National Cannabis Festival’s 4/20 programming will bring together Schumer, Mace, more.
The lineup for the National Cannabis Policy Summit’s Congressional Forum on Cannabis Policy Reform on April 20, which will take place at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, currently includes: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator John Hickenlooper, and Reps. Earl Blumenauer, David Joyce, Barbara Lee, Nancy Mace, and Brian Mast.
The Summit is hosted by the group behind the National Cannabis Festival.
The topics of discussion are timely: they’re expected to talk about the Controlled Substances Act, at a time when a cannabis scheduling review is underway, as well as “how to protect public safety.”
The SAFE Banking Act was, as Cannabis Wire reported, recently pitched to a room of bankers at the American Bankers Association summit through the lens of public safety, so it will be interesting to see if the banking bill is discussed during the forum within that context.
NACS webinar will focus on cannabis.
A webinar on April 20, announced by the National Association of Convenience Stores, will cover “how employers, as well as employees, can navigate cannabis in the workplace.”
The announcement drew attention to the patchwork of state laws for medical and adult use cannabis, and the gray areas that these laws can produce for employers.
“Employers in states that have legalized cannabis have questions such as Can we require pre-employment testing for cannabis?, Which workers are more likely to use cannabis? and Should we test workers for cannabis after a workplace accident or incident? The webinar will discuss cannabis use, testing and workplace policy trends,” the announcement read.
NACS’ original announcement said that the event is hosted by the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR), of which NACS is a member. CPEAR’s coalition also includes Altria, Constellation Brands, and Molson Coors Beverage Company. However, CPEAR told Cannabis Wire that they are not hosting the event, only participating in it.
New Hampshire House sends adult use bill to Senate.
On Thursday, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 272-109 to send HB 639 to the Senate.
The bipartisan push began in December, as Cannabis Wire reported at the time. Reps. Jason Osborne and Matt Wilhelm, a Republican and a Democrat, respectively, announced their push with backing from groups like Americans for Prosperity – New Hampshire, The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, and the Marijuana Policy Project.
As amended so far, the bill, which would both legalize cannabis and regulate sales, no longer allows for home cultivation.
While adult use has more momentum than ever as supporters aim to get the bill to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk, he has remained opposed to adult use for years, as Cannabis Wire has reported, so it is unclear whether he will sign it.
