The Iowa state Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to cap the THC potency of consumable hemp products, sending the measure to the desk of Republican Governor Kim Reynolds for consideration. The legislation, House File 2605, was passed by the Senate by a vote of 31-18 after receiving approval from the Iowa House of Representatives last month.

If signed into law by the governor, the measure would amend the Iowa Hemp Act to cap the THC potency of hemp products at 4 milligrams per serving, with a maximum limit of 10 milligrams per package. The legislation also requires warning labels on hemp product packaging and sets a minimum age of 21 to purchase hemp products containing THC. Additionally, the bill adds new restrictions and sanctions related to the manufacturing, possession and sales of consumable hemp products, including penalties for businesses that sell such products without first registering with state regulators.

Republican Senator Dan Dawson, the sponsor of House File 2605, said the bill is “desperately needed regulation.”

“There has to be some type of guardrails on here,” he said, the Des Moines Register reported on Tuesday.

The senator said that the bill is needed to maintain separation between over-the-counter hemp products and those regulated by the medicinal cannabidiol (CBD) program, which was passed by state lawmakers in 2014 to legalize the possession of low-THC CBD products for medicinal purposes.

“The Iowa Hemp Act, or the program that we’re talking about here today, needs to be at a milligram usage less than our medical cannabidiol program, otherwise the lines are blurred,” argued Dawson, according to a report from online news source We Are Iowa.

“The medical cannabidiol program actually puts an individual with a doctor to get these products, that’s the biggest distinction,” added Dawson, the Capital Dispatch reported on Tuesday. “The Iowa hemp program has none of those barriers there. So if we want to protect Iowans with these products … there has to be some type of guardrails on here, to make sure that the medical cannabidiol program is the program that we can direct Iowans to when they have one of these diagnosed conditions.”

Lawmaker Warns of Bill’s ‘Unintended Consequences’

During a House debate on the bill last month, Democratic Representative John Forbes told his colleagues that he has concerns the bill will have “unintended consequences” for people who use hemp products outside of the state’s regulated cannabidiol program, including people who are using THC or CBD to help them recover from opioid addiction. 

“I think we’re not hitting the nail on the head here, when it comes to being able to help Iowans that are seeking out this as an alternative to maybe taking other prescription medications, and increasing quality of life, helping them,” Forbes said.

Forbes also noted that many CBD products come in formulations such as capsules with 2 to 4 milligrams of THC per serving. Under House Bill 2605’s provisions, such products would only be available in packages of two to five capsules, a restriction that many manufacturers would find overly burdensome. If the bill is signed into law, many consumers may find that the hemp products they are accustomed to purchasing may no longer be available in Iowa.

“It does have a major impact on, I think, the people here in the state of Iowa that sought out ways to manage their health issues,” Forbes said, according to a report from The Gazette. “A lot of the people that go to these do purchase them because they’ve been on chronic pain medications and they’re trying to reduce that.”

“This legislation will make it much more difficult for people in the state of Iowa,” he added. “They’re going to go out and buy this stuff online … they won’t have a business they can go into.”

In the upper chamber of the state legislature, Republican Senator Tom Shipley said that when he helped draft the Iowa Hemp Act in 2019, he knew that there were “some nefarious motives behind this,” including some businesses that had plans to sell products that were not covered by the law.

“We found out some people could find an angle to get around things and do things that are not good for Iowans,” Shipley said. “And I just want to stand up in support of Senator Dawson’s bill to try and close some of these loopholes that even I could figure out were coming.”

In addition to regulating hemp products that are being used by consumers therapeutically, supporters of the legislation said it is needed to help protect those who choose to use hemp recreationally. Dawson said the bill is “desperately needed regulation on this industry, to not only protect industry but also to protect the consumers who might indulge in these products.”

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Hawaiian lawmakers are pushing forward with their latest cannabis reform effort as the state Senate passed legislation that would legalize and regulate recreational cannabis on Tuesday.

In a 19-6 vote, the Hawaiian Senate approved Senate Bill 3335, which would allow adults over the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of cannabis and up to five grams of cannabis concentrates, along with establishing a recreational cannabis sales framework. 

The proposal would also enforce a 14% excise tax on recreational cannabis products and a 4% tax rate on the medical cannabis market. Residents would be allowed to grow a maximum of six plants and possess up to 10 ounces of home-grown flower. Additionally, the bill would create a social equity program and establish the Hawaii Hemp and Cannabis Authority, overseen by the Hemp Cannabis Control Board, to regulate cannabis and hemp businesses.

Though the fight is far from over. 

An Uncertain Fate in the House and Outstanding Criticisms

The legislation now heads to Hawaii’s more conservative House for consideration, which has historically been resistant to adult-use cannabis policies. The last time the Hawaiian Senate passed an adult-use cannabis legalization bill in 2023, it ultimately stalled in the House, but advocates are hopeful this effort will make more progress.

This year’s bill, totaling more than 300 pages, was introduced in both chambers in January and is primarily based upon Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez’s legalization plan released in November 2023.

And while many lawmakers have praised the new bill and the plan it’s based upon, advocates have expressed concerns around the bill’s creation of additional law enforcement protocols.

The legislation includes provisions that impose THC blood limits for drivers, despite the fact that THC metabolites can be detected in the body days or even weeks after consumption. It also creates a cannabis enforcement unit within the Department of Law Enforcement and adds eight positions in a drug nuisance abatement unit in the AG’s office.

Advocates also highlighted another provision subjecting those found with loose cannabis, an open package for a cannabis product or a cannabis pipe in a car to up to 30 days in jail.

With these provisions in mind, a number of groups are pushing to make amendments to SB 3335.

Amendment Efforts Among Reform Advocates

Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, said that lawmakers are being faced with an opportunity, not only to enact legalization and regulation but in a manner “rooted in justice and equity, not an excessively punitive approach.” 

Rather, O’Keefe said that lawmakers should see cannabis legalization as “essential criminal justice reform” and further emphasize education, reinvestment in communities, reparative justice and building a more equitable and inclusive industry.

The Hawai’i Alliance for Cannabis Reform (HACR) similarly recognized that the Senate’s approval of SB 3335 was a sign of progress while referencing their ongoing concerns and proposed amendments to the legislation. The group’s amendments include eliminating the THC limit for drivers and open container provisions in the bill, with others expanding upon the social equity specifics of the legislation.

“Although this is an imperfect bill that still contains far too many elements of criminalization, it’s welcome news to have a viable adult-use legalization bill that can be improved upon when it reaches the House,” said Nikos Leverenz, grants and advancement manager of the Drug Policy Forum of Hawai’i and the Hawai’i Health and Harm Reduction Center. “Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii and other members of the Hawaii Alliance for Cannabis Reform are hopeful that our proposed amendments will be considered by the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee.”

Continued Reform Efforts and Governor Support

Alongside the latest cannabis legalization bill, senators also approved a separate piece of legislation, SB 2487, which reduces penalties around possession of up to 15 grams of cannabis to a non-criminal offense. If passed, offenders would instead pay a $130 fine. 

A similar bill in the House, HB 1596, would reduce penalties of cannabis possession up to one ounce and/or cannabis-related paraphernalia to a $25 fine.

It seems that clearing the House is the main obstacle for recreational cannabis legalization in Hawaii, as Gov. Josh Green (D) indicated last month that he would likely sign such a bill if lawmakers sent him one. 

In an appearance on Hawaii News Now, Green referenced that Hawaii must still address the social issue of cannabis legalization, even signaling that access to adult-use cannabis could act as a harm reduction effort.

“I don’t think the sky would fall, honestly, if marijuana were legalized,” Green said. “I also have some thoughts that marijuana might blunt the effect, if you will, of people on these heavy drugs, these horrible drugs.”

While it’s still uncertain exactly where this road will go, Senate Democrats have made it clear that cannabis legalization is a priority. At the beginning of the year, the issue appeared on the Senate’s list of priorities for the 2024 legislative session under a section centering economic development and infrastructure.

“The Senate remains committed to diversifying and expanding Hawai‘i’s economy, as well as improving infrastructure throughout the State,” the section starts. It mentions “investing in emerging industries to diversify the economy” before explicitly referencing “legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis” at the very end of the section.

We’ll have to wait and see if the House feels the same this time around.

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The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates have approved competing bills to regulate and tax recreational marijuana sales, more than two years after the state legalized the possession of cannabis by adults. Each bill now heads to the other chamber of the state legislature, where lawmakers are expected to make several amendments to the measures.

Both bills legalize retail sales of cannabis to adults aged 21 and older with a scheduled start date of January 1, 2025, according to a report from the nonprofit cannabis advocacy group the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). In the House, HB 698 from Delegate Paul Krizek would levy a tax of 9% on cannabis sales, which would be exempt from normal state and local retail sales taxes. A separate bill from state Senator Aaron Rouse, SB 448, would add a 16% tax to cannabis sales on top of the regular state and local retail sales taxes.

NORML Development Director JM Pedini, who uses the pronoun they, testified before both chambers of the legislature in support of the bills. In the Senate, they asked lawmakers to amend SB 448 to remove penalties for people who make cannabis products such as baked goods or tinctures that are intended for personal use and for possessing legal amounts in public.

HB 698 was passed by delegates in the House on Monday by a vote of 52-48. In the Senate, SB 488 was approved by a vote of 21-18 on Tuesday. The two bills will each now head to the other legislative chamber for consideration.

Lawmakers in both the House and Senate are expected to amend the bills by substituting the version each chamber has already passed. The legislation would then head to a conference committee where representatives of each chamber will work to come to a consensus on a compromise measure.

“The real work will be done in conference committee, at which point conferees must decide if these are simply messaging bills, or if they intend to send Governor Youngkin something palatable enough for him to even consider not vetoing,” said NORML’s Pedini, who also serves as the executive director of Virginia NORML.

Weed Possession Legalized in 2021

Legislation passed in July 2021 legalized the possession of cannabis by adults aged 21 and older, but a reenactment clause requiring a second vote to authorize retail sales was not taken up after Republicans took control of the state legislature later in 2021. Last year, Republican Glenn Youngkin said that he was not interested in legalizing cannabis sales.

“Governor Youngkin has stated that he is not interested in any further moves towards legalization of adult recreational-use marijuana, so I wouldn’t expect that during his administration,” Joseph Guthrie, commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, said at a public meeting in June 2023, according to a report from the Washington Post.

Lawmakers also heard from opponents of legalizing sales of recreational weed in Virginia including, as might be expected, representatives of law enforcement. In a letter to the legislature from the Virginia Sheriff’s Association, the Virginia State Police Association, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, police officials told lawmakers that they are opposed to a regulated adult-use cannabis market.

“Legalizing retail sales will undermine the work Gov. Youngkin’s administration has undertaken to improve behavioral health in the Commonwealth,” the letter states, according to a report from local media. “We collectively appreciate the focus on the ‘Right Help Right Now Plan’ and the strides we have made in better serving our communities with additional behavioral-health resources.”

The letter also warned that a legal recreational marijuana market will not eliminate illicit sales of marijuana in Virginia.

“States with legal retail cannabis have failed to extinguish the cannabis black market,” the letter states, “while also seeing that cannabis tourism creates a nexus for the international drug trade that is dominated by organized crime, and an increase in illegal operation following legalization.”

But Pedini argues that since the possession of cannabis was legalized, the unlicensed cannabis market has increased significantly.

“Absent a legal marketplace, Virginia’s illicit market has since ballooned from $1.8 billion in 2021 to $2.4 billion in 2023,” said Pedini. “Unfortunately, consumers don’t know whether they’re getting a safe product or one contaminated with potentially dangerous adulterants. Unregulated marijuana isn’t lab tested for purity and it isn’t sold in packaging that is both childproof and not appealing to children.”

“Ultimately, Governor Youngkin will have to decide if he’s more interested in allowing unlicensed, unregulated operators to continue controlling cannabis in the Commonwealth or if he’s finally ready to extend the same commonsense provisions already used to regulate the legal sale of medical cannabis in Virginia to adult-use retail,” they added.

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Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wants to send the Biden administration a message: End prohibition of cannabis, once and for all, by fully descheduling it rather than simply rescheduling it to a slightly less restrictive category. The time is right for real change.

On Sunday, the senator called for Attorney General Merrick Garland and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to act to deschedule cannabis at a press conference in Harlem, New York. Cannabis is currently classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance, the most restrictive category and the same as heroin, with “no currently accepted medical use.”

“Descheduling marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act is not just a social justice issue; it’s an economic, medical, and public safety issue. Since marijuana was classified as a Schedule I substance during the war on drugs, countless lives have been torn apart, and individuals in primarily Black and brown communities have been targeted for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses,” Gillibrand said. “Studies show that legalizing marijuana could help reduce violence in international drug trafficking and generate billions of dollars for the economy. The vast majority of Americans agree that marijuana should be legalized—that’s why I’m calling on the Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration to swiftly deschedule marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.”

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended that the DEA move cannabis to schedule III after careful review by federal authorities, but that may not be enough. High Times asked the senator why it’s critical to deschedule cannabis entirely, versus simply moving it to a less restrictive category.

“Rescheduling marijuana will not correct the wrongs of our current judicial system, which has historically targeted Black and brown communities for marijuana related offenses,” Gillibrand told High Times. 

The senator continued, “Descheduling marijuana is a critical step toward decriminalization, and it could also reduce violence in international drug trafficking, make the United States competitive in global markets, and generate billions of dollars for the economy.”

Gillibrand is joined by Congressman Jerrold Nadler, New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam, New York State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, New York State Assemblymember Rev. Al Taylor, Executive Director of Empire State NORML David Holland, and business leaders across New York. Gillibrand also reiterated her stance on social media as the 2024 general election gears up.

“Classifying marijuana as a Schedule I drug—something more dangerous than cocaine or fentanyl—has harmed communities and denied critical relief to vulnerable patients,” the senator posted on X. “It’s time to legalize and deschedule marijuana altogether.”

The current status of cannabis at the federal level puts individuals at risk, some more than others.

Gillibrand’s Ongoing Support for Cannabis Reform

The senator has voiced her opinion that cannabis should be legal at the federal level several times before, including the campaign trail of the 2020 general election. In 2017, Gillibrand introduced the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect (CARERS) Act with Al Franken, Rand Paul, and Cory Booker, and then in 2018, she cosponsored the Marijuana Justice Act along with Sen. Booker.

In 2019, when she was running for president of the U.S., Gillibrand released a plan for the national legalization of cannabis, saying that she would make the issue a “top priority” of her presidency.

“America’s federal prohibition of marijuana needs to end now,” Gillibrand wrote, acknowledging the need for access to medical cannabis. “Millions of Americans seek medical marijuana to treat chronic or severe pain — often in an effort to avoid prescription opioids — but access is limited by insurance coverage and availability of medical marijuana dispensaries, even in states where medical marijuana is legal,” Gillibrand wrote. “We should be expanding patients’ access to treatment they need, especially when it helps reduce addiction to dangerous medications.”

Little action at the federal level isn’t helping anyone, and she believes supporting cannabis could be a major factor in the upcoming general election.

A Boost for Biden

Federal authorities have been toying with the idea of rescheduling cannabis to schedule III, and cannabis would be regulated like Tylenol III’s or hormone replacement therapy. If the HHS’ recommendation to reschedule cannabis on the federal Controlled Substances Act becomes a reality, it could make an impact on President Joe Biden’s favorability ahead of the upcoming 2024 presidential election. There is now data to support that idea.

A recent survey found broad support across demographics and suggested Biden could see an 11% favorability boost if it occurs.

The survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners, revealed a number of key findings surrounding registered voters and attitudes surrounding cannabis, namely that Biden could boost his favorability by 11% among younger voters should cannabis move from Schedule I to Schedule III.

“By the end of the poll, impressions of Biden improve by a net double-digits—an 11-point swing overall, including a double-digit (+11-point) swing among younger voters,” the survey notes. 

“In conclusion, rescheduling cannabis is not only the right move from a policy perspective, it is also politically helpful,” the survey concludes. “Nowhere is this more true than for younger voters—one of the most cross-pressured groups of voters, and also the most sanguine about rescheduling.”

New York leaders like Gillibrand believe reclassifying cannabis under schedule III does not go far enough. Instead, the Biden administration should take a bolder move and deschedule it altogether, giving Americans what they clearly want.

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The Canada Senate Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs held a press conference on Nov. 8 to talk about its newest report on psychedelic-assisted therapy. Entitled “The Time is Now: Granting equitable access to psychedelic-assisted therapies,” the report calls for “immediately launch and fund a large-scale research program on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for treating those mental disorders and other conditions that have been identified as potentially being therapeutic targets for these types of interventions.”

The report stated that 10-15% of Canadian military veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other ailments both physical and mental in nature. Many of them suffer what the report described as “moral injuries, as if the person’s very spirit has been broken, making it impossible for them to make sense of their actions.” Due to this, many veterans are more likely to commit suicide than non-veterans.

Research regarding the use of psilocybin and MDMA has grown in recent years, but the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) has employed a “wait-and-see” approach to psychedelic-assisted therapies, and so the subcommittee demands that a new course of action be taken. “The Subcommittee believes that the Department’s position is ill-suited to the leadership role it should be taking on, wherein it should be doing everything in its power to improve the health of veterans, particularly those who have exhausted all the treatment options available to them,” the report stated in the executive summary.

The subcommittee’s recommendation includes a research program funded by VAC, the Department of National Defence, and partnering with Health Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and more. “This approach would ensure, first of all, that those veterans most likely to benefit from it are given access to treatment with the best scientific support available, and second of all, that the initial findings on the effectiveness of this treatment for veterans are either proven or qualified,” the report stated.

The report explained the government has a moral obligation to seek out any opportunity to help its veterans, even if the results may vary. “Research on these subjects is constantly evolving and will continue to do so. No one can predict whether progress will be spectacular or whether there will be setbacks. What we know today is that there is no reason to wait for results from other countries, because the results would still need to be confirmed for our veterans,” it stated. “It is the Government of Canada’s duty to assure veterans that it is doing everything in its power, immediately, to respect its solemn commitment to support, at any cost, those who chose to defend us with honour.”

The subcommittee included a variety of quotations from veterans, professors, and researchers, regarding the risks and benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy. One of its primary points shared is that there is not enough research to test its efficacy, and there’s a lot that researchers still don’t know about substances like psilocybin and MDMA. 

“Therefore, it is paramount to find an appropriate balance between providing timely access to these new treatments for those who are the most likely to benefit from them and doing so in a safe and professional context governed by the strictest ethical and professional rules,” the subcommittee added.

The report cites information provided by Health Canada Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Shannon Nix, specifically nine clinical trials for MDMA, three psilocybin research efforts, and one focusing on ketamine for PTSD are currently underway and authorized by Health Canada.

However, there appears to be some discrepancy regarding the progress of some of these approved research projects. The MDMA research effort under the Special Access Program had “44 approvals and 58 patients,” according to Health Canada Pharmaceutical Drugs Directorate Director General Karen Reynolds, but “none of the 11 applications for MDMA were approved.” Reynolds explained that the inconsistency was due to not having a source of pharmaceutical-grade MDMA. “The fact that there is no source of safe product is also a barrier for those calling for accessibility to be expanded immediately,” the report said in response.

Alongside many more examples in support of expanding substance research, the report reiterates the necessity of exploring every treatment option for the country’s veterans. “These veterans are suffering because they rose to the highest calling of our nation. In return, Canadian decision-makers should do everything in their power, explore every avenue, leave no stone unturned, in case even one is hiding a wisp of a solution that could help them improve their daily lives,” the report stated. “Let’s tackle this problem with all available resources, motivated by their despair. What could be more important than that?”

Numerous studies conducted in the U.S. have also shown the effectiveness of substances like MDMA and psilocybin for treating military veterans. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Substances (MAPS) recently unveiled information about its Phase 3 Trial for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. According to MAPS’s research, 86% of study participants improved on their standard PTSD assessment, while only 69% of participants from the placebo group saw improvement.

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Cannabis companies doing legal business in their state are one step closer to potentially opening accounts with federally-insured banks after the latest version of the SAFER Banking Act (formerly SAFE banking) cleared the Senate Banking Committee Wednesday 14-9.

The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation Banking Act will now move to the Senate Floor for where it faces several more hurdles and potential amendments before a full vote can be made. If passed by the Senate it moves to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

“Cannabis banking is just one part of the necessary conversation about marijuana policy. There is still much work to be done to acknowledge and mend the damage done by the war on drugs, work to make sure everyone – including our veterans – has access to the medicine they need and allow medical and scientific research on cannabis,” said Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio in a press release.

SAFER Banking would provide much-needed legal protections for financial institutions to serve businesses in the currently cash-dependent cannabis trade. Cannabis is presently considered a Schedule 1 substance in the eyes of the federal government, which means any bank that wishes to be federally insured cannot do business with cannabis companies, regardless of the laws in that company’s home state. If the Senate passes the SAFER Banking Act, it will allow cannabis businesses to not only open bank accounts, but take out small business loans, accept debit cards as payment and provide easier pathways for their employees to get home loans etc. 

The latest language of the bill was submitted for consideration last week written and led by senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.; Steve Daines, R-Mont.; Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz.; and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., as well as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

“This legislation will help make our communities and small businesses safer by giving legal cannabis businesses access to traditional financial institutions, including bank accounts and small business loans,” the senators said in a joint statement. “It also prevents federal bank regulators from ordering a bank or credit union to close an account based on reputational risk.”

If passed, SAFER Banking may provide a much needed lifeline for an industry forced to do business in cash which puts thousands of budtenders, delivery drivers, growers and other ancillary cannabis sector employees at risk of violent crime. It would also provide much-needed capital for businesses currently forced to operate using their own money or capital secured through private sources.

Seven previous versions of the bill were passed by the House of Representatives but have thus far been unable to progress to a full Senate vote until Wednesday’s developments, though the bill still faces heavy opposition from Senate Republicans and from the GOP-controlled House if passed by the Senate. Opponents of the bill said, among the usual laundry list of concerns about cannabis, that the language of the bill only further serviced the wealthy and did nothing for criminal justice reform. 

“This bill will make life safer for bankers, for businesses and financial institutions, some of whom have been profiting from the cannabis industry illegally for years, which is ironic given many of the regular folks who illegally sold or used cannabis are sitting in jail cells right now,” said Senator Raphael Warnock, D – GA.

The advancement of the SAFER Banking Act marks the latest in a series of movements at the federal level concerning cannabis, including a recommendation by the Department of Health and Human Services that cannabis be rescheduled from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3. That decision has now been handed off to the DEA to weigh in on. A congressional report released last week said the DEA was “likely” to recommend the same, though an additional bill has also been introduced in the Senate, which if passed would require congressional approval before cannabis can be rescheduled. 

All this comes on the heels of a potential government shutdown sparked by a congressional standoff regarding a new spending bill that could further delay progress on all of these matters. Senator Schumer said he would work to bring the SAFER Banking Act to a floor vote as soon as possible where it requires 60 votes to move on to the House of Representatives.

“Regardless of how you feel about states’ efforts to legalize marijuana, this bipartisan bill is necessary – it will make it safer for legal cannabis businesses and service providers to operate in their communities and protect their workers,” said Sen. Brown. “Through bipartisan work we have been able to find language that addresses both Republicans’ and Democrats’ concerns.”

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The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill last Thursday that includes an amendment allowing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis for their patients in legal states. It will now move forward as part of the approved legislation that funds the VA for the 2024 Fiscal Year.

The amendment, which passed via a voice vote, was sponsored by Senator Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon. It will lead to the same results desired in a standalone bill refiled in the House with bipartisan backing by Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon, and Florida Republican Representative Brian Mast, who lost both legs while serving in the Army in Afghanistan. Collectively they are the co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. 

The more recent measure that just passed in The Senate Appropriations Committee “simply says, in states that have a medical cannabis program, that a veteran’s doctor can talk to their veteran patient about the pros and cons of medical cannabis and fill out related paperwork should a veteran decide to participate in a state program where such paperwork is required,” Merkley said. 

The amendment yields the same outcome as The Veterans Equal Access Act, which has not yet been implemented despite passing in committees and clearing floor approval multiple times with bipartisan (not to mention veteran) support. 

In December of 2022, a coalition of more than 20 veterans service organizations (VSOs) wrote a letter to congressional leaders that just about had to beg lawmakers to pass a cannabis and veterans research bill before the end of the previous Congress session. 

“For decades, many veterans have called for medicinal cannabis as an option for treating the unseen wounds of war and other injuries sustained through service,” the letter reads. “Veterans and caregivers have consistently communicated their anecdotal experiences regarding how cannabis offers effective treatment in tackling some of the most pressing health concerns they face upon returning from war.” Given what vets give for this country, and Americans now say that cannabis is safer than alcohol and cigarettes, it is more than a fair ask. 

No such legislation passed in time. However, thanks to the approval of the latest spending bill, vets can now talk to their doctors about medical cannabis. Research continues to show the valuable role cannabis can play in treating PTSD, depression, anxiety, and many other conditions that, unfortunately, are all too familiar among vets. 

Late last year, a study published in the journal Neuropharmacology by researchers from Wayne State University showed evidence that low doses of THC help treat adults with PTSD. While there is plenty of previous research on cannabis and trauma, this was the first to explore how THC affects corticolimbic brain activation. 

Additionally, for those vets with injuries or chronic pain, cannabis offers a safer and harm-reduction path to treating such pain and allows many vets to opt out of opiates. 

“We remain committed to the VA’s goal of conducting research into the efficacy of medicinal cannabis as a treatment for veterans with chronic pain, PTSD, and Traumatic Brain Injuries,” their letter continues. “However, as a Schedule I drug under the [Food and Drug Administration], research into the efficacy of cannabis has been stagnant, cumbersome, and convoluted with red tape. Federal research into cannabis faces many bureaucratic hurdles that hinder researchers.”

In related news, Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Iowa, filed different legislation in May that would promote research for treating conditions such as PTSD and chronic pain within the VA, and that’s just one of many bills currently making their way through Congress. 

In April, bipartisan House representatives and Senators also refiled bills to legalize medical marijuana for military veterans. If made into law, it would allow veterans to legally possess and use cannabis on a federal level (but following state law) as recommended by their doctor.

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On June 20, the Senate in Colombia officially rejected a measure that would have allowed recreational cannabis sales. With a 43 to 47 vote, the bill failed to pass with the necessary 54 votes that would have enabled it to pass through its eighth and final debate.

According to Sen. Juan Carlos Losada, the progress seen with this bill is not the end of discussions for adult-use legalization. “I don’t consider this a defeat; we have taken a giant step, four years of putting such a controversial issue at the top of the public agenda, of the public debate,” Losada said. “Continuing to leave a substance that is legal in the hands of the drug traffickers and drug dealers is detrimental to the children of Colombia and detrimental to the country’s democracy.”

A report from La Prensa Latina explained that the eighth debate initially began on June 15, but Senate President Alexander Lopez adjourned the session due to a “verbal confrontation” between Sen. Inti Asprilla (a supporter of the bill) and Sen. Jota Pe Hernandez (who opposed it). Debates resumed again on June 19 but the vote was delayed again due to lack of senators present. The vote was then held on June 20, just before the end of the legislative session.

Former President Álvaro Uribe passed Legislative Act (no. 2) in 2009, which altered Article 49 of the constitution. Under “Drugs, alcohol, and illegal substances,” it states that “The possession and the consumption of narcotic and psychoactive drugs is prohibited, except for medical prescription.” 

Since the passage of that constitutional amendment, multiple attempts have been made to expand cannabis access and pass legalization. In order to modify the Colombia constitution, a bill must pass in four debates in the Senate and four debates in the House of Representatives. After that, the bill would proceed to the president’s desk.

However, since the cannabis legalization bill did not pass in this debate, legislators will have to start over in the next attempt. This is the first time that a cannabis legalization initiative has reached the eighth session of debate.

Supporters of legalization expressed their excitement as the possibility of legalization grew. In May, the Chamber of Representatives passed the bill for its sixth debate. Rep. Losada Tweeted about the event. “#HISTÓRICO Approved with 98 votes our project of #CannabisDeUsoAdulto in 6th debate. Today @CamaraColombia It shows that we are a country that wants to change the failed prohibitionist drug policy to one based on prevention and public health,” Lasada wrote.

Earlier this month on June 6, the Senate passed the bill for its seventh debate. 

Following the bill rejection during the eighth debate, Losada wrote on Twitter that the effort is far from over. “We are sad, but convinced that we gave it our all to the end. We never thought to go that far,” he said. “Today we have majorities, 7 votes were missing. We have been in this fight for 4 years and we will not give up to write a new history in the fight against drugs. Thank you!”

Other supporters such as Sen. María José Pizarro also remain optimistic. “We will remain firm in defending the regulation of #CannabisDeUsoAdulto due to convictions; because the communities of our country have a different opportunity to violence and a job in legality. So that children and youth are not at the mercy of the mafias and jíbaros Colombia, we are going to put ourselves at the forefront #EsHoraDeRegular . @JuanKarloslos gracias!” Pizzaro wrote on Twitter.

In 2016, Colombia legalized medical cannabis production, sale, and export. In July 2021, former Colombia President Ivan Duque approved efforts for legal sales and global export of dried cannabis flower.

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The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence passed the FY24 Intelligence Authorization Act in a 17-0 vote on June 14, which includes a provision that prevents discrimination or denial of jobs in government intelligence agencies.

The bill was proposed by Sen. Ron Wyden, a senior member of the committee. “This bill includes historic bipartisan legislation reforming the country’s broken classification and declassification system,” said Wyden in a press release. “The bill also includes my provision to ensure that cannabis use will not disqualify intelligence community applicants from serving their country. It’s a commonsense change to ensure the IC [intelligence community] can recruit the most capable people possible. Finally, the bill includes critically important provisions to protect Intelligence Community whistleblowers.”

Previously in June 2022, Wyden filed an amendment that “prohibited any Federal agency from denying or revoking an individual’s eligibility for access to classified information solely because of past or present use of cannabis” last year. A second-degree amendment reduced to only intelligence agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and National Security Agency (NSA). The original text which described “past or present use” was changed to “pre-employment.”

Later in September 2022, Wyden’s proposal was met with opposition from Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. John Cornyn who objected to its inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

According to Chairman Mark Warner, the FY24 Intelligence Authorization Act “furthers the Committee’s efforts to reform the security clearance process, so that the IC can attract and expeditiously on-board a talented, diverse, and trusted workforce to meet the emerging challenges we face.”

On March 8, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines addressed the need for security clearance inclusions. “We recognize, frankly, that many states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana use and wanted to be sure that we’re not disqualifying people solely for that purpose in that context,” Haines said at the hearing.

“We obviously believe that we want to have the talent that exists in America—and when somebody is using it [cannabis] experimentally in a legal state that’s something that shouldn’t on its own essentially disqualify,” Haines continued. “We continue to approach this from a whole-person perspective. And we expect if anybody takes the job to comply with our policies and our laws in a trusted position.”

The discussion of security clearance for cannabis users goes further back to a memo from Haines in January 2022, following up from guidance signed in December 2021.

Other federal agencies have addressed cannabis consumption as well. 

Back in 2014, former FBI Director James Comey suggested that the agency should consider loosening employment rules for cannabis. “I have to hire a great work force to compete with those cyber criminals and some of those kids want to smoke weed on the way to the interview,” Comey said, according to an interview with Wall Street Journal.

The FBI originally disqualified any applicants of they had consumed cannabis within the past three years of their application. Now as of July 2021, the rule applies to cannabis use within one year.

In March, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revised its rules so that anyone who has legally cultivated, manufactured or sold cannabis would still be considered for a job. However, those who did so in violation of state law would be disqualified.

In May, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) updated its rules on cannabis use for applicants, stating that those who have used hemp-derived CBD products within one year prior to their application would be reviewed “on a case-by-case basis by adjudicative personnel.” Previously, the USSS based its rules around age, where 24 years or younger could apply after one year free of cannabis consumption, but 28 and older would not be eligible for at least five years after consumption.

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A bill to legalize cannabis in Colombia passed in the Senate on Tuesday. The primary focus of ending the war on cannabis is directly tied to halting organized crime, and illicit activities and addressing overpopulated prisons. Sen. María José Pizarro, the Senator behind the legislation, wrote in an op-ed last month that current cannabis prohibition “has enriched criminal organizations that continue to expand and sow terror around the world.”

“In parallel, a significant percentage of the increase in the population deprived of liberty worldwide corresponds to people arrested or prosecuted for possession and consumption, which has led to overcrowding and a prison crisis,” she added.

The constitutional amendment made its way through the Chamber of Representatives last month before passing in the Senate First Committee in a 15-4 vote. This signifies the seventh of eight votes required before the bill reaches Columbia’s progressive President Gustavo Petro’s desk. After its latest success, the legislation goes to the Senate floor, where voting should occur on June 16. 

While Petro hasn’t given a direct quote on his view of the legislation, proponents of the bill are hopeful, as Petro has supported the legalization of the legislation since his inauguration in August, historically speaking up against the horror that can arise from prohibition, particularly the power it gives dangerous illicit markets. 

Last year he addressed the UN to urge fellow nations to change their drug policy approach. The president often discusses the need to release people in prison for cannabis charges. Petro also discussed how a legal cannabis market could nurture Columbia’s economy. He noted that smaller towns, such as the Andes, could potentially enjoy a legal cannabis industry without licensing requirements. Petro is also open to creating an exportation business so Columbia can sell to other legal nations. 

Because the bill is a proposed constitutional amendment, under Columbia law, it must make it through the entire legislative process in each chamber twice, in different calendar years, to finally pass and come into effect. If it passes, the amendment will support “the right of the free development of the personality, allowing citizens to decide on the consumption of cannabis in a regulated legal framework,” it reads. It also aims to reduce the “arbitrary discriminatory or unequal treatment in front of the population that consumes.” It would include treatment centers for those with substance use disorders and provide public education campaigns. 

Another encouraging point Petro has brought up is the role cannabis could play in harm reduction by mitigating the demand for cocaine. The president, a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group, has survived firsthand violent conflict between guerrilla soldiers, narco paramilitary groups, and drug cartels. So far, Columbia’s combative drug enforcement policies have only worsened the problem. Colombia continues to be a major cocaine exporter, according to the United Nations Office of Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). As Justice Minister Néstor Osuna vocalized at a public hearing in the Senate panel in 2022, Colombia has been the victim of “a failed war that was designed 50 years ago and, due to absurd prohibitionism, has brought us a lot of blood, armed conflict, mafias and crime.” Back in 2020, Columbian lawmakers introduced legislation to regulate coca and, thus, cocaine production while admitting that the country’s historical attempts to address the problem failed. However, the bill died thanks to a conservative legislature. 

These problems are not unique to Columbia, and the president knows it. Last year, Petro met with Mexico’s president (the country is also considering cannabis legalization), and they announced efforts to unite Latin American leaders at an international conference focused on “redesigning and rethinking drug policy” given the “failure” of prohibition. 

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