VA cannabis sales could be legal in 2024 (Newsletter: December 12, 2023)

NY gov vetoes hemp bill; MO marijuana expungements & psychedelics; Colombia legalization; DEA pharmacy threat pushback; NJ grants & fee reduction

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Colombia’s government is moving to legalize drug possession by removing an existing fine under a decriminalization policy stemming from an earlier Constitutional Court ruling. Meanwhile, lawmakers are pushing to vote on a marijuana legalization and regulation bill by the end of the year.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) vetoed bills that would have allowed hemp seeds to be included in animal feed for pets, horses and camelids such as llamas and alpacas. Hemp feed for animals hasn’t been approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, the governor says, and she’s directing state officials to research the issue in an “expeditious manner.”

A Virginia senator says he’s “confident” that lawmakers can get a bill to legalize marijuana sales to the desk of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) now that Democrats have House and Senate majorities—but it will be a “challenge” to make it bipartisan to avoid a veto.

Missouri courts have expunged more than 100,000 marijuana cases in the first year of legalization—but some counties missed Friday’s constitutionally mandated deadline to clear out felony cannabis records.

Missouri lawmakers prefiled bills for 2024 to legalize the medical use of psilocybin and require clinical trials exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic.

A Georgia pharmacist is pushing back against the Drug Enforcement Administration’s recent threat letter to pharmacies that want to distribute medical marijuana oil under state law, saying that cannabis can help “get patients off these high doses of opioids.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and Attorney General Matthew Platkin (D) announced the awarding of $15 million in violence prevention grants that are partially funded by marijuana revenue.

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission is lowering medical marijuana patient registration fees to just $10 every two years in order to address falling enrollment numbers as the recreational market expands.

/ FEDERAL

The Office of Head Start’s National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety will host a webinar about marijuana use on Thursday.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) led a group of dozens of lawmakers in sending a letter pressing credit card companies to create a new merchant category code for gun and ammunition retailers, saying that the firms “routinely implement different MCCs in different jurisdictions for the same type of transaction based on variations in local law, such as for cannabis and gambling.”

/ STATES

A task force formed by Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) is recommending recriminalization of public drug use.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) tweeted, “The revenue we’d generate from legalizing marijuana could be invested back into our communities. Right now, that’s money going out the door to other states. It’s time to join our neighbors in legalizing and taxing marijuana, just like we do alcohol.”

A spokesperson for Florida’s attorney general said a medical cannabis recommendation company’s request to file a brief in a case challenging a proposed marijuana legalization ballot initiative is “borderline frivolous.”

Illinois regulators filed draft cannabis tax rules.

Colorado regulators issued a notice to correct what they said are “inaccuracies” in reports about changes to marijuana tracking rules.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands’s top marijuana regulator spoke about revenue being generated by the industry.

Washington State regulators are hosting discussions this month on rulemaking concerning THC.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched a state emphasis program covering the growing, harvesting and processing of cannabis.

The New York Cannabis Advisory Board will meet on Tuesday.

Vermont regulators will host a seminar about marijuana business license prequalification on Wednesday.

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/ LOCAL

New York City’s mayor is calling on state lawmakers to give him greater authority over enforcement against unlicensed marijuana businesses, saying he would “close down every illegal shop within 30 days.”

Detroit, Michigan officials are being sued by a psychedelic church over alleged discrimination.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles discussed his support for legalizing marijuana.

Here’s a look at where new Argentina President Javier Milei stands on drug policy.

A German lawmaker discussed delays in considering a marijuana legalization bill.

Maltese regulators issued three new cannabis association licenses.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study found that “long-term administration of oral CBD in healthy research beagles demonstrates a favorable safety profile regarding ocular tolerability.”

A review concluded that “psilocybin shows promise as a lead candidate molecule for treating a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, albeit showing the most efficacy for depression.”

/ BUSINESS

Maridose is launching a group focused on the development of cannabis-based drugs for pre-clinical and clinical trials.

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