Author: Ben Adlin

[ad_1] A hemp industry trade group announced this week that an organization of feed control officials has tentatively approved the use of hemp seed meal as animal feed for egg-laying hens—a move that was recommended by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine. According to a press release from the Hemp Feed Coalition, the ingredient definition committee of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)—which oversees new feed approval—tentatively approved the action at a mid-year meeting on January 23. The definition of hemp seed meal (HSM) as an acceptable protein and fat source for hens will…

[ad_1] Across Canada, nearly 8 in 10 people (79.3 percent) believe psilocybin-assisted therapy is “a reasonable medical choice” to treat existential dread at the end of one’s life, according to a new survey, while almost 2 in 3 (63.3 percent) feel the substance should be legal for medical purposes generally. Notably, 84.8 percent said the country’s public health system should cover costs of the psychedelic therapy. Published last month in the journal Palliative Care, the study says that while interest in psilocybin as an end-of-life option has grown worldwide in recent years, little has been known about attitudes in society…

[ad_1] Lawmakers on Rhode Island’s House Judiciary Committee considered a bill on Thursday that would effectively legalize psilocybin mushrooms in the state, temporarily removing penalties around possession, home cultivation and sharing of psilocybin until mid-2026. The proposal, H. 7047, from Rep. Brandon Potter (D), would not establish a commercial retail system around the psychedelic—at least until after federal reform is enacted. Until then, it would exempt up to an ounce of psilocybin from the state’s law against controlled substances provided that it “has been securely cultivated within a person’s residence for personal use” or is possessed by “one person or…

[ad_1] A Virginia House subcommittee advanced amended legislation on Friday that would allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries and some small businesses to begin selling cannabis to all adults 21 and older as of next January, with plans to license other retailers over the course of 2025. To take advantage of the early opening date, a medical business would need to “accelerate” six microbusinesses, each of which would get $400,000 in aid under the current version of the legislation. Microbusiness licenses, in turn, would need to be at least two-thirds directly controlled by people who meet certain social equity criteria, with…

[ad_1] A House subcommittee in Florida voted on Thursday to advance a medical marijuana bill that would waive patient registration and renewal fees for service-disabled military veterans, approving the measure from Rep. Susan L. Valdés (D) on a 14–1 vote. “Medical cannabis has shown promise in alleviating symptoms commonly experienced by military veterans, like managing chronic pain, alleviating the effects of PTSD, improving sleep and reducing the dependency of opioids,” Valdés said of her legislation, HB 1435. “This bill will eliminate the financial barriers that veterans face when accessing medical marijuana, their chosen healthcare solution.” Currently, it costs $75 annually…

[ad_1] Harm reduction advocates in Rhode Island announced this week that they’ve secured a location for the nation’s first state-regulated overdose prevention center where people can use illegal drugs in a safer environment under the supervision of trained professionals. And on Thursday evening, the Providence City Council gave formal approval to the plan. News of the plan’s finalization was trumpeted on Wednesday by the group Project Weber/RENEW, which is working with clinical partner VICTA to open the site adjacent to the Rhode Island Hospital campus in Providence. Organizers are aiming to open the facility sometime this summer and provide services…

[ad_1] With an adult-use marijuana legalization measure potentially headed for Florida’s ballot this November, Lawmakers on the state’s House Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee approved an amended version of a measure that would preemptively limit THC in recreational cannabis products. Before advancing the bill, HB 1269, the panel first adopted an amendment from its sponsor, Rep. Ralph Massullo (R) significantly raising the proposed cap on THC for marijuana flower to 30 percent, up from 10 percent in the bill as originally introduced. Members then voted 13–4 to report the bill favorably. “Due to a variety of reasons, we’re only at the beginning…

[ad_1] Officials in Minnesota hope to begin issuing temporary licenses for the state’s legal marijuana industry ahead of schedule—”as soon as this summer”—with an emphasis on aiding social equity applicants, they said this week during an update on the implementation of an adult-use legalization law adopted last year. The plan from the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), which would require a change in statute from state lawmakers, would “expedite the 2025 market launch and provide early advantages to social equity participants,” according a presentation they gave to stakeholders on Tuesday. Doing so will help prevent a “licensing bottleneck,” Charlene…

[ad_1] A second Virginia Senate committee has now advanced a bill to legalize retail marijuana sales in the commonwealth, moving the proposal one step closer to the chamber floor. The panel also approved a separate measure that would resentence people currently incarcerated for cannabis-related crimes. The Senate Courts of Justice Committee passed the measures after making amendments to both at a hearing Wednesday. The marijuana sales bill was approved on a 7–5 vote, with three members abstaining, while the vote on the resentencing bill was 10–5. Both measures take up matters advocates would like to see addressed following the state’s…

[ad_1] Lawmakers in Kentucky have filed new marijuana legislation with a notable bill number: HB 420. If passed, it would legalize and regulate cannabis for adults 21 and older, though few expect the proposal to get through in the state’s Republican-controlled legislature this session. As introduced on Tuesday by Rep. Rachel Roberts (D), HB 420 would legalize marijuana and license a variety of business types, including cultivators, processors and retailers. A 9 percent excise tax would be imposed both on wholesale and retail purchases, and local governments could levy an additional “licensing fee” of up to 5 percent “for the…

[ad_1] A marijuana legalization measure unveiled in draft form last year by Hawaii’s attorney general has now been formally introduced in the legislature, with companion bills filed in both House and Senate. Advocates, however, say the latest version needs major changes to shift the plan’s focus away from law enforcement and allow for the clearing of past cannabis convictions to provide relief to those most harmed by prohibition. Led by Rep. David Tarnas (D) in the House and Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole (D) in the Senate, the bill is largely the product of Attorney General Anne Lopez (D) and her staff.…

[ad_1] The latest New Hampshire proposal to legalize marijuana debated by lawmakers on Tuesday takes a turn away from the strictly state-run model supported by Gov. Chris Sununu (R) and the franchise system contemplated by a state commission on legalization last year. Instead it would license private operators and set strict limits on stores’ appearance, marketing and advertising. The plan’s sponsor, Rep. Erica Layon (R), says the proposal would meet Sununu’s concerns about health and safety while also avoiding legal risk to the state that could come with the government taking control of stores’ day-to-day operations. But so far, she…