420 FILE NEWS

420 FILE--For the first time ever, the House of Representatives just voted to restrict the Department of Justice from interfering with the states that have legalized adult-use marijuana.

420 FILE--Judging by its first six months, 2019 has been a banner year for marijuana policy reform.

420 FILE--The enactment of laws legalizing the use of marijuana for either medical or recreational purposes is associated with reduced rates of prescription opioid use and with a reduction of the total number of days for which opioids are prescribed, according to a working paperpublished by the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

420 FILE--The federal prohibition on marijuana has been a disaster. For decades, millions of Americans have been locked up and billions of dollars have been wasted. It’s also deepened racial and economic inequality. 

We must end this nonsensical prohibition.

420 FILES--When Israeli plant scientist Nirit Bernstein got a call five years ago from a research institute asking if she’d be interested in working on the cultivation of medical cannabis, she said yes. But then a thought quickly crossed her mind.

“Oh my god,” she thought. “What’s my mother going to say?”

420 FILE--As marijuana becomes legal in more and more states, public-health officials are asking important questions: Does smoking pot really give people the munchies? And if so, is the wider availability of the drug making Americans even more obese?

420 FILE--Legislation is pending, Senate Bill 305, to permit qualified patients the ability to access medical cannabis preparations while in health care facilities. 

420 FILE--The confectionery industry indulges consumers’ desires for sweets. They are typically classified by the basic ingredients of chocolate, sugar or flour. Within these categories are a wide variety of products, including hard candies, mints, toffees, truffles, and pastries. They are offered in a vast range of flavors, including chocolate, vanilla, peppermint and cinnamon. Many fruit flavors also are used. 

420 FILE--Legislation is pending, AB 286, to temporarily reduce tax rates imposed on the retail sale and commercial cultivation of cannabis.

State and local taxes currently imposed upon retail cannabis sales can total in upwards of 40 percent. This excessive taxation places an undue financial burden, particularly on patients, many of whom are now unable to consistently afford their medicine.

420 FILE--Legislation has been reintroduced from last year, Senate Bill 34, which would exempt compassionate care programs from paying state cannabis taxes when they are providing free medical cannabis to financially disadvantaged people living with serious health conditions. Last session, the measure was vetoed by Governor Brown.

420 FILE--In an attempt to help erase or reduce marijuana-related convictions for thousands with eligible criminal cases in Los Angeles County, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a measure on Tuesday that puts pressure on officials to address the backlog.

420 FILE--Call it Reefer Madness 2.0. The notion that marijuana makes you crazy is back – and with a vengeance.