South Divided Over Cannabis Legalization: Who's Against Safe Drug Consumption Sites & More Marijuana Regulatory Updates

PA Dems Against Safe Drug Consumption Sites

• Four Pennsylvania lawmakers seek to end a push to launch operations in a safe drug consumption site.
• With the move, Sens. Sharif Street (D), Christine Tartaglione (D), Anthony Williams (D) and Jimmy Dillon (D) submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania fighting against any agreement in a lawsuit that seeks to allow operations of a center in Philadelphia that non-profit Safehouse would run.

South Divided Over Cannabis Legalization

• Two recent polls have investigated the sentiment on cannabis legalization in two Southern states. The survey from Winthrop University has revealed that residents of South Carolina support legalization of both recreational and medical use of cannabis, with 56% and 76%, respectively, backing the reform, reported Marijuana Moment.
• Congresswoman Nancy Mace, serving as the U.S. representative for South Carolina's 1st congressional district since 2021 and has been a cannabis reform advocate for years, said in last week's tweet that findings are "not as controversial as some would have you to believe."
• Kentuckians are, to that end, more conservative, as a recent Emerson College poll found that the state's Republican voters are not supporting recreational marijuana legalization. The majority (50.2%) is openly against it, while a third of those asked would support the cannabis policy reform.

Kentucky Researchers To Study Pros & Cons Of Medical Marijuana

• On the heels of the Bluegrass State making the headlines as the 38th state in the nation to enable access to medical marijuana for patients with debilitating conditions, researchers from the University of Kentucky are getting ready to research the pros and cons of the medical use of the plant.
• The state granted the research center $2 million to conduct the study last year. The researchers aim to study the effects of cannabis on opioid addiction, obesity and cancer.
• "We are looking at outcomes like quality of life, mood and appetite," Dr. Shanna Babalonis, director of the University of Kentucky Cannabis Center, said. "We are looking at weight, so we are trying to figure out will medical marijuana and cannabis help the patients keep their weight up."

WA Bill To Legalize Interstate Marijuana Sales Heads To Governor

• A bill allowing cannabis companies to negotiate interstate agreements in Washington State is heading to Gov. Jay Inslee's (D) desk after the state Senate gave it final approval on Friday.
• The bill, SB 5069 from Sen. Ann Rivers (R), got the green light from members of the House of Representatives on Wednesday following the adoption of an amendment that sought to change "a scrivener's error" in the bill's version that passed the state Senate in a 40-8 vote last month.
• Under the legislation, imported cannabis goods would have to be aligned with the state's testing, packaging and labeling regulations; they need to adapt to rules set by the Department of Health and Liquor & Cannabis Board.

Photo: Benzinga edit of photo by Shutterstock