Medical Marijuana Update

Folks in Congress are growing tired with Trump administration obstructionism on medical marijuana, the Arkansas program is on hold after a court ruling, Pennsylvania okays vaping -- but not smoking -- flowers, and more.

Last Thursday, a bipartisan pair of senators called on Jeff Sessions to stop blocking medical marijuana research. Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions to demand that he stop blocking efforts to ramp up research on marijuana's medical benefits. "The benefits of research are unquestionable," Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) wrote, taking Sessions to task for blocking applications for new research grows. "Nineteen months have elapsed since the DEA announced its request for expanded marijuana research," they noted, demanding that Sessions respond by May 15 about the status of the research application reviews.

On Tuesday, a bipartisan bill to let the VA study medical marijuana was filed. A group of House Democrats and Republicans filed HR 5520, the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act. The bill would clarify that the Veterans Administration has the authority to study medical marijuana and encourages the agency to do so. The bill would require the VA to report regularly to Congress about its progress on medical marijuana research. The bill is being championed by leaders in the House Veterans Affairs Committee and has 34 cosponsors.

Arkansas

Last Wednesday, medical marijuana business evaluations were halted after a court ruling. The Department of Finance and Administration said that the Medical Marijuana Commission's review of dispensary evaluations has been put on hold. The stoppage is the result of a ruling last week from a state circuit court judge that the licensing process for cultivators violated the 2016 voter-approved initiative legalizing medical marijuana. We are under an injunction that voids the method of cultivation scoring. Therefore, dispensary application review is on hold as we review the situation," Scott Hardin with DFA told KATV in Little Rock.

Louisiana

Last Thursday, the House approved expansion of the medical marijuana program. The House approved House Bill 579, which expands the list of qualifying conditions to include Parkinson's Disease, chronic pain, severe muscle spasms, and PTSD. That means the number of qualifying conditions would rise from 10 to 14. The bill now goes to the Senate.

Massachusetts

On Tuesday, the state's high court urged lawmakers to clarify the law on home cultivation. In an opinion in a case of a medical marijuana patient arrested for growing 22 pot plants, the state's Supreme Judicial Court has urged lawmakers to revisit the law around home grows by patients. The law allows patients to grow enough marijuana to create a 60-day supply, defined in the state as 10 ounces. But the justices found the current law problematic and suggested a plant-based limit would be clearer. "Statutory and regulatory clarification would be most beneficial," wrote Justice Scott Kafker in the opinion in the case, Commonwealth vs. Richardson.

Pennsylvania

On Monday, the health secretary approved vaping flowers. State Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine announced Monday she will approve the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board's recommendation to allow the sale of medical marijuana in in leaf or flower form. State law forbids patients from smoking it, but vaping would be okay.

[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]