[author: Susan Ryan]
Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what’s happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, Ohio implemented a ban on hemp sales. The candidates for governor in Virginia have different takes on cannabis. Spain takes steps to legalize medical marijuana. And finally, there’s a scandal over jailhouse weed.
OHIO
Intoxicating hemp has been on lawmakers’ minds lately. Some want to regulate it; some want to ban it. “Think of the children!” “Think of the jobs!” An entire industry hangs in the balance. As with all things cannabis, different states have gone in different directions. The latest jurisdiction to wade into this morass is Ohio. Governor Mike DeWine (R) recently issued an executive order banning intoxicating hemp sales in the state. No surprise, a group of hemp store operators filed suit, and the judge in the case issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on the ban. So, at least until October 28, intoxicating hemp is for sale in the Buckeye State. Stay tuned!
VIRGINIA
Virginia is one of the few states in the country to have “off year” elections for statewide office. That means there’s a race on now for governor. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin (R) cannot run for re-election, so there will be a new face in the governor’s mansion, no matter who wins. The two candidates have very different views on cannabis: former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) had this to say in an interview last month:
As Virginia takes steps toward creating a legalized retail market for cannabis, [it needs a] clear strategy to set up a market that is safe for consumers, transparent for businesses, and fair to entrepreneurs.
In a recent debate, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) expressed a different concern:
But, you know, I had a business—and when I had my business and my employees came up positive for marijuana, they couldn’t work for me. They couldn’t drive my trucks. They couldn’t go in and repair anything. We were working on gas. We’re working on electric. We can’t afford to have people who are working and they don’t know what they’re doing. They’ll blow everything up.
Election Day in Virginia is Tuesday, November 4.
SPAIN
A royal decree allowing physicians to prescribe medical marijuana to treat certain conditions was approved by Spain’s cabinet earlier this month. Access will be through the country’s hospital pharmacy services, and a government agency will be charged with making sure that the cannabis meets certain quality standards. Spain’s Congress still needs to vote on the measure before it takes effect.
AND FINALLY
There are still some places in the US where using weed can land you in jail. In all places in the US, you shouldn’t use weed while actually in a jail. San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto’s brother-in-law, Juel Perez De Leon, is now learning this lesson. Apparently, he was not only smoking weed in jail (while working as a plumber), he was growing it in a locker.
Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week.
