TG Branfalt

Federal officials have approved industrial hemp program proposals for Maine and Missouri.

Cannabis activists in Oklahoma are collecting signatures to put an expungement and decriminalization question on voters’ ballots this November.

Some petition circulators for Kanye West’s presidential campaign in Arizona have said they were collecting signatures for cannabis legalization — which has already qualified for the November ballot — in an effort to attract more voters.

Pakistan has approved a government-controlled hemp production plan that will allow hemp farming for industrial and medical purposes.

Maryland cannabis regulators have concluded their investigation into the state’s review process for medical cannabis license applications, finding “no evidence of bias” or influence by a former official who was prosecuted for accepting bribes.

New Jersey State Sen. Ronald Rice is accusing the state’s Democratic legislative leaders of delaying a “common sense” cannabis decriminalization measure.

Eight Canadian cannabis brands sent a joint letter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police requesting law enforcement action against Weedmaps, who they say is hindering the legal industry by listing unlicensed dispensaries.

Eaze has expanded its Social Equity Partners Program to feature Los Angeles-based brands. The program allows customers to selectively view, purchase from, and support disadvantaged entrepreneurs.

The island nation of Malta has officially run out of cannabis, both for medical patients and on the unregulated marketplace.

Oklahoma cannabis activists formally withdrew this year’s legalization petition due to signature-gathering risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Maryland University of Integrative Health is officially the second university in the state to launch a graduate program in cannabis science.

Indonesian officials reversed a decree designating cannabis as a “medicinal plant” after an Instagram post of the original decree went viral. Cannabis remains illegal in Indonesia, even for medical patients, though it was designated “medicinal” for research purposes.

The Virginia Senate advanced a measure last week that blocks police from searching vehicles during traffic stops based on cannabis odor alone.

California cannabis company Vibe Bioscience is set to acquire Cathedral Asset Holding Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ventura Cannabis and Wellness Corp.

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote next month on the MORE Act, which would federally legalize cannabis by removing the plant from the Controlled Substances Act. It will be the first time either chamber of Congress will have officially considered ending cannabis prohibition.

A recent investigation of rolling paper products found that 90% contained some quantity of heavy metals, with 8 percent testing higher than “the allowable limits” under California’s cannabis rules.

Sheriff Terry Wagner of Lancaster County filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging Nebraska’s medical cannabis voter initiative. Initiative organizers say they will fight and overcome the challenge.

New Zealand company Sustainable Foods plans to launch a hemp-based burger next year through its Craft Meat Co. brand.

The United States spent $1.49 billion on cannabis research between 2000 and 2018. Most of the funds were directed at understanding the potential harms of cannabis use.

Cannabis taxes have helped to fund $5.7 million in state grants to help pay for school improvements such as roof repair and other renovations in Colorado’s Thompson School District.

Zookeepers at Poland’s Warsaw Zoo have announced a new project testing whether CBD oil can help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in elephants.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has called for state lawmakers to legalize adult-use cannabis as a way to bridge the state’s budget gap.

Lawmakers in the Vermont Legislature are set to pass a measure that would automatically expunge cannabis possession convictions in the state.

President Trump is reportedly concerned that cannabis legalization initiatives in multiple states, including swing state Arizona, could dramatically improve Democrats’ voter turnout in the 2020 election.