Graham Abbott

Kentucky officials have received 4,998 applications for medical cannabis business licenses, the governor announced this week. The majority of the applications (4,076) are for dispensary permits.

Cannabis advocates in Idaho are preparing for a 2026 cannabis legalization campaign after another petition to put a medical cannabis legalization question before voters failed to gather enough signatures

Cannabis pre-rolls were the fastest-growing product category in the cannabis industry last year for the second year in a row with an 11.89% jump in sales revenue year-over-year, according to a white paper report.

Cannabis product prices in Michigan have fallen nearly 14.5% this year with the average price for an ounce of flower reaching the industry’s all-time low of $79.70 in July.

Nebraska’s secretary of state said the state’s campaigns to legalize and regulate medical cannabis have qualified for the November ballot.

Ohio cannabis regulators last week issued fines totaling $212,500 to five cannabis companies for advertising violations including improper signage and offering free food and beverages from an ice cream truck.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that prosecutors cannot file gun possession charges against a Texas woman who admitted to consuming cannabis, citing a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that says modern firearm restrictions must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

Police in Allen, Texas said this week they raided nine hemp product retailers after an investigation found they were selling products containing an illegal amount of THC. An attorney representing the stores called the raid an intimidation tactic and said his clients had been operating lawfully.

Colorado officials recently released the state’s final regulations for its medicinal psilocybin program. Under the rules, psychedelic therapy centers will be cleared to open for business starting next year.

Home Depot, the sixth-largest employer in the U.S., will remove cannabis from its drug screenings in September and stop most pre-employment drug testing entirely for new workers.

Missouri’s ban on intoxicating hemp products is in limbo after Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft last week rejected the governor’s executive order detailing the ban, arguing the emergency rules did not meet certain state law criteria.

The Vermont Supreme Court last week overruled an appeal for unemployment benefits by a medical cannabis patient who was fired last year after failing a drug test for cannabis, and who lost their unemployment benefits because of it.

The number of Americans who use both cannabis and tobacco products is increasing, particularly among older adults, according to Duke University School of Medicine researchers.

City officials in Sacramento this week voted to put on hold a proposal to increase the number of cannabis dispensary licenses in the city by 50%.

The number of total approved or pending cannabis industry licenses in the U.S. increased during Q2 2024 for the first time in two years.

Morocco’s king this week pardoned nearly 5,000 people convicted of or wanted for charges related to illegal cannabis cultivation.

Ukraine’s medical cannabis legalization policy took effect last Friday as the country continues to defend itself against the aggression of neighboring Russia. Under the new policy, military veterans with PTSD and cancer patients are allowed access to medical cannabis products.

With about three months until the November election, two recent polls came to competing conclusions about the upcoming cannabis legalization vote in Florida.

Ohio dispensaries approved to serve adult-use customers sold more than $11.5 million worth of recreational cannabis products during the market’s first five days.

The global industrial hemp market is projected to grow by nearly $14 billion from 2023 to 2028 with a CAGR of 25.25%, driven largely by the crop’s textile potential and commercial versatility.

California officials with the Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce (UCETF) recently seized more than 2.2 million illicit cannabis packages — many of which were packaged to resemble popular food and candy brands — during a recent sting operation in Los Angeles.

North Dakota voters will consider adult-use cannabis reforms this November for the third time after rejecting similar proposals in 2018 and 2022.

A recent survey found that the vast majority of Americans either get their cannabis entirely from legal sources (65%) or mostly from legal sources (12%).

Alabama regulators last week approved two new cannabis cultivation licenses as the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission considers options for unblocking the lawsuit-laden industry.