Medicare clarifies marijuana not covered; NM gov signs psilocybin bill; Study: Patients OK with doctors’ cannabis use; HI medical marijuana expansion

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Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOWFormer Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Health and Human Services officials suggested the federal marijuana rescheduling process could be stalled indefinitely if President Donald Trump doesn’t personally push it as a priority.The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized rules to clarify that marijuana products aren’t eligible for coverage because “they are illegal substances under Federal law.”New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a bill to create a therapeutic psilocybin program, legalizing the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms for use in a supervised medical setting.The Hawaii Senate passed a bill to expand access to medical cannabis by letting healthcare professionals recommend it for any condition they deem “appropriate.”The Delaware House Economic Development/Banking/Insurance & Commerce Committee approved a marijuana bill to address a fingerprint background check dispute with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that has threatened to delay the launch of the state’s recreational cannabis market.A Pennsylvania Republican senator says the state should create a “Pennsylvania Legacy Fund—a permanent investment vehicle” supported by revenue from marijuana legalization and gaming, which he says would “provide a sustainable source of prosperity that lasts for generations.”A new study shows that “more patients were comfortable with their physician using marijuana outside of work than not” and that “patients were as comfortable with their physicians using medical marijuana as they were with nicotine.”Oregon officials say they don’t have a good idea if the $46 million they’ve spent combating unlicensed marijuana production and sales over the last seven years has put a dent in the illegal market—largely due to limited data collection./ FEDERALThe Drug Enforcement Administration sent a warning about fraud where scammers impersonate agency officials.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will hear oral arguments in the case of an organization that wants to open a safe consumption site for illegal drugs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Wednesday.The House bill to create psychedelics-focused centers of excellence under the Department of Veterans Affairs got two new cosponsors for a total of six./ STATESThe Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill containing provisions to ban marijuana advertising.The Connecticut legislature’s Judiciary Committee approved compromise legislation aimed at empowering police to address marijuana-impaired driving.The Texas House State Affairs Committee held a hearing on legislation to restrict consumable hemp products.An Ohio Republican representative authored an op-ed urging the state’s U.S. senators to “follow President Trump’s lead and support moving cannabis to Schedule III.”A Minnesota judge approved drug cannabis rules.Rhode Island regulators will consider marijuana rules on Friday.Vermont regulators will begin requiring marijuana businesses to use new inventory tracking forms on April 23.
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/ LOCALColorado Springs, Colorado officials have begun issuing recreational marijuana business licenses./ INTERNATIONALThe Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Law and Order is expected to consider legislation to decriminalize cannabis./ SCIENCE & HEALTHA review concluded that “studies suggest cannabinoids may help reduce headache frequency, alleviate pain, and improve sleep, though concerns remain about dependency, cognitive impairment, and medication overuse headache.”A study found that psilocybin-assisted therapy “is well-tolerated by people with” fibromyalgia./ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSISPsyCan is pushing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre to commit to enhancing research, affordability and access to psychedelic medicine./ BUSINESSTilray Brands, Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $185.8 million and a net loss of $793.5 million.Metrc is being sued by a former executive who claims he was fired for speaking out about the company’s business practices./ CULTUREFormer football player Ricky Williams authored an op-ed opposing Texas legislation to ban many hemp products.

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