Cannabis advocates in Missouri who want the state to become the next to legalize cannabis for adult use have reached a new milestone in their ballot drive with two weeks to spare. Legal Missouri 2022, a group petitioning to put recreational cannabis on the ballot, announced that it collected more than 200,000 voter signatures to date as outreach efforts escalate ahead of the May 8 signature submission deadline. John Payne, Legal Missouri’s campaign manager, said that the efforts are going well and are getting around 9,000 new signatures per day with the aim to collect even more before the deadline. The ballot initiative has raised $1,433,927.10 in total since its launch in 2021 with the vast majority of funds coming from Missouri cannabis companies. New Approach Advocacy Fund is the largest contributor so far, donating $300,000 in total, with BD Ventures, which owns Flora Farms, New Growth Horizon, and the Proper brand, all donating $215,000 each in total coming in second. “I think this will help the industry grow and give great opportunities in Missouri in many ways,” Payne said. “1 out of 10 new jobs since 2020 were in the medical [cannabis] industry.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 04/25/2022 20:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/04/26/ballot-measure-recreational-cannabis-missouri-claims-200000-signatures

Thailand’s FDA Has Received 4,700 + Applications To “import, possess, grow and produce cannabis and hemp.” The Bangkok Post reports Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received some 4,700 applications for licences from people and organisations to import, possess, grow and produce cannabis and hemp. FDA deputy secretary-general Withid Sariddeechaikool said on Tuesday that the delisting of cannabis and hemp from the narcotics list will come into force on June 9. The move follows a policy initiated by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to allow people to use them for medical and economic purposes. Dr Withid said the FDA is also promoting household cultivation, while the industrial sector can use them to make herbal products to help boost the economy. The general public and organisations have filed 4,712 applications with the FDA, seeking licences related to the use of either as an ingredient or product. So far, 80 licences have been granted for the production of cannabis, hemp and cannabidiol (CBD) products, including hemp seed oil, dietary supplements, beverages, seasoning sauce, jelly candy and instant food, said the FDA official.

Cannabis Law Report, 04/27/2022 00:18:00

Open article: https://cannabislaw.report/thailands-fda-has-received-4700-applications-to-import-possess-grow-and-produce-cannabis-and-hemp/

Another pair of recent polls found that marijuana legalization enjoys a majority, bipartisan support—with most Americans also saying they’d be more likely to support politicians that back reform. The market research firm SSRS found that 69 percent of Americans back adult-use legalization, while a whopping 92 percent back legalizing cannabis for medical use. With respect to adult-use legalization, 78 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of independents, and 54 percent of Republicans said they favor the policy change. The SSRS survey—which involved interviews with 1,009 adults from April 1-4, with a +/-3.5 percentage point margin of error—also found that 58 percent of Americans agree that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol. “Voters support legalizing marijuana regardless of political party affiliation,” Paul Armentano, deputy director of NORML, said. “At a time when national politics remain acutely polarized, elected officials ought to come together in a bipartisan manner to repeal the failed policy of cannabis prohibition. It is one of the few policy reforms that voters on the right and on the left can all agree upon.” The survey also found that 65 percent of Americans said that they’ve personally tried cannabis.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/25/2022 17:02:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/seven-in-ten-americans-back-marijuana-legalization-with-majorities-embracing-pro-reform-politicians-two-new-polls-find/

The gap between federal and state marijuana policies continues to widen and shows no signs of stopping, congressional researchers said in a new report that also lays out options for how lawmakers could address the growing schism. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) published the 101-page analysis just days after the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to federally legalize cannabis. It covers a wide range of policy implications caused by the ongoing prohibition of marijuana under federal law as more states move to legalize for medical and adult use. From banking challenges to trafficking trends, CRS thoroughly covered how the status quo “creates unique consequences for individuals who act in compliance with state law but violate federal law.” “As organizations and individuals have pressed forward with the manufacturing, sale, and use of marijuana, consequences of the gap have arisen—two of the more publicized consequences for individuals are termination of employment due to marijuana use in states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana, and a range of implications for researchers and postsecondary students on college campuses,” researchers said.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/25/2022 12:25:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/congressional-researchers-highlight-growing-federal-state-marijuana-policy-gap-in-new-100-page-report/

President Joe Biden has finally granted clemency to dozens of individuals with non-violent federal drug convictions and commuted the sentences of 75 people who were serving time at home because of the pandemic. He also issued three pardons. The president’s move marks his first clemency action after over a year in the Oval Office. However, according to an official White House press release, only nine of the clemencies mentioned cannabis. A mass pardon for people serving time over the plant has yet to happen, much to the disappointment of advocates and families of those incarcerated. “America is a nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation,” Biden said in a statement. “Elected officials on both sides of the aisle, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that our criminal justice system can and should reflect these core values that enable safer and stronger communities.” Biden’s move builds on Trump’s decision to sign the bipartisan First Step Act into law. Many of the people who were granted relief “would have received a lower sentence if they were charged with the same offense today,” Biden acknowledged.

Benzinga Staff Writer, The Fresh Toast, 04/26/2022 10:30:00

Open article: https://thefreshtoast.com/news/biden-issues-first-pardons-to-those-with-federal-cannabis-and-drug-convictions/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=biden-issues-first-pardons-to-those-with-federal-cannabis-and-drug-convictions

The subject of delta-8 and the cannabinoids market is an extremely controversial one, and different groups have their own take on the legality of the situation. Individual states have been instituting their own policies to allow or ban the substances; and such is the current case with Virginia, which is trying to ban delta-8 THC through a last-minute add-on to a bill. An edit to a Virginia bill by the governor would redefine THC, and illegalize the sale of delta-8 and other cannabinoids outside of dispensaries. Will the edits be nixed? We’ll find out later this month! We’re all about covering the quickly expanding world of cannabis. Keep up by subscribing to the THC Weekly Newsletter, and get your daily dose of industry news, along with access to deals on products like vapes, edibles, other paraphernalia, and cannabinoid compounds, also. Just remember, *cannabinoid products aren’t for everyone, and no one should use a product they are uncomfortable with! What’s the news? As states legalize cannabis, they are able to institute their own regulations, and these regulations don’t have to be consistent among states, or the federal government (which still holds it all as illegal).

Sarah Friedman, CBD Testers, 04/23/2022 20:00:00

Open article: https://cbdtesters.co/2022/04/24/virginia-redefines-thc-to-ban-delta-8-last-minute/