Month: September 2024

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) last week proposed increasing its 2024 production quotas for research-grade psychedelic compounds including psilocybin, psilocin, and ibogaine, according to a Lucid News report.

The revised production agenda, posted in a notice to the Federal Reserve, calls for increasing production of from 20,000 to 30,000 grams of psilocybin and from 24,000 to 36,000 grams of psilocin, a 50% overall increase. The numbers also represent DEA’s new production quotas for those substances for 2025.

The agency also called for increasing ibogaine production in 2025 from 150 to 210 grams but did not call for increasing the production of MDMA or DMT, the report said.

The agency said the increased production rates are necessary to drive and support new research into the effects and potential applications of psychedelic substances, many of which are Schedule I substances under federal law.

“These proposed increases are to support research and clinical trials by DEA-registered schedule I researchers. These proposed increases demonstrate DEA’s support for research with schedule I controlled substances. The proposed increases reflect research and development needs as part of the process for seeking the FDA approval of new drug products.”  — Excerpt from the DEA notice

Previously DEA announced

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Officials with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health have approved a list of health conditions to qualify patients for the country’s new medical cannabis program, Marijuana Moment reports.

Per the rules, the program covers about 20 conditions including cerebral palsy, childhood epilepsy, chemotherapy-related complications, neuropathy, shingles, Parkinson’s disease, and weight loss due to eating disorders. The program does not specifically list post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a qualifying condition despite messaging by supporters, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, that suggested medical cannabis would be available to those affected by the country’s ongoing war with Russia, which invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Health officials can add additional qualifying conditions down the road.

The new cannabis program was signed into law by the president earlier this year and took effect last month. Under the law, the Agrarian Policy Minister will set cannabis cultivation and processing regulations, and the National Police and State Agency will regulate the distribution of medical cannabis products.

President Zelensky said during an address to Parliament last year that the country should employ “all the world’s best practices,” specifically calling to “finally fairly legalize cannabis-based medicines for all those who need them, with appropriate scientific research and controlled Ukrainian production.”

Zelensky also voiced

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In 2023, U.S. law enforcement made over 217,000 arrests for marijuana-related offenses, with possession alone accounting for 84 percent of those arrests, according to new data from the FBI. While this marks a slight decrease from the previous year, when over 227,000 marijuana arrests were reported, advocates argue that the numbers are still unacceptable given the growing public support for legalization.

In addition, the new data reveals that racial disparities in enforcement remain an ongoing issue. Black Americans, who represent about 13.6 percent of the U.S. population, accounted for 29 percent of drug arrests in 2023, according to the data. This is consistent with long-standing evidence that people of color are disproportionately targeted for cannabis-related offenses, even though usage rates between racial groups are similar.

Although the data shows a slight decline in cannabis arrests from the previous year, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano pointed out that the data provided by the FBI is incomplete. “At a time when voters and their elected officials nationwide are re-evaluating state and federal marijuana policies, it is inconceivable that government agencies are unable to produce more explicit data on the estimated costs and scope of marijuana prohibition in America,” he stated. The specific

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A recent report sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) says the federal government should play a larger role in cannabis policy. The report, Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity, appeared in the 2024 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine edition.

Dr. Steven Teutsch of the University of Southern California, the committee chair behind the report, told the Associated Press, “We’d like the federal government to step up to provide some leadership in this area.”

“While ongoing research is crucial, applying the core public health functions — assessment, policy development, and assurance — now will lead to better and more consistent policies for cannabis legalization and improved public health and health equity.” — Excerpt from the report

The report recommends that federal agencies like the NIH and CDC support a cannabis research agenda, monitor state legalization experiments, and create regulatory best practices with an emphasis on reducing youth access. For Congress, the report recommends closing the Farm Bill loophole which allows intoxicating, hemp-derived THC products at the federal level, and removing federal barriers to cannabis research. For jurisdictions with state-level cannabis reforms, the report recommends cannabis retail

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) on Thursday announced the state’s first medical cannabis business license will go to KCA Labs, a Nicholasville testing facility that already tests for cannabinoids and pollutants in hemp and other natural products, WLKY reports.

The license for KCA Labs is the first license awarded by the state under the state’s medical cannabis legalization reforms signed into law by the governor last April.

“I love that the first license is going to an entity that helps us do this safely. Our Office of Medical Cannabis has established strict regulations, and a safety compliance facility like KCA will guarantee all Kentucky cannabis is held to the highest medical standards.” — Beshear, in a statement

Kentucky received nearly 5,000 applications for medical cannabis business licenses, including 4,076 applications for retail dispensary licenses. Under state law, there can only be a limited number of medical cannabis cultivators, processors, and retailers in the state. The licenses for such entities will be available by lottery later this year while the permits for testing facilities, which are not capped in the state, will not be awarded by lottery.

While the state has begun the process of licensing medical cannabis operators to serve

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The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion to “deplatform” unlicensed cannabis dispensaries from online platforms, including Google and Yelp, the Los Angeles Times reports. 

In the measure, the Board notes “the transition to a legal cannabis marketplace has faced challenges, including high taxes and barriers to entry for legal dispensaries and cultivation facilities.”  

“These challenges have led to a continued unregulated market for cannabis, including many unlicensed dispensaries in some communities. Unlicensed dispensaries are problematic for many reasons, including that their products are untested and may be mislabeled; they do not pay taxes; they promote the illegal cultivation of cannabis, which often comes with many environmental impacts; and their lower prices undercut the legal market.” — “Deplatforming Unlicensed Cannabis Dispensaries,” 9/24/24 

The measure adds that unlicensed dispensaries “are also often the targets of violence due to the large amounts of cash on-hand and the reduced likelihood of their illegal operators reporting crimes to law enforcement.” 

According to a Pew Research Center study released in February outlined in the measure, Los Angeles County is home to about 10% of the total number of dispensaries estimated to

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From April to June, Maryland collected nearly $22.4 million in cannabis taxes – a 52% increase from the previous quarter – according to state data.  

Most of the funds, nearly $11.2 million, were sent to the state’s General Fund as required by state law, with about $7.8 million directed to the Community Reinvestment and Repair Fund, and about $1.1 million dispersed to Maryland counties and municipalities and another $1.1 million sent to the state’s public health and business assistance funds.

The majority of the state’s cannabis taxes – more than $11.3 million – derived from sales that occurred in the Central region of the state. Western region sales led to about $3.8 million in collected taxes, while Capital region sales led to about $3.2 million in collected taxes, followed by the Eastern region (about $3 million), and Southern region ($873,597), according to data from the Comptroller’s Office.

In Maryland, adult-use cannabis sales carry a 9% sales tax, of which 5% is sent to local government. In a blog post, the Maryland Association of Counties notes that share is “among the lowest shares nationwide.”

“Despite local responsibilities for managing zoning, public safety, and health

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Only one in seven Minnesota voters have consumed cannabis or hemp-derived THC products in the past month, according to a Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy survey outlined by MPR News. Just 14% of respondents said they had used a THC product in the past month despite cannabis reforms taking effect in August 2023 that allow residents 21-and-older to possess, consume, and cultivate cannabis.

Rules allowing sales to adults and other industry operations are still being promulgated by state regulators.

The survey also found 61% of respondents back federal legalization of cannabis, with 34% opposed and 5% unsure.

According to the poll, just about the same share of men and women had consumed cannabis in the past month at 13% and 15%, respectively. More Democrats and independents (18% each) said they had consumed a cannabis product within the past month, compared to 6% of Republicans. More younger voters (19%) said they had consumed cannabis in the past month compared to their older counterparts: 17% of voters 35-49; 13% of voters 50-64; and 9% of voters 65-and-older. People with (13%) and without (15%) college degrees also consumed cannabis in the past month at similar rates, according to the

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In this episode of the Ganjapreneur Podcast, host TG Branfalt sits down with Jessica McElfresh, Chair of the Cannabis Law Institute and board member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, to explore the evolving landscape of cannabis law. Jessica shares her experiences practicing cannabis regulatory law in Southern California since 2010 and provides insights into the critical role attorneys play as the industry grows and federal rescheduling looms on the horizon.

Jessica also discusses the Cannabis Law Institute conference, which took place in Chicago over the summer, where legal experts tackled pressing issues like state and federal cannabis policies, social equity, and the potential impact of rescheduling on taxes, financing, and business operations. Whether you’re a legal professional or cannabis entrepreneur, this episode offers valuable perspectives on how to navigate the complex legal landscape of the cannabis industry and what could be in store as federal policy changes.

Editor’s note: this episode was recorded in June, before the event. To sign up for updates about the 2025 event, visit the International Cannabis Bar Association’s website: incba.org

Listen to the episode using the media

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We are headed out to beautiful Cannon Beach, Oregon again this weekend for the Sixth Annual Northwest Cannabis and Psychedelics Law Conference.

Harris Sliwoski attorneys Matt Goldberg and Vince Sliwoski will attend the conference in person this year. Nicole Gossett-Roxbury and Jesse Mondry plan to attend remotely. The event kicks off tomorrow with a welcome reception sponsored by Harris Sliwoski LLP.

To view the program brochure, including the full schedule of events and presentations, please go here. For any last-minute takers, we were just told that registration remains open through Thursday, September 26, at 12pm PT. The sign-up link is here!

We look forward to connecting with friends and colleagues — especially with the weather report looking so great in Cannon Beach. See you all soon.

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