One of the country’s most well-known think tanks is calling out United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions for his repressive attitude toward cannabis, particularly medical marijuana. On October 25, the Brookings Institution published an essay criticizing Sessions for his “biases on the issue, a division of opinion between him and the president he serves, and a federal government effort to stand in the way of the free conduct of research” with regard to growing medical marijuana for research purposes.
Browsing: Legalize It
Public opinion of cannabis has shifted rapidly over the past five years; since Coloradans voted to legalize recreational marijuana in November 2012, seven other states and Washington, D.C., have also voted to legalize cannabis for adult use. And the rest of the country apparently approves, according to a new Gallup poll that shows Americans favor legalization at a higher rate than ever before.
Using medical marijuana as an alternative to prescription drugs for pain treatment has become increasingly common, especially in states that have legalized cannabis. Unfortunately for professional athletes who play one of our country’s most painful sports, they can’t use MMJ without risking their job status. But that could change now that former professional football players — a handful of whom used to play for the Denver Broncos — are speaking out about their preference for cannabis.
Four more states have allowed recreational cannabis sales since Colorado started the trend in January 2014, and three others have passed laws legalizing it. So why does Denver still feel the need to bring in government officials from around the globe to talk about pot?
Dear Stoner: I’ve been trying to get a new job, so I use CBD when I can’t smoke weed. Last time I was tested, though, they found THC, even after using a detox that worked for my male friends, but not for me. How can I get this out of my system?
Maria
Judging by the long lines that snaked away from the Dad & Dudes Breweria booth at the Great American Beer Festival the past two years, just about everywhere in Denver has tried cannabis beer. Last year’s version, called George Washington’s Secret Stash, was an IPA infused with cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive hemp extract.
Momentum for federal cannabis reform may be slowing down under the current presidential administration, but the industry has never had more lobbyists in Washington, D.C., than it does now. And few have been lobbying longer than the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which visited Capitol Hill last week to advocate for a number of pot-friendly bills and amendments.
In May, as we’ve reported, Michael McCarron was arrested on a methamphetamine charge, even though he’s never knowingly possessed the substance, because a small amount of marijuana in his possession registered positive for meth according to two field-test kits known as NIKs. Now, an examination at a lab shows that the cannabis wasn’t laced with meth after all.
Cannabis consumers in Nevada thought they were handed a small victory earlier this week, after the state’s Legislative Counsel Bureau released an opinion saying that no state law prohibits local governments from permitting pot consumption in businesses. That optimism was quickly diluted by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, however, who said he’s opposed cannabis-consumption lounges from the beginning of legalization talks and will continue to do so. Nevada voters approved legalizing recreational marijuana in November 2016.
Andrew Freedman lost his job in January, but it wasn’t because of poor performance. In fact, the Colorado director of marijuana coordination was let go for just the opposite reason: He’d been hired to implement the state’s framework of rules and industry regulations for recreational marijuana, and he’d done such a good job that the state was eliminating the job entirely.