National News - December 2021

 

Ohio Flying

Ohio - Medical marijuana has been legal since 2016 in Ohio. In 2018 the first medical dispensary licenses were issued there. Reported mid-November there were more than 1,400 new applications for medical marijuana dispensary licenses. Each applicant paid a $5000 application fee. Only 73 licenses will be issued. The licenses are chosen through a lottery system of people who apply that meet specific requirements, as well as issued by county. When the new licenses are distributed the number of medical dispensaries in Ohio will be doubled from what they are now.

Reported last month in the Michigan Marijuana Report, Ohio State Representatives proposed the “Ohio Adult-Use Act” in the middle of October. The Adult-Use Act is an act for the processing, distributing, growing, and selling of marijuana for those 21-year-old and over living in Ohio.

While waiting for the Adult-Use Act to come into place the lucky 73 medical dispensary winners, along with the already active dispensaries, will have a healthy head start in their sales.

High on the Hill

D.C. - District of Columbia, voted for Initiative 71 in 2014. The initiative legalized personal use, possession, and growing of weed at home in D.C.. There are no laws in place for recreational sales. Medical marijuana became legal in the District in 1998, and there have been medical dispensaries there since 2013.

D.C. is now enacting drafts for laws to legalize recreational sales. The bill is being sponsored by Democrat Chairman Phil Mendelson. Mendelson stated it would, “require a regulatory scheme to license the cultivation, production, and retail sale of cannabis in the District.” https://www.marijuanamoment.net/d-c-lawmakers-hold-joint-hearing-on-marijuana-legalization-bill-in-anticipation-of-end-to-federal-ban/

The law proposes that 50 percent of taxes generated from the sale of weed would be used for a Community Reinvestment Program Fund. Mendelson said the bill, “seeks to create a comprehensive regulatory framework for the cultivation, production and sale of recreational cannabis while centering reinvestment and opportunities for people in the communities hit hardest by the drug war.” The tax rate would be 13 percent for recreational weed, and six percent for medical marijuana sales.

Democrat, Eleanor Holmes Norton, congresswomen who represents the District of Columbia, Congress, said in a tweet on November 18th, “The timing of @CouncilOfDC’s hearing tomorrow on legislation to commercialize recreational marijuana couldn’t be better, as I am closer than ever to getting the anti-home-rule rider preventing commercialization removed from the DC Appropriations bill.”

It is looking good for a win for weed for the District of Columbia. Marijuana Moment wrote, “…another group of activists recently announced an effort to pressure local lawmakers to enact broad drug decriminalization, with a focus on promoting harm reduction programs, in the nation’s capital. A poll released last month found that voters are strongly in favor of proposals.”

Biden's FDA Pick is in on the Weed

Ohio - Biden’s FDA pick Robert Califf is positive on marijuana prescriptions. He himself, as a doctor, has prescribed weed.

“We understand that people have identified a number of possible uses of marijuana and marijuana-derived products. For example, AIDS wasting, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and chemotherapy-induced nausea,” Califf said. “And I had the chance to prescribe some of this in my cardiology practice in people with extreme heart failure who get a wasting cachectic syndrome.” https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bidens-fda-pick-prescribed-cannabinoid-medicine-and-recognized-marijuanas-therapeutic-potential/

According to the Marijuana Moment article, “Califf also noted that FDA has approved synthetic cannabis products like Marinol for the treatment of anorexia associated with AIDS and nausea related to chemotherapy treatment.”

The nomination could be a key component of federal legalization, or the beginnings of the real facts of the medical benefits of weed being realized and thus pushed to the forefront of federal legalization discussions.

C'mon Indiana

Indiana - According to Indiana Democrats in a November 15th Twitter post, “Right now, Hoosiers are handing states like Michigan and Illinois millions of dollars in revenue for legal cannabis. It’s time to legalize weed because it’ll create jobs, bring opportunity to farmers, and deliver revenue to Indiana’s economy. #LegalizeIN.”

It is time, but when will they free the weed?

The citizens are waiting. On the same day, the Indiana Democrats also tweeted that “More than 80% of Hoosiers support some form of marijuana legalization. Also, 78% of Hoosiers believe no person should be charged with simple possession.”

Local Indiana news, WishTV.com reported, “The Indiana Democrats’ legislative proposal is bound to be stymied by the supermajority of Republicans in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, said during his reelection campaign in 2020 more study is needed before Indiana allows marijuana for medical use.” https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news/indiana-democrats-call-for-marijuana-legalization/

Currently, medical marijuana is still illegal in Indiana. It is one of 14 states that have no medical marijuana law in place.