House Rules Committee considers key marijuana amendments, progress for Maryland MMJ program, Lone Star landmark, cannabis botanical art & more

Sept. 6: House Rules Committee considers key marijuana amendments, progress for Maryland MMJ program, Lone Star landmark, cannabis botanical art & more 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.]( Getty Images photos L-R: Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of California and Earl Blumenauer of Oregon have co-sponsored a budget amendment to protect state medical marijuana programs. [House Rules Committee hears key marijuana amendments]( A federal legislative committee could soon determine the fate of several proposals to protect existing and future state marijuana laws, businesses and research. The U.S. House Rules Committee on Wednesday continued [hearing testimony and considering amendments]( to a spending bill set to go before Congress later this month. Headlining the marijuana-related proposals is the [Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment](, which would bar the Justice Department from using funds to interfere with existing state-enacted medical marijuana regulations. + [Op-ed: Rohrabacher calls on fellow Republicans to protect medical marijuana from the feds]( Quote of the Day “To deny (members of Congress) the right to have a vote, I think, is unconscionable. Let us vote on this issue.” [—Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, testifying Wednesday before the House Rules Committee]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Chair of new Massachusetts cannabis commission allays fears about his "no" vote on legalization]( Massachusetts' top marijuana regulator, Steven Hoffman, made his first public comments since he was named chair of the Cannabis Control Commission. He pledged to do his best to meet an ambitious timetable for licensing and opening adult-use marijuana stores in the state. Hoffman also explained why he voted against the [November ballot initiative]( on adult-use marijuana, and talked about a trip to Colorado where he purchased and smoked a joint. [Plants in ground for Maryland, but when and where can patients access medical marijuana?]( At long last, Maryland’s first legal marijuana crop is growing. With 19 companies cleared to grow, process and sell the plant, the seeds of the medical marijuana program have literally been planted, four years after the state legalized cannabis for medical use. + [Essential info on how to get medical marijuana in Maryland]( Numerology $7.38 per gram That's the [current retail price of cannabis in Washington state,]( representing a 67 percent decrease in just three years of the legalization. [Get more analysis.]( Regional Headlines [Lone Star landmark: Texas issues first medical cannabis license]( Texas has issued its first medical marijuana license, and two more companies are expected to be awarded licenses soon. Licenses are being issued under the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which [Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in 2015](. [Delaware cannabis task force eyeing host of legalization issues]( A task force formed to study how legalization of recreational marijuana use in Delaware would be implemented if lawmakers approve it is facing a host of vexing issues, ranging from taxation and banking to health care and law enforcement concerns. [Colorado uses $9.2 million in weed taxes for teen use prevention, health care programs]( Marijuana tax revenue is being used to hire state-certified school nurses, social workers and counselors this year to try to keep marijuana out of the hands of youths. The Colorado Department of Education parceled out a $9.2 million grant among 42 school districts and charter schools. The grant money effectively eases the shortage of school nurses to treat all students in many schools. [Group determines Washington state youth cannabis use hasn’t increased]( Analysis by the Washington state Legislature's think tank, the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, has found that youth use of marijuana, and cannabis-abuse treatment did not increase after the state’s legalization of marijuana for adults. [Now weed can officially be stamped “Made in Alaska”]( The state-sponsored “Made in Alaska” program that allows a business to use a featured logo if its products are made in the state is accepting applications from marijuana businesses, The Juneau Empire reported. Marijuana businesses are still barred from using the official “Alaska Grown” label put on state agricultural products. [Here’s a twist: German teen turns in mother for growing weed]( German authorities say a teenager had to be taken into protective custody after his mother became infuriated with him for turning her in to police for growing marijuana plants at home. More Regional Headlines + [Second-biggest city in Nevada lifts weed ban; sales could start in weeks]( + [Colorado town approves marijuana sales, inspired by neighbor’s tax revenue]( + [Browns lineman McGill charged with weed possession]( + [In one record-breaking month, Alaska sold more weed than 3 month average]( + [Chair of Alaska marijuana board under fire for potential conflict of interest]( Following Up [Op-ed: Cracking down on driving high isn’t about prohibition, but adapting public policy]( Denver Post editorial: Don’t drive high. It’s not a hard message. It’s the same message we send with alcohol. And yet, clearly drivers in Colorado are continuing not to heed that advice. We see it in [data gathered by The Denver Post’s David Migoya]( that shows marijuana-related traffic fatalities are on a sharp rise. Science is evolving and hopefully roadside saliva tests will become a tool for determining when someone is impaired by marijuana. But while we wait for science, lawmakers should consider revisiting laws, perhaps making offenses that involve both marijuana and alcohol impairment more severe. + [Readers respond to Denver Post series on driving high]( #AllThingsWeed [Botanical beauty of cannabis on display in rare exhibit]( By studying and sketching what nature is brewing, botanical artists have been helping scientists identify various plant species over centuries — for medicinal purposes, to study and maintain healthy ecosystems and to document rare and extinct species for publications. This blend of art and science will come together in a rare exhibit opening soon at the University of Colorado’s Museum of Natural History. “There’s a lot of teaching and learning that can happen from the starting point of a scientific illustration,” said Balog. “This is designed for the lens of science in mind, but it can still be absolutely beautiful,” says Suzanne Balog, the museum’s event and communications specialist. --------------------------------------------------------------- You are receiving this newsletter because you signed up at The Denver Post. Please add "members@mail.denverpost.com" and "members@direct.denverpost.com" to your trusted senders list. To unsubscribe from this mailing, [click here.]( To change your e-mail preferences, [click here](. To view this newsletter on the web [click here.]( The Denver Post 101 West Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80202