From Our Writers

Berner, CEO of Cookies, is the first cannabis industry executive to grace the cover of Forbes magazine.

Arkansas’ election officials rejected the state’s cannabis legalization initiative ballot name and title, effectively blocking it from November ballots; advocates behind the proposal are planning to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.

The Minority Cannabis Business Association is partnering with cannabis education company Green Flower to provide members with four free training courses.

The Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act, a bipartisan House proposal filed last week, would facilitate the expungement of low-level federal cannabis misdemeanors.

Michigan is giving $12.5 million to two universities to facilitate research into the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis for veterans suffering from PTSD.

The two-year moratorium on new Oklahoma medical cannabis licenses is set to begin on August 26; the moratorium does not affect license transfers, license renewals, or patient licenses.

The class action lawsuit in New Mexico seeking to make health insurance companies cover medical cannabis costs has been moved to federal court.

The Illinois Equal Justice Foundation has awarded $1.4 million in grants to 18 organizations to help expunge cannabis-related criminal records.

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee held a hearing last week to discuss the state of the hemp industry and how the government can continue to support the crop.

Louisiana’s new medical cannabis laws are now in effect, including provisions for protecting state employees who use medical cannabis, putting the Department of Health in charge of the state’s cannabis program, and prohibiting police from searching homes without a warrant based on the odor of cannabis.

Arkansas’ secretary of state said activists with Responsible Growth Arkansas have gathered sufficient signatures to put a cannabis legalization initiative on the upcoming November ballot.

Officials in Massachusetts passed a package of cannabis reforms including the reduction of ‘impact fees’ charged to cannabis businesses, the retooling of the state’s expungement process, and more.

New York officials shut down a private cannabis consumption club in Cheektowaga for operating without a license but the company says no license exists for its business model.

The health insurance providers in New Mexico who are being sued for not covering the costs of medical cannabis have filed a motion to move the case to federal court.

Boston Red Sox legend and MLB Hall of Famer David Ortiz is launching his cannabis line Papi Cannabis; the products should be available in Massachusetts dispensaries this month.

The Great New York State Fair will allow cannabis consumption in areas where tobacco smoking is allowed. 

Proof of U.S. residency is no longer a requirement for owning a cannabis business in Denver, Colorado.

The veteran advocacy group Weed for Warriors Project is running campaign ads calling out California politicians for not supporting the legal cannabis industry.

The Biden Administration is proposing a prisoner swap for Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian who was convicted in the U.S. of arms dealing.

Since Thailand’s government legalized cannabis cultivation and trade last month, the country has seen a surge of commercial cannabis-based products including toothpaste, snacks, and more.

Rapper and actor Ice-T and Playboy Playmate Charis Burrett received approval on Monday from the New Jersey Cannabis Control Board to open a dispensary in Jersey City. 

Almost two years after South Dakotan voters approved medical cannabis reforms, the first licensed dispensary opened on Wednesday in Hartford.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with bipartisan support that encourages medical cannabis research by easing the federal cannabis research application process.

Adult-use cannabis tax revenues grew by 50% year over year in Illinois, reaching $445.3 million in 2021.