Author: News Room

Alaska lawmakers have filed a pair of bills to create a state task force responsible for studying and making recommendations on psychedelic policy issues, including frameworks for legalization and licensure for therapeutic practitioners. Sen. Forrest Dunbar (D) and Rep. Jennie Armstrong (D) introduced identical companion versions of the legislation on Monday. The bills would establish an Alaska Mental Health and Psychedelic Medicine Task Force under the state Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The body would be comprised of government representatives and experts in mental health, psychiatry and more. Members would be charged with assessing the potential therapeutic uses…

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has agreed to release documents related to its recommendation to federally reschedule marijuana “in their entirety” amid litigation over a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that was filed by a lawyer last year. “Good afternoon and thank you for your patience,” a Department of Justice attorney handling the case said in an email to attorney Matt Zorn on Thursday. “The agency has advised that it will release the letter and its enclosures in their entirety.” Zorn posted a screenshot of the email on his blog, noting that the release could mean…

“Marijuana should be dealt with like alcohol and other substances like that are dealt with.” By Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star A legislative panel on Wednesday voted down a measure to take marijuana out of Maine’s criminal code. The proposal from Sen. Joe Baldacci (D-Penobscot) would have removed marijuana as a scheduled drug in Maine and eliminated crimes that include the unlawful trafficking and possession of the drug. I would also have removed the rule that a person who has a certain amount of marijuana is illegally furnishing it and eliminated any mandatory minimum term of imprisonments for marijuana-related offenses,…

“Social equity should not simply be a false mantra for politically connected and well-capitalized opportunists to distort new marijuana markets or exploit the public purse.” By Geoffrey Lawrence, Reason Foundation & Khurshid Khoja, Greenbridge Corporate Counsel Ohio voters recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana by adults. In total, 24 states have legalized recreational marijuana use, and Florida, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin may all soon join these ranks. This metaphorical genie is not going back in the bottle, nor should it because drug prohibition breeds violence and has ruined many lives. As part of the growing bipartisan recognition…

Military combat veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) saw “dramatic” and “life-changing” improvements in their symptoms and cognitive functioning immediately after receiving treatment with the psychedelic ibogaine, new research shows. Stanford University researchers behind the study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine last week, followed 30 veterans who were functionally disabled from symptoms of TBI such as post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety and who had a history of repeated blast or combat exposures. The team, which collaboration with the foundation VETS, Inc., assessed the veterans before and after they visited a clinic in Mexico to receive ibogaine treatment,…

The judge also ordered that any dispensary owner that has already renewed its licenses under the new fee structure should be refunded by the state.  By Justin Franz, Montana Free Press A Lewis and Clark County district court judge has struck down a new state law that dramatically increased the licensing fees for marijuana dispensaries with multiple locations. Under House Bill 903, a dispensary would have had to pay $5,000 to renew a license for its first shop, and then a cumulatively additional $5,000 for each additional location. Under the new law it would have cost marijuana retailers $10,000 to renew a…

Illinois marijuana retailers set new monthly sales records to close out 2023, selling $181.8 million worth of cannabis products during December, including a record $153.9 million in adult-use purchases. Sales of medical marijuana in December were at their highest since April, at $27.9 million. All told, legal cannabis sales for 2023 set a new annual record, reaching just under $2 billion, including more than $1.6 billion from the state’s adult-use market, which launched four years ago. Recreational marijuana sales generated $417.6 million in tax revenue for the state in 2023, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue. “From day one,…

As Virginia Democrstic lawmakers renew their push to legalize marijuana sales, the Republican governor says the issue isn’t something he’s personally interested in advancing this year. While advocates are hopeful that commercial legalization could move through both chambers of the legislature, which are now controlled by Democrats, the remarks from Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) indicate that the plan might not be enacted into law even if it is approved by the House of Delegates and Senate. Following his State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday, Youngkin was asked about the prospects of further cannabis reform. “I just don’t have a…

Another Michigan city has approved a resolution to locally deprioritize enforcement of laws against psychedelic substances, while expressing support for a statewide bill to legalize certain etheogenic plants and fungi. On Tuesday, the Ypsilanti City Council took testimony from supporters and passed the psychedelics measure in an unanimous 6-0 vote. The whereas section states that psychedelics can “catalyze profound experiences of personal and spiritual growth, have been shown by scientific and clinical studies and traditional practices to be beneficial to the health and well-being of individuals and communities in addressing” conditions such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress. It also points…

New Jersey lawmakers are gearing up for a busy year in the drug policy reform space, filing over a dozen bills touching on issues ranging from marijuana interstate commerce, home grow, banking and employment protections to psychedelics legalization and kratom regulations. As the state’s adult-use cannabis market continues to evolve since the implementation of legalization last April, legislators from both sides of the aisle are bringing forward a slew of proposals to build on the reform, and also expand into different drug policy areas. Home cultivation is one area advocates will be closely following, as New Jersey stands out among…