Congressional Cannabis Caucus Challenges Trump Administration

On Feb. 16, 2017, a bi-partisan group of House members officially launched the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, making it the first marijuana-focused congressional member organization. There are nearly 300 issue-focused caucuses.

At the press conference announcing the new group, the four initial members—Democrats Earl Blumenauer (OR) and Jared Polis (CO) and Republicans Dana Rohrabacher (CA) and Don Young (AK) and suggested that they were ready to put up a fight should the Department of Justice ramp up enforcement of federal prohibition.

“If we have to, we’ll bump heads with the attorney general,” said Young, referring to embattled AG Jeff Sessions, who has since left the Cabinet.

Rohrabacher stressed that recreational cannabis legalization should get serious attention from Congress. So far, it’s only approved protections for state medical marijuana programs in the form of an appropriations rider, commonly known as the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment. Blumenauer stepped in as the co-sponsor when Sam Farr retired in January 2017.

Update: With Rohrabacher recently losing his re-election and Polis being elected governor of Colorado, two new members joined the Caucus on Jan. 9: Barbara Lee (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH). Joyce has replaced Rohrabacher as the Republican sponsor of the amendment.

Most importantly, the caucus will work on changing federal law on cannabis policy. “We don’t want to be a place where we rely on the goodwill of which side of the bed any attorney general wakes up on at any given day,” Polis pointed out. “That’s why we’re pursuing statutory changes.”

Among the other cannabis issues the congressmen plan to focus on are reforming tax code 280E, which prohibits businesses in the industry from taking typical business deductions, and finding a fix to the banking problem for companies that are awash in cash.

On Jan. 10, Blumenauer said he’ll be sponsored a new bill with the numbers 420 in it, known as the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act.

Related Articles

A 4/20 Message from Rep. Earl Blumenauer

Barbara Lee Sponsors Marijuana Justice Act

Colorado Reps Create First State Cannabis Caucus

Rohrabacher Received Campaign Donations from Manafort

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Weekly Legislative Roundup 1/11/19

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

As the first full week of the 116th Congress comes to a close, we have another new federal bill introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). HR 420 (yes, you read that right): The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act would deschedule cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, thus permitting state governments to regulate these activities as they see fit.

Also, the rollout of the new leadership team of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus was announced. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH) are joining founding members Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Don Young (R-AK).

At the state level, Governor Jay Inslee of Washington launched a new program and began granting pardons to those with past criminal misdemeanor marijuana-related convictions on their record.

At a more local level, the commonwealth attorney of Norfolk, Virginia will stop prosecuting all misdemeanor cannabis possession cases. And Dayton, Ohio completely decriminalized cannabis possession, as the city commission decided to eliminate the existing $150 possession fine.

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 at the federal level. Another great way to stay up to date is Marijuana Moment’s daily newsletter, which you can subscribe to HERE.

Your Highness,
Carly

Priority Alerts

Regulate Like Alcohol: The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act of 2019 — (HR 420) seeks to deschedule cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, thus permitting state governments to regulate these activities as they see fit.

Click here to email your Representative and urge them to support this important legislation

North Dakota

Rep. Shannon Roers Jones (R) introduced legislation, House Bill 1155, to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana.

The measure would impose a civil penalty of $200 for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, as well as for the cultivation of up to two marijuana plants.

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

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 2134, to permit qualifying patients to cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

The measure would permit patients to grow up to nine cannabis plants in a locked, enclosed facility, and to possess up to three ounces of home-grown medical cannabis.

Update: SB 2134 will be heard by the Judiciary Committee on 1/16/19 at 10:30am.

ND resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of home cultivation

Legislation is pending, House Bill 1272, to expand access to medical cannabis in North Dakota.

The proposed changes are:

• Allowing providers to recommend medical cannabis to those diagnosed with Anorexia, bulimia, anxiety, Tourette syndrome, autism, or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome;
• Allowing physician assistants and naturopaths to recommend medical cannabis to their patients;
• And allowing for out-of-state medical marijuana cardholders to access medical cannabis while visiting North Dakota.

A separate provision of the bill seeks to eliminate the option for patients to inhale herbal cannabis for therapeutic purposes. NORML opposes this provision.

Update: HB 1272 will be heard by the Human Services Committee on 1/14 at 9:15am.

ND resident? Click here to email your lawmakers and urge them to amend this bill

New Hampshire

Legislation is pending, House Bill 399, to permit those convicted of past marijuana offenses to seek an expungement of their criminal records.

If passed, HB 399 would allow individuals to file a petition with the court requesting that the court annul any past marijuana violations involving the possession of up to ¾ of an ounce of marijuana. Lawmakers decriminalized minor marijuana possession offenses in 2017.

Update: The Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee will hold an executive session for HB 399 on 1/17 at 11am.

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

Legislation is pending, House Bill 364, to permit qualifying patients to cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

The measure would permit patients to grow up to two mature plants and 12 seedings, and to possess up to six ounces of home-grown medical cannabis.

Update: The Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing on HB 364 on 1/15 at 2pm.

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

Legislation is pending, House Bill 366, to permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to those struggling with opioid addiction, misuse, or abuse.

Update: The Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing on HB 366 on 1/17 at 2:30pm.

NH resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of cannabis as an alternative to opioids

Legislation is pending, House Bill 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: The Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing on HB 350 on 1/16 at 11am.

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

Legislation is pending, House Bill 335, to expand access to medical cannabis in New Hampshire.

The measure would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to authorize additional dispensary licenses in certain geographic areas of the state. Under existing law, only a handful of licensed dispensaries are permitted in the state. This means that some patients must travel long distances and pay exorbitant prices to obtain their medicine.

Update: The Health, Human Services, and Elderly Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing on HB 399 on 1/15 at 1pm.

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

Kentucky

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 80, to legalize the use, possession, cultivation, and retail sale of cannabis for adults.

The measure would allow adults to possess up to one ounce of cannabis, and cultivate up to 6 mature, and/or 6 immature plants.

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

State Sen. Jimmy Higdon plans to file legislation in 2019 to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

Under existing law, minor marijuana possession offenses are categorized as a criminal misdemeanor — punishable by up to 45 days in jail.

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

Tennessee

Lawmakers will consider legislation in 2019 to allow qualified patients to access marijuana-infused products. While NORML believes this legislation is limited in scope, it is an important first step in legalizing and regulating medical cannabis access in Tennessee.

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

Virginia

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 1557, to expand the state’s low-THC medical cannabis oil program.

The measure would allow Virginia’s licensed practitioners to recommend and pharmaceutical processors to dispense full therapeutic-strength medical cannabis oil. Under existing state law, medical cannabis oil may contain no more than five percent THC, greatly restricting its therapeutic potential and medical efficacy.

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

Georgia

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 10, to reduce the penalty for minor marijuana possession offenses.

Under this proposed measure, the possession of up to one half ounce of marijuana would be reduced from an offense punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of $1,000 to an offense punishable by a maximum fine of $300. However, the offense would still remain classified as a criminal misdemeanor.

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

Colorado

Legislation is pending in Colorado that would expand the pool of individuals eligible for medical cannabis.

Senate Bill 19-013 would permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy for any condition for which an opiate would otherwise be prescribed.

House Bill 19-1028 would permit physicians to recommend cannabis therapy to those diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

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

New York

Legislation is pending, S. 490, to allow qualified patients the option to inhale herbal cannabis for therapeutic purposes.

NY resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of herbal medical cannabis inhalation

Legislation is pending, S 219, to explicitly permit children and developmentally disabled individuals with serious conditions for which medical marijuana has been recommended to have their medicine administered at schools and other facilities, and require school districts and facilities to create policies for medical marijuana administration.

NY resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of allowing medical cannabis in schools

New Mexico

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 204, to allow medical cannabis to be administered to patients at school.

The measure permits children with serious conditions for which medical marijuana has been recommended to have their medicine administered to them while on school property.

NM resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of allowing medical cannabis in schools

Indiana

Legislation is pending, House Bill 1130, to protect out-of-state patients who possess medical cannabis while visiting Indiana.

Under this measure, patients who are registered to use medical cannabis in those 33 jurisdictions that permit it may legally bring up to 30 grams of their medicine with them while visiting Indiana.

IN resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of protecting out of state patients

Other Actions to Take

Missouri

Legislation is pending, House Bill 440 / Senate Bill 2, to facilitate equity among those licensed to operate in the medical cannabis industry.

The measure would require the Department of Health and Senior Services to prioritize licensing applications submitted by women and minority owned business applicants.

MO resident? Click here to email your lawmakers in support of equity within the industry

New Hampshire

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.

The measure seeks to “establish policy and procedures for growing industrial hemp in new Hampshire so that farmers and other businesses in the New Hampshire agricultural industry can take advantage of this market opportunity.”

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

South Carolina

Legislation is pending, H 3449, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with new federal hemp regulations.

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

Connecticut

Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 8, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with the new federal hemp regulations.

The measure seeks to “legalize the production of industrial hemp in the state and to establish rules for such production.”

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

North Dakota

Legislation is pending, House Bill 1349, to amend the state’s existing industrial hemp law to be in compliance with new federal hemp regulations.

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

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2019/01/11/weekly-legislative-roundup-1-11-19/

The following blog post Weekly Legislative Roundup 1/11/19 was initially published on https://gigglesndimples.com

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MedMen Parcels Out Real Estate Properties, Defends Itself from Suit

One of the country’s largest dispensary operators, MedMen Enterprises Inc., announced Jan. 7 that Treehouse Real Estate Investment Trust had completed its first round of capital raising with $133 million, part of which will be used to purchase properties from MedMen in what’s known as a sale-leaseback transaction.

Such arrangements have become a way for companies to raise cash by selling their real estate holdings to another entity and then paying rent. For MedMen, it appears to be a quicker way to generate capital for additional growth.

MedMen (CSE: MMEN) (OTCMKTS: MMNFF) did not disclose how much of the first round from Treehouse will go toward the sale-leaseback for its properties. Both companies are based in the Los Angeles area. Treehouse was formed as a venture between MedMen and Stable Road Capital, an investment firm in real estate and cannabis businesses that’s worked with MedMen on other transactions.

MedMen currently operates 16 stores and three cultivation and manufacturing facilities with plans to expand to 76 stores and 16 cultivation and manufacturing facilities in 12 states.

Treehouse, which is governed by an independent board, holds a management contract with MedMen to oversee day-to-day operations at its facilities. At some point, Treehouse will go public, but details have yet to be set. The firm raised the $133 million through a private 144a offering to institutional buyers and accredited investors based in the U.S.

“MedMen’s relationship with Treehouse will allow us to unlock a significant value for MedMen shareholders by spinning out our real estate holdings and deploying the proceeds into accretive growth opportunities,” MedMen CEO and co-founder Adam Bierman stated.

MedMen currently operates 16 stores and three cultivation and manufacturing facilities with plans to expand to 76 stores and 16 cultivation and manufacturing facilities in 12 states. MedMen is also working to close its acquisition of privately held retailer PharmaCann for $682 million in stock. Shareholder votes and other actions on the transaction will happen later this year.

The Inception Companies vs. MedMen

MedMen founders Adam Bierman and Andrew Modlin (photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for MedMen Enterprises)

It’s not all good news for MedMen. On Jan. 9, the Superior Court in Los Angeles filed a complaint against Bierman, MedMen president and co-founder Andrew Modlin and other MedMen entities “for alleged breach of fiduciary duties.” Brent Cox and Omar Mangalji, founders of the The Inception Companies and minority investors in MedMen, charge the company with “withholding its shares from its shareholders.”

Mangalji added: “MedMen touts itself as a torchbearer of best practices and even claims in their advertising campaigns that they are ‘Mainstreaming Marijuana.’ If that is the case then they need to adopt mainstream corporate governance practices. This industry is exciting and rife with opportunity, but unless we engender a safe and accountable environment for individuals and institutions to invest their capital, the explosive growth will be stifled. Given the industry’s storied history and its varied stages of legality in different markets, it is doubly important that our industry be well above board in all of its corporate practices.”

Predictably, MedMen called the complaint a “meritless claim by a minority investor” and asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction, which it denied.

MedMen said the dispute arose because of an agreement reached last year by an independent committee that prevents investors from cashing out at least until Nov. 25 of this year.

Due to the negative news, MedMen’s OTC shares fell 7% to $3.14 on Jan. 10.

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HR 420: The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act

This week, Congressman Earl Blumenauer reserved HR 420 for his legislation, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act.

A decades-long champion of cannabis reform, this marks the first time that Blumenauer has staked out the specific bill number 420. His focus however, is ever on the goal of reform, telling Forbes, “While the bill number may be a bit tongue in cheek, the issue is very serious. Our federal marijuana laws are outdated, out of touch and have negatively impacted countless lives.”

The legislation would deschedule cannabis, thus permitting state governments to regulate these activities as they see fit. Further, marijuana would be removed from the enforcement power from the US Drug Enforcement Administration in matters concerning marijuana possession, production, and sales, to a newly renamed Alcohol, Marijuana, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to ensure compliance with state laws and prevent illegal trafficking of the substance.

In the 115th Congress, the bill had 26 cosponsors – compared to 19 cosponsors in the 114th.

Will you tell your Representative to cosponsor the bill? Click here to send a message in less than 20 seconds.

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Source: http://blog.norml.org/2019/01/10/hr-420-the-regulate-marijuana-like-alcohol-act/

HR 420: The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act is available on https://gigglesndimples.com/

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Review: New ‘Cannabis’ Grow Book from Cultivation Expert Danny Danko

Author of “Cannabis: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Marijuana” aznd High Times senior cultivation editor Danny Danko

One of the most respected writers in the cannabis media, Danny Danko has been covering cultivation and providing tips for growers in High Times for nearly two decades. One of his “mentors,” Jorge Cervantes, writes in the forward to Cannabis: A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Marijuana, “Danny Danko was my only choice to assume my question-and-answer column for High Times.”

What Cervantes is referring to is his advice column in High Times, “Jorge’s Rx.” When Cervantes decided to move on, Danko was the natural candidate to take over the popular section in the magazine (renamed “Dear Danko”), which had previously been written by Ed Rosenthal as “As Ed.” Considering that High Times has long been the favorite journal of canna-growers, this was quite an honor.

Prior to this book, Danko wrote The Official High Times Field Guide to Marijuana Strains in 2011. Eight years later, his follow-up covers much different territory. It’s a basic how-to-grow primer. While Cervantes and Rosenthal have written at length (in articles and books) about cannabis cultivation, Danko’s 140-page book boils it all down in an easy-to-understand way, with illustrations throughout rather than photos.

Though knowledgeable about all aspects of pot culture and cannabis law reform, Danko stays focused and doesn’t wander from the subject at hand. Chapters cover grow-room setup, strains and genetics, germination, sexing, mother plants, cloning, vegetative growth, flowering, harvesting, pests and mold, and making concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals.

His advice about storage in “The Proper Harvest” chapter is particularly helpful: “Never store cannabis in a refrigerator or freezer. Temperature and humidity levels inside fridges fluctuate too much and aren’t set at ideal levels to begin with. The freezer is even worse, as temperatures below freezing can separate trichomes from your pot.”

Danko’s enthusiasm will make you want to order some seeds and start a mini grow-op. As he says in the introduction, “Growing your own is fun! Like modern-day alchemy, you can conjure connoisseur-quality cannabis with just the light, air, water and food.”

So pick up this book and get growing.

More Book Reviews

Grassroots: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Marijuana in America

Brave New Weed: Adventures in the Uncharted World of Cannabis

The Leafly Guide to Cannabis

More Cultivation Coverage

Seven Steps to Having a Successful Outdoor Garden

Ed Rosenthal’s Wet and Dry Trimming Techniques

What You Need to Know About Terpenes

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Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Announced

Today, the rollout of the new leadership team of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus was announced, with Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH) joining founding members Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Don Young (R-AK).

First founded in 2017, the Caucus has been a pivotal element in our ability to build broad bipartisan support for legislation that would address every aspect of reform, from ending criminalization to research to veterans healthcare.

“The Cannabis Caucus was the first of its kind to create a forum for elected officials to collaborate on ways to address our outdated federal marijuana laws,” said Rep. Blumenauer. “Congress is clearly out of step with the American people on cannabis when national support for federal marijuana legalization is at an all-time high and we saw several states move toward with legalization last November.”

“Over the last decade, I’ve worked to build understanding and consensus on the need for reform and our movement is cresting. I’m looking forward to working alongside Reps. Lee, Joyce, and Young to build on the bipartisan work we’ve done to end the senseless federal prohibition on marijuana once and for all.”

The addition of Rep. Lee brings much-needed diversity to the Caucus’s leadership, as she will become the first woman and first African-American to serve as co-chair. A longtime champion of reform efforts herself, Rep. Lee introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in the last Congress which had the highest number of cosponsorships of any legislation that would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.

“For far too long, communities of color and women have been left out of the conversation on cannabis. I am committed to ensuring that marijuana reform goes hand-in-hand with criminal justice reform so we can repair some of the harm of the failed War on Drugs. We must also work to build an industry that is equitable and inclusive of the communities most impacted by cannabis prohibition,” said Rep. Lee.

By joining, Rep. Joyce becomes the first leader in the Caucus to come from a state that has yet to pass an adult-use regulatory program. A longtime supporter of reform efforts himself, Rep. Joyce stepped up in the last Congress and introduced The States Act, legislation that would ease the tension between federal prohibition and state-legal programs, as well as was a cosponsor of the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act, which would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substance Act entirely.

“I’m proud to join my colleagues in leading the effort to implement responsible, commonsense cannabis policies,” said Rep. Joyce. “It is critical that we protect the rights of the states across the country, like Ohio, that have already done so at the state level. The federal government’s interference in this arena has stifled important medical research, interfered with doctors and patients making treatment decisions and harmed state-legal businesses. I look forward to working with Congressman Blumenauer, Congressman Young, and Congresswoman Lee to advance sensible cannabis reforms that will benefit our nation’s veterans, patients, and businesses across the country.”

The continued efforts of the Caucus will lead to increased levels of support for reform at the federal level and fosters an all-around positive element to promote effective government solutions.

“Since the initial launch of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus we’ve seen an exponential growth in interest, legislation, and membership many would not have expected”, said Young. “The idea of States’ Rights has been a central tenet of this movement and one that I believe will ultimately carry the day. I encourage all Members to join us in this debate and explore the varying issues.”

In the 115th Congress, NORML hosted a number of events in cooperation with the Cannabis Caucus, including policy briefings with travel writer Rick Steves, former US Attorneys Barry Grissom and Bill Nettles, and victims of criminalization as part of “The Faces of Prohibition.”

We look forward to continuing to work with the growing group of congressional allies who join the Cannabis Caucus to end federal marijuana criminalization once and for all.

You can email your Representative now to tell them to join their colleagues in the Cannabis Caucus by clicking here.  

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2019/01/09/congressional-cannabis-caucus-co-chairs-announced/

Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Announced was first published on Giggles N Dimples

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Cities Across Michigan Ban Legal Marijuana Sales

Since the passage of Proposition 1, officially known as the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, which legalized the sale, possession, consumption and cultivation of marijuana for adults 21 and up last November, members of Michigan NORML have encountered a new challenge: municipal opt-out. Similar to other states that have legalized adult-use marijuana like Colorado, California and Oregon, it’s up to municipal governments in Michigan to decide if legal marijuana businesses can operate within their communities.

To date, more than 80 municipalities in Michigan have imposed moratoriums or outright bans on the sale of adult-use marijuana. In some cases, like with the city of Troy where residents opposed Proposition 1, it’s due to a lack of support for legal marijuana. In other cities, municipal governments are simply waiting until they have a better understanding of how the new law will be implemented by state lawmakers before exploring rules and regulations for local licensing.

“I’m confident that many municipalities will opt-in after the State promulgates administrative rules and sample ordinance amendments are made available to municipal attorneys,” said Brad Forrester, Board Member of Michigan NORML. “Some of the municipal officials I’ve spoken with have expressed an interest, but they don’t really understand exactly how the process works and they said they’re awaiting guidance from State officials.”

Considering many who supported Proposition 1 believed passage of the new law was going to eliminate underground marijuana sales by providing access to a legal and regulated alternative, the decision by municipal governments to opt-out of the sale of adult-use marijuana appears to undermine the intent of the initiative and expectation of voters. We’re at a tipping point in America with regard to public support for ending marijuana prohibition, but there’s still plenty of work to do, especially at the local level.

Marijuana policy should be evidence based. Help dispel the myths and misinformation with NORML’s Fact Sheets! Follow Michigan NORML on Facebook and Twitter and become a member today!

 

Source: http://blog.norml.org/2019/01/08/cities-across-michigan-ban-legal-marijuana-sales/

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