Author: Marijuana Moment

[ad_1] “Those of us that live with chronic pain all day every day are desperately trying to ride it out. Unfortunately, not all of us will be here when product is ready.” By Alander Rocha, Alabama Reflector Antoine Mordican has a medical cannabis cultivation license. And he is building out a facility to begin growing the product. Under state law, he has to demonstrate he can maintain cultivation facilities; use an inventory control system approved by the state; can start cannabis cultivation within 60 days; can dispose of plant waste according to regulations; and can maintain financial stability. “I’m building—getting…

[ad_1] “I wish I could say I was leaving the policy space with more optimism about the future of federal policy reform. On the other hand, I know there are leaders out there, known and unknown to me, who can prove me wrong.” By Justin Strekal, “Pot Smokers’ Lobbyist” Emeritus  When I used to play Dungeons and Dragons, I was often accused of “metagaming” too much, meaning I too often try to think about all possible scenarios, attempt to look around every corner, etc. In my opinion, it’s time for the cannabis reform community to do a better job of…

[ad_1] “Cannabis legalization is a serious, substantive issue and we should treat it as such, not as a political game.” By Wisconsin Sen. Melissa Agard (D) Today, Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced that the sham medical marijuana bill he claimed would pass is dead. We saw this coming. This bill was always smoke and mirrors. It would not accomplish what a majority of Wisconsinites are asking of state legislators: full legalization of cannabis for adult responsible usage. Republicans are continuing their track record of ignoring the will of the people who want to see cannabis legalized. Speaker Vos’s…

[ad_1] “When we passed the hemp program, it was not in anticipation of highly intoxicated, sometimes psychoactive substances being ingested by Floridians.” By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix The Florida Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a measure regulating hemp products in Florida, with the House expected to move ahead as well on the regulations. Meanwhile, officials in the hemp industry fear for the worse: A damaging blow to their livelihoods. The Senate legislation (SB 1698) would place caps on the amount of THC in hemp-derived products sold in smoke shops throughout Florida. THC is the main component in element in cannabis that provides…

[ad_1] “My members have reported that they’re relying on alcohol far less, they’re sleeping more at home and they’re seeing other positive effects, such as reduction of joint and muscle pain without having to use opioid prescriptions.” By Michael Chun, Capital News Service State lawmakers have advanced bills that would allow public-sector employees to use medical cannabis without losing their jobs. HB 149, introduced by Del. Dan Helmer (D-Fairfax County) extends to state public employees rights that already exist in the private sector. The bill passed with bipartisan support on a 78–20 vote. Helmer sponsored HB 1862 three years ago,…

[ad_1] “There’s zero reason why these THC products should not be treated like any other THC product in our state.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Missouri lawmakers have heard hours of heated testimony at two hearings in the last week over bills aiming to regulate intoxicating hemp products that get people high the same as marijuana. Currently there’s no state or federal law saying teenagers or children can’t buy products, such as delta-8 drinks, or that stores can’t sell them to minors—though some stores and vendors have taken it upon themselves to impose age restrictions of 21 and up. And…

[ad_1] “Everyone agrees that the sooner we can get licensed dispensaries open, the better.” By Peter Callaghan, MinnPost Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said Tuesday he supports proposals by the state’s cannabis management office to increase advantages to what are termed “social equity applicants” in the fledgling legal marijuana marketplace. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) said last week it would ask the Legislature to amend the 2023 recreational marijuana law to make it easier for people and neighborhoods who suffered most from prohibition to get into the business. For example, such applicants for licenses to grow and sell marijuana…

[ad_1] “I don’t concede that actually it’s going to have a negative fiscal impact on businesses or revenue derived from taxes based on those businesses.” By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix For the past two legislative sessions in Tallahassee, the Florida hemp industry has trekked to the Capitol to fight a proposed cap on the amount of THC in their products, saying that such a change in current policy would be extremely detrimental to their economic livelihoods. But the sponsor of the House version of the proposal in this year’s session dismissed those concerns on Monday afternoon, saying he didn’t believe…

[ad_1] “We all love our jobs, which is why we want the security behind having something like this in place.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Ahmad Haynes and a handful of employees at BeLeaf Medical’s Sinse Cannabis site in St. Louis anxiously waited for the clock to hit 5 p.m. He and his co-workers had gathered outside the St. Louis Public Library’s Barr branch, where they had cast their votes to unionize earlier that afternoon on February 6. The election came after a hard-fought legal battle that began in September with their employer contesting their eligibility to unionize. Minutes before 5…

[ad_1] “It’s a complex issue… Our priority right now is having those thorough discussions as there was a long runway for this issue, so we still have some time to do that.” By Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal Lawmakers have yet to bring changes to Ohio’s new marijuana law over the finish line. The Ohio Senate passed a bill in December with major changes to the marijuana law, but the Ohio House, once again, did not bring that bill to the floor to concur during Wednesday’s session and has not moved its own bill. “It’s a complex issue,” Ohio House…

[ad_1] Supporters argue that criminalizing drug use pushes people into the shadows, making it harder for them to get help. By Evan Popp, Maine Morning Star Maine saw a reduction in the number of overdose deaths in 2023. But with hundreds upon hundreds of drug-related deaths last year, advocates and lawmakers say the state is still in the midst of a serious crisis. In total, there were 607 confirmed or suspected overdose deaths in 2023, a 16 percent drop from the record total of 723 in 2022. Along with the 607 deaths, there were 9,047 confirmed nonfatal overdoses last year…

[ad_1] “These public officials illegally tore apart and terrorized [Bianca] Clayborne’s family… Their actions caused severe emotional trauma to Clayborne and each of her five children.” By Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout A Georgia mom whose five small kids were taken into state custody after a misdemeanor traffic stop in Coffee County last year has filed suit alleging her constitutional rights and those of her children were violated by Tennessee law enforcement officers and state social workers. The lawsuit names four Tennessee Highway Patrol officers involved in the February 17 traffic stop, three Department of Children’s Services caseworkers who obtained a…