Maine: Regulators Moving Forward With Rules to Govern Retail Marijuana Sales

After multiple delays, regulators are finally moving forward with draft regulations to implement the state’s 2016 voter-approved initiative legalizing the commercial production and retail sale of marijuana.

Regulators are now deliberating over a 73-page draft of rules governing the adult use marijuana market. The rules will not be finalized until regulators receive input from the public and they are approved by a majority of lawmakers.

Under the proposed rules, commercial licenses will only be granted initially to state residents. Those with a felony drug conviction within the past ten years will be ineligible for a license.

The proposed regulations also impose limits with regard to THC content and the appearance of cannabis-infused edible products. Retailers will not be permitted to sell customers more than 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana and/or five grams of concentrate in a single day. Retailers will need to first receive local approval prior to applying for a state operators license.

Maine voters initially approved the legalization of cannabis sales in November 2016, but lawmakers – led by former Republican Gov. Paul LePage – have repeatedly taken steps to delay the law’s implementation.

Newly elected Gov. Janet Mills (D) is on record stating that lawmakers “must follow the will of the people [and] implement the [voter-initiated marijuana] law.”

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/23/maine-regulators-moving-forward-with-rules-to-govern-retail-marijuana-sales/

The blog post Maine: Regulators Moving Forward With Rules to Govern Retail Marijuana Sales is republished from GigglesNDimples.com

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/23/maine-regulators-moving-forward-with-rules-to-govern-retail-marijuana-sales/

Alabama: Jefferson County Police To Cite, Rather Than Prosecute, Minor Marijuana Violators

A spokesperson for the Jefferson County (population: 658,000) Sheriff’s Office announced today that local law enforcement will begin citing, rather than arresting, low-level marijuana offenders.

Under the new policy, police will issue a summons to those who possess personal amounts of marijuana or cannabis-related paraphernalia. Offenders will no longer be arrested or booked. Those cited and released will still have to either pay a fine or appear in court at a later date. Those with prior cannabis violations will still be eligible to receive a summons.

Under state law, marijuana possession is classified as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to one-year in jail and a $6,000 fine.

Similar cite and release programs are in place in other cities and counties around the country, including in Palm Beach County, Florida and in Harris County (Houston), Texas.

Additional information is available from NORML’s ‘Local Decriminalization’ report, online here.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/22/alabama-jefferson-county-police-to-cite-rather-than-prosecute-minor-marijuana-violators/

Alabama: Jefferson County Police To Cite, Rather Than Prosecute, Minor Marijuana Violators is available on Giggles N Dimples

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/22/alabama-jefferson-county-police-to-cite-rather-than-prosecute-minor-marijuana-violators/

Weekly Legislative Roundup 4/20/19

Welcome to the 4/20 edition of NORML’s Weekly Legislative Roundup! I’d like to wish everyone a very Happy Holidaze, and remember to consume responsibly!

At the state level, Governor Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation into law to facilitate regulations governing the licensed production and distribution of oils and other products containing limited amounts of plant-derived THC.

Governor Laura Kelly (D) of Kansas signed industrial hemp production legislation into law.

A decriminalization bill was defeated in the Missouri House of Representatives this week.

At a more local level, The city commissioners of Daytona Beach voted to decriminalize up to 20 grams of marijuana possession.

Following are the bills that we’ve tracked this week and as always, check NORML’s Action Center for legislation pending in your state.

Don’t forget to sign up for our email list, and we will keep you posted as these bills and more move through your home state legislature and U.S. Congress. Another great way to stay up to date is Marijuana Moment’s daily newsletter, which you can subscribe to HERE.

Your Highness,
Carly

Actions to Take

Federal

End Prohibition: The Marijuana Justice Act would (1) remove marijuana from the US Controlled Substances Act, thereby ending the federal criminalization of cannabis; (2) incentivize states to mitigate existing and ongoing racial disparities in state-level marijuana arrests; (3) expunge federal convictions specific to marijuana possession; (4) allow individuals currently serving time in federal prison for marijuana-related violations to petition the court for resentencing; (5) and create a community reinvestment fund to invest in communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs.

Send a message to your federal lawmakers in support of this important legislation

Alabama

Legislation is pending, House Bill 96 / Senate Bill 98, to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

The measure would reduce the penalty for the possession of one ounce of marijuana from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a maximum fine of $6,000, to a non-criminal violation punishable by a maximum fine of $250.

Update: SB 98 was unanimously approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on 4/17/18.

AL resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of decriminalization

California

Legislation is pending, AB 286, to temporarily reduce tax rates imposed on the retail sale and commercial cultivation of cannabis.

Update: AB 286 is scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Business And Professions Committee on 4/23/19

CA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of lower taxes

Senate Bill 34, which would exempt compassionate care programs from paying state cannabis taxes when they are providing free medical cannabis to financially disadvantaged people living with serious health conditions.

Update: SB 34 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee on 4/22/19.

CA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of compassionate care programs

AB 1465 (Bloom) would allow licensing of cannabis consumption cafés and lounges in California.

Update: Ab 1465 is scheduled for a hearing in the Assembly Business And Professions Committee on 4/23/19.

CA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of social consumption lounges

SB 51 seeks to assist financial institutions in safely conducting transactions with licensed cannabis businesses.

Update: SB 51 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Governance and Finance Committee on 4/24/19.

CA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of banking access

Colorado

Legislation is pending, House Bill 19-1230, to allow the social consumption of cannabis by adults in licensed and regulated establishments.

The measure would establish a license permit process for hospitality spaces to allow cannabis products to be legally purchased and consumed on site.

Update: HB 19-1230 was approved by the House Committee on Appropriations on 4/16/19, and was then approved by the House of Representatives on 4/18. The bill now heads to the Senate.

CO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of social consumption sites

Legislation is pending, House Bill 19-1234, to allow licensed marijuana businesses to deliver both medical and adult use marijuana to private residences.

The measure would establish a licensing system for such delivery services and also require training for delivery permit holders.

Update: HB 19-1234 was approved by the House Committee on Appropriations on 4/16/19. and was then approved by the House of Representatives on 4/18. The bill now heads to the Senate.

CO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of cannabis delivery services

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 19-220, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: SB -220 was approved by the Senate on 4/15, and will now be transmitted to the House.

CO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Delaware

Senate Bill 37 would reform the expungement processes for individuals convicted of non-violent marijuana-related offenses.

If enacted, the bill would expand the pool of those eligible to seek expungement to include those convicted of a single misdemeanor or felony charge related to marijuana.

Update: SB 37 was unanimously approved by the Senate on 4/17/19, and now awaits action in the House.

DE resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of expungement

Florida

Legislation is pending, H. 333, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Separately, SB 1020 would also regulate industrial hemp production, and a third measure, SB 7102 would allow for the retail sale of hemp extracts.

Update: H. 333 was unanimously approved by the House State Affairs Committee on 4/18/19, SB 7102 was heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on 4/18.

FL resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Hawaii

Legislation is pending, House Bill 673 / Senate Bill 1430, to expand medical cannabis access.

The measure would protect registered medical cannabis patients from employment discrimination by prohibiting employers from arbitrarily discriminating against employees who legally consume medical cannabis off-the-job in accordance with state law.

Update: HB 673 was unanimously approved by the Senate on 4/9/19, but the House disagreed with the Senate amendments, so the bill will now go to a conference committee for reconciliation.

HI resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

Legislation is pending, House Bill 1353, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: HB 1353 was unanimously approved by the Senate on 4/9/19, but the House disagreed with the Senate amendments, so the bill will now go to a conference committee for reconciliation.

HI resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Iowa

Legislation is pending, HF 754 and SF 599, to establish an industrial hemp program to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: SF 599 was approved by the Senate on 4/15/19, and was then heard in the House Appropriations Committee on 4/18/19.

IA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Nebraska

Legislation is pending, LB 657, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: LB 657 was approved by the Senate on 4/15/19.

NE resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Nevada

Legislation is pending, SB 430, that would expand the pool of individuals eligible for medical cannabis.

The measure would permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to those diagnosed with anxiety, autism, opioid addiction or dependence, anorexia, among others.

Update: SB 430 was approved by the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on 4/16/19, and was then approved by the Senate on 4/18.

NV resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

Senate Bill 228:

• Allows service providers such as massage therapists and reflexologists to administer hemp and CBD products for therapeutic purposes; and
• Allows veterinarians to administer hemp and CBD products to animals

Update: SB 228 was unanimously approved by the Senate on 4/16/19, and now awaits action in the Assembly. The bill was amended to remove provisions concerning prohibiting a practitioner from refusing to prescribe a controlled substance to a patient solely because the patient uses marijuana and establishing a Cannabis Control Commission to oversee the state’s medical marijuana access program. Provisions allowing veterinarians to administer hemp and CBD products to animals.

NV resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

New Hampshire

Legislation is pending, House Bill 481, to allow for the use, possession, and retail sale of marijuana by adults.

The pending measure permits adults 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana and/or up to five grams of concentrate, and to grow up to six marijuana plants.

Update: HB 481 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on 4/23/19.

NH resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of legalization

Legislation is pending, HB 350, to expand medical cannabis access.

The measure expands the pool of medical professionals who are eligible to recommend medical cannabis by permitting physician assistants to issue recommendations to their patients.

Update: HB 350 was approved by the Senate on a voice vote on 4/18/19, and now awaits action from the Governor.

NH resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

Legislation is pending, House Bill 459, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: HB 459 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on 4/23/19.

NH resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

North Carolina

Legislation is pending, S. 58 / H. 766, to expand upon the state’s decriminalization law and also to provide for the expungement of certain prior cannabis convictions.

Under current law, the possession of 1.5 ounces of cannabis is classified as a misdemeanor. These proposals raise that threshold to four ounces. The bill would also allow those with past marijuana possession convictions to petition the court to expunge their record.

NC resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of expanded decriminalization

Oregon

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 970, to protect state-sanctioned medical cannabis patients, as well as those with prior or pending cannabis convictions, from housing discrimination.

Update: SB 970 is scheduled for a hearing in the House Human Services and Housing Committee on 4/22/19.

OR resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of housing protections

Tennessee

Legislation is pending, SB 256/HB 235, to decriminalize the possession small amounts of marijuana in Tennessee.

The measure would remove criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana.

Update: SB 256 is scheduled for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee on 4/23/19.

TN resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of decriminalization

Legislation is pending, SB 260/HB 234, to allow out-of-state medical cannabis patients to legally possess their medicine while visiting Tennessee.

Under this measure, patients who are registered to use medical cannabis in those 33 jurisdictions that permit its therapeutic use may legally possess up to a half-ounce of cannabis while visiting Tennessee.

Update: SB 260 is scheduled for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee on 4/23/19.

TN resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of out-of-state protections

Vermont

S. 54 is pending to establish a regulatory framework for the regulation of a commercial, adult use marijuana market.

Update: S. 54 was heard by the House Committee on S. 54 was heard by the House Committees on Government Operations; Judiciary; and Commerce and Economic Development this week.

VT resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of regulation

Washington

Legislation is pending, HB 1401 / SB 5719, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: HB 1401 was unanimously approved by the Senate on 4/15/19. The bill will now head back to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments.

WA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/20/weekly-legislative-roundup-4-20-19/

The post Weekly Legislative Roundup 4/20/19 is courtesy of Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/21/weekly-legislative-roundup-4-20-19/

CBS Poll: Nationwide Support For Marijuana Legalization At All-Time High

Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that the use of marijuana by adults “should be legal,” according to national polling data compiled by CBS News. That figure is six percentage points above last year’s total, and is the highest percentage of support ever recorded in a CBS poll.

Majorities of Democrats and Republicans back legalization, and most respondents agree that marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol or other drugs. Fifty-five percent of Americans also acknowledged having personally consumed cannabis, the highest total reported in the poll’s history.

Most Americans (62 percent), including a majority of Republicans and Democrats, also say that they oppose the federal government taking action to disrupt the production and sale of marijuana in states where it is currently legal.

The CBS poll results are consistent with those of other recent major surveys, such as those by Gallup (66 percent), Pew (62 percent), and Quinnipiac University (60 percent) — all of which similarly show support for legalization at record or near-record highs.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/19/cbs-poll-nationwide-support-for-marijuana-legalization-at-all-time-high/

CBS Poll: Nationwide Support For Marijuana Legalization At All-Time High is courtesy of https://gigglesndimples.com/

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/19/cbs-poll-nationwide-support-for-marijuana-legalization-at-all-time-high/

Book Review: Jorma Kaukonen’s ‘Been So Life: My Life in Music’

Jefferson Airplane, circa 1968, from left: Marty Balin, Grace Slick, Spencer Dryden, Paul Kantner, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady

With Woodstock 50 four months away, 1969 festival alum and former Jefferson Airplane guitarist Jorma Kaukonen is in the news with a his autobiography, Been So Long: My Life in Music.

Hardcore Airplane and Hot Tuna fans already know the basic outline of Kaukonen’s life: An authenticity-obsessed student of traditional, finger-picking country blues in the folk revival of the early ’60s (Harlem legend Blind Gary Davis was his special inspiration), Kaukonen catapulted to stardom when he went electric as the lead guitarist for Jefferson Airplane, the flagship band of the psychedelic San Francisco sound.

Together with Airplane bassist and childhood friend Jack Casady, they formed Hot Tuna as a side group in 1969 that returned to Kaukonen’s country-blues roots before again going electric, this time as a heavy blues-rock power trio in the style of Cream. After Tuna split up in the late ’70s, he briefly experimented with the punk-blues band Vital Parts, but this didn’t go over well with his fans. In the ’80s, Kaukonen spiraled downhill; by the time he was called back for an Airplane reunion album in 1989 his career was at a nadir.

It’s hardly surprising that tales of drug use devour many pages. Cannabis was a “sacrament” for these early San Francisco musical pioneers, a rite of cultural bonding as well as enhancement to creativity. LSD trips followed.

Kaukonen subsequently revived Tuna as a country-blues group. In the 21st century, he went back to the land on a farm in rural Ohio where he now teaches guitar to kids from across the country, passing that old-school blues method to a new generation.

In Been So Long, the real geeks get the details on every model of guitar Kaukonen ever played, as well as every make of car and motorcycle he ever rode. Fanatics get an inside look at his Finnish-Jewish ethnic roots, his boyhood as a globe-trotting Foreign Service brat, his early gigging on the Washington, DC bar scene and his recruitment into the Airplane.

It’s hardly surprising that tales of drug use devour many pages. Cannabis was a “sacrament” for these early San Francisco musical pioneers, a rite of cultural bonding as well as enhancement to creativity. LSD trips followed. Kaukonen seems a little self-conscious about this, even denying that the Airplane, quintessential icon of the countercultural explosion, was a “hippie band.” He claims to have never actually lived in Haight-Ashbury, but in fact the Airplane’s communal house at 2400 Fulton Street was just a few blocks north of the Haight.

Kaukonen’s reticence about identifying with the hippies may have to do with acute awareness of his own self-destructive streak. For him, speed was a “work drug” used habitually to keep going through shows. His decline in the ’80s was, in large part, due to alcoholism and heroin use. The psychological toll of the related nightmare—financial woes, deeply dysfunctional relationships, rusting musical chops—is depicted unsparingly.

But Kaukonen lands on his feet in the end, emerging from his trial by fire chastened but wiser. He establishes a new stable and happy family life and wins less glittery, but more meaningful acclaim as one of the nation’s foremost preservationists of intangible Americana. The embryonic journey he embarked on in the heady ’60s has brought him a hard-won fulfillment.

More Book Reviews

Let’s Go (So We Can Go Back) by Jeff Tweedy

Gold Dust Woman: A Biography of Stevie Nicks by Stephen Davis

Fare The Well: The Final Chapter of the Grateful Dead’s Long, Strange Trip by Joel Selvin

This article appears in Issue 35. Subscribe to the magazine here.

The post Book Review: Jorma Kaukonen’s ‘Been So Life: My Life in Music’ appeared first on Freedom Leaf.

Source: https://www.freedomleaf.com/jorma-kaukonen-autobiography-been-so-long/

The blog article Book Review: Jorma Kaukonen’s ‘Been So Life: My Life in Music’ is republished from The Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/18/book-review-jorma-kaukonens-been-so-life-my-life-in-music/

Getting High on Oversupply: What to Do About Surpluses and Shortages

The rollout of marijuana legalization has not been smooth. On one side, there’s a push for revenue; on the other, there’s a desire for tough regulations and enforcement. While businesses get caught in the middle, consumers go along for the ride and patients run the risk of being mowed over.

Greed Rules: The Case of Oregon

Legislators often see legal marijuana as a cash cow. If money is the motivation, authorities will push to issue as many licenses to as many businesses as possible, which can lead to overproduction and oversupply. Take the legal marijuana state of Oregon, for instance.

People in Oregon grow a lot of weed. The Beaver State has been a net marijuana exporter for decades. The state’s medical-marijuana program was approved by voter initiative in 1998, yet it wasn’t until 2013 that the legislature passed a bill to license and regulate dispensaries. Voters approved a legalization measure in 2014, and adult-use sales started in 2015. Then, in 2016, the state legislature repealed a residency requirement for marijuana businesses and opened up Oregon’s marijuana industry to out-of-state investment.

“We’ve created an oversupply problem,” says Anthony Taylor, co-founder and legislative liaison for the patient advocacy organization Compassionate Oregon. “Before we legalized cannabis for the adult-use population, we were already producing about five times what the state consumes, and when the Oregon Liquor Control Commission came in and threw all that infrastructure away in favor of their new infrastructure, it created this situation that’s virtually collapsing in on itself.”

Taylor’s not just blowing smoke about over-production. According to an August 2018 report by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, “A surplus of 344,730 kg (760,000 pounds) unsold cannabis [was] logged during the recent audit of the recreational system.” Clearly, Oregon is growing more cannabis than can be consumed in the state, hence the proposal by State Sen. Floyd Prozanski to be able to ship the surplus to neighboring legal states.

On the bright side, not everyone is suffering. Oversupply, combined with intense competition, pushes retail prices down (as low as $40 per ounce) and non-medical consumers reap the benefits. Retailers benefit as well because oversupply gives them leverage to negotiate lower wholesale prices.

Gripping Too Tightly: The Case of Canada

While an over-abundance of cannabis is a huge problem for growers, at least in the short term, some people are happy. With undersupply, no one’s happy. That’s the problem Canada has been facing since legal, adult-use sales began last October 17.

Canada’s had legal medical marijuana since 2001, following a Supreme Court ruling in 2000, and a largely unregulated medical industry developed as a result. The Canadian government finally passed the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations in 2013, which required patients to get their weed from licensed producers via mail order. (That requirement was overturned by the Supreme Court of Canada in 2016.)

In 2015, when Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party took a majority in the federal elections, he became prime minister. Trudeau had promised to “design a new system of strict marijuana sales and distribution,” but the program so far has been struggling.

“Stores have had to cut hours,” renowned Canadian researcher, writer and marijuana activist Chris Bennett tells Freedom Leaf. “They don’t have stock for meeting demands and it’s expected to be a year or more before this situation levels.”

Scarcity means higher prices. Weed in Canada costs “about $16 a gram for legal pot compared to the typical $8-$12 that you could find at most dispensaries,” he says. “Plus, there’s been numerous quality issues with the ‘legal’ cannabis being sold.”

It didn’t have to be this way. “The current legalization is largely seen by activists, dispensary owners and growers as an industry takeover,” Bennett adds. “If the Fed and Provinces had taken a more inclusive approach, existing dispensaries and growers could’ve been grandfathered in.” And, hence, prevented the shortages that are currently plaguing the program.

The Road Ahead

Here’s Anthony Taylor’s advice for states and countries that plan to create regulated cannabis markets in the near future:

• “Number one, don’t regulate it like alcohol. They’re two different creatures and they need two different sets of regulations.”
• “Two, create an independent, autonomous body to oversee all things cannabis, with the requisite rule-making authority, and allow the process to take several years, especially if you have an existing medical infrastructure in place.”

As far as Oregon’s oversupply problem is concerned, he suggests licensing “a very small population of growers and see what happens. Don’t open it up for anybody in the world to come in and buy an Oregon Liquor Control cannabis license. Use a progressive licensing structure so that the mom and pops only have to pay $1,000 for a license, but the Coors, Marlboros and RJ Reynolds come in and pay $5 million. That’s a very important distinction to make, because it allows the small farmer to continue to grow and become an important part of the overall picture.”

Related Articles

Pounds Selling for $500 in Oregon

Inside Canada’s Legalization Challenge

Social Consumption Taking Off in California and Colorado

This article appears in Issue 35. Subscribe to the magazine here.

The post Getting High on Oversupply: What to Do About Surpluses and Shortages appeared first on Freedom Leaf.

Source: https://www.freedomleaf.com/cannabis-oversupply-shortages-oregon-canada/

The post Getting High on Oversupply: What to Do About Surpluses and Shortages is republished from https://gigglesndimples.com

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/18/getting-high-on-oversupply-what-to-do-about-surpluses-and-shortages/

Illinois: Cook County State’s Attorney To Expunge Thousands Of Low-Level Cannabis Convictions

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has pledged that her office will begin expunging thousands of low-level marijuana convictions in the coming months. Cook County, which includes Chicago, is the second-most populous county in the United States.

Foxx’s office is negotiating with the same non-profit group that assisted the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office in automatically reviewing and vacating over 8,000 past marijuana-related convictions earlier this year.

Foxx also indicated that her office is reviewing policies regarding whether to bring criminal prosecutions in cases involving marijuana sales. Under existing policy, the office typically does not prosecute low-level drug possession offenses.

Under state law, the possession of more than ten grams of cannabis but less than 30 grams is classified as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail. Possessing more than 30 grams is classified as a felony offense, punishable by up to six years in jail.

In recent months, prosecutors in a number of major cities – including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and St. Louis – have moved to limit low-level marijuana prosecutions, while officials in a number of other cities and counties, like Brooklyn, Denver, San Diego, and Seattle have moved to vacate past cannabis-specific convictions. .

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/18/illinois-cook-county-states-attorney-to-expunge-thousands-of-low-level-cannabis-convictions/

The post Illinois: Cook County State’s Attorney To Expunge Thousands Of Low-Level Cannabis Convictions Find more on: Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/18/illinois-cook-county-states-attorney-to-expunge-thousands-of-low-level-cannabis-convictions/

Georgia: Governor Signs Law Licensing Low-THC Oil Production

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation into law today to facilitate regulations governing the licensed production and distribution of oils and other products containing limited amounts of plant-derived THC.

House Bill 324 (aka Georgia’s Hope Act) establishes a regulatory commission to oversee the eventual “production, manufacturing, and dispensing” of products possessing specified quantities of plant-derived THC to qualified patients. The law allows for the licensing of up to six cultivation operations, and seeks collaboration with the University of Georgia in the manufacturing of THC-infused extracts and oils.

Under a 2015 state law, qualified patients are exempt from criminal prosecution for the possession of oil extracts containing not more than 5 percent THC and an amount of CBD equal to or greater than the amount of THC. However, the law failed to provide any mechanism for patients to obtain low-THC products from a state-regulated producer or provider.

Approximately 9,500 patients are currently registered with the state to possess medical cannabis products.

For additional information on pending state legislation, visit NORML’s ‘Take Action’ Center here.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/17/georgia-governor-signs-law-licensing-low-thc-oil-production/

Georgia: Governor Signs Law Licensing Low-THC Oil Production was initially published to GigglesNDimples.com

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/17/georgia-governor-signs-law-licensing-low-thc-oil-production/

Want a new sticker for your laptop?

As we approach April 20, we’d like to take a minute to thank you for being an active supporter of NORML’s efforts to end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition.

As we say, “when we’re talking, we’re winning.” So, as a token of our appreciation for your support, we want to send you our conversation-starting sticker!

When NORML was founded in 1970, only 12% of the country supported legalizing marijuana; 88% were opposed to our goals. After decades of hard work by thousands of committed advocates like you, we have gradually won the hearts and minds of a majority of the public. Today, over 60% of adults nationwide support ending marijuana prohibition and establishing a regulated market where consumers can obtain marijuana in a safe and secure setting.

NORML’s work is fueled by the power of grassroots supporters just like you – not big donors or the emerging cannabis industry. Because of that, we are the only organization that focuses on the issues facing consumers, ranging from criminalization, employment discrimination, child custody, expungement, and a litany of other issues that impact responsible marijuana consumers.

Make a contribution of $10 or more now to keep our momentum going and we’ll send you a sticker to show off your support!

We still have lots of work ahead of us, even in those states that have enacted some form of marijuana legalization. But, as we continue to educate our lawmakers and fellow citizens alike, we’ll get there together.

Thanks for all you do,

The NORML team

P.S. Don’t want a sticker but want to help offset the costs of us distributing them around the country? Click here to make a contribution to keep NORML going strong.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/15/want-a-new-sticker-for-your-laptop/

Want a new sticker for your laptop? is courtesy of Giggles N Dimples

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/15/want-a-new-sticker-for-your-laptop/

The Original Flier That Sparked the 420 Phenomenon

Former Freedom Leaf senior editor Chris Goldstein interviewed editor-in-chief Steve Bloom about the origins of how the number 420 became synonymous with cannabis in 2016. Bloom was the first journalist to write about 420 when he worked at High Times in the 1990s.

You claim to have discovered 420. How did that happen?

The last week of 1990 I went to several Grateful Dead shows at the Oakland Coliseum. I was walking in the parking lot and someone handed me a half-page flier. It had this message that people should smoke together at 4:20 and on 4/20. I brought it back to High Times in New York. We passed it around the office and everyone got a kick out of it. I was news editor at the time, so I transcribed the flyer and published it in the May 1991 issue. My little write up in High Times was the first time “420” got any national publicity.

What did the flier say?

“Four-twenty started in San Rafael, CA in the late ’70s. It started as police code for Marijuana Smoking in Progress. After local heads heard of the police call they started using the expression ‘420’ when referring to the herb—‘Let’s go 420, dude!’

“There is something fantastic about getting ripped at 4:20, when you know your brothers and sisters all over the country and even the planet are lighting up and toking up right along with you.

The original 420 flyer

“Now, there’s something even more grand than getting baked at 4:20. We’re talking about the day of celebration, the real time to get high, the grandmaster of all holidays: 4/20, April 20th. This is when you must get the day off work or school. We are going to meet at 4:20 on 4/20 for 420-ing in Marin County at the Bolinas Ridge sunset spot on Mt. Tamalpais.

“Just go down Mill Valley, find a stoner and ask where Bolinas Ridge is. If you make it to Marin you will definitely find it.

“HELPFUL HINTS: Take extra care that nothing is going to go wrong in that minute. No heavy winds, no cops, no messed up lighters. Get together with your friends and smoke pot hardcore.”

So after the flier was printed, where else did you see or hear the term 420?

It started to pop up on the High Times Hemp 100 list of things that stoners like. After a few years, there were baseball hats, t-shirts and stickers. 420 started to take off.

How about the first events on April 20?

Debby Goldsberry and the Cannabis Action Network did some 4/20 events in San Francisco in the mid-’90s. Those were the first professional events associated with April 20 and marijuana.

At High Times, we adopted it too. At 4:20 pm, we’d toke together and have brainstorming sessions. We made it a point to hang out at that specific time.

I remember one April 20 when we decided to go down to Union Square – which was a few blocks from the office. About 20 of us went there and celebrated 4/20 by passing joints under picnic tables. New York City was the marijuana arrest capital of the world. This was pretty daring at the time.

Was the idea of the 420 holiday part of the whole 420 phenomena from the beginning?

Absolutely. The big convergence was the ultimate goal. The people who wrote the flier, whoever they were, invented the 420 holiday.

Related Articles

The Ultimate 420 Event Guide for 2019

420 By the Bay: A Marijuana Activist’s Story

4/20 Celebrity Birthdays

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The post The Original Flier That Sparked the 420 Phenomenon appeared first on Freedom Leaf.

Source: https://www.freedomleaf.com/420-flyer/

The blog post The Original Flier That Sparked the 420 Phenomenon is republished from The Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/15/the-original-flier-that-sparked-the-420-phenomenon/

Study: Marijuana Provided For FDA-Approved Clinical Research Genetically Similar to Hemp

Marijuana grown by the University of Mississippi for clinical research purposes is genetically divergent from strains of cannabis commercially available in retail markets, according to an analysis prepared by researchers at the University of Northern Colorado. Since 1968, the University of Mississippi farm, which is governed by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse, has held the only available federal license to legally cultivate cannabis for FDA-approved research.

Authors reported that samples available via the U-Miss program shared genetics typically associated with industrial hemp, not commercially available cannabis. They concluded: “NIDA research grade marijuana was found to genetically group with hemp samples along with a small subset of commercial drug-type cannabis. A majority of commercially available drug-type cannabis was genetically very distinct from NIDA samples. These results suggest that subjects consuming NIDA research grade marijuana may experience different effects than average consumers.”

A separate study published in 2017 reported that U-Miss samples contain far lower levels of both THC and CBD than do commercially available cannabis. Clinicians wishing to conduct FDA-approved clinical trials on cannabis have long complained that federally-provided samples are of inferior quality.

According to the program’s current marijuana menu, no available samples contain more than seven percent THC and all samples contain less than one percent CBD.

In 2016, the US Drug Enforcement Administration publicly announced that it would, for the first time, begin accepting applications from private entities wishing to grow research-grade cannabis. However, since that time, neither the agency nor the Justice Department have taken any action to move this application process forward.

Full text of the study, “Research grade marijuana supplied by the National Institute on Drug Abuse is genetically divergent from commercially available Cannabis,” appears online here.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/15/study-marijuana-provided-for-fda-approved-clinical-research-genetically-similar-to-hemp/

The following post Study: Marijuana Provided For FDA-Approved Clinical Research Genetically Similar to Hemp is courtesy of GigglesNDimples.com

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/15/study-marijuana-provided-for-fda-approved-clinical-research-genetically-similar-to-hemp/

Weekly Legislative Roundup 4/12/19

Welcome to the latest edition of NORML’s Weekly Legislative Roundup!

At the state level, a bill to allow licensed social consumption spaces in Oregon was defeated for this year.

A bill to allow patients to use medical cannabis while on probation or parole died in Montana’s state Senate.

At a more local level, the city council of New York City approved a pair of municipal bills this week limiting situations where those seeking employment or on probation may be drug tested for past cannabis use.

Following are the bills that we’ve tracked this week and as always, check NORML’s Action Center for legislation pending in your state.

Don’t forget to sign up for our email list, and we will keep you posted as these bills and more move through your home state legislature and U.S. Congress. Another great way to stay up to date is Marijuana Moment’s daily newsletter, which you can subscribe to HERE.

Your Highness,
Carly

Actions to Take

Federal

End Prohibition: The Marijuana Justice Act would (1) remove marijuana from the US Controlled Substances Act, thereby ending the federal criminalization of cannabis; (2) incentivize states to mitigate existing and ongoing racial disparities in state-level marijuana arrests; (3) expunge federal convictions specific to marijuana possession; (4) allow individuals currently serving time in federal prison for marijuana-related violations to petition the court for resentencing; (5) and create a community reinvestment fund to invest in communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs.

Send a message to your federal lawmakers in support of this important legislation

Colorado

Legislation is pending, House Bill 19-1230, to allow the social consumption of cannabis by adults in licensed and regulated establishments.

The measure would establish a license permit process for hospitality spaces to allow cannabis products to be legally purchased and consumed on site.

Update: HB 19-1230 was approved by the House Committee on Finance on 4/8/19 with amendments, and now awaits action rom the Committee on Appropriations.

CO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of social consumption sites

Legislation is pending, House Bill 19-1234, to allow licensed marijuana businesses to deliver both medical and adult use marijuana to private residences.

The measure would establish a licensing system for such delivery services and also require training for delivery permit holders.

Update: HB 19-1234 was approved by the House Committee on Finance on 4/8/19 with amendments, and now awaits action from the Committee on Appropriations.

CO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of cannabis delivery services

Connecticut

Senate Bill 1085 permits those age 21 and over to purchase and possess up to one and one half ounces of marijuana. The measure would also allow those with past marijuana possession convictions to petition the court to have their record expunged.

Update: SB 1085 was heard and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on 4/8/19.

CT resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of legalization

Delaware

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 24, to expand access to medical cannabis in the state.

The measure would give doctors the discretion to recommend medical cannabis to any patient for whom they believe will benefit from its therapeutic use.

This bill would also remove the requirement that only certain specialists may certify the use of medical cannabis for those under 18.

Update: SB 24 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Health & Social Services Committee on 4/17/19.

DE resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

Senate Bill 37 would reform the expungement processes for individuals convicted of non-violent marijuana-related offenses.

If enacted, the bill would expand the pool of those eligible to seek expungement to include those convicted of a single misdemeanor or felony charge related to marijuana.

Update: SB 37 was approved by the Senate Judicial Committee on 4/9/19.

DE resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of expungement

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 45, to amend certain marijuana penalties for juvenile offenders.

Under state law, adults face civil penalties for minor marijuana possession offenses. Senate Bill 45 would make this policy consistent for juvenile offenders.

Update: SB 45 was approved by the Senate Health & Social Services Committee on 4/10/19.

DE resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of juvenile decriminalization

Florida

Legislation has been approved by members of the House Health and Human Services Committee to arbitrarily cap the potency of cannabis flowers at ten percent THC.

Update: HB 7117 was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on 4/9/19.

FL resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in opposition to capping THC levels

Hawaii

Legislation is pending, House Bill 673 / Senate Bill 1430, to expand medical cannabis access.

The measure would protect registered medical cannabis patients from employment discrimination by prohibiting employers from arbitrarily discriminating against employees who legally consume medical cannabis off-the-job in accordance with state law.

Update: HB 673 was unanimously approved by the Senate on 4/9/19, and now goes back to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments.

HI resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

Legislation is pending, House Bill 1383, that would decriminalize certain marijuana possession offenses.

The bill would impose a civil penalty for the possession of up to three grams of marijuana, punishable by a $30 fine. The measure would also establish a system to expunge certain past cannabis convictions.

Update: HB 1383 was approved by the Senate on 4/9/19, and will now be transmitted back to the House for concurrence on Senate amendments.

HI resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of decriminalization

Idaho

House Bill 300 would allow Idaho to regulate industrial hemp production in addition to allowing for the transportation of hemp throughout the state.

Update: HB 300 was heard by the House Transportation & Defense Committee on 4/11/19.

ID resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Indiana

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 516, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: SB 516 was approved by the House on 4/9/19, with an amendment to allow the smoking of hemp flower. The House disagreed with the Senate’s amendments, so the bill will now go to a conference committee for reconciliation.

IN resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Iowa

Legislation is pending, HF 754 and SF 599, to establish an industrial hemp program to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: HF 754 was approved by the House Appropriations Committee on 4/10/19.

IA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Louisiana

Legislation is pending, House Bill 509, to regulate adult use marijuana.

The measure would permit the use, possession, and retail sale of cannabis for adults 21 and over.

LA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of legalization

Legislation is pending, House Bill 59, to reduce marijuana possession penalties for first time offenders.

The measure removes the threat of jail time for first-time offenders who possess no more than 14 grams of marijuana (about half an ounce).

LA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of penalty reductions

Missouri

Legislation is pending, House Bill 1095, reduce marijuana offense penalties in Missouri.

This measure would reduce the penalty for the possession of up to 100 grams of marijuana or marijuana concentrate from a misdemeanor to a civil infraction.

Update: HB 1095 was heard and approved by the Special Committee on Criminal Justice on 4/11/19.

MO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of decriminalization

Nevada

Legislation is pending, SB 430, that would expand the pool of individuals eligible for medical cannabis.

The measure would permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to those diagnosed with anxiety, autism, opioid addiction or dependence, anorexia nervosa, among others.

Update: SB 430 was heard in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on 4/8/19, and again on 4/10.

NV resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

Legislation is pending, AB 346, to remove the prohibition on those convicted of certain marijuana related offenses from participating in childcare or healthcare related activities and employment positions.

The measure also establishes a process to allow individuals to have their records set aside when determining eligibility to serve in such capacities

Update: AB 346 was approved by the Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services on 4/12/19.

NV resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of removing employment restrictions

New Hampshire

Legislation is pending, HB 350, to expand medical cannabis access.

The measure expands the pool of medical professionals who are eligible to recommend medical cannabis by permitting physician assistants to issue recommendations to their patients.

Update: HB 350 was approved by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on 4/11/19.

NH resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical expansion

North Carolina

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 168, to expand the state’s medical CBD exemption law.

The measure expands the pool of individuals eligible for a medical CBD exemption to include those diagnosed with autism, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and Mitochondrial disease.

Update: S. 168 was heard by the Committee on Rules and Operations of the Senate on 4/9/19, and was then approved by the full Senate on 4/10. The bill now heads to the House.

NC resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical CBD expansion

Oklahoma

Legislation is pending, House Bill 2614, to amend the possession penalties for individuals who use cannabis for a qualifying condition, but are not in possession of a medical marijuana identification card.

The measure would reduce the penalty for this offense from a criminal misdemeanor to a citation, punishable by a maximum fine of $400.

Update: HB 2614 was approved by the Senate Committee On Health And Human Services on 4/8/19.

OK resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of reduced penalties

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 305, to protect registered medical cannabis patients from employment discrimination.

The measure would prohibit employers from arbitrarily discriminating against employees who legally consume medical cannabis off-the-job in accordance with state law.

Update: SB 305 was heard in the House Rules Committee on 4/11/19.

OK resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of employment protections

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 868 / House Bill 2628, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: SB 868 was approved by the House on 4/11/19, and will now be transmitted to the Governor.

OK resident? Click here to email your governor in support of industrial hemp production

Oregon

Legislation is pending, House Bill 2655 / Senate Bill 379, to protect responsible adult cannabis consumers from employment discrimination.

Update: The Senate Judiciary Committee approved SB 379 on 4/8/19.

OR resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of employment protections

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 420, to expand upon Oregon’s expungement law.

The measure would direct the Department of Justice to automatically conduct a review of past misdemeanor cannabis convictions, and to “set aside” offenses that are no longer a crime under state law.

Update: The Senate Judiciary Committee held a work session SB 420 on 4/9/19.

OR resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of expungement

Texas

Legislation is pending, HB 1365, to provide qualified patients in Texas with access to medical cannabis.

Update: HB 1365 was heard in a Medical Cannabis Subcommittee on 4/11/19.

TX resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of medical cannabis access

Vermont

S. 54 is pending to establish a regulatory framework for the regulation of a commercial, adult use marijuana market.

Update: S. 54 was heard by theHouse Committees on General, Housing, and Military Affairs; Government Operations; and Judiciary this week.

VT resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of regulation

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 58, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: S. 58 was heard in the House Committee on Agriculture and Forestry on 4/10/19.

VT resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Washington

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 5276, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

Update: The House Committee on Appropriations held an executive session on SB 5276 on 4/8/19.

WA resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of industrial hemp production

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/12/weekly-legislative-roundup-4-12-19/

Weekly Legislative Roundup 4/12/19 was originally seen on The Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/12/weekly-legislative-roundup-4-12-19/

Report: Adult Use Legalization Associated With Increased Home Values

The passage of statewide adult use marijuana laws is associated with an immediate uptick in housing prices, according to an assessment published by the online service Clever Real Estate.

The study determined: “States that legalize recreational cannabis see an immediate bump in home values following legalization, even without retail dispensaries opening up. From 2017 to 2019, cities where recreational marijuana is legal saw home values increase $6,337 more than cities where marijuana is illegal” after controlling for potential confounders.

Cities that regulated retail marijuana facilities experienced an even greater increase in overall home prices.

By contrast, the study did not identify a similar significant increase in home prices in cities where only medical cannabis was legally regulated.

Regarding crime rates following the passage of legalization, the study failed to identify any overall trends in legal states that significantly differed from the national average. “The crime rate increases in Washington and Colorado are consistent with nationwide violent crime trends since 2014. … Using Colorado and Washington as case studies, it’s clear that the market benefits from marijuana legalization outweigh the potential costs in terms of home values,” the study’s author concluded.

The report’s findings are consistent with those of prior studies, such as those here and here.

Full text of the study, “How Legalizing Recreational Marijuana Impacts Home Values,” appears online here.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/04/12/study-adult-use-legalization-associated-with-increased-home-values/

Report: Adult Use Legalization Associated With Increased Home Values was initially published to The Giggles N Dimples Blog

source https://gigglesndimples.com/2019/04/12/report-adult-use-legalization-associated-with-increased-home-values/