Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging the Department of Justice (DOJ) to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) of 1970, the Attorney General can remove a substance from the CSA by working with the Secretary of Health […]
The federal government is continuing to move forward on marijuana policy, with the Biden Administration moving cautiously and Congress leading the way. President Joe Biden’s nomination of Dr. Rahul Gupta to direct the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) could positively impact the cannabis industry. He s in favor of marijuana policy leading to […]
Abolish the Drug War Coalition New Jersey brought dozens of advocates, policy experts, and impacted voices to the State House in Trenton to demand action. They gathered yesterday. It was the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s declaration of the War on Drugs. They publicized a report analyzing the drug war and their policy recommendations […]
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act), which would decriminalize cannabis, among other things, has been reintroduced by House. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), along with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) introduced it. Nadler previously led the Democrat-controlled House […]
The New Jersey Legislature passed the legal cannabis clean-up bill after weeks of debate. The Assembly passed it 47-26- with 3 abstentions and the Senate passed it 22-12. Governor Phil Murphy will likely sign the bills later today. The bill was needed to address a discrepancy on what should be done about youth possession of […]
In marijuana news, NJ Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) announced Friday a revised schedule for Assembly Committee hearings, so there is more time to whip votes for the cannabis bill. “In order for the Senate to complete its discussions and conclude negotiations with the Assembly and Governor on revisions to the cannabis legislation (A-5342) that […]
As the NJ Senate debates a new compromise bill, Troy Singleton (D-Burlington) is working on several bills to change cannabis law including a bill to decouple the state income cannabis tax law from federal income taxes, a bill on medical homegrow, and a dispensary purchase subsidy bill. Three of the Senators in the Black Caucus […]
President Joe Biden looks like he will be a more progressive president than Donald Trump as his nominees have expressed support for cannabis reform. In his inaugural speech as the 46th President of the United States of America, he called for unity and racial justice. “The dream of justice deferred will be a dream no […]
The NJ cannabis legalization and decriminalization clean-up bills passed the committees in the Assembly and the Senate. Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair John Burzichelli (D-Camden) noted the horror of the violence at the Capitol Building and how it threatened democracy yesterday. Cannabis Decriminalization Progress In the bill for underage possession of up to six ounces, instead […]
It seems Governor Phil Murphy is delaying signing the cannabis enabling and decriminalization bills because he still wants to penalize minors for cannabis possession. Sources are saying Murphy doesn’t want to sign the decriminalization bill because it does not penalize minors for possession of cannabis and is delaying singing the bill as a result. Murphy […]
The United States House of Representatives voted 228-164 in favor of the MORE Act, which would decriminalize cannabis on the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would repair the social and personal harms caused by federal cannabis prohibition enforcement. “The symbolic and historical importance of the MORE Act passing in the […]
In a historic move, the United Nations (UN) has de-scheduled cannabis in a 27-25 vote, with the United States voting in favor. The Commission for Narcotic Drugs (CND), made up of 53 countries, voted to deschedule cannabis yesterday while meeting in Vienna, Austria. De-scheduled Cannabis Consequences For many years, the United States pushed for drug […]
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Dan Ulloa
Heady NJ Guest Author
