I’m pleased to announce I’ve been appointed a member.

The press release is the summary of a study authored by researchers at Columbia University: Variation in medical marijuana program regulations impacts enrollment: A study published today in Health Affairs found that while 14 of the nation’s 24 medical marijuana programs were essentially nonmedical in practice, they enrolled more than 99 percent of overall participants. Fewer than one… Read More "Medical marijuana" programs have few patients – and why is that?

I note that LSD microdosing is trending, if only a little bit (see the recent articles in Rolling Stone and the Huffington Post). Microdosing is the practice of taking extremely low doses of LSD during the regular work week for the purposes of increasing functionality, in a sense like a performance-enhancing supplement – indeed, the… Read More The dose makes the poison – LSD microdosing

Chris Roberts’ column in the SF Weekly announces that San Francisco Supervisor Todd Wiener has created a “legalization task force”. After describing what he considers problems in that city’s approach to regulating the medical cannabis market, he continues:  In 2016, with legalization a real possibility, the city may finally take a different tack. Under legislation… Read More San Francisco has created a "legalization task force" to prepare for the possibility of full cannabis legalization in California – NYC can do the same with regard to full legalization here

Last night Manhattan Community Board Number 8 overwhelmingly voted to adopt a resolution concerning cannabis legalization. In essence it calls upon the state legislators who represent Community Board 8 in the Senate and Assembly to take action to cause a “serious discussion” of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”), i.e. the proposed full legalization… Read More Power to the People: cannabis legalization and the New York City Community Boards

Yet again, it’s been a long time since my last post, this time because I have been recovering from the permitting and general organizational work for the 2015 NYC Cannabis Parade and some event programming on the subject of New York City law and policy on cannabis in January and May, to be discussed more below.A… Read More January 5 will be Cannabis New Year’s Day in New York

It’s been a long time since my last post, in no small part because it took a few months to put together a forum that I co-moderated on January 28 at the New York City Bar Association on “The Future of Marijuana Law in New York City.” The podcast is available through the Bar Association’s… Read More The future of cannabis law and policy in New York City

Game on: the Utica Observer-Dispatch published an editorial agreeing with upstate Assembly Member Brindisi’s statement that the state legislature should hold a special session to enact legislation to grant children with epilepsy immediate access to cannabis.The editorial board understands the situation. I quote (emphasis added): Come on. This isn’t rocket science.“I’ve heard from parents who have… Read More The Utica Observer-Dispatch opens fire on Cuomo (and, by extension, recalcitrant state legislators)

The newsmedia is abuzz with reports that both of New York’s US senators have requested that the Department of Justice favor Cuomo’s request to purchase high-CBD products from other states for use by children with severe epilepsy until New York’s program is operational. The New York Daily News rightly reported criticism from advocates that the… Read More Cannabis war in the Empire State: transparency is victory

The Buffalo News reported that the Cuomo administration has requested that the federal government grant a “waiver” to allow the state to import CBD-high cannabis strains from other states for use by children with severe epilepsy. (I note that the article says that it obtained copies of the letter; I would love to see them.)… Read More Cuomo plunges his sword into the mainline of state-federal cannabis conflicts and sets the President on a collision course with the DEA