In an appearance before Congress yesterday, Attorney General William Barr offered a brief respite from the acrimonious battle over the Mueller Report when he addressed a rare point of political consensus: cannabis reform. Barr personally supports prohibition, but says a STATES Act solution would be better than the current stalemate. During a Senate Appropriations hearing […]
The STATES Act, one of the leading efforts to end cannabis prohibition at the federal level, has stepped back into the spotlight. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO) this week reintroduced the bipartisan bill, which would allow states to craft their own policies on cannabis. While it wouldn’t legalize the drug nationally, it […]
The New York State budget has been finalized, and adult-use cannabis legislation will not be included. Legalization seemed like a done deal back in January. Then the wheels came off the bus. Not long ago, legal cannabis in New York seemed like a done deal. In January, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared that legalization would be […]
It’s official: New York has cut its adult-use cannabis legalization measure from the state’s budget bill for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins April 1. During an interview earlier this week with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was of two minds: He sought both to remain positive, claiming that legalization will pass by June, […]
This morning, New York state senator and longtime legalization advocate Diane Savino made a dire prediction: If legalization doesn’t make it into the state’s budget on April 1st, it may take another three years to pass. Including legalization in the budget vote gives legislators enough political cover to vote for it. And they need it. […]
Earlier this week, Pennsylvania senators unveiled the details of a cannabis legalization bill that, compared to the more restrained bills being considered elsewhere, is striking in both its scope and progressive approach. The bill, SB 350, set to be introduced by Democratic Sens. Daylin Leach and Sharif Street, emphasizes a thoughtful social equity program, provides […]
The bacteria we call yeast gave humanity its bread and beer. Our cannabis buzz may be next. Yesterday, researchers at University of California Berkeley announced they had successfully hacked yeast genes to grow cannabis’ main active ingredients. Their findings, published in the scientific journal Nature, add to research on using synthetic biology to produce “green […]
Kamala Harris, the Democratic senator from California and 2020 presidential contender, clarified her views on cannabis on this morning during a remarkably frank interview with the popular New York City radio show “The Breakfast Club.” ‘Half my family’s from Jamaica,’ Harris said. ‘Are you kidding me?’ In a wide-ranging conversation that also touched on questions […]
Earlier this month, a trendy crowd squeezed into a makeshift gallery at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), to see cannabis make its debut on the modern art stage. The timing of the event couldn’t have been more apt, as New York legislators are currently crafting a bill that would legalize an adult-use […]
This week, New York City’s flourishing CBD market hit a colossal roadblock. On Tuesday, the city’s Department of Health put out a dire warning to any restaurant, bar, or café that offers food or beverages containing CBD: Get rid of CBD or, beginning July 1, face a fine of up to $650. According to the […]
