Marijuana Legalization/Decriminalization Efforts

[6souls]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48185366

Denver has slightly decriminalized shrooms.

The motion was put to a public vote on Tuesday, and passed with a slim majority of 50.6%.

Although the mushrooms will technically still be illegal, restrictions on personal use and possession by adults will be drastically loosened.

Police officers will now be instructed to treat magic mushroom users as their lowest priority.

Officials will now be barred from "spending resources to impose criminal penalties" for personal use and possession of the drug for residents over the age of 21, effectively preventing the city from prosecuting or arresting adults found with mushrooms.

According to the ballot, adults can even grow mushrooms for personal use.

But psilocybin is not being legalised and cannot be sold by cannabis businesses.

[Jaybar]

Marijuana Legalization has passed the Illinois Senate and House, and just requires the Governor's signature. Seeing as this was JB Pritzker's major policy issue for election we can safely say this is happening.

[6souls]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48185366

Denver has slightly decriminalized shrooms.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...te/1347888001/

Oakland, CA, too. Plus they included peyote.

[djzombie]

https://www.ktnv.com/news/nevada-bec...arijuana-tests

Nevada bans pre-employment drug screenings for Marijuana.

[6souls]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48921265
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...9-b5c89cc7cc48

Marijuana use among teens has dropped by 10% in all states that have legalized recreational.

While overall use of the drug among young people went up in the US, teen use declined by nearly 10% in states where recreational use was legalized.

Some 33 states have legalized medical cannabis, while 10 states have also legalized recreational use.

Lead author of the study Mark Anderson told the Associated Press that the study, published in the medical journal Jama Pediatrics, "should help to quell some concerns that use among teens will actually go up".

His team analysed data on about 1.4 million teenagers in the US, taken from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys, an annual national survey carried out by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dr Anderson said that the researchers did not find a change after medical cannabis was legalized - only when the drug was legalized for recreational purposes.

[TsingTao]

It's not as cool when it's legal. It's way not as cool when your parents do it too.

I'm surprised it wasn't a bigger drop.

[djzombie]

It's not as cool when it's legal. It's way not as cool when your parents do it too.

I'm surprised it wasn't a bigger drop.

Been visiting legal dispensaries the past month or so and while it is more expensive the amount of choice you have is amazing. Prices are kinda bonkers but I can drive out there whenever instead of having to wait on someone.

I noticed there are a surprising amount of old people (60+) waiting in line at these dispensaries.

[6souls]

I noticed there are a surprising amount of old people (60+) waiting in line at these dispensaries.

Did you forget the 1960's and 70's were a thing?

[Tokitoki]

There's talk of how our generation has to "grow up," but then you have retirees smoking weed. It's funny.

My mom's cousin just retired, a stubborn Irishman, staunch Republican, and generally gives off the straight-laced vibe. Once he retired, he started buying flower and pens. Was talking to me at a wedding offering me his pen and it really surprised me.

Sometimes it's not the people you expect to see.

[Salodin]

Kinda hard for kids to buy weed when everyone is getting it legally from places that check ID. That's why it's been easier to buy weed than alcohol for most teenagers.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

[Yabby]

Kinda hard for kids to buy weed when everyone is getting it legally from places that check ID. That's why it's been easier to buy weed than alcohol for most teenagers.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

I smoked for YEARS before drinking for this very reason. Shit, i didn't even need to go anywhere to get weed, those guys delivered so i didn't even need a fucking car.

[djzombie]

I smoked for YEARS before drinking for this very reason. Shit, i didn't even need to go anywhere to get weed, those guys delivered so i didn't even need a fucking car.

Yea on the flip side legal dispensaries check your ID three times for every transaction hah.

[Tokitoki]

US lawmakers look to legalize pot in ‘historic’ marijuana reform hearing

“Marijuana decriminalization may be one of the very few issues upon which bipartisan agreement can still be reached in this session,” said Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., adding “it ought to be crystal clear to everyone that our laws have not accomplished their goals.”
...
Despite the optimism, lawmakers did not appear to have a clear consensus on the best approach, such as whether to give states the right to legalize on their own, remove marijuana from schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, legalize it or include promote social and racial equity in marijuana laws.

The STATES Act is among the most popular cannabis bills. It would amend the Controlled Substances Act and exempts state-approved marijuana activity from federal enforcement.

Proponents say the legislation would eliminate federal concerns in states where marijuana is legal. Yet some say the bill does not go far enough because it does not address any racial or social concerns.

Might see decriminalization at a Federal level, though recreational legalization would be left up to the states. It's a good step in the right direction.

[Yabby]

That is a massive step. One that has taken WAY too long.

[kuronosan]

In other news Congress reps mysteriously buy stock in marijuana companies.

[Tokitoki]

Very mysterious.

I guess that's a good sign, though.

[6souls]

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ju...rch-2019-08-26

The Justice Department/DEA will move forward on processing 33 applications to research marijuana after a lawsuit back in June complained that the DEA had delayed a decision on the applications for the past three years.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have questioned why the Justice Department has taken so long to act. Attorney General William Barr had promised to look into the status of the applications in April.

Facing a deadline to respond to a court filing, the DEA signaled Monday it will process 33 applications with the goal of helping scientists develop “safe and effective drug products.”

In June, applicant Scottsdale Research Institute in Arizona asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to order the DEA to process the applications. The court told the DEA to respond by Wednesday. Dr. Sue Sisley of the research institute said she considers this a victory.

For years, the University of Mississippi has been the only entity federally licensed to produce marijuana for research . Researchers have complained in recent years that the cannabis produced there is not like the cannabis sold in states where medical and so-called recreational marijuana is legal.

The move announced Monday would give researchers a wider variety of cannabis to study, Uttam Dhillon, the DEA’s acting administrator, said in a statement.

“DEA is making progress in the program to register additional marijuana growers for federally authorized research, and will work with other relevant federal agencies to expedite the necessary next steps,” Dhillon said.

Barr is taking credit for the DEA finally acting.

[mallister]

mayor busted for, well, all kinds of dumb shit:

https://news.yahoo.com/massachusetts...183228359.html

[Byrthnoth]

Mayor at 27, lol.

[6souls]

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-...is-in-maryland
https://shadygrove.umd.edu/academics...d-therapeutics

The University of Maryland is offering a master's degree in medical marijuana.

The program stands largely alone: Some universities offer one-off classes on marijuana and two have created undergraduate degrees in medicinal plant chemistry, but none have yet gone as far as Maryland.

Stretched over two years and conducted almost exclusively online, the program launched as an increasing number of jurisdictions across the country legalize pot — primarily for medical uses, but in some places recreational, as well.

The University of Maryland credits the overwhelming response to its graduate program to that desire for more information and opportunity. More than 500 hopefuls applied for what was supposed to be a class of 50, prompting the university to increase the size of the inaugural class threefold. And the class is geographically diverse, coming from 32 states and D.C., plus Hong Kong and Australia.

The students take four required core courses — including one on the history of medical weed and culture, and two basic science classes. Students then choose between a number of electives.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50380327
https://neilyoungarchives.com/news/1...ful-In-My-Life

Neil Young has been denied US citizenship for lacking "moral character" because of his openness for smoking marijuana.

In April, the US government clarified that using marijuana and other drugs was a "bar to establishing good moral character for naturalisation".

Young, who turns 74 this week, has lived in the US since the mid-1960s.

"I want to be a dual citizen and vote," he said. "Recently however, I have been told I must do another test, due to my use of marijuana."

On 19 April, the US Department of Homeland Security issued a policy alert clarifying that "violation of federal controlled substance law, including for marijuana, remains a conditional bar to establishing good moral character for naturalization even where that conduct would not be an offence under state law".