<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a> Secretary of State Shemia Fagan resigned from her post Tuesday after consulting for a cannabis company that state officials were auditing.
Fagan, a Democrat, announced in a <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/newsroom/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?newsid=143940" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> that she would resign, effective May 8. The resignation comes after local news outlets reported that she was receiving $10,000 a month in consulting fees from one of the state&#8217;s largest marijuana dispensaries; at the same time, the Oregon Department of Revenue and the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission were auditing the franchise and the cannabis industry.
“While I am confident that the ethics investigation will show that I followed the state’s legal and ethical guidelines in trying to make ends meet for my family, it is clear that my actions have become a distraction from the important and critical work of the Secretary of State’s office,&#8221; Fagan said in a statement. &#8220;Protecting our state’s democracy and ensuring faith in our elected leaders — these are the reasons I ran for this office. They are also the reasons I will be submitting my resignation today. I want to thank the incredible staff in the Secretary of State’s office for their hard work and Oregonians for the opportunity to serve them. It has been a true honor to serve the people of Oregon.&#8221;
According to <a href="https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2023/04/27/secretary-of-state-shemia-fagan-is-working-as-private-consultant-to-troubled-cannabis-couple/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Willamette Week</a>, Fagan confirmed that she had accepted a consulting contract with La Mota, one of the largest marijuana dispensary chains in the state. La Mota is in significant legal trouble; the Oregon Department of Revenue and the IRS have filed more than $7 million in liens against the owners for unpaid taxes. The owners, and the companies they control, have been sued more than 30 times in state court for failing to pay bills and other claims. The owners of the chain were also significant donors to her campaign, and other Democrats statewide.
Besides the audit, the cannabis industry is regulated by the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, which is overseen by Fagan. Furthermore, the state&#8217;s Audits Division, also overseen by Fagan, was expected to release a report last week auditing the OLCC&#8217;s regulation of cannabis; Fagan had recused herself from that investigation.
A separate report from Willamette Week <a href="https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2023/05/01/fagans-contract-would-have-paid-her-more-than-state-salary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monday</a> revealed that Fagan was being paid a $10,000 monthly consulting fee, with $30,000 bonuses for each license she helped La Mota secure outside Oregon. That figure, which totals about $120,000, is much more than her state salary of $77,000 a year. The contract had no end date. In a separate announcement Monday, she announced that she had terminated the contract.
Deputy Secretary Cheryl Myers will fill the post until Governor Tina Kotek appoints a replacement.
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-7429">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
Fagan&#8217;s resignation comes just two months after several of her subordinates on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oregon-alcohol-regulators-used-their-power-to-get-their-hands-on-rare-ultra-expensive-bourbon-investigation-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission</a> were also found to have used their power for personal gain. According to an internal investigation, at least six members of the OLCC, including the agency’s former executive director, used their authority to divert rare and expensive bourbon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/whiskey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whiskey</a> so they could buy it for their personal use. The officials allegedly used their connections to push the rare spirits to a particular store where they could be kept away from the public.

Oregon Flag and U.S. Flag

Oregon Secretary Of State Resigns After She Took $10K A Month Consulting Marijuana Dispensary During State Audit

Democrat Oregon Secretary Of State Resigns After Taking $10K A Month Consulting Marijuana Dispensary While State Audited Company, Industry

Corruption

General

Marijuana

Money In Politics

Oregon

Secretary of State

U.S.

Rick Johnson, who led Michigan House Republicans from 2001-2004, pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting bribes from businesses seeking marijuana licenses in the Great Lakes State. 
From 2017-2019, Johnson chaired the Medical Marijuana Licensing Board, a state board that had the authority to decide which businesses could get into the marijuana business. During that time, Johnson received cash payments totaling at least $110,200 and other benefits from businesses and lobbyists seeking medical marijuana licenses, according to prosecutors, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/04/25/rick-johnson-ex-michigan-house-speaker-to-plead-guilty-to-bribery/70136545007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.   
Johnson faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is expected to be sentenced within three to four months, according to Magistrate Judge Phillip Green. The former Michigan lawmaker was released Tuesday on an unsecured bond of $25,000, which means he was allowed to leave without making a deposit. Johnson&#8217;s guilty plea comes as investigators continue to look into how money has influenced marijuana policymaking in Michigan. 
&#8220;This investigation is ongoing, which is to say we may or may not bring future charges in this case,&#8221; U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said. &#8220;But what I can say is that the investigation and prosecution of public corruption is a priority for our office. We will follow it wherever we find it.&#8221;
Last week, businessman John Dawood Dalaly <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/michigan/2023/04/21/oakland-county-businessman-pleads-guilty-bribing-michigan-medical-marijuana-regulator-rick-johnson/70135402007/">pleaded guilty</a> to bribing Johnson. Dalaly said he <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/rick-johnson-speaker-house-federal-court-grand-rapids-bribery-scheme-michigan-marijuana-regulation-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gave</a> Johnson at least $68,200 and provided two flights for him to Canada. Dalaly also told a federal judge that he hired Johnson’s wife Janice as a consultant and paid her $4,000 a month. Janice Johnson helped Dalaly fill out paperwork that would go before the board that Johnson chaired. As part of Johnson’s plea deal, she <a href="https://wwmt.com/news/local/rick-johnson-speaker-house-federal-court-grand-rapids-bribery-scheme-michigan-marijuana-regulation-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cannot be charged</a>, the judge said Tuesday. 
Lobbyists Brian Pierce and Vincent Brown, who allegedly gave Johnson $42,000 in cash and benefits, have also agreed to plead guilty and cooperate with investigators. 
Medical marijuana became legal in Michigan in 2008 and recreational marijuana use was approved by voters in 2018. The Medical Marijuana Licensing Board was disbanded by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2019 after she took office. 
Michigan’s marijuana business raked in $2.3 billion in 2022, <a href="https://www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/news/michigan-2022-cannabis-sales-record-price-flower/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, making Michigan the second-largest cannabis market in the U.S. behind California. 
<a class="c-link" href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://onelink.to/dwapp" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9125">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>

Cannabis/Money

Former Michigan Republican House Speaker Pleads Guilty To Accepting Bribes From Marijuana Businesses

Bribery

Crime

Michigan

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dolly-parton">Dolly Parton</a> had the best response to rumors that she was selling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana">CBD gummies</a>.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music">country music</a> legend addressed these claims on her official social media accounts Wednesday, denying the gossip with her signature brand of wit and humor. 
&#8220;Dolly Parton is not affiliated with, has not endorsed, and is not associated with any keto or CBD gummy product. She’s more the cake, cookie, and cornbread type,&#8221; the post <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CoI8whfOmQ1">said</a>. It was signed, &#8220;Team Dolly.&#8221; 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/4zKB98AB8S">pic.twitter.com/4zKB98AB8S</a>
&mdash; Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) <a href="https://twitter.com/DollyParton/status/1620941651433889793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The website Snopes.com previously <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dolly-parton-allegations-cbd-gummies/">addressed</a> the claims as well, saying they were false and that Parton never endorsed those products. Users had apparently been reacting to Facebook ads using the country music star’s image to sell CBD gummies that could allegedly “reverse dementia.” 
The ad includes a photo of Parton with the headline: “Allegation(s) Against Dolly Parton Have Been Confirmed.&#8221; Snopes confirmed this was all false, and that the accompanying link revealed no allegations or proof after clicking on the ad. 
Fans rallied around the “Jolene” singer in the comments, writing, &#8220;I’ll get the pitchforks,&#8221; and, &#8220;You let me know where to meet you.&#8221;
&#8220;Dolly is such a class act,&#8221; another person shared. &#8220;(And also WHO had the nerve?!)&#8221;
Many fans found humor in Parton’s reaction, pointing out how she’s never involved in scandals and gets along with everyone. 
“This is the most drama Dolly ever will get involved with,” one follower observed.
Another said the singer should consider making the rumors a reality.
 “Okay but imagine Dolly CBD products….. we would go crazy over that,” someone else said.
While she’s not promoting CBD gummies, Parton did recently join with Duncan Hines for a special line of Southern-inspired cake mixes and frosting flavors which sold out just after they debuted, per<a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/dolly-parton-not-selling-keto-cbd-gummies-rcna68737"> Today</a>. She said the match-up made sense because she “loved to cook and, growing up in the South, I especially love that authentic Mom and Pop kind of cooking.&#8221;
The publication noted that the country legend also published a cookbook in 2006 called &#8220;Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s: Love, Laughter, and Lots of Good Food.&#8221;

57th Academy of Country Music Awards – Arrivals

Dolly Parton Gave The Best Answer To Rumors She’s Promoting CBD Gummies

Dolly Parton Gave The Best Answer To Rumors She's Promoting CBD Gummies

Celebrities

Country Music

Dolly Parton

Actor Ashton Kutcher just recently revealed that he gave up marijuana years ago – and he explained the reason why.
Kutcher spoke to Esquire for an <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a42698761/ashton-kutcher-your-place-or-mine-interview-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that was published on Tuesday, and he said that a bad experience with an edible — while at a friend&#8217;s wedding in Italy — had turned him off the drug forever.
The &#8220;Dude, Where&#8217;s My Car?&#8221; actor explained that while he had indulged some in his younger years — primarily alcohol and marijuana — he quickly added, &#8220;I haven’t done a drug in ten years.&#8221;
&#8220;That s*** did not go well,&#8221; he said of the experience in Italy. He explained that at the time he had only recently had a vasectomy, and once the high from the edible took hold, he was convinced that he had lost all feeling below his waist.
His wife, &#8220;That 70&#8217;s Show&#8221; costar <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/i-am-wearing-childrens-underwear-for-you-mila-kunis-scolds-jimmy-kimmels-audience-for-booing-her/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mila Kunis</a>, tried to convince him otherwise but to no avail. Later, in their hotel room — which Kunis had to help him find because he had forgotten where it was — he became convinced that they were going broke. At that point he complained to Kunis, &#8220;We can’t even afford to be here right now!&#8221;
&#8220;The next day, I realized I had moved the decimal point,&#8221; Kutcher said, explaining that his financial panic had been the unfortunate result of attempting arithmetic while still high.
&#8220;The minute weed became legal in California, I got banned from doing it,&#8221; he said.
Kutcher also revealed in the same interview that despite many attempts to keep his personal life as private as possible, he and his family were thrust into the spotlight in 2019 when ex-wife Demi Moore <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/ashton-kutcher-said-he-was-fing-pissed-when-demi-moores-memoir-came-out/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published her memoir</a>.
&#8220;I was f***ing pissed,&#8221; he said of &#8220;Inside Out&#8221; hitting bookshelves that year. &#8220;I’d finally gotten to a place where the press had really laid off me and Mila [Kunis], and my life and my family &#8230; And then the next day, [the paparazzi] are at my kids’ school.&#8221;
Kutcher made it clear that he did not blame Moore for it, however, adding, &#8220;I don’t want to open anything up in that realm.&#8221;

Today – Season 71

‘That S*** Did Not Go Well’: Ashton Kutcher Reveals The Reason He Gave Up Weed

Ashton Kutcher Reveals The Reason He Gave Up Weed

Ashton Kutcher

Drugs

Mila Kunis

Grateful Dead legend Jerry Garcia’s relatives are truckin’ out of California, apparently because the Golden State’s high taxes and anti-business climate are just too harsh on the family’s marijuana business.
Garcia Hand Picked, which the late guitar wizard’s family started in 2020, <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/cannabis/article/jerry-garcia-cannabis-leaving-california-17741843.php">told SFGate.com</a> the company just can’t make a go of it in the Golden State. An industry expert blamed high taxes, competition from the black market, and soaring crime for the decision to pull out of California.
&#8220;We&#8217;re taking a pause in California,” a spokesperson for Garcia Hand Picked parent company Holistic Industries said. “We want to ensure California consumers have the highest quality flower for the long term, so we are choosing a new local partner for cultivation, production, sales and distribution of Garcia Hand Picked in CA.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jerry Garcia’s Grateful Dead weed brand is leaving California. Federal law blocks pot companies from deducting most business taxes from their federal taxes, making pot businesses pay an effective federal tax rate as high as 80%. <a href="https://t.co/lFj1gFaOH9">https://t.co/lFj1gFaOH9</a>
&mdash; Chronicutopia (@badboychronic) <a href="https://twitter.com/badboychronic/status/1619772312584167426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Garcia, who died in 1995 at age 53, was born in San Francisco and founded the band there in the 1960s. More than two decades after his death, California legalized recreational marijuana, a policy decision the hard-partying musician would have certainly endorsed.
&#8220;This was a hard decision for them, they love California,” cannabis industry expert Andrew DeAngelo told the outlet. “They were born and bred here. This is very painful for them, I guarantee that.”
DeAngelo said the Garcia family is facing the same high-tax, high-crime realities as other Golden State entrepreneurs. Since 2020, California has seen <a href="https://buildremote.co/companies/companies-leaving-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an exodus of high-profile companies</a>, with many going to red states with lower taxes and safer streets.
&#8220;Not only is Garcia leaving, a lot of people are leaving,” he said. “It&#8217;s a real shame California is losing out.&#8221;
The Garcia Hand Picked brand of marijuana will still be sold in Colorado, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, and Oregon.
California, which has a 15% sales tax on marijuana, has reaped over $4 billion in tax revenue since legalizing pot. It also collects money from retail licenses, which can cost $100,000 annually, taxes on growers, and local taxes which are in addition to the state levies. But legal cannabis companies complain that the state doesn’t do enough to crack down on the black market, allowing unfair competition to flourish.
Last November, <a href="https://www.greenmarketreport.com/california-cannabis-debt-bubble-on-verge-of-bursting/">GreenMarketReport.com warned</a> of a “mass extinction event” for California’s legal pot industry, reporting that licensed companies were carrying unsustainable debt and were unable to pay their bills.
“In the next 12 months, I think half the retailers are going to be in business,” Matt Yamashita, founder of Grizzly Peak, a Bay Area indoor grower and distributor, told the site. “I think 80% of the people in business will be gone. It’s inevitable. The bubble is going to burst.”

Jerry Garcia/The Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead Legend Jerry Garcia’s Family Pulls Pot Business Out Of California Over Taxes

Grateful Dead Legend Jerry Garcia's Family Pulls Pot Business Out Of California Over Taxes

California

Rock and Roll

Actor John Larroquette admitted that he once took a role in a horror movie in exchange for &#8220;a matchbox&#8221; of marijuana.
According to a recent <a href="https://parade.com/tv/john-larroquette-got-paid-in-marijuana-for-texas-chainsaw-massacre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> for Parade Magazine, the &#8220;Night Court&#8221; actor explained that he had taken on the role — narrating the opening sequence of 1974&#8217;s &#8220;The Texas Chainsaw Massacre&#8221; — as a favor to his friend, director Tobe Hooper, and that he hadn&#8217;t expected to be paid for the work.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
John Larroquette confirmed the rumor that Tobe Hooper paid him in weed to narrate his 1974 film &#39;The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.&#39; <a href="https://t.co/mFTeL8as7q">https://t.co/mFTeL8as7q</a>
&mdash; Entertainment Weekly (@EW) <a href="https://twitter.com/EW/status/1614005627524730893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Larroquette told Parade that he had actually met Hooper several years earlier when he was working as a bartender in Colorado — and when he later moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, Hooper called him and asked if he could spare an hour to narrate the beginning of his latest project.
&#8220;Tobe heard I was in town and asked for an hour of my time to narrate something for this movie he just did. I said ‘Fine!’ It was a favor,&#8221; Larroquette said — but he admitted that, on his way out the door, Hooper had slipped him a little something for his trouble.
&#8220;Totally true. He gave me some marijuana or a matchbox or whatever you called it in those days. I walked out of the [recording] studio and patted him on the back side and said, &#8216;Good luck to you!'&#8221; the actor added.
According to <a href="https://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/h/hemp22b.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Botanical.com</a> — which has published a lengthy list of street-terms for marijuana and other related paraphernalia — a &#8220;matchbox&#8221; refers to approximately &#8220;1/4 ounce of marijuana or 6 marijuana cigarettes,&#8221; or the amount of marijuana that might fit in a matchbox.
The Louisiana native said that he has never even seen &#8220;The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,&#8221; explaining that horror movies are not really his thing — but he did appreciate the fact that the movie did well and netted him roles narrating sequences in the sequels as well.
&#8220;You do something for free in the 1970s and get a little money in the ‘90s,&#8221; he said.
Larroquette, who is part of the NBC &#8220;Night Court&#8221; reboot, famously withdrew himself from contention after four consecutive <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0488662/awards/?ref_=nm_awd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emmy wins</a> for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series — from 1985-1988, during the show&#8217;s original run.
He was <a href="https://screenrant.com/night-court-john-larroquette-emmys-wins-consideration-end/#john-larroquette-wasn-t-the-only-star-who-withdrew-from-emmy-nominations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not the only star</a> to take that step either — Candice Bergen bowed out after winning five times between 1989-1995 for her role in &#8220;Murphy Brown,&#8221; and Oprah Winfrey withdrew her name after winning seven times in 12 years.

2023 TCA Winter Press Tour – NBCUniversal

John Larroquette Admits He Got Paid A Box Of Marijuana For Role In 70s Slasher Flick

John Larroquette Admits He Got Paid A Box Of Marijuana For Role In 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'

Hollywood

Horror Movies

The number of children who have accidentally eaten cannabis-infused edibles has spiked over the past five years as marijuana became legal in more states, according to a new report.
The significant increase was based on more than 7,000 pediatric cases filed with the <a href="https://www.aapcc.org/national-poison-data-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Poison Data System,</a> which tracks reports of poisonings across the nation.
“When it’s in a candy form or cookies, people don’t think of it in the same way as household chemicals or other things a child could get into,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-children-marijuana-district-of-columbia-bf55c85be2c2720a4988e6ecedafdb95?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_07" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Dr. Marit Tweet, a medical toxicologist with the Southern Illinois School of Medicine, who led the <a href="https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/doi/10.1542/peds.2022-057761/190427/Pediatric-Edible-Cannabis-Exposures-and-Acute?searchresult=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> published this week in Pediatrics. “But people should really be thinking of it as a medication.”
The numbers revealed a change from about 200 cases per year in 2017 to more than 3,000 in 2021. About 8% of the cases resulted in children being admitted to critical care units typically due to problems with breathing or coma, with more than a third of the children visiting emergency rooms.
The Pediatrics-published research noted that more than 97% of the exposures occurred in a home setting. The researchers concluded, &#8220;It is important for providers to be aware of this in their practice and it presents an important opportunity for education and prevention.&#8221;
The study recommended multiple ways to reduce future poisonings. The suggestions included changing product packaging and labeling, reducing the maximum allowable dose in a package, and increasing public education on household risks involved, especially for young children.
The push for new packaging is a significant consideration, as cannabis-infused edibles are often made to look like candy or cookies, which can lead children to consume the product accidentally.
The concern especially relates to toddlers who are unable to read the packaging. More than half of the reports involved 2 and 3-year-old children.
Common symptoms in children included confusion, hallucinations, rapid heart rate, and vomiting, according to the research. The most severe cases had depressed breathing or coma, though no children in the study died. The symptoms tend to vary based on a child&#8217;s size and age, as well as how much cannabis has been consumed.
Dr. Kevin Osterhoudt, the medical director of the poison control center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/reports-young-children-accidentally-eating-marijuana-edibles-soar-rcna63501" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News that the situation is increasing nationwide.
&#8220;I think the pattern that we’re seeing is well-represented by this study,&#8221; Osterhoudt said. &#8220;Emergency physicians all across the country have been recognizing what they believe to be a sharp increase in both young children and teenagers showing up to emergency departments for THC intoxication.”
The increased reports come as 37 states allow some form of medicinal marijuana, while 21 states permit various levels of recreational usage, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-children-marijuana-district-of-columbia-bf55c85be2c2720a4988e6ecedafdb95?utm_source=homepage&amp;utm_medium=TopNews&amp;utm_campaign=position_07" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The problems with cannabis-infused edibles are not limited to children. The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bus-driver-charged-after-blacking-out-behind-wheel-says-he-didnt-know-he-was-eating-marijuana-infused-gummies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in June that a man who blacked out driving a 38-passenger bus from a Connecticut casino in March was charged with 38 counts of reckless endangerment.
The driver, Jinhuan Chen, claimed he didn’t know he was eating cannabis-infused gummies before passing out.
Chen, who spoke through a Chinese interpreter, told Superior Court Judge Ndidi Moses, “I didn’t know it was marijuana. I didn’t know.”

Stack of edible cannabis gummies in rainbow light – stock photo

Kids Sickened By Cannabis-Infused Edibles Soars As Pot Becomes Legal In More States

Children

Health

Medical Research

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Food and Drug Administration</a> is beginning to examine whether cannabidiol, the cannabis extract also known as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBD</a>, is safe in food and supplements, according to a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fda-concerned-about-safety-explores-regulating-cbd-in-foods-supplements-11672146030?mod=hp_lead_pos6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Wall Street Journal.
“Given what we know about the safety of CBD so far, it raises concerns for FDA about whether these existing regulatory pathways for food and dietary supplements are appropriate for this substance,” FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock told the outlet. Patrick Cournoyer, who leads the agency’s Cannabis Product Committee, told the Wall Street Journal that officials want to determine whether CBD can be ingested during pregnancy, referencing concerns about future fertility among users.
CBD is created in a laboratory or derived from hemp, a plant related to marijuana, according to a <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from Harvard Medical School. The FDA nixed regulations on CBD with respect to research trials in 2015 before hemp was legalized in the United States three years later.
The compound is presently utilized to decrease the severity of anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain, according to Harvard Medical School. Side effects, however, may include nausea, fatigue, and irritability, as well as blood thinning. The FDA does not currently regulate CBD due to its classification as a dietary supplement rather than a medication.
The worldwide market for legal cannabis is expected to grow from more than $33 billion to $57 billion within the next four years, according to a <a href="https://bdsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/BDSA-Updated-Global-Cannabis-Market-Forecasts-Sept-2022-1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projection</a> from cannabis market researcher BDSA. The company forecasts that cannabis products intended for medical use will become available in Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina next year.
President Joe Biden recently signed the Cannabidiol and Marihuana Research Expansion Act, which is intended to “encourage valid scientific and clinical research on marihuana and its compounds, expand sources of research-grade marihuana, and promote the commercial production of FDA-approved drugs derived from CBD or other marihuana compounds,” according to a <a href="https://www.drugcaucus.senate.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> from the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Among other provisions, the law will permit accredited medical schools and research institutions to manufacture cannabis.
The increased acceptance of medical marijuana products occurs as proponents of criminal justice reform encourage decreased sanctions for offenses related to the substance. Biden recently issued a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass pardon</a> of individuals convicted of simple possession.
The specter of regulation on CBD products also comes after the FDA placed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-data-is-right-there-juul-says-the-fda-overlooked-key-information-before-banning-the-product" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marketing denial order</a> earlier this year on e-cigarette products manufactured by Juul Labs, claiming that the vapes create exposure to toxic chemicals. The company, which submitted more than 110 studies in an application with the agency, said in filings that its e-cigarettes contained at least 82% fewer harmful substances than IQOS, a tobacco device sold by Philip Morris International.
“We see clear signs that youth use of electronic cigarettes has reached an epidemic proportion, and we must adjust certain aspects of our comprehensive strategy to stem this clear and present danger,” former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in 2018. “While we remain committed to advancing policies that promote the potential of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers move away from combustible cigarettes, that work can’t come at the expense of kids. We cannot allow a whole new generation to become addicted to nicotine.”

CBD oil seen at the Asian Hemp Expo at Queen Sirikit

FDA Could Regulate CBD Amid Evidence Of Worrying Health Risks: Report

FDA Could Regulate CBD Amid Evidence Of Worrying Health Risks

Medical

A new study <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3771613-simultaneous-alcohol-cannabis-use-increased-as-states-legalized-marijuana-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> the potential connection between the combined use of alcohol and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> and the laws concerning recreational marijuana use across the United States.
The study, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-022-07948-w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published</a> in the Journal of Internal Medicine late last month, showed that the combined use of alcohol and cannabis went up from 2008 to 2019 in people ages 21-50 years old. It dropped, however, among people ages 12 to 20 years old. It also didn’t increase for people 51 years of age and up.
“Our findings are concerning considering that simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use is associated with more negative consequences (e.g., risk behaviors [driving under the influence], heavy patterns of substance use, increased risk for alcohol use disorders) to the individual and society,” Priscilla Goncalves, PhD, and first author of the study, said.
“Until this study, little had been known about the [recreational cannabis laws] and simultaneous use in adults in the U.S., where adult cannabis use and alcohol use are increasing in a changing cannabis policy environment,” Goncalves noted.
The findings come via information from the 2008 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included 817,359 people. The information also included where the participants were living in 2019 to see the state’s law about recreational cannabis use.
When looking at the time period before the recreational cannabis law and afterward, a press <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/974054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">release</a> about the study noted that there were minor but important upticks in people who were at least 21 years old.
The study’s objective was to look at the tendencies of the simultaneous use of cannabis and alcohol and explore the connections between recreational cannabis laws, which it noted as “(i.e., presence of active legal dispensaries or legal home cultivation)” and the simultaneous use of both substances in the country.
Silvia Martins, MD, PhD, a senior author on the study, pointed out the potential reason for the discovery, stating, “The greater availability and opportunity to access cannabis through legal supply chains available for adults ages 21 and over such as dispensaries, present in most RCL states, may explain why we observed increases in simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use in those aged 21–50 but not 12–20 years after RCLs in this sample.”
“These findings build upon prior research showing that states allowing dispensaries had a greater likelihood of alcohol-related outcomes in adults aged 21+,” Martins said. “Our work confirms these findings and extends them by reporting rising simultaneous use after RCL with cannabis supply implementation using a nationally representative sample across age groups over a long period (2008–2019).”
Goncalves noted that their “study contributes to the understanding of age group changes in simultaneous cannabis/ alcohol use after the legalization of adult cannabis use in the U.S. beyond medical laws.”
“Therefore, there may be a need to develop strategies to reduce harms related to simultaneous cannabis/alcohol use in adults aged 21-50,” she added.
Another <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2798860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> from last month showed that the use of alcohol has gone up as states have legalized recreational marijuana use, as The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/3742213-as-states-legalized-marijuana-alcohol-use-increased-study/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
As of November, there are 21 <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/where-is-marijuana-legal-a-guide-to-marijuana-legalization" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a> that have <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/marijuana-laws-by-state-is-weed-legal-where-you-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalized</a> the recreational use of marijuana, as well as Washington, D.C. The medical <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/legal-marijuana-states-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use</a> of Marijuana is more common, as it is legal in Washington, D.C., and 38 states. There has also been an <a href="https://ncpolicywatch.com/2022/04/21/federal-attempts-to-legalize-marijuana-flail-even-as-public-support-grows/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">effort</a> to legalize marijuana at the federal level.
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2021 studies <a href="https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2021/06/using-alcohol-marijuana-together-exacerbates-negative-consequences-young-adults" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> that college students who used marijuana and alcohol simultaneously had more adverse impacts than people who used them at different times.

Photo taken in Miami, United States

Simultaneous Use Of Cannabis And Alcohol Went Up In People Ages 21-50 As States Legalized Recreational Marijuana, Study Finds

Simultaneous Use Of Cannabis And Alcohol Went Up In People 21-50 Years Old As States Legalized Marijuana, Journal Of Internal Medicine Study Finds

Alcohol

Come next year, Minnesota may be the next state to legalize <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a>.
Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) flipped the state Senate on Tuesday, securing a trifecta for the first time in nearly a decade: both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz reportedly <a href="https://www.clubhouse.com/room/M8n53n6A?t=631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> former Governor Jesse Ventura in a phone call that marijuana legalization would be one of the first bills passed through this trifecta.
“The sticking point for cannabis in Minnesota were the Republicans and the house they controlled,” stated Ventura. “Well, they’ve lost it now, and the governor reassured me that one of the first items that will be passed — Minnesota, get ready — cannabis is going to have its prohibition lifted.”
Ventura added that Walz also invited him to the bill’s signing. The former governor has reportedly attempted to legalize marijuana for 20 years.
Based on Walz’s remarks this year, the governor may also have an eye on expunging marijuana convictions in the state. Walz’s vision preceded President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass pardon</a> of those convicted of simple marijuana possession last month.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It&#8217;s time to legalize adult-use cannabis and expunge cannabis convictions in Minnesota.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1516926643864055809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
Legalization of the drug advances as more <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joint-session-questioning-the-senates-debate-on-the-decriminalization-of-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">questions</a> arise among legislators and medical professionals on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/going-green-the-physical-mental-and-emotional-problems-associated-with-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection</a> between marijuana usage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-marijuana-use-play-a-role-in-mass-shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental illness</a>.
Just last weekend, pop star icon Aaron Carter was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-police-found-in-the-room-with-aaron-carter-when-he-died" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> dead in his bathtub. Carter stated three days prior that he’d been “California sober” for five years — abstaining from all drugs except cannabis and prescribed pharmaceuticals like Xanax. Carter had a lengthy history of addiction and mental illness.
Walz’s initiative wouldn’t be transitioning Minnesota from total prohibition to full legalization of the drug. He directed state agencies to form policies that could be implemented upon legalization.
According to the state’s legislative reference library, the legislature <a href="https://www.lrl.mn.gov/guides/guides?issue=cannabis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legalized</a> medical marijuana in 2014, but consumption could only take place through pills, oils, or vapor initially. Then last year, the state relaxed this law to allow the smoking of dried marijuana leaves and consumption of “edibles” (gummies and chews). The latter went into effect in August.
The state <a href="https://www.health.state.mn.us/people/cannabis/patients/conditions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">qualifies</a> 17 conditions for medical marijuana usage: Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), autism spectrum disorder (must meet DSM-5), cancer, chronic motor or vocal tic disorder, chronic pain, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn’s disease), intractable pain, obstructive sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), seizures (e.g., epilepsy), severe and persistent muscle spasms (e.g., multiple sclerosis, or MS), sickle cell disease, terminal illness with a life expectancy of under one year, and Tourette Syndrome.
Those with cancer or a terminal illness must have one or more of the following symptoms: severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or cachexia or severe wasting.
The legislature also implemented a law earlier this year allowing individuals over 21 to purchase products containing five or less milligrams of the psychoactive drug THC derived from hemp. Marijuana and hemp are the same species — the primary difference <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana%23hemp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exists</a> in their THC content. Hemp has 0.3 percent or less THC, while marijuana has over 0.3 percent, therefore resulting in the drug’s typical high.
November 6 marked the tenth anniversary of Colorado and Washington becoming the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Since then, Washington, D.C., Guam, and 19 states have followed suit: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

Minnesota Governor Promises Marijuana Legalization Will Be One Of First Bills Passed Under Newly-Flipped Legislature

2022 Midterms

Minnesota

Politics

Social Issues

Five <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Texas</a> cities may join the growing list of those adopting workarounds to the Lone Star State’s ban on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a>. It’s the latest development in a growing trend to decriminalize the drug.
Voters in Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos are all deciding on November ballot propositions to legalize marijuana. Austin, the state’s capital, already approved a measure in May decriminalizing marijuana by prohibiting citations or arrests for misdemeanor possession, as well as banning no-knock warrants.
The propositions considered by the five cities <a href="https://norml.org/news/2022/08/11/texas-voters-in-five-cities-to-decide-on-marijuana-depenalization-initiatives/">bear</a> the same language, and similar titles: “[Insert City Here] Freedom Act of 2022.” That’s because the propositions were the coordinated effort of an Austin-based progressive nonprofit, Ground Game Texas. In addition to legalizing marijuana, Ground Game Texas advocates for a $15 minimum wage and expansion of Medicaid. Ground Game Texas was also behind Austin’s marijuana decriminalization and no-knock ban, called the “Austin Freedom Act of 2021.”
Under the cookie cutter proposition language, each city would prohibit citations and arrests for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, unless those citations or arrests for possession involved the investigation of a felony-level narcotics case or violent felony. Police may also not use the smell of marijuana as probable cause for a search or seizure, and they may not use city funds or personnel to conduct THC concentration testing.
On the map, these five cities form a southwest trail starting in Denton and ending in San Marcos. If all five cities decriminalize marijuana, they will join the cities of Cedar Park, Dallas, El Paso, and the counties of Bexar, Harris, Hays, Nueces, Travis, and Williamson, which allow for citations instead of arrests for misdemeanor possession.
In addition to coordinating marijuana decriminalization efforts, Ground Game Texas is advocating for a “<a href="https://www.groundgametexas.org/en/campaigns/sanantonio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Antonio Justice Charter</a>” to not only decriminalize marijuana, but abortion. The charter would also implement a slew of California-esque progressive policies, such as hiring a social justice director with authorities similar to a mayor, ban no-knock warrants and police chokeholds, and citation-only punishments for class C misdemeanors, drug possession, theft of property or service less than $750, driving with an invalid license, contraband possession while imprisoned, graffiti with damages less than $2,500, and criminal mischief with damages under $750. They need 20,000 verified signatures by January to make the May municipal ballot.
Ground Game Texas is also advocating for a $15 minimum wage for the city of Edinburg, as well as a climate change and climate justice policy for the city of El Paso.
The mass marijuana decriminalization efforts are coming to a head as more studies are now being <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joint-session-questioning-the-senates-debate-on-the-decriminalization-of-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/going-green-the-physical-mental-and-emotional-problems-associated-with-marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potential connection</a> between marijuana usage and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/could-marijuana-use-play-a-role-in-mass-shootings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mental illness</a>.
Some of Texas’ Republican state leaders support this decriminalization push. In January, Governor Greg Abbott signaled a softened stance on marijuana decriminalization, according to remarks <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/11/austin-decriminalize-marijuana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">documented</a> by the Texas Tribune during a campaign stop.
“One thing that I believe in, and I believe the state legislature believes in, and that is prison and jail is a place for dangerous criminals who may harm others,” said Abbott. “Small possession of marijuana is not the type of violation that we want to stockpile jails with.”
In a July editorial, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller <a href="https://www.texasagriculture.gov/News-Events/News-Events-Details/Article/7380/EDITORIAL-STANDING-UP-FOR-COMPASSIONATE-USE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that marijuana was medically beneficial, and that bans on the drug were racist, classist, authoritarian, and anti-American.
“In a free society, government should only make something illegal for a powerful reason or set of facts,” wrote Miller. “As I look back, I believe that cannabis prohibition came from a place of fear, not from medical science or the analysis of social harm. Sadly, the roots of this came from a history of racism, classism, and a large central government with an authoritarian desire to control others. It is as anti-American in its origins as could be imaginable.”
Abbott and Miller are just several of many Republicans walking away from party disapproval of marijuana and joining a decriminalization push that resonates deeply throughout the Democratic Party all the way to the White House. Democrats at the forefront of voter minds ahead of the November election like Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor and Senate candidate John Fetterman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-for-decriminalizing-across-the-board-john-fetterman-has-repeatedly-nodded-to-woke-drug-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">support</a> decriminalization of marijuana, but view that issue as the tip of the iceberg. Fetterman has consistently advocated for decriminalizing hard drugs as well.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-biden-pardons-thousands-with-federal-convictions-for-drug-crimes-orders-states-to-do-the-same" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a mass pardon of those convicted of simple marijuana possession. As The Heritage Foundation and other experts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-mass-pardon-for-marijuana-possession-likely-benefitting-offenders-guilty-of-worse-crimes-expert-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a>, a vast majority of those criminal convictions were the result of plea deals. Meaning, those benefiting from Biden’s pardon likely committed more heinous crimes than marijuana possession. Paul Larkin, Heritage Foundation senior legal research fellow, told The Daily Wire that these plea deals occur nearly all of the time.
“95% of the time, federal prosecutors engage in plea bargaining,” stated Larkin. “Is it possible or likely people are going to benefit from this who don’t deserve it because they actually were accused of a more serious crime? Damn right there is.”

Five Texas Cities May Decriminalize Marijuana In Workaround To State Ban

Texas

Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> companies are facing a lawsuit over low-potency <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marijuana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">marijuana</a> products.
The suit was filed against DreamFields Brands, Inc. and Med for America, Inc. The companies are accused of inaccurately telling consumers that some cannabis products contained higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which creates the feeling of being high for people who use the substance. 
&#8220;Consumers are willing to pay more for cannabis products with higher THC content, and expect to pay less for cannabis products with lower THC content,&#8221; Christin Cho of Dovel and Luner, the law firm behind the lawsuit, <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/lawsuit-filed-against-california-weed-companies-not-getting-consumers-high-enough" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, per Fox Business. &#8220;The complaint alleges that by labeling its products with inflated THC numbers, defendants are overcharging consumers.&#8221;
Jasper Centeno and Blake Wilson are the plaintiffs who <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/26/business/california-marijuana-lawsuit-thc-trnd/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brought</a> the case and alleged that they purchased “Jeeter” marijuana joints which were advertised as containing high levels of THC. The suit claims that the inaccurate labels have broken several California laws about false advertising. 
“Because cannabis consumers generally prefer and are willing to pay more for high-THC cannabis products, declaring that their products have a very high THC content allows Defendants to charge premium rates for their cannabis products,” the lawsuit <a href="https://www.dovel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Jeeter-complaint-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a>.
The plaintiffs may have a case, depending on the level of cannabis. According to the <a href="https://cannabis.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/07/DCC-Cannabis-Regulations-as-of-6.6.2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California Department of Cannabis Control</a>, “any one cannabinoid, Total THC, and/or Total CBD claimed to be present on a label shall not be considered inaccurate if the difference in percentage on the certificate of analysis is plus or minus 10.0%.”
Jeeter’s labeling reportedly says that its pre-rolled items have around 35% average THC and can have up to 46% in some items. The lawsuit reportedly points to an independent lab examination that found one of the products only had 23% to 27%, while it claimed to have 46% THC.
The companies are “systematically overstating the THC content to deceive consumers into thinking that the effects of their prerolls are more potent than they truly are. This is false and misleading. And, it violates DCC regulations, and California law,” the lawsuit stated. 
Cannabis is a multi-billion dollar industry in California. Last year, the state had the most marijuana sales in the country, coming in at $5.7 billion, the Annual Marijuana Business Factbook reportedly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cannabis-marijuana-dreamfields-jeeter-lawsuit-california-thc-high/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
According to the <a href="https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CCDPHP/sapb/CDPH%20Document%20Library/Factsheet_Marijuana_Use_Among_CA_Adults-ADA.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California Department of Public Health</a>, in 2018 17.7% of adults in California said they had used marijuana in the previous thirty days. In the United States, 10.5% of adults reportedly use the substance. 
The plaintiffs seek an undisclosed amount in damages and want a jury to be involved.

F5E0A013-C54D-4040-B4BD-997E8ACFC1E9_1_201_a

California Marijuana Companies Sued Over Alleged False THC Labeling

California Marijuana Companies DreamField Brands and Med For America Sued Over Alleged False THC Labeling 

Business

Courts

Menu