Minnesota's marijuana legalization bill wins yet another committee vote, a Connecticut psilocybin decriminalization bill heads for a House floor vote, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Minnesota Marijuana Legalization Bill Wins 14th House Committee Vote. The House Tax Committee has become the 14th House committee to approve the marijuana legalization bill, House File100. Approval came on a voice vote last Thursday after the committee adopted a large-scale amendment to overhaul various tax provisions of the legislation, moving away from the legalization plan put forward by Gov. Tim Walz (DFL). Companion legislation is also moving in the Senate, with differences between the two bills to be worked out in conference committee. The bill heads next to the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday. Meanwhile, the Senate version is heading to the Rules and Administration Committee next Tuesday.

Washington Bill Banning Pre-Employment Marijuana Drug Approved by Legislature. Both the House and the Senate have approved a bill, Senate Bill 5123, that would bar employers from taking adverse actions against new hires because of a failed drug test for marijuana. The Senate approved it last month, and the House passed it last week. Because of minor changes in the bill's text in the House, it must go back to the Senate for a concurrence vote this week. Then it will go to the desk of Gov. Jay Inslee (D). "It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in the initial hiring for employment if the discrimination is based upon: (a) The person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace; or (b) An employer-required drug screening test that has found the person to have non-psychoactive cannabis metabolites in their hair, blood, urine, or other bodily fluids."

Medical Marijuana

Kentucky Becomes 38th State to Legalize Medical Marijuana. Gov. Andy Beshear last Friday signed into law Senate Bill 47, making the state the 38th to allow for the medicinal use of marijuana. The bill will allow patients with specified medical conditions, including cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder to obtain a doctor’s recommendation to use cannabis medicinally. The bill does not allow patients to smoke marijuana, although it does allow for the sale of unprocessed cannabis flower for vaporization. Other marijuana formulations including capsules, tinctures and topical products are also authorized by the bill. Patients will be permitted to possess a 10-day supply of cannabis on their person and a 30-day supply at home. It will be up to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to draft and put into place regulations for the production and sale of medical marijuana.

Psychedelics

Connecticut Psilocybin Decriminalization Bill Wins Committee Vote. The House Judiciary Committee voted last Thursday to send a bill decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of psilocybin, House Bill 6734, to the House floor. Under the bill possessing less than a half ounce of psilocybin or psilocybin-containing mushrooms a ticketable offense with a maximum $150 fine for a first offense. Further offenses would carry fines between $250 and $500 along with a referral to a drug education program.

Drug Policy

Bipartisan Reentry Act Introduced in Senate. US Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced bipartisan legislation that expands access to health care, including mental health services and substance use disorder treatment, for Medicaid-eligible individuals 30 days before their release from jail or prison. The Reentry Act would also make it easier for states to provide effective substance use disorder treatment and services, allowing for smoother transitions to community care and a reduced risk of overdose deaths post-release. Just released inmates are at extremely high risk of suffering drug overdoses. "When people serve their time and are working to transition back into the community, it is our responsibility to give them the tools they need to live healthy, successful lives, and that includes health care coverage to help reduce the risk of overdose," said Sen. Baldwin. "The opioid and substance use epidemic impacts every community across the country, but particularly incarcerated individuals who are working to reenter society. I’m proud to work with Democrats, Republicans, law enforcement, and the public health community on this reform to fight against this deadly epidemic and help those reentering our communities do so safely."

A North Carolina marijuana legalization bill has been filed, more New York regions have been cleared to license marijuana businesses, and more.

Delaware Marijuana Legalization Bills Go to Governor. The Senate has approved a pair of bills that would legalize marijuana (House Bill 1) and regulate legal marijuana commerce (House Bill 2), sending the package to the desk of Gov. John Carney (D), who vetoed similar legislation last year. This year, both the House and the Senate passed the bills by veto-proof majorities. The package would legalize the possession of up to an ounce by people 21 and over, as well as create a regulatory framework that would allow for up to 30 pot shops. Retails sales would be taxed at 15 percent. After passage of the bills, the governor's office said he remained "concerned" by marijuana legalization. 

New York Able to Issue More Recreational Marijuana Licenses After Court Ruling. A ruling from the US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal has cleared the way for state officials to issue recreational marijuana licenses in Brooklyn, central New York, the mid-Hudson region, and central New York. Licensing in those regions had been blocked by a temporarily restraining order issued on behalf of a Michigan entrepreneur who challenged the state's licensing system that aims to put the first round of licenses into the hands of people who had prior marijuana convictions or whose relatives did. His lawsuit charges that policy violates constitutional interstate commerce protections. That temporary restraining order has now been limited to the Finger lakes region. Licensing in nine other areas of the state, including the rest of New York City was not impacted by the lawsuit or the injunction.

North Carolina Marijuana Legalization Bill Filed. A measure to legalize marijuana, Senate Bill 346, was filed late last week. The bill would legalize the possession of up to two ounces and would allow for up to six plants to be grown for personal use. It would also create a taxed and regulated system of legal marijuana commerce, with a state retail tax of 20 percent and localities being able to add another three percent. A quarter of marijuana tax and fee revenues would go to a "community reinvestment and repair fund," while another 10 percent would go to a social equity fund and half would go to the state general fund. It would also include "the automatic expunction of certain marijuana offenses." The bill's seven sponsors are all Democrats. It is now before the Senate Committee on Rules and Operations.

Harm Reduction

Food and Drug Administration Approves Narcan Without a Prescription. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone (Narcan) can now be sold over the counter (OTC). It is a move long sought by public health officials and harm reductionists who hope that it can help reduce the nation's opioid overdose death toll. OTC naloxone should be available on store shelfs in big box chains, supermarkets, convenience stores, gas stations, as well as online and in vending machines by late summer. "Today’s approval of OTC naloxone nasal spray will help improve access to naloxone, increase the number of locations where it’s available and help reduce opioid overdose deaths throughout the country," FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf said. "We encourage the manufacturer to make accessibility to the product a priority by making it available as soon as possible and at an affordable price."

A bill banning minors from buying Delta-8 THC products is signed into law in Kentucky, a bill banning medical marijuana use by pregant or breast-feeding women is signed into law in South Dakota, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Kentucky Governor Signs Bill Barring Minors from Buying Delta-8 THC Products. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Thursday signed into law a bill making it illegal for people under 21 to buy products containing delta-8 THC, a naturally occurring compound typically extracted from hemp-derived CBD that has mild psychoactive effects compared to delta-9 THC and is known colloquially as "marijuana lite." House Bill 544 passed the legislature unanimously directs the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to "immediately begin the process of regulating delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol and any other hemp-derived substances." It also prohibits "the sale, gift, or sother transfer of possession" of the products to people under 21 years old, and bars anyone under that age from possessing them.

Medical Marijuana

Oklahoma Senate Passes Pack of Medical Marijuana Bills. The Senate on Thursday approved multiple bills aimed at tightening regulations on the state's medical marijuana industry. Senate Bill 264 allows regulators to use ‘secret shoppers’ to discover businesses not following medical marijuana rules and laws. Senate Bill 437 directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) to develop a registry of physicians following the agency’s original and continuing medical education requirements. All medical marijuana business employees will also need to complete the education requirements. Senate Bill 439  requires regulators to provide a list of qualifying medical conditions to receive a medical marijuana patient license. Physicians will need to hold in-person exams of all license applicants unless the patient is certified as home-bound. It also requires that the two recommending physicians able to prescribe medical marijuana for minors to not be located at the same physical address. Senate Bill 440 limits the THC potency of medical marijuana and related products sold in dispensaries to no more than 1,000 mg of delta-9 THC per package for edible products. Senate Bill 645 requires that any medical marijuana flower, trim, shake, kief, medical marijuana product, or other flower-based product not labeled as a concentrate, sold by licensed processors and commercial growers to licensed dispensaries be pre-packaged and weigh at least half of a gram and no more than three ounces. Flowers are allowed to be packaged in nonopaque materials. Senate Bill 813 allows the state to run a quality assurance lab to direct compliance testing of medical marijuana businesses. The bills now go to the House.

South Dakota Governor Signs Trio of Medical Marijuana Bills. Gov. Kristi Noem (R) on Thursday signed into law three bills dealing with medical marijuana: House Bill 1053 bars pregnant or breast-feeding women from being certified for medical marijuana. House Bill 1132 revises the duties of the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC), adding that the committee shall make recommendations regarding and medical and clinical aspects of the medical cannabis program. House Bill 1150 waives patient fees in some circumstances and requires practitioners to certify whether they have previously certified a patient for medical marijuana.

Drug Policy

Kentucky Governor Signs Emergency Order Making "Gas Station Heroin" a Controlled Substance. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Thursday issued an emergency order classifying products containing tianeptine, a previously unregulated drug colloquially known as "gas station heroin," as a Schedule I controlled substance under state law. The drug produces opioid-like effects and is sold in products such as ZaZa, Tianna, TD Red and Pegasus. "Today, Kentucky became a safer place," said Gov. Beshear. "Until now, someone looking for a heroin-like high could walk into certain places or buy this harmful product online. We’re committed to protecting Kentuckians from this kind of harm, and if someone is struggling with abuse, we’re here to help."

A Republican senator is calling on the banking industry to step up for a marijuana banking bill, the Oklahoma Senate moves to tighten up rules around medical marijuana grows, and more.

Marijuana Policy                        

GOP Marijuana Banking Bill Sponsors Calls on Bankers to "Unleash An Army" of Lobbyists to Get It Passed. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), the lead Republican sponsor of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, used a speech at the American Bankers Association Washington Summit Tuesday to call on the industry to "unleash an army" of lobbyists to push the bill through Congress. He said there "a chance" the bill could pass by going through the committee process. "This bill has been out there a long time," he said. "I think with each passing year, there’s a greater number of people who understand that the problem—forcing businesses to operate in all cash—is only getting worse. We need to be very clear: this is a public safety bill, and the longer we go without addressing this issue, the worse the situation on the ground becomes." He told the bankers he is "very thankful" for their support, adding that "we could unleash an army of you all in this room on Capitol Hill" to advocate for the passage of the cannabis banking bill.

Medical Marijuana

Oklahoma Senate Approves Bill Targeting Illegal Medical Marijuana Grows. The Senate on Tuesday voted 41-1 to approve Senate Bill 806, which seeks to crack down on illicit marijuana grows by limiting how many marijuana business licenses could use the same address for their applications. "Those who regulate our medical marijuana industry are running into problems when they raid a facility only to learn that there are numerous licensees who utilize that one address and all have product stored there," the bill’s author, Sen. Brent Howard, (R-Altus) said. "This makes it nearly impossible for law enforcement to know what product is actually illegal and to properly investigate the case. This measure would limit the number of licenses that can be listed under one address to help improve regulation and shut down illegal business activity." The bill was requested by Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA), the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD) and the Attorney General’s Office. The bill now heads to the House.

Foreign Policy

Blinken Says Cartels Control Parts of Mexico. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday and was asked by ranking member Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) whether there are places in Mexico the government does not control, and he answered in the affirmative. "I think that's fair to say, yes," he replied. He also agreed with Graham "that fentanyl coming from Mexico is killing Americans by the tens of thousands." Graham also asked if the cartels should be declared foreign terrorist organizations. A House bill to do that has been filed, while a Senate bill has been threatened. "Yes we’d certainly consider that," Blinken replied. The exchange came after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador largely blamed the United States for its drug problems and denied that Mexico was a source of fentanyl.

International

 

. Two Mexican soldiers and five gunmen from La Familia Michoacana were killed when a military unit was ambushed in the state of Guerrero last Friday. The military unit "was the target of an attack by approximately 18 armed civilians aboard two vehicles," the Mexican military said. The attack came in the mountain town of El Pescado, which has seen frequent clashes between cartel members and the authorities. La Familia Michoacana, once powerful, had been decimated by the arrest or killing of its leaders, but has been trying to stage a comeback. It is currently locked in combat with the Los Tequileros gang for control of the area.