From Our Writers

The University of Mississippi is launching an online medical cannabis and dietary supplements graduate program; the program will officially launch next year and will offer rolling admissions.

A lawsuit in Alaska is challenging the Department of Natural Resources’ recently approved regulations to limit intoxicating hemp products, claiming the rules are unconstitutional.

The California Department of Cannabis Control has clarified that the National Agricultural Workers Union is not a bona fide labor organization following reports from earlier this year that the organization is one of many “fake” unions in the space.

The documentary “Cannabis + Creativity,” directed by Elana Frankel, has been lighting up the film festival circuit, winning multiple accolades over the past month.

Washington D.C. regulators have kicked off the third licensing round for the District’s medical cannabis program expansions; the licensing round aims to address the issue of unlicensed operators, including those that operate on the “weed-gifting” business model.

The number of registered medical cannabis patients in New Mexico has dropped significantly from the May 2022 peak of more than 135,000 to about 85,000.

Ohio voters opted to legalize adult-use cannabis during Tuesday’s election. Under the new law, adults aged 21+ can purchase and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and grow plants at home.

Wyoming lawmakers are reattempting to ban intoxicating hemp products after the Joint Judiciary Committee in September scrapped their first attempt due to pushback from the hemp industry.

A recent study published in the journal Psychedelic Medicine found that a majority of American Psychiatric Association members either moderately or strongly believed that hallucinogens show promise in treating psychiatric conditions.

Recent studies have confirmed through double-blind testing that a cannabis bud’s aroma is the most critical factor in determining one’s enjoyment of the product, which begs the question: should aroma be given a greater emphasis in cannabis competitions?

The Marijuana Justice Coalition and Cannabis Freedom Alliance sent a letter to President Joe Biden (D) arguing that the administration’s plan to federally reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III “would simply maintain federal criminalization” of state-legal cannabis programs.

A recent study found that the majority of Minnesota medical cannabis patients are enrolled in the program for intractable pain, but older and younger adults received “significant differences in dosages.”

Starting next month, Connecticut will raise the purchase limit for adult-use cannabis products from seven grams to 14 grams per transaction.

A New York state proposal seeks to ban some types of cannabis advertising via roadside billboards, with fines of up to $2,500 for violations.

Florida inspectors announced last week they had uncovered more than 8,700 hemp extract-edible packages that were deemed attractive to, or marketed to,  children.

The Pennsylvania House Subcommittee on Health Care heard arguments from citizens and medical experts relating to the legalization of adult-use cannabis. The issue could see a House vote sometime next year.

Missouri cannabis regulators removed nearly 15,000 cannabis products from the state’s sweeping August recall of nearly 63,000 products manufactured by Delta Extraction, LLC, which has called the recall an “unlawful campaign to destroy Delta’s business.”

The Georgia Court of Appeals has ruled that hemp-derived delta-8 THC and delta-10 THC products are not considered controlled substances under state law.

Workers at the Home State Dispensary in Kansas City, Missouri voted this week to join the Teamsters Local 955, making them the first cannabis workers in the city to unionize.

Recent research suggests that legalizing adult-use cannabis in Ohio would likely generate about $260 million in “net benefits for society,” ranging from between $200 million in net costs and $1.9 billion in net benefits.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D), a 27-year veteran of Congress and founding member of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, announced this week that he will not seek reelection.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services this week transferred $13 million in revenue from the state’s medical cannabis program to the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Recent research suggests that home values in states with adult-use cannabis laws have outpaced home values in other states by nearly $49,000 from 2014 to 2023.

Following a summer of starts and stops — and many lawsuits — the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission is now aiming to get industry licenses awarded by December 12, with products available in the spring.