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Washington, DC: The opening of state-licensed marijuana retailers does not negatively impact local crime rates, according to data published in the journal Annals of Regional Science.

Researchers with John Hopkins University and the University of Hawaii assessed the relationship between dispensary openings and neighborhood crime rates in Washington state’s three largest cities. Investigators reported that marijuana retailers “have a null effect on average local crime.”

They concluded: “Many North American jurisdictions have legalized the operation of recreational marijuana dispensaries. A common concern is that dispensaries may contribute to local crime. ... The random assignment of recreational marijuana retail licenses in Washington State provides a unique opportunity to identify the causal effect of dispensary openings on local crime. ... Combining lottery data with detailed geocoded crime data, we estimate that the presence of a dispensary has no significant impact on local crime in the average neighborhood.”

The findings are consistent with those of prior studies concluding that licensed marijuana retailers are typically associated with either no changes or decreases in criminal activity.

Full text of the study, “The impact of recreational marijuana dispensaries on crime: Evidence from a lottery experiment,” appears in Annals of Regional Science.

Clinical Trial: Nighttime Use of Cannabinol (CBN) Reduces Sleep Disturbances

Smith’s Falls, Canada: The oral consumption of the phytocannabinoid cannabinol (CBN) results in fewer sleep disturbances, according to placebo-controlled trial data published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.

Investigators assessed the use of CBN versus placebo in a cohort of 321 participants who self-rated their sleep quality as either “poor” or “very poor.” Subjects consumed either 20 mgs of CBN, a combined dosage of CBN and CBD, or placebo for seven days. Participants consumed cannabinoids in the form of gummies 90-minutes prior to bedtime.

The study’s authors reported, “Individuals receiving 20 mg CBN demonstrated reduced nighttime awakenings and overall sleep disturbance relative to placebo.” The combined use of CBD with CBN did not positively augment CBN treatment effects. Subjects reported only mild side-effects, including headache.

“The present study provides evidence to support the use of 20 mg CBN alone for the improvement of some sleep difficulties, including nighttime awakenings and overall sleep disturbance,” authors concluded. “[F]uture studies should continue to examine this potential side effects of CBN and compare it to the side effects of other pharmacological interventions for sleep.”

Prior placebo-controlled trials have reported that the use of cannabis extracts containing THC, CBD, and CBN is safe and effective for patients with chronic insomnia. Separate data published in 2018 also reported that the inhalation of herbal cannabis prior to bedtime is associated with “clinically significant improvements” in patients with insomnia.

Full text of the study, “A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the safety and effects of CBN with and without CBD on sleep quality,” appears in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.

California: Governor Signs Bills Expanding Marijuana Rights for Patients, Employees

Sacramento, CA: Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a pair of bills into law expanding the rights of cannabis consumers.

The first bill, Senate Bill 302, permits qualified patients ages 65 and older to access certain cannabis products in private hospitals and other eligible health care facilities. The new law does not permit patients to either inhale or vaporize herbal cannabis in health care settings, and health care staff are forbidden from administering cannabis products. To date, a handful of states -- including Connecticut and Maine — have enacted legislation explicitly permitting the use of eligible cannabis products for hospitalized patients under certain circumstances.

The second bill, Senate Bill 700, makes it unlawful for employers to “request information from an applicant for employment relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis.” The legislation expands upon worker protections initially passed into law in 2022 making “it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalize a person, if the discrimination is based upon the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.” Both worker protection laws take effect on January 1, 2024.

In recent years, numerous states – including Connecticut, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, and Washington – have passed legislation limiting the ability of employers to either refuse to hire and/or fire workers based solely upon their off-hours cannabis use.

Governor Newsom vetoed a third bill, AB 374, which sought to allow cannabis consumption facilities to serve patrons “non-cannabis food or beverage products” and to charge tickets to live performances. In his veto message, the Governor expressed concerns that the bill “could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.”

Georgia: Regulators Move To Have Independent Pharmacies Provide State-Licensed Cannabis Products

Atlanta, GA: Regulators are moving forward with plans to permit the sale of state-licensed cannabis oil products in independently owned pharmacies.

The state’s Board of Pharmacy has begun accepting applications from licensed pharmacies that wish to supply low-THC/high-CBD cannabis extracts. The products have been legal to possess under state law since 2005. However, regulators failed to approve any licensed providers or dispensaries until earlier this year.

An estimated 120 independent pharmacies have reportedly agreed to carry the products. There are approximately 400 independent pharmacies operating in the state.

Chain drug stores will not be providing cannabis oil products.

About 14,000 Georgians are registered to access cannabis products for a variety of ailments, including autism, cancer, Crohn’s disease, seizure disorders, and Tourette’s syndrome.

Texas: Lubbock Advocates Reportedly Gather Nearly Twice as Many Signatures as Needed To Force Marijuana Depenalization Vote

Lubbock, Texas: Activists in the city of Lubbock (population: 261,000) have reportedly collected a sufficient number of signatures to compel city officials to vote on a measure depenalizing marijuana possession.

Advocates must submit 3,651 valid signatures from local voters by October 17th in order to place their initiated measure before politicians. Advocates say they have collected 8,800 signatures and that they plan to turn in some 10,000 signatures by the mid-October deadline.

The initiative seeks to end arrests and citations for adults who possess misdemeanor amounts of cannabis within the city’s limits. The measure also prohibits police from issuing citations for charges related to the possession of marijuana paraphernalia.

Once the signatures are certified, city officials will have to vote to either enact or reject the measure. If they reject it, the measure will go for before voters as a 2024 ballot initiative.

Voters in several Texas cities -- including Austin, Denton, Elgin, Harker Heights, Killeen, and San Marcos -- have approved similar ballot measures in recent years. In some instances, like in Harker Heights, local officials have attempted to halt the implementation of the measures following voter approval.

Information on the initiative effort is available from Freedom Act Lubbock.