Cannabis smoking outpaces cigarettes, new polling shows (Newsletter: November 15, 2024)

Trump AG pick vows to “go easy on marijuana”; NM gov’t worker cannabis policy change; Marijuana consumer spending; CA legacy cannabis project

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. attorney general, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), has said he would “go easy on marijuana” if he gets the job.

American adults are now more likely to smoke marijuana than tobacco cigarettes, according to new Gallup polling data that shows cannabis consumption has more than doubled since 2013 as cigarette smoking has fallen to historic lows.

The Bernalillo County, New Mexico Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the first part of a plan to treat off-duty marijuana use by government employees more like alcohol by removing the risk that a positive drug test for THC alone will lead to discipline or firing.

A majority of American marijuana consumers say they’re spending more on cannabis now than they were last year, and many expect to spend even more over the next year, according to a new NuggMD poll.

Researchers behind a new legacy cannabis genetics project funded by the California Department of Cannabis Control are laying out plans to conduct wide-ranging interviews, collect plant samples and establish a marijuana herbarium in partnership with communities in urban and rural areas across the state.

The Arizona Department of Revenue reported that Arizona marijuana sales hit their lowest point of the year so far in September, reaching $83.1 million.

/ FEDERAL

Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) reportedly said that marijuana banking legislation is “not my priority now.”

The House bill to protect military veterans from losing benefits over state-legal marijuana use got one new cosponsor for a total of seven.

/ STATES

The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy held a hearing on the state’s beleaguered Cannabis Control Commission. Separately, regulators issued a bulletin on ground marijuana dust and workplace safety.

The New Mexico legislature’s interim Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee held a hearing on marijuana regulators’ policing powers.

The chair of the South Dakota legislature’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee discussed issues with the program that she wants to address.

Alaska regulators are proposing changes to rules on marijuana handler permit education course requirements.

Delaware officials unveiled drug use harm reduction vending machines.

Maryland regulators are conducting a survey on how cannabis tax revenue should be dispersed.

The Virginia Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council  will meet on Monday.

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/ LOCAL

The Oakland, California City Council voted to exempt cannabis from a proposed total ban on residential smoking and vaping in multi-unit dwellings.

/ INTERNATIONAL

The Czech Republic’s cabinet approved a proposal to legalization cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana. Separately, the Pirate Party is proposing to legalize larger amounts of cannabis.

Irish Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he has never smoked marijuana.

Germany’s commissioner for addiction and drug issues tweeted about attending a conference on marijuana and youth, saying, “legalizing cannabis for adults in April 2024 was not a sprint – it was a marathon. But above all, it offers opportunities for schools and youth welfare services on what was once a taboo subject.”

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A review concluded that “medical cannabis can be considered an option for carefully selected patients with chronic pain syndromes when other treatment options fail to achieve an adequate response, and when the potential benefits outweigh the risks.”

A study of rats found that “CBN increased total sleep time” and “increased both non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

An American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio official authored an op-ed criticizing lawmakers’ implementation of the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law.

/ BUSINESS

Glass House Brands Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $63.8 million and a net loss of $3.2 million.

Charlotte’s Web Holdings, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $12.6 million and a net loss of $5.8 million.

atai Life Sciences reported a quarterly net loss of $26.3 million.

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