Thoughts from the void: US States

Showing posts with label US States. Show all posts

Tuesday, 26 October 2021

List of US States with Legalized Adult Recreational Cannabis

As of 30th May, 2023, the US States that have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use are Alaska, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Vermont, Maine, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, New Mexico, Maine, Missouri, Maryland, Delaware, Minnesota, US jurisdictions of CNMI and Guam, as well as the capital Washington DC.

South Dakota,'s lawmakers overturned a ballot vote for recreational legalization, and the matter is currently in the South Dakota Supreme court.

Thursday, 12 November 2020

Cannabis and Kentucky

The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the subject of cannabis and Kentucky. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

The story is the same globally..minorities, indigenous people, tribals and the poor are the primary targets of marijuana policing...

'Authors wrote, "In every single state, Black people were more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, and in some states, Black people were up to six, eight, or almost ten times more likely to be arrested. In 31 states, racial disparities were actually larger in 2018 than they were in 2010."

In two states, Montana and Kentucky, African Americans were arrested for marijuana possession violations at more than nine times the rate of Caucasians – the highest disparity in the country. Colorado and Alaska, which legalized adult-use marijuana sales in 2012 and 2014 respectively, possessed the lowest disparity in marijuana possession arrest rates'
https://norml.org/news/2020/04/23/aclu-report-racial-disparities-persist-in-marijuana-possession-arrests

'According to the Blue Grass Law of Kentucky, any "known user of narcotic drugs can be sentenced to the county jail for one year, with the alternative of taking the cure in Lexington."' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953

'The cure at Lexington is not designed to keep the addicts comfortable. It starts at one-quarter of a grain of M[orphine] three times a day and lasts eight days-the preparation now used is a synthetic morphine called dolophine. After eight days, you get a send-off shot and go over in "population." There you recieve barbiturates for three nights and that is the end of medication.
For a man with a heavy habit, this is a very rough schedule. I was lucky, in that I came in sick, so the amount given in the cure was sufficient to fix me. The sicker you are and the longer you have been without junk, the smaller the amount necessary to fix you.' - Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953

'Any anti-narcotic legislation is considered a good thing by the public. For this reason the field of narcotic legislation has become a testing ground for a type of law new to this country but familiar in police states. In the states of Louisiana and Kentucky it is a crime punishable by imprisonment (La., two to five years; Ky., one year) to be an addict. This is police-state legislation penalizing a condition or state of being. In the Louisiana law, no time or place is specified, nor is the term "addict" defined.'

- Junky, William S Burroughs, 1977, originally published in 1953

'Passage of the 2018 Farm Bill sparked both sharp nationwide increases in licensing and explosive sales growth for 2019.
The issuance of U.S. hemp-cultivation licenses saw a year-over-year, nationwide increase of 364% (from 3,546 in 2018 to 16,462 in 2019).
Small family farms’ entry to the space drove licensing booms in some states, while other states saw the arrival of Big Agriculture interests in their markets.
In 2019, Tennessee led the trend with 3,200 new licenses, marking more than a 13x increase over its 226 in 2018. Conversely, Montana’s comparatively low 277 licenses in 2019 represent nearly 40,000 acres, averaging a Big Ag-style footprint of more than 144 acres apiece.
Traditional hemp states Colorado, Kentucky, and Oregon continue to lead in cultivation as the nation overall shows a projected 225,000 acres harvested in 2019, more than a 180% increase beyond 78,176 in 2018.'

https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/increases-in-state-issued-hemp-licenses/

Cannabit from New Frontier Data...

'The 29 U.S. states having reporting licensed hemp cultivation acreage total nearly half a million acres in combined cultivation land area, a massive increase over 2018’s combined U.S. total of just over 100,000 acres.
Colorado leads the nation in hemp cultivation and processing land area with over 80,000 acres reported.
Oregon, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Montana lead in hemp program expansion efforts.
Tennessee leads in total hemp licenses issued in 2019.
At least 70% of the 2019 U.S. hemp harvest is intended for extract production.
California is poised to be the top-producing hemp state for both conventional and organic production as thousands of acres have already been planted in 2019'

https://newfrontierdata.com/marijuana-insights/hemp-licenses-issued-by-state-2019/

'Walgreens will sell CBD creams, patches and sprays in nearly 1,500 stores in select states, the company told CNBC on Wednesday.

The drugstore chain will sell the cannabis-based products in Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, Kentucky, Tennessee, Vermont, South Carolina, Illinois and Indiana. Walgreens declined to specify which brands it would carry.

“This product offering is in line with our efforts to provide a wider range of accessible health and wellbeing products and services to best meet the needs and preferences of our customers,” Walgreens spokesman Brian Faith said in an email to CNBC.'
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/27/walgreens-to-sell-cbd-products-in-some-stores.html

Legalize marijuana federally in the US and in Mexico. Plant a border fence containing varieties of marijuana from the US and Mexico as a joint exercise.

'But Carroll also said winning the opioid battle will take more than just a wall.

He toured the Volunteers of America Freedom House which provides comprehensive services for veterans and pregnant women, at the invitation of Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Carroll said the 34 billion federal dollars being spent to fight the opioid crisis are equally balanced between law enforcement and treatment centers such as Freedom House.'
https://www.wdrb.com/news/in-louisville-us-drug-czar-says-border-wall-can-help/article_3008f122-4993-11e9-a3fb-571cce2a949d.html

On Wednesday, lawmakers in Kentucky and West Virginia put forward pieces of legalization legislation, the latest in a growing list of states where the thought of lawmakers even considering full legalization would have been implausible just a couple years ago.

Legislatures in Indiana, Missouri, Texas and Virginia could also vote on legalization bills that have already been introduced this year.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/marijuana-legalization-bills-already-filed-in-half-a-dozen-red-states-for-2019-sessions/

Cannabis and Methamphetamine
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/04/cannabis-and-methamphetamine.html

Cannabis and Opioids
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/04/cannabis-and-opioids.html

Cannabis and Harm Reduction
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/04/cannabis-and-harm-reduction.html

Cannabis and South Dakota
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-south-dakota.html

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and Montana
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-montana.html

Cannabis and Mississippi
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-mississippi.html

Cannabis and Missouri
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-missouri.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Cannabis and Omaha

The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the subject of cannabis and Omaha. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'“If its less than .3 percent, it’s considered hemp and the byproducts of that hemp are legal nationally,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Richard Salter. '
https://www.ketv.com/article/exclusive-omaha-division-of-the-drug-enforcement-administration-says-it-is-not-prosecuting-cbd-hemp-sellers-or-dealers/28875681

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Cannabis and Puerto Rico

The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the subject of cannabis and Puerto Rico. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'In the United States, a total of 33 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, had approved or had in place a comprehensive programme for medical cannabis by the end of 2019. As at December 2019, 11 state-level jurisdictions in the United States, plus the District of Columbia, allowed the nonmedical use of cannabis, and most also allowed commercial production by for-profit industry. It is worth noting that all the states that have legalized the non-medical use of cannabis previously had measures in place permitting the medical use of cannabis.' - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, World Drug Report 2020, https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/field/WDR20_BOOKLET_4.pdf

'In recent months, cannabis-infused edibles have commanded one-third of wholesale medical cannabis sales in Puerto Rico – twice the average across a sampling of U.S. markets – and the category has room for more entrants.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/edibles-puerto-rico-wholesale-medical-marijuana-sales/

'The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved hemp regulatory plans from Minnesota, Tennessee and Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

This latest development brings the total number of approved plans across states, territories and Indian tribes to 53.

“We thank USDA for their work on this new federal hemp program, and we are grateful they have approved Minnesota’s plan,” Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “While this is a major step forward, there are still concerns over some the regulations imposed on states and tribal governments, such as testing requirements. We look forward to continuing our dialog with USDA so we can ensure Minnesota’s hemp growers and processors are successful in this fledging industry.”'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/usda-approves-hemp-plan-for-minnesota-tennessee-and-puerto-rico/

'Puerto Rico’s medical marijuana companies have lost their only banking solution, forcing them to conduct business in cash.

Tu Coop, an in-state credit union, had been providing banking to MMJ firms as part of the cooperative sector, which is regulated by local authorities, Caribbean Business reported.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/puerto-rico-medical-marijuana-no-banking/

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Cannabis and Arizona

The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the subject of cannabis and Arizona. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'Arizona voters have approved Proposition 207, a statewide ballot initiative legalizing the possession, use, and commercial sale of marijuana for adults. The Act permits those age 21 or older to possess up to one ounce of cannabis and directs revenue from retail cannabis sales to fund various public education and safety programs. Adults may cultivate up to six plants for non-commercial purposes in a private residence. Those with marijuana convictions are permitted to petition the courts to have their records expunged.'
https://www.linkedin.com/in/koshy-abraham-b073615/detail/recent-activity/shares/

'If the measure does make the ballot, recent polling indicates that it will prevail. In a survey of likely voters, about two-thirds (65.5 percent) of respondents said they would support the proposed initiative.

A 2016 legalization proposal was rejected by Arizona voters. But in the four years since, more states have opted to legalize and public opinion has continued to shift in favor of reform.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/arizona-marijuana-activists-turn-in-420000-signatures-to-qualify-legalization-measure-for-ballot/

'Sisley, the petitioner in the DEA lawsuit, says she’s staying realistic for now. She says she recently received word from a former DEA official in Arizona on the matter, who claimed that it’s very likely the case that the DEA’s recent announcement is the agency’s latest in a series of stall tactics. “Rule-making process is code word for delay,” Sisley continues. “[The DEA] could slow play us for years. So I’m not celebrating yet.”'
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/pot-research-university-mississippi-cannabis-license-dea-886606/

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Cannabis and South Dakota

The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the subject of cannabis and South Dakota. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'South Dakotans have delivered a crippling blow to those who favored the status quo of marijuana prohibition in the Mount Rushmore State by simultaneously passing a pair of ballot initiatives: Initiative Measure 26 and Constitutional Amendment A.

Constitutional Amendment A allows adults to purchase and possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to three plants for personal use. Measure 26 permits qualified patients to possess and home-cultivate cannabis for medical purposes and establishes a state-regulated retail system for medical marijuana sales.'
https://norml.org/blog/2020/10/30/south-dakotans-green-light-marijuana-legalization-and-medical-access/

'Voters approved medical marijuana by an 82% margin, and 74% approved legalizing adult-use marijuana.

Assuming the results are upheld, the tribe will be the only one in the United States to create a cannabis market in a state where the plant is otherwise illegal. The tribal council plans to enact laws regarding how marijuana will be legalized and regulated.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/south-dakota-tribe-votes-to-legalize-marijuana-on-reservation/

'And, according to Armentano, all cannabis products, including marijuana and medical CBD, are illegal in Idaho, South Dakota, and Nebraska.'
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20190108/marijuana-hemp-cbd-whats-legal-and-where

'British pharmaceutical company GW Pharma and its American subsidiary Greenwich BioSciences are quietly moving proprietary CBD bills through at least two U.S. state legislatures, and could have plans for similar bills in other states.

The proposed measures, both taken from the same template, would effectively give GW/Greenwich a temporary monopoly on legal CBD products in South Dakota and Nebraska.

The pharmaceutical company’s lobbyists are moving in anticipation of the FDA’s expected approval of Epidiolex, a CBD-based drug that’s currently in Phase III clinical trials. Epidiolex has been developed by GW/Greenwich for the treatment of several rare childhood-onset epilepsy disorders. The company has been developing the drug for years, and FDA approval could come as early as this summer.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/leafly-exclusive-gw-pharma-moving-cbd-bills-low

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Cannabis and Mississippi

The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the subject of cannabis and Mississippi. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

"Initiative 65 puts the needs and interests of patients first. This was a grassroots effort to provide patients with access to a treatment option that patients already enjoy in 34 other states and in the District of Columbia. By contrast, Measure 65A was a cynical effort by lawmakers to misdirect voters. The same state lawmakers that for decades had refused to ever seriously address the issue were the ones behind 65A, and voters wisely rejected their campaign.”'
https://norml.org/blog/2020/10/30/mississippi-voters-approve-medical-marijuana/

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Sunday, 5 May 2019

Cannabis and Wyoming

The state of Wyoming at the moment appears to be interested in primarily hemp farming. Medical and recreational cannabis initiatives seem limited. However, as its neighbours increasingly legalize cannabis, pressure is mounting on the state to do the same.

At least 35 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use so far. The federal US government however continues to keep cannabis in the Schedule 1 list of banned substances saying that it has no medicinal value. The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here. All these states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, aimed specifically at improving public health, ensuring equity, reducing crime, decreasing the black market, improving law enforcement, reforming criminal justice, improving the economy, agriculture and industry, to name just a few reasons.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'“In the six states surrounding Colorado—Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Wyoming—following Colorado’s legalization, the border counties experienced, on average, a decrease of 393.1 cases of property crime and 277.3 cases of larceny per 100,000 population relative to the nonborder counties.”

“Specifically, we observed that the property crime rate and larceny rate experienced substantial decreases in the border counties in neighboring states relative to nonborder counties following the legalization in Colorado,” the study says. “This is also true for the rate of simple assault…if Utah is not considered (only considering Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Wyoming as neighboring states of Colorado).”
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colorados-marijuana-legalization-law-decreases-crime-in-neighboring-states-study-finds/

Cannabis and Mississippi
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-mississippi.html

Cannabis and Montana
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-montana.html

Cannabis and New Jersey
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2019/05/cannabis-and-new-jersey.html

Cannabis and South Dakota
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-south-dakota.html

Cannabis and Arizona
https://ravingkoshy.blogspot.com/2020/11/cannabis-and-arizona.html

Cannabis and Wisconsin

Up until late 2018, Wisconsin prohibited the growth of hemp even though in the early 1900s the state was a leading producer of the crop. About four years ago, the federal US government reopened the door to the hemp industry by legalizing growth of the crop, as long as it was part of a pilot program overseen by a university or state agriculture department.

In 2019, 61 percent of voters wanted cannabis prohibitions lifted and the plant regulated said a poll. The state is however just taking the initial steps towards bringing in medical cannabis and decriminalizing possession of small amounts of cannabis.

A number of lawmakers are also urging the state to start revisiting its cannabis policies which seem to be stuck in the 1950s while the rest of the nation moves forward. At least 35 US states have legalized cannabis for medical use so far. The federal US government however continues to keep cannabis in the Schedule 1 list of banned substances saying that it has no medicinal value. The list of US states that have legalized adult recreational cannabis is available here. All these states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, aimed specifically at improving public health, ensuring equity, reducing crime, decreasing the black market, improving law enforcement, reforming criminal justice, improving the economy, agriculture and industry, to name just a few reasons.

Listed below are articles taken from various media related to the above subject. Words in italics are the thoughts of your truly at the time of reading the article.

'Investigators with the Yale School of Medicine and the Medical College of Wisconsin assessed hospitalization rates among SCD patients with and without a history of cannabis use.

They reported that SCD patients who used cannabis daily had "1.8 fewer annual [hospital] admissions and 1.2 fewer emergency room (ER) visits" as compared to non-users.

Authors concluded, "We show that people with SCD with more severe pain crisis are more likely to use daily cannabis, yet have lower rates of hospital admission and ER use as compared with others with similar disease severity and pain impact."'
https://norml.org/news/2020/02/27/study-sickle-cell-disease-patients-who-use-cannabis-less-likely-to-require-hospitalization