WeedLife News Network

Strict drug testing policies add to a shortage of drivers.

There is a serious truck driver shortage in the US in 2022 fueled by inflation and the pandemic. And for truck drivers who enjoy the benefits of marijuana, there is another speed bump: draconian Federal marijuana laws.

Commercial truck drivers are required to take randomized drug tests. But many who are marijuana users fail those tests because cannabis shows up in drug tests days or weeks after use.

This has kept truck drivers off the road and off cannabis, including those who live in legal states and use marijuana for recreational or medical purposes during their off-hours.

As one Alabama trucking company wrote to the Department of Transportation, according to Politico:

"Drivers who are off duty or even on vacation for a week can't enjoy marijuana in a legal state."

A recent gathering of the Texas State Republican Party issued a number of platform stances on multiple topics, including cannabis.

The 2022 Texas State Republican Convention was held last week between June 16-18 for the first time in-person since 2018. There, the party voted to establish 275 platform planks, or principal policies of the Republican party, to address a multitude of agenda topics.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke posted on Twitter some of the “extreme agenda” among these planks as: “abolish abortion, defund public schools, take away health care, repeal gun laws, deny voting rights, reject marijuana legalization.”

The Report of the Permanent 2022 Platform & Resolutions Committee policy list briefly addresses cannabis, marijuana, hemp and synthetic drugs.

It only mentions cannabis once, which is described as “Cannabis Classification: Congress should remove cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 and move to Schedule 2.”

However, it also uses the term marijuana as well. “Marijuana Remains Illegal: Oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana and offer opportunities for drug treatment before penalties for its illegal possession, use, or distribution.”

2022 has been a banner year for the global cannabis industry and this is a trend that we are bullish on. So far this year, several countries have passed some form of legislation to allow for the sale of medical and/or recreational cannabis.

Interest in burgeoning international cannabis markets is steadily increasing and this trend has shown no signs of slowing down. From Thailand to Mexico, the capital markets are highly focused on the advancement of the cannabis industry in certain countries and have highlighted 5 emerging international markets that our readers should be aware of. (Technical 420)

Ukraine wants medical cannabis to support mental health

Although legal cannabis is one of the least significant topics of discussion in Ukraine as a war with Russia continues to escalate, the country’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko said the government supports a bill that would legalize medical cannabis. 

Ukraine’s Health Minister said the government understands the negative effects that war has on mental health and that citizens will need medical treatment to combat the increased stress. The legislation intends to improve the quality of medical services and encourage medical research on cannabis. Health Minister Liashko said those who do not support the bill want to discredit the idea of the use of medical cannabis.

Is Germany about to legalize recreational cannabis?

Following a regime change in Germany, we are more confident on the likelihood for the legalization of recreational cannabis in the European Union’s (EU) largest market (as measured by GDP). With a population of 82 million, we are bullish on the potential size of the country’s cannabis market and have noticed an increase in the number of companies that are executing on a strategy to capture market share in the EU’s largest market.

During the last year, several licensed Canadian and Latin American cannabis companies have reported a significant uptick in the amount of medical cannabis that is being exported to Germany. Going forward, we expect demand for cannabis to steadily increase and believe the legalization of recreational cannabis would be a massive catalyst for the entire sector. 

The leaked opinion overturning Roe, combined with a largely unknown workers’ compensation case pending before the Supreme Court, reveal the Biden administration’s position on cannabis: The Biden administration doesn’t care about cannabis issues. Or is it that the Biden administration cares so much about cannabis issues to leave them in the hands of the current judiciary? Or something in the middle?

The Immediate Future of Roe

Regardless of your opinion on the correctness or wisdom of Roe v. Wade, the possibility that it may be overturned as reflected in the recently leaked opinion represents a potential sea change in the Court’s jurisprudence. It further represents the current Court’s willingness to take strong and decisive opinions on matters of broad political and cultural significance.

Cannabis is certainly one of those issues that sits at the intersection of law and order, popular opinion, and individual liberty. 

So, what does Roe have to do with the Biden administration’s approach to cannabis? Stay with us: In the words of Andy Dufresne, if you’ve come this far, maybe you’re willing to come a little further.

Why are you reading about a workers’ compensation case?

This Spring the Court has received briefing in a case presenting the question of whether the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) preempts an order under a Minnesota workers’ compensation law requiring an employer to reimburse an injured employee for the cost of medical marijuana used to treat a work-related injury. Specifically, the petitioner, Daniel Bierbach, sustained a work-related injury that required surgery and physical therapy. Bierbach was certified as suffering from intractable pain, which is a qualifying medical condition under Minnesota’s Cannabis Act. Bierbach subsequently purchased marijuana in accordance with the act and sought reimbursement from his employer. After the company refused the reimbursement on both state law and federal-preemption grounds, a state workers’ compensation judge held an evidentiary hearing and sided with Bierbach. The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed, holding that the federal CSA preempted state law. Bierbach petitioned the Supreme Court for review of the decision.

Committee members raised questions about the risk that younger workers could begin consuming cannabis.

The Michigan House Committee on Regulatory Reform held a hearing of testimonies on Tuesday about allowing people younger than 21, but at least 18 to work in the cannabis industry in Michigan, reported Fox47News. Currently, employees at adult-use dispensaries and cultivation facilities must be 21 or older. State Rep. Kevin Coleman (Democratic Party) is trying to change this.  “People have to be 21 to work in cannabis and that doesn’t matter if it’s on the science aspect, cultivation, marketing, sales, so House Bill 6061 is simple, what it does is it would lower the age from 21 to 18,” Rep. Coleman said during his testimony. One of his arguments for pushing this change is a shortage of cannabis workers. “We have folks, young people, who are in these college programs or who are trying to start their careers off, who are unable to get involved in the industry because they might be 18, 19, or 20. We want to give young people the opportunity to learn on the job,” Coleman said. (Benzinga)

Senate Democrats are eyeing a cannabis banking bill that has bipartisan support as a potential vehicle for long-sought restorative justice measures.  

Prominent Democrats have been pushing to pass the SAFE Banking Act, which would enable legally operating cannabis firms to use banking services, as part of a larger China competition package being conferenced in both the House and Senate. The bill was included in House Democrats’ competition bill passed earlier this year, but not in the bipartisan Senate-passed version. 

Supporters of the banking bill say it’s urgently needed to stop a surge of violent robberies targeting cash-only pot dispensaries. But the measure, which has passed the House six times in recent years, has had trouble securing passage in the Senate due to resistance from both sides of the aisle, though for different reasons.  

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told The Hill that Democrats are working to add social equity measures to the bill, which is backed by members of both parties. 

“We’re trying to add some of the social justice provisions and see if we can come up with a compromise,” Schumer said.  

A separate bill to legalize marijuana is also backed by Democrats, but it appears unlikely to notch enough support from Senate Republicans to clear a 60-vote procedural hurdle. 

The Sixth Panel of the Superior Court of Justice of Brazil authorized three people to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes, reported O Antagonista.

“The Superior Court of Justice decided Tuesday, June 14 to grant two safe conducts that advance the regulation of artisanal marijuana cultivation in Brazil.” (Benzinga)

The case should serve as a precedent for lower courts and the advance of cannabis legalization in the potentially huge market of 200 million people. The decision contemplates the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for personal use and allows marijuana cultivation only for medicinal purposes, with a prescription. In addition, this gives home growers a legal precedent that can evolve into more comprehensive legislation as in the case of Argentina, where hemp and medicinal cannabis production are already legally produced in the country.

With the current state of uncertainty in the country and in the GOP, November elections may provide some answers as to which direction cannabis legalization is headed in this country.

The 2022 midterm elections are in full swing, and there is nothing that causes friction and clashes on issues quite like an election season. This year, the pile of political issues seems to grow by the day, and each new issue has conservatives and liberals more and more at odds.

There are even a few issues that are creating a fork in the road among conservatives this election season. As major GOP players emerge in 2022, politicians both seasoned and new are taking vastly different stances on cannabis legalization. These differing stances also seem to represent two different futures of the GOP. The midterm elections may help shed light on which type of Republican party voters are looking for moving forward, and also how the conservative base really feels about cannabis legalization. 

One of the most notable GOP candidates when it comes to the future of cannabis and the GOP is Rep. Nancy Mace. Mace has made headlines for many reasons, but most notably for being a conservative who is sponsoring cannabis legalization legislation. The States Reform Act is a bill that would decriminalize cannabis. 

Mace faces Katie Arrington in this Tuesday’s primary. Cannabis policy is not the only thing these two clash on. Arrington is backed by former President Trump, while Mace “blamed Trump for the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, ” according to Politico. In fact, Trump has gone so far as to call Mace “nasty, disloyal, and bad for the Republican Party,” according to the article.

While Arrington has Trump’s backing, Mace and her cannabis bill have their own backing.

Cannabis decriminalization in two cities in West Virginia is being pushed for this year’s November ballot.

A West Virginia cannabis advocacy group called Charleston Can’t Wait has recently been collecting signatures to put a decriminalization measure on the ballot this November in Fairmount and Charleston.

The organization is connected to West Virginia Can’t Wait, which is led by former 2020 governor candidate Stephen Smith. Described as “a movement to win a people’s government in the Mountain State,” it strives to support political candidates who represent the people of West Virginia and aren’t accepting donations from corporations or the fossil fuel industry.

Charleston Can’t Wait is on track to collect the required 2,000 signatures for its decriminalization effort by July 14. As of May 27, the organization’s Facebook page reported an update on the overwhelming support from local residents.

“We’re a whole heap of signatures closer tonight! Why? Because nearly every single person we ask says YES,” the organization said on its social media.

If voted into law, those caught in possession of cannabis would be charged a fine similar to that of a speeding ticket.

Oregon will soon become the first-ever state to ban synthetic weed sales, which includes products containing lab-grown cannabinoids like delta-8.

Starting on July 1, weed shoppers won't find certain weed gummies and other products at their go-to stores, even if they're THC-free, The Oregonian reported. That's because Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission officials say they're concerned about the unregulated nature of these products, many of which exist in a federal legal loophole.

"We have testing for pesticides. We have testing for residual solvents from the extraction process. We don't have any testing for any of the whole universe of chemical reagents that you could use to synthetically turn one cannabinoid into something else, or for any of the byproducts of that reaction," Steven Crowley, the hemp and processing compliance specialist with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), told The Oregonian.

The federal government has banned or temporarily banned certain synthetic cannabinoids like K2 or "spice," but there are hundreds that remain unregulated at the state level.

Scientists are lab-engineering naturally-occurring cannabinoids 

All cannabinoids, the chemical compounds in weed, start as CBG (short for cannabigerol), or the "mother" cannabinoid, as researchers often call it.

When exposed to environmental factors like light or heat, CBG reacts and turns into other cannabinoids, like THC, CBD, THCV, and CBN. THC, the cannabinoid best known for getting a person "high," but isn't legal everywhere, is also the most commonly occurring one in the cannabis plant.

San Bernardino County in California is sponsoring state legislation aimed at increasing fines for illegal cannabis grows and targeting illegal cultivation operations that are polluting groundwater.

Two bills were recently introduced to prevent illegal cannabis cultivation efforts, which are using more water than ever in the wake of a historic California drought.

“Illegal cannabis farming is devastating the desert communities of San Bernardino County,” said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman in a press release.

“The County is determined to stop this terrible damage to the environment and to protect the lives and property of our residents from lawless criminals.”

The county is sponsoring Assembly Bill 2728, introduced by Assemblymember Thurston Smith, and Senate Bill 1426, introduced by Senator Anna Caballero, to tackle these concerns.

AB-2728 would increase the fines for illegal cultivation to $1,000 for each day of violation, and $2,500 for each acre-foot of water diverted (and if that measurement isn’t specified, $500 per plant). These stipulations would only take place in a “critically dry year immediately preceded by two or more consecutive below normal, dry, or critical dry years” in the event that the California state governor has issued a state of emergency.

The Delaware House of Representatives failed to override Governor John’s Carney’s veto of a bill to legalize possession of small amounts of cannabis, likely dooming hopes of reform in the state for the foreseeable future.

The Delaware House of Representatives failed on Tuesday to override a veto of a bill to legalize possession of small amounts of pot, likely dashing hopes for meaningful cannabis reform in the state for the rest of the year. Members of the House voted 20-20 in the bid to override the veto, failing to reach the three-fifths majority required for success.

House Bill 371 from Democratic Representative Ed Osienski would have legalized possession of up to one ounce of weed by adults. Osienski introduced the bill and another measure to establish a regulated cannabis industry in April after a more comprehensive proposal to legalize cannabis possession and commerce failed earlier this year.

Osienski has said that the bill to regulate recreational production and sales, House Bill 372, would create good jobs “while striking a blow against the criminal element which profits from the thriving illegal market for marijuana in our state.” But the measure failed in the House last month despite being favored in the vote 24-14, but failing to reach the 60% supermajority required because the bill includes a 15% tax on cannabis sales.

HB 371 fared better, passing in the House by a vote of 26-14 on May 5. A week later, the Delaware Senate approved the measure by a vote of 13-7, sending the bill to Democratic Governor John Carney for his consideration. But on May 24, Carney vetoed the bill, citing concerns about safety and the economic impact of legalizing recreational cannabis.

“That said, I do not believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware, especially our young people,” Carney said in his message vetoing HB 371.

A growing number of states have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use, and at the federal level, Congress is considering decriminalizing the drug and expunging past convictions for marijuana-related offenses.

These policies align with the views of most Black Americans, according to an October 2021 Pew Research Center survey. Wide majorities of Black adults support legalizing marijuana at least for medical use (85%) and favor reforms to the criminal justice system such as releasing people from prison who are being held only for marijuana-related charges and expunging marijuana-related offenses from the criminal records of individuals convicted of such offenses (74% each).

Opinions vary more on whether marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use or for medical use only. About six-in-ten Black adults (57%) say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use by adults, while 28% say marijuana should be legal for medical use only. Notably few Black adults (11%) say marijuana use should not be legal.

The views of Black Americans on this question are similar to those of the public overall. About six-in-ten U.S. adults overall (57%) say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, while 31% say it should be legal for medical purposes only and 11% say it should not be legal at all.

The survey comes as Black adults are disproportionately likely to be arrested for marijuana-related offenses, according to FBI data. Though non-Hispanic, single-race Black and White Americans used marijuana at roughly comparable rates in 2020, Black people accounted for 39% of all marijuana possession arrests in the U.S. despite being only 12% of the U.S. population.

Black Americans’ views on legalization differ notably by party identification and ideology. Similar shares of Black Democrats and Black Republicans say marijuana use should be legal (88% and 85%, respectively), though views differ somewhat on the type of legalization. Roughly six-in-ten Black Democrats and those who lean toward the Democratic Party (61%) say medical and recreational marijuana use should be legal, compared with roughly half of Black Republicans and Republican leaners (48%). By contrast, a greater share of Black Republicans than Black Democrats say marijuana should be legal for medical use only (37% vs. 27%).

And then there were two.

That's how many marijuana bills have survived the 2022 legislative session.

One bill would allocate funds from the Smart and Safe Arizona Fund to tribal police and fire departments, university police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The other, a strike-everything amendment mirroring a failed senate bill, poses major changes to Arizona’s marijuana licensing process.

All marijuana bills introduced in 2022 bring the legislatures’ developing relationship with the cannabis business into focus. But continuing debate on changes to licensing show the legislative moves in Arizona’s marijuana market continue to remain internal and hotly contested.

Bills looking to heighten regulation and decrease sentencing largely failed early in the process, with many failing to grab a committee assignment or see a vote. The bills that did gain traction often saw mixed opinion from those within the broader cannabis industry.

Living legislation

Senate Bill 1324

Prime Sponsor: State Senator Thomas Shope, R-Coolidge

In Portugal, the left-wing group Left Bloc is pressing for legalization based on both local drug reform history, as well as current events across Europe.

For those watching the swing of European states into the pro cannabis column, the developments in Portugal have been a source of both optimism and frustration for the past several years.

The production of cannabis for medical export purposes was initiated by Tilray as they looked for a country more open to cannabis cultivation than Germany in 2017. Since then, commercial cultivation and extraction has blossomed domestically. Indeed Portugal is now seen as one of the most important feeder countries for the German medical cannabis market.

As a result of this as well as the general tolerance of cannabis in the country, the legislature was widely expected to introduce and pass formal recreational reform legislation late in 2021 or at the latest, by early this year. However, the issue stalled when the sitting government failed to pass the 2022 budget and a snap election was called for the end of January. The swearing in of the new Parliament was also delayed by a month and a half due to controversies that arose from the counting of overseas ballots.

In such an environment, cannabis reform is not going to be the priority.

European cannabis reform is a zeitgeist topic

However, those advocating for reform have not just gone away. Further, it appears that as of this summer, the prioritization of legalization has re-entered the political room.

What’s safe in pot? Depends on where you are

The spread of legal marijuana across the US is bringing with it a unique challenge: Absent federal guidelines, states are cobbling together hodgepodge rules that leave users without a uniform safety net. 

Take New Jersey, which on April 21 became the latest state with legalized pot. Regulators there are re-examining their own rules on issues as varied as mold limits and batch size for contaminants testing. As with all the 19 states that allow recreational marijuana use for adults, it’s up to local officials to decide what’s best.

This isn’t how the US treats aspirin, lipstick, food, tobacco, carpet, tires — just about everything that’s for sale is subject to uniform health and safety regulations. But marijuana is in odd territory: Federally illegal, yet tried by half the adult population, it’s a fledgling multibillion-dollar market steered by fast-evolving rules. 

Attempts at regulation mark a departure from a black market that flourished bureaucracy-free for decades. But with a US retail market projected to hit $43 billion by 2025, according to researcher New Frontier Data, many in the industry are asking for some government intervention.

“Standardization across product forms, product naming, labeling and testing would simplify our business,” said Dennis Curran, chief operating officer of Acreage Holdings, with 27 dispensaries in eight states.

New York, New York, so nice they named it twice, got a message from its mayor who told Big Apple residents they should feel free to buy, sell and consume weed where ever they wish.

Mayor Eric Adams promised not to take a “heavy-handed” approach toward those illicitly selling marijuana in the city. Now that recreational cannabis is legal, though sales won't launch until later in the year, the mayor said he sees no need to crack down on sales in the interim. (Benzinga)

“There needs to be a system of not heavy-handedness, but going in and explaining to that store that, ‘Listen, you can’t do this,’ give them a warning,” Adams told reporters at a cannabis industry expo at the Javits Center in Manhattan.

Instead of fining or arresting weed sellers, Adams wants the city to encourage illicit, AKA legacy, sellers to join the legal market. 

If someone refuses to get with the program after a warning, “some form” of enforcement may be warranted, the mayor said.

“If they refuse to adhere to the rules, then you have to come back and take some form of enforcement actions, such as a summons, such as, you know, talking about their ability to sell alcohol,” said Adams, a former police officer who has said he’d reinstate NYC’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy though it has been declared unconstitutional. 

In addition to his lucrative evidence-free advice, Dr. Oz recently said that legalizing recreational cannabis in PA would make people lose their motivation to go to work.

Celebrity Doctor Mehmet Oz officially became Pennsylvania's Republican Senate candidate when his opponent Dave McCormick conceded on Friday despite Oz's razor-thin lead of less than a thousand votes. (Benzinga)

Oz will now face Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in what’s expected to be one of the most-watched and most expensive Senate races in U.S. history.

Why it matters 

Oz, endorsed by Trump, and Fetterman a progressive giant are seeking to fill the open Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Pat Toomey (R) and by doing so gain control of the 50-50 U.S. Senate.

What one magazine is saying about the unlikely candidate

Scientific American, the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S., says that Dr. Oz should not be a senator nor a doctor, that his brand of misinformation has already tarnished medicine and will do much worse in the halls of Congress. 

“Dr. Oz has long pushed misleading, science-free and unproven alternative therapies such as homeopathy, as well as fad diets, detoxes and cleanses. Some of these things have been potentially harmful, including hydroxychloroquine, which he once touted would be beneficial in the treatment or prevention of COVID. This assertion has been thoroughly debunked.”

Individuals who are caught shipping marijuana, even from one legal state to another, can be prosecuted by the federal government.

The legalities of traveling and shipping cannabis or products made from it can be overwhelmingly confusing. There are many things to consider, and these are important to know especially for medical patients who rely on cannabis for managing diseases, have trouble getting to a dispensary near you, or need to dispose of marijuana after traveling to a cannabis-friendly state.

The short answer is: no, it’s illegal to ship marijuana products and edibles within the United States. At the time of writing, marijuana is still a federally illegal substance which means that it is illegal in the eyes of the federal government. The United States Postal Service (USPS), as well as other private postage companies, are managed and controlled by the government. If there is any criminal activity that has been discovered, coursed through the mail, it can lead to federal criminal offenses, which are discussed in the United States Code 1716.

Individuals who are caught shipping marijuana even from one legal state to another can be prosecuted by the federal government. This can also lead to state charges based on the quantity of illegal drugs. However, if you are caught mailing cannabis within a state where cannabis is already legal, the best course of action would be to seek the help of a drug defense attorney.

The current law states that shipping 50 kilos of marijuana through the UPS can lead to as much as 5 years in prison with a fine of up to $250,000. Both FedEx and UPS don’t allow shipping products that are not federally legal, though the USPS has to get a search warrant while FedEx, UPS, and other private couriers don’t. That means that they can open your package if they think that it’s necessary to do so. Keep in mind that postage workers are also given a reward, sometimes to the tune of $50,000, if they are able to identify packages that contain marijuana and report the people behind it.

Edibles

Since many people have been able to get away with traveling internationally with edibles in their suitcase, you may think that it’s okay to mail it. However, the answer is still no.

The New York Senate has approved legislation that gives officials new authority to address the state’s unregulated cannabis market.

The New York Senate voted this week to approve a bill to crack down on the state’s cannabis gray market, giving regulators the authority to seize illicit weed and increasing fines for unlicensed operators. State Senator Liz Krueger introduced the measure on Sunday and by Wednesday, the Senate had voted to approve the bill, offering an indication of the legislature’s interest in addressing New York’s unregulated pot market before legal sales of recreational cannabis begin later this year.

Justin Flagg, a spokesperson for Krueger, said that the bill is designed to empower the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the Department of Taxation and Finance to address unregulated cannabis retailers, which have become brazenly ubiquitous in Manhattan and other areas since state lawmakers legalized adult-use cannabis last year. The OCM is currently working to establish rules for the regulated market, which should begin licensed recreational cannabis sales by the end of 2022.

“This bill is aimed at gray market operators such as retail cannabis stores that have emerged during the period after legalization but before licensed businesses begin operating,” Flagg said in an email.

Flagg added that Krueger drafted the legislation with cooperation from OCM and the tax and finance department, noting that their action was “prompted by the difficulty of enforcement against several illegal cannabis stores that have been hard to shut down under the existing statute.”

The bill gives the OCM the authority to seize illicit cannabis and expands the authority of the Taxation and Finance Department to assess fines against unlicensed cannabis operators. The measure also doubles civil penalties for anyone who knowingly possesses illicit pot, which is defined as taxable cannabis products for which no tax has been paid. Flagg clarified that the legislation applies to any cannabis product that was not grown by or purchased from a cannabis business licensed by the state.