JD Vance discusses cannabis concerns (Newsletter: August 19, 2024)

Feds’ marijuana breathalyzer research; NIH head on psilocybin benefits; Ukraine medical marijuana; CA cannabis farmers markets; DE biz apps

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance said “we’ve got fentanyl in our marijuana bags that our teenagers are using”—adding that he’s “certain” that “one day, one of my kids is going to take something…that I don’t want them to take. But I don’t want that mistake to ruin their life.”

Federal researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology are investigating whether using two separate breath tests can detect recent marijuana use and potential impairment better than a single test can.

National Institutes of Health Director Monica Bertagnolli said there’s “growing evidence” that psilocybin could “help treat substance use disorders or mental illnesses.”

• Researchers “suggest that the more subtle, longer-term effects they observed might indicate that the brain is more flexible in the weeks following a dose of psilocybin in ways that could allow for a healthier state. This may help explain preliminary research showing that psilocybin may have benefits for treating substance use disorders, as well as depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions.”

A new law legalizing medical cannabis in Ukraine officially took effect, with a deputy prime minister saying the government will expand the list of qualifying conditions “so that as many patients as possible who need the necessary drugs can get access to them.”

The California Senate Appropriations Committee approved an Assembly-passed bill to let small marijuana growers sell their products directly to consumers at state-organized specialty farmers markets and other temporary events.

The Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner is now accepting recreational marijuana business license applications—weeks in advance of an initial deadline and even ahead of a new date that was announced earlier this month.

The Arkansas legislature’s Joint Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee heard a presentation about a federally funded study on the growth of the state’s medical cannabis program.

Massive product recall notices from the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation are causing businesses to scramble to quarantine thousands of marijuana vapes, edibles and pre-rolled joints.

/ FEDERAL

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) discussed his support for marijuana rescheduling and cannabis banking legislation.

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) said he opposes rescheduling marijuana and that he is “fine” with cannabis banking legislation as long as “protections” are added to ensure that “marketing, high-level THC, the kids on the school ground and gummies and stuff like that is not allowed.”

Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) declined to comment on their positions on marijuana banking legislation.

Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) tweeted, “Ending the War on Drugs and decriminalizing marijuana necessitates giving the cannabis industry access to our regulated banking system so it can continue to grow. @RepBlumenauer and I are working to incorporate this burgeoning sector into the 21st-century financial ecosystem.”

/ STATES

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) announced the recipients of $5.5 million in loans through another round of the Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) appointed a former Marijuana Policy Project staffer as interim correction ombudsman.

Oklahoma’s attorney general touted an operation that resulted in seizure of more than 9,000 marijuana plants and 456 pounds of cannabis.

The California Senate Appropriations Committee killed a bill to regulate kratom. Separately, regulators issued a notice about a mandatory recall of marijuana products due to the presence of aspergillus. And, officials destroyed hemp that was found to have illegal pesticide residue.

Florida’s marijuana legalization campaign received another $5 million contribution from Trulieve.

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging Wyoming hemp product restrictions.

Missouri regulators posted guidance about marijuana product recalls.

Oregon regulators published a compliance bulletin about various marijuana issues.

A glitch in Utah’s medical cannabis patient eligibility verification system prevented many patients from being able to make purchases.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

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/ LOCAL

Jacksonville, Florida’s mayor endorsed the marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s November ballot. Meanwhile, the sheriff said he’s “dead set against” the measure.

The Medford, Massachusetts City Council passed a resolution endorsing the psychedelics legalization initiative on the state’s November ballot.

The Charleston, West Virginia City Council will consider a marijuana decriminalization proposal on Monday.

Denver, Colorado officials sent a reminder about a tool ​​that shows whether a location is likely to meet the proximity requirements for a marijuana business.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Mexico’s Supreme Court ordered regulators to issue rules on commercialization, export and import of hemp products.

Lower Saxony, Germany’s health minister is pushing to make it harder to sell marijuana online.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A review of the effect of legalization laws concluded that “cannabis-related crimes and enforcement have substantially decreased, yet arbitrary (e.g., racialized) enforcement patterns – involving both adults and youths – commonly persist in legalization settings” and that “the prevalence of cannabis-impaired driving does appear to be steady or decreasing, while levels of cannabis involved in motor-vehicle-crashes, and overall motor-vehicle-crash fatality levels appear to have increased.”

A study found that “patients reported sustained long-term effects of LSD-assisted therapy for anxiety.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies laid off a third of its staff.

/ BUSINESS

Canopy Growth Corporation’s CEO is stepping down.

A former Kansas City Credit Union worker filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired for reporting that the CEO allegedly illegally banked marijuana businesses.

Michigan retailers sold $287.7 million worth of legal marijuana products in July.

/ CULTURE

Kelly Ripa said she once bought Christmas gifts online that arrived in the mail smelling like marijuana.

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