Asides

According to Cache Valley Daily, around 60% of Utah's medicinal cannabis users obtain their cannabis from sources other than the state's authorized market. The study, done by Cannabis Public Policy Consulting (CPPC) on behalf of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF), sheds light on accessibility issues in the state's medicinal cannabis program. Dr. Brandon Forsyth, Director of Industrial Hemp and Medical Cannabis at UDAF, emphasized the need of conducting annual market analyses to evaluate the performance of Utah's Medical Cannabis… Read more.

With a legalization ballot measure set to appear on Florida’s ballot in November, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) again attacked the proposal on Wednesday, warning that the changes would be “not good for families” and “not good for elderly.” He also accused the initiative’s cannabis industry backers as being profit-driven. “People aren’t putting tens of millions of dollars behind that out of the goodness of their heart,” the governor said. “They are going to be making a lot of money… Read more.

A new study aiming to explore the efficacy of CBD as a treatment for crack use disorder found that people who took the cannabinoid had better health outcomes and fewer adverse health events compared to those who took more conventional pharmaceutical treatments. “The main implications of this study point to CBD as a powerful and promising therapeutic tool for people with CUD,” says the report, published this month in the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. “CBD seems to… Read more.

In a new letter to the White House, a group of 20 justice and drug reform advocacy organizations are calling on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to publicly support the removal of marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA) rather than merely a move to Schedule III, as the government is currently considering. Biden has said repeatedly during his campaign and term in office that “no one should be in jail merely for the use or possession of… Read more.

The United States Hemp Authority is working to assure the quality of Delta-8 THC through an upcoming certification procedure. This effort intends to set stringent standards and promote self-regulation in the Delta-8 sector, which is subject to relatively lenient regulatory scrutiny. While Delta-8 THC is federally lawful, its status varies by state, with certain authorities enforcing restrictions due to safety concerns. The certification scheme would stress sound manufacturing standards, correct labeling, and FDA compliance, all to prevent minors from accessing… Read more.

A congressional committee has approved a pair of GOP-led marijuana and psychedelics bills focused on military veterans’ access. About a month after the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee held an initial hearing on the legislation, members passed both proposals as part of an en bloc package with other measures under unanimous consent on Tuesday. The medical cannabis measure, sponsored by the subcommittee chair Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), is titled the Veterans Cannabis Analysis, Research, and Effectiveness (CARE) Act. “My bill proposes… Read more.

Predatory investors hijacked the cannabis social equity program in Arizona, where only three of the original 26 license winners still have a stake in their businesses, according to allegations filed in court and repeated in the state Legislature. Despite outrage over this controversy, a state lawmaker’s reform proposal aimed at returning the coveted permits to their original winners failed to pass the Senate last month, in part because of interference from Gov. Katie Hobbs’ administration, observers told MJBizDaily. The situation is notable for its strange political alignments: An… Read more.

Following the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill, the purchase of CBD oil products is now permissible under the law. This revised legislation has sanctioned all hemp-derived items, provided they contain 0.3% THC or less. Except for vape and smokable variants, there are no designated age restrictions for CBD usage. At the federal level, there exists no age threshold for CBD consumption. While hemp-derived CBD products (with less than 0.03% THC) are lawful nationwide, certain states may necessitate individuals to be either 18 or… Read more.

The burgeoning hemp-derived cannabinoid market often faces criticism due to the absence of standardised third-party testing and comprehensive regulation. While many consumers vouch for the efficacy of these products and numerous companies uphold stringent standards, the oversight in the hemp industry pales in comparison to that of the legal cannabis sector. Consequently, consumers using certain hemp-derived products may unknowingly encounter potent psychoactive effects, believing they are solely consuming hemp or CBD. The frequency of THC in goods advertised as hemp is… Read more.

Whether or not you think Denver’s weed scene has lost the shiny luster of novelty, you have to admit the options—from products to places—are almost overwhelming. With so many dispensaries ready to fulfill needs for flower, edibles, and cartridge refills, we’ve put together a list of favorites—those with crazy-good daily deals and the best strains this side of the Mississippi, among other factors. From Baker to Five Points and beyond, here are the best dispensary options no matter what neighborhood… Read more.

A Republican senator is pushing back against a recent policy change by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that reduced the term of ineligibility for work due to past marijuana use from two years to three months. The senator doubts the trustworthiness of recruits who have used cannabis and believes that this move jeopardizes the safety and integrity of Border Patrol agents. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) wrote to CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, expressing severe concerns about the effects of this shift.… Read more.

The number of full-time marijuana jobs in the U.S. rose by nearly 5 percent during the past year, according to the latest annual industry report on employment in the cannabis sector. That’s a turnaround from the roughly 2 percent decline between 2022 and 2023, but otherwise it marks the slowest year-over-year growth going back to 2017. All told, legal cannabis in the nation supports more than 440,000 full-time equivalent jobs, says the new report from Colorado-based marijuana staffing company Vangst and the… Read more.

Ohio marijuana sales could launch as soon as June under a regulatory plan that a legislative rulemaking committee is set to approve as lawmakers’ plans to revise the voter-approved legalization law continue to stall out. Regulators have until September to start issuing cannabis business licenses under the ballot initiative that was approved last November, but the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has devised a plan to start granting dual licenses to existing medical marijuana operators to begin serving adult consumers… Read more.

Federal Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have in recent weeks seized more than $300,000 worth of cannabis products from state-licensed cannabis operators in New Mexico, KRQE reports. The seizures have been carried out during routine CBP checkpoints located in the state’s southern region near the U.S.-Mexico border. “Normally they don’t have dogs,” said Top Crop Cannabis Co.’s Operations Manager Nick Spoor in the report. “Usually it’s just a, ‘Are you a U.S. citizen, yes’ and then they wave you through.” But… Read more.

As South Carolina lawmakers and advocates put pressure on the House to advance a Senate-passed medical marijuana legalization bill, a new poll shows the reform enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. The Mason-Dixon Poll, conducted from March 6-11, found that 83 percent of registered voters are in favor of medical cannabis legalization, including 93 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of Republicans and 84 percent on independents. To that end, Sen. Tom Davis (R) was joined by several House lawmakers, the executive director… Read more.

The latest studies covered at Cannabis.net show that 18 to 25 Year-Olds have the same affinity toward cannabis as they do for alcohol. A dramatic shift for cannabis in such a short time of patchwork legalization, and those numbers were taken before THC-Infused beverages have even come close to hitting the mainstream clubs and bars. Interestingly, amidst the ongoing festivities of Miami Music Week, a subtle revolution in festival refreshments quietly emerged, signaling a pivotal shift in nightlife culture. A groundbreaking moment… Read more.

A Democratic congressman says recent reports of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents seizing marijuana from state-licensed businesses in New Mexico underscores how the Biden administration is “not doing enough to protect states who are not waiting for the federal government to catch up.” Over the past two months, CBP has seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cannabis products from state-legal operators—a recent trend that seemingly conflicts with the administration’s non-intervention position for state marijuana laws. “The Biden-Harris Administration… Read more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) are soliciting support for a federal marijuana legalization bill that they plan to introduce later this month, setting a sign-on deadline for original cosponsors on the eve of the cannabis holiday 4/20. In a Dear Colleague letter that was circulated on Tuesday, the senators said that a “growing number of Americans have made it clear, at ballot boxes, through their legislatures, and… Read more.

A California man on Friday pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in a hemp business fraud case that cost investors more than $18 million, the Los Angeles Times reports. Mark Roy Anderson, 69, was indicted last year in the scheme by a federal grand jury.  In the federal complaint, prosecutors said Anderson used the money collected from investors for Harvest Farm Group to buy a $1.3 million property in Ojai and another $2.3 million on personal expenses, including more than $650,000 for… Read more.

A majority of cannabis consumers who are likely to vote in this fall’s general election say they would vote for a pro-cannabis candidate regardless of their party affiliation, according to the results of a recent survey. The poll, which was conducted by the medical marijuana telehealth platform NuggMD, found that 59% of likely voters who use weed would cast their ballot for a pro-cannabis presidential candidate regardless of that candidate’s political party. NuggMD’s 2024 Election Poll surveyed 755 cannabis users about their… Read more.

Whether you’re walking down Bourbon Street or chilling in one of the parks along the Mississippi River, chances are you’re going to encounter cannabis in the Big Easy. After all, New Orleans is a global mecca for having a good time. But despite the city’s feel-good status, Louisiana weed laws don’t follow that same chilled-out vibe. So before you go lighting up a joint or passing around edibles, be sure to take a moment to learn about the city’s weed laws. It’s a little complicated,… Read more.

If Florida voters approve a marijuana legalization initiative at the ballot, that could actually “improve quality of life” for residents—in contrast with the governor’s recent comments to the contrary—the CEO of a multi-state cannabis operator that has financially supported the campaign says. “The sky has not fallen” with Florida’s implementation of medical cannabis legalization under an earlier initiative, “and folks see that choice is a good thing,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said during an interview on The Dales Report’s “Trade… Read more.

Federal officials have been seizing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of marijuana from state-licensed cannabis businesses in New Mexico in recent weeks—detaining industry workers in what appears to be a localized escalation of national prohibition enforcement even as the federal government has largely refrained from interfering with the implementation of state legalization laws in recent years. New Mexico marijuana businesses report that the more than dozen U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seizures, particularly at interior checkpoints around the… Read more.

The cannabis industry is great at not paying their bills. If you remember the video that went viral for the dispensary owner saying the key to making money is not paying your vendors, and just let them go out of business. In Canada, the Canadian government is cancelling 123 cannabis licenses over upaid taxes, and what they view as "uncollectible" debt. In California, the state has created a "cannabis company deadbeat" list of entities that owe licensing and tax money to the state… Read more.

A GOP senator is calling on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to “reverse” its updated policy that narrows the window of employment ineligibility over past marijuana use from two years to three months, arguing that it “undermines the security and integrity of the Border Patrol workforce” and questioning the “trustworthiness” of recruits who used cannabis. In a letter sent to CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller on Sunday, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) said he’s “very concerned about the impact” of… Read more.

It seems that attitudes about Germany, which has historically been seen as one of the most conservative countries in Europe, are beginning to change significantly. Despite fierce resistance from politicians and different medical authorities, Germany became the largest EU member state to legalize cannabis for recreational use this week in a historic step. Now, those over eighteen are allowed to own up to 25 grams of dried cannabis and grow up to three marijuana plants inside. With regard to cannabis legalization, this… Read more.

As attitudes toward cannabis continue to evolve, so too does our understanding of its potency, particularly concerning the psychoactive compound THC. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary chemical responsible for the euphoric effects commonly associated with cannabis consumption. However, the definition of what constitutes "high THC" content remains a subject of debate and regulatory scrutiny. In this era of expanding legalization and commercialization, it's essential to delve into the nuances of THC potency and its implications, especially regarding consumer safety and regulatory compliance.… Read more.

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) says that “if Republicans want to keep the House,” they should pass a marijuana banking bill, arguing that “there are votes” to approve it. She also said it’s “mind-boggling” that Virginia’s GOP governor recently vetoed a bill to legalize cannabis sales given the issues’s broad bipartisan popularity. In an interview on The Dales Report’s “Trade To Black” podcast on Wednesday, the pro-legalization congresswoman weighed in on a wide range of marijuana policy issues, including her support… Read more.

Last week, an illegal cannabis operation in East Oakland was dismantled by authorities, resulting in the seizure of plants with an estimated retail value exceeding $10 million. CBS News reported that the operation took place on the 700 block of Kevin Court, where the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other agencies conducted a joint operation. This intervention followed an investigation into suspected illegal cultivation activities at the site. During the operation, over 12,000 cannabis plants were eradicated. A spokesperson for… Read more.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that his government’s concern about possible United Nations (UN) penalties for legalizing marijuana in contravention of international treaties never materialized, disclosing that no officials have as much as discussed the issue with Canada since the reform was enacted in 2018. The comments come as anti-marijuana U.S. lawmakers in Congress are pressuring the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reject a cannabis rescheduling recommendation based on their argument that loosening restrictions would put the country at risk of… Read more.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) predicts that voters will reject a marijuana legalization initiative on the ballot in November, calling the proposal “radical” and arguing that it will “reduce the quality of life” in the state. Just days after the Florida Supreme Court cleared the cannabis measure for the ballot, rejecting the state attorney general’s constitutional challenge, the governor addressed the issue at a press conference on Thursday. DeSantis said the marijuana legalization proposal goes beyond simple decriminalization and is “basically… Read more.

On April 1, 2024, Germany became the largest country to pass a national adult-use cannabis legalization measure with CanG. It was a truly historic day for Germany’s cannabis reform movement and was the culmination of decades of hard work by dedicated German cannabis advocates. Advocates throughout Europe are hopeful that other European nations will adopt parts or all of Germany’s cannabis legalization model. In addition to the work of citizen activists, Germany’s historic legalization victory came as a result of a modern… Read more.

The Iowa Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to impose an age threshold of 21 for consumable hemp products containing THC, We Are Iowa reports. The measure also includes 4 milligram THC serving limit caps, with limits of 10 milligrams per container. State Sen. Dan Dawson (R) argued during the bill debate that the limits are necessary because products available in the state under the Iowa Hemp Act need “to be at a milligram usage less than our medical cannabidiol program, otherwise the… Read more.

Maryland officials have announced the winners of a first-of-its-kind marijuana licensing lottery for social equity applicants across all license categories, approving 174 growers, processors and dispensaries. The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) held the lottery last month. As the state approaches the one-year anniversary of the first adult-use marijuana sales, regulators took to social media on Tuesday to tout the fact that they’ve now completed “the first application round in the nation that is designated exclusively for social equity applicants across… Read more.

Lawmakers in Missouri’s House of Representatives have given preliminary approval to a budget bill that would spend $10 million from state opioid settlement funds on research grants to study the use of psilocybin to treat opioid use disorder. The measure, HB 2010, underwent several amendments in the House on Tuesday and is scheduled for a third reading and likely floor vote on Thursday. An addition made in a House committee last week would have put the $10 million toward studying… Read more.

The Florida Supreme Court’s decision to allow a marijuana legalization initiative to appear on the state’s November ballot will likely draw unique national attention to this year’s election because of one Florida resident who will get to decide on the reform: former President Donald Trump. While both presumptive presidential nominees—Trump and incumbent President Joe Biden—can reasonably expect to be asked about the issue as they campaign in the Sunshine State, Trump will actually get to cast his vote when he fills out… Read more.

Since states across the country first began legalizing cannabis, the ability for cannabis-related businesses to advertise on social media — or even mention or show cannabis products — has remained a contentious issue.  Many platforms will quickly remove cannabis business accounts once they catch wind of their content, leaving professionals with limited access to their audience and ultimately having to jump through hurdles like self-censorship to maintain their accounts. Some have also questioned if the consistent censorship surrounding cannabis and other drug… Read more.

A Maryland bill to establish a psychedelics task force to study legal access to substances like psilocybin and DMT is heading to the governor’s desk. The House of Delegates unanimously passed the Senate-approved legislation in a 137-0 vote on Tuesday. A House companion version has also received initial approval in the Senate, but it’s still pending a third and final reading before it can be sent to Gov. Wes Moore’s (D) desk. This comes just one week after committees in both chambers… Read more.

Following a close 25–23 vote on the Hawaii House floor last week to keep a marijuana legalization bill alive, lawmakers now face a Thursday deadline to pass a bill out of the chamber’s Finance Committee, where some observers expect the proposal to receive a chilly reception if it’s taken up later this week. Legalization advocates at the group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) asked supporters in an email on Monday to contact House Speaker Scott Saiki (D) and Rep. Kyle Yamashita (D),… Read more.

Reflecting on just a decade ago, the landscape of cannabis legality in the United States was vastly different from what it is today. Presently, 38 states have embraced either medical or recreational cannabis laws, encompassing 74% of the American population residing in areas where cannabis is legal. Furthermore, 79% of citizens live in counties with at least one cannabis dispensary. The number of dispensaries that have sprung up across the nation is so high that it has surpassed the 13,500 McDonald's… Read more.

Newly released data from a Washington State survey of adolescent and teenage students show declines in both lifetime and past-30-day marijuana use in recent years, with striking drops that held steady through 2023. The results also indicate that perceived ease of access to cannabis among underage students has generally fallen since the state enacted legalization for adults in 2012—contrary to fears repeatedly expressed by opponents of the policy change. About 8.4 percent of Washington 10th graders said in 2023 that… Read more.

AYR Wellness Inc. (AYRWF) has launched its premium edibles under the Kynd brand in Florida and Nevada, boasting natural flavors and vegan, gluten-free options.  Gluten-free foods are an enourmous billion dollar industry now and the cannabis industry may be sitting on an untapped market for gltuen-free edibles and oils.  Celiac disease and cannabis studies are part of the new wave of medical legalization across America. The gluten-free food market is estimated to be a $7 billion worldwide market in 2024, so the marijuana industry… Read more.

Germany’s marijuana legalization law officially took effect on Monday, with personal possession and cultivation now permitted for adults. Just days after the cannabis bill was signed into law, the non-commercial legalization provisions are now in force. Social clubs where people will be able to obtain marijuana are due to launch in July. Under the new policy, adults 18 and older are allowed to possess up to 25 grams of cannabis and grow up to three plants for personal use. Germany’s marijuana… Read more.

It was only a matter of time before something like this happened. West Coast Cure (WCC) has come up with a cool contest inspired by the famous Willie Wonka event but with a twist. Instead of chocolate, they're offering weed! Up to five lucky winners could get a year's supply of top-quality cannabis for just $4.20. That's a steal for any weed lover out there. Jonathan Jones, who's in charge of marketing at WCC, is super excited about this. He… Read more.

Colorado lawmakers advanced an amended social media bill on Thursday that, as introduced, would have forced platforms to ban users for talking positively about marijuana online. But while the sponsor says the issue has now been “worked out” with recent changes, critics contend the revised legislation still fails to address concerns around statements regarding other substances, including state-legal psychedelics, certain hemp products and even some over-the-counter cough syrups. The bill, SB24-158—a broad proposal concerning internet age verification and content policies—would… Read more.

Kentucky’s legislature has delivered a budget bill to the governor that includes a provision restricting funding for a medical marijuana regulatory body overseeing the state’s forthcoming program until its advisory board determines there’s a “propensity” of research supporting the therapeutic “efficacy” of cannabis. The language represents a watered down version of what was included in the Senate budget proposal, which would have set a much stricter threshold for the availability of funding for the Office of Medical Cannabis. A last-minute… Read more.

A representative from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has expressed the agency's intention to dispel any misunderstandings surrounding its drug scheduling review process, emphasizing a commitment to transparency. The DEA is currently in the process of potentially reclassifying marijuana and aims to ensure clarity in its decision-making. The official noted that the analysis of recommendations from health authorities can take up to six months, coinciding with the timeframe since the commencement of the current cannabis assessment by the agency. Unveiling DEA's Discussion… Read more.

After sending messages for months that he had no interest in moving forward with Democratic-led plans to legalize retail marijuana sales in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has now formally vetoed legal sales legislation sent to him by lawmakers about a month ago along with a separate bill to provide resentencing relief for people convicted of past cannabis crimes. In a veto message issued on Thursday, the governor wrote that “the proposed legalization of retail marijuana in the Commonwealth endangers Virginians’ health and… Read more.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, MJBizDaily invited influential women from across the cannabis industry to join a livestream event. Guests included: Laura Fogelman, vice president of communications and public affairs at Pax. Tara Joseph, co-founder and chief financial officer at Big Plan Holdings. Chanda Macias, CEO of National Holistic Healing Center; CEO and chair of Women Grow. Caroline Phillips, founder and executive producer of the National Cannabis Festival; deputy director of Supernova Women. Susie Plascencia, founder of Latinas in Cannabis; co-founder and chief… Read more.

Should restaurant patrons who smell like weed be denied service at a restaurant? That’s the question South Africans are asking after one of the country’s top rappers was denied service along with two friends.  South African rapper Emtee was denied service, along with two fellow rappers, from a branch of Mike’s Kitchen in Johannesburg, South Africa earlier this month after the restaurant complained that they smelled like weed. (Personal cannabis use at home is decriminalized and medical use is legal in South Africa.) The… Read more.

In 2024, after three years of ups and downs, New York's recreational cannabis market began to gain momentum, notably marked by the opening of approximately 50 licensed dispensaries so far this year. However, these licensed retailers, totaling about 85, find themselves vastly outnumbered by over 2,000 unauthorized head shops. These establishments have drawn complaints for diverting customers, selling to minors, and attracting criminal activity. This swift and audacious incursion has left many frustrated with the government's slower and more stringent… Read more.

Florida’s Supreme Court is fast approaching a deadline—midnight on Monday—to render an opinion in a case that will decide whether a marijuana legalization initiative will appear on the state ballot this November. But while expectations were that it would issue its decision on Thursday, as it traditionally posts opinions on that day of the week, the court declined to do so—raising procedural questions about what to expect next with time running thin, and what might happen if justices miss the… Read more.

Lawmakers in New Hampshire are again seeking to legalize adult-use cannabis this session, WMUR reports. This time, lawmakers are attempting to meet all of the terms set by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu – including state-run dispensaries – to avoid his veto.  Last year, Sununu laid out his vision for a legal market in New Hampshire, which included a 15-store cap and a ban on lobbying and political contributions by cannabis licensees. After years of strong opposition to the reforms, Sununu admitted in… Read more.

Cookies, the most recognizable brand in cannabis, traces its origins to San Francisco and the pre-legalization marijuana underground in the city that’s considered by many to be the birthplace of the legal industry in America. But as of earlier this year, there is no longer a Cookies-branded marijuana store in San Francisco. The brand terminated the licensing agreement it had with Berner’s on Haight, an adult-use store that’s borne the name of the Cookies co-founder since 2020, company President Parker… Read more.

Nine in 10 Americans say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical purposes, a new Pew Research Center poll finds. And most agree that legalization bolsters local economies and makes the criminal justice system more fair. The report, released on Tuesday, found that 88 percent of Americans back legalization in some form, including a 57 percent majority who say it should be accessible for medical and adult use. Just 11 percent said cannabis should be prohibited altogether. There were several common… Read more.

Three Republican senators are urging the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to reject the top federal health agency’s marijuana rescheduling recommendation, arguing that it would put the U.S. out of compliance with international treaty obligations and make it harder to ensure that other countries continue to enforce drug laws, “including for deadly narcotics like fentanyl.” In a letter sent to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on Wednesday, Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), James Risch (R-ID) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) said the agency should… Read more.

Attorneys General from 20 states along with Washington, D.C., have collaboratively urged congressional leaders to address the issue surrounding intoxicating hemp products legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. They advocate for a precise amendment to the hemp definition, emphasizing the necessity to grant states the authority to regulate both the plant and its derivatives. In a letter dispatched on last Wednesday, they implored federal lawmakers to resolve the ambiguity stemming from the 2018 Farm Bill. This ambiguity has resulted in the widespread availability of intoxicating… Read more.

A strong majority of voters—including more than 60 percent of Republicans—support congressional legislation to protect states’ rights to set their own marijuana laws, according to a new poll of three states. The survey, commissioned by the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR), focused on Missouri, Ohio and Wyoming. It asked voters 21 and older about their views on the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act. The bill, which is being led by Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)… Read more.

Lawmakers in New Hampshire on Tuesday heard public testimony on a newly proposed amendment to a marijuana legalization bill that that would transform the measure into a state-controlled franchise model of commercial sales, a novel framework that has the support of Gov. Chris Sununu (R). The 38-page striking amendment from Rep. Dan McGuire (R) would replace the current text of HB 1633 from Rep. Erica Layon (R), who has warned that the franchise model—under which the state would oversee day-to-day… Read more.

Connecticut lawmakers have approved a bill to decriminalize psilocybin in a bicameral committee. About two weeks after the legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee first discussed the psychedelics proposal, members approved it on Tuesday. The legislation would make possession of up to one-half an ounce of psilocybin punishable by a $150 fine, without the threat of jail time. A second or subsequent violation would carry a fine of at least $200 but not more than $500. A person who pleads guilty or no… Read more.

A Republican House advisory committee is formally opposing marijuana banking legislation and a separate bill to remove past cannabis use as a disqualifying factor for federal employment and security clearances, while broadly criticizing the substance as a “gateway drug” that causes “violence, depression and suicide.” The House Republican Policy Committee’s new marijuana report also says that Vice President Kamala Harris was “mistaken” when she said cannabis brings people “joy” as a 2020 presidential candidate, instead arguing that it is a “hazardous drug with… Read more.

A new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has found that a citrusy-smelling terpene in marijuana could help ease anxiety and paranoia associated with THC. The findings, researchers say, could help unlock the maximum therapeutic benefit of THC and protect public health. Published in the latest issue of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the new paper says that subjects who vaporized the terpene D-limonene along with a dose of THC experienced less anxiety and paranoia… Read more.

The IRS has released a new memorandum to clarify reporting regulations concerning substantial cash transactions within the marijuana industry. According to the agency, such transactions should not automatically trigger suspicion solely due to the industry's federally prohibited status. The memo addresses inquiries regarding Form 8300, a mandatory document for cannabis businesses receiving cash payments exceeding $10,000. Charles Hall, special counsel at the IRS, stated, "The memorandum offers insights into various concerns through a question-and-answer format." He added that the IRS… Read more.

The New York State Cannabis Control Board voted last week to award licenses to 114 new cannabis companies and waive all conditional cannabis cultivator licensing fees for the next two years. The waiver covers fees for dispensaries transitioning to non-conditional license types including cultivation businesses and microbusinesses, which can range from $4,500 to $40,000 depending on the license’s canopy size. With the new licenses, there are now 88 licensed and operational dispensaries in New York, according to a press release from the office… Read more.

As NPR reported, Catherine, Princess of Wales, has cancer, she announced in a video message released by Kensington Palace on Friday, and is in the early stages of chemotherapy. In the video, the former Kate Middleton, 42, said the diagnosis was a "huge shock after an incredibly tough couple of months." The cancer was found during testing done after she successfully underwent major abdominal surgery in January, Kate said. She did not specify the type of cancer or its stage.… Read more.

A recent investigation conducted by CBD Oracle has revealed concerning revelations regarding the availability of "hemp gummies" on major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), Walmart Inc (NYSE:WMT), and eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY). Despite the stringent regulations against CBD and THC, thorough lab examinations have shown that many of these products contain notable amounts of delta-8 THC, a substance prohibited in numerous states. The meticulous research by CBD Oracle involved the purchase of 56 hemp items from Amazon, including gummies and tinctures, which… Read more.

A new report reveals the cities in Europe with the highest concentrations of cannabis and cocaine use, based on sewage surveys. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dutch cities including Amsterdam and Rotterdam took home some of the top spots for the cities with the highest concentrations of cocaine and cannabis use, respectively, and ranked high in several other categories.  Spanning the course of a week during spring 2023, a team of researchers tested the water in sewage treatment plants in 88 cities in 24 European… Read more.

The House sponsor of legislation in Virginia aimed at safeguarding the parental rights of lawful cannabis consumers is denouncing Governor Glenn Youngkin's recent decision to veto the bill. Had it been enacted, HB 833 would have barred the state from using marijuana as sole evidence of child abuse or neglect. Additionally, it would have mandated that drug testing in child custody and visitation cases exclude substances permitted for lawful adult use under the state's alcohol, cannabis, and drug laws. Governor Youngkin's veto, issued last… Read more.

A new federally funded study examining the possible risks of organ donation by marijuana users found no indication that recent cannabis use increases the likelihood of significant side effects in the year immediately after a transplant—even as many healthcare providers continue to restrict transplants to cannabis consumers. Findings of the research, which looked at rates of infections, transplant failures and deaths among recipients, “suggest that organs from donors with a history of recent marijuana use do not pose significant infectious… Read more.

Cannabis vape pen liquid in both legal and illegal markets contains nano-sized metals, including nickel, chromium, lead, zinc, and copper, according to a study conducted by researchers from Health Canada and the National Research Council of Canada. The study included 41 samples of cannabis vape liquids – 20 legal, regulated samples from the Ontario Cannabis Store and 21 samples from the illicit market provided by the Ontario Provincial Police. The liquids were analyzed by mass spectrometry to look for the… Read more.

Congressional leaders have unveiled a second package of spending legislation to keep the government funded, with provisions included that would continue to block Washington, D.C. from legalizing marijuana sales, fund psychedelics-related clinical trials and more. House and Senate appropriations leaders released the bill on Wednesday after reaching an agreement on the remaining Fiscal Year 2024 spending that wasn’t included in separate legislation enacted earlier this month. The plan is to pass the package ahead of a Friday deadline when the… Read more.

An enduring argument against the legalization of cannabis suggests that legalizing access might prompt a rise in cannabis use among youth. However, as states nationwide forge ahead with reform efforts, ongoing research sheds light on the validity of this claim. Fresh from a recent study revealing the prevalence of Delta-8 THC usage among high school seniors—a hemp-derived cannabinoid readily available beyond the legal cannabis sector and in states both with and without cannabis programs—some may ponder the extent of teen cannabis… Read more.

The Biden administration’t top health official has again defended his department’s recommendation to reschedule marijuana against Republican criticism, while pointing out that the incremental move would not decriminalize cannabis despite the president’s campaign pledges to do so. During a hearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health And Human Services, Education, And Related Agencies on Wednesday, several members addressed the cannabis scheduling review, including two GOP members who oppose the reform and a Democrat who helped advance a legalization… Read more.

Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized on Friday that no one should be imprisoned for using cannabis and encouraged the federal government to move quickly to reschedule the drug. "Prompt action must be taken," said Harris. "We need to make a decision based on careful investigation and evaluation. It's ridiculous that marijuana is considered to be as harmful as heroin, let alone more dangerous than fentanyl, demonstrating how seriously flawed the present categorization of the drug is. This defies logic and is… Read more.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a new memo clarifying the rules for reporting large cash payments between marijuana businesses, which the agency says should not automatically be considered “suspicious” just because of the federally prohibited nature of the industry. In the memo, IRS says it is responding to a request for guidance on how cannabis businesses should approach Form 8300, a document that must be completed when a company receives a cash payment of $10,000 or more. “The… Read more.

Denver is going to introduce a thorough psychedelic response training program, which has been planned for over four years. Law enforcement, mental health specialists, and emergency responders who work in Denver's City and County are the target audience for this program. This was first presented on March 11 by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Following Denver's historic decision in 2020 to legalize small amounts of psilocybin mushrooms, the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel created the Psychedelic Crisis Assessment and Intervention… Read more.

For Chris Goldstein, being invited to the White House to talk with Vice President Kamala Harris about his marijuana pardon last week represented a pivotal opportunity to do exactly what he was doing at the time of his arrest 10 years ago: advocate for cannabis legalization. The Philadelphia-based activist had built a career around marijuana reform, and on Friday he found himself inside the hallowed Roosevelt Room in the company of Harris, two other pardon recipients, the governor of Kentucky,… Read more.

Vice President Kamala Harris (D) said on Friday that it’s “absurd” and “patently unfair” to rank cannabis above fentanyl and alongside heroin at Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), according to a CNN report. The vice president made the statement during a roundtable discussion covering the Biden Administration’s latest cannabis reform efforts. Moderated by musician and philanthropist Fat Joe, the discussion included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) — who last year announced the pardoning of low-level cannabis possession charges — and a group… Read more.

If you are wondering if animals are into weed and shrooms, more and more stories are coming out about animals taking a "walk on the wild side" and getting a taste of legalization.  From bears and wolves tripping balls as campers leave their stashes unprotected at their camp sites, to mice eating weed in police evidence rooms around the world. Remember when rodents supposedly at over 580 kilos of cannabis in an Indian evidence room?  It appears the mice of America now like weed… Read more.

Hawaii House lawmakers in two key committees this week voted to advance the Senate-passed cannabis legalization bill, Marijuana Moment reports. The proposal passed the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee 7-3 and the Agriculture and Food Systems Committee 5-1. The bill seeks to legalize adult-use cannabis possession starting January 1, 2026, and would regulate the cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution of cannabis products. The House amendments so far include reducing the penalty for selling cannabis to a minor from a felony to a misdemeanor,… Read more.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 34-year-old nonprofit research and educational organization “that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana,” announced in a press release on Monday that it “has partnered with the City and County of Denver to provide comprehensive training on psychedelic crisis assessment and intervention to the city’s first responders.”  The Psychedelic Crisis Assessment and Intervention training was “commissioned by the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review… Read more.

ust in is data analysis from the 2023 Monitoring the Future survey, led by researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It reveals that about 11% of 12th-grade students nationwide reported using delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known as delta-8-THC or delta-8) within the past year. According to Dr. Nora Volkow, director of NIDA, this percentage signifies a significant portion of high school seniors, with at least one or two students in… Read more.

Josh Shapiro, the governor of Pennsylvania, pushed state lawmakers this week to legalize and regulate marijuana for recreational use. He emphasized the need to follow the lead of nearby states that have already made this decision. In his yearly budget speech, which included a $48.3 billion spending plan, the governor urged legislators to band together and enact legislation legalizing marijuana, on the condition that the sector be subject to prudent regulation and taxes. Although there is no explicit provision for… Read more.

Voters in Humboldt County last week soundly rejected a ballot measure that would have tightened regulations on the area’s famed cannabis industry. Known as Measure A, the initiative was defeated at the polls on March 5, with more than 73% of the voters casting their ballot against the proposal. Genine Coleman, the executive director of Origins Council, a group representing California’s legacy cannabis growers, wrote in an email to High Times that the “defeat of Measure A demonstrates that the grassroots cannabis industry… Read more.

MedMen, the multistate cannabis operator (MSO) that once held the largest cannabis franchise footprint in the U.S., has shut down all but two of its California-based cannabis shops, MJBizDaily reports. The closures follow a years-long downward trend for the Los Angeles-based company, once considered a multi-billion dollar brand. MedMen’s last remaining California dispensaries are located in San Diego and near the Los Angeles International Airport. The company has also seen its stock price plummet more than 90% in three years and laid off more… Read more.

For the first time in 234 years, the American president’s State of the Union Address (SOTU) praised cannabis reform efforts, reminding Americans the leader up for reelection believes “No one should be jailed just for using or possessing marijuana.” During his speech before a joint session of Congress on March 7, President Joe Biden made a concerted effort to promote his pardons and the rescheduling review request currently underway at the Drug Enforcement Administration. His team doubled down on the messaging with multiple social media… Read more.

Hawaii’s House on Tuesday passed a bill to create a free, state-initiated, process for expunging certain criminal records, including arrests and convictions for promoting a detrimental drug in the third degree, Honolulu Civil Beat reports. The measure could expunge charges for more than 36,000 people arrested in the state for possessing less than 3 grams of cannabis, an offense decriminalized in 2019.  There are more than 53,000 arrest records under the promoting a detrimental drug statute in the state’s criminal database but only about 10,000… Read more.

A cannabis company specializing in crafting pre-rolled joints has initiated a campaign to fill what they dub the "ultimate stoner dream job," seeking a content creator who will be compensated for "getting paid to smoke weed." DaySavers, a new direct-to-consumer brand under Custom Cones USA, declared on Monday their pursuit for this role. This full-time cannabis position entails managing social media content and event marketing, offering a salary of $70,420 and perks such as cannabis product testing and fully covered travel expenses… Read more.

The majority of Americans now live in places where marijuana use for recreational purposes is legal, reflecting a significant shift in public opinion toward the drug over the previous 10 years. It took just twelve years for this to change when recreational cannabis became legal in Colorado and Washington. 55% of people live in places where it is legal to consume marijuana recreationally, according to Pew Research Center research. Additionally, the survey shows that 74% of Americans reside in places where marijuana is… Read more.

With Germany legalizing recreational cannabis this past week, it appears UN Drug treaties around cannabis cultivation and processing are out the window.  While Cannabis.net has been beating the drum over the past year in multiple articles that the US using the excuse of not rescheduling marijuana because of "violations of international drug treaties" is a complete farce. The UN actually changed its own scheduling of cannabis resin 4-years ago, while the US has yet to update their scheduling of the plant.  Ironcially,… Read more.

Bicameral congressional leaders have released a spending package that contains a number of marijuana-related items—including bill provisions preserving protections for state medical cannabis programs and report language that calls for the federal government to study state legalization laws and expand scientists’ access to commercially available cannabis for research. The legislation covering Fiscal Year 2024 was posted on Sunday by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, with bipartisan legislators aiming to pass the package this week before the latest continuing resolution… Read more.

Thailand’s health minister said that lawmakers are aiming to make adult-use cannabis illegal again by the end of the year, Reuters reports. Under recently proposed legislation, it would be illegal to use cannabis recreationally but cannabis use for medicinal purposes would remain legal. People caught consuming cannabis would face fines of up to 60,000 baht ($1,700), and people caught illegally marketing or retailing cannabis products — or paraphernalia — would face up to a year in jail and fines up to 100,000 baht ($2,800).… Read more.

A pair of Senate committees in Hawaii has advanced a bill that would legalize marijuana in the state, adopting a number of amendments to the underlying proposal before sending it to the chamber floor where a vote is expected next week. Last year the Senate passed a separate legalization bill that later stalled the House, but advocates are hopeful this year’s proposal could get further. Gov. Josh Green (D) said last month that legalization is a “big social issue that remains” to… Read more.

Germany has made a groundbreaking move by giving the go-ahead for personal use of recreational cannabis, signaling a notable change in the nation's drug policy. The federal parliament of Germany, the Bundestag, finalized this historic decision today. A substantial 407 MPs rallied behind the legislation; 226 stood in opposition, and four opted to abstain. Now, the ball is in the court of the Bundesrat, the legislative body representing the sixteen Länder at the federal level. They'll be taking a close look… Read more.

A noteworthy milestone has been reached by First Citizens Bank, the largest bank known to interact with the cannabis sector. First Citizens firm is one of the top 20 largest banks in the United States, with assets over $200 billion. The firm recently announced its foray into the cannabis market. This action is considered to be a major advancement for the cannabis sector, illustrating its ongoing trend of receiving finance and support from the general population. In a statement published on… Read more.

Despite Canada's legalization of marijuana for adult use more than five years ago, according to a recent analysis from Deloitte Canada, sales of cannabis remain mostly concentrated in the illegal market, accounting for anything between 25% and 50% of the entire market. The paper explores the distinctions between the legal and illegal cannabis marketplaces and poses relevant issues about product offers, pricing, and operational tactics. 624 legitimate adult-use marijuana outlets and 57 illegal ones were the subject of an analysis by Deloitte… Read more.

New FDA Report Shows Marijuana Rescheduling May Come Down to Your Social Media Posts about Weed! Marijuana Moment reported a piece on FDA research that you thought was from The Onion. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is drawing attention to its scientific examination of marijuana, which prompted the agency to propose rescheduling. This involved a thorough analysis of research findings, as well as the examination of numerous social media posts to understand how consumers perceive the therapeutic effects of cannabis. Wait,… Read more.

After a couple of years, the Securities and Exchange Commission has wrapped up its case against the SHE Beverage company. In 2021, they slapped charges on the bigwigs Sonja F. Shelby, Lupe L. Rose, and Katherine E. Dirden, accusing them of duping investors during the 2017-2019 period. Now, the final judgments are in. SHE Beverages As ace cannabis reporter, Deb Borchardt of Green Market Report first posted, SHE Beverages was a scam from the very beginning of their public fund raising efforts.… Read more.

Canadian Cannabis Sales Hit CA$5 Billion in Just 5 Years Post Legalization If you remember, the first piece of legal rercreational cannabis sold in Canada took place at 12:01:01AM on October 17th, 2018 in Newfoundland, Canada and then CEO of Canopy Growth, Bruce Linton, sold the first order at the Tweed store in Newfoundland. Cannabis.net was there to record the historic first recreational sale as it went down live! Fast forward almost 5 years, and Canada is selling a whooping $5 billion CA… Read more.

Six of the country’s top veterans groups and a group of U.S. law enforcement leaders sent letters on Thursday urging the Biden Administration to reschedule cannabis under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The development comes amid rumors that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) could soon announce a cannabis scheduling decision, and six months after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended that cannabis be moved from Schedule I to Schedule III under the CSA. In a… Read more.

Researchers funded by the federal government have unveiled novel techniques for distinguishing between marijuana and hemp by precisely measuring the THC levels in both flowers and edibles. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), a branch of the Justice Department, is championing the findings from two research endeavors it sponsored, focusing on refining cannabis lab testing. These findings are being disseminated to specific law enforcement agencies. The primary goal of these projects was to streamline testing procedures to address the increasing backlog in… Read more.

You may remember the now infamous Brittney Griner, WNBA star, prisoner swap with Russia.  Russia wanted a known arms dealers released in exchange for professional female basketball player who brought a cannabis vape pen into Russia. Well, Putin sees an opening with cannabis legalization around the world and is working his "cannabis prisoner swap" rhetoric, again, this time with Germany. Russia's customs service announced the detention of a German man upon his arrival in St. Petersburg for possessing cannabis-infused gummy candies.… Read more.

The Navy has revised its approach regarding recruits arriving at boot camp with traces of marijuana in their system at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Rear Adm. James Waters, the director of the Navy's military personnel plans and policy division, disclosed to reporters on Thursday that the service now has the discretion to grant waivers for recruits initially testing positive for THC, the primary psychoactive element in marijuana. Waters emphasized that recruits who admit to marijuana use undergo evaluations to… Read more.

Two Minnesota Republican state lawmakers are claiming that home cultivation of cannabis as the result of the legalization law enacted by the Democratic legislature and governor last year could lead to a power failure as grow lights put an overwhelming strain on the state’s electrical grid. “Now, I hope most of you are not familiar with the marijuana grow operation,” Rep. Paul Novotny (R) said at an event last weekend, “but I will tell you that it takes a ton… Read more.

South Carolina's MMJ Bill  Would Prohibit Smoking, Killing Economic Growth for a Nascent Industry? When Cannabis.net put up an article called, "When Conservatives Regulate Cannabis - Florida Caps THC Limits at 10%", the idea was to show how that once legalization happens, bringing non-regulatory ideas into regulation will be a failure. Well, South Carolina say Florida, and said, "Hold my beer". The Senate in South Carolina continued deliberations on a bill seeking to legalize medical marijuana on Thursday, sparking heated debates among lawmakers… Read more.

Numerous legislators with varying positions on cannabis legalization and from both major political parties signed the letter. Representatives Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Jared Golden (D-Maine), and David Valadao (R-Calif.), together with Senators Angus King (I-Maine) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), led the movement. Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.), two other opponents of legalization, backed Sessions, who was well-known for his adamant opposition. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Representatives Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) and Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), on the other… Read more.

Both chambers of Virginia’s legislature have now given at least preliminary approval to separate plans that would legalize retail marijuana sales in the commonwealth. Significant differences remain between the competing proposals, however, which lawmakers will need to hammer out before sending any bill to the desk of Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Meanwhile, measures on resentencing people with prior cannabis convictions and preventing the legal use of marijuana from denying parental visitation or custody rights also moved forward ahead of a… Read more.

Gen Z'ers Say They Can Drive Stoned Just Fine, Thank You Very Much! Many of Colorado's teenage drivers think they can drive safely while high on marijuana, according to a new poll by the state's Department of Transportation (CDOT). The CDOT research, which was released on Monday, February 5, is based on a survey of 1,000 persons conducted in 2023. It shows that residents in the "Gen-Z" cohort, which includes those between the ages of 16 and 24, are more likely… Read more.

The German cannabis legalization saga appears to finally be concluding, with members of the governing coalition in the Bundestag reportedly reaching a final agreement. If the process stays on track, cannabis cultivation, possession and consumption will be legalized in Germany starting April 1. Germany’s current legalization effort started back in September 2021 when today’s governing coalition was initially elected. Members of the coalition, often referred to as the Traffic Light Coalition, quickly announced their intent to end cannabis prohibition in Germany… Read more.

Major Wall Street banks are forgoing drug testing for applicants, including marijuana, in a significant shift from customary standards. This trend mirrors wider shifts in legal and cultural views, as well as the rising acceptance of cannabis use in professional groups. The following lists the modifications that major financial institutions are implementing, as reported by Business Insider: Bank of America Corp (NYSE: BAC): No longer conducts drug testing for new hires or current employees. Citigroup Inc (NYSE: C): Employment does not… Read more.

Idaho lawmakers are set to consider a proposal to ban the advertising of illegal products after a state lawmaker saw billboards advertising out-of-state cannabis products, Idaho Capital Sun reports. The proposal, co-sponsored by Rep. Judy Boyle (R) and Sen. Chris Trakel (R), would allow misdemeanor charges against anyone who “willfully publishes any notice or advertisement, in any medium, of a product or service that is illegal under Idaho law,” the report said. Proponents of the bill referenced witnessing specific instances of cannabis… Read more.

Miami International Airport is actively enhancing its services, with a notable initiative being the proposal to establish a CBD retail outlet. The Miami Herald reports that the airport has published plans for a "Cannabis Retail Shop," which would sell products made from hemp, especially those high in CBD. The USDA Improvement Act of 2018, which was signed into law by President Trump, legalized hemp and its derivatives on a federal level, provided that the psychoactive ingredient, delta 9 THC, was… Read more.

One of the co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus sent a letter to the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on Thursday, urging the agency to release more information about its ongoing review of marijuana’s scheduling status under the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA)—including what its “planned deadline” is for finishing and whether it will take into account the fact that many states have already legalized cannabis. “Clear and proactive communication is critical as this formal scheduling review moves… Read more.

South Carolina’s Senate convened for an initial debate on Wednesday about a bill that would allow medical cannabis access for patients with certain health conditions. It’s a renewed push by lawmakers after the body passed an earlier version of the legislation in 2022 that went on to stall in the House over a procedural hiccup. During the floor debate on the measure from Sen. Tom Davis (R), members held a lengthy discussion on the merits of the reform proposal and… Read more.

Vice President Kamala Harris says the administration’s move to pardon people for federal marijuana possession offenses is an example of how it is delivering for Americans, particularly young and Black voters who could be key to President Joe Biden’s reelection bid this year. The White House also cited the cannabis clemency move in a new fact sheet on efforts to “advance racial justice and equity and ensure the promise of America for all communities.” Speaking with Gray DC in South… Read more.

It’s already fairly well known that music festivals tend to come with plenty of illicit drug use. The activity is so common at festivals, and in dance scenes as a whole, that organizers and attendees alike are becoming increasingly more equipped to combat potential overdoses through a variety of measures. A new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy underscores the impact of these harm reduction strategies and consciously incorporating them into events, looking at the amount of drug-related deaths… Read more.

The Irish government has delayed on discussing a bill that would legalize cannabis possession for nine months. A report submitted by the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use completed its review of Ireland’s current drug policies in October 2023, and released a final report on Jan. 25, which includes 36 recommendations for prioritizing marginalized groups and communities, focusing on prevention and recovery, and more. On Jan. 24, 2024, one day prior to the release of the report, Taoiseach (TD) Leo Varadkar (who… Read more.

Nearly seven years after then Pres. Donald Trump tweeted about Snoop Dogg's "failing career," the rapper now says in a new interview, "I have nothing but love for Donald Trump." Snoop added: "Donald Trump? He ain't done nothing wrong to me. He has done only great things for me. He pardoned Michael Harris." Who Is Michael Harris? Michael "Harry-O" Harris co-founded Death Row Records with Suge Knight in 1991. It's the West Coast hip-hop label that introduced Dr. Dre and Snoop to the world.… Read more.

President Joe Biden is again inflating the impact of his pardons for marijuana offenses, falsely suggesting that his act of clemency “expunged” records and that people were released from prison. “A promise made and a promise kept,” he said during a campaign speech in South Carolina on Saturday. “I keep my promises when I said no one—no one—should be in prison for merely possessing marijuana or using it, and their records should be expunged,” Biden said. The president has routinely framed… Read more.

Problem: Local governments in Washington state say they need more money to address affordable housing, public safety and other inflationary costs. Solution? Give cities and counties a bigger share of the state’s liquor and cannabis tax revenues. That’s the proposal of state Sen. Keith Wagoner (R-Sedro-Woolley) who has introduced two bipartisan bills as a counter-measure to calls by some Democrats to triple annual property tax increases to 3 percent from the current 1 percent limit. “I’ve seen a lot of… Read more.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) says he doesn’t support Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) call for a crackdown on the nicotine product Zyn because it’s a matter of “freedom and personal choices,” drawing parallels to his reasons for supporting marijuana legalization. Schumer said earlier this week that he’s asking the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the health impacts and marketing of the nicotine pouches that have been popularized on social media in a… Read more.

Ahead of a hearing on a bill to legalize marijuana possession in Ireland, a government-appointed citizen commission has released a report formalizing recommendations to stop criminalizing people over drugs—a policy position that the country’s prime minister says holds merit. About three months after the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use completed their review of Ireland’s drug laws and voted to recommend broad decriminalization and implementing harm reduction programs, the panel’s official report was published on Thursday, and the country’s taoiseach (the equivalent… Read more.

The Delaware House of Representatives has approved a bill to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana program ahead of the launch of adult-use sales that may take another year to implement. About two weeks after the legislation from Rep. Ed Osienski (D) cleared committee, the full chamber passed it in a 26-10 vote on Thursday, sending the measure to the Senate for consideration. The bill would make a series of changes to Delaware’s medical cannabis program, including removing limitations for patient eligibility based… Read more.

A Maine House committee is considering a bill to legalize psilocybin, allowing adults to access the psychedelic at licensed facilities while broadly ending the criminalization of personal use and possession of psilocybin. During a hearing before the legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday, members—two of whom disclosed personally using psilocybin in the past—discussed the psychedelics proposal, sponsored by Sen. Donna Bailey (D), who filed a similar version of the proposal in 2022 that passed the Senate but stalled out in… Read more.

The sudden cancellation of a state cannabis licensing board meeting scheduled for Wednesday left applicants hoping to run weed businesses fuming. After learning of the cancellation Tuesday evening, LakeHouse Cannabis CEO Paul Suits Jr. sent a two page document outlining his frustrations trying to win a dispensary license to the Office of Cannabis Management—remarks he had planned to read aloud at the state Cannabis Control Board meeting. Suits applied in October for a retail license to sell in Cortland, New… Read more.

Maine lawmakers are considering a proposal to legalize cannabis social clubs and other forms of on-site consumption, according to a Spectrum News report. Sponsored by state Rep. David Boyer (R-Poland), the proposal would establish a cannabis-based hospitality industry in Maine by giving tourists a place to legally consume. If approved, the bill would establish a “cannabis hospitality establishment license” that would need to be acquired before businesses could allow on-site consumption. LD 1952 appeared recently before the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. The… Read more.

The governor of Massachusetts is promoting the testimony of activists who spoke in favor of her veterans-focused bill that would, in part, create a psychedelics work group to study the therapeutic potential of substances such as psilocybin. During a hearing before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs on Tuesday, psychedelics reform advocates urged members to pass the Honoring, Empowering, and Recognizing our Servicemembers and Veterans (HERO Act) that Gov. Maura Healey (D) introduced last month. This comes as… Read more.

The Justice Department has asked a federal court to dismiss a cannabis industry lawsuit that seeks to block the enforcement of marijuana prohibition against state-legal activity—in part, it says, because the court should not get ahead of a possible cannabis rescheduling decision that’s being considered. In a document filed with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Western Division, on Tuesday, lawyers for Attorney General Merrick Garland said that Congress “rationally set up an administrative process for rescheduling drugs.” “Pursuant to… Read more.

Kasandra Stephens entered a guilty plea in a Japanese court for sending cannabis oil to her son, a U.S. airman stationed in Okinawa, and for possessing marijuana during her visit to Japan. Stephens acknowledged mailing a couple of packages to her son's PO Box after his wife requested "pens" to share with a Japanese colleague, presumably referring to vape pens. In the process, she sent a package containing 2.88 grams of cannabis oil, which arrived at Tokyo International Airport in… Read more.

A Pennsylvania district attorney and gun rights advocates have filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to overturn the ban preventing medical marijuana patients from buying and possessing firearms—the latest in a series of legal challenges to the policy. Warren County, Pennsylvania District Attorney Robert Greene, a registered medical cannabis patient in the state, teamed up with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to file suit against the federal government in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania… Read more.

Dogs who receive daily doses of CBD see “significant reductions” in stress and anxiety related to car travel, according to a new study. To investigate the issue, researchers at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute in the United Kingdom compared the behavioral and physiological stress response of dogs who received THC-free cannabis with a placebo group before, during and after drives. The 20 dogs involved in the study, published in the Journal of Animal Science, all exhibited signs of stress and… Read more.

Colorado's medicinal marijuana industry continued to deteriorate in November 2023, with sales amounting to just $14.5 million, an 11.5% fall from the same month the previous year. This November was the state's cannabis industry's fourth straight month of declining sales, indicating a concerning trend. Colorado will likely witness significant declines in marijuana sales for the second year in a row. The "beggar they neighbor" policy of out-of-state consumers crossing over state lines to get their medical or recreational marijuana seems to be dying.… Read more.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says a marijuana legalization initiative will be on the state’s November ballot, predicting a favorable legal outcome for activists in the Supreme Court in the face of a challenge from the attorney general who is seeking to block the vote. Days before dropping out of the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, DeSantis was asked about the prospect of legalization making the Florida ballot by cannabis lobbyist Don Murphy. “I think the court is… Read more.

Oregon Republican lawmakers in the House last week unveiled a proposal that would re-criminalize drug possession in the state by reassigning misdemeanor penalties for drug possession and mandating addiction treatment to avoid jail, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. The bill seeks to override the state’s 2020 voter-approved drug decriminalization initiative, Measure 110, by making persona possession of fentanyl, heroin, and meth a class A misdemeanor with jail time penalties of up to one year, a fine of up to $6,250, or both,… Read more.

As Spain emerges from an extended period of political deadlock, its newly formed government takes a significant step to address the persistent medical cannabis deadlock in the country. Despite encountering challenges, the hard-won government appointed a Minister of Health committed to fulfilling the previous administration's promises. They are pushing to establish a medical cannabis framework. Carola Pérez, President of the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis (OECM), a pivotal figure in advancing medical cannabis in Spain, perceives this commitment as a turning point… Read more.

On January 5, Florida Representative Ralph Massullo introduced House Bill 1269, which underwent its initial reading on January 9. If approved, this legislation aims to establish restrictions on the potency of cannabis products, particularly in the event of the legalization of adult-use cannabis. The proposed bill outlines stringent limitations for smoking products, concentrates, and edibles. According to the original filed version, marijuana intended for personal use must not exceed a tetrahydrocannabinol potency of 10%, whether measured by weight or volume, for smoking… Read more.

Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones said that a state rule requiring law enforcement recruits to have abstained from cannabis use for at least three years before they can be hired hurts the state’s police recruitment opportunities, according to a News4 report. Chief Jones, who is also the head of the Fraternal Order of Police and a Montgomery County Council Member, asked the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission in a letter last year to revise the regulations. Montgomery County Assistant Chief Administrative… Read more.

A leading cannabis group is planning to mobilize the “largest bi-partisan coalition of cannabis advocacy, industry, and grassroots organizations” that will convene in Washington, D.C. to push for federal reform just ahead of the marijuana holiday 4/20 this year. Organized by the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), the meeting will feature an ideologically diverse collection of advocates and stakeholders to promote legalization centered in equity, the organization said in a press release on Thursday. LPP has also released a new memo… Read more.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called for state lawmakers to ban “intoxicating hemp” goods, including all delta-8 products, as part of their work on amending Issue 2, the ballot measure that legalized recreational marijuana last November. On Wednesday, DeWine said at a press conference that a law enforcement sting operation had caught at least one gas station selling hemp-based delta-8 goods to minors, Fox 8 News reported. During the gathering with reporters, Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson showed pictures of THC-infused… Read more.

Oregon House Republican lawmakers on Thursday released details of a proposal that would end Measure 110 by mandating misdemeanor penalties for drug possession and treatment to avoid jail. House Republicans want to make possession of small amounts of fentanyl, heroin and meth a Class A misdemeanor, which carries up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $6,250, or both. Under the bill, users could avoid jail time with mandatory addiction treatment. The bill also would impose a… Read more.

The Czech Republic has published their first draft of laws intended to legalize adult-use cannabis in the country, including plans to decriminalize possession as well as home cultivation, and to create social clubs where people can freely consume. However, according to English-language news outlet Expats.cz, the government’s draft bill does not include a framework for establishing a regulated cannabis market. This omission has reportedly raised eyebrows and led to a flurry of discussions among stakeholders and policymakers, with some advocates suggesting that rules… Read more.

A new collegiate athletics proposal would remove marijuana from the list of substances included in drug screenings for National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship competitions, with officials set to vote on the matter in June. Proponents say the approach is consistent with designing rules to focus on reducing harm rather than punishing student athletes. The plan would build on a 2022 change that increased the allowable THC threshold for college athletes, aligning NCAA’s rules with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The… Read more.

Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, says he would federally legalize Schedule I drugs such as marijuana and psychedelics for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) if he’s elected. His plan involves having the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provide access to the currently illegal substances as an alternative to fentanyl. During a virtual town hall event ahead of the Iowa caucus, Ramaswamy was asked why medical cannabis hasn’t been federally legalized and took the opportunity to tout his… Read more.

It’s “not too late” for the current Congress to pass sensible marijuana reform legislation and end the “insane” prohibitionist policies of the war on drugs, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) says. In an impassioned speech on the House floor on Thursday, the founding member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus said he is both “sad” and “angry” over the continued federal inaction on marijuana reform, arguing that it’s “time for Congress to stop making this problem worse.” “I’ve been working for 50… Read more.

There is a scent of reinvention that floats across the Atlantic to touch British shores. One of the leading Canadian producers of greenhouse cannabis, Village Farms International, has finally shipped its first official shipment for the UK arriving over years after in anticipation. Village Farms International, based in Vancouver British Columbia has recently taken a significant step into the booming United Kingdom Cannabis market. In a statement released on Wednesday, the firm revealed that two of its renowned cannabis brands, Pure Sunfarms… Read more.

Martin Luther King Jr. might have turned 95 years old this month if he had not been felled by an assassin’s bullet on April 4, 1968. It is, of course, impossible to know what the United States would look like today if he had lived — or what he would think about the political dilemmas of our own time. Yet there are certain obvious parallels between his time and ours. The country continues to be bitterly divided along political lines.… Read more.

Colleges located in states where recreational marijuana was legalized within the last decade experienced a noteworthy, albeit transient, surge in applications from high-achieving students. Additionally, there was a general increase in overall application numbers. These are the principal findings from a recent study, which was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Contemporary Economic Policy. During the year when a specific state legalized recreational marijuana, the respective colleges witnessed a growth in applications of approximately 5.5% more than colleges situated in states… Read more.

The number of registered medical marijuana patients continued to rise in Florida during fiscal year 2023, a state panel said in a new annual report—although the rate of growth slowed slightly from previous years as the system matures and attention turns to an adult-use legalization measure that may go before voters on the November ballot. The number of individual patients enrolled in the program, for example, grew by 15 percent in fiscal 2023 compared to the previous year, down from 25… Read more.

Thailand leaders believe the country’s move to decriminalize led to a surge of cannabis shops and unintended recreational use, and are backpedaling the law, clarifying several changes. A draft bill to ban recreational use of potent cannabis products was published online on Jan. 9. Under the bill proposal, anyone who smokes cannabis for recreational purposes will face a fine of up to 60,000 baht (about $1,709.53). Those selling cannabis or its extracts for recreational purposes face up to one year… Read more.

Alaska lawmakers have filed a pair of bills to create a state task force responsible for studying and making recommendations on psychedelic policy issues, including frameworks for legalization and licensure for therapeutic practitioners. Sen. Forrest Dunbar (D) and Rep. Jennie Armstrong (D) introduced identical companion versions of the legislation on Monday. The bills would establish an Alaska Mental Health and Psychedelic Medicine Task Force under the state Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The body would be comprised of… Read more.

Top Republican Wisconsin senators are already signaling that a newly unveiled bill from their Assembly GOP colleagues to create a strictly limited medical cannabis program may be a “non-starter”—especially as it concerns its novel proposal to have state-run dispensaries that the Senate majority leader is critically comparing to a “DMV for medical marijuana.” Just days after Wisconsin Assembly Republicans held a series of press conferences across the state to announce their much-anticipated plan to legalize medical cannabis, Senate Majority Leader Devin… Read more.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has agreed to release documents related to its recommendation to federally reschedule marijuana “in their entirety” amid litigation over a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that was filed by a lawyer last year. “Good afternoon and thank you for your patience,” a Department of Justice attorney handling the case said in an email to attorney Matt Zorn on Thursday. “The agency has advised that it will release the letter and its… Read more.

The consumption of marijuana has surged dramatically, with a notable instance in Michigan, where recreational use has recently been legalized. In its first year, marijuana sales are poised to exceed $3 billion, propelled by a remarkable performance in July. This upswing can be attributed to Generation Z opting for marijuana over alcohol, considering it a healthier alternative. However, the industry faces challenges such as disorderly state enforcement, burdensome taxes, and restrictive regulations, including the absence of interstate commerce, leading to significant disruptions.… Read more.

Illinois marijuana retailers set new monthly sales records to close out 2023, selling $181.8 million worth of cannabis products during December, including a record $153.9 million in adult-use purchases. Sales of medical marijuana in December were at their highest since April, at $27.9 million. All told, legal cannabis sales for 2023 set a new annual record, reaching just under $2 billion, including more than $1.6 billion from the state’s adult-use market, which launched four years ago. Recreational marijuana sales generated… Read more.

Another Michigan city has approved a resolution to locally deprioritize enforcement of laws against psychedelic substances, while expressing support for a statewide bill to legalize certain etheogenic plants and fungi. On Tuesday, the Ypsilanti City Council took testimony from supporters and passed the psychedelics measure in an unanimous 6-0 vote. The whereas section states that psychedelics can “catalyze profound experiences of personal and spiritual growth, have been shown by scientific and clinical studies and traditional practices to be beneficial to… Read more.

As Virginia Democrstic lawmakers renew their push to legalize marijuana sales, the Republican governor says the issue isn’t something he’s personally interested in advancing this year. While advocates are hopeful that commercial legalization could move through both chambers of the legislature, which are now controlled by Democrats, the remarks from Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) indicate that the plan might not be enacted into law even if it is approved by the House of Delegates and Senate. Following his State of… Read more.

A California lawmaker is renewing his push to legalize cannabis cafes in the state, with a newly introduced bill and plans to work with the governor and regulators to address concerns that resulted in the last version being vetoed. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D) is again sponsoring the proposal, which would allow on-site marijuana consumption at licensed businesses, which could also offer non-cannabis food and drinks and host live events such as concerts if they get permission from the local government. Gov.… Read more.

Florida State Representative Ralph Massullo has introduced a bill proposing limitations on the potency of cannabis in the event that adult-use marijuana is legalized in the state later this year. The proposed legislation seeks to set a maximum THC content of 10% for cannabis products intended for smoking and 60% for concentrates. Additionally, marijuana edibles would be subject to a cap of 200 milligrams of THC per package and 10 milligrams per serving. The text of the bill reads: Marijuana for personal… Read more.

Ukraine Is Finally Legalizing Medical Marijuana On December 21st, right before Christmas 2023, the parliament of Ukraine finally voted to support the legalization of medical marijuana after a proposal by Prime Minister Denys Smyhal. The bill will regulate marijuana’s use for medical as well as scientific and industrial purposes. Certainly, Ukraine is among the world’s nations that need the healing benefits of marijuana because of the wreck the war with Russian left them in. Out of the 401 seats in Kyiv’s parliament, 248 seats… Read more.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has made its position on psilocybin and psilocin, two psychedelic compounds produced by “magic” mushrooms, fairly clear as states across the U.S. have begun softening regulations on their therapeutic use.  Though it may seem contradictory under the current medicinal usage and continued scientific findings showing the potential benefits of psilocybin use under the supervision of a therapist, under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the compounds — like cannabis — are classified as Schedule I substances, deeming… Read more.

Bipartisan Washington State lawmakers prefiled a Senate bill last week that would allow nonprofits to provide psilocybin services to clients 21 and older so long as the organizations “have an explicit goal of promoting wellness for and assisting military veterans or first responders.” Sponsored by Sens. Jesse Salomon (D) and Ann Rivers (R), SB 5977 appears to build on the state’s limited psychedelics pilot program signed into law last year, which is also aimed at serving veterans and first responders, including… Read more.

After launching its adult-use market last year, Maryland cannabis retailers and dispensaries together have sold nearly $700M in products, according to a report from CBS Baltimore. According to the report, medical cannabis, which was already a thriving sector, saw an increase of over $200 million in just about five months. On the other hand, adult use sales rose to $270 million since stores opened. In a statement to CBS, President of SunMed Growers Jake Van Wingerden highlighted the dramatic impact that adult… Read more.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) says he would “respect the decisions that states make” on marijuana legalization if he’s elected president, despite his personal view that the reform has a “negative impact.” At a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday, the 2024 Republican presidential candidate briefly shared how he would navigate the growing state legalization movement from the White House, pledging to adopt a hands-off approach like that of prior administrations from both parties. DeSantis started by noting that Florida… Read more.

Wisconsin Republicans have unveiled a plan to legalize non-smokable medical marijuana through state-run dispensaries staffed by government-employed pharmacists, with a limited set of conditions that could qualify patients for the program. At a series of press conferences across the state on Monday, GOP state lawmakers detailed the much-anticipated legislation, which would make Wisconsin the “first state to have state-run dispensaries,” operated by the Department of Health Services (DHS). As expected, the proposal would create a restrictive system that limits patients… Read more.

Hawaii’s attorney general is clarifying that despite unveiling a draft marijuana legalization bill in November and subsequently defending the proposal against criticism from law enforcement, her office does not, in fact, support legalizing cannabis for adult use. But the office also won’t actively work to oppose it the reform—as long as any legislation that is advancing contains several “key elements.” On Friday, Attorney General Anne Lopez’s (D) office sent lawmakers a revised 315-page draft bill to legalize cannabis as well as 38-page report… Read more.

More than 40 percent of the owners listed on applications for state’s social-equity marijuana licenses issued in October were from outside Missouri, according to an annual report released by the Division of Cannabis Regulation Wednesday. About half of those owners came from California, Michigan, Louisiana and Arizona, collectively. The microbusiness license program is meant to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it was part of the constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in November 2022. A total… Read more.

Oklahoma has enacted a recent law granting regulatory authority to oversee a covert evaluation initiative for medical marijuana dispensaries. Officially known as House Bill 3971 (HB 3971), this legislation, endorsed by state legislators and enacted in 2022, empowers the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) to conduct undercover assessments of at least 50 licensed medical marijuana retailers annually to identify any breaches of state regulations. Effective this week, HB 3971 is part of a series of legislative measures aimed at tightening… Read more.

More than 40 percent of the owners listed on applications for state’s social-equity marijuana licenses issued in October were from outside Missouri, according to an annual report released by the Division of Cannabis Regulation Wednesday. About half of those owners came from California, Michigan, Louisiana and Arizona, collectively. The microbusiness license program is meant to boost opportunities in the industry for businesses in disadvantaged communities, and it was part of the constitutional amendment to legalize recreational marijuana that voters passed in November 2022. A total… Read more.

The United Nations' latest "World Drug Report" for 2023 sheds light on global substance use trends, emphasizing the sustained prevalence of drug consumption worldwide. In 2021, an alarming 1 in 17 individuals aged 15–64 engaged in drug use over the past year, marking a 23% increase since 2011. The report underscores the significance of this issue, with an estimated 296 million users constituting 5.8% of the global population aged 15–64. Cannabis Takes Center Stage The UN report illuminates the pervasive influence of… Read more.

A Montgomery County Circuit Judge Wednesday evening blocked the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) from issuing licenses for all-inclusive facilities amid ongoing lawsuits over the commission’s selection process. Judge James Anderson wrote in the order that the commission’s third round of license awards, in December, following two attempts earlier in 2023, started on “uneven grounds” because there are unresolved, ongoing litigation regarding the first two. “The court also notes that all three rounds of awards have been challenged as legally infirm: the… Read more.

The long-standing stereotype that cannabis use leads to inactivity is being challenged by new research suggesting that cannabis might actually make working out more enjoyable. The study, titled “Acute Effects of Ad Libitum Use of Commercially Available Cannabis Products on the Subjective Experience of Aerobic Exercise: A Crossover Study” conducted by researchers Laurel P. Gibson, Gregory R. Giordano, L. Cinnamon Bidwell, Kent E. Hutchison, and Angela D. Bryan, sheds light on the relationship between cannabis use and exercise, potentially changing the narrative… Read more.

As we enter the ten-year anniversary of the first two states to legalize cannabis (Washington and Colorado), the industry finds itself in a brand-new chapter. Gone are the days of it being a minuscule industry in only a handful of places; adult use cannabis is now legal in 24 states plus DC, and once strongly prohibitionist states now have legitimate medical cannabis programs. The industry employs nearly 430,000 people and is estimated to reach nearly $32 billion in annual sales… Read more.

As California’s 2024 legislative session gets underway, a Republican lawmaker has filed a revised bill to create a state workgroup that would be tasked with exploring a regulatory framework to provide therapeutic access to psychedelics like psilocybin and ibogaine. The legislation from Assemblymember Marie Waldron (R) would also allow health professionals to administer certain psychedelics to military combat veterans for the treatment of mental health conditions upon the enactment of such a framework. The newly amended language represents an expansion… Read more.

On the eve of the highly anticipated opening of Brooklyn's first legal adult-use store, state authorities in New York marked a significant milestone—the permanent closure of a long-standing illicit marijuana operation in the borough. The legal action taken to permanently shut down Big Chief Smoke Shop, an unlicensed cannabis retailer situated in the Bay Ridge neighborhood of southern Brooklyn, is being hailed as a pivotal moment signifying New York's commitment to change, as stated by Governor Kathy Hochul in a… Read more.

The governor of Kentucky is urging lawmakers to significantly expand the state’s medical marijuana law by adding new qualifying conditions as the administration puts forward a series of initial proposed regulations to begin implementing the program. At a briefing on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced that two independent advisory groups he appointed have unanimously voted to recommend that the legislature add more than a dozen new conditions to qualify patients for medical cannabis under a law he signed last year.… Read more.

Tusko the elephant was recently honored in a tribute by Guinness World Records, the official repository of amazing human feats and natural world extremes. Tusko, a male Indian elephant at the Oklahoma City Zoo, died as a result of a sad experiment involving an extremely high dose of LSD undertaken for scientific purposes in the early 1960s. During the 1950s and 1960s, researchers investigated LSD's effects on animals such as dolphins and cats, with goals such as mind control and improved animal… Read more.

New York and New Jersey are opening new legal adult-use stores at a rapid pace. New Jersey currently has 79 such shops while New York lags behind with 34. New Jersey got a head start in 2022, followed by New York eight months later. New York also had an injunction that prevented new stores opening from August to December. Over the last few weeks, we visited two stores in New York (Manhattan and the Bronx) and one in New Jersey. … Read more.

In a recent study featured in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers investigated the impact of cannabis on anthropometric measures. This exploration gains particular significance against the backdrop of the escalating global obesity crisis, affecting approximately 650 million adults, as per the World Health Organization (WHO). The profound health implications of obesity are underscored by its association with metaphysical changes and the development of chronic conditions that significantly curtail life expectancy. The repercussions of excess body fat extend to inflammatory processes that… Read more.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is telling lawmakers that it reserves “the final authority” to make any scheduling decision on marijuana following an ongoing review, regardless of what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends. In a letter sent to Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), DEA Acting Chief of the Office of Congressional Affairs Michael Miller gave a general overview of the scheduling review process that was initiated under a directive from President Joe… Read more.

Ohio’s Republican governor is adamant that lawmakers must pass legislation as soon as possible to expedite regulated recreational marijuana sales and also ban purchases of intoxicating hemp products. With the legislature coming back into session for the new year, Gov. Mike DeWine (R) said “we just need to get something done” to address the adult-use sales rollout timeline under a voter-approved legalization law that took effect last month. It’s a “strange situation” the state has found itself in, he said,… Read more.

President Joe Biden signed off on a new defense bill that includes provisions for funding clinical trials on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs for active-duty military personnel. The president approved 2024’s National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 22, a week after Congress green lit the package and sent it to his desk earlier last month. In a statement, Biden made no remarks or references to the specific language regarding psychedelic treatment for military members. The NDAA allocates $10 million for the Department… Read more.

The Cannabis Control Division (CCD) of the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department on Tuesday revoked the licenses of two adult-use cannabis cultivators, the agency said in a press release. The operators in question — Bliss Farm and Native American Agricultural Development Company (NAADC), both located in Torrance County — were said to have exceeded the legal plant count limits and failed to properly utilize the state’s mandatory track-and-trace system. Regulators noted at both locations signs of a recent harvest without… Read more.

In a pioneering effort, Johns Hopkins University is initiating a thorough study to delve into the complexities of medical marijuana usage. As a crucial component of the Cannabis and Health Research Initiative, this expansive research project intends to monitor 10,000 medical marijuana patients for a year. It systematically gathers data on dosage, consumption methods, product composition, drug interactions, and treatment specifics. The overarching objective is to advance our comprehension of the effectiveness and impact of cannabis therapy across diverse health conditions. The… Read more.

As a new law in Washington State took effect this week to shield most job applicants who legally use cannabis from facing employment discrimination during the hiring process, two lawmakers have filed legislation to roll back those protections for workers in the drug treatment industry. HB 2047, sponsored by Reps. Tom Dent (R) and Lauren Davis (D), would add to the new law’s list of exemptions, which already include law enforcement, jobs requiring a federal background investigation or security clearance, fire… Read more.

As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers an application to approve MDMA as a prescription drug, new standards from the American Medical Association (AMA) have officially taken effect that assign psychedelics-specific codes to collect data on the novel therapies. AMA approved Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) III codes for psychedelic medicines in July after collaborating with the psychedelics-focused MAPS Public Benefit Corporation (MAPS PBC) and COMPASS Pathways. Those codes, which took effect on Monday, could eventually be used for health providers… Read more.

Tragedy struck the Oakland Police Department early Friday morning as Officer Tuan Le, 36, lost his life in the line of duty while responding to reports of a burglary at a cannabis business, as reported by CBS. This marked the second burglary incident at the same location within just four hours. Officer Le, originally from Vietnam, moved to Oakland and became a naturalized citizen on September 11, 2001. He graduated from the 183rd police academy in 2020 and had been serving… Read more.

In 2023, Psilocybin treatment centers in Oregon facilitated the administration of magic mushrooms to more than 700 individuals, marking the program's inaugural year. The Seattle Times, citing the Healing Advocacy Fund, a non-profit supporting the advancement of psychedelic therapies in Oregon and Washington, reported that a total of 715 people accessed psilocybin therapy in Oregon this year. In the last 20 days alone, over 100 individuals sought these services, as reported by the Healing Advocacy Fund on Dec. 7 when the total… Read more.

South Dakota officials have cleared the way for paid circulators to start collecting signatures for a 2024 marijuana legalization ballot initiative as the activist-led campaign continues to evaluate next steps. Late last month, the secretary of state’s office approved a circulator handout submitted by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML), a requirement that will allow the campaign to deploy paid canvassers to gather signatures along with its existing grassroots network of volunteers who have already been distributing petitions. The… Read more.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is now calling for the production of even more THC, psilocybin and DMT for research purposes than it initially proposed for 2024—raising its quotas for those drugs while maintaining already high production goals for marijuana and other psychedelics. In a notice set to be published in the Federal Register on Wednesday, DEA said it received comments from registered manufacturers requesting increases to previously proposed 2024 quotas for the Schedule I substances in order to “meet medical… Read more.

Nevada psychedelics activists say they’ve had a “productive meeting” with the Republican governor’s office about the need to expeditiously form a task force under a law enacted earlier this year in order to inform future reform—including the possible legalization of plant-based medicines. About six months after Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed legislation into law establishing a Psychedelic Medicines Working Group, members have not yet been formally appointed and no meetings have been scheduled, despite a mandate for the body to issue… Read more.

For several states across the U.S., the new year means new marijuana laws taking effect—touching on policies that range from employment protections to packaging requirements. As of Monday, cannabis legislation affecting at least five states will take effect, the product of a busy 2023 legislative season that saw major changes to marijuana laws throughout the country. Advocates are already gearing up for a fresh push to expand on reform achievements in 2024, but consumers, regulators and stakeholders should also be mindful of… Read more.

Mississippi’s medical cannabis advertising ban is preventing a small dispensary from attracting customers, Tru Source owner Clarence Cocroft is arguing in a federal lawsuit that casts the law as a violation of his free-speech rights. Though medical marijuana is now legal for Mississippians with qualifying conditions and a medical cannabis card, state law prohibits dispensary owners and cultivators from advertising cannabis products. “It’s a daunting task to stay in the industry when you can’t advertise,” Cocroft told the Mississippi Free Press on December 8.… Read more.

New York marijuana regulators published a year-end review of the state’s legal cannabis system on Friday, highlighting major milestones and offering a snapshot of the market almost exactly a year after the state’s first adult-use sales began. Consumers purchased more than 3.5 million cannabis products during the year, New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) said in the report. Once December figures are tallied, total sales for the year are expected to exceed $150 million. That activity brought in more… Read more.

As the New York cannabis market continues to steadily find its footing among a number of delays, the state’s governor has vetoed a measure that would have provided solutions for growers with a surplus of product without means to sell it. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D) and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo (D), would have allowed licensed growers to sell their products to tribal retailers. The sponsors, who respectively chair the state Senate and Assembly agriculture committees, shared that the… Read more.

In the latest development from Alabama’s nascent medical cannabis industry, several companies including Southeast Cannabis, TheraTrue 3 Notch Root, Alabama Always, and Jemmstone are set to make their legal case against the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission (AMCC) today, as reported by the Alabama Political Reporter. The applicants are contesting the commission’s methods of awarding medical cannabis licenses, asserting that the AMCC’s decisions during a crucial December 12 meeting were procedurally flawed, specifically criticizing the handling of application scoring and electronic files,… Read more.

More than half of the US now allows cannabis for either medical or adult use purposes. It seems like America is trending in the right direction, but are things changing for better or for worse? The answer is ambivalent, according to the recent television special National Geographic Investigates: Legal Marijuana In America. California’s monumental passing of Proposition 64 in 2016 legalized adult-use cannabis, becoming just the fifth state to do so at the time. The landmark vote paved the way for… Read more.

Psychedelics policy came sharply into focus in 2023, with advocates chalking multiple wins as the drug policy reform movement’s momentum continued to expand beyond marijuana at the local, state and federal levels. It was a year defined by firsts: historic federal legislation signed into law mandating psychedelics clinical trials, first-ever Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on conducting research using entheogenic substances, a novel congressional hearing, psilocybin services opening in Oregon and a new opportunity to legalize MDMA as a… Read more.

A new study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University will track 10,000 medical marijuana patients over a year or more in an effort to better understand the efficacy and impacts of cannabis therapy. Funded with a five-year $10 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the research team will work with federal researchers and the nonprofit Realm of Caring, among others, to collect data around dosing, delivery methods, the chemical composition of products, possible medication interactions and… Read more.

Beyond major marijuana developments in the U.S. at the federal and state levels this year, momentum for drug policy reform continued to build across many parts of the globe in 2023. From the issuance of the first licenses in the European Union for nonprofit cannabis associations to the EU’s largest economy taking steps toward legalizing marijuana for adults, a number of countries, especially in Europe and South America, marked drug reform milestones in the past year. Yet 2023 also saw a rash of… Read more.

A bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers have formally introduced a measure to decriminalize marijuana possession after previewing the proposal earlier this month. Sponsors hope the limited, noncommercial reform will win enough support to clear the state’s GOP-controlled legislature and become law in parallel with a separate limited medical cannabis bill that Republican leaders say will be filed in January. Assembly Bill 861, introduced by Reps. Shae Sortwell (R), Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D) and Dave Considine (D), along with Sen. Lena Taylor (D), would remove… Read more.

The GOP leader of Wisconsin’s Assembly says a limited medical marijuana bill will be introduced next month—though he expects that lawmakers are “going to have to pass it with just Republican votes” because his Democratic colleagues want broader legalization and aren’t willing to accept the scaled-back reform. In an interview with Spectrum News 1 that was published on Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said that it’s “taken us a while to find a consensus on the Assembly Republican side”… Read more.

A recent report from a nonprofit think tank based in Washington, D.C., the Tax Foundation, suggests that nationwide legalization of marijuana across all states could lead to an annual cannabis tax revenue of $8.5 billion. The report outlines a proposed state and federal taxation model aimed at maintaining relatively low costs to discourage illicit sales, while also imposing higher tax rates on more potent cannabis products. The Tax Foundation criticizes the current inconsistent state-level cannabis taxation, primarily based on sales prices,… Read more.

The year 2023 brought a mixed bag of federal developments in the marijuana space—marked by historic news such as the Biden administration’s rescheduling recommendation and pardon expansion, as well as setbacks on the congressional path to enacting cannabis banking reform. And with Congress now in recess for the holiday season, advocates and stakeholders are left to reflect on the ups and downs of the past year, with hopes of building on their work in 2024. While the review into cannabis… Read more.

Arizona has awarded the first round of Justice Reinvestment Grants to 18 community nonprofits, state officials announced last week. The program, created by the state’s 2020 marijuana law, is funded by revenue from taxes on legal cannabis sales. The grants program supports a variety goals of including public and behavioral health, such as substance use prevention and treatment; workforce development and mentorship programs in economically disadvantaged areas; “addressing the underlying causes of crime” and reducing the state prison population; and developing… Read more.

Dean Phillips, the Minnesota congressman challenging Joe Biden in the Democratic primary, said in a newly published interview that the president is too old and out of touch to understand contemporary cannabis issues. “I think it’s generational,” Phillips said. “People in their 80s do not see things, have not lived things, have not experienced things that younger generations have.” Phillips, 54, was speaking to Newsweek as part of a wide-ranging interview about his presidential ambitions and what differentiates him from… Read more.

In the last 10 years, researchers around the world have published more than 32,000 inquiries into the science of cannabis and cannabinoids, NORML reports. Additionally, 2023 was the third consecutive year in which scientists published more than 4,000 papers specific to cannabis, cannabinoids, and their varied effects. NORML says the claim is based on a keyword search of the National Library of Medicine and PubMed.gov. The development stands in stark contrast to the majority of political arguments against cannabis policy reforms, which typically claim that more… Read more.

Florida officials say they’ve arrested two paid canvassers charged with allegedly falsifying signatures on petitions to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s 2024 ballot. As the state Supreme Court weighs a legal challenge to the ballot measure that was brought by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody (R), the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said in a news release last week that two individuals are facing multiple felony counts of submitting falsified petitions. FDLE said that three canvassers… Read more.

A recent analysis by TD Cowen's analyst, Vivien Azer, sheds light on a shift in consumer behavior, highlighting the competition between legal cannabis and alcohol sales. Over the past five years, alcohol sales in states where cannabis is legal have lagged behind by 100-150 basis points, according to Azer. In terms of future growth, Azer's research, initially reported by the Green Market Report (GMR), predicts a substantial surge in U.S. cannabis sales, reaching $29 billion by 2023. This growth is expected to maintain… Read more.

Little Five Points Pharmacy, situated in Atlanta, is among the nearly 120 independent pharmacies in Georgia that recently sought approval to distribute medical marijuana through a new state initiative. However, last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a warning to Little Five Points Pharmacy and other pharmacies statewide, asserting that such activities are illegal due to THC being categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance. Expressing his dismay, Ira Katz, a pharmacist at Little Five Points Pharmacy, conveyed his disappointment, stating,… Read more.

President Joe Biden on Friday issued a proclamation expanding a marijuana pardon initiative he began last year by including for the first time people who committed cannabis possession offenses on federal properties. “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in a statement. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.” “Just as no one should be… Read more.

Sports medicine providers “generally have favorable views toward CBD and cannabis,” and most believe marijuana should be removed from the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) list of prohibited substances, according to a new survey of 333 doctors published this month. The study also found that most sports medicine physicians who participated support legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical use. That said, there are still “varying views” about cannabis within the field, authors found, and those “appear to be significantly affected by… Read more.

State marijuana regulators across the country are marking the holiday season with messages about gifting cannabis as a present, making infused Christmas cookies and keeping products secure. From California to New Jersey and New York to Virginia, regulatory bodies overseeing legal markets are engaging consumers on social media with holiday-themed posts, spreading the word about their respective marijuana laws and leaning into cannabis culture. California’s Department of Cannabis Control (DCC), for example, shared an animated GIF on X (formerly Twitter)… Read more.

Matthew Perry, renowned for his role in "Friends" and publicly addressing his prolonged struggles with substance abuse, passed away at the age of 54. The Los Angeles County medical examiner's office, in an autopsy report released on Friday, identified the primary cause of Perry's death as the "acute effects" of ketamine, a potent anesthetic with psychedelic properties. Perry was discovered unresponsive in a hot tub at his Los Angeles residence on October 28. The autopsy report listed additional factors contributing… Read more.

Maryland brought in more than $12 million in marijuana tax revenue during the first three months of legal cannabis sales to adults, which kicked off on July 1. The figures, released this week by the state comptroller’s office, detail revenues from the third quarter of the fiscal year, which spanned from July through September. Sales of recreational marijuana during that period totaled about $158.5 million, according to the Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA). More than a third of the tax revenue—35 percent, or about… Read more.

Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly leader says he now plans to unveil a restrictive medical marijuana bill next month, and he believes it will have enough support to move through both chambers of the GOP-controlled legislature in 2024. In a series of end-of-year interviews with local media outlets that were published on Thursday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R) said the much-anticipated legislation is nearly ready for prime time—the product of extensive internal talks within the Republican caucus over recent months. As expected,… Read more.

A recent editorial on Cannabis.net titled  "The Kids Will All Be Getting High Turns Out to Be 100% Wrong" went viral as it pointed out that the long held Reefer Madness myth of kids getting stoned all day with the legalization of cannabis across America is not accurate based on government studies and data. In a landscape marked by the dynamic evolution of cannabis policies across the United States, the 2022 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey emerges as a critical lens through which… Read more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says lawmakers will “hit the ground running” in 2024, aiming to build on bipartisan progress on several key issues, including marijuana banking reform—though he noted it “won’t be easy.” As the Senate recesses for the holidays, Schumer delivered a floor speech on Wednesday touting the chamber’s 2023 legislative achievements, while emphasizing that “there’s a lot we must do” in the second half of the 118th Congress. Senators “made large progress in a bipartisan way… Read more.

The attorney general of California has determined that the state could put itself and its employees at “significant legal risk” of federal enforcement action if it were to authorize interstate marijuana commerce. In a legal opinion sent to state cannabis regulators on Tuesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said his office understands there are complex legal considerations—and that there are “strong arguments” state officials could make to contest liability if they were federally prosecuted—but that he cannot disregard the potential… Read more.

In a decisive 3-1 vote, Massachusetts regulators have given the green light to cannabis transport businesses to streamline their delivery operations by reducing the mandatory two-person team to a single cannbais delivery driver. This potential cost-cutting measure is poised to benefit operators in the industry. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) reached a consensus on Thursday to revise the state's marijuana delivery regulations, relaxing the existing requirement for a two-person delivery team. It's important to note that this rule adjustment is pending… Read more.

As the year comes to a close and lawmakers prepare to recess, newly released survey data reveals that Capitol Hill staff and lobbyists are so far vindicated in their pessimism about the prospects of marijuana reform in the 118th Congress. Asked whether they think any type of cannabis reform would pass during this two-year Congress, 71 percent of top legislative staff that participated in the Canvass Capitol Hill Survey released by Punchbowl News on Tuesday said it was “unlikely.” That’s… Read more.

Wisconsin’s top Republican senator says there’s “potentially” a path to pass a medical marijuana bill in the 2024 session—but it’d have to be strictly limited, likely in a way that would face opposition from Democrats, including the governor who is renewing his call to enact a comprehensive recreational legalization law. Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R) was recently asked about a yet-to-be-seen medical cannabis bill that some of his GOP colleagues have been discussing for months, and he told WTAQ… Read more.

Missouri’s crackdown on a cannabis company accused of illegally importing THC concentrate could lead to a showdown over the state’s authority to regulate the industry. Delta Extraction had its license to manufacture cannabis products revoked in November, months after a massive recall pulled more than 60,000 products off the shelves—which the state says were illegally made with a hemp-derived THC concentrate imported from out of state. As the legal battle continues to drag out, the company has upped the ante: If the state… Read more.

As Delaware gears up for adult-use cannabis, sales of which are set to kick off as soon as next year, the state could also dramatically expand its existing medical marijuana program. A bill introduced in the legislature this week would remove the requirement that patients have one of a designated set of qualifying conditions, instead allowing doctors to recommend marijuana for any condition that they believe it could benefit. Additionally, patients 65 or older could self-certify their need for medical… Read more.

Have you ever pondered the landscape of cannabis regulations across the United States? Amid a shifting legal terrain where nearly half of the states have embraced recreational cannabis and 38 have legalized medical marijuana, the complexities abound. Despite federal law maintaining cannabis as an illegal substance, each state charts its course with unique rules and regulations. Deciding on the optimal cannabis state involves considering various factors, such as whether the state permits medical, recreational, or both cannabis programs, the presence of… Read more.

The U.S. attorney general and a coalition of marijuana businesses represented by an influential law firm have jointly agreed to request a deadline extension for the filing of initial briefs in a much-anticipated lawsuit against the federal government that seeks to block the enforcement of cannabis prohibition against state-legal activity. In the lawsuit, the businesses have claimed that perpetuating prohibition in state markets is unconstitutional, creating undue public safety risks while precluding licensed marijuana businesses from accessing critical financial services and tax… Read more.

Passenger cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean have policies against marijuana, noting that the substance is illegal in many ports it sails to and that they’re following federal law. But as more people return to the ships, and as more of them come from states where the drug is legal, operators are reportedly taking more extreme measures to detect cannabis and cracking down on people who attempt to use it—including those who simply pack CBD products, which are legal… Read more.

While Schedule 3 banter has the marijuana industry in a "postiive spin mode", the facts of the industry present day are gruesome and harsh. Selling Cannabis Licenses for Pennies on the Dollar was a story Cannabis.net did on the bleak state of the Oregon cannabis industry after the Fall harvest was so large it is putting growers and culitvators out of business.  The race to the bottom on pricing and lack of access to credit or created cash-flow is killing many cannabis… Read more.

In a letter sent to the heads of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) this week, 29 former U.S. attorneys are urging the Biden administration to leave cannabis in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), arguing that “marijuana has only become more dangerous, potent, and addictive” since the government last reviewed its scheduling in 2016. The correspondence comes as DEA continues its review of marijuana’s scheduling after the U.S. Department of Health and Human… Read more.

A Michigan resident who has won marijuana business licenses through litigation has now filed a lawsuit against Washington state regulators. Kenneth Gay, of Peridot Tree WA, is challenging the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Control Board for rejecting his application for a retail license under the state’s social equity program, according to Green Market Report. The lawsuit argues that the state’s six-month residency requirement is unconstitutional under the dormant commerce clause, which generally prohibits states from passing legislation that discriminates against or excessively… Read more.

This week, Pennsylvania’s legislature passed a bill to allow more cultivators and independent dispensaries to grow and sell directly to consumers in the state. Senate Bill 773, which is now awaiting Gov. Josh Shapiro’s signature, was passed by the state Senate and then altered in the House. It was at one point expected to address broader issues, such as home growing or full adult-use legalization, but the end version was more limited. Instead, it focused on allowing all 25 independent medical cannabis… Read more.

Teen marijuana use has not increased “even as state legalization has proliferated across the country,” a federal health official said on Wednesday in announcing the latest data from an annual survey that again showed prohibitionist concerns about youth cannabis access have “not played out.” The 2022 Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey—which is conducted by the University of Michigan with funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)—found that rates of past-year cannabis use “remained stable for all three grades… Read more.

Colombia’s Senate has shelved a bill to legalize marijuana, meaning lawmakers will need to restart the two-year legislative process over again next year if they hope to enact the reform. With 45 votes, the Senate opted to delay consideration of the proposal on Tuesday during its fourth of eight required debates to adopt the constitutional amendment. Lawmakers who support legalization pushed for urgent Senate consideration of the bill in recent days, with the sponsor warning about the consequences of inaction before… Read more.

Lawmakers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, voted this week to adopt a resolution in support of decriminalizing the use, possession and noncommercial sharing of psychedelic plants and fungi. It’s the seventh municipality in the state to deprioritize arrests for entheogens. The statement also calls on the county district attorney to cease prosecutions for psychedelics-related activity as well as for simple possession of all drugs. Further, it urges state lawmakers to amend a pending proposal that would legalize psychedelics in all of Massachusetts and could… Read more.

Ohio lawmakers will not be amending the state’s voter-approved marijuana law this year despite a Republican-led push to expedite changes. The Senate has passed a bill to make changes, and a House committee has held a series of hearings on a different proposal, but the legislature will not be sending any reform measure to the governor’s desk by the time lawmakers head home for the holiday break this week. The House Finance Committee took public testimony on a cannabis legalization amendment… Read more.

Missouri officials have expunged more than 100,000 marijuana cases from court records during the first year of legalization, according the latest state numbers. But some courts missed Friday’s deadline for felony expungements as clerks work to review decades of old cases. “The courts are going to need more time to finish the job, and in fact, it might be years before all the cases from the past century are expunged,” lawyer Dan Viets, a Missouri NORML coordinator and co-author of… Read more.

A Virginia state senator says he’s “confident” that lawmakers can send a bill to tax and regulate marijuana sales to Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in the coming year. The question now is whether supporters can build enough bipartisan support to avoid a potential veto. “I am confident, with Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate, that we can get a bill to the governor’s desk,” Sen. Adam Ebbin (D) said in a local TV news interview that aired over… Read more.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Cornell University revealed the potential use of cannabinoids from hemp as a foundation for natural pesticides. Published in the October issue of Horticulture Research, the research, led by Larry Smart, a plant breeder and professor at Cornell's AgriTech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, demonstrated that higher concentrations of cannabinoids in hemp leaves correlated with reduced damage from pests. Funded by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets through Empire State Development, the study focused on… Read more.

On December 6, a majority vote in the Upper House approved a revision to the Cannabis Control Law. This revision lifts the ban on pharmaceuticals derived from the marijuana plant while simultaneously introducing a new criminal offense related to marijuana use. Previously, the cannabis law prohibited the administration or consumption of medicines derived from marijuana plants. The revised law eliminates this restriction on pharmaceuticals and reclassifies marijuana under the "narcotics" category in the Narcotics Control Law. This modification paves the way for the legal… Read more.

A prospective ballot measure that would legalize adult-use marijuana in South Dakota and allow medical dispensaries to serve anyone 21 and older received a final ballot explanation from the state’s attorney general on Thursday—but the chief backer of the proposal says he has no plans to collect signatures or campaign for the change. The measure, sponsored by Rapid City resident Emmett Reistroffer, would allow “individuals 21 of age or older to possess, grow, ingest, and distribute marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia,”… Read more.

President Joe Biden signed an emergency funding bill into law on Thursday to avert a government shutdown. Notably, the legislation also extends the Farm Bill until September 2024, granting Congress additional time to formulate a new one. Advocates anticipate that the upcoming bill will address the expanding national market for hemp-derived cannabinoids, including the contentious delta-8 THC. As lawmakers embark on crafting replacement legislation, their focus will encompass the requirements of domestic agriculture, with specific attention to the concerns of hemp farmers and… Read more.

Only 10 adult-use cannabis businesses are operational or nearing operation in the state. Optimism in Connecticut is beginning to fade as the industry faces a slow and challenging rollout, with only a fraction of licensed businesses fully operational. As of Nov. 1, the state’s online licensing database showed that 55 cannabis companies are waiting for licenses. Forty have received provisional licenses, according to the Hartford Courier. However, only 10 businesses – seven dispensaries, two growers, and a delivery service –… Read more.

The governor of Colorado says that while marijuana reform is “not really a partisan issue” anymore, there are still “stodgy nanny state Republicans who want to control it.” Meanwhile, he says, ongoing prohibition has inhibited research into the science of cannabis that’s kept it strictly criminalized at the federal level. Gov. Jared Polis (D) is hoping that will change sooner rather than later. He and the governors of five other states sent a letter to President Joe Biden this week,… Read more.

Once again, Oregon's cannabis producers have faced an oversupply issue, as revealed in a recent report. This perpetuates the ongoing challenge of excess marijuana within the state's regulated cannabis industry. Throughout much of the current year, analyses of Oregon's cannabis production indicated a downward trajectory compared to the previous year, resulting in a slight uptick in prices. However, a November 20 report by state economists Mark McMullen and Josh Lehner unveils that the fall harvest of outdoor cannabis this year surpassed… Read more.

First Legal Marijuana Dispensary to Open in Switzerland In late October 2023, the first trials for a cannabis dispensary – a pioneer in Europe, was finally given the green light by Swiss authorities. The dispensary will be managed by the Swiss Institute for Addiction  (ISGF) and Health Research as well as the Sanity Group though they both must first carry out a study to plan how they will successfully sell marijuana to adults. The study called Grashaus Project, is taking place… Read more.

Five years after the United Kingdom’s Home Office legalized medical cannabis products for use on the National Health Service (NHS), the government still hasn’t funded clinical trials that would allow physicians to prescribe cannabis, Sky News reports. Patients with private insurance can access medical cannabis products, but those who rely on NHS cannot.   Dr. Alan Fayaz, an NHS consultant and a spokesperson for the British Pain Society, told Sky News that the 2018 decision by the Home Office to legalize medical cannabis before clinical… Read more.

Results of a new clinical trial published by the American Medical Association “suggest efficacy and safety” of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of bipolar II disorder, a mental health condition often associated with debilitating and difficult-to-treat depressive episodes. “The 15 participants in this trial had well-documented treatment-resistant BDII depression of marked severity and a lengthy duration of the current depressive episode,” authors wrote. After seven psychotherapy sessions, one involving a single dose of psilocybin, the paper says, study subjects “displayed strong… Read more.

Georgia recently became the first U.S. state to allow pharmacies to sell medical marijuana, with nearly 120 facilities applying to sell cannabis oil as of October. But now the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is warning pharmacies that dispensing THC is unlawful because it remains a Schedule I drug. “All DEA registrants, including DEA-registered pharmacies, are required to abide by all relevant federal laws and regulations,” says a copy of a letter sent to a Georgia pharmacy by Matthew J.… Read more.

Lawmakers in Lubbock, Texas have officially approved a resolution to put a local marijuana decriminalization initiative on the ballot next spring after declining to enact on the reform legislatively. The Lubbock City Council voted on Tuesday to schedule a special election on the issue for May 4, 2024. This comes one month after legislators unanimously rejected the decriminalization proposal that was put on the agenda after activists submitted enough signatures to force its consideration. The committee behind the marijuana initiative first filed… Read more.

A New York judge on Friday signed off on a settlement between the state Cannabis Control Board (CCB) and four military veterans who had sued the state over its social equity licensing plan, ending the months-long injunction on cannabis industry licensing in the state, Spectrum News reports. Under the terms of the settlement, the veterans will receive dispensary licenses and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will not approve other dispensaries near their planned locations.  The CCB approved the settlement last Monday, but it… Read more.

Law enforcement officials in Tennessee have shut down a cannabis cultivation site that was operating in a converted church, seizing about 2,000 weed plants in the process. The raid on the church, which was conducted last week by the Stewart County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), was the result of a weeks-long investigation, according to law enforcement officials. Although the plant count was not especially high for commercial marijuana growing operations, Sheriff Frankie Gray noted that the bust shut down Stewart County’s… Read more.

The governors of six U.S. states—Colorado, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Louisiana—sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) on Tuesday urging the administration to reschedule marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act by the end of this year. The move, they say, will provide economic and tax benefits for cannabis businesses, protect public health and more closely align government policy with public opinion. “Rescheduling cannabis aligns with a safe, regulated product that Americans can trust,”… Read more.

Ohio senators held a second meeting on a bill to significantly change the state’s marijuana legalization law that’s set to take effect this week, hearing public testimony amid sharp criticism of the GOP-led effort. In other chamber, meanwhile, a Republican representative has filed alternative legislation that would largely preserve what voters approved at the ballot, with certain exceptions such as a proposed ban on sharing cannabis between adults. One day after the Senate General Government Committee gave initial approval to the cannabis… Read more.

With the congressional effort to remove federal restrictions on marijuana banking still ongoing, a coalition of financial institutions has released new guidance for cannabis businesses trying to secure banking services. While compliance can be onerous compared to banking for most businesses, the report published on Monday by the Cannabis Industry Financial Group (CFIG) says it’s nevertheless possible for the marijuana industry to obtain above-board, reliable financial services without waiting for passage of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act.… Read more.

It’s not uncommon for residents of states yet to enact cannabis laws to travel and obtain their weed through out-of-state dispensaries. However, one Southern state appears to be experiencing this issue when it comes to medical cannabis, even though it’s had legal, operational medical dispensaries since 2020. A new 78-page report released by the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) takes a closer look at the state’s medical cannabis market, most notably finding that the state’s high prices are driving consumers to border… Read more.

A final vote on a bill to legalize marijuana in Germany that was initially planned for this week has been called off amid concerns from leaders of the country’s Social Democratic Party (SPD). The delay means that action on the landmark proposal will be postponed until next year. “It always has to be approved by the parliamentary groups in the end,” Dirk Heidenblut, an SPD member of Germany’s Bundestag who is responsible for the party’s cannabis policy, said in an… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is instructing hemp farmers in multiple states that they must choose between cultivating cannabis or hemp, not both, as reported by Politico. Since the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp agriculture, numerous farmers across the nation saw it as a promising avenue for profitability. With the ongoing expansion of marijuana legalization, some hemp farmers view opportunities in participating in cannabis programs regulated by their respective states. However, this business strategy is now under threat as the USDA has… Read more.

Two new bills regarding medical marijuana have been prefiled for New Hampshire’s legislative session that begins in January, with at least seven others already requested by lawmakers. One of the two proposals prefiled on Friday, HB 1231, would allow patients and caregivers to cultivate marijuana for therapeutic use. It’s sponsored by Rep. Wendy Thomas (D), as well as fellow Democratic Reps. Maria Perez, Jodi Newell, Alissandra Murray and Jonah Wheeler. Thomas sponsored similar medical marijuana homegrow legislation last session. Under the new… Read more.

With oral arguments set for Monday in a federal court case over a proposed Philadelphia safe drug consumption site, counsel for the would-be facility sent a letter to the judge in the case on Thursday calling out the Department of Justice (DOJ) for taking apparently contradictory legal positions. In the Philadelphia safe consumption site case itself, the letter says, DOJ has argued that the harm reduction aims of Safehouse, the nonprofit attempting to open facility where people can use illicit… Read more.

The Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission Friday awarded 20 licenses for the production and distribution of medical cannabis in its third attempt to get the new industry started in the state. The awards followed three days of presentations from applicants and months of litigation over the AMCC’s prior methods of evaluating applications. “The week we had had a good process—it’s worked well,” said Rex Vaughn, the chair of the AMCC. “The presenters brought things to the forefront that maybe we didn’t see otherwise,… Read more.

State and local marijuana regulators, industry stakeholders and advocates and opponents of legalization took part in a two-day session hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) this week, sharing their perspectives on evolving cannabis policies. This marked the second NASEM Committee meeting for its “Public Health Consequences of Changes in the Cannabis Policy Landscape” series. In September, the conversation featured representatives of several federal agencies who weighed in on the subject. For this week’s round, many of the… Read more.

A bipartisan bill in Wisconsin aims to make it easier for researchers to treat patients with acute post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin, WPR reports. The measure would create a trust fund called the “medicinal psilocybin treatment program” that would be administered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which launched a center for studying psychedelics to treat PTSD in 2021. State Sen. Jesse James (R), one of the bill’s sponsors, told WPR that the “federal government has failed us when it comes to marijuana and the… Read more.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is actively working to secure Republican support for the long-awaited marijuana banking reform bill. Schumer has invested considerable political capital in advancing the SAFER Banking Act. The proposed legislation, if enacted, would prevent federal regulators from penalizing financial institutions for providing essential services like bank accounts, payroll services, and credit card transaction processing to marijuana businesses that are legal at the state level. The SAFER Banking Act underwent two Senate hearings this year, with approval during a significant… Read more.

New Jersey has opened applications for the second phase of a marijuana social equity funding program, which will make $150,000 grants to awardees and offer eight weeks of technical assistance. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) says the round of so-called Seed Equity grants will allocate “up to $8 million in funding for 48 entrepreneurs” who meet social equity qualifications and hold conditional marijuana licenses. Applicants must also employ 50 or fewer employees. Money can be used to cover… Read more.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate, didn’t “literally” mean it when he said President Joe Biden should smoke some marijuana earlier this month, he now says. “Truth is I wouldn’t recommend he start now,” the congressman said on Tuesday, reversing the tongue-in-cheek comments he made at a New Hampshire campaign event, where he also cast doubt on whether the president has smoked “or even smelled weed.” At the time, he said indulging in some cannabis might help Biden understand… Read more.

The University of Utah Health is partnering with the state to launch the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR) which aims to “advance scientific understanding of medical cannabis and help patients and providers make informed health decisions about this increasingly common medication.”    Valerie Ahanonu, B.S., senior manager of the CMCR, said in a statement that the center’s overall aim is to “look at the methodology behind how people are using cannabis, and to create a translational approach to understanding its benefits… Read more.

The Supreme Court on Monday heard the case of a defendant seeking to reduce his criminal penalty for firearm possession as the result of the federal government’s legalization of hemp in 2018. At issue are the boundaries of the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), a 1984 law that imposes penalties on gun possession for people with past violent felonies or serious drug offenses. Initially the law imposes a 10-year maximum penalty for having a firearm, but after three offenses, a… Read more.

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.

The U.S. Census Bureau recently unveiled its inaugural report on state-level marijuana tax revenue data, marking a significant milestone in its approach to the cannabis industry. This report follows a comprehensive survey of all state agencies from July 2021. The data, spanning 18 months until the close of 2022, reveals that states generated over $5.7 billion from licensed cannabis sales. This report launch signifies a notable shift within specific federal government segments, recognizing the cannabis industry as a legitimate economic sector. The Census Bureau's… Read more.

A Missouri cannabis company is suing the state claiming the sales tax stack on adult-use cannabis sales is unconstitutional, KSHB 41 reports. St. Louis County-based Robust Missouri Dispensary 3 argues that the 3% tax passed by voters in Jackson and Cass counties violates state law and that in February the Missouri Department of Revenue issued a statement that clarified “based on constitutional language, a city and a county cannot ‘stack’ the additional up to 3% local tax on recreational marijuana sales.” That… Read more.

A convicted fentanyl dealer and member of a New York City drug ring blamed for the overdose death of actor Michael K Williams has been sentenced to five years in federal prison.  According to an article by the Associated Press, Luis Cruz was one member of a four-man team convicted of selling fentanyl-laced heroin to Williams, who played Omar Little on HBO’s The Wire as well as other roles throughout his career. Williams overdosed in his Brooklyn apartment in September of 2021 after… Read more.

A recent paper published in the European Journal for Chemistry explores the historical use of cannabis and its versatility. Entitled “From ancient Asian relics to contemporaneity: A review of historical and chemical aspects of Cannabis,” researchers Gabriel Vitor de Lima Marques and Renata Barbosa de Oliveira from the Brazil-based Federal University of Minas Gerais’ Department of Pharmaceutical Products, submitted the paper earlier this year in April, and it was printed in the journal in late September. “From the Himalayan mountains to the… Read more.

Last Prisoner Project highlighted some startling realities despite recent promises and movement at the federal level to loosen laws around the prohibition of cannabis.  One year after President Joe Biden pledged to expunge certain low-level cannabis convictions, Last Prisoner Project released its State of Cannabis Cannabis Justice Report last week. While promises have been made, has anyone actually been released from prison? On Oct. 6, 2022, Biden announced historic steps to advance the end of cannabis prohibition in the country by pardoning… Read more.

A new map published by the U.S. Census Bureau details the proportion of state revenue made up by marijuana tax money, and in some cases, the figures are eye-popping. In Oregon, for example, roughly $1 in every $20 the state made during some recent time periods came from legal cannabis transactions. According to the federal data, marijuana taxes comprised 4.67 percent of Oregon’s total revenue in the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, 4.7 percent in the first quarter of… Read more.

As early voting kicked off in Ohio on Wednesday, the state Senate passed a GOP-led resolution urging voters to reject a marijuana legalization measure that’s on the ballot. Introduced by Sens. Mark Romanchuk (R) and Terry Johnson (R), and cosponsored by 14 other Senate Republicans, SR 216 lists a parade of horribles that lawmakers say would befall the state if the cannabis ballot initiative known as Issue 2 becomes law. “The proposed statute authored by the commercial marijuana industry,” it… Read more.

Did the cannabis company thread the needle on paying federal taxes to the US government?  As Cannabis.net wrote up in their summary of the Benzinga Cannabis Conference in Miami, many cannnabis companies weren't paying their federal taxes, hence propping up their reported profits.  Why weren't they paying their taxes?  Two fold, one being they didn't have the money, and two, they were hoping that with federa legalization and the removal of the 280E code, they could go to court and argue they should have… Read more.

A bill introduced in New York seeks to prohibit smoking or vaping cannabis within 30 feet of a child or 30 feet of any location in which children reside or attend for any recreational or educational purpose. The legislation, introduced by Democratic Assemblymembers Phil Steck and Marianne Buttenschon, would impose a $25 fine and no more than 20 hours of community service for a first offense, rising to a class B misdemeanor for subsequent violations.  In a statement posted to Facebook, Steck said… Read more.

A new paper in the European Journal for Chemistry traces the history of cannabis through “thousands of years of contact with mankind,” noting the plant’s legacy as a source of fiber, nutrition, medicine, spirituality and pleasure. At the same time, it notes that cannabis “is perhaps one of the greatest controversies in contemporary humanity” and a key driver of the modern war on drugs. The paper, “From ancient Asian relics to contemporaneity: A review of historical and chemical aspects of Cannabis,”… Read more.

People working in the climate sector would be protected from being fired for testing positive for marijuana if they’re based in a legal state under a newly refiled bill from more than 40 congressional Democrats. The legislation, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), is titled the Climate Resilience Workforce Act. The bill itself covers substantial ground on climate policy, proposing to provide grants to support climate resilience jobs, fund existing workforce development programs and create a White House Office of Climate… Read more.

Signature gathering has officially kicked off to qualify an initiative for California’s 2024 ballot that would spend $5 billion to create a state agency focused on advancing research and development of psychedelic therapies. Known as the TREAT California Act, the measure would not itself change the legal status of any substances. Rather, it would establish a state agency called the Treatment, Research, Education, Access and Therapies (TREAT) Institute, which would identify opportunities for advancing scientific research and development into the therapeutic… Read more.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was the sole Democrat to vote against a marijuana banking reform bill during a committee markup last month. In a new interview, the senator described his vote as an effort at making important equity improvements while there’s still a chance to do so. “I’m worried that if we pass a bill with all of the fees and the revenue that comes, and not begin to address the issue of restorative justice, we’re not going to go… Read more.

A large cannabis operation with 22 buildings spanning over 11 acres must temporarily cease operations as hundreds of employees are fighting for their jobs, culminating in a chaotic Sacramento City Council meeting. Law enforcement officials ordered Natura to close on Oct. 2, a farm located on Elder Creek Road near Power Inn Road, citing fire code violations that make the Morrison Creek district buildings unsafe for its 450 employees. Nautra now must work with the city to bring its 22… Read more.

Low-THC cannabis oil will soon be available in some Georgia pharmacies as officials hope to make access to the products easier for the state’s registered medical cannabis patients, the Associated Press reports. Georgia is the first state in the nation to allow medical cannabis to be sold at independent pharmacies.   The Georgia Board of Pharmacy began accepting applications last week, and nearly 120 pharmacies have agreed to provide medication from Botanical Sciences, one of the state’s two licensed production companies, the report says.… Read more.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested on Thursday that mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin’s fiery death in a plane that went down was due to cocaine and grenades, not a coordinated assassination in retaliation for his uprising, as many suspect. Prigozhin’s days were numbered the moment he led the Wagner Group—his paramilitary mercenary group—in a short but surprisingly robust uprising against Putin’s military last June. Prigozhin also openly criticized the Russian Defense Ministry, calling the invasion of the Ukraine as more or less… Read more.

City officials in Anchorage, Alaska are considering exempting some city employees from penalties for cannabis use, Must Read Alaska reports. Instead of termination, employees who test positive for cannabis will be offered counseling and addiction treatment.   According to the proposed ordinance text, the purpose of the ordinance “is to repeal and replace the Municipality of Anchorage’s drug testing policy, specifically shifting from a punitive policy to a health-centered approach.”   “It also substantially changes the policy regarding the testing of marijuana for municipal employees. With… Read more.

California’s governor has dealt the cannabis industry and marijuana reform supporters a mixed bag of actions on bills. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) over the weekend vetoed a measure to legalize cannabis cafes that supporters said would have given consumers new opportunities t0 socialize and allowed businesses to expand their operations. But he also vetoed marijuana packaging legislation that industry operators said would have burdened them with excessive restrictions. Meanwhile, he signed several other bills into law that will make changes to the… Read more.

As Arizona’s remaining social equity license holders scramble to open marijuana dispensaries before a looming October deadline, private investors and major cannabis corporations have continued to wrest control away from the individuals the program was designed to benefit. In at least four recent cases, AZCIR found, licensees wound up on the losing end of legal battles, ultimately cutting short their prospects of long-term profits in a budding industry. One social equity license holder signed an operating agreement that would put his business… Read more.

The discussion surrounding the legalization of marijuana has been prevalent in recent years, with numerous states choosing to take matters into their own hands rather than relying on federal action. Now, there is a glimmer of hope for nationwide legalization as federal health authorities have proposed reclassifying marijuana. However, this does not necessarily translate to full legalization. Currently categorized as a Schedule I controlled substance, marijuana is considered by the Drug Enforcement Administration to have "no currently accepted medical use and… Read more.

In 2021, former MLB and NFL star Bo Jackson founded the CBD company Promise Nutraceuticals. Their only product is Promise Drops, a 6,000 mg CBD tincture. (It was formerly called Hero Brand.) At the time, Jackson said: "Promise Nutraceuticals is not about numbers on a balance sheet. We are a cause-driven company... dedicated to improving lives and helping others." Two years later Promise has partnered with Texas-based Massage Heights, which has 115 locations nationwide. While Jackson didn't mention Massage Heights in the press… Read more.

A federal appeals court heard oral arguments on Thursday in a case concerning the constitutionality of the federal ban keeping medical marijuana patients from purchasing or possessing firearms. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit listened and asked questions as attorneys for Florida medical cannabis patients and the Justice Department argued their sides of the case, which have been fleshed out in multiple briefings over the course of more than a year. Will Hall,… Read more.

In a letter to Division of Arkansas Crime Information Operations Director Rick Stallings, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) outlined safety concerns with the state agency’s decision to allow medical cannabis patients to receive concealed handgun carry licenses (CHCL).   In the letter, signed by Marianna Mitchem, chief of the Firearms and Explosives Industry Division Office of Enforcement Programs and Services, wrote that the “ATF is concerned that the issuance of CHCLs to individuals who are prohibited by Federal law from… Read more.

Bipartisan legislation that would allow Michigan’s state-licensed marijuana businesses to conduct trade with tribal cannabis entities located in the state won approval from the full House of Representatives this week. The bills, passed by the Senate in June, next proceed to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). The pair of bills, SB 180 and SB 179, were reported out of the House Committee on Regulatory Reform on Tuesday and passed by the full chamber on Thursday. Though the two pieces of legislation… Read more.

With early voting in Ohio beginning next week, the campaign behind a ballot measure to legalize marijuana released a new campaign ad on Friday in support of the policy change. Attorney General Dave Yost (R), meanwhile, published an analysis of the initiative that he said is meant to provide voters with “vital clarity and transparency” amid a campaign that has seen “inflamed and inaccurate” rhetoric. The new ad from the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the primary backer of… Read more.

The Florida Supreme Court has scheduled for November 8 oral arguments on the proposed ballot initiative to legalize cannabis for adult use, WFLA reports. The challenge to the proposal is led by state Attorney General Ashley Moody who claims the measure “misleads” voters to benefit Trulieve, the state’s largest medical cannabis company.  According to the ballot question’s summary, the measure would allow “adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption.” However, Moody argues… Read more.

Times are a changin' as they say. Oklahoma, the Wild West, no pun intended, of cannabis, is starting to crackdown on its over-exposed legal cananbis program. While the population has inched up, Oklahoma approved over 2,600 medical marijuana licenses and is now trying to get recreational cannabis started in the state.  With over 9,000 marijuana cultivation licenses issued as well, it was a well known secret that cannabis grown in Oklahoma was ending up in other states. Oklahoma's new vigorous regulatory efforts within the… Read more.

It was one year ago on Friday that President Joe Biden issued a mass marijuana pardon and directed an administrative scheduling review. Lawmakers and advocates say it’s time to do more. While there is broad based consensus among reform supporters that the president’s action last year represented a positive step in the right direction, on this first anniversary they’re emphasizing that it was exactly that: just a step and not, by any means, the end of the federal government’s war on… Read more.

Arkansas’s recently enacted law permitting medical cannabis patients to obtain concealed carry gun licenses “creates an unacceptable risk,” and could jeopardize the state’s federally approved alternative firearm licensing policy, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) says. The Arkansas law took effect in August, clarifying that a person’s status as a qualified patient in the state cannot be used “in determining whether an applicant is eligible to be issued a license to carry a concealed handgun.” The policy change has apparently… Read more.

Legal marijuana in Illinois saw “unprecedented growth” in fiscal year 2023, says a new annual report from the state’s Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), with the opening of 28 new retailers and more than $1.5 billion in total retail sales. Total tax revenue from the industry dropped in fiscal year 2023, however, falling to $420.9 million from a record $435.1 the previous year. All told, the legal cannabis industry brought in about $451.9 million for the state in… Read more.

Last weekend, officials descended upon a warehouse in Oakland, California, allegedly full of illegal cannabis plants, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Not only cannabis opponents, but also law-abiding operators are not fans of illegal cannabis operations that they must compete with. The department said that it’s one of the largest cannabis busts this year in the Bay Area, where illegal operations are common. Agents raided the warehouse on Sept. 28, located on the 300 block… Read more.

A bipartisan marijuana banking measure has received the Senate Banking Committee's unanimous support, marking a historic development in the ongoing struggle to address the intricate financial issues affecting the cannabis industry according to Reuters.This landmark decision has significant ramifications for a sector that has struggled for years with regulations that have largely compelled legitimate cannabis businesses to function primarily in cash. The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, supported by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT), is the fundamental… Read more.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 240,000 women and 2,100 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. Of that number, an estimated 42,000 women and 500 men lose their lives to the disease. There are many factors that contribute to a person’s diagnosis, including older age, genetic mutations, or having a family history of breast cancer. In order to treat the condition, patients can undergo surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and more, but it depends on the type… Read more.

With Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) ousted as House speaker in a historic vote to vacate the position on Tuesday, cannabis policy observers are wondering how the new GOP leadership will approach marijuana banking, legalization and other reform issues. Who will take the speakership is yet to be seen, but so far Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) have announced they are running for the top House position. Based on their records, marijuana reform advocates… Read more.

Nearly 40 New Jersey cannabis dispensaries will share $12 million in state joint venture grants from the state Economic Development Authority, PIX 11 reports. The grants are geared toward diverse representatives of communities most affected by the war on drugs.     In an interview with PIX 11, Francesca DeRogatis, co-founder and COO of Nightjar which will receive a $250,000 grant, described the program as “really life changing.”  Jill Cohen, founding owner of Elevated by The Cannaboss Lady Dispensary, said the funds will help… Read more.

Whether you love her, hate her or hate to love her, you’ve got to admit that when Kim Kardashian makes a move, the world watches. So when the social media starlet announced that her fourth baby shower would be “CBD-themed,” with A-listers like Paris Hilton, Chrissy Teigen and, of course, the entire Kardashian clan blissing out with a sound bath and making custom CBD bath salts, cannabidiol had officially gone mainstream. With millions of fans watching along on Instagram, it’s… Read more.

The former chairwoman of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) is suing the state treasurer after she was removed from her position leading the agency, SHNS reports. In the lawsuit, Shannon O’Brien accuses Deborah Goldberg of removing her as head of the CCC “without notice, without articulated reason, and without any opportunity to be heard, all of which is required by the clear and unambiguous provisions of Massachusetts law … as well as basic norms of due process.”  Goldberg had appointed O’Brien… Read more.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) has been miscounting the number of medical cannabis patients and caregivers enrolled in its low-THC oil registry for years, 11 Alive reports. Health officials had previously reported there were about 50,000 people signed up for the registry, but the figure is actually about 14,000.  The inconsistency was due to officials counting expired and duplicate ID cards, patients counted as caregivers, and about 3,400 patients who had died. The state database had counted 21,000 caregivers but… Read more.

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill into law which would allow California doctors to immediately begin writing prescriptions for MDMA and psilocybin medications should the federal government choose to reschedule them. Gov. Newsom signed AB 1021 on Saturday in an effort to prepare California doctors ahead of expected federal movement regarding psychedelics like MDMA and psilocybin, which have increasingly shown effectiveness against several different mental health related issues. MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms are currently considered Schedule 1 narcotics under the Controlled… Read more.

The City Council in Portland, Maine, has voted to deprioritize the local enforcement of laws against psychedelic plants and fungi, adopting a resolution on Monday that emphasizes treating the use and possession of all controlled substances as a public health matter. The body voted 6–3 in favor of the resolution, which says that the arrest and prosecution of people for possession, use, cultivation for personal use or sharing without compensation should be the lowest law enforcement priority for the city.… Read more.

What The Israelis Are Currently Studying In The Psychedelic Field For several decades now, Israel has been a global leader when it comes to scientific marijuana research. It was also Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, an Israeli chemist, who was responsible for first isolating THC and labeling it as the primary psychoactive compound in the plant back in 1965. Israel is far more advanced compared to any country in the world when it comes to cannabis research, even the US. That’s because the federal government still… Read more.

Florida’s Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for next month in a case that will decide whether a marijuana legalization initiative will appear on the state’s 2024 ballot. Over the past several months, the court has been receiving briefs from both the state attorney general, who filed a legal challenge against the cannabis measure and is asking for it to be invalidated, and the Smart & Safe Florida campaign, which is behind the proposed reform. Attorney General Ashley Moody’s (R)… Read more.

New Mexico’s legal marijuana retailers sold more than $47 million of combined adult-use and medical marijuana products in September, according to new data from the New Mexico Regulation & Licensing Department (RLD). While that marks a slight decline from the state’s $48 million monthly sales record set in August, the state has now reached the benchmark of half a billion dollars of recreational marijuana products being purchased since sales launched in April of last year. Since then, sales of adult-use marijuana… Read more.

Washington, D.C. medical marijuana patients could submit products directly to labs for testing—and regulators would be able to issue temporary cannabis patient registrations to non-residents that last for up to a year—under a bill that was recently sent to the mayor’s desk. The legislation, sponsored by D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie (D), would additionally expand who could qualify as social equity cannabis license applicants. It was sent to Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) late last month, and… Read more.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a new podcast last week about the future of veteran health care, and the first episode of the series focuses on the healing potential of psychedelics. Hosted by VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, episode one of the New Horizons in Health podcast featured discussion from two other VA doctors—Ilse Weichers, executive director of the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, and Joshua Woolley, whom the department describes as one… Read more.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has signed a bill that would allow doctors to immediately start prescribing certain currently illicit drugs like psilocybin and MDMA if they’re federally rescheduled, and he also approved separate legislation to amend THC variance testing requirements for marijuana. The governor signed off on the measures—which are just two of more than a dozen cannabis and drug policy reform proposals on his desk—on Saturday. AB 1021, sponsored by Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks (D), Isaac Bryan (D) and Corey… Read more.

In recent years, the rise of online cannabis dispensaries, particularly in states where cannabis is legal for medical and recreational use, has been remarkable. The New York Times looked at how this surge in online dispensaries has revolutionized the cannabis industry, providing numerous benefits. Nevertheless, the expanding legalization of cannabis in the United States has widened the marijuana market, raising concerns about potential accessibility to minors. Benefits of Online Cannabis Shops First and foremost, online dispensaries provide customers with the convenience of shopping from… Read more.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has stopped using a particular brand of cocaine field testing kits after more than a decade due to an investigation by one of their detectives which revealed the kits potentially give false positive results. According to local news outlets in the area, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office issued a notice to all officers to immediately stop using the test kits after a detective learned that multiple over-the-counter medications caused the kits to show a positive reading for cocaine. JSO… Read more.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) announced on Sept. 27 that its previously recorded data regarding the number of medical cannabis patients is actually less than expected. The state found “anomalies” that inflated its patient and caregiver numbers, which originally was projected to be about 50,000 patients. This number was still taking into account patients whose cards have expired or those who have passed away since 2015, and now a more accurate 14,000 reflects the true patient count, according… Read more.

Ultra Cannabis, a recreational dispensary headquartered in Michigan, is demonstrating its solidarity with the committed members and suppliers of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union during the ongoing strike against prominent automakers. In a gesture of support, Ultra Cannabis has unveiled an exclusive 25% discount for all UAW members and supplier associates who provide a valid union ID. The UAW strike, which commenced on September 15, 2023, has garnered widespread national interest, particularly among Ford Motor Co. employees. General Motors… Read more.

The era of pre-employment marijuana screenings for most would-be state workers in Michigan officially came to a close on Sunday as a code change approved in July took effect. The change is the result of an amendment unanimously approved in July by the Michigan Civil Service Commission, which also gives people who’ve already been penalized over positive THC tests an opportunity to have the sanction retroactively rescinded. Commission Chair Jase Bolger said at the time that the intention is to treat cannabis… Read more.

New details have emerged about the suspension of Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien, who has filed a lawsuit alleging the punishment is unlawful. Treasurer Deb Goldberg, who appointed O’Brien last year, said in a statement that the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) hired a law firm to investigate “several serious allegations” made by a commissioner and other agency staffers, according to the Boston Herald. “The law firm undertook an investigation and has returned with a report,” the statement noted, without elaborating on the… Read more.

Banking institutions are engaging in a competitive race to accommodate cannabis businesses in anticipation of forthcoming alterations in the federal classification of cannabis, as national data indicates. Although cannabis remains federally prohibited, a pivotal shift is on the horizon due to the U.S. Health & Human Services Department's (HHS) recommendation to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reports a notable surge in banking institutions actively seeking partnerships with cannabis businesses. This… Read more.

A cannabis banking bill was revised in several different ways under an amendment adopted by the Senate Banking Committee during Wednesday’s markup, according to text that has not yet been officially posted by the panel but which was obtained by Marijuana Moment. As the debate started, the committee first approved the amendment from Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH), which was described as a mix of technical changes and revisions requested by bipartisan members. It touches on issues related to federal guidance for banks… Read more.

Opponents of a proposed bill to legalize marijuana in Germany did not muster enough support to block the measure in legislative body representing states, meaning it will now continue through the process. Germany’s legislature is composed of two main bodies: the Bundestag, which is comprised of democratically elected lawmakers, and the Bundesrat (or Federal Council), which has members representing individual states. On Friday, the legalization bill was brought up in the latter chamber, where legislators urged the adoption of amendments but did… Read more.

Backers of a 2024 ballot measure to legalize adult-use cannabis in South Dakota are calling on state officials to scuttle a separate initiative effort that would repeal the state’s existing medical marijuana law. South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, which is working to qualify a recreational marijuana proposal for next year’s ballot, said in a recent letter to Secretary of State Monae Johnson (R) that petitions in support of the medical cannabis repeal measure failed to follow state requirements and should be refiled.… Read more.

New Jersey officials have announced the availability of $5.5 million in marijuana revenue to support a hospital-based violence intervention grants program.Grants will be awarded beginning next year, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin (D) said in a press release. Launched in 2020, the New Jersey Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Program connects survivors of violent crime, including gun violence, with community-based organizations that provide support services “starting at their bedside.”“These innovative violence intervention programs allow providers to tend… Read more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says the bipartisan committee vote to advance a marijuana banking bill on Wednesday “underscores how much momentum we have right now” as he plans to bring the legislation to the floor “soon” and attach “very significant criminal justice provisions.” In a floor speech on Thursday, Schumer said he’s “really proud of the bipartisan deal we produced” ahead of the Senate Banking Committee markup that saw the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act pass in… Read more.

Ukrainian immigrants looking for a better future are turning to opportunities in medical cannabis in multiple states. The Herald-Dispatch reports that a pair of Ukrainian immigrants are owners of a new dispensary opening up in Huntington, West Virginia. While one of the operators emigrated to the U.S. decades ago, they are proudly supporting their home country as it battles Russian forces. Over 271,000 Ukrainian refugees have been admitted to the U.S. since Russia invaded Ukraine over a year ago, according to the Department of… Read more.

At a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) workshop about psychedelic medicine earlier this month, the director of mental health for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said she thinks research into psychedelic-assisted therapy needs to more closely resemble real world scenarios. Requiring subjects to have specific diagnoses and pass strict screening protocols, she said, makes it impossible to accurately generalize the effects of such treatment on patients. “There has been great interest in this,” said Rachel Yehuda,… Read more.

One of the most prominent effects of marijuana use is the undeniable craving for food that often ensues, commonly referred to as "the munchies." When this sensation takes hold, no bag of chips, pack of Oreos, or any other sugary, salty, or fatty indulgence is spared. Interestingly, one might assume that all this snacking would lead to users piling on extra pounds. However, a recent study suggests that the opposite might be true. In this study, researchers scrutinized Body Mass Index… Read more.

A professional organization representing more than 5 million nurses in the U.S. has announced its formal recognition of cannabis as a nursing specialty practice area. The American Nurses Association (ANA) said in a press release about the change on Wednesday that cannabis nurses play an important role in providing patients with education and guidance on incorporating marijuana into treatment. “This recognition highlights the essential role and special contribution of cannabis nurses to the health care system and promotes enhanced integration… Read more.

Roughly three out of five Ohio voters support a marijuana legalization measure that will appear on November’s ballot, according to a newly released poll, with nearly two thirds of respondents saying they believe legalization in the state is “inevitable.” With less than two weeks before widespread early voting kicks off, 55 percent of respondents said they “definitely” or “probably” will vote yes on the legalization initiative, while about 34 percent “definitely” or “probably” will oppose it. Only about 11 percent… Read more.

A bipartisan coalition of 22 state attorneys general is calling on Congress to pass a marijuana banking bill that cleared a key Senate committee on Wednesday. In a letter sent to congressional leaders on Tuesday, the top law enforcement officials of nearly half the states in the U.S. said they have a “strong interest in enabling economic growth and stability while simultaneously protecting the physical and economic wellbeing of constituents working in this industry.” Citing the fact that a majority of states… Read more.

Detroit Police last week raided the city’s first “psychedelic church,” operated by Soul Tribes, which offers psilocybin mushrooms as a holy sacrament, the Detroit Metro Times reports. The raid came days after the Metro Times published a cover story about the church.  Owner Shaman Shu believes the raid violates Proposal E, which was approved by voters last year and decriminalized the possession of entheogenic plants and fungi, including psilocybin mushrooms, in the city. The church includes a “sacrament center” which sells dried psilocybin mushrooms,… Read more.

Thailand’s Prime Minister May Stop Recreational Cannabis Use What This Could Mean For The Future Of Thailand’s Weed Industry For over a year now, Thailand has been enjoying its status as the world’s newest stoner’s paradise. Since June 2022, dispensaries and weed shops to cater to all kinds of lifestyles mushroomed all over the country. Thanks to Anutin Charnvirakul, the Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister for the Bhumjaithai Party. Since he was responsible for helping Thailand recover after the pandemic, he… Read more.

Union Square Travel Agency stands out among the first wave of equity and nonprofit retail licensees in New York. The third Manhattan adult-use cannabis dispensary opened at 62 E. 12 St. in February and now has expanded into larger digs around the corner at 835 Broadway. A line extended around that corner on Tuesday night drawn by the new location, and a chance to shop and see actress and comedian Amy Sedaris who hung out behind the counter for a lengthy meet… Read more.

Republican senators, including the lead GOP sponsor of a bipartisan marijuana banking bill, are gearing up to introduce new legislation designed to thwart any federal legalization of marijuana by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) without explicit approval from Congress. Senators Leading the Charge The fight against potential federal marijuana legalization without congressional permission is being led by Senators Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming (R-WY) and Steve Daines of Montana (R-MT). Regarding cannabis policy, Senator Lummis has continuously defended states' rights, firmly believing… Read more.

A pro-business, center-left group of House Democratic lawmakers is pushing to use the next Farm Bill to reduce regulatory burdens on industrial hemp growers. The New Democrat Coalition, which is comprised of nearly 100 House members and describes itself as “united behind a mission to build an economy that works for every American,” released an endorsement slate on Monday that lays out policy priorities as lawmakers begin to craft the 2023 Farm Bill. One of the 44 bills they want… Read more.

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability last week voted 30-14 to advance a measure that would allow cannabis consumers to qualify for security clearances and become federal employees, GovExec reports. The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md) and Nancy Mace (R-SC), would end the practice of denying security clearances for federal employees who admit to past cannabis use. The proposal would also allow applicants who have been previously denied a federal job or security clearance in 2008 or later to seek reconsideration of that decision. … Read more.

This is the third election cycle in a row that Crista Eggers has led the fight to put medical marijuana legalization on the Nebraska ballot. But this is the last time, she says. Defeat is simply not an option she’s willing to accept. “There’s just no choice,” she told Marijuana Moment in a recent phone interview. “I keep calling it the final time—not because there would be any giving up, but this is the final time. We’re going to get… Read more.

The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission has approved the sale and transfer of marijuana products that previously tested positive for Aspergillus, a mold variety that has prompted product recalls in various markets. This regulatory decision now enables the release of 2,500 pounds of cannabis and 65,000 infused pre-roll units, initially withheld due to mold concerns, for distribution through licensed channels, as detailed in a news release. In May, the Oregon Health Authority implemented fresh regulations for cannabis producers, enforcing a… Read more.

President Joe Biden is again touting his mass marijuana pardon from last year, referencing the act of clemency at a Congressional Black Caucus Foundation awards ceremony. “I’m keeping my promise that no one—no one—should be in jail merely for the use or possession of marijuana. God Almighty,” the president exclaimed. “And those who are in jail, they’re going to be released and the records are going to be expunged.” The speech at the event with Black lawmakers is just the… Read more.

The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CMAS) last week recommended removal of cannabis from its list of banned substances for all three divisions, calling instead for a “robust educational strategy.” The organization first announced in June they were considering the reforms.  The committee concluded that removing cannabis from its testing protocols acknowledges the ineffectiveness of existing policy, which includes banning, testing, and penalizing; affirms the role of the NCAA drug-testing program to address only performance-enhancing substances; and… Read more.

A group that represents state lawmakers across the U.S. is urging Senate leaders to pass a bipartisan marijuana banking bill to provide a “much-needed solution” to the “unsafe and untenable” challenges that the cannabis industry faces under prohibition. In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Monday, National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) CEO Tim Storey expressed the organization’s support for the revised Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER)… Read more.

Cannabis dispensaries in McHenry County, Illinois are now required to display signs with a warning that “cannabis use may contribute to mental health problems” under “first-in-the-country” rules imposed by McHenry County State Attorney Patrick Kenneally, Axios reports. Businesses that don’t comply could face consumer fraud lawsuits from Kenneally.   Kenneally defended the new order in a Chicago Tribune op-ed in which he suggests a “growing body of research” that “cannabis can … initiate and worsen depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and suicidal ideation, especially in young people.”… Read more.

Early pregnancy is rife with postpartum depression and other mood problems. We realize it's an overstatement, but those first few days, weeks, and months are HARD. Sleep deprivation, aching, leaking, or engorged breasts... throw in mental health difficulties, and you have a recipe for total exhaustion. Fortunately, there is less stigma associated with postpartum depression (PPD) than formerly. PPD is being discussed more frequently, and there is a better awareness of new parents' symptoms and many remedies. Many moms are finding success… Read more.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is proposing a dramatic restructuring of the federal government’s workforce, in part by eliminating certain agencies like the FBI. But, at the same time, he wants to keep and significantly expand the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) despite having criticized the broader war on drugs. The 38-year-old presidential hopeful—who has voiced support for legalizing marijuana and decriminalizing certain psychedelics—detailed his plan to fire about 75 percent of federal workers and shutter key agencies during a recent domestic… Read more.

As the legalization of recreational marijuana spreads across the United States, there is growing curiosity about its impact on the brain, including concerns about potential harm to brain cells. Just as the prolonged use of alcohol, methamphetamine, and heroin can lead to irreversible brain damage, excessive and extended marijuana use can disrupt the normal functioning of brain cells. This ultimately affects their ability to transmit messages (a process called brain activity). Using marijuana can damage brain cells, which in turn can manifest… Read more.

In a letter to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram, 14 Republican lawmakers urged the agency to reject the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommendation to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III.  “It is irresponsible for HHS to recommend that marijuana be removed from Schedule I. It would also be irresponsible for DEA to act on this recommendation,” the letter states. “Our country relies on DEA to enforce our nation’s drug laws.… Read more.

A National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) committee is formally recommending that its divisional governing bodies remove marijuana from the list of banned substances list for college athletes. The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports said on Friday that members met this week and decided to advise all three of the association’s governing bodies to introduce and enact legislation to stop testing and punishing players for cannabinoids. This comes three months after the committee first signaled its interest… Read more.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says a bipartisan marijuana banking will pass “decisively” out of his panel next week, as senators discuss possible tweaks on its path to the floor and anti-drug advocates decry the reform as a public safety hazard. The revised Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act that’s due for a committee markup next Wednesday might not enjoy the same level of support as other unrelated bills that recently moved out of the panel,… Read more.

A top Wisconsin Democratic senator has announced the filing of a new and updated bill to legalize marijuana in the state, sharing details about the latest reform push at a press conference she held while surrounded by cannabis plants at a hemp farm. Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard (D) has long championed marijuana legalization in the legislature, and she says her new bill draws from both her discussions with Wisconsin voters as she’s led a “Grass Routes” tour across the… Read more.

A new United Nations report highlights the many human rights concerns raised by the war on drugs, urging member states to shift from punitive drug-control policies to an approach rooted in public health. Dealing with drugs as a criminal problem, the report says, is causing further harm. “Laws, policies and practices deployed to address drug use must not end up exacerbating human suffering,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement Wednesday. “The drugs problem remains… Read more.

In recent years, the cannabis industry has undergone a transformation, evolving from an underground, unregulated market to a legal and burgeoning sector. Within this transformation, a trend has emerged that seems to parallel the growth of another well-established industry: craft beer. Just as craft beer disrupted the traditional beer market and captivated consumers with unique “niche” offerings, the craft cannabis market is set to mirror this trajectory, offering high-quality products and a very personalized experience. Roots of the Craft Movement… Read more.

A new report from the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR) looking at the nation’s illicit cannabis market makes a number of policy suggestions aimed at reining in unlicensed marijuana sales. Among them, the group calls for a centralized, nationwide track-and-trace system as well as marijuana tax stamps to help “distinguish regulated cannabis products from illicit products.” “Eliminating the illicit market requires a multifaceted approach, one that leverages technology and data and relies on collaboration between law enforcement… Read more.

The Pennsylvania Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bill to allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients—and there’s talk of potentially expanding the legislation in the House to allow for personal home cultivation as well. In a 44-3 vote on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled Senate advanced the measure from Sen. Chris Gebhard (R), who first previewed plans to file the reform bill late last year. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law currently says that only… Read more.

A crackdown by authorities in Kay County, Oklahoma led to the confiscation of 4,800 pounds of cannabis and five businesses shut down, KOCO reports. The operation was led by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and was prompted by both routine inspections of licensed medical cannabis businesses and civilian complaints.    Mel Woodrow, chief of enforcement and compliance at OMMA, told KOCO that the action was the first time the agency had conducted such an operation.   The crackdown comes as Oklahoma officials try to reign… Read more.

New Study Shows That Cannabis Extracts Are Useful For Autism - Promising Benefits Of CBD For Autism According to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 100 children have autism. While the symptoms of autism vary greatly, kids who grow up with autism can struggle with many aspects of life. These include challenges in communication, learning, socialization, and behavior. As a result, this can affect their families, personal relationships, and work. Medical professionals now have a wide range of treatments available for autism, ranging… Read more.

Marijuana Moment is reporting a group of 14 Republican congressional members is calling on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to oppose the top federal health agency's suggestion to change the scheduling of marijuana, advocating instead for it to remain in the most stringent category as per the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In a letter addressed to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram on Monday, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX) took the lead, along with twelve other colleagues from both chambers. They asserted… Read more.

A group in Oregon wants to make drug possession a crime again, having unveiled two versions of a would-be ballot initiative that would undo key provisions of Measure 110, the 2020 voter-approved measure that decriminalized simple possession of all drugs. The proposal—which backers say they’ll pursue both through the state legislature and at the ballot box, if necessary—would make it a misdemeanor crime to possess certain “hard” drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and others. It would also create a… Read more.

A marijuana banking bill that’s set for a Senate committee markup next week has an updated title and several new provisions related to federal financial regulations, guidance and reporting requirements, according to a summary that is circulating. And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said on Tuesday he intends to “bring this legislation to the floor with all due speed.” The title of the measure is being extended by one word. The bill that’s being circulated ahead of the Senate Banking… Read more.

London, England-based psychedelics startup incubator Beckley Waves has raised $3.3 million in seed funding, Axios reports. The firm backs startups focused on therapies, education, and software.  Investors in the raise include the Joe and Sandy Samberg Foundation, Satori Neuro, Evolve Ventures and Foundation, Bridge Builders Collaborative, 1440 Foundation, Austin Hearst, and Asia Agnelli.  Daniel Love, a partner at Beckley, told Axios the company plans to use the funds to launch two companies and “make a handful of strategic investments.” Love added that… Read more.

Alaska lawmakers are considering a proposal to lower the state tax on cannabis from a per-ounce tax to a sales tax, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Under the state law, enacted in 2014, cannabis is taxed at $50 an ounce.  In fiscal year 2021, the state collected more than $30 million from cannabis taxes, the report says. However, according to a 2022 report from the Tax Policy Center of the Brookings Institution, when local taxes are included, Alaska taxes cannabis more than other states. In fiscal… Read more.

During the second meeting of a New Hampshire commission tasked with preparing legislation to legalize marijuana through a novel system of state-run stores, members on Monday considered an alternative proposal that would instead establish a franchise model for cannabis sales. “The model that we are looking to put into place, that we feel would be feasible, is that the Liquor Commission would be the franchisor and the franchisee would be the retailer,” Joseph Mollica, chairman of the New Hampshire Liquor Commission,… Read more.

A group of state cannabis regulators is asking Congress to change laws around hemp and cannabinoids through the forthcoming 2023 Farm Bill, seeking to adjust the federal definition of the crop and modify rules around hemp-derived cannabinoids. The changes are needed, says the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA), because the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp nationwide, “inadvertently resulted in a thriving market for intoxicating cannabinoid products that are included (or claim to be included) within the definition of ‘hemp.'” The… Read more.

Workers at a Phoenix, Arizona cannabis dispensary went on strike last week after the company, Curaleaf Midtown, failed to negotiate a contract despite the workers voting to join the UFCW Local 99 in June 2022, FOX 10 Phoenix reports. The strike marks the first time cannabis industry employees have gone on strike in Arizona.  The workers are demanding better pay and benefits, better working conditions, and safety. They are also demanding that Curaleaf Midtown reinstate a recently fired worker and start advancing union contract negotiations. According… Read more.

The Chicago, Illinois City Council is considering a proposal that would allow only businesses that hold a state issued cannabis license to sell hemp-derived cannabis products that contain THC, including delta-8, delta-10, and THC-O, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Businesses without cannabis licenses would still be allowed to sell hemp products with negligible amounts of delta-9, but would not be allowed to advertise the sale of THC, use images associated with cannabis, or call themselves dispensaries.   Second Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, chair of the… Read more.

New Jersey marijuana regulators are accepting public comments on a proposal that would create a new permit to allow “clinically focused” dispensaries to enter into partnerships with research institutions to carry out cannabis studies using products that they grow or sell to patients. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) said it is seeking to amend the state’s marijuana law to create “clinical registrant permits” that would allow more targeted research into “the therapeutic or palliative efficacy of medical cannabis,”… Read more.

The chairman of a key House committee is proposing to significantly scale back a bipartisan bill on marijuana-related protections for federal workers that’s scheduled for a vote in his panel this week. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee is scheduled to hold a markup of the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act—sponsored by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Nancy Mace (R-SC) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)—on Wednesday. But ahead of that meeting, Chairman James Comer (R-KY) says he will be filing an… Read more.

While THC and CBD have merits, a more nuanced understanding of the plant reveals an intricate network of compounds that work synergistically. Recognizing this network can lead to more effective treatments for various ailments and conditions, opening up a new frontier in medical research.  Understanding the synergistic relationships between these compounds, such as THCA and other cannabinoids, may represent the next significant leap in studying and applying cannabis-based products.  What Is THCA?  Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, or THCA, is one of the… Read more.

New York Firm Predicts Psychedelic Drugs Market Will Generate Over $12B In Next 12 Years The burgeoning interest in psychedelic substances and their potential applications has caught the attention of Research Nester, a New York-based strategic consulting firm. In their latest global market research analysis, they have peered into the future of the psychedelic drugs market, projecting trends and growth prospects through the year 2035. The results of this comprehensive study paint a promising picture, indicating significant expansion in the industry… Read more.

Purchases of adult-use cannabis in Montana hit a monthly record in August, according to newly released sales numbers from the state’s Cannabis Control Division. Medical marijuana receipts for the month, meanwhile, were at their lowest since adult-use stores opened in January 2022. Adult-use marijuana sales tallied $23,728,009 in August, the Department of Revenue report shows. Medical cannabis added $4,969,303, for a monthly total of nearly $28.7 million—the highest monthly haul ever recorded for the state’s marijuana industry. All told, state-licensed… Read more.

A congressional committee next week will vote on a bill to protect people from being denied federal employment or security clearances due to marijuana use—and to provide relief for people who lost opportunities due to cannabis in the past. The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will hold a markup on the legislation, the Cannabis Users’ Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act, on Wednesday, Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced late Friday. “Every year, qualified and dedicated individuals seeking to serve our country are… Read more.

Representatives of multiple federal agencies participated in a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) meeting on Friday for a wide-ranging discussion about cannabis policy, with experts sharing their perspective on issues such as marijuana research barriers under prohibition, efforts to create a regulated pathway for CBD, state initiatives to promote social equity and more. At the NASEM Committee on Public Health Consequences of Changes in the Cannabis Policy Landscape meeting, agencies made a series of presentations to share… Read more.

Kansas City, Missouri officials have green-lighted using proceeds from a 3 percent municipal tax on marijuana to fund a violence prevention program in the city. The City Council on Thursday approved a proposal to put $458,000 in proceeds from the local cannabis tax, which voters approved in April, toward the city’s Aim4Peace initiative, which works with local communities and survivors of violent crime. All told, the city estimates it should make roughly $3 million each year from legal sales after the tax… Read more.

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) has tapped the former CEO of the state’s first licensed cannabis grower as state program manager for cannabis, CT Insider reports. Jennifer Mandzuk worked at Theraplant from 2014 until January and served as the company’s CEO since July 2022, the report says.  DCP spokesperson Kaitlyn Krasselt told Insider that “Agencies often hire subject matter experts from the industry to ensure high quality, experienced staff.”  The state ethics office told Insider that the state’s code of ethics “does not… Read more.

California lawmakers have sent the governor a bill that would prohibit employers from asking job applicants about prior marijuana use. One day after the Assembly passed an amended version of the Senate bill, the originating chamber on Thursday signed off on those changes in a vote of 30-8. It now heads to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). When employers ask applicants about past marijuana use, it “not only dissuades candidates from applying for these positions but also leads to… Read more.

After years of preparation, marijuana use for recreational purposes may soon be legalized in Ohio. Since its clearance on August 16th, the proposal has undergone significant evolution and faced various challenges. These challenges include resistance from lawmakers who declined to deliberate on it and the necessity to gather additional valid signatures to meet the ballot qualification criteria. If passed, the proposal would grant individuals aged 21 and above the right to buy, possess, and cultivate up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis… Read more.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has ruled that the odor of marijuana, on its own, does not establish probable cause for police officers to search a car. The ruling came in the case of a 2021 traffic stop in Meeker County where Adam Torgerson was pulled over by Litchfield police for having too many auxiliary lights on his vehicle’s grill. The officer claimed he smelled marijuana coming out of the open vehicle window. Torgerson, who was driving with his wife and… Read more.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a 2024 presidential candidate, is again calling for federally legalizing marijuana, opening up banking services for the industry and using cannabis tax revenue to fund drug treatment and rehabilitation centers. During an appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Wednesday, Kennedy, who is running as a Democrat, took a question from a Republican caller who asked him to lay out his position on cannabis policy. The son of former Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John… Read more.

A recent ruling by a federal judge has raised questions within the industry: Has this judge effectively legalized hemp-derived cannabinoids such as HHC, Delta-8 THC, THCa, and THCP flower? In summary, the judge in Arkansas determined that the 2018 Farm Bill holds greater legal authority than a state ban on hemp-derived cannabinoids, potentially setting a precedent for future legal actions in other states. The U.S. District Judge Billy Roy Wilson, on Thursday, issued a ruling to halt the enforcement of Act 629 of 2023, a law enacted during… Read more.

Cannabis advocates in Nebraska are making their third attempt to get an initiative to legalize medical cannabis to voters as they host a signature drive kickoff today. Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) has twice failed to get the issue on ballots – in 2020 after the state Supreme Court ruled the question’s wording violated the state’s single subject provision for initiatives, and in 2022 after the campaign failed to gather enough signatures. In a press release, the campaign said the 2022 effort was unsuccessful because the… Read more.

The regulated marijuana industry is grappling with significant challenges, particularly in the cannabis labor market. Recent headlines reveal that many employers, from large multistate operators to small cannabis businesses and related ancillary companies, have been compelled to reduce their workforce. Perhaps most notably, the past year marked the first contraction in the number of cannabis-related jobs in the United States since regulated marijuana markets were established. This unsettling development was detailed in a February 2023 report by Vangst, a Denver-based recruitment firm specializing… Read more.

The Senate Banking Committee will not be voting on cannabis banking legislation next week, despite the suggestions of some key insiders and analysts. While top Senate players on both sides of the aisle have indicated that they’re prepared to move the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act this fall after a “productive” August recess, a Banking Committee spokesperson told Marijuana Moment on Monday that the “markup won’t be next week.” To be clear, no lawmakers involved in the legislation have publicly… Read more.

A Republican congressman who opposes cannabis legalization is demanding answers about the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s (HHS) recent recommendation to reschedule marijuana, writing in a letter to the Biden administration that he’s “very concerned” about the agency’s guidance. In a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC) lists 11 questions he wants the agency to answer by October 3. The questions include inquiries about how HHS arrived at its rescheduling recommendation, which officials “were consulted… Read more.

The Maine regulatory body overseeing the adult-use cannabis market is introducing new regulations to improve consumer accessibility. These modifications, driven by recent record-breaking sales, are primarily influenced by two legislative bills passed this year. One of these bills seeks to diminish the stigma surrounding cannabis. At the same time, the other aims to rectify an omission in a previous year's bill, which permitted cannabis sales at events like concerts and festivals. Maine, the way life should be, is the state slogan,… Read more.

The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is increasing eligibility for its Local Jurisdiction Retail Access Grant (LJRAG) along with the award amounts for municipalities that are given grants under the program.  The LJRAG program is part of the state’s efforts to expand legal cannabis access in jurisdictions where adult-use cannabis operations do not currently exist. The Phase II funding is tied to the local jurisdiction’s issuance of local permits or licenses authorizing cannabis retail. Under the revised Phase II guidelines, eligible local jurisdictions… Read more.

The Justice Department is defending the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) decision to fire an “outstanding” special agent after 16 years of service because he tested positive for THC after taking a CBD product for pain that he said he believed to be legal hemp. That agent, Anthony Armour, filed a lawsuit against DEA in May, seeking a reversal of the termination on several grounds, including a lack of “substantial evidence” that he used an illegal drug, as well as mitigating factors such… Read more.

A group opposed to the legalization of marijuana is targeting a financial agreement between Wells Fargo and the state of Maryland. This arrangement enables state officials to collect and manage tax revenue from cannabis businesses operating legally within the state. The advocacy group is denouncing this arrangement as "a deliberate move to shield banks engaged in federal law violations" and is endeavoring to inform federal authorities about it. In response, the state maintains that it is "in adherence to relevant laws and… Read more.

High Times has been sold to Victoria, BC-based psychedelics firm Lucy Scientific Discovery (for LSD) headed by disgraced Hollywood executive Richard Nanula. The news leaked out yesterday with a press release sent to a handful of media sources: Lucy Scientific Discovery Inc. (“Lucy” or “the Company”) (NASDAQ: LSDI), a leading psychotropic innovator announces the acquisition of the intellectual property (IP) of High Times, the most recognizable and iconic brand in the cannabis industry. This acquisition provides a stream of high-margin licensing and… Read more.

You may remember an article posted on Cannabis.net called, "Legal Cannabis is More Expensive But It is Lab-Tested and Safe, NOT!", where Colorado has seen a large amount of attempted cheating and work-arounds for cannabis samples to get approved as safe from their cannabis testing lab reports.  The premise highlights how everyone, including legal weed growers that have to have products tested, are trying to juice their already thin profits by using pesticides and other banned substances to ehance grow results. Is… Read more.

California is suing several hemp brands throughout the U.S. claiming violations of the state’s Proposition 65 rules, which require products “known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity” to carry a “clear and reasonable” warning label. Although the 2018 Farm Bill effectively legalized hemp containing 0.3% THC or less at the federal level, in California’s legal system, delta-9 THC is considered a chemical “known to cause harm to the developing fetus” and having any amount present makes a product… Read more.

According to recently released data from Health Canada to MJBizDaily, Canada's medical cannabis exporters found their most significant markets in Australia and Israel last year. During the fiscal year from April 2022 to March 2023, Canada shipped 59,986 kilograms (approximately 132,200 pounds) of medical marijuana flower abroad. This marked a substantial 48% surge compared to the previous year's export volume of 40,640 kilograms. This is overlapping with the news that Colombia is already shipping thousands of pounds of cannabis to Europe due… Read more.

Workers at three Rise dispensaries in Illinois have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. Rise is a subsidiary of multi-state operator Green Thumb Industries (GTI), and the contract covers workers at two locations in Joliet and one in Niles. The agreement marks the end of what the Teamsters Local 777 described as a “protracted fight” with GTI that included a 13-day work stoppage that ended in May. Jim Glimco, Local 777 president, said the “fight should be a lesson to cannabis companies… Read more.

The chair of a New York Senate cannabis committee says his panel will hold its first public hearing next month to try and identify legislative solutions to the state’s ongoing marijuana legalization implementation problems by bringing regulators, lawmakers, stakeholders and advocates together for a “fair and productive” policy discussion. Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D), who was appointed to lead the Senate’s first-ever cannabis panel earlier this year, announced the October 30 hearing during a press conference on Thursday. He said that the purpose… Read more.

Proposed medical cannabis rule changes in South Dakota would allow for higher possession limits for edibles and would raise registration fees for medical cannabis companies from $5,000 to $5,310, KELO reports. Under the proposal, patients could possess up to 15 grams of edible oils and 2,000 milligrams of THC of other edibles products, up from 500 milligrams.  The allowable THC in edibles would also be raised from 100 milligrams to 500 milligrams.  The rules would also allow the size of infused topical products to be 16… Read more.

Music fans heading to Mundelein, Illinois, this weekend will make history as part of the state’s first-ever concert to allow open marijuana consumption. Headliners, fittingly, include the cannabis-friendly artists Cypress Hill, Stephen Marley and Action Bronson. Kicking off Saturday afternoon, the two-day Miracle in Mundelein festival will feature complimentary rolling papers, lighters and grinders, as well as dab bars and rolling stations for use by attendees. Marijuana products themselves will be available for sale through a retailer located next door.… Read more.

During a presidential campaign event in Iowa on Saturday, Ron DeSantis reaffirmed his stance against the legalisation of marijuana. He expressed worries about the potential for young children to access cannabis contaminated with fentanyl. DeSantis underscored that he sees this issue as a pressing modern concern, differing greatly from substances used decades ago. He thinks that such substances' usage among the youth leads to a myriad of problems. Additionally, he highlighted the severe toll drugs are taking on the nation. The… Read more.

The head of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), which is set to vote on a referendum to legalize cannabis for adults on Thursday, says he believes efforts by an anti-marijuana North Carolina GOP congressman to insert himself into the tribe’s internal affairs could ultimately cause more members to support of the measure. In an interview this week with Marijuana Moment, EBCI Principal Chief Richard G. Sneed said it was a “big misstep” for U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-NC) to run… Read more.

As the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina prepares for a vote on the legalization of adult-use cannabis, U.S. Representative Chuck Edwards (R) has issued a threat to defund the tribe, regardless of the vote's outcome. Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the tribe has characterized this move by the Republican congressman as a significant political misstep. On the late evening of September 1st, Edwards introduced what he has named the "Stop Pot Act." This proposed bill would withhold 10% of federal… Read more.

The California Assembly has approved a Senate-passed psychedelics legalization bill, sending it back to the opposite chamber for concurrence on recent amendments before the measure potentially heads to the governor’s desk. The Assembly cleared the legislation from Sen. Scott Wiener (D) in a 42-11 vote on Wednesday—a significant victory for advocates after an earlier version of the psychedelics reform measure that also passed the Senate ultimately stalled out in the Assembly last year. The bill would legalize the possession and… Read more.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is reiterating his commitment to advancing marijuana banking reform as the chamber comes back into session from the August recess. In a floor speech on Tuesday, Schumer discussed various legislative priorities for the coming weeks and months. That includes “making progress on cannabis” through the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, he said. However, he stressed that “we are under no illusion that we can make progress on the Senate floor unless we… Read more.

An anti-marijuana advocacy group is taking aim at a banking arrangement between Wells Fargo and the state of Maryland that allows officials to receive and process tax revenue generated by state-legal cannabis businesses, calling the scheme “an active effort to protect the banks who are breaking federal law” and making an attempt to alert federal officials about it. The state, for its part, has said it “complies with applicable laws and regulations.” Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), which opposes marijuana… Read more.

The governor of Colorado is applauding President Joe Biden after his administration’s top health agency recommended rescheduling marijuana—but he says the initial move must be followed with more action to address cannabis banking, immigration, criminal justice reform and federal enforcement concerns. That should include developing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance clarifying that it will not interfere in state-legal marijuana activities, he said. In a letter sent to Biden on Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis (D) commended the U.S. Department of Health… Read more.

Activists in California are seeking to add a psychedelic mushroom legalization question to 2024 ballots, the San Francisco Standard reports. Ryan Munevar, campaign director for Decriminalize California, told the Standard that the group originally “wanted to go for all psychedelics, but the problem was there wasn’t enough public comprehension about what else was out there.”  According to the Decriminalize California website, the campaign must collect 546,651 valid signatures by January 10.   The proposal would allow for the cultivation, manufacturing, testing, distribution, transportation, possession,… Read more.

A key Senate committee chairman says that he’s spoken with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) about moving bipartisan marijuana banking legislation, which he hopes to advance along with several other priority bills “in the next six weeks.” Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told Punchbowl News on Monday that the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act is one of the top bills on his fall legislative agenda. And while he didn’t comment on the substance of his conversation… Read more.

Now that the Department of Health and Human Services recommended moving cannabis to schedule 3, the industry is asking what impact a potential reclassification would have on the financial futures of U.S. cannabis companies. The removal of the tax burden from section 280E of the IRS tax code is expected to be one of the biggest changes. But how big would that effect be? Mike Regan, director of research at Excelsior Equities, recently spoke with Green Market Report to break down the math. “Consensus estimates expect about… Read more.

Maryland officials are unveiling a new portal that will allow people to check their eligibility for a social equity marijuana business license before regulators begin to accept applications later this year. The Maryland Cannabis Administration (MCA) announced on Friday that the Social Equity Verification Portal will open on September 8. It’s one of the latest ways regulators are working to promote policies built into the state’s legalization law that support communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana criminalization. “Our goal with establishing… Read more.

Bahamian officials have introduced a comprehensive legislative package to legalize marijuana for medical, religious, and research purposes, with a concurrent move to decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of cannabis and expunge previous convictions for simple possession. These proposed bills aim to establish a regulated and secure cannabis industry in the Bahamas. Attorney General Ryan Pinder and Health and Wellness Minister Michael Darville unveiled these reforms during a recent press briefing, expressing their goal of presenting the bills in Parliament by… Read more.

According to a study conducted by scholars from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Oregon State University, utilizing national data, it was discovered that in states where recreational marijuana had been legalized, non-college-bound young adults exhibited a higher propensity to become frequent marijuana users compared to their counterparts in states where it remained illegal. These research findings have been documented in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Following the legalization of marijuana at the state level, it was observed that… Read more.

The Missouri medical cannabis company that had nearly 63,000 products recalled last month lost its bid to stop the recall after a Cole County Circuit judge on Thursday dismissed the case, KMIZ reports. The judge ruled that Delta Extraction, LLC did not exhaust administrative remedies and that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the complaint.    The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) had issued the recall because the products were not tracked by the state’s seed-to-sale-tracking system, METRC, and that the agency could… Read more.

Congressional lawmakers might be encouraged by news that the top U.S. health agency is recommending marijuana rescheduling—but some like Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) are also stressing that this is just a “step” in the right direction as they pursue legalization. Scores of legislators, including Republican members, have applauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for advising the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act… Read more.

A California Senate-passed bill to legalize the possession and facilitated use of certain psychedelics is officially heading to the Assembly floor after being approved by a third committee in the chamber, albeit with several substantive amendments. The Assembly Appropriations Committee also cleared a separate Senate-passed measure on Friday that would prohibit employers from asking job applicants about prior marijuana use. The panel adopted technical amendments, so it will need to return to the Senate for concurrence before moving to the floor. The… Read more.

If the U.S. government moves marijuana to Schedule III of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA)—as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has now formally recommended—the shift could have profound implications for all sorts of cannabis-related issues, ranging from research to business taxes to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mailing rules. In the aftermath of the HHS announcement, some of the proposal’s would-be consequences are clearer than others. For instance, it’s evident that cannabis businesses could, for the first time, claim… Read more.

Over the last two years, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) has shut down more than 800 unlawful cannabis farms operating under the guise of the state’s medical cannabis law, KFOR reports. The crackdowns have led to more than 200 arrests and the seizure of nearly 7,000 pounds of cannabis.  Mark Woodward, spokesman for OBN, told KFOR that the agency’s enforcement actions are focused on “out-of-state” illegal operations that allegedly have ties to international crime networks, including groups from Russia, Bulgaria, Armenia, and Serbia.… Read more.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) doesn’t support legalizing marijuana or other currently illicit drugs, but he’s big mad over the prospect of the federal government advising Americans to drink less alcohol. During an interview with Newsmax on Wednesday, the senator said that federal officials “can kiss my ass” if they decide to reduce the recommended maximum consumption of alcohol to two drinks per week, as has recently been floated. “What is it with liberals and wanting to control every damn aspect… Read more.

A New Hampshire commission tasked with preparing legislation to legalize marijuana sales through a system of state-run stores has officially been established, with members being appointed to the panel and a first meeting scheduled for next week. The governor signed a bill to create the commission earlier this month after bipartisan and bicameral lawmakers reached an agreement to enact the incremental reform in a conference committee. Now the panel has taken shape, with its 17 members holding mixed records on cannabis policy. The commission… Read more.

The disclosure Wednesday that top Biden administration health officials this week officially recommended marijuana be reclassified from a Schedule 1 substance to Schedule 3 – the same category as Tylenol with codeine – was hailed as the biggest development in MJ policy reform in more than 50 years.  Marijuana investors concurred, boosting stocks of major U.S. cannabis companies approximately 20%. “It’s historic. It’s the biggest thing that’s happened in cannabis reform at the federal level, ever,” Shane Pennington, a partner at… Read more.

Where do marijuana taxes actually go? Taking a deep dive into Colorado, a state that has had legal cannabis sales for over a decade, may open a window on how cannabis taxes are helping millions of people in the community. Starting from 2012, following the passage of Amendment 64 by Colorado voters, which marked the pioneering legalization of adult-use, recreational marijuana sales in the United States, the state has achieved an impressive milestone by exceeding $10 billion in cumulative sales. This accomplishment… Read more.

Legislation to legalize cannabis for medical and religious purposes and decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis have been unveiled in The Bahamas, the Jamaica Gleaner reports. Under the law, individuals caught with less than an ounce of cannabis not used for religious or medical purposes would be subject to a $250 fine but would not be criminally charged. Under the proposal, licenses for cultivation, retail, transport, and religious use would only be awarded to companies that are entirely Bahamian-owned, while licenses for… Read more.

When Arizona set out to legalize marijuana, backers emphasized their intent to make the program equitable and ensure that those who had been most hurt by cannabis criminalization were given priority in the new marketplace. Now, a new lawsuit is raising questions about whether the state is adequately meeting those equity goals. Of 26 business licenses that the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) awarded last year to social equity applicants, nearly all are now owned by other companies or… Read more.

In the cannabis industry, there is a strong focus on producing highly potent products, leading to intense competition among producers. This presents a challenge for marijuana testing laboratories responsible for assessing the potency of these products. This issue has mainly emerged in regions like California and other states where cannabis is legalized. Josh Swider, the CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs, highlights this problem and suggests that Missouri should take note. In 2020, Swider started receiving requests from cannabis producers who wanted a guaranteed… Read more.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, has reaffirmed that he would not legalize marijuana if elected to the White House—arguing contrary to evidence that the reform has actually increased the size of the illicit market in Colorado. During a campaign event in Iowa on Saturday, an attendee told DeSantis that she knows people whose children developed “cannabis-induced psychosis” and asked about whether he would move to legalize or reschedule cannabis under federal law if he became… Read more.

A study published last month in the Journal of Cannabis Research suggests that the majority of hemp-derived delta-9 THC products do not state the product’s correct dosage of the cannabinoid on the package and that most of the companies that provided laboratory reports did not actually check for impurities.   The study included 53 hemp-derived delta-9 THC products. The products were sent to InfiniteCAL laboratory which tested potency, the presence of impurities, and whether the delta-9 THC present was natural or converted from CBD.   The presence… Read more.

A New York judge on Friday partly lifted the injunction imposed against state regulators issuing new cannabis licenses, WTEN reports. The ruling by Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant affects just 30 licenses that were deemed by the Cannabis Control Board as “ready to be open.”  The decision still leaves about 400 licenses in limbo.  In a statement following Bryant’s decision, the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) called the ruling “a disappointment” but that the agency is “committed to working with the Cannabis… Read more.

As Ohio officials release pro and con arguments for a marijuana legalization initiative that will appear on the November ballot, a GOP congressman who represents the state is applauding the measure and explaining why he will personally be “voting yes.” In a statement shared with Marijuana Moment on Monday, Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, encouraged “all Ohio voters to participate and make their voices heard on this important issue” now that the legalization measure has… Read more.

States that legalized medical marijuana saw a nearly 20 percent drop in the number of children entering foster care due to parental drug misuse after three years of the reform, a new study found. Legalizing for adult use, meanwhile, was not associated with any statistically significant change in foster care entries. Researchers at Georgia College and State University set out to learn whether legalization would “lessen stigma, permit proper use, and reduce the chance that a child will be removed”… Read more.

Demands for the legalization of cannabis are increasing throughout Europe, mirroring the progressive steps taken by Canada and certain regions of the U.S. to approve the use of the substance. Advocates conveyed many advantages of establishing a legal cannabis market during the Cannabis Europa industry event held in London last week. These benefits encompass improvements in public health, augmented tax revenues, and the destigmatization of medical marijuana. Despite enduring opposition from critics who contend that legalization results in elevated crime rates, addiction… Read more.

A former top Food and Drug Administration (FDA) official believes it’s most likely that marijuana will be put in Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) following an ongoing administrative review ordered by President Biden last year. FDA is mindful of political factors such as the 2024 election, the official said, so a policy change may come sooner rather than later. Howard Sklamberg, who previously served as chair of FDA’s Marijuana Working Group from 2014 to 2017, spoke about the… Read more.

Foster parents in Missouri can now legally possess and grow marijuana in their homes under an emergency rule filed last week by the state Department of Social Services. Consuming cannabis in a manner that emits smoke or vapor, however, is still not allowed inside the house. Missouri voters in November 2022 passed a ballot initiative, Amendment 3, to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults 21 and older, allowing the purchase and possession of up to three ounces of cannabis and,… Read more.