Graham Abbott

Bipartisan lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives are set to propose another cannabis legalization bill but the proposal could face opposition in the Senate and from Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

Arizona sold $1.6 billion worth of cannabis in 2021 to become the second-largest cannabis market in the U.S. behind California.

The legal cannabis industry in Africa is poised for massive growth with a recent report estimating the market could be worth more than $7.1 billion by the end of 2023.

Guam has now appointed 11 “responsible officials” to represent the island’s upcoming cannabis business entities but none have yet to formally submit their business application.

The California cannabis brand Kushy Punch received a $128 million fine this week related to the alleged illegal production of millions of cannabis gummies. It is thought to be the state’s largest cannabis fine ever.

Rhode Island cannabis dispensaries sold about $1.6 million worth of combined medical and adult-use cannabis during the state’s first week of regulated recreational sales.

The office of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said this week that approximately 44,000 state-level cannabis convictions are set to be erased starting January 1, 2023.

WNBA star Brittney Griner, who this year was arrested on drug charges in Russia and sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, is free and on her way home following a one-for-one prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Cannabis is now legal for adults to consume, possess, and cultivate in Missouri. Cannabis sales remain off-limits for now but the state’s medical dispensaries are expected to open to adult-use consumers sometime next year.

The Senate has walked back plans to include bipartisan cannabis banking reforms in the annual national defense bill following an outcry by GOP lawmakers.

Colombia’s Senate has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a constitutional amendment to legalize adult-use cannabis. The proposal already passed the country’s lower legislative body but must undergo at least eight debates in total before it can be formally adopted.

The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy filed a lawsuit against Northland Vapor — creator of the “Death By Gummy Bears” line of edibles — alleging that the company’s products far exceed the state’s strict THC potency limits.

The PREPARE Act, the latest cannabis proposal in Congress, would prepare the U.S. for the likely end of cannabis prohibition by directing officials to workshop a framework for federal cannabis regulations.

New Jersey regulators have approved initial rules for cannabis consumption lounges in the state — a 60-day public comment period will follow before the rules can be officially finalized.

While thousands of people applied to have their cannabis charges pardoned by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf earlier this year, fewer than 250 have actually qualified to see their records cleared.

Top Senate Democrats are reportedly set to attach language from the SAFE Banking Act that would normalize the cannabis industry’s access to banking services to a “must-pass” end-of-year bill like the annual National Defense Authorization Act.

President Joe Biden signed the nation’s first standalone cannabis reforms bill last week, paving the way for researchers to more easily investigate the plant’s medicinal properties.

Colorado cannabis officials have adopted an industry regulations package that includes new cannabis storage requirements and “use-by” labels for cannabis product packaging.

Research analysts at Cowen Equity Research say that legal cannabis sales in the U.S. have started eating into the sales of beer, wine, and liquor.

Berkeley, California city officials advanced a psychedelics decriminalization proposal this week despite concerns by some reform advocates that the proposal does not go far enough to deprioritize law enforcement actions.

The multistate cannabis operator Curaleaf reportedly laid off about 200 employees ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend in an effort to “control costs and drive efficiencies in the face of economic uncertainties ahead.”

Adult-use cannabis sales launched today in Rhode Island, which became the 19th state to legalize cannabis earlier this year.

The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association said about 40% of products bought from unlicensed New York City cannabis shops tested positive for contaminants such as E. coli, lead, and salmonella.