“Our results suggest that adults who use cannabis … experience few significant long-term neural associations in these areas of cognition.”
The post Study: Sustained Use of Medical Cannabis Is Not Associated with Changes in Either Brian Morphology or Cognitive Performance appeared first on NORML.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 9-5 to approve legislation which will…
The post Senate Committee Approves Measure To End Consideration of Past Cannabis Use for Federal Jobs and Security Clearances appeared first on NORML.
“These audio recordings reinforce the fact that the federal government’s decision to strictly criminalize marijuana was primarily a political one,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said.
The post Newly Uncovered Nixon Audio: Marijuana Isn’t “Particularly Dangerous,” Penalties Should Be Reevaluated appeared first on NORML.
“Many older adults struggle with pain, anxiety, restless sleep, and other conditions for which cannabis products often mitigate. Many older adults are also well aware of the litany of serious adverse side-effects associated with available prescription drugs, like opioids or sleep aids, and they perceive medical cannabis to be a practical and potentially safer alternative.”
The post Survey: Rising Percentage of Older Adults Are Turning to Cannabis appeared first on NORML.
Gov. Newsom speaks at a press conference announcing emergency regulations on hemp products in California.
In a letter to the California Office of Administrative Law and Department of Public Health, Cal NORML has asked that Gov. Newsom’s proposed emergency regulations banning the sale of hemp products be modified to allow continued sale of non-intoxicating hemp CBD extracts that are widely used by medical patients in California.
The letter, joined by Oaksterdam University, does not take issue with the regulations’ intent to block the sale of hemp products with intoxicating levels of THC in liquor stores, gas stations, smoke shops and convenience outlets, often with inadequate labeling and in a manner accessible to minors.
However, it calls the proposed regulations too restrictive in banning industrial hemp with any “detectable amount of THC.” In practice, it’s impossible to eliminate detectable but non-intoxicating traces of THC from natural hemp extracts. THC is readily detectable at levels of 1 billionth of a gram, far below the threshold of human sensitivity, which starts around 2.5 milligrams, the smallest dosage of the prescription THC drug dronabinol.
As a result, the proposed regulation would wrongfully ban a host of non-intoxicating high-CBD natural hemp medicinal preparations with minimal levels of THC (around 1-2 milligrams), which are widely used by patients and recommended by doctors in California.
Cal NORML submitted expert testimony from California physicians Dr. Bonni Goldstein and Dr. Laurie Vollen, who have been recommending high-CBD hemp preparations to treat patients with epilepsy, cancer and other serious medical conditions. According to Dr. Goldstein, the proposed regulations “will cause serious detrimental effects to thousands of vulnerable children in California if access to these products is denied.” Dr. Vollen notes that equivalent products are not generally available in dispensaries, and even if they were, they would be much more expensive than those now available on the hemp market.
Cal NORML is asking that the regulations be amended to allow natural medicinal hemp oils, tinctures, extracts, capsules, suppositories and topicals by adopting the state of Colorado’s definition of non-intoxicating hemp, which allows hemp extracts with a CBD:THC ratio of at least 15:1 and no more than 1.75 milligrams of THC per dose. Cal NORML recommends that similar standards should be applied to other non-intoxicating hemp cannabinoids such as CBG and CBDA.
“There’s no danger that minors will try to get high on hemp products with less than 2 mg of THC, especially when other, much more potent marijuana products are readily available at bargain prices on the illegal market,” argues California NORML. As currently drafted, the CDPH’s proposed regulations violate the mandate of California’s medical marijuana law, Prop 215, to secure “safe and affordable” access to cannabis for all patients in medical need.
Although a few high-CBD products are available in legal cannabis stores in California, their cost is generally prohibitive for patients who need them. Cal NORML would like to see the tax burden on medical patients lessened overall, allowing a greater variety of medicinal-grade products in dispensaries.
By law, the emergency regulation will expire in 180 days, unless CDPH issues a permanent regulation.
“At a time when voters are historically divided, ending America’s failed marijuana policies is one issue that Americans largely agree on.”
The post Trump Reiterates Support for Florida’s Amendment 3, Says He Will Work with Congress to Advance Federal Reforms appeared first on NORML.
Nearly 40 years ago, advocates made the case to the DEA’s own judge that cannabis did not meet the definition of a Schedule I controlled substance. Their case is exponentially stronger now.
The post NORML Op-Ed: DEA’s Marijuana Hearing Is a Good Opportunity for Advocates to Make the Case for Rescheduling appeared first on NORML.
Statewide polling indicates that between 70 percent and 80 percent of Nebraskans support legalizing medical marijuana access.
The post Nebraska: Voters to Decide on Medical Cannabis Access Measures appeared first on NORML.
Justices determined, “Marijuana user or not, [the defendant] is a member of our political community and thus has a presumptive right to bear arms. By infringing on that right, 922(g)(3) contradicts the Second Amendment’s plain text.”
The post Federal Appeals Court Once Again Rejects Blanket Gun Ban for Cannabis Consumers appeared first on NORML.
There’s no doubt that the outcomes of this coming election will have major implications for the future of marijuana policy reform.
The post Marijuana Really Is on the Ballot This November appeared first on NORML.