From Our Writers

The international industrial hemp market is expected to reach $18.1 billion by 2027, according to a new market report.

In the second installment of our 2023 predictions series, we asked experts in cannabis science, cultivation, and agricultural technology — as well as industrial hemp and psychedelics — to weigh in with their industry expectations for the next year.

Amid a significant and ongoing decline in consumer cannabis prices, Massachusetts this week witnessed the first closure of an adult-use dispensary since the state’s legal cannabis market launched in 2018.

Canadian prosecutors have moved to withdraw all charges against three former executives for CannTrust, the beleaguered cannabis giant that was sunk by accusations of unlicensed cannabis cultivation.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed into law a bill encouraging the incorporation of hemp products in construction, packaging, and other mainstream industries.

Coming off the heels of a very big year for cannabis, what does 2023 have in store for the emerging international industry?

Cherokee medical cannabis company Qualla Enterprises LLC will receive $63 million to increase staffing and build new facilities following a recent Tribal Council vote.

Kansas state Sen. Rob Olsen said he will introduce a medical cannabis legalization proposal at the start of the next legislative session.

The Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation has selected 100 social equity applicants for an opportunity to apply for retail cannabis licenses.

Transportation officials in Massachusetts are adding cannabis impairment lessons to the state’s driver’s ed curriculum for next year.

Bipartisan lawmakers in New Hampshire’s House of Representatives are set to propose another cannabis legalization bill but the proposal could face opposition in the Senate and from Republican Gov. Chris Sununu.

Arizona sold $1.6 billion worth of cannabis in 2021 to become the second-largest cannabis market in the U.S. behind California.

The legal cannabis industry in Africa is poised for massive growth with a recent report estimating the market could be worth more than $7.1 billion by the end of 2023.

Guam has now appointed 11 “responsible officials” to represent the island’s upcoming cannabis business entities but none have yet to formally submit their business application.

The California cannabis brand Kushy Punch received a $128 million fine this week related to the alleged illegal production of millions of cannabis gummies. It is thought to be the state’s largest cannabis fine ever.

Rhode Island cannabis dispensaries sold about $1.6 million worth of combined medical and adult-use cannabis during the state’s first week of regulated recreational sales.

The office of Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) said this week that approximately 44,000 state-level cannabis convictions are set to be erased starting January 1, 2023.

WNBA star Brittney Griner, who this year was arrested on drug charges in Russia and sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, is free and on her way home following a one-for-one prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Cannabis is now legal for adults to consume, possess, and cultivate in Missouri. Cannabis sales remain off-limits for now but the state’s medical dispensaries are expected to open to adult-use consumers sometime next year.

The Senate has walked back plans to include bipartisan cannabis banking reforms in the annual national defense bill following an outcry by GOP lawmakers.

Colombia’s Senate has voted overwhelmingly in favor of a constitutional amendment to legalize adult-use cannabis. The proposal already passed the country’s lower legislative body but must undergo at least eight debates in total before it can be formally adopted.

The Minnesota Board of Pharmacy filed a lawsuit against Northland Vapor — creator of the “Death By Gummy Bears” line of edibles — alleging that the company’s products far exceed the state’s strict THC potency limits.

The PREPARE Act, the latest cannabis proposal in Congress, would prepare the U.S. for the likely end of cannabis prohibition by directing officials to workshop a framework for federal cannabis regulations.

New Jersey regulators have approved initial rules for cannabis consumption lounges in the state — a 60-day public comment period will follow before the rules can be officially finalized.