CBD Denver Inc (CBDD)

[mojo joyo]

POLITICSBill To Federally Legalize Marijuana Approved By Key House CommitteePublished 4 hours ago on September 30, 2021By Kyle Jaeger

SHARETWEET
A key House committee on Thursday approved a bill to federally legalize marijuana and promote social equity.

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act cleared the House Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by the legislation’s sponsor, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), on a 26-15 vote. The tally fell largely along party lines, with all Democrats supporting the measure and all but two Republicans voting against it.

The development comes one week after the full House voted in favor of a defense spending bill that includes an amendment that would protect banks that service state-legal cannabis businesses from being penalized by federal regulators.

“This long overdue and historic legislation would reverse failed federal policies criminalizing marijuana. It would also take steps to address the heavy toll this policy has taken across the country, particularly among communities of color,” Nadler said in opening remarks. “I have long believed that the criminalization of marijuana has been a mistake. The racially disparate enforcement of marijuana laws has only made it worse, with serious consequences, particularly for communities of color.”


Read Chairman @RepJerryNadler's opening statement for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act here: https://t.co/G8xEXdKk63

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) September 30, 2021

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) said that “this is an important criminal justice reform bill, and I commend the chairman for once again introducing this bill and bringing it before the committee. In fact, it consolidates the discussions that we’ve had about the overincarceration of individuals who were addicted or caught up in the cycle of drugs, many of them people of color in inner city neighborhoods.”

Ranking Member Jim Jordan (D-NY) voiced opposition to the proposal, calling it a “radical, out-of-touch Democrat priority” and a “marijuana stimulus bill.”

Watch lawmakers debate and vote on the legalization proposal in the video below:



Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) discussed how cannabis criminalization has been historically used to target communities of color. He said the time for legalization “has come, and time came a long time ago.”


FACT: Our marijuana laws disproportionately harm individuals and communities of color, leading to convictions that damage job prospects, access to housing, and the ability to vote. #WeWantMORE

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) September 30, 2021

Nadler also emphasized the racial disparities in marijuana enforcement by pointing out that his own son was caught selling cannabis in high school but was brought back to his home rather than incarcerated. The chairman said if his son was black, police “would have arrested him.”

Although most Republicans who spoke argued against the bill, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who is a cosponsor of it, made the case for reform.

“I am a proud co-sponsor of the MORE Act because the federal government has screwed up marijuana policy in this country for a generation,” he said. “We lied to people about the effects of marijuana. And then we used marijuana as a cudgel to incarcerate just wide swaths of communities, and particularly in African-American communities.”

“We cannot honestly say that the war on drugs impacted suburban white communities in the same way it affected urban black communities. We can’t say that marijuana enforcement was happening the same way on the corner than it was happening in the fraternity house,” he said. “We have an opportunity to fix that problem. The war on drugs, much like many of our forever wars, has been a failure. If there’s been a war on drugs, drugs have won that war.”


Though not perfect (bad tax and spending provisions) the MORE Act is a step in the right direction as science has already proven the substance has healing properties in many chronic ailments. (2/2)

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) September 30, 2021

However, he expressed certain concerns about provisions of the legislation such as the proposed federal excise tax on cannabis sales. While Gaetz also said that while he supports the MORE Act, he doesn’t feel it stands a chance in the Senate and recommended advancing more modest reform.

While the legislation has largely stayed intact compared to the prior version that passed the chamber last year in a historic vote, there were some modest revisions that were incorporated upon its reintroduction in May.

The panel on Thursday considered additional changes before moving the measure forward, although much of the time was spent debating unrelated issues such as COVID-19 vaccines, abortion policy and protests against police violence.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) sought to remove the bill’s tax provisions as well as grant funds it would create to help repair the harms of the war on drugs.


The MORE Act would:

1. Remove the federal prohibition on marijuana
2. Expunge prior convictions of marijuana crimes
3. Tax marijuana
4. Set up a new government spending program

Tomorrow in judiciary committee, I’ll be offering an amendment to remove the tax and spend provisions

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) September 28, 2021

A libertarian-leaning lawmaker, Massie backs the general idea of ending cannabis prohibition but is not in favor of creating new government programs.

“If you want a bill that is not politically paralyzed, if you want a bill that can reach across the aisle, if you want a bill that can pass the Senate—that they’ll be motivated to bring up in the Senate—then please vote for my amendment, which leaves most of the bill intact.” Massie said. “Let’s work across the aisle and let’s get a serious bill to the floor.”

The amendment was ruled out of order by the chairman, however, because it proposed changes to sections of the bill that are under the jurisdiction of other committees.

A proposed amendment from Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) would have prohibited people with convictions for rioting, looting or destruction of property from benefiting from justice-related grants established under the bill. It was defeated in a 19-15 vote.

Rep. Scott Fitzgerald (R-WI) filed an amendment that would have similarly restricted grant funds from going to people who have been convicted of trafficking drugs while possessing firearms. It failed by a vote of 20-15. Fitzgerald also put forth a proposal aimed at blocking people who have cheated on their taxes from benefitting from the grant programs. That too was rejected, by a 20-16 tally.

An amendment from Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) would have made it so the awarding of marijuana revenue-funded grants could not “discriminate against or otherwise disfavor an individual or entity on the basis of the COVID-19 vaccination status of an individual or the advocacy by an individual or entity with respect to any COVID-19 vaccination mandate.” It was defeated in a 21-18 vote.

Bishop also filed an amendment to require the Department of Transportation to develop best practices for detecting marijuana-impaired driving, but it was deemed to be not in order because it falls under the jurisdiction of another committee.


BREAKING: @HouseJudiciary has PASSED H.R. 3617, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. pic.twitter.com/kQkk1B93vf

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) September 30, 2021

Nadler’s cannabis legislation passed the House last year but did not advance in the Senate under GOP control. This time around, advocates are optimistic that something like the chairman’s bill could be enacted now that Democrats run both chambers and the White House, and as more states are moving to enact legalization.

The legislation would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allow people with cannabis convictions to have their records expunged and create a federal tax on marijuana with the revenue going to support community reinvestment and other programs.

It also contains language to create a pathway for resentencing for those incarcerated for cannabis offenses, protect immigrants from being denied citizenship over marijuana and prevent federal agencies from denying public benefits or security clearance due to its use.

The ACLU and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights—which includes NAACP, Human Rights Campaign, Anti-Defamation League, National Organization for Women and People for the American Way, National Urban League, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers and the AFSCME and AFL-CIO labor unions—wrote a letter of support for the legislation ahead of the markup.

Along with @ACLU, we urge @HouseJudiciary members to advance the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act today.

Our nation needs this comprehensive marijuana justice bill, which addresses justice reform, racial justice, and equity: https://t.co/i9FPLkMe8A pic.twitter.com/IIvYKCrudi

— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) September 29, 2021

The groups said the MORE Act “addresses the collateral consequences of federal marijuana criminalization and takes steps to ensure the legal marketplace is diverse and inclusive of individuals adversely affected by prohibition.” It also “takes significant steps to right the wrongs of decades of federal marijuana criminalization by providing for the expungement and resentencing of marijuana offenses.”

But while advocates have broadly embraced the legislation and urged its passage, some have raised concerns about certain provisions and hope the bill can be revised as it moves through the process.

ACLU and the Leadership Conference, for example, expressed concerns about a component that was added to render so-called drug “kingpins” ineligible for expungements, pointing out that such language “has been interpreted broadly by courts and would prevent individuals who are not high-level participants from seeking relief under the bill’s expungement and resentencing provisions.”

“If the exclusion remains, individuals excluded from the expungement process will continue to be blocked from accessing employment, housing, and an education based on their prior convictions,” it said. “We believe the bill should be amended to ensure that those with excluded convictions are eligible for expungement within five years, assuming there have been no new convictions in the intervening time. Such a change will stay true to the intent of the bill and provide relief to those caught up in outdated enforcement efforts.”

For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem instead of a matter of personal choice and public health. It is now time for us to remove the criminal prohibitions against marijuana at the federal level. #WeWantMORE

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) September 30, 2021

Meanwhile, there’s been some contention between advocates and stakeholders on which reform should come first: the bipartisan banking legislation that’s cleared the House in some form five times now or the comprehensive legalization bill that passed the chamber for the first time late last year.

Legalization advocates do want to see legislation from Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) become enacted, as there are public safety problems caused by all-cash businesses and it would take an important step toward normalizing the growing industry. But social equity-minded activists argue that advancing the incremental reform first would mainly benefit large marijuana businesses without addressing the harms of cannabis criminalization.

The fate of the banking proposal will likely be decided in conference with the Senate, which has not included the policy change in its National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and where key lawmakers have insisted that they will push for broader reform before allowing the incremental change to be enacted.

Separately, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (R-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) are also leading the charge on a legalization bill in their chamber. But weeks after a public comment period on a draft version of the proposal closed, finalized text has yet to be formally filed—and it’s far from certain that Schumer will be able to find enough votes to advance the comprehensive reform through his chamber.

It should be noted that President Joe Biden remains firmly opposed to adult-use marijuana legalization. While he supports more modest reforms such as decriminalizing cannabis, expunging prior records and letting states set their own marijuana policies, there’s an open question about whether he would be moved to sign a broad bill like the MORE Act or the Senate legalization legislation should such a proposal reach his desk.

With respect to the MORE Act, the latest version does not include language that was added just before last year’s House floor vote that would have prevented people with previous cannabis convictions from obtaining federal permits to operate marijuana businesses. That was a contentious provision that appeared at the last minute and which advocates strongly opposed.

WATCH LIVE: @HouseJudiciary continues marking up a bipartisan package of bills that will decriminalize marijuana federally and invest in communities that have been harmed by the War on Drugs, limit race-based hair discrimination, and more.https://t.co/0r1ZjRMFQQ

— House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) September 30, 2021

And whereas the the prior version of the legislation contained language to help economically disadvantaged people enter the legal marijuana market, that language was revised to extend Small Business Administration (SBA) aid—such as loans, financial literacy programs and job training—to help people who have been harmed by the war on drugs pursue business opportunities in any industry, not just cannabis.

Advocates are encouraged by the new revisions to the bill, but there are still additional components they hope to see changed as it goes through the legislative process. For example, they also took issue with provisions added to the MORE Act prior to last year’s vote that would have stipulated that cannabis can still be included in drug testing programs for federal workers.

Today @HouseJudiciary passed the MORE Act, long overdue legislation that reverses failed federal policies criminalizing marijuana. It also takes steps to address the heavy toll this policy has taken on communities across the country.

— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) September 30, 2021

The current version of the MORE Act has 76 cosponsors. In addition to the Judiciary Committee, it has been referred to eight other panels. While last Congress’s version of the bill went straight to the floor after clearing its first stop because other committees waived their jurisdiction, it’s not clear if that will happen again this time.

Separately, a proposal to federally deschedule marijuana that does not include social equity components was filed by a pair of Republican congressmen in May.



Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

RELATED TOPICS:FEATURED
DON'T MISSChuck Schumer Says Key Senators Have ‘Agreement’ Not To Advance Marijuana Banking Reform Before Legalization
Kyle Jaeger Kyle Jaeger is Marijuana Moment's Sacramento-based senior editor. His work has also appeared in High Times, VICE and attn.YOU MAY LIKE
Chuck Schumer Says Key Senators Have ‘Agreement’ Not To Advance Marijuana Banking Reform Before Legalization


Cannabis banking sponsors talk strategy for Senate passage (Newsletter: September 30, 2021)


Mississippi Governor Says Medical Marijuana Bill Needs Changes Before Special Session Is Called


Elon Musk Says People Should Be ‘Open To Psychedelics’ And Predicts The Next Generation Of Politicians Will Normalize The Substances


California Governor Signs Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals For Severely Ill Patients


Federal Marijuana Legalization Vote Expected In House Committee On Thursday

POLITICSChuck Schumer Says Key Senators Have ‘Agreement’ Not To Advance Marijuana Banking Reform Before LegalizationPublished 6 hours ago on September 30, 2021By Kyle Jaeger
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he and colleagues working to advance a federal marijuana legalization bill have an “agreement” that the body will not take up cannabis banking legislation until more comprehensive reform advances.

That said, he’s open to exploring an alternative way of advancing banking reform if lawmakers are able to incorporate social equity provisions of legalization—such as expungements for prior cannabis convictions—into separate defense policy legislation that the chamber will be taking up soon.

Whether either proposal would be embraced by President Joe Biden if they were sent to his desk is yet to be seen, but Schumer said he’s going lobbying him “heavily” on legalization.

The majority leader made the new comments in an interview on Drug Policy Alliance founder Ethan Nadelmann’s podcast Psychoactive that was released on Thursday. Schumer said there is consensus between him, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) on blocking legislation that would simply protect financial institutions that work with state-legal cannabis businesses until a social equity-focused legalization bill moves forward.



The discussion got at the heart of a debate that’s been ongoing among advocates and industry stakeholders.

On the one hand, there’s bipartisan legislation called the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act that stands a strong chance of passage in Congress. It’s been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives five times now, most recently as an amendment to a defense spending bill last week.

On the other hand, there’s a draft proposal to holistically end federal marijuana prohibition that Schumer is sponsoring. And on the House side, the Judiciary Committee on Thursday is expected to approve a separate legalization measure from Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

“Why not let [banking reform] move forward while the long-term process of the legalization bill needs to work itself through?” Nadelmann asked.

“Senators Booker, Wyden and I have come to agreement that if we let [the banking bill] out, it’ll make it much harder and take longer to pass comprehensive reform,” Schumer replied. “We certainly want the provisions, similar to the SAFE Banking Act, in our bill. But to get more moderate people—to get some Republicans, to get the financial services industry—behind a comprehensive bill is the way to go. It’s the right thing to do.”

While the senator has previously expressed reluctance to advancing marijuana banking reform first—including in an interview with Marijuana Moment in April—these latest comments about an “agreement” to block the financial services reform put the situation in starkest terms yet.

“All the pain that’s been suffered by so many people for so long will not be alleviated because banks can now do some funding of the growing and processing of marijuana,” he added. “We think that the quickest way to get it all done is to do it together. If you let just the banking provisions pass, it’ll make it much harder to get more Republicans and more conservatives on the bill.”

“We’re trying to create a coalition for comprehensive reform and don’t want to pick one off.”

In other words, if there was any uncertainty about the senators’ legislative priorities for marijuana, the majority leader says a line has been drawn in the sand: Legalization first.

At the same time, however, Schumer did not rule out incorporating some cannabis reform proposals into the Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) if other justice-focused provisions can be added as well. That legislation is where SAFE Banking sponsor Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) managed to attach his banking amendment in the House, but it lacks many of the social equity provisions that advocates want to see.

Nadelmann asked the majority leader if it would make sense to add things such as expungements on top of banking to sweeten the deal.

“Look, everything should be explored, and if people in the Senate can add some things on, that would make it more of a palliative. But again, I don’t want to bargain against myself here,” Schumer replied. “We need comprehensive reform. That’s what we need.”

Schumer recognized that freeing up banks to work with marijuana businesses without being penalized by federal regulators would have some equity implications, enabling some disadvantaged communities to obtain access to capital needed to participate in the market.

However, he stressed that “water goes downhill,” and most of the benefits would go to “fat cat, more well-to-do people, so you’ve got to be really careful about that.”

“I’m not arguing against the specifics. I’m just telling you that it’s my view that, if we are in range of getting comprehensive reform and we’re making great progress,” the Senate should leverage that opportunity to enact a broad policy change.

“Remember, as majority leader, I can determine what’s put on the floor,” he added. “[Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)] said he’d never put a legalization or decriminalization bill on the floor. I will when we get the votes and build the coalition, and the [SAFE Banking Act] will be part of that coalition.”

Nadelmann pressed Schumer about ongoing reluctance among certain members of his own party, including Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Jon Tester (D-MT), to embrace legalization.

Schumer replied by stressing that the proposal won’t pass “unless we get bipartisan support,” but he also noted that as the legalization movement has spread to states of all political leanings, there’s a greater chance that former opponents could back reform this round.

Another obstacle to broad reform is Biden, who supports modest proposals such as decriminalizing cannabis possession and letting states set their own marijuana policies, but remains opposed to adult-use legalization. Asked whether he’s had discussions with the White House about his legislation, Schumer said Biden has been “preoccupied with a lot of stuff, but I am going to lobby him heavily on this issue. And, you know, I’ve had a few conversations, but not many—but it will increase.”

In a brief aside, Schumer was asked if he ever smoked cannabis in his youth. The majority leader said “no, I never smoked marijuana myself.”

“But you know, I believe that just because I didn’t, people should make their choices and not have the government, particularly in a crazy legal system and criminal justice system, impose it,” he said, adding that he was “in the minority” of his peers in college who didn’t indulge.

Nadelmann also recently hosted a newsmaking conversation with National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow on his podcast. During that episode, the official acknowledged that marijuana legalization has not led to increased youth use despite her prior fears, and she spoke about the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics that have long been deemed “dangerous” under federal law.



Photo courtesy of WeedPornDaily.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

CONTINUE READINGPOLITICSMississippi Governor Says Medical Marijuana Bill Needs Changes Before Special Session Is CalledPublished 1 day ago on September 29, 2021By Marijuana Moment
“We are a long way towards getting a final agreement, but not all the way there yet.”

By Geoff Pender, Mississippi Today

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) on Wednesday said he’ll call lawmakers into special session on medical marijuana legislation “sooner rather than later,” but would not speculate a date or whether he’ll also let legislators tackle pandemic pay for nurses or other COVID-19 measures they’re proposing.

Reeves said there are still details—such as funding for a medical marijuana program—to be worked out, and indicated a session would be in coming weeks, but not this week as lawmakers had requested.

“There is no update on exactly when, but I do anticipate we are going to have one sooner rather than later,” Reeves said at a press conference on workforce training on Wednesday. He said he spoke on Monday with Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann (R) and House Speaker Philip Gunn (R).



“We are a long way towards getting a final agreement, but not all the way there yet,” Reeves said. “At this point it’s jut a matter of working out the final details…things such as funding, an appropriation bill, what that would look like.”

After months of negotiations, Gunn and Hosemann announced a House-Senate agreement last week on a medical marijuana program to replace the one adopted by voters last year but shot down by the state Supreme Court on a constitutional technicality. Gunn and Hosemann said they have the votes to pass the measure and asked Reeves to call a special session for Friday.

The draft medical marijuana bill legislative leaders have agreed to would levy the state’s sales tax, currently at 7 percent, on marijuana, and a $15 per ounce excise. But the bill does not specify funding for the Departments of Health, Revenue and Agriculture to run and regulate it. The bill routes the marijuana revenue into the general fund. This has prompted concern from state health and agriculture leaders that lawmakers would not adequately fund the agencies to stand up such a program.

Agriculture Commissioner Andy Gipson, who said he opposes his agency being involved in marijuana regulations, said the Legislature is “notorious” for creating new programs or duties for agencies without providing extra funding or staff. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs expressed similar funding concerns this week.

Reeves has sole authority to call lawmakers into special session and set the agenda.



Hosemann and Gunn have also asked Reeves to allow lawmakers to tackle COVID-19 issues in a special session.

They want to give federal American Rescue Plan Act money to hospitals to pay nurses extra to help with what some health officials said is a shortage statewide of 2,000 nurses during the pandemic.

Gunn and Hosemann also want to change wording in a law that would allow families of first responders to receive death benefits if the first responder dies from COVID-19. Public safety officials have determined that a 2016 law that provides $100,000 in benefits to families of those who die in the line of duty does not cover COVID-19 deaths.

Hosemann and Gunn also want to provide emergency funding from federal ARPA funds to child abuse and domestic violence shelters and programs, who have lost regular sources of funding due to the pandemic, while cases of abuse have increased.

Reeves has had a rocky relationship with the Legislature, and has clashed particularly with his fellow GOP legislative leaders over control of spending federal pandemic stimulus money. Reeves has also said he doesn’t want lawmakers tied up at length in a special session, which would cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a day.

This story was first published by Mississippi Today.



Photo courtesy of Max Pixel.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

CONTINUE READINGPOLITICSCalifornia Governor Signs Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals For Severely Ill PatientsPublished 1 day ago on September 29, 2021By Kyle Jaeger
The governor of California on Tuesday signed a bill to require hospitals to permit medical marijuana use by certain patients.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) approved the legislation, signaling that his prior concerns about an earlier version that he reluctantly vetoed in 2019 have since been resolved.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Ben Hueso (D), has been pushing for his measure to allow cannabis use in medical facilities for terminally ill patients over multiple sessions. He recently sent a letter to the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) seeking clarification on whether the policy change could jeopardize federal funding for those facilities.

“It is inconceivable to me that, in a state where medical cannabis was legalized more than 25 years ago, those in deepest suffering receiving treatment in our state’s healthcare facilities cannot access this proven, effective and prescribed treatment,” Hueso said in a press release.

“Instead, terminally-ill patients in California healthcare facilities are given heavy opiates that rob them of their precious last moments with family and friends,” he said. “This is a simple, yet critical, move that will provide relief, compassion and dignity to terminally-ill Californians.”

Thrilled to share that today @CAGovernor signed my bill known as “Ryan’s Law,” which requires that hospitals & certain types of healthcare facilities in California allow terminally-ill patients to use #medicalcannabis for treatment and/or pain relief. https://t.co/KSKXtbU0B4

— Senator Ben Hueso (@SenBenHueso) September 29, 2021

Confusion about possible implications for permitting marijuana consumption in health facilities led to Newsom’s 2019 veto decision. Representatives from both HHS and the governor’s office have recently reached out to Hueso to say that they were continuing to look into the matter.

Hueso received a letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) several months ago stating that there are no federal regulations in place that specifically address this issue and that the agency isn’t aware of any cases where funding has been pulled because a hospital allows patients to use medical cannabis.

“With this confirmation from CMS and the safeguards in the law, we are confident that healthcare facilities have the necessary authority to implement these provisions while ensuring the safety of other patients, guests, and employees of the healthcare facility, compliance with other state laws, and the safe operations of the healthcare facility,” the senator said.

There are some restrictions embedded in the new law. For example, patients receiving treatment for emergency care wouldn’t be covered, and smoking and vaping marijuana would be prohibited. It also stipulates that hospitals aren’t required to provide or dispense cannabis.

Newsom didn’t release a statement about the hospitals bill, which his office announced he signed along with more than two dozen other pieces of unrelated legislation.

The legislation was partly inspired by the experience of a father whose son died from cancer and was initially denied access to cannabis at a California hospital. Jim Bartell did eventually find a facility that agreed to allow the treatment, and he has said his son’s quality of life improved dramatically in those last days.

—
Marijuana Moment is already tracking more than 1,200 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

“In the invaluable last days as Ryan fought stage 4 pancreatic cancer, I first-handedly experienced the positive impact medical cannabis had on my son’s well-being, as opposed to the harsh effects of opiates,” Bartell said. “Medical cannabis is an excellent option for relieving pain and suffering in those who are terminally-ill, but most importantly it serves to provide compassion, support, and dignity to patients and their families, during their loved-ones’ final days.”

“Looking at each other, holding Ryan’s hand and telling him how much I loved him during his final moments would not have been possible without the medical cannabis,” he said.

Also pending on Newsom’s desk is a bill to set up a regulatory framework for hemp-derived CBD sales that also removes the ban on smokable hemp products.

Separately, a California bill that passed the Senate and several Assembly committees to legalize possession of a wide range of psychedelics such as psilocybin and ayahuasca has stalled following a decision by the sponsor that more time is needed to build the case for the reform and solidify its chances of being enacted.

Meanwhile, California activists have also recently been cleared to begin collecting signatures for a 2022 ballot initiative to legalize psilocybin mushrooms in the state