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A Massachusetts campaign working to keep recreational marijuana dispensaries open by defeating an initiative on the November ballot that would roll back the state’s legalization law has launched two new ads. One spot rolled out on Tuesday by the No on 8: Stop the Repeal Campaign features Alan Balsam, a former commissioner of public health for the city of Brookline. “Not long ago, people in Massachusetts could only buy marijuana illegally. Question eight would take us back to those days,” he said in the ad. “It bans the safe, legal sale of marijuana.” “As a public health expert, I’m voting no on 8 because it will have unintended consequences,” Balsam said. “It creates real risk, forcing people to buy products that aren’t regulated, tested or labeled. There’d be no way to know potency or if products were laced with fentanyl, pesticide residues or mold. “I’m voting no on 8 to keep people safe.” The campaign’s second new ad features a number of rotating speakers delivering a unified script, including a doctor, a military veteran and a business owner. “Voting no on 8 stops the ban on legal marijuana sales and keeps Massachusetts from going backwards to unregulated marijuana sales on our streets,” the speakers say in the ad, switching from one to another mid-sentence. “Voting no on 8 protects jobs and tax revenue and maintains regulations that protect my patients.” “Voting no on 8 keeps marijuana safe with ID checks, testing and labeling that ensures safety and known potency,” they said. “Vote no on 8 and stop the ban.” A press release from the campaign says the ads will run on digital, streaming and broadcast. “Over the last ten years, legal cannabis has had an immense positive impact on our state and local economies, creating jobs and generating billions in tax revenue,” Ryan Dominguez, chair of Stop the Repeal, said. “These ads will help voters to understand how repealing highly-regulated adult-use cannabis will have a deep effect on Massachusetts communities and our state economy.” “Massachusetts voters made their voices clear when they chose to legalize marijuana and we cannot allow out-of-state groups to come into the Commonwealth and repeal this law,” he said. “We are grateful for all the support we have received from our regional leaders, public health officials, law enforcement, small business owners, and advocates.” Meanwhile, a new poll released this week shows that most Massachusetts voters oppose the ballot measure to roll back marijuana legalization. The survey, published on Tuesday by CommonWealth Beacon and conducted by MassINC Polling Group (MPG), shows that 61 percent of likely voters oppose the initiative—which would repeal laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational cannabis and home cultivation while maintaining legal possession and continuing the medical marijuana system. Just 27 percent of respondents said they favor the anti-cannabis ballot measure, while 11 percent are undecided and 1 percent responded that they would prefer not to state their opinion. A separate poll released last week by The University of New Hampshire, shows that nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of respondents plan to vote against the anti-cannabis measure, while just 24 percent plan to support it. Another survey released last month found that Massachusetts voters oppose the marijuana legalization repeal measure, 55 percent to 33 percent. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, which regulates the legal industry, announced this month that the state has surpassed $10 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. CCC Chair Chris Harding told Marijuana Moment that he can’t comment directly on the initiative and that the commission does not take positions on pending ballot questions or legislation, but he said that, in general, “repeal of the adult-use industry could eliminate thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and billions in tax revenue.” Meanwhile, a top labor union—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Massachusetts State Council—is urging voters to reject the cannabis legalization rollback initiative. While the latest survey results provide some comfort to cannabis reform supporters, advocates are not resting. A coalition of Massachusetts marijuana business leaders, healthcare professionals and other advocates have launched a campaign to defeat the measure. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) recently issued a warning that passage of the legalization rollback measure would have “disastrous political and economic consequences for legal cannabis markets everywhere.” “Even a too-close victory would spook markets and incentivize a rash of similar initiatives in states around the country, each costing millions to try and defeat,” the group said. After the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office determined that organizers for the anti-cannabis proposal had turned in enough valid signatures to put the measure before voters, a marijuana reform advocate filed an objection with the State Ballot Law Commission claiming that various signatures were not genuine, obtained through fraudulent means or were not “signed substantially as registered.” The body rejected the challenge to the legal marijuana rollback measure, however, clearing it to go before voters to decide. In June, the campaign behind the anti-legalization ballot measure fired a signature gatherer it says was shown appearing to engage in “wholly unacceptable” conduct in a recent video. As Marijuana Moment reported, a man petitioning for the Massachusetts initiative as well as a similar anti-cannabis proposal in Maine was depicted in recent social media posts seeming to argue that voters who support legal marijuana access should sign the petitions in order to advance or protect reform. The campaign later said it has “zero tolerance for any circulation tactics that would mislead petition signers.” “The identified canvasser was immediately terminated, in coordination with our vendor, upon being made aware of the alleged conduct,” the group said. “The conduct apparent in the video would be wholly unacceptable and does not reflect how this campaign operates. We demand honesty, transparency and professionalism from everyone associated with our effort.” A video posted to Reddit of the signature gatherer shows the man collecting signatures outside a retail store in Massachusetts next to a sign that says “keep cannabis legal.” When confronted by a marijuana reform supporter who recorded the petitioner’s interactions with voters, he appeared to be trying to convince them that it is important to qualify the anti-cannabis measure for the ballot in order to then defeat it. “This is what we’re fighting against right here. That’s why we vote no,” he said. “If we can get this to the ballot right here, we vote no.” The person who captured the video pointed out that Massachusetts voters already approved marijuana legalization years ago, and that the only way it could be imminently repealed is if the new ballot measure qualified for the November election. If the initiative does not get enough signatures to go before voters, the state’s laws will remain the same. “It’s my job,” the petitioner insisted, however. “I know what I’m talking about.” “It’s a group of rich folks from out of state that want to basically take marijuana to when it was a medical marijuana card,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.” The same man also appeared to also be gathering signatures for a separate measure in Maine that would similarly repeal laws allowing regulated adult-use marijuana sales and home cultivation rights for adults while keeping possession legal and adding new testing requirements for medical cannabis. A staffer for the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), whose affiliated group SAM Action is largely funding the anti-cannabis ballot campaigns in both states, declined to comment about the petitioner’s conduct when reached by Marijuana Moment. The campaigns have previously been accused of misleading petitioning tactics. In Massachusetts, some voters reported that the campaign used fake cover letters for other ballot measures on unrelated issues like affordable housing and same-day voter registration during the first round of petitioning. Legal cannabis supporters filed an earlier formal complaint about the prohibitionist effort’s tactics, but the State Ballot Law Commission rejected the challenge. The measure also faced a legal challenge from cannabis industry operatives who argued it contains “impermissibly unrelated subjects,” and that the state attorney general’s official summary is “misleading and deficient.” The state Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the litigation challenging the anti-marijuana initiative but it ultimately ruled against the lawsuit. The governor of Massachusetts last week filed legislation proposing to increase military veterans’ access to medical marijuana by allowing them to receive patient cards without having to get a doctor’s recommendation. The post New Ads Urge Massachusetts Voters To Keep Marijuana Sales Legal By Rejecting Measure On November Ballot appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Republican congressman whose reelection bid is being boosted by donations from some of the U.S.’s largest marijuana businesses says the legalization of cannabis is “hurting” society. A question posed to Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and his Democratic opponent Cait Conely during a debate on Monday asked whether New York’s legal cannabis law is “helping or hurting our local economy and neighborhoods.” Conley said legal marijuana is “helping,” while Lawler replied that it is “hurting.” Although the answer is in line with the incumbent congressman’s track record of opposing marijuana reform, it comes as his effort to keep his seat is being boosted with ads that are paid for by cannabis company contributions. As Marijuana Moment reported earlier this month, a political action committee that shares the same treasurer as President Donald Trump’s own super PAC is using money raised from marijuana business donations to pay for independent expenditures in support of several vulnerable Republican members of Congress, including Lawler. Some of the U.S.’s largest cannabis companies donated a collective $11.5 million to America First Agriculture Action Inc. in June. The PAC’s funding comes entirely from marijuana businesses. The contributions—from Trulieve Inc., Curaleaf Inc., Verano Holdings LLC and Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc., along with other entities tied to Green Thumb Industries and AYR Wellness Inc.—brought the total amount of donations from cannabis businesses or an industry-linked political action committee to Trump-linked PACs to at least $15.05 million, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings. Now, the agriculture-focused PAC is spending some of that to support several GOP lawmakers who are in tough reelection fights in November. The PAC’s ad in support of Lawler—funded by the marijuana business donations—doesn’t mention cannabis at all and instead focuses on his votes to ban insider trading by members of Congress and in support of tax cuts, including a measure to make it so there would be no taxes on tips, overtime and social security. FEC records show that as of the PAC’s latest filings on Monday, it had spent $288,774.79 of the cannabis business donations in support of Lawler specifically. NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano told Marijuana Moment that the tens of millions of cannabis consumers in the U.S. “have the potential to be a powerful voting block and sway politicians to support policies that are in consumers’ best interests.” “Consumers should not tolerate politicians that either take their votes for granted or that support policies that jeopardize their personal freedoms and civil liberties,” he said. “As the cannabis industry becomes a larger player in both local and national politics, consumers should also pay attention to whether the political lobbying decisions engaged in by specific industry players align with their own political preferences, and act accordingly.” Lawler said last year that it would be “wrong” for the Trump administration to reschedule cannabis, claiming that “marijuana is a gateway drug” and arguing that “most of the people [who] end up using harder substances start out on marijuana.” He also joined a sign-on letter to the president arguing that rescheduling cannabis would “send the wrong message to America’s children, enable drug cartels, and make our roads more dangerous.” “Marijuana has no real medical value,” the letter said, calling cannabis a “harmful drug that is worsening our nation’s addiction crisis.” The letter Lawler signed also addressed the marijuana businesses that are now indirectly funding the effort to keep him in Congress, calling them “addiction-for-profit dispensaries.” “The marijuana industry wants Schedule III because large marijuana companies will receive billions in tax relief. Under Section 280E of the tax code, businesses trafficking Schedule I and II drugs cannot deduct business expenses. Financial estimates predict the marijuana industry will get a $2 billion annual tax break if they are no longer constrained by 280E. This would incentivize addiction-for-profit dispensaries to advertise more kid-friendly products than ever. Tax relief should be prioritized for hard-working, law-abiding Americans and businesses, not marijuana shops.” “Rescheduling marijuana will not make America great,” the letter said. Lawler is additionally a cosponsor of a bill that would continue to block marijuana businesses from taking federal tax deductions under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code 280E, even under rescheduling. Although Trump’s administration has taken steps to federally reschedule marijuana, Republican congressional leadership and many members of the party’s House and Senate conferences remain openly hostile to cannabis reform. The GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee this year voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling, for example. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Marijuana Moment in an interview this month that he thinks “marijuana is a gateway drug, and it causes other problems down the road” for people who use it. In contrast, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who would be poised to become speaker next year if Democrats win back a majority in the chamber in November’s elections, said earlier this year that his party will “be in a position to do something about” marijuana laws “in the next Congress.” The only two times that Congress has considered marijuana legalization legislation on the floor was under Democratic control in 2020 and 2022, via bills that all but a handful of Republicans voted against. Notably, the treasurer of the agriculture PAC behind the ads supporting Lawler and other GOP lawmakers in tight races, Charles Gantt, is the same person named as treasurer of Trump’s political committee, MAGA Inc., which has separately received $2.05 million in donations from a cannabis-industry-backed committee, the American Rights and Reform PAC, Inc. Last year, that cannabis industry PAC additionally gave a total of $1.5 million to the agriculture PAC. Earlier FEC records also previously showed that Trulieve and Curaleaf contributed a total of $1 million to support Trump’s inaugural committee following his election in 2024. Curaleaf executive Matt Harrell is listed as treasurer of the American Rights and Reform PAC. The most recent contributions from the cannabis companies to the Trump-linked agriculture PAC came weeks after the Department of Justice announced it is moving forward with the process of federally rescheduling marijuana, a reform that Trump backed during the 2024 campaign and then issued an executive order on late last year. Under an action announced by Attorney General Todd Blanche in April, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license immediately moved from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, as did any marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A hearing is considering broader cannabis rescheduling, including for recreational products. The Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move is also challenged by opponents through litigation. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post GOP Congressman Being Supported By Marijuana Industry Donations Says Legalization Is ‘Hurting’ People appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

MA anti-marijuana measure poll; PA medical cannabis in hospitals; MD vets’ cannabis law; Medical marijuana patient growth; Local psychedelics votes Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Before you dig into today’s cannabis news, I wanted you to know you can keep this resource free and published daily by subscribing to Marijuana Moment on Patreon. We’re a small independent publication diving deep into the cannabis world and rely on readers like you to keep going. Join us at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW A Drug Enforcement Administration judge has granted a stay in an ongoing hearing on marijuana rescheduling requested by opponents who want a recent Government Accountability Office report finding “gaps” in the federal drug scheduling process to be entered into the record. Another new poll shows that Massachusetts voters strongly oppose an initiative on the ballot to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law, 61 percent to 27 percent—though Republicans are twice as likely to support the anti-cannabis measure as Democrats are. The Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee unanimously approved a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. A new Maryland law taking effect on Thursday will provide legal protections for veterinarians who recommend medical cannabis for animals, making it so they can’t be punished for it by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. A pair of new studies published by the American College of Physicians shows that there are nearly 4 million patients registered to use medical marijuana under state laws in the U.S., as well as at least 35,000 doctors and clinicians approved to recommend it and nearly 110,000 caregivers authorized to assist patients in growing and obtaining cannabis products. Local officials in California, Oregon and Washington State cities are advancing measures to deprioritize police enforcement of laws criminalizing psychedelics like psilocybin, ayahuasca and mescaline. Workers at Greenlight Dispensary in Springfield, Missouri claim they were fired in retaliation for holding a union organizing meeting—though management reportedly accused them of consuming marijuana at work. / FEDERAL The Government Accountability Office reported that 30 percent of noncitizens incarcerated by the Bureau of Prisons were there for drug-related offenses. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said that banning hemp “is a violation of medical freedom.” / STATES Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) discussed his opposition to legalizing marijuana. Tennessee Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green said she would like to work with lawmakers to legalize marijuana if elected. Ohio regulators adopted changes to rules on non-marijuana ingredients in cannabis products. Illinois officials are proposing to add cannabis-related criminal codes for operators of electric bicycles, scooters and other vehicles. Massachusetts regulators issued guidance about marijuana business advertising rules. Missouri regulators published guidance on changes to marijuana and hemp laws. Maine regulators sent a newsletter with various cannabis updates. Georgia regulators will consider changes to medical cannabis rules on Wednesday. The Virginia Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council will meet on November 12. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Baltimore, Maryland City Council approved a proposal to allow police to padlock smoke shops that are caught repeatedly selling unlicensed cannabis or other controlled substances. / INTERNATIONAL Sint Maarten’s minister of tourism, economic affairs, transport and telecommunication defended the government’s proposed cannabis legislation in response to criticism from a lawmaker. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “Germany’s 2024 cannabis reform was not associated with changes in 12-month use prevalence or heavy use early (two years) after implementation.” A review concluded that “clinical trials confirm that single or limited-dose [psilocybin] (particularly 25 mg) rapidly and sustainably alleviates symptoms in treatment-resistant depression.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Marijuana Policy Project published a voter guide for Tennessee’s upcoming elections. / BUSINESS Vireo Growth Inc. entered into a put/call agreement with Battle Green Holdings SR LLC. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post DEA judge grants cannabis opponents’ request to pause rescheduling hearing (Newsletter: September 30, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) judge is pausing proceedings in an ongoing hearing on the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling proposal and asking asking agency officials and other participants to weigh in after a federal watchdog issued a report finding that there are “gaps” in the government’s process for evaluating controlled substances. DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius on Tuesday issued a stay in response to a motion from a drug testing industry association and other participants who want a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on drug scheduling to be entered into the record for the hearing, which took testimony in June and July. Until now, the only expected remaining step in the proceedings was for Julius to issue his own recommendation on marijuana rescheduling to the DEA administrator, who would then make a final determination on the policy. But the judge granted the motion for a stay filed by the National Drug and Alcohol Association (NDASA), DUID Victim Voices and Kenneth Finn, M.D.—parties opposed to cannabis rescheduling that participated in the hearing and who now want the GAO report included as part of the record. That report found, among other things that DEA “does not have any policies or procedures regarding how its staff are to conduct evaluations or schedule substances” and the Food and Drug Administration “does not have policies or procedures specifying how its staff are to conduct evaluations or develop scheduling recommendations for substances.” Julius said he “finds merit in this argument that, if the record were to be extended to also include the GAO Report, a stay would be warranted to await briefing on it.” “Likewise, while considering the merits of the instant Motion to add the GAO Report to the record and allow supplemental briefing, a stay is warranted for the same reasons,” his order on Tuesday said. “Accordingly, based on the nature [of] this Motion, it is ORDERED that this matter is STAYED pending the Motion’s resolution.” The judge is ordering DEA to file a response of up to 20 pages in length on whether the hearing record should be reopened to include the GAO report by October 13. Other parties in the hearing are “permitted, but not required, to file responses” with the same specifications, Julius’s order said. The anti-rescheduling groups that requested the stay wrote in their motion that the government’s case to move marijuana to Schedule III is based on an evaluation that is “only as good as the process that produced it.” “The GAO Report is an independent audit of that process,” the motion said, arguing that the watchdog’s findings show that “the Government therefore lacks written criteria for a finding it must make to move marijuana to Schedule III.” Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order he signed, the DEA hearing was held to consider more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. “The Government is not putting forth any evidence to suggest that marijuana is not dangerous. All controlled substances by definition are dangerous,” James Schwartz, a DEA attorney, said on the opening day of the hearing, according to the transcript. “That is why they are scheduled in the first place. However, controlled substances must be evaluated by the risks they pose balanced with the medical use they provide.” “The proposed rule, the supporting documents, and the Government witnesses will establish that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use,” he said. “With that determination, marijuana can no longer remain in Schedule I.” Meanwhile, DEA and parties that participated in the marijuana rescheduling hearing laid out their arguments in final briefs. The federal agency, which was charged with defending the proposed rescheduling move, said in its brief that “marijuana no longer fits the statutory requirements for Schedule I because it has a currently accepted medical use within the United States and it has an accepted safety for its use under medical supervision.” The agency noted that under the law it must give “significant deference” to an “extensive ten-month study on the scientific and medical properties” of cannabis conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which recommended rescheduling. “Currently there are over 30,000 practitioners treating more than six million patients in 43 U.S. jurisdictions,” DEA said. “Such practices demonstrate that there is no longer a lack of accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision, and as such, marijuana does not fulfill the requirements of being a Schedule I substance.” It also said that there is “substantial evidence sufficient to show that marijuana’s abuse and dependency profiles better align with Schedule III substances than Schedule II” or Schedule I. “The vast majority of individuals who use marijuana do so in a manner that does not result in dangers to themselves or to their communities.” In conclusion, DEA asked the judge overseeing the hearing to “expeditiously recommend” that marijuana be transferred from Schedule I to Schedule III. During the hearing, DEA officials charged with defending the cannabis rescheduling proposal highlighted testimony on marijuana’s medical benefits and its relative safety compared to other substances such as alcohol and opioids. That included appearances from a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and a medical doctor from New Hampshire who detailed how medical marijuana provides relief to pain patients and can serve as an alternative to opioids. Meanwhile, lawyers and witnesses for parties who are oppose marijuana rescheduling and participated in the hearing put significant focus on the alleged harms of cannabis use as well as criticism of recently adopted changes to an analysis used to determine whether drugs have accepted medical value. DEA invited only organizations and people who oppose marijuana reform to join the hearing as designated participants—telling supporters that they do not meet the definition of an “interested person” to participate because they are not “adversely affected or aggrieved by any rule or proposed rule issuable.” Ahead of the hearing’s start, marijuana reform activists held a press conference outside DEA headquarters to highlight how they feel the have been “shut out” of the process—criticizing the fact that no supporters of reform were invited to participate and that the proceedings were not livestreamed despite officials’ vows of “transparency.” Marijuana Moment sent requests to Julius, the DEA judge, and to Cole, the DEA administrator, requesting they reverse a decision to prohibit the public from tuning into the cannabis hearing via livestream. A congressman and other journalists later joined in that request. — Marijuana Moment’s journalism is made possible by readers like you who value this work enough to support us with monthly pledges on Patreon. If you rely on our reporting to stay informed about key cannabis developments, please help us keep doing this by becoming a sustaining subscriber today. Backing us at the $25/month level also gets you access to our Bill Tracker so you won’t miss any important marijuana legislation in your state. — A prior hearing process on the marijuana rescheduling process that was initiated by the Biden administration stalled last year amid litigation over alleged improper communications and witness selection. The current marijuana rescheduling process is being challenged with several lawsuits that have been consolidated by a federal appeals court. Those pieces of litigation against the cannabis reform have been filed by state attorneys general, marijuana legalization opponents and a cannabis-focused biopharmaceutical corporation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently rejected a drug testing industry association and a pharmaceutical company’s request to block the Trump administration from moving forward with cannabis rescheduling while the litigation is considered. A congressional committee recently voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling, though bipartisan lawmakers told Marijuana Moment they don’t believe that provision will be enacted into law. Read the DEA judge’s order in the marijuana rescheduling hearing below and the motion that precipitated it: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post DEA Judge Pauses Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing As Opponents Highlight Government Report Detailing ‘Gaps’ In Federal Processes appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“We all are very well aware that it was because we were unionizing.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Madison Taylor has spent the past eight days picketing outside her former workplace, Greenlight Dispensary in Springfield. Two weeks ago, Taylor says she and a group of coworkers met outside of work to discuss forming a union. Days later, 12 employees who attended the meeting were fired, she said, after management accused them of consuming marijuana at work. The workers contend the firings were retaliation for their union activity. “My hope, at this moment, is to just continue speaking up for my coworkers’ rights, the industry workers as a whole, and making sure that our community continues to be aware of the predatory practices of this business,” Taylor told The Independent. The firings came just one day before employees at another Greenlight dispensary, this one in Joplin, voted to 18-2 to unionize. Both the Springfield and Joplin locations came under new management of “an entity affiliated with Good Day Farm” in March 2025, a Greenlight representative said in a statement to The Independent. The Joplin workers began seeking representation from the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 2 after they saw the management change and new “top-down changes,” according to a press release announcing the September 18 election results. “I love my job and the customers I get to help every day,” said Kelli Jones, a budtender at the Joplin Greenlight, in the union’s release, “and with a union, we will be able to serve them better. Job security at Greenlight is crucial for us.” In Greenlight’s statement to The Independent, the company said regarding the Springfield employees’ claims, “We do not comment on personnel matters, but we take compliance matters very seriously.” Regarding the Joplin union election, the statement said, “Greenlight respects employees’ right to decide whether they wish to be represented by a union. We will continue to provide great service and products to the people of Joplin.” Joplin workers there will now begin negotiating for their first collective bargaining agreement, which they hope will include more consistent scheduling, equitable tip distribution and better pay. “UFCW Local 2 is thrilled to welcome workers from Greenlight’s Joplin location into our union family,” said Chad Price, the union’s director of collective bargaining and retail servicing. “We commend these workers on their solidarity and commitment to improving their workplace, and we look forward to supporting them as they bargain their first contract.” The Joplin vote comes on the heels of a busy summer of union activity for Missouri cannabis workers, including the ratification of three union contracts. Taylor said she’s happy for her Joplin colleagues and is unsure why the group was able to successfully petition and her Springfield colleagues weren’t. She said one employee who attended the union meeting told management about the organizing effort later that day. “On Monday evening, we found out that somebody that we decided to trust with that information decided to go against the best interests of the group and notify management,” she said. “And then Thursday at about noon, it was just one after another.” Eleven employees received calls on September 17, Taylor said, saying they were terminated effective immediately. Another, she said, was fired a day later. “We all are very well aware that it was because we were unionizing,” she said. The workers have protested outside the Springfield dispensary every day since. Taylor said the demonstrations have been exhausting, particularly during stretches of hot weather, but union supporters have joined them in shifts. “If I would have known that this would have happened, I think I still would have pursued it because this is such an important issue, and bud tenders matter,” Taylor said. “Our workers matter.” She began working at Greenlight nearly two years ago. Before that, she worked at a Good Day Farm dispensary for almost two years, leaving because she said she considered it a “toxic environment.” “For about two years, I watched some of the most dedicated, knowledgeable people in this industry get treated really poorly and just kind of get trampled on by Good Day and discarded like trash,” she said. Asked about Taylor’s comment, a representative from Good Day Farm said the company does not comment on personnel matters. Evan Arehart, a budtender at the Joplin Greenlight location, said the group’s election win will hopefully improve their workplace and “ensure the sustainability and success of Missouri’s cannabis industry.” “With our union, my co-workers and I will have a say in how our tips are distributed, protection from corporate whims, and the ability to bargain for better wages,” Arehart said. “I love this industry and I want to see it thrive, which is why I’m proud to have a seat at the table and a voice in the decisions being made at Greenlight.” This story was first published by Missouri Independent. The post Missouri Marijuana Business Workers Claim They Were Fired In Retaliation For Holding A Union Organizing Meeting appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“As a police chief of any community, it’s really important to understand the values of that community… This is something that we want to be on the forefront of.” By Jack Gorsline, Psychedelic State(s) of America The momentum for local psychedelics reform has continued to accelerate into the fall. On September 2, the Pierce County Council in Washington State voted unanimously to pass Resolution R2026-177, throwing its support behind continued research into entheogens and alternative treatment modalities. The passed resolution formally designates entheogen-related activities to be among the county’s lowest law enforcement priorities when no other suspected law violations are present. The Pierce County resolution followed two years of sustained community advocacy led by the Key Peninsula Psychedelic Society. The effort culminated in two highly emotional public hearings where military veterans, first responders, healthcare advocates and ordinary community members shared deeply personal experiences with entheogens. Testimonies detailed profound psychedelic healing, particularly regarding the management of post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment-resistant depression and other complex, difficult-to-treat mental health conditions. This localized approach to drug policy reform is part of a much broader wave sweeping through city halls and county chambers nationwide. In California, the Nevada City Council recently voted unanimously to approve a resolution designating the personal use, cultivation, possession and non-commercial sharing of naturally occurring psychedelic mushrooms and other entheogenic plants as the absolute lowest priority for local law enforcement. Driven by organized community advocacy from groups like Nevada City Entheogenic and backed by emerging clinical research highlighting the potential mental health benefits of these substances, the newly adopted policy applies specifically to adults aged 21 and older. Importantly, the resolution does not outright legalize these substances or override existing state and federal laws. Instead, it serves as a directive that shifts police focus to better align with the city’s specific public safety needs. Under the Nevada City policy, commercial sales and synthetic analogs remain strictly prohibited. Law enforcement will reserve intervention primarily for cases involving minors, incidents occurring near schools, impaired driving, or immediate public safety threats. Nevada City Police Chief Dan Foss openly supported the measure before the council, emphasizing that deprioritizing these offenses builds better community relations and allows officers to allocate limited resources toward greater public safety risks. “As a police chief of any community, it’s really important to understand the values of that community, and I think the values for our community are very clear,” Foss said. “This is something that we want to be on the forefront of.” Larger metropolitan areas are also taking definitive action. The Portland City Council recently advanced the Psychedelic Health and Safety Act, an ordinance that formally designates the non-commercial, personal use of naturally occurring psychedelic plants and fungi as among the lowest priorities for local law enforcement in Oregon’s largest city. Driven by an urgent need to allocate limited public safety resources more efficiently amid ongoing civic challenges, the Portland measure directs police to focus their efforts on dismantling illicit drug trafficking networks and addressing high-risk, synthetic substances tied to the ongoing overdose death crisis, rather than penalizing personal psychedelic use. Like Nevada City, the ordinance does not fully legalize these substances. Law enforcement retains full authority to enforce laws against illegal commercial sales, impaired driving, and other conduct that directly threatens public safety. However, Portland’s legislation goes a step further by establishing the Portland Psychedelics Advisory Commission. The commission would be comprised of experts in public health, behavioral health and active community stakeholders— and be tasked with providing evidence-based recommendations on harm reduction, public education and safety protocols. By creating a structured, municipal forum for expert guidance and public input, the ordinance aims to align city policies with evolving statewide frameworks and broader public health goals, cementing Portland’s role as a continuing leader in science-based psychedelic policy. A final city council vote on the measure is scheduled for Wednesday. The rapid succession of these local resolutions comes at a critical juncture for psychedelics in America. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently weighing the approval of several heavily funded, clinically trialed psychedelic compounds for targeted psychiatric use. While medical professionals and pharmaceutical investors celebrate the impending arrival of these breakthrough therapies, grassroots advocates warn that the “medicalization” model threatens to lock these natural compounds behind expensive paywalls and corporate patents. As the debate over who controls access to psychedelics intensifies, some local coalitions are beginning to push the boundaries of decriminalization even further. Although most resolutions to date have strictly limited protections to naturally occurring “plant medicines” like psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca and mescaline, newer campaigns are advocating for the inclusion of synthetic compounds with proven therapeutic histories. In Massachusetts, for example, the Amherst LSD Policy Coalition is currently mounting a highly visible campaign pushing for an expansion of Amherst’s existing “Plant Medicine” resolution. The coalition’s primary goal is the decriminalization of LSD in Amherst, arguing that the synthetic nature of a compound should not disqualify it from the harm reduction and cognitive liberty protections afforded to natural substances. As 2026 draws to a close, the landscape of psychedelic policy in the United States appears to be splitting into two distinct tracks: while federal regulators and pharmaceutical giants meticulously constructing a lucrative, tightly controlled medical framework for psychedelic psychiatric treatments, a relentless, grassroots decriminalization movement continues to win victories at the city and county levels, ensuring that for many Americans, access to psychedelics will remain a community issue rather than a corporate one. This article was produced by Psychedelic State(s) of America—a nonprofit-sponsored news organization dedicated to rigorous independent psychedelic journalism. Subscribe to PSA online and Follow PSA on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and Facebook. Learn more about PSA and donate to the PSA Media Fund here. The post Local Officials Across U.S. Advance Measures To Deprioritize Enforcement Against Psychedelics appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

There are nearly 4 million patients registered to use medical marijuana under state laws in the U.S., as well as at least 35,000 doctors and clinicians approved to recommend it and nearly 110,000 caregivers authorized to assist patients in growing and obtaining cannabis products, according to a pair of new studies published by the American College of Physicians. The number of Americans who are registered under state medical marijuana programs more than quintupled from about 747,000 in 2016 to approximately 3.9 million in 2024—though patient registration has “flattened since 2022, likely influenced by the growing number of jurisdictions with recreational cannabis laws,” one of the papers published in the Annals of Internal Medicine said. The researchers with the University of Michigan said that declining growth in medical marijuana patient registrations in recent years is likely tied to many states enacting broader adult-use legalization laws. “Decreased patient enrollment in recreational jurisdictions may result from patients opting out due to licensing fees or inconvenience, privacy concerns, and their use of recreational products for medical purposes without licensure,” they said. Chronic pain was the most common qualifying condition for state-registered medical marijuana patients, accounting for 65 percent of all patient-reported conditions, followed by PTSD (29 percent) and anxiety (17 percent). The “widespread use” of medical cannabis “reflects the importance of continued rigorous clinical investigations of cannabis products in these conditions and more broadly to better understand possible risks and benefits,” the authors said. A separate paper from the same research team found that the number of clinicians authorized to recommend medical marijuana to patients grew from nearly 31,000 in 2020 to almost 36,000 in 2024. Notably, states with only medical cannabis had “substantially lower” rates of clinicians authorized to recommend it than states that also have recreational marijuana legalization laws, which the researchers said “may reflect their longer-standing medical cannabis programs, which may foster greater clinical acceptance of cannabis authorization.” They also conducted what they said is the first-ever analysis of the number of caregivers who are authorized under state laws to assist medical cannabis patients in growing, obtaining and using their medicine, finding that there were nearly 11,000 such approved caregivers in 2024. “There were higher caregiver rates in recreational jurisdictions compared with medical-only jurisdictions and higher caregiver rates in jurisdictions allowing home cultivation compared with those that did not,” the study said. “Overall, there were approximately 3-fold higher number and 4-fold higher rate of caregivers per patient than authorizing clinicians,” the study said. “This may reflect caregivers’ direct involvement in medical cannabis care, as they can purchase, grow, and produce cannabis for patients—services that authorized clinicians cannot legally provide.” For both studies, researchers analyzed medical cannabis data using publicly available reports, registry websites, data requests and communications with regulators overseeing state marijuana programs. They cautioned that the research has some limitations, including the inconsistency with which state officials track and report data about their respective medical cannabis programs. The post The U.S. Now Has Almost 4 Million Registered Medical Marijuana Patients And 35,000 Doctors Approved To Recommend It, New Research Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Pennsylvania Senate committee has approved a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The Senate Law & Justice Committee advanced the legislation from Sen. John Kane (D) in a unanimous vote on Tuesday, months after a similar proposal was passed by the full House of Representatives. As approved by the Senate panel, SB 1035 would allow patients who have a prognosis of less than a year left to live to use medical marijuana in hospitals, long-term care nursing homes, hospices and other facilities. Smoking or vaping wouldn’t be allowed, however, and medical marijuana would need to be stored in locked containers. The right to use medical cannabis would also not apply to patients receiving emergency services. Healthcare facilities would need to develop written guidelines for the on-site use of medical marijuana. Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), who chairs the committee that approved the bill, said ahead of the vote that his own experiences with back surgery “makes me very compassionate to the people that either can’t take opioids for their pain, or for whatever reason choose not to, and this is an alternate path for them to seek some relief.” The measure also provides that facilities can suspend compliance with the state law if the Department of Justice, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or another federal agency takes action against a healthcare facility over the use of medical cannabis or enacts a policy that “expressly prohibits the use of medical marijuana in health care facilities.” The section of the bill clarifies however, that it “shall not be construed to permit a health care facility to prohibit patient use of medical marijuana due solely to the fact that cannabis is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act…or other Federal constraints on the use of medical marijuana that were in existence prior to the effective date of this paragraph.” The legislation would take effect within 60 days if enacted into law. Kane wrote in a cosponsorship memo last year that “hospitals are incredible places where patients receive top notch care.” “They need guidance and legal protections to provide terminally ill patients with options to manage pain, while providing settings that support family and friends who are saying goodbye to a loved one,” he said. The policy that’s being proposed in the bill is known as “Ryan’s law,” a reference to Ryan Bartell, a cancer patient who inspired versions of the legislation that have been introduced and enacted in states across the U.S. “During his treatments in California the hospital provided him with opioid medications that caused him to be sedated and unable to interact with family and friends,” Kane said. “Ryan and his family wanted to ensure that his remaining days could be filled with visits from his loved ones. So, Ryan moved to a hospital in the State of Washington where he used medical marijuana to manage his pain effectively and allow him to stay awake and alert to spend time with family and friends during hospital visits.” “Ryan’s law would allow terminally ill patients to use non-smoking forms of medical marijuana in Pennsylvania hospitals,” he said. “Right now, the use of medical marijuana in hospitals is a gray area due to marijuana being a Scheduled I Narcotic, while also being legal for medicinal purposes in Pennsylvania.” Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania are stepping up the call for broader marijuana legalization. The speaker of the Democratic-controlled House said last week that the state could legalize recreational marijuana next year if her party wins a handful of seats in the November elections and takes a Senate majority. The House last year passed a bill to legalize marijuana and put sales in state-owned dispensaries, but the Republican Senate majority has criticized that plan while also not advancing a cannabis legalization model of its own. A Democratic senator recently filed a discharge resolution seeking to bring a bipartisan cannabis bill out of committee. A Republican senator said she will soon file legislation to keep hemp THC products legal in the state while adding age limits as well as new requirements for registration, testing and labeling. A separate bill that has already been introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate would create a new Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to oversee the state’s medical marijuana program and significantly restrict most hemp THC products. That legislation was defeated on the Senate floor in June, though it is pending reconsideration. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The legislative maneuvering around cannabis comes as a recent poll shows that Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support marijuana legalization—and that the largest share put the blame on Republican lawmakers for the fact that the state has not yet enacted the reform. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has repeatedly called on lawmakers to send him a marijuana legalization bill and for the last several years has included the reform in his budget requests to the legislature. Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity, who is running against Shapiro, recently pledged to veto a marijuana legalization bill if lawmakers ever sent one to her desk—though she added that she doesn’t think the reform stands a chance of making it that far in the state. Her running mate for lieutenant governor, Jason Richey, claimed that legalizing marijuana would be “catastrophic” for the state, arguing it would increase the size of the illegal market, undermine job creation and harm public health. The governor earlier this year, as he has in past years, included cannabis legalization and the resulting expected revenue in his budget request. The state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported in February that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania would generate nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2028, an estimate that is a significantly larger cash windfall compared to projections from Shapiro’s own office. A spokesperson in the governor’s office said the Trump administration’s federal marijuana rescheduling move is an “important step” that “adds support” to his push to legalize cannabis. A GOP senator also said that federal reform will make it easier to legalize marijuana in the state. The post Terminally Ill Patients Could Use Medical Marijuana In Hospitals Under Bill Advancing In Pennsylvania appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The latest in a series of polls ahead of the November elections continues to show that a sizable majority Massachusetts voters oppose a measure on the ballot that would roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law. The new survey, published on Tuesday by CommonWealth Beacon and conducted by MassINC Polling Group (MPG), shows that 61 percent of likely voters oppose the initiative—which would repeal laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational cannabis and home cultivation while maintaining legal possession and continuing the medical marijuana system. Just 27 percent of respondents said they favor the anti-cannabis ballot measure, while 11 percent are undecided and 1 percent responded that they would prefer not to state their opinion. No age, race, geographic of political demographic showed majority support for rolling back marijuana legalization in the survey, though Republicans were twice as likely to back the anti-cannabis initiative (42 percent) than Democrats were (21 percent). The poll also shows that the marijuana legalization repeal has less support than any other measure on the November ballot, except for a veto referendum question for which a “yes” vote will keep a 2024 gun law in effect and a “no” vote will repeal it. The survey additionally asked voters to list their top issues on the ballot, finding that marijuana and guns were the only measures that people cited as reasons to vote. “Those are your two marquee ones that were actually drawing people out,” MPG vice president Rich Parr said. The poll included interviews with 800 likely voters between September 14-22, 2026 and has a margin of error of +/- 4 percentage points. A separate poll released last week by The University of New Hampshire, shows that nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of respondents plan to vote against the anti-cannabis measure, while just 24 percent plan to support it. Another survey released last month found that Massachusetts voters oppose the marijuana legalization repeal measure, 55 percent to 33 percent. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, which regulates the legal industry, announced this month that the state has surpassed $10 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. CCC Chair Chris Harding told Marijuana Moment that he can’t comment directly on the initiative and that the commission does not take positions on pending ballot questions or legislation, but he said that, in general, “repeal of the adult-use industry could eliminate thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and billions in tax revenue.” Meanwhile, a top labor union—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Massachusetts State Council—is urging voters to reject the cannabis legalization rollback initiative. While the latest survey results provide some comfort to cannabis reform supporters, advocates are not resting. A coalition of Massachusetts marijuana business leaders, healthcare professionals and other advocates have launched a campaign to defeat the measure. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) recently issued a warning that passage of the legalization rollback measure would have “disastrous political and economic consequences for legal cannabis markets everywhere.” “Even a too-close victory would spook markets and incentivize a rash of similar initiatives in states around the country, each costing millions to try and defeat,” the group said. After the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office determined that organizers for the anti-cannabis proposal had turned in enough valid signatures to put the measure before voters, a marijuana reform advocate filed an objection with the State Ballot Law Commission claiming that various signatures were not genuine, obtained through fraudulent means or were not “signed substantially as registered.” The body rejected the challenge to the legal marijuana rollback measure, however, clearing it to go before voters to decide. In June, the campaign behind the anti-legalization ballot measure fired a signature gatherer it says was shown appearing to engage in “wholly unacceptable” conduct in a recent video. As Marijuana Moment reported, a man petitioning for the Massachusetts initiative as well as a similar anti-cannabis proposal in Maine was depicted in recent social media posts seeming to argue that voters who support legal marijuana access should sign the petitions in order to advance or protect reform. The campaign later said it has “zero tolerance for any circulation tactics that would mislead petition signers.” “The identified canvasser was immediately terminated, in coordination with our vendor, upon being made aware of the alleged conduct,” the group said. “The conduct apparent in the video would be wholly unacceptable and does not reflect how this campaign operates. We demand honesty, transparency and professionalism from everyone associated with our effort.” A video posted to Reddit of the signature gatherer shows the man collecting signatures outside a retail store in Massachusetts next to a sign that says “keep cannabis legal.” When confronted by a marijuana reform supporter who recorded the petitioner’s interactions with voters, he appeared to be trying to convince them that it is important to qualify the anti-cannabis measure for the ballot in order to then defeat it. “This is what we’re fighting against right here. That’s why we vote no,” he said. “If we can get this to the ballot right here, we vote no.” The person who captured the video pointed out that Massachusetts voters already approved marijuana legalization years ago, and that the only way it could be imminently repealed is if the new ballot measure qualified for the November election. If the initiative does not get enough signatures to go before voters, the state’s laws will remain the same. “It’s my job,” the petitioner insisted, however. “I know what I’m talking about.” “It’s a group of rich folks from out of state that want to basically take marijuana to when it was a medical marijuana card,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.” The same man also appeared to also be gathering signatures for a separate measure in Maine that would similarly repeal laws allowing regulated adult-use marijuana sales and home cultivation rights for adults while keeping possession legal and adding new testing requirements for medical cannabis. A staffer for the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), whose affiliated group SAM Action is largely funding the anti-cannabis ballot campaigns in both states, declined to comment about the petitioner’s conduct when reached by Marijuana Moment. The campaigns have previously been accused of misleading petitioning tactics. In Massachusetts, some voters reported that the campaign used fake cover letters for other ballot measures on unrelated issues like affordable housing and same-day voter registration during the first round of petitioning. Legal cannabis supporters filed an earlier formal complaint about the prohibitionist effort’s tactics, but the State Ballot Law Commission rejected the challenge. The measure also faced a legal challenge from cannabis industry operatives who argued it contains “impermissibly unrelated subjects,” and that the state attorney general’s official summary is “misleading and deficient.” The state Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the litigation challenging the anti-marijuana initiative but it ultimately ruled against the lawsuit. The governor of Massachusetts last week filed legislation proposing to increase military veterans’ access to medical marijuana by allowing them to receive patient cards without having to get a doctor’s recommendation. The post Another Poll Shows Massachusetts Voters Don’t Want To Reverse Marijuana Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new Maryland law that provides legal protections for veterinarians who recommend medical marijuana for animals will take effect on Thursday. The legislation, which was passed by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Wes Moore (D) will make it so the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners cannot “suspend or revoke a license, reprimand or censure a licensee, or place a licensee on probation solely on the basis of the licensee discussing or recommending the use of cannabis…or a product that contains cannabidiol on an animal for potential therapeutic effect or health supplementation purposes.” SB 54 from Sen. Clarence Lam (D) and HB 452 from Del. Michele Guyton (D) had both cleared each chamber of the legislature in unanimous votes this session. California, Michigan, Nevada and Utah also have similar laws on the books. At the Senate bill’s hearing before the Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee in February, Lam said the proposal came about from conversations he had with veterinarians. “I’d heard from some vets who were concerned, because they had heard from animal owners or pet owners that some of their pets and animals were experiencing things like cancer,” he said, “and their veterinarians were not able to even discuss the options for cannabis use for those animals to be able to alleviate alleviate their pain and suffering for those animals, even if the animal owner requested it.” The lawmaker said a letter about the issue sent by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners a few years ago “has given a lot of caution to veterinarians to even talk about whether cannabis might be helpful for an animal.” The policy change, Lam argued, will help by “setting a baseline level of protection to ensure that veterinarians are able to answer their clients’ or customers’ questions and provide evidence-based information about the use of cannabis and CBD products for pets who may need them.” The Maryland Veterinary Medical Association (MVMA) is hosting an event on Wednesday, the day before the new state law takes effect, to “explore the legality of hemp cannabinoid products and what veterinarians should consider when discussing or recommending CBD-rich, hemp-based products with clients.” MVMA’s Matthew Weeman told the Senate committee that the bill will “reinforce the veterinary client patient relationship and allow us to have a discussion with our clientele.” “This is a topic that comes up frequently, and in small animal medicine, in particular…CBD products are available over the counter,” he said. “Consumers are taking those in. They’re giving them to their pets, and they come to us with questions, and most of us feel a little bit hamstrung and that we try to keep up on this, but we can’t discuss it with them, knowing that [state officials] could take punitive action against our license if we do that.” The legislation, Weeman said, “removes a layer of ambiguity at the state level and helps us to just reinforce that communication so that we can keep pets safe and clients informed of the questions that they’re bringing to us every day.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, Maryland’s governor this year also signed legislation to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized over their lawful use of medical marijuana off the job. He also signed bills to extend a psychedelics task force through the end of 2027, charging it with developing updated recommendations on expanding therapeutic access to the novel substances and potentially creating a regulatory framework for broader legalization. The post Maryland Law Protecting Veterinarians Who Recommend Medical Marijuana For Animals Takes Effect This Week appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Marijuana breathalyzers’ link to bomb detection tech; PA hemp regulation bill; Study: Medical cannabis use by cancer patients Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… BREAKING: Journalism is often consumed for free, but costs money to produce! While this newsletter is proudly sent without cost to you, our ability to send it each day depends on the financial support of readers who can afford to give it. So if you’ve got a few dollars to spare each month and believe in the work we do, please consider joining us on Patreon today. https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The National Institute of Standards and Technology noted how the development of a marijuana breathalyzer is being boosted with a technique to capture specific compounds from air samples for analysis that was created to detect bombs after 9/11. “Painter Bob Ross taught us that ‘happy accidents’ can make for beautiful art. Happy accidents also happen in science, when experiments take research in unexpected directions.” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a pair of bills revising various state cannabis laws related to product testing, tracking, consumer access to information and cannabinoid content. A Pennsylvania Republican senator will soon be filing a bill to keep hemp THC products legal while adding age limits as well as new requirements for registration, testing and labeling. A new study of cancer patients found that “most commonly reported cannabis for pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, poor appetite, and sleep disturbance” and “at least 80% reported symptom and quality-of-life improvement.” “Cannabis may have a role as an adjunct for cancer-related symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, and appetite loss, particularly when conventional treatments do not provide adequate relief, are poorly tolerated, or are difficult to access.” Advocates are urging Virginia lawmakers to rescind a planned significant increase in penalties for public marijuana use—saying that it could intensify racial disparities in the consequences of cannabis criminalization. / FEDERAL Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Director Mehmet Oz met with the CEO of Americans for Ibogaine. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) tweeted a photo of herself meeting with University of Nevada cannabis researchers. / STATES A Massachusetts senator said he thinks voters will reject an initiative on the November ballot to roll back marijuana legalization. An Idaho representative said a proposed constitutional initiative on the November ballot to block voters from ever being able to legalize marijuana is “a tool in the toolbox to protect Idahoans from becoming like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco or Denver.” A federal appeals court limited the scope of an injunction against Ohio hemp product restrictions. California regulators are appealing a court ruling against the state’s cannabis tracking system. Illinois regulators published guidance on reporting cannabis testing results to the state’s tracking system. Connecticut’s cannabis Social Equity Council adopted new operational procedures. Hawaii regulators published updated data on the state’s medical cannabis program. New Jersey regulators are accepting proposals from organizations interested in conducting a biannual cannabis testing program assessment. Michigan regulators published a monthly report on disciplinary actions against marijuana businesses. The Vermont Cannabis Control Board will meet on Wednesday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / INTERNATIONAL Ireland’s High Court is considering a challenge to restrictive hemp rules. Jamaican officials are taking steps to make it easier for traditional cannabis growers to enter the legal industry. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products “was associated with reductions in pain and improvements in health-related quality of life among individuals with inflammatory arthritis.” A study found that “combined CBD and THC show promise for promoting dental pulp healing by modulating inflammation and nociceptive signaling, while supporting odontogenic differentiation, angiogenesis, and cell migration in human dental pulp cells.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Members of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable visited Capitol Hill to lobby against the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products. The Florida Hemp Beverage Coalition launched and has a former Georgia state senator on its board of directors. / BUSINESS Trulieve Cannabis Corp. signed a deal for exclusive rights to genetics, trademarks and proprietary know-how to produce and sell Alien Labs and Connected branded cannabis products in Florida and Texas. / CULTURE Conan O’Brien discussed his reluctance to use cannabis with Woody Harrelson and Mathew McConaughey. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post California governor signs cannabis bills (Newsletter: September 29, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

This episode is about psychedelics and grief, and it starts from an unusual place: not death, but everything else grief actually is. Loss of a future you thought you had. Loss of an identity, a marriage, a body that no longer works the way it used to. That's the frame Dr. Sunil Aggarwal and I set for this final Psychedelic Salon of last season, recorded live at Town Hall Seattle. Sunil isn't a hospice tourist to this topic. He's a physician at Seattle's AIMS Institute who has spent years fighting, in federal court, for his own terminally ill patients' right to try psilocybin. He was the first doctor to petition the DEA for Right to Try access on their behalf. We talk about the neurobiology of why a guided psychedelic experience can shift a story you've carried about a loss for years, a bereaved-parent retreat in Jamaica that's now the subject of a real qualitative study, and the distinction Sunil keeps returning to, containment versus integration. Containment is what most of us default to. Put the loss in a box, keep functioning, call it managed. Integration is slower, and it's the only version of the two that actually changes your relationship to what you lost. Not less pain. A different relationship to the pain. We also get into what the research does and doesn't support, from the fast-tracked synthetic psilocybin analogs now moving through the FDA to the early, mostly preclinical evidence on psilocybin and brain injury. And we close on the one resource almost nobody uses: every hospice in the country is legally required to offer 12 months of bereavement support, to anyone in the family, whether or not you were ever a patient there. Subscribe to April Pride on Substack for weekly conversations on psychedelics, nervous system health, and integration. 0:00 Welcome, disclaimer, and the topic of this Salon: grief 0:45 Meet Dr. Sunil Aggarwal: hospice, palliative medicine, and medical geography 2:20 The Right to Try fight to get psilocybin to dying patients 5:00 Who controls psilocybin's Schedule I status, and why the FDA's fast-tracked analogs won't change access for most people 6:30 April's own experience with grief, and the parents who come to her after losing a child 8:30 How Sunil recognizes grief in a clinical setting, and what anticipatory grief looks like 11:30 Containment versus integration 12:20 Inside the Jamaica grief retreats for bereaved parents 17:20 The neurobiology of psilocybin, the default mode network, and reframing a loss 19:10 How to integrate a psychedelic experience afterward 22:20 The bereavement benefit almost no one uses 23:40 Key takeaways and what's ahead this season Dr. Sunil Aggarwal is a physician at Seattle's AIMS Institute, where he leads an integrative oncology and palliative care practice and directs the clinic's psychedelic-assisted work with ketamine and psilocybin. He holds an MD and PhD from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where his doctoral work was in medical geography. Aggarwal was the first physician to petition the DEA for Right to Try access to psilocybin for terminally ill patients, litigation that produced a Ninth Circuit ruling finding the DEA had erred in denying that petition, a first for the agency. His clinical and legal work sits at the center of the current fight over who gets access to psychedelic medicine, and under what conditions, before federal rescheduling catches up. @sunil1007 @aimsinstituteseattle Additional Resources Jamaica Grief Retreats, led by Dr. Dingle Spence, the group retreat program for bereaved parents discussed in this episode. Findings published as "Relief for Grief: Report from a Psychedelic Retreat for Bereaved Parents in Jamaica," Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 2022. The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief, Francis Weller. AIMS Institute, Dr. Aggarwal's Seattle clinic. Catch the full episode here

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Medical marijuana is “commonly” used to treat symptoms of cancer such as pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, poor appetite and sleep disturbance, according to a new study—and 80 percent of patients report that it provides relief and improved quality of life. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Kentucky, surveyed 237 adults receiving radiation therapy for cancer at either an urban or a rural oncology practice in Kentucky, which is described in the paper as “a unique geographical area with high endemic use of narcotics.” About half of the patients (51 percent) reported they had used marijuana at least once in their lifetimes, with the researchers saying that “self-administration of unprescribed medicinal cannabis use was common across demographic groups and was primarily directed toward symptom management.” “Overall, most patients in our study reported improvement in both symptoms and quality of life metrics after self-prescribed medicinal cannabis use post-cancer diagnosis.” “All recent self-prescribed medicinal cannabis users identified symptoms precipitating cannabis use post-cancer diagnosis including nausea, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety, stress, depression, poor appetite, pleasure seeking (high), weight loss, confusion, and desire to combat their malignancy,” the study, which was supported by the National Cancer Institute and published in the journal The Oncologist, said. The most commonly identified symptoms precipitating cannabis use were pain nausea, anxiety and depression. Eighty percent of patients reported feeling at least “a little better” with regard to their main identified symptom as a result of medical cannabis use, while 20 percent said there was “no change.” With respect to questions that asked about overall quality of life, 89 percent of participants said they felt “a little better” with medical marijuana use, while 11 percent said there was “no change.” “Users most commonly reported cannabis for pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, poor appetite, and sleep disturbance; at least 80% reported symptom and quality-of-life improvement.” Patients who used medical marijuana, on average, had higher pain scores than those who didn’t. “This may possibly mean some patients turn to self-prescribed medicinal cannabis use for pain relief after traditional measures have failed or they do not have sufficient and appropriate access to a physician to manage them,” the authors wrote. Interestingly, the study found that medical cannabis use was more common among patients surveyed at the urban treatment center (21 percent) as compared to the rural one (9 percent). “Cannabis may have a role as an adjunct for cancer-related symptoms such as pain, nausea, anxiety, and appetite loss, particularly when conventional treatments do not provide adequate relief, are poorly tolerated, or are difficult to access,” the study concluded. “We found that patients use self-prescribed medicinal cannabis to improve symptoms related to cancer itself or cancer treatment and perceive self-prescribed medicinal cannabis use as effective.” The researchers cautioned, however, that the study has some limitations, including that it relies on self-reported date, that respondents were not racially diverse and that the survey instrument used has not been validated. The new paper is the latest to latest to show that medical marijuana can provide relief for people struggling with cancer. For example, a recent federally funded study found that “cannabis use conferred therapeutic benefits for several health issues commonly encountered by cancer patients“—including “pain relief, improved sleep, physical relaxation, emotional regulation, and reduction of concomitant medication.” Another recent study conducted by Minnesota state officials found that medical marijuana appears to help cancer patients by decreasing pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety and depression while also improving sleep. A separate study found that nearly one in five cancer survivors say they’ve used CBD after getting their diagnosis—primarily to manage pain, sleep difficulties and emotional distress. And more than half of those who used it for specific symptoms reported at least some benefit. Another recent study determined that medical marijuana extracts “meaningfully” improve cancer-related symptoms such as sleep difficulties and anxiety—though responses varied among patients depending on personal preferences for individual cannabinoid content of the extracts. Researchers separately found that components of marijuana show “consistent and statistically significant anti-tumor effects” in certain types of cancer, including glioblastoma and breast cancer. The study also showed that cannabinoids seem to “enhance chemotherapy efficacy.” Another systemic review concluded that studies “consistently show” that the CBD is a potential “anticancer agent across different cancer types”—and that effect applies to dogs as well as humans. A similar analysis showed that CBD “holds substantial promise as an anti-tumor agent” in addition to its other anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists explored CBD’s effect on many types of cancer—including some of the most aggressive ones, such as glioblastoma, which affects the brain. They also noted it can help suppressing the growth and metastasis of other cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian and prostate, among others. In 2025, a paper published in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics, assessed a range of clinical and preclinical findings that the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced by medical marijuana. In a sign of greater acceptance of medical applications of cannabis, President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as the next White House drug czar has called medical marijuana a “fantastic” treatment option for seriously ill patients and said she doesn’t object to legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy. Also last year, a study found that “patients with cancer using cannabis report significant improvements in cancer-related symptoms.” The post Medical Marijuana Improves Symptoms And Quality Of Life For 80% Of Cancer Patients, Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“If Black Virginians only make up 19 percent, how is it that they are 47.7 percent of those who are receiving the citations?” By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury Youth advocates are urging Virginia lawmakers to reconsider stiffer penalties for public marijuana use before the state opens its legal adult-use market next summer, warning that the changes could place a disproportionate burden on young people, their families and Black communities. The maximum civil penalty for consuming or offering marijuana in public is set to rise from $25 to $250 on July 1, 2027, the same day retail sales are scheduled to begin. A second offense also carries a $250 fine and requires substance-use education or treatment, or both, if available, while a third or subsequent offense is a Class 4 misdemeanor. Valerie Slater, executive director of RISE for Youth, told the Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market earlier last week that the higher fine would take effect as marijuana enforcement involving young people increasingly begins in schools. “What’s really troubling is how increasingly the enforcement has moved into the schoolhouse while we are also looking at an increased impact on Black adults,” Slater said. Her presentation was one part of a broader commission meeting that also examined marijuana offense trends and plans for enforcing the new market. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority is expected to lead that work, with temporary assistance from the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority while the cannabis agency builds its enforcement staff. Complaints shift towards schools Marijuana-related juvenile intake complaints fell 30 percent between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2024, from about 2,700 to 1,904, according to Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice data cited by RISE for Youth. But the share originating in schools rose from 17 percent to 54 percent, while the share involving 16- and 17-year-olds fell from 68 percent to 48 percent, indicating a shift toward younger adolescents. Girls also grew from 25 percent to 30 percent of the youth involved in marijuana-related complaints, although the decline in total complaints means the figures do not necessarily show an increase in the number of girls referred. “We did not stop enforcing, just where we went with it changed,” Slater said. “We stopped looking at the community, and we started looking at schools.” Current Virginia law separately imposes a civil penalty of up to $25 and mandatory education or treatment for underage marijuana possession or consumption. Possessing or consuming marijuana on public school grounds during school hours or activities can be charged as a Class 2 misdemeanor. Slater warned that a young person could face several consequences from the same incident, including school discipline, juvenile intake, the underage penalty and the higher public-consumption fine. Whether those provisions could overlap would depend on the circumstances and how authorities decide to charge the case. “It’s not going to be that middle schooler who’s going to be paying for it,” Slater said. “It’s going to be their family. That’s who’s going to shoulder that burden.” Slater also noted Black Virginians make up about 19 percent of the state’s population but accounted for 47.7 percent of public-use citations in data analyzed by RISE for Youth. “If Black Virginians only make up 19 percent, how is it that they are 47.7 percent of those who are receiving the citations?” she said. “If indeed 47.7 percent of all of the public-consumption citations are against Black Americans, then we move now to $250 as the amount that is being assessed against Virginians, I can promise you, that’s a whole lot of money.” RISE for Youth’s written report also pointed to disparities throughout Virginia’s juvenile justice system. In fiscal 2025, Black youth represented 44.2 percent of intake cases, 53.4 percent of detainments and 70.9 percent of direct-care placements, according to DJJ data cited in the report. The figures measure different groups at separate stages of the system and do not establish that marijuana enforcement caused the disparities. Slater argued, however, that they show the risks of increasing penalties within a system where Black youths already experience disproportionate outcomes. Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, said the presentation placed firm numbers alongside experiences long described by affected communities. “It does not come as any surprise based on what was happening to the adults, but it is sickening and disheartening to see that it is following our youth,” Price said. Advocates seek changes before the market opens Slater asked lawmakers to leave the public-consumption fine at $25. If the increase remains, she said, minors should be explicitly exempted. RISE for Youth also wants lawmakers to eliminate criminal penalties and delinquency treatment for youth marijuana possession and consumption, adopt a cannabis education curriculum developed by Stanford Medicine and dedicate 30 percent of retail marijuana tax revenue to youth education, treatment and other services administered by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. “Why are children using, not how can we get money out of our families?” Slater said. “Why are children using, and what should we be doing to ensure that they are not using?” Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, who sponsored the cannabis retail legislation in the House, said lawmakers should focus on changing behavior rather than increasing a penalty that has not been shown to work. “Having data that shows $25 doesn’t work, $250 is just going to double down on something that’s not working,” Krizek said. He also raised concerns that unpaid fines could be sent to collection agencies, potentially damaging young people’s credit before they turn 18 or leaving their families responsible for the debt. “It’s a bad cycle, and we all know it is, and so we need to figure out what we can do that will change that,” Krizek said. He added that revenue from legal sales could support educational programs for young people. Separate data presented by the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission showed that marijuana possession charges under the state’s former criminal statute have nearly disappeared, falling from 31,837 in fiscal 2018 to three in fiscal 2026. The commission’s principal measure of marijuana distribution charges also declined from 5,439 in fiscal 2019 to 1,342 in fiscal 2026. The figures do not include Fairfax Circuit Court or juvenile court data. This story was first published by Virginia Mercury. The post Virginia Lawmakers Warned That Increasing Fines For Public Marijuana Use Will Worsen Racial Disparites appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Pennsylvania Republican senator is asking colleagues to support a forthcoming bill she plans to introduce to keep hemp THC products legal in the state while adding age limits as well as new requirements for registration, testing and labeling. Sen. Dawn Keefer (R) announced the Pennsylvania Hemp and Cannabinoid Act in a cosponsorship memo on Friday. “The bill gives responsible hemp businesses a clear state framework and keeps intoxicating products out of the hands of children while federal hemp policy remains unsettled,” she wrote. While federal hemp policy remains in flux, there is no statewide system for consumable hemp products—with “no Pennsylvania age gate, no uniform testing or labeling standard, and no retail accountability,” the senator said. “Those products are sold next to candy and snacks,” she said. “Some are packaged and flavored to appeal to children.” Keefer said that while her bill would protect “responsible Pennsylvania farmers, manufacturers, and retailers” who have “built a lawful market,” it is “not adult-use marijuana legalization.” The legislation, which has not yet been filed, would not create a new regulatory body to oversee products or alter existing rules for medical cannabis. “What it does is protect the responsible consumable hemp industry and keep harmful products away from children,” the senator’s cosponsorship memo says. “It requires Department of Agriculture registration, independent testing and truthful labels, 21-and-over sales with ID checks, and a ban on candy-style packaging and youth-targeted marketing. It also grandfathers existing Pennsylvania operators who can document lawful pre-enactment operations.” Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that redefined hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would remain legal after November 12. Now, however, under provisions included in a funding bill Trump signed this month, the effective date of the ban for most products is being pushed back to December 11 to give lawmakers more time to craft regulations for hemp derivatives. There is a carve-out, however, to allow the recriminalization on November 12 of synthetic cannabinoids “that are not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant.” Keefer said that “federal delay is not a reason for Pennsylvania inaction.” “If Congress lets the federal cap take effect, our state still needs age limits, testing, and a public registry so responsible operators can comply,” she said. “If Congress replaces the cap with a regulated federal market, Pennsylvania still needs its own 21-and-over retail rules.” The senator is asking her colleagues cosponsor the forthcoming bill “to protect Pennsylvania’s responsible consumable hemp industry, give law enforcement a clear state standard, and keep harmful intoxicating products out of the hands of children.” A separate bill that has already been introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate would create a new Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to oversee the state’s medical marijuana program and significantly restrict most hemp THC products. That legislation, from Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), was defeated on the Senate floor in June, though it is pending reconsideration. Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers in Pennsylvania are stepping up the call for broader marijuana legalization. The speaker of the Democratic-controlled House said last week that the state could legalize recreational marijuana next year if her party wins a handful of seats in the November elections and takes a Senate majority. The House last year passed a bill to legalize marijuana and put sales in state-owned dispensaries, but the Republican Senate majority has criticized that plan while also not advancing a cannabis legalization model of its own. A Democratic senator recently filed a discharge resolution seeking to bring a bipartisan cannabis bill out of committee. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The legislative maneuvering around cannabis as a recent poll shows that Pennsylvania voters overwhelmingly support marijuana legalization—and that the largest share put the blame on Republican lawmakers for the fact that the state has not yet enacted the reform. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) has repeatedly called on lawmakers to send him a marijuana legalization bill and for the last several years has included the reform in his budget requests to the legislature. Republican gubernatorial nominee Stacy Garrity, who is running against Shapiro, recently pledged to veto a marijuana legalization bill if lawmakers ever sent one to her desk—though she added that she doesn’t think the reform stands a chance of making it that far in the state. Her running mate for lieutenant governor, Jason Richey, claimed that legalizing marijuana would be “catastrophic” for the state, arguing it would increase the size of the illegal market, undermine job creation and harm public health. The governor earlier this year, as he has in past years, included cannabis legalization and the resulting expected revenue in his budget request. The state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) reported in February that legalizing cannabis in Pennsylvania would generate nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2028, an estimate that is a significantly larger cash windfall compared to projections from Shapiro’s own office. A spokesperson in the governor’s office said the Trump administration’s federal marijuana rescheduling move is an “important step” that “adds support” to his push to legalize cannabis. A GOP senator also said that federal reform will make it easier to legalize marijuana in the state. In June, the House of Representatives passed a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Similar legislation is up for consideration in a Senate committee this week. The post Pennsylvania GOP Senator Announces New Bill To Regulate Hemp THC Products With Age Limits And Testing Requirements appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

California’s governor has signed a pair of bills revising various state marijuana laws related to product testing, tracking, consumer access to information and cannabinoid content. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday gave final approval to AB 1965 from Assemblymember LaShae Sharp-Collins (D), which would specify that all marijuana products for sale in the state are subject to testing or retesting and allow the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to obtain products for off-the-shelf laboratory testing. The new law also mandates that cannabis retailers are required to provide a product’s certificate of analysis if requested by a consumer. The measure additionally requires testing labs to undergo performance testing “to ensure consistency of results across laboratories.” Such performance testing can include “blind proficiency testing, round robin testing and any other type of programs that may be used to demonstrate competent performance of a testing laboratory,” the bill says. The governor also signed AB 2250 from Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D), which makes a number of technical and enforcement-related changes to hemp rules. Among other reforms, the bill excludes cannabinol (CBN) isolate from that definition of “cannabis concentrate,” building on an earlier law that removed CBD isolate. The changes mean that those cannabinoids won’t be subject to criminal penalties for concentrated cannabis. The legislation additionally expands the scope of the state’s cannabis track and trace program to include information on cultivation, harvest, processing, manufacturing, distribution, inventory, sale and delivery. It also says that any business that sells cigarettes or tobacco products is prohibited from selling cannabis. The newly signed law also clarifies the ability of authorities to seize cannabis products and makes a number of other technical and consistency change to existing statute. Last month, Newsom signed legislation to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children. Earlier this month, the governor touted the fact that that legal marijuana sales have generated nearly $8.4 billion in tax revenue for the state since voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, saying that the money “helps fund programs that benefit Californians, including childcare and early childhood development, youth substance abuse prevention, medical research and environmental recovery.” Newsom recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis. Last October, however, the governor vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.” Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. Meanwhile, a lawmaker spoke to Marijuana Moment about her decision to put her own bill to legalize cannabis dispensary drive-thru windows on hold for now. California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.” California’s top cannabis regulator spoke recently about how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hasn’t been cooperative in answering questions about the implications of the Trump administration’s rescheduling move. DCC Director Clint Kellum said that there have been “national-level efforts” to contact DEA in conjunction with cannabis regulators from other states, but they “just really haven’t seen any sort of interest on that front, unfortunately.” The post California Governor Signs Bills On Marijuana Testing, Tracking And Consumer Access To Information appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A federal agency is highlighting how a technique that was created to capture specific compounds from air samples for analysis to help detect bombs after 9/11 is now being used to aid in the development of a marijuana breathalyzer to identify impaired drivers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cited the cannabis technology effort as part of a new post on how scientific discoveries often have unexpected applications. “Painter Bob Ross taught us that ‘happy accidents’ can make for beautiful art,” the agency said. “Happy accidents also happen in science, when experiments take research in unexpected directions. Probably the most dramatic example is Sir Alexander Fleming’s accidental discovery of penicillin.” The post, which was published as part of National Forensic Science Week, notes how law enforcement agencies began relying on dogs to help sniff out bombs after the 2001 terrorist attacks but that explosive compounds evolve faster than the animals can be trained to learn their scents. As a result, researcher Tara Lovestead, who now works at NIST, developed a method called the “headspace technique” that separates compounds from air samples in the hopes it could be used as part of an electronic device to do the work of bomb-sniffing dogs. That post-9/11 work is now the “foundation” for the development of a cannabis breathalyzer, NIST said. “While sniffer dogs and the human nose can smell the musky odor of cannabis in luggage and from a burning joint, these compounds are not the intoxicant,” the federal agency said. “THC is the intoxicant, and it’s a heavy compound that is difficult to detect in breath. Despite this challenge, industry is working to create breathalyzers for law enforcement and workplace safety.” Lovestead said that applying the headspace technique to investigate how THC behaves in human breath “has been the most difficult measurement challenge and most rewarding work of my career.” The NIST post also cites other examples of scientific discoveries having unexpected results, such as human DNA genome mapping aiding forensic DNA testing and techniques developed for clothing recycling being used in crime scene analysis. “The need to be able to use scientific evidence in court means forensic scientists sometimes have to reach out to other technologies and fields to be able to develop things in more detail,” John Butler, NIST fellow and special assistant to the director for forensic science, said. “And NIST has played a role in many developments in forensic science going back to the 1960s, when automatic fingerprint technology was initially developed at NIST.” NIST has undertaken a number of cannabis-focused projects in recent years. In July, NIST published a new report that aims to assist state marijuana officials in developing standards for scales used in the sale of cannabis products. NIST announced in June that it added dozens of new marijuana components to an official government library of compounds that is used to help identify unknown substances in food, drugs, cosmetics, the environment, body fluids and forensic evidence. In 2025, NIST hosted a workshop aimed at facilitating “an open and candid discussion” about the development and implementation of technology to test a person’s breath for marijuana impairment. Also last year, researchers with the agency said they made the first-ever detection of THC in human breath following the consumption of infused edibles—a possible step forward in terms of field testing for cannabis impairment. NIST has also published a series of reports as part of a project called the Cannabis Laboratory Quality Assurance Program (CannaQAP). Meanwhile, NIST has made a series of updates to an industry standardization handbook it publishes as a result of cannabis-related stances adopted by the National Conference of Weights and Measures. The post Federal Agency Explains How Marijuana Breathalyzer Development Was Boosted By Post-9/11 Bomb Detection Technology appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Campaign ad highlights senator’s anti-marijuana stance; Poll: MA voters oppose legalization rollback; State cannabis officials want DEA cooperation Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Pennsylvania’s House speaker said the state can legalize marijuana next year if Democrats flip a handful of state Senate seats in November. The chair of the House Appropriations Committee said that cannabis’s tax revenue potential “is going to drive us to actually legalizing adult use very soon in the commonwealth.” Nebraska independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn’s campaign launched a new ad highlighting Sen. Pete Ricketts’s (R-NE) claim that “if you legalize marijuana, you’re gonna kill your kids.” A new poll shows that Massachusetts likely voters overwhelmingly oppose an initiative on the November ballot to roll back marijuana legalization, 71 percent to 24 percent. The Cannabis Regulators Association’s Gillian Schauer argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that the Drug Enforcement Administration has “not meaningfully engaged” state officials about the cannabis rescheduling process, even though its implementation will “depend heavily on state regulatory systems.” “States need federal guidance on planned implementation to give them time to adjust laws and regulations and to give operators time to adjust their operations to meet federal requirements.” Oregon psilocybin businesses are celebrating a decision by state regulators to rescind proposed fee increases—though questions remain about the financial stability of the psychedelic services program. Melissa Johnston of Tryon Distributing argues in a new op-ed that North Carolina lawmakers should enact “reasonable regulation—not a ban” on hemp-derived THC beverages. “The consumer demand in North Carolina is clear, and the passing of this near-total ban bill would take good actors like us out of this space and allow bad actors to flourish in an illicit black market that would be created by our General Assembly.” / FEDERAL Attorney General Todd Blanche met with the CEO of Americans for Ibogaine. Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) said in a Senate floor speech that “through buying up American farmland, malign actors have brought the production of illegal hemp-derived products into our communities, and our children are paying the price.” The House bill to remove past marijuana use as a consideration for federal employment or security clearances got one new cosponsor for a total of two. / STATES Maine Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles said he thinks marijuana is a “gateway drug.” Oklahoma Republican attorney general candidate Jon Echols discussed his plan to combat illegal marijuana cultivation operations. The Arkansas Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit concerning a medical cannabis cultivation license after a settlement was reached. Colorado regulators issued a health and safety bulletin about marijuana products with an ingredient that contained methylene chloride. Montana regulators adopted changes to rules on marijuana business day-to-day operational control requirements and dispute resolution. The U.S. Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory Board voted to remove hemp sales time limits from draft rules. Michigan regulators released price guidance for cannabis products. Guam regulators are moving to deny a marijuana business license application after not being able to contact the company in question. New Mexico officials took enforcement action against a large-scale cannabis operation. The New York Cannabis Control Board will meet on Thursday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL An Atlantic City, New Jersey public official was charged with soliciting bribes from a cannabis business Pueblo, Colorado’s mayor is proposing to pause marijuana business licensing for two years. / INTERNATIONAL Canadian regulators are proposing changes to cannabis tracking rules. The Scottish Parliament Information Centre published information about medical cannabis laws. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study provided what researchers said is “most comprehensive functional annotation of the C. sativa [terpene synthase] repertoire to date, elucidating the genetic and biochemical bases of terpene diversity and providing a foundation for targeted metabolic engineering and cultivar improvement.” A study found that “cannabis use was associated with modestly lower risks of metabolic disease overall, hypertension, T2DM, and obesity.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The chair of the Denton County, Texas Democratic Party said Republican elected officials’ moves to restrict hemp THC products are “pissing a lot of people off” and could be an issue in the November elections. Focus on the Family published an article about a proposed constitutional amendment on Idaho’s November ballot that would block voters from ever being able to legalize marijuana. / BUSINESS Cresco Labs Inc. is taking steps to list on a senior U.S. exchange. Greenlight Marijuana Dispensary workers in Joplin, Missouri voted to unionize. Metrc renewed its marijuana track and trace contract with Colorado regulators. Illinois retailers sold $122.8 million worth of recreational marijuana products in August. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post Pennsylvania could legalize cannabis next year, House speaker says (Newsletter: September 28, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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