From Our Writers

A 64% majority of adult Californians remain supportive of the state’s cannabis legalization policy, according to a recent Public Policy Institute of California survey.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed into law a bill to issue medical cannabis cultivation licenses to Black farmers. The new law also expands telehealth renewals for medical cannabis patients.

Anti-cannabis advocates including the Cannabis Impact Prevention Coalition, the Cannabis Industry Victims Seeking Justice, and eight individuals associated with the groups this week filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court seeking to overturn the state’s cannabis legalization law.

A recent report by Whitney Economics found that just 24.4% of U.S. cannabis companies currently turn a profit, down 42% from the year prior.

California-based Glass House Brands has filed a defamation lawsuit against Catalyst Cannabis and its leadership in response to their claims — on both social media and in their own lawsuit — that Glass House is the “biggest black marketeer” of cannabis in American history.

New York regulators have seized nearly $11 million worth of product and at least 1,000 pounds of cannabis during the first three weeks of enforcement actions against the state’s unlicensed retailers.

Herbl, one of California’s biggest cannabis distributors, is shutting down operations and entering receivership. The well-funded brand’s collapse illuminates the unfortunate state of the nation’s largest cannabis market.

Oklahoma’s licensed cannabis growers may be producing 64 times more cannabis than the medical cannabis patient population’s current demand, according to a recent study commissioned by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.

A Florida appeals court this week ruled that the firing of a Department of Corrections officer over his prescribed medical cannabis use was justified under federal law.

A bill to regulate hemp-derived CBD and kratom products in North Carolina passed the House Judiciary Committee this week, moving next to the House Appropriations Committee.

Malta, which became the first European Union country to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2021, still hasn’t licensed any non-commercial cannabis clubs despite having received 26 applications since the application window opened about four months ago.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) said he plans to issue pardons for all criminal convictions in the state related to psychedelics.

Twitch, the popular online streaming platform owned by Amazon, recently updated its branding policy to ban cannabis companies from sponsoring channels on the platform.

Colombian lawmakers voted 47-43 in favor of federally allowing adult-use cannabis sales but, per Colombia’s constitution, the proposal requires more than a simple majority, and it ultimately failed to pass the chamber.

Workers at the California-based cannabis distribution company Amuse voted on Wednesday to join the Teamsters Local 630 union.

The California Department of Cannabis Control awarded 18 municipalities with $4.145 million in grants aimed at expanding access to licensed retail cannabis throughout the state.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled 4-3 that the odor of cannabis alone is enough to justify police searches of vehicles despite the fact that legal substances in the state — like hemp — can smell exactly the same.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that teenagers living in ZIP codes with operating medical cannabis dispensaries are less likely to consume cannabis than teenagers who live in areas without them.

A National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) committee indicated its support over the weekend for removing restrictions on the medical and/or recreational use of cannabis. Next, the committee will gather input from association members, with a final action expected in the fall.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed into law an omnibus cannabis bill that more than doubles personal possession limits in the state, allows for felons to acquire cannabis industry licenses in some cases, and more.

Pennsylvania is funding three agriculture non-profits with just over $390,000 in grants to increase hemp fiber and food market awareness throughout the state.

Georgia man Rahsaan Jackson Garth last week was sentenced to three years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution for his role in defrauding farmers in a hemp business venture.

Vermont lawmakers have expanded the state’s medical cannabis program, allowing patients to cultivate a total of 12 plants — up to six mature at once — and adding post-traumatic stress disorder to the program’s qualifying conditions list.

An Arkansas judge last week voided 27 laws passed by lawmakers to amend the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis law in 2017, 2019, and 2021. The judge called the changes unconstitutional.