Legalizing Marijuana

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Oklahoma voters reject legalizing recreational marijuana

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma voters on Tuesday rejected the legalization of recreational marijuana, following a late blitz of opposition from faith leaders, law enforcement and prosecutors.

https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-recreational-marijuana-07b5aec5955d3507fa221f773a51c4c7?

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Senate passes marijuana legalization, bill heads into final discussions

In a major sign of momentum for legalization of adult-use marijuana, the Minnesota Senate approved a bill Friday that sets up a structure for growing and selling cannabis while revisiting convictions for past drug crimes.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/04/28/senate-passes-marijuana-legalization-bill-heads-into-final-discussions?

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The world has gone crazy. 

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Florida Senate approves hemp bill — without limiting THC levels in products

A measure that will prohibit hemp-derived products such as Delta-8 from being sold to individuals under 21 years of age passed in the Florida Senate Friday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/blog/florida-senate-approves-hemp-bill-without-limiting-thc-levels-in-products/?

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Marijuana Users Have Triple the Odds for Leg Artery Disease (Study)

MONDAY, May 15, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Smoking cigarettes has long been linked to peripheral artery disease (PAD), a condition where the buildup of plaque narrows arteries and limits blood flow to the legs or arms.

https://www.webmd.com/dvt/news/20230515/marijuana-users-have-triple-the-odds-for-leg-artery-disease-study-suggests?

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Inflammation 

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Minnesota becomes 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana

Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday signed a bill allowing marijuana possession for adults, expunging marijuana conviction records and creating new licenses for the substance. It goes into effect Aug. 1.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/minnesota/minnesota-becomes-23rd-state-to-legalize-recreational-marijuana?

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Advocates for recreational cannabis amendment push back against AG Moody’s legal arguments

The proposal has the required signatures, but still needs approval from the Florida Supreme Court to make the 2024 ballot

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/07/20/advocates-for-recreational-cannabis-amendment-push-back-against-ag-moodys-arguments/

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Mastercard moves to ban cannabis purchases on its debit cards

July 26 (Reuters) - Mastercard (MA.N) has told financial institutions to stop allowing marijuana transactions on its debit cards, dealing a blow to an industry already on the fringes of the financial system in the United States.

https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/mastercard-demands-termination-cannabis-purchases-its-debit-cards-2023-07-26/?

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What to know as recreational marijuana becomes legal in Minnesota on Aug. 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesotans can legally possess and grow their own marijuana for recreational purposes starting Tuesday, Aug. 1, subject to limits meant to keep a lid on things while the state sets up a full-blown legal cannabis industry.

https://apnews.com/article/when-marijuana-legal-seeds-cannabis-minnesota-9b0d9dbca39679aec30dafe5744e0f68?

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Proposed recreational marijuana law is headed to the November ballot in Ohio

A proposed recreational marijuana law will be on Ohio’s November ballot after all.

https://floridaphoenix.com/blog/proposed-recreational-marijuana-law-is-headed-to-the-november-ballot-in-ohio/?

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Lowering the pot bar

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

The Biden administration is moving — ever so slowly — to loosen restrictions on marijuana ahead of the 2024 election. Why it matters: Polls show substantial support for marijuana legalization. What's happening: The Department of Health and Human Services told the Drug Enforcement Administration it wants cannabis reclassified as a Schedule III drug. The move would make it easier for companies to bring cannabis products to market, Bloomberg reports. How it works: Marijuana has been categorized as a Schedule I drug since 1970 — meaning it's considered to have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, Axios' Jacob Knutson writes. Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Schedule III substances are considered to have some medical uses and a lower potential for addiction. Between the lines: Advocates want the Biden administration to go further and remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances instead of rescheduling it. "This historic recommendation is the best news for the cannabis industry in 70 years, but this isn't a done deal," James Whitcomb, who leads a marijuana insurance startup, told Axios' Dan Primack. ? What's next: The DEA, which has final authority to reschedule drugs, will initiate its own review.

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Pot tipping point

Data: Gallup. Chart: Axios Visuals The nationwide push to legalize recreational marijuana has reached a tipping point, Axios' Kelly Tyko and Noah Bressner write. 70% of Americans think marijuana use should be legal, according to new Gallup polling — the highest level yet. More than half of Americans live in states where marijuana will soon be legal. Why it matters: The record support for legal weed crosses political party lines. Gallup found that 87% of Democrats, 70% of independents and 55% of Republicans back legal marijuana. Data: DISA and staff research. Chart: Axios Visuals (Note: Some states categorized as illegal permit CBD for medical use.) ? By the numbers: More than 176 million people in the U.S. will live in states where recreational use is allowed after Ohio voted to legalize marijuana yesterday. The legalized marijuana market is worth $64 billion and has nearly tripled in three years as legalization efforts have swept the nation, a Coresight Research report found. ? What's next: TD Cowen analyst Eric Assaraf expects "state-based legalization efforts will continue to shift toward red states as the number of pickup opportunities in blue states has narrowed." Keep reading.

 

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Florida lawmakers hear alarming tales regarding hemp-derived THC products

The Legislature considered putting limits on products earlier this year, but opted only to ban the product to those under 21

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/14/florida-lawmakers-hear-alarming-tales-regarding-hemp-derived-thc-products/?

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Biden pardons additional marijuana offenses

President Biden on Friday issued a proclamation pardoning those convicted of "additional offenses" related to marijuana possession and use under federal and D.C. law.

https://www.axios.com/2023/12/22/biden-marijuana-pardons-clemency?

Biden pardons thousands convicted of marijuana charges on federal lands and in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pardoned thousands of people who were convicted of use and simple possession of marijuana on federal lands and in the District of Columbia, the White House said Friday, in his latest round of executive clemencies meant to rectify racial disparities in the justice system.

https://apnews.com/article/biden-marijuana-pardons-clemency-02abde991a05ff7dfa29bfc3c74e9d64?

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Hemp entrepreneurs say changes will devastate their businesses; FL lawmakers appear unmoved

Ashley Guy runs a smoke shop in Tallahassee. She says she’s thrived since she moved from Seattle to Florida five years ago, with profits of more than $5 million from the sales of cannabis hemp products. But if a new proposal in the Florida Legislature passes, “this would just decimate business” she said on Tuesday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/01/24/hemp-entrepreneurs-say-changes-will-devastate-their-businesses-fl-lawmakers-appear-unmoved/?

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Floridians struggling with illness decry the possibility of the state banning delta-8 hemp products

Kassie Stuart was 17 years old when she was diagnosed with idiopathic genetic epilepsy, which can result in intense seizures.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/01/29/floridians-struggling-with-illness-decry-the-possibility-of-the-state-banning-delta-8-hemp-products/?

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Zoning board rejects medical-marijuana site near Orlando’s College Park

A medical-marijuana dispensary needing permission to set up shop on Edgewater Drive will have to appeal or find another location after a zoning board said no, siding with College Park neighbors and Orange County’s school board chair.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/02/02/zoning-board-rejects-medical-marijuana-site-near-orlandos-college-park/?

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Florida lawmakers move toward capping THC in recreational marijuana

TALLAHASSEE — As a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to allow recreational marijuana looms, Florida lawmakers are taking steps toward imposing limits on the amount of euphoria-inducing THC in pot products.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/02/05/florida-lawmakers-move-toward-capping-thc-in-recreational-marijuana/?

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? Texas' first cannabis beverage

The new cannabis drink has a yellow hue. Photo: Courtesy of Texas Original

Texas Original, the state's largest medical cannabis provider, has launched a cannabis beverage called Elevate. Why it matters: The new drink, the state's first legal cannabis beverage, was created to help patients manage conditions like anxiety, pain, inflammation and depression, the company says. It's only available to patients of the state's Compassionate Use Program. How it works: Each 1-ounce bottle of Elevate contains equal parts THC — the main active ingredient in cannabis — and cannabigerol (CBG), a naturally occurring cannabinoid without psychoactive properties. It also contains ginger and turmeric, both of which are established anti-inflammatories. The product sells for $12 per bottle. Context: In states with less stringent marijuana laws — like the veritable hippie hollow of Oklahoma — cannabis drinks have been available to medical marijuana cardholders for years. Catch up quick: Though it's low profile, Texas does have a medical marijuana program. Last year lawmakers looked at the possibility of expanding the list of eligible conditions, but those efforts failed. Meanwhile: Austin-based Texas Original celebrated Valentine's Day by launching a new dark chocolate THC product. Last year the company released the state's strongest legal THC gummy.

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Gov. DeSantis has a ‘big problem’ with Florida legalizing recreational pot

Florida’s Governor is voicing concerns about a potential citizen’s initiative that could legalize recreational pot.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/664327-gov-desantis-has-a-big-problem-with-florida-legalizing-recreational-pot/

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Rats are high on marijuana evidence at an infested police building, New Orleans chief says

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Rats have gotten into confiscated pot at New Orleans’ aging police headquarters, munching the evidence as the building is taken over by mold and cockroaches, said the city’s police chief.

https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-police-rats-eating-marijuana-02cf5d760649033801b775b41a96d5df?

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Gangsters, Money and Murder: How Chinese Organized Crime Is Dominating America’s Illegal Marijuana Market

It seemed an unlikely spot for a showdown between Chinese gangsters: a marijuana farm on the prairie in Kingfisher County, Oklahoma.

https://www.propublica.org/article/chinese-organized-crime-us-marijuana-market?

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How 4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana’s high holiday

SEATTLE (AP) — Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states thank their customers with discounts.

https://apnews.com/article/420-history-marijuana-07ecdd87c4756cc4a1dbd4ad3b1f682c?

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10 Things Christians Should Know about Marijuana

I need to make a confession right up front. I’ve never smoked marijuana. I’ve never been drunk with alcohol. In fact, I’ve never used an illicit drug of any sort. I mention this because I’m quite sure that some will object to what I say in this article by insisting that I have no right to speak about an experience in which I’ve never personally indulged. I think that’s ridiculous. Whether or not I’ve ever been “high” (and again, no, I haven’t), is irrelevant to the question of whether or not Christians should use marijuana for recreational purposes. That being said, let’s get started.

https://www.crosswalk.com/slideshows/10-things-christians-should-know-about-marijuana.html?