Author: Ben Adlin

[ad_1] As Alaska lawmakers continued to advance legislation to study how to license and regulate psychedelic-assisted therapy in anticipation of federal approval, a new survey has found that nearly half (49.4 percent) of adults in the state would support a ballot measure to more broadly remove criminal penalties for using substances such as psilocybin mushrooms. But that support rose markedly—to nearly two thirds (65 percent)—when participants were told that Alaska has high rates of mental illnesses that could potentially be treated with psychedelics. The statewide survey of 1,179 Alaska residents was released last week by the Alaska Entheogenic Awareness Council…

[ad_1] The sponsor of a House-passed bill to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire is defending her proposal from bipartisan critics in the Senate, who said over the weekend that they prefer a different approach that would establish a novel, state-controlled market. Sens. Daryl Abbas (R) and Cindy Rosenwald (D) said in a recent TV interview with WMUR that they’d rather legalize cannabis through a state-run franchise model, which has the support of Gov. Chris Sununu (R). “What was passed in the House,” Abbas said, “I would not support that if it came to the Senate.” But the sponsor of HB 1633,…

[ad_1] A new federally funded study shows that as the prevalence of treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD) has fallen nationwide in recent decades, the reductions in self-reported CUD treatment have been concentrated in states with legal access to marijuana. Factors such as a drop in “legally mandated or coerced treatment” referrals through the criminal justice system and how CUD is defined and identified could play a role in the reductions, authors found. Researchers drew data from National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which is conducted annually by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). CUD treatment…

[ad_1] The sponsor of a Washington State marijuana homegrow bill that died in committee this month tells Marijuana Moment that she’ll continue to advocate for the policy change and plans to introduce yet another legalization measure next year. “I am committed to this issue, and plan to run a bill again next session,” Rep. Shelley Kloba (D) said in an email. “Every session has its own character and constraints, which so far have meant that the bill has not advanced to the Senate. But I am not giving up.” Despite being among the first states to legalize marijuana for adult…

[ad_1] Committees in both Maryland’s Senate and House of Delegates heard testimony this week on legislation that would protect workers from being penalized for off-duty marijuana use. If the legislation is enacted, employers would instead have to demonstrate that an individual was impaired while on the clock in order to fire them or take other adverse action. The proposal would also bar companies from discriminating against people with prior convictions related to cannabis distribution. On Thursday, members of the Senate Finance Committee heard SB 513, sponsored by Sen. Alonzo Washington (D). A day later, the House Economic Matters Committee took…

[ad_1] A day after a Virginia House panel approved a new compromise bill to legalize retail marijuana sales, a Senate committee has also advanced the deal. Supporters hope both chambers can now pass identical legislation and send the consensus proposal to Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), though he’s indicated he has no interest in signing either of the Democrat-led bills. On Friday morning, members of the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee voted 9–5 in favor of the latest version of the sales legislation, HB 698. While votes on cannabis sales bills so far have fallen generally along party lines, two…

[ad_1] After a negotiations by stakeholders early Thursday morning, a Virginia House panel approved a revised, “compromise” version of legislation to legalize and regulate retail marijuana sales in the commonwealth. Supporters now hope to push the bill through both chambers of the legislature and deliver it to Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), though he has said he is not interested in signing cannabis commerce legislation. The House General Laws Committee passed the amended bill, SB 448, on a 12–10 vote. Members first adopted substitute language that attempted to bridge remaining gaps between the bill, originally introduced by Sen. Aaron Rouse (D),…

[ad_1] The New Hampshire House of Representatives has passed a bill that would legalize and regulate adult-use marijuana. While the body has approved cannabis legalization legislation a number of times in recent sessions that has gone on to die in the Senate, supporters are hopeful that the latest measure can finally pass the opposite chamber and curry favor with Gov. Chris Sununu (R). House lawmakers approved HB 1633, sponsored by Rep. Erica Layon (R), on a 239–141 vote Thursday. In its current form, it would allow adults 21 and older to buy marijuana from one of up to 15 licensed…

[ad_1] Job Corps, the national job-training program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor, has changed its drug-screening protocol for marijuana in order to avoid punishing young people for using cannabis prior to starting the program. Though Job Corps is drug-free and alcohol-free program, participants with a history of use are not automatically deemed ineligible. All new and readmitted students are required to be tested for drug use upon arrival to a Job Corps center. If they test positive, they’re enrolled in prevention and education services and then screened a second time about 40 days later. Prior to the new…

[ad_1] During debate on a drug bill before the Kansas House of Representatives on Wednesday, a Democratic lawmaker introduced an amendment that would have removed marijuana entirely from the state’s controlled substances law, effectively legalizing it. The proposal ultimately failed on a 41–80 vote, a result that comes as more limited legislation to legalize medical cannabis also faces resistance from some legislative leaders. Rep. Silas Miller (D), who introduced the broad legalization amendment, described the measure to colleagues as “the first step towards having a better discussion” about legalization, which the Senate has refused to consider in recent years despite…

[ad_1] Details about a proposed compromise bill to legalize retail cannabis in Virginia are beginning to emerge ahead of a planned negotiation session set for Thursday. While not yet final, the compromise offer—meant to bridge gaps between two competing measures passed last week by the House and Senate—would eliminate provisions in the current House bill that would allow some businesses to launch sales earlier than others while also slightly pushing back the timeline for when the recreational market would open. Del. Paul Krizek (D), the lead sponsor of HB 698, confirmed some details of the proposed compromise to Marijuana Moment…

[ad_1] Mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe appear to have begun producing the psychedelic compound psilocybin roughly 67 million years ago, right around the time of the dinosaurs’ demise, according to a newly published study led by researchers from the University of Utah and the Natural History Museum of Utah. The results also suggested that wood decomposition—as opposed to other preferred niches like dung or soil—as “the ancestral ecology of Psilocybe,” though the ability to produce psilocybin seems to have later jumped from some types of fungi to others over tens of millions of years. Authors noted that some past research…