From Our Writers

Massachusetts’ medical and adult-use cannabis sales each set a new record in June at $1.079 million and $1.32 million, respectively.

The Ukraine Parliament gave initial approval this week to a medical cannabis legalization proposal. The law still could see additional amendments and must pass a second reading before heading to President Volodymyr Zelensky for his signature.

The Michigan Civil Service Commission voted unanimously this week to allow hiring individuals for most state employee positions even if they fail pre-employment drug tests for cannabis.

Adult-use cannabis retailers in Maine set a new sales record in June at $18.4 million, according to recent data from the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy.

The Massachusetts-based group Mental Health Options last week filed paperwork signaling plans to put a psychedelics decriminalization ballot question to voters.

Rhode Island dispensary Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center has filed a lawsuit over labor peace agreement provisions in the state’s cannabis legalization law, arguing it was “coerced into entering an oppressive collective bargaining agreement.”

During the first week of sales after the July 1 launch of Maryland’s adult-use cannabis market, dispensaries in the state sold nearly $21 million worth of product.

A proposal to legalize medical cannabis in North Carolina is likely dead for the session, according to the state’s Republican House Speaker Tim Moore.

The University of California, San Diego Psychedelics and Health Research Initiative has received a $1.5 million philanthropic gift funding an investigation into the effects of DMT on the brain.

Recent amendments to the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are seeking to end cannabis drug testing at enlistment for new military members.

The Minnesota Department of Health has added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to the list of qualifying conditions for accessing the state medical cannabis program.

New Hampshire is now allowing reciprocity for its medical cannabis program to patients who are registered for medical cannabis in other U.S. states or Canada.

The draft bill for Germany’s upcoming adult-use cannabis legalization bill was revealed last week by the Ministry of Health.

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.