August 29, 2020
Months after his death, Pete Frates’s legacy lives on in family’s push for ALS patients to try medical marijuana
By the time Pete Frates tried medical marijuana, he and his family felt as if they had run out of options for treating his anxiety. The Boston College graduate, diagnosed with ALS years earlier, was already seeing top psychiatrists and therapists at Massachusetts General Hospital. He had tried every anxiety drug made available to him. All his family wanted was something — anything — that would ease the anxiety Frates felt as his diagnosis left him trapped inside his own body. “Pete was always super on edge before we started to use marijuana, like anything could be a trigger for him,” said his wife, Julie Frates. “You know, if his hands weren’t moved correctly, or something wasn’t done the right way, and he’s not able to communicate with us exactly what it is he needs. All of those things were just constantly a battle for us.”...For Jonsson, that’s the frustrating part about the federal status of cannabis: While patients like Frates can tout the benefits of medical marijuana, cannabis companies are limited in what they’re allowed to say. Marijuana remains federally illegal, and cannabis has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration only for use in a drug that treats rare, severe forms of epilepsy. Hemp — a cannabis plant similar to marijuana, but with lower levels of THC — is federally legal, but cannabis companies have been warned by the FDA not to make unapproved medical claims about the benefits of any cannabis plant. As recently as last summer, Curaleaf was asked to remove social media posts and articles in which it claimed its CBD products could treat cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, chronic pain, and anxiety.
Learn more
August 28, 2020
With cannabis legalization on the ballot, towns are weighing their options, experts say
For municipal officials interested in dipping their toe into the cannabis industry, Tuesday’s online forum by NJ Cannabis Insider laid out the biggest issues facing towns and the industry moving forward. The 90-minute webinar, “Cannabis Legalization and Your Town,” examined the state of efforts to pass the upcoming ballot referendum on adult-use cannabis legalization, the state of the medical cannabis program during the pandemic, potential tax and employment benefits and issues for municipalities, and whether cannabis companies can force their way into town.
Learn more
August 28, 2020
House set to vote on marijuana legalization
The House will vote on legalizing marijuana next month. States would still have to vote to legalize the drug. Marijuana is already legal in 11 states. The MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and erase some cannabis criminal records. The vote will come during the September work period, according to an email Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) office that was sent to members Friday. The email also asked members to indicate if they would support the MORE Act by Sept. 3. Why is this important? Neither chamber of Congress has ever voted on removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.
Learn more
August 27, 2020
Nebraska Medical Marijuana Initiative Has Enough Signatures For Ballot, But Legal Challenge Filed
Activists behind a campaign to legalize medical marijuana in Nebraska announced on Wednesday that the secretary of state’s office has informed them they collected enough signatures to qualify their initiative for the November ballot. Meanwhile, a law firm representing unnamed state residents filed a last-minute legal challenge attempting to prevent voters from having a chance to decide on the measure. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said in an email blast that while the secretary of state has not formally certified the initiative, office staff informed them that they submitted enough valid signatures to make the cut.
Learn more
August 27, 2020
DEA’s Hemp And CBD Rules Raise Concerns About Potential Crackdown, Industry Insiders Say
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently released proposed rules for hemp and CBD—but while the agency claimed the regulations would simply put its procedures into compliance with federal law, some industry players suspect that they’re really setting the stage to crack down on the newly legal market. Some background is necessary: the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp and its derivatives, shifting control of the substances from DEA to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Learn more
As part of a fall legislative proposal, Governor Tom Wolf called on the Republican-controlled legislature to legalize recreational marijuana to help existing small business grants and restorative justice programs. "We've had a little more time to see what's happened in places like Colorado for revenue," Wolf said near Harrisburg Tuesday. "This might be one way to fill a hole."
Learn more
August 26, 2020
Legalizing Medical Marijuana Could Free Up Federal Medicaid Dollars, American Samoa Official Says
Officials in American Samoa are considering legalizing medical marijuana to generate funds for a government health care program in the U.S. territory. The proposal was originally floated by the jurisdiction’s Medicaid director, Sandra King Young, who said enacting the policy change could help fill a revenue gap that’s preventing the territory from accessing federal dollars for health care.
Learn more
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is asking state legislators to legalize recreational marijuana, saying the government could use the tax revenue to support small businesses and to fund restorative justice programs. The governor's call to legalize the sale and use of marijuana is part of a broader plan that Wolf says will help Pennsylvania's economy, which is suffering from months of shutdowns and slowdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn more
August 25, 2020
Lawmakers poised to pass expansion of marijuana expungements
As lawmakers in the House and Senate attempt to hammer out a deal on legislation to create a legal marketplace for pot, they are also poised to pass a major expansion of the state’s marijuana expungement laws. Leaders in the House and Senate say they support a measure that would automatically expunge the criminal records of those convicted of possessing two ounces or less of the drug. It would also decriminalize possession of up to two ounces of the substance — currently, possession of only up to one ounce is legal.
Learn more
August 25, 2020
How Should Hemp Production Be Regulated in Indiana?
Hemp represents a growth opportunity for Hoosier farmers, but how should its production and sale be regulated? That question came up at the Lt. Governor Debate on Agriculture last week. All three candidates support the growing of hemp but differ widely on how the crop should be regulated. Democrat Linda Lawson said only certain types of hemp should be permitted.
Learn more
