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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is moving toward removing marijuana from its list of Schedule I drugs, finally heeding calls from activists to stop conflating the widely used substance with the dangers of drugs that actually kill people, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.
A proposal from the DEA would need to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. The drug agency did not immediately return HuffPost’s requests for comment.
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Despite being legalized for recreational use in 24 U.S. states, marijuana has long been categorized as a Schedule I drug by the DEA, with the agency saying it has “a high potential for abuse and the potential to create severe psychological and/or physical dependence.”
But cannabis use disorder is rare, and no one has ever died from a marijuana overdose. Meanwhile, overdoses on heroin, a synthetic opioid made from morphine on the Schedule I list, claim more than 14,000 Americans’ lives every year.
The Schedule II drug list, which is supposed to contain less dangerous substances, includes cocaine, methamphetamine and the mass killer drugs fentanyl and oxycodone.
And although the Schedule I drug list is supposed to list substances with “no currently accepted medical use,” 38 states
Navigating Cannabis Commercial Lease Agreements in Washington
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Cannabis commercial lease agreements
Signing a commercial lease can be an exciting step toward realizing operational goals in your Washington cannabis business. However, if a lease is not analyzed and completed correctly, the agreement can leave either the landlord or the tenant, or both, with additional headaches and liability. Understanding the nuances of the cannabis commercial agreements is crucial for both parties alike.
Whether you are a small business owner looking to secure your first retail or business space, or a property investor seeking to maximize your returns, having a firm grasp of the legal framework surrounding cannabis commercial leases can make the difference between a successful business venture and a costly endeavor. It’s important to note that usually, both parties have the same goal and that is to use the property for the stated purpose in a way that benefits both landlord and tenant alike. If the agreements are negotiated correctly, you’ll be left with a situation where when one succeeds, the other will likely succeed as well.
For the most part, commercial landlord-tenant relationships are governed by statutes and basic fundamentals of contract law in Washington state. More often than not, courts will
My Husband And I Went Looking For Pot. It Quickly Turned Into A Nightmare.
Emilija Manevska via Getty Images
At every social gathering of middle-aged people I’ve been to recently, almost everyone has an “I tried a THC gummy bear because I couldn’t sleep and found myself in the emergency room or about to call 911” episode to share.
The weed from when my friends and I were younger pales in potency to the variants available today. And taking a hit, a slice or a pill can feel like dropping acid during the ’70s did. (At least from my limited experience, this seems to be a fair assessment.)
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A friend told me that she ate a gummy on vacation to relax and avoid getting seasick on a boat. But instead her teeth felt thick, she couldn’t keep up with the conversation around her, and she thought she was having a stroke.
“I had a two-minute delayed response to everything, so I just went to bed and slept for 10 hours,” she said.
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One man I met told me he was having dinner at a country club with friends during Dry January. When he declined a drink, his waiter insisted that he try the club’s new seltzer, an artisan extract with the tag line
Arizona Cannabis Sales Go Beyond $1.4 Billion
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Arizona’s record-breaking cannabis market
In the landscape of booming and busting cannabis markets, Arizona emerges as a standout success story. A naturally beautiful state that attracts a sizeable group of tourists every year, Arizona skyrocketed past $1 billion in total cannabis sales for 2023. Unlike its northern neighbor of Nevada, Arizona has exceeded $1 billion in sales for three consecutive years, with 4.9% increase from ‘22 to ‘23 to boot. (Nevada, conversely, suffered from a nearly $115 million shortfall from FY 2022 to 2023 despite several millions more tourists than Arizona.)
Cannabis taxation and market comparisons
Compared to other states with recreationally legal cannabis, Arizona packs a considerably lower tax rate, levied as a 16% excise levy. Compare:
Nevada levies a 25% tax rate, combining both wholesale and retail excise taxes Washington has an absurdly high 37% retail excise tax rate Montana taxes recreational cannabis sales at 20%
As of FY 2022, the per capita rate for excise taxes is also incredibly lower in Arizona than other recreationally legal states, at only $18. The only two states as of FY 2022 that had a lower per capita rate were both Maine and Michigan.
Lawmakers Urge DEA To Stop Dragging Its Feet On Weed
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A group of 20 Democratic lawmakers urged the Drug Enforcement Administration on Wednesday to “promptly” remove marijuana from the federal government’s list of restricted drugs, where it currently sits in the same category as heroin.
“Though marijuana is widely used and … associated with fewer adverse outcomes than alcohol, it remains in the most restrictive schedule,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “This placement produces a cascade of severe penalties for marijuana users and businesses, including for criminal records, immigration statuses, employment, taxation, health care, public housing, social services, and more.”
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“It is time for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to act,” the lawmakers wrote.
The letter, first reported by HuffPost, was led by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.). It comes a year-and-a-half after President Joe Biden ordered a review of pot’s classification as a scheduled drug under the Controlled Substances Act, and nearly eight months since the Department of Health and Human Services recommended moving cannabis from Schedule I, the most restrictive, to Schedule III.
Biden campaigned on decriminalizing the use of cannabis, but
Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura Starts Cannabis Brand
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Former Minnesota Governor and ex-professional wrestler Jesse Ventura is the latest celebrity to start a cannabis brand. Ventura served as Governor of the Land of 10,000 Lakes from 1999 to 2003. One could say that no other Governor serving during the late ’90’s or early 2000’s had quite the extensive background in variously different forms of popular entertainment as Ventura, with the exception of a certain former bodybuilder from Austria and “Governor-nator” from California. Fun fact, both of those former Governors starred in the 1987 action blockbuster Predator.
Celebrities and cannabis ventures
Celebrities have been putting their hats into the further mainstream cannabis industry in droves by starting cannabis ventures, to greatly varying degrees of success. Some award-receiving cannabis brands such as Willie’s Reserve (by country music legend Willie Nelson) have become mainstays at dispensaries across the states. Legendary hip-hop artists and cannabis connoisseurs Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa have each had multiple forays into the billion-dollar industry of their favorite plant. Athletes like Mike Tyson, who created the wildly popular Tyson 2.0 cannabis brand, have also found success in the space.
Jesse Ventura: a diverse background
Long before Ventura became politically involved, he served
These Pot-Friendly Celebs Should Be On The Mount Rushmore Of Marijuana
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Saturday is “420,” the biggest day on the cannabis industry’s calendar.
In honor of this “hashish holiday,” HuffPost asked weed experts in the business of bud which celebs should be on “the Mount Rushmore of Marijuana.”
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As you might expect, there were many familiar names, but one loomed larger than others: Snoop Dogg.
The reasoning is simple, according to Caitlyn Smith, senior marketing manager for the Planet 13 chain of dispensaries.
“He has maintained his cannabis lifestyle for decades and has been a champion spokesperson on normalizing the use of cannabis,” Smith told HuffPost.
Though Snoop Dogg was the No. 1 name mentioned, there were others who were almost as popular with cannabis insiders.
Another name that popped up is country music cannabis legend Willie Nelson.
Marlon Coburn, the CEO of THC Design, a Los Angeles-based cannabis cultivator, said Nelson should be on the list because he stands out as an “icon” among aficionados.
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“His outspoken support for legalization and his role in advancing cannabis reform have earned him a revered status among enthusiasts,” Coburn told HuffPost.
Many of the people questioned about marijuana’s Mount Rushmore also mentioned reggae legend Bob Marley, whose love of cannabis was heavily depicted in the movie “Bob Marley:
Cannabis Insiders Smoke Out 420’s Biggest Trends And Challenges
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Saturday is a green letter day on the cannabis calendar.
Folks in the 41 states where marijuana is either recreationally or medically legal will be partaking in 420 this Saturday — a pot-oriented equivalent to “hangover holidays” like the boozy American versions of St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco De Mayo.
“Envision this: The air filled with the aroma of premium cannabis, intertwined with laughter and camaraderie,” former pro wrestler Ric Flair told HuffPost. “420 is a day that transcends mere tokes; it’s a voyage into heightened serenity, a revelry in life’s luxuries: styling, profiling, limousine-riding, and jet-flying!”
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Flair — who, like many celebrities, has his own cannabis line — will be celebrating 420 by promoting said bud brand at a dispensary in Valley Glen, California.
Meanwhile, fellow athlete-turned-pot-entrepreneur Mike Tyson will be at a 420 activation event in New York’s Times Square.
But you don’t have to be a celebrity with a personalized pot brand to be high on 420, according to Lauren Fontein, founder of The Artist Tree, a California-based chain of cannabis stores and one consumption lounge.
Along with specials, Fontein said, her lounge in West Hollywood will have a hosted dab bar, a bong bar, a tie-dye station and
Nick Offerman Spills On Wild Time He Spent ‘Whole Night’ High In Jail
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Nick Offerman revealed that he and his friends in college had an unexpected encounter with police while they were high on marijuana.
The actor, who stars as the president in Alex Garland’s “Civil War,” told Jimmy Kimmel that he and his pals were smoking weed behind a community theater late one night when flashlights appeared by a nearby creek.
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“And we realized it was police and so we began to tiptoe away and they gave chase and we wisely ran,” Offerman told Kimmel on Tuesday.
“And they tackled us and an incredibly tough, diminutive woman who I think may have been Holly Hunter. I couldn’t tell because she had her boot on my head and she had her gun on me.”
Offerman said it “suddenly got incredibly real” after police tackled him and his buds in the parking lot before they learned that a restaurant up the creek was robbed of “a bunch of cash.”
“And they naturally saw these kids running and we spent the whole night in jail. And the thing is we were just these innocent, dumb theater kids and we were saying, ‘No, we were just out there smoking and talking, officer,’” the actor said.
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He continued,
Avoid These Rude Behaviors When Smoking Weed On 4/20
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A lot of stoners are high on celebrating 420 this weekend, but bad manners could get in the way of a good time.
So before you take that first toke Saturday, members of the cannabis community have some etiquette tips to keep your pot party from getting out of joint.
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Jeremy Zachary, the CEO of Zen Cannabis, suggests taking your surroundings into consideration when consuming the wacky weed.
“If you’re in a public place, please choose other consumption methods instead of smoking,” he told HuffPost. “Smoking is equivalent to lighting up a cigar in a small space — it’s overwhelming. Edibles are so convenient and portable, there’s no reason not to go that route.”
Consent is also key, according to Michael Bologna, the CEO of Dip Devices, a cannabis hardware manufacturer. He cautions his fellow cannabis enthusiasts not to give edibles to someone “without their express knowledge and approval.”
Phoebe DePree, the founder and CEO of Goddess Growers, stresses the need to be aware of the disproportionate impact of cannabis prohibition on marginalized communities.
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“Cannabis is now legal in many states, but only recently entire generations of people were imprisoned,” DePree said, adding that “some still are.”
“It makes me sick when