Senator Cory Booker Visits Sacramento Cannabis Giant Amid Decriminalization Push

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker paid a visit to Natura, Sacramento on Monday to take a look at some grow rooms and talk about cannabis.

Senator Booker didn’t have long to talk but he greeted a room full of weed people with a smile and accolations for those who have taken legal and personal risks to pioneer the industry and set the standard for the rest of the states still in the early days of their legal markets.

“We’re in a weird place in our country where we’ve had this prohibition that has lasted for generations that has really punished folks,” Senator Booker said Monday. “I’m from Newark where marijuana enforcement is disproportionately focused on low income people, people of color, people who are suffering, people who are struggling. And we have this perverse reality in America where we have people with criminal convictions who are doing things that presidents and congress people and senators have admitted to doing. The hypocrisy of that is maddening.”

A long time advocate of legal cannabis, Senator Booker recently introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act with Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. If passed, this bit of legislation would essentially end federal cannabis prohibition by removing cannabis from the list of controlled substances entirely.

“Thousands of people have suffered at the hands of our broken cannabis laws, and the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would finally dismantle the outdated federal marijuana prohibition, expunge past convictions for people with low-level cannabis offenses, and ensure restorative justice for communities impacted by the War on Drugs,” Senator Booker said in a press release. “These common-sense policies will ensure a more equitable criminal justice system and promote public safety.”

Senator Cory Booker watches hash get squished into rosin. Courtesy: Natura 

The announcement of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act came almost directly after an announcement by the DEA to reschedule cannabis from Schedule 1 alongside drugs like heroin and LSD to Schedule 3, alongside drugs like Xanax, Codeine and Ketamine. While rescheduling certainly represents a step forward with regard to the federal laws regarding cannabis, it would not necessarily do anything for people serving prison time for federal cannabis infractions. It’s also unclear how rescheduling would affect existing state cannabis markets, though speculation has run rampant to that end since rescheduling was announced.

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act contains provisions to create uniform federal regulations for cannabis through the establishment of a federal regulatory commission for cannabis as well as directions for the FDA to establish standards for labeling of cannabis products. The act would also secure additional funding for substance abuse recovery programs, establish grant programs to help individual states combat black market cannabis operations, and direct the Department of Transportation to collect data on cannabis-impaired driving. There are provisions in the act to, among other things, do away with tax burdens on legal cannabis businesses, remove cannabis from federal drug testing, provide automatic expungement for non-violent cannabis crimes, and require various federal agencies to spend money studying cannabis. The bill is co-sponsored by 15 additional Democratic senators and the full text can be found here. 

“It’s past time for the federal government to catch up to the attitudes of the American people when it comes to cannabis,” Leader Schumer said in a press release. “We have more work to do to address decades of over-criminalization, particularly in communities of color, but today’s reintroduction shows the movement is growing, and I will keep working until we achieve meaningful change.”

This is not the first time Senator Booker has attempted to push legislation to decriminalize cannabis production. He said Monday that when he made his first attempt to do so as a congressman, he was laughed at by his fellow senators.

“I’ve been in the trenches on this. When I first got to the senate 11 years ago, I put forth a major piece of legislation called the Marijuana Justice Act, and I’m not joking I literally got laughed at by senators saying that we shouldn’t do that or it’s a career ender to come out like that,” Senator Booker said. “But now the world has changed in over a decade. The red states and blue states all around America, some partisan issue, have come forward and say, no. This is ridiculous. I’ve had law enforcement officers say ‘Gosh, if there was a drug I’d want to ban it would be alcohol not marijuana.’”

Senator Booker’s visit to Natura was brief but served as yet another indicator that the times are a-changing in Washington and cannabis is moving away from its long-time status as the poster child of the drug war and moving toward a much more realistic and less harmful spot in the eyes of our national legislators. Senator Booker expressed his admiration for the people who have been willing to work in the cannabis industry while it goes through its post-prohibition growing pains.

“I came here to, not learn, but connect with these people that are part of a larger movement in America for justice and I’ve just seen that each and every one of you are willing to work in an industry that’s not easy, but also wants to be in a country where freedom’s never been easy,” Senator Booker said. “Justice has never been easy but we need people like us to stand up for it. It’s what makes it possible.”

The post Senator Cory Booker Visits Sacramento Cannabis Giant Amid Decriminalization Push first appeared on High Times.

0 DL LiNKS

Anti-Pot Org Claims DEA Administrator Was Not Included in Rescheduling Decision

As the federal government moves to reclassify cannabis and put it in a slightly less restrictive category, the plot thickens. On Monday, Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) co-founder Kevin Abraham Sabet­ Sharghi, Ph.D., aka Kevin Sabet, posted on X allegations that claim the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) head Anne Milgram “did not sign” the order to reschedule cannabis under Schedule III.

“I can now say with full confidence that the Administrator of DEA, Anne Milgram, did NOT sign the rescheduling order, breaking with five decades of precedent and established law and regulations (two confidential sources inside DEA and another outside DEA with intimate knowledge tell me).”

The Associated Press reported on April 30 that the DEA will be rescheduling cannabis, moving the plant from Schedule I to Schedule III, following a lengthy process. In October 2022, President Joe Biden directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review cannabis’s classification under Schedule I, a category reserved for dangerous drugs with no medical value, and media reports indicated that the DEA agreed to the changes.

The Drug Report indicates that this is the latest development in a multi-year process that has ruffled feathers on both sides of the debate. 

Milgram testified before Congress on Tuesday at a budget hearing, but initially declined to comment on the Schedule III announcement because it is inappropriate for her to respond to questions because the rulemaking process is ongoing. The topic of the budget hearing is the DEA’s funding request for Fiscal Year 2025.

“It’s hard to overstate how deeply political and flawed this makes the rescheduling process look,” Sabet said in a statement. “DEA Administrator Anne Milgram should be commended for standing up for science and truth, over the profit-driven pot industry. Her courage will show she was on the right side of history. It’s equally hard to overstate what a botched process the Biden Administration’s rescheduling review has been from the outset. This unprecedented action by the Attorney General reflects a process poisoned by political considerations and conducted with a pre-determined outcome.”

A commenter pointed out that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland probably signed it himself. “Yes, obviously he did,” Sabet replied. ‘But the statute says he designates this to DEA. and for the first time this didn’t happen. not saying this means it won’t be done, just saying this breaks big time from precedent (so it’s not just the decision that’s the outlier, but the process too).”

Assuming there are no more major changes to the narrative, the reclassification process now heads to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to review the change.

Who is Kevin Sabet?

Sabet is a former drug policy adviser to the White House under several administrations, and is often vocal about his opposition to cannabis reform in the US. He co-founded SAM with Patrick Kennedy and advises in direct opposition to pro-cannabis legalization groups (think Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and Drug Policy Alliance.)

What exactly has he said regarding cannabis? Sabet has claimed that cannabis lowers the IQ of users, and that today’s cannabis is 10 times stronger than in the ‘60s. It’s also not the first of Sabet’s claims regarding the rescheduling of cannabis.

Sabet recently debated National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) Deputy Director Paul Armentano on C-SPAN on May 2. During the interview, which you can watch in full here, a caller “Luke” called in with a troubling tale about suicide and schizophrenia: 

“I live here in Colorado and we have recreational and medical marijuana,” the caller said. ”Recently, a neighbor of mine let me know that her son died by suicide after legally using medical marijuana here in Colorado. I was curious that she said he had a psychotic break and that is what led to it. I was curious, what are we saying [about] science on marijuana and schizophrenic psychosis, and did the Biden administration consider this as it relates to the decision to move to marijuana to Schedule III? Was that in the rationale? I just wanted to learn more about that.”

But Armentano didn’t take the bait and said the “caller” was actually SAM Deputy Director Luke Niforatos: “To set the record straight, that caller was the deputy director of Kevin’s organization, so that was a planted call,” Armentano said during the debate. “But I’m happy to address the issue the caller brought up.”  MPP Director of State Policies Karen O’Keefe posted the interaction.

Given Milgram’s recent testimony in a recent budget hearing, we’ll probably hear more about the facts regarding the rescheduling of cannabis at the federal level in the upcoming next few weeks.

The post Anti-Pot Org Claims DEA Administrator Was Not Included in Rescheduling Decision first appeared on High Times.

0 DL LiNKS

Some NY Lawmakers Say Illicit Pot Shops Must Close Before Adding Licensed Shops

After officially legalizing cannabis for adult use in New York, the journey that followed has been fairly tumultuous as multiple roadblocks have delayed shop licensure and hindered the legal industry’s full potential.

A number of lawsuits and a change in gubernatorial leadership delayed dispensary licensure and openings, in turn allowing the illicit market to flourish with those shops drastically outnumbering the amount of legal dispensaries in the state.

As New York growers, business owners and myriad cannabis professionals continue to wait for their licenses to be approved, some New York lawmakers are embracing a different approach (that would likely extend the wait for industry hopefuls even longer).

Namely, Queens Community Board 9 Chairwoman Sherry Algredo argued that New York should refrain from adding any licensed cannabis shops to her district until authorities are able to shut down those operating illegally, according to a New York Post report. Community Board 9 covers the neighborhoods Key Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Woodhaven.

Ongoing Concerns About New York’s Bustling Illicit Weed Market

“The Board received numerous concerns from residents regarding the proliferation of illegal smoke shops already operating in our district and the negative impact these establishments have had on our community,” Algredo said in a recent letter. “Consequently, the Board will not support any new applications until these illegal operations are shut down.”

While Algredo’s statement reads as fairly definitive, the boards’ recommendations are advisory to state regulators, though they can still influence final policy decisions. The law that legalized cannabis in New York also mandates that applicants for cannabis licenses must notify the community board within the vicinity they plan to operate and appear before it prior to opening their businesses.

The conversation surrounding illicit cannabis shops in New York has been ongoing, though Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and other lawmakers have consistently touted their efforts to mitigate theses problems.

In April, the governor unveiled new initiatives aimed to shut down illicit cannabis operations and protect the legal cannabis marketplace. The plan allows the Office of Cannabis Management and local municipalities new authority to take action against illicit shops. 

“Unlicensed dispensaries have littered New York neighborhoods, blatantly circumventing our laws and selling potentially dangerous products,” Hochul said in a statement. “Enough is enough. I promised to protect our communities and hard-working, legal cannabis licensees by expediting the closure of illicit storefronts. I’m proud to stand up and say we got it done.”

Last month also marked the opening of the 100th adult-use store in the state. New York legalized adult-use cannabis on March 31, 2021. It also looks like that number should increase soon, as the New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) shared last month that it approved an additional 101 adult-use cannabis licenses with more than 400 total approved sites in 2024. 

Conversely, it’s estimated that New York City alone has about 2,000 illicit cannabis stores currently operating.

The state is still working to do what it can to fix the issues with the legal industry rollout. Lawmakers recently passed another resolution that gives the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) the ability to issue provisional licenses, which the CCB hopes will speed up the licensing process. 

“This measure aims to provide provisional license holders with opportunities to begin operations swiftly while adhering to regulatory requirements, fostering a dynamic and competitive marketplace,” the CCB explained.

Still, it’s clear that closing illicit pot shops in the state will not be an easy task. Many illicit shops immediately reopened after raids and temporary shutdown orders under the prior rules, and it’s not yet clear how effective the newly announced laws to close illegal shops will be in practice.

Because of that, closing all illicit shops before allowing new ones to open, even in a single district, may be tougher in reality than in theory. Still, some lawmakers are standing by the need to close unlicensed shops before adding more licensed ones.

“We have 32 illegal cannabis shops. We are not going to entertain any applications for legal cannabis shops until the unlicensed stores are shut down,” CB 9 District Manager James McClelland told The Post.

The post Some NY Lawmakers Say Illicit Pot Shops Must Close Before Adding Licensed Shops first appeared on High Times.

0 DL LiNKS

Enemies of Weed Legalization Are Already Raising Money To Challenge Federal Rescheduling Effort

Last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) shared that marijuana would be rescheduled from a Schedule I, meaning that the plant was classified as a substance with no accepted medical value, such as heroin, to a Schedule III, controlled substances that allow for some medical use, such as ketamine. While cannabis advocates, stoners, and anyone with the ability to reason welcomed this news (although it fell short of actually declassifying or legalizing it), just a day following the DEA announcement, a prominent group opposed to cannabis legalization already sent out an email to its supporters soliciting funds to combat the policy change.

“SAM will oppose this change at every level, including, if necessary, pursuing legal action,” the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana shared in the email sent out on Wednesday, which asked, of course, for money. 

The email came with a link to what SAM crowned a “Rescheduling Legal Defense Fund,” which seeks either one-time (or you can make that recurring, of course), monthly donations ranging from $250 to $5,000. Think of all the weed you could buy with that money! Loaded anti-cannabis haters also have the option to donate much, much more. 

If you’ve heard of SAM before, it’s because they are very vocal about what they perceive as the dangers of marijuana. The landing page on their website shares that they’re apparently trying to prevent the “next Big Tobacco,” which is just plain silly. As High Times reported, a recent study actually found that tobacco consumption has decreased in states with recreational cannabis legalization. SAM’s “About” section claims to be bipartisan and then links out to The Drudge Report. 

“Our new Rescheduling Legal Defense Fund will be used to support our challenges of marijuana laws and regulations, specifically marijuana’s Schedule III recommendation,” reads the donation page.

“Let’s be clear: this does not mean marijuana is legalized—it will remain federally illegal,” the email reads (yes, unfortunately, they are right about this). “But, if implemented, moving marijuana to Schedule III would give Big Marijuana billions in tax write-offs as well as continue the normalization of high-potency THC drugs. SAM will oppose this change at every level, including, if necessary, pursuing legal action.”

They are absolutely right about the tax write-off; it’s one of the biggest wins regarding the descheduling announcement. As business is set up now, it’s incredibly hard for cannabis companies to turn a profit. The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) anticipates that reclassifying cannabis to Schedule III will alleviate some of the harsh effects of tax code 280E on thousands of state-legal cannabis enterprises. The Legal Intelligencer notes that this change would eliminate the current restrictions on tax deductions that 280E imposes. 

As for the high THC concern, consuming too much THC can be very uncomfortable, and there are high THC products available for those with high tolerances, but this argument is so tiring. Of course, there’s the obvious comparison to liquor, which leads to blackouts and even death in a way that a big edible just doesn’t. But perhaps more importantly, it’s just so easy to use THC responsibly. One of the benefits of legalization is that products can be clearly labeled so one can purchase the acceptable dose for their tolerance and body weight. There may be 100mg gummies available now, but there are also 2.5mg usually on the same shelf. We know from the failed war on drugs that prohibition doesn’t make things better; in fact, we now know that adult-use cannabis laws and sales were not associated with an overall increase in teen substance abuse. Rather, the researchers found modest drops in alcohol and e-cigarette use occurred. One must use cannabis responsibly, especially when it comes to edibles, but we have to leave that up to individuals and assume that grown-ups can take care of themselves. 

SAM’s president, Kevin Sabet, accused the Biden administration of “starting with the decision and working backward to find the supporting materials,” but, in reality, the original decision to classify cannabis as a Schedule I was, as noted by Rep. Earl Blumenauer said in an emailed statement obtained by High Times in our reporting on the descheduling decision, based on stigma rather than science. And, based on the knee-jerk reaction of SAM, a day after the descheduling announcement, we can assume that the modest move to move marijuana to Schedule III will not end this toxic stigma and that the War on Drugs is far from over. 

The post Enemies of Weed Legalization Are Already Raising Money To Challenge Federal Rescheduling Effort first appeared on High Times.

0 DL LiNKS

Scum & Lex the Hex Master Albuquerque, NM Concert Date is Now Sunday, May 12th!

Here is another Faygoluvers.net reminder. As most may know. The Tuesday, April 30th, 2024 Albuquerque, New Mexico concert date, for the 2nd leg of the “Shadow Snuff” tour was  postponed. Rather quickly.  Scum and Lex the Hex Master will now be invading Albuquerque, New Mexico on Sunday, May 12th, 2024 at the 21+ Juno venue.  Hit up Eventbrite for advanced tickets for the 2nd leg of the “Shadow Snuff” tour.



from Faygoluvers
0 DL LiNKS