18 Jun Top Stories From The Edge – Week of June 12th
A Weekly Roundup of Stories We Found Interesting – From The Profound To The Profane
Sessions Asks Congress To Undo Medical Marijuana Protections
Sessions had a busy week. While not seating in front of a congressional hearing this week, Sessions sent a private letter to Congress asking its leaders to undo federal medical-marijuana protections that have been in place since 2014. This will give him the authority to prosecute medical marijuana providers across the country. Rafael Lemaitre, former associate director of public affairs for the Drug Policy Office under Obama, quoted as saying, “No one knows what’s going to happen, but this should scare anyone involved in the marijuana industry.”
Sessions’ Secretive Marijuana Subcommittee
The subcommittee was formed by the Sessions’ request to review federal drug law. The outcome of this review will certainly affect the cannabis industry in a major way. And yet, there is almost nothing about the review process that was made public.
Massachusetts Deliberating on Major Marijuana Tax Hike
Massachusetts is looking to impose a massive tax hike to deter people from using marijuana, at least from the legal channels. We’ve seen this before in Florida. Even though voters overwhelmingly approved the use of marijuana, legislators managed to find a way to destroy the industry.
Bitcoin Helps Marijuana Growers Sidestep Banking Issue
With financial institutions shunning the marijuana industry, cannabis growers are turning to the world’s most popular digital currency bitcoin for solutions.
Advocates Renew Push for Recreational Marijuana in New York
With little more than a week left in the legislative session, New York State Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly member Crystal Peoples-Stokes are joining forces with advocates to re-introduce a bill that would establish a legal market for marijuana in New York State.
Dennis Rodman in North Korea, again!
The unofficial NBA ambassador of North Korea is making another trip to hang with Kim Jong Un. This time, the trip is sponsored by PotCoin, a cryptocurrency for weed.
The Secret Service Relaxes on Hiring Policy
The Trump administration is in such disarray that the secret service is having a hard time recruiting. So, the agency revamped its drug policy to not immediately disqualify a candidate with a history of cannabis use.
Shark Tank of Weed
Amazon’s new series, The Marijuana Show, had aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to the show’s producers on stage, “Shark Tank” style this past Thursday and Friday at the Javits Center in New York City.
Pot Experts Name Their Favorite Strains
Some of the industry heavyweights talk about their favorite strains. This is always good for a smoke haze debate.
