SC GOP gov candidates on medical marijuana; Study: Legal medical cannabis reduces worker absences; IL market concentration report
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
South Carolina Republican gubernatorial candidates said they are open to signing a bill to legalize medical cannabis, with one contender during a debate citing the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana.
The National Restaurant Association is calling on Congress to delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC beverages and replace it with a regulatory framework that “ensures consumer safety while meeting growing market demand” for the products as an alternative to alcohol.
A new study found a “statistically significant and quantitatively meaningful effect of medical cannabis laws in the United States on reducing health-related workplace absenteeism”—with the effects “concentrated in occupations and industries in which chronic pain, physical strain, and job-related stress are plausibly important determinants of missed work.”
- “Medical cannabis laws appear to reduce sickness absence in settings where therapeutic use is likely to be most relevant.. Our results are consistent with a therapeutic channel through which medical cannabis access improves symptom management and reduces sickness absence.”
Hedy Yang of the Parabola Center for Law and Policy authored a Marijuana Moment op-ed about a new report exposing a “corporate takeover” in Illinois’s cannabis market that puts most profits in the hands of a few companies despite the “promise of equity and opportunity.”
- “Specific policy choices produced this concentration. Illinois engineered the conditions, and the market followed.”
The Michigan Senate Regulatory Affairs Committee held a hearing on a bill to set a cap on marijuana business licenses—including new provisions to create barriers to obtaining a license for operators with outstanding tax debts.
/ FEDERAL
The Department of Justice is asking a federal court to halt Evanston, Illinois’s marijuana revenue-funded reparations program for Black residents.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Museum posted a video about a refractometer in its collection.
/ STATES
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) discussed negotiations to craft a compromise on legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales.
Florida lawmakers sent Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a budget bill containing a provision to block medical cannabis marketing restrictions.
The North Carolina Supreme Court is being asked to hold new oral arguments in cases concerning the ability of police to conduct searches based on the smell of marijuana.
Maine regulators issued an advisory about medical cannabis vapes with unsafe levels of pesticides.
Maryland’s comptroller reported that the state collected $26 million in adult-use cannabis sales tax revenue in the first quarter of the year.
Massachusetts regulators posted data about cannabis delivery services.
Michigan regulators are conducting a survey about cannabis resources on their website.
California regulators sent updates on various cannabis issues.
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/ LOCAL
The Missoula, Montana City Council voted to extend a moratorium on new marijuana dispensary licenses.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Canada’s Parliamentary Budget Officer published an analysis of cost savings from a proposal to lower the maximum reimbursement rate for medical cannabis for military veterans.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study of military veterans found that “decreased cannabis use was associated with worsening PTSD symptoms, reduced quality of life, and decreased satisfaction with concentration” and that “greater cannabis consumption was positively associated with better mental health outcomes.”
A review concluded that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy “shows promise for reducing anxiety across primary diagnoses.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
Prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana launched an online “Coin-Operated Drug Policy Machine” game that it says tracks how “marijuana, tobacco, and gambling interests flowed to Trump-aligned PACs.”
/ BUSINESS
Glass House Brands Inc. segregated its dual-use marijuana business from its medical cannabis business and applied to trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
High Tide Inc. secured credit approval for a loan agreement in respect of new senior secured credit facilities in the principal amount of C$40 million.
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