Booker slams DEA medical marijuana biz registration policy; NH governor candidates debate cannabis; Study: Marijuana doesn’t cause violence
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) told Marijuana Moment that it is “ridiculous” and “really problematic” that the Drug Enforcement Administration is pressuring medical cannabis dispensaries to fire employees with prior convictions in order to get federal rescheduling protections.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico said he wants to partner with President Donald Trump on legalizing marijuana if he wins next month’s election.
- “He’s for legalizing marijuana, and so am I. I hope we can do that together and expunge the records of people who have been locked up for a crime that doesn’t hurt anybody.”
New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) reiterated her opposition to legalizing marijuana during a debate, while Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington said it’s time for the state to catch up to its neighbors by legalizing cannabis.
The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation published a report it commissioned that found the state’s legal marijuana market is meeting consumer demand and doesn’t need any additional licensed businesses—but which left unanswered questions about whether ownership of current operations is too concentrated.
Australian Catholic University’s Isabella Goodwin and King’s College London’s Amir Englund authored a new op-ed about their study showing that doubling THC content in marijuana “does not double the feeling of intoxication.”
- “The high rises quickly at low doses, but extra THC soon adds less and less, which backs the advice to start low and go slow.”
Cardiff University’s Simon C Moore argues in a new op-ed that a recent study does not show that marijuana use causes people to become violent, despite alarmist media reports.
- “Ice cream sales rise and fall alongside drownings, yet nobody thinks ice cream causes drowning. Hot weather makes people eat more ice cream and swim more, linking the two. Cannabis and violence may be connected in a similarly roundabout way.”
/ FEDERAL
Department of Health and Human Services Deputy General Counsel Matt Zorn discussed the Trump administration’s psychedelics reform efforts.
The White House Office of Management and Budget concluded a review of changes to a U.S. Department of Agriculture hemp survey.
/ STATES
The New Jersey Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committee approved legislation to slightly delay a ban on hemp THC products in line with federal law.
Idaho lawmakers discussed their views on a proposed constitutional initiative on the November ballot to prevent voters from ever being able to legalize marijuana.
Colorado regulators issued a health and safety bulletin about marijuana products found to have the presence of the solvent methyl ethyl ketone.
Rhode Island regulators voted to expand marijuana delivery hours.
Pennsylvania regulators published guidance about medical cannabis business security requirements.
The Maryland Overdose Response Advisory Council’s Citizen Advisory Workgroup is recommending that lawmakers decriminalize drug paraphernalia.
Illinois regulators are seeking proposals from contractors to develop a “public education campaign to empower consumers with information to help them understand the benefits of purchasing from the legal cannabis market and the risks of purchasing from the illegal market, including the dangers to public health and safety.”
U.S. Virgin Islands regulators are considering potential restrictions on cannabis business ownership by elected officials.
Minnesota regulators are accepting applications for a grants program aimed at restoring communities negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition.
Oklahoma regulators are conducting a survey of medical cannabis dispensary employees.
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/ INTERNATIONAL
The United Nations special rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights is urging countries to enact “harm reduction strategies and legalisation of drugs to undercut criminal profits.”
British Columbia, Canada’s Conservative Party said it will work with the cannabis and alcohol industries on “economic-development and job-creation strategies, while maintaining common-sense regulation and consumer safety, particularly for youth.”
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “CBD demonstrates promising interaction with bacterial proteins linked to resistance, suggesting it may serve as an effective therapeutic agent against multidrug-resistant bacteria.”
A study found that “banning hemp-derived THC beverages is associated with a consumer welfare reduction of $3.32 per individual, per choice occasion,” and that “scaling this result nationally yields an annualized, scenario-based consumer welfare reduction ranging from $112 to $146 million.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Boston Herald editorial board is urging Massachusetts voters to reject a ballot initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law.
/ BUSINESS
UPS updated its hemp shipping policy to require additional documentation when new federal restrictions go into effect.
Green Thumb Industries is being sued by a former employee who alleges she was improperly fired over a marijuana allergy.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen is urging Massachusetts voters to reject an initiative on the November ballot to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law.
/ CULTURE
Football player Anthony Richardson Sr. was charged with marijuana possession.
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