#NORML #News Source: @norml @WeedConnection Posted By: norml@weedconnection.com media :: news - Tue, 08 Dec 2020 04:20:21 PST
Members of the US House of Representatives Vote to End Federal Marijuana Criminalization
Today's historic vote marks the first time in 50 years that a chamber of Congress has revisited the issue of marijuana prohibition
Washington, DC: Members of the House of Representatives voted today to approve the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3884, which removes marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act -- thereby eliminating the existing conflict between state and federal marijuana laws and providing states with the authority to be the primary arbiters of cannabis policy within their own jurisdictions. Currently, 36 states and Washington, DC regulate medical cannabis access; 15 of those states and Washington, DC have further legalized marijuana use and possession by adults.
Commenting on today's House floor vote, NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said:
"This is a historic day for marijuana policy in the United States. This vote marks the first time in 50 years that a chamber of Congress has ever revisited the classification of cannabis as a federally prohibited substance and sought to close the rapidly widening chasm between state and federal marijuana policies."
"By establishing this new trajectory for federal policy, we expect that more states will revisit and amend the archaic criminalization of cannabis, establish regulated consumer marketplaces, and direct law enforcement to cease the practice of arresting over half a million Americans annually for marijuna-related violations -- arrests which disproportionately fall upon those on people of color and those on the lower end of the economic spectrum."
In the 2020 election, voters in five additional states overwhelmingly decided in favor of ballot measures legalizing marijuana for either medical or adult use. Once these newly enacted laws are operational, more than one-third of Americans will reside in a jurisdiction where the adult use of marijuana is legal. This existing state/federal conflict is untenable and it is imperative that efforts to address it gain additional legislative momentum ahead of the incoming Biden-Harris Administration.
While campaigning, President-Elect Biden repeatedly called for the federal government to respect the rights of states that have voted to legalize and regulate marijuana access. Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris is the current lead sponsor of the Senate companion of the MORE Act, S. 2227.
NORML's Executive Director Erik Altieri added: "By going on the record with this vote, House members have set the stage for a much-needed legislative showdown in 2021 when we will have the Biden administration in office -- one that has publicly expressed an appetite for advancing the restorative justice remedies outlined in the MORE Act. We are primed and ready for this legislative debate and we expect, ultimately, to win it."
While the MORE Act federally deschedules cannabis, it does not mandate states that have criminalized marijuana to amend their policies. That decision remains up to individual state governments and/or their voters.
More information @ https://norml.org/news/2020/12/04/members-of-the-us-house-of-representatives-vote-to-end-federal-marijuana-criminalization
MORE Act Clears Final Committee Ahead of Floor Vote
Washington, DC: Members of the House Rules Committee on Wednesday advanced the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3884, which removes marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act - thereby eliminating the existing conflict between state and federal marijuana laws. The legislation is expected to be considered on the floor of the House of Representatives as soon as this Friday.
"The historic nature of this vote cannot be overstated," said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. "For the first time in American history, the public will see the 'People's House' vote to end the senseless, cruel, and racist policy of marijuana criminalization and prohibition."
He added, "We give our thanks to the leadership of Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern and to the hundreds of other members of Congress, their staffs, and other advocates and allies who worked diligently to ensure that we made it to this moment."
In addition to federally descheduling marijuana, the MORE Act would also make several other important changes to federal marijuana policy. For example, it permits physicians affiliated with the Veterans Administration for the first time to make medical cannabis recommendations to qualifying veterans who reside in legal states, and it incentivizes states to move ahead with expungement policies that will end the stigma and lost opportunities suffered by those with past, low-level cannabis convictions. The MORE Act also allows the Small Business Administration to support entrepreneurs and businesses as they seek to gain a foothold in this emerging industry.
Federal Report: Marijuana Treatment Admissions Among Youth Decline Sharply in Legalization States
Washington, DC: The number of adolescents admitted to drug treatment programs for marijuana-related issues has fallen precipitously in states that have legalized and regulated its adult-use, according to data published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report, entitled Trends in Adolescent Treatment Admissions for Marijuana in the United States, 2008-2017, finds, "The mean annual admissions rate for all states declined over the study period by nearly half, from 60 (admissions per 10,000 adolescents) in 2008 to 31 in 2017." States experiencing the "steepest level of admissions decline" were among those that had enacted adult-use legalization laws.
Commenting on the study, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said, "These findings add to the growing body of scientific literature showing that legalization policies can be implemented in a manner that provides access for adults while simultaneously limiting youth access and misuse."
While the report's author suggested various possible reasons for the downward trend, he did not assess whether declining marijuana admissions rates were correlated with changes in marijuana law enforcement and sentencing. Data published in 2017 in the journal Substance Use & Misuse reported that over half of all young people entered into drug treatment for marijuana are placed there by the criminal justice system.
The CDC report concludes, "[T]his research suggests that a precipitous national decline in adolescent treatment admissions [is occurring], particularly in states legalizing recreational marijuana use.
Separate studies have similarly reported that the prevalence of problematic marijuana use (so-called cannabis use disorder, a/k/a CUD) among young people and adults has declined steadily since 2002.
In addition, a 2019 study published in JAMA Pediatrics concluded: "Consistent with the results of previous researchers, there was no evidence that the legalization of medical marijuana encourages marijuana use among youth. Moreover, the estimates reported ... showed that marijuana use among youth may actually decline after legalization for recreational purposes. This latter result is consistent ... with the argument that it is more difficult for teenagers to obtain marijuana as drug dealers are replaced by licensed dispensaries that require proof of age."
Additional information regarding marijuana use patterns among young people is available from the NORML fact sheet "Marijuana Regulation and Teen Use Rates."
Arizona: Personal Use Provisions of Prop. 207 Now in Effect
Phoenix, AZ: Several of the provisions in Proposition 207, the citizens' initiated ballot measure legalizing the adult-use marijuana market, took effect on Monday following the certification of the 2020 election results by the office of the Secretary of State.
Provisions legalizing marijuana possession (up to one ounce of cannabis and up to five grams of concentrates), use, and personal cultivation (up to six plants for non-commercial purposes in a private residence) immediately became law. Separate provisions licensing adult-use marijuana businesses and facilitating the expungement of past criminal convictions take effect in 2021.
"The certification of Prop. 207 marks a historic day for Arizona," said NORML State Policies Coordinator Carly Wolf. "Voters made their voices heard by rejecting the failed policy of prohibition, and now otherwise law-abiding adults no longer need to live in fear of prosecution and the lifelong collateral consequences that come with it for possessing a plant."
Following the passage of the measure on Election Day, most county prosecutors had begun the process of dismissing marijuana possession cases. Under prior law, minor marijuana possession offenses in the state could be prosecuted as felonies and were among the strictest in the nation.
The full text of Prop. 207 is available online. For additional information, contact Carly Wolf, NORML State Policies Coordinator or visit Arizona NORML. A livestream discussion regarding the new law is available from NORML.
Opponents File Lawsuits in Multiple States Seeking to Overturn Legalization Initiative Results
Jackson, MS: Litigation is pending in three states -- Mississippi, Montana, and South Dakota -- to invalidate successful statewide ballot measures legalizing marijuana access.
Commenting on the litigation, NORML's Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "These are cynical attempts to undermine the democratic process. Legalization opponents have shown time and time again that they cannot succeed in either the court of public opinion or at the ballot box. Thus, they are now asking judges to set aside the votes of over a million Americans in a desperate effort to override undisputed election outcomes. Whether or not one supports marijuana legalization, Americans should be outraged at these overtly undemocratic tactics."
In Mississippi, where 73 percent of voters decided in favor of Measure 65 legalizing medical cannabis access, the state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments specific to a lawsuit filed by the city of Madison. City officials filed the legal challenge days prior to the election claiming that the legislature's failure to update guidelines for petitioners should invalidate the initiative vote. Notably, litigants failed to challenge the legal status of a separate initiative that also appeared on the 2020 ballot, despite the fact that petitioners for that initiative acted no differently than did those who advocated for the marijuana measure.
In Montana, where 57 percent of voters decided in favor of Initiative 190 legalizing the adult-use marijuana market, a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the opposition group Wrong For Montana. Their suit claims that the initiative language is unconstitutional because it earmarks a portion of tax revenues from retail marijuana sales. Plaintiffs contend that only the legislature can determine how tax revenue is spent. The suit seeks to void the entirety of the initiative language, not just the portion of the initiative relevant to appropriating tax revenues. Litigants filed a similar legal challenge just prior to the election, but the Supreme Court declined to hear the case at that time.
In South Dakota, where 54 percent of voters decided in favor of Constitutional Amendment A legalizing the adult-use marijuana market, a pair of law enforcement officers recently filed suit seeking to invalidate the vote based upon the claim that the ballot language violates the state's single subject rule. Notably, plaintiffs have not similarly challenged a separate 2020 ballot initiative, also passed by voters, legalizing the production and dispensing of medical cannabis. In Nebraska, opponents of a proposed medical marijuana legalization measure successfully litigated to keep it off the ballot by making a similar legal argument. The office of Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, who publicly opposed both South Dakota legalization initiatives, is reportedly providing a proportion of the funding for the legal challenge.
Prior to the election, marijuana legalization opponents in Arizona also filed a lawsuit attempting have Proposition 207: The Smart and Safe Arizona Act struck from the ballot. That litigation was unsuccessful. Arizonans ultimately passed the marijuana legalization measure by a margin of 60 percent to 40 percent.
Study: Migraine Sufferers Report Cannabis to Be More Effective Than Conventional Treatments
Boulder, CO: Migraine sufferers who use both cannabis and conventional anti-migraine treatments say that medical marijuana provides them with a greater degree of relief from their symptoms, according to data published in the journal Complimentary Therapies in Medicine.
A team of investigators affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder examined cannabis use patterns among 161 subjects who reported suffering from migraines.
Seventy-six percent of study participants endorsed the use of cannabis for their condition. Those who did so typically reported suffering from more severe migraines than those who did not. Authors further reported, "Among migraineurs who relied on both cannabis and non-cannabis products, cannabis products led to significantly more migraine relief (90 percent relief) than non-cannabis products (60 percent relief), a finding that, to our knowledge, has not been reported previously."
Authors concluded: "Our preliminary findings elucidate the experience of migraine and migraine severity in a large sample of cannabis users [and] provide evidence for the utility of cannabis for mitigating migraine-related pain. ... Future placebo-controlled studies are needed to determine the cannabis forms, potencies, and dosages that are most effective at mitigating migraine symptoms."
Survey data published in October reported that nearly one-third of patients with migraines have tried cannabis for symptom management, and the majority of those who have done so report it to be effective. Writing this past July in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, a team of University of New Mexico researchers similarly reported that that the majority of subjects in their sample (94 percent) experienced migraine relief within two hours of inhaling marijuana.
Separate data published this past summer in the journal Brain Sciences reported that the inhalation of cannabis long-term was associated with reductions in migraine frequency. Another study, published in 2019 in the Journal of Pain, reported that "inhaled cannabis reduces headache and migraine severity ratings by approximately 50 percent." A 2016 study of 121 migraine sufferers reported that the frequency of headaches decreased from 10.4 to 4.6 migraine headaches per month following the initiation of cannabis.
Full text of the study, "Experience of migraine, its severity, and perceived efficacy of treatments among cannabis users," appears in Complimentary Therapies in Medicine. Additional information on the use of cannabinoids for migraine is available from NORML.
Study: Older Patients Report Improved Quality of Life with Medical Cannabis
Chicago, IL: Medical cannabis consumers over the age of 60 report that cannabis therapy improves their quality of life and reduces their use of pharmaceutical medications, according to data published in the journal Clinical Gerontologist.
A pair of researchers affiliated with Concordia University, Center for Gerontology conducted a qualitative inquiry of state-registered medical cannabis patients age 64 and older.
Similar to the findings of prior studies assessing medical cannabis use among older adults - such as those here, here, here, and here - the majority of the study's participants "reported satisfaction with being able to use medical cannabis to manage symptoms, get relief from pain, and have an improved quality of life all while lessening their dependence on pharmaceutical drugs."
By contrast, many subjects expressed frustration with the lack of guidance on the subject of medical marijuana provided by their primary care physician. Health professionals frequently report being hesitant to speak to their patients about medical cannabis because of a lack of formal training in the subject.
Authors concluded: "Most of our participants were retired, unemployed, or receiving disability benefits due to a chronic condition, yet they did note improvements in their ability to manage symptoms and productivity. Pain control was consistently described as one of the most important outcomes of medical cannabis use, and this must be considered in relation to public policy, medical symptom management, and long-term care regulations."
Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis use: Exploring the perceptions and experiences of older adults with chronic conditions," appears in Clinical Gerontologist.
