The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making clear it won’t provide support for treatment involving marijuana as part of a new grants program aimed at preventing veteran suicide In a notice on a proposed interim final rule for the new Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program published in the Federal Register on Thursday, VA said the three-year, community-based effort will “provide or coordinate the provision of suicide prevention services to eligible individuals and their families for the purpose of reducing veteran suicide.” But while many veterans and service organizations representing the community have repeatedly testified to Congress and federal agencies that cannabis represents a potential treatment option for medical conditions that commonly afflict military veterans returning from service, VA, perhaps not surprisingly, is drawing a line in the sand when it comes to supporting treatment regimens involving marijuana. It’s “important for VA to note that any approaches and treatment practices approved will need to be consistent with applicable Federal law,” the department said in the notice. “For example, the use of grant funds to provide or coordinate the provision of marijuana to eligible individuals and their families will be prohibited, as marijuana is currently illegal under federal law.” That’s despite the fact that there is a carve-out for prospective grantees providing or coordinating “nontraditional and innovative approaches…including but not limited to complementary or alternative interventions with some evidence for the effectiveness of improving mental health or mitigating a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behavior.”The interim final rule is set to take effect on April 11, and public comments will continue to be accepted until May 9.

Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/14/2022 12:17:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/va-wont-provide-grants-for-marijuana-treatment-as-part-of-proposed-veteran-suicide-prevention-initiative/

By Laura Sharer, Delaware NORML Dover, DE – Last week, Delaware’s House of Representatives missed another chance to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and older. HB 305 needed to clear a legislative hurdle requiring a three–fifths supermajority, or 25 votes. The final tally on March 10th was 23-14-4. “We’re outraged that Delaware is maintaining the tragic policy of cannabis prohibition,” said Delaware NORML’s Executive Director Laura Sharer, “This delay means many thousands of residents will have their lives upended by unnecessary and racially disparate cannabis enforcement. Consumers are left to bear this unjustifiable human cost of life-altering police interaction, searches, and arrests for a non-toxic plant.” Despite the decriminalization of small amounts, marijuana possession arrests still happen every day, more than 115 every week in Delaware. And registered patients can’t afford the handful of regulated medical dispensaries. Zoë Patchell has been leading citizen volunteer groups spearheading cannabis reform for a decade. She was shocked that the issue of stopping cannabis arrests is getting hung up on business rules.

NORML, 03/13/2022 20:00:00

Open article: https://norml.org/blog/2022/03/14/advocates-respond-to-delaware-house-vote-on-cannabis-legalization/

News Key Pennsylvania Senate Committee Completes Final Marijuana Legalization Hearing To Inform Reform Legislation By This latest hearing marks only the third time a panel has debated recreational legalization A key Pennsylvania Senate committee on Monday held the last of three scheduled hearings on marijuana legalization, taking testimony that’s designed to help inform a forthcoming reform bill that the panel’s chairman is actively drafting. The Senate Law and Justice Committee meeting involved testimony from cannabis reform advocates, former regulators from other states and industry stakeholders. Sen. Mike Regan (R), who chairs the panel, circulated a cosponsorship memo last year along with Rep. Amen Brown (D) to build support for the reform, and these meetings are designed to give lawmakers added context into the best approach to legalization for the state. “Legalization of adult-use marijuana is a complex and obviously controversial issue,” Regan said at the end of Monday’s discussion. “We are grateful for the many perspectives, personal experiences and opinions we have received. To all my colleagues on the committee, thank you for your continued participation. I look forward to working together on this important issue for Pennsylvania.”

Marijuana Moment, Marijuana Retail Report – News and Information for Cannabis Retailers, 03/14/2022 16:38:00

Open article: https://marijuanaretailreport.com/key-pennsylvania-senate-committee-completes-final-marijuana-legalization-hearing-to-inform-reform-legislation/

That wasn’t the only weed provision left on the cutting room floor. The spending bill also failed to protect state-regulated recreational cannabis markets, nor did it expand medical marijuana research or protect veterans who use cannabis — two issues with widespread bipartisan backing. “I’m very frustrated and really disappointed,” said Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.), a champion of cannabis policy changes. “Polling in this country is off the charts that people want to normalize the use of cannabis … So what’s the hang-up?” More weed woes It’s just the latest example of Democrats’ inability to accomplish meaningful change on cannabis policy when it is seemingly within their grasp. Earlier this year, Senate Democrats removed language from the National Defense Authorization Act that would have made it easier for the industry to access banking services. That legislation has twice cleared the House with huge majorities, including more than 100 Republicans, but has made no progress in the Senate. Democrats have been locked in an internal debate about the correct approach to overhauling federal cannabis policies.

Politics, Policy, Political News – POLITICO, 03/12/2022 19:00:00

Open article: https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/13/democrats-empty-weed-promises-00016573

A criminal record doesn’t always hurt New York state’s plan to let people with past convictions for marijuana crimes become the first to sell it legally is admirable but faces some major challenges. The dynamic pits what’s now referred to as the “legacy market” of once-illegal sellers against the publicly traded multi-state companies, some of whom already sell medical marijuana in the state. It’s a group that includes big players such as Curaleaf Holdings, Green Thumb Industries, and Acreage Holdings. As New York becomes one of the world’s largest legal marijuana markets, the nitty-gritty of its regulations will make or break the broader industry. Like California, where the industry is now asking for bailouts to beat back a still-thriving illicit market, New York has an entrenched network of marijuana dealers who don’t pay taxes or meet regulatory standards — helping them potentially undercut fledgling licensees. New York’s decision to set aside the first 100 to 200 licenses to sell recreational marijuana for people with past convictions may upend that dynamic.

420 Intel – Marijuana Industry News, 03/13/2022 20:00:00

Open article: https://420intel.com/articles/2022/03/14/new-york%E2%80%99s-convicts-first-approach-pot-draws-praise-questions