Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, expressed his belief that marijuana will soon be legalized in his state, while asserting that he still has concerns about allowing people to consume the plant. The Louisiana state legislature was considering a bill that would have taxed cannabis as lawmakers there pushed for legalization. But that legislation was rejected in the state House on Tuesday, making it unlikely that cannabis will be legalized in the southern state this year. However, Edwards suggested in a live radio interview on Wednesday that he believes marijuana will be legalized in the near future. "In the past, as a legislator and as governor, I've been opposed to legalizing recreational marijuana," he said on the monthly program Ask the Governor broadcast on local radio. "I will tell you, I have come to believe that it is going to happen in Louisiana eventually." "I'm not quite comfortable yet," the governor added, "but I understand we're likely to get there in the next several years."
Learn more
A study published in the scientific journal Addiction provides evidence of the association between recreational cannabis laws in U.S. states and responses in the illegal markets for cannabis, heroin and other drugs. The study found that the implementation of recreational cannabis laws was associated with a decrease illicit cannabis prices, and an increase in the prices of heroin and oxycodone, the news and information source Newswise reported. Following were some of the reported responses in the illegal drug market in those states studied: 2% decrease in street/illegal cannabis prices. 5% decrease in low-quality street/illegal cannabis prices. 64% increase in heroin prices. 54% increase in heroin potency. 3% increase in street/illegal oxycodone prices. 1% increase in street/illegal hydrocodone prices. 93% decrease in law enforcement seizures of street/illegal cannabis >50% decrease in law enforcement seizures of heroin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Angélica Meinhofer, assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Newswise that the findings suggest that markets for illegal drugs may not be independent of legal cannabis market regulation. “As more states move towards legalization and additional post-(recreational cannabis law) implementation data become available, we’ll need to do more research to determine whether recreational cannabis laws cause those changes in the illegal market and what happens in the long-term,” Meinhofer said. The study used crowdsourced data from Price of Weed and StreetRx on the price and quality of illegal drugs, which may be subject to error and sampling bias.
Learn more
May 1, 2021
Dan Patrick again blocking effort to expand Texas’ medical marijuana program, advocates say
With less than two weeks left in Texas’ legislative session, medical marijuana advocates are ratcheting up pressure on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who they say is blocking an effort to expand the state’s Compassionate Use Program. House Bill 1535, by state Rep. Stephanie Klick, R-Fort Worth, would expand the state’s medical cannabis program to include those with chronic pain, all cancer patients and Texans with post-traumatic stress disorder. It would also authorize the Department of State Health Services to add additional qualifying conditions through administrative rulemaking. Current law requires the Legislature to pass a bill to expand eligibility. The Texas House voted 134-12 last month to send the proposal to the state Senate, where it has languished in a legislative purgatory. The upper chamber received the bill May 3, but it has not yet been referred to a committee, let alone voted on and sent to the floor. Wednesday is the last day the Senate can take up bills. Patrick, who leads the Senate, has the final say on which bills are considered and to which committees they’ll be referred. His office did not respond to a request for comment. “It’s difficult to come up with any explanation that makes sense as to why the lieutenant governor would block this legislation,” said Heather Fazio, director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy. She added that the legislation is a “carefully crafted and moderate expansion” with wide bipartisan backing. Fazio said state Sens. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, and Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, who are both doctors, have voiced support for HB 1535. Spokespeople for Schwertner and Campbell did not respond to requests for comment. Nick Etten, founder of the Veterans Cannabis Project, said in a statement that the medical marijuana expansion would provide “a vital lifeline to military veterans.”
Learn more
May 1, 2021
Montana Governor Signs Legislation to Implement Marijuana Legalization, Begin Sales Next Year
Marijuana sales are set to begin in Montana in January of 2022, according to new legislation signed by Republican Governor Greg Gianforte. Gianforte on Tuesday put his stamp of approval on House Bill 701, which will implement and regulate a recreational marijuana program in the state, according to KTVH. Residents overwhelmingly voted to legalize adult-use cannabis in a ballot initiative during the 2020 election, with the measure getting nearly 57 percent support. Montana was one of five states to approve a marijuana reform initiative in November. The I-190 ballot initiative legalized the possession and use of marijuana for adults over the age of 21, imposed a 20 percent tax on marijuana sales, required the Department of Revenue to develop rules to regulate cannabis businesses, and allowed for the resentencing or expungement of marijuana-related crimes. Under Bill 701, existing medical marijuana providers will be allowed to get licensed to sell the drug recreationally. Montana legalized cannabis for medical use in 2004. The first legal sales of recreational marijuana will start on January 1, 2022. For the first 18 months, only current marijuana providers will be allowed to enter the market. Marijuana businesses can operate in Montana counties where a majority of voters supported the November ballot initiative. But the counties or cities also have the option to "opt out" of allowing the stores through a vote. In areas of the state where a majority of voters rejected the I-190 measure, recreational sales will not be allowed unless a local election is held to opt into the market.
Learn more
May 1, 2021
Effort to legalize marijuana in Louisiana fails, but other pot legislation remains in play
An upstart effort to legalize marijuana in Louisiana is dead for this year, but a bill to decriminalize weed remains very much alive and an expansion of the medical pot program is almost certain, signaling shifting attitudes toward the drug in the state. Legalization was led by an unlikely champion in young Republican Rep. Richard Nelson of Mandeville, an Eagle Scout who said he never smoked weed in his life but who argued prohibition has failed and the product should be legalized, regulated and taxed. But late Tuesday the full House rejected Nelson's bill to tax the drug if it was legalized 47-48, a test vote showing he couldn't get the 53 votes needed for his legalization bill to pass. "Our goal was to drive the conversation forward and we really did that," said Nelson, who cited multiple polls that show the majority of Louisians support legalizing pot. "It was always a long shot. "But it wasn't long ago that people thought Louisiana would never legalize marijuana. Now it seems clear it's not a matter of if we will legalize it, but when we will legalize it." Nelson also said his legalization bill helped pave the way for Democratic Shreveport Rep. Cedric Glover's bill to decriminalize weed to clear the House. Glover's House Bill 652 wouldn't legalize pot, but it would make possession of 14 grams or less — about half an ounce — a misdemeanor in all cases and limit the fine to $100 with no jail time.
Learn more
The Colorado health department recently issued a notice stating “chemically modifying or converting any naturally occurring cannabinoids from industrial hemp is non-compliant with the statutory definition of ‘industrial hemp product’.” The regulator was propelled to make an announcement due to the rising popularity of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) isomers, specifically delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC, Westword reports. The novel THC isomers are typically converted from federally legal hemp-derived CBD, permitted through the 2018 Farm Bill. Exploiting a loophole to sidestep the ban on delta-9 THC, the cannabinoids are particularly popular in jurisdictions where cannabis is still tightly regulated or illegal. However, as the bill was passed on the basis that hemp is not intoxicating, artificially creating mind-altering compounds from CBD is against the spirit of the law and throws the industry’s reputation into disrepute.
Learn more
May 1, 2021
Louisiana House rejects bill to tax recreational marijuana, likely dooming legalized weed this year and next
The Louisiana House rejected a bill Tuesday that would have taxed recreational marijuana if the state ever legalized it. The decision on the tax bill likely dooms the prospect of legalized marijuana in the state this year. It also likely dooms the approval of legalized weed next year, since tax bills cannot be brought up in 2022, as it is not a fiscal session then. The bill needs two-thirds of the House, or 70 votes, for approval. The vote was 47 in favor and 48 against. It would have taxed the sale of marijuana at 50 percent, with half of that going to the state's general fund and the other half to local governments. Twenty percent of the local share would have gone to law enforcement. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Richard Nelson, a Republican from Mandeville, has said the tax bill, along with a separate bill to legalize marijuana, could have brought in over $100 million in tax revenue a year. He said Tuesday he would not bring up his legislation to legalize marijuana after the tax measure failed. Despite being a red state, multiple polls show a majority of Louisianians support legalizing marijuana. This year marked the first time legislation to legalize recreational marijuana advanced out of a legislative committee. But Nelson's bill faced opposition from the politically powerful Louisiana Sheriff's Association, along with the state district attorneys association. During a committee hearing, Warren Montgomery, district attorney for St. Tammany and Washington parishes, cited multiple studies that reviewed the detrimental effects of legalized weed. During Tuesday's floor debate, Rep. Ted James, D-Baton Rouge, pointed out sheriffs may lose money if fewer people are jailed because marijuana is legal. Rep. Bryan Fontonot, R-Thibodaux, urged his colleagues on the House floor to vote against the bill, saying he thought experts should study how to divide up the tax revenue before approving the prospect to collect it. On the House floor, Nelson pitched that the tax bill provided the opportunity for the state start collecting and spending tax revenue on public services, if marijuana gets legalized this year or next. "Right now, all this money, we have zero. It's nothing. It's all going to the drug dealers. We don't pass this bill, it's going to go to the drug dealers this year, it's going to go to the drug dealers next year," he said. Louisiana does have legalized medical marijuana, which the legislature approved in 2015, though it was not made available to patients until 2019. Nelson has said he would push for legalization in the future if his attempt fails this year. However, he's said, 2023 may be a difficult year to get the measure passed since it is an election year.
Learn more
A bill that seeks to improve social equity in the state’s fledgling marijuana market and modify the rollout of legal pot sales has been approved by the Vermont House. The legislation, S.25, which was approved in a voice vote Tuesday afternoon, would establish a fund to help people of color and others affected by past marijuana laws to open businesses in the new marijuana market. The bill was first passed by the Senate in March. The bill would create the “Cannabis Business Development Fund,” and charge state officials designing a system of providing loans and grants to “social equity applicants” — that is, people who were disproportionately hurt by marijuana criminalization. The Senate introduced these provisions earlier this year after Gov. Phil Scott and others said that last year’s bill legalizing marijuana sales didn’t do enough to address social equity in the new marketplace. “Many, including the governor, did not believe that Act 164 went far enough in creating a cannabis market that was equitable and just,” said Rep. John Gannon, D-Wilmington, referring to last year’s marijuana law. It remains unclear who will qualify as a social equity applicant. Under the legislation, the Cannabis Control Board, the newly minted regulator of the industry, and Vermont’s director of racial equity will propose social equity criteria for lawmakers to consider next year. The bill also introduces some advertising restrictions for marijuana businesses.
Learn more
May 1, 2021
Bill To Federally Legalize Marijuana Reintroduced In Congress As Senate Prepares Separate Measure
A bill to federally legalize marijuana and promote social equity in the industry was reintroduced in the House on Friday. The legislation, sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), was filed with a number of changes compared to the version that was approved by the chamber last year. The bill—which would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allow people with cannabis convictions to have their records expunged and create a federal tax on marijuana with the revenue going to support community reinvestment and other programs—comes as Senate leadership is preparing to introduce a separate reform proposal with similar objectives. The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act passed the House but did not advance in the Senate under GOP control. But this time around, advocates are optimistic that the policy change could be enacted now that Democrats run both chambers and the White House, and as more states are moving to enact legalization. “Since I introduced the MORE Act last Congress, numerous states across the nation, including my home state of New York, have moved to legalize marijuana. Our federal laws must keep up with this pace,” Nadler said. “I’m proud to reintroduce the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, remove the needless burden of marijuana convictions on so many Americans, and invest in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs.”
Learn more
Legal marijuana appears to be moving closer to reality in Connecticut with top lawmakers and key staffers for Gov. Ned Lamont reporting progress in negotiations on a legalization bill. Asked during a Thursday press briefing if he would partake if Connecticut legalized recreational cannabis the Democratic governor replied, “time will tell.” Lawmakers are moving closer to agreement on a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Connecticut as the General Assembly heads toward its June 9 adjournment. “My 50-50 has gone up to 57-43,” House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Tuesday of the odds a marijuana legalization bill will be passed this year. Top lawmakers and key players in the Lamont administration have been meeting frequently to discuss the issue. “We’re optimistic we’re going to come to a deal,” said Max Reiss, the governor’s chief spokesman. “Talks have remained constructive.” Ritter said the good news about the negotiations with Lamont has won over some skeptics. “As word gets out that the majority leader’s working group is making progress with the governor’s office, I’m struck by the number of people who I thought were ‘nos’ previously or ‘maybes’ who are king of getting there,” he said. Negotiators are trying to merge pieces of separate bills that passed the judiciary and labor committee earlier this spring. House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, said the equity component of the legislation will be key. “The whole conversation around equity is about ensuring that entrance to the [legal marijuana] marketplace is able to be accessed by communities ... that have been most impacted by the war on drugs,” he said.
Learn more
