Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what's happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we consider changing the name of this column to "The Broken Record Report," as we provide updates on, you guessed it, DEA re-scheduling and the Nebraska ballot initiative. We'll throw in some news on SAFER Banking and Mitch McConnell – if you think you know where this is going, you're right. And finally, we note that Massachusetts is considering an expansion to the number of places where cannabis can be consumed.
RE-SCHEDULING
What would a major cannabis story be without lawsuits? Hard to think of a bigger story than federal re-scheduling, so bring on the litigation! Some folks are suing because they've been left off the witness list for future hearings. They're also asking for a postponement of future hearings until this matter is resolved. Others are suing because they have questions about whether the Attorney General ceded his authority over re-scheduling to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). They may also seek a stay of future hearings. Add to the mix the fact that there will be a new Attorney General and a new DEA head come January, and we have quite the unsettled situation.
NEBRASKA
Last week, we advised readers to expect an appeal of the trial court's decision in the Nebraska ballot initiative litigation. Right on schedule, we have that appeal. The decision over whether to allow the initiatives to take effect now rests with the Nebraska Court of Appeals. Meanwhile, the deadline for the governor to announce that the initiatives are law is fast approaching. You know you haven't heard the last of this.
SAFER BANKING
Stop us if you've heard this before: there's lots of press about a cannabis banking bill, and everyone gets optimistic that it will make it through Congress, usually attached to some must-pass legislation, like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). And then, it doesn't happen, and supporters look to the next must-pass bill and say it will happen then. Bloggers then use the Peanuts analogy to compare the situation to Lucy convincing Charlie Brown to kick a football, only to pull said football away at the last moment, yet again. Often, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) plays the role of Lucy. Well, that happened again.
AND FINALLY
Everyone has their favorite movie theater treat: tub of buttered popcorn, giant bag of Twizzlers, enormous soda – well, in Massachusetts, you may be able to add cannabis to that list. The state's Cannabis Control Commission has draft rules that would allow existing dispensaries to run a consumption space, allow consumption spaces in non-dispensary locations, like theaters, yoga studios, comedy clubs, etc., and allow for consumption events.
Be well everyone – we'll be back next week.
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