A coalition of U.S. Senators sent a letter to leadership March 26, asking that the Small Business Administration (SBA) extend economic assistance to the cannabis industry.
New York State might not be legalizing marijuana this year, in large part due to complications from the coronavirus outbreak, but at least many of those still in the workforce in New York City won’t risk being denied jobs over a positive THC test thanks to a local law that goes into effect next month. And now a city commission is proposing regulations on who exactly will be protected from pre-employment cannabis testing.
The budget shortfalls that states face in the first quarter of 2020 – and probably the second too – will be massive. A reduction in business activity means less money for the government. One proposal is for states to speed up cannabis legalization in order to fill in the gaps.
As governments around the world respond to COVID-19, advocates are urging state leaders to make sure people who need it can still get medical cannabis.
A coalition of criminal justice and drug policy reform organizations is urging law enforcement officials to dramatically curtail arrests for nonviolent pot crimes to lower jail and prison populations as America now leads the world in confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Some governors and mayors are labeling marijuana dispensaries “essential services,” allowing them to stay open. And customers appear to be stocking up on pot.
The following open letter was sent out by the Marijuana Policy Project, Last Prisoner Project, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Clergy for a New Drug Policy, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, National Cannabis Industry Association, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
The $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package is expected to be signed any moment, bringing a collective sigh of relief across the country. Plus, the stock market is trending up (for now). But lingering questions remain: What about the federally illegal cannabis business? Will the states take care of them?