It’s Thursday, August 5 and TRICHOMES.com is bringing you the top cannabis news from around the web. You can also listen on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify–search TRICHOMES and subscribe!
First up: The Oregon state governor has announced that they will veto a proposal that would establish a set of regulations for the selling and consumption of kratom by adults.
The Oregon Kratom Consumer Protection Act is a bipartisan bill that would limit purchases of the plant-derived substance to those aged 21 years and up. Some individuals have reported consuming it for its energizing benefits, while some say they consume it to treat withdrawal from opioids.
To offer kratom, sellers would need to enroll with the Oregon Department of Agriculture. The organization would be in charge of creating testing requirements and labeling standards. The proposal would also make it illegal to sell kratom items that are tainted or counterfeited.
Despite the fact that the bill was passed by the House and Senate in June, Gov. Kate Brown (D) stated this week that they intend to veto it, citing their belief that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is best qualified to oversee the matter.
Next up: As Wyoming state activists aim to place separate bills on the November 2022 ballot to legalize medical cannabis and decriminalize recreational cannabis statewide, two cannabis policy reform measures have passed a first step on their way to the state’s ballot.
In June, the Libertarian Party and state Rep. Marshall Burt (L) teamed up with supporters to publish the first versions of the bills. The initiative, which is also backed by Wyoming NORML, was launched after state legislators progressed but failed to implement a cannabis legalization proposal this session.
Within a 30-day period, patients could buy and carry a maximum of four ounces of cannabis flower and up to 20 grams of “medical marijuana-derived products,” according to the finalized language of the medical cannabis bill.
Cancer, glaucoma, HIV, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and other patients would be permitted to grow up to eight cannabis plants for private consumption. The Department of Revenue’s Liquor Division would be in charge of certifying cannabis firms within the medical cannabis proposal. By July 1, 2023, the department would be expected to issue regulations.
Conversely, advocates are pushing for a different decriminalization bill that would charge anyone who possesses up to four ounces of cannabis a ticket instead of facing time in jail. A first and second infraction would be classified as a misdemeanor, penalized by a $50 fine, whereas a third and following infraction would be punished by a $75 fine. Cannabis cultivation would be penalized by a maximum punishment of a $200 fine.
Last up: This week, the U.S. federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) eased limits on grant funds for state healthcare professionals and other organizations that enable patients to utilize medicinal cannabis as a mental health treatment.
The Pennsylvania state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs reported the policy update to SAMHSA grant beneficiaries. The federal government has deleted verbiage from its terms and conditions that previously prohibited grant monies from going to any establishment that “provides or permits marijuana use for the purposes of treating substance use or mental disorders,” according to the report.
Because of the limitations, the state department issued a notice in June notifying beneficiaries and candidates that grants could be withheld. Additionally, the now lifted prohibition led to the Maine state Education Department receiving notice last year that it was no longer qualified for certain federal grants to assist mental health programs in schools because the state allowed students to use medicinal cannabis.
Even with the current modification, SAMHSA maintains a stricter restriction, stating that government monies “may not be used to purchase, prescribe, or provide marijuana or treatment using marijuana.”
