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NM gov gets legal cannabis recommendations from working group (Newsletter: October 17, 2019)

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CDC official pushes back on anti-marijuana congressman; Canadian election & drug policy; Snoop Dogg employs full-time blunt roller

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) marijuana legalization working group released recommendations for a bill to pass in January’s 30-day session. Among other provisions, the proposal includes expungements, micro business licenses and a ban or limits on home cultivation.

At a House hearing, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) asked several lines of leading questions seemingly intended to get witnesses to blame vaping-related lung injuries on marijuana legalization, but a top Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official didn’t play along.

  • “Let me clarify, for the lung injury outbreak, while the vast majority report using THC-containing pre-filled cartridges, they report getting them from informal sources or off the street, not necessarily from licensed dispensaries.”

Marijuana Moment latest analysis takes a look at where Canadian political parties and leaders stand on cannabis and broader drug decriminalization as voters prepare to go to the polls on Monday to potentially elect a new majority government and prime minister.

Snoop Dogg spoke to Howard Stern about the full-time marijuana blunt roller he employs for $40,000-50,000 a year. Seth Rogen says he has seen the man in action—”it’s fucking fascinating”—and thinks “it might be worth my while financially to hire someone to do that” as well.

/ FEDERAL

The Food and Drug Administration is warning pregnant and breastfeeding women about using CBD products.

The Drug Enforcement Administration used clues in media reports about Denver’s psilocybin decriminalization policy to identify and arrest an alleged dealer.

NASA paid for a $5 million SpaceX workplace safety review after CEO Elon Musk smoked marijuana during a podcast appearance.

The House of Representatives approved a bill to make technical corrections to legislation dealing with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) tweeted, “We must remove the federal restrictions that are hurting our legal marijuana industry in banking, research, and more.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted, “It is a rough day when the leading Republican supporter of #Marijuana reform gets thrown into a mean, sexually graphic, ageist, anti-gay tweet by…Tommy Chong…”

The Senate bill to remove barriers to marijuana and CBD research got one new cosponsor for a total of 11.

The House bill to shield military veterans from losing benefits over marijuana use got one new cosponsor for a total of seven.

/ STATES

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) and Democratic challenger Andy Besheaer debated taxing medical cannabis.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) co-authored an op-ed about a safe consumption site for illegal drugs that he and colleagues are working to open in Philadelphia.

Washington State regulators adopted emergency rules banning flavored vaping products, requiring marijuana licenses to disclose all compounds in concentrates for inhalation and mandating the posting of consumer warnings.

The Florida Supreme Court accepted a case challenging the state’s medical cannabis vertical integration requirements. Separately, the House Health Quality Subcommittee heard presentations on marijuana issues.

Rhode Island regulators suspended the license of a hemp company with close ties to the House speaker.

A former Oklahoma health department lawyer pleaded guilty to sending herself fake threat emails about medical cannabis regulations.

Oregon regulators will consider marijuana violation stipulated settlement agreements on Thursday.

Alaska regulators will consider marijuana establishment applications on Tuesday.

California’s Cannabis Advisory Committee will hold meetings in San Francisco next week.


Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,000 cannabis bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.

/ LOCAL

The Chicago, Illinois City Council approved marijuana business zoning rules, though the Black Caucus raised concerns about the lack of cannabis business ownership by people of color and had floated a potential delay in legal sales from January until July.

The Clear Creek County, Colorado School District adopted a policy allowing school personnel to administer medical cannabis to students.

/ INTERNATIONAL

A United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime official said that “need to clearly stand together behind the decriminalisation of personal use” of drugs.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally requested Russian President Vladimir Putin pardon an Israeli-American woman sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison after being convicted of smuggling marijuana into the country.

French regulators created a committee to formulate rules for a two-year medical cannabis trial.

The mayor of Porto, Portugal wants to recriminalize drugs.

The Associated Press takes a look at Canada’s marijuana legalization law on the one-year anniversary of its enactment.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study suggested that “atypical cannabinoids, like O-1602 and abnormal cannabidiol, exert antitumorigenic effects on paclitaxel-resistant breast cancer cells” and that “due to their lack of central sedation and psychoactive effects, these atypical cannabinoids could represent new leads for the development of additional anticancer treatments when resistance to conventional chemotherapy occurs during the treatment of breast and possibly other cancers.”

A survey concluded that “Connecticut licensed pharmacists had lack of complete and accurate knowledge regarding the state’s” medical cannabis program.

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

Prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana is building up its presence on Capitol Hill, including by bringing on a former chief of staff to Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mark Warner (D-VA).

/ BUSINESS

Weedmaps laid off a quarter of its workforce.

Two associates of President Trump’s lawyer Rudolph Giuliani who were indicted last week for allegedly attempting to use foreign money to win marijuana business licenses in Nevada also reportedly tried to pursue medical cannabis approvals in Florida.

Canopy Growth Corp. won the first license to import medicinal cannabis in bulk into the UK.

Cresco Labs announced that it has received approval to sell recreational marijuana at all five of its existing Illinois medical cannabis dispensaries.

Business Insider looks at how Wall Street banks are starting to engage around the edges of the marijuana industry.

/ CULTURE

Rebelution’s Eric Rachmany is donating 100% of his solo tour’s proceeds to The Last Prisoner Project, which focuses on release and reentry for people incarcerated on marijuana charges.

Duane “Dog The Bounty Hunter” Chapman spoke about his wife’s decision to end chemotherapy and start using cannabis shortly before she died of cancer.

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Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 20-year veteran in the cannabis law reform movement, he covers the policy and politics of marijuana. Separately, he founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority. Previously he reported for Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and handled media relations and campaigns for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.

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