DEA judge scolds agency over marijuana rescheduling evidence (Newsletter: December 5, 2024)

Lawmakers cheer VA psychedelics research; Snoop launches cannabis marketplace; Report on US funding for global drug war; Study: Dogs, CBD & THC

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

A Drug Enforcement Administration judge laid out next steps and scheduled testimony for marijuana rescheduling hearings—while scolding the agency for failing to provide a “complete list of documentary evidence” it wants to enter into the record.

Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA) are cheering the Department of Veterans Affairs for funding a study on MDMA-assisted therapy to treat veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder—its first supported psychedelic research since the 1960s.

A new report from the Drug Policy Alliance and Harm Reduction International shows that nearly $13 billion in U.S. taxpayer money has been spent on global counternarcotics activities since 2015—resulting in “human rights abuses, rising HIV rates, aerial fumigation with toxic chemicals and militarized responses.”

Snoop Dogg is launching a new online direct-to-consumer cannabis marketplace that will sell branded hemp-derived products, smoking accessories and lifestyle merchandise. It’s a follow-up to marijuana dispensaries he recently opened in Los Angeles and Amsterdam.

A new study of dogs experiencing THC toxicosis found that “use of transmucosal CBD-infused dissolving sheets resulted in expedient resolution of clinical signs in a minimally invasive manner that is accessible to both clients and veterinary practitioners.”

Former Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission general counsel Christine Baily says in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that a case being heard in a federal appeals court on Thursday could have “important implications for how the federal government responds to state legalization.”

Documents filed amid litigation over Minnesota’s now-delayed marijuana business license lottery show how the Office of Cannabis Management grew suspicious of a large company tied to hundreds of submissions where social equity applicants appeared to be straw purchasers who would later sell the licenses.

/ FEDERAL

President-elect Donald Trump said his pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration “didn’t pull out, I pulled him out, because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.”

National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow authored a blog post about how syringe services are an “enormously effective” harm reduction strategy, also noting that some research has shown that safe consumption sites for illegal drugs are tied to a faster decline in crimes nearby.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will host a webinar about financial and technical assistance available to the industrial hemp industry on Wednesday.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) said it’s “wrong” for the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule marijuana without it going through Congress.

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tweeted, “Proud to join my colleagues to push the Biden administration to take real action on marijuana reform. We’re demanding broader clemency, more pardons, and commutations to help those still suffering from past convictions.”

/ STATES

California generated $250.5 million in marijuana tax revenue in the third quarter of this year, with $148 million coming from retail excise taxes.

Kentucky regulators’ directory of doctors certified to recommend medical cannabis was temporarily taken offline.

Michigan’s top marijuana regulator spoke about the growth of the state’s legal market.

The New York Cannabis Control Board will meet on Tuesday.

Minnesota regulations will host an information session about new CanRenew and CanGrow grants programs on Tuesday.

Delaware regulators will hold a lottery for marijuana dispensary licenses on December 19.

Colorado regulators will begin accepting psychedelics business license applications on December 31.

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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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/ INTERNATIONAL

The New South Wales, Australia health minister said the government will not decriminalize drug possession.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A review concluded that “recent clinical trials and observational studies highlight the potential of CBD to lower seizure frequency and provide better quality of life in children affected by” drug-resistant epilepsy.

A review concluded that oral fluid tests “are not valid to detect cannabis impairment.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

A poll of Hamilton County, Tennessee voters found that a majority support legalizing marijuana.

/ BUSINESS

Glass House Brands Inc. filed a prospectus supplement to its previously announced at-the-market distribution program.

Illinois retailers sold $142.3 million worth of recreational marijuana products in October.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.