USA Roundup: Federal, National, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Vermont

FEDERAL

House Committee Blocks All Cannabis-Related Budget Amendment Votes

House Rules Committee hears key marijuana amendments

http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/09/06/house-rules-committee-marijuana-amendments/87391/

EXTRACT:  During testimony Wednesday, Rohrabacher continued his plea to ensure the amendment makes it to the House floor:“To deny (members of Congress) the right to have a vote, I think, is unconscionable,” Rohrabacher said.“Let us vote on this issue,” he added.Politics news site The Hill reported Wednesday, citing Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, that House GOP leaders planned to block Rohrabacher-Blumenauer from reaching the House floor.

 

Rohrabacher And Blumenauer React to Blockage of Their Marijuana Amendment

http://internationalcbc.com/rohrabacher-blumenauer-react-blockage-marijuana-amendment/

Here’s their statement. For commentary pls go to link

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 6, 2017

Reps. Blumenauer and Rohrabacher Statement on House Rules Committee Leadership Decision to Block Vote on Medical Marijuana Protections

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, today condemned the decision by House Rules Committee leadership to block their amendment that prevents the Department of Justice from interfering with state medical marijuana laws. Because of this decision, Rohrabacher and Blumenauer will not be able to offer their amendment when the House considers Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 funding legislation this week. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved the amendment language in July. The amendment has been included in every annual appropriations law since 2014.

Blumenauer and Rohrabacher released the following statement:

“By blocking our amendment, Committee leadership is putting at risk the millions of patients who rely on medical marijuana for treatment, as well as the clinics and businesses that support them. This decision goes against the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly oppose federal interference with state marijuana laws. These critical protections are supported by a majority of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. There’s no question: If a vote were allowed, our amendment would pass on the House floor, as it has several times before.

“Our fight to protect medical marijuana patients is far from over. The marijuana reform movement is large and growing. This bad decision by the House Rules Committee is an affront to the 46 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized use and distribution of some form of medical marijuana. These programs serve millions of Americans. This setback, however, is not the final word. As House and Senate leadership negotiate a long-term funding bill, we will fight to maintain current protections.”

CATO Institute: Republicans and Federal Marijuana Policy

https://www.cato.org/blog/republicans-federal-marijuana-policy

EXTRACT: Because the Senate included the no-prosecution amendment in its version of this year’s budget while the House did not, it will be up to a conference committee to decide whether the amendment stands or falls. If it does fall, hundreds of businesses will be threatened and countless chronic pain sufferers and other patients will face uncertainty in their quality of life. Moreover, studies suggest that some patients deprived of medical cannabis turn to opioids to ease their pain, putting them in greater risk of dependency or addiction in the so-called opioid epidemic. Attorney General Sessions’s attempts to link medical marijuana to the opioid crisis fly in the face of evidence from the National Institute on Drug Abuse that show places with access to medical marijuana experience fewer opioid overdoses than those without access. A RAND study also found that prescriptions of opioids and reported opioid abuse decline where state-legal marijuana dispensaries operate.

Despite its perceived association with the political left, medical marijuana is not just a blue-state issue. Ten of the 29 states with legal medical marijuana—and 115 electoral votes—went for Donald Trump in the 2016 election. More than 200 million American residents, roughly 62 percent of the population, live in states where medical marijuana is legal. Nationwide, according to a 2017 CBS poll, 71 percent of Americans—including 63 percent of Republicans—oppose federal interference with state-legal marijuana. Perhaps most telling, a 2017 Quinnipiac poll found that 94 percent of American voters approve of adult medical marijuana use if prescribed by a doctor.

NATIONAL

National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Adolescent Cannabis Use at Lowest Point Since 1994

 

How legalization caused the price of marijuana to collapse

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/09/05/how-legalization-caused-the-price-of-marijuana-to-collapse/?utm_term=.4ac2eeb6e225

EXTRACT: When Davenport spoke to me 18 months ago (Wonkblog coverage here), retail marijuana prices had already fallen a stunning 58.5 percent. Yet he predicted correctly that the price collapse was not complete. The current retail price of $7.38 per gram (including tax) represents a 67 percent decrease in just three years of the legalization, with more decline likely in the future.

ALASKA

Chair of Alaska marijuana board under fire for potential conflict of interest

http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/09/06/peter-mlynarik-alaska-marijuana-conflict/87310/

EXTRACT: The chairman of the board that regulates Alaska’s legal marijuana industry is defending himself against conflict of interest questions.Peter Mlynarik told Soldotna radio station KSRM he was involved in getting to the local ballot a measure that would bar marijuana businesses outside of cities in the Kenai Peninsula Borough. He said he does not believe that is a conflict.Mlynarik, who chairs the Marijuana Control Board and is the police chief of Soldotna, participated in a call-in program in which some callers raised questions about that.

COLORADO

Cannabis law firm to run ads on CNN, other cable networks

https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-law-firm-run-ads-cnn-cable-networks/

In a victory for cannabis-related businesses, the marijuana-centric Hoban Law Group is running a national advertisement on CNN and six other major cable TV networks.The news marks a watershed for cannabis advertising, as most television stations have strictly avoided broadcasting marijuana-related ads so as to not run afoul of federal regulators.In 2015, for example, a Denver TV station initially agreed to air commercials for a cannabis retail chain but then got cold feet and pulled out of the deal.The Hoban ad is also being aired on Fox News, MSNBC, Viceland, The Weather Channel, Headline News and Fox Business, according to Leafly. None of the seven networks wanted to “hit people over the head with the word ‘marijuana,’” attorney and firm founder Bob Hoban told the news outlet. “So in the ad, we talk about industrial hemp and the medical and adult-use marketplaces.”

More at

Hoban Law Firm Runs First National TV Spot Using ‘Cannabis’

DELAWARE

New path toward legalized marijuana in Delaware begins

http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/politics/2017/09/06/debate-continues-over-legal-marijuana-delaware/635241001/

The debate over legalizing marijuana in Delaware began anew Wednesday, just weeks after legislators declined to consider the issue.A 25-member task force charged with studying how Delaware might regulate and tax legal weed held its first meeting in Dover’s Legislative Hall.The panel of advocates, opponents and public officials is slated to present its findings to Gov. John Carney and the General Assembly before Jan. 31.The report could bolster efforts to pass legislation that would make Delaware the ninth state to legalize recreational marijuana use or help sink the bill entirely.

“I have colleagues that want to support [the bill] but have questions about regulations and how the money will work,” said state Rep. Helene Keeley, D-South Wilmington. “I’m hopeful they will read [the task force’s report] and the one or two votes we need will come over so we can pass [the bill] out of the House.”

FLORIDA

One City Has Banned Medical Cannabis Dispensaries, Another May Soon

Orlando Sentinel Reports…

Despite a long agricultural history, Apopka became the latest Central Florida government to ban medical marijuana shops within their borders.

Eustis in Lake County also may soon join the growing roster of communities who are just saying no to dispensaries.

Leaders in Apopka cited regulating limits imposed by legislators as a reason for backing a ban. They said the state rules give local communities little choice: Either ban dispensaries or treat them like a CVS, Walgreen’s or another pharmacy, which means pot shops could pop up near churches and neighborhoods.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-apopka-bans-medical-marijuana-20170907-story.html

GEORGIA

Rep. Allen Peake Pledges to Continue Medical Marijuana Fight

http://flagpole.com/news/city-dope/2017/09/06/rep-allen-peake-pledges-to-continue-medical-marijuana-fight

Georgia’s foremost advocate for medical cannabis, state Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon), will continue his efforts to expand access to the drug during the legislature’s 2018 session, he told the UGA College Republicans last week.

…/…

But there’s more to be done, Peake said. The Commission on Medical Cannabis voted against cultivation in Georgia, meaning THC oil must be imported from other states. That runs up against federal laws prohibiting such action. Legislation in 2016 would have created an in-state cultivation model, but despite passing the Georgia House, it never reached the Senate floor.

ILLINOIS

Legislature hears pros, cons on marijuana legalization

EXTRACT: Champaign County State’s Attorney Julia Rietz, left, DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin, center, and Sangamon County State’s Attorney John Milhiser, testify against legislation pending in both the Illinois state House and Senate that would legalize general use of marijuana, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Springfield, Ill. The prosecutors say their experience shows marijuana use can lead to abusing stronger drugs, that too many minors have access to it now, and that the roads would be less safe because of motorists driving under the influence.

 

MAINE

Monday, September 18, 2017  Meeting: Maine Professionals For Regulating Marijuana

5:00 – 7:00 PM

Drummond Woodsum Conference Center*: 84 Marginal Way, Suite 600, Portland, ME 04101

Where is legalization going in Maine?  Join us for an overview of the proposed amendments to Maine’s Marijuana Legalization Act from the Legislature’s Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee.  The Legislature is poised to re-write the rules for Maine’s adult use marijuana industry.  MPRM representatives will give an overview of the proposed changes and lead a discussion on what this means for Maine’s marijuana sector.  Hearings on the proposed amendments take place on September 26-28.

Come and learn more about this important legislation, learn how you can weigh in and mix and mingle with other members of Maine’s marijuana business community. Hors d’oeurves, beer and wine will be served.  We look forward to seeing you. Space is limited – reserve your spot today! 

Friday, September 15, 2017 to Candice Pierce at 207.253.0576 | cpierce@dwmlaw.com

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Cannabis Commission Chair Says Prohibition has Failed

NEBRASKA

Nebraska attorney general calls CBD products illegal

Nebraska attorney general calls CBD products illegal

 

VERMONT

Vermont forms commission to study marijuana legalization 

Vermont forms commission to study marijuana legalization 

 

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