Posts in category: Cannabis News/Legislation

WOW life has been busy and I havent posted in a long time. SO many things have happened in 2019.  Most importantly, the US Virgin Islands apprived medical marijuana in January 2019, ILLINOIS became the 11th state to legalize recreational cannabis June 25, 2019……and Hawaii became the 26th state to decriminalize possession on July 11, 2019!!!  Also, specifically to WA state, on 5/2019 “duckys law” was signed allowing liquid cannabis to be give to children in school by their guardian.

ALSO  My article, “MASSAGE THERAPY AND CANNABIS TOPICALS, MORE THAN RELAXATION” was published in CANNABIS NURSES NETWORK June 14, 2019.  Move love to the nurses, thank you for publishing my article.

Thank you Marijuana Policy Project for keeping track of the following FEDERAL cannabis bills. Lets see what happens! 

 

The 116th Congress went into session at the beginning of January, and several marijuana reform bills have already been introduced in both chambers. See below for a listing of legislation we are tracking on the federal level, and stay tuned for information on the progress of these bills and opportunities to take action.

 

H.R. 1595 – SAFE Banking Act of 2019

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO); 206 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation would prevent federal regulators from punishing financial institutions for providing services to cannabis-related businesses operating in compliance with state laws.

Action: Urge your U.S. Representative to support the SAFE Banking Act!

 

S. 1028, H.R. 2093 – Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act

Chamber(s): Senate and House

Senate Sponsor: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); 9 cosponsors

House Sponsor: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR); 52 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation would protect states’ rights to enact their own marijuana policies without federal interference.

Action: Urge your members of Congress to support the STATES Act!

 

H.R. 420 – Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR); 4 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation would remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act. It would also transfer cannabis enforcement authority from the Drug Enforcement Administration to a renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, Firearms and Explosives.

 

H.R. 127 – The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act of 2019

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN); 10 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation would permit states to implement medical cannabis programs without federal intervention. It would also allow physicians with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to recommend cannabis to veterans. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) is expected to introduce a Senate companion bill.

 

H.R. 493 – Sensible Enforcement of Cannabis Act of 2019

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA); 10 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation would essentially revive the Obama-era marijuana enforcement memo that was rescinded by then-U.S Attorney General Jeff Sessions last year.

 

H.R. 171 – LUMMA – To provide for the legitimate use of medicinal marihuana in accordance with the laws of the various States

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

Purpose: This legislation would reschedule marijuana and clarify that the federal government cannot “prohibit or otherwise restrict” state-legal use, possession, transportation, production and distribution of medical cannabis. It would also reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act, from Schedule I to Schedule II.

 

H.R. 601 – The Medical Cannabis Research Act

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL); 10 cosponsors

Purpose: While this legislation wouldn’t change the federal legal status of cannabis, it would require the Justice Department to approve additional manufacturers of research-grade marijuana, protect research institutions interested in conducting studies on cannabis, and authorize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to inform patients about federally approved cannabis studies that they can participate in.

 

S. 179 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a clinical trial of the effects of cannabis on certain health outcomes of adults with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes.

Chamber: Senate

Sponsor: Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT); 5 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation focuses on increasing research on the medical benefits of cannabis for military veterans. It would direct the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to conduct clinical trials on the effectiveness of medical marijuana in the treatment of conditions common among military veterans.

* Companion bill to H.R. 712

 

H.R. 712 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a clinical trial of the effects of cannabis on certain health outcomes of adults with chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for other purposes.

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA); 64 cosponsors

Purpose: This legislation focuses on increasing research on the medical benefits of cannabis for military veterans. It would direct the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to conduct clinical trials on the effectiveness of medical marijuana in the treatment of conditions common among military veterans.

* Companion bill to S. 179

 

H.R. 747 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct and support research on the efficacy and safety of medicinal cannabis, and for other purposes.

Chamber: House

Sponsor: Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN)

Purpose: This bill would require the VA to conduct clinical trials on how cannabis can help veterans suffering from conditions such as chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.

#legalization #recreationalcannabis #decriminalization #hawaiiCannabisLegislation #IllinoisCannabisLegislation#normalization #NORMLlife #USVirginIslandsCannabisLegislation #duckysbill #cannabisandchildren #greenmovement #greenrush #mmj #medicalmarijuana 

On December 20, 2018 at 4pm EST, Farm Bill 2018  (aka Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018) was signed into law.  This bill technically legalized industrial hemp and hemp products.  These changes not only allows American farmers to farm and cultivate industrial hemp, it removes hemp from the federal controlled substance act.  This means that it will no longer be an illegal substance under federal lawIt also.  The law places CBD under FDA jurisdiction.  This means the FDA will be deploying regulations and continue to issue warning letters to CBD companies who make claims that are not backed by federally recognized research. 

#FARMBILL2018 #AgriculturalImporvementAct2018 #HempIsLegal #NotAllCBDisEqual

CONGRATS for surviving another stressful election time.  To be short and simple….here are most up to date #cannabislegislation

1. CONGRATS TO MICHIGAN FOR BEING THE FIRST MIDWEST STATE (10th US state) TO LEGALIZE ADULT USE AND SALES!!! Michigan approved Proposal 1 56%/44%, legalizaing the adult use, cultivation, and retail marketing marijiuana

2. CONGRATS TO MISSOURI for approving amendment 2 (they had 3 to choose from!), which AMENDS the constitution to permits physicians to recommend medical marijuana at their sole discretion, and provides licensened dispensery access to qualifying patients.  

3. CONGRATS TO UTAH who approve proposition 2, which facilitates legal medical cannabis access to qualified patients. 

4.  Unfortunately legalization was NOT approved in North Dakota.

5.  FLORIDA apprioved Amendment 4 by 63%, which amends the state constitution to restore voting privileges to those with non-violent felony convictions – including tens of thousands of those convicted of marijuana-related offenses. Passage of the amendment is anticipated to reinstate voting rights to some 1.4 million Floridians.

6.  Attorney General JEFF SESSIONS has resigned yesterday 11/7/2018!!!  The acting attorney general is Matthew G Whitaker.

WHEW!  Its been a crazy legislative season.  Cant wait for 2019, as it wil be a longer legislative session where we can hopefully get more done.  

JC

Canada’s Cannabis Act was signed in the end of June. Today, Canada becomes the second nation to explicitly legalize the social use, possession, cultivation, and retail production and sale of cannabis. The new law marks the culmination of an effort led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who promised in 2015, shortly after taking office, to legalize and regulate the marijuana market. 

CONGRATS TO CANADA!!!

#reefermadnessnomore #cannabislegalization #NORMLlife #Normalization

Last Thursday, September 27, 2019 the DEA placed a marijuana-derived drug called Epidiolex (that was granted FDA apprivel 6/25/2018 ), In Schedule V.  This is confusing the general public who thinks CBD is all schedule 5 and legal, which it is not. Still considered schedule 1 as of now. Feds versus feds. As I mention in my class for the past 6 months, GW Pharaceuticals will be charging approx $32,500/year for this prescription drug.  This is the MAIN reason we do not want cannabis in big pharma’s hands.  Remember the epipen $$ issue?  Same thing!

-Jen C 10/3/2018

Legislation 2018 JUST came to an end and in the final 24 hours HB 2334 – 2017-18 PASSED!

Regulating the use of cannabinoid additives in marijuana products.

Check out the link for the bill:

http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2017-18/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/2334-S2.PL.pdf

#JenChanMassage #ThisMassageTherapistsLife #MyBusyLife #NORMLlife #CBD #WA #WAlegislation #CHABA #cannabis