Attorney General Jeff Sessions — a notorious prohibitionist and medical cannabis skeptic — confirmed today that the Department of Justice is continuing to honor federal cannabis policies that were put into effect under the Obama Administration. According to a Forbes report by cannabis journalist Tom Angell, Sessions told members of Congress during a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing today that, “Our …
DEA Spokesman: Agency Not Going to ‘Break Down Door’ of Parents Administering CBD to their Children
In an interview with Indiana’s WTHR, Drug Enforcement Agency spokesperson Rusty Payne admitted that while parents giving CBD oil to their children are violating federal law, it is unlikely they will face federal prosecution for their actions. “WTHR: What would you tell the mom and dad who are buying this stuff and giving it to their kids because it helps …
FDA Sends Warning Letter to 4 CBD Companies Over Anti-Cancer Claims
The Food and Drug Administration has sent a warning letter to four CBD companies demanding that they stop making claims that their products “prevent, diagnose or cure cancer” without evidence to back their claims. Stanley Brothers Social Enterprises, the makers of Charlotte’s Web, are among the four companies to receive the letters, along with Greenroads Health, Natural Alchemist, and That’s …
By Prohibiting MMJ Access, Lawmakers Complicit in Opioid Epidemic
The opioid overdoses death toll is staggering – reaching 64,070 in 2016 – and at least one estimate suggests opioids could kill a half-million Americans in the next decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control, deaths from “synthetic opioids excluding methadone” more than doubled from 9,945 in Jan. 2016 to 20,145 in Jan. 2017. So-called “natural and semi-synthetic opioids” …
Sessions: ‘Healthy’ for Feds to Approve More Cannabis Research Applications
During a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Attorney General Jeff Sessions admitted that it would “be healthy to have some more competition” in the federal government’s cannabis research program, noting that there are currently 26 supplier applications before the Drug Enforcement Agency from entities interested in growing cannabis for federal medicinal research. “Each one of those [cultivation sites] has to …
Maine Border Patrol Will Confiscate Cannabis in Accordance with Federal Law
Maine’s top Border Patrol official said that the agency would continue seizing cannabis products despite the forthcoming voter-approved adult-use legalization program, the Portland Press Herald reports. Chief Daniel Hiebert said the Border Patrol must follow federal, not state, laws. Moreover, Hiebert indicated that Border Patrol applicants could be disqualified from employment consideration due to, not just their own cannabis use, …
Feds Seek MMJ Patient Info from Northeastern States; Massachusetts Complies
Officials in Massachusetts have complied with a medical cannabis patient data request from the White House National Marijuana Initiative, but Gov. Charlie Baker indicated that none of the submitted information can be used to identify patients, CBS Boston reports. The information included the gender, age, and date of cannabis prescription for the state’s 40,000-plus registered patients but not specific medical …