Albany – The following statement can be attributed to the Drug Policy Alliance, New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association and New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association in support of key policies in the Marijuana Reform & Taxation Act (MRTA). The announced amendments for Governor Cuomo’s Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act are a step in the […]
In November, voters in New Jersey approved marijuana legalization in the state. However, there have been constant setbacks in bringing the bill to fruition. Seems that finally most of those hurdles have been past, with just one left.
According to app.com, this week NJ legislators are planning to pass a cleanup bill that deals with punishments for underage pot smokers.
This bill would create $50 fines, parent notification, and community group referrals for those caught with marijuana between the ages of 18-21. This fine amount is greatly reduced from earlier drafts, where it reached $500, which was thought to be too high and potentially would target Black and brown youth in the state.
Once this passes the state senate, Governor Murphy has signaled that he would finally sign the overarching legalization amendment passed by voters in November.
It’s been an uphill battle. From app.com, “legislators and the governor’s office have feuded over the number of permits for cannabis growers, changes to workplace drug testing laws and a tax structure that would both drive state revenue and repay communities most impacted by the war on drugs,” since the election.
Read the full article here
Reclassifying Possession Will Lead to a Significant Decrease in Prison Population, Millions in Savings, and a Brighter Future for New Mexico’s Families Santa Fe, NM – With the New Mexico Senate Health and Public Affairs Committee voting in favor of drug defelonization, Emily Kaltenbach, Senior Director for Resident States and New Mexico for the Drug […]
An article at The Denver Post calls for Democrats to follow science and decide on a cap on THC potency.
These concentrates are not plant material rolled in a joint. They are produced by soaking marijuana buds in chloroform, butane, and propane. Those chemicals extract and concentrate the THC from the plant into what’s called “wax” or “shatter.” With a crack pipe and a butane torch, users vaporize and inhale that THC-rich shatter. Or, as a change of pace, at a Colorado dispensary a user can just buy a 70% THC anal or vaginal suppository and insert that. These concentrates are what cause harm, and right now there are zero limits on their potency. Zero.
So what? Well, studies published in the internationally renowned medical journal The Lancet Psychiatry conclude that using products with 15% THC or higher triples the risk of psychosis, and daily use of such products quintuples that risk. In fact, 56 scientific studies have confirmed high potency THC’s connection to psychosis. In addition, a study published in The Journal of American Medicine in 2020 concluded that high potency THC “was associated with significant increases” in addiction and mental health disorders (like depression and anxiety). High potency THC is addictive. In 2017 The Journal of Psychiatric Research published a study concluding that THC addiction is “significantly associated with suicide” (especially for teens and veterans). This is the science that drove a Washington state legislator and public health professional to conclude THC concentrates have created “one of the largest emerging health crises of our time.”
In a previous article, we had looked into this argument with the conclusion that there simply needs to be much more research into what designates “too much” THC. Most can agree with a need for regulation, but where those numbers reside is up to debate. The author of the Denver Post article also backs this opinion, concluding that whatever the number, we simply follow the science.
Vermont, for instance, has created a cap of flower at 30% THC and concentrates at 60%. It will be fascinating watching this unfold and see the results come in over time.
Read full article at The Denver Post
New York, NY – This morning Governor Cuomo announced changes to his legalization proposal in a press release. The full bill text with the 30-day amendments has not yet been publicly released. Statement from Melissa Moore, New York State Director of the Drug Policy Alliance and member of Start SMART NY Coalition (Sensible Marijuana Access […]
New York, NY – Today, the Drug Policy Alliance announced the launch of a major new initiative—Uprooting the Drug War—with the release of a series of reports and interactive website that aim to expose the impact of the war on drugs beyond arrest and incarceration. The project is designed to engage activists across sectors and […]
This Presidents Day, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), along with a coalition of business groups and criminal justice reform advocates, is calling upon President Joe Biden to follow through on his campaign commitment to expunge the criminal records of those with non-violent marijuana convictions.
The post NORML Calls On President Biden To Pardon Non-Violent Federal Marijuana Offenses appeared first on NORML.
New Mexicans are Clear that Repairing Harm of Prohibition is Non-Negotiable Santa Fe, NM – With the New Mexico House and Human Services Committee Voting in Favor of Cannabis Legalization today, Emily Kaltenbach, Senior Director for Resident States and New Mexico for the Drug Policy Alliance, released the following statement: “Cannabis legalization moves forward in […]
SB 2765 would only take effect if the Supreme Court strikes down Initiative 65. Seventy-three percent of voters decided in favor of I-65 in November.
The post Mississippi: Lawmakers Advance Alternative Medical Marijuana Proposal appeared first on NORML.
“These cynical efforts to undermine and delay the enactment of these voter-approved measures is an affront to the very constituents that these lawmakers are in office to serve.”
The post South Dakota: Governor Announces Intent to Delay Implementing Voter-Initiated Medical Marijuana Access Law appeared first on NORML.
