Key co-sponsor of the Senate legalization bill Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) says he is “open to compromises” regarding the passage of the SAFE Banking Act.
The lawmaker has repeatedly said that he would keep the SAFE Banking bill from passing if his Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) isn’t given a fair shake. Booker said the passage of SAFE Banking would make broader cannabis law reform less pressing.
But last week the senator appeared ready to flip on that position. “The reality is: I’m open to compromises that are going to achieve my goals of safety, of investment opportunities that are equal for business communities and, finally, to make sure we do something for all of these people right now who have marijuana possession charges that deserve some relief from the impact that it’s having on their economic and family wellbeing,” said Booker during an interview with NJ Spotlight News.
When asked directly if he was willing to compromise on SAFE Banking, Booker said he was “a supporter of that,” but “I just want it to be balanced with us having some restorative justice as well.”
Pot Users Less Likely to Have a Certain Cancer
According to a study recently published in the Cureus Journal of Medical Science, regular cannabis users are less likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common type of liver cancer.
The team of researchers from Georgetown University Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic examined the data for millions of patients in the National Inpatient Sample database—the largest publicly available all-payer inpatient healthcare database—and found that regular cannabis users were 55 percent less likely to develop HCC.
The study’s authors said the mechanism behind this statistic is unclear and suggest that there is need to further study CBD’s affect on HCC development.
The study also found that inpatient cannabis users were younger than non-users—34 years old on average compared to 48 years old—were more likely to be tobacco smokers, more likely to be male and more likely to be Black.
First Cannabis Courier Licensed in NM
The state’s first cannabis courier license was recently approved for Green Light Courier.
According to a press release, Lila Romero, the company’s chief operating officer and co-founder said, “Over the recent years we learned that transportation is not as well recognized as other business entities like cultivation, manufacturing and retail. We saw an opportunity to provide a secure service that streamlines the need for business-to-business transportation in accordance with state regulations.”
Green Light Courier is an active member of the New Mexico Cannabis Chamber of Commerce. “It’s been essential that we affiliate ourselves with the brightest minds in the business to start strong and stay strong,” said co-founder Cisco Romero.