Feds publish new cannabis banking details (Newsletter: November 24, 2022)

DEA legalizes cocaine derivative & pushes back on marijuana descheduling; Latest on SAFE Plus negotiations; Poll: Americans back legal cannabis

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

The Drug Enforcement Administration is moving ahead with a plan to legalize a cocaine derivative—while pushing back against critics who say that marijuana should be similarly descheduled.

The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network released new marijuana banking data—including state-by-state numbers for the first time.

Congressional negotiations on the so-called “SAFE Plus” package of marijuana banking and expungement reforms are intensifying as the clock ticks down on the lame duck session—but some advocates aren’t ready to sign off until they see the actual provisions.

A new Pew Research Center poll found that just one out of ten Americans supports keeping marijuana totally illegal. There is broad supermajority support for legalizing medical cannabis across all demographics, and recreational legalization is backed by a majority of Democrats and plurality of Republicans.

/ FEDERAL

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is including questions about hemp cultivation in its Census of Agriculture for the first time.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tweeted, “Pardoning federal marijuana convictions is a great first step. Now we must: ✅Legalize marijuana at the federal level ✅Pardon all simple marijuana-possession offenses, regardless of immigration status ✅Reopen immigration cases of those deported for marijuana-related offenses”

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) tweeted, “I was honored to kick off the inaugural National Indigenous Cannabis Policy & Advocacy Summit last week. I’m proud to be a champion for Indian Country and will continue working to fulfill the promises we’ve made to Tribes and protect their sovereignty.”

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) tweeted, “I applaud Governor Brown’s decision to pardon these offenses of simple marijuana possession. Oregon legalized cannabis in 2016, but these past convictions have made it difficult for people—particularly those from BIPOC communities—to live freely.”

The House bill to create a federal commission to study legal marijuana regulations got one new cosponsor for a total of five.

/ STATES

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) announced a new process for social equity program participants whose prequalification status has expired to reapply without having to pay additional application fees.

Washington State’s treasurer touted a newspaper editorial on the need to pass marijuana banking legislation.

South Dakota activists plan to put marijuana legalization on the ballot again in 2024.

Kentucky’s Senate president discussed his skepticism about medical cannabis.

Pennsylvania’s incoming Senate president pro tem said legalizing marijuana is “really not at the top of our agenda,” while another senator replied that it “doesn’t have to be our top priority for us to get it done.”

Kansas’s House minority leader highlighted work on legalizing medical cannabis in a statement announcing his decision not to run for leadership again.

New Jersey assemblymembers, including the chairs of the Judiciary and Health committees, filed a psilocybin legalization bill that’s a companion to legislation introduced by the Senate president.

Colorado regulators issued a health and safety advisory about potentially unsafe levels of yeast and mold contamination in marijuana products from Beddor Claude LLC.

Rhode Island regulators reported that nine medical cannabis businesses have had products test positive for banned pesticides. Separately, regulators rescinded a medical cannabis dispensary license applicant’s lottery award.

Maine regulators issued updated guidance on mandatory cannabis pesticide testing.

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/ LOCAL

The Harker Heights, Texas City Council repealed a voter-approved marijuana decriminalization ordinance, and Killeen’s City Council placed a temporary pause on enacting a similar local measure. Meanwhile, the Denton City Council voted to uphold the cannabis decriminalization initiative that voters there passed.

Gadsden, Alabama’s mayor appointed a task force to assist people applying for medical cannabis business licenses.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Colombia’s justice minister spoke about the “total failure of the war on drugs.” Separately, the interior minister called the advancement of marijuana legalization legislation a “historic advance,” saying the reform, if enacted “will be a very important source of income for the country” and that the nation is currently “lagging behind” others that have legalized.

Thailand’s public health minister vowed that cannabis would never be recriminalized if his party remains in power. The deputy prime minister made similar comments.

Canada’s mental health and addictions minister pushed back against the leader of the Conservative Party’s criticism of safe consumption sites for illegal drugs.

German lawmakers will host a Twitter Spaces chat about marijuana legalization on Thursday.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study revealed “anti-obesity properties of cannabinoids from hemp oil.”

A study of marijuana enforcement found that “decision to arrest was correlated with officers’ age, years on force, gender, and ideological outlook regarding drug enforcement priorities and tended toward informal resolution in general and more so with younger and female officers,” suggesting that “drug policy reform is affecting some discretionary leniency and nonenforcement of marijuana in favor of reported shiftwork focus on harder drugs and violence.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

The Democratic Governors Association tweeted, “90% of Kentucky adults support the legalization of medical cannabis. So last week, Gov. @AndyBeshearKY signed an executive order to help people living in pain access the treatment they need.”

NSF tweeted about its work to certify CBD and hemp products.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce issued recommendations for the federal government’s cannabis policy review.

/ BUSINESS

StateHouse Holdings Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $30.8 million.

Canadian retailers sold C$389.9 million worth of legal cannabis products in September.

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