Cannabis should be legalized, regulated, and taxed like many other profitable commodities in South Dakota, according to the state legislature. Residential voters seem to be in agreement, with a new poll showing that most South Dakotans disapprove of Gov. Kristi Noem’s current approach to cannabis legalization. A group of lawmakers who’ve spent the last few months investigating cannabis policy made the comments during a recent meeting. The team, which consists of proud members of the Marijuana Interim Study Committee, recently celebrated the completion of a study that kicked off last spring. The meeting saw committee members formally adopt a cannabis legalization recommendation to be put under the noses of the legislative panel. If the recommendation is approved by the full legislature, the state’s prohibitive stance on marijuana consumption, cultivation, and sale would officially come to an end. “I’m not a supporter of marijuana but I’m trying to make sure that if we’re going to have it, we’ve got a good, solid regulatory system that is in the middle somewhere,” said co-chair of the committee, Republican Hugh Bartels.

Posted By, Cannabis Central, 01/11/2022 15:00:00

Open article: https://www.veriheal.com/blog/south-dakota-cannabis-panel-wants-complete-legalization-and-15-tax/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=south-dakota-cannabis-panel-wants-complete-legalization-and-15-tax

Adults can now purchase up to two ounces of cannabis flower from licensed retailers, under amended rules issued by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. The updated purchasing rule, which increases the quantity of cannabis flower a customer can buy per transaction from one ounce to two ounces, took effect on January 1. Last year, lawmakers enacted legislation, Senate Bill 408, increasing the allowable amount of cannabis flower that can be possessed by adults in public to two ounces. State law allows those ages 21 and older to legally possess even greater quantities within the privacy of their homes. Other rules issued by state regulators permit expanded routes for certain delivery services and increase the THC content permitted in certain adult-use products. The latter changes do not take effect until April 1, 2022.

NORML, 01/09/2022 19:00:00

Open article: https://norml.org/blog/2022/01/10/oregon-new-rules-increase-the-amount-of-cannabis-adults-can-purchase-per-transaction/

The governor of Texas said on Monday that he doesn’t believe people should be incarcerated over low-level marijuana possession, effectively endorsing decriminalization on the same day that Austin officials certified a ballot initiative to enact the reform on the local level. But he also went on to incorrectly suggest that lawmakers have already adopted the policy statewide. It’s not the first time that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has expressed support for moderate cannabis reform, but it’s a notable remark from a Republican governor nonetheless. Pressed about broader cannabis legalization at a campaign press event, Abbott emphasized that Texas is “taking steps in that regard” to decrease marijuana penalties, though he misstated the current law. “Marijuana is now a Class C misdemeanor in the state of Texas and so one thing that that I believe in—and I believe the state legislature believes in—and that is prison and jail is a place for dangerous criminals who may harm others, and small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with,” he said. Advocates were quick to point out that Abbott mischaracterized Texas’s marijuana policy, as possession of up to two ounces of cannabis actually remains a Class B misdemeanor—not class C—that carries a penalty of up to 180 days in jail and a maximum of $2,000 fine.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/11/2022 09:03:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/gop-texas-governor-says-people-shouldnt-be-jailed-over-marijuana-possession-but-misstates-current-law/

As more states move to legalize marijuana, the director of national intelligence (DNI) says federal employers shouldn’t outright reject security clearance applicants over past use and should use discretion when it comes to those with cannabis investments in their stock portfolios. DNI Avril Haines’s new memo—which follows up on past guidance that was approved under the Obama administration—says that while cannabis is being legalized in states across the country, its use by people in positions that require national security clearance remains an area of concern that should be accounted for in the application process. That said, the internal notice that was distributed to nearly 100 agencies late last month appears to give some additional leeway when it comes to prior marijuana use by applicants and employees. Haines wants federal agencies to remind civilian, military, and contractor personnel who are eligible for access to classified information or eligible to hold sensitive positions “of the importance of continued adherence to federal laws and policies” that currently prohibit cannabis. Illegal use of controlled substances, she wrote, “can raise security concerns about an individual’s reliability and trustworthiness to access classified information or to hold a sensitive position, as well as their ability or willingness to comply with laws, rules, and regulations.” However, the document, which was first reported by ClearanceJobs on Monday, says that while federal law on marijuana and a person’s past use “remains relevant,” it is “not determinative” to decisions on “eligibility for access to classified information or eligibility to hold a sensitive position.” That seems to be a notable policy development, as ClearanceJobs reported that there has generally been a one-to-two year abstinence requirement for prospective federal workers in need of security clearance at various agencies. The policy could be further amended in the future, Haines noted, if there’s a “change to federal law concerning marijuana use.”

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/10/2022 18:06:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-federal-intelligence-official-loosens-marijuana-restrictions-for-workers-and-addresses-cannabis-stocks/

The new coalition government of Germany is unveiling some initial details about its marijuana legalization plan, even if the reform is taking a back seat to efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Prior to being sworn in late last year, the so-called traffic light coalition announced that legalization would be a priority and laid out an agreement on the issue. Now, a top government official providing some information about the pending proposal. There are the basics: the government wants adults to be able to possess and purchase cannabis from licensed facilities. Those could be pharmacies, but lawmakers “may also continue to draw the circle” to expand where marijuana could be purchased. Because there will be a sales component, Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) told the German Press Agency that “there must also be producers who are allowed to grow and sell it legally,” signaling that the coalition is developing a licensing structure for different aspects of the market. According to the news report, legislative leaders are also looking into staffing policies for dispensaries.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 01/10/2022 12:54:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/german-officials-preview-marijuana-legalization-plan-details/