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Showing posts from April, 2023

Former MI House Speaker Pleads Guilty in Cannabis Bribery Scheme

Former Michigan House Speaker Rick Johnson, a Republican, has been charged with public corruption related to the state's medical marijuana licensing process. Johnson and three other defendants have agreed to plead guilty to felony offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The investigation into Johnson's activity began in December 2017, and he served as chair of the Michigan Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB) from 2017 to 2019. During his time at the MMLB, Johnson provided valuable non-public information and assistance with license application matters to those who paid him money, according to court documents. Johnson's plea agreement states he accepted more than $100,000 in cash payments and benefits during his tenure as chair of the MMLB. The investigation is ongoing, and plea hearings are expected in the next one to two weeks. This case highlights the importance of cracking down on public corruption at all levels, as emphasized by U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. The

Exploring the Link between Legalization, Cannabis Expectancies, and Context-Specific Likelihood of Use Among College Students

    The recent legalization of nonmedical/recreational cannabis in various states across the US and other countries has brought up a lot of questions about how this change will affect people's cannabis use behaviors. To better understand this, a group of researchers conducted a study to explore the links between legalization, context-specific likelihood of using cannabis, and cannabis expectancies. The study surveyed 121 college students who had never used or were abstaining from cannabis in a US state where nonmedical cannabis was still illegal. The researchers found that, overall, 61% of the students reported that they would be more likely to use cannabis if it were legal. This suggests that legalization could potentially lead to an increase in cannabis use among this population. However, the study also found that the likelihood of using cannabis varied depending on the specific context. Social/sexual facilitation expectancies predicted a higher likelihood of using cannabis after