Cannabis News Headlines From Around The World

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 5, 2023: Here are the cannabis headlines making marijuana news globally and in the Caribbean and Latin America this week in less than 60 seconds:

Several activists took to the streets of Shibuya in Tokyo on May 4 to call for the legalization of cannabis in Japan, While products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are sold in Japan, the country still has a zero-tolerance policy on the recreational use of marijuana.

Mayland Governor, Jamaican roots Wes Moore this week opened the door to Maryland’s first legal recreational sales on July 1. The bill was one of more than 180 pieces of legislation Moore signed into law Wednesday.

A key US Senate committee chairman says a bipartisan marijuana banking bill could be scheduled as early as next week, adding that lawmakers are going to “move quickly on it.”

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told NBC News reporters that his panel could hold a hearing on the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act as soon as May 11.

Contrary to previous reports, National Basketball Association (NBA) players will not be able to promote marijuana companies under a new collective bargaining agreement. But the league will remove drug testing requirements for THC, while allowing players to passively invest in the industry.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has finalized a rule to amend its drug testing policy in a way that could have significant implications for truckers, commercial drivers, pilots and other federally regulated transit workers who use marijuana off the job.

In a notice published in the Federal Register, the department said that it has completed the rulemaking process for the policy change, which would allow oral saliva drug testing as an alternative to urine-based tests.

The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has approved the full activation of the Cannabis Act on 4/20, the internationally recognized celebration of cannabis. By the Cannabis Act Order, published in the Gazette ,the Government has signaled its intent to clarify a responsible cannabis use and cannabis derivatives regulation regime within the Federation.

Scientists at Phoenix-based company ElectraTect are working to create a marijuana Breathalyzer to detect recent consumption of THC — the major psychoactive component in marijuana.

A fast-growing plant in the sunflower family that has been used for traditional medicine by some indigenous peoples in South Africa could provide a new source of cannabinoids, a class of compound found in cannabis.

Top cannabis stocks this month include Curaleaf (CURLF), Green Thumb Industries (GTBIF) and Tilray (TLRY).