'TOXIC Act' In California Targets Cartels, Medical Marijuana In KS, AK And AL, Delaware Lags Behind

Kansas And Arkansas: One Step Forward, One Step Back?

While in Kansas the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee held a first hearing on a medical marijuana legalization bill introduced in February, the Delta-8 ban moves forward in Arkansas legislature.

Arkansas Senator Tyler Dees (R) filed legislation, SB 358 that would regulate delta-8 THC products. The bill, co-sponsored by senators Justin Boyd (R) and four other lawmakers, would "prohibit the growth, processing, sale, transfer, or possession of industrial hemp that contains certain delta tetrahydrocannabinol substances,” reported journalist Daniel Breen for NPR.

Cannabis In Alabama

Melissa Mullins, founder of the advocacy group Alabamians for Medical Cannabis Freedom, stated that their group has included five requests in their list of priorities for the 2023 legislative session, in order to “improve the cannabis industry in the state,” reported wbrc.com.

The group is asking for a review of the testing procedures, and removal of the 75-milligram dosage. The group believes that physicians should have the discretion to determine the most suitable dosage for their patients.

According to Mullins, the cost of acquiring a license can be quite substantial, which can create challenges for locally-owned businesses to compete effectively. “We just felt like that a small farmer or a small business in Alabama would have a very hard time coming up with 40, 50, 60, 70 on up into hundreds of thousands of dollars for a license.” 

Delaware Lags Behind

The Delaware Senate Health & Social Services Committee approved two bills that seek to legalize marijuana and establish regulations for adult-use sales. Introduced by Rep. Ed Osienski, the bills were passed in the House of Representatives and supported by Sen. Trey Paradee, who argued that the state's current law that only decriminalizes low-level cannabis possession is inadequate. Paradee stressed that cannabis possession arrests continue, particularly affecting people of color, and preventing many from accessing job opportunities. He further added that Delaware is lagging behind neighboring states by maintaining a prohibitionist stance on cannabis, reported Marijuana Moment.

Toxic Pesticides Smuggled By Cartels Targeted In Bipartisan Legislation

The TOXIC Act, reintroduced by Reps. Scott Peters and Doug LaMalfa aim to tackle illegal cannabis cultivation on public lands in California and other states where growers frequently use banned pesticides that are hazardous to human health. The TOXIC Act seeks to impose stricter penalties on growing cannabis using banned pesticides and address the environmental damage caused by them on public lands. These pesticides also pose a health risk to U.S. Forest Service agents tasked with removing illegal crops.

"Our wildlife, habitat, and public health pay the price for the actions of illegal cannabis growers who often work with cartels," said Rep. Peters.

"Across the west, cartels are illegally growing marijuana in the most environmentally devastating ways, and at a scale that should concern any group or governor that claims to be pro-environment," Rep. LaMalfa said. "The key to this environmental degradation is the use of illegal pesticides -pesticides that are not allowed near any legal farming operation- which seep into the soil and watershed, poisoning wildlife and endangering residents who inadvertently consume it."

Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash.