Breaking News:Dangerous Delays: What Washington State (Re)Teaches Us About Cash and Cannabis Store Robberies [REPORT]

Marijuana

RSS Feed for this category

MA Natural Psychedelic Bills Get Hearing, Big Rise in Psychedelic Use in Young Adults, More... (5/14/23)

Alabama issues its first medical marijuana licenses, the British Home Office is messing with festival drug checking, and more.

Magic mushrooms -- objects of medical, legislative, and recreational interest. (Creative Commons)
Medical Marijuana

Alabama Awards First Medical Marijuana Licenses. The state Medical Cannabis Commission on Monday awarded 16 licenses for the cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana, leaving four out of five applicants out of luck. But there are more licenses to come.

The commission can grant up to 12 licenses for cultivation, four for processing, and four for retail sales. It can also grant up to five licenses for integrated facilities (combined cultivation, processing, and distribution operations), each of which can operate up to five dispensaries.

"To the recipients, let me say that we look forward to working with you in a partnership manner in which all you know what lies ahead," said John McMillan, the Commission's director.

The legislature approved medical marijuana in 2021, but a bill authorizing the program did not allow for licenses to be issued until September 2022. But the Medical Cannabis Commission only began accepting applications late last year.

Psychedelics

Massachusetts Psychedelic Reform Bills Get Hearing. The Joint Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing Tuesday on several psychedelic reform bills.

House Bill 3589, from Rep. Nicholas Boldyga (R), would legalize plant medicines for people 21 and over, while House Bill 1754 and Senate Bill 1009, from Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa (D) and Sen. Pat Jehlen (D), respectively, would expand the use of plant medicines to people 18 and over.

"Massachusetts has the opportunity to lead the way in the mental health revolution," Boldyga said. "It's been said an idea whose time has arrived cannot be stopped... I believe that time is now for these life-saving plant medicines as a new paradigm in how we view, and understand, and treat mental health is upon us."

No votes were taken.

Dramatic Rise in Hallucinogen Use Among Young Adults. Based on the results of the annual Monitoring the Future survey of young adults, researchers are reporting that the use of psychedelics other than LSD had nearly doubled between 2018 and 2021. Past-year use of psychedelics was 3.4 percent in 2018, jumping to 6.6 percent in 2021. During the same period, LSD use was fairly stable, rising from 3.7 percent in 2018 to 4.2 percent in 2021.

"While non-LSD hallucinogen use remains substantially less prevalent than use of substances such as alcohol and cannabis, a doubling of prevalence in just three years is a dramatic increase and raises possible public health concerns," coauthor Megan Patrick, PhD, with the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, Ann Arbor, said in a news release.

International

British Home Office Blocked Festival Drug Checking Last Weekend. British festival organizers are raising cries of alarm after the Home Office blocked drug checking at the Parklife festival in Manchester last weekend because it said festival organizers needed to apply for a special license to provide drug checking services, a proven harm reduction intervention.

It was the first time drug checking did not take place at the festival since 2014 and it happened because the Home Office suddenly introduced the separate licensing requirement.

"Events at this year's Parklife are extremely worrying for everyone in the industry, and even more importantly festivalgoers," said Melvin Benn, the managing director of Festival Republic, which runs Leeds and Reading festivals. "If festival organizers fear their safeguarding measures will be pulled at the 11th hour, then how can we guarantee the wellbeing of our guests?"

In a terse response to criticism, the Home Office said: "Anyone interested in undertaking lawful activities involving the possession, supply or production of controlled drugs, including those who wish to provide drug testing services, need to apply for a Home Office license. Festival organizers in consultation with local partners are responsible for decisions relating to drug testing at festivals. We will continue an open dialogue with prospective licensees throughout the festival season."

But festival organizers say it can take more than three months and more than $3,000 to get a Home Office license.

NV Lawmakers Approve Legal Pot Reform Bill, Peru Blows Up Cocaine Air Strips, More... (6/13/23)

Missouri NORML is threatening recalcitrant rural counties with court orders over their failure to get expungements done, a pair of senators file a bill to fight Mexican cartels by increasing southbound inspections near the border, and more.

Futile pursuits. Peruvian troops blow up a clandestine air strip used in the cocaine trade. (Peru Interior Ministry)
Missouri NORML Threatens Court Order Against Counties for Failing to Meet Expungement Deadline. Last Thursday was the deadline for counties to expunge all misdemeanor marijuana cases, but several rural counties failed to meet that deadline, and now Missouri NORML is threatening to seek a court order to force them do so.

The expungement provision was part of last November's Amendment 3 marijuana legalization initiative, but some of those counties have made little or no effort to comply, said Missouri NORML spokesman Dan Viets. "Many rural counties did not have a majority in favor of Article 14. In some cases, I think we are seeing a reflection of that fact in the reluctance of county officials to follow the constitution. Once the deadline has passed, there certainly is a basis for seeking a court order that the lower courts comply with the constitution. This is not a discretionary matter. It's not a matter of choice. It's a matter of mandate."

Nevada Legislature Approves Omnibus Marijuana Reform Bill. Lawmakers last week gave final approval to an omnibus marijuana law reform bill, Senate Bill 277, and sent it to the desk of Gov. Joe Lombardo (R). The bill revises upward the amount of weed a person can buy or possess from one ounce to 2.5 ounces and doubles the amount of allowable concentrates from one-eighth ounce to one-quarter ounce. The bill also gives medical marijuana dispensaries new flexibility to serve adult use customers.

Drug Policy

Senators Hassan, Lankford Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Drug Cartels by Increasing Southbound Border Inspections US Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and James Lankford (R-OK), both members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced bipartisan legislation to increase inspections of traffic going from the US to Mexico, which would help combat the flow of illicit firearms and money that fuel drug cartels.

"Shutting down drug cartels requires disrupting the supply chains that bring illicit guns and cartel profits from the US to Mexico," Senator Hassan said. "By significantly increasing inspections of southbound traffic at the Southern border, this bipartisan legislation will crack down on fentanyl and other drug trafficking and help save lives. I will continue working to address the opioid crisis that is devastating New Hampshire and urge my colleagues to join this important legislation."

Specifically, the bipartisan Enhancing Southbound Inspections to Combat Cartels Act would:

1. Require that at least 20 percent of southbound vehicles are inspected, to the extent practicable.

2. Authorize at least 500 additional Customs and Border Protection officers to assist with southbound inspections.

3. Authorize at least 100 additional Homeland Security Investigations agents.

4. Authorize 50 additional x-ray inspection systems for southbound inspections.

International

Peru Blows Up Clandestine Air Strips Used in Cocaine Trade. The government of embattled President Dina Boluarte continues to wage the war on drugs, proudly reporting that authorities have destroyed 18 clandestine air strips used to move coca leaf and cocaine from the Peruvian jungle into neighboring countries and Europe. The Peruvian National Police say their goal is destroy 30 air strips by year's end.

"The majority of these airstrips are located in very remote places and are guarded by heavily armed men. They generally extent more than 1 kilometer," said Pedro Yaranga, a Peruvian narcotrafficking and terrorism expert. "Most of the narco planes come from Bolivia. They also send drugs to Paraguay and some border areas of Brazil, with Europe as the final destination."

The strips were destroyed in the departments of Pasco, Huánuco, and Ucayali, where authorities also deployed monitoring and intelligence operations.

Call for Clemency for Crack Cocaine Prisoners, US Citizen Arrested on Drug Charges in Moscow, More... (6/12/23)

Florida's attorney general has a couple more weeks to try to take down a marijuana legalization initiative, Jammu & Kashmir cracks down on opium cultivation, and more.

The Mexican military is under scrutiny for the apparent execution of five men in Nuevo Laredo. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Florida Supreme Court Grants Attorney General Two-Week Extension to Submit Brief Opposing Marijuana Legalization Initiative. The state Supreme Court last Friday granted Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) a two-week extension to submit her brief opposing the marijuana legalization constitutional amendment from Smart & Safe Florida. The initiative campaign has already gathered enough valid voter signatures to qualify for the November 2024 ballot, but Moody will argue that it violates the state's constitution's single-subject rule for ballot measures.

Clemency and Pardon

Faith and Justice Organizations Urge Biden to Grant Clemency for People Sentenced Under Crack Cocaine Guidelines. Thirteen faith and justice organizations have sent a letter to President Biden urging him to grant clemency to people convicted of federal crack cocaine offenses. The signers include the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) and Drug Policy Alliance, while faith organizations include the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Multifaith Initiative to End Mass Incarceration and the National Council of Churches.

"It is unacceptable that we know of glaring injustices in our criminal legal system, but see little action from those with the responsibility to change the law," the organizations wrote. "[Y]ou have the power of executive clemency to grant pardons and commutations to thousands of people impacted by unjustly punitive crack cocaine sentencing guidelines."

Under the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, enacted in a moral panic after the cocaine overdose death of basketball star Len Bias, a person found with five grams of crack faced the same sentence as one found with 500 grams of powder cocaine, a 100:1 sentencing disparity, even though there is no chemical difference between the two forms of the drug. The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 reduced the disparity to 18:1 and under President Biden's direction, and prosecutors were instructed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to not automatically charge crack and powder cocaine offenses differently.

Still, "[t]housands of people are serving out harsh, unjustifiable sentences because of the crack disparity, while thousands of others still face legal discrimination from governments, landlords, and employers because of a criminal record for a federal crack conviction."

Foreign Policy

US Musician Arrested on Drug Charges in Russia. Travis Michael Leake, a US citizen long resident in Moscow who has been involved in the music scene in the Russian capital, has been arrested on drug charges as the US and Russia face their deepest diplomatic crisis in a generation. He appeared in court Saturday on drug trafficking charges "involving young people" and will be held behind bars at least until August 6, when he faces his next court appearance.

The State Department said officials were aware of reports that a US citizen was detained in Moscow, adding that the department "has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens abroad." The agency declined to provide further details, citing privacy considerations.

Leake becomes at least the third US national to be arrested in Russia since the Russian military invaded Ukraine in February 2022, after Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and WNBA star Brittney Griner. Griner was released in a prisoner swap after serving nearly a year in a Russian prison, while Gershkovich remains behind bars awaiting trial.

International

Jammu and Kashmir in Crackdown on Opium Cultivation. Law enforcement authorities have destroyed 150 acres of opium poppy crops since April 2023 as part of the government's "act tough policy" against a rising "drug menace."

"On a vast scale, we have damaged the poppy crop. Eighteen FIRs [investigative files] have been recorded thus far this year. Majority of the poppy is grown in Kulgam and other districts of south Kashmir, where our teams are constantly monitoring the situation," said Excise Commissioner Pankaj Sharma. "We are taking action as well as destroying the poppy wherever it is being cultivated to send a deterrent to people indulging in this thing."

The law enforcement agencies continue to combat the problem of illegal marijuana and opium growing at a local level. "Under the NDPS Act [drug law], we are arresting people found indulging in drug trafficking as well as cultivation of poppy," a Police official said. "Drug traffickers will be dealt with harshly, and no one will be spared. According to the NDPS Act, we will begin attaching the property of drug traffickers."

Mexican Soldiers Caught on Video Executing Five Alleged Cartel Members Will Face Military Justice, Defense Department Says. Mexico's defense department announced Saturday that 16 soldiers will face military charges in the killing of five men in the border city of Nuevo Laredo last month. They are being held in a military prison in Mexico City and face charges of violating "military discipline" in the executions, which were caught on security camera video.

The military trial is independent of any charges that could be brought by civilian prosecutors. Under Mexican law, soldiers accused of abusing civilians must be tried in civilian courts, but can also be tried in military tribunals.

"Apparently this was an execution, and that cannot be permitted," President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Wednesday during his daily news briefing. "Those responsible are about to be turned over to the appropriate authorities. "This incident is the second mass killing of civilians by the military in Nuevo Laredo this year. On February 26, soldiers shot and killed five young men riding in a vehicle who were unarmed. Angry neighbors then attacked the soldiers, beating some of them. Federal prosecutors have filed homicide against four soldiers in that case."

NY Crackdown on Unlicensed Weed Sales, Video Captures Mexican Soldiers Killing Drug Suspects, More... (6/9/23)

American truckers are fed up with marijuana prohibition and testing policies, Rhode Island expunges 23,000 pot possession records, and more.

Still from the video showing Mexican soldiers detaining, then executing drug suspects.
Marijuana Policy

Amid Industry Labor Shortage Worsened by Marijuana Drug Testing, Truckers Say Legalize It. An analysis of marijuana testing policies in the trucking industry conducted by the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) finds that a strong majority of truckers say federal marijuana laws need to change and most say that current marijuana testing policies are driving truckers out of the industry.

"More than half of all positive trucking industry drug tests are for marijuana metabolite," which can stay in a person's systems for weeks after consuming, the report, published on Monday, says. Federal prohibition "has been highlighted as a potential disincentive for drivers to stay in the industry, and it has even been argued that loosening the restrictions on marijuana use would make the industry more attractive and widen the potential labor pool."

The report found that 72.4 percent of licensed drivers support "loosening" cannabis laws and testing policies, while another 66.5 percent said that marijuana should be federally legalized. Also, 65.4 percent of motor carriers believe that current marijuana testing procedures should be replaced with methods that measure active impairment -- not the presence of metabolites, which stay in the system long after any impairment has ceased.

New York Attempts Crackdown on Unlicensed Weed Sales. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) announced Thursday the launch of a multi-agency initiative to stop the sale of marijuana at unlicensed storefronts. They have popped up by the hundreds in the interregnum between the state legalizing weed and the still extremely limited advent of licensed adult use marijuana sales.

The state Office of Cannabis Management and Department of Taxation and Finance conducted inspections of storefront businesses not licensed to sell marijuana and issued notices of violation and orders to cease unlicensed activity.

"New York is proud to have undertaken the most equitable legal cannabis roll-out in the nation and the State will not stand idle as unlicensed operators break the law and sell untested products to underage New Yorkers," Gov. Hochul said. "These enforcement actions are critical steps to protect and help those individuals who were promised a shot to start a legal business and be successful. Additionally, these unlicensed operators undermine the State's efforts to generate substantial funds for a social equity fund that will go into the communities that have been hardest hit by over-prosecution of the cannabis laws in the past."

Hochul signed legislation allowing for these expanded enforcement actions against unlicensed marijuana businesses to take place. The legislation allows the Office of Cannabis Management to give out civil penalties against unlicensed cannabis businesses with fines of up to $20,000 a day. It also makes it a crime to sell cannabis and cannabis products without a license.

Rhode Island Expunges 23,000 Pot Possession Charges. State court officials announced Thursday that they had complied with the state's new marijuana legalization law by expunging more than 23,000 pot possession cases. That law not only legalized marijuana, it provided for the automatic expungement of pot possession charges -- but not charges for growing or selling weed.

"The automatic expungement of marijuana charges has been an organizational feat," said State Court Administrator Julie P. Hamil. "There has been coordination at every level of the Judiciary to execute this process in a timely and holistic fashion."

International

Video of Mexican Army Executing Drug Suspects Sparks Investigation. After a video posted on social media showed a group of soldiers pulling five men from a vehicle in Nuevo Laredo, then beating them before fatally shooting them, and then staging an apparently fake shoot-out and placing weapons near the bodies of the slain men in a bid to cover their tracks, Mexican authorities are now investigating the extrajudicial execution.

The military has been accused in numerous cases of kidnapping, torturing, or killing drug suspects, especially as it plays an ever greater role in prosecuting the country's war against violent drug cartels. But it has also had an aura of impunity, with soldiers rarely facing any consequences for brutal and illegal actions.

Now, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has weighed in, saying: "Apparently, there was an execution, which cannot be allowed. We are not the same as the previous governments. So, when there is abuse, when there is an excess, when human rights are violated, those responsible must be punished. And the process to deepen the investigation has already begun. There is no cover-up because we do not tolerate the violation of human rights."

Time will tell about that.

Seattle Rejects New Drug War Bill, Colombia One Vote Away from Legalizing Weed, More... (6/7/23)

British Colombia is reviewing its safe supply drug policy with an eye toward expansion, Berlin officially launches a drug checking program, and more. 

Legal weed is now just one Senate vote away in Colombia. (Creative Commons)
Drug Policy

Seattle City Council Narrowly Rejects Return to Drug War Policies. The city council on Tuesday voted 5-4 to reject a bill, CB 120586, that would have allowed City Attorney Ann Davison to prosecute drug possession and public drug use cases for the first time in city history. The bill would have put the city in line with a new statewide misdemeanor drug possession law.

Now, misdemeanor drug cases in the city will most likely not be prosecuted at all. The other option for prosecuting such cases would have been for the King County prosecutor's office to take them on, but King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion told the council her office's current contract with the city does not allow for that and even if it did, she does not have the staff to handle such cases.

International

British Columbia is Reviewing Safe Supply Policies with Eye to Expanding Them. The Canadian province's chief medical officer says it program to prescribe a safe supply of drugs to some drug users is being reviewed as officials decide whether it should be expanded to cover more people and make more drugs available. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said under the current model drugs have to be distributed in a clinical setting, and that may be discouraging more people from participating.

Dr. Henry said she wants to examine whether the program  should include greater access to opioid alternatives other than hydromorphone – the medication currently most commonly used in such programs. She cited concerns that hydromorphone is not meeting the needs of drug users who have been exposed to a much more toxic and contaminated supply.

She is also looking at whether there are alternatives to the medical model for people seeking a safe supply of drugs. She gave no timeline for completion of the review.

Colombian Senate Approves Marijuana Legalization with One More Vote to Go. A marijuana legalization bill won its penultimate vote in the Senate Tuesday, leaving the bill just one vote away ending pot prohibition. But concerns are rising that unrelated political controversies could derail the effort as legislative deadlines loom increasingly large.

The bill has already cleared the lower chamber and a final Senate vote is set for next week, but if the bill is amended, lawmakers would have only another week to reconcile the bill with the version passed by the Chamber of Deputies before the session ends.

Berlin Launches Drug Checking Program. City officials have launched a drug checking program where people can get their drugs tested anonymously and at no cost. Authorities said the program had two goals: harm reduction for drug users and detecting drug consumption trends. The program will be run by the State Institute for Forensic and Social Medicine and will include three centers where people can drop off their drugs and get results and advice three days later.

"In our opinion, drug checking is successful if we can avoid damage to health and if we, as drug help, reach users who would otherwise not be reached by drug help or who would be reached much too late," said the pharmaceutical director of the project, Tibor Harrach.

PA Makes Xylazine a Controlled Substance, Swiss Capital Wants Pilot Cocaine Sales Program, More... (6/5/23)

A Louisiana pot poll shows strong support for legalization, a California bill to allow pot shops to sell food and drink as well is moving in the Assembly, and more.

The Swiss capital, Bern, wants to start a pilot program of supervised cocaine sales. (Pixabay)
Marijuana Policy

California Assembly Approves Bill to Allow Marijuana Cafes. The Assembly last week approved Assembly Bill 374, which would allow weed retailers to offer food and drinks if they receive local approval. Alcohol sales and tobacco smoking would continue to be prohibited. The bill from Assemblymember Matt Haney (D) passes overwhelmingly on a 59-9 vote and now heads to the Senate.

"The legal cannabis industry is struggling," Haney said on the floor. "Issues like an over-saturation, high taxes and thriving black market are hurting cannabis businesses who follow the rules and pay taxes. AB 374 allows local governments to authorize the preparation and sale of non-cannabis foods and soft drinks at licensed cannabis consumption lounges," he said. "To be clear this does not allow coffee shops to sell cannabis. It allows cannabis shops to sell coffee with pre-approval from local governments. It shouldn’t be illegal for an existing cannabis business to move away from only selling marijuana and instead have the opportunity to grow, thrive and create jobs by offering coffee or live jazz. Ironically, how the law is written now, we require cannabis shops to only sell drugs," Haney said. "We believe that if these businesses want to move away from that model and sell muffins and coffee, they should be able to do that. This will support our small businesses, with local government autonomy."

Louisiana Poll Has Strong Support for Marijuana Legalization. A new poll from Louisiana State University has 70 percent of respondents saying they support legalizing the possession of "small amounts" of marijuana and 90 percent saying they support medical marijuana. Pollsters said the poll revealed a "substantial increase over the past decade in support for legalizing marijuana for recreational use."

The state has a limited medical marijuana program and decriminalized the possession of up to a half ounce in 2021, but efforts to move forward with legalization have gone nowhere in the legislature so far.

Psychedelics

Nevada Assembly Committee Approves Psychedelic Working Group Bill. A bill to create a working group to study psychedelics and develop plans to allow for regulated access for therapeutic purposes that has already passed the Senate, Senate Bill 242, passed is first Assembly hurtle last Friday, winning approval from the Assembly Health and Human Services Committee. It now heads for an Assembly floor vote.

When introduced, the bill had language legalizing psilocybin and promoting research into the psychedelic, but it was amended in the Senate to now have only the working group, which would examine the use of psychedelics "in medicinal, therapeutic, and improved wellness."

Drug Policy

Pennsylvania Temporarily Makes "Tranq" Drug Xylazine a Controlled Substance. Responding to the spread of the veterinary tranquillizer xylazine into the illicit street drug market, along with the lesions it creates on users and its danger (it is often mixed with opioids but does not respond to naloxone), the Department of Health has moved to limit access to the drug by temporarily listing it as a Schedule III substance. Placing xylazine on Schedule III—as opposed to just banning it—preserves legitimate use by veterinarians and farmers.

"This action will protect veterinarians and other legitimate users and manufacturers of xylazine, which is an important medication for animal sedation, while also creating penalties for people who add illicit xylazine to the drug supply that is harming people in our communities," said Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen . "Our focus remains on developing strategies that help connect people with substance use disorder to treatment and other resources." 

International

Swiss Capital City Wants Pilot Program for Cocaine Sales. The city parliament has voted 43-18 to approve a motion from the Alternative Left to extend a pilot program with marijuana sales to include cocaine sales. The marijuana pilot program is set to begin this fall. City parliamentarians said supervised sales could lead to better control of the stimulant drug.

A similar proposal was narrowly rejected by the Bern parliament in 2019, but this year's version was more restrictive, winning enough support from the Social Democrats to get the measure passed—and send a strong signal to the federal government about where the capital city wants to go. 

FL Legal Pot Initiative Has Enough Signatures, Federal Military Psychedelic Research Bill Filed, More... (6/2/23)

A New Hampshire bill legalizing fentanyl and xylazine testing materials goes to the governor, Antigua and Barbuda decriminalizes marijuana and grants Rastafarians sacramental rights, and more.

Happy Rastafaris with silly dreadlock caps. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Florida Marijuana Legalization Initiative Has Enough Signatures to Qualify for the Ballot. State officials have confirmed that Smart and Safe Florida's proposed marijuana legalization constitutional amendment has handed in enough valid voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The group needed 891, 523 valid signatures and has so far collected 967,528.  

The campaign spent $23 million on signature gathering firms and still has $15 million in the bank after raising $38 million—all from a single source, Trulieve Cannabis Corporation, which operates in several states, including Florida.

Under the initiative, people 21 and over could possess up to three ounces of marijuana or five grams of concentrate, but not grow their own. The initiative would also create a legal, regulated marijuana market. The initiative still faces a legal challenge from Attorney General Ashley Moody (R) in the state Supreme Court.

Psychedelics

Bipartisan Federal Bill Would Provide Funds for Psychedelic Research for Members of the Military. A new bill with sponsors from both sides of the aisle, HR 3684, would create a $75 million grant program for research into psychedelics’ potential for the treatment of mental health conditions among active duty military members. The bill directs the secretary of defense to create the program funding Phase 2 clinical trials on psilocybin, ibogaine, MDMA and 5-MeO-DMT for PTSD, TBI and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, as well as for the training of practitioners to provide psychedelic-assisted therapy for active-duty members, on a yearly $15 million budget spanning FY 2024 to 2028. The bill has been referred to the House Armed Services Committee.

Harm Reduction

New Hampshire Senate Approves Fentanyl, Xylazine Test Strip Bill. The state Senate has approved a bill, House Bill 287, that would legalize materials that test for fentanyl and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer (also known as Tranq) that has entered the illicit drug supply in recent years. The bill passed the House in March and now goes to the desk of Gov. Chris Sununu (R). The original bill would have legalized all drug testing materials, but was amended to limit its scope to those for testing fentanyl and xylazine.

International

Antigua and Barbuda Decriminalizes Marijuana, Grants Rastafaris Sacramental Rights. The government of the two-island Caribbean nation has liberalized its marijuana laws, decriminalizing the possession of up to 15 grams and allowing for the home cultivation of up to four plants. The new law also grants Rastafaris the right to smoke and grow marijuana for religious purposes.

"We’re more free now," said Ras Tashi, a member of the Ras Freeman Foundation for the Unification of Rastafari, who was arrested several times for growing cannabis but refused to plead guilty because to him, "it’s a God-given plant. The government gives us our religious rights … we can come and plant any amount of marijuana … and no police can come and take up any plant. We fight for that right — and we get that right," he said.

CA Marijuana Employment Protection Bill Advances, AZ Court Expands Pot Expungements, More... (6/1/23)

Expungement moves are happening in Arizona and Louisiana, Mexico's president says he could get behind peace agreements with drug cartels, and more.

Mexico's President Lopez Obrador says he would be open to a peace agreement with drug cartels. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Arizona Appeals Court Expands Scope of Marijuana Expungements. The state Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that expungement can be applied to sale-related marijuana offenses as well as possession offenses. State law reads that "possessing, consuming, or transporting" up to 2.5 ounces of weed or up to six plants are offenses eligible for expungement. In the case before the court, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled that an expungement request for the offense of solicitation to commit possession of marijuana for sale did not comply with the state law, but the appeals court held that the offenses of "possessing" or "transporting" marijuana included marijuana for sale and ordered the lower court to grant the expungement request.

California Senate Approves Bill Barring Employers from Asking About Past Marijuana Use. The state Senate has approved Senate Bill 700, which would bar employers from asking potential new hires about past marijuana use. The vote was 29-9. The bill builds on existing employment protections enacted last year barring employers from penalizing most workers for off-duty marijuana use. The bill now heads to the Assembly.

Louisiana Marijuana Expungement Streamlining Bill Advances. A bill to streamline expungements for first-time marijuana possession offenders, House Bill 286, has already passed the House and on Wednesday was approved by the Senate Judiciary C Committee. The next stop for the bill is a Senate floor vote. Under current law, people seeking expungement for possession of up to a half ounce of marijuana have to wait five years after conviction. This bill cuts the waiting period to 90 days. But people would have to pay up to $300 in fees for the privilege.

International

 

. Responding to an activist's open letter to drug cartels asking them to stop the practice of forced disappearances—where people are not just killed but completely erased, their bodies dissolved in acid or burned to ash, and their friends and family are left with no idea of what happened to them—President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) said he would support an agreement with some of the country's most powerful and violent drug cartels  if he helped stop the violence that has wracked the country for nearly two decades.

"I agree and I hope we achieve peace – that’s what we all want," AMLO said when asked about the proposed pact. "Violence is irrational and we’re going to continue looking for peace, to achieve peace and that is what we’re doing. And if there is an initiative of this kind, of course we support it."

The number of people who have been forcibly disappeared in Mexico in the last 15 years number more than 50,000, with around 40,000 of them disappearing during AMLO's term of office. Another 30,000 a year have died in cartel violence during his term. 

NH Marijuana Legalization Measure Deferred, NV Psychedelic Working Group Bill Advances, More... (5/31/23)

Health experts are speaking out about the dangers of criminalizing drug use during pregnancy, a North Carolina medical marijuana bill gets a hearing, and more.

Magic mushrooms. They could be on the agenda of a proposed Nevada psychedelic working group. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

New Hampshire Lawmakers Defer Action on Proposal for State-Run Marijuana Legalization. An effort to move forward on marijuana legalization via an amendment that would create a system of state-run pot shops in eventual combination with existing medical marijuana dispensaires has run out of steam—for now.

The House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee on Tuesday declined to act on that amendment, which came from Chairman John Hunt (R). Instead, the committee plans to continue working on the proposal and will create a separate, stand-alone bill, but with legislative deadlines looming, the issue will be bumped to the fall, when the legislature reconvenes, with possible floor action early in 2024.

Medical Marijuana

North Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Gets Hearing but No Vote. The North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, Senate Bill 3, has already passed the Senate and got a hearing in the House Health Committee on Tuesday. No vote was taken. If the bill eventually passes out of the Health Committee, it then faces a trek through the Finance and  Rules committees before heading for a House floor vote.

During Tuesday's hearing, Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick) told lawmakers about how he used marijuana to help him get through chemotherapy. "That’s the only reason I’m alive today," said Rabon. "I know that tens of thousands of people in the state could benefit just as I did."

Psychedelics

Nevada Senate Approves Psychedelic Working Group Bill. The Senate on Monday approved a bill to create a new working group to study psychedelics and develop a plan for regulated access for therapeutic uses, Senate Bill 242. The bill originally would have legalized psilocybin and promoted research into it and MDMA but was pared back in committee before passing on a 16-4 vote. The bill now heads to the Assembly.

Pregnancy

Health Experts Call for Changes to Laws Around Drug Use and Pregnancy. Laws criminalizing drug use during pregnancy are deterring pregnant women from seeking help and need to be changed, health experts say. They also keep expecting mothers from using medication-assisted treatment for fear of losing custody of their newborns.

"We should remove criminalization of women who are pregnant and taking drugs," Dr. Nora Volkow, head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), said in an interview. "That needs to stop."

Substance use disorder "does not diagnose anyone's ability to parent," said Dr. Hendrée Jones, executive director of the University of North Carolina’s Horizons Program, a drug treatment program. "I have a woman getting ready to deliver, and she is terrified that somehow they're going to find drugs in her system and Child Protective Services is going to be called and her baby's going to be snatched away," Jones said.

Dr. Davida Schiff, addiction medicined specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and author of a new study on the use of medication-assisted treatment (opioid maintenance) by pregnant women said their decisions were "entirely wrapped up in what happened with respect to mandated reporting to Child Protective Services at the time of delivery. This has led to many women either deciding to not start life-saving medication during pregnancy or to wean off of that life-saving medication during pregnancy and really risk poor outcomes for themselves and their babies," Schiff said. 

MN Becomes 23rd Legal Marijuana State, OH Court Rules on Drug-Using Pregnant Women, More... (5/30/23)

A bid to condemn Canada's safe supply drug policy in British Columbia fails in Parliament, Vermont's governor signs an overdose prevention omnibus bill into law, and more.

An Ohio appeals court has ruled that pregnant women who use drugs cannot be prosecuted under a state law. (CC)
Marijuana Policy

Minnesota Becomes 23rd Legal Marijuana State. With the signature Tuesday of Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) on a reconciled bill, the state became the 23rd to legalize marijuana and the second this year. Delaware legalized it earlier this year. Passage of the bill after years of effort came after the Democratic Farm Labor Party won majorities in both houses of the legislature. Marijuana use and possession will be legalized as of August 1, but it is likely to take a year or longer to get the state's legal marijuana commerce system up and running

Harm Reduction

Vermont Governor Signs Omnibus Overdose Prevention Bill into Law. Gov. Phil Scott (R) last Thursday signed into law an omnibus overdose prevention bill, House Bill 222. The move comes as the state sees its third year in a row of record drug overdose fatalities. The bill contains measures aimed directly at reducing overdoses, such as funding to launch drug-checking services around the state and providing for liability protection. It also contains provisions aimed at breaking down barriers to receiving drug treatment, such as reducing wait times for preauthorization for medication-assisted treatment and expanding the availability of recovery and sober living homes. The measures are being funded with $8 million the state received from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Pregnancy

Ohio Appeals Court Rules Law that Criminalizes Providing Drugs to Pregnant Women Does Not Apply to the Pregnant Woman Herself. Last week, Ohio's 5th District Court of Appeals ruled that it is not a crime for a pregnant women to administer illicit drugs to herself. The ruling came in the case of Muskingum County woman who was found guilty of violating a law that makes it a crime to "administer a controlled substance to a pregnant woman" after she confessed to injecting fentanyl in the hospital parking lot before entering the hospital to deliver her baby. In overturning the verdict, the appeals court held that the administration of drugs must be done by another person—not the pregnant woman herself. As a result, similar cases against four other women have been suspended and the woman in the original case has been released from prison. Prosecutors say they will appeal.

International

Canadian Conservatives' Motion to Condemn Liberals' Safe Supply Drug Policies Fails. A motion from Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre to condemn the Liberal federal government's drug policies, and especially its decision to fund the supply of pharmaceutical alternatives as alternatives to illicit street drugs in the province of British Colombia, failed to pass in the House of Commons last Friday. BC's safe supply approach comes as some 35,000 Canadians have died of drug overdoses since 2016. Poilievre argued that the "tax-funded drug supply" fueled addiction rather than recovery and suggesting diverting money from that program into drug treatment. His motion called on the House to "immediately reverse its deadly policies and redirect all funds from taxpayer-funded, hard drug programs to addiction, treatment and recovery programs." But the House didn't buy it. 

Drug War Issues

Criminal JusticeAsset Forfeiture, Collateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Court Rulings, Drug Courts, Due Process, Felony Disenfranchisement, Incarceration, Policing (2011 Drug War Killings, 2012 Drug War Killings, 2013 Drug War Killings, 2014 Drug War Killings, 2015 Drug War Killings, 2016 Drug War Killings, 2017 Drug War Killings, Arrests, Eradication, Informants, Interdiction, Lowest Priority Policies, Police Corruption, Police Raids, Profiling, Search and Seizure, SWAT/Paramilitarization, Task Forces, Undercover Work), Probation or Parole, Prosecution, Reentry/Rehabilitation, Sentencing (Alternatives to Incarceration, Clemency and Pardon, Crack/Powder Cocaine Disparity, Death Penalty, Decriminalization, Defelonization, Drug Free Zones, Mandatory Minimums, Rockefeller Drug Laws, Sentencing Guidelines)CultureArt, Celebrities, Counter-Culture, Music, Poetry/Literature, Television, TheaterDrug UseParaphernalia, Vaping, ViolenceIntersecting IssuesCollateral Sanctions (College Aid, Drug Taxes, Housing, Welfare), Violence, Border, Budgets/Taxes/Economics, Business, Civil Rights, Driving, Economics, Education (College Aid), Employment, Environment, Families, Free Speech, Gun Policy, Human Rights, Immigration, Militarization, Money Laundering, Pregnancy, Privacy (Search and Seizure, Drug Testing), Race, Religion, Science, Sports, Women's IssuesMarijuana PolicyGateway Theory, Hemp, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Marijuana Industry, Medical MarijuanaMedicineMedical Marijuana, Science of Drugs, Under-treatment of PainPublic HealthAddiction, Addiction Treatment (Science of Drugs), Drug Education, Drug Prevention, Drug-Related AIDS/HIV or Hepatitis C, Harm Reduction (Methadone & Other Opiate Maintenance, Needle Exchange, Overdose Prevention, Pill Testing, Safer Injection Sites)Source and Transit CountriesAndean Drug War, Coca, Hashish, Mexican Drug War, Opium ProductionSpecific DrugsAlcohol, Ayahuasca, Cocaine (Crack Cocaine), Ecstasy, Heroin, Ibogaine, ketamine, Khat, Kratom, Marijuana (Gateway Theory, Marijuana -- Personal Use, Medical Marijuana, Hashish), Methamphetamine, New Synthetic Drugs (Synthetic Cannabinoids, Synthetic Stimulants), Nicotine, Prescription Opiates (Fentanyl, Oxycontin), Psilocybin / Magic Mushrooms, Psychedelics (LSD, Mescaline, Peyote, Salvia Divinorum)YouthGrade School, Post-Secondary School, Raves, Secondary School