Federal Policy

Two bills aiming to improve veterans’ access to medical cannabis have passed through the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee this week.

A recent Veterans Affairs memo confirmed that employees of the agency can still be fired for cannabis use, even if they live in states where it has been legalized for personal use.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Wednesday that the IRS faces “significant problems” due to the cash-only nature of the cannabis industry and urged lawmakers to address the issue “one way or another.”

President Trump’s budget proposal for the fiscal year 2021 would remove a rider containing protections for state-legal medical cannabis programs; congressional lawmakers, however, are expected to override the move.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders pledged this weekend that he would legalize cannabis in all 50 states on his first day if he wins the presidential election.

Lawmakers questioned officials from the DEA, FDA, and National Institutes of Health yesterday about the federal limitations on cannabis research; Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) accused the government agencies of hiding behind a cannabis “Catch-22.”

The House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee will meet today to discuss the ongoing federal barriers to cannabis research.

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act cleared a second Democratically-controlled committee after the House Small Business Committee voted 24-10 in bipartisan favor of advancing the bill.

Federal regulators have unveiled a new policy that will enforce an FDA ban on fruit and mint flavors in e-cigarettes.

While the budget rider protecting medical cannabis from federal interference remained intact with the new omnibus package, recreational industry protections have been stripped.

The Environmental Protection Agency has approved 10 different pesticides for use on industrial hemp crops — the new approvals include nine biopesticides and one conventional pesticide product.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, a Republican from Idaho, says he does not support the SAFE Banking Act because it fails to address issues such as high cannabis potencies and marketing strategies that target children.

Chris Hagedorn is the general manager for Hawthorne Gardening Company, a business venture that provides all the cultivation needs of a state-legal cannabis operator.

Federal regulators have removed barriers that blocked industrial hemp companies from accessing traditional financial services despite the crop’s federally legal status.

As the first piece of federal legislation that would end cannabis prohibition to make it through committee, the MORE Act deserves a closer look; unfortunately, the bill is expected to be dead on arrival if it ever reaches the Senate.

Federal cannabis patient George McMahon passed away on Saturday, November 30, 2019 — he was one of the last three patients who still receive cannabis from the federal government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recently met with FDA Commissioner nominee Dr. Stephen Hahn and discussed the need for a federal CBD regulatory framework.

Federal officials at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration have prohibited any federal funds meant to combat opioid addiction from being used on medical cannabis.

A key congressional committee approved the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act today in a historic vote, setting the legislation up for consideration on the full House floor.

In a landmark occasion for cannabis reform, federal lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee are expected to vote tomorrow on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act tomorrow; the bill aims to federally legalize adult-use cannabis.

Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg each said this week they would support medical cannabis access for veterans if they win the presidency.

The cannabis industry lobby has reached a new high of $3.77 million in Capitol Hill spending this year, far surpassing the $2.76 million spent in 2018.