Proponents of legal cannabis in Connecticut said there’s a better than average chance a bill will pass in 2021, while opponents said the old barriers still haven’t been removed. “I’m hoping there isn’t a stumbling block to passing legislation this year,” said Rep. Steven J. Stafstrom (D-Bridgeport), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Judiciary. “I […]
marijuana
Recreational marijuana sales kick off in Arizona
Recreational marijuana sales have started in Arizona, with many of the state’s medical-marijuana dispensaries getting the OK on Friday to open sales to anyone 21 or older. A Harvest Health and Recreation dispensary in Scottsdale got approval at about noon. The staff quickly broke out signs showing where recreational customers would check in, separating them from medical […]
Cannabis strength soars over past half century
New research shows that over the past 50 years street cannabis across the world has become substantially stronger carrying an increased risk of harm. The team behind the study from the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, synthesised data from over 80,000 cannabis samples tested in the past 50 years from […]
Oregon becomes first state to legalize magic mushrooms as more states ease drug laws in ‘psychedelic renaissance’
Oregon on Wednesday became the first state to legalize the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms on an election night that saw more states ease restrictions on recreational drugs across the country. Oregon’s Measure 109 will give legal access to psilocybin, the main active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” for mental health treatment in supervised settings. As of […]
Do You Have the Heart for Marijuana?
Research suggests that smoking marijuana carries many of the same cardiovascular health hazards as smoking tobacco. Do you have the heart to safely smoke pot? Maybe not, a growing body of medical reports suggests. Currently, increased smoking of marijuana in public, even in cities like New York where recreational use remains illegal (though no longer […]
Tilray Reports Positive Results For Medical Marijuana In Chemotherapy Patients
New research indicates that marijuana could alleviate some of the worst effects experienced by cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Tilray (NASDAQ:TLRY) announced Monday that a clinical trial in Australia has demonstrated positive results in reducing the nausea and vomiting common to people enduring such treatments for their illness. The phase 2 study comprised 81 patients, who were dosed three […]
Thai law: FDA to allow private medical cannabis production
Reopening its cannabis regulatory platform after months of disruption caused by the coronavirus, the Food and Drug Administration has prepared a draft bill to abolish a 5-year ban on the private sector making cannabis medicine. Two draft ministerial regulations, one on marijuana and the other on hemp, under scrutiny since the end of last year […]
Pandemic upends pot legalization
Ballot campaigns and cannabis bills get pushed aside during public health crisis. What was supposed to be a banner year for marijuana legalization is becoming a bust. Advocates are pushing ballot referendums in nearly a dozen states, from Idaho to New Jersey. Governors and state lawmakers who failed to pass legalization last year — most […]
Support for the STATES Act Yields Unlikely Coalitions
One consequence of the recent groundswell of state marijuana legislation has been the emergence of less charged political discourse surrounding marijuana policy, a topic that was until recently considered a third rail. As the stigma continues to erode at the state level, policymakers are forced to confront more nuanced questions regarding how to regulate marijuana […]
Cannabis finds its moment amid coronavirus outbreak
States across the country now consider pot shops “essential” services and anxious Americans are flocking to them. Cannabis is turning out to be the one thing the coronavirus can’t destroy. Marijuana sales are booming, with some states seeing 20 percent spikes in sales as anxious Americans prepare to be hunkered down in their homes potentially […]