Giggles N Dimples

Friday, March 8, 2019

Marijuana Legalization Measures Gaining Momentum In Several States

Lawmakers in several states have recently moved forward legislative proposals to either legalize or decriminalize marijuana-related activities. Here is a look at where some of these efforts currently stand.

LEGALIZATION

New Hampshire: By a margin of 209 to 147, House members voted late last week in favor of House Bill 481, which legalizes the possession and cultivate of personal use quantities of cannabis by adults, and establishes a licensed system of commercial production and retail sales. The measure awaits action in the Senate and faces opposition from Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who has pledged to veto any legalization bill, “regardless of what the language looks like.”

New Mexico: Members of the House voted 36 to 34 in favor of HB 356, which establishes a system of licenses, state-run marijuana retailers. Members of the Senate have until March 16 to act on the bill.

Vermont: Members of the Senate last week passed SB 54 by a vote of 23 to 5. The measure expands existing law to permit the state-licensed production and sale of cannabis to those age 21 or older. The measure now awaits action from members of the House.

DECRIMINALIZATION:

Hawaii: House members approved HB 1383, which removes criminal penalties for minor marijuana possession offenses (up to three grams) and expunges past criminal convictions. The measure now heads to the Senate.

New Mexico: Members of the Senate on Tuesday voted 30 to 8 in favor of SB 323, which reduces possession penalties for the possession of up to one-half ounce of cannabis to a $50 fine and no criminal record. It now goes to the House for further action.

OTHER REFORM BILLS

Florida: Senate members this week overwhelmingly approved legislation, SB 182, to lift the ban on the smoking of medical cannabis and/or the possession of herbal formulations of the plant. House members are expected to address the measure on Wednesday.

Virginia: Legislation is before the Governor to expand the pool of health professionals who can approve cannabis therapy to include nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The measure, SB 1557, also permits qualifying patients access to a broader spectrum of products containing both plant-derived CBD and THC.

West Virginia: Legislation (HB 2538) to facilitate banking access for the medical cannabis industry is awaiting action from the Governor. If signed into law, it mandates that the “Commissioner of Financial Institutions shall not prohibit, penalize, incentivize, or otherwise impair a financial institution from providing services to a person or entity involved in a medical cannabis-related business.”

For a complete summary of marijuana-specific bills pending statewide, visit NORML’s Legislative Action Center here.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/08/marijuana-legalization-measures-gaining-momentum-in-several-states/

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The SAFE Banking Act Reintroduced

A bipartisan coalition of more than 100 co-sponsors has reintroduced legislation in Congress, The Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE Banking Act), HR 1595, to allow state-licensed marijuana-related businesses to engage freely in relationships with banks and other financial institutions.

Click here to send a message to your member of Congress and urge them to cosponsor the bill.

If enacted, banks would no longer face the threat of federal sanction for working with marijuana-related businesses and entrepreneurs.

Currently, hundreds of licensed and regulated businesses do not have access to the banking industry and are unable to accept credit cards, deposit revenues, or write checks to meet payroll or pay taxes. This situation is untenable. No industry can operate safely, transparently, or effectively without access to banks or other financial institutions. Congress must move to change federal policy so that these growing number of state-compliant businesses, and their consumers, may operate in a manner that is similar to other legal commercial entities.

The effort is championed by Representatives Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) and Denny Heck (D-WA).

“The majority of American voters have spoken and it’s happening whether we act or not,” said Perlmutter at the time of introduction. “The SAFE Banking Act is focused solely on taking cash off the streets and making our communities safer. Only Congress can provide the certainty financial institutions need to start banking legitimate marijuana businesses – just like any other legal business – and reduce risks for employees, businesses and communities across the country.”

“Modern banking services and existing federal laws on financial disclosures allow law enforcement to keep records and track potential criminal activity,” said Heck at the time of introduction. “We know based on the Treasury guidance that the federal government prioritizes keeping this product out of the hands of children and organized crime. The most effective way to do that is to not only allow, but encourage these businesses to use traditional banking methods to track their sales, deposits, expenses, tax payments, and other business transactions. If Congress fails to act, we are discouraging responsible, regulated markets and allowing a serious public safety threat to go unaddressed.”

Perlmutter and Heck have introduced similar bills every Congress since 2013. A draft version of the SAFE Banking Act was discussed during a hearing about cannabis banking on February 13, 2019.

Click here to send a message to your member of Congress and urge them to support the SAFE Banking Act.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/08/the-safe-banking-act-reintroduced/

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Thursday, March 7, 2019

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: I just introduced legislation to end the federal marijuana prohibition

Tulsi Gabbard is a Member of Congress representing Hawaii’s 2nd district

Our archaic and outdated marijuana laws are turning everyday Americans into criminals. Every day, the economic and social impacts of marijuana prohibition are having devastating effects on communities across the country.

That is why in 2017 I introduced the first-ever bipartisan bill that would end the federal prohibition of marijuana by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act. Unfortunately, Congressional leadership at the time blocked us from getting a hearing on this important legislation, despite having nearly 10% of the Members of the House as cosponsors and growing support from the public.

But times have changed.

I am writing to you today, as a supporter of NORML, to let you know that I just reintroduced The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act and ask you to urge your Member of Congress to join me and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) as a cosponsor of the bill.

SEND A MESSAGE NOW

Criminal Justice Reforms
Millions of people have been arrested for the possession or use of marijuana. Many can’t afford bail — further punishing those who are poor — and become mired in our hopelessly back-logged court system that punishes non-violent offenders with felonies and years behind bars. Others have faced the lost opportunities and life-long stigma that follows them with a criminal record.

According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, police made 659,700 arrests for marijuana-related violations in 2017 alone — that’s more than 21 percent higher than the total number of arrests for violent crimes in the same year.

Our outdated marijuana laws also target communities of color. The racial disparity in marijuana-related arrests, despite similar usage across demographics, is just one indication of the systemic inequalities that we must address.

In a day and age when more than twenty percent of the population live in states which have legalized the marijuana market, and in an era where nearly every state has enacted some legal protections for the use of medical cannabis or its extracts, the time has come for federal lawmakers to end this senseless and cruel prohibition that ruins lives.

Medical Reforms
We are calling for common sense reforms that are long overdue. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests the medicinal benefits of cannabis, including its ability to prevent epileptic seizures, mitigate pain, reduce anxiety, and even halt the growth of cancer cells. However, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Congress still erroneously classify marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, ignoring the fact that 33 states, including my home state of Hawai‘i, have already accepted the medical use of marijuana under state law. It is simply ludicrous to argue that marijuana belongs in the same category as heroin, or that it is more dangerous than cocaine.

States that have legalized the use of medical marijuana have seen lower rates of opioid abuse and mortality, and that it does not negatively impact workplace safety, teen use, or motor vehicle safety. As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage communities across the country like mine in Hawai‘i, we must explore all alternatives to save lives.

Job Creation
Just this week, a new report found that there are over 211,000 full-time jobs in the legal cannabis sector. This total increases to 296,000 jobs when supplementary employees are included.

The contradiction between state and federal laws on marijuana has created a serious problem for small businesses and stunted further economic growth. Federal law discourages banks and credit unions from offering any type of financial services to businesses or individuals whose financial transactions have anything to do with marijuana. In the states that have recognized dispensary owners and their employees, these businesses are still unable to open a bank account or get a loan.

We must pass The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act to ensure that marijuana consumers and state-licensed marijuana businesses are protected from undue federal interference. It will help reduce the strain on our criminal justice system, amend federal law to agree with cannabis’ changing cultural status, recognize the plant’s therapeutic benefits, and reduce contradictions and confusion between federal and state marijuana laws.

Please join me in urging your lawmakers to support this effort.

Thank you for your unwavering dedication to this issue and for strengthening our democracy through your participation.

Mahalo,
Tulsi

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/07/rep-tulsi-gabbard-i-just-introduced-legislation-to-end-the-federal-marijuana-prohibition/

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: I just introduced legislation to end the federal marijuana prohibition is republished from The Giggles N Dimples Blog

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It is Time to Acknowledge Reality and End Federal Marijuana Prohibition

Today, we stood with Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Don Young as they introduced the End Federal Prohibition Act and Marijuana Data Collection Act. While these two bills are overtly about addressing the failures of marijuana prohibition, what they are truly about is accepting reality.

This legislation is about accepting political reality. Currently, ten states and the District of Columbia have legalized the adult use of marijuana and thirty-three states and DC have medical marijuana programs. When you additionally factor in decriminalization and marijuana-specific CBD laws, there is, in fact, only 4 states in this entire country that are actually in compliance with federal law and the controlled substances act. This tension between state and federal laws is and remains untenable. If states truly are the laboratories of democracy, we need to fully deschedule marijuana from the CSA and allow them to move forward with reforms to their marijuana laws, unimpeded by federal law. This is not just good policy, but good politics. The American people are sick and tired of our failed prohibition. 68% of all Americans support legalizing marijuana and well over 70% believe this is an issue that should be governed by the state, not the federal government.

This legislation is about accepting scientific reality. While there is still more we can learn, there are over 29,000 peer-reviewed studies on cannabis in existence – we know enough to say that it does have medical applications and that is objectively less harmful of a substance than currently legal alcohol and tobacco. As long as marijuana remains a Schedule I substance, federal policy remains ignorant of this fact. Descheduling marijuana through the End Federal Prohibition Act would ease hurdles to research and the Marijuana Data Collection Act would allow us to learn from the real world experience of states who have already moved forward with adult use or medical marijuana.

This legislation is about accepting economic reality. The legal marijuana industry in this country already employs over 200,000 Americans in full-time jobs, nearly 300,000 when you include ancillary industries. That is six times the number of jobs currently in the coal industry and over twice the number of Americans working in the textile industry. It is also generating billions of dollars a year in revenue across this country. Despite this economic boon, marijuana businesses are still unable to utilize financial services and face issues regarding taxation that no other legal business faces. This legislation would be a huge step forward in treating the legal cannabis industry like any other legal industry in this country and allow us to truly embrace its job creation and revenue potential.

Perhaps most importantly, this legislation is about accepting moral reality. Despite our progress, marijuana prohibition still results in over 600,000 Americans being arrested every year on simple marijuana possession alone. Worse still, these policies are applied in racially disparate ways, overwhelmingly those arrested are people of color or members of other marginalized communities. Whether an arrest leads to incarceration or not, having a charge for marijuana possession on your record has life-altering collateral consequences. Americans with a criminal marijuana record lose access to federal financial aid for higher education, have a hard time finding gainful employment, can risk losing public housing, face issues with child protective services, and see their future permanently altered or dreams deferred for nothing more than possession of a joint. Descheduling marijuana would open the door to finally ending marijuana prohibition nationwide and bring to a halt these draconic policies that have ruined so many American lives.

The overwhelming majority of the American public has accepted these realities and it is time for their elected officials to do the same. It is time to pass the End Federal Prohibition Act, close this dark chapter in our nation’s history, and move on from the failed policies of prohibition and towards the sensible policies of legalization and regulation.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE END FEDERAL PROHIBITION ACT!

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/07/it-is-time-to-acknowledge-reality-and-end-federal-marijuana-prohibition/

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Former Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper Vies for Presidential Nomination. But Was He Good on Pot?

Two governors from legal marijuana states are seeking to become the Democrats’ presidential nominee in 2020. We wrote about Washington’s current Governor Jay Inslee earlier this week. Here’s our take on Colorado’s former two-term Governor John Hickenlooper, who announced his candidacy on March 4.

Like Inslee, Hickenlooper opposed his state’s recreational marijuana ballot initiative in 2012 when Colorado’s Amendment 64 passed with 55% of the vote.

By 2014, when the law was implemented and adult-use stores began to open, the Governor stated: “I hate Colorado having to be the experiment. We are going to regulate the daylights out of it.”

He added: “This is going to be one of the great social experiments of the 21st century. But going out and getting tax revenue is absolutely the wrong reason to even think about legalizing recreational marijuana. We’re going to not use this as a source of revenue to help education or expanding health care. We’re going to use it in health care where it will relate to marijuana activity… I don’t think governors should be the position of promoting things that are inherently not good for people.”

Hickenlooper contended about marijuana that it “doesn’t make people smarter and doesn’t make people healthier.”

While attending a college reunion at Wesleyan in Connecticut on May 25, 2014, Hickenlooper said he had smoked pot in the past:

“I’m way past any point of saying I didn’t inhale.”

“So far, we’ve rolled it out pretty well,” he told a crowd of alumni. “My advice to Connecticut would be to go slow on the recreational. I tell all the governors to go slow. You don’t realize until you’re trying to create a regulatory framework how complicated it is to make everything work.”

A month later, when he was running for reelection, Hickenlooper commented during a debate about legalization in Colorado: “I think you could say it was reckless. I’m not saying it was reckless, because I’ll get quoted everywhere. But if it was up to me, I wouldn’t have done it, right. I opposed it from the very beginning. All right, what the hell – I’ll say it was reckless.”

The next day he attempted to clarify what he’d said: “Perhaps risky is a better word. While I believe it was risky for Colorado to be the first state to step away from a failed federal policy given all of the unanswered legal questions and implications, the adoption of Amendment 64 by Colorado voters sent a clear message to the federal government that marijuana should be legal and regulated. Is it risky now? It is certainly less so. We have a robust regulatory enforcement system that would not have been possible without the partnership of the marijuana business owners, activists, law enforcement officials, regulators, parents, policy experts and stakeholders. Together we have worked tirelessly to ensure a safe and fair system that protects the public health, diminishes the underground market and educates and keeps marijuana out of the hands of our children.”

JOHN HICKENLOOPER: “The adoption of Amendment 64 by Colorado voters sent a clear message to the federal government that marijuana should be legal and regulated.”

Hickenlooper won a second term in 2014 with 49% of the vote. He could not run for a third, so instead the owner of Wynkoop Brewery in Denver decided to toss his hat into the ring for president.

Now that he’s announced his candidacy, Hickenlooper can expect to be on the receiving end of a barrage of media questions about marijuana. On March 6, he observed: “Trust me – the marijuana industry is not going to support someone who says I don’t think it should be legal in every state. Every state should make their choice.

“I don’t think the federal government should come in and tell every state it should be legalized,” he continued. “The federal government should reclassify marijuana, so it’s not a schedule I narcotic.”

His one regret about legalization in the Centennial State? “I would have been all over edibles,” Hickelooper noted. “It took us two years to create regulations to reign that back in.”

Fun Fact About John Hickenlooper: His cousin, George Hickenlooper, directed Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991) and Factory Girl (2006), among his many films. He passed away in 2010.

Bipartisan Legislation To End Marijuana Prohibition Filed

Representatives Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Don Young (AK-AL) introduced two landmark bipartisan marijuana bills.

Introduced was The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2019, to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances list and allow states the freedom to regulate marijuana as they choose, without federal interference.

In the previous Congress, The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act became the first bill in American history to end the federal policy of criminalization that earned bipartisan support.

“The Ending Federal Prohibition Act is about acknowledging political, scientific, and economic reality. Marijuana legalization is here to stay and it is time that federal policy reflect that.” said NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri. “This legislation is effective in its simplicity, it will deschedule marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and end federal prohibition once and for all, full stop.”

You can send a message to your Representative in support of the bill in less than 30 seconds here.

Also introduced was The Marijuana Data Collection Act of 2019, which would study the effects of state legalized medicinal and non-medicinal marijuana programs from a variety of perspectives, including state revenues, public health, substance abuse and opioids, criminal justice, and employment.

Both Representative Gabbard and Young spoke outside the Capitol on Thursday, March 7th to introduce the bills and highlight their urgency.

The members were joined by NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri as well as representatives from the Minority Cannabis Business Association, The Veterans Cannabis Coalition, and individuals impacted by criminalization.

Shanita Penny, President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) said, “The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2019 removes a roadblock impeding criminal justice reform, patient and consumer access, research and innovation. Removing marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act is essential to comprehensive reform and the evolution of the cannabis industry into one that is equitable and sustainable.”

Eric Goepel, of the Veterans Cannabis Coalition said, “There have been over 100,000 veteran suicides and overdoses in the last 15 years. Millions of veterans have been prescribed, both in the VA and private health, cocktails of addictive and toxic drugs without evidence or alternatives. In their own words, veterans will tell you how cannabis has provided relief and hope when nothing else worked. If it helps veterans, it can help all Americans. The time is long past due to end this 80 year injustice and dismantle prohibition.”

Thirty-three states, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico have enacted legislation specific to the physician-authorized use of cannabis. Moreover, an estimated 73 million Americans now reside in the ten states where anyone over the age of 21 may possess cannabis legally. An additional fifteen states have passed laws specific to the possession of cannabidiol (CBD) oil for therapeutic purposes.

Sixty-eight percent of registered voters “support the legalization of marijuana,” according to 2018 national polling data compiled by the Center for American Progress. The percentage is the highest level of support for legalization ever reported in a nationwide, scientific poll.

Majorities of Democrats (77 percent), Independents (62 percent), and Republicans (57 percent) back legalization. The results of a 2017 nationwide Gallup poll similarly found majority support among all three groups.

To date, these statewide regulatory programs are operating largely as voters and politicians intended. The enactment of these policies have not negatively impacted workplace safety, crime rates, traffic safety, or youth use patterns. They have stimulated economic development and created hundreds of millions of dollars in new tax revenue.

Specifically, a 2019 report estimates that over 211,000 Americans are now working full-time in the cannabis industry. Tax revenues from states like Colorado, Oregon, and Washington now exceed initial projections. Further, numerous studies have identified an association between cannabis access and lower rates of opioid use, abuse, hospitalizations, and mortality.

Source: https://blog.norml.org/2019/03/07/bipartisan-legislation-to-end-marijuana-prohibition-filed/

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Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Women Grow Announces First East Coast Summit in June

Women Grow NYC holds monthly networking events at Galvanize.

As the cannabis and hemp industries continue to build throughout the U.S., no area has experienced as rapid a growth as the East Coast. Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont (plus Washington, DC) have all established medical-cannabis programs, several states (Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont) have passed adult-use laws and several more are on their way or still weighing the option. Hemp is also poised to be a major force in the region.

Reparative justice, equity programs, diversity and inclusion, environmental and public-safety concerns and evolving regulations are all part of the ongoing conversation shaping East Coast cannabis.

Here’s how Women Grow plans to impact East Coast female entrepreneurs and business leaders.

Summit Moves to DC

Women Grow will bring its annual Leadership Summit to Washington, DC in on June 7-8 at the Washington Court Hotel. It will be the first woman-focused cannabis conference on the East Coast. This is a unique opportunity for us to carry our message to the nation’s capital while introducing the Women Grow brand to a new audience. Women Grow’s new leadership team also hails from the area, exemplifying the many opportunities now available to those outside of traditional cannabis strongholds.

Growing East Coast Markets

As the popularity of adult-use cannabis legislation intensifies nationwide, East Coast governors have responded to this trend by accelerating legalization efforts. New Jersey and New York are discussing such measures, expanding their medical programs to serve more patients and embracing the rising industrial hemp industry.

Women Grow’s headquarters and leadership has been on the East Coast since 2017 (we were founded in Denver in 2014). Based on feedback we’ve received, we intend to increase our East Coast presence in 2019, ensuring that women in these regions who seek to enter the industry have access to an active community and dedicated support.

Educational Programs

Reparative justice, equity programs, diversity and inclusion, environmental and public-safety concerns and evolving regulations are all part of the ongoing conversation shaping East Coast cannabis. Educating our members on these and other issues related to business, healthcare and social justice is a major component to ensuring the viability of the entire industry. Women Grow will continue its series of educational initiatives aimed at preparing the next generation of women leaders and refining the skills of trailblazers already within the space.

As the cannabis renaissance continues, the East Coast is sure to emerge as a major hub for years to come. Women Grow is committed to helping the women of the region be a part of this budding industry.

The CBD Revolution Is Being Led By Women

Sister Summit: Women Grow Meets Up in Denver

Women Grow and the New Rules of Diversity

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Source: https://www.freedomleaf.com/women-grow-summit-washington-dc-2019/

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