Regulations

Ascend Wellness Holdings is countering MedMen’s claims that they held undue influence with New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration during a legal fight about a company takeover.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) combined the state’s cannabis and hemp industry regulatory agencies to create the Cannabis Regulatory Agency.

New York is on track to release its proposed cannabis industry regulations in May, which would ready the state to accept license applications later this year.

New Jersey’s top cannabis regulator said the state will miss the statutory deadline of February 22 for launching its adult-use market.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife destroyed 2.6 million pounds of illegally cultivated cannabis plants and 487,270 pounds of flower during 2021.

Looking to combat illegal cannabis grows, Oklahoma lawmakers have introduced a bill to pause new medical cannabis licensing while the industry shores up compliance issues.

The Mississippi House passed a Senate-approved medical cannabis bill but with updates adding some qualifying conditions and reducing the amount of medical cannabis that patients can purchase each day.

New Mexico lawmakers are set to consider cannabis regulatory changes including production increases for cannabis microbusinesses and budtender education requirements.

Hoping to avoid product shortages when the state’s adult-use market comes online, New Mexico passed an emergency rule change to double the number of cannabis plants that licensed producers can grow.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is creating a $200 million fund for social equity applicants looking to join the adult-use cannabis industry.

A Michigan judge denied the Michigan Marijuana Regulation Agency’s request to reverse a ruling that limited the cannabis product recall tied to Viridis Laboratories earlier this month.

The Utah Department of Health will accelerate plans to increase patient access to the medical cannabis program and to allow additional healthcare providers to recommend medical cannabis.

Ohio regulators have issued a product recall for Blueberry Cookies flower and shake products by Galenas LLC; the recall was prompted because dispensary workers found plastic-like materials in some of the products’ packaging.

The Vermont Cannabis Control Board will not be including all of the cannabis label health warnings recommended by the Vermont Medical Society.

Under new rules proposed by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, cannabis patients would be allowed nine ounces over a 90-day period, regardless of THC concentrations.

A Michigan judge ruled that a portion of the recall by the Marijuana Regulatory Agency against products tested by Viridis North was “in all likelihood based upon an arbitrary decision.”

The Vermont Medical Society is calling for a 15% THC limit on adult-use cannabis products, citing studies that suggest THC-rich cannabis is associated with an increase in “emergency department psychiatric visits” and “mental health disorders including psychosis.”

A Florida bill seeks to place strict limits on delta-8 THC and overhaul the state’s medical cannabis program, which would include a new cannabis oversight agency and new rules preventing the sale of dispensary licenses for monetary gain.

Viridis Laboratories, a cannabis testing laboratory that was recently targeted by a product recall, has filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency.

New guidelines from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority include a ban on advertisements for cannabis and hallucinogenic mushrooms, similar to bans on alcohol and tobacco advertising.

Alabama medical cannabis patients will be allowed to purchase up to 60 days’ worth of cannabis products at once and legally possess up to 70 days’ worth of product.

Missouri officials have proposed new medical cannabis industry rules that would allow promotional events and the posting of price discounts. The rules also include a ban on hemp-derived Delta-8 THC.

Under a provision in Montana’s adult-use cannabis rules, licensed cannabis companies are not allowed to grow, process, or sell hemp products, which effectively relegates the retail sales of hemp-derived CBD products to gas stations, corner markets, and grocery stores.

Cannabis is the fifth most valuable crop in the U.S. according to Leafly’s first-ever Cannabis Harvest Report.