How to use cannabis for anxiety

Bailey Rahn

(Leafly)

When I first began using cannabis almost a decade ago, I found it worked wonders for my anxiety. Back then, it didn’t really matter which strain I was smoking—cannabis almost always helped regardless of set, setting, dose, or strain.

But as I got older, things got more complicated. I began to notice that certain strains made me more anxious than others. High doses made me paranoid. Using cannabis with unfamiliar people or in unfamiliar places almost always made me hypervigilant, self-conscious, and on edge.

Instead of taking multiple bong rips of potent strains like Original Glue and GSC, I moved toward strains with equal levels of THC and CBD—and taking just a few hits off a bubbler. I’ve found 5mg THC edibles to be a far better experience than one with 10-20mg THC. And instead of wake-and-baking with high-THC flower, I start my day with a CBD tincture.

Anxiety evolves and changes, and so might how you treat it.

Cannabis is complicated, and so is anxiety. Your ideal strain, product, dose, and regimen may not look like mine, and you should expect your relationship with cannabis as an anti-anxiety medicine to shift over the years. Anxiety evolves and changes, and so might how you treat it. There are also many different types of anxiety, and cannabis may affect each differently.

This guide is meant to help you understand your options. Finding the perfect product and routine for you will ultimately require personal experimentation, and we’ll walk you through all the first steps to get started.

Research on marijuana and anxiety

When using cannabis for anxiety, research suggests that lower doses may offer greater therapeutic benefit. While this ideal dose differs from person to person, it’s generally recommended to start with a low dose (such as 2.5mg of THC) and gradually increase the dose—ideally adding just another milligram or two—until you feel optimal symptom relief. (Leafly)

Cannabis is relaxing. Well, it should be, but if you’ve ever smoked a little too much or underestimated an infused edible, you know quite well that THC can sometimes turn on this reputation.

When it comes to high-THC cannabis and anxiety, there’s one thing to keep in mind based on research: At lower doses, cannabis seems to help anxiety; at higher doses, it seems to worsen it.  So if opting for a high-THC variety, be sure to pay close attention to your dose (more on that below). However, high doses of CBD appear to reduce anxiety.

So why does cannabis soothe anxiety at some doses and exacerbate at others? Answering that requires a closer look at the biological system cannabis primarily interacts with: the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The ECS is a vast system of receptors found throughout each of our bodies: in our brains, organs, guts, skin—these cannabinoid receptors are widespread and play an important role in ensuring that the body is operating in healthy balance. Our bodies naturally produce cannabis-like compounds—called endocannabinoids—that act similarly to cannabis compounds and also interact with the ECS, but sometimes their production goes awry. That’s where cannabis comes in as a potential therapy.

Studies show that the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in regulating anxiety, fear, and stress responses by regulating our behavioral response to stressful stimuli. Notably, cannabinoid receptors are abundant in areas of the brain involved in anxiety processing such as the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and areas of the amygdala. These studies also explain how THC can have opposing effects on anxiety as dosage affects neuron activity differently via cannabinoid type 1 receptors.

Another study published in Jan. 2020 showed that the endocannabinoid 2-AG (which activates the same receptors as THC) reduced anxiety-inducing connections between the amygdala and frontal cortex, suggesting another mechanism by which cannabis relieves anxiety in certain doses.

Cannabis terpenes are another area of interest when it comes to unveiling answers around the plant’s anti-anxiety effects. Terpenes are fragrant oils produced by the plant that make up its aroma, and researchers are exploring to what degree they provide additional therapeutic benefits. For example, the terpene limonene has been studied for its anti-anxiety benefits. Further research is needed to understand how individual terpenes impact the overall therapeutic experience of cannabis.

Does marijuana interact with anti-anxiety medication?

(Leafly)

When it comes to mixing cannabis with other anxiety drugs, there are a few things to consider.

There hasn’t been much research investigating the interplay of cannabis and anxiety medications, but based on available studies and patient reports, we have a sense for which medications are riskier than others when it comes to mixing. Due to the lack of extensive research, it is advisable to first consult your doctor before combining cannabis and other medications.

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)—like Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, Zoloft, and Lexapro—are among the most common prescriptions for anxiety. Very few adverse interactions between cannabis and SSRIs have been reported by patients. This also seems to be the case with NDRIs (norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake inhibitors) like Wellbutrin, Aplenzin, and Forfivo.

Other medications call for greater caution as cannabis could amplify adverse side effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. These higher-risk combinations include:

• Sedatives (e.g., Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien)
• Tricyclic antidepressants (e.g., imipramine/Tofranil, amitriptyline, doxepin, trimipramine/Surmontil)
• MAOIs (e.g. tranylcypromine/Parnate, phenelzine/Nardil, isocarboxazid/Marplan)

Another consideration is how cannabis may complicate symptom tracking. If you’ve just started taking anti-anxiety medication, you may want to hold on using cannabis so you can clearly see whether your anti-anxiety medication is working on its own.

Read our guides on Leafly for more information on how cannabis may interact with antidepressants and other drugs.

How to choose the right strain for anxiety

Although research shows that certain types of cannabis seem to generally work better than others for anxiety, we’re all different. Finding the strain that knocks out your anxiety will require a bit of exploration, which is made easier by Leafly’s Cannabis Guide.

Leafly’s Cannabis Guide is a visual system that helps us better predict the potential effects of a strain using shapes and colors. By noting which shapes and colors made you feel better (or worse), you can easily shop for similar varieties on your next dispensary visit.

Here are a few strains that are generally rated well for anxiety that you might consider trying.

Harlequin

Cannabinoid profile: Balanced CBD/THC

Terpenes: Myrcene, pinene, caryophyllene

Harlequin is a commonly found balanced 1:1  CBD/THC strain, but there are many other varieties out there that look a lot like this one. With a lower dose of THC and a moderate dose of CBD, Harlequin’s cannabinoid profile is well-suited for anxiety fighters who don’t mind gentle euphoria. Its most abundant terpene is myrcene, which is believed to have a relaxing effect and has been used throughout history as a sleep aid.

ACDC

Cannabinoid profile: CBD-dominant

Terpenes: Myrcene, pinene, caryophyllene

Looking for a safe first step into the world of cannabis? A CBD-dominant strain like ACDC can offer anxiety benefits without the buzz. Containing only trace levels of THC, ACDC uses the force of CBD and terpenes like myrcene to invoke a clear, calm state of mind. If you’re new to cannabis and leery of feeling high, ACDC or a strain with a similar chemical profile is the ticket.

Bubba Kush

Cannabinoid profile: THC-dominant

Terpenes: Caryophyllene, limonene, myrcene

This should be prefaced with one big caveat: When it comes to THC-dominant strains, there is a lot of variation in the types of strains consumers prefer. If you take a look at Leafly’s strain database sorted by strains highly rated for anxiety relief, you’ll see many different terpenes (colors), indicating that consumers may not agree on the “best” strain for anxiety. Imagine that.

But many experienced consumers would recommend something like Bubba Kush. This strain is known for its calming, blissful high that helps you sink deeply into your relaxation routine, whatever that may be. With warm flavors of earthy coffee and black pepper, Bubba Kush brings a sense of coziness to mind and body for those accustomed to a fairly strong THC high.

To explore more strains rated highly for anxiety relief by other Leafly users, browse our database.

You can also check out our hand-curated staff suggestions in this article.

Related

Got anxiety? Study finds cannabis strains to try, or avoid

Find the right cannabis product for anxiety

Stepping into a cannabis shop full of bud, edibles, oils, lotions, and capsules can be overwhelming for someone new to cannabis. Where do you even begin?

To summarize the general effects of different cannabis consumption methods and product types:

• Inhaled methods (vaporization and smoking) offer the most immediate relief, but the effects don’t last as long as ingestible methods.
• Ingestible methods (edibles, tinctures, capsules, etc.) take a while to kick in, but offer longer-lasting effects.
• Inhaled and ingestible cannabis should both be dosed with caution, but edibles especially require care as their effects can be intense and last several hours if too large of a dose is consumed.

Above, we explored the ways CBD and THC affect anxiety differently—keep that in mind when choosing a product, and always make sure you select a product with the CBD and THC levels that suit you.

Here’s a brief overview of things to know about cannabis products commonly used to counter anxiety.

• Cannabis flower — Dried buds that you can smoke or vaporize. Find a strain you like (probably one with moderate to high levels of CBD, but that’s cool if a high-THC strain is your cup of tea), and inhale it for fast-acting relief. Inhalation methods take effect much faster than ingestible methods.
• Pre-filled oil vapes — A vaporizer pen that comes preloaded with cannabis oil so you don’t have to hassle with setup. Take a small puff and gradually take more if needed; the effects are fast-acting, but if you’re new to cannabis, wait a several minutes before trying another puff to ensure the dose is right.
• Cannabis tincture — A liquid extract that is applied and absorbed under the tongue. It typically takes effect faster than other ingestible methods, but takes longer than inhaled cannabis. It offers the benefits of precise dosing and a clean, smoke-free experience. CBD oil is a particularly popular choice for anxiety relief.
• Cannabis edibles — Foods and beverages that are infused with cannabis oils. Cannabis edibles can take up to two hours to take full effect, and can be felt for several hours afterward. If using cannabis for anxiety, consider taking a very small dose to start. A “microdose” (that is, a dose too small to induce euphoric effects) has been useful for consumers looking to dull anxiety while keeping a clear head. 

Dosing marijuana for anxiety

Dosing guidelines for cannabis varies depending on two things:

1. How you consume it
2. The THC and CBD levels of your product

Dosing CBD

High-CBD products are a highly recommended starting point. Not only has CBD been found to effectively relieve anxiety, it’s also non-intoxicating so you don’t have to be as careful about dosing as you have to be with THC products.

With CBD oils and edibles, consider starting with 10mg and increase or decrease your dose until you’ve found the sweet spot for your symptoms. Or puff on a CBD vape or CBD-rich flower until you feel anxiety starting to lift.

Dosing THC

If you want to fold a little THC in, here’s what you should know about dosing:

• If you’re ingesting it, the dose will usually be written in milligrams (mg). For example, you might find edibles that contain 10mg of THC or CBD per serving.
• A liquid tincture may show the total milligrams per bottle and suggest a serving in milliliters. It may recommend taking one or two droppers-full.
• Inhaling via smoking or vaporization is a little different—flower and oils typically present potency as a percentage by weight. So a flower may have, for example, 16% THC, while an oil could contain somewhere around 80% THC. New consumers should aim for smaller THC percentages and higher CBD percentages.

To reiterate, someone using cannabis for anxiety should start with a small dose. If you buy a 10mg THC edible, take half or a quarter of it to start—you can always add more if you’re not feeling anything in an hour or two, but undoing overly intense effects is an entirely different (and difficult) challenge.

Likewise, with flower or vape oils, take just a small puff and wait.

You might even consider microdosing cannabis—that is, taking a very small dose (such as 2.5mg THC)—one that’s too low to induce any euphoric effects, but still provides benefits by stimulating our natural endocannabinoid system.

For complete guides on dosing cannabis, check out the following:

• How to read a CBD label
  
• How to assess THC and CBD levels in cannabis strains and products
  
• Predicting cannabis strain effects from THC and CBD levels
  
• How to find your optimal cannabis edibles dose
  
• Is more CBD better? The science behind CBD dosing for anxiety and other conditions
  

Making cannabis helpful, not harmful

Cannabis is a tool, not a cure. Honestly assess whether it’s helping you achieve your goals—or if it’s enabling you to avoid them.

Cannabis is a tool, not a cure. Like other medications prescribed for anxiety, cannabis can be helpful in dulling symptoms of anxiety, allowing us the ability to functionally move from day to day and foster healthy habits.

Ideally, cannabis will ease stress and motivate you to take care of yourself. It can spark creativity and curiosity, fueling projects and hobbies that help you stay present. It can inspire you to cook a healthy dinner that tastes ridiculously good after a bowl of Purple Kush. It can ignite interest in getting outdoors with friends and family, or allow us to sit in meditation for a few minutes each day.

That’s not to say cannabis has to motivate you to join a gym, create art, hike a mountain, or be around other people in order to help you. Sometimes, relaxing with your favorite strain and a video game is exactly what we need, especially when we feel overworked and burnt out.

When using cannabis for anxiety, take note of how you’re using it. Honestly assess whether it’s helping you achieve your goals—or if it’s enabling you to avoid them.

DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment Shows Marijuana Potency and Demand Increasing; Black Market Operations Thriving

Kathryn J. Russo

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration published its 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment on January 30, 2020. The DEA’s annual report is a comprehensive strategic assessment of the threat posed to the United States by domestic and international drug trafficking and the abuse of drugs. It compiles data from many sources, including drug seizures, laboratory analyses, information on the involvement of organized criminal groups, and survey data provided to DEA by state and local law enforcement agencies across the country.

Highlights of the DEA’s report include the following:

• Marijuana remains the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. Most states that have legalized marijuana have placed no limits on the Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) potency of marijuana or its associated concentrate products. (THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana). Consequently, THC potency continues to increase, as does demand. Mexico remains the most significant foreign source for marijuana available in the U.S., but domestic marijuana production and availability continues to rise. Black market marijuana production by criminal trafficking organizations continues to increase, predominantly in states that have legalized marijuana. The popularity of marijuana use, the demand for increasingly potent marijuana and marijuana products, the potential for substantial profit, and the perception of little risk entice diverse traffickers and criminal organizations to cultivate and distribute illegal marijuana throughout the U.S.
  
• Drug poisoning deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the U.S. In 2017, drug poisoning deaths reached their highest recorded level (information for 2018 and 2019 was not available) and, every year since 2011, have outnumbered deaths by firearms, motor vehicle crashes, suicide and homicide.
  
• Fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids – primarily from China and Mexico – continue to be the most lethal category of illicit substances misused in the U.S. Fentanyl continues to be sold as counterfeit prescription pills as traffickers are increasingly selling fentanyl to users both alone and as an adulterant, leading to rising fentanyl-related deaths.
  
• Heroin-related overdose deaths remain at high levels in the U.S., due to continued use and availability. Heroin-only overdose deaths declined in 2017, while heroin-fentanyl overdose deaths continued to climb.
  
• Controlled Prescription Drugs are still responsible for most drug overdose deaths and are the second most commonly abused substances in the U.S.
  
• Methamphetamine remains widely available, with traffickers attempting to create new customers by expanding into new, non-traditional methamphetamine markets such as the Northeast, or other bases with new product forms.
  
• Cocaine is a resurgent threat in the U.S. and cocaine-involved overdose deaths continue to climb, primarily due to the continued spread of fentanyl into the cocaine supply.        

New Mexico recreational pot legalization passes 1st test

By Russell Contreras

A group of New Mexico sheriffs stand outside the New Mexico Senate in Santa Fe, N..M., on Tuesday.Russell Contreras/Associated Press

SANTA FE, N.M. — A Democrat-backed bill to legalize recreational marijuana businesses in all towns and counties across New Mexico passed its first test late Tuesday amid heightened interested from businesses and health care advocates.

The Senate Public Affairs Committee voted 4-3 along party lines to move along the measure that would subsidize medical marijuana and automatically expunge many past pot convictions. 

The committee had to convene on the Senate floor to accommodate crowds around a proposal that would subsidize medical marijuana for low-income patients and expunge many past pot convictions.

An initial draft of the bill from Democratic Senator Gerald Ortiz y Pino of Albuquerque would also override local governments that don’t welcome the industry. The condition is an attempt to stamp out black markets.

“This is the future,” Ben Lewinger, executive director of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, told lawmakers. “New Mexico doesn't have time to waste precious years.”

But the future of the bill remain uncertain as it moves to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where chairman Senator Joseph Cervantes, a moderate Democrat from Las Cruces, has said he had concerns about legalizing recreational marijuana in the state.

Under the proposal, every r ecreational dispensary would be required to also offer medical marijuana to patients who qualify under a long list of conditions such as cancer, post-traumatic stress and chronic pain. New Mexico founded its medical cannabis program in 2007.

The initiative was condemned as a threat to workplace and roadway safety by a coalition that includes the local Roman Catholic Church, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Smart Approaches to Marijuana — a nonpartisan group opposed to marijuana legalization.

“With New Mexico routinely ranked near the bottom of the country in terms of education, overall economy, opportunity, drug use, and crime, this is the worst possible option at the worst possible time,” said a statement from Allen Sanchez, executive director of the New Mexico Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Lincoln County Sheriff Robert Shepperd said the state's law enforcement leaders also have concerns over how deputies will spot motorists suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana.

“In order to take a swab of the mouth, we need to get a warrant,” Shepperd said. “How do we do that? There's just a lot of questions. I think we need to slow down and not rush this.”

Terri Cole, president and CEO at Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, said businesses also were worried about the lack of technology to test employees for marijuana use especially because of federal contract requirements.

“Somebody's worker's comp is going to go through the roof,” Republican Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle said. “Did this cause you to have an accident on the job?”

Authors of the legislation say it responds to concerns about affordability and access to medical marijuana in states including Oregon that have authorized recreational marijuana. No state yet mandates medical cannabis sales at all marijuana shops, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

A bipartisan legalization bill last year that involved state-run cannabis stores won House approval by a two-vote margin before stalling in the Senate, where several moderate Democrats have openly opposed legalization.

Deliberations begin this year in the Senate, where a handful of Republicans have backed past legalization efforts and some Democrats are firmly against it.

This year's initiative hews closely to recommendations of a legalization policy task force assembled by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and led by Albuquerque city councilor Pat Davis.

The bill would reserve tax revenue from marijuana sales for law enforcement agencies and public education efforts to prevent intoxicated driving.

It breaks with task force recommendations by allowing small quantities of home grown marijuana.

Canberrans can now grow and smoke cannabis, though some questions remain unanswered

By Markus Mannheim and Tom Lowrey

Photo: Canberrans can now grow cannabis without committing a criminal offence. (SCX: Atroszko)

Canberrans can now grow dope, keep a small amount of the drug at home and smoke it without fear of committing a criminal offence … kind of.

Today marks the first day that the ACT's controversial new cannabis legislation is in effect.

The laws have been widely described as the first in Australia to legalise the personal use of marijuana.

Yet that's not quite what the ACT legislation does: it simply removes criminal and financial penalties for possessing and using small amounts of the drug.

The Federal Government has made it clear that it opposes this shift and has threatened to use the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to enforce its own criminal laws against Canberrans who choose to light up.

What some of the changes in the capital mean in practice remains under a cloud.

What's legal today that wasn't yesterday?

Technically, nothing. Growing and using cannabis is not legal; it's just no longer criminal. And, depending on the amount, it may not earn you a fine either.

The ACT Government said it was not encouraging people to use the drug, but it knows that they do.

Instead, it wants to help them stop using it rather than drag them through the legal system over a joint.

Possessing under 50g of cannabis has been decriminalised in the ACT for a while, but the laws introduced today go even further.

Yesterday, for example, an adult caught with a plant would have faced a $160 fine under ACT law. Today, there is no fine.

How much can you grow, carry and use?

 

Photo: Adults (not children) can keep small amounts of cannabis for personal use. (Unsplash: Thought Catalog)

Canberrans who are 18 or older can grow up to two cannabis plants at their home. (Children can neither grow, carry nor use the drug.)

However, each household must have no more than four plants in total.

An adult can possess up to 150 grams of fresh, or "wet", marijuana, or 50 grams if it's dry (ready to smoke).

Where can you use it?

Canberrans can only grow plants at the premises they live in. They can neither use someone else's property nor let others use theirs.

One unlucky Canberra dope user likely to become a test case

It will take a test case — a smoker whom police decide to arrest and charge — to determine what the law actually is.

Each plant must be grown naturally — in the garden or a pot — not hydroponically. Yet it can't be grown in a spot where passers-by can reach it.

Similarly, people can only smoke, eat or otherwise consume the drug in their home. It can't be used in public, even if no one else sees it being used.

Users of cannabis also need to ensure they don't expose children to it (or its smoke), nor can they store it where children can reach it.

And, of course, it can't be taken across the border into New South Wales, where possession of even small amounts remains a criminal offence.

Can you share a joint with a mate?

No. Nor can you give, share or sell plants or seeds.

Under ACT law, people who share a joint are committing the offence of supplying a prohibited substance. The maximum penalty is $80,000 and/or five years in jail.

Offer them a cup of tea and biscuits, instead.

How can you get seeds legally?

You can't. Several websites claim to be able to send marijuana seeds legally to Australian buyers. They're wrong.

During the legislative debate, a "seed repository" — a place Canberrans could access seeds legally — was considered but ultimately rejected.

The chair of the ACT Law Society's criminal law committee, Michael Kukulies-Smith, said this issue should be addressed.

"If you have some marijuana or you have a plant, someone, at some time, committed a criminal offence," he said.

"You didn't get the seeds from divine intervention, and whoever gave them to you committed the offence of trafficking."

What will the police do?

 

Photo: ACT police chief Ray Johnson must balance competing orders from federal and ACT ministers. (ABC News: Penny Travers)

This is the main problem: no one knows.

ACT Policing is part of the AFP. This puts the local force in a bind, because it serves two masters — the Commonwealth and the ACT — each of which is giving different orders.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter says "it remains unlawful at Commonwealth law to possess cannabis in the ACT" — even small amounts.

"The expectation is that police enforce the law," he told the ABC late last year.

But no one genuinely expects the police to spend their time chasing small-time cannabis users.

When the laws were passed in September, Chief Police Officer Ray Johnson said his officers would focus instead on tackling organised criminals who sold large amounts of the drug.

 

Photo: Canberrans will need to decide whether risking a criminal prosecution is worth it. (AAP)

Nonetheless, the risk remains: if you smoke dope in Canberra, a federal police officer could charge you, however unlikely that may be.
Mr Kukulies-Smith said this legal ambiguity was troubling.

"Individual police officers are going to have a lot of discretion, unfortunately," he said.

"If you have no prior convictions and aren't usually in trouble with the police, you've very unlikely to get into trouble.

"But if you have priors or you upset an officer, they might decide to use Commonwealth law instead.


"This isn't helpful. We don't really have any understanding of how the police's top brass are going to handle this."

Advocates Push Back On Secretly Recorded Trump Claim That Marijuana Use Lowers IQ

By Kyle Jaeger

Marijuana reform advocates are hitting back at President Trump’s suggestion that cannabis use makes people lose IQ points.

“In Colorado they have more accidents,” the president said of the first state to legalize cannabis for adult use. “It does cause an IQ problem.”

The comments were revealed over the weekend in a surreptitiously recorded video captured in April 2018 by Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani, who is involved in the Ukraine scandal that led to the president’s impeachment.

But when it comes to cannabis’s impact on intelligence, Trump has it wrong, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which determined based on longitudinal twin studies that there is not “a causal relationship between marijuana use and IQ loss.”

In interviews with Marijuana Moment on Monday, legalization advocates expressed frustration that the president perpetuated the prohibitionist talking point.

“Trump’s remarks simply reveal that he is out of touch, given that the majority of Americans support marijuana legalization for both medical and adult use,” Sheila Vakharia of the Drug Policy Alliance said. “This type of rhetoric is fear-mongering and inflammatory.”

“The evidence is clear from the dozens of states that have legalized medical and adult use—the sky isn’t falling and the kids are alright,” she said.

Erik Altieri, executive director of NORML, said that “what truly causes a decline in an individual’s intelligence is adhering to false Reefer Madness rhetoric that flies in the face of available science.”

“If President Trump truly believes that responsible marijuana use by adults leads to a loss of IQ points, we suggest he immediately consults his physician to see if he is suffering from this affliction or at the very least consults the wide body of available research that debunks this old talking point,” he told Marijuana Moment.

But while the president’s IQ claim came as a disappointment, there were other aspects of the secretly recorded dinner conversation concerning that cannabis reform advocates see as positive.

For example, Trump seemed surprised to hear that state-legal marijuana businesses don’t have access to traditional financial services, which Parnas described as “the biggest problem” in the industry.

“Cannabis, look, you’re talking about marijuana, right? You can’t do banking there?” the president said, adding that the issue is “all working out. That whole thing is working out.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,” he said.

Trump, who has previously voiced support for allowing states to set their own marijuana policies, also asked others at the dinner table whether they believe “the whole marijuana thing is a good thing” and whether the plant is “actually good for opioids.”

One person said cannabis is a “better alternative” to prescription opioids, and Donald Trump Jr. noted that “alcohol does much more damage” than marijuana and that “you don’t see people beating their wives on marijuana. It’s just different.”

Morgan Fox, media relations director for the National Cannabis Industry Association, told Marijuana Moment that it’s “pretty frustrating that the president, like many others, has been misled by ‘Just Say No’ propaganda into believing the disproven idea that cannabis consumption decreases intelligence.”

“However, this clip suggests that he is in a fairly good position or at least heading towards one on the issue overall,” he said. “I think it is pretty clear that he understands that prohibition is a failure from an economic standpoint, that states should be free from federal interference, and that reform could help with the opioid epidemic.”

“His statements regarding access to banking suggest that he would be willing to sign cannabis banking reform legislation that crosses his desk. Generally, it is very heartening to see that the administration is having substantive conversations about it, and we welcome the opportunity to continue this discussion with the president to make sure he recognizes the urgency of reform and has the facts.”

Later in the recording, Parnas made the case that Trump should embrace marijuana reform ahead of the 2018 midterm elections to attract young voters and get “ahead of” the issue.

“It’s so far out you’re not going to stop it,” he said. “I think you need to be ahead of it.”

Parnas pitched the idea of establishing a “bipartisan committee” with “no politicians” to independently explore possible policy changes and make recommendations to the administration. The president didn’t directly reply.

While Trump didn’t take up the suggestion to take the lead on cannabis prior to the 2018 election in which Republicans lost control of the House of Representatives, Don Murphy, director of federal policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, said it’s not too late for him to act.

The president “has an opportunity to make the history books undoing a war he inherited, waged against Americans—African Americans in particular—literally for generations,” he said.

“Even his predecessor continued that same failed policy, throwing even more people in prison.

Not only that, he has a chance to out flank every Democratic candidate in the field,” Murphy told Marijuana Moment, referring to the Obama administration’s rejection of petitions to reclassify cannabis under federal law. “He would be remembered as our greatest criminal justice reformer in history.”

New York weed legalization bill could raise possession threshold

By Associated Press

AP
The bill, backed by a number of Democrats in both chambers, would allow people over 21 years old to have three ounces of marijuana. The standard, if approved, would set one of the most lenient marijuana possession thresholds in the nation.

Supporters of the proposal say that higher possession thresholds would help prevent people from getting wrapped up in the criminal justice system.

A competing proposal from Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo would only permit people to have one ounce of marijuana. Dispensaries under that plan would be allowed to sell one ounce of marijuana per person on a daily basis.

The possession threshold is one of a myriad of differences between Cuomo’s plan and the legislative proposal, which is sponsored by Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes.

One big issue that could hold up legalization again this year is how the state will spend money from marijuana sales.

Marijuana legalization in New York could eventually bring in $300 million in annual revenues, according to a Cuomo estimate released last year.

Cuomo’s proposal says marijuana revenue would be deposited in a state cannabis fund to be spent on everything from administration, to substance abuse treatment, public health education, to research on cannabis uses. His administration says they don’t want to require specific amounts to go to certain areas because they want flexibility as the industry grows and changes.

Democratic Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and other legislative Democratic leaders have said they want more specific assurance that revenues will go to communities negatively impacted by enforcement of drug laws.

Peoples-Stokes said Tuesday that she has been in regular conversations with the governor’s office on marijuana legalization.

The Democrat, who represents Buffalo, signaled she will not support the proposal if marijuana revenue is not diverted to communities affected by the drug’s prohibition.

“And I know that he probably will try to make sure that there are resources invested in communities of color that have been (disaffected.) But quite honestly, he’s not governor for life,” she said. “There could be another governor in five years.”

Peoples-Stokes said there are now more New Yorkers and lawmakers who see the value of legalizing the drug. Her plan recently received the support of Sen. Pete Harckham, a Democrat who represents a swath of the Hudson Valley.

Support from Democrats in moderate districts like Harckham’s could be key as legislators push to legalize recreational marijuana.

Meanwhile, a recent Siena College poll found 58% of respondents supported legalizing recreational marijuana use. The poll involved 814 registered voters in New York and was conducted by telephone Jan. 11-16. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

Besides revenue, there are differences on what violations and criminal statutes will look if the drug is made legal.

Under the plan included in Cuomo’s budget, people caught smoking marijuana in public places could face a fine of $125 fine.

People could face a misdemeanor if they have more than two ounces of marijuana under the governor’s plan. But under the legislative proposal, people found with more than three ounces of marijuana could receive a violation and face a fine of $125.