Vets’ marijuana & psychedelics testimony to Congress; NH legalization; MT anti-cannabis bills die; CA equity grants; Study: Marijuana cuts opioid use

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Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment/ TOP THINGS TO KNOWA White House staffer has invited longtime drug policy reform activist Howard Wooldridge of Citizens Opposing Prohibition to submit a memo making the case for why President Donald Trump should back federal cannabis legalization, he told Marijuana Moment.Officials with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States spoke about the need to increase access to medical cannabis and psychedelic therapy at a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees.The New Hampshire House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee approved bills to legalize simple possession of marijuana and double medical cannabis possession limits, while the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee paused legislation to legalize and regulate a commercial recreational marijuana market.A Montana senator’s bills to require consumers to register and pay a $200 annual fee to legally use recreational marijuana and to set a 15 percent THC limit on all cannabis products appear to be dead for the session after strong pushback from advocates and industry.The California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development awarded $18.4 million in marijuana tax-funded grants to cities and counties to support equity cannabis businesses and applicants, and to “reduce and eliminate the illicit cannabis market by bringing more people into the legal marketplace.”A new study found that “participants reporting daily cannabis use exhibited higher rates of [opioid] cessation compared to less frequent users or non-users.”

• “Our findings add to the growing evidence supporting the potential benefits of cannabis use among” people who use drugs.

The Texas Senate State Affairs Committee held a contentious hearing on a bill to ban consumable hemp products containing THC that the lieutenant governor sees as a priority but which faces uncertain prospects in the House./ FEDERALThe White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’s Senior Executive Service Performance Review Board has new members.National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said new tariffs on other countries are “not a trade war, it’s a drug war.”Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) discussed their bipartisan work for psychedelics reform.The House bill to continue applying the 280E tax penalty on marijuana businesses after rescheduling got one new cosponsor for a total of seven./ STATESThe Arizona House of Representatives passed a bill to restrict marijuana advertising.The Idaho House State Affairs Committee approved legislation to amend the state Constitution to allow only the legislature to legalize marijuana and other drugs, preventing citizens from doing so via ballot initiatives.The Rhode Island Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on marijuana regulators’ budget request.The Florida House Combined Workgroup on Hemp met.An Alabama senator denied an activist’s claim that he told her to buy medical cannabis “off the street” amid delays in launching the state’s legal program.The Missouri Supreme Court is considering a case on stacking of county and municipal marijuana taxes.New Jersey regulators posted guidance about cannabis testing.California regulators announced a recall of marijuana products due to an inaccurate ingredient list label and lack of good manufacturing practices.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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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/ LOCALThe Denver, Colorado City Council approved legislation on psychedelics business licensing.The Detroit, Michigan City Council passed a measure to ban marijuana and e-cigarette ads within a 1,000-foot radius of child care centers, schools, libraries, parks and other similar locations./ INTERNATIONALThe Israeli Knesset gave preliminary approval to a medical cannabis regulation bill./ SCIENCE & HEALTHA study concluded that CBD is “a novel therapeutic for the treatment of liver diseases.”A study found that the “combined effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol alleviate migraine-like symptoms in mice.”/ BUSINESSSHF Holdings, Inc., d/b/a Safe Harbor Financial negotiated a favorable debt modification with Partner Colorado Credit Union./ CULTURETom Green and Bill Maher spoke about how marijuana has become much more mainstream since the 1980s and 1990s.

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.