It has been nearly five years since residents of Washington, D.C., voted on Initiative 71, effectively legalizing low-level cannabis possession and home growing of the plant. However, recreational sales remain stunted in the nation’s capital.

The core part of the problem? D.C. was prohibited from using local tax dollars to establish a tax-and-regulate scheme by Congress. Under Republican control, the legislative body attached a provision in federal budgets each year since 2014 that’s left D.C. in limbo when it comes to recreational marijuana sales.

One D.C. lawmaker, however, is determined to change that. With Democrats now in the majority in the House of Representatives, where the rider on federal budgets originates, D.C. At-Large Councilmember David Grosso sees an opportunity to get the District out of this limbo once and for all.

“This status quo has led to a confusing and problematic state of affairs with residents and businesses unclear on what is legal, what is not, and wondering how it can be that it is legal to possess marijuana but not to buy or sell it,” Grosso, who is an Independent, said in a press release. “We need to fix this. The new reality on Capitol Hill means that chances

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Wisconsin’s new Democratic governor, Tony Evers, announced Tuesday his plans to include the initial steps of cannabis legalization in his state budget proposal for 2019. Speaking before Wisconsin Technology Council board members, Gov. Evers responded to a question about his views on cannabis. Evers said he personally favors adult use legalization, echoing Minnesota’s new governor, Tim Walz.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers “Personally Would Sign” a Cannabis Legalization Bill

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers supports cannabis legalization. At the same time, he doesn’t want to rush the process. In response to a question about his views on marijuana, Evers expressed an interest in taking incremental steps toward a full adult-use industry in Wisconsin.

Evers said his first steps would be to work toward medical cannabis legalization. That’s something that Wisconsin can accomplish legislatively, and Gov. Evers could kickstart that process by including medical legalization in his two-year budget proposal. Taking a longer view, Evers said his administration would push for a statewide voter referendum on full legalization. Wispolitics.com reports Evers told Technology Council board members that he “personally would sign that bill,” but just wants “to make sure we do it correctly.”

“Correctly,” of course, has meant different things to different legislatures

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It’s shaping up to be another big year for cannabis, as politicians and policymakers move to destigmatize, decriminalize, and — in some cases — legalize the drug nationwide. In New York, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently presented his plan to legalize recreational cannabis throughout the state. Democrat Tim Walz, the newly elected governor of Minnesota, wants his state to be the next to legalize. And in Rhode Island, Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has conceded that it’s time for her state to move toward legalization, too.

All of that might explain why the Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF) has hired 15 lobbyists to take on its robust policy initiatives for the year ahead. According to The Hill, the lobbyists are charged with advancing the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, a bipartisan bill written by Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), as well as Reps. David Joyce (R-Ohio) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.).

Most notably, the bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act, essentially permitting any business in compliance with state cannabis laws to exist and operate without having to worry about the feds knocking on their door.

Former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was an especially vocal

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A Health Canada-approved Whistler medical cannabis producer will donate the oil extracts to be taken by cancer patients in nine cities across Canada.

B.C. Cancer will lead a first-ever, national clinical trial that aims to answer whether cannabis plant extracts truly help with symptom relief.

Recruitment for the 48-day trial in 150 patients will begin soon after the expected Health Canada and ethics approval is obtained. Patients in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Prince George, Victoria, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto will be enrolled in the trial investigating whether cannabis properties reduce cancer-related symptoms including pain, sleep disturbance, anxiety and nausea.

– Read the entire article at Vancouver Sun.

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