The head of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says that while current federal marijuana laws have prevented the department’s physicians from recommending medical cannabis to military veterans, officials are “looking at” the possibility of an internal policy change and have discussed it with the White House. VA Secretary Denis McDonough was asked a wide range of questions as part of a Veterans Day Q&A earlier this month. He also talked about being personally moved by stories from veterans who’ve found relief using medical marijuana. A Marine Corps veteran submitted a question about whether the department will ever provide medical marijuana access, saying there are many within his community who would benefit from cannabis over pharmaceuticals for the treatment of conditions like pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. McDonough responded by sharing an anecdote about being approached by a veteran who told him that he was only alive because of his service dog and cannabis. “And it was very profound,” McDonough said.But despite the volumes of personal stories of veterans who’ve benefited from marijuana—as well as the research showing that cannabis can be an effective treatment option for conditions that commonly afflict the community—the secretary said that VA “limited in what we can do related to cannabis and medical marijuana by the classification of marijuana as a particular narcotic under the Controlled Substances Act.”

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 11/23/2021 12:23:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/va-secretary-looking-at-medical-marijuana-policy-change-following-profound-discussion-with-veteran/

St. Louis lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession and cultivation for adults. The Board of Aldermen voted 23-0 on the final passage of the cannabis measure, days after giving it preliminary approval. The proposal from Alderman Bret Narayan (D) wouldn’t change Missouri state laws that continue to criminalize marijuana, but local ordinances penalizing low-level possession and cultivation would be repealed. “This bill basically just harmonizes our local ordinance with the state’s constitution, as well as further decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana,” Narayan said ahead of the vote on Tuesday. “It has the buy-in from the public safety director, it has the buy-in from the director of personnel. We’ve talked to basically every stakeholder along the way.” Adults 21 and older could possess up to two ounces of marijuana without facing the civil penalty that’s currently in place. It would also make it so that “no resources” could be spent to punish adults for cultivating up to six flowering plants. Further, the proposal would permit city employees who are medical cannabis patients to present their state-issued ID cards “to avoid adverse employment actions based on a positive drug test for marijuana.”

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 11/23/2021 12:52:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/st-louis-lawmakers-unanimously-approve-bill-to-decriminalize-marijuana-possession-and-cultivation/

A bipartisan pair of state attorneys general participated in a panel on Tuesday to talk about the need for “cooperative federalism” when it comes to marijuana policy, and that includes freeing up banks to service state-legal cannabis businesses. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) and Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan (D) spoke at the virtual event hosted by the Attorney General Alliance and Thompson Reuters, which recently teamed up to release a cannabis law deskbook to help stakeholders navigate the federal, state and local marijuana policy landscape. The theme of the conversation was simple: national prohibition is untenable and states should be allowed to regulate marijuana markets without fear of interference but under a rubric of federal guidance and protections. Donovan said that the “message has to be clear that the states should be allowed to invest, the states should be allowed to innovate, to really create this new industry to allow economic development—but at the same time, to have clear rules regarding consumer protection, public safety and public health.” Brnovich similarly talked about the need for the federal government to update its policies while still respecting the rights of states to regulate their own programs.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 11/23/2021 17:13:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bipartisan-attorneys-general-push-for-marijuana-banking-reform-and-cooperative-federalism-on-legalization/

Bipartisan members of a key Senate committee sent a letter on Tuesday urging the chamber to adopt language from a House-passed national defense bill that would protect banks that service state-legal marijuana businesses. The House approved its version of the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in September, with an amendment that would prevent financial institutions from being penalized by federal regulators solely for working with cannabis companies operating in compliance with state law. Now a group of five members on the Senate Armed Services Committee have asked leadership to ensure that the final package that comes out of bicameral conference committee retains that language before the measure is sent to President Joe Biden for his signature. Led by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), the letter states that “financial institutions are often reluctant to transact with cannabis-related businesses, even in states that have some form of legalized cannabis, due to legal and regulatory risks arising from inconsistent federal and state laws.” “Allowing cannabis businesses operating legally and in compliance with state law to access financial services without federal reprisal would address public safety and compliance challenges, helping communities reduce cash-motivated crimes,” it continues.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 11/23/2021 15:50:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bipartisan-senators-urge-passage-of-marijuana-banking-through-defense-bill/