Friday April 16, 2021
In todays report
Washington re-negs on the de-regs
The safe act is going to get a floor vote next week
Animals in Montana may finally get the weed food
click here for the link to the video on youtube
Washington Senate Replaces Drug Decriminalization Bill With Revised Measure To Reinstate Penalties
The action sets up a possible showdown with more progressive
Democrats in the House of Representatives who have said they won’t vote
for legislation that returns to a criminal war on drugs.
Washington has been without a law against drug possession since a divided state Supreme Court abruptly struck it down February,
after ruling that a narrow portion of the decades-old law was
unconstitutional. Lawmakers have since scrambled to address the
decision—which has halted drug arrests and prosecutions across the state
and freed dozens of people incarcerated on drug possession charges—before the legislative session ends on April 25.
On the Senate floor on Thursday evening, a bill that originally would
have left drug possession decriminalized was amended to instead make
possession a gross misdemeanor, a #crime punishable by up to a year in
jail and a $5,000 fine—a change that led its lead sponsor to vote
against the measure.
Prior to the court decision, drug possession was classified as a felony.
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Marijuana Banking Bill Will Get A House Floor Vote Next Week, Majority Leader Confirms
Marijuana Moment reported on the expected development earlier Friday
after obtaining an email that was sent to #stakeholders by a staffer for
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), the bill’s sponsor, seeking letters of
support for the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act ahead of
the anticipated #vote.
The bill is now now officially listed on the majority leader’s agenda of legislation for Monday.
This will mark the first floor action on a cannabis reform bill this
Congress. The standalone legislation cleared the House with bipartisan
support in 2019, and its language was also included in two coronavirus relief packages that the chamber approved. The proposal did not advance in any form in the Senate under GOP control, however.
With Democrats now in control of the House, Senate and White House,
industry stakeholders are optimistic that the legislation stands a solid
chance of becoming law this year.
The SAFE Banking Act was reintroduced in the House last month, and it currently has 168 cosponsors—more than one-third of the chamber. Days later, it was refiled in the Senate, where Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT) are the chief sponsors.
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Montana law advances hemp seed as food for animals
A measure authorizing hemp food ingredients as commercial animal feed
was signed into law this week by the state’s governor, Greg Gianforte.
Proponents said the measure is a major advancement in development of the
U.S. hemp grain industry, gives farmers a wider berth to do business,
and establishes Montana as a leader in advancing hemp for grain
production.
Hemp seed could also be approved for other farm livestock pending approval from the state’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.
Raising Montana
“We
look forward to building a nationally recognized hemp program founded
on grain and fiber production, and working with those farmers and
businesses who work hard to make things happen,” said Ken Elliott,
founder at IND HEMP, a seed and fiber processing and supply company
in Fort Benton, Montana which represented more than 30 family farms in
advocating for the new law.
Hemp lobbying firm Agricultural Hemp
Solutions, LLC also worked in support of the bill, which overwhelmingly
passed the Montana Legislature. The Montana Farm Bureau, Montana Farmers
Union, Montana Stockgrowers Association, and the Montana Grain Growers
Association also favored the new law.
https://hemptoday.net/montana-law-advances-hemp-seed-as-food-for-animals/