From Our Writers

With the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission still embroiled in lawsuits, the launch of the state’s medical cannabis program is still months away, if not a year or more.

Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth this week agreed to an acquisition setting up the full takeover of Acreage Holdings, a U.S.-based multistate cannabis operator.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently visited the Bloomfield cannabis company Prolific GrowHouse after the company unveiled a new cannabis strain named after the governor, ‘Murphy’s Sourz.’

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) could finally let veterans participate in state-legal medical cannabis programs under a House-approved amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies (MilConVA) Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.

South Dakota voters will get another shot at legalizing adult-use cannabis this November after the secretary of state said they validated enough petition signatures to put a legalization question on the 2024 general election ballot.

South Africa became the first country in Africa to legalize cannabis for personal use last week under a bill signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa just days before the president’s party lost its majority in Congress.

Despite the federal government estimating some 10,000 citizens would be eligible for conviction relief when Canada legalized cannabis, just 845 pardons for cannabis crimes have been issued since 2019.

A Vermont man who was fired for using medical cannabis is appealing the decision to deny a portion of his state unemployment benefits to the state Supreme Court.

In a review of the hallucinogen MDMA posted last week, the FDA highlighted concerns about the initial investigations into the drug as a potential new therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Louisiana state representatives last week rejected an outright ban on the state’s burgeoning hemp products industry. Instead, state senators passed a House-approved proposal to increase restrictions on products containing hemp-derived THC.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is reportedly considering vetoing the legislature’s ban on products containing hemp-derived delta-8 THC and other intoxicating cannabinoids in hopes that the hemp industry will help defeat Florida’s upcoming cannabis legalization ballot initiative.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed into law a bill to award some cannabis cultivation licenses earlier than expected so operators can be better prepared for next year’s industry launch.

A recent study found that terpenes could be an effective and side-effect-free treatment for chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.

Missouri cannabis taxes have generated over $19 million to support veterans, expand the state’s substance use treatment programs, and fund the Public Defenders System.

Between 30-40% of Minnesota adults could qualify as applicants to the state’s cannabis social equity program under rules approved by state lawmakers earlier this year.

While federal lawmakers consider banning most hemp-derived cannabinoid products, the hemp industry is facing another potential threat after a DEA official said the federal 0.3% delta-9 THC cap also applies to delta-9 THCA, which is a similar compound.

Chris Alexander, the inaugural executive director of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management, resigned last week following criticisms by Gov. Kathy Hochul against the agency and its roll-out of the adult-use cannabis industry.

Following the recent failure of a state bid to legalize psychedelic treatment centers in California, advocates now say they are considering a 2026 state ballot measure to address psychedelics reform.

An amendment to the House version of the Farm Bill would effectively ban the sale of hemp-derived delta-8 THC products and other hemp-derived intoxicating products. The amendment, however, is far from guaranteed to pass the divided House and Senate to become law.

A key Delaware House committee has advanced a proposal to allow early adult-use cannabis sales by letting medical dispensaries service adult-use customers; some industry advocates say the move would be giving certain businesses an unfair advantage.

Daily cannabis consumers outnumbered daily alcohol consumers in the U.S. in 2022 for the first time on record, according to an analysis of the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

The owner of seven unlicensed New York cannabis shops has been fined $15.2 million, including $7 million in disgorgement fines and $8.2 million in penalties for operating without a license, ignoring multiple notices by officials, and selling cannabis to underage customers.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Justice on Tuesday published the rule proposal for moving cannabis to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The publication kicks off a 61-day public comment period, a CSA requirement.