Last week, pioneer weed comedians Cheech and Chong’s cannabis company joined a lawsuit against the state of California over a new regulation that bans intoxicating hemp products.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in September he was enacting emergency regulations that ban all hemp products containing any amount of THC or any other intoxicating cannabinoids. Despite that rule, all hemp products are also banned from sale to anyone under the age of 21.
“We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores,” Newsom said in a news release.
Those rules went into effect last week, and the next day, a coalition of hemp businesses — including advocacy group U.S. Hemp Roundtable and Cheech and Chong’s Cannabis — filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County seeking to reverse the new rules. The lawsuit claims that the new rules will destroy small hemp businesses. It also argues the law contradicts federal legalization of hemp with less than 0.3% THC.
The coalition is also seeking a separate restraining order to force the state to pause enforcement of the new regulations.
South Dakota police deny applicant over weed use
A police applicant in South Dakota was recently denied a job because of past marijuana use.
Samantha Hamm, a former teenage runaway with a criminal past, was denied police certification by the South Dakota Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission last month, despite having an excellent training record. According to South Dakota Searchlight, the commission cited Hamm’s numerous criminal convictions, particularly a 2020 arrest for felony cannabis possession.
Hamm explained her troubled past, including being forced into prostitution as a teenager. The commission acknowledged Hamm’s efforts to turn her life around, including excelling as a top student in a law enforcement program and her determination to become a role model for young people. But it decided that her past conduct did not meet the standards for police certification and found her marijuana arrest too problematic to certify her. She claimed the 2020 arrest was due to her lack of familiarity with South Dakota’s marijuana laws.
Hamm was encouraged to pursue other roles in the criminal justice system, however, where her experiences could still make a positive impact.
Florida sheriff backs legalization
Last week, a pro-legalization campaign in Florida ran an ad featuring Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young.
“Illicit marijuana laced with illegal drugs, like fentanyl, have destroyed lives,” Young says in the ad. “I know, because I’ve seen it firsthand.”
Young said passing the legalization initiative “will save lives” by regulating marijuana and testing products for safety. He also said it will keep illicit drugs out of Florida and allow law enforcement to focus on more serious crimes.
The ad was produced by Smart & Safe Florida, a pro-legalization campaign.