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MMA Fighter Nate Diaz ‘Banked Out’ In The Cannabis Industry After UFC 202 Vaping Incident

Brendan Bures
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MMA Fighter Nate Diaz ‘Banked Out’ In The Cannabis Industry After UFC 202 Vaping Incident

Nate Diaz started a serious discussion of cannabis use in the UCF last year following a bout with Connor McGregor at UCF 202. Shortly after his decision loss to McGregor, Diaz was speaking with the media and openly puffed from what appeared to be a vape pen. When asked by reporters what was in his vaporizer, he responded cannabinoid oil, explaining it “helps with the healing process and inflammation, stuff like that. So you want to get these for before and after the fights, training. It’ll make your life a better place.”

The incident earned Diaz a slap on the wrist from the USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping partner. It also earned Diaz some lucrative opportunities, as he discussed with Ariel Helwani on a special edition of The MMA Hour this past Wednesday.

“It don’t matter,” Diaz said. “I banked out in the cannabis industry from it. … It was a good move and it was organic.”

CBD, as you probably know, is still cannabis. Though it doesn’t contain any of the psychoactive elements of THC, CBD is from the cannabis plant. The USADA prohibits anything with cannabidiol metabolites in competition. At the time, that competition window extended for six hour after the fight. Diaz was speaking with media just two hours after the fight, but thought the competition window ended after he submitted to a post-fight drug test sample collection.

Starting April 1, that has in fact changed. The USADA now qualifies the competition window to that post-fight sample collection, which, if not done within a reasonable time, ends one hour after the competition. It stands to reason Diaz’s case was a major influencer on the recent change, which isn’t lost on the fighter.

“Yeah, they changed it,” Diaz said. “Compliments of your boy here. … Now we could do our thing. I’ve been a game changer. We just ain’t get no credit for it.”

Now Nate Diaz and his brother Nick have been open cannabis users for years. Here’s a video of them smoking a $2,000 UFC-shaped glove blunt. Nick Diaz was suspended for five years by the Nevada commission for his cannabis usage, though it was later reduced to just 18 months. The brothers also spent 420 smoking with Wu Tang Clan.

Even though Nate Diaz hasn’t fought since August, he claims that he’s still been making money. And that money seems to be coming from the cannabis industry.

“They tried to give me the cold shoulder and hide me out and let me die off,” Diaz said, referencing the UFC. “But it’s all good because I’m not gonna die off. I’m still right here in the game. I’m still training harder than anybody. I still got people calling. The fuckin’ cannabis industry is fucking blowing money out of their mind over here.”

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The People In Charge of Medical Marijuana Licensing In NYC Probably Have No Idea What They’re Talking About 

Sam Jones
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The People In Charge of Medical Marijuana Licensing In NYC Probably Have No Idea What They’re Talking About 

After waiting two years for substantial response to a request filed with the Freedom of Information Act to disclose the names of panelists assigned to lead the state’s medical marijuana program, the New York Times finally received the details. What they found was surprising: Most of the panelists have “little or no prior professional experience in medical marijuana,” they report.

According to the New York Times:

They included a number of Health Department scientists as well as three architects, an accountant and an auditor. They were chosen for their specialties — including chemistry, internal medicine, and pharmaceutical drugs, according to the department — to create a “multidisciplinary team.”

The state’s program has been criticized for a cumbersome and often opaque roll-out, in part because of restrictions placed on the drug’s medical use — for example, it cannot be smoked and must be used in forms like tinctures and oils. Critics have also faulted the state for seemingly opting to create a model from scratch, despite more than 20 other states having medical marijuana programs, an assertion that the Health Department disputes, saying its panel — despite its lack of expertise in the field — drew from other states’ experiences.

The rollout of medical marijuana in New York has been rocky, with patients feeling that their needs aren’t being met in a stable way. A spokesperson for the Health Department told the New York Times that the panelists “were carefully selected for their expertise in specific disciplines” and called the process of ranking applicants “extensive, thorough and entirely transparent.”

Federal Health Agency Admits Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Opioid Problems

Mike Adams
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Federal Health Agency Admits Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Opioid Problems

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration may soon be forced to admit that the cannabis plant does, in fact, have therapeutic properties – that is, if federal health agencies continue to admit that medical marijuana laws seem to be taming the nationwide opioid problems.

It was recently revealed that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) updated its webpage on marijuana, specifically detailing its uncanny ability to lower the use of prescription opioids in states where it is legal.

When mentioning two government-funded studies, the agency said, “Medical marijuana products may have a role in reducing the use of opioids needed to control pain.”

The federal government has maintained for decades that marijuana belongs in a Schedule I listing because it has no known medicinal benefit. This classification has hindered research, making it difficult for science to truly get a grip on the powers of this plant.

However, pointing to the first study, NIDA said it “found an association between medical marijuana legalization and a reduction in overdose deaths from opioid pain relievers.” It went on to explain that this phenomenon has “strengthened in each year following the implementation of legislation.”

These findings suggest that cannabis is effective enough in the treatment of pain conditions for some patients to use it as a replacement for dangerous prescription drugs. And from the way it sounds, more are making the switch every year.

In the second study, the agency said it has come to find “that legally protected access to medical marijuana dispensaries is associated with lower levels of opioid prescribing, lower self-report of nonmedical prescription opioid use, lower treatment admissions for prescription opioid use disorders, and reduction in prescription opioid overdose deaths.”

The study went on to clarify that “the reduction in deaths was present only in states with dispensaries (not just medical marijuana laws) and was greater in states with active dispensaries.”

Overall, it seems that Uncle Sam is finally starting to understand how marijuana could be more of a benefit to civil society if it were allowed to completely emerge from the underground.

The only problem is the pharmaceutical industry will likely do everything in its power to prevent medical marijuana from sabotaging its multi-billion dollar pain pill sector. Some of the latest reports show that opioid medications could represent an $18 billion market by 2021.

Although NIDA admits that more research is needed before it truly has an understanding of marijuana’s impact on opioid-related problems, the agency is apparently backing additional studies that could eventually be used to inspire governing forces to support nationwide legalization. As it stands, the information published by health agencies, like NIDA, is what many federal lawmakers reference when discussing the marijuana issue on Capitol Hill. The more science shows that cannabis does in fact have medicinal properties; the harder it will be for Congress to maintain prohibition.

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Gossip: Kendall Jenner’s Vogue India Cover Caused Even More Backlash; Statement From ‘The National Enquirer’ Responding To Richard Simmons

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Kendall Jenner’s Vogue India Cover Caused Even More Backlash; Statement From ‘The National Enquirer’ Responding To Richard Simmons

Vogue India’s latest cover girl is a bit off-brand. The magazine chose American supermodel Kendall Jenner as the face of its 10th anniversary issue, prompting a number of readers to vent their disappointment.

“Vogue “India,” celebrating its 10th anniversary in “India,” in a historic Indian palace…featuring an American model …..is it just me or did @vogueindia failed to see the irony in that…” one reader commented on Instagram. Other commenters accused the magazine of “terrible marketing” and called out an alleged “hunger to become more westernized.” They also suggested alternative cover models such as Indian actresses Priyanka Chopra or Deepika Padukone.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, the spread was shot by in Jaipur, India, and also features Indian actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Famed photographer Mario Testino took the pictures.

Vogue India has not addressed the social media uproar. Jenner has yet to post a photo of her Vogue India cover — another issue readers are criticizing.

Statement From ‘The National Enquirer’ Responding To Richard Simmons

STATEMENT FROM THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER:

For decades, Richard Simmons has used his outrageous behavior to build his brand and his bank account.

For Mr. Simmons to claim that his privacy has been invaded is hypocritical when his entire livelihood is based upon the public consumption of his image.

To wit, Mr. Simmons signed a lucrative merchandising deal with a major branding company in April to handle licensing of his name and likeness.

At the same time, he protests that he is entitled to privacy and therefore should not be subjected to scrutiny of the media, which has raised reasonable questions about his health and whereabouts since he disappeared from the public eye almost four years ago.

This is a legitimate news story that demands coverage. It is the business of The National ENQUIRER — and has been for the past 90 years — to report on what goes on behind the closed doors of Hollywood.

Moreover, Mr. Simmons is raising a false equivalency in suggesting that The ENQUIRER’s coverage of gender identity somehow implies that the publication has a stance or position on this. We do not.

Indeed, it is ironic that Mr. Simmons claims to be an avid supporter of the LGBTQ community while at the same time alleges that he was defamed by The ENQUIRER report that he had transitioned into a female.

At the end of the day, how Mr. Simmons lives his life is news and of interest to our readers.
Our story was based on credible sources who were in Mr. Simmons’ inner circle. The photos provided to The ENQUIRER are real — and speak for themselves.

We stand by our reporting about Mr. Simmons, and intend to vigorously defend this lawsuit and win public vindication of our reports.

We will also aggressively pursue our ongoing investigation into his life and who is really behind this bizarre and meritless lawsuit.

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

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Wait Until You Hear The Totally Outrageous Thing Chris Christie Said About Marijuana 

Sam Jones
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Wait Until You Hear The Totally Outrageous Thing Chris Christie Said About Marijuana 

Governor of New Jersey and notorious legal weed grouch Chris Christie continues to resist the marijuana industry’s progress, and seems determined to say more and more outrageous things about it along the way.

His comments came at the end of a speech at a conference on substance abuse hosted by the New Jersey Hospital Association in Princeton, according to Politico. The political news outlet reports that Christie said:

“They want that blood money? Let them do it. And they will. Let me tell you something — this will be like priority number one come January. I guarantee you, if we have a Democratic governor, it will be priority number one… Then why not legalize heroin? I mean, their argument fails just on that basis. Let’s legalize cocaine. Let’s legalize heroin. Let’s legalize angel dust. Let’s legalize all of it. What’s the difference? Let everybody choose.”

The “crazy liberals,” the Republican governor said, are willing to “poison our kids” for the tax revenue. “How ironic would it be if these dopes actually legalize marijuana and take the $300 million they say it’s going to raise and put it toward drug treatment. Talk about chasing your tail,” he said.

New Jersey recently enacted a bill for strict crackdowns on Vicodin, Percocet and OxyContin prescriptions—which is a good step—but the state’s death rate from opioid abuse is more than double the rest of the country. That’s a lot of people in need of addiction treatment, and cannabis has been showing potential as a useful treatment for opioid recovery. If Christie cares about his constituents, he’ll do less lambasting about politics, and more reading up on the research that could help them.

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Science: Hotel Sex Is The Hottest Sex Of All And Now We Know Why

Maria Loreto
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Science: Hotel Sex Is The Hottest Sex Of All And Now We Know Why

The idea of hot hotel sex makes couples want to book rooms on special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays. They believe that a change in scenery can provide an escape from normalcy and will work wonders for their sex life. Now this belief is backed up by research.

For starters, couples tend to get inspired when they’re at hotels. They like to dress up, drink alcohol, listen to music, and eat chocolates, all of which affects directly on the amount of dopamine their bodies produce, making them happier and more relaxed than usual. The fact that they’re in a new place is also a dopamine booster, which is a little crazy but we’ll go along with it.

Checking into a hotel also triggers a feeling in couples as if they were going on a vacation, even if they’re just booking one night on an crappy hotel located in the town they’ve always lived at. This mini vacay makes couples forget a little about their responsibilities, their jobs and kids, giving them a feeling of escape and relaxation, prompting them to make the most out of the moment.

Obviously, the fancier the hotel the better. A beautiful lobby, clean sheets, a stocked up mini bar and some room service can truly do miracles for every couple in the world.

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Oh, Snap! Here Are The 10 Best Recipes For Asparagus, Ever

Ryan Ross
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Oh, Snap! Here Are The 10 Best Recipes For Asparagus, Ever

Thin, fat, green, white, purple — asparagus season is upon us! And guess what, they are the OG superfood! Asparagus tote vitamin A, E K, folate, selenium, fiber, magnesium, the list goes on and on. These spring-y stalks are one of the most nutritionally balanced veggies available, and the time is now to reap the rewards.

Asparagus aficionados say to look for thin and uniform stalks, pristine tips without flowering or limp buds, and prepare and enjoy right away, no storing! Yes, these are great guidelines, especially when you are choosing to prepare your asparagus simply; steamed or roasted are both yummy! But don’t limit yourself or be intimidated. All I can recommend is to enjoy RIGHT NOW, asparagus is at it’s peak when in season, and this is by far the best way to enjoy. Give all the varieties a try and find your favorite way to prepare this super-food hero!

Here are 10 different ways I like to showcase these tender little nutrient packed spears!

Simply Roasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Choose uniform and slender asparagus with tight buds, ends trimmed and discarded ( or save for soup!)
On parchment lined sheet pan, scatter your washed, prepped and dry asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and plenty of salt, roast for 5-7 minutes.

Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup

  • 2 T Coconut oil
  • ½ yellow Onion
  • 1 clove of Garlic
  • 1 bunch of Asparagus (great for Asparagus that has gone a touch limp and for the less than tender, often woody stalks!)
  • 1 cup Vegetable stock
  • 2-3 cup Almond milk
  • pinch of Cumin
  • pinch of Chili flake
  • plenty of Sea salt
  • freshly Ground white pepper
  • juice of one Lemon

In a medium soup pot heat coconut oil over medium high heat. Roughly chop your onion, garlic and asparagus and add to pot. Salt and sauté for a few minutes and add tock. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into blender, add almond milk and seasonings blend until very smooth, streaming in water as needed. Stir in lemon last and adjust seasoning if needed.

Steamed With Mustard Sauce

For sauce:

  • 1 Tbsp Veganaise
  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Whole grain mustard
  • 2 tsp  Maple syrup
  • 2 tsp Coconut aminos
  • juice of half a Lemon
  • pinch of Chili flake
  • pinch of Cinnamon
  • big pinch of Sea salt

Start with your Veganaise in a medium mixing bow, and whisk out any lumps. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients and adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside. Fit a medium sized pot with a steam basket and lid that fits snuggly. Be sure to have a good inch of water in the bottom. Bring the pot up to simmering to produce steam. Place cleaned and trimmed asparagus in your steamer (try purple for this recipe!). Steam for 1 minute or until just tender. Immediately remove from steamer and scatter on clean towel to finish steaming on their own and to dry. Plate and drizzle a lot of mustard sauce over asparagus, or dip!

Fish And Asparagus En Papillote

(in parchment)

  • About 6 oz of preferred White fish or salmon
  • About 10 stalks of cleaned and trimmed Asparagus
  • Olive oil
  • White wine
  • Walt
  • 1 slice of Lemon
  • 1 sprig of fresh Thyme
  • parchment paper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Lay a 1 ft. x 1ft. square of parchment down on your work surface. Work from the point of view that your parchment square is a diamond shape. Lay your asparagus down as a bed for your fish, in the bottom half of the diamond. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and a splash of white wine. Lay your fish on top of the seasoned asparagus, drizzle with a bit more olive oil, healthy sprinkle of salt , lemon slice and thyme. Fold the top have of your diamond over the fish to create a triangle. Pinch and roll the edges tightly and your ‘papilote’ puffed in the middle, so air may circulate and steam the contents. Place papilote on sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Asparagus Tapenade

Great as a dip, sandwich spread or for a crostini or fish topper!

  • 1 bunch of blanched Asparagus
  • 2 Tbsp Sunflowers seeds
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • juice of 1 Lemon
  • juice of half an Orange
  • big pinch of Chili flake
  • a couple of pinches of Sea salt
  • ¼ cup of Olive oil

Add all ingredients, but the olive oil, to a food processor and pulse while streaming in the oil. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Frittata With Asparagus And Goat Cheese

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • ¼ Yellow onion, sauteed sliced
  • about 10 spears of Asparagus, clean and trimmed and cut on a bias
  • 4 Eggs
  • Goat cheese
  • Sea salt
  • freshly Ground pepper
  • fresh Thyme or basil
  • Lemon zest

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a small to medium sized and oven safe skillet. Sautee onion in butter, with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, or until slightly caramelized. Add asparagus and sautee for another two minutes more salt, (it is always important to season as you go). Whisk your eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and pour over the onions and asparagus. Turn off heat and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes then dot the top of your frittata with goat cheese, bake for another 10 minutes. Pull from oven when the egg has just set. Top with lemon zest, fresh and torn herbs and black pepper.

Shaved Asparagus With Parmesan And Pine Nuts

  • 1 bunch of fat stalked Asparagus, cleaned and the woody ends trimmed away
  • wedge of Parmesan
  • Lemon
  • Olive oil
  • Sea salt and pepper
  • Basil
  • Pine nuts

Using a vegetable peeler, make long ribbons from your asparagus. Do the same with your parmesan cheese. Place in a salad bowl and squeeze lemon, drizzle olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Toss in fresh basil and pine nuts. Enjoy!

Quick Asparagus Barley Risotto

This is a very unfussy way to make a yummy version of an upscale classic risotto!

  • 2-3 cups cooked Pearled barley, prepared according to directions on package.
  • Asparagus, about 10 spears blanched and cut on a bias
  • ¼ cup Heavy cream, or 1 Tbsp cream cheese
  • ¼ cup Vegetable stock
  • ¼ cup grated Asiago cheese
  • zest and juice from one Lemon
  • ¼ cup Parsley, chopped
  • Sea salt
  • freshly ground Pepper
  • a few grates of Nutmeg

While your grain is still hot from cooking, add in all of your ingredients, stir and simmer over low/medium heat for 10-15 minutes, adjust seasoning. Enjoy!

Chilled Asparagus And Pasta Salad

  • 3 cups cooked and chilled Farfalle pasta
  • ½ cup of cooked and chilled Black quinoa
  • 1 bunch of Asparagus, or about 15 spears of a mix, white purple and green asparagus, cleaned, trimmed and blanched , cut on a bias
  • ¼ Red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ cup of chopped Almonds
  • ½ cup Dried cherries or cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp Poppy seed
  • 1 Tbsp Hempseed
  • 2 cups fresh Arugula

Add ingredients to a bowl. Gently toss together with a sprinkle of salt.

Dressing:

  • 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup Shoyu
  • ½ cup Balsamic
  • 2 Tbsp Maple syrup
  • ½ cup Avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup Olive oil

Add all ingredients to a blender except the oils. Blend while streaming in the oils slowly. Dress your salad and mix gently. Serve chilled.

Quick-Pickled Asparagus Spears

These are fantastic in a Bloody Mary!

In a preferred glass jar with fitted lid, clean and trim asparagus to fit upright and snug.

For your brine:

  • 1 part Apple cider vinegar
  • 1 part White wine vinegar
  • 1 part Water
  • ½ part Honey
  • Add whole peeled Garlic cloves, whole peppercorns and chili flake along with a few pinches of salt.

Stove top, bring brine ingredients to a simmer, remove from heat, add fresh dill and pour over asparagus. Screw on lid and let cool slightly before placing in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Enjoy.

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Gossip: Caitlyn Jenner Could Be Getting More Vagina Surgery; Kelly Ripa Gets Husband Mark To Cut Ties With Michael Strahan

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Caitlyn Jenner Could Be Getting More Vagina Surgery; Kelly Ripa Gets Husband Mark To Cut Ties With Michael Strahan

Caitlyn Jenner has confirmed that she has had genital reassignment surgery but doctors say her transformation is far from over.

Dr. Amir Marashi, also known as the “Vagina Whisperer,” tells Straight Shuter, “Many transgenders that undergo the surgery to get a vagina will often need more than one surgery. It’s very important that after surgery the patient continues to use dilators. If the hole is too small Caitlyn will not be able to have sex. The reason for the surgery is to be able to have sex with a man so it’s important that the new vagina is functional.

Kelly Ripa Gets Husband Mark To Cut Ties With Michael Strahan

Kelly Ripa wants to completely cut ties with her old co-host Michael Strahan, so it should come as no surprise that husband Mark Consuelos who once shared a publicist with Michael Strahan, no longer does.

“Mark and Michael shared the same publicist for years. She is one of the best in the business and has represented everyone from Ricky Martin at the peak of his success to turning Kim Kardashian into a superstar. But now after Michael split with Kelly, Mark has split with her,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “Kelly has not spoken with Michael since he left and evidently doesn’t want her husband having any association with Michael either.”

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

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Is Jay Z Secretly Working On A New Album? Here’s What We Know

Brendan Bures
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Is Jay Z Secretly Working On A New Album? Here’s What We Know

Reference Jay Z in 2017 and various monikers will pop up: He is Beyoncé’s husband, the subject of scorched-earth feminist manifesto Lemonade. He is the sports agent and music mogul. He is a meme. He is a business, man.

Most coverage will recognize Jay Z the celebrity before acknowledging Jay Z the rapper. This makes sense: He hasn’t really had it since 2011’s Watch The Throne, though some high velocity hit-or-miss guess features—that intro to Frank Ocean’s “Biking” is subtle fire and “Drug Dealers Anonymous” proves Jay and Pusha T should collab on a nostalgic coke boy/hustler EP already—showcases Hov still has bars. How much that matters is (kind of) irrelevant, however. Jay Z remains the always-in-your-top-five GOAT, and you look silly pretending otherwise.

Since Lemonade, rumors have percolated that Jay was quietly working on an album. It would serve as the public response to Beyoncé and that record and every other grainy elevator footage drama around Hov. At one point, it was to be a joint record between Bey and Jay, the evolution of their On The Run collaboration tour. That album was supposedly finished last year and Page Six reported it would drop as a TIDAL exclusive “very soon” last summer.

Of course that hasn’t happened. But Jay has pulled some classic testing-the-waters moves he has played in the past. Appearing on not one, but two DJ Khaled records, demonstrating a) an ability to blend in with a contemporary radio single sound and b) he could spit with dexterity, changing flows and rhythms and voices with ease.

The most significant indication came through two recent moves, though. The first is the most prominent as longtime Jay Z collaborator Swizz Beatz posting an Instagram early May 5 of Jay and Swizz together. Captioning the picture, Swizz wrote, “They don’t even know what’s about to happen.” He also added: “Album ModeZone.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BTsr3-YD_Dh/

Also worth noting is Jay Z signing on as a headliner for two fall festivals: Philadelphia’s Made In America festival in September and Austin City Limits in October. Since Jay co-founded Made In America, that move wasn’t too brow-raising. But headlining ACL seemingly out of nowhere would be a strange move if he didn’t have a record to promote alongside with it.

The clues are out there is what we’re saying. It’s been four years since Jay’s last LP, Magna Carta Holy Grail. We’re not saying the world needs another Jay Z record to save it or something outlandish like that, but damn, Hov. We sure could use it.

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The Fresh Toast Marijuana Legislative Roundup: May 8

Alec Engber
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The Fresh Toast Marijuana Legislative Roundup: May 8

Last week was a busy time for those fighting in legislatures across the nation for cannabis reform. Even in Texas, a medical marijuana advanced. Find out about that more in our weekly marijuana legislative roundup.

National:

President Donald Trump on Friday signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 to fund the federal government through September. The omnibus spending bill includes measures to shield state medical marijuana systems and industrial hemp production from federal law enforcement. Section 537 extends the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment prohibiting the Justice Department from using federal funds to crack down on or impede medical marijuana laws in U.S. states and territories. It also renews protections for the production, processing, and sale of industrial hemp passed in 2014.

Colorado:

On Wednesday, the Colorado House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill designed to protect its recreational marijuana industry from federal law enforcement. The measure would allow recreational cannabis growers to reclassify their product as medical “based on a business need due to a change in local, state or federal law or enforcement policy.” This is one of the boldest moves yet by any legislature to guard a state-legal recreational marijuana system from threatened changes to federal enforcement policy. The legislation faces another vote in the House before moving onto the Senate, which passed its own version of the measure earlier this year.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Senate failed to approve a separate bill that would have barred state and local law enforcement from cooperating with federal authorities in enforcing the federal marijuana ban. The law would prohibit the use of state funds by public employees to aid federal agents in “arresting a Colorado citizen for committing an act that is a Colorado constitutional right.” A similar measure is being considered in California.

Colorado lawmakers also unveiled legislation last week that would increase funding for rural schools and cut taxes for business owners while increasing the tax on recreational marijuana sales. The measure is part of a sweeping spending bill designed to help address hospital budget cuts in the state. Under the bill, the special sales tax on recreational cannabis would be raised from 10 percent to the maximum voter-approved rate of 15 percent.

Vermont:

Lawmakers in Vermont passed a bill on Tuesday to expand the state’s medical marijuana system. The bill would allow eight more dispensaries and expand the list of approved conditions to include PTSD, Parkinson’s, and Crohn’s disease. Additionally, patients would no longer be required to choose between either growing the plant at home or seeking cannabis from medical dispensaries.

On Friday, the Vermont Senate voted 20-9 in favor of legislation to legalize marijuana in the state. The bill is nearly identical to a legalization law approved by the House of Representatives earlier in the week and represents a compromise between the House bill and a more permissive measure previously approved by the Senate. If enacted, the bill would permit the growth and possession of small amounts of cannabis beginning in July of 2018. Meanwhile, a new commission would be tasked with crafting comprehensive legislation to tax and regulate the growth, production, and sale of recreational marijuana. The House now has the choice of passing the Senate bill or sending it to a conference committee to hammer out remaining differences when the House returns to session on Wednesday.

New Hampshire:

On Tuesday, the New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee cleared legislation to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana. If enacted, the law would make possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis a civil violation punishable by a fine of no more than $300. The House of Representatives had passed similar legislation with a one ounce limit earlier in the session.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill to include PTSD and chronic pain on the list of diagnoses for which doctors can prescribe medical marijuana. Both bills will likely be taken up by the full Senate this week.

Florida:

Last-minute legislation to implement Florida’s voter-approved medical marijuana law failed when the Senate refused to take up a compromise bill on Friday. The measure would have created one of the most tightly-regulated medical cannabis systems in the country. Instead, the Health Department will now be tasked with drawing up a regulatory system for patients, caregivers, and treatment centers before a July 3rd deadline. The medical marijuana law is to be implemented by October. Voters approved the ballot measure by a 71 percent vote in 2016.

Texas:

The Texas House Committee on Public Health approved legislation on Friday to legalize medical marijuana in the state. HB 2107 would create a comprehensive set of rules governing the growth, production, and sale of cannabis products to qualifying patients through a network of dispensaries. The measure will go to a vote of the full House of Representatives later in the legislative session.

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