All Activity

A leading marijuana legalization advocacy organization is stepping up the pressure on Congress to reverse a scheduled ban on hemp THC products and institute a system of regulations as an alternative to criminalization. “When it comes to public health and safety, regulation and education consistently yield better results than prohibition,” the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) said in an action alert to its supporters this week, urging them to send letters to their members of Congress about the issue. “The path forward to address real safety concerns is setting clear potency limits, testing and labeling standards, age restrictions, and keeping dangerous products out of the market—all while preserving consumer access to a market that has created over 225,000 jobs and generated at least $28 billion in tax revenue nationally to date,” the group said. While some marijuana businesses see the federally legal hemp industry as a form of competition that unfairly has access to interstate commerce and have supported moves to federally recriminalize its products, MPP as an advocacy group is asking Congress to stop the planned ban while instead moving forward with comprehensive reform for all cannabinoids. Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that redefined hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would remain legal after November 12. Now, however, under provisions included in a funding bill Trump signed last month, the effective date of the ban for most products is being pushed back to December 11 to give lawmakers more time to craft regulations for hemp derivatives. There is a carve-out, however, to allow the recriminalization on November 12 of synthetic cannabinoids “that are not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant.” The sample letter that MPP is asking its supporters to send to U.S. senators and House members says that “millions of Americans have benefited from access to these products” and that “creating a framework for regulations is the only viable path forward.” “The current lack of regulatory guidance, including age-gating these products to adults 21 years old and over, on hemp-derived cannabinoids should be a legislative priority,” it says. “Congress needs to act to put sensible regulations in place that protect consumers and hold businesses accountable. But implementing a policy that would make 95% of the current hemp products on the market illegal is not just irresponsible—it will have devastating consequences for millions of Americans. Handing over this multibillion industry to the illicit market would be a blunder of enormous magnitude.” MPP’s new action alert comes months after the group’s executive director said he thinks it is “unlikely” there would be “further moves from the federal government on the cannabis front under this Congress.” On the other side of the debate, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) recently released an election guide that asks its supporters to press congressional candidates about their stance on hemp THC products. Meanwhile, advocates for convenience stores recently discussed their views that the retail outlets are an ideal place to continue to sell hemp products under any new regulations that are enacted. The pressure from industry and advocates comes as Members of Congress are debating how—and whether—the crop’s derivatives should be regulated as an alternative to prohibition. Several Republican lawmakers recently spoke to Marijuana Moment about the kinds of rules they would like to see enacted to keep hemp THC products legal. A number of lawmakers from both chambers and both parties have filed or are circulating a growing number of bills to prevent the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC drinks and other products. Until now, none of those proposals have gained traction with congressional leaders. For example, Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) filed a bill to keep hemp THC drinks legal while taxing and regulating them like alcohol. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is circulating legislation that would delay a planned federal ban on hemp THC products and institute some regulations—including packaging requirements, testing rules and age limits. Separately, Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), filed a lengthier proposal to prevent the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products and put in place a number of regulations for manufacturing, labeling, sales and taxation of hemp-derived products, including an age limit of 21. Trump and White House officials repeatedly pressed Congress to delay, alter or reverse the ban in recent months. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in June, for example, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said the Trump administration wants lawmakers to “ensure the fair treatment of hemp products”—specifically citing Barr’s earlier amendment to keep many hemp products legal while adding regulations and taxes. The administration “welcomes the opportunity to work with the Congress to, at a minimum, update the statutory definition of final hemp-derived cannabinoid products to allow Americans to benefit from access to appropriate full-spectrum CBD products,” OMB separately said in June, “while preserving the Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose serious health risks.” Also in April, the president himself urged congressional lawmakers to again redefine hemp to avoid recriminalization of full-spectrum CBD products. “I am calling on Congress to update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access the full-spectrum CBD products they have come to rely on, and that help them, while preserving Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,” he said. “Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for.” Industry advocates say that the law as enacted last year not only threatens to prohibit intoxicating and synthetic cannabinoid products but also stands to remove popular full-spectrum CBD products that many Americans use therapeutically from the market. “ONE in FIVE adults used it in the past year, and many say it improved their chronic pain enormously,” the president said in his social media post, adding that hemp-derived CBD “has made a HUGE difference for so many people.” He also referenced a new initiative the administration launched in April to cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible Medicare patients. The program being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses largely on CBD but also allows products to have up to 3 milligrams of total THC per serving. A federal judge granted the government’s motion to dismiss marijuana legalization opponents’ lawsuit challenging the initiative, but that is being appealed. “In December, I signed a very important Executive Order calling for Research and Innovation for Hemp-derived CBD,” Trump said. “Our wonderful Dr. Mehmet Oz moved fast to follow the directive in the Executive Order, and launched a model for some Seniors earlier this month. But more must be done!” “Please get it done, and SOON,” the president said in reference to a congressional fix for the broad recriminalization set to take effect in November. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Some members of the alcohol industry have also urged Congress to regulate, rather than ban, hemp products. The National Restaurant Association recently sent a letter urging congressional leaders to delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC beverages and replace it with a regulatory framework that “ensures consumer safety while meeting growing market demand” for the products as an alternative to alcohol. Major retailer Target, meanwhile, recently moved to expand its sales of hemp THC drinks into more states. Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen. The post Marijuana Reform Group Asks Congress To Keep Hemp THC Products Legal appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A significant number of people who hike enhance their experience on the trail with marijuana, according to a new poll. The expedition company Climbing Kilimanjaro surveyed 1,008 U.S. adult hikers, finding that more than a third (35 percent) have hiked while under the influence of cannabis—the most popularly used substance in the poll. Another 7 percent said they have hit the trail after using CBD products, and 15 percent have hiked while tripping on psilocybin. Nearly 1 in 4 respondents in the poll (24 percent) said they are curious about using psychedelics while in nature but haven’t done so yet. Overall, 44 percent of people surveyed said they have hiked under the influence of some substance. That includes 23 percent who have used alcohol on the trail. Among those who do indulge in substance use while hiking, 48 percent do so to feel more connected to nature, and 23 percent said it helps them calm their nerves and get over fears. More than half of those who consume cannabis or other substances while on hikes (51 percent) do so on short, easy trails close to where they live, while only 5 percent indulge on more difficult hikes or climbs, the poll found. Justin Mtui, Kilimanjaro Consultant for Climbing Kilimanjaro, told Marijuana Moment that “for some hikers, the natural high just isn’t enough, and they’re looking for even more ‘elevated’ ways to enjoy the trails.” “Cannabis and psychedelics aren’t competing with the outdoor experience, but they’re becoming part of the journey, with hikers using them to help relax, take in the scenery and feel more connected to nature,” he said. “With all of that being said, when it comes to more serious terrain, they’re opting for a clear head still.” The poll reinforces the results of previously published research that has undermined the “lazy stoner’ stereotype by showing that cannabis can be part of a healthy and active lifestyle. One study published this year, for example, found that people who use marijuana aren’t more or less likely to be physically active compared to non-users—but they do tend to favor light or moderate exercise, suggesting that “cannabis may influence the subjective experience.” Relatedly, a 2024 study found that young to midlife adults were neither more sedentary nor more intensely active after consuming cannabis. In fact, recent marijuana use was associated with a “marginal increase” in light exercise. “Our findings provide evidence against existing concerns that cannabis use independently promotes sedentary behavior and decreases physical activity,” authors of that paper wrote, adding that “the stereotypical ‘lazy stoner’ archetype historically portrayed with chronic cannabis use does not acknowledge the diverse uses of cannabis today.” Another study showed that the non-intoxicating marijuana component CBD holds “potentially performance-enhancing properties” for athletes and may serve as an effective post-exercise recovery tool, A study published in 2023 separately linked marijuana use to an enhanced “runner’s high” and lower pain during exercise. Participants experienced “less negative affect, greater feelings of positive affect, tranquility, enjoyment, and dissociation, and more runner’s high symptoms during their cannabis (vs. non-cannabis) runs,” according to those findings. And in 2021, researchers found that frequent marijuana consumers are actually more likely to be physically active compared to their non-using counterparts. Yet another study, in 2019, found that people use cannabis to elevate their workout tend to get a healthier amount of exercise. It also concluded that consuming before or after exercising improved the experience and aided in recovery. Meanwhile, a recent federally funded study challenged a related longstanding stereotype about marijuana munchies leading to obesity in lazy stoners—finding that whole extract cannabis is linked to both weight loss and and reduced risk of diabetes. A study released last year on the use of marijuana components to aid weight loss found that use of a combined product containing the cannabinoids THCV and CBD “was associated with statistically significant weight loss” as well as a slimmer waistline, lower blood pressure and decreased cholesterol. A separate study in 2024 found that regular marijuana users were less likely to be obese than people who don’t consume cannabis. In fact, the analysis showed a “dose-response relationship between marijuana use and [body mass index], with the lower the BMI classification, the higher marijuana use.” People who’d used cannabis within the past month were “31 percent less likely to be obese than non-users, after adjustment,” the study says, while “daily marijuana users are 32 percent less likely to be obese than non-users.” Additional research published in 2020 found that “compared to older adult nonusers, older adult cannabis users had lower [body mass index] at the beginning of an exercise intervention study, engaged in more weekly exercise days during the intervention, and were engaging in more exercise-related activities at the conclusion of the intervention.” The post More Than A Third Of Hikers Use Marijuana To Enhance Their Experience On The Trail, Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Republican congressman who leads efforts for marijuana reform on Capitol Hill says the Trump administration’s move to reschedule cannabis should be expanded to include a review of the classification of all federally controlled substances. “I want to see an across-the-board examination of cannabis, hemp, psilocybin, tranquilizers—of everything,” Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), who serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, told Marijuana Moment in an interview. Under an order issued 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). An administrative hearing is considering broader marijuana rescheduling, including of recreational products. But Mast, for his part, wants a much broader reexamination of federal drug policy. “I want them to review all of it,” he said. “So what is actually working well, what is actually working wrong.” The scheduling of drugs needs to be reconsidered “across the board,” he said. “It’s not just cannabis. It’s a bigger conversation.” Meanwhile, a recent review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) called on federal agencies to improve their policies that govern the drug scheduling process—including how they evaluate substances and develop recommendations. That report found, among other things that the Drug Enforcement Administration “does not have any policies or procedures regarding how its staff are to conduct evaluations or schedule substances” and the Food and Drug Administration “does not have policies or procedures specifying how its staff are to conduct evaluations or develop scheduling recommendations for substances.” Opponents of marijuana rescheduling are asking for the GAO report to be included in the official record for the administrative hearing, leading to a temporary pause in the proceedings. The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C. The post GOP Congressman Says Marijuana Rescheduling Should Expand To ‘Across-The-Board’ Review Of Psychedelics And Other Drugs appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The beauty of Escorts Service in Janakpuri is that everything revolves around you. Want a slow, sensual evening? Done. Craving a wild, sweaty marathon? She's ready. A flexible Janakpuri Escorts Service tailors the experience to your exact desires at prices that stay affordable. These women are experts at reading what a man needs and delivering it without hesitation. Book a Janakpuri Escort tonight and take full control of your pleasure. Your desires, your rules, your unforgettable night

CA candidates: Overhaul marijuana laws; IA Dem governor candidate praises Trump on cannabis; WA medical marijuana rules Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Before you dig into today’s cannabis news, I wanted you to know you can keep this resource free and published daily by subscribing to Marijuana Moment on Patreon. We’re a small independent publication diving deep into the cannabis world and rely on readers like you to keep going. Join us at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) exclusively told Marijuana Moment that they will be voting against an initiative on the Massachusetts November ballot to roll back the state’s cannabis legalization law. California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Fiona Ma are both calling for an overhaul of the state’s marijuana laws—with Ma saying she wants to put a new cannabis measure on the ballot for voters to decide. Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand is praising the Trump administration for rescheduling marijuana—saying that “I’m a believer that it should be treated the way we treat alcohol. And so when they did it, I said, ‘Good for them.'” The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board voted to accept a rulemaking petition to create a process allowing marijuana businesses to document their participation in the medical cannabis market in order to ease their access to benefits under federal rescheduling. Amanda Strickland of the Source Craft Cannabis details in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed how Arkansas bans billboards for medical cannabis dispensaries like hers while allowing out-of-state marijuana companies from Missouri and Oklahoma to advertise on them. A Missouri jury awarded $10 million to plaintiffs in a lawsuit centering on a marijuana business ownership dispute. / FEDERAL President Donald Trump appears to have appointed Howard Kessler, who previously played a key role in convincing him to move forward with cannabis reform, as an advisor on aging healthcare. / STATES Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) touted his mass cannabis pardons during a debate. Idaho gubernatorial candidates discussed their opposition to a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would block voters from ever being able to legalize marijuana. Kansas attorney general candidates discussed their views on marijuana at a debate. The South Dakota legislature’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee will meet on Tuesday. Colorado regulators published guidance about inactive ingredients added to cannabis vape devices. Oklahoma officials told lawmakers that they need better tools to track cannabis grows. New York cannabis regulators are recruiting people to serve on the Social and Economic Equity Cultivation Working Group. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / INTERNATIONAL The UK Conservative Party shadow home secretary said police should arrest everyone who smokes cannabis. A Romanian senator filed a bill to decriminalize drug possession. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “adjunctive Cannabis oil contributed to improved pruritus control in dogs with atopic dermatitis.” A study’s results “support psilocybin with adjunct psychotherapy as a promising antidepressant treatment – ​​potentially with a disease-modifying potential –, and most likely targeting a range of neurobiological and psychological therapeutic mechanisms.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Idaho Freedom Foundation published a piece arguing that a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot to prevent voters from being able to legalize marijuana is “appropriate and necessary.” / BUSINESS Tilray Brands, Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $257.1 million and a net loss of $40 million. Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. commenced a public offering of stock. 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 US senators say keep cannabis sales legal in Massachusetts (Newsletter: October 9, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

In that quiet room in Bhopal, every sensation shared felt truly special with the Call Girls Bhopal . A sense of warmth gradually built up through gentle pressure and responsive movements. The silence amidst those passionate moments deepened the connection even further, leaving a memorable impression of pleasure experienced naturally and without any rush.

“You’ve seen countless billboards for Missouri and Oklahoma cannabis businesses, yet you’ve never seen one for an Arkansas dispensary. So you assume Arkansas must not have dispensaries.” By Amanda Strickland, The Source Craft Cannabis I was two sips into a mezcal cocktail at a bar in Bentonville, Arkansas—Walmart’s hometown—when a new friend said the six words that keep me awake at night: “I just drive to Missouri for cannabis.” Because I have no filter, I responded, “You’re killing my business!” She laughed, and I asked the real question: Why would a smart, well-traveled professional drive twenty-five minutes north to spend money at a dispensary chain when there’s a locally owned craft dispensary ten minutes from her house, with better product, better prices and established community give-back programs? The answer: “I didn’t know The Source existed.” Then the follow-up: “Getting a medical marijuana patient card in Arkansas seems hard.” I’ve had this conversation with hundreds of Northwest Arkansans, and my field research has revealed an unfortunate truth: my friend is not an outlier. She is the average Arkansan. Arkansas voters approved a medical-only cannabis program in 2016. Nearly a decade later, many Arkansans, particularly those who live near states with more permissive programs, do not know that Arkansas dispensaries exist. Billboard Advertising: The Ultimate Catch-22 Take a drive in Arkansas, and you’ll get an education in neighboring cannabis programs whether you asked for one or not. Head north on U.S. 65 toward Branson, Missouri, and count the cannabis billboards. Stairway Cannabis, in tie-dye script. Roughly eight more along I-49 between Fayetteville and Bella Vista. Five on the last stretch of I-40 into Memphis. Three around Jonesboro, in the state’s northeast corner, including a purple one for a Missouri brand called Codes promising “your state line dispensary.” Simply driving makes you privy to the deals. A recent weekend special at Stairway’s Branson store: $100 ounces. Oklahoma, with 1,295 dispensaries, has stores along our western border simply named State Line Dispensary, because why be coy? Now I’d like to ask you to count the billboards for Arkansas dispensaries—but you can’t, because there are none. By regulation, an Arkansas dispensary may have three physical signs attached to its building, none bigger than 36 square feet. No billboards allowed. So the human brain does what it’s compelled to do, and it makes an assumption. You’ve seen countless billboards for Missouri and Oklahoma cannabis businesses, yet you’ve never seen one for an Arkansas dispensary. So you assume Arkansas must not have dispensaries, and who could blame you? A Rule Outsmarted By Time When Arkansas built its program from scratch, it was surrounded on every side by prohibition states. Nobody across the line was advertising to us, because there was nobody across the line. Then February 2023 happened. Missouri opened recreational sales to anyone over 21, no residency required, under a state constitutional amendment that says cannabis advertising can be no more restricted than alcohol advertising. If Budweiser can buy the board, so can the dispensary, and “the board” can be anywhere the customers are—including 300 miles inside Arkansas. Our neighbors adapted their cannabis programs; we didn’t. And of course Arkansas’s cannabis advertising rules apply only to Arkansas dispensaries. Dramatic Differences In Barriers To Entry Twenty minutes north of The Source, in Jane, Missouri, population 400, Flora Farms opened a store a third of a mile past the state line in January 2024. It runs 14 registers, roughly nine of every ten license plates in the lot are from Arkansas, and it has become one of Missouri’s highest-grossing dispensaries. High Profile opened up across the street shortly after. So why would an Arkansan choose a dispensary chain in another state over shopping local? They don’t know Arkansas even has a medical marijuana program. In Missouri, the front door only requires a driver’s license. Shopping at an Arkansas dispensary requires a doctor’s visit and fee, a $50 state fee and a card that arrives in about two weeks. The card has to be renewed every year. The impact on Arkansas’s program is staggering. The patient count rose 9 percent this year, to more than 119,000, and revenue fell anyway. More patients in the program, less of their money staying in Arkansas, which means less tax revenue, and fewer breakfasts for Arkansas schoolchildren. (Uunder a 2025 law, tax revenue from Arkansas medical marijuana helps make sure no kids go to school hungry.) The Rule Rewards Whoever Has A Second State Any company operating in Arkansas that also operates in a second state now has a valid loophole for billboard advertising. For example, the CODES billboard in Jonesboro points toward a dispensary in Missouri, while also operating as a brand and a dispensary in Arkansas. Now that’s clever. Any company’s Missouri stores can buy billboards in Arkansas. Its Arkansas stores can’t. The name recognition bears weight either way. That’s legal, and if I had a Missouri license, I’d probably do it too. But I don’t, and neither do the remaining independent operators. A single-state, single-location dispensary has no second state to advertise from. As the industry consolidates, that gap stops being a quirk and becomes a real problem for operators like us. Ask Me How To Buy Local Weed I run a locally owned, single-location cannabis company that offers subsidized health insurance and creative careers, and works alongside more than 15 local nonprofits. It is not threatened by Missouri, or by the other 36 dispensaries in Arkansas. It is threatened by invisibility. The state could fix that with one sentence: if a cannabis ad is allowed to appear in Arkansas, an Arkansas licensee should be allowed to buy the same space. That’s rulemaking, not a constitutional amendment, and nobody who wrote the current rule could have predicted Highway 65 in 2026. Until then, I’ve made it my mission to tell Arkansans they still have the option of shopping at a business that keeps their money local and puts values over profit, which is roughly the speech I gave my friend at the bar that night. Two weeks later, she had her Arkansas medical marijuana card. Not because of me, but because for the first time she had the information she needed to decide where her hard-earned dollars should go. Thanks to her, I got savvy. Since no billboard in Arkansas is allowed to say it, we printed the question on a T-shirt and built a website, howtobuylocalweed.com, to answer it. Ask me how to buy local weed; I’ll point you straight to The Source. Amanda Strickland is CEO of The Source Craft Cannabis, an independent, vertically integrated medical dispensary in Rogers, Arkansas and Director of the documentary Roots & Reefer: The Arkansas Cannabis Story. Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen. The post Arkansas Bans Billboards For In-State Medical Cannabis Dispensaries While Letting Missouri And Oklahoma Marijuana Companies Advertise On Them (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Republican and Democratic candidates running for California’s highest elected offices are in agreement that the state’s marijuana legalization law is in need of changes. Fiona Ma, the Democratic Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor, said at a cannabis conference this week that the legal marijuana market is “a complete disaster.” “California was the number one cannabis-producing state in terms of quality and being trusted by the farmers, similar to our wine industry,” she said at the IgniteIt event in Los Angeles. “And now it’s pretty much—it’s almost dead. The legal business is dead.” A big part of the problem, she said, is that taxes are “definitely too high” for the legal industry to compete with unlicensed operators. Ma, who currently serves as California’s treasurer, said she wants to “help spearhead trying to get something back on the ballot to change what is happening” in cannabis. Rather than collect signatures for a voter initiative, which is an expensive endeavor, she is proposing that “we go through the Legislature, get two-thirds of the votes, get the governor to sign the bill, and then it would go on the ballot.” “That’s the cheapest way, but I do need cooperation,” she said, adding that she wants to immediately begin convening a stakeholder working group to identify specific problems and solutions. “I can start convening right now.” Ma outlined a potential route: build an industry-backed proposal, seek two-thirds support in the Legislature and the governor’s signature, then take it to voters. Her goal: avoid an expensive signature-gathering campaign. — IgniteIt Cannabis (@IgniteItNews) October 7, 2026 Earlier this year, Ma held a hearing about cannabis banking issues and called California’s marijuana legalization law a “complete failure,” saying it should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses. Meanwhile, Steve Hilton, the GOP nominee for California governor, is also highlighting issues with the state’s cannabis system. During a visit to a cannabis business this week he asked what he could do to help the industry if he is elected. A person working there said they are “over-regulated and overtaxed, and so it’s extremely difficult to operate, especially as a small business.” Hilton replied by citing a plan he has to create a new Office of Fun and Freedom. “The point about that is that there’s so many ridiculous things in California that just you know, stupid killjoy bureaucratic rules that don’t serve any purpose make life less fun and less free for no good reason, and less affordable,” he said. “I’m really looking for specific things that we can do to make life more fun and more free. “Therapeutic Alternative” in Sacramento pays $40,000 a year just to be ENDLESSLY inspected by California bureaucrats. Meanwhile, a full decade after legalization, the illicit cannabis market remains LARGER than the legal one. When voters approved Prop 64 in 2016, the point was… pic.twitter.com/S7WoYece3K — Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) October 8, 2026 “When voters approved Prop 64 in 2016, the point was safety and freedom—not to create ANOTHER overtaxed, over-regulated industry,” the GOP candidate said in a social media post. “When I’m governor, I’ll cut the red tape and give small dispensaries some much-needed relief.” In a separate post with another video of the cannabis business owner discussing taxes, Hilton said the effective 38 percent rate it pays on its products is “RIDICULOUS.” “ENOUGH with the fraud,” he said. “ENOUGH with crushing small business.” This Sacramento cannabis dispensary says its products are taxed at a RIDICULOUS 38% rate and is demanding an audit of the money. We looked into it ourselves and found that $350 million meant for substance abuse programs instead went to Democrat voter machines! ENOUGH with the… pic.twitter.com/S8JrjIoQ6I — Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) October 7, 2026 Hilton also spoke at the IgniteIt cannabis event where Ma appeared, calling for greater law enforcement efforts against Chinese-linked illicit marijuana cultivation operations. “It’s really bad, and they’re stealing water. They’re stealing electric,” he said. “And it’s really wrecking local communities.” 62% of cannabis consumed in California comes from illicit sources, including farms operated by cartels and Chinese gangs. ENOUGH. I’ll expand the Highway Patrol into a proper California State Police force to crack down on this crime and protect our LEGAL cannabis industry. From… pic.twitter.com/vYkMCJx7qQ — Steve Hilton (@SteveHiltonx) October 8, 2026 In June, Hilton told Marijuana Moment in an interview that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.” The Republican candidate said at the time that after studying the issue and spending “some time with the industry,” he came to understand that there is a “regulatory burden and a tax burden that is too high.” “The original intent” of legalization was to “bring the industry, as it were, into the open—and you’ve actually seen the illegal industry growing even more since these policies” were implemented, Hilton told Marijuana Moment. “So we’ve got to make a change.” He said he’s “actually in a conversation in great detail with the industry to look at the specific parts of the regulatory and tax burden that need to be changed in order to achieve the goals of legalization, which is a thriving industry that provides a product safely that people want to consume.” Incumbent California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently signed a bill to revise packaging and labeling rules for marijuana-infused edibles and beverages. Newsom separately signed a pair of bills revising various state marijuana laws related to product testing, tracking, consumer access to information and cannabinoid content. In August, he signed legislation to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children. Last month, the governor touted the fact that that legal marijuana sales have generated nearly $8.4 billion in tax revenue for the state since voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, saying that the money “helps fund programs that benefit Californians, including childcare and early childhood development, youth substance abuse prevention, medical research and environmental recovery.” California’s top cannabis regulator spoke recently about how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hasn’t been cooperative in answering questions about the implications of the Trump administration’s rescheduling move. DCC Director Clint Kellum said that there have been “national-level efforts” to contact DEA in conjunction with cannabis regulators from other states, but they “just really haven’t seen any sort of interest on that front, unfortunately.” The post California GOP And Democratic Candidates Agree That Marijuana Law Needs An Overhaul appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“We are here trying to get back the business that they stole from us.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent A St. Louis jury awarded $10 million Tuesday to three plaintiffs in a sprawling ownership battle over six Missouri cannabis licenses involving more than 20 businesses and individuals. Over a week of testimony, jurors heard about a tangled series of business agreements and allegations that partners went behind one another’s backs to secure competing deals. The case hinged on whether the plaintiffs in the case—AJO MO LLC, Hi-Rise LLC and DMS Facility Management LLC—lawfully acquired a company through a transaction that would have made them majority owners of a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility in Waynesville that also included 40 percent stake in four Heya dispensaries. Missouri cannabis regulators recognized AJO and Hi-Rise as the owners of the Waynesville facility licenses in May 2024. However, the state hasn’t approved the disputed ownership changes involving the four Heya dispensaries while a series of lawsuits played out. The jurors sided with plaintiffs on counts of breach of contract and tortuous interference, awarding them a total of $10 million. “We’re pleased the jury decided in our favor and awarded appropriate damages,” Peter Barden, spokesman for the plaintiffs, told The Independent after the verdict. The decision may not end the company’s struggles for AJO and Hi-Rise. As jurors deliberated inside the Mel Carnahan Courthouse in St. Louis last week, Missouri cannabis regulators filed proposed rules that would change how the state handles the kinds of complicated ownership arrangements exposed during the trial. The proposed rules would give regulators new authority when someone with a history of specified violations is found to be “exercising a controlling influence” over a facility. It would lead to a fine of up to $100,000 or suspension or revocation of a license, according to the rules. That could be significant for AJO, which owns 50 percent of Delta Extraction, a marijuana manufacturing company whose license the state revoked in November 2023 after it became the center of a massive product recall. AJO LLC told The Independent last year it was only a passive investor in Delta Extraction, where it owns 50 percent. However, court documents and testimony in that case contradict that characterization. St. Louis Judge Michael Noble barred defense attorneys from telling jurors about Delta Extraction’s license revocation and AJO’s connection to the company. The proposed state rules include a detailed list of offenses that include selling or distributing unregulated THC, fraudulently using an agent identification card, tampering with or falsifying video recordings and refusing to cooperate with a department investigation. Amy Moore, director of the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, which oversees the marijuana program, explained earlier this year the aim of the rules. “What we are saying in the rule is if a year from now [if the rules are approved] we look at your ownership,” Moore told The Independent at the time, “and we see you have someone exercising a controlling influence that you know has done these things, then that is a violation.” With regards to the proposed regulations, Barden said: “We’re reviewing the proposed regulations to determine how they may impact our ownership structure if implemented.” The Case The case grew out of a partnership between Eric Kirberg and Scott Sterling, who began working together around 2018 on Missouri medical marijuana license applications. When they didn’t win licenses of their own, they did what many others did at the time: they offered to build and run facilities for license winners in exchange for equity. Kirberg, a contractor, built out a cultivation and manufacturing facility in Waynesville, and Sterling, a cannabis executive, ran operations as CEO. In return, their company got 9.9 percent of the entity holding the licenses and an option to buy the rest from its owner, 1913 Holdings. They did the same with four Heya dispensaries and secured 40 percent equity. The two set up three companies, called the Delphi entities, to hold the ownership stakes, the management contracts and the Waynesville property. Sterling resigned in October 2021 as CEO but retained his equity in the parent company. Soon after, Delphi defaulted on a loan Kirberg had personally guaranteed. In May 2022, AJO and Hi-Rise paid about $6.9 million to the lender and acquired the Delphi company that owned the Waynesville facility and property, plus an option to buy 95 percent of the Delphi company that held everything else. That included the 9.9 percent stake in the Waynesville license and the 40 percent share of the Heya dispensaries. Sterling was not a party to the deal and says he never consented to it. Just before closing arguments, Noble ruled that the option to purchase agreement — which was a major part of the plaintiffs’ case—was never executed. AJO and Hi-Rise instead ultimately obtained control of the Waynesville licenses through a separate deal with 1913 Holdings to secure 90.1 percent of the Waynesville licenses, while Kirberg retained 6.9 percent and Sterling 3 percent of the licenses. “They couldn’t sue for breach of contract,” defense attorney Jeffrey Lowe told The Independent. “It’s not until it was exercised was it going to be an enforceable contract, so they didn’t have that.” In March 2023, Kirberg and Sterling sold their Delphi interests to one of the defendants, TMSKirk, whose principals were then running Heya. The defendants argue Heya had a right of first refusal over Delphi’s dispensary stake that took priority over the AJO and Hi-Rise option, which defendants argued was never executed. “We are here trying to get back the business that they stole from us,” Lowe said in his closing statement. The plaintiffs successfully argued they were harmed by the defendants. “This has been a saga for four years now,” Ampleman said in his closing arguments. “You have the opportunity to make a definitive statement on who was in the right and who was in the wrong.” Lowe said the defense plans to file a post-trial motion arguing, among other things, that Noble’s ruling removing the option agreement from the case immediately before closing arguments created confusion about what remained for jurors to decide. ‘Own the car’ The trial also highlighted a broader issue Missouri regulators are attempting to address: The companies recognized by the state as owners of a cannabis license are not always the same people or companies effectively controlling the business. One of the defendants, Tim Schlesinger, an owner of TMSKirk, testified last week that he believes under Missouri law, people can buy a cannabis company and operate it without the state’s approval. “So you can own the car before you get it licensed at the DMV,” he said. He explained how while state regulators may have an owner down on paper, another company could be filing tax returns, taking all the revenue and acting as the owner. And this occurs with many cannabis companies, Schlesinger said, including Good Day Farm cannabis company who purchased one of the Heya dispensaries involved in the case. “They are managing it; they’re running it; they’re branded with it,” he said. “The bank accounts are in their names.” The Division of Cannabis Regulation did not respond to a request for comment on Schlesinger’s characterization. AJO and Hi-Rise also operated the Waynesville facility before the state approved their ownership change. These dealings make it difficult for the public and even employees to understand who owns certain dispensaries. The new rules won’t necessarily make those relationships more transparent, but they will make it easier for companies to change ownership by streamlining the approval process. Currently when a cannabis facility wants to make a change in ownership that’s more than 50 percent, it has to submit a business-change application and get pre-approval to do so. That process can drag on anywhere from six months to a year, Moore said earlier this year. Instead, every licensee would submit a report annually that outlines the ownership percentage for each entity or individual. Licensees must still seek pre-approval if they’re adding a new owner or an individual who has 10% or more interest, or they’re fully transferring their licenses to another entity. A state audit released earlier this year found that the division took an average of 165 days to approve or deny business ownership change requests from submission to final action, based on data the auditor reviewed from 2020 through 2023. The annual review requirement will also offer an opportunity for regulators to catch rule-breakers in ownership or management positions. Under the proposed rules, regulators can deny ownership applications if “any owner or manager of the applicant entity who exercises a controlling influence over the license’s management, policies, or decision-making” had previously broken specific rules. That provision could create additional scrutiny for companies connected to previously revoked licenses. When the state approved the license change for AJO and Hi-Rise in May 2024, Delta’s appeal of its license revocation was still pending. The final verdict didn’t come down until nine months later. “The totality of the circumstances at the time, including the nature of the ownership change, was not sufficient cause to deny the change,” division spokeswoman Lisa Cox said. Cox also said the state’s administrative rules currently do not prohibit individuals who have had a license revoked from acquiring another license. The proposed rules would give regulators greater authority to consider that history. The proposed amendments will be published in the November 2 issue of the Missouri Register, which can be found on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website. Public comments will be accepted from November 2 through December 2. This story was first published by Missouri Independent. The post Missouri Jury Awards $10 Million In Marijuana Business Ownership Dispute appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The two U.S. senators who represent Massachusetts are opposing an initiative on the November ballot that seeks to roll back the state’s cannabis legalization law. In interviews with Marijuana Moment, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) said they will be voting against the anti-cannabis measure. “We could make improvements in the operations but legalizing cannabis is better than continuing an unregulated, underground market,” Warren said. “So I’m opposed to the repeal. I’m voting no on the ballot to repeal.” “I understand that we don’t have all the right answers on cannabis yet, but repeal of the statute doesn’t seem like a move to put us in a better place,” she said. “There are improvements we could make, but repeal is not one of them.” Markey, for his part, said the state’s marijuana legalization law that voters approved in 2016 continues to enjoy “overwhelming support.” “We’ve had debate,” he said. “The voters are satisfied at this moment with the experience that the state has had with it.” “Obviously we can always be talking about additional safety-related issues, but the polling shows that 75 percent of people in the state want to keep it on the books,” Markey said. “I support keeping it on the books and overwhelmingly so do the people of Massachusetts.” Warren and Markey’s comments represent the latest high-profile endorsements for the campaign to defeat Question 8—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. Earlier this week, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) urged voters to reject the measure, saying that “keeping marijuana legal in Massachusetts is both economic justice and racial justice policy.” Gov. Maura Healey (D) similarly said recently that she opposes the anti-cannabis initiative, saying that “we’ve got to keep recreational marijuana here in Massachusetts.” “It’s an important industry, the cannabis industry,” the governor said. “And I hope the voters keep cannabis.” Meanwhile, a new poll released last week shows that most Massachusetts voters oppose the ballot measure to roll back marijuana legalization. The survey, published by CommonWealth Beacon and conducted by MassINC Polling Group (MPG), shows that 61 percent of likely voters oppose the initiative. Just 27 percent of respondents said they favor the anti-cannabis ballot measure, while 11 percent are undecided and 1 percent responded that they would prefer not to state their opinion. A separate poll released last month by The University of New Hampshire, showed that nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of respondents plan nedto vote against the anti-cannabis measure, while just 24 percent planned to support it. Another survey released in August found that Massachusetts voters opposed the marijuana legalization repeal measure, 55 percent to 33 percent. Competing campaigns working to pass and defeat the legalization rollback have launched a series of ads trying to convince voters of their respective positions. The prohibitionist campaign’s ads focus on the dangers of marijuana-impaired driving, while the campaign seeking to keep cannabis sales legal is highlighting the public health and safety harms of sending consumers back to the unregulated market. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, which regulates the legal industry, announced last month that the state has surpassed $10 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. CCC Chair Chris Harding told Marijuana Moment that he can’t comment directly on the initiative and that the commission does not take positions on pending ballot questions or legislation, but he said that, in general, “repeal of the adult-use industry could eliminate thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and billions in tax revenue.” Meanwhile, a top labor union—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Massachusetts State Council—is urging voters to reject the cannabis legalization rollback initiative. While the latest survey results provide some comfort to cannabis reform supporters, advocates are not resting. A coalition of Massachusetts marijuana business leaders, healthcare professionals and other advocates have launched a campaign to defeat the measure. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) recently issued a warning that passage of the legalization rollback measure would have “disastrous political and economic consequences for legal cannabis markets everywhere.” “Even a too-close victory would spook markets and incentivize a rash of similar initiatives in states around the country, each costing millions to try and defeat,” the group said. After the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office determined that organizers for the anti-cannabis proposal had turned in enough valid signatures to put the measure before voters, a marijuana reform advocate filed an objection with the State Ballot Law Commission claiming that various signatures were not genuine, obtained through fraudulent means or were not “signed substantially as registered.” The body rejected the challenge to the legal marijuana rollback measure, however, clearing it to go before voters to decide. In June, the campaign behind the anti-legalization ballot measure fired a signature gatherer it says was shown appearing to engage in “wholly unacceptable” conduct in a recent video. As Marijuana Moment reported, a man petitioning for the Massachusetts initiative as well as a similar anti-cannabis proposal in Maine was depicted in recent social media posts seeming to argue that voters who support legal marijuana access should sign the petitions in order to advance or protect reform. The campaign later said it has “zero tolerance for any circulation tactics that would mislead petition signers.” “The identified canvasser was immediately terminated, in coordination with our vendor, upon being made aware of the alleged conduct,” the group said. “The conduct apparent in the video would be wholly unacceptable and does not reflect how this campaign operates. We demand honesty, transparency and professionalism from everyone associated with our effort.” A video posted to Reddit of the signature gatherer shows the man collecting signatures outside a retail store in Massachusetts next to a sign that says “keep cannabis legal.” When confronted by a marijuana reform supporter who recorded the petitioner’s interactions with voters, he appeared to be trying to convince them that it is important to qualify the anti-cannabis measure for the ballot in order to then defeat it. “This is what we’re fighting against right here. That’s why we vote no,” he said. “If we can get this to the ballot right here, we vote no.” The person who captured the video pointed out that Massachusetts voters already approved marijuana legalization years ago, and that the only way it could be imminently repealed is if the new ballot measure qualified for the November election. If the initiative does not get enough signatures to go before voters, the state’s laws will remain the same. “It’s my job,” the petitioner insisted, however. “I know what I’m talking about.” “It’s a group of rich folks from out of state that want to basically take marijuana to when it was a medical marijuana card,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.” The same man also appeared to also be gathering signatures for a separate measure in Maine that would similarly repeal laws allowing regulated adult-use marijuana sales and home cultivation rights for adults while keeping possession legal and adding new testing requirements for medical cannabis. A staffer for the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), whose affiliated group SAM Action is largely funding the anti-cannabis ballot campaigns in both states, declined to comment about the petitioner’s conduct when reached by Marijuana Moment. The campaigns have previously been accused of misleading petitioning tactics. In Massachusetts, some voters reported that the campaign used fake cover letters for other ballot measures on unrelated issues like affordable housing and same-day voter registration during the first round of petitioning. Legal cannabis supporters filed an earlier formal complaint about the prohibitionist effort’s tactics, but the State Ballot Law Commission rejected the challenge. The measure also faced a legal challenge from cannabis industry operatives who argued it contains “impermissibly unrelated subjects,” and that the state attorney general’s official summary is “misleading and deficient.” The state Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the litigation challenging the anti-marijuana initiative but it ultimately ruled against the lawsuit. The governor of Massachusetts last month filed legislation proposing to increase military veterans’ access to medical marijuana by allowing them to receive patient cards without having to get a doctor’s recommendation. The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C. The post Warren And Markey Oppose Massachusetts Ballot Measure To Roll Back Marijuana Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Marijuana regulators in Washington State are moving forward with creating a process to allow marijuana businesses to document their participation in the medical cannabis market in order to ease their access to benefits that come with the Trump administration’s partial rescheduling move. Under an order issued 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). While an administrative hearing is considering broader marijuana rescheduling, Washington businesses in the meantime have no way to verify their medical cannabis-specific activities, and state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) officials said in June that rescheduling cannabis on the federal level “does not appear to apply” to businesses in Washington. But LCB on Wednesday unanimously voted to accept a rulemaking petition from The Cannabis Alliance and Caitlein Ryan that seeks to create a process allowing marijuana businesses to “request verification of their regulatory status and activities authorized under [medical cannabis laws] for use in governmental, regulatory, financial, research, insurance, litigation, or other lawful purposes, including federal registration processes.” The board’s acceptance of the petition in a 3-0 vote comes despite a recommendation from agency staff to reject it. “Licensees seeking banking, federal registration, research participation, or insurance coverage have no access to structured, state-issued documentation of their regulatory status,” the now-accepted petition for rulemaking says. “The absence of a state verification process may also prevent licensees from demonstrating their state regulatory status when seeking protections, rights, or registrations available under federal law. As federal cannabis law evolves, a standardized verification process ensures licensees have access to accurate state-issued documentation while leaving federal legal determinations to the appropriate federal agency. Staff had argued that state officials would have difficulty verifying a business’s medical cannabis activities and would need to “rely on self-reporting by the licensees themselves,” also expressing concerns that implementing a new certification process could “produce significant administrative and staffing burdens.” Certifying medical cannabis activities would additionally “not prohibit a licensee from engaging in recreational cannabis production, processing, or sales,” the staff recommendation said. As such, a certificate “very likely would not conform to federal medical cannabis standards or assist the licensee with qualifying for the federal cannabis registration program the requested rule petition is seeking to accommodate.” LCB member Pete Holmes said during the meeting before the vote that while he acknowledged the staff’s “very real resource and other concerns,” he felt it was appropriate to accept the petition and include it in the state’s “broader effort” to cooperate with the federal government on cannabis and other issues. That said, Holmes also sought to lower expectations that state officials can significantly improve the “precarious nature of our industry amid all of these economic, legal and political times” by accepting the petition. “If you believe that we, the LCB, can inject certainty into any federal program managed under this federal administration, I think you’re simply being unrealistic,” he said. “The petition doesn’t propose a magic bullet, and I’m not sure what will come of it.” Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, The Cannabis Alliance organized supporters to submit comments to the board in support of the proposal, noting that the staff’s rejection recommendation offered “no alternative process to address the documentation gap” for marijuana businesses. “We are asking the Board to preserve the petition’s purpose and work with stakeholders on practical details. It does not have to adopt every provision of our suggested language to move forward,” the group said. LCB officials will now move ahead with the process of actually creating rules to allow the medical cannabis business certification process. In the previously issued guidance memo in June, LCB said that “Washington does not license medical cannabis producers, processors, or retailers.” “Instead, Washington has a single recreational market and within that market producers/processors may manufacture [Department of Health]-compliant products, and certain retailers may sell DOH-compliant products to all adult patients and designated providers,” it explained. “Because of this, Washington’s cannabis licensees do not appear to qualify as ‘state medical marijuana licensee[s]’ and therefore may not be eligible to register under the Final Rule,” the agency said, referring to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration process for state-legal marijuana businesses to take advantage of federal benefits that come with the reform. That said, LCB is “not taking a position to prevent licensees from applying for federal registration if they choose,” the guidance continued. “If any licensee does apply for federal registration, we would be interested in learning about their experience and any federal determination.” Nonetheless, “based on our analysis, federal rescheduling in its current form does not appear to apply to Washington’s cannabis licensees due to the statutory framework predominately regulating recreational cannabis,” LCB said. Washington isn’t the only state moving to reform its own marijuana rules in light of the federal rescheduling process. In California, regulators recently adopted emergency rules changes for the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis. Meanwhile, top marijuana regulators from a growing number of states are complaining that federal officials are not providing enough—or any—guidance about federal rescheduling. The post Washington Officials Take Steps To Make It Easier For Medical Marijuana Businesses To Access Federal Rescheduling Benefits appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Democratic Party’s nominee for Iowa governor is heaping praise on the Republican president of the United States for taking steps to update federal marijuana policies. Rob Sand, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Iowa, was asked at an event on Wednesday about areas of bipartisanship where he can work with President Donald Trump’s administration. “I’m someone who has always been willing to call the good ‘good,'” he said. “I was really glad to see the Trump administration move towards making marijuana more accessible for medical purposes. I’m a believer that it should be treated the way we treat alcohol. And so when they did it, I said, ‘Good for them.'” Under an order issued 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). An administrative hearing is considering broader marijuana rescheduling. Sand, who has often discussed his support for broader cannabis legalization on the campaign trail, said on Wednesday that “nobody has a monopoly on good ideas.” “Nobody has a monopoly on bad ideas either,” he said. “And if we’re willing to just work with people and focus our work on whether or not what they’re doing is good, then we can get all kinds of all kinds of things done.” “I don’t care what the name of the president is. I don’t care care what their party is,” Sand said. “What I care about is what is it they want to do—is it good for Iowa? Great, let’s do it, and I’ll give them all the credit that’s due.” Sand said last month that legalizing marijuana is a “no-brainer” move to help ward off a “fiscal time bomb” in Iowa that could otherwise lead to cuts in funding for education and public safety in the state. “I think we should treat it the way we treat alcohol. That seems like a no-brainer to me, right?” the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, who is currently the state auditor, said at a town hall event. “Alcohol is a dangerous drug. You shouldn’t abuse it. Also, we’re not going to throw you in prison for having a beer,” Sand said. “Why is it any different for marijuana? It is a dangerous drug. You shouldn’t abuse it. We shouldn’t be throwing people in prison just for using it.” Sand also spoke about his support for legalizing marijuana at an earlier event in August, saying that he thinks cannabis should be legalized and treated like alcohol, even if he thinks it’s “dangerous.” “Marijuana is a dangerous drug,” he said at the time. “You shouldn’t abuse it, but we also shouldn’t throw people in prison just for using it. We should treat it the way we treat alcohol. Alcohol is a dangerous drug. You shouldn’t abuse it, but we don’t throw you in prison just for having a beer when you get home.” The Democratic gubernatorial candidate said that Iowa is “spending perfectly good tax dollars to lock people up” for marijuana while people who want to use it are driving across the border to purchase it in other states. “They’re spending their money in Illinois, or they’re spending it in Missouri. And then they’re driving back without their money,” Sand said. “The money stays there, and the tax dollars stay there.” Republican gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn reportedly opposes legalizing cannabis but doesn’t appear to have spoken extensively about the issue. Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee in a U.S. Senate race, said last month that cannabis’s longtime restrictive Schedule I status is “ridiculous.” Marijuana “should be legalized and regulated, and let’s tax it,” he said. Meanwhile, Iowa regulators are circulating proposed rules changes to remove the residency requirement for patients in the state’s medical cannabis program while also ensuring that military veterans qualify for reduced registration fees. The residency-focused part of the regulatory change from the state Department of Health and Human Services is meant to comply with provisions of a bill that Reynolds signed into law in June. In addition to allowing out-of-state residents to register in the medical cannabis program if they have a certification from an Iowa healthcare provider legislation, that legislation also doubles the number of medical cannabis dispensaries that are allowed to operate in the state. Regulators said in the new rule filing that removing the residency requirement is expected to “primarily impact qualified Nebraska residents since Nebraska is the only bordering state that does not currently have an operational medical or adult-use cannabis program.” “Although Nebraska has taken steps to establish a medical cannabidiol program, implementation has experienced significant delays and setbacks,” the regulatory explanation says. Beyond the residency change that is part of the bill the governor signed this year, the new rule change also restores regulatory language that was “inadvertently removed during the 2023 Red Tape Review process” that allowed proof of military veteran status to be used to qualify for a reduced patient application fee of $25 instead of the standard $100. Under prior law, Iowa’s limited medical marijuana program allowed only five dispensaries. That has doubled to 10 under HF 990, which the governor signed. — 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 Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board, which oversees the state’s medical marijuana program, recommended in a 2023 report that the state allow more licenses “in an effort to provide Iowans with greater geographical access to medical cannabis products.” Under the program, patients with certain conditions can obtain cannabis products containing no more than at 4.5 grams of THC every 90 days. Flower and smoking are not allowed. Healthcare practitioners can allow greater amounts of THC for patients who are terminally ill or who have experience with the program and for whom the provider believes 4.5 grams is not enough. Separately this session, Iowa lawmakers considered a bill to create a state-regulated therapeutic psilocybin program for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Last year, the governor vetoed earlier legislation that would have allowed doctors in the state to immediately prescribe a synthetic form of psilocybin in the event of federal approval of the psychedelic substance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), arguing that it “surrenders state authority to make an informed determination about classification to federal officials.” Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post Iowa Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Praises Trump For Rescheduling Marijuana appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Many thanks with regard to supplying current improvements concerning the issue, We anticipate study much more. visabet88

MA anti-marijuana initiative ads; Brittney Griner on legalization; Poll: Cannabis helps people cut alcohol drinking; ID anti-cannabis ballot measure 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 Top marijuana regulators in a growing number of states are complaining that federal officials aren’t answering their questions or providing guidance about the Trump administration’s cannabis rescheduling move. “Really it’s past time and high time for DEA to communicate with state regulators like us here in Georgia to better understand the programs and these requirements.” The Massachusetts campaign working to pass a ballot initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law launched two new ads focused on impaired driving. Basketball player Brittney Griner, who was incarcerated in Russia over cannabis vapes, said all 50 U.S. states should legalize the “booming business” of marijuana—adding that it has “benefits” for “people that are dealing with different illnesses” and has fewer side effects than many prescription drugs. “A lot of the pain pills that they want you to take and use have so many side effects and so much just takes you out of your character. And for me, with all the injuries I’ve had, it’s helped me with being able to still be functional.” A new poll shows that two-thirds of people who use marijuana say it has helped them to reduce their alcohol drinking—including nearly a third who say they have “completely replaced alcohol with cannabis.” An Idaho senator is defending a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot to block voters from ever being able to legalize marijuana, saying its aim is to “prevent special interests from convincing people to pass legislation that would give money to those special interest groups.” / FEDERAL The U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant the government’s request to hear a case on gun rights for a man convicted of possessing methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration denied a company’s application for registration as a bulk manufacturer of marijuana, citing the fact that its “parent company and sister company have been engaged in the manufacture of marijuana for sale in the recreational market.” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) tweeted, “All Kratom is deadly it should NOT be sold at gas stations/vape stores/ANYWHERE Admin needs 2 put out final 7OH rule NOW Kratom is killing our kids BEWARE of special interest snake oil.” / STATES Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a bill to require officials to develop and distribute a notice on the effects of cannabis, hemp and nicotine products to schools. Texas Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Vikki Goodwin discussed her views on cannabis. New Jersey regulators are facing a federal lawsuit over marijuana industry labor rules. New Ohio marijuana product size, THC potency and purchase limit rules took effect. Oklahoma regulators are conducting a survey of credentialed medical cannabis business employees. Florida’s medical cannabis program now has nearly 1 million patients. Maryland regulators published the results of a survey of marijuana micro processor businesses. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Los Angeles, California City Council delayed the deadline for marijuana businesses to remit unpaid taxes. A San Antonio, Texas firefighter was suspended after testing positive for cannabis. / INTERNATIONAL Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet discussed his opposition to legalizing cannabis cultivation. The UK’s patient safety commissioner issued a warning about the need for safeguards around medical cannabis prescribing. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “CBD treatment was associated with clinically meaningful seizure reduction and acceptable tolerability in this real-world cohort of adults with drug-resistant developmental and epileptic encephalopathies.” A study suggested that “psilocybin therapy may be safe, tolerable, and preliminarily efficacious for treating depression in” bipolar II disorder. / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Texas Hemp Business Council published a voter guide for the upcoming elections. / BUSINESS Trulieve Cannabis Corp. fully repaid approximately $65 million in mortgage notes. Aurora Cannabis Inc. again urged shareholders to take no action on an unsolicited acquisition bid from Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. A member of the SNDL Inc. board of directors resigned. / CULTURE Howie Mandel and Bill Maher spoke about their use of cannabis. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post State officials push DEA for cannabis rescheduling guidance (Newsletter: October 8, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Quality and discretion are hard to find, but the Top Escort Service in Delhi delivered exceptionally on all fronts, ensuring absolute satisfaction and wonderful memories.

Most people who use cannabis say it has either completely eliminated or greatly decreased their alcohol drinking, according to a new poll. The survey of marijuana consumers, conducted by cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD and released to mark the month of “Sober October” in which many people seek to cut back on drinking, found that 31.5 percent of respondents said they have “completely replaced alcohol with cannabis.” Another 25.8 percent said that marijuana has “greatly decreased my alcohol consumption” and 8.5 percent said it has “somewhat decreased my alcohol consumption.” In all, two-thirds of cannabis consumers (65.8 percent) say that marijuana has helped them to completely eliminate or at least somewhat decrease their alcohol use. Meanwhile, 9.8 percent said cannabis has “not changed my alcohol consumption,” 2.1 percent said it has “somewhat increased my alcohol consumption” and 2.7 percent said it has “greatly increased my alcohol consumption.” The survey involved interviews with a representative sample of 1,005 cannabis consumers in state-legal markets between September 24-26 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.09 percentage points. The results are the latest in a series of recent market analyses, surveys and studies indicating that the cannabis sector, as well as the growing marijuana legalization movement, have proved to be a disruptive force for the alcohol industry. A study published in August, for example, showed that most people who consume cannabis THC beverages end up drinking less alcohol. Two-thirds of participants (65 percent) said they drank less alcohol during the research period while they were consuming THC beverages. Fifty-six percent said they would consider using cannabis drinks “as a regular replacement for alcohol,” 53 percent reported a decreased craving for alcohol and 47 percent said they now prefer the THC beverage they tested over their usual alcoholic drink. A survey released last year showed that four in five adults who drink cannabis-infused beverages say they’ve reduced their alcohol intake—and more than a fifth have quit drinking alcohol altogether. That survey was released shortly after a leading alcohol industry group added a company that makes THC-infused drinks to its membership roster for the first time, further signaling the cultural shift. This also comes at a time when younger Americans are increasingly using cannabis-infused beverages as a substitute for alcohol—with one in three millennials and Gen Z workers choosing THC drinks over booze for after-work activities like happy hours, according to a new poll of 1,000 young professionals. A poll released last year found that a majority of Americans believe marijuana represents a “healthier option” than alcohol—and most also expect cannabis to be legal in all 50 states within the next five years. The post Marijuana Is Helping People To Completely Eliminate Or Reduce Their Alcohol Drinking, New Poll For Sober October Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“We just want to prevent special interests from convincing people to pass legislation that would give money to those special interest groups.” By Clark Corbin, Idaho Capital Sun Idahoans voting in November’s general election will decide whether to give the Idaho Legislature the sole power to regulate marijuana and other drugs—and eliminate their right to bring a citizen-led ballot initiative to do so. Currently, there are two ways in Idaho that marijuana, medical cannabis or other drugs can be legalized and regulated. First, the Idaho Legislature could pass a law to legalize it. Second, Idaho voters could legalize it by passing a ballot initiative. Who gets to decide is a big part of the debate over House Joint Resolution 4, or HJR 4 for short. House Joint Resolution 4 is a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would give the Idaho Legislature the sole authority and power to legalize marijuana (including medical marijuana), narcotics and other psychoactive substances. If a simple majority of voters vote “yes” for House Joint Resolution 4, Idahoans would not be allowed to bring a ballot initiative forward to legalize marijuana, medical cannabis, narcotics or other psychoactive substances. If voters vote “no” and don’t approve HJR 4, there would be no changes to the Idaho Constitution. That means Idahoans would still be able to use the ballot initiative process to legalize marijuana, narcotics or other psychoactive substances. Voters in several of Idaho’s neighboring states, including Washington, Oregon, Montana and Nevada, used ballot initiatives to legalize marijuana in those states. People have tried to do the same in Idaho. But so far, each effort has failed to meet the signature-gathering requirements to qualify for an election, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. Passing HJR 4 would mean Idahoans voluntarily give up rights to ballot initiative process, Idaho constitutional scholar says David Adler, president of the nonprofit Alturas Institute in Idaho Falls, says passing HJR 4 would mean voters are agreeing to give up their own rights and freedoms. Adler has taught courses on government and the Constitution at all three of Idaho’s public universities and has spoken about HJR 4 this fall. “The more I speak on it, the more I realize people generally are of the belief that this is about regulating marijuana and they don’t understand that it has a far broader impact on their ability to resort to the initiative to exercise their rights,” Adler said. “Really, HJR 4 asks Idahoans to surrender both their rights and their powers to shape their future,” Adler said. He said a ballot initiative is a tool of democracy that the public has used to improve the state since the 1930s. Different ballot initiatives in Idaho have created the nonpartisan Idaho Fish and Game Commission, regulated dredge mining to protect clean water and created sunshine and transparency laws that provide for the disclosure of campaign finance reports and lobbying activity, Adler said Idaho voters should not give that power up permanently when nobody knows what future medical discoveries could come from drugs or psychoactive substances, Adler said, adding that coffee and tea are considered psychoactive substances. HJR 4 is also another example of the Idaho Legislature trying to restrict access to ballot initiatives or make the requirements to qualify a ballot initiative more difficult, Adler said. Idaho legislators says HJR 4 protects Idaho from special interests trying to force legalization Almost all Republicans in the Idaho Legislature support HJR 4 and oppose the legalization of recreational or medical marijuana. Sen. Scott Grow, a Republican from Eagle who co-sponsored HJR 4, said the constitutional amendment is necessary to ensure that special interest groups don’t run expensive political campaigns designed to manipulate the public into legalizing drugs at the ballot box. “When ballot initiatives run for marijuana or other psychoactive drugs like they did in Oregon, there is a lot of money that comes in on the pro side to legalize the drugs because special interests are trying to make money selling the drugs,” Grow said. “It is difficult to get money to fight it, and that’s the same thing we are seeing with HJR 4. It is difficult to get money to make the public aware of what it is because there is no money to be made by those of us pushing HJR 4,” he said. “We’re just trying to help the citizens understand that the status quo is the Legislature has the power currently. We just want to prevent special interests from convincing people to pass legislation that would give money to those special interest groups.” Grow said passing HJR 4 does not grant any additional power to the Idaho Legislature, which already has the ability to regulate and legalize drugs. Grow said the public has the opportunity to participate and make its voice heard through the committee and public hearing process in the Idaho House of Representatives and Idaho Senate. “I would say the citizens have the full opportunity to be involved in the process,” Grow said. Republicans in the Idaho Legislature introduced and adopted HJR 4 during the 2025 legislative session. With near unanimous Republican support and opposition from Democrats, HJR 4 passed 58-10 in the Idaho House of Representatives and 29-6 in the Idaho Senate. This story was first published by Idaho Capital Sun. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Idaho Senator Defends Proposal To Prevent Voters From Being Able To Legalize Marijuana appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Brittney Griner, the professional basketball player who was previously incarcerated in Russia over possession of marijuana, says it’s time for cannabis to be legalized across the U.S., citing its role as a safer alternative to painkillers that athletes are commonly prescribed. “At this point, I feel like all 50 states…just might as well” legalize marijuana, she said in an interview with Into The Mix, a podcast published by the ice cream company Ben & Jerry’s. “It’s a booming business. It’s bringing jobs into communities, bringing revenue into states. States legalize it, and you see the revenue that starts coming in behind it.” The WNBA player also said cannabis has “benefits” for “people that are dealing with different illnesses and different things that are affecting their life”—with fewer side effects than many prescription drugs. “I’ll speak for me. A lot of the pain pills that they want you to take and use have so many side effects and so much just takes you out of your character,” Griner said. “And for me, with all the injuries I’ve had, it’s helped me with being able to still be functional.” Griner spent nearly 10 months in Russian jail after being caught at an airport with cannabis vapes that she used medically in accordance with Arizona state law. She was ultimately freed as part of a prisoner swap orchestrated by the Biden administration. On the Ben & Jerry’s podcast, Griner spoke about the difficulties she experienced while behind bars in Russia, saying that people who are incarcerated in the U.S. also often face undignified and unsanitary conditions. “These are the conditions that you would think would be not in our country, but they are definitely in our country,” she said. “And there’s people that are locked up on nonviolent cannabis charges in states where it’s been reversed, decriminalized, and they’re forced to be in these conditions.” “No one should have to go through that,” Griner said. “And when I started to take a deeper dive into our judicial system and our prison system, I was just like, this is something that has to change. We have to figure out a way to to do something, bring awareness.” “I’m trying so hard with my team to get people that are incarcerated right now on nonviolent cannabis charges where it is decriminalized out, because it’s a booming business and they’re going to make that money.” Griner pulled out of an appearance at a cannabis event last year after discovering what she felt was a threatening message in her hotel room. Conference attendees had hoped to hear from the basketball star about the nature of her incarceration in Russia, which helped fuel international debate about cannabis prohibition laws domestically and abroad. The WNBA, meanwhile, officially removed marijuana from its prohibited substances list earlier this year while also laying out rules for how players can invest in and promote cannabis companies. Image element courtesy of Lorie Shaull/Wikimedia. The post All 50 States Should Legalize The ‘Booming Business’ Of Marijuana, Brittney Griner Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A campaign working to pass an initiative on the November ballot that would roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law has launched its first set of ads. The two new spots from the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts both put a focus on impaired driving. “From bus stops to public parks, marijuana smoke is impossible to escape. But it’s not just public spaces,” the first ad says. “Forty-two percent of drivers in fatal crashes test positive for THC.” “Put the brakes on commercial sales,” it says. “Vote yes on Question 8.” The second new ad says that “this isn’t about what adults do in their own homes.” “Forty-two percent of drivers in fatal crashes test positive for THC,” it says. “Put the brakes on commercial sales. Vote yes on Question 8.” While most people on both sides of the legalization debate discourage driving after consuming marijuana, reform activists would dispute the framing of the prohibitionist campaign’s new ads. Because cannabis metabolites can stay in consumers’ systems for weeks after their last use, there is no way to tell many of the drivers in fatal crashes cited by the ads were actually under the influence at the time of their accidents. In any case, the campaign behind the initiative on next month’s ballot—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—is hammering home their message with the new spots. “Voters were told legalization would be tightly controlled and that the harms would stay contained. That is not what happened,” Wendy Wakeman, a spokesperson for the campaign, told MassLive, which first reported on the new ads. “When 42 percent of drivers killed in accidents are testing positive for THC, this is no longer a private choice,” she said. “It is a public safety problem. Question 8 puts the brakes on the for-profit recreational market that puts high-potency products on every corner.” MassLive also reported that the prohibitionist campaign has raised $3.5 million and spent $2.7 million, according to campaign finance reports. Meanwhile, the opposing campaign to defeat the legalization rollback measure and allow adult-use cannabis sales to continue has recently received some high-profile endorsements. This week, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) urged voters to reject the measure, saying that “keeping marijuana legal in Massachusetts is both economic justice and racial justice policy.” Gov. Maura Healey (D) similarly said this weekend that she opposes the anti-cannabis initiative, saying that “we’ve got to keep recreational marijuana here in Massachusetts.” “It’s an important industry, the cannabis industry,” the governor said. “And I hope the voters keep cannabis.” A new poll released last week shows that most Massachusetts voters oppose the ballot measure to roll back marijuana legalization, in line with the governor’s views. The survey, published by CommonWealth Beacon and conducted by MassINC Polling Group (MPG), shows that 61 percent of likely voters oppose the initiative. Just 27 percent of respondents said they favor the anti-cannabis ballot measure, while 11 percent are undecided and 1 percent responded that they would prefer not to state their opinion. A separate poll released last month by The University of New Hampshire, showed that nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of respondents plan to vote against the anti-cannabis measure, while just 24 percent plan to support it. Another survey released in August found that Massachusetts voters oppose the marijuana legalization repeal measure, 55 percent to 33 percent. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, which regulates the legal industry, announced last month that the state has surpassed $10 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. CCC Chair Chris Harding told Marijuana Moment that he can’t comment directly on the initiative and that the commission does not take positions on pending ballot questions or legislation, but he said that, in general, “repeal of the adult-use industry could eliminate thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and billions in tax revenue.” Meanwhile, a top labor union—the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Massachusetts State Council—is urging voters to reject the cannabis legalization rollback initiative. While the latest survey results provide some comfort to cannabis reform supporters, advocates are not resting. A coalition of Massachusetts marijuana business leaders, healthcare professionals and other advocates have launched a campaign to defeat the measure. The campaign recently rolled out two TV ads urging voters to reject the rollback initiative and keep marijuana sales legal. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) recently issued a warning that passage of the legalization rollback measure would have “disastrous political and economic consequences for legal cannabis markets everywhere.” “Even a too-close victory would spook markets and incentivize a rash of similar initiatives in states around the country, each costing millions to try and defeat,” the group said. After the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Office determined that organizers for the anti-cannabis proposal had turned in enough valid signatures to put the measure before voters, a marijuana reform advocate filed an objection with the State Ballot Law Commission claiming that various signatures were not genuine, obtained through fraudulent means or were not “signed substantially as registered.” The body rejected the challenge to the legal marijuana rollback measure, however, clearing it to go before voters to decide. In June, the campaign behind the anti-legalization ballot measure fired a signature gatherer it says was shown appearing to engage in “wholly unacceptable” conduct in a recent video. As Marijuana Moment reported, a man petitioning for the Massachusetts initiative as well as a similar anti-cannabis proposal in Maine was depicted in recent social media posts seeming to argue that voters who support legal marijuana access should sign the petitions in order to advance or protect reform. The campaign later said it has “zero tolerance for any circulation tactics that would mislead petition signers.” “The identified canvasser was immediately terminated, in coordination with our vendor, upon being made aware of the alleged conduct,” the group said. “The conduct apparent in the video would be wholly unacceptable and does not reflect how this campaign operates. We demand honesty, transparency and professionalism from everyone associated with our effort.” A video posted to Reddit of the signature gatherer shows the man collecting signatures outside a retail store in Massachusetts next to a sign that says “keep cannabis legal.” When confronted by a marijuana reform supporter who recorded the petitioner’s interactions with voters, he appeared to be trying to convince them that it is important to qualify the anti-cannabis measure for the ballot in order to then defeat it. “This is what we’re fighting against right here. That’s why we vote no,” he said. “If we can get this to the ballot right here, we vote no.” The person who captured the video pointed out that Massachusetts voters already approved marijuana legalization years ago, and that the only way it could be imminently repealed is if the new ballot measure qualified for the November election. If the initiative does not get enough signatures to go before voters, the state’s laws will remain the same. “It’s my job,” the petitioner insisted, however. “I know what I’m talking about.” “It’s a group of rich folks from out of state that want to basically take marijuana to when it was a medical marijuana card,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen.” The same man also appeared to also be gathering signatures for a separate measure in Maine that would similarly repeal laws allowing regulated adult-use marijuana sales and home cultivation rights for adults while keeping possession legal and adding new testing requirements for medical cannabis. A staffer for the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), whose affiliated group SAM Action is largely funding the anti-cannabis ballot campaigns in both states, declined to comment about the petitioner’s conduct when reached by Marijuana Moment. The campaigns have previously been accused of misleading petitioning tactics. In Massachusetts, some voters reported that the campaign used fake cover letters for other ballot measures on unrelated issues like affordable housing and same-day voter registration during the first round of petitioning. Legal cannabis supporters filed an earlier formal complaint about the prohibitionist effort’s tactics, but the State Ballot Law Commission rejected the challenge. The measure also faced a legal challenge from cannabis industry operatives who argued it contains “impermissibly unrelated subjects,” and that the state attorney general’s official summary is “misleading and deficient.” The state Supreme Judicial Court heard oral arguments on the litigation challenging the anti-marijuana initiative but it ultimately ruled against the lawsuit. The governor of Massachusetts last month filed legislation proposing to increase military veterans’ access to medical marijuana by allowing them to receive patient cards without having to get a doctor’s recommendation. The post Massachusetts Anti-Marijuana Ballot Campaign Launches New Ads Focused On Impaired Driving appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Thanks for a wonderful share. Your article has proved your hard work and experience you have got in this field. Brilliant .i love it reading. bandar slot gacor

Top marijuana regulators from a growing number of states are complaining that federal officials are not providing enough—or any—guidance about the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule cannabis. Moving marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III is the biggest change to federal cannabis policy in decades, and state officials say they could use help understanding its implications for business registration, taxes and packaging requirements for cannabis products. Last week, for example, Georgia regulators approved a number of changes to state medical cannabis rules, including one concerning safety and warning label requirements for products. The federal marijuana rescheduling order included a provision specifying that medical marijuana is subject to a federal rule requiring labels to include a “clear, concise warning that it is a crime to transfer the drug to any person other than the patient.” Andrew Turnage, executive director of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC), said at the meeting last week that he and his staff have attempted to coordinate with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to ensure that the new state rules are in accordance with the federal requirement, to no avail. “We want to do our best to align the state’s required language to align with that federal language. This will actually help licensees to not have to duplicate language or produce additional labeling on their products,” he said. “We did reach out to the DEA regarding this requirement. The DEA indicated that they were not able to comment on the proposed rule language, so we were not able to get that correct guidance.” While Turnage said he is “not trying to throw shade” at regional DEA officials in Atlanta and Savannah who have “always been professional and positive” in their communications, leadership at the federal agency needs to do a better job of providing guidance to states on cannabis issues. “Really it’s past time and high time for DEA to communicate with state regulators like us here in Georgia to better understand the programs and these requirements,” the state official said. “We certainly need guidance from the federal government. It is not possible to make our regulations better and suited to this DEA registration process without that communication.” “So we hope that DEA leadership will evolve in their view towards state regulatory programs,” Turnage said. “What they’re doing with DEA registration is directly contingent on our state programs through that rescheduling order.” At a separate meeting in Vermont last week, officials from that state similarly expressed frustration with DEA’s lack of communication on the implications of federal marijuana rescheduling. James Pepper, chair of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board (CCB), said that an association representing state marijuana regulators from across the country compiled a list of key questions for DEA but has received “radio silence” in response. “We’ve been in contact with our regional office, and they’ve been great partners, but they don’t have any more answers,” Pepper said. “It seems like a lot is being decided at headquarters and not being transmitted out consistently to the various regional offices, or they just haven’t thought about all these things yet.” Julie Hulburd, a CCB commissioner, said that “for us as a state agency to understand how to regulate in this particular environment or all of the future environments that could happen, we’re going to need information from the federal government.” “We need guidance from the tax department. We need guidance from the DEA on how all these things are rolling out,” she said. “We don’t have any of that yet. Everyone’s still sort of in the figure it out mode.” The comments from the Georgia and Vermont officials come shortly after California’s top cannabis regulator similarly said that DEA hasn’t shown “any sort of interest” in providing marijuana rescheduling guidance being requested by states. “We have received no formal updates from DEA headquarters on implementation guidance of the order,” California Department of Cannabis Control Director Clint Kellum said at a meeting of the Cannabis Advisory Committee last month. “We have been trying to communicate with DEA headquarters to get a better understanding of what their expectations rule set will be for operators under the guidance,” he said. “Unfortunately, to date, we have not been offered any information on that front.” Gillian Schauer, executive director of the Cannabis Regulators Association, which represents officials overseeing the legal marijuana market in states across the U.S., recently wrote in an op-ed for Marijuana Moment that DEA has “not meaningfully engaged” states about the cannabis rescheduling process, even though its implementation will “depend heavily on state regulatory systems.” “States need federal guidance on planned implementation to give them time to adjust laws and regulations and to give operators time to adjust their operations to meet federal requirements,” she wrote. In April, Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order immediately moving marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, along with marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A DEA hearing that recently concluded testimony is considering broader marijuana rescheduling. Meanwhile, DEA launched forms for cannabis businesses to register for federal protections in line with rescheduling. Kellum, of DCC in California, said that “other states are starting to see DEA inspections” of marijuana businesses that registered, but that the federal agency has been “focused more in areas with clear state medical cannabis programs than mixed states like ourselves.” “There appears to be some regional variation in the approach to those inspections and some of their questions,” he said, in line with reporting from Marijuana Moment showing that DEA officials are posing differing sets of follow-up questions to cannabis business from state to state. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post It’s ‘High Time’ For DEA To Answer Questions About Marijuana Rescheduling, State Officials Say appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Congresswoman urges “no” vote on anti-marijuana MA initiative; Fed court brief in CBD Medicare challenge; Latinos in cannabis op-ed Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The Drug Enforcement Administration launched new specialized forms for medical cannabis manufacturers, distributors and testing labs that want to register for federal protections in line with the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move. A coalition of anti-marijuana groups and a pharmaceutical company filed a brief before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in their challenge to a federal program covering hemp CBD products under Medicare. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) is urging Massachusetts voters to reject a ballot initiative to roll back marijuana legalization, saying that keeping cannabis sales legal is “both economic justice and racial justice policy.” The Latino Cannabis Alliance’s Ishaq Ali argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that Latinos are the “backbone” of the legal cannabis industry and that “continuing down the path of aggressive and over-punitive immigration policies poses a direct threat to the future of this industry.” Bipartisan Tennessee lawmakers pushed back on state police claims that marijuana is a “dangerous drug” that is associated with violent crime during a committee hearing on medical cannabis legalization legislation. / FEDERAL The National Institutes of Health is funding new research on airborne mold, allergen and other hazards at cannabis facilities that could contribute to worker illnesses. Sen. Susan Collins (R-NE) tweeted, “The proliferation of illicit drugs continues to be a major problem facing Maine’s communities, and illegal marijuana grow houses operated by Chinese nationals are part of a broader network of illicit drug activity contributing to this problem. We must continue working across all levels of government to shut down these illegal operations and hold those responsible accountable.” / STATES Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand discussed his support for legalizing marijuana. Florida’s attorney general claimed that the diversion of Medicaid funds to campaign against a marijuana legalization ballot initiative was “entirely legal.” Oklahoma lawmakers are conducting an interim study of abandoned medical cannabis grow sites. A Pennsylvania senator discussed her forthcoming bill to regulate hemp products. Vermont regulators approved draft procedures for cannabis events. Minnesota officials are conducting a survey on proposed competency standards for potentially adding a new occupation in the legal cannabis industry. New York cannabis regulators are inviting people to express interest in joining a new Social and Economic Equity Cultivation Working Group. New Jersey regulators suspended a marijuana business license over alleged violations. California regulators sent updates on various cannabis issues. Mississippi officials discussed medical cannabis on a podcast. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / INTERNATIONAL Albanian officials adopted new cannabis tracking rules. Ukrainian officials announced the country’s first dispensing of a medical cannabis product via an electronic prescription. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found “preliminary evidence that oral [cannabinoid-based medicinal products] may represent a safe and effective adjunct therapy for managing pain and related symptoms in women with endometriosis.” A study found “growing interest in hemp for wastewater treatment.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Marijuana Policy Project published a voter guide on Texas’s upcoming elections. / BUSINESS Aurora Cannabis Inc. continued to push back against a revised unsolicited acquisition offer from Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. Spherex is acquiring two cultivation facilities in Colorado from The Cannabist Company and its affiliates. Trulieve discharged wastewater without a required permit, according to Florida officials. 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 New DEA cannabis business registration forms (Newsletter: October 7, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

For anyone seeking top-tier luxury and sophistication, the Model Delhi Escorts Service stands out as the most reliable and premium option available today.

Aviator is a great option for those who enjoy fast and simple online gaming. With straightforward gameplay and an exciting format, each round can bring something different. It is easy to get started and explore the game at your own pace. If you want to discover more about Aviator, visit: https://aviatorzm.com/

“In the state of Tennessee, marijuana is the number one drug associated with criminal activity, including violent crime.” By Adam Friedman, Tennessee Lookout ​Tennessee lawmakers held hearings to discuss implementing a limited medical marijuana program, but the state’s top law enforcement group remains the most vocal opposition. Representatives from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, TBI, emerged as the strongest opponents, stating there were no circumstances in which they thought medical marijuana should be allowed in Tennessee. “Marijuana is in fact a dangerous drug, whose use poses a significant threat to public safety, and whose cultivation poses a threat to the environment,” said Erica Stephens, a TBI agent working on the bureau’s Dangerous Drugs Task Force, to lawmakers during the hearing. “In the state of Tennessee, marijuana is the number one drug associated with criminal activity, including violent crime.” Several lawmakers, including Republicans and the lone Democrat on the committee, appeared skeptical of Stephens’s testimony. State Sen. London Lamar, a Memphis Democrat, said the correlation between marijuana use and violent crime was “inaccurate,” citing statistics that showed overdose deaths related to pot were virtually nonexistant. “Crime is an issue for all of us,” Lamar said. “California and Colorado have significantly lower violent crime rates than Tennessee. We are a state that has no legal marijuana program, and we have some of the highest violent crime rates in the country.” ​Lawmakers held nearly six hours of hearings last week to discuss the program, with much of the discussion focused on how Tennessee should address marijuana use considering it is either fully legalized or legal for medical use in 41 other states, and widely available on the black market. TBI and other law enforcement representatives repeatedly brought up Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program as the most prominent failure of a medical program. Sen. Ferrell ​Haile, a Gallatin Republican, said during the hearing that Oklahoma’s program, which included smokable products, was “nowhere near comparable” to the program Tennessee lawmakers were studying. ​“It’s apples to oranges,” Haile said. The bureau’s adamant opposition appeared to rankle several lawmakers. State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, a Chattanooga Republican, told committee members that law enforcement’s testimony had “drifted” the conversation away from what was important. “This is a way to keep people from having to go to the illicit market,” Gardenhire said. “It’s a way to get them the help they need in a legal way.” After the federal government reclassified marijuana as having potential medical benefits in April. Tennessee lawmakers agreed to hear recommendations from the state’s cannabis commission on creating a limited medical marijuana program that doesn’t include smokable products and is only obtainable for a narrow set of conditions. ​The state cannabis commission is proposing allowing medical marijuana for those suffering from Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, HIV/AIDS and sickle cell disease. Over the past decade, medical and legal marijuana programs have swept across the nation as the federal government has let states decide how to regulate the product. Most of Tennessee’s neighboring states have either legal or medical marijuana programs. This proliferation has made enforcing a state ban difficult, as many Tennesseans can drive across state borders to places where they can legally buy it. For several years, Tennessee’s legalization of hemp-derived cannabinoid products served as a loophole to the state’s marijuana laws. But lawmakers banned smokable hemp products, all but killing the market in July. Christina Flatt, a Nashville pharmacist, said during the hearing that Tennessee’s potential medical marijuana program doesn’t go far enough and should include medical conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder for veterans and hospice patients. “Cannabis has medical value, and the United States government recognizes it,” Flatt said. This story was first published by Tennessee Lookout. The post Tennessee Lawmakers Push Back On Police Claims About Marijuana’s Danger And Connection To Violence appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net