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Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we have signature-gathering news from Idaho. The Congressional Research Service issued a new report on rescheduling. The White House drug czar has a good reminder about marijuana’s legal status. And finally, the DC cannabis scene is livelier than you might expect.
IDAHO
As those of us who have followed the cannabis saga over the past few years know all too well, the road to legalization is littered with obstacles and setbacks. One of those involves gathering signatures to put a legalization measure on the state ballot. Pro-cannabis group National Medicine Alliance of Idaho has just submitted twice the number of signatures needed to qualify for November’s election in the Gem State. Even though some signatures will be disqualified (true of any ballot initiative, not just ones involving cannabis), you’d think they’d be in the clear. But it’s not over ’til it’s over, so stay tuned.
CRS REPORT
Federal rescheduling has led to an avalanche of articles on how this will change the industry, what’s now legal, and when business expenses can be deducted on tax returns. If you’re searching for a calm, well-researched, hype-free examination of the situation, have a look at the recent report put out by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
IMPORTANT REMINDER
The White House drug czar, Sara Carter Bailey, would like to make it clear that cannabis is still illegal.
Executive-level Schedule III allows for doctors and research and for medicine, for medicinal purposes.
Meaning, for those of you in the back, that adult-use cannabis is still prohibited under federal law.
AND FINALLY
You can be forgiven for thinking that the DC cannabis industry might be more cloak and dagger than wild and crazy. Medical marijuana is legal, but adult-use is not, even though voters backed it years ago, thanks to Congress saying NO. (If you’d like to know a whole lot more about the DC legislative process, check out one of very early blog posts on the topic. And yes, that John Oliver link still works, and is well worth watching.) In fact, the DC cannabis scene is pretty diverse, including both bars and wellness. Of course, this is for medical purposes only, but you can self-certify to that – no doctor’s note needed.
Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week.
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