Director of Operations and Fellow (marijuana policy and federalism), @RockefellerInst she/her
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Heather Trela retweeted
Dismantling an adult-use cannabis market? Enshrining additional firearm rights in a state constitution? A wave of local restrictions on data centers?
See what our researchers are tracking a week out from Election Day. 👇
rockinst.org/blog/election-i…
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Heather Trela retweeted
Yesterday, Massachusetts moved to restrict the sale of kratom by temporarily designating the drug as a Schedule I drug. See which other states have banned or restricted the sale of kratom on our Kratom Policy Dashboard.
rockinst.org/issue-areas/sta…
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The long wait for adult-use cannabis dispensaries to open in Virginia finally moved closer to reality with the passage of their 2026-2028 state budget which set a 7/1/27 opening day target. That's 72 months after adult-use cannabis was first legalized. rockinst.org/issue-areas/sta…
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Heather Trela retweeted
NEW
Rockefeller Institute resident cannabis policy expert @HeatherTrela explains the SCOTUS ruling in US v. Hemani this morning and what questions remain unanswered for drug-using firearm owners.
rockinst.org/issue-area/ep-1…
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Hemani ruling is out. For background on this case and the patchwork legal rulings that necessitated SCOTUS weighing in, see my coverage of the case for @RockefellerInst: rockinst.org/blog/guns-ganja…
The first opinion is in US v. Hemani, on the federal law banning drug users from possessing firearms. In an opinion from Gorsuch, the court holds that the prosecution of Ali Hemani under that law is inconsistent with the Second Amendment.
supremecourt.gov/opinions/25…
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The veto by Gov Spanberger extends Virginia's lead as the state taking the longest to move from the legalization of recreational cannabis to the commencement of retail sales.
For more on cannabis policy, see @RockefellerInst's In the Weeds project: rockinst.org/intheweeds/
Gov. Spanberger vowed to keep working on creating a legal retail marijuana marketplace after vetoing legislation, saying the timeline was too rushed and more work is needed to get the framework right. wtvr.com/news/local-news/spa…
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My latest blog for Rockefeller:
While the DOJ order rescheduling medical cannabis from Schedule I to III is relatively straightforward from a 30,000-foot perspective, when you get into the weeds, there remain substantial unanswered questions. rockinst.org/blog/the-realit…
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I spoke with @USATODAY about the move to reschedule medical cannabis to Schedule III and what that means for the industry as a whole.
Despite years of moves to loosen marijuana restrictions, pot is still illegal at the federal level (with some new exceptions). Here's what's going on. usatoday.com/story/news/nati…
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My latest post for @RockefellerInst looks at the recent efforts to prevent, limit, or overturn cannabis legalization.
Is the tide turning on adult-use cannabis legalization? For 4/20, we take a look at efforts across states to rollback or set up roadblocks to legalization. rockinst.org/blog/cannabis-p…
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Heather Trela retweeted
A rapidly evolving policy landscape surrounds kratom. States and munis are taking a variety of approaches to regulating the drug. In the last few weeks, CT, KS, UT, & RI all made policy moves. @HeatherTrela documents the trends. 👇
rockinst.org/blog/the-evolvi…
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Today at 10 am, SCOTUS will hear oral arguments in the case US v Hemani, which deals with the federal prohibition on cannabis users owning guns. I wrote for @RockefellerInst about some of the issues to look for: rockinst.org/blog/guns-ganja…
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Heather Trela retweeted
On Monday SCOTUS hears oral arguments in US v Hemani. At issue: whether Section 922g3 of the Gun Control Act is a violation of cannabis users' 2A rights. @HeatherTrela explains what oral args may reveal about how justices are thinking about this issue. 👇
rockinst.org/blog/guns-ganja…
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I wrote for @RockefellerInst on how states, municipalities, and the federal government are (or are not) regulating kratom, including the legislation (pending at the time) that the NYS governor signed on Friday. Read it here: rockinst.org/blog/on-kratom-…
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Friday that regulates the sales of kratom products in New York. The bipartisan bills address concerns about the properties of the product, and raise the minimum age at which one can buy it.
cbs6albany.com/news/local/go…
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I hopped on @RockefellerInst's podcast to give a quick rundown of what yesterday's Executive Order on cannabis and CBD means - and what happens next.
NEW
We break down what's in President Trump's Executive Order to expedite the rescheduling of marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III drug with @RockefellerInst resident cannabis policy expert @HeatherTrela.
rockinst.org/issue-area/ep-1…
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What is cannabis rescheduling and what will it do - and not do? With increased chatter that the President may be taking action this week on the issue, it's a good time to revisit the @RockefellerInst @PolicyOutsider episode that we did on rescheduling. rockinst.org/issue-area/ep-1…
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Two kratom-related bills are now on NYS Gov Hochul's desk for consideration: S.4552 would prohibit the sale of kratom products to those <21 years old & A5852A would requiring manufacturers of Kratom products to include a warning label.
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To see how kratom is regulated in other states and municipalities, see my blog for @Rockefeller: rockinst.org/blog/on-kratom-…
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I spoke with @syracusedotcom about the potential impact of the federal hemp law changes in NYS, expanding on my recent @RockefellerInst @PolicyOutsider podcast appearance: rockinst.org/issue-area/ep-1…
New federal hemp law creates uncertainty for NY cannabis industry syracuse.com/marijuana/2025/…
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Heather Trela retweeted
New episode!
Included in one of the bills to fund the federal gov't and end the shutdown was a provision closing what is known as the "hemp loophole." We break down what this loophole was and what closing it means with @RockefellerInst's @HeatherTrela. rockinst.org/issue-area/ep-1…
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Excited to speak this morning on an #APPAM panel on social equity in the cannabis industry. I'm also officially a policy wonk.
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