medical use of psilocybin in the state and mandate clinical trials exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic. A separate Senate committee hearing on similar legislation that was scheduled to take place was canceled, however. Rep. Aaron McMullen (R) and Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder (R) introduced similar versions of the legislation last month. Under both measures, adults 21 or older diagnosed with a qualifying condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or substance use disorders could legally access laboratory-tested psilocybin. They also would need to be enrolled,…

“The barriers to economic success in the cannabis industry are stacked highest against people of color.” By AnnMarie Hilton, Maine Morning Star The Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee had a public hearing last week on a bill to make Maine’s cannabis industry more equitable. The bill, LD1517, sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland), would create a program to remove barriers for individuals formerly convicted of a cannabis-related crime to enter and benefit from the now-legalized industry. In written testimony, Talbot Ross pointed out how the War on Drugs, which dates back to the 1970s, disproportionately imprisoned Black people…

The Republican leader of the Kansas Senate is pushing back against an effort to legalize medical marijuana in the state, calling legislation from advocates a “nonstarter” and suggesting the policy change could lead to a surge in “gang activity” and put kids at risk. Senate President Ty Masterson said in a media interview that while he’s open to enacting a limited cannabis pilot program for patients, he’s heard too much about what’s gone wrong with neighboring Oklahoma’s medical marijuana system to support broader reform. “You’ve seen the disaster in Oklahoma, right? With cash transactions for land,” he told reporters. “You’re…

Arkansans for Patient Access—the ballot question committee behind the cannabis amendment—can amend its proposal and again seek the attorney general’s approval. By Hunter Field, Arkansas Advocate Arkansas’s attorney general on Monday rejected language for a ballot initiative meant to improve access for medical marijuana patients and trigger the legalization of recreational use if the drug becomes federally legal. Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) determined the ballot title for the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 was insufficient due to improper formatting of the proposed constitutional amendment and ambiguities about how the measure would affect existing state laws and rules. Those…

Germany’s Cannabis Industry Association (BvCW) has issued guidelines to hemp companies for how to respond if police agencies raid their establishments.The Association said that while it expects a much anticipated federal Cannabis Act will once and for all clarify that hemp products are legal in Germany, the existence of an outdated “intoxication clause” currently on the books means traders and farmers must continue to be careful in how they respond to searches of business premises by police and customs agencies.Deletion of the intoxication clause, which describes the theoretical possibility that a person can become intoxicated by consuming large quantities of…

Six in 10 active duty military service members and veterans—as well as 85 percent of military family members—support legalizing marijuana, according to a new Ohio State University study that surveyed 1,168 people on their attitudes around recreational drug legalization. Meanwhile a minority of veterans—4 in 10—favor legalizing psychedelics, compared to majorities of family members and non-military respondents—59 percent and 61 percent, respectively. Even sharper differences in opinion arose between veterans and other groups in answers about cocaine and heroin, the poll found. Legalizing those drugs had 37 percent support among veterans, compared to much lower numbers—between 10 percent and 20…

A House committee in Washington State has advanced a bill to legalize the home cultivation of marijuana, though lawmakers first reduced the proposed number of plants that would be allowed from six per person down to four. The panel also gutted a separate bill that would have banned the sale of high-THC cannabis products to people under 25, replacing that provision with one instead requiring retailers to warn customers about the potential dangers of high-potency products. Both bills were before the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee on Monday. Members voted 7–4 to approve the marijuana homegrow measure and 9–2…

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen joked that smoking marijuana “always helps” when you “get stuck” on a difficult level of the mobile game Candy Crush—but in reality, she said she hasn’t used cannabis since the summer before attending Yale University, when she trained for her first session by smoking cigarettes. During an appearance on the NPR game show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me” that aired on Sunday, the Biden Cabinet official—who also ventured to China last year where she inadvertently ate a “delicious” meal featuring a mushroom with hallucinogenic properties—talked about how she likes “to be prepared” in all aspects of…