Hemp History
Will the House of Representatives Let Jeff Sessions Shut Down Medical Marijuana?
This week, the House Appropriations Committee released its 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations bill, which determines the funding levels for numerous federal agencies, including the Department of Justice. Predictably, the bill does not include language — known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment — limiting the Justice Department from taking action against state-sanctioned medical cannabis producers, … Continue reading
Nevada: Licensed Adult Use Marijuana Sales Set To Begin Saturday
Starting on Saturday, July 1, specially licensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Nevada will have the opportunity to engage in the retail sale of marijuana to adults. State tax regulators finalized temporary rules on Monday governing adult use sales. Regulators so far have issued over 80 licenses to business establishments seeking to engage in activities specific … Continue reading
Study: Patients Report Substituting Cannabis For Opioids, Other Pain Medications
Pain patients report successfully substituting cannabis for opioids and other analgesics, according to data published online in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and Kent State University in Ohio assessed survey data from a cohort of 2,897 self-identified medical cannabis patients. Among those who acknowledged having used opioid-based … Continue reading
Vermont: House Blocks Marijuana Depenalization Bill From Further Consideration
Members of the Vermont House of Representatives decided late last night to block a marijuana depenalization measure, H. 511, from further consideration this legislative session. The vote came after Senate members approved the bill, which eliminated civil and criminal penalties for the private possession and cultivation of small quantities of marijuana. Republican Gov. Phil Scott … Continue reading
Study: Adult Use Marijuana Laws Do Not Adversely Impact Traffic Fatality Rates
The enactment of statewide laws regulating the adult use and sale of cannabis is not associated with subsequent changes in traffic fatality rates, according to an analysis of traffic safety data (“Crash fatality rates after recreational marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado”) published today in the American Journal of Public Health. Investigators from the University … Continue reading
The Smell Of Marijuana Should Not Be A Death Sentence
Philando Castile was shot and killed by a Minnesota police officer during a traffic stop last year. This week we learned that the officer rationalized his actions by claiming that the alleged smell of “burnt marijuana” made him fear for his own life. Here is how the officer recounted his actions, in his own words: … Continue reading
Two Major Victories For Student Rights In Federal Courts
Dan Viets speaking at a NORML conference Federal courts have recently rejected the actions of university and college administrators who sought to inflict suspicionless drug tests on students at a public college and to restrict the First Amendment rights of marijuana law reformers at a public university. Both decisions have important national implications. Linn Tech … Continue reading
Study: CBD Administration Reduces Blood Pressure
Oral CBD administration is associated with reduced blood pressure in healthy volunteers, according to clinical trial data published online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. Investigators from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom assessed the effects of a single oral dose of 600 mg of CBD extract versus placebo in nine male subjects. … Continue reading
Weekly Legislative Update 6/17/17
Welcome to this week’s edition of the NORML legislative roundup! At the Federal level, the biggest news this week was two-fold. First, in a letter made public by Tom Angell of Marijuana Moment, it was revealed that Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote a private message to Congressional leadership requesting that they lift restrictions on the … Continue reading
First Meeting Of Trump’s Opioid Commission: Will It Be Effective?
Today, the Office of National Drug Control Policy convened it’s first meeting of President Trump’s “Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis.” The Commission is tasked with making recommendations for improving the Federal response to opioid misuse and abuse. Best evidence informs us that medical marijuana access is associated with reduced levels of opioid-related … Continue reading