Military And Veteran Community Supports Marijuana And Psychedelics Legalization; AR, WA And SD Work On Relaxing Cannabis Regulations

Arkansas AG Rejects Marijuana Ballot Initiative

Arkansas' attorney general struck down a ballot initiative that would expand the medical marijuana program in the state and potentially legalize possession of up to an ounce of recreational cannabis if the federal government removes it from the Schedule of Controlled Substances or if it's no longer considered a federal crime, reported Arkansas Advocate.

On Monday, Attorney General Tim Griffin said the ballot title for the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Amendment of 2024 was not sufficient as the proposed constitutional amendment lacked proper formatting and it was uncertain how the policy change would impact current state laws and regulations.

The initiative would have allowed patients to cultivate their cannabis at home and also allow providers to qualify patients with any medical need regardless of the state's current 18 qualifying conditions, to name a few provisions included. Those responsible for drafting the amendment plan to make revisions and submit it once again.

Military And Veteran Community Supports Marijuana Legalization, Study Finds

In the meantime, a majority of veterans and active military members (60%) as well as their family members (85%), favor marijuana legalization, according to a new Ohio State University study.

The study, which included 1,168 people, also showed that a majority of veteran families and non-military individuals backed the legalization of psychedelics, 59% and 61%, respectively, while roughly 40% of the veterans and active military members who participated had the same stance.

"The above results showed that a majority of individuals, regardless of veteran status category, supported the legalization of recreational marijuana," the researchers concluded.

Washington State Moves Closer To Legalizing Personal Marijuana Cultivation

In Washington state, HB 2194 from Rep. Shelley Kloba seeks to grant adults the freedom to cultivate up to four marijuana plants per person and no more than 10 per household, as amended. The measure advanced through the House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee on Monday in a 7–4 vote, reported Marijuana Moment.

The committee members also acted on a separate piece of legislation that originally intended to make sales of high-THC cannabis products to individuals under the age of 25 illegal, replacing the provision with a requirement for retailers to inform customers about the possible dangers linked to high-potency products.

South Dakota Considers Upgrading THC Testing Regulations for Hemp

A new measure in South Dakota from Republican Sen. Joshua Klumb is seeking to bring a THC testing regulation in line with federal standards – a move that would make life easier for those operating within the state's industrial hemp industry, reported Argus Leader.

Under current law in South Dakota, hemp samples must have a delta-9 THC concentration below 0.3% to be considered legal, with anything that initially tests above the limit being subjected to retesting. If the sample tests above the threshold in the second attempt, the entire lot needs to be destroyed.

The newly proposed legislation would require retesting if its initial findings revealed a THC level of 1% or above, aligning with the threshold established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations issued in 2021.

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