Vote to Federally Legalize Marijuana Planned in Congress

Tom Angell, writing for Forbes:

A key congressional committee plans to hold a historic vote on a bill to end the federal prohibition of marijuana next week, two sources with knowledge of the soon-to-be-announced action said.

The legislation, sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and set aside funding to begin repairing the damage of the war on drugs, which has been disproportionately waged against communities of color. […]

The proposal, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, would also provide for resentencing and expungement of records for people previously convicted of cannabis offenses and would shield immigrants from being denied citizenship status over marijuana.

One step closer to legalizing cannabis once and for all. And this bill doesn’t look half bad either.

---

Post Permalink

Biden Says Marijuana Might Be a Gateway Drug

Tom Angell, writing for Forbes:

Former Vice President Joe Biden (D) said on Saturday that he’s not sure if marijuana is a gateway drug that leads to the use of other, more dangerous substances.

When it comes to the main contenders for the 2020 Democratic nomination, you can't get a worse candidate on drug policy than Joe Biden.

---

Post Permalink

Where US Psychedelic Decriminalization Efforts Stand Right Now

Alexander Lekhtman, writing for Filter:

To date, numerous activist groups on both coasts and in the South and Midwest have moved to implement decriminalization of personal use, possession or cultivation of naturally-occurring psychedelics like psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, iboga, or San Pedro and peyote cacti. 

This roundup is focused on city-level decriminalization efforts, and is by no means exhaustive. We should also note that there are two statewide efforts underway—to decriminalize in California and to legalize in Oregon. And at the federal level, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has called for decriminalizing psychedelics and funding research.

A look at the current state of psychedelic decriminalization efforts in the country.

---

Post Permalink

Apple to Remove Vaping Apps From Store

Ina Fried and Mike Allen, writing for Axios:

Amid growing health concerns over e-cigarettes, Apple will remove all 181 vaping-related apps from its mobile App Store.

Apple is acting from a good place here, yet still missing the mark. Vaping saves lives, and reducing access to vape technology makes it more difficult for people to choose an alternative to smoking cigarettes. And as far as cannabis vapes go, PAX is already lobbying against this decision:

PAX says that while it respects Apple's leadership, it is concerned with Apple's ban because it prevents consumers in legal stages from "having access to important information and the ability to better control their cannabis experience."

---

Post Permalink

Paul Stamets Announces the Launch of First-Ever Microdosing App

Paul Austin at The Third Wave:

On Wednesday, November 13, renowned mycologist Paul Stamets announced the launch of the world’s first mobile microdosing study on the Joe Rogan podcast. Dr. Zachary Walsh is conducting the study in collaboration with MAPS Canada, the BC Centre on Substance Use, and Quantified Citizen. Study results will help researchers better understand the effects of microdosing psychedelics on cognitive performance and mental health.

Participation in this cutting-edge research is completely anonymous as participants will not be asked to identify name, email, or date of birth. Due to the legal status of psychedelics, researchers will not provide the actual microdoses. It is up to each person to source the psychedelic, with a clear understanding that psychedelic use outside of clinical trials is still illegal in almost every jurisdiction.

An app for microdosing research. Interesting.

---

Post Permalink