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Maine House Rejects Testing Bill for Medical Cannabis Caregivers  

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Maine House Rejects Testing Bill for Medical Cannabis Caregivers  

Maine lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have required medical cannabis products sold in the state to be tracked and tested, Maine News Center reports. The bill failed in the House on Monday, 74-71, with five lawmakers absent.

The proposal from Rep. Anne Graham (D), who is also a nurse practitioner, included provisions to provide state aid to medical cannabis producers who make less than $125,000 a year to help cover testing costs.

Shanna Souza, owner of Homegrown of Augusta, said the state would “lose 200-300” good medical cannabis caregivers if the bill were to become law. Currently, there are about 1,600 medical cannabis caregivers in the state.

During the debate over the legislation, which is opposed by medical cannabis activists, Rep. David Boyer (R) asked, “Where are the bodies? Where is the damage?”

“Patients are not asking for this. They are asking to kill the bill.” – Boyer, during the debate, via News Center Maine

The proposal will still be heard by the Senate, where it was introduced Monday after the House vote.

In 2018, the state updated its medical cannabis rules to include annual inspections and sample testing for products sold in dispensaries, according to a Maine Morning Star report, but these rules do not apply to guardians.

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Trump Admin Asks Congress to Regulate Full-Spectrum Hemp Products or Delay Federal Crackdown

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Trump Admin Asks Congress to Regulate Full-Spectrum Hemp Products or Delay Federal Crackdown

The Trump administration this week asked Congress to either regulate full-spectrum hemp CBD products or delay an upcoming federal crackdown targeting hemp-derived THC products. Marijuana moment reports.

Russell T. Vought, who has served in the administration as director of the Office of Management and Budget since February 2024, called for the reforms Wednesday in a paper addressed to Rep. Mike Johnson (R), Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The letter states that the White House “strongly supports” changing federal law to regulate specific hemp products instead of banning the category entirely — “or, at the very least, an extension of the implementation of the regulatory framework” that will take effect in less than five months.

Currently, it is governed by a federal spending bill that President Trump (R) signed into law At the end of last year will come into effect on November 12, which contain new THC restrictions that ban almost all consumable hemp products.

The president said on social media in April that lawmakers should pass legislation protecting Americans’ access to full-spectrum hemp CBD products.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Graham is the editor-in-chief of Ganjapreneur. He has been writing about the legalization landscape since 2012 and has contributed to Ganjapreneur since our official launch in…

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New York Lawmakers Pass Bill to Prevent Inversion of Illicit Cannabis into Legal Market 

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New York Lawmakers Pass Bill to Prevent Inversion of Illicit Cannabis into Legal Market 

or bill The effort to prevent the diversion of illegal cannabis products into New York’s regulated market has been approved by both the House and Senate, moving it to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for final approval.

The legislation defines “illegal cannabis” as any cannabis product on which taxes have not been paid, or proceeds from unlicensed individuals or entities. The bill prohibits the practice of subversion by licensees and testing facilities and includes protections for whistleblowers.

In a statement, state Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D), the bill’s sponsor, said the state has made significant strides in building a successful legal cannabis market…but that market can only continue to grow if New Yorkers can trust the source and safety of their products.

“Illegal products are dangerous and unreliable, which is why this bill says enough is enough. It’s time to make sure only legal products hit our shelves, hold bad actors accountable, and maintain the integrity of our legal marketplace.” – Cooney in one press release

The bill would authorize the Office of Cannabis Management to seek suspension orders against licensees or laboratories suspected of diverting cannabis and creates civil penalties of no more than five times the proceeds of the prohibited sale of cannabis.

TG joined Ganjapreneur in 2014 as a news writer and began hosting the Ganjapreneur podcast in 2016. He is based in upstate New York, where he also teaches media at a local university.

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Supreme Court Rules Cannabis Consumers Have Right to Own Guns

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Supreme Court Rules Cannabis Consumers Have Right to Own Guns

The US Supreme Court ruled unanimously Thursday that cannabis users can legally own firearms under the Second Amendment.

The ruling stems from United States v. Hemani, in which prosecutors pursued criminal charges against Texas man Ali Hemani, who admitted to regularly using cannabis while in possession of a firearm.

In their reasoning, the justices cited a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that requires gun restrictions to be “consistent with this nation’s historic tradition of regulating firearms.”

National Rifle Association (NRA) and National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) submitted amicus briefs for the case earlier this year.

Joseph A. Bondy, chairman of the board for NORML and the organization’s co-counsel on its amicus brief, called the decision “a measured but important vindication of personal liberty and constitutional principle.”

“The Court accepted what NORML sought: that responsible adults not lose their Second Amendment rights simply because they consume cannabis, absent any individualized showing of dangerousness. Our Constitution protects people, not stereotypes, and does not allow the government to turn cannabis use alone into a categorical mark of civic worthlessness.” – Bondy, in a statement

Based in Portland, Oregon, Graham is the editor-in-chief of Ganjapreneur. He has been writing about the legalization landscape since 2012 and has contributed to Ganjapreneur since our official launch in…

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