Author: News Room

Lawmakers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, voted this week to adopt a resolution in support of decriminalizing the use, possession and noncommercial sharing of psychedelic plants and fungi. It’s the seventh municipality in the state to deprioritize arrests for entheogens. The statement also calls on the county district attorney to cease prosecutions for psychedelics-related activity as well as for simple possession of all drugs. Further, it urges state lawmakers to amend a pending proposal that would legalize psychedelics in all of Massachusetts and could end up on the 2024 ballot. The Provincetown Select Board passed the resolution on a 3–1 vote on…

People in states where marijuana is illegal are significantly more likely to have used products containing lesser-known cannabinoids like delta-8 THC, signaling that prohibition may “unintentionally promote” usage of the loosely regulated products, according to a new federally funded study published the American Medical Association (AMA). The research letter, published in the journal JAMA Network Open on Wednesday, contains what it says is the first-ever set of scientific data on use trends for emerging cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC, CBG and CBN, as well as updated numbers of the consumption of CBD products. Researchers at the University of Michigan, University…

Sales of adult-use marijuana in Maryland totaled nearly $56 million in November, yet again setting a consecutive record for monthly commercial cannabis activity since the recreational market opened in July. Legal marijuana sales overall across the state dropped slightly last month, however, totaling roughly $89.7 million, including $33.7 million in medical marijuana receipts. That’s down from a total of about $90 million in October, and about $2 million less than August’s record overall high of $91.7 million. The latest figures, released this week by the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA), also include a breakdown of sales by product category. Just more…

If the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reschedules marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), experts say the change would not only have big implications for cannabis at the federal level, but could also cause series of legal adjustments in states. As the result of so-called “trigger laws,” most U.S. states would either automatically reschedule marijuana to follow a change in its federal status or would begin a process to reclassify the substance. The ripple effect could impact politics, criminal justice and medical marijuana, among other issues. Broadly, states fall into one of three categories in terms of…

A lot has changed in the world since Steve Diamond first reported on the New Orleans Jazz Festival for the January 1st, 1979 issue of High Times Magazine. Back then, current Jazz Fest juggernaut Tipitina’s was in its infancy—the historic music venue having only operated for a year at the time of Diamond’s piece—and the New Orleans music scene as a whole played host to a variety of different sights, sounds, and flavors that, for certain folks today, remain a distant memory—and for others—something they’ll have to read or hear stories about to experience. “Jazz Fest is an annual celebration…

California’s Emerald Triangle is world renowned for growing some of the best cannabis anywhere, but there are many unknown valleys full of incredible flowers, and the Anderson Valley is one of them. While many know towns like Covelo, for their famed Sour Diesel, surprisingly few have smoked the big buds coming out of places like Boonville or Philo.  What’s Great for Wine is Great For Ganja The Anderson Valley is a long narrow valley, whose unique west/east orientation perfectly channels ocean breezes and cool fog twice a day, keeping temperatures relatively stable and mild, which has made it a popular…

Attorneys for President Joe Biden’s son Hunter are calling on a federal court to dismiss a case against their client over gun charges stemming from his use of an illicit drug while in possession of a firearm, arguing that prosecutors are applying an unconstitutional statute that would criminalize millions of marijuana consumers acting in compliance with state law if broadly enforced. In a motion to dismiss filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware on Monday, Hunter Biden’s defense said the gun charges violate the Second Amendment and represent a politically motivated prosecution over a law that…

Ohio House lawmakers held another committee hearing on a bill to revise the state’s newly enacted marijuana legalization law, hearing additional testimony ahead of an expected vote on Wednesday. After taking public input on the legislation from Rep. Jamie Callender (R) last week, the House Finance Committee met again on Tuesday to hear from additional advocates and stakeholders as Senate Republicans work to advance a separate revision package that’s sparked significant pushback. The House bill is considered more palatable to reform supporters, as it’d make less sweeping changes to what voters approved on the November ballot—especially compared to the Senate…

Legal marijuana sales in Connecticut set a new record in November, with nearly $25.7 million in total sales for the month. That figure includes $15.4 million in sales to adult consumers—the highest amount since the recreational market opened in January. Medical marijuana sales, meanwhile, held steady in November at about $10.3 million after months of consistent declines. All told, state-licensed retailers have reported nearly a quarter of a billion dollars worth of total cannabis sales so far in 2023, according to latest numbers from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. The adult-use market also saw the purchase of more legal…

A psychedelics-focused drug development company is officially asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review an application to approve MDMA as a prescription medication for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) announced on Tuesday that it submitted the new drug application (NDA) to FDA, requesting an expedited review given that the agency previously designated the psychedelic as a breakthrough therapy. If the NDA is ultimately approved, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would then need to reschedule MDMA accordingly. It would become the first psychedelic in history to be approved as a…