TG Branfalt

Multiple mayors throughout Hawaii declared June 14 ‘Medical Cannabis Day,’ officially commemorating the 20th anniversary of the state’s historic medical cannabis reforms.

Illinois officials say the state is almost ready to begin awarding social equity cannabis licenses after Gov. J.B. Pritzker suspended the process in late April due to the pandemic-prompted shutdown.

Florida medical cannabis company Bluma Wellness Inc. is now trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the BWEL.U symbol.

Former NBA player Al Harrington has launched a business incubator program to help Black entrepreneurs enter the cannabis space.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has legalized hemp; the island U.S. territory must next submit its hemp regulations plan to the USDA for final approval.

Ohio’s State Medical Board last week added cachexia, or wasting syndrome, to its qualifying conditions list for medical cannabis. Regulators, however, rejected anxiety and autism spectrum disorder.

The NBA confirmed it would no longer drug test players for cannabis or any recreational drugs when the league resumes play in late July.

Louisville, Kentucky city officials have permanently banned the use of no-knock police raids. The ordinance is called “Breonna’s Law,” named after 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in her home during a no-knock narcotics raid.

A study comparing potency and intoxication levels in cannabis flower vs. concentrates confirmed that higher THC blood levels in consumers do not necessarily mean those consumers will feel more intoxicated.

Cresco Labs has appointed Michele Roberts, head of the NBA Players Association, to its board of directors; she is the first woman and person of color appointed to the company’s board.

Hightimes Holding Corp. announced a partnership with Red, White & Bloom to create High Times-branded dispensaries and develop cannabis products in Michigan, Illinois, and Florida.

The Bermuda government wants public feedback on its cannabis legalization proposal, which includes new business licenses and the creation of a regulatory body dedicated to the new industry.

David Kessler is the VP of Horticulture and Customer Success for Agrify, a technology firm dedicated to the scientific evolution of indoor cannabis cultivation.

A recent Washington State University study found that cannabis can reduce the immediate symptoms of PTSD by more than half.

Israeli lawmakers say they will advance legislation for broad cannabis legalization; the proposal would allow for cannabis use, purchases, and possession by people aged 21+.

Vireo Health has terminated its employment of veteran cannabis executive Bruce Linton.

The FTC has filed a rare lawsuit against CBD company Whole Leaf Organics over unfounded treatment claims made by the company.

Denver-based Schwazze is set to acquire 14 Star Buds locations throughout Colorado including 13 dispensaries and one cultivation site.

Health Canada says the cannabis industry has a generally high rate of compliance, having ordered just 15 product recalls — all due to mislabeled CBD and THC content — since legalizing in 2018.

Congressional Democrats have put forward legislation aimed at addressing systemic racial discrimination by police that includes a ban on no-knock warrants for drug-related crimes.

Canadian researchers suggest that certain cannabinoid extractions could help to quell an immune system response to the coronavirus that has proven fatal in some patients; the study was published as a pre-print, meaning it has not been peer-reviewed.

Cannabis supporters in Arkansas can now accept electronic signatures in their campaign to put the legalization question on November’s ballot.

Following a pattern of dispensary burglaries during last weekend’s unrest, California regulators have started pulling databases containing cannabis business information from public view.

Hawaii officials and some medical cannabis licensees have been accused of putting patients’ health at risk via vape cartridges that would be deemed unsafe in other state markets.