IMPROVED ACCESS
Cannabis research bill passes
The bipartisan Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act passed the US House on Tuesday and is expected to be heading to the President’s desk soon, reports Cannabis Business Times. The new will make it easier for researchers to access and study the medical applications and health impacts of cannabis.
“Research is a foundational element for cannabis policy,” said Congressman Blumenauer, founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, in a statement.
“At a time when there are four million registered medical marijuana patients and many more likely to self-medicate, it is crucial that researchers are able to fully study the health benefits of cannabis. For too long, the federal government has stood in the way of science and progress, creating barriers for researchers obtaining resources and approval to study cannabis. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation is an important first step to changing that.”
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A FIRST FOR USA
US Senate subcommittee holds its first hearing on federal cannabis legalization
For the first time in American history, the US Senate held its first hearing on federal cannabis legalization on Tuesday with the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, chaired by Sen. Cory Booker, reports MJBizDaily.
While largely symbolic—the Booker-sponsored Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act Act wasn’t voted on—the subcommittee heard that:
- Current federal laws disproportionately affect people of colour
- State legal cannabis industries aren’t equitable
“What frustrates me is the exclusion of communities that have been most persecuted by the prohibition of marijuana are not represented by the billion-dollar industry that continues to grow and have influence,” Booker said.
TRADING PLACES
The US has proposed a deal for the release of Brittney Griner
The White House administration has proposed a deal to Russia: release American detainees Brittney Griner, who testified yesterday in court, and Paul Whelan, who is also imprisoned in the country.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters the deal was proposed two weeks ago, but did not elaborate on the nature of the deal. According to the Associated Press, there is some speculation that convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, a Russian who is detained in the US, could have been offered up in a trade.
“The president and his team are willing to take extraordinary steps to bring them home,” said John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman.
REGULATORY BRIDGE
Cannavigia’s technology bridges the gap between different cannabis regulations
Cannavigia CEO Luc Richner tells BusinessCann about how the company’s software harmonizes cannabis regulations between Canada, the US, Europe and beyond.
How it works
- Through cultivation, manufacturing and distribution modules in the software that also cover the supply chain
- Automated reporting and audit functionality in the back end
- Tools for both customer engagement and government communications
“At the end of the day, our philosophy was that through full transparency, we can bridge the gap of different regulatory standards and also different market needs,” Richner said. See the full Q&A here.
