From Our Writers

Alaska’s House of Representatives voted last week to replace the state’s $50-per-ounce tax structure on adult-use cannabis products with a 7% sales tax on retail cannabis transactions. The proposal still must pass the Senate before going to the governor.

The publicly traded and internationally licensed cannabis company Kaya Holdings Inc. announced this week that it has received a license to administer therapeutic psilocybin products in Oregon.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on social media this week that he wants to make cannabis illegal again except for medicinal purposes, aligning with the health minister’s call for re-criminalizing the plant.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday that city officials will take action across the city against illegally operating cannabis shops as part of an enforcement effort called “Operation Padlock to Protect.”

Cannabis advocates in Kansas announced they have formed the Cannabis Justice Coalition, which will support candidates for local office who support cannabis legalization and the expunging of cannabis criminal records.

Vermont officials have issued a recall for all cannabis products from Holland Cannabis Co. due to potential exposure to the fungicide myclobutanil.

The Florida GOP Executive Board unanimously passed a resolution over the weekend opposing the cannabis legalization amendment set to appear before voters during this November’s election.

Cannabis retailers in New Jersey set a new quarterly sales record of $201 million during the first three months of 2024, but the quarter-over-quarter growth rate (4.4%) is the state’s lowest on record since the market launch.

Recent USDA data shows that the value of hemp produced in the U.S. in 2023 reached $291 million, up 18% from the year prior.

A St. Louis, Missouri County Circuit judge has ruled that city and county governments can each stack an additional 3% sales tax on adult-use cannabis sales.

Per a recent Connecticut Appellate Court ruling, employers in the state have the right to fire employees who come to work while impaired by medical cannabis.

According to a new study compiled by UK researchers, psilocybin — the naturally occurring psychedelic in so-called “magic mushrooms” — shows promise as an effective treatment for depression.

Voters in Lubbock, Texas rejected a local cannabis decriminalization ballot measure over the weekend with nearly 65% of voters opposing the reforms.

Senate Democrats have again filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which seeks to legalize cannabis at the federal level and automatically expunge federal non-violent cannabis offenses.

Recent polling from the Independent Community Bankers of America found that 64% of Americans believe giving state-legal cannabis companies access to traditional banking services would benefit public safety.

The American Bankers Association said that even once cannabis is rescheduled to Schedule III under federal law, Congress will still need to pass the SAFER Banking Act to let state-legal cannabis companies access traditional financial services.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed into law the state’s hemp regulation proposal — the new law creates a licensing program for the cultivation, manufacturing, and retail of industrial hemp products, and sets the age requirement to purchase or possess such products at 21.

As Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis regulations come together, lawmakers are considering giving some cannabis cultivators an early start to avoid potential delays to the state’s cannabis program.

Cannabis company stocks soared on Tuesday following reports that the DEA would move to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under federal law.

To protect youth from exposure to cannabinoid products, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has directed state officials to warn industrial hemp product retailers that selling improperly labeled products is a crime that could lead to a revoked license.

The DEA has reportedly agreed to reschedule cannabis under Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, in accordance with the FDA’s recent recommendation. While this development could loosen financial restrictions for brands operating in state markets, advocates have pointed out that it does not resolve the ongoing social injustices surrounding cannabis criminalization, and that it could benefit larger corporate entities that are angling to dominate the market.

The cannabis multistate operator MedMen filed for bankruptcy last week with the company’s Los Angeles-based subsidiary entering receivership with more than $410 million in liabilities owed.

Recent research suggests that despite the popular stereotype, people who regularly consume cannabis are not more lazy or unmotivated than non-consumers.

Cannabis advocates in North Dakota have been cleared by the secretary of state’s office to start collecting voter signatures to put a legalization question on November ballots.