KY gov: medical marijuana plants “really soon”; Mike Tyson pushes Trump on cannabis; NH psilocybin; SCOTUS marijuana case; Gluten-free hemp baking

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told Marijuana Moment that a bill advancing in the House to ban hemp products with any quantifiable amount of THC would “completely destroy the American hemp industry.”

• “I don’t know how you’d be able to sell CBD oil with that.”

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) said medical cannabis growers will be “putting seed in the ground really soon” and that he hopes patients get access by the end of the year.

The New Hampshire Senate tabled a bill to lower penalties for first-time psilocybin possession that had narrowly cleared the House of Representatives.

Mike Tyson delivered his marijuana reform message to President Donald Trump in a Fox News appearance—urging him to support rescheduling cannabis and saying its current classification in Schedule I alongside heroin is “ridiculous.”

Doctors for Drug Policy Reform is launching a campaign to empower more physicians and healthcare professionals to join the movement to end the war on drugs—including with a new toolkit on “Transitioning from a Criminal Justice Model of Drug Use to a Health-focused Approach.”

A new study on gluten-free baked goods shows that “hemp oil and hemp flour are viable ingredients for traditional cakes and desserts, notably contributing increased nutritional value through the CBD-enriched hemp oil and the beneficial profile of hemp flour.”

Former U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division Deputy Assistant Attorney General James B. Mann argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that a pending cannabis industry lawsuit has “precisely zero chance of being heard by the Supreme Court.”

Tuesday marks four years since Connecticut’s recreational marijuana legalization law took effect, and here’s a look at how cannabis product sales trends have evolved over that time.

/ FEDERAL

The Drug Enforcement Administration promoted an article about a study on marijuana edibles being appealing to teens.

New Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Deputy Director Mike Davis previously served as chief medical officer for Usona Institute, which works to advance psychedelic science.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) responded to a claim that he has never authored a bill that became law by tweeting, “This is false. My industrial hemp act became law when it was incorporated by a vote of the House as part of the farm bill.”

/ STATES

A Delaware representative discussed the passage of a bill to limit county restrictions on marijuana businesses.

Georgia’s agriculture commissioner announced arrests of suspects in an interstate hemp oil theft case.

An Alabama court is considering a lawsuit seeking to block the state’s hemp restriction law.

A Maryland marijuana tax increase takes effect on Tuesday.

Colorado regulators are taking the first steps toward allowing ibogaine at psychedelic healing centers.

New York regulators published guidance on preempting “unreasonably impracticable” local cannabis laws.

The California State Fair Cannabis Awards announced the winners of this year’s competition.

Ohio regulators are urging people who use marijuana at Fourth of July celebrations to “use good judgment and ensure the safety of those around them.”

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—

/ LOCAL

Denver, Colorado officials are accepting applications for psychedelic healing center licenses.

/ INTERNATIONAL

Grenada Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell discussed plans to advance marijuana reform legislation.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the government will be “absolutely uncompromising toward drug crime” and “will not allow anyone to opaquely finance pro-drug campaigns in our country with external funding to encourage the consumption of marijuana, club drugs and other similar substances.”

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study suggested that cannabis sativa residues “may enhance meat quality and antioxidant defense in broiler chickens.”

A study found that “MDMA combined with supportive therapy for PTSD is safe and effective.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

The Marijuana Policy Project is hiring a new executive director.

/ CULTURE

Lorde spoke about how MDMA-assisted therapy “changed the game on my stage fright.”

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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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.