Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have filed a bill to provide a safe harbor to insurance companies that work with state-legal marijuana businesses.

The Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act was filed by Reps. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH) on Wednesday.

The legislation would protect insurers, brokers and agents from being penalized by federal regulators for providing insurance services to state-licensed marijuana companies.

“Because of the conflict between federal and state law, insurers are still hesitant to write policies for cannabis businesses,” Velázquez said in a press release. “That means thousands of legal small businesses are operating without a safety net. One fire or one storm could wipe out everything an owner has built, with no way to recover. The CLAIM Act fixes this by giving these entrepreneurs access to the same basic insurance protections every other legal business takes for granted.”

Davidson said that “businesses operating legally under state law should be free to purchase insurance, and insurers should be free to serve them.”

“The federal government should not use regulation to interfere with lawful commerce or override decisions made by the states,” he said. “The CLAIM Act removes that federal interference and protects the freedom of insurers and their customers to do business.”

Earlier this year, Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) filed similar legislation in the Senate.

This is the fourth Congress in a row that the cannabis business insurance measure has been introduced, and the text of the current bill, H.R.10471, remains largely the same as prior versions.

Earlier this year, bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers filed related legislation to provide safeguards for banks that work with the cannabis industry.

As it stands, cannabis firms are limited in their ability to gain property, casualty and title insurance coverage. The CLAIM Act would prohibit federal agencies from penalizing insurance providers for simply covering those businesses, and it would bar insurers from terminating or limiting policies for marijuana companies or ancillary businesses due to the nature of their enterprise.

The legislation also includes a requirement that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study and issue a report on “barriers to marketplace entry, including in the licensing process, and the access to financial services for potential and existing minority-owned and women-owned cannabis-related legitimate businesses.”

It additionally provides protections for employees of insurers, affirming that they could not be held liable just because they work with a cannabis company.

Supporters of the legislation have argued that providing insurance access to these businesses would mitigate safety risks and prevent the companies from being denied bank financing, which can occur when the businesses lack insurance coverage.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

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Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving forward with the process of rescheduling marijuana under federal law.

Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III.

Under a separate order the attorney general signed, a hearing is considering more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III.

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California’s governor has signed a bill to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) gave final approval to the legislation from Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D) on Monday, about two weeks after it passed the Assembly in a vote of 69-1 and cleared the Senate 38-0.

“When voters legalized adult-use cannabis, they also made clear that California must protect children and ensure cannabis products are sold in a tightly regulated marketplace,” the governor said in a press release. “Today we are setting clearer, enforceable standards that protect kids, strengthen accountability, and give responsible businesses the certainty they need to follow the rules.”

As enacted into law, AB 2249 defines “attractive to children” to mean designed or likely to appeal to people under the age of 21.

Indications for that youth appeal include the use of cartoons, depictions of individuals who appear to be under 21, use of mythological creatures like unicorns or dragons or references to celebrities or characters who are primarily associated with children’s entertainment.

It also includes images of consumable goods that are primarily marketed to children—such as candies, cereals, sweets and desserts—as well as the use of lettering styles resembling “overinflated bubbles or balloons” that are typical in products marketed to kids.

“Cannabis and cannabis product packaging and labeling shall not imitate, mimic, or closely resemble the packaging, labeling, trade dress, or overall appearance of a non-cannabis product that is primarily marketed to children,” the legislation says.

While the new law says that “edible cannabis product or vape cartridge labeling shall not include cartoon or overly stylized depictions of fruit,” one provision clarifies that “realistic depictions of fruit used to identify or accurately depict the product ingredients or production region are not prohibited.”

The packaging and labeling restrictions are set to take effect on January 1, 2028 now that the measure has been enacted into law.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

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Under the legislation, the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is directed to adopt regulations to “address additional packaging and labeling design elements or product characteristics that pose heightened risk to children.”

DCC will also be required to develop “compliance assessment resources” to help cannabis businesses self-evaluate whether their packaging and labeling at attractive to children.

In June, the department rolled out a new AI tool to help businesses identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids in violation of existing state rules, which already ban cartoons on cannabis labels.

Irwin, the bill’s sponsor, previously requested the California State Auditor to conduct an assessment of DCC’s enforcement of existing laws against marketing cannabis products to children.

That audit “confirmed what many have long recognized: California’s cannabis industry continues to package and market products in ways which are overtly attractive to children,” the lawmaker said.

“Since the passage of Proposition 64, child cannabis poisonings have increased dramatically. These exposures are often driven by cannabis product packaging that uses features which are explicitly attractive to children, leading children to consume the products unintentionally,” Irwin said. “Young children who accidentally consumer cannabis require poison control treatment consistently, and in many cases they can also expose their fellow elementary and middle school peers to cannabis.”

The California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), for its part, opposed the bill.

“AB 2249 would impose significant costs on the licensed businesses that already keep cannabis away from children, undermine the state’s efforts to bring consumers into the regulated market, and does not address safe at-home storage practices,” the trade association said.

The measure was amended by the Senate after initially clearing the Assembly, including by delaying its effective date, narrowing the definition of “attractive to children” and removing some requirements for regulators.

Meanwhile, lawmakers this session have also advanced legislation to allow marijuana retailers to offer drive-thru windows to serve customers.

California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses.

The vice chair of the state Senate Budget Committee has floated the idea of putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “reverse” Proposition 64, for example, arguing that voters were misled and voicing concerns about the health impacts of marijuana use.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.”

DCC recently released data showing how 97 percent of state cannabis enforcement actions in unincorporated cities have happened in counties that have locally banned licensed growers from operating.

California regulators also recently adopted emergency rules changes for the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis.

Newsom recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis.

Last October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.”

Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics.

Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently engage in marijuana commerce with licensed cannabis businesses without first obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

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California should ease up on taxes for marijuana businesses like the one they own together, Woody Harrelson and Bill Maher say.

The actor and comedian jointly complained about the state’s harsh cannabis taxes in a podcast interview released on Monday, known as the unofficial marijuana holiday 4/20.

“California sucks as far as—look, all businesses, but certainly this one,” Maher said on the episode of his Club Random podcast. “They still treat it like it’s poison.”

Harrelson agreed, saying, “They treat it like you’re lucky that we allow you to do this, and so we’re going to tax you 35 percent, which is way more—it’s more than double anything.”

“I don’t even know what’s the second” in terms of highly taxed items, the actor said, citing guns and beer as facing lower rates than cannabis.

“It’s ridiculous that they can just tax the fuck out of you and make it so hard,” he said. “Anyway, I don’t want to bitch and moan. I’m a happy person, generally.”

But Maher said, “I’m not happy about this.”

“I’m never happy when anybody fucks with my money,” he said. “I’m gangster like that.”

Harrelson and Maher own The Woods, a dispensary and cannabis consumption lounge in West Hollywood, where the two smoked joints while filming the new podcast episode.

In California, cannabis faces a 15 percent state excise at the point of purchase, as well as local excise taxes that vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. There are also regular state and local sales taxes that apply, plus taxes at other points of the supply chain such as at the cultivation level. Marijuana businesses can additionally face steep licensing fees in order to do business.

Harrelson further complained during the interview with Maher that “they also don’t allow you to write anything off,” an apparent reference to the federal provision known as 280E that blocks marijuana companies from taking tax deductions that are available to businesses in other sectors.

California lawmakers, however, like those in a number of other legal cannabis jurisdictions, have taken steps to decouple the state tax code from the federal policy, allowing operators to write off business expenses on their state taxes.

Maher, for his part, also noted the cannabis industry’s banking access issues.

“For the longest time, it was a very risky business because you couldn’t put the money in the bank, right?” he said. “The banks wouldn’t take ‘your dirty fucking pot money that you fucking hippies got by smoking pot.’”

“And everybody would have truckloads of cash around,” Maher said. “So of course, they were a target for robbers.”

To that point, Harrelson and Maher’s dispensary was burglarized in what appeared to be part of a string of crimes targeting cannabis businesses in the region.

While the situation is changing and more banks are taking on cannabis clients, as the two noted in the new interview, federal legislation to provide a broad fix for the issue has remained stalled for years.

Maher and Harrelson have long publicly embraced their cannabis consumption.

Last year, when Harrelson was asked to pick anyone living or dead he would like to patronize the dispensary’s cannabis cafe, he zeroed in on marijuana icon Bob Marley. But the actor also conceded that he doesn’t think he could go “toke-for-toke” with the late reggae star.

The actor also got involved in marijuana reform advocacy in California, calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to sign a bill legalizing marijuana cafes that passed in 2024, which he did end up approving.

Earlier this year, Harrelson joked about his experiences getting kicked out of two bars for smoking marijuana indoors with the mother of fellow star Matthew McConaughey.

Harrelson separately disclosed in 2017 that used cannabis to help get through a dinner with President Donald Trump.

Last year, Maher said he didn’t get high before attending a dinner with Trump at the White House, joking that it was a “missed opportunity.”

Image element courtesy of Angela George.

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U.S. Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) introduced the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act on Monday, which would create a federal framework for the responsible sale of intoxicating hemp beverages.

The proposal includes a three-tiered distribution system covering product labeling, advertising, and trade-practice rules modeled after alcohol regulations. The bill would also set the minimum age for purchasing or consuming hemp products at 21 and create product testing requirements for the industry. There would also be a federal excise tax of 8 cents per milligram of intoxicating THC in each beverage.

The sale of hemp-derived THC is currently set to be prohibited under federal law starting this December.

“I’ve heard directly from people across North Texas who consume hemp-derived beverages, and businesses who sell them, that they need clarity, not a ban that pushes this market underground,” Rep. Van Duyne said in a statement.

“The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act brings long-overdue certainty to the industry by regulating these beverages with the same proven structure that has successfully governed alcohol for decades. I am glad to introduce this bipartisan legislation alongside Rep. Greg Landsman, because American families and responsible businesses deserve structure and sensible regulations that protect children while allowing adults to choose beverages they prefer.” — Van Duyne, in a press release

“There are people all over Southwest Ohio who have invested significantly in these products, and they’ve done so safely,” said Rep. Landsman. “Now the federal government is telling them they can’t sell these products anymore. Our bill is bipartisan and very straightforward. It will keep people safe and let these folks stay in business.”

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Several major alcohol industry participants are backing a new bill in Congress that would exempt hemp beverages from a currently scheduled ban on THC products derived from the plant while enacting new provisions to tax and regulate the cannabis drinks like alcohol.

“Appropriately dosed hemp-derived beverages belong in a regulated adult beverage marketplace, not in a legal gray area,” Dawson Hobbs, executive vice president of government affairs for Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), said in a press release supporting the new Beverage Regulatory Parity Act, introduced on Monday by Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH).

“We thank Congresswoman Van Duyne and Congressman Landsman for their leadership advancing a framework that treats these products differently from other hemp products and builds on the alcohol regulatory system’s long record of consumer protection,” he said.

“The conversation has evolved beyond whether hemp-derived beverages should be regulated to how they should be regulated,” Dobbs said. “This legislation moves that conversation forward by following the long record of success in regulating alcohol through a federal and state partnership.”

Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will remain legal after November 12.

The Senate over the weekend, however, approved a funding bill that includes a provision to delay the effective date of the hemp product ban until December 11, with the support of the White House. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) had filed an amendment to strip that language and keep the prohibition on track as scheduled, but the body approved a motion to table the proposal in a vote of 61-32.

Hemp industry supporters believe the delay, if approved by the House and enacted into law, will give them more time to convince Congress to enact regulations for THC products as an alternative to prohibition.

Separately, the Beverage Alcohol Merchants Coalition (BAMCO)—a coalition of alcohol retailers—also endorsed the new hemp THC drinks bill.

“We applaud Representatives Van Duyne and Landsman for putting forward a regulatory framework for low-dose hemp beverages that aligns interests and addresses consumer demand,” Jonathan Grella, a spokesman for BAMCO, said in a press release.

“Their bill provides a path to a safe, regulated marketplace for low-dose hemp beverages while supporting Congress and the Administration in removing synthetic and inhalable products,” he said. “We look forward to working with Representatives Van Duyne and Landsman to build on the proven safeguards of the beverage alcohol system and get the regulation right.”

BAMCO’s members include Total Wine & More, BevMo! by Gopuff, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Spec’s Wine and Spirits & Finer Foods, as well as a group of hemp product wholesalers.

“This is exactly the kind of serious, bipartisan work needed to move the conversation from prohibition to responsible regulation,” Grella said. “Consumers deserve safe products, parents deserve strong protections for children, and responsible businesses deserve clear, enforceable rules. Our members are ready to be part of the solution.”

Under the new bill, adults over 21 could purchase and consume hemp THC beverages with up to 5 milligrams of total intoxicating THC per serving.

There would be a new federal tax on hemp drinks of 8 cents per milligram of intoxicating THC.

Hemp drinks would be regulated by the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with requirements for testing, packaging, labeling and serving and container sizes.

Legal beverages could only contain naturally-occurring cannabinoids that are cultivated and processed within the U.S.

Manufacturers, wholesales and sellers of hemp drinks would be required to obtain federal permits.

Companies could not sell multi-serving containers larger than 750 milliliters under the legislation.

The legislation further clarifies that states, Indian tribes and localities could set regulations that are “more stringent” than federal rules, but says that they could not prohibit the shipment or transportation of hemp beverages through their borders on the way to other jurisdictions.

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A bipartisan duo of lawmakers have filed a new bill in Congress that would exempt hemp beverages from a currently scheduled ban on THC products derived from the plant.

The legislation’s introductions comes days after the Senate voted to delay the planned recriminalization of hemp, which is intended to give lawmakers more time to craft regulations as an alternative to prohibition.

The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act, from Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH), introduced on Monday, would establish a three-tier system for distribution of hemp drinks, similar to the model currently used for alcohol. It would allow adults over 21 to purchase and consume hemp THC beverages with up to 5 milligrams of total intoxicating THC per serving.

A draft version of the hemp drinks legislation obtained earlier this year by Marijuana Moment would have used a more permissive limit that measured delta-9 THC specifically.

Under the bill as introduced, there would be a new federal tax on hemp drinks of 8 cents per milligram of intoxicating THC—a reduction from the 10 cents contemplated in the earlier draft measure.

Hemp drinks would be regulated by the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), with requirements for testing, packaging, labeling and serving and container sizes.

“I’ve heard directly from people across North Texas who consume hemp-derived beverages, and businesses who sell them, that they need clarity, not a ban that pushes this market underground,” Van Duyne said in a press release. “The Beverage Regulatory Parity Act brings long-overdue certainty to the industry by regulating these beverages with the same proven structure that has successfully governed alcohol for decades.”

“I am glad to introduce this bipartisan legislation alongside Rep. Greg Landsman, because American families and responsible businesses deserve structure and sensible regulations that protect children while allowing adults to choose beverages they prefer,” she said.

Landsman, for his part, said that “there are people all over Southwest Ohio who have invested significantly in these products, and they’ve done so safely.”

“Now the federal government is telling them they can’t sell these products anymore,” he said. “Our bill is bipartisan and very straightforward. It will keep people safe and let these folks stay in business.”

—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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Under the new bill, legal beverages could only contain naturally-occurring cannabinoids that are cultivated and processed within the U.S.

Manufactures, wholesales and sellers of hemp drinks would be required to obtain federal permits.

Companies could not sell multi-serving containers larger than 750 milliliters under the legislation.

The legislation further clarifies that states, Indian tribes and localities could set regulations that are “more stringent” than federal rules, but says that they could not prohibit the shipment or transportation of hemp beverages through their borders on the way to other jurisdictions.

Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will remain legal after November 12.

The Senate over the weekend, however, approved a funding bill that includes a provision to delay the effective date of the ban until December 11. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) had filed an amendment to strip that language and keep the prohibition on track as scheduled, but the body approved a motion to table the proposal from Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in a vote of 61-32.

The House of Representatives, which previously passed a separate funding bill that does not include language to extend the hemp ban’s effective date, is scheduled to return from its recess on August 31.

The new hemp drinks bill is being supported by some members of the alcohol industry.

“For nearly a century, the alcohol regulatory system has kept consumers safe while giving legitimate businesses clear rules to operate under. Rep. Van Duyne’s bill extends that same proven framework to hemp-derived beverages,” Dawson Hobbs, executive vice president of government affairs forWine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), said. “WSWA is proud to support this legislation and thanks the congresswoman for her leadership in addressing products that have grown in popularity and are already on store shelves. We urge Congress to act before the November 12 deadline eliminates responsible options from the marketplace entirely.”

Total Wine & More said the bill “brings low-dose hemp-infused beverages into the same three-tier system that has safely regulated beer, wine and spirits for decades.”

“This framework, with licensed manufacturers, distributors and retailers, along with age verification, testing and labeling standards, is a smart way to protect consumers while giving responsible businesses certainty,” the company said.

John Bodnovich, executive director of American Beverage Licensees, said the legislation is a “thoughtful and serious approach to regulating hemp beverages in the United States.”

“Licensed beverage retailers have been consistent in calling for a safe, well-regulated, and accountable marketplace for hemp beverages, just as they have supported the effective system of state-based alcohol regulation that promotes public safety and responsibility while meeting consumer needs,” he said.

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HB 513, one of the bills that may be a slight break for vape sellers, has passed. Described as a “tax deduction for cigarette wholesalers when retailers fail to pay”, this may be one of the few pieces of legislation that doesn’t leave vapers unhappy with the law. 

Recap: What does this bill do?

As stated above, the majority of the bill focuses on taxes and how to cope with debts from uncollected tobacco taxes. Ohio is one of the states that taxes e liquids at a fairly high rate – 10 cents per milliliter of juice. That tax adds up quickly, and with a tax that high, there is incentive to start finding ways around the tax. One way that may have been done is through lack of clarity as to who pays the tax. When e liquid is sold from wholesale to retailers, there should be tax collected, but with lack of communication, it may not be clear who is responsible for this large tax.

Most of the bill deals with how to handle those taxes, particularly if they have not been paid. However, the taxation part is not the part that concerns vapers – it is the part of HB513 described by Ohio Capital Journal as “A late amendment tacked on prohibitions for local tobacco regulations.” The relevant parts of the bill are as follows:

“No political subdivision may enact, adopt, renew, maintain, enforce, or continue in existence any charter provision, ordinance, resolution, rule, or other measure that conflicts with or preempts any policy of the state regarding the regulation of tobacco products or alternative nicotine products.”

What happens now?

The reason this HB513 was referred to as a preemption bill was because the bill prevents any regulations that are more stringent than state tobacco laws from taking precedence. Currently, there are two main cities that would come into conflict with this bill. Since HB513 is a state law and the others are city laws, state law would take precedence over the bans. The fact that HB513 conflicts with those laws is what attracted attention in the first place. 

Columbus is a city in Ohio that has banned all flavored tobacco products –  a ban that is stricter than the FDA allowed products. Columbus’s ban was set to start in January 2024, but is likely not to come into effect due to the passing of HB513. Toledo is another city that has a ban on flavored cartridges. That ban is also in conflict with HB513. 

Though law and its application are two different things, HB513 passing is one of the more positive pieces of legislation concerning vapers for a long time.

References: 

What will DeWine sign? Lawmakers passed more than 30 bills on last day of session

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Oregon’s governor has signed a bill to allow patients with debilitating medical conditions to access medical marijuana in certain health facilities such as hospices.

Gov. Tina Kotek (D) approved the legislation from Rep. Farrah Chaichi (D) on Tuesday after it cleared the Senate in a 20-8 vote last month and was passed by the House of Representatives in a 39-3 vote in February.

Chaichi said in testimony to the Senate Health Care Committee that the bill is “an important tool to facilitate cannabis use as an alternative or addition to opioid use in end of life care.”

“While sometimes necessary, opiates are often overly sedative, preventing quality family interaction in someone’s final days,” she said. “As someone who lost my mother while she was intubated, I know how meaningful it is for patients to be present and in the moments of their last days and weeks with their loved ones. This is a quality of life and a quality of care issue. The bill’s goal is to ensure patients who desire this important and valid medical treatment have access across the board.”

As enacted, HB 4142 will require hospice, palliative and home care organizations, as well as residential facilities, to develop rules permitting registered patients with debilitating conditions to use medical cannabis.

The reform is similar to—albeit somewhat more limited than—multiple “Ryan’s law” measures that have advanced in state legislatures across the country. Ryan’s law, which is named after a young cannabis patient in California who passed away, generally refers to a policy broadly permitting medical marijuana use in health facilities such as hospitals.

The Oregon bill doesn’t extend to hospitals, but it builds upon the state’s medical cannabis program in a way that advocates say will meaningfully improve quality of life for seriously ill patients.

Under the proposal, the Oregon State Board of Nursing will further be prohibited “from disciplining a nurse who discusses the medical use of marijuana with a patient,” according to a legislative summary. It will additionally make it so eligible health facilities can act as medical marijuana caregivers if authorized by regulators.

The legislation “exempts residential facilities that provide a patient with medical marijuana from criminal laws related to the possession, delivery, or manufacture of marijuana” and “allows a conditionally designated residential facility to develop a written policy and train staff before the operative date,” the summary says.

Now that the governor has signed the measure, it is set to become operative on January 1, 2027.

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Another Hawaii House committee has approved a Senate-passed bill that would create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying and making policy recommendations on providing access to breakthrough therapies such as psilocybin and MDMA.

The House Finance Committee advanced the legislation from Sen. Chris Lee (D)  in a 15-0 vote on Tuesday. The measure, which had cleared the Senate in a unanimous vote of 24-0 last month, next heads to the House floor before potentially going back to the Senate for that chamber to consider recent amendments.

The bill would create a Mental Health Emerging Therapies Task Force that would be tasked with spending two years reviewing the current scientific literature, supporting additional clinical research and “developing policy recommendations for safe, ethical, and culturally-informed implementation” of a psychedelics therapy program.

“The legislature finds that addressing the mental health crisis affecting the residents of the State, particularly among veterans, first responders, and trauma survivors, is urgent,” the bill, SB 3199, states. “Suicide continues to be a leading cause of preventable death, and the State must explore all safe and effective treatment options supported by scientific evidence.”

Noting that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already designated psilocybin and MDMA as breakthrough therapies in the treatment of serious mental health conditions, which could lend to future rescheduling under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Hawaii legislation says the state “must proactively prepare public health, clinical, and research systems for safe and equitable implementation.”

The state Department of Health said in testimony to the House committee that it supports the bill, noting that in light of FDA’s action on psychedelics, “it is prudent for Hawaii to evaluate research readiness, regulatory implications, workforce development, and culturally informed implementation pathways” in advance of any federal rescheduling of the substances.

The governor’s Office of Wellness and Resilience said the bill “resents an important opportunity to begin to prepare a planful pathway for individuals in need of access to potentially life-saving treatments for trauma and other longstanding mental health challenges.”

“A growing body of research demonstrates that breakthrough therapies (such as MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapies) show significant efficacy and positive clinical outcomes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, end-of-life anxiety in terminally ill patients, eating disorders, treatment-resistant depression, and additional conditions,” it said.

Members of the task force would have to include representatives of the state Department of Health (DOH), the attorney general’s office, the Office of Wellness and Resilience (OWR), the University of Hawaii’s medical school and more.

As drafted, DOH would have overseen the task force, an amendment adopted last month by the House Health Committee makes the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawaii the responsible entity, and designates JABSOM’s appointee as chair of the panel.

The committee additionally adopted amendments suggested by Department of Law Enforcement, to state that its Narcotics Enforcement Division—and not the Board of Pharmacy—would be responsible for changing state scheduling of psychedelics following any federal reclassification, and changing deadline for such action from 90 days to 30 days.

Members also moved to note in the bill report that the State Health Planning & Development Agency has expressed concerns that psychedelics are illegal under federal law and that task force should proceed cautiously.

Finally, the panel made technical amendments for clarity, consistency and style.

If enacted, it appears the bill would build upon prior work conducted by a separate psychedelics task force that convened for the first time in 2023, with a similar goal of exploring pathways for therapeutic access into FDA-approved breakthrough drugs like psilocybin.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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Meanwhile, although Hawaii senators recently approved a bill to legalize low-dose and low-potency marijuana, the legislation didn’t advance through required steps before a key deadline, and so is dead for the year.

A separate marijuana legalization bill that contained provisions making the reform contingent on changes to federal law or the state Constitution, SB 2421, was deferred for action. Both Senate and House panels additionally deferred action on a measure to allow for the sale of certain hemp-derived cannabinoid products.

Those actions comes after key House lawmakers signaled that cannabis legalization proposals would not be advancing in the 2026 session, citing a lack of sufficient support in their chamber.

Earlier this month, a Hawaii Senate committee separately passed legislation to allow patients to immediately access medical cannabis once their registrations are submitted, instead of having to wait until their cards are delivered as is the case under current law.

A Senate committee also approved resolutions calling on Congress to federally legalize marijuana, support state efforts to clear people’s conviction records and take steps to facilitate access to banking services for companies in the cannabis industry.

Another Senate panel advanced separate resolutions  calling on the state attorney general and health department to request an exemption from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) stipulating that Hawaii is permitted to run its medical cannabis program without federal interference.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia/Mushroom Observer.

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The Louisiana Senate has passed a bill to let patients with terminal and irreversible conditions use medical marijuana in hospitals.

The body approved the legislation, SB 270 from Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews (D), in a vote of 33-2 on Wednesday. It now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“This bill does exactly what the title says,” Jackson-Andrews said on the floor ahead of the vote. “When a patient is in pain and they believe that therapeutic marijuana will work and have a prescription for it, it allows them to have that prescription delivered to the hospital and administered by one of their family members or themselves.”

Under the proposal, hospitals would have to create written guidelines allowing covered patients to consume medical cannabis on-site in forms other than smoking or vaping.

Under an amendment adopted by a Senate committee earlier this month, emergency or outpatient departments would be exempted from the policy. The revised legislation also clarifies that patients and primary caregivers are responsible for acquiring and administering medical marijuana, which must be “stored securely at all times in a locked container provided by the patient.”

Health care professionals and staff would be prohibited from “administering, storing, retrieving, or assisting the patient with the medical marijuana,” the text says.

The amendment, which the sponsor worked on with help from the Louisiana Hospital Association, also allows hospitals to opt out of the policy if federal officials take action against any healthcare facility in the state over medical cannabis use, rather than only allowing those that were specifically targeted to stop complying.

“This bill was brought at the request of constituents who believe that therapeutic medical marijuana, which is already legal in this state, should be offered in hospitals when patients are terminally ill or otherwise in need the comfort of this medicine,” Jackson-Andrews told the Senate Health and Welfare Committee when the panel took up the legislation.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

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Meanwhile in Louisiana, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee recently approved a bill to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program, using opioid settlement dollars to fund clinical trials aimed at developing alternative treatments such as psilocybin and ibogaine.

Lawmakers are also considering legislation to create an adult-use marijuana legalization pilot program in the state to determine whether the reform should eventually be expanded and permanently codified.

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