Author: Ben Adlin

[ad_1] A New Hampshire legislative subcommittee has approved a number of changes to a proposal that would legalize adult-use marijuana in the state, with the full House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Committee set to vote on the amended bill on Wednesday. It’s the latest development in what’s already been a months-long process of negotiating and adjusting core provisions of cannabis legalization as lawmakers attempt to build consensus on a bill to send to Gov. Chris Sununu (R). “We’re all working from the governor’s list of what would be needed in a bill,” Rep. Erica Layon (R), the sponsor of HB…

[ad_1] Virginia’s Senate has formally signed off on a proposal to legalize retail marijuana sales in the commonwealth despite concerns raised by law enforcement groups that warn the harms from legal cannabis will outweigh those of alcohol. The Senate on Tuesday approved a sales bill from Sen. Aaron R. Rouse (D) on a 21–18 vote, next sending the measure to the House of Delegates. The vote came a day after the House approved a separate marijuana sales bill from Del. Paul Krizek (D) that differs from the Senate proposal in several key respects. Those differences will still need to be…

[ad_1] A group of lawyers argues in a newly released legal opinion that contrary to what the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has asserted in the past, international drug treaties ought not stand in the way of moving marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended. In fact, the opinion argues, a move to Schedule III would better uphold the country’s broader obligations under international law to regulate cannabis in a way that protects public health and safety. “In light of the failed war on drugs, devastating impacts…

[ad_1] Lawyers for a doctor in Washington State seeking to legally use psilocybin for end-of-life care argue in a new federal appeals court filing that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) failed to explain a key decision when it denied him access to the psychedelic. They’re asking judges to reverse that move, calling it arbitrary and capricious, and order the government to review the matter anew. The opening brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit last week is the latest development in what’s become a years-long effort by Dr. Sunil Aggarwal and the Advanced Integrative Medical…

[ad_1] Both chambers of Virginia’s legislature have now given at least preliminary approval to separate plans that would legalize retail marijuana sales in the commonwealth. Significant differences remain between the competing proposals, however, which lawmakers will need to hammer out before sending any bill to the desk of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Meanwhile, measures on resentencing people with prior cannabis convictions and preventing the legal use of marijuana from denying parental visitation or custody rights also moved forward ahead of a crossover deadline this week. As for the legal sales measures, the Senate gave on initial approval to a bill…

[ad_1] A study says that internet search interest in delta-8 THC—a federally unregulated cannabinoid that is commonly synthesized or derived from hemp—is significantly higher in states where marijuana itself remains criminalized. Looking at online search data available through Google Trends, CBD Nationwide—which calls itself the “largest” cannabidiol manufacturer in the U.S.—found that searches for delta-8 THC were 1.9 times higher in states where adult-use cannabis is illegal, “indicating a significant pivot toward alternative cannabinoids due to cannabis bans,” the company said. “Cannabis prohibition clearly doesn’t work” the company’s CEO, Katie Devoe, said in a brief statement about the findings. Delta-8…

[ad_1] Adults in Washington State who grow marijuana at home will continue to face the threat of felony charges for at least another year following a House committee’s failure to advance a cannabis homegrow bill ahead of a legislative deadline this week. HB 2194 was not called for a vote in the House Appropriations Committee before the February 5 deadline for bills to pass out of fiscal panels, meaning it’s no longer eligible to move forward. The marijuana home cultivation measure passed out of a separate House committee last month, though lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said they…

[ad_1] Virginia’s House of Delegates has given preliminary approval to a bill that would legalize and regulate the retail sale of marijuana in the commonwealth, with a final vote on the measure expected early next week. On a voice vote, the chamber approved the the bill, HB 698 from Del. Paul Krizek (D), during second reading consideration on Friday. Advocates expect a final third reading floor vote to be held on Monday, ahead of the legislature’s crossover deadline the next day. A competing measure, meanwhile, is advancing in the Senate, having passed out of committee on Thursday. If both bills…

[ad_1] A Republican senator in Pennsylvania says he will soon introduce legislation that would remove barriers under state law to medical marijuana patients carrying firearms. Sen. Dan Laughlin (R) circulated a co-sponsorship memo about the forthcoming bill on Friday, noting that while the state’s 2016 medical marijuana law allows patients to “LEGALLY treat specific medical conditions with marijuana,” other state mechanisms—including the issuance of licenses to carry firearms—still treat cannabis as unlawful. Current law in Pennsylvania says that carry licenses won’t be issued to people who are unlawful marijuana users. As described by Laughlin, his bill would clarify that medical…

[ad_1] Amid the U.S. military’s ongoing recruiting crisis, the Navy is expanding authority to grant waivers to recruits who arrive at boot camp and initially test positive for marijuana, instead of simply sending them home. “If they fail that test and own up—’Yes, I smoke marijuana ‘—we do an evaluation of the young person to make sure there’s not something else going on,” Rear Adm. James Waters told reporters this week. “But we trust that through the process of boot camp that we have an opportunity to bring them along with our culture.” Waters, who directs the Navy’s military personnel…

[ad_1] Psychedelic substances, including psilocybin mushrooms, LSD and others, may improve sexual function—even months after a psychedelic experience, according to a new study. The findings, published on Wednesday in Nature Scientific Reports, are based largely on a survey of 261 participants both before and after taking psychedelics. Researchers from Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research then combined those responses with results of a separate clinical trial that compared psilocybin and a commonly prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRIs) for treating depression. Authors say it’s the first scientific study to formally explore the effects of psychedelics on sexual functioning. While…

[ad_1] Two competing bills to legalize commercial marijuana sales in Virginia are now headed to votes on the floors of the House of Delegates and Senate, setting up a possible clash between lawmakers and advocates who disagree on the best way to open a retail market in the commonwealth. On Thursday, legislation in the Senate—SB 448, from Sen. Aaron R. Rouse (D)—passed out of the body’s Finance and Appropriations Committee on a 9–5 vote, with one member abstaining. That was the measure’s final stop in a multi-committee process and it next proceeds to the Senate floor. A separate House proposal,…