Lobbying for weed laws, one month since Trump admin's bombshell, Colorado lawmakers want action on MMJ backlog, synthetic THC pharma news, Jimi Hendrix lawsuit & more

March 24: Lobbying for weed laws, one month since Trump admin's bombshell, Colorado lawmakers want action on MMJ backlog, synthetic THC pharma news, Jimi Hendrix lawsuit & more The Cannabist]( [thecannabist.co]( | [@cannabist]( | [fb/cannabist]( If someone forwarded this to you and you'd like to sign up yourself, just go here: [(. To view this on the web or share a link, [click here.]( [Powerhouse cannabis firms form lobby group to protect state-based weed laws]( Some big-name firms in cannabis have formed a national advocacy and lobbying organization with an aim of turning big bucks into big changes for marijuana on Capitol Hill. Denver-based dispensary powerhouse LivWell Enlightened Health and lawn-and-garden giant Scotts Miracle-Gro are among the founding board members of New Federalism Fund, a non-partisan 501(c)4 organization backing state-based regulatory systems for marijuana and policies to change federal tax and banking laws to better those systems. --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed our special newsletter yesterday [Federal marijuana playbook: Trump administration’s tough talk and what we know so far]( It’s been one month since we heard the first public words from the Trump administration regarding marijuana. While we have yet to hear from President Donald Trump himself on this issue or the exact plans of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, there has been a lot to take in. Here’s a review of the biggest statements, the clearest responses and a handy guide to The Cannabist’s analyses and explainers. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Colorado lawmakers urge governor to step in on medical marijuana registry backlog]( Three Colorado legislators are calling on Gov. John Hickenlooper to intervene in the state’s medical marijuana registry backlog, an issue that one lawmaker says is a matter of “life and death.” In the letter sent to the governor Friday, Democratic representatives Jovan Melton, Adrienne Benavidez and Steve Lebsock said “there is no excuse” for a six- to eight-week backlog for mailed applications for medical cannabis cards. [Synthetic THC drug Syndros poised for Schedule II classification]( A synthetic THC drug just cleared a federal regulatory hurdle to commercialization. Insys Therapeutics, a Chandler, Ariz.-based pharmaceutical firm, said Thursday its U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved liquid dronabinol drug Syndros could launch later this year after the synthetic THC oral solution received an initial go-ahead for Schedule II classification under the Controlled Substances Act, which would allow doctors to prescribe it. Quote of the Day “It’s just so politically unpopular it would be silly.” [-Troy Dayton, CEO of Arcview Market Research, on the likelihood of a Trump administration crackdown on marijuana](. Dayton's firm predicts America’s cannabis industry will continue growing at double-digit rates over the next four years. Lifestyle [Jimi Hendrix's heirs wage court battle over branded cannabis products]( A years-long battle for control over Jimi Hendrix's estate has spilled into the rapidly-growing cannabis market, with relatives of the guitar legend on both sides of a lawsuit over branded products bearing Hendrix's name and likeness, including edibles and marijuana cigarettes. Regional Politics [Tennessee House passes bill to revoke cities' marijuana decriminalization efforts]( The House has voted on a bill that would block any efforts by Tennessee cities to decriminalize the use of marijuana. The bill would nullify laws that Memphis and Nashville have passed that have reduced the penalty for weed in some cases. The bill passed over the objections of lawmakers in Memphis and Nashville who thought the state should stop interfering with their cities. [Colorado Senate committee lowers marijuana plant limit to 12, or 24 with registration]( A Colorado plan to crack down on homegrown pot is rapidly heading to the governor's desk after lawmakers changed the bill to give pot patients more leeway. A Senate committee voted 5-0 to set a statewide limit of 12 plants per residential property. The bill was changed to allow medical marijuana patients and their caregivers up to 24 plants, if they register with the state and with local authorities. Currently, registration is required only if patients have more than 99 plants. [Could Vermont see recreational marijuana legalization this year after all?]( A Vermont measure that would legalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use has passed a House committee. The House Judiciary Committee voted 8-3 to approve the bill, advancing it to the House floor for a vote. [Florida Senate starts work to set regs for medical marijuana in Amendment 2 era]( The chair of the Florida Senate's Health Policy Committee says they're at least two weeks away from voting on a medical marijuana bill. The committee is considering five bills to implement Amendment 2. Sen. Dana Young, a Tampa Republican, says there isn't a consensus on a framework for what might come out of the committee. [Minnesota lawmakers want to pull license of biz whose former execs allegedly shipped MMJ out of state]( Minnesota legislators are seeking to crack down on one of the state's medical marijuana companies whose [former executives have been charged with illegally shipping $500,000 of marijuana oils to New York,]( pushing legislation allowing regulators to revoke the manufacturer's license and levy a huge fine. The parent company, Vireo Health, is licensed to sell medical marijuana in both states, but it's a federal and state crime to ship controlled substances across state lines. [Who will be allowed to smoke medical marijuana in Arkansas, and where?]( Arkansas lawmakers have given final legislative approval and sent to the governor a bill limiting where medical marijuana patients can smoke the drug. The state Senate voted 31-1 for the bill, which prohibits smoking medical marijuana anywhere tobacco smoke is banned, among other conditions. [Efforts to ban smoking medical pot outright have failed]( in the Legislature. Numerology $1 million That's the [value of the bond set for a man accused of leading a ring suspected of illegally growing marijuana in Colorado and selling it out-of-state](. His lawyer called the bust politically motivated. Regional News [Second person pleads guilty in connection with 2015 Colorado marijuana-smuggling deaths]( A second person pleaded guilty this week in connection with a 2015 double killing that Weld County prosecutors say was tied to an ill-fated marijuana-smuggling operation. Samantha Simmons, 27, pleaded guilty to being an accessory to a crime in a plea deal in which she will cooperate with prosecutors and testify. Simmons was one of five people arrested in connection with the deaths of Joshua Foster and Zachary Moore, both from Oklahoma, whose bodies were discovered Oct. 18, 2015, in the cab of a pickup engulfed in flame. #AllThingsWeed [Cannabist Show: She’s a watchdog for cannabis consumers; His heart’s in hemp]( Roll into your weekend with the latest episode of The Cannabist Show. This week, host Jake Browne has a lively discussion with Cannabis Consumers Coalition executive director Larisa Bolivar, and Preston Whitfield, program director of the NoCo Hemp Expo. They're talking about what’s being done to protect cannabis consumers; sentencing, incarcerations and pardons for marijuana from state to state; an update on the DEA regarding CBD and hemp; and the possibilities for hemp beyond textiles, construction materials and CBD. 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