As the Biden administration works to conduct a review into the marijuana’s federal scheduling, a bipartisan coalition of congressional lawmakers is asking the president to officially get on board with outright legalization. In a letter obtained by Marijuana Moment on Friday that’s expected to be sent to President Joe Biden and top cabinet officials next […]| Marijuana Moment
The White House and key officials touted policies and accomplishments of the Biden administration—including marijuana pardons, drug sentencing reform, harm reduction and enhanced drug war enforcement for fentanyl—ahead of the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. President Joe Biden did not end up explicitly discussing cannabis when he appeared before the joint session […]| Marijuana Moment
A bipartisan group of 29 congressional lawmakers from both the House and Senate sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday, asking that he formally back federal marijuana legalization as the administration carries out a review of cannabis scheduling at his direction. The letter, the text of which was obtained by Marijuana Moment last […]| Marijuana Moment
The Biden administration’s top health official on Monday tweeted a link to a Marijuana Moment article that discusses the president’s recent administrative cannabis scheduling directive. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra posted the link at precisely 4:20pm ET—the second time during his tenure that he shared marijuana policy news at that symbolic […]| Marijuana Moment
A Democratic congressman is circulating a sign-on letter challenging Biden Administration officials who are currently engaged in a review of marijuana’s scheduling status under the federal Controlled Substances Act to provide clear and compelling reasons for whatever decisions they reach. “To ensure accountability in your conclusions—which has been absent in so much of the history […]| Marijuana Moment
Speaking at an event commemorating the end of Black History Month on Monday, President Joe Biden again touted his move to pardon people for marijuana—highlighting the racially disparate impact of cannabis enforcement. “Another thing about equal justice. I’m keeping my promise: No one should be in prison for the mere possession of marijuana,” the president […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden has officially signed a large-scale defense bill that contains provisions to fund clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for active duty military service members. The president signed the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law on Friday, about a week after Congress approved the final deal and sent it […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Thursday that touts the administration’s efforts to address the “failed approach” on federal marijuana policy. The executive order doesn’t specifically build on any administrative cannabis reforms; rather it’s focused on promoting equity within federal agencies and the White House. But the president took the opportunity to connect […]| Marijuana Moment
President Joe Biden granted a half dozen pardons on Friday, including for a handful of people with marijuana or other drug convictions on their records. The end-of-year clemency action follows the mass pardon for Americans who’ve committed federal cannabis possession offenses that the president issued in October. Advocates would welcome any form of presidential relief—and […]| Marijuana Moment
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said on Wednesday that the Department of Justice is “still working on a marijuana policy” and that federal health officials are currently taking the lead on a broader ongoing review of cannabis’s federal scheduling status that was directed by President Joe Biden. “I think that it’s fair to expect what […]| Marijuana Moment
New Jersey marijuana regulators are accepting public comments on a proposal that would create a new permit to allow “clinically focused” dispensaries to enter into partnerships with research institutions to carry out cannabis studies using products that they grow or sell to patients. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) said it is seeking to […]| Marijuana Moment
Researchers published more than 4,300 studies on marijuana and its components in 2022—an new annual record—an analysis from NORML shows. “We need more research” is easily one of the most common refrains from reform opponents, who insist that cannabis is understudied despite the fact that it’s one of the most frequently researched medical subjects. To […]| Marijuana Moment
As Election Day approaches, drug policy has again emerged as a key campaign issue for incumbent President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump—with each candidate’s policy positions around marijuana coming back into focus. Biden’s campaign is hoping to leverage the popularity of cannabis reform, highlighting his mass pardons and scheduling review directive that has […]| Marijuana Moment