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New Democratic Congressional Marijuana Resolution Calls For Industry Equity And Pushes Trump To Advocate For International Reform At UN

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6 months ago

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Democrats in Congress have introduced a new marijuana resolution that urges officials to ensure equity in the industry and address the effects of the war on drugs, while pushing President Donald Trump to take the lead in pushing for global cannabis reform at the United Nations.

Representatives Troy Carter (D-LA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Lateefah Simon (D-CA) and Dina Titus (D-NV) — leaders of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus — introduced the latest version. Implementation of the Resolution on Emerging Cannabis Trades (RESPECT). on Thursday, along with additional sponsors.

The measure is largely the same as the version presented in the last session, with some additions.

“For decades, tough cannabis laws devastated Black, Brown and low-income communities. Today, those communities face new barriers, many of which prevent them from taking advantage of the opportunities offered by a multibillion-dollar industry,” Omar said in a press release.

“Congress has a responsibility to ensure that cannabis policy expands access to capital and invests in entrepreneurs whose communities are most affected by outdated drug laws,” he said.

The resolution calls for “actions to increase equity within cannabis policy and the legal cannabis market,” not only by promoting state and local decriminalization, but also the adoption of specific “best practices” around regulated markets.

The measure states that Trump should instruct administration officials to use the US’s “voice, vote and influence” to encourage the United Nations (UN) and its United Nations Commission on Drugs (CND) to “remove cannabis from international drug control treaties, abolish and pardon cannabis-related penalties, abolish and pardon penalties related to cannabis for pre-cannabis crimes, study and analyze the effects of cannabis control and international controls. legal goods”.

Carter said the ban on cannabis had “failed our community” and “disproportionately harmed people of color by driving mass incarceration, destroying families, taking away opportunities and burdening criminal records.”

“It’s time for the federal government to address the racial disparities in the cannabis space and create inclusive pathways for people to access economic wealth,” he said. he said.

According to the proposal, states and local governments are encouraged to “take appropriate action and take bold steps” to enact a variety of reforms designed to address disparities in participation in legal marijuana markets and to “address, reverse, and resolve the most devastating effects of the war on drugs.”

The section of the resolution on trends in reform was revised from the last version to note that Colorado and Washington State were the first to regulate cannabis more than a decade ago, and the states “have generated a total of nearly $25 billion in revenue from the use of legal mature sales of marijuana products.”

It also changed that Germany, among other European countries, has taken steps to end the ban within their borders since the previous version was introduced in Congress.

“We need to elevate the role of equity in the legal cannabis market and take bold, deliberate action to close persistent disparities,” said Simon. “The war on drugs has devastated communities of color, and it’s long past time to repair the damage and move beyond outdated and punitive cannabis policies.”

“I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this Resolution, which will serve as a significant step toward economic and restorative justice,” he said.

Titus, for his part, said: “For too long federal and state governments have unfairly prosecuted the use of cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug.”

“The RESPECT Resolution is a critical step toward policy that addresses the disparities caused by outdated cannabis programming and the so-called Drug War,” he said. “As co-chair of the Cannabis Caucus, I am advancing solutions that will once and for all end the cycle of unjust incarceration and unequal enforcement.”

Among the best practices the legislation encourages are fundamental reforms that are currently at odds with federal laws on the books, such as eliminating criminal penalties for the use and possession of marijuana, and ensuring that public benefits such as housing cannot be denied to someone because of a cannabis conviction.

It calls for the creation of automatic expungement or record sealing processes for cannabis offenses, processes for re-sentencing those convicted of crimes whose sentences have been reduced or expunged, and “suspect-based drug testing for non-safety-related jobs.”

The latest version includes additional additions, such as requiring the country to “take a proactive approach and consider and consider laws and policies regarding interstate commerce and their potential impact on differences in the cannabis market.”

It also now encourages the adoption of policies that promote “fair labor standards and practices” in the cannabis market and “the creation of a robust education campaign to inform the public of important legal and public information, including consumer education, and the development of public education campaigns to prevent youth access and drive the impairment of cannabis.”

The resolution is also co-sponsored by Reps. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). It is supported by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Last Prisoner Project (LPP), Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) and NORML.

“The Drug Policy Alliance is proud to support the RESPECT Resolution, which calls for urgent action to ensure cannabis markets and policies are fair for all communities,” said Cat Packer, DPA’s director of drug markets and regulation.

“Highlighting state and local best practices, supporting global decriminalization and calling on states to end criminal penalties, restore rights and ensure fair participation in the emerging cannabis economy, the resolution sets a clear path to meaningful reform,” he said. “At a time when criminalization remains the law of the land and inequality remains deeply embedded in the cannabis market and politics, this resolution is timely and critically needed.”

Jason Ortiz, LPP’s director of strategic initiatives, said the organization is “grateful to the sponsors of the RESPECT Resolution for their leadership in addressing the deep racial and economic disparities created by decades of the criminalization of cannabis.”

“This resolution recognizes that while state cannabis laws have evolved, too many people and communities are still living with the consequences of outdated federal policies,” he said. “By calling for clean records, community investment, and fair licensing, this resolution serves as a vital reminder that those most harmed by prohibition must be able to participate in and benefit from any legal cannabis market.”

Morgan Fox, NORML’s political director, said it’s “important to remind lawmakers of the ongoing harms caused by marijuana prohibition and the opportunities to begin addressing them through common sense legislation.”

“This resolution should call on Congress to prioritize the repeal of failed criminalization policies, as well as a plan to do so in a way that aims to repair the damage caused by decades of unfair enforcement,” he said.

The measure is being introduced on the same day that bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers introduced a bill. allow doctors to administer Schedule I drugs such as psilocybin and MDMA to patients with life-threatening conditions.

Mike Latimer’s photo.

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We don’t really deal with a lot of mites because of our IPM program

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23 hours ago

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June 9, 2026

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Flora Farms Pest Management Program it is built to reduce to nothing depending on the harvestso the plant ends up clean. Luke Allenbrand, Flora Farms’ crop leader, leads an integrated pest management program that focuses on prevention. “We don’t honestly deal with a lot of mites because of the IPM program, because of the predatory mites that we’ve put down as a precaution,” says Luke. “It allows us to have a much cleaner garden in the back half.” Preventative work keeps spray volumes relatively low because the curative side of the program rarely needs to be heavy.

“Actually, we are at the lowest number of these sprays that we have. The milliliters that we are using are numbers that do not exist to be a prevention,” says Luke. “But as soon as you see an uptick of those mites or anything, we bring it up to a therapeutic amount, which is still a small milliliter. And as long as you’re on a fast track with it, you see them disappear within 10 days.” The targets are spider mites, which feed on the plant’s THC and terpene production and degrade the flower.

© Flora Farms

Tested solutions
The three products used by the company are derived from agricultural and food use. “We actually apply about three insecticides that are very common around the agricultural and food grade of these products, using a suite of IPM, Venerate and Grandevo, insecticides that will deal with these mites,” says Luke. The application is intermittent rather than constant. “We usually use a 5-day spray cycle so we can have rest periods in between, so it’s not just a consistent density of that spray,” says Luke. He sees progress against mites in the gaps between the successions.

However, at some point, the spraying stops. “We finish the spray cycle by day 40. We usually don’t want to spray anywhere after day 40. At that point, you’re going to damage the product,” says Luke. “And at that point, we’ll put predatory mites in. It really helps us get to that final push point by day 59, 60 of that harvest. So we actually have a lot less of our spray in that late period. So it’s a much better tasting product.” Predatory mites take over the job of spraying, leaving nothing on the flower.

Biological control
Biological control has two forms. “We usually use them, they’re called crazy mites, and honestly, it’s crazy to see,” says Luke. “Actually, I’ve seen some of the ones in a close-up photo kill a bug, some of the cocoons actually drive away, and even attack the spider mites themselves. Very beneficial. Callias are also slow. They’re little bags that we hang on plants and they’re very beneficial to us.” Different predators work at different speeds, which is why the program runs more than one.

Missouri’s testing regime is the context in which growers operate. Each plant is tested for pest control chemicals and must pass before the product goes ahead. “Other crops and other black market shops or smoke shops in Missouri don’t have to worry about the testing we have to do,” Luke says. “Everything we use here is natural. Each of our pest management is a lot of essential oils that fight these mites. Everything we would put on a plant is food grade.” The test covers foreign chemicals, heavy metals, and anything else that an unregulated supply should never consider.

The whole arc is from biology to chemistry and back to biology. “We go from predatory mites to a food-grade spray regimen, and then back to predatory mites at the end. That way, these plants will have time to finish with no chemicals, nothing,” says Luke. “The rest of that life cycle, about 15 to 20 days, is the most natural it will have. No spraying at all during that, just to push predatory mites off that end, so there’s no residual mite damage on those plants.”

For more information:
Flower Farms
florafarmsmo.com

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California Bill To Legalize Marijuana Dispensary Drive-Thru Windows Advances In Senate After Clearing Full Assembly

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23 hours ago

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June 9, 2026

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It has been passed by a California Senate committee and passed by the Assembly bill that would allow marijuana dealers to offer car windows to serve customers.

The measure, which cleared the Senate Business, Careers and Economic Development Committee on a 7-3 vote Monday, says licensed cannabis retailers and micro-businesses with storefronts can sell marijuana products “in a motor vehicle to a customer in a drive-through located on the premises.”

Under Assemblywoman Gail Peller’s (D) AB 2697, cannabis businesses would need permission from the local jurisdictions in which they operate to add a drive-thru.

The sponsor told committee members before the final vote that the bill will “expand access to legal cannabis products while strengthening our ability to compete with the illegal market.”

Annie Aubrey of Chuck’s Wellness Center, a retailer in Placerville, testified that the legislation is “about improving access.”

“A large portion of our customers use cannabis as medicine, including seniors, veterans and people living with chronic conditions that affect mobility, the population that this regulated system seeks to serve,” he said. “For many, even simple tasks like getting out of a vehicle or navigating a retail space can be physically difficult or prohibitive…A drive-thru option removes that barrier, giving patients and consumers access to what they need in a way that’s dignified and consistent with their healthcare needs.”

Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of the California Cannabis Operators Association said the legislation will provide “operational flexibility” in a highly regulated system.

“It doesn’t expand who can access cannabis,” he said. “It allows retailers, with local approval, to serve existing patients and customers more efficiently.”

Jenkins also argued that this measure could improve security.

“Currently, road traction transactions are already allowed. This means that workers regularly have to leave a safe premises while transporting the product, and sometimes they have to deposit cash in parking lots,” he said. “AB 2697 provides an additional mechanism for obtaining product, but requires a fixed and secure transaction point, keeping employees inside and reducing exposure to theft.”

Pellerin, the bill’s sponsor, previously said that “California cannabis retailers lack a common and accessible transaction channel for consumers that so many other retailers in California offer, including fast food, pharmacies, banks and even liquor stores.”

“Cannabis consumers with mobility issues or other disabilities have limited options for obtaining cannabis without having to get out of their vehicles. And while home delivery is legal, there are restrictions on service areas,” he said. “Allowing cannabis sellers to add a secure ride option, if allowed by their local jurisdiction, will improve the consumer experience, increase the security of cannabis sellers and help expand California’s legal cannabis market.”

The California Association of Narcotics Officers opposes the proposal, however, as a representative, Ryan Sherman, testified that it would make it more difficult for dispensary workers to check the IDs of customers who are of legal age or to spot signs of current intoxication at drive-thru windows.

“This bill prioritizes speed of sale over public safety while undermining existing protections designed to prevent illegal sales and protect public safety,” he argued.

Under current policy during the COVID pandemic, dispensaries can already offer street pickup.

The invoice that moving forward in the legislature would mandate that auto sales “be made through a fixed panel security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism that is part of a building located within the premises.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

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California regulators recently approved emergency rule changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process. to make it easier for companies to receive benefits In line with the Trump administration’s latest move to federally regulate medical cannabis.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently He took credit for helping lead the state’s push to legalize marijuana and discussed his limited experience with cannabis use.

In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have It allowed micro-marijuana companies to ship medicinal cannabis directly to patients Through common carriers like FedEx and UPS, he said the proposal would be “too burdensome and complex to manage.”

Newsom signed a bill earlier this month streamlining research into marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure pause on the recent tax increase on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently participate in the marijuana trade with licensed cannabis businesses without obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials have recently been rewarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

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Concert Series Specials launched for state medical cannabis patients

Published

2 days ago

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June 8, 2026

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Post Dispensary, Kentucky’s first medical cannabis dispensary, is connecting with patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Hopkinsville and surrounding areas by aligning unique specials with the region’s summer concert calendar. Located at 300 N Main St. in Beaver Dam, minutes from major highways connecting these vibrant cities.

This summer, The Post Dispensary is offering special pricing and incentives for Concert Series Events at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater, SPARKS in the Park 4th of July celebration and surrounding events, such as Owensboro’s ROMP Festival (June 24-27, 2026). Patients can stop by before or after shows for big savings.

“We’re more than just a booty,” said a dispensary representative. “From Owensboro’s world-class ROMP Festival to Beaver Dam’s Amphitheater events, we’re making it convenient and budget-friendly for patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Hartford and beyond to combine our love of music with compassionate care and an affordable product.”

The Post Dispensary hosts regular Patient Guidance events on the second Saturday of every month. These units have professionals on hand to assess patients and issue written certificates at low cost, application support and expert consultations in a welcoming environment. The next Patient Drive aligns perfectly with summer travel patterns, making it easy for patients from Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Henderson, Madisonville and surrounding towns to plan a trip to Beaver Dam that combines care with community and entertainment.

For more information:
Post-Dispensary
thepostdispensary.com/










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