Federal: Get the Federal Government Out of the Marijuana Enforcement Business

Legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to permit states to establish their own marijuana regulatory policies free from federal interference.

House Resolution 1013, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, removes cannabis from the United States Controlled Substances Act. It also removes enforcement power from the US Drug Enforcement Administration in matter concerning marijuana possession, production, and sales — thus permitting state governments to regulate these activities as they see fit.

Said the bill’s primary sponsor, Democrat Jared Polis of Colorado: “Over the past year, Colorado has demonstrated that regulating marijuana like alcohol takes money away from criminals and cartels, grows our economy, and keeps marijuana out of the hands of children. While President Obama and the Justice Department have allowed the will of voters in states like Colorado and 22 other jurisdictions to move forward, small business owners, medical marijuana patients, and others who follow state laws still live with the fear that a new administration – or this one—could reverse course and turn them into criminals. It is time for us to replace the failed prohibition with a regulatory system that works and let states and municipalities decide for themselves if they want, or don’t want, to have legal marijuana within their borders.”

Please enter your zip code below to contact your House members and urge them to support this pending legislation.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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First new hemp strain bred for US farmers

By: Chris Conrad

Retail Hemp field crop

A new industrial hemp cultivar has passed the THC hemp trials managed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the first hemp seed variety bred for the US to pass a Department of Agriculture hemp trial in any state.

Thomas Jefferson was a jealous hempseed breeder who allegedly brought Chinese seeds in from France in the 1790s to mix with the European strains. Later the US Department of Agriculture adopted an aggressive program to breed plants that were drought resistant and climate or soil specific for different parts of the United States and came up with some of the best hemp strains in the world. That all came to an end with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, when hemp farming was essentially banned. The national seed banks died out when the federal Drug Enforcement Agency took control in the 1970s and destroyed them in the name of the Drug War.

Act of Congress opened the way for new hemp seedlines

In February 2015, Congress passed the hemp amendment to the Farm bill and opened new avenues for cannabis hemp. Two years later, Rely™ by New West Genetics has become the first modern hemp variety bred for the U.S. to pass Colorado Department of Agriculture hemp trials. The plants have a stable THC content below 0.1 percent, compared with the federal standard of 0.3 percent or less.

“This is a landmark victory for New West Genetics, as well as hemp production in the United States overall,” said Wendy Mosher, CEO for New West Genetics. “The use of regionally bred hemp seed for production is imperative for the US hemp industry to succeed, and we hope that the results for Rely™ act as a catalyst for other U.S. hemp product makers to recognize the benefit of regionally bred varieties – better yield, disease resistance, sustainability, etc. and demand those be used for their products.”

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Study: Medical Cannabis Use Associated With Improved Cognitive Performance, Reduced Use Of Opioids

Marijuana researchMedical cannabis administration is associated with improved cognitive performance and lower levels of prescription drug use, according to longitudinal data published online in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.

Investigators from Harvard Medical School, Tufts University, and McLean Hospital evaluated the use of medicinal cannabis on patients’ cognitive performance over a three-month period. Participants in the study were either naïve to cannabis or had abstained from the substance over the previous decade. Baseline evaluations of patients’ cognitive performance were taken prior to their cannabis use and then again following treatment.

Researchers reported “no significant decrements in performance” following medical marijuana use. Rather, they determined, “[P]atients experienced some improvement on measures of executive functioning, including the Stroop Color Word Test and Trail Making Test, mostly reflected as increased speed in completing tasks without a loss of accuracy.”

Participants in the study were less likely to experience feelings of depression during treatment, and many significantly reduced their use of prescription drugs. “[D]ata revealed a notable decrease in weekly use across all medication classes, including reductions in use of opiates (-42.88 percent), antidepressants (-17.64 percent), mood stabilizers (-33.33 percent), and benzodiazepines (-38.89 percent),” authors reported – a finding that is consistent with prior studies.

Patients in the study will continue to be assessed over the course of one-year of treatment to assess whether these preliminary trends persist long-term.

Full text of the study, “Splendor in the grass? A pilot study assessing the impact of marijuana on executive function,” appears online here.

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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Missouri: Expungement Bill Fails to Receive Senate Floor Vote

Legislation to expand the list of offenses eligible for expungement to include the possession of marijuana, among other offenses, failed to receive a Senate floor vote. Members of the Senate Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee had previously voted in favor of the measure.

Additional information is available from Missouri NORML here or on their Facebook page here.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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California Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

According to the Associated Press, voters in California will approve Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. Thhe AP has the measure leading 55 percent to 45 percent and has called the race.

“What California voters did tonight was not just approve the legalization and regulation of marijuana in their state, they also delivered a near fatal body blow to federal prohibition. This victory in California ensures another 12% of the United States population will wake up tomorrow in a state with the legalized adult use of marijuana. Combined with our other recent victories, federal prohibition is truly on its last legs and it is just a matter of time before federal policy is reformed to accept this new reality.” said Erik Altieri, NORML’s new Executive Director.

California Legalized Marijuana

Proposition 64, The Adult Use Marijuana Act, permits adults who are not participating in the state’s medical cannabis program to legally grow (up to six plants, including all of the harvest from those plants) and to possess personal use quantities of cannabis (up to one ounce of flower and/or up to eight grams of concentrates) while also licensing commercial cannabis production and retail sales. (Medical cannabis patients are not subject to these limits.) The measure prohibits localities from taking actions to infringe upon adults’ ability to possess and cultivate cannabis for non-commercial purposes. The initiative does not “repeal, affect, restrict, or preempt … laws pertaining to the Compassionate Use Act of 1996.” Several other marijuana-related activities not legalized by the measure are reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. The law also provides for resentencing consideration for those found guilty of prior marijuana convictions.

“California has long been the largest domestic producer of marijuana in the United States, and cannabis commerce has long been a driver of the world’s sixth largest economy,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “Passage of Prop. 64 brings this massive underground market above ground for the first time so that these activities may be regulated and transparent, and will generate over a billion dollars of needed new tax revenue to state and local governments.”

The revised marijuana penalties take effect on November 9, 2016. Retail sales of marijuana by state-licensed establishments are scheduled to begin under the law on January 1, 2018. On site consumption is permitted under the law in establishments licensed for such activity. Large-scale corporate players are restricted from becoming involved until 2023.

You can read the full text of the initiative here. Congratulations California!

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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WAtax15

The Washington Senate has introduced Senate Bill 5467, a bill that repeals the excise taxes imposed on marijuana and creates a new tax that is imposed on the purchaser at retail.

This bill requires the board regularly review the tax levels established under this section and make recommendations to the legislature as appropriate regarding adjustments that would further the goal of discouraging use while undercutting illegal market prices.
There is presently a 25 percent excise tax imposed on marijuana licensees at the three different stages – production, processing, and retail.
This legislation proposes that the new tax is set at 37 percent until July 1, 2017; 30 percent from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2019; and 25 percent beginning July 1, 2019.
The seller must hold the funds in trust until paid to the Liquor Control Board. The seller is personally liable for the amount of the tax.
A process is created to address the failure to remit the taxes by a limited liability entity that has been terminated, dissolved, or abandoned, or is insolvent.
Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect on July 1, 2015
This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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Washington: Lawmakers Override Hemp Veto

House and Senate lawmakers have voted 131 to 6 to override Governor Jay Inslee’s veto of Senate Bill 6206, which establishes limited licensed hemp production. The Governor had previously vetoed the bill, along with several others, in response to lawmakers’ failure to pass a comprehensive budget plan.

Senate Bill 6206 authorizes “the growing of industrial hemp as a legal agricultural activity” in accordance with federal legislation permitting such activity as part of a state-authorized program. 
To date, 25 states have enacted legislation permitting licensed hemp cultivation in a manner that is compliant with this statute.

NORML thanks those of you who took the time to lobby lawmakers on behalf of this reform.

Additional information on this measure or other pending legislation is available on Washington NORML’s Facebook.

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns

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Arkansas Voters Legalize Medical Marijuana

pain_reliefAccording to Politico, voters in Arkansas will approve Issue 6, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment. Politico has the measure leading 53 percent to 47 percent and has called the race.

“Thanks to the support of Arkansas voters, their state now joins the majority of states in this country in allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana. This will provide patients with access to a safe and effective medicine and apply further pressure on Congress and the incoming administration to bring federal policy in line with the overwhelming will of the American people.” said Erik Altieri, NORML’s new Executive Director.

Issue 6, the Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment, amends the state constitution to permit qualified patients who possess a physician’s recommendation may legally possess and obtain medical cannabis provided by state licensed dispensaries. The home cultivation of cannabis is not permitted under the law. Under the law, regulators will license up to 40 dispensary providers and up to eight marijuana cultivators.

The new law takes effect on November 9, 2016. Regulators have 120 days following the law’s enactment to develop rules overseeing the new medical marijuana program.

A summary of the Amendment is available here.

Congratulations Arkansas!

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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Nevada Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

According to the Associated Press, voters in Nevada will approve Question 2, the Nevada Marijuana Legalization Initiative. The AP has the measure leading 54 percent to 46 percent and has called the race.

“With victory in Nevada, it is safe to say that, this time, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas. Thanks to the support of a majority of voters, Nevada now joins the growing list of states that are rejecting prohibition and taking a smarter approach to marijuana. Success in Nevada will only inspire more Americans to stand up and demand an end to our nation’s embarrassing, failed policy of prohibition and this momentum will only continue to spread across the country.” said Erik Altieri, NORML’s new Executive Director

Nevada Legalized Marijuana

Question 2 permits adults who are not participating in the state’s medical cannabis program to legally grow (up to six plants, including all of the harvest from those plants) and to possess personal use quantities of cannabis (up to one ounce of flower and/or up to 3.5 grams of concentrates) while also licensing commercial cannabis production and retail sales. (Home cultivation is not permitted if one’s residence is within 25 miles of an operating marijuana retailer.) Commercial marijuana production is subject to a 15 percent excise tax, much of which is earmarked to the State Distributive School Account.

“Voters in the western region of the United States continue to lead the way toward the eventual nationwide re-legalization of marijuana by responsible adults,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “Despite nearly a century of criminal prohibition, marijuana is here to stay. Our state and federal laws need to reflect this reality, not deny it.”

The new law takes effect on January 1, 2017. Regulations governing commercial marijuana activities must be in place by January 1, 2018.

You can read the full text of the initiative here.

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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Voters Approve Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative

Marijuana medicineAccording to polling information, voters in Montana will approve Initiative 182, the Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative. The Associated Press currently has the measure leading 56 percent to 44 percent.

“This decision restores the rights of patients and providers,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. “Voters were clear in 2004 when they initially enacted the state’s medical law, and they remain resolved in their opinion that state lawmakers ought not to restrict patients access to medical cannabis.”

I-182 expands the state’s medical marijuana laws. It permits licensed medical marijuana providers to serve more than three patients at one time and allows for providers to hire employees to cultivate, dispense, and transport medical marijuana. I-182 repeals the requirement that physicians who provide certifications for 25 or more patients annually be referred to the board of medical examiners. It removes the authority of law enforcement to conduct unannounced inspections of medical marijuana facilities, and requires annual inspections by the state.

The new law takes effect on June 30, 2017. You can read the full text of the initiative here.

Congratulations Montana!

NORML Blog, Marijuana Law Reform

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