The top lawmaker in the U.S. Senate is again making clear that federal marijuana legalization is a priority part of his legislative agenda for 2021. In a fundraising email to his list of supporters on Friday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) laid out what he called “Democrats’ bold agenda for change this year.” After first describing plans to tackle climate change and income inequality, Schumer turned to cannabis. “Next is criminal justice reform—and voters agree,” he wrote. “Voters in four more states this election voted to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana, and that proves once again it’s past time to work to undo the harm done by misplaced priorities, particularly in Black and brown communities. It’s time to decriminalize marijuana nationally.”

Tom Angell, Marijuana Moment, 03/02/2021 11:59:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/chuck-schumer-says-federal-marijuana-legalization-is-a-priority-in-democrats-big-bold-agenda/

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is looking to collect additional data on hemp production from tens of thousands of farmers and ranchers. In a notice published in the Federal Register, the agency said that it’s requesting permission from the White House to “conduct a new information collection to gather data related to the production of hemp,” and a public comment period is now open on the necessity of the survey and best practices to get the information it seeks. It’s not clear exactly what kind of data USDA wants at this point, but the notice states that it expects 20,000 responses and that it will take an average of 15 minutes for respondents to submit the data.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/02/2021 08:31:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/usda-seeks-information-from-20000-hemp-farmers-on-production-practices/

Many Republican lawmakers in Florida haven’t hidden their skepticism about the use of marijuana as a medical palliative. After voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment broadly legalizing medical marijuana in 2016, the Republican-controlled Legislature grudgingly laid out a framework for a cannabis industry that has since drawn hundreds of thousands of patients. But, after first outlawing smokable marijuana and then reversing the ban at the insistence of Gov. Ron DeSantis two years ago, GOP lawmakers continue trying to rein in Floridians’ legal use of cannabis. A pair of new legislative proposals would place a 10 percent THC cap on smokable marijuana and limit THC levels to 16 percent in other medical-marijuana products, excluding edibles. THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the main psychoactive component of marijuana that makes users feel high. The bills, filed by Rep. Spencer Roach, D-North Fort Myers, and Sen. Ray Rodrigues, R-Estero, would also impose advertising restrictions on doctors who order cannabis for their patients.

Cannabis Business Executive – Cannabis and Marijuana industry news, 03/03/2021 07:18:00

Open article: https://www.cannabisbusinessexecutive.com/2021/03/florida-lawmakers-consider-bill-limiting-amount-thc-medical-marijuana/