Moulton wants medical marijuana for veterans — plus much bolder drug reforms

Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, a former Marine Corps officer, re-filed a package of bills in Congress Monday that would push the Department of Veterans Affairs to embrace medical marijuana. But Moulton, a Democrat who is running for president, also said in an interview that he supports much more significant changes to federal drug policy — declaring that anyone in the United States jailed solely for marijuana possession should be freed with a clear record, that the country should consider decriminalizing the use of hard drugs while cracking down on producers, and that so-called safe consumption sites should be legal.

Democratic Congressional Bill Protects Medical Cannabis But Not Broader State Marijuana Laws

Medical marijuana states and industrial hemp programs would continue to be protected from federal interference under a wide-ranging congressional spending bill that was released by a House subcommittee on Thursday. This marks the first time that the medical cannabis rider has been included in a base House appropriations bill as introduced, signaling that the chamber’s new Democratic majority is paying closer attention to the issue as standalone marijuana legislation separately makes its way through Congress. Last year, the rider, which has been federal law since 2014, was added during a full Appropriations Committee hearing. Prior to that it had been inserted through floor amendments.

Police seize Lego-shaped cannabis products in Timberlea raid

Police said they raided an unauthorized cannabis storefront on St. Margaret’s Bay Road and seized over $60,000 in cannabis products, some of which are allegedly targeted at children. Nova Scotia RCMP said the raid at Timberleaf Alternative Medical Society was conducted on Monday at 9 a.m. Police said that among other things, they seized very high-potency THC that is sold in the form of Lego blocks. In an initial news release, police stated the Lego blocks contained a 500 mg dosage that is “strong enough to kill a child.” But in an updated news release Wednesday afternoon, RCMP Cpl. Lisa Croteau said the initial release “included references and opinions that are outside of the scope of Nova Scotia RCMP.”

Colorado's Marijuana Laws Are About to Change...Big Time

Coloradans voted for major change in November 2012, when they approved Amendment 64 and legalized recreational cannabis. Now Colorado lawmakers have approved changes that will prove almost as momentous. Measures opening the state to social pot use and commercial cannabis delivery, as well as approving new medical conditions for medical marijuana, all passed the Colorado General Assembly this session. But even more changes could come through less sexy bills that address sunsetting laws in the state's medical marijuana program and pot industry. These bills would create new business licenses, along with new opportunities for medical marijuana access; regulations would be eased for cannabis business owners and employees alike.

Weed tourism is the new wine tasting in California

As the passenger van reached the gate of a legal cannabis farm, Lorianna Bender looked for barbed wire and barking Dobermans and saw none. A smiling farmer welcomed the tour group, and the view opened to reveal rows of pot plants baking in the sun. Her fear that pot farms were dangerous, clandestine operations vanished. “It was like you had walked up to someone’s winery in Napa,” said Bender, a yoga instructor from Vallejo. Bender is one of a new crop of visitors in California — call them cannatourists. With marijuana fully legal in the state, the growers’ heartland is becoming a cultural destination, with Wine Country as a nearby model.

Illinois lawmakers have 21 days to legalize marijuana. Madigan says it might not happen.

A 532-page proposal to legalize adult-use cannabis in Illinois by Jan. 1, 2020, was filed in the state Senate on Monday, but the state’s powerful House speaker said its passage is “not guaranteed today.” Amendment 1 to Senate Bill 7, carried by Chicago Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans, allows Illinois residents to possess 30 grams of cannabis, five grams of cannabis concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC contained in cannabis-infused products. Visitors from other states could possess half of those amounts. Up to five home-grown plants would also be allowed, provided certain safety conditions are met. Adult-use legalization coupled with criminal justice reforms were campaign promises of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whose office said in a press release Saturday that the proposal “will be a starting point” for debate.

Congressional Committee Cancels Votes On Marijuana Bills For Veterans

House committee votes on two bills concerning medical marijuana and military veterans that were scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled, with the chair of the panel planning to hold a later hearing on the legislation instead. The reasoning behind the cancellation isn’t entirely clear, nor is it known at this point when the hearing will be held. One of the bills would have allowed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients in states where it is legal and also codified into law a current administrative policy that protects veterans from losing their VA benefits over marijuana use The other proposal would require VA to conduct clinical trials on the benefits of cannabis in the treatment of conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.

Great-grandmother with CBD oil arrested at Disney World

Disney World may be the most magical place on Earth, but it turned into a legal nightmare for a great-grandmother with arthritis. A 69-year-old woman was arrested at a Disney World checkpoint when an Orange County Deputy found CBD oil in her purse. She then spent 12 hours behind bars before being released on a $2,000 bond. Hester Jordan Burkhalter, a great-grandmother from North Carolina, began using CBD oil for her arthritis after her doctor recommended it, Fox 35 in Orlando reported. She even had a note from the medical professional in her purse at the time of arrest, but it didn’t matter.

With Hemp Legalized by 2018 Farm Bill, Patent and Trademark Office Issues New Guidelines

The guidelines caution, however, that despite changes to the CSA, not all goods for CBD or hemp-derived products are lawful following the 2018 Farm Bill. On May 2, 2019, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) made available a new examination guide aimed at clarifying the examination procedure for trademarks used in connection with cannabis and cannabis-derived goods and services. These guidelines are a direct response to the signing of the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) into law on December 20, 2018. The 2018 Farm Bill changes certain federal authorities relating to the production and marketing of “hemp,” defined as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

CBD and DVDs: Family Video goes all in on hemp products in Michigan

The latest new release at Family Video isn’t a movie: it’s CBD, or cannabidiol. More than 70 Family Video stores in Michigan -- and 250 nationwide -- are now carrying CBD products. CBD is a derivative of the cannabis plant that can be used as an alternative remedy for pain relief and anxiety, and is free of the psychoactive effects that come with the THC in marijuana. “There are a lot of people that use CBD to relax, and guess what, that’s what a lot of people use movies for,” said Levi Dinkla, president of enterprise development for Highland Ventures Ltd., the parent company of Family Video.