From Our Writers

Wisconsin Senate Minority Leader Dianne Hesselbein says she will introduce legislation to legalize medical cannabis next session after the Democrats gained four seats in the chamber, ending a Republican supermajority.

The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld a judge’s ruling that the state can prohibit a state-registered cannabis patient from participating in the medical cannabis program if they are on probation.

Licensed cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts have surpassed $7 billion in sales since the adult-use market launched in 2018.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) has endorsed a measure to set the age limit for purchasing intoxicating hemp products at 21 years and limit the sale of hemp products to only licensed cannabis dispensaries.

The launch of Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis industry has been delayed at least several months after officials abandoned a social equity early licensing plan this month, moving instead to open with general licensing later next year.

A Florida judge this week ruled in favor of a paramedic who sued his former employer for wrongful termination after being fired for testing positive for THC on a random drug test, despite being a registered cannabis patient with a state-issued medical ID.

Canadian officials last month missed the legislated deadline to implement a program for the mass pardoning of citizen cannabis possession records.

Connecticut cannabis prices hit an all-time low this year at $10.86 per gram, according to data from the Department of Consumer Protection.

The Boston Beer Company has launched Emerald Hour, a line of non-alcoholic, rosin-infused cannabis beverages in Ontario, Canada. The cans contain regionally sourced ingredients and 10 milligrams of THC and regionally sourced ingredients.

One of the plaintiffs in the recently dismissed lawsuit that aimed to invalidate the petitions behind Nebraska’s successful medical cannabis legalization effort has filed another suit seeking to block the reforms.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers says cannabis legalization should be a top priority for the state next year, although the idea is unpopular in the state’s GOP-controlled Legislature.

Massachusetts officials last week unveiled their plan for licensing adult-use cannabis consumption sites including cannabis tasting rooms, cafes, lounges, movie theaters, and more.

Armed robbers last week held at gunpoint five cannabis workers at a licensed California cannabis farm, making off with more than 150 pounds of processed cannabis that officials estimated to be worth about $150,000.

The NFL has increased the THC threshold triggering a positive cannabis test for players from 150 nanograms per milliliter of blood to 350 ng/ml, and reduced the fines for a positive test result from 50% of the player’s game check to $15,000 for a first violation.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently unsealed documents against two former California officials who used their positions to solicit bribes from cannabis companies in exchange for licenses.

The University of Illinois Chicago Analytical Forensic Testing Laboratory is accused of providing law enforcement with flawed test results in potentially hundreds of DUI cases.

Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) said state lawmakers will prioritize enacting a ban next year on all THC products, including hemp-derived delta-9 and delta-8 THC products.

The Illinois Supreme Court this week ruled that the smell of raw cannabis is grounds for police to conduct a vehicle search during a traffic stop. The ruling departs from a previous decision by the court that found the smell of burnt cannabis is not grounds for searching a vehicle.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are planning to introduce adult-use cannabis legalization legislation again in the upcoming legislative session after a bipartisan proposal failed during the last session.

A federal appeals court has upheld Mississippi’s ban on advertising medical cannabis products, concluding that the restriction does not violate the First Amendment.

Eighteen New York organizations including civil rights groups, small business organizations, cannabis social equity leaders, and drug research advocates expressed concern in a letter to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul about the administration’s perceived pivot away from the state’s cannabis social equity commitments.

California state officials said the state has collected over a quarter of a billion dollars in cannabis tax revenue during the third quarter of 2024.

The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office appears to be setting up to appeal the recent dismissal of a lawsuit brought against two successful medical cannabis initiatives that state voters overwhelmingly approved last month.