Congressional committee shoots down anti-cannabis lawmakers (Newsletter: June 12, 2019)

GOP senator has “confidence” about 2019 marijuana action; Senate adopts hemp resolution; McConnell & Wyden post hemp videos

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

The congressional marijuana banking bill took three more procedural steps toward a full floor vote—including a move by the Judiciary Committee to waive its jurisdiction. The measure has now been placed on the House Union Calendar.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) revealed he’s been talking to Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham R-SC) about marijuana and says he has “pretty good confidence” about passing reform bills in 2019. He’s also discussed cannabis with members of the Banking Committee, he says.

The Senate approved a resolution commemorating Hemp History Week and recognizing “the growing economic potential” of the newly legal crop, as well as its “historical relevance.” Meanwhile, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tweeted a video of himself “marking the calendar with my #Kentucky #hemp pen!”

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) celebrated Hemp History Week by talking about the now-legal crop’s many uses while displaying a basket full of hemp-derived products.

• “I’m going to keep pushing until the Trump administration fully implements the law and updates the regulations associated with it.”

/ FEDERAL

President Trump signed a disaster aid funding bill that includes provisions to ensure hemp farmers are eligible for crop insurance.

A federal judge denied the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe’s request for an injunction on federal action blocking its ability to grow hemp.

The Food and Drug Administration’s principal deputy commissioner and acting CIO tweeted, “I saw an interesting news report suggesting FDA’s main concern re CBD is to ensure drug development continues. This is an impt issue but we are also concerned about the need for population-level data to inform safe levels, etc. CBD reg strategy must take all issues into account.”

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), a presidential candidate, tweeted, “June 6, 2005, the Supreme Court ruled medical marijuana could be prosecuted despite state laws. As San Francisco’s DA, I wasn’t having it. We were not using our resources to prosecute patients. It’s on us to legalize marijuana at the federal level.”

Sen Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a presidential candidate, tweeted, “Nothing proposed today can ever undo the devastating harm done to generations of communities of color by the War on Drugs. But it’s long past time to start making this right. It’s time to legalize marijuana nationwide.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a presidential candidate, tweeted, “12 GOP & Democratic governors – led by @MassGovernor Baker & @CAgovernor Newsom – have endorsed my bipartisan bill to protect states’ right to enforce their own marijuana laws without federal interference. This is long overdue. Our federal marijuana laws perpetuate our broken criminal justice system, impede research, restrict veterans’ access & hinder economic development. Marijuana should be legalized, & I’ll work with anyone – GOP, Dem, Independent, Libertarian, vegetarian – to push for these reforms.”

Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) discussed Canada’s legalization of marijuana with local law enforcement officials.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted, “Less than one percent of the cannabis industry is owned by people of color but people of color are four times more likely to be arrested for possession. Marijuana has long been a driving force in our country for mass incarceration. It’s time we end our nation’s outdated laws.”

The Senate bill to deschedule and place a federal excise tax on marijuana got one new cosponsor, for a total of one.

The House bill to require the Department of Veterans Affairs to study medical cannabis got one new cosponsor, for a total of 65.

/ STATES

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) signed a bill to legalize hemp and create a framework for the legal sales of CBD products.

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisloak (D) signed bills to create a pilot program for marijuana banking and bar employers from refusing to hire someone over a positive cannabis test.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) tweeted, “We need to pursue every available means of responding to the health & wellness needs of New Mexicans. Adding new qualifying conditions for medical cannabis, including opioid use disorder, is an important & long-overdue step forward.” Regulators added opioid use disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder and three degenerative neurological disorders as medical cannabis qualifying conditions.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he would sign a marijuana legalization bill if one reaches his desk but that he doesn’t think the Senate has the votes to get it done.

Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor spoke about what he learned on the statewide marijuana legalization listening tour he hosted.

A former Michigan Senate majority leader, who now consults with the cannabis industry, bragged in an email about his influence over the state’s marijuana regulatory body.

A California assemblymember sent a letter asking Apple to remove restrictions on marijuana-selling apps.

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/ LOCAL

Point Beach, New Jersey Mayor Steve Reid (R), who serves as executive director of the state affiliate of prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana, lost a reelection bid to a primary challenger.

The Harris County, Texas district attorney tweeted that state lawmakers “missed (an) opportunity when it came to marijuana” this session and that “they needed to look no further than Houston to count the money saved by (diverting) marijuana offenders…”

/ INTERNATIONAL

The Canadian government enacted a new policy barring flight crews and controllers from using marijuana for at least 28 days before being on duty.

Trinidad and Tobago’s opposition leader, a former prime minister, was cleared of wrongdoing related to marijuana found on her property in 2013.

/ ADVOCACY

The chairman of the New York State Democratic Party expressed concern that if lawmakers legalize marijuana and move on other progressive issues, Democrats could be “thrown out of office” at the next election. Recent polling data does not support the claim.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A review concluded that “chronic THC administration did not significantly impair spatial or non-spatial memory in rodents, and there is inconclusive evidence on this in humans.”

A study found that medical cannabis “is being utilized by a significant portion of cancer patients, across age, diagnosis, stage, and treatment,” that “patients with a higher severity of baseline symptoms are more likely to use [medical cannabis] and report a favorable efficacy profile…with no increased risk of adverse effects in older population and similar efficacy in novel” users.

/ BUSINESS

MedMen Enterprises Inc. announced that a group of investors suing the company and its executives have voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit.

Food technology company SōRSE Technology raised another $5 million for its efforts to get involved in the CBD space.

/ CULTURE

The Daily Show’s Lewis Black said that the B in CBD might stand for “bullshit.”

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Photo courtesy of Jurassic Blueberries.