TG Branfalt

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled last week that the odor of burnt cannabis alone is not sufficient grounds for police to conduct vehicle searches without a warrant.

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania filed a bipartisan bill on Monday to legalize adult-use cannabis. The bill, which calls for regulating the adult-use industry and expunging past cannabis crimes, was filed on state lawmakers’ first day back from recess.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson recently specified that non-alcoholic, hemp-derived beverages containing 0.3% or less THC are legal in the state despite a lack of legal “guardrails” for the products.

One of the companies suing the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission asked a judge to toss all three of the agency’s attempts to award integrated cannabis licenses and to declare the regulators’ appeal process void.

The University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging released last week found that 21% of respondents aged 50 and older used THC-rich cannabis products at least once in the past year.

A former Nebraska state senator has filed a lawsuit to invalidate two medical cannabis petitions — one to legalize medical cannabis and one to regulate the industry — that were approved for November ballots earlier this month.

A recent survey by Germany-based medical cannabis company Bloomwell GmBh found that 94% of respondents who consumed cannabis said they did so for at least one medical or health reason.

California lawmakers have passed a bill to legalize cannabis consumption lounges in the state; the proposal goes next to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who vetoed a similar measure last year over concerns about violating the state’s smoke-free workplace protections.

Missouri officials announced a new joint task force aimed at reigning in the spread of “unlicensed psychoactive cannabis products” in the state.

A Senate committee in Pakistan unanimously advanced a proposal to regulate the cultivation and production of cannabis.

A recent study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports found that cannabis use in the U.S. increased from 7.59% to 11.54% from 2013 to 2020, but youth rates remained statistically constant.

Licensed cannabis dispensaries in Ohio sold more than $44 million worth of cannabis during the first month of adult-use sales, according to state data.

Past 30-day use of cannabis and hallucinogenic drugs among adults aged 19-50 have remained at “historically high levels” in the U.S. while past-month and daily alcohol use continued a decade-long decline among adults aged 19-30, with binge drinking reaching all-time lows.

California Attorney General Bob Ronta said police officers last week busted a retail burglary ring that targeted cannabis shops, leading to nearly two dozen arrests.

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) signed a bill establishing a cannabis research program at the University of Mississippi to investigate the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic benefits of medical cannabis.

The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and Wisconsin Tribal Task Force on Cannabis this week announced the launch of the Wisconsin Wellness campaign to push for legalizing medical cannabis in the state.

Former President Trump breaks with Governor Ron DeSantis and many Republicans, backing Florida’s adult-use cannabis amendment while urging restrictions on public use to avoid ‘Democrat-run cities’ scenarios.

Legal battles are delaying Alabama’s medical cannabis rollout, leaving thousands of patients in limbo as both regulators and licensees push for court approval to start operations.

A campaign to change medical cannabis laws in Arkansas is pushing forward with additional signatures to expand medical cannabis access, aiming to ease patient certification and allow home cultivation.

A lawsuit filed this week in New York on behalf of three licensed hemp retailers is accusing the state’s cannabis officials of “trampling” on their constitutional rights by conducting “military-style raids” as part of their crackdown on the sale of illegal cannabis products.

Maine individuals can apply to have their criminal histories for some cannabis crimes sealed under a law that took effect this month; the law applies to crimes that are now legal following the state’s adult-use cannabis reforms.

Cannabis regulators in Rhode Island are considering changes to the state’s cannabis packaging rules, including allowing the use of color. Current regulations require only neutral colors to avoid attracting children.

Cannabis sales in New York have exceeded $260 million during the first half of 2024 and third-quarter sales are on track to surpass the previous quarters, according to the Office of Cannabis Management.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) has no immediate plans to grant mass pardons for Ohioans with low-level cannabis offenses, which can negatively impact employment, housing, and higher education opportunities.