This past week began with the sad news that medical marijuana pioneer Dennis Peron passed away, leaving a legacy that all in the industry should remember. As the week went on, though, we saw a number of interesting developments around the U.S.: Idaho introduced legislation to legalize CBD oil, while the Virginia Senate killed a decriminalization bill; California could become a “sanctuary state” for the marijuana industry under new legislation, and the state treasurer issued a formal study on the merits of a public bank to serve cannabis businesses; San Francisco announced it will expunge thousands of marijuana convictions; and local elected officials, in a show of force, banded together to respond to the Cole Memo repeal.
- A recently introduced bill in Idaho would allow residents to use oil extracted from cannabis plants if the product is prescribed by a licensed practitioner. Under the proposed legislation, Idahoans seeking to use the oil for medicinal purposes would have to apply to the Idaho Board of Pharmacy for a cannabidiol registration card. Read more
- A Florida judge ruled that a lawsuit against the state’s decision to ban smokable forms of medical marijuana can proceed, but without one of the key parties. Leon County Judge Karen Gievers dismissed the motion by People United for Medical Marijuana because it lacks sufficient grounds. Read more
- California Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) said he will revive a bill that stalled last year that would make the state a “sanctuary state” for the marijuana industry. The measure would prohibit state and local agencies, absent a court order, from assisting in federal drug enforcement efforts targeting those who have state licenses to grow and sell marijuana. Read more
- Dennis Peron, “the father of the medical marijuana movement,” died Jan. 27 at the age of 72. As the author of California’s Proposition 215 in 1996, Peron remained a stalwart advocate throughout his life for legal access to marijuana. Read more
- Virginia Senate Republicans killed a bill that would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana by changing the punishment from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil penalty. Republicans in the House had already killed a similar measure. Read more
- California State Treasurer John Chiang stepped up efforts to study the creation of a public bank for cannabis operators, issuing a formal request for information (RFI) that will “collect information on methods, approaches and qualified consultants” in the service of further study. In late 2016, Chiang created an 18-member Cannabis Banking Working Group, which discussed banking alternatives. Read more
- Montana’s medical marijuana industry continues to evolve with new changes to its rules outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services. In the latest changes, the state added mandatory testing again in place of randomized testing. Read more
- Cannabidiol (CBD) would become legal for anyone in the state of Indiana under legislation unanimously approved by the full House. The bill’s author, Rep. Bill Friend (R-Macy), says CBD should be treated like an herbal supplement. Read more
- San Francisco will retroactively apply California’s marijuana-legalization laws to past criminal cases, expunging or reducing misdemeanor and felony convictions going back decades. The move will affect thousands of people whose marijuana convictions brand them with criminal histories that can hurt chances for finding jobs and obtaining some government benefits. Read more
- Local elected officials from 11 states have joined together to urge the creation of a bipartisan task force on marijuana reform. Pueblo County (Colorado) Commissioner Sal Pace organized the group and insisted that the time is now to actively promote a comprehensive national dialogue on marijuana reform. “It’s important that we as elected officials come together and use our collective voice to push back on this issue,” Pace said on a press call on Wednesday. Read more
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