The issue of cannabis dispensaries in Vacaville has been hotly debated since before California voters approved their legalization in 2016. It may go before local voters in November if the Vacaville City Council approves a ballot measure to impose a cannabis business tax.
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July 13, 2020
Congress Will Legalize Marijuana in 2021 Despite Biden Opposition, Democratic Senator Says
A Democratic U.S. senator says that if his party reclaims the Senate and White House in November, lawmakers will “move very quickly” to legalize marijuana regardless of where presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stands on the issue. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) was asked about a variety of cannabis-related issues during an interview on Saturday, and he said Democrats are positioned to advance marijuana reform as soon as they have a majority in both chambers of Congress. While Biden remains opposed to adult-use legalization, the senator said supporters will have the votes to pass it in any case. “From my perspective, this is another issue that’s just right there on the ballot in November,” he told The Young Jurks podcast. “We’ll move very quickly in January to change these laws to make sure that there are national protections which are put in place. But unfortunately, Trump controls the discretionary use of these personnel, and they’re kind of committed to keeping this crazy non scientifically based analysis of marijuana front-and-center.” Markey said he and home state colleague Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are “confronted with this obstinate, obdurate opposition from the Trump administration.” Host Mike Crawford pressed the senator on Biden’s position on legalization, noting that advocates might not like Trump but they’re also turned off by the former vice president due to his insistence that additional research on cannabis is needed before supports broad reform. Biden currently backs medical marijuana legalization, federal rescheduling, expungements and allowing states to set their own policies.“We’ll have the majority of the votes in the United States Senate,” Markey responded. “And I know [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)] has moved in that direction, he’ll be the majority leader in January. I think we’ll have votes to just move it, and the science has moved there.”
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A large legal cannabis dispensary opens in South Beloit Monday, but some on the Wisconsin side of the state border are worried about the impact it could have on young people. The Sunnyside Dispensary is one of the largest in Illinois, less than a half mile from the Wisconsin border. It's opening brings the topic of normalization of cannabis back into the discussion. "Kids perception of risk really goes down because they see this as something that's out there so it can't really be hurting you," Debbie Fischer with Youth 2 Youth 4 Change in Rock County said. Fischer says they've been preparing for this opening for a year, educating the community and pushing for youth prevention. But Mary Cluxton with Cresco Labs, the company that runs the dispensary, says they want to normalize responsible adult usage. "Coming from the medical side I really thought coming to the AU side was more of a party atmosphere and it really is not," Cluxton said. "It's really more about health and wellness and feeling good." Ever since Illinois legalized marijuana on January 1, Fischer says teens have shared with her that while usage hasn't been on the rise, it is more accessible. "More edibles are in their hands, especially in the schools," she said. "What's really exciting in Beloit is that a majority of our kids choose not to use marijuana." She expects more products will now make their way into Wisconsin and Beloit. While Cluxton says they expect their patrons to be responsible, she also hopes that their presence can influence legalization in Wisconsin. "We want to try and normalize and professionalize cannabis as much as we can and take away some of the stigma behind cannabis," she said. "I hope it will possibly influence Wisconsin to at least start like Illinois did with the medical." Beloit police declined to comment on this Sunday but Chief David Zibolski has told 27 News in the past that he believes legal marijuana over the border leads to more crime.
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July 12, 2020
Hawai‘i House Passes Bill Legalizing Industrial Hemp
The Hawai‘i House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill legalizing the growing, processing, and sale of industrial hemp in Hawai‘i. It passed the Senate on Wednesday unanimously, with Senators Les Ihara, Clarence K. Nishihara, and Laura H. Thielen expressing reservations. The legislation now goes to Governor David Ige to sign into law. “This commercial hemp program will help grow a new industry in our state, which is especially needed now due to the impacts of COVID-19,” said Sen. Mike Gabbard. “This bill will provide an opportunity for economic development and the diversification of our economy. Hemp is an incredible plant that produces over 25,000 products and we’re very close to making the Hawaiian Hemp brand a reality, not only in the US but globally as well.” The bill, HB1819 HD2 SD3, was championed by Senators Gabbard, Donovan Dela Cruz, Rosalyn H. Baker, Karl Rhoads, and Senate President Ronald D. Kouchi, along with Representatives Mark M. Nakashima, Sylvia J. Luke, Nadine K. Nakamura, Kyle T. Yamashita, Richard P. Creagan, Chris Lee, and House Speaker Scott K. Saiki. Another hemp bill, Senate Bill 1353, was vetoed by Governor Ige last year after he expressed concerns that it was unenforceable. This year’s version was worked on directly with the Governor’s administration to ensure its enactment, a state press release said. “Instead of using state funds to set up a hemp agency, this bill was amended to save half-a-million dollars by allowing local hemp farmers to apply directly to the USDA to get their licenses,” Gabbard said.
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Alison Gordon. Alison Gordon is revolutionizing the medical cannabis industry in Canada. She currently serves as chief executive officer of 48North, a cannabis
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He believes in cannabis decriminalization, not legalization. The recommendations, however, supply more details about specific marijuana polices Biden could…
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July 10, 2020
Idaho Medical Marijuana Activists Ask State For Electronic Signature Gathering Option Following Court Ruling
Idaho activists have formally requested that the state allow them to collect signatures electronically for a medical cannabis legalization initiative following a series of federal court rulings on the issue in a case filed by a separate campaign. While the signature submission deadline passed in May, advocates for an education funding campaign filed a suit against the secretary of state, arguing that social distancing restrictions that were put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic meant the state should give them more time to digitally petition. The judge agreed and ordered the state to allow them to do so for 48 days starting Thursday.
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Both President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden appear to be out of step with the American public when it comes to their opposition to legalizing marijuana, as two-thirds of Americans support legalization. A Democratic unity task force involving both Biden and former presidential contender Bernie Sanders released on Wednesday its recommendations on how to combat the climate crisis and pursue environmental justice. Although the document called for decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, it stopped short of endorsing recreational legalization.
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July 9, 2020
Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Push For Marijuana Legalization To Boost Revenue Amid Coronavirus
A majority of Pennsylvania Senate Democrats sent a letter to the governor and legislative leaders on Thursday, arguing that lawmakers should pursue adult-use marijuana legalization in order to generate revenue to make up for losses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic. The letter, led by Sen. Sharif Street (D), stresses that the state’s economic situation is “dire” and that the government “should do absolutely everything we can to raise revenue.”
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submitted a report to Congress on the state of the CBD marketplace on Wednesday, and the document outlines studies the agency has performed on the contents and quality of cannabis-derived products that it has tested over the past six years. The report, which is responsive to a mandate attached to congressional appropriations legislation last year, shows significant inconsistencies between cannabinoids concentrations that are listed on labels and what the products actually contain.
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