The House Appropriations Committee is set to approve a report Tuesday directing federal agencies to study the "adequacy" of state marijuana laws and assess methods for "preventing diversion of state legal cannabis product into jurisdictions that do not permit the use of cannabis."
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) signed legislation doubling the state's legal marijuana possession limit, overhauling the Cannabis Control Commission, and changing business licensing and ownership rules.
Delaware lawmakers unanimously passed and sent to Gov. Matt Meyer (D) a bill allowing terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) used 4/20 to call on the legislature to pass marijuana legalization while the House Majority Policy Committee held a hearing on collateral consequences of cannabis convictions. "It's time for us to finally catch up—and for the legislature to send a bill to my desk and get this done," he said.
A Marijuana Policy Project report found cannabis arrests declining as legalization spreads, though tens of thousands remain arrested annually.
Woody Harrelson and Bill Maher criticized marijuana tax levels and banking access on the 4/20 Club Random podcast while smoking at their co-owned dispensary.
Missouri's Division of Cannabis Regulation filed proposed rules for a new marijuana research license class, open for public comment through May.
Federally, NIDA Director Nora Volkow met with co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus. A former Drug Enforcement Administration informant was sentenced to time served for failing to pay taxes on nearly $4 million in undercover compensation. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said his bill would let states opt out of any hemp ban by maintaining minimum purchase ages and prohibiting synthetic cannabinoids not naturally present in hemp.
Nevada launched an online marijuana product catalog. New York City opened cannabis business loan applications. Jackson, Michigan's "Pot for Potholes" program directs marijuana revenue to road repair. Ecuador's legislature advanced a citizen-led legalization initiative. Illinois dispensaries recorded $13.4 million in medical cannabis sales in March. Center Origin sued former employees over an alleged "civil conspiracy" to divert clients to a competitor.
A study found cannabis-based medicinal products "were associated with improvements in [health-related quality of life] measures up to 2 years, being relatively well tolerated" and "higher THC doses were associated with a greater likelihood of improvement on migraine-specific measures." Separately, researchers reconstructed in one plant assay the full biosynthetic pathways of five psychedelics—psilocin, psilocybin, DMT, bufotenin, and 5-methoxy-DMT.