Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, the big news is coming out of Virginia, where there will not be a retail cannabis market. Meanwhile, the Transportation Security Administration will now allow medical marijuana on airplanes – maybe. The House Appropriations Committee has removed funding to reschedule cannabis. And finally, the Grand Ole Opry now has an official THC beverage.
Link to VIRGINIA VIRGINIA
Meet the new boss; same as the old boss. That’s the tune supporters of a cannabis retail market in Virginia are singing this week, as Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) vetoed a bill that would have allowed legal sales of adult-use marijuana.
“We were all hoping that under a Democratic governor, it would not be a question of whether we would have a retail marketplace, but when we would have a retail marketplace. And today’s veto is evident that those expectations were false hope.”
– Democratic Petersburg Senator Lashrecse Aird, sponsor of the vetoed bill
Link to TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
The rule has always been that cannabis is strictly forbidden in airports and on airplanes, even if those airports and airplanes are located in a state where cannabis is legal. Now, with medical cannabis moved to Schedule III, things may be different. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued new instructions concerning medical marijuana. They are perhaps not a model of clarity as regards whether you’ll definitely be able to bring your cannabis onboard, so you might want to just purchase what you need at your destination.
Link to HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Speaking of rescheduling, the House Appropriations Committee is not on board with it. They recently passed a funding bill that would prevent any federal funds from being used to reschedule cannabis. Since the Department of Justice has just done exactly that, the situation is a bit…awkward. Keep in mind that a similar provision has appeared in previous bills and never made it into law.
Link to AND FINALLY AND FINALLY
In a sign that times are truly changing for cannabis, the Grand Ole Opry has announced that Senorita THC Margaritas are now the venue’s official THC beverage.
Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week.