Architecting trust to ensure revenue realization for federal, state, and local governments.
Mark Cuban’s prescription drug company, known for “cutting out the middle man,” is in conversations with hospitals around the nation to identify the most common drug shortages.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, Oklahoma regulators proposed the nation’s first detailed rule to control temperatures during shipping, according to pharmacy experts.
Read MoreThe FDA criticized the five relatively unknown companies — Wizman Limited, Shenzhen Fumot Technology, Shenzhen Quawins Technology, Ruthless Vapor and Moti Global for products that look like toys or food.
Read MoreThe global anti-counterfeit pharmaceuticals and cosmetics packaging market was valued at $81.1 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $182.3 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 8.4% from 2021 to 2030.
Read More"The backup of container ships off Southern California’s coast that was at the heart of U.S. supply chain congestion during the Covid-19 pandemic has effectively disappeared."
Read More"The global authentication and brand protection market in 2021 was valued at US$2.88 billion. The market is expected to reach US$4.91 billion by 2027. Market is expected to flourish at a CAGR of 9.6% during the forecast period of 2022-2027."
Read MorePro-access states, including Massachusetts last month, have enacted measures to protect providers of abortion care from legal penalties.
Read MoreThe company has started doing drone deliveries to select Intermountain Healthcare patients in the Salt Lake Valley area. For now, it can only do drops for local communities within several miles of its distribution center.
Read MoreChain says automated drug-filling centers cut pharmacist workloads by 25% and ease pressure on understaffed stores
Read MoreChain says automated drug-filling centers cut pharmacist workloads by 25% and ease pressure on understaffed stores
Read More“Unveiling the Kenvue brand is a defining moment for our stakeholders and an important part of the planned separation,” said Thibaut Mongon, CEO Designate, Kenvue, the planned New Consumer Health Company.
Read More"DEA Warns that International and Domestic Criminal Drug Networks are Flooding the United States with Lethal Counterfeit Pills"
Read More"Technological aviation trends have changed the aviation sector over the past few years. In addition, this is to make operations more seamless. Moreover, when the pandemic hit, there was an urge for new technology to make air travel easier due to the restrictions."
Read More"Vermont issued its first retail adult-use cannabis business licenses, with at least one store aiming to open Oct. 1."
Read MoreTwo months later, the district attorney in Aguilar’s mostly rural county near the Kansas border charged her with child neglect, a felony. She has decided to fight the charge, and recently declined to comment on the advice of her public defender
Read Moreone of the most common responses is high taxes. As the industry stands now, Hawaii’s cannabis market is worth about $240 million. With estimates that it could climb to $354 million upon recreational legalization.
Read More"A new blog details key topics and advice shared during the online forum, which kicked off on August 11, as speakers from HDA member companies and GS1 US discussed DSCSA compliance."
Read MoreGov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has filed a lawsuit alleging that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not complied with a public-records request about the state’s proposed program to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada.
Read More"Small business owners spend a lot of time and money building their businesses and growing their brands. But sometimes, what they don’t know or understand can jeopardize everything they create."
Read More"Investors have pinned their hopes on “green gold” turning a fortune ever since Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018. Unfortunately, the legal cannabis industry has been burned by volatile supply and sales issue, a plethora of confusing (and occasionally contradictory) regulations, and good old-fashioned hype."
Read MoreCurrently, there have been four reported cases of fake money being used at businesses in the region. However, Crime Stoppers said they are sure there are private sale cases that go unknown.
Read MoreThe officers intercepted the shipments from Hong Kong in Cincinnati, CBP said in a news release earlier this month. They contained more than 800 knock-off Cartier bracelets and 13 Rolex watches. The bracelets were addressed to a private residence in Virginia and the watches to a business in Texas.
Read More"Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic (BAVA.CO) said on Thursday it has signed up a U.S.-based manufacturer to package its Jynneos monkeypox vaccine and the production is expected to begin later this year."
Read More"Operation Lascar, with the United Kingdom (U.K.), is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) first bilateral initiative focused on the movement of illicit FDA-regulated products."
Read More"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are joining forces to educate students, parents, and teachers about the dangers of counterfeit goods and how to spot them, just in time as kids prepare to go back to school. "
Read More"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) believes fully digitizing and automating export-related filings prior to outbound departure from the United States can save the trade community critical time and money."
Read More"Implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) continues to transform the pharmaceutical supply chain. HDA’s annual Traceability Seminar brings together healthcare supply chain leaders to learn more about upcoming DSCSA implementation milestones."
Read More"The only drug available to treat monkeypox is so difficult to access that just a fraction of the nearly 7,000 patients in the United States has been given it. Health officials have designated tecovirimat, also called Tpoxx, an ""investigational drug,"" which they say means it cannot be released from the strategic national stockpile without a series of convoluted bureaucratic steps."
Read MoreThe federal government will spend more than $1.4 million to study how the concentration of marijuana compounds in people’s breath changes over time after consuming it, part of an ongoing effort to create a reliable roadside test to screen drivers for recent cannabis use.
Read MoreOklahoma cannabis regulators have placed a two-year moratorium on issuing licenses for new medical pot businesses in the state.
Read MoreDespite that he didn’t create it, a media company co-founded by LeBron James is looking to get trademark protection for the phrase “Shut Up and Dribble.”
Read MoreOfficers from the Border Guard and Customs and Tax Office conducted a joint investigation into illegal production, smuggling and trade in tobacco products without Polish excise stamps.
Read MoreAmazon Confirms It ShAmazon has acknowledged that it does not always ask for the consent of the owner when sharing Ring smart doorbell videos with law enforcement agencies. The tech giant made the confession in a letter to Senator Edward Markey, a prominent privacy advocate who asked the company for more clarification about its data collection and sharing policies.
Read More"New York regulators publicly identified the 52 allegedly illicit marijuana stores that were sent cease-and-desist letters earlier this year and reiterated how such shops undercut the state’s equity goals."
Read More"The up-to-date research report on Supply Chain Security market analyzes the previous and current business scenario, and offers credible forecasts for the upcoming years to assist stakeholders drafting robust action plans."
Read MoreThis week, a federal grand jury indicted a Florida man for allegedly selling more than $1 billion of counterfeit Cisco networking equipment to several individuals, hospitals, schools, government agencies, and even the military.
Read More"Port infrastructure, goods movement training, clean trucks and other supply chain-related spending are set to see capital injections with California Gov. Gavin Newsom signing off on the state’s budget."
Read More"Air cargo shipment of medical products necessitates meticulous logistical planning and execution. If these shipments are mishandled or the temperature of the product changes while being shipped, the company's integrity may be jeopardised."
Read MoreIt was not uncommon for businesses to furlough and lay off their anti-counterfeiting and brand protection personnel as non-essential staff, and government interest in policing counterfeiting seems to have decreased over the last two years.
Read More"In the case of AK Futures LLC v. Boyd Street Distro, LLC, the Court held that AK Futures’ possession and sale of delta-8 THC products are permitted under federal law, meaning its brand used in connection with these products may be entitled to federal trademark protection."
Read More"The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority has recalled some products because of testing violations. The department completed several inspections at Scale Laboratories in Oklahoma City and realized that the testing lab did not accurately report results."
Read MoreFinancial police from the Rome Provincial Command carried out a raid on an alleged counterfeit cigarette plant in the industrial zone of Pomezia, a town just south of the Italian capital Rome, on Thursday.
Read MorePresident Joe Biden unveiled a $5.8 trillion budget request designed to appease moderate Democrats on Monday, with a proposal that emphasized deficit reduction, additional funding for police and veterans, and flexibility to negotiate new social spending programs.
Read MoreThe White House will unveil a new minimum tax targeting billionaires as part of its 2023 budget Monday, proposing a tax on the richest 700 Americans for the first time.
Read MoreThe Department of Justice (“DOJ”) recently announced federal charges against a Pennsylvania man for his involvement in a scheme to defraud the U.S. government by submitting materially false U Visa applications for noncitizens.
Read MoreOn 1 March 2022, Europol supported the Spanish National Police and the Spanish regional Catalan Police to dismantle an organised crime group involved in the production and distribution of counterfeit euro banknotes and drug trafficking.
Read MoreU.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at ports of entry in El Paso, west Texas and New Mexico seized a wide variety of items during the last seven days to include drugs, unreported currency, prohibited food products and more.
Read MoreClark County commissioners approved a measure to give up to $2 million in cannabis industry sales tax revenue annually to help the homeless population.
Read MoreIn an effort to raise revenue, House Democrats have proposed increasing federal tobacco taxes and creating a new tax on other nicotine products in the Build Back Better Act. While the proposed increase on cigarettes is dramatic, it is relatively simple: an additional dollar per pack of 20 cigarettes.
Read MoreFollowing the release of the House Democrats’ proposed Build Back Better Act, federal tobacco and nicotine taxation has been a hot topic in the United States. In an effort to raise roughly $100 billion, the House proposal would double cigarette taxes and increase all other tobacco and nicotine taxes to comparable rates—a strategy with severe unintended consequences.
Read MoreFor years, King George County officials have wondered how many packs of cigarettes have been sold within their borders, particularly from the many tobacco outlets that dot the landscape on U.S. 301 north of Dahlgren.
Read MoreOn October 4, Governor Gavin Newsom approved a 12.5 percent excise tax on vaping products in California.
Read MoreAmid concern over widespread teen vaping, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday approved a new 12.5% excise tax on electronic cigarettes to be paid by California consumers to boost public health and education programs.
Read MoreAs part of an effort to curb tobacco use in New Mexico, especially among high school students who are increasingly using e-cigarettes, several lawmakers expressed support Thursday for increasing taxes on all tobacco products.
Read MoreA woman attempting to use a fake COVID-19 vaccine card with the shot maker listed as "Maderna," instead of Moderna, was arrested in Hawaii and is facing up to $5,000 in fines and potential jail time.
Read MoreATLANTA—A National Institutes of Health-funded study by nine health economists, including Georgia State University’s Michael Pesko, suggests the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021 before Congress may not benefit public health – particularly among youth – because it is likely to induce substitution towards more lethal combustible tobacco products.
Read MoreA ballot question is going before Colorado voters in November that, if successful, would raise the state taxes on recreational marijuana products and potentially create a new barrier for adult-use sales.
Read MoreArizona brought in about $21 million in medical and adult-use marijuana tax revenue in July, state officials reported on a new webpage that enables people to more easily track how the industry is evolving.
Read MoreWhen an excise tax hike was levied on cigarettes, New York City taxi drivers who smoked were one and a half times more likely to cheat their customers by overcharging the fare than those who didn’t smoke. That finding comes from forthcoming research in Accounting, Organizations, and Society.
Read MoreProhibitions against commonplace substances almost always hurt the group they seek to aid.
Read MoreCalifornia’s cigarette tax and escrow requirements apply to inter-tribal sales of cigarettes, held the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in Big Sandy Rancheria Enterprises v. Bonta. Big Sandy Rancheria Enterprises (“BSRE”), a federally-chartered corporation wholly-owned by the Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians, brought the case to challenge California’s application of its tobacco directory, licensing, and tax laws to BSRE’s sales of native-manufactured cigarettes to other Indian tribes.
Read MoreThe owner of a suburban Chicago prescription drug wholesale distribution company purchased more than $57 million worth of diverted, unregulated prescription drugs and re-sold them to unsuspecting pharmacies and other wholesalers, according to a federal indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Read MoreAfter adjusting for revenue collected in June but is owed this fiscal year, the state took in nearly $3 billion in revenues for the recently completed fiscal 2021 year.
Read MoreAs soon as the FDA issues a full approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, there will be "a flood" of vaccine mandates at businesses and schools across the nation, Dr. Anthony Fauci told USA TODAY's Editorial Board on Friday.
Read MoreThe use of fake license plates to evade tolls has prompted the agency in charge of New York and New Jersey’s interstate crossings to take action.
Read MoreAfter adjusting for revenue collected in June but is owed this fiscal year, the state took in nearly $3 billion in revenues for the recently completed fiscal 2021 year.
Read MoreCompared to other continents, Africa has recorded fewer infections per million and lower mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite having a skeletal health system and a heavier health burden from malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, which currently take priority in budgets.
Read MoreState revenue collections cleared a low bar for July, coming in $28.1 million above estimated tax collections of just $277.68 million — the lowest revenue estimate for any month since February 2018.
Read MoreThousands of fake temporary license plates are being used by criminals to literally try to get away with murder and other crimes, according to NYPD officials.
Read MoreThe explosive growth of e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic has propelled new interest in acquisitions involving direct-to-consumer cannabis delivery.
Read MoreArizona is on track to outpace Colorado in marijuana sales just months after it became legal for recreational use in the Copper State, with total annual sales expected to surpass $1 billion by the end of this year, according to state data.
Read MoreNevada reappointed three members to the compliance board that oversees the state's cannabis industry.
Read MoreThe detection of fraudulent travel documents to prevent the international movement of criminals and terrorists was the focus of a training course involving border control officers, immigration representatives, document experts and forensic document examiners from Brazil.
Read MoreFort Wayne police are calling it the largest haul of fentanyl pills the department can remember. This week, an 18-year-old woman was charged with narcotic drug dealing and misdemeanor marijuana possession after police pulled her over in a traffic stop and found nearly five pounds of pills containing fentanyl in two bundles wrapped in a hoodie sweatshirt under the driver's seat floorboard.
Read MoreWondering how vaccine passports will be used for global travel in the future? A recent survey found that more than seven in 10 British Columbians (73%) endorse the idea of a vaccine passport for international travel. However, some Canadians refuse to roll up their sleeves.
Read MoreHoly Name Medical Center, based in Northern New Jersey, announced today its partnership with global security firm SICPA, with U.S. headquarters in Springfield, Virginia, to provide the CERTUS® myHealth Pass digital solution to its patients, including those receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at its Teaneck and West New York Vaccination Centers. Holy Name is the first healthcare center in the United States to offer this secure digital platform to its patients, specifically designed to provide forgery-proof medical records that meet the highest levels of data security and personal privacy protection.
Read MoreTwo proposed ballot questions got a tentative thumbs up from the Sitka Assembly last night: — an excise tax on motor fuels and sales tax on retail marijuana.
Read MoreAfter three days of jury selection, opening arguments began Thursday in the jury trial of nine Idahoans accused of a years-long scheme to sell counterfeit cellphones and accessories online.
Read MoreNearly half a million dollars of unapproved vaping products were confiscated by customs officers before they could get into Metro Atlanta stores and into your hands.
Read MoreIn a historic move, the Rhode Island Senate passed a bill Tuesday night that would legalize recreational marijuana use in the state. The vote marked the first time such a bill reached the floor of either legislative chamber in the state.
Read MoreThe COVID-19 vaccine is now available to all American adults, and the proof can be found in the numbers. Currently, nearly 45 percent of U.S. citizens have gotten arm pricks.
Read MoreThe easing of Canadian travel restrictions this week came with news that proof of vaccination would soon be required by those arriving in the country and would need to be inputted into the federal ArriveCAN app.
Read MoreDon't call it a vaccine passport, but California now offers something that's awfully close. The state's Departments of Public Health and Technology unveiled a website Friday that lets users who verify their identities get digital copies of their Covid-19 vaccination record.
Read MoreA Kings Heath off-licence showed 'total disregard' for the health of its customers by supplying counterfeit bottles of wine, it has been revealed. And Tim's Wine Cellar on Haunch Lane should lose its licence, police have argued, after 409 bottles of the counterfeit wine were seized from the premises.
Read MoreIn the wake of the 2020 presidential election, Republicans have pushed sweeping changes to voting laws across the country, using false claims of voter fraud as their justification. Even in Florida, a state Donald J. Trump won easily, Republicans enacted a more targeted overhaul of elections law in lock step with Mr. Trump’s allegations. Several voting rights groups have sued the state, claiming that the new measures disenfranchise voters in the name of appeasing the former president. Representative Byron Donalds, a newly elected Florida Republican, believes the reaction to the new law is misguided and overblown. In an interview with The New York Times, he sought to explain Republican actions as distinct from Mr. Trump’s false claims, and in line with voter concerns. He argued that his state’s new law, and similar ones across the country, would inspire renewed confidence in the election process. Mr. Donalds won his House seat after serving in the Florida Legislature. He grew up in Brooklyn and worked in finance and banking before entering politics. The interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. What did you think of how the 2020 election went in Florida? Did you think it was administered properly, with no evidence of fraud?
Read MoreMany fashion companies that produce knitwear, or more specifically cashmere, make impressive claims about sustainability but there’s one brand that is planning to show exactly which goat herd a garment came from.
Read MoreThe Joe Biden administration is worried about the security of the US medicines supply chain, and is taking steps to tackle weaknesses in the system.
Read MoreThe Lakewood City Council passed the tobacco tax measure discussed in this article on first reading, as part of a broader consent agenda package, at the Monday, June 14 council meeting. It now moves on to public notice, and public comment at the Monday, June 28th regular council meeting.
Read MoreNow is not the time to put an additional financial burden on Maine residents, Maine retailers, Maine small business owners. Our state legislature is continuing to examine the benefits of doubling the tax rate on all tobacco products in this year’s legislative session. Instead of a $2 per pack tax on a pack of cigarettes, it would double to $4.
Read MoreThe City of East Lansing is directing money made from Michigan's marijuana tax into resources for people struggling with drug abuse.
Read MoreTen states that have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes collected almost $2.7 billion in taxes on pot products last year as sales surged and more regulatory structures came online.
Read MoreBold white vinyl lettering covers the window of a smoke shop on Albany’s Central Avenue. In all-caps, 51Vape advertises a suite of smoking-related accessories, including “hookah” and “vaping devices.” It also lists both “hemp” and “CBD”. Non-smokers might be surprised at hemp references in head shop windows, as the plant is also gaining prominence in the U.S. as a source of fiber for products like textiles and rope, while its seeds are a protein-rich grain that can be made into cooking oil or eaten in health food snacks. But hemp flower is also a prime source of CBD, or cannabidoil, one of the chemical compounds in cannabis plants and an active ingredient in both drugs and wellness products. Lynn West, a 55-year-old from the Buffalo region, who recently retired from her 32-year career selling office furniture, learned about CBD a few years ago from an older friend who used it to ease his “aches and pains." West appreciates its pain-relief potential, but finds it is most useful to tackle anxiety-related issues – “for stressful situations, I found it knocked me down a notch,” she said.
Read MoreQuality of life in New Jersey has returned to pre-pandemic levels as the coronavirus outbreak wanes, according to a new poll. And the legalization of marijuana — an issue that took the state Legislature years to sort out as some argued it would negatively affect children and communities — has had nearly no impact on how residents view quality of life in the state. Released Monday by the Monmouth University Polling Institute, the survey found the quality of life index stands at +25. It can range from minus-100 to 100. The number is down from +37 in April 2020, when the state had come together under strict social distancing measures to fight COVID-19. But it’s in line with a poll conducted in September 2019 and scores from the past decade. About 6 in 10 New Jerseyans said the state is either an excellent or good place to live, while 27% rated it as fair and 14% deemed it a poor place to live. Last year, 68% of people rated New Jersey positively. The quality of life index is lower in urban areas, but up from the past year, the polling institute found. There, the number was +20, similar to +18 score from early 2020. “Perceptions of New Jersey’s quality of life have returned to more normal levels after experiencing a brief rally effect when the pandemic struck last year,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “However, the fact that ratings in urban communities held steady from that spike is worth watching. It may be a blip, but it could also signal increased optimism among these residents,” The index is derived from five questions — overall opinion on the state, on a town or city, local school performance, environmental quality and feeling safe, according to pollsters. The survey also asked respondents if they would visit Jersey Shore this year. Just under 60% of residents surveyed said they planned to travel to the Shore this summer. That’s a number lower than the usual 60 to 70% of people who have planned trips in the past, but higher than the 27% who last year said they would go as the coronavirus crisis continued.
Read MoreKian Glenn, Minneapolis MARIJUANA Solvable without legalization. Let me see if I've got this right ("Legal pot bill focuses on second chances," front page, May 12): 1.?Black people are five times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession in Minnesota — so, we change the law instead of changing the police? 2.?Decriminalizing marijuana will address the disproportionate impact of drug offenses on people of color — but could we just reduce sentences? Issue small fines instead of incarcerating people; make it retroactive. 3.?Some of the revenue generated by the cannabis industry would be used to train law enforcement to recognize drug impairment during traffic stops — so we create a problem, then use the proceeds to try fix the problem we've created. Hmm. Drug impairment? Do we know what we're getting into? 4.?Legalization would address racial economic disparities — and revenue could assist those with marijuana-related criminal records, and minorities, to get into the cannabis industry. Hmm. Solve one problem and create another? Are there other mechanisms for job creation? Do we encourage recovering alcoholics to work in breweries or liquor stores for rehabilitation? Some marijuana users become addicted.
Read MoreFor the first time ever, a bill to legalize recreational marijuana will get a vote on the floor of the Minnesota House later this week. That bill is expected to pass with bipartisan support. In the Republican-controlled Senate, it’s not likely to get a chance at a vote. However, as Esme Murphy reports, even in conservative circles, the times are changing. Guthrie Theater To Reopen In July, With Shows Starting In October. The driving force towards legalization is rapidly shifting public opinion. A 2014 Star Tribune/MPR News poll found 30% of Minnesotans were for legalization, 63% were against. Six years later, just before the pandemic in February 2020, the same poll found the numbers flipped with 51% in favor and 37% against. Republican Rep. Nolan West represents Blaine. Asked how his constituents feel about the issue, he said, “overall, I would say they are definitely supportive. The majority of most people realize alcohol and tobacco are already legal and far more dangerous.” Democrats have extra incentive to pass legalization. Since 2019, two marijuana parties have had major party status. Those parties are widely believed to siphon more votes from Democrats than Republicans.
Read MoreThe Senate Rules Committee will hold a markup Tuesday of the For the People Act, a massive voting and elections bill. Democrats claim the bill is necessary to counter new voting restrictions being considered by multiple states, while Republicans decry it as federal overreach. Committee Chair Amy Klobuchar announced last month that the committee would hold a markup on the bill on May 11, after a hearing on the bill in late March. During a markup, members of the committee may propose changes or amendments to the bill, followed by a final vote on whether to advance the bill to the Senate floor. The House approved the For the People Act by a vote of 220 to 210 in March, with one Democrat joining all Republicans in voting against it. The bill would overhaul government ethics and campaign finance laws, and seek to strengthen voting rights by creating automatic voter registration and expanding access to early and absentee voting. It also includes some measures that would require states to overhaul their registration systems, limit states' ability to remove people from voter rolls, increase federal funds for election security, and reform the redistricting process. Klobuchar has proposed a manager's amendment. The large amendment contains multiple individual amendments offered by the senator managing debate on the bill and proposes changes in response to some criticisms about the bill's scope. Republicans unanimously oppose the bill, arguing that it amounts to a federal takeover of state-run elections. Some critics have called for breaking up the bill into smaller parts, and discarding some provisions. County election clerks and local election officials from both parties have also warned that some of the bill's provisions relating to election administration would be too difficult and expensive to implement.
Read MoreA California bar owner has been arrested for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in what's believed to be the first thwarted scheme of its kind. Undercover agents with the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control bought the bogus cards for $20 each during multiple visits to the Old Corner Saloon in Clements, a small town in San Joaquin County. The agents were told to write their names and birth dates on sticky notes and watched as employees cut the cards, added phony vaccination dates and laminated them, the Associated Press reported. "On the back where they put the two dates when you were vaccinated, they used two different color pens to make it look like it was two different times," supervising agent Luke Blehm told the AP. "So they went to some effort to make it look authentic." The owner, Todd Anderson, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with identity theft, forging government documents, falsifying medical records and having a loaded unregistered handgun, San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar said in a statement this week.
Read MoreThe lesson we have learned all too well from the COVID-19 pandemic is to “follow the science” when formulating health policy. Yet, science is unfortunately taking a back seat as state houses across the country hastily approve marijuana legalization laws. Last month, for example, legalization in New York State coincided with the publication of a new study by the National Institute on Drug Addiction (NIDA) showing that, among teenagers, cannabis can be nearly as addictive as prescription opioids — a finding that failed to compel Albany lawmakers to strengthen safeguards. As more and more states line up to legalize, a closer look at the New York law reveals how legalization is weighted in favor of the increasingly powerful cannabis industry — rather than protecting vulnerable populations, including young people. While the law does focus on such worthy goals as marijuana decriminalization and achieving social equity and criminal-justice reform — in addition to helping communities disproportionately harmed by the failed War on Drugs — it is weak on regulating the soon-to-boom marijuana market.
Read MoreJust hours before he was set to board a flight home to Argentina on Saturday, Santiago Solans Portillo received some news that appeared to throw a wrench in his travel plans: His coronavirus test had come back positive, authorities say. But when the 29-year-old arrived at the airport in Miami, he made no such disclosure to the American Airlines agents checking him in, instead presenting a medical certificate that said he was fit to fly. It was only the following day, when he landed in Buenos Aires and health officials took his temperature, finding he had a fever of 101.3 degrees, that he made his confession: He probably had covid-19 — and should not have boarded the plane. “Due to this irresponsible, selfish behavior, 200 people are at risk despite having done the right thing while traveling,” Florencia Carignano, Argentina’s top immigration official, told reporters this week.
Read MoreCorporations including HP, Levi Strauss, Microsoft and Patagonia are expressing concern about proposed changes to voting rules in Texas, where the Republican-controlled legislature is backing bills that would make it harder for some residents to cast ballots. "We stand together, as a nonpartisan coalition, calling on elected leaders in Texas to support reforms that make democracy more accessible and oppose any changes that would restrict eligible voters' access to the ballot," the companies and other groups stated in a letter released Tuesday by Fair Elections Texas, a recently formed group that includes former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk. Signed by more than 50 entities, including a number of Texas chambers of commerce, the missive urged business and civic leaders to "call upon lawmakers to uphold our ever elusive core democratic principle: equality."
Read MoreA bill to ban the sale of psychoactive cannabinoids synthesized from hemp – such as Delta-8 THC – at shops not licensed as cannabis retailers in Michigan is headed to the House after passing the Committee on Regulatory Reform, MLive reports. The bill expands the definition of cannabis to include THC “regardless of whether it is artificially or naturally derived” and put regulation of the cannabinoids under the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency. Currently, the products can be found at some traditional retailers in the state, such as convenience stores. Republican state Rep. Pat Outman said the unregulated cannabinoids remind him of other “sketchy substances that are working their way into gas stations and other retail places” and that there are “no consumer protections or any sort of regulatory structure” for the products. Dave Crabill, a spokesman for trade group iHemp Michigan, said hemp that can be used for Delta-8 has “the highest value right now” for producers.
Read MoreI have seen many letters to the editor and references to the election process recently, and while I know it is impolite to brag – Ohio gets it right. We are lucky to live in a state that has consistently executed successful elections. It starts with strong leadership at the top, but more importantly, the process has been successful because of our hardworking, bipartisan election officials. Our friends and neighbors – both Democrat and Republican – work together tirelessly to protect the integrity of our elections. During my six years on the Medina County Board of Elections, I saw the amazing work our “team” does! It has been my pleasure to work on the Ohio Election Security and Modernization Act with my fellow state representative Bill Seitz. Our mission: to codify our current procedures with the goal of making it easy to vote – but hard to cheat. In addition, we looked at the recommendations of Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and our Ohio Association of Election Officials. After all, just like a successful business, we can’t rest on our laurels. We have to innovate and improve. Those improvements include: · Securely requesting an absentee ballot online.·Making it easier to register or update your voter registration when you visit the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). · Expanding the definition of voter activity to include petition signatures or BMV activity to reduce the probability of active voters from being removed from the voter rolls.
Read MoreA study published in the scientific journal Addiction provides evidence of the association between recreational cannabis laws in U.S. states and responses in the illegal markets for cannabis, heroin and other drugs. The study found that the implementation of recreational cannabis laws was associated with a decrease illicit cannabis prices, and an increase in the prices of heroin and oxycodone, the news and information source Newswise reported. Following were some of the reported responses in the illegal drug market in those states studied: 2% decrease in street/illegal cannabis prices. 5% decrease in low-quality street/illegal cannabis prices. 64% increase in heroin prices. 54% increase in heroin potency. 3% increase in street/illegal oxycodone prices. 1% increase in street/illegal hydrocodone prices. 93% decrease in law enforcement seizures of street/illegal cannabis >50% decrease in law enforcement seizures of heroin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone. Angélica Meinhofer, assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, told Newswise that the findings suggest that markets for illegal drugs may not be independent of legal cannabis market regulation. “As more states move towards legalization and additional post-(recreational cannabis law) implementation data become available, we’ll need to do more research to determine whether recreational cannabis laws cause those changes in the illegal market and what happens in the long-term,” Meinhofer said. The study used crowdsourced data from Price of Weed and StreetRx on the price and quality of illegal drugs, which may be subject to error and sampling bias.
Read MoreArizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs told Maricopa County officials in a letter Thursday that her office may not allow the county to reuse hundreds of vote-counting machines that the county gave the state Senate for its general election audit. The county broke the chain of custody, or the procedures for properly securing and tracking the machines, when it was required to give the machines to the state Senate under subpoenas, Hobbs wrote in a May 20 letter to the county's Board of Supervisors, Recorder and Elections Department director. Because the machines could have been tampered with while out of the county's custody, she wrote, they should not be used again. Hobbs wrote that if the county tries to use the machines again, even if it performs a full analysis in an attempt to determine whether the machines were still safe to use, her office would "consider decertification proceedings." In Arizona, voting systems must be certified to be used in elections. Replacing the machines would cost the county millions. The county leases its voting machines from Dominion Voting Systems under a 3-year, $6.1 million agreement that runs through December 2022. The county pays Dominion monthly under the agreement, so it may still owe about a third of that cost. Add that to the millions that the county would need to spend to lease or buy new machines.
Read MoreDespite good progress on vaccinations in the U.S., the Biden administration and most officials are weary of requiring "vaccine passports" to prove inoculation. William Brangham discusses the related concerns with Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, and Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University Law Center. That's right, Amna. There's already a slew of different cards and apps that allow you to prove your vaccination status. In some countries, they're expected to become mandatory in order to travel, or do business, or even enter crowded indoor spaces. In the U.S., a number of companies are working on similar products. And while many argue these tools will help us get back to normal quicker, others have concerns over privacy, over equity, and whether this is one step closer to mandating vaccination. We look at some of those arguments now with Larry Gostin — he's a professor of global health law at Georgetown University Law School — and with Dr. Georges Benjamin — he's the executive director of the American Public Health Association. Gentlemen, thank you both very much for being here. Larry Gostin, to you first. I know you have in the past been supportive of this idea of some kind of proof of vaccination. Make the case.
Read MoreAs more people get vaccinated and concerts, sporting events, and large gatherings re-open, it’s becoming likely patrons will have to digitally convey their Covid vaccination or testing status. Biometric security company CLEAR, which ranked No. 19 on this year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list, recently released a product called Health Pass that links Covid-19 health information to biometric identifiers such as your face, eyes and fingerprints. It has been used by the NBA and Walmart, and received investment from a venture arm of the NFL and Danny Meyer. CLEAR, a New York City-based company that specializes in biometric security and originally got its start speeding travelers through growing airport lines in the post-9/11 era, now sees a major opportunity as the country exits lockdown from the Covid-19 pandemic. CLEAR recently released a product called Health Pass that links Covid-19 health information to biometric identifiers such as your face, eyes and fingerprints. Since Health Pass launched, it has made significant inroads, particularly with stadiums that hold sporting events and need to check the status of many people quickly. In February, 100 vaccinated health-care workers were able to attend the Super Bowl by verifying their status through Health Pass. A third of NBA teams are using the app to enforce their Covid protocols for fans. People attending NHL hockey games in Arizona use Health Pass too. The post-pandemic innovation helped CLEAR rank No. 19 on this year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list. “What we realized in March of 2020 was that there was going to be a new card in your wallet that was a vaccine card or test results,” CLEAR co-founder and CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker said on CNBC’s “TechCheck” on Wednesday. “So connecting you to your health insights that are Covid-related was just always part of our mission in what we were doing, right aligned with it.”
Read MoreIllinois decriminalized marijuana in 2016. Then, in 2019, the state legalized it for recreational use. As of Jan. 1, 2020, that legalization kicked in. Some thought legalizing it would reduce the black market and, in turn, stop illegal drug deals. "We anticipated to see this drop," Springfield Police Chief Kenny Winslow said. "So, it's not shocking or surprising to us." Winslow said the drop was expected, but legalizing cannabis has not lowered illegal sales. "No, we have not seen any reduction in the black market," Winslow said. Ward 2 Alderman Shawn Gregory said it's on him and other community leaders to help dealers figure out ways to sell inside the framework of the law. "We want people to be successful and not have to result to things that are illegal, especially when there is a legal way to do it," Gregory said. Winslow was asked if he thinks the streets of Springfield are safer since the legalization.
Read MoreFederal leadership on Covid-19 vaccine credentials, through guidance, would minimize risks and advance their development, say Crowell & Moring LLP attorneys and a director with C&M International. That guidance must address accuracy, privacy, and security, and ethical uses of credentials, or we risk unintended consequences that will slow down a safe return to “normal,” they say. As of May 25, over 164 million Americans had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and over 131 million are fully vaccinated. With an increased focus on re-opening the economy, governments and industry are moving quickly to develop and use Covid-19 vaccine credentials—sometimes called “vaccine passports.” But the risks of moving too quickly are significant. The Biden administration has said the federal government will neither issue vaccine credentials nor implement a requirement for proof of vaccination. It also will not create a federal vaccination database. However, given the varied state and private sector responses to Covid-19 policies and practices, federal leadership on vaccine credentials, through guidance, would minimize risks and advance the development of Covid-19 vaccine credentials to drive the successful re-opening of the economy. That guidance must address accuracy, privacy, and security, and ethical uses of credentials. Otherwise, we risk unintended consequences that will slow down a safe return to “normal.”
Read MoreThe use of flower, or bud, in the Minnesota medical marijuana program is expected to be approved Monday by the Legislature. Right now, the two companies licensed to distribute medical cannabis in Minnesota can only do so in liquid or pill form. Patrick McClellan is active in the medical marijuana program and has lobbied lawmakers for the expansion of flower into the program for nearly a decade. He told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS the flower provision has passed the House and Senate Conference Committee, which, in his opinion, is historic. “It’s historic because it now makes the state’s medical marijuana program feasible and something that can be sustained into the future,” McClellan said. “There are more than 34,000 people who are active in the program, but there are thousands more who do not participate because they cannot afford it and the flower form of distribution will probably cut costs in half.” McClellan said producing the liquid or pill form of the cannabis is very expensive and the use of an independent lab to verify the product just adds to the higher costs which he said makes Minnesota’s medical marijuana program one of the costliest in the nation. “I know families who have to spend $900 a month just to have their children enrolled into the program right now,” said McClellan. “The use of flower will be much cheaper and it will allow the state to have more than two licensed distributors and that will allow more dispensaries around the state, too.” The Legislature is expected to pass the use of flower in the medical marijuana program Monday as part of the Human Services Finance Omnibus Bill, and it has the support of Gov. Tim Walz.
Read MoreLast November’s election results in Myanmar were “by and large, representative of the will of the people,” an independent election monitoring organization said Monday, rejecting the military’s allegations of massive fraud that served as its reason for seizing power. While there were flaws in the election process, “there were a number of procedural safeguards implemented throughout the polling process, which … was found to be transparent and reliable,” the Asian Network for Free Elections said in a report. It noted, however, that Myanmar’s electoral process is “fundamentally undemocratic” because its 2008 constitution, written during army rule, grants the military an automatic 25% share of all parliamentary seats, enough to block constitutional changes. Large sectors of the population, most notably the Muslim Rohingya minority, are deprived of citizenship rights, including the right to vote. Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in the Nov. 8 polls, which should have secured it a second five-year term in office. Its 2015 victory moved Myanmar along a path toward democracy after more than five decades of direct and indirect military rule. But on Feb. 1, the military arrested Suu Kyi and dozens of other top officials. It prevented elected lawmakers from convening a new session of Parliament, declared a state of emergency and said it would run the country until new elections were held in a year — a deadline it later indicated could be delayed an additional year. Security forces have used lethal force in an attempt to suppress huge popular opposition to the military coup. Hundreds of protesters and bystanders have been killed in the crackdown.
Read MoreThe White House maintained that the federal government will not support a system requiring Americans to carry a so-called "vaccine passport," while suggesting the matter will be left to the private sector amid the new guidance on masks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new mask guidance last week, which says fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks indoors or outdoors, or physically distance. The CDC, though, still advises that fully vaccinated individuals wear masks while in crowded indoor settings, such as while riding public transportation and in hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters.
Read MoreCommunities along the East Coast continue to face gas shortages after the Colonial Pipeline Co. fell victim to a cybersecurity attack. Social media users are using the breach to resurrect unfounded claims about election fraud. “If you can hack a pipeline, you can hack a voting machine,” claims a May 10 post. Other accounts posted memes with the same claim. Examples of those posts are visible here and here. These posts draw a misleading comparison between the Colonial Pipeline hack and unfounded allegations about hacked voting systems in the November 2020 election. Investigations around election infrastructure have repeatedly found no evidence of such interference in November. USA TODAY reached out to the posters for comment. When Colonial Pipeline announced it had been hacked on May 7, the company said a ransomware attack affected its information technology systems. Ransomware attacks are cybercrimes that typically involve hackers encrypting important data, making it inaccessible until the target pays a high ransom in digital currency. These cyberattacks usually target corporations, but several hospitals have been victimized by ransomware attacks over the past year as well. “In response to the cybersecurity attack on our system, we proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat, which temporarily halted all pipeline operations, and affected some of our IT systems," the company wrote in a May 10 statement. "To restore service, we must work to ensure that each of these systems can be brought back online safely."
Read MoreRepublican lawmakers introduced legislation this week that would federally legalize and regulate marijuana, saying the proposal was necessary to ensure "individual liberty" and protect states' rights. Representative Dave Joyce, a Ohio Republican, introduced the proposed legislation to end the longstanding federal prohibition of marijuana along with Representative Don Young, an Alaska Republican. The bill would remove cannabis from the Federal Controlled Substances list; instruct the government to create a regulatory framework for marijuana similar to the alcohol industry; allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to prescribe medical cannabis; and protect financial institutions dealing with marijuana distributors and growers.
Read MoreThe state launched its inter-island “vaccine passport” program Tuesday with few problems ? and rave reviews from travelers. But behind the scenes, the program is running into some hiccups. Specifically, Gov. David Ige said Wednesday that vaccine cards are being manually checked to ensure they’re authenticate and that the traveler is actually fully vaccinated. The state still hopes to automate the process ? potentially by June 1. “Right now the verification of vaccine status is being done manually,” Ige said. “We are working with the Safe Travels program to provide access to the state vaccination record and vaccination information. In some of our early testing, we did notice that there was some lag for some of the providers so that’s what we are working on.” Under the program, inter-island travelers can bypass quarantine by uploading their vaccine cards instead of getting tested. Currently, only residents are allowed to participate. Officials said that’s because the state only has access right now to Hawaii vaccination records. The manual nature of checking vaccination cards is in contrast to the state’s system for verifying that travelers have uploaded negative COVID-19 test results in order to skip quarantine. That process is all automated, with travelers getting a QR code that speeds their exit from the airport. The state hasn’t said when a vaccine passport could be expanded to include trans-Pacific travelers ? residents or otherwise. “Our biggest concern is for states that have very low vaccination rates,” he said. “Being able to verify that someone who says they’ve been vaccinated has in fact been vaccinated is an important consideration.”
Read MoreIt’s a simple enough concept as the world begins its recovery from the pandemic: storing COVID-19 vaccination records online so they can be easily accessed on smartphones and other devices. Backers see it as a much more efficient proof of vaccination than the paper slips issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But these so-called vaccine passports have faced an unexpected backlash in some corners of America, where distrust of government and wild social media claims during the pandemic have sparked anger and protests. In some cases, the opposition has been led by people who last year battled against mandatory mask wearing and other COVID-19 restrictions imposed by the government. The intensity of the debate was evident Tuesday in Orange County, where hundreds of protesters descended on a Board of Supervisors meeting to oppose a pilot “passport” program. Despite assurances from officials, some opponents insisted the passports could be used to “track” people and reveal private healthcare information, and enable the county to favor residents who chose to get vaccinated. “I will not be bullied, coerced, harassed in any way, shape or form ... into participating into a massive human experiment in order to fit in,” one woman told the board. County officials repeatedly rejected the claims and expressed frustration at how they have spread. This is not about vaccines; this is about something else,” Supervisor Katrina Foley said. “We should not cater to people who are spreading misinformation and lies.” Orange County — which has for years tried to shake its reputation as a haven for political extremism — was a hotbed of opposition to mask rules and other government-imposed restrictions last year, with Gov. Gavin Newsom sparring with some officials over temporary plan to close beaches. And while cases of COVID-19 have eased considerably in the county and the rest of California, grass-roots skepticism about masks, vaccines and government remains a looming force. Some protesters Tuesday were hostile toward a Times photographer because he was wearing a mask. LAGUNA BEACH, CA - March 30: Amid pleasant weather, visitors take photos and take in the scenic view of Main Beach in Laguna Beach Tuesday, March 30, 2021. Orange County is moving into the state's less-restrictive orange tier as COVID-19 cases continue a downward trend and a windfall of vaccines rolls in. ``The numbers look good, and -- barring anything unforeseen -- we expect (Tuesday) to be on the orange tier list,'' Orange County CEO Frank Kim said. The state updates its weekly averages on Tuesdays based on statistics reported as of Sunday -- so if the numbers county officials have are accurate, the county could qualify for the orange tier on Tuesday and officially move into it on Wednesday. (Allen J. But even in the public health world, there are nuanced views about passports and the prospect of tying vaccinations to some activities.
Read MoreThe national market is set to reach $30.6 billion by 2025.
Read MoreThe Senate Supplemental Funding initiatives include nearly $2 million for an upgrade to Florida’s election hardware.
Read MoreThe E.U. is planning to allow fully vaccinated Americans to visit and travel within its borders this summer, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the New York Times Sunday.
Read MoreSenator Sharon Hewitt has proposed a bill to create a commission that would oversee the selection process of new voting machines. The Secretary of State has had to halt his search for machines twice and now there are hopes this commission can ensure voter trust in the process.
Read MoreA recent poll found that approximately one-quarter of U.S. adults said they had used cannabis within the last year.
Read MoreThe Federal Cannabis Regulations Working Group released its Principles for FederalCannabis Regulations and Reform, outlining what a federal regulatory framework—grounded in justice and social equity—should look like. The working group was convened by the Drug PolicyAlliance at the beginning of this year.
Read MoreAs the number of people vaccinated rapidly climbs and we plan for a return to “normal,” a thorny issue is emerging: whether employers and managers of other public places can or should require COVID shots for entry and, if so, how best to verify someone has been vaccinated.
Read MoreThe structure of the new laws in states likes Virginia, New Jersey, and New York—to name a few—have put centerstage a recognition that the war on drugs was and is a racist institution that purposefully harmed communities of color for decades.
Read MoreNew Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Monday signed two bills that, together, legalize the use and possession of cannabis and expunge previous cannabis related criminal records.
Read MoreRegardless of where you live, vaccine passports on the horizon promise to fast-track our safe return to public spaces. But only if people are able to access and trust them. And that’s a big if.
Read MoreThere's a growing debate over "vaccine passports" — proof that you've gotten the COVID-19 vaccine. Some businesses and even cruise lines are demanding them but opposition is building over privacy and other concerns.
Read MoreThe Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a unit of the Treasury Department, has been meeting with groups including the Drug Policy Alliance and the National Cannabis Roundtable to talk about cannabis regulations.
Read MoreBut the study’s authors said the California’s still vibrant world of unlicensed retailers is the biggest problem when it comes to selling cannabis to underage consumers. Statewide, the illicit market remains three times larger than the legal market, since the lack of taxes and regulations allows unlicensed shops to sell cheaper products to anyone who comes shopping — including minors.
Read MoreA bill that would legalize recreational marijuana cleared its first hurdle Tuesday when the judiciary committee approved it by a narrow margin.
Read MoreIn the process, a new question is emerging: Should governments and the private sector embrace the idea of a digital vaccine passport for travel and even for everyday life?
Read MoreWhite House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday ruled out the Biden administration playing any role in a "vaccine passport" system as Republican governors in particular balk at the concept.
Read MoreGrowing conservative backlash to the idea of "vaccine passports" — proposed by some private-sector industries to promote a safer environment as states begin to ease coronavirus restrictions — could make Republicans even less likely to get their shots, experts warned.
Read MoreThe World Health Organization (WHO) does not currently support the use of "vaccine passports" for travel because of concerns of equity, an agency official said Tuesday.
Read MoreThe messaging war over new voting laws has led to a rise in exaggerated or misleading claims at a time when trust in elections is already fragile after a contentious 2020 campaign.
Read MoreNew York’s Excelsior Pass, developed by IBM, is essentially a simple digital wallet that can be accessed on mobile devices, which holds three items: your name, a QR code and a green check mark.
Read MoreAfter years of stalled attempts, New York State has legalized the use of recreational marijuana, enacting a robust program that will reinvest millions of dollars of tax revenues from cannabis in minority communities ravaged by the decades-long war on drugs.
Read MoreOklahoma’s House Bill 2646 would make minor changes to the state’s already established medical cannabis guidelines and regulations. It would clear up any uncertainty and provide more regulation for the growing industry.
Read MoreAs the coronavirus vaccine becomes more readily available, leaders in travel, tech, and politics are increasingly talking about vaccine passports — documentation of coronavirus vaccination or recent negative Covid test, according to an AP article published by Insider.
Read MoreThe Biden administration said this week that it won’t build a national vaccination app, leaving it to the private sector to create mobile digital passports that can prove people have been vaccinated for Covid-19.
Read MoreAfter years of stalled attempts, New York State has legalized the use of recreational marijuana, enacting a robust program that will reinvest millions of dollars of tax revenues from cannabis in minority communities ravaged by the decades-long war on drugs.
Read MoreNew Mexico House lawmakers approved a revised marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday, sending the proposal to the Senate, where lawmakers are scheduled to consider it later in the day.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security is undertaking a series of “sprints” to enhance American cybersecurity in the wake of major attacks.
Read MoreInstead, the Biden administration has decided to leave it to the states and the private sector to figure this out, with the federal government setting some baseline guidance.
Read MoreGovernment officials in Hawaii aren’t speaking – not on the record, anyway – but a vaccine passport to visit the state could be ready by May and announced as soon as this week, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat.
Read MoreAnyone who wants to fly to America must present evidence that they’re negative for COVID-19, and with over 400 million vaccinated against the insidious virus worldwide, ‘vaxications’ are on the rise. But photos or print-outs of vaccination records are easily lost or faked – and often illegible. So it’s no surprise that tech companies are jumping into the fray to provide solutions.
Read MoreThe Biden administration and private companies are working to develop a standard for a "vaccine passport" that could be used as the country tries to reopen in the coming months.
Read MoreNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday that the state will expand its vaccine passport program beyond a pilot phase, enabling all state residents to display proof that they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19 on their phone.
Read MorePart of this effort included the formation of the Election Security Group (ESG) with the NSA. “The ESG ensured that intelligence informed whole-of-nation efforts to harden defenses and prevent or disrupt threats to the U.S. elections,” Gen. Nakasone indicated.
Read MoreUS marijuana reform a ‘tall order’ for Congress, new MJ coalition chief says
Read MoreNew Harris County voting machines provide backup paper ballots
Read MoreBuilding a Covid Travel Passport Is a Serious Tech Challenge
Read MoreLegislation to legalize cannabis in New Mexico advanced Thursday toward a decisive Senate floor vote under a framework that emphasizes government oversight of pricing and supplies and social services for communities where the criminalization of pot led to aggressive policing.
Read MoreWhile the bill avoids some of the worst fears of marijuana legalization advocates — such as tracking how much pot recreational users purchase — it makes sweeping adjustments to how revenue generated by a 20% tax on cannabis would be allocated
Read MoreDespite the decentralized initial approach and the practical challenges of implementing a universally recognized system, the idea of vaccine passports is likely to become reality in the near term, says Gianfranco Casati, Accenture’s chief executive officer in growth markets.
Read MoreLegislators said March 18 they crafted the bill based on what has been done in the 14 states that have already legalized marijuana – many plagued by out-of-state corporate interests and heavy regulation that cut into local profits.
Read MoreAfter several stalled attempts, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top lawmakers say a deal to legalize marijuana for adult use is closer than ever before. The Democratic governor and legislative leaders have all told reporters in recent days that negotiations over a marijuana-legalization bill have resulted in major progress. On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Yonkers, said a deal is "extremely close." “We have continued to ... have negotiations and really have ironed out a lot of what we think would be important in terms of making sure we do this right," she said. The impasse right now is over marijuana use as it relates to impaired driving, said Stewart-Cousins. But she added: “I’m optimistic that it will be resolved sooner rather than later.” Word of an impending deal comes amid recent polling showing broad support of marijuana legalization in New York. In March, a Siena College poll found that nearly 60% of New York voters who responded supported legalizing recreational marijuana. About 30% opposed it and 8% said they either had no opinion or did not know. In New York, some earlier proposals for marijuana legalization were stymied as pro-cannabis activists and Democratic lawmakers said that Cuomo had rejected measures to ensure enough money went to communities of color disproportionately harmed by enforcement of marijuana prohibition. Sweeping legalization has also seen opposition from law enforcement, physicians and educational groups. But New York still approved a law decriminalizing small amounts of possession of marijuana in 2019.
Read MoreThe legalization of adult use recreational cannabis may soon receive funding. Included in the New York State Budget is funding to create the Office of Cannabis Management, which is a needed first step in legalization. Local experts say a standalone bill to legalize cannabis could be voted on as early as next week, which has potential growers excited for the future. "It gives opportunities to micro businesses, on terms consumption, at-home delivery, its really a great bill for industry," Castetter Cannabis Group CEO Kaelan Castetter told 12 News Tuesday. "It also takes into account equity applicants, economic equity, social equity or disadvantaged farmers," he said. Castetter says he'd expect commercial purchases to be available by the end of 2021 or next year if the legalization bill is passed.
Read MoreIn sharp contrast to bitter partisan battles being waged elsewhere over election laws, Republicans and Democrats in Kentucky moved closer Tuesday toward loosening the state's voting access laws to make limited early voting a fixture. A measure overwhelmingly approved Tuesday in the state Senate would give Kentucky voters three days of no-excuse, early in-person voting — including a Saturday — before Election Day. But it backed off from the temporary, pandemic-related accommodations made last year that allowed widespread mail-in absentee balloting. The bill also seeks to strengthen election security protections. The legislation passed the Senate by a 33-3 margin, sending it back to the House to consider changes made to it. Republicans dominate both chambers, but Senate Democrats joined in voting for the bill. However, the measure didn't come up for a potential final vote before the House adjourned shortly before midnight. That means supporters will have to wait until lawmakers reconvene for a two-day wrap-up session in late March to take up the measure. If it clears the legislature, it would be sent to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. “If it passes and becomes law, not only will it transform the way in which Kentucky elects its public officials, but also ensure that we have one of the best voter integrity laws in the country,” Republican Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer said. Kentucky is accustomed to bare-knuckled partisan fights, but its top elections official noted the mild tone in the state, especially compared to the bitter debates on election law changes in other states. It echoed the tone set before last year's primaries, when Beshear and Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams hashed out emergency voting measures during the pandemic that helped Kentucky largely avoid the long lines and other problems encountered elsewhere. Adams noted this week that while other states are “trying to make it harder to vote,” Kentucky lawmakers are “improving both voter access and election integrity.” He has called it Kentucky’s “most significant election-reform legislation” in nearly three decades. Across the country, Republicans have introduced a flood of legislation to restrict voting access after President Joe Biden beat former President Donald Trump in November. Many of the proposals target absentee voting after Trump repeatedly made false claims about fraud in mail voting.
Read MoreSen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) urged his congressional colleagues to pass legislation aimed at expanding voting access in his first speech from the Senate floor on Wednesday as a number of Republican-led state legislatures across the country, particularly in Georgia, have advanced bills that advocates say would make it more difficult to vote. Warnock said hundreds of what he referred to as “voter suppression bills” have been filed in his state and others “using the big lie of voter fraud as a pretext for voter suppression” since January, when he and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.) unseated two incumbent Republicans in a pair of races that shifted control of the upper chamber to their party. Warnock, who is co-sponsoring the “For The People Act,” a sweeping elections reform bill that passed the House earlier this month, urged Congress to pass the voting bill as well as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in order to protect voting rights.
Read MorePeople who get Covid-19 shots at thousands of Walmart and Sam’s Club stores may soon be able to verify their vaccination status at airports, schools and other locations using a health passport app on their smartphones. The retail giant said on Wednesday that it had signed on to an international effort to provide standardized digital vaccination credentials to people. The company joins a push already backed by major health centers and tech companies including Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Cerner, Epic Systems, the Mitre Corporation and the Mayo Clinic. “Walmart is the first huge-scale administrator of vaccines that is committing to giving people a secure, verifiable record of their vaccinations,” said Paul Meyer, the chief executive of the Commons Project Foundation, a nonprofit in Geneva that has developed health passport apps. “We think many others will follow.”
Read MoreThe federal government shouldn't be involved in verifying that people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, the White House says, but whatever process is developed should be free, private and secure. "It's not the role of the government to hold that data and to do that," Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser for COVID-19 response, said in a briefing Monday. While Americans need a way to reliably demonstrate that they’ve been vaccinated, the government shouldn’t be the one issuing such a certification, Slavitt said. “It should be private. The data should be secure. Access to it should be free. It should be available both digitally and in paper and in multiple languages. And it should be open source,” he said. As more people are vaccinated, both here and around the world, it will likely become more important to provide proof of vaccination – to get on a plane or a cruise ship, hold certain jobs or even enjoy a night out.
Read MoreAfter getting both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, I stored my appointment card in a safe. As a lead instructor for NATO special forces training, I'll need to prove my vaccination status before traveling to NATO headquarters in Belgium when in-person learning resumes, most likely this summer. But my vaccine card, issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will actually not be enough to prove that I am fully vaccinated, especially for international travel. The cards are too easy to forge. With more than 335 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered around the world so far, according to the World Health Organization, the race is on to develop a Covid-19 “vaccine passport.” While planning for my NATO trip, I soon learned an official form wasn’t readily available in the U.S. yet — and may not be soon. Vaccine passports that could determine what people can and can’t do come loaded with ethical considerations. Vaccines are still not easily available around the world and people would be divided into “haves” and “have nots.” Earlier this week, Dr. Mike Ryan, director of WHO's emergencies program, said using vaccine certification as a requirement for travel “is not advised.” Proof-of-immunization cards already exist for yellow fever, and I’ve used one for years to travel to Colombia, Ecuador or anywhere around the globe as needed. Countries such as Iceland, Poland, Portugal and Cyprus have already announced plans for proof-of-vaccination certificates. The European Union expects to present a “digital green pass,” which will combine information on vaccination, recovery from the illness and results from a test for people who aren’t yet fully vaccinated, possibly as soon as this week. And Qantas airline has started its first customer trial of a CommonPass digital health app, which allows people to upload their negative coronavirus test results or proof of vaccination for international flights.
Read MoreState legislators are at a stalemate regarding popular efforts to legalize marijuana in New Mexico with less than a week remaining to send a bill the governor. A state Senate panel pulled cannabis discussions off its agenda minutes before a Sunday hearing. Legislators are searching for common ground among advocates for legalization who say the industry would help New Mexico’s economic recovery from the pandemic. Divergent views on marijuana taxation, licensing and pardon procedures for past convictions are complicating efforts to bring a final bill to a crucial Senate vote. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has set cannabis legalization as a high priority this year as her administration looks for new sources of employment as an antidote to high rates of poverty. In one camp, Republican state Sen. Cliff Pirtle of Roswell is advocating for a streamlined approach to taxation and regulation aimed at stamping out the illicit market for marijuana and providing easy entry for entrepreneurs. Successful legislation also is likely to include social justice provisions within a House-approved bill from Democratic state Rep. Javier Martínez of Albuquerque that emphasizes aid to communities adversely affected by marijuana criminalization. The House-backed bill provides automated pardon and expungement procedures for past marijuana possession charges and convictions. It also would set aside public funds in the future to to underwrite vocation training for cannabis workers, education to prevent substance abuse, and an array of social services in communities battered by policing against illicit drugs. Legislators have until the close of the regular annual legislative session at noon on March 20 to send bills to the governor. Several diehard opponents to legalization were ousted from the state Senate in 2020 elections.
Read MoreVirginia Beach health officials are looking for medical professionals who can help ease the burden of volunteers who have been doling out COVID-19 vaccine shots for months. Licensed doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses and paramedics are “urgently needed,” the city said in a news release Monday. Public health officials are working to vaccinate Virginia Beach residents four to six days a week, they said. “This more intensive schedule is taking a toll on volunteers who comprise about half of the vaccination clinic’s operational staff,” the city wrote in the statement. “Additionally, as vaccine supply increases, more vaccinators will be required to continue to quickly and efficiently inoculate Virginia Beach residents.”
Read MoreMexico is on the verge of creating the world’s largest legal marijuana market, a move that could pressure President Joe Biden to embrace weed, too. Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies passed landmark legislation Thursday morning, ahead of a April 30 deadline set by the country's Supreme Court to legalize recreational sales. The Senate is expected to back the bill in the coming days. “It’s historic,” said Luis Armendáriz, a cannabis attorney with the Hoban Law Group who works with companies that are looking to enter the Mexican market. “You have the end of prohibition of more than 100 years.” President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, whose party strongly backs the proposal, is expected to sign the bill, sandwiching the U.S. between the world's two biggest legal marijuana markets. With a population of nearly 130 million people, Mexico would become the largest country in the world to legalize cannabis at the national level. By comparison, the two other countries that already took that step — Canada (37.6 million) and Uruguay (3.4 million) — have a combined population that adds up to less than a third of Mexico's. The specter of legal marijuana markets on the United States' northern and southern borders is expected to put new pressure on the federal government to loosen restrictions on marijuana. "My guess is at some point that drives the push to decriminalize or legalize,“ said Andrew Rudman, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center, pointing out that a majority of U.S. House members now represent states with legal markets. "I think Mexico probably gives more impetus to something that might have happened anyways.”
Read MoreComing up on the Biden administration's agenda now that the massive coronavirus relief bill has passed: A major infrastucture and jobs package. The House's new $312 billion infrastructure bill, as part of that push, aims to secure the country's most critical infrastructure – and increase the cybersecurity of essential services, including hospitals, broadband and the electric grid. A recent string of high-profile cyberattacks pushed long-neglected cybersecurity issues to the center of national policy discussions. “The infrastructure in the United States is in sore need of updates and the fact that Congress is now recognizing the importance of upgrading not just physical infrastructure but cybersecurity infrastructure is a sign of a new importance and awareness of cybersecurity,” says John Gilligan, president and CEO of the Center for Internet Security, a cybersecurity nonprofit. Key cybersecurity-related investments in the bill include $10 billion to help hospitals guard against cyber criminals and roughly $3.5 billion for electric grid security. Mounting high-profile cybersecurity incidents have made the problem hard to ignore. “Over the last year, we’ve seen the devastating results of inaction: major power outages, water shortages, health care facilities stretched to the limit, and communities left behind due to the digital divide,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) said in a statement introducing the bill. In February, Florida police revealed that a hacker tried to poison the water supply of the town of Oldsmar. And although not the result of a cyberattack, the fallout of a mass grid failure in Texas raised alarms from researchers and lawmakers about cybersecurity weaknesses in America's power systems that could lead to a much worse outage.
Read MoreThe leaders of the United States, Australia, Japan and India pledged to work closely on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, climate issues and security after a meeting on Friday that is seen as part of an effort to counter China’s growing influence. “We strive for a region that is free, open, inclusive, healthy, anchored by democratic? values, and unconstrained by coercion,” the so-called “Quad” countries said in a joint statement. The group will form a vaccine partnership aimed at accelerating the end of the coronavirus pandemic by expanding vaccine manufacturing and help Indo-Pacific countries with vaccination, according to a fact sheet from the group. The United States will finance increased capacity to support Indian drugmaker Biological E Ltd’s effort to produce at least 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of 2022, it said. Japan is in discussions to provide concessional yen loans to India to expand manufacturing for COVID-19 vaccines for export. The Quad countries also formed a working group to tackle climate issues, including to strengthen implementation of the Paris climate accord, as well as a working group for critical and emerging technology, the statement said. The latter will develop a statement of principles on technology development and use and encourage cooperation on telecommunications deployment and diversification of equipment suppliers.
Read MoreGovernment officials and cybersecurity experts are scrambling to stem the damage from a security flaw in Microsoft Exchange that has allowed hackers to infiltrate the servers of at least 30,000 U.S. organizations. The growing number of hackers taking advantage has just made that task much more difficult. Since Microsoft and cybersecurity firm Volexity first attributed the breach to Halfnium, a group of hackers they tied to China, cybersecurity researchers say there are more groups getting in on the action. “It’s a frenzy,” says Steven Adair, president of Volexity, which first discovered the problem. Adair described the race to take advantage of the tens of thousands of servers that have not yet been secured as “a golden opportunity.”
Read MoreVoting technology companies, like Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems, are using billion-dollar defamation lawsuits to try to repair damage to their brands and bottom lines from conspiracy theories that alleged they were involved in stealing the 2020 election for President Joe Biden. Some see these legal fights as another way to take on viral misinformation, one that’s already starting to show some results. “This goes beyond hoping to stop the disinformation,” said attorney Steve Skarnulis. “The goal that we have is to hold people accountable.” Skarnulis represents Dominion employee Eric Coomer, who remains in hiding after being threatened and falsely accused of manipulating election results. Coomer filed the first defamation lawsuit related to the 2020 election. Skarnulis hopes that in addition to helping Coomer clear his name and return to a normal life, the suits will also serve as a warning. “I hope that it will shock media and other personalities who have the platforms they do, enough that they will be much more cautious about spreading disinformation.”
Read MoreHawaii state senators on Tuesday advanced a slight increase to the minimum wage and another measure that would legalize recreational pakalolo for anyone 21 years and older. While this is the first year a recreational pot measure has cleared a full floor vote, it appears dead on arrival in the House of Representatives. A key House chairman said he may not hear the measure. The House meanwhile advanced measures allowing certain nurses to perform abortions after significant debate on the floor. Those bills are among hundreds that crossed over between the House and the Senate on Tuesday. More stringent gun control laws also drew some attention during floor debates. And the new federal stimulus bill may spell death for certain tax credit proposals.
Read MoreSenate Rules Committee Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Wednesday reintroduced legislation to designate funding to provide cybersecurity training to election officials. The Invest in Our Democracy Act would establish a $1 million grant program to cover up to 75 percent of the costs of tuition for cybersecurity or election administration training for state and local election officials, along with their employees. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) would oversee the grant program, with EAC employees also eligible to receive funding for training. The bill was originally introduced in 2019 by Klobuchar and Collins but did not advance in the Senate. Klobuchar has been a key senator involved in spearheading election security legislation over the past several years, and before becoming chairwoman she served as the ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal elections and other related issues. “Our intelligence officials have made clear that our election systems continue to be a target for foreign adversaries,” Klobuchar said in a statement on Wednesday. “While federal and state officials have agreed that the 2020 election was ‘the most secure in American history,’ we must continue to do everything in our power to protect our democracy from the ongoing threat of foreign interference.”
Read MoreCybercriminals are flooding potential victims with scams using the pending coronavirus relief plan as bait. That's according to a new report by researchers at cybersecurity firm Proofpoint. Stimulus checks outlined in the bill, which is expected to be passed by the House as early as today, have not been sent out yet. But already last week researchers discovered a campaign of thousands of emails that sought to trick Americans into filling out a phony form to “apply” for American Rescue Plan checks from the Internal Revenue Service. The emails encouraged recipients to download an Excel sheet which, once downloaded, launched a malicious software known as a Dridex that steals personal banking information and other login credentials. In reality, the payments are calculated and sent by the government automatically based on your taxes. This is just the latest example of how the global coronavirus crisis has spawned more scams than any other event in the past decade. “Pandemic-themed attacks remain ever-present, and we’ve never observed such a convergence around a single social engineering lure for such an extended time,” Sherrod DeGrippo, senior director for threat research and detection at Proofpoint, writes in the report. “These campaigns transcend borders, languages, and industries.” The Proofpoint report also notes that hackers are playing on uncertainties around the pandemic and vaccine distribution to try to steal tax forms including W2, W9 and 1099 from businesses. Other emails that researchers found contained malicious software purported to be from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the World Health Organization (WHO), and delivery company DHL.
Read MoreThe United States has identified three online publications directed by Russia’s intelligence services that it says are seeking to undermine Covid-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna, a State Department spokeswoman said on Sunday. The outlets “spread many types of disinformation, including about both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as international organizations, military conflicts, protests, and any divisive issue that they can exploit,” the spokeswoman said. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) first reported on the identification of the alleged campaign on Sunday. A Kremlin spokesman denied the U.S. claim Russia was spreading false information about vaccines to the WSJ. Russia’s embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Russia approved its Sputnik V vaccine in August, before a large-scale trial had begun, saying it was the first country to do so for a Covid-19 shot. Peer-reviewed trials months later proved it was almost 92% effective in fighting the virus. Pfizer, headquartered in New York, and Germany’s BioNTech, produced the first vaccine that was authorized in the United States, which regulators approved in December. The second, made by Moderna, headquartered in Massachusetts, was authorized later that month. The State Department’s Global Engagement Center, set up to counter propaganda and disinformation campaigns, identified the three outlets, the spokeswoman said.
Read MoreThe newly confirmed head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has given final approval to a federal rule laying out regulations for the hemp industry, despite outstanding concerns from advocates about certain provisions. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who is widely considered an ally of the hemp industry, signed off on the rule following a departmental review that began during the presidential transition. It will take effect on March 22, as originally planned.
Read MoreMexico is inching closer to becoming the world's largest legal cannabis market as lawmakers prepare to debate a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana. The Chamber of Deputies, Congress' lower house similar to the U.S. House of Representatives, will take up the issue early next week, Martha Tagle Martínez, a member of the chamber's health committee, said in a series of tweets. The Senate approved the legalization of medical marijuana almost four months ago, and two months later, the Health Ministry published rules to regulate the use of medicinal cannabis. Former President Vicente Fox, who is on the board of global medical marijuana company Khiron Life Sciences Corp., said he sees the potential for Mexico to cash in on much-needed job creation, economic investment and medical advancements. A regulated market could also help to lessen the cartel violence that has become synonymous with the country. "Many great things will happen," he said. "We're taking away this beautiful plant from criminals and putting in the hands of retailers and farmers."
Read MoreRepublicans in the Minnesota Legislature want to dramatically limit the number of people who can vote by mail and require a photo ID at the polls, as they join conservative lawmakers across the nation in a tidal wave of proposals to tighten access to the democratic process. In Minnesota, and in states like Georgia and Arizona that were key to delivering the White House and Congress to Democrats last year, Republicans argue the new policies would instill confidence in the U.S. voting system following the 2020 election, which saw former President Donald Trump promote baseless allegations of widespread fraud. With a Democratic governor and state House majority, all major election law changes are unlikely in Minnesota this year. But Republicans who lead the state Senate have sprung off concern among conservatives over Trump's claims to renew their own long-standing push for stricter voting rules. "It's been quite visible in terms of some of those concerns. The answer to that is transparency," said Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, a former secretary of state who is planning a public hearing on questions related to the 2020 election. "When folks ask these questions we should try to get them answered." Courts from coast to coast, state and federal election officials and the nation's law enforcement and intelligence communities gave last year's vote the stamp of approval as one of the most secure elections in the nation's history.
Read MoreCannabis website Leafly released its 2021 jobs report this week, noting the United States added about 77,000 full-time jobs in the cannabis industry. Legal cannabis now supports 321,000 full-time jobs in America. Leafly offered this perspective on how many jobs that is: “In the United States there are more legal cannabis workers than electrical engineers. There are more legal cannabis workers than EMTs and paramedics. There are more than twice as many legal cannabis workers as dentists.” Leafly says it creates these reports in partnership with labor economists at Whitney Economics, using publicly available sales data compiled by state cannabis regulatory agencies, as well as cannabis employee license data, median state salary statistics, and cannabis job salary surveys.
Read MoreWith voting rights legislation that passed the House this week marching toward a likely death in the Senate, activists are readying for a fight to save it: they're taking on the bill-slaying filibuster, the Senate rule requiring 60 votes to end debate on a measure. In an evenly split 50-50 Senate, it will always be a struggle to win over 10 senators from the other side. "Those who won the election, who have the majority are going to be faced with a choice: do they protect voting rights or do they protect the filibuster rule?" said Stephen Spaulding, senior counsel for public policy & senior adviser at Common Cause. "I don't think saying, 'Oh, but the filibuster,' is going to cut it." The "For the People Act," known as HR1, is a broad bill that would create automatic, same-day, and online voter registration nationwide. It includes some measures that would require states to overhaul their registration systems. It would expand absentee voting, limit the states' ability to remove people from voter rolls, increase federal funds for election security and reform the redistricting process.
Read MoreThe battle over voting rights in the US is a drama that's playing out concurrently in the Congress and state legislatures across the country. On one side are Republicans in state capitols, intent on passing laws curtailing when and where their citizens can vote - citing allegations of voting fraud repeatedly made by Donald Trump in the months after his presidential defeat to Joe Biden. On the other are Democrats in Washington, DC, who are pushing legislation to take those decisions out of the hands of state politicians by setting federal rules for conducting elections. At the centre of the debate is a question of what is the greatest threat to American democracy. Is it the security of an election process that in 2020 relied heavily on early and mail-in voting? Or is it a system, corrupted by the influence of big donors and powerful interests, that makes voting more difficult than necessary, particularly for historically disadvantaged groups?
Read MoreIllinois pot shops unloaded nearly $2.9 million worth of recreational weed each day in February, outpacing a record set just a month earlier. Average daily sales in February hit a new high of roughly $2.88 million, up from the $2.86 million a month earlier, according to figures released this week by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. All told, dispensaries sold more than $80 million in recreational pot products last month. That marked a drop from the record $88 million in sales recorded in January, when there were three more days of sales. In the first full year of legalization, recreational pot sales reached nearly $670 million. Based on this year’s first two months, total sales in 2021 are on pace to eclipse $1 billion. The sales figures are reported separately from medical marijuana tallies, which are reported later in the month. Despite the eye-popping numbers, cannabis consultant Andy Seeger said sales might start to level off. Without more cultivation space, more stores or new, pricier products, there’s only so much the industry will be able to grow. Meanwhile, the state’s outstanding cannabis licenses — including 40 craft cultivation permits and 75 new dispensary licenses — have all been delayed indefinitely amid an ongoing controversy. Still, Seeger acknowledged that shops have been able to streamline operations over the past 14 months and adapt their processes in the wake of the pandemic. “The average dispensary can only handle so many customers each day, especially with current health conditions. There aren’t exactly lines but sales are going to be relatively steady with seasonal and weekly trends,” said Seeger, noting that shops in Colorado typically do better business in the summer months and most places have lower sales numbers on Mondays.
Read MoreThe head of the FBI renewed calls for special law enforcement access to encrypted technologies in response to recent acts of domestic extremism. FBI director Christopher A. Wray and other FBI officials made the argument to senators over two days of hearings about law enforcement efforts leading up the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. They highlighted the use of the technology by the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitola as some of the perpetrators used encrypted technology to plan and execute the assault. “We … are moving more and more in a direction where if we don't come up collectively with some kind of solution it's not going to matter how bulletproof the legal process is or how horrific the crime is or how heartbreaking the victims are we will not be able to get access to the content and the evidence that we need to protect the American people,” Wray told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday. “I think, we will all rue the day.” The warnings come as Capitol Police warn of a possible plot by a militant group to today breach the Capitol, Tom Jackman, Matt Zapotosky, Michael Brice-Saddler and Craig Timberg report. Some followers of the extremist ideology QAnon falsely claim that former president Donald Trump will return to the White House on March 4. While online chatter around the event is less than that around the Jan. 6 attack, researchers aren't ruling out smaller attacks being planned on encrypted channels, my colleagues report. Wray's first major jab at encryption under the Biden administration is just the latest marker in a years-long struggle between tech companies and the government over whether law enforcement should have special access to secure data. Wray and other law enforcement leaders charged that “end-to-end” encryption limits their ability to access critical evidence and detect crimes. That risk has gotten worse as more and more tech companies adopt the technology, which protects data so only the sender can access it. No third party, including the tech company offering the service that sent the data, has access to the material.
Read MoreAn Illinois Senate bill introduced by Senator Darren Bailey would require the use of hand-marked paper ballots for elections. The bill also requires software to be implemented that detects security vulnerabilities in the state’s voter registration rolls. Bailey says the two requirements would help ensure the security of elections.
Read MoreA bill to restrict ballot drop boxes, require more ID for absentee voting and limit weekend early voting days passed the Georgia House on Monday amid protests that the proposals would make it harder for voters to participate in democracy. The House voted along party lines, 97-72, on the sweeping elections bill supported by Republicans who want to impose new voting requirements after losing presidential and U.S. Senate races in Georgia. Democrats opposing the legislation said it creates obstacles for voting that will do more to reduce turnout than increase election security. The bill now heads to the state Senate, where a committee voted Monday to end no-excuse absentee voting, which would require most voters to cast ballots in person. That legislation could receive a vote in the full Senate within days. Georgia is at the center of a nationwide debate over election access and security, brought on by Republican Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud. Election officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, have said there’s no evidence of widespread fraud that could have changed the election, and the results were verified by recounts and audits.
Read MoreLawmakers in Virginia have reached a deal to make the state the 16th in the nation and the first in the south to legalize recreational marijuana use. But the compromise bill is receiving blow back from some legalization advocates who say it falls short of racial justice aims. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed the bill in a Saturday legislative session in a party line vote of 48 to 43 in the House and 20 to 19 in the Senate. The legislation would legalize the use of cannabis by people over the age of 21 starting in 2024, when retail markets would be established. The law would also allow possession of up to an ounce by anyone over 21 and establishes a state agency to oversee regulation of the cannabis market. Specifics of the regulations were punted until next year, when they'll be decided by the legislature. The bill calls for 30% of marijuana tax revenue to go to a fund aimed at communities historically over-policed for marijuana-related crimes. Under the legislation, people under the age of 21 would face a $25 civil penalty and have to undergo treatment. Marijuana legalization had been a priority for Democrats in the state, who have cited disparities in how people of color are penalized for possession and use. Lawmakers had already decriminalized possession of smaller amounts last year. Gov. Ralph Northam — who announced his intentions to legalize marijuana use late last year — is expected to sign the measure into law.
Read MoreProponents of legalizing recreational marijuana in New York are putting their weight behind a bill in the state legislature, saying they prefer it to the competing framework that Gov. Andrew Cuomo has included as part of his proposed $193 billion budget. Associations representing growers and medical marijuana companies that operate in the state as well as the Drug Policy Alliance, which supports legalizing the drug for social-justice reasons, issued a rare joint statement in support of the pending Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, or MRTA. Their focus comes as the Democratic governor grapples with federal inquiries into the state’s handling of Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes and accusations that he sexually harassed two former female aides. Mr. Cuomo’s spokeswoman has denied a claim detailed Wednesday by Lindsey Boylan, who worked for the state from 2015 to 2018. The governor said in a Saturday night statement that he never acted inappropriately toward Charlotte Bennett, a 25-year-old former aide who said Mr. Cuomo asked questions about her sex life that made her uncomfortable. On Sunday, Mr. Cuomo said he was sorry his actions had been interpreted as unwanted flirtation. State lawmakers have spent the past two weeks considering ways to be more assertive over matters of policy, which Mr. Cuomo has dominated since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago. The course they choose could have consequences on the contours of marijuana legalization in the state.
Read MoreRepublican-led legislatures in dozens of states are moving to change election laws in ways that could make it harder to vote. Many proposals explicitly respond to the 2020 election: Lawmakers cite public concerns about election security — concerns generated by disinformation that then-President Donald Trump spread while trying to overturn the election. The Brennan Center, a nonprofit that tracks voting laws, says that 43 states — including key swing states — are considering 253 bills that would raise barriers to voting, for example by reducing early voting days or limiting access to voting by mail. Lawmakers in a different set of 43 states have proposed expanding voter access, but Republicans have prioritized new security requirements and shorter voting periods. In Georgia, which President Biden won by nearly 12,000 votes, legislators are considering multiple bills to restrict voting. The most significant, House Bill 531, is before a committee chaired by Republican Rep. Barry Fleming. He said Democrat Stacey Abrams campaigned to expand voter access after losing a governor's race in 2018, and now Republicans want their own changes. The bill is "an attempt to restore the confidence of our public," he said, because "there has been controversy regarding our election system."
Read MoreThe New York State Department of Health is now accepting applications from businesses seeking to operate as cannabinoid hemp processors, retailers or distributors — a move that could effectively level.
Read MoreThe Department of Homeland Security is making cybersecurity one of its top priorities for funding this year, underscoring the Biden administration's growing focus on it as part of national security. A new plan released yesterday outlines several areas of investment.
Read MoreStates should take a closer look at their election laws to protect against fraud in mail-in voting, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday.
Read MorePresident Biden's new executive order to boost U.S. chip production has been met with praise from an unexpected source: Chinese telecommunications firm Huawei.
Read MoreRecreational weed is finally legal in New Jersey after years of failed legislative attempts. While the historic law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy Monday allows for the possession of up to six ounces of marijuana, it will take time for Garden State residents 21 and older to be able to legally purchase weed.
Read MoreThe Republican leaders of the Legislature's budget committee said Thursday they would throw out central parts of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' budget, including his plan to legalize marijuana, raise the minimum wage and overhaul the state's juvenile correctional system. .
Read MoreNew York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes believes 2021 is the year that the Empire State will get marijuana legalization done. "It is my hope and desire that New York will legalize adult-use of cannabis this current session in 2021," the assemblywoman told Cheddar.
Read MoreUnraveling marijuana laws could be a long, tedious process, but some lawmakers have said they're ready to try.
Read MoreDemocracy works best when every American voter can fully participate in the process of electing their leaders, no matter where they live, the color of their skin, or how much money they make. We saw this firsthand during the 2020 election, when despite the risks of a deadly global pandemic, Democrats and Republicans turned out in record breaking numbers, overcoming obstacles that stood in their way to the ballot box. Now that the election called by many bipartisan officials one of the "most secure elections in American history," is over, it is critically important for Congress to ensure that the attacks our democracy have suffered on several fronts over the past decade are addressed. Our democracy needs repair, and the For the People Act does just that. It would address some of the most serious challenges to our nation’s democratic systems. These reforms are drawn from bills that have bipartisan political support at both the federal and state levels. They include implementing automatic voter registration, expanding same-day and online voter registration, and creating independent redistricting commissions to eliminate gerrymandering. Automatic voter registration has been successfully adopted and implemented in more than a dozen states, including the traditionally red states of West Virginia, Georgia, and Alaska with bipartisan support. In Illinois, it passed unanimously across party lines and was signed into law by the state’s Republican governor. The For the People Act would provide vote-by-mail access to all Americans — access that has been traditionally available in states like Arizona, Idaho and Kansas. This legislation allows eligible voters to request a mail ballot without providing an excuse and makes the process more secure, easier to understand, and effective. Twenty-nine states, including Florida, Georgia, and Nebraska, currently permit no-excuse absentee and mail voting with appropriate provisions to ensure ballot security. Additionally, the bill would crackdown on the growing influence of secret money in our political campaigns. Voters have a right to know who is trying to influence their vote, and who is trying to influence our government.
Read MoreDefeating individuals who reject truth and democracy is "the struggle for our time," University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker declared during a speech at a Thursday board meeting.
Read MoreThe Biden administration is plunging ahead in a pair of high-profile cybersecurity investigations into North Korean and Russian hackers, shedding light on how it plans to crack down on foreign hackers after the Trump administration downplayed the issue in the 2016 election and its aftermath.
Read MoreCornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon said Thursday that while there are steps President Biden can take to advance cannabis legalization unilaterally, there appears to be substantial support in Congress, as well.
Read MoreSouth Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Thursday she would likely veto any bills that allow recreational marijuana use this year, despite some GOP lawmakers weighing whether to move forward with legalization.
Read MoreAfter Hughes County judge Christina Klinger ruled against the legality of Amendment A, lawmakers are now left to wonder how they should approach the issue of marijuana moving forward.
Read MoreAfter a volatile election cycle marred by unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, a group of experts is recommending that President Biden form a commission to boost Americans' confidence in elections and to propose ways to increase security by 2022.
Read MoreRepublicans, of all people, should understand the laws of supply and demand. The Hill reported last week: “More than 30,000 voters who had been registered members of the Republican Party have changed their voter registration in the weeks after a mob of pro-Trump supporters attacked the Capitol — an issue that led the House to impeach [President Donald Trump] for inciting the violence.”
Read MoreOn Dec. 14, President-elect Joe Biden secured his victory after he received 306 votes from the Electoral College, per USA TODAY. Recently, though, social media users have shared a meme with statistics that they claim discredits his victory.
Read MoreState Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, of Orlando, introduced a bill in the Florida House this week that would make marijuana available for use by adults over 21 without needing a medical marijuana card, as part of a round of legislation that would also review certain marijuana-crime convictions.
Read MorePresident Biden's decision to begin his term with an order to investigate Russian hacking and election interference is a dramatic elevation of cybersecurity issues in U.S. national security policy. As Biden seeks to extend a treaty limiting the world's largest nuclear arsenals – with just days before it expires – he is also preparing to punish Russia for its behavior in cyberspace. He's asking the newly-installed director of national intelligence to investigate the extensive Russian hack of at least eight government agencies tied to the SolarWinds breach and Russia's interference in the 2020 election to inform this decision.
Read MoreDemocrats taking control of the Senate — decided Wednesday by Democratic candidate Jon Ossoff's win over GOP Sen. David Perdue in the Georgia Senate runoff election — significantly changes the prospects for passing cannabis legislation in the new Congress.
Read MoreThe emails obtained by The Sun were included in lawsuits filed in Denver District Court and federal court against Gov. Jared Polis and backed by the discount cigarette company Liggett Vector Brands Inc. seeking to invalidate a minimum-price clause in Proposition EE
Read MoreThe violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is intensifying scrutiny over security at the upcoming inauguration ceremony for President-elect Joe Biden, which already has been reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic and President Donald Trump’s decision not to attend. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take the oath of office from the Capitol’s West Front, one of the locations where a mob overpowered police and stormed the building on Wednesday.
Read MoreLawmakers and congressional staff were ushered into secure locations as a mob backing President Trump violently stormed the U.S. Capitol in hopes of overturning the election he lost. The assault – which only temporarily delayed the certification of president-elect Joe Biden's win – left many unanswered questions about security at the Capitol, including its cybersecurity
Read MoreHere’s what you need to know about the future of marijuana legalization in the United States, from its racist beginnings to today.
Read MoreMore than a month ago, Eric Coomer went into hiding. The voting conspiracy theories that have led millions of Republicans to feel as though the election was stolen from them, which are still spreading, have also led to calls for Coomer's head. Coomer oversees product strategy and security for Dominion Voting Systems, the Denver-based company that has suddenly found itself at the center of many of President Trump's false claims about November's election, spread by allies and pro-Trump media. Some of Trump's supporters have focused on Coomer as the supposed evil mastermind. "I actually am in fear for my safety," Coomer said recently, speaking by video call from an undisclosed location to Colorado Public Radio. "I'm in fear for my family's safety. These are real, tangible things coming out of these baseless accusations." On Tuesday, Coomer sued the Trump campaign and a number of allies, alleging defamation. It's just the latest example of how people's lives are being upended and potentially ruined by the unprecedented flurry of disinformation this year. The problem grows. As people experience their own individual Internet bubbles, it can be hard to recognize just how much misinformation exists and how the current information ecosystem compares with previous years. But companies that specialize in the subject said it is getting exponentially worse. NewsGuard, which vets news sources based on transparency and reliability standards, found recently that among the top 100 sources of news in the U.S., sources it deemed unreliable had four times as many interactions this year compared with 2019.
Read MoreScientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new anti-counterfeiting technology they say can better ensure the authenticity of high-value products such as jewelry, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
Read MoreThe challenges posed to brand protection programs by counterfeit and illicit trade are pervasive, numerous and ever-evolving. Unraveling these challenges is a complicated task that the Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement (AGMA).
Read MoreSen. Mitt Romney of Utah accused Republican colleagues planning to object to President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory of a playing dangerous game of political ambition in defiance of common sense and the Constitution.
Read MoreThe Cuomo Administration has provided details for its plan to regulate and tax adult-use recreational cannabis in its budget plan. The Governor says it could generate $350 million in revenue a year once matured.
Read MoreU.S. counterintelligence chief William Evanina stepped down from his position Wednesday, ending a decades-long career in the intelligence community combating leaks and raising the alarm about foreign election interference.
Read MoreThe market for cannabis products, both recreational and industrial, seems to be on the verge of major growth. Though China dominates global supply, its grasp over the market might weaken if companies consider moving supply chains out of the country, as they have throughout 2020. This sentiment likely won’t last and must be taken advantage of...Rhea Chakraborty may never have heard of Harry Anslinger and has definitely never met him.
Read MoreEuropean, U.S., British and Canadian law enforcement teamed up to yesterday take down one of the biggest international cybercrime groups, Europol announced. The Emotet takedown shows that law enforcement is getting more aggressive against international hackers. But keeping them offline comes with enormous challenges, cybersecurity experts say.
Read MoreSome have suggested that the best way to defend our elections is to strengthen cybersecurity. While doing so is important, the recent presidential election was the most secure in U.S. history. In practice, many of the most serious dangers to democracy stem from, or are worsened by, social media and online political advertising — no breaches or hacks necessary.
Read MoreIn a disappointing twist for advocates of drug policy reform, Mexico will not legalize cannabis in 2020. The country’s Supreme Court accepted a formal petition from the Lower House of Congress on December 10, requesting an extension until April 30, 2021, on a looming deadline for a vote on a proposed legalization bill. The court had previously ruled that the legalization bill must be voted on by December 15. The petition from the Lower House of Congress claimed that the “complexity of the issues at hand” and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic "has made it difficult for the legislative process to consider with the depth and care that any process of formation and reform of the laws implies." The Supreme Court obliged, also citing COVID as the reason they accepted the petition for postponement. Cannabis enthusiasts had been optimistic that the bill — while flawed — would pass the various levels of government by the December deadline. In November, Mexico's Senate voted to pass the bill, leaving the Lower House of Congress as the only roadblock to legalization. “It’s disappointing that the two legislative bodies couldn’t have coordinated better the drafting of this bill in order to ensure that they would have complied with the dates set by the Supreme Court,” said Zara Snapp, a legalization activist and co-founder of the Mexican research and advocacy organization Instituto RIA. The recent Supreme Court decision is the fourth time that the governing body has allowed the deadline to be extended since ruling in 2018 that the prohibition of the personal use and cultivation of cannabis was unconstitutional. However, Snapp expressed hope that lawmakers will use the additional time to alter the bill to remove remaining criminal penalties and sanctions, and expand opportunities for communities who have been affected by prohibition.
Read MoreMichigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson will be allowed to take part in an Antrim County election lawsuit that allies of President Donald Trump hope can upend the state's election results. Judge Kevin Elsenheimer of the 13th Circuit Court ruled Thursday afternoon that Benson could intervene in a lawsuit filed by local resident William Bailey. While Bailey purportedly filed the lawsuit to settle the outcome of a local marijuana proposal, his attorney Matthew DePerno made much broader electoral claims. During a procedural hearing that was supposed to focus on whether Benson had a stake in the election lawsuit, DePerno alleged a team of Trump-aligned investigators had found "significant errors" during a recent review of 22 voting machines in the county. Last week, Elsenheimer — a Republican who served in the state Legislature in the late 2000s — approved a request from Bailey's team for an injunction. He ordered Antrim County to preserve and protect machines for forensic images and/or other information gleaned from the forensic investigation. DePerno did not provide any of this evidence during the hearing, saying the results of the review are preliminary. The only specific allegations he mentioned involved voting machines having unsecured data ports or not having magnetic security tape. He didn't provide proof for the statements, and even if they were true, they would not be evidence of fraud. But DePerno said the preliminary results are enough to justify overturning Michigan election results. "We believe the results in Antrim County are uncertifiable, the canvassing board was incorrect. The only option would be to decertify the election in Antrim County," DePerno said. "And if that happens, under (the U.S. Constitution), the Michigan results must go to the state Legislature.” DePerno did not immediately respond to questions emailed Thursday. On Monday, DePerno he told "The Steve Gruber Show" he is not working for the Trump campaign, but he is "happy to cooperate" with them.
Read MoreThe U.S. election and cybersecurity official who was fired last month by President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday over threatening remarks by a lawyer for the president that prompted a wave of death threats against him. Christopher Krebs says in the suit that he has been “bombarded” with threats since attorney Joseph diGenova appeared on the pro-Trump TV network Newsmax and called for Krebs to be killed. “The defendants’ threats have upended plaintiff’s life, as well as his family’s security, and caused serious fear, distress, suffering, and even physical damage,” he said in the lawsuit, filed in diGenova's home state of Maryland.
Read MoreJocelyn Benson, Michigan’s top election official, had just finished hanging Christmas decorations with her young son on Saturday night when a crowd demanding November’s presidential election result be reversed gathered outside her home to denounce her as a “traitor” and a “criminal.” The demonstrators, some armed and holding up placards saying “Stop the Steal”, clustered on the sidewalk outside Benson’s Detroit home as security and police officers looked on, video broadcast live on Facebook by one of the participants showed. “Through threats of violence, intimidation, and bullying, the armed people outside my home and their political allies seek to undermine and silence the will and voices of every voter in this state,” Benson, Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State, said in a statement on Sunday. The demonstration was the latest of what election authorities across the United States describe as a tide of intimidation, harassment and outright threats in the charged aftermath of the Nov. 3 election, which Republican President Donald Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has made unsubstantiated claims of widespread electoral fraud and is trying but failing to overturn Biden’s victory, challenging the outcome in court in multiple states while also pressing state officials, lawmakers and governors to throw the results out and simply declare Trump the winner. Courts have so far rejected those requests. Supporters of Trump in recent weeks have staked out election officials’ offices in Georgia, mounted armed protests in Arizona and left menacing telephone messages for election officials across the country, producing political turmoil unlike any other in modern U.S. history.
Read MoreThe House on Friday passed sweeping legislation that would decriminalize marijuana and expunge nonviolent marijuana-related convictions, as Democrats sought to roll back and compensate for decades of drug policies that have disproportionately affected low-income communities of color. The 228-164 vote to approve the measure was bipartisan, and it was the first time either a chamber of Congress had ever endorsed the legalization of cannabis. The bill would remove the drug from the Controlled Substances Act and authorize a 5 percent tax on marijuana that would fund community and small business grant programs to help those most impacted by the criminalization of marijuana. The legislation is, for now, almost certainly doomed in the Republican-led Senate, where that party’s leaders have derided it as a superficial distraction from the work of passing coronavirus relief, as lawmakers inched toward bipartisan compromise after spending months locked in an impasse. But the bill’s passage in the House amounted to a watershed moment decades in the making for advocates of marijuana legislation, and it laid out an expansive federal framework for redressing the racial disparities in the criminal justice system exacerbated by the war on drugs. “The effects of marijuana prohibition have been particularly felt by communities of color because it has meant that people from the communities couldn’t get jobs,” Representative Jerry Nadler, Democrat of New York and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said in an interview. Mr. Nadler, who spearheaded the legislation with Senator Kamala Harris, Democrat of California and the vice president-elect, described the collateral consequences of a conviction for marijuana possession as creating “an often-permanent second-class status for millions of Americans.” The idea behind the legislation is “you want to make whole these communities, and you want to compensate,” he said. “You want to shed light on what was done.” The legislation intends to give states power and incentives to enact their own reforms, and its passage came as states around the county, including some conservative-leaning ones, have become increasingly open to decriminalizing marijuana amid a growing consensus that the war on drugs has been destructive. Fifteen states have legalized recreational cannabis, and voters in five states last month voted on legalization issues, bringing the number of states where medical marijuana is legal to 35. The law would require federal courts to release those serving sentences for nonviolent, marijuana-related offenses, and set up grant programs focused on providing job training, legal aid and substance use treatment, as well as grants for small businesses in the marijuana industry led by low-income and minority business owners. Physicians with the Department of Veterans Affairs would also be allowed for the first time to recommend medical marijuana to their patients.
Read MoreMexico is potentially on track to become the third country in the world to legalize recreational-use cannabis. New laws currently under discussion might make Mexico the world’s largest legal market for marijuana. Following the examples set by Uruguay and Canada, Mexico’s Senate has already voted to approve a bill that would start the process for creating a legal framework for a licit market for marijuana. Up until now, the driving force behind the push to legalize marijuana in Mexico has been the Supreme Court, which ruled that marijuana use falls under protected modes of individual self epression. Support from the MORENA party of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was essential for passing a legalization bill in Mexico’s Senate. President Lopez Obrador, a perplexing politician who promotes the values of individual liberty, rails against “conservatives” and yet also promotes traditional, family values and has strong ties to Mexico’s conservative religious groups, has not talked much about the issue of legalization. Up until now he has mostly stayed on the sidelines, letting Mexico’s courts interact with the legislative branch. Overall, the potential opportunity to create a legal market for recreational-use marijuana is an important development in Mexico. Marijuana was once at the center of the business model for many organized crime groups in Mexico. But, with U.S. states such as California and Colorado now operating legal markets for locally-produced marijuana, Mexico’s cartels have already diversified into producing crystal meth and fentanyl and into other rackets such as extortion. It’s still not totally clear what effect marijuana legalization would have on organized crime and violence in Mexico. The U.S. has long backed marijuana eradication efforts in Mexico, but it’s unclear how the incoming Biden administration would react to Mexico creating a legal, nation-wide marketplace for marijuana. The legislation is still be written and debated in Mexico, and lawmakers still have a lot of work to do to create a clear set of rules that will allow companies to invest and start operating cannabis producing operations in Mexico. Provisions requiring market participants to implement rigorous seed-to-sale tracing protocols might create hurdles for small companies and rural growers. But, in the near future it could be possible for cannabis companies operating in Mexico to send legal exports to the U.S. and Canada. While Mexico does appear to be moving towards legalizing marijuana, potential investors in the sector still need to wait to see the details of pending legislation and look at the structure and design of the institutions that will regulate the sector. Investors need a clear regulatory framework in place and will need to do serious due diligence and political risk analysis before financing projects in Mexico’s nascent legal cannabis sector. The details of the pending legislation are very important. Investors need to understand potential risks from any ambiguities in the regulatory code and also need to analyze security issues and political dynamics in the specific areas where they are considering operating. To get a sense of what’s ahead, I reached out to Elias Lisbona Jassan, a lawyer at Perez Ferrer Abogados, who works advising companies and investors interested in Mexico’s fledgling legal cannabis market. Nathaniel Parish Flannery: What's the current status of the push to legalize marijuana in Mexico? Elias Lisbona Jassan: Right now, Mexico’s Senate has approved a bill that permits industrial, own- use and cultivation, investigation and adult use sales of cannabis. Support from President Lopez Obrador’s MORENA party was key to passing the bill in the Senate. Now we’ll see if they can replicate the outcome in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies. There’s still a long process to approve the bill and legislators are under pressure because of a Supreme Court deadline, which is on December 15. Overall, there's still a lot to be discussed and codified into clear policy proposals in order for Mexico to have a truly functional marijuana legalization bill. But, we are making progress towards building a legal marketplace for cannabis, and that’s an important achievement for Mexico. Parish Flannery: How likely is it that Mexico will introduce a functioning legal market for cannabis by the end of 2021? Lisbona Jassan: It’s quite possible that we will have some kind of basic medical marijuana market in the near future. We have pending regulations that will not take long to be implemented. Medical regulations are set to be published by the end of 2020 after being put on hold since 2017. But, lawmakers in Mexico still have a lot of work to do. They need to develop the Mexican Institute for Cannabis Regulation and Control, which is expected to start operating just six months after the law is enacted. We need to train public servants on how to regulate the sector. It's a huge task. I think that in a best-case scenario for harvesting and processing non psychoactive marijuana will be legal in Mexico by August or September of 2021. For adult use, the current draft of the legalization bill foresees an 18-month period to approve the licenses after the institute is created and the Law has full effect, so I wouldn’t bet on having an adult use legal market before 2022. I don’t think it’s likely that a legal market for recreational-use marijuana will exist in Mexico before the end of 2021. People can consume the day after the legalization law is passed, but we won’t have clear guidelines for the market for several more months. Right now, Mexico’s legislature has to work to develop a clear regulatory pathway for marijuana to be produced, sold, and consumed legally.
Read MoreThursday, a Georgia Senate Judiciary subcommittee heard new jaw-dropping allegations of alleged election fraud in the state from several people including President Donald Trump's attorney, Rudy Giuliani. The supposed video tape evidence alleges proof of ballots being counted without oversight. A subcommittee comprised of both Republicans and Democrats held a hearing at the State Capitol for perhaps the biggest bombshell presented to lawmakers from inside State Farm Arena. For the first time, the president's legal team, led by Giuliani, presented surveillance video from the state's larges voting center. The video allegedly shows people taking out at least four boxes of ballots from underneath a table, and then counting them after hours with no election supervisors present. "The same person that stayed behind, the person that cleared the place out under the pretense that we are going to stop counting is the person who put the table there at 8:22 in the morning. I saw four suitcases come out from underneath the table," Attorney Jacki Pick said.
Read MoreFormer New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in Georgia on Thursday to make claims of widespread voter fraud at one of two Senate committee hearings held on election security. Giuliani and his team presented experts and witnesses who testified about vulnerabilities in the voting system and cases where someone reported having seen voting impropriety, much of the testimony based on debunked conspiracy theories or unverifiable hearsay. Giuliani urged legislators in the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee not to certify the election results and said that Georgia’s senators could use their constitutional power to appoint Georgia’s electors. “You are the final arbiter of who the electors should be and whether the process is fair or not,” Giuliani said. “The other way to look at it is, it’s your responsibility if a false and fraudulent count is submitted to the United States government. And it’s clear the count you have right now is false.” Many of the claims made Thursday have been disproven or shot down in the courts of other battleground states, and some of the testimony was not even specific to Georgia. In an earlier hearing before the Government Oversight Committee, representatives for the secretary of state’s office defended the state’s election system and fielded questions from mostly Republican lawmakers on the process. “If your constituent says something, please pass it on. Because a rumor doesn’t help,” said Ryan Germany, general counsel for the secretary of state. Giuliani renewed a call from President Donald Trump and his supporters for a signature audit of all absentee ballots, claiming without proof that tens of thousands of ballots were mailed in illegally. He also cast further doubt on the security of the Dominion voting system used for the first time in Georgia this election cycle. “The problems with the Dominion machines – and also just a piece of advice – you have a big election coming up. I think you would be very ill-advised to use this company or their machines,” Giuliani said. “When you test their record of the last 10 to 12 years, you will find they’re one of the more insecure companies in this business.” Similar claims were made at a pro-Trump rally Wednesday. This sort of rhetoric from high-profile Republicans has led some GOP voters to say they have been discouraged from voting in January’s U.S. Senate runoffs.
Read MoreHouse and Senate leaders are noncommittal about whether you might pay more for cigarettes next year. Business and health groups have argued for years the state could cut smoking rates by raising the tax. The tax of just under a dollar a pack is the 12th-lowest in the country, and hasn’t gone up in 13 years.
Read MoreIt was 2018, Democrats were about to gain control of the House of Representatives, and cannabis justice advocates knew they needed to get to work. Every two years, a handful of new states were joining those that had already legalized cannabis, either recreationally or medicinally. Federal decriminalization was inevitable. If advocates wanted to have any say in what legislation would look like, the first Democratic House majority since 2011 was their best chance to make inroads. “Anybody who’s doing work on drug policy and criminal justice could see that it was only a matter of time before the federal government legalized [cannabis],” says Martiza Perez, national affairs director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “We wanted to make certain that when they did it they did it right.” The result, two years later, is the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which the House will vote on this week. It’s the first time either chamber of Congress will take up a bill to legalize cannabis, but the MORE Act goes far beyond simply decriminalizing it. Included in the bill are several social and criminal justice measures that would help lift up the communities of color ravaged by the War on Drugs, while helping build an equitable cannabis industry in which the people of color disproportionately impacted by prohibition have a seat at the table. “I’ve been working on this issue longer than any politician in America and can confidently say that the MORE Act is the most comprehensive federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said in a statement. “Congress must capitalize on this momentum and do our part to end the failed policy of prohibition that has resulted in a long and shameful period of selective enforcement against communities of color.” Federal cannabis legalization has been a long time coming. A Pew Research Center study published in November of 2019 found that 67 percent of the nation supports legalization, including a majority of Republicans. As of this November, 15 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation or voter initiatives to legalize recreational cannabis, while 38 states and D.C. allow some form of it for medicinal purposes. Every cannabis measure up for a vote last month passed convincingly. One in three Americans now live in states that have legalized recreational use.
Read MoreSan Francisco city officials this week voted to ban all smoking inside of apartments, with the exception of smoking marijuana. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to approve the move on Tuesday. The legislation bans smoking inside of buildings with three or more units and in all common areas, although it does not apply to “adult-use” or medical marijuana, CNN reported. The measure is targeted at protecting apartment residents from secondhand smoke. The president of the city’s Board of Supervisors, Norman Yee, who authored the legislation, tweeted Wednesday that “Secondhand smoke causes harm & everyone should have clean air to breathe where they live." The San Francisco Department of Public Health is set to enforce the measure. Officials must first try to educate people who smoke inside of apartment buildings and help residents who smoke tobacco quit, The Associated Press reported. Residents who are repeatedly caught smoking inside could be fined up to $1,000 a day. The original legislation also sought to ban residents from smoking marijuana in their apartments. However, it is already illegal under California state law to smoke cannabis in public places, and activists pointed out that the proposal would remove the legal place to smoke marijuana.
Read MoreThe new technology has been developed in collaboration with pharmaceutical industry innovator Gallarus and engagement from life science industry experts SeaVision.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court may be ready to rein in the nation’s main anti-hacking law, which Congress hasn't revised since 1986 and which has bedeviled cybersecurity researchers almost since the birth of the Internet. The high court heard arguments yesterday for the first time in a case challenging the broadest interpretations of that law, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, Those interpretations have left cybersecurity pros fearing jail time for doing basic Internet detective work. Critics say the CFAA is vaguely worded and that its Reagan-era concerns haven't translated well to modern technology. When the law's language is interpreted narrowly — as in many U.S. court jurisdictions — it just criminalizes malicious hacking, such as breaking into a computer to steal credit card information. But other jurisdictions interpret the law more broadly to make it a federal crime whenever someone breaks a website's terms of service or a company's workplace computer rules. That could criminalize innocuous acts, such as lying about one's height on a dating app or checking personal email at work. It also produces a chilling effect for cybersecurity researchers who routinely skirt strict terms of service and company policies when they investigate technology for bugs that cybercriminals could exploit. “Right now, there’s just a lot of uncertainty as to what’s illegal,” Orin Kerr, a law professor at the University of California at Berkeley, who focuses on computer crimes, told me. “So, we need some clarity about what this law means.” The justices expressed severe concerns about CFAA's ambiguity during the 80-minute hearing. Computer law experts were cautiously optimistic they'll rule it should be interpreted narrowly.
Read MoreA new medical marijuana dispensary opened its doors in New Jersey Tuesday morning, becoming the 13th in the state. The state Department of Health announced it had awarded TerrAscend, a Canadian cannabis company, its permit to dispense marijuana from its Phillipsburg storefront, The Apothecarium. The dispensary planned to begin serving patients by appointment Tuesday, and to hold a grand opening on Nov. 30. It’s the first of three dispensaries TerrAscend plans to open in North Jersey in 2021, in addition to their growing facility in Boonton Township, according to the company. “With production at our Boonton cultivation and manufacturing facility scaling up, we have assembled a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality cannabis products and brands to serve this rapidly growing market,” Greg Rochlin, CEO of TerrAscend Northeast, said in a statement. “As with all of our Apothecarium dispensaries, we are committed to providing patients with quality medical cannabis in a welcoming environment with empathy, education, and ongoing personal support.” The dispensary will offer flower, oils, pre-rolls, capsules, tinctures and topicals, according to TerrAscend. TerrAscend received one of six highly competitive licenses to open a medical facility in 2018. But now that New Jersey voters have approved a ballot question to legalize marijuana, the dispensaries also have a shot at selling to a legal marijuana market, which many estimate could include more than 1 million customers.
Read MorePennsylvania and Nevada, two key battleground states, certified President-elect Joe Biden’s wins Tuesday, even as President Trump continued to fight results in court and insisted that he will “never concede.” Meanwhile, Biden introduced several foreign policy and national security picks at an event in Wilmington, Del., calling them a team that will “make us proud to be Americans.” Trump made a brief appearance at the White House to tout that the Dow Jones industrial average reached 30,000 points for the first time in history. He took no questions. Biden’s vote total crossed 80 million Tuesday, by far the most votes received by a presidential nominee, crushing the record set the last time he was at the top of the ticket as Barack Obama’s running mate. Obama won in 2008 with nearly 70 million votes, a record that he didn’t beat in 2012, when he won by just under 66 million votes. Four years later, Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton also didn’t surpass Obama’s 2008 total, winning 63 million and 66 million votes respectively. Trump, despite losing this year, also eclipsed Obama, winning almost 74 million votes. That the losing candidate would also break the record is a testament to how many more Americans participated in the 2020 election. Part of that was because of enthusiasm on the Democrats’ side to vote Trump out of office. But, as The Washington Post’s Philip Bump writes, there’s also the fact that America’s population has grown, adding about 25 million citizens of voting age.
Read MoreTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey lawmakers advanced legislation setting up a new recreational marijuana marketplace, which voters overwhelmingly approved on the ballot this month, but differed on key details. The Assembly Appropriations Committee and the Senate Budget Committee passed legislation on Thursday, but the changes mean the two Democrat-led chambers will have to iron out their differences before going to a floor vote. Lawmakers were hopeful the bill could get a floor vote next week, but the Senate session was canceled Thursday evening. It’s unclear how soon it will be rescheduled. Lawmakers have have been negotiating over amending the measure since it stalled last week. A key difference between the Senate and Assembly bills involves caps on the number of licenses: The Senate version eliminates caps, while the Assembly bill increased the number to 37 from 28. A commonality, but an addition since last week is an excise tax, which applies to specific goods or services and which consumers ultimately pay. The bill calls for a tax of one-third of 1% on marijuana sales. The state's 6.625% sales tax will also apply. The bills also allow the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to levy an optional additional excise tax. The proceeds would go toward “social equity” programs aimed at alleviating racial disparities, stemming from decades of Black residents being likelier to face marijuana-related charges than white people. Such funding was explicitly sought by the state's Legislative Black Caucus and other advocates. Assemblymember Jamel Holley, a member of the caucus, said the measure gives some in New Jersey the chance for a clean slate. “A key component of cannabis legalization is addressing social justice concerns,” he said in as statement. “The fact that Black New Jerseyans are 3 or 4 times more likely to be arrested on cannabis charges has contributed to the disenfranchisement of (Black) communities.” But some advocates like the Rev. Charles Boyer, the pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury, called on lawmakers to require the additional excise tax, instead of making it optional. “Basically, it gives us a tremendous amount of beautiful window dressing,” he said during Thursday's hearing, adding that the tax was not yet a guarantee. It's not clear exactly when the marketplace will be up and running. The Assembly legislation calls for lengthening the transitional period until a full, recreational marketplace is in place from 18 months to two years. Under the Assembly bill, the main significance of the period is that it caps the number of cultivator licenses at 37, up from 28 in an earlier version. If the optional excise tax were applied, it will be tethered to the price per ounce of marijuana. If the price is $350 or more, the tax would be $10 per ounce, climbing in intervals to $60 an ounce if the price is under $200 an ounce. The measure also calls for the regulatory commission to give priority to businesses owned by minorities, women and disabled vets who seek licenses.
Read MoreHouse and Senate Democrats wrote a letter to General Service Administration (GSA) Administrator Emily Murphy, demanding she personally brief leadership on why the GSA has not started the transition process. Letters from both Democratic House and Senate members request Murphy brief them by Monday regarding her “ongoing refusal to grant the Biden-Harris Transition Team access” to information, funding, and services. The House letter states they will then determine whether a hearing is necessary. “Your actions in blocking transition activities required under the law are having grave effects, including undermining the orderly transfer of power, impairing the incoming Administration’s ability to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, hampering its ability to address our nation’s dire economic crisis, and endangering our national security,” the House members wrote. Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, falsely claiming that the election was stolen. The GSA, a government agency key to Biden taking office in January, has not taken initial steps for transition, and has delayed millions of federal funding dollars and use of resources for the new administration. The letter from Senate Democrats called the delay "unprecedented." “We have been extremely patient, but we can wait no longer,” the House members added. “As GSA Administrator, it is your responsibility to follow the law and assure the safety and well-being of the United States and its people—not to submit to political pressure to violate the law and risk the consequences.” After a week-long hand recount of Georgia’s presidential election results, the Georgia secretary of state's office reaffirmed Thursday night President-elect Joe Biden won the state and its 16 electoral votes. A "risk-limiting audit" found Biden won Georgia by 12,284 votes, a narrower margin than the 14,196-vote lead he held immediately following the election. Local election administrators identified uncounted ballots in four counties. Each was the result of human error.
Read MoreSidney Powell, a lawyer on President Trump’s election legal team who represented the former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, has been a major source and promoter of viral conspiracy theories about vote switching. Since the election, Ms. Powell has advanced claims of voluminous voter fraud and a rigged election. She falsely claimed that a supercomputer called Hammer hacked votes, that Mr. Trump won the election by “millions of votes” and that voting software company Dominion Voting Systems altered the tallies. Last week, she promised that coming evidence would overturn the election’s results and said she would “release the Kraken,” a reference to the 1981 movie “The Clash of the Titans,” reprising a catchphrase that began trending on Twitter. On Monday, Ms. Powell posted some of her so-called evidence on Twitter. It consisted of three screenshots of an affidavit that she said was signed by a former military official from Venezuela about elections there. The screenshots were incomplete and did not include a name or signature, and Ms. Powell did not respond to requests to view the full document. But according to her and excerpts from the affidavit, the elections software company Smartmatic helped the Venezuelan government rig its elections by switching votes and leaving no trail. The military official said in the excerpts that the U.S. election was “eerily reminiscent” of what happened in Venezuela’s 2013 presidential election, though no evidence was provided that votes had been switched in the United States. Ms. Powell promoted the affidavit and its claims in interviews on conservative media that have amassed at least four million views on YouTube. Smartmatic does not provide technology to the battleground states that sealed President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory. And electronic voting security experts said they were unimpressed with what Ms. Powell presented. “The essence of the affidavit is that voting machines could have been hacked. This is not news,” said David Dill, a computer scientist at Stanford University and founder of the Verified Voting Foundation. “Every single vote that has been counted by computer in the U.S. in the last 50 years was counted by a computer that ‘could have been hacked.’ So far as I know, none of them actually were.”
Read MoreState lawmakers on Monday defeated a bill putting greater restrictions on the sale of smokable hemp and other CBD products in Wyoming following outcry by producers across the state who feared new regulations could potentially stall the state’s burgeoning hemp industry. However, lawmakers remain open to pursing a tightened version of the bill this winter to restrict the sale of smokable hemp at the request of law enforcement, who still have difficulty discerning between CBD products – which contain no psychoactive properties – and marijuana, a similar looking and smelling plant that remains highly illegal for recreational and medical consumption in Wyoming. Introduced to a legislative committee by Sen. R.J. Kost, R-Powell, at the request of local law enforcement, the bill as originally written would have outlawed the smoking of hemp as well as a number of other non-FDA approved retail products containing CBD, a therapeutic and non-psychoactive extract of the hemp flower. While Wyoming already closely regulates the processing of hemp and CBD products under the rules of an industrial hemp program implemented earlier this year, Kost said the state’s lack of more robust regulation on hemp and CBD products has essentially handcuffed police officers in the field who can’t tell the difference between the substance and marijuana.
Read MoreBill Stocker could be considered the archetype of a conservative voter: He's a retired Marine and former police officer who voted for President Trump. But he's also among the majority of South Dakota voters who broadly legalized marijuana this month. Stocker, 61, said enforcing marijuana laws gets in the way of pursuing other drug crimes and called warnings about the ills of marijuana "a bunch of baloney" that even people in a Republican stronghold like South Dakota no longer believe. South Dakota's values of "personal responsibility and freedom" won out, said Stocker, who lives in Sioux Falls. The 2020 election helped prove how broadly accepted marijuana has become throughout the United States, with measures to legalize recreational pot also breezing to victory in progressive New Jersey, moderate Arizona and conservative Montana. Fifteen states have now broadly legalized it, while 36 states allow medical marijuana. Voters in Mississippi overwhelmingly approved medical marijuana this month, giving the drug another foothold in the South. A Gallup Poll released Nov. 9 indicated that 68% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana - double the approval rate in 2003. That wide margin was evident in the election, with marijuana measures passing with strong bipartisan support. In South Dakota and Montana - where Republicans swept to victory in the key races - recreational marijuana passed with at least 16 percentage points more support than Democratic President-elect Joe Biden received. South Dakota also approved medical pot, which outpolled Mr. Biden by 34 percentage points. "We've waged a war against this plant for a century and by any reasonable metric, that war has been an abject failure," said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, which favors legalization. "All it's done is incarcerate millions of Americans, it has perpetuated racism in this country, and perhaps the worst injustice of all is that it's deprived us of medical marijuana research." Marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, hurting veterans who can't be prescribed medical pot at Veterans Affairs clinics, he said. They "come home with chronic pain and we're pushing them to opioids," Schweich said. "That's crazy. That's unpatriotic and it's a disgrace."
Read MoreDonald Trump’s attacks on the credibility of Joe Biden’s election win through meritless lawsuits could undermine Americans’ trust in voting and could pose an immediate threat to the security and safety of the country, experts have warned. Trump’s campaign has unleashed a stream of lawsuits in states key to Biden’s electoral college win, none of which are expected to affect the outcome of the election. The US attorney general, William Barr, has authorized the Department of Justice to investigate voting irregularities, in a highly unorthodox move, and Republican state representatives in Pennsylvania are calling for an audit of the election, though they have no evidence of fraud. University of Southern California (USC) law professor Franita Tolson said she was concerned that these actions, which would not change the trajectory of the election, were meant to call into question the legitimacy of the result. “What does that do to our democracy as we play out this process? What does it do to the belief in the system when 70 million people think the election was stolen,” Tolson said, referring to the popular vote total for Trump. “To me that’s the danger of this narrative, that’s the danger of this litigation.” Top election officials in every state, representing both political parties, told the New York Times there was no evidence that fraud or other irregularities played a role in the outcome of the race. A coalition of hundreds of journalists from more than 150 newsrooms also found no major problems, in ProPublica’s collaborative election monitoring project Electionland. “Legal people can say this litigation has no merit, but what do everyday Americans think?” Tolson said. “And they may actually think the president is being treated poorly and he won this election and the system is trying to take it from him.” Only a few Republicans have publicly acknowledged Biden’s win, but behind the scenes, many Republicans have reportedly accepted the results. Some White House aides have told reporters anonymously that the president’s refusal to concede the election is an embarrassment. Peter Feaver, who worked on national security in Republican George W Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton’s administrations, said that while the president is within his rights to ask for recounts and investigate reasonable allegations of misbehavior, leveling false charges of fraud without evidence has serious consequences. “The messaging coming from the campaign, and particularly from the president himself, is far more extreme than that and it’s more reckless messaging and I think it does complicate America’s standing in the world,” said Feaver, a professor of political science and public policy at Duke University.
Read MoreDominion Voting Systems, which makes software that local governments around the nation use to help run their elections, is now at the center of baseless claims that “software glitches” led to mistakes in vote tallies in Michigan and Georgia last week. The Dominion software was used in only two of the five counties that had problems in Michigan and Georgia, and in every instance there was a detailed explanation for what had happened. In all of the cases, software did not affect the vote counts. In the two Michigan counties that had mistakes, the inaccuracies were because of human errors, not software problems, according to the Michigan Department of State, county officials and election-security experts. Only one of the two Michigan counties used Dominion software. Issues in three Georgia counties had other explanations. In one county, an apparent problem with Dominion software delayed officials' reporting of the vote tallies but did not affect the actual vote count. In two other counties, a separate company’s software slowed poll workers' ability to check-in voters. “Many of the claims being asserted about Dominion and questionable voting technology is misinformation at best and, in many cases, they’re outright disinformation,” said Edward Perez, an election-technology expert at the OSET Institute, a nonprofit that studies voting infrastructure. “I’m not aware of any evidence of specific things or defects in Dominion software that would lead one to believe that votes had been recorded or counted incorrectly.” Right-wing voices across the internet this week have claimed incorrectly that Dominion was responsible for mistakes in vote counts, and President Donald Trump shared a Breitbart article on Twitter that incorrectly tied the Michigan issues to separate problems in Georgia. The president tweeted about Dominion on Thursday morning, which Twitter quickly flagged as “disputed.” Trump tagged far-right-wing One America News Network, an outlet highly sympathetic to Trump, in the tweet. Many of those people have said, contrary to evidence, that Dominion software was used to switch votes. Some people even suggested that the company was doing the bidding of the Clintons, a conspiracy theory that was shared on Twitter by Trump. On Wednesday, Rudy Giuliani, the president’s lawyer, said he was in contact with “whistleblowers” from Dominion, though he did not provide evidence. Dominion, originally a Canadian company that now has its effective headquarters in Denver, makes machines for voters to cast ballots and for poll workers to count them, as well as software that helps government officials organize and keep track of election results.
Read MoreBackers of a push to add New Mexico to the list of states that have legalized recreational cannabis for adult users say 2021 could be the year they break through, after years of hitting dead ends at the Roundhouse. Several influential legislative opponents of marijuana legalization were defeated in this year’s primary election, improving the odds a revised bill might make it to the Senate floor for a vote. In addition, voters in Arizona and three other states approved cannabis legalization measures last week, which could give added urgency to passing similar legislation in New Mexico. “Legalization is coming,” said Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque, during a Tuesday legislative committee hearing. “Here in New Mexico, I think people are ready for it.” Martinez said he plans to introduce legislation during the 60-day session that starts in January that would be similar to a bill filed last year. While he said the bill would be slimmed down from last year’s version, it would still contain several provisions aimed at protecting New Mexico’s medical cannabis program, which had more than 98,000 enrolled members as of September. Specifically, some of the money generated by recreational cannabis sales would be used to eliminate the gross receipts tax on medical marijuana products and create a new assistance fund for low-income patients, Martinez said. Bills to legalize recreational cannabis have stalled in the Senate in each of the last two years. Last year’s defeat came after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham created a marijuana legalization working group to study the issue and come up with recommendations. Since last year’s session, however, five moderate incumbent Democrats were ousted by more progressive challengers in the June primary election, and three of those progressive Democrats went on to win election to the Senate in last week’s general election. One of the defeated incumbents is Senate Finance Committee Chairman John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, who declined to hold a vote on a 2019 legalization bill, saying it did not have the votes necessary to pass his committee. House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, told reporters last week he expects the House will pass a cannabis legalization bill during the upcoming 60-day session and said it appears the bill will get a “much friendlier” reception in the Senate. “I think its chances are much improved,” Egolf said.
Read MoreThe prosecutor in Arizona's largest county is dropping all pending charges for recreational marijuana use by adults after Arizona voters legalized it in the November election. "Instead of continuing to spend resources on these cases, this office will begin implementing the will of the voters immediately," the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said in a written statement Monday. Proposition 207 passed last week with 60% of the vote. In addition to decriminalizing most recreational use, it allows past marijuana convictions to be expunged.
Read MoreIt can take a while to determine the victor in a presidential election. But one winner was abundantly clear on Election Day. Drugs, once thought to be the scourge of a healthy society, are getting public recognition as a part of American life. Where drugs were on the ballot on Tuesday, they won handily. New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana and Arizona joined 11 other states that had already legalized recreational marijuana. Mississippi and South Dakota made medical marijuana legal, bringing the total to 35. The citizens of Washington, D.C., voted to decriminalize psilocybin, the organic compound active in psychedelic mushrooms. Oregon voters approved two drug-related initiatives. One decriminalized possession of small amounts of illegal drugs including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines. (It did not make it legal to sell the drugs.) Another measure authorized the creation of a state program to license providers of psilocybin. Election night represented a significant victory for three forces pushing for drug reform for different but interlocking reasons. There is the increasingly powerful cannabis industry. There are state governments struggling with budget shortfalls, hungry to fill coffers in the midst of a pandemic. And then there are the reform advocates, who for decades have been saying that imprisonment, federal mandatory minimum sentences and prohibitive cash bail for drug charges ruin lives and communities, particularly those of Black Americans. Decriminalization is popular, in part, because Americans believe that too many people are in jails and prisons, and also because Americans personally affected by the country’s continuing opioid crisis have been persuaded to see drugs as a public health issue.
Read MoreVoters in various states across the country approved a series of statewide ballot proposals on Election Day legalizing the use and distribution of marijuana for either medical or adult-use purposes. Their voices were unmistakable and emphatic. Majorities of Americans decided in favor of every marijuana-related proposition placed before them — a clean sweep. Specifically, voters legalized the possession of marijuana by adults in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota. The measures in Arizona, Montana, and South Dakota each permit adults to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use and establish a regulated retail market. In New Jersey, voters decided on a public ballot question. Garden State lawmakers must now enact enabling legislation in order to amend state law to comport it with the voters’ decision. Additionally, voters approved the legalization of medical cannabis access in two states, Mississippi and South Dakota. In Mississippi, voters chose between two dueling initiatives — favoring a measure placed on the ballot by patient advocates and rejecting a more restrictive alternative measure placed on the ballot by state lawmakers. Voters’ actions last evening were an unequivocal rebuke to the longstanding policy of federal marijuana prohibition, and is an indication that marijuana legalization is far from a fringe issue, but rather one that is now embraced by mainstream America, As was the case in 2016, when voters in deep red states like Arkansas and North Dakota joined voters in deep blue states like California to reform their cannabis laws, last night’s results once again affirm that marijuana legalization is a uniquely popular issue with voters of all political persuasions — with majorities of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans consistently endorsing legalization in national polls. The results also continue a multi-decade long trend of marijuana legalization advocates achieving success at the ballot box. Prior to this election, voters had decided affirmatively on 28 separate ballot measures legalizing cannabis (18 measures legalizing medical marijuana, 10 measures legalizing adult use).
Read MoreMontana voters passed two ballot initiatives Tuesday, paving the way for the state to legalize recreational marijuana use. Both ballot measures were required to pass in order for recreational marijuana use to be permitted in the state. Just because the measures passed, though, doesn't mean you can go out and buy it just yet. The state will still need to set up rules, regulations and begin the process for applications for dispensaries. As of the measures passing, here's what we know about recreational marijuana in Montana. The passage of complementary ballot initiatives I-90 and CI-118 has legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults in the state over the age of 21. I-90 creates rules for marijuana use, as well as a 20% tax on sales of recreational marijuana by licensed vendors. It also allows the option for individual counties to prohibit dispensaries through a public vote.
Read MoreSeven days before Election Day, state Sen. Nick Scutari surprised many when he optimistically forecast adult-use marijuana purchases would begin by the end of 2020. “We might be able to flip the switch and people might be able to get marijuana, legally, right after the vote,” he said during a live Q&A on NJ.com’s Facebook page Oct. 27. The interview was a part of NJ Cannabis Insider’s two-hour industry webinar, “Countdown to Legalization” presented by Brach Eichler. Jeff Brown, assistant commissioner of the state Health Department, was quick to say Tuesday that none of the dispensaries are ready to supply. Later in the week, Brown doubled down: “I could say unequivocally that opening up sales even a few months after the election would be a disaster and would really hurt access for patients who need this as medicine.” During the webinar panel that focussed on the outlook of the cannabis industry, industry leaders were also reluctant to back the senator’s rosy picture. So how will the industry shape up? These experts say licensing issues, the need to establish social justice provisions and a lack of clarity around legislation all need to be addressed as priorities for the process to move forward smoothly. We still don’t know the specifics of legislation: Without enabling legislation, there are still questions as to what the industry will look like — particularly from local governments. Alixon Collazos, a public affairs strategist at The BGill Group, said a main priority for the industry should be clarity. Scutari’s sudden and quick timeline surprised her, given the complicated nature of passing legislation and seating the committee to oversee the industry.
Read MoreCannabis legalization is on the ballot in five states this Tuesday, and polling shows it’s likely to pass in most of them by a clear majority. What’s less clear is what happens to all the prisoners already incarcerated for possessing something that’s now legal. It’s an increasingly accepted view that you can’t have people serving time in jail for something that companies are freely profiting from. Especially when the prisoners are mostly Black, and the companies are primarily run by White executives. Black people are arrested for marijuana possession at 3.7 times the rate of White people, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. And it’s even higher in some of the states voting on legalization this coming Tuesday: In Montana, it’s 9.6 times; in South Dakota, it’s 5 times. Voters who back legalization for its tax benefits and the promise of new jobs are increasingly supporting changes to the law around past marijuana crimes. But when the handful of states vote on legalization this Nov. 3, expungement isn’t on the ballot, except partially in Arizona. Rather, any criminal justice reform will have to come via the legislative or rulemaking system, and that’s a lengthy process. More than half of N.J. voters support expunging all marijuana offenses. Note: Data from survey of around 500 New Jersey voters. Even if a state passes an expungement law, there’s the added challenge of actually locating prisoners. Some county-level records are still in paper form, said Sarah Gersten, executive director of the Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit that estimates there are 40,000 U.S. cannabis prisoners and aims to free every one of them. Meanwhile, prisoners still languish in jail in states that have already legalized sales. “There are thousands of people still incarcerated for cannabis offenses in California, Michigan, Colorado and Oregon,” Gersten said, citing around 2,000 alone in Michigan as of this year relates to If States Legalize, Expungement Is Next Still, Gersten said, her group finds that local jurisdictions are often eager to help. Why? Follow the money: The cost of mass incarceration in the U.S. is around $182 billion a year, and even for non-violent marijuana offenders, it can be $40,000 annually just to keep them in jail, Gersten said. The reason some people want to help with something as controversial as prisoner releases, she observed, can be self-serving: “They know it’s an economic benefit.”
Read MoreElection Day is almost here, and many are wondering if we'll know the results Tuesday night. If not, how long will the wait be? Some voters say they're stressed and angry just thinking about possible recounts and a long, drawn-out fight before a winner is announced. A steady stream of voters braved the elements in Massachusetts to drop off their ballots on a rainy Sunday night in New England. "I think everyone should have their voice be heard during this election," one woman said. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is expected to discuss election security Monday, as security remains a big worry, particularly following an incident in which a ballot box outside the Boston Public Library was set on fire. The voter turnout has been high, though, with the Secretary of the Commonwealth saying Saturday that the number of ballots cast already in this election is equal to nearly 68-percent of everyone who voted in 2016. But what does that mean on Election Day? Each vote cast is another vote to be counted on Nov. 3. But when will we know a winner? That remains a big question.
Read MoreNordstrom, the high-end department store chain, said it planned to board up some of its 350 stores and hire extra security for Election Day on Tuesday. Tiffany & Company, the luxury jeweler, said that “windows of select stores in key cities will be boarded in anticipation of potential election-related activity.” Saks Fifth Avenue said it was “implementing additional security measures at certain locations in the event of civil unrest due to the current election.” In Beverly Hills, the police said they would take a “proactive approach” and close Rodeo Drive, a renowned strip of luxury retailers, on Tuesday and Wednesday, citing the likelihood of increased “protest activity.” The police, working with private security companies, said they would also be on “full alert” throughout Beverly Hills starting on Halloween and continuing into election week. The nation is on edge as the bitter presidential contest finally nears an end, the latest flashpoint in a bruising year that has included the pandemic and widespread protests over social justice. Anxiety has been mounting for months that the election’s outcome could lead to civil unrest, no matter who wins. In the retail industry, many companies are not simply concerned about possible mayhem — they are planning for it. In a show of just how volatile the situation seems to the industry, 120 representatives from 60 retail brands attended a video conference this week hosted by the National Retail Federation, which involved training for store employees on how to de-escalate tensions among customers, including those related to the election. The trade group also hired security consultants who have prepped retailers about which locations around the country are likely to be the most volatile when the polls close. “I am 50-plus years old, and I didn’t think I would live to see this,” said Shane Fernett, who owns a contracting business in Colorado Springs and has been stocking up on plywood to board up his retail customers. “You read about this in third-world countries, not America.”
Read MoreFederal judges have so far declined to halt $400 million in grants to city and county election administrators from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, despite a conservative law firm's efforts to overturn them. The grants from the Facebook founder and his wife, delivered by the nonprofit Center for Technology and Civic Life, are aimed at helping cash-strapped counties hire more poll workers, provide personal protective equipment and manage a surge in mail voting during the pandemic. Lawyers for the Thomas More Society don’t object to those goals, but they argued the grants were strategically awarded to boost voter turnout in urban centers and Democratic strongholds and to disadvantage Republicans. But federal judges have declined to halt the funding to counties in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, Iowa and South Carolina, saying they see no partisan tilt in the grants, which were also given to many rural and Republican counties. CTCL delivered the grants to more than 2,300 election departments using a formula that links funding to the district’s voting population. “The truth is that plaintiffs — like all residents of the counties — stand to benefit from the additional resources for safe and efficient voting provided by CTCL grants,” Judge Amos L. Mazzant III noted in denying an injunction on grants to counties that include the cities of Houston and Dallas. The suits are drawing attention to a flood of funding from rich donors this year aimed at helping counties fund basic election administration tasks that they can’t afford themselves. In addition to Zuckerberg, actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenneger (R) is offering grants to nearly 6,000 counties aimed at keeping polling places open in southern states. Many election pros applaud the donations even as they worry that private funding could eventually taint the election process. Florida State University law professor Michael T. Morley called the grants a reasonable but “extraordinary response to the extraordinary circumstances” of running an election during a pandemic. But he warned such fixes should not become the norm. “You don’t want a presidential election brought to you by Pepsi,” he said. “At the end of the day, these are quintessentially public functions, and if the government is funding anything it ought to be elections.” Such grants have played a minimal role in past elections. But they've surged this year because of a combination of inadequate state and federal funding, the outsize challenges of the pandemic and intense partisan interest by supporters of President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. “From a legal perspective, it’s hard to see what law was violated here, but from a public policy perspective, this probably isn’t the way we want to fund election administration,” Duke University law professor Guy-Uriel Charles told me. He compared the grants to other instances in which donors have helped fund police departments and raised thorny questions about who those departments are beholden to.
Read MoreThe Ontario government released an action plan to make government services simpler, easier to use, and more convenient and accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Read MoreWhile ruby red South Dakota may not be a swing state in the presidential election -- it may be at the forefront of the green revolution as one of five states where recreational and medical marijuana legalization are up for a vote this election year. And it is the only state where both forms of legalization will be on the ballot. Matthew Schweich, the deputy director of the nonprofit group the Marijuana Policy Project, which has been running campaigns across the country to legalize, told ABC News this is the first time in U.S. history that a state has had two ballot measures to ask voters for approval for recreational and medical marijuana during an election year. While there is some opposition from Republican Gov. Kristi Noem and South Dakota business owners over the recreational ballot, Schweich noted that more than 50,000 residents signed on to that initiative and more than 30,000 signatures for the medical provision. "I think that COVID has absorbed a great deal of the public's attention from marijuana reform, but there is still interest in the issue," he told ABC News. "It's remarkable since South Dakota has always been seen as this strong conservative state." Schweich and other experts say that the ballot initiatives in South Dakota as well as Montana, Arizona, New Jersey and Mississippi, could have major outcomes for the rest of the country since it would put pressure on state and national leaders to address their antiquated drug laws. "If we're successful it will send a message to Congress that they need to address the discrepancy between the state and federal laws on marijuana," Schweich said.
Read MoreIran and Russia have both obtained information about American voter registrations and are trying to influence the public about the upcoming U.S. presidential election, national security officials said Wednesday night. “Iran and Russia have taken specific actions to influence public opinion related to our elections,” said Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe at a hastily scheduled press conference. “First we have confirmed that some voter registration information has been obtained by Iran and separately by Russia,” Ratcliffe said at the briefing, which comes less than two weeks before Election Day. “This data can be used by foreign actors to attempt to communicate false information to registered voters that they hope will cause confusion, sow chaos and undermine your confidence in American democracy.” Specifically, Ratcliffe said, Iran has been sending “spoofed emails designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest and damage President” Donald Trump, who is facing former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee, in the election. “Additionally Iran is distributing other content to include a video that implies that individuals could cast fraudulent ballots even from overseas,” he said. “This video and any claims about such allegedly fraudulent ballots are not true,” Ratcliffe said.
Read MoreBuying a counterfeit driver's license or passport used to require a secret meeting with some shady characters. More recently, it meant having a connection to the dark web. But today, all you need is an internet connection and a search engine, says a Michigan State University researcher.
Read MoreFact: If a product is popular, it will be counterfeited. Finding those counterfeits is critical to getting them off the market and protecting your customers. What if you could scale a counterfeit discovery program to your entire customer base—at maximum “crowdsourced” impact for minimal cost? And once this type of program is established, the data-enriched benefits you and your consumers will receive are limitless. Let’s explore this concept.
Read MoreA handful of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have asked that Massachusetts marijuana regulators scrap the proposed delivery license that would let operators buy marijuana wholesale from cultivators and manufacturers, store it in a warehouse and deliver it to consumers at home. The Cannabis Control Commission is expected Tuesday morning to consider feedback and hold a final discussion about its draft delivery policy, which would create two distinct delivery license types: a “limited delivery license” that would allow an operator to charge a fee to make deliveries from CCC licensed retailers and dispensaries, and a “wholesale delivery license.” But in a letter last week, 19 state lawmakers told the CCC that they “believe that the wholesale delivery license category proposed in the draft regulations was not contemplated, nor supported, by the enabling legislation” and asked the commission to reconsider its plan to take a final vote on the regulations next week. The lawmakers -- including former Marijuana Policy Committee co-chair Rep. Mark Cusack -- said the successful 2016 legalization question and the ballot law as amended by the Legislature in 2017 “deliberatively and intentionally created a license that made clear delivery of marijuana to consumers is directly and only linked to marijuana retail establishments” and that “a wholesale delivery license direct to consumers is clearly not contemplated in the law.” “Instead, the draft regulations create a shadow direct to the consumer marketplace not governed by the licensing requirements and regulations of marijuana retailers. These draft regulations also significantly change the landscape for cities and towns after many had already engaged in intensive community-wide conversations about the number and types of marijuana establishments their communities wished to host,” the lawmakers wrote. “Further, the proposed draft regulations have not had the opportunity to be sufficiently reviewed and may result in unintended consequences to our municipalities.” The concerns about local control mirror those raised in a letter from the Massachusetts Municipal Association, which told the CCC that it “is extremely concerned with the definition of marijuana wholesale delivery license within the draft regulations ... specifically that a marijuana wholesale delivery license is not considered to be a Marijuana Retailer.”
Read MoreThe Department of Justice filed an antitrust suit against Google on Tuesday, alleging that the tech giant has used its dominance in the search business to become a "monopoly gatekeeper" of the internet.
Read MoreElection security is often top of mind, so what is being done to protect your vote, and keep you safe during a pandemic? NBC 5 political reporter Julie Fine spoke with Keith Ingram, the director of the elections division at the Secretary of State’s Office.
Read MorePennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is urging legislators to legalize the adult-use of marijuana. Pennsylvania officials say the legalization of adult-use cannabis will provide a new revenue stream to direct toward economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling additional funding for grants for small businesses. Wolf was at The Mountain Center in Tobyhanna Tuesday, discussing the legalization of marijuana’s potential benefits. He is urging the General Assembly to take up legislation regarding marijuana’s legalization which they have not done despite multiple requests from Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman this fall. “This year, I again went to the General Assembly and asked them to make legalizing adult-use cannabis a priority for the fall as we work to find ways to overcome the economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wolf said. “To date, there has been no movement to advance legislation. So, I’m here today to ask again, and to focus on two particular benefits of legalization – potential economic growth and much-needed restorative justice.” Wolf, joined by state Rep. Maureen Madden and hemp farmer Eric Titus White, discussed how “legalizing cannabis offers the same potential for economic growth that the historic farm bill of 2018 did for hemp farmer following decades of government prohibition of the industry.” Hemp, a once widespread crop in Pennsylvania, was cultivated in the state for more than 250 years. It was grown for seeds, fibers and extracts. Hemp and marijuana are two different varieties of the same plant species, but hemp does not contain high levels of THC, which makes marijuana a controlled substance. “Much of our knowledge about how to grow, process and use hemp was lost after industrial hemp was regulated and banned along with marijuana in the 1930s,” Wolf said. “And Pennsylvania lost the benefits of an industry with a long history of providing jobs and resources here in the commonwealth. When hemp and marijuana were banned, we didn’t just lose jobs, we lost decades of research opportunities, innovation and economic growth.”
Read MoreMexico’s marijuana revolution is on display steps from the nation’s Senate, where for the last nine months activists have maintained a fragrant cannabis garden. Each day, hundreds of people stroll amid a labyrinth of towering green plants, freely lighting joints and getting high. Their wafting smoke is meant to serve as a reminder to senators, who have to walk through the plumes to get to work. Lawmakers have until Dec. 15 to pass pot legislation under orders from the Supreme Court, which two years ago struck down a marijuana ban as unconstitutional. After decades of restrictive drug policies that fueled deadly cartel wars, Mexico is poised to become the biggest legal cannabis market in the world. The looming deadline has intensified debate over exactly what legalization should look like and whom it should benefit. Among the questions dogging lawmakers: How easy or difficult should it be for users to buy and consume pot? And should the estimated 200,000 families growing it now be protected from competition with the large, foreign marijuana firms that have been jockeying for influence? “You have a broad spectrum of people who want to be involved,” said Avis Bulbulyan, a Glendale-based consultant who has advised several U.S. weed companies looking to expand to Mexico. “The question becomes: ‘Who gets to profit off this?’” A bill that would allow private companies to sell marijuana to the public is likely to pass in the Senate within two weeks and then go to the lower house of Congress, said Senate leader Ricardo Monreal.
Read MoreRegardless of the challenge, whether fires, floods or tornadoes, Texas county government rolls up its sleeves and gets to work. Election Day is no different. County election officials have been preparing for months to make sure November’s elections are accurate, safe and secure. Texans can vote with confidence because county election officials will count every vote and take every step to keep every voter safe. There’s a lot to worry about this year, but voters can have faith in the election results. Much is being made of election integrity threats, both real and imagined. Year in and year out, county government makes sure elections are efficient and fair. November 3 will be no different. Whether they’re on social media or coming from politicians, attempts to erode the public’s trust in the election process do a disservice to our democracy. County officials take allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities seriously and will thoroughly investigate them to ensure nothing undermines the election process and voters’ trust. They will follow and enforce all state and federal election laws. County clerks and elections administrators have been planning all year for Nov. 3, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. As soon as the last election ends, work begins on the next. County officials use every election to learn and improve. They’re checking mail ballots, conducting cybersecurity audits, taking public health precautions, testing voting equipment and training poll workers. From ballot marking to tabulation, the accuracy and privacy of a voter’s selections will be protected. To reduce the risks of COVID-19, election officials can, and in most cases will, require poll workers to wear face masks or shields. While voters aren’t required to wear masks at the polling place, election officials request they do so to safeguard the health of poll workers and other voters. Curbside voting is available at every polling place during the early voting period and on Election Day for anyone physically unable to enter the polling place, or who is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or has health and safety concerns. All signs point to a record-setting turnout, so voters should expect long lines on Election Day. Being prepared is important. A new state law eliminated the option to vote straight ticket. Voters will have to choose candidates race by race, which will take more time. County election officials encourage voters to take advantage of the expanded early voting period that begins Tuesday and runs through Oct. 30 or apply now for a ballot-by-mail if they’re eligible.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, Gov. Phil Scott decided to let a bill establishing a marijuana marketplace become law, making Vermont the 11th state in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana sales. Over the next few years, state officials will stand up a regulated statewide market for marijuana and issue licenses to marijuana cultivators, product manufacturers, testing labs and dispensaries. Recreational marijuana dispensaries could open as soon as October 2022. And the state’s existing medical dispensaries can receive licenses to sell their products to the public starting in May 2022. Here’s what the rollout of the new cannabis marketplace will look like. The Cannabis Control Board is the new three-member body that will regulate Vermont’s cannabis industry. The governor will appoint the board in consultation with a Cannabis Control Board Nominating Committee composed of members of the governor’s administration, three members of the Vermont House and two Vermont state senators. The board is expected to be in place by January 2021. But Scott said Wednesday he thinks the law’s timeline for setting up the panel is “too aggressive and may need to be extended.” Once appointed, the control board will have authority over licensing, regulation and enforcement of Vermont’s nascent cannabis industry. In April, it will also make recommendations to the Vermont Legislature about additional policy changes and resources the state needs to have in place before the market opens up. These will include recommended policies around cannabis-related advertising, land use and efficiency requirements for cannabis businesses. In his letter on Wednesday, the governor asked lawmakers to make several changes before dispensaries start setting up shop in Vermont. Scott wants the Legislature to pass policies to improve racial equity in the marijuana industry. He wants legislators to ban the sale of marijuana vaping products, which currently would be allowed. And he wants them to prohibit businesses from advertising marijuana products in a way that would appeal to children. In June 2021, the board will begin the rulemaking process — writing the regulations that will govern cannabis establishments. Vermont has five medical marijuana dispensaries, and the new law gives these companies a head start. They can apply for licenses and sell products to the public about five months earlier than the new retail sales companies. Medical dispensaries could start selling marijuana to people without prescriptions as soon as May 2022. Scott criticized the marijuana legislation for giving medical dispensaries “an unfair head start on market access.” He said this gives the existing dispensaries an unfair advantage over women-owned and minority-owned business applicants and other small growers and entrepreneurs trying to break into the industry. Rep. John Gannon, D-Wilmington, who helped craft the legislation in the House, said medical dispensaries will be limited to one retail location each.
Read MoreA private security company is recruiting a “large contingent” of former U.S. military Special Operations personnel to guard polling sites in Minnesota on Election Day as part of an effort “to make sure that the Antifas don’t try to destroy the election sites,” according to the chairman of the company. The recruiting effort is being done by Atlas Aegis, a private security company based in Tennessee that was formed last year and is run by U.S. military veterans, including people with Special Operations experience, according to its website. The company posted a message through a defense industry jobs site this week calling for former Special Operations forces to staff “security positions in Minnesota during the November Election and beyond to protect election polls, local businesses and residences from looting and destruction.” The prospect of armed guards outside election sites alarmed election officials in the state. It is illegal in Minnesota for people other than voters and elections staff — or those people meeting the requirements to be a registered election “challenger”— to be within 100 feet of polling sites. There are also laws against voter intimidation that could prevent armed civilians from being in the area even if outside the buffer, according to election officials in Minnesota. During the last presidential debate, President Trump encouraged his supporters to stand watch at polling sites and told the Proud Boys, a far-right group known for street fighting, to “stand back and stand by.” A Trump campaign spokesperson said the campaign had never heard of Atlas Aegis and that it was not involved in the effort.
Read MoreFor D.C. Board of Elections Chair D. Michael Bennett, the presidential voting underway in the nation’s capital is a chance at redemption. He recalls feeling frustrated, even tearful, on June 2 as he watched long lines of voters face unprecedented delays during the primary election. A combination of technical difficulties, poor communication and challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic left some city residents without mailed ballots and unable to vote in person. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and other politicians demanded accountability, and one city lawmaker called on Bennett to resign. Instead, he launched a series of improvements, hoping to avoid similar problems in the much higher-profile general election. The city mailed ballots to every registered voter this time around, and ballot drop boxes and voting supercenters are among the new additions. But it’s not yet clear how these new tools will fare at a time where election security, public health and the board’s capabilities remain prominent concerns for voters. Bennett, 65, knows he’s being watched closely by the District’s executive and legislative branches as the city hurtles toward a general election that will be like no other. “I see this as a mission I’ve got to complete,” he said. “I looked around the country, and everyone struggled to make this work amid a pandemic. I feel good about our plan, and I feel we’ve done everything we can do.”
Read MoreThe Amherst County Board of Supervisors discussed the possibility of a 27 cent tax to a pack of cigarettes. "Every penny counts," Paul Chona, a local business owner. Chona owns Campbell Food Store in Elon and for him, a tax increase on cigarettes would result in a hit for his entire business.
Read MoreVermont is legalizing marijuana sales. Gov. Phil Scott (R) on Wednesday announced he’ll allow a marijuana sales legalization bill passed by the legislature to take effect. Vermont previously legalized marijuana possession and growing. The latest bill allows and builds a commercialized, tax-and-regulate system, similar to other legalization states’. The legislation is set to take effect this month, but state regulators will have until October 2022 to start issuing licenses for retailers — meaning legal sales could still be as much as two years away. Separately, Scott signed another bill into law that seeks to automate the expungement process for past marijuana convictions, freeing people from their criminal records for marijuana. People who get expungements will receive a notification by mail. The governor’s decision makes Vermont the 11th state to legalize marijuana sales for recreational purposes. A decade ago, zero states had done so. Several other states, including New Jersey and Arizona, will vote on marijuana legalization this November.
Read MoreIn the fertile northeast corner of the Navajo Nation, fields that only months ago were traditional open-air corn farms are now stuffed with hundreds of industrial-size greenhouses, each glowing with artificial lights and brimming with emerald cannabis plants. Security cameras ring the perimeters and hired guards in flak jackets patrol the public roads alongside the farms. Every weekday throughout the summer, a group of local kids woke at sunrise and arrived at the farm by 7:30, ready for a 10-hour shift of hard labor under the high desert sun. Many were teenagers, 13- and 14-year-olds lured by offers of quick cash. A few were as young as 10. Joining them were scores of foreign workers — an estimated 1,000 people, many of them Chinese immigrants brought to New Mexico from Los Angeles, according to Navajo Nation Police Chief Phillip Francisco. Seven-foot-tall black fencing shields the activities inside these greenhouses, but farmworkers, neighbors, and law enforcement officers have provided an inside view. Chinese managers oversee the day-to-day logistics, they say, bringing in diesel generators on freight trucks to power the greenhouses, installing dozens of cheaply built trailers to house the immigrant workers, and drilling unpermitted wells to irrigate thousands of thirsty cannabis plants.
Read MoreRecreational pot sales in Illinois have generated quit a bit of green for the states bottom line. According to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the recreational marijuana industry remains a hot commodity in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, as statewide sales surpassed $67.6 million in September. Officials said adult-use cannabis sales in August climbed nearly 5.8 percent over July, when the state had nearly $64 million in sales. Marijuana dispensaries were deemed essential businesses in Illinois during the pandemic, allowing them to remain open during a time when most businesses were forced to close. So far this year, recreational marijuana dispensaries in Illinois have sold nearly 9.5 million marijuana products worth a total of more than $431 million.
Read MoreA federal grand jury has indicted a North Dakota man accused of participating in a scheme to manufacture counterfeit clothing overseas that was then sold to the U.S. military and other buyers, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Read MoreInvestors who won a chance for a license to sell recreational marijuana in Illinois have filed a lawsuit asserting it’s illegal to give other applicants a second chance. The legal action sets up a potential court battle over when to hold a lottery to award 75 new retail licenses. Three finalists filed a petition asking the Illinois Supreme Court to order that the licenses be awarded without recent changes to the application process they say were made because of “political expediency.” Last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced new procedures that would allow applicants to correct any deficiencies in their applications and get rescored for a second chance at qualifying for the license lottery. The lawsuit was filed Monday, as the Tribune first reported, by SB IL, Vertical Management and GRI Holdings IL, all limited liability corporations that received perfect scores on their applications. They were among 21 businesses that qualified in September for the license lottery. They are suing Pritzker and officials from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which oversees the licensing of cannabis dispensaries. Pritzker changed the application process after applicants complained of inconsistent scoring and handling of applications. The governor allowed applicants to be notified of any deficiencies in their applications and given 10 days to correct any problems. Those applications are to be scored again to see who else might qualify for the lottery. David Scott, owner of People Cab Co. and People Loan Club in Bellwood, said his group Vertical Management earned its score and deserves a shot at the lottery without potentially hundreds of more contestants. In any competition, he said, players must follow the rules. Even if a referee makes a bad call in a basketball game, he said, once the game is over, there are no do-overs. Winning applicants also took exception to the characterization that they are not legitimate social equity applicants because some have politically connected or wealthy white co-owners, or are already involved in the cannabis industry. GRI’s investment group, for instance, includes restaurant owner Phil Stefani, while another firm, EHR Holdings, includes former Chicago police Superintendent Terry Hillard, who is African American and helped enforce the laws that legalization seeks to reverse. The law did not include preferences for any racial group, out of concern that would be discriminatory. But all of the finalists were given a preference as social equity applicants, meaning most lived in designated poorer areas with many marijuana arrests and convictions, or had low-level marijuana convictions themselves or in their family -- which state officials said in effect favored minority applicants. Of the 21 applicants, state officials said, 13 are majority owned and controlled by people of color and 17 have at least one owner who is a person of color. Scott said his group has five African Americans out of eight owners. “If you want minorities involved, you got 'em,” Scott said.
Read MoreMaryland’s budding hemp industry is growing despite concerns from some Baltimore County residents about living near a crop that was outlawed for several decades. Hemp is a strain of cannabis that looks and smells much like the plant that’s smoked recreationally and medicinally. But hemp contains only a very small amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which causes the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis. Instead, hemp mostly contains cannabidiol oil, or CBD, which is used in pills, creams and consumable products. CBD’s popularity is growing because scientists discovered it stimulates a reaction in the body that reduces pain and inflammation, said Darren O’Brien, a hemp farmer in Baltimore County. “People who are growing hemp are not hippies,” O’Brien said. "It’s helping tens of thousands of people.” O’Brien manages the Hemp Hills Farm and Family Care CBD shop, but he stressed hemp isn’t just about CBD. The plant has been “a major crop” in Canada and Europe for decades, he said, because its fibers can be used to produce clothing, shoes or paper, among other things. Maryland has seen the industry blossom since starting a pilot program in 2018. There are nearly 100 farms statewide — a roughly 50% increase this past year. And new state regulations for the industry will take effect Nov. 1. But as more farmers view the crop as a gateway to the lucrative CBD market, some neighbors are fuming. And at least one county government — Baltimore County — is considering restrictions on the crop. “The people that have contacted me have said that they’ve had problems with some of their children who have respiratory issues [that] are made more complicated by hemp. People who have asthma find that their conditions are more agitated from the hemp,” said Baltimore County Councilman Wade Kach, who has sponsored a bill to limit hemp farms. The council held a hearing Tuesday on Kach’s proposed legislation, and Kach also held a virtual meeting Thursday for both sides to discuss the issue. The council is scheduled to vote on the bill Monday night, though Kach has said he may seek to postpone a vote. One of Baltimore County’s five hemp farms is located off Broadway Road, just north of Stevenson, and it’s surrounded by suburban homes. Vince Piccinini, the farmer whose name is listed on the state registration for the Broadway Road hemp farm, could not be reached for comment. While the land has long been used for farming, Kach aide Ryan Fried said a barrage of complaints followed Piccinini’s decision to grow hemp there. Like any other hemp farm, its fields release an odor from late summer until early November when the plant is harvested. Residents have voiced health concerns over the stench. Kach’s bill would prohibit hemp farms within 2,000 feet of a residential property. The Cockeysville Republican’s proposal would also require harvesting facilities to be set back at least 500 feet from the farm’s property line and hemp farms would be prohibited from operating within 2 miles of another hemp farm. The county council is expected to vote on the bill this week and, if approved, it would take effect Oct. 19. Residents from the Sparks and Lutherville-Timonium communities testified in support of the proposal last week. They said approximately 32 homes are within 1,000 feet of the Piccinini farm, which is listed in the state as GPS Nurseries. “This is frightening," Lutherville resident Michele Pearlman said. “Council, you have our health in your hands. Please protect us by passing this bill.” Another resident, Richard Sciacca, reiterated that neither the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nor Maryland allows CBD to be added to edible products, even though it’s happening. Dr. Jefferson Lee of Lutherville said the FDA says on its website that pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers shouldn’t be exposed to cannabis or cannabis-derived products. “It is incredibly disturbing, the idea of my young children becoming guinea pigs for future research on long-term health hazards from cannabis exposure at home," Lee said. But Kevin Atticks of the Maryland Hemp Coalition said there are no studies showing negative health effects from inhaling hemp. "You may not like the smell, but it’s not dangerous,” Atticks said. Right now, the hemp dispute appears to be limited to Baltimore County. But agriculture advocates are worried about the county council bill’s impact on farmers.
Read MoreNew Jersey voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana next month, after the Democratic-led state legislature fell short of enough votes to get it done. The ballot measure, if passed, would amend the state constitution to allow people ages 21 and older to use marijuana. It would also allow the state to establish a regulated market to grow, distribute and sell the drug. All registered voters will be sent ballots this month that they can either mail in or drop off at specific sites. There is no early in-person voting in the state. If the measure is approved, New Jersey would become the 12th state in the U.S. along with Washington, D.C., to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. The state has already legalized medical marijuana. The ballot question became the fallback option for advocates of legalization after legislation stalled in Trenton. The New Jersey Senate, controlled by Democrats, scuttled a scheduled vote on a bill legalizing the substance in 2019 after lawmakers failed to secure enough support to pass it. The Democratic-led state Assembly also demurred when it became clear there was no path to approval in the Senate.
Read MoreSetting Chicagoans up for a safe and secure election is a tall order in a year beset by a pandemic, post office woes and concerns about voter intimidation. But Chicago Board of Elections Chairwoman Marisel Hernandez says they’re up to the challenge – and she encourages all those who want to vote to make sure they’re registered, right up until Election Day. “Any resident of Chicago who’s a U.S. citizen and will turn 18 by Nov. 3 can register to vote online, (at) early voting sites, and on Election Day,” she said. “Our early voting site at the Loop is open and running, the other 50 early voting sites will be open as of Oct 14. You’ll also be able to register to vote online until Oct. 18.” On the first day of early voting, voters formed a socially distanced line outside the building to cast their ballots. Masks, hand sanitizer and Plexiglas dividers were used there — as they will be at all polling locations — to keep poll workers and voters safe. Hernandez says that nearly half a million people have requested vote-by-mail ballots, and she urges those who plan to vote by mail to return their ballots as soon as possible to avoid delays in counting. Voters whose primary language is Spanish can visit the Board of Elections site for information in Spanish; information in several other languages is also available. After Gov. J.B. Pritzker expressed concerns that some people might attempt to disrupt the election, Hernandez says the Board of Elections is ready for that, too. “I want voters to know that the board regularly meets with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Chicago Police Department and other governmental entities to prepare for this election period, including Election Day,” Hernandez said. “And on Election Day, we will have all of these agencies assisting us along with community organizations and attorneys who will monitor polling places. So we feel confident that we have the security in place for voters to come out and safely vote.”
Read MoreTo secure elections, paper ballots and risk-limiting audits are needed and systems have to be established to contain the spread of misinformation, a recent Indiana University Bloomington study has found.
Read MoreDrivers in New Jersey purchased nearly 40 percent less gas between March and May as businesses and schools closed and more people began working from home.
Read MoreSince the state’s first dispensary opened about 16 months ago, Arkansas patients have purchased more than $131 million worth of medical marijuana. These sales have generated more than $13 million in state tax revenue, contributing to the state’s goal of achieving a coveted cancer institute designation for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Read MoreNational digital identity projects involving biometrics made up the theme of the week’s top news on Biometric Update, with Thales and an Augentic-INCM partnership winning major ID document contracts in Sweden and Cameroon respectively, and Idemia, Mühlbauer, HID Global and Aisino Corporation bids needing to be refiled in Nepal.
Read MoreThe lieutenant governors of Illinois and Michigan recently gave their counterpart in Pennsylvania some advice on how to approach marijuana legalization in his state.
Read MoreMany state and local agencies are now expecting revenue shortfalls, or, at the very least, battling uncertainty and hesitation. As we respond to these challenges and plan a path forward, it can be helpful to look back at similar situations and the tools used in the past.
Read MoreFirefighters battling the state’s largest wildfire braced for the change in weather by constructing fuel breaks on Friday to keep the flames from reaching a marijuana-growing enclave where authorities said many of the locals have refused to evacuate and abandon their maturing crops.
Read MoreTobacco products are still on track to become more expensive in Kodiak, as the Kodiak Island Borough has been discussing the idea of raising the excise tax on tobacco for the past several months.
Read MoreThe state imposes a 17-cent tax on a pack of cigarettes — the lowest in the nation — just a fraction of the $2.98 rate charged across the Mississippi River in Illinois. Missouri’s rate likely won’t change any time soon. Voters in 2016 rejected competing ballot questions that would have raised the tobacco tax.
Read MoreStanding before a field of thigh-high hemp plants last week, a pair of candidates running for seats in the West Virginia House of Delegates previewed a marijuana legalization bill they plan to introduce if elected in November. Rusty Williams and Chris Yeager, Democrats running in West Virginia House Districts 35 and 14, respectively, announced the planned legislation, titled “The Normalization of Cannabis Act,” in a video streamed Friday on Facebook from Yeager’s hemp farm in Mason County. “I think that this bill is a great draft,” said Yeager, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and owner of Appalachian Cannabis Co., which makes products from CBD derived from his farm’s hemp. “It gives us a starting point.” The proposal is being supported by WV Can’t Wait, a political advocacy group that asks candidates to sign a pledge to reject corporate campaign donations and sign on to an array of policy positions, including broadband internet for all, infrastructure investment, small-business support, a workers bill of rights and “full cannabis legalization.” Williams, who became involved in medical marijuana legalization efforts after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, according to his campaign website, helped successfully advocate for the state’s medical cannabis bill, signed into law in 2017. He described his new proposal in Friday’s video as “the first piece of comprehensive cannabis legislation that we intend to introduce should we both be fortunate enough to win in November.” A copy of the draft bill wasn’t immediately provided by WV Can’t Wait organizers, who instead pointed Marijuana Moment to a bulleted list of provisions, included in full at the end of this article. “People hear the term ‘comprehensive cannabis’ and want to know what that means,” Williams said on the live stream. “What that means is this bill will decriminalize the cultivation, production and personal use of cannabis for all West Virginia adults over 21.” Under the proposal, all adults 21 and over could grow up to 12 cannabis plants for personal use. While the bill would establish a “framework for taxation of commercial sales,” the candidates stressed that big business isn’t their goal. Instead, the proposal would allow so-called micro permits, which would license small, vertically integrated marijuana businesses. “One of the major criticisms we’ve had with the Medical Cannabis Act is that the entire industry was going to be run by ten companies,” Williams said. “When we end prohibition, we have got to make sure that we clear a path for small businesses and small farmers to get into the game and participate in this industry, and that’s exactly what micro permitting will do.” Permits would be discounted 50 percent to applicants convicted of past nonviolent cannabis crimes, Williams said, “as a means of restorative justice. I can’t stress it enough, here in West Virginia we have got a lot of wrongs to right when it comes to cannabis.” The prospective bill would also expunge the records of nonviolent cannabis convictions dating back to 1937, when prohibition first began, Williams said. “Not only will we release people from jail who are wrongfully incarcerated for possessing or using a plant, but this bill also provides for transitional services for people released, so we can help them with schooling, education, housing, anything that we can help them with to get them back into society, which is where they should be in the first place,” he said.
Read MoreThe world crossed a red line this month when police directly tied a woman’s death to a cyberattack in Germany. Prosecutors in the German city of Cologne have opened a negligent homicide investigation in the case in which an ailing woman was turned away from a hospital in the grips of a ransomware attack and couldn’t help her. She died on the way to another hospital. It was the most concrete evidence to date of the real-world consequences of digital hacking. And it’s a scenario that’s likely to play out again and again as technology becomes more deeply entwined in people’s daily lives and security protections fail to keep up. “This is something people have been warning about for a long time now and you’re going to see more and more of it,” Peter Singer, a senior fellow at the New America think tank who focuses on cybersecurity, told me. The case is especially noteworthy because after years of fears about potential life threatening cyberattacks from Russia, Iran or North Korea that could resemble a “cyber 9/11” or “cyber Pearl Harbor,” the first attack directly linked to a death came from common criminals who may not even have known they were targeting a hospital. Indeed, the hackers who locked up the hospital’s IT systems seem to have been targeting Heinrich Heine University, which is affiliated with the hospital, rather than the hospital itself, according to a note the hackers sent demanding a ransom payment, the Associated Press reported. That scenario of a criminal hack accidentally cascading into a life-threatening situation is only going to become more common. “Human life is more tied up with cyberspace now than it was before because of this ongoing march of digitization and the interconnection of networks with all human activities,” Jon Bateman, a former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst and now a cybersecurity fellow for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told me. “Hospital are more online than they were before, and that’s true of many industries. So it stands to reason that cyber incidents with life-and-death consequence will be happening more and more.” Just because this death was probably an accidental consequence of a cyberattack doesn’t mean future such deaths won’t be deliberate. That will become especially likely with the proliferation of a slew of things connected to the Internet and vulnerable to hacking such as medical devices, driverless cars and connected home features.
Read MoreThe Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago teamed up with Verizon to help deliver secured elections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global pandemic. This was just six days away from Chicago’s scheduled presidential primary. Implementing additional health and safety measures to protect voters and poll workers in such a short amount of time was a hurdle in and of itself. Adding to this complexity was the introduction of a brand new voting system for over 2,000 precincts across 230 squares miles. Even without pandemic factors, being able to provide secure electronic elections across multiple voting sites comes with its own challenges, unique to each state, county and city. Three critical factors for secure electronic elections are: Protect the integrity of voter choices on a digital ballot; Guard against hacks and cyberattacks when those choices are electronically transmitted across the network; Ensure that every vote is accurately counted and accounted for Proper planning is essential when preparing for something as critical as an election. As early as 2006, when problems with the then-new voting equipment began to surface, the Board of Election Commissioners for the City of Chicago (“Board”) had already initiated preparations for improving network security and efficiency, which included upgrading its electronic poll books in 2014. When the Board decided to upgrade its voting equipment and network in 2018, it was dealing with an infrastructure that hadn’t been updated since 2006. This meant replacing the old-school voting equipment with more modern equipment featuring robust capabilities and security. Whereas before, the equipment merely performed a tally of votes without preserving the ballot itself, the new system actually scans and saves every single ballot, both electronic and paper. “The added advantage about these new vote scanners is that you can see the logic the scanner used to count or not count the vote so that there can be an immediate adjudication if there’s an issue of how the image appeared that reflects the voter’s intent,” said Jim Allen, former Communications Director, Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. But shifting from a purely count-based tally to one that is accompanied by verifiable scans of actual ballots requires not just a massive increase in bandwidth, but also a pipeline that is reliable and scalable.
Read MoreMarijuana arrests in South Dakota are common, costly and carried out on a racially disproportionate basis, a new report released by advocates for a legalization measure on the state’s November ballot shows. In fact, nearly one in 10 of all arrests in the state in 2018 were for cannabis offenses, with 95 percent of those cases concerning simple possession. There were 31,883 marijuana arrests in South Dakota from 2009 to 2018. That’s according to an analysis of federal crime data, which was published by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws on Tuesday.
Read MoreI recently wrote that Mark Zuckerberg is the most powerful unelected man in America. His and Facebook’s efforts to try to combat election-related disinformation on its platform, however comforting, were merely “an admission of a great power that should make Americans uncomfortable,” I said. Some readers argued I had it wrong. First, criticizing the helpful efforts of Silicon Valley are counterproductive at a time when we need all hands on deck, they wrote. Second, I was too narrowly focused on one man. Mr. Zuckerberg and Facebook are far from the only powerful entities who could, with a few executive decisions, meaningfully affect the 2020 election.
Read MoreOfficers detained a shipment of 43 boxes that appeared to have counterfeit N95 respirator masks on Sept. 2.
Read MoreThe 2020 election is underway. Not just the campaign — the actual voting has already begun. States are recruiting and training poll workers, identifying the final list of polling places and early voting locations and mailing out ballots. The pandemic presents a huge challenge, but we can still ensure a safe and accessible vote this November. Here are six ways to make that happen. 1. Every voter must make a plan to vote. Now. Voters should start by checking their registrations by going to canivote.org. They should find out whether they can vote early, but in-person — that option will ease the burden of counting ballots on Election Day, since most states don’t allow for the early counting of absentee ballots. If they plan to go to the polls on Election Day, they should try to go in the middle of the day, when lines are less likely. If they plan to vote by mail and live in a state that is not mailing ballots to every voter, they should apply for absentee ballots as soon as possible. Then they must decide how to return that ballot — by mail, in a drop box, at a county office, or at a polling place — and track their ballots if their state provides a website to do so. In most years, absentee voters wait until the last minute to return their ballots, resulting in a backlog as Election Day approaches. Because 2020 may see three times more mail ballots cast than in any previous election, this backlog threatens to become gridlock. To avoid that, we need to “flatten the absentee ballot curve,” as our colleague Richard Hasen says. Voters should return their ballots as soon as they can. This will help make sure that a rush of ballots does not hit election offices at the last minute — or even worse, too late to be counted. 2. Work the polls. In surveys of battleground states by our organization, healthyelections.org, well over half of respondents indicate they will vote in person this year. We should remove any pandemic-related obstacles from their path. Local election officials need poll workers, because their usual corps of senior citizens are less likely to serve, given their heightened Covid-19 risk. The job requires long hours, but this year, to sweeten the deal, many local jurisdictions are offering hazard pay. Poll workers need training, so the time to sign up is now. Anyone interested should contact their state election office for information or go to the websites of the National Association of Secretaries of State, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, and Power the Polls. Ohio has developed a helpful dashboard describing the poll worker shortages in each county — something every state should provide so outside groups can focus their recruitment efforts. 3. Keep watch over the post office, but rebuild confidence in the mail. Voters’ confidence in the postal system must be restored. The long-term financial woes of the U.S. Postal Service, coupled with decisions this year to cut overtime for postal workers, remove certain equipment and eliminate extra trips to deliver the mail have magnified concerns that the Postal Service was not up to the task in the election. The Postal Service has warned that it cannot meet certain state mail ballot deadlines, meaning last-minute voters risk not having their votes counted. A federal court in Washington State has now ordered the Postal Service to undo some of its moves and enjoined them from making more. The postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, also backtracked from these changes in his congressional testimony. However, the damage to public confidence may already have occurred; 43 percent of likely voters in a recent Citizen Data poll are not confident that the post office will properly deliver mail ballots.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Friday that it is expanding its coronavirus relief program for farmers—and this time around, hemp cultivators are eligible for benefits. In May, USDA said it would be making $19 billion available for agriculture producers to assist them amid the pandemic. But it excluded hemp and several other crops, stating that they don’t qualify because they didn’t experience a five percent or greater price decline from January to April.rop’s legalization, highlighted the policy change.
Read MoreEurope's largest security organization said Friday that it has drastically scaled back plans to send as many as 500 observers to the U.S. to monitor the Nov. 3 presidential election and now will deploy just 30 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe — which has observed U.S. elections since 2002 but is better known for monitoring voting in countries such as Belarus or Kyrgyzstan — has spent months trying to figure out how to safely keep tabs on an election it worries will be "the most challenging in recent decades" as Americans pick a president in the throes of a global health crisis.
Read MoreRetail cannabis businesses are closer to being welcomed within Redwood City limits as planning commissioners approved zoning guidelines permitting storefronts in various areas of the city. After a nearly two-year-process to regulate how walk-in cannabis stores would be allowed to open in Redwood City, the Planning Commission voted to recommend the City Council approve zoning amendments permitting the business to open, by right, in zoning districts where general retail is allowed.
Read MoreElection officials in Kentucky are already warning voters about misinformation as the state’s mail-in voting process kicks off this week. But minimizing confusion around the mailers and text messages sent with incorrect voter registration information is even more difficult as state officials grapple with uncertainties from the coronavirus pandemic. The state’s second-most populous county closed its election office for two weeks after a positive coronavirus case. Other counties also reported confirmed coronavirus cases among employees in their county election and clerk’s offices. Kentucky’s struggles show how the general-election voting season is off to a bumpy start.
Read MoreElection officials’ worries about misinformation have escalated since the coronavirus pandemic brought unprecedented change to how elections are run around the country — presenting a choice opportunity for interference by America’s adversaries overseas and new possibilities for voter confusion as rules shift. But in the past few days, election officials in some states have raised the alarm about false guidance for voters they say is coming from within the government bureaucracy — specifically, from the U.S. Postal Service. And at least one federal judge has agreed. The suggestions included requesting mail ballots “at least 15 days before Election Day,” adding postage to return envelopes “if needed” and mailing voted ballots at least a week before the deadline. But this information is not accurate in at least nine states and the District of Columbia, where officials either already conduct their elections fully by mail — or are proactively sending out ballots this year as a public health measure. It’s prompting an outcry that the latest agency communications are confusing and may end up disenfranchising voters who will follow the wrong rules as a result. “Confusing voters about mail ballots in the middle of a pandemic is unacceptable,” tweeted Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat who sued on Friday night to block further delivery of the mailer to state residents. “It can undermine confidence in the election & suppress votes. I will do everything in my power to stop @USPS from sending misinformation to voters.” The flap underscores just how complex the voting landscape is this year as officials prepare for a surge in mail voting. While Colorado has been holding statewide mail elections since 2013, California, New Jersey, Vermont, Nevada and the District of Columbia will proactively send ballots to voters for the first time in November. Another 10 states decided to send request forms for mail ballots. And around the country, states from New York to Alabama are allowing voters who fear contracting or spreading the coronavirus to vote by mail. The Post recently published an interactive guide on how to vote in every state, both by mail and in person. The project — which involved collecting more than 2,000 data points — underscores the diversity of states’ voting policies, from whether they offer same-day voter registration, to whether they allow the use of ballot drop boxes, to whether they allow mail ballots to be counted before Election Day. We are regularly updating the tool to reflect changes to deadlines, rules for obtaining and returning your mail ballot and ballot verification practices like signature-matching. These updates will continue through Nov. 3, as litigation over voting rules continues around the country. Election officials are facing serious challenges as they inform the public about fast-changing rules this year. While polls point to an increased appetite for mail voting this year, only just over 3 in 10 registered voters say they are “very confident” that their vote will be counted accurately if they cast a mail ballot, compared with nearly 7 in 10 who say the same about voting in person on Election Day, according to a recent Washington Post-University of Maryland poll conducted by Ipsos. President Trump has also repeatedly and without evidence attacked mail voting as vulnerable to massive fraud, heightening the challenge for election officials as they try to build confidence in voting systems that will rely more than ever on the mail this year.
Read MoreIs it marijuana or hemp? Do we prosecute or drop charges? Those are questions prosecutors around Texas have been wrestling with since the legislature legalized hemp in 2019. In Harris County, they now have answers. Well, sort of. A new testing method being used by the Houston Forensic Science Center can measure whether delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, the controlled substance in the cannabis plant that causes a “high,” is above or below 1 percent. This will allow the laboratory to differentiate illegal marijuana from legal hemp in specific circumstances.
Read MoreAccording to AAFA president and Chief Executive Steve Lamar, however, the ongoing off-shoring of apparel and footwear manufacturing from China means that the explosion of fake goods since the pandemic broke out is not just a China problem.
Read MoreJulie Doran stood between two neat rows of chest-high hemp plants on a 5-acre plot in Westerville last week and explained what the crop is used for and how it grows. While the farm tour was intended to educate the public about the intricacies of hemp cultivation, there was another important message aimed squarely at the three members of the Ohio House of Representatives who toured the farm. Ohio’s hemp laws, Doran said, must be loosened to give farmers the leeway they need to grow the crop, which is used in products ranging from nutritional supplements to rope and bags. The crop is planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. The passage of Senate Bill 57 last year legalized hemp in Ohio, giving the state’s farmers access to a potentially lucrative market. Kentucky’s hemp processors made more than $57 million last year. Nearly 200 Ohioans have a license to grow hemp so far, and this year’s crop will serve as a trial run for both farmers and the regulators. The Ohio Hemp Farmers Cooperative, which Doran heads, is lobbying the state to regulate hemp the way it regulates other crops. But hemp, state officials counter, isn’t like other crops because of its close relationship to marijuana (both plants come from cannabis), which is still illegal under federal law. Ohio’s regulations, they say, are necessary to keep the state’s hemp program in line with federal guidelines and ensure that no one is growing marijuana. Marijuana cultivation is licensed through the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. The visiting lawmakers seemed receptive to Doran’s message Tuesday. “I want to make sure that what we’ve placed into law can really be effective to the (farmers) we want to help,” said Rep. Juanita Brent, D-Cleveland, who is on the House Agriculture Committee. Farmers are required to grow at least 1,000 hemp plants under state law. Brent and Rep. Erica Crawley, D-Columbus, who also toured the farm Tuesday, agreed that the requirement is too big a barrier for many aspiring hemp farmers, particularly urban farmers with few acres. “Having to have 1,000 plants would be difficult for a lot of people,” Crawley said. She added that farmers in her district told her the requirements are too stringent. Senate Bill 57 left it to the Ohio Department of Agriculture to create the rules governing hemp farming. The agency looked to other states and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for guidance. Minimum planting requirements were based on Kentucky’s rules and are meant to ensure that hemp production is commercial, David Miran, director of the agriculture department’s hemp program, said in a statement. A $500 licensing fee is intended to pay for the inspectors, laboratory staff and office staff the agriculture department needs to oversee hemp production, Miran said. “ODA’s licensing fees are on average with other states,” he said. Federal law governs one of the most stringent restrictions. If hemp crops contain more than 0.3% THC the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana those plants must be destroyed. Under state law, which takes its cue from a 2016 farm bill that created national guidelines for hemp production, any cannabis that exceeds that threshold is considered marijuana. Doran would like farmers to have a little more leeway on the THC limit. The Westerville farmer has several growing locations for hemp, each featuring a different variety, and must pay the state $500 to inspect each of them. On top of that, she needs three to five workers to tend to the crops to ensure they’re growing correctly and aren’t exceeding the THC limit.
Read MoreIn 2016, the US election resulted in a green wave as cannabis legalization measures passed in eight out of nine states. Now, the industry and its supporters are hoping for another big win in November. This year, voters in five states will decide whether to adopt either new medical or recreational cannabis laws -- or, perhaps, both in the case of one state. As it stands now, 33 states have legalized medical cannabis, and of those, 11 states have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use. If more states join that list, it could serve as a huge opportunity for industry growth as legalization supporters believe successful ballot initiatives could have a domino effect on other states -- especially those looking to address budgetary and social justice issues. "We've seen public support continue to grow every year," said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, the legalization advocacy group backing several of the measures. Cannabis sales in states that have legalized the plant for medical and recreational purposes totaled about $15 billion in 2019, and are expected to top $30 billion by 2024, according to data from BDS Analytics, which tracks dispensary sales. Below is a look at the five states voting on legal cannabis this November. Four years ago, residents in the Grand Canyon State narrowly defeated an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis. It failed by fewer than 67,100 votes, with 51.3% of voters saying no. The 2016 measure was hotly contested, attracting a combined $13 million from high-profile donors such as soap company Dr. Bronner's, which was in favor of the measure, and opponents such as billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, tire retailer Discount Tire, and pharmaceutical company Insys. This time around, the backers of the recreational cannabis initiative include some of the biggest names in the US cannabis business -- an industry that has matured significantly during the past four years. State election finance records show that contributors supporting Proposition 207 include multi-state cannabis producers and retailers such as the Tempe, Arizona-based Harvest Health & Recreation (HRVSF) and firms such as Curaleaf (CURLF) and Cresco Labs (CRLBF), which have cultivation and retail operations in Arizona's medical cannabis industry. Still in staunch opposition are Governor Doug Ducey, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a national organization that opposes the legalization and commercialization of cannabis.
Read MoreFour years after Russian agents launched a sweeping, multifaceted operation targeting the 2016 presidential elections through a hacking and disinformation campaign, the Pentagon is pressing ahead with a cyber strategy to ensure the nation is better defended this time around. General Paul Nakasone, who is both the military’s top commander for cyber-operations as head of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) and director of the National Security Agency, says the U.S. has deployed forces to eastern Europe in order to thwart any attempt to interfere in elections or other cyberattacks. “We realized that Cyber Command needs to do more than prepare for a crisis in the future; it must compete with adversaries today,” Nakasone writes in a recent op-ed for Foreign Affairs along with his senior advisor Michael Sulmeyer. “Inaction poses its own risks.” Last year, CYBERCOM and NSA formed a unit called the Election Security Group. Teams of American on so-called “hunt forward missions” are working to uncover adversaries’ techniques and tactics before they go after U.S. systems.
Read MoreThe Virginia Department of Elections announced the launch of “Defending Democracy” as a part of the Department’s new marketing campaign– focused on it’s commitment to election security. The “Defending Democracy” campaign includes a series of communications featuring members of Virginia’s elections community, including local and state election workers who are key to helping administer elections. The campaign also includes radio, digital video and banners, and social advertising that similarly conveys the Department’s commitment to ensuring election integrity. Examples of the ads from the campaign can be seen here. The Department of Elections has worked to remove unsecured voting systems from service at the local level and promoted the transition to a modern voting systems using voter verified paper-based balloting. The equipment voters use to cast their ballots in Virginia are not connected to the Internet.
Read MoreAs losing applicants for new pot shop licenses continued to raise alarms about the application process and an upcoming lottery to determine the winners, two Democratic lawmakers outlined plans Wednesday to formally review the scoring system and introduce new legislation to “make sure that true social equity is achieved.” During a Zoom call with a group of scorned social equity candidates, state Reps. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) and Kathleen Willis (D-Northlake) said they are formulating a “trailer bill” to introduce during the fall veto session that will reflect the litany of concerns from would-be pot shop operators
Read MoreWarren County in North Carolina has only three full-time staff members, and none of them are computer specialists. That could matter in a year in which foreign governments are eyeing ways to disrupt the November election. So the county’s election director, Debbie Formyduval, has welcomed cybersecurity experts from the state’s National Guard to help shore up the systems. “I'm a small county," Formyduval said. "And it allows me — it affords me the opportunity to feel comfortable with my IT and where I am compared to a larger county in the state." The National Guard is often associated with more physical tasks such as helping with disaster relief, or in recent months, responding to protests over police brutality against Black Americans.
Read MoreLocal forensic labs in Harris County can now determine whether a leafy green is hemp or marijuana following a state policy that legalized some uses of the cannabis plant. The Houston Forensic Science Center and the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences will use the test on samples that could contain illegal amounts of THC, the results of which could be used to prosecute criminal cases. THC is the main active ingredient in cannabis.
Read MoreA coalition of activists and experts is readying to roll out a campaign to legalize marijuana in New Jersey for those over 21, framed through a racial justice lens seeking to end arrests for weed use and address the damage caused by the war on drugs. NJ CAN 2020 formed in March, just a week before the state began shutting down to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Since, the landscape of an election has changed drastically — no going door-to-door to spread the word, no rallies with motivational speakers to rouse voters. And the get-out-the-vote message has shifted to getting the ballot in the mailbox on time, as New Jersey plans to send mail-in ballots to all of its registered voters.“As people are self-isolating, quarantining, we need to go where people are,” said Axel Owen, NJ CAN 2020?s campaign manager. “Since we can’t go to their door, that means we have to go to their phone.” The coalition includes members of the ACLU of New Jersey, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, the Latino Action Network, the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the NAACP New Jersey State Conference and the NJ CannaBusiness Association. It also has the support and funding of The coalition will take a virtual-first approach to reaching voters and educating them about the ballot question seeking to legalize marijuana. They will host online forums, live broadcasts and posts on social media as well as phone banking and text alerts. Despite a years-long battle to legalize marijuana, coalition members say the need to educate voters remains. “There are many people in New Jersey who think that we have already legalized,” said Amol Sinha, executive director of the ACLU of New Jersey and a coalition member. “I think we need to educate voters that no, it’s not done. And it’s going to be on the ballot.” With a decade-old medical marijuana program and three years worth of calls by Gov. Phil Murphy to legalize, many people wrongly assume the Garden State has already passed legislation. But the state Senate fell short of the number of votes needed to pass a legalization bill several times over the past two years; lawmakers have also let legislation that would decriminalize anywhere from two ounces to one pound of marijuana languish. Meanwhile, police continue to arrest nearly 100 people for possession of marijuana each day, and the illicit market thrives. That’s the main point the coalition wants to drive home to voters. This isn’t just about making it easier to purchase marijuana for recreational use, but about stopping the thousands of annual arrests that disproportionately impact Black communities. Weedmaps, individual donors and New Jersey advocacy group, including the ACLU.
Read MoreSenate Republicans dismissed concerns this week about the Trump administration’s decision to effectively cut off the Democratic House of Representatives from in-person briefings on election security — and they expressed confidence that the GOP-led Senate Intelligence Committee will continue to hold such sessions in the run-up to Election Day. GOP senators also defended John Ratcliffe, the director of national intelligence, in the wake of his order to end in-person briefings on election-security matters due to a recent spate of classified leaks. “[It] is a chronic problem around here. People go into the SCIF and they get a classified briefing and next thing they come out and start telling everything they heard to the press,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an Intelligence Committee member, referring to the secure facility in the Capitol where lawmakers view and discuss classified information. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership and the Intelligence panel, said it would be “totally inappropriate” to cut off the Senate committee but said he does not believe Ratcliffe has done that, despite Ratcliffe’s letters to congressional leaders last month informing them of his decision. “I think it’s also inappropriate for every member of the Congress who has chosen not to try to serve on that committee to think that they need to know everything that people on the Intel Committee know,” Blunt added. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the acting chairman of the Intelligence Committee, had organized a series of briefings for all members of the Senate earlier this year. Blunt suggested that Ratcliffe’s new posture was justified because “that information didn’t stay in the room.” Despite ODNI’s directive, Rubio said he fully expects that the Senate Intelligence Committee will still have the opportunity to question U.S. intelligence officials in person about their assessments on election security, including on efforts by foreign actors to interfere in the campaign.
Read MoreA chamber of Congress will vote to remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substance for the first time in the nation’s history. The U.S. House of Representative confirmed its historic vote will occur during September work period and would effectively decriminalize cannabis nationwide. The legislation in question, known as the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act (MORE Act), would not legalize marijuana at the federal level. Instead it would remove cannabis from its Schedule I drug classification, which the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) defines as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Once removed, states could then decide whether to legalize cannabis for medical or recreational use. The bill would also expunge cannabis records for some and create a fund to support individuals impacted by the enforcement of marijuana laws. "Passage of the MORE Act is essential in order to truly right the wrongs of federal marijuana criminalization, and to once and for all allow the majority of states that have legalized cannabis for either medical or adult-use to embrace these policies free from the threat of undue federal prosecution or interference," said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano. It’s unknown whether the MORE Act will have enough votes to carry the Democrat-controlled House. Even if it does, the Senate is not expected to vote on the bill considering the long-held opposition by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Republicans, who control the Senate, have not show support for ending cannabis prohibition in recent weeks. The head of the Republican National Committee would not answer whether medical marijuana supporters had a place in the GOP in a recent interview. And President Donald Trump told a Republican crowd earlier this month not to allow cannabis legalization ballot if they want to win.
Read MoreTwo secret wars are underway simultaneously over attack and defense of the 2020 presidential election. This week, each one broke into the open again. The first war is an intelligence and national security operation aimed at protecting American election infrastructure, political campaigns and the U.S. information environment from foreign interference. The second one is a political struggle over how much Americans learn about the first. Events this week further underscored how far the U.S. has traveled since the infamous 2016 election, which played out without much appreciation in real time about how events were roiling behind the scenes. That understanding only developed in retrospect through official investigations. This year, Americans are aware as never before about foreign schemes, official countermeasures and the second-order efforts by U.S. politicians to shape the public's impressions about it all. Facebook spikes Russian scheme: On Tuesday, Facebook announced it had disrupted an influence operation linked with Russia's "Internet Research Agency," a professional disruption and trolling mill, that sought to sow agitation in the U.S. election. The Russian specialists were using Facebook accounts to entice U.S. journalists to contribute to a left-wing website, the company said, in a project the social media giant called "largely unsuccessful" in its official report. Facebook's ejection of the Russian users followed a tip from the FBI. That dynamic was the product of years of sometimes awkward relationship-building between Silicon Valley and officialdom following the 2016 experience, in which both sides have since said they were too slow to recognize the magnitude of the influence operations playing out across Americans' social networks. Facebook, Twitter and other platforms have spent the intervening years not only deepening their relationships with law enforcement and intelligence officials, but also routinely scrubbing their own operations in order to prevent foreign interference specialists from building up a critical mass of agitation at any one time. The companies have kicked off scores of fake accounts and also quashed or "down-ranked" other content associated with agitation, they've told Congress, which in some cases has prompted foreign governments to change their tactics and even move their messaging that targets the United States into overt accounts. This week's case from Facebook was another example: With pressure evidently too great to sustain a 2016-level of disinformation and agitation on Facebook itself, the IRA evidently only sought to use it to solicit real Americans to post real content on another website. Pushing the activity away from the platform with the biggest audience reduces the reach of the influence operation. Russian influence specialists also used independently created websites in 2016 including "DCLeaks," which was one avenue through which the military intelligence agency GRU posted emails stolen via cyberattacks from American political targets. Internet users the world over, however, this year are on guard about Russian cyberattacks, as a separate flap showed.
Read MoreWhen Oregon voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2014, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission was given the responsibility for the licensing and regulation of cannabis businesses. Unlike other states, Oregon was meant to have a non-competitive licensing system with no limit on the total number of licenses issued. This approach was intended to encourage existing medical cannabis growers and dispensaries to enter into the regulated market and allow women, minorities and other entrepreneurs the opportunity to participate in the new cannabis economy. While the licensing system initially worked well, the system has essentially ground to a halt. According to the OLCC’s website, the agency is just now processing applications to grow recreational cannabis that were filed in February 2018. It’s not much better for those seeking licenses to process, sell or distribute cannabis. The agency is just now getting to applications filed in June 2018. That means the OLCC is more than two years behind in issuing licenses and there is no point in filing a new application for eligible business types. As a lawyer in this space since before legalization, I know that those waiting for licenses include small businesses that have been stretched thin by the delays. They have built out facilities to comply with regulations, paid rent each month, accepted money from investors and now have little hope that they will ever be able to operate. One client, Adam Dunn, filed for a processor’s license two years ago, spent $300,000 on security and construction and has been paying rent since 2018. With the current backlog, he will likely still wait years to receive approval. This is the same story I hear over and over as desperate applicants find themselves in permanent limbo. The OLCC is not even able to provide any timeline to applicants, denying them the ability to make informed decisions about crucial issues such as whether to keep a lease or buy equipment. As the agency communicated to me in a recent email, “We do not have a way of giving any sort of accurate estimate as to when a certain new application may receive an assessment of its readiness to be assigned.” At the same time, the OLCC has prioritized change-of-ownership applications, which favor large businesses that can afford to buy an established operation – and its license. This prioritization has created a secondary market for licenses ensuring that large, and often multi-state operators can grow their companies while others lose months, years, and in some cases, everything they have while they wait. In contrast to the backlog on new licenses, the OLCC is working on change of ownership applications submitted in 2020 with the average wait time being 157 days, according to a public records request. It is time for the OLCC to turn all its attention and resources to addressing this crisis. The agency does not have the statutory authority to unilaterally stop issuing new licenses that were lawfully applied for. If the OLCC cannot or will not turn their attention to this enormous and years long backlog, the governor’s office should immediately intervene. The Legislature also should mandate strict timelines for the issuance of licenses as well as make sure that the commission is sufficiently funded to provide rapid licensing services for all applicants.
Read MoreThe U.S. House of Representatives will vote this month on legislation that would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and expunge some criminal records. The Hill reports the MORE Act would not legalize the drug, but would still be a “historic step” in reducing legal penalties for the drug. Legalizing the drug for recreational use would be left up to individual states.
Read MoreThe Colorado hemp harvest began last week. After 80 years of prohibition, building an industry from the ground up is anything but the “American dream” for hemp farmers, and last year it came to a disastrous crash. It turns out supply and demand rely on a supply chain – which doesn’t exist yet for hemp. And demand? No one knew the demand of a product that had been illegal for decades. Hemp is the less potent cousin of marijuana. Both come from the cannabis plant. And even without THC — the legally restricted compound in marijuana — hemp has a variety of potential.
Read MoreWith Election Day just over two months away, Americans will begin casting ballots in a few weeks. The U.S. intelligence community has already warned of multiple attempts by foreign powers to intervene in the November election. But now comes word of changes in how top U.S. intelligence officials will brief Congress about the threats. Lisa Desjardins and Nick Schifrin join Judy Woodruff to discuss.Judy Woodruff: Americans will begin casting ballots in this fall's general elections in just a couple of weeks, and Election Day itself is just a little more than two months away.
Read MoreA landmark bill that would decriminalize marijuana use at the federal level is up for vote soon. The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on the legislation in September, according to an email sent out on Friday by Majority Whip James Clyburn. Politico first reported on the pending vote. The "Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019" -- also called the MORE Act -- would officially remove cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances. It would also expunge federal marijuana convictions and arrests, and approve the allocation of resources for communities affected by the war on drugs, according to the bill's text. "A floor vote on the bill would be the greatest federal cannabis reform accomplishment in over 80 years," the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce said in a statement Friday. The House Judiciary Committee passed the bill, introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and co-sponsored by more than 50 lawmakers, by a vote of 24-10 in November. "These steps are long overdue. For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem instead of a matter of personal choice and public health," Nadler, the committee's chairman, said in a statement at the time. "Whatever one's views on the use of marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes, arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating users at the federal level is unwise and unjust." The MORE Act would remove marijuana as a Schedule I substance, a category that also features other drugs, such as heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote, and leave states to regulate it. Eleven states and the District of Columbia have already legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, and 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis. "States have led the way -- and continue to lead the way -- but our federal laws have not kept pace with the obvious need for change," Nadler said. "We need to catch up because of public support and because it is the right thing to do." Pew Research Center and Gallup polls last year both found that about two-thirds of Americans support legalizing marijuana, with Democrats more supportive of the move than Republicans. The issue has gotten "greater urgency," one Democratic lawmaker said, amid calls for social justice reform during the recent Black Lives Matter protests. "As people across the country protest racial injustices, there's even greater urgency for Congress to seize this historic opportunity and finally align our cannabis laws with what the majority of Americans support, while ensuring restorative justice," Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said in a social media post Friday sharing news on the upcoming vote.
Read MoreThis week, Hawaii took a step forward in legalizing industrial hemp, something the agricultural committee says would be a big boost to the state's economy. But while 11 other states, including all of the West Coast have legalized recreational marijuana, Hawaii has still been hesitant to take that step, despite our status as a strongly blue state. "Law enforcement has been against it, conservative groups have been against it," explains former State Senator Will Espero. But he says the pandemic has changed the game. With record unemployment and calls to diversity our tourism-heavy economy, Espero says he believes lawmakers will be more willing to take another look next session. In other states like Nevada for example, marijuana tax revenue brought in $70 million the first year alone. Espero says if legalization were to pass, Hawaii would already have the infrastructure in place to support the industry. "We have people already growing, and who know to grow," he says. He says while other states may have been first, Hawaii could easily position itself as the best in the industry. "There's no reason Hawaii couldn't market itself as having the best product in the world," he says.
Read MoreAfter failing to convince Nebraska’s secretary of state to keep a medical marijuana initiative off the state’s ballot, a local police official is now going to court to try to prevent voters from getting a chance to decide on the measure. Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner filed the case on Friday, just one day after Secretary of State Bob Evnen rejected his arguments that the ballot proposal “cases confusion,” “creates doubt about what will be authorized after the election” and violates the state’s single-subject rule for initiatives. That filing was made by a law firm that refused to disclose the sheriff as its client. Now the top county cop has revealed himself in the new lawsuit filing, and the state Supreme Court will take up the dispute, with arguments expected on Thursday. A decision will need to be made in the case by September 11, which is the deadline to certify items for November ballots. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana submitted nearly 200,000 signatures last month, well beyond the 121,669 required to qualify for the ballot. Under the proposal, physicians could recommend cannabis to patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions, and those patients would then be allowed to possess, purchase and “discreetly” cultivate marijuana for personal use. Sens. Anna Wishart Adam Morfeld, cochairs of the legalization campaign, and other legislators have tried for years to pass medical cannabis bills in the legislature only to be blocked by opposition from leadership. But with help from the Marijuana Policy Project and other advocacy groups, they decided to put the issue directly to voters. On Saturday, Morfeld recalled pressing Wagner about the relative dangers of marijuana, alcohol and other drugs during a Judiciary Committee hearing. “I asked Sheriff Wagner how many people had died from drug and alcohol overdoses in his career?” the senator tweeted. “He said too many to count. How many from marijuana? Zero.”
Read MoreThe House will vote on legalizing marijuana next month. States would still have to vote to legalize the drug. Marijuana is already legal in 11 states. The MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and erase some cannabis criminal records. The vote will come during the September work period, according to an email Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) office that was sent to members Friday. The email also asked members to indicate if they would support the MORE Act by Sept. 3. Why is this important? Neither chamber of Congress has ever voted on removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.
Read MoreForeign governments such as Russia and China continue to try to interfere in the upcoming U.S. election, but officials have seen no evidence of countries trying to manipulate or manufacture mail-in ballots, officials said Wednesday. With less than 70 days left until Election Day, federal authorities are ramping up their efforts to keep state and local election systems secure, particularly in light of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential race,
Read MoreThe FBI says it has no evidence of any coordinated fraud schemes related to voting by mail this year, undercutting repeated claims by President Trump and his camp about what they've called security problems. That disclosure was made in an election security briefing for reporters on Wednesday by high-ranking officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Read MorePennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is asking state legislators to legalize recreational marijuana, saying the government could use the tax revenue to support small businesses and to fund restorative justice programs. The governor's call to legalize the sale and use of marijuana is part of a broader plan that Wolf says will help Pennsylvania's economy, which is suffering from months of shutdowns and slowdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreAs lawmakers in the House and Senate attempt to hammer out a deal on legislation to create a legal marketplace for pot, they are also poised to pass a major expansion of the state’s marijuana expungement laws. Leaders in the House and Senate say they support a measure that would automatically expunge the criminal records of those convicted of possessing two ounces or less of the drug. It would also decriminalize possession of up to two ounces of the substance — currently, possession of only up to one ounce is legal.
Read MoreFour state attorneys general and a broader group of law enforcement professionals are calling on Congress to pass a marijuana legalization bill next month. Plus, a new poll shows majority voter support for the proposal to deschedule cannabis and fund programs to repair the harms of the war on drugs—even from Republicans...
Read MoreWith voters expected to turn out in record numbers for the upcoming election, Will County leaders are carefully preparing to ensure votes cast at the mailbox or in person are accurately counted. County Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry said her office already has set a record for mail-in ballot requests with 74,000 applications received to date, surpassing the previous record set in the 2016 presidential election when just more than 30,000 people requested to vote by mail.
Read MoreDemocratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his vice presidential running mate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) discussed marijuana decriminalization and other drug policy reforms during their first joint interview as a ticket this weekend. Harris was pressed on her prosecutorial record, specifically as it concerns her previous call for more law enforcement officers in the streets. She talked about policing reform but went on to state that, under a Biden administration, there will be a “policy that is going to be about decriminalizing marijuana.”
Read MoreMC obtained recommendations from an interagency memo in 2016 on election security, and it demonstrates substantial if not complete progress since. The DHS chief wouldn’t directly say whether he’d discussed Russian election interference with the president. The FBI and CISA put together an advisory on a “vishing” campaign that is likely tied to the shift to remote work.
Read MoreVermont lawmakers are another step closer to finalizing a bill to legalize marijuana sales after finishing a conference committee meeting where they discussed the economics of the proposed system and outstanding issues between the two chambers of the legislature. While the state legalized possession of up to one ounce of cannabis and cultivation of two plants in 2018, there are currently no regulations in place that allow for retail sales. The cannabis commerce bill cleared both the House and Senate this session, albeit in different forms, and so a six-member bicameral panel is tasked with resolving those differences.
Read MoreAn extraordinarily high number of ballots — more than 550,000 — have been rejected in this year's presidential primaries, according to a new analysis by NPR. That's far more than the 318,728 ballots rejected in the 2016 general election and has raised alarms about what might happen in November when tens of millions of more voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail, many for the first time. Election experts said first-time absentee voters are much more likely to make the kinds of mistakes that lead to rejected ballots. Studies also show that voters of color and young voters are more likely than others to have their ballots not count.
Read MoreSix states that submitted hemp regulatory plans to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are being asked to make revisions and resubmit before they’re approved. For reasons that aren’t immediately clear, the federal agency did not accept proposed rules for the newly legal crop from California, Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Utah. Industry advocates suspect that the states are pushing for additional flexibility in USDA’s interim final rule.
Read MoreApparently, when the U.S. repealed prohibition at the end of 1933, advertising campaigns for the now-legalized adult beverages were slow getting to the party. In fact, the liquor industry placed a self-imposed adverting ban to lower any risk of the return of Prohibition, while some media companies chose not to air alcohol advertisements at all. Here we are now, nearly 90 years later, and we’re seeing something similar. This time, though, it is the marketing agencies that are late to the party.
Read MoreMontana’s secretary of state announced on Thursday that marijuana activists collected more than enough signatures to qualify two legalization measures for the November ballot. One initiative, a statutory change, would create a system of legal cannabis access for adult-use. A separate constitutional amendment would ensure only those 21 and older can participate in the market. If the statutory measure is approved by voters, possessing up to an ounce of cannabis would be allowed, and people could cultivate up to four plants and four seedlings at home.
Read MoreThe U.S. government's main cybersecurity watchdog has spent much of the last four years trying to stop a repeat of the 2016 election. That's meant reaching out to the country's more than 3,000 counties with an offer: free cybersecurity tools. It's a tough job. Some counties are receptive and engaged. Others barely have enough people to put on their local election work. One of the main services offered — a weekly scan of a county's internet connected networks meant to make sure its voter database is safe — has signed up a little more than 200 counties.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump said Thursday he opposes funding for the U.S. Postal Service and election security grants in an effort to stymie mail-in voting for the upcoming presidential election. Democrats "want 3½ billion dollars for something that will turn out to be fraudulent, that's election money, basically. They want 3½ billion dollars for the mail-in votes, OK, universal mail-in ballots,” Trump told Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo, in response to a question on talks on the next coronavirus relief package.
Read MoreThe parents of a toddler with severe epilepsy are seeking a landmark judicial review of rigid guidelines that effectively prevent the NHS from prescribing medical cannabis oil, a substance that they say has allowed their son to live a much healthier life, to thousands of sick children. Charlie Hughes, 3, has a rare form of epilepsy called West syndrome, which is resistant to most forms of treatment and can cause him to have up to 120 seizures a day, according to his parents, Alison and Matt Hughes. With regular full extract cannabis oil, however, he experiences no more than 20 less severe seizures a day.
Read MoreFeds: Nearly $2 million worth of fake watches seized at Cincinnati Port
Read MoreThe first results of COVID-19 seroprevalence surveys indicate sufficient levels of herd immunity are a long way off. Given the uncertainty about the duration of such immunity, it is becoming increasingly clear that a vaccine for the novel coronavirus will be key to mitigating the impact of the pandemic on society and the economy. However, the development and manufacture of a prophylactic is just the start of the process. There are further significant challenges in the safe global distribution of this precious commodity.
Read MoreThough Texas lawmakers legalized production and sale of hemp in their last legislative session, they have now created a framework that essentially bans the sale of “smokable” products. Edible goods, tinctures, and topicals remain okay under the new program. But farmers and cannabis activists alike feel lawmakers violated the scope of the original legislation. This week hemp manufacturers and retailers filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of State Health Services over the new administrative rule, which went into effect August 2.
Read MoreHow far must you go to prove an absentee ballot is real? The question is important in every election. Tens of millions of people, for example, voted absentee or by mail in 2016. But because of the pandemic, more people hope to vote that way in 2020. Rhode Island wants to make it easier. It dropped a rule that required a voter to have two witnesses or a notary affirm an absentee ballot. A federal court allowed this change, but the national Republican Party would like the Supreme Court to intervene and stop it.
Read MoreAfter nearly a year of next-to-no deal-making, cannabis companies are gearing up for mergers and acquisitions as realistic stock valuations and the prospect of U.S. legalization attract buyers to a sector that has been decimated by oversupply and other issues, executives and investors say. Profitable cannabis companies want to buy their way into niche segments and expand their brands, betting that the November U.S. presidential election will lead to weed becoming legal across the United States. Distribution deals could also help companies reach consumers who have shown an increased appetite for pot products since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Aphria Inc, one of Canada's largest producers, is open to making purchases if it adds a well-known consumer brand to its beverages portfolio or if it helps the company overcome a lack of chocolate production, CEO Irwin Simon told Reuters. Canopy Growth Corp, the largest Canadian pot producer by market value, had about C$2 billion in cash at the end of June. The strong balance sheet allows it to pursue acquisitions and the current market conditions would provide frequent opportunities, a company spokesman said. Canopy is backed by Corona beer maker Constellation Brands Inc.
Read MoreA public corruption scandal in a rural Florida elections office just an hour west of the state capital reveals how easily federal dollars meant for election security can be diverted to cover up malfeasance, a government watchdog says. The former elections supervisor in the panhandle's Liberty County is charged with using election security funds to hide $42,000 in personal spending sprees — a potential accountability problem in any small office where one person holds the purse strings and nobody else is watching, observers said. The case's first hearing is Monday.
Read MoreState and local election officials manage their voter registration databases using several pieces of software known to be favorite targets of ransomware actors, a leading ransomware analyst said during a webinar Thursday.
Read MoreCounterfeit documents are giving criminals a license to commit a host of offenses, including terrorism, U.S. officials say -- and young adults who are lax with their personal information may be their biggest enablers. In the first six months of 2020, Customs and Borden Protection officers seized nearly 20,000 counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses at Chicago’s O’Hare airport alone, according to a report.
Read MoreElection Systems & Software LLC, the top U.S. seller of voting-machine technology, is calling a truce in its feud with computer-security researchers over the ways they probe for vulnerabilities of the company’s systems. With the U.S. presidential election less than three months away, ES&S Chief Information Security Officer Chris Wlaschin on Wednesday will unveil the company’s outreach effort to security researchers at the annual Black Hat hacker convention that is taking place virtually this year, according to ES&S.
Read MoreThis week's video goes “behind the scam” to show you “Uplabeling,” which is a technique that counterfeit criminals have used in the past to make major profits. In uplabeling, counterfeiters took a low-dose medical product and made it look like a more expensive, high-dose version of the same drug simply by changing the label.
Read MoreMillions of residents requested absentee ballots ahead of Tuesday's primary election, and millions more are expected to do the same in November as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. But President Donald Trump and others repeatedly impugn the integrity of the mail-in voting system. Election experts, in addition to Republican and Democratic politicians, agree that absentee voting is a safe and secure way to conduct an election. "Does voter fraud happen? Yes. Does it happen as much as Donald Trump thinks it does? No," said David Dulio, a professor of political science and director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University. "But that doesn't mean it's not a concern." Sen. Ruth Johnson, a Holly Republican and former Michigan Secretary of State, noted recently that state voter rolls are out of date, at times resulting in people voting in two states or absentee applications being sent to someone who is dead.
Read MoreThe White House is stepping back from President’s Trump’s suggestion to postpone the November election over mail voting concerns as Republicans step up their criticism of the idea. The White House has no plans to try to delay the election, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said yesterday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” He also insisted Trump was only raising questions about problems that might be caused by a dramatic increase in mail voting and not advocating for an election postponement that he has no constitutional power to enact. “If we try to…start mailing in ballots all across the country, all 50 states, what we will see is a delay because they’re just not equipped to handle it,” Meadows said. The reframing marked a rare step back for the president’s team after Trump’s attacks on mail ballots evidently hit a red line for many Republicans. Trump's tweet warned without evidence that “2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.” That's a common line of attack for the president. Mail in balloting is expected to substantially increase this November as it may not be safe to physically go to polling places during the coronavirus pandemic. But it ended by asking, “Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???” That broke new ground and prompted quick pushback from top Republicans including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Read MoreThe Texas Department of State Health Services announced Monday it has launched a new program to regulate the manufacturing, processing, distribution and retail sale of consumable hemp products. It’s called the Consumable Hemp Program. DSHS is currently accepting applications online for consumable hemp product licenses and retailer registrations, the agency said in a news release Monday. “The program establishes a consistent regulatory framework for consumable hemp products that are manufactured or sold in Texas,” said Stephen Pahl, DSHS Associate Commissioner for Consumer Protection.
Read MoreIllinois has other cannabis-related laws in the pipeline for 2020, including a law that will allow students who are medical marijuana patients to use cannabis
Read MorePresident Trump’s unfounded attacks on mail balloting are discouraging his own supporters from embracing the practice, according to polls and Republican leaders across the country, prompting growing alarm that one of the central strategies of his campaign is threatening GOP prospects in November. Multiple public surveys show a growing divide between Democrats and Republicans about the security of voting by mail, with Republicans saying they are far less likely to trust it in November. In addition, party leaders in several states said they are encountering resistance among GOP voters who are being encouraged to vote absentee while also seeing the president describe mail voting as “rigged” and “fraudulent.” As a result, state and local Republicans across the country fear they are falling dramatically behind in a practice that is expected to be key to voter turnout this year. Through mailers and Facebook ads, they are racing to promote absentee balloting among their own. In the process, some Republican officials have tried to draw a distinction between “absentee ballots,” which Trump claims are secure, and “mail ballots,” which he has repeatedly attacked. The terms are typically used interchangeably. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, describing a recent meeting with a group of Republican voters in Fort Payne, said he felt compelled to explain that there is only one kind of mail-in voting in Alabama, and that it is safe and secure. “They were confused about two different kinds of mail-in balloting,” he said, “where one is ‘good’ and one is not.”
Read MoreMillions of residents requested absentee ballots ahead of Tuesday's primary election, and millions more are expected to do the same in November as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. But President Donald Trump and others repeatedly impugn the integrity of the mail-in voting system. Election experts, in addition to Republican and Democratic politicians, agree that absentee voting is a safe and secure way to conduct an election. "Does voter fraud happen? Yes. Does it happen as much as Donald Trump thinks it does? No," said David Dulio, a professor of political science and director of the Center for Civic Engagement at Oakland University. "But that doesn't mean it's not a concern." Sen. Ruth Johnson, a Holly Republican and former Michigan Secretary of State, noted recently that state voter rolls are out of date, at times resulting in people voting in two states or absentee applications being sent to someone who is dead.
Read MoreWe're in an interregnum where society has paused, and there's no telling how things may turn. In such times of crisis, we are the explorer; exploring the uncharted waters of change, where dangers and opportunities lie.
Read MoreThe pandemic has dealt a blow to corporate dealmaking, but one company that you've probably never heard of has been on a buying binge. Curaleaf Holdings (CURLF), a Massachusetts company that grows, processes and sells cannabis through dispensaries in 18 states, last week bought the Chicago cannabis cultivator and retailer Grassroots for $830 million. That makes Curaleaf the biggest cannabis company globally by sales, with expected annual revenue of about $1 billion, executive chairman Boris Jordan told CNN Business.
Read MoreThe House voted to approve Part B Amendment #87 Thursday evening, which is a provision to prevent the federal government from using any funds to interfere with state medical or adult-use programs or target individuals and businesses that are in compliance with state cannabis laws. The bipartisan amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill was introduced by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).
Read MoreThe U.S. House voted Thursday to ban the U.S. Justice Department from enforcing the federal ban on cannabis in any state that has legalized the drug for any purpose. The amendment to the legislation funding several federal agencies for the 12 moths beginning Oct. 1 passed, 254-163, with 31 Republicans voting yes.
Read MoreThe Democratic Party’s platform committee on Monday rejected an amendment to support federal cannabis legalization, Boulder Weekly reports. The vote was 50-106 with three abstentions. The committee did approve language supporting federal cannabis decriminalization and rescheduling, along with language calling for reforms on how drug-related crimes are prosecuted.
Read MoreThe House of Representatives on Thursday debated an amendment to protect all state, territory and tribal marijuana programs from federal interference. The measure, which would prevent the Department of Justice from using its funds to impede the implementation of cannabis legalization laws, passed in a voice vote days after being cleared for floor action by the Rules Committee. It will receive a formal roll call vote later in the afternoon.
Read MoreThe smoking of legal cannabis in Texas may go on. But as of this Sunday, stores that sell hemp flowers can only sell consumable versions of the plant. By state regulations, consuming does not include smoking.
Read MoreSenate Republicans left out funding for mail-in and early voting during the COVID-19 pandemic in their stimulus bill rolled out Monday, prompting backlash from Democrats, election officials and advocacy groups. With less than 100 days to go before Election Day, these officials are concerned that without a new injection of federal funds, state and local officials facing budget shortfalls may struggle to carry out safe and secure elections that ensure every American can vote.
Read MoreTOP THINGS TO KNOW: The Democratic National Committee’s platform committee voted 106 to 50 to reject an amendment to endorse legalizing marijuana. “I’m imploring all of you to approach this with an open mind and heart. Do something big here. Take one small but meaningful step toward changing the course of history. If my black life matters to you, you will consider this amendment. Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite issued a memo banning sailors and marines from using hemp soaps, shampoos and lotions as part of a broader prohibition on legal hemp and CBD products. “Substance misuse by members of the Armed Forces is incompatible with military standards of good order and discipline, performance, and operational readiness. It is the goal of the Department of the Navy (DON) to eliminate substance abuse.” Washington, D.C. psychedelics activists observed officials count enough valid signatures to put their decriminalization initiative on the November ballot. The Board of Elections is expected to formally certify the measure at a meeting next week.
Read MoreElection administrators across the country are vulnerable to cyberattacks that originate through malicious phishing emails, a report released Monday found. The report, compiled by cybersecurity group Area 1 Security, found that over 50 percent of election administrators have “only rudimentary or non-standard technologies” to protect against malicious emails from cyber criminals, with less than 30 percent using basic security controls to halt phishing emails. The study also found that around 5 percent of election administrators use personal emails, which are seen as less secure than government emails, and some election administrators use a custom email infrastructure known to have been targeted by Russian military hackers during prior elections. Email phishing is a key way hackers infiltrate networks, with hackers attempting to trick individuals into clicking on malicious links or attachments or providing sensitive information in other ways that allows the hacker to access a network. Area 1 Security noted that 90 percent of cyberattacks begin with a phishing email. The security researchers at Area 1 Security noted that while the diversity of election systems and infrastructure across U.S. election jurisdictions would make it “impossible” for a nationwide hacking incident to occur, the low email security standards could easily lead to localized cyber incidents. “The disparate approaches to cybersecurity by state, local and county officials is such that should a cybersecurity incident occur in one small town, whether in a ‘battleground state’ or not, even if statistically insignificant, could cause troubling ripple effects that erode confidence in results across the entire country,” the researchers wrote in the report.
Read MoreTop Democrats are slamming the Trump administration for not sharing enough information with the public about Russian efforts to interfere in November's election. While intelligence officials have warned that U.S. adversaries are trying to hack into political campaigns and election systems – and cited Russia, China and Iran as the biggest threats -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) say that's not enough to help voters gird themselves against social media disinformation or the sort of hacking and leaking campaign that upended Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2016. The top-line announcement that interference exists doesn't “go nearly far enough in arming the American people with the knowledge they need about how foreign powers are seeking to influence our political process,” Schumer and Pelosi warned in a statement. “The Russians are once again trying to influence the election and divide Americans, and these efforts must be deterred, disrupted and exposed,” they continue. The statement was also signed by House Intelligence Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. The push comes as Joe Biden seeks to project strength on election interference and draw a stark contrast with President Trump. The presumptive Democratic nominee promised to punch back hard against Russia if he becomes president and “make full use of my executive authority to impose substantial and lasting costs on state perpetrators [of election interference].” It's also a return to form for Democrats who have consistently savaged President Trump for not taking the threat of Russian election interference seriously enough. Trump has wavered on whether Russia was responsible for the 2016 hacks at the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign. More recently those fights have shifted to voting by mail, which Democrats and election security advocates say is vital to ensure voter safety during the coronavirus pandemic, but Trump has claimed without evidence creates widespread fraud. House Democrats have pushed for up to $3.6 billion in election funding in Congress’s next coronavirus relief package. But a $1 trillion Republican proposal released yesterday included no money for elections.
Read MoreState legalization of cannabis has posed many challenges to policymakers and law enforcement. In Arizona alone, nearly 250,000 patients were able to continue accessing their medications during the unprecedented pandemic crisis after medical dispensaries were deemed essential. As attention turns to repairing the economic damage wrought by the virus, federal policymakers must focus on an issue vital to a state’s public health and safety. The call for access to banking and financial services, currently out of reach to an industry responsible for 15,000 jobs in Arizona, and more than $4 million every month in transaction privilege taxes, is essential for the continued need to address the elimination of criminal enterprises which can penetrate an unregulated industry. In this case, we are dealing with billions of dollars in untracked cash. Arizona is in a unique position in that both Sens. Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema are important voices on the United States Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. McSally and Sinema are well-positioned to champion an issue that has broad support among the electorate, the public and policymakers at every level of government. By advocating for banking access, not only will there be a decrease in the criminal attraction to an all-cash business, thousands of families across Arizona will have the opportunity to be viewed by lenders and financial institutions as legitimate business operators and employees. Ancillary businesses, such as law firms, accounting firms, and public interest groups servicing the legal cannabis industry, have also lost banking services.
Read MoreIf Oregon voters approve a drug decriminalization measure this November, state officials say it would reduce racial disparities in the criminal justice system and save money that’s currently spent on arrests and incarceration. IP 44, which officially qualified for the ballot last month, would remove criminal penalties for illicit drug possession and expand substance misuse treatment in the state. Three state panels recently released draft analyses of the proposal. The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission published its draft report on the racial and ethnic impact of the measure this month. Members concluded it would reduce convictions for drug possession by about 91 percent statewide and also reduce racial disparities in arrests for illicit substances. “This means that approximately 1,800 fewer Oregonians per year are estimated to be convicted of felony [possession of controlled substances] and nearly 1,900 fewer convicted of misdemeanor [possession of controlled substances],” the report states. “Prior academic research suggests this drop in convictions will result in fewer collateral consequences stemming from criminal justice system involvement.” “Beyond the reductions described above, the changes proposed by IP44 would also lead to a reduction in racial disparities” for possession convictions, the commission said, adding that statistical analysis indicates these disparities would be “narrowed substantially” if voters pass the measure. The body went into detail about the methodology behind their analysis in a separate draft document that also included charts highlighting the estimated impact. During a public hearing on the draft impact statement on Thursday, several people argued that the analysis should go further by looking into racial disparities beyond convictions. They said those factors should also be studied when it comes to arrests, stops, sentencing and probation supervision.
Read MoreJim Irizarry has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of false and misleading information about voting access coursing through social media lately. The assistant county clerk for San Mateo County, California, and his team have been training for this moment for years, since the sophisticated Russian disinformation machine emerged during the last presidential election. “They don’t have to change a vote in the voting machines,” Irizarry said. “But if you can get into the minds of voters to undermine their confidence in casting that ballot, you’ve been successful.” This year, state and local election officials across the country expect they’ll need to defend voters against potentially devastating and widespread disinformation attacks that could suppress turnout and sow doubt in November’s results. Bad actors, from foreign nations to local gadflies, have countless opportunities to spread falsehoods and misleading information. In recent elections, voters have fallen victim to scams claiming people can vote by text message or claiming their polling place closed. Lies on social media can go viral hours before an election, becoming nearly impossible to eliminate. And Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s 2019 report found Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential race included fake Facebook groups and false advertising. This year, the pandemic has exposed more potential for disinformation, as states and counties scramble to figure out how to conduct elections through expanded mail-in voting and fewer polling places. “Communities need to know who the right people are with the answers,” said Ian Vandewalker, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School. “If things change at the last minute, we need a communications infrastructure that involves officials, journalists, candidates and parties to make sure voters are getting the correct information.”
Read MoreThe Portland City Clerk has announced that enough valid signatures have been submitted to place a citizen's initiative on the November ballot that would remove the cap on marijuana businesses in Portland, Maine. On July 17th, local advocates turned in over 2,400 signatures to put the petition on the ballot. At the August 3rd city council meeting, there will be a first reading of the order, and the council is expected to set a public hearing for August 31, 2020, according to David Boyer, local resident and advocate, and former campaign manager for Eric Brakey. Boyer said in a statement, "The state has proved that it will not defend Maine from outside, big corporations entering our cannabis industry. A fair and open market will allow for Maine's small businesses to compete and Portland voters were more than happy to sign our petition to keep Maine's cannabis industry local. At a time of such economic uncertainty, it does not make sense to cap legal jobs and legal businesses. We are confident that Portland voters will endorse cannabis regulations rooted in fairness and inclusivity this November."
Read MoreNearly one in four U.S. voters live in states that will make it difficult or impossible for them to vote by mail in November, despite the health dangers posed by in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic. A total of nine states comprising 54 million voters are maintaining tight restrictions on mail voting even as other states run by Republicans and Democrats alike have rushed to expand the practice.
Read MoreA U.S. indictment of Chinese hackers who tried to steal coronavirus vaccine research demonstrates the increasingly fuzzy line between state-sponsored hacking and mere criminality. The hackers Li Xiaoyu and Dong Jiazhi stole data mostly for their own profit but also helped secure information for China’s civilian spy agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS), according to an indictment by the U.S. Justice Department.
Read MoreThe presidential nominees for the Libertarian and Green Parties both support bolder drug policy proposals, including marijuana legalization, than presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden or President Trump. Libertarian pick Jo Jorgensen and Green nominee Howie Hawkins recently discussed their views on the issue and backed legalizing cannabis for adult use and more broadly ending the criminalization of other currently illicit substances. “The biggest problem we have right now is not the drugs, it’s the drug prohibition,” Jorgensen said during an interview with C-SPAN this month. “Now, do drugs and alcohol cause problems? Of course they do. However, they’d be much more manageable if it were legal.” “What’s the difference between me drinking bourbon in my home and somebody else smoking marijuana in their own home?” she said. “If there is no victim, there is no crime.” The Libertarian candidate later described the drug war as an example of how “racial injustice” is “built into our our laws.” Hawkins also recently talked about drug policy reform as a tool to combat mass incarceration during a remotely delivered speech for the Green Party National Convention. “We’ve got to treat drug abuse as a health problem. You should legalize marijuana and decriminalize the hard drugs like Portugal,” he said. “Instead of just throwing people in prison and building the biggest prison industrial system in the world—which Joe Biden had a lot to do [with], he wrote the legislative architecture for that as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee—we should be treating drug addiction as a health problem, not a criminal problem.”
Read MoreIndustrial hemp became legal in South Dakota when Governor Kristi Noem signed the emergency measure March 27. More than 100 days later, her administration is getting closer to submitting a program for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to consider for approval. State Department of Agriculture spokeswoman JaCee Aaseth said Thursday that South Dakota sent a preliminary version for USDA to look over. She also said state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg’s office provided feedback on it this week. Those perspectives will be reflected in the revised version, according to Aaseth.
Read MoreThe CDC says one in four high school students use e-cigarettes and that's caught the attention of Bismarck Police and members of the North Dakota Taxation Committee. They met Tuesday to work on solutions to curb the growing problem of teen vaping.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved hemp regulatory plans from Minnesota, Tennessee and Puerto Rico on Tuesday. This latest development brings the total number of approved plans across states, territories and Indian tribes to 53. “We thank USDA for their work on this new federal hemp program, and we are grateful they have approved Minnesota’s plan,” Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said. “While this is a major step forward, there are still concerns over some the regulations imposed on states and tribal governments, such as testing requirements. We look forward to continuing our dialog with USDA so we can ensure Minnesota’s hemp growers and processors are successful in this fledging industry.” Puerto Rico is the second territory approval since the crop was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. In May, USDA accepted the U.S. Virgin Islands’s proposed regulations. Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González Colón (R), who represents the territory in Congress, discussed her advocacy for other cannabis reform legislation—including preventing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from denying home loan benefits to veterans solely due to employment in a state-legal marijuana market—in a press release. USDA has been signing off on hemp proposals on a rolling basis over the past year. “USDA continues to receive and review hemp production plans from states and Indian tribes,” the department said in a notice. While the agency released an interim final rule for a domestic hemp production program last year, industry stakeholders and lawmakers have expressed concerns about certain policies it views as excessively restrictive. USDA announced in February that it will temporarily lift two provisions that the industry viewed as problematic. Those policies primarily concern testing and disposal requirements. The department declined to revise the THC limit, however, arguing that it’s a statutory matter that can’t be dealt with administratively. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said on several occasions that the Drug Enforcement Administration influenced certain rules, adding that the narcotics agency wasn’t pleased with the overall legalization of hemp. Meanwhile, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still in the process of developing regulations for CBD. It sent an update on its progress to Congress in March, explaining that the agency is actively exploring pathways to allow for the marketing of the cannabis compound as a dietary supplement and is developing enforcement discretion guidance. An FDA public comment period was reopened indefinitely for individuals to submit feedback on CBD regulations. This month, the White House finalized a review of FDA CBD and cannabis research protocols, but it’s unclear when or if the document will be released to the public.
Read MoreThe novel coronavirus pandemic is stalling some efforts to improve election security across the country, delaying efforts to install basic security measures on hundreds of local election websites, interviews with top leaders and an exclusive analysis by the National Investigative Unit has found. Election security is a topic on the agenda for the annual summer conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State which convenes virtually later this week, the last scheduled NASS conference for all of the nation's top election officials before the general election. To assess the resiliency of county election websites in states nationwide, the Hearst Television National Investigative Unit asked McAfee Security to once again analyze more than 2,000 web pages where voters may turn to for information about voting, registration, election administration, precincts, poll hours and other suffrage details. While no American uses those local election websites to cast a ballot, citizens do rely on the information to be accurate so they can exercise their right to vote. A lack of simple security tools, cyber experts and government agencies say, could leave those webpages vulnerable to manipulation, possibly disenfranchising voters who are misled. The new McAfee analysis found little progress overall in securing those websites with encryption - identified by the letters 'https' in the URL - and with a federally-validated domain, like .gov, since the worldwide cyber firm's initial analysis for the NIU conducted in January.
Read MoreAlison Gordon. Alison Gordon is revolutionizing the medical cannabis industry in Canada. She currently serves as chief executive officer of 48North, a cannabis
Read MoreA coalition of left-leaning advocacy groups called on the Senate Friday to return from its July recess to vote on legislation to increase election funding during the coronavirus pandemic. The more than two dozen groups, led by advocacy organization Stand Up America, sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other GOP leaders asking that the Senate immediately be called back to Washington, D.C., to vote on and pass legislation allocating $3.6 billion to states to help with election challenges during the pandemic.
Read MoreJoe Biden, with four months until Election Day, is hiring a top cybersecurity official to secure his campaign against an array of digital threats. The campaign's decision to delegate security to an industry heavy hitter reflects the intense pressure to avoid a repeat of the Russian hacking and leaking operation that upended Hillary Clinton’s presidential effort four years ago. Those needs are perhaps only more critical as the campaign faces unprecedented security and technology challenges from staff and volunteers working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic. The new CISO, Chris DeRusha, will be running a team focused exclusively on security.
Read MoreBoth President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden appear to be out of step with the American public when it comes to their opposition to legalizing marijuana, as two-thirds of Americans support legalization. A Democratic unity task force involving both Biden and former presidential contender Bernie Sanders released on Wednesday its recommendations on how to combat the climate crisis and pursue environmental justice. Although the document called for decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, it stopped short of endorsing recreational legalization.
Read MoreTop state and local election officials on Wednesday begged Congress to appropriate more election funding ahead of November to address COVID-19 challenges. Congress sent $400 million to states to address COVID-19 election concerns as part of the stimulus package signed into law by President Trump in March, called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Election officials testified during an Election Assistance Commission (EAC) summit on Wednesday that those funds were running out.
Read MoreColorado Governor signed a ballot measure into law that will increase the excise tax on cigarettes, vapor products, and other tobacco products.
Read MoreLaw enforcement and other opponents of marijuana legalization have long warned that ending prohibition would lead to surges in crime, wreaking havoc on neighborhoods that hosted retail stores and spilling into neighboring states that wanted nothing to do with the drug. But as researchers crunch the data since Colorado and Washington State because the first two states to pass adult-use marijuana laws in 2012, they’re finding scant evidence to support the dire warnings. One of the latest studies to examine before-and-after crime data, which looked at how legalization in Washington and Colorado affected crime rates in neighboring states, finds that passage of adult-use cannabis laws may have actually reduced certain major crimes in nearby jurisdictions. “We did not detect any increases in the rates of multiple types of crimes in border counties of the nonlegalized states bordering Colorado and Washington,” wrote the authors of the new study, published in the Journal of Drug Issues. Moreover, “we observed a substantial reduction in certain types of crimes, namely, property crime, larceny, and simple assault, in border counties in the Colorado region.” “This finding,” the authors add, “challenges the argument made by the opponents of legalization that marijuana legalization would increase crime.” The research was conducted by Guangzhen Wu of the University of Utah, Francis D. Boateng of the University of Mississippi and Texas-based economic and statistical consultant Thomas Roney. Existing research on how cannabis affects crime is limited and largely mixed, the authors write. On one hand, there exists what researchers called “substantial evidence” suggesting that legalizing cannabis increases certain criminal activities. Some studies, for example, have found that neighborhoods with a higher rate of retail marijuana outlets experienced higher rates of crime. Another found that both medical and adult-use marijuana retailers were linked to increases in certain crimes.
Read MoreNew Jersey officials sought to tamp down concerns ahead of the state’s primary voting Tuesday, after criminal charges over alleged mail-ballot fraud marred a local election in Paterson, N.J. State officials emphasized that voter fraud is rare and said measures are being taken to protect mail-in ballots. The primary is being conducted mostly by mail and was delayed from its original date of June 2 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read MoreDemocratic political consultants dream of issues like marijuana legalization. Democrats are overwhelmingly in favor of it, polls show. So are independents. A majority of Republicans favor it now too. It motivates progressives, young people, and Black Americans to vote. Put it on the ballot, and it’s proved a sure way to boost turnout for supportive politicians. It’s popular in key presidential-election states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Florida, Arizona, and Virginia. There’s no clear political downside—although marijuana legalization motivates its supporters, it doesn’t motivate its opponents. For the Democratic presidential nominee, the upsides of supporting it would include energizing a very committed group of single-issue voters and making a major move toward criminal-justice reform and the Bernie Sanders agenda. Joe Biden won’t inhale. Democrats eager for Biden to support legalization have theories about why he won’t. His aides insist they’re all wrong. It’s not, they say, because he’s from a generation scared by Reefer Madness. It’s not, they say, because he spent a career in Washington pushing for mandatory minimum sentencing and other changes to drug laws. It’s definitely not, according to people who have discussed the policy with him, because he’s a teetotaler whose father battled alcoholism and whose son has fought addiction, and who’s had gateway-drug anxieties drilled into him.
Read MoreLate last week, Gov. Ducey announced an allocation of $9 million to shore up security for the state's election system. The funds are derived from federal coronavirus relief money, and the appropriation subverts a legislative technicality that would have hamstrung the secretary of state's ability to distribute those funds without approval from state lawmakers. Much of these funds will go towards voter outreach in Arizona's rural communities at a time when the COVID pandemic has made going to the polls a potential health risk. And joining us to discuss this effort is Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Good morning, Secretary Hobbs. KATIE HOBBS: Good morning. GILGER: So let's begin with where this election security money will go. What's it going to be used for in terms of COVID precautions, election security from outside meddlers?
Read MoreDelaware's presidential primary on Tuesday will be the first one in which all registered voters in the state will have a chance to vote from home. And it's also the first time Delaware voters will see Joe Biden's name on a ballot as a viable Democratic nominee for president. New rules for the election were established under the state of emergency order by Gov. John Carney to help voters who don't want to risk contracting or spreading coronavirus at the polls. Voters can still go to a limited number of polling places on Tuesday where they are expected to wear a mask and practice social distancing. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The only candidates to vote for in this election are for president of the United States. The Republican and Democratic winners will go head-to-head in the November general election. Because it's a closed primary, voters either have to be a registered Democrat or Republican to participate. The deadlines to register and to switch parties for this election have passed.
Read MoreLegislation passed this spring decriminalizing marijuana possession offenses and sealing the records of past convictions from public view takes effect on Wed., July 1. “NORML is proud to have worked alongside Senator Ebbin and Delegate Herring, both longtime champions of evidence-based cannabis policy, to bring about these needed changes to Virginia law,” said NORML development director, Jenn Michelle Pedini, who also serves as the executive director of the state affiliate, Virginia NORML. “Virginians have long opposed the criminalization of personal marijuana possession, and the enactment of this legislation turns that public opinion into public policy.” However, Pedini added that additional legislative reforms will continue to be necessary. “While we applaud Governor Northam, his administration, and the legislature for taking this important first step, it’s critical the legislature work swiftly to legalize and regulate the responsible use of cannabis by adults. For too long, young people, poor people, and people of color have disproportionately been impacted by cannabis criminalization, and lawmakers must take immediate steps to right these past wrongs and to undo the damage that prohibition has waged upon hundreds of thousands of Virginians.” Under the new law, activities involving the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana are classified as a civil, not criminal offense – punishable by a $25 fine, no arrest, and no criminal record. Such activities had previously been classified as criminal misdemeanors, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a criminal record, and the possible loss of driving privileges. In 2018, police made nearly 30,000 marijuana-related arrests in Virginia. The new law also explicitly seals the criminal records related to misdemeanor marijuana possession from employers and school administrators, and defines substances previously considered hashish as marijuana. Twenty-six states additional states and the District of Columbia have either legalized or decriminalized the adult possession and use.
Read MoreGeorge Knarich can easily recall the time police officers busted him for growing illegal pot in his backyard. Fast forward four years, and Knarich now has the government’s blessing to grow as much hemp as he can plant on his 20-acre farm in Mount Vision, which is near Oneonta in central New York. The Knarich Family Farm is among more than 400 hemp producers in New York authorized to grow low-THC cannabis crops because of the federal 2018 Farm Bill. The farm played host last October to the 22nd annual New York Harvest Festival and Freedom Fair. Led by festival director and 30-year marijuana activist Rob Robinson, dozens of attendees paraded up the road to Knarich’s hemp field and hand harvested the crop at “high noon” on the festival’s second day. For many among the estimated 1,200 in attendance, gathering on a legal hemp farm for the first time in the festival’s two decades represented progress in the movement to destigmatize cannabis. “We’re getting high in New York,” Robinson told the enthusiastic crowd when announcing a 4:20 p.m. cannabis cup for the next day, during which judges would choose the top cannabis products. Robinson said there was a time he wouldn’t openly advertise the recreational marijuana competition, but now he wasn’t scared. “The government and the media used to call us the counter culture,” he said. “There’s nothing counter of this culture. “This culture is the American culture – as American as apple pie.”
Read MoreA bipartisan group of six House members introduced a bill to establish a National Cyber Director in the Executive Office of the President to coordinate cyber policy across the Federal government. Three Democrats and three Republicans are sponsoring the National Cyber Director Act, which would create a Senate-confirmed director, and two deputy directors appointed by the president. Sponsors of the bill include Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure and Innovation John Katko (R-NY), former Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), and Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee’s Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernization and Readiness Will Hurd (R-TX). The creation of a National Cyber Director is a major recommendation of the Solarium Commission, a Congressionally-chartered group that includes members of Congress and the Administration, as well as private sector leaders. Pillar One of the Commission’s report, which was released in March, involves reforming the government, and creating a strong director in the White House is a “key recommendation.” In the George W. Bush Administration, Howard Schmidt and Richard Clarke served as “special” cybersecurity advisers to the President. In December 2009, President Obama created the position of White House Cybersecurity Coordinator and appointed Schmidt to it. Michael Daniel also held the position under Obama, and Rob Joyce served as Cybersecurity Coordinator under President Trump. The position was eliminated in 2018 by then National Security Adviser John Bolton. The National Cyber Director would fulfill a similar policy role to the Cybersecurity Coordinator, but the position would be backed with additional statutory authority to review cybersecurity budgets and coordinate national incident response.
Read MoreDemocrats, in a commanding position for the November election, are searching for what could go wrong: Trump could ride an economic rebound to outperform his polls; some of the slime Republicans throw at the gaffe-prone Biden could stick; the incumbent could fabricate an October surprise. The economy won't rebound by Nov. 3; the polls accurately reflect Trump's low standing; the public will continue to brush off falsehoods about the former vice president who they've known for three decades — and any Trump-orchestrated October surprise won't be credible. There are, however, other causes for concern. Voting chaos in a pandemic leads the list. Facing defeat, Trump will likely try to further stir the chaos pot. The beleaguered U.S. Postal Service is running out of money. The president and his treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, are holding up more support, initially to punish Amazon whose CEO Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. If the Postal Service jacked up rates for Amazon deliveries, the company would just find a cheaper way. But playing games with the Postal Service could severely complicate voting by mail, which may be the prime motive now for Trump and Mnuchin. It's a dicey game that could hurt Republican candidates as well. The charge that mail voting invites widespread fraud — spread by Trump and renewed by his always accommodating Attorney General William Barr — is a canard, as most every study shows. If pressures force Trump to relent, and Congress sufficiently funds the Postal Service, states still need more federal funds to conduct robust vote by mail operations. With the pandemic, many state budgets are squeezed, and assistance is essential in the next stimulus package.
Read MoreCanadian cannabis sales soared at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, but not enough to bolster a sector in the throes of reorganisation only two years after the drug was legalised. Fearing a shortage of the dried flower, Canadians rushed to cannabis stores and websites to stock up ahead of what would turn out to be a three-month government-ordered lockdown to slow the spread of Covid-19. Sales jumped almost 20% in March from the previous month and continued at a brisk pace through April, according to the government statistical agency. Classified as an essential service, pot stores remained open while online sales exploded. Industry expert Bradley Poulos, who teaches at Ryerson University in Toronto, said the pandemic has had a positive effect in that the legal market has actually seen an uptick in business. "We saw a transfer of some of the illegal (black market) business over to the legal market during this time," he told AFP. But, he added, that hasn't been enough of a boost for an industry in trouble and still struggling to reach profitability. Canada was the second nation, after Uruguay in 2013, to legalise the recreational use of cannabis. Canadian firms -- including Canopy Growth, Aurora and Tilray -- quickly established themselves as industry leaders, expanding into foreign markets in anticipation of legalisation spreading, for recreational or medical use. They raised billions of dollars from investors, listing on the Toronto and New York stock markets. But the buzz quickly faded.
Read MoreThe Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry says that the first batch of hemp has been tested and that it complies with regulations. The hemp was tested for THC concentration levels and came back below the legal limit of .3% THC total, according to the news release. LDAF’s lab establishes a .104% measurement of uncertainty that will be applied to all official hemp samples of 2020. Hemp used in testing was harvested from a Southwest Louisiana grower who has plans of producing CBD.
Read MoreKurtis Alexander’s article hits the nail on the head and is loaded with the information everyone should see. One of the things I keep wondering about is why, following the legalization of marijuana, haven’t we seen any articles about using cannabis to make plastic?
Read MoreState and local elections officials — nervously eyeing the fall for a potential second wave of COVID-19 — are scrambling. With only five months before the presidential election, they are scouting larger polling places to enable social distancing and planning to mail and scan more absentee and mail-in ballots than ever. But in addition to keeping poll workers and voters safe from viral transmission, there is a second major risk: how to keep the election itself secure from cyber threats. During the recent months of the pandemic, U.S. adversaries have stepped up both cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. The United States should expect them to also take advantage of the logistical challenges of voting in a COVID-19 world to redouble their efforts against elections. Cyber threats to U.S. elections came into sharp relief in 2016, when Russia conducted operations to influence the electorate and infiltrate voting systems. In January 2017, the Department of Homeland Security declared elections to be “critical infrastructure” and embarked on an extensive cybersecurity support effort. It established, for example, the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center which provides elections officials with cybersecurity alerts, vulnerability assessments and response aid when experiencing a cyberattack. Congress pitched in too, appropriating $380 million under the Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, in 2018 — about 40% of which states planned to spend on cybersecurity. This year Congress appropriated an additional $425 million to states. But now the pandemic has devastated state budgets. HAVA fund administrators at the federal Elections Assistance Commission felt compelled to issue guidance saying states can use these funds for health-related safety needs. This was necessary and prudent; mitigating the health risks and reassuring anxious voters is paramount to ensuring a smooth running of the election in the fall. States are furiously rolling out new processes, scouting polling places that can accommodate social distancing and preparing for unprecedented volumes of absentee and mail-in ballots. Each of these moves is costly, however, and states must pursue all of them simultaneously. A recent Brennan Center report argues that states will need significantly more funding to prepare for the November election, noting for example that the federal grant would only cover roughly 10% of the estimated $110 to $124 million Georgia alone would need to spend between now and Election Day.
Read MoreThose looking to steal organizations’ data may be proxies of a hostile foreign government, career cybercriminals or enraged activists. But they’re just as likely to be members of an organization’s own staff. Companies are aware of the risk from insiders, but unlike in other areas of cybercrime, they’re struggling for solutions. Despite technological advances, it remains hard to spot an employee who is likely to steal or leak data.
Read MoreGovernments across the world are leaning on an array of coronavirus technologies, such as contact-tracing apps and smart thermometers, to make decisions about reopening. But experts are warning that their security and privacy protections are lacking — which could make it easier for hackers to compromise peoples' personal information. Developers of the apps, researchers say, did not implement strong digital protections that are standard on other technology that deals with sensitive personal or health information And many are siphoning data to third parties — which means peoples' private information could be used for targeted advertising or to track them across other, non-related apps. "One thing that's happening with [coronavirus] is that people are giving even more of their information up as response to the crisis, or downloading an app," says Adam Schwartz, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy advocacy group. "There aren’t the protections we need.” Many of the apps are used to automate some form of contact tracing, a process that allows users to figure out whether they may have been in contact with someone infected with the coronavirus. Users self-report if they're infected and the apps use either location data or anonymized Bluetooth signals to ping other users who may have been in proximity and exposed. The goal is also to provide insights to governments about local infection rates.
Read MoreBeijing on Saturday released details on its new national security law for Hong Kong amid China's recent moves to reclaim control over the semi-autonomous city. The move for stricter national security measures has been met with criticism by Western governments such as the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia, which scrutinize the new actions as an infringement on Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" rule. The new legislation will form a national security office for Hong Kong to gather intelligence and tackle crimes against national security, according to a state-run Xinhua news outlet, Reuters reported. The Xinhua outlet said Hong Kong's leader Carrier Lam could have the ability to choose justices to hear national security cases, adding that the national security activities would protect human rights and freedom of speech and assembly, although no further details were added. Beijing said the draft legislation would be aimed at handling separatist activity, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.
Read MoreSeveral government agencies in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) testified on Friday in favor of a marijuana legalization bill the governor is asking lawmakers to approve—with officials outlining how a regulated cannabis market can help the territory, especially given current economic needs.
Read MoreThe Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Gov. Ralph Torres has signed a bill legalizing hemp in the island U.S. territory, Marianas Variety reports.
Read MoreGeorgia’s expensive new voting machines weren’t working. Poll workers at some precincts couldn’t call up voters’ registrations. Touchscreens that were supposed to display ballots faded to black.
Read MoreMultiple lawmakers on Monday warned that without boosting mail-in voting and taking steps to shore up election security, chaos could ensue during the November presidential election.
Read MoreMore Louisiana residents will have access to medical marijuana under a significant expansion of the state's therapeutic cannabis program that was signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Read MoreNew claims that Georgia’s election technology may have failed to count thousands of legitimate votes sent in by mail is adding fuel to Democrats’ outrage over a disastrous primary they say disenfranchised many African American voters. Officials and activists spotted the issues in four counties and warn others could have been affected. They may have been caused by poorly calibrated software for scanning mail ballots that failed to recognize when voters indicated their choice with an X or a check mark rather than completely blacking out an oval – though some election experts are urging a full review before drawing any conclusions about the systems, which have worked effectively in other states. Republicans are pointing to the Georgia election debacle as evidence states should back off plans to expand mail voting in November. That runs counter to the advice of most election security experts who say voting by mail probably is the safest and most secure way to ensure people can cast ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats, meanwhile, are calling for more money for states to make sure they're prepared for the surge and to mitigate any technical issues that came up in the primaries. It’s a disturbing preview of how technical problems, bad preparation and partisan rancor could combine to wreak havoc in November — especially in Georgia and other hotly contested states in the presidential contest. The uncounted Georgia votes were discovered during county reviews of ballots that vote-tallying scanners flagged for anomalies. They represent a small number of votes so far, but experts fear they could indicate there are more ballots that went uncounted but were never flagged — and in far more counties, the Associated Press’s Frank Bajak reports. The scanners are part of a statewide voting system Georgia purchased for $120 million last year after a judge ordered the state to replace an outdated paperless system. “The fact that it is in multiple counties tells me that it’s probably systemic,” said Richard DeMillo, a Georgia Tech computer scientist who works extensively on voting security. He’s urging broader audits to identify such votes.
Read MoreThe Navajo Nation Department of Justice is suing a tribal member over what authorities say is an illegal hemp farming operation in northwestern New Mexico. Navajo Attorney General Doreen McPaul said the lawsuit was filed Thursday in tribal court. The complaint names Dineh Benally, Native American Agriculture Co., and Navajo Gold Co. Benally and his businesses are accused of running an industrial hemp operation within the reservation’s boundaries and unlawfully issuing tribal land use permits to foreign entities to grow and cultivate hemp on the Navajo Nation. David Jordan, an attorney for Benally, said he hasn’t seen a copy of the complaint and declined to comment. As part of the case, tribal prosecutors are seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to stop Benally's operations.
Read MoreThe two biggest parties making up the new government on Tuesday said they would push for increased legalization of cannabis use, a week after the police minister backed easing enforcement of existing laws. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White said in a joint statement that they would advance legislation “to resolve the issue of decriminalization and legalization,” apparently referring to recreational cannabis use. The matter will be done “via a responsible model that will be suited to the State of Israel and the Israeli population,” the statement said, without elaborating. The statement noted that the sides had also decided to push medical cannabis reforms in order to make it easier for patients to get access to treatment and for growers to get a license. The legislation will be advanced by Blue and White MK Ram Shefa and Likud MK Sharren Haskel, and will be brought to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation “at the earliest convenience and after organized groundwork.” The statement did not give a more specific timetable for the moves, but Channel 12 reported Tuesday evening that it would likely take about four months.
Read MoreLeaders of ballot measures to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational uses in South Dakota rolled out for reporters a list of 50 people endorsing their efforts Wednesday. Brendan Johnson, a past U.S. attorney for South Dakota, is sponsor of Constitutional Amendment A. It would allow people who were at least age 21 to use South Dakota-grown marijuana, or to grow, transport or distribute it in South Dakota to people who are at least 21. A 15 percent excise tax on sales would be levied to pay for regulation by the state Department of Revenue, with any excess revenue to be split between state aid to public schools and state government’s general fund. The Legislature could adjust the rate after November 3, 2024. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law. Johnson said some states have gone ahead with legalization efforts anyway, under a hands-off guidance, known as the Cole Memorandum, that took effect during President Obama’s administration. William Barr, President Trump’s current U.S. Attorney General, has informally accepted its continuation “for now.” Johnson was the federal Department of Justice’s U.S. attorney for South Dakota during much of the Obama administration, from October 2009 to March 2015. Randy Seiler succeeded Johnson in October 2015. Seiler, who retired in December 2017 and now is chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party, was one of the people on the marijuana group’s endorsement list Wednesday. Melissa Mentele of Emery is sponsor of Initiated Measure 26 that would legalize medical marijuana in South Dakota. Mentele told reporters Wednesday the constitutional amendment would provide political protection for her proposal. The Legislature can’t change the South Dakota Constitution. Johnson and Mentele are part of the ‘Yes on A / Yes on 26’ campaign seeking a majority of voters to approve both measures in South Dakota’s November 3 general election. She said there would be a heavy focus on absentee ballots this fall. The group’s political director is Drey Samuelson. He was the career-long chief of staff for now-retired U.S. Senator Tim Johnson, who served 28 years in Congress. The former senator, a Democrat, is Brendan Johnson’s father. Samuelson promised “a very active grassroots campaign.” Also participating in the teleconference was Matt Schweich from the Marijuana Policy Project. The Legislature, dominated by Republicans, approved a law permitting low-THC industrial hemp this year that Governor Kristi Noem, a Republican, signed into law. She vetoed somewhat similar legislation last year, describing industrial hemp as a gateway to legalizing marijuana. Asked whether they thought the governor would come out against their proposals, Samuelson replied, “I’d be astonished if she doesn’t oppose it.” Johnson wasn’t willing to go that far: “South Dakota has an awful lot on its plate right now.” Mentele’s medical-marijuana measure’s estimated impact on state government’s budget looks like a wash, but Johnson’s recreational-use amendment could raise more than $10 million in the fiscal year 2022 and in excess of $29 million in the fiscal year 2024. A request has been made to Noem’s office for her position on the two measures. South Dakota voters have refused past attempts to legalize marijuana. The most recent instance was 2010, when medical marijuana failed, with 115,667 yes votes and 199,552 voting no. Johnson said Wednesday there would be another financial benefit of legalization: Fewer people sentenced to South Dakota’s crowded state prisons for ingestion of marijuana. “The concern for me is we’re criminalizing a generation,” he said. Among the 50 endorsers are Scott Heidepriem of Sioux Falls, a former legislator who was the Democratic candidate for governor in 2010; Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe President Tony Reider; Jack Billion of Sioux Falls, a former legislator and the 2006 Democratic candidate for governor; and Paula Hawks of Hartford, a former legislator and the Democrats’ 2016 candidate for U.S. House.
Read MoreAccording to the Kansas Division of Budget, the state is expecting to face a $653 million shortfall in fiscal year 2021, this includes a projected $1.3 billion loss in tax revenue. Proponents of legalizing marijuana in the state say marijuana sales tax revenue could help.
Read MoreVoters may register to vote by mail for New Hampshire elections if concerns over COVID-19 are why they do not wish to sign the paperwork in person, according to a new legal opinion. Secretary of State Bill Gardner and Attorney General Gordon J. MacDonald have said the risk of the novel coronavirus calls for loosening up the requirement in state law that voter registration business has to be done at the city or town clerk's office.
Read MoreResearchers with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Michigan found multiple security vulnerabilities in an online voting tool being used by at least three states.
Read MoreSTOUGHTON, Mass. — Tobacco sales in Massachusetts convenience stores are down less than a week after the state’s ban on flavored tobacco took effect. As of June 1, the sale of flavored combustible cigarettes and other tobacco products—including menthol cigarettes and flavored chewing tobacco—is restricted to licensed smoking bars where they can be sold for on-site consumption, according to the state law. The New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association (NECSEMA), Stoughton, Mass., tried to delay the ban in May, given the hardships caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but was unsuccessful. Nik DiMambro, category manager at Worcester, Mass.-based Nouria Energy Corp., and Leo Vercollone, CEO of VERC Enterprises, Duxbury, Mass., each said tobacco sales at c-stores in bordering states, like New Hampshire, have increased since June 1 while tobacco sales in Massachusetts are down. “It’s really early,” Vercollone told CSPDaily News on June 4. “But, with that being said, we’re down double digits in menthol cigarettes.” Cigarette and other tobacco product (OTP) sales were down about 12% at his Massachusetts stores compared to last year, Vercollone said. However, in the first few days of June, tobacco sales at two of his stores on the New Hampshire border were up about 40%, he said.
Read MoreLOS GATOS, Calif.- Procurant, BB #:355257 a Silicon Valley technology company transforming the global food supply chain, announced the creation of a new customer innovation center and the release of Procurant Trace, a mobile, cloud-based service that enables accurate product identification, even in the harshest of packing environments. “The industry continues to demand improvements in the areas of traceability and Procurant Trace is the latest in a series of products and features we are rolling out to our supply chain customers.” “With this new innovation center and traceability product line added to our suite of order and task management products, Procurant is bringing together the enormous potential of a fully integrated food supply chain. We are excited to offer these new capabilities to our customers, and to have operations right in the heart of one of the most important growing regions in the country,” said Eric Peters, CEO, Procurant. The new traceability product will be supported from Procurant’s new customer innovation and support center in Watsonville, CA. In addition to providing customer support and maintenance services, the innovation center will serve as a showcase for the latest supply chain technology for the fresh food industry and allow customers to see and interact with a variety Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors to improve food safety and quality.
Read MoreWhen it comes to collecting alcohol excise taxes here within the state of Oregon, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) will partner up with an outside organization for payment implementation. The OLCC has signed a ten-year contract with SICPA, an organization that offers product security, revenue realization, and track and trace solutions. Based in Springfield, Virginia, SICPA will use its proprietary SICPA Excise Tax System (SETS) to provide a secure, online platform for the payment, collection, and tracking of Oregon’s alcohol privilege taxes, also known as excise taxes. “Our ten-year contract with SICPA is $7.5 million,” wrote Debbie Amsberry, Assistant Director Financial Services at the OLCC, in an email. “It runs through June 30, 2030.”
Read MoreDemocratic leadership in a House committee introduced a bill Wednesday that includes a provision requiring legal marijuana states — and only those states — to consider ways to promote education about the dangers of cannabis-impaired driving while curbing such behavior. The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee filed the legislation, which is also being cosponsored by several chairs of subcommittees under the panel.
Read MoreA push to promote absentee voting as a safer alternative during the coronavirus pandemic is not expected to produce widespread fraud, according to election experts, despite President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on mail-in voting in Michigan and other states. Concerns about the potential for COVID-19 to spread through polling places in the August and November elections motivated Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson to mail every registered voter an application to obtain an absentee ballot.
Read MoreAfter coronavirus-related delays, Muskegon’s third marijuana dispensary is expected to open this summer. Redbud Roots, a Buchanan-based cannabis producer and distributor, expects its second retail location, at 237 W. Laketon Ave. in Muskegon’s marijuana overlay district, will open to the public on Saturday, June 27. The dispensary will cater to both medicinal and recreational users - and its design has been influenced by both Muskegon’s history and its recent brush with the COVID-19 outbreak, Alex Leonowicz, one of the company’s four co-founders, told MLive in a recent interview. “Curbside (pickup) is here to stay,” he said. Redbud Roots was founded in 2017 by Christopher Fanta, a real estate investor; David Murray, a hedge fund manager; Jim Finley, an entrepreneur; and Leonowicz, a corporate attorney specializing in cannabis law. They were licensed by the state in December 2018, according to Leonowicz. The company began as a cultivator and processor of cannabis, and currently produces 27 different cannabis-derived products in-house, including concentrates, edibles, waxes, tinctures and topical creams. Those products will make up half the stock at the 2,500-square-foot Muskegon store, which is still under construction, Leonowicz said. Last week, the company’s sign was installed outside its gleaming wood, metal and glass storefront. Just as the business’s first shop, in Acme, reflects northern Michigan’s vast woods, the Muskegon design is meant to reflect the city’s “grittier, more industrial feel,” Leonowicz said. Muskegon was a fit for the company because it was an “early adopter” of the cannabis industry, “and it’s also a great town,” said Leonowicz. Some of the company’s 92 employees are Muskegon natives, he added. The 14 people hired to work at the new store - security, managers, and sales associates known colloquially as “budtenders” - are all local, according to Leonowicz.
Read More— Voters in eight states and Washington, D.C., went to the polls on Tuesday under the watchful eye of CISA and others, with no major digital hiccups reported. — CISA hasn’t forgotten about that distributed denial of service attack on Minneapolis, and plans to issue new guidance to providers and state and local governments. — The U.S. intelligence community should build on its coronavirus-inspired telework, according to its outgoing CIO. In one of the last warm-ups before November’s general election, eight states and Washington, D.C., held their primaries on Tuesday. It also marked the biggest voting day since the coronavirus pandemic upended the election calendar in March. And while voters cast their ballots during a time of crisis, Election Day went off without a hitch — not that agencies responsible for election security weren’t watching. "Every state and the District of Columbia has Albert, the intrusion detection system, in place. So we're in a good posture for visibility and every state is receiving some kind of service,” a senior CISA official told reporters Tuesday afternoon. The official noted that Covid-19 and the civil unrest gripping several American cities were new factors to overcome, but election officials felt prepared based on past experiences. A second senior CISA official said the agency hadn’t seen anyone trying to leverage the ongoing social unrest to stoke concerns about voting, nor had it seen a “connection or widespread disinfo involving [Covid-19] and the elections.” “At this time there's no indication of any disinfo campaigns targeting elections today,” the official said. “No reports from the states of widespread issues with disinfo or social media posts." The first official explained that CISA utilizes an unclassified situational awareness room for major voting days and that on Tuesday, 46 state or local agencies cycled through, as did representatives from the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, the Election Assistance Commission, the FBI and others. Tuesday was “good practice” for November, the official said. DENYING DDoS — A senior CISA official also said on Tuesday’s call that “we're in the process of pushing out guidance and recommendations” on distributed denial of service attacks. The idea is to focus on state and local governments, with election officials also receiving the information, the official said. CISA is “keeping an eye” on the DDoS attacks aimed at Minnesota governments amid the protests over the weekend; a DDoS attack hit the city of Minneapolis’ websites and Gov. Tim Walz said Minnesota fended off a “sophisticated denial of service” assault on state computers. “We're getting the right mitigation recommendations out across the country to our state and local partners,” the official said.
Read MoreLouisiana lawmakers sent bills to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program and to allow cannabis businesses to access banks to the governor’s desk over the weekend. The expansion legislation—which the House of Representatives initially approved last month and cleared the Senate on last week with one amendment—would allow physicians to recommend medical cannabis to patients for any debilitating condition that they deem fit instead of from the limited list of maladies that’s used under current law.
Read MoreLong before CBD had become a trendy wellness elixir found in juice and moisturizer and ice cream and dog treats; before corporate chains like Walgreens and Sephora had decided to sell it; and way before Kim Kardashian West had thrown a CBD-themed baby shower, a ragtag crew of activists, doctors, writers and marijuana farmers met up on an early winter evening in 2011. They sat in a circle at a house in the hills a few hours north of San Francisco — where wine country becomes weed country — to discuss the therapeutic potential of CBD, and how to get people to take it seriously.
Read MoreA task force comprised of former lawmakers, federal prosecutors and reform advocates issued a series of recommendations on Wednesday about criminal justice policy changes that should be enacted, and that includes creating a waiver system to allow states to set their own marijuana policies without federal interference. The Council on Criminal Justice task force was established prior to the coronavirus pandemic, but its new report said the health crisis has “underscored the urgency” of the recommendations. While the group is far from the only criminal justice-minded organization to push for cannabis reform, it’s especially notable because of the backgrounds of its membership.
Read MoreHemp has friends in high places, namely Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. But the crop he championed in an attempt to boost ailing agriculture is at a low point. Farmers and manufacturers who wanted to capitalize on the frenzy around CBD, which comes from hemp, were lured into the industry after Congress passed the 2018 farm bill. It legalized cultivation of the crop, a low-potency sibling of marijuana. Hemp acreage in the U.S. more than tripled from 2018 to 2019.
Read MoreThe Republican National Committee and other Republican groups have filed a lawsuit against California to stop the state from mailing absentee ballots to all voters ahead of the 2020 general election, a move that was made in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The suit comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced this month that the state would move to encourage all voters to cast their ballots by mail in November -- the most widespread expansion of vote-by-mail that has been announced as a result of the pandemic and in the nation's most populous state.
Read MoreNorth Carolina has failed to change its election laws to ensure that voters can safely cast ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic, voting rights advocates claim in a federal lawsuit. The nonprofit Democracy North Carolina and the League of Women Voters of North Carolina sued Friday on behalf of several elderly or disabled residents whose medical conditions make them more vulnerable to coronavirus. The lawsuit alleges that several aspects of North Carolina’s absentee vote-by-mail requirements are unconstitutional because voters will have to risk exposure to COVID-19 to successfully vote.
Read MoreThe COVID-19 pandemic has increased American voter concerns about the security of our domestic supply chain, and about voters’ own household bills, according to polling conducted by Morning Consult for the National Mining Association (NMA).
Read MoreThey have high hopes for a coronavirus breakthrough. A team of Canadian scientists believes it has found strong strains of cannabis that could help prevent or treat coronavirus infections, according to interviews and a study. Researchers from the University of Lethbridge said a study in April showed at least 13 cannabis plants were high in CBD that appeared to affect the ACE2 pathways that the bug uses to access the body. “We were totally stunned at first, and then we were really happy,” one of the researchers, Olga Kovalchuk, told CTV News. The results, printed in online journal Preprints, indicated hemp extracts high in CBD may help block proteins that provide a “gateway” for COVID-19 to enter host cells.
Read MoreNew Jersey won’t rely on internet voting during its presidential primary, but also won’t rule it out for the general election. — President Donald Trump’s pick for director of national intelligence is moving swiftly toward a Senate vote today, with confirmation likely. — Trump sowed confusion in the White House and elsewhere with opaque allegations about absentee ballots. New Jersey has decided not to repeat its recent experiment with internet voting during its July 7 presidential primary, the state told MC on Wednesday. “Given Gov. [Phil] Murphy’s announcement on how the primary will be run, it was determined that we don’t need the technology,” said Alicia D’Alessandro, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Tahesha Way.
Read MoreLouisiana lawmakers advanced three marijuana reform bills on Wednesday, and that includes legislation that would dramatically expand the state’s medical cannabis program and offer protections for banks that service marijuana businesses. House-passed legislation to allow physicians to recommend medical cannabis to patients for any debilitating condition that they deem fit was approved by the Senate Health and Welfare Committee in a 5-1 vote. Under current law there are only 14 conditions that qualify patients for marijuana. The bill now heads to the full Senate. Another bill introduced by Rep. Edmond Jordan (D) to protect banks and credit unions that service cannabis...
Read MoreVoters got a split-screen view of pandemic-era elections yesterday in Oregon and Kentucky. Both states were scheduled to conduct their presidential primaries, but only Oregon, where voters cast ballots almost entirely by mail, carried it off. The state had tallied results from about 75 percent of 1.2 million ballots it received as of early this morning and declared winners in most major races. Former vice president Joe Biden, the last remaining Democratic presidential candidate, handily won the state’s presidential primary with about 70 percent of votes. Kentucky, where just about 2 percent of voters cast their ballots by mail in 2018, delayed its primary until June 23. Now, the state is scrambling to rebuild its voting operations from the ground up in just a matter of months. The split demonstrates how some states are facing far greater challenges preparing for the primaries and general election during the pandemic — and how some voters are in greater danger of facing a choice between casting their votes and protecting their health. The state created a temporary exception to that rule on April 24 but only after weeks of wrangling between Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Secretary of State Mike Adams, who opposed expanding mail voting before the pandemic struck. The agreement came about a week after Wisconsin pushed through with a mostly in-person primary during the height of the pandemic, resulting in thousands of voters who requested absentee ballots but didn’t get them in time and blocks-long lines of voters standing six feet apart. More than 50 new cases of the novel coronavirus have been tied to the primary.
Read MoreThe cause of the enormous explosion and fire that destroyed a downtown Los Angeles building on Saturday evening and sent 12 firefighters to the hospital is not yet known. As for the effects, they were immediate, decisive — and entirely predictable. A culprit was identified even before arson investigators’ work could begun. The culprit, as initial media reports suggested, was cannabis, a theory that anti-legalization zealots amplified into a howl by Monday. By extension, that means the ongoing social experiment of marijuana legalization is the accomplice, and scenes like Saturday’s carnage in LA the logical conclusion for any other city or state pondering legal weed. This all sounds familiar, because it is. And though it may be weeks or longer before arson investigators piece together the actual cause, the lesson for drug-policy reform advocates and anyone in the cannabis industry is that baked-in anti-drug biases will take much longer than that to fade away — and you can do everything right and still suffer a setback in the information wars.
Read MoreThe cause of the enormous explosion and fire that destroyed a downtown Los Angeles building on Saturday evening and sent 12 firefighters to the hospital is not yet known. As for the effects, they were immediate, decisive — and entirely predictable. A culprit was identified even before arson investigators’ work could begun. The culprit, as initial media reports suggested, was cannabis, a theory that anti-legalization zealots amplified into a howl by Monday. By extension, that means the ongoing social experiment of marijuana legalization is the accomplice, and scenes like Saturday’s carnage in LA the logical conclusion for any other city or state pondering legal weed. This all sounds familiar, because it is. And though it may be weeks or longer before arson investigators piece together the actual cause, the lesson for drug-policy reform advocates and anyone in the cannabis industry is that baked-in anti-drug biases will take much longer than that to fade away — and you can do everything right and still suffer a setback in the information wars.
Read MoreAttorney General William P. Barr just ratcheted up the government's fight against encryption. Barr slammed Apple for its apparent refusal to help unlock unlock the devices of a Saudi air force student who opened fire last year at a U.S. military base in Pensacola, Fla. He said the strong encryption meant it took law enforcement five months to access evidence tying the shooter, Ahmed Mohammed al-Shamrani, to the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Barr presented the case as proof positive that the longstanding refusal by Apple and other tech firms to build in law enforcement access to encrypted communications is endangering Americans’ safety by allowing terrorists to recruit and plan operations in digital secrecy. Information on the devices helped launch a counterterrorism operation against an associate of Alshamrani in Yemen, Abdullah al-Maliki, Devlin Barrett reports. “The bottom line: Our national security cannot remain in the hands of big corporations who put dollars over lawful access and public safety,” he said in a statement. “The time has come for a legislative solution.” But Apple and other defenders of encryption drew the opposite conclusion about the case. They focused on the fact that the FBI was able to ultimately get the information it needed without Apple's help. This, they say, proves there’s no need for Apple or other companies to give law enforcement a backdoor into its encryption – which, they say, would make everyone using these devices vulnerable to criminal hackers or U.S. adversaries, and make American products less competitive on the world stage. “It is because we take our responsibility to national security so seriously that we do not believe in the creation of a backdoor — one which will make every device vulnerable to bad actors who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers,” the company said. “There is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys, and the American people do not have to choose between weakening encryption and effective investigations.”
Read MoreAfter being shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced recreational marijuana stores can reopen on May 25 for curbside delivery only as part of a comprehensive statewide reopening plan unveiled Monday. Massachusetts is the only state with legal marijuana that ordered adult-use stores to close during the pandemic. Shops have been shut down since March 24, when Baker issued an order requiring businesses considered non-essential to cease operations in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Even though they’ll be able to sell marijuana again, the financial losses are significant for the state’s small cannabis companies. Many of the state’s marijuana businesses have laid off or furloughed workers during the pandemic. Baker said in March that he believed recreational stores staying open would attract customers from outside of Massachusetts to drive in and purchase marijuana. Though stores were already implementing social distancing and other health and safety measures, and though some argued that the majority of customers come from within miles of the store, Baker did not budge. While the reopening of stores will bring a sigh of relief, marijuana businesses have struggled during the pandemic like just about every other industry. But, unlike many other industries, cannabis businesses are not eligible for federal relief through the Paycheck Protection Program because marijuana remains illegal on the federal level. Through the pandemic, Cannabis Control Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman has said the recreational market could be operated safely, pointing to the continued operation of the medical market as an example.
Read MoreAn Arkansas Department of Agriculture survey found 94 percent of the state’s hemp growers lost money on the crop last year, planting a total of 1,819 acres but harvesting just 883 acres, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Despite the losses, the agency has already issued more hemp cultivation licenses for the upcoming growing season than all of last year. The Agriculture Department has issued 152 cultivation licenses so far this year, up from 125 last year, the report says. Additionally, the agency has issued 39 hemp processor licenses so far – up from 33 last year. The licenses have been issued in 55 of the state’s 75 counties after hemp was grown in 51 of the state’s counties last year. Arkansas hemp farmers reported capital investments last year of more than $5.8 million, total operating costs of $5.9 million, and sales to processors of nearly $846,000. They reported a total gross income of $702,291, an average of $3,266 per farmer, according to agency figures outlined by the Democrat-Gazette. Some crops were hampered by rains along with flooding along the Arkansas River; however, 21 percent of licensed cultivators indicated their crops had been stolen by thieves who believed the plants were THC-rich cannabis. Caleb Allen, manager of the state’s hemp program, warned though that the theft figures are “self-reported” and that they couldn’t be independently verified. Growers who participated in the survey said they were unable to sell 54.6 percent of last year’s crop – or about 108,000 pounds. Only about half of the licensed processors reported buying hemp from in-state growers, paying them about $330,000. According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, Arkansas is still operating under its pilot hemp program enacted in 2014. Lawmakers have not yet passed legislation updating the program for federal approval as required under the 2018 farm bill.
Read MoreThis week, the U.S. House included legislative language from the SAFE Banking Act in new legislation aimed at economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. Elsewhere, in Montana, a campaign to place an adult-use cannabis legalization initiative on the state’s 2020 ballot kicked off a signature drive despite coronavirus-related setbacks. Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over. Federal: The U.S. House will include legislative language from the SAFE Banking Act in the next relief bill aimed at economic relief amid the coronavirus pandemic. Thus far in the current economic crisis, cannabis businesses have been largely excluded from such relief, as the ongoing Schedule-I status of the plant has barred any federal stimulus aid or small business loans from hitting the industry—even as cannabis business around the U.S. have been deemed “essential” in this difficult moment. The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) has recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) should not be part of the cannabis research application process as part of the NCIA’s comments on the DEA’s proposal to advance cannabis research. Among other reasons, the NCIA highlights the DEA’s sluggish processing of current applications to explain why the law enforcement agency is not the right fit to lead cannabis research initiatives. Montana: After losing a court battle to collect signatures electronically, New Approach Montana kicked off a statewide signature drive last weekend to get two complementary adult-use cannabis legalization measures on the state’s 2020 ballot. “As our state reopens for business, we must also reopen for democracy,” the campaign’s political director, Pepper Petersen, said in a public statement. Massachusetts: The Cannabis Control Commission plans to launch its adult-use cannabis delivery application May 28, as some regulators have said that delivery is a priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. The licenses will be granted to social equity and economic empowerment applicants for at least the first two years in an effort to bolster industry participation from businesses owned by minorities, those with prior cannabis-related convictions and individuals who have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. Missouri: An investigation into the roll out of Missouri’s medical cannabis program has reached Gov. Mike Parson’s office, as a House committee seeks records involving Parson’s chief of staff, chief operating officer and a longtime adviser. The Missouri House Special Committee on Government Oversight sent a letter to the Department of Health and Senior Services May 7, requesting records of the department’s interactions with cannabis industry stakeholders and insight into how key decisions were made in the medical cannabis licensing process. Read more
Read MoreDemocrats yesterday released their most ambitious and detailed plan yet to fundamentally reshape U.S. voting systems in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Their new virus stimulus bill includes $3.6 billion to run elections safely and securely during the pandemic. But it couples that money with a slate of new mandates for state and local election officials that will last long after the pandemic ends. Many of those mandates are sure to irk Republican election officials at the state and county level — even those who broadly agree with Democrats’ goals of ramping up voting by mail and polling-place safety during the pandemic. And they're probably nonstarters with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has fiercely blocked such conditions in the past. The election provisions are part of a $3 trillion plan, dubbed the Heroes Act, assembled by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her top lieutenants, which is unlikely to make any headway in the Republican-controlled Senate. “There’s a lot in this bill that will absolutely look to Republicans like a Democratic wish list,” Edward Perez, global director of technology development at the OSET Institute, a nonprofit election technology organization, told me. “It’s a lost opportunity to achieve pragmatic bipartisanship." The bill, which House lawmakers are expected to vote on Friday, comes as close to a federal takeover of elections as has yet been proposed. It mandates that states offer voting-by-mail options for all voters without excuses for all future elections starting in November. It also mandates 15 days of early voting across the country. And it requires that states draw up detailed plans to hold elections during future emergencies that the federal government can challenge in court if they don’t sufficiently protect voters and poll workers. It even digs into the nitty-gritty of how states must run elections during the pandemic and other emergencies, including mandating they mail ballots directly to every registered voter. That’s sure to anger Republican state officials who are now encouraging residents to vote by mail but sending them ballot request forms rather than actual ballots, which they say reduces the chances of fraud.
Read MoreExperts are sounding alarms about potential security risks as several states consider allowing online voting amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia are planning to allow overseas military personnel and voters with disabilities to return their ballots electronically for elections this year amid concerns about voting during a pandemic. But federal officials and cybersecurity experts are strongly urging states to stay away from online voting, arguing that it could open up new avenues for interference less than four years after Russia meddled in the 2016 elections. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) joined a group of federal agencies in condemning the idea of online voting in guidelines first reported by The Guardian last week. The guidelines, sent to states privately, described online voting as “high risk.” “Electronic ballot return, the digital return of a voted ballot by the voter, creates significant security risks to voted ballot integrity, voter privacy, ballot secrecy, and system availability,” the agencies wrote in the guidelines. “Securing the return of voted ballots via the internet while maintaining voter privacy is difficult, if not impossible, at this time.” The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine has also warned against electronic voting, and members of Congress have railed against the practice, citing security concerns. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), the former chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee’s cyber panel, expressed his support for the federal guidelines, warning that Russia or other state actors could see online voting as a tempting way to interfere in U.S. elections. “As experts have stated unequivocally for years, Internet voting is not secure,” Langevin said in a tweeted statement late last week. “The guidance echoes this assessment, making clear that electronic ballot return, as opposed to mailing returns, risks compromising the integrity of our voting process.
Read MoreAmericans want to be able to vote by mail in November — but Democratic proposals to require it appear to be going nowhere fast in Congress. House Democrats have sought to drastically overhaul the American electoral system in light of the pandemic, arguing dramatic change is needed to allow Americans to vote safely. In a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll conducted last weekend, nearly three-in-five voters nationwide said they either strongly or somewhat support a federal law that would mandate that states “provide mail-in ballots to all voters for elections occurring during the coronavirus pandemic.” Just a quarter of voters either somewhat or strongly oppose the idea, with the remainder not having an opinion. However, support for the idea is split along ideological lines. A supermajority of voters who are registered or lean Democratic — 77 percent — back the idea. Republicans are more divided: 48 percent are opposed and 42 percent in favor. House Democrats have proposed mandating that states send all voters a ballot in the case of emergencies — in their most recent coronavirus relief package, dubbed the HEROES Act, along with other sweeping changes to the elections. The bill would also require universal “no-excuse” absentee voting, online and same-day voter registration and expanded early voting, among other changes. In broad strokes, Americans support the expansion of no-excuse absentee voting. A recent Pew Research Center found seven in 10 adults supported allowing any voter to vote by mail if they want to. But congressional Republicans have long opposed Democrats’ efforts to make major changes to the electoral system. They've argued that Democrats are trying to federalize elections, and that there wasn’t enough time to make such widespread changes before the November election. “I’m not opposed to vote-by-mail programs,” said Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the ranking member on the House Rules Committee. But states, he said, should determine how to conduct their own elections, adapting to specific circumstances. “We as Republicans have a distinct, different philosophy on what the federal government’s role in elections should be. We believe that the states and localities are the best ones to get their voters to the polls and recognize what’s going to give everybody an opportunity to cast a vote,” Davis continued.
Read MoreVoting systems that rely on the Internet are fast becoming a major conflict zone in the battle to secure the 2020 election against hacking. The development comes as states are scrambling to revamp their voting procedures to respond to the novel coronavirus pandemic. In some cases that means allowing digital voting to play a more prominent role, despite persistent warnings from experts that it's highly insecure and often unverifiable. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the Election Assistance Commission jumped into the fray on Friday, sending guidance to states warning about the major security challenges posed by all voting systems that use the Internet in some way. The guidance covers ballots sent digitally to voters; ballots sent and marked online but printed out and returned by physical mail; and ballots that are received and returned entirely digitally. The agencies warned about dangers related to all three systems but especially the third, which they say poses “significant security risks.” Among those risks: Hackers could change large numbers of votes, block votes from being recorded or undermine ballot secrecy. Securing the 2020 election presents a set of dramatically different challenges than even just a few months ago when it seemed nearly unthinkable states would willingly expose more of their voting processes to the dangers of hacking and most election security debates focused on ensuring votes would be cast with paper ballots that could be audited after the fact. The new situation underscores how the coronavirus pandemic has upended every aspect of election security, propelling the 2020 contest into far more dangerous territory.
Read MoreA huge cannabis farm worth £1 million has been uncovered by police. Police found the cannabis farm of more than 500 plants at a house in Bury on Saturday after receiving reports from residents. Almost 200 plants were being kept in the attic alone, Prestwich neighbourhood officers discovered. Altogether the stash is estimated to be worth up to £1 million, says Greater Manchester Police. A man was detained and arrested by police on suspicion of cultivating cannabis - and was also 'of interest to immigration authorities', according to the police. He was interviewed but has since been released under investigation. Police say the set-up inside the house was 'extremely dangerous' as the electrics had been directly connected to the National Grid. The garden at the property had to be dug up by Electricity North West in order to cut off the supply. The farm and its equipment was destroyed by police after it was uncovered and the cannabis will now be incinerated. Bury police quipped 'cue the cannabis legalisation debate' after they shared pictures showing the industrial-scale farm.
Read MoreA group of Massachusetts cannabis industry representatives on Saturday has made its pitch to a reopening advisory board appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker. The Commonwealth Dispensary Association, among those at the meeting, says it has a COVID-19 safety plan that incorporates national best practices and input from all its 38 members. In addition to the CDA, industry representatives that met with the 17-member advisory board on Saturday morning were Joseph Lusardi, the CEO of Curaleaf, Amanda Rositano, the president of NETA, Jay Youmans, a principal at Smith, Costello & Crawford and Kobie Evans, a co-founder of Pure Oasis in Boston, the first economic empowerment applicant to open in the state. “We are greatly appreciative to the Lieutenant Governor [Karyn Polito], Secretary [of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy], and the advisory board for their time and service,” said David Torrisi, the president of the CDA, in a statement on Saturday afternoon. “We look forward to safely reopening the Massachusetts economy in close collaboration with the Administration.” Recreational marijuana shops have been closed since March 24 after being deemed non-essential by Baker. Massachusetts is the only state with legal marijuana that has shut down recreational businesses during the pandemic. Medical marijuana, however, was deemed essential. The CDA represents 80% of the state’s medical and adult-use industry, according to the statement. In the time since recreational marijuana stores have been closed, the CCC has reported a spike in new registrations of medical patients. That increase in medical patients led to concern about the medical supply chain. The commission last month decided to allow the recreational market to support the medical market with wholesale transfers.
Read MoreThe Department of Homeland Security has come out strongly against internet voting in new draft guidelines, breaking with its longstanding reluctance to formally weigh in on the controversial issue, even after the 2016 Russian election hacking efforts. The move comes as a number of states push to expand the use of ballots cast online. The eight-page document, obtained by the Guardian, pulls no punches in calling the casting of ballots over the internet a “high-risk” endeavor that would allow attackers to alter votes and results “at scale” and compromise the integrity of elections. The guidelines advise states to avoid it altogether or restrict it to voters who have no other means of casting a ballot. The document primarily addresses a type of internet voting called electronic ballot delivery and return – where digital absentee ballots counties send to voters overseas via email or a web portal are completed and returned via email attachment, fax or direct upload – but it essentially applies to all forms of internet voting. No states currently offer full-on internet voting, but numerous states allow military and civilian voters abroad to receive and return ballots electronically, and some of these voters use an internet-based system that allows them to mark their ballot online before printing it out and mailing it back or returning it via email or fax. The DHS considers electronic ballot delivery a low-risk endeavor compared with electronic ballot return, but both can be compromised. In 2018, a hacker at the Defcon hacking conference in Las Vegas demonstrated that he could alter a ballot transmitted via email without detection. It’s not clear how many voters receive and return ballots electronically. In 2016, states sent more than 930,000 absentee ballots to overseas voters, according to a survey conducted by the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and about 633,000 completed ballots were returned. But not all states reported how many were sent or returned electronically. Government-accountability group Common Cause calculated that at least 100,000 ballots were returned via fax or the internet in 2016 in states that provided this data. But 16 states that allow the return of ballots via fax, email or online portal did not answer the survey question. Meanwhile, some states have expanded the use of electronically delivered and returned ballots to disabled voters. And their use could expand even further this year should states switch to universal vote-by-mail.
Read MoreSome states, predicting challenges around expanding paper ballot access in time for the November general election amid the COVID-19 pandemic, are weighing the use of Internet-based voting platforms. The considerations come as election officials across the country brace for what will likely be a record year of mail-in paper ballot usage amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ABC News has confirmed that Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia will permit groups of eligible voters across their states to use online voting platforms for upcoming local elections and presidential primaries as several other states consider wider usage for elections this fall. The use of online and mobile based voting platforms introduces significant cybersecurity risks, that many election experts warn have the potential to be used by foreign actors looking to influence election outcomes. Ahead of the 2020 primary season, former senior government officials and private sector executives warned of computerized voting equipment as particularly vulnerable at a House Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation subcommittee hearing in 2019 leading some states to drop plans they may have had in motion. (2020 campaigns 'under-prepared' to combat foreign cyberattacks: Experts) Still, states that previously dismissed the idea of using such voting platforms because of security threats are now giving it a hard second look in light of concerns that COVID-19 will keep large portions of voters home and away from voting booths this fall. “For those people that would not otherwise have the opportunity to vote, an electronic voting option is the way to go, said West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner, in an April interview on Fox News. “Right now under 20 percent of our military overseas are having the opportunity to get their vote counted—that’s just a broken system. It’s the same thing, even worse for citizens overseas.” The state of West Virginia believes their new Internet based voting system is secure, giving eligible voters the option to either print, fax or electronically submit their ballots for the state’s upcoming June primary. Delaware State Election Commissioner Anthony Albence says the state will utilize a new electronic ballot marking and return system for their primary and is confident in the security features. “We knew that this was something that was needed,” said Albence. “Once the voter has accessed the ballot, the ballot itself is locked and is no longer changeable in anyway. Once we’ve received notification that it’s completed, we go in and look at it.” A question on whether Internet based voting was accelerated due to COVID-19 to the New Jersey Secretary of State’s office was not immediately returned. A spokesperson for the National Association of Secretaries of State, which recently issued guidance on administering elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said it doesn't issue best practices regarding mobile voting, but has been facilitating opportunities for states to learn from each other with regard to varying state voting practices.
Read MoreIt took almost two years for Massachusetts marijuana company T. Bear, Inc., to receive approval to commence operations, which finally came down on March 20, recounted owner and CEO Angela Brown. That approval authorized the East Wareham company to start operations on March 24, which happened to end up being the day an order from the governor shut down businesses deemed non-essential, including marijuana companies. “Just one day before we were able to make our first sale, we were shut down,” said Brown on Tuesday, testifying before state lawmakers in support of a bill that would offer a Massachusetts version of the federal Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown said her company was forced to furlough its whole team. “All I can do now is wait, with no income and no revenue,” she said. “And while I wait, I still pay my rent, my lenders, my utilities and my health insurance for my furloughed employees.” Gov. Charlie Baker in March issued an order that shut down non-essential businesses starting March 24. While medical marijuana companies are allowed to operate during the pandemic, adult-use marijuana businesses have been shuttered since. The order has been extended multiple times, and now has an end-date of May 18. The Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses met virtually Tuesday to hear testimony on two bills, S. 2564, An Act to support MassMakers, and S. 2643, An Act establishing a Massachusetts Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for businesses ineligible for the comparable federal PPP. While the PPP bill would assist several different industries that have been left out of the federal PPP, the majority of the conversation during Tuesday’s hearing was centered around recreational marijuana. “We can’t keep having cannabis be the odd business out," said Caroline Pineau, the owner and CEO of Haverhill Stem and an economic empowerment applicant. “Governor Baker said liquor stores can stay open yet closes down cannabis. This arbitrary reasoning further disproportionately impacts the entire industry, an industry that has demonstrated we can safely operate with proper social distancing, appointment only and online ordering." Pineau reiterated that cannabis businesses like hers have payrolls, taxes, licensing fees, mortgages and high insurance premiums. But because marijuana is still federally illegal, marijuana businesses have been left of economic relief measures. “What am I supposed to do,” asked Pineau, who told the committee she invested millions into her business while doing everything by-the-book. Business owners repeated many of the same points: Massachusetts is the only state with legal marijuana that has shut down adult-use sales amid the pandemic, and that the state is not benefitting from tax revenue with these businesses shuttered. Without the bill’s passage, the future for small businesses in the state’s marijuana industry could be grim, some predicted
Read MoreA group of more than 800 public health experts on Tuesday called on Congress to fund mail-in voting amid rising concerns about in-person voting related to the coronavirus pandemic. The experts — made up of professors, phycologists and doctors led by the Center for American Progress — sent a letter to the House and Senate asking that states be given $4 billion to address moving to mail-in voting. These funds would cover the mailing and printing of ballots, securing ballot request systems and staffing, among other issues. “In order to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and protect the public health at the same time, it is incumbent on our leaders to prepare for a Presidential election by mail, in which ballots are sent to all registered voters, to allow them to vote from home and ensure their health and safety in the event of a new outbreak of SARS-CoV-2,” the public health experts wrote. The experts used the recent Wisconsin primary elections as an example of how COVID-19 can spread if Americans are forced to vote in-person, after dozens of individuals there tested positive for the coronavirus in the weeks since the election. “Many of us in public health looked on with horror as thousands of people in Wisconsin were forced to choose between exercising their right to vote and staying home to protect themselves from exposure to the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,” the group wrote. “Those choosing the former were imperiling their own lives by voting in person that day.” Congress already appropriated $400 million for states to address election concerns during the pandemic as part of the $2 trillion stimulus package signed into law in March. These funds were on top of millions already sent to the states to boost election security by Congress in December. But the public health experts said Tuesday that these funds were not enough, pointing to a study by New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice that states would need $4 billion to successfully put on elections this year. The group of experts included professors from dozens of academic institutions, including Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia and Brown universities, along with psychologists from across the country and doctors within multiple health care systems or hospitals. The letter was rolled out during a press call on mail-in voting that featured Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.). Klobuchar and Coons, along with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), have led efforts in the Senate over the past two months to fund mail-in voting. “As more than 800 health officials say in their letter, we have to think about public health and safety, no one should be forced to choose between their right to vote and their health,” Coons said during the call. Coons serves as the top Democrat on the Senate subcommittee tasked with election funding. He said past debates around sending states election funding have been “contentious,” and that it had been difficult to secure Republican support.
Read MoreCybersecurity pros are warning people to exercise caution before downloading apps aimed at combating the coronavirus pandemic that might be rushed out without adequate security protections. The contact tracing apps, which are launching across the globe now, could provide useful information for governments and researchers trying to stop the virus’s spread and give people an early warning that they might be infected. But they could also provide a trove of information for hackers if they’re breached – which risks exposing the personal details of people who tested positive for the virus and scaring people away from potentially critical tools to flatten the curve. With U.S. cases surging towards 1.2 million and resulting in more than 68,000 deaths, the pressure is on to follow more than two dozen countries such as Australia and South Korea that have developed smartphone apps for the public to download. While the federal government has been slow to specify how it would use technology in its efforts to alert people whether they may have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus, commercial apps are on their way in some states here with a range of security and privacy protections. There's little time for security testing. And the apps are dealing with potentially sensitive health and location data. Developers could miss basic security measures amid pressure to get the apps released as quickly as possible. “The speed factor is probably the most concerning right now,” David Grout, a top technology executive at the cybersecurity firm FireEye, told me. “That’s clearly a challenge because developers need to put solutions in place in the really short term.” Already a coronavirus app launched by one of India’s largest telecom companies exposed millions of records about users' symptoms and locations, TechCrunch reported. Security pros fear that similar vulnerabilities could lurk in other apps from state and national governments, health services and private companies, many of which are still in the process of being released. “We know these apps are going to be buggy when they come out and that’s a cause for concern,” said Jon Callas, senior technology fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union and a former cybersecurity executive at Apple. “They’re being rushed out in months if not weeks. I expect at least one horrible security or privacy thing to happen.” The way some apps are built could make them an attractive target. And a compromise could have have huge social consequences. Security pros are especially concerned about apps that store large amounts of coronavirus data in a central location. Those systems raise risks because they create a single target for hackers who could steal or expose reams of data that could be used to identify infected people. This could be attractive to hackers working for adversary government, too: They might seek to link it with other stolen data troves to uncover secret health information about government officials or other intelligence targets.
Read MoreStarting May 1, cannabis dispensaries will be allowed to begin curbside pickup due to Governor Steve Sisolak loosening restrictions on the industry. “I think as everybody moves into this new phase, if we continue to be responsible operators and abide by the rules – making sure safety is the top priority – that we will be able to move to the next phase more comfortably and gradually and hopefully get things back to normal very soon," Cultivate Dispensary COO Matt McClure said. McClure is eager to see how this will help out his dispensary's bottom line, as the coronavirus pandemic has created serious challenges for his industry. One of those challenges: having to change up business on the fly, in order to stay in business per the Governor's directives. “A lot of were, not forced, but made the decision to in-house our delivery services, which meant developing, essentially, a new business," he said. “It’ll be a wait and see approach. We’ll staff up as needed to be ready for any level of demand, but we’ll adjust accordingly.”
Read MoreBackers are circulating a petition to put a measure on the November ballot allowing limited indoor commercial production of marijuana in unincorporated areas of Ventura County. The petition containing 30,912 valid signatures must be turned in by May 15 to be placed on the ballot, county elections officials said. Passage would require a simple majority from voters countywide although the areas where production would be allowed lie in agricultural and certain industrial zones in the unincorporated territory. Growers could produce the cannabis for both medical and recreational adult use. Spokeswoman Jeanette Lombardo said polling indicates voters will support what's being called the Ventura County Pilot Cannabis Cultivation Program. "I think it's time," Lombardo said this week. Commercial production of marijuana in the unincorporated area has repeatedly been rebuffed by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, but the initiative would allow voters to make the decision. If approved, the initiative would allow up to 500 acres of plants to be cultivated in existing permanent greenhouses or other indoor facilities in the unincorporated area. No planting would be allowed outdoors or in hoop houses, the tent-like plastic structures used to cover raspberries. Another 100 acres of nursery cultivation would be allowed in the same type of facilities for propagation of seedlings. The seedlings would have to be non-flowering and cannot emit odors, according to the text of the initiative. The acreage figures are totals countywide, not for each greenhouse, Lombardo said. Also permitted would be commercial processing and distribution of the products. No sales will be made to the general public from the facilities, Lombardo said. A political committee called Ventura County Citizens for Responsible Cannabis — which is generally composed of owners of glass greenhouses — is sponsoring the initiative. Lombardo said the main purpose of the pilot project is to help the county's struggling agricultural industry.
Read MoreWhile the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the economy, small businesses are paying a heavy price. A record number of unemployment applications and bankruptcies are being filed weekly, and officials say the worse is yet to come. With so many industries absorbing the shock and strain of the financial crisis, public officials and leaders should seek every solution to help protect and lift business owners. For hemp farmers and small business owners in Kentucky and across the land, one simple solution exists, and it costs nothing. What the industry needs is for the FDA to take action and classify cannabidiol, better known as CBD derived from hemp, as a food additive or supplement enabling it to be included in food, beverages and supplements. The market for oils, capsules, body lotions and other products containing CBD has been rapidly growing, but there’s room for further expansion with ingestibles. Downstream demand is strong but the only ingestible products sold are outside the regulated system. Last year across America the number of acres of hemp quadrupled to more than 500,000, and the number of licenses issued grew by 476% to nearly 17,000. The growth trajectory remains strong long term including here in Kentucky, where the industry already employs hundreds of workers. Yet it could be even greater if CBD ingestibles were allowed to be sold in mainstream retailers and online stores. This would allow companies like Walmart, Target and Kroger to get fully behind CBD products. Industry experts estimate the potential associated market with CBD edibles, beverages and other products could exceed $23 billion by 2023. There’s already support from several members of Congress including many in the Kentucky delegation. Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota has also introduced a bipartisan Bill HR 5587, co-sponsored by both Reps. James Comer and Thomas Massie of Kentucky, that would allow FDA-regulated, hemp-derived CBD to be marketed in dietary supplements and as food and beverage additives. It would provide a boost to the multi-billion-dollar industry and help keep current hemp businesses thriving. If the FDA had taken action several companies here in Kentucky, like Atalo Holdings and GenCanna, and elsewhere in America might have avoided declaring bankruptcy. Those companies, at least in part, blamed the FDA’s inaction on ingestibles for their decline. This one policy change would have saved hundreds of jobs and kept revenue streaming into local restaurants, shops, stores and communities.
Read MoreThe coronavirus pandemic could change the U.S. election system for good. The effects of the global health crisis are already on full display in the 2020 cycle, which has been thrown into slight chaos as officials navigate how to balance public health and election security. The most immediate solution for state and local contests, including the Democratic primary race, has been to limit in-person voting by increasing mail and absentee balloting. If that trend continues, voters can expect a very different presidential election in November. "It's more of an Election Month," Amber McReynolds, the CEO of the nonprofit Vote at Home Institute, told Newsweek about predominately vote-by-mail systems. "And we look at Election Day as the final day to vote instead of the only day to vote." Ballots would likely be mailed out to every registered voter three or four weeks before Election Day. The ballots can be returned multiple ways, either by sending it back in the mail or by dropping it off at a specific location. Experts said there would still be in-person voting options available, though the number of physical polling locations may be more limited than in a normal election. One of the biggest changes would be that results of the race will come in later than usual. As seen in a few Democratic primaries, such as Wisconsin and Ohio, counting all of the ballots could take several days. "We may not actually know the winner on the night of Election Day," Darrell West, the vice president of governance studies at the Brookings Institute, told Newsweek. At least 15 states have postponed their presidential primary contests amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Most of those states are in the process of expanding absentee and mail voting options for their new election date.
Read MoreHouse Democrats' latest round of legislation for economic relief from the coronavirus pandemic released on Tuesday included a provision that would allow the financial sector to serve cannabis businesses. The House is expected to pass the $3 trillion bill Friday and it includes the House-passed Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which would allow banks and financial institutions to work with cannabis businesses. Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a group opposing marijuana legalization, said in response that including this provision “makes no sense.” “Numerous industries have been forced to completely shut down and have made great sacrifices to comply with shutdowns and limitations on their business operations. The marijuana industry has been a painfully obvious exception to this. This industry has used its lobbying arm to force state officials to keep their storefronts open, sued leaders who shut them down, and bragged incessantly about their revenues,” CEO Kevin Sabet said in a statement. Twenty states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are allowing medical cannabis dispensaries to remain open during the pandemic, and several allow both licensed recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries to operate. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) office in a statement to The Hill responded to SAM by noting that the SAFE Banking Act already passed the House overwhelmingly in September. The bill, however, faces an uphill battle in the GOP-controlled Senate. The provision in the coronavirus relief package stated, “the purpose of this section is to increase public safety by ensuring access to financial services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers and reducing the amount of cash at such businesses.” Sabet said that coronavirus relief should be for those suffering during the pandemic, not industries making money.
Read MoreThe United States Trade Representative (USTR) released their annual Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy for 2019 on April 29, 2020 and included three mainland Chinese online markets in the online market section of the list. Markets on the list are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting and copyright piracy. There is no penalty for being listed but the list has been used to encourage foreign companies and countries to crack down on piracy and counterfeiting. The three Chinese companies listed are DHGate (???), Pinduoduo (???), and Taobao (???) (owned by Alibaba (????????????)). The report also listed seven physical markets located in China notorious for selling counterfeit goods.
Read MoreThe governor of Kansas says that medical cannabis legalization remains a legislative possibility this session despite lawmakers temporarily disbanding amid the coronavirus pandemic. In an interview published by KSNT on Wednesday, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) was asked about various policy proposals and noted that there’s “been some discussion about legalizing medical marijuana.” “I think that discussion continues and I think if it actually was able to come to a vote, I think that it probably would pass the legislature,” she said, adding that “I think the issue of recreational marijuana is still not on the table.” According to a writeup by the local news outlet, Kelly also said that the “possibility of medicaid expansion still exists this session as well as legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas.” The governor said earlier this year that legalizing marijuana for medical use is a priority, but she also said she’d be inclined to sign a bill to legalize recreational cannabis in the event lawmakers sent one to her desk. According to a poll released late last year, Kelly would have the support of a majority of residents (63 percent) if she enacted that broad policy change. Last year, a special legislative commission issued recommendations in support of establishing a limited medical marijuana program that would allow patients to access products, though they advised that patients shouldn’t be able access smokable products. If the legislature were to take up medical cannabis legalization this year, that would mark a notable victory for the reform movement at a time when campaigns are shutting down or suspending signature gathering due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements. It’s not clear at this point when lawmakers would be able to reconvene to take up legislation, though the governor said they will have to come back “in the near future.” Meanwhile, the governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands is pushing for legalization during the health crisis, announcing that he would be introducing a revised reform bill this week. He argued that the territory could benefit from tax revenue from legal cannabis sales, offsetting economic challenges resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Read MoreWisconsin's last-minute decision to hold an in-person election this month was a failure from a public health and election security standpoint. Holding the vote in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak resulted in mass confusion, thousands of voters waiting in hours-long lines, problems adapting to the surge in absentee ballot requests and significant shortages of both polling workers and polling places. Stubbornly ignoring the practical difficulties presented by the Covid-19 crisis during the rest of this year's primaries or the general election could have grave consequences. Proactive planning by states and localities and clear communication with the public are essential to build resiliency and trust in our election system. There were nearly innumerable mistakes by both Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-majority Legislature in the run-up to Wisconsin's election. Yet one largely overlooked fact in all the coverage was that state and local officials with the most experience running elections lacked the power to revamp or postpone the vote. This could be an issue in the rest of this year's primaries as well. Election officials have the authority both to delay an election and shift polling places in only six states: Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, South Carolina and Virginia. Another issue that many states with upcoming primaries will need to address is preparing for a surge in mail-in voting. Wisconsin officials simply did not have time, resources or staff to process all those requests. At least 900,000 Wisconsinites requested absentee ballots but didn't get them, forcing them to risk voting in person or not vote at all. While states with primaries this spring and summer have had more time to prepare for such a surge, expanding vote-by-mail capacity is not as easy as it might seem, particularly in places where there has not traditionally been a high percentage of mail voting. Here are three essential steps to helping ensure elections conducted amidst the coronavirus are free, fair and secure. Follow professional advice. Wisconsin inexplicably conducted in-person voting April 7 despite a shelter-in-place place order directing Wisconsinites to stay at home from March 25 until April 24. The state had more than 2,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus two days before the primary, but was the only state out of 11 originally scheduled to hold Democratic presidential primaries in April that did not postpone or substantially change the way people could vote. Ideally, decisions on when and how to conduct elections during this pandemic can be made in consultation with public health experts. At least 16 states and one territory either pushed back their presidential primaries or switched to voting by mail with extended deadlines, citing the challenge of conducting elections during the pandemic. Plan for voting by mail. There are a number of potential issues — legal, political, administrative and financial — with conducting all-mail elections, particularly in states where there has historically been a relatively low percentage of such absentee voting. And ideally every state that wants to will be able to have in-person voting as part of this November's election. However, it is important that all states have backup plans in place to conduct their elections entirely by mail if the state of the pandemic this fall makes it too risky for even limited in-person voting. The public's confidence that their vote counts — and is counted correctly — relies on secure election infrastructure and voters shouldn't have to risk their health to cast a vote.
Read MoreThe tobacco giant counters that the regulatory agency is misunderstanding the facts of its e-cig investment.
Read MoreCustoms and Border Protection officers completed a seizure April 14 of two shipments from China that contained more than 20,000 pieces representing 35 different counterfeit consumer electronics, including video gaming systems, speakers, watches, cameras, scanners, DVD players, headphones, chargers and other electronics. Additionally, Customs and Border Protection officers seized counterfeit injectable dental gels.
Read MoreMexico has once again delayed the legalization of marijuana and hemp. The potential future of the measure is now more anticipated than ever. The decision (originally set for April 30) was postponed due to the pandemic. They pressed pause on the process of legalization, missing the deadline originally set by Mexico’s supreme court. Because of this delay, “lawmakers have to pass a legalization bill during their next scheduled legislative session, which runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15,” according to Hemp Industry Daily. Before the latest setback, the senate committee approved a legalization bill that came from a consensus between political parties. According to the Daily, Mexico would be “the world’s most populous country with legalized cannabis regardless of THC content, meaning both marijuana and hemp,” if it in fact passes. This delay, while frustrating, is not entirely a bad thing; it offers lawmakers time to organize and discuss how they can improve the measure. Even if, or when, the legislation is passed, it will take years to construct and put into place regulations around the growing and selling of cannabis products. Denver’s Hoban Law Group’s Luis Armendáriz, an attorney in Chihuahua, Mexico offered Hemp Industry Daily’s Ivan Moreno insight on what the bill will bring to the Mexican people.
Read MoreCannabis companies would get access to small-business aid under new legislation introduced in the House last week, but whether the pandemic helps or hurts broader legalization efforts is an open question. Executives and policy experts are debating whether states and countries desperate for tax revenue as a result of the coronavirus will rush to legalize cannabis, or whether it will take a back seat to more pressing public-health and economic issues. “I think the issue is when you’ve got an enormous hole to fill -- and every state will have just a colossal budget deficit -- then filling it with a teaspoon of cannabis tax revenue doesn’t really feel like the most productive thing you can do,” said Roy Bingham, chief executive officer of pot data firm BDS Analytics. However, “every state’s going to need every single dollar they can get,” said Matt Hawkins, founder and managing partner of private equity firm Entourage Effect Capital LLC. “As a result, once we get on the other side of this, you’re going to start seeing a little bit more willingness to discuss, if not pure federal legalization, then quasi-legalization.” Boris Jordan, executive chairman of Curaleaf Holdings Inc., said he sees “an extreme parallel” between the current crisis and the lifting of Prohibition during the Great Depression. “Prohibition was lifted and alcohol sales were taxed because the federal government and the local governments needed the revenue,” Jordan said. “We expect over the next 12 to 18 months that significant changes in regulation will bring cannabis into the mainstream in the U.S. as an industry.” For now, the industry is running up against the same constraints it’s always faced because of its federal illegality. While most states with legal recreational cannabis have declared it an essential service, allowing dispensaries to remain open, companies haven’t been able to access the federal relief loans available to other small businesses during the Covid-19 crisis.
Read MoreThis week, Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Ed Perlmutter introduced the Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act to extend federal COVID-19 relief efforts to cannabis businesses. Elsewhere, the industry’s biggest sales day of the year saw a dip in sales due to states’ stay-at-home orders. Here, we’ve rounded up the 10 headlines you need to know before this week is over. Federal: The SAFE Banking Act may be back on the table in the coming weeks as members of Congress look to include a revised version of the proposal in the next COVID-19 stimulus bill. U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter, the SAFE Banking Act’s primary sponsor, is leading the charge to include its provisions in a forthcoming stimulus package. While dispensaries certainly saw a relative spike in purchases this past Monday for 4/20, the effects of the coronavirus outbreak and many states’ stay-at-home orders flattened the industry’s own demand curve a bit. According to Headset data, it appears that customers spread out their purchases across the entire week leading up to April 20. U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer and Ed Perlmutter have introduced the Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act, legislation that would extend federal COVID-19 relief efforts to the cannabis industry. The bill would grant state-legal cannabis businesses access to the resources offered through federal COVID-19 emergency response packages, and would prohibit additional federal relief funding provided through the Small Business Administration (SBA) from excluding both cannabis businesses and businesses that provide services to the industry.
Read MoreReps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) have introduced a bill to make legal cannabis businesses eligible for federal coronavirus relief aid meant for small businesses. The legislation would grant the businesses eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans and other aid. A $483 billion interim coronavirus aid package, which will replenish the small-business lending program, is set to pass the House on Thursday, but it excludes marijuana companies from receiving aid. “As Congress seeks to provide relief to small businesses across America, chief among those being left out are state-legal cannabis businesses that are essential to communities and have met the demands of this crisis,” Blumenauer said in a statement. “We should include state-legal cannabis in federal COVID-19 response efforts. Without providing these businesses the relief needed to carry out the recommended public health and worker-focused measures, we are putting these hard-working people — and ourselves — at risk.” Cannabis lobbying groups have been pushing for eligibility for the aid since Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in March, which also excluded marijuana companies. Congress is looking ahead to the next coronavirus-related bill, which is expected to be another massive package, but timing for it is up in the air. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said it will not be negotiated until the Senate is able to return in full and debate. The National Association of Cannabis Businesses said in a statement on Thursday that the group would continue advocating for financial relief for the industry. “We are extremely disappointed that Congress again excluded legal cannabis businesses and thousands of their hardworking employees from the benefits of this legislation,” CEO Gina Kranwinkel said. The anti-marijuana lobby is pushing back on pot businesses seeking relief, noting that marijuana sales have been up during the coronavirus pandemic in states that have allowed businesses to stay open. “This bill should be a complete nonstarter in Congress. Record levels of Americans are finding themselves unemployed as businesses nationwide have been forced to close their doors in an effort to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19," Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said in a statement on Thursday. "One notable exception to business closures has been the marijuana industry, which has quite publicly strong-armed leaders into reversing course on closures and even common sense limits on operations," Sabet added. Blumenauer and Perlmutter led a letter last week, signed by dozens of members of Congress, asking House leadership to include these businesses in the interim coronavirus package. “As you draft the next COVID-19 relief bill, we write to ask that you address one of the shortcomings of the CARES Act — the exclusion of state-legal cannabis businesses and their employees,” the letter read.
Read MoreFarmers and hemp businesses could soon be able to apply for loans with a second round of federal funding aimed at keeping small businesses afloat through the coronavirus disruption. The U.S. Senate voted Tuesday to pass a $484 billion economic stimulus package after a deal was struck between Congress and the Trump administration. The House is expected to vote on the measure Thursday. The stimulus relief package includes $321 billion to fund the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Of that, $60 billion is designated for smaller lending facilities, including community financial institutions and credit unions with assets less than $10 billion.
Read MoreOn July 12, 2019, the United States District Court for the District of Maryland ordered the FDA to require manufacturers of e-cigarettes, cigars and other deemed new tobacco products that were on the market as of Aug. 8, 2016 to submit applications for premarket review by May 12, 2020.
Read MoreUsing the nationwide telephone-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, researchers identified 28,917 current e-cigarette users, which corresponded to 10.8 million U.S. adults (30% aged 18-34 years; 49% men; 63% white). Between 2016 and 2018, increases in e-cigarette use occurred in the following subgroups: Additionally, an increase ...
Read MoreA majority of Americans believe that state marijuana legalization laws have been a success, according to a new survey. YouGov asked more than 27,000 adults about states where cannabis has been legalized for recreational purposes and whether they “think the legislation has been a success or a failure.” Fifty-five percent of respondents in the poll, released on Monday, said that regulated marijuana markets are either complete successes or more of a success than failure. Thirteen percent said they were more of a failure than success, and just six percent said they were total failures.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court could narrow the scope of the 1986 law that to this day still is the main avenue for federal hacking prosecutions. — MC exclusive: An activist group is asking Oregon to investigate mobile voting firm Voatz for violating state law. — “Bad bots” and unwanted emails using the keywords “Covid” or “corona” are on the rise, research out today found. — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a major case involving the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that could, for the first time, redefine the chief federal law used in hacking prosecutions. One expert who has studied the law extensively believes the court is likely to narrow the law, which critics have long viewed as overly broad. The Supreme Court in the past few years has issued decisions narrowing federal criminal law, such as in McDonnell v. United States and Yates v. United States, observed Orin Kerr, a professor at the University of California Berkeley School of Law. The case, Van Buren v. United States, asks whether a police officer “exceeded authorized access” to a license plate database to look up information for someone who was not in law enforcement in return for money. The officer, Nathan Van Buren, was convicted of violating CFAA and that ruling was upheld by an appeals court. Kerr told MC he thinks the government knows it doesn’t have a winning hand on CFAA. The circuit courts have been split on how broadly to interpret CFAA in past cases. “It’s interesting the government has had the opportunity to seek review in the Supreme Court” but “did not do so,” Kerr said. “They can read those cases, too.” The likeliest outcome, according to Kerr: The Supreme Court votes to narrow the law, and Congress writes legislation to govern criminal penalties for government employees who misuse sensitive databases.
Read MoreIn a way, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vaping ended in a compromise. As of Feb. 6, convenience stores and other retailers can no longer carry or display cartridge-based e-cigarettes or vaping pods in flavors other than menthol and tobacco.
Read MoreDozens of lawmakers and congressional candidates are calling for marijuana reform on 4/20. While major brands are marketing off the informal cannabis holiday, policymakers and office-seekers are drawing attention to the ongoing harms of prohibition and encouraging policy changes. Here’s what they’re saying:
Read MoreMexican lawmakers now have until Dec. 15 to legalize marijuana and hemp – a new deadline set by the country’s Supreme Court in light of the coronavirus outbreak. Late Friday, the Supreme Court announced the new deadline for legalization to happen during the lawmaker’s next scheduled session, which runs from Sept. 1 to Dec. 15. Only weeks ago, it appeared Mexico was on the verge of becoming the world’s most-populous country to legalize marijuana and hemp.
Read MoreIntense court battles over voting rights and election security always promised to be part of the 2020 election cycle, but the coronavirus has added new urgency to the cases, which are multiplying nationwide. This month’s fight over when and how Wisconsin voters would cast their ballots marked the unofficial start of the litigation campaign. In the two weeks since, courts in several other states have issued notable decisions about conducting elections during a pandemic, and a host of new lawsuits has been filed. “Before I’d ever heard of the coronavirus, I was convinced that this was going to be a record year for litigation,” said University of California, Irvine law professor Richard Hasen. “Now I’m even surer of that fact.” Voting-rights fights have been growing for years, a function of tighter voting regulations in several Republican-led states, intense partisanship and a realization that electoral rules can affect outcomes in close races. The cases have nearly tripled since 2000, the year of the Bush v. Gore showdown, Mr. Hasen said. According to his new book “Election Meltdown,” the 2018 election year saw a record 394 cases, surprisingly high for a nonpresidential cycle. Throw into the 2020 mix the divisions over President Trump and the importance of state legislative races whose winners will control redistricting after the 2020 census, and experts see a recipe for an even more furious litigation season.
Read MoreAltria Group, Inc. (Altria) (NYSE: MO) will host a live audio webcast on Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its 2020 first-quarter business results. Altria will issue a press release containing its business results at ...
Read MoreLegislation allowing banks to provide credit cards and checking accounts to legal cannabis businesses has been stalled in the Senate. But members of Congress are looking to add its provisions to the next coronavirus stimulus bill, NJ Cannabis Insider has learned. The argument is that many patients who use legal marijuana are among the most vulnerable to contracting COVID-19, and forcing them to deal in cash also puts employees at risk. “Everything has to be capable of mitigating the spread of the coronavirus and mitigating the economic harm of the pandemic,” said Justin Strekal, political director for NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The effort is taking place as supporters of ending the federal ban on marijuana seek to make legal cannabis businesses eligible for Small Business Administration loans. The $2 trillion stimulus law included a $349 million paycheck protection program to encourage small businesses to retain their employees, but the cannabis businesses were excluded. “We want to pass the SAFE Banking Act, but we also know SAFE Banking alone won’t be enough to give cannabis businesses the relief they need like other businesses,” said Rep. Earl Perlmutter, D-Colo. “I plan to keep pushing to ensure the cannabis industry has the ability to be eligible for SBA relief funds during this COVID-19 crisis. I have spoken to House leadership about this matter and I’m hopeful in one of the next two packages we can get this done.” Perlmutter, the chief sponsor of the banking bill, is pushing for its inclusion in the stimulus bill, according to another member of Congress speaking on condition of anonymity. After all, asking the marijuana businesses eligible for the loans raises the question of how they would get the money, since most do not have bank accounts and an SBA official isn’t going to walk in the door with a paper bag of dollar bills. “If we get SBA access but don’t get banking, how can SBA distribute money to someone who is unbanked?” Strekal said. “Are they going to get $10,000 cash?”
Read MoreCongress is scrambling for ways to safeguard the Nov. 3 U.S. elections amid the coronavirus pandemic, with a partisan fight shaping up over a Democratic proposal to require states to offer the option of voting by mail. President Donald Trump, seeking re-election this year, and some of his fellow Republicans have voiced opposition to expanded voting by mail, citing concern over ballot fraud - a worry that Democrats dispute. Democrats have said election procedures will need to change this year because many voters will be reluctant to stand in long lines or enter crowded polling sites for fear of infection. In recent years, Democrats also have accused Republicans of pursuing policies in some states to make voting more difficult in a bid to disenfranchise Democratic-leaning voters. Congressional Democrats are pushing for additional funding for election aid to states in the next round of coronavirus-response legislation expected to be crafted by lawmakers in the coming weeks. Democrats control the House of Representatives while Republicans control the Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proposed seeking $2 billion to $4 billion in fresh election-related aid to states. Republicans have said they are open to considering some additional emergency funding if the $400 million in such aid approved in legislation passed on March 27 proves inadequate. The focus of Democrats is on providing money so states can establish or expand existing "vote-by-mail" options under legislation requiring them to offer the option of mail-in ballots as an alternative to voting in person. Wisconsin's April 7 Democratic presidential primary was marred by numerous polling sites being closed due to staffing shortages caused by the pandemic while long lines of voters dressed in makeshift protective gear waited for hours to cast ballots. The state carried out the election after Republican legislators successfully sued to block the Democratic governor's plan to postpone the voting for public health reasons. 'MAKE THE ELECTIONS SAFE' Democratic U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, spearheading the vote-by-mail effort along with House Administration Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, also a Democrat, dismissed Republican charges that they are trying to run the 50 states' elections from Washington. "We're trying to make the elections safe, that's all we're doing," Klobuchar said in a telephone interview, referring to the pandemic.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Thursday that it has approved two additional state hemp regulatory plans, as well as three more tribal proposals. Florida and Kansas are the latest states to have their plans federally accepted, raising the number of state approvals so far to 16. The Blackfeet Nation, the Cayuga Nation and the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa also had their plans signed off on. USDA has been accepting plans on a rolling basis since hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. Last month, South Carolina and West Virginia joined the list of states where proposed regulations for the crop were approved. “After months of incorporating feedback from the public, growers, and industry stakeholders, we are thrilled that Florida’s hemp industry officially begins now,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a press release. ” I thank the USDA for their swift review and approval of our state hemp program.” “By working closely with our farmers, processors, retailers, and consumers, Florida’s state hemp program will become a model for the nation, will set a gold standard for this emerging industry, and will create billions in economic opportunity for Florida,” she said. “As our economy deals with the impacts of COVID-19, this approval will give our agriculture industry a new alternative crop for many years to come.” Jeff Ochampaugh of the Kansas Department of Agriculture said in a release that the development is “great news for Kansas, as it moves us one step closer to establishing a commercial program for industrial hemp.” He added that it’s “important for Kansans to understand, though, that our program won’t be active until the regulations are adopted.” USDA said in a notice that it “continues to receive and review hemp production plans from states and Indian tribes.” While the agency released an interim final rule for a domestic hemp production program last year, industry stakeholders and lawmakers have expressed concerns about certain policies it views as excessively restrictive. The department announced in February that it will temporarily lift two provisions that the industry viewed as problematic. Those policies primarily concern testing and disposal requirements. The department declined to revise the THC limit, however, arguing that it’s a statutory matter that can’t be dealt with administratively. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has said on several occasions that the Drug Enforcement Administration influenced certain rules, adding that the narcotics agency wasn’t pleased with the overall legalization of hemp.
Read MoreCannabis companies are entering a new normal as the coronavirus pandemic puts stress on every sector of business, fundamentally altering the industry in possibly permanent ways. The COVID-19 outbreak has exacerbated fault lines in the rapidly evolving market and led to number of new outcomes, including: Retailers adapting to changing consumer behavior by offering delivery, curbside pickup, etc. State-by-state legalization movements hitting major obstacles Businesses hoping for post-pandemic real estate deals. An acceleration of acquisitions and business failures, specifically in California. Canadian companies making the best of market uncertainty and changing regulations. Firms reevaluating the viability of the international supply chain. As the market moves through this crisis, companies and their investors will learn to develop built-in resilience, make better assumptions about what could go wrong and put robust practices in place to gird against any disruptions, no matter how major or minor. And they need to be flexible. “Don’t plan for disruptions to end on your timeline,” said Sumit Mehta, CEO of San Francisco-based investment group Mazakali. Buyer behavior. Consumers’ purchasing habits are changing, including the method they use to buy cannabis products. Online ordering, delivery, curbside pickup and drive-thru lanes are likely here to stay as customers recognize their ease of use.
Read MoreThe spread of COVID-19 is causing not only a health crisis and economic turmoil, but is also affecting the fundamental act of citizenship in a democracy — voting. Several states have already postponed primaries to help stem the outbreak. If November’s election takes place in the shadow of a pandemic, our nation must be prepared to protect the health of voters and election workers while also encouraging participation and ensuring election integrity. As the respective former chairs of the Federal Election Commission and the Election Assistance Commission, we believe the best, most effective steps require tailored assistance that recognizes the unique regional and local ways Americans cast their vote. Advocates of top-down, one-size-fits-all federal solutions miss the simple reality that what works in one place might not in another. We need to help states and localities, each with unique geography, custom and history, do it best their way. Decentralized election administration in the United States is a feature, not a bug. It encourages innovation. Additionally, the diversity of election practices in our country protect against large-scale election fraud by forcing bad actors to overcome the imposing obstacle of manipulating not one, but multiple different systems. The good news is that the most recent economic relief bill by Congress included $400 million for helping state and local election officials address coronavirus-related complications. Fortunately, this will equip the people who best understand local voter needs with important resources to meet current challenges by identifying and implementing targeted responses, such as polling place reconfiguration to allow for proper distancing, rigorous voting device cleaning procedures, expanded curbside voting, increased access to absentee ballots, and relocating polling places away from vulnerable populations. The bad news is legislation that encroaches on state and local authority to run elections may be considered soon. If Congress is going to act, it should focus on the exigencies of the current crisis; avoid imposing broad new requirements that further nationalize our election system; dispense funds as efficiently as possible; and provide election officials with discretion in spending funds.
Read MoreThe governor of Virginia announced on Sunday that he approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana possession in the state. The legislation, which would make possessing up to one ounce of cannabis punishable by a $25 fine with no threat of jail time and no criminal record, was passed by the legislature and transmitted to the governor’s desk in March. Prior Virginia law made simple possession punishable by a maximum $500 fine, up to 30 days in jail and a criminal record. Gov. Ralph Northam (D) approved the legislation—SB 2 and HB 972—with no public signing ceremony amid the coronavirus outbreak, but he’s consistently expressed support for decriminalization and included a call for the policy change in his State of the Commonwealth address in January. “Virginians have long opposed the criminalization of personal marijuana possession, and Governor Northam’s signature turns that public opinion into public policy,” NORML Development Director Jenn Michelle Pedini, who also serves as the executive director of the state affiliate, Virginia NORML. Though reform advocates are pushing for broader reform, many view this development as a necessary step that could set the stage for cannabis legalization to pass sometime over the next few legislative sessions. A provision that requires the formation of a working group to study the policy change was also part of the bill, and insiders say that’s important because the legislature historically prefers such studies before enacting major legislation. Northam proposed the legislature make one amendment to the decriminalization legislation, however, pushing back the due date of the legalization study from November 30 of this year to November, 30, 2021. As such, there is one more step that the bill has to go through before it’s technically enacted. Lawmakers are set to reconvene on April 22 to consider the governor’s recommended changes to this and other legislation. If Northam’s amendment is adopted without changes, the bill will be formally enacted without needing his signature. Otherwise, it will come back to his desk for action. Not all advocates are on board with the decriminalization bill, however. ACLU Virginia has opposed the measure, arguing that the status quo is superior to incremental reform. The chapter sent a letter to the governor last month, requesting that he recommend a series of large-scale amendments to the bill before signing it. The prospects of that happening were unlikely given that legislators already rejected the proposals during consideration of the bill, including a measure to remove certain penalties against juveniles caught possessing marijuana. Ultimately the group’s requests did not materialize. Virginia NORML, meanwhile, requested that the governor ask lawmakers to add an emergency clause to the bill that would make its provisions effective immediately. That didn’t happen either, however, and so for now it’s expected to take effect on July 1, as written in the text as sent to Northam’s desk. The governor also signed several other cannabis-related bills in recent days. He gave his signature to legislation formally legalizing medical marijuana in the state (rather than simply offering patients an affirmative defense as under prior law), expanding access to medical cannabis for out-of-state patients temporarily residing in Virginia and requiring the formation of a separate working group to study the state’s medical marijuana program and issue recommendations, including the possibility of expanding the system and allowing flower rather than oil alone.
Read MoreWanda James sold more cannabis two weeks ago than she usually does on April 20 — the day many marijuana users have come to consider their holiday — after Denver's mayor announced that recreational cannabis shops like hers would have to shut down to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. "There was a huge rush. It felt like people were starting to hoard," said James, who opened her shop, Simply Pure, in 2016. "Everyone was buying cannabis and toilet paper." But since Mayor Michael Hancock quickly reversed himself and exempted the stores because they were getting swarmed by anxious customers, causing long lines that violated social distancing guidelines, her sales have fallen off a cliff. She hasn't been able to get a delivery license from the state yet, and customers, who might be getting laid off and spending more judiciously, aren't coming through the doors. Now, with additional social distancing measures in place statewide that require businesses to cut staff by at least 50 percent, she's had to lay off employees and is asking her landlord for a temporary cut in rent. James says her store should have the same opportunities for federal financial relief that other small businesses are getting to help them through the crisis, such as the $350 billion small-business loan program that Congress passed late last month. But her shop and others in the 34 states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana can't qualify for the assistance because the federal government still considers their product illegal. The problem is compounded by their inability to get loans because banks are afraid to violate federal law by doing business with them. They can't even take federal tax deductions for expenses as other businesses do because of cannabis' illegal classification. The industry has been among the fastest growing in the U.S., accounting for about 243,000 jobs and $13 billion in sales last year, according to cannabis industry figures. But it is facing a potentially crippling financial crisis as it grapples with how to get products to customers amid and with fears about a possible slowdown in private investment, the industry's traditional source of funding, because of the pandemic. "Like all consumer goods cannabis sales have been on a wild ride these last six weeks, with panicked buying, business operations changes, and state travel and store restrictions," said Liz Connors, director of analytics at Headset, a cannabis market research company. After sales increased to twice there normal levels in mid-March, most states have seen those numbers taper off, Connors said, with some, like Colorado and Nevada — which are heavily reliant on tourism — seeing a dramatic declines that pushed sales into the negative compared to the same time last year. While legislation moving through Congress would ease funding problems and legalize marijuana, industry players are uncertain whether the pandemic will be the catalyst to get the bills passed. "We're hoping that common sense prevails here," James said. "Even though the federal government wants to deem us illegal in nature, I think everyone knows we aren't running an illegal business."
Read MoreA congressman says he’s working to include provisions to allow marijuana businesses to access banking services in an upcoming COVID-19 stimulus package. The proposal from Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) also has the support of top congressional leadership, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), he said. The congressman brought up the measure—a revised version of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act—during a Democratic caucus meeting last week. That bill, which cleared the House along largely bipartisan lines last year, has been the subject of ongoing negotiations since it advanced to the Senate Banking Committee. On a town hall call with small businesses in his Colorado district on Thursday night, Perlmutter was asked by the executive director of a top marijuana company whether the cannabis market has any hope of becoming eligible for federal loan and lending programs, as businesses that work with marijuana directly or indirectly are currently excluded from Small Business Administration (SBA) benefits. Perlmutter first discussed the SAFE Banking Act and said that there “had been work on it and then the pandemic hit.” But now he’s working to insert its provisions into the next coronavirus package, albeit in a revised form. “We have prepared legislation that we hope will be in the next package. Probably not the one that’s being discussed right now, but we’ve asked for legislation to allow for banking, for SBA lending, for testing to be part of the next package,” the congressman told the LivWell Enlightened Health executive. “Whether we’re going to get it, whether we can get the Senate to finally get off of their fannies and pass it, I don’t know. But you can rest assured that the issue you raised is front and center.” A spokesperson later said the congressman misspoke when he referenced including SBA program access in the legislation, though there is a strong push by industry stakeholders and advocates to extend those benefits to cannabis businesses through upcoming coronavirus legislation. “I raised this very question to our caucus, to Speaker Nancy Pelosi directly last week, saying, look this is a major employer in Colorado and elsewhere around the country. They have been deemed essential services in many, many states,” Perlmutter said during the town hall call. “They cannot access any of the relief that we are providing for in any of these three packages that we have passed. She said, as did the other leadership members on the call, said she wanted to see it get passed.” Perlmutter reiterated that the speaker supports his proposal and said the Democratic caucus will “continue to work on it over the next couple weeks as we put these additional packages together.” Marijuana Moment reached out to Pelosi’s office for comment, but a representative did not immediately respond.
Read MoreA farmer in Killeen is the first in the state to be issued a license to grow hemp following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a regulatory framework for hemp production in the U.S., Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced in a press release Thursday. The name of the farmer and the site where the hemp will be grown weren’t released Thursday. “Let’s face it, Texas farmers and ranchers needed some good news,” Miller said. I am happy that I can be the one to deliver it. I know Texas farmers have been eagerly waiting for a chance at these hemp licenses and now the wait is over.” Following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill the Texas Legislature, in 2019, approved legislation establishing rules governing hemp production in the state. In January 2020 the USDA approved the state’s plan and the application process started on March 16. The agriculture department has received 454 producer applications, 58 handler applications and 30 handler sampler applications, Miller said. “License number one is just the beginning for industrial hemp in Texas,” Miller said. “Hemp offers Texas farmers a great new opportunity, but I want them to understand that with every promise of high profit comes the reality of high risk,” he said. “My job was to get this program started, it’s now up to farmers and processors to build that Texas ‘hempire,’” he said.
Read MoreTime’s running short for states and counties to prepare for a possible massive surge of mail-in voting in November prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. That’s the assessment from companies that manage the printing, mailing and sorting of absentee ballots that are already ramping up to manage the crush. If counties don’t start inking contracts to handle the increase in the next two months, they’ll risk problems that could lead to chaos or shatter voter confidence in November. They could include ballots failing to reach voters who request them, voters getting the wrong ballot for their districts or reams of ballots arriving late and delaying election results. “Time is what’s going to kill this whole thing,” Jeff Ellington, president of Runbeck Election Services, one of the largest mail ballot printers in the nation, told me. Most state officials, however, haven’t released plans that look beyond their primaries — many of which were postponed by the pandemic. And President Trump and other Republicans are launching legal and rhetorical assaults on mail-in voting that could further delay preparations. That could be a recipe for disaster if states are left unprepared and the coronavirus is still making in-person voting unsafe in November. A glimpse of such a scenario came from Wisconsin, which held its primary on Tuesday and was slammed with more than one million absentee ballots — far more than in 2016 election when voters cast a record 865,000 ballots by mail. Because of the rush and lack of preparation in Wisconsin, at least 900,000 people requested absentee ballots but didn’t get them, the state Elections Commission said — forcing them to risk voting in person or not voting at all and contributing to a chaotic election marred by long lines and shuttered polling sites. Wisconsin is among about two-thirds of states that allow all voters to request absentee ballots without an excuse such as illness or travel and where mail voting could surge for the general election even without any intervention by lawmakers. “[Voting by mail] isn’t really up to election officials but to voters, and there’s going to be a big jump. Wisconsin just showed that,” Amber McReynolds, a former top election official in Denver and CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute, told me. “Most states are going to experience a huge increase in ballot requests, which is going to create a huge backlog. They need to start having conversations with vendors now.” McReynolds’s group issued a strategy for ramping up mail voting during the pandemic recommending states consider centralizing mail voting operations instead of managing them by county. The group also suggests standardizing ballot formats and procedures, expanding mail voting deadlines and implementing best practices such as allowing voters to track their ballots like a FedEx package.
Read MoreThe U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday it is delaying excise tax payment due dates on wine, beer, distilled spirits, tobacco products, firearms and ammunition to give businesses more flexibility as they struggle with the coronavirus.
Read MoreFraudsters are taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, and the Department of Justice is making sure they do not get away with scamming health-care providers and patients.
Read More— An ambitious, Google-backed election security training initiative has had to adapt its plans during the pandemic by taking it online. — Internet voting is inherently unsafe, warned a group of security experts and good-governance groups. — A wide assortment of advocacy groups and companies recommended policy and enforcement steps to deal with coronavirus scams, including cyber-based ones. — The University of Southern California has moved its 50-state, in-person election cybersecurity training series online, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic. The school’s Election Cybersecurity Initiative — supported by a grant from Google — will conduct a virtual workshop today with Arkansas state and local campaign and election officials, including Leslie Bellamy, director of elections for the secretary of state’s office. “Potential changes to the primary schedules of certain states, and the exploration of further mobile and mail voting options in the midst of coronavirus, has only piqued interest on the topic of election cybersecurity, and we look forward to continuing a bipartisan dialogue, state-by-state,” Justin Griffin, the project’s managing director, told Martin. The program held its first virtual workshop last week, focused on Georgia — which has become a hotbed for controversial election security decisions — and featured Republican Attorney General Chris Carr and Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs. Carr “addressed the importance of continuing to work to adopt the best cybersecurity practices possible — to protect government infrastructure, private sector institutions, political campaigns, and elections alike,” according to Griffin. The USC effort visited Ohio, Kentucky, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Maryland — that workshop was attended by the co-leads of the NSA’s election security task force — before the pandemic hit. “There has been a particularly significant uptick in misinformation and disinformation related to the virus, and we have made a concerted effort to weave coronavirus into all three of our modules: cyber safety, misinformation and disinformation, and crisis communication,” Griffin said. THE FUTURE OF VOTING — From our colleagues at Morning Score: As states scramble to adapt their voting systems to the coronavirus, a group of security experts and good-governance groups penned an open letter warning that states should stay away from internet voting. “All internet voting systems and technologies are currently inherently insecure,” reads the letter, which includes signatories like Michael Fernandez, the director of the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues, and Common Cause’s Karen Hobert Flynn. The letter said states should “consider expanding access to voting by mail and early voting to maintain the security, accuracy, and voter protections essential for American elections in the face of this public health crisis.” The letter also includes several computer science professors from across the country. ACTION ON PANDEMIC SCAMS — A broad coalition of consumer advocacy, industry and research groups and individual companies said in a letter today that Congress should require domain name registrars to validate names and registration information, and make that data accessible to federal agencies and law enforcement, to crack down on internet-based coronavirus fraud. More than 30 organizations or businesses signed the letter to Vice President Mike Pence and top executive branch leaders. Congress also should require “U.S.-based domain name registrars to immediately lock and suspend any domain name used to facilitate coronavirus and other public health scams,” said the letter, spearheaded by the National Consumers League and the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies. While the groups praised the Trump administration for the many steps it’s taken to crack down on Covid-19 scammers, they wrote that “the current situation was ... largely preventable. No-cost solutions to better protect consumers already exist.” Going forward, they urged DOJ and the FTC to crack down on phishing campaigns that focus on economic fears. BIG REPORT DAY — For some reason everyone decided to put out all their research today. Behold, the rundown of what they learned! — Small business and remote work: Nearly half of all small-business owners surveyed by the Cyber Readiness Institute said they were worried that expanded remote working would lead to more cyberattacks, but nearly 40 percent said they feared economic uncertainty would keep them from being able to invest enough money to address the problem. Additionally, only 40 percent said they had implemented a remote work policy.
Read MoreWhat was supposed to be a banner year for marijuana legalization is becoming a bust. Advocates are pushing ballot referendums in nearly a dozen states, from Idaho to New Jersey. Governors and state lawmakers who failed to pass legalization last year — most notably in New York — vowed that 2020 would be different. But social distancing has put ballot drives on pause and state lawmakers are overwhelmed with addressing the crisis at hand. “People are scared. They don’t want to touch a pen or paper,” said Melissa Fults, executive director of Arkansans for Cannabis Reform. “All we can do is sit and wait.” So even with marijuana sales spiking, the coronavirus pandemic is crippling marijuana legalization efforts on the state level — and campaigns on all kinds of other issues, too. “The coronavirus has impacted every signature drive on every issue across the country,” said Matthew Schweich, deputy director of legalization advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project. Even New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who declared that marijuana legalization would be a “top priority” earlier this year, abandoned the initiative when his state emerged as the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. “Too much [to deal with], too little time,” Cuomo said when asked about marijuana legalization during a recent press briefing. A few states are poised to vote on marijuana referendums: New Jersey voters will decide whether to allow recreational marijuana sales in November, and Mississippians are expected to face two competing medical marijuana referendums.But some ballot campaigns have abandoned this year’s plans and are eyeing 2022, and advocates are unsure what will happen to legalization bills with dozens of legislative sessions suspended or postponed. Even anti-legalization advocates are not cheering these developments. “Obviously this isn’t the reason we would want legalization measures to be set back,” said Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. “Lives are on the line.” Nearly a dozen marijuana legalization ballot campaigns were angling for a spot on the 2020 ballot until coronavirus-related orders made it nearly impossible for canvassers to collect signatures. "[Circulating petitions] contributes to the public health problem," said Schweich. "There’s no playbook on how to do a signature drive during a pandemic."
Read MoreNew 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 New York City Commission on Human Rights proposed a rule, which was published in The City Record on Tuesday, that When the City Council first approved the legislation—which was enacted without Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) signature last year—it included language carving out exceptions from the prohibition on testing for those applying to certain jobs such as police officers and people charged with supervising or caring for children, as well as positions “tied to a federal or state contract or grant.” The law, which goes into effect starting May 10, also exempts jobs with “the potential to significantly impact the health or safety of employees or members of the public.” To that end, these new proposed regulations from the commission seek to explain exactly what constitutes such a position. Here’s who would still be subject to pre-employment drug testing under the proposal: 1) People in jobs that require them to regularly be on active construction sites, 2) those who regularly operate heavy machinery, 3) those who regularly work with power or gas utility lines, 4) those who use a motor vehicle on approximately a daily basis and 5) those for whom impairment “would interfere with the employee’s ability to take adequate care in the carrying out of his or her job duties and would pose an immediate risk of death or serious physical harm to the employee or to other people.”
Read More— The penultimate Senate Intelligence Committee Russia report is on its way, and a panel member said it “verified” the intelligence community conclusion that the Kremlin sought to get Donald Trump elected. — Coronavirus-related domain registrations skyrocketed in March, a report found, and some of them were for phishing purposes. — The FBI issued a pair of alerts about business email compromise, one of them related to the pandemic. — The Senate Intelligence Committee has unanimously approved the fourth installment of its probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, Martin reports with our colleague Andrew Desiderio. The move sets the stage for the report — which is undergoing a classification review — and the fifth and final installment that examines whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow, to potentially be published before Election Day. The fourth portion focuses on the intelligence community’s assessment in January 2017 that the Russian government meddled in the 2016 election with the goal of helping Trump become president — a determination Trump has rejected. The committee “verified” the intelligence community’s conclusion, according to Intelligence member Angus King (I-Maine). “It was an exhaustive review of that report — the sources, the background, everything that went into it and the conclusion was that that report, the original report, which found that in fact there was substantial Russian interference with the [2016] election and that part of the purpose of that interference was to support the election of Donald Trump,” he said. “That has been verified by our committee’s action. … The conclusion is clear.” The release of the two reports would put an end to the committee’s bipartisan investigation, which began over three years ago. The committee has already released the first three chapters detailing Russia’s use of social media “troll farms” and cyberattacks on the U.S. political apparatus, including the Democratic National Committee. EVIL WILL PREVAIL — Registration of coronavirus-related domains, many of them designed for phishing attacks, have risen dramatically, IntSights found in a report out Monday. There were 38,000 domains registered in March that used “corona” or “covid” in their names, up from 5,000 in February, 1,800 in January and 190 in 2019. “Between January and March, coronavirus-themed phishing lures, malware infections, network intrusions, scams, and disinformation campaigns have become rampant across the clear, deep, and dark web,” the company wrote in its report, which offers a broader rundown of all of those phenomena. IT STILL NEEDS A BETTER NAME — The FBI issued a pair of warnings on Monday about the rise in business email compromise attacks, some centered on the coronavirus and others targeting organizations that use cloud-based email services. An example of the first: “A bank customer was emailed by someone claiming to be one of the customer’s clients in China. The client requested that all invoice payments be changed to a different bank because their regular bank accounts were inaccessible due to ‘Corona Virus audits.’ The victim sent several wires to the new bank account for a significant loss before discovering the fraud.”
Read MoreTobacco legislation and regulation is constantly under review at the local, state and federal levels. In this monthly roundup, Convenience Store News highlights the latest proposals and approved changes happening across the United States
Read MoreCanada had permitted cannabis for medical use since 2001. Medical patients were allowed to grow four plants, and licensed producers cultivated larger crops for sale online to those with valid prescriptions. But most Canadian cities had illegal – but tolerated – dispensaries where the drug was sold completely indiscriminately. These stores made Amsterdam’s coffee shops look as prim as a WI cake stand. The quality and variety of cannabis on sale at these illegal outlets was outstanding, bewildering. Business was not just booming, but blazing.And it was all completely illegal.
Read MoreA confounding hypocrisy about cannabis is again rearing its head. In mid-March, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced disaster assistance including low-interest loans of up to $2 million — yet taxpaying, state-licensed cannabis businesses do not qualify, according to the SBA. Congress went on to pass a $2 trillion stimulus package, the largest emergency relief bill in American history — but cannabis businesses are left out of that, too. Licensed cannabis businesses across the U.S. are unable to take the ordinary tax deductions afforded to other industries, leaving them saddled with an effective tax rate that is two-to-three times higher than other legal businesses. In sum, legal cannabis businesses paid an estimated $4.7 billion in federal taxes in 2017, for example (along with state and local taxes). And in recent weeks many states have declared cannabis businesses as “essential service” providers — and yet the government is not providing any emergency support so these businesses can meet payroll and continue operating.
Read MoreUS Senator Ed Markey joined with 10 other senators to send a letter to leadership in a key committee asking that they add a provision allowing marijuana businesses to access federal loan services in an upcoming annual spending bill. In the letter, led by US Senator Jacky Rosen, the lawmakers told the Appropriations Committee that it should “include report language prohibiting the Small Business Administration (SBA) from denying loan applications” to cannabis firms as part of the fiscal year 2021 spending bill for Financial Services and General Government and Related Agencies. “Over the last decade, there has been a clear shift in public opinion toward supporting the legalization of cannabis in the United States,” the letter states. While the number of legal marijuana states continues to grow, and those jurisdictions continue to collect millions of dollars in tax revenue, SBA policy prohibits participation in their programs by companies that directly or indirectly “aid the use, growth, enhancement, or other development of cannabis” by providing marijuana products or services. “Consequently, small businesses in states with some form of legal cannabis must choose between remaining eligible for SBA loan programs, or doing business with a rapidly-growing and legal industry,” the senators wrote. “The SBA’s loan programs provide financial assistance in the form of loans and loan guarantees to small businesses who cannot easily access capital, which disproportionally impacts minority entrepreneurs.” SBA services that marijuana companies should be eligible for include the Loan Guarantee Program, Disaster Assistance Program, and Microloan Program, the group said. The letter also notes that “most banks are reluctant to serve cannabis businesses due to conflicts with federal law, meaning that these businesses often are forced to operate using purely cash, creating an unsafe operation.” “SBA loans would be especially helpful to cannabis small businesses because they would fill gaps left by the private sector. Access to these SBA loan programs could ensure that small businesses — especially those led by our minority, women, and veteran entrepreneurs — can raise money for their ventures and support job creation. We strongly support ensuring that SBA loan programs are made available to all cannabis small businesses.” Senators Ron Wyden, Tammy Duckworth, Michael Bennet, Kirsten Gillibrand, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Bob Menendez, Jeff Merkley, and Kamala Harris also signed the letter. In recent days, advocates have stepped up the push to include provisions for marijuana businesses in an upcoming fourth round of coronavirus relief legislation. SBA did confirm last week that cannabis companies do not qualify for disaster relief loans amid the coronavirus pandemic. At the same time, the agency has touted its work in support of hemp businesses following that crop’s legalization through the 2018 Farm Bill. It remains to be seen whether any lawmakers will take up the industry’s call to insert language providing for marijuana industry relief in the next COVID-related stimulus bill.
Read MoreSome states are planning to dramatically expand their use of mobile voting in response to the coronavirus pandemic – even as cybersecurity experts warn such systems are unproven and too vulnerable to hacking. Two states will soon announce that they’ll offer voters who have disabilities the option to cast ballots using mobile phones in upcoming primary elections so they don’t have to risk going into polling places, said Sheila Nix, president of Tusk Philanthropies, which is funding the efforts. The option will extend to voters in the military or state residents who are based overseas. “With coronavirus and the uncertainty about what the situation will be in November, a lot of states and jurisdictions are looking for a solution,” Nix told me, but declined to name the states or the mobile voting vendor they’ll be using, because memorandums of understanding aren’t complete yet. Those states will join West Virginia, which became the first to try statewide mobile voting for military and overseas voters in 2018 and has already announced it will expand to voters with disabilities during its upcoming primary June 9. Nix said she’s also talking with about half a dozen other states about potentially using mobile voting for some residents, which would be a significant expansion for a system that has otherwise been tried for just a handful of counties since 2018 and typically just for military and overseas voters. As states scramble to expand voting-by-mail and early-voting days so voters don’t have to risk their health by crowding into polling sites, mobile voting could be an additional solution. The states are offering mobile options to voters with disabilities partly because some conditions make it impossible for them to vote by mail without assistance, which would undermine the secrecy of their ballots. Voters who are blind or have advanced Parkinson’s disease, for example, would be unable to fill in the ovals on a voting form. But there have been dire warnings from cybersecurity experts that mobile voting lacks basic protections to ensure votes haven’t been manipulated by hackers. This trade-off for access to voting during a pandemic could undermine the sense of security around the 2020 contest that officials have worked for years to achieve following Russian interference efforts in 2016. The critics’ strongest objection is that, by definition, mobile voting doesn’t produce a paper record that is verified by the voter and that auditors can use to ensure votes were tallied correctly. That’s basically the same problem with the paperless voting machines that state and local election officials have been replacing across the nation since Russia’s 2016 election interference operation. There's also no way of ensuring a mobile vote was cast by the person that was supposed to cast it rather than a hacker that compromised the phone. And adding new technology to the voting process also creates other risks, such as that hackers from adversary nations will force mobile networks offline on Election Day or overwhelm them with traffic so voters get frustrated and give up. “There’s a remarkable consensus among the scientific community that voting on mobile apps just cannot be made secure,” Marian Schneider, president of the voting security group Verified Voting and a former state election official in Pennsylvania, told me. “Election officials are under enormous pressure right now to deliver an election where everyone can vote, but Internet voting is not the solution.”
Read MoreHemp farming has finally gotten the green light to begin in Georgia, bringing a new crop that will sprout this summer. Farmers will soon be able to grow hemp, which will then be processed into CBD oil, a popular product used for anxiety and sleeplessness. CBD oil is already sold in stores across Georgia, but it’s imported from other states.The prospects for the Georgia hemp industry to start this year were in doubt until the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the state’s hemp plan this month. The federal government had put Georgia’s plan on hold late last year but gave it the go-ahead when state legislators appropriated $200,000 to regulate the program in this year’s budget and proposed additional funding next fiscal year.“With everything online and all systems go, our phones are ringing daily with farmers,” said Thomas Farmer, a co-founder of Second Century Ag, which plans to distribute hemp starter plants to farmers and then process grown hemp at a facility in Ocilla. “It’s a relief that it happened, without a doubt. We were looking forward to moving forward.” Hemp farmers and processors rushed to obtain licenses when state government began accepting applications last Monday. The Georgia Department of Agriculture received 57 applications for hemp farming licenses and five applications for hemp processing licenses in the first four days of the program.Hemp and marijuana both come from the cannabis plant, but hemp varieties contain little or no THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high. State inspectors will test hemp to ensure it contains less than 0.3% THC.It will take at least 20 days for hemp licenses to be approved, and then farming can start.
Read MoreVoting experts are warning that the coronavirus crisis could threaten the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. These experts are raising the alarm that the virus poses unprecedented challenges to the 2020 election, and that time is running out to prevent a disaster at the polls. President Donald Trump will square off against likely Democratic nominee Joe Biden in what is shaping up to be a tight race, where small tweaks to voting rules could tip the scales or trigger a constitutional crisis. The Trump administration is planning for a pandemic with multiple waves of illness that are expected to stretch into next year, according to an internal government report obtained by CNN. That means sweeping changes will be necessary in all 50 states to pull off the first pandemic-plagued presidential election in American history, according to interviews with more than a dozen state officials, former federal officials, voting rights activists and legal scholars. Congress took a step forward this week by approving $400 million in federal grants that states can use to make coronavirus-related adjustments for the general election. But the two parties couldn’t reach a deal on the politically-charged question of how to overhaul the voting laws. In a best-case scenario, the pandemic settles down over the summer and the country holds a relatively normal November election. But some experts are contemplating doomsday scenarios that include attempts to postpone the election, a flurry of litigation and a constitutional crisis. “At all costs, the election must go on,” said CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. “This is not the NBA season or the Olympics. Come November, we’ve got to vote. If we can vote in the middle of the Civil War, and if Franklin D. Roosevelt can run for an unprecedented fourth term in the middle of World War II, then we can figure out how to make 2020 a free and fair election.”
Read MoreA group seeking a constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana in Arkansas has stopped collecting signatures due to the coronavirus pandemic but will refocus its efforts for 2022, a spokeswoman said. Arkansas True Grass wanted an amendment to legalize marijuana use and expunge prior drug convictions on the Nov. 3 ballot. But the pandemic has led to the cancellation of events, making it all but impossible to collect the nearly 90,000 signatures required by the July 3 deadline, according to Briana Boling, the group’s spokeswoman.
Read MoreCannabis is turning out to be the one thing the coronavirus can’t destroy. Marijuana sales are booming, with some states seeing 20 percent spikes in sales as anxious Americans prepare to be hunkered down in their homes potentially for months. Weed sellers are staffing up too, hiring laid-off workers from other industries to meet demand. And in the midst of a historic market meltdown, stock prices for cannabis companies have surged, in some cases doubling since the public health crisis began. “We are hiring because we are having to shift our business a bit,” said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve, which is valued at $1 billion. The company is staffing up its delivery fleet, retail workers, and people to handle increased inventory shipments. “Now is a great time [to apply], particularly if you’re in a business that has seen layoffs.” Nearly all of the 33 states with legal medical or recreational markets have classified marijuana businesses as an essential service, allowing them to remain open even as vast swaths of the retail economy are shuttered. San Francisco and Denver initially announced plans to shut down dispensaries, but immediately backpedaled after a public furor. Weed shops are essentially being treated the same as pharmacies, reflecting a dramatic shift in cultural perceptions about the drug over the last decade. “It is a recognition that it has taken on much greater significance around the country,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a longtime Capitol Hill champion for cannabis. “This is something that makes a huge difference to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people every day. I do think that this might be part of a turning point.“ Concerns about whether smoking pot is the smartest response to a pandemic that’s causing severe lung injuries in tens of thousands of Americans have been largely drowned out. "Public opinion has pushed lawmakers to think about cannabis — and particularly medical cannabis — in different ways than they used to," said John Hudak, a cannabis policy expert at the Brookings Institution, and author of Marijuana: A Short History. "A lot of state policymakers are trying to get this right and they obviously see the risk of shutting down a dispensary to be higher than the rewards of shutting down a dispensary." Sales in Denver spiked by 120 percent on Monday when spooked residents believed shops were about to be shuttered, according to cannabis analytics firm Headset. Legendary California dispensary Harborside already hired 10 workers since the outbreak began. The stock prices of MedMen Enterprises and Tilray, two of the largest cannabis companies in North America, doubled over the last week.
Read MoreMedical cannabis is now more accessible to Utahns. Starting Wednesday, qualifying patients will be able to get medical cannabis with cards from the Utah Department of Health and/or recommendation letters from medical providers. Those with letters will be able to purchase medical cannabis until Dec. 31. “A patient who purchases medical cannabis using a recommendation letter must purchase all of their medical cannabis from the same pharmacy until they obtain a medical cannabis card from the Utah Department of Health,” Richard Oborn, director of the Center for Medical Cannabis, stated in a press release. The change comes after House Bill 425 passed during the legislative session and was signed into law by Gov. Gary Herbert. Prior to the legislation, patients could only purchase medical cannabis with an official medical cannabis card. In order to qualify for a recommendation letter, patients must meet the following requirements: Live in Utah. Present a recommendation letter to the medical cannabis pharmacy from a licensed medical professional that states you have been diagnosed with a qualifying condition. Approved licensed medical professions in Utah include a medical doctor, osteopathic physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant. The medical cannabis pharmacy must receive independent confirmation from the individual’s medical provider that the recommendation letter is valid. Present a valid form of photo identification to the medical cannabis pharmacy such as a drivers license, a United States passport or passport card, or a United States military identification card. Recommendation letters will no longer be accepted after Dec. 31. Patients will need to get a medical cannabis card from UDOH in order to buy medical cannabis in 2021.
Read MoreThe article about the shortened legislative session highlighted important bills passed by Anne Arundel lawmakers (The Capital, March 23). Also of note, Del. Alice Cain had an important bill pass both chambers, which will be enacted into law upon signature by the governor. This ground-breaking, bipartisan, legislation addresses the growing issue of the use of rapidly disseminated digital information to sway public opinion to disrupt elections. The bill (HB465) bans the use of “bots” (automated online accounts where actions or posts are not the result of a person) for the purpose of influencing elections, punishable with fines and/or imprisonment. In testimony given by Cain, an estimated 50 million Twitter accounts, or 15 percent of all Twitter users, are bots. Both Republicans and Democrats can come under attack by bots, making this issue truly bipartisan. Battling digital information used for nefarious purposes, without infringing on Freedom of Speech rights, represents a new area of law that our state, and our country, are just beginning to address. Cain’s carefully drafted bill achieves that, giving the Maryland State Board of Elections an important tool to secure elections in our state without treading on First Amendment rights. It comes at a particularly critical time, with the 2020 presidential election occurring in November. I believe HB465 places Maryland at the forefront of the effort to secure elections and our democratic process. Thank you Del, Cain.
Read More— House Democrats’ legislative plan for responding to the coronavirus includes billions for election administration and government tech, although the GOP and Dems are still at odds over the package. — The Election Assistance Commission is taking another step toward updating the voluntary voting system guidelines relied upon across the nation. — Malware lurked in apps aimed at children on the Google Play Store and was downloaded over a million times, Check Point researchers discovered. — House Democrats on Monday unveiled their own coronavirus relief bill (H.R. 6379) after the Senate GOP’s package stalled. The House legislation, which includes funds for cybersecurity, tech and elections, could get a vote this week. "That is a hope yes, but we'll see what the Senate does,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said. — The House bill would devote $4 billion to election administration for “contingency planning, preparation, and resilience of elections for federal office.” Election security advocates will be pleased to see $20 million for risk-limiting audit grants. The bill would mandate at least 15 days of early voting for federal elections and give all voters access to vote-by-mail, similar to a push from Senate Democrats. The Technology Modernization Fund would get $3 billion under the measure. CISA would get $14 million “to assist interagency critical infrastructure coordination, enhance analytic capabilities supporting coronavirus response, and related activities.” Two different accounts at the Interior Department would get $158 million and $17 million, respectively, to spend in areas such as cybersecurity, telework, IT and some other, unrelated subjects. — The Senate picture: Senate Democrats once again defeated a procedural vote on the Republicans’ proposal (S. 3548) but said they were still negotiating with the Trump administration. Some Democrats want funding to expand vote-by-mail and early voting. Nonprofit Stand Up America said during a Monday morning press call that it had generated 50,000 calls to Congress supporting the inclusion of such provisions in the stimulus bill. YOU CAN COMMENT FROM HOME — The coronavirus pandemic and associated social distancing haven’t stopped the EAC from proceeding with version 2.0 of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, the standards used throughout the country to govern the manufacture and use of voting technology. The agency is today publishing the detailed VVSG 2.0 requirements for public comment through June 22, according to an advance notice in the Federal Register. On Friday the EAC will host a virtual public hearing so interested parties can weigh in on the draft language. After an introduction by EAC leaders, representatives of several VVSG working groups will discuss the major changes in version 2.0, and the public will have 40 minutes to share their thoughts. For MC readers, the biggest change in VVSG 2.0 is a ban on wireless and internet connectivity in voting systems. The ban, inserted by the cybersecurity working group toward the end of the collaborative drafting process, provoked criticism and worries during several meetings of the EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee, as local election officials and disability-rights advocates questioned its impact on technologies such as remote ballot return. But after a few language tweaks, the TGDC eventually gave the ban its blessing. As a result, if the EAC’s two advisory boards and its politically appointed leadership approve VVSG 2.0, no equipment directly involved in casting and tabulating votes will be allowed to connect to external networks.
Read MoreState and local officials are warning that congressional efforts to prepare states for a possible national surge in mail-in voting in November may result in chaos instead of smoother balloting. They say more federal funding for such an effort, currently being debated as part of the $1.8 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill stuck in Congress, could overwhelm election officials with just seven months left to prepare for a presidential and congressional elections. Federal mandates for a largely mail-in election could well be a “recipe for disaster,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (R), president of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), told me. Pate worries there may inadequate machinery to process ballots, poorly trained poll workers and a confused voting public. “You have 50 states with different levels of resources and history of how they do voting,” he said. “I want to caution Congress that there is no one-size plan that fits all of us." The problem is symptomatic of the divide between Washington, where efforts to protect elections against myriad threats tend to happen in last minute compromises, compared with states and localities where it's common to spend years developing new voting procedures and to lock them in place many months before elections. “Congress always seems to operate on a crisis basis, and sometimes that doesn’t work in reality,” Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos, who served as NASS president until 2019, told me. Some of that rift is partisan as Democratic officials generally support robust help from the federal government while Republican want the cash but not the strings attached to it. “Still, Republicans in Washington say they are inclined to oppose an effort to include the funding and new rules on how states run their elections in a $2 trillion coronavirus response package, with some casting the effort as part of a Democratic strategy to try to load up the bill with unrelated pet priorities,” as my colleagues Amy Gardner, Elise Viebeck and I report. State and local officials are warning federal efforts may only ramp up mail-in voting by a few percentage points in some states without a robust system in place for it – especially the roughly one-third of states that require an excuse to vote by mail such as illness or travel. The percentage of voters who vote at a polling place on Election Day has declined steadily over the past decade, but there are only 16 states where a majority of voters either mailed in their ballots or voted early at a polling site in 2016, according to data from the Election Assistance Commission. That includes Washington, Oregon and Colorado, which rely almost entirely on vote by mail.
Read MoreThe Election Assistance Commission (EAC) on Tuesday announced it would allow states to use funds allocated by Congress for election security to fight the spread of coronavirus at the polls. The EAC said it would allow states to use the money, which totals over $800 million, to purchase disinfectant wipes, masks and other cleaning supplies in order to lower the risk of voters contracting coronavirus at the polls. “The EAC considers these allowable costs purchased to protect the health and safety of poll workers, staff and voters during federal elections,” the EAC wrote in a notice announcing the change. The funds include $380 million allocated by Congress to states to shore up election security in 2018. It also includes the $425 million given to states as part of the 2020 appropriations cycle, money that has still not been made available but that states are allowed to incur expenses against. Both amounts were given to the EAC to distribute to states, with no specific instructions on how states could use the money beyond “activities to improve the administration of elections for Federal office,” according to the appropriations bill language. The EAC noted on Tuesday that the amount spent on cleaning supplies should be “reasonable” and that the cleaning supplies bought must be used for federal elections. The EAC made the announcement on the day that Florida, Illinois, and Arizona held primaries. In Ohio, the primary scheduled for Tuesday was postponed after the state’s top health official ordered polling sites closed to prevent the spread of the virus.
Read MoreAustralian startup CellR has unveiled a connected smart cap platform that it thinks could help wine producers protect bottles from counterfeiting.
Read MoreLong lines, confusion and malfunctioning machines plagued the Super Tuesday vote earlier this week, as thousands of Americans voted – or attempted to vote – in the presidential primaries. Some states and municipalities have turned to electronic voting machines or mobile voting apps to make voting more accessible and convenient for all. But solving America’s voting access problems will require long-term legal and policy changes, not just new technology. Many voters waited for hours for a chance to vote in the primaries on Tuesday. These waits may have disproportionately affected communities with large populations of black and Latino voters. Excessively long wait times (some reported upwards of six hours) hurt all Americans, especially many who already face greater barriers to democratic participation. An hours-long wait creates disparate negative impacts on the poor, the working class and all people whose wages are paid on an hourly or contract basis. Long wait times also hurt parents and guardians of children, especially those who cannot afford childcare. People with disabilities, who already have more difficulty accessing voting sites, also suffer with long wait times. The lines for many polling places extend outside, into cold and dark environments, sometimes past reasonable hours for public transportation.
Read MoreForeign interference in upcoming U.S. elections is secondary right now to the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country, but ultimately American leaders must address the problem. It is also is tempting to view foreign interference in the upcoming American elections as mischievous political meddling. Yet, these covert operations are much more than that. They are urgent national security matters that attack the U.S. national election process in ways that undermine the very foundation of American democracy. The critical question today is: What will the current U.S. leaders and the national political parties do about it? In 2016, the primary culprit was the Putin regime in Moscow who favored Donald Trump for president. Recent congressional testimony indicates that Russian interference continues into the 2020 presidential campaign, and Moscow apparently added Bernie Sanders to its list of supported candidates. However, the administration just softened its position on interference in a carefully choreographed assessment after President Trump publicly attacked the briefer who presented the earlier judgment. More recently, CNN exposed Russian internet operations in Africa spreading divisive hate messages among targeted audiences in the U.S. Foreign attacks on American elections are not just political issues. They are an urgent bipartisan national security threat. Today, Putin’s favorite may be Trump. Tomorrow, it could be foreign interests with a preference for Democratic candidates. The Republican Party seems unlikely to aggressively counter Russian or other foreign influence since the president calls the entire covert Russian election interference operation a “hoax” and removes or intimidates any government official who hints otherwise. The Mueller Report and the associated U.S. national intelligence assessments established that Russia directly interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Yet, the Trump administration’s response has been half-hearted and ineffective. None of the sanctions placed on the Putin regime so far are enough to offset the advantages to Russia of the growing isolation of the U.S. from our traditional democratic allies, the weakening of NATO, Russian strategic advances in Syria and elsewhere and the political polarization in the U.S. Further, Attorney General William Barr has undermined the Mueller Report and continues to challenge the legitimate U.S. counterintelligence operations and assessments that exposed the 2016 Russian interference in U.S. elections. Skepticism of current threats to U.S. security is hardly the attitude of those committed to the defense of American elections against foreign attacks.National security is a major responsibility of the Attorney General. Congress should be grilling Barr and his associates on why they are not conducting aggressive investigations to expose and respond to covert foreign influence operations rather than downplaying the threat to this nation’s democracy. Given the current attitude of the Trump administration, the Democratic Party has the chance to become the voice of transparency, truth and national defense on foreign interference. The questions are whether they will seize the opportunity and whether they will be serious about it. Here are some ideas for the major political parties to consider if they are to seriously tackle foreign interference in American democracy: As a matter of official party policy, reject all foreign support — financial or otherwise — to the party’s political campaign at every level. Commit to complete transparency of financial contributions provided either directly to the campaign or through Political Action Committees (PACs). Terminate all relationships with individuals or PACs accepting financing or other foreign assistance in their campaign and refer violators to legal prosecution. Be completely transparent on the source of information placed on the internet or other public outlet by the campaign; If elected, commit to: Strengthening U.S. laws on foreign interference in U.S. elections and increasing penalties for violators; Creating a comprehensive strategy with harsh penalties to respond aggressively to any future foreign influence in U.S. elections; Significantly improving assistance to state and local governments on standards, technical support and resources to ensure the security of voting and vote counting. In the meantime, individual voters can take measures to limit the effects of covert foreign disinformation. They can recognize that political activists in all parties will interpret facts to the advantage of their candidates. The core issue is whether or not the parties are transparent in the sources of their information and the facts of their underlying assessments. In addition, voters can demand that candidates absolutely reject foreign financial and other support and commit to defending American elections and transparency.
Read Morea digital technology solutions provider specializing in counterfeit prevention, authentication, serialization, track and trace features for labels, packaging and products, today announced that its counterfeit prevention "VerifyMe As Authentic™" solution enables Amazon retailers to combat counterfeits, which is major current concern as coronavirus safety and protection products are in high demand.
Read MoreIn 2019, the worldwide fake semi market was estimated at $75 billion according to Industry Week. This counterfeit chip market particularly prevalent in the government and defense industries.
Read MoreLast month, a small majority in the House of Representatives approved a measure that bans all flavored tobacco and vapor products and imposes an excise tax.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved hemp regulatory plans for two additional states and one Indian tribe. With approvals for Georgia and Montana announced on Friday, that brings the total number of states that have had their proposals cleared to ten. The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Tribe’s approval raises the number of authorized tribal plans to 12. While USDA is still considering changes to interim federal rules for the crop since its legalization under the 2018 Farm Bill, it has systematically been approving plans submitted by states and tribes. “USDA continues to receive and review hemp production plans from states and Indian tribes,” the department said in a notice. Industry stakeholders have welcomed the department’s commitment to ensuring that the hemp market is supported. However, they raised a series of issues with the proposed interim final rule that USDA released last year. USDA announced last month that it had considered the feedback and decided to temporarily lift two provisions that the industry viewed as problematic. Those policies primarily concern testing and disposal requirements. The department declined to revise the THC limit, however, stating that it’s a statutory matter that can’t be dealt with administratively. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue testified at a congressional hearing last week that the Drug Enforcement Administration is partly to blame for the imposition of restrictive policies in hemp regulations. Separately, the Food and Drug Administration submitted an update last week on the status of its regulations for hemp-derived CBD. The agency said it is in the process of determining whether the cannabis compound can be marketed as a dietary supplement, and it’s still developing enforcement discretion guidance for cannabidiol. A public comment period was reopened indefinitely for individuals to submit feedback on the cannabis compound.
Read MoreBringing hemp into a state prison or county jail could soon be a felony offense in Florida, under a bill that’s on its way to the governor’s desk. The legislation revises the list of contraband in facilities statewide. “Because hemp is indistinguishable, it will prohibit hemp, and therefore prohibit more weed in our facilities,” House sponsor Scott Plakon said, before his chamber passed the Senate’s version of the bill Tuesday. The measure would make bringing hemp and medical marijuana into prison, jail or juvenile detention facility a third degree felony. That’s punishable by up to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $5,000. “The kind of determination, or definition of what’s contraband under current law, is if it has the potential to threaten the security of a facility or negatively impact the security of the people within,” Plakon told his colleagues. Growing and using hemp was legalized by the Florida legislature last year. Since then, local law enforcement have grappled with the change, as hemp is identical to marijuana in smell and appearance. Some state attorneys stopped prosecuting small pot possession cases. Plakon and proponents of the bill say banning hemp as contraband will eliminate any such confusion. “A yes vote on this today will do just that. It will prevent marijuana from coming into our facilties, thereby helping the safety of the people within it. And think about how that can be traded for other things as well, which can be unhealthy … A no vote, seriously, will result in more marijuana in our facilities,” Plakon said. The bill ultimately passed with a 71-43, largely party-line vote. It also adds vaping devices to the list of banned items in any facility, county or state. The measure adds cell phones to the list of contraband items banned in facilities run by the Department of Children and Families and the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Each of those would be a first degree misdemeanor if Governor Ron DeSantis signs the measure into law. House Democrats like Joe Geller put up a last stand fight, arguing the bill would keep people in a corrections system already fraught with problems. “People get on the wrong end of the law, they go into jail,” Geller said on the House floor. “We shouldn’t be all about finding ways to keep them thee indefinitely, and extend their sentences.” Dems tried to tack on an eleventh-hour amendment that would require a search of everyone who enters a state prison, including wardens and all correctional officers, but it was withdrawn. Rep. Dianne Hart was among those who pushed for the nixed amendment. “Not only do the inmates plant contraband, but so do our officers,” Hart said. Even though the proposed amendment didn’t make it into the bill, Plakon addressed his Democratic colleagues concerns, saying there are penalties in place for officers who smuggle contraband. “Several members have talked about contraband from officers being perhaps a bigger problem than coming in from the outside,” Plakon said. “I don’t know that, but even if that is so, this legislature took steps last year, in 2019, with Rep. Drake’s bill, HB 41, which provides enhanced penalties for correctional officers that would do bad things within the facilities of our correctional institutions.” The bill will go into effect in October of this year, if it gets a signature from the governor.
Read MoreAfter two days of testimony, a House committee on Wednesday voted 8-7 to kill the Senate-passed legislation to legalize hemp farming and transportation in Idaho — leaving Idaho as one of just two states, along with Mississippi, with no legal industrial hemp. Numerous Idaho farmers and farm groups spoke in favor of the bill, SB 1345, over the two days, as did the Ada County prosecutor’s office; those opposing it included retired law enforcement people and anti-marijuana activists who warned that the bill would open the door to the “marijuana-hemp culture” in Idaho. Rep. Caroline Nilsson-Troy, R-Genesee, the bill’s lead sponsor, said in her closing comments, “I want to talk about the ‘marijuana-hemp culture.’ … You can go to Albertson’s, you can buy hemp hearts, you can buy hemp milk … hemp lip balm … you can even buy hemp treats for your dog. Now you tell me how that equals a marijuana culture.” “I don’t think any of us have any intention of opening up Idaho to marijuana,” Troy declared. “We put so many sideboards on this bill, as I said, we could haul an elephant.” Committee Chairman Steven Harris, R-Meridian, originally called the bill dead based on a voice vote, but committee members, including House Assistant Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Nampa, pressed for a division. Harris gave in, and the roll was called. Those voting in favor of Rep. Vito Barbieri’s motion to hold the bill in committee were Reps. Harris, Randy Armstrong, Brent Crane, Joe Palmer, Barbieri, James Holtzclaw, Heather Scott and Julianne Young. Those voting against it were Reps. Monks, Christy Zito, Kevin Andrus, Linda Hartgen, Elaine Smith, John Gannon and Brooke Green. The vote was 8-7. There were three states that still hadn’t legalized industrial hemp until just this week, when South Dakota passed legislation and sent it to the state’s governor. Now, just Idaho and Mississippi remain. Scott had made a motion to put the bill up for amendments, saying she thought it should be expanded to allow more processing, not just farming and transportation. “If we’re going to open up this market, let’s do it for everyone and just not a few farmers,” she said. “Welcome to my world of Goldilocks, too hot, too cold,” Troy said. “It’s hard to find just right on this issue.” Hartgen had made a motion to pass the bill as-is. But because Barbieri’s motion passed, neither of the other two was considered. Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, argued in favor of the bill. “This is a bill that has had some significant compromise,” she said. “It’s got winners and losers on both sides, not everyone is happy. But it ... really provides an opportunity for a new agricultural commodity to enter the market.” Deputy Ada County Prosecutor Scott Bandy told the committee, “We are in support of this bill. … It does allow law enforcement to make that distinction between hemp and illegal marijuana.” It was the Ada prosecutor’s office that charged three out-of-state truck drivers with marijuana trafficking after they drove loads of industrial hemp from other states through Idaho, because current Idaho law makes no distinction between industrial hemp and its psychoactive cousin, marijuana. Marijuana trafficking charges carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The truck drivers’ charges eventually were reduced. The federal government legalized industrial hemp, which has less than 0.3% THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, in the 2018 Farm Bill. When Troy was asked during the hearing what would happen if someone smoked hemp in an attempt to get high, she said, “It would be like smoking a bale of hay.” The hemp bill had passed the Idaho Senate on a 27-5 vote on Feb. 27.
Read MoreSouth Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) and lawmakers have reached a deal to legalize hemp in the state, with the governor saying yesterday that $3.5 million has been secured in the budget for the state to “responsibly” start an industrial hemp program, the Associated Press reports. The House passed industrial hemp legalization legislation last week; however, Noem had promised to veto any hemp reforms without the funds for “one-time and ongoing” costs associated with hemp legalization. Noem vetoed a hemp legalization bill last year but indicated in January that she would sign a hemp bill so long as it included “guardrails” – including the $3.5 million, broad consent by growers for law enforcement inspections and a requirement they pay any costs associated with eradication of plants that test over the legal THC limits, and the banning of smokeable hemp products. Rep. Lee Qualm (R), the bill sponsor, told the Argus Leader that the measure approved by the House satisfies the governor’s ‘guardrails.’ Noem said that some of the funds for the hemp program – along with a pay raise for teachers and state employees – would come from underutilized Department of Health and Human Services program funds, according to the AP. Noem had previously opposed hemp legalization, saying in an op-ed last year that it would legalize THC-rich cannabis “by default.” In her January op-ed, Noem Noem said that with U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations, a South Dakota tribe getting the go-ahead from the federal government, and bordering states having legalized the crop, the state should move forward with the reforms. South Dakota‘s legislative session ends this week. The hemp bill is considered ’emergency legislation’ and requires a two-thirds majority to pass. If approved and signed by the governor, it would take effect immediately.
Read MoreThe mayor of Kansas City struggled to vote Tuesday in the Missouri presidential primary after a worker mistakenly entered his name in the system. Mayor Quinton Lucas, a Democrat, made a video about the importance of voting before he headed into his normal polling location, Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, to cast his ballot. But he said a worker couldn't find his name in the system, even though he had cast ballots for himself at the site several times during 11 years of voting there. Several other workers were called in to help. He said he was offered the chance to cast a provisional ballot but decided to try to sort out the situation and return later in the day. He later learned that the worker had entered his name into the system as “Lucas Quinton." “I think frankly this is a sign that we need to do much better," Lucas said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. He said elected officials spend a lot of time talking about election security, but his situation highlights another situation. “I think the biggest threat to America's elections is not letting people vote, and I think we saw a little of that challenge today," he said. Lucas initially thought the problem was that he was using his utility bill for identification instead of his driver's licence, which has expired. He said most people wouldn't have had the pull to figure out what happened. “A regular person would just say, ‘I guess I'm not on the voter rolls,'" he said. Shawn Kieffer, director of elections for the Kansas City election board, confirmed that an election judge entered Lucas' name incorrectly and then didn't realize the mistake. He said the worker should have called the election board to sort out the mixup. He described the situation with Lucas as an “anomaly," noting he hadn't heard of any other issues. “It has been going smooth," he said. “Today is a good day."
Read MorePresident Trump on Tuesday said people shouldn't "expect too much" at the congressional election security briefings scheduled for later in the day because House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) was involved in organizing them. “There is another Russia, Russia, Russia meeting today,” Trump tweeted “It is headed up by corrupt politician Adam “Shifty” Schiff, so I wouldn’t expect too much!,” tagging acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Chad Wolf in the tweet. Members of the House and Senate are set to receive separate classified briefings on the state of election security from top administration officials on Tuesday afternoon. Schiff, who was one of the key players in the impeachment inquiry into Trump, pushed back against the president, tweeting that Trump was incorrect “as usual.” “Mr. President, you are wrong. As usual,” Schiff tweeted. “Today’s briefing for all House Members focuses on the threat of foreign interference in our election. The briefers are agency heads and senior officials. They are your own people. We will insist on the truth, whether you like it or not.” The briefings were scheduled following reports in February that Russian agents were already interfering in the 2020 elections in order to favor both Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). The information about interference in the Trump campaign stemmed from a briefing given to the House Intelligence Committee, including Schiff, by top officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). According to The New York Times, former acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Joseph Maguire stepped down as DNI after Trump found out about the briefing, taking extreme issue with Schiff’s involvement. Richard Grenell was named acting DNI following Maguire’s departure. His office tweeted on Tuesday that despite some media reports, Grenell would not be participating in the congressional briefings. “FBI and DHS are the lead in charge of securing our elections, and the IC [intelligence community] is participating in today’s briefings in support of that mission,” the ODNI tweeted. “The IC is focused on detecting and countering foreign election-related threats.”
Read MoreLawmakers in Virginia passed a bill that would decriminalize the possession of marijuana in the commonwealth. The legislation makes possession of less than an ounce of cannabis a civil infraction, punishable by a $25 fine on the first offense. In addition, the bill creates a means by which citizens charged with possession can have their records expunged if their case is dismissed in court. "This means close to 30,000 people a year will no longer be labeled as criminals and no longer will suffer the negative repercussions of a criminal conviction,” state Sen. Adam Ebbin said Sunday, according to the Virginia Mercury. The current penalty for possession of marijuana in Virginia is up to 30 days in jail, in addition to a $500 fine. Lawmakers also approved a bill commissioning a study on the outright legalization of marijuana in the state. Several states have either decriminalized or legalized marijuana possession or consumption in recent years. The decriminalization bill now heads to Gov. Ralph Northam and would go into effect on July 1 if signed.
Read MoreMembers of the Oglala Sioux Tribe will vote this week on legalizing medical and recreational marijuana on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation in an initiative that many hope will bring economic development to one of the most impoverished areas in the country. Neither South Dakota nor nearby Wyoming and Nebraska have legalized marijuana, and tribal leaders think pot could rake in millions of dollars. If the measure is approved, the Oglala Sioux Tribe would become the only Native American tribe to set up a cannabis market in a state where it's otherwise illegal. “People will be coming in from all directions to get their medicine,” said Ricky Gray Grass, a tribal leader. After witnessing the growth of the pot industry and the success of the Paiute Indian Tribe selling marijuana near the Las Vegas Strip, tribes across the nation — from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa in Minnesota to the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma — are considering the economic and medical potential of marijuana. But they also face uncertain policy on marijuana enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration. Cherokee Nation officials have argued that legalization would threaten some of the federal funding the tribe receives. California tribes have hesitated to set up dispensaries over fears they could lose their gambling licenses, said California Democratic Rep. Lou Correa. He introduced a bill to ensure tribes could sell pot, but it hasn't gained traction. The Oglala Sioux Tribe is poised to test federal and state policy. Tribal members will vote Tuesday on whether to approve medical marijuana, recreational marijuana, and allowing alcohol at the tribe's casino. The tribal council is then supposed to implement any changes voters approve. Under the leadership of a new president, Julian Bear Runner, the tribe is arguing its sovereignty gives it the right to cultivate and sell marijuana. His office is pitching it as a “jump-start” to the local economy that would provide jobs and bring in money to fix crumbling roads. Bear Runner declared a “state of emergency” on the reservation in January over meth addiction, homicides related to drug trafficking and a lack of federal funding to address the problems. “We need an internal, regenerative, self-sustaining solution," said Chase Iron Eyes, a spokesman for the president. But those drug problems are the very reason some tribal members are hesitant to legalize pot. In an effort to sway them, Iron Eyes and Gray Grass have pitched marijuana via a weekly “cannabis hour” on the local radio station and community forums on the weekends. “I think it’s going to win by a landslide," said Gray Grass. One South Dakota tribe has already clashed with state and federal authorities over marijuana. The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe attempted to set up a marijuana resort in the eastern part of the state in 2015, but eventually burned its cannabis crop out of fear of a federal raid. State officials strongly opposed the tribe's plan. On Pine Ridge, tribal leadership is drawing up plans aimed at appeasing the state, including a prohibition of people taking pot off the reservation. Scott James, the Oglala Sioux Tribe's attorney general, said state laws still apply to people who aren't members of the tribe, even if they are on tribal land. But it's not clear how — or if — those laws would be enforced. “Marijuana enforcement is not the federal government’s highest priority at this point,” James said. The U.S. attorney's office for South Dakota declined to comment on the Oglala Sioux's plans. Tim Bormann, a spokesman for state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, said only that the office was watching Tuesday's vote. Meanwhile, South Dakota's laws could also change, with residents set to vote on whether to legalize medical and recreational marijuana in November.
Read MoreAbout one-third of the marijuana-related bills introduced in the state Legislature this year have successfully passed the halfway point before possibly becoming law. Thursday marked the deadline for all bills to cross over into their nonoriginating chamber — that is, for Senate bills to be heard by the House and vice versa. Now, after 21 marijuana-related bills were introduced this year, nine have passed that milestone. None of the surviving bills propose to change anything about marijuana’s current legality in Hawaii. Last year, the state partially decriminalized possession of marijuana, but none of the 2020 bills proposing to fully decriminalize it or recriminalize it have survived. Instead, most of the remaining bills would make minor changes to the existing medical marijuana program, generally making medical cannabis potentially available to more people. For example, one Senate bill allows the Department of Health to allow dispensaries to deliver cannabis products to patients, while another would allow medical marijuana products to be covered by health insurers, and another would prohibit employers from discriminating against medical marijuana patients. Five of the remaining six bills would: allow naturopathic physicians to prescribe medical marijuana, allow primary caregivers and out-of-state patients to access dispensaries, allow dispensaries to distribute cannabis plant cuttings, allow dispensaries to distribute edible products, and require labels on hemp products. The final surviving bill is one of two introduced in the House this year attempting to convert the state’s current industrial hemp pilot program — which has awarded 44 licenses to hemp growers statewide since 2018, including 19 on the Big Island — into a full permanent industry. A similar bill attempting to do the same last year was killed at the last minute by a veto from Gov. David Ige. “I think it will make it through the House and the Senate, but the problem is going to be the governor,” said Rep. Richard Creagan of Kailua-Kona, who co-introduced the failed 2019 hemp bill and the two House hemp bills this year. “This year, we’re going to talk to him about the bill while we can still make changes to it so we can know what his issues with it are.” Creagan’s other hemp bill this year died in committee, but key aspects of its language were transferred into the surviving bill, so it’s failure did not worry him, he said. As currently written, the hemp bill would require the state to set up a statutory framework to monitor and regulate a hemp industry in the state and remove hemp from the state’s prohibitions against marijuana, among other things. Creagan said this year is the last before the current hemp pilot program expires, whereupon the U.S. Department of Agriculture will provide Hawaii a generic hemp program if the state does not devise one itself.
Read MoreIllinois' Republican congressional delegation wants Gov. J.B. Pritzker to focus on fixing problems with the state's automatic voter registration program instead of President Donald Trump's personnel decision. Pritzker confirmed he wrote the president a letter Feb. 21 that was critical of Trump’s decision to relieve acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire. “What I’ve written a letter to the president about is to make sure that I get fully briefed on any kind of potential Russian hacking or interference with our elections,” Pritzker said Thursday. Pritzker’s letter opened with reports about Maguire’s status. “Recent reports in open source media indicate the White House relieved … Maguire due to his officer's testimony before the House Intel Committee that highlighted the continued threat that state actors, namely Russia, pose to the security of the election process,” the governor wrote. Pritzker’s letter was also sent to Illinois’ Republican congressional delegation, U.S. Reps Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, Adam Kinzinger, R-Channahon, and Darin LaHood, R-Peoria. In the letter, Pritzker noted the 2016 breach that compromised voter data held by the Illinois State Board of Elections. “[W]e in Illinois are keenly aware of the real-world threat as well as the impact that such attacks have on the integrity of our election process,” the governor wrote. Because Illinois’ elections are decentralized and controlled at the county level, the 2016 breach didn’t change any votes. “Due to the known targeting of Illinois’ election system in the past two election cycles, the State of Illinois is likely to suffer increased vulnerability as a direct result of the President's decision,” Pritzker wrote in the letter. “For this reason … we immediately and urgently request that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence provide the governor with a brief outlining all known threats to election systems so that Illinois can be prepared as possible to ensure our election is protected from all hazards including foreign interference.” Republicans responded with their own letter to the governor. “As you copied only the Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation on this letter, we feel compelled to respond and set the record straight on the factual errors within the letter,” the Republicans said in a letter dated March 2. “Further, we are alarmed that your focus is directed at White House Personnel decision while our shared State of Illinois currently faces a number of serious election administration and security issues.” In an interview about the letter, Davis said the state faces serious problems with the implementation of its automatic voter registration program. Implementation of the program has taken longer than expected. A programming error at the Secretary of State's Office led to more than 500 people who said they were not U.S. citizens being improperly registered to vote. State officials said the programming error has been fixed. Other issues have included forwarding 16-year-olds to elections officials to register and an error that removed hundreds of formerly incarcerated felons with the right to vote off the voter rolls. “I’m glad that Jesse White’s office, Secretary [of State] White’s office is really working hard to correct them but it doesn't negate the fact that we still have a problem with election security on the ground,” Davis said. Davis said he had other concerns about election security in Illinois, including reports that multiple ballots had been sent to people in Champaign County. “I certainly wish the governor would focus his efforts on places like the Champaign County Clerk’s office to help them correct their mistakes versus trying to play in the president’s personnel decisions,” Davis said. Pritzker dismissed criticism from the Republicans when asked about it Thursday. “They would like me not to focus on the fact that the president fired his DNI for telling the truth to Congress,” Pritzker said. “These are Republican congressmen that are speaking.” In their letter to Pritzker, the Republicans said the governor got the facts wrong about Maguire’s status. “Subsequent to your letter, additional reporting indicated that DNI Maguire’s office overstated Russia’s efforts in the 2020 election,” the GOP letter said. “We do, however, agree with you that Russia is to be taken very seriously and our national intelligence agencies must continue to address the threat of election meddling by foreign actors. “Further, our State must get its own house in order before criticizing decisions made in Washington,” the letter said. “Finally, we are disappointed that you included only Republican members of the Illinois Delegation on your letter to the President. Election security is an issue that should rise above petty partisan politics.” Pritzker didn’t address the automatic voter registration problems when asked Thursday. He has previously said problems with the program have been corrected and that there was no need to suspend the program, as some statehouse Republicans had requested.
Read MoreA bill passed Thursday clearing up who is allowed to possess hemp following questions created by legislation enacted last year. The state’s 2019 hemp farming law caused an unintended quandary for Georgia prosecutors. Some, including Gwinnett County Solicitor Brian Whiteside, decided to stop prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases because the hemp plant and marijuana are virtually identical. House Bill 847 requires people to have farming or processing licenses in order to possess hemp in Georgia, but does not tie criminal consequences to those found with the substance unlicensed. An earlier version of the bill had criminal penalties identical to those for misdemeanor marijuana possession. Because the penalties were removed from the bill, it would not fully resolve the questions some prosecutors have raised, said Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Nelly Miles. The key difference between hemp and marijuana is the level of THC, the chemical that produces the high associated with marijuana. Law enforcement agencies didn’t have technology to test THC levels and the GBI only accepts felony quantities for THC testing. Legally grown hemp can have no more than 0.3% THC.In theory, a defendant charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession could argue they simply had hemp. Because last year’s bill to allow hemp farming didn’t explicitly address the legality of hemp possession by everyday residents, Whiteside and Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said it legalized hemp by default. Without the ability to prove what was hemp and what was marijuana, there wasn’t enough evidence to make convictions, the prosecutors argued.Gwinnett was the first county to halt misdemeanor marijuana prosecution, with counties including Cobb, DeKalb and Richmond following. Police departments in counties including Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb stopped making misdemeanor marijuana arrests because they would not be prosecuted. Some officers even gave suspects their marijuana back.This interpretation was not universally adopted, and solicitors in counties including Hall and Cherokee reaffirmed their commitment to prosecuting misdemeanor marijuana cases.HB 847, sponsored by Rep. John Corbett, R-Lake Park, also puts Georgia in compliance with federal hemp regulations and explicitly allows colleges to process and research hemp.The bill passed 157-9 and must be approved by the Senate before reaching the governor’s desk.
Read MoreThe Wyoming House of Representatives passed Senate File 55 on third reading during their Friday, March 6 floor session. The legislation aims to establish fees for inspection the ensure hemp produced in Wyoming is not considered marijuana and fees for disposal of the crop or hemp products. The House passed the bill on a vote of 40-18: Since the House have adopted amendments different from the version of the bill passed by the Senate on third reading, the bill will return to the Senate for a concurrence vote. The House amended the bill on second reading. Hemp can legally be produced in Wyoming so long as it does not exceed 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on a dry weight basis. When the plant exceeds that amount of THC, it is considered marijuana, a controlled substance illegal under state and federal rules. In order to ensure that hemp produced in Wyoming does not exceed the 0.3% THC content limit, producers are required to allow the Wyoming Department of Agriculture to test their crops. The proposed bill would establish the following fees related to hemp testing and disposal: $200 per chemical test sample. $200 for Department of Agriculture analysis of production or processing activities. $250 to verify that hemp or hemp products are being “effectively” disposed. When hemp is found to contain THC in excess of the 0.3% limits, corrective action plans would be imposed on producers. “The corrective action plan may include reporting requirements, additional inspections, suspension of a license, steps necessary to restore a license, requirements related to disposal of hemp or hemp products that contain in excess of three?tenths of one percent (0.3%) THC on a dry weight basis,” the bill reads. The Senate amended this section such that the corrective action plan may require producers to provide “notice of the violation to the licensee’s known creditors.” House District 02 Representative Hans Hunt said that this requirement was going too far. He suggested an amendment to repeal that Senate amendment. Hunt said that even when producers don’t intend to allow crops to exceed the 0.3% limits, at times “it almost certainly will exceed.” “I understand that we are dealing with something that has THC in it,” he said. “Just because a crop tests over that limit does not make these growers criminally liable.” But requiring that producers notify creditors that their crops have exceeded the legal limit could create problems with the federal government, Hunt said. He noted that banks are required to inform the federal government if they are lending money to someone who grows crops which are found to exceed the limit. Hunt said he didn’t think it was appropriate that state law include the provision that creditors be notified when a hemp crop in Wyoming tests in excess of the limits. “I just think this is a step too far,” he said. “I think that it insinuates that there is intentional criminal activity when there is not.” He said that such language in the bill could act to deter people from getting involved in the hemp industry. House District 59 Representative Bunky Loucks agreed with Hunt’s amendment, suggesting that other provisions in the corrective action plan are sufficient. He noted a practical problem with the requirement that creditors be notified. “If there is a hot test, and the department acts on that…they don’t know who [hemp producers] borrowed money from,” he said. “The department does not who the lenders are.” He added that it is a banks responsibility to have an understanding of who they are working with. “Banks will know their customers,” he said. House District 06 Representative Aaron Clausen said that he was against the Senate amendment requiring creditors be notified. “This is simply an overreach,” he said. Clausen noted that banks have processes in place to monitor and report suspicious activities and that they could require producers to report their THC test results without the state putting such a requirement in statute. “This could all be done with loan agreements,” he said. House District 14 Representative Dan Furphy disagreed. “The problem is if a bank lends to one of these companies developing hemp, the banking regulations state clearly that the bank regulators will check to see if a bank checked if the hemp produced [exceeds the THC] limits,” he said. “You’re going to make it very difficult for banks to lend to this industry. The banks have to report this to the federal regulators if it exceeds in order to be able to continue to lend to this industry.” House District 41 Representative Bill Henderson said that the requirement to report to creditors should be kept in place. “I’d urge caution on this,” he said. “There is a regulation that we are required to do good diligence. The banks are required to report, this is all part of doing business. It’s not overreach, that’s normal.” Hunt reiterated that he thought the provision was too much. “If we were talking about [state legalized recreational or medical] marijuana, then this would make sense,” he said. “In the case of industrial hemp, this simply goes a step too far.” The House adopted Hunt’s amendment before passing the bill on second reading. If they pass the bill on third reading, the bill would need to move back to the Senate since the House amended the version of the bill they received after the Senate passed the bill on third reading on a vote of 29-1 on Feb. 13.
Read MoreAt a time when big tech increasingly faces scrutiny for compromising democracy, rather than protecting it, Microsoft wants to restore trust among voters with its EletionGuard software. It was first tested during an election last month in Fulton, Wisconsin as part of the company’s "Defending Democracy" project. It’s possible this new software could reduce voter machine tampering by making voting more modern and equitable for marginalized communities who are most impacted by voter fraud. The Breakdown You Need To Know: Election season is an exciting time for most Americans, but CultureBanx found that this time of year also brings voter suppression by way of lost votes, missing records and in some cases, mass confusion. Perhaps this is why only 55.7% of Americans voted in the 2016 election, a 20-year low. Voting machines are often compromised with little effort due to minimal governmental regulation. Also, it’s a bigger business than most realize, as they bring in $300 million in annual revenue. Microsoft’s ElectionGuard’s fix comes entalis rather than using paper ballots, voters make their selections on digital tablets. CNN reported the information is then loaded onto plastic cards outfitted with memory chips, and inserted into a card reader that saves the votes to a computer. Last but not least it’s then printed onto a paper copy so that each ballot can be placed in a ballot box. Voters are able to log-in after the fact to make sure their vote was accounted for. Foreign Fix: Foreign meddling in the American voting system has been top of mind for election officials, cybersecurity experts and many voters since Russia was found to have interfered in the 2016 presidential election. Last year, the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee released a report stating that Black voters were the single largest demographic target of Russian trolls in the 2016 presidential election. The main pros of ElectionGuard include a new form of encryption to secure votes and tally them in minutes. The system is not unhackable, in fact it's designed to make it harder for hackers by immediately showing the system has obviously been tampered with. Votes themselves are encrypted, so that nobody can see how an individual voted. Free Election Security?: It’s important to note the biggest problem is finding a way to secure the many parts of the election system, which can vary widely across the country. Different jurisdiction’s throughout the country, often down to the county level, can choose their own voting mechanism. Fortunately, Microsoft’s software's code is free and available to the public. The company said ElectionGuard will work with any voting system. Another problem with the current voting system is that half of the U.S. votes are made on machines manufactured by ES&S, the largest manufacturer of voting machines in the country. They operate in 4,500 localities, 42 states and two U.S. territories. Known for their unscrupulous business practices, notably donating money to the very politicians who stand to gain from faulty voting systems, ES&S has managed to maintain control of its dominant market share. Since it often takes more than $1 million to get certified as a voting machine manufacturer, and ES&S routinely sues its competitors, innovative new businesses are unlikely to enter the ring. What’s Next: Microsoft hopes ElectionGuard will be widely adopted by the 2024 presidential election, even though they don’t expect it to be a major revenue driver for the company. They’re also fully aware it won’t be used during the election later this year.
Read MoreAs the Michigan primary draws near, Wayne County schools are making preparations to keep students safe as they open as polling locations. While some districts are closed while the schools serve as polling spots, others remain open but still offer ballot drop-off. The districts that will be closed Tuesday for the presidential primary are: Livonia, Northville, Plymouth-Canton, South Redford, Taylor, Woodhaven-Brownstown, Crestwood, Dearborn Heights. Deidre Thornsbury, Wayne RESA administrative assistant to superintendent, said there could be others that are closed due to the primary and it is up to the individual districts whether to be open or not. Others, such as Dearborn school district, will remain open but still operating as a polling location. To safely and effectively keep classes in session while as many as 15,000 people cast their ballots across the precincts, Dearborn schools are putting measures into place to ensure both run smoothly. John Leacher, health, safety and security supervisor for Dearborn Public Schools, said in a letter sent out March 3 the district has been working with the city clerk's office along with Dearborn police to ensure there is communication and precautions put into place to allow the schools to operate as polling locations while school is still in session. "For those schools where voting will occur, there will be a bit of change in the daily routine," Leacher wrote. "Principals and engineers have plans in place that will ensure a minimal amount of disruption but it will require a little patience from all of us." Dearborn City Clerk George Darany said of the 33 polling locations, 25 are located at Dearborn schools. "It is just something that the schools will have to be prepared for," Darany said. "We are not opening up all the doors to all the schools, we are just going to continue to open up the one door so it's not like voters will have the opportunity to enter in to the schools at many different locations, it is just the one location they will be allowed in and out of." Elections: In September 2019, Rep. Ann Bollin (R-District 42) introduced a bill that would allow privately owned locations, such as condo complexes, senior citizen communities and more to open their spaces up for polling. As more and more people are taking advantage of absentee voting, county clerks have run into trouble getting schools to open up their spaces for polling locations. "Schools are closing their doors to clerks on election day because they think it's a safety issue or they want to have school open that day," said Toby Prafke, legislative director with Bollin's office. "They basically have to corner off an entire area of the school just to put a polling place in there. This would basically open it up to certain privately owned locations." Prafke said the bill is in negotiations with the goal of getting it past the house soon and implementing it ahead of the November 2020 elections.
Read MoreThe Senate's vote on the bill legalizing industrial hemp was delayed until next week as Gov. Kristi Noem and legislators continue negotiating over the funding. The Senate deferred its vote on House Bill 1108 from Thursday to Monday. On Thursday, the Senate's party leaders said they're unsure the bill has the votes to pass because of concerns about funding the state's hemp program. "I believe there's a will to move forward, but there's a lot of details and circumstances and situations that need to be worked out," said Senate Assistant Majority Leader Jim Bolin, R-Canton. The Senate was unable to override Noem's veto of the industrial hemp bill last year and if it comes to another veto override vote in the Senate this year, Senate Majority Whip Jordan Youngberg, R-Madison, said the funding is the biggest issue and that will determine senators' votes. Funding the industrial hemp program in the state budget is the last piece that needs to fall into place. Noem directed the Legislature to adequately fund the program before she'll consider signing the bill, and negotiations between Noem and legislators over the budget amount were still ongoing on Thursday. When asked if a veto was on the table for the hemp bill, Noem responded on Thursday, "I anticipate that they will fully fund it." The Legislature's research department and state agencies released vastly different pictures of how they see the hemp program this week. The Legislature proposed a program through the Department of Agriculture with 1.6 staff and $245,000 in funding. The state Agriculture, Health and Public Safety departments proposed a program involving 15 additional staff and $3.5 million to cover new equipment and renovations to the state's lab and drug lockers. Hemp license and inspection fee revenue would partially cover the state's cost. The two estimates are far apart, but everyone is still at the table in the negotiations, said Rep. Oren Lesmeister, D-Parade. He said on Thursday that he doesn't anticipate Noem vetoing HB 1008, but it could happen if legislators don't come up with the funding. He said there hasn't been movement from the Governor's Office from its $3.5 million figure, but they're still in conversations about it. "It's just like anything this year when it comes to the budget, it's been tough. I hope we come to an agreement," Lesmeister said. House Majority Leader Lee Qualm, R-Platte, said he's "confident" legislators and Noem will be able to agree on a hemp budget. "It seems like you got to get into the 11th hour. So often that happens on issues like this. We come together and say, 'Absolutely, we can make this work,'" Qualm said. Legislators are coming from the perspective that few farmers will likely grow hemp this year if it's legalized. Additionally, voters will decide on two ballot questions about hemp, recreational marijuana and medical marijuana later this year that could change what the state needs to do. "Obviously, we need to have the funding in place to get the program up and get it going," Qualm said. "As far as everything else that the governor has asked for, I guess I just have questions about that. I don't think it's that necessary at this point in time."
Read MoreA company that operates a hemp farm plans to add an indoor growing operation at a redeveloped building in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. Wisconsin Growing Co. wants to grow 20 to 30 plants within about 5,000 square feet it's leasing at 3728 N. Fratney St., said Sam Santana, who operates the company. Wisconsin Growing has applied for a city permit to remodel space on the building's ground floor. Santana told the Journal Sentinel Thursday he hopes to begin the indoor growing operation as soon as possible. He wants to use the indoor growing operation to test the use of various nutrients, as well as genetic techniques, to grow better plants. Then, Wisconsin Growing would apply those lessons to its 30-acre farm near Whitewater, Santana said. The company plans to grow about 30,000 plants this spring and summer on its farm, he said. "Something we learned last year," Santana said. "You have one shot a year to get it right." The 2019 season marked Wisconsin Growing's first crop. It totaled around 15,000 plants, he said. Wisconsin Growing also managed a farm with around 125,000 plants for another owner, Santana said. "It gave us a lot of experience," he said. Hemp is a business that is gaining momentum in Wisconsin and other states. Hemp and marijuana are both genetically from the same plant: cannabis. Marijuana is illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act — even though Illinois and other states have decriminalized it. Hemp is not a controlled substance — as long as it contains less than 0.3% of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana that produces a high when marijuana is smoked or ingested. Marijuana has a very high percentage of THC. Hemp is used to produce cigarettes and other substances with cannabidiol, also known as CBD. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not made a definitive ruling on the safety of CBD products. One challenge with growing hemp is to make sure the crop doesn't exceed that 0.3% threshold, Santana said. If that happens, hemp growers could have their crops seized and destroyed by law enforcement, said Trista Curzydlo, an attorney and consultant who spoke at a Monday seminar sponsored by the Commercial Association of Realtors-Wisconsin. Curzydlo's seminar, "Up In Smoke," focused on the benefits and risks from the hemp and marijuana industries for commercial building owners and managers. Wisconsin's hemp industry includes such companies as Milwaukee-based Vance Global Inc., which makes CBD cigarettes. Other businesses are processing and selling CBD products. Gov. Tony Evers in November signed legislation that removed hemp from the state's list of controlled substances. That came after then-Gov. Scott Walker in 2017 approved a law allowing farmers to grow hemp in Wisconsin for the first time in nearly 50 years. Meanwhile, Wisconsin Growing is among the latest in a series of businesses moving into the three-story, 52,300-square-foot Fratney Street building, which was remodeled last year by its new owners. Other new tenants include Natural Pet Food Co. and Cre8tive Live Studios LLC, according to building permit records.
Read MoreLux Global Label has announced the acquisition of Labelworx, a provider of digital labels and packaging to some of the world’s most respected brands. This strategic acquisition broadens the operational capabilities of Lux Global Label, formerly known as National Label, into the high-growth area of digital printing while further diversifying its customer base and markets.
Read MoreAfter a massive first month of legalized cannabis sales in the state of Illinois that saw dispensaries rake in nearly $40 million, brisk sales continued in the month of February. According to totals released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, total sales for the month of February amounted to just under $35 million. Dispensaries across the state sold 831,600 items over a 29-day period, according to the department. Illinois residents accounted for $25.6 million worth of sales, while out-of-state residents purchased nearly $9.2 million worth of cannabis products. “These numbers show there continues to be a strong demand across the state as the most equity-centric cannabis program in the country moves forward in Illinois,” Toi Hutchinson, Senior Advisor for Cannabis Control to Governor J.B. Pritzker, said in a statement. “As the adult use cannabis industry continues to grow, so will the number of opportunities for consumers and entrepreneurs alike, especially those from communities who suffered the most during the failed war on drugs.” Sales to out-of-state residents in the month of February actually outpaced numbers from January, as the state reported an increase of approximately $600,000 in sales to those who live outside of the state of Illinois. The state also reminded residents that the Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for cannabis infuser, craft grower and transporter licenses. Social equity applicants will receive additional points on their applications and are eligible to receive technical assistance, grants, low-interest loan and feed reductions and waivers, according to a press release. The deadline for applications is March 16.
Read MoreSay hello to the city of Boston’s newest government agency: the Cannabis Board. Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Wednesday appointed five members to the board, which will issue local licenses to marijuana companies and advise Walsh’s office on cannabis regulation and policy. They are Kathleen Joyce, the chair of Boston’s Licensing Board and a former top lawyer at the Boston Planning and Development Agency; Monica Valdes Lupi, Boston’s former health commissioner; Darlene Lombos, the executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council; former Boston Police Department superintendent Lisa Holmes; and John Smith, the director of programs at TSNE MissionWorks, a nonprofit that provides meeting space plus management, training, and consulting services to other nonprofits. The members will serve two-year terms and be paid $600 for each day they work on behalf of the Cannabis Board, according to an executive order issued by Walsh. They are barred from working for or financially benefiting from any cannabis companies in the city. It was not immediately clear when the Cannabis Board will first meet; Walsh’s executive order creating the body says the mayor can designate one member to issue licenses to companies that have already signed a host community agreement with the city. “The purpose of Boston’s Cannabis Board is to make sure our actions continue to match our values: supporting equity, diversity and local ownership in this new industry,” Walsh said in a statement. “I’m proud to appoint these exceptional members to the Cannabis Board as we work to ensure every resident has access to the same opportunities in our growing city.” The announcement follows a 12-1 City Council vote in November approving an ordinance to overhaul the city’s much-criticized process for selecting which marijuana operators win coveted local permits that are required before companies can apply for licenses from the state Cannabis Control Commission. The measure, proposed by council president Kim Janey, is intended to increase the transparency and predictability of the process by having the board vote in public on applications using clear, weighted criteria. Previously, Walsh’s Office of Emerging Industries made those calls behind closed doors. The ordinance also establishes an equity program offering technical assistance and training for entrepreneurs who were arrested in the past for marijuana crimes, or who belong to groups or communities disproportionately targeted by police enforcing the prohibition of cannabis. The program would be funded with as much as $5 million in fees charged to marijuana operators over the next five years. The new board must approve equal numbers of such equity program participants and other firms seeking licenses. “I am excited by the appointment of the Boston Cannabis Board today," Janey said in a statement. “This board is so important to our City as it will bring a new, transparent and public facing process, focused on equity, for creating Host Community Agreements in Boston.” Boston’s first recreational marijuana store, Pure Oasis in Grove Hall, is expected to open within weeks.
Read MoreState officials warned Tuesday about the unknown risks of using products that contain CBD, which remains largely unregulated despite increasing popularity. While proponents claim CBD, or cannabidiol, derived from hemp can help ease chronic pain and anxiety, the federal government says there is little research into its benefits or potential harms. The head of the state Health Department said Tuesday “there are significant concerns about the quality, safety, and the content” of CBD products found at gas stations, grocery stores, and online. Unlike items at the state’s medical marijuana dispensaries, Pennsylvania does not test or regulate these CBD products. “Our supply chain is extremely, tightly regulated,” Secretary Rachel Levine told members of the House Health Committee. “None of that is true for the hemp-derived CBD products." The state has approved clinical research of CBD as part of the medical marijuana program. But there is a growing need, Levine said, for “more research about the benefits and side effects of CBD-rich medical marijuana and CBD medications from hemp.” Despite similar warnings nationwide, CBD products have exploded in popularity. That’s provided an opportunity for farmers looking for a new cash crop. Most hemp in Pennsylvania is grown for CBD. Fred Strathmeyer, a deputy secretary with the state agriculture department, said farmers may be eager to grow hemp for CBD for “quick dollars.” But, he added, “our sustainability will be in the fiber” — which can be used in building materials, clothing, and paper— “and not the CBD.” “We are trying to create a situation where our farmers succeed,” he said. “It’s all about success.” At the moment, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved just one CBD product for medicinal purposes. “It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement,” according to the agency. “Some CBD products are being marketed with unproven medical claims and are of unknown quality.” Natalie Krak, a policy director for the state Agriculture Department, said the agency only tests hemp for its THC threshold. “We have seen a proliferation of CBD products,” Krak said. “There is no consistent federal enforcement.” Robert Rudnitsky, executive director of the pro-cannabis group PhillyNORML, said it is crucial to regulate hemp-derived CBD as it is the only option for Pennsylvanians who cannot afford a medical marijuana card. “We want complete regulation," he told Spotlight PA. “Do we want our family and friends to buy CBD from gas stations? There is a lot of contaminated, foreign, counterfeit gray-market hemp.” While legalizing recreational cannabis was not the subject of Tuesday’s hearing, some lawmakers used the opportunity to raise concerns about Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s support for legalization. “I’ll be upfront: I was a ‘no’ on medical marijuana — not because I didn't want to see people benefit from it, but because of the way it was done,” Rep. Jerry Knowles (R., Schuylkill) said. “But what is done is done.” With Wolf and Fetterman “hell-bent” on legalization, Knowles asked Levine if she’s concerned about what that would do to Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program. “My goal with the medical marijuana program is to keep this medically and clinically based,” Levine said. “I did not want Pennsylvania to become Venice Beach. ... We have been able to thread that needle and keep this a very medically based program for patients with serious medical conditions.” She also noted that Wolf and Fetterman are championing marijuana legalization as a social justice issue, highlighting that many people are incarcerated for possessing small amounts.
Read MoreA senior official at the Department of Homeland Security expressed high confidence in the security of voting systems on Super Tuesday, saying "all systems look green" nationwide. The top official with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) told reporters Tuesday that while there is “constant” disinformation efforts on social media directed at elections, the activity was “low level” and CISA had not seen any increase as voters head to the polls in 14 states. “We need to mindful that there is just that chronic level of misinformation and disinformation, whether it’s the Russians or anyone else,” the official told reporters. “There is a low level here of constant activity, but at the moment, we are not seeing any appreciable increase or spike in activity.” CISA is one of the federal agencies that works with state and local officials to boost election security protocols. The agency on Tuesday said it was operating as a “national cybersecurity situational room” to allow for “rapid sharing of information” on threats to elections between officials at all levels of government. The CISA official said that as of midday, there were no signs of cyber targeting or hacking of election infrastructure, and that “everything we are aware of has been resolved, more of a tech glitch than anything. All systems look green right now across the country.” The problems encountered by the agency were complications for voters in Tennessee, where deadly tornadoes devastated parts of Nashville on Monday night, according to the official, who praised Tennessee for moving swiftly to put in place contingency plans to allow affected residents to vote. “We’re better prepared for this single election than any other election in American history,” the official said. “We have clarity of purpose and unity of mission here, and I think the American people, the voting public, need to take a great deal of confidence away from that.” The comments came just a day after CISA Director Christopher Krebs joined the leaders of seven other federal agencies to issue a statement warning of foreign influence campaigns on social media, and urging voters to seek out trusted sources of information on how and where to vote. “We remain alert and ready to respond to any efforts to disrupt the 2020 elections,” said the group of officials which included acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf, Attorney General William Barr and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “We continue to make it clear to foreign actors that any effort to undermine our democratic processes will be met with sharp consequences.” Election security has been a major area of concern since the 2016 election, when Russian agents launched a sweeping disinformation and hacking campaign designed to benefit President Trump. CISA has played a key role in the federal effort to combat election security threats, with Krebs telling The Hill during an interview last month that he spends “40 to 50 percent” of his time on the issue of election security.
Read MoreThe global counterfeiting market is booming. Unfortunately for organisations across the value chain, the implications of such practices can be severe – health-related incidents, revenue-loss, lawsuits, and damage to a brand can all occur if parties fail to remain vigilant. Luckily though, sophisticated anti-counterfeiting measures are constantly being designed, refined, and implemented.
Read MoreA majority of Connecticut residents favor legalizing marijuana, according to a new poll released Thursday. But even among those who oppose the reform move, a significant number said they could still be persuaded under certain circumstances, the survey found. As lawmakers push to advance a governor-backed legalization bill, the poll — showing that 63.4 percent of state residents support ending cannabis prohibition — comes as a welcome result for advocates. Its release also comes weeks after a key Connecticut committee held a hearing on the legislation. Asked whether they back legalizing cannabis for adult use, 34.4 percent of respondents said they “strongly support” the policy, and 29 percent said they “somewhat support” it. About 19 percent said they “strongly oppose” legalization, and 10.7 percent said they “somewhat oppose” it. In response to a separate question, fewer people (45.3 percent) said they back the specific legalization proposal in the Legislature that would give municipalities partial tax revenue from cannabis sales only if they allow a dispensary to operate in their jurisdiction. As is typically the case with cannabis surveys, younger people and Democratic voters proved most likely to favor legalization. But unlike many others, this poll dove into the opposition and found that a solid percentage of respondents would be inclined to change their position if legalization produced specific results. Of the roughly 30 percent who said they don’t support taxing and regulating cannabis, about 24 percent said they would back legalization if it lowered crime and incarceration in the state. Twenty percent said they would support legalization if tax revenue from sales would “help with Connecticut’s fiscal situation and resolve the budget deficit,” and about 28 percent said they’d change course if marijuana was regulated similarly to alcohol in a way that prevents youth access and impaired driving. The main reasons people said they opposed legalization were concerns that marijuana leads to more dangerous drugs (18.4 percent), that it impairs driving (12.6 percent), and simply because they are “against drug usage” (10.5 percent). Taken together, these results stand to embolden lawmakers as they work to pass a legalization bill, though the specific result on tax revenue only for cities that allow sales could lead some legislators to support amending the current proposal. In any case, the effort, like several others across the country, could be impeded by the coronavirus outbreak. The Senate president and House speaker, who sponsored the legislation, recently said that because the state Capitol is closed until at least March 30 to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, legislative priorities have shifted and that could interfere with legalization. The survey — conducted by the Hartford Courant and Sacred Heart University, involving interviews with 1,000 residents from February 24 to March 12 — also asked participants about a proposed “clean slate” bill and its provisions. Less than half said they’d heard about the existing legislation, which would make people eligible for expungements for certain offenses seven years after their latest conviction. However, after the proposal was described, 62.5 percent said they either strongly or somewhat support it.
Read MoreWhen San Francisco announced its "shelter in place" order this week, it said only "essential businesses" could remain open to support the public's needs, such as grocery stores and gas stations. Missing from that list were marijuana dispensaries. But a day after residents were told to stay home, the city revised its position and deemed cannabis "an essential medicine," allowing stores to open. Mayor London Breed announced "adjustments" to the city's public health order issued the previous day. It originally said essential businesses, including banks and pharmacies, could remain open while residents were required to stay in their homes. Now dispensaries and marijuana deliveries are deemed critical. "We know this is an evolving situation," Breed said at the Tuesday evening press conference. "In terms of the cannabis dispensaries, the Department of Public Health today clarified that since cannabis has medical uses, dispensaries will be allowed to operate as essential businesses, just as pharmacies are allowed to do," she added. After the city's initial announcement ordering residents to remain inside "with the only exception being for essential needs," officials from both the city's health department and its Office of Cannabis got in contact with local marijuana industry leaders, according to SFGate.
Read MoreIn January, the Department of Homeland Security issued a report detailing the rise of counterfeiting on e-commerce platforms and vowed to crackdown. “International e-commerce players must step up do and do more,” acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said when the report was released.
Read MoreThe virus outbreak has triggered an explosive growth in label products for epidemic control and prevention, but the large label material suppliers are short of stocks and have limited access to transportation.
Read MoreIt turns out legalizing recreational cannabis in Canada was easier said than done. Trying to convert a market from illicit to regulated was done in the name of health and public safety with the added benefit of tax revenue. The conversion has introduced new challenges. Having spent my career in law enforcement, drug policy, and trade, I recognize it must be a journey where all stakeholders contribute.
Read MoreThe US in its annual ‘Special 301 Report’ on intellectual property protection and review of ‘notorious markets’ for piracy and counterfeiting had reportedly blamed India for its growing problem of counterfeit medicines. According to the United States Trade Representative (USTR), almost 20% of all pharmaceutical goods sold in the Indian market are counterfeit.
Read MoreWisconsin election officials plan to debate Thursday how to spend a new $7.8 million election security grant, the second major influx of federal dollars to help local clerks fend off hackers in two years. The U.S. Elections Assistance Commission announced in early January that Wisconsin would receive a the grant if it can produce a $1.6 million match. Wisconsin Elections Commission spokesman Reid Magney said the commission will pull the match from within its existing budget. The commission must submit a spending plan to the EAC by April. The commission plans to discuss a wide range of options during a meeting Thursday in Madison, including sub-grants for local authorities or purchasing expensive technology for them, such as the Albert Sensor, an intrusion detection system many larger cities and counties in the U.S. use. Initial costs for hardware and installation runs about $9,000 with additional fees for maintenance. Other ideas range from providing technical support for local clerks who lack IT departments; creating a campaign to communicate with voters; upgrading local clerks’ laptops and computers; upgrade firewalls; and establishing data back-up system. Still more options include helping local clerks obtain a government email address with built-in security features; buying new voting equipment; and upgrading local clerks’ election management systems to including new security features such as encrypted data storage. The WEC received a $7 million grant in 2018 to bolster election security. The commission has used some of that money to develop a public relations campaign designed to tamp down rumors about vulnerabilities. Other funding from the grant has gone to create an app to ensure that the security status of every computer that connects to the state’s voter registration database can be checked before access is granted. All 684 jurisdictions that connect to the database have now installed the app, according to commission documents prepared for Thursday’s meeting. About 300 other local jurisdictions that can’t access the database directly have installed the app voluntarily. The grant also has gone to purchase loaner computers for clerks still using Windows 7. Security upgrades for that operating system ended in January. According to commission documents, 98% of clerks’ systems are up-to-date and have no serious security concerns. People familiar with the briefing have said U.S. election security officials told members of the House intelligence committee during a recent closed-door hearing that the Russian government was looking to help President Donald Trump win re-election. Trump has dismissed U.S. intelligence agencies’ assessment that Russia has interfered in elections on his behalf. Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has said U.S. officials told him in January about Russian efforts to boost his chances against Trump.
Read MoreAnother Vermont House committee approved a bill to legalize the sale of marijuana Monday, with a vote by the full chamber expected in the coming days. The Appropriations Committee advanced the legislation with a tally of 6-5, clearing its path for floor action — likely on Wednesday and Thursday. The Vermont Legislature legalized possession and home cultivation of cannabis for adult use in 2018, but there is currently no way for consumers to legally purchase marijuana. The bill moving through the Legislature would establish a commercial cannabis market in the state, create various categories of business licenses, establish a government agency to oversee the new industry, and set tax rates on legal sales. It would also set limits on product potency, capping THC in cannabis flower at 30 percent THC and limiting concentrates to 60 percent THC. Before voting to send the bill to the floor, the Appropriations Committee amended the legislation to reduce the number of members of the proposed Cannabis Control Board from five to three, slightly increase its funding, and set it to be dissolved by July 1, 2024. Lawmakers also approved changes to allocate 30 percent of marijuana excise tax revenues to substance misuse prevention efforts, with additional funds going toward after-school and summer learning programs. Regulators would also set fees to charge for mandatory reviews of advertisements by cannabis businesses under the amendment. Two other House panels — the Government Operations and Ways and Means Committees — have already approved the legislation this year. The full Senate voted in favor of the bill last year during the first half of the two-year legislative session. “After years of consideration, the House finally appears poised to agree with the Senate that cannabis sales should be regulated in Vermont,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project. “Cannabis is already legal in Vermont, so it makes no sense that consumers should have to either grow it themselves or buy it from stores in Massachusetts.” During the Ways and Means hearing earlier this month, lawmakers adopted amendments that changed the bill’s planned tax rate, increasing it from a proposed 16 percent sales tax to a 20 percent combined rate that consists of 14 percent excise tax and 6 percent sales tax. Medical cannabis patients would be exempt from state taxes under the bill, and local governments would be prohibited from adding their own new local taxes on marijuana. Since the Senate passed an earlier version of the bill prior to House committees making amendments, the chambers would have to resolve differences before the final measure is sent to the governor’s desk — most likely through a bicameral conference committee. Governor Phil Scott, who reluctantly signed the noncommercial legalization bill into law in 2018, has previously voiced opposition to allowing retail marijuana sales, but top lawmakers have said that he’s come around on the issue and has been involved in discussions about this legislation. An official in his administration indicated last month that the governor is interested in using some tax revenue from cannabis sales to fund an after-school program he’s backing.
Read MoreMarijuana legalization is “on track” in Mexico, a top senator said on Monday, announcing that several committees are convening to tackle the issue this week. Sen. Ricardo Monreal of the ruling MORENA party said that four panels have started the process of reviewing comprehensive legislation that deals with medical, recreational and industrial cannabis reform. The committees are set to meet to go over the draft bill on Wednesday. “There is no limit on the content,” he said, referring to the scope of the legislation, according to a translation. “I think it is worth taking advantage of the political moment to be able to legislate broadly on this cannabis issue.” Monreal said he has “confidence” that the Justice, Health, Legislative Studies and Public Safety Committees will reach a consensus on the bill. He also told reporters that he’s spoken to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and that he “expressed his respect” for the legislative process and has “no problem with the Senate carrying out a comprehensive legislative exercise” on cannabis issues. While Sen. Julio Menchaca, chairman of the Justice Committee, predicted earlier this month that the full Senate would vote on the legalization proposal by the end of February, it does not appear that the chamber will meet that tight deadline. Monreal previously said that lawmakers are positioned to advance it prior to an April deadline imposed by the nation’s Supreme Court, however. The court, which ruled in 2018 that the country’s ban on marijuana possession and cultivation for personal use was unconstitutional, initially gave Congress a deadline of October 2019 to enact reform. Legislators came close to voting on a committee-approved bill last year, but they ultimately requested a deadline extension that the court granted. While the court only mandated that legislators remove the prohibition on personal possession and cultivation from the lawbooks, leading officials have expressed a desire add a legal sales component as well. “I would like broad, unbounded legislation because if we were strict, it would be enough for us to reform the three articles that the Court has declared unconstitutional,” Monreal said. “But I want to go further.” The senator wants lawmakers to tackle “all items, recreational, medicinal, recreational, sale, cultivation, commercialization, industrialization, everything,” he said. The legislation as currently drafted would allow adults to possess up to 28 grams of cannabis for personal use and cultivate up to four plants. Individuals could apply for a license to possess more than 28 grams but no more than 200 grams. A regulatory body called the Mexican Cannabis Institute would be responsible for issuing business licenses and developing rules for the market. The bill also contains provisions to promote social equity, such as prioritizing cultivation licenses for individuals from communities most impacted by the drug war.
Read MoreWhen the issue at hand is security, we understand the need for secrecy. We don’t expect banks to reveal everything they have in place to thwart robbers or the Secret Service to explain every step taken to protect its charges. Like protecting our money and protecting our leaders, protecting our elections is an important security matter, so some of the details are rightly kept on a need-to-know basis. But state and federal officials in Florida have taken advantage of the situation to keep secret aspects of 2016’s vote, in which they concede outside interference was attempted, and the steps taken to prevent a repeat. In one example, the FBI has refused to name the counties where Russian operatives are known to have hacked into election systems. Why? The Russians certainly know which systems they penetrated and how. The residents of those counties need to be able to hold their elections officials accountable, and the residents of the rest of the state deserve to know their votes weren’t at risk from this particular threat. In another example, Florida’s secretary of state insisted that elections supervisors sign a nondisclosure agreement in order to share system weaknesses, cyber threat indicators and defense measures and other election security-related information among themselves. The agreement says the supervisors won’t divulge any of the vulnerabilities they found or how they had been fixed. The nondisclosure agreement helps explain why USA TODAY Network requests sent to all 67 Florida counties yielded uniform responses from elections supervisors who turned over heavily redacted records and, in some cases, refused to provide them at all.?Most won’t say how they spent millions of dollars directed toward election security or with whom. We aren’t suggesting the supervisors should tell the world about all their security fixes, but knowing who got the money is paramount to accountability. Are the firms receiving the payments competent? Do they have a reputation for success - or failure?
Read MoreSenate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other senior Senate Democrats on Monday called on the Treasury and State departments to impose sanctions on Russian individuals found to be meddling in U.S. elections following reports of new interference efforts. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the Senate Democrats pointed to concerns about reports last week that Russian agents are already interfering in the lead-up to the 2020 U.S. elections in order to boost the campaigns of President Trump and Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). “In light of this information, we urge you to immediately and forcefully impose sanctions on the government of the Russian Federation, any Russian actors determined to be responsible for such interference, and those acting on their behalf or providing material or financial support for these election interference efforts,” Schumer and Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) wrote. Brown serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, while Menendez is the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The senators called on Mnuchin and Pompeo to use existing statutory powers to impose sanctions on individuals including Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian government officials. The senators warned that “doing anything less” than imposing sanctions on those interfering in U.S. elections would be “an abdication of your responsibility to protect and defend the US from this serious threat to our national security, and to the integrity of our electoral process.” The State and Treasury departments did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment on the letter. Senate Democrats have pushed hard for passage of legislation over the past years to strengthen U.S. elections against foreign interference but have been blocked by Republicans, who have cited concerns that the pieces of legislation would federalize elections, multiple times. Election security has become a major source of concern since the 2016 elections, during which, according to U.S. intelligence agencies and the report compiled by former special counsel Robert Mueller, Russian agents launched a sweeping interference effort designed to favor Trump's campaign.
Read MoreThe bill legalizing industrial hemp in South Dakota is headed to its final vote of approval in the Legislature. The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources unanimously approved the industrial hemp bill, House Bill 1008, on Tuesday, and it'll now go to the Senate for a vote. It has already passed the House. Bill sponsor Sen. Joshua Klumb, R-Mount Vernon, said he doesn't believe hemp is going to save anyone's farm, but it'll provide farmers with another crop option. He said he wants farmers to take it slow and carefully with hemp. Klumb said this year's bill has been a collaboration between the Legislature and the Governor's Office. Committee chair Sen. Gary Cammack, R-Union Center, noted that the bill has been a "monumental effort" between legislators and the state agencies. Sen. Bob Ewing, R-Spearfish, said he opposed legalizing hemp last year because of the state agencies requesting to delay it. "I still had heartburn about it until this morning, but then I got to thinking about the different variables here," Ewing said. He pointed out that people are already using CBD products in South Dakota, and the bill will legalize that. One of the ballot questions in November will ask voters to decide on legalizing marijuana and industrial hemp. Ewing said he hopes that voters will defeat the ballot question if legislators legalize industrial hemp during the 2020 session. The bill contains three of four of Gov. Kristi Noem's guardrails of reliable enforcement, responsible regulation and safe transportation, Klumb said. Legislators have said they're working on the fourth guardrail of funding needed to implement a hemp program, but legislators have questioned the estimated costs the state agencies have proposed. Noem said she'll consider signing the bill if it contains all four of her guardrails.
Read MoreThe FDA missed a deadline to send Congress a report on its policy for regulating cannabidiol. Manufacturers and hemp growers are anxious for federal guidance as they try to tap into booming demand for CBD goods. Our Pro Cannabis colleagues have more.
Read MoreAmericans should not be confident about the security of the 2020 election, according to a slim majority of experts surveyed by The Cybersecurity 202.The assessment from 57 percent of The Network, a panel of more than 100 cybersecurity experts who participate in our ongoing informal survey, puts a serious damper on the years-long push by federal, state and local government officials and political parties to bolster election security since a Russian hacking and influence operation upended the 2016 contest. “There are no signs that any part of our institutions are capable of providing an election that is reasonably secure from tampering and manipulation,” said Dave Aitel, a former NSA computer scientist who is now CEO of the cybersecurity company Immunity. “Every part of the voting process is vulnerable. This includes the voter registration process, the voting itself, the vote tabulation, and the results-reporting system,” said Bruce Schneier, fellow and lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Read MoreRussia wants to watch Americans “tear ourselves apart" as the United States heads toward elections, an FBI official warned Monday. David Porter, an assistant section chief with the FBI's Foreign Influence Task Force, accused Russia of conducting brazen operations aimed at spreading disinformation, exploiting lines of division in society and sowing doubt about the integrity of U.S. elections and the ability of its leaders to govern effectively. Porter spoke at an election security conference on Capitol Hill just days after conflicting accounts emerged of a closed-door briefing intelligence officials had given to House lawmakers on threats from Russia and other nations in the 2020 election. That briefing focused attention on the possibility that Russia could work to aid President Donald Trump's reelection. Democratic rival Sen. Bernie Sanders has said intelligence officials told him that Russia was looking to boost his candidacy, too. Porter did not address the briefing or whether Russia had a preference for particular candidates. But he said Russia was generally engaged in “information confrontation" aimed at blurring fact from fiction, eroding American confidence in democratic institutions and driving wedges into society's fracture lines. “The primary objective is not to create a particular version of the truth but rather cloud the truth and erode our ability to find it, creating a sentiment that no narrative or news source can be trusted at all," Porter said. The FBI formed the Foreign Influence Task Force after widespread interference by Russia in the 2016 presidential campaign. The task force was initially intended to focus on Russia, but it also works to counter influence operations — including hacking and more covert methods — from China, North Korea and Iran. U.S. officials see China as an aggressive threat, particularly when it comes to espionage and theft of intellectual property, but Porter said Beijing's goal was less about sowing general chaos in the U.S. and more about promoting and developing its own economic standing in the world. “To put it simply, in this space, Russia wants to watch us tear ourselves apart, while it seems that China would rather manage our gradual economic decline over the course of generations," Porter said. Intelligence officials have not commented publicly on the Feb. 13 briefing given to members of the House Intelligence Committee. One intelligence official said lawmakers were not told that Russia was working directly to aid Trump. But other people familiar with the meeting said they were told the Kremlin was looking to help Trump's candidacy. The people spoke on condition of anonymity to discussed the classified briefing.
Read MoreNearly 1 in 5 U.S. voters will cast ballots this year on devices that look and feel like the discredited paperless voting machines they once used, yet leave a paper record of the vote. But computer security experts are warning that these so-called ballot-marking devices still pose too much of a risk. Ballot-marking machines were initially developed not as primary vote-casting tools but as “accessible” alternatives for the disabled. They print out paper records that are scanned by optical readers that tabulate the vote. They cost at least twice as much as hand-marked paper ballots, which computer scientists prefer because paper can’t be hacked. That’s an important consideration as U.S. intelligence officials warn that malicious meddling in this year’s presidential contest could be worse than in 2016. The machines have been vigorously promoted by the trio of privately held voting equipment vendors that control 88% of the U.S. market and are nearly unregulated at the federal level. They are expected to be used by some 40 million eligible voters more than in the 2018 midterm elections. Key counties in the crucial swing states of Pennsylvania, Ohio and North Carolina, much of Texas, California’s Los Angeles County and all of Georgia and Delaware have bought ballot-marking machines. So has South Carolina, which will use them in Saturday’s primaries. Some of the most popular such devices, from Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems, register votes in bar codes that the human eye can’t decipher. That means skilled hackers could alter outcomes without detection, gaming bar codes while keeping voters’ choices on the human-readable portion of the ballot printout, computer scientists have found. ES&S claims such tampering is “a practical impossibility.” Spokeswoman Katina Granger said the company’s ballot-marking machines’ accuracy and security “have been proven through thousands of hours of testing and tens of thousands of successful elections.” Dominion declined to comment for this story.
Read MoreThe New Hampshire House has again voted to legalize recreational marijuana, this time without trying to establish a regulated commercial market for it. The bill sent to the Senate on Thursday would allow adults to possess up to 3/4 of an ounce of marijuana and to grow up to six plants. Last year, the House passed a broader bill that would have created a regulated and taxed retail market, but it died in the Senate. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu opposes such measures. The latest bill passed the House with four votes more than needed to achieve a veto-proof majority.
Read More— A recent election security briefing played a part in President Donald Trump switching up leadership atop the intelligence community, and the new pick looks to be simpatico with Trump’s views on Russian election meddling. — The agency that handles the president’s communications had a data breach, although there was no evidence yet that any potentially stolen data had been exploited. — The U.S. and other countries pointed the finger at Russia over a cyberattack on Georgia. THE INTELLIGENCE THE PRESIDENT WANTS — Russian election interference figured into Trump’s abrupt selection of Richard Grenell as acting director of national intelligence, it appears — it’s just a question of how much of a role it played. The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Trump soured on the prior acting DNI, Joseph Maguire, after blasting him for remarks made during a House Intelligence panel briefing on 2020 election security, and apparently blamed him erroneously. The New York Times reported that remarks a DNI official made in that briefing about Russia trying to get Trump reelected did lead to a blowup, but Trump already wasn’t gung-ho about Maguire. House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) was not happy about the development. “By firing Acting DNI Maguire because his staff provided the candid conclusions of the Intelligence Community to Congress regarding Russian meddling in the 2020 Presidential election, the President is not only refusing to defend against foreign interference, he’s inviting it,” he said. Either way, it looks like Grenell will offer a sympathetic point of view to Trump on Russian election interference, with Grenell having downplayed it in 2016. He deleted some of his tweets that weighed in on Russia-related topics, such as one where he cheered the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. It’s less clear how long Grenell will be around. While a Senate GOP leader and member of the Intelligence Committee, Roy Blunt (Mo.), supported the pick, other Republicans have been less vocal, and Grenell himself said he wouldn’t be the eventual nominee; on the other hand, even having a nominee could keep Grenell in the spot for a while longer. Trump said late Thursday that he was considering Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and others for the nomination. WHO WATCHES THE WATCHMEN — The Pentagon’s top IT support agency suffered a data breach last year that may have compromised Social Security numbers and other sensitive information. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which handles communications for Trump, sent letters to possible victims earlier this month warning of a “data breach” between May and July 2019 involving a system run by the organization. DISA's letters said it was required to notify individuals who may have had data taken, though the agency has no evidence any personal data possibly taken was exploited. KNOCK IT OFF — The U.S. and more than a dozen other Western countries on Thursday blamed Russia for an October cyberattack on Georgia that disrupted access to thousands of websites and knocked the national TV broadcaster offline. “This action contradicts Russia’s attempts to claim it is a responsible actor in cyberspace and demonstrates a continuing pattern of reckless Russian GRU cyber operations against a number of countries,” the State Department said in a statement, referring to Russia’s military intelligence agency. Allies including the U.K., Australia, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania joined the attribution campaign. Georgia said the attack “runs counter to the principles and norms of international law and represents another breach of Georgia's sovereignty against the country's European and Euro-Atlantic integration and democratic development.” Thursday’s joint announcement marks the latest example of the Trump administration’s multilateral attribution strategy, which is aimed at deterring malicious cyber activity by strengthening the consensus around culpability in its aftermath. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), the co-founder of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, praised the State Department for sending a “clear message” that “destabilizing activity in cyberspace is unacceptable regardless of where it occurs.” The GRU unit behind the Georgia cyberattack, known as “Sandworm,” is one of Russia’s most prolific hacking groups. It has been implicated in the DNC hack, repeated hacks of the Ukrainian power grid, and the 2018 Winter Olympics hack, not to mention the devastating NotPetya malware outbreak. “Notably, they have not been publicly admonished for their attempt to disrupt the Games,” said John Hultquist, senior director of intelligence analysis at FireEye, “and we are concerned that the actors will target the Games in Tokyo this year.”
Read MoreWith the industry placing a premium on speed, quality and efficiency for label printers, we must also remember that there are increasing opportunities for brands and consumers to change their experience with labels and packaging. Smart labeling can change the packaging landscape in a number of ways, from combating counterfeit goods to revolutionizing the retail experience.
Read MoreWeeks after the Iowa caucuses dissolved into confusion over who won the first contest in the race to the White House, Americans are largely unfazed about election security, according to the latest poll from PBS NewsHour, NPR and Marist. Roughly three-quarters of Americans — 72 percent — said they are confident that their state and local elections will be fair and accurate this November, while another quarter were not as assured. Technical glitches riddled this year’s Iowa caucuses, when, for the first time, the Iowa Democratic Party used an app in hopes of gleaning results faster. But the app malfunctioned and results took days to retrieve. When former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg appeared to sneak ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the Associated Press said the 0.09 percentage points separating the two candidates was too close to declare a winner. Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called for a recanvass, and Iowa’s Democratic Party leader Troy Price resigned as a result of the confusion. Late Tuesday, new results were released showing Buttigieg and Sanders in a near tie, and the Sanders campaign said it would ask for a more thorough recount. When asked about their confidence in election security, political affiliation did not seem to factor significantly in how respondents answered. Democrats, Republicans and independents responded to the question roughly the same. Another area of consensus: Two-thirds of Americans say they think the economy is working well for them. But whether President Donald Trump is responsible for that economic well-being is more divisive. Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults say they think Trump has handled the economy well, while 40 percent disagree and another 9 percent said they don’t know.
Read MoreOn March 10, NJ Cannabis Insider will host the state’s premier all-day, multi-track panel event focused on the imminent legalization of adult-use cannabis, the expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program and the exploding hemp/CBD industry at the New Jersey Conference and Expo Center in Edison. The event, which starts at 10:30 a.m., also packs in serious networking opportunities, an exhibitors vendor and lunch. Tickets are currently on sale, including group rates; click here for details. This week, NJ Cannabis Insider Live Event: Road to Legalization conference organizers added two new panels: Cannabis activism: Preparing for the November ballot referendum, featuring Amol Sinha of ACLU-NJ, Jackie Cornell, 1906 edibles, and Elise Grosso, Cannabis Voter Project. And, Women in Leadership with Arlene Quiñones Perez of DeCotiis, FitzPatrick, Cole & Giblin, Colleen Mahr, Fanwood mayor, former president of League of Municipalities, and Tanya Osbourne of Women Grow. The rest of the lineup offers something for people in the cannabis business community at all levels: Update on the Garden State market will feature: Bill Caruso of Archer Law; Arlene Quiñones Perez of DeCotiis, Lynn Nowak of Porzio Governmental Affairs, and Fruqan Mouzon of McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney and Carpenter.
Read MoreState lawmakers reiterated their firm commitment to keep recreational marijuana out of Utah on Tuesday, as they advanced legislation to help streamline its emerging medical cannabis program. The multifaceted bill that they discussed would offer expungement opportunities for patients prosecuted in the past, increase the number of cannabis recommendations each doctor can issue and eliminate a much-maligned packaging requirement for raw flower. However, the bill’s sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Evan Vickers, warded off concerns that the state is slipping toward legalization for the general public. "You know how strongly opposed I am to recreational," the Cedar City Republican told a worried colleague in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. "I would never do anything, in my mind, that would lead to any kind of stepping stone toward recreation." Still, Vickers, a pharmacist, acknowledged that designing a functional cannabis program was like “tiptoeing through a minefield” to strike the right balance between control and flexibility. The committee moved the bill, SB121, to the full Senate by a unanimous vote, although Sen. Allen Christensen said he only supported the legislation because of its sponsor. “If you weren’t my trusted pharmacist, I would be a no vote on this,” Christensen, R-North Ogden, said after expressing concerns about a slide toward recreational marijuana in Utah. “But I’m going to take a leap of faith and support you.” A handful of patient advocates spoke against the bill and, more broadly, the law that state legislators passed in late 2018 to replace the cannabis initiative approved by Utah voters. Nathan Kizerian, whose wife used cannabis to find relief while she was dying of colon cancer, objected that the bill includes a 60-day expiration for raw flower, after which patients couldn’t legally take the substance out of their homes. He also raised concerns about data privacy for patients. "All I can do is attack this program, and I'm doing that on social media," said Kizerian, who runs the popular Utah Satire page on Facebook.
Read MoreThe Trump administration’s pressure campaign on allies to break ties with Huawei is taking a very Trumpian turn with bombastic and neck-wrenching tweets replacing private diplomatic warnings. Trump’s Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell tweeted out of the blue on Sunday that President Trump had called him from Air Force One “and instructed me to make clear that any nation who chooses to use an untrustworthy 5G vendor will jeopardize our ability to share Intelligence and information at the highest level.” That marked a major reversal from just two days earlier when U.S. officials assured an audience at the Munich Security Conference the United Kingdom's decision to allow Huawei to build parts of its next-generation 5G wireless network would not affect intelligence sharing. The tweet came as Germany, France and Canada all appear likely to follow the United Kingdom in allowing Huawei to build portions of their 5G networks. And, in typical Trump fashion, it threw allies who are mulling multibillion-dollar 5G decisions into a new phase of uncertainty, wondering whether the pronouncement represented an actual shift in policy or just presidential bluster. U.S. officials have long warned that Huawei is too dependent on China’s Communist Party and can’t be trusted not to aid Chinese spying — especially if it has access to nations’ 5G systems, which will carry far more data than earlier generations of wireless networks. But they’ve stepped back from threats to cut off intelligence sharing as more nations sign on with Huawei. If the United States did halt sharing intelligence with key allies — especially among the Five Eyes alliance including the United Kingdom and Canada — it would be a momentous move with dramatic national security consequences. China punched back on Twitter, where Foreign Ministry representative Hua Chunying argued the United States could be just as great a threat to Germans' privacy as Huawei. She referred to a story leaked by NSA contractor Edward Snowden that U.S. spies listened in on Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone, which caused a major rift between the nations in 2013. The social media sniping comes as time is running out for the United States to convince allies to bar Huawei from their networks entirely. Only a handful of nations have followed the United States' lead in implementing a full ban, including Australia, New Zealand and Japan. And U.S. leaders are bringing out their biggest rhetorical guns. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed Huawei at the Munich Security Conference, saying there was bipartisan U.S. agreement about the telecom’s dangers and that nations contracting with Huawei for 5G are choosing “autocracy over democracy.” “It is about putting the state police in the pocket of every consumer in these countries,” she said. That drew swift pushback from Chinese state media.
Read MoreA top Kentucky election official says foreign hackers scan the state’s election systems looking for vulnerabilities “on a regular basis” and that lawmakers need to create a more stable funding source for election security. Jared Dearing, executive director of the State Board of Elections, said election officials don’t know if the hacking attempts are coming from foreign governments, but that they “don’t have good intentions.” “We are routinely scanned by Venezuela, by North Korea, by Russia on a regular basis,” Dearing said. “This is not something that is in the past that happened in 2016, it happens on a weekly basis. We don’t necessarily know that those are coming from nation-state actors, but we know the IP ranges are coming in from those localities.” Dearing made the comments during a hearing with lawmakers on the House Budget Review Subcommittee on General Government. He said that efforts to boost security in recent years “have paid off,” but that Kentucky has become reliant on irregular financial windfalls from the federal government to prop up the state’s election security posture. Kentucky received about $6 million in both 2018 and 2019 as part of special Congressional initiatives to boost election security in the states in the wake of Russian hacking in the 2016 election. Dearing said that as the state has beefed up its security, those looking to spread misinformation and disrupt elections have shifted their attention to local elections. “The world that we live in now is fraught with cyber danger. There is an increase of ransomware and phishing attempts and malware attacks at our local level is only increasing dramatically over the last several election cycles,” Dearing said. “In many ways we are asking of our 120 county clerks, many of whom in very small counties that are resource-strapped to begin with, to participate in national defense.” Despite recent transfusions from the government for states to boost election security, the amount received by Kentucky represents only a fraction of the amount needed to upgrade the state’s voting infrastructure—somewhere between $60 to 80 million, Dearing said on Tuesday. By this year’s General Election, Kentucky will likely be one of only eight states in the country that use voting machines that don’t create a paper trail—an industry standard. Only five of the state’s 120 counties have full fleets of voting machines that create paper records of voting results. Buying voting machines is ultimately the responsibility of the 120 county governments around the state, most of which have been financially hamstrung by massive pension payments and other obligations in recent years. Dearing said with increased funding, the State Board of Elections would fund a new information security officer and IT training opportunities for county clerks who administer elections. The State Board of Elections received $4.2 million from the state this year. Dearing asked for $5.7 million and 5.8 million from the state over the next two years.
Read MoreNew legislation regarding legalizing industrial hemp was introduced in the Senate State Affairs Committee this morning; it was proposed by Sen. Abby Lee, R-Fruitland, and Rep. Caroline Nilsson Troy, R-Genesee. “I will assure you that should you choose to print this bill, we will have a robust discussion about this policy and opportunities in the state of Idaho,” Lee told the Senate committee. She noted that since the federal Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp in December of 2018, “We took a look at a couple of options last year and left without anything. Since that time, the governor has presented an executive order,” to allow interstate transport of industrial hemp through Idaho to and from states where it’s legal. “So currently that’s all we have,” Lee said. The new bill, she said, includes “some updates to that executive order, and some clarifications that I think would help our transporters, as well as specific direction to develop a state plan.” A state plan, to be developed by the state Department of Agriculture, would meet the requirements of the federal Farm Bill and also “identify a path for our growers to receive crop insurance and bank loans should they want to grow this. It also has an emergency clause to direct the state Department of Agriculture to being working on that state plan with our producers and other interested partners through negotiated rulemaking.” Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said, “Thank you, Sen. Lee, for your diligence and perseverence on this issue. Seems like it’d be a fairly simple thing to deal with, with the changes at the federal level, but it certainly hasn’t been. … I look forward to further discussions.”
Read MoreSome Baltimore County residents have complained for months of an overpowering stench coming from an industrial hemp farm. They said the odor would cling to their clothes, cause headaches and drift through open windows. The farm, tucked off Broadway Road between Greenspring Avenue and Falls Road, reeked from late July or early August and until early November, when the plant was harvested, and now nearby residents say they’re worried about the next growing season. Besides the smell, several neighbors said they worry about the possible health effects of inhaling the fumes from hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, but without the active ingredient of marijuana, that can be used in an array of commercial products, including clothing fibers and CBD oil. The neighbors, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were not opposed to industrial hemp. Rather, the group wants the county or the state to impose restrictions that would prohibit industrial hemp farming within 2 miles of a residential area. The Broadway farm is surrounded by suburban homes, just north of Stevenson, between Lutherville-Timonium and Owings Mills. The odor is “kind of a skunky marijuana smell,” said Mark Holland, a professor of biological sciences at Salisbury University.
Read MoreA proposal heading to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham would prohibit out-of-state residents from participating in New Mexico’s medical marijuana program. The legislation, Senate Bill 139, won House approval 44-19. It passed the Senate last week. Supporters of the bill said it would “fix” a change in state law enacted last year that opened the door for Texas residents and others who live outside New Mexico to get medical marijuana ID cards if they meet qualifying criteria. Rep. Deborah Armstrong, D-Albuquerque, presented the bill during Monday’s debate. She said more than 600 out-of-state residents have enrolled in New Mexico’s medical cannabis program. They will be able to keep their cannabis cards, she said, but wouldn’t be permitted to renew them when they expire. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque. The proposal triggered an unusual abstention this session. House Speaker Brian Egolf, D-Santa Fe, notified his colleagues last week that he wouldn’t cast a vote on the bill or participate in determining its committee assignments — because the legislation would affect a lawsuit he’s involved in as a private attorney. He wasn’t present on the House floor Monday when the bill was debated and passed. Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, presided over the House debate, sitting in the speaker’s chair during Egolf’s absence. It isn’t unusual for other members of the House to preside over debates periodically when Egolf is unavailable or wants to take a seat on the floor to participate in debate.
Read MoreMinnesota lawmakers are gearing up for a second round in the debate over using federal election security dollars, even as a major election year looms and state and local officials prepare for possible interference from hackers, foreign entities and purveyors of political disinformation. The state is able to tap nearly $7.4 million as part of a new batch of federal funding to secure state election systems through the Help America Vote Act. Republicans in the Senate, however, want to link the money to the adoption of a new provisional balloting system, which Democrats oppose. Under a new GOP bill, election officials must provide provisional ballots to voters who cannot verify their eligibility. That differs from existing law, under which voters are given regular ballots which can be counted unless otherwise successfully challenged. Republican Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, who authored the bill, said 47 other states have some form of provisional balloting, and she believes it should be part of the broader conversation about election security. "Too often people think of security as about a computer or about the internet; my statement is 'no.' Security is the whole system," said Kiffmeyer. "Everybody knows that when you do security in a business, wherever you do it, it's the people, it's the process. The equipment, of course, but it's all of that together, so this is part of what I consider the security of the system." Democrats in control of the House are pushing back, arguing Republicans are trying to use much-needed election security funding as a bargaining chip. "I think that any time that there are federal funds available to protect voters and protect our elections, to make that a bargaining tool is not a wise thing to do for the safety of our elections," said Rep. Raymond Dehn, DFL-Minneapolis, chairman of an elections committee in the House. The debate over the federal funding is shaping up to be a repeat of last year, when Democrats in control of the House and the Republican-led Senate spent all session arguing over whether to authorize the first round of election security funding from the federal government. Unlike most states, Minnesota law requires legislators to give approval before the secretary of state can access the funding. Last year, Kiffmeyer initially wanted to authorize the state to use only $1.5 million of a total $6.6 million that was available from the federal government. But in an end-of-session bargain, legislators finally agreed to let the state tap into the full amount. Minnesota, which was one of 21 states targeted by Russian-affiliated hackers in the 2016 election, was the last state in the nation to start using the security funding. Dehn said he's worried that handing some voters a provisional ballot instead of a regular one will suppress turnout. He also thinks it would violate the state's same-day voter registration law, which lets voters register at their polling places on Election Day if they can provide proof of residency. Minnesota law also allows an election judge or a voter to challenge another voter's eligibility if they have personal knowledge that a voter isn't eligible to vote. The debate is part of a broader push for voter verification from Republicans, who have alleged that ineligible voters are casting ballots in state elections. They are also pushing a new law to require a photo ID to vote, which voters rejected as a constitutional amendment in 2012. Election officials say there's no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Minnesota.
Read MoreAnxiety is rising over the possibility of another tech-induced meltdown at the Nevada Democratic caucuses on Saturday. In interviews, three caucus volunteers described serious concerns about rushed preparations for the Feb. 22 election, including insufficient training for a newly-adopted electronic vote-tally system and confusing instructions on how to administer the caucuses. There are also unanswered questions about the security of Internet connections at some 2,000 precinct sites that will transmit results to a central “war room” set up by the Nevada Democratic Party. Some volunteers who will help run caucuses at precinct locations said they have not been trained on iPads that the party purchased to enter and transmit vote counts. Party officials scrambled to streamline their vote reporting system — settling on Google forms accessible through a saved link on the iPads — after scrapping a pair of apps they’d been planning to use until a similar app caused the fiasco in Iowa two weeks ago. The volunteers also said the party has not provided sufficient training on how to use the Google form that will compile vote totals, a complicated process in a caucus. The concerns, which were described on condition of anonymity because the volunteers are not authorized to speak to reporters, come at a perilous moment for the Democratic Party. As the third state on the primary calendar and the first with a significant minority population, Nevada holds huge importance in the nomination contest. The debacle in Iowa cost one state party chairman his job and threatened the standing of the national party chairman, while casting doubts about whether the results from party-run caucuses can be trusted. Nevada Democratic officials insist they have everything under control. But a repeat of Iowa — or any kind of breakdown — would be disastrous. One volunteer who has worked on past caucuses in Nevada said the Google form that will be used to input vote totals wasn’t even mentioned during a training session for precinct chairs late last week. “We weren’t told at all about it,” the person said. The iPads weren’t discussed until more than halfway through the presentation, the volunteer said, when someone asked how early vote totals would be added to the totals compiled live at each precinct. The person leading the training said not to worry because the iPads would do the math for them. “There were old ladies looking at me like, ‘Oh, we’re going to have iPads,’” the volunteer told POLITICO. After sitting through the two-hour training session, the person predicted the caucus would be a “complete disaster.” Another volunteer, who will be in a senior position at a caucus site, said that as of Feb. 11 the party had failed to provide updated training sessions for caucus day to many people who’d been preparing to use the now-scrapped apps. Recently, the volunteer did take a refresher course for early voting, but it “diverged significantly” from the initial training. “We were practically starting from scratch,” the volunteer said.
Read MoreNevada Democrats have released a revamped plan for the Feb. 22 caucuses, adding measures intended to avoid a repeat of problems that ensnared Iowa's vote. But they will still rely on a complex process involving internet-connected iPads that is being rolled out to caucus organizers a little more than a week before voting. In a memo released Thursday, Nevada Democrats said there will be a two-step process for reporting results consisting of submissions made by phone and electronically. Caucus organizers will be relying on off-the-shelf Google data-management software to calculate and submit results electronically. The Google app and iPads are trusted commercial tech tools — a contrast to the newly developed app used in Iowa. “In choosing the best path forward our guiding principles have been security, efficiency and simplicity,” the party’s executive director, Alana Mounce, said in the memo. Election experts have warned that deploying new technology and making last-minute changes to the process without sufficient training and field testing increase confusion and the possibility of problems. They have also raised concerns about a lack of transparency over who is helping party officials develop some of the technology being used, which prevents scrutiny of their qualifications and security experience. “Very much like Iowa, this sounds like a tremendous amount of information coming relatively late in the game for fallible human beings in a complex environment,” said Eddie Perez, an election technology expert with the OSET Institute, a nonprofit that promotes reliable voting solutions. “And that creates risk for another process breakdown.” The stakes are high for Democrats after the meltdown of the Iowa caucuses and amid heightened concern of election security following Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential contest. As in Iowa, Nevada’s caucuses are run by the state party and not state and local election officials. Nevada Republicans do not have caucuses this year. The state party had to scramble to rework its process after jettisoning software made by the same developer whose mobile reporting app failed in Iowa. State party officials said they have been consulting with the Democratic National Committee, the Department of Homeland Security and technical experts. Party officials emphasized that no custom applications were built and instead the process relies on “off the shelf technology from Google” connected with forms and spreadsheets for convenience. They also said they alerted Google that they planned to use its programs. In recent days, volunteers who will be leading the Nevada caucuses had raised concerns that key information about the process had yet to be released and that there had been no hands-on training with the iPads they will be expected to use. In addition, they said there had been no opportunities to practice using what was then described as a “tool” for calculating results.
Read MoreA ransomware attack apparently corrupted some of the data at the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office in 2016, but state and federal officials were not told about the attack for years. The cyberattack — which became public this week after current Palm Beach County elections supervisor Wendy Sartory Link discussed it in a Palm Beach Post editorial board meeting — raises questions not only about what could happen if other elections offices across the state are hit with ransomware attacks, but also about whether the public would know if they were. Then-Gov. Rick Scott, who is now a U.S. senator, was not notified of the reported ransomware attack in 2016, his Senate office said. The Florida Department of State also said it was not told about the attack in 2016. The previously unreported incursion occurred in September 2016, Link told the Tampa Bay Times, under the watch of her predecessor, Susan Bucher. Link said she found out about the attack in November 2019 from one of her IT specialists after her former IT director had been fired. Link said she then reported the cyber incident to the state, the FBI and Homeland Security. Link said she has since been told the office had been infected with a type of ransomware known as a zepto virus. She said she did not believe the attack was tied to Russian interference efforts in the 2016 election. The Times was not able to reach Bucher on Thursday. In a Thursday interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Bucher, who was suspended in 2019 by Gov. Ron DeSantis after he said she failed to properly conduct recounts in the 2018 election, said she can “swear on a stack of Bibles” that the cyberattack described by her successor did not happen. Link, who was appointed by DeSantis to replace Bucher, said she has spoken with the fired IT director as well as employees in her office regarding the attack, saying they described seeing files that suddenly couldn’t be accessed or whose names had changed, and pop-up text boxes demanding payments in order to get the files back. She said employees described moving frantically to contain the infection, saying the IT director at the time screamed for employees to shut down the servers. Link said she does not believe any ransom was paid. She said the majority of files were able to be restored with backups. She was not able to say exactly which files were affected, but said she did not believe it impacted the voter registration system. Link said employees were recently able to find thousands of pages of code that had been printed out at the time of the virus. She said she sent those pages recently to the FBI. She also said her office has been working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to do a further review of her office’s systems ahead of the 2020 election.
Read MoreMinnesota House Democrats launched an attempt Thursday to prevent Republicans from blocking Secretary of State Steve Simon from spending $7.4 million in federal election security money, aiming to head off a repeat of partisan maneuvering from last year. Rep. Mike Freiberg, of Golden Valley, told a state government finance committee that Minnesota is one of only a handful of states that require the Legislature to sign off before elections officials can use federal money provided under the Help America Vote Act. His bill would eliminate the need for legislative approval. The latest round of federal funding was assigned in December. The federal government allocated Minnesota $6.6 million in the previous round in 2018 after Minnesota and other states' election systems were targeted by foreign hackers in 2016. The Democratic-controlled House authorized spending it by a wide bipartisan margin last year. But GOP Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, of Big Lake, a former secretary of state who chairs a key election committee, was blamed for stalling approval in the Republican-controlled Senate until the end of the 2019 session, despite repeated pleas by House Democratic leaders and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz. Simon, a Democrat, told the committee that the reasons for the holdup still remain unclear to him. He said he concluded that the money became "trade bait for an end-of-session deal that may or may not have even included elections." But, he said, the 16-month delay in final clearance put Minnesota's election security at risk. "There are things we can't do for the 2020 election that we could have done had we gotten this money on time," said Simon, who is using the money mostly for software updates to beef up security for the state's elections system. The committee approved the bill on a voice vote and sent it to its next committee stop. Kiffmeyer said in an interview that she didn't see any need for the legislation and disputed that there was any holdup last year. She said Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka promised that the money would be released by the end of the session, and it was. A similar bill introduced in the Senate this week would have to get through Kiffmeyer's committee.
Read MoreLegalizing marijuana in New Mexico won’t happen this year, despite the governor strongly supporting the move. Late Wednesday night, two Democrat lawmakers joined Republicans in a 6-4 vote to table Senate Bill 115. The measure would have sheltered the state’s medical cannabis program and expunged convictions from people’s criminal records for having small amounts of pot. Lawmakers spent a lot of time debating the controversial bill and with the clock ticking to get it through both chambers, some lawmakers are doubtful. “Legalizing marijuana is way too big of a bill that impacts all of New Mexico and society to do in eight days. The Governor completely mishandled this issue- there was an opportunity last year to do a bipartisan, bicameral effort but the governor has really turned this into a political and fundraising effort that I think has created a lot of tension in this issue and has really sabotaged it,” said Sen. Mark Moores of Albuquerque. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says legalization would have helped the state’s economy. The vote leaves little to no chance of reviving the bill before the end of the session next week. The governor issued a statement saying she’s disappointed but her administration will keep working to get it done. Even if Senate Bill 115 would have passed its second committee Wednesday, there would have been a long way to go before it can reach the Senate floor. It still needed to travel through one more committee, then it would head to the House for a similar process. One of the bill’s sponsors was still holding out hope late Wednesday. “It’s very late in the session so it’s going to be very hard to get it through both houses this late but every different legislator we could expose to what we’re trying to do and educate them on why it’s so crucial and something should be done about this I think is a step in the right direction,” said Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque.
Read MoreVirginia seems poised to decriminalize marijuana. The Democratic-controlled Virginia Senate approved a bill on Tuesday that would eliminate jail time for simple marijuana possession, leaving only a civil penalty with a fine in place for the first offense. On Monday, the Virginia House approved a largely similar bill to decriminalize cannabis. The two legislative bodies will now have to reconcile the small differences between their bills in conference. Gov. Ralph Northam has vowed to sign a decriminalization bill into law, previously making the issue a priority for the year. That’s different from marijuana legalization. Under decriminalization, penalties carrying jail or prison time are removed, but lower-level penalties, like a fine, remain in place and sales remain illegal. Under legalization, all penalties for marijuana possession are removed, and sales are typically allowed. Some opponents of legalization favor decriminalization as a step toward peeling back America’s harsh drug and criminal justice policies. They see “tough on crime” policies as too punitive and costly, but they don’t want to resort to full legalization, which they fear would make pot too accessible in the US and allow big corporations to sell and market the drug irresponsibly. The concern for legalization advocates is that decriminalization keeps the ban on selling marijuana, which means users wouldn’t have a legal source for the drug, and criminal organizations would therefore still have a source of revenue that they can use for violent operations around the world. The fines, while less punitive than arrests or prison time, can also cause problems, since they’re often applied in a racially disparate manner. Some activists, including the Virginia chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, oppose the decriminalization measure on similar grounds: They fear that the bill doesn’t do enough to dismantle the status quo of prohibition, preferring lawmakers legalize outright instead of taking smaller steps. But state lawmakers and other activists argued that some progress is better than none. So after Democrats this year took control of Virginia’s legislature for the first time in decades, they moved to decriminalize.
Read MoreMaine lawmakers are going to consider a proposal from state regulators to exempt trade secrets, security and operating procedures provided to the state by marijuana business from its public records law. The state legalized recreational marijuana via a public vote in 2016, and the first legal marijuana businesses are expected to open this spring. The new proposal to conceal industry information from public records is from the state’s Office of Marijuana Policy, which has shepherded rules and regulations about legalization. State regulators believe the exemptions would protect proprietary information, such as the recipe for an edible marijuana product, from landing in the lap of competitors, the Portland Press Herald reports. Marijuana office spokesman David Heidrich said the Legislature will be tasked with determining “whether the benefits of exemption outweigh the inability for public review.”
Read MoreSenate Republicans blocked an effort by Democrats to unanimously pass three election security-related bills Tuesday, marking the latest attempt to clear legislation ahead of the November elections. Democrats tried to get consent to pass two bills that require campaigns to alert the FBI and Federal Election Commission (FEC) about foreign offers of assistance, as well as legislation to provide more election funding and ban voting machines from being connected to the internet. But Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) opposed each of the requests. Under the Senate's rules, any one senator can ask for unanimous consent to pass a bill, but any one senator can object and block their requests. Blackburn accused Democrats of trying to move the bills knowing that GOP lawmakers would block them and giving them fodder for fundraising efforts. “They are attempting to bypass this body’s Rules Committee on behalf of various bills that will seize control over elections from the states and take it from the states and where do they want to put it? They want it to rest in the hands of Washington, D.C., bureaucrats,” she said. Election security has become a point of contention during the Trump era. House Democrats have passed several election-related bills, including a sweeping ethics and election reform measure, but they've hit a wall in the GOP-controlled Senate. A release from Democrats this week that blasted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for a "legislative graveyard" included a list of 10 election security-related bills that have stalled in the upper chamber. Senate Democrats have tried repeatedly during the past year to try to bring up election security bills on the floor without success. The latest attempt comes as Democrats are embroiled in their own days-long scandal after an app malfunctioned, throwing the Iowa caucuses into chaos. The snag was not due to a hack or cyberattack, but a "coding issue," according to the Iowa Democratic Party. It also comes as Democrats are turning their attention to the 2020 election after the months-long impeachment battle, as they try to find ways to pressure GOP senators to buck President Trump. The New Hampshire primary is underway Tuesday, and voters in both Nevada and South Carolina are expected to head to the polls this month. "The current president of the United States, far from having the same fears about foreign interference as our founders, has been very public about his openness to foreign assistance and manipulation in support of his election," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "The president was just impeached over this issue, and the Senate just concluded a trial in which it appeared a bipartisan majority of senators broadly accepted the fact that the president leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars of military assistance to Ukraine to compel its government to investigate one of his political rivals," he added. Trump has denied wrongdoing in his dealings with Ukraine, with the administration arguing he was concerned about corruption and cost-sharing with other European countries. Several GOP senators who voted to acquit Trump on House-passed articles of impeachment also described the president's conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky as "shameful" and "inappropriate."
Read MoreThe fiasco caused by an app that failed to properly transmit votes in the Iowa caucuses is worrying the mobile voting industry, which hoped 2020 would be a banner year. Companies — and proponents of incorporating more technology into elections — are trying to avoid being lumped in with the hastily made app used in Iowa. They’re saying its failure proves serious investment in user-friendly, secure election technology is more critical than ever. “We need to ensure that every new idea is tested, transparent and secure — just like the eight successful mobile voting pilots conducted to date,” Bradley Tusk, the founder and CEO of Tusk Philanthropies, said in a statement. “Enough is enough. 2016 should have been enough of a wake-up call. Iowa just confirmed it.” Tusk Philanthropies has funded pilots for mobile voting across the country, launched in a push to increase participation in elections. Unlike the app used in Iowa, which was developed to relay vote counts, the pilots use technologies that allow voters to easily vote from their mobile phones. So far, the pilots have largely been limited to eligible uniformed and overseas voters and voters with disabilities. But any expansion is sure to fall under an even more critical spotlight. Any malfunction — or hack — of an app used directly for voting in 2020 could have far greater impact in undermining public faith in the Democratic process than one Democratic caucus gone wrong. “I think [Iowa] really set back mobile voting, maybe even by a number of years,” Maurice Turner, an election security expert at the Center for Democracy & Technology, told me. “Because what voters and officials and the press see is this is a failure of new tech. Most people aren't going to appreciate that this is a caucus app, that this was procured by the party and developed in secret.” Voatz, a mobile election platform used in many pilots, is stressing that difference in its public messaging — insisting it had never heard of the app used in Iowa until it flopped. “We are also committed to transparency which is why we were one of the first elections companies in the world to invite the research community to help test our technology through our public bug bounty program,” the company said in a statement. Votes cast on the app are encrypted and stored on a blockchain that election officials can access. Voatz also highlighted that it voluntarily worked with the Department of Homeland Security after Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) called on intelligence agencies to audit the app in the fall. Still, Iowa could have a chilling effect on any election officials still on the fence about whether to adopt such technology.
Read MoreDonald Trump has released what may be the last budget proposal of his presidency, and the contents are predictably unsettling. The spending cuts he has proposed are plentiful, and they are steep; they would knife what’s left of the American welfare state to the bone. Trump wants to cut $2.8 billion in homelessness-assistance grants, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, and $292 billion overall from Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known to most as food stamps. By changing eligibility standards for certain disability benefits, the White House hopes to save the government another $70 billion. Trump does not universally apply this penchant for austerity. The tax cuts he imposed in 2017, which almost exclusively benefited the nation’s richest households, would become permanent. He would increase the budgets of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Homeland Security, and he wants another $2 billion for his border wall, a perennial object of fixation. Democrats in Congress probably won’t help him chase that particular white whale. Many of his cuts, in fact, are unlikely to pass Congress, and for this, low-income voters can give some thanks. But there are ways for Trump to shrink the welfare state by going around Congress. The USDA’s proposed changes to eligibility standards for food stamps, which would cut over 3 million people total from the program, are proof. His budget only clarifies the stakes of the general election. If Trump were ever to impose a fraction of the cuts he has repeatedly proposed, the most vulnerable people in the country would have to absorb losses they are ill equipped to endure. Even if Trump loses reelection, his budgets would retain a certain power. Examined for what they are — dispatches from the fantasy life of a Republican president — they are meaningful. Trump’s budget priorities do occasionally alienate his fellow Republicans. In past years, he put forward proposals to cancel funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which exists to support economic development in the Appalachian region. Republicans were not amused. “It’s true that the president won his election in rural country. I would really like to see him climb aboard the ARC vehicle as a way to help us help ourselves,” Congressman Hal Rogers, a Republican who represents coal counties in eastern Kentucky, told Reuters at the time. No Republican, no matter how loyal he may be to Trump, wants to go home to his constituents and explain why their grant money vanished. In most respects, though, Trump’s fiscal sense is fully in line with that of his party. They share a hostility toward welfare spending and to the people who rely on it to survive. Trump’s demeanor may be unusual for a president, but Ronald Reagan would recognize the beliefs behind the 45th president’s budgets.
Read MoreThe Virginia Senate approved a bill on Tuesday to decriminalize possession of marijuana. This comes one day after the House of Delegates passed similar cannabis decriminalization legislation. Given that Gov. Ralph Northam (D) supports the change, it is all but certain that the state will soon become the 27th in the U.S. to remove the threat of jail time for low-level marijuana possession. The Senate version, SB 2, would make possession of up to one ounce a civil penalty punishable by a $50 fine and no jail time. Current policy stipulates that possession is punishable by a maximum $500 fine and up to 30 days in jail. It would also raise the threshold for what’s considered distribution or possession with intent to distribute from a half ounce to an ounce. An expungement provision that was initially included in the legislation was removed in committee and incorporated into a wide-ranging expungements bill that was also approved in a floor vote on Tuesday. The chamber also unanimously passed another bill to formally legalize possession of CBD and THC-A medial cannabis preparations that are recommended by a doctor, as opposed to simply regulating it and offering patients an affirmative defense, which is the current policy. The Senate vote on decriminalization was 27-13. “We all know, whatever our views are on this bill, that prohibition on cannabis in this country has failed and in the Commonwealth as well,” Sen. Adam Ebbin (D), the legislation’s lead sponsor said ahead of the vote. A floor amendment that would have prevented the oder of marijuana from being used as a justification for police searches was rejected. Another amendment to allow people to do five hours of community service in place of paying fines was approved, however. “Virginia made history this week with both the House and Senate voting to decriminalize personal possession of marijuana, and the Senate approving a measure to legalize the state’s nascent medical cannabis program,” Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, told Marijuana Moment, adding that the Commonwealth “will become the 27th state to decriminalize marijuana.” “These victories come after years of dedicated work by Virginia NORML and unrelenting advocacy by NORML members to build bipartisan support for common sense reforms,” Pedini said. While the decriminalization bill is largely similar to what the House approved on Monday, there are a few differences that will have to be resolved in a conference committee where lawmakers will merge the two versions into one unified proposal to send to Northam for his signature. The House version would impose a $25 fine for possession of up to a half ounce, and it contains provisions allowing for criminal records to be sealed for marijuana-related offenses. The bills also treat juvenile offenses differently. Last week, the Senate also passed a separate resolution calling for the formation of a joint commission to “study and make recommendations for how Virginia should go about legalizing and regulating the growth, sale, and possession of marijuana by July 1, 2022 and address the impacts of marijuana prohibition.” That’s a key step if Virginia hopes to build on decriminalization and the limited medical cannabis program by pursuing adult-use legalization down the line. The legislature generally insists on studies prior to enacting such bold reform, and this resolution included a specific deadline to ensure that a review is ready in time for lawmakers to act on legalization in the 2021 session. While Northam campaigned on decriminalization and included the policy proposal in his State of the Commonwealth address last month, he hasn’t come out in favor of recreational legalization yet. “Passing decriminalization in both the House and the Senate is a really important first step in the right direction on Virginia’s journey towards legal and regulated adult use, but this cannot be the end. We must keep going because the work is not done,” Attorney General Mark Herring (D) said in a press release. “For too long, Virginia’s approach to cannabis has needlessly saddled Virginians, especially African Americans and people of color, with criminal records but with these votes that is finally coming to an end. I want to thank my colleagues in both the House and the Senate for joining me in making this issue a priority and I look forward to seeing the progress we can make in the coming years.”
Read MoreMinutes after House members voted 54-12 Tuesday afternoon for legalizing low-THC hemp in South Dakota, the top elected lawmaker on the other side of the Capitol already knew where he plans to send it. “It’d be my intention at this point to put it in Ag and Natural Resources,” Senator Brock Greenfield, a Clark Republican, said. As president pro tem, he is responsible for deciding the best Senate committee for each bill. “Last year that’s the committee that I assigned it to,” Greenfield continued. “It’s obviously an ag issue. I know that it has broader ramifications, and it holds a lot of promise for the state, but I think this is an issue best addressed by the agricultural experts, and most of them rest on the Ag and Natural Resources Committee.” Governor Kristi Noem used her veto last year to stop a somewhat similar version of the hemp legislation from becoming state law. The difference this session is the Legislature’s top Republicans and Democrats agreed to meet key conditions the Republican governor laid down in January. House Republican leader Lee Qualm of Platte was the only representative to speak about HB 1008 on the House floor Tuesday before the vote. He said it wasn’t a perfect bill because there is no perfect bill. “But it does what we need to do to move forward and grow hemp in this state,” Qualm told House members. He said afterward he didn’t expect to be the only House member to talk. “I guess I was a little surprised at that. I expected somebody to get up and speak, but we’ve been discussing this now for two years, extensively. It’s been talked about so much. We’ve talked about it in our caucuses, as to what the bill stood for, what was in there. I think everybody just knew it, and there really was no reason to go any further.” Qualm said he spoke with Rep. Oren Lesmeister, a Parade Democrat who sponsored the 2019 legislation. They agreed Lesmeister shouldn’t get up unless something negative surfaced. The House has 59 Republicans and 11 Democrats.
Read MorePresident Trump proposed ending an existing policy that protects state medical marijuana programs from Justice Department interference as part of his fiscal year 2021 budget plan released on Monday. The rider, which has been renewed in appropriations legislation every year since 2014, stipulates the the Justice Department can’t use its funds to prevent states or territories “from implementing their own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of medical marijuana.” This isn’t the first time that an administration has requested that the rider be stricken. Trump’s last two budgets omitted the medical cannabis protections language, and President Obama similarly asked for the policy to be removed. In all cases, Congress has ignored those requests and renewed the protections in spending bills. During last year’s appropriations season, the House approved an even more expansive amendment that would have provided protections for all state and territory marijuana programs, rather than just medical cannabis systems. But the Senate did not follow suit and the provision was not included in final fiscal year 2020 legislation sent to Trump’s desk. When Trump signed that large-scale spending legislation in December, he attached a statement that said he is empowered to ignore the congressionally approved medical cannabis rider, stating that the administration “will treat this provision consistent with the President’s constitutional responsibility to faithfully execute the laws of the United States.” Cannabis is also mentioned in several other places in Trump’s new budget proposal for next year. For example, it contains another long-standing rider that blocks Washington, D.C. from using local tax dollars to legalize marijuana sales. Separately, the plan requests that funds be set aside to help the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) invest “in priority activities,” including the “regulation of cannabis and cannabis derivatives.” FDA is actively developing regulations for CBD since hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. “FDA recognizes the potential opportunities that cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds may offer, and acknowledges the significant interest in these possibilities,” the agency said in a summary. “FDA is aware that companies market products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds in ways that violate the law and may put consumer health and safety at risk.” “Questions remain regarding the safety of these compounds,” it continued. “FDA is committed to protecting the public health and improving regulatory pathways for the lawful marketing of cannabis and cannabis-derived products within the agency’s jurisdiction.” FDA said it was important to fund these regulatory efforts because it’s an example of an issue with “rising public health needs as growing markets outpace increases to Agency resources.” The agency requested $5 million to “continue enforcing the law to protect patients and the public while also providing potential regulatory pathways, to the extent permitted by law, for products containing cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds.” “FDA is seeing a significant increase in activity relating to the marketing of unlawful cannabis-derived products, especially those containing cannabidiol (CBD), since the Farm Bill passed. In many cases, product developers make unproven claims to treat serious or life-threatening diseases, and patients may be misled to forgo otherwise effective, available therapy and opt instead for a product that has no proven value or may cause them serious harm.”
Read MoreAs Connecticut lawmakers take another crack at legalizing marijuana and Gov. Ned Lamont moves to establish a regulatory apparatus, supporters are running into opposition from manufacturers and defense contractors alarmed that employees, with cannabis in their systems, could show up for work off their game. Kevin Graney, president of Electric Boat, was the most recent executive to weigh in. “For me, it’s a nonstarter,” he said at the submarine manufacturer’s annual meeting to provide its outlook for the year. “I want to make sure that people coming to work on a daily basis are completely capable of doing that job, and we are very, very focused on safety. “The ships that we build go down to great depths with nuclear reactors … and more importantly our precious sailors,” Graney said. “For me, there’s no equivocating about it. I’m against it for those reasons.” State Rep. Holly Cheeseman, R-East Lyme, an opponent of legalized marijuana, asked Graney for his opinion. In an interview, she said that because manufacturing is a strong sector in Connecticut’s weak economy, lawmakers must consider the possible impact of marijuana on the workplace. “This is something we have to consider if it affects a bright spot in Connecticut,” Cheeseman said. Rep. Josh Elliott, D-Hamden, a backer of legalized marijuana, dismissed that argument. “I think it’s a legitimate concern if someone comes to work impaired,” he said. “With liquor, you don’t go to work drunk.” Eleven states and Washington, D.C., have legalized small amounts of marijuana for adult recreational use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Connecticut established a medical marijuana program in 2012. Defense contractors such as Electric Boat have another reason to oppose legalized marijuana. They are required to operate a workplace free of controlled substances under a1988 federal law. Many employees are required to have security clearances for their jobs and may not use or possess cannabis.
Read MoreJohn Fuller is waiting for another farmer he’s never met before to talk about a situation he never imagined he would be in. It’s an overcast January day on his farm in west Kentucky, where he grew 18 acres of hemp last year, investing more than $250,000 of his own cash. He’s one of nearly 1,000 licensed hemp growers in 2019 who helped grow Kentucky’s biggest hemp crop since the state reintroduced it, trying to cash in on what could be a $1 billion industry for CBD products made from hemp. But now, Fuller is wondering how much of that investment he’ll get back. “There’s some pirates that are out here. Just pirates. Us trying to get with a good, ethical processor has been a real, real challenge for us,” Fuller said. Later that morning, Bobby Huff arrives after driving more than two hours from Clinton County. By coincidence, both men are pharmacists turned hemp farmers, who saw potential in the alleged medicinal properties of CBD.
Read MoreThe century-old tobacco barn on the Herbert farm on Depot Road looks like dozens of others around town, but it’s what is inside that makes it different. Hanging on racks from one end of the barn to the other and three levels high is the output of the Herbert family’s first foray into the cultivation of hemp. “Holy smokes!” exclaimed Christopher Verni while walking into the barn for the first time. Verni, chief operations officer with Northwest Cultivation, a Connecticut hemp nursery that worked with the Herberts, was clearly impressed with their first crop. “There is a lot of product here,” he said. Michael A. Herbert, who with his father, Stephen J. Herbert, make up the father-son team behind Urban Grown Inc. of Hadley, said their first time growing hemp went pretty well, and they expect to turn a modest profit from it. “This was a big season,” he said. “It definitely was a very good season.”
Read MoreEight counties in the state have not completed all parts of an election security directive issued last year by Ohio's secretary of state. The directive issued by Republican Frank LaRose required all boards of elections in Ohio's 88 counties to complete a comprehensive security checklist intended to strengthen Ohio's election system infrastructure. The. deadline was Jan. 31, 2020.
Read MoreRICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - This year, Virginia will not join the list of states that have legalized marijuana but the idea of decriminalizing possession is gaining momentum. This week, a committee voted to send the proposal to the House of Delegates. Friday, lawmakers will begin debating it. It’s become the topic of conversation in the Commonwealth. Will the General Assembly, made up of a majority of Democrats, reform Virginia’s marijuana laws? Right now, a person who is found with half an ounce of the drug can be jailed for up to 30 days and/or fined $500. The second time it happens, jail time is increased up to a year and the fine increases up to $2,500. "The amount of arrests and prosecutions of African-Americans with simple marijuana possession is 3x that of their white counterparts,” said Delegate Charniele Herring. Herring believes the penalty of the misdemeanor offense is having a negative impact on far too many. "It ends up on your criminal record. It can affect employment, as well as getting housing,” she added. It’s why the majority leader proposed House Bill 972. That would strike any jail time for having half an ounce of marijuana. Offenders would only have to pay a $25 penalty. Those who want marijuana legalized have issues with that proposal. The ACLU says it’s “not enough”. The group believes it contributes to over-incarceration if an offender can’t pay the $25 penalty. Right now, Virginia lawmakers sent the idea of legalization to a non-partisan committee to study, and Herring says that the study could take a year. The results may give lawmakers guidance on whether they want to re-visit legalization in 2021. "If we could have a good regulatory environment for it and make sure that we are protecting the public safety, I have no opposition to legalization, but that’s why we sent it to a study to make sure we have the proper construct,” Herring added.
Read MoreOLYMPIA – People may be allowed to grow up to six of their own cannabis plants and up to 15 plants per household if the Legislature passes House Bill 1131 or its companion, Senate Bill 5155. Under current law, people can obtain prescriptions for medical marijuana to grow up to 15 plants at home. But the proposed bills, sponsored by Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen in the house and Sen. Maureen Walsh, R-Walla-Walla in the Senate, would extend similar home-grow ability to recreational users. According to a House Appropriations Committee staff report, retail cannabis sales in the fiscal year of 2019 produced around $387 million in tax revenue for the state. The same report claimed that a 1-percent reduction in sales of dry bud, the same as what would be produced by home growers, would cost the state close to $2 million in revenue. Ian Eisenberg, founding member of the Craft Cannabis Coalition and co-owner of Uncle Ike’s dispensary in Seattle, testified to the the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 5 in favor of the bill. Eisenberg said as a marijuana retailer he is not threatened by home-growers. He believes the number of people who will commit to home-growing will be negligible. “Many of us have hobby home vegetable gardens, but it doesn’t affect what we buy from the grocery stores,” Eisenberg argued. “If anything, I appreciate what is available in the stores and buy more of it.” Eisenberg said it is easy and cheap to buy cannabis at a retail store, especially when compared to the time and monetary investment it takes to grow your own. He said growing marijuana requires specialized lights and equipment and is a time-consuming process. Eisenberg claimed the state has the cheapest and highest-quality retail cannabis in the country, even after the 47 percent state tax. “There is no way a home-grow could ever touch this,” he argued. James McMahan, policy director for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, testified against the bill. McMahan believes it could increase burglary and home invasion as people may try to steal the valuable home-grown crops. McMahan also argued that home-growers who do not consume all of their cannabis may be compelled to contribute to the marijuana black market, depriving the state of revenue from the sales tax. Seth Dawson of the Washington Association for Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention was worried about the potential for increased youth access to cannabis. Dawson was also concerned the legislation would allow marijuana to be grown, produced and consumed without regulations related to safety. The legislation would require that plants and marijuana produced from the plants be marked with the person’s name, date of birth, address, planting date, and harvest date.
Read MoreCritics have taken pot shots at Colorado’s cannabis laws since voters there became the first in the nation to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012. Now, a pair of activists want to scrap the system entirely, erasing all mention of adult-use cannabis from the state Constitution. A newly filed proposed ballot initiative would repeal the section of the Colorado Constitution that says cannabis “should be legal for persons twenty-one years of age or older and taxed in a manner similar to alcohol.” The measure, submitted to state officials for review last month, would not change Colorado laws concerning medical cannabis or industrial hemp, both of which are also legal in the state. The long-shot effort seems unlikely to pass, at least in its current form. The proposal as submitted last month is four sentences long and appears to leave key questions unanswered. But the would-be initiative is nevertheless an indication of the ongoing frustration felt by those who believe communities would be better off under prohibition. The full text of the proposal is as follows: The people of Colorado declare that the recreational use of marijuana is a matter of statewide concern. Article XVIII, Section 16 of the Colorado Constitution (Personal Use and Regulation of Marijuana) is repealed.Laws regarding medical marijuana and industrial hemp are not changed. This amendment is effective upon the official declaration of the vote hereon by the Governor pursuant to Section 1(4) of Article V of the Colorado Constitution. The initiative was submitted to the state last month by Mary Lou Mosely of Denver and Willard Behm, a lawyer in Rocky Ford. Neither responded to telephone messages left by Marijuana Moment on Thursday morning. Legalization advocates are downplaying any threat posed by the measure, saying there’s no evidence to support the idea that voters want to reverse course. “We view this initiative as a deeply misguided and futile attempt to roll back a successful legalization policy that Coloradans firmly support,” Matthew Schweich, deputy director of Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), told Marijuana Moment. “This initiative would kill jobs, destroy businesses, deprive the state of tax revenue, and restore the injustice of prohibition.” “We are confident that Colorado voters would firmly reject it,” Schweich added. “But we will not be complacent. If this initiative qualifies for the ballot, the marijuana reform movement will make sure that there is a strong and well-funded campaign to defeat it.” A 2016 poll commissioned by MPP found that only 36% of voters supported reversing legalization in Colorado.The group’s communications director, Violet Cavendish, said she’s unaware of any more recent polling on the issue but added that studies out of other states, such as Washington, which began legal sales just months after Colorado did, suggest that residents of legal-cannabis states are broadly happy with the decision to legalize.
Read MoreMANCHESTER, New Hampshire — The long-delayed Iowa caucus results denied Sen. Bernie Sanders the big victory speech he was hoping to make on Monday night. But Sanders was ready to declare victory on Thursday, even without all the results in. “We won an eight-person election by some 6,000 votes, that is not going to be changed,” Sanders told reporters Thursday afternoon, downplaying other traditional metrics for winning the state in which he did not lead. That wasn’t the only thing he had to say. Sanders blasted the chaos and confusion in Iowa. “I really do feel bad for the people of Iowa,” Sanders said. “What has happened with the Iowa Democratic Party is an outrage. That they were that unprepared, that they put forth such a complicated process, relied on untested technology ... There is very little doubt that what happened on Monday night — that complicated process, that is never, ever going to happen again.” And for some Sanders supporters, the Iowa aftermath confirmed a belief they’ve held since 2016: that the Democratic Party just didn’t want to give their candidate a win.“I felt like it was expected; no matter what, they weren’t going to let Bernie win,” said supporter Robert Cromer, who traveled to Milford from his home state of New York to see Sanders speak. It wasn’t just Sanders die-hards who were suspicious. The lack of hard numbers in Iowa on Wednesday night allowed confusion to run amok: Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg declared himself “victorious” before any of the results were released, and Sanders declared victory on Thursday, based on the fact he won the popular vote in the state. Former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign openly questioned the validity of the process, after he came in fourth place in the caucuses. “We have real concerns with the integrity of the process,” Biden’s communications director Kate Bedingfield told CNN. “There were some significant failures in the process last night that should give voters concern.” The Iowa caucuses Monday night were marked by widespread chaos: precinct captains trying to report their numbers had to deal with a new, glitchy app and jammed phone lines when that app failed in some precincts. It took a full 24 hours for 71 percent of the vote to come in. Those numbers showed Sanders winning the popular vote in the state, but coming in razor-thin second in the state delegate equivalent count behind Buttigieg. “I think it’s embarrassing for the Democratic Party,” said Bernie Sanders supporter Laura Gurney of Nashua. “This is such a shitshow. We’ve been fighting against the mainstream for a long time, it’s clear we’re not part of their party.”
Read More— A DHS official shed more light on the department’s communications with the Iowa Democratic Party over testing a vote-counting app that misfired in this week’s caucuses. — A Senate panel report on the Obama administration’s handling of 2016 Russian election interference received, shall we say… differing reactions from Democrats and Republicans. — The vice chairman of the House Science Committee proposed electricity grid security legislation this week that gives DOE a list of tasks. ABOUT THAT DHS SHADOW APP CONSULT — A DHS official spoke with MC on Thursday about what exactly the department offered to the Iowa Democratic Party regarding its caucus vote-tabulating app, an issue that has generated some back-and-forth after the messy result reporting this week. To recap: Acting Secretary Chad Wolf said DHS had offered to have CISA test the Shadow Inc. app “from a hacking perspective,” but the party “declined.” Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said, “We have no knowledge of DHS making that offer to us.” The DHS official told MC that CISA approached Iowa Democrats via the DNC sometime in the fall of 2019. The approach was typical of how CISA approaches other political entities and state and local officials; it informs them of the various resources it offers and lets them choose, the DHS official said. The Iowa Democratic Party told DHS it thought that CISA could be of the greatest assistance by supporting a tabletop exercise via the Harvard University Belfer Center, home of the Defending Digital Democracy initiative. The app figured into that exercise, including crisis communications planning should the app fail to work due to some malicious attack. (The official would not comment on whom, specifically, DHS spoke to at the Iowa Democratic Party.) “It’s not like they flat out said, ‘We don't want this,’” the DHS official said of the offer to vet the app. Rather, the Iowa Democratic Party answered that it thought “the tabletop exercise would help us the most.” It wouldn’t be fair to say DHS had any concerns about the app because they hadn’t seen it, the official said. And although the Iowa caucuses have been broadly panned as a debacle, the DHS official saw a silver lining. “In the end, of the many lessons we can take and apply, the fact that they had resilience and a transparent process with paper records, that was really critical,” the official said. Given the lack of evidence of any hack, the official said, “there doesn’t appear to be any reason or need” for further DHS investigation. The DHS official spoke to MC the same day that top GOP House committee leaders criticized Shadow for “choosing not to test” the app pre-rollout. The Government Accountability Office also faulted CISA for “urgently needed” election security plans not yet in place for the 2020 elections.
Read MoreElection officials are holding a cyber-drill called "Operation Blackout New Hampshire" with teams of hackers and homeland security to prepare for any possible election day trouble.
Read MoreThe New Hampshire Senate approved a bill Thursday that would allow medical marijuana patients and caregivers to cultivate their own cannabis. While medical cannabis was legalized in the state in 2013, growing the plant for personal use is currently considered a felony offense. The Senate agreed to change that policy, passing a home grow bill in a voice vote. The legislation — designated as SB 420, perhaps in a legislative staffer’s nod to cannabis culture — would let registered patients and caregivers cultivate up to three mature plants, three immature plants, and 12 seedlings each. Both the House and Senate approved similar legislation last year, but it was vetoed by Governor Chris Sununu. The House mustered enough votes to override the veto, but the Senate came just three votes short of being able to do the same. “This bill presents Gov. Sununu with a great opportunity to continue his evolution on cannabis policy,” Matt Simon, New England political director of the Marijuana Policy Project, said in a press release. “Patients all over New Hampshire are benefitting from cannabis as an alternative to opioids, but many are unable to afford the expensive products that are available at dispensaries.” “Home cultivation is a cost-effective option that is available to patients and adults in all neighboring jurisdictions, and there is no good reason it should remain a crime for patients in the ‘Live Free or Die’ state,” he said. Prior to the vote, three senators spoke in favor of the legislation, and none spoke out against it. The bill now heads to the House. But while advocates consider the vote a positive step, it still faces obstacles ahead. “The fact that no senators spoke against SB 420 is an encouraging development, but patients aren’t out of the woods yet,” Simon told Marijuana Moment. “Patients will either have to convince Sununu to evolve or gain a few votes in the Senate if SB 420 is to become law,” he said. Meanwhile, the Legislature is also considering a bill that would legalize marijuana for adult use in the state — though it would not provide for retail sales. The non-commercial legalization legislation was approved by a House committee last month. Lawmakers are hoping that removing the sales element of a legalization bill will be more palatable to the governor, who has said he opposes full-scale commercial legalization. A full tax-and-regulate marijuana legalization bill did pass the House last year, but after receiving a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, it ultimately stalled and died. However, Sununu did sign a modest decriminalization measure last year.
Read MoreHB1008B, a bill to legalize the growth and transportation of hemp in South Dakota cleared the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee Thursday morning. The bill was heavily amended by Governor Kristi Noem’s office before being passed on an 11 yes, 2 excused vote. HB1008B will now be sent to the full House for debate. House Majority Leader Lee Qualm says he feels ‘really good’ about the current bill but added that there’s still work to be done. Governor Noem vetoed a similar bill in 2019, saying that the legalization of hemp production in South Dakota was a ‘gateway’ to legalizing marijuana. She agreed to partner with lawmakers this year provided that the bill include what she referred to as her “Four Guardrails.” The amended bill covers three of the four guardrails, with the exception of the ‘funding’ component, requiring roughly $3.5 million in funds without specifying where that funding will come from. According to Committee Chair Thomas Brunner (R-Dist 29), the bill was being ‘held hostage’. Several members of the committee expressed similar frustrations over how the state would fund hemp testing and transportation if HB1008 were to fail to pass. Acknowledging those concerns, Qualm told reporters afterwards that the bill still had work to be done, but that he was confident it would receive a favorable reception on the full floor of the House.
Read MoreA South Dakota legislative committee on Thursday unanimously approved a bill to allow industrial hemp production in the state. The proposal, which passed in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee, would legalize and regulate the growth, processing and transportation of hemp in the state. Passage would leave Idaho and Mississippi as the only states with no hemp-production laws on the books. The South Dakota bill’s advancement to the House floor marked progress on an issue that divided legislators and Gov. Kristi Noem last year. The Republican governor vetoed a bill in 2019 that would have allowed industrial hemp production. She originally vowed to veto again this year because she says hemp legalization could lead to the legalization of marijuana, but she changed her mind just before the session began. House Republican Leader Lee Qualm introduced this year’s bill and expects it to pass in the state House of Representatives.
Read MoreRhode Island lawmakers voted Tuesday to give back the final say over state cannabis regulations that they gave themselves last summer, backing down from a power struggle with Gov. Gina Raimondo’s over the licensing of six new medical marijuana dispensaries. The House and Senate passed identical bills in unanimous votes, removing the “legislative veto” language over medical marijuana and hemp regulations that was included in this year’s state budget. There was no debate. The bills now go to Raimondo, who will probably sign them Wednesday, her spokesman Josh Block said. Left out of the bills passed Tuesday were provisions in the original legislation — introduced by House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio — that would have explicitly given new dispensaries the ability to grow their own product. Raimondo’s proposed regulations for the new dispensaries would make them retail only, unlike the state’s three existing dispensaries, which are allowed to grow their products. Mattiello and Ruggerio called Raimondo’s restrictions on new dispensaries — including the ban on growing — a “blatant overreach” of her power. Their original legislation would have also prevented her Department of Business Regulation from dividing the new dispensary licenses up into three geographic areas within the state, from limiting the number of patients a caregiver can have and from requiring a market analysis of the medical marijuana industry. The Raimondo administration wants to award the six new dispensary licenses by lottery, but the timing is unclear. Mattiello also warned that preventing dispensaries from growing medical marijuana would keep prices too high for patients. But Rhode Island cannabis cultivators turned out in force at State House hearings on the bills last month, opposed to anything that would allow the new dispensaries to grow. They said large corporate dispensaries with the ability to dominate the market could put them out of business, and they found a sympathetic audience with many lawmakers. Before Mattiello and Ruggerio accused Raimondo of overstepping her constitutional authority, she sued them in Superior Court over the legislative veto, which her lawyers said violated the separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government.
Read MoreA top Minnesota lawmaker said on Tuesday that he will soon release a bill to legalize marijuana that will be the best “in the country to date.” During a press conference, House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL) and Sen. Jeff Hayden (DFL) said that after conducting a statewide tour to get public input on reform and discussing the issue within the party and with administration officials, they’ve reached conclusions about fundamental principles for legalization legislation that “will be drafted and ready early this session.” “We heard from Minnesotans that our current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good,” Winkler said in a press release. “By creating a regulatory framework we can address the harms caused by cannabis and establish a more sensible set of laws to improve our health care and criminal justice systems and ensure better outcomes for communities.” “The cannabis legal system that we have today is a failure, and the message is that we need to figure out how to move on from that,” he said. “It will be a bill that will represent the best step forward for Minnesota and should be the best legalization bill in the country to date.”
Read More— Key election battleground states are forgoing important website security measures, according to research out today. — Results of the Iowa caucuses weren't delayed on Monday due to any hacking, the state Democratic Party said. Still, what apparently did happen might have election security ramifications. — Don’t expect President Donald Trump to talk about cybersecurity in tonight’s State of the Union speech, if past is precedent. States that will play a key role in the presidential election aren’t widely using secure website protocols, McAfee said in a report published today. Only 17 percent of counties in battleground states use .gov domains, as federal authorities recommend, including 11 percent of Iowa counties and 10 percent of New Hampshire counties. Arizona fared the best out of the 13 states that McAfee examined, but even there, only 67 percent of its counties used .gov domains. At the bottom of the list were Minnesota (4.6 percent) and Texas (5.1 percent). On an even more basic level, nearly half (46.6 percent) of battleground-state counties lack HTTPS, which protects traffic from interception and tampering. “This means that any personal voter registration information that a user shares with the site cannot be intercepted and stolen by hackers while they are on the site,” wrote McAfee’s researchers. Another possible risk: hackers directing voters to a fake county website, exploiting the real county site’s lack of trust signifiers like .gov or HTTPS. “As people gear up to cast their ballots for party candidates,” the researchers wrote, “they may not realize that website security shortcomings could leave the U.S. elections susceptible to digital disinformation campaigns or possibly worse seeking to influence and/or manipulate the democratic process.” IOWA VOTING SNAFU AND THE APPARENT LACK OF HACKING — The Iowa Democratic Party said late Monday there was no "hack" or "intrusion" on the voting. Nor did the controversial app for reporting results go down, the party said, despite reports from county chairs that they had trouble using it. The outcome was instead delayed following the discovery of "inconsistencies" in the reporting of the results, a party statement explained. DHS did not answer questions from MC on Monday evening or early Tuesday morning. Smartphone voting was already unpopular with election security experts, so this isn't likely to help the cause. Even as speculation ran wild on Twitter and elsewhere, some of it deemed false, there may have been potential lessons related to election hacking. "Most who have been paying attention to election 'hacking' threats, have focused on the voting machines," tweeted Nathaniel Persily, co-director of Stanford Cyber Policy Center. "But we need to focus equally on the entire technological ecosystem of elections — and any technology that can raise doubts (however unfounded) about the accuracy of results." LET’S GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY — Trump delivers his fourth State of the Union speech tonight, and if he mentions the word “cyber,” it would mark the first time he does so in the annual address to Congress. President Barack Obama raised the subject in five of his eight speeches. Although Trump has touched on the occasional cyber-adjacent subjects, mostly he’s taken heat for his snubs. WHAT BSA WANTS ON CYBER — BSA | The Software Alliance released its five-item cybersecurity agenda today: secure software; strengthen supply chain security; strive toward international agreements; develop the cyber workforce; and use high-tech to bolster network defenses. That, in turn, leads to some policy prescriptions, like increasing spending on security research and coordinated vulnerability disclosure programs, expanding K-12 cybersecurity education and targeting government IT funds with cybersecurity in mind.
Read MoreAs things stand, there is no reason to believe the Iowa Democratic Party’s presidential caucus fiasco had anything to do with a “hack” or a nefarious outside actor. But as the political world marvels at the mess in the Hawkeye State, some are turning their attention to worst-case election scenarios. Take Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example, who published this tweet a few hours ago. Think #IowaCaucus meltdown is bad? Imagine very close Presidential election. Russian or Chinese hackers tamper with preliminary reporting system in key counties. When the official results begin to be tabulated it shows a different winner than the preliminary results online. This is, to be sure, a scary scenario for Americans to “imagine,” and I’m glad to see the Florida Republican draw attention to the possible vulnerabilities to our system of elections and those who might target it. There is, however, just one nagging problem: Rubio’s missive suggests the Senate should take up new measures to improve domestic election security, and the senator’s party seems to disagree. Let’s circle back to our earlier coverage on this. It was just last summer when Rubio partnered with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) on an election-security proposal called the Defending Elections from Threats by Establishing Redlines (DETER Act). The idea was pretty straightforward: if U.S. intelligence agencies were to determine that Russia interfered in another federal election, new sanctions would kick in targeting Russia’s finance, defense and energy sectors. The point, obviously, would be to create a disincentive, letting the Kremlin know in advance that Russia would face significant economic consequences if Moscow once again attacked our democratic institutions. The bill picked up a bipartisan group of co-sponsors, and it seemed like the sort of proposal that might even have a chance in the Republican-led Senate. Those hopes were dashed in December when the GOP balked: Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) insisted the bipartisan legislation had been “designed” to be bad for Donald Trump, and must, therefore, be defeated.
Read MoreAfter years of failing to gain traction in the General Assembly, efforts to raise Georgia’s tobacco tax could get a boost this year from the budget crunch facing state lawmakers. The legislature passed a bill early in the 2020 session to tax online purchases made through such “marketplace facilitators” as Amazon and Google. Supporters cited the need for more revenue to help offset sluggish state tax collections threatening to force painful spending cuts.
Read MoreMarijuana prosecutions have dropped by more than half in Texas since June 2019. Statewide, prosecutors filed about 5,900 new misdemeanor marijuana possession charges a month in 2018. In the first five months of 2019, prosecutors filed about 5,600 new cases. However, the number of new misdemeanor marijuana possession charges began to drop in June 2019 and had plummeted to 1,919 in November. The decrease is connected to Texas legalizing hemp in June 2019 (HB 1325) in an effort to bring the state into compliance with federal laws. The federal government legalized hemp in Dec. 2018. Both marijuana and hemp come from the cannabis plant, and are mostly indistinguishable by look or smell. THC content is the main difference between the two substances, with marijuana classified as having more than 0.3% THC content, while anything with 0.3% or less is considered hemp according to federal and Texas law. Proving that a substance is marijuana rather than hemp requires lab tests, according to some Texas attorneys, and those lab tests are expensive and time-consuming to use for every possible misdemeanor marijuana charge. Houston Forensic Science Center COO, Peter Stout explained, "None of the labs in the state are in a position to do this type of testing, certainly not at this scale. None of us can do it to meet the marijuana caseloads in the state. We don’t have adequate resources to process the caseloads that we already have.”
Read MoreJust in time for the Iowa caucuses, YouTube this morning clarified how it's cracking down on videos spreading falsehoods related to elections -- and promised to remove misleading content that could confuse people about how to vote. The streaming service, drawing from its existing “deceptive practices policies,” said in a blog post that it will remove: Content that is “technically manipulated or doctored in a way that misleads users” and “may pose a serious risk of egregious harm.” The company clarified this goes beyond clips taken out of context, and could include, for instance, a video that has been doctored to falsely make it appear that a politician is dead. Videos that “aims to mislead people about voting or the census processes.” This could include telling viewers an incorrect voting date. Clips that advance “false claims related to the technical eligibility requirements” for politicians to serve in office. For instance, this could apply to falsehoods about a candidate's citizenship status and their eligibility for a particular office. “Over the last few years, we’ve increased our efforts to make YouTube a more reliable source for news and information, as well as an open platform for healthy political discourse,” wrote Leslie Miller, the vice president of YouTube’s government affairs and public policy. YouTube's parent company Google also highlighted its election integrity efforts today. The search giant said in a blog post it is offering products for campaigns to secure their Google accounts and is supporting a University of Southern California initiative to train campaigns, academics and others for election security challenges.
Read MoreTired of your same ol’ Mary Jane? Italian scientists have discovered a new cannabis compound that could be as much as 30 times stronger than tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the stuff in weed that gets you high. However, the researchers admit that the newfound cannabinoid, named tetrahydrocannabiphorol, or THCP, has not actually been tested for its intoxicating effects. Authors of the report, published in the journal Nature, estimated THCP’s effects by assessing its ability to bind to human cannabinoid receptors, which impacts the entire nervous system, scientists say. THCP has a bond 33 times stronger than THC, and 63 times stronger than another compound called THCV. “This means that these compounds have higher affinity for the receptors in the human body,” Cinzia Citti, lead study author, tells CNN. “In cannabis varieties where THC is present in very low concentrations, then we can think that the presence of another, more active cannabinoid can explain those effects.” Research has revealed that the molecular chain of nearly 150 cannabis compounds is five atoms long, while THCP has seven. This is the first time they’ve seen atom chains of more than five in any naturally occurring cannabinoid, leading authors to believe it may be the most potent compound yet discovered. Scientists are considering further studies on the medical benefits of THCP, which could help uncover even more unintended compounds. “There are other minor cannabinoids and traces in the plant that can be hard to study, but by isolation we can continue to assess the effects they might offer,” Jane Ishmael, associate professor in Oregon State University’s College of Pharmacy, tells CNN.
Read MoreWith Iowans kicking off voting in the 2020 presidential election season, the race is also on to protect the vote from cyberattacks and other intrusions. Precautions being taken to secure elections range from revamped electronic voting systems backed up by paper ballots to having cybersecurity experts on standby on voting days. Election officials from across the country gathering this weekend in Washington are discussing contingency planning and other safeguard measures for the 2020 voting season.
Read MoreIowa Will Be the First Test Case for 2020 Election Security
Read MoreLike most people with a felony on their criminal record, 27-year-old Ivan has run into some roadblocks when it comes to things like jobs and housing. When Ivan was 19, he told VICE, he was the designated driver shuttling a group of friends around on New Year’s Eve when the car was pulled over. Ivan, whose last name is not being used because he fears encountering further difficulties over his criminal record, said he was “done kind of dirty,” slapped with charges like kidnapping because some of his friends in the car were underage. As part of a plea deal, Ivan agreed to a felony charge of delivering marijuana even though he maintains that he wasn’t selling or delivering it. For nearly all of his adult life, Ivan, said, his felony has held him back—which is why he rented a car and drove nearly two hours to Portland from Eugene to attend a January expungement clinic hosted by the Oregon Cannabis Association. “It was difficult having a felony trying to get a house and a job and stuff,” Ivan said. “I’d have to work jobs like Taco Bell when I had the experience for higher-qualifying jobs. I’d even had job offers where at the end, you know, they’d say all right we need a background check and a piss test—and when I’d inform them of what was on the background check, they would have to retract the offer for insurance reasons.” Ivan told VICE that his three years of work at a warehouse, including a stint as a supervisor, were essentially useless when it came to finding a similar job. “It didn't matter if it was a large company such as UPS, Pepsi, Anheuser-Busch, or even the reputable local construction and labor companies that paid a few dollars above minimum wage, my skills couldn't outshine a marijuana felony,” he said. One of the arguments for cannabis legalization has been about the effects of arrests on nonviolent offenders. Black and brown people, in particular, have been disproportionately affected by marijuana arrests, according to multiple studies before and after legalization; to take just one example, Black Americans were nearly four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession, according to a 2013 ACLU report. So in states like Oregon where pot is available for sale to anyone over the age of 21, it seems bizarre that countless people still carry marijuana records, which can prevent people from getting a job or being approved for housing. That’s because when Oregon legalized recreational marijuana in 2015, the state failed to do something that legalization advocates have said would help level the playing field for people with marijuana arrest records: enact automatic expungement.
Read MoreAn Ohio man who was arrested with 91 pounds of suspected THC-rich cannabis has been acquitted of drug charges because of the state’s hemp legalization law. An Ohio man caught with 91 pounds of what is suspected to be THC-rich cannabis was acquitted of drug charges due to hemp legalization in the state, according to a News 5 report. Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association President Ian Friedman, the defense attorney in the case, said that the prosecution’s test for just “the presence of THC” was insufficient because the state’s hemp law allows industrial hemp to contain 0.3 percent THC and the tests did not show THC levels. “If you don’t get the concentration correct, you’re not going to be able to establish what it is,” Friedman said in the report, adding that it would be dangerous for prosecutors to convict someone without proving that the substance was, in fact, illegal. In August, state Attorney General David Yost warned prosecutors that the legislative changes made quantitative analyses “necessary to ensure the THC content exceeds the statutory 0.3 percent level. In that memo, Yost said that law enforcement agencies should “suspend any identification” of cannabis testing in local jurisdictions because those methods “do not quantify THC content,” and not to “indict any cannabis-related items” prior to crime laboratories being able to perform the concentration tests. Yost’s office has announced a $50,000 grant for agencies to send cannabis samples to out-of-state labs that can perform the testing and that $1,820 has been used from that grant. On Monday, Rocky River police told News 5 that Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt was not cited for cannabis possession last week due to Ohio‘s hemp legalization laws. In a statement, the Rocky River Police Department said that the law changes “have created challenges in prosecuting marijuana possession offenses” and that many municipalities are not issuing citations for low-level possession as a result of the reforms.
Read MoreThe 2020 election season is officially upon us. But unlike years past, this year’s election cycle is fraught with fear, uncertainty, and doubt. And these lingering questions threaten to do more than deepen the apathy of a news-weary populace—they present an existential challenge to the foundation of our democratic institutions. Between speculation about Russian meddling, voter fraud conspiracy theories, and concerns around voting machines being hacked, it’s easy to see why people might just throw up their hands in frustration and cry that the whole system is rigged. Of course, this is likely the very motivation compelling a nation like Russia to pursue such a gambit: by sowing confusion and casting doubt on the foundation of our most democratic of institutions, they believe they are better positioned to advance their own political agenda. Consequently, like a magician who tricks his audience using time-tested misdirection techniques, we, the electorate, are being overwhelmed with a broad spectrum of possible threats and distracted to the point that we are not paying close enough attention to the ones that are most likely to happen. As someone who has spent their career at the crossroads of information technology, cybersecurity, and government policy, the basic principles of triage are highly pertinent: You have to boil down the ocean of potential vulnerabilities to a subset of the most probable and important risks and then prioritize accordingly. So given the wide range of potential threats to free and fair elections, which ones pack more bite than bark? 1. VOTING REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, NOT VOTING MACHINE While the concerns around voting machine vulnerabilities are certainly valid and obviously need to be addressed, it’s highly unlikely that any nation-state would find them to be a worthwhile target. Threat actors—be they nation-states or lone wolf hacktivists—are seeking the greatest return on their investment of time and resources. One of the reasons why fixing our electoral system is particularly challenging is due to its inherent decentralized structure—every state operates according to their own process and equipment. Some states employ paper ballots or vote by mail while others use one or any number of digital voting machines. Ironically, this is also the reason why they make for such unattractive targets: Unless you are targeting a specific county and a particular machine with a known vulnerability, it’s a crapshoot.
Read MoreLocal governments across the United States could perform a simple upgrade to strengthen voters' confidence that they are what they say they are: use websites that end in .gov. Federal officials control the keys to the ".gov" top-level domain, making it less likely that somebody could get one fraudulently and use it to fool people. Domains that end in .com or .org, meanwhile, could be set up by attackers to try to intercept users seeking information from real sources. But with an uneven appreciation across the country about the way a fake website could deceive users, and with little guidance from officialdom about what to do, many counties aren't taking that step, cyberspecialists say. "The big problem today is we don't have a simple rule to tell people how to differentiate a legitimate election domain from one that was set up for malicious purposes," says Steve Grobman, a senior vice president at the cybersecurity firm McAfee. A McAfee analysis found that 95% of counties in Texas and Minnesota, 91% of counties in Michigan and 90% of counties in New Hampshire aren't using .gov addresses.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Monday that it has approved hemp regulatory plans for three more states and four additional Indian tribes. This is the latest in a series of approvals that USDA has doled out since the crop and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. Texas, Nebraska and Delaware—in addition to the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Fort Belknap Indian Community, the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska and the Yurok Tribe—each had their regulatory plans cleared. “USDA continues to receive and review hemp production plans from states and Indian tribes on an ongoing basis,” the department said in a notice. “Plans previously approved include those for the states of Louisiana, New Jersey, and Ohio, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux, Santa Rosa Cahuilla, and La Jolla Band of Luiseno Indian Tribes.” While hemp is no longer a federally controlled substance, farmers interested in cultivating and selling the crop must live in a jurisdiction where USDA has approved a proposed regulatory scheme. The process was outlined in an interim final rule USDA published late last year. If a state or tribe does not have, or plan to propose, regulations for hemp, cultivators can apply for a USDA license instead. “This is a victory for Texas farmers,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said in a statement. “We are one step closer to giving our ag producers access to this exciting new crop opportunity.” “We’ve got to get our rules approved and get our licensing program up and running, but the dominoes are dropping pretty quick,” he said. “We’re almost there.”
Read MoreIllinois voters can begin casting ballots as soon as next week, though undecided voters need not worry: the election itself isn’t until March 17. State and local officials took pains Monday to assure voters that whenever and however they cast their ballots in 2020, the process will be safe and secure. And in Chicago and suburban Cook, voters who don’t mail in their ballots will be using new machines. “We strive to instill confidence in our elections which represent the bedrock of our government and the strength we project around the world,” said Marisel Hernandez, chair of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners. Hernandez said Chicago’s elections board has fortified its online defenses with software that detects malware and minimizes phishing attempts, converted its website to a more secure .gov domain, and will use field investigators who will be in wards to respond to issues that may pop up. Illinois ramped up its security efforts after its voter database was infiltrated by Russian hackers in 2016. Since then, it’s built up a team of cyber navigators who help to test and train election equipment. “The Russians were here, the Russians never left and they’ll be with us leading up to this election,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat. “I believe what he (Russian President Vladimir Putin) was attempting to do was to attack the integrity of the democratic process and it only takes a little bit of hacking to accomplish that. To raise questions in the public’s mind.” Quigley helped to secure $420 million in the current federal budget that’s been disbursed to elections authorities nationwide.
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Read MoreNew York state lawmakers say they are optimistic a law to regulate and tax recreational marijuana will be enacted in the coming months, perhaps as part of a new state budget that must be adopted by April.
Read MoreTennessee Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) introduced legislation Jan. 24 that would legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, according to a local News Channel 3 report. S.B. 1849 would allow retail sales and levy a 12% tax to support education and infrastructure, and would allow customers age 21 and older to purchase up to a half ounce of cannabis. State regulators would be charged with creating rules for commercial sales. “Tennessee’s tough on crime possession laws have trapped too many of our citizens in cycles of poverty and they haven’t actually stopped anyone from obtaining marijuana,” Akbari said in a public statement. “The enforcement of these laws in particular have cost our state billions, contributed to a black market that funds criminal organizations, and accelerated the growth of incarceration in Tennessee’s jails and prisons. Tennesseans deserve better.” The bill is not yet scheduled for a hearing, and no companion legislation has been filed in the House, according to News Channel 3. Earlier this month, Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) reintroduced a bill to legalize medical cannabis in the state after last year’s attempt stalled in the legislature.
Read MoreThe Department of Defense (DOD) is reaffirming that CBD is off limits to service members, regardless of the federal legalization of hemp and its derivatives. In separate posts published this month, the U.S. Air Force and Military Health System said that while CBD products have become abundant since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill and can be found on store shelves throughout the country, military policies remain unchanged such that enlisted individuals cannot partake. Part of the rationale is that cannabidiol is still unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is in the process of developing rules for the compound. Until then, there’s a risk that CBD products may be unlabeled and, in certain cases, contain concentrations of THC that could show up in a drug test, which would be a “career-ender,” Col. Stacey Zdanavage said in a notice. “Hemp products, including CBD oil, are becoming one of the latest hypes. I can’t check out at a convenience store without seeing a display next to the cash register,” Zdanavage said. “Members need to continue to be cognizant of the product ingredients they ingest.” Maj. Paul Luongo said Air Force members are “subject to severe disciplinary action” if they test positive for THC, and that includes “the possibility of being reduced in rank after receiving non-judicial punishment or involuntary separation from the Air Force.”
Read MoreThe president of Mexico said on Monday that a government panel is being formed in order to make recommendations for a legal marijuana system in the country. While he didn’t offer many details about the commission, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said it will be focused on studying public health aspects of legalization. “A group is going to be formed to decide what will happen about that with a public health approach. We are about to comply with the recommendation of the Supreme Court,” the president said during a press conference, according to a translation of his remarks, referencing a 2018 ruling that deemed the prohibition of cannabis for personal use unconstitutional. Asked to weigh in on the argument that regulating drugs like cannabis could combat cartels, the president said “we are analyzing this possibility” and went on to describe the state of play on legislation to legalize marijuana. Since the court ruling, legislators have spent months discussing and drafting marijuana reform legislation to create a commercial cannabis market. Several Senate committees produced a comprehensive legalization bill last year, which advocates hoped would get a vote before the court’s October 2019 deadline to change the country’s marijuana policy, but that didn’t pan out. The court granted lawmakers a deadline extension to end prohibition by April 30 of this year. “We are about to fulfill this recommendation of the [Supreme Court] so that it becomes law,” he said. “We are going to process it, we are working on that—I think it will move forward. A group will be formed to decide what to do about this, basically.”
Read MoreIt looks like 2020 could be a very big year for marijuana legalization. The year began with a bang when Illinois started recreational marijuana sales, after the state became the 10th in the country and the second in the Midwest to legalize marijuana. It’s a big deal because Illinois is a big state — the sixth most populous overall and the second most populous to legalize pot — but also because of how Illinois legalized: It’s the first state to allow recreational sales through the legislature, meaning state lawmakers and the governor signed off on it. That typically cautious politicians signed off on legalization is a testament to its growing political appeal. Several state governments could follow Illinois’s lead this year. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has pushed for legalization — and it almost passed in 2019, with a deal falling apart at the last minute due to disagreements about how the tax revenue raised should be used and how to help people hurt by the war on weed. In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has made it a priority to legalize marijuana, though it’s unclear if the legislature is ready to do so. In Vermont, Gov. Phil Scott, who legalized marijuana possession but not sales, now may be open to legalizing sales. Connecticut and Rhode Island also could legalize through their legislatures. Most states that have legalized so far, however, have done so through ballot initiatives, and many more may join them. Recreational legalization could end up on the ballot this year in Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota. Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, and South Dakota may vote on medical marijuana this year too. Not all of these are guaranteed to appear on the ballot, much less win a vote, but activists are trying. (Mona Zhang at Politico and Tom Angell at Forbes have good rundowns of these efforts.)
Read MoreDelaware is getting renewed federal support for election security ahead of this year’s vote. The Delaware Department of Elections is receiving $3 million out of the $425 million in election security grants included in the Fiscal Year 2020 federal funding bill. “This type of safety and security, whether it be cyber or physical security, it’s ongoing. It’s never ending, and we have to always be ever vigilant," said state Elections Commissioner Anthony Albence. Albence adds the new dollars will go towards bolstering both cyber and physical security at Elections facilities in all three counties. “We’re always looking at the building access, looking at building surveillance, ensuring that any facilities that we have elections equipment in are to the maximum level of security that we need,” he said. The First State got a similar amount for elections in Fiscal Year 2018. And, again, there is a 20% state match on the federal dollars. Delaware’s junior Sen. Chris Coons played a role in securing the funds both years. Coons sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. In a statement, he said “We know that foreign adversaries are actively planning to attack our elections once again in 2020, so we have to make investments now in election infrastructure.” Delaware spent $10 million in FY 2019 on new voting machines. The machines got their statewide debut last year in Delaware’s school board elections.
Read MoreWhen Connecticut’s Legislature convenes for its 2020 session next month, top lawmakers say marijuana legalization will be a priority. While legislation to legalize cannabis for adult use in the state advanced in several committees last year, disagreements about certain provisions, such as how to allocate revenue, ultimately derailed those efforts. This time around, however, the General Assembly is positioned to build on those bills and craft a passable measure. That’s according to Senate President Pro-Tempore Martin Looney. “We are revisiting legalizing recreational cannabis because we see that most of our neighboring states have already done it or want to do it this year,” Looney told CT Insider earlier this month. “We had three very detailed bills on this last year, so I think we’re well prepared to do that when the time comes. We clearly need additional revenue and anecdotally we hear about people who travel to Massachusetts to purchase it.” “We’re very well prepared to enact the legalization bill because we have the statutory framework already drafted,” he said in a separate interview. “It’s absolutely essential, I think, that we move on this front. We need the revenue.” Leaders of key committees met last week to discuss what a legalization push could look like this year, and the Senate Democratic caucus is expected to outline the contours of a new proposal on Thursday, according to the Hartford Courant. There were some who felt the Legislature was only positioned to put the question of legalization to voters in the form of a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot — a process that would mean legal sales wouldn’t go online until 2024. “At least a constitutional amendment would be forward movement,” Representative Josh Elliott told CT News Junkie.
Read MoreCity of Shreveport economic development director Brandon Fail has been in his position for nine months and has hit the ground running as he takes on his responsibility to put initiatives in place to grow the city’s economy and support job growth. As the top adviser to the government in terms of economic development, the largest set of initiatives, he said, is business recruitment and attraction and sharing Shreveport’s story as an attractive place to do business. He sat down with The Times to share the progressive initiatives he is seeking such as local hemp production as it becomes legal this year to grow the product in Louisiana. With the passage of House Bill 491 in 2019, the Louisiana Legislature legalized the sale of hemp and hemp-derived cannabidiol products, more commonly called CBD. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the legislation into law on June 6. The bill only authorizes the sale of hemp-derived CBD products with a THC concentration of less than 0.3 percent. Hemp and CBD are still banned from being used in food and drinks. On Dec. 23, 2019, Louisiana’s state industrial hemp plan was approved by the USDA. As of Dec. 27, 2019, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Industrial Hemp Program, began accepting license applications to produce, transport and process industrial hemp in Louisiana, according to information on the LDAF website. The Times: Where do things stand in terms of economic development for the city and what are some of things you’re focusing on? Fail: One area I would call out is our natural resources. As everybody knows, Shreveport has long been a capital for oil- and gas-related industries. A resource that I think we have underinvested in and taken very little advantage of, is our abundant land. Shreveport is an enormous city physically. We have tons of land everywhere and lots of unused property all around us. City-owned property, privately owned property, abandoned property and just empty undeveloped land. We are working on finding high value uses for that land and lining up investors with opportunities. One of those opportunities is industrial hemp.
Read MoreNew York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), in a budget outline released Tuesday, proposed legalizing and taxing marijuana. The move shows he plans to make good on a promise he made just two weeks earlier at the annual State of the State address, where he pledged to legalize marijuana in 2020. In the plan released Tuesday, Cuomo said he wants to create a new Office of Cannabis Management to oversee “medical, adult-use and hemp programs.” Under Cuomo’s proposal, adults over 21 will be able to legally purchase marijuana at retailers licensed by that office, and the state will establish a Global Cannabis and Hemp Center for Science, Research and Education within the State University of New York system. One of the biggest criticisms of marijuana legalization in other states is the racial disparity between the entrepreneurs who profit off the new business venture and the communities who have been historically affected by marijuana laws. “The proposal will also correct past harms to individuals and communities that have disproportionately been impacted by prohibition,” the plan reads. In January 2018, Cuomo directed the Department of Health to conduct an impact study to review the potential impact of regulated marijuana in New York. According to the executive budget, the report issued in July 2018 concluded that the positive impacts of a regulated cannabis program in New York state outweighed the potential negative aspects. The governor reportedly said at the State of the State that legalized marijuana could bring in $300 million annually in tax revenue, and billions more in economic activity once a program is fully implemented. However, that could take years to come to fruition. Eleven states have legalized marijuana use, including the East Coast states of Maine, Vermont and Massachusetts. In the plan Cuomo said New York will work in coordination with the neighboring states of New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Read MoreMagic Valley farmer Tim Cornie took a trip to Alberta, Canada, in September. He drove more than 3,000 miles in four days with one specific goal: To learn about hemp from Canadian farmers and researchers. And he learned a lot. “I came back thinking (hemp) was a very viable thing for Idaho,” Cornie said. Cornie, and his cousin Kurt Mason, are farmers and owners of 1,000 Springs Mill, a new food company in Buhl that specializes in organic and non-genetically modified foods. They want to grow hemp essentially like a grain in the Magic Valley and sell the seeds as food. But Idaho law won’t let them, even though hemp production is legal at the federal level and in 47 states. While hemp looks like marijuana and smells similar, it contains less than 0.3% THC, the chemical that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties. Marijuana contains up to 30%. Cornie said he thinks anti-hemp sentiment is driven by misunderstanding, not common sense. If more people knew the differences between the two plants and the advantages of growing hemp, he suspects there’d be less opposition to legalization. He said there’s no reason to take a moral stance against hemp. “If you’re going to get high on it, you might as well smoke alfalfa,” Cornie said. “That’s the truth. Just roll up alfalfa and smoke it, you’ll get higher off that than you will hemp.” 2020 could be the year Idaho legalizes the versatile crop, which, among many other applications, can be eaten as a protein-rich food, used as a construction material or made into paper. Rep. Dorothy Moon, R-Stanley, is expected to bring forward a bill that, if passed, would make Idaho the 48th state to allow hemp production. And if the Legislature legalizes the plant, Cornie and Mason think farmers will be ready to take advantage.
Read MoreMassachusetts has more than 30 recreational marijuana dispensaries, but zero are currently open on Cape Cod. That is slated to change later this month. Curaleaf, the Wakefield-based marijuana giant, is planning to open its downtown Provincetown pot shop on Jan. 29, after receiving a commence operations notice Wednesday from the Cannabis Control Commission.
Read MoreThe FBI has pledged to revamp its policies for sharing information about election breaches, bowing to criticism that it was far too secretive about Russian hacking efforts in 2016. But the move, announced yesterday, doesn’t go far enough for some lawmakers who warn it could still leave the public in the dark about major hacking threats to the 2020 contest. Under the new policy, the FBI will alert both the local officials who run elections and state officials who certify those elections about breaches and hacking efforts it uncovers. But it still won’t alert the public or the state’s members of Congress. “All of this is welcome news, but it is not enough,” Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) said. “I will continue to push for federal officials to provide more information to the voting public when foreign powers interfere with our democracy.” The pivot demonstrates an acknowledgment by top law enforcement officials that their cautious and tight-lipped approach to most investigations can be counterproductive when it comes to election interference, which can feed off a public perception that government is not leveling with the public. It comes after Murphy and other Florida officials savaged the bureau for failing to disclose to them for more than two years that Russian hackers breached two county voting databases in advance of the 2016 election. In fact, state officials only learned about the breaches along with the rest of the nation when they were described in the Mueller report, released in April, 2019. The FBI briefed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Florida members of Congress after the report was out but only under the condition they wouldn’t disclose any details publicly, including the names of the counties. “This lack of transparency is counterproductive,” Murphy told me at the time. “I’m really concerned that it can erode public confidence in the integrity of our elections almost as much as the actual hacking did.” She added that doubts about the integrity of votes in Florida — a perennial swing state — could throw a presidential election into doubt. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who was governor at the time of the county breaches, yesterday applauded the FBI shift.
Read MoreThe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has updated its policy with regard to election interference and is changing the process for alerting state officials to voting irregularities and breaches. The bureau on Thursday called election security a "top priority" for federal agents and the Department of Justice (DOJ) as they gear up for the 2020 election cycle. The top law enforcement agency also said the internal policy changes will help bolster America's election infrastructure, which is frequently under siege. "Protecting the integrity of elections in the United States against criminal activity and national security threats is among the top priorities of the Department of Justice and the FBI," the agency said in a statement. "Cyber intrusions affecting election infrastructure have the potential to cause significant negative impacts on the integrity of elections. Understanding that mitigation of such incidents often hinges on timely notification." "The FBI’s new policy recognizes the necessity of notifying responsible state and local officials of credible cyber threats to election infrastructure," the bureau added. Under the new standards, the federal government will strive to respect the autonomy of local election officials, while still encouraging a cooperative relationship with federal authorities in rooting out those who seek to destabilize the U.S. voting.process. "The FBI’s interactions regarding election security matters must respect both state and local authorities," the bureau said. "Thus, the FBI’s new policy mandates the notification of a chief state election official and local election officials of cyber threats to local election infrastructure." The initiative is based on existing FBI standards related to cybercrimes but also includes new guidelines about the severity of each threat and how they should be handled.
Read MoreA few days before Thanksgiving, the woman realized she needed to refill her marijuana vape pen, which helped her relax and cope with migraines. The 33-year-old veterinary technician perused her dealer’s menu and texted her order for delivery to her home north of Boston. She chose his cheapest option: a $40 prefilled cartridge of cannabis oil branded Dabwoods. A better deal, she reasoned, than the $70 she would spend at a licensed cannabis store for what she thought was the same product. It never occurred to her that the container of amber oil, smaller than her pinky and wrapped in purple packaging, could be dangerous. Like her friends and many others, she thought the cartridges held only a pot extract and that the recent headlines about lung illnesses caused by vaping were overblown. She was feeling good at the time. Accomplished. She had finished 200 hours of yoga teacher training and was supposed to teach her first class that week. She had learned to focus on her breath, how deep inhales and exhales could regulate her emotions. But after puffing on her vape pen a few times over two nights, she had a fever and pounding headache. She was eventually hospitalized and placed on a ventilator in a medically induced coma. She was one of 2,600 people stricken across America by vaping-related lung injuries in an outbreak that has claimed 57 lives — four in Massachusetts. “It seemed like such a myth, like it can’t happen to me, but my life came crashing down overnight,” said the woman, now 34, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of career repercussions.
Read MoreThe Illinois Poison Center anticipates an increase in calls after the experience of other states who have previously legalized recreational marijuana. Since cannabis legalization in Illinois more than two weeks ago, marijuana-only exposures have more than doubled from four cases in 2019 to 11 in 2020. IPC Vice President of Communications Danny Chun said it will take several months before the center has a good handle on what's going on for several reasons. Chun said adverse events are rare on a population-rate basis and will take some time for uptake of cannabis use to saturate market/communities to generate calls to IPC. Many of the adverse events are usually due to chronic use and won't be seen right away. "A day to day measure does not mean much; however, a trend over months may be more informative," he added. The IPC is a resource for both the public and healthcare providers for untoward reactions or effects to marijuana use. The IPC is monitoring the situation, including partnering with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to track any increase in calls to the center due to cannabis consumption, and is similarly partnering with IDPH and CDPH to track any potential increases in emergency room visits, according to Chun. Chun credited the Illinois Department of Health with advice to cannabis users to "start low and go slow," meaning to start with a low dosage and slowly increase cannabis use to be safe.
Read MoreElection leaders in Orange and Osceola counties held a briefing Wednesday to discuss law changes and cybersecurity ahead of what’s expected to be a busy election year. With voters casting their ballots for president in November, elevated turnout is expected at the three elections scheduled for 2020. Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles said voters should be aware of several law changes that went into effect at the beginning of the year. During early voting and on election day, there will now be a 150-foot no solicitation zone at voting sites. Also new this year, voters are allowed to take pictures at the voting booth, but those images are restricted to only that voter's ballot. One issue that is still tied up the courts is Amendment 4, which was passed in 2018 and surrounds the restoration of the voting rights of felons. “The question is, what is the process for verifying the information on an individual and that’s got to be answered?” Cowles said. Cybersecurity was another big issued that was discussed during the briefing. Osceola County Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington said the threat of election hacking is why computers aren’t used to cast a ballot.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing centered around six pieces of marijuana legislation, including two bills that would legalize marijuana on a federal level. A briefing memo for the hearing, obtained by Marijuana Moment last week, offers a breakdown of the six bills up for debate. At the top of the list is the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which passed the House Judiciary Committee last fall and became the first marijuana legalization bill to be approved by a Congressional committee. The other legalization bill up for debate is the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, while the final four bills deal with cannabis research, medical marijuana, and access to medical marijuana for veterans. The memo includes a brief list of witnesses set to appear at the hearing, including Matthew J. Strait, a senior policy advisor for the Drug Enforcement Agency, Dr. Douglas Throckmorton, deputy director for regulatory programs at the Food and Drug Administration and Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Though Wednesday’s hearing doesn’t guarantee any of the bills will make it to the House floor for a vote, it does mark another significant step towards legalization and decriminalization, as well as efforts to improve medical marijuana research. The hearing also offers a glimpse into the growing bipartisan push for more progressive marijuana policy, with four bills coming from House Democrats and two coming from House Republicans. Below is a breakdown of the six bills up for debate: H.R. 3884, Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act: Introduced last year by New York Democrat and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, the MORE Act notably passed that committee 24 to 10 last November, with two Republicans (Matt Gaetz of Florida and Tom McClintock of California) joining the 22 democrats who voted for the bill. The MORE Act would decriminalize marijuana and THC at the federal level by removing it from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which currently classifies it as an addictive drug that has no accepted medical use, akin to heroin. But it also has a strong focus on restorative justice for individuals and communities hit hardest by the War on Drugs. It would create an “Opportunity Trust Fund” at the Treasury to support a variety of programs such as “job training, reentry services, legal aid for civil and criminal cases, including expungement of cannabis convictions, literacy and health education programs, and youth recreation or mentoring programs.” H.R. 2843, Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act: Similar to the MORE Act, this bill from Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) would also remove marijuana and THC from the list of Schedule I drugs and create a grant program for states and local governments “for marijuana conviction expungement programs.” Additionally, it would open up medical marijuana policies with “directives to conduct research on the impact of marijuana on the brain, the efficacy of medical marijuana, identification of additional medical benefits and uses of cannabis, and support highway safety research.”
Read MoreThe New Hampshire Legislature is set to once again take up the issue of marijuana legalization this session — but this time, there’s a new strategy that lawmakers hope will overcome challenges they’ve previously faced. A bill filed last week would allow adults 21 and older to possess and gift up to three-fourths an ounce of cannabis, and they could grow up to six plants. Missing from the legislation is a commercial sales element, which was intentionally left out to bolster its chances of passage. That means the proposal would essentially mirror the current marijuana model of neighboring Vermont, which became the first state to enact a legal cannabis system through the Legislature in 2018. While there are no recreational marijuana shops in the state, adults are allowed to grow their own and possess it for personal use. The new legislation in New Hampshire, which has eight sponsors, including three Republicans, has been referred to the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, where it’s scheduled to get a hearing on January 23. “It’s a bipartisan bill, and we’re hoping to advance it through the House and through the Senate and to, at the very least, put an end to criminalizing the possession and cultivation of cannabis in New Hampshire,” Representative Renny Cushing, a cosponsor of the legislation who has previously been the chief sponsor of broader legalization bills, said in a phone interview Monday.
Read MoreA bipartisan coalition of lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would allow for hemp-derived CBD to be lawfully marketed as a dietary supplement. While hemp and its derivatives were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is still in the process of developing regulations that would let businesses sell it in the food supply or as nutritional supplements. Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said that rulemaking could take years without congressional action. This legislation, filed on Monday, could be one way to resolve the problem, in that it amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to include CBD in the definition of dietary supplements. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, filed the bill. Initial cosponsors include Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY), James Comer (R-KY) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME). “The last two Farm Bills were landmark successes for hemp, but we are still very early in this process, and growers need regulatory certainty,” Peterson said in a press release. “This bill will allow FDA to regulate CBD that comes from hemp as a dietary supplement, providing a pathway forward for hemp-derived products.” Massie told Marijuana Moment that he’s “excited to be an original cosponsor of this bill.” “Bipartisan allies in Congress and in the grassroots have worked hard for many years to pave the way for hemp legalization,” the congressman said. “In its first year, Kentucky’s industrial hemp industry added hundreds of new jobs and $100 million to the state’s economy! I’m confident H.R. 5587 will be another step in the right direction for industrial hemp.” As it stands, FDA has said it is using enforcement discretion when it comes to CBD products that are already widely available in markets across the U.S. Only businesses making especially outlandish claims about the therapeutic benefits of the cannabis products are being targeted for the time being, with the agency sending a series of warning letters to select companies.
Read MoreA top U.S. election security official warned on Tuesday that the country faces threats from adversaries beyond Russia, and can count on "more sophisticated" attacks from other state and non-state actors ahead of the 2020 presidential election. "This is not a Russia-only problem," said Shelby Pierson, who serves as the intelligence community's election threats executive within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. "Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, [and] non-state hacktivists all have opportunity, means, and potentially motive to come after the United States in the 2020 election to accomplish their goals." Pierson spoke at a U.S. Election Assistance Commission summit in Washington, DC, where she also said key adversaries had likely honed and made adjustments to their interference tactics based on past actions taken by the U.S. "They've learned from the volume of information that we have shared," Pierson said. "They have learned — certainly based upon red-teaming the results of some of our operations — and they have sharpened their own capabilities." The U.S. intelligence community determined that Russia, ahead of the 2016 presidential election, engaged in a wide-ranging and systematic interference campaign that was designed to boost then-candidate Trump's chances of winning while damaging Hillary Clinton's. To date, public evidence of U.S. election interference efforts by Iran, China and North Korea remains relatively scarce. Social media companies including Facebook and Twitter have several times removed pro-Iranian, state-sponsored materials from their platforms. In September 2018, President Trump accused China of "meddling" in the midterms against his administration because of its tougher trade policies. Mr. Trump later posted on Twitter what he called "propaganda ads" — images of paid ads China had placed in the Des Moines Register and other newspapers. Intelligence officials have frequently cited the preparations and proactive steps agencies took ahead of the 2018 midterm elections as key to ensuring their security.
Read MoreFlorida activists announced on Monday that due to restrictive ballot qualification policies in the state, they have decided to pursue a marijuana legalization initiative in 2022, rather than this year as initially planned. While the campaign Make It Legal Florida said it has already submitted more than 700,000 signatures for their legalization petition, the narrow timeline to get those signatures verified ahead of next month’s deadline will make it impossible for the measure to qualify. “With the support of over 67 percent of Florida voters, Make it Legal Florida is proud to have gathered more than 700,000 signed petitions in the effort to bring adult-use cannabis to the Sunshine State,” Nick Hansen, the group’s chairman, said in a press release, referring to polling data. “The narrow timeframe to submit and verify those signatures has prompted our committee to shift focus to now gain ballot access in 2022.” As a midterm year, voter turnout in 2022 is expected to be lower than it would be for this year’s presidential election cycle. Low turnout seemed to be a factor in Florida voters’ narrow rejection of a medical cannabis initiative in 2014. Voters later approved the reform proposal during the 2016 presidential election. In the meantime, Make It Legal Florida is still going forward with a lawsuit it filed with the state’s Supreme Court last month, alleging that a recently enacted law that imposes restrictions on the signature gathering process is unconstitutional. Organizers also accused the state of creating a “stealth deadline” by requiring signatures to be verified before the February 1 deadline while giving county election supervisors a 30-day window to validate them.
Read MoreThough researchers discovered a fundamental security flaw in voting machines months ago, the company behind the machines may still be advertising them to states in a way that allows the vulnerability to persist, according to a letter sent to the US Election Assistance Commission and reported by NBC News. In Aug 2019, a team of independent security experts found that, contrary to popular belief, many digital voting machines were connected to the internet, sometimes for months on end, Motherboard reported. This, the experts feared, could give hackers a window through which to manipulate votes.
Read MoreFrom covering pivotal hearings and key votes to fund-raisers and political maneuvering, the Globe wants to keep a close eye on what Rhode Island’s congressional delegation is doing here and in Washington. We’re launching a weekly feature that will hold our leaders accountable and highlight the work of Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and Representatives James Langevin and David Cicilline. We’ll also ask each of them to answer a different policy-related question every week. Do you have a question for Rhode Island’s congressional delegation? E-mail it to Dan.McGowan@globe.com and we’ll consider it in future editions. As the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Reed has attended several classified briefings this week that focused on the fallout from the US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Reed has also been a familiar face on cable television to discuss the Iran situation, appearing on CNN with Wolf Blitzer, and MSNBC with both Chris Mathews and Andrea Mitchell. He was critical of President Trump’s threat that future airstrikes could target Iranian cultural sites. Back home in Rhode Island, Reed also announced $2 million in federal funds for the Pascoag Utility District to make water system improvements.
Read MoreAfter months of discussion, the industrial hemp bill is officially on the Legislature's docket for the 2020 session. House Majority Leader Lee Qualm, R-Platte, filed the industrial hemp bill, House Bill 1008, to legalize industrial hemp in South Dakota on Thursday. Sen. Josh Klumb, R-Mount Vernon, is the prime sponsor of the bill in the Senate. Eight legislators had signed on as co-sponsors of the bill as of Friday morning, all of whom were members of the legislative Industrial Hemp Committee last year. HB 1008 includes an emergency clause that would make it effective immediately if it's signed into law, rather than waiting until the usual July 1 start date for state laws. The legislation also requires the South Dakota Department of Agriculture to submit a hemp program plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approval within 30 days of the bill being signed into law.
Read More— Lawmakers and election equipment makers discussed researcher probes of the companies’ wares at a rare hearing on Thursday. — A major software industry organization raised doubts about a proposed Commerce Department rule for information and communications technology supply chain security. — The risk of possible Iranian cyberattacks has stayed on the agenda for DHS, researchers and others. THE ROAD TO A CVD — Voting machine vendors keep inching toward a coordinated vulnerability disclosure program, Thursday’s House Administration Committee hearing revealed, but there are still some hitches emerging toward fuller collaboration with researchers. John Poulos, CEO of Dominion Voting Systems, testified that his company reached out to an organizer of DEFCON’s machine-hacking Voting Village because it was “interested in a more collaborative penetration testing with stakeholders,” and actually sent modern certified systems, but an internal conference dispute led to scuttling those plans. The CEOs of Election Systems & Software (Tom Burt) and Hart InterCivic (Julie Mathis) both said their companies had submitted equipment to Idaho National Laboratory, which conducts vulnerability tests with DHS. Overall, Burt said he doesn’t want to hand-select red teams but is “interested in making sure we attract hackers who can make our systems better without requiring that the information that they discover be put into the public domain,” and would like to see the Election Assistance Commission manage the program and choose researchers.
Read MoreTennessee Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) has reintroduced a bill this legislative session that would legalize medical cannabis in the state. The legislation would allow qualified patients to access medical cannabis, and would establish a licensing process for businesses to grow, distribute, transport and sell cannabis for both medical use and scientific research, according to a local WKRN report. “There are tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans that could benefit from medical cannabis,” Bowling told the news outlet. “This is desperately needed in Tennessee, it is desperately needed by the patient, and doctors need an alternative from opioids.” Bowling will hold a meeting Jan. 9 to allow law enforcement to weigh in on medical cannabis legalization, WKRN reported.
Read MoreSouth Dakota lawmakers are ready to work with Gov. Kristi Noem on industrial hemp legislation after she indicated she's ready to compromise. Noem has staunchly opposed legalizing industrial hemp for nearly a year, but in a memo to legislators on Thursday, she listed four regulations that need to be in an industrial hemp bill for her to sign it. The four "guardrails" she included in the memo are reliable enforcement, responsible regulation, safe transportation and adequate funding. "Everyone knows I don't think it's a good idea," she said in a Facebook video announcing her decision Thursday morning. She vetoed a bill to legalize industrial hemp during the 2019 session because it didn't address her concerns about public safety, law enforcement or funding, she said. Circumstances have changed since then, however. Federal guidelines have been put in place, South Dakota's tribes have begun receiving federal approval to grow hemp and the need to address the legal transportation of it through South Dakota, she said. Legislators studying the hemp issue ahead of the 2020 session also did "great work" that included some "good ideas," she said.
Read MoreGovernment and industry officials are still on high alert for bruising cyberattacks from Iran even though President Trump and Iranian leaders stepped back from the brink of a broader military conflict. Even as the nations ratcheted back threats of physical attacks, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security sent a memo to law enforcement obtained by CNN warning of digital and physical attacks that could “sabotage…public or private infrastructure, including US military bases, oil and gas facilities, and public landmarks." Cybersecurity companies continued to sound alarms about far more serious hacks that might still be coming. Meanwhile, pro-Iranian hackers launched a series of digital strikes throughout the day, including defacing city websites and spreading misinformation through hacked Twitter accounts. It's not clear if any of those attacks were backed by Iranian leaders. The continuing threat underscores the pernicious nature of cyberattacks, which can pack a punch but not rise to the level of forcing a military or diplomatic retaliation. It also demonstrates the supreme value for Iran of attacking in cyberspace where it has an asymmetric advantage against the much-more digitally dependent United States. This makes it an especially appealing option as conventional military confrontation becomes less likely, said Jamil Jaffer, a former top George W. Bush White House official who is vice president at IronNet Cybersecurity. “Of all the areas where we might face a threat, cyber remains highest, particularly in sectors they’ve historically targeted,” he told me. After a classified briefing from the Department of Homeland Security on Iranian cyberthreats, Sen. Gary Peters (Mich.) told me he remained "very concerned about possible retaliatory cyberattacks on the U.S." The top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee warned that "a major incident could severely disrupt our energy, financial and telecommunications networks.” DHS's top cybersecurity official Chris Krebs warned in a New York Times interview that Iran may remain eager to launch destructive cyberattacks against U.S. companies that cause serious or even permanent damage. “You need to get in the head space that the next breach could be your last,” he said. Reps. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.) and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), who serve on the House Financial Services Committee, also sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission and eight other federal financial regulators urging them to strengthen protections against Iranian hacks.
Read MoreWhether you pull a lever, push a button or tap a screen, you want to know that your vote is secure and that the choice you make counts. The FBI is doing its part in Indiana to make it as secure as possible. In a meeting Thursday, agents said they are working with the Indiana Secretary of State's office to help. "It is not a crime to lie about your opponent," said Special Agent Ben LaBuz. He said when you see misinformation or disinformation on social media, you should know the FBI does not have the ability to take it down, nor should they, according to our Constitution. "We all have a hand in ensuring that the elections of the United States are protected and that the Constitutional right to vote is protected for every American," he said. Some of the misinformation that you may see through the year may include falsehoods about candidates. While that is not illegal, Special Agent Mike Alford said the FBI partners with Twitter, Facebook and other social media outlets, to inform them who puts the info up, what the posts say, and whether it is false. The outlets can then choose whether they will take the posts down. It's not likely that a hacker or some other malefactor will be able to manipulate vote totals, said Alford. "The biggest concern we have is that someone would create the optic that something bad had happened." That could undermine confidence in the system, which is not centralized. Since the federal government does not run or control elections, and the state does, through the counties, it would be very difficult to break into the systems.
Read More— The Artist Formerly Known as the Consumer Electronics Show will feature plenty of cybersecurity and cybersecurity-related talks beginning today. — An organization representing some of the top state election officials cheered a cash infusion from Congress that gave them a win in more than just their coffers. — Speaking of Congress, lawmakers have returned to Washington and are set to approve some 5G legislation this week...NO KICKSTARTER NECESSARY — State officials are pleased that Congress appropriated $425 million for election administration grants in its latest spending bill. The money “will help states meet their unique needs to further invest in election security protections, personnel and systems,” Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, the president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, said in a statement. But Pate reiterated NASS’ request for dedicated, regular funding “that allows states to plan and implement election security enhancements to counter emerging cybersecurity threats.”
Read MoreSOME CANNABIS dispensaries are reopening in Illinois following closures due to high demand and limited supply, just days after the drug was legalized for recreational use on Jan. 1. The state's Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced in a news release Monday that sales over the first five days of legalization totaled nearly $11 million. The highest-selling day was Jan. 1, with more than $3.1 million, according to the release. That is approximately the same value of sales that Michigan secured in its first two weeks of recreational marijuana legalization, according to The Associated Press. The Washington Post reported that tens of thousands of people visited the nine dispensaries selling recreational cannabis in Chicago after Jan. 1. There are 37 total licensed dispensaries in Illinois, according to the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Several dispensaries could not stay open for long, however. At least six in Chicago were closed to recreational customers on Monday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Paul Isaac, a spokesman for the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, told U.S. News in a written statement that legalization "was just the first step" and "shortages were expected to occur as they have occurred in every other state that has legalized cannabis."
Read MoreAs the session kicks off, Vermont lawmakers are poised to pick up a bill on legalizing a taxed and regulated market for marijuana. But many questions remain about what a legal market would look like, who would benefit and who would be able to sell. Our Calvin Cutler has more on what that legal market could look like. For business owners like Kelsy Raap at Green State Gardener in Burlington, a vote can't come soon enough. "We produce our own organically grown hemp flower, indoors here in the store. Like I mentioned, we will be scaling that up significantly," Raap said. Raap's business model has bloomed as marijuana laws have taken root in the Legislature, from decriminalization to legalization to a potential regulated market. Green State Gardener is ramping up its product selection and is looking to offer classes to educate people about responsibly growing and consuming marijuana. "Making sure that people are really prepared with the knowledge and skillset to make the best use of what they just purchased," Raap said.
Read MoreWhen he was 20 years old, Crown Point resident Ricky “Ricochet” Chandler broke his pelvic bone into nine pieces. He was prescribed opioids to help with the pain. But, to avoid the negative side effects of opioids, Chandler said he decided to take cannabidiol-based products instead. “CBD helped me get off opioids and it saved my life,” Chandler said. Chandler, who runs Willy’s CBD Works in Crown Point, sang an original song about legalizing marijuana in Indiana at a Monday rally at the Statehouse in Indianapolis. Roughly 75 state legislators and advocates gathered, ahead of the start of the 2020 legislative session, as part of an Indiana chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and other pro-cannabis organizations state-wide rally for marijuana reform. The advocates in the crowd, holding signs including “You can’t spell healthcare without THC” and “Healers not dealers,” shared similar stories to Chandler’s: After an accident or to treat an illness, they were prescribed a high amount of opioid drugs. The opioid drugs weren’t helping, and they were worried about becoming addicted or overdosing.
Read MoreCannabis legalization was a hot topic in Florida in 2019. Floridians have stepped up to legalize recreational marijuana in the state by 2020. Cannabis company MedMen’s 2019 cannabis campaign initiative, “Make It Legal Florida,” collected enough signatures to qualify for the November 2020 ballot. Let’s look at the progress of the cannabis legalization campaigns in the state.
Read MoreThe governor of Kansas said on Thursday that she’d likely sign a bill to legalize marijuana in the state if lawmakers sent one to her desk. In a pair of TV interviews looking at her legislative priorities for 2020, Gov. Laura Kelly (D) said the legislature needs to approve medical cannabis, which she argued would help families with children who have serious illnesses and also combat the opioid crisis. But while the governor said she isn’t “going to advocate for” broader recreational legalization, that doesn’t mean she wouldn’t enact such legislation if it advanced in the state. “I haven’t really decided what I would do. This is something where what the people want is probably more what I will want on something like that,” Kelly told WIBW. “I don’t have a personal ideology regarding it. If the folks want it and the legislature passes it, would I sign it? Probably.” Again, however, she stressed that it’s the more focused legalization of cannabis for medical purposes that is part of her personal agenda for the 2020 session.“I have always said that I want it well-regulated so that it’s controlled so that it’s not the first step to legalization of marijuana,” the governor said. “I don’t want that. I want it to be seen as a pharmaceutical and controlled as we do that.”
Read MoreThe Flandreau Santee Sioux cleared a major hurdle when the Agriculture Department approved its plan for growing industrial hemp on reservation land, but the tribe may face other obstacles in a state where laws still prohibit hemp farming. Gov. Kristi Noem, a former Republican House member, vetoed legislation in 2019 that would have amended state law to allow South Dakota farmers to grow hemp after Congress legalized the plant and its products in the 2018 farm bill. Federal law had previously treated hemp, like its botanical cousin marijuana, as an illegal substance although hemp has a lower concentration of the psychoactive compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. South Dakota, Idaho and Mississippi are the only three states that don’t allow the production of industrial hemp. The 2018 farm bill made hemp a legal substance and legitimate crop at the federal level and at the state and tribal level if those governments have approved hemp farming. Noem vowed in late 2019 to kill any future hemp legalization bills in her state. The governor says hemp and marijuana are so similar in appearance that it is difficult for law enforcement to tell them apart, which could hamper enforcement of pot infractions.
Read MoreNearly a dozen government institutions throughout Indiana have reported a cyberattack in recent years. To fight back, state and local government officials are taking a page from the enemy’s playbook by expanding protections against attacks from one entry point to thousands. This past summer, the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office entered into an agreement with California-based FireEye Security to provide counties with desktop and email protection, as well as 24/7 live network monitoring. The effort initially focused on clerk’s offices and elections-related personnel but broadened this fall to include all end points. Using federal funds, the secretary of state is providing FireEye’s capabilities to all 92 counties at no cost for three years, saving each of them hundreds of thousands of dollars in protection and reconstruction costs. About 25 counties have signed up so far. Deputy Secretary of State Brandon Clifton said his office’s decision to blanket all end points dates to December 2015, when a worker at a Ukrainian electric power distribution company looked up at his computer screen to see the cursor seemingly moving under its own power. The bad actor—or actors—who had gained control of the computer shut off scores of energy grids to plunge 225,000 people into the cold and dark, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “They did that by targeting vendors or offices three or four degrees removed from the energy offices,” Clifton said. “That scenario is just critical in understanding this FireEye project. The intelligence shows foreign actors and adversaries will remain patient; they’ll watch and wait and do their research on what their ultimate target is.” Since then, cyberattacks closer to home have awakened local government leaders to the real threat of remaining unprotected. In 2016, voting systems in Illinois and Arizona were compromised by hackers. In Indiana, Madison County officials resolved a November 2016 attack after weeks of disruption and thousands spent on an outside consultant by eventually paying the $21,000 ransom.
Read MoreBefore long, Ryan Shore hopes to be in Idaho talking to hemp farmers about buying some of his company’s crop. It may seem like an optimistic stance to take for the CEO of Big Sky Scientific, the cannabidiol, or CBD, company whose 6,701-pound shipment of hemp ignited a political firestorm in Idaho after being confiscated by Idaho State Police near Boise in January, according to the Idaho Press. Shore’s company is currently knee-deep in a legal battle with the state to get the product back from police custody. Hemp, like marijuana, is cannabis, and both contain tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Hemp does not produce a high, however. The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill allows states to legalize the growth, purchase, possession and transport of hemp, so long as it contains .3% or less THC. The substance can be found in everything from lotion and clothing to beer. Under Idaho law, hemp is still considered marijuana and is thus illegal. But Shore has been talking with farmers in Idaho, and they’re interested in the new cash crop. “I think you guys will be really good at growing it,” Shore told the Idaho Press Friday in a phone interview. “I’ve met plenty of Idaho farmers that are interested in doing it.”
Read MoreOrganizers behind an effort to place a marijuana legalization measure before Florida voters this November are suing the state over what they say are unconstitutional hurdles in the way of ballot access. It is “substantially likely, if not certain, that initiative petitions will fail (i.e., they will not make the ballot for vote by electors in the 2020 general election),” the lawsuit, filed on Tuesday by Make It Legal Florida, says. That’s “despite the fact such initiatives would or could have succeeded if not doomed by the impairments caused to petition circulators’ ability to register and timely begin circulating and collecting signatures in support of petitions,” the group claimed. At the center of the dispute is a controversial new law the legislature enacted last year that places additional restrictions on the signature gathering process that the campaign says pose “an enormous (if not insurmountable) barrier to the ability of sponsors.” For example, paid petition gatherers are now required to register with the state. The lawsuit alleges that those registration databases have experienced problems that have created “substantial delays and hindrances.” The new policies “lack even a rational, reasonable, or coherent justification or relation to any purported State interest,” the suit contends.
Read MoreAs the new year begins, slews of bills that were signed into law over the past year go into effect Wednesday as 2020 begins...Illinois legalized the possession and sale of cannabis for recreational use ? and was also the first state to pass such a comprehensive measure via legislature rather than a ballot initiative. Under the new law, adults 21 and older who live in the state can possess up to 30 grams of cannabis. Now about 315,000 Illinois residents with weed-related criminal records are eligible to have these records expunged. The legislation also includes a social equity program ? similar to one that exists in Oakland, California, for instance ? meant to support minority-owned businesses in entering the marijuana market. This is meant to repair some of the harms done by law enforcement disproportionately targeting poor communities of color over marijuana use in recent decades. Illinois is the 11th state to legalize cannabis for adult use.
Read MoreIt was 2018, and after years of running a successful business in the Boise area — Same Day Electric — Patty Fletcher and her husband, Randy, wanted a change of pace. They landed on what might seem like an odd choice: farming. And then landed on hemp, which they found to be one of the most versatile options. “We have lived in Boise for about 25 years, we still have a home in Boise,” Patty Fletcher said. “... We looked at different places and what kind of crop we wanted to grow, and found out about hemp.” There was just one big problem: Idaho doesn’t allow the cultivating or selling of hemp. But its next-door neighbor, Oregon, does. So the Fletchers sold their Garden City electric business, found a 30-acre farm in Vale and began working by hand to ensure a harvest for this fall. “It was really challenging because it is a new industry, but it has been great. We found a buyer who was interested in all of it,” Patty Fletcher said. “Hemp is a profitable product, so it is twofold: We could buy the farm, make it work financially; plus we’re growing something that we really believed in.” If the state of Idaho starts believing in hemp, people like the Fletchers might not have to go elsewhere.
Read MoreIn 2019, hemp made more headway as tobacco continued to wane. China's imposed tariffs of 25% on soybeans also made the past 12 months difficult for U.S. crop farmers who rely on that foreign market. And the overall growing season won't be remembered fondly within state agriculture circles, according to Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. "2019 was a tough production year," Quarles said. "It was a very wet year and very dry year wrapped into one, which caused significant crop losses across the state." In particular, many burley tobacco farmers suffered a setback with less than suitable weather conditions during the curing process.
Read MoreAs of this time next week, residents in neighboring Illinois will be able to legally purchase and consume recreational marijuana as it becomes the 11th state to legalize the once demonized drug. In the much more conservative state of Missouri, however, out of the nearly 1,000 bills prefiled for the 2020 legislative session, only seven are related to marijuana and none of those are calling for its legalization yet. As the session progresses and as Missouri lawmakers will see the positive or negative results of the Illinois plan to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana, more bills may be filed here in the coming months as the session runs until mid-May. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker estimated $170 million in revenue from licensing fees in 2020, though that amount later was reduced to $57 million. The state projects that taxes could raise $375 million annually after the program grows over the next five years. In Missouri, baby steps have been taken in the past two years with measures passed allowing the growing and harvesting of industrial hemp in 2018 and the use of medical marijuana in 2019. The 2018 industrial hemp bill signed by then Gov. Eric Greitens, was sponsored by former State Rep. Paul Curtman, R-Union.
Read MoreState officials are praising the federal government's decision to spend $5 million on election security in Connecticut. The grant is an addition to the $2 million previously given to the state. The money will be used to improve both municipal security, as well as to protect the state's voter files from hackers. Federal officials have confirmed that Connecticut was one of the states that Russian hackers were successful in gaining access to in the 2016 election.
Read MoreThe ripple effects of legalization will extend far beyond people getting high. Foremost among them are what the pro-legalization Marijuana Policy Project, which ...
Read MoreInside a hotel ballroom near the nation’s capital, a U.S. Army officer with battlefield experience told 120 state and local election officials that they may have more in common with military strategists than they might think. These government officials are on the front lines of a different kind of battlefield — one in which they are helping to defend American democracy by ensuring free and fair elections. “Everyone in this room is part of a bigger effort, and it’s only together are we going to get through this,” the officer said. That officer and other past and present national security leaders had a message to convey to officials from 24 states gathered for a recent training held by a Harvard-affiliated democracy project: They are the linchpins in efforts to defend U.S. elections from an attack by Russia, China or other foreign threats, and developing a military mindset will help them protect the integrity of the vote. The need for such training reflects how elections security worries have heightened in the aftermath of the 2016 election, when Russian military agents targeted voting systems across the country as part of a multi-pronged effort to influence the presidential election. Until then, the job of local election officials could had been described as akin to a wedding planner who keeps track of who will be showing up on Election Day and ensures all the equipment and supplies are in place. Now, these officials are on the front lines. The federal government will be on high alert, gathering intelligence and scanning systems for suspicious cyber activity as they look to defend the nation’s elections. Meanwhile, it will be the state and county officials who will be on the ground charged with identifying and dealing with any hostile acts. “It’s another level of war,” said Jesse Salinas, the chief elections official in Yolo County, California, who attended the training. “You only attack things that you feel are a threat to you and our democracy is a threat to a lot of these nation-states that are getting involved trying to undermine it. We have to fight back, and we have to prepare.”
Read MoreIn 2019, legal cannabis sales jumped 32% since 2018, Illinois became the first state to legalize cannabis via legislation and the U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAFE Banking Act, a first step toward opening banking services for the industry. Of course, the news wasn’t all rosy. Stock prices fluctuated and a cash crunch hampered growth and expansion. New York and New Jersey failed to lift prohibition. But these can be viewed as growing pains for an emerging industry. As we head into 2020, here’s a look at what’s ahead for the industry. Now that two-thirds of Americans favor a complete end to prohibition and 90% support medical cannabis, politicians are getting on board, too. Only three major presidential candidates (Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg) oppose full legalization at the federal level, although all three do appear to support a states-rights approach to cannabis regulation. Cannabis is an issue that drives voters to the polls, so depending on how many states have legalization referendums on the ballot next year, cannabis voters could play a big role in 2020. Which brings us to our next topic.
Read MoreEvanstonians 21 and older will be able to legally buy cannabis here and throughout Illinois starting Jan. 1. Here's a guide to the new law. As the chart above, provided by the Cannabis Businss Association of Illinois, indicates, there are significant limits on how much cannabis you can possess -- with Illinois residents allowed to have twice as much as people from out of state. A list of licensed adult-use dispensaries includes one in Evanston, at 1804 Maple Ave. The new law prohibits possession of cannabis: On a school bus and in any preschool or primary or secondary school, except by qualified medical cannabis users and their caregivers. On in any correctional facility. In a vehicle not open to the public unless the cannabis is in a "reasonably secured, sealed container and reasonably inaccessible while the vehicle is moving. In a private residence used to provide licensed child care or other similar social service care. The law only permits qualified medical cannabis users to grow their own cannabis and only for personal use.
Read MoreIn the first year that recreational marijuana was legal in Vermont, the number of drivers arrested by state police for impaired driving who had THC in their systems more than doubled, according to state police data. While some police believe the increase in 2018 shows more people are using cannabis and driving since legalization, other observers say the rise is at least partially due to the expansion in and emphasis on police training in such stops. Data requested by the AP from the Vermont Forensic Laboratory indeed shows that more drivers are being tested — undergoing blood screenings for drugs, including marijuana. The rise in testing is due to a combination of factors, including officers getting better at recognizing drug impairment, said Trisha Conti, director of the lab. “It might just be that officers are getting better at recognizing, it might just be because there are more officers on the road, there’s more DREs (drug recognition experts) than there used to be, so it’s a combination of a lot of things,” Conti said. About 12 million drivers nationally, 4.7 percent, reported driving under the influence of marijuana in 2018, compared with 20.5 million, 8 percent, who reported driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Read MoreMilitary cyber officials are developing information warfare tactics that could be deployed against senior Russian officials and oligarchs if Moscow tries to interfere in the 2020 U.S. elections through hacking election systems or sowing widespread discord, according to current and former U.S. officials. One option being explored by U.S. Cyber Command would target senior leadership and Russian elites, though probably not President Vladimir Putin, which would be considered too provocative, said the current and former officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the issue’s sensitivity. The idea would be to show that the target’s sensitive personal data could be hit if the interference did not stop, though officials declined to be more specific. “When the Russians put implants into an electric grid, it means they’re making a credible showing that they have the ability to hurt you if things escalate,” said Bobby Chesney, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin. “What may be contemplated here is an individualized version of that, not unlike individually targeted economic sanctions. It’s sending credible signals to key decision-makers that they are vulnerable if they take certain adversarial actions.”
Read MoreTwo years after California began licensing pot shops, the industry remains so outmatched by the black market that a state panel recently joined some legalization supporters in calling for significant changes — perhaps turning again to voters to address the problems. In its annual draft report, the Cannabis Advisory Committee warned Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators that high taxes, overly burdensome regulations and local control issues posed debilitating obstacles to the legal marijuana market. With tax revenue about a third of what was expected and with only about 800 of an anticipated 6,000 licensees open for business, the panel said, officials may need to consider “revisiting the ballot initiative process.” “Despite the state’s committed efforts to bring cannabis businesses fully into the regulated commercial market,” the report said, “as much as 80% of the cannabis market in California remains illicit.”
Read MoreSince 2014, medical marijuana laws in the United States have been protected from federal government interference by very little. The only thing really standing in the way is a spending bill that is renewed annually, in which Congress has continuously included a provision that prevents the Department of Justice (DOJ) from prosecuting medical marijuana businesses and patients operating within state laws. Earlier this year, a version of the spending bill included a provision that included both the medical and recreational markets – but it was revised before being finalized, once again only covering state-legal medical marijuana. Not for the first time, President Trump signed the spending bill – but made sure to include a signing statement basically saying that he has the right to ignore that provision, whether congress approved it or not. Trump has been back and forth about his support for legalization, making statements like the one below, while also claiming to support states’ rights to legalize.
Read MoreNew voting machines rolled out in six Georgia counties last month were meant to resolve longstanding issues with the state's election security, but experts say vulnerabilities remain, and Georgia isn't the only state facing the issue. Why it matters: Officials argue not enough has been done to strengthen election system protections across the country ahead of the 2020 elections. Experts persistently warn of foreign interference, as seen in the 2016 presidential election. The state of play: Georgia's new machines are touch screen, but officials argue they're too visible from outside the voting booth. Issues with programming can also delay vote counts and cause machines to reboot at random. The machines do produce paper records, but some officials say they're insufficient and difficult to verify.
Read MoreThe Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the state’s cannabis regulation agency, has banned CBD and THC from alcoholic drinks effective January 1, the New York Daily News reports. Commission spokesman Mark Pettinger said that while people are using CBD for wellness, there is “little scientific evidence” about how the compound interacts with other substances including alcohol. “We’ve wanted to address the issue of CBD getting into alcohol and because there are a lot of unknown unknowns about the effect of taking CBDs,” Pettinger said in the report, adding that the agency could reverse the decision once the federal government published guidelines for CBD in the wake of last year’s legalization of hemp. Several companies in mostly legal states have introduced alcoholic beverages that include CBD as an ingredient, including Heineken-owned, California-based Lagunitas Brewing Company, Black Hammer Brewing, Oregon-based Coalition Brewing, and Vermont’s Long Trail Brewing Company and Green Empire Brewing, among others.
Read MoreTucked inside the trillion-dollar budget approved by Congress last week is a measure allocating $425 million to states for election security. The line item will provide grant funds to all 50 states to protect against the types of interference caused by cyber-attacks during the 2016 election. Utah is expected to get $4.6 million, but the state hasn't indicated how the money will be spent. Patrick Thompson, technology director with the government watchdog group Alliance for a Better Utah, said because a majority of Utah's ballots are cast by mail, there are fewer opportunities for voting data to be hacked. "The way the majority of voters in Utah vote is through mail-in ballots. Ballots are sent out X number of days before the election and voters can make their choices," Thompson said. "They can consult the internet, they can think about it and then, mail the ballot back in and it's tabulated." Utah officials have previously used ballot security funds to buy new voting machines, upgrade the voter registration database and conduct training sessions for county clerks. State officials have previously said they found no evidence of any ballot interference in Utah during the 2016 election.
Read MoreWith gas stations, cafes and convenience stores now peddling unregulated cannabidiol, better known as CBD, state and federal lawmakers are pushing for increased research and regulation of the touted hemp derivative. “CBD is brimming with potential to be a billion-dollar industry across New York state, but before that can happen, we need to be 100 percent sure we understand the ABC’s of CBD — its impact on human health, and how best to regulate it at the federal level,” said U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, after announcing $2 million in the upcoming 2020 spending package for the FDAs involvement in CBD study and use guidelines. Local CBD sellers support Schumer’s move. Angel Isaac, the owner of Pretty Hot Mess in Glens Falls, said without regulation anybody can make and sell CBD.
Read MoreRepublicans plan to resort to their traditional tactic of voter suppression to ensure the reelection of president Donald Trump in 2020, according to one of Trump's top reelection advisers, who also admitted voter suppression is the way the GOP wins key elections. Justin Clark, a senior political adviser and senior counsel to the president’s reelection campaign, was recorded as admitting voter suppression is “traditionally” part of the Republican Party’s strategy to compete in battleground states. Clark spoke on the subject before a gathering of the Republican National Lawyers Association’s Wisconsin chapter on November 21. Wisconsin is one of three key battleground states Trump has to win to be reelected. “Traditionally it’s always been Republicans suppressing votes in places,” Clark told the Republican lawyers in the audio recording.
Read MoreCUMBERLAND FARMS is pushing a 2020 ballot question that would create a new beer and wine liquor license for food retailers, an initiative that could also have an impact on the number of marijuana stores opening up across the state. Under the existing cannabis law, communities must allow a minimum number of marijuana retail stores. Communities can only ban marijuana stores through a municipal election. The minimum number is set at “20 percent of the number of licenses issued within the city or town for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages not to be drunk on the premises,” rounded up to the nearest whole number. For a community with 18 liquor licenses, that would mean four marijuana stores must be allowed. In addition to creating the new beer and wine license for food stores, the Cumberland Farms ballot question would lift the cap on the number of licenses an operator could hold. If the question survives a legal challenge from the Mass. Package Stores Association, wins at the ballot, and food stores ultimately gain approval for new beer and wine licenses, many communities could end up with more marijuana stores.
Read MoreThe House and Senate have agreed to include a variety of marijuana, hemp and CBD provisions in reports attached to appropriations legislation that’s expected to be signed into law by President Trump on Friday. Although more sweeping provisions that passed the House—such as measures shielding all state and tribal cannabis programs from federal interference and protecting banks that service state-legal marijuana businesses—were omitted from the Fiscal Year 2020 spending legislation following the merging of the two chambers’ versions, the report language that came out of the bicameral negotiations reflects growing bipartisan interest in researching cannabis and ensuring that hemp legalization is effectively implemented. One provision directs the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to “provide a brief report on the barriers to research that result from the classification of drugs and compounds as Schedule I substances” under federal law within 120 days. There’s widespread recognition, including from the head of NIDA, that the Schedule I status of marijuana has inhibited studies into the plant’s effects.
Read MoreA measure to legalize medical marijuana in South Dakota has officially qualified for the state’s 2020 ballot. After activists turned in more than 30,000 signatures for the petition last month, the secretary of state’s office has confirmed that the statutory measure received enough valid signatures to qualify. “[O]ur office conducted a random sample of the petition signatures and found 74.65 percent to be valid,” South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett (R) said in a press release. The proposal is now officially designated as Initiated Measure 26. This is the first cannabis reform citizen initiative to make it onto any state ballot for 2020, with several others—from Mississippi to Nebraska—also in the works. Earlier this week, New Jersey lawmakers approved a resolution to put a referendum on legalization before voters next November. Medical cannabis legalization is one of two reform proposals that organizers are hoping to put to South Dakota voters next year. A separate campaign submitted signatures for an initiative to legalize for adult use, but that constitutional amendment proposal requires a higher threshold, and state officials have yet to validate the signatures.
Read MoreThe most recent national estimates of drivers who operate a car under the influence of marijuana put the numbers in the millions, according to a new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thursday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that in 2018, 12 million American adults said they had driven under the influence of weed in the 12 months prior to the survey. About 2.3 million said they had driven under the influence of illicit drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine. That breaks down to 4.7% of Americans driving under the influence of weed and 0.9% driving under the influence of the other drugs. The percentage is much smaller than the number of drivers who said they drove under the influence of alcohol. In 2018, 8% of drivers said they had a drink before driving at some point during the previous year. Male drivers were more likely to report using marijuana or illicit drugs than female drivers. The people most likely to say they used pot before driving were people in the 21-25 age group. The second highest group to report using weed were people between the age of 16 and 20, the youngest category of drivers to qualify for a license. That, the authors say, "is of special concern," since newer drivers already have a heightened risk of causing accidents because of their inexperience on the road. The demographic most likely to drive under the influence of marijuana are non-Hispanic multiracial persons at 9.2%, the report found.
Read More— Democratic presidential hopefuls debate once more tonight, but if past is prologue, cybersecurity isn’t likely to get attention — and frustrated experts have ideas about why. — A report out this morning offers recommendations on election security, focusing on e-poll books, voting machines, voter registration databases and election-night results-reporting websites. — Magecart attacks might have just hit a momentous turning point toward targeting and customization. THE DOG THAT DIDN’T BARK — Tonight, Democratic presidential candidates hold their last debate of 2019, sponsored by POLITICO and PBS NewsHour. If you’ve watched the others, you know that cybersecurity hasn’t come up much, infuriating experts in the field. “I'm aghast, befuddled and bewildered that this has not been a main topic,” former Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and National Governors Association chairman told your MC host in a story out this morning for Pros. The explanations vary, from moderators not asking about it to candidates not seizing enough initiative. And it might just take a major cyberattack for anyone to start emphasizing it more on the campaign trail. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY — Preparation, training and contingency plans can prevent cyberattacks and technology failures from disrupting an election, the Brennan Center for Justice said in a new report with advice for election officials. The report provides recommendations for preventing and recovering from the failure of four systems: e-poll books, voting machines, voter registration databases and election-night results-reporting websites. Among the suggestions: Don’t apply non-critical software updates to voter registration systems within 60 days of an election, limit and secure Wi-Fi access for e-poll books, keep paper backups of voter files and conduct voting machine repairs “in full view of observers” to maintain public confidence. Transparency and accuracy are key themes in the report, including its recommendation against extensive public comments about an ongoing cyber incident due to the fast-changing nature of digital investigations.
Read MoreThe Senate has voted to advance a $1.4 trillion government spending package in a last, bipartisan burst of legislating before bolting for the holidays from a Capitol that's toxic with impeachment. The vote in the Senate comes the day after the House voted to impeach President Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The first bill in the two-bill package, covering domestic programs, passed easily Thursday by a 71 to 23 vote, with a vote on a Pentagon and homeland security measure to come later in the day. The package passed in the House earlier this week. The legislation gives Mr. Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence and gives Democrats long-sought domestic spending increases and a repeal of Obama-era taxes on high-cost health insurance plans. It blends spending increases for both sides — reelection fodder for lawmakers throughout the Capitol — with tax and benefit add-ons that will add roughly $400 billion to the deficit over 10 years. The compromise bill would forestall a government shutdown this weekend, and the White House has announced Mr. Trump will sign it before Friday's midnight deadline. The split-their-differences legislation is towing an unusually large haul of unrelated provisions into law, prompting futile protest from fiscal conservatives. It implements a summertime spending deal that reversed unpopular and unworkable automatic spending cuts to defense and domestic programs — at a $2.2 trillion cost over the coming decade...Democrats have cheered several of their priorities in the mammoth legislation, including $25 million for gun violence research — the first time money has been provided for this kind of research in more than two decades — and $425 million for election security grants.
Read MoreA powerful Senate committee chairman said on Wednesday the he opposes House-passed marijuana banking legislation and laid out potential changes he would like to see to the bill before he takes it up in his panel. Among other amendments being floated for public feedback is a 2 percent THC potency limit on products in order for cannabis businesses to qualify to access financial services as well as blocking banking services for operators that sell high-potency vaping devices or edibles that could appeal to children. “I remain firmly opposed to efforts to legalize marijuana on the federal level, and I am opposed to legalization in the State of Idaho,” Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, said in a press release. “I also do not support the SAFE Banking Act that passed in the House of Representatives. I have significant concerns that the SAFE Banking Act does not address the high level potency of marijuana, marketing tactics to children, lack of research on marijuana’s effects, and the need to prevent bad actors and cartels from using the banks to disguise ill-gotten cash to launder money into the financial system. I welcome input from all interested parties on how to thoughtfully address these concerns.”
Read More— An Election Assistance Commission advisory group will review the latest progress on new voting system guidelines, which include a ban on internet connectivity. — The Office of Personnel Management’s inspector general urged the agency to complete a host of cybersecurity improvements that have sat unaddressed for years. — Election security advocates produced an estimate of how newly approved grant money will be divvied up between states based on their voting-age populations...LET’S SEE WHAT YOU’VE GOT — The EAC’s Technical Guidelines Development Committee meets today by phone to review the latest draft of version 2.0 of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines. Public working groups have been meeting for months to revise different aspects of the widely cited federal standards, including its security provisions. In October, the cybersecurity working group added a ban on internet and wireless connectivity, which prompted some consternation and confusion at a TGDC meeting in November. Input from the TGDC — a body that includes technical experts and election officials — marks one of the first steps in the process of approving a new VVSG. But more work remains to be done on VVSG 2.0, and the TGDC isn’t likely to give the draft its final seal of approval at today’s meeting. “We anticipate continuing the discussion of the requirements with the TGDC on the next call,” NIST staffer Gema Howell wrote in an email to members of the cyber working group.
Read MoreState lawmakers are warning there will be bumps in the road to selling cannabis, which becomes legal starting Jan. 1 — including possible shortages of the product. That’s of special concern to medical marijuana users. “Each state that has implemented an adult-use cannabis program has had issues related to supply shortages,” lawmakers wrote in a letter to the media, signed by state Sens. Heather Steans and Laura Fine, and state Reps. Kelly Cassidy, Bob Morgan, Jehan Gordon-Booth, Celina Villanueva and David Welter.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the public comment period on proposed hemp regulations that was initially set to expire at the end of December.
Read MoreUnrelenting pain in her hips and weeks of insomnia left Nelly Valbuena desperate for relief from her metastatic breast cancer. The university professor found freedom from her disease’s cruel side effects in an unexpected remedy: CBD, a compound extracted from the cannabis plant.
Read MoreIt seemed like food poisoning. All weekend, I lay in bed with such abdominal pain that I cried, moaned, even yelled. It was the worst stomach bug I had experienced in my 40 years. By Sunday, I began to improve. I held down fluids, I ate a banana. But that night I grew sicker. No matter how much water and sports beverage I drank, my mouth dried out and my fever rose.
Read MoreLacking access to the banking system has been a big problem for the cannabis industry. Since marijuana is illegal at the federal level, many banks have shunned businesses that sell pot, making it difficult for those sellers to hold bank accounts. Some banks have provided services to cannabis companies but it's still a very gray area...
Read MoreIndiana's Republican Statehouse leaders are firmly against taking any steps toward following neighboring states in legalizing marijuana use…
Read MoreA coalition of trade associations sent a letter to Senate Banking Committee leadership on Thursday, urging a vote on legislation to protect financial institutions that service state-legal marijuana businesses. But those senators are also feeling pressure from leading civil rights groups like the ACLU and Human Rights Watch, which sent an earlier letter insisting that they not allow cannabis banking to detract from more comprehensive reform that addresses social equity. The organizations involved in the latest letter—including the American Bankers Association and Credit Union National Association—said that advancing the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act or similar legislation is pivotal to ensuring that stakeholders receive needed clarity and are shielded from being penalized by federal regulators. The letter, addressed to Banking Chair Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ranking Member Sherrod Brown (D-OH), emphasized the bipartisan nature of the House passage of the bill in September and the growing movement at the state level to legalize cannabis for medical or recreational purposes.“Our organizations support an initial legislative step that allows the legal cannabis industry into the banking system,” the groups, which also include the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, International Council of Shopping Centers and National Association of REALTORS, wrote. “Ultimately, protecting law-abiding financial institutions and ancillary businesses from their currently untenable position and addressing increasing public safety concerns.”
Read MoreState officials, lawmakers, academics and policy experts holed up in a room in Richmond on Wednesday for a day-long “cannabis summit” convened by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring. The topic of discussion: how and when the Commonwealth could start loosening its strict marijuana laws — including moving to a system of legal and regulated sales for recreational use. “I don’t believe our current system of criminalizing possession of marijuana is working at all,” Herring said in opening remarks. “It is needlessly burdening Virginians with convictions and criminalizing them. The human and social costs of this are enormous, in addition to the millions of dollars it is costing Virginia taxpayers. And the burden of this system is falling disproportionately on African Americans and people of color.” The summit came just a month after Democrats claimed control of the General Assembly for the first time in more than a generation, giving marijuana advocates an opening to move forward on policy priorities stymied in the past by Republican legislators. It also follows polling showing that a majority of Virginians favor both decriminalization and outright legalization.
Read MoreMajor League Baseball and the MLB players union announced Thursday that they have reached an agreement to remove marijuana from the list of banned substances and will begin to treat its consumption by players in the same way that alcohol use is handled. The agreement is the product of negotiations on the league’s drug policy, with both parties agreeing that steps must be taken to handle drug misuse through a treatment-focused model, rather than by simply imposing penalties. With that, the MLB will also start to test for opioids and cocaine, and players who test positive will be referred to treatment. Only those who refuse the treatment program will be penalized. The cannabis change reflects an attempt to modernize the league’s drug policy as more states move to enact legalization. “Going forward, marijuana-related conduct will be treated the same as alcohol-related conduct under the Parties’ Joint Treatment Program for Alcohol-Related and Off-Field Violent Conduct, which provides for mandatory evaluation, voluntary treatment and the possibility of discipline by a Player’s Club or the Commissioner’s Office in response to certain conduct involving Natural Cannabinoids,” the MLB wrote in a press release.
Read MoreLegislators plan to tighten Indiana's election security another notch ahead of next year's elections. A government watchdog group says they should go farther. Senate Elections Chairman Greg Walker (R-Columbus) says he expects a bill to require more training for election workers to keep them from inadvertently opening voting machines to hackers by clicking on the wrong email or Internet link. Secretary of State Connie Lawson has already been conducting cybersecurity training for state election workers. And an election security training academy at Ball State graduated its first class of county election workers this summer. But Common Cause policy director Julia Vaughn says there needs to be more focus on making sure vote totals can be verified. 34 counties use optical-scan ballots, like the sheet you took your SAT on. Four more are debuting an add-on this year that prints a paper copy of your vote. The state is also piloting a "risk-limiting audit" where election officials review a sampling of ballots to confirm the totals make sense. But Vaughn says that still leaves 54 counties where vote tallies go straight to the hard drive. She says that's not only a target for hackers, but makes an audit impossible. About 60 people attended a Common Cause-hosted workshop on the state of election security in Indiana.
Read MoreThat warning, delivered by senator after senator during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, reflects the fierce anti-encryption mood now reigning on Capitol Hill -- and how the Justice Department's warnings about how the digital protection allows child sex traffickers and other criminals to act with impunity seem to be moving the needle. “It ain’t complicated for me. You’re going to find a way to do this or we’re going to do it for you,” committee chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) told representatives from Facebook and Apple. “We’re not going to live in a world where a bunch of child abusers can have a safe haven to practice their craft. Period. End of discussion." Graham added, "You’re either the solution or you’re the problem.” Similar warnings came from the committee’s top Democrat, Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Republican Sens. Joni Ernst (Iowa), John Cornyn (Texas) and Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) who charged the companies are “creating a sanctuary” for criminals. “You all have got to get your act together or we will gladly get your act together for you,” Blackburn said. The lawmakers’ with-us-or-against us approach marks a huge about-face from a few years ago, when Congress seemed more split on whether advanced encryption provided a dangerous haven for criminals or a vital protection for all Americans. Back in 2016, even Graham warned the Obama Justice Department against trying to legally force Apple to help break into an encrypted iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, saying the precedent could backfire and damage national security. “I’m a person who’s been moved by the arguments [about] the damage we may be doing to our national security,” Graham told then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Graham’s office didn’t respond to a query asking for details about his shifting position.
Read MoreIf you listen carefully, you will hear the sound of a crooked foundation known as marijuana prohibition starting to crumble in the United States. It has been more than eight decades since the federal government outlawed the cannabis plant nationwide, and yet, here we are finally standing on its lawn with torches in hand waiting for a day of reckoning. Because no matter how much the suits on the Hill have schemed to enslave a population through backasswards drug laws, the nation has risen up in true knock-down-drag-out fashion and fought for its freedom back. Admittedly, this battle for legal bud took a lot longer than it should have, but considering that everyone in the trenches was stoned beyond belief, the marijuana movement seems to be arriving right on time. Although pro-pot groups insist that 2019 has been the best year ever in the realm of cannabis reform, the reality is not much progress has transpired. It is only revered as the “best year” because even less occurred in the years that came before it. But no matter how you size it up, nothing plus bupkis still equals squat. In spite of everything, marijuana remains illegal across most of the United States. At the state level, many advocates predicted that New York and New Jersey would be the next to legalize weed. Well, that didn’t happen. In fact, Illinois swooped in and legalized first, making both states look like dorks. But aside from that, no other significant pot laws were passed at the state level in 2019. We also learned that police are still out there arresting more than 600,000 pot offenders nationwide every year — mostly small timers, too. In addition, some states, like California, are having trouble curbing the black market, and tainted pot products, most of which were initially believed to be counterfeits, are finding their way into legal dispensaries. To make matters worse, the cannabis industry, as a whole, is struggling to keep it together long enough to see profitability. Layoffs are prevalent and some of the nation’s most popular cannabis magazines are at risk of going under.
Read MoreThe city of Sacramento wants to extend its ban on hemp cultivation and manufacturing from 45 days to a full year. The hemp plant, sibling to marijuana, is legal under state law as of October 12, when Senate Bill 153 was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. But the city says it is unwilling to establish its own regulations for hemp until new rules are developed at the state and federal level. "They don't really exist at this moment and the city is really leery of moving into regulating yet another industry,” said Assistant City Manager Leyne Milstein. Milstein added that the city doesn’t want to create new rules only to be forced to change them when the state and feds come up with theirs.
Read MoreA grassroots organization that works on reforming marijuana laws in North Dakota, Legalize ND, submitted a measure for adult-use cannabis legalization to the secretary of state’s office Thursday, according to Marijuana Moment. The organization has been working for around a year on a measure that proposes more strict rules than one that was rejected by voters last year. The new measure now covers and prohibits home growing, proposes a 10% excise tax, limits possession to 2 ounces and demands a regulatory body for marijuana business license approvals, according to Marijuana Moment. “One of the largest complaints from last time was the mantra of ‘poorly written,'” Legalize ND’s David Owen told the publication. “They targeted the lack of legal experience from our team and they targeted a lack of ‘qualified lawyers’ to be drafting language that would go into the state’s statutory law.”
Read MoreAs Facebook sought to recover from its disastrous 2016 election season, company officials debated ways to curb distortions and disinformation on the platform. One of the most potentially powerful — limiting advertisers’ ability to target narrow slices of voters with political messages — struggled to find support and was abandoned, say people familiar with those discussions. But today, as disinformation begins to spread ahead of the 2020 presidential vote, Facebook again is discussing “microtargeting” and weighing whether to restrict a set of advertising tools so powerful that, critics say, it may threaten democracy itself. Though political advertising is a relatively small source of revenue for Facebook, which took in nearly $56 billion overall last year, the stakes are high because many politicians, including President Trump, are avid users of its microtargeting tools. These include the ability to tailor messages to lists of individual voters or to small groups based on characteristics such as age, education, Zip code, income, relationship status, interests, political leanings or combinations of the above. Politicians and operatives from both major parties have reacted angrily to proposals to curb these powers.
Read MoreThe National Defense Authorization Act released Dec. 9 contains several provisions aimed at securing U.S. election infrastructure months before presidential primary season is in full-swing. The provisions in the compromised conference report mandate a broad range of election-related steps, from an assessment of foreign intelligence threats to U.S. elections to allowing top state election officials to receive Top Secret security clearances. The security clearance language is good news for the information-sharing relationship between the the federal government and state election officials, who don’t have proper clearance to view high-level intelligence related to election infrastructure cyberthreats. Throughout the 2016 election, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI had a fraught information-sharing relationship with the states. In the years since, top federal election officials have consistently said information sharing needed to be improved, and while officials say it has been, the clearance problem was still a hindrance. The election security language in the bill directs DHS to furnish a report on 2016 cyberattacks on U.S. election infrastructure by foreign government within 60 days of the bill being signed into law. The report, which Congress wants unclassified, must include attempted and successful cyberattacks related to the 2016 election, including the names of the states and localities affected. Congress also wants it to include all attacks on vote registration databases, voting machines, voting-related computer networks.
Read MoreNorth Dakota activists submitted a measure to legalize marijuana for adult use to state officials on Thursday, an organizer confirmed to Marijuana Moment. Legalize ND, the group behind the proposed statutory initiative, delivered the measure to the secretary of state’s office. It’s expected to be validated within days, after which point petitions will be distributed to collect signatures in support of qualifying for the 2020 ballot. It’s been about a year since organizers began working on the measure, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess and purchase cannabis for personal use. The proposal is more narrowly tailored than a legalization initiative from the same organization that voters rejected in 2018, however. The previous version didn’t include any restrictions on cultivation or possession, and it didn’t involve a licensing scheme. By contrast, the new measure would prohibit home cultivation, limit possession to two ounces, impose a 10 percent excise tax and establish a regulatory body to approve licenses for marijuana businesses. “One of the largest complaints from last time was the mantra of ‘poorly written,'” Legalize ND’s David Owen told Marijuana Moment in a phone interview. “They targeted the lack of legal experience from our team and they targeted a lack of ‘qualified lawyers’ to be drafting language that would go into the state’s statutory law.”
Read MoreStates’ efforts to legalize marijuana could be endangering workers, job safety advocates warn. At issue is whether employers in states legalizing the recreational or medical use of marijuana can ban workers in “safety-sensitive” positions from off-hour use of marijuana or consumption of foods and drinks containing the plant’s psychoactive chemical, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The safety-sensitive classification should include occupations where a mistake can threaten the life and health of others, safety experts say. “The National Safety Council believes safety is being left out of the conversation, in general,” said Jane Terry, the council’s vice president of government affairs. The council in October issued a policy statement declaring “there is no level of cannabis use that is safe or acceptable for employees who work in safety-sensitive positions.” The recreational use of marijuana has been approved in the District of Columbia and in 11 states, including California, Michigan, and most recently Illinois. Another 22 states allow only medical use of cannabis.
Read MoreOnce marijuana is legalized on Jan. 1, Chicago residents will be able to smoke legal cannabis in their balconies or backyards without being ticketed, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and interim police Superintendent Charlie Beck announced Thursday. “While the state law prohibits cannabis consumption in a ‘public place,’ which is defined as anywhere you can be observed by others in the public, the Chicago Police Department recognizes that an individual using cannabis in their own backyard or balcony poses no direct threat to public safety, and no resident should be arrested or ticketed solely for such a scenario,” Lightfoot and Beck said in a joint statement. “Any characterization to the contrary is simply wrong.” Illinois lawmakers voted earlier this year to legalize recreational use of marijuana with the new year. That’s led the city to make changes on how the city will address cannabis. Last month, the City Council approved Lightfoot’s plan to reduce penalties and fines for people caught carrying pot in their car or using it in public in Chicago.
Read MoreWhen political polar opposites such as U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) align on the same side, we notice. The issue that draws them close to rapture is hemp. The upheaval resulting from the disjointed legalization of hemp as an industrial agricultural crop in Maine has put farmers squarely in the middle of incompatible and conflicting state and federal rules and regulations. Pingree, McConnell and Governor Janet Mills are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep pace with the social, scientific and market changes around hemp and products derived from hemp, especially cannabidiol oil (CBD). As we experienced with Maine’s legalization of marijuana, the state’s decision to normalize hemp as a crop collided head-on with federal prohibitions. Hemp is a brand-new “old” agricultural product in Maine. In 2015, the Maine Legislature rejected a Governor LePage veto and voted to allow planting of hemp for commercial purposes. In 2017, the Canadian firm Future Farm Technology acquired a hemp farm and a year later converted a former frozen-blueberry processor in Belfast to CBD processing in order to establish a base of operation in the United States. Hemp growing is not legal in many states, but in 2018 the Federal Farm Bill legalized hemp as an agricultural crop for states and tribes to manage. The USDA just released proposed rules governing hemp standards and eligibility for federal programs such as farm loans and crop insurance and the public comment period is now open. Interim rules will be published to address growing, testing, disposal and licensing standards.
Read More— The case against two alleged Russian hackers provides insights on how Russia handles cyber, the evolving state of Washington-Kremlin relations and more. — Congress is losing another leading cybersecurity-oriented lawmaker to retirement, this time the House member most associated with the “hack back” movement. — A NATO-affiliated research group is out today with a report detailing how Facebook, Google and Twitter are struggling to stop widespread inauthentic behavior across their platforms. BETWEEN THE LINES — The unsealed U.S. indictment of, and related materials about, the alleged leaders of the cybercriminal gang Evil Corp released on Thursday expound on the massive scope of the operation, and more: at least $100 million stolen from banks in 40 countries via the Dridex malware, some pretty massive fees to their customers and a naming convention that suggests they haven’t watched “Mr. Robot” too closely. But some of the most interesting bits involve how Russia operates in cyberspace. First, and surprisingly, FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said at a news conference that Russia was "helpful in the investigation, to a point.” The complaint elaborates that the aid came shortly after the Obama administration “reset” with Russia but just as relations were starting to deteriorate anew: “Affidavits from the Russian response also indicated that on or about November 24, 2010, Russian authorities executed a residential search warrant at the Moscow Address. According to the affidavits produced by Russian authorities, individuals present or with belongings at the residence included Maksim Yakubets and a specific female individual.” Special Agent Jacob Foiles said he believed “that the Russian response to the mutual legal assistance request was reliable. Russian authorities did not produce the actual records and information they had obtained, as had been requested; instead, they summarized the records and information in affidavits.” On the other hand, since there are pictures of Yakubets and his gaudy car hanging around police, they apparently didn’t make an effort to do more than that.
Read MoreAn Ankeny business owner was arrested Wednesday for allegedly selling products containing cannabidiol, or CBD, while unlicensed by the state — the first charge of its kind in Polk County, according to the county attorney's office. Ankeny police arrested Lacie Navin, 33, of Des Moines at her business, Your CBD Store, at 833 E. First St., said Lt. Heath Osberg, spokesperson for the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Officers from the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force twice purchased CBD products at Navin’s store, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint did not say whether the officers were in uniform or working undercover, and Navin could not be reached for comment. The first purchases, on Oct. 15, were a pack of CBD gummies, hemp extract oil and CBD lotion. Lab testing showed all the products contained cannabidiol, according to the complaint. Officers went to Navin's store again Monday and purchased another pack of CBD gummies. Navin was arrested two days later and charged with two counts of controlled substance violation and failure to pay tax on an unlawful substance. Navin’s arrest was a part of a task force investigation of businesses selling CBD in central Iowa that began after complaints had been filed in multiple counties, Osberg said. Officers were unable to find CBD at some stores, Osberg said. At the others, officers warned owners to remove the products from their shelves or face charges. Osberg declined to identify the businesses the officers investigated...CBD is derived from hemp, a member of the same plant family, cannabis, as marijuana, though it typically does not contain a significant amount of THC, marijuana's psychoactive substance. Despite the growing presence of CBD in the Des Moines area, it is still illegal to sell or possess over-the-counter CBD in Iowa, said Nathan Blake, Iowa’s deputy attorney general.
Read MoreMarijuana legalization is picking up the pace again. The 2020 elections are drawing closer. More states are working to pass bills to get medical, recreational, or both cannabis forms legalized. On Wednesday, I discussed how Virginia is pushing for marijuana decriminalization and legalization in 2020. Read Marijuana Legalization: Can Virginia Expect it in 2020? to learn more. Now, we’ll discuss what’s happening with marijuana legalization in Utah. Recreational cannabis is still illegal in Utah. The state legalized medical cannabis in 2018. However, the medical marijuana program will go live in March 2020. As a result, under current cannabis laws, people in Utah can grow cannabis plants for medical use, especially for certain terminal conditions. Medical dispensaries haven’t been set up yet in Utah. In 2018, Utah passed a law for dispensaries to be opened by January 2021. Utah’s laws are pretty strict when it comes to cannabis possession despite making medical marijuana legal. Doctors and patients in Utah don’t feel protected under current cannabis laws, as reported by Fox 13 last month.
Read MoreVirginia Attorney General Mark Herring will host a cannabis summit one week from Wednesday ahead of the start of the 2020 General Assembly next month. “The reason that I’ve organized this cannabis reform summit is to bring lawmakers and policymakers together to hear from experts and folks from other states who’ve had experience in this to share that information to give them the tools and information they need in order to craft a good plan for Virginia going forward,” said Herring (D). With the Democrats taking control of both the House and Senate of the General Assembly, along with already controlling the Governor’s mansion, there are expectations that the party will pass legislation on issues that has failed in the past. This includes the possibility of decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana, both of which Herring has voiced support for. “Now that that’s changing, I think there’s a real opportunity that this new Democratic majority will pass real meaningful reform,” said Herring. “I hope at a minimum that means decriminalization of possession of small amounts and addressing past convictions. I also hope that it puts on a path to make a concrete plan for how Virginia could move to legal and regulated adult use.”
Read MoreState agriculture officials are saying new federal rules regulating hemp production nationally would hurt Maine’s rapidly growing hemp industry. The rules being proposed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under its Domestic Hemp Production Program are currently open for public comment, and the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Commissioner Amanda Beal detailed the state’s concerns about the rules in comments released Wednesday. Hemp, a strain of marijuana that does not contain high levels of the psychoactive chemical tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is generally grown for its fiber or for the extraction of cannabidiol, or CBD, a key component in marijuana-based medicines and treatments. The proposed federal rules would require lab testing of hemp to certify THC levels, but the rules require that those labs be registered with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency. The rules also set a limit on THC in hemp at .3 percent, require state sampling of all hemp farms, federal registration and federal background checks for those involved in the industry. Maine’s hemp program currently has only one private lab available for testing, and it is not registered with the DEA.
Read MoreElection security should be a shared priority...If America is to remain America, we need to make sure our voting is what voters believe it to be, and not a sham controlled by cheaters. As politics has become more of a high-stakes game, its battlefields these days swirl around its own core mechanism — elections. U.S. diplomats have testified in the current impeachment inquiry that President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to help weaken a 2020 political opponent, using hundreds of millions of dollars of U.S. military aid as leverage. This raises the question of where the boundary of politics lies. Trump and his defenders say he did nothing illegal, but the Constitution is not clear about that. Our nation’s founders clearly feared foreign nations becoming involved in domestic politics, but a certain amount of that has always been with us. At what point is it out of bounds? It is a slippery slope, however, and if we aren’t careful, we will have our political parties actively allying themselves with foreign powers. There is reason to fear Trump is already engaging in that. In defending the president, Republicans fall back on the centrality of elections: They say Democrats are just trying to overturn the 2016 vote. Perhaps not directly, though. It seems unlikely that the Senate will remove Trump from office, even if the House impeaches him, so maybe Democrats are mainly doing this as a demonstration — to show next year’s voters that Trump needs to go.
Read MoreA tenuous Senate consensus on the dangers of Russian election hacking is being threatened by the GOP’s embrace of President Trump’s debunked argument that Ukraine also interfered in 2016. Numerous Senate Republicans promoted that argument this week, bucking the conclusion of U.S. intelligence officials and ignoring warnings the claims are part of a Kremlin-backed effort to muddy the waters on Russia’s own interference. "There's no question in my mind Ukraine did try to influence the election," Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.), one of Trump’s most vocal supporters on the issue, said yesterday. Senate Democrats also struck back. “The only people who are advancing the discredited theory about Ukraine and intervention are part of the continuing Russian disinformation campaign,” Sen. Mark R. Warner (Va.), ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said. The conflict is a sea change for the Senate, which has generally maintained a bipartisan consensus on the singular damage caused by Russia’s 2016 hacking and disinformation campaign and the danger of a repeat in 2020 — even as House GOP lawmakers have proved far more willing to follow Trump’s lead in questioning Russia’s role in the attacks and embrace conspiracy theories.
Read MoreNew Zealand residents got a first look on Tuesday at details of a draft marijuana legalization proposal that will be the subject of a voter referendum next year. “The Government is publishing a draft Bill at this point to ensure that New Zealanders are informed about the direction being taken and the decisions that have been made to date,” a summary states. The draft bill outlines the basic elements of establishing a regulated cannabis market for adults. It will be updated with more details, taking feedback into account, ahead of the referendum vote. If more than 50 percent of voters approve the legislation, the incoming government will have to enact a law legalizing marijuana for adult use. The measure, as proposed, would set an age limit of 20 to purchase cannabis products, require marijuana to be consumed in private residences and licensed facilities, mandate investments in public health education campaigns, impose restrictions on advertising and create a licensing scheme for marijuana businesses. Individuals could purchase up to 14 grams of cannabis per day and cultivate up to two plants for personal use. The government would establish a body called the Cannabis Regulatory Authority to regulate the industry, approve licenses for marijuana businesses and promote public health. It would also be tasked with setting an excise tax so that the government recoups the administrative costs of implementing a cannabis program.
Read MoreMarijuana is strictly prohibited in Virginia. All forms of marijuana are illegal in the state. Yet, recreational cannabis sales went live in Michigan on Sunday. To know more about this, read Recreational Marijuana Sales Go Live in Michigan. Furthermore, Illinois will legalize marijuana on January 1, 2020. While the other states are pushing for legalization, let’s see what steps Virginia is taking. In June, the Daily Press reported Virginia’s Attorney General Mark Herring discussed his views about the unfair marijuana laws in the state. He feels decriminalization is the first step the state should take as it costs the state money dealing with marijuana convictions. Additionally, treating marijuana usage as a criminal offense leads to racial disparity. According to the Daily Press, marijuana convictions had increased from 6,500 in 2008 to 10,000 in 2017. Furthermore, he added that the state should look at legalizing marijuana, as well. A Newsweek article in June mentioned that both Democrats and Republicans supported Attorney General Mark Herring’s stance on decriminalization. On November 19, a Marijuana Moment article stated that Senator Adam Ebbin introduced a bill to decriminalize the possession of cannabis. It appears that this bill has a better chance as Democrats hold the majority in both the House of Delegates and Senate now. The state elections held in November decided the fate of Virginia, with Democrats holding the majority now. We have seen earlier that Republicans are not a fan of cannabis legalization. Talking about this, Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, said, “The new majority creates a real pathway for the passage of decriminalization in the 2020 General Assembly.” The new bill would now charge anyone possessing up to one ounce of cannabis to a maximum civil penalty of $50.
Read MoreBrazil has approved medicinal cannabis-based products, the country's pharmaceutical regulator Anvisa said on Tuesday, becoming the latest drug-ravaged Latin American nation to sign off on medical marijuana. The new regulations will be published in the country's official gazette in the next few days and come into law 90 days after that, Anvisa said. It also set out specific rules for the manufacture, import, sale, packaging, marketing and regulation of the new class of cannabis-based products. Latin America has suffered countless drug-related deaths in recent decades, and stop-start moves toward the legalization of medical - and even recreational - marijuana in countries like Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay represent a broader reassessment of drug laws in a region long-typified by aggressive prohibition. Brazil's decision is also part of a slowly changing worldwide view toward illegal drugs, with growing investment into the medicinal benefits of marijuana and other narcotics. Nonetheless, in regional terms, Brazil may be arriving late, with both Uruguay and Colombia having both legalized medical marijuana and actively working toward gaining a firm foothold in the booming multibillion-dollar global market.
Read MoreThe number of banks in the United States willing to lend to hemp producers can be counted on one hand. That is about to change. Federal and state bank regulators announced Tuesday that they were scrapping a burdensome requirement that banks said kept them away from the hemp business. Banks will no longer have to treat their hemp customers as suspicious and file reams of paperwork to anti-money-laundering authorities for each interaction. The change could provide a major boost to a niche product that began its own legalization process last year. “Banking has been an ongoing problem,” said Erica McBride Stark, the executive director of the National Hemp Association, a trade group for growers. “So this actually should be quite helpful.” Hemp products are made from the same plants that produce marijuana, but they are cultivated to have far less tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical that produces a “high” when ingested. The plants’ stalks can be woven into fabric and their seeds processed into oils used in food, but they cannot be made into drugs. Even so, federal law long considered hemp to be as forbidden as cocaine and heroin. But with the legalization of marijuana spreading across the country — 33 states have legalized the drug for medical use and 11 states will allow sales for recreational use by January — lawmakers in Washington decided to do away with the designation for its milder sibling.
Read MoreA federal appeals court in Cincinnati is holding oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the security of voting machines in Tennessee's largest county. The Shelby County Advocates for Valid Elections are hoping the appellate judges will call for a switch to handwritten ballots and a voter-verifiable paper trail. They claim the outdated touchscreen voting machines used in the Memphis area aren’t secure, and more safeguards are needed to shield the system from outside manipulation. A judge dismissed their lawsuit in September, saying they failed to show any harm has come to them and that they have no legal standing. Attorneys for the state of Tennessee will tell the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday that any claims of vote miscount and dilution are merely hypothetical.
Read MoreA Russian-owned company tried to hack the Ohio office that oversees the state’s voting systems on Election Day, according to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. LaRose told the Columbus Dispatch that the state’s internal systems detected an “SQL injection” attack that attempted to insert malicious code onto his office’s website. LaRose said that the attack originated in Panama but was traced back to a Russian-owned company. He downplayed the attempted hack as “relatively unsophisticated.” “Some of these unsophisticated attacks are ways that they probe for vulnerabilities. They are poking around for soft spots,” LaRose explained. He went on to credit the state’s “Albert” alert system that quickly identified the attack. “The good guys won that day and the bad guys lost,” he said. LaRose said that similar attacks are designed to disrupt or undermine the credibility of elections but he is confident that hackers cannot access voting machines because they are not connected to the internet. LaRose’s announcement came several months after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis revealed that Russian hackers had breached the voting systems of two counties in the state in 2016, though he said there was “nothing that affected the vote count.” That attack was first revealed in the final report of former special counsel Robert Mueller, who later testified to Congress that Russia was planning to interfere in upcoming elections “as we sit here.”
Read MoreRecreational marijuana is now legal in Michigan, with Illinois to follow January 1. That brings the number of states allowing recreational use to 11, with 33 states allowing for medical marijuana. Indiana is among the 16 states where marijuana use remains illegal in any form. But State Rep. Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) thinks that will change at some point. "The pressure is going to really build...the reason for not doing this has become less rational," he said. Lucas has become a leading advocate for legalization. When the legislation session begins in January, he will again introduce bills to legalize medical marijuana and decriminalize it for those possessing an ounce or less. "We know Hoosier adults who are otherwise responsible are going to go across the border and enjoy a legal product in neighboring state and come back to our state where they will be made a criminal by our current law and to me that's unacceptable. We have to change that," he said. Democratic Sen. Karen Tallian has introduced marijuana-related bills for nine years. She, too, will offer legislation decriminalizing marijuana, but this time will not offer a bill for medical marijuana.
Read MoreState election officials plan to ask the Legislature to help set rules for when they should purge the voter rolls, in part in response to a lawsuit against the state. On a 5-1 vote Monday, the Wisconsin Elections Commission directed its staff to start talking to lawmakers about how to address the issue. The commissioners want clearer rules about how to treat voters who may have moved — either with a law that spells out those rules or a law that gives the commission the power to set those rules on its own. The issue arose after the Elections Commission in October sent letters to about 234,000 voters telling them election officials believe they may have moved. The commission plans to remove them from the voter rolls in 2021 if they haven't confirmed they're still at the same address or registered to vote at a new address.
Read MoreMassive voting machine failures in a Pennsylvania county in November are giving election security advocates fresh ammunition to call for nationwide paper ballots. The problems, which may have been caused by a software glitch, resulted in some Northampton County residents who tried to vote straight-ticket Democrat initially registering as straight-ticket Republican. It also incorrectly showed a Republican judicial candidate winning by a nearly statistically impossible margin, the New York Times’ Nick Corasaniti reports. In this case, voters got lucky. The county had paper backups for all the votes the machine counted incorrectly. They showed the Democrat judicial candidate Abe Kassis — who the computer tally said got just 164 votes out of 55,000 ballots — actually narrowly won the race.
Read More— In the first part of a two-part interview, the senior director of Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program talked about the company’s work with political campaigns and organizations. — The DHS vulnerability disclosure policy directive and Commerce Department supply chain rule got some fresh reaction over the holiday break...I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU — Microsoft’s multifaceted election security program has trained more than 1,300 campaign staffers and consultants worldwide since launching a year and a half ago, and its leader says the tech giant wants to be a long-term ally in the fight against hackers. Campaigns “need a trusted partner that can help them throughout their life cycle,” Jan Neutze, the senior director of Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, told Eric in an interview. “That’s really what we’re trying to do.” Neutze, whose team’s AccountGuard service currently monitors more than 65,000 political accounts in 26 countries, talked about the company’s pitch to candidates and party committees, the threat landscape facing democracies, how Microsoft decides when to disclose election cyberattacks and how the company has changed its program in response to user feedback. Part one of the interview is available now for Pros and part two will run Tuesday morning...A TALE OF TWO FEDERAL CYBER PROPOSALS — A DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency draft binding operational directive that would require agencies to establish vulnerability disclosures got some good reviews after its release last week. “This is a banner day for federal agency cybersecurity,” Rhode Island Democratic Rep. Jim Langevin, co-chairman of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus and a member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, said Wednesday. “CISA’s decision to require every agency to have a vulnerability disclosure policy is a major step forward in both increasing security and extending an open hand to a community that is on the front lines of securing our nation in cyberspace.”
Read MoreWhen the year began, the North American cannabis industry looked to have plenty of momentum. Canada had just become the first industrialized country in the modern era to green-light adult-use cannabis, Mexico looked to be on track to legalize recreational pot later in the year, and support for legalization in the U.S. remained high (pardon the pun). But this has all changed as the year has worn on. Canada's weed industry has dealt with persistent supply issues, Mexico has kicked the can on recreational legalization into 2020, and the federal government in the U.S. continues to stymie any efforts to reform cannabis banking laws or the drug's Schedule I classification. Maybe the lone bright spot this year has been the projected uptick in cannabidiol (CBD) sales in the United States. CBD is the nonpsychoactive cannabinoid derived from cannabis and hemp that's best known for its perceived medical benefits.
Read MoreTHE SUREST way to guard our democracy against foreign interference? Persuade the meddlers not to meddle in the first place. Congress has a last chance to take a common-sense step in that direction before lawmakers call it a year. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has written a letter exhorting Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to support a provision in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would trigger cross-sector sanctions on any government that tried to tamper with U.S. elections. The measure mirrors the Deter Act that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) first introduced with Mr. Van Hollen almost two years ago. The Senate has passed by voice vote a resolution instructing the conferees currently finalizing the authorization act to take similar steps, and the House has approved a sister amendment.
Read MoreThis city’s plan to boost its black residents is budding. Lawmakers in Evanston, Illinois, have launched a $10 million reparations program for local African-Americans — funded by profits from legalized pot. When recreational marijuana, sold from state-licensed dispensaries, becomes legal in Illinois next year, the sales taxes reaped in Evanston will be applied to housing and education incentives to address the lingering effects of slavery, proponents told the Evanston Review. The legal-weed tax “will be invested in the community it unfairly policed and damaged,” Alderman Robin Rue Simmons said. Evanston, with a population of 75,000, is 17 percent African-American. The city expects to generate up to $750,000 a year with its marijuana tax.
Read MoreIt was a few minutes after the polls closed here on Election Day when panic began to spread through the county election offices. Vote totals in a Northampton County judge’s race showed one candidate, Abe Kassis, a Democrat, had just 164 votes out of 55,000 ballots across more than 100 precincts. Some machines reported zero votes for him. In a county with the ability to vote for a straight-party ticket, one candidate’s zero votes was a near statistical impossibility. Something had gone quite wrong. Lee Snover, the chairwoman of the county Republicans, said her anxiety began to pick up at 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 5. She had trouble getting someone from the election office on the phone. When she eventually got through, she said: “I’m coming down there and you better let me in.” With clearly faulty results in at least the judge’s election, officials began counting the paper backup ballots generated by the same machines. The paper ballots showed Mr. Kassis winning narrowly, 26,142 to 25,137, over his opponent, the Republican Victor Scomillio. “People were questioning, and even I questioned, that if some of the numbers are wrong, how do we know that there aren’t mistakes with anything else?” said Matthew Munsey, the chairman of the Northampton County Democrats, who, along with Ms. Snover, was among the observers as county officials worked through the night to feed the paper ballots by hand through scanning machines. The snafu in Northampton County did not just expose flaws in both the election machine testing and procurement process. It also highlighted the fears, frustrations and mistrust over election security that many voters are feeling ahead of the 2020 presidential contest, given how faith in American elections has never been more fragile. The problematic machines were also used in Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs — areas of Pennsylvania that could prove decisive next year in one of the most critical presidential swing states in the country.
Read MoreThe prospect of legalizing recreational marijuana use in Maryland is growing dim for 2020. While there’s growing acceptance for adult use of the drug, and some see it as a potential source of money to boost spending on public schools, state lawmakers appear not quite ready to legalize the sale and use of marijuana for recreational purposes. “I think the consensus is: We are not recommending legislation this session to legalize adult use,” said Del. Kathleen Dumais, who co-chairs a bipartisan work group of delegates and senators that’s been studying marijuana. “We are still in the investigative mode.” Maryland legalized marijuana for medical purposes in 2014, and there are now 16 growers, 18 processors and 85 dispensaries operating statewide. Dumais and work group co-chair Sen. Bill Ferguson said members say they still have many more issues to resolve before moving forward on legalization governing recreational use. “It seems like every time we get some information to answer one question, it just begets another three or four questions,” said Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat.
Read MoreAfter Washington State implemented legal marijuana sales for adult use in 2014, the number of drunk driving accidents in neighboring Idaho decreased, a new study reports. The association was strongest among counties closest to the Washington border. “These findings are consistent with increased access to marijuana leading to substitution away from alcohol to marijuana,” the working paper published last week by Utah State University’s Center for Growth and Opportunity concluded. The research, authored by economist Benjamin Hansen, is the first to look at whether cross-border shopping (that is, crossing state lines to purchase goods) has an indirect impact on public health — in this case, whether accidents that are the result of alcohol misuse increased or decreased. Hansen, of the University of Oregon, used two datasets for his analysis. To measure the demand for marijuana in Idaho, he used Google Trends to gauge how often people in Idaho were searching for the term “dispensary” between 2007 and 2017. To ascertain whether alcohol-related traffic accidents increased or decreased in Idaho after marijuana was legalized in Washington, the author looked at data from the Idaho department of transportation between 2010 and 2017. Two key dates, Hansen noted in his paper, were September 2015 and March 2016: That’s when recreational marijuana sales began in Walla Walla, Washington, and in Huntington, Oregon, respectively. Both are located within driving distance of the Idaho border, thus making it easy for residents to drive across state lines to purchase cannabis. Additionally, the paper states, Idaho law enforcement report “consistent increases in trafficking and seizures following Washington’s and Oregon’s legalizations.”
Read MoreIn their latest report on fake online pharmacies that ply their trade in the United States, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) found more than 1,500 new websites that it considers “Not Recommended,” and of these, 31% are offering illicit prescription drugs, such as codeine, fentanyl, oxycodone, Adderall, Valium, and Xanax.
Read MoreAssistant to the President and Director of the office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Peter Navarro discussed the Trump Adminstration's effort to protect consumers by keeping dangerous counterfeit goods out of the U.S. in a November 24th interview that aired on "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" on Fox News Channel at 10 a.m. EST.
Read MoreNew Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) announced on Tuesday that he will be working with lawmakers to advance legislation to decriminalize marijuana possession after the legislature failed to produce a passable bill to more broadly legalize cannabis. While the question of legalizing and regulating sales is now expected to go before voters as a referendum on the 2020 ballot, removing criminal penalties for mere possession could prove more palatable to some lawmakers in the interim. “Decriminalization of adult-use marijuana cannot be our long-term solution, but we now must turn to it for critical short-term relief while we await a ballot measure on legalization next November,” Murphy said in a press release. “Maintaining a status quo that sees roughly 600 individuals, disproportionately people of color, arrested in New Jersey every week for low-level drug offenses is wholly unacceptable.” The governor said he would coordinate with both chambers to ensure that decriminalization passes “as soon as possible.”
Read MoreFor the first time ever, a congressional committee in the U.S. has voted on a cannabis legalization bill. The law in question, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019, passed the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday in a 24-10 vote. If approved by the House and Senate, the MORE Act would end the federal prohibition of cannabis with other provisions for social equity, record expungement and small business support. See the video below for the main highlights.
Read MoreMarijuana's momentum has been undeniable in recent years. Last year, we saw Canada become the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis in the modern era. Now, Mexico looks to be just months away from becoming the third country worldwide to OK the sale and consumption of adult-use weed...Marijuana's scheduling in the U.S. puts pot businesses at a serious disadvantage|||And yet, despite two-thirds of the American public favoring some sort of national legalization program, the U.S. federal government continues to classify cannabis as a Schedule I substance. That means it's entirely illegal, is deemed to be prone to abuse by users, and is considered to have no recognized medical benefits. In fact, cocaine has a less stringent scheduling than marijuana, according to the Controlled Substance Act. But the illegality of marijuana is just the start. Even though the federal government has taken a hands-off approach to state-level regulation, this isn't exactly making life easy for companies in the cannabis space. For one, U.S. pot businesses have limited or no access to basic banking services. Since banks are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and the FDIC is a federally created agency, they fear potential financial and/or criminal repercussions if caught aiding cannabis companies. This means limited or no access to everything from loans and lines of credit, to something as simple as a checking account.
Read MoreWith recreational marijuana advocates working to get two separate initiatives on the November 2020 ballot, opponents have formed a political committee focused on defeating the legalization efforts. Organizers of Floridians Against Recreational Marijuana, or FARM, issued a news release Friday announcing the formation of the political committee, aimed at combating “the mega-marijuana, out-of-state corporate interests” behind legalization. Prominent Republican political consultant Pat Bainter, owner of the firm Data Targeting, is associated with the effort to defeat the pot proposals, according to the release. “Our coalition has come together to defeat this dangerous ballot initiative, which will drive an increase in health care prices, increase costs on businesses and kill jobs and increase the burden on taxpayers that will pay for the costs associated with recreational marijuana,” said Brian Swensen, who will manage the anti-recreational marijuana campaign.
Read MoreThere was a lot of testimony during this past week's impeachment inquiry about foreign interference in our 2016 election, including the president's assertion that Ukraine was involved. But the president's own intelligence agencies say it was the Russians who "hacked" the 2016 elections. Special counsel Robert Mueller spelled it out in his report. Now the Justice Department has at least two open cases against Russian citizens for interfering with our presidential and congressional races, we decided to take a closer look at one of them - the case against 12 Russian military officers accused of breaking into the Democratic Party's computers, stealing compromising information, and selectively releasing it to undermine Democratic candidates. There's no evidence of similar operations against Republicans in 2016. With the 2020 election approaching, the story of "The Russian Hack." Robert Anderson: The Russians never left. I can guarantee you in 2016 after this all hit the news, they never left. They didn't stop doing what they're doing.
Read MoreThe top White House official for national security would not say Saturday whether President Donald Trump's concerns about corruption in Ukraine have been satisfied, declining to answer a direct question about whether the U.S. would provide military aid to Kyiv next year. Speaking to a group of reporters on the sidelines of an international security conference here, national security adviser Robert O'Brien demurred when asked specifically whether current corruption levels in Ukraine could yet again threaten almost $400 million in annual military aid the U.S. supplies as a critical bulwark for Kyiv's ongoing conflict with Russia.
Read MoreThe legalization of industrial hemp in the U.S/ less than a year ago has sparked interest from both traditional farmers and newbies like Crabill. The early stages…
Read MoreThe 2020 presidential election is now less than a year away. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to address people’s concerns about election security – concerns that have lingered at least since revelations surfaced about Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election. So, what exactly are election officials across Greater Houston doing about it? “Our elections are only as valid as people think that they are,” says John Oldham, who has served as election administrator for Fort Bend County for more than 11 years, under both Republican and Democratic leaders. “Our country exists under a social contract, and every time we go to the polls to vote for people or on propositions, we ratify that contract again and again…And so long as people believe elections are secure – that’s just as important as making them secure.”
Read MoreFormer senior government officials and private sector executives warned of major election security shortcomings in a Capitol Hill hearing less than a year out from the 2020 elections. "Our assessment is that campaigns are under-prepared," said Gen. Frank Taylor, a former under secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "Their focus is on getting their candidate elected, and the investment that's required to protect against a more sophisticated threat is much more expensive than campaigns can afford." The campaigns of former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. have all confirmed reports of foreign disinformation efforts aimed at tarnishing their candidate's image with primary voters. According to a study composed by the Foreign Policy Research Institute that analyzed favorable Russian media mentions about 2020 Democratic candidates, Biden had the lowest favorability rating while Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard had the highest positive rating. Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, without naming names, in October told David Plouffe on "Campaign HQ," a podcast run by the 2008 Obama campaign manager, that a female 2020 candidate is a "favorite of the Russians" and is being "groomed' by Republicans for a third-party run.
Read MoreThe 2020 presidential election is now less than a year away. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to address people’s concerns about election security – concerns that have lingered at least since revelations surfaced about Russian efforts to interfere with the 2016 election. So, what exactly are election officials across Greater Houston doing about it? “Our elections are only as valid as people think that they are,” said John Oldham, who has served as election administrator for Fort Bend County for more than 11 years, under both Republican and Democratic leaders. “Our country exists under a social contract, and every time we go to the polls to vote for people or on propositions, we ratify that contract again and again…And so long as people believe elections are secure – that’s just as important as making them secure.” Oldham said that’s a big reason why Fort Bend County has switched over from purely electronic voting to a hybrid system involving paper backups — that’s what residents say they want. Fort Bend County is ahead of Harris County when it comes to upgrading voting machines. The Harris County Clerk’s Office has just reached the point of getting permission from County Commissioners Court to start the bidding process for voting machine vendors. But even if commissioners give their permission at the December meeting, the process of selecting a vendor could take until May.
Read MoreThe campaign to decriminalize marijuana overcame a historic congressional hurdle this week, but opponents and some supporters acknowledge the legislation faces serious obstacles. The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted 24-10 to approve the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE, which would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances, where it's now banned alongside powerful drugs like heroin and LSD. The bill would require federal courts to expunge convictions for marijuana offenses and authorize a 5 percent tax on marijuana sales to encourage minority communities to enter the cannabis business. It's believed to be the first time a congressional committee has backed legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. Eleven states and Washington, D.C., have already done so.
Read MoreRhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) says she’ll make another attempt to legalize marijuana in the Ocean State next year. In an appearance on WPRI-TV’s Newsmakers program, the governor said she recently discussed the cannabis issue during a lunch with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), and she left feeling encouraged to pursue the policy change. Baker “basically said, ‘Look, you’re going to have to do it, so you probably should do it and do it right.’ And I think he’s probably right,” Raimondo said in the interview that aired last weekend. “Connecticut I think is pretty close to doing it, so it’s likely.” “Last year we made a step forward with more medical [cannabis] and I think the next logical step is adult use,” she said. Raimondo’s meeting with Baker and Lamont came just weeks after a separate vaping and cannabis-focused summit featuring the Connecticut governor and those from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, at which those top state executives agreed to a set of principles to shape regional marijuana legalization plans. Raimondo included a legalization proposal in her 2019 budget submission to the legislature, but it was not adopted by lawmakers.
Read MoreThe U.S. risks losing the next generation of telecommunications systems to China if the White House doesn't create a new position to oversee 5G policy, the Senate’s top security leaders are warning. The bipartisan group is calling for a unified national strategy as U.S. officials are fighting a rear-guard battle to prevent the Chinese firm Huawei from building super-fast 5G wireless networks across much of the world — which they fear could support a global network for Chinese spying. A new 5G coordinator would tackle threats that cross government agencies including the Pentagon, State and Homeland Security departments and Federal Communications Commission, the senators said in a letter to the Trump administration’s national security adviser Robert O’Brien. “In our view, the current national level approach to 5G is comprised of a dispersed coalition of common concern, rather than a coordinated, interagency activity,” the senators warn.
Read MoreExpert witnesses warned Congress that the U.S. government has largely failed to address known security shortfalls leading up to 2020 and future elections. Much of the election security debate in Washington since 2016 has focused on improving baseline protections for voting machines, but witnesses at a Nov. 19 House Homeland Security Committee hearing noted that similar deficiencies also exist when it comes to protecting political campaigns from compromise by foreign intelligence services and preventing foreign and domestic disinformation. In his opening statement, Georgetown University professor Matthew Blaze noted that the current generation of voting machines used in U.S. elections were never designed to combat attacks or threats from adversarial foreign governments with the resources to penetrate the global supply chain or obtain software source code before it's even shipped to election officials.
Read MoreThe good news: Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults reached an all-time low of 13.7% in 2018 -- down about two-thirds in the more than 50 years since U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry, M.D., issued his landmark report on the health consequences of smoking.
Read MoreOn a foggy November day, farm workers take clippers to a field of bushy green plants, snipping tops full of flower buds dotted with flecks of sticky resin. By the end of the day, the cuttings dry inside a southeast Portland warehouse, hanging from tall plastic trellises like aromatic curtains. This harvest from a 22-acre patch of land looks, feels and smells like marijuana. But this is hemp cultivated to produce cannabidiol, or CBD, increasingly popular in pills, tinctures, oils, rubs and foods. Though lacking a psychoactive punch, CBD also is in high demand as a smokable flower marketed online with names such as Paradise, Charlotte's Sauce and Honolulu Haze. If everything goes right, and that's a big if, hemp can be a very lucrative crop. Last year, a 1-acre patch could yield about $70,000, far more than even high-value fruit such as cherries or blueberries, according to Portland-based industry analyst Beau Whitney. But hemp may require, even for a few dozen acres, a six-figure investment to bring the crop to market. And this year, farmers in Oregon, Washington and elsewhere are struggling with mold, poor seed quality, a scarcity of drying facilities and other problems that risk financial disaster to some. As they try to sell their crops, they find that a dramatic increase in U.S. plantings and bottlenecks in processing have pushed typical harvest prices down to $12,000 to $30,000 an acre.
Read More— Senators are raising concerns today about a funding shortfall for threat information sharing that aids state and local officials, and the security of e-poll books. — A House Homeland Security subcommittee today convenes an election security hearing that leans on insights of the private sector, nonprofits and other experts. — The top DHS cybersecurity official on Monday discussed administrative subpoenas, cybercriminals and supply chain security. ISAC FUNDING SHORTAGE? — A trio of congressional Democrats warned this morning that the organization that runs cyber threat information sharing centers for state and local governments, as well as the election tech industry and election officials, is headed toward a crippling budget shortfall. The DHS budget proposal for fiscal 2020 would dedicate less than 70 percent of the $15 million the Center for Internet Security needs to maintain services via the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center and Elections Infrastructure ISAC, wrote New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and the top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security panel, Michigan’s Gary Peters.
Read MoreThe Trump administration's failure to follow through on a key promise to punish Huawei is spiking fears among cybersecurity hawks. The administration just issued a third three-month delay in blocking U.S. companies from doing business with the Chinese telecom firm. And those who support the administration's get-tough argument worry it might abandon the plan entirely. Experts are concerned the delay could signal to Beijing that the United States — which has banned Huawei from its own 5G networks and from government systems — is unwilling to take more decisive action to punish Chinese spying and theft of U.S. companies’ intellectual property. “It sends a message of toothlessness,” Paul Rosenzweig, a former top cybersecurity official at the Department of Homeland Security during the George W. Bush administration, told me. “If I threaten to send you to jail but I never actually do it, what message does that send?” They're also concerned the delay, which means the ban won't be imposed for at least nine months since it was announced, could fatally undermine the United States’ credibility as it argues that Huawei poses an unacceptable threat to national security and urges other nations to ban its equipment from their next-generation 5G wireless networks. And that, in turn, could broaden Beijing's ability spy on data that crosses the super fast networks in countries where Huawei has a foothold, security hawks say.
Read MoreIn case you hadn't noticed, cannabis sales are soaring around the world. According to the State of the Legal Cannabis Markets report from Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, worldwide legal weed revenue more than tripled between 2014 and 2018 to $10.9 billion, and this is really just the tip of the iceberg. Yet the United States, the most lucrative market for marijuana in the world, remains a hostile place for cannabis, at least at the federal level. Despite growing support among the public to legalize cannabis on a national level, lawmakers have stood pat on their Schedule I classification of pot. This ensures it remains entirely illegal at the federal level. However, this hasn't stopped individual states from legalizing cannabis in some capacity over the past 23 years. Beginning with California in 1996, a grand total of 33 states have legalized medical marijuana. Of these 33 states, 11 have passed legislation allowing for the legal consumption and/or sale of recreational weed. And this could be just the beginning.
Read More2020 presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on Monday published a strategy for how she would secure elections against cyber and disinformation threats if elected president, the same day she joined a group of Senate Democrats in pushing for election security funding. In her plan, Klobuchar, who is a longtime advocate in the Senate for election security efforts, zeroed in on improving the transparency of political ads on social media, combating disinformation, and promoting cybersecurity. Key parts of the strategy include Klobuchar’s intention to issue an executive order that would bolster government-wide cybersecurity efforts, and launch a “cabinet-level taskforce” that would coordinate across federal agencies and with state and local governments to better address cyber threats to elections. Klobuchar would also require states to use paper ballots as a way to prevent cyber tampering with the vote, and set “strong cybersecurity standards” for voting infrastructure. On the disinformation front, the strategy points to passage of the Honest Ads Act as a major priority Klobuchar would pursue as president. The bill, which is sponsored by Klobuchar and Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), aims to increase transparency of who buys political ads on social media.
Read MoreA controversial activist is rallying other hackers to crack into scandal-ridden companies and spill their secrets — and offering cash rewards for the biggest leaks. Phineas Fisher is offering up to $100,000 for damaging information about targets including U.S. oil company Halliburton and NSO Group, an Israeli firm that sells software to governments and that critics say helps authoritarian regimes stifle dissent. It's all part of a “Hacktivist Bug Hunting Program,” as Vice’s Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai reports. The cash incentive has the potential to reinvigorate the community of hacktivists, which has lagged in recent years with collectives such as Anonymous and LulzSec largely fading from mainstream view. But it could create serious problems for the community of cybersecurity researchers who’ve spent years trying to distinguish their work from the illegal side of hacking -- and have even gotten many companies and government agencies to join programs that welcome ethical hackers to find bugs that could make their products safer. They fear a resurgence of vigilante hackers using their skills for what they perceive as social justice could blur those lines. It could even imperil some legal protections ethical hackers have spent years fighting for, such as tighter restrictions on when companies can threaten researchers who find bugs in their products.
Read MoreOhio farmers worry that the state’s proposed hemp production rules, which require that at least 1,000 plants be grown on at least a quarter acre, will exclude smaller operators. Application and licensing costs also are a concern.
Read MoreFor the second time this year, top Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey pulled the plug on legislation to legalize cannabis sales for recreational use, killing any likelihood Gov. Phil Murphy will deliver on a key campaign promise before 2021. Instead, legislative leaders introduced a resolution Monday that would put a recreational use question on the November 2020 ballot. The resolution would need to pass both houses of the state Legislature by three-fifths majorities in one year or by simple majorities in consecutive years to make it onto the ballot. “We made further attempts to generate additional support in the Senate to get this done legislatively, but we recognize that the votes just aren’t there. We respect the positions taken by legislators on what is an issue of conscience," Senate President Steve Sweeney said in a joint statement with Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), who had been the lead sponsor of the cannabis legalization bill, NJ S2703 (18R), in the upper house. While senior lawmakers had telegraphed the possibility that they’d move forward with cannabis legalization through a referendum, Monday’s announcement came less than three hours after Scutari held a press conference with Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-Union) and pro-cannabis groups to demand action on the recreational use bill.
Read MoreWhen leaders of our state get together, the same question inevitably dominates the conversation: How do we diversify our economy while transitioning away from extraction industries? My typical response is we should focus on making West Virginia a “cornucopia of specialty crops.” This answer should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me from my tenure as a state Senator or my current role as the Commissioner of Agriculture. It easy to be a vocal proponent of agriculture because those who work within the industry are some of the hardest-working individuals in our country. They understand what it truly takes to make something out of nothing. It is more difficult to get other leaders, especially those less connected to agriculture, to see the $7 billion opportunity before us. The good news is, now, we have a shining example of a booming agricultural industry here in the Mountain State: industrial hemp. Foresight by the West Virginia Legislature in 2017 allowed West Virginia farmers, for the first time ever, to begin growing industrial hemp for commercial purposes. Our leaders in Congress, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, followed suit in the 2018 Farm Bill, legalizing a new cash crop across the United States.
Read MoreWhen lawmakers passed legislation that legalized hemp and CBD products in Wisconsin, a new world opened up for local farmers. Though some legal lines are blurred, and the market is questionable, Osceola farm manager, Drew Slevin, and farm assistant, Elle Sullivan, of Lily Springs Farm are seeing promise in their second year in the Wisconsin hemp-farming boom. “I want farmers to be successful,” says Slevin. “That’s actually a big part of why we got into farming hemp. As a farm, we’re really concerned about land management practices on private land. I think there’s a lot of opportunity in this industry to make sensible choices and build an economy that will serve us.” Last year, Lily Springs started with a one-acre plot of textile variety hemp, often used for clothing, furniture, shoes and other products. Jumping into a brand new crop, Slevin and Sullivan hoped for prosperity, but prepared themselves for a possible letdown. “It was our first year we were doing it, and the first year Wisconsin was doing it, so it was super exciting, but it really underperformed,” says Slevin. “Because of that, we really didn’t have high expectations for this year, but we wanted to see what we could do. So, we came up with a plan to protect [the plants] from weeds, prepared for unpredictable weather, and they absolutely blew our minds.”
Read MoreThe Arizona Cannabis Chamber of Commerce has unveiled a rough proposal for legalizing adult-use marijuana, the first step in a longshot bid to compete with an existing, industry-backed initiative. Now, the small group of marijuana industry representatives is courting public feedback on its draft in hopes of molding a piece of legislation that more than half of state lawmakers can agree to put on next year’s ballot. The group, also known as AZC3, released the draft of its Small Business Liberty Act at a public meeting on November 13. If passed, it would offer 125 new marijuana licenses to entrepreneurs who want to get into the industry, and put the recreational market under the regulation of the state’s liquor control board. It would also require current medical marijuana dispensary owners in Arizona to cough up $100,000 to buy into the state’s recreational market. It would use that money to offset the costs of running the industry.
Read MoreU.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) announced the introduction of the Election Technology Research Act of 2019 (H.R. 4990), joined by Representatives Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), and Frank Lucas (R-OK). This bipartisan bill will give the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) new resources to conduct research to promote the security and modernization of U.S. voting systems. “There are few things more central to American democracy than the safety and security of our elections, where citizens from all walks of life can cast their vote and know it will be counted,” said Congresswoman Sherrill. “The election security hearing I held this summer underscored the urgent need for federal research and resources to combat the growing threats against the technologies that have become essential to our elections. I’m introducing this bill with my colleagues to help states arm themselves with strategies to prevent interference and the resources and support to ensure voting systems are reliable and secure.” On June 26, 2019, House Science Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee Chairwoman Mikie Sherrill held a hearing with voting technology and election administration experts to discuss U.S. election system technologies and research recommendations made in the 2018 National Academies report Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy. The report and the expert testimony from that hearing helped informed the development of the Election Technology Research Act of 2019. Representative Mikie Sherrill is a former federal prosecutor and a U.S. Navy veteran. On her last tour, she served as a Russia policy officer, and handled interactions between the United States Navy and the Russian Federation Navy. In June, Representative Sherrill announced her endorsement of a series of bipartisan bills in the House and Senate to address foreign interference and election security.
Read MoreDauphin County, home of the Pennsylvania capital city of Harrisburg, is starting a high-stakes game of chicken with the state: Republican county commissioners decided Wednesday not to buy new voting machines, defying an order from Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, all but daring him to take action against the county ahead of the 2020 election. Dauphin has been one of several counties that have resisted buying new voting machines, with its outspoken elections director saying the electronic machines used for more than three decades remain secure and usable. The two Republican county commissioners agreed Wednesday not to buy machines. (A third, Democratic, commissioner, did not attend the meeting.)
Read MoreA new study suggests that marijuana legalization leads to more cannabis use and perhaps addiction, particularly among adults 26 and older — highlighting a public health downside to a policy change that now 11 states and Washington, DC, have adopted and several others are considering. The consequences could be serious. As Magdalena Cerdá, the study’s lead author, and her coauthors wrote in JAMA Psychiatry, “Although occasional marijuana use is not associated with substantial problems, long-term, heavy use is linked to psychological and physical health concerns, lower educational attainment, decline in social class, unemployment, and motor vehicle crashes.” In short: If legalization only makes occasional use easier, that’s probably not a concern. But if legalization is leading to more use and addiction overall, that could cause real problems — for individuals and society at large — down the line.
Read MoreTECHNICAL ELECTION SECURITY — A bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation that would allow NIST and the National Science Foundation to augment technology in the country’s election systems. The House Science Committee will mark up the measure Thursday. The Election Technology Research Act, H.R. 4990, would establish an Elections Systems Center of Excellence at NIST to promote cooperation between the agency, state and local governments, and academia; direct NIST to provide technical assistance to state and local election officials on implementation of cybersecurity and privacy standards; and authorize research grants for elections systems research and education at NSF. The bill would also expand the 2002 Help America Vote Act definition of “voting systems” to include electronic poll books and voter registration systems. The bill will “help states arm themselves with strategies to prevent interference and the resources and support to ensure voting systems are reliable and secure,” said Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), who introduced the measure along with House Science leaders Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio). OTHER THAN IMPEACHMENT, YET MORE NIST — The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will mark up a measure (S. 2775) today that would direct NIST to develop standards and guidelines for shoring up cybersecurity awareness of federal employees and contractors. It would also seek to improve national initiatives for cybersecurity education by identifying cybersecurity workforce skill gaps in public and private sectors and leading interagency efforts of federal cybersecurity programs, including the National Science Foundation's Federal Cyber Scholarship for Service program.
Read MoreShockwaves are rippling through the cybersecurity community after researchers hired to test the digital and physical defenses of Iowa county courthouses ended up facing criminal charges instead. The researchers from Coalfire were arrested Sept. 9 after tripping an alarm at a Dallas County, Iowa courthouse in what seemed at first like an honest case of confusion. But they’re still facing burglary charges more than two months later, as CNBC’s Kate Fazzini reported. That’s sparking major anxiety among “penetration testing” companies, which worry they can’t guarantee protection for their employees who role-play as hackers and burglars trying to sneak into organizations’ networks and buildings to steal their data. The Coalfire employees were arrested during a physical security check, but penetration testers also frequently cross digital barriers that could land them in jail — if they didn’t have express permission from the clients who own those digital networks. The Coalfire employees’ main job was also to verify the physical security of digital files. The timing couldn’t be worse, with such companies prepping to vet the security of hundreds of local election operations in advance of the 2020 contests amid widespread concerns Russia will try to hack voting machines and other election infrastructure as it did in 2016. If those machines and the buildings that store them aren't properly vetted, they could be far more vulnerable.
Read MoreIn late September, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass a bill that aims to “increase public safety by ensuring access to financial services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers and reducing the amount of cash at such businesses”, according to the official wording. This means that banks and other financial institutions such as credit unions will now be able to deal with cannabis companies in states in which marijuana is legal; it marks the first time the House has ever passed a standalone reform bill for the often fiercely debated substance. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act passed comfortably in the House at 321-103, with all but one Democrat (229 in total), almost half of the Republicans (91) and one independent supporting the bill. Its passage comes at a time when public opinion in the US regarding marijuana is distinctly changing. A Gallup poll last year found that 66 percent of Americans support its legalisation, an all-time high for this poll and the third consecutive year in which public support has risen. Last year’s passing of the Farm Bill, which allows the legal growing and sale of industrial hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD), further illustrates the increasing openness held by Americans towards cannabis and the cannabis industry. At present, banks still face a legal quandary over servicing cannabis firms, given that despite legalisation having taken place in many US states, marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. Currently, at least one form of cannabis use is legal in 33 states, but banks have remained decidedly averse to servicing cannabis companies in case they violate federal laws. Specifically, banks are most concerned about receiving deposits from such firms, as this could be a violation of federal anti-money laundering laws, and thus banks fear reprisal for onboarding such businesses as clients. Any bank that provides lending or holds deposits for a cannabis company could end up having to pay heavy federal fines, and that includes those in states that have legalized marijuana.
Read MoreThe county's top election official assured members of the Los Angeles City Council Tuesday that the revamped voting system going into effect next year is secure. Dean Logan, county registrar-recorder/county clerk, said the new technology has security measures in place, and experts are overseeing the implementation process. "We have engaged in this design process a technical advisory committee that includes security experts, privacy experts and usability experts that have guided us," Logan said. He said the FBI and Department of Homeland Security are also monitoring the county's voting technologies. "Where I think we have seen weaknesses in that (security) process is not in technology and systems, but it's more about the misinformation campaigns, and there was evidence of that in the elections that took place nationally last week as well," Logan said. "That's a much harder issue to address."
Read MoreA number of veterans groups are working to get medical marijuana approved as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The Department of Veterans Affairs still refuses to provide marijuana to veterans because it’s still listed as a Schedule I drug. Veterans groups want to get that designation changed and to have more research done on the benefits of medical marijuana...On the VA’s website, marijuana use is still labeled as harmful to veterans. “Marijuana use for medical conditions is an issue of growing concern,” the VA states. Marijuana also remains on the Schedule I list under the Controlled Substances Act, the same level as heroin. According to the VA website, “controlled studies have not been conducted to evaluate the safety or effectiveness of medical marijuana for PTSD. Thus, there is no evidence at this time that marijuana is an effective treatment for PTSD.”
Read MoreAdult-use cannabis legalization in Minnesota could bring in $300 million in taxes for the state over five years on sales of $1.12 billion, according to a MinnPost report. The estimate, by Sal Barnes of the Marijuana Policy Group during last week’s CannConMN Symposium, also suggests that the industry would create 20,000 direct and indirect jobs statewide. During his keynote remarks, Barnes estimated that there are 115,000 daily cannabis users in Minnesota and cannabis “follows the 80-20 rule” and “20 percent of the consumers produce 80 percent of the market.” According to the report, about 7.9 percent of Minnesotans say they use cannabis at least once a month – which is below the 9.5 percent national average and the 20 percent post-legalization rate in Colorado. Barnes said that is a difference of 341,000 consumers in Minnesota and 860,000 in Colorado as both states have a near-equal population of adults 21-and-older.
Read MoreSan Diego enjoyed a $1.4 million sequential increase in marijuana tax revenue during the three months to June 30 after city officials ramped up collection efforts.
Read MoreMore than half of Virginians did not vote in Tuesday’s elections. Whether or not you made it to the polls, we all know what’s at stake. When we leave the polls and receive that simple “I Voted” sticker, we recognize the right we have as citizens to shape our democracy. It’s our say in the policies that govern our country — the laws that shape our schools, our taxes, our health care and more. No matter how we vote, we all expect our vote to count. That premise is under attack. On Election Day 2019, some powerful federal agencies — the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency — released a highly unusual joint statement warning of security issues in the 2020 presidential and other elections. “Our adversaries want to undermine our democratic institutions, influence public sentiment, and affect government policies,” the statement said. “Russia, China, Iran, and other foreign malicious actors all will seek to interfere in the voting process or influence voter perceptions.”
Read MoreAlaska‘s marijuana tax revenue continued a steady climb upward in September, with $723,757 collected statewide, according to a state official. Sixty-four growers from across the Interior, Southcentral and Southeast paid taxes to the Alaska Department of Revenue last month, wrote Kelly Mazzei, excise tax supervisor in the tax division.
Read MorePolitical campaigns are flocking to encrypted messenging apps to avoid being the next big target after the Hillary Clinton campaign's emails were exposed by hackers in 2016. But these apps are far from a panacea if other campaign security practices are subpar. That’s the blunt assessment from Joel Wallenstrom, chief executive of encrypted messaging app Wickr, one of seven cybersecurity products the nonprofit group Defending Digital Campaigns is offering candidates at a steep discount in an effort to level the playing field between often-scrappy campaigns and sophisticated nation-state adversaries trying to compromise them. “There are conversations where it’s just not a good thing for Russia or China to get access to them,” Wallenstrom told me, noting the adoption of encrypted apps has been “pretty prevalent this cycle.” So far, House Democrats’ campaign arm has invested about $22,000 in paid Wickr accounts for House races over the past two election cycles, and Democrats’ Senate campaign arm has invested about $12,500 during the same period, according to Federal Election Commission records. The presidential campaigns for Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) have about $8,000 and $1,600 in Wickr contracts respectively this cycle. Several other presidential campaigns are either using the free version of Wickr or receiving the paid version through purchases from broader IT contracts, Wallenstrom told me.
Read MoreOne year from now, the American people will head to the polls for what many believe will be the most consequential election of our lifetimes. They will do so amid an environment of foreign election interference, in which our nation's adversaries engage in malign influence operations in hopes of achieving their desired outcomes and undermining faith in our democratic institutions. Time is running short to ensure that we are better prepared to withstand these attacks. That is why Congress must quickly enact election security funding; it may be our last opportunity to shore up our defenses before the polls open. Foreign election meddling is a certainty. The Russian government systematically interfered in the 2016 presidential election, and US intelligence officials warn of more interference in 2020. And Russia isn't the only concern.
Read MoreSouth Dakota groups submitted separate signed petitions Monday that would allow residents to vote next year on whether to legalize medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. Monday was the deadline for submitting signatures to the South Dakota secretary of state's office for measures for the November 2020 ballot. One proposal would create a medical marijuana program for patients with serious health conditions. The other would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older and require the state Legislature to enact a hemp cultivation law. New Approach South Dakota submitted more than 30,000 signatures to put the medical marijuana initiative on the ballot. The same group tried to get medical marijuana on South Dakota's ballot last year but fell short of enough valid signatures. The minimum number of signatures required for an initiative to change state law is 16,961.
Read MoreRecent years have brought a flurry of state legislation aimed at legalizing cannabis, or “marijuana.” With 48 states and the District of Columbia lawfully permitting some form of cannabis, it creates concerns for employers who seek to balance a drug-free work environment with the rights of their employees to receive medical treatment or engage in lawful recreational consumption outside of work. Consider this scenario: a Maryland-based manager drives to Virginia for a business trip. While driving a corporate car, the employee is rear-ended in Virginia and is injured. The employee’s urine is tested as a routine, post-accident measure for worker’s compensation and is positive for THC metabolite because the employee is an authorized Maryland medical marijuana card holder and consumes a marijuana tincture daily to control nausea. Has the employee violated the law? Employer policies? Will the employer’s insurance carriers cover medical and worker’s compensation? Can the company legally terminate the employee? These questions pose both compliance and ethical challenges.
Read MoreThe U.S. is less than a year out from one of the most consequential elections of the century, which President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has called “the big game” for foreign adversaries looking to attack and undermine the Democratic process. Congress, meanwhile, is locked in a stalemate about how to secure systems in the country’s 8,000 largely disjointed voting jurisdictions. Tuesday marks the last test of security preparedness before the 2020 elections, as certain statewide polls take place around the country. The Department of Homeland Security is gearing up “war rooms” to monitor for potential interference and test voting infrastructure, but with sluggish movement at a federal level there is little they’ll be able to do to correct any issues within the next 12 months.
Read MoreEWING, N.J., Nov. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new global solution named Verified by GS1 will provide consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailers and marketplaces with brand-verified product data, creating a global, cloud-based GS1 Registry Platform of unique product identifiers and attributes. Created in response to growing consumer demand for accurate product information, Verified by GS1 will support the unique identity of CPG products — leading to better quality product information for consumers and fewer counterfeit item listings.
Read MoreWhat were they smoking? The NYPD crowed that it confiscated a 106-pound marijuana shipment, but the owner of the company the flora was bound for says the greenery was no more than hemp containing legal CBD for use by cancer sufferers — and he’s got the papers to prove it. Oren Levy, who sells hemp wholesale through his company GreenAngels CBD, claims that a “gung-ho” Fedex driver took it upon himself to report the shipment to the 75th Precinct when it arrived in Brooklyn — despite the fact that the cargo had all the necessary documentation to prove it was legal. Cops determined it was straight-up, illegal marijuana, but Levy claims cops used an outdated testing method. “Industry hemp looks like real weed…It’s the same species of plant, it’s just the chemical compound is different,” Levy explained adding his product was below legal federal limits for THC.
Read MoreA bill that would regulate CBD in New York remains in limbo as it awaits Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signature. The state legislature approved the legislation earlier this year, and Jen Metzger (D-Hudson Valley), the Senate sponsor of the bill, told WBFO that she is hopeful Cuomo will sign it, although he has yet to act on it. “There is zero regulation of these products,” Metzger told the news outlet. The bill would remedy that by requiring testing on CBD products sold in the state, WBFO reported. The legislation also establishes labeling requirements and guidelines for farmers to grow CBD-rich plants and share in the profits of CBD products, according to the news outlet. The governor’s office is still reviewing the bill, WBFO reported. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its interim rules for the hemp industry last week, and the rules are open for public comment until Dec. 30.
Read MoreHaving a pot-related arrest or conviction used to be a liability for job seekers. Now, a criminal record might lead to a job in the legal marijuana industry. HempStaff, a recruitment and training agency in Miami, launched a new division last month to help cannabis firms in Illinois and five other states hire employees that meet certain social equity requirements, including those with pot offenses on their records. HempStaff hopes to help those folks “find their dream opportunities,” a news release from the company says. But there’s also benefits for employers. Under Illinois’ legalization law, budding “ganjapreneurs” vying for licenses to sell and grow recreational weed can get an edge in the application process if most of their employees have been arrested for or convicted of a cannabis offense that’s eligible for expungement.
Read MoreHouse Republicans’ campaign arm is still relying on CrowdStrike to protect its sensitive data, even as the cybersecurity firm has become embroiled in a bizarre conspiracy theory promoted by President Trump and his GOP allies. The California company, which Trump and some House Republicans have accused without evidence of conspiring with Democrats in the 2016 election, is still helping the National Republican Congressional Committee protect its networks. The committee has no immediate plans to change vendors, a person familiar with the matter told me. The NRCC decision suggests a stark split between Republicans’ rhetoric and their actions when it comes to the serious task of protecting campaign data against hacking from Russia, China and elsewhere. Both President Trump and some House Republicans insist, without basis, that the firm was somehow involved in a Ukrainian-backed intelligence operation designed to harm Trump's winning the White House in 2016. “[This is] a great illustration of how the GOP knows better when it enables conspiracy theorists,” Peter Singer, a cybersecurity expert at the New America think tank, told me. “It actually makes that knowing act worse.”
Read MoreA Southern California sheriff’s department made a bust on what its owners had previously presented as a hemp field, uncovering 10 million marijuana plants with “an estimated value of over $1 billion.”
Read MorePennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) on Thursday signed into law a proposal that provides $90 million for replacing outdated and nonsecure voting machines, along with making reforms to ways Pennsylvanians can vote. The new law marks a major change for Pennsylvania’s voting system, allowing mail-in voting and a 50-day period for voters to mail in ballots ahead of the election, as well as moving the deadline to register to vote from 30 days prior to the election to 15 days prior. The law also provides $90 million to assist counties in purchasing new election machines with paper trails to help increase the security of voting. These funds will serve to reimburse counties for 60 percent of what they have spent on replacing older voting equipment with machines that have paper records of votes, something Pennsylvania’s Department of State ordered them to do last year. Forty-six Pennsylvania counties, or around 68 percent, have the new systems in place as of this month. Wolf said in a statement that the new law marks “the biggest change to our elections in generations." “This bill makes voting more convenient and more secure for millions of Pennsylvanians and continues my commitment to modernizing our elections,” Wolf added. Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone said in a separate statement that the funding is “crucial for counties who are continuing to work to meet requirements to purchase new, voter-verifiable paper trail elections systems by April 2020." Cozzone said that the move is a win for "both voters and county property taxpayers.”
Read MoreWisconsin lawmakers filed a bill on Wednesday to decriminalize marijuana possession. The legislation, introduced by Reps. David Crowley (D) and Shelia Stubbs (D), would decriminalize possession of up to 28 grams, which amounts to about one ounce. Currently, possession is treated as a misdemeanor offense that can carry up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. “The weaponization of drug possession laws, particularly marijuana, has been the driver of the state of ramped mass incarceration in which we find ourselves,” Crowley said in a press release. “This bill should have been passed years ago—Wisconsin is now an island of antiquated drug policy in a sea of decriminalization.” “It is absolutely wrong to continue this needless cycle of disparate enforcement that continues to feed mass incarceration—I have seen firsthand the devastating effect of our unjust and racially inequitable criminal justice system,” he added. “We have lost a generation of men and women to the failed war on drugs and mass incarceration—how many more must be lost before we have the courage to do something about it?” The legislation also contains provisions to facilitate the expungement or dismissal of prior marijuana possession convictions. The sponsors held a press conference announcing the legislation on Wednesday, appearing alongside Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D), who also spoke in favor of the policy change.
Read MoreFacebook launched a new front in the battle over encryption yesterday by suing the Israeli spyware firm NSO Group for allegedly hacking WhatsApp, its encrypted messaging service, and helping government customers snoop on about 1,400 victims...Six months after the Mueller report revealed that at least one Florida county election system was penetrated by Russian hackers before the 2016 contest, a top election official says the state is ready for any cyberattacks that 2020 might bring, Bobby Caina Calavan at the Associated Press reports. Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee declined to provide substantial details, though, from a review of the systems mandated earlier this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R.). During a news conference she said only that her office is working “to address any weaknesses or vulnerabilities that have been identified in advance of the 2020 election cycle.” The state is providing more than $15 million in grants to local jurisdictions to beef up election security and will install a $2 million network monitoring system, Bobby reported. Lee acknowledged security hawks will still keep their eyes on Florida, a key swing state with a history fo election probelms. “I know Florida will be under great scrutiny when it comes to elections and elections security,” she said.
Read MoreFlorida's top elections officer insisted Tuesday that her state's voting systems are adequately prepared for electronic attacks despite persistent concerns that hackers could again infiltrate the state's voting systems. Earlier this year, the Mueller Report referenced at least one Florida county where election systems were infiltrated by Russian hackers. Gov. Ron DeSantis later confirmed that at least two counties were hacked, but no data was compromised. "This is a very real threat to Florida," Secretary of State Laurel Lee told reporters. "Every single day, domestic actors and foreign actors attempt to penetrate our Department of State networks and the networks of supervisors of elections around our state." During her appearance before the media gathered for a Capitol news event organized by The Associated Press, Lee came under intense questioning by reporters to elaborate on her agency's review of elections security across the state's 67 counties. But Lee mostly sidestepped questions about what that review revealed. With Florida's history of troubles at the ballot box, Lee acknowledged the widespread concern, particularly because of its critical role in next year's presidential elections. Florida's 29 electoral votes is the biggest prize among a handful of battleground states that are expected to decide the 2020 presidential election.
Read MoreDISPATCH FROM VEGAS: PHARMA INTEREST IN CANNABIS “INEVITABLE,” CBD RECKONING COMING — But not everyone in the sector is on board, said panelists at a HLTH conference discussion moderated by POLITICO’s Sarah Owermohle in Las Vegas on Sunday. There is some “natural hesitation” about what the pharmaceutical industry will do, said Karan Wadhera, managing partner of Casa Verde Capital, a venture capital firm focused on the cannabis industry. But interest in cannabis — so far largely limited to GW Pharma’s CBD-based drug approval and a recent Novartis partnership — could provide leverage to reschedule the plant and its products, Wadhera said. CBD needs to be legalized and regulated: A lot of players are going to be kicked out of the market when FDA issues its long-anticipated regulations for CBD, says Ana Rosenstein, CEO of CBD-focused wellness brand Kaleidoscope Labs. And that might be just fine: “Right now what we’re seeing a lot of is CBD in everything. A latte, a cocktail — CBD shouldn’t be in any of those things. CBD is for anxiety and inflammation, it shouldn’t be in anything sugary or alcoholic. Counterintuitive.” FDA regulation will help safeguard against cure-all hype around CBD and marijuana in general, the panelists said. FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy has promised an agency update on their CBD thinking this fall—after a marathon May meeting with industry and consumers and thousands of public comments on the product.
Read MoreVaping is growing at an alarming rate among adolescents, putting their health at risk both now and in the future. Over 1,200 cases of severe acute lung injuries and at least 26 fatalities have brought the dangers of vaping to the forefront in recent months, but the risk of its potential long-term effects should also be considered. While these long-term effects have not yet been studied, there is plenty of evidence that indicates that vaping is not safe. E-cigarettes, such as the poplar Juul, vaporize nicotine (or THC) as well as flavorings and other chemicals. Even though this vapor doesn’t contain the tar that results from combustible tobacco and cannabis, inhaling vaporized drugs and the chemicals that accompany them exposes the deepest parts of the lungs to heavy metals, formaldehyde and other particles. This exposure increases lung tissue inflammation, as well as increases the risk of cancer and other lung diseases. In fact, new evidence shows a correlation between vaporized nicotine constituents in e-liquids and lung cancer in lab rodents.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released draft rules for hemp manufacturing on Tuesday and said it will soon begin accepting state regulatory plans for the newly legal crop. The interim final rule on hemp will be formally published in the Federal Register on Thursday, with a 60-day public comment period to follow. Once the rules are finalized, USDA will begin to evaluate states’ and tribes’ submitted regulations plans, and any jurisdictions that do not send proposals will fall under the department’s general guidelines for producing the crop, which was federally legalized under the 2014 Farm Bill. The regulations cover the requirements for where hemp can be grown, THC testing standards, the disposal process for crops that don’t meet federal standards and licensing protocols. “At USDA, we are always excited when there are new economic opportunities for our farmers, and we hope the ability to grow hemp will pave the way for new products and markets,” USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a press release.
Read More— The Agriculture Department appears poised to roll out hemp regulations today, which growers and manufacturers hope will sort out the mess of state rules, legal snags and other headaches that have ensued since Congress legalized the crop’s production last year. — Gaps in federal ag research are coming back to bite pork producers and regulators as they rush to prevent African swine fever from entering the country. The deadly pig disease is decimating hog herds in Asia, and years of budget cuts have hindered U.S. efforts to develop a vaccine. — The EPA’s dismantling of the Obama administration’s Waters of the U.S. rule has put the Trump administration in an awkward spot: defending an interim framework of water regulations from the 1980s that conservatives and some ag groups consider far too restrictive.
Read MoreLegislation speeding toward approval in Pennsylvania would deliver the biggest changes to state election laws in decades while approving much of the money it’ll cost counties to buy new voting machines ahead of next year’s presidential election. The Republican-controlled House passed it Tuesday, 138-61, and a Senate vote was possible later. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf negotiated its terms with top Republican lawmakers and his office says he’ll sign it. It lets any voter mail in a ballot, moves voter-registration deadlines closer to elections and authorizes $90 million in borrowing for voting machines that Wolf wanted counties to buy to bolster election security. It also eliminates the ballot option for straight party-ticket voting. Republicans pushed for that provision, amid worries that down-ballot Republican candidates will suffer from a suburban voter backlash against President Donald Trump next year.
Read MoreLeaders of the Blue Dog Coalition on Tuesday urged House and Senate leaders to provide states with election security funds as part of the ongoing appropriations process. The coalition, which consists of 26 moderate Democrats, wrote a letter to the bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations committees asking for their support in including $600 million to be given to states in order to bolster election security as part of the ongoing appropriations process. “In light of the proven threat posed by Russia—and possibly other foreign powers—to our democratic process, we believe the final bill should provide $600 million or as close to it as possible,” the leaders of the coalition wrote. They also asked for the House and Senate, when they meet to negotiate the differences between their versions of appropriations bills, to add language requiring the funds to go toward improving the cybersecurity of elections, such as providing cybersecurity training for election officials and moving toward voter-verified paper ballots. The letter was signed by Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.), Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.), Lou Correa (D-Calif.), Anthony Brindisi (D-N.Y.), Kendra Horn (D-Okla.) and Jeff Van Drew (D-N.J.).
Read MoreRegarding the Oct. 25 Local Digest item “First vaping-related death reported by city” [Metro]: The time has come to eradicate the rogue legislation preventing the District from licensing and administering safe sales and consumption of marijuana. The best way to prevent further deaths on a national level would be for Congress to act with emergency legislation legalizing cannabis at the federal level, leaving states the authority to legislate its availability. The infrastructure already exists in this country for safe marijuana products. How many more people have to die before Congress wakes up?
Read MoreSen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is intensifying his calls to legalize marijuana products. That could help the federal government prevent more vaping-related deaths in the future. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday what many had already suspected: That most people who died from a spate of vaping-related injuries used products containing illegal THC oil, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, my colleague Lena H. Sun reports. “Based on data available from 860 of the 1,604 patients who have fallen ill with the disease, about 85 percent reported using THC-containing products, compared to about 10 percent who reported exclusively vaping nicotine-containing products,” Lena writes. “Many sick patients said they bought THC vape products on the black market, and those have come under increased scrutiny. “The data do continue to point towards THC-containing products as the source of individuals’ injury,” said CDC principal deputy director Anne Schuchat. Officials don’t know what about the products are harmful, “but we’re seeing THC as a marker for products that are risky,” she said. As we wrote last month, illegal vape cartridges containing THC also contain significant amounts of vitamin E acetate. Because cannabis oil is expensive, producers use the acetate to dilute and thicken it without affecting its flavor or smell. But the vitamin’s oil-like properties are associated with the kinds of respiratory problems many patients have reported, including cough, shortness of breath and chest pain.
Read MoreMIGRAINES ARE A VERY common and often debilitating, painful headache condition that affects some 39 million people in the United States, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. For those who experience them, the quest for relief can be lengthy. While avoiding triggers and making other lifestyle changes are typically the first line of defense in treating migraines, there are many medications that have helped people cope with them. Still, for some people it’s not enough, and increasingly, people who get migraines are turning to a compound called cannabidiol, more commonly known as CBD, to ease their aching heads. Dr. Thinh Vo, director of quality and compliance at Koi CBD, a company that makes CBD products, says that “CBD is one of many cannabinoids, or molecules, produced uniquely by (plants in) the cannabis family. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the primary psychoactive element in marijuana (another name for cannabis), CBD is non-psychoactive – meaning it doesn’t have a strong effect on cognitive brain activity and doesn’t cause the high associated with marijuana.” Despite these differences, “CBD, like THC, works by interacting with our body’s endocannabinoid system,” which is a “regulatory system made-up of naturally occurring cannabis-like molecules. These endocannabinoids work like neurotransmitters to help maintain homeostasis,” or balance in the body, Vo explains. “Cannabinoids, like CBD and THC, interact with the endocannabinoid system,” and CBD “encourages the body to produce more of its own endocannabinoids,” which some patients report helps reduce anxiety, pain and inflammation.
Read MoreSeveral Democratic presidential campaigns targeted by a Russia-based operation on Facebook’s popular Instagram app said they had been unaware of the new foreign disinformation efforts until the tech giant announced them publicly last week, raising alarms that American democracy remains vulnerable to foreign interference even after three years of investigations into the Kremlin’s attack on the 2016 election. The lack of advance notice to the apparent victims of the first-known attempts by Russians to interfere directly in the 2020 race has heightened fears that campaigns are largely on their own when it comes to guarding against attacks from foreign interests. Campaign officials, security experts and Democratic lawmakers said the latest material served as a warning sign that the Trump administration and the tech industry are still struggling to coordinate their response as threats to the U.S. political system intensify. In particular, the threats now emanate from multiple countries, including Iran and China, where malicious actors have adopted Russia’s playbook in a bid to manipulate social media to their political advantage.
Read More— A House panel marks up legislation this week to require additional reporting to Congress from banking regulators on their cybersecurity work. There’s also a DoD chief information officer nomination to consider and more still on the Hill. — A GOP House challenger said Russian hackers broke into her email system. The hack appeared to trigger subsequent phishing attempts. — You don’t hear as much about cyber from FEMA as you do other parts of DHS, but the agency is talking up its cybersecurity efforts as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Read MoreWISeKey International Holding Ltd (WIHN.SW) (“WISeKey”), a Swiss based cybersecurity and IoT company, today announced that it is Semiconductors business has developed a series of Field Communication (NFC) secure elements allowing any object to authenticate itself and communicate online.
Read MoreSen. Bernie Sanders released a proposal Thursday to legalize marijuana across the country and expunge criminal convictions related to the drug, embracing an overhaul of federal laws on the eve of a presidential forum expected to renew the debate on race, drugs and police violence. Sanders becomes the latest Democratic White House aspirant to issue a plan for more tolerant drug laws, a shift from past presidential elections when Democrats, like Republicans, often promoted more toughness. Changing attitudes toward drug crimes, and a growing number of states legalizing cannabis, have ushered in a primary where ideas once seen as provocative have become mainstream. Sanders’s plan, which aims to overhaul an approach he argues has unfairly hurtminorities, calls for using executive power to reclassify marijuana as a dangerous controlled substance and passing legislation to permanently legalize the drug. It would direct federal and state authorities to review, vacate and expunge past marijuana convictions. “We’re going to legalize marijuana and end the horrifically destructive war on drugs,” the Vermont independent said in a written statement. “It has disproportionately targeted people of color and ruined the lives of millions of Americans.”
Read MoreMarijuana legislation seems to be gaining traction on Capitol Hill during what is undoubtedly the most cannabis-friendly Congress in history, with the House already passing an amendment this year to shield local legalization laws from federal interference as well as approving a bill to let state-licensed businesses access banks. But as the Senate prepares to more seriously consider far-reaching cannabis proposals, one Republican congressman who backs ending federal prohibition is concerned that impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump could undermine the bipartisan momentum that has been pushing marijuana reform forward in 2019 to date. “I think the impeachment thing is not going to be helpful to getting much done between now and November 2020, which is a shame because we have some serious issues that we need to address,” Rep. David Joyce (R-OH) said in an interview. “I haven't seen any facts that say whether the president will be impeached or not, but I do think that there are going to be a lot of raw nerves out there.” NORML Political Director Justin Strekal praised Joyce—who is a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus—for his leadership role on the issue, but said he is hopeful that disputes over impeachment will not endanger reform efforts.
Read More— A key GOP House member with cybersecurity responsibilities discussed the Republican impeachment protest, the Election Assistance Commission and blockchain voting in a soon-to-be-aired interview. — One of the nation’s top security officials said federal agencies with planned encryption events won’t diverge in their messages, despite a schism on banning warrant-proof encryption. — Senate appropriators want to see what kind of role drone technology research can play in agriculture and cybersecurity...— Blockchain voting: “We need to look at what the next, most secure way of voting is going to be and test those methods,” Davis said. “We have sat down with some folks who are testing” a blockchain-based voting method via phones, like West Virginia has done, and it shouldn’t be dismissed, he said. Most cybersecurity experts have indeed dismissed it as unsafe...AROUND THE HORN WITH FEDERAL CISO — The National Security Council has worked with agencies like the Departments of Justice, Commerce and Homeland Security on events related to the encryption debate, a senior White House official told reporters Thursday. “NSC is working with the agencies as they are engaging with stakeholders so that we can understand the risks associated in this space on both sides and then what options may be there for leadership to consider,” Grant Schneider, the federal chief information security officer and NSC senior director for cybersecurity, said after speaking at CyberTalks.
Read MoreWith predictions that the global market for anti-counterfeiting packaging is set to reach almost $250 billion by 2026, growth in pharmaceutical packaging authentication and anti-tamper devices appears to have a healthy future.This comes on the back of a rise in global healthcare concerns, higher adoption rates of anti-counterfeit technologies and greater awareness of the benefits of new track-and-trace technologies and system integration.
Read MoreKansans are telling lawmakers they want medical marijuana. In 2020, legislators should recognize the momentum that’s building and authorize limited access to cannabis. A special legislative committee heard testimony Wednesday about the issue. More than two dozen groups and individuals provided oral or written support for medical marijuana in Kansas. Supporters include patients, nurses, professors and activist groups. Some told the committee they use marijuana to relieve chronic pain and disease. “There are a lot of citizens saying ‘we do want this,’” Nick Reinecker, a former Republican political candidate, told the committee. There are ongoing disputes about the efficacy of marijuana and THC, its active ingredient, in medical treatment. And it’s essential that the medical community and the federal government intensify efforts to understand the therapeutic benefits of medicinal pot.
Read MoreTwo-thirds of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, according to a Gallup survey released on Wednesday. The 66 percent support for ending cannabis prohibition is the same the polling firm found last year—indicating that supermajority backing for broad marijuana in the U.S. hasn’t waned in the wake of a widespread outbreak of vaping-related injuries that prohibitionists have sought to pin on legalization.
Read MoreFor Illinois hemp farmers, the crop's first year was rough: "Illinois farmers bet big on hemp this season, the first in which it was legal to grow the crop. But growing hemp — a cousin of the marijuana plant known for its use in foods, fibers and the wildly popular CBD products — proved risky,” Tribune's Ally Marotti reports. “Farmers had to learn on the fly about a crop that hadn’t been grown in Illinois soil for generations, and many with successful harvests are struggling to find a market for it."
Read MoreThe White House would have voters believe the Democratic majority in the House is focused exclusively on Donald Trump’s impeachment, to the point that it can’t be bothered to work on legislative priorities. And yet, House Dems continue to tackle legislative priorities, including a new bill on election security that passed yesterday. The Associated Press reported: The Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy, or SHIELD Act, would require that candidates and political committees notify the FBI and other authorities if a foreign power offers campaign help. It also tightens restrictions on campaign spending by foreign nationals and requires more transparency in political ads on social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. And it would explicitly prohibit campaigns from exchanging campaign-related information with foreign governments and their agents. The latter provision was aimed at reports that officials in Trump’s 2016 campaign shared polling data with a person associated with Russian intelligence. The final roll call is online here. Note, the bill passed 227 to 181, with literally zero Republicans voting for it. The White House announced before the vote that Donald Trump would veto the bill if it were to reach his desk. Given the circumstances, the Republican can probably keep his veto pen in a drawer: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – who picked up the “Moscow Mitch” moniker after balking at other bills on election security – condemned the latest House bill yesterday, insisting it’s at odds with the First Amendment.
Read MoreEWING, N.J., Oct. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Barcode Assessment study conducted by AmerisourceBergen Corporation, McKesson Pharmaceutical and Cardinal Health, in collaboration with GS1 US®, revealed that 74.3% of pharmaceutical barcodes scanned in the wholesalers' facilities meet the 2013 Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) serialization requirements—a 54% year-over-year improvement when compared to the same study conducted in 2018. Details of the Barcode Assessment study are published in a new GS1 US report, "2019 Update: Barcode Readability for DSCSA 2023 Interoperability."
Read MoreDuPage County Tuesday became the first county in the state to ban recreational marijuana dispensaries. However, board members also voted 12-6 to approve a 3% county sales tax on the sale of recreational marijuana in municipalities within DuPage County. The decision to opt out of retail marijuana sales in unincorporated areas was supported by applause from several residents, including many from Naperville’s “Opt Out” group. Ban supporters noted several communities in DuPage County also approved the ban, including Naperville, Lisle, Wheaton, Elmhurst, Downers Grove and Bolingbrook, and five others are considering opting out. The board’s action makes DuPage the first county in Illinois to not to allow recreational pot sales, county spokesman Evan Shields said.
Read More10. TCI and Red White & Bloom Sponsor Next Week’s Benzinga Cannabis Conference in Chicago + Special Discount Code: Red White & Bloom (CSE: RWB – IPO Soon) CEO Brad Rogers to Highlight Biggest Cannabis Investing Event of the Year TCI investors will receive 20% off their ticket purchases when they use our discount code. See the link below for code. 9. Colorado Proposes Rules to Ban Additives in Cannabis Vape Products Colorado Regulators are Finalizing Rules to Ban Certain Ingredients From Marijuana Vape Products. At a public hearing Tuesday, Colorado’s Marijuana Enforcement Division discussed the proposed rules that would prohibit the use of the following ingredients in cannabis concentrates or products used for inhalation
Read MoreA top U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) official says that the department expects to release an interim final rule on hemp regulations within “the next couple of weeks.” During a hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) told USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky that there’s been a “big rise in interest” in hemp among farmers in her state since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, which federally legalized the crop and its derivatives. “States are currently working their way through the rulemaking process, but they do need guidance,” she said. The senator asked if Censky could provide a timeline for the release of federal hemp regulations. “We would expect to be issuing the interim final rule here within the next couple of weeks,” he said. “We have been in the interagency clearance process now for over 90 days, working with some of our federal colleagues through the [White House Office of Management and Budget] process to get input for there.” “I think we’re nearing—just about at the end of that process,” he said.
Read MoreFacebook announced new efforts Monday to curb the spread of false information on its platform ahead of the 2020 presidential election. But, in an acknowledgement of the struggle the social network faces to stay ahead of groups intent on manipulating its users, Facebook said it had taken down another set of disinformation networks, this time tied to Iran and Russia. That adds to the more than 50 such networks the company said it has already removed in the past year. The social media giant is under pressure to stop a repeat of 2016, when Russian trolls spread disinformation on the platform. "Elections have changed significantly since 2016, but Facebook has changed, too," said Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chief executive, on a call with reporters. "We know that we have a big responsibility to secure our platform and stay ahead of some of these new threats to election security," he said, adding that the issue is one of his "top priorities."
Read MoreThe Argentine Citrus Federation (Federcitrus) has announced that blockchain has been incorporated into the most recent version of the country's informatics system.
Read MoreJust a couple of years ago, few people had ever heard of cannabidiol, or CBD. But now it's everywhere — on shelves at grocery stores and other shops, offered with smoothies and coffee, and widely available online. By 2024, the domestic market for CBD is forecast to reach $20 billion, according to Colorado cannabis data analytics firm BDS Analytics. With sales of approximately $1.9 billion in 2018, that represents astounding growth in just a few years. That said, CBD faces a wide range of hurdles on the regulatory and legal fronts. And it flirts with turning into a short-lived bubble. A general lack of research and science into CBD's benefits has created a Wild West of claims. People (illegally) champion CBD for everything from sleep to energy. They suggest it fights cancer, suppresses pain, alleviates anxiety and much more. Unfortunately, few of these claims are backed up by rigorous scientific studies. At some point, consumers could grow weary of the wilderness of unfounded benefits and cures. After all, CBD can't be effective for everything.
Read MoreWith nearly three years of rapid growth, experience and actions on multiple fronts, the Alibaba Anti-Counterfeiting Alliance has evolved into a full-fledged “IP-protection ecosystem,” Alibaba Senior Vice President Michael Yao said Thursday.
Read More— Gov. Andrew Cuomo hosted governors from the northeast to investigate regional standards for vaping and e-cigarette products. The governors also released recommendations to create a broad policy framework for marijuana. CANNABIS TOO — Sam reports: Five northeast governors agreed Thursday to a broad policy framework for a legal market for cannabis across the region, providing a rough sketch for how a multistate marijuana industry could eventually function. The framework, though broad in scope, contains specific policy recommendations that had been the subject of intense debate among state legislators and policymakers across the region, most notably in New York and New Jersey, where efforts to legalize cannabis through legislation failed earlier this year.
Read MoreA group of governors representing states across the Northeast convened on Thursday for a marijuana summit at which they agreed to basic principles for legal cannabis programs they plan to pursue in 2020. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) organized the meeting. They were joined by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D), who came out in favor of legalization last month. Representatives from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Colorado also attended. “This is a very important topic,” Cuomo said in his opening statement. “It is probably one of the most challenging issues that I know I’ve had to address in the state of New York. It is complicated, it is controversial and it is consequential. That is a very difficult and challenging combination.”
Read MoreGov. Ned Lamont said there was agreement with the governors of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey following a meeting that they would work together to come up with a similar set of rules around cannabis legalization. Government officials from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Colorado were at the meeting, too.
Read MorePennsylvania's Department of State is launching a pilot program of a math-based audit system that has gained traction in recent years as a way to quickly check the accuracy of election results. The system is known as a "risk-limiting audit" and uses an advanced statistical analysis along with a dose of randomness — auditors can use a 10-sided dice — to look for irregularities in vote tallies. The system has been lauded for its transparency, since the results of the audits are then made public. "This pilot project will allow us to explore audit procedures that will further strengthen Pennsylvania's election security profile and provide confidence to the voters that their votes are being counted accurately," acting Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said in a press release on Wednesday. The program is being run in Mercer County in western Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, which are both using new paper-based voting systems. The pilot program comes as elections officials are looking for any way to increase the security of elections and bolster public trust in the voting process. Intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that the 2020 election will be a target for manipulation, with efforts to undermine U.S. public confidence at the forefront. Risk-limiting audits have been tested in various states including Virginia and Rhode Island, and the latter now mandates the audits for statewide, primary, general and special elections.
Read MoreLegislation to legalize and regulate cannabis in the U.S. continues to gain steam but commercial and investment banks are moving in the opposite direction. Capital in an exciting, profitable and socially-beneficial industry shouldn’t just be flowing north to Canada. It should stay in the U.S. so that when Americans invest in this space, they can do so with confidence. In a head scratching move, Bank of New York Mellon Corp said it would restrict trading of popular cannabis companies that are listed on Canadian exchanges, but have U.S. operations. Canadian-listed firms without U.S. operations would still be tradable. Buoyed by wide-scale public support, legislation to legalize and properly regulate cannabis in the U.S. on the state and federal level continues to gain steam.
Read MoreEver since Canada became the first major country to legalize marijuana for adults a year ago, other nations have been paying attention. The small South American nation of Uruguay was the first to legalize marijuana for adults. New Zealand, Luxembourg, and Mexico are among those that have looked to Canada for guidance or lessons, while Russia has chastised it for its “barefaced” flouting of international anti-drug treaties. Here’s a look at how Canada’s experiment is playing out internationally and where the next attempts at legalization are coming: United States: States continue to flout federal prohibition and legalize marijuana within their borders, arguing that the nation’s war on pot has drained law enforcement resources, had a disparate impact on minorities, and failed to curb the drug’s popularity.
Read MoreMONTGOMERY, Ala (WRBL) Alabama officials are planning ahead for the 2020 elections—and voting security is at the top of their minds. On Friday, Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill plans to hold a cyber security meeting for election officials in Montgomery. “A pretty large portion of the American electorate is concerned that there could be election tampering for foreign sources. This is mainly a concern among Democrats,” said Dr. David Hughes of Auburn University Montgomery. He says although there weren’t any successful attempts to influence the outcome of the 2016 elections, foreign governments tried their best. “They ran essentially a misinformation campaign, or troll farms, on the internet and trying to stir up the passions of a polarized American electric, ” Hughes said. The National Association of Election Officials met this week in Auburn to talk about voter integrity.
Read MoreFor 20 years MIT LLC has provided patented services to the bio/ pharmaceutical industry which have been successfully employed in various legal matters, supporting pharmaceutical patent-infringement and fraud lawsuits.
Read MoreSeattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - October 16, 2019) - CFN Media Group ("CFN Media"), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, announces the publication of an article covering SinglePoint Inc.'s recent success with the company's Pure American Hemp. There has been plenty of media coverage lately on e-cigarettes and vaping products, including restrictive regulation and flat-out bans on vape and nicotine products, spurred on by a series of mysterious deaths most attribute to black market products. Hidden underneath the legislation is the underlying fact that millions of people like to smoke and, according to some experts, outlawing said products is simply not going to work. It will just drive people back to smoking combustible cigarettes. Against this backdrop, SinglePoint (OTCQB: SING) is banking on the trend for alternatives to cigarettes remaining strong, coupled with the growing awareness about hemp products. Judging by the reaction to the company's new Pure American Hemp cigarettes launched this month at the 2019 National Association of Convenience Stores show (NACS) in Atlanta, management is charting the right course.
Read MoreSometime in July, the Boise Police Department returned 69 pounds of a green leafy substance, which was hemp under federal law but technically marijuana under Idaho law, to its owner, after confiscating it weeks prior in preparation of possible criminal charges. That transfer occurred in person, at the department’s evidence storage facility in Boise, not long after the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office declined to bring charges in the case because its prosecutors were not provided with a suspect. The owner of the substance — Jim Hutchens, who manages an Ontario-based business called Treasure Valley Extraction — then drove it across state lines to Oregon, according to Jeremy Foresee, whose own company, Ejuice Blvd in Caldwell, partners with Hutchens. “By releasing this property, the city of Boise is not making any representations about the legality of the product under Idaho law,” a Boise city attorney wrote in an email to Treasure Valley Extraction weeks prior to the transfer. “You may wish to consult with legal counsel prior to taking possession of the property.”
Read More— One House committee today makes another go at election security legislation while another explores supply chain security. — It’s not clear who’s behind all of it, but typosquatters are sending would-be visitors to candidate and election sites elsewhere, sometimes with malicious intent. — There’s a reason businesses relent when hijackers demand ransom: The downtime cost is plenty higher than the payment hackers seek, according to an estimate out today. SHIELDS UP — The House Administration Committee will mark up a bill (H.R. 4617) today that would seek to shore up election security from foreign interference and disinformation campaigns. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the panel’s chairwoman and bill sponsor, will offer a substitute amendment to reserve a section for elements outside committee jurisdiction, according to a committee spokesperson. Republicans will put forth 10 amendments outlining where they say the bill fails to adequately address the interference carried out by Russia in the 2016 presidential election, according to a GOP spokesperson. The legislation includes provisions from two stand-alone bills: One (H.R. 3281) that would seek to block deceptive practices in elections and another (H.R. 2592) that would bolster disclosure requirements for online political ads.
Read MoreMore than a quarter-million voters in Wisconsin identified as having moved could be made ineligible to vote before next year's presidential primary election if a complaint filed Wednesday by a conservative law firm is successful. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty argues that the state Elections Commission broke the law when it decided to wait up to two years, rather than 30 days, to make ineligible voters who may have moved. The complaint asks for that decision to be immediately revoked, which could lead to as many as 234,000 voters losing their eligibility until they can confirm their addresses or re-register. The outcome could affect how many voters are able to cast ballots in both the April presidential primary and November 2020 general election in Wisconsin, a key swing state that both sides are targeting. President Donald Trump narrowly won the state by less than 23,000 votes in 2016.
Read MoreIllinois made substantial progress in securing its election systems since Russian government officials hacked into its voter-registration database in 2016, but more needs to be done to protect those systems heading into the 2020 elections. That was the message two Illinois election officials — State Board of Elections Director Steve Sandvoss and Lake County Clerk Robin O’Connor — delivered to a congressional committee Tuesday. “Cybersecurity is an ongoing, ever-escalating process that doesn’t have an end date, and as such there will be an ongoing need for funds to maintain the program,” Sandvoss told the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee. That panel had a special meeting — known as a “field hearing” — in the village of Gurnee, which is part of the state’s 14th congressional district in Lake County. That’s the home territory of the committee’s vice chair, Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood.
Read MoreIf Congress declines to take legislative action on popular issues such as marijuana legalization, Americans should be able to take matters into their own hand and enact reform through an annual national referendum, Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer said recently. In a campaign video, the philanthropist and liberal activist proposed having citizens vote on various policies each year, forcing the government’s hand to legislate. Steyer noted that more than half the states have already used the initiative and referendum process to enact new laws, and he specifically highlighted marijuana reform as one example. While there is currently no provision in the Constitution or federal statutes that allows voters across the U.S. to weigh in on national ballot questions, Steyer wants to replicate what the states are doing on a country-wide level. “It’s a process that’s already working successfully in 26 stares, resulting in legislative term limits and the decriminalization of medical marijuana,” he said in the video he posted on Twitter last moth.
Read MoreThe Democratic National Committee sent an urgent alert on Monday to every presidential campaign aimed at avoiding a repeat of the cybersecurity fiasco the party suffered at the hands of Russia and WikiLeaks in 2016. The subject of the email was “Counter-Disinformation Update,” and it was part of a regular series of communications by DNC Tech, the party’s in-house group responsible for internal security and monitoring the spread of fake news about Democrats. POLITICO obtained the full archive of DNC Tech’s missives to the presidential campaigns. They reveal a party struggling to combat the continued onslaught of the twin threats faced by the Democratic Party: cyber penetration from state actors abroad and the spread of disinformation about its top presidential candidates by Donald Trump and his allies at home. Democrats are entering a critical stretch of the campaign when voters are paying more attention, the top candidates and their desperate single-digit rivals are more likely to begin attacking one another, and Trump, facing both impeachment and a slew of general election polls that show him losing to most Democrats, is pillorying Joe Biden in an attempt to shape the nomination contest to his benefit. It was a moment, the DNC warned, to be hypervigilant about fake news. “[A]ll campaigns should expect to see heightened disinformation and discourse manipulation activity leading up to, during, and after the debates with the goal of polarizing opposing Democratic supporters,” Monday’s predebate email said. Tech, as the DNC Geek Squad is known inside Washington headquarters, asked each presidential campaign to report “inauthentic or suspicious activity” to the DNC as well as to the major social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook/Instagram, Google/YouTube).
Read MoreTony Silvernail swings a heavy machete at a stalk of bushy hemp and chops the plant near the root, grabbing the five-foot-tall shoot with his sun-weathered hand. It’s an unusually hot October day on his farm, Beyond The Bridge LLC, tucked in the hills outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. But the heat doesn’t faze Silvernail, sporting a sweat-soaked shirt, a huge smile, and a fat cigar between his teeth. Silvernail and hundreds of others of farmers across the Ohio Valley are finally getting to harvest thousands of acres of hemp, the first harvest since the federal government legalized hemp cultivation last December. “Oh, I’m happy as hell,” he said with a laugh. “We’re all like little kids, Shawn and I, getting all excited when we’re sitting here harvesting and talking. This is actually the glory part of being a farmer, as anybody whose livelihood depends on this. When you’re harvesting, it’s a happy time.” He’s been an organic farmer for decades in Kentucky, and it wasn’t until last fall when he and his business partner, Kentucky State University professor Shawn Lucas, decided to try their luck at growing organic hemp for cannabidiol, or CBD. Silvernail said when he first became an organic farmer in the ‘90s, he appreciated the advice experienced farmers shared with newcomers in the industry. But he said that hasn’t been the case with hemp.
Read MoreLast year, we saw marijuana history made many times over. Canada became the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana nearly one year ago, while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its very first cannabis-derived drug. The latter is a pretty big deal, considering that marijuana remains a Schedule I (i.e., illicit) substance at the federal level in the United States.
Read MoreIn the midst of the the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) investigation into the vaping-related health crisis, which has claimed 23 lives in the United States as of this week, media coverage of the epidemic has been virtually nonstop. Patients in more than two dozen states have been presenting at hospitals throughout the country with symptoms such as coughing, chest pain, and shortness of breath, as well as nausea, vomiting, and fever in some cases. What’s worse, Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the C.D.C, said in a media briefing last week that the epidemic shows few signs of slowing down: to date, more than 1,100 cases of vaping-related illness have been reported nationwide, and Schuchat said that the epidemic is “continuing at a brisk pace.”
Read MoreMORE THAN THREE YEARS after media reports disclosed hackers were interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential race to influence voters, most of the country's candidates in the 2020 presidential election are struggling with cybersecurity issues, according to a nonpartisan group focused on internet standards. A majority of the 23 candidates in the race for the White House failed to meet the privacy and security standards set by the Internet Society's Online Trust Alliance (OTA), according to the group's audit released this week. The findings are the latest to show the increasing pressure countries are facing to preserve online security during elections, as well as in their industries and infrastructure. The research by the OTA examined how well the 23 Democratic, Republican and Independent candidates are handling online security challenges in their campaigns. Just seven of the 23 politicians scored 80% or higher in campaign cybersecurity, meaning researchers found no failures in the three areas examined: privacy, website security and consumer protection. Weaknesses ensuring the data privacy of users accessing the candidate's online platforms raised the most red flags, researchers found.
Read MoreThe historic hub of black culture on the south side of Chicago called Bronzeville bears the marks of disinvestment, white flight and redlining common to many of the city’s black-majority neighborhoods. Along the expansive South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, lines of greystones alternate in and out of disrepair, and many of the district’s blocks that were once home to vibrant institutions — earning it the name “Black Metropolis” — are now mottled with overgrown, vacant lots. A census tract within the area is one of the poorest in the city. But for Seke Ballard and Seun Adedeji, the area is ripe for reinvestment because — not in spite — of it being disadvantaged. In late June, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a law legalizing the recreational use of cannabis that lowers the barrier of entry to the industry for places like Bronzeville and its residents who have been disproportionately harmed by past cannabis laws and poverty. It takes effect January 1.
Read MoreThe Russian social media campaign against the United States targeted no single group more than African Americans, a new federal report has concluded. The report from the Senate Intelligence Committee’s probe into the 2016 election comes as social media companies attempt to prevent further disinformation and disruption of American democracy. Moscow’s efforts — led by the Internet Research Agency (IRA) — were sophisticated and multifaceted, targeting the black community and sowing division across a range of platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Google-owned YouTube and Instagram. The shadowy effort aimed to support the Trump campaign, denigrate opponent Hillary Clinton, suppress the vote and attack various public figures. According to the report, more than 66 percent of Facebook advertisements posted by the IRA contained a term related to race.
Read MoreCanada and Uruguay are still the only two countries that have legalized marijuana for recreational use thus far. Much of the progress that has been made on cannabis legislation has largely been related to medical use. However, there could soon be a third country to legalize recreational marijuana: Mexico. Although the country has been known for its problem with illegal drugs, there is the potential that Mexico could soon legalize cannabis. A year ago, the courts ruled that the prohibition of cannabis for personal use was unconstitutional. However, it would be up to Congress to regulate cannabis and provide the framework under which it would be allowed. The problem is, that part may not be so easy.
Read MoreAt the forum, Gordon-Booth spoke about achievements — the Neighborhood Safety Act — but also plans for the future. Prison reform was part of the 2017 act which focused largely on rehabilitation and greater discretion for judges for first-time drug offenders. Rehabilitation, she said, is key. According to Gordon-Booth, 94 percent of people currently in Illinois prisons will be released. Thus, we as a populace need to consider the environment in which those people are serving sentences. Additionally, she said issues like cannabis need to be on the forefront of minds, particularly as legalization happens in the state. “Cannabis has been used for the last 80 years in a failed war on drugs to lock people up,” she said. It was an example of a minor infraction with major implications for the lives of Americans, particularly black Americans. Gordon-Booth explained, like Asbell, that these criminal records led to hardships in finding employment, which, obviously, has a direct impact on socioeconomic status. 770,000 of those criminal convictions will be expunged under the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, a crucial step to returning at least a small portion of what was lost.
Read MoreA bipartisan group of U.S. senators urged President Donald Trump on Tuesday to warn the public about efforts by foreign governments to interfere in U.S. elections, a subject he has largely avoided, and take steps to thwart attempts by hostile nations to use social media to meddle in the 2020 presidential contest. The recommendations came in an 85-page report issued by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which has been investigating Russia's large-scale effort to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The senators described the social media activities of the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency in 2016 as part of a "broader, sophisticated, and ongoing information warfare campaign designed to sow discord in American politics and society." The senators noted the Russians' social media effort was a "vastly more complex and strategic assault on the United States than was initially understood," with planning underway in 2014 when two Internet Research Agency operatives were sent to the U.S. to gather intelligence. While a previous assessment indicated the Russian activities aspired to help then-candidate Trump when possible, the Senate report went further and said the Russians' social media campaign was "overtly and almost invariably supportive" of Trump and designed to harm Democrat Hillary Clinton. Also targeted by Russian social media efforts were Trump's Republican opponents — Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Trump has been largely dismissive of Russian activities in 2016 and now faces an impeachment inquiry into whether he inappropriately solicited foreign election help from Ukraine ahead of the 2020 vote. White House spokesman Judd Deere said the Trump administration has made election security a priority.
Read MoreFRANKLIN, Tenn. - Kat Merryfield was ready to share her farm-to-home oils, chocolate and creams with the rest of the country. But banks and credit card processors weren't ready to work with her small business.
Read MoreIn Dorchester's Grove Hall sits an empty storefront where a marijuana shop is projected to open sometime next month, its owner says. But beyond the nondescript facade lies a more complicated story — opposing reactions to the incoming store reflect the challenges inherent in trying to build an equitable industry. While there is wide agreement that striving for equity is a good goal, many residents in places deemed “disproportionately impacted” by marijuana law enforcement before the industry was legalized don’t necessarily want the drug being sold in their backyards. As Boston moves to enter the recreational marijuana industry, this site encapsulates a conflict between equity and NIMBYism.
Read MoreA recently detected Iranian cyberattack targeting a US presidential campaign may well be a harbinger of what's in store for political parties and election systems in the run-up to next year's general elections. Last Friday Microsoft disclosed it had observed significant threat activity over the past two months by Phosphorus, a threat group believed linked to the Iranian government. Phosphorus, which is also known as APT25 and Charming Kitten, made over 2,700 attempts to break into specific email accounts belonging to Microsoft customers. In many cases, Phosphorus used information about the targets — including phone numbers and secondary email addresses — to try and infiltrate their email accounts. In the end, Phosphorus attacked 241 targeted email accounts and eventually managed to compromise four of them.
Read MoreOn Sept. 16, Tulare County in California announced the nation’s seventh death from vaping-related illness. Its advisory warned about “the dangerous effects of using electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes.” Like so many of the official warnings coming out around the country, it lacked details about the specific products involved in the vaping death. But by the time of the announcement, the family of the man who died had been in touch with Gregory Conley, president of the American Vaping Association, which advocates for vaping products.
Read MoreWhen discussing the expansion of the U.S. hemp market, much attention has been paid to states like Kentucky, since with backing from influential legislators like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Bluegrass State has been angling to become the largest hemp- producing state in the country. However, Kentucky is not the only one with such ambitions. Oregon, too, has been aggressively expanding its statewide hemp industry. As the 27th most populous of the 50 states, Oregon has a population of approximately 4.19 million people. Possessing a temperate climate, it is well suited for hemp cultivation, with the Willamette Valley and its southern region offering conducive conditions for production.
Read MoreState authorities intent on recovering thousands of dollars in lost tobacco taxes have set their sights on Interstate 94, just west of the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.
Read MoreWe've all had those moments in our lives when we've asked a parent for something and attempted to lay the groundwork for why they should support it...We got the same feeling from Monday's special Decatur City Council meeting held to discuss whether to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries, cannabis-related businesses and the restrictions on its use.
Read MoreWith the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yet to develop a regulatory framework for CBD-infused products, states are stepping in. This week, Illinois introduced new legislation that could require the testing of CBD products sold in its state. The hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD, is sold as a supplement, promising to manage everything from anxiety and insomnia to chronic pain. Rahul Easwar, co-founder of Chicago-based CBD-retailer LeafyQuick, says the product is everywhere. “Gummies, edibles, we’ve got bath bombs, salts, topical lotions," Easwar says. "You name it, there’s CBD in it.” But while some CBD shops like LeafyQuick only sell products that have been tested, there are no laws requiring that. “We don’t obviously accept every brand that knocks on our door, and we go through a very stringent due-diligence process,” says Easwar. And because CBD products are considered supplements rather than drugs, they remain largely unregulated.
Read More— Farmers across the country are rushing to harvest hemp. But some may end up accidentally growing marijuana, as the THC levels in hemp can fluctuate above the legal limit. USDA has been pressured by states to settle confusion and establish a national THC testing level. — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is under fire for declaring — at a dairy expo in Wisconsin — that small dairy farmers may not survive as the industry grapples with dismal economic conditions. — Trump officials are expected to roll out their Renewable Fuel Standard package today. Here’s what we know about the new biofuel boosts. MAJOR HURDLE FOR HEMP FARMERS — TESTING THC: The hype over hemp sparked a gold rush-level enthusiasm to plant the new crop across the country ever since it was legalized by the 2018 farm bill. In a declining farm economy, hemp offers a new source of income for farmers who are under siege because of the trade war with China, dropping commodity prices and a series of natural disasters. The potential economic boom is luring scores of agricultural novices.
Read MoreAn attempted hack into a mobile voting app used during the 2018 midterm elections may have been a student's attempt to research security vulnerabilities rather than an attempt to alter any votes, three people familiar with the matter told CNN. Mike Stuart, the US attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia, revealed at a press conference Tuesday that an FBI investigation "is currently ongoing" after an unsuccessful attempted intrusion into the Voatz app, which West Virginia has used since 2018 to allow overseas and military voters to vote via smartphone. No criminal charges have been filed. The sources told CNN that the FBI is investigating a person or people who tried to hack the app as a part of a University of Michigan election security course. Michigan is one of the main academic hubs of election security research in the country, housing the trailblazing Michigan Election Security Commission.
Read MoreThe CBD products that populate shelves at Walgreens, gas stations and other retailers in Illinois could be subject to lab testing under a bill introduced in the Illinois legislature Wednesday.
Read MoreWisconsin legislators pushing a bipartisan bill to legalize medical cannabis hope that the Republican majority will consider it, for the sake of patients suffering debilitating conditions with few treatment options. “It’s an issue of compassion,” Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-West Point) told Wisconsin Examiner. “It’s an issue of making sure people have access to something that helps them.” Co-sponsored by Erpenbach, Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison), and Sen. Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point), the bill would create a system allowing patients to apply for a medical cannabis card at the Department of Health Services (DHS). “We’re excited to have a bipartisan bill,” says Taylor. “We’re getting Republican support and that has not happened since I’ve worked on the bill for the past many sessions.” Rep. Patrick Snyder (R-Schofield), said during a Q&A in 2018, “I’ve talked with physicians and two of our county judges to hear their opinions. I see the benefits for those suffering from severe conditions that this would aid.”
Read MoreThe Congresswoman from Winterpark, FL, Stephanie Murphy (D–FL 7th District), sent a letter to Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee lending her support in the serious financial investment of cybersecurity to protect against election interference from foreign aggressors. Secretary Lee requested close to $1.3 million to fund a 10-person cybersecurity team in September. She also requested another $1 million to help local election offices to assist in dealing with current system issues. In July of 2019, Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) introduced the Achieving Lasting Electoral Reforms on Transparency and Security (ALERTS Act), H.R. 3529 to address election interference in Florida. This bipartisan bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to notify state and local officials, some members of Congress and voters how have been victimized when federal agencies identify an election system breach.
Read MoreAn estimated $200 billion of counterfeit drugs go on the market annually. That makes it the largest fraud market in the world! Not too surprisingly, it is in the third world countries where the proportion of counterfeit drugs is very high. But even in the developed world, you could buy life-saving medicine from your local pharmacy which was previously returned. If the manufacturer didn’t adequately verify the return, your drugs could be fake.
Read MoreOpSec Security, the global leader in anti-counterfeiting and brand protection solutions, has been selected by Ringers Gloves®, an Ansell Limited Company, to provide authentication for select styles in their line of high performance safety gloves.
Read MorePennsylvania Rep. David Delloso has proposed legislation that would legalize adult-use cannabis for adults 21 and older and distribute it through state-run stores. House Bill 1899 would amend the state’s liquor code to allow for adult-use cannabis and use the current state retail system to sell it, according to a local Fox News report. The legislation also includes expungement provisions, the news outlet reported, which would clear the records of those previously arrested, charged or convicted under Pennsylvania’s Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman announced their support for adult-use legalization last week during a press conference, and indicated the need for criminal justice components in any future legislation.
Read MoreColorado’s cannabis industry has had a chief request since marijuana was legalized: Give us access to banks. But it turns out that hundreds of the state’s pot businesses are already working with financial institutions under the close watch of federal regulators, even though marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. As many as 35 banks and credit unions offer services to the industry that has made $6.5 billion in sales in Colorado since 2014, according to the Colorado Bankers Association. Most financial institutions are secretive about their business relationships with companies that grow and sell marijuana legally, limiting the number of customers they will take on and asking their clients to sign nondisclosure agreements, said Amanda Averch, a spokeswoman for the bankers association.
Read MoreLast Wednesday, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf announced that he is now in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational use, following a months-long statewide recreational marijuana listening tour in which Lt. Gov. John Fetterman talked to Pennsylvanians in all 67 counties about the issue. Following Wolf’s announcement, Attorney General Josh Shapiro echoed the governor’s statement, tweeting, “Continuing to criminalize adult personal marijuana use is a waste of limited law enforcement resources, it disproportionately impacts our minority communities and it does not make us safer.”
Read MoreCouncil members Chuck Kuhle, Lisa Gregory, Pat McDaniel, Rodney Walker and Bill Faber and Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe during a four-hour meeting on Monday voted to "opt out" of allowing sales. Councilman David Horn voted to allow the dispensaries.? They also voted 4-3 to opt out of other cannabis-related businesses, such as cultivation and processing centers, and tabled future discussion a measure related to the open, public consumption of cannabis. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act passed by the General Assembly allows units of government to ban recreational marijuana sales, but may not ban individual possession. Communities can apply a tax of up to 3% for sales within its borders. Illinois is the 11th state to legalize cannabis.
Read MoreTennis shoes are getting a boost from the blockchain. New Balance has announced it is working with the Cardano blockchain to develop an authentication system that will help consumers quickly and accurately determine if their shoes are the real deal, or counterfeit knockoffs. The program reportedly revolves solely around the Cardano blockchain, created by Hong Kong-based FinTech firm IOHK, and won’t use the platform’s associated ADA cryptocurrency.
Read MoreIn a white paper issued Tuesday, the National Cannabis Industry Association outlined a framework for regulating cannabis once it is legalized federally by using the existing infrastructure of government agencies, most notably the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, instead of creating new bureaucratic bloat.
Read MoreA bill to legalize marijuana in Pennsylvania through a state-run model was filed on Monday, days after Gov. Tom Wolf (D) announced that he now supports legalization. Rep. David Delloso (D) introduced the legislation, which would allow adults 21 and older to possess, consume, cultivate and purchase cannabis through a state stores system run by the Liquor Control Board. “In the interest of the efficient use of law enforcement resources, enhancing revenue for public purposes and individual freedom, the people of this Commonwealth find and declare that the use of cannabis should be legal for individuals who are at least 21 years of age and should be taxed,” the bill text states.
Read MoreThe governor of Washington on Friday directed state health officials to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes when they convene next month. If the state health department uses its emergency authority to pass the ban on October 9, it will forbid the sale of all flavored vaping products, including ones with the cannabinoid THC. The temporary ban can be renewed after 120 days. Governor Jay Inslee also issued the state liquor and cannabis board to draft legislation permanently banning all flavored vaping products and any ingredients found to be the cause of related lung illnesses. It would also require all ingredients in flavored vaping products to be disclosed.
Read MoreDemocrats renewed their push for election security legislation after a stark warning from acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire and the release of a whistleblower complaint about President Trump's call with Ukraine's leader. Maguire on Thursday warned that the “greatest challenge” the U.S. is facing is “maintaining the integrity of our election system” and said “there are foreign powers that are trying to get us to question the validity of whether or not our elections are valid." The intelligence official made the comment during testimony before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday about a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump tried to persuade Ukraine to mount a corruption investigation against former Vice President Joe Biden, the current front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Democrats also highlighted a section in the whistleblower complaint that Trump’s actions could pose "risks to U.S. national security and undermine the U.S. Government’s efforts to deter and counter foreign interference in U.S. elections.”
Read MoreHackers were able to use a screwdriver to get inside a ballot-scanning machine similar to what will soon be used across Georgia, allowing them to replace a memory card and effectively take control of the machine that counts votes. That was one of the vulnerabilities found in the Dominion ImageCast Precinct ballot scanners, according to a report Thursday from the DEF CON Voting Machine Hacking Village, a conference in Las Vegas where hackers tinkered last month with voting equipment to expose weaknesses. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said the hackers examined an “old, outdated system” that didn’t match the ballot scanners that will be rolled out statewide starting with the March 24 presidential primary. He also said the hacks didn’t account for real-life election security protocols. The report on the problems of voting technology across the country, which found weaknesses in every system tested, highlights some of the ways that computerized election equipment could be manipulated if hackers were able to subvert security precautions.
Read MoreCertainly there are vulnerabilities in the country's election systems. It's relatively easy to hack voting machines. Personal information can be purchased to alter voter registrations in as many as 35 states, according to one Harvard study. Disinformation campaigns by other countries can confuse voters and manipulate public opinion. Much of our democracy depends on eliminating these security issues in our voting system. All 50 states have taken at least some steps to provide more election security, according to the Center for American Progress. Many have gotten help from the Department of Homeland Security or the National Guard to assess and identify some of the potential threats. This list is based on a 2018 report by the Center for American Progress, an independent nonpartisan policy institute that seeks to improve life in America by developing new policy ideas, challenging the media to cover critical issues, and shape the national debate.
Read MoreTHE HOUSE IS EXPECTED to vote Wednesday on a bipartisan bill that would protect banks servicing marijuana businesses, a move that would provide security and stability to the multibillion-dollar cannabis industry. The vote marks the first time a standalone marijuana reform bill has reached the floor of the House. Eleven states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books legalizing cannabis for recreational use and a majority of states also have medical marijuana programs in place. The drug, however, remains illegal at the federal level, making banks and credit unions wary of doing business with the industry because of the threat of criminal prosecution and regulatory consequences.
Read MoreThe Australian capital Canberra will become the country's first city to legalize marijuana following a landmark vote Tuesday night. Lawmakers in the Australian Capital Territory voted to pass a bill allowing people aged 18 or over to possess and cultivate marijuana for personal use. The new law is set to come into effect from January 31, 2020, state broadcaster ABC reported. Under the new regulations, residents in the territory -- which is home to the capital -- will be able to legally possess up to 50 grams (1.76 ounces) of marijuana and cultivate up to two plants per person, or four per household.
Read MoreGov. Tom Wolf wants to legalize recreational marijuana for adults in Pennsylvania. In a news conference on Wednesday, Wolf called for legislation to eliminate criminal charges for nonviolent acts involving small amounts of cannabis and expunge the records of those previously convicted. Wolf also wants the General Assembly to begin serious debate on legalizing regulated recreational marijuana for adults.
Read MoreCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s capital has become the first part of the country to legalize recreational marijuana for personal use. The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly voted on Wednesday to legalize possession by adults of up to 50 grams (1.8 ounces) of dried marijuana and cultivation of two marijuana plants beginning Jan. 31. The assembly is the local government of Canberra, the national capital with a population of 400,000.
Read MoreSouth Dakota has been seeing a great deal of momentum with petitions to legalize some form of cannabis as of late. Last month, a medical marijuana legalization petition was approved and since then, New Approach South Dakota has been working hard to collect the needed signatures before their deadline. Now, a second group – South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws – has had their initiative approved for signature gathering as well. Their goal is legalizing cannabis for adult use, rather than focusing on medical only.
Read MoreVermont Attorney General TJ Donovan joined 21 other attorneys general Monday in signing a letter urging Congress to pass a bill allowing legal cannabis businesses to access banking systems. The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (or STATES) Act would allow states that have legalized cannabis to create their own laws and regulatory structures, doing away with the conflict between state and federal rules. Under current federal banking laws, because marijuana is considered an illegal drug, cannabis businesses are forced to operate primarily in cash. Over the past five years, 33 states have developed legalized markets in some form.
Read MoreMore than a dozen Florida members of Congress, concerned over Russian election meddling in 2016, want the state’s top election official to detail what’s being done to ensure accurate and secure elections in 2020. “The 2020 primary election is fast approaching, and so now is the time to ensure our state is taking all necessary actions to harden our election defenses, guard against disinformation, and improve election administration generally,” the members of Congress wrote Tuesday to Secretary of State Laurel Lee. “Together, we must take steps to guard against these vulnerabilities before next year’s elections to make sure Floridians can express their will at the ballot box, unencumbered by outside forces,” they wrote. Questions surrounding the way elections are run in Florida is always surrounded by politics, and the congressional letter is no exception. All the signers of the letter, which originated with U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch of Broward and Palm Beach counties, are Democrats. And the request for information went to Lee, an appointee of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Read MoreThe Wisconsin Elections Commission has created a grant program to help communities that are using outdated and potentially insecure computer equipment to make upgrades before the 2020 election. The commission voted Tuesday to approve grants of up to $1,200 for qualified applicants. The commission has determined that election clerks in 215 communities are using only Windows 7 devices. Free security upgrades for that program ends in January, creating security concerns ahead of elections in 2020. Of the 215 clerks using Windows 7, the commission says about 65 don't have firm plans to replace the equipment after January primarily because of cost concerns. The goal of the grant program is to make money available to communities to ensure they are compliant with baseline security standards.
Read MoreFor more than a year, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., went eyeball to eyeball against those demanding the United States protect its elections from ongoing Russian tampering. Repeatedly, McConnell blocked all meaningful attempts to fortify U.S. defenses, and when critics pointed out that he was making things easier for the Kremlin, he howled about "modern-day McCarthyism." But the pressure did not recede, and on Thursday, McConnell strode onto the Senate floor and surrendered. "I'm proud," he said, that a forthcoming spending bill "will include a bipartisan amendment providing another $250 million for the administration and security of their elections. … I am proud to have helped develop this amendment and to co-sponsor it in committee." When a journalist observed that McConnell had made the reversal "under fire," McConnell's communications director, David Popp, replied on Twitter: "He's not under fire from anyone. He pounced at the opportunity to seize the moment and help secure this important funding."
Read MoreThere are ways to get THC without smoking marijuana, and we don’t encourage smoking period.” Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York may have hinted that the state’s cannabis legalization bill may include a ban on smoking the substance, allowing only other methods of use such as edibles. This suggestion was noticed by Marijuana Moment after Cuomo was interviewed on MSNBC Sunday and was asked if the recent cases of lung injury and deaths possibly connected to vaping products had made him reconsider his stance on the issue.
Read MoreCome Jan. 1, it will be legal to purchase and possess recreational marijuana in Illinois. And as the new year gets closer, several Chicago cannabis startups are beginning to imagine what the future holds for them under the new law. For cannabis growers and dispensary operators, they can expect to attract a whole new set of buyers—not just those with a medical marijuana license. The tech-based startups that simplify how people buy cannabis or how marijuana companies advertise their offerings should also expect to find new consumers. And as happens with any big cultural or economic shift, new companies are likely to pop up once voids in the industry are discovered. At the end of May, Illinois lawmakers approved a bill that would allow residents age 21 and older to legally possess 30 grams of cannabis, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate or 500 milligrams of THC contained in a cannabis-infused product. When the bill takes effect next year, it will also create a licensed cultivation and dispensary system.
Read MoreWisconsin communities could apply for money to bolster election security under a $1.1 million grant program being proposed by the state agency in charge of elections. The Wisconsin Elections Commission board was to vote Tuesday on approving the new grant program. It would be funded with federal money. The move to create the grant program comes after the commission last month rejected the idea of buying scores of new loaner computers for local clerks using outdated systems open to cyberattacks. Instead, all Wisconsin municipalities and counties could apply for up to $1,200 each to make security upgrades. The money could be used for such things as purchasing new computers, upgrading operating systems and paying for technical support. Groups representing local election clerks support the program as Wisconsin tries to strengthen security ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Read MoreAs of today, Donald Trump is now the least liked president in almost 40 years. The September NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Sunday shows that 69 percent of voters dislike Trump. That is a toxic level in any race let alone one for the presidency. It is impossible to improve that sentiment to less than 50 percent in the remaining 14 months before the 2020 election. Prior to this poll, the highest dislike of a president was 42 percent for George W. Bush after Hurricane Katrina in March 2006...However, the Senate had not taken up the measure because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was refusing to do so. Until last week. Out of the blue, just one day after the Ukraine story broke, McConnell approved $250 million for election security, a token amount that will provide only $5 million per state to fight the Russians and will have little real effect. It seems McConnell, who takes umbrage with his nickname “Moscow Mitch," may have been trying to head off criticism about foreign election interference with this gesture. But it is just that, a gesture. There are 406 days until next year's general election – and only 133 until the 2020 caucuses and primaries begin – and the resources and reforms to guard against foreign interference are not close to what is needed.
Read MoreThe historic hub of black culture on the south side of Chicago called Bronzeville bears the marks of disinvestment, white flight and redlining common to many of the city’s black-majority neighborhoods.
Read MoreCHICAGO — Following a wave of concern nationally over lung illnesses and deaths linked to vaping, Illinois lawmakers are set to consider legislation this fall that would ban most flavored vaping products and outlaw e-cigarette use in indoor public spaces. "It's become a health crisis," said Democratic state Rep. Deb Conroy of Villa Park, who's sponsoring a bill that would ban all vaping flavors except menthol. "People are dying."
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD — Some of the lead negotiators of the law to legalize adult-use marijuana in Illinois are seeking to provide clarity on a provision that gives local municipalities control over which facilities, if any, would be authorized to allow cannabis consumption. The topic is at the top of the discussion list for potential follow-up legislation, commonly referred to as a trailer bill, which could be heard when the General Assembly returns for veto session in late October, the original bill’s Senate sponsor said. That senator is Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat who said it is “certainly not the intent” of House Bill 1438, the bill which legalized adult-use marijuana, to allow consumption at public places such as restaurants.
Read MoreThe marijuana industry made history more than a dozen times in 2018. We witnessed Canada become the first industrialized country in the world to legalize recreational cannabis, and observed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve its very first cannabis-derived drug. We even saw support for marijuana legalization soar to an all-time high. However, one thing we haven't seen is clear and definitive progress made on the marijuana front at the federal level in the United States. Currently, cannabis is classified as a Schedule I substance by the Controlled Substances Act. Put simply, this means it's entirely illegal, prone to abuse, and despite having a cannabidiol-based drug legalized by the FDA, doesn't have any recognized medical benefits. Put in another context, marijuana is classified on par with heroin and LSD, while cocaine is actually slightly less restrictive than cannabis as a Schedule II substance.
Read MoreMain sponsors claim they have the votes. Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) told Natalie the bill will move next week, and that he thinks he has the votes to call for a “motion for suspension” on the bill — passage with limited debate and no amendments, requiring a two-thirds majority. This is not your mother’s banking bill. If your mother voted on it in the House Financial Services Committee this past spring, that is. While the bill’s sponsors hope it will pass the floor without amendments, they already have done a lot of tweaking since it breezed through committee. Paul, along with our colleague Zach Warmbrodt, got their hands on a new version of the banking legislation, which has two key additions: — The first is that banks doing business with hemp companies won’t face federal punishment. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pushed hard for hemp legalization in last year’s farm bill. The other would prevent the revival of an Obama-era program known as Operation Choke Point. It aimed to cut off the banking system from wrongdoing by merchants.
Read MoreSPRINGFIELD — Some of the lead negotiators of the law to legalize adult-use marijuana in Illinois are seeking to provide clarity on a provision that gives local municipalities control over which facilities, if any, would be authorized to allow cannabis consumption. The topic is at the top of the discussion list for potential follow-up legislation, commonly referred to as a trailer bill, which could be heard when the General Assembly returns for veto session in late October, the original bill’s Senate sponsor said. That senator is Heather Steans, a Chicago Democrat who said it is “certainly not the intent” ofHouse Bill 1438, the bill which legalized adult-use marijuana, to allow consumption at public places such as restaurants.
Read MoreJane Sevdinski used to work in the legal department at the finance ministry. He and a friend are now investing more than 1 million euros ($1.1 million) in four huge greenhouses...It may be one of the more unusual economic models, but the two men are part of a plan to turn the former Yugoslav republic now called North Macedonia into a nation of cannabis farmers...The economy since the breakup of Yugoslavia has been dependent on exporting tobacco, fruit and vegetables and auto parts. There's still no legislation to allow most exports of medical cannabis, though it has cross-party political support and the government says it wants to pass it in coming weeks.
Read MoreA college cheerleader in Orlando could lose his left lung from an illness that his family links to vaping, and in Jacksonville, a 17-year-old was hospitalized to treat breathing problems. Amid an explosion of vaping-related lung illnesses and related deaths nationwide, Floridians remain on high alert. Seven deaths and 530 hospitalizations in 38 states have spurred state lawmakers to propose raising the legal age to buy vaping products, and the state’s health and education departments are readying to roll out a three-hour anti-vaping course for Florida’s schoolchildren. While the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation regulates tobacco, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Food Safety regulates ingested products like CBD food and drink, the state is left with a major question.
Read MoreWASHINGTON (AP) — Microsoft said Friday it will offer free security updates through the 2020 election in the United States — and in other interested democratic countries with national elections next year — for federally certified voting systems running on soon-to-be-outdated Windows 7 software. An Associated Press analysis previously found that the vast majority of 10,000 election jurisdictions in the U.S. use Windows 7 or an older operating system to create ballots, program voting machines, tally votes and report counts. Windows 7 reaches its “end of life” on Jan. 14, meaning Microsoft stops providing free technical support and producing “patches” to fix software vulnerabilities, which hackers can exploit. Cash-strapped election officials are scrambling to address this issue and what’s essentially a one-year extension on additional costs.
Read MoreWASHINGTON Measures making it easier for hemp growers to sell their product may be tucked into legislation that would allow banks to conduct business with state-approved marijuana growers and retailers giving the pot industry a potential boost with a skeptical Senate. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., says two provisions aimed at helping hemp producers are likely to be added to the House version of the SAFE Banking Act. The act would give marijuana businesses in the states where it is legal the ability to conduct transactions with federally regulated banks.
Read MoreA key Senate panel is approving $250 million to help states beef up their election systems, freeing up the money after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came under criticism from Democrats for impeding separate election security legislation. McConnell's reluctance to legislate on election security has led some Democrats to refer to him as "Moscow Mitch." The Kentucky Republican announced Thursday in a floor speech in advance of a Senate Appropriations Committee vote that he would support the funding, claiming the Trump administration has "made enormous strides" in protecting the nation's voting infrastructure.
Read MoreRep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said marijuana banking legislation will advance to the House floor despite the fact that some major advocacy groups are calling for a delay until more comprehensive cannabis reform is first passed. The congresswoman, who chairs the House Financial Services Committee, told Marijuana Moment in an interview on Wednesday that she appreciates the concerns outlined by groups including the ACLU and Center for American Progress, which released a letter on Tuesday stating that they were worried that passing the banking bill would undermine broader reform efforts.
Read MoreWith cannabis poised to become legal in Illinois on January 1, 2020, Chicago lawmakers are ironing out rules that will govern the location of the city’s first recreational marijuana dispensaries. On Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot formally introduced an ordinance to the Chicago City Council creating seven “cannabis zones” in neighborhoods across the city’s North, South, and West sides. By spreading the businesses evenly among the different zone, the mayor hopes, will bring new economic opportunities to underserved neighborhoods.
Read MorePublic officials are cracking down on e-cigarette use amid an outbreak of vaping-related illness and seven resulting deaths. But pot might be more to blame than anything else. Nearly all of the 380 patients with lung illness reported using a marijuana oil called THC in their vape pens, my Washington Post colleague Lena H. Sun reports. THC is the chemical behind most of marijuana’s psychological effects, stimulating the brain to create pleasurable feelings. It’s essentially what leads to feeling “high.” And many people have started using illegal vape cartridges containing THC, which also contain significant amounts of vitamin E acetate. Because cannabis oil is pricey, producers use the acetate to dilute and thicken it without affecting its flavor or smell. The thought is that the vitamin E is behind the symptoms the patients have experienced, which include coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath leading to a need for hospitalization.
Read MoreVentura County could become one of the largest hemp-growing areas in California now that commercial production has been legalized and the first season's crop is being harvested, officials say. Agricultural Commissioner Edmund Williams says the county could rank second or third among the 58 counties at a time when 40% of them have imposed moratoriums on hemp production. "It's going to be a really good boost for agriculture in Ventura County," Williams said. He sees no need for a ban here as farmers and investors try to cash in on the demand for health-related cannabidiol or CBD oil products made from hemp bred for industrial use. Although industrial hemp belongs to the same plant species as marijuana, it must by definition have negligible intoxicant properties.
Read MoreWith the White House and Congress paralyzed over how — or even whether — to act on intelligence agency warnings about foreign interference in U.S. elections, Maryland opted to take matters into its own hands. The state adopted transparency rules for political advertising on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere online. The pioneering move drew praise from election reformers as a blow against foreign meddling. Then came the backlash. And it wasn’t from Russia. Newspaper publishers hauled the state into federal court. The new rules ran afoul of the 1st Amendment and created burdens on media organizations that could push struggling local papers under, they protested.
Read More— One of the five people the president is considering for national security adviser has been skeptical of Russian election interference. Some of the others have talked about cybersecurity, too. — A newly identified hacking group has been carrying out supply chain attacks and on a couple of occasions infected hundreds of computers, according to research out today. — A coalition of IT and telecom companies spelled out essential security requirements for internet-connected devices.
Read MoreAs expected, O’Fallon has banned cannabis sales in the city limits when recreational marijuana becomes legal in the state Jan. 1. The prohibition ordinance, approved by the O’Fallon City Council on Monday, declares cannabis establishments a public nuisance. The Illinois Municipal League recommended cities opposed to recreational cannabis sales enact legislation by Oct. 1 — the first date people can submit applications for dispensaries.
Read MoreIn May, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational cannabis. We did so with the goal of bringing an illicit market out of the shadows and righting some of the historical injustices of the past. How we handle legalization can be a tremendous opportunity if we do it the right way. If we fall short, it can inflict harm on Chicago’s communities.
Read MoreHillary Clinton accused President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) of “abdicating their responsibility” on election security during a pointed speech Tuesday in which she also took aim at Trump for his repeated claims about voter fraud. In a speech delivered at a conference in Washington, the Democratic Party’s 2016 presidential nominee applauded the Democratic-led House for passing legislation designed to strengthen election systems in the wake of Russian interference. Clinton then slammed “Mitch McConnell’s Senate” for not acting on the legislation, which would authorize more than $600 million to update voting equipment to comply with new standards, including requirements that devoting machines produce a paper record, stay disconnected from the Internet and be manufactured in the United States.
Read MoreCiting security concerns, Colorado has become the first state to stop counting ballots with printed barcodes. The state's secretary of state told CNN she felt it was a necessary step to ensure Colorado maintains its position as a national leader on election security. The decision is a further step toward prioritizing the role of human eye, rather than computers to count votes. In recent years — after researchers have repeatedly demonstrated it's possible to hack many voting machines in particular circumstances and the US intelligence community detailed Russia's interference in the 2016 election — both government and industry leaders have reached a general consensus that the US needs to use paper ballots so that elections can be properly audited.
Read MoreThe news of the Fall River mayor’s arrest this month on federal charges of soliciting bribes from marijuana vendors might sound like fodder for late-night comics, but it’s no joke for the would-be dispensary owners trying to comply with a state law that, in the words of one cannabis advocate, gives cities a license for “extortion by another name.” “This whole thing would be funny if it weren’t so sad,” said David O’Brien, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association. “It really is just unbelievable.” Since recreational marijuana use was approved last year, the Cannabis Control Commission has wrestled with the policies for the state-mandated agreements between the businesses and the cities in which they operate.
Read MoreA bipartisan bill protecting banks who serve marijuana business could pass in the House this month as key members of Democratic leadership vowed to make the bill a priority despite pressure to act on gun and immigration reforms. “I have no doubt the votes are there to pass this. My expectation is that we will have a vote on this in the House soon,” said U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Worcester), who chairs the powerful House Rules Committee. Additional delay on the legislation could trigger political backlash, especially for pols in the 33 states that have legalized medical or recreational marijuana. “It’s a political liability not to take action on this,” said McGovern. “Members of Congress and Senate will have to answer to their constituents if they don’t act on this.”
Read MoreFollowing the 2016 elections, investigators found evidence that Russian hackers successfully infiltrated the computerized voting systems of several states. Hackers also stole data from campaigns and weaponized social media polarizing the electorate against and for certain candidates. All of this undermines the trust we all place in the United States’ election system. There is nothing more powerful in a democratic country than a legitimate election. Unchecked, these actions and future similar future actions against our elections are a significant danger to our democracy. It’s clear we’ll be facing similar threats in the 2020 election cycle.
Read MoreOn Election Day 2016, President Trump offered an unequivocal statement on how our elections should be run: “There’s something really nice about the old paper ballot system,” he told Fox News. “You don’t worry about hacking.” Trump’s view is increasingly becoming the consensus position. There’s growing agreement that the United States needs action to ensure verifiable elections with paper ballots and audits — as well as to patch cybersecurity vulnerabilities and to upgrade dangerously old election infrastructure. Leading Republican lawmakers, including the chairs of the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees and the leader of the House Freedom Caucus, have advocated strongly for this agenda. Top Democrats in the House have come around to the position as well. And as of this past month, even the CEO of a major election machine vendor — a player with the most at stake in paperless systems — expressed this view.
Read MoreIt took three years for Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., to find out that Russian actors had hacked into her state's voting systems ahead of the 2016 presidential election. First she was unaware the Kremlin had penetrated any counties, then she heard it was two, and now new intelligence suggests four jurisdictions might have been breached. The public has even less information than she does — because, as she explained in a Washington Post opinion article, she is not allowed to share much of what she learns.
Read MoreThe use of medical cannabis is growing, but two bipartisan delegation members from opposite corners of the state are looking for increasing its benefits. Gaetz and Coral Gables Democrat Donna Shalala have introduced the Expanding Cannabis Research and Information Act. The bill would have cannabis research placed on the national agenda and would direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to record data on the health impacts of cannabis. Additionally, they would establish a National Institute of Health “Centers of Excellence” research designation and reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III controlled substance.
Read MoreA GOP group is using Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) own pledge to keep fighting for election security against him. A new TV commercial released online Wednesday by Republicans for the Rule of Law uses footage of Graham from July 2018 saying he is “1,000% convinced that the Russians meddled in our election.” “I’m hoping that the president will call the Congress together to secure our election the best we can,” Graham, an ardent defender of President Donald Trump, says in the clip that Fox News will air in his home state over the weekend. “I don’t know how any of us can go to our constituents if we do nothing. The one thing I cannot live with is not trying.”
Read MoreLess than a week after Mayor Jasiel Correia II was arrested for allegedly extorting roughly $600,000 from cannabis businesses trying to open in Fall River, a state representative from a neighboring community has filed legislation to prevent any more Fall River dispensaries from being allowed to open for the time being. A bill titled “An Act Moratorium on marijuana establishments in the city of Fall River” has been submitted to the Legislature by 9th District state Rep. Christopher Markey, who chairs the Massachusetts House Committee on Ethics.
Read MoreA sixth person in the United States has died from lung disease related to vaping, Kansas health officials said Tuesday. The woman was older than 50 and had a history of health problems. She became seriously ill shortly after she started using e-cigarettes and her symptoms progressed rapidly. It's not clear what type of vaping products she used, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said...New York health officials said last week that extremely high levels of the chemical vitamin E acetate were found in nearly all cannabis-containing vaping products that were analyzed as part of the investigation. At least one vape product containing this chemical has been linked to each person who fell ill and submitted a product for testing in the state.
Read MoreRepresentatives from Monmouth County saw the prompt asking what would happen if their Twitter accounts and websites had been hacked and were giving out incorrect information to voters about polling times. They knew exactly what page of their manual to turn to solve the problem. Election representatives from all of New Jersey’s 21 counties practiced their emergency election preparedness skills Tuesday in an all-day seminar hosted by the New Jersey Division of Elections and the Department of Homeland Security.
Read MoreMetallic hot stamping foils are utilized in hot foil stamp printing. The hot foil stamp printing is a process of printing pigmented, hologram or metallic foil on solid surfaces ranging from plastic, light paper, laminated board, carton board and corrugated boards by applying heat and pressure.
Read MoreCriminal justice reform is the tipping point for cannabis legislation on Capitol Hill right now, and it’s playing a huge role in whether a bill to help provide banking to cannabis businesses will get a floor vote this fall. Cannabis lobbying is booming in Washington. A record 116 groups hired lobbyists to make their case to Congress and federal agencies on marijuana- and cannabis-related issues in the second quarter of 2019.
Read MoreState and federal officials plan a day-long series of exercises Tuesday to assess New Jersey's election security and spot potential weaknesses ahead of voting in November. New Jersey's division of elections is partnering with the U.S. Office of Homeland Security to conduct what's known as the Election Security Tabletop Exercise. The two offices routinely work together on election security, but the event planned for Tuesday is the first of its kind in New Jersey, officials said, bringing together representatives from all of the state's 21 counties as well as those from 13 other states.
Read MoreIn the North Carolina county where a congressional election was scrapped last year after suspected ballot tampering, voters say the county's history of underhanded politics makes them wonder whether fairness will continue beyond next week's special election.
Read MoreUtah Gov. Gary Herbert issued a call for a special session of the State Legislature Thursday, to amend Utah’s medical cannabis law. The special session is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 16. In a press release from the governor’s office, Gov. Gary Herbert says taking the state-run, central fill pharmacy out of the equation will help ensure patients have access to medical cannabis by March 2020, the deadline set during a December 2018 special session when the legislature overrode the Proposition 2 medical cannabis ballot initiative.
Read MoreTop government cybersecurity officials are worried that ransomware, which has wreaked havoc by locking up the computer networks of businesses, schools and police stations, could be used to sow chaos during the 2020 election.
Read Moreafter bad” — buying more of the touchscreen machines that election security experts say are susceptible to hacking and prone to malfunction.
Read MoreSmartrac Technology Group has launched the new Pro series, adding to the company's portfolio of NFC tags and inlays. The company’s NFC tag Circus Pro, equipped with NXP’s NTAG 424 DNA IC, will be the first member of the new product series optimized for highly secure product authentication.
Read MoreMODERATE DEMOCRATS URGE PARTY LEADERS TO COME TOGETHER IMMEDIATELY TO ADDRESS ELECTION SECURITY
Read MoreMiami-Dade Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday to support legislation kickstarting industrial hemp production in the county. The resolution was sponsored by County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava and directs the administration to support Florida’s industrial hemp program.
Read MoreIt will soon be easier for prosecutors to press charges in marijuana cases after the Bexar County Commissioners Court approved funding for new equipment that can determine the difference between marijuana and hemp. The move comes months after a new state law legalizing hemp inadvertently made it difficult to press charges in such cases.
Read MoreIt’s already happened in New York and California. Now Washington state has announced a ban on hemp-derived CBD in food and beverage products as the FDA weighs how to regulate the popular cannabinoid.
Read MoreCohen's stunt came as Congressional Democrats lambasted Republicans for refusing to pass an election security package designed to prevent future meddling from nations like Russia. Democrats have also criticized Trump for supporting Russia's re-entry into the G-7.
Read MoreConcerned about cyberattacks on the 2020 elections after evidence that Russian hackers accessed voter registration systems in 2016, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) introducing a new program next month to protect the systems as well as voter registration databases.
Read MoreGeneva, Switzerland/New York, USA – August 27, 2019 – WISeKey International Holding Ltd (“WISeKey”), (WIHN.SW) a cybersecurity IoT platform company, today announced that it has adapted its U.S. patent. No. 7,898,422 for an anti-counterfeiting NFC device designed to protect the pharmaceutical industry from the escalating counterfeit problem which is causing damage to these companies and putting lives at risk (see list of U.S. patents here).
Read MoreWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government plans to launch a program in roughly one month that narrowly focuses on protecting voter registration databases and systems ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Read MoreThe Label Printers, located in Aurora, IL, USA, has benefited from a partnership with Domino. The digital printing specialist has played a key role in helping The Label Printers produce 1.75 billion labels annually.
Read MoreWhile not the only issue addressed, hemp features prominently in this particular Farm Act. The version of this Act as approved by the House is different from the Senate version. Among other things, it features a ban on smokable hemp which mirrors the ban featured by the Senate version.
Read MoreIn January, a truck driver transporting hemp grown in Oregon to be processed in Colorado was stopped for a random inspection at a weigh station in Boise, Idaho. Unable to immediately distinguish between hemp and marijuna, authorities charged the driver with trafficking marijuna, a felony charge that can carry a minimum of five years in prison.
Read MoreNorth Carolina elections officials upset a packed room of advocates for election security Friday, voting down a proposal to require stricter anti-hacking provisions in the 2020 elections and beyond.
Read MorePALM HARBOR – Boutique CBD franchise Your CBD Store, which got its start in Bradenton, has opened its 400th nationwide store in Palm Harbor.
Read MoreUtah lawmakers are crafting a cannabis bill that would ditch a state-run system of dispensing the substance, increase the number of private pharmacies from seven to 12 and allow for home delivery of the plant-based treatment.
Read MoreSmart packaging is developing rapidly. A major factor driving the growth of the smart packaging market is increasing demand for packaging that indicates and maintains product quality throughout the supply chain. Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) and smart labels are easy to integrate into current packaging formats. These labels not only help to prevent theft but help to locate products as they move through the supply chain. The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires CPGs to be able to, at minimum, identify the immediate supplier and recipient (other than retailers to consumers) of a product, placing responsibility on companies to monitor the path of their products.
Read MoreFor a sign that the cannabis sector is maturing, look no further than the recent introduction of the State Cannabis Commerce Act by Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Sen. Ron Wyden. In addition to containing language to protect state cannabis programs from federal interference, the bill would create a legal structure to allow interstate commerce between states where cannabis has been legalized.
Read MoreAs the military services each roll out new policies regarding hemp-derived products like cannabidiol, or CBD, the Defense Department is not mincing words. "It's completely forbidden for use by any service member in any of the services at this point of time," said Patricia Deuster, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland.
Read MoreRALEIGH, N.C. — A legislative attempt to protect law enforcement's ability to search people's vehicles whether an officer detects legal hemp or illegal marijuana in the car cleared the House Wednesday as legislators tinkered with a wide-ranging farm bill in an effort to address police concerns.
Read MoreAnd USDA has yet to implement the provision defining alternative documentation that farmers without a deed can use to obtain a farm number, though the department held two listening sessions on heirs’ property this summer. A spokesperson said USDA is “in the process of gathering feedback and writing the rule.” (Of course, the department has a long list of farm bill programs to implement, including highly anticipated hemp production rules expected next month.)
Read MoreState governments across the country are pulling in millions of dollars from taxes on legalized marijuana, but the revenue they receive has fluctuated wildly as new markets for a once-illegal product struggle to become established.
Read MoreAccording to Kris Krane, Co-founder and President of 4Front, a leading multi-state cannabis company, and contributor to Forbes, support for legalization has steadily increased 1-2% each year since the 1970s, with the recent state-wide legalization legislation bumping those figures up. But while support amongst the populace as well as within certain corners of the government has grown, infrastructural support that is regulated by politicians has lagged.
Read MoreWhile some prominent lawmakers and some farmers see hemp as the next great hope, many of the state’s dairy farmers are saying that the odds of hemp becoming their cash cow are slim. Since the state’s pilot program began in June, the Department of Agriculture has issued 71 licenses for prospective hemp growers —giving them the opportunity to tap into the still-fledgling industry that was estimated at $800 million last year.
Read MoreNASHVILLE, Tenn. — Several voter registration organizations are asking a judge to stop Tennessee’s new restrictions for signing up voters from taking effect in October, saying the law has already curtailed their ability to enroll voters in communities of color and other historically disenfranchised groups.
Read MoreMore than one in 10 voters could cast ballots on paperless voting machines in the 2020 general election, according to a new analysis, leaving their ballots more vulnerable to hacking.
Read MoreAs the desire to increase voter turnout remains strong and the number of online voting pilot projects rises in the U.S. and abroad, some security experts warn any internet-based election system is wide open to attack, regardless of the underlying infrastructure.
Read MoreThe e-commerce boom continues to generate robust revenue streams for retailers, but it has also unleashed a growing threat for brands: online fraud.
Read MoreGrass Lands is a test case for California regulators trying to create boundaries for the expanding marijuana industry. For marijuana brands, it was a chance to woo new customers as cannabis morphs into an everyday commodity.
Read MoreState contortions to legalize hemp in Ohio got so complicated that it now looks like misdemeanor marijuana charges won’t be prosecuted — in effect legalizing pot for the time being.
Read MoreSome Chinese manufacturers are dodging U.S. tariffs by rerouting goods to Vietnam and other countries. Here’s a look at why transshipment is on the rise, and how U.S. customs officials are struggling to stamp out the practice.
Read MoreMassachusetts has awarded the first provisional license under the state’s social equity licensing rules to Pure Oasis, a Boston-based dispensary; the owners say they will hire locally and hope to establish a business incubator.
Read MoreSaying he wants to allow people to “move on with their lives,” Jeff Irwin, a Michigan state senator from Ann Arbor, has introduced a bill that would allow the state to expunge the arrest records of state residents on misdemeanor marijuana use and possession charges.
Read MoreJersey City may soon have its first medical marijuana dispensary. The city’s Redevelopment Agency approved a plan on July 16 to build a medical marijuana facility on the industrial Edward Hart Road near Liberty State Park, where cannabis would be grown and sold .
Read MoreUtah officials are reworking how to distribute medical marijuana amid concerns that current plans to use county health departments as pickup points might violate federal law and essentially make local government employees drug dealers.
Read MoreHigh prices, plain packaging and restrictive licensing conditions have deterred long-term users from switching to the legal market
Read MoreThe simple truth is that the legalization of cannabis will bring multifaceted benefits— from economic opportunity, to medicinal relief and addressing egregious racial disparities— for our state. Yet, time and time again, lawmakers here in the Capitol continue to fail to grasp, or choose to dismiss, the importance of truly comprehensive cannabis reform.
Read MoreSome law enforcement groups in Florida will stop arresting or detaining people for cannabis odor because hemp products — which are now legal in the state — can smell and appear identical to cannabis.
Read MoreOn July 10, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing entitled “Marijuana Laws in America: Racial Justice and the Need for Reform.” While one subcommittee hearing hardly guarantees imminent reform of cannabis laws at the federal level, the historic nature of this hearing can’t be overstated. While Congress has held hearings over the years on marijuana-related issues, mostly on the issue of medical marijuana or concerns over harms associated with the plant, this is the first hearing to focus exclusively on legalization.
Read MoreA recently formed political committee will try to make the economic case for legalizing recreational marijuana in Minnesota. Cannabis for Economic Growth was registered with the state Campaign Finance Board in April. Corey Day, who until January was the executive director of the state Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party, registered the PAC after forming a consulting business called Blue Ox Strategies. Day is listed as the chair of the committee while Minneapolis attorney Lawrence Wright is the treasurer.
Read MorePart of the problem is the cost of underwriting new voting machines as states and counties struggle to meet the timeline to have systems with paper backups in place in time for the 2020 presidential primaries. In Pennsylvania, where voting machines are purchased at the county level, Deluzio said the $14 million federal grant that was doled out to counties will finance only about 10% to 12% of the estimated $150 million needed to replace voting machines across the state.
Read MoreThe medical marijuana industry is reportedly gearing up for another initiative to legalize recreational pot in Arizona. This will rekindle familiar arguments. But there is one new issue that should take center stage in this debate: the regulation of the potency of recreational marijuana. The observation is frequently made that today’s marijuana isn’t the marijuana familiar to aging boomers from their college days. It’s far more potent.
Read MoreOhio state lawmakers have approved legislation legalizing in-state hemp cultivation and the manufacturing of CBD products including cosmetics, dietary supplements, and pet products.
Read MoreAs it continues to build out the nation’s first statewide cannabis social equity program, the Cannabis Control Commission on Wednesday selected six organizations to provide technical and financial assistance to prospective business owners from communities disproportionately harmed by past drug laws.
Read MoreAs our readers are aware, we look at developments in California’s cannabis industry differently than most. AB 97 and SB 97 were signed into law by Governor Newsom on July 1st. These Bills address expiring provisional licenses and add a new tool for law enforcement to use against unlawful cannabis activities. We applaud the Legislature and the Governor for trying. However, these Bills merely assure that the chaos will continue. These Bills address none of the causes of the chaos in California’s cannabis industry.
Read MoreA pair of fake Adderall dealers who sold their counterfeits on the web has been arrested as a result of their Stamps.com account, Quartz reports. The duo allegedly sold almost $9 million worth of counterfeit Adderall
Read MoreSo while Congress has allocated money to protect cyber systems, there's this entire, you know, information ecosystem out there that is vulnerable. Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen have a proposal that would impose automatic new sanctions against any foreign actors who interfere with an election in the future. Senator Mark Warner - he has another proposal that would require campaigns to report any foreign contacts that they've had to the FBI. And then there's a bill that has already passed the House. And that would authorize money for voting equipment, increase the standards for voting machines and require the use of paper records.
Read MoreSystech has been selected as a 2019 recipient of an SDCE 100 Award by Supply & Demand Chain Executive, the executive's user manual for successful supply and demand chain transformation. Systech was selected as a recipient of this prestigious award for its proven track record of delivering revolutionary technologies
Read MoreIn the past few weeks, cases against members of a major counterfeit pill ring that authorities busted in San Antonio in 2017 have moved forward.
Read MoreHouse has passed legislation, but there is no plan for moving a Senate bill
Read MoreWith a congressional committee set to hold a first-ever hearing on ending federal marijuana prohibition on Wednesday, debate among legalization advocates over which piece of cannabis reform legislation would be the most effective and politically achievable is intensifying.
Read MoreA longtime medical-marijuana advocate said Tuesday that she'll make a push to get on the 2020 ballot a proposal to legalize marijuana for recreational use in Arkansas. Melissa Fults, executive director of the Drug Policy Education Group, said she plans to file two proposed constitutional amendments with the secretary of state's office this afternoon, so that she may begin gathering signatures for the 2020 ballot.
Read MoreOceana tested 449 samples of fish purchased from restaurants, and supermarkets, both large and small. In all, one-third of the locations they visited sold seafood that was mislabeled
Read MoreEmergency rules laying out adult-use cannabis regulations in Michigan have been released; under the new rules, delivery is allowed and adult-use business licenses will be cheaper and easier to acquire than medical cannabis licenses.
Read MoreA new medical marijuana dispensary plans to begin sales in Kailua-Kona on Sunday. Hawaiian Ethos is the eighth and final licensed medical cannabis dispensary to receive approval from the state Department of Health. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports the dispensary plans to open another retail center in Hilo.
Read MoreGet excited, Texans. On June 10, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a farm bill that allows Texas farmers to grow hemp as a crop, with hemp production starting in 2020. That's right, it's not necessarily full marijuana legalization but a new law for industrial hemp production is still pretty cool.
Read MoreVerifyMe, Inc., a digital technology solutions provider specializing in counterfeit prevention, authentication, serialization, track and trace features for labels, packaging and products…
Read MoreTobacco giant Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) spent millions of dollars on a marketing application millions of pages long to get its heated tobacco IQOS device approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Read MoreKeeping deliveries, inventory, or product warranties protected and secured has consistently been a major priority in nearly every industry. Security tape supplier, American Casting and Manufacturing, outlines and explains the key features of tamper-evident tape and security labels below.
Read MoreA recent report by CBC News underscores the importance of the little excise duty stamp affixed to all legally-purchased cannabis products in the country.
Read MoreToday at the second annual World Cannabis Congress, Shoppers Drug Mart announced a new initiative with software company, TruTrace Technologies, to develop and deploy a blockchain-secured pilot program intended to increase transparency, interoperability and product identification within the medical cannabis industry (the "Pilot Program").
Read MoreCincinnati will become the fourth municipality in Ohio to decriminalize cannabis possession, following Dayton, Toledo, and Norwood.
Read MoreApplied DNA Sciences, Inc. (APDN), announced today that its scientific paper entitled, ‘Rapid authentication of pharmaceuticals via DNA tagging and field detection’, has been published in the June 2019 edition of PLOS ONE, detailing a novel Physical-Chemical Identifier (PCID) to authenticate and track legitimate pharmaceutical products through the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Read MoreNevada is the first state to prohibit employers from drug testing applicants for cannabis use during pre-employment. The governor also signed a bill creating industry oversight boards for the industry.
Read MoreCultivate Holdings, the Leicester-based marijuana company that in November opened one of the first two recreational shops in Massachusetts, will pay the state $75,000 to settle charges that it sold hundreds of improperly labeled pot products to consumers.
Read MoreThe New Jersey Assembly postponed voting Monday on a medical cannabis expansion measure to avoid walking into a possible veto by Gov. Phil Murphy. Lawmakers instead plan to try to resolve disagreements with Murphy’s office over the bill’s tax rate and program oversight provisions, NJ.com reported.
Read MoreThe New York Farm Bureau has announced its support for pending legislation to legalize adult-use cannabis. The legislation would give farmers priority consideration for cannabis cultivation licenses.
Read MoreWhen states legalize pot for all adults, longstanding medical marijuana programs take a big hit, in some cases losing more than half their registered patients in just a few years, according to a data analysis by The Associated Press.
Read MoreRecent polling data suggests that a strong 55 percent majority of New Yorkers support cannabis legalization, including an overwhelming 75 percent of young voters.
Read MoreThe Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe in South Dakota is suing the USDA for having failed to approve its proposed plan to regulate hemp production on tribal lands within the 60 days required under last year’s Farm Bill.
Read MoreSen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) said on Wednesday that he has “pretty good confidence” that Congress will pass far-reaching marijuana reforms this year, citing conversations he’s had with key committee chairs and President Donald Trump. Gardner, who is the lead GOP sponsor of separate bills to let cannabis businesses access banking services and to protect states that have legalized from federal interference, said bipartisan support for his legislation “sends a strong signal that it’s time to pull the federal government’s head out of the sand on marijuana and actually address” the issue.
Read MoreHays County could consider purchasing voting equipment that provides a paper record of votes after a workshop on voting equipment held on Tuesday. At the workshop meeting, the Hays County Commissioners Court heard presentations from two vendors — Hart Intercivic and ES&S — on their hybrid voting machines. The hybrids are electronic but provide a paper backup of a voter’s record that the voter can verify before casting a ballot.
Read MoreResidents of Salem, West Virginia, voted to reject a local marijuana decriminalization measure during a city election on Tuesday. The defeat, in a vote of 114 to 45, follows a brief legal battle that ensued after city officials removed the measure from the ballot in March, citing concerns that it would conflict with state laws prohibiting cannabis. In response, organizers filed a lawsuit stating that they collected sufficient signatures before the deadline and that the ordinance’s removal constituted a violation of free speech.
Read MoreELECTION SECURITY GETS A BOOST: A House Appropriations subcommittee approved a bill Monday night that includes $600 million in funding for the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) meant for states to bolster election security, with the money specifically earmarked for states to buy voting systems with "voter-verified paper ballots."
Read MoreThe next time you eat a tuna sandwich, think about where it came from. You might enjoy your lunch a bit more if you knew it was sustainably harvested, with the help of blockchain technology.
Read MoreFederal officials would be blocked from punishing banks for working with marijuana businesses under an annual spending bill released by congressional Democratic leaders on Sunday. The legislation, which is set to be considered by a House subcommittee on Monday, would also remove a longstanding rider that prevents the city of Washington, D.C. from spending its own money to legalize and regulate recreational cannabis sales.
Read MoreColorado Gov. Jared Polis has signed two new cannabis bills into law: one allows cannabis delivery as an option in the state, the other gives Coloradans the right to establish and visit social-use cannabis lounges.
Read More“Although we may disagree on whether the prohibition of marijuana has been a success, or whether we should remain an island within New England, we all agree that this decision cannot be made lightly and without further consideration," Sen. Martha Hennessey, D-Hanover, said in motioning the bill back to the Judiciary Committee.
Read MoreThe state Senate on Thursday is expected to pass bills that would expand the New Jersey medical marijuana program and overhaul the process of expunging criminal records in the state. The Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act would make it easier for patients to register, purchase and consume cannabis for medicinal purposes. The bill would raise the monthly limit to 3 ounces per patient, and legalize the manufacture and purchase of edible forms of medical marijuana, including food and oils.
Read MoreKelley said the county is still evaluating options, but whatever machine it selects will generate a paper backup ballot that will be available for an audit should there be need for a recount. Some of the voting systems under consideration would allow the voter to review that paper ballot before casting a vote, as will be the case with the new Los Angeles voting machines. All new voting systems in California must generate a paper record of every vote. Twelve states currently have jurisdictions that use machines without paper backups. Without paper backups, there is no way to verify the accuracy of the vote should a recount be needed.
Read MoreFor years, the luxury industry has waged a battle against counterfeiters. It has invested heavily in ultra-sophisticated tech solutions which use the latest advances in nanotechnology, internet of things (IoT), and AI to authenticate products.
Read MoreSen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) pressed a federal official responsible for advocating for small businesses on Wednesday about whether existing laws and regulations are preventing the growth of state-legal marijuana markets. The line of questioning comes as members of Congress are preparing legislation aimed at removing barriers to small business assistance for cannabis industry participants. The senator said at a hearing of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee that her state’s legal industry is attracting small businesses and entrepreneurs who are selling millions of dollars of product each month. She asked Major Clark, acting chief counsel of the office of advocacy at the Small Business Administration (SBA), about the unique barriers these companies face under federal prohibition.
Read MoreHemp farms in Washington are expected to expand from last year’s 140 acres to more than 6,000 acres of hemp this year now that the crop has been federally legalized via the 2018 farm bill.
Read MoreHow do you change an entire industry to make it more sustainable for the planet? Enter hemp: The plant that’s also derived from Cannabis sativa, but with so little THC that you can’t get high off it. You can make a polymer out of it, and hemp-based plastic just may prove to be superior to traditional petroleum-based plastic.
Read MoreAn effort to decriminalize marijuana proposed after the state's failed attempt at outright marijuana legalization doesn't have the support of the Legislature's top Democrat. Senate President Stephen Sweeney on Tuesday called the measure, which would significantly lessen penalties for possessing the drug, "problematic" and likened it to legalizing the marijuana black market.
Read MoreMarijuana advocates were handed an unlikely victory Wednesday after the Texas Senate advanced a bill greatly expanding the list of debilitating medical conditions that can legally be treated by cannabis oil in the state.
Read MoreA committee is holding off action on a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in New Hampshire. The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted unanimously to hold it in committee. The recommendation means it is unlikely a legalization effort will move forward in the Legislature this year. The House passed the bill in April.
Read MorePowerful Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan has said he supports the idea. Polls show strong backing from voters across Illinois.
Read MoreMichigan companies in Detroit and Portage have received the state’s first cannabis delivery licenses. Delivery services, however, will only be available to patients who live in municipalities where cannabis sales are generally outlawed.
Read MoreThe Vermont bill to create a taxed and regulated system for adult-use cannabis sales is likely dead until lawmakers — some saying they don’t want to rush the policy-making process — bring it up again next year.
Read MoreConnecticut may be running out of time to become the latest state to legalize and regulate the recreational use of marijuana. Multiple legislative sources told NBC Connecticut the votes are not there to pass cannabis legislation in either the House or the Senate.
Read MoreMore than 50% of cities and counties ban local shops, even though a majority of local voters in many of those places approved of state legalization. Now, a new bill in California might be the first of its kind to mandate that local officials permit at least one cannabis retailer in towns where the voters want it.
Read MoreCannabis legalization is losing support among Canadians, according to a new survey. Back in 2017, when the federal government was working on reforming Canada's marijuana laws, more than two-thirds of Canadians (68.6) percent supported legalization. But now, six months after the new laws took effect, support for cannabis legalization has fallen to 50.1 percent, according to a new survey led by Dalhousie University professor Sylvain Charlebois.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has given South Carolina-based CBD brand Palmetto Harmony organic certification, marking the first time the agency has given the designation to a hemp product, according to a Bezinga report.
Read MoreCalifornia’s high cannabis tax rates — which in some communities can reach as high as 50 percent — appear to have drastically stunted the marketplace’s growth, so much so that state officials have scaled back their estimated cannabis tax revenues through June 2020 by $223 million.
Read MoreWith the new machines, you vote electronically. It then prints out a paper ballot, which will only be submitted into the system once you put it through a scantron. State Representative Barry Fleming says this is the best way to avoid voter fraud. "Everybody that goes to vote will be affected by our having new better and more secure at elections to these new voting machines," says Fleming.
Read MoreHemp and hemp-derived CBD were previously classified as Schedule I controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act of 1972. But, that changed with the December 20, 2018 enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 ("2018 Farm Bill") which, among other things, decriminalized hemp and hemp-derived CBD and opened the doors for brand protection at the USPTO.
Read MoreThe vast majority of California’s cannabis industry is not currently using the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system. Instead, regulators are relying on a paper-based honor system that uses hard copy invoices and shipping manifests.
Read MoreAfter years of delays, Maine is finally kick-starting the recreational marijuana market called for by voters in 2016. And under proposed regulations recently unveiled by the administration of Governor Janet Mills, Mainers — not outside investors or national cannabis conglomerates — would be the first in line to profit, with residents getting exclusive access to licenses until 2021.
Read MoreA powerful congressional committee is expressing concerns about barriers to marijuana research created by the drug’s Schedule I status. The panel also called for studies on CBD and kratom as potential alternatives to opioid-based painkillers in its supplemental report on a spending bill released on Wednesday. Some of the language around cannabis research has previously appeared in House and Senate Appropriations Committee reports on the relevant legislation, which is meant to designate funds for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education.
Read MoreThirty members of Congress—including three presidential candidates—sent a letter to the heads of the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Tuesday, imploring the officials to speed up the process of approving additional federally authorized marijuana cultivators.
Read MoreA recent report suggests that the international industrial hemp market is poised to grow to $13.03 billion by 2026 due to increasing demand for hemp-based cosmetics, health foods, and protein supplements.
Read MoreThe president of Mexico called the ongoing prohibition of drugs “unsustainable” and proposed a broad decriminalization policy as part of his administration’s “National Development Plan” that was released last week.
Read MoreThe New Hampshire Senate has passed a bill to allow the state’s medical cannabis patients to grow their own cannabis on a 14-10 vote, according to a New Hampshire Public Radio report. The House passed a different version of the measure earlier this session and the two chambers will need to reach an agreement on the final language of the legislation before it moves to Gov. Chris Sununu for his signature. The bill would allow the state’s registered patients to grow three immature, six mature, and 12 seedlings after they register with the state. There are about 7,000 registered patients in the state but only four dispensaries to serve them.
Read MoreMarijuana reform is making major headway in Texas, where two bills to expand the state’s limited medical cannabis program have been scheduled for House floor votes on Monday and House-passed hemp legalization legislation is slated for a Senate committee hearing on the same day
Read MoreThe mayor of Washington, D.C., has proposed a bill to locally legalize the sale and distribution of recreational marijuana, despite a federal budget provision barring the city from enacting marijuana legislation. The Washington Post reports Mayor Muriel E. Bowser announced the legislation Thursday. A 2014 law allows District residents to grow and possess marijuana, but doesn’t purchases of the drug.
Read MoreThe plan expands who can certify sick Iowans for medical cannabis cards to include nurse practitioners and physicians assistants, a move supporters say will increase access to Iowans especially in rural parts of the state.
Read MoreU.S. Senator Bob Menendez is introducing legislation to provide federal funding for states seeking to safeguard voting systems.
Read MoreState of the Weed Union 2019, your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about which states are stacking hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue by legalizing and/or not imprisoning non-violent drug users, and which states are… not.
Read MoreSeveral countries are poised to legalize marijuana in the coming years, especially in Central and South America.
Read MoreThe two judges acting as Philadelphia’s elections officials won’t overturn the three-member election board’s selection of new voting machines, a setback for watchdogs and advocates who have been criticizing the pick and urging officials to start over.
Read MoreCannabis enthusiasts are advocating for a balance between necessary safety regulations and burdensome packaging designs.
Read MoreThe top financial regulators in 25 states and U.S. territories are joining together to pressure Congress to pass legislation allowing marijuana businesses to store their profits in banks.
Read MorePortland State University (PSU) researchers have made a blockchain protocol to prevent counterfeit pharmaceuticals from filling the market, according to a press release published on April 15…
Read MoreOn Thursday, a key Missouri House committee unanimously approved a bill that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. The House Special Committee on Criminal Justice voted 7-0 to approve the legislation, which would reduce the penalty for possessing fewer than 36 grams of marijuana from a felony to a class D misdemeanor, and and shift possessing 10 grams or fewer from a misdemeanor to an infraction.
Read MoreLawmakers headed home for the year Thursday without enacting any changes to Idaho's hemp regulations, meaning it remains illegal to grow or possess and truckers transporting hemp crops across the state line could face long prison sentences under Idaho's marijuana trafficking laws.
Read MoreThere is a consensus among the intelligence community and cybersecurity experts that human-readable paper ballots, which can be audited by comparing them to the official tally of votes, are necessary to secure our elections. As a result, states such as Georgia are responding — moving toward paper-based voting systems for 2020 and planning for more robust audits to ensure the count is accurate, regardless of foreign interference.
Read MoreThe Georgia General Assembly recently passed House Bill 316, a voter-centric bill to update Georgia’s aging voting machines and enact new reforms to promote voter participation and bolster confidence. HB 316 will transfer our state to a touchscreen-marked paper ballot system with a new auditable paper ballot trail.
Read MoreAsymmetric cryptosystems are at the heart of digital security as they are the cornerstone for the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), as well as – amongst other things - secure authentication, digital Identities and trusted services.
Read MoreCannabis sales projected to hit $940 million by 2024
Read MoreWho says a dollar doesn't go as far as it used to? When it comes to dollar bills, a new report from the federal government says they're lasting more than twice as long as they were at the beginning of the decade.
Read MoreGov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill Sunday that will raise the legal age for purchasing cigarettes, e-cigarettes and other tobacco products from 18 to 21 statewide
Read MoreBeginning today, industrial hemp is no longer a controlled substance in Texas, East Texas Matters reports, and Agricultural Commissioner Sid Miller expects “more hemp to be grown” than the state “could ever process.”
Read MoreThe biggest winners in an environment like this are firms like Helix TCS Inc. (OTC:HLIX) that actually benefit from the strict and complex legal structures. Since their merger with BioTrackTHC, they have been the market leader in seed-to-sale tracking and dispensary point of sale systems.
Read MoreThe new machines, which make paper copies of all ballots casts, are being implemented throughout the state following an initiative from Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of State started in 2018. Machines that produce paper ballots are more secure, officials said.
Read MoreThe New Hampshire House again voted in favor of a bill to legalize marijuana on Thursday, sending the legislation to the Senate.
Read MoreUS states and territories given $380 million in combined federal funds for election upgrades last year only spent 8.1% of that money in the first six months it was available, the agency responsible for distributing the funds said on Thursday.
Read MoreAs the traditional world of retail embraces the legal cannabis industry, and potentially demonstrates the consumer appeal of these products, investors can gain confidence that, assuming regulatory hurdles are removed, this Wild West of a sector may settle down into a profitable new niche with staying power.
Read MoreThe FDA has sent warning letters to companies it says are making "egregious and unfounded" claims about the benefits of products made with CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, the agency said Tuesday.
Read MoreOregon is warning medical cannabis growers that if they don’t report their inventories, they could face stiff fines.
Read MoreAuthentix has acquired UK company Security Print Solutions (SPS) in a move that expands its presence in tax stamps and adds to its security technology offering.
Read MoreLuminescence Sun Chemical Security, the security inks division of Sun Chemical, will use the forthcoming Currency Conference from 7 to 11 April 2019 in Dubai, UAE, to launch ASPECT, its new range of Level 2, machine-readable security inks…
Read MoreIt also would levy a special-privilege tax on e-cigarettes that is equal to the total levied on tobacco products other than cigarettes, starting Sept. 1. The money from the tax would go to general revenue.
Read MoreNearly six months after the drug became legal, private marijuana sales have yet to be approved in the Lower Mainland.
Read MoreA state agency has issued its first official advice to help businesses that want to get into the marijuana business.
Read MoreAt his final hearing before a Senate appropriations subcommittee on Thursday, outgoing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb was again pressed on the agency’s plan to regulate hemp-derived CBD products.
Read MoreLegislation that would provide federal protection for financial institutions that serve state-authorized marijuana and ancillary businesses passed the House Financial Services Committee.
Read MoreNew Hampshire got one step closer to legalizing marijuana on Wednesday after a key committee approved a bill to tax and regulate cannabis sales.
Read MorePreparing for the 2020 elections, when Florida is sure to be a pivotal state again in the race for president, Orange County commissioners unanimously granted Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles’ appeal for $1.7 million to upgrade voting equipment now.
Read MoreDisagreements on several key issues resulted in the breakdown of legislation to legalize cannabis in New Jersey.
Read MoreThe state has started its search for multimillion-dollar software that will form the spine of its medical cannabis program, serving as the repository for sensitive patient information and logging the movements of each marijuana plant.
Read MoreThe precedent Canada set when it legalized cannabis last fall is something the U.S. could follow. There’s much to emulate about the Canadian government’s approach to legalization, and a few things to avoid, but having marijuana legalized on such a large scale so close to home will no doubt have a profound effect on America’s future treatment of the issue.
Read MoreA growing majority of Americans say marijuana should be legal, underscoring a national shift as more states embrace cannabis for medical or adult use.
Read MoreThe state projected it would reap $63 million in taxes by June 30, but had received only $5.9 million as of March 1.
Read MoreThe permitted wholesale market of California can only support 1.8 to 2.2 million pounds of crop every year, despite the fact that 9 million pounds are produced. Because of the new track and trace requirements, permitted copmanies will be competing for a wholesale market that is a fraction of its pre-track and trace size.
Read MoreVoters will still receive paper ballots. The machine will take a photo of the actual ballot and vote will be tallied based on the image. The machine will not be connected to the internet, so there will not be an opportunity to hack from the internet.
Read MoreNew Jersey Assembly and Senate committees voted in favor of companion bills that would legalize marijuana and provide for the expungement of prior cannabis convictions on Monday
Read MoreCalifornia regulations are concerned about cross-pollination between cannabis and hemp fields.
Read MoreTraceLink has proposed a blockchain-based system intended to help the US FDA meet its commitment to implement a traceability system for drugs.
Read MoreThe 2018 midterms marked “the most secure election held in the modern era in the U.S.,” Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Read MoreThe National Security Agency (NSA) and the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) industry consortium have come up with validation software that can be used with any device and could go a long way to securing the supply chain for computing devices.
Read MoreSince the 2016 presidential election, securing voting infrastructure has been top of mind for federal, state and local elections officials. As Jeanette Manfra, the assistant director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, would explain during a SXSW session on the topic, that is easier said than done.
Read MoreToday’s supply chain has evolved, with operational technology (OT) used in factories increasingly becoming connected and converging with IT systems — introducing new attack vectors.
Read MoreAuthentix, the authority in authentication and information services, announced that it has acquired Security Print Solutions Limited ("SPS") through its United Kingdom based entity, Authentix Limited.
Read MoreThe report from the inspector general,аout Wednesday, said progress had been made but Homeland Security, the department charged with protecting elections and the back-end voting machine infrastructure, still Уdoes not have dedicated staffФ focused on election infrastructure.а
Read MoreEven with state and local government officials pledging to replace paperless voting machines, the security vulnerabilities faced in 2016 will likely continue through 2020, according to a new report by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Read MoreLike most sensible Illinoisans, I was troubled when I read this headline: “Demand for legal marijuana in Illinois would far exceed licensed growers’ ability to supply it, study shows.”
Read MoreThe software supply chain is increasingly targeted by cyber bad actors, according to security researchers at Microsoft in the company's most recent Security Intelligence Report.
Read MoreA recent statement from The Partnership for Safe Medicines addressed two separate proposals from the Florida Governor and a State Representative to legalize the importation of drugs from Canada.
Read MoreWith the federal government still deeming cannabis an illegal drug, states have created their own standards and regulations for cannabis traceability.
Read MoreTwo different visions for how marijuana should be legalized in New Mexico made progress on Saturday as legislative committees voted to advance separate bills to end cannabis prohibition.
Read MoreThe federal money to improve Minnesota’s election security remains tied up essentially because the Democratic-led House and GOP-controlled Senate differ on the best way to say “yes.”
Read MoreRunning a cannabis company across multiple states can be challenging -- each state has its own very specific rules on ownership, growing, packaging, testing and marketing. Multi-state operators (MSOs) often try to standardize their practices, but things get complicated quickly.
Read MoreSome experts predict that the cannabis market will continue to rapidly grow.
Read MoreThe House of Representatives gave second reading approval to H.3274, a bill providing for the preemption of local government regulation of vaping, e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and other tobacco and nicotine products.
Read MoreThe Philadelphia city commissioners chose a new voting machine system Wednesday to be used starting this November, despite criticisms of the process by election-security advocates, the city controller, and the state auditor general.
Read MoreIn the interests of enterprise preservation, the most pragmatic path for a financial institution or retail deployer to take is to identify threats to the ATM fleet and then anticipate them with technologies that prove enough of a deterrent to persuade criminals to look for an easier target elsewhere.
Read MoreWhen, in October 2016, The Partnership for Safe Medicines began tracking the incidence of counterfeit prescription pills made with fentanyl and fentanyl analogues…
Read MoreHarvest One Cannabis Inc., a Canadian licensed producer of medical cannabis, has signed a deal with BLOCKStrain Technology Corp. to use the company’s proprietary genome tracking software to collect and register cannabis plant DNA and strains.
Read MorePhiladelphia’s purchase of new voting machines has drawn intense scrutiny in recent weeks, with city and state watchdogs raising questions about a process they say has been too rushed and opaque.
Read MoreThe FDA has launched a new pilot programme to look at technology that can help it meet its commitment to implement a track-and-trace system for medicines by 2023.
Read MoreGS1, a global supply-chain standards organization, has launched a new messaging standard in collaboration with GS1 US to help meet the requirements of the US Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) for salable returns of serialized prescription drugs
Read MoreDuring the next two weeks, while most factories are shut down in China, why not take some time to reevaluate your strategy and processes regarding counterfeit imports? The way imported products are sold has drastically changed over the past few years.
Read MoreHaving passed the most demanding security tests, the new Visapin label not only facilitates evidence of a fraudulent manipulation of information sent via mail, it’s also a highly customizable to the needs of the issuing company.
Read MoreATF and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration worked diligently to put an end to the defendants unlawful acts of tobacco trafficking. Their actions resulted in a loss of millions of dollars in excise taxes for the state of California and the programs those taxes are used to help.
Read MoreA bill that would have increased Wyoming's tax on cigarettes by 50 cents a pack has failed in the state House of Representatives.
Read MoreA pair of bills filed this week would legalize marijuana in Maryland.
Read MoreOregon's legal cannabis market is bringing in robust tax revenues, but none of that money is going to regulate the cannabis industry.
Read MoreState election officials want the latest round of election security money included in a major bill proposed by House Democrats – but they’re divided on whether they want to accept a slew of voting mandates that come along with it.
Read MoreAbout halfway up the United States Pacific coast, in the northern end of California, Humboldt County, is an interesting mix of physical and sociocultural features. The Pacific coastline blends with redwood forests and rugged mountain ranges; natural food outlets and microbreweries blend in with wineries and music festivals of various types, including the annual Reggae on the River festival in South Humboldt.
Read MoreAs New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo rolls out new policy proposals aimed at curbing e-cigarette and tobacco use, critics say his continued failure to adequately fund the state's tobacco control program threatens to undermine those efforts.
Read MoreThe legal cannabis industry had itself a year to remember in 2018. Although marijuana stocks were a mixed bag, the weed industry gained validation like never before following the legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada. Rolling out the red carpet for cannabis will mean billions of dollars in added annual revenue, and it demonstrates that the cannabis industry is in no danger of disappearing.
Read MoreCalifornia’s high cash expectations from recreational marijuana are going up in smoke as most people are opting to buy their weed on the cheaper, more available and tax-free black market.
Read MoreBlockchain technology and artificial intelligence have been widely regarded as the two technology fields that will shape the future. And now, one company is bringing the two together to fight the ever-growing challenge of counterfeit goods.
Read MoreThe St. Louis County Election Board is seeking bids to replace all voting machines, software and equipment by November 2020.
Read MoreVoters in November rejected ballot measures to increase tobacco taxes in Montana and South Dakota, while Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget includes a tobacco tax hike.
Read MoreMinnesota could be the next state to consider legalizing recreational marijuana. Bills to legalize and tax marijuana were introduced Monday in the state House and Senate, and DFL Gov. Tim Walz has said he supports legalization.
Read MoreA new report says Pennsylvania should adopt a number of improvements to make its elections more secure, encouraging the replacement of older voting machines, enhanced security of voter lists and better planning for cyberattacks and other technological cha
Read MoreThe Temporary Cannabis Tax Reduction bill, would slash state excise taxes for legal marijuana retailers to 11 percent from the current 15 percent for three years. It would also end a cultivation tax altogether for growers until 2022.
Read MoreLawmakers are planting the seeds of legal weed in Minnesota — introducing legislation on Monday that would end marijuana prohibition in the state, creating a system of taxation and regulation for adult use.
Read MoreAcreage Holdings CEO Kevin Murphy said he believes that a key bill aimed at recognizing legalization of cannabis will be passed this year.
Read MoreWe were prompted to write this post by the publication of an article explaining some of the reason California's...
Read MoreThe California Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved final marijuana industry rules that regulators had published in December.
Read MoreState rules approved by the Office of Administrative Law on Jan. 16 give licensed cannabis delivery operations free rein to deliver pot almost anywhere in California, even into cities and counties that have barred it.
Read MoreSay good-bye to fake degrees and forged marks sheets with new document security QR code, a technology that enables secure QR code integration to secure both printed and electronic documents.
Read MoreIn six weeks, customers in MA spent nearly $15 million in two locations on legal cannabis, despite the regulatory issues plauging the industry's growth in the commonwealth.
Read MoreThe incoming president of the National Association of Secretaries of State called Democratic legislation to enhance election security, "a huge federal overreach."
Read MoreCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom wants to increase state spending on cannabis regulation.
Read MoreHouse Democrats unveiled H.R. 1, which includes provisions that would alow the Election Asisstance Commission to hand out funding to states for the improvement of election systems.
Read MorePennsylvania counties can now choose from three paper-recording voting systems, while two additional systems are still in the certification process.
Read MoreAbout five weeks since the first non-medical marijuana stores opened in Massachusetts, the chairman of the Cannabis Control Commission said it is still too early to determine what, if any, changes need to be made to the law or regulations.
Read MoreUsing current techniques, including track and trace mechanisms, offers the best path to getting voluntary compliance in the local cannabis industry.
Read MoreYolo County judge ordered an Antioch man to pay $2.8 million Friday after growing hundreds of marijuana plants on his property without a license.
Read MorePresident Donald Trump signed hemp legalization into law Thursday, a change that’s expected to unleash seismic market changes for the entire cannabis industry.
Read MoreNew Jersey's legislation provides a roadmap for how legalized marijuana would be regulated and distributed.
Read MoreThe CDC released a report that shows that the number of annual drug overdose deaths increased by 54 percent.
Read MoreMarijuana enthusiasts will be able to grow cannabis at home after the state Senate failed to get a supermajority vote to make changes to the recreational marijuana ballot proposal approved Nov. 6.
Read MoreScientus Pharma claims its technology will ensure customers are getting what they pay for.
Read MoreMaryland's medical marijuana industry ended its first year of operation with $96.3 million in sales driven by nearly 52,000 patients who purchased about 730,000 individual products.
Read MoreThe World Health Organization (WHO) postponed its much-anticipated recommendations about the international scheduling of cannabis, citing a need for more time to review its findings.
Read MoreA group of licensed medical marijuana companies resumed efforts to challenge Pennsylvania's MMJ clinical research program, saying it needs a transparent vetting process for selecting cultivators.
Read MoreThe article discusses the issues with counterfeit pills and emphasizes the importance of brand protection.
Read MoreFentanyl most likely spreads because of heroin and prescription pill strategies, according to a report on illicit US drug markets.
Read MoreLawmakers in Rhode Island say they will look seriously at cannabis legalization in the coming term, due to reforms in surrounding states and the reelection of a governor who favors cannabis reform.
Read MoreThe article details the various components of voter fraud that are relevant to North Carolina.
Read MoreThe article discusses the issues with counterfeit pills and emphasizes the importance of brand protection.
Read MoreAltria, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes, is in talks about a potential takeover of the Canadian cannabis prodcer Cronos.
Read MoreThe Utah Medical Cannabis Act was signed into law after lawmakers changed a bill approved by voters.
Read MoreThe audit is designed to detect irregularities that could influence reported election outcomes, including cyber-attacks and unintentional machine or human errors.
Read MoreCannabis could be used to treat diabetes, lower cholesterol and provide other health benefits.
Read MoreThe online portal where patients can register through their doctors to use medical cannabis opened yeserday.
Read MoreThe audit is designed to detect irregularities that could influence reported election outcomes, including cyber-attacks and unintentional machine or human errors.
Read MoreOn December 6th, Michigan will begin selling recreational marijuana, the first state in the Midwest to do so.
Read MoreDentists who prescribe opioid painkillers to teenagers and young adults after pulling their wisdom teeth may be putting their patients at risk of addiction, a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found.
Read MoreAtlanta's Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and Delta Air Lines have opened the nation's first curb-to-gate biometric terminal, which promises to improve aviation security while moving travelers faster through screening.
Read MoreOn December 6th, Michigan will begin selling recreational marijuana, the first state in the Midwest to do so.
Read MoreFlorida election officials are meeting to discuss reforms in their system in preparation for the 2020 election.
Read MoreA possible deal between controversial e-cigarette company Juul and tobacco giant Altria could be a matter of weeks away, the Wall Street Journal reported in late November—and Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, isn’t pleased at the prospect.
Read MoreThe bill to legalize marijuana in New Jersey has plans to allow home deliveries made through a smart-phone app.
Read MoreFrom VICE UK, a conversation with Steve Rolles, senior policy analyst for the Transform Drug Policy Foundation. They discuss the potential of legalizing stimulants.
Read MoreDistributed ledger technology solutions enable fashion brands and retailers to improve supply-chain visibility across their diverse ecosystems, helping them to communicate product provenance to partners and customers, as well as mitigate environmental and reputational risk.
Read MoreThe measure would establish a way for the U.S. and other countries to share information on the best practices for administering elections.
Read MoreCalifornia gives voters more time to send in their ballots and requires counties to give voters time to fix any issues with their ballots.
Read MoreGov. Tom Wolf's administration is settling a vote-counting lawsuit stemming from the 2016 election, in part by affirming a commitment it's made previously to push Pennsylvania's counties to buy voting systems that leave a verifiable paper trail by 2020.
Read MoreDrug overdose dose deaths rose almost 10 percent to a record high, according to government statistics released today.
Read MoreThe first commercial cannabis shops in Massachusetts sold more than $2.2 million worth of marijuana products during the first five days they were open for business.
Read MoreThe law suit calls for replacing voting machines with paper ballots that can be counted by optical scanners.
Read MoreThe article discusses trends in the cannabis industry including freezing, expanding production sizes, and vertical growing.
Read MoreA former high-ranking executive of an Arizona-based drug company pleaded guilty for his role in a nationwide conspiracy to bribe doctors to unnecessarily prescribe a fentanyl-based painkiller.
Read MoreL’Oreal vs India’s ShopClues, fake drugs in Cambodia, Malaysian bag bust and electrical counterfeits.
Read MoreMore than a quarter of Oregon’s outdoor recreational marijuana producers had deficiencies or potential compliance violations in their harvest processes, according to the results of Operation Good Harvest
Read MoreNew Jersey lawmakers released their latest proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
Read MorePolice in China have arrested 11 people and seized more than 50,000 bottles of fake wine bottled as Australia’s Penfolds and China’s Changyu in a crackdown in central Hebei province near Beijing.
Read More“At a meeting of the Medical Marihuana Licensing Board (MMLB) next week, the Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) will recommend the board pass a resolution to maintain safe patient access to medical marihuana…”
Read MoreGreece on Monday issued the first licences to private companies for growing medicinal cannabis in the country
Read MoreTrulioo set out to learn whether fraudsters, under the guise of a fake company, offering a fake product, could convince internet users to disclose their personal information.
Read MoreThe maker of blu e-cigarettes plans to tighten its sales practices in an effort to restrict underage access and appease federal health officials amid an industry-wide crackdown on "epidemic" teen use.
Read MoreNigerian startup Chekkit has a big vision – one day, it hopes its labels will be a seal of quality for every great product, making sure people know the background of everything the consume.
Read MoreMany states are still focusing on improving their security.
Read MoreRecreational cannabis was legalized in Michigan and medicinal cannabis was legalized in Missouri.In Utah, voters endorsed a measure that would provide access to medical marijuana.
Read MoreCanada Post said in a statement that someone had used its delivery tracking tool to gain access to personal information of 4,500 customers of the Ontario Cannabis Store but declined to identify the information.
Read MoreDocument Security Systems, Inc. announced today that its packaging and brand protection executives will be presenting the DSS platform of anti-counterfeiting technologies and packaging design to members of the global cannabis industry.
Read MoreMedicinal cannabis products can now be legally prescribed to some patients across the UK for the first time.
Read MoreAccording to a Thai official, a draft bill now under consideration proposes allowing marijuana for medicinal purposes, a considerable change in a country with tough drug trafficking laws.
Read MoreMexico's Supreme Court issued two more rulings Wednesday ordering that complainants in individual cases be allowed to use marijuana for recreational purposes, establishing a precedent that a blanket prohibition on pot is unconstitutional.
Read MoreIn the 21st century, threats of voter fraud have been compounded by modernization and the fast-paced technology of the digital age.
Read MoreOpSec Security recently announced that it has joined the John Deere supply base to provide brand protection and licensing management solutions for John Deere officially licensed merchandise.
Read MoreGuilloche is the subject of this fifth article in the security features series. This series focuses on individual security features and their uses in high security printing and brand protection.
Read MoreIn Vancouver, illegal marijuana dispensaries outnumber Starbucks outlets. Stores continue to sell products that are illegal to sell under Canada's new laws.
Read MoreBallots across the U.S. will include numerous cannabis-related measures — many at the county and municipal level — regarding laws for commercial cultivation in certain zones and how to spend abundant new cannabis taxes.
Read MoreBecause each province has chosen a different method of cannabis distribution, there's a lot of confusion about legal purchases and acquisition.
Read MoreThe Board of Supervisors Tuesday tentatively agreed to permit marijuana cultivation and sales in unincorporated areas of Riverside County and directed staff to refine a set of regulations that will establish where, when and how cannabis is grown and distributed.
Read MoreThe Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce said that the movement towards cannabis legalization is a global trend that is only at the beginning.
Read MoreThe 2018 Unisys Security Index found that a vast majority of the respondents — 86 percent — said they feared that U.S. voting systems could be manipulated by outside actors. It also found that 19% of American respondents "will not vote" or "have a high likelihood" of not voting.
Read MoreA recent Gallup poll found that a record 66% of Americans believe that cannabis should be legal.
Read MoreState legislative leaders believe that a vote on legalizing recreational marijuana is unlikely to happen in the next week.
Read MoreSupervisors voted to allow recreational sales at dispensaries as early as mid-November and limited most farms to properties at least 10 acres or larger.
Read More30 states have already adopted some form of legal marijuana use but it remains illegal at the federal level. The upcoming midterm elections could cause some major changes in marijuana policy.
Read MoreChina has launched a nationwide campaign to catch and penalize criminals in relation to fake food, counterfeit drugs, and fake agricultural supplies.
Read MoreOregon's Congressoinal delegation is calling for an investigation as to whether a California wine producer is falsely labeling wines as an Oregon coast pinot noir.
Read MoreThe first cannabis storefronts in Culver City could be open as early as next year. The city has not permitted any cannabis retail stores including medicinal dispensaries.
Read MoreLeader in Track and Trace Solutions for the pharmaceutical market, announced today that it is extending its leading-edge track and trace solutions to the Food and Beverage industry
Read MoreOne of Canada's largest producers believes automated machines will be the key to producing more cannabis.
Read MoreBlack-market websites sell dried cannabis and edibles and send them via Canada Post
Read MoreAlmost eight in 10 Americans are at least somewhat concerned about the potential hacking of the nation's voting systems, according to a University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey.
Read MoreLegalization advocates are hoping that Michigan and North Dakota will become the next two states to legalize recreational marijuana in November.
Read MoreBy the first week of October 2016, foreign operatives were all over the presidential race, but researchers say that there are no similar signs of such activity this year.
Read MoreMarijuana opponents are concerned that state by state cannabis legalization will lead to 'de facto legalization' nationwide.
Read MoreBrian Kemp, who has been charged with overseeing the Gerogia's state elections for the past eight years has scoffed at cybersecurity concerns. He's running for governor and has refused to allow someone else to take over his position.
Read MoreFederal agents arrested 50 people after a drug raid that resulted in the seizure of over 10 kilograms of fentanyl.
Read MoreMonthly marijuana tax revenue in Alaska hit $1.5 million in August, another new high.
Read MoreAn independent report commissioned by Washington state regulators found the state and MJ Freeway were forced to rush out a new cannabis seed-to-sale traceability system earlier this year despite technical problems that cost cannabis businesses tens of thousands of dollars in lost sales.
Read MoreIn a historic vote on Thursday, the Cannabis Control Commission issued four final recreational marijuana licenses to two companies, two years after Massachusetts voters approved legalizing marijuana.
Read MoreMassachusetts state officials will vote this week on whether to issue final licenses to several marijuana stores.
Read MorePepsiCo has become the latest beverage company to announce that it is exploring the rapidly growing cannabis market.
Read MorePepsiCo has become the latest beverage company to announce that it is exploring the rapidly growing cannabis market.
Read MoreIt is unclear if Congress will pass the Secure Elections Act during the upcoming lame-duck session.
Read Morethe district will raise its cigarette excise tax from $2.50 per pack to $4.50 next month. This development is notable not only because it means the tax will increase by 80 percent in just one year, but also because D.C. will have one of the highest state cigarette taxes in the country after the increase is in place Oct. 1.
Read MoreThe overprescription of opioids is leveling off, but deaths continue rising, says Dr. Marc Fishman of the Maryland Treatment Centers. He talks about addiction, treatment and bootleg fentanyl with USA TODAY Editorial Page Editor Bill Sternberg.
Read MoreAs the midterms approach, America's electronic voting systems are more vulnerable than ever. Zetter discusses what is and isn't being done to protect votes.
Read MoreResidents of Cook County Illinois could be the first voters to use new election equipment from Diminion Voting Systems, Inc. This would update the county's ten-year-old equipment.
Read MoreConnecticut will use $1 million in federal funds to purchase new optical scan voting machines.
Read MoreElections officials are emphasizing contingency plans to secure election integrity if systems are disrupted.
Read MoreCalifornia officials continued cracking down on illegal cannabis businesses with a major bust in Humboldt County.
Read MoreWalmart has written to suppliers of leafy greens to use blockchain technology to implement real-time, end-to-end product traceability.
Read MoreGov. Torres signed H.B. 20-178 into law on Friday legalizing marijuana use for adults over 21.
Read MoreThe Department of Public Safety Canada is looking to commission a study that will shed light on the crypotmarkets with regards to both buyers and sellers of cannabis.
Read MoreAuthor Greg Miller discusses how prepared the Trump administration would be if there was another election attack.
Read MoreMontana Secretary of State Corey Stapleton said the state will use a $3 million federal grant to upgrade its election security infrastructure.
Read MoreProducing and acquiring marijuana legally in Amsterdam is difficult and as a result their market may be falling behind Canada and states in the U.S. where marijuana is legalized.
Read MoreTilray Inc. has received approval from the DEA to ipmort cannabis into the U.S. for medical research. They are the first Canadian company to do so.
Read MoreIn the latest of our NutraIngredients video diaries, we look at key issues of traceability, quality control and authenticity.
Read MoreThe LA police department busted an illegal cannabis store that was operating without a license
Read MoreThis article traces the recreational legalization path of cannabis in Canada and other nations to the positive connotation medical legalization gives cannabis
Read MoreWhether Georgia will be required to use paper ballots in the midterm elections will be determined in a judge's ruling in the next two weeks
Read MoreThis article discusses how improvements in supply chain efficiencies could "reduce the amount of food wasted by $270 billion (in value) of what the report estimates to be a $1.5 trillion problem by 2050."
Read MoreChina has created a mechanism by which internet courts can authenticate electronically-submitted evidence using blockchain technology
Read MoreThe U.S. House panel that oversees federal drug enforcement is scheduled to vote this week on a bill to dramatically expand opportunities for research on the medical benefits of marijuana.
Read MoreWith the legalization of recreational cannabis in Canada being implemented soon, there is a large concern about young adults gaining access to mail-order cannabis products. This article outlines the steps the Canadian Government is taking to prevent this.
Read More14 Iranian nationals were taken into custody after their passports, bearing fake Asian names, were confiscated
Read MoreThis editorial board opinion piece outlines the fentanyl crisis in the United States. It calls on elected officials to act quickly in order to prevent more people from dying from the substance.
Read MoreThe prescription generic drug valsartan, often sourced from Chinese manufacturers, was revealed to be "contaminated with a carcinogenic material once found in rocket fuel"
Read MoreThe panel, attributed to the National Academy of Sciences, recommended all elections transition to paper ballots by 2020
Read MoreThe platform is aiming to 'provide trading partners with real-time data on the location of goods, along with functionality that lets them use a bid-and-order marketplace and create automated contracts'
Read MoreIn an interview with CNN, Facebook's former security chief said that the U.S. is no better prepared to fight election hacking ahead of the 2018 midterm elections than it was two years ago when Russian agents hacked the 2016 presidential election.
Read MoreA "cannabis initiative team" at UCLA plans to conduct a high-quality clinical study of the painkilling properties of cannabis.
Read MoreThis article outlines the extensive cannabis public education campaign that will be implemented later this year by Health Canada.
Read MorePolice chiefs in California lined up against a proposed state rule that critics say would allow unchecked home cannabis deliveries anywhere in California.
Read MoreThe Cuomo administration announced 15 listening sessions to be held across the state, through which residents can discuss issues related to marijuana legalization
Read More45 people in Louisiana over the span of one week, accounted for more than 30 separate incidents of unconsciousness due to their usage of synthetic marijuana
Read MoreA Texas woman illegally voted in the 2016 election, as she was a felon convicted of tax fraud
Read MoreThis article details Ohio's efforts to bolster its election security infrastructure ahead of the November midterms
Read MoreKetamine has in recent years gained legitimacy among some scientific experts as a potential therapy for severe depression. But new research shows that it may behave like an opioid in the brain, which experts worry could create a similar dependence for patients.
Read MoreThe Governor of Illinois signed into law a measure that could dramatically expand access to medical cannabis in Illinois. The new law made cannabis available as an opioid painkiller replacement and easing the application process for all who qualify.
Read MoreThe New York State Assembly plans to hold four public hearings this fall on authorizing adult recreational cannabis use as the state continues along a track to legalization.
Read MoreAccording to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, one in seven adults in the United States had used marijuana in 2017, with smoking being the most common manner of consumption.
Read MoreAfter Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) "abruptly canceled" a meeting of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee intended to make progress on the Secure Elections Act, many are speculating the White House is actively stifling the bill's progression.
Read MoreThis article describes a survey that revealed discomfort in adopting new supply chain technologies that improve efficiency and minimize the potential for fraud.
Read MoreOut-of-state medical marijuana users will be able to buy cannabis products at dispensaries in Hawaii next year. However, it will include a fee and an application to do so.
Read MoreThe Secure Elections Act faced increased hurdles in Congress after Republicans pulled their support based on a measure compelling states to use more paper-based audits.
Read MoreU.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions during an appearance in Cleveland on Wednesday outlined law enforcement actions aimed at combatting the opioid crisis.
Read MoreThis is an overview of the four states with cannabis legalization legislation on the ballot this fall.
Read MoreThe Indiana Secretary of State's office is running advertisements to boost confidence in the security of the State's election system.
Read MoreA new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that doctors are severely underreporting payments they receive from medical device companies.
Read MoreThis article discusses how Oxycodone gets laced with Fentanyl and why this occurs. This article was in response to singer Demi Lovato's reported overdose on oxycodone was that was mixed with fentanyl.
Read MoreWhat's unique about you will authorize payments and replace account passwords
Read MoreBrian Kemp, the State's Republican nominee for Governor and current Secretary of State, faces calls from the Democratic Party of Georgia to resign because of his refusal to adopt federal aid to bolster Georgia's electronic-only balloting system before the upcoming midterms.
Read MoreConfusion between federal and state law surrounding medicinal cannabis legalization has led to discrepancies in school policy and enforcement across the state.
Read MoreA bipartisan effort to increase Federal resources and cooperation efforts to the States was introduced today in the form of a companion bill to the Senate's Secure Elections Act.
Read MoreA surge of approval applications for medical marijuana labs in Michigan––the country's second largest medical marijuana market––was met with two approvals for testing facilities by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board.
Read MorePain Therapeutics’ said on Monday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve the company’s opioid drug for the management of severe pain as the benefits of the drug did not outweigh the risk.
Read MoreThe FDA issued guidance to encourage the development of more drugs that can be used in what is known as Medication Assisted Treatment, a leading way to treat people with opioid addiction, through using certain drugs to reduce dependence on opioids.
Read MoreThe number of deaths in England and Wales due to the synthetic opioid fentanyl rose by 29% in 2017
Read MoreFederal prosecutors allege in a case unsealed this year that the Newport News, Va., company sold 398,000 pounds of Chesapeake blue crab mixed with cut-rate crab from as far away as Indonesia or Brazil and labeled it as an American product. The retail value of the crab is roughly $14 million at current prices
Read MoreThis article discusses the ability of blockchain to potentially stymie illegal fishing and the mislabeling of seafood products, if it were to be implemented across the seafood and fishing industries.
Read MoreOpioid-based cancer drugs were given to patients without cancer, violating an agreement the F.D.A. had with pharmaceutical companies that prevented the overprescription of medications like fentanyl.
Read MoreA computer system that tracks medical marijuana prescriptions has been crashing and that’s affecting some of the 47,000 medical marijuana users in Maryland who tell ABC7 News they have been turned away from dispensaries.
Read MoreThe Las Vegas City Council voted Wednesday to file a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers.
Read MoreOfficials from the Department of Homeland Security are reviewing county voting and election infrastructure to verify its viability for election day.
Read MoreOne in five batches of marijuana in California that have undergone laboratory testing as required by state law have failed the state’s new safety requirements. These regulations took effect on July 1.
Read MoreFollowing Senator Claire McCaskill revealing Russian targeting of her campaign just yesterday, President Trump convened his national security advisors today in anticipation of the November elections.
Read MoreSpecialist doctors in the UK will be able to legally prescribe cannabis-derived medicinal products by autumn, the home secretary has announced. This came after a review into medicinal cannabis after a public outcry over children with epilepsy being denied access to cannabis oil.
Read MoreFollowing Sea To Table's rebuttal of an AP investigation which alleged malpractice, a new AP report sourced by the same reporters reveals that employees were told to "ignore" issues they discussed with management.
Read MoreMany Australians are not able to get access to medical cannabis, despite its legality in some medical cases. This is due to a "long and tedious" application procedure. This comes as Australia's Health Minister previously said that he hopes his country can become the world's largest exporter of medical cannabis.
Read MoreThree Iraqi nationals––all from the same family––were arrested attempting to travel to London with fake Cyprus passports.
Read MoreThis is a transcript and recording of NPR's All Things Considered talking with West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner about steps his state is taking to safeguard election systems ahead of the 2018 midterms.
Read MoreIllinois state officials assuaged election security fears by relaying Federal efforts to parter with state election boards to ensure the integrity of the upcoming midterm elections.
Read MoreArkansas was deemed a 'Tier 3' state by an election security report released by House Democrats, meaning its election system lacks paper balloting verification methods.
Read MoreThis article outlines the effort by opioid manufactures that funneled close to $9 million over five years to various non-profit advocacy groups. These groups promoted messaging and policies that favored the opioid production industry.
Read Morereprint of SICPA press release about election security
Read MoreThe Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) issued its second emergency license suspension of 2018 last week.
Read MoreTexas's election security was categorized as "Tier 2"––meaning it has security vulnerabilities but may not be planning on using federal assistance to address them––according to a new report released today by the Committee on House Administration Democrats.
Read MoreAlthough lawmakers previously approved a $380 million funding package for states to upgrade their election systems, new legislation called the Secure Elections Act has found new bipartisan life.
Read MoreOhio officials have said the state's medical marijuana program won't be ready to launch by the Sept. 8 deadline. This article examines what the industry will look like in Ohio once it is fully launched.
Read MoreEdrington Group removes disputed bottles from the “Wall of Whisky” at the new Macallan distillery visitor centre
Read MoreSupporters of marijuana legalization in North Dakota have submitted more than 18,000 signatures to the secretary of state in support of a measure that would fully legalize the drug, well above the 13,452 signatures required to put the question on the November ballot.
Read MoreIn a surprise to many, Democratic candidates for US Senate are making cannabis legalization a prominent election issue for the Fall. This Politico piece examines the effects that this strategy could have on the midterm elections.
Read MoreFederal officials said Wednesday that new synthetic opioids are killing more people than ever before, with more than half of all opioid overdose deaths caused by the powerful, lab-made drugs.
Read MoreThe top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts gave an apparent green light Tuesday to the state’s recreational marijuana industry, lifting some of the legal uncertainty hanging over the drug’s imminent commercialization.
Read MoreWashington State, which already has one of the most secure election systems in the country due to its mail-in verification ballot system, is employing new tactics to bolster its election system in light of new emerging threats.
Read MoreThe FDA’s decision to approve an epilepsy drug utilizing plant-derived cannabidiol (CBD), a common non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in the Cannabis sativa plant could have large effects on the legal cannabis industry. In order for Epidiolex to even be put on the U.S. market, the Drug Enforcement Administration would need to reclassify CBD. This could lead to changes in the classification of cannabis by the DEA.
Read MoreOklahoma voters on Tuesday backed the medicinal use of marijuana, overcoming a late opposition campaign from law enforcement and business, faith and political leaders.
Read MoreKentuckians who smoke will soon have to pay more thanks to an increase in the state cigarette tax.
Read MoreThe nation’s highest court has agreed to consider whether Yakama gas station owners are exempt from state gas taxes on the reservation.
Read MoreDemocrats in Michigan have introduced bills that would repeal a law that gives drug companies immunity from lawsuits. The laws grant immunity for pharmaceutical companies over drugs that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Lawmakers claim that FDA approval does not guarantee that the drug maker "did not act negligently or without malice."
Read MoreSenate Rules Chairman Roy Blunt told Senator Amy Klobuchar, a sponsor of the Secure Elections Act (S.2261), that the bill, which authorizes $380 million in election security upgrades, will be brought up sometime in the next month.
Read MoreThe 150% gold-backed tokens are secured through the CryptoSecure platform, which renders stolen coins futile through its multilayered security approach.
Read MoreA New York judge refused to dismiss any of the claims by eight counties against Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson and other prescription-opioid manufacturers. The judge's decision was a strong affirmation of the plaintiffs’ litigation strategy against the opioid manufacturers. This strategy could be a roadmap for future lawsuits against opioid manufactures.
Read MoreRecreational cannabis sales to begin across the country Oct. 17.
Read MoreA third member of criminal conspiracy to bribe voters and register inelligible voters in local elections plead guilty to using the tactics to aid real estate investments.
Read MoreThe state of New York is one step closer to legalizing recreational cannabis use. A study commissioned by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will recommend that “a regulated, legal marijuana program be available to adults in the state,” the New York State health commissioner said on Monday.
Read MoreSupport for the legalization of medicinal cannabis is growing within the British parliament. Sir Mike Penning MP, who is the proposed chairman of the new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Medical Cannabis Under Prescription, said: "It's bizarre and cruel that we have a system that allows the medical use of strong opiates, but bars the medical use of cannabis.
Read MoreResidents of Michigan will be voting whether to become the 10th US state to legalize recreational cannabis use. The legalization initiative heading to the ballot Nov. 6 would allow individuals age 21 and over to possess, use, or transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, and grow up to 12 marijuana plants in their homes for personal use. Recent polling indicates about 60 percent of Michigan voters support legalizing recreational marijuana.
Read MoreThe Canadian Food and Inspection Agency failed to include seafood fraud prevention measures––such as traceability and documentation from boat to table––that would put its seafood standards on par with the United States and the European Union in its updated Safe Food for Canadians regulations, released this week.
Read MoreThe technology uses EKG monitoring to verify a user's identity ensuring a secure transaction.
Read MoreCalled the "Protecting American Votes and Elections Act" and introduced by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, a similar version is expected to be introduced in the House in the coming days.
Read MoreMassachusetts filed a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma LP. They accusing the OxyContin maker of illegally promoting the use of opioids, and became the first state to sue the drugmaker’s executives and directors to hold them responsible as well.
Read MoreLattice is a new border security system that uses cameras, LIDAR, and infrared sensors to maintain an "virtual border wall". In testing along the Mexican border so far, the system has helped apprehend 55 individuals and 982 pounds of marijuana.
Read MoreDuncan Berry's company FishPeople relies on tracking codes on all of its products in addition to supply quotas and fair compensation to ethically source and supply its frozen seafood kits to over 6,000 retail stores across the country.
Read MoreCanada is preparing to become the first G7 nation to legalize marijuana, and the process is being watched closely by international experts.
Read MoreCalifornia voters recalled a sitting state senator, which could set up a statewide battle over a gas tax increase this fall.
Read MoreNew research finds that counterfeit wines and spirit cost the European economy €2.7 billion annually.
Read MoreOver 118,000 people were left off of Los Angeles County voting rosters during Tuesday's primary.
Read MoreMore than 90% of the drugs analyzed at the Hamilton County crime lab this year had some presence of fentanyl in them.
Read MoreBackers of a proposed ballot measure to increase tobacco taxes and extend government-funded health coverage for 94,000 low-income Montanans said Monday that groups opposing them are not properly reporting their campaign activity.
Read MoreSenator Rubio met with local election officials in Florida and told them that he is working to increase information sharing with the federal government.
Read MoreInternational drug cartels are targeting states that have legalized marijuana, in order to hide their operations among legal growers.
Read MoreFlorida's elected officials are growing increasingly concerned that the state is not prepared to counter cyber threats in the upcoming elections.
Read MoreThe Wine & Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has joined forces with Crimestoppers in a bid to crack down on criminals pedalling counterfeit alcohol.
Read MoreDoctors in the House of Commons are to lead a campaign to change the law banning the medicinal use of cannabis, as a new all-party parliamentary group (APPG) forms to campaign for the issue.
Read MoreSixteen states have formally applied for federal grants to improve their election security ahead of 2018, but Florida has not.
Read MoreThe number of people who died from fentanyl overdoses in California has increased by more than three times since 2016.
Read MoreSales for recreational marijuana topped $41 million in March, setting a new record, according to the Nevada Department of Taxation.
Read MoreTwitter announced a new security feature that will label general election candidates running for federal office who use the platform.
Read MoreMississippi is expected to receive nearly $4.5 million in election security funding from the federal government.
Read MoreWhen California released its latest marijuana industry regulations on Friday, the response from cannabis businesses in the state was largely muted.
Read MoreUsing technology to improve the ability to track and trace not just the provenance of goods but also the origins of shipments and parcels is critical
Read MoreFentanyl overtook heroin to become the deadliest drug in Nashville.
Read MoreBusinesses in a variety of industries are preparing to enter the cannabis market ahead of legalization in Vermont.
Read MoreThe alcohol industry is pressing Congress to make permanent the excise tax relief it received under the Republican tax law.
Read MoreState Board of Elections Director Steven Sandvoss said that the Russian hacking effort in 2016 was a "declaration of war."
Read MoreCannabis suppliers are strugging to navigate California's legal marijuana regulations, while also following federal transportation laws.
Read MoreScores of California marijuana companies are complying with cease-and-desist letters, as part of a major operation to crackdown on potentially illegal cannabis operations.
Read MoreA newly released Senate report reveals that Russian-affiliated cyber operatives conducted malicious attempts on voting-related websites.
Read MoreDiamond giant De Beers has announced that it has successfully tracked diamonds using blockchain technology.
Read MoreCalifornia's cannabis tax revenue amounted to a disappointing $34 million in the first quarter, the first round since recreational marijuana was legalized in the state.
Read MorePolls across several states, including Michigan, Oklahoma and Utah, found strong support for legalizing marijuana.
Read MoreRetail sales of medical and recreational cannabis in the United States are expected to hit $8 billion-$10 billion this year – a nearly 50% increase from 2017 – and rise as high as $22 billion by 2022.
Read MoreColorado's recreational marijuana sales set a new monthly high, brining in $106 million in revenue.
Read MoreDespite improvements since 2016, American election infrastructure is still insecure, and many counties use voting machines with no paper trail.
Read MoreMarijuana companies are fleeing Los Angeles, a setback for what is arguably the biggest cannabis market in the world.
Read MoreDHS has only completed on-site risk assessments of election systems for nine of the seventeen states that have requested them. Some of the states that have not been assessed, such as Indiana, have contested primaries this week.
Read MoreOfficials in Southern Mississippi are warning that a large batch of counterfeit pills labeled as oxycodone contrain fentanyl.
Read MoreSynthetic opioids are increasingly present in opioid overdoses, partially due to the growing number of counterfeit prescription drugs.
Read MoreFentanyl is increasingly appearing in cocaine, and leading to overdose deaths.
Read MoreTraceability of provenance, transparency regarding freshness, and product sourcing information all affect consumer purchase intent and satisfaction.
Read MoreThe Macallan has unveiled a new look across its range of single malt whiskies, which boast an anti-refill closure and anti-counterfeit technology to, “ensure that consumers are protected at the point of purchase,” the company has announced.
Read MoreSLO residents argue for and against proposed cannabis stores, rules
Read MoreThe state doesn’t track sales figures, but Florida’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use reported April 20 that more than 100,000 Floridians have signed up to receive medical pot, and the state is adding new registrants at a pace of about 3,000 a week.
Read MoreSwiss fintech leader Avaloq has acquired a 10% stake in Metaco, the Lausanne-based blockchain and crypto-currency specialist.
Read MoreLawmakers should pursue a vehicle-mileage tax to rescue the struggling Highway Trust Fund, a right-leaning think tank argues in a new study.
Read MoreThe Homeland Security Department has seen no evidence so far this year that Russian intelligence agencies are trying to hack into voting systems to undermine the 2018 midterm elections, the department’s cyber lead told Congress Tuesday.
Read MoreDespite repeated investigations, crackdowns and arrests, counterfeit designer handbags are bigger business than ever. And while buyers seem exempt from arrest, the sellers are at risk, and act accordingly.
Read MoreOur research on the pharmaceutical industry has revealed that one reason for malaria’s continued virulence in the developing world is ineffective medicine. In fact, in some poor African countries, many malaria drugs are actually expired, substandard or fake.
Read MoreThe regulatory body that oversees medical cannabis in Canada says it’s open to the idea of distributing cannabis directly to patients through pharmacies, a move that could give the country’s MMJ market a boost by improving access.
Read MoreThe Gloucester Biotechnology Academy is expanding the reach and the scope of its educational offerings with a new summer course, "Fish Fraud Forensics," that will introduce students to biotech forensic detective work.
Read MoreKentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says state election systems remain secure, but the top election official warns it’s a never-ending battle against new and emerging threats.
Read MoreIt’s still possible for cannabis customers to run afoul of state and local laws, which dictate where and how weed can be purchased and consumed.
Read MoreWith Monterey County staring at a $36.2 million budget deficit for the upcoming 2018-19 fiscal year, county departments may have to tighten their legal cannabis program administration belts even further.
Read MoreAt a Georgia Tech demonstration, professor Alex Halderman showed how easily electronic voting machines, which Georgia uses, could be hacked.
Read MoreGreen Bits, a point-of-sale software for cannabis retailers, raised $17 million in Series A funding.
Read MoreHomeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen issued a stern warning to Russia and other countries looking to meddle in future U.S. elections, saying that the U.S. government will consider all options "senn and unseen" for responding to malicious attacks in cyberspace.
Read MoreA London-based cybersecurity firm became the first overseas company to win a contract with DHS to help tackle border security, by rolling out its biometric facial verification technology to help CBP and improve the passenger-entry operation process.
Read MoreColorado Senator Cory Gardner stated that Trump will allow states to continue deciding how they will regulate marijuana.
Read MoreCounterfeit medicines are a multi-billion dollar problem on a global level. From the size, shape and colour of the pharmaceuticals, to the packaging made to look like the real thing…
Read MoreThe Nebraska State Patrol seized 36 pounds of marijuana in a traffic stop Saturday.
Read MoreHP is entering the cannabis industry, and will sell a cash register system to marijuana businesses that includes terminals pre-loaded with legal compliance software.
Read MoreNew regulations will require medical marijuana providers in Montana to closely test, label, and track their products.
Read MoreOver time it has become easier to trace coins back to a real identity. The vast majority of coins now touch a personally identifiable, real life account of a user at some stage, allowing any apt investigator to connect the dots of transaction to transaction in mapping out the transfer of value.
Read MoreThe scale of France’s Côtes du Rhône wine fraud scandal in 2017 is larger than first thought, with new figures revealing that as many as 66.5 million bottles of wine were counterfeit
Read MoreA Philadelphia man was arrested after troopers said they found 775 cartons of out-of-state cigarettes in the bed of pickup truck on Interstate 78 in Williams Township.
Read MoreMarch revenue collections came in almost $11 million less than officials had predicted, while collections for the year so far are more than $28 million below estimate.
Read MoreThe Indian government is exploring the use of blockchain technology to crack down on counterfeit drugs.
Read MoreTech companies are entering the cannabis market with solutions to help retailers comply with strict tracking regulations.
Read MoreInstagram is cracking down on posts relating to the purchase or sale of prescription drugs.
Read MoreA school just outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja became the site of an unforeseen tragedy in February this year when two 14-year-old classmates, Nahima and Yayaya, died after eating tainted biscuits at a school birthday celebration.
Read More60 Minutes goes to Illinois to report on the state where election officials first reported and responded to cyber attacks.
Read MoreBiometric technology is rapidly spreading throughout American airports, and experts predict that facial recognition may become the primary form of identification for air travel.
Read MoreA science-based traceability system is needed to combat the growing international problem of food fraud in the seafood industry, according to a new report by the FAO.
Read MoreDespite a statewide elections database having been hacked in 2016, Illinois elections officials said the state is on good footing to keep voting secure, but more can be done.
Read MoreColorcon Inc. and Applied DNA signed a supply agreement granting Colorcon exclusive right to use Applied DNA’s SigNature molecular tags in film coatings for solid oral dosage forms, and non-exclusive rights to use it in inks and colorants for SOD pharmaceuticals.
Read MoreAPPLIED DNA SIGNS DEFINITIVE AGREEMENTS WITH COLORCON FOR MOLECULAR TAGGING IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND NUTRACEUTICAL MARKETS
Read MoreA pair of traffic stops in Hamilton County less than five minutes apart netted 381 pounds of marijuana and landed two men in jail.
Read MoreCybersecurity experts are expressing concerns over the adoption of online voting technology in Ontario.
Read MoreCyber researchers are concerned that a Georgia bill aimed at protecting election systems may leave researchers who find vulnerabilities open to prosecution.
Read MoreThe FDA called on internet service providers and social media networks to better identify illegal online opioid sales.
Read MoreAirlines are among several industries that would benefit from adopting more biometric technology.
Read MoreThe LA Times Editorial Board called on Congress to pass the Secure Elections Act in order to upgrade and secure election infrastructure.
Read MoreThe Missouri Senate is debating a proposal that would ban touchscreen voting, and require voters to use paper ballots exclusively.
Read MoreThe SIMP final rule establishes traceability beginning at the point of harvest for wild-capture fisheries, and at the point of production for aquaculture products.
Read MoreSenator Marco Rubio warned that a lack of progress on a state and federal level could leave election systems vulnerable in this year's elections.
Read MoreThe recent presidential election in Sierra Leone used blockchain technology to enable voting, but its debut had mixed results.
Read MoreMissouri’s 17-cents-per-gallon fuel tax would increase under several proposals moving in the capital city.
Read MoreMonterey County cannabis committee: cannabis operators are clamoring for both lower tax rates and more black market enforcement and everyone it seems has their hands out for millions in projected tax revenue.
Read MoreFinland-based packaging solutions provider Huhtamaki has agreed to acquire India-based Ajanta Packaging to expand its operations in the region
Read MoreLeading the market in next-gen art authentication, this British tech company is now applying its 'DNA tags' to high-end books.
Read MoreCannabis industry leaders are concerned that their businesses may technically fall under the Trump administration's new guidelines for prosecuting drug dealers.
Read MoreSome Canadians are concerned about aspects of Colorado's experience with legalizing marijuana, which has been associated with an increase in illegal marijuana sales
Read MoreStarbucks has announced it is launching a pilot program to incorporate blockchain technology, or “traceability technology” as the company put it, into its coffee supply chain.
Read MoreThe gasoline tax is the source of revenue for the Highway Trust Fund at its current level of 18.4 cents per gallon. But, the Highway Trust Fund is significantly underfunded since the last increase of 4.3 cents in 1997. This freeze of the tax amount has resulted in a funding gap.
Read MoreIt's time to raise the federal gas tax to help fix Michigan's ravaged roads, Gov. Rick Snyder said Tuesday.
Read MoreFor the first time since the 2016 election, Congress is poised to move legislation to combat hackers and online trolls targeting American democracy.
Read MoreA $1.3 trillion plan to fund the federal government through the end of September won’t include protections for the recreational marijuana industry — a blow to Colorado lawmakers who tried to add that language to the must-pass bill.
Read MoreThe omnibus spending bill is expected to include $380 million in election technology grants for states to secure election infrastructure.
Read MoreThe issue of fraud and counterfeits could be tackled by using technology and will radically reshape companies and businesses in the next five years.
Read Moreannual license fee for wholesalers increased from $2.50 per year to $500 per year. tax on cigarettes climbs from $3.20 per pack to $4.50 per pack.
Read MoreCannabis industry leaders in California are concerned that high taxes and complicated regulations are allowing for a thriving black market to cut into legal sales.
Read MoreAn ocean research charity is providing Halifax citizens with DNA kits to test potentially fraudulent fish.
Read MoreNovartis AG is partnering with a Canadian cannabis company backed by billionaire Peter Thiel to get in on the medical marijuana business.
Read MoreFrench officials have released the details of an enormous fraud perpetrated by a leading bottler in the Rhône, thought to be Raphaël Michel, which was of such size that at one point up to 15% of all Côtes-du-Rhône was falsely labelled.
Read MoreStates are not applying uniform methods when testing how potent legal cannabis products are, or what compounds may be present in them.
Read MoreNairobi: The original contract was for making excise stamps for tobacco products, wines and spirits but the Treasury, through a Legal Notice 110 of June 2013 increased the scope to cover beer, bottled water and soft drinks
Read MoreBiogenetics is working on a platform for verifiable product authenticity certification and traceability along the food chain.
Read MoreHow can Americans respond to this possibility? Here are two key lessons from other countries, including U.S. allies in Europe that have years of experience counteringRussian misinformation and attacks.
Read MoreSome California lawmakers are trying to decrease the tax on cannabis from 15% to 11%, in order to discourage the rise of illegal businesses.
Read MoreSierra Leone implemented blockchain-based voting technology in its most populous reagion. The technology has the ability to provide more secure and transparent results.
Read MorePartnering with Accenture has enabled DHL to track the pharma supply chain, from the point of origin (for example, the factory where the drugs are produced), right through to the consumer, preventing them from being tampered with en route. Using blockchain will also help eliminate errors in the processing of the freight, ensuring supply data is as accurate as possible.
Read MoreA bill that would legalize and regulate medical marijuana in Oklahoma has failed to pass in the Senate amid concerns over anticipating a vote by residents.
Read MoreTruTags, which are invisible to the naked eye and thus do not impact the finish of the adhesive laminate or final product, are food-grade and Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by FDA. In addition, they are manufactured using Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) standards.
Read MoreTwo suburban Chicago suspects have been charged in an alleged conspiracy involving the importation of a fentanyl analogue from China.
Read MoreCalifornia's cannabis regulation agency sent warning letters to 900 marijuana shops suspected of operating without the proper state licenses.
Read MoreHouse Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday night the Republican-led Congress won’t raise the federal gas tax to pay for President Trump’s infrastructure plan, seemingly putting the idea to rest.
Read MoreAfter hearing from hundreds of residents suffering from chronic ailments who say they want an alternative to pain pills, Metro Council on Thursday approved a resolution by a 20-4 vote that supports legislation in Kentucky allowing the use of medical marijuana.
Read MoreThe Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has acquired two smart fuel dispensing bowsers in a move expected to eliminate fuel losses associated with siphoning.
Read MoreWISeKey WISeAuthentic IoT Blockchain technology solution adapted to provide safer gun-control measures through a trusted blockchain ledger that digitally certifies, identifies and tracks the gun during its life cycle.
Read MoreSupply chain mapping and analysis are key tools in the fight against food fraud, said Petter Olsen, Senior Scientist at Norwegian food research institute, Nofima, at the recent Food Fraud Conference 2018, organised by New Food. Such techniques, he said, came into their own in investigating potential food frauds where scientific testing was neither relevant nor appropriate.
Read MoreThe US will dominate oil production growth over the next two years, keeping the market well supplied, but a crunch could loom after 2020 if investment into future global output fails to keep up with rising consumption, the International Energy Agency said.
Read MoreUp to now, the state of New Jersey had not imposed any taxes on electronic cigarettes, however, the situation may be changing drastically. Local authorities are considering a 75% tax on wholesale sales and use tax on electronic cigarettes.
Read MoreVermont's top doctor told the Legislature this week that the number of fatal overdoses involving the synthetic drug fentanyl spiked in 2017.
Read Moretobacco tax collections were above forecast by $1.5 million
Read MoreAlaska has raked in its biggest monthly haul in marijuana taxes, with just over $1 million collected in January.
Read MoreTroopers with the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) seized 199 pounds of marijuana and a gun during a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Seward County.
Read MoreThe state House and Senate within hours of each other passed a sweeping tax bill that Republicans had amended to strip out a sales tax exemption on jet fuel.
Read MoreUnder a new bill filed in the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, Rhode Islanders would be able to decide on a ballot measure calling for the end of cannabis prohibition.
Read MoreJacola said there can be loop holes in the producer processor's tracking system that some may take advantage of to make more money on their product.
Read MoreNBC reports that voter registration systems in seven states were compromised by Russian hackers in 2016.
Read MoreSupply chain security firm Applied DNA Sciences has signed a memorandum of understanding with pharmaceutical capsule and tablet manufacturer ACG for enhanced traceability and authentication of ACG’s capsule products.
Read MoreThe U.S. has issued a new round of sanctions targeting oil smugglers in Libya aimed at blocking exploitation of natural resources that is driving instability, the U.S. Treasury Department said on Feb. 26.
Read MoreThe U.S. intelligence community developed substantial evidence that state websites or voter registration systems in seven states were compromised by Russian-backed covert operatives prior to the 2016 election — but never told the states involved, according to multiple U.S. officials.
Read MoreMaine Senator Angus King called on the federal government to take more action in regards to cybersecurity.
Read MoreThe Justice Department said Tuesday it will support local officials in hundreds of lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of powerful opioid painkillers that are fueling the nation's drug abuse crisis.
Read MoreSessions said the Justice Department will look at existing state and local lawsuits against painkiller makers and distributors to see where it can be of help.
Read MoreA federal judge in New York tossed out a sweeping lawsuit Monday that sought to make marijuana legal under federal law
Read MoreA bill to regulate the production of medical marijuana in Malta would make the country among the first in the European Union to lay the groundwork for cannabis manufacturing
Read MoreAn Oregon sheriff and district attorney blasted efforts to regulate legalized marijuana, saying Tuesday the state is allowing black market operations to proliferate.
Read MoreThe technology that helps power bitcoin transactions could also help officials authenticate airport passengers, under a blockchain-enabled ID pilot that has the backing of Canada and the Netherlands.
Read MoreAn OECD report found that more than $50 billion a year is lost across the African continent, as a result of illicit financial flows.
Read MoreBlockchain technology is centred on improving trust and can fix the grim realities of corrupted supply chains in the pharmaceutical industry.
Read MoreNew Yorkers — especially those under 24 — are giving up cigarettes at record rates.
Read MoreAs New Jersey lawmakers debate legalizing marijuana for recreational use in the Garden State, the focus in New York has shifted to the border.
Read MoreMassachusetts' Cannabis Control Commission has approved seed-to-sale contracts with JD Software and Franwell.
Read MoreElection officials across several states are expressing interest in utilizing paper ballots to improve election security.
Read MoreHillary Clinton's former campaign manager highlights the importance of increasing election security, and advocates for bipartisan action.
Read MoreEarly food sector adopters can undoubtedly take of advantage implementing blockchain too, particularly when it comes to traceability.
Read MoreStates are taking various steps to secure their election infrastructure, but they are receiving little help from the federal government.
Read MoreA new report finds that a thin strip, similar to a pregnancy test, can detect whether street drugs contain fentanyl.
Read MoreBlockchain technology has the potential to change information transfer in supply chains but still faces challenges overcoming implementation and mindset barriers.
Read MoreA survey of voting officials across 41 states found that most states need to replace outdated voting tech, but lack the resources to do so.
Read MoreConsumers can take several steps, including carefully examining the cork and label to determine a wine's authenticity.
Read Morewith the state’s pot-tracking system hobbled earlier this month, marijuana production soaring here, and wholesale prices for a gram of weed going for less than the cost of a gallon of milk at Safeway, some marijuana retailers, growers and analysts say the market forces have never been stronger for Washington pot to leak across state borders.
Read MoreA recent study in Spain found that half of the restaurants surveyed are mislabelling their fish.
Read MoreRachael McLaughlin purchased a matte liquid lipstick for about $4 from a Facebook vendor who claimed it was a genuine Kylie Cosmetics product. It wasn't. And she paid the price.
Read MoreSenator Gillibrand co-sponsored Senator Booker's bill to eliminate marijuana's status as a Schedule 1 drug.
Read MoreNewly released "playbooks" from a bipartisan team at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government aims to help state and local elections officials protect against hacking and disinformation.
Read MoreThe first 2018 primaries kick off in under a month, leaving very little time for officials to upgrade election systems.
Read MoreAnti-counterfeiting efforts surrounding the Super Bowl resulted in the recovery of over $15 million in counterfeit merchandise.
Read MoreBlockchain technology could solve some of the regulatory issues that have plagued the cannabis industry.
Read MoreThe Georgia Bureau of Investigation issued a public safety alert after a study showed how many counterfeit pills were in the state.
Read MoreAn audit of Oregon's marijuana tracking system found that it lacked proper safeguards, allowing businesses to hide violations such as illegal sales.
Read MoreThe Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program has created a new tool that allows businesses to assess the risk of forced labor in their seafood supply chains.
Read MoreSun Chemical has acquired Luminescence Holdings Ltd., a manufacturer of currency, tax stamp, passports, ID cards, secure documents and brand protection inks for the security market.
Read MoreSolstice inventory worker Leta Togstad with pot she already put labels on, but now will need to re-label, after getting news products here need a period added to a bar-code number, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018, in Seattle, as the marijuana grower struggles with traceability-system issues, which have plagued the cannabis industry.
Read MoreThe Virginia Senate has passed legislation that could expand the use of medical marijuana in Virginia.
Read MoreThe possibility of raising the gas tax -— which has not been increased since 1993 — to pay for an infrastructure plan has so far gotten a mixed reception from Republicans.
Read MoreStates like Nevada with legal marijuana track the plant through the growing processes, all the way until it is sold in a dispensary. However, there are loopholes, but one company says its software can fix that with seed-to-sale
Read MoreWhite House economic adviser Gary Cohn and Republican lawmakers on Thursday discussed hiking the federal tax on gasoline in order to pay for an infrastructure plan, according to political news website Axios.
Read MoreOhio is requiring that drug wholesalers identify and hold onto suspicious orders until questions are answered about the purchasers.
Read MoreNow, a proposed rule from the federal authority on the issue, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, is poised to end the practice.
Read MoreA bill that would allow doctors to prescribe a form of medical marijuana is moving forward in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Read MorePrivacy advocates expressed concerns over biometric scans of passengers exiting the country.
Read MoreThe FDA is asking drug manufacturers to change the way they label and package Imodium-based drugs, which are sold over the counter and often abused to manage opioid withdrawl symptoms.
Read MoreSenate investigators found that it was remarkably easy to purchase fentanyl online from the dark web.
Read MoreSan Francisco will retroactively apply California's new marijuana legalization laws to prior convictions, expunging or reducing misdemeanors and felonies dating to 1975, the district attorney's office announced Wednesday.
Read MoreAccording to Jim Nasr, who until recently was chief software architect at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the guarantees offered by that database could help tackle one of the most pressing issues in the field: stamping out counterfeit drugs.
Read MoreThe first cannabis dispensary is set to open in Austin next month, a little more than four months after the Texas Department of Public Safety granted the first three medical marijuana licenses in the history of the state.
Read MoreNothing raises the price of a drug like making the industry that produces it illegal, and nothing causes those prices to collapse like legalization. However, transitory price spikes in the early days of legalization are common because the supply chain and the regulatory structure are immature and disorganized.
Read MoreHumboldt County cannabis businesses may soon have to participate in two seed-to-sale tracking systems and it’s currently unclear whether the two will be compatible.
Read MoreIt’s relatively cheap in Seattle, and L.A. and San Francisco are pretty competitive, but it’s an entirely different story on the East Coast, especially in the nation’s capital.
Read MoreHow the tech industry is stamping out counterfeit goods.
Read MoreRoughly 70% of California's legal marijuana dispensaries are still deaing only in cash (including making tax payment in cash), as a result of marijuana remaining illegal under federal law.
Read MoreDemocrats in Massachusetts are proposing legislation that would prevent local law enforcement from supporting investigations into federal marijuana crimes.
Read MoreThe event is expected to shed light on the opportunities and hurdles of legal marijuana, an industry that comes with an unusual problem. It could be made legal in the state, but remains illegal under federal law, creating all sorts of headaches. Learn more about the problems facing New Jersey's cannabis industry in the video at the top of the page.
Read MoreSellers of illicit fentanyl in China prefer to ship through the U.S. Postal Service because delivery is “basically guaranteed,” according to a new congressional investigation.
Read MoreToday, however, the election process is vulnerable to manipulation by hostile powers. We know that (beyond social media manipulation) Russia quite brazenly hacked into the IT systems of political campaign committees and tried to gain access to data held by local elections boards.
Read MoreCannabis-related products and services that “don’t touch the plant,” are subject to less risk from federal anti-cannabis prosecution, and have fewer rules and regulations to abide by.
Read MoreLAX is testing biometric facial recognition technology that would replace boarding passes.
Read MoreThat’s because researchers have tailored a 3D printer to synthesize pharmaceuticals and other chemicals from simple, widely available starting compounds fed into a series of water bottle–size reactors. The work, they say, could digitize chemistry, allowing users to synthesize almost any compound anywhere in the world.
Read MoreLast week, the cabinet hinted that it would approve exports of medicinal cannabis during the 2019 state budget vote, only to dash hopes by leaving the measure out.
Read MoreIowa County spent over $160,000 on 22 new voting machines that are expected to be more efficient and secure.
Read MoreThe Atlantic Council regularly hosts the world's policymakers as they discuss approaches to solving our most pressing issues. This podcast features a selection of our events. The Atlantic Council promotes constructive leadership and engagement in international affairs based on the Atlantic Community's central role in meeting global challenges.
Read MoreThe Department of Veterans Affairs is the first healthcare system in the country to post information on its opioid-prescribing rates, including dispensing rates for each VA facility displayed on an interactive map that shows data over a five-year period.
Read Morefirsthand accounts detailing the historic, Jan. 1 launch of the state’s recreational marijuana market.
Read MoreA group representing marijuana business owners in the West is urging Congress to include language in a government spending bill that would protect pot operations.
Read MoreThe Department of Veterans Affairs says it will not conduct research into whether medical marijuana could help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain
Read MoreThe FDA announced that cough medicines containing opioid ingredients should no longer be given to children of any age. The FDA will require safety labeling to be changed accordingly.
Read Morewhen any layman can go onto Amazon.com and do a search for “Michael Kors” and find knockoff accessories on the first page of results or a new pair of $1,200 Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 Oxford sneakers going for the bargain price of $40, it's clear that the company may not be as effective in its mission to cleanse its ecosystem of counterfeits as they claim.
Read MoreLabels must have special features to prevent tampering of pharmaceutical packaging.
Read MoreThe International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) released recommendations calling for national or regional track & trace programs to take into account international systems and requirements.
Read MoreComponent and subsystem manufacturers in military and aerospace, automotive, and medical devices are under pressure to improve lot-to-lot traceability
Read MoreTrump is expected to sign a bill that will provide federal funding for Customs & Border Protection to obtain screening devices that can detect fentanyl at various points of entry.
Read MoreYolo County supervisors appeared to reach some consensus Tuesday on the future of commercial cultivation of medicinal cannabis, including plans for a cannabis tax to be placed on the June ballot
Read MoreMaintaining a strict zero tolerance for error approach to running federal polls, the commission said any move by foreign powers to interfere in Australian democracy represents a "potential catastrophic risk", akin to Russia's meddling in the United States 2016 presidential race.
Read MoreAndrey Ostrovsky, M.D., to lead Maryland-based Opioid Treatment Program
Read MoreThe legal status of marijuana on a federal level could impact California's ability to become a major producer of legal marijuana.
Read MoreThe World Wildlife Fund has introduced blockchain technology to the Pacific Islands' tuna industry to decrease illegal fishing.
Read MoreThe U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts stated that he would not offer blanket immunity to "participants in the state-level marijuana trade."
Read MoreWinery says grapegrowers must abide by Lodi Rules
Read MoreThe Australian government announced today that it would allow medicinal cannabis exports. It said the move would boost opportunities for domestic manufacturers, and that, in turn, a strong industry would mean Australian doctors having high-quality products to prescribe to their patients.
Read MoreA bill aimed at stopping the flow of fentanyl into the United States is awaiting the president’s signature.
Read MoreDispensary owners hope the new law broadens marijuana's appeal beyond a base of twentysomethings. Older buyers, however, who try smoking pot may want products that are less conspicuous. They wouldn't want to fire up a fat joint on a street corner.
Read MoreOn Nov. 28, 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new research showing that approximately one in 10 medical products circulating in low- and middle-income countries around the world are fake or substandard.
Read MoreBut while pot smokers and the companies that will serve them celebrate, the concerns of the medical marijuana industry seem to be getting short shrift.
Read MoreThe legalization of cannabis in coming months will offer a clear opportunity for provinces to shut down the black market for the drug and put an end to any notion there are still "grey" areas in Canadian law, top Liberal officials said.
Read MoreJustin Trudeau’s marijuana czar is warning that policy makers may need to adjust taxes to prevent prices from falling too low after legalization.
Read MoreMarijuana is becoming a widespread legal and tangible asset that will require a method for assured accountability. What is the fastest growing technology for assured accountability for assets? The blockchain of course.
Read MoreImplementing the new law requires an impressive amount of regulation, and the new rules—many of which have yet to be finalized—are extensive. But the changes are unlikely to have much of an immediate impact on California’s robust illegal marijuana production.
Read MoreThe state’s Department of Revenue has published marijuana sales data, giving a detailed look at the footprint of the young industry.
Read MoreDespite government efforts, however, America's patchwork of state and county election computer networks remains vulnerable to cyberattacks that could cause chaos on Election Day and undermine confidence in a balloting process that is already under significant strain, election security experts said.
Read MoreIs America on the verge of going CBD-crazy? There’s some evidence that we’re headed that way. Cannabidiol, or CBD – an active but not psychoactive compound found in marijuana (that is, it won’t get you high) – has been credited with near-magical powers. Its proponents claim that it can combat everything from acne to depression to Parkinson’s disease. While scientists say that it has indeed proven useful for treating childhood epilepsy and may be useful for curing insomnia, anxiety, and some chronic pain, many of its other supposed benefits have yet to be proven. That hasn’t stopped a lot of Americans from giving it a try.
Read MoreTwo key House lawmakers sent a letter to the attorney general on Friday, condemning the recent expansion of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authority amid mass protests and criticizing the agency’s objectives as out of step with the movement to legalize marijuana and reschedule other drugs.
Read MoreThe majority leader of the Georgia Senate unveiled plans Wednesday for major changes to the state’s election laws that would strengthen state oversight of election officials and add more identification requirements to absentee ballot voting, including elimination of no-excuse absentee voting with certain exceptions.
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