In this week’s cannabis news round-up, Oregon’s Rep. Blumenauer announces retirement after 27 years in Congress; New York expands medical cannabis retail licenses to MSOs; and Switzerland launches first legal cannabis dispensary in Europe. Rep. Blumenauer introducing the STATES Act in 2019. PHOTO Earl Blumenauer/Twitter Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) Retiring AfterContinue Reading
The Biden Administration announced last week that it’s launching a system that will allow individuals pardoned for federal cannabis possession convictions in 2022 to obtain written documentation of the pardon. In a March 3 statement, the Department of Justice wrote that a new application is available to request written documentationContinue Reading
Congressional leaders in the effort to reform U.S. cannabis policy published a plan to legalize marijuana nationwide in 2022, saying that is “time for the federal government to catch up to the rest of the country.” In a memo from Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Rep. Barbara Lee ofContinue Reading
Congressman Earl Blumenauer has been the tip of the spear for decades when it comes to marijuana reform in the U.S. House of Representatives. But he’s never been as optimistic as he is this year about the possibility that significant marijuana reform might pass through Congress. “I came out ofContinue Reading
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and fellow Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden formally announced Monday that they are working together to advance comprehensive marijuana reform legislation. Schumer talked last week about pushing for legislation that would legalize marijuana federally but allow states the freedom to choose their ownContinue Reading
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a groundbreaking bill to reduce barriers and expand scientific research into medical cannabis, a move that could be critical to convincing Republican lawmakers to support broader marijuana reform. One aspect of the measure would enable researchers to study medical marijuana products soldContinue Reading
The U.S. House of Representative is scheduled this week to take up legislation to legalize marijuana federally, a landmark step that could mark the first time a full congressional chamber has voted to end the federal government’s MJ prohibition. US House poised to act this week on landmark marijuana legalizationContinue Reading
The cannabis industry donated more than $305,000 to U.S. congressional members in the first half of 2019, exceeding last year’s total of about $248,500 by more than 20%. The data was collected from federal filings by Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), an organization that actively opposes marijuana legalization, The Hill reported.Continue Reading
Cannabis is often touted as a miracle drug. Its most zealous proponents claim it’s an all-healing plant with the capacity to treat — and perhaps even cure — a variety of health conditions, from aches and pains right down to the Big Sick. But the truth of the matter is,Continue Reading
On Thursday, April 4, a coalition of bipartisan lawmakers reintroduced a bill to Congress that would take the federal government’s hands off of determining cannabis policy. The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act has been filed in both houses of Congress and, if it’s passed, the bill would leaveContinue Reading
