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Washington: World’s Largest Annual Cannabis Event Moves On-Line Due to Viral Pandemic

Seattle Hempfest Online Event

Sunday, Aug. 16, 2020, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., PST

In pre-Covid years, the world’s largest “protestival” featured 100,000 attendees rejoicing on the Seattle waterfront at Elliott Bay, enjoying music from multiple stages and a huge circus tent with panel discussions for all three summer days. But on this 29th year of Seattle Hempfest the event is adapting to the Covid-19 pandemic and presenting its political and educational information in a safe, globally accessible format.

On Seattle Hempfest's usual weekend, Sunday Aug 16, the organization is presenting a four-hour internet “reveal” event to present and discuss its scheduled Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 Global Online Hempfest Extravaganja.

ACLU, NAACP And Other Groups Push Congress To Pass Marijuana Legalization Bill By Next Month

ACLU, NAACP And Other Groups Push Congress To Pass Marijuana Legalization Bill By Next Month -

A coalition of major drug policy and civil rights organization is urging congressional leadership to hold a House floor vote on a comprehensive marijuana legalization bill by the end of next month.

In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), more than 120 groups—including the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP, Human Rights Watch, Drug Policy Alliance and Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights—said it’s imperative to hold the vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.

Third Party Presidential Candidates Push For Marijuana Legalization And Drug Decriminalization

Third Party Presidential Candidates Push For Marijuana Legalization And Drug Decriminalization -

The presidential nominees for the Libertarian and Green Parties both support bolder drug policy proposals, including marijuana legalization, than presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden or President Trump.

Libertarian pick Jo Jorgensen and Green nominee Howie Hawkins recently discussed their views on the issue and backed legalizing cannabis for adult use and more broadly ending the criminalization of other currently illicit substances.

Montana: Legalization Initiative Proponents Announce That They Have Qualified for 2020 Ballot

Montana: Legalization Initiative Proponents Announce That They Have Qualified for 2020 Ballot -

In a July 20 e-mail update, proponents New Approach Montana posted: “The campaign to legalize marijuana ... has cleared the signature hurdles to see its two initiatives on the ballot in Montana’s general election.”

The post Montana: Legalization Initiative Proponents Announce That They Have Qualified for 2020 Ballot appeared first on NORML.

[NORML Blog]

Congress Will Legalize Marijuana in 2021 Despite Biden Opposition, Democratic Senator Says

Congress Will Legalize Marijuana in 2021 Despite Biden Opposition, Democratic Senator Says -

A Democratic U.S. senator says that if his party reclaims the Senate and White House in November, lawmakers will “move very quickly” to legalize marijuana regardless of where presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden stands on the issue.

Oregon measure would use weed tax to fund recovery

Oregon measure would use weed tax to fund recovery -

The Oregon Secretary of State’s office confirmed on its website July 1 that the Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act has enough valid signatures to qualify for the 2020 general election ballot. “Despite the quarantine, more than 160,000 Oregonians signed on to this petition to establish a more humane and effective approach to drug addiction,” said Janie Gullickson, who is […]

The post Oregon measure would use weed tax to fund recovery appeared first on The Leaf Online.

[The Leaf Online]

Texas: Austin Police to Cease Making Arrests, Issuing Citations for Minor Marijuana Offenses

Texas: Austin Police to Cease Making Arrests, Issuing Citations for Minor Marijuana Offenses -

“APD will no longer cite or arrest individuals with sufficient identification for Class A or Class B misdemeanor ‘possession of marijuana’ offenses."

The post Texas: Austin Police to Cease Making Arrests, Issuing Citations for Minor Marijuana Offenses appeared first on NORML.

[NORML Blog]

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Push For Marijuana Legalization To Boost Revenue Amid Coronavirus

Pennsylvania Senate Democrats Push For Marijuana Legalization To Boost Revenue Amid Coronavirus -

A majority of Pennsylvania Senate Democrats sent a letter to the governor and legislative leaders on Thursday, arguing that lawmakers should pursue adult-use marijuana legalization in order to generate revenue to make up for losses resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

The letter, led by Sen. Sharif Street (D), stresses that the state’s economic situation is “dire” and that the government “should do absolutely everything we can to raise revenue.”

California: Nevada County District Attorney to Dismiss Decades’ Worth of Marijuana Convictions

California: Nevada County District Attorney to Dismiss Decades’ Worth of Marijuana Convictions -

State officials have identified nearly 200,000 Californians eligible to have their marijuana-related convictions either dismissed or resentenced.

The post California: Nevada County District Attorney to Dismiss Decades’ Worth of Marijuana Convictions appeared first on NORML.

[NORML Blog]

Activists turn in signatures for Montana legalization bill

Activists turn in signatures for Montana legalization bill -

Montana Initiative I-190 would legalize small amounts of non-medical marijuana for adults, test and license distribution, add a 20% tax and clear records.

The post Activists turn in signatures for Montana legalization bill appeared first on The Leaf Online.

[The Leaf Online]

Nebraska: Activists Submit Signatures for Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative

By Michael Bachara, Hemp News

Members of the coalition Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted over 182,000 signatures from registered voters with the hopes of qualifying a medical cannabis legalization measure for the November 2020 ballot.

State officials must validate 121,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot. State rules also require that a minimum of five percent of voters in at least 38 of the state’s 93 counties be included in the signature tally.

Campaign co-chair, Nebraska State Senator Anna Wishart, said: “We are confident that we’ve met the requirements for ballot qualification, and after seeing the outpouring of support for our petition, we’re even more confident that Nebraska’s voters will approve this initiative in November.”

Michigan: Cannabis Industry Association Capitol Protests

Lansing, MI – Today two sides of Michigan’s cannabis industry protested in front of the State Capitol Building in a debate over how the industry should move forward. The sides have been in court disputing whether the licensed dispensaries should be allowed to continue selling caregiver products as an interim solution until more growers and processors are operational.

While the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association is not taking sides in the debate, MICIA spokesperson Josh Hovey issued the following statement:

The First Obituary of Steven Hager

By Paul Krassner

It’s a sad irony. When Steven Hager was the editor of High Times magazine, he was contacted by the Waldos -- a group of high school students who coined 4:20 as the time to toke at the intermission between their classes each day. He became the first journalist to interview them. However, he chose to commit suicide today, on Mount Tam, at 4:20 a.m. on the 20th of April, sort of like a contemporary marijuana boomerang.

Washington: Adult Cannabis Cultivation Bill, HB 2559, Seeking Public Comment

HB 2559 would allow non-medical home cultivation of marijuana in Washington state

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

On Monday, January 15, the Washington state legislature will discuss the adult home grow bill, HB 2559, in the Commerce and Gaming Committee. The hearing, which is scheduled to be in House Hearing Rm C at 1:30pm in the John L. O'Brien Building in Olympia, WA, is sure to bring cannabis advocates from across the state to the Capitol.

U.S.: Former US Deputy Attorney General Cole’s reaction to Sessions’ Rescission

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Former US Deputy Attorney General and author of the Cole Memos, James Cole was recently a guest on Cannabis Economy Podcast with Seth Adler. In the conversation, Cole shared what the rescission of the Cole Memos and the Ogden Memo means for legal cannabis and the questions that the action raises.

“The FinCen memo may kind of die of its own weight because it is based on compliance with the Cole Memo. So there's a question about whether the FinCen memo, which has not been withdrawn still exists,” said Cole. The third Cole Memo was released in concert with the FinCen memo, which outlines guidance on banking expectations for state legal cannabis.

New York: Longtime High Times Editor Sues Magazine Over Ouster

There Is a Truth That Must Be Heard MANHATTAN – The former editor of High Times magazine claims in court that he was defrauded of his shares in the counter-culture monthly.

Represented by the Clancy Law Firm, Steven Hager brought his Jan. 9 suit in Manhattan Supreme Court some six months after Adam Levin’s Oreva Group bought a majority stake in the once family-owned magazine for $42 million.

Hager notes that he had been editor of High Times since 1998 but that his relationship with the magazine soured in 2013. As explained in a recent blog post, Hager at the time was nursing plans to enter the Sundance Film Festival.

Vermont: Senate Passes Recreational Cannabis Bill, Governor Expected to Sign

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

MONTPELIER — Today, Vermont's state Senate passed a bill which would legalize social cannabis use for adults over the age of 21.

Under the Vermont legislation, an earlier version of which passed the Senate last summer, commercial sales of cannabis would not be allowed. But if the proposal is enacted, as is expected, the state would become the first to legalize marijuana by an act of lawmakers.

Gov. Phil Scott (R), who is expected to sign the bill, vetoed a social cannabis bill last May, stating he wasn't opposed to social cannabis but wanted to form a committee to study the issue's implementation in Vermont.

Global: Oregonian Being Held In El Salvador for 36 Grams of Cannabis

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Clay Pierce, an Oregon medical marijuana cardholder, is imprisoned in the notorious Mariona prison in El Salvador for 36 grams of cannabis. This story is an important notice to all Oregonians: just because you are traveling from one legal cannabis location to another, we must be aware of the laws in our connecting flight locations.

In October, Mr. Pierce sold everything he had in Oregon and was moving to Colombia when his flight to Colombia had a brief scheduled stop in San Salvador, the capitol of El Salvador.

U.S.: Attorney General Sessions to Rescind Memo on State Cannabis Laws

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Earlier this morning, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions moved to rescind Obama-era guidance, aka the Cole Memo, which has generally allowed states to implement their own cannabis laws without federal interference.

The Obama Justice Department deputy attorney general, who authored it in 2013, set out certain criteria that would allow states to implement their own laws mostly without intervention, if followed. The focus of the memo was interstate trafficking and abuse.

Wisconsin: Medical Cannabis Advocate, Jacki Rickert, Passes Away

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Wisconsin medical marijuana patient and activist, Jacki Rickert, passed away on December 26 at the age of 66. Rickert, who suffered from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective-tissue disorder in which her joints become dislocated easily, was a determined Midwest activist who fought for her right to treat her condition with cannabis.

Rickert was an active swimmer, gymnast and horseback rider before being diagnosed with the syndrome at the age of 21, and discovered that cannabis could help her control the dislocations and keep her other medications down.

South Carolina: Twenty Farmers Selected for Industrial Hemp Pilot Program

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

In South Carolina, twenty farmers from fifteen counties will participate in South Carolina Department of Agriculture’s (SCDA) 2018 Industrial Hemp Pilot Program. Throughout the state, 131 applications were submitted for the pilot program. Participants were selected based on agriculture experience, geographic balance across South Carolina, accredited college/university partner, purpose of the crop, processor experience and the ability to secure needed equipment and financing.

Farmers in the pilot program will be working with the University of South Carolina, Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina State University, Clemson University and USC Beaufort.

Michigan: Marijuana Legalization Campaign Submits 360,000 Signatures to Place Issue on 2018 Ballot

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

LANSING, MI — The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol turned in more than 360,000 signatures earlier this month calling for its marijuana legalization initiative to be placed on Michigan’s November 2018 ballot. The state Board of Canvassers approved ballot language on May 18 of this year. Shortly afterward, the campaign began its 180-day statewide signature collection effort using both volunteer and paid signature collectors.

Connecticut: Hartford City Council Unanimously Endorses Marijuana Legalization

Resolution urges support for legislation that would regulate and tax marijuana for adults in Connecticut

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

HARTFORD, Conn. — At a meeting Monday evening, the Hartford Court of Common Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution in support of making cannabis legal and regulated for adults in Connecticut.

The resolution specifically recommends that the Hartford Delegation of elected representatives support the passage of state legislation to legalize and tax cannabis in 2018 and insist on measures to ensure racial equity in ownership and employment in the resulting cannabis industry. It also directs the city to conduct an economic impact study for a potential cannabis industry in Hartford and hold public forums to hear from residents.

U.S.: Is hemp the next big cash crop?

There Is a Truth That Must Be Heard ITHACA, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Some New York farmers believe they’ve found the state’s next big cash crop: hemp.

A Florida woman posted a video using Facebook Live where she exclaimed at how excited she was to find hemp at a Whole Foods Market. But the product was from Upstate New York.

The hemp was from JD Farms in Eaton, N.Y. It’s the state’s first legal hemp farm in decades.

“We had the idea of hemp as an organic cover crop, initially,” Daniel Dolgin said.

Dolgin left the White House for the farm house. After working in counterterrorism for many years, he now co-owns JD Farms with his business partner Mark Justh.

U.S.: Delaware on track to legalize recreational marijuana next year

There Is a Truth That Must Be Heard Delaware could very well live up to its nickname and become the first state to legalize marijuana through legislation, as the Adult Use Cannabis Task Force continues the effort to study the possibility.

The task force, comprised of several state agencies, was formed earlier this year through a concurrent resolution passed by the General Assembly to study the outcome of regulating and taxing marijuana for recreational use in Delaware for adults 21 and older.

The task force, co-chaired by State Senator Margaret Rose-Henry and State Representative Helene Keeley, has met once a month since its inception to discuss and study the possibility of legalizing marijuana recreationally.

U.S.: DEA Wants Feds To Grow Almost 1,000 Pounds Of Marijuana Next Year

There Is a Truth That Must Be Heard 443,680 grams.

That's how much marijuana the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) wants federally-licensed researchers to grow for use in scientific studies in 2018.

That amounts to a little more than 978 pounds of government-cultivated cannabis.

While that may sound like a lot, it's actually a slight decrease from this year's level.

The 2018 aggregate production quotas that DEA laid out in a Federal Register filing slated for publication on Wednesday are amounts the agency thinks will "provide for the estimated medical, scientific, research [and] industrial needs of the United States, lawful export requirements, and the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks."

Illinois: Cannabis Regulation and Taxation Act (Economic Development)

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Chicago, IL - State lawmakers continued their in-depth look at cannabis policy reform earlier this week as they heard testimony on the economic boost Illinois could expect following the end of cannabis prohibition. Travel icon Rick Steves, Colorado State Rep. Dan Pabon, economist Adam Orens, and several Illinois business owners discussed the benefits and challenges Illinois could expect upon adopting a better law.

Maine: Prohibitionist Governor Vetoes Cannabis Regulation and Implementation Bill

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Last Friday, Gov. Paul LePage followed through on threats to veto legislation that would have started the process of implementing a regulated cannabis market that Maine voters called for when they approved Question 1 in 2016.

The progressive bill, LD 1650, which was supported overwhelmingly in the House and Senate, would have created rules for cultivation, processing, and retail establishments, as well as set tax rates for adult-use and delay cannabis social consumption lounges until summer 2019.

U.S.: Record-High Support for Legalizing Cannabis Use, Gallup Poll Finds

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Americans are warming up to legalizing cannabis, with 64% now saying its use should be made legal. This is the highest level of public support a Gallup poll has found for the proposal in nearly a half-century of measurement.

The latest figure, based on an Oct. 5-11 Gallup poll, follows shifts in the U.S. legal landscape regarding marijuana since Gallup's 2016 measure. While still illegal at the federal level, the issue was featured on a number of state ballot initiatives in 2016, and with eight states and the District of Columbia having fully legalized marijuana, more than one in five Americans live in a state where they can legally enjoy use of the drug.

Illinois: High School Newspaper Confiscated For Cannabis Content

By Michael Bachara
Hemp News

Last month, prohibitionist administrators at Evanston Township High School confiscated an issue of the student newspaper, declaring it glorified drug use, drug dealing and promoted illegal conduct. Last week, at the meeting of the District 202 school board, the student journalists and first amendment legal advocates argued that the school may have violated state law by failing to show justification before confiscating the paper, which included coverage on cannabis use and policy.

No, marijuana won’t be legal right away if the N.J. referendum passes. Here’s what you can’t do. NJ.com
Election could stoke U.S. marijuana market, sway Congress on cannabis reform Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Election Could Add Political Pressure to Lift Federal Marijuana Ban CBS San Francisco
Ballot question #1: Legalize marijuana use for adults in NJ? The case for and against NJ Spotlight
NJ voters want low-level marijuana crimes cleared, poll finds New Jersey 101.5 FM Radio
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