"Biden issues pardons for certain marijuana offenses"
Good.
President Joe Biden issued a proclamation to pardon certain marijuana offenses Friday, building on broader action he took last year for thousands of people convicted of possession under federal law.
The new pardons target "additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law," Biden said in a statement. The proclamation includes offenses related to "use and possession on certain Federal lands," provisions that weren't covered by the 2022 proclamation.
"Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities," Biden said in the statement. "Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs."
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Ukraine legalizes marijuana as tool for veterans to combat PTSD
Ukraine's parliament voted Tuesday to legalize medical marijuana, after the war with Russia left thousands of people with post-traumatic stress disorder that many believe could be eased by the drug.
The new law, which will come into effect in six months' time and which also allows cannabis to be used for scientific and industrial ends, passed by 248 votes in the 401-seat parliament in Kyiv.
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Washington pot sales decline year-over-year annually for first time ever
Based on the article it sounds like the decrease has more to do with coming out of Covid than any cultural change.
Since then, sales have grown exponentially – from about $180 million in 2015 to over $1.3 billion as of July 2022. In the 2022 fiscal year, the state collected $509 million in excise revenue.
However, the cannabis industry's growth slowed for the first time in the 2022 fiscal year compared to previous years. Retail sales recorded a 8% decline over 2021 — a drop of about $120 million in revenue.
"What you're seeing as a 'dip' is really sales returning to normal growth as more people returned to in-person work," said Brian Smith, spokesperson for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board.
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Human Trafficking a problem for Marijuana industry
Despite the controls in place, they reported that 70-80% of the marijuana at dispensaries comes from illegal grow operations, which is done because the legal grow houses can't meet demand. NBC news says there will be a part 2 tomorrow.
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"Schumer's legal weed bill is finally here"
Interesting, the article notes that part of the obstacle in getting votes comes from an area I hadn't consciously considered:
But the votes aren’t yet there to pass Schumer’s bill on Capitol Hill.
That’s in part because many lawmakers from states with legal markets don’t yet support substantial changes to federal law. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, for example, represents a state where weed is legal — Montana — and says he does not support federal decriminalization. A handful of other Democrats told POLITICO that they are against legalization or are undecided, including Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.). Schumer would need all Democrats, plus ten Republicans, to get the bill over the finish line.
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