Graham Abbott

South Dakota voters will get another shot at legalizing adult-use cannabis this November after the secretary of state said they validated enough petition signatures to put a legalization question on the 2024 general election ballot.

In a review of the hallucinogen MDMA posted last week, the FDA highlighted concerns about the initial investigations into the drug as a potential new therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Louisiana state representatives last week rejected an outright ban on the state’s burgeoning hemp products industry. Instead, state senators passed a House-approved proposal to increase restrictions on products containing hemp-derived THC.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is reportedly considering vetoing the legislature’s ban on products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids in hopes that the hemp industry will help defeat Florida’s upcoming cannabis legalization ballot initiative.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed into law a bill to award some cannabis cultivation licenses earlier than expected so operators can be better prepared for next year’s industry launch.

While federal lawmakers consider banning most hemp-derived cannabinoid products, the hemp industry is facing another potential threat after a DEA official said the federal 0.3% delta-9 THC cap also applies to delta-9 THCA, which is a similar compound.

Chris Alexander, the inaugural executive director of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management, resigned last week following criticisms by Gov. Kathy Hochul against the agency and its roll-out of the adult-use cannabis industry.

Following the recent failure of a state bid to legalize psychedelic treatment centers in California, advocates now say they are considering a 2026 state ballot measure to address psychedelics reform.

An amendment to the House version of the Farm Bill would effectively ban the sale of hemp-derived delta-8 THC products and other hemp-derived intoxicating products. The amendment, however, is far from guaranteed to pass the divided House and Senate to become law.

A key Delaware House committee has advanced a proposal to allow early adult-use cannabis sales by letting medical dispensaries service adult-use customers; some industry advocates say the move would be giving certain businesses an unfair advantage.

Daily cannabis consumers outnumbered daily alcohol consumers in the U.S. in 2022 for the first time on record, according to an analysis of the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The owner of seven unlicensed New York cannabis shops has been fined $15.2 million, including $7 million in disgorgement fines and $8.2 million in penalties for operating without a license, ignoring multiple notices by officials, and selling cannabis to underage customers.

The California State Assembly has approved legislation to let cannabis cafes serve food and non-alcoholic beverages and host live events including music and other performances. The bill moves next to the Senate.

Nearly half of U.S. cannabis operators believe that the cannabis industry is going to perform better in the coming year while just 19% say they expect things to get worse, per survey data from the 2024 MJBiz Factbook.

The proposal to legalize psychedelic treatment centers in California has failed for the year. The proposal was crafted in response to concerns raised by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) last year after he vetoed a different proposal to decriminalize certain naturally occurring psychedelics.

A recent poll found a 75% majority of Thais in support of the government’s plan to relist cannabis as an illegal drug under federal law.

Several dozen municipalities in Ohio have opted for at least temporary bans on adult-use cannabis companies as the state’s upcoming cannabis program prepares for a potential launch in June.

In the approximately 10 years since Colorado and Washington launched the country’s first adult-use cannabis markets, U.S. states with cannabis legalization policies have generated more than $20 billion in tax revenue on adult-use cannabis products.

After regulations to let Ohio’s medical cannabis dispensaries begin serving adult-use customers passed a key legislative committee this week, the state’s adult-use cannabis market could potentially launch ahead-of-schedule in June.

The executive director of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management will step down in September as the state looks to adjust its cannabis regulatory approach, the governor announced last week.

Alaska’s House of Representatives voted last week to replace the state’s $50-per-ounce tax structure on adult-use cannabis products with a 7% sales tax on retail cannabis transactions. The proposal still must pass the Senate before going to the governor.

The publicly traded and internationally licensed cannabis company Kaya Holdings Inc. announced this week that it has received a license to administer therapeutic psilocybin products in Oregon.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media this week that he wants to make cannabis illegal again except for medicinal purposes, aligning with the health minister’s call for re-criminalizing the plant.

The Florida GOP Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution over the weekend opposing the cannabis legalization amendment set to appear before voters during this November’s election.