From Our Writers

Utah lawmakers will consider a bill that would allow cannabis patients to expunge low-level cannabis offenses and clarify patient/employee rights when it comes to the state’s new medical cannabis program.

A recent study suggests that while cannabis use has increased among college students in states that have legalized, binge drinking of alcohol has decreased among students.

Another cannabis industry titan is experiencing cash flow issues: delivery platform Eaze is reportedly preparing for further layoffs and a pivot to retail.

An official report has suggested that cannabis sales are 420 percent higher along the state border with Idaho, where cannabis remains illegal.

High Times has signed a deal to purchase dispensary licenses in Los Angeles and Las Vegas; the company plans to open two flagship stores that will sell local Cannabis Cup award-winning strains.

Tax rates on adult-use cannabis in Chicago could reach as high as 41 percent for high-potency products after local regulators approved an extra 3 percent tax on all cannabis retailers.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) called for adult-use legalization in 2020, saying it would “create 11,000 new jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.”

Lawmakers questioned officials from the DEA, FDA, and National Institutes of Health yesterday about the federal limitations on cannabis research; Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) accused the government agencies of hiding behind a cannabis “Catch-22.”

Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board has paid nearly $2 million for Leaf Data Systems, the seed-to-sale tracking system that has consistently frustrated the state’s cannabis industry.

A health clinic in Chiang Mai, Thailand is the country’s first to offer treatments using both cannabis and mainstream medicines.

Minnesota’s Office of the Legislative Auditor has reported inadequacies with the Health Department’s internal controls over the state medical cannabis program.

The House Energy and Commerce health subcommittee will meet today to discuss the ongoing federal barriers to cannabis research.

A bill introduced in Colorado would stop employers from firing employees for off-duty cannabis use; similar laws already offer protections for alcohol consumption.

Residents in Snowflake, Arizona have grown used to an early morning light purple glow from cannabis cultivator Copperstate Farms — last week, however, was something uniquely different.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who vetoed a hemp legalization bill last year, has listed four requirements for a piece of hemp legislation that she would be willing to sign.

A cannabis decriminalization bill has been introduced in Tennessee; the proposal would also allow counties to individually legalize adult-use cannabis.

A Florida group collecting signatures for an adult-use legalization ballot initiative has called off its 2020 push; meanwhile, however, an adult-use legalization bill was filed in the legislature.

Different polls in New Mexico found opposite results when weighing the state’s enthusiasm for cannabis legalization. Lawmakers are meeting to discuss potential reforms next week.

Cannabis business insurance from the American Association of Insurance Services has been expanded into Nevada, which is the third state to approve the insurance program alongside Colorado and California.

Cannabis seizures by the U.S. Border Patrol have increased by 75% since Canada’s adult-use legalization of cannabis took effect in 2018.

The Global Hemp Innovation Center operated by Oregon State University will receive $2.5 million from the federal government earmarked as part of a larger federal funding bill.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo renewed his pledge to legalize cannabis during his 2020 State of the State address this week.

Weedmaps has unlisted 2,700 unlicensed cannabis dispensaries since January 1; the company had received a cease-and-desist letter from California regulators last year.

Cresco Labs in Chicago has opened the application period for the company’s community business incubator program called SEED, or Social Equity & Education Development.