Tag Archives: marijuana

Politico reports: House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) told reporters on Wednesday he would support allowing Washington D.C. to tax and regulate legalized marijuana “if that is what the city wants.” The comments came after a meeting with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser largely centered around rising crime concerns in the nation’s capital. However, the rhetoric is significant as congressional …

Gothamist reports: New Jersey transportation officials have posted quirky, holiday-themed highway safety warnings for drivers, even though the federal government ordered the state to remove similar signs last year. “Only Rudolph should be lit, drive high get DUI,” one of this year’s digital signs reads. “Reckless drivers are worse than fruitcake,” says another. In 2022, the Federal Highway Administration told …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: The pungent, sticky sweet smell of marijuana is the first thing visitors notice when they enter the 750,000-square-foot grow house that Trulieve built east of Tallahassee. Giant holding tanks filled with water are injected with a proprietary blend of fertilizer and sent on their way through a network of pipes to feed the fledgling plants, which …

The Associated Press reports: Ohio voters approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law. Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes. The new law will allow adults 21 and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces …

Via email from hate group leader Tony Perkins: On Monday, Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) along with 14 other senators and congressmen sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) demanding that it deny the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) request to reschedule marijuana as a lower-risk Schedule III drug. The letter comes as a growing chorus of …

Via press release from GOP Rep. Chuck Edwards: U.S. Congressman Chuck Edwards (NC-11) today introduced the Stop Pot Act to withhold certain federal funding from states and tribes that permit the use of recreational marijuana. The Stop Pot Act will withhold 10 percent of federal highway funds for governments that violate federal law under the Controlled Substances Act, which prohibits …

The Washington Post reports: The nation’s top health agency is recommending easing restrictions on marijuana in what could portend a landmark shift in federal policy on cannabis. The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration that marijuana be reclassified as a lower-risk, Schedule III controlled substance. Marijuana is currently a Schedule I controlled substance, …

Florida Politics reports: During an event in Iowa, Ron DeSantis reiterated his opposition to legalized cannabis Saturday. The Governor worries that young children would be able to access the herb, and that it possibly could be adulterated with fentanyl. “Yeah, I would not legalize,” DeSantis said. “I think what’s happened is this stuff is very potent now. “I think it’s …

Cincinnati’s CBS affiliate reports: Ohio voters will decide in November if marijuana should be legal for recreational use. Sec. of State Frank LaRose [photo] announced Wednesday evening that the proposal to legalize weed gained enough valid signatures in their second go to make the ballot. The statute didn’t have enough valid signatures to make the ballot in July. The group, …

The Real Deal reports: A City law that demands landlords squash illegal weed shops went into effect on Monday. The enacted bill, from Queens Council member Lynn Schulman, will slap fines up to $10,000 on landlords who knowingly lease commercial space to unlicensed marijuana sellers, according to a press release. Weed sellers themselves get off a lot easier. They face …

Politico reports: A proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) would end cannabis testing for members of the military — both when they’re enlisting and accepting a commission. If the amendment is included in the NDAA, H.R. 2670 (118), it would address a growing issue in the U.S. military: the increasing number of recruits …

Courthouse News reports: The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Matt Haney [photo], a Democrat from San Francisco, would allow cannabis retail stores to sell prepackaged food and beverages and permit cannabis businesses with an on-site consumption license to sell food prepared at the location. The bill would also allow on-site consumption license holders to host live music and performances. The bill …

Gothamist reports: New York City officials are pushing a new method for cracking down on illegal weed shops in the city: going after the landlords. More than half of the City Council’s members are sponsoring a bill that will lead to serious penalties for people who knowingly lease space to unlicensed sellers of marijuana, tobacco and other controlled substances. Last …

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports: Minnesota became the 23rd state in the country to legalize recreational marijuana for adults after Gov. Tim Walz signed the measure into law on Tuesday. The bill signing marked a watershed moment for Minnesota, which legalized medical cannabis about a decade ago but had seen efforts to allow recreational marijuana repeatedly stall at the state Capitol. …

Florida Politics reports: Attorney General Ashley Moody says a recreational marijuana amendment should not appear on the ballot next year. The state’s top legal officer submitted her assessment in writing to the Florida Supreme Court. Safe & Smart Florida, the force behind the marijuana amendment, had 786,747 signatures already certified as of May 15. The effort must gather 891,523 valid …

The Huffington Post reports: A Republican lawmaker in Minnesota argued that “two ounces” of marijuana was the equivalent of “three joints” during remarks as the Minnesota Senate voted Friday on whether to legalize recreational use of cannabis. State Sen. Warren Limmer criticized a number of portions of the bills. “Now I’ve seen some of the videos of DEA raids, some …

Gothamist reports: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing steep fines for stores selling weed without a license. The move comes as pressure builds to crack down on unlicensed cannabis shops – something other city and state officials have struggled to do effectively. The governor introduced legislation in Albany Wednesday that would clarify and expand the authority of the state …

Omaha’s CBS affiliate reports: Oklahoma voters rejected a state question Tuesday to allow for the recreational use of marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors. Oklahoma would have become the 22nd state to legalize adult use of cannabis and join conservative states like Montana and Missouri that have approved similar proposals in recent …

Axios reports: Twitter on Wednesday updated its advertising policies to allow cannabis ads to run on its service in states where cannabis is legal, in accordance with federal guidelines. The policy represents the biggest step forward that any major tech company has made toward allowing cannabis advertising where it’s legal in the U.S. Twitter will only accept cannabis advertisers that …

The New York Daily News reports: Mayor Adams and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg put illegal cannabis shops on notice Tuesday that they will face eviction if they continue to break the law. Adams, Bragg and several other top elected officials announced that prosecutors will now rely on a decades-old public nuisance law to evict businesses selling marijuana without a license. …