Tag: the war on (some) drugs

Texas Lawmakers Pass Medical Marijuana Program Expansion Bill, Sending It To The Governor’s Desk

Texas lawmakers have passed a bill to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program, sending it to the governor.

Just days after the legislation from Rep. Ken King (R) advanced through the Senate, with amendments that watered down the original House proposal, bicameral negotiators worked out a compromise over the weekend and then each chamber gave final approval on Sunday.

The measure now heads to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to potentially be signed into law.

The final version of the bill—which cleared the House on a 138-1 vote and the Senate by a vote of 31-0—would expand the state’s list of medical cannabis qualifying conditions to include chronic pain, traumatic brain injury (TBI), Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory bowel diseases, while also allowing end-of-life patients in palliative or hospice care to use marijuana.

The measure would additionally allow patients to access a wider range of cannabis product types—including patches, lotions, suppositories, approved inhalers, nebulizers and vaping devices.

And, it would mandate that the Department of Public Safety (DPS) increase the number of medical cannabis business licenses from the current three to 15. It would further allow dispensaries to open satellite locations.

House lawmakers on Friday had rejected the Senate’s changes to the bill, which largely scaled back the scope of the proposed expansion to the medical marijuana program.

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Federal Judge Rules Alaska Didn’t Violate Constitution When Restricting Intoxicating Hemp Products

A federal magistrate judge has ruled that the state of Alaska did not violate the U.S. Constitution when it acted to limit intoxicating hemp products in 2023.

In an order published May 23, Magistrate Judge Kyle Reardon granted summary judgment in favor of the state and against the Alaska Industrial Hemp Association, which sued two years ago in an attempt to overturn regulations imposed by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

The court order means intoxicating hemp products, common in many other states, will remain illegal in Alaska unless sold through a licensed marijuana retailer.

“It was rewarding to be part of the process developing the regulations, and I was happy when we successfully defended against the motion for a preliminary injunction in 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General Kevin Higgins, by email. Higgins represented the state in the case.

“I’m not patting myself on the back too hard though,” he said. “The Division of Agriculture was motivated by public safety concerns when it took measured action to regulate an emerging industry. This was an easy case to make, which is probably why the plaintiffs didn’t file an opposition to the motion for summary judgment.”

An attorney representing the plaintiff did not answer a request for comment on Wednesday.

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Urgent health warning as the terrifying side effects of Ozempic emerge

Dozens of Aussie weight loss drug injection patients have complained of symptoms consistent with drug-induced hepatitis, sparking a warning from experts to get regular GP check-ups. 

Patients on GLP-1 agonists Wegovy and Ozempic reported flu-like symptoms, fatigue, abdominal cramps and vomiting, thought to be related to liver injury. 

The most severe cases were rushed to hospital after experiencing symptoms associated with inflammation of the liver. 

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has received three separate reports of hepatitis or liver injury associated with semaglutide medicine use – marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy. 

Two patients were on Ozempic while the other was using Wegovy. 

Patients on Mounjaro have also expressed concerns online.

‘Any of you on Mounjaro have had to stop taking it due to it affecting your liver? I’m currently in hospital with medication induced hepatitis and they’re positive it’s from the Mounjaro,’ one woman wrote.

Another commented: ‘Wegovy badly affected my liver and I had to stop, fortunately I didn’t end up in hospital’. 

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New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Recriminalizing Some Marijuana Purchases And Sales

Lawmakers mulled Thursday whether New Jersey should ramp up enforcement against unlicensed cannabis sellers by passing a bill that would criminalize the purchase of unlicensed marijuana.

The bill riled cannabis activists, who say it would bring back the criminalization of weed that New Jersey’s marijuana legalization law was supposed to end. 

Under the bill, sponsored by Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union), it would be a third-degree crime to operate an unlicensed marijuana business and a disorderly persons offense to knowingly purchase from one. A person who leads an “illegal marijuana business network” would be charged with a second-degree crime. 

“We have a problem where people are opening up brick-and-mortar stores, small stores, unlicensed to sell these products, and quite frankly, they’re just selling them and this state is doing nothing about it,” Scutari told the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. “We need to do something more about those brick-and-mortar stores, but we also need to continue to fight back against drug dealers because those are alive and well.” 

Scutari spearheaded legalizing recreational cannabis, first introducing legislation to regulate it for adult use in 2014. After bills languished in the Legislature, recreational cannabis was legalized in 2020 by voters, and Scutari was the primary sponsor of the bill to launch the legal marijuana industry.

Scutari said the new legislation would be a corrective measure in response to the “black and gray market” that has flourished even though hundreds of cannabis dispensaries have opened statewide.

New Jersey has some of the most expensive cannabis in the nation for both medical and recreational users. The industry has raked in over $1 billion since sales launched in April 2022. 

The committee did not vote on the bill, which does not yet have a companion in the Assembly.

Lawmakers generally voiced support for Scutari’s proposal to address the unlicensed THC products that they say undermine the regulated industry. Sen. Joe Lagana (D-Bergen) said he’s seen questionable cannabis products in “every single gas station I walk into, every convenience store, every corner store.”

But senators also repeatedly placed blame on the Attorney General’s Office, accusing it of not enforcing the state’s cannabis laws.

Sen. Mike Testa (R) blasted Attorney General Matt Platkin (D) for what he called “absentee” leadership. And Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Union) said that once certain laws aren’t enforced, the community “loses respect for government.” Bramnick suggested the committee should call on Platkin to appear before them on the issue and said ignoring the law is “disrespectful to this body.”

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Minnesota Governor Signs Bill To Decriminalize Bong Water Containing Drug Residue

Shortly after Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill to end the criminalization of bong water containing trace amount of drugs, Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) has signed the measure into law.

The change addresses an existing policy that had allowed law enforcement to treat quantities of bong water greater than four ounces as equivalent to the pure, uncut version of whatever drug the device was used to consume.

Four ounces of bong water used to consume methamphetamine, for example, could have been charged as a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

The new bong water provision is part of a sweeping judiciary and public safety bill, HF 2432, which Walz signed into law last week. In relevant part, it clarifies that a mixture of drugs “does not include the fluid used in a water pipe or any amount of a controlled substance that is dissolved in the pipe’s fluid.”

The existing policy was the result of a 2009 state Supreme Court decision, and though it was rarely used by authorities, critics said it allowed prosecutors to selectively go after defendants with the threat of outsized penalties.

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Kentucky Governor Launches Medical Marijuana Dispensary Map Ahead Of Market Launch And Waives Patient Renewal Fees

The governor of Kentucky has announced a new online directory that lets people see where medical cannabis dispensaries will be opening near them—and he signed an executive order to waive renewal fees for patients who get their cards this year so that they don’t get charged again before retailers open.

During a press briefing on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) shared a series of developments as the state prepares for the rollout of its medical cannabis program that he signed into law in 2023.

“Since taking office, we’ve been committed to providing access to health care and creating safe communities for all Kentuckians,” he said. “One of our priorities was securing medical cannabis for Kentuckians suffering from cancer, from PTSD, from chronic pain and other conditions.”

Beshear emphasized that the state has been working to deliver access to patients “at the earliest possible date,” and that involved expediting the licensing process. The governor in January also ceremonially awarded the commonwealth’s first medical marijuana cards.

A majority of approved licensees have been inspected and approved, the governor said, adding that “there’s going to be a dispensary point for all patients.” And to that end, the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis has created an interactive map for patients to find their nearest dispensary

“None of these dispensaries are open yet, but you can go ahead and see where the dispensaries will be located so that you can make plans, when they’re open, how you’re going to secure your medical cannabis,” the governor said.

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Texas Military Veterans Call On Governor To Veto Proposed Hemp THC Ban That Critics Say Would Harm Patients And Consumers

Veterans advocates in Texas are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to veto legislation that would outlaw all hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing any detectable THC, saying loss of access to the products would harm veterans, seniors, medical patients and everyday consumers.

“Banning legal hemp would cause irreversible harm to communities across the state,” the organization Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars said on social media on Wednesday, drawing attention to a petition urging Abbott to reject the measure that was sent to him early this week. “Stand up for your rights and livelihoods.”

The petition itself is from the Texas Hemp Business Council, a trade group representing the state’s roughly $8 billion hemp industry, which critics of the bill say would be decimated if the measure becomes law. Texas’s hemp industry employs 53,000 people, the group said.

“We, the undersigned citizens of Texas, call on Governor Abbott to reject SB 3 and any proposals banning products containing legal hemp,” the petition says. “Hemp is not a threat but a resource that helps countless Texans lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.”

“SB 3 would deprive Texans of natural alternatives for treating chronic pain, anxiety, and sleep disorders throughout the state,” it adds. “A hemp ban also threatens small businesses and farmers in Texas who depend on hemp production for their livelihoods.”

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Hawaii Governor Signs Bill Expanding Medical Marijuana Caregiver Rights

Hawaii’s governor has signed into law a bill to expand the rights of medical marijuana caregivers, allowing them to grow cannabis on behalf of up to five qualified patients rather than the current one, among other changes.

Gov. Josh Green (D) formally signed SB 1429 into law earlier this month. The purpose of the legislation, according to its introductory section, is to “maintain and clarify the multiple options currently available for qualifying patients to access a safe and legal supply of medical cannabis,” including from primary caregivers.

In addition to increasing the limit on how many patients a caregiver can cultivate cannabis for, the new law also extends a state allowance for caregivers to cultivate marijuana for patients in the first place—a right that technically expired at the beginning of this year after lawmakers failed to amend a sunset date in prior legislation.

The governor signed an executive order in late December that has since protected caregivers from “undue enforcement” as the legislature worked to hammer out the policy fix.

Only 55 percent of patients in a 2022 survey said they exclusively obtained medical marijuana at licensed dispensaries, the newly enacted measure notes. “This means that up to forty-five per cent of patients obtain their cannabis for medical use from other sources, including cultivation.”

Patients, it continues, “should continue to have multiple options for obtaining medical cannabis, including having a primary caregiver grow an adequate supply of cannabis for medical use on their behalf.”

Violations of the new caregiver law would be subject to a fine of “not more than $5,000 for each separate violation,” which would be imposed by the state Department of Health.

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States Have Generated Nearly $25 Billion In Marijuana Tax Revenue Since First Markets Opened, New Report Finds

States have generated nearly $25 billion in revenue from recreational cannabis since the first sales started over a decade ago, according to a new report from a leading advocacy group.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) also said that in 2024 alone, states collected $4.4 billion in recreational cannabis tax revenue—the most ever garnered in a single year. Seven states took in over $200 million each, with four of those seeing more than $500 million in revenue and one exceeding $1 billion.

“At a time when federal funding cuts are putting pressure on states’ budgets, adult-use cannabis taxes are bringing billions of dollars into states’ coffers,” Lauren Daly, interim executive director at MPP, said in a press release.

“Legal adult-use markets have also contributed to significant job growth, creating thousands of new employment and small business opportunities,” she said. “While economic growth isn’t the primary reason for legalizing adult-use cannabis, it is undeniably a great benefit.”

The new adult-use-focused analysis does not account for additional revenue that states have collected from medical marijuana sales.

MPP has been consistently tracking state cannabis tax data, and this latest report shows that states generated about $200 million more in 2024 compared to 2023.

“Cannabis prohibition destroys lives by tearing apart families and creating life-altering criminal records that stand in the way of jobs, housing, and an education,” Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at MPP, said. “Cannabis legalization dramatically reduces the number of arrests and wasted law enforcement resources, while generating billions of dollars in new revenue that can improve residents’ wellbeing.”

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Medical Marijuana Helps Most Patients Effectively Treat Chronic Pain, New Study Shows

A new study on cannabis and chronic pain finds that more than 8 in 10 patients who used medical marijuana reported it to be a useful tool for pain management.

“This points to the possibility that cannabis could serve as a safer alternative or complement to standard pain management approaches, potentially helping to address the ongoing opioid crisis,” the study’s senior author—Ari Greis, an orthopedic surgery professor at Drexel University College of Medicine and a board member of the Rothman Institute Foundation for Opioid Research & Education—said in a statement about the findings.

Published this month in the journal Cureus, the report stems from a survey of 129 people who were medical marijuana patients in Pennsylvania between October 2022 and December 2024. It says it “provides important insights into the real-world patterns, perceived efficacy, and cognitive effects of medical cannabis use among individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain who employ cannabis regularly over extended periods.”

“Over 80 percent of patients who turned to medical cannabis found it effective for managing their pain,” co-author Mohammad Khak, a researcher at the Rothman Opioid Foundation, said in a press release about the study.

“Many participants also noted improvements in associated symptoms such as sleep disturbances and anxiety,” Khak added, “suggesting that cannabis may offer a broader range of relief than conventional pain medications alone.”

The report says that the “majority of respondents expressed positive views on the effectiveness of cannabis in improving their main symptom, with 66 (51.1%) strongly agreeing and 55 (42.6%) agreeing with the statement.”

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