Louisiana House Committee Will Consider Legislation to Provide Employment Protection for MMJ Patients
On Thursday of this week, the Louisiana House Labor Committee will consider legislation that would protect state agency workers who are also medical marijuana patients. The bill would prevent the state from penalizing employees for testing positive for THC if the worker is using cannabis under a doctor’s recommendation. The measure, House Bill 988, is sponsored by Democratic Representative Mandie Landry. It would not apply to any local government, such as law enforcement, nor would the bill apply to private employers. But Landry feels this legislation would be a first step to protecting medical marijuana patients in the state.
Vermont Regulators Issue First Recreational Cultivation License
Vermont’s Cannabis Control Board issued its first growers license for the newly legal recreational marijuana program. According to a local TV news station, the first license went to a small indoor growing operation in Rutland County. The Cannabis Control Board expects that dozens more licenses will be issued in the next few weeks. Under the law, current medical marijuana businesses are to be the first to get a chance to become licensed to sell to recreational consumers. Recreational sales from exisiting medical marijuana dispensaries were originally to begin May 1st of this year, but the Cannabis COntrol Board missed the deadline for issuing the licenses. According to regulators, the reason for the slow start to licensing is due to a staffing shortage.
FDA Issues Warning About Accidental THC Consumption from Copycat Foods
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to consumers about THC-infused foods that closely resemble popular brands. This increases the likelihood of accidentally ingesting the cannabis-infused product, particularly for children. The FDA released a safety advisory Friday of last week, stating that they were aware of multiple reports of individuals inadvertently consuming cannabis edibles made and labeled to look like popular candies and cereals. The agency advises consumers to keep any cannabis edibles in a safe place and out of reach of children – which is the same advice that both prohibitionists and legalization advocates alike have given for years to prevent underage cannabis use.
