[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, we see the drama in Nebraska continues. Wisconsin lawmakers introduced a bill to legalize cannabis. Federal rescheduling is still on hold. And finally, will pigeons deliver cannabis in New York?
NEBRASKA
Nebraska voters only recently approved the use of medical marijuana in the state, and the process of issuing licenses has been rocky. This week, the first licenses were finally issued, albeit after the October 1 deadline to do so. As is so often the case, lawsuits loom large, so it’s a safe bet we’ll be reporting on this again.
WISCONSIN
Could Wisconsin join Nebraska in legalizing medical cannabis? Three Republican lawmakers introduced a bill last week that would do just that. Wisconsin is one of only a few states where no form of marijuana is legal, and it’s bordered by three states with adult-use retail markets. The fact that the bill’s sponsors are all Republicans may smooth the way for the legislation, but only time will tell.
FEDERAL RESCHEDULING
Back in August, we noted that there was a flutter of excitement over a comment from the administration that a decision about federal rescheduling would be made “over the next few weeks.” Spoiler alert: that hasn’t happened. And now, the federal government has shut down, which doesn’t mean the DEA couldn’t make an announcement, but does mean it’s not top of mind. So once again, no news is, well, no news.
AND FINALLY
When we saw an article about The Travel Agency (a New York City dispensary) using pigeons to deliver cannabis, we knew we had this week’s “And Finally” piece. Just look at the photo of the bird with a little orange backpack! But alas, it was all just a marketing stunt by the dispensary. A world in which the ‘Cannabis Carrier Pigeon Program’ is a reality still awaits us.
Be well everyone – we’ll see you next week.
