This is the third election cycle in a row that Crista Eggers has led the fight to put medical marijuana legalization on the Nebraska ballot. But this is the last time, she says. Defeat is simply not an option she’s willing to accept. “There’s just no choice,” she told Marijuana Moment in a recent phone interview. “I keep calling it the final time—not because there would be any giving up, but this is the final time. We’re going to get… Read more.
The Pennsylvania Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients—and there’s talk of potentially expanding the legislation in the House to allow for personal home cultivation as well. In a 44-3 vote on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate advanced the measure from Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), who first previewed plans to file the reform bill late last year. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law currently says that only… Read more.
A crackdown by authorities in Kay County, Oklahoma led to the confiscation of 4,800 pounds of cannabis and five businesses shut down, KOCO reports. The operation was led by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and was prompted by both routine inspections of licensed medical cannabis businesses and civilian complaints. Mel Woodrow, chief of enforcement and compliance at OMMA, told KOCO that the action was the first time the agency had conducted such an operation. The crackdown comes as Oklahoma officials try to reign… Read more.
Florida’s medical cannabis industry, already boasting a valuation at over $1.4 billion, continues to grow. And with potential recreational legalization this upcoming election season, the space will likely see some hefty deals. “Florida has already established itself with a sizeable medical market,” Pablo Zuanic, lead analyst at Zuanic & Associates, wrote in a report Friday. Altogether, the state’s medical cannabis sales growth has accelerated recently, with sales topping $92 million in August and $480 million for the three months ending on Aug.… Read more.
Cannabis advocates in Nebraska are making their third attempt to get an initiative to legalize medical cannabis to voters as they host a signature drive kickoff today. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) has twice failed to get the issue on ballots – in 2020 after the state Supreme Court ruled the question’s wording violated the state’s single subject provision for initiatives, and in 2022 after the campaign failed to gather enough signatures. In a press release, the campaign said the 2022 effort was unsuccessful because the… Read more.
Active medical cannabis registrations and overall spending on the medicine in Canada fell to their lowest levels since before recreational marijuana was legalized in late 2018. The number of active patient registrations with a federal license holder was 212,700 as of the end of March, according to the latest data from Health Canada and Statistics Canada, respectively. That’s 38% lower than the 345,520 active registrations in October 2018, when Canada legalized marijuana for adult use. The Health Canada figures are… Read more.
The United Kingdom’s Home Affairs Committee is recommending the government widen access to unlicensed cannabis-based products for medical use via the National Health Service before the end of the current Parliament. The National Health Service (NHS) is England’s publicly funded health care system. The government has two months to respond to the committee’s recommendation. There are currently no licensed cannabis-based products for medical use (CBPMs) in the U.K. And, though unlicensed CBPMs may be prescribed, none have received marketing authorization.… Read more.
Proposed medical cannabis rule changes in South Dakota would allow for higher possession limits for edibles and would raise registration fees for medical cannabis companies from $5,000 to $5,310, KELO reports. Under the proposal, patients could possess up to 15 grams of edible oils and 2,000 milligrams of THC of other edibles products, up from 500 milligrams. The allowable THC in edibles would also be raised from 100 milligrams to 500 milligrams. The rules would also allow the size of infused topical products to be 16… Read more.
Medical cannabis reimbursements by Veterans Affairs Canada in the 2022-23 fiscal year recorded an all-time high, according to the latest figures.However, annual growth of those reimbursements as measured in dollars reached a multiyear low, indicating that growth in the category is slowing substantially.Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is the federal department responsible for benefits and services for retired and serving Canadian Armed Forces members.In the 2022-23 fiscal year ended March 31, VAC reimbursed 21,108 people a total of 167.6 million Canadian… Read more.
When it comes to the medical marijuana era—including understanding compassionate care programs—it pays to know a bit of history. Far from being a mere historical footnote in the long march towards legalization, the advent of state-sanctioned medical cannabis markets represented a game-changing victory on multiple fronts. From a policy perspective, the success of California’s Prop 215 in 1996 set in motion a domino effect that inspired numerous other states to follow suit by subsequently enacting medical marijuana laws of their… Read more.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) on Thursday issued an administrative stay on its licensing process, AL.com reports. The stay comes after the commission has twice failed to issue licenses, first after “potential inconsistencies” in scoring data and again after a judge granted a temporary restraining order finding the agency had violated the state’s open meetings law. The AMCC is named in two lawsuits related to the licensing process: one over the open meetings law violation claims, and another over its plan to void and reissue the permits. On… Read more.
A Pennsylvania judge has ordered the dissolution of a heavily indebted, state-licensed medical marijuana company that was once part of former chewing-gum magnate William “Beau” Wrigley Jr.’s fledgling cannabis empire. Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge Christine Ward issued the dissolution of Goodblend Pennsylvania on Aug. 21, according to Green Market Report. The judge’s order, first reported by Law360, is the latest marijuana-sector setback for Wrigley and his former company. Wrigley took over as the CEO of Florida-based cannabis company Surterra Wellness in 2018. Rebranded… Read more.
A group of South Dakota lawmakers, regulators and law enforcement officials are raising concerns the state has issued too many medical marijuana cards for patients. Jennifer Seale, the state’s MMJ program administrator, told the Legislature’s Republican-controlled Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee that the program has issued nearly 12,000 patient cards. That total doubles initial projections at least a year ahead of estimates, according to South Dakota Public Broadcasting. The strong demand led some lawmakers on the committee to question the legitimacy of the… Read more.
A new study suggests that some lesser-known cannabinoids produced by hemp and marijuana—with names like THCV, CBDV, CBC, CBM and CBN—may help treat dermatological diseases such as psoriasis, eczema and acne. “The findings of this review suggest that minor cannabinoids hold therapeutic promise in the management of dermatological diseases,” says the study, published this week in the peer-reviewed journal Molecules. “Incorporating minor cannabinoids into dermatological therapies could potentially offer novel treatment options of patients and improve their overall well-being.” To… Read more.
3 Common Health Conditions That THC Can Treat The number of conditions that cannabis has been studied to treat continues to grow each year. There are some health conditions where psychoactive THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and calming CBD (cannabidiol) work better than the other, with research to back it up. For individuals that are starting their journey into the uses of medical cannabis, all the studies can seem overwhelming. Sometimes, you just want to know which conditions THC or CBD has had a strong use case for – with evidence… Read more.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) is set to, again, void and revoke the licenses it awarded two weeks ago with plans to re-award them during the same meeting without going into an executive session, according to a court filing outlined by the Alabama Political Reporter. The use of the executive session in awarding the previous round of licenses is the subject of a lawsuit brought by several cannabis companies. The AMCC on Monday was also hit with a lawsuit by Verano Holdings which claims that… Read more.
According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, states that had legalized medicinal marijuana saw significant drops in health insurance costs compared to those where cannabis remained completely illegal. The authors determined that once a state passed a medical cannabis law, there were significant decreases in insurance premiums over the following years by looking at 10 years' worth of private health insurance data obtained from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Sustained Premium Reductions Over Time in Legalized Medical Marijuana States… Read more.
Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are expressing “deep concern” over a recently updated U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) marijuana directive that continues to prohibit its doctors from making medical cannabis recommendations to veterans living in states where it’s legal. In a letter sent to VA Secretary Denis McDonough on Thursday, three co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus—Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dave Joyce (R-OH)—said that VA “has once again denied the reality of medical marijuana as a key treatment option”… Read more.
Cannabis Use Disorder Is Going Viral Should You Worry? Here’s What You Really Need To Know About Cannabis Use Disorder If you’ve been following the news, you’ll realize that ‘cannabis use disorder’ has been going viral over the last few years. This term has caused great alarm, especially among parents and prohibitionists. Cannabis use disorder is a medical term used to describe a severe dependency or addiction to marijuana, resulting in a disruption of a user’s physical, professional, social, and even psychological life. Cannabis use… Read more.
Michigan’s medical marijuana industry is wilting. The portion of the cannabis business that stood up legal weed in the state is now at its lowest point since its inception in 2008, according to data from the Cannabis Regulatory Agency. Sales crept to just $6.14 million in July, down nearly 71% from a year ago and down 86% from July 2022 when sales reached nearly $43 million. The cost of an ounce of medical marijuana is down 52% over the last… Read more.
A new study in the International Journal of Drug Policy found that states with legal medical marijuana enjoyed significant reductions in health insurance premiums compared to states where cannabis remained completely illegal. Analyzing a decade’s worth of private health insurance data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, researchers determined that in the years following a state’s implementation of a medical cannabis law, premiums dropped dramatically. While the reductions were modest immediately following implementation, the study found that by seven… Read more.
The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMMC) on Thursday voided all previously awarded licenses and awarded new ones, WPMI reports. The commission also outlined the errors in the scoring and evaluation of first round licensees which led to the awarding of new permits. The AMMC awarded five integrated facility licenses, seven cultivator licenses, four processor licenses, four dispensary licenses, and five secure transporter licenses. Applicants who were awarded a license now have 14 days to submit the appropriate license fee and any applicant who has been… Read more.
Phillip Morris, one of the world's largest tobacco companies, is gradually entering the thriving marijuana industry. Reports indicate that the tobacco giant is acquiring an Israeli med-tech company called Syqe Medical for an impressive sum of $650 million. This isn't the first time Philip Morris has invested in Syqe; they previously invested $20 million in the company in 2016. Syqe Medical specializes in a pharma-tech product, a metered-dose inhaler designed for pain reduction treatment using medical marijuana. Interestingly, this potential acquisition news… Read more.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released an updated directive that reaffirms its doctors are prohibited from issuing medical cannabis recommendations to their military veterans patients. The new document also notes the revised federal definition of marijuana that went into effect with the legalization of hemp. The revised Veterans Health Administration (VHA) guidance is largely consistent with a previous version it released in 2017, which itself was updated to explicitly encourage VA doctors to discuss veterans’ marijuana use. That… Read more.
Dr. Steven Stokes, the chair of the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC), resigned from the commission Thursday morning. Stokes, an oncologist who had served as chair since 2021, said in an interview Thursday afternoon that he resigned to prevent the commission and the medical cannabis approval process from being tied up in a lawsuit alleging that his appointment to the commission violated state law. “If I did not step aside, then that process would probably be stopped until my issue was… Read more.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court this week heard arguments on a lawsuit filed last month by a coalition of cannabis companies who argue that a large business fee increase, which went into effect in June, is illegal because it’s tantamount to a tax hike. The fee increase undergirding the lawsuit came from House Bill 2179, approved by the Oklahoma Legislature last year. The marijuana industry has been vowing to fight the measure for months. Jed Green, director of trade group Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action,… Read more.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to add an amendment to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to end the Veteran Administration’s (VA) prohibition on providers assisting military veterans in accessing state-legal medical cannabis. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), passed unanimously by a voice vote. Blumenauer is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. Blumenauer was successful in getting a similar amendment on the 2016 version of the NDAA to pass the House and Senate in… Read more.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a Republican 2024 presidential candidate, has appointed six new members to his state’s Drug Policy Advisory Council—and it includes an eclectic mix of stakeholders, like a sheriff who campaigned against a medical cannabis ballot initiative that voters approved and another sheriff who supports marijuana decriminalization. The panel also features yet another sheriff who went viral for warning heroin sellers while wearing a ski mask and a pastor who thinks his fellow Southern Baptists should “take a… Read more.
The second of two licensed medical cannabis dispensary operators in Georgia opened its doors this week. Botanical Sciences began sales Wednesday in the town of Pooler, just outside Savannah, according to the Capitol Beat News Service. The opening comes roughly three months after the state’s only other licensed MMJ operator, Trulieve Georgia, opened for business in Macon, about 85 miles southeast of Atlanta. That company, a subsidiary of Florida-based multistate operator Trulieve Cannabis Corp., has since launched sales in Pooler, Marietta and Newnan. The… Read more.
A medical cannabis business applicant is accusing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) of improperly erasing recordings of its meetings, AL.com reports. The company says the recordings could include information relevant to its lawsuit against the agency. The lawsuit by Alabama Always LLC and six other firms comes as the state paused all proceedings related to the issuance of medical cannabis licenses in the state after the agency’s “discovery of potential inconsistencies in the tabulation of scoring data.” The administrative hold was announced just days after the… Read more.
Cheech and Chong's Cannabis Co. and Southern Sky Brands of Mississippi are teaming together and have announced a partnership aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis products in Mississippi. Cheech and Chong, the duo that became famous in the 1970s and 1980s for their stand-up comedy and movies centering around cannabis and counterculture fun, have found a new love as they market and sell cannabis products throughout the nation. "This partnership is all about the patients. We want to ensure… Read more.
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved amendments to a large-scale spending bill that would allow U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to military veterans and promote research into substances like psilocybin and MDMA. Just one day after the House Rules Committee made the measures in order for floor consideration, they passed on the floor on Wednesday and are advancing as part of appropriations legislation covering Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilCon/VA). The medical… Read more.
Two Black farmers in Florida have been awarded medical marijuana business licenses under a bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed into law last month. The state’s legalization law that was implemented in 2017 stipulated that one medical cannabis business license needed to go to a Black farmer who is covered by the historic “Pigford” class action litigation against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) alleging discriminatory lending practices. But it was only last year that the Florida Department of Health… Read more.
Macario’s name means “blessing” in Tagalog—the language of his mother’s Filipino heritage. It’s a fitting name for someone whose very existence is a scientific anomaly. Against all odds, Macario is not only living and breathing, but he’s also full of life—always cracking jokes, he’s known as the funniest kid in the class. He’s a presence wherever he goes, including on tour with his father, Grammy-winning reggae artist Gramps Morgan. For a child whose parents had once accepted a reality where… Read more.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) are strongly against the use of marijuana for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—but they’re taking a neutral position on psychedelics like psilocybin and LSD, simply saying that more research should be done. In an update to their joint clinical practice guidelines, the departments provided recommendations on a variety of therapeutics used to treat PTSD and acute stress disorder that commonly afflict military veterans. And while many… Read more.
Bipartisan congressional lawmakers are making another push to provide protections for military veterans who use medical marijuana in legal states, as well as doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) who issue recommendations to allow participation in such programs. Two amendments to enact the reform have been filed for the Fiscal Year 2024 spending bill covering Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies (MilCon/VA). The text of the amendments are identical, but they’re being sponsored by different sets… Read more.
The Ohio State Medical Board last week added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a qualifying condition to the state’s medical cannabis program, the Ohio Capital Journal reports. The panel, however, rejected the addition of obsessive-compulsive syndrome (OCD) and autism spectrum disorder as qualifying conditions. In all, there are now 26 total conditions for which Ohio cannabis patients can access medical cannabis. Charlie Trefny, the Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association’s director of government affairs, told the Journal that the organization was “disappointed” that the board… Read more.
Over 90 percent of U.S. military veterans who use medical marijuana say that it improves their quality of life, with many using cannabis as an alternative to over-the-counter and prescription medications, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, University of Utah and cannabis research institutes looked at self-reported survey data from 510 veterans who said that they consume marijuana, seeking to better understand the purpose and experiences of their usage. A majority of the respondents (67… Read more.
Ukraine’s parliament has given initial approval to a medical cannabis legalization bill, the Kyiv Post reports. The law must still pass a second reading following any amendments and finalization by lawmakers before moving to President Volodymyr Zelensky for his signature. People’s Deputy Iryna Herashchenko said on Telegram the measure is “not so much about medicine as about the industrial cultivation of cannabis and corruption schemes by the government regarding permits and the development of huge financial flows.” The draft law backed by the Ministry of… Read more.
A top North Carolina lawmaker says that he’s “very sure” that a Senate-passed medical marijuana legalization bill will not advance in the House this session—even amid strong-arm tactics launched by the other chamber to force the issue—though he said legislators would likely return to it during next year’s short session. House Majority Leader John Bell (R) said in an interview with Spectrum News on Monday that there’s “still discussions going on” about the cannabis measure, but Republican lawmakers “unfortunately did… Read more.
As new states open their doors to the cannabis industry, companies that win licenses are faced with some important choices regarding where and how they will conduct business—namely, whether they want to operate in the medical markets, adult-use markets, or both. While traditional medical markets often are a first step for companies hoping to stake a claim in restricted-license states, they can be an expensive gamble without a large and growing patient population. Adult-use markets, particularly on the West Coast,… Read more.
The Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee has approved a measure that would allow physicians to certify patients for the state’s medical cannabis program for any condition they deem suitable, Pennlive reports. The measure will next move to the full Senate for consideration. The bill would effectively eliminate the state’s list of 24 qualifying conditions, and leave the decision to doctors and their patients. The legislation would also end the expiration date for medical cannabis cards. Committee Chairman Mike Regan (R), who sponsored the… Read more.
Physicians in Australia can now prescribe doses of MDMA and psilocybin to patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and hard-to-treat depression, the Associated Press reports. The reforms make Australia the first nation in the world to allow doctors to prescribe psychedelics as medicine. The move was announced in February but took effect July 1. Both MDMA and psilocybin have been added to the list of approved medicines by the Therapeutic Goods Administration but will be expensive – about AU$10,000 (US$6,600) per patient for treatment, the report… Read more.
A Republican North Carolina senator is making it clear that he intends to see his medical marijuana legalization bill pass this session despite some obstinance among GOP leadership in the House—and he’s even gone so far as to include medical cannabis regulatory appointments for the yet-to-be-enacted program in a new measure that passed the Senate last week. But Sen. Bill Rabon’s (R) recent acts of defiance—including attaching an amendment to an unrelated House bill that makes its effective date contingent on his… Read more.
An important U.S. Senate committee recently passed a budget proposal with an amendment that permits the discussion and recommendation of medicinal marijuana to veteran patients living in states where its use is permitted. This is a big milestone. This amazing step represents a significant advance in the healthcare industry. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) passed the marijuana amendment, and the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved it on Thursday through a voice vote. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will get funding for the… Read more.
A key U.S. Senate committee has approved a spending bill with an amendment allowing doctors at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to discuss and recommend medical marijuana to patients living in legal states. The Senate Appropriations Committee passed the cannabis amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in a voice vote on Thursday before advancing the overall legislation, which provides funding for VA for the 2024 Fiscal Year. The measure “simply says, in states that have a medical cannabis… Read more.
A Florida appeals court on Wednesday upheld the firing of a Department of Corrections officer for using medical cannabis, WOKV reports. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court cited federal law and a job requirement that officers are able to use firearms. The case was brought by Samuel Velez Ortiz, a former sergeant for the Department of Corrections who was approved by a physician to use medical cannabis to treat post-traumatic stress disorder related to previous military service. Velez Ortiz had… Read more.
Lawyers for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority took a seat at one of two tables before a judge as the morning sun splashed through the hexagon-shaped windows of a first-floor makeshift courtroom inside the state agency’s building near the state Capitol. The second table was empty, reserved for the owners of a Muskogee marijuana dispensary that recently had been shut down by the state agency over numerous violations. The hearing was a chance for the dispensary owners to appeal the… Read more.
A recent report sheds some light on how many people are taking part in New Mexico’s medical cannabis program, which helps patients with a wide range of conditions. The latest numbers, from May 2023, show there are more than 100,000 patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program. So, what are the key conditions they’re treating with cannabis? By far, the most common qualifying condition in New Mexico is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Over 55,000 individuals list PTSD as their primary qualifying condition. Severe… Read more.
In this week’s cannabis news round-up, Rhode Island expunges more than 23,000 cannabis possession records; House lawmakers introduce a bill to promote cannabis research; and Alabama awards the state’s first medical cannabis licenses. Rhode Island Expunges More Than 23,000 Cannabis Possession Records The Rhode Island judiciary system has successfully expunged more than 23,000 records related to cannabis possession, marking the completion of the initial phase of cannabis relief mandated by the state’s legalization law and a Supreme Court executive order. In a… Read more.
Medicine may be rooted in science, but it has never been wholly driven by it. The human body and mind are so complex that progress in medicine depends more and more on technology finding better ways of peering into the unknown. Leonardo da Vinci's closely observed drawings gave doctors a better understanding of human anatomy. The discovery of X-rays made it possible to see the structure of the DNA molecule. More recently, progress has come from advances in artificial intelligence… Read more.
On Monday, June 12, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) announced the first round of businesses getting medical marijuana licenses. In total, 90 different companies applied for a license. Of those, 21 were granted licenses. Some applied to be growers, while others applied to be processors or store fronts. The AMCC voted to award medical cannabis business licenses to the following applicants: Integrated Facility License Flowerwood Medical Cannabis, LLC Southeast Cannabis Company, LLC Sustainable Alabama, LLC TheraTrue Alabama, LLC Verano Alabama, LLC… Read more.
Commission expects more lawsuits to be filed after the initial round. Alabama authorities are poised to begin doling out medical marijuana business permits as soon as Monday. Although it’s uncertain just how many licenses the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission will award next week, commissioners could deliver the state limit in one fell swoop, which, according to the Alabama Daily News, includes: 12 cultivation permits Four processor permits Four dispensary licenses Five permits for vertically integrated companies There’s also an unspecified number of… Read more.
A U.S. senator and a former ambassador are imploring the Biden administration to “immediately” escalate diplomatic efforts to secure the return of an American imprisoned in Russia over possession of medical cannabis that he lawfully obtained in Pennsylvania. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, requesting that the government formally designate Marc Fogel as wrongfully detained and “prioritize securing his release.” “He is serving… Read more.
Over the past decade, cannabis companies have been eager to jump into the mix as new states open licensing programs and new consumers have their first opportunity to buy legal products. But over the past few years, the industry has proved to be more competitive and challenging than many operators expected, and investors now are taking a much more cautious approach when new markets open. Most multistate operators and large regional companies plan to focus their investment capital on Midwest and East… Read more.
Maryland officials are now accepting applications for grants to help existing medical marijuana businesses convert into dual licensees that can serve the adult-use market when legalization takes effect next month. Also, as regulators publish new guidance for the industry, the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced that, starting on August 1, it will additionally be taking applications for grants and loans to support market participation from social equity licensees by providing startup capital and covering operational costs. The Cannabis Business Assistance… Read more.
Medical marijuana dispensaries in Arkansas will likely beat the sales they recorded in 2022, a state spokesperson said. After selling $23.9 million in MMJ products in April, licensed dispensaries in Arkansas have sold $94 million so far this year, according to a news release from the state Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). Licensed stores sold $94 million in products for the same time period last year. “On average, patients are spending $787,000 a day at the state’s 38 dispensaries,”… Read more.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said this week that she will not use her office’s executive powers to legalize medical marijuana or to decriminalize cannabis possession. A vocal advocate of marijuana reform who nonetheless says she opposes adult-use legalization, Kelly has said she would sign a medical-cannabis legalization bill if state lawmakers pass one. Despite that executive pressure, a state Senate committee in March blocked a medical cannabis legalization bill for the year. As the Topeka Capital-Journal reported, Kelly will not follow the lead of other Democratic governors in… Read more.
A bill making its way through the Arizona state legislature aims to significantly cut the price of medical marijuana cards, at a time when MMJ sales and patient registration have fallen dramatically. SB 1466, which passed the state Senate in March, would lower the price of MMJ cards from $150 to $50 for the general public, according to Phoenix New Times. Veterans would receive cards for free, the newspaper reported. The bill also would expand the list of qualifying conditions to include… Read more.
While cannabis undoubtedly has a wide range of potential benefits, including pain and anxiety relief, there are some prescription medications you should avoid using with weed, even if you are a medical marijuana patient. Cannabis may interact negatively with your medication or dull the medication’s impact, potentially creating a range of health risks. If you’re currently prescribed any of the following medications, you should consider refraining from cannabis use until you have had an opportunity to discuss the potential outcomes and best… Read more.
Advocates in Nebraska on Thursday filed paperwork to begin a petition drive to get a medical cannabis legalization question in 2024 ballots, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana have previously unsuccessfully attempted to get the issue to voters but their most recent bid – for 2022 – failed to garner enough signatures. In 2020, a medical cannabis initiative did qualify for the ballot but was thrown out by the state Supreme Court that ruled it violated the state’s “single subject” rule for… Read more.
According to a survey by Maine’s Office of Cannabis Policy (OCP), more than 1,350 medical cannabis caregivers left the program from the end of 2021 to the end of January 2023. The survey found a variety of factors led to the exodus, including business costs, banking registrations and fees, municipal and OCP regulations, oversupply, competition from the adult-use and unregulated markets, lack of testing and tracking, no wholesale relationships, no connection to patients, switching to adult-use operations, and becoming a dispensary employee. The… Read more.
Medical cannabis dispensaries in Georgia are expected to open within weeks, nearly eight years after lawmakers first approved an MMJ program. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, medical marijuana retailers could open as early as late May. Georgia is among 40 states and the District of Columbia with a medical market program. More than 26,000 MMJ patients and 19,000 caregivers in Georgia are registered with the state, the newspaper reported. Under Georgia law, qualified patients can legally possess up to 20 fluid ounces… Read more.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) last week signed a measure requiring all state-approved cannabis growers to hold a $50,000 bond, which lawmakers hope will combat the illegal grows in the state, FOX 23 News reports. The law requires the bond to be paid upfront before the new operations can begin and can be recalled to fund any remediation of the site if it is abandoned or if the license is revoked. In a statement, Attorney General Gentner Drummond applauded the bill’s passage… Read more.
The top North Carolina House lawmaker says that medical marijuana legalization has “a better chance of passing this year than in any time in the past,” and he expects a Senate-passed reform bill to be taken up by his chamber’s Republican caucus within the next month. While the GOP-controlled House has previously blocked medical cannabis legislation from advancing, House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said that its prospects have improved, with a floor vote possible depending on where Republican members ultimately… Read more.
The high cost of medical cannabis poses major obstacles for Canadian patients, even as recreational marijuana prices remain low, a new survey of thousands of Canadians suggests. The finding comes as a slump in consumer spending on regulated medical cannabis in Canada continues, with Statistics Canada data showing sales worth 101 million Canadian dollars (roughly $75 million) in the fourth quarter of 2022. That CA$101 million figure represents a 3.8% decline from the same quarter in 2021 and a 34% tumble from the fourth quarter… Read more.
Under Gov. Mike DeWine’s executive budget, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy would no longer have responsibilities regulating the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries, Cleveland.com reports. The governor’s plan would transfer some of the pharmacy board’s responsibilities to the Department of Commerce, but the pharmacy board would still be responsible for reviewing and adding qualifying conditions to the medical cannabis program. Currently, there are three agencies that regulate the Ohio medical cannabis program: the commerce department, pharmacy board, and State Medical Board. Dan Tierney, DeWine’s spokesman,… Read more.
Trulieve Cannabis has settled a lawsuit with a Black former middle manager who accused the Florida-based medical marijuana multistate operator in a complaint filed last month of paying her and other Black employees less than whites. According to records filed April 13 in the 2nd Judicial Court in Tallahassee, where Trulieve is headquartered, the company reached a settlement with Brooke Bennett, who worked as a manager in the company’s 200-person St. Petersburg call center from August 2018 to 2022. Terms weren’t… Read more.
Florida House Committee OKs Hemp Product Restriction Bill Following the approval of a bill related to regulating for hemp-derived products, entrepreneurs are concerned that the bill could put them out of business. The proposed bill, HB 1475, sponsored by Republican Will Robinson Jr. of Manatee County, aims to limit the amount of THC in retail hemp products. This move is in response to the growing popularity of Delta-8, a legal product that has led to proposed hemp regulations in over 20 states in the past two years.… Read more.
Alabama regulators greenlit 90 medical marijuana businesses to advance to the review and scoring process for MMJ licenses. According to Birmingham-based TV station WBMA, the approvals included: 38 integrated facilities. 18 dispensaries. 12 cultivators 11 processors Nine delivery providers. Two testing labs. The 90 applicants advanced by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission will be vying for up to 12 cultivator licenses, four processor permits, four dispensary licenses, five integrated-facility permits and an unspecified number of delivery and testing laboratory licenses. Licenses are expected to… Read more.
The growth in Israel’s medical cannabis industry has slowed over the past several months, but experts say regulatory changes are afoot that could reinvigorate patient numbers if the country’s tumultuous political situation stabilizes. The number of authorized medical cannabis patients in Israel reached an all-time high recently – topping 123,000 – before dipping in February, according to data from the Israeli Medical Cannabis Agency (IMCA). In 2020, by contrast, the number of authorized medical cannabis patients more than doubled over two… Read more.
The Texas House on Tuesday passed a measure to expand the state’s medical cannabis program by increasing the THC levels allowed in cannabis products and adding chronic pain to the state’s qualifying conditions list, the Dallas Morning News reports. Under the proposal, THC levels in medical cannabis products sold in Texas would be raised to 10 milligrams per dosage unit – up from the current 1% limit. The bill would allow patients who would otherwise get an opioid prescription for pain to access… Read more.
A medical cannabis physician in Florida is suing the state Department of Health and two investigators who posed as patients in a sting operation during which officials tried to strip him of his medical license, WUSF News reports. Dr. Joseph Dorn was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing in March 2022. The Health Department had alleged Dorn violated state law by not performing physicals on the undercover agents who posed as patients seeking medical cannabis cards, which agency officials called employing a “trick or scheme” in the… Read more.
n the act of legislative progress, the Kentucky House of Representatives has given the green light to a medical marijuana legalization bill previously passed by the Senate. The bill, proposed by Senator Stephen West (R), passed through the House Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee before receiving a vibrant 66-33 vote in favor of its passing. The governor's signature is the final step in its journey to becoming law. The unwavering support of Governor Andy Beshear (D) has been instrumental… Read more.
Wisconsin has a chance to enact a relatively limited medical marijuana law this session, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers said in a joint appearance at a policy event on Friday. Sens. Mary Felzkowski (R) and Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D) spoke during a webinar hosted by the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum. The group noted beforehand that a recent analysis it conducted found that more than half of all Wisconsin adults currently live within a 75-minute drive of a legal cannabis shop in… Read more.
A South Dakota medical cannabis company is suing the state Department of Health (DOH) alleging overreach, attempts to enforce unpromulgated rules, and the improper issuance of violations which has led to damages of over $1 million, KELO reports. The case by 605 Cannabis dates back to an inspection of their facility in January which the company claims was carried out improperly and conducted while the facility was partially closed due to a blizzard. In the complaint, 605 claims that DOH inspections are… Read more.
When New Jersey approved legal recreational marijuana in 2020, more than 70% of borough voters cast ballots in favor of the idea. Now they’re getting their wish as the first medicinal marijuana shop has opened in town just days after state officials approved what will be the borough’s first recreational, or adult use, dispensary. “The people of the community voted overwhelmingly for the sale of recreational marijuana, we are only following the will of the people,” said Borough Administrator Steve… Read more.
South Carolina lawmakers and advocates aren’t giving up the push to legalize medical marijuana just yet, and they’re imploring leadership to take up a GOP-led reform bill ahead of a key legislative deadline this week. At a press conference on Tuesday, supporters of the legislation from Sen. Tom Davis (R) stressed the urgency of getting the reform enacted this year, with a deadline set coming up on Thursday to get the bill out of the Senate and over to the… Read more.
A bill to legalize medical cannabis was introduced last Friday – late in the session and through means that would circumvent the committee process, East Idaho News reports. The measure was introduced as a personal bill by House Health and Welfare Committee Chairman John Vander Woude (R) but personal bills don’t typically advance. Personal bills are usually introduced at the beginning of the state’s session and used as groundwork for future policy discussions, the report says. The measure did not appear on any legislative agendas on… Read more.
North Dakota’s governor has signed a bill allowing patients admitted to hospice care to self-certify as medical marijuana patients. The legislation, which cleared the House in an 86-6 vote and the Senate unanimously in a 45-0 vote, was signed into law on Thursday by Gov. Doug Burgum (R). Under the measure from Rep. Mary Schneider (D), terminally ill patients will be able to use proof of their admittance in hospice care in lieu of a doctor’s written recommendation to register… Read more.
Will Medicare Ever Cover Medical Marijuana? Medical marijuana is becoming increasingly popular among older adults as a treatment for various conditions. However, despite its growing acceptance, uncertain safety standards, conflicting laws, and complex regulations could delay Medicare coverage for years. In April 2022, the Medicare Plans Patient Resource Center conducted a survey showing that 20% of Medicare beneficiaries presently use medical marijuana, and nearly a quarter has used it before. The study revealed that 66% of the respondents believe Medicare should cover… Read more.
A Kansas Senate Committee last week tabled a medical cannabis legalization bill, likely killing the bill for the session, the Associated Press reports. On Twitter, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she was “disappointed that some legislators are saying they don’t want to move forward with legalizing medical marijuana this year – effectively turning their backs on our veterans and those with chronic pain and seizure disorders.” The measure would have allowed physicians to recommend non-smokable medical cannabis products to treat 21 illnesses or conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, spinal cord… Read more.
A bill proposed in Arizona would allow patients with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to access medical cannabis products in the state, the AZ Mirror reports. The measure passed the House Health and Human Services Committee 7-2 on Monday. Earlier this month, the legislation was approved by a bipartisan 24-6 vote in the state Senate and will move next to the full House after approval by the Health and Human Services Committee. During testimony on the measure, Aaron Jacobs, the father of a… Read more.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives has approved a bill to allow medical marijuana patients to grow their own plants for personal use. Weeks after moving through committee, the full chamber passed the legislation from Rep. Wendy Thomas (D) on a voice vote as part of the uncontested consent calendar on Wednesday. The measure—which would allow patients and designated caregivers to cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants and 12 seedlings—now heads to the Senate. Plants would have to be grown… Read more.
The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday passed a measure that would allow the director of the state Medical Marijuana Authority to shut down cannabis operations that are damaging the environment, KOKH reports. Sen. Joe Newhouse (R) authored the legislation and argued that it would help reign in medical cannabis operations in the state that are not following state law. Oklahoma has one of the nation’s most permissive medical cannabis programs, but it has been rife with controversy. Last year, two Oklahoma attorneys were charged in a “Ghost Owner”… Read more.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a brief in a federal appeals court as part of an ongoing lawsuit over the government’s ban preventing medical marijuana patients from possessing firearms. Many of DOJ’s arguments in the brief filed on Wednesday mirror points that the agency made in earlier filings in the case, including in a federal district court that dismissed the lawsuit that’s now being appealed by its plaintiffs. But the latest document places new emphasis on the “wide-ranging consequences” that… Read more.
A Kansas Senate committee on Wednesday held the first of two scheduled hearings this week on a medical marijuana legalization bill. The legislation was taken up by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, which is sponsoring the bill as a panel. Members heard from proponents and neutral witnesses who shared stories about their personal experience with the plant, research into the medical potential of cannabis and more. People with chronic migraines, spinal injuries, as well as medical professionals, academics, veterans… Read more.
Medical marijuana patients in Arkansas spent $23.1 million on cannabis products in January and $22.4 million in February for a total of $45.5 million over the two-month period. Sales for the first two months of 2023 combined increased by $4 million over the same period in the previous year, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), implying year-over-year growth of about 9.6%. More than 92,000 active medical marijuana patients are registered with the Arkansas Department of Health,… Read more.
Discreet prescription refills via telehealth visits are already the norm for medications like hair loss and erectile dysfunction medication for men, which is easier to do when it’s not in-person. The same methods could be used to be discreet and quietly get prescriptions for medical cannabis under a new Florida bill. House Bill 387 is sponsored by Spencer Roach (R-North Fort Myers) and would allow practitioners to certify patients for medical cannabis via FaceTime, Skype, etc. visits rather than in-person visits.… Read more.
According to recently made public data from the UK medical system, Devon's general practitioners have written hundreds of prescriptions for medical cannabis in the last five years. This information has come to light amid rising charitable calls for improved access to medical cannabis for people with autoimmune and neurological conditions. Medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain can all be effectively treated with drugs made from cannabis plants or synthetic cannabinoids. Despite their potential benefits, these therapies can… Read more.
Cannabis continues its rise in popularity as more and more states legalize its use either as a medical or recreational drug. Cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, but a number of medical experts and researchers appear to disagree with this decision maintained by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While more peer-reviewed clinical research is needed, myriad studies support cannabis as a legitimate and safe therapeutic substance when used properly under expert supervision. Learn more about the various medical conditions cannabis… Read more.
BURTON, Mich. — Before Jayden Carter turned 9, police were called 126 times to his school, home and other locations to address his violent behavior. “I had ribs out of place, my forehead cut open, black eye,” recalled Amie Carter, his mother. The situation got so dire that Child Protective Services encouraged Amie to sign her rights to Jayden away, a step that would allow the state to put him in permanent treatment. That was when — out of… Read more.
Fungi have attracted attention in recent years for their potential in aiding our brains' growth and functionality. And no, we're not just talking about the psychedelic ones. The lion's mane mushroom, for one, has long had a reputation for various mental health benefits, with recent research supporting its potential in reducing risk for depression or limiting damage from Alzheimer's disease. In a new study conducted by an international team of scientists, researchers identified compounds in the lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) – an edible fungus… Read more.
Israeli-based next-gen psychedelics biotech Clearmind Medicine CMND+0.83%+ Free Alerts together with partner clinical-stage pharma company SciSparc SPRC-0.44%+ Free Alerts has filed three provisional patent applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patents cover psychedelic-based therapeutics, including monotherapy and novel combinations of SciSparc’s CannAmide and classical psychedelics. More specifically, the patent applications refer to proprietary combinations of LSD, psilocybin, and DMT with SciSparc’s Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a cannabimimetic compound and the active ingredient of its proprietary CannAmide drug. The fruitful collaboration between… Read more.
In a time when adult-use cannabis seems to get all the attention, it’s important to remember that many people use the plant as medicine. There are millions of medical cannabis patients across the country, but this demographic is often cast aside as the market swells with high-potency products fueled by the latest hype. “In my experience, when markets shift to adult use, that seems to become the focus,” said patient advocate Nikki Lawley, a medical consumer and founder of Nikki and the Plant. “Budtenders aren’t… Read more.
New research is exploring whether psychedelic drugs, taken under strict medical supervision, might help in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. SciLine interviewed Dr. Jennifer Mitchell—a professor in the Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry & Behavioral Science in the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco—to discuss what scientists have found so far about the effectiveness of these drugs in treating these disorders and how they might safely be administered. The Conversation has collaborated… Read more.
It came as a surprise to many when, on Feb. 3, Australian regulators announced that medicines containing the psychedelic substances MDMA and psilocybin can soon be used there to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and treatment-resistant depression, respectively. That decision makes Australia the first country in the world to formally recognize the therapeutic use of psychedelics. Other countries, including the U.S., may be headed toward a similar outcome, some experts say. Research increasingly suggests that psychedelics can be powerful tools for treating a… Read more.
Lifesciences biotech company Psycheceutical Bioscience BWVI, of which Benzinga’s advisory council member Zappy Zapolin is Chief Visionary Officer, patented a topical ketamine formulation to treat PTSD. The patent includes related methods using drug delivery technology NeuroDirect. Psycheceutical CEO Chad Harman says NeuroDirect’s topical delivery system could potentially provide “new solutions and treatments for PTSD and other mental health conditions,” considering the disorder is in some cases associated with anxiety, depression and substance use disorder. The system’s design would topically distribute neuro-active compounds to the back… Read more.
Core One Labs' Akome Partners To Study Next-Gen Psychedelics A subsidiary of Core One Labs CLABF has signed a contract with Fundació Bosh I Gimpera to begin second-phase studies evaluating the therapeutic potential of its bio-compounds (both alone and combined with psychedelic substances). The studies would progress Akome Partners’ pre-clinical development stage of novel psychedelic drug alternatives for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ischemic stroke and depression. Previous studies conducted by Spanish and Italian institutions included bioassay trials… Read more.
The agency called on Congress to develop a better regulatory framework for CBD The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced that it would deny a trio of petitions that requested authorization for cannabidiol (CBD) to be used as a dietary supplement. The agency also advised that Congress needs to establish a better regulatory framework before such a classification is allowed. Based on existing research and data, the FDA found that the current standards for adding supplements to foods or beverages… Read more.
DMT — the most potent psychedelic known to man — treats people with severe depression after a single dose, a cutting-edge clinical trial suggests. Up to six in ten who received a single dose of DMT intravenously before therapy were declared depression-free three months later. And three in 10 participants were declared depression-free two weeks after one session, compared to one in ten in the placebo group who just had therapy on its own. N,N-Dymethyltriptamine (DMT) has received the backing of celebrities… Read more.
Viagra is the brand name of sildenafil, a class of drugs that are designed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Men who suffer from ED struggle with starting and maintaining their erections. Depending on the case, it may be a short-term or a chronic problem. This can have a serious impact in the self-esteem and sex lives of affected males because it affects both you and your partner’s sexual satisfaction. It can be short-term or a chronic problem, depending on one’s… Read more.
Drug discovery company Mindset Pharma MSSTF has been greenlighted by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on its application “Psilocin Derivatives As Serotonergic Psychedelic Agents for the Treatment of CNS Disorders.” The application includes the company’s psilocybin analogs lead drug candidate MSP-1014, its backup MSP-1009 and additional pro-drug candidates belonging to the family 1 tryptamine drug compounds. Both MSP-1014 and MSP-1009 demonstrated improved efficacy and safety profiles with reduced potential side effects and evidence of increased target engagement in preclinical studies. … Read more.
It was 1985 and John Lawn had seen enough. In Boston nightclubs and Dallas bars, MDMA — better known by its street name, ecstasy — had become an enormously popular recreational drug. It had also terrified the Reagan administration, which was in the midst of its historic War on Drugs. Lawn, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration at the time, acted quickly. Despite the outcry of medical professionals pointing to the range of MDMA’s clinical uses, Lawn classified the drug as… Read more.
Can cannabis help you drop 75 prescription pills a day? The beauty of medicinal cannabis has always been in the testimonies of patients who have benefited from medicinal cannabis over conventional drugs. This is the story of a man that was initially paralyzed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and was once highly dependent on drugs for maintenance. After being paralyzed for a period, he became a medical cannabis sensation as he replaced 75 pills with cannabis and is now actively back on his… Read more.
The age of buying marijuana when you fill up your car has arrived in the United States – at least in Florida. Green Thumb Industries, one of the biggest multistate operators in the U.S., signed an agreement with Circle K – one of the largest convenience-store chains in the world – that allows the cannabis company to lease space and open medical marijuana dispensaries adjacent to Circle K locations in Florida. The Chicago-based cannabis company plans to start a “test and learn”… Read more.