Cannabis was in the headlines the past week in the U.S. and beyond. Here”s a quick trip through the news to get you caught up.
UKRAINE GOES MEDICAL
With the justification of cannabis’ potential as a treatment for mental health issues as a result of the trauma of war, Ukraine’s parliament last week voted overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing medical marijuana.
The law — passed by 248 votes in the 401-seat parliament — will go into effect in six months, with the country’s Ministry of Health determining which conditions will be eligible for cannabis treatment and the methods of consumption that are allowed.
Ukraine joins the Republic of Georgia, which legalized cannabis outright in 2018, as the only former Soviet states with some form of legalized cannabis. The move comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly called for medical marijuana legalization in a June address to parliament.
CANNABIS BOOSTS COLLEGE BASKETBALL
A new study published in the Journal of Sports Economics found a correlation between positive recruiting outcomes for college basketball programs in states that have legalized recreational cannabis.
“Legalization appears to improve basketball recruiting outcomes for in-state colleges,” the authors state.
At the time of writing this story, Washington’s men’s and women’s Division I college basketball programs have won 67.2% of their games so far this season. Idaho’s, on the other hand, have won just 55.5% of theirs. Can’t argue with that.
CALIFORNIA HITS NEW ROADBLOCK
The most populous state in the union was the first to legalize medical marijuana back in 1996, with recreational cannabis legalization coming two decades later in 2016. However, the legal market in California has struggled to overtake the illicit market. Last week, a decision from the state’s attorney general delivered another blow to the already faltering industry.
California had planned to begin engaging in interstate commerce of its cannabis products, passing a law last year that would allow the practice. However, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, notes that interstate commerce of cannabis flies in the face of federal cannabis law and would open the state up to the potential for federal interference.
In May, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, also a Democrat, signed a law that would allow for the practice here in the Evergreen State, but with the notable caveat that it would not go into effect unless there was a change in federal policy. ♦
