The cannabis industry made huge strides forward this week with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders co-sponsoring the Marijuana Justice Act, Sen. Chuck Schumer announcing he would introduce federal decriminalization legislation, the FDA being set to approve the first prescription cannabidiol (CBD) product, Pennsylvania allowing flower in its medical marijuana program, New Jersey legal firm Pashman Stein Walder Hayden filing a brief in support of de-scheduling cannabis and more.
- At a hearing April 16, the Pennsylvania Department of Health approved changes to the state’s medical marijuana program that were recommended by the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. The department approved patient access to medical marijuana flower for vaporization and the addition of several conditions to qualify patients for the program. Read more
- Washington is considering allowing medical marijuana patients to place an order and get cannabis delivered to their home. The state Liquor and Cannabis Board is conducting a study on how to set up and operate a delivery system with a keen eye to ensuring marijuana doesn’t end up in the wrong hands. Read more
- A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing to allow the Veterans Affairs Department to conduct research into medical marijuana, saying it could help former military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. The top lawmakers on the House Veterans Affairs Committee joined more than 30 colleagues April 17 in introducing the 2018 VA Medicinal Cannabis Act (H.R. 5520), which would promote such research by clarifying it is “well within the authority of VA” and requiring the department to report to Congress on how it plans to exercise that authority. Read more
- The High Times Cannabis Cup, which features hip-hop stars, cannabis sales and a namesake product competition, has been denied the approval needed by the San Bernardino, Calif., City Council to run the event. The three-day festival was at the last-minute mercy of state and local officials after new state regulations on marijuana kicked in Jan. 1., requiring approval from local jurisdictions before the state will greenlight such gatherings. Read more
- New Jersey’s Pashman Stein Walder Hayden filed a brief April 19 in support of the de-scheduling of marijuana in response to New Jersey’s Division of Consumer Affairs solicitation for public comment on how marijuana is classified under state law and whether any change in its classification status is warranted. The Pashman Stein brief argues that cannabis does not meet the definition of a controlled dangerous substance—and never has—and is in favor of de-scheduling cannabis completely. Read more
- South Carolina’s House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee overwhelmingly approved a medical marijuana bill April 19 in a vote of 14-3, sending it to the full House for consideration. The South Carolina Compassionate Care Act, known as H 3521 in the House, would allow seriously ill patients to use marijuana to treat their conditions with a recommendation from their doctors. Read more
- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has co-sponsored the Marijuana Justice Act, legislation that would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and incentivize states to end the racially disparate criminalization of marijuana consumers. Originally introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), the Marijuana Justice Act is the first piece of legislation that not only would de-schedule marijuana from the CSA, but would provide expungement of criminal records for those with federal possession charges. Read more
- U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) announced plans to introduce legislation decriminalizing marijuana on April 20. "I'll be introducing legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level from one end of the country to the other," he told Vice News. "The legislation is long overdue." Read more
- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected a recreational marijuana legalization measure backed by a group of Ohio marijuana advocates. The "Marijuana Rights and Regulations Amendment" to the Ohio Constitution sought to allow people age 21 and older to possess, produce, transport, use, sell and share cannabis. Read more
- The advisory committee to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) unanimously voted to recommend approval for a CBD medicine called Epidiolex to treat rare and severe forms of epilepsy. The FDA’s approval would be limited to treating seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome in patients aged 2 and older. Read more
Top Image: © aleksandar kamasi | Adobe Stock
