From Our Writers

Massachusetts State Treasurer Deb Goldberg announced this week the firing of Cannabis Control Commission Chair Shannon O’Brien, who was initially suspended from the position last September.

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.

Former president Donald Trump said last weekend that he supports the federal rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III and giving cannabis companies access to banking services.

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 Gov. Gavin Newsom last week proposed emergency regulations to completely ban the sale of any hemp-derived THC products in the state. The proposed rules would also set the minimum age to purchase hemp products at 21.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Saturday opened the Great Smoky Cannabis Company to all adult-use cannabis customers. The shop, located in the Qualla Boundary, is North Carolina’s first and only retail cannabis location.

Kentucky officials have received 4,998 applications for medical cannabis business licenses, the governor announced this week. The majority of the applications (4,076) are for dispensary permits.

Cannabis advocates in Idaho are preparing for a 2026 cannabis legalization campaign after another petition to put a medical cannabis legalization question before voters failed to gather enough signatures

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.

Cannabis pre-rolls were the fastest-growing product category in the cannabis industry last year for the second year in a row with an 11.89% jump in sales revenue year-over-year, according to a white paper report.

Cannabis product prices in Michigan have fallen nearly 14.5% this year with the average price for an ounce of flower reaching the industry’s all-time low of $79.70 in July.

Nebraska’s secretary of state said the state’s campaigns to legalize and regulate medical cannabis have qualified for the November ballot.

Ohio cannabis regulators last week issued fines totaling $212,500 to five cannabis companies for advertising violations including improper signage and offering free food and beverages from an ice cream truck.

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.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that prosecutors cannot file gun possession charges against a Texas woman who admitted to consuming cannabis, citing a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that says modern firearm restrictions must be “consistent with this nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.”

Police in Allen, Texas said this week they raided nine hemp product retailers after an investigation found they were selling products containing an illegal amount of THC. An attorney representing the stores called the raid an intimidation tactic and said his clients had been operating lawfully.

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.