From Our Writers

The New Hampshire Senate has passed an adult-use cannabis legalization proposal containing a state-run dispensary system favored by Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

A provision in the draft text of the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would block the military from requiring potential recruits to pass a drug test for cannabis.

A New Jersey appeals court ruling found that the state’s cannabis legalization law is not preempted by federal law but warned that “residents and marijuana businesses … act at the risk that their activities might be prosecuted by federal authorities.”

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.

Joe Biden has announced that the US Justice Department is moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. In his announcement, he stated that he is committed to “righting the wrongs” of prohibition, though Schedule III status doesn’t do anything specific to help those currently incarcerated.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced this week that the state’s cannabis enforcement task force has seized more than $61 million worth of illegal cannabis products since the start of the year.

Cannabis-related pediatric visits to the emergency room have declined in Virginia under restrictions on intoxicating hemp products adopted last year.

While Texas lawmakers consider banning certain hemp-derived cannabinoids, Hometown Hero — an Austin-based company retailing hemp THC and CBD products — has announced the launch of the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC), a new nonprofit hemp industry trade group.

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.

Despite state laws legalizing cannabis commerce, federal Customs and Border Patrol agents in New Mexico have for months been seizing legal cannabis shipments as they are shipped between the state’s southern and northern regions.

Four people who grow cannabis in Minnesota are suing state cannabis regulators, arguing that a section of the state constitution should allow them to sell the cannabis produced under the state’s cannabis home grow provisions.

The Connecticut Senate has passed a bill to establish stricter regulations on intoxicating hemp products sold in the state; the proposal heads next to the governor’s desk.

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.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that city officials will take action across the city against illegally operating cannabis shops as part of an enforcement effort called “Operation Padlock to Protect.”

Cannabis advocates in Kansas announced they have formed the Cannabis Justice Coalition, which will support candidates for local office who support cannabis legalization and the expunging of cannabis criminal records.

Vermont officials have issued a recall for all cannabis products from Holland Cannabis Co. due to potential exposure to the fungicide myclobutanil.

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.

Cannabis retailers in New Jersey set a new quarterly sales record of $201 million during the first three months of 2024, but the quarter-over-quarter growth rate (4.4%) is the state’s lowest on record since the market launch.