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A bill to require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans would have a negligible fiscal impact, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). However, just as when the agency issued its last analysis on the costs of an earlier version of the VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act in 2020, CBO pointed to ongoing VA cannabis studies and said it “expects that those efforts would satisfy the bill’s requirement for research,” even though it’s not clear that’s actually the case. H.R. 2916, VA…

Another city has joined the movement to decriminalize psychedelics, with lawmakers in Port Townsend, Washington unanimously approving a reform resolution on Monday. The proposal, which was crafted with input from a coalition of psychedelics activists, makes it so enforcement of laws against entheogenic substances like psilocybin, ayahuasca and ibogaine are among the city’s lowest priorities. It also expresses the support of the City Council for broader decriminalization in Washington State and at the federal level. Port Townsend “maintains that the abuse of controlled substances should be understood primarily as a public health issue,” the text of the resolution says. Prior…

About a year ago, I agreed to be the Chairperson of NORML’s Board of Directors. As I said at the time, I did so to double down on my commitment to ending this nearly century-long policy of prohibition and to replace it with a more sensible approach — one that respects both public health and America’s cherished civil liberties. One that promotes personal freedom and responsible behavior. I knew 2021 was going to be a great year for our movement, but it exceeded even my wildest expectations. In just the first few months of the year, we saw five states…

The St. Louis lawmaker behind a recently enacted marijuana decriminalization bill says he’s aware that there’s growing talk about pushing broader reform by loosening laws around psychedelics and other drugs—but he’s concerned that the federal government may intervene if the city pushes the envelope too far. Alderman Bret Narayan (D)—whose cannabis legislation to end the local criminalization of adults over cannabis possession and cultivation was signed into law by Mayor Tishaura Jones (D) last week—took a question about psychedelics policy from Marijuana Moment during an interview on St. Louis Public Radio on Monday. Asked whether he’d consider sponsoring a proposal…

The St. Louis lawmaker behind a recently enacted marijuana decriminalization bill says he’s aware that there’s growing talk about pushing broader reform by loosening laws around psychedelics and other drugs—but he’s concerned that the federal government may intervene if the city pushes the envelope too far. Alderman Bret Narayan (D)—whose cannabis legislation to end the local criminalization of adults over cannabis possession and cultivation was signed into law by Mayor Tishaura Jones (D) last week—took a question about psychedelics policy from Marijuana Moment during an interview on St. Louis Public Radio on Monday. Asked whether he’d consider sponsoring a proposal…

A nonprofit that supports Ohio’s medical marijuana industry is undergoing changes after its CEO stepped down at the beginning of December to make way new leadership. Ally Reaves, a longtime member of the medicinal cannabis industry and the founder of another regional nonprofit, took the reins of the Pickerington-based Cannabis Can from Bridget Williams, who left the position on Dec. 1. Reaves is the founder and president of the nonprofit Midwest CannaWomen, which seeks to elevate women in the medical marijuana industry. She helped found Cannabis Can but had to step away from the group when she took a job with Green Thumb…

The St. Louis lawmaker behind a recently enacted marijuana decriminalization bill says he’s aware that there’s growing talk about pushing broader reform by loosening laws around psychedelics and other drugs—but he’s concerned that the federal government may intervene if the city pushes the envelope too far. Alderman Bret Narayan (D)—whose cannabis legislation to end the local criminalization of adults over cannabis possession and cultivation was signed into law by Mayor Tishaura Jones (D) last week—took a question about psychedelics policy from Marijuana Moment during an interview on St. Louis Public Radio on Monday. Asked whether he’d consider sponsoring a proposal…

2021 was another year of growth, but also uncertainty, for the rapidly expanding cannabis industry. For Jonathan Havens, co-chair of Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr’s Cannabis Law Practice and chair of the firm’s Food, Beverage and Agribusiness Practice, and Marc Adesso, partner of Saul Ewing’s Cannabis Law and Corporate practices, there are several key developments from 2021 that will impact the industry’s outlook in 2022. Here, they share their predictions. 1. Federal policy reform has stalled. While this year saw cannabis policy reform efforts gain momentum at the federal level, Havens said there was “no real advancement,” even for incremental…