As we step into a new year, it’s time to reflect on the headlines we hope to see in the world of medical cannabis in 2024 and make a commitment to turn these hopes into
reality. Picture this: “Congress Makes Medical Cannabis Legal Nationwide, Creates New Office in HHS to Improve Access” and “New Federal Law Opens Door for Insurers to Cover Medical Cannabis” gracing the front pages of every newspaper.
The headlines from 2023 make it clear that the groundwork we have laid over the past two decades has brought us closer to making this a reality. They also illustrate that patient voices are needed more than ever in Washington, D.C.
The Biden Administration, arguably the most medical cannabis-friendly administration in history, and while Congress may not be ready for adult-use cannabis to progress federally, medical cannabis legislation remains a possibility on the horizon. At the state level, patients in many states are still fighting for access while patients in states with adult use programs are being marginalized and even forgotten. Product safety issues are a growing concern for patients and states are struggling with public health concerns over unregulated hemp-derived products market.
2023 REVIEW THROUGH HEADLINES:
MEDICAL CANNABIS & THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION
August 2023: Top Federal Health Agency Says Marijuana Should Be Moved To Schedule III In Historic Recommendation To DEA
September 2023: White House Says Biden ‘Has Always’ Supported Medical Cannabis Legalization
December 2023: Biden pardons marijuana use nationwide.
CONGRESS NOT READY FOR ADULT USE CANNABIS:
June 2023: Why National Cannabis Legalization Is Still A Decade Away
MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH
February 2023: WSJ What Doctors Are Learning About Marijuana and Surgery
February 2023: FDA Issues Final Guidance on Quality Considerations for Clinical Research On Cannabis
October 2023: The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act
November 2023: New Center for Medical Cannabis Research To Bridge Knowledge Gaps from Bench to Bedside
PATIENT ADVOCATES CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR STATE ACCESS
January 2023: Kentucky passes medical cannabis law
February. 2023: Report: Zero Medical Cannabis Markets Are Fully Meeting Patients’ Needs
February 2023: Nebraska introduces Medica Cannabis Legislation
February 2023: Bankruptcy Court Dismisses Cannabis Company Employee’s Chapter 13 Case
March 2023: Idaho House introduces late-session medical cannabis bill
October 2023: ‘Island of prohibition:’ Other red states have legalized marijuana. Why not Indiana?
December 2023: Wisconsin Lawmakers Plan Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill For 2024
FALL OUT OF “HEMP-DERIVED” CANNABINOID PRODUCT HEIGHTENS, FARM BILL PUSHED TO 2024
January 2023: FDA Announces they are unable to regulate hemp-derived: Calls on Congress to Create New Pathway
April 2023: Missouri lawmakers take aim at unregulated ‘delta-8 THC’ hemp products
September 2023: The U.S. has a chance to regulate delta-8 THC. Will it?
September 2023: Federal judge blocks state’s new law banning Delta 8 THC products
November 2023: CBD, delta-8, THCA: Texas hemp shop raid highlights legal, safety issues
FOCUS ON SENIORS & MEDICAL CANNABIS
March 2023: When Grandma uses medical cannabis, who pays?
March 2023: When Will Medicare Cover Medical Marijuana?
August 2023: Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Cannabis is having a senior moment
November 2023: Cannabis for Seniors: Why Older Adults Are Opting for Medical Marijuana
SAFETY ISSUES FOR “REGULATED” CANNABIS PRODUCTS
July 2023: ASA Report Reveals Major Disparities in State Cannabis Testing Programs
July 2023: Consumer Beware: Report Reveals Major Disparities in State Cannabis Testing Programs
August 2023: Marijuana users have more heavy metals in their bodies
September 2023: I Found a Vape Pen at My Son’s School. Finding Out What Was Inside Was a Lot Harder.
September 2023: Close to half of Maine’s medical cannabis may contain pesticides, mold, officials say
October 2023: Marijuana lab testing under scrutiny amid recalls, differing rules
ADULT-USE PROGRAMS NOT WORKING FOR PATIENTS
February 2023: The Parallel Medical World of Medicinal Marijuana in America
August 2023: Medical cannabis paved the way for legalization in California. Now patients feel left behind
October 2023: Is recreational cannabis killing Connecticut’s medical marijuana program?
October 2023: As Marijuana Banking Reform And Rescheduling Loom, We Must Not Forget Medical Cannabis Patients
LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024:
In 2024, Congress will be faced with passing the farm bill, where they will be reexamining the Hemp Authorization Act and the rescheduling of cannabis. How they approach these issues is up to us!
At ASA, we want to utilize these changes to push forward a national framework that invests in the development of standardized cannabis-based products, ensures a safe and consistent supply, fosters more medical professionals integrating cannabis into their patients’ treatment plans as a frontline medication, encourages insurance coverage, and prohibits employment, housing, parental, and healthcare discrimination.
Join us to today & make the headlines we want & need in 2024!
