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Former President Donald Trump says he’s in favor of a Florida ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump, a Florida voter, came out in support of Amendment 3, a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would legalize recreational cannabis use for those 21 years and older.
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“In Florida, like so many other States that have already given their approval, personal amounts of marijuana will be legalized for adults with Amendment 3,” Trump posted on Saturday. “Whether people like it or not, this will happen through the approval of the Voters, so it should be done correctly.”
Trump said there should still be laws in the state that would prohibit using marijuana in public spaces “so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities,” he went on.
Residents will vote on the ballot initiative in November. While polls have shown residents in the state are mostly in favor of the amendment, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has come out against legalization.
“This is bad policy and even worse constitutional law,” DeSantis posted on social media earlier this
Medical Marijuana Legalization In Nebraska May Appear On November Ballot
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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A group seeking to legalize marijuana for medical use in Nebraska has gathered enough signatures to get the issue before voters in November, the state’s top election official said Friday.
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana announced earlier this year that it had gathered about 114,000 signatures — well more than the approximately 86,000 needed — for each of two petitions: one that would allow marijuana for medical use and the other to regulate the medical marijuana industry in the state.
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Signatures must also be collected from 5% of the registered voters in at least 38 of Nebraska’s 93 counties to qualify for the ballot.
Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen said his office has so far verified more than 89,000 signatures for each and that both petitions met the 5% threshold in 51 counties.
It’s the third effort by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana to get the issue on the ballot.
In 2020, the group came close after meeting signature requirements. But opponents sued, arguing that it violated state rules requiring ballot measures to focus on a single question. Instead, they argued, the measure posed two separate questions: whether residents should have the right to use marijuana for medical
The Outlaw Report Launches License Tracking Map for Washington D.C.’s Cannabis Community
Washington, D.C., 8.30.24 — The Outlaw Report, the leading independent journalism outlet focused on cannabis policy in the Washington D.C. area, is excited to announce the relaunch of its newly redesigned website. The revamped platform offers an enriched experience for readers, alongside the introduction of a paid membership feature designed to serve all kinds of stakeholders in the rapidly evolving D.C. medical cannabis market.
Founded in 2018, the Outlaw Report established itself as the only dedicated news source covering developments in D.C.’s cannabis culture and industry. With this relaunch, the outlet is not only refreshing its digital presence but also launching a subscription-based membership program that offers subscribers exclusive perks:
License Map Access: Members will gain access to an interactive license map displaying the locations of approved D.C. medical cannabis businesses, including retail, manufacturing, and cultivation sites. The map also highlights applications-in-progress, based on updates from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Administration (ABCA). Exclusive, Real-Time Updates: Subscribers will receive live updates on breaking developments and announcements, ensuring they are the first to know about crucial changes in the regulatory landscape. Visibility and Promotion: Higher membership tiers include opportunities for businesses to be featured on The Outlaw Report’s website and in
Another Federal Court Rejects Ban on Cannabis Consumers Owning Guns
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled Wednesday that prosecutors cannot file gun possession charges against a Texas woman who admitted to being a cannabis user, according to a Reuters report. The ruling reinforces last year’s decision by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to dismiss the charges.
During an interaction with El Paso police following the arrest of her husband in 2021, Paola Connelly told officers that she sometimes used cannabis. Prosecutors ultimately filed charges against her for possessing firearms while being a consumer of an illegal substance after searching her home and finding multiple firearms, including some owned by Connelly.
U.S. Circuit Judge Kurt Engelhardt, appointed by former President Donald Trump (R), wrote this week for a three-judge panel that, “Marijuana user or not, Paola is a member of our political community and thus has a presumptive right to bear arms.” The opinion cites a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that expanded gun rights in the U.S. with a new way of determining whether modern firearm restrictions are constitutional: that gun regulations must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation,” the report said.
The judges argued that because
Police Raid Nine Hemp Product Retailers in Allen, Texas
Police in Allen, Texas said they raided nine hemp product retailers this week after an investigation found they were selling products containing illegal amounts of THC, the Dallas Morning News reports.
Allen police said the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Collin County Sheriff’s Office assisted them in the investigation.
“The warrants were obtained and executed following an in-depth investigation into alleged illegal activities involving the sale of products containing greater than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis. Products previously sold at these nine locations have tested from 7% to 78% THC.” — Law enforcement written statement, via Dallas Morning News
After the DEA subpoenaed records in July from companies selling legal hemp products, the shops hired San Marcos-based attorney David Sergi in preparation for an incident like this week’s raid, the report said. Sergi represents at least eight of the nine shops targeted in the raid and says his clients have been operating lawfully under the law, and that the raid by law enforcement was an “escalation” meant to intimidate legal hemp product retailers.
“There is a right way and a wrong way under Texas law to deal with products that may be out of compliance, and they have
New Jersey Cannabis Convention Returns to Atlantic City September 6-7
The NECANN New Jersey Cannabis Convention presented by Ozone & Simply Herb returns for its 5th year to the Atlantic City Convention Center for two days of cannabis business and education September 6-7, 2024. The largest gathering of the cannabis industry in the state again includes event partner 420NJEvents and its expo floor speaker track on entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry. Three more speaker tracks on New Jersey’s cannabis industry include 65 expert speakers on topics like branding, cultivating, business & regulatory, energy efficiency, and more.
In addition to the educational component of the two-day event, 200+ businesses will be exhibiting the latest in cannabis products and services, with over 4,000 cannabis industry professionals expected to attend. The exhibit hall floor is open both days from 10am to 4pm with displays, demonstrations and networking. As always, a number of networking mixers surround the convention headlined by the Official NECANN after party, hosted and produced by 420NJEvents on Friday 8pm-11pm at the Vue Rooftop Bar.
The slate of networking mixers also includes Longview Strategics’ NJ Cannabis Mixer, the New Jersey Cannabusiness Association After Party, and the MPX NJ Happy Hour. Additionally, NECANN’s event partner Blunt Brunch will host a mixer at
What Happens If Your Weed Experience Goes Very Wrong? Here’s What You Should Do First.
Milan_Jovic via Getty Images”You’re like, wait, am I feeling this or am I just imagining this? It’s always good if you’re in a little bit of an emergency to have a buddy,” journalist Krishna Andavolu advised.
Most people who indulge in weed, from occasional tokers to certified stoners, know that getting too high can be both hilarious and absolutely terrifying. Because the cannabis available today is often stronger than the pot of yesteryear — especially when it comes to edibles — it’s easy to consume a larger amount of THC (the main inebriating compound in the plant) than you mean to.
Those tiny gummies look so innocuous, but each one can contain dozens of milligrams of THC and, because they can take up to an hour to kick in, the temptation to eat more before you’re fully high can lead to ingesting a huge dose.
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Simply put: You might end up facing extreme internal chaos.
While inhaling or swallowing too much weed probably won’t do you in, an overwhelming or bad high can impair your judgment in a risky way and make you feel like you’re in mortal danger. You can experience paranoia, anxiety or unshakable dread. You might even have
Lawsuit by New York Hemp Retailers Alleges Cannabis Regulators ‘Trampling’ Constitutional Rights
A lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court on Monday on behalf of three licensed hemp shops accuses the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) of “trampling” on their constitutional rights by conducting “military-style raids” as part of their regulatory crackdown on illegal cannabis sales, the Albany Times Union reports. The raids followed new regulations adopted in December which tightened rules on – and effectively banned – intoxicating hemp products that the businesses had been legally selling without penalty for at least six years.
The stores – Smoke N Save in Saratoga Springs, Two Strains in Queensbury, and Breckenridge in Manhattan – accuse OCM of treating the hemp shops like unlicensed cannabis sellers, searching personal belongings of workers during the raids, breaking open locked cabinets, turning off store surveillance cameras, and refusing to provide identification.
“Under the guise of an ‘administrative inspection,’ a single (cannabis office) inspector, accompanied by a double-digit contingent of heavily armed police wearing body armor, and without notice, probable cause, or a warrant, are bursting into legal licensed hemp retailer’s business establishments, immediately turning off all cameras to avoid a record of their unlawful actions, and carrying out their unlawful tactics
Maine Law Allowing for Sealing of Some Cannabis Crimes Now in Effect
A Maine law allowing individuals to apply to have their criminal histories for some cannabis crimes sealed took effect this month, the Maine Morning Star reports. The law applies to crimes that are now legal under the state’s adult-use cannabis law.
Criminal defense attorney Matthew Morgan, a partner at McKee Morgan, noted in an interview with the Morning Star that under the law, some professional licensing agencies and law enforcement will still be able to access the records, “but otherwise they will be sealed, and people are allowed to indicate they do not have a criminal record based on the sealing.”
Barbara Cardone, director of legal affairs and public relations for the Maine Judicial Branch, said the courts could not provide data on the number of people who have requested to have their criminal records sealed under the new rules.
Last session, lawmakers had considered a bill to automatically seal cannabis-related crimes that are now legal activity but ultimately rejected that proposal due to objections over the cost of the program – about $633,000 according to a judicial branch analyst – and due to First Amendment concerns by the Maine Press Association which argued that automatically
Rhode Island Considers Relaxing Cannabis Packaging Rules
Rhode Island regulators are considering changes to cannabis packaging in the state, including allowing color, the Rhode Island Current reports. Under current rules, cannabis packaging must include only neutral colors in an effort to prevent packaging from being attractive to children.
The Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) is also considering placing the name of the laboratory that rested the cannabis on the package, the use of QR codes on labels, and listing the cannabinoids that make up the products instead of only THC potency.
Allowing colors was recommended by the Cannabis Advisory Board in July, which the panel said would provide “for more branding freedom for licensees.” In an interview with the Current, advisory board member Stuart Procter, co-founder and lab director for cannabis testing facility PureVita Labs, said giving companies the ability to brand products “gives them the ability to differentiate themselves in the market.”
The proposed change to add cannabinoid content to the packaging would help customers better understand the product profile and would also help businesses understand what profiles are popular among customers. Proctor said that, under the current rules, retailers price and sell products based on THC potency and may stop selling more