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An historic bill for MMJ. Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have introduced a medical cannabis bill to the Senate. The bill would downgrade the drug to Schedule 2 from Schedule 1 and allow states to develop their own MMJ programs. It would also help the federal government catch up with the current reality: 46 percent of the population live in a state that has some form of legal cannabis. While some have their doubts of the bill's chances (thanks to the fact that Republicans over 34-years-old just aren't into it), but medical cannabis is no longer a fringe issue.
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The Word on Policy
Butting heads. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police commissioner William J. Bratton are sending mixed signals on cannabis, with the mayor championing a new policy that does not arrest people for low-level possession, and the commissioner attributing a recent uptick in homicides to the drug.
The first government-run cannabis store in the U.S. The Cannabis Corner opened up in Bonneville, Wash. and its first customer was the city's Mayor Don Stevens, who made his purchase amidst applause and cheers. He hopes the shop will help the city out of its economic slump.
Native Americans debate tribal grows. Cannabis could be a boon for cash-strapped tribes, and could also have a positive impact on public health issues that disproportionately effect Native Americans. Some in the community, however, worry about the implementation.
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In Tennessee, the House passes cannabis oil bill. In Louisiana, supporters came out for a man sentenced to 13 years for two joints. In Illinois, who will own MMJ business is still unclear. In Iowa, the Board of Pharmacy refused to re-classify cannabis. In Georgia, two CBD oil bills are butting heads. In Maine, medical cannabis is uniting both sides of the aisle. In Utah, a medical cannabis bill died in the Senate by a 14-15 vote. In Idaho, after a minor setback, a cannabis oil bill passed the Senate Committee. In New Hampshire, House reps voted to decriminalize cannabis. In D.C., seed exchanges. In Massachusetts, a bill was introduced that would regulate and tax cannabis [H 1561]. In Texas, lawmakers introduced a medical cannabis bill. In Florida, more delays in the state’s medical marijuana law.
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$2.35 million. Thats how much Colo. schools gained from cannabis taxes in January alone. Recreational sales hit a new high that month.
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Word on the Law
Smoking in the streets. In 2013, before dispensaries opened in Colo., police issued 184 citations for public consumption. In 2014, that number rose to 770. While people have a lot of place to buy pot, they have no where to smoke it. If politicians want to decrease public smoking, they’re going to have to legalize cafes.
Learning the law. In a first of its kind, Ohio State professor Doug Berman is giving a class on cannabis law. "Things are moving so quickly. there's no way I could teach everything," he says. Unsurprisingly, the course is highly sought after amongst students.
MMJ for pets? The FDA sent warning letters to companies in Wash. selling cannabis-infused treats for pets. The government agency warned the companies about their marketing materials, but did not address the issue of the efficacy of CBD.
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Biz/Sci/Tech
A weed cookie is watching you (no, not that kind). CampaignGrid, a digital advertising platform, uses algorithmic targeting to serve relevant political ads online. While this has been common for consumer goods, political campaigns are now using the technology to sway voters. Pro-cannabis groups hired the company, which helped them win legalization in Ore. and Ala. But if you don't want their marijuana cookie tracking your online moves, there's a way to opt out.
Psychedelics cause psychosis? Actually… A new survey challenges our long-held belief that psychedelics can cause psychosis. Two new studies look at large sets of data in the U.S. and found that people who used LSD, psilocybin and peyote didn’t show any indicators of mental health problems. One of the studies found that people who had used LSD and psilocybin had lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts.
No Smoking. More and more states that legalize medical cannabis are banning smoking, and in some cases, vaping. It’s a bad idea, especially since edibles are slow-acting and difficult to self-regulate.
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The conscious racism of the drug war. A former U.S. Marshal and special agent for the DEA, Matthew Fogg talked to Brave New Films about his experience at the federal agency. “What I began to see is that the drug war is totally about race.”
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Pot on TV. While cannabis has been making many more appearances on mainstream television, TV’s version of marijuana culture is still a long ways off from the reality.
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Word for Word
"There is basically no coherent argument against change; there are none. You will not find a politician who will give you a coherent answer, all they will give you is rhetoric and then move on to the next topic,” said Paul Birch, founder of the U.K.’s pro-cannabis party.
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