In today’s HK Cannabis Law Newsletter, we present information regarding Biden’s pick for new Drug Enforcement Agency chief, Amazon’s recent shift in drug testing policy and support for the Marijuana Opportunity and Reinvestment and Expungement Act (“MORE Act”), building pressure on Congress to hold a vote on the MORE Act, legalization issues in D.C., California’s continued crack-down on the black market, a recent reform victory in Texas … and more!
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) raised eyebrows among his legalization allies when he failed to press President Biden’s pick for head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, Anne Milgram, on cannabis legalization, despite her prior public comments that she does not support full decriminalization;
Amazon recently announced it will stop testing most of its job applicants for cannabis, marking a major reversal in policy, and a great boon for national legalization efforts;
Amazon strengthened its new pro-legalization position by publicly endorsing the MORE Act, a bill aimed at fully legalizing cannabis and expunging certain cannabis offenses;
Industry experts believe other companies will follow Amazon’s example, thereby fueling much needed changes to federal law;
A number of civil rights groups increased pressure on the House of Representatives to hold a vote on the MORE Act, stressing the importance the legislation would have for minorities and other victims of the war on drugs;
Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) expressed disappointment with President Biden’s new budget proposal that maintains a GOP restriction on DC legalizing cannabis, and believes it is contradictory to his support of DC achieving statehood;
Working with federal authorities, California continues to crack down on illegal cannabis operations, seizing nearly $50M worth of product earmarked for the black market during a recent raid in Southern California; and
Cannabis reform can claim a victory in Texas as a bill expanding medical cannabis, by adding more qualifying disorders and medical conditions, and increasing the current cap on the maximum strength of THC products, is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk.