The Cannabis Deception: How Your Government Stole Your Future
(One Example Of Many)
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:::::::USA Set to Reschedule Cannabis::::::: HHS Releases Recommendation Documents:::::::
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The Real Story Behind Marijuana Opposition
The real story behind Marijuana Opposition and how its funding comes almost entirely from pharmaceutical companies that stand to lose millions to marijuana.
www.thelastamericanvagabond.com
Biden Pushed To Reschedule Marijuana By Veterans And Law Enforcement Groups—Including One That Has DEA Head As A Member
The Biden administration is being pressed to reschedule marijuana by two coalitions representing military veterans and law enforcement—including a group that counts Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram among its members. In a pair of recent letters sent to DEA and...
www.marijuanamoment.net
Sweatloaf
Well-known member
So it's not just pure coincidence that rescheduling to schedule III will make cannabis legal only by prescription???The Real Story Behind Marijuana Opposition
The real story behind Marijuana Opposition and how its funding comes almost entirely from pharmaceutical companies that stand to lose millions to marijuana.
Yeah we are watching a puppet show. We have very little representation among legislators.
I found it awesome the discussion on Indiana HB 1079 which would have created some regulations for low-thc hemp extract including delta 8 thc and others.
The spokesperson from the state police and the prosecuter's council said they aren't able to prosecute these cases right now. Its not clear if its legal or not, they said.
Its the POWER OF THE PEOPLE that is holding them back from arresting people for low-THC hemp products. The people would make it a rally point in support of cannabis legalization 3/4 states surrounding Indiana have adult-use cannabis and the other state, KY, has medical cannabis.
Law enforcement is likely feeling political pressure to hold back on these frivilous prosecutions for low-thc hemp which people use as medicine in a state without legal cannabis. Indiana legislators are waiting on the federal government to make their ruling.
I found it awesome the discussion on Indiana HB 1079 which would have created some regulations for low-thc hemp extract including delta 8 thc and others.
The spokesperson from the state police and the prosecuter's council said they aren't able to prosecute these cases right now. Its not clear if its legal or not, they said.
Its the POWER OF THE PEOPLE that is holding them back from arresting people for low-THC hemp products. The people would make it a rally point in support of cannabis legalization 3/4 states surrounding Indiana have adult-use cannabis and the other state, KY, has medical cannabis.
Law enforcement is likely feeling political pressure to hold back on these frivilous prosecutions for low-thc hemp which people use as medicine in a state without legal cannabis. Indiana legislators are waiting on the federal government to make their ruling.
Biden Pushed To Reschedule Marijuana By Veterans And Law Enforcement Groups—Including One That Has DEA Head As A Member
February 22, 2024By
Kyle Jaeger
The Biden administration is being pressed to reschedule marijuana by two coalitions representing military veterans and law enforcement—including a group that counts Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram among its members.
In a pair of recent letters sent to DEA and President Joe Biden, Law Enforcement Leaders To Reduce Crime & Incarceration (LEL) and a group of veterans service organizations separately pushed for the reclassification of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The law enforcement group, comprised of current and former police chiefs, prosecutors and federal officials, said they are “concerned about how the direct conflict between state and federal laws that currently exists regarding the handling of cannabis makes it difficult for law enforcement to respond effectively to pressing public safety challenges,” adding that the policy disconnect has also empowered the illicit market.
Over 30 members of LEL signed the letter to Biden. Milgram, the current DEA chief overseeing the agency’s marijuana scheduling review, is a member of the group but did not sign it. She was CCed on the letter, however.
“We believe that reclassification under schedule III would be an important step to help both federal and state law enforcement better prioritize limited public safety resources,” the law enforcement leaders wrote. “They can focus efforts on working together to combat the harms that arise from unregulated cannabis markets.”
“Moreover, rescheduling would also allow legal markets to compete on a level playing field potentially leading to greater reinvestments in critical programs that can bolster public safety. Therefore, we strongly urge the Drug Enforcement Administration to follow HHS’s recommendation and reclassify marijuana as a schedule III substance under the CSA. Such a move would advance public safety and promote more efficient and effective use of law enforcement resources across the country.”
Other members of the association who are not signatories of the new letter, which was first reported by The Hill, include a former White House drug czar, U.S. Marshalls Service director and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) director. Marijuana Moment reached out to DEA for comment on the administrator’s affiliation with LEL, but a representative was not immediately available.
“It is absolutely critical for law enforcement to have clear federal laws and not a patchwork approach to cannabis policy,” Ronal Serpas, a former New Orleans and Nashville police chief and executive director of LEL, told Marijuana Moment. “Rescheduling is an important first step to helping local, state and federal law enforcement collaborate effectively against real threats to public safety such as violent crime and the dangers presented by an unregulated and illicit cannabis market.”
The veterans groups, meanwhile, sent a letter to DEA’s Milgram late last week that urges the agency to “expeditiously accept” HHS’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana.
The signatories include the heads of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), AMVETS, the American Legion and the Minority Veterans of America.
“The recommendation by HHS to move cannabis to Schedule III reflects a growing acknowledgement of the accepted medical use and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis products,” they wrote. “As organizations dedicated to advocating for the well-being of our veterans, we believe the recommendation of Schedule III will open greater access to the alternative medicines that our nation’s heroes demand and deserve.”
The letter, first reported by NBC News, adds that while U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy permits veterans to discuss their cannabis use with the agency’s doctors, “many veterans remain uncomfortable discussing cannabis use with their VA providers due to fear of retribution.”
“As the nation’s largest healthcare provider, the VA can and must do better in providing treatment options to veterans—treatments that are readily available in 38 states around the country to millions of civilian Americans outside of the VHA,” the letter says. “By accepting the recommendation that cannabis be moved to Schedule III from HHS, the VA will be better positioned to integrate cannabis as an option in its pursuit of providing the best care possible for the veterans it serves.”
“We understand that the administrative scheduling process involves several steps, but the sooner the DEA moves forward with a reclassification of cannabis, the sooner it could potentially be integrated into the VHA—our nation’s largest healthcare system. A prompt acceptance of the HHS recommendation will allow the VHA to explore innovative approaches to healthcare that are directly targeted to the needs of the veteran community it is dedicated to serving.
We appreciate your commitment to public service and strongly believe that an acceptance of the HHS recommendation of Schedule III will lead to a more robust set of treatment options for our nation’s veterans, including treatments found to not have many of the harmful side effects that result from current options. We look forward to your final decision soon.”
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently highlighted its scientific review into marijuana that led the agency to recommend rescheduling—a process that involved a comprehensive analysis of research, as well looking at hundreds of posts on social media platforms to see how consumers described cannabis’s therapeutic impact.
The Biden administration is being pressed to reschedule marijuana by two coalitions representing military veterans and law enforcement—including a group that counts Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram among its members.
In a pair of recent letters sent to DEA and President Joe Biden, Law Enforcement Leaders To Reduce Crime & Incarceration (LEL) and a group of veterans service organizations separately pushed for the reclassification of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), as recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The law enforcement group, comprised of current and former police chiefs, prosecutors and federal officials, said they are “concerned about how the direct conflict between state and federal laws that currently exists regarding the handling of cannabis makes it difficult for law enforcement to respond effectively to pressing public safety challenges,” adding that the policy disconnect has also empowered the illicit market.
Over 30 members of LEL signed the letter to Biden. Milgram, the current DEA chief overseeing the agency’s marijuana scheduling review, is a member of the group but did not sign it. She was CCed on the letter, however.
“We believe that reclassification under schedule III would be an important step to help both federal and state law enforcement better prioritize limited public safety resources,” the law enforcement leaders wrote. “They can focus efforts on working together to combat the harms that arise from unregulated cannabis markets.”
“Moreover, rescheduling would also allow legal markets to compete on a level playing field potentially leading to greater reinvestments in critical programs that can bolster public safety. Therefore, we strongly urge the Drug Enforcement Administration to follow HHS’s recommendation and reclassify marijuana as a schedule III substance under the CSA. Such a move would advance public safety and promote more efficient and effective use of law enforcement resources across the country.”
Other members of the association who are not signatories of the new letter, which was first reported by The Hill, include a former White House drug czar, U.S. Marshalls Service director and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) director. Marijuana Moment reached out to DEA for comment on the administrator’s affiliation with LEL, but a representative was not immediately available.
“It is absolutely critical for law enforcement to have clear federal laws and not a patchwork approach to cannabis policy,” Ronal Serpas, a former New Orleans and Nashville police chief and executive director of LEL, told Marijuana Moment. “Rescheduling is an important first step to helping local, state and federal law enforcement collaborate effectively against real threats to public safety such as violent crime and the dangers presented by an unregulated and illicit cannabis market.”
The veterans groups, meanwhile, sent a letter to DEA’s Milgram late last week that urges the agency to “expeditiously accept” HHS’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana.
The signatories include the heads of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), AMVETS, the American Legion and the Minority Veterans of America.
“The recommendation by HHS to move cannabis to Schedule III reflects a growing acknowledgement of the accepted medical use and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis products,” they wrote. “As organizations dedicated to advocating for the well-being of our veterans, we believe the recommendation of Schedule III will open greater access to the alternative medicines that our nation’s heroes demand and deserve.”
The letter, first reported by NBC News, adds that while U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy permits veterans to discuss their cannabis use with the agency’s doctors, “many veterans remain uncomfortable discussing cannabis use with their VA providers due to fear of retribution.”
“As the nation’s largest healthcare provider, the VA can and must do better in providing treatment options to veterans—treatments that are readily available in 38 states around the country to millions of civilian Americans outside of the VHA,” the letter says. “By accepting the recommendation that cannabis be moved to Schedule III from HHS, the VA will be better positioned to integrate cannabis as an option in its pursuit of providing the best care possible for the veterans it serves.”
“We understand that the administrative scheduling process involves several steps, but the sooner the DEA moves forward with a reclassification of cannabis, the sooner it could potentially be integrated into the VHA—our nation’s largest healthcare system. A prompt acceptance of the HHS recommendation will allow the VHA to explore innovative approaches to healthcare that are directly targeted to the needs of the veteran community it is dedicated to serving.
We appreciate your commitment to public service and strongly believe that an acceptance of the HHS recommendation of Schedule III will lead to a more robust set of treatment options for our nation’s veterans, including treatments found to not have many of the harmful side effects that result from current options. We look forward to your final decision soon.”
Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently highlighted its scientific review into marijuana that led the agency to recommend rescheduling—a process that involved a comprehensive analysis of research, as well looking at hundreds of posts on social media platforms to see how consumers described cannabis’s therapeutic impact.
It’s been about six months since FDA under HHS provided DEA with its marijuana rescheduling recommendation, but the timing of a final decision is uncertain. In the interim, Congressional Cannabis Caucus founder Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) recently urged the agency to release more information about its ongoing review—including what its “planned deadline” is for finishing and whether it will take into account the fact that many states have already legalized cannabis.
The correspondence came in response to a recent assertion from DEA that it has “final authority” on the rescheduling decision—which itself was a reply to a separate letter from Blumenauer and 30 other bipartisan lawmakers.
On the other side of the issue, a Republican congressman who has long opposed marijuana reform claimed in a letter to DEA that FDA came to a “misguided conclusion” to recommend rescheduling cannabis, challenging the health agency’s scientific standards and imploring DEA to dismiss them as it prepares to make a final determination.
A separate letter sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram last month—led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and John Fetterman (D-PA), along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other champions of marijuana reform—urged DEA to go further than rescheduling by fully removing cannabis from the CSA.
Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said last month that his agency has “communicated” its “position” on marijuana rescheduling to DEA and has continued to offer additional information to assist with the final determination.
Prior to HHS releasing a trove of documents concerning its cannabis recommendation, a coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general implored DEA to move forward with federal marijuana rescheduling, calling the policy change a “public safety imperative.”
In another letter in December, 29 former U.S. attorneys called on the Biden administration to leave cannabis in Schedule I.
Also that month, the governors of six U.S. states—Colorado, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Louisiana—sent a letter to Biden calling on the administration to reschedule marijuana by the end of last year.
Meanwhile, six former DEA heads and five former White House drug czars sent a letter to the attorney general and current DEA administrator voicing opposition to the top federal health agency’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana. They also made a questionable claim about the relationship between drug schedules and criminal penalties in a way that could exaggerate the potential impact of the incremental reform.
Signatories include DEA and Office of National Drug Control Policy heads under multiple administrations led by presidents of both major parties.
A coalition of 14 Republican congressional lawmakers, meanwhile, separately urged DEA to “reject” the top federal health agency’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana and instead keep it in the most restrictive category under the CSA.
A recent poll found that about one-third of marijuana consumers say they would go back to the illicit market if cannabis was rescheduled and only made legally available as an FDA-approved prescription drug.
Another recent survey found that President Joe Biden stands to make significant political gains if marijuana is rescheduled under his administrative directive. Of course, Biden doesn’t directly control the final outcome.
The president has routinely touted his 2022 scheduling directive, as well as a mass pardon he granted for people who’ve committed federal marijuana possession offenses. He followed up on that action in December with a renewed and expanded pardon proclamation. The Justice Department has already begun issuing certifications for people who applied under the second round.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s office has been reaching out to people who’ve received a cannabis pardon—seeking assurance that the Justice Department certification process is going smoothly and engaging in broader discussions about cannabis policy reform, according to a pardon recipient who was contacted.
Read the letters from law enforcement and veterans groups on marijuana rescheduling below:
SolarLogos
Well-known member
I haven't read this entire thread and articles (I apologize if it's been brought up), but I imagine that once it's rescheduled, the new legislation will allow insurance companies to cover cannabis medications, provided they are purchased from a pharmacy only, and not a dispensary. For government, it seems it's never about the people.
Sweatloaf
Well-known member
It's obvious that rescheduling to III would simply be a cash boom for the Pharmacy industry, but admitting only to the fact that cannabis has medical benefits and change the regulations to regulate it as a medicine but ignore its accepted recreational usage is going to be an increasing problem for the government.
It's no secret that the government has gradually evolved to be more authoritarian and autocratic, but at present it still holds on to an appearance of being of and for the people. That appearance is slowly eroding. Continuing to ignore the ever-increasing will of the people to legalize cannabis nationally will make the crack in its façade open to a wide canyon.
Think about the future when kids of the newest generation today grow up in states that have legalized, etc and the majority opinion across the country is for legalization. I think the approval is at 70% now. What about when it gets to 90% or higher? It will become obvious to people at that point that the government is separate from them and not out for their best interests.
It's no secret that the government has gradually evolved to be more authoritarian and autocratic, but at present it still holds on to an appearance of being of and for the people. That appearance is slowly eroding. Continuing to ignore the ever-increasing will of the people to legalize cannabis nationally will make the crack in its façade open to a wide canyon.
Think about the future when kids of the newest generation today grow up in states that have legalized, etc and the majority opinion across the country is for legalization. I think the approval is at 70% now. What about when it gets to 90% or higher? It will become obvious to people at that point that the government is separate from them and not out for their best interests.
SolarLogos
Well-known member
That became obvious to me at the beginning of covid. The first bailout of $2.5T was our money and should have gone to us, not corporate America. That would have equated to around $17K per household to stay home for one month. As long there is a corporate interest involved, I don't have any expectation of benefiting from any new federal regulations regarding cannabis or anything else.
Not sure if insurance would cover, it I assume they will because VA is looking into incorporating cannabis therapy for treating veterans.
Excerpt from the article above:Thought it was interesting FDA was looking at social media (ie. ICMAG) for anecdotal experience with cannabis as a therapeutic.
"Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently highlighted its scientific review into marijuana that led the agency to recommend rescheduling—a process that involved a comprehensive analysis of research, as well looking at hundreds of posts on social media platforms to see how consumers described cannabis’s therapeutic impact."
Excerpt from the article above:Thought it was interesting FDA was looking at social media (ie. ICMAG) for anecdotal experience with cannabis as a therapeutic.
"Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently highlighted its scientific review into marijuana that led the agency to recommend rescheduling—a process that involved a comprehensive analysis of research, as well looking at hundreds of posts on social media platforms to see how consumers described cannabis’s therapeutic impact."
Yeah this seems like a no-brainer, give people back the liberty to choose whether or not to use cannabis. Seems like they could incorporate a public messaging program along with legalization and it would look really good for the politicians, I would think! People would vote you back in.
But its a puppet show. Big business controls every aspect of politics. There are a few good legislators, but they are deprived of positions of power, and its difficult to form a consensus when so many lawmakers refuse to educate themselves or are unable to because they are too elderly. These old grumpy women have to go from politics, this is embarassing.
But its a puppet show. Big business controls every aspect of politics. There are a few good legislators, but they are deprived of positions of power, and its difficult to form a consensus when so many lawmakers refuse to educate themselves or are unable to because they are too elderly. These old grumpy women have to go from politics, this is embarassing.
Yeah legalization is a pipe dream guys. The representative lawmakers are looking the other way on this, and allowing the un-elected agencies to hold hearing and make a ruling on the decision behind closed doors. Its a complete embaressment and is harmful for this system of government becuase its setting prescident that this can be done with everything.
Its part of attemt at dismantling the repubican form of government based on enforcement of laws.
Also with government as well as a large portion of citizens having to focus on this is very costly to taxpayers and also is displacing more important conversations and legislation that could have been considered.
They have already told us the way its going to go, or the way it may go. Schedule 3 still under CSA. However growers could still function as producers for the pharmaceutical companies.
This was discussed by Shantibabba/Mr. Nice and @Heavy Dayze on The Potcast recent release. It will be similar to pharmaceutical model in Sweeden where Mr. Nice operates as a breeder currently.
www.marijuanamoment.net
Published
3 seconds ago
on
February 23, 2024
By
Kyle Jaeger
Rescheduling marijuana could set the country back “another 50 years” on the path to federal legalization, a Democratic lawmaker who leads the Congressional Cannabis Caucus says.
At a National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) summit in Sacramento on Thursday, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) told Marijuana Moment that she’s “opposed” to moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
“Because sometimes you take an incremental step such as this, which took us years and years and years to get through, it will take another 50 years to get to legalization,” the congresswoman said.
Lee said that while she hasn’t heard anything directly about whether DEA will accept the Schedule III recommendation, “I assume that they are and I’m getting ready.”
Many of the congresswoman’s colleagues, including fellow Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), have insisted that DEA should fully remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), rather that simply reschedule it. But Lee is taking it a step further by explicitly opposing the incremental reform of rescheduling.
During a panel at the NCIA event on Thursday, Lee also stressed that, even if the government does move to initiate rulemaking to reschedule marijuana, advocates and stakeholders shouldn’t give up the fight.
“We still have a chance once these regulations are promulgated,” she said. “Once they come out, there will be a comment period. This is where I hope you all weigh in, because comment periods allow for interested parties, the industry, the public, to send their comments and weigh in.”
“The more realistic, practical and important input from the industry and from you all that gets to HHS, the better shape we’ll be in,” Lee said. “Even if they move forward still, we’ll be on record saying no.”
She was also asked broadly for her take on why reform has proved so difficult to advance in Congress despite bipartisan public support, and she blamed “political dynamics.”
“Of course, it’s about elections and it’s about trying to make sure that the president is not successful, nor the House Democrats or the Senate Democrats,” she said. “Rather than doing the people’s business, which is what we were elected to do, it’s just all about trying to stop President Biden from winning reelection.”
Lee was joined by California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) Director Nicole Elliott for the panel discussion, and the top state regulator made the point that, when the federal government does eventually enact legalization, it should take lessons from state regulatory models.
“If the federal government is going to create a baseline, also acknowledge that there is a state framework that has brought in operators, that is working closely with regulators, and use that to the benefit of the broader exercise,” Elliott said. “Leverage those state frameworks, the state regulators, in a way that’s helpful to the common goal. That would the most critical thing.”
Meanwhile, the congresswoman also told Marijuana Moment after the panel that the president’s pardon proclamations for federal marijuana possession offenses should be “extended all the way out, and any unintended or intended consequences of the war on drugs should be dealt with to repair the damage.”
On the rescheduling issue, the Biden administration was recently pressed to move marijuana to Schedule III by two coalitions representing military veterans and law enforcement—including a group that counts DEA Administrator Anne Milgram among its members.
Blumenauer, the founding Cannabis Caucus co-chair, has also urged DEA to release more information about its own ongoing review, including what its “planned deadline” is for finishing and whether it will take into account the fact that many states have already legalized cannabis.
The correspondence came in response to a recent assertion from DEA that it has “final authority” on the rescheduling decision—which itself was a reply to a separate letter from Blumenauer and 30 other bipartisan lawmakers, including Lee.
Its part of attemt at dismantling the repubican form of government based on enforcement of laws.
Also with government as well as a large portion of citizens having to focus on this is very costly to taxpayers and also is displacing more important conversations and legislation that could have been considered.
They have already told us the way its going to go, or the way it may go. Schedule 3 still under CSA. However growers could still function as producers for the pharmaceutical companies.
This was discussed by Shantibabba/Mr. Nice and @Heavy Dayze on The Potcast recent release. It will be similar to pharmaceutical model in Sweeden where Mr. Nice operates as a breeder currently.
Congresswoman Says Marijuana Rescheduling Could Set Full Federal Legalization Back ‘Another 50 Years’
Rescheduling marijuana could set the country back “another 50 years” on the path to federal legalization, a Democratic lawmaker who leads the Congressional Cannabis Caucus says. At a National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) summit in Sacramento on Thursday, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) told...
www.marijuanamoment.net
Congresswoman Says Marijuana Rescheduling Could Set Full Federal Legalization Back ‘Another 50 Years’
Published
3 seconds ago
on
February 23, 2024
By
Kyle Jaeger
Rescheduling marijuana could set the country back “another 50 years” on the path to federal legalization, a Democratic lawmaker who leads the Congressional Cannabis Caucus says.
At a National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) summit in Sacramento on Thursday, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) told Marijuana Moment that she’s “opposed” to moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
“Because sometimes you take an incremental step such as this, which took us years and years and years to get through, it will take another 50 years to get to legalization,” the congresswoman said.
Lee said that while she hasn’t heard anything directly about whether DEA will accept the Schedule III recommendation, “I assume that they are and I’m getting ready.”
Many of the congresswoman’s colleagues, including fellow Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), have insisted that DEA should fully remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), rather that simply reschedule it. But Lee is taking it a step further by explicitly opposing the incremental reform of rescheduling.
During a panel at the NCIA event on Thursday, Lee also stressed that, even if the government does move to initiate rulemaking to reschedule marijuana, advocates and stakeholders shouldn’t give up the fight.
“We still have a chance once these regulations are promulgated,” she said. “Once they come out, there will be a comment period. This is where I hope you all weigh in, because comment periods allow for interested parties, the industry, the public, to send their comments and weigh in.”
Front row at the @NCIAorg Stakeholder Summit in Sacramento, listening to Cannabis Caucus Co-chair @RepBarbaraLee, CA’s top regulator @NicoleElliottCA and @michellerutter talk federal reformpic.twitter.com/hfkwTdtLBI
— Kyle Jaeger (@kylejaeger) February 22, 2024
“The more realistic, practical and important input from the industry and from you all that gets to HHS, the better shape we’ll be in,” Lee said. “Even if they move forward still, we’ll be on record saying no.”
She was also asked broadly for her take on why reform has proved so difficult to advance in Congress despite bipartisan public support, and she blamed “political dynamics.”
“Of course, it’s about elections and it’s about trying to make sure that the president is not successful, nor the House Democrats or the Senate Democrats,” she said. “Rather than doing the people’s business, which is what we were elected to do, it’s just all about trying to stop President Biden from winning reelection.”
Lee was joined by California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) Director Nicole Elliott for the panel discussion, and the top state regulator made the point that, when the federal government does eventually enact legalization, it should take lessons from state regulatory models.
“If the federal government is going to create a baseline, also acknowledge that there is a state framework that has brought in operators, that is working closely with regulators, and use that to the benefit of the broader exercise,” Elliott said. “Leverage those state frameworks, the state regulators, in a way that’s helpful to the common goal. That would the most critical thing.”
Meanwhile, the congresswoman also told Marijuana Moment after the panel that the president’s pardon proclamations for federal marijuana possession offenses should be “extended all the way out, and any unintended or intended consequences of the war on drugs should be dealt with to repair the damage.”
On the rescheduling issue, the Biden administration was recently pressed to move marijuana to Schedule III by two coalitions representing military veterans and law enforcement—including a group that counts DEA Administrator Anne Milgram among its members.
Blumenauer, the founding Cannabis Caucus co-chair, has also urged DEA to release more information about its own ongoing review, including what its “planned deadline” is for finishing and whether it will take into account the fact that many states have already legalized cannabis.
The correspondence came in response to a recent assertion from DEA that it has “final authority” on the rescheduling decision—which itself was a reply to a separate letter from Blumenauer and 30 other bipartisan lawmakers, including Lee.
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a hell of a lot more old white men in there for life than women of any color. or were you poking fun at them with "women" ?
can anyone out there say "term limits" ? 
Germany’s Parliament Approves Marijuana Legalization Bill
Germany’s parliament has officially approved a bill to legalize marijuana nationwide. Two days after the cannabis legislation was considered by eight committees of the Bundestag, the full body voted 407-226 on final passage on Friday. The bill—which will make possession and home cultivation...
www.marijuanamoment.net
Yeah they all act like women, we need real men to represent the people. There are a few good leaders out there, not talking about them.
But, no the old irate grumpy women who have no decorum, it upsets everyone and its harder to have a good discussion/debate. Women tend to be more emotional.
But, no the old irate grumpy women who have no decorum, it upsets everyone and its harder to have a good discussion/debate. Women tend to be more emotional.
Well, i'm done here.
SolarLogos
Well-known member
Don't worry Nanny, we both know we've made great strides up the ladder of social evolution in the past 50 plus years. There is bound to be a few stragglers lagging behind, but I'm sure it's only a few.
Peace
No disrespect to women in general, but I have to agree with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A person should be judged based on the content of their character, not on the color of their skin or gender. It just tends to be an issue that keeps popping up with women, however there are a lot of respectful intelligent women leaders.
Pennsylvania Agriculture secretary discusses the economic benefits from cannabis legalization. This is going to become a big issue for states refusing to adopt cannabis law reform, where it will be more and more harmful for their economy the longer they wait. Also citizens of these states that are deciding to wait will move out of state, further depleting the workforce and economy.
Republican model of government is what the United States of America is founded on. I think this is the planned destruction of the Republican party, to work toward a government that will more radically change the way society functions and deals with problems.
A republican bill is about 10-20 pages, a democrat bill is about 25-50 pages. There is so much more government involvement, maybe too much and it becomes detrimental. We need to shrink the size of government, restrict its power, and keep it simple so every-day people can understand and it runs more smoothly.
Not saying I agree with republicans on everything as they are not always liberty minded, and can be biased toward lobbying money and big business. Democrats are great for getting things done and standing for certain issues to allow the people's voice to be heard. But a pure democracy can be a dangerous thing.
Thinking the states will continue to stay legal, and the Federal Government will keep cannabis in the CSA under Schedule III. Thats what is more than likely going to happen, so it will continue down the road like this for some time, until people stand up and make their voices heard.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/pen...aying-state-is-really-good-at-growing-things/
Published
4 seconds ago
on
February 23, 2024
By
Kyle Jaeger
The secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture says he’s “excited” about the possibility of his agency overseeing an adult-use marijuana market, as the governor has proposed. And he said the state is uniquely positioned to leverage the reform, in part because farmers there are “really good at growing things.”
At a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, lawmakers pressed Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding on the plan to have his department hold regulatory control of the industry under a proposal from Gov. Josh Shapiro (D).
Redding said officials are still “very early in those conversations, but we take the vote of confidence in what we have done around plant and animal and food experiences with regulation—and all of that’s transferable.”
“It’s very few times that you can introduce a new crop. So we see this as an opportunity for economic development in Pennsylvania,” he said. “We’re really good at growing things. This is the growing of a crop. All of that is transferable.”
“We think there’s an opportunity for both investment in those farms and those farm communities,” he added. “So we’re excited about it, and I think it’s a really good moment.”
The secretary acknowledged that the task would involve “a significant investment of people, time and space to make this come together in time.” But he said, “we can do that.”
“I’m excited about it. I don’t want to forfeit any economic opportunity for Pennsylvania agriculture,” he said.
At this stage, the conversation around the department’s involvement in marijuana regulations is mostly theoretical, based on the governor’s recent budget proposal that ambitiously calls for legalization to take effect this July, with sales starting in 2025.
Whether lawmakers will prioritize the reform and move to introduce and enact such legislation on that timeline is yet to be seen.
In any case, the agriculture secretary says he’s confident that the state could stand up such a market, with lessons learned from regulating hemp, as well as from neighboring states that have already implemented legalization.
Having his department take the regulatory lead is a “really important public signal, by the way, as to what the confidence level is,” Redding said. “And I appreciate the governor calling out that this is a potential cash crop opportunity for Ag. No other state has done that, by the way. I think that’s a really important differentiator that we have something here that you can set as an expectation for where the opportunities are.”
The governor, meanwhile, said earlier this month that he thinks officials in the state “don’t even have a choice anymore” on legalizing marijuana, and he feels there’s bipartisan momentum that lawmakers should leverage to get the job done.
With neighboring states such as Ohio enacting legalization in recent years, Shapiro said that “this really comes down to an issue now of competitiveness,” as the state is currently “losing out on 250 million bucks a year in revenue that could go to anything from economic development, education, you name it.”
A staffer in Shapiro’s office similarly remarked on the need to legalize marijuana after Ohio voters approved the reform at the ballot last November.
Also this month, Pennsylvania lawmakers convened another hearing on marijuana legalization issues—focusing on the industry perspective, with multiple stakeholders from cannabis growing, dispensing and testing businesses, as well as clinical registrants, testifying.
“From the outset, my personal goals for adult-use has been to put health and safety of our constituents first and to allow for equitable and meaningful opportunities, particularly for those harmed by the war on drugs,” Rep. Dan Frankel (D), chair of the full Health Committee who previously sponsored cannabis legalization legislation, said at the beginning of that hearing.
At the subcommittee’s last cannabis meeting in December, members heard testimony and asked questions about various elements of marijuana oversight, including promoting social equity and business opportunities, laboratory testing and public versus private operation of a state-legal cannabis industry.
During the panel’s first meeting late last year, Frankel said that state-run stores are “certainly an option” he’s considering for Pennsylvania, similar to what New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) recommended for that state last year, though a state commission later shied away from that plan.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) also recently complained that Pennsylvania is being “lapped” on marijuana policy as other states in the region enact legalization.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania lawmakers recently advanced a pair of bills meant to prevent police from charging medical cannabis patients with impaired driving without proof of intoxication.
A Republican state senator also says he will soon introduce legislation that would remove barriers under state law to medical marijuana patients carrying firearms.
In December, the governor signed a bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to serve as retailers and sell their cannabis products directly to patients. Independent dispensaries could also start cultivating their own marijuana.
A poll released earlier this month found that about two-thirds of Pennsylvania voters in the state support enacting marijuana legalization.
Pennsylvania Agriculture secretary discusses the economic benefits from cannabis legalization. This is going to become a big issue for states refusing to adopt cannabis law reform, where it will be more and more harmful for their economy the longer they wait. Also citizens of these states that are deciding to wait will move out of state, further depleting the workforce and economy.
Republican model of government is what the United States of America is founded on. I think this is the planned destruction of the Republican party, to work toward a government that will more radically change the way society functions and deals with problems.
A republican bill is about 10-20 pages, a democrat bill is about 25-50 pages. There is so much more government involvement, maybe too much and it becomes detrimental. We need to shrink the size of government, restrict its power, and keep it simple so every-day people can understand and it runs more smoothly.
Not saying I agree with republicans on everything as they are not always liberty minded, and can be biased toward lobbying money and big business. Democrats are great for getting things done and standing for certain issues to allow the people's voice to be heard. But a pure democracy can be a dangerous thing.
Thinking the states will continue to stay legal, and the Federal Government will keep cannabis in the CSA under Schedule III. Thats what is more than likely going to happen, so it will continue down the road like this for some time, until people stand up and make their voices heard.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/pen...aying-state-is-really-good-at-growing-things/
Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary ‘Excited’ To Regulate Marijuana Under Governor’s Plan, Saying State Is ‘Really Good At Growing Things’
Published
4 seconds ago
on
February 23, 2024
By
Kyle Jaeger
The secretary of Pennsylvania’s Department of Agriculture says he’s “excited” about the possibility of his agency overseeing an adult-use marijuana market, as the governor has proposed. And he said the state is uniquely positioned to leverage the reform, in part because farmers there are “really good at growing things.”
At a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, lawmakers pressed Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding on the plan to have his department hold regulatory control of the industry under a proposal from Gov. Josh Shapiro (D).
Redding said officials are still “very early in those conversations, but we take the vote of confidence in what we have done around plant and animal and food experiences with regulation—and all of that’s transferable.”
“It’s very few times that you can introduce a new crop. So we see this as an opportunity for economic development in Pennsylvania,” he said. “We’re really good at growing things. This is the growing of a crop. All of that is transferable.”
“We think there’s an opportunity for both investment in those farms and those farm communities,” he added. “So we’re excited about it, and I think it’s a really good moment.”
The secretary acknowledged that the task would involve “a significant investment of people, time and space to make this come together in time.” But he said, “we can do that.”
“I’m excited about it. I don’t want to forfeit any economic opportunity for Pennsylvania agriculture,” he said.
At this stage, the conversation around the department’s involvement in marijuana regulations is mostly theoretical, based on the governor’s recent budget proposal that ambitiously calls for legalization to take effect this July, with sales starting in 2025.
Whether lawmakers will prioritize the reform and move to introduce and enact such legislation on that timeline is yet to be seen.
In any case, the agriculture secretary says he’s confident that the state could stand up such a market, with lessons learned from regulating hemp, as well as from neighboring states that have already implemented legalization.
Having his department take the regulatory lead is a “really important public signal, by the way, as to what the confidence level is,” Redding said. “And I appreciate the governor calling out that this is a potential cash crop opportunity for Ag. No other state has done that, by the way. I think that’s a really important differentiator that we have something here that you can set as an expectation for where the opportunities are.”
The governor, meanwhile, said earlier this month that he thinks officials in the state “don’t even have a choice anymore” on legalizing marijuana, and he feels there’s bipartisan momentum that lawmakers should leverage to get the job done.
With neighboring states such as Ohio enacting legalization in recent years, Shapiro said that “this really comes down to an issue now of competitiveness,” as the state is currently “losing out on 250 million bucks a year in revenue that could go to anything from economic development, education, you name it.”
A staffer in Shapiro’s office similarly remarked on the need to legalize marijuana after Ohio voters approved the reform at the ballot last November.
Also this month, Pennsylvania lawmakers convened another hearing on marijuana legalization issues—focusing on the industry perspective, with multiple stakeholders from cannabis growing, dispensing and testing businesses, as well as clinical registrants, testifying.
“From the outset, my personal goals for adult-use has been to put health and safety of our constituents first and to allow for equitable and meaningful opportunities, particularly for those harmed by the war on drugs,” Rep. Dan Frankel (D), chair of the full Health Committee who previously sponsored cannabis legalization legislation, said at the beginning of that hearing.
At the subcommittee’s last cannabis meeting in December, members heard testimony and asked questions about various elements of marijuana oversight, including promoting social equity and business opportunities, laboratory testing and public versus private operation of a state-legal cannabis industry.
During the panel’s first meeting late last year, Frankel said that state-run stores are “certainly an option” he’s considering for Pennsylvania, similar to what New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) recommended for that state last year, though a state commission later shied away from that plan.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) also recently complained that Pennsylvania is being “lapped” on marijuana policy as other states in the region enact legalization.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania lawmakers recently advanced a pair of bills meant to prevent police from charging medical cannabis patients with impaired driving without proof of intoxication.
A Republican state senator also says he will soon introduce legislation that would remove barriers under state law to medical marijuana patients carrying firearms.
In December, the governor signed a bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to serve as retailers and sell their cannabis products directly to patients. Independent dispensaries could also start cultivating their own marijuana.
A poll released earlier this month found that about two-thirds of Pennsylvania voters in the state support enacting marijuana legalization.
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Getting me in trouble, armedoldhippy! Just call it how I see it. I let God judge though. Hopefully we get some good leaders voted in. There was term limit legislation that was introduced and possibly passed in Indiana this year. Power to the people!a hell of a lot more old white men in there for life than women of any color. or were you poking fun at them with "women" ?
