From Our Writers

In lieu of the adult-use cannabis reforms he hoped to establish this year, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed an executive order expanding the state’s medical cannabis program.

Iowa is the latest state to adopt hemp legalization language now that the crop has been federally legalized. Gov. Kim Reynolds warned, however, that the measure “does not legalize” the manufacturing or sales of CBD products.

Washington’s governor signed the state’s misdemeanor cannabis vacancies bill. Under the new law, some 69,000 qualifying individuals will be able to have misdemeanor cannabis convictions expunged from their record entirely.

With more than 30,000 patients registered to the program, Ohio’s medical cannabis market has now surpassed $5.8 million in sales since dispensaries opened on January 1.

A measure to establish an industrial hemp pilot program in Connecticut has been signed into law; the bill passed both chambers of the state’s General Assembly with unanimous support.

The hemp and medical cannabis markets in Asia — if fully legalized — would be poised to grow more rapidly than anywhere else in the world, new data indicates.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture — which is the only agency in the country capable of certifying agricultural products as “organic” — has issued its first-ever organic certification for a hemp flower product.

California’s high cannabis tax rates — which in some communities can reach as high as 50 percent — appear to have drastically stunted the marketplace’s growth, so much so that state officials have scaled back their estimated cannabis tax revenues through June 2020 by $223 million.

A recent survey reveals that interest among Canadians in cannabis-infused edibles — which are not yet available via the official marketplace — has dropped since legalization took effect last October.

Denver voters have passed a city initiative decriminalizing the adult possession and use of psilocybin (a.k.a. psychedelic) mushrooms. It is the first successful initiative of its kind in the U.S.

The vast majority of California’s cannabis industry is not currently using the state’s seed-to-sale tracking system. Instead, regulators are relying on a paper-based honor system that uses hard copy invoices and shipping manifests.

Canadian health officials have decided that hopeful cannabis operators must now have a fully built cultivation site before they can apply for a license.

The Pittsburg, California City Council has enacted a 45-day moratorium on new hemp businesses in order to prepare hemp regulations that will cooperate with state cannabis laws.

The Texas House has approved a second bill this session expanding the state’s limited medical cannabis program — the legislature’s recent advances, however, are expected to face an uphill battle in the Senate.

Jimmy Buffet has joined the ranks of celebrities with a personalized cannabis brand after announcing a partnership with Florida’s Surterra Wellness.

The video rental chain Family Video has announced it will begin distributing CBD products throughout its 250 U.S. locations; the move comes directly from the company owner, who said CBD helps him find relief from tendonitis.

A recent report suggests that the international industrial hemp market is poised to grow to $13.03 billion by 2026 due to increasing demand for hemp-based cosmetics, health foods, and protein supplements.

Illinois’ adult-use legalization legislation has been unveiled by state lawmakers; according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the bill will “right historic wrongs” of cannabis prohibition.

Washington state has officially passed two laws meant to improve the state’s medical cannabis program; one bill allows student patients to be administered cannabis products at school and the other allows patients to renew their annual qualification online.

A bill to legalize and regulate adult-use cannabis has passed the Connecticut Finance Committee and is expected to advance next to the full House floor for consideration.

Florida is the latest state to pass industrial hemp legislation after the 2018 Farm Bill removed federal restrictions on the crop; the bill now moves to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature, though it’s unknown if he intends to sign.

Illinois lawmakers are expected to unveil legislation this week that would legalize and regulate cannabis sales for adults aged 21 or older; Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker already supports the move.

Researchers at the University of Washington are investigating the efficacy of CBD for Fragile X syndrome, a type of autism that may be linked to cannabinoid deficiencies.

Oreo-maker Mondelez is the latest high-profile company to announce its interest in producing CBD-infused products.