Author: A.J. Herrington

[ad_1] A cannabis company with operations based in Jamaica announced this week that it has successfully exported cannabis-derived THC products to the United States, where they will be tested at a facility licensed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The company, Pure Jamaican and its GMP-certified, licensed pharma manufacturer Seven-10 Pharmaceuticals, said the shipment marks the first legal export of THC to the United States from Jamaica in a move that elevates the Caribbean island nation’s role in the global cannabis supply chain. Jamaica legalized the commercial export of cannabis for medical, scientific and therapeutic purposes in 2015, although government…

[ad_1] Two influential Utah state lawmakers have joined forces to advance legislation that would cut funding to cities that refuse to recognize medical marijuana as a legitimate medical therapy.  Utah voters approved the medical use of cannabis in a 2018 ballot measure that passed with nearly 53% of the vote. Following the passage of the initiative, the state legislature approved a regulatory plan that essentially treats medical cannabis as a traditional prescription drug. Under the plan, cannabis is still considered a controlled substance but patients are allowed to use medical marijuana like they would any other prescribed medication. Democratic Senate…

[ad_1] An Illinois state senator recently introduced a bill to legalize the supervised therapeutic use of psilocybin, the primary psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms. The legislation, known as the Compassionate Use and Research of Entheogens (CURE) Act, was introduced by Democratic Senator Rachel Ventura earlier this month. If passed, the legislation (Senate Bill 3695) would legalize the supervised therapeutic use of psilocybin for adults. The bill is an attempt to provide new alternative options for treatment-resistant conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, eating disorders and other serious mental health conditions. “As mental health concerns rise throughout our state…

[ad_1] The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have approved competing bills to regulate and tax recreational marijuana sales, more than two years after the state legalized the possession of cannabis by adults. Each bill now heads to the other chamber of the state legislature, where lawmakers are expected to make several amendments to the measures. Both bills legalize retail sales of cannabis to adults aged 21 and older with a scheduled start date of January 1, 2025, according to a report from the nonprofit cannabis advocacy group the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). In the…

[ad_1] A Florida legislative subcommittee on Monday advanced a bill to restrict psychoactive hemp-derived cannabinoids such as Delta 8 THC and Delta 10. The legislation, House Bill 1613, was advanced by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee by a vote of 8-4.  The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and hemp products at the federal level, leading to a surge in new hemp businesses nationwide. Under the legislation, cannabis with no more than 0.3% Delta 9 THC (the compound largely responsible for the “high” experienced when smoking marijuana) on a dry weight basis is considered legal hemp under federal…

[ad_1] One person was killed on Saturday morning and another is in critical condition after an explosion at a Los Angeles commercial building that housed what authorities say was a “clandestine” cannabis extraction operation. The fire and death, which occurred at a one-story commercial building in the Green Meadows neighborhood of L.A., is now being investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to multiple reports.  The LAFD responded to the fire after a 911 call to report the blaze was made at 1:17 a.m. on Saturday. As first responders arrived at the scene,…

[ad_1] An Iowa legislative panel this week approved a bill that sets limits on consumable hemp products sold in the state. The measure, House Study Bill 665, was approved on Wednesday by the House Public Safety Subcommittee by a vote of 2-0.  The bill, which was submitted to the state legislature by the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS), gives the state Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the authority to regulate consumable hemp products. Under the measure, HHS can set cannabinoid potency limits on hemp products and set rules for their distribution and sale. The legislation also limits…

[ad_1] Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro this week called on state lawmakers to legalize and regulate recreational marijuana, saying “It’s time to catch up” with neighboring states that have already taken the step. The governor made his plea on Tuesday during an annual budget address to unveil a $48.3 billion spending plan for the state. “I ask you to come together and send to my desk a bill that legalizes marijuana,” Shapiro told state lawmakers in his address. “But that bill should ensure the industry is regulated and taxed responsibly.” Although the Democratic governor’s budget proposal does not include a specific…

[ad_1] A Humboldt County cannabis grower will pay at least $750,000 to settle a dispute with state water and wildlife agencies over alleged environmental violations at a 435-acre cultivation site in California’s famed Emerald Triangle. In the settlement agreement, licensed weed grower Joshua Sweet and his companies, The Hills LLC and Shadow Light Ranch LLC, admitted to violations of state water regulations over a period of several years.  “It is critical for all cannabis cultivators to be environmentally responsible and protect California’s water supply and water quality,” Taro Murano, program manager for the State Water Board’s Division of Water Rights…

[ad_1] Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday filed lawsuits against five cities that have passed marijuana decriminalization measures. The legal action was filed against the cities of Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin, and Denton “for adopting amnesty and non-prosecution policies that violate Texas laws concerning marijuana possession and distribution,” according to the attorney general’s office. In 2022, the five cities each adopted ordinances or civic policies that instruct police officers not to enforce state laws prohibiting the possession or distribution of cannabis. After filing the lawsuits this week, Paxton said that such policies are prohibited by the Texas Local…

[ad_1] Two-time Superbowl Champion Jim McMahon and All-Pro offensive lineman Kyle Turley are hinting at a run for the White House with a campaign built on passing a banking bill for legal marijuana businesses and creating awareness for the benefits of cannabis, according to a report from Fox Sports. McMahon, who played quarterback for the Chicago Bears, and Turley, a first-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1998 NFL draft, are co-founders of the cannabis brand Revenant along with fellow professional football player Eben Britton. According to the company website, a “mutual respect and understanding of the healing…

[ad_1] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week announced the voluntary recall of a medicine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy after the manufacturer of the drug revealed that the wrong pills were found in packages of the medication. The recall covers one lot of the drug Zenzedi, an ADHD and narcolepsy medication manufactured by Massachusetts-based Azurity Pharmaceuticals. In a notice about the recall, the FDA noted that a pharmacist had reported finding pills of an antihistamine, carbinoxamine maleate, in a package of Zenzedi. The voluntary recall was announced by Azurity on January 24 and…