Chuck Schumer Announces Plans To Federally Decriminalize Marijuana

In what could be seen as a 420 gift to the cannabis community, Chuck Schumer announces plans to federally decriminalize marijuana. The Democratic senator from New York made his intentions known in an interview with Vice News on April 19.

Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, said he is now officially supporting legislation that would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. The move is a change for Schumer. He has previously supported marijuana for medicinal use and the rights of states to set their own cannabis policy. But now he thinks that all uses of cannabis should no longer carry federal criminal penalties.

“Ultimately, it’s the right thing to do. Freedom. If smoking marijuana doesn’t hurt anybody else, why shouldn’t we allow people to do it and not make it criminal?” he said.

He also noted that current cannabis laws are too harsh.

“I’ve seen too many people’s lives ruined because they had small amounts of marijuana and served time in jail much too long,” he said.

De-scheduling And More

Schumer expects to introduce his new bill in the Senate sometime next week. The legislation includes several changes to federal cannabis policy, although the senator stopped short of calling the measure “legalization.”

First, the law would remove marijuana from the list of substances covered by the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). That would effectively end federal prohibition and allow the states to create their own cannabis regulations.

The bill will also include funding to research the effects of cannabis as well as its ability to impair driving a motor vehicle. Tax money would also be used to encourage the creation of marijuana businesses owned by women and minorities.

Finally, Schumer’s bill maintains “federal authority to regulate marijuana advertising in the same way it does alcohol and tobacco.” The senator said that provision is an effort to prevent cannabis businesses from marketing to children.

Schumer Joins Other Democrats, New Yorkers

Schumer is now one of several Democrats in the Senate calling for a change in federal marijuana policy. Last year, Sen. Cory Booker from New Jersey introduced the Marijuana Justice Act in the Senate. Rep. Barbara Lee of California joined Booker and sponsored the measure in the House of Representatives.

That bill would remove cannabis from the CSA, as well. It also contains provisions aimed at repairing some of the damage by the United States’ failed War on Drugs. The measure also includes language that would withhold federal funding from states that continue to criminalize marijuana and prosecute minorities disproportionately.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Democrat from Vermont who has long been a proponent of de-scheduling cannabis, just announced his support for Booker’s bill, also on April 19.

Schumer is joining other prominent New Yorkers who have already expressed support for a change in cannabis policy. Cynthia Nixon, who is running for governor of New York, recently announced her desire to change cannabis laws in an effort to promote fairness.

“The simple truth is, for white people, the use of marijuana has effectively been legal for a long time. Isn’t it time we legalize it for everybody else?” she said in a campaign video.

One day later, Democratic incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo jumped on the bandwagon. Because Massachusetts already has legal cannabis and other nearby states like New Jersey are poised to do so, Cuomo said that “for all intents and purposes, it is going to be here anyway.”

Final Hit: Chuck Schumer Announces Plans To Federally Decriminalize Marijuana

If decriminalization succeeds, perhaps you’ll see Schumer at a future 420 party. Although he hasn’t smoked pot yet, he might be up for giving it a try, he told Vice.

“Maybe, I’m a little old, but who knows?” he said.

Bernie Sanders Announces He Will Co-Sponsor Marijuana Justice Act

Bernie Sanders supported marijuana policy reform way before it became popular. Back when he was running for president in 2016, the Vermont senator made history by supporting marijuana legalization. Since then, Sanders has continued to advocate for ending the War on Drugs. Furthermore, he has petitioned the federal government for policy changes and worked to reevaluate marijuana’s Schedule I classification. In his latest pro-marijuana move, Bernie Sanders announces he will co-sponsor Marijuana Justice Act. Here’s a closer look at the proposed marijuana policy and its growing political support.

The Marijuana Justice Act

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker introduced the bill back in August. Since then, Representatives Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna have co-sponsored the House version of the Marijuana Justice Act. According to Marijuana Majority leader Tom Angell, “This is the single most far-reaching marijuana bill that’s ever been filed in either chamber of Congress.”

The act has four major components: It would legalize marijuana on the federal level, retroactively clear all marijuana-related federal convictions, allocate $500 million for job training in communities affected by the War on Drugs and cut law enforcement funding for states that arrest a disproportionate number of people of color.

The Act’s Co-Sponsors

Many other Democrats have stepped up to support the Marijuana Justice Act. To date, twenty-seven legislators are co-sponsoring the bill. Senior Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon was the first senator to co-sponsor the act after Senator Booker introduced it.

In February, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also announced her support. Senator Gillibrand has repeatedly spoken out against Sessions’ marijuana crackdown, tweeting that [Sessions] is “either willfully ignorant or cowing to corporate greed on behalf of pharma special interest profits.”

Advocates for marijuana legalization are hoping that the Democratic Party will work together to make lasting policy reform. NORML political director Justin Strekal told Forbes, “With Senator Sanders co-sponsoring the Marijuana Justice Act alongside Senators Booker and Gillibrand, it’s time for the party to speak with one voice that they will legalize marijuana and expunge the criminal convictions of the millions who are being held back from achieving both employment and the American dream.”

Senator Sanders Has A History of Supporting Legalization

Bernie Sanders announces he will co-sponsor Marijuana Justice Act after years of work on marijuana policy. Years ago, Sen. Sanders introduced the first Senate bill to reschedule marijuana. This legislation also would have stopped private companies from running jails.

Sanders has been a longtime advocate for prison reform, and through it, marijuana policy change. When he ran for President, the Senator became the first serious candidate who said he would vote in favor of legalization.

Sanders has continued to champion legalization in 2018. Earlier this year, the Senator asked those who supported him in his presidential run to petition Congress. Sanders wrote in his mass email: “Marijuana prohibition is part of a larger failed war on drugs that has led to the great national crisis of mass incarceration.”

Final Hit: Bernie Sanders Announces He Will Co-Sponsor Marijuana Justice Act

Sanders has a long record of advocating for prison reform. Thus, the Senator’s co-sponsorship of the Marijuana Justice Act comes as no surprise to his loyal constituents. This does not make the bill’s growing support any less significant. Not only would the Marijuana Justice Act legalize marijuana nationally, but it would help undo decades of racial policing.

Medical Marijuana Bill Moves Forward in South Carolina

After action by a legislative committee, the medical marijuana bill moves forward in South Carolina. Members of the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs (3M) Committee voted 14-3 to send the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act to the full House for consideration. The bill would allow seriously ill patients with a doctor’s recommendation to use medical marijuana to treat their conditions.

Janel Ralph is the executive director of the advocacy group Compassionate South Carolina. Her eight-year-old daughter has a rare seizure disorder. She said the that the committee’s vote is a step in the right direction.

“The diligent work of patients, advocates, and supportive lawmakers is paying off, and South Carolinians are closer to finding relief with medical cannabis than ever before,” Ralph said.

“This issue needs to stay at the forefront of the legislature’s attention, and we will continue working to educate them about the need for a compassionate medical cannabis program in our state. Patients will continue to suffer until this bill is passed and implemented.”

“We commend lawmakers for allowing the Compassionate Care Act to progress this far, and urge them not to delay taking it up when the next legislative session begins,” she added.

Democrat Leon Howard represents Columbia in the House and is the chair of the 3M committee. He told local media that the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act would be a positive measure for the state.

“I believe we did the right thing by approving this bill,” Howard said. “Our intent is to help the thousands of patients who can benefit from this medical treatment, including retired military personnel and children who suffer from debilitating illnesses.”

But, he said, those patients will probably have to continue to wait.

“I want supporters of the bill to understand that it is highly unlikely that this bill or any other medical cannabis bill becomes law during this legislative session. That makes it all the more important to contact your elected officials and urging them to support this bill.”

Senate Passed Version Last Month

The Senate Medical Affairs Committee passed a similar measure in March by a vote of 8-6. Under the proposals, patients with “debilitating” conditions would be allowed to use medical marijuana and cannabis products.

The law defines an “allowable amount of medical cannabis” as up to two ounces. The law makes patients with cancer, HIV, PTSD and conditions causing severe pain, nausea or seizures eligible to use medical marijuana. They would have to receive a card from the Department of Health and Environmental Control in order to participate.

A 2014 law allows South Carolina epilepsy patients limited access to medicinal cannabis. But they can use only CBD, and only in approved clinical trials.

Final Hit: Medical Marijuana Bill Moves Forward in South Carolina

Legislative procedures will prevent the Compassionate Care Act from being made law this session because a key deadline has already passed. But activists believe the committee votes in the House and Senate will lead to passage of the bill next year.

A 2016 poll by Winthrop found that 78 percent of South Carolinians support legalizing medical marijuana.

Marijuana's effects on young brains diminish 72 hours after use, research says

Marijuana is notorious for slowing certain cognitive functions such as learning, memory and attention span (maybe that's why they call it "dope"?). But new research in young people suggests that these cognitive effects, while significant, may not persist for very long, even among chronic users.

The meta-analysis, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, combines data from 69 previous studies that look at the effects of heavy cannabis use on cognitive functioning in adolescents and young adults. It found that those young people who identified as heavy marijuana users scored significantly lower than non-users in a variety of cognitive domains such as learning, abstraction, speed of processing, delayed memory, inhibition and attention.

"There have been a couple of meta-analyses done in adult samples, but this is the first one to be done specifically in adolescent and young adult samples," said Cobb Scott, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a lead author of the study.

"We looked at everything from learning and memory to different aspects of executive functioning such as abstraction ability," Scott said. "And we basically showed that the largest effects -- which was around a third of a standard deviation -- was in the learning of new information and some aspects of executive functioning, memory and speed of processing."

Weed users found to have poorer verbal memory in middle age

But when the researchers separated the studies based on length of abstinence from marijuana use, the difference in cognitive functioning between marijuana users and non-users was no longer apparent after 72 hours of marijuana abstinence. That could be an indication "that some of the effects found in previous studies may be due to the residual effects of cannabis or potentially from withdrawal effects in heavy cannabis users," Scott said.

The study comes as America continues to debate the merits of marijuana legalization. Recreational marijuana use is legal in nine states. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized some form of medical marijuana use, with at least three additional states potentially deciding on the issue in the upcoming November election, according to Melissa Moore, New York deputy state director for the nonprofit Drug Policy Alliance.

Studies on the long-term cognitive effects of marijuana use among adolescents and young adults have shown inconsistent results. A 2008 study reported that frequent or early-onset cannabis use among adolescents was associated with poorer cognitive performance in tasks requiring executive functioning, attention and episodic memory.

A 2014 study also warned against the use of marijuana during adolescence, when certain parts of the brain responsible for executive functioning -- such as the prefrontal cortex -- are still developing.

"There have been very important studies showing evidence for irreversible damage (from marijuana use), and so there needs to be more research in this area," said Kevin Sabet, assistant adjunct professor at the Yale School of Medicine and president of the nonprofit Smart Approaches to Marijuana, who was not involved in the new study.

"I hope they're right. We want there to be little effect after 72 hours. But given the other studies that have had very large sample sizes that have been published over the past five years in prominent journals, I think we need to look into that more," added Sabet, whose group is focused on the harms of marijuana legalization.

Marijuana legalization could help offset opioid epidemic, studies find

But a number of recent studies have also shown that the association between marijuana use and reduced cognitive functioning disappears after controlling for factors such as psychiatric illness and substance use disorders, according to Scott.

In an attempt to make sense of these discordant results, the new research combined data from 69 previous studies, resulting in a comparison of 2,152 frequent marijuana users with 6,575 non-users. Participants ranged in age from 10 to 50, with an average age of 21.

The researchers found that, overall, the cognitive functioning of frequent marijuana users was reduced by one-third of a standard deviation compared with non-frequent marijuana users -- a relatively small effect size, according to Scott.

"It surprised, I think, all of us doing this analysis that the effects were not bigger than we found," Scott said. "But I would say that the clinical significance of a quarter of a standard deviation is somewhat questionable."

But according to Sabet, even a relatively small effect size could be important, especially in a large meta-analysis such as this one.

"The small effect size may be meaningful in a large population, and again, all (cognitive) measures are worse for those using marijuana," Sabet said.

"The study is pretty bad news for marijuana users," he added. "Overall, I think this is consistent with the literature that marijuana use shows worse cognitive outcomes among users versus non-users."

In an effort to identify other potential factors that could have affected the relationship between marijuana use and cognition, the researchers also separated the studies based on the length of marijuana abstinence, age of first cannabis use, sociodemographic characteristics and clinical characteristics such as depression.

Of these, only the length of marijuana abstinence was found to significantly affect the association between chronic marijuana use and reduced cognitive functioning. Specifically, cognitive functioning appeared to return to normal after about 72 hours of marijuana abstinence -- a threshold identified in previous studies, according to Scott.

"The reason we chose the 72-hour mark is that in looking at the data on cannabis withdrawal effects in heavy cannabis users, 72 hours seems to be past the peak of most withdrawal effects that occur," he said.

Marijuana legalization by the numbers

However, the 69 studies included in the review did not have a uniform definition for "chronic" or "frequent" marijuana use, one of the study's main limitations, according to Sabet.

"When you put all of these studies together that have different definitions of marijuana users and are from different times, it's not surprising that you'd get a smaller effect size," Sabet said.

The studies also relied on a variety of tests to determine cognitive functioning, including the Trail Making Test, the Digital Span Memory Test and the California Verbal Learning test, according to Scott.

"The other thing that's important to highlight is that we're only looking at cognitive functioning. We're not looking at risks for other adverse outcomes with cannabis use, like risk for psychosis, risks for cannabis use problems or other medical issues like lung functioning outcomes," Scott said.

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But the results still suggest that the negative cognitive effects of marijuana use, while significant in the short-term, probably diminish with time. They also shed light on the need for more research in this area, particularly as cannabis policy in the United States continues to change at a rapid pace.

"As attitudes change about cannabis use and cannabis use becomes a little bit more accepted in terms of policy and government regulation and medical cannabis use increases, I think we need to have a real understanding of the potential risks and benefits of cannabis use," Scott said.

Pennsylvania to Make Whole-Plant Cannabis Flower Available to Patients

Dry leaf cannabis is coming to Pennsylvania dispensaries following a decision by the state Department of Health, which on Monday approved a move to make whole-plant cannabis flower available to state medical marijuana patients.

The move is expected to lower costs and improve patient access to cannabis, which went on sale to qualified patients in February. The program currently permits only oils and concentrates.

“Dry leaf or flower will be sold in Pennsylvania dispensaries in a form that can be vaporized, not smoked, later this summer.”

Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania Health Secretary

Smoking cannabis would still be prohibited under the new rule, which is aimed at allowing patients to vaporize the plant. But while state law prohibits dispensaries from selling products designed to be smoked, patients advocates such as Chris Goldstein have pointed out that cannabis flower sold for vaping could also be smoked.

Still, the law is clear: “Dry leaf or flower will be sold in Pennsylvania dispensaries in a form that can be vaporized, not smoked, later this summer,” Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in a statement. But in practice, the two forms are indistinguishable, and it’s not clear what measures, if any, the state may take to prevent patients from smoking the plant.

Other changes approved by the Health Department would expand the list of qualifying conditions, eliminate the need for patients to pay for a medical cannabis ID card more than once per year, allow doctors to opt-out of a public list of registered physicians, and require children’s recommendations to be certified by a pediatrician or pediatric specialist.

Only a few states have adopted medical cannabis programs that explicitly forbid the sale of smokable flower. Some that have, such as Minnesota, have struggled to attract patients or move them out of the illicit market. Others, such as Florida, have been hit with legal challenges.

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“Allowing cannabis in its natural, flower form and expanding the list of qualifying conditions will have a huge positive impact on seriously ill Pennsylvanians,” Becky Dansky, legislative counsel for the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a statement. The advocacy group said that the current restriction on whole-plant cannabis has led to product shortages and “prohibitively expensive” medicine across the state.

In Florida, where the state’s medical cannabis law prohibits smokable flower, a judge last week ruled that a 77-year-old man could grow his own cannabis for juicing. None of the treatment centers licensed in that state currently offer whole-plant or juicing products, yet a doctor recommended cannabis juice as part of treatment to prevent a relapse of stage-four lung cancer.

A separate lawsuit challenging Florida’s ban on smokable forms of cannabis is scheduled to go to trial next month.

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John Morgan Sues to Overturn Florida’s Smokeable-Cannabis Ban

In Pennsylvania, the changes approved by Health Department are set to take effect on May 12, when the agency promulgates official regulations.

“By being able to provide medical marijuana in plant form, producers will be able to get medicine into the hands of patients much more quickly and for much lower cost to patients,” Dansky said. “This is vitally important for patient access right now while the program is still getting off the ground and production is not yet at full capacity. We hope these rules are promulgated as quickly as possible so even more patients will be able to find relief.”

According to the state government, more than 30,000 patients have registered to participate in the medical cannabis program, with more than 10,000 having received ID cards and purchased cannabis at a dispensary. Nearly 1,000 physicians have registered for the program, with more than half of those having been certified.

Medical Marijuana Legalization Stalls in Michigan, South Dakota

Ann Arbor imposes moratorium on new marijuana dispensaries

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Ann Arbor is temporarily halting new medical cannabis dispensaries after more than 30 recently applied for permits to operate in the city.

The Ann Arbor News reported that the City Council voted unanimously Monday, April 16, 2018, to impose a 60-day moratorium on issuing new permits as it considers limiting the number of dispensaries allowed in the city. Dispensaries that have already received zoning approval or that have applications currently under consideration will be exempt.

Ann Arbor officials say the high interest in setting up dispensaries warrants taking time to review the city’s regulations. Council members cited concern over the effect medical cannabis facilities could have on the community over time.

The Jackson Citizen Patriot reported that petitioners in Leoni Township, 31 miles west of Ann Arbor, were also calling for a moratorium on medical cannabis application approvals until the effects and environmental impact are thoroughly examined.

Effort to bring medical marijuana to public vote fails

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Supporters of allowing medical cannabis in South Dakota have failed to bring the matter to a public vote.

A petition to put medical cannabis legalization on the November general election ballot was rejected because it didn’t have enough valid signatures.

South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs said a random sampling determined that the petition with about 15,000 names had only about 9,500 valid signatures — far short of the 13,871 required. The rejection can be challenged in court.

New Orleans is About To Get Its First Medical Marijuana Dispensary

The Big Easy is about to pass a major milestone in the ongoing expansion of Louisiana’s medical marijuana program. Thanks to a come from behind victory from the second-generation owner of a father-son pharmacy that’s been in business since the sixties, New Orleans is about to get its first medical marijuana dispensary.

Louisiana Awards Dispensary Permit To New Orleans Pharmacist With Roots In The Community

On Tuesday, the Louisiana Pharmacy Board awarded Ruston Henry, pharmacist and owner of H&W Drug Store, with a permit to operate one of the state’s first ten medical marijuana dispensaries.

Founded in 1961, H&W Drug Store has changed hands and changed locations a couple of times over the years. But the pharmacy has always been a fixture of New Orleans’ 9th Ward, serving the community for over half a century.

Ruston, the son of Sterling J. Henry, took over the family business from his father in 1999. And in a last-ditch effort to win the permit, he appealed to that sense of tradition.

Henry’s testimony certainly worked. Because going into the advisory panel’s discussion, a subcommittee of the Pharmacy Board had ranked H&W Drug Store fourth out of five applicants for Region 1. Region 1 includes New Orleansand neighboring cities.

The board ultimately rejected the subcommittee’s first recommendation, The Rx Greenhouse, because of a poor choice of location that raised concerns among some members. The Rx Greenhouse, which operates another dispensary in Maryland, planned to set up shop in an existing building near an indoor playground area.

Seizing the opportunity, Henry made sure to convey to the board his pharmacy’s long-standing roots in the community. The board voted unanimously, at 9-0, to award the permit to H&W.

Louisiana Will Approve At Least Nine Medical Marijuana Dispensaries This Week

State health officials have divided Louisiana into nine designated healthcare regions. According to the state’s medical marijuana law, each region will initially get one dispensary. The Pharmacy Board plans to issue additional permits on an as-needed basis.

On Tuesday, the board approved permits for dispensaries in Regions 1 through 4. Located in Region 1, New Orleans is about to get its first medical marijuana dispensary, along with cities in the other three regions. The board will award permits to pharmacies in Regions 5-9 on Wednesday.

But restrictions built into the medical marijuana program will shape the kinds of products dispensaries can sell.

Louisiana law prohibits the sale of cannabis in any kind of smokable form. However, medical cannabis patients in Louisiana will be able to access the drug in pill, oil, spray and topical forms.

As in other states, patients will need a recommendation from a physician registered with the state’s medical marijuana program. Qualifying conditions include chronic, severe, debilitating diseases, like cancer, Crohn’s disease, and epilepsy.

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Louisiana will also face restrictions governing the source of cannabis products they can sell.

The raw, medical-grade cannabis can only come from agricultural centers at Southern University and Louisiana State University. And vendors under contract with those universities are the only ones that can process and manufacture non-smokable medical cannabis products.

The Final Hit: New Orleans is About To Get Its First Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Sales should begin a couple of months after the Pharmacy Board approves the initial round dispensaries for operation.

According to the current timeline, that means patients in New Orleans could access legal medical cannabis products as early as June.

20 Massachusetts Weed Businesses in Running for Recreational Licenses

Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) agreed to expedite the application process for the 20 Massachusetts weed businesses in running for recreational licenses. Details about the identities of the businesses that received prioritized review status were disclosed Tuesday night in a document available on the CCC website.

No conflicts of interest were reported in the spreadsheet. Several of the dispensaries are based in Boston, but other businesses are located in remote cities throughout the state, including Holliston, Fall River and Nantucket.

Massachusetts voters opted to legalize recreational marijuana statewide during the November 2016 election. But the implementation of the law has been delayed, as lawmakers continue to debate regulatory provisions such as taxation, which were included in the voter-approved initiative sponsored by the advocacy group, Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA).

The Future of Massachusetts’ Recreational Marijuana Market.

Recreational marijuana dispensaries are scheduled to open on July 1, 2018. But as local radio station WBUR reported, there’s uncertainty as to whether the state will be prepared to meet that deadline—in large part due to ongoing disputes over the regulatory policies governing Massachusetts’ recreational cannabis program.

“It is likely that the 17 existing medical marijuana establishments will be allowed to convert to retail sales,” WBUR reported in December 2017. “One problem facing the industry could be supply. Cultivators might not have enough time to grow an adequate amount of cannabis to meet demand. That could spell shortages and initially high prices soon after the doors open to retail sales.”

For business applicants that have met requirements for prioritized certification—including the 20 dispensaries recently approved—the commission is able to certify recreational licenses as early as June 1, 2018, according to the news site WickedLocal.

Steven Hoffman, chairman of the Cannabis Control Commission, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In earlier interviews, however, he insisted that transparency and efficiency represented key components of the recreational marijuana business approval process.

Final Hit: 20 Massachusetts Weed Businesses in Running for Recreational Licenses

Though it remains to be seen why the 20 dispensaries selected for an expedited review process were given such an advantage, Massachusetts has also put in place a separate process for “economic empowerment” candidates. That designation refers to cannabis dispensaries and businesses “connected to communities with high rates of drug-related arrests,” according to Boston Magazine.

Research demonstrates that people of color in low-income communities are at far greater risk of being arrested for marijuana-related offenses such as possession, and so the state’s “economic empowerment” program is one of several launched around the U.S. that aim to assist communities that have been adversely affected by racially biased marijuana enforcement practices, empowering community members to enter the legal industry.

Even so, none of the 20 marijuana dispensaries granted prioritized approval processes qualify under the “economic empowerment” program, as WickedLocal reported. Hoffman argued that his commission’s goal is to facilitate licensing approvals responsibly. Businesses that failed to provide the required information in their applications would be given five business days to amend their applications.

“Our philosophy and intent is to help people get those applications completed,” Hoffman told WickedLocal. “We’re not rejecting applications because they’re not complete, we’re going back and saying, ‘you need to provide this information.'”

Cynthia Nixon Plans To Improve Racial Justice By Legalizing Weed

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon announced last week that she’s running for governor of New York. During a private fundraiser, Nixon came out in support of recreational marijuana. Today, she clarified her stance on marijuana on Twitter. Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed. Here’s what we know about this gubernatorial candidate’s marijuana platform.

Why Cynthia Nixon Supports Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in New York

This actress turned politician plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed, as announced on Twitter. In a video she posted, Nixon explains, “I believe it’s time for New York to follow the lead of eight other states and D.C., and legalize recreational marijuana.”

Nixon is making marijuana a big part of her political campaign. “There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana,” she continues, “but for me it comes down to this: We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity.”

Cynthia Nixon goes on to list some alarming statistics. According to Nixon, black or Latino New Yorkers make up 80 percent of those arrested for cannabis. This is “despite the fact that whites and people of color use marijuana at roughly the same rates.”

New York Is Publishing Arrest Demographics

After a recent bill passage, the New York Police Department must publish arrest demographics online. This is following a City Council hearing in which evidence substantiated the claim that the police discriminate against people of color.

At this hearing, the City Council heard a report that found that 86 percent of people the police arrest for marijuana are Black or Latino. This doesn’t correspond to the population of New York City as only 52 percent are Black or Latino.

These figures are even higher than those Cynthia Nixon lists, but the trend is the same. Black and Latino New Yorkers are ten times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than Whites.

The Current Approach To Changing Arrest Demographics

The NYPD is now publishing arrest data in hopes to hold the police force accountable for racially-motivated arrests. The authorities will publish these reports quarterly.

The data will include low-level possessions and summonses divided by borough and precinct. Furthermore, the report will sort arrests by gender, race and age.

Cynthia Nixon’s Approach To Curbing Racial Disparities In Police Arrests

Cynthia Nixon✔@CynthiaNixon

A lot of you have been asking about my position on marijuana. Here it is.

7:08 AM - Apr 11, 2018

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Per her Twitter video, Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed. Specifically, this gubernatorial candidate is concerned about the difficulties of having an arrest record. “The consequences follow people for the rest of their lives,” Nixon explains, “making it harder to get jobs, or housing.”

She adds that the threat of arrest poses a danger to immigrants. “And for non-citizens, putting them in the crosshairs for deportation.”

Legal Weed Would Benefit New York

Legalizing recreational marijuana is an important step in reducing arrests and incarceration rates. It would also be of huge financial benefit to the state. Cynthia Nixon is optimistic about what marijuana could do in New York.

Nixon says, “In addition to ending a key front in the racist war on drugs, regulating and taxing marijuana would generate hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for our people and create important agricultural opportunities for our state.”

We’ve seen this phenomenon in states with legal recreational marijuana. Nevada earned $3.68 million in tax revenue during the first month of legalization.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the state collected half a billion dollars in taxes. The State is using this income to fund education and build much-needed housing.

Final Hit: Cynthia Nixon Plans To Improve Racial Justice By Legalizing Weed

Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed and provide the state with increased tax revenue.

She also raises the important point that New York is a democratic state, but marijuana is far from legal.

“In 2018, in a blue state like New York, marijuana shouldn’t even be an issue,” Nixon says, concluding her announcement.

This actress believes that she has the “political courage” to make recreational marijuana—including justice reform and increased state revenue—a reality of New York.

Senators Take On Jeff Sessions Over Marijuana Research Restrictions

Bipartisan senators take on Jeff Sessions over marijuana research restrictions, calling for the Justice Department to stop blocking the DEA from approving new suppliers. On Thursday, Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the DOJ demanding action on the more than two dozen applications the DEA has yet to review.

Is Jeff Sessions Blocking The DEA From Authorizing More Marijuana Suppliers?

In their letter, Harris and Hatch expressed concern that Jeff Sessions’ Justice Department was sitting on a number of requests from growers looking to supply FDA-approved research on medical cannabis.

While the DEA wants to increase the number of authorized marijuana manufacturers, Sessions’ DOJ appears to be holding them back.

Jeff Sessions extreme opposition to marijuana legalization and his public disdain for cannabis users have prompted concerns that the Trump administration would attempt to roll back policies aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis and ensuring states are free to pass their own marijuana legislation.

And those concerns have already proven themselves to be valid. Since becoming Attorney General, Sessions has repeatedly vowed to ramp up federal drug enforcement. He’s ordered federal judges to pursue the maximum sentence possible even for non-violent, petty drug offenses.

Furthermore, on January 4, Sessions rescinded an Obama-era memo adopting a non-interference policy with legal-cannabis states.

What Sens. Harris and Hatch say Sessions is doing, though, is a bit more subtle than all that. In their letter, the senators reference reports that the Justice Department is preventing the DEA from reviewing applications from cultivators.

Unable to authorize new manufacturers, FDA-approved research projects on medical marijuana can source their cannabis from just one grower. Indeed, the University of Mississippi is currently the only grower licensed to produce cannabis for federally-approved research.

Senators’ Latest Bout With Sessions Takes Aim At Expanding Federal Cannabis Research

For as long as Sessions has been threatening a federal crackdown, however, lawmakers across the nation have pushed back.

Legislators have written letters, sent invitations, sought summits, and even filed lawsuits in response to Sessions’ provocations.

Sens. Kamala Harris and Orrin Hatch went with the letter-writing approach. But their aim isn’t to get Sessions to back down on enforcement. Rather, the bipartisan senators want to expand federal cannabis research, starting at the source.

Nearly two years ago, on Aug 11, 2016 the DEA announced a series of significant actions regarding medical cannabis research and industrial hemp production.

One policy change aimed “to foster research by expanding the number of DEA-registered marijuana manufacturers.”

The change, the DEA said, would “provide researchers with a diverse and robust supply of marijuana.”

Additionally, the DEA has approved every single application researchers have submitted to use federally-supplied cannabis to conduct “scientifically meritorious” studies.

So despite being the law enforcement wing of federal drug policy, the DEA have in recent years been surprisingly committed to advancing cannabis research.

And according to reports referenced in the letter Sens. Harris and Hatch sent to the DOJ, the DEA would be able to license up to 25 new manufacturers to grow cannabis for federal research, were the DOJ not sitting on the applications.

So Harris and Hatch are merely asking the Justice Department to let the DEA move forward on policy changes it adopted nearly two years ago.

Harris And Hatch Have A History With Cannabis

Both Harris and Hatch have had checkered records on the issue of legal cannabis. These days, Harris regularly denounces the war on drugs as a failure. But during her tenure as California’s Attorney General (2011 to 2017), Harris took no action on drug policy reform.

When Obama’s DOJ raided dispensaries in her home state of California in 2011, she issued a brief and largely deferential statement about “the gangs and criminal enterprises that seek to exploit the definite ambiguities in state law.”

In 2012, Harris laughed at the New York Time‘s official endorsement of legalization. In 2014, her Republican opponent ran to her left on marijuana issues. And despite her public support for marijuana, Harris has yet to sign on to any existing reform bills this year.

Unlike Harris, who’s been more inert on the issue than oppositional, Orrin Hatch has had a dramatic cannabis conversion. The senator has gone from being vocally anti-cannabis to one of the Hill’s most ardent champions of medical marijuana.

The Final Hit: Senators Take On Jeff Sessions Over Marijuana Research Restrictions

Whatever their records, however, Hatch and Harris are putting pressure on a significant choke point blocking medical cannabis research from advancing in the United States.

“Research on marijuana is necessary to resolve the critical questions of public health and safety, such as learning the impact of marijuana on developing brains and formulating methods to test marijuana impairment in drivers,” the pair said in the letter.

They’ve asked Sessions for a commitment that the DEA will resolve the 25 pending applications by August 11.