Doctors group sues DEA over cannabis rescheduling witness list (Newsletter: February 21, 2025)

NH legalization bill passes; Trump to tap former drug prisoner as pardon czar; PA marijuana poll; HI psychedelics; Study: Cannabis aids parenting

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BREAKING: Journalism is often consumed for free, but costs money to produce! While this newsletter is proudly sent without cost to you, our ability to send it each day depends on the financial support of readers who can afford to give it. So if you’ve got a few dollars to spare each month and believe in the work we do, please consider joining us on Patreon today. https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW President Donald Trump announced he is tapping Alice Marie Johnson, whose federal drug sentence he commuted during his first term, as a new “pardon czar” to help oversee clemency efforts. Doctors for Drug Policy Reform filed a federal court brief arguing that marijuana rescheduling hearing witness selection should be redone in light of new evidence of allegedly unlawful Drug Enforcement Administration communications with mostly anti-reform groups. The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted to pass a marijuana legalization bill that does not contain provisions to regulate a legal market but simply removes cannabis possession from criminal statutes. A new poll shows that seven out of ten Pennsylvania voters support legalizing marijuana—including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Most also say lawmakers should move forward with cannabis legalization this year, rather than delay the process. The Hawaii Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a bill to create a special fund to support clinical research into psychedelic-assisted treatment using substances such as psilocybin and MDMA. A new study found that “mothers felt managing their health with [medicinal cannabis] allowed them to be more present parents and better tolerate the stressors of motherhood.” Marijuana use puts them “in a better mood” and “facilitate[s] positive relationships with their children.”

The chair of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission pointed out that lawmakers have failed to allocate more than $6 million in marijuana tax revenue that’s supposed to be put toward social equity efforts to repair the harms of the war on drugs. / FEDERAL Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially designated several drug cartels as terrorist organizations. / STATES New York’s Assembly majority leader and regulators are opposing a proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to allow police to use the smell of cannabis as evidence that a person is driving while impaired. The Washington, D.C. Council hosted a roundtable meeting for medical cannabis stakeholders. An Ohio senator filed a bill to double the amount of THC a driver can legally have in their system. California regulators announced a recall of cannabis products due to an inaccurate ingredient list label and lack of good manufacturing practices. New Jersey regulators approved new cannabis testing guidelines. Michigan regulators sent a reminder to marijuana businesses about an impending federal ban on using FD&C Red No. 3 in foods, supplements and drugs. Minnesota regulators sent a newsletter covering various cannabis business compliance issues. Missouri regulators will host a training on social media practices to address youth cannabis use prevention on February 27. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of 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. — / INTERNATIONAL A Singaporean court granted a stay of execution to a man hours before he was set to be hanged for alleged drug trafficking. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “preclinical evidence implies that [cannabinoids] targeting neuroinflammation are promising for ischemic stroke.” A study of rats provided “further support of an ability of cannabidiol to augment opioid effects, particularly analgesia, when administered by a route relevant to human pain management.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Common Sense Institute published a report on what it sees as the harms of state-level drug policy reform. / BUSINESS Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $76.7 million.

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