It’s not enough to end the federal prohibition on marijuana—we must expunge the records and repair the damage done to those communities who were harmed by the failed War on Drugs. This bill does this and more to achieve long overdue restorative justice.

– Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ

Welcome To The Weekly Roll Up – A Compendium of The Week’s Cannabis News

Vermont

 Key Concessions Made on S.54 as Expungement Legislation Clears House Judiciary

Letter to Committee Reps: S.54 Revisions

Agency of Ag posts information about hemp businesses’ eligibility for COVID-19 relief funds

Vermont lawmakers publish requirements for hemp potency and contaminant testing

• Marijuana Moment: Vermont Lawmakers Make Key Compromises On Marijuana Sales Legalization Bill As Deal Nears
• VTDigger: House and Senate near deal on retail marijuana bill
• Canadian tasered, taken into custody after U.S. border guards catch 3 men allegedly smuggling 226lbs of pot at VT border

Heady Vermont stands in solidarity with those fighting against racism, systemic oppression, and police brutality. We support Black Lives Matter, LGBTQI and women’s movements, and will continue to see it through that such communities are given a platform and a voice. Donations go directly to The Bail Project, a non-profit organization designed to combat mass incarceration by disrupting the money bail system ‒ one person at a time.

Regional

Maine

• Portland announces 38 applications for 20 recreational pot shop licenses
• USDA Approves Maine’s Hemp Program, but Ag Specialists Say the Way Forward is Still Confusing
• Maine regulators published guidance on transferring medical cannabis plants and seeds to the adult-use program

Massachusetts

• Massachusetts leads in giving social equity applicants exclusive access to cannabis delivery licenses
• GFA Federal Credit Union partnering with Hypur to offer digital contactless payments for marijuana in Massachusetts

New Hampshire

• Democratic candidates for governor outline plans to legalize marijuana

New York

• Curaleaf Busted for Selling Ground Flower at New York Dispensaries

National

Top House Democrat Announces Federal Pot Legalization Vote Details

New Bill Would Give Hemp Biz A Boost – And Require Studies Into Alternative Crop Uses

• Agencies would have to explore how the U.S. competes “globally with other countries that have a 1.0 percent THC limitation.”

USDA lawyer: Hemp growers have ‘a little bit of leeway’ on THC testing, but not much

• The Legal Cannabis Industry Is Creating A New Workforce Amidst The Pandemic

Advocacy

• Last Prisoner Project partners with Green Thumb Industries Inc. on a documentary about clemency and reentry initiatives
• NORML Helps Craft New Impaired Driving Prevention Bill In Congress
• The Drug Policy Alliance is hiring: COO, managing director of communications positions

Animals

• Unraveling the use of CBD in veterinary medicine
• Should You Use CBD To Treat Your Dog? The Research Is Encouraging

Arts/Entertainment

• Jim Belushi: Why I grow cannabis
• Cool Cannabis Careers: Rachel Wolfson, Weed Comedian
• Lucy Lawless stars in Toke, a new drama about Kiwifruit and Cannabis

Banking

US-focused cannabis ETF set to launch on New York Stock Exchange

• The Cannabis Industry Strives for Proper Finance
• California Banks Can Be Safe Harbor for Cannabis Businesses
• Reese: Why Shouldn’t Marijuana Dispensaries Be Able to Use Banks?

Business

• Nike launches a hemp textile sneaker in the UK
• Eaze Announces Major Expansion of Social Equity Menu in Los Angeles
• Weedmaps’ New Docuseries Digs into Challenges of California’s Cannabis Industry
• 4Front Ventures Corp. reports quarterly sales of $19 million and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $0.4 million
• MedMen was denied a conditional use permit for a marijuana dispensary in Pasadena, California.
• Aurora Cannabis is being sued by CTT Pharmaceutical Holdings, Inc. for allegedly trying to avoid making owed payments under a licensing deal for sublingual cannabis-infused strips.
• Canopy Growth Corp. lays off more employees.
• GFA Federal Credit Union and Hypur are partnering to offer digital, contactless solutions for marijuana dispensary payments.
• Dr. Bronner’s outlined the more than $3 million it is donating to psychedelic policy reform efforts in 2020 and launched a new “Heal Soul” label on its products to highlight the issue.
• The founder and former CEO of Covalent Collective Inc. is being accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission of misappropriating investors’ funds.

CBD

In Hard Times, a Barrage of Ads Promises Peace of Mind

• How Medical CBD Originated from the AIDS Epidemic

Coronavirus/COVID-19

CBD Sales Both Boosted, Thwarted by COVID-19

• Chart: Coronavirus pandemic brings Hawaii medical marijuana reciprocity program to a halt
• New Studies Show Marijuana Effective At Treating COVID-19 Symptoms
• Cananbiz: COVID-19 boosts cannabis college enrollment

Culture

• President Carter Talks About His Son Smoking Pot At The White House With Willie Nelson
• Miley Cyrus talks to Joe Rogan about her use of cannabis and other drugs

Education

• Maryland University of Integrative Health Launches Cannabis Science Program
• UW-Platteville offering state’s first cannabis certificates

Federal

Federal cannabis reform momentum expected to continue despite absence from party conventions

DEA Doesn’t Want You To Worry About Its New Hemp Rule—Don’t Take The Bait!

• Several members of Congress to speak at the National Cannabis Policy Summit on 9/10
• DEA: Someone Smuggled Cannabis ‘Crude Oil’ From Mexico Into Cali – Judge Orders State To Tell Feds Who
• California Must Turn Over Cannabis Documents To DEA, Federal Court Rules
• DEA proposes production quotas for cannabis, cannabinoids and extracts for 2021, finalizes limits for 2020
•  U.S. Sentencing Commission publishes report on first year of implementation of the First Step Act

Food & Bev

• CBD Drink Innovation and how CBD drinks dominate the 2020
• Hemp-CBD dietary supplement bill introduced in the House
• CBD Watchdog Finds Beverage Labeling Inaccuracies

Growing and Making

• What To Do While You’re High At Home In Quarantine
• Medical cannabis initiative to try a new growing method
• We Review the Ardent FX, the “Easy-Bake Oven for Cannabis”
• Lighting Strategies for Higher Terpene and THC Content in Cannabis

Health and Wellness

• Laughter plus cannabis equals the best medicine
• Why Smoking CBD Flowers Can Be Good For You

Hemp

 U.S. Hemp Authority® Standard Version 3.0 Open for Public Comment

Hemp-CBD dietary supplement bill introduced in the House

• 10 Legal Considerations When Starting a Hemp Business
• USDA Approves Hemp Plans For Maine, Missouri And Another Indian Tribe

Hypocrisy, Prevarication, and Outright Lies

• Take it from a cop: Legal marijuana will cloud enforcement of highway safety

Insurance

Insurers missing an opportunity in burgeoning cannabis market

• Cannabis Grower Fined $12,500 for Tax, Insurance Fraud Conviction

Legalization

US House to take up cannabis descheduling bill week of Sept. 21

GOP Congressman Will Vote Yes On Legalization Bill Despite ‘Reparations’ Concerns

Marijuana Research Bill Scheduled For Key Congressional Vote Next Week, Committee Announces

• House bill to deschedule cannabis and fund programs to repair the harms of the drug war gets six new cosponsors for a total of 93

Medical

• How Medical CBD Originated from the AIDS Epidemic
• Michael Klein, CEO of CannabisMD, and Dr. June Chin, founder of MedLeafRX, sit down with Emerald Mag to discuss medical cannabis topics

Military/Vets

• Helping military veterans address PTSD focus of planned Canadian study
• Veteran-staffed Puyallup company provides security for pot stores and pop stars
• For Veterans, the Potential of Plant Medicine Is ‘Limitless’

Podcasts

Politics

• McConnell ‘Pretends’ To Support Hemp Farmers, Democratic Challenger Claims In Ad
• Republicans rip Democrats’ priorities after vote scheduled on bill to decriminalize marijuana

Presidential Campaign

Where Do Biden and Trump Stand on Cannabis Legalization?

• Pot Decriminalization And Expungements Will Be Biden-Harris Priorities, Top Aide Says
• Canna-Kamala • Sacramento News & Review
• Kanye West Campaign Drives Signatures with Fake Legalization Petition
• What does a Kamala Harris Vice Presidency mean for cannabis legalisation?

Psychedelics

• 3 in 5 DC Voters Support Psychedelics Decriminalization Initiative, New Poll Finds
• Beckley Foundation conducting a survey on psychedelics as pain management options, with a particular focus on microdosing

Seniors

•  Survey: 1 in 20 older Americans say they regularly smoke cannabis

Social Justice

The Critical Importance Of Social Equity In The Cannabis Industry

• Massachusetts leads in giving social equity applicants exclusive access to cannabis delivery licenses
• How Cannabis is Used to Discriminate Against and Disenfranchise People of Color
• Meet Social Equity Empowerment Network, a new organization pushing for a diverse cannabis industry in Illinois

Sports

• CBD as a Rescue for American Football Players
• Former baseball player Jimmy Rollins is releasing a line of branded marijuana products

Studies and Surveys

• Study: “Preclinical results are strongly and consistently supportive of the presence of an opioid sparing effect of cannabinoid drugs.”
• Study: “Blood THC >2 ng/mL, and possibly even THC >5 ng/mL, does not necessarily represent recent use of cannabis in frequent cannabis users.”
• Study: “Cannabinoids, individually or combined, reduced tumor growth and promoted apoptosis and autophagy in melanoma cells.”
• Study: ”Cannflavins demonstrate a number of promising therapeutic properties, most notably as an anti-inflammatory agent.”

Travel/Tourism

• Banff bud weathers mellow tourism season

Women

• Olivia Alexander, CEO and Creator of Kush Queen, is Setting Out to Normalize Daily Cannabis Use

States

Arizona

• Tim Steller’s opinion: Effort to put Kanye West on AZ ballot relying on deception

Arkansas

• Fayetteville Council to consider vote on no-jail marijuana tickets

California

Cali Lawmakers Move Forward on Cannabis Banking Deregulation

• As Legislative Session Ends, Lawmakers Advance Some Cannabis Bills, Stall On CBD
• Ten New Dispensaries Could Change The Look Of Mostly White Industry In Sacramento
• LA Hit With New Suit Over Social Equity Pot Applications
• California regulators release modified proposed rules for comparable-to-organic cannabis standards
• State Of California Officially Promotes Cannabis Industry With New Campaign

Colorado

• Unpredictable Biology And Stringent Regulations Turn Up The Heat For Hemp Farmers
• Colorado’s Wine and Cannabis Industries Reel from Wildfire Smoke and Ash
• The Winners of the Cannabis Cup Colorado: People’s Choice 2020
• The Hemp Industry’s ‘American Dream’ Is Getting Nipped In The Bud

Connecticut

• Don’t miss another opportunity to legalize marijuana

Delaware

• Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network publishes a voter guide for the state’s September 15 primary elections

Florida

• Could legalizing recreational marijuana help solve Florida’s COVID-19 budget shortfall?
• South Florida medical cannabis companies report huge revenue gains
• Florida Adds Edibles to Medical Cannabis Program
• New marijuana edible rules will give Floridians something to munch on

Hawaii

• Hawaii Gov. David Ige (D) signs a hemp bill into law
• Chart: Coronavirus pandemic brings Hawaii medical marijuana reciprocity program to a halt

Illinois

• Illinois to hold lottery for retail cannabis licenses later this month
• ‘Blues Brothers’-Themed Weed Being Sold at Illinois’ Largest Marijuana Dispensary
• 75 pot shop licenses to be awarded in lottery that includes just 21 applicants; losing firms ‘shocked’
• Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) touted the legalization of marijuana as one of his administration’s top achievement
• Illinois regulators releases the names of tied applicants for marijuana dispensary licenses

Indiana

• Hemp Harvest Underway In Uniontown

Kentucky

• The FDA is killing Kentucky’s most promising crop with its inaction on CBD
• Mitch McConnell goes solo at Kentucky Farm Bureau candidate forum, touts trade deals
• Tech commercialization partnership supports academic innovators, university startups

Louisiana

• Louisiana Will Expand Its Medical Marijuana Market

Maryland

• Report: ‘No Evidence of Bias’ in Awards of Medical Cannabis Licenses
• What You Need to Know About Medical Marijuana in Maryland

Michigan

• Michigan regulators send an advisory bulletin on temporary cannabis events
• REIT inks $25 million deal to acquire Michigan marijuana property
• Michigan’s cannabis industry is lucrative, but few Black entrepreneurs are cashing in
• Marijuana-infused food goes gourmet with Michigan Cannabis Chefs

Minnesota

• Minnesota regulators are accepting public comments on adding anxiety, sickle cell disease and tic disorder as medical cannabis qualifying conditions

Mississippi

• Legislative inaction on medical marijuana leaves some voters with tough choice
• Gov. Tate Reeves won’t consider a pardon for a woman serving a life sentence for pot
• Mississippi Medical Marijuana Initiative Has ‘Strong Chance Of Passage,’ Poll Shows

Missouri

• Availability of medical marijuana in Missouri expected soon

Montana

• Montana cannabis legalization campaign ramps up spending in final stretch
• Finally-stable Montana cannabis market may face upheaval with recreational legalization looming
• Montana Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Cooney releases a plan that includes steps to support hemp as a crop

Nebraska

• Nebraska regulators issue guidance on illegal drug tax stamps
• Sheriff Wagner talks medical marijuana lawsuit
• The Battle for Medical Marijuana in Nebraska
• Supreme Court fights over MMJ, gambling measures will be livestreamed
• Nebraska Supreme Court Hears Case Challenging Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative

Nevada

• Judge finds fault with state Department of Taxation in pot lawsuit, but offers no remedy
• Legal cannabis grudgingly comes to Elko County, Nevada

New Jersey

• New Jersey senator is accusing legislative leaders of stalling a cannabis decriminalization bill

New Mexico

• Love In the Time of 0.3% THC | Cannabis | yesweekly.com

North Carolina

• Grandmother suing Disney World after CBD oil arrest files to move case to federal court

North Dakota

• Gov. Burgum personally reviewing applications for pot pardons

Ohio

• Ohio regulators will consider medical cannabis rules changes at a meeting this month
• Ohio issues public health alert for CBD products from Avon company

Oklahoma

• Oklahoma regulators provide an update on medical cannabis licensing numbers

Oregon

• Oregon Marijuana Sales Break Another Record Amid Coronavirus
• ACLU of Oregon endorses a ballot measure to legalize psilocybin therapy
• Campaign to legalize psilocybin therapy launches educational video on ballot measure

Pennsylvania

• Legalized cannabis would raise hundreds of millions for Pa., Wolf and Fetterman say
• Pennsylvania Governor Slams GOP Lawmakers For Not Legalizing Marijuana
• Departments of Ag, Health Partner to Offer PA Hemp Growers New Testing Resources

Texas

• Marijuana bill could create process to clear past convictions

Utah

• Curaleaf Opens its First Retail Location in Utah

Virgin Islands

• Governor Bryan Thanks Members of the Legislature for Support on Securitization Measure

Virginia

• Virginia Senate Passes Bill Preventing Vehicle Searches Based on Cannabis Odor
• Virginia Senate Passes Anti-Stop, Sniff, and Search Bill
• Virginia, just legalize marijuana already
• Murder and Marijuana in Northern Virginia

Washington

• Washington State regulators will hold a listen and learn session on draft conceptual rules for cannabis vapor products on Tuesday
• Washington State regulators amended rules on which entities must qualify for cannabis licenses

Washington, D.C.

• 3 in 5 DC Voters Support Psychedelics Decriminalization Initiative, New Poll Finds

West Virginia

Wyoming

• Hemp’s stumbles reveal hurdles in Wyoming’s race to diversify

International

Africa

• South Africa Cannabis Bill: DoJ outlines new laws, but experts remain skeptical

Australia

• New Grants For Medical Cannabis Clinical Trials In Australia
• More Australians back legalizing cannabis and 57 per cent support pill testing, national survey shows

Canada

• Decriminalization of drugs ‘not a silver bullet’ for overdose crisis, prime minister says
• Canada Slashes Imports Of Cannabis, Needs More Stores To Meet Demand
• Canada hasn’t imported any commercial medical cannabis, new data shows
• Ontario to double pace of new cannabis store approvals
• Aurora Cannabis and Canopy Growth Corp. Are Racing To Build Competing Cannabis Retail Footprints

Europe

• Could Catalonia’s growing marijuana market lead to a ‘narco-economy’?
• Malta is officially out of weed
• CBD ‘weed washing’ a big problem in beauty, says startup

Guam

• Guam’s Cannabis Control Board Releases Long Awaited Adult Use Rules

India

• Times of India editorial board calls on the country’s government to legalize cannabis

Indonesia

• Indonesia Takes Away “Medical Plant” Designation for Cannabis

Israel

• Weed falling from the sky! 2020 is finally looking up

Jamaica

• Jamaican officials report increase in the amount of commerce between pot licensees

Mexico

• Mexican Senator Decorates Desk With Pot Plant As Legalization Bill Poised To Advance

New Zealand

• Musician Tiki Taane calls out prohibitionist campaign for mischaracterizing a quote of his
• Poll finds that New Zealand voters are divided on a marijuana legalization referendum, 49.5%-49.5%

Pakistan

• Pakistan approves hemp cultivation in ‘landmark decision,’ science minister says
• Pakistan’s cabinet approved licenses to use hemp for industrial and medical purposes

South America

• 3 Years Into Medical Cannabis, Colombia Looks To Legalize Adult Use
• These Are The Weed Markets Outside Of The U.S. That Should Get Your Attention
• Chilean officials warn about mislabeled CBD products
• Brazilian lawmakers consider a medical cannabis bill this week
• Brazilian lawmakers held a hearing on a bill to allow cultivation of cannabis for medical and industrial uses

UK

• Are CBD Edibles Legal in the UK? – Daily Hawker
• Why is the NHS still refusing to prescribe medicinal cannabis?