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What’s Going On With Marijuana? NEW Rescheduling of DEA assessment to Schedule III Eminent.

Vice President Kamala Harris said that the DEA needs to move quickly to reschedule marijuana at a meeting at the White House on Friday.

Watch Live: VP Kamala Harris Hosts Marijuana Pardon Recipients At White ...

Vice President Kamala Harris has recently urged the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to expedite its review of cannabis’s scheduling. During a White House closed-door roundtable discussion on criminal justice reform, Harris emphasized that the current classification of cannabis as a Schedule I substance is “absurd and patently unfair.” She called for a swift resolution to this issue1.

Here are some key points:

  1. Background:

  2. Harris’s Actions:

  3. DEA’s Role:

In summary, the rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III is imminent, and the DEA’s decision will have significant implications for federal drug policy1.

Also on Friday, Doug Kass posted that on the social media platform X that the DEA will soon announce the rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III. 

“We have learned yesterday that the US Drug Enforcement  Administration will shortly approve a rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III –and that the biggest legal hurdle, an international treaty (the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961)), to which the US is a signatory has been resolved favorably,” Kass posted. 

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also recommended the DEA reschedule cannabis as Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act

How hard it is to survive in the cannabis space?

On the one hand, the marijuana industry is nascent as the plant has been stigmatized for decades. Being illegal at the federal level makes operating that much more complicated. On the other hand, the industry continues to progress. Each year more states and countries embrace it, and new studies confirm the vast potential of marijuana’s healing properties that our ancestors knew centuries ago.

So, it’s difficult, but not impossible to maneuver in the cannabis space.

Often viewed as one of the biggest challenges is the lack of access to banking and financial services due to marijuana’s Schedule 1 status, which the DEA classifies as having no accepted medical value and has high abuse potential.

On the complexity of regulatory issues, she told us that “all of cannabis is complex, but the most complex regulatory issues arise with new regulations or changes to existing regulations – it can be difficult to understand how these regulations are used in practice. The most common misapprehension about the cannabis industry is that we are all risk-takers living on the edge – the reality is that most of us in this industry are all super compliance-focused and constantly checking to make sure that we’re following every single applicable rule.”

 

Regulatory Compliance First

In January, the government released hundreds of pages of documents related to its ongoing review of the status of cannabis under federal law, confirming that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended the DEA reschedule cannabis as Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that HHS has acknowledged some medical value of marijuana, and the rescheduling is being considered. We asked Ayinehsazian, a respected California Advocate of Marijuana Law Deregulation how much would change in the marijuana industry in terms of regulatory issues, banking services and taxes if cannabis is reclassified to Schedule III.

“I think that even with rescheduling regulatory compliance would still remain of great importance,” she said. “Banking and taxation would be greatly improved though – the current banking issues we face as a result of federal illegality would be greatly alleviated, as would the federal taxation issues associated with 280E.”

Ayinehsazian said that in terms of taxation and banking, both rescheduling and de-scheduling would be about the same. “In terms of regulatory requirements, de-scheduling may present a bit less of a burden, but I think that no matter what, we’re still looking at regulatory compliance being incredibly important.”
 

The 280E is an IRS tax code, which states that “no deduction or credit shall be allowed in running a business that consists of trafficking a controlled substance.” This means that until cannabis is removed from a list of controlled substances on the federal level, there will be no tax deductions or credits given to legal cannabis operators.

Sahar Ayinehsazian    is an attorney in Vicente Sederberg’s Los Angeles office,
where she focuses on cannabis banking, corporate transactions, and regulations.
With her specialized knowledge, Sahar helped to establish and currently co-leads
Vicente Sederberg’s Banking and Financial Services Department. As a member of
the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Banking Access Committee, Sahar
also works on strategy and educational advocacy to enable state-licensed businesses
to obtain accounts at depository institutions. Prior to joining Vicente Sederberg,
Sahar served as the Director of Regulatory and Governmental Affairs at a multi-state
money transmitter servicing the cannabis industry, where she developed a comprehensive understanding of credit card flow, banking and cannabis compliance. She
holds a Bachelor of Arts, with honors, from the University of California, San Diego
and a law degree from Loyola Law School, where she was a Loyola Scholar

The CBD Effect on Cannabis

While Cannabis is a very crucial part of the Marijuana movement, we must remember that CBD is a complex field with ongoing research, legal considerations, and exciting technological advancements.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid compound that has been studied for its potential therapeutic effects on various psychiatric disorders 1. A systematic review of neuroimaging studies investigating the acute impact of CBD on human brain function found that CBD induces significant alterations in brain activity and connectivity patterns during resting state and performance of cognitive tasks in both healthy volunteers and patients with a psychiatric disorder 1. The review also found that acute CBD enhanced fronto-striatal resting state connectivity in healthy volunteers, both compared to placebo and THC 1. Furthermore, CBD modulated brain activity and had opposite effects when compared to THC following task-specific patterns during various cognitive paradigms, such as emotional processing, verbal memory, response inhibition, and auditory/visual processing 1. In individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis and patients with established psychosis, acute CBD showed intermediate brain activity compared to placebo and healthy controls during cognitive task performance 1. CBD modulated resting limbic activity in subjects with anxiety and metabolite levels in patients with autism spectrum disorders 1. CBD is thought to have neuroprotective effects due to how it interacts with CB2 receptors in the brain. CBD acts on these receptors by creating an anti-inflammatory response in immune cells in the brain. This reduces the amount of damage caused by inflammation in the brain. Oxidation is one of the most common causes of brain tissue damage 2. Inspirational Technologies is likely to be adopting AI on social media to improve the efficiency of their content creation and marketing campaigns. AI-powered tools can help marketers generate new content ideas, optimize social media campaigns, and measure brand and trends across each social media channel 1. AI prompts for social media can help marketers overcome creative blocks and generate new post ideas 2. AI can also enable personalized recommendations, create more efficient customer service, and analyze data in real-time to help improve overall marketing campaign performance 3. AI tools have taken the world by storm over the last few months, and for good reason. Tasks that used to take hours are now finished in just a few minutes. The results AI tools can produce are blowing people away 2. However, it’s important to note that there are also plenty of examples where AI completely misses the mark. The difference between “omg that’s amazing 😱” and “omg… that’s not right 😐” is usually a well-crafted prompt 2. In conclusion, AI can be a powerful tool for social media marketing, but it’s important to use it wisely and with a human touch. AI can help marketers save time and improve efficiency, but it cannot replace human creativity and empathy 1. IF12278 (congress.gov)   Inspirational Technologies history 2018 farm bill hempsmart mcoa ceo cannabis reformation florida 2024 ballot on recreational marijuana #IntheWeedswithSteve

Be patient Florida, this too, shall pass!

Florida has specific laws regarding marijuana, and it’s essential to understand them. Here are the key points:

  1. Medical Use:

    • Medical use of marijuana is legal in Florida.
    • Qualifying patients (21 years and older) with specific medical conditions can purchase or use medical marijuana as recommended by licensed physicians.
    • Some qualifying conditions include ALS, cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, and chronic pain related to specific medical conditions.
    • Minors can designate adult caregivers to assist in obtaining medical marijuana.

  2. Recreational Use:

    • Recreational cannabis remains illegal in Florida.
    • Possession of any amount of weed is against the law.
    • Possession of more than 20 grams (25 lbs) of cannabis is considered a felony.

  3. Growing Marijuana:

    • Individuals and businesses are prohibited from growing marijuana.
    • However, state-licensed cultivators are allowed to grow it.

  4. Penalties:

    • Florida imposes fines and jail time for simple possession of marijuana.
    • Possession of any quantity of marijuana is illegal.

  5. Medical Marijuana Cards:

    • Patients must possess active medical marijuana cards to legally use medical marijuana.
    • Over 750,000 Floridians currently hold active medical marijuana cards.
    • More than 2,500 certified doctors assist in determining appropriate medical marijuana treatments.

  6. Dispensaries:

    • There are over 450 open marijuana dispensary locations in Florida as of October 2022.

  7. Legalization Efforts:

Remember that while medical use is permitted, recreational marijuana remains illegal in Florida, and the state prescribes stiff penalties for those caught in possession of the drug2345.

 

Steven M Smith InspirationalTech.org CEO since 2013.

Thank you for consideration.
Inspirational Technologies
InspirationalTech.org for your Health Wellness Beauty and Inspirational Goals

For More Information on Cannabis and CBD and YOU.

 

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Continue reading What’s Going On With Marijuana? NEW Rescheduling of DEA assessment to Schedule III Eminent.
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Burn One ☝️ For Bernie.

The Senator and Democratic Contender said, “On my first day in office, through executive order, we will legalize marijuana in every state in this country.”

Senator Sanders Endorses Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana legalization hasn’t proved much of a differentiator among the Democratic presidential candidates vying in today’s Iowa caucuses. With a couple of exceptions, the leading contenders would all roll back the federal prohibitions that keep multistate operators like Curaleaf Holdings (ticker: CURA.Canada), Green Thumb Industries (GTII.Canada) and Trulieve Cannabis (TRUL.Canada) from U.S. stock listings—even though they sell pot only where it is legal under state law.

On Saturday, Sen. Bernie Sanders sought to stand out. At a Cedar Rapids rally, he vowed: “On my first day in office, through executive order, we will legalize marijuana in every state in this country.”

Good as that may sound for U.S. pot producers, he reserved a jab for these growing businesses. After promising to expunge the criminal records of those arrested for pot possession, Sanders promised to give industry control to minority communities that disproportionately suffered arrests and incarceration in the war on drugs.

“We will make certain that the legalized marijuana industry is not controlled by a handful of corporations,” said Sanders.

Marijuana’s criminal status under the federal Controlled Substances Act can only be changed by Congress, of course, but members of a Sanders cabinet would get the process rolling. The U.S. also has commitments under international treaties to treat cannabis commerce as illegal.

It is state law that spawned American cannabis companies, No president can directly force faster changes on the states that have yet to legalize medical or recreational sales of the stuff.

Despite these limitations, a federal pot overhaul would greatly ease the lives of multistate operators. Federal financial prohibitions have kept the federally-regulated banking and securities industries from doing business with firms like Curaleaf, Acreage Holdings (ACRG-Y.Canada) or Harvest Health & Recreation (HARV.Canada). That forced the U.S. outfits to Canada for their stock offerings.

Sanders’ latest pledge may not prove much of a distinction from his rivals in Iowa. Every leading Democrat promises to legalize weed, except Biden—who says he would decriminalize it—and Bloomberg—who would let states decide.

Some Democrats wouldn’t stop their changes to drug regulation with marijuana. Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer would decriminalize opioids. Yang would legalize psilocybin mushrooms for veterans. Pete Buttigieg would decriminalize possession of all drugs.

Write to Bill Alpert at william.alpert@barrons.com

Shared Unedited : Inspirational Technologies Background Noise Studios (2020) All Rights Reserved

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Setting The Florida Stage for Legal Recreational Marijuana

“Immaculate Conception” How does your Marijuana Grow?

Even though a state legalizes the plant, cannabis is still illegal at the federal level, which means it is illegal to get cannabis of any kind, including seeds and clones, outside of that state’s border. So on day one of legalization, where do all the plants come from that will produce the weed you buy in the store? Out of thin air? Well, sort of.

Behold: immaculate conception.
To allow cannabis producers to bring genetics—seeds and clones—into a newly created market, a state will basically look the other way for a period of time and not bust growers for bringing seeds into the state illegally. It’s as if your genetics came from thin air, hence the term “immaculate conception.”
So growers starting a new business can buy seeds from all over the country and world, bringing a diverse pool of cannabis genetics into a state. Want some White Widow straight from The Netherlands? How about some Granddaddy Purple from Northern California?
As long as you can get it and tag it in your tracking system before the end of the immaculate conception period—usually 90 days after a producer gets a recreational license—your state will look the other way.
Related
Cannabis Seeds 101: All You Need to Know and More
The loophole explained
So why do states do this? Basically, those plants have to come from somewhere.
“Any product obtained within a newly legal state couldn’t be obtained legally, because the only source of products in a state would have to come from the illicit market,” said Kris Krane, President of cannabis company 4Front Ventures. “Because of this, states have no choice but to look the other way as to where the companies obtain their first batch of seeds or cuttings, even though from that point forward everything is tracked from seed to sale.”
And without legal genetics already in your state, that means growers need to break the law to get that first batch of genetics into their state.
Another route: Some growers start off in the medical market and simply switch to producing for the recreational market when that opens up and they get a license for it. Growers can use the plants they grew for medical, but the funny thing is, even those genetics were originally obtained illegally.
Related
A guide to buying cannabis seeds
The gray area of cannabis legalization
So what do the feds think?
“To my knowledge, there is no communication between the states and the federal government about how they allow businesses to bring in initial seeds and cuttings. All of these businesses are illegal under federal law so states typically do not share any information about their programs in general with the federal government,” said Krane.
Immaculate conception is a perfect example of the dance states do to get around the feds and the gray area of the plant’s legality (banking is another example). Cannabis can be legal in multiple states, but crossing a state line with cannabis is still a federal offense. Taking that Oregon-grown weed into California can get you locked up even though it’s legal for anyone over 21 to buy cannabis in both Oregon and California.
Until federal legalization comes around, states and growers will have to create loopholes like immaculate conception. In the meantime, mum’s the word when it comes where your genetics came from.At present, it’s illegal to possess and use cannabis in Florida. If caught with 20 grams or under, the offender may be given a prison sentence of up to a year, and/or a $1,000 fine. If the amount of cannabis is over 20 grams, the offence becomes a felony, rather than a misdemeanour, and the prison sentence rises to as long as five years (with a possible fine of $5,000).
However, attempts are being made to make recreational cannabis use legal, as it is in some other US states. In 2019, state representatives Carlos Guillermo Smith and Michael Grieco filed a bill, seeking to legalise the drug. This wasn’t given a hearing or a vote. Their bill proposed to permit adults over the age of 21 to “use, possess, and transport” up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, and grow up to six plantOne significant obstacle stands in the way of recreational cannabis being legalised, and that’s the restriction of citizen drives. Pushed by Republican representatives, the bill limits the impact citizen petitions can have on constitutional amendments. Given that four of the amendments involve changing current cannabis law, this is likely to be a major issue in the future.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed this controversial bill in June 2019, and it came into immediate effect. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel referred to the move as an “arrogant abuse of political power.”
Can you sell cannabis in Florida?
Selling cannabis is also illegal in Florida. If the offender is caught trying to sell 20 grams or less, then the maximum prison sentence is one year, with a $1,000 fine. Selling 25 lb or less is a felony, and can result in up to five years in prison, plus a $5,000 fine. Anything over 25 lb but under 2,000 lb is punished with a three to 15-year prison sentence and a fine of $25,000.
If the laws change after the 2020 general election, then selling cannabis may become legal. Regulate Florida are petitioning to not only get recreational cannabis legalised, but also to create a regulated industry, enabling the plant to be sold to the general public.
Can you grow cannabis in Florida?
It’s illegal to grow cannabis in Florida. If caught cultivating less than 25 plants, the maximum prison sentence is five years (with a $5,000 fine). For 25 to 300 plants, the sentence is increased to a maximum of 15 years and a fine of $10,000; and if the amount of plants is between 300 and 2,000, this changes again, to three to 15 years in prison, plus a $25,000 fine.
If the offender is caught growing 2,000 to 10,000 plants, then the prison sentence is seven to 30 years, with a $50,000 fine. Any cultivation that takes place within 1,000 feet of an educational establishment, park or other specified area can result in a 15-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine.
The law may change in the future, permitting people in Florida to grow a limited number of plants for personal use only, in their homes. However, at the time of writing, the situation hangs in the balance.
Is CBD legal in Florida?
Since Congress removed hemp from their list of illegal drugs, CBD has been technically legal to use, sell, and buy in Florida. It must come from a licenced grower, and it isn’t allowed to contain more than trace levels of THC (the substance responsible for providing a ‘high’).
In real terms, the law is far more complex. The Florida Department of Agriculture’s official stance is that it’s not legal to sell hemp or CBD, but Nikki Fried, the Agriculture Commissioner, is currently attempting to push through legislation to bring state law in line with federal law.
In the interim period while the situation is ambiguous, the authorities have been largely turning a blind eye to consumers purchasing and using CBD. The few crack-downs that have occurred have been involving CBD retailers, not buyers.
Can cannabis seeds be sent to Florida?
Cannabis seeds are legal in Florida, and may be freely purchased and sold. When it comes to mailing them into the state from another state, the law is a little more ambiguous, and there have been some reports of seeds being withheld at customs.
Medicinal cannabis in Florida
Although medicinal cannabis is still illegal at federal level, it was legalised in Florida in 2016. It was originally approved by Florida’s Senate in 2014, with a 36 to three vote; and it was put in place to ensure that children with epilepsy had access to medicinal cannabis to treat their condition.
The Senate’s decision was based on the case of a young girl called Charlotte, who was using CBD oil to treat her epilepsy. The bill was nicknamed the ‘Charlotte’s Web bill’ in honour of this girl, and after the high CBD cannabis strain that was named after her too (‘Charlotte’s Web).
Obtaining medicinal cannabis in Florida
In order to have access to medicinal cannabis, patients must:
have a Medical Marijuana Use Registry ID card, which permits them to buy and possess medicinal cannabis.
have a qualifying condition.
be a permanent or seasonal resident of the state.
agree to keep the medicinal cannabis in Florida – it can’t legally be taken across the border.
agree to use it privately – public use is forbidden.
store it out of reach of children, ideally in a locked box.
How to qualify for an ID card
In order to qualify for medicinal cannabis, the patient must first be diagnosed by a qualified physician. If the patient is under 18, a second physician needs to agree with the original diagnosis.
Once approved, the patient is then entered into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (and their caregiver, if applicable). They can then apply for an ID card, and obtain cannabis products at any approved Medical Marijuana Treatment Centre. Alternatively, they can have the products delivered to their home.
Qualifying conditions
The following health conditions have been approved for medicinal cannabis treatment in Florida:
Cancer
Epilepsy
HIV/AIDS
Glaucoma
Multiple Sclerosis
Crohn’s Disease
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Any conditions that are comparable to those listed above
Any terminal conditions
Chronic non-malignant pain
Industrial hemp in Florida,
Industrial hemp was legalised at federal level in 2018, under the Farm Bill. In 2019, Florida’s Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill, establishing a framework for the regulation of hemp cultivation in the state.
If approved, the bill directs Florida’s Department of Agriculture to start drafting the rules for the state’s hemp industry, with regards to safety standards, licencing, and quality control. An advisory council will also be created, providing education to local communities, and explaining how hemp differs from cannabis.

The January 15th, meeting of the Federal Marijuana Policy Board, held by Representative Anna Eshoo D-California (@RepAnnaEshoo) as Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee of Health Chair. reference:  HR 3884

Inspirational Technologies – Background Noise Studios News (2020) All Rights Reserved

Steven M Smith CEO / Founder 2014   InspirationalTech.org    ABOUT.HEMPSMART.COM

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Make it Legal Florida “Adult Use of Marijuana” 2020 Ballot Possibilities Put That In Your Pipe and Smoke it!

A new effort to legalize recreational pot in Florida is underway. This time, it’s being backed by the medical marijuana industry.

Recreational could become Reality!

Continue reading Make it Legal Florida “Adult Use of Marijuana” 2020 Ballot Possibilities Put That In Your Pipe and Smoke it!