House lawmakers reintroduce bill to tackle environmental impact of illegal grows.
Congress members Doug LaMalfa and Scott Peters, both of California, have reintroduced the Targeting and Offsetting Existing Illegal Contaminants (TOXIC) Act.
This bill would, among other provisions, provide $250 million to the Forest Service to repair federal land damaged by illegal grows, and it would increase criminal penalties for using banned pesticides in illegal grows.
“Our wildlife, habitat, and public health pay the price for the actions of illegal cannabis growers who often work with the cartels,” said Rep. Peters. “These extremely dangerous and illegal pesticides can harm endangered species like pacific fishers and spotted owls, as well as Forest Service agents and consumers who can be severely sickened by these toxins.”
Maryland: House passes adult use regulation bill.
Maryland lawmakers are one step closer to launching the state’s adult use industry, as the House has passed a bill to regulate sales.
Last year, lawmakers referred the question of legalization to the ballot, and, in November, as Cannabis Wire reported at the time, voters said “yes.”
This year, lawmakers have been working diligently to advance HB 556/SB 516, and at least one chamber has successfully done so.
“We’ve compiled the best legal cannabis practices from other states, learned lessons from medical cannabis and created an equitable implementation framework. The House passed one of the best models for recreational cannabis in the country. Let’s get it across the finish line,” Speaker Adrienne A. Jones tweeted on Friday.
FDA to host discussion on cannabis for healthcare professionals.
The FDA’s Division of Drug Information in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) will host a webinar on March 28 called: FDA Drug Topics: Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products – For Healthcare Practitioners.