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Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have filed a new bill that would allow continued sales of certain hemp-derived THC products, partially scaling back a broad ban that is scheduled to take effect later this year. The new Lawful Hemp Protection Act, introduced by Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Angie Craig (D-MN) on Wednesday, would again change the definition of what constitutes a federally legal product derived from the crop, add labeling requirements and institute new taxes on sales. 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, Trump signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will remain legal after November 12—though he has since called on Congress to scale back the scope of the forthcoming restrictions. The new 60-page bill, which a press release from Barr’s office says is supported by the White House, would keep many hemp products that are now on the market legal for people over the age of 21, again changing the definition of hemp to allow concentrations of up to 1 percent total THC on a dry-weight basis. “Kentucky farmers helped build America’s hemp industry and they deserve certainty,” Barr said in a press release. “The Lawful Hemp Protection Act protects Kentucky agriculture, safeguards consumers and establishes a commonsense regulatory framework that allows this important industry to continue to grow while ensuring products are safe and kept out of the hands of children.” “Kentucky has demonstrated that hemp can be successfully regulated while supporting farmers and protecting consumers,” he said. “This legislation builds on that success by creating a national framework that rewards responsible producers, eliminates bad actors and ensures consumers have confidence in the products they purchase.” Craig, who serves as ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, said her state of Minnesota “became the model for responsible hemp regulation when it established a regulatory framework that complied with federal law and enabled local farmers and businesses to thrive.” “My commonsense legislation will give regulatory clarity to Minnesota farmers, brewers and small business owners and provide an alternative to short-sighted federal policies that threaten Minnesota jobs and consumer choice,” she said. “I am proud to have worked with Rep. Barr on a solution that protects our farmers and small businesses while also keeping our kids and communities safe.” Barr and Craig are both running for U.S. Senate this November. I’m fighting to overturn the hemp ban and stand up for our great Kentucky farmers. Our Hemp Bill keeps hemp products out of the hands of kids by establishing a nationwide 21+ age requirement, puts consumer safety first with clear, commonsense federal standards, and gives… — Congressman Andy Barr (@RepAndyBarr) July 22, 2026 Under the new bill, legal hemp would not include cannabinoids that are not capable of being naturally produced by a cannabis plant or that are “produced, manufactured, or converted using chemical synthesis, hydrogenation, acetylation, alkylation, or any other artificial process that adds to, removes from, or otherwise alters the molecular structure of a cannabinoid so that it contains one or more functional groups or substituents that are not present in any naturally occurring cannabinoid constituent” of cannabis. The legislation specifically singles out hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (THC–O–acetate) and tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCP) as prohibited, and further says that any other “artificially modified analog or homologue of a naturally occurring cannabinoid” can be banned if identified by the secretary of agriculture in consultation with the secretary of health and human services. Also banned would be any cannabinoids that are produced, manufactured or converted using any solvent, extraction method or other means of production determined by the health and agriculture secretaries to “pose a risk to the public health.” “Many Americans, including veterans and seniors, rely on consumer hemp products for wellness,” the legislation’s findings section says. “Ensuring that such products are consistently manufactured, accurately labeled, and domestically sourced is essential to maintaining public trust and protecting consumers. Clear provenance standards and the elimination of deceptive or look-alike products promote responsible industry growth, protect consumers, and reinforce confidence in lawful hemp commerce.” Hemp has grown into a $30B industry, supporting local economies across our country. The federal hemp ban scheduled for this November would deal a fatal blow to responsible hemp businesses in MN and beyond. That’s why @RepAndyBarr and I are introducing the Legal Hemp Protection… — Angie Craig (@RepAngieCraig) July 22, 2026 “Protecting minors and preventing children’s access to hemp products is central to the public interest and to the long-term credibility of the hemp industry,” it says. “Strong age-control measures are necessary to prevent misuse and safeguard public health.” With respect to potency, within 12 months of the proposal’s enactment, the secretary of health and human services would establish for hemp-derived cannabinoid products “a maximum allowable amount of total cannabinoid content for such product and each serving of such product” as well as “for each cannabinoid present in such a product, a maximum allowable amount of such cannabinoid for such product and each 1serving of such product.” Those limits would need to be updated at least once every three years or “as soon as scientific evidence warrants reconsideration.” If the health secretary failed to set potency limits as directed by the bill, default levels of 5 milligrams per serving for oral products, 50 milligrams per serving of inhalable products and 50 milligrams per serving for topical products would be set. — 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. — Under the legislation, there would be a three-tier system for hemp-derived beverages, separated into manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. No entity could hold a direct or indirect interest in more than one tier—a separation the legislation says will be “strictly maintained.” For most consumable hemp products, excluding beverages, there would be a tax of 5 percent of the sale price. With respect to hemp drinks, there would be a federal tax of 5 cents per milligram of THC in each beverage. There would also be a tax on hemp product manufacturers in the amount of 5 percent of their annual sales revenue. Revenue from the taxes would go into a new federal “Trust Fund for Oversight of Hemp-derived Cannabinoid Products” to be spent on administering regulations, carrying out consumer protection activities and supporting states that cooperate in federal hemp programs. One percent of the revenue from hemp beverages would go to the Highway Trust Fund to support state-level enforcement, training and testing technologies related to standards on zero-tolerance for impaired driving. The legislation also sets out labeling requirements for hemp-derived consumer products, including displaying per-serving and per-package THC content, as well as a statement specifying that they are only for people over the age of 21. Packaging and labeling would also be required to display “adequate directions for use,” warn against consumption by children and during pregnancy or driving while impaired. They would also need to include a disclaimer of risks posed by specific cannabinoids contained within—including the risk of failing a drug test—and display a QR code that leads to a web page with testing results in the form of a certificate of analysis. Labels could not make a claim “regarding the product’s effect (or lack thereof) on the structure or any function of the body of humans or other animals” or contain features that could appeal to children. The labeling and maximum cannabinoid content provisions would only apply to products “introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce” after 180 days of the legislation’s enactment. Hemp cannabinoid products introduced into interstate commerce would need to be derived exclusively from hemp cultivated, processed, finished, packaged and labeled within the U.S., and the health secretary would also establish uniform manufacturing and testing requirements for products. Hemp product manufacturers and wholesalers would be required to obtain federal permits, and beverage manufacturers and wholesalers would be required to track and file reports on their inventories. One section of the measure would require the health secretary to publish a list of all cannabinoids known to be capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant, as reflected in peer reviewed literature, as well as a list of all tetrahydrocannabinol class cannabinoids known to be naturally occurring in the plant, within 90 days. The legislation also contains a provision codifying coverage of hemp products covered under Medicare in line with an initiative launched by the Trump administration earlier this year. States would be at risk of losing out on certain federal funds if they do not address hemp-impaired driving using the “same field sobriety evaluation standards and protocols that law enforcement officers apply to determine impairment caused by lawfully prescribed pharmaceutical substances, including opioids, benzodiazepines, and other controlled medications” or subject hemp-impaired drivers to the “same penalties, fines, license suspensions, and other sanctions as apply to driving under the influence of alcohol or other impairing substances,” the bill says. The proposal makes clear that states, territories and Indian tribes could enact hemp product laws that are more stringent that the federal requirements under the bill, but it also says that they cannot interfere with the “passage and delivery of a hemp-derived consumable product through the borders” of their jurisdictions. Barr previously filed versions of the hemp regulation legislation as amendments to large-scale bills, but those were blocked from consideration on the House floor by the Rules Committee. The GOP congressman spoke at a meeting with hemp industry operators earlier this year and previewed the legislation—saying it faces opposition from a coalition of strange bedfellows including sectors of the alcohol industry, marijuana businesses and cannabis legalization opponents. Trump and White House officials have in recent weeks repeatedly called on Congress to delay, alter or reverse the ban. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) last month, for example, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said the Trump administration wants lawmakers to “ensure the fair treatment of hemp products”—specifically citing Barr’s earlier amendment to keep many hemp products legal while adding regulations and taxes. The administration “welcomes the opportunity to work with the Congress to, at a minimum, update the statutory definition of final hemp-derived cannabinoid products to allow Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products,” OMB separately said last month, “while preserving the Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose serious health risks.” Earlier this year, White House officials provided Barr’s office with feedback on legislation to create a regulatory framework for hemp, writing in a letter that they “appreciate your work to advance the policy of” an executive order Trump signed in December that included provisions seeking to protect Americans’ access to CBD products. “We are transmitting for your consideration draft legislative text and comments to address the statutory definition of final hemp-derived cannabinoid products in order to allow Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products while preserving the Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose serious health risks,” Vince Haley, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and James Braid, assistant to the president for legislative affairs, wrote to the congressman, according to a social media post containing a screenshot of the letter. “We are available for discussion and further technical assistance.” In April, the president himself urged congressional lawmakers to again redefine hemp to avoid recriminalization of full-spectrum CBD products. “I am calling on Congress to update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access the full-spectrum CBD products they have come to rely on, and that help them, while preserving Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on the same day his administration announced it is moving forward with rescheduling marijuana. “We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,” he said. “Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for.” Industry advocates say that the law as enacted last year not only threatens to prohibit intoxicating and synthetic cannabinoid products but also stands to remove popular full-spectrum CBD products that many Americans use therapeutically from the market. “ONE in FIVE adults used it in the past year, and many say it improved their chronic pain enormously,” the president said in his social media post, adding that hemp-derived CBD “has made a HUGE difference for so many people.” He also referenced a new initiative the administration launched in April to cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible Medicare patients. The program being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses largely on CBD but also allows products to have up to 3 milligrams of total THC per serving. A federal judge granted the government’s motion to dismiss marijuana legalization opponents’ lawsuit challenging the initiative, but that is being appealed. “In December, I signed a very important Executive Order calling for Research and Innovation for Hemp-derived CBD,” Trump said. “Our wonderful Dr. Mehmet Oz moved fast to follow the directive in the Executive Order, and launched a model for some Seniors earlier this month. But more must be done!” “Please get it done, and SOON,” the president said in reference to a congressional fix for the broad recriminalization set to take effect in November. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” It’s not clear how far Trump wants to scale back the scope of the scheduled federal restrictions on hemp products and what kinds of revised THC rules and limitations he would prefer to sign into law. Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) recently cited hemp legislation as an area where Republicans and Democrats can work together in an otherwise “hyperpartisan time.” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), however, predicted that it will be an “uphill path” to avert the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC products this year. Leaders of the advocacy organization Marijuana Policy Project similarly said recently that they think it will be difficult to avert the ban on hemp THC products before November, though they left open the possibility that there could be a carve-out for beverages or some reforms to THC limits. Meanwhile, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security under the first Trump administration recently sent a letter warning congressional against keeping hemp THC products legal, claiming that reversing the ban that is set to take effect later this year would “undermine public health” and “embolden foreign criminal actors.” The House of Representatives recently passed a Farm Bill with provisions aimed at aiding industrial hemp producers—but without any language to delay or alter the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that’s scheduled to take effect in November. The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) said the House’s failure to include provisions to delay or alter the ban on hemp THC products was a “missed opportunity.” The National Restaurant Association recently sent a letter urging congressional leaders to delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC beverages and replace it with a regulatory framework that “ensures consumer safety while meeting growing market demand” for the products as an alternative to alcohol. Major retailer Target, meanwhile, recently moved to expand its sales of hemp THC drinks into more states. Meanwhile, the White House Office of Management and Budget recently held a series of meetings about a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) CBD products enforcement policy. FDA also issued guidance making clear that it does not intend to interfere with implementation of the Medicare hemp-derived products coverage plan. CMS separately finalized a rule that will allow coverage of some hemp products as specialized, non-primarily health-related benefits through Medicare Advantage plans. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report published in April shows that farmers in the U.S. grew three-quarters of a billion dollars worth of hemp crops in 2025—a 64 percent increase from the prior year. Read the full text of the new hemp bill below: The post New Bipartisan Bill In Congress Would Keep Hemp THC Products Legal, With New Taxes And Regulations appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators have filed a bill to provide a safe harbor to insurance companies that work with state-legal marijuana businesses. The Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act was introduced on Tuesday by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ). The legislation would protect insurers, brokers and agents from being penalized by federal regulators for providing insurance services to state-licensed marijuana companies. “Much like marijuana businesses are barred from using bank accounts, they are also locked out of insurance markets,” Cramer said in a press release. “Businesses, as we know, obviously assume risk. That’s part of being in business. But the risk for cannabis companies that operate in states where it’s actually legal is especially high.” “The CLAIM Act makes sure insurers can offer their commercial products to regulated marijuana-related businesses without fear of federal prosecution,” he said. Much like marijuana businesses are barred from using bank accounts, they are also locked out of insurance markets. Businesses, as we know, obviously assume risk [because] that’s part of being in business. But the risk for cannabis companies that operate in states where it’s… — Senator Kevin Cramer (@SenKevinCramer) July 22, 2026 Gallego said that “in states that have legalized marijuana, including Arizona, legitimate cannabis businesses should have the same access to insurance coverage as any other business.” “I’m proud to partner with Senator Cramer to introduce this commonsense, bipartisan fix,” he said. This is the fourth Congress in a row that the cannabis business insurance measure has been introduced, and the text of the current bill remains largely the same as prior versions. Last month, bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers filed a related bill to provide safeguards for banks that work with the cannabis industry. As it stands, cannabis firms are restricted in their ability to gain property, casualty and title insurance coverage. The CLAIM Act would prohibit federal agencies from penalizing insurance providers for simply covering those businesses, and it would bar insurers from terminating or limiting policies for marijuana companies or ancillary businesses due to the nature of their enterprise. The legislation also includes a requirement that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study and issue a report on “barriers to marketplace entry, including in the licensing process, and the access to financial services for potential and existing minority-owned and women-owned cannabis-related legitimate businesses.” It also provides protections for employees of insurers, affirming that they could not be held liable just because they work with a cannabis company. Supporters of the legislation have argued that providing insurance access to these businesses would mitigate safety risks and prevent the companies from being denied bank financing, which can occur when the businesses lack insurance coverage. — 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, the Trump administration is moving forward with the process of rescheduling marijuana under federal law. Acting 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 the acting attorney general signed, a hearing is considering more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. Testimony in the cannabis rescheduling hearing, overseen by a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) judge, concluded last week, and participants are now set to file their final briefs by August 17. After that, the judge will issue his own recommendation on rescheduling, and the DEA administrator will then issue a final decision on whether or not to adopt the reform. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said this week that “it is time for Congress to stop dicking around and make weed legal,” touting a bill that he and other Senate Democrats filed this month to federally legalize marijuana. The post Feds Couldn’t Punish Insurance Companies For Covering Marijuana Businesses Under New Bipartisan Senate Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Kentucky legislative committee is considering a proposal to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in hospitals. The legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Health Services heard testimony about the idea on Thursday, with advocates saying it can allow patients to relieve pain while still being alert and able to communicate with their families during the final days of their lives. Jim Bartell, who has led efforts to pass such laws in states around the country, testified about the experience of his son, Ryan. The younger Bartell was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and was first hospitalized in a facility that didn’t allow medical cannabis use before being moved to another hospital that did. In the first facility he was given fentanyl, which put him to sleep, meaning that “for three weeks we had no communications essentially with Ryan,” Bartell told lawmakers. After transferring to a hospital in Seattle that did allow medical cannabis use Ryan “woke up the next morning, wide awake, pain free,” he said. “It was a miracle, and immediately he got on his phone, started texting his friends, ‘I’m awake, come and see me.'” “Those last three weeks, he had 125 visitors—college friends, classmates, high school friends, family, of course,” Bartell said. Ryan passed away shortly thereafter, but Jim has since led the charge to pass laws in a growing number of states that make it so hospitals have to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana, with certain restrictions. Versions of “Ryan’s Law” have now been adopted in California and 11 other states, Bartell said, with more expected to join in 2027. He told Kentucky lawmakers that the Trump administration’s move to reschedule medical cannabis has “helped us very much in terms of appealing or avoiding any opposition.” Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser (R), the co-chair of the panel, said that now that Kentucky has a newly launched medical marijuana program, “we’re sitting up here having a conversation about whether or not we have real barriers to to providing this care in hospitals.” “We’re going to have to do our homework here, and we will, and we’re going to find out what sorts of barriers there are in Kentucky. We’re hearing in some hospitals that there are not,” she said. “Obviously we’re we’re happy to look into this legislatively, but it sounds like some of the hospitals are adopting this practice anyway, which is good news because patients are able to to get the care that they need, especially in end-of-life situations.” Bartell replied that the point of Ryan’s Law is to make it so that hospitals need to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in accordance with state law, and so that other families don’t have to go through the challenges that his experienced with the initial uncooperative facility his son was in. “Right now any hospital can provide that medication if a patient qualifies and wants it,” Bartell said. “But the problem is that some hospitals don’t want to do that.” Heather Manus, founder of the Cannabis Nurses Network, also testified at the hearing, telling the committee that “no patient facing the end of life should be forced to choose between receiving healthcare and accessing a legal therapy that helps relieve their suffering.” “As nurses, we’re guided by compassion. We advocate for dignity, patient autonomy, and the right of every person to receive care that aligns with their values and goals,” she said. “For many terminally ill patients, medical cannabis can provide meaningful relief from pain, nausea, anxiety and insomnia, while allowing them to remain present with the people they love, just as Ryan was at the end of his life.” Ken Sobel, an attorney and cannabis consultant who helped Bartell write Ryan’s Law, said the reform provides “some assuredness that a patient who’s in Ryan’s condition who maybe only has a few weeks to live isn’t delayed from having the company of his family and friends and receiving the benefits that cannabis provides—in contrast to fentanyl, which has a heavy sedative effect, which deprives that person, that patient, of having any meaningful quality time with his family.” Lawmakers’ consideration of the proposal to allow marijuana use in hospitals comes as the state’s medical cannabis program is expanding. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) signed an executive order in June to broaden the list of health conditions that make patients eligible to legally obtain medical cannabis. But days later, House Majority Whip Jason Nemes (R) asked Attorney General Russell Coleman (R) to ensure that state agencies “not cooperate” with the governor’s marijuana directive, which he called “unlawful.” “Any organization, any licensee, that participates in this unlawful expansion should be prosecuted,” Nemes said during a legislative committee hearing. “This is not the way forward.” The governor pushed back, however, saying that the GOP lawmaker exhibited a “complete lack of humanity.” “It’s helping a lot of people, and I was really surprised to see an attack from one lawmaker who called on the attorney general to prosecute people dying of a terminal illness for securing medical cannabis,” Beshear said. “I mean, that’s a complete lack of humanity. It is really low. I mean, an individual with ALS, you want to prosecute? That is certainly not leadership, and even for that individual, is a new record low.” After the legislature declined to take him up on a suggestion to expand the qualifying condition list this session, the governor used his authority to make it so patients with 15 additional health disorders—including Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, fibromyalgia, arthritis and glaucoma—can also be certified for medical marijuana access. Beshear also last month that he was rescinding an earlier executive order he issued in 2022 through which he offered to provide pardons for any patients who got into trouble for possessing medical cannabis that they purchased at a legal dispensary in a neighboring state. The more recent executive order on qualifying conditions is a follow up to a medical marijuana legalization law Beshear signed in 2023. The state’s first medical cannabis dispensary opened in December of last year. The governor in February announced that cannabis gummies are available for purchase in the state’s licensed dispensaries. Beshear in January said he’s “not satisfied” with the time it’s taken to launch the state’s medical marijuana program—but that he anticipates the pace of patient access would “pick up significantly” in 2026. In recognition of the delayed implementation, he signed an executive order to waive renewal fees for patients who get their cards so that they don’t get charged again before retailers open. Beshear separately announced last year that the state had launched a new online directory that lets people see where medical cannabis dispensaries will be opening near them. He emphasized that the state has been working to deliver access to patients “at the earliest possible date,” and that involved expediting the licensing process. Last year, the governor also ceremonially awarded the commonwealth’s first medical marijuana cards. During the November 2024 election, Kentucky also saw more than 100 cities and counties approve local ordinances to allow medical cannabis businesses in their jurisdictions. The governor said the election results demonstrate that “the jury is no longer out” on the issue that is clearly supported by voters across partisan and geographical lines. The post Kentucky Lawmakers Consider Proposal To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Marijuana can help people reduce use of unregulated opioids and manage withdrawals from those substances, according to a new federally funded study. The research, published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, surveyed 197 people in Vancouver, Canada who reported using both cannabis and unregulated opioids such as fentanyl or heroin. There was a “significant association between self-reported use of cannabis to manage unregulated opioid withdrawal and reductions in opioid use among cannabis-using [people who use unregulated opioids] living with pain,” the study found. The relationship between cannabis use and withdrawal management with reduced opioid consumption was especially strong among people experiencing moderate or severe pain. Researchers at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and the University of California, Los Angeles, found that about half of participants (45.2 percent) said they had used cannabis to manage opioid withdrawal symptoms during the past six months. Of those participants, 66.3 percent agreed that when they used cannabis, they did not need to consume as much of the opioids they were taking. After adjusting for factors such as age, gender, race and pain levels, researchers determined that using marijuana to manage withdrawal was associated with more than twice the odds of reporting reduced opioid use. “Cannabis use for opioid withdrawal was significantly associated with self-reported reductions in opioid use.” Among those with moderate or severe pain, people who used cannabis for withdrawal had more than six times the odds of reducing opioid consumption compared with those who did not use marijuana for that purpose. The study authors said the research represents the first quantitative analysis that specifically examined the relationship between intentional marijuana use for opioid withdrawal management and changes in unregulated opioid consumption. Prior research has looked at whether cannabis can treat individual withdrawal symptoms such as pain, anxiety and insomnia—while other studies have examined the link between marijuana use and reduced opioid cravings, for example. By contrast, relatively little research has investigated whether people who deliberately use cannabis for withdrawal subsequently reduce the amount of opioids they consume. “Our findings contribute to this growing body of evidence and demonstrate that intentional cannabis use to mitigate symptoms of unregulated opioid withdrawal may support reductions in opioid use, especially among people living with pain,” the study authors wrote. Between December 2019 and November 2021, participants who reported using cannabis during the past six months were invited to complete a questionnaire about their marijuana use, motivations for consuming it and perceived effects on their use of other substances. Overall, 112 participants (56.9 percent) said they used fewer opioids during periods of cannabis consumption. “Importantly, cannabis is associated with markedly lower risks of morbidity and mortality compared to unregulated opioids,” the study said. “Immediate efforts to improve access to legal cannabis—especially for structurally-marginalized [people who use drugs] at highest risk of overdose—may offer a step towards reducing the health and social harms of opioid use in Canada,” the authors concluded. “These findings support conducting experimental trials of cannabinoids to support individuals experiencing opioid withdrawal and living with pain,” they said. The study was supported with funding from both the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Relatedly, another recent study found that people with chronic lower back pain who don’t respond to traditional therapies such as opioids experience “large, sustained, and statistically robust improvements” when they switch to inhaled cannabis. States that legalize medical or recreational marijuana see “significant reductions” in opioid overdoses among adults with employer-sponsored health insurance—indicating that a “substitution” effect may be at play—according to a separate federally funded study. In that same vein, another study showed that, as opioids continue to drive overdose deaths, making medical cannabis available and affordable seems to help patients reduce their use of the prescription painkillers. That research came on the heels of a recent study showing that using medical marijuana appears to help people reduce the use of other medications, including opioids, sleeping aids and antidepressants. They also experience far fewer negative side effects after switching to cannabis from prescription drugs, the study involving more than 3,500 patients found. — 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. — About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a federally funded study published in February. Similarly, another recent federally funded study, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), added more evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment. Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.” A separate paper published in October similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.” In August, meanwhile, Australian researchers published a study showing that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in pain management treatment. Another study published last year in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review found that, among drug users who experience chronic pain, daily cannabis use was linked to a higher likelihood of quitting the use of opioids—especially among men. Other research also found that legalizing medical cannabis appeared to significantly reduce monetary payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors who specialize in pain, with authors finding “evidence that this decrease is due to medical marijuana becoming available as a substitute” for prescription painkillers. Other recent research also showed a decline in fatal opioid overdoses in jurisdictions where marijuana was legalized for adults. That study found a “consistent negative relationship” between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis. Authors estimated that recreational marijuana legalization “is associated with a decrease of approximately 3.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals.” “Our findings suggest that broadening recreational marijuana access could help address the opioid epidemic,” that report said. “Previous research largely indicates that marijuana (primarily for medical use) can reduce opioid prescriptions, and we find it may also successfully reduce overdose deaths.” Another recently published report into prescription opioid use in Utah following the state’s legalization of medical marijuana found that the availability of legal cannabis both reduced opioid use by patients with chronic pain and helped drive down prescription overdose deaths statewide. Overall, results of the study indicated that “cannabis has a substantial role to play in pain management and the reduction of opioid use,” it said. The post Marijuana Helps People Reduce Opioid Consumption And Curbs Withdrawals, Federally Funded Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

MA anti-marijuana initiative beats ballot challenge; NFL study on cannabis; Fetterman pushes legalization; DEA hearing; NE medical marijuana rules 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… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to commit to broader marijuana rescheduling beyond medical use when asked by a senator as part of his confirmation process to lead the Justice Department permanently—and he indicated he has no problem federally prosecuting people for simple cannabis possession in national parks. The Massachusetts State Ballot Law Commission rejected a last-ditch attempt to keep an initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law from appearing on the November ballot—ruling against a challenge to petition signatures. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said it’s time for Congress to “stop dicking around” and legalize marijuana already. “I’ve always been very pro-weed… I think your path to wellness should be without judgement or punishment—legal, safe, and regulated.” A new study funded by the National Football League found that “elite contact sport athletes use cannabis intentionally for recreational, therapeutic, and recovery purposes but face systemic barriers related to misinformation, stigma, and inconsistent policy guidance.” Max Jackson of Cannabis Wise Guys writes in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed about how he attended the Drug Enforcement Administration’s cannabis rescheduling hearing for several days—and it was the “strangest proceeding I have ever sat through.” The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission approved new rules setting marijuana business application and licensing fees. / FEDERAL House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-KY) asked a question about accelerating development of psychedelic medicines at a hearing. Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) reportedly had MDMA in his system at the time of a 2011 car crash over which he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. A Navy veteran is asking a federal court to review his dismissal from the service over marijuana use and upgrade his discharge to honorable status. / STATES Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) appointed a member to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board. Maryland regulators are accepting public comments on proposed changes to marijuana rules. Oklahoma regulators defended their enforcement actions against medical cannabis businesses over violations from accusations of overreach. The California Highway Patrol awarded more than $41 million in marijuana revenue-funded grants to support efforts to prevent and reduce impaired driving. The executive director of the Minnesota Cannabis Expungement Board discussed ongoing efforts to clear people’s marijuana records. The Nevada Cannabis Advisory Committee’s Taxation Subcommittee 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 A judge lifted an injunction preventing Menominee, Michigan officials from issuing additional retail marijuana licenses. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “one year after partial legalisation, there was no evidence of an immediate effect on the prevalence of cannabis use among young people in Germany.” A study of rats concluded that “ayahuasca treatment reduces relapse drinking” and “prevented anxiety- and depression-like behaviors induced by alcohol.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Hawai‘i Alliance for Cannabis Reform published a voter guide ahead of the state’s primary elections next month. / BUSINESS The Botanist New Jersey workers voted to unionize. / CULTURE Sharon Stone discussed her decision to stop smoking marijuana. 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 Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Senator presses Trump AG on cannabis rescheduling (Newsletter: July 22, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) says it’s time for Congress to “stop dicking around” and legalize marijuana already—touting his cosponsorship of a recently filed bill to end federal cannabis prohibition. “I’ve always been very pro-weed,” the senator said in a press release on Tuesday. “In a very libertarian slant: I’m not going to judge anyone for using it to knock the edge off of life. I think your path to wellness should be without judgement or punishment—legal, safe, and regulated.” “I supported President Biden and President Trump when they took steps on the issue,” Fetterman said, referring to the process of rescheduling marijuana that has advanced during both administrations, and the mass cannabis pardons that Biden issued. “But it is time for Congress to stop dicking around and make weed legal,” he said. “This bill is a good step forward.” Last week, Fetterman and other Democrats—led by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Ron Wyden—filed the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), which would completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a process known as “descheduling.” The far-reaching proposal’s introduction came one day after the conclusion of testimony during a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing on a proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III that was started during the Biden administration and has advanced under President Donald Trump. The new legislation would also create a pathway for people to get their prior criminal sentences for cannabis reduced and expunged while restoring access to housing, jobs and civil rights that they may have lost. The measure would additionally apply a federal tax on marijuana and use some of the revenue to create a Department of Justice Cannabis Justice Office that would manage a fund to support job training, reentry and legal aid for people from communities harmed by prohibition. In May, Fetterman gave some across-the-aisle credit to Trump for taking steps to advance cannabis rescheduling and accelerate therapeutic access to psychedelics. “I think we could all agree [on] everything that President Trump has done about liberalizing marijuana and psychedelics and now too,” Fetterman said in the interview with Reason. “I really am very, very libertarian in a lot of ways and for those circumstances,” the senator said. “If you check my record, I’ve been for legal weed for forever in that. Politically, that was toxic or certainly not popular. And also psychedelics too.” “I’ve been very consistent about that and sharing those things,” Fetterman, who has championed cannabis reform since he served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, said. “So I do hope it continues to liberalize for that, overall.” Fetterman has criticized Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers for holding up marijuana legalization as neighboring states like Ohio move forward with the policy change. Last year, the senator’s campaign launched a petition supporting federal marijuana legalization. He previously criticized President Joe Biden for excluding military-level cannabis policy violations from his mass marijuana pardons. The post Congress Should ‘Stop Dicking Around’ And Legalize Marijuana, Fetterman Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“I wanted to hear what a federal record about this plant sounds like while it is being built. It sounds like a lot of very credentialed people describing a plant that almost none of them have grown.” By Max Jackson, Cannabis Wise Guys For two weeks this summer I slept in my van in a lot across from the Pentagon and walked most mornings into a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing room, to watch the federal government decide what to do with the plant I used to grow for a living. My converted ambulance gave me a two-minute commute to the strangest proceeding I have ever sat through. I should say who I am. I ran a licensed cannabis grow in Trinity County, California—thirteen thousand plants, and enough three-in-the-morning equipment failures to teach me what the work costs. Not a lawyer, not a scientist, not a lobbyist. As far as I could tell, I was almost certainly the only person in that room who has grown this plant commercially. The gallery holds about twenty people, and most days found it largely filled with DEA agents, not the public. No cameras or laptops are allowed inside; you take the day down by hand or not at all, and I filled two notebooks. The Structure Is The Opposite Of What People Assume The government—DEA and the Department of Justice, presenting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) analysis—is the proponent of moving cannabis to Schedule III, and carries the burden of proof. All seven designated interested parties oppose rescheduling. DEA designated no pro-rescheduling party at all. That inversion confuses almost everyone I have explained it to. People assume the witnesses testifying about psychosis and cartels and pediatric poisonings are the government’s. But they are witnesses against the government’s own position. The government put on two witnesses—an FDA controlled substances official and a pain physician—and rested. That was not a retreat. Its burden was narrow: show that marijuana does not belong in Schedule I. It asked for little beyond what served that, made the narrow case. They Cross-Examined Almost Nothing, Until The Week They Didn’t Natalie Fertig, the veteran federal cannabis reporter, sat in the same room and put it bluntly: “They asked three questions the entire time. Three questions.” That was the pattern for two weeks, and I would be shading the truth if I stopped there, because it broke. In the final week, an emergency physician called by pro-se participant Phillip Drum testified about her patients using a slideshow. DEA’s cross-examination of her was methodical and longer than any other. Counsel walked her deck image by image and established that much of her visual evidence came off the open internet with no verified provenance—a toddler-with-a-bong photo from Google, a baby with a pipe from a Reddit parenting subgroup, an astronaut meme she could not source. Asked how she knew the baby in the photo was real, she said she didn’t. Then case after case—the teenager with the vapes, the minor who ordered cannabis under a false name, the accidental pediatric ingestions—each met with the same question: was this an example of illegal diversion, and each answered yes. The Witness Who Wrote The Study The states of Nebraska, Idaho and Indiana called Dr. Deepak Cyril D’Souza—a Yale professor of psychiatry, staff psychiatrist at VA Connecticut, inaugural director of the Yale Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoids and author of more than 200 papers. He was the first psychiatrist of the proceeding, and the states told the judge he was the only expert quoted in both HHS’s 2023 recommendation and DEA’s eight-factor analysis. He testified that potency has risen five- to tenfold in three to four decades, that adolescence is a period of particular vulnerability, and—invoking pioneering epidemiologist Bradford Hill and analogizing to cigarettes and lung cancer—that smoking marijuana is causally contributory to schizophrenia. Asked whether cannabis’s benefits outweigh its risks at this time, confining himself expressly to psychiatric use, he answered no. D’Souza also declined, twice, to carry his own side’s framing. That side’s opening statement had closed on the line that marijuana should be treated consistently with other Schedule I hallucinogens. Asked about it, he testified that he knows the government calls cannabis a hallucinogen but that it is not one—”for it to be a hallucinogen it needs to reliably induce hallucinations.” He also told the room there is no standard dose for marijuana, and no FDA-approved treatment for cannabis use disorder. Then the government cross-examined D’Souza. Counsel established he had done media interviews, then read a recent one back to him in which he had said the overwhelming majority of cannabis users will have no negative outcome. He agreed not everyone who uses cannabis will have mental health problems, then said most people will not develop psychosis. He qualified it honestly—there is no good way to identify who is at risk, gene patterns and a family history of schizophrenia raise the likelihood, but he said the model is not perfect. The government also walked D’Souza through benzodiazepines: a controlled substance, yes; abuse potential, yes; dangerous in combination with alcohol or opioids, yes; withdrawal, yes—including irritability, restlessness, seizures, suicidal ideation and hallucinations. Then, immediately: could cannabis withdrawal lead to harm for the patient? He said it is self-limiting and depends on the taper. On his direct, withdrawal had been offered as real and as the reason quitting often fails. Both answers are in the record. Here is the thing I keep turning over: D’Souza’s landmark 2004 work gave 22 healthy volunteers 2.5 and 5 milligrams of THC intravenously, straight into a vein. They had used cannabis before but had never been diagnosed with a cannabis abuse disorder. His 2008 follow-up gave the same doses to frequent users and found they reacted far less. He confirmed the basis himself on direct: his Exhibit 7 is a meta-analysis of ten intravenous-THC studies. An injection into a vein is not how anybody consumes cannabis. No smoke, no edible, nothing you can pace by how you feel—it goes straight into the blood, all at once. I never heard anyone ask him about it. Not on direct, not on cross, not on redirect, in the sessions I sat through—the word “intravenous” never came up in his examination as I heard it. The government came adjacent once: asked whether the studies support medical use, he answered no and drew the distinction himself, saying the compounds in question are isolated THC, not marijuana. But that was about approved pharmaceuticals, and I did not hear anyone follow it back to how the THC in his own study was given. He also volunteered a recent JAMA review by Kevin Hill, citing it against medical use—”the evidence supporting the effectiveness of cannabis and CBD is severely limited.” That was his citation, not the government’s. The Sheriff The states’ other witness was Sheriff William Honsal of Humboldt County, California—31 years in law enforcement, sheriff since 2017, running the county’s Marijuana Enforcement Task Force. On direct examination, Sheriff Honsal described diversion running in both directions. He described licensed product leaving the legal market—what he called legal grows with back doors, chasing better prices out of state—and he described illicit product being inverted back into the licensed supply chain. He did not quantify the split between them. What made it hard to police, he said, was that illegally grown cannabis—no permit, no oversight—comes out looking identical to the licensed product next to it. You cannot tell them apart on a shelf. Asked directly whether Metrc, the state’s track-and-trace system, works, he said it doesn’t—that it is the only thing in place, that it can be manipulated, and that it comes down to trusting people. He gave the economics as roughly $300 a pound legal against $1,000 or more out of state and untaxed, three to four times the value. Sheriff Honsal used the word “legalization” in his testimony, to which the judge asked him what he meant by this. “Legalization to me is Prop 215 (CA Medical) and Prop 64 (CA Recreational), with Prop 64, we finally had regulation,” he said, referring to voter-approved cannabis reform ballot measures. What Happens Now Post-hearing briefs are due August 17, capped at 50 pages. Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius, who is overseeing the proceedings, then writes a recommendation, which is non-binding, and the DEA administrator decides. There is no verdict. There is also no public transcript yet—an attorney in the room told me to expect the corrected version around September, though DEA has announced no date. Everything above comes from handwritten notes taken where no recording device or laptop was allowed, and I have tried to keep straight what I wrote as a quotation and what I wrote as a summary. When the transcript posts, some of it will be more precise than my notes. I would rather be corrected than confident. I was not there for all eleven days of the hearing, and I have said above where something comes from a reporter who sat in a room I did not. But I went because I wanted to hear what a federal record about this plant sounds like while it is being built. It sounds like a lot of very credentialed people describing a plant that almost none of them have grown. Max Jackson is the founder of Cannabis Wise Guys and specializes in translating between cannabis operations, investment and public policy. He provides operational and policy consulting to cannabis markets in Virginia, New Jersey and beyond. The post I Went To DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing, And It Was The Strangest Proceeding I’ve Ever Sat Through (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Massachusetts officials have denied a last-ditch attempt to keep an initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law from appearing on the November ballot. The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office determined earlier this month that organizers for the anti-cannabis initiative had turned in enough valid signatures to put the measure before voters, but marijuana reform advocate Kevin Gilnack then 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.” Others, the complaint said, belong to people who are not registered voters at the address they claimed or who subsequently requested to have their names removed. The filing also says that some petition forms contained extraneous marks or were not “exact copies” of the form provided by the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office, “in that they differ from the original in paper size, color, text, or format, or otherwise fail to conform to the requirements” of the law. After holding a hearing on the dispute last week that included testimony from a forensic document examiner and handwriting expert who appeared on behalf of the challenger, the commission on Tuesday rejected the objection. The panel “finds, rules and concludes that the Objector has not met his burden of proof to disqualify enough signatures on the initiative petition,” it said in a 16-page decision. “The Commission overrules Objector’s challenges to the initiative petition and the Secretary is ordered to print the ballot question on the November 3, 2026, State Election Ballot.” The body ended up invalidating only four of the challenged signatures due to missing address information while rejecting the request to throw out additional petitions over issues such as illegibility, non-genuineness or stray marks. During last week’s hearing, Gilnack also sought to enter into the record affidavits of voters who said their signatures were obtained through fraud. The anti-marijuana campaign objected, however, as those voters were not identified in the initially filed objection, and the commission agreed. Shortly after the commission’s ruling on Tuesday, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office announced that the anti-cannabis measure will be designated as Question 8 on the ballot. Under state law, Massachusetts ballot campaigns must turn in signatures in two waves. After the first submission, the legislature gets a chance to enact proposed ballot measures after organizers submit an initial round of petitions. Lawmakers in May declined to act on the anti-marijuana measure, however, and so organizers needed to submit additional 12,429 certified signatures by July 1 to make the November ballot. The state Elections Division determined that 12,551 signatures of the 12,889 submitted in the latest batch were valid. Wendy Wakeman, a spokesperson for the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, which is behind the anti-cannabis initiative, previously called Gilnack’s challenge “one last desperate attempt for big marijuana to keep this discussion from the voters.” Meanwhile, a coalition of Massachusetts marijuana business leaders, healthcare professionals and other advocates have launched a campaign to defeat the measure, which if enacted would repeal laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational cannabis and home cultivation while maintaining legal possession and continuing the medical marijuana system. In June, the campaign behind the legalization rollback measure, the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, 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 a formal complaint about the prohibitionist effort’s tactics, but the State Ballot Law Commission rejected the challenge. The measure 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 challenge. Separately, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a bill this month containing provisions to create a five-year pilot program allowing the use of psychedelics to treat mental health conditions. Read the commission’s decision rejecting the challenge to the anti-marijuana ballot initiative below: Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Massachusetts Officials Reject Challenge To Anti-Marijuana Initiative Signatures, Ruling It Will Appear On November Ballot appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“Building a new regulatory agency is much like constructing a house.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission will move forward with requiring fees for registered cannabis establishments and applicants in the coming weeks. Commissioners released the first draft of updated regulations Monday. The proposal would create a $5,000 application fee, license and renewal fees based on license type, a $1,500 relocation fee and a $13,000 fee for participation in the state’s seed-to-sale inventory tracking system. There would also be a $250 fee to license a new product, plus a $100 renewal fee. The latest proposal would no longer include a specific license type for transporters. Instead, as commissioners hinted previously, product manufacturers could apply for a transporter certification to be part of their business. Proposed fees Initial and renewal fees per license type would be as follows: Cultivators — $20,000 for a new license; $23,500 annual renewal fee. Transporter — $10,000 for a new certification. Product manufacturers — $20,000 for a new license; $23,500 annual renewal fee if the licensee does not have a transporter certification or $28,500 if the licensee does. Dispensary — $15,000 for a new license; $18,000 annual renewal fee. Commission regulations permit up to four cultivators, four product manufacturers and 12 dispensaries, arranged by judicial district. That would mean one dispensary each in Douglas County (584,526 residents), Lancaster County (322,608 residents), Sarpy/Cass Counties (217,202 residents) and Buffalo/Hall Counties (112,979 residents), according to 2020 census data. All four cultivators have been licensed. One cultivator is approved to start growing. Licensees would need to pay the seed-to-sale $13,000 fee at each renewal period. This means an annual payment of at least $30,000 to more than $40,000 each year for licensees. The commission opened applications for product manufacturers shortly after its last meeting in mid-June. At least two businesses have applied so far. Commissioners extended the deadline for more applications to August 17, the next commission meeting. Applications can be submitted through the commission’s website. The commission hasn’t yet indicated when it will approve its first product manufacturer licenses. That likely won’t happen until at least September now, based on monthly commission meetings. The commission has not indicated when it would license its first in-state dispensaries either. ‘Thinking more proactively’ Multiple members of the public, many of whom were involved with the successful 2024 voter-led effort to legalize and regulate medical cannabis, said commissioners needed to move faster and more diligently. Voters created the Medical Cannabis Commission at the 2024 election. Crista Eggers, executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, which led the 2024 effort, said commissioners had a choice whether to reinforce a belief that commissioners were standing in the way of what Nebraskans voted for. “I can tell you, it is a certain type of hell to be a parent who has given the last decade of my life to this effort and now have serious concerns of whether my son is ever helped,” Eggers said. Troy Burgess, a Nebraska resident who has worked in the medical cannabis industry for about six years in other states, including Oklahoma, told the commission that “just because we have plants in the ground doesn’t mean patients will ever have medicine.” He is one of the two applicants who have submitted for a product manufacturer license. Burgess and Eggers said commissioners should start preparing now to work with state lawmakers to button up holes in January, such as around testing, confidentiality and legal or professional protections for health care providers wishing to recommend medical cannabis. “We need to start thinking more proactively and working to remove roadblocks, eliminate them,” Burgess said. “We’re here to help. Ask.” Earlier this month, regulations that had been in progress over the past year took the force of law after Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed off. Placing them into the state administrative code opened the door for more changes, such as new fees. The Nebraska Legislature authorized the commission to issue fees this spring and appropriated dedicated funding to the commission. Lawmakers fell short of doing so in 2025. ‘Foundational efforts’ Commissioner Lorelle Mueting of Gretna, who is interim commission chair, said Monday’s meeting demonstrated the “foundational efforts” the commission has achieved in its first year of running. “Building a new regulatory agency is much like constructing a house,” Mueting said. The commission hired its first dedicated staff this month: a program manager, who started July 6, and a new in-house legal counsel, who started Monday. Commissioners are also in the process of hiring an executive director. Mueting motioned that the fees be approved, after review by the commission’s new attorney first. The motion passed 3-0. Commissioner Bud Synhorst of Lincoln was not in attendance. The fees would allow the commission to continue hiring staff, Mueting said, and were designed after reviewing programs in other states with “similar populations, regional considerations and regulatory structures.” Mueting told the Examiner after the meeting that she did not know how a recent Pillen memo for state agencies to cut spending and require approval for new hires would impact her agency. Commissioner Jim Elworth of Nebraska City will assist commission staff in preparing the commission’s budget request to the governor before the next legislative session in January. Cultivator dispute progress In June, Kent Rogert, a former state senator and leader of one of the commission-licensed cultivators, said he has reached a “tentative” resolution over a dispute with Washington County officials. Officials had issued a stop-work order against Rogert’s operation after Rogert said planning officials changed course and wouldn’t allow him to use an agricultural permit. “We have a path set forward through which we can apply for a conditional use permit for the building permits,” Rogert said of a meeting with the Washington County attorney. Rogert told commissioners the process could take a “little bit of time” and some county meetings, but he hopes that by August, he could provide an updated “good report.” Said Rogert: “We’ve agreed to disagree on the agricultural issue, but…they’ve given us a path forward, assuming everything works and we get a positive vote from the county board.” The next Medical Cannabis Commission meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. August 17. This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Nebraska Medical Marijuana Officials Approve Rules For Business Application And Licensing Fees appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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127. Psilocybin for Anorexia: Inside UCSF's Trial Dr. Amanda Downey on UCSF's psilocybin trial for anorexia, why caregivers enroll, and what the medicine can and can't reach in eating disorders. Episode Summary Eating disorders are the deadliest psychiatric illness we have. Someone in the United States dies of one every 52 seconds, and two of every three people who get conventional treatment never fully recover. Anorexia nervosa has had no new FDA-approved treatment since the 1990s. That is the ground this conversation stands on, and it is why I sat down with Dr. Amanda Downey at Town Hall Seattle. Dr. Downey is a pediatrician and psychiatrist at UCSF and a lead investigator on an active Phase 2 trial studying psilocybin for anorexia in young adults. We talk about why her trial enrolls caregivers as participants, what psilocybin might reach that decades of treatment have not, and where the science is still honestly uncertain. This one is close to me. I recovered from anorexia myself, and I know how little the map has changed. Key Takeaways Psilocybin is being studied as the first potential breakthrough for anorexia in a generation, but every honest researcher in the room is holding equipoise, not hype. The molecule is one component of a system, not a cure. The trial's design is unusually intensive because the population is unusually vulnerable. Two high-dose sessions, three preparation sessions before each, real-time heart monitoring, and blood draws throughout. Between 8 and 20 weeks of contact per participant. Families are part of the treatment. Young people rarely get better if they return to the same system in which the illness grew, so caregivers enroll and prepare too. Improving cognitive flexibility does not guarantee behavior change. People report expanded thinking and a better quality of life. Whether that translates to weight restoration is the open question this trial is built to answer. Access without support is the real risk. Psilocybin floods the body with sensation, and people with anorexia are often profoundly disconnected from the body. Unsupported, that experience can compound harm rather than heal it. Timestamps [00:00] Why eating disorders are the deadliest psychiatric illness, and the numbers that frame the night [01:00] Meeting Dr. Amanda Downey and how she came to eating disorder and psychedelic work [03:00] The patient who inspired the study, and the moment the idea was first spoken aloud [04:30] Funding a trial the government will not pay for, almost entirely through patients and families [05:30] Trial design, and why caregivers enroll as participants [07:30] The scale of the scaffolding: 20 to 25 milligram doses and weeks of contact [08:00] Safety at the core, hypoglycemia, and real-time cardiac monitoring [09:00] The working hypothesis, cognitive flexibility, and the default mode network [11:00] Ketamine versus psilocybin, and why durability may be the difference [25:30] Audience question on integration, plasticity, and extralegal use [26:30] Harm reduction for parents, and where to find a legal path [27:00] Could this help ARFID and other eating disorders? [28:30] Adverse reactions and the terror of five hours of amplified embodiment [31:00] Cognitive flexibility that did not translate to behavior change [34:00] San Francisco decriminalization and the trial timeline [38:00] Why eating disorders get so little funding, and who the illness actually affects [43:00] Supporting the family system, and chatter about 5-MeO-DMT [46:30] Closing reflection: what psilocybin opens, and what eating disorders require to close Guest Dr. Amanda Downey is a pediatrician and psychiatrist specializing in adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. She is the assistant medical director of the UCSF Eating Disorders Program, a member of UCSF’s Translational Psychedelic Research Program, and a lead investigator on an active Phase 2 trial of psilocybin therapy for young adults with anorexia nervosa, ages 18 to 25. Learn more about UCSF psilocybin and anorexia trial @ clinicaltrials.ucsf.edu Resources Ask April: How Do I Find a Psychedelic Guide? — column on legal access, licensed facilitators, and the Oregon versus Colorado distinction Follow April on Substack Visit aprilpride.com Original Substack post: https://aprilpride.substack.com/psilocybin-for-anorexia-ucsf-trial Hosted by April Pride IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@aprilpridecreates YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@aprilpridecreates Get full access to APRIL PRIDE at aprilpride.substack.com/subscribeCatch the full episode here

Interest in using marijuana for medical reasons is growing among athletes as more states enact legalization, but many feel they aren’t getting adequate information about cannabis from their teams’ and leagues’ health officials due to ongoing stigma around the issue, a new study funded by the National Football League (NFL) shows. “Elite contact sport athletes use cannabis intentionally for recreational, therapeutic, and recovery purposes but face systemic barriers related to misinformation, stigma, and inconsistent policy guidance,” the study, published this month in the journal Sports Health, says. “As cannabis legality expands, this potential knowledge gap impairs athletes’ ability to make informed decisions about cannabis for health and performance. Lack of knowledge increases exposure to unregulated products, and may cause athletes to overlook potential therapeutic benefits.” The paper, written by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Regina in Canada, notes that major sports leagues have changed their policies in recent years to remove strict punishments for cannabis use. Most recently, for example, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) this year removed marijuana from its prohibited substances list while also laying out rules for how players can invest in and promote cannabis companies. “With sports leagues removing cannabis from the banned substance list, athletes increasingly rely on personal experience or peer advice to guide them, with minimal formal education ever provided,” the new study says. The research, which was partially funded by the joint pain management committee overseen by the NFL and the NFL Players Association, involved interviews with 10 current or former elite contact sport athletes from professional and collegiate leagues. That includes the NFL as well as the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and others. Participants described using cannabis for “pain management, mental health support, relaxation, recovery, sleep, perceived neuroprotective benefits and preferring cannabis to alcohol in social situations,” the paper says. The researchers highlighted a number of specific comments athletes made during their interviews: “It [cannabis] makes you focus on other things, or just not being focused on how bad my neck would hurt.” “It puts your body at ease, and it’s far better than taking any sort of pain killer in my experience, from a prolonged long-term perspective for sure.” “I stopped drinking alcohol because of the adverse effects. My freshman year I consumed a lot of alcohol, and I found it was really bad for both my mental and physical health. I think I wanted to explore an alternative. I wanted to try both the therapeutic and recreational [use of cannabis]. It was just kind of experimental.” “It has always been something that I found meditative and grounding, the mental spiritual components of it, and then, physically it puts your body at ease.” “The positive effects I felt [from cannabinoids] with sleep and rest is definitely good.” “I sleep better using cannabis at night than I did taking T3s [Tylenol with codeine]… A better effect on my health when it comes to sleep dealing with inflammation and arthritis.” “I totally used cannabis throughout having those concussions and it helped me a lot with the pain and the recovery.” “It helped me focus a lot. Sometimes I would use it in the spring months when I had exams, and it would help me really dial in on a video or on a subject.” Even as stigma surrounding cannabis is being reduced amid the growing legalization movement and as leagues are beginning to change older anti-marijuana policies, however, athletes still “anticipate or experience judgment from teammates, organizations, and the public, especially in shared spaces such as hotel rooms and locker rooms,” the study says. There is also an ongoing fear of being punished over cannabis and of having to deal with public relations and image issues stemming from legal issues in jurisdictions where marijuana is still criminalized. Drug testing policies also “reinforced fear and raised fairness concerns, as athletes questioned why cannabis was treated like performance‑enhancing drugs and argued that if cannabis use warranted sanction, alcohol should be treated similarly given how heavy drinking was common yet less harshly judged,” the paper says. “Normalizing alcohol while stigmatizing cannabis creates confusion and erodes trust, even as informal conversations suggest movement toward more open dialogue.” But despite the ongoing stigma, “many athletes report positive, often discreet social environments around cannabis use,” the authors wrote, pointing specifically to “teams or regions with legal markets.” Another major theme that emerged from the interviews highlights athletes’ desires to receive more accurate and unbiased cannabis education from team and league health officials. “Participants reported that the limited education they received from teams or governing bodies was largely 1‑sided, focused on negative effects and rarely clarified the rationale for cannabis rules, leading them to question why alcohol was permitted while cannabis remained prohibited,” the study says. As a result, many athletes rely on their peers and the internet to obtain information about cannabis, “with limited formal guidance,” it says. The researchers highlighted several key takeaway lessons: “First, cannabis education tailored to athletes and sports medicine. Second, policies should be harmonized across leagues and grounded in emerging evidence, with clear communication. Third, organizations should foster open, nonjudgmental communication between athletes and medical staff. Fourth, leagues should reduce stigma surrounding cannabis use in sport. Finally, professional leagues should support further research on cannabis effects on athletic wellness, performance, and long-term health outcomes.” “This study highlights the complex relationship between professional athletes and cannabis use in professional and college-level contact sports. It shows growing interest in cannabinoid products and the importance of addressing this safely and appropriately in athletics,” the paper concludes. “The substantial stigma and lack of knowledge among medical personnel working with these athletes underscores the need for improved education, communication, and evidence-based policies to protect athlete health in an evolving legal and commercial cannabis landscape.” The researchers behind the new study previously published research in 2024 that highlighted the growing acceptability of medical cannabis in sports, while also underscoring the obstacles to marijuana research caused by ongoing federal prohibition. NFL and the league’s players union in recent years have put a focus on funding research related to cannabis and athletes. In 2022, for example, they authorized $1 million in grants for a pair of studies looking into the efficacy of marijuana and its components in managing football players’ pain and providing neuroprotection from concussions. The league and the players union also awarded funding to support research on the therapeutic benefits of CBD as a pain treatment alternative to opioids for players with concussions. The NFL reached an agreement with its players union in 2024 to further reform its marijuana policies, significantly reducing fines for positive tests while increasing the allowable THC threshold for players. About four years after NFL ended the practice of suspending players over cannabis or other drugs as part of a collective bargaining agreement, the league again revised its Substances of Abuse Policy and Performance Enhancing Substances Policy. NBA, for its part, removed marijuana from the banned substances list for players in 2023, and it also freed them up to invest in and promote cannabis companies. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 2024 voted to remove marijuana from its banned substances list for Division I players. The reform builds on a 2022 change that increased the allowable THC threshold for college athletes, aligning NCAA’s rules with those of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) blasted the “unfair” ban on marijuana for athletes competing in international sport events, including the Olympics that were underway in Paris at the time of the comments. USADA CEO Travis Tygart said it was “disappointing” that WADA has maintained the cannabis prohibition based on what he considers a misguided justification. WADA did carry out a review into its marijuana policy at the request of USADA and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) following the controversial suspension of U.S. runner Sha’Carri Richardson, who was barred from participating in the Olympics in 2021 after she tested positive for THC. Richardson said she used cannabis to cope with the recent passing of her mother. While UFC announced in late 2023 that it was formally removing marijuana from its modified banned substances list for athletes, the league notified participants that the reform didn’t apply under California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) rules. UFC advised fighters that they could be subject to a $100 fine by CSAS if they tested over 150 nanograms of THC per milliliter ahead of the UFC 298 event that took place in February. The post Sports Leagues Should Reduce Anti-Marijuana Stigma And Provide Honest Education For Athletes, New NFL-Funded Study Concludes appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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The acting head of the Department of Justice is refusing to commit to more broadly rescheduling marijuana beyond medical use as he seeks to be confirmed as attorney general—and he indicated he has no problem federally prosecuting people for simple cannabis possession in national parks. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve in the role on a permanent basis, answered senators’ written questions as part of the confirmation process—including queries about cannabis. 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. Broader rescheduling of cannabis, including for recreational use, is being considered through a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing that wrapped up testimony last week. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) asked why the department has “forgone the traditional notice-and-comment period and an administrative hearing required by the CSA for rescheduling” before adopting the partial rescheduling of marijuana for medical use. “The Department of Justice delivered on President Trump’s promise to expand Americans’ access to medical treatment options,” Blanche wrote. “This rescheduling action allows for research on the safety and efficacy of this substance, ultimately providing patients with better care and doctors with more reliable information.” When pressed about whether he supports further rescheduling of cannabis for adult use or reducing current penalties for possession and sales, Blanche dodged the question, saying he “will give the matter careful consideration after conferring with all relevant stakeholders, including DEA personnel” if confirmed as attorney general. Padilla also pressed the acting attorney general on whether he supports a Trump DOJ move to directing federal prosecutors to begin enforcing laws against simple cannabis possession in places like national parks. “As a general matter, I think it is important to empower our U.S. Attorneys to enforce all laws as appropriate and in accordance with relevant facts and law to keep the American public safe,” Blanche replied, indicating he does not oppose prosecuting people in federal court for possessing marijuana in national parks as the senator asked about. Blanche was also asked about whether relief from the 280E tax penalty under rescheduling applies to businesses that hold licenses for both medical and adult-use cannabis. “Section 280e of the Internal Revenue Code applies to businesses engaged in trafficking in controlled substances in schedule I or II,” he said, without directly answering Padilla’s question about how relief would apply to dual-licensed businesses if recreational marijuana remains in Schedule I following the ongoing administrative hearing process. — 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. — Blanche’s refusal to commit to broader rescheduling comes as the latest Marijuana Moment/NuggMD quarterly tracking poll shows cannabis consumers’ support for the Trump administration’s actions on the issue has declined in the months since DOJ first announced it was moving forward with rescheduling—as most don’t believe it will be completed this year. Blanche was also pressed about cannabis issues last year during his confirmation process to become deputy attorney general. He said in response to a written question about marijuana rescheduling from Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) that he would “give the matter careful consideration after conferring with all relevant stakeholders, including [Drug Enforcement Administration] personnel.” When asked about aligning federal and state marijuana laws, he said that “coordination between federal and state authorities is critically important” but that he had “not had the opportunity to study this particular issue.” “If confirmed, I will consult with the necessary stakeholders and give this matter careful consideration,” he said. Welch also asked about Obama-era enforcement guidance that directed prosecutors to generally not interfere with state cannabis laws, which was rescinded during the first Trump administration. “I have not had occasion to study this particular issue,” Blanche replied. “If confirmed…I think it is important to empower our U.S. Attorneys, who we trust to follow the law and to follow Department rules.” Meanwhile, DEA, which has been charged with defending the rescheduling proposal during the administrative hearing, has focused testimony on the medical benefits of cannabis and its relative safety compared to alcohol and other substances—despite excluding reform supporters from participating in the proceedings. The cannabis rescheduling move is also being challenged in court through a number of lawsuits from the drug testing industry, a pharmaceutical corporation, legalization opponents and others. In May, the House Appropriations Committee voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. Bipartisan lawmakers told Marijuana Moment, however, that they don’t expect the legislative effort to block rescheduling to succeed. The post Trump AG Dodges Question About Further Rescheduling Of Marijuana Beyond Medical Use appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

AL marijuana rescheduling hearing; Study: THC & CBD for Alzheimer’s agitation; AR gov candidates on legalization 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 The latest Marijuana Moment/NuggMD quarterly tracking poll shows cannabis consumers’ support for the Trump administration’s actions on the issue has declined in the months since the Department of Justice first announced it was moving forward with rescheduling—as most don’t believe it will be completed this year. The Alabama State Committee of Public Health will hold a public hearing this week on whether to continue an objection to rescheduling marijuana under state law in line with the Trump administration’s federal reclassification move. A new federally funded study found that the cannabis compounds THC and CBD improve agitation in 9 out of 10 people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia—concluding that cannabinoid medicine “may be an important therapeutic tool” for such patients. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) and Democratic challenger Fred Love both oppose marijuana legalization—while Libertarian contender Colt Shelby said he would support legalizing cannabis if voters approved it on the ballot. / FEDERAL Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) wrote about the uses of hemp in a constituent letter. The House bill to delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products got one new cosponsor for a total of 37. / STATES Oklahoma Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Mazzei said a bank owned by Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R), who is also running for governor, “operates in the cannabis industry.” Florida and Indiana Republican representatives discussed their support for harm reduction drug policies in the face of Trump administration opposition. A California senator pushed back against criticism of the state’s new hemp product restrictions. New Jersey regulators took action on marijuana business issues. Michigan regulators are moving to bar a man from participating in the state’s marijuana industry over alleged violations. Kentucky regulators are hosting a series of medical cannabis webinars. Oregon regulators are accepting applications to serve on a psilocybin testing rules advisory committee. Utah regulators sent updates about the medical cannabis program. Minnesota regulators will hold a cannabis policy listening event 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. — / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “UVB reshapes the cannabis floral flavonoid metabolome by selectively stimulating the accumulation and structural modification of flavonoids” and “represents a potential horticultural strategy to enhance flavonoid-related aspects of medicinal cannabis inflorescence phytochemical quality, without affecting cannabinoid levels.” A review concluded that “positive findings were also reported for MDMA in participants with PTSD, including improvements in self-reported psychosocial functioning, self-awareness, and self-compassion.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham expressed concerns about businesses dropping marijuana testing. / BUSINESS Vireo Growth Inc. is acquiring assets from subsidiaries of The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. in Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and West Virginia. Illinois retailers sold $118.1 million worth of recreational marijuana products in June. / CULTURE Bill Maher and Penn Jillette discussed their use, and non-use, of marijuana, respectively. 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 Cannabis consumers’ support for Trump drops, poll shows (Newsletter: July 21, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“Giving more access to drugs—particularly recreational access—does nothing to help or benefit Arkansans.” By Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas Advocate Medical marijuana has generated more than $1 billion in Arkansas since voters legalized it in 2016. After the state opened its first dispensary in 2019, thousands of Arkansans joined the program and spent a record $291.1 million on medical marijuana in 2025, according to the state’s Department of Finance and Administration. Tax revenue from those sales now supports free breakfast for public school students, following approval of legislation by lawmakers last year. Medical marijuana programs have expanded across the country, as has recreational marijuana. Two dozen states, including neighboring Missouri, permit recreational marijuana use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Arkansas voters in 2022 rejected an effort to expand legalization to recreational marijuana, despite national groups spending millions in support of the measure. Restrictions on marijuana have relaxed at the federal level, with the U.S. Department of Justice downgrading the drug classification for medical cannabis earlier this year. Here’s what Arkansas’s gubernatorial candidates—Democratic state Sen. Fred Love, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Libertarian Colt Shelby—say about legalizing recreational marijuana. Democratic state Sen. Fred Love Love said he’s against legalization during a debate at the Arkansas Press Association’s annual convention in June. While sitting at a crosswalk at his daughter’s school, Love said “marijuana’s just all over” as children exit vehicles. When you grow up in a community where recreational marijuana is present, you see that it doesn’t always have a positive effect, he said. “I just don’t think that it is something that I can support,” Love said. “I have seen the long-term impact of it.” While he doesn’t personally favor it, Love said he would support legalizing recreational marijuana if Arkansans vote for it at the polls. Libertarian Colt Shelby Shelby said he’s for whatever Arkansans want, so he would support legalizing recreational marijuana if voters approved it. Shelby said the state’s elected officials have forgotten that what matters most is what Arkansans want, and that’s why he’s running for office. Though Shelby said he doesn’t smoke marijuana himself, he said almost everyone knows someone who does and it does have medicinal uses. “There’s a lot of good things that it brings, so I’m not going to say I’m against it, but let the people decide,” he said during the June debate. Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders Sanders did not attend the June debate, but she said in an emailed statement she does not support legalizing recreational marijuana. “Giving more access to drugs—particularly recreational access—does nothing to help or benefit Arkansans,” Sanders said. Sanders last year vetoed a law approved by the Legislature that would have allowed dispensaries to deliver orders via a delivery vehicle or drive-through window. The governor in 2023 signed into law legislation that protects the rights of medical marijuana patients and caregivers to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun. In 2025, Sanders backed legislation that uses medical marijuana revenue to support free breakfast for all public school students. This story was first published by Arkansas Advocate. The post Arkansas GOP Governor And Democratic Challenger Agree On Opposing Marijuana Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A combination of the marijuana components THC and CBD leads to a significant and sustained reduction in agitation in the vast majority of people with Alzheimer’s disease of other forms of dementia, according to a new federally funded study. The placebo-controlled, double-blind trial involved a cannabis preparation called T2:C100 that contained 2mg THC and 100mg CBD, and included 120 people with dementia who were eligible to receive hospice care and were experiencing clinically significant agitation. The researchers, from Medical University of South Carolina and Georgetown University, found that there was a “statistically significant improvement” in scores on a standardized scale to systematically assess agitation among patients who received the cannabis medication as compared to the placebo group—measured at both two weeks into the trial and at the end of the full 12-week study. After week two, 84 percent of participants receiving THC and CBD improved, according to the caregiver-rated scale, compared to 31 percent of those who got the placebo. After the full trial, 87 percent of those who got the cannabis medication manufactured by MediPharm Labs saw improvement, as compared to 24 percent in the placebo group. The results, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference this month, suggest that the “THC/CBD combination used in the study may be an important therapeutic tool” for patients with agitation and Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia, according to the abstract. “This is a robustly positive, randomized, controlled trial that represents a major step forward in treatment for a population that has been historically overlooked in clinical research,” lead investigator Jacobo Mintzer said in a press release. “We now have evidence supporting a new and very effective treatment approach for agitation that may be appropriate for people in the final stages of dementia at the end of life, offering them grace and peace in what is often an extremely difficult time for patients and their families.” “These trial results were extremely impressive and showed a level of response not seen before in clinical trials related to dementia,” he said. “Rarely do we see close to 90 percent of patients in a trial respond positively to a new medication.” The Life’s End Benefits of cannaBidiol and tetrahYdrocannabinol (LIBBY) study, which involved patients with an average age of 80.5 years, was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer’s Association. “The LiBBY study directly addresses one of the most challenging and under-discussed aspects of Alzheimer’s disease—end-of-life agitation,” Elizabeth Edgerly, voce president for care and support for the Alzheimer’s Association, said. “These results not only highlight a promising therapeutic option, but also underscore the importance of prioritizing attention, care and research for individuals in mid- and late-stage Alzheimer’s and related dementias.” Brigid Reynolds, a co-principal investigator on the study, said that “proving the clear benefit of THC/CBD over placebo can bring hope to millions of patients, their families, caregivers and loved ones.” “Agitation affects many people with late-stage dementia, causing symptoms such as restlessness, aggression and emotional distress that can profoundly impact patients and their caregivers,” she said. “Current treatment options are limited and often carry significant side effects, underscoring the need for safer, more effective therapies.” Meanwhile, the American Medical Association adopted a resolution last month recognizing both the risks and potential therapeutic benefits of marijuana use by older adults. It simultaneously notes that there is a “higher incidence of dementia among individuals who use cannabis” but also that “cannabis may offer therapeutic benefits for managing agitation in dementia patients, potentially serving as an alternative to antipsychotic medications.” A study published last year found that CBD shows “promising” results to reduce inflammation and cognitive decline associated with aging. In 2024, a scientific review concluded that THC, CBD and lesser-known phytocannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids in marijuana are “promising agents in treating neurodegenerative disorders.” The post THC And CBD From Marijuana Reduces Agitation In 9 Out Of 10 People With Alzheimer’s Or Other Dementia, Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Officials in Alabama have scheduled a public hearing for this week to receive input on whether the state should reclassify marijuana in conjunction with the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule cannabis. Under state law, federal rescheduling of a drug automatically triggers state-level reclassification within 30 days unless Alabama officials proactively object. “In that case, the State Board of Health shall publish the reasons for objection and afford all interested parties an opportunity to be heard,” state statute says. “At the conclusion of the hearing, the State Board of Health shall publish its decision, which shall be final unless altered by statute. Upon publication of objection to inclusion, rescheduling, or deletion under this chapter by the State Board of Health, control under this chapter is stayed until the State Board of Health publishes its decision.” The Alabama State Committee of Public Health in May issued a preliminary objection to cannabis rescheduling, with members saying they needed more time to determine how to implement such a reform in light of the state’s recently launched medical cannabis market. Scott Harris, the state health officer, said at the time that Alabama “fully intends” to follow the federal change. “We’re not saying Alabama’s not going to do this,” he said. “We certainly are going to do this, but if you receive it without objection, it’s scheduled immediately. If you do nothing, it’s scheduled within 30 days. I’m going to ask you to take the third option, which is to object. Then we just have a little bit of time to figure this out with all of our other stakeholders.” Now, Harris said in a new notice that the committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, July 22, to further weigh the issue. “Following input from the various Alabama governmental entities which could be affected by the rescheduling and from those people who provide testimony at the public hearing, the Committee will reconsider whether to continue its objection or whether to adopt the rescheduling,” he wrote. Under an order issued by U.S. Acting 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). An administrative hearing is considering broader marijuana rescheduling. “In light of Alabama’s substantial work to establish its own framework for the dispensing of medical marijuana, additional time is needed to evaluate whether the federal rescheduling will alter that framework as outlined by the Legislature,” Harris’s notice says. “A public hearing on this matter will provide [the Alabama Department of Public Health] the opportunity to hear from the citizens of Alabama as well as stakeholders regarding this decision. The Committee wishes to make a reasoned, considered decision on this issue with input from all appropriate persons.” Aside from the public hearing, people can submit written comments on the issue through August 5. Alabama is not the only state considering whether and how to follow the federal government’s marijuana rescheduling move. A GOP senator in South Carolina, for example, said that “medical marijuana is now legal” in the state under a trigger law. Wyoming’s attorney general determined this month the state will not reclassify marijuana despite the Trump administration’s federal reform. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R), meanwhile, signed legislation this session to block an automatic review that could have potentially legalized medical marijuana under state law following the federal rescheduling of the drug. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Alabama Officials Will Hold Hearing On Whether To Reschedule Marijuana In Line With Trump’s Federal Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Marijuana consumers’ support for the Trump administration’s actions on cannabis has declined in the months since the Department of Justice first announced it was moving forward with rescheduling the drug, a new survey reveals. The latest quarterly presidential approval tracking poll from NuggMD and Marijuana Moment shows that 48 percent percent of marijuana consumers now either “approve” or “strongly approve” of the Trump administration’s cannabis actions. A total of 13 percent disapprove, and 40 percent say they have no opinion or are neutral. The numbers represent a significant drop in cannabis’ consumers support for the Trump administration’s actions on the issue from last quarter, when favorability came in at 73 percent. “Do you approve or disapprove of the presidential administration’s actions on cannabis?” n: % Strongly approve 76 15% Approve 166 33% No opinion/Neutral 202 40% Disapprove 43 8% Strongly disapprove 23 5% Acting 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 the acting attorney general signed, a hearing is considering more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. Testimony in the cannabis rescheduling hearing, overseen by a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) judge, concluded last week, and participants are now set to file their final briefs by August 17. After that, the judge will issue his own recommendation on rescheduling, and the DEA administrator will then issue a final decision on whether or not to adopt the reform. A separate recent NuggMD poll conducted this month found that most cannabis consumers aren’t optimistic that marijuana rescheduling will be fully implemented by the end of the year. “Rescheduling continues to be popular among cannabis voters, but our polling shows a clear divide between support for medical rescheduling versus recreational reforms,” Tyler Elson, NuggMD’s director of content, told Marijuana Moment. “That or we’re seeing consumers declare that they don’t believe the DEA will get rescheduling done.” “I’m not surprised that support among consumers is down from the highs we saw after medical cannabis rescheduling. There have always been cannabis voters who draw a line between medical and recreational use,” he said. “I think the White House was expecting the formal rescheduling hearing to maintain that momentum among cannabis voters. And right now that’s not what our polling is showing.” When asked in the latest poll how their support for the administration would change if it were to more fully legalize marijuana, 54 percent of cannabis consumers said they would either support it much more (39 percent) or a bit more (15 percent), and 46 percent said their level of support would not change. “If the Trump administration were to more fully legalize cannabis, would that change your level of support for it?” n: % I would support it much more 198 39% I would support it a bit more 78 15% No change 233 46% I would support it a bit less 0 0% I would support it much less 1 0% The new survey involved interviews with 510 cannabis consumers who live in states with legal markets from July 9-15, with a +/-4.34 percentage point margin of error. Meanwhile, DEA, which has been charged with defending the rescheduling proposal during the hearing has focused testimony on the medical benefits of cannabis and its relative safety compared to alcohol and other substances—despite excluding reform supporters from participating in the proceedings. The cannabis rescheduling move is also being challenged in court through a number of lawsuits from the drug testing industry, a pharmaceutical corporation, legalization opponents and others. The results of the prior quarterly NuggMD/Marijuana Moment tracking poll represented a massive swing in support for the Trump administration’s marijuana policy actions from consumers compared to the last quarter of 2025, before the president issued an executive order directing officials to finalize rescheduling. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in April that the administration is moving forward with marijuana rescheduling because cannabis reform is “overwhelmingly popular” with voters and because doing so will help people who need access to the drug for medical purposes. In May, a House committee voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. The post Marijuana Consumers’ Support For Trump’s Actions Drops As Most Don’t Believe Rescheduling Will Be Completed This Year, Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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