Public Comments Favor Marijuana Rescheduling, Cannabis To Blame For Nearly Half Of Gun Permit Rejections In Hawaii And More Updates

Senators Fight For Cannabis Industry Access To Federal Small Business Administration Financing

A group of Democratic Senators is urging the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee to level the playing field for the state-legal marijuana industry by adding to the Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Services and General Government Related Agencies (FSGG) spending provisions to prevent Small Business Administration (SBA) "from denying loan applications for the 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program, Disaster Assistance Program, Microloan Program, and 504/Certified Development Company Loan Program to legally operating cannabis small businesses in states that have legalized cannabis sale and use."

The ten-member coalition led by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) highlighted that "SBA's current policy excludes from its loan and entrepreneurial development programs all small businesses with ‘direct' or ‘indirect' products or services that aid the use, growth, enhancement, or other development of cannabis," the senators wrote in the letter, reported Marijuana Moment.

See also: GOP House Committee’s Lifts D.C. Cannabis Sales Ban In 2025 Spending Bill, Adds Federal Bank Safeguards

Nearly Half Of All Gun Permits In Hawaii Rejected Due To Cannabis

Nearly half (40.7%) of 519 firearm permit applications that didn't get a green light from Hawaii officials last year faced rejection due to applicants' status as medical marijuana patients, reported Marijuana Moment citing the latest data from the state attorney general's office.

A quarter of applicants who were denied a gun permit can blame mental health issues for the outcome, while 7% of applicants were rejected due to domestic violence. A total of 23,528 applications were part of the process in 2023.

Now read: Medical Cannabis & Gun Rights: Will I Lose My Guns If I Obtain A Patient Card?

Public Comments Favor Cannabis Rescheduling

It seems that cannabis rescheduling is just around the corner with public support for the policy change growing by day.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has been accepting public comments on the issue for two weeks. So far, the federal agency received 11,000 submissions, reported the Green Market Report.

According to an analysis by Headset, 97% of the comments submitted in the first week favored the policy change.

DEA will review all information following the closure of the public comment period, which is due July 22.

Related: DEA Ditches High-Level Federal Health Meeting On Cannabis Research: Another Expression Of Distaste For Cannabis Rescheduling?

Cannabis rescheduling seems to be right around the corner. Want to understand what this means for the future of the industry?

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