From Our Writers

Under a bipartisan cannabis legalization proposal unveiled in Pennsylvania last week, adults 21+ would be allowed to possess and purchase cannabis products. The proposal also contains expungement provisions for nonviolent cannabis criminal convictions.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) signed a bill to increase banking access for the state’s cannabis industry; the bill also adds new fingerprinting and background check requirements for cannabis industry employees.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week together issued warning letters to six companies for selling copycat food products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC.

The Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee advanced a proposal that would let physicians certify patients for the state’s medical cannabis program for any condition they deem appropriate.

Canadian cannabis company Cronos Group Inc. — which is backed by cigarette maker Altria Group Inc. — is reportedly in discussions to sell the company.

Under a new Arkansas state law, medical cannabis patients will be allowed to carry concealed handguns starting August 1.

A New York state proposal seeks to prohibit public cannabis use except when approved by local governments. Under current state law, cannabis can be smoked anywhere that tobacco smoking is allowed.

Ohio cannabis advocates with the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol say they have collected enough signatures to put a legalization question before voters.

Medical cannabis advocates in Oklahoma have filed a lawsuit challenging recent cannabis industry fee increases in the state.

The New York City Council Committee on Public Safety has passed a measure holding landlords accountable for knowingly leasing commercial sites to tenants who sell cannabis or tobacco products without a license.

Montana state lawmakers have voted to override Gov. Greg Gianforte’s (R) veto of a bill to use cannabis taxes to fund the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program and maintain county roads.

Adult-use cannabis sales took effect in Maryland over the weekend on July 1, about eight months after voters passed the state’s cannabis legalization initiative.

Doctors in Australia can now prescribe psychedelics including MDMA and psilocybin as a treatment for PTSD and depression. The changes took effect on July 1.

The New York Cannabis Social Equity Investment Fund last week received a $150 million investment from Chicago Atlantic Admin, LLC. The investment raised the fund’s total up to its $200 million cap.

The American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp last week released a policy paper calling on Congress to regulate hemp-derived intoxicants including delta-8 and delta-9 THC products.

Luxembourg this week became the second European Union member nation to legalize adult-use cannabis. Under the new law, adults can home-grow up to four cannabis plants and publicly possess up to three grams of cannabis flower.

Jersey Hemp, the only farm in the British Isles that is licensed to grow hemp to manufacture CBD products, has shut down operations after the UK government said it found THC in the company’s CBD exports and declared their products illegal.

The Capital District Educational Opportunity Center in New York has received $75,000 in grants from the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center to establish a new cannabis construction training program.

Florida’s attorney general asked the state Supreme Court to disqualify a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize adult-use cannabis in the state, arguing the ballot summary is “misleading to voters.”

A recent study using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that binge drinking among teenagers tends to decline following the passage of adult-use cannabis laws.

Cannabis sales in Canada grew 157% from May 2020 to May 2023, according to a recent report by cannabis intelligence firm Headset.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released its Draft Guidance for the research of psychedelic drugs including substances such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.

Adults aged 21 and older in Connecticut can grow their own cannabis plants for personal use starting Saturday, July 1. Under state law, individuals will be allowed to grow up to three mature and three immature plants with a maximum of 12 plants per household.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Tuesday to update the state’s regulations for hemp foods and other hemp-derived consumables.