A recent Gallup survey showed 68% of people are in favor of legalizing cannabis. Some Tennessee lawmakers said this is the year the state needs to legalize medical marijuana. Democratic Rep. Jason Powell presented a resolution to the General Assembly to give the voters the final say. Rep. Powell said, “We’ve seen a record number of cannabis’ legislation.” If approved, voters would get the final say on medical marijuana which could change the state’s constitution. “It’s time for Tennesseans especially those who are suffering and would benefit from medical cannabis,” Rep. Powell said. His proposal would allow the growth, process, and sale of medical cannabis. Only people with approved medical conditions including cancer, epilepsy, and MS could use it. This resolution would need 2/3 approval in both the Tennessee House and Senate to go to the November ballot. Rep. Powell said, “I think it’s extremely popular and if it’s on the ballot it will pass.” Some Republican East Tennessee lawmakers are split on the matter. For Sen. Becky Massey, the matter is personal for her.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 02/14/2022 19:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/02/15/tennessee-lawmakers-push-legalization-medical-marijuana

For anyone left wondering whether medical marijuana purchases are deductible on your federal taxes, the answer is no. But there was some confusion about the tax option after Internal Revenue Service (IRS) National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins was asked about the issue during an interview with C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Thursday. A Nevada-based caller asked Collins why he couldn’t find an option on the tax service website TurboTax to deduct cannabis purchases, which are legal under state law but not federally. The official responded that she’d “plead ignorance on the marijuana” question, “unless you’re saying it’s a medical deduction.” “If it is a medical expense, and then you have an option on your Schedule A, you could potentially put it there,” she said.Marijuana is legal for medical and recreational purposes in Nevada, and the caller didn’t specify whether he was a registered patient. But federal law is clear, and while Collins—who was appointed to her role by Trump administration Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin in 2020—said there was “potentially” an opportunity to claim deductions if it was medical marijuana he was purchasing, she clarified in a statement to Marijuana Moment on Friday that that was not the case.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 02/14/2022 08:42:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/irs-official-clarifies-that-medical-marijuana-is-not-tax-deductible-under-federal-law-after-misstatement/

Ohio’s, Senate president Matt Huffman just said no to recreational marijuana. Speaking to reporters, Huffman, a Republican and one of the most powerful figures in state politics, emphasized that no road to recreational marijuana will run through him. “I don’t want anybody to misunderstand my position,” Huffman said. “I’m not going to bring it to the Senate floor. And if that means people want to go put it on the ballot, have at it.” The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol recently submitted more than enough valid signatures (about 133,000) for Ohio lawmakers to consider its proposal, which would allow Ohioans age 21 and older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and 15 grams of concentrates and grow up to six plants individually and no more than 12 per household. State officials determined that advocates had indeed done their legwork to compel the Legislature to consider the recreational marijuana bill they proposed. If lawmakers don’t pass the marijuana proposal within the next roughly 3-4 months, advocates can gather the same number of signatures yet again to place the issue on the general election ballot.

Benzinga Staff Writer, The Fresh Toast, 02/13/2022 07:00:00

Open article: https://thefreshtoast.com/news/ohio-proposal-to-legalize-cannabis-hits-another-roadblock-gop-leadership/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ohio-proposal-to-legalize-cannabis-hits-another-roadblock-gop-leadership

Twitch, the popular streaming site owned by Amazon announced new updates for its username policy in an effort to put an end to inappropriate names, highlighting that those with cannabis hinting handles will be allowed. “We want to make Twitch the kind of place where everybody feels at home,” the company pointed out, adding that “curbing hateful conduct and harassment is a vital part of making Twitch a safe and fun place to spend your time.” This move seems to be part of Amazon’s support for cannabis legalization, made public last June when the company announced it will stop testing for workplace cannabis use in most positions. Amazon is the parent company of Twitch since it acquired it in 2014 for $970 million, during which time Alphabet was also in talks.

Benzinga Staff Writer, The Fresh Toast, 02/14/2022 08:00:00

Open article: https://thefreshtoast.com/news/how-amazon-twitch-is-incorporating-cannabis-under-new-policy/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-amazon-twitch-is-incorporating-cannabis-under-new-policy

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that includes legislation that would enable banks to serve marijuana businesses without fear of reprisal, but it’s currently unclear whether the measure will pass the full Congress. The SAFE Banking Act was similarly attached to a national defense budget bill, only to be stripped out by Senate leadership. The House passed the multibillion-dollar America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology) Act of 2022 by a vote of 222-210 along party lines. America COMPETES also referred to as the China competition bill, is intended to boost U.S. competitiveness in part by strengthening semiconductor manufacturing. “I am pleased that the U.S. House of Representatives saw fit to include and pass the provisions of the SAFE Banking Act in the America COMPETES Act,” said Marijuana Policy Project. Today’s vote was a positive step in the right direction. A lack of access to banking is a constant obstacle for state-legal cannabis businesses across the country and hinders social equity efforts. The reality is that states are going to continue to move forward with legalizing cannabis.

AZ Marijuana, 02/14/2022 02:01:00

Open article: https://azmarijuana.com/arizona-medical-marijuana-news/us-house-passes-cannabis-banking-measure/