Cannitrol – Cannabis Control Agent

Marijuana news from around the world

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Cannabis in 2023: Here to Stay, but Major Challenges Remain

2022 brought more change and visibility to the cannabis industry than nearly any year before. Two of five legalization ballot measures passed, bringing the total number of states with legal medical or medical and recreational laws to 39. President Biden issued an executive order pardoning nonviolent offenders and directing a review into rescheduling cannabis. The […]

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No Green Wave This Time, But Two More States Legalize Adult Use Cannabis

Five states voted on adult-use cannabis legalization. These results increase the number of states that have legalized cannabis for adult-use from 19 to 21. Similar ballot measures failed, however, in Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota. The continued expansion of legalized cannabis at the state level, combined with President Biden’s recent initiation of an administrative […]

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Malia Obama Marijuana Drama Part 3: Malia Mocks the Outrage

Malia Obama pushing the envelope at music festivals is officially a recurring topic. As the national attention was still fixed on leaked footage of the eldest First Daughter puffing a joint at Chicago’s Lollapalooza, the 18-year old slipped away to Philadelphia for Made In America Fest this Labor Day Weekend. Malia went to the fifth […] Thanks to marijuana.com

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Malia Obama’s Marijuana Drama: Part 2

Fire up the national outrage machine once again; we have yet another ripple in the Malia Obama weed-smoking scandal. If you take a closer look at the video of America’s First Daughter smoking a joint at Chicago’s Lollapalooza festival, you’ll notice a male figure standing to her right. The young man is rapper Taylor Bennett, […] Thanks to marijuana.com

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Attorney General Eric Holder provides Update and further Confusion on Medical Marijuana

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In the wake of the recent federal raids that have shaken the medical marijuana industry, many have been expecting legal answers.  Will the raids continue in California?  Does this signal a shift in President Obama’s medical marijuana policy?  Analysts were sure that either the president or attorney general would be engaging America directly and explaining what can be construed as a change in policy.

Unfortunately, Attorney General Eric Holder only added to the confusion in a recent session of the House Judiciary Committee.  Representative Jared Polis (D-CO), concerned over rumors of upcoming raids in his state, tried to get Mr. Holder to clarify the White House’s stance on medical cannabis.  Holder stated that those who comply with state marijuana laws “should not be an enforcement priority.”  He also went on to say “If in fact people are not using the policy decision that we have made to use marijuana in a way that’s not consistent with the state statute, we will not use our limited resources in that way.”  For advocates this may sound like the worst is behind them but these statements do not seem very different than Mr. Holder’s 2009 statements, which certainly did not protect against federal raids.

While there is no legal clarity presented to the public with Holder’s statements, like most legally savvy individuals who appear regularly in the media, all statements seem to have an escape clause.  The attorney general makes sure to use terms like “priority” and “limited resources”.  Both of these terms seem flexible and subject to change.  Additionally, previous statements of this nature did nothing in preventing California federal raids.  The White House seems to want everyone to know that they do not want to step on state law.  Such an accusation during an election year may not serve the Obama administration well.  Of course, it only makes the water more murky as we ask why are federal agents raiding establishments who are in compliance with state law, especially a state law that does not agree with federal law?  Is it not true that this whole issue stems from Federal law outweighing state law?  But November 2012 is not far away so such double speak is to be expected.

The recent session of the House Judiciary Committee could have provided answers, but this administration seems to thrive under a confused legal situation.  With a chance to reclassify marijuana as a schedule II drug and put an end to the guessing game, our government instead opted to sit on the fence and keep everyone on their toes.  Mr. Holder may get his chance to see his statements at work.  If they respect state law so much we will see if they move forward with the proposed raids in Colorado.  Colorado has the tightest and most regulated medical marijuana program, so respecting state law in this case may be to just simply walk away.

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