US Should Ease Restrictions On Pot, Federal Scientists Recommend

The New York Times: Federal Scientists Recommend Easing Restrictions On Marijuana 
Marijuana is neither as risky nor as prone to abuse as other tightly controlled substances and has potential medical benefits, and therefore should be removed from the nation’s most restrictive category of drugs, federal scientists have concluded. The recommendations are contained in a 250-page scientific review provided to Matthew Zorn, a Texas lawyer who sued Health and Human Services officials for its release and published it online on Friday night. An H.H.S. official confirmed the authenticity of the document. The records shed light for the first time on the thinking of federal health officials who are pondering a momentous change. (Jewett and Weiland, 1/12)

The Washington Post: Marijuana Rescheduling Proposed Over Lower Public Health Risk, Documents Show 
The health agency in August recommended that the Drug Enforcement Administration change marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug, a designation reserved for substances that have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. The classification has long been a source of criticism that one of the most commonly used drugs is in the same category as heroin and LSD. The DEA has yet to act on the recommendation. (Nirappil, Ovalle and Diamond, 1/13)

CBS News: Colorado, 11 Other States Ask Feds To Reclassify Cannabis
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined a group of attorneys general from a dozen other states who sent a letter this week to the federal government asking that cannabis be reduced from a Schedule I to a Schedule III controlled substance. ... This would allow states to bring in revenue from a legal cannabis businesses and consumers' sales tax, the letter claimed. That revenue could then be applied to public health and safety measures such as education and further research into the drug's impacts. (Smith, 1/12)

Also —

New Atlas: Study Suggests Cannabis Doesn’t Lead To Opioid Use Or Help Reduce It
A new study has found that there was no association between using cannabis and non-medical opioid use in people receiving pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder. The findings neither confirm that using cannabis leads to opioid use nor that it's effective in reducing it. Cannabis has gained popularity, in part due to its widespread legalization, leading to the perception that, due to its lower associated risks compared to ‘harder’ drugs, it can be an effective treatment for drug addiction, especially addiction to opioids. (McClure, 1/15)

More marijuana and cannabis news from across the U.S. —

KOIN: Washington Bill Increases Age To Buy ‘Dangerous’ Cannabis Products
A bill introduced in the Washington state legislature aims to limit high potency cannabis products amid concerns of increasing potency and risks posed to younger people using the products. The bipartisan bill would increase the age limit to buy high-potency cannabis products to 25 — which lawmakers say is “consistent with science about brain development.” (Bourgeois, 1/15)

KRQE: New Mexico Lawmakers Look To Tighten Up Laws Surrounding Cannabis
Now that it has been two years since recreational cannabis sales began in New Mexico, lawmakers are taking a second look at what they want to tweak with the laws surrounding the drug. “Now that we’ve had a couple of years to see how recreational cannabis is working in New Mexico, we now know where we need to make adjustments cause we have the benefit of that bug testing,” said Senator Katy Duhigg (D-Albuquerque). (Wadas, 1/15)

OPB: Struggling With Oversaturation, Oregon’s Cannabis Industry Calls For New Restrictions 
Leaders of Oregon’s cannabis industry are asking the state to permanently restrict the number of new marijuana businesses. To date, Oregon has approved over 3,000 licenses for the farming, processing or sale of marijuana. Industry advocates say since businesses can’t export to other states, that’s far more than what their customers need. (Wilk, 1/15)

The New York Times: Can Mike Tyson Become A Heavyweight In The New York Marijuana Industry? 
On a recent weekend, fans of Mike Tyson, one of the greatest boxers ever, lined up by the hundreds at dispensaries in New York for a chance to meet him and to support his latest business move: selling weed in his home state. With the recent release of his Tyson 2.0 line, Mr. Tyson, 57, has become the most visible newcomer of the celebrity wave in the state’s cannabis industry. Although actors, athletes and musicians have been cashing in on weed with product lines and endorsement deals over the last decade as legalization has swept the United States, the tide is just rising in New York. And Mr. Tyson is one of the biggest names yet to test how far fame can carry a brand in a market that is shaping up to be one of the largest and most competitive in the world. (Southall, 1/16)