From Our Writers

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) has allowed a medical cannabis expansion bill to become law without his signature; the shift will give patients access to higher potency products without a sales tax.

Connecticut officials have approved two new conditions — autism spectrum disorder and female orgasmic difficulty/disorder — as qualifying conditions for the state medical cannabis program.

New York’s Office of Cannabis Management this week awarded 105 new cannabis licenses, gave final approval to the state’s cannabis home grow rules, and introduced the agency’s new interim director Felicia A. B. Reid.

Voters in Slovenia last weekend approved two non-binding cannabis measures: one to legalize adult-use cannabis, and another to let medical cannabis patients grow their own cannabis plants at home.

A recent FOX News poll found that 66% of Florida voters said they would vote yes on the upcoming constitutional amendment to legalize cannabis for adults; the amendment will require at least 60% support to pass.

The Tribal Council for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina last week voted to allow adult-use cannabis sales to anyone aged 21 or older.

The New Hampshire House and Senate have reportedly reached a compromise on a cannabis legalization bill; lawmakers have until Thursday, the end of the legislative session, to finalize a deal.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vetoed a hemp regulations package that would have banned products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids.

Dallas could be the next city in Texas to adopt local cannabis decriminalization reforms if the City Council approves the Dallas Freedom Act for local ballots later this month.

Michigan sold more cannabis products in March this year than any other state, dethroning the California cannabis industry for the first time in total monthly sales.

Ohio medical cannabis dispensaries can now apply for special permits allowing early adult-use cannabis sales ahead of the recreational program’s anticipated launch later this month.

With the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission still embroiled in lawsuits, the launch of the state’s medical cannabis program is still months away, if not a year or more.

Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth this week agreed to an acquisition setting up the full takeover of Acreage Holdings, a U.S.-based multistate cannabis operator.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently visited the Bloomfield cannabis company Prolific GrowHouse after the company unveiled a new cannabis strain named after the governor, ‘Murphy’s Sourz.’

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) could finally let veterans participate in state-legal medical cannabis programs under a House-approved amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilConVA) Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.

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.

South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalize cannabis for personal use last week under a bill signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa just days before the president’s party lost its majority in Congress.

Despite the federal government estimating some 10,000 citizens would be eligible for conviction relief when Canada legalized cannabis, just 845 pardons for cannabis crimes have been issued since 2019.

A Vermont man who was fired for using medical cannabis is appealing the decision to deny a portion of his state unemployment benefits to the state Supreme Court.

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.

A recent study found that terpenes could be an effective and side-effect-free treatment for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.