From Our Writers

The Cannabis Industry Alliance of Oregon has asked state lawmakers to prevent the expansion of companies with “a flagrant disregard for state laws and fair business practices,” specifically calling out the cannabis retail chain La Mota for allegedly owing more than $1.5 million to other operators.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the state’s budget bill on Thursday, securing $16 million to help officials crack down on unlicensed cannabis operators.

The campaign to put a cannabis legalization question before Florida voters in 2024 has collected 94% of the necessary signatures.

Colorado-based Terrapin said it has canceled its plan to build a production facility in Auburn, New York due to ongoing delays in the state’s licensing process.

European cannabis advocates their eyes on the Czech Republic, where officials have expressed support for legalizing adult-use cannabis but also recently took measures to crack down on the sale of CBD products.

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan submitted her resignation this week due to controversy surrounding her role as a cannabis industry consultant.

Lawmakers in the Florida House passed a bill that sets the age limit for purchasing hemp products containing THC at 21 but stops short of setting a maximum dose for such products; the Senate-approved proposal goes next to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

The U.S. military and many federal agencies have started to deprioritize prior cannabis use when considering new hires.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) has created a blind trust for his assets, which includes about $1.2 million — about 46% of the governor’s assets — in cannabis company stocks.

Sen. John Tester (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said that a proposal to research medical cannabis use by veterans may be dead following its rejection in the Senate last week.

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said she canceled her side gig as a consultant to La Mota, an embattled cannabis brand, after days of Republican lawmakers calling for her resignation and after the governor requested an ethics inquiry into the role.

Lawmakers in the Florida Senate have passed a hemp regulations proposal that includes no THC caps for products sold in the state. The bill moves next to the House for consideration.

The Texas House approved a cannabis decriminalization proposal last week, reducing penalties for possession up to an ounce. The bill moves next to the Senate, which rejected similar legislation in 2019 and 2021.

Lawmakers in the Minnesota Senate narrowly approved an adult-use cannabis legalization bill last week on a 34-33 party-line vote.

Canada-based INCA Renewable Technologies, which manufactures natural fiber composites, has secured $40 million in funding toward new hemp-related projects.

Multiple Harlem-based businesses together filed a lawsuit this week that seeks to prevent the opening of a planned adult-use dispensary in the area.

Georgia officials issued licenses this week for the state’s first five medical cannabis dispensaries.

A recent survey of Maine’s medical cannabis industry found that more than 1,350 caregivers have left the program since the end of 2021.

Bipartisan lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate reintroduced the SAFE Banking Act this week, which seeks to normalize banking services for state-licensed cannabis companies.

A recent survey found about one-third of New Jersey adults have used cannabis products since the state’s adult-use legalization reforms took effect about a year ago.

Arkansas medical cannabis sales during the first quarter of 2023 were up about 7% compared to the same time period last year.

Colorado announced the launch of its statewide Cannabis Business Loan Program, established through a partnership between NuProject and the administration of Gov. Jared Polis (D).

The California Department of Cannabis Control this week announced the awarding of $20 million in cannabis research grants. The grants will fund studies investigating medical cannabis, cannabis cultivation, cannabis industry regulations, and more.

The Minnesota House voted this week to legalize adult-use cannabis; the Senate is expected to take up its own version of the legislation on Friday.