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CA Assembly Approves Bill on Workers' Weed Rights, Aussie Decrim Fight, More... (9/14/23)

Philadelphia's city council takes preemptive steps to block dispensaries from transforming into adult-use retailers, New York regulators open the way for multistate operators to get into the retail weed business, and more.

Competition for New York marijuana retailer licenses is going to heat up. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

California Assembly Approves Bill to Stop Employers Asking About Past Marijuana Use. The Assembly on Wednesday approved Senate Bill 700, which would bar employers from asking job applicants about past marijuana use. The bill has already passed the Senate, but because of technical amendments made in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, it must go back to the Senate for a final concurrence vote.

"It is unlawful for an employer to request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis," the bill says, although it lays out certain exceptions, such as for public safety-sensitive and law enforcement positions.

The measure builds on a law passed last year that bars employers from penalizing most workers for using marijuana in compliance with state law. That law makes it

unlawful for employers "to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalizing a person, if the discrimination is based upon" off-duty marijuana use or drug tests that reveal cannabinoid metabolites.

New York Regulators Open Adult-Use Retail Sales Licenses to Multistate Operators. The Office of Cannabis Management, which regulates legal marijuana in the state, voted Tuesday to allow state medical marijuana operators to apply for adult-use retail marijuana licenses, clearing the way for multistate operators to enter the largest weed market on the East Coast.

Multistate operators snapped up most of the 10 "registered organization" permits to seek the new licenses. The Office will accept applications for retail or microbusiness licenses from October 4 though December 23.

"Today marks a pivotal step toward expanding and sustaining the state’s medical program and creation of an economically viable and equitable adult-use cannabis industry in New York," said Barry Carmody, a spokesperson for the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association (NYMCIA).

Not everybody was as happy with the decision as NYMCIA. "Today’s Cannabis Control Board meeting opened the door for big cannabis to come in and compete with New York-based businesses," the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY), which represents small and state-based businesses, said in a statement.

Philadelphia City Council Overrides Mayor's Veto of Bill to Block Medical Marijuana Dispensaries from Transforming into Adult-Use Retail Outlets. Adult-use marijuana is not yet legal in Pennsylvania, but the city council passed a bill to block existing medical marijuana dispensaries from transforming themselves into adult-use retail outlets once that happens. Mayor Jim Kenney (D) then vetoed that bill, but now the city council has voted unanimously to overturned that veto.

The bill says that medical marijuana dispensaries "shall not include a person authorized to dispense marijuana for recreational or other nonmedical purposes."

Kenney's veto came because he believes the bill "creates unnecessary complexity" by setting special rules that only apply to a small section of the city (where dispensaries are) and because it was premature given that marijuana is not yet legal in the Keystone State. "Furthermore, the mayor wants to avoid creating barriers to local businesses who want to expand their current portfolios in the event that the laws change," said Sarah Peterson, a spokesperson for the administration.

But in overriding the mayor's veto, the council adhered to a tradition of voting in support of members of districts on matters of land use and streets in their district.

International

Australian Federal Opposition Seeks to Overturn Drug Decriminalization Law in Australia Capital Territory. New laws in the Australia Capital Territory (Canberra) that decriminalize the possession of personal use amounts of drugs go into effect next month, but some federal politicians want none of it and are now trying to overturn it.

Shadow Attorney-General Michaelia Cash of the national Liberal Party has filed a bill to do that—a private senator's bill called the Australian Capital Territory Dangerous Drugs Bill 2023 – which will be debated next month.

Likewise, federal opposition leader Peter Dutton declared himself dumbfounded by decriminalization. "I am totally shocked and dismayed at what the ACT government is doing," he said. "As a former police officer, I know that our hard-working law enforcement agencies work tirelessly to keep drugs off the streets and to keep our community safe, yet here we see this crazy government legislation that gives a green light to drug use and drug importation to Canberra.  The ACT government is rolling out the red carpet for drug use and more crime. It is effectively welcoming more ice, heroin, cocaine, MDMA and speed on our streets."

Canberra politicians, however, remain unbowed.

In a statement, ACT Labor senator and former chief minister Katy Gallagher said the laws were a "matter for the ACT Assembly".

"The ACT Assembly is a mature parliament, democratically elected by ACT voters," said ACT Labor senator and former chief minister Katy Gallagher. "I have spent my career in public life supporting the rights of Canberrans to determine the laws, policies and programs under which they are governed, and I will continue to do so despite the attempts by the federal opposition to try to undermine them."

Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee is also standing up for her constituency. "The Canberra Liberals will always stand up for territory rights and I am very concerned about any step to diminish that," she said. I do not agree with this action taken by the federal Coalition to seek to overturn legislation that was passed by the ACT Assembly."

 

She said while she disagreed with decriminalization, it was up to local voters—not national politicians—to make the decision by replacing the current government.

OTC Narcan Now Available at Major Pharmacies, VA Marijuana "Sharing" and "Gifting" Shops Pop Up, More... (9/6/23)

A majority of Floridians are ready to legalize weed, the British government moves to criminalize laughing gas, and more.

The British government is making laughing gas an illegal Class C substance. No more whippets for you Brits! (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Florida Poll Has Three Out of Five for Marijuana Legalization. A new poll from the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University has support for marijuana legalization at 60 percent. That includes 71 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents, and 50 percent of Republicans.

The poll comes as Floridians await a decision from the state Supreme Court on whether it will allow a marijuana legalization initiative from Smart & Safe Florida to appear on the ballot next year. The group has already met signature-gathering requirements.

The poll had even stronger support for medical marijuana, with 83 percent overall supporting it, including 87 percent of Democrats, 84 percent of independents, and 78 percent of Republicans.

Sixty percent support is precisely the amount needed for the initiative—a constitutional amendment—to pass at the polls. Given that initiative campaigners commonly seek a 10 percent cushion to be comfortable about their measure's prospects, Smart & Safe Florida is not yet in that comfort zone and needs another 10 percent increase in support to get there.

Virginia Shops Are "Sharing" and "Gifting" Marijuana Amid State's Lack of Legal Sales Mechanism. State Attorney General Jason Miyares has opined that shops "gifting" or "sharing" marijuana with customers are illegal, but they are proliferating anyway as the state grapples with marijuana legalization without a means of legal sales. Some of the stores "gift" marijuana to customers when they buy some other item from the shop, while others act like co-ops or clubs where members "share" marijuana with new members who either buy something or pay for membership.

Teresa Green and a partner own Good Vibes, which has nine shops in the region. She concedes that "gifting" marijuana is illegal but said her stores don't do that. Instead, she calls them "adult share stores," but when asked exactly how that work, she responded: "That’s as clear as I can get with it." She also said she was aware of the attorney general's opinion, but "anyone can have an opinion."

Police and prosecutors in the area are doing little about it and feeling frustrated. "There are so many gray areas that it’s just become impossible to enforce," said Greg Habeeb, a former Republican state delegate from Salem, president of Roanoke-based Gentry Locke Consulting, and representative of the Virginia Cannabis Association Habeeb. "So, a lot of law enforcement just aren’t enforcing it. They feel like their hands are tied."

"I don’t keep up with the popup marijuana stores and so I really don’t have an opinion, except to say that … it’s the Wild West out there," said longtime Roanoke Commonwealth’s Attorney Donald Caldwell. "To simply legalize marijuana and not have any restraints on it. And so, I think God knows what’s going on there. I certainly don’t."

Harm Reduction

Over-the-Counter Narcan Goes on Sale This Month at Major Retailers. The opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone is about to become much more widely available. Emergent BioSolutions, the manufacturer of Narcan, the naloxone nasal spray formulation, announced last week that it had shipped hundreds of thousands of the two-spray kits to major retailers.

The life-saving sprays will be available at CVS, RiteAid, Walgreens, and Walmart, but they won't be especially cheap. The suggested retail price is $44.99.

The Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter use in March as the nation confronts an overdose crisis that killed an estimated 110,000 last year, with synthetic opioids such as fentanyl implicated in two-thirds of those deaths.

Prescription Narcan is already in wide use—carried by police officers and paramedics; stocked in libraries, schools, and vending machines; and distributed on the streets by harm reduction groups.

International

Britain to Make Laughing Gas an Illegal Class C Controlled Substance. The Conservative government has moved against nitrous oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, by announcing that it will become an illegal Class C substance by year's end. Under British drug laws, possession of a Class C substance is punishable by up to two years in jail, while distribution could garner up to 14 years behind bars.

Currently, supplying laughing gas for recreational use is banned, but possession is not.

The government move is counter to the advice of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, which said that the ban would be disproportionate to the amount of harm linked to the drug.

"The British people are fed up with yobs abusing drugs in public spaces and leaving behind a disgraceful mess for others to clean up," said Home Secretary Suella Braverman. "Earlier this year the prime minister and I promised a zero-tolerance approach to antisocial behavior and that is what we are delivering. If you are caught using ‘laughing gas’ as a drug, you could be hit with a hefty fine or face jail time," she added.

OH Health Departments Oppose Pot Initiative, Uganda Lawmakers OK MedMJ, More... (8/23/23)

Mexican drug cartels are increasingly resorting to IEDs, a push for marijuana legalization is underway in Costa Rica, and more. 

Medical marijuana could be coming soon to Uganda. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Ohio Health Departments Join Opposition to Marijuana Legalization Initiative. The Ohio Association of Health Commissioners, which represents the state's 112 local health departments, has joined the opposition to the marijuana legalization initiative from the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol that will appear on the November ballot.         

The measure would allow people 21 and over to possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot and grow up to six plants, as well as setting up a system of taxed and regulated legal marijuana commerce.

An association representing Ohio’s 112 local health departments is opposing a marijuana legalization ballot measure set to go to voters in November, claiming the policy change would only contribute to drug-related problems in the state.

"Making marijuana more accessible through legal recreational use and retail sales hurts Ohio, creates serious new risks for children’s health and makes our workplaces and highways less safe," the association warned in a statement Tuesday. "With Ohio’s rates of opiate abuse and overdoses still among the highest in the country, we need to be helping Ohio find solutions to addiction, not facilitating it or the interests of an industry that profits from it."

The association joins with Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and the state's Republican political establishment in opposing the initiative, but a poll last month suggests they are out of touch with Buckeye state voters. That poll, from Suffolk University, had support for legalization at 59 percent.

International

Costa Rica Lawmakers Divided on Revised Recreational Marijuana Bill. A bill to legalize marijuana lost a vote in the Assembly's Environmental Commission, but will proceed to an Assembly floor vote anyway.

After several months on hold, the Environmental Commission of the Legislative Assembly will resume discussions this week on the bill to legalize recreational marijuana in the Costa Rica.

The proposal was rejected by the majority of the commission members, which includes three from the PLN  and two from the New Republic parties. This was confirmed by Manuel Morales, a member of the ruling party.

"There are five votes against," said Manuel Morales, a member of the ruling party.  "We have already prepared the minority report to be presented to the Plenary. Some of the substitute text includes their suggestions, but they are going to vote against it," he added. "When it reaches the Plenary, I believe it can be approved. It may be tight, but I think some members of the National Liberation party will support it," Morales stated.

The bill would legalize adult use marijuana, with regulations similar to those governing tobacco smoking, including no smoking in public. The revised bill would reallocate tax revenues from the legal marijuana market upon request of the ministries of health and security or the Drug Control Institute.

Mexican Army Says Drug Cartels Are Increasing Use of Roadside Bombs. The Army said Tuesday that drug trafficking organizations have increased their use of roadside bombs or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) this year, with at least 5 security force members killed and 42 police, soldiers, and suspects wounded.

The five members of the security forces killed included four state police officers and one National Guard officer.

The Army noted that the use of bomb-carrying drones has also increased. Before 2020, there were no drone attacks; this year there have been 260 so far.

The number of car bombs has also increased, from one last year to six so far this year.

So far, 556 IEDs of all types—roadside, drone-borne, and car bombs—have been found this year. More than 2,000 have been discovered since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2018, with more than half of those in the state of Michoacan, which has been the scene of continuing violence between the rival Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.

Uganda Parliament Passes Drug Law That Legalizes Medical Marijuana. The parliament on Tuesday approved the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Bill, which will now allow for the licensed cultivation and use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. The bill also legalizes the medicinal use of  khat, a plant native to Yemen and East Africa that acts as a mild stimulant.

"Under a highly controlled legal regime, the international obligations notwithstanding, the two plants (cannabis and Khat should only be allowed for cultivation and usage strictly for medical purposes and research," said Hon Kajwengye.

"The committee posits that all licences and permits to be issued under this Act should centrally be issued by the Ministry responsible for Health since the permission to use narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances is restricted to only medical purposes; the Ministry of Internal Affairs should remain the enforcement arm of the Government," said Hon. Kajwengye.

CO Now Allows Online Weed Sales, MD Lawmakers Eye Changes to New Pot Law, More... (8/21/23)

Bipartisan lawmakers urge the VA to end its ban on doctors recommending medical marijuana to vets in states where it is legal, Colorado now allows online weed sales, and more.

Marijuana Policy

Colorado Now Allows Online Weed Sales. As of this month, Coloradans can purchase their marijuana online—but they still have to go to the pot shop to pick it up. Gov. Jared Polis (D) in June signed into law House Bill23-1279, which amended the state marijuana law to allow for online sales.

The bill says: "Licensed retail marijuana store may accept payment online for the sale of retail marijuana and retail marijuana products."

"What the bill mainly aims to do, from my perspective, is reduce cash in the marijuana space, which is something that is exceedingly important to do because when there is a tremendous amount of cash in any industry, it can lead to some troubling outcomes—specifically things like robbery," said Sen. Kevin Van Winkle (D). "It sets them up for tremendous amount of potential theft, and other things."

Maryland Lawmakers Looking to Amend Marijuana Legalization Law. The state's marijuana legalization law has performed admirably as the state's two-month-old legal marijuana industry nears $100 million in sales, but even so, key lawmakers are signaling that it is likely to be amended in the coming legislative session.

Maryland’s cannabis industry is less than two months old and lawmakers and regulators are already contemplating tweaks in the coming General Assembly session.

"I think everybody, the governor’s office, Cannabis Administration, ATCC [Alcohol, Tobacco and Cannabis Commission], and the legislators are evaluating everything to see if there’s stuff," said Will Tilburg, acting director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration.

Still, Tilburg and Senate Finance Committee Chair Melony Griffith (D) said some tweaks may be attempted when the legislature reconvenes next year.

"I mean, alcohol was legalized 90 years ago with the repeal of prohibition," said Tilburg. "Every year, there’s a few hundred bills related to the alcohol industry. So, we do expect that this year in the 2024 session and moving forward, we will see additional legislation to tweak this industry."

"I don’t think there’s any possibility we get through the ’24 session without some tweaking on the cannabis," Griffith said. "This is not going to be ‘We fixed it and we’ve solved all the issues and we’ll never have a bill on this subject again.’"

But neither offered any specifics.

Medical Marijuana

Bipartisan Lawmakers Ask VA Secretary to End Ban on Doctors Recommending Medical Marijuana to Vets. Three co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus—Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dave Joyce (R-OH)—have sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough expressing "deep concern" that a recently updated VA marijuana directive continues to bar doctors from recommending medical marijuana to veterans in states where it is legal.

The VA "has once again denied the reality of medical marijuana as a key treatment option" for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and other health conditions, the lawmakers wrote. The decision to continue with the "harmful policy" on medical marijuana recommendations was "alarming," they added.

"We urge you to reconsider this misguided prohibition that prevents these health professionals from considering the full range of available treatment options in consultation with their patients," the lawmakers wrote. "Giving VA providers the discretion to recommend or not recommend medical marijuana as best serves their patients would improve veterans’ services and stop forcing them to self-medicate or seek care outside of the VA system," the letter says. "It would not put providers at risk of federal prosecution from the Department of Justice and its agencies."

"Many veterans already report using cannabis for medical purposes as a substitute for prescription drugs and their side effects," they added. "VA is isolated in its continued denial of this treatment option for veterans. No one is better qualified to make recommendations on care for their patients than veterans working with their VA health care providers," the letter continues. "We applaud VA’s continued protection from retribution against veterans using medical marijuana. However, reaffirming the prohibition on recommendations, referrals, and forms for state-authorized medical marijuana puts stigma in the VA ahead of the needs of veterans. It is past time for VA to become a better partner in the path forward on this issue for our veterans. Instead of blocking veterans from equal access to this treatment option, VA should participate in the additional research and education we owe to patients and the public. We urge you to rethink the detrimental prohibition against providers serving their patients to the best of their ability where medical marijuana is authorized and regulated by their states."

German Cabinet Okays Scaled-Back Legal Weed Bill, AL MedMJ Licensing Blocked, More... (8/16/23)

Marijuana legalization is stalled in the US Virgin Islands, the Thai cabinet approves a pilot program of medicinal opium and magic mushroom cultivation, and more.

Marijuana Policy

US Virgin Islands Marijuana Legalization Stalls. Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. signed a marijuana legalization bill into law in January, but seven months later, progress is stalled. The Office of Cannabis Regulations does not have the money to hire staff, the Cannabis Advisory Board lacks enough members to constitute a quorum, and the legalization law itself needs to go back to the legislature to address flaws that have emerged since it passed.

As a result: "For the average individual, use of the product in a legal way, currently, really doesn't exist," said board Chairwoman Dr. Catherine Kean.

The board last met in public 11 months ago and was preparing to approve rules for medical marijuana, which had been approved in 2019, when it abandoned the process in anticipation of the new law legalizing recreational and sacramental use by people 21 and over.

"The course that we had been on was completely changed. It meant that all the rules and regs that we had and were about to launch and move into the portion where we put out RFPs, or requests for proposals for contractors to assist with licensing and testing," Kean explained. "So, we're essentially put back to the drawing board. That meant that legal counsel had to review the bill, as did all of us. We had to review the bill, we had to go back to our legal counsel, have our legal counsel come up with new rules and regulations for the new adult recreational bill, so that was a very lengthy, time-consuming process," Kean said.

While the government has made efforts to remind citizens that marijuana remains illegal, the grey market is thriving and marijuana is widely available for sale throughout the territory.

Medical Marijuana

Alabama Company Asks Judge to Block Medical Marijuana Licenses. A company that failed to win a medical marijuana license asked a judge Tuesday to block the state from issuing licenses to anyone. The company argued that a state commission improperly deliberated behind closed doors before choosing winners of the lucrative licenses.

Last week, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission nominated and approved companies after meeting in private for several hours. Alabama Always, a company that was not among the winners, said the commission violated the Open Meetings Act, and is seeking a temporary restraining order to block the licenses from being issued.

The company claimed commissioners "retreated into executive session, only to emerge three and a half hours later and ratify a slate of applicants that it had voted on during executive session."

The commission, though, said that while commissioners met in private to receive information about license applicants, it did not deliberate in private.

Now, the court will sort it out. In the meantime, Alabama patients are left out in the cold.

International

German Cabinet Approves Scaled-Back Marijuana Legalization. The cabinet on Wednesday approved a scaled-back plan to legalize the personal use of marijuana by allowing adults to possess up to 25 grams of the drugs. They can also grow up to three plants for private use or participate in a co-op or collective that can have up to 500 members. The law will be evaluated after four years.

The legislation, which is expected to approved by lawmakers before year's end, marks "a turning point in an unfortunately failed cannabis drug policy," Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said.

The German government initially proposed a broader legalization complete with commercial sales, but ran into obstacles with the European Union and dropped commercial legalization -- for now. It now says it will consider a pilot program of commercial sales some time in the future.

Thai Cabinet Approves Medicinal Trials of Opium and Magic Mushrooms. The cabinet has approved a royal draft decree to allow the cultivation of opium and magic mushrooms for medicinal use on a trial basis.

The Justice Ministry presented the proposal, which also has the support of key government bodies including the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry, Interior Ministry, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council, and the Royal Thai Police.

Under the pilot project, the International Narcotics Control College will grow opium, while the Government Pharmaceutical Organization will extract morphine from the poppies in a bid to reduce dependence on foreign opiate medication supplies.

The decree also aims to enable the growth of magic mushrooms in designated universities and educational institutions across four regions of Thailand. The aim is to create anti-depressant drugs from psilocybin.

San Francisco Has Magic Mushroom Churches, DeSantis Doubles Down on Cartel Threats, More... (8/7/23)

Wisconsin's Democratic governor signs a bill heightening penalties for fatal drug overdoses, Israel's Health Ministry says patients can be prescribed marijuana beginning in December, and more.

Ron DeSantis tries to pick up some steam by threatening to violently attack Mexican drug cartels. (myflorida.com)
Psychedelics

San Francisco Magic Mushroom Churches Have Authorities Befuddled. At least two magic mushroom churches where residents can purchase the hallucinogenic fungus have opened this year in the city, and the city has yet to figure out how to respond. One is Zide Door, an offshoot of a similar operation across the bay in Oakland; the other is the Living Church in Lower Nob Hill.

Magic mushrooms are illegal under both state and federal law, but were declared a lowest law enforcement priority in the city in 2022. Last December, police raided a Haight Street storefront for illegally selling magic mushrooms, but that raid generated criticism from Supervisor Dean Preston, who questioned why city police " chose to use extensive resources on a drug bust for substances the city considers to be of lowest priority." That case remains unresolved.

City officials have yet to move against the magic mushroom churches amid speculation that the churches may resort to a religious exemption defense to any potential charges. A handful of churches across the country have won the right to use psychedelics ceremonially, although San Francisco attorney Graham Pechenik, who specializes in marijuana and psychedelic law, warned that the religious argument is not all-encompassing.

"Merely claiming to be a church and having customers 'join' the church is unlikely to provide a shield against prosecution, and even providing church services under a defined set of beliefs may be insufficient to win in court," he said.

Sentencing Policy

Wisconsin Governor Signs Drug Dealer Murder Bill into Law. Gov. Tony Evers (D) last Friday signed into law Senate Bill101, which increases the penalty for first-degree reckless homicide involving drugs. The bill moves the offense from a Class C felony to a Class B felony and makes drug dealers and userseligible for sentences of up to 60 years if they are involved in a fatal overdose.

The bill has been criticized for lacking protections for people who use drugs with others, including Good Samaritans who call for help when someone overdoses. The ACLU of Wisconsin blasted Evers for signing it into law.

"The decision by Gov. Evers today to sign SB 101 into law represents a step in the wrong direction in Wisconsin's fight against drug overdoses. If we've learned anything from the failed War on Drugs, it's that we cannot incarcerate our way out of addiction and drug use. Yet, after decades of abject policy failure, we are still repeating the same mistakes," said James Stein, deputy advocacy director of the ACLU of Wisconsin.

"The law enacted today is deeply misguided and counterproductive. It further entrenches us in destructive cycles of criminalization and punishment that devastate our communities -- particularly Black and Brown communities -- while doing little to nothing to combat drug problems. While purporting to crack down on drug distribution, SB 101 could lead to an increase in fatal overdoses, as people might be less likely to seek medical attention for someone overdosing out of fear of prosecution. In addition, an extensive body of research -- as well as our own lived experiences -- tells us that punitive drug laws don't reduce drug use, addiction, or overdose," Stein continued.

Foreign Policy

DeSantis Doubles Down on Deadly Force Promise Against Mexican Drug Cartels. As he continued to pursue the Republican presidential nomination last Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis doubled down on an earlier commitment to use force against Mexican drug cartels to block the flow of fentanyl coming through the southern border.

"Day one, we're declaring it to be a national emergency," DeSantis said. "I'm going to do what no president has been willing to do. We are going to lean in against the cartels directly, and we are going to use deadly force against them."

That would involve the use of the US military in lethal offensive operations in Mexico, something that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has angrily rejected. But it is only one of a panoply of increasingly aggressive policy prescriptions aimed at the cartels coming out of Republican precincts as the death toll from fentanyl overdoses rises.

International

Israel Health Minister Says Patients Can Be Prescribed Medical Marijuana Beginning in December. The Health Ministry has announced that doctors will be able to prescribe marijuana to patients beginning in December. Currently, patients need a license to use medical marijuana.

The change is intended to make it easier for patients to get access to the drug and to remove bureaucratic obstacles. The ministry said it will review the changes after one year.

(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.)

Bipartisan Bill to Let Pot Smokers Get Security Clearances Filed, GA Asset Forfeiture Outrage, More... (7/27/23)

The House approves veterans' medical marijuana and psychedelic research amendments to a must-pass spending bill, a new House bill would clear the way for security clearances for past or present pot smokers, and more.

Jamie Raskin (house.gov
Marijuana Policy

Bipartisan House Bill to Allow Pot Smokers to Get Security Clearances Filed. Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) hae introduced the Cannabis Users Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act, legislation to prevent prior or current marijuana use from becoming grounds for failing to receive security clearance or for being found unsuitable for federal employment. The CURE Act will also allow for someone who has previously been denied a security clearance or a federal job opportunity based on marijuana use the chance to have that denial reviewed.

"Every year, qualified and dedicated individuals seeking to serve our country are unable to secure federal jobs and security clearances because the federal government has not caught up with the widely established legal use of medical and recreational cannabis," said Rep. Raskin. "I am proud to partner with my friend Representative Mace to introduce the bipartisan CURE Act that will eliminate the draconian, failed and obsolete marijuana policies that prevent talented individuals from becoming honorable public servants in their own government."

The CURE Act has been endorsed by the Drug Policy Alliance, the Due Process Institute, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), and the US Cannabis Council.

Medical Marijuana

House Approves Veterans Medical Marijuana Access and Psychedelic Research Amendments to Defense Spending Bill. The House on Wednesday approved amendments to a large-scale spending bill that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to military veterans and promote research into substances like psilocybin and MDMA.

The medical marijuana measure, which was filed by the co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus -- Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Barbara Lee (D-CA) -- passed in a voice vote.

Their amendment would specifically prohibit the use of VA funds to enforce provisions of an existing directive that bars doctors from making medical cannabis recommendations to veterans.

The House also adopted, by a voice vote, an amendment from Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) that would encourage research into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics.

Asset Forfeiture

Georgia Prosecutor Seeks to Seize Landlord's Property Because Tenant Possessed Meth. In a bid to stretch the fabric of asset forfeiture, the Ogeechee Circuit District Attorney's Office is seeking to seize the property of a landlord because of her tenant's alleged drug use. There is no allegation that the landlord was involved with or even aware of the alleged drug use, and there is no allegation that the tenant sold drugs -- only that she possessed them.

The case arose when a January raid of the tenant's home and utility shed turned up methamphetamine and the tenant was arrested on meth possession charges. But the criminal case has since stalled. Six months after the raid, the case has not even made it to the grand jury. There has been no indictment and no action since January.

The District Attorney's Office has nonetheless filed paperwork to seize the property where the tenant was arrested through civil asset forfeiture, which does not require a prior criminal conviction before seizing the property. In this case the property is a third of an acre of land, the utility shed, and a mobile home parked on the property where the tenant resided.

District Attorney Daphne Totten and ADA Barclay Black argued in the filing that the property is 'contraband and subject to forfeiture' because the property "was found in close proximity to the controlled substance, namely methamphetamine" and "was possessed, used, or available for use to facilitate a violation of the Georgia Controlled Substances Act."

The landlord is fighting the attempted seizure, and a hearing is set for tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Minneapolis Enacts Psychedelic Reform, Albania Legalizes Medical Marijuana, More... (7/24/23)

New York GOP politicos want to ban public pot smoking, California is paying meth users who test negative, and more.

Magic mushrooms are among the natural psychedelics that are now the lowest law enforcement priority in Minneapolis. (CC)
Marijuana Policy

New York Republicans Want to Ban Public Marijuana Use. Republican state lawmakers are calling for a ban on public marijuana smoking and have proposed a bill, Assembly Bill 7612, that seeks to achieve that end by allowing local governments to put bans in place at the county or municipal level. The bill also would require local governments to affirmatively act to allow public marijuana use.

"State residents, including children, are now regularly assailed with the pungent odor of marijuana on public sidewalks, in parking lots and other public spaces," said Sen. George Borrello (R), sponsor of the Senate version of the bill (Senate Bill 7604). "Many New Yorkers don't want to be exposed to either the effects of marijuana smoke or its smell and don't want their children subjected to it."

The Republican bills seek fines of up to $125 for public marijuana consumption.

Drug Treatment

California Fights Meth Addiction with Gift Cards. After receiving a waiver from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the state is beginning a pilot program in 24 counties to treat methamphetamine dependency by contingency management, a non-pharmaceutical intervention that reduces use by paying program participants who stay off the drug. Successful participants get gift cards for not testing positive for meth.

Without the federal waiver, the program had been blocked because the state could not cover the costs of the program. California is the first state in the nation to obtain such a waiver.

Among the localities participating in the pilot program are Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco. In the latter city, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital opened enrollment for the pilot program last week and ultimately seeks to serve 50 participants. They will be tested once or twice a week and will receive a $10 gift card each time they test negative, up to $599. That's the limit because payments of $600 or more need to be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

A similar program in the Department of Veterans Affairs has been ongoing since 2011 and has proven successful.

Psychedelics

Minneapolis Mayor Makes Psychedelics Lowest Law Enforcement Priority. Mayor Jacob Frey (DFL) last Friday issued an executive order making the use and possession of certain psychedelic drugs the lowest law enforcement priority. That makes the city the latest major city after Denver, Detroit, and Washington, DC, to adopt a more permissive stance toward psychedelics. A number of smaller cities have also enacted psychedelic reforms.

Frey said he hoped the move would contribute to national rethinking of prohibitionist drug laws and that it would draw attention to the role plant-based psychedelics can play for people dealing with depression, trauma and addiction.

"We have a mass proliferation of deaths of despair," he said, citing the nation's high rates of suicide and opioid abuse. "This is something that is known to help."

International

Albania Parliament Approves Medical Marijuana. The parliament last Friday voted 69-23 to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. It is not clear how it will be regulated, but the government believes legalizing it can boost tax revenues.

The country had been a leading illegal marijuana producing country in Europe, but after a police officer was killed raiding a marijuana operation in 2014, the government instituted a crackdown on the black market, which at the time accounted for more than two-thirds of the country's gross national product.

DC Law Protecting Pot-Smoking Workers Now in Effect, Ghana Okay Hemp & MedMJ Production, More... (7/14/23)

A Minnesota Native American reservation will have marijuana for sale on the first day of legalization (unlike most of the rest of the state), the US government quietly quits monitoring coca cultivation in Colombia, and more.

The US has suspended its satellite monitoring of Colombian coca leaf cultivation. (Creative Commons)
Marijuana Policy

Minnesota Tribe Will Have Pot Shop Open on Day One of Legalization. The Red Lake Reservation already has an existing medical marijuana dispensary, and when marijuana legalization goes into effect on August 1, it will switch to adult-use recreational marijuana sales. For the vast majority of the state that is not sovereign Native American territory, adult-use sales are not expected until 2025, when the fledgling Office of Cannabis Management sets up a regulatory framework.

Under the state's new marijuana law, adults will be able to buy and possess up to two ounces in public. They will also be able to grow up to eight plants, with up to four of them in flowering state, and possess up to two pounds from their harvest.

DC Law Barring Employers from Punishing Most Workers for Marijuana Use Is Now in Effect. A Washington, DC, law that bans most private employers from firing or otherwise punishing workers for off-duty marijuana use went into effect Thursday. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the bill into law exactly a year ago, and it survived a 60-day congressional review period. The new expands employment protections enjoyed by government workers who use medical marijuana by covering workers of private businesses. Some categories of workers are excluded, such as those safety-sensitive positions in construction, police officers, and people whose jobs require a commercial drivers license or work with childcare and patients.

The law will "prohibit employers from firing, failing to hire, or taking other personnel actions against an individual for use of cannabis, participating in the medical cannabis program, or failure to pass an employer-required or requested cannabis drug test, unless the position is designated safety sensitive or for other enumerated reasons."

Foreign Policy

Biden Administration Halts Satellite Monitoring of Colombian Coca Crops. Without explanation, the Biden administration has suspended satellite monitoring of coca crops in Colombia, a program the US has maintained for years. According to the State Department, the suspension is "temporary," but no timeline for resumption was given, nor was any reason for it articulated.

"We are constantly assessing the effectiveness of various counternarcotics efforts and make changes to our efforts as needed," a State Department spokesperson said. "We continue to work with the Government of Colombia on the monitoring of illicit coca crops."

The government of President Gustavo Petro has deemphasized coca crop eradication even as cocaine production in the country remains at record levels and is instead seeking to refocus law enforcement efforts away from the countryside and instead go after large scale traffickers and money launderers.

Congressional Republicans, some of whom have been calling for Colombia to be decertified for failing to cooperate in US anti-drug efforts, have said they are outraged by the move. "This is a gift to the Petro Administration," Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a senior member of the Committee on Foreign Relations, said in a statement to The Associated Press. "It's another example of the Biden Administration giving concessions to far-left governments in the region."

President Petro has pushed back, saying the US would be best served by dealing with the fentanyl crisis, as well as noting that nothing is forever. "Things change. The structure of drug consumption is changing for the worse, reducing [US] demand for cocaine, which is starting to flow to other parts of the planet."

International

Ghana Parliament Approves Medical Marijuana, Hemp Production. The parliament has approved amending the Narcotics Control Commission law, clearing the way for cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes. The Ministry of the Interior has been given the responsibility for regulating the nascent industry.

Medical Marijuana Update

It looks like there will be no medical marijuana for North Carolina this year, Minnesota's program adds 19 new qualifying conditions to its already lengthy list, and more.

Florida

Florida Governor Signs Bill Okaying Telehealth for Medical Marijuana. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has quietly signed into law a measure allowing the use of telehealth to renew medical marijuana recommendations, House Bill 387. To obtain a medical marijuana patient card, however, an in-patient examination by a physician is still required.

Minnesota

Minnesota Adds 19 New Qualifying Conditions, Waives Fees for Patients. Irritable bowel syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder are among the 19 different medical conditions just added to the state's very lengthy list of qualifying conditions for medical marijuana. That went into effect July 1.

Also in effect as of July 1 is the waiving of registration fees for patients. Until now, it cost $200 a year. And patients can now be certified by a health practitioner, expanding the number of medical personnel who can make recommendations.

"They will enter that into our patient registry and then you are sent a link to go ahead and register for the medical cannabis program," said Office of Medical Cannabis Director Chris Tholkes. "As of July 1st, there is no longer an annual fee of 200 dollars. It's now zero to participate in our program."

New York

New York Town Must Pay $200,000 After Firing Medical Marijuana Patient. The city of Amsterdam must pay almost $200,000 to a city worker fired after failing a drug screening for marijuana. A jury found that the city discriminated against Thomas Apholz, a wastewater treatment plant worker who was first suspended and then fired after the drug test.

The state legalized medical marijuana in 2014. State law grants registered medical marijuana patients disability status, which gives protection from employment discrimination for using medical marijuana.

After he was fired, he filed suit in state Supreme Court in Montgomery County, alleging unlawful employment discrimination and failure to accommodate his disability as required by the New York Humans Rights Law. And now he has won.

North Carolina

North Carolina Medical Marijuana Bill Probably Dead for This Year. Legislation that would legalize medical marijuana in the state is probably dead for the rest of this year's legislative session, House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said Tuesday. The Senate had passed a medical marijuana bill, Senate Bill 3, four months ago, but other than a single committee hearing, it has languished in the House.

Moore said he agreed with the assessment of House Majority Leader John Bell (R) that there was not enough support in the Republican caucus for the bill to advance further. The GOP caucus has a rule that a majority of its members must be willing to vote for a bill on the House floor for it to get heard, even if the measure could pass with support from Democrats.

Complying with the rule "would require a number of House members who've taken a position of 'no' to literally switch their position to want to vote for it, and I just don't see that happening," Moore said.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Bill to Allow Medical Marijuana for Any Condition Advances. A bill that would loosen up the state's medical marijuana program, most notably by eliminating the requirement that a patient have a specified medical condition to qualify for its use, has passed the Senate Law & Justice Committee on a 10-1 vote.

Senate Bill 835 would also eliminate the expiration date on medical marijuana cards, allow medical marijuana to be sold in edible form, and give independent medical marijuana growers and processors additional retail dispensary permits.

The committee also passed Senate Bill 538, which also allows for medical marijuana edibles, as well as vaping, and Senate Bill 773, which also allows new licenses for growers and processors. All three bills now head for a Senate floor vote.

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