Texas attorney general tries to block local cannabis reform in Dallas (Newsletter: November 22, 2024)

DEA judge asks marijuana opponents to explain DEA talks; KY medical cannabis recs; AR & MD officials reject marijuana to treat orgasm disorders

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

A Drug Enforcement Administration judge is inviting prohibitionist group Smart Approaches to Marijuana to explain allegedly “unlawful” communications it had with agency officials about the cannabis rescheduling process.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Dallas’s local marijuana decriminalization law that voters approved at the ballot this month.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced that patients will be able to begin getting medical cannabis recommendations from doctors on December 1.

Arkansas and Maryland officials rejected petitions to add female orgasmic disorder/difficulty as a medical marijuana qualifying condition, saying that evidence submitted by advocates is “insufficient” and “insubstantial.”

Marijuana vape company Puffco launched a new video calling out Instagram and Meta for the social media giant’s practice of continually blocking cannabis-related content.

A new study of more than 5,000 men evaluated over the course of 44 years found “no significant harmful effects of cannabis use on age-related cognitive decline.”

• “Men with a history of cannabis use had less cognitive decline from early adulthood to midlife compared to men without a history of cannabis use.”

A former Indiana Republican Party executive director is helping to lead a new marijuana legalization advocacy group that is also backed by a former president of the Professional Firefighters Union of Indiana and an Indianapolis City Council member.

The Ohio Senate General Government Committee held a hearing on a bill to ban sales of intoxicating hemp products, taking testimony from cannabis industry representatives and healthcare workers.

/ FEDERAL

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Drug Abuse Warning Network published a list of drug street names that appeared in its data for the first time from January 2023 to August 2024.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) tweeted about a “great discussion” he had with “local health care advocates about ongoing work at the federal level to expand access to medical cannabis to address chronic care issues.”

The Senate bill to protect people from being evicted from public housing over marijuana got one new cosponsor for a total of one.

The Senate bill to regulate hemp products got one new cosponsor for a total of one.

/ STATES

New Hampshire lawmakers discussed the prospects for marijuana legislation in the new session.

Oregon regulators are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit claiming that provisions of the state’s psilocybin services law discriminate against homebound patients.

Washington State regulators are accepting public feedback about rulemaking on cannabis waste and the presence of minors at non-retail marijuana business premises.

Colorado regulators issued a bulletin about implementation of new marijuana rules.

Rhode Island regulators posted guidance on marijuana facility sanitation and cleanliness.

The Tennessee Medical Cannabis Commission will meet on Monday.

California regulators will hold a hearing on changes to cannabis licensing rules on December 17.

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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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/ LOCAL

Denver, Colorado officials will host a psychedelics work group meeting on December 10.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Fiji’s trade minister said the country is making progress in establishing a legal cannabis industry.

Canadian regulators wrote off nearly C$5 million worth of cannabis excise taxes as uncollectible.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study indicated “at least partial legalization-related successes toward improved related ‘social justice’ aims…while key questions remain, specifically concerning systemic enforcement biases involving racial minorities and the criminalization of underage youth as vulnerable groups.”

A review concluded that “Δ8-tetrahydrocannabidivarin (Δ8‐THCV) exhibited potential for nicotine addiction; Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidivarin (Δ9‐THCV) for psychotic-like symptoms; cannabidiolic acid methyl ester (CBDA-ME) alleviated anxiety and depression-like symptoms, and cannabidivarin (CBDV) autism spectrum disorder-like symptoms.”

/ BUSINESS

Agrify Corporation entered into securities purchase agreements with institutional and accredited investors in a non-brokered private placement for aggregate proceeds of approximately $25.9 million.

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