White House & GOP’s cannabis battle with reporter (Newsletter: June 22, 2020)

MT legal marijuana signatures submitted; GA decrim bill filed; PA legislation would protect cannabis patients from DUIs

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

President Trump’s alleged promise to a senator that he will back federal marijuana reform is at the center of a heated dispute between a reporter, administration aides and Republican operatives after the White House chief of staff said in an interview that there are no plans to advance cannabis bills in Congress before the November election.

Montana marijuana activists submitted what they say are more than enough signatures to qualify legalization measures for the November ballot.

Georgia Senate Democratic leaders included provisions to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession in a new policing reform bill.

A Pennsylvania senator filed a bill to protect legal medical cannabis patients from being charged with driving under the influence unless they are actually impaired while behind the wheel.

/ FEDERAL

The Food and Drug Administration sent a letter warning Project 1600 Inc. to stop claiming its CBD products could prevent or cure coronavirus.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended that doctors screen patients for “unhealthy drug use,” including the consumption of marijuana—but not alcohol or tobacco.

Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) spoke at an event called, “Let’s Clear the Smoke Summit: Prevention of Marijuana and E-Cigarettes Use Among Youth.”

Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA) tweeted, “I’ve been an advocate for hemp farmers, including by leading the letter to add Virginia to the @USDA Hemp Crop Insurance Program.”

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) criticized attacks on the press amid the bloody Philippine “drug war.”

Missouri Republican congressional candidate Adela Wisdom, along with her husband who is running for state lieutenant governor, was arrested after allegedly burning marijuana plants on their property after a National Guard helicopter with a county deputy flew overhead.

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff tweeted, “In the Senate I’ll fight for stronger civil rights laws and due process protections, an end to mandatory minimum sentencing, prison reform that raises conditions to humane standards, death penalty abolition, cannabis legalization, and to ban private prisons.”

/ STATES

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) has received the first round of recommended marijuana pardons. Separately, the lieutenant governor tweeted, “No one should have their life harmed by a marijuana conviction. Until there’s a legalization + mass expungement, PA’s expedited pardons process now takes 6 months.”

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) announced the state’s first large-scale industrial hemp processing and CBD oil extraction facility.

The Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations discussed racial disparities in marijuana enforcement in a letter to Gov. Janet Mills (D).

North Carolina Democratic agriculture commissioner candidate Jenna Wadsworth tweeted, “Marijuana is legal in at least 33 states plus DC. It’s ridiculous we’re sending people to prison in NC for something that’s legal in a preponderance of states, and then those same prisoners are at a higher risk for COVID contraction. Decriminalize it. Legalize it. Call it a day.”

Massachusetts regulators discussed several potential marijuana rules changes. They also launched an online application for pediatric medical cannabis patients.

Missouri regulators launched an investigation into a person or people who fraudulently claimed to be a doctor and made 600 invalid medical cannabis recommendations.

The Ohio Supreme Court upheld the rejection of a law school graduate’s application to the bar after determining he lied about being fired from a job due to a positive marijuana test.

Oklahoma regulators extended a recall for medical cannabis products processed by Moon Mix, LLC.

Iowa’s medical cannabis patient count has dropped by a third during the coronavirus pandemic as patients had difficulty renewing their registration cards.

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/ LOCAL

The Boston, Massachusetts Cannabis Board filed draft regulations.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Israel’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation advanced marijuana legalization bills.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study added to “cumulative evidence in support of plant-based medical cannabis as a safe and effective treatment option and potential opioid medication substitute or augmentation therapy for the management of symptoms and quality of life in chronic pain patients.”

A study concluded that “in implementing legalization of marijuana in California, local policies varied widely” and that “where marijuana was legalized, many lessons from tobacco control to reduce demand, limit harm, and prevent youth use were not adopted, potentially creating greater risk of harm.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

NJ CAN 2020, the effort to pass New Jersey’s marijuana legalization referendum, hired a campaign manager.

/ BUSINESS

MedMen Enterprises, Inc. lost its provisional medical cannabis business license in Virginia.

Tilray, Cronos, Aurora Cannabis and other marijuana companies are facing a class action lawsuit alleging that the potency of their products is “drastically different” than advertised.

/ CULTURE

The executive director of the National Basketball Players Association spoke about her involvement with cannabis company Cresco Labs.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.