CMMNJ: CMMNJ Monthly Meeting Agenda for February 14, 2023

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

CMMNJ Monthly Meeting Agenda for February 14, 2023

CMMNJ Monthly Meeting Agenda for February 14, 2023 at 7 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 813 9102 6598 Passcode: 700488 Or click: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81391026598?pwd=OWlIOHE1WU9uWjdrbUxSNjFJc3h0Zz09

Agenda:

March 10, 2023 will be the 20th anniversary of CMMNJ’s first public event at the White Dog Café in Philadelphia. Help us celebrate 20 years of cannabis reform! Americans for Safe Access is also celebrating their 20-year anniversary this year.

CMMNJ welcomes the following people to the CMMNJ Board and wishes them great success:

Valisha Desir, Esq.,
Nichelle Santos, and,
Jeff Booker.

In his State of the State Address Gov. Phil Murphy said cannabis is an emerging market that will help many. “We are growing an entirely new and broad-based adult-use cannabis industry — an industry that is making room for women and minority small business owners.

New Jersey is now the fifth largest cannabis retailer in the nation.

Sandy Gibson, a professor at TCNJ, plans to give a presentation on Harm Reduction at our March 14th public meeting. The CMMNJ Board will consider endorsing Harm Reduction (needle exchanges, safe injection sites, drug decriminalization, etc.) at our April Board meeting.

WSJ: How cannabis can help the elderly

The NJ Senate Budget and Appropriations committee approved bills that would allow licensed marijuana businesses to deduct certain expenses on their state tax returns, that they are blocked from making on federal returns under IRS code 280E.

The Madison, NJ Council repealed ordinances authorizing medical cannabis facilities in the borough, several speakers argued in favor of the facilities.

Plant Medicine: Future Entheogenic Medicines: Video presentations.

Lawmakers in nearly a dozen states are already pursuing psychedelics reform legislation for the 2023 session… reform efforts underway in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Virginia.

Could Plants and Fungi Solve Space-Blindness? with Guy Lardieri.

Federal Drug Policy Reform: Medical Cannabis Stakeholders: Buck up, It is Time for Act II!

ASA’s 2022 State of the States Report: NJ got a C+ (no A’s were given).

Lawmakers introduced bills to legalize and create a recreational marijuana industry in Delaware.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC): Meetings: Feb 8, and March 2, both at 1 pm. Register to speak here. See the deadlines to register to speak. You may submit comments in writing to the Commission here.

CRC Rules with proposed amendments regarding cannabis consumption areas #CannabisConsumptionAreas: N.J.A.C. 17:30 Highlights of the Cannabis Consumption Area rules. Submit public comments by Saturday, March 18, 2023.

NJ CRC: Use taxes to fund institutional access to medical cannabis, by Ken Wolski, RN

CRC Diversity Director Wesley McWhite III said two-thirds of the approved licenses are diversely owned businesses, and that 25% have social equity designations. The CRC promotes three classes of cannabis license holders: those who are diverse — defined as minorities, women, disabled veterans; people from “impact zones” who come from communities disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs, and social equity applicants, who have been convicted of marijuana offenses or are from economically disadvantaged areas.

NJ launched the Cannabis Technical Assistance Program and Training Academy — out of the New Jersey Business Action Center (NJBAC), which is designed to help social equity applicants, including legacy operators. NJBAC selected Jersey City attorney Jessica Gonzalez as its consultant to develop and launch the program.

License awardees: https://www.nj.gov/cannabis/businesses/recreational/license-awardees/

CMMNJ’s 2023 medical cannabis goals include:

insurance coverage;
home cultivation rights;
hospital & institutional access; and
expanded qualifying conditions.

Medical Cannabis Insurance bills:

S313/A3248: Costs of medical cannabis to be reimbursed by Catastrophic Illness in Children Relief Fund, PAAD, Senior Gold and VCCO.
S309/A3511: Requires workers' compensation, PIP, and health insurance coverage.
S782/A3932: Subsidize medical cannabis in Medicaid or NJ Family Care.

Home cultivation bills: Web site: https://www.letpatientsgrownj.com/

S342/A997: Authorizes home cultivation of medical cannabis.
A1422: Legalizes possession of six marijuana plants for personal use.
S353/A3657: Legalizes six plants for personal use and 10 plants for medical

Hospital and Institutional Access:

NJ patients in hospitals, nursing homes, state institutions, group homes and hospice are unable to access medical cannabis. Implement the Jake Honig law’s Institutional Caregivers to accomplish this!