From Our Writers

Only seven of Missouri’s first 24 social equity cannabis dispensary license winners have been formally certified by state officials, while the other 17 were found to be ineligible by the Division of Cannabis Regulations.

A federal judge overturned part of New Jersey’s law restricting the sale of intoxicating hemp products because it violated the federal dormant commerce clause, which prohibits states from interfering with interstate commerce.

A report by the Texas Department of Public Safety found the state’s medical cannabis program does not provide “statewide access” for qualifying patients and suggested that officials should take steps to expand the program’s accessibility.

The New Hampshire House this week voted overwhelmingly to override the governor’s veto of a proposal to let medical cannabis dispensaries build and grow cannabis inside of greenhouses, but state Senators blocked the effort.

Regulators with the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission this week issued fines totaling $165,000 to Curaleaf and Ascend Wellness, two of the state’s largest cannabis companies, for self-reported violations including improper pesticide use and failing to follow the state’s track-and-trace program.

A dispensary employee was charged with murder after a deadly shooting during an armed robbery in North Portland, highlighting the ongoing risks cannabis industry workers face due to primarily cash-only retail operations.

Nebraska officials are questioning the validity of more than half of the already-validated signatures on the state’s petitions to legalize medical cannabis; advocates say the approach is “working to silence and disenfranchise” Nebraska citizens.

The Marijuana Policy Project released its 2024 cannabis policy reform voter guide covering the governors and U.S. Senate races taking place this November.

A recent study in the Journal of Cannabis Research found that government sources are generally the least likely sources of information used by individuals looking to learn about cannabis.

Eaze Technologies Inc., a well-funded cannabis delivery service operating in California and Michigan, is laying off nearly 500 employees and will “wind down operations” this year, according to its CEO.

An elections official in Arkansas said the petition to expand the state’s medical cannabis program had garnered enough signatures to qualify for November’s ballot. The state Supreme Court had ordered officials to continue verifying signatures after the secretary of state said previously the initiative failed to qualify.

Missouri health officials have requested nearly $900,000 to enforce this year’s executive order by Gov. Mike Parson (R) to ban intoxicating hemp products.

Delaware cannabis regulators have received more than 1,260 adult-use cannabis business applications ahead of the state’s September 30 deadline.

The West Virginia Supreme Court will soon hear the appeal of an individual who was denied access to medical cannabis due to being on probation.

Proposals under consideration by Pennsylvania’s health secretary would let nurse practitioners and podiatrists recommend patients for the state’s medical cannabis program.

Activists in Portland, Oregon are planning to pursue a ballot initiative in 2026 to decriminalize natural psychedelics including psilocybin mushrooms and ayahuasca after lawmakers this year voted to undo the state’s voter-approved drug decriminalization policy.

New York officials this week released a three-year implementation report covering the state’s cannabis reform process. The report highlights the industry’s trends, successes and shortcomings, and more.

Cannabis operators hoping to land a retail license in the Redford suburb of Detroit, Michigan camped out for weeks in line for the jurisdiction’s first-come-first-served cannabis licensing process, which kicked off on Thursday.

Democratic U.S. Representatives Jarrold Nadler (D-NY) and Fran Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) this week called on DEA head Anne Milgram to take “swift action” in moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law.

Arkansas state officials said the ballot initiative to expand the state’s medical cannabis program was more than 2,000 signatures short of what’s needed to qualify for November’s ballot.

California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Taskforce seized 2,652 illegally cultivated cannabis plants and “multiple bags” of illegal pesticides, the governor said on Monday.

Infused food, beverages, and live performances will be coming soon to California cannabis cafes after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the proposal into law on Tuesday.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for president, said during a recent podcast appearance that she believes in the legalization of adult-use cannabis — “We need to legalize it and stop criminalizing this behavior,” she said.

Licensed cannabis dispensaries in Ohio have sold more than $76.2 million worth of cannabis products in under two months of operation.