In a letter to Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, a group of cannabis and psychedelic advocacy organizations, led by Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), called on the company to end what it describes as “ongoing and disproportionate censorship of content related to cannabis, psychedelics, and harm reduction.”

“Accounts committed to public education, legal and policy advocacy, research dissemination, and harm reduction services — including those of licensed healthcare professionals, nonprofits, and legal businesses — have been routinely shadowbanned, deplatformed, or had their posts removed with little explanation or recourse, despite operating in full compliance with local laws. This suppression is not merely an inconvenience; it is a form of digital marginalization.” — SSDP, in the letter

The groups argue the censorship of cannabis and psychedelics continue amid accelerating overdose deaths and mental health crises, and call on Meta to “end discriminatory bans and shadowbans,” “establish clear, transparent, and consistent content policies that distinguish between promotion of the sale of illegal substances and legitimate drug education and advocacy,” “create a dedicated appeals and accountability process specific to drug-related content that includes community stakeholders and subject-matter experts,” and “engage in regular dialogue with the psychedelic, cannabis, and harm reduction communities to better understand our work and co-create equitable guidelines for content moderation.”

In all, 81 organizations, consisting of students, educators, researchers, advocates, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, joined the letter, calling Meta’s policy “censorship of science, public health, legal, and public policy discourse” and describing the policy as “not an act of neutrality.”

“As the cultural and legal landscapes around these issues evolve,” the letter states, “so too must your policies.”

Florida officials have removed nearly 11,000 packages of hemp products for violating child-protection standards for packaging, labeling, and marketing throughout the state during the Florida Department of Agriculture’s “Operation Safe Summer.”

In a statement, Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson said the agency has “drawn a hard line in Florida when it comes to protecting our children from dangerous and deceptive hemp products.”

“’Operation Safe Summer’ is our latest effort to crack down on bad actors who think they can skirt the law, ignore public safety, and profit off high-potency, intoxicating hemp products that endanger our children. We will not tire in our commitment to cleaning up this industry, holding violators accountable, and sending a clear message: if you refuse to follow the law, you won’t be doing business in Florida.” — Simpson in a press release

The agency in April and June advised businesses in April and June about the planned enforcement of new Agriculture Department rules around intoxicating hemp-infused products. The new rules, enacted in 2023, include:

Prohibition on specified color additives.

Mandatory child-resistant packaging in accordance with ASTM International D 3475-20, Standard Classification of Child Resistant Packages.

Certificates of analysis must now include laboratory information, the concentration of total delta-9 THC, and confirm the presence or absence of prohibited substances and pathogens.

Restrictions on marketing and advertising of hemp and hemp extract intended for human consumption.

Enhanced labeling requirements, including the use of common household measurements for serving sizes and the provision of a scannable barcode or QR code, must link to the certificate of analysis within three or fewer steps.

Water activity for cannabis flower or leaves must be 0.60 (±0.05).

Since July 2023, the Agriculture Department has uncovered more than 738,000 packages of hemp products in violation of child-protection standards.

The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission last week approved emergency regulations to begin accepting medical cannabis applications as soon as Gov. Jim Pillen (R) allows the agency to proceed, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Under the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis law, the commission must start accepting applications by July 1.

The regulations largely mirror a legislative proposal that failed in the legislature last month and would remain in effect for 90 days after being approved by the governor.

Under the medical cannabis law, medical cannabis licensing must begin by October 1, and the emergency regulations would allow for the licensing of cultivators, product manufacturers, dispensaries, and transporters, with individuals or organizations only permitted one type of license.

Under the emergency regulations, only one dispensary would be allowed in each of the state’s 12 District Court Judicial Districts; no dispensary could be located within 1,000 feet of any school, daycare, church or hospital; at least 51% of an applicant’s business or organization must have resided in Nebraska and be a U.S. citizen for at least the past four years; and applicants would have to pay to submit two legible sets of fingerprints to the FBI and the Nebraska State Patrol for a criminal background check.

The regulations do not specify qualifying conditions for medical cannabis access but require that a physician’s recommendation specifies the product being recommended, the recommended dosage and potency, the number of doses, the directions for use, and the name of the patient.

The regulations allow dispensaries to sell oral tablets, capsules, or tinctures; non-sugarcoated gelatinous cubes, gelatinous rectangular cuboids, or lozenges in a cube or rectangular cuboid shape; topical preparations; suppositories; transdermal patches; and liquids or oils for administration using a nebulizer or inhaler. Flower is not permitted under the regulations, neither are infused food or drinks, any products containing artificial or natural flavoring or coloring, or any products that can be smoked or vaped.