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A top federal health agency is seeking to promote studies into the efficacy of a variety of harm reduction policies—including decriminalization and safe consumption sites—as part of a push to combat the overdose epidemic. While the Biden administration has yet to take a position on policy proposals to authorize safe consumption facilities, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) put out a pair of requests for applications (RFAs) on Wednesday for an effort that will provide funding for efforts to investigate how that and other harm reduction policies could help address the drug crisis. Specifically, NIH wants to establish a Harm…

From full cannabis legalization in New York to the launch of a modest medical marijuana program in Alabama, cannabis reform continued to spread across the U.S. in 2021 amid the ongoing backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and other hot-button political issues. And while federal prohibition remains in place, the year saw major movement toward reform on the federal level, including a number of new legalization bills in Congress and slow, steady progress on cannabis banking. In a year marked by partisan divisions, the year also saw more GOP lawmakers than ever take the lead on cannabis, helping craft and introduce…

#1: Five More States Enact Adult-Use Legalization Laws Legislatures in five states — Connecticut, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Virginia — enacted laws in 2021 legalizing adult-use marijuana possession and regulating retail cannabis markets. These legislative victories marked a significant change from past years, when similar laws were enacted almost exclusively via citizens’ initiatives, not by legislative action. In total, 18 states — comprising nearly one-half of the US population — have now adopted laws regulating adult use marijuana production and retail sales. “State lawmakers have learned that advocating for adult-use legalization laws is a winning political issue…

This year saw major strides in the enactment of new marijuana laws with six states set to introduce new measures regarding its usage in 2022. Arkansas will see its medical marijuana rules expanded to allow out-of-state patients access to the state’s program for up to 90 days and will also allow doctors to offer medical marijuana recommendations through telehealth services, effective January 1. Medical marijuana laws will also be expanded in California with the passage of a bill that will allow for “a terminally ill patient’s use of medicinal cannabis within [a] health care facility.” Governor Gavin Newsom signed the…

As the year draws to a close, the Journal Inquirer has compiled a list of the Top 10 Stories of 2021 for north-central Connecticut. This is the (first/last) in that series, which concludes on Dec. 31. Several towns across north-central Connecticut are continuing to grapple with allowing or banning the retail sale of pot after recreational cannabis became legal earlier this year. Possession and use of cannabis for people age 21 and over has been legal in the state since July 1. However, as part of the law, each municipality has the ability to either allow cannabis retailers or prohibit…

As the year draws to a close, the Journal Inquirer has compiled a list of the Top 10 Stories of 2021 for north-central Connecticut. This is the (first/last) in that series, which concludes on Dec. 31. Several towns across north-central Connecticut are continuing to grapple with allowing or banning the retail sale of pot after recreational cannabis became legal earlier this year. Possession and use of cannabis for people age 21 and over has been legal in the state since July 1. However, as part of the law, each municipality has the ability to either allow cannabis retailers or prohibit…

From full cannabis legalization in New York to the launch of a modest medical marijuana program in Alabama, cannabis reform continued to spread across the U.S. in 2021 amid the ongoing backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and other hot-button political issues. And while federal prohibition remains in place, the year saw major movement toward reform on the federal level, including a number of new legalization bills in Congress and slow, steady progress on cannabis banking. In a year marked by partisan divisions, the year also saw more GOP lawmakers than ever take the lead on cannabis, helping craft and introduce…