Nebraska activists last Monday announced they are filing a new medical marijuana ballot initiative after an earlier version got shot down by the state Supreme Court this month.

The previous proposal had already collected enough signatures from voters and qualified for this November’s ballot, but a local sheriff filed a challenge, arguing that it violated the state’s single-subject rule that prohibits measures that deal with multiple issues. The secretary of state’s office rejected that claim, but the case went to court and a majority of justices ultimately ruled that the proposal would be removed from the ballot.

While advocates are disappointed that the state won’t have the opportunity to enact the policy change this year, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana didn’t waste any time putting together a new initiative that they feel will pass the single-subject test and appear on the 2022 ballot.

Language of the new proposal simply states: “Persons in the State of Nebraska shall have the right to cannabis in all its forms for medical purposes.”

Of course, that simplified text might satisfy the ballot policy, but it leaves an open questions about what—if any—regulated market would provide people with access to cannabis. It also doesn’t define eligibility, so that right to marijuana would appear to be unrestricted as long as person purports to use it for therapeutic reasons.

Those questions, if they remain unanswered by the campaign, could prove to be a sticking point for voters who would otherwise support regulated access to medical cannabis but might be uncomfortable with what could be a “free-for-all” situation that opponents have locked activists into with the single-subject challenge.

That said, the advocacy group says it plans to follow up the new simple constitutional amendment with “trailing statutory initiatives to set up a safe and secure medical cannabis system in Nebraska” if lawmakers fail to pass any medical marijuana  legislation over the next year. That’s similar to how casino gaming supporters are pursuing their issue with companion constitutional and statutory ballot measures.

Under this year’s blocked initiative, physicians would have been able to recommend cannabis to patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions, and those patients would then have been allowed to possess, purchase and “discreetly” cultivate marijuana for personal use.

Sens. Anna Wishart (D) and Adam Morfeld (D), cochairs of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, have tried for years to pass medical cannabis bills in the legislature only to be blocked by opposition from leadership.

Now, between the Supreme Court defeat and legislative inaction, they’re charting a new path.

“Families with loved ones suffering from conditions like epilepsy, PTSD, Parkinson’s, and cancer have fought for years to make medical cannabis safely accessible in our state as it is in 33 other states,” Wishart said in a press release. “This year over 190,000 Nebraskans successfully petitioned our government during a pandemic for that right, and despite receiving qualification from the Secretary of State, our initiative was removed from the ballot by a 5-2 vote from Nebraska’s Supreme Court. We will not give up and intend to bring this fight to the legislature in January with a bill that I will introduce and to the ballot in 2022.”

Morfeld added that the “new petition language indisputably presents a single subject and makes medical cannabis a constitutional right.”

“Then following with several statutory initiatives, we will establish a safe and regulated medical cannabis system,” he said. “Nebraskans have a constitutional right to petition their government, and we will not stop until they can exercise their right and have their voices heard on medical cannabis.”

While the timing isn’t ideal as far as advocates are concerned, given that presidential election years are typically targeted by cannabis reform supporters because of relatively larger turnout by supporters as compared to midterm cycles, 2022 is the next option they’re left with. That said, it’s possible that the continuing momentum for reform via the ballot could spur legislators to take up the issue in the meantime.

For what it’s worth, Nebraska’s attorney general said in an opinion last year that efforts to legalize medical marijuana in the state would be preempted by federal law and “would be, therefore, unconstitutional.”

This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content-sharing agreement. Read the original article here.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

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Nebraska activists last Monday announced they are filing a new medical marijuana ballot initiative after an earlier version got shot down by the state Supreme Court this month.

The previous proposal had already collected enough signatures from voters and qualified for this November’s ballot, but a local sheriff filed a challenge, arguing that it violated the state’s single-subject rule that prohibits measures that deal with multiple issues. The secretary of state’s office rejected that claim, but the case went to court and a majority of justices ultimately ruled that the proposal would be removed from the ballot.

While advocates are disappointed that the state won’t have the opportunity to enact the policy change this year, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana didn’t waste any time putting together a new initiative that they feel will pass the single-subject test and appear on the 2022 ballot.

Language of the new proposal simply states: “Persons in the State of Nebraska shall have the right to cannabis in all its forms for medical purposes.”

Of course, that simplified text might satisfy the ballot policy, but it leaves an open questions about what—if any—regulated market would provide people with access to cannabis. It also doesn’t define eligibility, so that right to marijuana would appear to be unrestricted as long as person purports to use it for therapeutic reasons.

Those questions, if they remain unanswered by the campaign, could prove to be a sticking point for voters who would otherwise support regulated access to medical cannabis but might be uncomfortable with what could be a “free-for-all” situation that opponents have locked activists into with the single-subject challenge.

That said, the advocacy group says it plans to follow up the new simple constitutional amendment with “trailing statutory initiatives to set up a safe and secure medical cannabis system in Nebraska” if lawmakers fail to pass any medical marijuana  legislation over the next year. That’s similar to how casino gaming supporters are pursuing their issue with companion constitutional and statutory ballot measures.

Under this year’s blocked initiative, physicians would have been able to recommend cannabis to patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions, and those patients would then have been allowed to possess, purchase and “discreetly” cultivate marijuana for personal use.

Sens. Anna Wishart (D) and Adam Morfeld (D), cochairs of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, have tried for years to pass medical cannabis bills in the legislature only to be blocked by opposition from leadership.

Now, between the Supreme Court defeat and legislative inaction, they’re charting a new path.

“Families with loved ones suffering from conditions like epilepsy, PTSD, Parkinson’s, and cancer have fought for years to make medical cannabis safely accessible in our state as it is in 33 other states,” Wishart said in a press release. “This year over 190,000 Nebraskans successfully petitioned our government during a pandemic for that right, and despite receiving qualification from the Secretary of State, our initiative was removed from the ballot by a 5-2 vote from Nebraska’s Supreme Court. We will not give up and intend to bring this fight to the legislature in January with a bill that I will introduce and to the ballot in 2022.”

Morfeld added that the “new petition language indisputably presents a single subject and makes medical cannabis a constitutional right.”

“Then following with several statutory initiatives, we will establish a safe and regulated medical cannabis system,” he said. “Nebraskans have a constitutional right to petition their government, and we will not stop until they can exercise their right and have their voices heard on medical cannabis.”

While the timing isn’t ideal as far as advocates are concerned, given that presidential election years are typically targeted by cannabis reform supporters because of relatively larger turnout by supporters as compared to midterm cycles, 2022 is the next option they’re left with. That said, it’s possible that the continuing momentum for reform via the ballot could spur legislators to take up the issue in the meantime.

For what it’s worth, Nebraska’s attorney general said in an opinion last year that efforts to legalize medical marijuana in the state would be preempted by federal law and “would be, therefore, unconstitutional.”

This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content-sharing agreement. Read the original article here.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

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A slimmed-down coronavirus relief bill that House Democrats released last Monday again includes marijuana banking protections.

Despite pushback from GOP lawmakers who challenged the germaneness of including the cannabis language in a prior version that the House approved in May, the text of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act was again inserted into the new legislation. It could get a floor vote as early as this week—and that would mark the third time the chamber has taken up the banking measure in some form in the past year.

The SAFE Banking Act would protect financial institutions that service state-legal marijuana businesses from being penalized by federal regulators, and on its own has significant bipartisan support. But its inclusion in the COVID-19 relief legislation was widely criticized by Republicans who insisted that it was part of an expansive Democratic wishlist of items not related to the health crisis.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been particularly critical of the House proposal, specifically taking issue with industry diversity reporting provisions of the SAFE Banking Act, for example. Other vocal opponents include Vice President Mike Pence and Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and John Kennedy (R-LA).

The Senate did not add cannabis banking language to its own version of COVID relief legislation filed in July.

“We appreciate that Democratic leadership is standing firmly behind the bipartisan SAFE Banking Act, despite some Republicans in Congress preferring to treat this public safety issue like some kind of comic relief,” Steve Fox, president of VS Strategies, told Marijuana Moment. “Far from being non-germane, the pandemic has only underscored the importance of this legislation.”

“At a time when businesses all across the country are relying on electronic transactions to protect public health, cannabis businesses are being forced to exchange currency. This bill is timely and necessary,” he said.

A summary of the banking provision prepared by House leaders states that it would “allow cannabis-related legitimate businesses, that in many states have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic as essential services, along with their service providers, to access banking services and products, as well as insurance.”

Notably, the document highlights the diversity reporting language that some Republicans have slammed, signaling that Democrats are not shying away from those components despite the criticism. It explains that the legislation “requires reports to Congress on access to financial services and barriers to marketplace entry for potential and existing minority-owned cannabis-related legitimate businesses.”

Advocates, stakeholders and lawmakers have argued that providing marijuana banking protections will mitigate the spread of the coronavirus by making it so cannabis businesses don’t have to rely on cash transactions. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she agrees that the measure is an appropriate component of the bill.

“The inclusion of the SAFE Banking Act in the HEROES 2.0 package is a positive development,” NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said. “In the majority of states that regulate the marijuana marketplace, cannabis businesses have been deemed essential during this pandemic.”

“Unfortunately, at the federal level, prohibition compounds the problems that this emerging industry faces,” he said. “Small cannabis businesses in particular are facing tough economic times and access to traditional financial tools will help ensure that they can weather this pandemic.”

While the incremental reform measure would help alleviate financial complications in the cannabis market, news that House Democrats opted to stick to their guns on the industry-focused marijuana banking legislation could frustrate advocates who were disappointed when the chamber’s leadership decided to postpone a planned vote on a comprehensive cannabis legalization and social equity bill earlier this month.

The banking provisions are generally considered industry friendly without addressing the systemic problems resulting from the war on drugs. In the past, some activists have made the case that lawmakers should’t approve the SAFE Banking Act until marijuana is descheduled and restorative justice policies are implemented.

The House was expected to hold a floor vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act to federally legalize cannabis last week, but leaders announced they were delaying it after certain centrist Democrats expressed concern about the optics of advancing marijuana reform legislation without first passing additional COVID relief.

All that said, others do view the banking protections as a boon for social equity in that they would help minority-owned cannabis businesses that currently struggle to get access to capital and financial services.

“Without access to much needed capital to maintain throughout the crisis, it is possible that we could see an acceleration of the corporatization of the cannabis industry in a manner that is inconsistent with the values and desires of many within the cannabis space,” Strekal said. “Enactment of the SAFE Banking Act would ensure that small businesses could compete in this emerging marketplace.”

In July, bipartisan treasurers from 15 states and one territory sent a letter to congressional leadership, urging the inclusion of the SAFE Banking Act in any COVID-19 legislation that’s sent to the president’s desk. Following GOP attacks on the House proposal, a group of Democratic state treasurers renewed that call.

The House last year approved the standalone SAFE Banking Act. For months, the legislation has gone without action in the Senate Banking Committee, where negotiations have been ongoing.

This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content-sharing agreement. Read the original article here.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

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DMT can improve memory and spatial learning by promoting the growth of new neurons in the brain, according to a new study published in the Translational Psychiatry journal. 

As the field of research into therapeutic psychedelics grows, a number of studies have reported that ayahuasca, a plant-based brew used for ritual purposes in South America, can effectively treat depression and other mental health issues. N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the primary psychedelic ingredient in ayahuasca, has intrigued scientists for decades because it is found both in the natural plant world and within the bodies of humans and other animals.

To gain further insight into DMT and its potential therapeutic use, a team of Spanish and Dutch researchers conducted a study on mice to discover exactly how this compound affects the brain. The researchers extracted tissue samples from the brains of 24 healthy mice and treated half of these cultures with DMT. Over the course of a week, researchers observed the growth rate of nerve cells in each sample. 

The study’s authors found that brain cells treated with DMT experienced neurogenesis, or “the process of generating new functional neurons.” In the samples treated with DMT, researchers discovered an increase in growth rates of several different cells that are involved in the creation of new neurons. “In conclusion, this study shows that DMT present in the ayahuasca infusion promotes neurogenesis by stimulating the expansion of neural progenitors populations,” the authors explain. 

Researchers also conducted an additional in vivo experiment to determine whether DMT could actively impact memory or spatial learning. The study reports that mice that had been injected with DMT four days before the experiment were able to escape from a water-filled maze faster than mice that had not received any drug. These results led the authors to conclude that “the neurogenic stimulation observed after DMT treatment correlates with an improvement in spatial learning and memory tasks in vivo.”

Although the study was only conducted on mice, the findings suggest that DMT and ayahuasca could potentially treat neurological and psychological conditions in humans. The neurogenic effects of DMT could possibly help reverse the degradation of nerve cells in Alzheimer’s or other neurodegenerative diseases. Neurogenesis has also been linked to increased neural plasticity, or the ability of the nervous system to adapt to environmental changes, and other studies have found that increased neuroplasticity can help people reduce feelings of depression or anxiety.

“Stimulation of the neurogenic niches of the adult brain can contribute substantially to the antidepressant effects of ayahuasca in recent clinical studies,” the authors concluded. “The versatility and complete neurogenic capacity of the DMT guarantee future research regarding this compound. In addition, its ability to modulate brain plasticity indicates its therapeutic potential for a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders, among which are neurodegenerative diseases.”

All Eyes On Michigan As State’s New Cannabis Market Booms

It’s outpaced Nevada to become the fifth highest-grossing state for cannabis sales and is on track to surpass $1 billion in sales.

The post All Eyes On Michigan As State’s New Cannabis Market Booms appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

5 COVID Myths Debunked By WHO

The World Health Organization has debunked some of the most common COVID-19 myths. Here are some of the most popular ones.

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Courts in legal medical states are increasingly rejecting the “smell of marijuana” as probable cause to search a vehicle or person.

The post Smell of cannabis alone isn’t cause for vehicle search, Pennsylvania court rules appeared first on Leafly.

Musicians and artists have long used cannabis to enhance their creativity. But how does the drug affect more conventional nine-to-five jobs? With cannabis now legal in more places, including Canada and several US states, research is being carried out into how it affects people’s productivity at work.

A recent paper found that using the drug after work did not hurt people’s performance or productivity the next day. The research explored how using cannabis at different times of the day affected people’s ability to complete assignments and meet their job requirements, as well as their behaviour toward colleagues and attitude toward their work.

Cannabis use after work did not affect any of the measures of workplace performance. Perhaps predictably, however, when people used cannabis before and during work, they did not fare so well.

The drug interfered with their ability to carry out tasks, affected their concentration and reduced their ability to solve problems. It had a negative effect on people’s “citizenship behaviour” – how likely they were to help colleagues or work in a team. And it also increased people’s propensity for counterproductive behaviour, such as daydreaming on the job and taking excessive time to perform a task.

Better than alcohol?

As with alcohol – where consuming a spirit compared to a beer will not only affect the speed of intoxication but the impact this has on functioning – the effect of cannabis will vary by product.

The study does not provide much detail about how much cannabis the participants consumed – just that they used it before, during or after work. So we know little about the point that cannabis consumption begins to negatively affect work performance. Nonetheless, it challenges stereotypes of cannabis users as lazy and unmotivated.

Research into the effects of alcohol on work performance is much more extensive. It shows how drinking after work and heavy drinking in particular negatively affects work in lots of ways. These include reduced productivity, greater levels of absenteeism, inappropriate behaviour and poorer relationships with work colleagues.

This new research on cannabis and productivity, while limited, is an important step forward into investigating the effects of the drug on society. It goes beyond the historically crude assessments of cannabis use, which would simply ask participants whether they had ever used cannabis or not then draw conclusions based on this simplistic grouping. This clearly missed the various doses and frequency of use.

Research in this area is tricky, however, as people that use cannabis are likely to also use or have a history of using other substances, such as alcohol. So untangling which substance is associated with an effect on performance is difficult, if not impossible in some cases.

Implications for drug testing

Cannabis use is not a niche activity. An estimated 20% of Americans are thought to have used the drug, while in Europe cannabis remains the most popular drug after alcohol, whether legal or not. Cannabis is well known to reduce stress and help people relax so it is likely to be an attractive antidote to a stressful day at work.

If companies have drug-related policies, they should be based on evidence and specific to the needs of the job. The effects of cannabis on coordination is one area that is more problematic. Like alcohol, the drug reduces people’s motor skills, reaction times and hand-eye coordination.

Unlike alcohol, there do not appear to be residual negative effects on coordination the day after using cannabis – unlike alcohol. But another study from earlier this year found that chronic, heavy cannabis use was associated with worse driving performance in non-intoxicated drivers. This is because the drug can impair the motor skills necessary for safe driving in the long term.

This evolving field of evidence makes it difficult for employers that do have drug-testing policies for their employees. Because most drugs break down very quickly in the body, tests are designed to identify chemicals called metabolites, which remain after the drug breaks down and can be detected weeks after use.

Verywell Mind

This means that an employee could have consumed cannabis on holiday, for example, then be subject to a work-based drug test weeks later and face disciplinary action when the test shows a positive result – even though the drug is not affecting their performance.

To fill this gap, there are apps that provide an alternative method of assessing impairment by measuring changes in task performance. This may prove to be a more reliable and efficient way to check if cannabis and other drugs are actually hurting someone’s work performance. Expecting an entire workforce to abstain is unrealistic and will restrict the talent pool from which employers can recruit.

By Ian Hamilton, Associate Professor of Addiction., University of York

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

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4 Reasons To Smoke Cannabis On A Date

It’s not unusual for people who are romantically involved to smoke cannabis instead of using alcohol. Here’s why it’s a good idea.

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Stimulus Checks And Economic Rebound — Courtesy Of Cannabis

Legalizing both medical and recreational cannabis in every state is looking more and more like a slam dunk.

The post Stimulus Checks And Economic Rebound — Courtesy Of Cannabis appeared first on The Fresh Toast.