Today, Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced legislation to incentivize state and local governments to expunge the criminal records of tens of millions of Americans who have previously been convicted of marijuana offenses. “This bipartisan effort represents the growing consensus to reform marijuana policies in a manner that addresses the harms inflicted by prohibition,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “It provides cash assistance for state and localities that are wisely choosing to remove these stigmatizing records. There is no justification for continuing to prevent tens of millions of Americans from fully participating in their community and workforce simply because they bear the burden of a past marijuana conviction.” Advertisement The new bill, entitled The Harnessing Opportunities by Pursuing Expungement (HOPE) Act, will appropriate $20 million to the US Attorney General for the purposes of financially assisting states and local governments with the process of reviewing and expunging cannabis convictions. “Having been both a public defender and a prosecutor, I have seen first-hand how cannabis law violations can foreclose a lifetime of opportunities ranging from employment to education to housing,” said Rep. Dave Joyce.

mg Magazine – Cannabis News & Information, 12/07/2021 01:09:00

Open article: https://mgretailer.com/press-releases/reps-dave-joyce-and-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-introduce-legislation-to-expunge-marijuana-records/

Connecticut approved an increased limit of mold and yeast allowed in medical marijuana at one of the state’s two cannabis testing labs through private emails last year, documents show. At the request of AltaSci Labs, the state Department of Consumer Protection agreed to raise the total passing level of yeast and mold from 10,000 colony forming units per gram to 1 million per gram for the lab, according to August 2020 emails obtained via a Hearst Connecticut Media Group public records request. The request, which also included the addition of testing for a specific genus of mold, was the result of a 2015 study and changes from other states, officials said. Meanwhile, at Northeast Laboratories, the state’s other cannabis testing facility, the passing limit remains 10,000 CFU per gram. Connecticut, which is in the throes of launching its adult-use recreational program, has about 54,000 medical marijuana patients who were not notified about the change in mold and yeast levels. State regulators argue that the looser restrictions paired with the addition of testing for the Aspergillus mold genus make the product safer. Not all states have set requirements for testing medical marijuana. The result: A patchwork set of regulations that varies widely from state to state, and in Connecticut’s case, from lab to lab.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 12/05/2021 19:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2021/12/06/connecticut-raises-mold-levels-medical-marijuana-one-lab-emails-show

Democrats in Indiana have launched a campaign to legalize marijuana in the state and appealed to business-friendly Republicans to join to help the state’s economy. There is some support from Republicans. “I have a medical cannabis bill ready to go,” Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, said. He said the bill will be similar to the one he introduced in the last session of the Indiana General Assembly, which would permit the use of medical marijuana by people with “serious medical conditions” as determined by a doctor, and would permit the “cultivation, testing, processing, transportation and dispensing” of medical marijuana by people who hold a valid permit issued by the state. It also would put the Indiana Department of Health in charge of implementing and enforcing the medical marijuana program. Indiana is one of just a handful of states that have not legalized medical marijuana. “It polls higher than any other issue,” Lucas said. “We’ve seen 38 other states step up and do the right thing for their citizens. We know it saves lives. We know it offers a better quality of life.” In 2016, the national American Legion, which is based in Indianapolis, called on Congress to remove marijuana from Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act and reclassify it to “recognize cannabis as a drug with potential medical value.” The Legion has also pushed for more research to be done on marijuana-related to its potential in treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury among veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in particular.

Marijuana Moment, Marijuana Moment, 12/06/2021 12:02:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/indiana-gop-lawmaker-plans-medical-marijuana-bill-as-democrats-push-full-recreational-legalization/

A pair of Ohio Republican lawmakers on Thursday filed a bill to legalize marijuana in the state. The move comes as activists are nearing completion of the first phase of their signature drive for a cannabis legalization initiative. Reps. Jamie Callender (R) and Ron Ferguson (R) first announced their plan to push the legislative reform proposal in October and circulated a co-sponsorship memo to building support for the measure. Now they’re moving ahead with the formal introduction of the “Ohio Adult Use Act.” The bill would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to 50 grams of cannabis. They could also grow up to six plants, only three of which could be mature, for personal use. Gifting up to 25 grams of marijuana between adult consumers without remuneration would also be permitted. Adult-use cannabis products would be taxed at 10 percent. After covering administrative costs, tax revenue would be distributed as follows: 50 percent to the state general fund, 25 percent to combat illicit drug trafficking, and 25 percent for substance misuse treatment programs.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 12/06/2021 08:51:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/ohio-gop-lawmakers-file-new-marijuana-legalization-bill/