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“Access to a substance without access to a therapeutic container is not comprehensive mental health care.” By Melissa Scannell, Indiana Psychedelic Society For years, veterans living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been asked to keep trying within a mental health system that too often offers symptom management without lasting relief. Many benefit from existing treatments, and those treatments remain essential. But others cycle through medications and therapies while still carrying nightmares, hypervigilance, depression, isolation and a nervous system that cannot recognize that the danger has ended. The Trump administration’s decision to accelerate psychedelic research and expand pathways toward treatment represents a meaningful shift. In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to reduce barriers to research and speed the evaluation of psychedelic therapies for serious mental illness. The order included a $50 million federal commitment to ibogaine research and called for greater coordination among the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That direction is already becoming action. VA launched an MDMA-assisted therapy trial for veterans with PTSD and alcohol use disorder in May. It has also launched the PIVOT trial, which will study psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression in veterans, including those who also have PTSD. In July, VA and HHS announced a five-year partnership to coordinate research, train clinicians and prepare the VA health system to implement psychedelic treatments that may ultimately receive FDA approval. VA reports involvement in 19 additional psychedelic clinical trials supported by more than $23 million in external funding. This momentum deserves recognition. It is also important to be precise about what it means. Psychedelics are not currently FDA-approved treatments for PTSD, and clinical access through the VA remains limited to research. The evidence is promising, not complete. Studies of MDMA-assisted therapy have shown significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, yet veteran representation in major trials has been limited. Psilocybin research for PTSD is even earlier. Ibogaine may hold potential for addiction and trauma-related conditions, while its cardiac risks make rigorous medical screening and monitoring especially important. As a trauma therapist and psychedelic-assisted therapist, I have seen why hope around these treatments is growing. Psychedelics may temporarily reduce fear, loosen rigid patterns and help a person approach painful memories with greater openness or self-compassion. For someone whose survival system has been locked in place for years, that opening can be profound. The medicine, however, is not the entire treatment. A psychedelic experience can surface grief, moral injury, traumatic memories, shame and parts of the self that a veteran has spent years trying to contain. Without careful preparation, skilled support and meaningful integration afterward, an intense experience may leave someone overwhelmed, confused or vulnerable. Access to a substance without access to a therapeutic container is not comprehensive mental health care. Preparation helps veterans understand what may arise, establish trust with their care team and develop tools for navigating fear and dysregulation. The medicine session requires psychological safety and clinicians trained in both trauma and altered states of consciousness. Integration helps a person make sense of the experience and translate insight into daily life: repairing relationships, changing destructive patterns, reconnecting with purpose and learning how to live differently in the nervous system and in the world. These elements also raise practical questions that policymakers must address now. Who will train and supervise the workforce? Will treatment models be culturally responsive to the experiences of women, veterans of color, survivors of military sexual trauma and those living in rural communities? Will veterans taking psychiatric medications receive careful, individualized guidance rather than being pressured to discontinue them? Will VA reimburse the full course of care, including preparation and integration, or only the day a medicine is administered? And will veterans have ongoing support if difficult material emerges weeks later? We must also resist turning understandable urgency into inflated promises. Calling psychedelics a cure or a miracle may encourage self-medication and expose vulnerable people to unregulated providers. Screening matters. Informed consent matters. Ethics, data collection and long-term follow-up matter. Veterans should not be forced to choose between the stagnation of the old system and the risks of a poorly built new one. This issue should not belong to one political party. VA’s return to federally funded psychedelic research began before the current administration, and today’s expansion reflects years of work by veterans, researchers, clinicians and bipartisan lawmakers. That continuity is a strength. It creates an opportunity to build policy around evidence and human need rather than ideology. America has asked veterans to carry experiences most civilians will never fully understand. We owe them more than gratitude, and more than another prescription. We owe them rigorous research, honest education and access to treatment that honors the complexity of trauma. The administration’s actions have opened an important door. Now federal leaders must ensure that what waits on the other side is not simply a drug, but a safe, ethical and fully supported pathway toward healing. Melissa Scannell, MA, LMHC, LPC, LPCC, RMT, is a 20 plus year-licensed mental health counselor, trauma specialist and psychedelic-assisted therapist. She founded the Indiana Psychedelic Society and facilitates a free weekly psychedelic integration group. Photo courtesy of Mark Groeneveld. The post For Veterans, Psychedelic Access Must Mean More Than Access To A Drug (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The governor of Massachusetts has filed legislation containing a provision aimed at increasing military veterans’ access to medical marijuana. Gov. Maura Healey (D) on Wednesday sent lawmakers a supplemental budget bill that touches on a number of issues, including one section that would allow veterans to receive a state medical cannabis card without having to get a recommendation from a doctor. Because the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues to prohibit its providers from filling out medical marijuana recommendation forms, many of their veteran patients are forced to either seek outside, often expensive physician consultations or go without legal access to medical cannabis. But if Healey’s proposal is enacted, veterans in Massachusetts will be able to become registered medical marijuana patients by providing state officials with “official documentation from the Veterans Administration indicating a diagnosis of a debilitating medical condition, without the need for a written or electronic certification from a healthcare professional.” In other words, VA doctors wouldn’t have to specifically recommend medical cannabis in order to help their patients get legal access and could instead just diagnose them with a qualifying condition under the state’s law. The governor’s bill also adds post-traumatic stress disorder and “a medical condition that produces chronic pain” to the definition of a “debilitating medical condition” that could qualify patents for medical cannabis. While veterans and other adults over the age of 21 are already able to buy recreational marijuana in Massachusetts, medical cannabis purchases are exempt from sales, excise and municipal taxes that apply in the adult-use market. Medical patients also have higher purchase limits than adult-use consumers, and have access to higher potency products than are allowed in the recreational market. “While President Trump is driving up costs with his war and tariffs, in Massachusetts, we’re doing everything we can to make life more affordable for people and businesses,” Healey said in a press release about the overall legislation. “This budget will lower costs at the gas pump, when buying concert and sports tickets, and on energy bills, while also making sure families can continue to access the health care, food assistance and services they rely on.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The governor’s measure, if enacted into law, will also help to ensure veterans’ continued access to cannabis if voters approve an initiative on the November ballot to roll back recreational marijuana legalization. The measure would repeal laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational cannabis and home cultivation while maintaining legal possession and continuing the medical marijuana system. A poll released last month found that Massachusetts voters oppose the marijuana legalization repeal measure, 55 percent to 33 percent. A top labor union—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Massachusetts State Council—is urging voters to reject the cannabis legalization rollback initiative. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, which regulates the legal industry, announced this month that the state has surpassed $10 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. CCC Chair Chris Harding told Marijuana Moment that he can’t comment directly on the initiative and that the commission does not take positions on pending ballot questions or legislation, but he said that, in general, “repeal of the adult-use industry could eliminate thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and billions in tax revenue.” In April, Healey signed legislation to double the legal marijuana possession limit for adults and revise the regulatory framework for the state’s adult-use cannabis market. In 2024, the governor approved a military veterans-focused bill that includes provisions to create a psychedelics working group to study and make recommendations about the potential therapeutic benefits of substances like psilocybin and MDMA. The post Military Veterans Could Get Medical Marijuana Without A Doctor’s Recommendation Under New Bill From Massachusetts Governor appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Opponents of marijuana legalization often claim that it will entice more underage kids to use it, but teen cannabis consumption has decreased in every single state that has enacted the policy change, according to a new report. The analysis from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) tracks federal and state government survey data on youth cannabis use from the years before each state legalized marijuana for adults through the present. In every instance, fewer high school students are using cannabis today than they were before their state enacted legalization. For example, Colorado and Washington State were the first states to legalize in 2012. Since then, according to the Colorado Healthy Kids Survey, high school student use of marijuana has decreased by more than half (56 percent). The Washington State Healthy Youth Survey similarly shows that cannabis use has declined 62 percent for 8th graders, 73 percent for 10th graders and and 56 percent for 12th graders. In Massachusetts, where voters in November will consider a ballot initiative to roll back marijuana legalization, cannabis use by high school students has been cut in half (a 51 percent decrease) since the policy change was enacted a decade ago. High school students’ marijuana use has also decreased nearly 60 percent in Arizona, almost 50 percent in Michigan and nearly 30 percent in Nevada since each of those states respectively enacted legalization. “It’s simple economics,” MPP Executive Director Adam Smith said in a press release about the new analysis. “As consumers transition into a legal market, illicit operators start to go out of business. And illegal dealers are the ones who sell cannabis to kids. Licensed retailers have regulators to answer to, and everything to lose. They check ID every time.” The advocacy group’s report also includes new national data released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that shows that the percentage of U.S. high school students who use marijuana is now at an all-time low—even as more states continue to legalize cannabis for adults. The new federal data, released on Monday, shows that 12.9 percent of high school students currently consume cannabis, which is defined as having used it at least once in the past 30 days. That’s down from 23.1 percent in 2011—the year before the first U.S. states approved recreational marijuana legalization laws. “More than a decade into states legalizing cannabis for adults the data is clear: Legalization does not increase youth cannabis use,” MPP’s report says. “Moving cannabis sales from streets and schools to adults-only stores has been accompanied by reduced access and use of cannabis by youth.” Opponents of cannabis policy reform often express concern about impact on youth, but the data is clear: regulating cannabis for adults doesn’t lead to higher youth use rates — in fact, it does the opposite. https://t.co/lE1MneYEZD — Marijuana Policy Project (@MarijuanaPolicy) September 23, 2026 The group pointed out that many state that have legalized cannabis earmark a portion of marijuana tax revenue to youth education and prevention efforts. MPP’s report cites data from a number of national and state-level youth surveys, including the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey, which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The latest version of MTF, released late last year, found that cannabis use among eighth, 10th and 12 graders “remained stable” even as mort states enacted legalization. The results are consistent with those from another federal study, the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which was released in July. It showed that 8.7 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 used marijuana within the past year—down from 14.2 percent in 2011. The post Teen Marijuana Use Has Decreased In Every State That Has Legalized It For Adults, Contrary To Opponents’ Scare Tactics appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Texas’s attorney general—who is also the Republican nominee in a hard-fought race for a U.S. Senate seat in November—has accepted more than $500,000 in political donations from the alcohol industry while using the power of his office to crack down on cannabis, according to a review of campaign finance records. As attorney general, Ken Paxton has filed lawsuits seeking to overturn voter-approved local marijuana decriminalization policies in cities across Texas. His office has also defended hemp restrictions in court against lawsuits from the industry. That includes a recently enacted ban on certain hemp-derived THC products, including those containing delta-8 and delta-10 THC. Now classified as Schedule I drugs under state law, possession is treated as a felony, carrying a punishment of up to two years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. Paxton’s Democratic opponent for the Senate seat, James Talarico, supports marijuana reform and has suggested that Paxton has taken anti-cannabis actions in order to aid his political donors in the alcohol industry. “It doesn’t make any sense until you follow the money and realize that it is big beer and big tobacco that are funding the politicians, like Ken Paxton, who turned around and banned these safe THC products in order to enrich the big beer and a big tobacco lobby,” Talarico said in August. While Talarico’s suggestion that Paxton’s actions were undertaken to support any specific business can’t be verified, campaign finance records reviewed by Marijuana Moment show that alcohol industry interests have generously funded his political campaigns. Since 2014, alcohol industry political action committees and industry executives have contributed at least $509,806 to Paxton’s efforts to be elected to state and federal offices. Paxton’s state races have been fueled by at least $98,500 in checks from the Beer Alliance of Texas PAC, for example. During the same period, the Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC chipped in at least $52,500 to Paxton’s state races, and the Texas Beverage Alliance of the Texas Package Stores Association contributed another at least $17,000, while the National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC donated at least $10,000. Most recently, in June of this year, the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America PAC made a $5,000 contribution to Ken Paxton for Senate. While the analysis is not comprehensive and may not include every alcohol industry-related donation to Paxton, it also shows that individual executives from alcohol companies have collectively donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaigns. Barry Andrews of Andrews Distributing Company, for example, has given Paxton’s campaigns at least $129,500 since 2014, while John Nau of Silver Eagle Distributors has contributed at least $76,568. See a list of alcohol industry-linked donations to Paxton’s campaigns below: Date Amount Name Employer Filing 6/23/2026 $5,000 Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America PAC 202607159875890641 10/11/2024 $10,000 Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100988986 9/16/2024 $100 Crow, Frank Crow’s Liquor 100988986 8/26/2023 $50 McKinzie, Jerry McKinzie Liquors 100938354 11/14/2022 $2,000 Texas Beverage Alliance of the Texas Package Stores 100888682 10/20/2022 $5,000 Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100905307 9/29/2022 $2,500 Johnson, John Silver Eagle 100876775 9/14/2022 $7,500 Huggins, Joe O Houston Distributing Co Inc 100876775 9/13/2022 $5,000 Donley, Rick The Beer Alliance of Texas 9/12/2022 $10,000 The Beer Alliance of Texas Political Action Committee 100876775 4/26/2022 $5,000 The Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100863375 3/16/2022 $5,000 Beer Alliance of TX PAC 100863375 2/1/2022 $5,000 The Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100855336 12/15/2021 $10,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors of TX PAC 100850113 8/25/2021 $200 Crow, Frank Crow’s Liquor 100850113 6/29/2021 $10,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing Company 100829374 6/26/2021 $10,000 McQuire, Natalie Andrews Distributing Company 100829374 6/24/2021 $5,000 Beer Alliance of Texas Politcal Action Committee 100829374 6/21/2021 $1,000 Stein, Sheldon Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits 100829374 9/29/2020 $500 Pisano, Paul National Beer Wholesalers Association 100812191 9/29/2020 $2,500 National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC 100812191 6/22/2020 $20,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100790338 3/2/2020 $2,500 Stein, Shelly Glazers Distributors 100790338 12/4/2019 $2,500 Brown, Laurie Brown Distributing Company 100774281 12/4/2019 $500 Herrmann, John WB Liquors 100774281 12/4/2019 $1,000 Jabour, David Twin Liquors 100774281 12/4/2019 $5,000 Texas Beverage Alliance of the TX Package Stores Assn. 100774281 10/9/2019 $10,000 Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100774281 6/27/2019 $5,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 100755810 6/25/2019 $15,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100755810 12/7/2018 $2,500 National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC 100755642 11/30/2018 $10,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100755642 9/20/2018 $10,000 Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100722355 7/13/2018 $2,500 Morrison, Dean Budweiser Dist. Co. 100722355 6/26/2018 $10,000 Nau, John Silver Eagle Distributors 100712712 5/18/2018 $20,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100712712 4/20/2018 $10,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 100712712 2/24/2018 $2,500 Brown, Laurie Brown Distributing Company 100712712 12/29/2017 $1,000 Del Papa, Lawrence Del Papa Distributing Company 100690774 10/13/2017 $5,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100690774 9/18/2017 $10,000 Beer Alliance of Texas LLC PAC 100690774 8/24/2017 $1,994 Gustafson, Stephen Falls Distributing 100690774 7/25/2017 $10,000 Dreeben, Alan Partner & Director 100690774 6/29/2017 $2,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100674309 6/29/2017 $10,000 Nau, John Silver Eagle Distributors LP 100674309 6/29/2017 $5,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 100674309 12/9/2016 $5,000 National Beer Wholesalers Association PAC 100680074 11/29/2016 $15,000 Dreeben, Alan Republic National Distributing 100680074 11/29/2016 $10,000 RNDC PAC 100680074 11/29/2016 $2,500 Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100680074 11/21/2016 $5,000 Gustafson, Stephen Falls Distributing 100680074 11/21/2016 $1,199 Gustafson, Stephen Falls Distributing 100680074 11/16/2016 $5,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 100680074 9/21/2016 $10,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing 100680074 7/27/2016 $500 Gustafson, Stephen Falls Distributing 100680074 6/13/2016 $15,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing Company 100638095 6/13/2016 $5,000 McGuire, Mike Andrews Distributing Company 100638095 5/27/2016 $2,500 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 100638095 3/28/2016 $2,500 Stein, Sheldon Glazers Distributors 100638095 10/10/2015 $5,000 Beer Alliance of Texas PAC 100638476 6/30/2015 $10,000 Andrews, Barry Andrews Distributing Company 100262673 6/29/2015 $15,000 Nau, John Silver Eagle Distributors LP 100262673 6/25/2015 $5,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors PAC 100262673 12/13/2014 $2,500 Andrews, Barry G. Andrews Distributing 643931 12/12/2014 $5,000 Del Papa, Lawrence Del Papa Distributing Co. Inc. 643931 12/12/2014 $15,000 Nau, John L. Silver Eagle Distributors 643931 12/12/2014 $2,500 Beer Alliance of Texas Political Action Committee 643931 12/11/2014 $500 Gustafson, Stephen Falls Distributing Company 643931 12/11/2014 $1,000 Jabour, David Twin Liquors 643931 12/11/2014 $2,500 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas Political Action 643931 12/11/2014 $10,000 Texas Beverage Alliance of the Texas Package Stores 643931 12/9/2014 $1,568 Nau, John L. Silver Eagle Distributors 643931 10/20/2014 $5,000 Andrews, Barry G. Andrews Distributing 631291 10/10/2014 $1,000 Beer Alliance of Texas Political Action Committee 631291 9/16/2014 $5,000 Huggins, Joe Houston Distributing Company 628740 9/16/2014 $2,500 Beer Alliance of Texas Political Action Committee 628740 9/16/2014 $2,500 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 628740 9/16/2014 $5,000 Beer Alliance of Texas Political Action Committee 628740 8/19/2014 $5,000 Andrews, Barry G. Andrews Distributing 628740 8/19/2014 $5,000 Stein ,Sheldon Glazers Distributors 628740 7/30/2014 $500 Pisano, Paul National Beer Wholesalers Association 628740 7/7/2014 $25,000 Nau, John L. Silver Eagle Distributors 628740 6/25/2014 $5,000 Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC 621621 5/23/2014 $800 Remsburg, Cal Chameleon Distributors 621621 5/22/2014 $10,000 Trone, David Total Wine & More 621621 5/5/2014 $1,000 Gustafson, Reno Wichita Falls Distributing 615379 5/5/2014 $395 Gustafson, Reno Wichita Falls Distributing 615379 4/29/2014 $1,000 Licensed Beverage Distributors PAC 615379 4/11/2014 $5,000 Beer Alliance of Texas Political Action Committee 615379 One $10,000 contribution from the Wholesale Beer Distributors Of Texas PAC to Paxton in December 2021 came less than two weeks after the attorney general’s office filed an appeal of a court’s permanent injunction on state hemp product restrictions to the Texas Supreme Court. Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas has reportedly backed a campaign called Safer Texas Alliance that pushed lawmakers to enact restrictions on hemp THC products. The effort included a series of video ads, including one calling out what was described as a “predatory synthetic THC industry” that allegedly targets kids. In June 2019, Paxton’s campaign took a combined $20,o00 from Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC and Barry Andrews of Andrews Distributing. Just weeks later, he joined other Republican officials in sending a letter urging prosecutors to keep pursuing marijuana cases even in light of complications that followed the legalization of hemp. Talarico, Paxton’s Democratic opponent for the Senate race, said in an interview with The Breakfast Club that keeping marijuana illegal while also moving to restrict hemp THC products is an “insane” form of “corruption.” “Think about what industries are most worried about THC products being readily available: Big Beer, Big Tobacco, right? And so they were the ones pushing this THC ban because it hurts their bottom line,” he said. “And a lot of research shows that THC—cannabis—these products are safer and less addictive than than beer or tobacco.” “And so to me, this is a prime example of what corruption looks like when you’ve got big industries buying politicians and pushing bills that harm people, but benefit them financially,” Talarico said. Marijuana Moment reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response. The Texas Democratic Party recently called out Paxton for refusing to answer a question about cannabis policy after he was recently shown in a video posted to X being asked what his thoughts are on the “state’s THC ban.” “I don’t know the details of it, but let’s talk later,” he replied before quickly stepping away. Democrats pounced on Paxton’s inability to answer the cannabis question, saying in a press release that he appeared to be “in a panic” when being pressed about the “incredibly unpopular” THC ban before proceeding to “run away” from the questioner. “Ken Paxton is a coward who runs from questions because he has no answers for his wildly unpopular positions,” Texas Democratic Party Spokesperson Ryan Martin said. “Paxton knows Texans hate this THC ban he has pushed onto people with his nanny-state agenda.” Talarico, meanwhile, isn’t the only Texas Democrat running this cycle who has attempted to link his Republican opponent’s support for cannabis restrictions to campaign contributions from sellers of other, legal drugs. A recent press release from the campaign of Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic nominee for Texas lieutenant governor, calls out “pharmaceutical and alcohol industry donations” to support incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who has championed legislation to recriminalize many hemp products. Goodwin recently held a “Legalize It” rally in Houston and endorsed a local measure on that city’s November ballot to make misdemeanor marijuana possession the “lowest possible enforcement priority” and ban no-knock warrants. A press release from Goodwin’s team cited a poll from last year showing that a strong bipartisan majority of Texans support legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana. Last month, Goodwin separately claimed that Patrick pushed to ban hemp THC products in order to benefit alcohol companies, which happen to be among his substantial campaign contributors. “We’ve seen the lieutenant governor take hundreds of thousands of dollars from the alcohol industry, and that’s what drove the policy around the ban on THC,” she said. “I am in favor of treating THC like alcohol. A part of my healthcare plan is taxing THC like we do alcohol and cigarettes and use that for healthcare.” Similarly, the Bexar County Democratic Party said in a recent post on Facebook that hemp represents a “multi-billion dollar industry with over 14K small business owners and more than 50K employees.” “And the Texas Republicans just wiped them out,” it said. “Why? Could it be because Dan Patrick received $275K in donations from beer distributors and alcohol PACs?” While the bill that Patrick, who oversees the state Senate, favored was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), the governor then issued an executive order on the issue and regulators have since enacted significant restrictions on derivatives from the crop. A judge last month declined hemp companies’ request to impose a temporary restraining order on the THC crackdown while the overall litigation is considered. The Texas Democratic Party has also noted that podcaster Joe Rogan, who lives in and operates a comedy club in Austin, has suggested that taking anti-cannabis actions is a political risk for Republicans. “They’ve done the THC thing,” he said. “Here’s what Texas doesn’t understand. You will fuck this place up and you will turn the whole thing blue.” “Kids will turn on you if you tell them they can’t smoke weed,” Rogan said. “They know weed’s not killing anybody.” Image element courtesy of Gage Skidmore. The post Texas GOP Senate Candidate Ken Paxton Took More Than Half A Million Dollars In Alcohol Industry Donations While Opposing Cannabis Reform appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Cannabis list as “high-risk” product in new congressional bill; Anti-drug group pushes hemp recriminalization; DEA vs. FDA on psychedelics Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW A new Government Accountability Office report concluded that federal agencies’ policies that govern the drug scheduling process have “gaps” that “may pose a risk”—a finding that comes as the Drug Enforcement Administration is considering broadly rescheduling marijuana. “DEA does not have any policies or procedures regarding how its staff are to conduct evaluations or schedule substances.” Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam) filed a bill aimed at protecting consumers from online scams that includes a provision designating cannabis as a “high-risk” product that would require companies advertising it to undergo enhanced verification procedures. The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s 2026 elections guide includes two questions about banning hemp THC products that it wants congressional candidates to answer before November. The Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to place five psychedelics in Schedule I as the Food and Drug Administration moves in the other direction by taking steps to accelerate therapeutic access to psychedelics. The Missouri Supreme Court heard oral arguments in case on whether regulators should be forced to award marijuana business licenses to a company in light of inconsistent application scoring procedures. / FEDERAL Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins met with the CEO of Americans for Ibogaine. The Internal Revenue Service filed a brief before a federal appeals court defending its rejection of a marijuana business’s tax deduction. Maine Republican congressional candidate Paul LePage, a former governor, said he opposes legalizing marijuana. Nebraska congressional candidates outlined their views on federal marijuana rescheduling. / STATES A Nebraska court is considering a cannabis business’s challenge to a civil investigative demand issued the state’s attorney general. Indiana officials published guidance about identifying cannabis-infused foods. A Minnesota cannabis regulator discussed the racist roots of prohibition. An Ohio marijuana regulatory spokesperson said that their role is not to oversee hemp products. California regulators sent updates about various cannabis issues. The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency will hold a public meeting on Thursday. The U.S. Virgin Islands Cannabis Advisory board will meet on Thursday. Oregon regulators will discuss lifting a moratorium on certain marijuana business license types on Friday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Oshkosh, Wisconsin Common Council voted to set an age limit of 21 for hemp THC products. / INTERNATIONAL The Ontario, Canada Court of Appeal ruled that a vape pen with a THC sticker in a man’s car gave police reasonable grounds for a search. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “preclinical evidence supporting CBD as a treatment for [alcohol use disorder] remains strong, while emerging human data are mixed.” A study found “preclinical evidence that CBD exerts potent anti-tumor activity in” non-small cell lung cancer. / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Americans for Tax Reform highlighted Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate John James’s pledge to cut marijuana taxes. / BUSINESS Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. was added to the FTSE Canada All Cap Index. IM Cannabis Corp. entered into securities purchase agreements for the sale of shares for gross proceeds of approximately$1.31 million. / CULTURE Woody Harrelson gifted Jimmy Kimmel a giant joint from his cannabis dispensary. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Federal scheduling process has “gaps” amid ongoing marijuana review (Newsletter: September 24, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“We have the FDA attempting to move forward a promising new treatment while the DEA is doing everything they can to obstruct its development.” By Jack Gorsline, Psychedelic State(s) of America Just one week after a historic public hearing on the future utility of psychedelic drugs at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is moving in the opposite direction. On Wednesday, 2026, DEA formally published a scheduling order to classify five obscure psychedelic tryptamine compounds as Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), sparking immediate backlash from legal experts, researchers and mental health advocates. The scheduling order marks DEA’s second attempt to criminalize these specific compounds, following a heavily criticized effort that the agency was forced to withdraw in 2022. The renewed push highlights a potential fracture between federal agencies regarding the therapeutic viability of psychedelic substances, with DEA aggressively pursuing prohibition while FDA increasingly supports clinical exploration. The compounds targeted in the DEA’s latest filing are 4-Hydroxy-N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine (4-OH-DiPT), 5-Methoxy-alpha-Methyltryptamine (5-MeO-AMT), 5-Methoxy-N-Methyl-N-Isopropyltryptamine (5-MeO-MiPT), 5-Methoxy-N,N-Diethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DET) and N,N-Diisopropyltryptamine (DiPT). Currently unscheduled under U.S. federal law, these tryptamines belong to a class of psychedelics known for their hallucinogenic properties, though they remain relatively obscure outside of specialized clinical research settings. Historically, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, at least some of these compounds were previously classified as Schedule I drugs under the CSA. In 2022, DEA sought to broadly schedule all five substances, but a fierce public and legal pushback forced the agency to retreat and cancel a highly anticipated administrative hearing on the matter, giving scientists a temporary reprieve to continue their work. That 2022 resistance was spearheaded in part by prominent attorney Matt Zorn, who challenged DEA’s rationale and procedural maneuvers. In a notable shift of federal personnel, Zorn now serves as the deputy general counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), having taken the role under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in 2024. DEA’s justification for the ban relies on statistics that critics argue fail to demonstrate a significant public health threat. According to the agency’s own filing, there have been “a cumulative total of 518 encounters of these tryptamines by United States law enforcement in several states and the District of Columbia.” Notably, DEA omitted any specific timeframe for when this cumulative total was gathered, leaving it unclear whether these encounters span recent months or several decades. To bolster its case, DEA cited data from the America’s Poison Centers’s National Poison Data System (NPDS). The data revealed 65 exposure cases involving one or more of the five tryptamines over an 18-year period, from January 1, 2003, to December 31, 2021. Yet, the filing simultaneously acknowledges a critical caveat: “no single-substance exposure cases involving the five tryptamines resulted in death.” Furthermore, DEA acknowledged that per HHS’s own report on the five substances, “FDA is not aware of any diversion from research or legitimate manufacturing activities.” This admission effectively undercuts the narrative that these compounds are bleeding out of legitimate laboratories and into the illicit market. A Clash With Medical Innovation DEA’s pursuit of a Schedule I classification is particularly jarring given the recent clinical momentum surrounding one of the targeted compounds. Earlier this year, Reunion Neurosciences received a highly coveted “breakthrough therapy” designation from FDA for its 4-OH-DiPT drug candidate. The company is actively developing the compound as a targeted treatment for postpartum depression, a debilitating condition that affects millions of new mothers worldwide. For legal advocates and researchers, DEA’s timing feels like an intentional attempt to chill scientific progress. Robert Rush, Esq., a prominent psychedelic attorney and the founder of the Rights and Reason Project, did not mince words when evaluating DEA’s motivations. “Schedule I has become the default for the DEA for any substance that is not FDA-approved and has any sort of psychoactive qualities,” Rush stated. “Many people mistakenly believe that the DEA has a different attitude regarding psychedelics versus other drugs. The actions of the DEA to once again move to schedule these five tryptamines, which have important research potential and are involved in active research, reflect the true position of the agency.” Rush pointed to the DEA’s historical legal strategies as evidence of their disregard for scientific inquiry. “The DEA has been very explicit, though they do not consider research harm in decision-making. During our DOI/DOC scheduling challenge in 2024, they argued that harm to the research is irrelevant.” He further highlighted the glaring contradiction between FDA’s supportive stance and DEA’s prohibitive one regarding clinical research. “This is particularly poignant with this example now because one of the compounds, 4-OH-DiPT, the prodrug, is currently in development for postpartum depression and has been granted breakthrough status from the FDA,” he said. “We have the FDA attempting to move forward a promising new treatment while the DEA is doing everything they can to obstruct its development. One foot steps on the gas while the other steps on the brake, and the taxpayers are left to pay for this whole mess.” Rush views DEA’s maneuver as symptomatic of a broader ideological crusade within the agency. “It is also interesting that after four years, the DEA decided to drop its previous scheduling attempt then decided to revisit it less than two weeks after a very positive FDA hearing on psychedelics,” he noted. “The DEA believes in the prohibition of all drugs unless they’re coming from a pharmaceutical company, and even then, they are willing to put roadblocks in the way of promising compounds to address the mental health needs of Americans.” “We still have a crisis of mental health issues and deaths of despair in this country, yet the DEA seems to think that research to address these issues is irrelevant and not a public health issue,” Rush concluded. “The Rights and Reason Project thinks this use of taxpayer-funded resources harms public health and scientific research, and we will be fighting this to the greatest extent possible.” This article was produced in partnership with Psychedelic State(s) of America—a nonprofit-sponsored news organization dedicated to rigorous independent psychedelic journalism. Subscribe to PSA online and Follow PSA on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and Facebook. Learn more about PSA and donate to the PSA Media Fund here. The post DEA Moves To Ban Several Psychedelics As FDA Takes Steps To Accelerate Legal Access To Therapies appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“I’m asking this court to make findings as to the proper score for each of these applications.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday challenging an appeals court’s decision in March directing the state to award cannabis company Hippos LLC 13 facility licenses after finding the 2019 application scoring process was inconsistent. It’s been five years since the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission denied Hippos’s appeal over its applications for marijuana facility licenses, after the company argued identical applications received different scores from the same grader. That dispute has since worked its way through the state court system and landed Wednesday before the seven Missouri Supreme Court judges. At issue is whether the commission acted properly when it rescored Hippos’s applications by selecting the most common score given to answers the company was challenging—or whether that approach was “completely flawed,” as three appellate judges found in March, because the grader left no notes explaining the scores. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which oversees the state’s cannabis regulatory agency, argued Wednesday that the commission acted correctly and did a thorough investigation of the scores given to Hippos’s applications. The department also urged the court to focus on the commission’s decision and not to rehash the state’s controversial grading process of marijuana applications as part of the case. “The Administrative Hearing Commission’s decision is under review here, not the department’s initial decision,” said Sean McDowell, an assistant attorney general representing the state. However, Chief Justice W. Brent Powell challenged that distinction, saying state law requires the court to combine “how the agency acted” and the commission’s decision. “Isn’t that how the statute indicates we should review this?” Powell asked McDowell. McDowell agreed, saying the commission “steps into the shoes” of the department, conducts a review and “their decision becomes the agency decision.” In March—just weeks before the appellate judges’ unanimous ruling in favor of Hippos—Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick issued a scathing state audit of the Division of Cannabis Regulation. The audit examined, among other issues, the state’s 2019 marijuana facility licensing process, citing erratic scoring, poor documentation and a process so opaque it cast doubt on the integrity of the results. When the state was working in 2019 to build the framework of Missouri’s now multi-billion dollar industry, it hired Nevada-based company Wise Health Solutions to score the nearly 2,000 applications. “In each of Hippos’s applications, there were many instances in which identical answers to the same question received inconsistent scores,” wrote Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District Judge Jeffrey Bates in the March ruling. “That should never have occurred if Wise’s scorers had followed the instructions that they were given. Neither the department nor Wise did anything to correct this situation.” The three appellate judges found the commission’s approach to rescoring was flawed “because there are no notes explaining why the scores were given,” the ruling states. “The conflict in these unexplained scores cannot be reconciled by simply assuming the more common score for a particular answer is the correct one,” it states. Fitzpatrick’s audit found scorers were instructed by Wise Health Solutions to take limited notes while scoring applications in order to reduce the amount of documentation that could be produced in litigation. The appellate judges agreed with Hippos that the commission’s decisions affirming the state’s denial of the company’s applications were “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable, and these decisions were not supported by competent and substantial evidence on the whole record.” McDowell argued Wednesday that the commission’s rescoring was valid because Hippos didn’t successfully “disprove the validity of the original scores.” Two witnesses for Hippos testified that the applications should have received higher scores, and the appellate judges noted that the state did not present experts to rebut their testimony. However, McDowell said the witnesses were cross-examined and one admitted that her interpretation of the grading system could be different than the graders. “It’s clear from the record the department contradicted Hippos’s expert witnesses,” McDowell said. Hippos’s attorney Austin Preston argued Wednesday that “simply asking cross-examination questions” wasn’t enough to rebut the witnesses’ testimony, and that the commission was required to make a finding about whether the witnesses’ information was credible or not. Supreme Court Judge Zel Fischer pressed Preston on that argument. “When cases are tried to the trial court, we do it all the time,” he said. “The assumption is that all facts not specifically found were found in accordance with the judgment. Are you suggesting that the administrative context provides a different presumption?” Preston said he believes case law requires it. The judges asked if Hippos is asking the judges to remand the case back to the Administrative Hearing Commission or to make a finding themselves. “I’m asking this court to make findings as to the proper score for each of these applications, which has been laid out, would satisfy the minimum cutoff and order those licenses be issued,” Preston said. McDowell responded that if the judges believe additional fact-finding is necessary, the case should go back to the commission. “I think the proper remedy would probably be to remand to the Administrative Hearing Commission,” he said, “because they were the fact finder in this case.” The court did not issue a ruling Wednesday. This story was first published by Missouri Independent. Photo elements courtesy of rawpixel and Philip Steffan. The post Missouri Supreme Court Hears Marijuana Business Licensing Case appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A new federal watchdog report is calling on agencies to improve their policies that govern the drug scheduling process—including how they evaluate substances and develop recommendations. The new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published on Wednesday comes as the federal government continues to consider whether to comprehensively reschedule marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III as was recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In general, GAO found that the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) scheduling decisions usually aligned with HHS and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommendations during the period of six years that it examined—but that both agencies lack important procedures for carrying out their responsibilities and to ensure consistency in the process. “We found that DEA and FDA have some policies that address aspects of the scheduling process; however, these policies have gaps,” the report said. “For example, DEA does not have any policies or procedures regarding how its staff are to conduct evaluations or schedule substances. In addition, FDA does not have policies or procedures specifying how its staff are to conduct evaluations or develop scheduling recommendations for substances.” “DEA does not have policies that assign roles and responsibilities related to scheduling substances, and neither DEA nor FDA have policies that describe the specific procedures staff should follow for fulfilling their responsibilities related to preparing scheduling evaluations and recommendations.” GAO said DEA specifically is lacking policies that identify roles, responsibilities and procedures for collecting and analyzing data prior to initiating administrative rulemaking; carrying out responsibilities related to new drug application scheduling; conducting a three-factor analysis and making findings to issue a temporary scheduling order; conducting an eight-factor analysis and making findings to determine schedule placement; or considering HHS scientific and medical evaluations and scheduling recommendations and making final scheduling decisions. FDA, for its part, does not have policies or procedures that: outline how its staff are to conduct an eight-factor analysis or make scheduling recommendations; or clearly define the criteria and process for determining a substance’s “potential for abuse,” including its abuse potential relative to other substances. “These policies have gaps that may pose a risk to the consistency of DEA’s and FDA’s future operations in the event of staff turnover or any other disruption that could lead to a loss of institutional knowledge,” the report said. GAO noted that an FDA memorandum of understanding with the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) that describes procedures for consulting on scheduling recommendations is over 40 years old and, as such, is “outdated because it does not reflect the current entities involved or procedures.” GAO is making three recommendations to improve the drug scheduling process: The Administrator of DEA should develop policies and procedures that identify DEA’s roles, responsibilities, and procedures for evaluating and scheduling substances through administrative scheduling, new drug application scheduling, temporary scheduling, and international treaty scheduling under relevant statutes (including collecting and evaluating data, conducting three-factor and eight-factor analyses, and determining scheduling decisions). The Commissioner of FDA should develop policies and procedures that Center for Drug Evaluation and Research staff are to use to when completing eight-factor evaluations and developing scheduling recommendations, including the criteria and process for determining a substance’s “potential for abuse,” including abuse potential relative to other substances. The Commissioner of FDA and the Director of NIH should update their memorandum of understanding (MOU) concerning developing drug scheduling recommendations. The updated MOU should reflect the current entities involved and procedures and include a term clause to ensure the MOU is regularly reviewed. The watchdog said that the Department of Justice, DEA, HHS, FDA and NIH have all agreed with the recommendations. Depending on the process through which a drug is being scheduled—via administrative scheduling, new drug application scheduling, temporary scheduling, international treaty scheduling through domestic scheduling orders or legislation—DEA is sometimes required to consider recommendations and medical and scientific evaluations from HHS. During the period GAO examined—2020 through 2025—DEA was required to do so for 95 of the 208 substances for which the agency took scheduling actions, and it did so 100 percent of the time. The agency’s final scheduling decision aligned with HHS recommendations for all 84 substances for which it published a final scheduling decision, while the remaining 11 were still subject to extended temporary scheduling orders. DEA and FDA officials told GAO that “differences of scientific opinion between the two agencies about a substance’s schedule are rare, but they have occurred,” the report said. “In such cases, they typically discuss their differences, share data and other information, and resolve any differences before DEA solicits public comments.” GAO said that it conducted the new evaluation because “members of Congress have raised questions and concerns about how DEA considers scientific and medical evaluations and scheduling recommendations from HHS when making its decisions.” “A substance’s schedule and quantity control the extent to which criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act may be levied regarding its illegal manufacturing, distribution, or possession. In recent years, members of the public, interest groups, and elected officials have raised questions about how certain substances are scheduled under the act.” “For example, substances such as marijuana have been legalized in some states for medical use,” the report said, noting that Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order immediately moving marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III, along with marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A DEA hearing that recently concluded testimony is considering broader marijuana rescheduling. The GAO report included an appendix focused on the ongoing cannabis rescheduling process, and noted that it involved a new two-part test to evaluate marijuana’s medical value was sanctioned by the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel. “In April 2024, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion related to questions on the potential rescheduling of marijuana. One issue addressed by the Office of Legal Counsel was whether a substance that satisfies HHS’s two-part inquiry was sufficient to establish a currently accepted medical use under the statute, even if the substance has not been approved by the FDA and does not satisfy DEA’s five-part test. According to the Office of Legal Counsel, DEA’s approach to determining whether a substance had a currently accepted medical use was an impermissibly narrow interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act and that satisfying HHS’s two-part inquiry was sufficient to establish a substance had a currently accepted medical use. This was still the case, even if the substance had not been approved by the FDA and did not satisfy DEA’s test.” That office, it noted, also determined that moving cannabis to Schedule III would not violate the U.S.’s international treaty obligations. A DEA administrative law judge is currently considering testimony in the marijuana rescheduling hearing. After he issues a recommendation, DEA Administrator Terrance Cole will make the final determination on whether cannabis is comprehensively moved to Schedule III. That said, the marijuana rescheduling process is being challenged with several lawsuits that have been consolidated by a federal appeals court. Those pieces of litigation against the cannabis reform have been filed by state attorneys general, marijuana legalization opponents and a cannabis-focused biopharmaceutical corporation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently rejected a drug testing industry association and a pharmaceutical company’s request to block the Trump administration from moving forward with cannabis rescheduling while the litigation is considered. The post Federal Watchdog Agency Says Drug Scheduling Process Has ‘Gaps’ As DEA’s Marijuana Review Continues appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A bipartisan pair of congressional lawmakers filed a new bill aimed at protecting consumers from online scams that includes a provision designating cannabis as a “high-risk” product that would require companies advertising it to undergo enhanced verification procedures. The Stopping Abuse and Fraud Enabled by Platforms Act, or the SAFE Platforms Act, introduced last week by Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-NC) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam), would generally require online platforms to adopt safety features to prevent the posting of fraudulent content. The key provision of concern for the marijuana industry would mandate that covered online platforms require advertisers in so-called “high-risk categories” to meet enhanced verification criteria, including submitting additional documentation to validate identity and business operations and undergoing a review of their online presence and business history. They would also need to be periodically re-verified. The legislation, H.R. 10433, specifies a number of categories of high-risk products and services, including “tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and other consumables restricted by age.” Other such industries include financial services and investment opportunities, health products and services, educational credentials and certification, housing and real estate, gambling and unregulated financial products, including cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens. The Federal Trade Commission would also be authorized to designate other industries as high-risk though regulatory action. A covered platform subject to the requirements would be defined by the bill as a provider of an interactive computer service that enables users to view or interact with information provided by an information content provider and that has at least 100,000 monthly active users or generates annual gross revenue in excess of $25 million. The legislation in general includes a number of other provisions aimed at protecting senior citizens and other vulnerable populations from online scams, including requiring platforms to detect and prevent the creation of fraudulent profiles, implement a “Report Scam” button on all content that could contain advertising and institute accessibility and design requirements for ad content. “Online and AI-enabled scams are becoming more sophisticated and more devastating,” Foushee said in a press release. “Scammers often exploit platform features to target users—especially seniors, veterans and other communities—with few consequences for the platforms that enable and profit from this abuse.” “The SAFE Platforms Act sets clear guardrails and safety-by-design requirements so digital platforms verify advertisers, protect users’ privacy by default and take steps to prevent fraud,” she said. Moylan said that “online scams are becoming more sophisticated, and families should not be left to bear the consequences while the platforms being used to facilitate these schemes face little accountability.” “The SAFE Platforms Act puts commonsense safeguards in place to help prevent fraud before it happens, protect consumers’ personal and financial information, and give victims meaningful recourse when they are harmed,” he said. In July, the House of Representatives passed a separate bill aimed at protecting children online that could also create complications for advertisers trying to promote legal marijuana and other regulated substances. Under the Kids Internet and Digital Safety (KIDS) Act, online platforms would be prohibited from facilitating the “advertising of narcotic drugs, cannabis products, tobacco products, gambling, or alcohol to a user of or visitor to the covered platform who the provider knows is a minor.” The provision around drug use lists the “distribution, sale, or use of narcotic drugs, tobacco products, cannabis products, gambling, or alcohol” as risks that platforms would need to actively guard minors against. Meanwhile, in August, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee advanced a similar bill, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), that contains an additional provision specifically requiring video streaming services to “employ measures that safeguard against serving advertising for narcotic drugs, cannabis products, tobacco products, gambling, or alcohol directly to the account or profile of an individual that the service knows is a minor.” The post Cannabis Would Be Considered A ‘High-Risk’ Product With Additional Advertising Restrictions Under New Congressional Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

An anti-drug group is seeking to mobilize voters to ask U.S. House and Senate candidates about their stances on hemp THC products as the November elections approach. The Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) included two questions about the issue in its 2026 Congressional Election Guide amid recent developments on Capitol Hill concerning the crop and its derivatives. 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 Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that redefined hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would remain legal after November 12. Now, however, under provisions included in a funding bill Trump signed this month, the effective date of the ban for most products is being pushed back to December 11 to give lawmakers more time to craft regulations for hemp derivatives. There is a carve-out, however, to allow the recriminalization on November 12 of synthetic cannabinoids “that are not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant.” CADCA’s election guide touches on a number of drug policy issues it wants candidates for federal office to be asked about—including prevention, treatment, e-cigarettes, kratom and more. The hemp-related questions it has for congressional candidates read: “1. Intoxicating hemp products include a rapidly changing range of cannabinoids and formulations that can be modified or reengineered as laws change, allowing the market to evolve faster than laws and regulations can respond. Many health and safety risks also arise from the cannabinoids themselves and therefore cannot be eliminated through age restrictions, labeling, potency limits, or licensing. Do you support excluding products containing intoxicating amounts of cannabinoids from the federal definition of hemp? 2. Congress enacted changes to the federal definition of hemp that are scheduled to take effect in November 2026. These changes would result in the removal of most intoxicating hemp products from convenience stores, smoke shops, grocery stores, and online. Do you support allowing these already enacted changes to take effect without further delays?” The second hemp question in the guide is somewhat moot now that Trump has signed the legislation delaying most parts of the ban past November, but the group may still be wondering whether candidates would support moving the effective date even further. This isn’t the first time that CADCA has advocated on the issue. It led a sign-on letter in 2024 pressing Congress to ban intoxicating hemp products. CADCA has also previously worked to oppose bills to federally legalize marijuana and to ease cannabis businesses’ access to banking services. On the other side of the hemp debate, advocates for convenience stores recently discussed their views that the retail outlets are an ideal place to continue to sell hemp products under any new regulations that are enacted. Members of Congress, meanwhile, are debating how—and whether—the crop’s derivatives should be regulated as an alternative to prohibition. Several Republican lawmakers recently spoke to Marijuana Moment about the kinds of rules they would like to see enacted to keep hemp THC products legal. A number of lawmakers from both chambers and both parties have filed or are circulating a growing number of bills to prevent the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC drinks and other products. Until now, none of those proposals have gained traction with congressional leaders. For example, Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) filed a bill to keep hemp THC drinks legal while taxing and regulating them like alcohol. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is circulating legislation that would delay a planned federal ban on hemp THC products and institute some regulations—including packaging requirements, testing rules and age limits. Separately, Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), filed a lengthier proposal to prevent the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products and put in place a number of regulations for manufacturing, labeling, sales and taxation of hemp-derived products, including an age limit of 21. Trump and White House officials repeatedly pressed Congress to delay, alter or reverse the ban in recent months. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in June, 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 in June, “while preserving the Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose serious health risks.” Also 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. “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!” Some members of the alcohol industry have also urged Congress to regulate, rather than ban, hemp products. 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. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Anti-Drug Coalition Wants Voters To Pressure Candidates About Banning Hemp THC Products Ahead Of November Elections appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Should MI marijuana biz trust GOP gov candidate?; Insurance industry backs cannabis coverage bill; Study: Seniors & cannabis use; OR psilocybin 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… BREAKING: Journalism is often consumed for free, but costs money to produce! While this newsletter is proudly sent without cost to you, our ability to send it each day depends on the financial support of readers who can afford to give it. So if you’ve got a few dollars to spare each month and believe in the work we do, please consider joining us on Patreon today. https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW A new federal study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that teen marijuana use has hit an all-time low as more states legalize cannabis for adults. A Michigan Democratic senator says the marijuana industry is wrong to trust Republican gubernatorial candidate John James to follow through on his pledge to cut cannabis taxes—citing the GOP politician’s opposition to the ballot initiative that legalized marijuana in the state in the first place in 2018. The American Property Casualty Insurance Association, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, American Council of Life Insurers and other trade associations are calling on Congress to pass a bill aimed at easing coverage for marijuana businesses that are legal under state law. A new federally funded study found that one out of ten senior citizens used marijuana with the past day, and that “cannabis was most often used to get high (60.0%), relieve tension (55.7%), sleep (52.9%), or relieve chronic pain (30.0%).” “Findings suggest that cannabis use among older adults may be more common and clinically significant than suggested by prior evidence.” The Oregon Health Authority is dropping an effort to significantly increase psilocybin business licensing fees that advocates said could have devastated the state’s legal psychedelic services industry. / FEDERAL Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins discussed the Trump administration’s steps to accelerate psychedelic research. The Drug Enforcement Administration is moving to place several psychedelics in Schedule I. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) detailed his opposition to federal marijuana rescheduling, while Democrat Becky Stille and other challengers outlined their support for the reform. The House bill to keep hemp THC drinks federally legal got one new cosponsor for a total of four. / STATES California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a budget bill that appropriates $4.7 million to support psychedelic research. The Virginia legislature’s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market met. A Michigan House candidate spoke about his prior marijuana arrest. The Arkansas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a dispute between medical cannabis regulators and a business on Thursday. Indiana officials published information about marijuana and maternal health and breastfeeding. The Rhode Island Cannabis Advisory Board will meet on Thursday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL A judge rejected a challenge to a Menominee, Michigan referendum concerning the number marijuana retail licenses. The Oshkosh, Wisconsin Common Council is considering a proposal to institute age limits on certain hemp products. / INTERNATIONAL Thailand’s Cabinet approved legislation to tighten controls on cannabis. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study highlighted medical cannabis’s “perceived utility in managing symptoms among [young adult] cancer survivors, alongside fragmented policies/systems impeding evidence-based information or healthcare provider input.” A study found that “students perceive cannabis-related discipline as harmful and disproportionate to the offense.” / BUSINESS Vireo Growth Inc. completed its acquisition of M3 Wellness. Trulieve Cannabis Corp. has been added to the S&P Total Market Index and S&P Completion Index. 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 Teen cannabis use hits all-time low, federal report shows (Newsletter: September 23, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The percentage of U.S. high school students who use marijuana is now at an all-time low—even as more states continue to legalize cannabis for adults—according to the latest results of a biennial survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The new federal data, released on Monday, shows that 12.9 percent of high school students currently consume cannabis, which is defined as having used it at least once in the past 30 days. That’s down from 23.1 percent in 2011—the year before the first U.S. states approved recreational marijuana legalization laws. In other words, the number of high school students who use marijuana has decreased by almost half—44 percent—since states started enacting adult-use legalization. The latest numbers also show a continued decrease from the prior version of the CDC marijuana use data in 2023, when 17 percent of high school students reported currently consuming cannabis. The ongoing decline contradicts claims from opponents of legalizing cannabis who have often argued that the policy change would lead to skyrocketing youth use rates. In fact, the opposite has occurred, according to the new federal report. “Sensational claims that adult-use legalization laws are linked with greater marijuana use by teens are simply not backed by reliable data,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “These government findings ought to reassure lawmakers that cannabis access can be legally regulated in a manner that is safe, effective and that does not inadvertently impact young people’s habits.” Aside from the past-month measure, CDC’s 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey also shows that the number of high school students who have ever consumed cannabis has fallen from 39.9 percent in 2011 to just 25.5 percent last year. The results are consistent with those from another federal study, the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which was released in July. It showed that 8.7 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 used marijuana within the past year—down from 14.2 percent in 2011. Prior research also suggests that marijuana use by young people has generally fallen in states that legalize it for adults. A report from the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), for example, found that youth marijuana use declined in 19 out of 21 states that legalized adult-use marijuana—with teen cannabis consumption down an average of 35 percent in the earliest states to legalize. The report cited data from a series of national and state-level youth surveys, including the annual Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey, which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The latest version of MTF, released late last year, found that cannabis use among eighth, 10th and 12 graders “remained stable” even as mort states enacted legalization. A separate federally funded study out of Canada found that that youth marijuana use rates declined after the country legalized cannabis. A Canadian government report similarly found that daily or near-daily use rates by both adults and youth have held steady over the last six years after the country enacted legalization. Another U.S. study reported a “significant decrease” in youth marijuana use from 2011 to 2021—a period in which more than a dozen states legalized marijuana for adults—detailing lower rates of both lifetime and past-month use by high-school students nationwide. Separately, a research letter published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2024 said there’s no evidence that states’ adoption of laws to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults have led to an increase in youth use of cannabis. Another JAMA-published study similarly found that neither legalization nor the opening of retail stores led to increases in youth cannabis use. In 2023, meanwhile, a U.S. health official said that teen marijuana use has not increased “even as state legalization has proliferated across the country.” The post Teen Marijuana Use Hits All-Time Low As More States Legalize It For Adults, Federal Data Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“OHA dropping this rulemaking is a win, but it does not mean we’ve won.” By Jack Gorsline, Psychedelic State(s) of America Following significant industry pushback, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced on Tuesday that the agency has officially dropped its efforts to double licensing fees for the state’s psilocybin services program. In an email to industry stakeholders, the agency wrote that, “based on feedback OHA has received through the Oregon Psilocybin Advisory Board (OPAB), rule advisory committees (RACs) and rulemaking public comment period, the agency will not adopt final rules as a result of this rulemaking process.” The initially proposed changes came amidst a multi-billion dollar statewide budgetary shortfall in Oregon, and per OHA’s own language included in the now-dropped rule change acknowledged that if implemented, the fee hikes “may reduce the overall number of licensees and create a more significant program budget shortfall.” In the wake of the initial proposal, industry stakeholders across the Beaver State spoke out in force, arguing that such a substantial fee hike could potentially cripple the first legal, state regulated psychedelic access program in the United States. In response to news that the OHA was dropping the rule change altogether, Center for Psychedelic Policy Founder Sam Chapman noted that while psilocybin services are yielding positive results with few adverse effects, the work to refine the system’s financial structure will continue. “We asked Governor [Tina] Kotek to give the legislature time to get this right, and now they have it,” said Chapman in a statement provided to Psychedelic State(s) of America. State-licensed psilocybin facilitator, Rulemaking Advisory Committee member and military veteran Amy Charlesworth echoed Chapman’s sentiments, while highlighting future concerns over freedom of speech based on other rule changes previously proposed by OHA. “OHA dropping this rulemaking is a win, but it does not mean we’ve won,” Charlesworth said in a statement to Psychedelic State(s) of America. “Proposed OAR [regulations] would have restricted licensees from ‘promoting’ or ‘encouraging’ unlawful or unregulated activity,” Charlesworth noted, “including by ‘providing information or instruction related to home cultivation.’ “That is not regulation of what happens inside a licensed service center.” Charlesworth added, “It reaches what we write, teach, publish, and say in public.” “Under that language,” she expounded, “a facilitator could reasonably fear losing their license over a book, a class, a podcast, a harm-reduction conversation, or a social media post.” “If OHA brings these provisions back,” Charlesworth vowed, “we will be ready to challenge them.” As for the long game, Chapman noted in a press release that while “the program is working. The fee structure isn’t.” “Between now and the 2027 session,” Chapman added, “the Center for Psychedelic Policy is conducting an independent economic analysis to answer a simple question: can psilocybin therapy be just as effective as the treatments Oregon already pays for, if not more so, at a fraction of the cost?” “If the answer is yes,” Chapman concluded, “the question stops being how Oregon pays for this program and starts being why we aren’t investing more in it.” “Better outcomes for less, and real access for Oregonians who are struggling,” he said. “Now we have the time to prove it.” This article was produced in partnership with Psychedelic State(s) of America—a nonprofit-sponsored news organization dedicated to rigorous independent psychedelic journalism. Subscribe to PSA online and Follow PSA on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X and Facebook. Learn more about PSA and donate to the PSA Media Fund here. The post Oregon Officials Drop Effort To Hike Psilocybin Business Licensing Fees appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A group representing Michigan marijuana businesses is endorsing the Republican candidate for governor due to his pledge to cut taxes on the industry, but a Democratic senator says the GOP politician can’t be trusted to follow through in light of his track record of opposing cannabis reform. Last week, the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MiCIA) said it supports John James as the state’s next governor, citing his promise to repeal or significantly roll back a new 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax that was enacted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and the Democratic-controlled legislature to raise funds for road and bridge repairs. Sen. Jeff Irwin (D), however, told Marijuana Moment that James “has not been a friend to legalization”—citing comments from 2018 when he said he would “personally be voting no” on the ballot initiative that ultimately legalized recreational cannabis in the state that year. While James also said at the time that “should it pass, I will respect the will of the voters,” Irwin argued that “actions speak louder than words, so I don’t believe these thin campaign promises.” James “has not supported our efforts in Congress and is in lock step with law enforcement lobby groups that oppose legalization and access,” Irwin told Marijuana Moment. No major cannabis-related votes have taken place under the U.S. House’s Republican majority during James’s times serving in the chamber since 2023. He hasn’t sponsored or cosponsored any bills to legalize marijuana under federal law or respect state laws on the issue, but he did sign on as a supporter of the Hemp Enforcement, Modernization, and Protection Act, which would federally regulate hemp-derived cannabinoid products. “That is his record of action,” Irwin said. “No assistance for the cause” of broader marijuana reform. “If he is making promises to regarding the 24 percent wholesale tax, but is also making promises to road builders, local governments and police groups, which promises do you think he will keep?” the Democratic senator said. “Ask him if he plans to cut road funds or how else will he replace these funds. I suspect he is counting on nothing passing; and, if it looks like it might, he could always kill the bill behind the scenes.” Irwin argued that while James has “not been an advocate in Congress,” his running mate for lieutenant governor, state Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R) “has been even worse on cannabis issues.” DeBoyer filed legislation this session to cut the number of Michigan medical cannabis caregivers can grow for patients in half, from 12 to six, while limiting the numbers of caregiver registrations per physical address to just one. Irwin acknowledged to Marijuana Moment that he is “mad at Governor Whitmer for signing this new tax.” James’s Democratic opponent for governor, Jocelyn Benson, meanwhile, has not taken a clear stance on the cannabis tax. It’s a “new and emerging issue,” she said this month. “There’s a lot of data yet to be determined on that particular tax… We need to know where the money is going and also the impact that it’s had on the industry,” she said. “At the same time, I want to make sure that any changes we are making to our tax code do not come at the expense of driving up costs for Michiganders.” James, for his part, said in a plank of his “Freedom Agenda” unveiled last month that the cannabis tax “drives up prices, gives illegal operators a competitive edge, and has already fallen far short of revenue projections.” “As Governor, I will work to repeal or sharply reduce it,” he said. A Republican state representative recently filed legislation that would reverse the cannabis wholesale tax. The tax was projected by state officials to raise $420 million, with the revenue aimed at funding road repairs and construction, though Rep. James DeSana (R), the sponsor of the repeal bill, says it is generating in less than half of what its supporters anticipated. The levy has been challenged in court through lawsuits filed by the cannabis industry. Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced it is distributing nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue to over 300 local governments and tribes across the state. The money is intended to support various local infrastructure, education and other programs and services in 313 municipalities, counties and tribal areas. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Michigan Marijuana Industry Shouldn’t Trust GOP Governor Candidate’s Pledge To Cut Taxes, Democratic Senator Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

More than a tenth of senior citizens used marijuana within the past day, according to the results of a new federally funded study. The research also shows that among those who do consume cannabis, many use it to simply get high—but that medical reasons are also common. Researchers with the University of California San Diego and New York University conducted survey interviews with 315 adults over the age of 65, primarily in public parks or outside of older adults centers in New York City. Over half of respondents (56 percent) said they have consumed cannabis at least once in their lifetime, 22 percent used it within the past year, 16 percent reported past-month use and 11 percent said they consumed it within the past 24 hours. The most commonly reported reason for using marijuana was to get high (60 percent), though 56 percent said they consume cannabis to relieve tension, 53 percent use it as a sleep aid, 30 percent utilize it treat chronic pain and 29 percent use marijuana for another medical reason—”reflecting prior evidence that older adults commonly use cannabis to manage these symptoms or medical reasons and suggesting potential unmet clinical needs that physicians should be aware of,” the researchers wrote. “Cannabis was most often used to get high (60.0%), relieve tension (55.7%), sleep (52.9%), or relieve chronic pain (30.0%).” The relatively high usage rates in the survey “suggest that cannabis use among older adults may be more common and clinically significant than suggested by prior evidence,” the researchers wrote in the paper, which was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. They said, however, that the results may be skewed due to New York City’s urban setting and the relatively diverse participant demographic, or because of “possible reduced selection bias due to in-person, community-based recruitment and brief survey administration that improved completion rates.” Among those who do use marijuana recreationally within the past year, smoking was by far the most common delivery method, at 74 percent. Thirty-six percent consumed cannabis edibles and 16 percent vaped it. Older people and women were less likely to use marijuana than younger senior citizens and men, respectively, the study concluded. Another recent study found that medical marijuana helps 91 percent of older adults improve their pain, insomnia and mood or behavioral symptoms, a new study has found. A separate recent federally funded study published by the American Medical Association (AMA) found that “older adults are increasingly turning to cannabis for symptom management”—with many motivated to try marijuana “as an alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals due to concerns about adverse effects.” “As cannabis legalization becomes more widespread, older adults are increasingly turning to it not just for recreational use, but to manage symptoms associated with aging, including pain, sleep disturbances, and mental health concerns,” that research found. AMA separately adopted a resolution this year that recognizes both the risks and potential therapeutic benefits of marijuana use among older adults. Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post One Out Of Ten Senior Citizens Used Marijuana Within The Past 24 Hours, Federally Funded Study Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A coalition of trade associations that represent the insurance industry is backing recently filed congressional legislation that would provide a protect companies that provide coverage for state-legal marijuana businesses from federal punishment. “The insurance industry is potentially exposed to liability arising from the differences of the legal treatment of cannabis and cannabis products under federal and state law,” the groups wrote in a letter to the bipartisan House and Senate sponsors of the Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act, which would provide a safe harbor for insurers, brokers and agents from being penalized by federal regulators for providing insurance services to state-licensed marijuana companies. “By resolving the legal uncertainty presented by the dueling state and federal treatment of marijuana, the insurance industry can serve both cannabis-related legitimate businesses (CRLBs) and other commercial lines consumers, as well as personal lines consumers who may have a direct or indirect relationship to state-legalized cannabis, and still be in compliance with the law,” the letter to the House and Senate sponsors of the legislation says. It was signed by the American Land Title Association, American Council of Life Insurers, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, National Association of Professional Insurance Agents, Reinsurance Association of America and Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association—which said that they “represent a majority of the companies, agents, and brokers offering property-casualty, life, title, and reinsurance in the U.S.” “Further, the CLAIM Act will enable those engaged in the business of insurance to be able to comply with a variety of state statutory and regulatory requirements,” the letter says. “Importantly, this legislation would help consumers, with direct or indirect contact with state-legalized cannabis, access insurance products and services and the protections they provide.” The House version of the bill was introduced last week, while a Senate companion was filed earlier this year. “The CLAIM Act is a comprehensive solution to provide legal certainty for our market while also preserving the states’ traditional role in regulating the business of insurance,” the letter to Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Reps. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and Warren Davidson (R-OH), who are the leading sponsors of the legislation, says. “Under the bill, insurers must still satisfy all applicable state statutory or regulatory requirements, such as those pertaining to consumer protections and claims payments.” “We appreciate your interest and effort to ensure our industry is not caught between conflicting obligations under federal and state law when serving our customers,” it concludes. This is the fourth Congress in a row that the cannabis business insurance measure has been introduced, and the text of the current bill, H.R.10471, remains largely the same as prior versions. Earlier this year, bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers filed related legislation to provide safeguards for banks that work with the cannabis industry. As it stands, cannabis firms are limited 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 additionally 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. 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 attorney general signed, a hearing is considering more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. The post Insurance Industry Groups Endorse Bill To Ease Coverage For Marijuana Businesses appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

NC state-run marijuana store proposal; IL bill on cash payments to cannabis prohibition victims; PA legalization hearing Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW California Department of Cannabis Control Director Clint Kellum said the Drug Enforcement Administration hasn’t shown “any sort of interest” in providing guidance to states about the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move—while simultaneously requesting more information about California’s medical cannabis program. The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis’s Market and Regulatory Subcommittee is considering recommending that lawmakers legalize marijuana sales through a system of government-controlled stores that could be supplied by a “central cannabis warehouse”—while leaving cultivation and manufacturing to private businesses. An Illinois representative filed a bill to issue “direct cash payments” to people “who have been disproportionately impacted by historical cannabis enforcement” under a new Illinois Freedom Program. The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Policy Committee will hold a hearing on marijuana legalization on Friday—with a focus on “enforcement and safety needs, social and economic considerations, as well as how to ensure that meaningful criminal justice reform updates are included.” The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation announced a recall of pre-rolled marijuana joints after the products failed testing for aspergillus. / FEDERAL The Food and Drug Administration intends to award a sole-source contract involving cannabis public health message testing. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit heard oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging the Drug Enforcement Administration’s determination that HHC is a Schedule I drug and not a legal hemp derivative. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) posted photos of herself touring a hemp business. Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) detailed his opposition to federal marijuana rescheduling, while Democratic challenger Chris Backemeyer outlined his support for the reform. / STATES Oregon’s attorney general met with law enforcement officials about efforts to combat illegal marijuana operations. California regulators announced a recall of marijuana products due to the presence of aspergillosis. Maine regulators issued an advisory about medical cannabis products with unsafe levels of butane. Michigan officials issued a public health bulletin about recreational nitrous oxide use. Colorado regulators published average market rates for retail marijuana. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Los Angeles County, California Regional Planning Commission will hold a hearing about cannabis business zoning issues on October 21. / INTERNATIONAL The United Nations special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism said the Trump administration’s military strikes against suspected drug boats “plausibly constitute crimes against humanity.” / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “phytocannabinoids may improve bone health.” A study found that “medical cannabis availability reduced past-month self-reported poor mental health days by nearly 15 %—3.77 percentage points—among adults 65 and above.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Worcester, Massachusetts Regional Chamber of Commerce is opposing an initiative on the state’s November ballot to roll back marijuana legalization. Safe Affordable Cannabis for New York released a survey on marijuana industry employee pay as part of an effort to convince Gov, Kathy Hochul (D) not to sign legislation to create a Cannabis Wage Board. / BUSINESS Several psychedelic drug companies are sponsoring next week’s Make America Healthy Again Summit. Green Thumb Industries Inc.’s board of directors authorized the continuation of a share repurchase program for an additional 12 months, with up to $50 million available for share repurchases. LEEF Brands Inc. has a new board of directors member. 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 DEA keeps states in the dark about cannabis rescheduling, CA official says (Newsletter: September 22, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

133. What If Nothing Happened During Your Trip? Someone in the room had done everything right. Careful preparation, a trained guide, two booster doses of psilocybin. Nothing happened. No altered state. In this episode, learn what that means and what to do next.This is the audience Q&A from the Psychedelics and Seniors Salon at Town Hall Seattle, the companion to episode 129, with Abbie Rosner, Scott Paul Wright, and Dr. Emily Whinkin.What you'll learn- What a session that produces no visible shift does and does not tell you- Why expectation is treated as a clinical variable in psychedelic medicine, not a soft one- Why microdosing protocols build in days off, and what those days are for- How much psilocybin content varies between mushroom varieties and within a single grow- What a legal psilocybin session in Oregon costs and what the price actually covers- What Seattle's 2021 psilocybin resolution protects, and what it does notAbout the guests Abbie Rosner is the author of Psychedelics and the Counterculture of Aging, based on interviews with 36 older adults, and writes ELDEREVOLUTION on Substack. Scott Paul Wright is a filmmaker and screenwriter and the director of the documentary The Next Chapter, who took his first psychedelic journey at 68. Dr. Emily Whinkin is a naturopathic physician and integrative mental health specialist licensed in Oregon and Washington, and a board-certified Fellow of the Psychiatric Association of Naturopathic Physicians, who runs a monthly virtual integration circle for older adults.0:00 Introduction 1:30 Should family members journey together 2:20 Medical disqualifiers and cardiovascular risk 3:30 Intergenerational trauma and encounters with ancestors 5:30 Grief that does not resolve in one session 8:00 What microdosing does, and how many Americans are doing it 9:40 Microdosing for creativity, and the pause 10:40 Psilocybin research for Alzheimer's and dementia 11:40 Microdosing, decision making, and why protocols include days off 13:40 Adjusting a microdose for mushroom potency 14:50 Cardiac conditions, atrial fibrillation, and valve issues 17:50 When a journey feels unimpactful, even with booster doses 19:00 Expectations as a clinical variable 20:00 What a legal psilocybin session costs and what it covers 23:00 Seattle, cultivation, and what decriminalization means 24:00 Integration circles and the isolation data 25:20 LSD compared with psilocybin, and the MM-120 anxiety trial 27:00 Mental health contraindications 28:20 SSRIs, SNRIs, and psilocybin 30:00 Ketamine compared with psilocybin 31:00 Cognitive benefits, neuroinflammation, and telomeresFollow April Pride for trusted information on psychedelics for women Substack Instagram YouTube Psychedelic SalonLearn more about April's services, events, and more at aprilpride.com Catch the full episode here

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This piece beautifully highlights the importance of recognizing incremental progress. It's inspiring to see how cannabis entrepreneurs, like Lisa Snyder, are building momentum through these smaller victories, even launching international chapters. Celebrating these achievements, much like mastering each level in a Slope Game, propels them towards greater success. It's a powerful message for any industry.