Asides

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) says marijuana legalization is “inevitable.” But yet another one of his home state’s neighbors enacts the reform, he concedes that the path in Pennsylvania has proved more challenging amid GOP resistance to the “common sense” policy that’s backed by the majority of voters. The senator—who has long championed cannabis legalization and made it a key issue when he served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor—spoke about the prospects of reform at the state and federal level in an… Read more.

A New Hampshire commission charged with drafting legislation to legalize marijuana through a system of state-controlled stores decided at its final meeting on Monday not to issue recommendations at all. The conclusion leaves open questions about how lawmakers will proceed with cannabis reform in the coming 2024 session. After months of meetings, the 19-member panel ultimately failed to reach consensus on the issue. Adding to the disarray was a last-minute demand by Gov. Chris Sununu (R)—who has threatened to veto… Read more.

Since the 1960’s, Israel has been a pioneer for cannabis research. It was none other than Israeli chemist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam who was responsible for first isolating THC, followed by several revolutionary breakthroughs that have changed how the world understands how cannabis works – and heals us. The rest is history: biotech firms began sprouting all over Israel, schools began publishing notable studies on medical cannabis, and they legalized marijuana for medical use. Israel has long been far ahead of the West when it comes to… Read more.

The Maryland Supreme Court last week declined to review a lower court’s injunction against the enforcement of a state law to ban intoxicating hemp products, the Daily Record reports. The decision allows the injunction to remain in place and will allow the sale of the products, such as delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC, to continue.   The lawsuit against the rules was filed in July by the Maryland Hemp Coalition and several hemp farmers and businesses and in October Washington County Circuit Court Judge Brett R. Wilson… Read more.

Budtenders at Strawberry Fields in Columbus, Ohio last week voted to join Teamsters Local 413, becoming the first in the state to join the union. In a statement Tony Jones, Teamsters International vice president at large and president of Local 413, said “This is the first of many proprietors” the union will be organizing in the state, “especially now that recreational cannabis is legal.” Estlin Hiller, a budtender at Strawberry Fields, called the vote “a huge moment for the Teamsters, Ohio, the labor movement, the… Read more.

In the midst of years marked by rapid expansion and recent swift exits, some of the nation's leading cannabis multistate operators (MSOs) have continued to streamline their operations this year, as revealed in the latest update on the activities of several major MSOs in the country. Over the past five months, two of the largest MSOs in the country, Trulieve Cannabis based in Florida and Cresco Labs based in Chicago, have withdrawn from state-legal cannabis markets. This strategic move reflects their ongoing… Read more.

An Arizona Psilocybin Research Advisory Council will meet for the first time on Tuesday to start the process of providing millions of dollars in grant funding to support research into the therapeutic potential of psychedelic mushrooms. The council—which was established under the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) as part of large-scale budget legislation that the governor signed in May—is meeting about a month before officials plan to open an application period for potential grant recipients. The legislature has appropriated $5… Read more.

Another federally funded study is suggesting that marijuana legalization may be linked to a “substitution effect,” with young adults in California “significantly” reducing their use of alcohol and cigarettes after the cannabis reform was enacted. What’s more, the research appeared to contradict prohibitionist arguments about the potential impact of legalization, as the data also revealed no significant increase in marijuana use among young adults who were still not of age to access retail dispensaries—though there were interesting changes in certain… Read more.

Do you remember the Cannabis.net story on how Colorado regulators are catching all sorts of cheating on lab testing for legally sold cannabis?  The premise destroys the idea that you should be paying more for lab-tested, legal weed, because, well, it was safer than street sold marijuana.  Now, not only are Colorado regulators catching legal suppliers spraying and cheating on lab results, Maine has popped up as a big problem for legal buyer of medical marijuana.  Two recent studies reveal that… Read more.

New York marijuana regulators have approved settlement agreements that could soon allow hundreds of cannabis businesses that have been blocked from opening amid litigation to finally begin operations. At a meeting of the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) on Monday, members accepted the terms of settlement for two lawsuits, though they declined to disclose details. The agreements must still be formally accepted by the state Supreme Court before the injunction is lifted. One of the lawsuits that would be resolved under the settlement—Carmine… Read more.

U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. recently called out to residents with cannabis convictions to contact the government to determine if those convictions are eligible for expungement. The territory’s cannabis law, Act No. 8679, dictates that any cannabis convictions be automatically expunged if it involves an individual in possession of two ounces of cannabis or less. “This initiative reflects the Governor’s commitment to justice and fairness in applying the law, especially in light of recent changes that have made the… Read more.

A Vermont cannabis farmer has attracted some unwanted attention from his community and neighbors due to some unconventional employees on his cannabis farm: 30 ducks of all shapes, sizes and breeds. Jason Struthers of Essex Junction, Vermont grows 100 licensed cannabis plants at his property. He uses duck manure to fertilize those plants after he bought them to use as meat but opted to let them hang out a while instead.  “I actually bought the ducks initially to use them… Read more.

The city of St. Louis will lose approximately $500,000 in tax revenue after it failed to submit documents with the Missouri Department of Revenue to collect a voter-approved recreational marijuana tax. City voters approved a 3 percent tax on recreational marijuana in April. State law would have allowed the city to begin collecting the tax on October 1 if paperwork was filed by June 30. Bill 139 was passed unanimously by the St. Louis Board of Aldermen last December to ask… Read more.

A bill to legalize medical marijuana in Ukraine that was supposed to be taken up for a final vote this week is being effectively blocked, with members of one party filing hundreds of so-called “spam” amendments to procedurally delay passage. Ukraine’s unicameral legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, was scheduled to consider the reform measure on Wednesday. It advanced through committee last month, with the support of President Volodymyr Zelensky, and it was expected to easily pass in a final reading—but MP Olga Stefanyshina… Read more.

An Ohio Democratic lawmaker wants to see people who’ve been criminalized over marijuana, as well as those with industry experience, involved in any efforts to amend the state’s voter-approved legalization law, arguing that it shouldn’t be left up to “anti-cannabis” legislators alone to revise the statute. Ohio Senate and House GOP leaders have already previewed plans to pass a package of changes to the law before possession and cultivation becomes legal next month, with a focus on potential revisions affecting tax revenue distribution,… Read more.

A Colombian Senate committee has approved a bill to legalize marijuana, sending it the full chamber for consideration. The legislation—which has already moved through committee and on the floor in the Chamber of Representatives in recent months—cleared the First Committee of the Senate on Wednesday. This marks the third of eight planned debates before the measure is potentially sent to the president next year. Lawmakers nearly enacted a version of the reform into law earlier this year, but it stalled out in… Read more.

Oklahoma has extended its moratorium on new medical cannabis licenses until 2026, Tulsa World reports. The legislation does allow the state Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to end the moratorium if its leadership “determines all pending licensing reviews, inspections or investigations are complete.” The state’s moratorium has been in place for more than a year and thousands of license reviews remain pending, the report says. Michael Kimball, OMMA communications manager, told the World that it’s “hard to imagine” the moratorium ending early. According to state… Read more.

Alcohol sales are off-limits in Connecticut on Thanksgiving—but marijuana sales are just fine—according to guidance issued on Wednesday by the state’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP). Liquor stores will be closed, grocery stores can’t sell beer and even breweries and restaurants are prohibited from selling carry-out drinks. Marijuana retailers, however, can remain open. After apparent confusion over the two policies—with at least one local news outlet mistakenly reporting that sales of both alcohol and cannabis would be paused—DCP issued a clarification stating… Read more.

In a pivotal move towards cannabis reform in South Africa, South Africa's National Assembly has recently approved the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, marking a significant development in the nation's stance on personal cannabis use. This legislative stride comes in the wake of a landmark 2018 judgment that decriminalized private cannabis consumption. However, the path to legalization unfolds with nuances and other considerations, reflecting the intricate landscape of cannabis policy reform. This article delves into the approved bill's details, exploring its implications for personal… Read more.

California cannabis regulators on November 9 issued an embargo on products from three companies, claiming the products may have been “adulterated,” SF Gate reports. The letter to the firms, outlined by SF Gate, says the products may contain “poisonous or deleterious” substances but the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) declined to provide further information.  In an email to SF Gate, David Hafner, a spokesperson for the DCC said the agency “is currently investigating the facts and circumstances related to these products to… Read more.

U.S. Representative Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), vying for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination against President Joe Biden, has thrown a unique challenge at the president—to share a joint. Phillips contends that such an experience might help Biden grasp the "awfully hypocritical" disparity in the U.S., where alcohol consumption is accepted while cannabis use remains criminalized. During a New Hampshire town hall with students from New England College, Phillips commended Ohio's recent move to legalize adult-use cannabis, drawing a sharp contrast to Biden's… Read more.

A top federal health official is offering some pointed critiques of the U.S. drug criminalization model, stressing how politicizing addiction has fostered a system of incarceration that increases overdose risk while biasing research that could reveal the benefits, as well as the risks, of substances such as marijuana and psilocybin. She also rebuked treatment approaches that focus exclusively on abstinence. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow made the comments in an appearance last month at the International… Read more.

A group of Democratic lawmakers has written a letter to federal financial regulators calling on them to update rules that hinder cannabis business owners with past convictions for marijuana-related crimes. In the letter to the Treasury Department, 20 Democratic Senators and members of the House of Representatives wrote that the proposed change “would be an important step to promote fairness in the provision of financial services to marijuana businesses that participate in state-sanctioned marijuana activity.” Under current guidance from the… Read more.

In a highly anticipated development, the third round of licensing for D.C.'s expanded medical cannabis program officially commenced last week, as reported by LJ Dawson for The Outlaw Report. On the initial day of the application period, the Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Board received a total of 20 applications for retail licenses and one application for an internet retailer license. This licensing round seeks to tackle the persistent issue of unlicensed operators, including various "weed-gifting" shops that have operated throughout the city. These… Read more.

According to a recent Gallup poll released on Wednesday, nationwide grassroots support for the legalization of marijuana has reached a historic high of 70%. Prior to this latest survey, legalization support had remained steady at 68% for three consecutive years. The poll reveals that half of Americans have experimented with marijuana at some point in their lives, and currently, 17% acknowledge using it. Notably, Ohio voters chose to legalize recreational marijuana on Tuesday, making it the 23rd state to do so. Presently,… Read more.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to act with “great urgency” to reschedule marijuana in line with a recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a letter sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram last week, the senator said that while she remains “under the strong conviction that marijuana should be descheduled entirely,” the agency should, “at a minimum,” move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act… Read more.

Certain cannabis industry leaders are optimistic that the federal government's reclassification of marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act will clear the way for the interstate movement of cannabis goods. Legal experts in the marijuana industry, however, contend that this optimism is only partially justified. Schedule 3 and Schedules 4 and 5 currently allow interstate commerce exclusively for drugs sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Examples include anabolic steroids, ketamine, testosterone, Tylenol with codeine, as… Read more.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the year 2020 saw an average of 17 veterans per day taking their own lives. Veterans who served in Middle Eastern conflicts experience PTSD at a rate nearly three times higher than their counterparts from the Vietnam War. Suicide stands as the second leading cause of death among veterans. 22 Pushups a day became in viral internet meme as people would do pushups to bring awareness to veteran suicide rates. The national committee affiliated with… Read more.

They say when Google enters your industry it is time to sell and move on, but has that time finally come for internet website giants like Weedmaps and Leafly?  With Google Maps now listing dispensaries and reviews, and lowering both Weedmaps and Leafly's organic search traffic, the end may be near for these historic giants in the cannabis industry. The landscape of online cannabis advertising witnessed notable challenges in the third quarter of 2023 as industry leaders Weedmaps and Leafly grappled with financial… Read more.

Following a major 2018 judgment, which decriminalized the private use of cannabis, it appears that South Africa could finally be inching toward legalization of personal cannabis use. However, there are a number of asterisks — as there often are when it comes to cannabis reform. On Tuesday, the South African National Assembly approved a bill that would legalize the personal use of cannabis, BusinessLIVE reports. The Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill has been in the works since the country decriminalized private cannabis… Read more.

The cannabis component CBD can alleviate acute dental pain and may provide an equally effective, far safer alternative to opioids, researchers at Rutgers University and the University of Texas say in newly published research. “Our results indicate that a single dose of CBD is as potent as current analgesic regimens and can manage emergency dental pain effectively,” the authors wrote in the study, published this month in the Journal of Dental Research. They said their work appears to be “the… Read more.

The first round of adult-use cannabis licensing is open in Maryland. The first round of licenses is set aside for social equity applicants, defined by -state law as companies with “at least 65% ownership held by one or more individuals who have been verified as social equity applicants.” The state has already verified social equity applicants eligible under the law.   Additionally, social equity applicants lived or went to public school in an area disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis or attended… Read more.

Ohio’s Senate president says he’s on board with the governor’s plan to make certain changes to the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law before the first provisions take effect early next month. Meanwhile, the House GOP leader seems to disagree on that timeline. It’s unclear what specific amendments Senate President Matt Huffman (R) will ultimately propose, but he said on Wednesday that he’s in agreement with Gov. Mike DeWine (R) that lawmakers should move quickly to revise the statutory law before possession and… Read more.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a Senate-passed bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients. The legislation—which has been amended to further grant grower permits to independent dispensaries—cleared the chamber in a 114-89 vote on Wednesday. Because it was revised, it must return to the Senate for concurrence before it’s potentially sent to the governor’s desk. Under the measure, sponsored by Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), the state… Read more.

The Florida Supreme Court seems poised to allow an adult-use cannabis legalization proposal to be put to voters next year, seemingly rejecting the arguments by state Attorney General Ashley Moody that the initiative’s wording is misleading and that it violates the state’s single-subject rule on ballot questions, the Miami New Times reports.   During a hearing last week, Justice Charles T. Canady said he was “baffled” by the argument laid out by Chief Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey Paul DeSousa of the Florida Attorney General’s Office,… Read more.

The Biden administration has once again found itself in federal court defending a ban preventing people who use marijuana from buying or possessing firearms, arguing that historical precedent “comfortably” supports the restriction and that cannabis consumers with guns pose a unique danger to society, in part because they’re “unlikely” to store their weapon properly before using marijuana. In a brief submitted to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Wednesday, attorneys for the Justice Department responded to… Read more.

Voters in another Texas city will have the chance to decide on a local marijuana decriminalization initiative on the ballot after the Lubbock City Council declined to enact the reform legislatively on Tuesday. In a 0-7 vote, local lawmakers unanimously rejected the measure, which was put on the agenda after activists submitted enough signatures to force consideration of the decriminalization proposal. It will now go before voters in May 2024. The committee behind the initiative first filed paperwork for the… Read more.

New state guidance for addiction services and treatment programs in New York advises against routine screening for marijuana use, an approach designed to parallel that used for alcohol. Some clinicians see the change, which is being implemented following the state’s legalization of cannabis, as a step away from an abstinence-only view of recovery and toward a more flexible approach aimed at minimizing harm. “With the legalization of adult-use cannabis in NYS, testing for the metabolite of THC routinely is not… Read more.

According to a survey conducted by EO Care, Inc., 88% of medical cannabis users reported that it reduced their reliance on prescription drugs, alcohol, or both. Additionally, 51% of respondents expressed a likelihood or strong inclination to utilize cannabis if it were offered through their health plan. This survey encompassed 1,027 participants from states where cannabis was legally accessible for either medical or recreational use. It also revealed that 65% of those surveyed would feel more at ease using cannabis for medical purposes if… Read more.

Arizona, Illinois and Michigan were among a handful of states over the past year where Black entrepreneurs opened marijuana stores in key markets. In March, Nuggets Dispensary became the first Black-owned business with a marijuana social equity retail license to open in Detroit, four years after the city approved recreational cannabis sales. Later that month, High Profile Cannabis Shop, a majority-Black-owned, adult-use marijuana store, also opened its doors in the Motor City. Despite state and local jurisdictions earmarking more licenses for social equity applicants, success… Read more.

In the heart of Chicago, the bustling cityscape set the stage for a groundbreaking event that brought together trailblazing women in the cannabis industry. The Green Market Report Midwest Women’s Cannabis Summit took center stage on Nov. 2, providing a platform for empowerment, networking, and the exchange of ideas that could shape the future of cannabis in the Midwest. Under the soaring gothic arches of the historic Epiphany Center for the Arts, women from various corners of the cannabis landscape created an… Read more.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety workers are being encouraged to exercise caution and avoid cannabis products, including federally legal CBD, as the agency observes an “uptick” in positive THC tests amid “confusion” as more states enact legalization. USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) put out a notice last last month reminding employees that they’re “required to follow all Federal laws regarding the use of illegal drugs, including cannabis, also commonly known as marijuana.” “Over the last decade,… Read more.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) might be retiring at the end of this Congress, but he’s still got boxes he wants to check off on an ambitious agenda to reform federal marijuana laws before his final bike ride from Capitol Hill. The Oregon congressman, a founding co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus who has spent decades championing marijuana legalization, intends to make the most out of his last 14 months in office. He thinks bipartisan cannabis banking reform is still in play, for… Read more.

Maryland has officially opened the first round of applications for new adult-use marijuana dispensary, cultivation and processing licenses—reserved exclusively for social equity businesses. The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) will ultimately be accepting a total of 179 marijuana licensees following the 30-day application period that started on Monday. That includes 75 dispensary, 16 grower and 32 processor licenses. This will more than double the number of retailers in the state, where currently only existing medical marijuana dispensaries that converted to dual licenses… Read more.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, says that if he’s elected, he would remove federal restrictions on marijuana and psychedelics such as ayahuasca and MDMA to free up access for military veterans suffering from serious mental health conditions. The entrepreneur has previously discussed his support for psychedelics reform, but he’s now calling for descheduling as part of his veterans policy platform that’s meant to take a “holistic approach” the high rates of substance misuse and suicide within the veteran population.… Read more.

According to a recent Quartz Advisor report titled "Legalizing Marijuana Hasn't Improved Road Safety," data reveals a decline in traffic fatalities in four states that legalized adult-use cannabis since 2016. In contrast, there was a slight increase in fatalities in five states where cannabis remains illegal. Nevertheless, the report also highlighted some anomalies, notably a slight rise in traffic fatalities nationwide during the pandemic years 2020 and 2021. This report by Quartz Advisor was published on October 24, and it emphasized three key findings: In California,… Read more.

As marijuana reform continues to stagnate in the Wisconsin legislature, bipartisan and bicameral lawmakers have come together to introduce a new bill that would create a psilocybin research pilot program in the state. Sens. Jesse James (R) and Dianne Hesselbein (D), as well as Reps. Nate Gustafson (R) and Clinton Anderson (D), are sponsoring the legislation, which would focus on exploring the therapeutic potential of the psychedelic in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans. The pilot program… Read more.

With Lubbock city leaders set to consider a citizen-initiated proposed ordinance to decriminalize cannabis on Tuesday, a Texas advocacy group has released a report looking at the impacts of similar marijuana reform efforts passed by voters in five different jurisdictions during the 2022 election. It found that the measures will keep hundreds of people out of jail, even as they have led to blowback from law enforcement in some cities. The report, from Ground Game Texas, looks at local decriminalization… Read more.

The odds that a patient visiting the emergency department is diagnosed with cannabis use disorder (CUD) is nearly 50 percent lower in states that have legalized marijuana compared to non-legal states, according to a new study. And researchers say the “counterintuitive” finding could be related to the destigmatization of cannabis use within the medical community as prohibition ends. The study, published in the journal Preventative Medicine Reports last week, looked at emergency department data from 2017 to 2020 in two… Read more.

With less than a month left before a New Hampshire commission is due to put forward a plan for how to legalize adult-use marijuana sales through a system of state-controlled stores, members were visibly frustrated at a Thursday meeting with the group’s slow, meandering progress through a draft bill circulated last month by the group’s chair, Sen. Daryl Abbas (R). Lawmakers on the panel grew combative with one another over issues such as penalties for public consumption of cannabis, dual… Read more.

From fervent anti-drug crusader to disconnected senior statesman to the unlikely champion of the regulated marijuana trade, President Joe Biden's public journey might still hold surprises. A year after instigating the most substantial shift in federal marijuana policy since 1970, the very politician whose stance as a U.S. senator fueled the drug war's intensity has, as president, established the foundation for a reliable and enduring legal marijuana sector. "Regardless of your opinion of him," remarked Andrew Kline, senior counsel at the… Read more.

Speaking at a cannabis industry event on Thursday, a former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official said he’d be “shocked” if the Drug Enforcement Administration doesn’t reschedule marijuana by next year’s presidential election. “I would be really shocked if it took the DEA longer than the second quarter of next year to come up with its final rule,” said Howard Sklamberg, former FDA deputy commissioner for global regulatory operations and compliance. “Even when I was at FDA, we knew that… Read more.

With Ohio becoming the latest state to legalize marijuana, there’s a renewed sense of urgency to follow suit in neighboring Pennsylvania, with the governor’s office calling it “another reminder” of the need to enact reform. Pennsylvania is now more solidly blanketed by states with legalization on the books. Five out of six bordering states—Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Ohio—have all done away with prohibition, leaving residents with plentiful and relatively accessible options to buy out-of-state cannabis products. Gov. Josh… Read more.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is soliciting proposals to develop psychedelics into treatments for substance use disorder (SUD), with plans to issue $2 million in grant money toward the research projects during fiscal year 2025. The funding opportunity will support research into a range of substances that might be used treat addiction, including “classic psychedelics” such as psilocybin and LSD, empathogens such as MDMA, dissociatives such as ketamine and other hallucinogens, including ibogaine and its analogues. The NIH listing… Read more.

Ohio officials have already released an FAQ guide to answer basic questions about the state’s new marijuana legalization law that voters approved on Tuesday. The state Department of Commerce (DOC) sent out a press release on Wednesday to announce the resource for residents interested in learning more about the rules and timeline for the legalization initiative’s rollout. Under the measure, a Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) will be established under DOC to regulate the adult-use market and issue marijuana business licenses. But… Read more.

A recent survey reveals that over two-thirds of Kansans are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana. Still, legislative efforts to permit even medical cannabis use in Kansas continue to face obstacles from Republican members of the State Senate. Once more, a recent poll reinforces the widespread endorsement from Kansans for the legalization of marijuana, be it for medicinal or recreational reasons. Nevertheless, the likelihood of the state venturing into the cannabis industry remains highly uncertain. Supporters and legislators in favor of medical… Read more.

Lawmakers in Wyoming are making a second attempt on legislation to ban intoxicating hemp products after the Joint Judiciary Committee in September scrapped their first attempt after pushback from hemp companies, according to a WyoFile report. State Rep. Art Washut (R) told WyoFile that “The first draft went too far in terms of causing a threat” to the state’s hemp farmers, and lawmakers “didn’t want to go there.” The new proposal would ban the addition of “synthetic substances” to hemp and would prohibit hemp… Read more.

Nana is the latest neighbourhood to get a fresh dose of cannabis as Siam Green Cannabis Co. continues to expand across Bangkok, following the successful launch of their first branch in Phrom Phong last May. Officially opened on August 24, Siam Green Cannabis Co.’s new Nana branch is located on the main road of Sukhumvit between Soi 10 and 12. It’s more than just a cannabis dispensary, though — it’s a unique experience waiting to be explored. Siam Green Cannabis Co. offers a consistent… Read more.

A study published in September in the journal Psychedelic Medicine found a majority of respondents – randomly selected American Psychiatric Association (APA) members – moderately or strongly believed that hallucinogens show promise in treating psychiatric conditions (80.9%) and substance use disorders (60.8%). A majority of those surveyed also moderately or strongly supported research into hallucinogens‘ therapeutic potential for psychiatric conditions (93.9%) and substance use disorders (88.6%), as well as federal funding of associated clinical trials – 84.7% and 80.9%, respectively. The survey was… Read more.

Ohio voters on Tuesday passed a ballot initiative to legalize adult-use marijuana, but one resident who voted against the change was GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Although the 38-year-old pharmaceutical company founder has said he supports legal access to marijuana and psychedelics, he opposed legalization in his home state. “I voted no on that one,” Ramaswamy said on CNN Tuesday night, as the network projected that voters had passed the legalization measure, Issue 2. “I think it’s an abandonment of the rule… Read more.

In a letter to President Joe Biden (D), the Marijuana Justice Coalition and Cannabis Freedom Alliance said that the administration’s plans to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act “would simply maintain federal criminalization” of state-approved medical and adult-use cannabis programs, calling instead for full descheduling under federal law.   The letter notes that, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data, nearly 250,000 individuals were arrested nationwide for cannabis-related crimes in 2021 and that Black people were arrested at… Read more.

The struggles that California's cannabis companies have been grappling with have been no secret. Still, it wasn't until this year that a noticeable decline in the legal marijuana market started to unfold. According to permit statistics from the California Department of Cannabis Control, the market has shrunk by approximately 29%. As of October 24, the state had only 9,900 active business licenses, marking a 28.5% decrease since July 2022, when there were 12,719 active provisional and annual cannabis business licenses,… Read more.

Recreational cannabis was, at long last, made legal in Delaware earlier this year. But several of the state’s beach towns situated along the eastern seaboard have ridden a different wave, opting instead to maintain the prohibition on weed within their respective jurisdictions.  The Delaware News Journal reported this week that “Delaware’s beach towns have taken the lead” in determining whether or not to permit marijuana for adults within their limits.  “The town council in Dewey Beach in June voted unanimously to ban marijuana sales… Read more.

A coalition of marijuana businesses, supported by influential law firms, has initiated a lawsuit aimed at challenging the federal government's continued prohibition of cannabis. These companies argue that upholding cannabis prohibition in states with legalized cannabis markets is unconstitutional, resulting in public safety concerns and preventing these businesses from accessing essential financial services and tax deductions. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, is led by multi-state operator Verano Holdings Corp., Massachusetts-based cannabis businesses Canna… Read more.

A congressional committee is urging the Justice Department to study the effectiveness of state regulatory frameworks for marijuana—and the panel is also pushing for researchers to be able to study the cannabis products that consumers purchase in legal states. The House Appropriations Committee included the cannabis language in spending bill reports that were released last week as lawmakers work to pass appropriations legislation for multiple federal agencies. For the bill covering Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS), there’s new… Read more.

From zealous drug warrior to out-of-touch elder statesman to the regulated marijuana industry’s savior apparent. President Joe Biden’s long arc in public life might have more twists ahead. One year after setting into motion the most significant transformation in federal marijuana policy since 1970, the same politician whose views as a U.S. senator escalated the drug war to its apex has now, as president, laid the cornerstone for a stable and lasting legal marijuana industry. “Love him or hate him,” said Andrew… Read more.

Lawmakers in Germany took comments from experts Monday during a parliamentary Health Committee hearing on the government’s proposal to legalize marijuana in the country. They also considered an alternative plan that would focus instead on reducing cannabis consumption through education and public health measures. The legalization measure, spearheaded by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, would allow adults to legally possess cannabis and cultivate a maximum of three plants for personal use. It would also create social clubs that could distribute marijuana to… Read more.

The Pennsylvania House Subcommittee on Health Care on Wednesday heard from citizens and medical experts about legalizing cannabis for adult use, WGAL reports. State Rep. Dan Frankel (D) indicated that the issue could come up for a vote in front of the full House next year.  State Rep. Paul Schemel (R), the subcommittee’s minority chairman, said he believed that “every state has gotten it wrong.”  “To think that this bad milk, if we put it back in the refrigerator as good milk,… Read more.

A new forecast of Virginia’s election predicts that Democrats are likely to win control of both chambers of the legislature on Tuesday—a result some advocates believe could open the door for lawmakers to legalize retail cannabis sales in the state. A separate poll, meanwhile, found 58 percent support among likely voters for allowing marijuana sales to proceed. While marijuana legalization technically isn’t on Virginia’s ballot this week, advocates expect the results of the statewide election to shape the future of marijuana… Read more.

Ohio is poised to become the cannabis industry’s next big thing if voters there, as expected, approve an adult-use marijuana legalization measure on Tuesday. Legal cannabis in Ohio – with nearly 12 million people, it’s the country’s seventh-most-populous state – would provide a boost to existing medical marijuana businesses, which would be positioned to serve an adult-use market worth as much as $4 billion within a few years, according to MJBizDaily projections. It would also be another milestone for the U.S. reform… Read more.

A longtime Colorado cannabis distributor and deal broker who works with dozens of farms and brands said he expects the cultivation sector in the state to continue shrinking more than it already has this year, but the wholesale market has already seen a bit of a rebound due to the contraction. “A few years ago, we had 1.4 million plants in the ground. Last I looked, it was around 900,000,” said Aaron Shaw, a longtime Colorado marijuana industry insider who runs a… Read more.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That seems to be the motto of one Democratic congressman who has spent the past few months repeatedly attempting to prevent the use of federal funds to drug test job applicants for marijuana. As more states have legalized cannabis in some form, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) has committed to enacting the modest reform as by filing it as a proposed amendment to 12 separate appropriations bills covering multiple federal agencies. So… Read more.

A biopharmaceutical company this week unveiled the results of a clinical trial it says showcases the potential of psychedelics as a mental health treatment. The findings come via Cybin, a Canadian company “committed to revolutionizing mental healthcare by developing new and innovative next-generation psychedelic treatment options.” According to the company, the results centered around CYB003, Cybin’s “proprietary deuterated psilocybin analog” that showed “a rapid, robust and statistically significant reduction in symptoms of depression three weeks following a single 12mg dose compared to… Read more.

A Minnesota psychedelics task force charged with studying the medical benefits of psilocybin, MDMA and LSD and preparing the state for possible legalization will convene on Monday for its first meeting, at which members are expected to select a chairperson and lay out the trajectory of the coming months. The group must return a final report to the state with findings and recommendations by January 1, 2025, and at least one key lawmaker says he plans to file a reform… Read more.

Curt Dalton of Cannabis.net once asked, are you buying or selling the European cannabis hype?  While the EU may grow to be the biggest legal cannabis market in the word, with that growth will come the biggest illicit or black market in the world as well.  As metioned in the article, "With a Gun to My Head, Here is the One Cannabis Investment I Would Make Right Now", is South America a much better choice in the long run for investors due… Read more.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an independent 2024 presidential candidate, says the U.S. needs to “legalize pot to end addiction.” In a campaign ad that pulls clips from a September C-SPAN interview, Kennedy describes his plan to federally legalize marijuana and earmark tax revenue for substance misuse treatment and rehabilitation. The candidate, who launched his campaign as a Democrat before switching to independent last month, said he wants to build that infrastructure “as part of my presidency,” adding that the “renewal centers of detoxification”… Read more.

Budtenders and inventory clerks Home State Dispensary in Kansas City, Missouri voted on Tuesday to join the Teamsters Local 955, making them the first cannabis workers in the Kansas City metro area to unionize and the first to join the Local 955. In a statement, Jerry Wood, Local 955 president, noted that cannabis sales in Missouri are on track to gross over $1 billion in revenue this year. Madison Ford, a budtender at Home State, said the workers “are standing… Read more.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D), a founding member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, on Monday announced he will not seek reelection. In a Facebook post, Blumenauer, who served as a member of Congress for 27 years, said “Now, it is time to refocus on a narrower set of priorities.”   Blumenauer served as an Oregon state lawmaker in 1973 when the state decriminalized cannabis and has been an ardent supporter of federal cannabis reforms since his election to the House of Representatives in 1996. He… Read more.

The Magnolia Bakery, perhaps one of the most famous bakeries in the world, is now entering the cannabis edibles market. You may know Magnolia Bakery from scenes in Sex and The City, Saturday Night Live, or Broad City. Their cakes (and world-famous cupcakes), are to die for. And now, thanks to their collaboration with incredibles, an award-winning edibles brand, you can get high off their scrumptious confections. In the Sex and the City episodes, pies are thrown, although any sane person would only toss such creations into… Read more.

For nearly as long as the federal government has classified marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been evaluating applications from researchers seeking to develop therapeutic drugs from the plant. In a pair of newly published documents, the agency looks back on more than half a century of investigational cannabis-based drugs and offers its perspective of what the future of drug development might hold. That includes studying a broader range of methods of… Read more.

The Washington State Department of Commerce released a document this week recommending how $200 million should be spent to address racial, economic and social disparities created by the war on drugs. The 92-page Community Reinvestment Plan was developed by the department, the state Office of Equity and the Harriet Tubman Foundation for Safe Passage, which together worked with community members to advise how the reinvestment money should be spent. The plan, paid for out of the state’s general fund, next… Read more.

Home values have grown at a significantly higher rate in states that have legalized marijuana compared to non-legal states over the past decade—with the average price of a home in a legalization state now 41 percent higher than those that have continues to criminalize cannabis—according to a new report on real estate trends. The study from Real Estate Witch and Leafly explored average home prices from 2014 to 2023, looking at the potential impact of regulated cannabis access for medical… Read more.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill authorized hemp production and removed the crop from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) schedule of Controlled Substances, the hemp-derived cannabinoid industry has boomed across the nation — including the sale of hemp-derived, psychoactive delta-8 and delta-9 THC. Virginia is one of the more recent states to contest the ever-increasing hemp-derived cannabinoid market, namely as it pertains to THC. While hemp businesses recently requested an injunction, which would have blocked a new state law imposing stricter limits on… Read more.

Cannabis cultivation in the United States traces its roots to the early colonists, who cultivated hemp primarily for textile and rope production. However, during the 19th and early 20th centuries, cannabis found extensive `use as a patented medicinal remedy, with its formal inclusion in the United States Pharmacopeia occurring in 1850. In 1937, cannabis was criminalized. The criminalization of marijuana was influenced by a combination of political and racial factors and was achieved through the enactment of the Marijuana Tax… Read more.

New federal guidelines from the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC) advising judges to treat prior marijuana possession offenses more leniently have officially taken effect. About seven months after members of the commission voted to promulgate a series of amendments—including a multi-part criminal history revision that adds cannabis possession as an example of an offense that generally warrants sentencing discretion—the new guidelines became effective on Wednesday. Federal judges have historically been directed to take into account prior convictions as aggravating factors when making… Read more.

A federal judge in Northern Virginia on Monday denied an attempt to block a recently enacted state law that imposed stricter limits on intoxicating hemp products, the Virgnia Mercury reports. In the opinion, U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema said the state “demonstrated that delta-8 THC is a credible threat to the Virginia population.”   The plaintiffs, which include Virginia hemp businesses, argued in the lawsuit that Virginia had overstepped its authority to regulate hemp in a way that conflicted with federal law and interfered with interstate commerce.… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) is now aiming to get industry licenses awarded by December, in what its chairman calls an “aggressive” timeline after a summer of starts and stops, WIAT reports. The agency voted last week to officially rescind the previous licenses and laid out a new timeline that would issue the licenses by the end of the year with products available in the spring.  In June, the AMCC awarded the first round of medical cannabis licenses, but days later paused the process due to… Read more.

The Trump campaign took a swipe at 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, urging the Florida governor to pick up some marijuana edibles while visiting Nevada to de-stress from the race. Steven Cheung, spokesperson for former President Donald Trump, made the comments on Saturday, remarking on the stagnant polling numbers for DeSantis. “Maybe Ron should consider visiting a smoke shop and buy some edibles to take the stress away, something Jeff Roe should know about since he’s lobbying for… Read more.

Professor Aaron Ciechanover's captivating odyssey takes us from the confines of a research laboratory into the enigmatic realms of the cannabis industry. This prominent Nobel laureate in chemistry has recently deviated from his colleagues' well-worn route, immersing himself in the cannabis arena. His goal is not to focus on the plant's mystique but rather to uncover the profound scientific foundations that underpin it. At the age of 76, Professor Ciechanover stands not only as an acclaimed chemist, celebrated for his groundbreaking discovery of ubiquitin-mediated… Read more.

After a half century advocating for marijuana reform—including 27 years representing Oregon’s 3rd district in Congress—Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) announced on Monday that he will not be seeking reelection next year. The congressman, a founding co-chair of the Cannabis Caucus and architect of a federal marijuana legalization “blueprint,” has earned the respect of advocates, stakeholders and lawmakers across the aisle as he’s worked to navigate challenging waters on Capitol Hill, where even modest cannabis legislation has consistently stalled despite the… Read more.

A downtown Edmonton restaurant is preparing to introduce a unique culinary experience by offering cannabis-infused dishes and mocktails. CBD CBN, also known as Catering By Day, Catering By Night, will exclusively serve reservation-only fine dining, highlighting cannabis as its primary ingredient. Co-founded by mixologist James Mulholland and chef Stacey Mison, the restaurant aims to create a buzz in Edmonton with its innovative concept. Mulholland expressed optimism about the venture, saying that they anticipate a high demand for our offerings, aiming to attract not only… Read more.

Regulators in Minnesota are seeking public input as they begin the process of crafting rules for the state’s new marijuana industry, hoping to hear from “the widest possible range of community members, advocates, and partners who want to help shape how the rules are drafted.” To collect those views, the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) on Monday released a new online survey that includes questions on cannabis cultivation, processing and manufacturing. “The first topic areas reflect the necessary industry… Read more.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing a dramatic increase in its 2023 production quotas for marijuana compounds and psychedelics like psilocybin and ibogaine to “support research and clinical trials” into the substances. DEA wants to nearly double the amount of psilocybin, psilocyn and delta-9 THC that’s manufactured compared to initial levels set for this year, while quintupling how much ibogaine is produced. It also wants 23 times as much of “other tetrahydrocannabinol,” raising the quota from 15,000 grams to… Read more.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D) is challenging incumbent President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination—and the congressman’s drug policy record reflects a consistent commitment to reform at the state and federal level. Phillips officially entered the race on October 27, stating that while he thinks the president has done an effective job to date, Biden’s slumping poll numbers raise concerns about his viability in the election, and he’s hoping to offer an alternative pathway for Democrats. When it comes… Read more.

A recent survey conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, a Toronto-based polling company, reveals that approximately two-thirds of Canadian consumers now exclusively purchase cannabis from legal sources. This new data, released on the fifth anniversary of the end of cannabis prohibition in Canada, suggests that the regulated cannabis industry may have a more significant share of the overall market than previously assumed. This is advantageous for compliant businesses. This finding may surprise some industry executives who have occasionally attributed their challenges and… Read more.

Less than two weeks ahead of Election Day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) is talking to local TV stations about his opposition to Issue 2, a ballot initiative that would legalize adult-use marijuana in the state. But newly released state data on campaign fundraising indicate that supporters have an edge, having raised nearly four times what opponents have collected. DeWine said voters are confused about both the cannabis measure and a separate initiative, Issue 1, which would protect access to… Read more.

A federal appeals court has ruled against the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a lawsuit over a Washington State doctor’s petition to reschedule psilocybin. The court said DEA failed to explain its reasoning when it denied the petition, and it ordered the agency to provide a more complete justification. The court did not, however, send the petition to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for review, as lawyers for the doctor had requested. The opinion, handed down Friday by… Read more.

Switzerland will allow Europe’s first non-medical cannabis dispensaries to open and operate as part of a study to examine how controlled access to legal cannabis may affect health and consumption patterns of regular cannabis consumers. An announcement was made Friday about “Grashaus Projects” by German CBD and cannabinoid research company Sanity Group which said that in tandem with the Swiss Institute for Addiction and Health Research, their initiative to dispense legal cannabis to a small area in Switzerland called Basel-Landschaft had been… Read more.

Eleven former high-ranking officials, including six ex-DEA heads and five former White House drug czars, have opposed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' recommendation to reschedule marijuana. They sent a letter to the current Attorney General and DEA Administrator, expressing concern over this proposal. Rescheduling Debate The letter suggests that rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III could "supersize" the industry through tax relief and market normalization. It also argues that rescheduling would reduce penalties for marijuana trafficking, potentially hindering cartel… Read more.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is calling for the creation of a centralized marijuana research center that’s designed to help scientists overcome barriers to studying cannabis under federal prohibition. In a notice of funding opportunity posted on Thursday, NIH said it’s looking for an eligible entity to operate a new Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research through a cooperative agreement in order to “address challenges and barriers to conducting research on cannabis and its constituents.” The center should… Read more.

A coalition of marijuana businesses represented by an influential law firm has filed a much-anticipated lawsuit against the U.S. attorney general, seeking to block the federal government from enforcing cannabis prohibition against their state-legal activity. They claim perpetuating prohibition in state markets is unconstitutional, creating undue public safety risks while precluding licensed marijuana businesses from accessing critical financial services and tax deductions that are available to other industries. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts,… Read more.

The federal health agency is awarding researchers $3.2 million to study the effects of using cannabis while receiving immunotherapy for cancer treatment, as well as whether access to marijuana helps reduce health disparities. The University of Buffalo (UB) announced that one of its psychiatrists has received the research grant funding from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Cancer Institute, which will go toward a year-long study to assess how the common cancer treatment is affected by patients’ cannabis use.… Read more.

It's high time for pharmaceutical companies that have been exposed for misleading the public to face the consequences. According to a recent report from ConsumerShield, the past decade has witnessed a surge in settlements and fines within the pharmaceutical sector, surpassing a staggering $80 billion. Published on October 17, ConsumerShield's report titled "Balancing Profits, Penalties, and Public Safety in the Pharmaceutical Industry" sheds light on the fact that a significant portion of these infractions is related to synthetic opioids, notorious… Read more.

The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) published a two-page report entitled “Cannabis and Fentanyl: Facts and Unknowns” to demystify the facts and myths of the two substances, specifically that of fentanyl contaminating cannabis. “The goal of this fact sheet is to provide evidence where it is available, to share information about what is currently known and unknown, and to provide safety tips to help alleviate some of these misconceptions, often spread through misinformed media coverage and anecdotal reporting,”… Read more.

A Nevada commission will hear public comment this week on a proposal that would amend hiring standards for police officers to allow job candidates who were previously disqualified for certain marijuana-related offenses to be eligible for law enforcement positions. The change being considered by the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) at Thursday meeting would amend regulations around hiring that currently prevent a person from becoming a peace officer if they have been convicted of an offense involving the… Read more.

While many marijuana enthusiasts believe that components called terpenes are responsible for strains’ distinctive smells, a new study published by the American Chemical Society has identified “previously undiscovered cannabis compounds” that challenge that conventional wisdom of what really gives each variety its unique olfactory profile. The research, conducted by a team of scientists from marijuana extraction and testing companies and published this month in the journal ACS Omega, says that “while aroma is a key property in differentiating cannabis varieties… Read more.

Agricultural scientists at Texas’ Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) have received a $299,162 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to study the use of hemp as animal feed.    The three-year study will be conducted by research scientists from the university’s Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Human Ecology and will focus on the nutritional profile of industrial hemp plant biomass byproducts, and their impact on goats, to determine if hemp biomass can… Read more.

A study published last month in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that individuals who use psychedelics tended to have better mental health outcomes during the coronavirus pandemic than non-users.    The researchers concluded that “users of hallucinogenic drugs scored better on various dimensions that were clearly affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, like psychopathology, wellbeing, and post-traumatic growth. This was even clearer in the case of regular users of these drugs.” For the study, researchers recruited a sample of 2,971 participants for… Read more.

After months of meetings and consideration, a group of 99 Irish citizens selected by the government to weigh in on the nation’s drug policy has voted to recommend decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of currently illicit substances and adopting a public health approach to the issue. The panel also narrowly voted against endorsing the legalization and regulation of marijuana, however. The Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use posted summaries of 36 policy recommendations online Monday following the body’s final meeting… Read more.

Detroit, Michigan officials last week closed the building that formerly housed the psychedelic religious institution Soul Tribes International Ministries, the Detroit Free Press reports. The church, which offered psilocybin mushrooms as a sacrament, was raided by police in September.  Detroit Councilman James Tate shared an image of the padlocked door and a Notice of Building Closure dated October 18 on Facebook and thanked officials for helping to protect the neighborhood.    Shaman Boby Shu told the Free Press that the move is a “total violation” of… Read more.

As the U.S. House of Representatives enters its third week without a speaker, more GOP lawmakers with varying records on marijuana policy are making their bids for the nomination—including a member who has been arrested for cannabis and another who co-chairs a congressional psychedelics caucus. Most of the candidates in the leadership race have voted in favor of cannabis banking reform, even if they’ve been unsupportive of broader legalization. After Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was ousted as speaker in a historic… Read more.

Alaska Airlines is suing a mechanics union in federal court over a recent arbitration decision that reversed the 2022 firing of a technician who tested positive for THC. The company alleges the arbitration board that rendered the decision earlier this month “acted in excess of its authority by dispensing its own brand of industrial justice.” The five-page complaint, filed on Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, says the board reinstated the worker, Gregory Chappell, “based on… Read more.

Rhode Island’s top marijuana regulator was quizzed about a range of cannabis-related topics during a local TV news interview last week, including preparations to issue new retail licenses, the availability of hemp-derived cannabinoids and an error in state-reported sales data that was identified by Marijuana Moment. Cannabis Control Commission Chair Kimberly Ahern appeared on WPRI-TV’s “Newsmakers” on Friday, emphasizing that regulators are working to take a measured approach to stewarding the state’s adult-use market, which opened for sales through existing medical… Read more.

The New Jersey Fraternal Order of Police is lashing out against a newly filed lawsuit by Jersey City officials that seeks to undo a state policy that generally allows police officers to use marijuana while off duty, calling the legal challenge “an unfortunate waste of taxpayer dollars.” Jersey City and its public safety director, James Shea, sued the state in federal court on Monday, arguing that the policy, released by the state attorney general’s office in February, is preempted by federal law.… Read more.

A federal appeals court panel heard arguments on Friday in the case of a Seattle-based doctor who’s asking the federal government reschedule psilocybin, part of his effort to clear a path for terminally ill cancer patients to legally use the substance to help treat end-of-life depression and anxiety. Lawyers for the doctor say the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) dropped the ball when rejecting the psilocybin rescheduling petition outright, arguing that they agency instead should have referred the matter to the… Read more.

Recognizing Snoop Dogg’s “significant contributions to the popularization of marijuana,” comedian and late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel proclaimed the rapper’s birthday of October 20—this Friday—to be the “new high holiday” of DoggFather’s Day. In a mock-proclamation unveiled on Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday night, Kimmel noted that “Mr. Dogg’s birthday falls on the exact midpoint to 4/20—a coincidence that is totally tripping me out right now.” Explaining the origin of the celebration to Snoop, Kimmel said half-birthdays are big in… Read more.

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has significantly reduced the recommended daily CBD intake from food products. This change follows a thorough review of a joint position paper submitted by the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Process and the Committee on Toxicity (COT). As per the updated guidance, the FSA now suggests a maximum daily CBD intake of 10mg, roughly equivalent to "about 4-5 drops of 5% CBD oil." This is a substantial decrease from the previous recommendation of 70mg,… Read more.

Two Michigan lobbyists on Wednesday were sentenced to federal prison terms for their role in paying bribes to Rick Johnson, the former chair of the Michigan Marijuana Licensing Board. Brian Pierce was sentenced to 24 months in prison, along with two years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine, while Vincent Brown was sentenced to 20 months in prison, with two years of supervised release and a $25,000 fine.   In a statement, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said the duo “deliberately… Read more.

One company called HWY35, LLC, currently based in Missouri, recently received funds from the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation’s Advisory board (IRRR) voted 5-3 to approve a loan to be used to build a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing site in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. The department’s goal is “…to invest in resources to foster vibrant growth and economic prosperity in northeastern Minnesota by enhancing livable communities, maximizing collaborations and partnerships and strengthen businesses and worker education.” It provides low or no… Read more.

Colorado marijuana regulators announced this week that out of 285 underage sales checks conducted at state-licensed cannabis stores this year, there have been only four failures—a compliance rate of about 99 percent. “While any failure is unacceptable,” the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) said in the latest issue of its quarterly In the Weeds newsletter on Monday, “we’re pleased to report this very high compliance rate which is on par with the compliance percentage from 2022.” Records… Read more.

A comprehensive study has been conducted over three years in a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc vineyard by grape grower Kristy Harkness and viticulture researcher Dr. Mark Krasnow. The study has demonstrated that hemp is a viable cover crop, particularly within New Zealand's Sauvignon Blanc vineyards. According to the findings reported by New Zealand Wine Grower, hemp did not pose competition to the grapevines and had a positive impact on both the soil and the quality of the wines produced. Remarkably, during New Zealand's dry season,… Read more.

German lawmakers have officially begun consideration of a bill that would legalize marijuana nationwide. The country’s parliament, called the Bundestag, held the first debate on the legislation on Wednesday after delaying the meeting last week due to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. The legalization measure, spearheaded by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, would allow adults to legally possess cannabis and cultivate a maximum of three plants for personal use. It would also create social clubs that could distribute marijuana to members. Officials… Read more.

The Massachusetts cannabis industry has been grappling with considerable uncertainty regarding the legal and enforceable nature of the "Community Impact Fees" in the wake of the enactment of "An Act Relative to Equity in the Cannabis Industry" in November 2022. This uncertainty has raised significant concerns within the industry and has even prompted multiple legal disputes between operators and their host communities. One of the most recent lawsuits in this regard has been initiated by Berkshire Roots, a Pittsfield-based cannabis company. On… Read more.

A congressional subcommittee’s hearing on the use of psychedelic-assisted treatments for mental health disorders that was originally scheduled for Thursday has been postponed, the panel announced after another failed vote to elect a House speaker on Wednesday. It’s not yet clear when the rescheduled event will be. The hearing of the House Veterans Affairs’ Subcommittee on Health was set to be the first time federal lawmakers ever convened a formal hearing primarily to discuss how entheogenic substances such as psilocybin… Read more.

Advocates in Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday submitted their petition to decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis in the city after collecting more than twice the number of signatures required to force city lawmakers to vote on the proposal, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports. Freedom Act Lubbock submitted 10,540 signatures to the city secretary’s office, exceeding the 4,800 signature requirement.  The city secretary’s office still needs to verify the signatures are valid before the issue moves to the City Council. The ordinance aims… Read more.

Utah-based startup reepher has applied to sell insurance in Oregon which would cover the cost of defending a cannabis DUI, Axios reports. The cheapest reepher product offered costs $15 monthly and offers $15,000 in potential coverage, including up to $8,000 in attorney fees and $1,500 to recover a towed vehicle.   The company launched in late 2021 and currently operates in Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, according to the reepher website.  CEO Justin Kahn told Axios that, to date, the company has… Read more.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is continuing its path toward cannabis accessibility, and as of last week the tribe officially issued its first medical cannabis cards. According to EBCI Cannabis Control Board (CCB) executive director, Neil Denman, a Cherokee Police Commission monthly meeting was held on Oct. 12. In a presentation featuring Denman and his colleague, Kym Parker, they stated that the first medical cannabis card was issued on that day, and many more will follow in the… Read more.

Workers at Green Thumb Industries in Reno, Nevada last week voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 711.   In a statement, Green Thumb worker Derrick Miles said he and his colleagues “look forward to bargaining a fair contract.”  Last year, about 60 cannabis workers at the Green Thumb-owned RISE dispensary in Henderson voted to join the UFCW Local 711. In March, a complaint was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accusing Green Thumb of violations related to labor law… Read more.

States that legalize marijuana for adults see moderate economic gains after the policy change is implement but also experience an increase in social costs including substance use disorders, chronic homelessness and arrests. That’s the upshot of a new report recently published by researchers at the Kansas City arm of the Federal Reserve Bank. “Although some of our estimates are noisy,” authors wrote in the new paper, “our findings suggest that the economic benefits of legalization are broadly distributed, while the… Read more.

Do you remember Dale Jackson, the Georgia father who invited police to follow him as he crossed state lines and got cannabis oil for his autistic son, Colin?  All his hard work has paid off as Georgia familes with sick kids will now get a chance at the same cannabis oil that has helped his son so much. The Georgia Board of Pharmacy has initiated the process of receiving applications from licensed, independent pharmacies seeking approval to distribute authorized medical marijuana products.… Read more.

The official voting day for Ohioans is Nov. 7, but early voting has already begun on Oct. 11. This is a significant year for cannabis because a cannabis legalization measure, which is labeled as Issue 2, is appearing on the ballot. However, some legislators are not thrilled with the idea that cannabis legalization could be approved, and announced plans to possibly repeal the law if it does get passed. Senate President Matt Huffman spoke on the Senate floor in opposition of… Read more.

Unveiling Colombia’s new national drug policy recently, President Gustavo Petro recalled smelling the odor of marijuana wafting through the streets of New York City during a recent visit to the U.S., remarking on the “enormous hypocrisy” of legal cannabis sales now taking place in the nation that launched the global drug war decades ago. “Marijuana is sold today in Times Square,” Petro said, according to a translation of his speech. “It smelled on all the streets, all the way around… Read more.

Cannabis consumers who contracted COVID-19 had reduced mortality and better outcomes compared to non-consumers, according to a study published this month in the CHEST Journal. The study, using the National Inpatient Sample Database, suggests “the beneficial effect of marijuana use may be attributed to its potential to inhibit viral entry into cells and prevent the release of proinflammatory cytokines, thus mitigating cytokine release syndrome.”   According to the study, titled “Exploring the Relationship Between Marijuana Smoking and Covid-19 Outcomes,” cannabis consumers that had… Read more.

A Maryland judge has temporarily suspended portions of the state’s marijuana legalization statute prohibiting the sale of hemp-derived products with intoxicating cannabinoids. The judge’s order allows hemp and CBD shops to resume selling the products while a lawsuit challenging the state’s cannabis legalization law continues. The legal action was filed in July by a group of business owners and the Maryland Hemp Coalition challenging provisions of the state’s marijuana legalization law that only allow businesses approved by state cannabis regulators to… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) hopes to issue licenses for medical marijuana cultivators and distributors by the end of 2023, officials with the agency said last week. The plan, which was approved by the commission on October 12, comes following multiple lawsuits were filed challenging the rollout of the state’s medical cannabis program. Alabama state lawmakers legalized the use of medical cannabis for patients with certain qualifying conditions in 2021. But nearly two and a half years later, cannabis… Read more.

A dispensary in St. Louis County initiated a lawsuit against Missouri, asserting that imposing multiple sales taxes on recreational marijuana sales by municipalities and counties is unconstitutional. In Kansas City, two counties, Jackson and Cass, have been stacking sales taxes. This action was prompted by voter approval in April, which endorsed county and municipal taxes, each set at 3% for recreational marijuana sales. The plaintiff in this case is Robust Missouri Dispensary 3, and their dispensary is situated within the city of Florissant,… Read more.

Advocates in Texas recently announced that they’ve collected enough signatures to add a decriminalization initiative to the ballot in Lubbock, located in the northwestern part of the state. According to 2022 census data, the city is home to 264,000 people, and is among the top 10 most populated cities in the state. On Oct. 11, advocates announced that they have collected 8,800 signatures for the Freedom Act Lubbock to qualify for the ballot. This is far more than the required amount, which is set at… Read more.

An Alaska Airlines technician in Washington State who was fired over a positive marijuana test had his termination reversed earlier this month after formally challenging the decision, insisting he did not knowingly use cannabis and was unaware of how THC would have gotten into his system. The worker, whose name was redacted from an arbitration decision provided by a lawyer for his union, was given a random drug test in July, 2022. The level of THC metabolites came back above… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) on Thursday passed new rules to reset the license application process for the third time, WIAT reports. Under the new rules, the agency will reconsider the applications they already have, and the scores will remain, but the applicants will now have the opportunity to make a public presentation to the commission about why they should receive a license.   The new rules come amidst lawsuits related to the state’s licensing process so far: one alleging the AMCC failed to follow the… Read more.

The lead GOP Senate cosponsor of a bipartisan marijuana banking bill says a planned floor vote is on pause until he can ensure the legislation will later pass the Republican-controlled House, according to a cannabis financing executive who spoke with the senator this week. While the House prospects of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act have long factored into Senate leadership’s thinking, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) apparently made it clear in his conversation with Pelorus Capital Group… Read more.

Marianne Williamson, a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, says the federal government should “fully legalize” certain psychedelics like psilocybin for therapeutic use and cover the costs for patients under a universal healthcare system. In a new plan focused on mental health, Williamson laid out 10 proposals that she said would help address the country’s “record levels of suicide, depression, anxiety, and toxic stress.” That includes legalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy with full insurance coverage. “For some of the most widespread mental health challenges we… Read more.

Six former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) heads and five former White House drug czars have sent a letter to the attorney general and current DEA administrator, voicing opposition to the top federal health agency’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana. They also made a questionable claim about the relationship between drug schedules and criminal penalties in a way that may exaggerate the potential impact of the incremental reform. The letter, sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland and DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on… Read more.

The government of Thailand is taking steps to walk back the legalization of adult-use cannabis, barely more than a year after personal use of the plant was legalized in the Southeast Asian nation. The government passed a law to decriminalize cannabis in June 2022, when the plant was removed from the nation’s list of illegal narcotics. Under the legislation, adults aged 20 and older are permitted to use cannabis for medical purposes, although not in public places. Adults are also… Read more.

Planting hemp as a cover crop in wine vineyards could be beneficial, according to a study conducted by New Zealand researchers outlined by New Zealand Wine Grower. The research, conducted over three years in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc vineyards by grape grower Kirsty Harkness and viticulture researcher Dr. Mark Krasnow, found the hemp did not compete with the vines and beneficially affected the soils and wines.  Additionally, the hemp became established without supplemental irrigation during an exceptionally dry season when other cover crops failed… Read more.