Black Virginia lawmakers push legal cannabis in summer session (Newsletter: June 26, 2020)

Poll: Marijuana more moral than gay relations; Iowa House defeats psilocybin decrim measure; VA sells hemp shoes to veterans

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Attorney General William Barr improperly diverted Justice Department resources to scrutinize cannabis company mergers because he doesn’t like the marijuana industry, a career Antitrust Division staffer will testify to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

• “Across all sectors of the American economy, the cannabis industry accounted for a full 29 percent of the Division’s Second Request investigations in Fiscal Year 2019… At one point, cannabis investigations accounted for five of the eight active merger investigations in the office that is responsible for the transportation, energy, and agriculture sectors of the American economy. The investigations were so numerous that staff from other offices were pulled in to assist, including from the telecommunications, technology, and media offices.”

A poll found that American adults think smoking marijuana is more morally acceptable than gay relations abortion, porn, wearing animal fur clothing, the death penalty, doctor-assisted suicide, and having a baby outside marriage.

The Iowa House of Representatives voted down a Republican lawmaker’s amendment to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms.

• “The broad bipartisan support of both rural Christians and inner city progressives proves that psilocybin is the issue that can heal our politically fractured society. These reforms are needed immediately to create the healing our country is desperate for.”

In one of the less aesthetically pleasing signs of the federal government’s embracement of hemp since the crop’s legalization, the Department of Veterans Affairs is selling hemp toe shoes to military veterans.

/ FEDERAL

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a case challenging the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s policy against medical cannabis use by public housing tenants.

Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called Senate Republicans’ police reform bill inadequate because, in part, it does not ban no-knock raids in drug cases.

Ohio Democratic congressional candidate Joel Newby tweeted, “The War on Drugs has been a complete failure. Not only is the drug epidemic worse than ever, but these policies also explicitly targeted non-white communities for decades. We can build just and effective criminal justice systems.”

Virginia Democratic congressional candidate RD Huffstetler supports decriminalizing marijuana.

/ STATES

The U.S. Virgin Islands Senate Rules and Judiciary Committee is expected to soon consider the nomination of the territory’s agriculture commissioner to the Cannabis Advisory Board.

Colorado regulators published average market rates for retail marijuana.

New York regulators published a list of authorized hemp research partner companies.

Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board will meet on July 21.

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Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,500 cannabis 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

The Seattle, Washington City Council is considering a proposal to eliminate loitering crimes related to drug trafficking.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about what he sees as the country’s need to step up efforts in the war on drugs.

The British Virgin Islands government projected that it will generate at least $30 million annually from the medical cannabis industry.

Australian regulators are investigating complaints about allegedly non-compliant medical cannabis advertising.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found “an association between the increased frequency of cannabis use and increased male sexual function” but concluded that “the clinical significance of this is likely low.”

A study of marijuana dispensaries found that “gender identity and sexual orientation as significant predictors of sexual harassment,” “women and lesbian, gay and queer identifying workers experienced greater frequency of harassment than men and heterosexual peers, respectively” and that “organizational risk factors identified through qualitative analysis of the interviews included tips, working in insolation and apathetic responses from managers.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

A poll of Canadians found that 59% support legalizing psilocybin mushrooms for medical use by people who are suffering from terminal illnesses.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition is pressing the Food and Drug Administration to regulate CBD as a legal dietary supplement.

NORML and Green Flower Media launched a Cannabis Advocacy Certificate Program.

Minorities for Medical Marijuana and the Minority Cannabis Business Association are holding an event titled, “Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Cannabis Industry: A Call to Action” on Friday.

/ BUSINESS

Aurora Cannabis Inc. announced a 25% reduction in selling, general and administrative staff and a 30% reduction in production staff, as well as a consolidation of production facilities.

Hightimes Holding Corp announced it completed the initial closing of its purchase of dispensaries from Harvest Health and Recreation.

iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc received a demand for repayment under a secured debenture purchase agreement.

TILT Holdings Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $42.4 million and a net loss of $50,925.

Organigram Holdings Inc. is making changes to its Trailer Park Buds brand.

A reporter with The National Post’s The GrowthOp marijuana news vertical resigned after a story he edited on the cannabis industry’s failure to acknowledge racism was removed from the site.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.