From Our Writers

According to a new study compiled by UK researchers, psilocybin — the naturally occurring psychedelic in so-called “magic mushrooms” — shows promise as an effective treatment for depression.

Voters in Lubbock, Texas rejected a local cannabis decriminalization ballot measure over the weekend with nearly 65% of voters opposing the reforms.

Senate Democrats have again filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which seeks to legalize cannabis at the federal level and automatically expunge federal non-violent cannabis offenses.

Recent polling from the Independent Community Bankers of America found that 64% of Americans believe giving state-legal cannabis companies access to traditional banking services would benefit public safety.

The American Bankers Association said that even once cannabis is rescheduled to Schedule III under federal law, Congress will still need to pass the SAFER Banking Act to let state-legal cannabis companies access traditional financial services.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed into law the state’s hemp regulation proposal — the new law creates a licensing program for the cultivation, manufacturing, and retail of industrial hemp products, and sets the age requirement to purchase or possess such products at 21.

As Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis regulations come together, lawmakers are considering giving some cannabis cultivators an early start to avoid potential delays to the state’s cannabis program.

Cannabis company stocks soared on Tuesday following reports that the DEA would move to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law.

To protect youth from exposure to cannabinoid products, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed state officials to warn industrial hemp product retailers that selling improperly labeled products is a crime that could lead to a revoked license.

The DEA has reportedly agreed to reschedule cannabis under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, in accordance with the FDA’s recent recommendation. While this development could loosen financial restrictions for brands operating in state markets, advocates have pointed out that it does not resolve the ongoing social injustices surrounding cannabis criminalization, and that it could benefit larger corporate entities that are angling to dominate the market.

The cannabis multistate operator MedMen filed for bankruptcy last week with the company’s Los Angeles-based subsidiary entering receivership with more than $410 million in liabilities owed.

Recent research suggests that despite the popular stereotype, people who regularly consume cannabis are not more lazy or unmotivated than non-consumers.

Cannabis advocates in North Dakota have been cleared by the secretary of state’s office to start collecting voter signatures to put a legalization question on November ballots.

Medical cannabis patients in Pennsylvania could soon enjoy the state-sanctioned right to own and possess firearms, per a proposal by Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin. Federal law, however, still prohibits people who consume cannabis from possessing firearms.

A 55% majority of Massachusetts residents believe that intoxicating hemp products should only be sold in state-licensed cannabis dispensaries, according to a recent poll.

Eight months after the federal Department of Health and Human Services recommended moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a coalition of Congressional lawmakers this week urged the DEA to make its decision as quickly as possible.

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey has launched an investigation into illicit vape and cannabis product distributors in the state, sending civil investigative demands to 22 companies selling delta-8 and delta-9 THC products.

The Hawaii Senate has rejected a cannabis decriminalization proposal over concerns that the reforms would lead to a stronger illicit market in the state.

Maine lawmakers have passed two bills expanding criminal record sealing opportunities in the state, including one that allows for the sealing of cannabis crimes now legal under the state’s adult-use cannabis reforms.

The Louisiana House and Senate have passed competing bills to either regulate or ban, respectively, hemp-derived THC consumables in the state.

California lawmakers in the Senate Public Safety Committee voted to advance a proposal that would establish treatment centers where adults aged 21+ could access psilocybin, MDMA, DMT, and other psychedelics.

Cannabis workers at the Cresco Labs cultivation site in Fall Rivers, Massachusetts have voted to de-unionize ahead of their contract’s expiration date this summer.

Most Americans no longer believe that cannabis use carries a stigma, and 72% said that cannabis is only going to get more popular, according to a recent survey.

Japan’s hemp cannabinoid market expanded sixfold to ¥24 billion ($154 million) over the last five years as the country’s demand for CBD products steadily climbed.