Leading veterans groups are calling for Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat from California, is urging him to sign legislation that will streamline marijuana research and the use of psychedelics.
Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions sent out an alert to its supporters this week, asking them to send their experiences with psychedelic therapy to the Governor’s Office in letters.
The group stated that “VETS works tirelessly to increase access to psychedelic assisted therapies for Veterans across the nation.” This year we sponsored AB 1103, a law that will cut red tape for psychedelic projects in California’s top-notch institutions.
It said that “these studies will benefit not only veterans in California, but also ripple throughout the country, changing lives and advancing science. They will offer hope to those who desperately need it.” The bill now sits at the desk of Governor Gavin Newsom. Your voice is crucial.
The alert asks Newsom’s staff to send a message to Newsom, with pre-written letters or personal anecdotes to help “ensure this groundbreaking legislation is passed into law.”
Assemblymember Christopher Ward’s bill (D), would give the Research Advisory Panel of California, (RAPC), authority to accelerate reviews of marijuana research and psychedelics proposals until January 2028.
According to current law, all projects involving controlled substances are required to be approved by the state panel before they can apply for federal approval with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
It would allow the new measure to authorize the RAPC chair to assign up to two members to review research proposals expeditiously and to give approval on behalf the panel. The legislation would allow individual panelists to consult and communicate asynchronously outside full panel meetings with members who have complementary core competences to complete their reviews.
Summary: The bill’s overall goal is to allow for studies that will determine if marijuana, psychedelics, or other Schedule I and Schedule II drugs, can be used to treat “opioid use disorders, trauma brain injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or other mental conditions contributing to the high suicide rate among California veterans.”
The report states that “eliminating all unnecessary delays” in the start of clinical research will help save lives.
It’s been more than a full year since the Governor passed a law to speed up the application process for psychedelics, marijuana, and other research.
This legislation was introduced by Assemblymember Marie Waldron, (R), to assist in clearing a backlog for RAPC’s psychedelics research applications.
The members had decided to temporarily suspend their work because the law prohibited them from disclosing trade secrets or other confidential information about applicants. The bill resolved the problem by reauthorizing the panel’s duties to be performed in private meetings. This freed them to deal with the backlog.
Newsom has now signed a bill that extends to 2028 the exemption of panel members from open meeting laws.
—
MEDCAN24 tracks hundreds of marijuana, psychedelics, and drug policy legislation in state legislatures this year. Patreon subscribers who donate at least $25/month have access to the interactive maps and charts as well as our hearing calendar.
Find out more about our marijuana law tracker. To get access, become a Patreon supporter.
—
On Monday, the Governor signed into law a bill to halt a recent tax increase on marijuana products.
California officials are also inviting research proposals for a second round of grants under a program meant to better educate the public on the state’s marijuana law and help policymakers make informed decisions on the issue.
In June, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced the recipients of over $52 million in community reinvestment grants to nonprofits and local health departments, also funded by marijuana tax revenue.
That marked the seventh round of cannabis-funded California Community Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) under the state program.
California legalization has resulted in a series of new grants aimed to address the negative effects of marijuana prohibition, and foster a robust industry that is well-regulated.
California’s Supreme Court separately delivered a victory for the state’s marijuana program in June, rescinding a lower court ruling in a case that suggested federal prohibition could be used locally to undermine the cannabis market.
The state Supreme Court ruling also came just weeks after California officials unveiled a report on the current status and future of the state’s marijuana market—with independent analysts hired by regulators concluding that the federal prohibition on cannabis that prevents interstate commerce is meaningfully bolstering the illicit market.
The governor did sign a bill in 2022 that would have empowered him to enter into interstate cannabis commerce agreements with other legal states, but that power was incumbent upon federal guidance or an assessment from the state attorney general that sanctioned such activity.
Meanwhile, a California Senate committee recently declined to advance a bipartisan bill that would have created a psilocybin pilot program for military veterans and former first responders.
MEDCAN24 would not be possible without the support of readers. Please consider making a Patreon monthly pledge if you depend on our cannabis journalism for information.
