Asides

According to a recent study by The Harris Poll commissioned by cannabis retailer MedMen Enterprises, many American women age 21 and older regularly use cannabis. The study, held between February 28 and March 2, 2023, featured 1,020 women nationwide. According to the findings, 37% of those polled admitted to consuming marijuana, with over a quarter of them doing so at least once a month. An interesting finding from the survey was that women mostly use cannabis for medical reasons, such as… Read more.

Nevada senators held a hearing on a bill to legalize the possession of psilocybin on Thursday, discussing a proposed amendment to remove therapeutic use provisions and taking extensive testimony from advocates and experts—including from an Assembly lawmaker who shared his own experience with ketamine treatment. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee took up the legislation from Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D), which under the amendment would remove criminal penalties for possession of up to six ounces of the psychedelic for adults… Read more.

An Oregon marijuana business challenging the state’s ban on interstate cannabis commerce asked a federal judge last week to allow the case to be heard in court, arguing that the company has a “right to operate its business—federally legal or not—free of unconstitutional state laws such as the export ban.” The cannabis wholesaler, Medford-based Jefferson Packing House, sued Oregon officials in November in an effort to overturn the state export ban. Its attorneys claim the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s Dormant Commerce… Read more.

Gary Allen, CEO of New Frontier Data, announced the release of the 2023 U.S. Cannabis Report: Market Updates & Projections, which provides insights into the current and future state of the American cannabis market. The report is sponsored by Cannacare Docs and includes information on sales, consumers, supply, and pricing for both adult-use and medical cannabis. Allen predicts a promising future for the industry, citing the emergence of new markets to offset the stabilization of established ones. According to New Frontier… Read more.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is proposing legislation to crack down on unlicensed cannabis storefronts in the state, including fines of up to $10,000 per day for unlawful operations. The legislation would also give additional enforcement power to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the Department of Taxation and Finance to enforce the new regulatory requirements and close stores engaged in cannabis sales without a license. The new legislation, which is being introduced as a governor’s program bill in the… Read more.

A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators have filed a bill to reduce regulations on farmers that grow industrial hemp for non-extraction purposes. Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced the Industrial Hemp Act on Thursday—the latest piece of congressional legislation focused on the crop, which was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. As it stands, hemp and its derivatives like CBD that contain no more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight are not controlled substances, and… Read more.

A new study shows that four years after Canada legalized marijuana for adult use, nearly six out of every ten neighborhoods in the country is located within a five-minute drive of a cannabis dispensary, demonstrating the level of access afforded to consumers. The study, which was a collaborative effort by investigators from various universities and research institutes in Ottawa and Toronto, also showed that over the course of a four-year span only 7 percent of retail cannabis locations permanently closed.… Read more.

According to historians, the Shinnecock Indian Nation has lived on eastern Long Island for 10,000 years, rather a longer residency than the denizens of the surrounding uber-wealthy and celebrity-studded “Hamptons” can claim. Yet longevity has provided little leverage to the tribe’s leaders in recent years as they tried and failed to establish a gambling casino on or near their 1,000-acre tribal territory, located mostly on the “Neck,” a peninsula adjoining Southampton, New York, with its upscale restaurants, boutiques and private beach clubs.… Read more.

The secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says he’s aware that there’s significant public interest in the timeline for the administrative review of marijuana scheduling—but there are “a few hoops we need to jump through” before completing that assessment. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a media clip of his interview about cannabis with KDKA-TV that aired earlier in the week, assuring followers, “I see the comments and I know a lot… Read more.

A Hawaii Senate committee approved a House-passed bill on Wednesday that would create an advisory council to look into possible regulations to provide access to federal “breakthrough therapies” like psilocybin and MDMA. The psychedelics legislation from Rep. Adrian Tam (D) advanced, with amendments, in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in a 5-0 vote. Members took testimony from advocates and experts, including a representative of the Department of Health, which voiced support for the proposal. All 20 people and organizations that… Read more.

The Pennsylvania Appellate Court made a groundbreaking ruling, allowing workers' compensation laws to cover medical cannabis expenses. Paul Sheetz, the deceased plaintiff, treated his chronic pain with medical cannabis after a work injury in 1977. He also used cannabis to wean off prescribed opioids. The defendant, Firestone, argued that reimbursing medical cannabis costs would violate federal law, but the court disagreed. The court ruled that insurers are not recommending cannabis, so it is not a federal crime. This decision benefits those who… Read more.

A Hawaii Senate-passed bill to legalize marijuana has stalled out in the House for the year—but advocates are shifting focus to 2024, hoping to enact the reform in the second half of the two-year legislative session. The legislation from Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D) cleared the Senate earlier this month, and hopes were high that it’d make it through the House as well. But a hearing wasn’t scheduled before a deadline for bills that have been referred to three or more… Read more.

Lawmakers in Montana this week considered changing the advertising and labeling rules under the state’s adult-use cannabis law, the Missoula Current reports. One measure would bar adult-use cannabis businesses from promoting their brands in print, on TV or radio, or on billboards, while another would revise labels on packaging to include warnings about using cannabis while pregnant. Under the current adult-use law, licensees are not permitted to advertise “marijuana or marijuana products” but are allowed to advertise their brand, as allowed by the Montana Department of Revenue. The… Read more.

A House panel in Washington State took another step toward allowing interstate cannabis commerce on Thursday, advancing a Senate-approved bill that would one day enable businesses in the state to import and export marijuana products. The bill, SB 5069, from Sen. Ann Rivers (R), would give the governor the authority to enter into agreements with other legal states to permit interstate trade between licensed cannabis companies. But it would take effect only if there’s a federal law change “to allow… Read more.

Things are getting high in Missouri for cannabis users in more than one way! Less than two months into recreational pot being legal, there’s already a marijuana shortage and that’s leading to soaring prices. It starts with cultivators not being able to keep up with demand, moves down the line to manufacturers paying more for what’s grown, and ultimately leads to higher checkout totals at dispensaries. Missouri initially predicted around $50-60 million would be spent on cannabis. Now, we’re looking… Read more.

According to a recent state estimate, Illinois has collected a whopping $36 million in tax revenue from Wisconsin residents crossing the border to purchase marijuana in Illinois, where cannabis use has been legalized. This astounding number highlights the tremendous effect legalization could have on the state economy and attitudes toward marijuana use. It's important to remember that Wisconsin is one of the few states where lawmakers have not approved the use of marijuana in any way. Contrarily, 37 states currently have medical cannabis… Read more.

A bill proposed in Arizona would allow patients with autism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to access medical cannabis products in the state, the AZ Mirror reports. The measure passed the House Health and Human Services Committee 7-2 on Monday.  Earlier this month, the legislation was approved by a bipartisan 24-6 vote in the state Senate and will move next to the full House after approval by the Health and Human Services Committee.  During testimony on the measure, Aaron Jacobs, the father of a… Read more.

Oregon regulators have approved the nation’s first-ever psilocybin production license under a novel state-based regulatory framework for broad access to the psychedelic that voters approved in 2020. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced on Wednesday that they’ve granted a psilocybin manufacturer license to the woman-owned business Satori Farms PDX LLC. The so-called magic mushrooms produced at the manufacturing facility will help supply future businesses where people can go to have the psychedelic administered in a supervised environment. Regulators were tasked… Read more.

A Brazilian appeals court has agreed to rule on whether companies and farmers can plant cannabis in the country, which could open the door to legal cultivation for medicinal and industrial purposes after legislative efforts stalled in recent years. The decision by the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), Brazil's top appeals court for non-constitutional matters, was made public on March 14 and established its jurisdiction for a nationwide precedent regarding the import of seeds and planting of cannabis. Now, all pending cases… Read more.

A major alcohol industry association is officially backing federal marijuana legalization, sending a letter to congressional leadership on Wednesday that implores lawmakers to “regulate adult-use cannabis at the federal level.” The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) said that “the current conflict between state and federal law is not only causing adverse consequences for consumers and non-consumers of cannabis but will also have long-term public health and safety costs that are too great to ignore.” The association made two… Read more.

The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday passed a measure that would allow the director of the state Medical Marijuana Authority to shut down cannabis operations that are damaging the environment, KOKH reports. Sen. Joe Newhouse (R) authored the legislation and argued that it would help reign in medical cannabis operations in the state that are not following state law.  Oklahoma has one of the nation’s most permissive medical cannabis programs, but it has been rife with controversy. Last year, two Oklahoma attorneys were charged in a “Ghost Owner”… Read more.

A newly-formed political action committee aims to back candidates for office that back the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes, NBC News reports. The Psychedelic Medicine PAC also aims to secure federal funding to further education and research efforts for psychedelics but stops short of calling for full legalization or decriminalization of the substances. In an interview with NBC News, Ryan Rodgers, co-founder and executive director of Psychedelic Medicine PAC, said the group has “to convince a historically stubborn audience around psychedelics that it’s… Read more.

A recent study claimed to show vaped CBD is more harmful than vaped nicotine, and while several news outlets have reported on it, they all missed numerous flaws in the methodology. As a result of numerous confounding variables, there is no way to actually show that any of the harms they found were from CBD, and not one of the many other chemicals in the oil. High Times spoke to several cannabis vaping experts in an effort to nip this story in the bud,… Read more.

A New Jersey hemp company is suing a Massachusetts biotech company claiming it operated a “Ponzi scheme” by using more than $700,000 it raised from the firm to fund its own projects, Salem News reports. In its lawsuit against the Salzman Group, Delta Technologies claims the drug development company took their money and used their machinery in other, failed, projects.  According to the lawsuit, Salzman Group Chairman and CEO Dr. Andrew Salzman agreed to put together a “large team of scientists” to help Delta and its… Read more.

A bill proposed in Washington state would add about 100 retail adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses which would be set aside for social equity applicants, KING 5 reports. The measure is backed by the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) which recently reported that 92% of cannabis license holders in the state are White and just 4% of retail cannabis licenses went to Black applicants.   The measure is sponsored by State Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D) who told KING 5 that the state’s cannabis program “really set… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a brief in a federal appeals court as part of an ongoing lawsuit over the government’s ban preventing medical marijuana patients from possessing firearms. Many of DOJ’s arguments in the brief filed on Wednesday mirror points that the agency made in earlier filings in the case, including in a federal district court that dismissed the lawsuit that’s now being appealed by its plaintiffs. But the latest document places new emphasis on the “wide-ranging consequences” that… Read more.

Another Minnesota House committee has approved a bill to legalize marijuana, after members adopted a large-scale amendment to overhaul various provisions of the legislation. The House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee passed the measure in a voice vote on Monday. The panel, chaired by bill sponsor Rep. Zack Stephenson (D), first took up the legislation in January, but it was always the plan to have the proposal returned to the committee. Like a recently adopted change to a companion bill… Read more.

The 2023 Recreational Marijuana Supply and Demand Legislative report from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission states that per-gram cannabis prices in Oregon have decreased by 16% from the previous year, reaching an all-time low of $4. According to the OLCC, the market demand for marijuana in Oregon was estimated to be 52% of the supply in 2021 and 63% in 2022. Despite the deteriorating market conditions, 2022 was closer to achieving supply/demand equilibrium than 2021. This was due to OLCC Producers… Read more.

“I started smoking cannabis in college. During my sophomore year,” discloses NBA legend Allen Iverson. “Entering my rookie year, I got a hold of something quite strong, and that changed my thought process around smoking.” Now a weed connoisseur, Iverson has joined forces with Al Harrington’s Viola Brands to launch a line of cannabis products and merchandise under The Iverson Collection name. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing in the marijuana world for Iverson. In fact, the athlete was arrested for pot possession back in 1997.… Read more.

Zen Cannabis is poised to unveil "The Big Zen" — touted as the most extensive, potent, dominantly-dosed and expensive cannabis chocolate bar ever made. The Oklahoma-based company plans to unveil the 420-pound treat on April 20 (or as it's known colloquially as 4/20). The "Big Zen" took twelve 40-gallon vats of milk chocolate and over 100 pounds of cannabis flower to make. The nine by four-foot chocolate bar packs a potency of 4.2 million milligrams of THC. In the Zen ‘Cannafactory,’ the “Big Zen” operation… Read more.

Germany is moving forward with its plan to legalize cannabis for recreational use, aiming to become the first European country to regulate the sale of cannabis products. But while supranational legal frameworks may pose obstacles to legalization, Lauterbach has received positive feedback from the EU, highlighting that the legislation must comply with EU regulations. Lauterbach has expressed confidence that his plans to legalize cannabis will be approved by the EU. Speaking in Brussels on Tuesday, March 14, before a meeting… Read more.

A bill to legalize medical marijuana stalled in the Kansas legislature on Thursday—but now the governor is urging the public to contact their representatives to demand they take the legislation back up for action “this session.” Gov. Laura Kelly (D), who has long championed cannabis reform, said on Thursday that she’s “disappointed that some legislators are saying they don’t want to move forward with legalizing medical marijuana this year—effectively turning their backs on our veterans and those with chronic pain and seizure… Read more.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) isn’t good news for anyone. Bank collapses portend wider threats to the economy – the Great Depression is one such example – particularly when they derive from an eroding capital base resulting from the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to battle inflation. It is estimated that more than 50% of venture-backed companies used Santa Clara, California-headquartered SVB as their depository and financing institution. Wealth management, currency hedges, stock placements, you name it: SVB was the… Read more.

Wisconsin residents purchased more than $121 million worth of marijuana from legal retailers in neighboring Illinois in 2022, contributing about $36 million in tax revenue to the state, according to a legislative analysis requested by a top Wisconsin senator. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D), who has sponsored legalization legislation in past sessions, asked the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB) to study just how much money was flowing from Wisconsin to Illinois in the form of out-of-state cannabis purchases. LFB… Read more.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have refiled a pair of bills meant to provide a pathway for the regulation of hemp derivatives like CBD as dietary supplements and food and beverage additives. The two measures that were filed on Friday—the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act and the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act—are being sponsored by Reps. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Angie Craig (D-MN). Earlier versions of the bills were filed last Congress and ultimately did not advance,… Read more.

A second Delaware Senate committee approved a House-passed bill on Thursday to create a regulated adult-use marijuana market, sending it to the floor where a complementary measure to legalize possession is also set for action. The proposals are being sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski (D), and they both advanced through a separate Senate committee on Wednesday after being approved in the full House. Now the Senate Finance Committee has also cleared the regulations-focused bill, which needed a second stop because… Read more.

Kansas senators have shelved a bill to legalize medical marijuana following a hearing that featured multiple opponents, including state law enforcement representatives. Members of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee voted on Thursday to table the legislation, which the panel itself is sponsoring. Following the action, Chairman Mike Thompson (R) said that lawmakers have “bigger fish to fry,” indicating that he’s not interested in taking the proposal back up before the end of the 2023 session. Officials with the Kansas Sheriffs… Read more.

The New Hampshire House of Representatives has approved another bill to legalize marijuana in the state—except this one contains no regulations or limitations on cannabis. About a month after the House passed a comprehensive legalization, taxation and regulation measure that’s being sponsored by bipartisan leaders, members on Thursday took up the simpler legislation to remove marijuana from the state’s listed of banned substances. The chamber first voted, 210-160, to overrule the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, which had deemed the… Read more.

The Texas House Public Health Committee on Monday heard hearings on a bill that would expand the state’s medical cannabis program, FOX 44 reports. The measure would allow access to products with THC levels as high as 5%. Under current law, patients can only access low-THC products with THC concentrations up to 1%.  The measure is, in part, meant to reign in the proliferation of hemp-derived THC products, such as delta-8, which some medical cannabis consumers are relying on because of the low THC limits in… Read more.

House and Senate committees in Minnesota on Tuesday each altered adult-use cannabis legalization bills being considered by lawmakers, with the House Transportation Finance Committee tacking on an amendment to reduce the amount of cannabis individuals can keep in their homes from 5 pounds to 1.5 pounds, ABC 6 News reports.  The Senate State and Local Government committee adopted a 142-page amendment to create distinctions between the industrial hemp industry and the adult-use cannabis industry.   Ted Galaty, a hemp farmer and owner of Willow’s Keep Farm, told… Read more.

Analysis The vibes are different. Deepak Chopra is advocating for psychedelic therapy as a gateway to higher collective consciousness. SXSW patrons are invited to take off their shoes and meditate in a dark room while a harpist plays along to music written by plants. New apps like Aimi offer AI-generated music that adapts to your mood and effectively functions as a responsive, customizable “Lo-fi hip-hop beats to relax/study to.” Jeff Tweedy of Wilco is performing three songs about his dead father at the Audible party… Read more.

Given the general bearishness in the cannabis industry, Trulieve has something to offer to investors with high risk-appetites. After a rollercoaster ride over the last few years, the marijuana industry no longer seems enticing to investors. The lack of progress toward U.S. federal legalization, and lower retail and wholesale prices for the raw marijuana flower leading to lower corporate profitability, have pushed cannabis stock prices even lower. However, savvy investors recognize that every growing industry goes through hiccups and eventually settles… Read more.

Jupiter Research, a marijuana vape cartridge subsidiary of Phoenix-based Tilt Holdings, refinanced and extended its revolving credit facility. The amount of credit available to Jupiter increased from $10 million to $12.5 million, according to a Tuesday news release. The debt now matures July 21, 2024, instead of July 2023. The interest rate is the prime rate plus 3%. The funds are secured against Jupiter’s property, inventory and accounts receivable as well as through a $6 million guaranty from Tilt. Jupiter initially entered… Read more.

Health Canada has asked five companies to stop distribution and sale of noncompliant cannabis edibles products by the end of May and provincial wholesalers have been notified of the ongoing crackdown after months of confusion, MJBizDaily has learned. Canada’s cannabis industry and the federal government have been on a collision course over the products since January, when Health Canada started asking some licensed companies to stop selling certain ingestible marijuana products. The industry says the products are appropriately classified as cannabis “extracts”… Read more.

A majority of Texas voters say that the state’s marijuana laws should be “less strict,” according to a new survey. The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll that was released this month asked respondents about a variety of policy issues affecting the state and how they believe certain matters should be regulated compared to the status quo. Asked about cannabis, 51 percent said that state laws should be less strict, versus 22 percent who said they should be more strict… Read more.

A bipartisan bill introduced in the House last week would allow individuals with drug convictions to obtain a hemp license. The 2018 Farm Bill, which expanded the federal government’s hemp legalization policies, prohibits people with a felony drug conviction within the past 10 years from cultivating hemp. The measure, dubbed the Free to Grow Act, is backed by Republican Reps. Nancy Mace (S.C.) and David Joyce (OH), along with Democratic Reps. David Trone (MD) and Senior House Agriculture Committee Member Chellie Pingree… Read more.

Marijuana Legalization Linked to Reduction In Booze-Related Deaths of Pedestrians According to data, around 1 in every 7 pedestrian deaths is caused by a drunk driver. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that some 32 people are killed due to drunk driving everyday. This equates to one death every 45 minutes, a senseless and completely unnecessary preventable death. The fact that alcohol consumption greatly impairs drivers has long been known, yet people continue to do it. Booze alters one’s judgment, severely impacts one’s ability to concentrate, affects… Read more.

The United Nations’s (UN) drug control body is suggesting that the U.S. is out of compliance with a decades-old international drug treaty because the federal government is passively allowing states within the country to legalize marijuana. While the UN’s International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) has routinely criticized countries for allowing the enactment of cannabis legalization due to their obligations under the 1961 Single Convention to maintain prohibition, a section of the new annual report report it released last week stands… Read more.

We want cannabis bars to look similar to alcohol bars with lots of selection and variety. Sara Stewart is a seasoned hospitality professional with experience managing and operating 2 of the first cannabis consumption lounges in the US. She has a particular interest in bridging the gap between cannabis consumption lounges and today's hospitality standards using education, control, and valuable insight. We chat with her about how she thinks we can grow the cannabis drinks category and what everyone involved can… Read more.

Colorado has been a destination for cannabis tourists since the first sale of recreational marijuana in 2014. But at the time, state laws prohibited consuming cannabis in public places, so those tourists technically didn’t have a place to enjoy their purchases. But with the advent of consumption lounges last spring, visitors to the state now can puff in peace, and one hotelier wants to make it easy to consume cannabis on his property. Chris Chiari, CEO and founder of The… Read more.

Tennessee-based Gold Spectrum picked an inopportune day last month to debut an edibles line. On Feb. 13, the hemp company – which has five retail locations in Tennessee and sells products in other states – announced the release of several flavored “Delta 8 + THC-O Cereal Bars.” Popularized nationwide as a marijuana alternative since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, delta-8 THC can be found throughout states with no legal access, including Tennessee. But THC-O, also known as THC… Read more.

Discreet prescription refills via telehealth visits are already the norm for medications like hair loss and erectile dysfunction medication for men, which is easier to do when it’s not in-person. The same methods could be used to be discreet and quietly get prescriptions for medical cannabis under a new Florida bill. House Bill 387 is sponsored by Spencer Roach (R-North Fort Myers) and would allow practitioners to certify patients for medical cannabis via FaceTime, Skype, etc. visits rather than in-person visits.… Read more.

SHAMAN Adriano Delgado Alvarado blows pure tobacco smoke into my face while chanting and shaking the shacapa plant over my scalp. He is cleansing my body of evil spirits ready to take the potent psychedelic drug ayahuasca — championed by Prince Harry in his online interview with self-help guru Dr Gabor Maté. Dr Maté endorses and promotes The Temple of the Way of Light healing centre in the Peruvian rainforest, where Shaman Adriano works. Harry told how he took ayahuasca to help him deal… Read more.

Cannabis vaping has become a popular method of consumption for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Despite the challenging economic landscape, the cannabis market has seen a surge in sales, with vape pens significantly contributing to this growth. Vape pens have demonstrated remarkable resilience in the cannabis market, and this trend is predicted to continue as a new generation of buyers enters the market. Thanks to their ease of use, vape pens have become dominant on dispensary shelves, outpacing other cannabis… Read more.

According to recently made public data from the UK medical system, Devon's general practitioners have written hundreds of prescriptions for medical cannabis in the last five years. This information has come to light amid rising charitable calls for improved access to medical cannabis for people with autoimmune and neurological conditions. Medical conditions like multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and chronic pain can all be effectively treated with drugs made from cannabis plants or synthetic cannabinoids. Despite their potential benefits, these therapies can… Read more.

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have refiled a bill to combat illicit marijuana grows on federal lands, framing it as a way that the federal government can help protect cannabis consumers’ health from banned pesticides that are often used in unregulated cultivation. While the idea of yet another stepped up federal effort to crack down on illegal cannabis production might seem like an extension of prohibitionist enforcement at a surface level, Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) said on Thursday that the primary intent of… Read more.

After witnessing a blowout loss in Oklahoma on Tuesday, advocates of adult-use marijuana legalization are turning their attention to brighter prospects in Hawaii and Delaware. Legalization bills are marching through legislatures in both states, with support from the governor in Hawaii and a veto-proof legislative majority in Delaware, where lawmakers in the state House on Thursday advanced an adult-use legalization bill for the first time. However, observers cautioned final passage isn’t assured in either state. The two relatively small states… Read more.

Drug-Driving Law Reform In Australia Cannabis advocates in Victoria are pushing for a policy change through an amendment to the Road Safety Act (1986) under which driving with THC in one's system will no longer be an offense as long as it has been prescribed, reported Vice. Even though it became the first state in Australia to legalize medical marijuana in 2016, those relying on regular use of medical marijuana (MMJ) risked being charged for driving with THC in their system. The main issue is that THC remains detectable in… Read more.

My first experience with psychedelics was with my mom when I was 22. We decided to grow our own when we couldn't find mushrooms in Alabama. After 14 years, we still take mushrooms together, and it has brought our family closer together. At 22 years old, I had my first psychedelic experience. My self-appointed trip guide gave me a half-eighth of psilocybin mushrooms. I figured the few dry stems and one button-sized cap weren't enough to do anything. But I trusted my… Read more.

Aaron Rodgers is finally set to speak up since returning from his four-day darkness retreat... but it's unrelated to his NFL future, as the quarterback will talk about psychedelics at a conference this summer - amid a potential trade to the Jets. From June 19-23, the 39-year-old will feature as a celebrity guest on the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies' 'Psychedelic Science 2023' event in Denver, Colorado, also known as the 'largest psychedelic gathering in history'.  Previously, Rodgers, a Super Bowl champion, has opened up… Read more.

The cannabis industry is evolving in Massachusetts, with competition eating away profits and prices plummeting per ounce as more dispensaries enter the market. "Everybody's looking at that newest technology to maximize yield," said Marc Shepard, founder of the New England Cannabis Convention. "Maximize profitability, better marketing, better product." Shepard says with hundreds of dispensaries operating in the state, and many more on the way, it's not necessarily a financial bonanza for dispensary owners. "It's just not the cash cow, automatic,… Read more.

These days, you can’t dismiss someone seeking a career in cannabis as merely an aspiring hippie looking to drift in and out of euphoric, philosophical thoughts fueled by THC. Human use of the cannabis plant dates back thousands of years. Over the millennia, cannabis experienced major changes in popularity and social perception. With recent advancements in research, legislation and public demand, cannabis now plays a significant role in both the economy and society. NORML reported in 2022 that over 428,000 people… Read more.

The Maryland House of Delegates has advanced an amended bill to create regulations allowing for adult-use marijuana commerce following voter approval of legalization last year. The legislation, sponsored by Del. C.T. Wilson (D), passed on a second reading on the floor on Wednesday, just days after clearing committee. The House will need to give final third reading approval to the measure before it potentially moves to the Senate, where a companion version is scheduled for consideration in committee on Thursday. The House… Read more.

A top U.S. intelligence official reaffirmed on Wednesday that it is not the federal government’s current policy to deny people security clearances based on past marijuana use alone, stating that it is counterproductive to recruitment efforts, especially amid the growing legalization movement. At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) took the opportunity to ask Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Avril Haines to explain the rationale behind the discretionary policy on prior cannabis use. “We recognize, frankly, that many… Read more.

Arkansas lawmakers introduced a proposal to ban products containing delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10 THC which are not directly regulated by the state. A bill proposed in Arkansas seeks to ban synthetic THC products and add them to the state’s controlled substances list, KATV reports. The measure would specifically outlaw delta-8, delta-9, and delta-10 products that are unregulated in the state.  State Sen. Justin Boyd (R), one of the bill’s sponsors, told KATC that “a ban is the best way” to keep the products out… Read more.

Oklahoma voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to allow adults 21 and over to buy and consume cannabis. If the measure passes, the state will become the 22nd in the U.S. to legalize pot for adult use. The vote on State Question 820 is taking place on an executive order from Gov. Kevin Stitt. With just over 4 million people and 2.2 million registered voters, Oklahoma is the 28th-largest U.S. state by population. Although it’s a… Read more.

The sites of two defunct South Jersey diners may soon go from serving breakfast to bud as cannabis businesses in the Garden State look to give them new life as marijuana dispensaries. Plans are underway to convert the closed Marlton Diner in Marlton and Mount Laurel’s Sage Diner to cannabis shops, as first reported by the Courier Post. A firm known as Enlighten Health & Wellness LLC will operate the former Marlton Diner location on Route 70, and NJ Green… Read more.

There's a new type of farmers market in San Francisco, but instead of buying fruits and vegetables, customers get to buy a famous California crop that is best enjoyed smoked. This market is dedicated entirely to cannabis. The new monthly event takes place at one of two downtown San Francisco dispensaries: Moe Greens on Market Street and Barbary Coast on Mission Street. The showcases allow customers to learn about dozens of different cannabis strains directly from the farmers who grow them.… Read more.

In 2018, State Question 788 in Oklahoma made it illegal to use cannabis for recreational purposes, but it was allowed for medical use with a proper license. However, the citizens of Oklahoma will be voting on March 7th to decide whether or not to legalize cannabis for recreational use statewide. This decision is seen as an opportunity to boost local businesses and promote social reform, but some critics are concerned that it could lead to an increase in addiction and… Read more.

Santa Fe calls itself “The City Different” in New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment, but could it change you into a different person while visiting? Less than six hours by car from Denver, Santa Fe is close enough for a weekend away or for spring break without a long flight. Yet this small city is like a world away from the Front Range in terms of the vibe and activities. From art to a transformational retreat, there are many mind-altering —… Read more.

Military veterans trying to overcome the horrors of war are increasingly finding themselves in an unlikely position — persuading Republican politicians to legalize the healing power of ancient psychedelic plants. DailyMail.com spoke with former Marines, Navy Seals and others left traumatized by America's brutal campaigns overseas who have turned to psilocybin mushrooms and other natural drugs to help fight their inner demons. Left-leaning Oregon and Colorado have started to let psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in 'magic' mushrooms, be used in supervised drug journeys to counter depression and… Read more.

Three separate proposals are planned by Pennsylvania lawmakers seeking to legalize recreational marijuana, provide social justice to those with low-level marijuana convictions and reap the tax benefits from a potential billion-dollar industry. Two co-sponsorship memos circulating in the House and Senate propose selling marijuana in state-owned liquor stores, restricting possession and use to adults at least 21 years of age. The memos respectively filed by state Rep. David Delloso, D-Delaware, and state Sen. Marty Flynn, D-Lackawanna/Lehigh, would also permit Pennsylvanians… Read more.

Kevin Smith's life has not been the same ever since he suffered a massive heart attack in 2018. He trimmed down more than 100 pounds and adopted a vegan lifestyle. Now, five years after that fateful day, Smith has also quit smoking pot. The Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back director posted the following at Instagram on Feb. 28: Today marks my 5th week without weed.I feel less numb and more present than I have in 10 years.No judgment on my green friends,but this… Read more.

Over 100 kg of cannabis shipped from Canada intercepted by Italian police In a recent cargo from Canada to Italy, 108 kg of cannabis were concealed among the absorbent mats for animals.  Police confiscated the shipment from an organization that apparently deals with shipping and logistics in the Milan area earlier this week, according to local sources that were initially made public by StratCann. Police were contacted after workers noticed a cannabis odor coming from a pallet of packages that had… Read more.

Cannabis is waaay too available for you to have bad weed accessories. Legality at the state level is stretching far-and-wide. Congress is moving to decriminalize weed at a federal level. Within these great 50 states, you can find weed, good weed, with little to no effort. As such, you no longer need to sift through head shop cases for shabby essentials like weed grinders or water pipes. There are better options now: Quality weed merchandise from designers and brands that are both beautiful and functional. Here, we’ve rounded up 27… Read more.

PROVIDENCE — An Instagram account this week made fun of the state legislators who have proposed decriminalizing “magic mushrooms.” An image posted by the “What’s going on in Rhode Island” account shows Representative Brandon C. Potter and Senator Meghan E. Kallman against a backdrop of gigantic mushrooms and a psychedelic rainbow swirl. More than 2,200 people “liked” the image, and some of the comments were scathing. “Can always count on the Democrats to find new ways to try to buy votes,”… Read more.

On March 8, the state’s largest and most comprehensive cannabis business conference will feature more than 40 vendors and 29 speakers, offering just about everything a Garden State legal weed operator needs to know and the people they need to meet to succeed. Doors open at 9 a.m. with the keynote speaker, the state’s top cannabis regulator Dianna Houenou, opening the all-day event at 10 a.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel at the Newark Airport. Tickets are on sale now for the conference. A select… Read more.

WASHINGTON—Leaders of the country’s largest intertribal religious organization met this week with federal officials and urged them to uphold Native rights to use peyote in religious ceremonies. On Tuesday, leaders of the Native American Church of North America (NACNA) convened at the Department of the Interior to ask the federal government to uphold its legal responsibilities in enforcing the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) of 1978. Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter, AIRFA protects the rights of Native… Read more.

Cannabis entrepreneur Ori Bytton is asking $38 million for a Los Angeles mansion with a custom smoking room.  Mr. Bytton, 36, hails from Israel and is the founder of the cannabis products company Natura Life Science. He acquired the Bel-Air site in 2014 for $1.775 million, records show, and said he intended to build a house there for himself and his family, starting construction in October 2018. The roughly 13,600-square-foot house was finished in the past few weeks, he said.… Read more.

A bill in New Mexico would create two new programs funded by cannabis excise tax revenues, including a community reinvestment grant fund and a substance use disorder prevention and treatment fund, KRQE reports. Currently, all cannabis excise tax revenues are sent into the state’s general fund.  Under the measure, a third of the taxes collected from adult-use sales would be used for those programs. State Rep. Andrea Romero (D), one of the bill’s sponsors, noted that the current version of the bill does not specify that the money would… Read more.

As former general manager of three Arena Football League teams, Reggie Harris knows the importance of going on offense. So, in 2021, when Harris and his team launched House of Kush, a Kansas City, Missouri-based company that sells cannabis-plant genetics via seedlings and licensing deals, he didn’t wait for clients to come find him. “Primarily, we’re going out seeking them,” Harris said. Today, House of Kush genetics are growing in six states – Arizona, California, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri and Oklahoma… Read more.

A marijuana legalization bill cleared another Minnesota Senate committee on Wednesday, bringing the total number of panels in the chamber to advance the legislation so far this session to seven. The Human Services Committee passed the measure from Sen. Lindsey Port (D) in a voice vote. “This allows adults to safely and responsibly use cannabis,” Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten (D), who presented the bill on behalf of Port, told committee members. “It creates a regulated marketplace that’s much safer than… Read more.

Nasdaq-traded marijuana company Bright Green Corp. is again attracting scrutiny and questions, this time for its audacious plan to raise $500 million through a federal investment program that targets immigrant investors. The company announced in a February news release it would use the money generated through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program to build out its “world-class production and drug manufacturing facilities” in the small New Mexico town of Grants. Florida-based Bright Green also plans to use the money to bankroll research and… Read more.

Truck drivers testing positive for marijuana jumped 31% last year The utilization of drugs by commercial truck drivers has reached a peak not seen since 2019, and the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is determined to uncover the reasons behind it. ATRI is embarking on a mission to gather information from carriers on safety and related concerns arising from the legalization of marijuana at the state level. ATRI aims to unravel the mystery surrounding the upsurge in drug use among commercial truck… Read more.

On the Revel events usually feature one major celebrity interview. In the past, it has been Styles P and Al Harrington. At their latest winter conferece at City Tech Theater in Brooklyn, NY on Feb. 25, rapper Vic Mensa was the final act of the day. Mensa has his own cannabis brand, 93 Boyz, based in Illinois. Last year, he was arrested for possessing LSD and psilocybin mushroom products at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC. In June, he made a plea deal that allows for unsupervised probation for one year.… Read more.

Welcome to the magic mushroom club, Ferndale. We’re glad to see you. On Monday evening, Ferndale City Council unanimously approved a resolution to decriminalize entheogenic plants and fungi like psilocybin mushrooms, Ayahuasca, and Dimethyltryptamine (aka DMT). This doesn’t mean these psychedelic substances are completely legal, but the “investigation and arrest of persons for planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, engaging in practices with, or possessing Entheogenic Plants or plant compounds which are on the Federal Schedule 1 list shall be the… Read more.

After the overwhelming success of previous business events, the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is returning to Miami beach April 11-12, 2023 with events taking place simultaneously on two stages at the historic Fontainebleau Hotel. As part of celebrating individuals, entrepreneurs, and organizations who do amazing things in the industry, Benzinga will feature Christine Smith, founder & CEO of Grön (pronounced "green"), one of the largest and most recognized producers of handcrafted cannabis-infused edibles in the American Northwest. Mother And Architect-Turned-Chocolatier Christine Smith brings over 20 years of experience as a licensed architect before… Read more.

The post Future Files Trademarks Signaling A Medical Marijuana And Cannabis Company appeared first on AfroTech. The Atlanta rapper’s legal team has reportedly filed six trademarks for the name “EVOL BY FUTURE,” according to trademark attorney Clarissa Harvey. “On 2/17/23- his legal team filed six 1(b) intent-to-use trademark applications in several classes for “EVOL BY FUTURE” to be used in connection w/ smoking lounge services, vape pens, medicated oil, etc,” Harvey wrote in a tweet. Based on the trademark filings, EVOL BY FUTURE is set… Read more.

March 2023 marks the fifth anniversary since NJ Cannabis Insider launched with a weekly newsletter and seasonal conferences. With the market open for nearly a year, hundreds of companies permitted to open cannabis operations, and more to come, this will be our biggest business conference, yet. For March 8, NJ Cannabis Insider’s all-day conferencewill be the state’s largest business networking event, featuring more than two dozen speakers and several new features to mirror what’s happenings in the industry. Tickets are on sale… Read more.

A Republican state senator in Pennsylvania is calling on law enforcement to take steps to protect the gun rights of marijuana  consumers, particularly medical cannabis patients—pointing to a federal judge’s recent ruling that the U.S. government’s ban on gun ownership by people who use marijuana is unconstitutional. Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), in a letter to the acting commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police, noted that the commonwealth currently prohibits people from obtaining a license to carry firearms if they acknowledge being… Read more.

BURTON, Mich. — Before Jayden Carter turned 9, police were called 126 times to his school, home and other locations to address his violent behavior. “I had ribs out of place, my forehead cut open, black eye,” recalled Amie Carter, his mother. The situation got so dire that Child Protective Services encouraged Amie to sign her rights to Jayden away, a step that would allow the state to put him in permanent treatment. That was when — out of… Read more.

On March 7, Oklahoma residents will only have one question to answer: Do they support adult-use cannabis legalization? If Oklahomans pass State Question 820 on their ballots, they will follow the national trend toward legalization and become the 22nd state to have ended cannabis prohibition. Of the 29 states where adult-use cannabis is still illegal, 17 of them have introduced legislation to legalize it this year. While most of these proposals are unlikely to be successful in 2023, the trend… Read more.

Two South Dakota medical cannabis firms are suing a former political operative for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), accusing the defendant of defrauding the companies and their investors of about $1.7 million. A former political operative for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is being sued in South Dakota, accused of defrauding two medical cannabis companies and their investors of about $1.7 million, the Star Tribune reports. Dakota Natural Growers, 605 Cannabis, and more than 20 of their investors filed the lawsuit last… Read more.

Massachusetts-based Harpoon Brewery has launched its first THC-infused beverage, Rec. Weed, in partnership with Novel Beverage Company. Harpoon Brewery has launched its first THC-based beverage, Rec. Weed, in partnership with Novel Beverage Company. The company describes Rec. Weed as “hop-forward yet approachable.” It contains no alcohol, 5 milligrams of THC, real passionfruit puree, green tea, and hops.  Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon, said it partnered with Novel on the product because of its “vast knowledge” of the cannabis… Read more.

The first two months of 2023 have shown expansive interest in bold drug policy reform in state legislatures across the country—most recently, with the introduction of numerous new bills touching on everything from psychedelics legalization to authorizing safe drug consumption sites. Lawmakers in several states will conduct hearings on such reform proposals over the next week. The marijuana legalization movement continues to spread and evolve, but it’s become quickly apparent this session that legislators are eager to more holistically move… Read more.

SMITH FALLS, ONTARIO – Canopy Growth Corporation, one of the world’s largest cannabis cultivators and manufacturers, announced plans to lay off 35 percent of its workforce—roughly 800 jobs—in an effort to rebound from its recent CAD $266.7 million (about U.S. $196 million) net loss last quarter, following a CAD $115.5 million loss in the same quarter in 2021. Canopy also will consolidate its once-vast cultivation division, closing its signature 1 Hershey headquarters in Smiths Falls, Ontario. The company said the facility will be… Read more.

In the heart of the Ecuadoran Amazon live the Cofan Avie, masters of ayahuasca -- the powerful hallucinogenic concoction said to open the door to the "spirit" world. Here, they call it "yage" and consume it for health and wisdom. "God once lived here on this planet", recounts Isidro Lucitante, the patriarch and shaman of nine Indigenous Cofan Avie families spread over 55,000 hectares of river and jungle along the border with Colombia. This god "pulled out one of his hairs… Read more.

The Cannabis Experience in Denver has become Colorado's -- and the nation's -- first marijuana-licensed consumption bus.  As the cannabis industry continues its blazing trail, local marijuana users can enjoy safe, legal cannabis tours, airport transportation and private cannabis-friendly party buses. The Cannabis Experience will offer transportation services to Denver International Airport along with private party bus rentals with food and art themes such as "Toking and Tacos,"  and "RiNo Mural Tours." The service also provides tours of the city… Read more.

Entrepreneurs in Indigenous communities are significantly underrepresented within Canada’s cultivation and retail marijuana industry, new data compiled by MJBizDaily suggests. MJBizDaily research also found that the country’s largest provinces by population – Ontario and Quebec – have not reached any government-to-government deals regarding cannabis regulation with First Nations since 2018, a potential factor for their general absence from the federally legal industry. Among the 755 unique cannabis corporations licensed by Canada’s federal government as of last year – mostly cultivators and processors –… Read more.

The Washington Senate has approved a ban on discriminating against cannabis use during the hiring process. The Washington Senate voted 28-21 in favor of a bill on Wednesday that would block employers in the state from refusing to hire someone because they tested positive for cannabis on a drug test, the Seattle Times reports. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Karen Keiser (D), introduced a similar bill last year but the proposal never reached the floor for consideration. The proposal moves next to the… Read more.

Connecticut may establish a Cannabis Ombudsman position for the state’s medical cannabis program, which would be an independent liaison between patients and the state to address concerns about the program. A bill proposed in Connecticut would create the position of Cannabis Ombudsman – an independent person that would serve as a liaison between medical cannabis patients and the state to address concerns, NBC Connecticut reports. The move comes about a month after adult-use cannabis sales commenced in the state which has caused complaints among… Read more.

The star of the hit show Succession, Brian Cox, started smoking pot when he was 50. Now that he's 76 and the winner of the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Series - Drama in 2020 for his role as Logan Roy in the Showtime series, Cox says about his favorite smokeable herb:  Cox should be familiar to Super Troopers fans. He played Captain O'Hagan in the 2001 original and 2018 sequel. His troops were the stoners. Cox adds about cannabis: "I didn't start… Read more.

Are widespread layoffs in the North American cannabis industry an effective cost-cutting tool – or will they do more damage in an already challenging environment? Recent mass layoffs in technology, finance and media has prompted some business researchers to argue that widespread job cuts can be counterproductive when it comes to cutting expenses. “Layoffs often do not cut costs, as there are many instances of laid-off employees being hired back as contractors, with companies paying the contracting firm,” Jeffrey Pfeffer, a Stanford Graduate… Read more.

As the world slowly puts its cannabis guard down, there’s one group that could benefit greatly: women who aren’t orgasming. New research has shown that partaking in a bit of the green stuff before doing the deed can increase desire and the chances of orgasm – particularly for women. This is huge news for women who have suffered from blue ovaries for years due to unsatisfying sex. It’s no secret that men have a much (like much) easier time climaxing… Read more.

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The people behind the popup sites where practitioners examine patients who want to be in South Dakota’s medical-cannabis program won’t face any additional regulations, at least not this year. A state legislative panel has killed two proposals that sought to limit where the exams could be conducted and restrict their advertising. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday rejected HB1129 and HB1172 on 4-1 votes. Republican Sen. Al Novtrup, the lead Senate sponsor on both, cast the lone votes in their support. Republican… Read more.

As many U.S. states adopt policies that legalize the commercialization of cannabis, Yale School of Medicine recently announced the creation of the new Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids, which will investigate the acute and chronic effects of cannabis and cannabinoids on neurodevelopment and mental health. Its inaugural director will be Deepak Cyril D’Souza, the Albert E. Kent Professor of Psychiatry and an expert in the pharmacology of cannabinoids. The new center comes just as retail cannabis sales begins in… Read more.

The 2024 presidential election cycle is already heating up, with former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) announcing that she’s seeking the Republican nomination. So where does she stand on marijuana policy issues? That’s a question that will be asked of all major candidates over the coming months as the circle of prospective nominees inevitably widens. Haley, who also served as United Nations (UN) ambassador under President Donald Trump, doesn’t have an especially extensive cannabis background. But she did sign… Read more.

Inside Josephine and Billie’s apothecary-styled marijuana store on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in South Los Angeles, several cannabis brands are prominently displayed and labeled as Black-owned. A tall, glass showcase centered along the back of the store – an homage to Black jazz legends Josephine Baker and Billie Holiday as well as the reefer-friendly, speakeasy “tea pads” of their day – features products from the likes of Queen Mary of L.A., Oakland Abstracts and Black Star Farms of New… Read more.

Regulators in Vermont are investigating links between Roman Abramovich, a Russian oligarch, and cannabis MSO Curaleaf. Cannabis regulators in Vermont are investigating the links between Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich and multi-state cannabis operator Curaleaf, VT Digger reports. The inquiry follows a report by Vice that found Abramovich invested $130 million and provided $194 million in loans to US cannabis firms between 2016 and 2018, with Curaleaf as the main beneficiary.   In Vermont, Curaleaf owns Phytocare Vermont in Bennington and Vermont Patients Alliance in Montpelier.  According to… Read more.

Adults 21 and over could possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot, including up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates, under the bill. As Texas continues to lag behind the rest of the country in cannabis reform, a Democrat in the Texas House of Representatives has introduced a bill to let the state's municipalities and counties decide whether to legalize recreational weed. House Bill 1937, filed by State Rep. Jessica González of Dallas, would enable municipalities to make the call whether to green… Read more.

Cannabis Measures In The Philippines Kalinga Gov. James Edduba supports the immediate approval of the medicinal cannabis measure pending in both chambers of Congress. This move will help dissuade the spread of illegal hemp in Benguet and Kalinga. However, lawmakers "must ensure that the provisions for the medical marijuana measure should be favorable to the farmers," Edduba said, reported Manila Times. Additionally, Manila Former House of Representatives speaker and now Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez seeks to "delist cannabis from the country’s dangerous drugs,… Read more.

Trulieve Launches Rec Marijuana Sales In CT Trulieve Cannabis Corp.'s  TRULTCNNF new dispensary in Bristol, Connecticut, started selling adult-use cannabis products on Friday, Feb 17. Recently relocated to 820 Farmington Ave., the company's hybrid (medical and adult-use) dispensary will offer a large selection of products available in various dosage forms from friendly and knowledgeable dispensary agents via pre-order or in-store. "Trulieve has a long history in Connecticut that dates back to the first medical cannabis sale in 2014, so we are proud to now… Read more.

New Mexico lawmakers are considering a bill to ban cannabis edibles that could be appealing to children, and another bill that would train teachers in identifying cannabis products and when students may have consumed them. Two legislative proposals in New Mexico would tweak the state’s cannabis laws, including a ban on edibles that could appeal to children, the creation of educational materials for teachers to identify cannabis products and when students consumed them, and ad campaigns aimed to prevent children… Read more.

A proposal introduced last week in Kentucky would ban delta-8 THC products in the state; the bill is nearly identical to another proposal that passed Kentucky’s Senate last year but died in the House. A bill introduced last week in Kentucky would ban delta-8 THC products in the state, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports. Kentucky Hemp Association President Katie Moyer told the Journal that if the bill is approved it would “probably end Kentucky’s hemp industry as we know it.”  The measure is nearly identical to… Read more.

Fungi have attracted attention in recent years for their potential in aiding our brains' growth and functionality. And no, we're not just talking about the psychedelic ones. The lion's mane mushroom, for one, has long had a reputation for various mental health benefits, with recent research supporting its potential in reducing risk for depression or limiting damage from Alzheimer's disease. In a new study conducted by an international team of scientists, researchers identified compounds in the lion's mane mushroom (Hericium erinaceus) – an edible fungus… Read more.

Virginia’s Republican-controlled House of Delegates has consistently killed Senate-passed marijuana reform bills this session, and the latest legislation to be stopped in its tracks is a modest proposal to let medical cannabis businesses make certain state-level tax deductions. A House Finance subcommittee on Friday rejected the Senate-approved proposal to give the cannabis industry tax relief that they’re barred from receiving at the federal level under the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code known as 280E. This comes days after the chamber separately killed a measure… Read more.

The anticipated decline in tax revenues from cannabis sales in cities like San Diego is causing concern among city officials, who are bracing for a substantial drop in their budget. With California's regulated marijuana market facing numerous challenges, including illegal delivery services, San Diego predicts a significant revenue shortfall. Precisely, officials forecast a 23% decrease in cannabis tax revenue for the current fiscal year, resulting in $19.8 million instead of the expected $25.7 million. The decline in sales is primarily due to… Read more.

Records show Russian oligarch and former Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the US cannabis industry. One of the biggest backers of the legal US cannabis industry was Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, leaked documents have revealed. Records show Abramovich invested $130 million and provided $194 million in loans to US weed firms between 2016 and 2018, when US states were increasingly shifting from illegal to legal markets. Abramovich was the owner of Chelsea Football… Read more.

A few weeks ago, Elon Musk posted a three-character message that contained only the numbers 420, with no explanation. Many people interpreted it as yet another sign of Musk’s loud-and-proud canna-fandom. But weed industry executives saw it as a harbinger of a policy shift, speculating that Twitter would soon break ranks with other social channels and become a canna-friendly home in the digital realm. The guesses turned out to be correct, with the official announcement coming this week: Twitter has “taken measures… Read more.

A new government report is out in Australia involving projections of potential tax revenue if/when national adult-use cannabis legalization becomes a reality in the country. Adult-use is currently illegal in most areas of Australia, with a notable exception being the Australian Capital Territory where some legal protections for consumers exist. Cannabis commerce, including medical cannabis commerce, is very restrictive in Australia. Most of the country’s medical cannabis industry activity currently revolves around pharmaceutical products and research. Australia ‘s Parliamentary Budget… Read more.

DENVER (KDVR) — The City of Denver and the International Church of Cannabis are in a heated dispute over a sculpture in front of the church. The city claims the sculpture is unsafe and hazardous to drivers and has ordered it to be removed, while the church said it’s an expression of their religious beliefs. The sculpture was installed four months ago, and the congregation of “elevationists” believes the sculpture to be holy and part of the church’s practice, where… Read more.

Twitter is allowing cannabis ads to run on its platform in U.S. states where cannabis is legal and in Canada, according to the company’s blog and Axios. Twitter updated its ad policy Wednesday, making it the first social media app in the U.S. to allow cannabis advertising. Google last month updated its policies to allow ads for FDA-approved pharmaceuticals containing CBD and topical, hemp-derived CBD products with THC content of 0.3% or less in California, Colorado and Puerto Rico. Reddit allows for ads for “topical and non-ingestible hemp-derived… Read more.

Raekwon is taking his talents further into the cannabis industry. The post Wu-Tang’s Raekwon To Open Hashstoria Cannabis Lounge In New Jersey appeared first on AfroTech. The Wu-Tang rapper is set to open Hashstoria, a cannabis lounge in Newark, New Jersey, according to Jersey Digs. “My own life compass has been great to me and can only become greater…these are goals and admirations on my vision board. I’m just marking them off,” Raekwon said in an Instagram post. “I’d like to thank team @hashstoria and the beautiful… Read more.

Stepping into the world of illustrator Andi Astra, founder and creative director of SpookyGirl, a colorful home decor, art and apparel brand that boasts more than 150.000 social media followers, is like taking a journey to a different universe. From their base in Honolulu, Hawaii, Andi brings a world of science fiction, color and creativity to life. With a passion for exploring identity and pushing boundaries, Andi's work as SpookyGirl celebrates creative self expression and questions societal norms. What’s more, through… Read more.

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said Louisiana residents will see a government clampdown on unregulated THC products that can cause a person to get high. The governor and legislators may also seek to tweak a related law about hemp products during the Louisiana Legislature’s spring session. “I’m not one who favors legalizing marijuana and I don’t want something that…has a THC content that is effectively the same thing,” Edwards said in an interview Tuesday. “You’re going to see more enforcement,… Read more.

A Hawaii Senate committee on Tuesday held a hearing on a bill to legalize marijuana—with multiple state agencies weighing in on the proposal in testimony. The legislation from Sen. Joy San Buenaventura (D) was discussed in the Senate Judiciary Committee. It’s one of two key legalization measures that advocates are tracking this session. Members of the committee heard from a range of supporters and opponents on SB 669 on Tuesday, with the chair indicating that a vote could come on… Read more.

In a time when adult-use cannabis seems to get all the attention, it’s important to remember that many people use the plant as medicine. There are millions of medical cannabis patients across the country, but this demographic is often cast aside as the market swells with high-potency products fueled by the latest hype. “In my experience, when markets shift to adult use, that seems to become the focus,” said patient advocate Nikki Lawley, a medical consumer and founder of Nikki and the Plant. “Budtenders aren’t… Read more.

You order a sandwich, a coffee and a marijuana cigarette, then settle in for a musical performance. This could become the future under a bill aimed at changing the landscape of cannabis use in California. The legislation put forward this month by Assemblyman Matt Haney (D-San Francisco) would legalize the sale of food and nonalcoholic beverages at cannabis retailers and lounges. "It's not unlike a neighborhood bar or cafe where people gather and get a lot of social value … Read more.

HALEDON — An entrepreneur from Bergen County is under contract to buy the decades-old funeral home on Belmont Avenue with a plan to open a cannabis dispensary there in a matter of months. Molly Ann Farms, a name borrowed from the brook flowing south of the 1.1-acre site, near the corner of Henry Street, could begin selling marijuana products as early as June. It will be the third reincarnation of the property, first occupied by a grocery store. For the… Read more.

Psychedelic mushroom producer First Person (FP) has set terms for a downsized $6M initial public offering. First Person, which raises mushrooms for nutritional, nutraceutical and therapeutic purposes, said in a filing that it's planning to offer 1M shares priced between $5.50 and $6.50, which should raise around $6M if priced at the midpoint. Underwriters would be granted a 45-day option to buy up to a 150K additional shares to cover over-allotments. EF Hutton is serving as sole bookrunner. The company hopes to list… Read more.

The psychedelic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) Market, currently estimated at $1.6 billion, is expected to rise at a CAGR of 13.2% over the next ten years and be worth $6.1 billion by the end of 2033. That's according to Persistence Market Research’s latest study, conducted by a team of experts in management, medicine and engineering. “Increasing cGMP practices, growth in the pharmaceutical API manufacturing industry and increasing research on the impact of psychedelics on mental health are factors propelling the global market,”… Read more.

California-based cannabis multistate operator MedMen Enterprises is warning investors that it might not have enough money to “meet its obligations” for the next year and that there are questions about its ability to stay in business. MedMen’s latest quarterly filing with securities regulators noted that the company has only $15.6 million in reserves and a working capital deficit of $137.4 million. MedMen also said in the Feb. 2 filing that it has defaulted on some debt payments and is looking into refinancing… Read more.

Marijuana Legalization Plan In New Hampshire New Hampshire lawmakers, seeking to legalize a marijuana measure, are working on a plan to advance reform this session, Marijuana Moment first reported. The plan is to remove provisions allowing home cultivation and annulling past marijuana convictions. “To pass that bill as is, it’s got too many warts on it,” said chairman John Hunt (R), who promoted the amendment. Sponsored by Majority Leader Jason Osborne (R) and Minority Leader Matt Wilhelm (D), Bill HB 639 would allow adults over 21 to buy, possess… Read more.

Hello, darkness, my old friend…. It’s Aaron Rodgers. As speculation swirls as to what the future holds for the Green Bay Packers quarterback, Rodgers is taking a unique route to figuring out his path, by entering a four-day “darkness retreat” not long after the Super Bowl. “I’ve got a pretty cool opportunity to do a little self-reflection in some isolation, and then after that I feel like I’ll be a lot closer to a final, final decision,” four-time MVP Rodgers said in… Read more.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced last week it was making the psychedelic substances psilocybin and MDMA legal for medicinal purposes starting July 1, 2023. Psilocybin and MDMA were each approved for medical use by the TGA “in combination with psychotherapy for treatment-resistant mental illness in medically controlled environments in certain circumstances,” the agency said in its announcement. The surprise move marked the world’s first federal action to legalize medicinal psychedelics and follows months of public input — currently, the drugs are considered “prohibited… Read more.

New Hampshire lawmakers working on marijuana legalization legislation met on Tuesday to refine their plan to advance the reform this session, with members of a committee hashing out differences between competing proposals. The intent is to nail down a merged vehicle in a follow-up meeting on Wednesday. The work session of the House Commerce and Consumer Affairs Liquor Subcommittee got started with a decent amount of pushback over the chair’s recently proposed amendment to a legalization bill, HB 639, from Majority… Read more.

The White House and key officials are previewing policies and accomplishments of the Biden administration—including marijuana pardons, drug sentencing reform, harm reduction and enhanced drug war enforcement for fentanyl—ahead of the president’s State of the Union address on Tuesday. While it remains to be seen if President Joe Biden will explicitly discuss the cannabis and drug policy issues when he appears before the joint session of Congress, the statements are meant to expand on the basic parameters of the annual… Read more.

A federal law that bars individuals who use marijuana from owning firearms has been declared unconstitutional by a federal judge in Oklahoma. Judge Patrick Wyrick, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, ruled in favor of a man who was charged in August for violating the ban, stating that it infringed upon his Second Amendment right to bear arms. Wyrick emphasized that while the government can prevent dangerous individuals from possessing firearms, it cannot restrict someone's fundamental right based solely on… Read more.

One of the most influential CEOs in the world whose statements alone managed to move the needle and create a change has once again expressed his unambiguous support for cannabis. This time, with just three numbers Elon Musk promoted marijuana for free, reported TheStreet. His "420" tweet on Saturday resonated with Twitter users worldwide, as over 65 million users have already viewed it. April 20, known as "420," is the unofficial holiday celebrated by marijuana users. Musk's Outspoken Support For Cannabis Even though he is not a regular consumer and has… Read more.

The commercialization of the cannabis market has resulted in its transformation from a movement to an industry. This shift brings added responsibilities, particularly in the area of social equity. As a regulated industry, the cannabis market bears a significant burden to prioritize and advance fairness and justice. The marijuana industry in the US, both medical and recreational, is thriving nationwide. With legalization in various states, business owners are eager to establish cultivation sites, produce cannabis products, and open dispensaries. However,… Read more.

As 2023 began, cannabis advocates on Capitol Hill and the industry at large were steeped in frustration and disappointment. In December, despite broad bipartisan support, Senate Republicans abruptly stripped the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Act from must-pass spending legislation, crushing the industry’s expectation that critical banking services at last were within reach. As lawmakers departed for the winter holiday, legal business owners—many of whom are forced to do business in cash—contemplated another year of spiraling operating costs and workplace vulnerability. Nevertheless,… Read more.

ST. LOUIS — Adult-use, recreational cannabis can be sold in Missouri dispensaries beginning Friday, giving consumers an unexpected boost to their weekend plans. Expectations throughout the industry had been that the licenses required to sell non-medical cannabis would not be issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services until Monday. But the department threw a curve Thursday afternoon, announcing that it would issue licenses on Friday to the dispensaries that qualified for them. As soon as a dispensary… Read more.

Prince Harry shares many personal stories in his sweeping memoir Spare — like the time he took magic mushrooms at Courteney Cox's Los Angeles home. The Duke of Sussex, 38, revealed in his bestselling book that he is a "Friends fanatic" and took comfort in the hit NBC sitcom while navigating panic attacks after completing his second tour of Afghanistan a decade ago. Harry wrote in Spare that he became anxious around crowds and cameras after returning to London, so he started staying home. "Day after day, night after… Read more.

As a long-time car executive for high-end brands such as Bentley, Mark Del Rosso knows what luxury car connoisseurs would want from a cannabis company — and they don’t seem to be getting it now. “There are a lot of people that are not being spoken to…regardless of income,” Rosso said. “It’s all about the notion that cannabis people are into that level of status and sophistication and culture that they want the very best.” To reach this target, Rosso… Read more.

As if the marijuana industry isn't reeling enough with $75 ounces in multiple states, NASDAQ listed Akerna going under, and MSO Curaleaf pulling out of competitive markets like California and Colorado, more bad news hits the industry, this time, on the government side. It is devastating news for those who love CBD products. The Food and Drug Administration has declared that these items, made from cannabis or hemp, may not comply with federal safety regulations. These safety regulations will affect a… Read more.

The 89-year-old country music legend - who is due to turn 90 in April - is unsure what has kept him in such good shape as he approaches his milestone birthday but explained that as well as following a healthy diet, smoking the Class B drug was an aid to himself and the people around him because he was "drinking a lot" beforehand. He said: "I wish I could tell you . I really don't know, except… Read more.

Adult-use sales in Massachusetts on January 12 surpassed $4 billion since the market’s 2018 launch, the state Cannabis Control Commission announced last week. The sales were generated through 265 retail dispensaries and 14 delivery businesses. The state only began allowing delivery in 2021.      In a statement, commission Executive Director Shawn Collins noted that demand for cannabis in the commonwealth “remains strong.”  The agency indicated there has so far been 18 Economic Empowerment Applicant licensees, 29 Social Equity Program Participant licensees, and 50 Disadvantaged Business… Read more.

With the start of a new year, cannabis companies across the country are tweaking their business models to meet changing laws and regulations that could affect sales and how they run their operations. Expanded delivery, new packaging and labeling restrictions as well as the introduction of loyalty programs and deep product discounts top some of the biggest regulatory shifts underway in 2023. MJBizDaily explored how these changes will affect businesses in several states with legal marijuana markets, including California, Michigan, Oregon… Read more.

California officials are seeking a formal opinion from the state attorney general’s office on whether allowing interstate marijuana commerce would put the state at “significant risk” of federal enforcement action. The request for guidance from the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is a key step that could eventually trigger a law that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed last year, empowering him to enter into agreements with other legal states to import and export marijuana products. Part of that legislation stipulates that no… Read more.

It’s been a quarter-century since California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Since then, cannabis has evolved significantly. The last decade in particular has seen a dramatic shift with regards to reform; most states have legalized the plant for either medicinal and/or adult use. In fact, the legal cannabis industry is now responsible for more than 300,000 full-time jobs in the U.S.   As the landscape changes and the stigma surrounding cannabis wanes, one thing remains clear: Access… Read more.

Jerry Garcia is one of the most iconic pot smokers in California history. Born in San Francisco, Garcia led the Grateful Dead for 30 years as the city became an international beacon of counterculture, and he did it all while casually and openly smoking weed. His pot pipe is considered an artifact of California cannabis history. But even the iconic Jerry Garcia name couldn’t survive California’s turbulent legal pot market. The Garcia Hand Picked brand, launched by the deceased musician’s family in 2020, has… Read more.

Argentina officially launched a new government agency on Wednesday as part of an effort to bolster the country’s medical marijuana and hemp industry.  Reuters reports that the agency, known as the Regulatory Agency for the Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Industry, or ARICCAME, represents “the first working group of a new national agency to regularize and promote the country’s nascent cannabis industry, which ministers hope will create new jobs and exports generating fresh income for the South American nation.”  “This opens the… Read more.

San Diego’s Board of Supervisors voted to lower tax rates for cannabis shops in the county to allow businesses to compete with those in neighboring cities, reported San Diego Union-Tribune. Following a 4-1 board vote, the tax measure would be imposed on five existing legal marijuana operations and any others opening their doors. “As we set these dollars that are collected, I do think they should be benefiting the communities that they’re in,” said Jim Desmond, one of the supervisors. “County code allows for consumption… Read more.

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday denied three petitions to allow the marketing of CBD products as dietary supplements and said that the agency would “work with Congress” on a regulatory pathway for the cannabinoid.  The statement was issued by Principal Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock.  Woodcock said the decision would allow policymakers to develop “a new regulatory pathway for CBD … that balances individuals’ desire for access to CBD products with the regulatory oversight needed to manage risks.”  Woodcock also said there… Read more.

A Mexican senator announced on Wednesday that she will be introducing a bill to legalize and regulate psychedelics nationwide to give people an alternative treatment option for serious mental health conditions. At an Intercultural Forum on Entheogenic Medicine that took place in the Senate, Sen. Alejandra Lagunes of the Ecologist Green Party said that substances like psilocybin and ayahuasca have “high therapeutic potential, low toxicity and don’t create physical dependence or abuse.” U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) also made remarks… Read more.

He once attributed his issues with short-term memory to his prodigious marijuana smoking. But that doesn't seem to have stopped Michael Douglas from giving up weed, as he was spotted making a short visit to a marijuana dispensary in his former home town of Santa Barbara, California, on Wednesday. The 78-year-old, who got his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, was seen leaving the Coastal Premium Cannabis Dispensary with a small black bag full of his purchases. The actor, who didn't… Read more.

A new report found cannabis legalization does not lead to an increase in substance use disorders or the increased use of illicit drugs. Cannabis legalization had not led to an increase in substance use disorders or increased use of other illicit drugs and should not be considered a “gateway drug,” according to a study by researchers from the University of Colorado.  The study was published on January 5 in the Psychological Medicine journal.    The researchers also found no link between cannabis… Read more.

Core One Labs' Akome Partners To Study Next-Gen Psychedelics A subsidiary of Core One Labs  CLABF has signed a contract with Fundació Bosh I Gimpera to begin second-phase studies evaluating the therapeutic potential of its bio-compounds (both alone and combined with psychedelic substances). The studies would progress Akome Partners’ pre-clinical development stage of novel psychedelic drug alternatives for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ischemic stroke and depression. Previous studies conducted by Spanish and Italian institutions included bioassay trials… Read more.

The agency called on Congress to develop a better regulatory framework for CBD The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week announced that it would deny a trio of petitions that requested authorization for cannabidiol (CBD) to be used as a dietary supplement. The agency also advised that Congress needs to establish a better regulatory framework before such a classification is allowed. Based on existing research and data, the FDA found that the current standards for adding supplements to foods or beverages… Read more.

In 2020, actress Kristen Bell announced her entry into the burgeoning CBD market with the Happy Dance skincare line in association with the Ontario-based Cronos Group. Just more than two years later, Cronos is closing it down as of Jan. 27. At the Happy Dance Instagram page, a Jan. 23 post reads "*Insert long, dramatic, drawn-out sigh* as we enter the last week that Happy Dance® products will be available on our website... You can also find Happy Dance® products for a limited time at… Read more.

While national headlines might make it sounds like psychedelic mushrooms are now available for adults in Oregon, that’s not the case. Oregon’s legal therapeutic psilocybin program officially began on Jan. 2, but there are currently no licensed facilities, facilitators or even manufacturers of the substance, all of which are required, at the same time, for legal consumption of “magic mushrooms” in the state. It’s not hard to see why there is some confusion over the nuances of Oregon’s law – psilocybin… Read more.

[Note: This post is mostly based on discussions with small-scale, legal cannabis growers in Mendocino County, California. I have spent a lot of time in Mendocino since the early 1960s, when my parents bought a very small share of a very large ranch near the town of Covelo – my boyhood paradise. Since 2001, I have co-owned a piece of property near Anderson Valley, which I use as a rural retreat. Most of my neighbors and friends in the area are cannabis cultivators,… Read more.

New York's second legal weed store opened up on Tuesday - and became the first licensed shop to be run by someone with a cannabis conviction. Smacked LLC, which has opened on Manhattan's Bleecker Street, is run by Roland Conner, 50, who was convicted for a marijuana offense in the 1990s. He was awarded the shop's license under a scheme that gives priority to applicants who have previously faced justice for crimes linked to weed. The first store - Housing Works… Read more.

After a rocky start, Snoop Dogg and Master P's Broadus Foods has partnered with Post Consumer Brands who will distribute Snoop Cereal - previously branded as Snoop Loopz. The rappers made headlines last August with the announcement of their Black-owned food company. But it was Snoop Loopz - a cereal based on Kellogg's popular Fruit Loops -  that got most of the attention. When Kellogg's threatened to sue, Broadus changed the name to Snoop Cereal. At Post, Master P sampled the newly renamed Fruity Hoops using a… Read more.

Swissmedic, the surveillance authority for medicines and medical devices, granted Linnea SA a narcotics license at the end of 2022. This allows the company to help bring a pharmaceutical level of quality to this emerging cannabinoid industry, which is projected to grow from $28.26 billion in 2021 to $197.74 billion in 2028. Linnea will begin producing GMP-certified high-THC active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in 2023, becoming one of the first Swiss companies to do so, per a press release. A narcotics license also allows Linnea to export their standardized and… Read more.

UK-based Celadon Pharmaceuticals PLC received the green light to produce high-THC medicinal cannabis in its Midlands facility, reported London South East. What Happened: This is the first company in the United Kingdom to be granted a Good Manufacturing Practice or GMP registration by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to produce medical marijuana on UK soil. The move follows seven harvests and extractions in 2022 and the facility's inspection by MHRA in the fourth quarter. Why It Matters Founded in 2018, the same year the UK legalized medical marijuana, Celadon… Read more.

Candy-styled sweets, corn syrup–filled gummies, oily munchies—junk foods still dominate the world of weed edibles. But consumers are maturing, as are their palates. More are seeking wellness-focused cannabis edibles that don’t add unnecessary sugar. Enter, Super Chill, a California-based brand whose infused fruit chews for those wanting healthy ingredients and quality, full-spectrum cannabis extract. With a texture similar to chewy Airhead candies, Super Chill’s fruit chews and jellies boast seasonal, locally sourced fruit and herbs, plus high-quality rosin. The hands behind these… Read more.

A top Republican Wisconsin lawmaker is pushing back against the idea that the conservative legislature is close to making a deal on medical marijuana legalization, and he’s again warning the Democratic governor against calling for adult-use legalization as part of his forthcoming budget request. While Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R) said last week that his caucus is “getting pretty close” on medical cannabis reform, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in a new interview published on… Read more.

Last week, New Jersey and New York regulators took each other to task over which state approached their adult-use marijuana market rollout better. Now, Connecticut’s governor is joining the rhetorical rumble after his state launched recreational sales on Tuesday, entering the tri-state war of words on cannabis. Hours before Connecticut’s first recreational shops opened their doors, Gov. Ned Lamont (D) reflected on the adult-use program in New York, which involved just one storefront late last month, saying that the limited launch “seemed crazy… Read more.

Chris Chiari stood in front of 420 E 11th Avenue in Denver 12 years ago having just sold his home in Florida. The building there looked like a castle, he says. It was on the market. "I pointed up to the house," he says, "and I said, 'I want to turn you into a marijuana bed and breakfast.'" But the weed-friendly address wasn't destined to be his quite yet. In 2018, it went up for sale again. This time, the… Read more.

Texas activists have turned in more than 37,000 signatures to place a measure on the San Antonio ballot in May to decriminalize marijuana, prevent the enforcement of abortion restriction laws and ban no-knock warrants. A coalition of advocacy groups—including Ground Game Texas, SA Stands and the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)—secured the signatures about three months after launching the local reform campaign. This builds on the activist-led cannabis decriminalization movement that Ground Game has spearheaded in cities across the Lone Star… Read more.

Think cannabis prices have found a bottom in the US and Canada? Think again as low-cost providers like Colombia have started shipping cannabis and cannabis products around the world at much lower costs than the US and Canada can compete with the current tax structures in place. Flora (NASDAQ: FLGC) is an international cannabis corporation that sources cannabis derivatives from all-natural, low-cost production. Flora is establishing a networked, design-driven collective of plant-based wellness and lifestyle products to deliver the most compelling customer experiences possible,… Read more.

Country seeks to shed its cocaine image for cannabis. The country of Colombia may have a reputation as the home for cocaine cartels, but it is leaning further into cannabis these days. According to government claims, the country has received $250 million in international funding in support of the cannabis sector. Companies began eyeing the country after it legalized medical cannabis in 2016. Insurance Coverage In October 2022, Colombian lawmakers approved a bill to legalize and regulate marijuana nationwide. It was approved by the… Read more.

NEW YORK – The nonprofit Housing Works Cannabis Co. opened its doors to the public in the East Village on December 29, marking the beginning of a new era for the industry in what’s expected to be the second-largest legal market after California. New York’s new market is expected to reach $1.3 billion in sales by 2023 and create more than 20,000 jobs in the next three years. Grand View Research expects the total New York cannabis market to eclipse $7 billion by 2025. The enthusiasm… Read more.

While the Biden administration investigates marijuana's federal scheduling, a bipartisan group of congressional members is urging the president to openly support outright legalization. Recently, a letter which is slated to be addressed to President Joe Biden and key cabinet officials was obtained by Marijuana Moment. The Congressmen stated in the letter that while they applaud the directive of the scheduling review, the administration should embrace the virtues of full descheduling. The letter states that while the congressmen don't always agree on… Read more.

In 2017, former pro basketball player Shaquille O'Neal and his business partner, Jerome Crawford invested $150,000 in Viceroy LLCcannabis company. Out of that total, O’Neal provided $100,000 and Crawford put up the remaining $50,000. However,last year they sued the company for more than $1 million. According to the suit, the plaintiffs were under the impression that around December 2015, Daron Campbell, “acting through his entity Capital LLC, founded Viceroy to pursue opportunities in the field of legal cannabis.” Nevertheless, the company had no license, no revenue and no… Read more.

R&B singer Erykah Badu is branching out into cannabis with a new strain that will be exclusively available at Cookies stores starting in Caliifornia. She discusses the Limoncello variety grown by Mad Cow Genetics and the partnership with Cookes co-founder Berner on YouTube. In the nine-minute promotional clip, Berner describes Limoncello as a "sativa leaner" that's a cross of Lemonnade, Cherry Pie and Jet Fuel Gelato. "The first time we demoed it, we had one spliff, no tobacco," Badu explains. "We each hit it two or… Read more.

Texas activists have turned in what they say are enough signatures to place a measure on the Harker Heights ballot to reverse a City Council move that repealed a voter-approved marijuana decriminalization initiative. Ground Game Texas, which was behind a number of successful local decriminalization measures that passed this year, is also criticizing an outgoing district attorney’s request that the state attorney general issue an opinion on a separate reform initiative that voters approved overwhelmingly in San Marcos. In Harker… Read more.

As we have always said, weed will be legal in America when Mitch McConnell says it will be. On Tuesday, U.S. cannabis stocks dropped significantly after hopes for cannabis regulatory reform fell through in Congress. Specifically, adopting a cannabis-focused proposal in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is doubtful since a familiar opposition has raised concerns again. Republican leaders have opposed attempts to add a draft of the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act to the must-pass yearly National Defense Authorization… Read more.

The U.S. has negotiated a prisoner swap that released WNBA star Brittney Griner from a Russian penal colony today. Griner was arrested there in February for possessing cannabis, convicted in August and sent to the colony in October.  In a deal made on Dec. 1, international arms dealer Viktor Bout, jailed in the U.S. on a 25-year sentence for attempting to kill Americans, was traded for Griner. She flew to Abu Dhabi in the UAE and is en route back to the States after Pres. Biden… Read more.

Marijuana shops across the U.S. are rushing to find alternative ways for customers to pay after networks that supported a popular workaround to the banking system began to shut down last week. Cashless ATMs, also called “point of banking” systems, allowed cannabis buyers to use a bank card instead of cash. The method had evolved to get around the fact that credit card companies and banks don’t want to be involved in marijuana transactions because the drug is federally illegal. … Read more.

Hanna served more than two months as the agency's acting executive director. This story was reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business news and written by Dustin Walsh.  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Friday that Brian Hanna will continue as the permanent head of the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency after more than two months as its acting executive director. Brian Hanna, executive director, Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency Hanna rejoined the CRA on Sept. 19 from the Michigan State Police where he most recently served… Read more.

Cannabis giant Curaleaf Holdings Inc. (CSE: CURA) (OTCQX: CURLF) laid off around 220 of its employees ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Business Insider first reported. In a statement to the outlet, Curaleaf declined to say which department the cuts occurred within, though said the cuts were “a part of an effort to control costs and drive efficiencies in the face of economic uncertainties ahead.” “I don’t like having to deliver this news, and we haven’t reached this decision easily,” Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin… Read more.

Production is enough to meet total demand nationally. A new report by Oregon-based economist Beau Whitney found that the United States is already producing 48.8 million pounds of cannabis product from both legal and illegal sources – more than enough legal production to satisfy the entire national demand for marijuana. Whitney also found that if legal production continues ramping up, it will outpace illicit market production by 2026. His hope is that his new economic modeling and forecasting around the cannabis industry will help… Read more.

By Nevada law, cannabis is no longer a Schedule 1 substance in the Silver State, though it remains so federally. In September, Clark County District Court Judge Joe Hardy ordered the state Board of Pharmacy to remove cannabis from its list of most restricted substances after the Cannabis Equity and Inclusion Community (CEIC) and ACLU of Nevada sued the state, claiming that the classification violated marijuana provisions in the state constitution since 2001. Hardy then reaffirmed the decision with another… Read more.

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Kentucky residents will be able to import THC-containing products from surrounding states beginning January 1, 2023, under an executive order Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed Tuesday. The order allows qualified medical patients to possess up to eight ounces of cannabis legally obtained in another state. Until now, only CBD oil was permitted. Beshear also signed a second order regulating the sale of Delta-8 THC, effective November 15, 2022. “Our citizens should not face criminal punishment for treating certain medical conditions with… Read more.

Actor, comedian and cannabis entrepreneur Jim Belushi is full of surprises. On October 27, he traveled to Akwesasne in upstate New York to announce a Belushi's Farm partnership with St. Regis Mohawk Tribe member Zachery Oakes. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the dispensary was filmed for Season 3 of Growing Belushi, which will air on Discovery in 2023. Season 2 ended with a fire on the Belushi's Farm property. Since then the company has expanded to nine more states, including Massachusetts, Michigan and Missouri. Growing Belushi also goes… Read more.

Ric Flair came up with a convenient way to get everyone high on his signature weed ... by using his own ganja blower to get smoke in fans' faces!! The WWE legend threw on one of his famous robes and got the party started in a recent video ... saying, "Ric Flair Drip go Wooooooooooo!!" The Nature Boy then used the weed blower (if that's what it's called) to blow potent smoke in the faces of those around him ... and… Read more.

Wave of business failures is on the way if the debt bubble explodes. A slow but steady years-long trend of licensed marijuana companies in California not paying all of their bills might be nearing its climax, industry insiders warned, and a wave of business failures is on the way if the debt bubble explodes. The lack of overall profitability for several years running – along with myriad other financial challenges –  has led many businesses to shuffle payments around, delay payments to… Read more.

Sean "Diddy" Combs is the latest musical entrepreneur to jump into the cannabis industry. On November 5, MSOs Cresco Labs and Columbia Care "announced the signing of definitive agreements to divest certain New York, Illinois and Massachusetts assets to an entity owned and controlled by Sean 'Diddy' Combs. The divestiture of the Assets is required for Cresco to close its previously announced acquisition of Columbia Care. The Transaction is expected to close concurrently with the closing of the Columbia Care… Read more.

Welcome to State of Mind, a new section from Slate and Arizona State University dedicated to exploring mental health. Follow us on Twitter. If you’re on TikTok or Instagram, you may have encountered one of nurse Julie McFadden’s viral videos about all things death and dying. Hospice Nurse Julie, as she’s known, shares just how beautiful and difficult dying can be, and has a thing or two to say about how we can make things better for the many people who suffer… Read more.

ST. LOUIS — It was not shocking that people listening to musicians covering Grateful Dead and Phish songs in October at a dive bar here would be interested in trying a new drink containing delta-9 THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in weed. What was unusual was seeing a bar owner – in this case, Pop’s Blue Moon’s Joshua Grigaitis – grab cans of the drink and give them to customers without looking over his shoulder in a state where recreational pot remains illegal,… Read more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says Congress is getting “very close” to introducing and passing a marijuana bill with provisions covering banking access for legal businesses and expungements of past convictions, citing progress he’s made in discussions with a “bunch of Republican senators.” During a debate with his Republican reelection opponent Joe Pinion on Sunday, Schumer was asked about a separate broader cannabis legalization bill he filed this year and whether he felt it would make more sense to… Read more.

It may seem far-fetched to have a health insurance company pay for an ecstasy or magic mushroom trip, but the psychedelics market is already crunching the statistics and proposing US insurers. Early results from clinical trials on substances like MDMA and psilocybin have been encouraging. In the middle of what is often regarded as a mental health crisis, many of these initiatives target a few of the most expensive and challenging mental health conditions while they are still happening. Researchers and executives… Read more.

At sunset from atop Haystack Butte, the desert floor below shimmers with a thousand lights. Illegal cannabis farms. At this hour and distance, serene hues cloak the rugged enclave of Mount Shasta Vista, a tense collective of seasonal camps guarded by guns and dogs where the daily runs of water trucks are interrupted by police raids, armed robberies and, sometimes, death. So many hoop houses pack this valley near the Oregon border that last year it had the capacity to… Read more.

Drug raids in Detroit have fallen 95 percent since a peak in 2012, largely as a result of voters’ decision to legalize recreational marijuana and shifting other police priorities. Detroit police conducted 3,462 drug raids in fiscal year 2012. Nearly every year since then, that number has declined. Last year, police conducted 186 drug raids, according to the city’s annual financial report. The 95 percent decline in drug raids in the city is the result of a combination of factors,… Read more.

Brand New Study Shows How Psychedelics Light Up Neuropathways In The Brain - More Fascinating Insight Into How Psychedelics Work Psychedelics are all the rage right now. And for good reason: these trippy substances have so much more therapeutic value than we thought. Drugs that were once used for recreation have been proven to have physical and mental benefits, treating several ailments that even pharmaceutical drugs have failed to despite being around for several decades. Plus, psychedelics don’t have the same side effects… Read more.

Brittney Griner will not be coming home for the holidays. In a disappointing decision on October 25, the WNBA star who was arrested for cannabis possession in Russia in February and convicted and sentenced to nine years in jail in August, lost her appeal and has been banished to a penal colony. The court appearance was not in person. While the Russian judge called the previous ruling "fair," Griner's attorney Alexander Boykov said, "No judge, hand on heart, will honestly say that Griner's nine-year sentence is in line… Read more.

Yesterday, members of the Czech cabinet heard a draft plan on launching a regulated cannabis market and increasing drug addiction and treatment spending, ČTK reports. National anti-drug coordinator Jindřich Vobořil told ČTK that a regulated cannabis market could be worth billions of crowns worth of tax-related revenues to the national budget.  The plan is part of a strategy to address drug addiction in the country by 2027. It was laid out by then Prime Minister Andrej Babiš but his anti-drug minister had not issued… Read more.

The Cannabis Bill, which has been reviewed by the House Scrutiny Committee, addresses all the concerns raised by both the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties, said Suphachai Jaismut, head of the committee and a party-list MP for the Bhumjaithai Party. He said that the committee had thoroughly reviewed the controversial Bill and addressed concerns over the ease of access to cannabis for recreational purposes by youth. He claimed that the committee had taken some provisions from the Liquor, Cigarettes and… Read more.

A 78-year-old man in Larnaca, Cyprus was arrested for cannabis possession after someone narced on him for growing two pot plants in his backyard. Upon receiving the tip, members of the Cyprus Police’s anti-narcotics service obtained a search warrant for the property on the east coast of the country. The subsequent property search at about 4:45 p.m. on Oct. 11 revealed two plastic bags of cannabis leaves and branches weighing 1.5 kilograms and 100 grams of hemp in the man’s… Read more.

California is starting to push businesses out with a slew of progressive laws that infringe on business freedom and give employers more responsibility. The Golden State has led the way in promoting progressive employment proposals that, according to Bloomberg, are scaring businesses away because employers claim they cannot endure more legal uncertainty while they are still recovering from the aftermath of covid-19. Governor Gavin Newsom’s flurry of bill signings includes SB 1162, a rule that catches the attention of businesses. It is… Read more.

On the PlookGanja website, which is controlled by the FDA, the number of individuals who have registered to produce cannabis in Thailand has now reached 1,090,000 registered growers. Since the 9th of June, more than 330 cannabis dispensaries and cafés have opened throughout the country of Thailand. You may obtain cannabis either by placing an order for it online or by going to a dispensary in your area. Who can purchase Cannabis in Thailand? At the moment, anyone can purchase cannabis… Read more.

As Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) works to enact marijuana reform before the end of Congress, he’s also pushing to promote access to psychedelics that he says hold therapeutic potential. In a video posted to Twitter on Monday, the senator talked about how psychedelics like psilocybin are strictly controlled under federal law as Schedule I drugs, which places “a lot of limitations” on them. “But at the same time, we’re having massive breakthroughs in a lot of the research,” he said,… Read more.

Why It Isn’t Too Early To Use CBD For Preventing The Detrimental Effects Of Aging Realizing that you’re getting old can be a tough process. For some, it comes with cracks and pains with even the slightest movements. For others, it’s the sign of wrinkles where taut skin once was, and the lack of energy. We all want to age as gracefully as possible, but it’s harder than it sounds. After all, how do we fight gravity and time? While… Read more.

The Netherlands has long been known as a liberal bastion where marijuana and prostitution are tolerated and tourists travel to experience those freedoms. But conservative Dutch legislators and officials have slowly but surely retreated from thoses popular policies. In 2012, the country adopted what is known as the "weed pass," which is restricted to Dutch citizens. You need a weed pass to enter a coffeeshop where cannabis is legally sold. This policy was established primarily in the southern provinces on… Read more.

Joe Biden took a step towards marijuana decriminalization last week when he granted a mass pardon to anyone convicted of a federal crime for simple possession of the drug. He also asked governors to take similar steps, and directed his administration to review marijuana’s status as a Schedule I substance alongside hard drugs like heroin. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana,” Biden said. “It’s time that we right these wrongs…There are thousands of people who were… Read more.

Only 34 years old, Sara Stewart has had a fascinating professional life. After working in in the hospitality and event space for about 15 years, the LA-based Stewart has become, in only a few years, a foremost expert on cannabis consumption lounges. Having been a cannabis consumer for most of her adult life, Stewart made her foray into this sector by managing and operating two of the first cannabis consumption lounges in the U.S. However, it hasn’t been easy as… Read more.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — With California’s four-year-old legal marijuana market in disarray, the state’s top prosecutor said Tuesday that he will try a new broader approach to disrupting illegal pot farms that undercut the legal economy and sow widespread environmental damage. The state will expand its nearly four-decade multi-agency seasonal eradication program — the largest in the U.S. that this year scooped up nearly a million marijuana plants — into a year-round effort aimed at investigating who is behind the… Read more.

The 2018 CAMS survey found 2.5 percent of respondents had accessed a legal prescription. In 2022, it's 37% – but price remains an issue. A new survey has shown a dramatic increase in the percentage of Australians accessing prescription cannabis for medicinal use.  The Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS20) is now in its third iteration, following CAMS16 (2016) and CAMS18 (2018). Conducted by the University of Sydney's Lambert Initiative, the survey included 1,600 people who were using medical cannabis between… Read more.

Researcher Beatriz Carlini clicks through a few local cannabis retailers’ websites before finding what she’s looking for. Her screen displays a yellow goo, similar in appearance to raw honey, or as the product’s marketing calls it, “Cake Batter.” The substance is a highly concentrated form of cannabis called a dab, which is produced by extracting the psychoactive compound THC from cannabis plants. It’s usually vaporized and inhaled using a device that looks similar to a bong, but often involves a… Read more.

Olive-Harvey College in Pullman, Illinois will offer a first-of-its-kind Associate Degree in Applied Cannabis Studies including courses in hemp horticulture, cannabis and the law, and basic chemistry. Pullman, Illinois’ Olive-Harvey College is now offering an associate degree in Applied Cannabis Studies next year, which will make it the first community college in the state to offer a cannabis-focused degree program, WGN9 reports. Courses will include cannabis and the law, hemp horticulture, basic chemistry, and general botany.  Dr. Kimberly Hollingsworth, Olive-Harvey College president, said… Read more.

Major League Baseball (MLB) is partnering with Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. in an exclusive multi-year deal to make the brand the “Official CBD of Major League Baseball,” CNBC reports. It is the first deal between a CBD company and one of the four major U.S. professional sports leagues.   MLB announced in June it would allow teams to begin selling sponsorships to CBD brands. Previously, only Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and NASCAR allowed CBD sponsorships. Under MLB rules, all products considered for sponsorships must first pass… Read more.

Like many Pacific Northwest youngsters, cannabis was a key to teenage rebellion for the pseudo-anonymous Dangle Supply co-founder, C. Frazer. Trips to the hardware store meant hunting for tubing he’d use to connect two-liter soda bottles that would become a homemade gravity bong. Frazer also was a modest green thumb, growing a few plants underneath an abandoned school in his Eugene, Oregon neighborhood with some friends—not to sell or to have great weed, more so to see if they could.… Read more.

Just over three-quarters of self-identified Republicans said the government shouldn’t fight state legalization backed by voters, a poll found. Republicans don’t want the federal government to crack down on state-legal weed markets. Just over three-quarters of self-identified Republicans said the government shouldn’t fight state medical or adult-use legalization backed by voters and instead should remove any obstacles facing those markets, according to a new national poll commissioned by the industry group National Cannabis Roundtable. Just 17 percent of respondents disagreed that the… Read more.

Mushrooms are having a moment. Well, perhaps much more than a moment. Foraging for fungi is an ever-popular pastime. As more folks go meat-less, they’re turning to the little forest sprouts for sustenance. We’re even seeing them in cocktails. And as states and cities decriminalized psilocybin, the psychedelic compound naturally produced by hundreds of fungi, more people are learning how they might benefit from hallucinogenic therapy. In the wellness world, functional mushrooms are showing up everywhere.​ This group of 15 ’shrooms within the estimated 2,000 edible species… Read more.

UFC Champ Tony Ferguson thrilled his fans as the guest budtender during a special appearance at Jardín Premium Cannabis Dispensary in Las Vegas on July 2. Tony arrived at the venue as fans assembled to meet him and purchase products. He answered questions, posed for photos, and passed out autographed merchandise to shoppers. “Jardín is one of the greatest dispensaries I have ever been in,” says Tony. “I am from Costa Mesa , and I would rather come here.” While he would… Read more.

A UCLA chemist and colleagues are now a step closer to their goal of developing a handheld tool similar to an alcohol Breathalyzer that can detect THC on a person’s breath after they’ve smoked marijuana. In a paper published in the journal Organic Letters, UCLA organic chemistry professor Neil Garg and researchers from the UCLA startup ElectraTect Inc. describe the process by which THC introduced, in a solution, into their laboratory-built device can be oxidized, creating an electric current whose strength indicates how… Read more.

Cannabis multistate operator MedMen Enterprises argues in its response to a lawsuit that it shouldn’t have to pay the almost $1 million it allegedly owes in back rent because marijuana is illegal under federal law. Real estate firm Thor Equities Group charges in a lawsuit filed in New York federal court that Los Angeles-based MedMen defaulted on rent payments agreed to in a 2019 lease, Law 360 reported. New York-headquartered Thor Equities said in the July lawsuit that MedMen failed to pay… Read more.

California officials announced on Wednesday that the state will be awarding up to $20 million in marijuana tax-funded grants to universities that carry out research into cannabis science and policy—including studies on preventing monopolies in the legal industry and securing the genetics of “legacy” strains. This is the second round of academic marijuana grants from the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), which said it is soliciting research proposals from public colleges with a focus on five priority study areas. The… Read more.

The evolution of the cannabis market has seen a number of B2B trade shows and conferences pop up throughout the country. The vast majority offer a fairly standard mix of panels, exhibits, and cocktail hours targeted at professionals across the board. MJ Unpacked, however, is one B2B cannabis event that stands out from the crowd. (mgmagazine.com) Full Story Read more.

For violations that began in 2019, a Las Vegas-based cannabis testing company finally faces a $62,500 fine and a 10-year ban from the market. The business is charged with inflating THC concentrations and changing results from heavy metal and microbiological testing in the past.The ban may stick as the state's Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB) rejected the request to have sanctions for offenses relating to THC potency, microbes, and heavy metals removed. (cannabis.net) Full Storyhttps://cannabis.net/blog/news/the-end-of-lab-shopping-for-the-highest-thc-percentage-nevada-testing-lab-faces-10year-ban-for Read more.