NC Tribe Opens MJ Sales to Adult, Trump Supports Biden Rescheduling Move, More... (9/9/24)

Nebraska's Republican attorney general is leading a crackdown on shops selling delta-8 THC products, Texas voters strongly support marijuana decriminalization, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Trump Embraces Biden Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Move. When it comes to marijuana, the policy differences between the Trump and Harris campaigns are growing smaller and smaller. Harris has sponsored a marijuana legalization bill, and the Biden-Harris administration initiated a marijuana rescheduling process that has the DEA calling for medical recognition under Schedule III. Former President Trump has embraced the Biden rescheduling move, and reiterated his support for Florida's Amendment 3 marijuana legalization initiative.

"As a Floridian, I will be voting YES on Amendment 3 in November," Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media web site, on Sunday night. "As President, we will continue to focus on research to unlock the medical uses of marijuana to a Schedule 3 drug, and work with Congress to pass common sense laws, including safe banking (sic) for state authorized companies, and supporting states rights to pass marijuana laws, like in Florida, that work so well for their citizens."

As president, Trump remained largely indifferent to marijuana policy. He appointed a staunch anti-marijuana conservative, former Alabama Sen. Jess Sessions (R), who as attorney general rescinded Obama-era guidance for federal prosecutors to go easy on marijuana. DOJ's actual practices, however, didn't change much.

Despite the candidate's many crimes, and his depradations while previously in office, at least one observer considers his shift on marijuana policy to be noteworthy.

"For the first time in history, both major party candidates support large-scale cannabis reform," said David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs at the US Cannabis Council, a Washington, DC-based lobby for regulated cannabis companies. "[President Trump] joins millions of Americans who have reassessed their views on cannabis in recent years."

Delta-8 THC joint (Elsa Olofsson via Wikimedia)

Nebraska Attorney General Announces Crackdown on Delta-8 THC Products. State Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) last week announced a crackdown on "mislabeled" and "dangerous" delta-8 products in the state. Delta-8 THC is a cannabinoid that is not found in significant quantities in marijuana plants but must be manufactured from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). It has psychoactive properties.

Hemp is legal across the United States, but delta-8 THC's legal status is hazier. Attorney General Hilgers' crackdown comes not in the form of criminal enforcement but in the form of lawsuits aimed at retailers who sell products containing delta-8 THC. The first lawsuits were filed against retailers in Norfolk, but Hilgers said more are coming.

"We are ramping up our efforts to clean up Nebraska," Hilgers said. "For the first time, we have sued every store in a community. The stores are misleading Nebraskans."

The lawsuits alleged violations of the Consumer Protection Act, Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and Nebraska’s Pure Food Act. Hilgers has already filed lawsuits against more than a dozen vape shops and other businesses selling the products, with some cases settled by retailers who promise not to sell the products.

North Carolina Tribe Begins Selling Marijuana to Anyone 21 and Over. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians began selling legal marijuana to all adult comers on Saturday at their shop in Cherokee. Everywhere else in the state, possession or consumption of weed -- not to mention sales -- is illegal.

The tribe began selling medical marijuana in April and began selling recreational use marijuana to tribal members beginning in July. Now, sales are open to anyone 21 or over.

The tribe's Great Smoky Cannabis Company called the day "history in the making" and on Facebook posted a video showing people lined up to take advantage of the opportunity on Saturday morning.

"To have access to something like this where it's legal, you know it's organic, you know what you're getting, it's quality, you know you can trust the source," said Hanna Jaffe, a resident of Asheville, 60 miles away. "There's a lot of synthetics on the market. There's a lot of unsafe products on the black market, too," Jaffee said. "Having this access is going to be the way to go."

Texas Poll Has Strong Majority for Marijuana Decriminalization. A new University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll has strong support for marijuana decriminalization, with more than two-thirds of respondents (68 percent) saying they favored making the penalty for marijuana possession no more than a ticket and a fine, with 42 percent saying they "strongly" favor it.

Majority support for marijuana decriminalization crossed party lines, with 81 percent of Democrats, 61 percent of independents, and even 59 percent of Republicans in favor.

Asked whether the penalty for possession or use of cannabis should be reduced to a citation and fine, 68 percent said they support that proposal, including 42 percent who said they "strongly" favor it. A majority of Democrats (81 percent), Republicans (59 percent), and independents (61 percent) all expressed support for the reform.

The poll also asked about whether laws on a variety of issues should be more strict, less strict, or stay the same. Half of respondents (50 percent) said restrictions on marijuana should be reduced, 18 percent said they should stay the same, and 25 percent said they should be tightened. By contrast, 49 percent of respondents said abortion restrictions should be loosened, 34 percent said gambling rules should be less strict, 22 percent said voting laws should be relaxed and only 13 percent said the same about gun laws. Even in the conservative stronghold state, 58 percent said gun regulations should be more strict.

The poll comes as a handful of Texas cities -- Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marco -- have already voted to reform local marijuana ordinances, and several more will be on the ballot in November, including Bastrop and Lockhart in the Austin area, and Dallas.

(This article was prepared by StoptheDrugWar.org's 501(c)(4) lobbying nonprofit, the Drug Reform Coordination Network, which also pays the cost of maintaining this website. DRCNet Foundation takes no positions on candidates for public office, in compliance with section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and does not pay for reporting that could be interpreted or misinterpreted as doing so.)