Florida senator sues over anti-cannabis ad from state agency (Newsletter: October 8, 2024)

NJ psilocybin; IL marijuana report on “explosive growth”; Study: Cannabis’s anti-cancer effects; NE medical marijuana signatures; MO hemp ban

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Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW A Florida senator is suing the state Department of Transportation over an ad he says is improperly using taxpayer dollars to undermine the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot. The New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee amended and approved a bill to legalize psilocybin therapy and create a regulated program for patient access. The Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office published an annual report concluding that Fiscal Year 2024 “was a year of explosive growth in the cannabis industry”—noting that licensed retailers sold more than $2 billion worth of legal marijuana products and that there was “the single largest expansion of cannabis dispensaries since the program first started.” A new scientific review concludes that marijuana components like THC, CBD and CBG “exhibit significant anticancer activities” and that studies “have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care”—but that “there remain significant gaps in knowledge regarding their modes of action.”

Nebraska’s attorney general and secretary of state say there is “serious doubt” about the validity of more than half of the previously validated petition signatures for two medical cannabis legalization initiatives on the November ballot. The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management is warning businesses against using “creative workarounds” to start selling marijuana before licenses are issued, such as “alternative payment schemes” where someone buys a t-shirt and gets cannabis for free. New Jersey officials are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the state’s new hemp product restriction law. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is asking for $877,000 to fund implementation of Gov. Mike Parson’s (R) plan to ban intoxicating hemp products, a policy that is currently on hold amid procedural and other challenges. / FEDERAL A claim by former President Donald Trump that Vice President Kamala Harris wants to “legalize fentanyl” was rated false by PolitiFact. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) said marijuana reform is “kinda cascading across the country.” New Hampshire Republican congressional candidate Lily Tang WIlliams said she is open to supporting federal marijuana legalization. / STATES Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) tweeted, “For decades, cannabis policy has been used as a cudgel. Now, we’re proving that cannabis policy can help us create pathways to work, wages, and wealth while also improving the fiscal health of our entire state.” The Nebraska secretary of state’s office will hold public hearings on two medical cannabis legalization ballot initiatives on October 14, 21 and  25. Kansas legislature candidates discussed their views on marijuana policy at a town hall meeting. A Florida senator spoke about his support for the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot during a debate. A New York assemblymember participated in a psychedelics advocacy group’s meeting. The West Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case challenging a judge’s decision to bar a man on probation from using medical cannabis on Wednesday. Arkansas officials arrested eight former medical cannabis business employees who allegedly used patient allotments for people who were elderly, deceased, out of the area or incarcerated to create fake transactions and illegally obtain product. The Vermont Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group is set to issue recommendations to lawmakers next month. — Marijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. —

/ LOCAL Bradford County, Florida’s sheriff appears in a new campaign ad supporting the marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s November ballot. / INTERNATIONAL Malta regulators are considering allowing designated marijuana consumption spaces. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “compared to meditation with a placebo, meditators who received DMT and harmine self-attributed greater levels of mystical-type experiences, non-dual awareness, and emotional breakthrough during the acute substance effects and, when corrected for baseline differences, greater psychological insight 1 day later” and that “at 1-month follow-up, the meditators who received DMT and harmine rated their experience as significantly more personally meaningful, spiritually significant, and well-being-enhancing than the meditators who received placebo.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Democratic Governors Association touted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) signing of a medical cannabis legalization bill. The Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation is opposing the medical cannabis expansion initiative on the November ballot. The South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial board is urging Florida voters to support the marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot. / BUSINESS Eaze Technologies, Inc. informed employees it plans to shut down operations by the end of the year.. AFC Gamma, Inc. committed and funded $41 million to a senior secured credit facility to Story of Maryland, LLC. / CULTURE Seth Meyers joked about California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signing a bill to legalize cannabis cafes.

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