“Not only do these kids have to be taken away from their parents, they have to be taken away from their communities sometimes, and put in other counties and other schools.”

By April Corbin Girnus, Nevada Current

Clark County is making the case that Nevadans with non-violent marijuana convictions should not be automatically disqualified from becoming foster parents.

“Over the years we have lost qualified, caring individuals due to former criminal records, particularly from marijuana convictions related to possession that were over 20 years old or longer,” Ashley Kennedy, a lobbyist for Clark County, told state lawmakers. Such convictions “no longer align with Nevada’s current laws.”

Assembly Bill 107, which the county requested, would change that. It would allow people convicted of marijuana possession for amounts that are currently legal to become foster parents. It would also remove the automatic ban on fostering for anyone with a marijuana-related conviction more than 5 years old and not related to selling.

Currently, any conviction for possession, distribution or use of any controlled substance automatically disqualifies you from becoming a foster parent.

AB107 would not change other licensing requirements for foster parents, which include training, background checks, home inspections and home studies. The bill, sponsored by Las Vegas Democratic Assemblymember Tracy Brown-May, received unanimous support from the Assembly and was heard by a Senate committee last week.

Kennedy said Clark County does not have formal data on the number of people who have been turned away by its family services department for having prior marijuana convictions, but anecdotally they believe it to be “at least 10 families a year.”

She added that, while 10 may appear to be a small number, most foster care homes take in more than one child per year, meaning the impact is “significantly larger.” Many foster homes also take in multiple kids at the same time, child advocates noted.

The need for more foster care homes is great in Clark County and Nevada.

“In Clark County alone, we have over 3,000 children in foster care on any given day but fewer than 900 licensed foster homes,” said Kennedy.

Republican Assemblymember Ken Gray, who signed on as a cosponsor of the bill, said it could be a “game changer.” He added that Lyon County currently only has seven foster families.

“We have so few beds,” he said. “Not only do these kids have to be taken away from their parents, they have to be taken away from their communities sometimes, and put in other counties and other schools. You’re adding more damage on top of damage that’s already been done.”

He added, “Even one or two homes in each county is going to make a significant difference.”

This story was first published by Nevada Current.

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Approve Bill To Legalize Marijuana Just One Day After It Was Introduced

Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

Washington Borough, N.J. – Dank Poet Dispensary announces its highly anticipated “Elevation of Self” Poetry Contest, a celebration of creative expression, community inclusion and the written word. Poets of all backgrounds are invited to submit their original work for a chance to perform at Fern:20, an exclusive literary and cultural event hosted at Dank Poet Dispensary on April 11, 2025.

All entrants must be by adult residents of NJ, aged 21 or older. Poems are limited to one side of a single spaced, typed 8.5 by 11 inch page. The theme of this contest is “Elevation of Self”. All entries will present their interpretation of that theme and all forms and styles of poetry will be allowed. Winners will be chosen based on creative interpretation of the prompt, use of poetic techniques, originality, use of imagery and language.

Prestigious Awards and Recognition

Judges’ panel includes:

Dylan Bamrick, NJ Sales Director; Fernway; cannabis connoisseur
Jessica Chevalier, Editor in Chief, Fat Nugs Magazine; writer, poetry lover, and cannabis aficionado
Kate Juliano, Sales Manager, Green Thumb Industries (GTI); bachelor’s in English Lit
Cassie Kilmartin, Wholesale Account Manager, iAnthus; bachelor’s in English Lit
Christopher Caruso, CEO of Dank Poet Dispensary; master’s in English Lit

The distinguished panel of judges will evaluate entries and select five semifinalists, who will be invited to perform their pieces live at Fern:20. These 5 poems will also be framed and featured throughout Dank Poet Dispensary for public viewing.

The winning poet, chosen by the judges, will receive:

• • A $150 cash prize sponsored by Fernway
  • Publication in Fat Nugs Magazine, a leading cannabis culture and arts publication
  • Feature placement on Dank Poet-branded accessories available for sale

• Honorable Mention will be awarded a $100 cash prize sponsored by Fernway

The People’s Choice award, chosen by public voting (see below) will receive:

• A $100 cash prize sponsored by  Fernway

Audience members will have the opportunity to participate in the People’s Choice Award through voting donations, with all proceeds benefiting the Balanced Veterans Network (BVN). BVN provides education, resources, and a vital support system to help veterans navigate post-service life and explore alternative therapies for mental and physical well-being.

Key Contest Dates:

• Submission Deadline: March 25, 2025
• People’s Choice Voting: April 2, 2025 through April 11, 2025 at 7pm
• Live Performances by the Semifinalists: April 11, 2025, from 6pm to 8pm
• Winners Announced: April 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.

Dank Poet Dispensary invites poets, artists, and the broader community to celebrate the power of words while supporting a meaningful cause. For contest rules, submission guidelines, and more information, visit dankpoet.com/contest.

Media Contact:
Sonia Mangalick, CFO/CMO and Managing Partner
Dank Poet Dispensary
sonia@dankpoet.com
908-399-9714

Colorado’s House of Representatives has approved a Senate-passed bill to empower the governor to grant pardons to people who’ve been convicted of psychedelics-related offenses and also revise implementation rules and data-tracking provisions for the state’s 2022 voter-approved psychedelics legalization law.

House members voted 43–22 in favor of SB25-297 during third reading on Tuesday, following Senate passage of the proposal on a 23–12 vote last week. With approval by both chambers, the measure now proceeds to the desk of Gov. Jared Polis (D).

If enacted, the bill would authorize Polis or future governors to grant clemency to people with convictions for low-level possession of substances such as psilocybin, ibogaine and DMT that have since been legalized for adults.

It would also require the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Department of Revenue (DOR) and Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to “collect information and data related to the use of natural medicine and natural medicine products.”

That would include data on law enforcement activities, adverse health events, consumer protection claims and behavioral impacts related to psychedelics.

“What this bill does is it sets up a mechanism to collect health information, which should give us the data to see whether or not natural medicine, as it’s rolled out, has adverse health effects or beneficial health impacts,” Sen. Matt Ball (D), SB25-297’s Senate sponsor, said during discussion on the measure last week.

House sponsor Rep. Lisa Feret (D), meanwhile, noted that as the measure is currently written, the data-tracking program “will be funded by grant dollars, so we will not be taking any more money from this.”

Prior to passage by the Senate, a committee amendment removed a government appropriation to pay for data collection and tracking, replacing a reference to “ongoing appropriations” with “appropriations or gifts, grants, or donations.” Ball said at the time that lawmakers have a letter of intent from the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative—a nonprofit that supports advancing psychedelic therapy—to fund the program for the entirety of its five-year duration.

The bill would earmark $208,240 in those funds for the governor’s office of information technology. “To implement this act, the office may use this appropriation to provide information technology services for the department of public health and environment,” the text version says.

The legislation would further amend rules around licensing and ownership of psychedelic healing centers. For example, it removes a requirement for fingerprint background checks for owners and employees of licensed facilities, making it so they would only be subject to a name-based criminal background check.

It additionally “requires the state licensing authority to adopt rules related to product labels for regulated natural medicine and regulated natural medicine products and permits the state licensing authority to adopt rules regarding the types of regulated natural medicine products that can be manufactured.”

The proposal overall has support from an array of advocates, including psychedelic medicine proponents as well as groups more skeptical of legalization. Public commenters at a hearing last month seemed to agree that the bill’s data collection provisions would help observers both inside and outside Colorado better understand the outcomes around regulated psychedelics.

Meanwhile in Colorado, last month the governor signed into law a bill that would allow a form of psilocybin to be prescribed as a medication if the federal government authorizes its use.

While Colorado already legalized psilocybin and several other psychedelics for adults 21 and older through the voter-approved ballot initiative, the newly enacted reform will make it so drugs containing an isolated crystalized version synthesized from psilocybin can become available under physician prescription.

As of January, meanwhile, Colorado regulars have been authorized to approve licenses for psilocybin service centers where adults can access the psychedelic in controlled settings.

The governor signed a bill to create the regulatory framework for legal psychedelics in 2023.

But lawmakers evidently are interested in setting the state up to allow for a more conventional system of distribution for certain psychedelics. In 2022, Polis also signed a bill to align state statute to legalize MDMA prescriptions if and when the federal government ultimately permits such use.

Whether FDA moves forward with any such approvals in uncertain, and the agency faced criticism last year after rejecting an application to allow MDMA-assisted therapy for people with PTSD.

Meanwhile in Colorado, a bill that would have limited THC in marijuana and outlawed a variety of psilocybin products will no longer move forward this session following the lead sponsor’s move to withdraw the bill.

Pennsylvania Governor Will Put Marijuana Legalization In His Budget, But Top GOP Senator Remains Skeptical