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Hemp News, Laws & Product Updates

A curated news hub focused on hemp regulation and policy changes, cannabinoids (CBD/Delta-8/Delta-9/hemp-derived THC), lab testing and COAs, product safety, brands, and industry trends.

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https://hightimes.com/

Munchies Explained Scientifically in New Study

A new study has found scientific evidence and further explanation for why cannabis increases and stimulates the appetite, more commonly known as “the munchies.” The study, championed by researchers at Washington State University and published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports was performed by administering vaporized cannabis sativa to mice, after which they scanned their brains using technology similar to an MRI machine to see how the mice reacted.  According to a press release, the researchers found that a particular set of neural cells in the hypothalamus of the mice, an area of the brain most associated with maintaining homeostasis in the body, was activated in the mice who were exposed to cannabis. The same neural cells did not appear to become activated in the mice who were not exposed to the cannabis vapor.  “When the mice are given cannabis, neurons come on that typically are not active,” said Jon Davis, an assistant professor of neuroscience at WSU and corresponding author on the paper. “There is something important happening in the hypothalamus after vapor cannabis.” Now, this is not the first study to associate cannabis use with hypothalamus stimulation. A 2015 study published in Nature found that activation of a certain cannabinoid receptor in the brain which in turn regulates a group of neurons that normally suppress appetite is believed to be what causes cannabis to increase hunger in its users. A 2019 study by UC Davis built on this knowledge by introducing vaporized cannabis as opposed to injected, as was used by most cannabis-related studies before it. The most recent study at Washington State University attempted to build on that knowledge in a bit of a different way.  The exact methods used by Davis and the Washington State University researchers were described in Scientific Reports using the following language:  “To determine how cannabis vapor affects temporal feeding patterns, we housed rats in metabolic chambers with real-time automated feeding measurement of meal frequency and meal size following exposure to air or a behaviorally characterized dose of cannabis vapor known to elicit feeding behavior,” the study said. “Further analysis of meal patterns revealed that cannabis vapor exposure promoted increased meal frequency and reduced meal size throughout the evaluation period, suggesting that inhaled cannabis may provoke motivational components of feeding.” Beyond the more-or-less direct association that inhaling cannabis vapor tends to increase appetite, the research team involved in this study took it a step further. They used what’s known as a “chemogenetic” technique, which according to the National Library of Medicine is “technique that allows for the reversible remote control of cell populations and neural circuitry via systemic injection or microinfusion of an activating ligand.” This is a very scientific and fancy way of saying that certain groups of cells can be turned on and off like a “light switch” as Washington State University described it.  This light switch technique was used to essentially block the effects of cannabis from the group of neurons that were lit up in the mice, scientifically known as Agouti Related Peptide (AgRP) neurons. Essentially, what they found was that cannabis increased appetite in mice who did not have these neurons turned off and had no effect on appetite when the neurons were blocked.  The researchers also found that cannabis managed to stimulate appetite in the mice without inhibiting their ability to move around, referred to as “locomotor activity.” “Our data demonstrate that inhalation of cannabis vapor augments the appetitive phases of feeding behavior as evidenced by an increase in the number of meals consumed, a decrease in meal size and enhanced effort-based responding for palatable food,” the study said. “Notably, these behavioral observations occurred in the absence of reduced locomotor activity, and in the presence of increased energy expenditure.” If all of that scientific jargon didn’t really make sense to you, Davis best summarized the findings of this study in the following, very succinct statement: “We now know one of the ways that the brain responds to recreational-type cannabis to promote appetite,” Davis said.
https://hightimes.com/

Ukraine MMJ Bill Unblocked After Repeal Effort Fails To Receive Needed Votes

After hitting a brief snag late last year, a bill approved by Ukraine’s unicameral legislature in December to legalize medical cannabis in the country appears to be back on track. The delay occurred when the opposing Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party and its leader, Yulia Tymoshenko, announced the party’s intention to appeal to the Constitutional Court to cancel the legislative vote, citing that “the amendments to the bill were considered in a half-empty chamber.” Tymoshenko, who has been vocally opposed to the reform measure, also said that the bill would legalize “drug trafficking and the drug mafia” in Ukraine, while European Solidarity co-chair Irina Herashchenko argued that the bill’s text focused on industrial production and lacked clear rules around state regulation. This week, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, unblocked the bill after the resolution failed, earning only 25 of the required 226 votes to repeal the parliament’s adoption of the law. The bill was then formally sent to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s desk on Wednesday, who has publicly voiced his support. According to a Ukrinform report, the announcement was first made on Tuesday by MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak from the Holos party on Telegram. Zhelezniak announced the status of the bill alongside a number of other recent legislative updates. The Verkhovna Rada adopted the law on Dec. 21, regarding regulation of “the circulation of cannabis plants for medical, industrial purposes, research, and scientific and technical activities to create conditions for expanding patient access to the necessary treatment of oncological diseases and post-traumatic stress disorders obtained due to war.” The next day, the Batkivshchyna registered a draft resolution with the parliament to cancel the decision, though registering a draft resolution of that nature doesn’t allow the Verkhovna Rada chair and the president to sign the adopted legislative act. Rather, the document’s signing was able to be unblocked after the draft resolution was rejected. Opponents previously tried to block the bill’s progress after introducing almost 900 amendments to the bill, dubbed “spam” amendments by critics, in November. The measure to legalize medicinal cannabis looks to license the economic activity for hemp cultivation for medical, industrial and scientific purposes. Additionally, the law aims to help Ukrainian war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), along with providing relief to those with cancer and other serious illnesses. The legislation only explicitly references that it will “create conditions for expanding the access of patients to the necessary treatment of oncological diseases and post-traumatic stress disorders obtained as a result of war,” with no mention of other qualifying conditions. The bill would also move cannabis from strictly prohibited in the current List I to availability for medical use with prescription under List II of Ukraine’s drug code.  According to lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak, the distribution of cannabis for recreational use will still be a crime, and the production of cannabis medicines will be “strictly controlled” at all stages. Only those with an electronic medical cannabis prescription would be allowed to obtain cannabis-based medicines. The measure received support from Ukraine’s Health Ministry, which called the move a “historic decision.” “Thank you on behalf of the medical community for the decision made, because medical cannabis is a medicine for millions of people: cancer patients, people with multiple sclerosis, patients receiving palliative care, etc.,” the Health Ministry’s translated statement reads. In June 2023, Zelenskyy emphasized the need for the reform specifically highlighting the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and, more broadly, those Ukrainians who may benefit from cannabis-based medicines. “All the world’s best practices, all the most effective policies, all the solutions, no matter how difficult or unusual they may seem to us, must be applied in Ukraine so that Ukrainians, all our citizens, do not have to endure the pain, stress and trauma of war,” Zelenskyy said in a statement. “We must finally honestly legalize cannabis-based medicines, relevant scientific research, and controlled Ukrainian production for everyone who needs it.”
https://hightimes.com/

NCAA Division Proposes Removing Cannabis From Banned Substances List

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)—the organization that administers intercollegiate athletics in the U.S.—is making drastic changes to its drug policy for cannabis. Changes were announced at the 2024 NCAA Convention that took place on Jan. 10-13, in Phoenix, Arizona. NCAA Division I proposed ending the practice of drug testing athletes for cannabinoids. The NCAA released a news release on Jan. 10, announcing that Division I is proposing removing cannabis from its drug-testing policy and will be voting on implementing the change shortly. The White Mountain Independent reports that during the NCAA Convention on Jan. 11, a group of panelists discussed the recent cannabinoid drug testing policy updates and what needs to be done in order to incorporate those changes. NCAA Division I leaders decided cannabis is not in fact a performance-enhancing drug and that the organization’s drug testing policy should focus on other drugs instead. “Cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug, and we determined that the drug testing conducted at NCAA championships should focus on substances that impact competitive outcomes,” said Pat Chun, athletics director at Washington State and chair of the Strategic Vision and Planning Committee. “To be clear, this does not mean that NCAA members condone or promote use of cannabinoids. However, rather than focus on testing and subsequently penalizing student-athletes who use cannabis, NCAA efforts should focus on a harm reduction strategy, similar to substances like alcohol.” The three panelists are members of the Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS), which recommended in September 2023 that each NCAA division introduce and adopt legislation to remove cannabinoids from the association’s banned list. In order for cannabis to be removed from the NCAA substance list, Divisions I, II, and III must introduce and adopt legislation.The CSMAS committee suggested that NCAA Divisions I, II, and III remove cannabinoids from the NCAA’s banned drug list. Beyond the obvious tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this would also remove less common cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN). Division I programs offer the highest level of competition between the NCAA’s three divisions and is the hardest division to get into and compete in. The recommendation dates back to a December 2022 Summit on Cannabinoids in College Athletics, which concluded that “the consensus opinion that cannabis is not a performance-enhancing drug and that a harm reduction approach to cannabis is best implemented at the school level,” the NCAA wrote in a June 16, 2023 news release. In February 2022, CSMAS slowly recognized the need for change, raising the THC testing threshold from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter and proposing a new penalty structure that incorporated treatment and education plans. “One of the things we know about college students specifically is that treatment and education strategies work better than penalties,” CSMAS member Nadine Mastroleo, an associate professor in the department of psychology and faculty athletics representative at New York’s Binghamton University. “The last piece of this is really testing within a campus or at the local level. That is the best approach to using and finding individuals who actually might have a problem and could really use some support to reduce their use and to recover from whatever problems they may be having from that.” According to a 2023 NCAA Student-Athlete Health and Wellness Study, 43% of college athletes are using marijuana in states where it is legal for recreational and medical use. “Harm-reduction interventions, meaning meeting individuals where they are, are likely to be more effective in reducing cannabis-related health consequences than abstinence-only approaches,” said CSMAS member Deena Casiero, the senior associate athletics director for sports medicine and the head team physician at the University of Connecticut. “We know that randomly testing small groups of individuals at championships is not likely going to be as effective a deterrent as educating athletes about what this substance is actually doing to their bodies. She continued, “How is this affecting your injury risk? How is this affecting your recovery? How is this affecting your performance? How is it affecting your sleep, your mental health? Pushing those agendas are going to be way more effective than randomly testing a group of individuals and then punishing them when they test positive.” “So for those of you that will be getting emails from your student-athletes’ parents, we will hopefully be offering the information to you to help with that conversation,” Mastroleo said. “What we’re going to create ideally will be a really good toolkit of opportunities to really help with dispelling myths and also letting them know that we are out there for the athletes. Will we help everybody walk away from it? No, but I mean, how many of us can actually make everybody happy?” A vote is scheduled to formally implement the drug testing policy change for Division I colleges is expected in June.
https://hightimes.com/

California Agency Announces Illegal Cannabis Seizure Data from 2023

On Jan. 16, the California Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) released its first annual report of money, illegal cannabis plants/products, and firearms obtained in its seizure operations last year. In total for 2023, which was the UCETF’s first full year of operation, the task force stated that it has seized more than $312 million in illegal cannabis. Additionally, it reported that it also seized 189,854.02 pounds of cannabis, eradicated 317,834 cannabis plants, served 188 search warrants, seized 119 firearms, and seized $223,809 of money on-site. According to the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) Director Nicole Elliot, the UCETF has made some serious progress in eliminating illegal operations. “California is effectively decreasing the illegal cannabis market by leveraging the strengths and knowledge of over 20 state agencies and departments alongside our local and federal partners. The UCETF’s progress in 2023 reflects California’s ongoing commitment to disrupting and dismantling illegal cannabis activity,” said Elliott. “I look forward to working with all our partners in 2024 to build on this progress.” California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham provided a statement detailing the importance of eliminating illegal cannabis cultivation and processing operations. “Since its inception in late 2022, California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce has hit the ground running with year-round operations that spanned from the Oregon state line all the way down to San Diego,” Bonham said. “We’ve sent a strong message that illegal operations that harm our natural resources, threaten the safety of workers, and put consumer health at risk have no place in California. While there is more work to be done, we made progress last year and I look forward to going further alongside our county, state, and federal partners.” The UCETF was created when Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the creation of a task force in June 2022, through a combined effort of the DCC, CDFW, and Homeland Security Division of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. By October 2022, the UCETF immediately took action, and early totals showed that it destroyed 11,260 illegal cannabis plants and 5,237 pounds of flower, with a combined total of $15 million. “California is taking immediate and aggressive action to stop illegal cannabis and strengthen the burgeoning legal market throughout the state,” said Newsom. “By shutting down illegal grow sites and applying serious consequences to offenders, we are working to curtail the criminal organizations that are undercutting the regulated cannabis market in California.” The task force’s Q4 numbers include $22,294,571 worth of cannabis products seized (with 13,393.65 pounds of product), 20,320 pounds of cannabis seized, served 24 search warrants, seized 26 firearms, and seized $35,195 in cash during on-site warrant investigations. In a breakdown by county, the UCETF seized the most cannabis in Alameda County ($77,828,338.50), followed by Siskiyou County ($70,747,875), Mendocino County ($48,073,113), Los Angeles County ($28,317,139.69), and Kern County ($21,578,438). Also in October 2022, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), had seized and destroyed more than one million cannabis plants that year across 22 counties. “The illicit marketplace outweighs the legal marketplace,” Bonta said. “It’s upside down and our goal is complete eradication of the illegal market.” He also announced that a campaign called the Eradication and Prevention of Illicit Cannabis (EPIC) would help target illegal cannabis labor and environmental violations as well. “The California Department of Justice’s CAMP task force works tirelessly each year to eradicate illegal grows and reclaim our public lands, but shutting down these grows is no longer enough,” Bonta explained. “With the transition to EPIC, we’re taking the next step and building out our efforts to address the environmental and economic harms and labor exploitation associated with this underground market.” In 2023, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 turned 50 years old. As the effort continues to try to preserve the nation’s many native creatures, agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (FWS) have begun to put the spotlight on how illegal cannabis operations are harming the lives and environments of endangered animals. The California Spotted Owl is one such creature. “Management or cleanup activities that remove toxicants and other chemicals from trespass cannabis cultivation sites in California spotted owl habitat,” FWS explained last year. “Cleanup of these sites may involve activities that may cause localized, short-term disturbance to California spotted owls, as well as require limited removal of some habitat structures valuable to California spotted owls (e.g., hazard trees that may be a suitable nest site).” The California Department of Fish and Wildlife also announces annual data collected from discovering and eradicating illegal cannabis operations in an effort to preserve waterways and natural animal habitats. This includes the preservation of a wide variety of species, such as southern torrent salamanders, coastal tailed frogs, steelhead and coho salmon, which rely on access to clear, cold water that is often polluted or diverted to illegal cannabis cultivation sites.
https://hightimes.com/

NYC Overdose Prevention Center Saves Hundreds of Lives in First Year

New York City’s overdose prevention centers saved hundreds of lives in a single year of operation, according to a recent report. The findings of the baseline report from OnPoint, the operator of two centers in New York City, show that staff intervened 636 times in the year studied, averting overdose deaths and other associated harms. OnPoint operates overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in the New York City neighborhoods of Washington Heights and East Harlem. Under the OPC model, people are offered a place to use drugs in a supervised setting. The model allows trained personnel to be immediately present at the onset of concerning symptoms and able to intervene within seconds.  “As the overdose crisis, driven by the increasingly potent, unpredictable drug supply, claims over 100,000 lives every year nationwide, this groundbreaking report underscores the urgency around replicating this model and opening OPCs across the country,” justice reform group the Drug Policy Alliance said last month in a statement about the report. The baseline report from OnPoint, which was released by the nonprofit last month, details the operations of the two OPCs over one year. The findings of the report show that proximity and proper training were key factors in preventing overdose deaths and other harms associated with drug use. OnPoint launched operations in November 2021 and its centers are the only locally approved OPCs in the United States. The OPC model also includes other interventions to protect the health of people who use drugs, including referrals to housing assistance organizations, drug treatment and other services. At OnPoint, one in five participants was referred to housing, detox, treatment, primary care or employment support. A full 100% of people who wanted detox or inpatient substance use treatment were connected with outside providers. “The findings from OnPoint NYC’s baseline report illustrate the effectiveness of safe, responsive spaces in preventing overdose death, improving health outcomes, and facilitating connections to other services and supports,” said Toni Smith, New York State director at Drug Policy Alliance. “Amid efforts to punish and arrest people who use drugs, these findings, along with accounts from participants, community members, and government officials, can serve as evidence that OPCs can and should be supported across the country as a life-saving tool in fighting our nation’s overdose crisis.” A total of 2,841 individual participants used OnPoint’s OPCs 48,533 times during the year covered by the baseline report. When OPC staff intervened, 83% of overdoses were resolved without the use of the drug naloxone. Instead, staff utilized agitation, oxygenation and close monitoring strategies, which are proven to be easier on the body. Emergency services were called only 23 times out of the nearly 50,000 visits. The sites also have other positive impacts on the communities they serve. Before the OPCs began services, the NYC Parks Department reported collecting an average of 13,000 used syringes each month from Highbridge Park, which is across the street from the Washington Heights location. In the month following the opening of the OPCs, the number of syringes collected from the park dropped to about 1,000. OnPoint’s report was released in conjunction with a series of videos that highlight the organization’s work and impact on the people who rely on the medical care and comprehensive services provided at the OPCs. “I’m from Washington Heights. I slept in a park for like four years. Nobody don’t see you for who you are, you’re just a homeless person,” said Shawn, an OnPoint participant featured in one of the videos. “[A staff member] talked me into coming here… and I got the best treatment. I got treated like I was human. This place actually sees you… they try to help you the most. That’s a good feeling… being a part of society.” The series of videos provides a look at the participants, the OPC model and the knowledge gained over the two years of the centers’ operation and “illustrate the impact that OPCs could have across the country with the support of state and federal government,” the Drug Policy Alliance wrote. “At times I struggled, but throughout the process, it gave me opportunity and it gave me the resources I needed by not judging me throughout my addiction to heroin and crack cocaine,” said Brian, a former OPC Participant featured in another video. “[There] wasn’t a lot of resources out there but the OPC, and they really gave me the opportunity to transition, to being sober and met me where I was at, and I’m very appreciative to that.”
https://hightimes.com/

Arkansas Initiative Would Ease MMJ Program Restrictions, Introduce Rec Trigger Law

While Arkansas approved its medical cannabis initiative back in 2016, there are still a number of limitations when compared to other states that have made similar moves.  For example, patients can only purchase up to 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis in a 14-day period, patients under 21 cannot consume herbal forms of cannabis, dispensaries cannot provide cannabis-infused foods or drinks with more than 10mg of THC and home cultivation is not allowed, among other limitations. With a newly proposed constitutional amendment, a cannabis industry group is looking to loosen some of the state’s current limitations. On Friday, Arkansans for Patient Access said it was submitting the ballot language for the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 to Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, as reported by the Arkansas Advocate. “The goal of this ballot proposal is to reaffirm and build upon Amendment 98 to better serve patients,” said Amy Martin, owner of The Greenery dispensary in Fort Smith. “This amendment reflects a commitment to the principles established by the state’s voters. It reduces barriers and streamlines processes so qualifying patients can access the medicines and treatment options that best serve them.” The ballot initiative introduces a number of changes to the current medical cannabis program.  If passed, it would allow patients and designated caregivers over the age of 21 to grow up to seven mature plants and seven younger plants. Currently, only doctors can grant patients medical cannabis cards, though the amendment would also allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners and pharmacists to do so.  It would also allow providers to grant medical cannabis cards based on any medical need, instead of being limited to the state’s current 18 qualifying conditions. Healthcare providers would also be allowed to conduct patient assessments via telemedicine. Additionally, the amendment would expand access to out-of-state residents and recognize patient cards from other states, along with allowing non-residents to obtain Arkansas medical cannabis cards. The initiative would also remove application fees for prospective patients seeking medical cannabis cards and increase the expiration dates for new patient cards from one to three years. Along with the proposed changes to the state’s current medical cannabis program, the proposal would also create a recreational cannabis trigger law. This comes in the midst of the Biden Administration’s ongoing consideration to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The trigger law would permit Arkansas adults to possess up to an ounce of cannabis should the federal government remove cannabis from the CSA or if cannabis possession is no longer considered a federal crime. The trigger provision would limit commercial growth and distribution to cultivation facilities and dispensaries currently licensed under the state’s medical cannabis law. Arkansas previously attempted to legalize recreational cannabis in 2022 through Issue 4, which still came with a number of strict limitations, though it was ultimately rejected by voters. Attorney David Couch drafted the state’s original Amendment 98 to legalize medical cannabis, and while he opposed the 2022 effort, he’s shown public support for this new initiative. Similarly, patient advocate Melissa Fults was against the 2022 measure but stands behind the new effort on behalf of Arkansans for Patient Access. The attorney general will have 10 business days to review the measure and ballot language before indicating whether or not it is fit to appear on the upcoming Arkansas ballot for voters this November. Should it be approved, canvassers have until July 5 to gather 90,704 signatures from registered voters, which would effectively qualify the initiative for the ballot.
https://hightimes.com/

Study Finds Field Drug Test False Positive Results Lead to Wrongful Arrests

Tens of thousands of people are wrongfully arrested for crimes based on a false positive result from a field drug test each year, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The research, which analyzed data available from public agencies across the country, found that the use of presumptive field tests in drug arrests is likely the largest known factor contributing to wrongful arrests and convictions in the United States. The research was conducted by the University of Pennsylvania Penn Carey Law School’s Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice, a national research and policy center created to foster structural improvements to the U.S. criminal legal system. The study analyzed survey data and national estimates of drug arrests to determine the impact of field drug tests on wrongful arrests, as well as their impact on subsequent prosecutions and criminal convictions. The study found that approximately 773,000 of the more than 1.5 field drug tests conducted in the United States each year are performed with color-based presumptive tests despite known reliability issues, including false positive results that incorrectly indicate the presence of controlled substances. Although the exact error rate for the tests has not been determined, the data suggests that about 30,000 people who do not possess drugs are falsely implicated by the tests each year. “Every year, tens of thousands of innocent Americans are arrested on the basis of $2.00 roadside drug test kits that are known to give false positives. Now, this landmark study by the Quattrone Center demonstrates the scope of the harm done by these inaccurate test kits, including the disproportionate impact to African Americans,” Des Walsh, founder of the Roadside Drug Test Innocence Alliance, said in a report from the Penn Carey School of Law. “Based on this study, we look forward to working with law enforcement and other interested parties to implement policies and adopt better testing techniques to substantially reduce the tragic number of innocent people arrested and convicted because of these false tests.” The report notes that the tests were originally adopted as only a preliminary test for the presence of controlled substances because of their unreliability and potential to return false positive results. However, the widespread use of the tests has negatively impacted the integrity of the legal system. Nearly 90% of prosecutors surveyed by the researchers said that guilty pleas are permitted in their jurisdictions without verification of a field test by an accredited toxicology lab.  “Presumptive field drug test kits are known to produce ‘false positive’ errors and were never designed or intended to provide conclusive evidence of the presence of drugs,” said Ross Miller, Quattrone Center assistant director and lead author of the report. “But in our criminal legal system, where plea bargaining is the norm and actual fact-finding by trial is exceedingly rare, these error-prone tests have become de facto determinants of guilt in a substantial share of criminal cases in the United States and, as a result, a significant cause of wrongful convictions.” About two-thirds (67%) of the drug labs in a national sample reported that they were not asked to verify the results of positive tests in cases resolved by a plea agreement. Nearly a quarter (24%) said they do not receive samples for testing when the results of a field test are available. When samples are received, nearly half (46%) of the labs surveyed do not conduct tests to confirm the field test if a guilty plea has already been entered in the case. The research also reveals racial disparities in the impact of false positive test results. The study found that a Black person is three times more likely than a white person to be arrested with a false positive from a field test. The research also suggests that the manufacturers of field test kits for drugs are not being transparent with law enforcement officials about the reliability of the tests. When the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) in Florida recently discovered that field-testing kits for cocaine had produced false positives, the agency immediately discontinued the use of the kits. When the owner of the cocaine test kit company used by JSO was asked about the false positives, he responded that this was not the first time they had false positives and that this is the “nature of the beast,” according to a policy brief from the Quatrone Center. In another interview, he stated, “I have no sense of the scale. I don’t know if it’s been one case or five. But I can’t imagine it’s horribly widespread.” The report recommended several policy changes to reduce the reliance on presumptive field drug tests and subsequent wrongful arrests and convictions. Recommendations include regular blind audits of cases using field tests to determine the error rate. The report also recommends that police cite and release people arrested for drug possession until a lab test can verify the results of a field test. The report also calls for confirmatory testing whenever a guilty plea is accepted. The researchers also recommended that the use of field drug tests be reduced or eliminated or that more accurate tests be used. “The relative volume of drug cases in criminal cases overall, combined with the widespread reliance on error-prone field testing in arrests, indicate that this is a significant and underexplored vector for wrongful convictions,” said Quattrone Center academic director and law professor Paul Heaton. “Law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the public all want an accurate criminal adjudication process. Reforming how presumptive tests are used could advance this shared goal.”
https://hightimes.com/

Tasmanian Hemp Business Owners Call on Government To Improve Regulations

Two Tasmanian hemp business owners are founders and operators of the island state’s hemp processing operations. Andi Lucas of the hemp processing facility X-Hemp and Tim Crow of Hemp Harvests proudly embrace the benefits of hemp, but in a recent interview with ABC News, both of them expressed the need for regulations to change. “I’m effectively being treated as though I’m dealing with some sort of narcotic when in actual fact it’s a crop like grain, or barley, or wheat,” said Lucas about the state of the industry. “I think we missed an opportunity, the rest of the world has the ability to utilize the whole … plant,” added Crow. In November 2023, the Tasmania government tabled the Industrial Hemp Amendment Bill 2023 in parliament. New regulations associated with the bill would have changed both the 2015 Industrial Hemp Act and the Industrial Hemp Amendment Regulations 2016 to free up restrictions encountered by people like Lucas and Crow. At the time, Jo Palmer, the Minister for Primary Industries and Water, explained that legislators are committed to improving the state’s hemp industry. “Proposed amendments will improve clarity, efficiency, and transparency for licensees,” Palmer said in a press statement. “It will also provide consistency with existing legislation in relation to police powers, the assessment of suitability of applicants, and definitions for fit and proper persons and responsible officers.” X-Hemp was founded by Andi Lucas (who is also the Tasmanian Hemp Association’s president). According to her website, X-Hemp is the only cannabis fiber processing mill in Tasmania, and one of only a few throughout all Australian states. “X-Hemp grows its own crops and works with our state’s licensed hemp farmers, converting the grain stubble left from the hemp seed harvest—which was previously being burned off as waste—into saleable products,” the company website states. “X-Hemp sells hemp for building materials, mulch for landscaping, bast for specialty paper production, and other outputs for alternative uses such as animal bedding.” Lucas told ABC about the benefits of hemp processing and hempcrete production. “Hempcrete as a building material is highly insulating, it’s non-combustible, so it actually won’t ignite,” Lucas said. “It’s fantastic for bushfire areas, that type of thing, it’s a very attractive option for people who are looking to build environmentally sustainable homes. Hemp basically sequesters carbon through the growth cycle of the plant and the building’s life cycle.” X-Hemp is making hempcrete to be used in the interior construction of the University of Tasmania’s (UTAS) forestry building, which was announced in January 2023. “We’re incredibly excited to be asked to supply material to a huge project that UTAS are building in Hobart and the old forestry building,” Lucas explained. “It’ll be the largest hempcrete building in the southern hemisphere and all of that hemp is being locally grown and processed in Tassie, which is amazing.” Crow founded Hemp Harvests, a hemp seed processing company which sells hemp seed hearts, hemp protein concentrate, and hemp seed oil. In the ABC interview, he explained that traveling in France and the Netherlands showed how hemp has truly become mainstream. “That’s where they produce fiber which is put into composites—BMW and Mercedes put them into car door panels.” He added that hemp insulation is more beneficial and takes less energy to create versus traditional methods of insulation, although it’s currently more expensive. He also explored the North American and Canadian hemp markets, specifically how they have evolved and expanded hemp production. “Now there’s a lot of investment going into using the fibers, including building materials—there’s people making natural insulation and flooring,” Crow said. When the Tasmanian Industrial Hemp Amendment Bill 2023 was shelved last November, the government stated that the industrial hemp industry could be worth $10 billion by 2050, and is an important contribution to help the state move toward sustainability. Overall, Australians have shown overwhelming support for cannabis in a variety of ways. A recent YouGov poll showed that 50% of Australians are in favor of legalizing a bill that would allow residents to grow up to six cannabis plants for personal use. The poll also showed that 54% of Australians support decriminalization, with 33% saying they do not support decriminalization, and 12% didn’t know. Last July, Australia became the first country in the world to allow doctors to prescribe psilocybin and MDMA therapy. It was a three-year process and decision by the Therapeutic Goods Administration that eventually led to moving psilocybin and MDMA from Schedule 9 substances to Schedule 8. If recreational cannabis were to be legalized throughout Australia, a May 2023 report shows that the industry could earn $243.5 million per year within the first five years. “This is the first time anyone has shown their working, and set out exactly how their figures were arrived at,” said Legalise Cannabis WA party leader Brian Walker. “On the spending side we’ve got stuff like your police—for chasing a cannabis crime—the courts and the corrective services for managing that. Altogether, that’s about $100 million per year.”
https://hightimes.com/

GOP-Backed Bill in Indiana Would Create Fund To Study Shrooms

A bill, introduced by GOP state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, would establish “the therapeutic psilocybin research fund,” which would be “administered by the Indiana department of health (state department), to provide financial assistance to research institutions in Indiana to study the use of psilocybin to treat mental health and other medical conditions,” according to the official text of the legislation. Additionally, the measure would require a “research institution that conducts a clinical study to prepare and submit a report to the interim study committee on public health, behavioral health, and human services, the state department, and the division of mental health and addiction.” According to the Evansville Courier & Press, the fund would subsidize research institutes to study whether psilocybin could make for an effective treatment for those with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, chronic pain and migraines, and it would “require the studies to prioritize veterans and first responders: groups with a higher likelihood to suffer from the above disorders, especially PTSD.” “Before taking part, participants would undergo mental evaluations, the bill states. After the studies wraps, researchers would then determine how mushrooms stack up against currently accepted treatments for the targeted issues,” the newspaper said. “They would then ship the results to an ‘interim study committee,’ as well as the state health department and the division of mental health and addiction.” The bill is the byproduct of the Indiana interim study committee on Public Health, Behavioral Health and Human Services, of which Charbonneau serves the chair. In the fall, the committee recommended that the Indiana legislature authorize a psilocybin pilot program.  According to Cannabis News, the committee was tasked in June with studying “a number of topics related to mental health matters, including psychedelic-assisted therapy.”  “Specifically, they were charged with studying alternative treatment options that had been given ‘breakthrough therapy’ status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and examining policies ‘enacted and under consideration in other states’ that allow psilocybin-assisted therapy ‘for veterans, first responders, and others experiencing mental illness,’” the outlet reported. Cannabis News said that the panel ultimately recommended that the legislature authorize “state research institutions ‘to conduct a pilot clinical study utilizing established therapeutic protocols as a starting point to explore the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of psilocybin assisted therapy in Indiana.’” Charbonneau said at the time that he had held discussions with both Indiana University Health and Purdue University about the research program. “I spoke to 150 pharmacy students at Purdue, and afterward had a chance to speak with the dean of the pharmacy program,” the lawmaker said, as quoted by Cannabis News. Charbonneau said that the dean texted Dr. Jerome Adams, a former United States surgeon general in the Trump administration who is now Presidential Fellow and the Executive Director of Purdue’s Health Equity Initiatives. “We’ve had a talk,” Charbonneau said at the time, regarding his conversations with the universities. “They’re interested in possibly moving forward, but that’s just a preliminary talk.” As the outlet Benzinga noted, the clock is ticking for the bill to be approved. The proposal was “filed as an emergency measure, meaning it would take effect immediately upon passage, which could come as early as this week,” according to Benzinga, noting that officials “would need to establish fund administration and application processes by July 1.” “While the bill creates the fund, it doesn’t initially allocate any money. Donations, gifts and state appropriations would fill its coffers. After completing research, the funded institutions must report their findings and recommendations to various entities, including the Department of Health and an interim study committee on health issues,” the outlet said. Psilocybin’s therapeutic benefits have long been touted by advocates, but the substance has only recently been championed by elected officials and policymakers. Emboldened by the shifting public opinion, activists have also tried to usher in reform themselves.  In California, a campaign to get a psilocybin proposal on the state’s ballot this year said this week that it had fallen short of that goal.  According to Marijuana Moment, this marked the “the third election cycle that Decriminalize California has made a play for the ballot, only to fall short amid what organizers say is a variety of complicating factors, including voter confusion over a failed legislative push for psychedelics decriminalization and separate reform campaigns also seeking to put their measures before voters.” “As exhausting as this process has been, we’ve learned some extraordinary techniques that we’re going to put into effect for something much larger than this as it was, because psychedelics was basically a delivery mechanism for a better society,” Ryan Munevar, campaign director of Decriminalize California, said. “That was the goal, at least.”
https://hightimes.com/

FDA Officials Recommend Reclassifying Pot Under Schedule III, How That Changes Everything

In a historic move Friday, officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in documents that they support reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III substance. This would make medical cannabis and the research supporting it legal at the federal level but still heavily regulated like hormone replacement therapy or ketamine. The 252-page document recommended to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that cannabis should be reclassified from a Schedule I to Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The documents start with a letter to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, which reads that “marijuana meets the findings for control in Schedule III.” The FDA’s Eight Factor Analysis (which are always the same) found cannabis “has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” and “is not an immediate precursor of another controlled substance.” Under section 21 U.S.C. 811(b) of the CSA, the eight factors that are determinative of control of the drug are the following:  Clearly cannabis has been deemed to have medical value, and the documents note that  43 U.S. jurisdictions are authorized to recommend the medical use of cannabis. It marks the first time that the FDA has recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) place cannabis in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Medical and adult-use cannabis laws across America are generally based on laws at the state and local levels, and they’ve always existed in discord with federal law. Keep in mind that Schedule III drugs are still heavily regulated and need prescriptions: Tylenol 3’s, ketamine, anabolic steroids, or testosterone. Schedule III substances are defined as drugs with a “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence,” with less abuse potential than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs, but more than Schedule IV. Under Schedule III, Internal Revenue Code 280E (IRC 280E) would no longer apply to cannabis businesses, so you’d see things like tax deductions. Rescheduling to Schedule III, however, will not legalize state-level cannabis programs. Several organizations and cannabis companies sent statements to High Times. The National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) applauded the historic acknowledgement that a federal agency has recommended cannabis be reclassified. The NCR announced that they have been instrumental in advocating for and informing the heads of the HHS in a memo, and the DEA in an open letter, as to the scientific facts and medical value of cannabis meriting its reclassification to at least Schedule III. They acknowledged, however, the limitations of the authority of HHS and DOJ when it comes to the CSA and urged the DEA to follow the scientific findings of HHS and the FDA in this process.  “A move to Schedule III would mean 280E no longer applies to regulated cannabis companies,” Saphira Galoob, Executive Director of the National Cannabis Roundtable, told High Times in an email. “Not only does this reduce the extreme tax burden currently faced by the industry, but it allows them to take advantage of critical tax credits on things like payroll and other routine businesses costs regularly used by other legal entities. Cannabis companies continue to face issues with access to capital and banking services, resulting in cash intense operations. The ability to reinvest more of their revenues in their operations, instead of a majority of all revenue going to taxes, will be extremely impactful for the regulated cannabis industry—particularly small and minority operators.” Other active players in the industry reacted as well, acknowledging both the pros and cons of Schedule III. “Health officials’ recommendation for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is a pivotal moment for our industry,” Wurk CEO Deborah Saneman told High Times. “The relentless efforts of the cannabis sector to destigmatize the plant have played a crucial role in challenging the long-standing unjust classification of cannabis. Despite facing various challenges, the cannabis industry has demonstrated resilience, adapting swiftly while upholding exceptional standards. As a leading player in the industry, Wurk remains committed to sustaining our position as the most dependable payroll, HR, and time-keeping platform in the market.”  “The recommendation to reclassify cannabis to a Schedule III substance is progress towards undoing generations of cannabis prohibition and a significant step in recognizing the plant’s medicinal and societal benefits,” Socrates Rosenfeld, co-founder and CEO of Jane Technologies, told High Times. “While this reclassification is not a ‘perfect’ solution, we will continue our mission until there is legal access around the world—and everyone in prison for cannabis is free. Still, this moment in history should be celebrated, and the end of cannabis prohibition has never felt closer to becoming a reality.”  “As the son of a convicted cannabis smuggler,  reading the full report from HHS (akin to a confession) that finally said the hard part out loud regarding the cannabis plants medicinal and societal value left me feeling both vindicated and excited for the future of cannabis reform,” Brady Cobb, a Washington, D.C. lobbyist and CEO of Sunburn Cannabis told High Times. “This is a groundbreaking step forward in the 70 plus year fight to end the ill fated war on the cannabis plant, and I eagerly await the DEA’s ruling to hopefully reschedule cannabis to schedule III. If that happens, this budding market will finally have a chance to operate in the sunshine with access to banking, U.S. financial services,  much needed tax reform and this move would serve as a springboard to much needed criminal justice reforms as well.” Last October 6, 2022, President Biden directed federal agencies to expeditiously consider reclassifying cannabis from the most restrictive category on the CSA schedule. Several organizations and businesses provided feedback on the FDA’s recent move. The move was partly spurred by attorney Matthew C. Zorn, who sued the federal officials after using a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to obtain the rescheduling memo. He’s done it before: In 2019, Dr. Sue Sisley of the Scottsdale Research Institute sued the DEA for blocking medical cannabis research. Two Texas-based attorneys, Shane Pennington and Zorn, took the case pro bono. NORML wrote that the DEA is essentially monopolizing cannabis research. Since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), the FDA, and the DEA have only allowed one man—Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly at the University of Mississippi—to grow cannabis for clinical studies.  On Aug. 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended to the DEA that cannabis be reclassified from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III. Schedule III would change everything, especially in terms of opening up the doors to cannabis research. Zorn first published the documents on his On Drugs blog on Friday. Before Friday, a highly redacted clip of the documents released to Zorn were released a month ago with a single page of it last October. The industry grappled with the pros and cons Schedule III would bring as pressure mounts on the DEA to act on the recommendations from the HHS and FDA.
https://hightimes.com/

eBay Fined Millions for Employees Who Sent Live Spiders, Cockroaches to Mass. Couple

Online retailer eBay will incur a multi-million-dollar court-ordered payout to avoid further criminal prosecution after eBay employees terrorized a Massachusetts couple who published a critical newsletter of the company. A court ruling handed down Thursday reported on by the Associated Press showed that eBay will pay $3 million dollars after employees in 2019 reportedly resorted to stalking and harassment of David and Ina Steiner who produced an online newsletter called ECommerceBytes. An eBay executive at the time described Ina Steiner and her reporting as a “biased troll who needs to get BURNED DOWN.” “EBay engaged in absolutely horrific, criminal conduct. The company’s employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell, in a petrifying campaign aimed at silencing their reporting and protecting the eBay brand,” acting Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Josh Levy said in an emailed statement to the Associated Press.  eBay employees reportedly sent the couple boxes of live spiders and cockroaches, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath and a book about coping with the loss of a spouse. In addition to this, the Steiner’s address was posted online with invitations for strangers to attend yard sales and parties and such. This was all in addition to somewhat less egregious tactics which included the Steiner receiving threatening messages and strange emails from random groups like an irritable bowel syndrome support group and the Communist Party of the United States.  Messages from eBay’s former CEO Devin Wenig and other leadership executives showed a coordinated campaign to harass the Steiners. For instance, about a half hour after the Steiners published an article about a lawsuit where eBay accused Amazon of stealing their vendors, court records showed that Wenig sent another eBay executive a message that said “If you are ever going to take her down … now is the time.”  eBay leadership has since changed hands and new CEO Jamie Iannone said in a written statement that the company has taken steps to prevent such bizarre events in the future.  “Since these events occurred, new leaders have joined the company, and eBay has strengthened its policies, procedures, controls and training,” Iannone. “EBay remains committed to upholding high standards of conduct and ethics and to making things right with the Steiners.” According to the Associated Press reporting, the court agreement reached Thursday imposed the maximum financial penalties possible in such a case and required an independent monitor to oversee company actions for three years to ensure compliance with federal law. Seven former employees pleaded guilty to criminal charges in relation to this case, including James Baugh, eBay’s senior director of safety and security at the time who was sentenced to five years in prison and David Harville, another former executive who was sentenced to two years.  The Steiners expressed disappointment that more executives were not criminally charged as they said the actions taken by eBay employees had a “damaging and permanent impact emotionally, psychologically, physically, reputationally, and financially.” “We strongly pushed federal prosecutors for further indictments to deter corporate executives and board members from creating a culture where stalking and harassment is tolerated or encouraged,” the Steiners said. The Steiners released a written statement on their website regarding the court ruling, a portion of which has been reproduced below: “As victims of despicable crimes meant to destroy our lives and our livelihood, we felt it was vital to do everything in our power to make sure such a thing never happened to anyone else. eBay’s actions against us had a damaging and permanent impact on us – emotionally, psychologically, physically, reputationally, and financially – and we strongly pushed federal prosecutors for further indictments to deter corporate executives and board members from creating a culture where stalking and harassment is tolerated or encouraged.” During sentencing of one of the eBay employees in 2022, Judge William G. Young said, “This is one of the most important cases upon which this Court has ever sat. This out-of-control group of which you were a central part is, if not stopped now and stopped completely, an extraordinary danger to our country. Make no doubt about it, the skills that you employed to go cyberstalking are an extreme danger, and when you put those skills to service of some large corporate entity with economic power to go after individuals and squash down their speech, we are all at risk. All of us.”
https://hightimes.com/

Two Navajo Tribe Members Charged for Operating Illegal Cannabis Cultivation in New Mexico

Two members of the Navajo Nation were charged by tribal prosecutors on Jan. 4 for illegal cultivation of cannabis on tribal land. According to the Navajo-Hopi Observer, which covered the news on Jan. 9, the case involved Dineh Benally (described as a person of business) and Farley BlueEyes (a farmer) who operated a grow operation “in and around” Shiprock, New Mexico. In 2020, a Navajo judge granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in an attempt to stop the farm from operating. At the time, Benally was charged with “interference with judicial proceedings,” according to the Navajo-Hopi Observer report. Benally’s attorney David Jordan, made claims that those interference charges were dismissed in December 2023, and that “It very much feels like harassment.” Benally told his attorney that he was growing hemp and provided no further comments. Authorities have been unable to locate BlueEyes, who doesn’t have a telephone listing, and no one has stepped up to represent them. One of the primary concerns about the farm’s intent has been the use of illegal labor. In 2020, police discovered Chinese immigrant workers trimming cannabis plants in a motel. Which prompted a raid on the farms and the destruction of approximately 250,000 plants. A group of those Chinese workers are now suing Benally, claiming that he brought them to New Mexico and forced them to trim for long hours. Benally previously held a license to cultivation in Torrance County, New Mexico as well under the name Native American Agricultural Development Company, but it was revoked last week alongside another farm called Bliss Farm (unrelated to Benally or the charges). According to Los Alamos Daily Post, the Native American Agricultural Development Company incurred eight violations, including “exceeding the allowable number of cannabis plants under the Cannabis Regulation Act, improper security measures, no chain of custody procedures, and ill-maintained grounds with trash and pests throughout.” Cannabis Control Division compliance officers found evidence of a recent harvest, but no such harvest was recorded in the state track and trace system. “The illicit activity conducted at both of these farms undermines the good work that many cannabis businesses are doing across the state,” said New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department Acting Superintendent Clay Bailey. “The excessive amount of illegal cannabis plants and other serious violations demonstrates a blatant disregard for public health and safety, and for the law.” Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren commented on the illegal activity. “Anyone coming into our communities who seeks to harm the [Navajo] Nation or our Navajo people will be held accountable under my administration, no matter who they are,” Nygren said. Benally ran for Navajo Nation President in 2018, which at the time he campaigned for the benefits of hemp growth and production, and a slogan that read “Let’s grow together.” In Northern California last July, Mendocino County law enforcement raided a cannabis cultivation operation on Round Valley Indian Tribe land and destroyed 113,361 plants on claims that it was operating illegally. The owner of the farm, Gary Cordova, responded by suing the sheriff’s department, claiming that he was operating legally and that the department trespassed on his land and violated his civil rights. According to a report by SFGate, tribal law requires law enforcement to contact tribal police before any raids occur, and before cannabis plants or products are destroyed. In this case, Mendocino County law enforcement did not notify the tribe before acting. Meanwhile, other tribal nations have also been taking advantage of the cannabis industry in other parts of the U.S. The Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe in South Dakota was the first tribe in the nation to legalize cannabis following a Department of Justice memo published back in 2014. Over time, more tribes began to see the potential of cannabis legalization. In 2020, the Ogala Sioux tribe in South Dakota began to discuss and vote for cannabis legalization, the Eastern Shoshone Native American tribe in Wyoming began to plan for medical cannabis, and both the Saint Regis Mohawk tribe in New York and the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan established their own respective partnerships with cannabis companies. Last July, the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota started selling recreational cannabis as of August 1, 2023. Red Lake Nation Tribal Secretary Sam Strong, referencing the benefits of cannabis to tackle opioid abuse, described the move to “not only to reduce harm, but to also bring in resources to help our people recover.” In September 2023, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina voted to legalize recreational cannabis on tribal land. The decision uniquely allowed the tribe to create the first legal dispensary in North Carolina, while both medical and recreational cannabis remain illegal. Most recently, the Oneida Indian Nation in New York officially opened its first dispensary across from the tribe’s casino last week.
https://hightimes.com/

Kent State University Will Offer Cannabis Certification Courses

Aspiring entrepreneurs and workers in Ohio’s upcoming legal recreational marijuana market have a new path to success with the launch of cannabis certification courses at Kent State University. Designed to give students a solid educational footing in the ins and outs of regulated adult-use cannabis, the first classes in Kent State’s cannabis certification program began this month. Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana late last year with the passage of Question 2, a ballot measure that passed with 57% of the vote. State lawmakers are currently debating how and when adult-use cannabis sales will begin in the state, with some legislators calling for a quick launch of recreational weed sales at existing medical marijuana dispensaries. Kent State is offering the new cannabis certification program to prepare workers and potential business owners to fill job openings and open new businesses as the industry expands to serve a recreational market. The program was developed in collaboration with Green Flower, a California-based company that specializes in developing cannabis education programs.  “This is an important opportunity for Kent State University to collaborate with a recognized private education provider for training related to the emerging cannabis industry,” Peggy Shadduck, Kent State’s vice president for regional campuses and dean of the College of Applied and Technical Studies, said in a statement from the university. “These on-demand online certificate programs will enable individuals to develop specialized knowledge and skills related to the cannabis industry at their own pace.” “Trained professionals are needed to fill the jobs that are being created now and that will be created in the future,” Shadduck added. Kent State’s cannabis training includes four different non-credit certification programs, each consisting of about six months of instruction. All classes are asynchronous and held online. The Cannabis Healthcare and Medicine Certificate educates healthcare professionals and retail workers so that they can give accurate and helpful information to medical marijuana patients. The Cannabis Agriculture and Horticulture Certificate trainers students who wish to gain employment in weed cultivation. The Business of Cannabis Certificate gives aspiring business owners and employees knowledge about the particulars of operating an enterprise in the regulated cannabis industry. The Cannabis Compliance and Risk Management Certificate is designed to train regulatory compliance professionals, who are responsible for ensuring businesses follow all relevant laws and regulations. Each program costs $2,950, with enrollment in the programs available online. Students who complete the program will receive a digital certificate and badge, as well as membership in a cannabis industry employer network. Benefits of membership in the network include virtual career events, priority for new job postings, and other networking opportunities, according to a release from the university cited by the Akron Beacon Journal.  Ohio’s medical marijuana program currently has about 179,000 patients, according to data from state cannabis regulators. According to the Vangst 2023 Jobs Report, which tracks cannabis industry employment trends by state and nationwide, Ohio’s legal medical marijuana industry grew by 24% last year, creating more than 1,300 new jobs in the state. “Even before legalization even took place, Kent State said this is an industry they wanted to help develop the new workforce,” said Max Simon, CEO of Green Flower. “If you want to play a role as an entrepreneur, a manager, or if you want to play a role servicing these businesses,” Simon told local news media. “I think the timing is perfect for this Kent State program. It’s six months, entirely online. And they will allow people to have an enormous leg up when this industry shapes up, which is planned for next summer.” Daniel Kalef, chief growth officer at Green Flower, said Kent State is one of the first nonprofit universities in Ohio to offer a cannabis certification program. “There’s been a tremendous response already,” he said. “More than 40 students have enrolled already after launching two weeks ago. We talked to a lot of schools. Kent State was tremendous. They understood it could be controversial, but they understood the need in the industry.” Kalef noted that with cannabis still a federally illegal substance, businesses are not allowed to order products produced outside of Ohio. Because of the ban on interstate cannabis commerce, production availability and selection may be limited when the regulated recreational market opens in the state. “If I sell anything in a dispensary in Ohio, I have to have everything grown and made in Ohio,” he said. “I can’t get marijuana from Kentucky or gummies from Illinois. … It’s a complicated process to take a plant to turn it into something else.” Last year’s passage of Question 2 made Ohio the 24th state to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. And as more states take the same step, the regulated cannabis industry will continue to grow. “There are over half a million people working in legal cannabis today [nationwide],” Kalef said. “With the state of Ohio, this will grow even more.”
https://hightimes.com/

NASA Clears Elon Musk’s SpaceX of Suspected Drug Use

After a major media outlet sounded the alarm about Elon Musk’s suspected psychedelic use, officials at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were called in, but quickly cleared the billionaire’s company of wrongdoing. This is just the latest round of NASA safety reviews of SpaceX after a series of pot- and psychedelic-related stunts by Musk. Thanks to a Jan. 6 explosive, snitchy report in The Wall Street Journal about Elon Musk’s alleged rap sheet of drug use, including ketamine, LSD, cocaine, MDMA, and shrooms, NASA was forced to investigate. The Wall Street Journal raised concern about Musk’s “mental-health issues” in its report, supposedly linking it to psychedelic drug use in the workplace. Business Insider reports that the WSJ revealed that some executives at SpaceX said they were troubled by Musk’s erratic behavior at a 2017 all-hands meeting when he allegedly “slurred his words and rambled for around 15 minutes.” Two days later, SpaceX released a video recording of one of its all-hands meetings from the same year at X. It’s not clear if that’s the same meeting, but it was obviously posted as a response to the WSJ story. In SpaceX’s video of the 2017 all-hands meeting, Musk stumbles over his words, and in one instance, he confused the day for Friday instead of Tuesday and announced incorrect timing for a series of SpaceX launches. SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwellb corrected him twice in the video. But in the video, he explained that he was deprived of sleep. “Sorry, I’m like slurring my words and I want to try to enunciate my words,” Musk says at another point. “Sorry, I got almost no sleep last night, brain’s not working properly.” Musk slammed The Wall Street Journal on X, tweeting, “After that one puff with Rogan, I agreed, at NASA’s request, to do 3 years of random drug testing. Not even trace quantities were found of any drugs or alcohol.  “The Wall Street Journal is not fit to line a parrot cage for bird.” It’s not the first time the publication has come after him for the same reason: The Wall Street Journal reported in a juicy article last July that Musk was taking ketamine. “The agency does not have evidence of non-compliance from SpaceX on how the company addresses the drug- and alcohol-free workforce regulations,” the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said Thursday in a statement. “We expect our commercial partners to meet all workplace safety requirements in the execution of those missions and the services they provide the American people.” Since buying Twitter, Musk changed its name to X, changed the concept of verified accounts with a blue check mark, and reinstated controversial accounts such as Donald Trump’s account, or suspected Neo Nazi accounts. Most of these controversies surrounding drug use can be traced back to a single incident nearly six years ago, when NASA and government officials lost their minds after he smoked a blunt on camera. Musk shared a blunt with Joe Rogan on his show in 2018, shocking Tesla investors in the process. The high-profile smoke session was live streamed via YouTube on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Musk also reportedly sipped whiskey during the recording of Rogan’s podcast, which included conversation about luxury watches, artificial intelligence, and Mars. Rogan and Musk had been talking for about two hours when the show’s host pulled out a blunt to smoke, explaining that it was “marijuana inside of tobacco,” according to media reports. “I think I tried it once,” Musk replied. Before taking a hit, Musk clarified with Rogan that he would not be breaking the law. “I mean, it’s legal, right?” he asked. High Times’ Jimi Devine asked if that was the most expensive blunt of all time—given the safety review SpaceX was forced to undergo because of the blunt. NASA ended up paying SpaceX $5 Million to conduct the review, and it was the first time it’s been reported that taxpayers footed the bill for it. Boeing, SpaceX’s rivals in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program outsourced trips to the space station so the agency can focus its time on more distant efforts like Mars, were also forced to go through a review. The Washington Post reported last fall that the reviews would take months and involve hundreds of interviews that would dive into the workplace culture at SpaceX and Boeing.  Musk also tweeted last year that the test flight of SpaceX’s highly anticipated Starship rocket—eventually en route to the moon and Mars—was delayed from its original launch date on April 19, 2023, and rescheduled for a new day, April 20. It’s the second time he’s joked about the holiday on social media. On August 7, 2018, Musk tweeted he was mulling over taking Tesla private, quoting a price of $420 per share for the buyout.
https://hightimes.com/

The Winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2023

Many of Massachusetts’ most exquisite cannabis products are smoked or consumed, but few are chosen.  Cannabis Cups showcase the best cannabis products around, and the ones that really stood out rose to the top. The final results are astounding, and we’re proud to announce that Massachusetts is home to cannabis that’s better than ever. Last year, 2023 rang in the third year that we’ve hosted our High Times Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition in the Bay State. And to kick off 2024, we’re announcing the final winners.  Massachusetts is home to one of High Times’ most electrified and passionate crowds we’ve ever encountered among all Cannabis Cup events. We collected product submissions last October, representing the state’s best cannabis, via our primary retailer, Nova Farms. Nova Farms has dispensary locations in Attleboro, Framingham, and Dracut, Massachusetts, as well as locations in other states. The brand grows its own cannabis on a 90-acres farm in Sheffield, Massachusetts—one of the largest outdoor cannabis farms in New England. Other exclusive retail partners that helped to host People’s Choice Edition 2023 include RISE, Native Sun Cannabis, Caroline’s Cannabis, NETA, Northeast Alternatives, Harbor House Collective, Affinity Cannabis, Rooted In, reLeaf Alternative Dispensary, Health Circle, The Botanist, and more. Thank you all. Amid the holidays, on Dec. 24, Cannabis Cup Judges began sampling products and recorded their thoughts and ratings for each one, ranking them from 1-10 on the factors that define the loudest and best pot on the planet: Aesthetics, Aroma, Taste, Effects, Burnability, and more. They also had an opportunity to  a comments section where they could embellish more on what piqued their attention.It was those thoughts and rankings that determined our winners for 2023. Last year’s winners include a couple of winners in multiple strains categories, Happy Valley and Rythm—which took home two trophies each. Munchèas always makes a big splash in the form of edibles, along with other brands including Happy Valley, Vibations, and Wynk.  Adult-use cannabis sales were approved in 2016 with sales kicking off in 2018, and by now, Massachusetts’ market has matured to the point that the competition is getting intense. Don’t worry though, because we narrowed down the top cannabis products already, thanks to the hard work of our Cannabis Cup Judges who diligently record the details that make the final difference. To all the brands, growers, processors, and retailers: Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. Below are the winners who were rated the highest overall in multiple categories. First Place: Harbor House Collective – Kosher Kush  Second Place: Lazy River Products – Juicee J Third Place: Superflux – Grapple Pie First Place: Northeast Alternatives – Tropicana Cherry Second Place: Lazy River Products – Chimera Third Place: Garden Remedies – White Rainbow Special Stash First Place: The Botanist – Johnny Apple Seed Second Place: Lazy River Products – Dante’s Inferno Third Place: Harbor House Collective – Grape Cream Cake First Place: Southie Adams – Lemon Cane 2g Fatty  Second Place: Springtime – Layer Cake Pre-Roll Third Place: Green Gold Group – Lemonz Pre-Roll First Place: Pioneer Valley – Grapeness M80 Infused Pre-Roll Second Place: Southie Adams – Sundaze Infused Blunt Third Place: Happy Valley – Moonrocket Infused Pre-Roll First Place: Superflux – Johnny Apple Seed Live Budder Second Place: Nature’s Heritage – Sherb Cake Live Resin Third Place: Sticky Fish – Lemon Party Live Budder First Place: Harbor House Collective – Grape Cream Cake Cold Cure Live Rosin Second Place: Treeworks x Canna Provisions – Chem S1 Third Place: Suncrafted – Bio Diesel #2 Live Rosin Badder First Place: Treeworks – Wedding Pie Live Rosin Cart Second Place: Harbor House Collective – Papaya Cake Live Rosin Vape Third Place: Bountiful Farms – Guava Glue Live Hash Rosin Vape First Place: Rove – Watermelon Zkittlez Live Resin Diamond Vape Second Place: Church x Trade Roots – Ice Cream Cake Live Resin Vape Third Place: Sticky Fish – Purple Marmalade Live Resin Cart First Place: Beboe – Sparkling Pear Sativa Gummies Second Place: Happy Valley – End Game Cookies x Guava Passionfruit Rosin Gummies Third Place: Hashables – Tropical Typhoon Sativa Gummies First Place: Beboe – Plum Berry Indica Gummies Second Place: Zzzonked – Strawberry Slumber Gummies Third Place: Happy Valley – Grape 2:1 CBN:THC Rapid Onset Gummies First Place: AHH MOMENTS – Ceremonial Matcha Organic Quinoa Crunch Second Place: Bubby’s Baked Goods – Brownie Bites Third Place: Meltdown – Churro Chocolate Bar First Place: Vibations – Energy Cannabis Drink Mix Second Place: Rove – Drink Loud Maui Blast Shot Third Place: Wynk – Black Cherry Fizz First Place: The Fix – Infused Cooling Balm Second Place: Treeworks – Canna Cream Third Place: Dr. Healey’s – Pain Balm Stick
https://hightimes.com/

Binoid’s 10 Best THC Gummies of 2024

We all know that THC gummies were a massive trend in 2023, offering all kinds of unique psychoactive cannabinoids in delicious gummy candy form.  Beloved for their long-lasting effects compared to other product types, gummies are no doubt going to continue dominating the market through 2024.   And, with that being said, we want to highlight 10 of the very best and strongest THC gummies that you can buy in 2024, all of which have the ability to produce a gratifying high through one or more THC cannabinoids. Check out these awesome gummies from one of the largest and best THC brands Binoid, who has over 70,000 five star reviews, 24/7 customer service and free shipping. The best part, try these gummies with code HIGHTIMES25 for 25% off with fast and free shipping here. These sensational gummies are all infused with various THC cannabinoids, varying from mild to outrageously potent.  And, they all contain clean (and vegan) ingredients, pure cannabinoid distillates, and have undergone third-party lab-testing to verify their safety, legal compliance, and potency levels.  Without further ado, let’s see which gummies you’ll want to check out in the new year. Binoid’s Delta 8 THC Gummies aren’t a new addition to their catalog.  In fact, they’ve been available for years, and still remain a top seller on their website.  These tasty, vegan gummies come in a variety of dreamy fruit flavors, and each gummy contains 25 milligrams of some of the purest delta 8 distillate you’ll find anywhere, to ensure nothing but maximum satisfaction.   These gummies are best for those who prefer something a bit milder than delta 9 THC, and crave a more indica-like experience so that they can sit back and unwind for a good handful of hours. Delta 9 gummies became a “thing” in the last year or so, thanks to the fact that companies found workarounds to the somewhat restrictive THC laws in the US.  Delta 9 can exist in no more than 0.3% of a product’s weight, so the solution was to make larger gummy portions so that 0.3% works out to be a significant number of delta 9 milligrams.   Binoid’s take on these clever gummies has been a huge success, with 10mg delta 9 THC along with 50mg CBD per tasty piece.  In Black Raspberry, Mango Madness, and Fruit Punch flavors, they’re totally compliant with the law, and give you enough THC to send you on a nice journey without being overwhelming. A delicately balanced blend of THC-P and delta 8 distillates makes these THC-P gummies stand out, offering a very powerful yet grounded high that enthusiasts can’t get enough of.  Each gummy contains 25mg of this cannabinoid duo, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth, and Binoid makes it clear that the gummies are infused with the distillates, rather than sprayed or dipped.  The flavors are just as enticing, with choices like Blueberry Pie, Pina Colada, and Sour Cherry Lime to delight in, and a gratifying sugar-coated texture that makes you want more and more.  These gummies are quite strong, so be careful of that, because of the THC-P.  In fact, beginners should start out with half a gummy to be on the safe side. We won’t say what the “F” stands for, but these Big “F” Gummies really live up to their name.  We already talked about the legal workaround to delta 9 laws in the United States, and this gummy formula has exploited that to the max, in all of the right ways.   Each gummy contains 3000mg of delta 9 THC – yes, you read that right – and is meant to be broken up into many, many pieces, or taken to a party.  There’s also 15000mg delta 8 THC, because, why not?  With flavors like Blueberry Swirl, Sour Watermelon, and Cherry Apple, you really can’t go wrong with this impressive edible. Then, we have a really exciting duo: THC-B and HHC gummies.  With an above-average potency, these are still not the strongest gummies out there, as they contain 1mg of (very potent) THC-B, and 10mg of HHC.  With Berry Banana, Pink Lemonade, and Blue Razz flavors to explore, you’ll be just as satisfied by the flavor as the effects, as both gummies seem to work particularly well when ingested in gummy form, offering a lift in mood, and a feeling of being totally soothed from head to toe. Binoid’s Power 9 Blend Gummies are unbelievably strong, and best saved for someone who already has a really good tolerance.  A trio of delta 9 THC, THC-JD, and THC-B gives them psychoactive superpowers, and some HHC-P, delta 8, CBD, CBG, and CBN are thrown in for good measure.  The strawberry kiwi flavor is absolutely to die for, and each gummy offers 40mg of this cannabinoid combo per piece – quite high compared to others on the market. If potency is what you’re chasing, you can’t go wrong with the Knockout Gummies, which bring together THC-P, THC-H, and HHC-P into one outrageously powerful formula that can, well, knock you out.  There’s 30mg of this combo in each piece, which is much stronger than it sounds, and the watermelon flavor is simply out of this world. THCA, THC-P, and PHC are what you’ll find in the Master Blend Gummies, and each piece offers a staggering 65mg of this trio, so don’t think they aren’t incredibly strong on the psychoactive scale.  There’s also some live resin in there for good measure, to amplify the effects of cannabis that we know and love.  As for flavors, you can savor the taste of raspberry and citrus fruits with every bite. These delectable THCA + Delta 9P gummies offer some of the strongest psychoactive effects yet, thanks mainly to the influence of delta 9P, a hybrid of delta 9 and THC-P.  A single gummy can definitely knock you on your feet, so be careful when dosing, especially since each piece contains 250mg.  Otherwise, enjoy Cherry Pop, Purple Dream, or Cotton Candy as your tantalizing flavors of choice. Finally, we have Binoid’s Super 7 Gummies, which contain THCA, THC-H, THC-B, delta 9P, delta 8 THC, HHC, and THCV, offering a grounded and balanced high that’s powerful yet capable of putting you at total ease.  They also contain live resin, and even offer an outstanding 350mg per piece.  The Grape Cotton Candy flavor also happens to be exquisite, adding to your reasons for introducing these into your gummy rotation. You really can’t go wrong with some THC gummies if you’re seeking out a way to elevate your year ahead, naturally.  All 10 of these gummies are loaded with cannabinoids that you either already know and love (or are about to fall in love with).  Check out these awesome gummies from one of the largest and best THC brands Binoid, who has over 70,000 five star reviews, 24/7 customer service and free shipping.  Add some new edibles to your THC gummy regimen to start 2024 off right. The best part, try these gummies with code HIGHTIMES25 for 25% off with fast and free shipping here.
https://hightimes.com/

Department of Defense To Track Military Overdoses, Provide NARCAN

As per a new law, the Department of Defense will begin tracking overdoses within the United States military in 2024 and begin to provide naloxone to service members beginning in 2025.  Military overdose deaths have historically not been systematically tracked until the release of a report by Rolling Stone in 2022 detailing the steep rise in overdose deaths at Fort Bragg, which has since been renamed to Fort Liberty. The report detailed the shocking increase in deaths from fentanyl, counterfeit prescription pills laced with fentanyl and deaths in otherwise healthy young men from causes typically sustained from long-term drug use that were not labeled as overdoses. In general, Rolling Stone described shoddy record-keeping and experienced a general lack of transparency from the brass at Fort Liberty regarding drug use, drug-related crimes or overdose by military members. Of the 109 deaths that occurred at Fort Liberty between 2020 and 2021, at least 14 soldiers died directly from overdose, though that number is likely higher if you count deaths from drug-related causes, 21 by Rolling Stone’s count, making accidental overdose the leading cause of death at Fort Liberty behind suicide which claimed the lives of 41 soldiers in the same time period.  After the Rolling Stone report, pressure built on Congress to do something about the issue and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.) along with other congressmen began to push the Pentagon for increased transparency. This request led to an admission by the Pentagon that fentanyl-related deaths roughly doubled among military members between 2017 and 2021, much like the rest of the country experienced. According to a Military.com report, 330 service members died from drug overdose between 2017 and 2022, and 15,000 soldiers experienced non-fatal overdoses in the same time frame.  “Real security means guaranteeing that members of the military and their families can get resources and life-saving treatment necessary to stop the overdose crisis in its tracks,” Senator Markey said in a statement to Military.com. The law requiring overdose tracking and NARCAN distribution was signed by President Biden in December of 2022 and goes into effect in 2024. According to Military.com, the Department of Defense will be required to submit an annual report on overdose deaths, overdose locations, demographics, whether the service member had previously sought mental health treatment, or if they’d previously been prescribed opioids, benzodiazepines or stimulants. “It’s really just smart public health,” said Professor Alex Bennett to Military.com. Bennett serves as the director of New York University’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. “There’s really a lot of drug naivete amongst military personnel,” Bennett said. Part of the issue, as is the same with the civilian population, is that fentanyl is often used to make “pressed pills” or fake prescription pills designed to look like pharmaceutical painkillers or benzodiazepines which are often poorly dosed, causing people to unwittingly ingest a lethal dose of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration has estimated that about 70% of fake prescription pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.  “We’ve been working with a lot of veterans who use substances while they’re in the military. Transparency with data tracking like the kind the military is set to begin doing is a step in the right direction,” Bennett said. “Closing your eyes to drug problems doesn’t solve anything,” Bennett said. “It just makes things worse.” Carole De Nola, whose 23-year-old child died of an overdose while stationed at Fort Liberty, told Military.com that drug education is especially needed among military members as the new law does not require the military to educate service members on the dangers of fentanyl. “We should be dealing with this before a service member’s about to overdose,” De Nola said.  It was not immediately clear how the military would be distributing naloxone, commonly known as NARCAN, which is a life-saving medication that can halt an opioid overdose in its tracks. Many NARCAN distribution programs have been established at the level of local cities and townships but nothing has been established federally, or by military leadership until the new law was passed. The new law requires that naloxone be made available to all troops by the year 2025. The law also requires all the naloxone distributed by tracked, which could discourage some military members from seeking it out. 
https://hightimes.com/

Rhode Island Bill Would Allow Psilocybin Cultivation, Possession Under 1 Ounce

Several states across the U.S. are forging ahead with their respective psilocybin reform programs, largely embracing policy changes around possession and cultivation while working to implement therapeutic practices involving the “magic mushroom” compound.  And kicking off the new year, more states are looking to join those ranks. Most recently, Rhode Island Rep. Brandon Potter (D) introduced his proposal — described in his own words as a decriminalization model — with a number of details standing apart from reform measures that have already been enacted. The bill, H 7047, would remove penalties around possession, home cultivation and sharing of one ounce or less of psilocybin. The bill specifically notes exemptions for psilocybin, so long as it is “in possession of one person or shared by one person to another” and that psilocybin “has been secretly cultivated within a person’s residence for personal use.” The bill would not work to establish a psilocybin retail system, though that could shift along with broader policy. The bill also leaves room for potential evolution in federal law, namely if psilocybin ends up being rescheduled on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The compound is currently classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. The measure suggests that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), referred to incorrectly in some of the bill’s language as the “Federal Drug Administration,” would be the authority responsible for rescheduling psilocybin, though this is typically a job of the DEA. The FDA, however, has the ability to approve specific pharmaceutical drugs. The bill notes that provisions could shift, should federal access to psilocybin expand to include “patients with a serious or life-threatening mental or behavioral health disorder, who are without access to effective mental or behavioral health medication.” In that case, the bill references that psilocybin could be available in the state in locations approved by the Rhode Island Department of Health. Another notable distinction is the temporary nature of the bill, which would take effect on July 1, 2024 and sunset on July 1, 2026. Prior to this date, the attorney general would need to provide a report to the speaker of the house and the president of the Senate, providing data on the number of violations issued for psilocybin possession, cultivation and distribution. The director of the Department of Health would also be required to provide a report to the same parties surrounding the scheduling of psilocybin and “permitted use for the treatment of mental or behavioral health disorders.” While the bill has a number of specific differences from many that have already been enacted, this is by design according to Potter. In an interview with Marijuana Moment, he said that the bill is meant to provide more flexible accessibility for those who may benefit from the effects of psilocybin. Potter said that legalizing noncommercial growing and sharing of psilocybin would allow for greater access of those in need, adding, “the last thing I wanted to do was create a legalization model that would make it highly regulated and restrict access to people who actually need it.” While other states have similarly prohibited penalties surrounding possession and cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms, therapeutic access — or working specifically with mental health professionals through guided psilocybin counseling — largely presents an accessibility issue for many citizens. In Oregon for example, there were an estimated 3,000 people on a waitlist for the state’s first legal and operating psilocybin center as of September 2023. These experiences can also exceed more than $2,000, as reported by AP News, and while patients don’t need a prescription or referral, their insurance will not cover those expenses. Potter referenced that the price of psilocybin services can be even higher, reaching up to $10,000. He also nodded to the shortage of behavioral healthcare providers in Rhode Island who are already “so squeezed by the private insurance system” that they only take patients paying out of pocket, adding that he does not want to “exacerbate that issue.” Potter also noted that he does not want the initiative to be driven by money, specifying that the bill is about creating additional options for those in need, “not creating a new industry for the state at the expense of people’s care.” According to the representative, decriminalization is the primary aim, though he also wanted to eventually allow doctors in the state to recommend psilocybin to patients. A similar bill, H 5923, was passed in the Rhode Island House of Representatives last year, though it did not progress to the Senate. Potter said he’s hopeful this measure will make it to the Senate, receive a hearing and that the committee will “understand that there’s a number of people in Rhode Island that have already benefited from this as a treatment, and in doing so they’ve broken the law.”

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No. This page is for news and education. Hemp rules can change quickly and vary by state—always verify against the latest official guidance and consult qualified counsel for compliance decisions.

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