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“Cannabis is not for everyone. Adults should still have the freedom to decide whether it is right for them—just as they may decide whether to drink alcohol, take a prescribed medication or use neither.” By Tiffany McElrath Cannabis is not for everyone. Neither is alcohol. Neither are antidepressants, benzodiazepines or opioids. Every one of them can carry risks, cause side effects or be used irresponsibly. Only one of them can still get me arrested simply for choosing it. I live in Alabama, where adults may legally buy enough alcohol to drink themselves into oblivion. They may drink in front of their children, keep a fully stocked liquor cabinet at home and joke publicly about needing wine to survive parenthood. Unless their behavior becomes dangerous, the law generally treats their alcohol use as a personal decision. To be clear, alcohol and prescription medications can also lead to arrest. A person can be charged with DUI, public intoxication or disorderly conduct when alcohol use results in dangerous or unlawful behavior. Possessing prescription medication without a valid prescription can also be illegal. But that is not the comparison I am making. Those laws address dangerous conduct or unauthorized possession. Cannabis prohibition allows an otherwise responsible adult to be arrested for possession itself—even when that person is at home, harms no one and creates no threat to public safety. An adult who discreetly uses cannabis at home after putting the children to bed is treated differently. That person may face arrest, a criminal record and potentially devastating consequences for employment, housing or child custody—not because anyone was harmed, but because the substance they chose remains illegal. I am not defending becoming dangerously impaired while responsible for children. I am asking why responsible alcohol use is socially acceptable while responsible cannabis use is treated as evidence of criminality or parental unfitness. This is personal for me. I have struggled with clinical depression and severe anxiety. At one point, I was prescribed Xanax and antidepressants. My experience was not pleasant. The medications made me extremely sleepy. I was knocked out early and unable to be present for my family. The antidepressants also destroyed my libido, which could have created serious intimacy problems in my marriage had I continued taking them. Cannabis affected me differently. It helped ease some of my symptoms without leaving me completely sedated and disconnected from my life. That is my experience, not a universal medical claim. Cannabis can impair judgment and coordination. Frequent or high-potency use can lead to dependence, and it may worsen anxiety or other mental-health symptoms in some people. It should be accurately labeled, kept away from children and treated like any other adult substance: responsibly. But acknowledging those risks does not justify prohibition. It strengthens the case for legalization and regulation. People deserve honest, evidence-based information about both the benefits and risks of cannabis so they can make informed decisions. That means leaving “Reefer Madness” exaggerations in the past, but it also means refusing to pretend cannabis is harmless. Adults should be able to discuss every reasonable treatment option with their healthcare providers. They should also be allowed to decide what they put into their own bodies without being jailed for conduct that harms no one else. Our laws do not reflect a rational comparison of risks. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use is responsible for approximately 178,000 deaths in the United States each year. Yet alcohol remains legal, regulated and widely available. Meanwhile, police made at least 218,152 marijuana-related arrests nationwide in 2025, according to FBI data. That number is an undercount because approximately 13 percent of law-enforcement agencies did not report arrest data. Alabama reported 8,583 marijuana-possession arrests in 2025, the tenth-highest raw total in the country. But raw numbers do not account for the size of each state, so I looked at the same information on a per-capita basis—and the picture became even more striking. FBI age data show that 8,242 of Alabama’s possession arrests involved adults. Compared with Alabama’s adult population of 4,075,161 in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimates, that equals approximately 202 possession arrests for every 100,000 adults. After applying the same calculation to all 50 states, Alabama had the nation’s ninth-highest reported adult marijuana-possession arrest rate. The consequences of prohibition now depend largely on geography. The same behavior that can saddle someone with an arrest and criminal record in Alabama is legal for adults in nearly half the country. Changing the state line does not make the conduct more dangerous. It merely changes who the government has chosen to punish. Alabama’s medical-cannabis experience makes the contradiction even more obvious. State lawmakers approved a medical program in 2021, but patients waited more than five years for the first dispensary to open. Alabama’s first medical-cannabis dispensary opened on June 4 of this year, followed by a second location in August. Access remains extremely limited, and state law prohibits raw cannabis, smoking, vaping and conventional edible products. During those five years, patients legally recognized as deserving access were still waiting while Alabama continued arresting people for cannabis possession. That is not a coherent public-health policy. It is prohibition surviving long after its original justifications stopped making sense. Legalization does not have to mean encouraging everyone to use cannabis. We do not need to pretend that every product is therapeutic or that every pattern of use is safe. We can establish age limits, require testing and accurate labels, restrict advertising to children, punish impaired driving and hold adults accountable when their behavior genuinely endangers someone. What we should stop doing is destroying people’s lives merely because they chose cannabis. Cannabis is not for everyone. Adults should still have the freedom to decide whether it is right for them—just as they may decide whether to drink alcohol, take a prescribed medication or use neither. Regulate it. Educate people honestly about it. Keep it away from children. Punish genuinely dangerous behavior. But stop treating responsible adults like criminals. Tiffany McElrath is an Alabama writer, entrepreneur and former family caregiver who writes about personal freedom, mental health and the everyday consequences of public policy. The post Cannabis Isn’t for Everyone, And Neither Is Alcohol—But Only One Can Still Get Me Arrested (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A trade association that represents marijuana businesses in Michigan is endorsing the Republican candidate in the state’s gubernatorial election in November, calling him “the clear choice” due to his support for repealing or significantly rolling back a recently enacted tax hike on the industry. “John James is the clear choice for the cannabis industry,” Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MiCIA) Executive Director Robin Schneider said in a press release on Wednesday, referring to the GOP candidate. Last year, lawmakers and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D), who is term-limited and cannot run again this year, enacted a new 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax. Industry advocates have argued that the levy—which is added on top of an existing 10 percent excise tax and 6 percent sales tax on marijuana purchases—increases the cost of doing business for legal operators and makes it harder for them to compete with the illicit market. James, the Republican Party’s nominee for governor, agrees, saying 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. Schneider, from the Michigan cannabis trade association, said on Wednesday that “John has taken the time to meet with MiCIA members to better understand the serious financial challenges we face due to the unconstitutional 24 percent cannabis tax established last year.” “He has released clear statements about this stance on cannabis, and he has been fully transparent,” he said. “We welcome his vocal and committed support of our industry.” James’s Democratic opponent for governor, Jocelyn Benson, 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.” Schneider, from MiCIA, said that the cannabis industry, “which has been an economic driver for Michigan, now faces a devastating financial reality.” “We need a leader who will boldly support the cannabis industry and fight for our workers and our businesses,” he said. “John understands that the unlawful 24 percent tax pushes customers to the illicit market, and he has vowed to repeal or sharply reduce the tax. He pledges to work to eliminate rules that burden compliant businesses while promoting workplace and community safety, keeping intoxicating products out of the hands of children and protecting consumers.” James, for his part, has also said he wants to crack down on sales of unregulated hemp THC products. “Michigan voters approved a legal, regulated cannabis market in 2018,” his campaign website says. “State government has a responsibility to respect that decision while promoting workplace and community safety, keeping intoxicating products out of the hands of children, protecting consumers, and enforcing the law against those who refuse to follow it.” To that end, the Republican candidate also says he wants to stop sales of hemp THC products that are widely available. “Delta-8, THCA, and synthetic cannabinoids must not be sold at gas stations or smoke shops without the same age limits, testing, and labeling required of licensed cannabis,” his plan says. “Intoxicating products belong in the regulated market—not next to the candy bars.” Additionally the GOP gubernatorial contender wants to “aggressively target illegal trafficking, unlicensed operators, sales to minors, tax evasion, and product diversion—while letting law-abiding businesses operate without unnecessary interference.” He cited Chinese-linked illegal cannabis grows that he said operate in the state. “As Governor, we will end these illicit grow operations and cut off the CCP’s foothold in Michigan,” James said. Meanwhile, 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) 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. The post Michigan Marijuana Industry Group Endorses GOP Governor Candidate Who Pledged To Cut New Wholesale Tax appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to resolve a split among lower courts about whether state marijuana business licensing systems can discriminate against out-of-state residents. The operator of companies that sought and were denied cannabis business licenses in Washington State and Sacramento, California due to his residency status filed a petition last week asking the justices to overturn an appeals court ruling that found that the Constitution’s Dormant Commerce Clause does not apply to federally illegal activities. The Supreme Court has interpreted that clause to bar protectionist state laws that unduly restrict interstate commerce even in areas where Congress has not directly weighed in. Federal appeals courts have disagreed on its application to the marijuana industry, however. Now, Michigan resident Kenneth Gay wants the Supreme Court to step in and reverse a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit that upheld Washington and Sacramento officials’ denial of licenses to his companies, Peridot Tree WA, Inc. and Peridot Tree, Inc., because “the Dormant Commerce Clause need not be extended to facilitate interstate commerce that is illegal under federal law.” The petition for a writ of certiorari notes that two other federal appeals courts—the First Circuit and the Second Circuit—have reached differing conclusions, finding that cannabis licensing schemes in Maine and New York, respectively, likely violate the Dormant Commerce Clause by favoring in-state residents. “These consolidated cases present a circuit split on an important question of constitutional law: whether the dormant Commerce Clause’s nondiscrimination principle applies to state and municipal cannabis-licensing schemes. This Court should resolve that question now,” it says. “The issue has arisen frequently in courts across the country and will continue to do so. States continue to enact discriminatory licensing laws that will spur future lawsuits. This petition is the ideal vehicle to resolve this circuit split because the consolidated cases raise a pure question of law, and no facts can resolve or moot it.” The filing calls the Ninth Circuit’s opinion “wrong at its foundation,” arguing that the Dormant Commerce Clause is a self-executing limitation on state power to burden interstate commerce. “Federal illegality does not authorize discrimination,” it says. It also argues that the circuit court’s determination that applying the nondiscrimination principle to cannabis-licensing schemes encourages states to create markets for something that Congress has deemed to be illegal is “backwards.” “When considering whether to legalize cannabis—or other vices—lawmakers must weigh the costs and benefits of such markets,” the petition says. “Immunizing cannabis markets from the nondiscrimination principle tilts that balance in favor of legalization because the State’s constituents will reap all the profits.” The Ninth Circuit’s ruling against opening up state markets is also “at odds with the federal government’s own regulatory actions” on cannabis, it says, citing a recent Supreme Court opinion in case on marijuana consumers’ gun rights that noted the federal government “has not just tolerated [state cannabis markets]; it helped fuel them.” The Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana is no reason to allow the Dormant Commerce Clause issue in cannabis licensing to continue to percolate in lower courts, the petition argues. “The Department of Justice’s recent order rescheduling medical cannabis under the [Controlled Substances Act] does not warrant further percolation. The DOJ’s order moves cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III only for sellers who hold a state medical-marijuana license and register with the DEA. Cannabis otherwise remains illegal under federal law. Thus, the rescheduling order does not alter the question presented here. Likewise, any future broader rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III will not resolve the circuit split. A Schedule III drug may be sold only under a prescription. Recreational cannabis is not sold under a prescription. Thus, recreational cannabis will remain nominally illegal under federal law even if the DOJ more broadly reschedules cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III.” The petition also argues that the Ninth Circuit ruling contradicts Supreme Court precedents on alcohol following the end of prohibition, citing case law that found that while the 21st Amendment grants states “virtually complete control” over alcohol sales within their borders, it does not “displace the rule that States may not give a discriminatory preference to their own” residents. “If the nondiscrimination principle does not wane in the face of the Constitution’s delegation of primacy over liquor regulation to the States, the CSA’s prohibition of cannabis—which confers no power to the States—cannot implicitly displace it,” it says. “The Twenty-first Amendment cases thus embody the principle that the States decide whether and under what system alcohol is sold within their borders. But the nondiscrimination principle governs who may compete in any market a State creates.” The petition, which was first noted by Law360, tells the justices that the issue at the center of the case is not an “academic or infrequent issue” and is instead a “live controversy unfolding across numerous states that has been addressed by numerous lower courts.” “Irreparable damage to the burgeoning cannabis market will occur if the Court allows this question to percolate longer,” it says. “Nearly all States with legal cannabis markets limit the number of licenses they issue.” “Additional decisions would add nothing but delay while protectionist schemes multiply. Allowing the question to percolate further will cause permanent damage because cannabis licenses are finite. If States issue licenses under the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, they will ‘bake in advantages for their residents’ that will plague the market even if the federal government later legalizes cannabis.” A report published this month by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said that the split among lower courts on the Dormant Commerce Clause’s application to marijuana business licensing “likely increases the odds” that the Supreme Court will take up and resolve the issue. “The fact that all the cases discussed above were decided when all relevant state marijuana activities remained illegal under federal law, however, might make the Court less likely to grant certiorari,” the report said. The justices may instead “wait to see how future lower court Dormant Commerce Clause analysis in this space evolves” in light of the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana, CRS reasoned. Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order he signed, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing was held to consider more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. In any case, CRS said, lawmakers don’t need to wait for courts to weigh in. — 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. — “Congress has the power to address the issue itself,” the report said. “As the Supreme Court has explained, ‘Congress has undoubted power to…either permit the states to regulate the commerce in a manner which would otherwise not be permissible or exclude state regulation.'” “Congress could thus pass legislation providing states and localities an ‘unmistakably clear’ authorization to implement protectionist marijuana policies,” CRS said. It could also “do the opposite and expressly bar states and localities from implementing marijuana-related laws that favor in-state residents over nonresidents,” the report noted. “Similarly, Congress could establish a federal regulatory system applicable to marijuana activities that fits more closely within the Supreme Court’s existing Dormant Commerce Clause jurisprudence, as opposed to the current status where the Court has never weighed in on how the Clause applies to activities that are illegal under federal law,” CRS concluded. The Marijuana Policy Project, a pro-legalization advocacy group, recently said that it believes there could soon be a “successful” federal lawsuit concerning the Dormant Commerce Clause’s applicability to interstate cannabis commerce in light of rescheduling. “DCC protection would bar states with legal markets from discriminating against legal products from other states,” MPP said. “The federal decisions finding no DCC protection have leaned on cannabis’s federal illegality.” The move to reschedule cannabis “almost certainly changes that for licensed medical operators,” the group said. “We expect stakeholders to sue states in multiple federal circuits (hoping to consolidate those into one suit), seeking to force open state markets on constitutional grounds,” MPP said.” Interstate commerce in Schedule III drugs between DEA-approved entities is clearly covered by the DCC. A federal case will take time, but assuming rescheduling stands, we expect federal litigation to be ultimately successful.” The post Supreme Court Asked To Overturn Marijuana Business Licensing Laws That Favor In-State Residents appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study how prevalent drug testing for marijuana, fentanyl and other drugs is in hospital emergency departments. The legislation from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) was approved in a voice vote on the floor on Tuesday. The measure was considered under a procedure known as suspension of the rules, which does not allow for amendments and requires a two-thirds supermajority for passage. The Senate approved similar legislation with differing provisions earlier this year, and now the two versions must be reconciled before potentially being sent to President Donald Trump. The bill is known as “Tyler’s Law,” after Tyler Shamash, a 19-year-old who died following a fentanyl ingestion in 2018 and was not tested for the drug when brought to the hospital for a suspected overdose. While the legislation, H.R. 2004, is largely focused on fentanyl, it says that within a year of passage the HHS secretary would need to complete a study to determine “how frequently hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl (in addition to testing for other substances such as amphetamines, phencyclidine, cocaine, opiates, and marijuana) when a patient is experiencing an overdose.” The study would also need to look at costs associated with fentanyl testing, the potential benefits and risks of such testing and how it may impact patients’ experiences—including with respect to confidentiality and privacy protections and the patient-physician relationship. The bill, which has 65 House cosponsors, says that within six months of completing the study, HHS would also need to issue guidance covering: “(1) Whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose. (2) How hospitals can ensure that clinicians in their hospital emergency departments are aware of which substances are being tested for in their routinely-administered drug tests, regardless of whether those tests screen for fentanyl. (3) How the administration of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments may affect the future risk of overdose and general health outcomes.” “I am so pleased that Tyler’s Law passed the House,” Lieu said in a press release after the floor vote. “No family should have to endure the devastating loss that Tyler’s family experienced, especially when a simple fentanyl test could save a life.” — 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. — Companion legislation from Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) was approved by the Senate in March—but not before being amended to remove the language that specifically lists marijuana and other drugs besides fentanyl. Instead, it directs HHS to study “how frequently hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl or fentanyl-related substances when a patient is experiencing an overdose, and test for other controlled substances related to such an overdose.” Unlike the House bill, the HHS secretary would have three years to complete the study on hospital drug testing under the amended Senate proposal. In April, a pair of Republican senators filed a separate bill that would require the federal government to track the cost of hospitalization due to marijuana use. The Marijuana Impact on Medicaid Act of 2026 from Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) would require the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to compile data on “Federal and State expenditures under the Medicaid program…that are attributable to costs incurred for providing medical assistance for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, and for services received at a hospital emergency room…related to marijuana use.” The bill’s language is similar to two amendments Budd previously filed on the cannabis and hospitalization issue that didn’t end up being considered on the Senate floor. The post House Passes Bill Requiring Feds To Track Testing For Marijuana And Other Drugs In Hospital Emergency Rooms appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

FDA psychedelics hearing; Union opposes MA anti-marijuana measure; MN cannabis sales totals; DEA as marijuana regulator; Federal botanical drugs bill 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… Hold on, just one second before you read today’s news. Have you thought about giving some financial support to Marijuana Moment? If so, today would be a great day to contribute. We’re planning our reporting for the coming months and it would really help to know what kind of support we can count on. Check us out on Patreon and sign up to give $25/month today: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The Food and Drug Administration hosted a hearing on how to boost development of psychedelic therapies while adhering to scientific standards, with the agency and its federal partners taking testimony from 80 witnesses. A new poll found that only about a third of Americans think marijuana is dangerous, and less than half still believe the “gateway theory” that using cannabis makes people significantly more likely to try more dangerous drugs. The Service Employees International Union Massachusetts State Council is urging voters to reject an initiative to roll back cannabis legalization that’s on the November ballot, saying that “the fight to protect legal marijuana is about protecting progress.” The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management announced that retailers in the state have sold more than a quarter of a billion dollars’ worth in legal marijuana products since the state’s legal recreational cannabis market launched one year ago. Mandelbaum Barrett PC’s Joshua S. Bauchner and Marky Suazo highlight in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that the Drug Enforcement Administration is shifting more into the role of a cannabis regulator under the Trump administration’s rescheduling move. “For most of the modern cannabis industry’s existence, operators focused primarily on state licensing agencies, cannabis control boards and state compliance requirements. Understandably, DEA was generally viewed as an enforcement agency, not as a day-to-day industry regulator. That dynamic might change.” Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) filed a new bill in Congress that advocates say could boost development of medicines derived from cannabis, psychedelics and other plants by offering a 12-year market exclusivity period for newly approved botanical drugs. / FEDERAL The National Institute of Justice will host a webinar about seized drugs and forensic toxicology on Wednesday. / STATES Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer (D) is expected to sign a bill to rename the Division of Alcohol and Tobacco Enforcement as the Division of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana Enforcement on Wednesday. Texas Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Vikki Goodwin discussed her support for legalizing cannabis. California regulators announced recalls of marijuana products due to packaging and labeling that is attractive to children, and due to unsanitary conditions and methods, facilities or controls that did not conform with pesticide rules. Pennsylvania’s health secretary adopted a recommendation that medical cannabis solvent-based extraction methods and processes on microbial contamination remain limited to topical form. Nebraska regulators said updated medical cannabis rules won’t be finalized until next year. Colorado regulators published guidance about cannabis product residual solvents testing. Vermont regulators sent guidance about cannabis business owner eligibility for property tax credits. Washington, D.C. regulators sent a warning about a fraudulent phishing campaign targeting medical cannabis and alcohol businesses. Oregon regulators are holding hearings on proposed changes to psilocybin services rules this week. Massachusetts regulators will host a cannabis social equity business application clinic on Wednesday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Harris County, Texas district attorney’s office will host a clinic to help people expunge marijuana records on September 26. / INTERNATIONAL A Maltese lawmaker is calling for an independent evaluation of the country’s cannabis laws. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study highlighted the “effectiveness of [cold-pressed industrial hemp seed oil] in wound healing.” A review concluded that “psilocybin was reported to produce psychosomatic symptom reduction lasting week [sic] to years after use.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Parabola Center for Law and Policy published a report recommending tools to help policymakers and advocates design global cannabis markets equitably. / BUSINESS Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. sent a letter urging Aurora Cannabis Inc. to accept its offer to acquire the company. Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $1.90 per share. / CULTURE Woody Harrelson joked about smoking marijuana with Matthew McConaughey’s mom. 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 Americans don’t think cannabis is dangerous, new poll shows (Newsletter: September 16, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Only about a third of Americans think marijuana is dangerous, and less than half still believe the “gateway theory” that using cannabis makes people significantly more likely to try more dangerous drugs, according to a new poll. The survey, released by Rasmussen Reports on Tuesday, asked U.S. adults how dangerous they think cannabis is. Just over one out of three indicated they think marijuana is either somewhat (24 percent) or very dangerous (13 percent). In contrast, a majority of respondents said cannabis is either not dangerous at all (27 percent) or not very dangerous (28 percent). When asked how likely they believe it is that “marijuana use leads to the use of more dangerous drugs,” just 18 percent said it is very likely and 27 percent believe it is somewhat likely. Nineteen percent said it is not at all likely and 27 percent think it is not very likely, while 9 percent said they aren’t sure. When broken down by party, Republicans are more likely to believe that marijuana is either somewhat or very dangerous (50 percent) than Democrats are (33 percent). GOP voters are also more likely to buy the gateway theory about marijuana being very or somewhat likely to be true (60 percent) than Democrats are (42 percent). The poll involved interviews with 1,234 American adults between September 8-10 and has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. — 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 results comport with other recent surveys showing that American attitudes and behaviors around cannabis are shifting. A Gallup poll released last month, for example, found that a record-high number of U.S. adults now smoke marijuana, while cigarette smoking is at an all-time low. Similarly, an analysis of federal National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data published last year showed that more Americans now use marijuana than smoke cigarettes amid shifting perceptions of harm of the two substances. A study released last month found that people who consume cannabis-infused THC beverages end up drinking less alcohol. Last year, a separate Gallup poll found that a majority of Americans remain in favor of legalizing marijuana but that support saw a slight dip from 2024—a trend that’s been “driven by Republicans” who are turning against the reform. The post Most Americans Don’t Think Marijuana Is Very Dangerous Or That It Leads To Use Of Other Drugs, New Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The cannabis industry spent years pursuing federal legitimacy. What operators are now discovering is that legitimacy often comes with regulation.” By Joshua S. Bauchner and Marky Suazo, Mandelbaum Barrett PC For many years, marijuana businesses primarily answered to state regulators. Now, under changes to federal policy being rolled out by the Trump administration, they will answer to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). That change began when the Department of Justice reclassified state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I, the federal classification reserved for substances deemed to have no accepted medical use, to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. Schedule III consists of substances recognized as having accepted medical uses and usually carries fewer restrictions than Schedule I. There are also parallel, but separate, proceedings regarding the broader federal treatment of marijuana. Nearly all the attention regarding these developments has focused on the potential benefits of rescheduling, including tax relief and greater institutional acceptance. But another important consequence has escaped the limelight: the federal government’s increasing involvement in the day-to-day regulation of the cannabis industry. The industry’s challenge is not just whether federal reform will occur; it is already underway. The challenge is determining how to operate, how to invest and how to grow while the rules governing that reform are still being developed. Indeed, we recently spoke with a marijuana licensed client who is considering pulling up stakes in the in the face of competition across the street: a liquor store selling intoxicating hemp beverages. Rescheduling Was Only The Beginning DOJ’s decision to move state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III could have meaningful implications for operators. Most notably, it might provide relief from Section 280E of the Internal Revenue Code, which generally prohibits businesses trafficking in Schedule I or Schedule II substances from deducting ordinary business expenses. Rescheduling could also improve the industry’s standing with investors, lenders, insurers and other institutions that have remained cautious because of marijuana’s federal status. For businesses navigating tight margins and limited access to capital, those developments could be significant. But rescheduling is not legalization. Marijuana remains a federally controlled substance, and broader questions regarding federal cannabis policy remain unresolved. DOJ’s recent action specifically addressed state-licensed medical marijuana, while broader proceedings concerning marijuana’s federal classification continue. More importantly, rescheduling appears to be ushering in a new era of federal oversight. DEA Is Becoming A Cannabis Regulator For most of the modern cannabis industry’s existence, operators focused primarily on state licensing agencies, cannabis control boards and state compliance requirements. Understandably, DEA was generally viewed as an enforcement agency, not as a day-to-day industry regulator. That dynamic might change. For the most part, cannabis operators largely played on a field governed by state regulators. DEA was there, but mostly on the sidelines. As federal reform evolves, the referees will change, and businesses should expect the rules and expectations to evolve along with them. As part of the emerging federal framework, the government has begun incorporating state-licensed medical marijuana businesses into a DEA registration system intended to bring operators within a formal federal regulatory structure. Businesses seeking DEA registration are required to provide detailed information concerning ownership, operations, inventory controls and related compliance matters. Many operators already provide similar information to state regulators. Nevertheless, submitting information to the federal government and preparing for ongoing federal oversight represents a different compliance relationship. The cannabis industry spent years pursuing federal legitimacy. What operators are now discovering is that legitimacy often comes with regulation. That does not necessarily mean increased DEA involvement will result in increased enforcement. It does mean that cannabis businesses may increasingly be evaluated on whether their systems can withstand both state and federal scrutiny. Recordkeeping, ownership disclosures, inventory controls and operating procedures may affect not only regulatory compliance but also financing opportunities, investor diligence, acquisition activity and enterprise value. Businesses Are Being Asked To Plan Before The Rules Are Clear A few important questions remain unanswered. Now, many cannabis businesses are building a plane while flying it. Companies must continue operating, expanding, raising capital, hiring employees and serving customers even as regulators are actively developing the framework that may govern the industry’s next phase. Does every state-licensed medical marijuana business need to register with the DEA? Will registration become relevant to how federal agencies administer the benefits associated with Schedule III treatment? How will regulators address businesses that operate in both medical and adult-use markets? Will registration and inspection standards be applied consistently across DEA regional offices? For operators, these are not academic questions. Clients call all the time asking these questions noting it’s nearly impossible to plan—never mind operate on a daily basis—in the face of all this uncertainty. Whether expanding into a new market, raising capital, pursuing acquisitions or restructuring operations, cannabis businesses face the same challenge: assessing risk when federal expectations remain unclear. The unpredictability is especially significant for multi-state operators. Medical and adult-use activities often share facilities, personnel, inventory systems and compliance infrastructure. If federal regulators ultimately require greater separation between those activities, businesses will face difficult operational decisions and significant compliance costs. Cannabis businesses have never feared regulation. The industry has been regulated for years. The difficulty stems from stems from the attempt to plan for the future when critical questions remain unanswered. The Industry Needs Clarity Additional guidance from DEA would provide much needed clarity across the industry. Most businesses do not expect regulatory perfection. They simply need a reliable map. At the moment, many cannabis operators know the industry is headed toward greater federal involvement, but they still lack a clear roadmap for getting there. Many operators are less concerned about whether federal oversight is coming than they are about what it will look like. Clear direction regarding things like registration requirements, inspection standards and the treatment of businesses operating across both medical and adult-use markets would allow operators to make informed decisions and develop compliance programs around identifiable expectations. Additionally, greater consistency among regional offices would further reduce uncertainty. Federal-state coordination is equally important. State regulators have spent years developing systems governing ownership, security, inventory tracking, testing and distribution. Federal policy should build upon those frameworks wherever possible instead of creating duplicative or conflicting requirements. For example, imagine a multi-state operator deciding whether to acquire a medical cannabis business, expand into a new market or invest in additional compliance infrastructure. Those decisions require large capital raises and long-term planning. If federal regulators decide to adopt standards that differ from current state requirements, the entire analysis may need to be revisited. In the meantime, businesses cannot afford to wait for complete certainty. Operators should review ownership structures, evaluate governance and compliance systems, assess recordkeeping practices and determine whether their existing operations are prepared for increased federal scrutiny. The question cannabis businesses will face is not whether the federal government will become involved in the industry. It already has. The more important question is whether operators will treat that reality as a future concern or begin preparing for it today. Federal reform presents meaningful opportunities for the cannabis industry. Realizing those opportunities, however, will require something every business depends on: enough regulatory clarity to invest, operate and grow with confidence. Joshua S. Bauchner is Chair of the Cannabis, Hemp, and Psychedelics Practice Group at Mandelbaum Barrett PC in New York and New Jersey. Marky Suazo is Counsel in the Firm’s Cannabis, Hemp, and Psychedelics Practice Group. The post DEA Is Taking On The Role Of Marijuana Regulator Under Trump’s Rescheduling Move (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The purpose is to turn up the heat and get resources to develop these more natural options that could be very important.” By Jack Gorsline, Psychedelic State(s) of America As cannabis rescheduling efforts under the Trump administration draw closer to finalization and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the first wave of synthetic psychedelic drugs looms large in the near future, a new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to stimulate private investment in plant-based medicines by offering a 12-year market exclusivity period for newly approved botanical drugs. Introduced on August 27 by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), the Advancing Botanical Drug Development Act of 2026, or H.R. 10150, seeks to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Under the proposed legislation, FDA would be prohibited from approving generic or hybrid applications that reference a newly approved botanical drug during its 12-year exclusivity window. Supporters of the bill argue this extended period is necessary to overcome the unique scientific, manufacturing and regulatory challenges that currently discourage private investment under standard intellectual property laws. Joel Stanley, CEO of AJNA Biosciences noted in an interview with Psychedelic State(s) of America that while the FDA created a regulatory pathway for botanical drugs in 2004, patient demand for evidence-based natural treatments remains unmet due to a stagnation in approvals. “Before biologics really got their deep funding and became a major category, it was so hard to raise money for them,” said Stanley. “When they were given an extended indication exclusivity, that brought money to the space and now there’s some good drugs there… The purpose is to turn up the heat and get resources to develop these more natural options that could be very important.” Stanley is also the co-founder and former CEO of Charlotte’s Web, who alongside his brothers famously created the company’s eponymous, then-first-of-its-kind high CBD, low THC cannabis strain credited with revolutionizing epilepsy treatments. Stanley’s new venture AJNA Biosciences is currently developing a novel cannabinoid treatment for autism spectrum disorder, along with a full spectrum psilocybin compound that is entering phase I clinical trials. Involvement in the bill’s development was not confined solely to the pharmaceutical sector, either. In an exclusive statement provided to Psychedelic State(s) of America via email, Robert Houton, founder of Mobilizing Accountability in Congress, highlighted his role in spearheading the legislative push. “I have been a patient advocate [for] ten years [on Capitol Hill],” Houton said, pointing to his previous work mitigating fentanyl poisonings and expanding epinephrine access. “[I helped] initiate the successful effort, leadership, and work in Congress to have the H.R. 10150 legislation introduced, [and] continue to work with congressional leaders to introduce a companion bill in the U.S. Senate”. The botanical-derived focus of the new legislation comes at a prescient time, given multiple patented synthetic psychedelic compounds are well-positioned for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As first reported by Psychedelic Alpha, last month news broke that Resilient Pharmaceuticals (formerly known as Lykos Therapeutics) had officially resubmitted a previously-rejected New Drug Application for the company’s MDMA-assisted therapy treatment, complete with updated safety and clinical trial data. More recently, on September 8, Definium Therapeutics’s patented LSD compound was granted a second breakthrough therapy designation by the following the release of “promising” Phase III clinical trial data evaluating the drug for treating general anxiety disorder. H.R. 10150 emphasizes a shift away from standard single-molecule pharmaceuticals, noting that botanical drugs can contain multiple naturally occurring active constituents capable of safely acting on several biological pathways simultaneously. Recent advances in computational biology and artificial intelligence are cited in the bill as modern tools capable of identifying these multi-pathway botanical formulations. “We started Western medicine right at the same time that we started being able to synthesize and isolate molecules,” said Stanley. “But with as many great advancements as we’ve made, we completely left behind the fact that we come from nature, we evolved alongside the natural pairings of molecules found in nature.” Stanley added that standardizing these historical medicines will ultimately bring greater and safer tools to physicians, noting that recent data “marked the first time that we saw in modern days a plant extract surpass the efficacy of multiple FDA-approved drugs.” The push for updated regulatory frameworks extends into the realm of complex botanical and fungal formulations, including ongoing discussions surrounding psychedelic therapies. While praising recent FDA industry guidance for providing regulatory clarity, advocates are pressing for distinct frameworks for sub-perceptual microdosing. “We need to also look at the sub-perceptual dosing and recognize that it doesn’t have a placebo problem at all,” Stanley concluded. “It needs to be based on its own data for chronic dosing and not lumped into some of the issues and hurdles that assisted therapy acute high level dosing has.” While the bill was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on August 27, as of publication a hearing has not been scheduled. 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. Image element courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos. The post New Congressional Bill Could Boost Development Of Plant-Based Medicines, Including Those Derived From Cannabis Or Psychedelics appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Minnesota officials are touting the fact that retailers in the state have sold more than a quarter of a billion dollars’ worth in legal marijuana products since the state’s legal recreational cannabis market launched one year ago. The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) on Tuesday announced that adult consumers and patients have purchased a combined more than $250 million in medical and recreational marijuana products since last September—saying the milestone “comes at a time of significant growth for Minnesota’s emerging cannabis market as the state works to foster an equitable cannabis industry that prioritizes public health and safety, consumer confidence and market integrity.” The cannabis sales haul over the past 12 months includes about $150 million in recreational products and $100 million worth of medical cannabis. “After visiting with business owners, local officials and community members around the state this year, I am more enthusiastic than ever about how Minnesota’s cannabis market is taking shape,” OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel said in a press release. “More than 300 new cannabis businesses have launched in the last year bringing with them new jobs and opportunities for Minnesotans. Doing something right takes time, and we are building a market that is sustainable and supports the opportunity for success for businesses all along the supply chain.” Adding in sales through the state’s separate system of legal lower-potency hemp edibles and drinks, Minnesota has garnered $45.6 million in cannabis-related tax revenue during the 10-month period from September 2025 to July 2026, OCM said, citing data from the state Department of Revenue. Last week, OCM published a study finding that medical marijuana appears to help cancer patients by decreasing pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety and depression while also improving sleep. A previous study published by state officials in Minnesota found that medical marijuana use by chronic pain patients is associated with significant improvements in life enjoyment, general activity and physical wellbeing. OCM also conducted a study showing that medical cannabis provides significant benefits for people struggling with sleep apnea. Data released by the state Department of Health earlier this year showed that cannabis consumption by middle and high school students in Minnesota is lower now than it was prior to the state enacted legalization. The post Minnesota Dispensaries Have Sold Over A Quarter Of A Billion Dollars Worth Of Marijuana Since Legal Sales Launched A Year Ago appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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A top labor union is urging Massachusetts voters to reject an initiative on the November ballot that would roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Massachusetts State Council on Tuesday endorsed the No on 8: Stop the Repeal Campaign. “With more than 400 adult-use marijuana retail locations across Massachusetts, this campaign is about protecting our communities, supporting local businesses, protecting worker rights and not turning away economic opportunity,” SEIU Massachusetts State Council and Local 509 President Dave Foley said in a press release. “The fight to protect legal marijuana is about protecting progress,” he said. “We look forward to working with allies across the state to educate voters about the dangers of returning to an underground market where there are fewer workplace protections, less oversight and no opportunities to organize.” The state labor group represents more than 23,000 human service workers and educators throughout Massachusetts, according to its website. Stop the Repeal Chairperson Ryan Dominguez said that “since legalization, the marijuana industry has brought in close to $2 billion in state and local revenue, supporting thousands of jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually in support of schools, public health, community investments and public safety.” “We are grateful to have the support of the SEIU State Council in helping us to defeat this damaging ballot question and to make sure we stop this ill-advised repeal,” he said. “Massachusetts voters made their voices clear when they chose to legalize marijuana a decade ago, and we cannot allow out-of-state groups to come into the Commonwealth and repeal this law.” 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.” A poll released last month found that Massachusetts voters oppose the marijuana legalization repeal measure, 55 percent to 33 percent. In July, state officials issued a final determination that the initiative—which would repeal laws allowing the regulated commercial sales of recreational cannabis and home cultivation while maintaining legal possession and continuing the medical marijuana system—will appear on ballot this fall. While the latest survey results provide some comfort to cannabis reform supporters, advocates are not resting. A coalition of Massachusetts marijuana business leaders, healthcare professionals and other advocates have launched a campaign to defeat the measure. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) recently issued a warning that passage of the legalization rollback measure would have “disastrous political and economic consequences for legal cannabis markets everywhere.” “Even a too-close victory would spook markets and incentivize a rash of similar initiatives in states around the country, each costing millions to try and defeat,” the group said. After the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office determined that organizers for the anti-cannabis proposal had turned in enough valid signatures to put the measure before voters, a marijuana reform advocate filed an objection with the State Ballot Law Commission claiming that various signatures were not genuine, obtained through fraudulent means or were not “signed substantially as registered.” The body rejected the challenge to the legal marijuana rollback measure, however, clearing it to go before voters to decide. In June, the campaign behind the anti-legalization ballot measure fired a signature gatherer it says was shown appearing to engage in “wholly unacceptable” conduct in a recent video. As Marijuana Moment reported, a man petitioning for the Massachusetts initiative as well as a similar anti-cannabis proposal in Maine was depicted in recent social media posts seeming to argue that voters who support legal marijuana access should sign the petitions in order to advance or protect reform. The campaign later said it has “zero tolerance for any circulation tactics that would mislead petition signers.” “The identified canvasser was immediately terminated, in coordination with our vendor, upon being made aware of the alleged conduct,” the group said. “The conduct apparent in the video would be wholly unacceptable and does not reflect how this campaign operates. We demand honesty, transparency and professionalism from everyone associated with our effort.” A video posted to Reddit of the signature gatherer shows the man collecting signatures outside a retail store in Massachusetts next to a sign that says “keep cannabis legal.” When confronted by a marijuana reform supporter who recorded the petitioner’s interactions with voters, he appeared to be trying to convince them that it is important to qualify the anti-cannabis measure for the ballot in order to then defeat it. “This is what we’re fighting against right here. That’s why we vote no,” he said. “If we can get this to the ballot right here, we vote no.” The person who captured the video pointed out that Massachusetts voters already approved marijuana legalization years ago, and that the only way it could be imminently repealed is if the new ballot measure qualified for the November election. If the initiative does not get enough signatures to go before voters, the state’s laws will remain the same. “It’s my job,” the petitioner insisted, however. “I know what I’m talking about.” “It’s a group of rich folks from out of state that want to basically take marijuana to when it was a medical marijuana card,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.” The same man also appeared to also be gathering signatures for a separate measure in Maine that would similarly repeal laws allowing regulated adult-use marijuana sales and home cultivation rights for adults while keeping possession legal and adding new testing requirements for medical cannabis. A staffer for the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), whose affiliated group SAM Action is largely funding the anti-cannabis ballot campaigns in both states, declined to comment about the petitioner’s conduct when reached by Marijuana Moment. The campaigns have previously been accused of misleading petitioning tactics. In Massachusetts, some voters reported that the campaign used fake cover letters for other ballot measures on unrelated issues like affordable housing and same-day voter registration during the first round of petitioning. Legal cannabis supporters filed an earlier formal complaint about the prohibitionist effort’s tactics, but the State Ballot Law Commission rejected the challenge. The measure also faced a legal challenge from cannabis industry operatives who argued it contains “impermissibly unrelated subjects,” and that the state attorney general’s official summary is “misleading and deficient.” The state Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the litigation challenging the anti-marijuana initiative but it ultimately ruled against the lawsuit. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Major Labor Union Urges Massachusetts Voters To Reject Ballot Measure To Roll Back Marijuana Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hosted a hearing on psychedelic therapy on Monday, with the agency and other federal partners that participated taking testimony from dozens of advocates, researchers and industry participants. Eighty invited witnesses were given two minutes each to briefly summarize their stances and flag issues for federal officials. Prior to the start of testimony, Marta Sokolowska, deputy director for substance use and behavioral health at FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said that the hearing is “part of a whole of government effort to better understand the opportunities, challenges and public health considerations associated with this evolving area of psychedelic drug treatment.” “There have been growing interest and active research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs, in particular for treatment of serious mental health conditions,” she said, noting that as of this weekend, more than 1,800 people had registered for the hearing. Sokolowska said that FDA has taken “a number of steps to advance psychedelic drug development” in recent years, including publishing guidance for researchers, partnering with other agencies and taking regulatory actions. Its most recent actions, she said, are intended to support an executive order that President Donald Trump signed earlier this year to streamline research and access into psychedelic medicine. “This executive order establishes a policy of accelerating innovative research models and appropriate drug approvals to help increase access to psychedelic drugs for serious mental illness,” she said. “FDA remains committed to supporting innovation while maintaining rigorous scientific and regulatory standards, and for the evaluation of drug safety, effectiveness and quality.” The FDA official also noted that the agency in April issued national priority vouchers to three companies studying psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, as well as methylone (MDMC) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and additionally allowed an early phase clinical study of an ibogaine derivative to proceed with an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission. Sokolowska also touted a memorandum of understanding that FDA signed with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concerning a partnership to collaborate on research and development of psychedelic medicines to treat people struggling with serious mental health conditions. Finally, she noted that last week, FDA officials authored a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine that lays out the agency’s “new framework” for psychedelic medicines, including steps they are taking to “make psychedelic therapies available to patients more quickly, as warranted by the nation’s mental health crisis.” Dayle Cristinzio, director of public engagement at FDA, cautioned that the hearing was “not intended for the promotion of any specific drug or commercial product” and was instead focused on gathering information and perspectives “that may help inform continued work in this area for FDA and our federal partners.” “Over the course of the afternoon, we heard perspectives addressing provider training and credentialing, promotion of patient safety, considerations for access, best practices for data collection and standardization, as well as a range of related considerations,” she said. “We appreciate the time and the preparation that went into the remarks shared today.” Cristinzio noted that people can submit comments to an FDA docket about psychedelics through October 5. Other agencies that participated in Monday’s hearing include the National Institute on Drug Abuse, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Veterans Health Administration and Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a podcast released last week that he believes there will be an “enormous demand” for psychedelic therapies as they become legally available, and he thinks Trump is unique among his predecessors in championing the issue. FDA and HHS in April announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions. Last month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a report on recent advances in psychedelic medicine, along with recommendations for state policymakers on how to prepare for formal approval of drugs like psilocybin and MDMA. It also noted how the Schedule I status of many psychedelics has hampered scientific studies on their effects for decades. In May, a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress sent a letter urging FDA to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies. Lawmakers recently filed a new bill that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to evaluate how ongoing research on the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin could help members of the military. A separate recently introduced bipartisan measure is intended to codify Trump’s psychedelics executive order into law. An amendment adopted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act would extend a psychedelics research effort at DOD for an additional six years. The post FDA Psychedelics Hearing Focuses On Boosting Therapeutic Innovations While Adhering To Scientific Standards appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Congress to vote on marijuana & drug testing bill; FDA psychedelics plan; San Francisco cannabis cafe regs; Study: Medical marijuana & cancer symptoms 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 Trump-linked PAC is using money raised from marijuana industry contributions to support 11 vulnerable Republican members of Congress—including several who have voted against legalizing cannabis or advocated against federal rescheduling. The House of Representatives is set to vote this week on a bill to require the Department of Health and Human Services to study how prevalent drug testing for marijuana, fentanyl and other drugs is in hospital emergency departments. Food and Drug Administration officials are laying out the agency’s plan to “make psychedelic therapies available to patients more quickly, as warranted by the nation’s mental health crisis.” The San Francisco, California Office of Cannabis filed proposed rules for cannabis cafes where people could consume marijuana while listening to live music and ordering food and beverages. The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management published a study finding that people with cancer “reported decreased nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and depression scores within four months” of starting medical marijuana. Involving more than 6,500 patients, it is “one of the largest studies ever involving medical cannabis treatment,” officials said. / FEDERAL Customs and Border Protection published a notice of intent to sole source cannabis analyzation devices. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) sent a press release about her cosponsorship of a marijuana banking bill. Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico criticized his Republican opponent Ken Paxton for dodging questions about the state’s cannabis restrictions and other issues, though he himself said he is “declining to answer” whether he partook in marijuana use with Willie Nelson at a recent event. / STATES Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) touted his mass cannabis pardons. Kansas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cindy Holscher said the state should legalize marijuana to generate revenue during a debate. Pennsylvania’s attorney general touted enforcement actions against a network reportedly behind the sales of THC products in stores across the state. The West Virginia legislature’s Joint Committee on Health heard testimony about the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin. Colorado regulators are being sued over their efforts to shutter an unlicensed psilocybin provider. Alaska regulators filed proposed changes to medical cannabis rules. California regulators reportedly shuttered a marijuana cultivation operation connected to the death of a worker after allegedly discovering “adulterated” product and pesticide rules violations. The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission will meet on Friday. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors will meet on October 21. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Baltimore, Maryland City Council’s Legislative Investigations Committee held a hearing on a bill to crack down on stores that illegally sell cannabis products. / INTERNATIONAL French officials are not responding to questions about apparent delays in issuing medical cannabis regulations. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A case study “highlights the potential role of medical cannabis as an adjunctive therapy in the rehabilitation of severe [traumatic brain injury], particularly in addressing complex neurological and functional impairments.” / BUSINESS High Tide Inc. reported quarterly revenue of C$198.8 million. Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. and Aurora Cannabis Inc. continued to trade attacks over the former company’s unsolicited bid to acquire the latter. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post Cannabis biz PAC donations are boosting anti-legalization lawmakers (Newsletter: September 15, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

I enjoyed reading this throwback to Betacon 2016, especially hearing the Founding Fathers reflect on the fraternity’s beginnings and how much it has grown since 1986. Seeing undergrads and alumni excited to meet them also shows how strongly history can connect different generations. That same interest in building and exploring ideas reminds me of Melon Sandbox, a physics sandbox game where I can create different scenarios and experiment freely.

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Rosemary Woodruff Leary sat in a jail cell for a month rather than testify against her husband. While she was inside, Timothy Leary gave a ten page interview to Playboy about what LSD does to a woman's body and did not mention her once. She was his editor, his translator, the person who read the room for him, and the organizer who coordinated his 1970 prison escape across the Weather Underground, the Black Panthers, and the Brotherhood of Eternal Love. She called herself The Computer. Then he turned on her, pointed the FBI in her direction, and she spent twenty four years underground as Sarah Woodruff, running an inn in Provincetown with a go bag by the bed. Susannah Cahalan found her the way forgotten people usually get found. She was working through four hundred boxes of Timothy Leary's papers at the New York Public Library when she noticed a much smaller collection almost nobody had opened. Key Takeaways Rosemary Woodruff Leary served a month in jail rather than testify against Timothy Leary before a grand jury investigating Millbrook, and the Playboy interview that made him famous ran while she was inside. She was the coordinating point between the factions who organized Leary's 1970 prison escape, working with the attorney who also represented the Weather Underground and the Black Panthers. She called herself The Computer. Leary later decoded their letters for investigators and offered her mother money for her location. She spent twenty four years underground and could not hold any job requiring a Social Security number. She died at 66. Cahalan connects that directly to going without health insurance for the years she was a fugitive, which is the harm reduction point of the episode and has nothing to do with the drugs. Rosemary told students explicitly that psychedelics are not for everyone and that there is a shadow side, a position Cahalan argues is more relevant to the current renaissance than anything Leary said. LSD remains a Schedule I substance under the federal Controlled Substances Act. The April 2026 executive order directs faster federal review of psychedelic research; it does not reschedule anything. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 2:38 Ketamine, the NMDA receptor, and the sense of self 3:18 Humphry Osmond, asylum architects, and where set and setting came from 4:38 Finding Rosemary in the New York Public Library archive 5:38 Signs, synchronicity, and the I Ching 6:38 What Rosemary changed in Susannah 9:26 The women who carried the archives while the men made headlines 10:26 Millbrook, the grand jury, and a month in jail 13:06 The Playboy interview she was in jail for 14:41 The prison escape, the FBI, and the letter that ended it 16:05 Twenty four years underground and what it actually cost 18:47 Cape Cod, a new name, and a secret affair 20:47 Invisibility after a certain age 22:32 A contradictory woman 24:32 The warning Rosemary gave about psychedelics 27:32 The Robot, overuse, and why integration matters Guest Spotlight Susannah Cahalan is a journalist and the number one New York Times bestselling author of Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness and The Great Pretender. Her third book, The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary, was published by Viking in 2025 and named a Best Biography of 2025 by The Guardian. She spent years in archives at the New York Public Library and in Rosemary's family's hands to reconstruct a life that survived mostly in other people's footnotes. Additional Resources The Acid Queen: The Psychedelic Life and Counterculture Rebellion of Rosemary Woodruff Leary by Susannah Cahalan (Viking, 2025). [LINK] The 2026 to 2027 Psychedelic Salon season [LINK] April on Substack: https://aprilpride.substack.com Visit April Pride: https://aprilpride.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/aprilpridecreates YouTube: https://youtube.com/@aprilpridecreates Catch the full episode here

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San Francisco officials are seeking public input on newly released draft rules for cannabis cafes in line with a California state law enacted last year that authorizes local governments to let marijuana retailers to expand their services. In July, the city’s Board of Supervisors and mayor approved an ordinance to let marijuana dispensaries serve food and drinks inside their on-site consumption areas. On Friday, the city’s Office of Cannabis posted proposed regulations for how those cannabis cafes will operate. The draft rules touch on operations plans, employee training, security, deliveries, inventory control and access for medical cannabis patients. Public feedback is being accepted through September 25. In late 2024, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed AB 1775, allowing marijuana businesses to offer non-cannabis food and non-alcoholic beverages and host live events such as concerts in their on-site cannabis consumption areas if they get permission from their local government. The new law officially took effect last January, but it has taken months for local officials in San Francisco and other cities to begin enacting their own ordinances to lay out the rules for how cannabis cafes can operate. Under the San Francisco proposal, a business would need to obtain a new Cannabis Café Permit as well as a Cannabis Consumption Permit. Businesses would need to implement written procedures “designed to discourage customers from removing cannabis products intended for on-site consumption from the designated consumption area” or the overall premises. There would be some restrictions on the name of cannabis cafes, barring those that would be likely to “mislead members of the public into believing cannabis products may legally be sold to persons under 21 years of age” or that would entice minors to attempt to patronize the businesses. Dispensaries would need to maintain accommodations for medical cannabis patients, which may include providing an area where the can communication confidentially with employees and maintaining an adequate supply of medical marijuana products. Written comments on the proposed cannabis cafe rules can be sent by email to officeofcannabis@sfgov.org or via mail or in person to Office of Cannabis; 49 South Van Ness; Suite 660; San Francisco, CA 94103. City officials separately released proposed rules changes to incorporate cannabis cafes into the existing Good Neighbor Policy for marijuana businesses. They also posted new resources for businesses to check their eligibility to open a cannabis cafe, as well as bulletin and a FAQ on the issue. Prior to signing the current cannabis cafe law, Newsom vetoed a prior version of the bill, saying that while he appreciated that the intent was to “provide cannabis retailers with increased business opportunities and an avenue to attract new customers,” he felt “concerned this bill could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.” To that end, the measure as enacted contains changes to create separation between public consumption spaces and back rooms of businesses where food is prepared or stored in order to better protect the health of workers in line with the governor’s concerns. The law makes explicitly clear that hemp-based food items or drinks are not considered “non-cannabis” products that could be sold at the cafes. It also says that non-cannabis items “shall be stored and displayed separately and distinctly from all cannabis and cannabis products present on the premises.” The legislation also allows live musical or other performances on the premises of a cannabis retailer in areas where on-site consumption is allowed. Ahead of the governor’s signing of the measure, actor Woody Harrelson—who owns a marijuana lounge in West Hollywood called The Woods, alongside co-founders comedian Bill Maher and tennis star John McEnroe—called for its enactment. Whoopi Goldberg also joined in that push, with a video encouraging the governor to sign it. Earlier this month, Newsom announced that legal marijuana sales have generated nearly $8.4 billion in tax revenue for California communities since voters approved adult-use legalization in 2016. He also recently signed legislation to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children. The governor recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis. Last October, however, he vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.” Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. Meanwhile, a lawmaker spoke to Marijuana Moment about her decision to put her own bill to legalize cannabis dispensary drive-thru windows on hold for now. California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.” The post San Francisco Officials Propose Rules For Cannabis Cafes Where People Could Consume While Listening To Live Music And Ordering Food appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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A political action committee that shares the same treasurer as President Donald Trump’s own super PAC is using money raised from marijuana business donations to launch a series of ads for 11 vulnerable Republican members of Congress—including several who have voted against legislation to legalize cannabis. As Marijuana Moment recently reported, some of the U.S.’s largest cannabis companies donated a collective $11.5 million to America First Agriculture Action Inc. in June. The contributions—from Trulieve Inc., Curaleaf Inc., Verano Holdings LLC and Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc., along with other entities tied to Green Thumb Industries and AYR Wellness Inc.—brought the total amount of donations from cannabis businesses or an industry-linked political action committee to Trump-linked PACs to at least $15.05 million, according to a review of Federal Election Commission filings. Now, the agriculture-focused PAC is spending nearly $1.8 million of that to support several GOP lawmakers who are in tough reelection fights in November. The ads tout the voting records of Reps. Tom Barrett (R-MI), Nick Begich (R-AK), Rob Bresnahan (R-PA), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Gabe Evans (R-CO), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Scott Perry (R-PA), Bryan Steil (R-WI) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI)—but they don’t mention marijuana at all. Instead, the spots targeted to each candidate note, for example, that they voted to ban insider trading by members of Congress and supported tax cuts, including a measure to make it so there would be no taxes on tips, overtime and social security. While most of the members featured in the new ads were first sworn into Congress in 2023 or 2025 and have no cannabis-related voting record, Fitzpatrick, Perry and Steil, have been around longer, beginning in 2017, 2013 and 2019, respectively. In 2020 and 2022, all three voted against Democratic-led bills to federally legalize marijuana. Kiggans, for her part, was a Virginia state senator prior to joining Congress and in that capacity voted against legislation to legalize cannabis. Ciscomani reportedly cheered the defeat of a marijuana legalization ballot initiative in Arizona in 2016, calling it an “awesome victory for our community.” Lawler said last year that it would be “wrong” for the Trump administration to reschedule cannabis, claiming that “marijuana is a gateway drug” and arguing that “most of the people [who] end up using harder substances start out on marijuana.” He also joined a sign-on letter to the president arguing that rescheduling cannabis would “send the wrong message to America’s children, enable drug cartels, and make our roads more dangerous.” The congressman is additionally a cosponsor of a bill that would continue to block marijuana businesses from taking federal tax deductions under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code 280E, even under rescheduling. Perry backed an amendment to protect state medical cannabis programs from federal interference in 2015 as well as a separate proposal to shield recreational marijuana laws as well—but then voted against similar broad amendments in 2019 and 2020. Fitzpatrick and Steil also voted against the amendments to block federal interference with state marijuana laws. Fitzpatrick opposed amendments in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to let military veterans receive medical marijuana recommendations from Department of Veterans Affairs Doctors. Perry opposed that first iteration of the proposal before supporting it in the latter two votes. Both Fitzpatrick and Perry voted in support of legislation to increase cannabis businesses’ access to banking services in 2019 and 2021, however. The new marijuana-contribution-funded ad expenditures were first reported by Puck News, although that outlet questionably characterized the ads as a “reward” for most of the lawmakers voting to support recent spending legislation that included a provision to delay the effective date of the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products. In fact, some of the state-licensed cannabis businesses whose money is being used to pay for the ads see hemp products as competition and support efforts to rein in that industry. Additionally, there was no standalone vote on the hemp ban delay provision itself, so it’s difficult to characterize supporting or opposing the overall spending legislation as taking a position on any cannabis-related issue. Puck also did not note that the PAC took out an ad to support Begich while reporting the ads for the other lawmakers. Although Trump’s administration has taken steps to federally reschedule marijuana, Republican congressional leadership and many members of the party’s House and Senate conferences remain openly hostile to cannabis reform. The GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee this year voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling, for example. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Marijuana Moment in an interview this month that he thinks “marijuana is a gateway drug, and it causes other problems down the road” for people who use it. In contrast, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who would be poised to become speaker next year if Democrats win back a majority in the chamber in November’s elections, said earlier this year that his party will “be in a position to do something about” marijuana laws “in the next Congress.” The only two times that Congress has considered marijuana legalization legislation on the floor was under Democratic control in 2020 and 2022, via the bills that Fitzpatrick, Perry and all but a handful of Republicans voted against. Notably, the treasurer of the agriculture PAC behind the new ads, Charles Gantt, is the same person named as treasurer of Trump’s political committee, MAGA Inc., which has separately received $2.05 million in donations from a cannabis-industry-backed committee, the American Rights and Reform PAC, Inc. Last year, that cannabis industry PAC additionally gave a total of $1.5 million to the agriculture PAC. Earlier FEC records also previously showed that Trulieve and Curaleaf contributed a total of $1 million to support Trump’s inaugural committee following his election in 2024. Curaleaf executive Matt Harrell is listed as treasurer of the American Rights and Reform PAC. The latest contributions from the cannabis companies to the Trump-linked agriculture PAC came weeks after the Department of Justice announced it is moving forward with the process of federally rescheduling marijuana, a reform that Trump backed during the 2024 campaign and then issued an executive order on late last year. Under an action announced by Attorney General Todd Blanche in April, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license immediately moved from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, as did any marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A hearing is considering broader cannabis rescheduling, including for recreational products. Last August, America First Agriculture Action Inc. released an ad highlighting Trump’s endorsement of the reform on the campaign trail. “Under President Trump, America is back. Trump’s delivered the largest tax cut in history—putting more money in our pockets and restored America’s economic dominance,” the ad, which is being targeted at multiple zip codes throughout Washington, D.C., says. “Promises made, promises kept.” “Now it’s time to fulfill another promise from President Trump and reschedule cannabis, which supports over 400,000 jobs and creates billions of dollars in economic growth,” the PAC’s ad says. “Reschedule cannabis and stack another win, Mr. President.” Shortly after Trump signed his cannabis executive order in December, the similarly named nonprofit America First Agriculture Inc. released an ad applauding the move, arguing that it will “destroy” the illicit market and support seniors and military veterans who could benefit from cannabis. “Trump delivered a secure border, unleashed American energy and provided the largest tax cut in American history. Now Trump has delivered again by rescheduling cannabis, which was classified as more dangerous than fentanyl,” it said. “Trump’s action will destroy the cartel’s illicit black market, expand medical research and ensure seniors and veterans safely receive the care they need,” the ad continued. “Thank President Trump for delivering on another America First promise.” The cannabis industry-backed American Rights and Reform PAC separately released ads in May that attacked the marijuana policy record of President Joe Biden, whose administration initiated the cannabis rescheduling process that is now underway, in an apparent attempt to push Trump to go further on the issue. The Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move is also challenged by opponents through litigation. The post Trump-Linked PAC Uses Marijuana Business Donations To Campaign For GOP Lawmakers—Including Some Who Voted Against Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a bill this week to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study how prevalent drug testing for marijuana, fentanyl and other drugs is in hospital emergency departments. The legislation, which cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a unanimous 46-0 vote in July, is set to be taken up on the floor as soon as Tuesday, according to a schedule posted by the office of Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA). The measure will be considered under a procedure known as suspension of the rules, which does not allow for amendments and requires a two-thirds supermajority for passage. The bill from Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) is known as “Tyler’s Law,” after Tyler Shamash, a 19-year-old who died following a fentanyl ingestion in 2018 and was not tested for the drug when brought to the hospital for a suspected overdose. While the legislation, H.R. 2004, is largely focused on fentanyl, it says that within a year of passage the HHS secretary would need to complete a study to determine “how frequently hospital emergency departments test for fentanyl (in addition to testing for other substances such as amphetamines, phencyclidine, cocaine, opiates, and marijuana) when a patient is experiencing an overdose.” The study would also need to look at costs associated with fentanyl testing, the potential benefits and risks of such testing and how it may impact patients’ experiences—including with respect to confidentiality and privacy protections and the patient-physician relationship. The bill, which has 65 House cosponsors, says that within six months of completing the study, HHS would also need to issue guidance covering: “(1) Whether hospital emergency departments should implement fentanyl testing as a routine procedure for patients experiencing an overdose. (2) How hospitals can ensure that clinicians in their hospital emergency departments are aware of which substances are being tested for in their routinely-administered drug tests, regardless of whether those tests screen for fentanyl. (3) How the administration of fentanyl testing in hospital emergency departments may affect the future risk of overdose and general health outcomes.” “A simple drug test can mean the difference between life and death,” Lieu said in a press release when the legislation was approved in committee. “Tyler’s Law is a bipartisan and commonsense piece of legislation. It is a privilege to work with Tyler’s mom, Juli, to honor Tyler’s memory and fight so no other family is forced to undergo such devastating loss.” — 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. — Companion legislation in the Senate from Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) was approved by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee in January—but not before being amended to remove the language that references marijuana and other drugs besides fentanyl. Unlike the House bill, the HHS secretary would have three years to complete the study on hospital drug testing under the amended Senate proposal. In April, a pair of Republican senators filed a separate bill that would require the federal government to track the cost of hospitalization due to marijuana use. The Marijuana Impact on Medicaid Act of 2026 from Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) would require the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to compile data on “Federal and State expenditures under the Medicaid program…that are attributable to costs incurred for providing medical assistance for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, and for services received at a hospital emergency room…related to marijuana use.” The bill’s language is similar to two amendments Budd previously filed on the cannabis and hospitalization issue that didn’t end up being considered on the Senate floor. The post Bill Directing Federal Health Officials To Track Testing For Marijuana And Other Drugs In Hospital ERs Set For House Vote This Week appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Medical marijuana appears to help cancer patients by decreasing pain, nausea, vomiting, anxiety and depression while also improving sleep, according to a new study conducted by government officials in Minnesota. The research, published on Friday by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), is “one of the largest studies ever involving medical cannabis treatment,” officials said. It involved an analysis of marijuana purchases, self-evaluation surveys and symptom and side-effect ratings for 6,621 patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program. Patients rated the severity of various symptoms when they first enrolled in the program and then again at various points while they were receiving treatment. Of the 82 percent of cancer patients who reported moderate to severe pain, nearly a third (30 percent) saw a reduction in their pain score of at least 30 percent within four months of their first medical marijuana purchase. More than half were able to maintain that level of reduced pain after an additional four months. Upon enrollment in the program, over half of participants said they experienced nausea and more than a quarter reported vomiting. Of those, after four months, forty percent reported a reduction in nausea scores of 30 percent or more, and 47 percent reported reduced vomiting scores of 30 percent or more. Those improvements lasted for at least another four months for 65 percent of those with nausea and 74 percent of those with vomiting. “These results show great promise in using cannabis for treating the symptoms that occur with cancer and cancer-related treatments,” Dr. Grace Christensen, a senior research analyst with OCM, said in a press release. “Even minor relief can improve patients’ quality of life and help them better manage battling the disease.” Among patients who experienced lack of appetite, 38 percent reported a 30 percent or greater improvement in scores within four months of their first medical cannabis purchase. Nearly two-thirds of those (63 percent) maintained that improvement for at least another four months. “Patients reported decreased nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and depression scores within four months of starting medical cannabis. Patients reported improved sleep scores within four months of starting medical cannabis.” The study also found benefits for patients with anxiety, depression, sleep and fatigue issues. “A majority of patients qualified for cancer-related conditions also reported moderate to severe scores for anxiety (71.7%), depression (60.5%), disturbed sleep (82.8%), and fatigue (91.5%),” it said. “Among patients with moderate to severe scores, 20.2% with anxiety, 22.4% with depression, 18.2% with disturbed sleep, and 10.8% with fatigue were able to achieve and maintain ≥30% reduction in symptom score.” The paper published by OCM also includes a number of quotes from individual patients about how medical cannabis helps them: “Improves my quality of life immensely. Helps with pain, has a calming effect on my anxiety improves my moods when the clouds of cancer return. I have Stage IV terminal cancer; but I’m relatively happy!” “Relief from pain, neuropathy, and help with sleep at night.” “Much less anxious and able to deal with things so much easier, it helps a lot with pain so I don’t have to take as much other stuff, it really helps with falling asleep and staying asleep longer.” “Lessening degree of pain, increase desire to eat.” “Most useful medication that I have for nausea, anxiety (since prognosis worsened).” “Help with appetite, nausea, and peace of mind and motivation.” Only 15 percent of patients participating in the study reported an adverse side effect of medical cannabis use, and 60 percent of those were described as mild. “Cannabis treatment appears relatively safe, and we now have strong observational evidence that many patients report better control of several cancer-related symptoms,” Dr. Dylan Zylla, oncologist and medical director of the HealthPartners Cancer Research Center, said. “I recommend starting with a low dose of THC and adjusting up gradually every few days to reduce the risk of side effects.” OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel said the study provided “encouraging results for people who are battling cancer.” A previous study published by state officials in Minnesota found that medical marijuana use by chronic pain patients is associated with significant improvements in life enjoyment, general activity and physical wellbeing. OCM also conducted a study showing that medical cannabis provides significant benefits for people struggling with sleep apnea. When it comes to cancer, the new OCM research is the latest to show that medical marijuana can provide relief for people struggling with the disease. For example, a recent federally funded study found that “cannabis use conferred therapeutic benefits for several health issues commonly encountered by cancer patients“—including “pain relief, improved sleep, physical relaxation, emotional regulation, and reduction of concomitant medication.” A separate study found that nearly one in five cancer survivors say they’ve used CBD after getting their diagnosis—primarily to manage pain, sleep difficulties and emotional distress. And more than half of those who used it for specific symptoms reported at least some benefit. Another recent study determined that medical marijuana extracts “meaningfully” improve cancer-related symptoms such as sleep difficulties and anxiety—though responses varied among patients depending on personal preferences for individual cannabinoid content of the extracts. Researchers separately found that components of marijuana show “consistent and statistically significant anti-tumor effects” in certain types of cancer, including glioblastoma and breast cancer. The study also showed that cannabinoids seem to “enhance chemotherapy efficacy.” Another systemic review concluded that studies “consistently show” that the CBD is a potential “anticancer agent across different cancer types”—and that effect applies to dogs as well as humans. A similar analysis showed that CBD “holds substantial promise as an anti-tumor agent” in addition to its other anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists explored CBD’s effect on many types of cancer—including some of the most aggressive ones, such as glioblastoma, which affects the brain. They also noted it can help suppressing the growth and metastasis of other cancers, including breast, lung, colorectal, ovarian and prostate, among others. In 2025, a paper published in the journal Pharmacology & Therapeutics, assessed a range of clinical and preclinical findings that the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs can be enhanced by medical marijuana. In a sign of greater acceptance of medical applications of cannabis, President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as the next White House drug czar has called medical marijuana a “fantastic” treatment option for seriously ill patients and said she doesn’t object to legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy. Also last year, a study found that “patients with cancer using cannabis report significant improvements in cancer-related symptoms.” The post Medical Marijuana Helps Cancer Patients With Pain, Anxiety And Nausea, Government Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net