Marijuana
In the era of legal marijuana, the kids are alright
“What about the children?” This was arguably the most frequently posed question by critics in the years prior to state-level marijuana legalization. Many legalization opponents presumed that legalizing cannabis for adults would lead to an increase in marijuana use among teens. But ten years following the first states’ decisions to legalize, data conclusively shows that […]
Lawmaker: Nevada’s regulation of weed strangling industry as sales fall
Nevada’s Cannabis Compliance Board is thwarting growth of the industry according to experts, who say the state’s practice of charging licensees for regulators’ time and effort amounts to double billing because the agency is already fully funded via an excise tax paid by licensees. “It’s fully funded by that 15% wholesale excise tax on cannabis […]
Attempt to help states ease banking for marijuana businesses stumbles in Congress
The annual Defense Department policy bill members of Congress released last week did not include measures to loosen federal marijuana restrictions, to the disappointment of advocates. That leaves few avenues to pass marijuana measures seen as boons to states where the drug is legal before Congress adjourns for the year. As one of the last […]
Legislation aims to expand SBA loans for social equity in the pot industry
The Fair Access for Cannabis Small Business Act was introduced by Democratic U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen would expand programs and loans by the Small Business Administration (SBA) to the cannabis industry operating in states where it is legalized. “The unfair barriers to basic federal support and resources have hurt our state’s legally-operating cannabis small businesses,” […]
Biden to pardon all federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, review criminalization
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Thursday announced executive actions that would pardon thousands of people with prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. Biden then called on governors to follow suit with state offenses for simple marijuana possession, saying that “just as no one should be in a Federal prison solely due to the possession of marijuana, […]
Judge orders Pharmacy Board to remove cannabis from Schedule 1
More than 20 years after Nevada voters approved the use of marijuana for medical purposes, a judge on Wednesday ordered the state Board of Pharmacy to remove the substance from its list of Schedule 1 substances. Schedule 1 substances are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, […]
It’s time for Biden to keep his promises on marijuana
Politicians are no strangers to making campaign promises. Delivering on those promises? Well, that’s often another story. Such is the case thus far with President Biden’s campaign pledge to reform America’s archaic and unpopular marijuana prohibition laws. “No one should be in jail because of marijuana,” Biden insisted on the campaign trail. “As president, I will decriminalize cannabis […]
ACLU of NV legal effort to remove weed from Schedule 1 survives challenge
A legal effort by the ACLU of Nevada to force the Nevada Board of Pharmacy to remove cannabis from its Schedule 1 of controlled substances will proceed, Clark County Judge Joe Hardy ruled Wednesday when he denied the board’s motion to dismiss the ACLU’s lawsuit. ACLUNV says individuals are still being arrested for cannabis possession […]
It’s high time Nevada ends the loophole that leads to criminal prosecutions for cannabis
U.S. attitudes toward cannabis have begun to change as more states have decriminalized or legalized cannabis medically and recreationally. Here in Nevada, cannabis has become a lucrative and profitable commodity for dispensaries and wholesalers, but prosecutors and police continue to treat cannabis like heroin and methamphetamine rather than respecting the voice of Nevada voters. Voters […]
U.S. House votes to decriminalize marijuana in federal law; fate uncertain in Senate
The U.S. House passed legislation Friday to legalize marijuana nationally, but its future is much less clear in the Senate. The House voted 220-204 to approve the measure, which would fix the split between federal law and 19 states where recreational marijuana is legal. Three Republicans joined all but two Democrats in approving the measure. Matt Gaetz and […]
House advances marijuana banking bill, though final passage uncertain
WASHINGTON — Cannabis dispensaries throughout the country came one step closer to using banks the way many other businesses can when the U.S. House last week cleared a bill with sweeping changes to banking regulations. Colorado Democrat Ed Perlmutter and Ohio Republican Dave Joyce, co-sponsors of the legislation, said Friday their proposal would allow medical […]
Federal law still treats marijuana as an illegal drug, creating headaches for states
Most states in the U.S. are in violation of a major federal drug statute. The 1971 Controlled Substances Act lists marijuana in the most dangerous category defined in the law, on par with cocaine and heroin because of its supposed potential for abuse and lack of medical applications. But 36 states plus the District of […]