From Our Writers

Ohio officials have awarded the state’s first adult-use cannabis industry licenses to four cultivators and six processing facilities, and released industry guidelines for dispensaries.

A report issued this week by the Minority Cannabis Business Association claims the industry could generate more than 50,000 new jobs by 2030 if the federal government were to follow through on its cannabis rescheduling plan.

Stockton University in Galloway, New Jersey this fall will begin to offer undergraduate bachelor degrees through its School of Business covering Hemp and Cannabis Business Management.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) this month gave final approval to adding generalized anxiety to the state’s medical cannabis qualifying conditions list; he also vetoed a bill to let medical cannabis dispensaries build greenhouses on their cultivation sites.

Tilray Brands, Inc. said its Germany-based cannabis cultivation facility, Aphria RX GmbH, has received a cultivation license under Germany’s new adult-use cannabis legalization law.

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is investing in a 500,000-square-foot hemp processing facility in Wichita Falls, Texas; the facility will process hemp straw for use in textiles, straw, and pellets.

Police officers in Fairfield, California last month raided three indoor illegal cannabis grows and officials issued fines totaling $1,313,000 related to the enforcement actions. Meanwhile, state officials also recently took down multiple illegal outdoor grow sites located near two state parks.

The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has ruled that women registered with the state’s medical cannabis program who consume cannabis while pregnant cannot be prosecuted for child neglect.

The public comment period for cannabis rescheduling to Schedule III ends July 22, with over 37,000 submissions received so far.

The head of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior is aiming to convert the institute’s top floor into a rooftop garden, or “living laboratory,” designed to study and facilitate psychedelic-assisted therapy.

Oklahoma’s cannabis regulatory agency is laying off 10% of its workforce in response to the state’s shrinking medical cannabis industry. About 25-30 employees will be affected.

New Iowa hemp regulations restricting the sale and potency of consumable hemp products took effect on Wednesday. The rules are in place despite a federal lawsuit brought by a group of hemp companies seeking to block it.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent cease-and-desist letters to five companies selling hemp-derived THC products, accusing them of marketing to children by using packaging similar to mainstream, popular foods.

A hempcrete wall product by Americhanvre Cast Hemp recently received a one-hour fire resistance rating, making the product more attractive for commercial construction projects.

Snoop Dogg has launched his first licensed cannabis dispensary and exclusive product line under the Death Row Cannabis brand. The shop, S.W.E.D., is located near LAX airport in Los Angeles and the company said its first product line honors the late rapper 2Pac.

The California State Fair opened up last week at the Cal Expo site in Sacramento. Attendees aged 21+ can purchase and consume cannabis products from the California industry’s top growers and manufacturers.

Illinois surpassed $1 billion in combined adult-use and medical cannabis sales this year by July 1, about two weeks earlier than the previous year.

Advocates in the Texas cities of Bastrop, Dallas, and Lockhart have submitted enough signatures to put a cannabis decriminalization question before voters in each of the cities this November.

Delaware is earmarking $6.2 million in funding for social-equity cannabis industry applicants, including $4.2 million from industry application fees and an additional $2 million allocated by state lawmakers.

A recent report by WeedWeek has revealed that a detective with the California Department of Cannabis Control faces federal charges for alleged illicit firearm sales.

Wiz Khalifa was arrested in Romania for drug possession after videos showed him smoking weed while performing at this weekend’s Beach Please! Festival. The rapper was released promptly and posted on social media afterward that he meant no disrespect to Romania “by lighting up on stage.”

Hemp executives with Save Florida Hemp say they have pledged to donate $5 million to the Republican Party of Florida to help defeat the upcoming cannabis legalization vote after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a proposal that would have wiped out the hemp industry almost entirely.

House Republicans voted this week to block the Biden Administration’s effort to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act.

Massachusetts officials have confirmed that voters will decide this November whether to legalize psychedelics including DMT, mescaline, ibogaine, psilocybin, and psilocin for adults aged 21+.