Cannabis News Update July 8, 2021
Today in cannabis news: A psychedelics decriminalization initiative launches in a third California municipality; while proposing categorization adjustments, a U.S. federal economic committee predicts that the cannabis industry will “continue to grow;” and following the Olympic disqualification of U.S. athlete Sha’Carri Richardson, USA Track & Field says cannabis regulations should be updated.
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** First up: A proposal to decriminalize psychedelics is being pursued in a third California city, with Arcata City Council member Sarah Schaefer committing to spearhead the initiative.
The proposal, according to Decriminalize Nature Humboldt, would render enforcing statutes barring “planting, cultivating, engaging in practices with, or possessing entheogenic plants and fungi or plant compounds” to the “lowest law enforcement priority for the City of Arcata.” The organization says the proposal also seeks to reprioritize “funding away from the arrest of individuals engaging with entheogenic practices.”
“The decriminalization of entheogenic plants and fungi is an important step away from the war on drugs while expanding opportunities for research on the medicinal benefits of these plants and fungi,” said Shaefer in a press release. “Research shows that these plants have the potential to help overcome anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and so much more, something that could be enormously beneficial to any community.”
During the next month, the organization plans to talk through the reform legislation with other municipal legislators.
** Next up: A U.S. federal economic council stated in a fresh set of guidelines that the cannabis sector will “continue to grow,” and that measures must be performed to verify that it is watched more closely within a structure that allows researchers to monitor markets and disclose factual analysis.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in a proposed plan published in the Federal Register, outlined policy suggestions for the 2022 update of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which is utilized to classify industries and collect information on industries throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
A plan to shift cannabis businesses away from a miscellaneous classification and into a new one where they will be paired alongside tobacco, e-cigarette, and smoke shops is among the recommendations. There were also suggestions for categorizing cannabis, hemp, and CBD agribusiness and wholesalers into distinct NAICS classifications.
Though this isn’t the comprehensive reform that industry activists hope for, it shows that the governmental panel behind these suggestions recognizes the cannabis sector’s rising validity and wishes to make it simpler for analysts to examine it like any other industry sector.
** Last up: Sha’Carri Richardson, a renowned American track athlete, was denied a chance to compete in a critical Olympic sprint this month due to a positive cannabis test. Now, the country’s ruling board for track and field is calling for a reevaluation of global regulations on cannabis penalties for athletes. Richardson had disclosed that they had consumed cannabis in a legal region following the recent death of their mother.
The recent statement from USA Track & Field (USATF) came after Team USA refused to enter Richardson into a separate race, the 4x100m relay, which takes place after the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) 30-day probationary period.
Activists consider the action as overly harsh, and USATF appears to concur that regulations have to evolve, even if it is hesitant to adjust its own regulations to allow an exemption in this situation.
The ruling board is echoing President Joe Biden’s stance, in which they stated that “rules are rules,” while also stating that “whether they should remain the rules” is an unresolved subject. This is noteworthy for a president who has consistently opposed recreational cannabis legislation.
Though this will not alter Richardson’s situation, it’s a major announcement that reflects criticism for the disqualification from fans, activists, and legislators.
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