Federal Policy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week together issued warning letters to six companies for selling copycat food products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC.

The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp last week released a policy paper calling on Congress to regulate hemp-derived intoxicants including delta-8 and delta-9 THC products.

A federal House proposal introduced on Tuesday would promote cannabis research at U.S. universities and eliminate federal barriers to cannabis research.

A Pennsylvania proposal would urge the federal government to remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act, noting that medical cannabis reforms have been enacted in 38 U.S. states and four territories while 21 states, two territories, and Washington D.C. have passed adult-use laws.

The U.S. military and many federal agencies have started to deprioritize prior cannabis use when considering new hires.

Sen. John Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said that a proposal to research medical cannabis use by veterans may be dead following its rejection in the Senate last week.

Bipartisan lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate reintroduced the SAFE Banking Act this week, which seeks to normalize banking services for state-licensed cannabis companies.

U.S. Rep Brian Mast (R-FL) filed a proposal last week that would end the prohibition of firearm sales to cannabis consumers who are living in states with legal cannabis programs.

A bipartisan House proposal reintroduced this week by Republican Rep. Dave Joyce (OH) and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY) would help prepare the federal government for the end of cannabis prohibition at the national level.

A bipartisan U.S. House proposal filed this week would exempt state-legal cannabis companies from the restrictions of IRS Code 280E, which has vexed modern cannabis operators for years.

A bipartisan proposal by U.S. Sens. John Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) is seeking to reduce regulations for hemp farmers producing grain and fiber.

The Psychedelic Medicine PAC is a newly-formed political action committee that will back candidates who support the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.

A bipartisan federal proposal seeks to open the door for individuals with drug convictions to obtain a hemp license.

A top U.S. intelligence officer recently reaffirmed the federal government does not deny security clearances for employees based on their past cannabis use.

Individuals affected by the sweeping federal cannabis pardons announced by President Biden last year can now apply to receive a certificate proving that they received the pardon.

The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs advanced a bill this week mandating investigations into the effectiveness of medical cannabis as a treatment for PTSD and chronic pain.

A federal judge ruled last week that the federal ban on people who use cannabis from owning or possessing firearms is unconstitutional.

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) has introduced a proposal to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

The FDA released its proposed final guidance for research related to developing drugs containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds.

Language to expand cannabis banking and expungement was ultimately excluded from the annual federal spending bill following GOP pushback, and Congress will continue to block the full implementation of Washington D.C.’s voter-approved cannabis reforms.

The Senate has walked back plans to include bipartisan cannabis banking reforms in the annual national defense bill following an outcry by GOP lawmakers.

The PREPARE Act, the latest cannabis proposal in Congress, would prepare the U.S. for the likely end of cannabis prohibition by directing officials to workshop a framework for federal cannabis regulations.

Top Senate Democrats are reportedly set to attach language from the SAFE Banking Act that would normalize the cannabis industry’s access to banking services to a “must-pass” end-of-year bill like the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

President Joe Biden signed the nation’s first standalone cannabis reforms bill last week, paving the way for researchers to more easily investigate the plant’s medicinal properties.