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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released information about state-licensed medical marijuana business that have applied in a timely fashion for federal protections that come with the Trump administration’s move to partially reschedule cannabis. An agency webpage formally launched on Friday says the list—which details the states included in applicants’ business addresses, as well as whether they are dispensaries, manufacturers or distributors—will be updated on a daily basis. It shows that more than 4,000 dispensaries, more than 700 distributors and more than 2,000 manufacturers have applied, for a total of 6,983. The list does not include the names of the companies behind each applicant location, however. “This list is current as of the date included in the file,” the DEA page says. “This list may change as Timely Applicants are granted DEA registrations, withdraw their applications for DEA registration, or are no longer considered Timely Applicants for any other reason.” There are at least 43 states, along with Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, represented on the list—with Oklahoma having the most individual entries (2,442), followed by Florida (812) and California (771). State Dispensaries Distributors Manufacturers Total Alabama 1 0 2 3 Arizona 100 24 44 168 Arkansas 38 4 11 53 California 491 82 198 771 Colorado 89 17 35 141 Connecticut 38 3 9 50 Delaware 5 0 2 7 District of Columbia 24 1 5 30 Florida 748 19 45 812 Georgia 60 2 5 67 Hawaii 14 0 3 17 Illinois 59 6 17 82 Iowa 2 1 1 4 Kansas 2 0 0 2 Kentucky 31 8 15 54 Louisiana 27 3 4 34 Maine 148 45 127 320 Maryland 90 21 31 142 Massachusetts 62 12 35 109 Michigan 25 6 25 56 Minnesota 26 1 3 30 Mississippi 97 5 28 130 Missouri 156 18 35 209 Montana 6 1 3 10 Nebraska 2 0 1 3 Nevada 81 10 28 119 New Hampshire 7 2 5 14 New Jersey 40 4 16 60 New Mexico 77 5 14 96 New York 40 10 23 73 North Dakota 8 1 2 11 Ohio 125 8 27 160 Oklahoma 939 345 1,158 2,442 Oregon 26 2 9 37 Pennsylvania 181 12 34 227 Puerto Rico 114 2 10 126 Rhode Island 4 0 1 5 South Dakota 43 2 10 55 Texas 4 2 3 9 Utah 14 5 9 28 Vermont 7 2 3 12 Virginia 24 1 6 31 Washington 74 12 22 108 West Virginia 48 6 12 66 Total 4,197 710 2,076 6,983 DEA had initially posted the webpage on Wednesday but then deleted it following publication of a Marijuana Moment article before putting it back online on Thursday. By “timely” applicants, it appears DEA is referring to medical marijuana businesses that applied within a 60-day window of the initial rescheduling announcement to receive expedited consideration. “To facilitate a prompt transition, the Administrator is directed to process applications submitted within 60 days of publication within six months, and early applicants may lawfully operate under their state-issued licenses during the pendency of review,” the rescheduling rule issued in April said. Days later, DEA began accepting registrations from medical cannabis dispensaries with a new form. Earlier this month, the agency launched new specialized registration forms for additional types of state-licensed medical marijuana businesses such as manufacturers, distributors and analytical labs. Businesses that fill out the new version of DEA Form 225 for manufacturers, distributors and analytical labs must answer whether they will be handling medical and/or recreational marijuana, and provide their state licensing information. They also need to specify if they will be working with marijuana, marijuana extract and/or naturally derived delta-9 THC in a cannabis product subject to a state medical license or a Food and Drug Administration-approved product. They must also answer questions about the criminal and disciplinary history of the business and key personnel. Previously, dispensaries could fill out a specialized form during the 60-day window for expedited consideration. Dispensaries that still want to register can now use the standard DEA Form 224 to do so. Meanwhile, DEA personnel are conducting inspections of medical marijuana dispensaries that previously applied for registration. One such business owner told Marijuana Moment recently that she plans to fight a decision by DEA that she says could force her to fire two good employees if she wants to register for protections under rescheduling. Nicole Huff, CEO of the Wildflower Medical Dispensary in Aberdeen, shared with Marijuana Moment correspondence that a DEA official sent about the two workers in question, who have past felony convictions. As a result of those criminal records, the business must either fire the employees, withdraw its application for federal protections, seek a waiver while becoming ineligible for expedited processing or go before an agency judge. Huff told said she will take the issue before a DEA judge. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) recently criticized the policy, telling Marijuana Moment that it is “really problematic” and “ridiculous.” “I think there should be for these nonviolent offenders who are convicted of crimes that are now legal, that we should be expunging records,” he said. “If you are a person that believes in justice, that believes in economic opportunity, fairness under the law—if you believe in economic growth, if you’re a pro-growth person—these are all things that help create jobs, build economy, keep people out of jail,” Booker said. “It’s just smart policy.” Industry sources say the way the agency has been carrying out inspections varies between DEA’s regional offices throughout the country. In June, Mississippi medical cannabis businesses spoke to Marijuana Moment about being visited by DEA officials, who told them they were among the first in the country to be seen for inspection under the registration process. In August, Marijuana Moment obtained a list of 26 questions that DEA officials are sending to medical cannabis businesses in Colorado as part of the consideration of their applications for registration. Those questions differ in many cases from ones being asked of Mississippi operators. The agency launched its initial registration form for dispensaries in April, days after 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. The post Nearly 7,000 Marijuana Businesses Have Applied For Federal Protections Under Trump’s Rescheduling Move, New DEA List Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Democratic congresswoman has filed a new bill that would impose a substantial tariff on hemp products being imported into the U.S. from China while also adding new testing requirements for cannabinoid products coming into the country. The Protecting American Hemp Farmers Act, filed on Thursday by Rep. Val Hoyle (D-OR), would “impose an additional duty of 50 percent of the customs value of any article originating from China” that is a hemp-derived cannabinoid product or other specified cannabinoid when imported into the U.S.’s customs territory. The legislation directs the U.S. International Trade Commission to add new categories to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for cannabinoid isolates, cannabinoid distillates, naturally derived cannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids and chemically altered cannabinoids. The measure defines the term hemp-derived cannabinoid products as meaning “any product containing cannabinoids derived or synthesized from Cannabis sativa L., or any extract, isolate, or derivative thereof, regardless of whether such product meets the definition of hemp” under federal law. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would be directed under the bill to require “such additional information or certifications from any person importing hemp or related products as may be necessary to ensure that articles subject to the additional tariff…do not evade such tariff through transshipment or other repackaging, blending, or minimal processing in third countries.” CBP would also need to coordinate with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement mandatory testing requirements for cannabinoid products being imported into the U.S. for human consumption. The testing would need to measure the presence of: (1) heavy metal content, such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, molds, and mycotoxins; (2) pesticide residues; (3) microbial contamination; (4) residual solvents; and (5) synthetic byproducts and unknown compounds. CBP and the International Trade Commission would need to publish annual reports that track import data for cannabinoid products disaggregated by country of origin, cannabinoid classification, quantity and customs value. The reports would also need to include information about product testing and the extent to which imports were refused due to the results. The bill comes at a crucial time for the hemp industry. 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.” Meanwhile, a Republican congressman is raising the possibility that provisions to reverse the still-planned federal recriminalization of hemp THC products could be included in a broader budget reconciliation bill during the lame-duck session of Congress following next week’s midterm elections. Read the full text of the new hemp bill below: The post Hemp Imports Would Face New Tariffs And Testing Requirements Under Congressional Bill appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

New Hampshire’s Republican governor is continuing to make it clear that she does not support legalizing marijuana as she asks voters to reelect her next week. Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) said at a forum in Manchester on Sunday that the issue of cannabis represents a “big difference'” between her and Democratic challenger Cinde Warmington, who has consistently highlighted her support for marijuana legalization on the campaign trail ahead of next week’s election. The incumbent governor was asked at the forum whether she views legal marijuana revenue as a way to replace funding that is being cut for education, student sports and after-school programs. While Ayotte said it is “really important that we have a strong education system,” she does not think legalizing cannabis is the solution—citing concerns about addiction, mental health and impaired driving. “I don’t think that legalizing cannabis improves our quality of life,” she said. The governor pushed back against the notion that New Hampshire should catch up to its neighboring states that are legalizing marijuana. “I know often the argument is made, ‘well, there’s all of our neighbors are that way. Why shouldn’t we take this revenue?,'” she said. “I never say, ‘Oh, our neighbors are doing it, so we should do it.’ I think about my own children. I tell them, ‘Your friends are doing it, you’re doing it.'” “That’s not really a good standard,” Ayotte said. “We need to make sure we’re looking at our own quality of life and what is the right thing to do for New Hampshire. And when you legalize something, it does send a different message to our young people. So I worry about that and our quality of life. So this is just something we differ on, and I do not think that that revenue is one that comes without a deep cost for New Hampshire.” Ayotte also discussed her opposition to legalizing marijuana at a debate with Warmington last week, arguing that cannabis revenue “comes at a huge cost.” “It comes at the cost of the mental health of our young people. It comes at the cost of our quality of life,” she said. “I don’t think following because our neighbors do something, we should do it. We have the same discussion with our kids, right? If if Johnny jumps off the bridge, are you going to jump off the bridge with it?” Warmington, on the other hand, said during the debate that “I support the the sale and legalization of cannabis as an additional revenue source in our state.” “I think it is really odd that we are sending our citizenry over state lines and paying millions and millions—tens of millions—of dollars to our neighboring state in taxes when that revenue should be here in our state,” the former New Hampshire Executive Council member said. Warmington has previously discussed her support for legalizing marijuana, including at a town hall event last month when she said that “there is no reason why the citizens of New Hampshire should be driving across state borders to pay taxes to Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine to purchase a product that they obviously have stated that they want to have access to in our state.” Ayotte, for her part, recently vetoed legislation to allow businesses in the state’s existing medical cannabis program to cultivate in greenhouses. Her veto was overridden by lawmakers, however, and now the medical marijuana cultivation measure has become law despite her objections. In June, Warmington criticized Ayotte’s veto of the medical marijuana proposal. “Come on, Kelly. Shouldn’t we be trying to make health care more affordable for Granite Staters, not less?” said in a video posted to social media. “This bill would have made medical cannabis more affordable and more accessible to Granite Staters who really need it, and she vetoed it,” Warmington said. “But honestly, this is what we’ve come to expect from Kelly Ayotte. Look what she did to the Medicaid premiums. She increased them by up to $270 a month on the most vulnerable Granite Staters. She increased prescription co-pays when other costs are already going through the roof.” “New Hampshire deserves a governor who will fight to make sure we have lower health care costs and that health care is more accessible,” the Democratic candidate, who previously served as a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council, said. “That’s the bottom line.” In a veto statement on the medical marijuana greenhouse bill, the governor simply said, “I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state.” — 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. — Ayotte has separately threatened to veto any marijuana legalization bill that reaches her desk. The governor said last year that her position on the reform would not change even as the federal government moved forward with rescheduling the plant. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post New Hampshire Should Keep Marijuana Illegal Even As Neighboring States Generate Tax Revenue From It, GOP Governor Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Democratic candidate running for governor of Kansas says the Trump administration’s move to federally reclassify marijuana eases the path toward legalizing medical cannabis for patients in the state. “I think there’s some things that look a little differently now with the federal-level rescheduling,” Cindy Holscher said in an interview published by KOAM-TV on Thursday. “That does create a little bit of a difference of attitude among some of my peers.” While the Democrat, who currently serves in the state Senate, said that the GOP president’s national cannabis reform is making some of her Republican colleagues in the legislature reconsider their opposition, she said her opponent in the governor’s race is to blame for continuing to block medical marijuana access in Kansas. “I worked on this issue for several years. Actually, got it passed in the House in terms of getting them on board. There was a lot of education that had to be done, but we got it passed in the House,” Holscher said. “But Ty Masterson blocked it in the Senate.” Senate President Ty Masterson (R), the GOP nominee for governor, has taken an inconsistent stance on cannabis over the years, at some points appearing open to considering it but at other times expressing opposition—but never allowing legalization legislation to advance in his chamber. In any case, his Democratic opponent said that Kansas is more ready now than ever to enact cannabis reform in light of federal moves on the issue. “I do feel there’s some difference now, though, with federal rescheduling,” she said. “Additionally, we already have people out there working to educate my peers in the House and the Senate.” Holscher’s latest comments come as a new poll shows that a majority of Kansans support legalizing marijuana for both recreational and medical uses. The latest edition of the annual Kansas Speaks survey, conducted by Fort Hays State University’s Docking Institute of Public Affairs, shows that Kansans back legalization of recreational marijuana by a margin of 58 percent to 21 percent—including majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents. Support for legalizing medical cannabis is even stronger, at 65 percent to 15 percent. Holscher recently discussed Kansans’ support for marijuana reform in a separate interview. “I believe close to 70 percent of the population is in favor of legalization, but you get a few people once in a while who will say, ‘Well, we don’t want to bring that here,'” she said. “My response: It’s already here. If you drive along state line in Johnson County, you drive along the border on the southern edge to Oklahoma, and you see the dispensaries—there’s Kansas plates there. So it’s already here.” “But what’s happening is we aren’t getting the revenue for it, and we aren’t getting our guardrails in place. We need to do that,” Holscher said. “The revenue that’s projected to come in could help us do things like better funding public education in terms of special ed, could help us in terms of free lunches for kids—making that part of the day. You know there are things that we could do with that money to help build up our critical infrastructure and be better focused on our people.” Asked how she would get cannabis reform through a Republican-controlled legislature, Holscher said she and allies succeeded in passing a medical cannabis bill through the state House of Representatives in 2021 that went on to die in the Senate—putting blame for the ultimate defeat on Masterson. “You know, I got it passed in the House a few years ago. Guess who stopped it in the Senate? Ty Masterson,” she said. “The things that people want, the things that people support, he has been stopping.” Masterson, for his part, said in 2023 that was open to a discussion about a limited medical marijuana program. But in 2024, he appeared less welcoming to the idea, calling medical cannabis legalization a “nonstarter,” suggesting the policy change would lead to a surge in “gang activity” and put kids at risk. Incumbent Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) said last year that it’s time for lawmakers in the state to finally legalize medical marijuana. After the House of Representatives passed a medical cannabis bill in 2021, it stalled out in the Senate. And while the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee held numerous hearings on the issue, it voted in 2024 to table a limited medical marijuana pilot program bill. A later effort to revive the medical cannabis bill on the Senate floor ultimately fell short. That measure was filed about a month after the House rejected a Democratic lawmaker’s amendment to a broader drug scheduling bill that would have removed marijuana entirely from the state’s controlled substances law, effectively legalizing it. In 2024, meanwhile, a state legislative panel voted against a proposed recommendation that lawmakers legalize medical cannabis in 2025. The legislature’s Special Committee on Medical Marijuana, charged with consideration of possible pathways for medical cannabis reform, said legalizing medical marijuana was premature and that lawmakers should first wait to see how federal rescheduling and other reform efforts unfold. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Trump’s Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Move Makes It Easier To Legalize Medical Access In Kansas, Democratic Governor Candidate Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says the Trump administration’s proposal to reschedule marijuana is not weakened by a recently published federal watchdog agency report that found “gaps” in the government’s process for evaluating controlled substances. Opposing parties that are participating in a hearing on the reform, however, are arguing that the findings undermine the effort to reclassify cannabis. Last week, the judge overseeing the hearing rejected cannabis rescheduling opponents’ request to reopen the proceedings for additional testimony and document discovery concerning the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. However, he did allow the report itself to be entered into the record and invited participating parties to file “narrowly tailored” briefs on how much “weight” it should have in the hearing and to what extent it affects marijuana rescheduling. DEA said in a brief submitted on Thursday that agency Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius should give “no weight” to the GAO report in preparing his recommendation on rescheduling cannabis. The watchdog agency report found, among other things that DEA “does not have any policies or procedures regarding how its staff are to conduct evaluations or schedule substances” and the Food and Drug Administration within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “does not have policies or procedures specifying how its staff are to conduct evaluations or develop scheduling recommendations for substances.” But DEA said in its brief that reform opponents “have not demonstrated that the substance of the GAO Report has any probative value” with respect to marijuana’s potential for abuse, currently accepted medical use (CAMU) or dependence risk—key factors in determining its scheduling status. With respect to abuse potential, “the factors used by the Government were published and publicly available to the parties for more than two years prior to the hearing,” DEA said. “While the Movants may not agree with the abuse analysis performed, the factors the Government used to perform that analysis are not in dispute.” While opponents have argued that a new two-part test federal officials used to analyze cannabis’s CAMU improperly departs from a former five-part test, DEA said the GAO report offers “no substantive commentary (critical or otherwise)” about the change in methods. Similarly, the GAO analysis has “no substantive finding relative to HHS’s dependence risk assessment,” DEA said. “For the foregoing reasons, the Government respectfully requests that the Court give the GAO Report no weight,” the brief concluded. A joint brief filed by the National Drug & Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA), DUID Victim Voices and Kenneth Finn—anti-rescheduling parties that initiated the question of inserting the GAO report into the hearing record—argued that the document “deserves decisive weight” in the marijuana scheduling proceedings “because it explains why the Government cannot answer two dispositive questions.” “First, on what scientific or procedural basis did HHS apply the two-part test rather than the five-part test? Second, on what basis did it exclude evidence of psychiatric harm, prenatal exposure, cardiac events, suicide, and other societal harms? Because both the choice of test and choice of data decided the Government’s recommendation, and because no written procedure or internal control governed either one, the Government cannot meet its burden of proof. The tribunal should recommend rejection of the proposed rule on the present record.” “The GAO Report shows that the Government lacks a documented, reviewable basis to reschedule marijuana and therefore cannot meet its burden,” the brief said. “The tribunal should recommend rejection of the proposed rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III on the present record.” The anti-rescheduling groups argued that the cannabis rescheduling process was “not an ordinary scientific review”—noting that it began with direction from the president and “moved forward amid industry stakes measured in billions of dollars.” The brief noted the efforts of the multi-state cannabis company Trulieve to court President Donald Trump on the issue—including via contributions to his inaugural committee and an executive’s attendance at fundraising events. “An agency process that runs on unwritten ‘professional judgment’ took up marijuana under direct presidential instruction, amid intense financial stakes, lobbying, and campaign spending, on a compressed schedule,” the brief said. “Written procedures exist to guard against that danger. Without them, the tribunal cannot verify that evidence, rather than outside influence, drove the proposal. The Government bears the burden, and it cannot make that showing.” The groups noted that federal agencies said they agree with the GAO report’s findings and have pledged to construct written policies going forward. “The Government should obtain a new HHS evaluation under the written policy FDA has committed to develop,” the brief said. “That record must explain the relative-abuse comparison, the medical-use framework, product variability, dosing, public-health risks, and diversion. This record does not, and cannot therefore support rescheduling.” In the meantime, they want the DEA judge to give the GAO report “decisive evidentiary weight” in the ongoing cannabis proceedings and “recommend rejection of the proposed rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III on the present record.” Prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana and the states of Idaho, Indiana and Nebraska also argued in a separate joint brief that fixing “deficiencies” identified by GAO would “improve consistency” in the drug scheduling process. The report revealed that federal agencies “have no standardized means to evaluate marijuana’s relative potential for abuse,” their brief said. “In other words, nothing stops the Government from arbitrarily altering the abuse profile of a drug by, for example, manipulating the comparators it selects in a given evaluation. The absence of standard policies for evaluating ‘relative’ abuse potential affords FDA the improper and unbridled discretion to isolate the most lethal substances as comparators (and ignore other Schedule II substances) to arrive at a pre-ordained conclusion that a substance without high overdose risk belongs in a less restrictive control schedule.” SAM and the states also highlighted what they see as problems with the new two-part test on marijuana’s medical value. The shift in analysis methods, the brief said, was “easily accomplished because HHS had—and still has—no written policies and procedures standardizing how it conducts” a drug scheduling review, which “explains how FDA was able to ‘depart from its usual mode of analysis’ so readily.” “It is arbitrary and capricious for an agency to publish inconsistent evaluations of the same drug merely by shifting inputs and prioritizing different information,” the brief claimed. “The Tribunal should recommend that marijuana remain in Schedule I.” In 2024, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) said the prior five-part test was “impermissibly narrow” and said the two-part review “is sufficient to establish” that a drug has a currently accepted medical use. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) also submitted a brief arguing that “failures” in the drug scheduling process that were identified by GAO “cannot be ignored, particularly given that the resulting proposal reverses course on decades of HHS and DEA analysis on the correct schedule for marijuana.” The GAO report is “competent, relevant, and material evidence regarding the policies and procedures, or lack thereof, that DEA and HHS utilize in connection with their duties in drug rescheduling,” TBI said. “The GAO Report conclusively demonstrates that the Attorney General’s [notice of proposed rulemaking] to reschedule marijuana departed from the required procedure in significant ways.” Replies to the newly filed briefs are not required, but any parties wishing to submit them must do so by next Thursday, November 5. Julius, the judge overseeing the proceedings, said last week that some of the information cannabis rescheduling opponents wanted new testimony and discovery about under their broader request to reopen the hearing is “immaterial for the narrow purpose of this hearing” and others “could have been explored” by hearing participants during earlier questioning of witnesses—but he did allow the new round of briefing about the GAO report. DEA said in a previously filed brief that opponents’ request to reopen the hearing was an “obvious fishing expedition based on a Report that is clear on its face”. The agency said in another brief filed earlier this month that it is fine with including the GAO document in the hearing record, as opponents have pushed for, but it did not want any further briefings on the matter. Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order he signed, the DEA hearing was held in June and July to consider more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. “The Government is not putting forth any evidence to suggest that marijuana is not dangerous. All controlled substances by definition are dangerous,” James Schwartz, a DEA attorney, said on the opening day of the hearing, according to the transcript. “That is why they are scheduled in the first place. However, controlled substances must be evaluated by the risks they pose balanced with the medical use they provide.” “The proposed rule, the supporting documents, and the Government witnesses will establish that marijuana has a currently accepted medical use,” he said. “With that determination, marijuana can no longer remain in Schedule I.” Meanwhile, DEA and parties that participated in the marijuana rescheduling hearing laid out their arguments in final briefs. The federal agency, which was charged with defending the proposed rescheduling move, said in its brief that “marijuana no longer fits the statutory requirements for Schedule I because it has a currently accepted medical use within the United States and it has an accepted safety for its use under medical supervision.” The agency noted that under the law it must give “significant deference” to an “extensive ten-month study on the scientific and medical properties” of cannabis conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which recommended rescheduling. “Currently there are over 30,000 practitioners treating more than six million patients in 43 U.S. jurisdictions,” DEA said. “Such practices demonstrate that there is no longer a lack of accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision, and as such, marijuana does not fulfill the requirements of being a Schedule I substance.” It also said that there is “substantial evidence sufficient to show that marijuana’s abuse and dependency profiles better align with Schedule III substances than Schedule II” or Schedule I. “The vast majority of individuals who use marijuana do so in a manner that does not result in dangers to themselves or to their communities.” In conclusion, DEA asked the judge overseeing the hearing to “expeditiously recommend” that marijuana be transferred from Schedule I to Schedule III. During the hearing, DEA officials charged with defending the cannabis rescheduling proposal highlighted testimony on marijuana’s medical benefits and its relative safety compared to other substances such as alcohol and opioids. That included appearances from a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and a medical doctor from New Hampshire who detailed how medical marijuana provides relief to pain patients and can serve as an alternative to opioids. Meanwhile, lawyers and witnesses for parties who are oppose marijuana rescheduling and participated in the hearing put significant focus on the alleged harms of cannabis use as well as criticism of recently adopted changes to an analysis used to determine whether drugs have accepted medical value. DEA invited only organizations and people who oppose marijuana reform to join the hearing as designated participants—telling supporters that they do not meet the definition of an “interested person” to participate because they are not “adversely affected or aggrieved by any rule or proposed rule issuable.” Ahead of the hearing’s start, marijuana reform activists held a press conference outside DEA headquarters to highlight how they feel the have been “shut out” of the process—criticizing the fact that no supporters of reform were invited to participate and that the proceedings were not livestreamed despite officials’ vows of “transparency.” Marijuana Moment sent requests to Julius, the DEA judge, and to Cole, the DEA administrator, requesting they reverse a decision to prohibit the public from tuning into the cannabis hearing via livestream. A congressman and other journalists later joined in that request. — Marijuana Moment’s journalism is made possible by readers like you who value this work enough to support us with monthly pledges on Patreon. If you rely on our reporting to stay informed about key cannabis developments, please help us keep doing this by becoming a sustaining subscriber today. Backing us at the $25/month level also gets you access to our Bill Tracker so you won’t miss any important marijuana legislation in your state. — A prior hearing process on the marijuana rescheduling process that was initiated by the Biden administration stalled last year amid litigation over alleged improper communications and witness selection. The current marijuana rescheduling process is being challenged with several lawsuits that have been consolidated by a federal appeals court. Those pieces of litigation against the cannabis reform have been filed by state attorneys general, marijuana legalization opponents and a cannabis-focused biopharmaceutical corporation. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit recently rejected a drug testing industry association and a pharmaceutical company’s request to block the Trump administration from moving forward with cannabis rescheduling while the litigation is considered. The parties have jointly filed a proposed briefing schedule for the legal dispute. A congressional committee recently voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling, though bipartisan lawmakers told Marijuana Moment they don’t believe that provision will be enacted into law. Read the latest briefs in marijuana rescheduling hearing below: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28859694-dea-marijuana-rescheduling-gao-briefs/ Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post DEA Says Trump’s Marijuana Rescheduling Move Isn’t Weakened By Federal Watchdog Report That Found ‘Gaps’ In Process appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

New drug scheduling overhaul bill; GOP senators push USPS not to mail marijuana; NY gov guts industry labor bill; IA gov candidate on medical cannabis 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… Subscribers who value this daily dispatch enough to show their support with a few dollars help us keep doing this. Please chip in and help ensure Marijuana Moment’s continued operations. https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) filed a new bill in Congress to federally legalize marijuana and drastically overhaul how drugs are scheduled under the Controlled Substances Act—while also removing mandatory minimums and reducing the role played by the Department of Justice. Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC) sent a letter urging the U.S. Postal Service not to participate in a new Georgia plan that allows medical cannabis to be delivered directly to patients—even though the Trump administration federally rescheduled it. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has gutted provisions of a bill that would have created a new Cannabis Wage Board charged with recommending minimum hourly wages for industry workers—while keeping portions that repeal a labor peace agreement requirement for marijuana businesses. Iowa Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn said he has family members and friends who “benefit from” medical cannabis and he wants to expand access to it—but he opposes broader legalization of recreational marijuana. Michigan Republican lieutenant governor candidate Jay DeBoyer, currently a state representative, filed a bill to suspend a new marijuana wholesale tax for a period of one year. Supporters and opponents of a Massachusetts measure to roll back marijuana legalization have spent nearly $6.5 million on their campaigns so far, making it the most expensive initiative battle on the state’s November ballot this year. / FEDERAL The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration published proposed changes to guidelines for federal workplace drug testing programs. / STATES California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) touted enforcement efforts against illegal cannabis operations. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) and Democratic challenger Jocelyn Brasher discussed their views on medical cannabis. Nevada regulators issued a public health and safety bulletin about marijuana products that were altered after the laboratory sampling process and subsequently failed testing for microbial contamination. The New York State Police superintendent is being sued for allegedly illegally firing a trooper over off-duty marijuana use. Puerto Rico’s health secretary assumed control of the territory’s medical cannabis program amid ongoing investigations. Colorado regulators published guidance about marijuana tracking tag requirements. Illinois regulators published guidance on marijuana transporter business license applications. Washington State regulators published an updated list of pesticides allowed to be used in marijuana production. Michigan regulators banned a man from working in the state’s marijuana industry over alleged violations. Ohio officials sent cannabis-related safety tips ahead of Halloween. — 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 New York City’s mayor is appointing New York’s former top marijuana regulator as chair of the Commission on Racial Equity. The Cincinnati, Ohio City Council is advancing a proposal to use marijuana revenue to fund housing and youth programs. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study of cannabis-based medicinal products found that “of 3744 patients included, every outcome improved from baseline to 24 months, including [Brief Pain Inventory Short Form] pain severity, pain interference, and the [EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level] index value” and that “more than half of patients achieved a minimal clinically important difference in each pain measure at 24 months.” A review concluded that “ibogaine represents a therapeutic candidate for [substance use disorders], with broad anti-addictive potential.” / BUSINESS Verano Holdings Corp. reported quarterly net revenue of $212.4 million and a net loss of $4.1 million. Jushi Holdings Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $71 million and a net loss of $12.5 million. 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 GOP senators push USPS not to mail cannabis (Newsletter: October 30, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

More than $3.7 million, almost all of the money in support of the repeal effort so far, came from a single source: SAM Action Inc. By Hallie Claflin, Chris Lisinski and Jordan Wolman, CommonWealth Beacon For all the money wealthy donors from private equity and the investment world have splashed on changing how Massachusetts elections work, Question 3 is, at least for now, no longer the most expensive ballot question. An early-October burst of spending by opponents of an attempt to eliminate the recreational marijuana industry has pushed the total amount spent on that measure (Question 8) to nearly $6.5 million. That’s a good chunk more than the $5.9 million spent for and against the all-party primary question so far. Facing the prospect of their business being deemed illegal, the marijuana industry has mustered the financial cavalry. Opponents have already spent more than $2.8 million urging voters to reject the measure, more than twice as much as both sides have spent arguing their cases for whether to keep or spike a 2024 gun control law. The campaign pushing the anti-pot question is far more centralized. More than $3.7 million so far, almost all of the money behind the effort, came from a single source: SAM Action Inc., a Virginia-based nonprofit that exists primarily to oppose the recreational marijuana industry. That’s nearly twice as much as any other entity has put behind a single Massachusetts question this cycle. The second-largest contributor so far is the Massachusetts Opportunity Alliance, a coalition of business groups that has so far provided $1.9 million in in-kind contributions, mostly to kick-start the campaign to overhaul the state’s tax cap and rebate formula. Altogether, campaigns supporting or opposing the nine statewide questions on the ballot spent more than $25 million, including in-kind contributions, through October 15, the end of the most recent reporting period. The total is still well short of the record $70 million spent on the four questions on the ballot in 2022, but spending tends to be backloaded heavily to the weeks immediately before the election, so it’s still possible 2026 breaks into new territory. This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Unrelated content excised by Marijuana Moment. The post Supporters And Opponents Of Massachusetts Anti-Marijuana Ballot Question Have Spent Nearly $6.5 Million As Election Approaches appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Democratic lawmaker has filed a lengthy new bill in Congress that would completely overhaul the federal system for classifying drugs. The Public Health and Research Reforms In Controlled Substances Act, introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) on Thursday, amounts to a wholesale rewrite of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), legislation enacted in the Nixon era that has governed federal scheduling of marijuana, psychedelics and other drugs for more than half a century. The new 89-page bill would, among other reforms, replace the current five-schedule system with a new dual-axis framework that separately evaluates a drug’s potential for substance use disorders and threat to public health for placement on Schedules I-IV and its medical efficacy for ranking on Schedules A-E. As such, a given substance could be determined to have a relatively high abuse potential (Schedule I) as well as a high therapeutic value (Schedule A), classified as a Schedule IA drug. The bill would also federally legalize marijuana by removing it from the CSA entirely, a process known as descheduling. That proposed reform comes as the Trump administration is moving forward with a more incremental process of rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III. Cohen’s measure would also transfer core authorities in the drug scheduling process from the Department of Justice, attorney general and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which under current law makes recommendations to law enforcement officials who ultimately make final determinations. “Most Americans believe the ‘war on drugs’ has been a failure at cross purposes with good public policy and aimed largely at minorities with draconian mandatory minimum sentences for minor offenses that most now believe aren’t really offenses at all,” Cohen said in a press release. “This bill would set comprehensive policies on all aspects of drug regulation while also defining the purpose of federal involvement,” the congressman said. “A thoughtful review of national drug policy is long overdue. This measure would start the process of aligning the law with coherent public policy.” An existing eight-factor analysis that is used to evaluate drugs would be replaced with a new 14-factor review under the bill, and a new federal committee with 15-25 members with expertise in pharmacology, addiction medicine, substance use disorders and drug trends would conduct multi-criteria analysis to inform scheduling. A priority list of substances—including psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, DMT and ibogaine—would need to be reevaluated under the new system within two years and would be rescheduled with new default placements under the bill if health officials fail to do so. All other substances would need to receive new evaluations within 8 years. — 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 legislation would also eliminate weight-based, drug-specific mandatory minimum penalties and provides for the resentencing of people whose offenses would carry lower penalties under the new system. The U.S. Sentencing Commission would be directed to revise sentencing guidelines to conform with the new scheduling and penalty framework. With respect to marijuana, HHS would need to convene “not fewer than 3 public meetings to address the regulation, safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds” within a year of the bill’s passage. The legislation would also allow HHS to continue including marijuana within the scope of federal employee drug testing programs even after descheduling. Cohen, who has consistently supported marijuana reform during his time in Congress, is retiring at the end of this year. In June, he filed separate legislation to drastically overhaul how drugs are classified under the CSA, including by letting states effectively force federal rescheduling by changing their own local laws. The new bill is being endorsed by reform organizations such as the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP). “For more than half a century, America’s failed drug policies have been built on the shaky and unscientific foundation of the scheduling system defined in the Controlled Substances Act,” Morgan Fox, political director for NORML, said. “This system has never accurately categorized psychoactive substances based on rigorous analysis of their real-world uses and impacts, most clearly evidenced by the placement of cannabis in the most restrictive and dangerous class. The end result has been unfathomable human suffering around the globe.” SSDP Executive Director Kat Murti said Cohen’s new bill “recognizes that drug scheduling should follow science, not stand in its way.” “By reevaluating outdated classifications, distinguishing a substance’s potential risks from its therapeutic value, and reducing unnecessary barriers to research, this bill would help give scientists the freedom to ask important questions and pursue answers that could save lives,” she said. “We cannot make sensible drug policy without good science, and we cannot have good science when our drug policies make that research unnecessarily difficult. Congressman Cohen understands that ending the War on Drugs means ending the harm it does to scientific progress, too.” The post New Bill In Congress Would Dramatically Overhaul How The Federal Government Classifies Drugs While Legalizing Marijuana appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Republican candidate running to be Iowa’s next governor says members of his own family benefit from the use of medical cannabis and he supports expanding access to it—but he opposes broader legalization of recreational marijuana. “I think my stance on on marijuana is very simple. I believe in plant-based medicines 100 percent,” Zach Lahn said on Wednesday. “I have people in my family, I have friends that benefit from this—whether it’s PTSD, anxiety, whatever it might be.” The GOP gubernatorial nominee added, however, that “every decision we make like this is a vote towards what we want to see in the culture of our state”—and what he saw while attending college in Colorado, where adult-use marijuana is legal, is “not what I want for the state of Iowa.” “But I do want to increase access to medical marijuana across the state,” Lahn said. “Right now, it’s far too restricted, and we do need to open up so people who need it can get it.” When it comes to full legalization of marijuana, though, the Republican candidate claimed that the “financial benefits have been overstated” and the “social impacts have been understated.” “It is not a panacea. It’s not something that’s going to solve all the budget problems,” he said. “And we have to also understand that it also is a cultural decision. What do we want for it as a state? And while I want to see it expanded greatly, I’m not in favor of full legalization.” Watch Lahn’s cannabis comments, starting around 7:45 into the video below: Lahn’s opponent in the governor’s race, Democrat Rob Sand, however, supports legalizing recreational marijuana and has consistently argued on the campaign trail that it can be part of the solution to Iowa’s budget issues. “If we tax cannabis the way we tax alcohol and treat it the way we treat alcohol, that would be a positive move for the state’s budget,”he said during a debate last week. “I also think it would be a positive move for law enforcement—taking some of the burden off of their backs,” the Democratic gubernatorial candidate said. “Every time I talk to police officers, they’d rather deal with someone who was using cannabis than someone who was drunk.” “And look, these are both dangerous drugs,” Sand said. “The bottom line is, we don’t want to be throwing people in prison just for using them.” Sand separately said last month that legalizing marijuana is a “no-brainer” move to help forestall 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.” Sand also recently praised President Donald Trump’s administration for taking steps to federally reschedule cannabis. “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.'” Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee in a U.S. Senate race in Iowa, 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 Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) 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. — 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 Brian Shamblen. The post Iowa GOP Governor Candidate Has Family Members Who Benefit From Medical Marijuana, But He Opposes ‘Full Legalization’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Republican nominee to be Michigan’s next lieutenant governor has filed a bill in the state legislature that would suspend a recently enacted marijuana tax increase. Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R) introduced legislation this week that would make it so that a new 24 percent wholesale cannabis tax that was enacted by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and the legislature to raise money for road and bridge repairs would not be “levied or imposed” for a period of one year. “The road funding plan that taxed marijuana was created and signed in haste by the Whitmer administration to generate revenue, and we’ve seen the impacts of that haste,” DeBoyer said in a statement last week before formally filing his bill on Wednesday. “The tax is generating tens of millions of dollars less in revenue than what was projected and there’s no enforcement agency to collect it.” “It’s also driving the marijuana industry back into the black market and forcing business owners who are following the law to compete with nefarious actors,” he said. “This is a lose-lose.” “I supported the original legislation at large for needed road funding, but I was always skeptical to impose a tax with no mechanism to collect it. The problems with that were clear,” DeBoyer said. “This pause is needed to reevaluate the future effectiveness of the tax. Otherwise, it’s a useless tax and the state is forcing local businesses to pay for a policy that isn’t working as intended. This should be addressed.” DeBoyer’s gubernatorial running mate, John James, has stated his support for repealing or significantly rolling back the cannabis industry tax hike. While the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association (MiCIA) has endorsed James due to that stance, a Democratic senator recently told Marijuana Moment that the GOP candidate “has not been a friend to legalization”—citing comments from 2018 when he said he would “personally be voting no” on the ballot initiative that ultimately legalized recreational cannabis in the state that year. Sen. Jeff Irwin (D) also argued that DeBoyer “has been even worse on cannabis issues.” The Republican lieutenant governor candidate filed legislation this session to cut the number of Michigan medical cannabis caregivers can grow for patients in half, from 12 to six, while limiting the numbers of caregiver registrations per physical address to just one. Robin Schneider, MiCIA executive director, said in a press release on Thursday that the group is “grateful to Rep. DeBoyer for recognizing the damage this tax is doing and for stepping up with a practical way to stop it while we work toward a real solution.” “The 24 percent tax on cannabis isn’t fixing the roads, but it is destroying Michigan businesses,” she said. “A 12-month pause will give what’s left of our cannabis businesses time to stabilize and keeps customers in the regulated market, instead of driving them to the illicit market.” James’s Democratic opponent for governor, Jocelyn Benson, meanwhile, has not taken a clear stance on the cannabis tax. It’s a “new and emerging issue,” she said recently. “There’s a lot of data yet to be determined on that particular tax… We need to know where the money is going and also the impact that it’s had on the industry,” she said. “At the same time, I want to make sure that any changes we are making to our tax code do not come at the expense of driving up costs for Michiganders.” James, for his part, said in a plank of his “Freedom Agenda” unveiled in August that the cannabis tax “drives up prices, gives illegal operators a competitive edge, and has already fallen far short of revenue projections.” “As Governor, I will work to repeal or sharply reduce it,” he said. Another Republican state representative recently filed legislation that would reverse the cannabis wholesale tax. The tax was projected by state officials to raise $420 million, with the revenue aimed at funding road repairs and construction, though Rep. James DeSana (R), the sponsor of the repeal bill, says it is generating in less than half of what its supporters anticipated. The levy has been challenged in court through lawsuits filed by the cannabis industry. Meanwhile, earlier this year, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced it is distributing nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue to over 300 local governments and tribes across the state. The money is intended to support various local infrastructure, education and other programs and services in 313 municipalities, counties and tribal areas. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Michigan GOP Lieutenant Governor Candidate Files Bill To Suspend Marijuana Tax Increase appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The governor of New York has rejected key provisions of a bill that sought to create a new Cannabis Wage Board charged with recommending minimum hourly wages for industry workers. “New York’s cannabis industry is in its infancy, and licensees and employees are adapting to evolving market and legal developments,” Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in a memo about her decision to pursue the chapter amendment process on the legislation, which involves her signing it but only after reaching an agreement with lawmakers to enact changes at the start of the next session. “The bill as passed would create uncertainty in the industry by imposing a burdensome reporting requirement on applicants and by creating a wage board that could raise costs for licensees and drive consumers to the illicit market.” she wrote. Hochul’s proposal is to remove portions of the measure that would have created a three-member Cannabis Wage Board—including members of the licensed marijuana industry and the New York State AFL-CIO—that would have been charged with issuing a report to the governor and legislature with recommendations on minimum hourly wages for cannabis industry workers. The governor wants to maintain provisions of the legislation, however, that would eliminate provisions from current law concerning labor peace agreements that marijuana businesses have been required to enter into with unions representing workers. Hochul added in her memo that her agreement with lawmakers would also “give the Cannabis Control Board the discretion to prioritize adult-use license application submission, review, selection, and issuance based on an applicant’s voluntary entry into a labor peace agreement.” “On the basis of this agreement, I am pleased to sign this bill into law,” she said. Industry groups that had pushed the governor to reject the cannabis worker minimum wage proposal are celebrating the development. The Empire Cannabis Manufacturers Alliance, Association of New York Cannabis Processors and Cannabis Farmers Alliance praised Hochul for “stopping a wage board that would have driven up prices and imperiled the legal market her administration has spent years establishing,” The Times Union reported. “Her decision safeguards the farmers who grow cannabis, the processors and manufacturers who turn it into safe, regulated products, and the workers whose livelihoods depend on this growing industry,” the joint statement from the groups said. “Additional labor costs mandated by a wage board would have compounded at every stage of the supply chain, from cultivation and processing to manufacturing and retail, ultimately raising prices for consumers and making it harder to compete with the illicit market.” Safe and Affordable Cannabis for New York, meanwhile, said the move is “a major victory for the many small businesses and workers who have built this industry.” Earlier this week, Hochul issued a statement celebrating New York’s crossing the $4 billion mark in legal marijuana sales since the launch of the regulated market. The legislation, S10643 from Sen. Jessica Ramos (D) and A11562 from Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D), was passed by both chambers of the legislation in June. The report that the new board would have prepared under the measure “shall include specific recommendations for workers in each of the following areas: cultivation; processing and packaging; distribution; and retail and delivery,” a provisionthat the governor opposes said. “The board shall have the discretion to include specific recommendations for additional classifications of cannabis industry worker, and an industry-wide minimum wage for workers not captured within any specific classification, and shall have the discretion to determine that wages in the industry are adequate.” Before issuing its report, the board would have been required to hold at least three public hearings and could “consult with cannabis employers, cannabis workers, and their respective representatives, in the occupation or occupations involved, and with such other persons, as it shall determine,” the legislation says. Another section of the bill as passed by lawmakers would require marijuana business license applicants to provide details on their “full ownership structure” and any management service agreements they are party to, as well as information on compensation and scheduled hours for each paid position. A justification memo attached to the bill says its provisions are aimed at “helping to ensure workers in the industry are treated fairly.” — 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. — Separately, Hochul recently signed legislation clarifying that marijuana microbusinesses can fully participate in cannabis farmers’ markets and pop-up events. In May, OCM began accepting applications from licensed dispensaries that want to host temporary cannabis farmers’ markets and pop-up events. The launch of applications this year followed the enactment of earlier legislation signed by Hochul last year that built on an existing showcase program that was first created in 2023. The state Cannabis Control Board (CCB) adopted regulations for the events program that is now rolling out last May. In March, the governor marked the five-year anniversary of adult-use marijuana legalization in New York, highlighting $3.3 billion in retail sales at that point, the opening of more than 600 licensed cannabis shops and achievements in promoting social equity in the industry while taking steps to mitigate the illicit market. In January, New York officials released a set of reports providing a 2025 end-of-year status update on the evolution of the state’s medical and adult-use marijuana markets—touting record sales, revenue hauls for state coffers, licensing approvals, equity initiatives and more. The OCM annual report also notes that Hochul signed legislation into law that expands the state’s medical cannabis program by improving patient access and “updating the program framework to better meet patient needs statewide.” The post New York Governor Guts Marijuana Worker Minimum Wage Bill At Industry’s Request appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A pair of Republican senators are pushing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) not to participate in a new plan approved by Georgia state officials that allows medical marijuana to be delivered directly to patients—including via mail carriers and private companies like FedEx, UPS and DHL. “It is our understanding that marijuana cannot currently be mailed at all using the USPS,” Sens. James Lankford (R-OK) and Ted Budd (R-NC) said in a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner on Tuesday. “However, some states are under a different impression.” Last month, the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC) voted to allow medical cannabis deliveries, specifically listing USPS as a route for patients to have their medicine sent to their homes. “While Georgia does not have the authority to alter current USPS regulations, we are concerned that USPS will alter its regulations to allow for these shipments,” the GOP senators wrote in the new letter. “We strongly oppose any effort to allow the shipment of marijuana.” They noted that the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule marijuana, which was cited by Georgia officials in justifying the delivery rule, “put significant weight on state licensing schemes as proof that the marijuana being sold is safe and medicinal.” “This trust in state licensing schemes is not deserved. Some states have very low barriers to entry when it comes to being a licensed marijuana dispensary. At one point, Oklahoma had 9,178 licensed marijuana grow operations and 2,611 licensed dispensaries. While those numbers have come down, it is clear that state licensed participants must be funneling products across state lines and into the black market. USPS should not give these actors access to the mail.” Lankford and Budd also raised concerns about “increased access to marijuana by young children,” arguing that allowing shipment by postal carriers could worsen the issue. “While it may seem like marijuana is legal everywhere, Idaho and Kansas have not legalized it in any form,” they wrote. “While bad actors find ways to funnel the drug into those states, the USPS should not facilitate the shipment of an illegal and controlled substance into a state that does not allow its use.” There is nothing in the Georgia rule that contemplates allowing companies licensed by the state to ship medical cannabis into other states, however. “We look forward to continuing this conversation as USPS considers the impact of the final rule and urge USPS to maintain its current regulation that prohibits the shipment of marijuana,” Lankford and Budd wrote. A USPS official, when contacted by Marijuana Moment about the Georgia policy, refused to clearly state the agency’s position on participating in medical marijuana deliveries. Nikolaj Hagen, a senior public relations representative for USPS, pointed to general regulations on the mailability of controlled substances. Those rules state that if distribution of a controlled substance is unlawful, “then the mailing of the substance is also unlawful.” Mailing of controlled substances in domestic mail, it says, is only acceptable under three conditions. One is when both the mailer and the addressee are registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While DEA has launched a process to register medical marijuana businesses that want to receive protections in line with federal rescheduling, there is no such registration process for patients. There is a carve-out in the USPS rule for those who are exempt from DEA registration, but it cites “military, civil defense, and law enforcement personnel” who are “performing official duties.” Another condition under which mailing controlled substances is acceptable concerns mail-back programs, which allow patients to send unused or expired prescription drugs for safe destruction. That also doesn’t apply to patients who want to receive medical marijuana deliveries to their homes. The final and perhaps most applicable condition in the USPS rules allows mailing of prescription medications “when mailed by drug manufacturers or their registered agents, pharmacies, medical practitioners, or other authorized dispensers, as permitted by 21 CFR § 1307.11, or in compliance with any regulation of the FDA or other applicable law.” While state medical marijuana laws have allowed patients to access it via doctors’ recommendations, and not the formal prescription process due to federal prohibition, the cannabis rescheduling order that Attorney General Todd Blanche issued in April contains a provision that seems to deem those recommendations as prescriptions for the purposes of federal law: “Prescriptions. Notwithstanding part 1306 of this chapter or any other provision of these rules, a certification or other document (including an electronic document) that state law deems sufficient for a user to obtain marijuana or products containing marijuana for medical purposes shall be sufficient to permit dispensing of marijuana or products containing marijuana to a user so long as the certification or other document is dated as of, and signed on, the day when issued; bears the full name and address of the user; and contains the name, address, and state license number of the practitioner who signed the certification or other document and is authorized to do so under state law.” When pressed for further clarification on USPS’s position on mailing medical marijuana in light of rescheduling, Hagen simply said that “we have nothing additional to offer at this time.” A spokesperson for DHL told Marijuana Moment that the company is “monitoring and will continue to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in the countries and territories where we operate.” Representatives for UPS and FedEx did not reply to requests for comment. Georgia officials, meanwhile, seem confident that federal rescheduling will allow mailing of medical cannabis under the the newly adopted state rule. “We think this provides a great pathway. It maintains the same tracking standards that the commission has, and it really leverages the authority in that DEA rescheduling order for state-regulated medical marijuana program,” Andrew Turnage, GMCC’s executive director, previously said of the newly adopted rule in a earlier meeting in August. “Without these regulations, we don’t have guidelines in place for things like delivery. We think it’s really important to put those guardrails in place and establish standards.” He noted that Georgia is a “very large state” and that it has been hard for some patients to easily access the medical cannabis that their doctors have recommended. “Patients in many areas are having to travel two hours or more, either into a congested metropolitan area or around large geographic divides—whether that’s the mountains, the rivers, or the lakes, and it makes it impossible to get east to west across our great state, Turnage said. The GMCC official noted that one of the “greatest values” of the new proposed delivery rules will be getting cannabis to patients in healthcare facilities, including those such as nursing homes where they are permanent residents. “This creates a much more secure transaction for that healthcare facility to be able to make a purchase at our dispensaries and have that shipped and delivered securely to those facilities, without presenting a risk for diversion, without presenting a risk for, frankly, theft, robbery, an attack in the parking lot,” he said. Lankford, for his part, has also pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about his concerns over tax relief for marijuana businesses that comes with federal rescheduling. The post GOP Senators Urge USPS Not To Deliver Medical Marijuana Through The Mail Even Though Trump Federally Rescheduled It appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

MA gov candidates united on marijuana; Report: racial disparities in cannabis arrests; Tribes’ cannabis revenue potential; Marijuana marketing 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… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The Drug Enforcement Administration is preparing to release a list of state-licensed medical cannabis businesses that applied for federal protections in line with the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) and GOP challenger Mike Minogue agree that recreational marijuana sales should remain legal—both saying they will be voting against a measure to roll back the state’s cannabis legalization law on the November ballot. A new analysis from FWD.us shows that Black people accounted for 83 percent of the increase in marijuana arrests in the U.S. in 2025—and that they made up nearly half (45 percent) of all cannabis arrests in the U.S. last year. Native American tribes stand to generate more than $2 billion in new revenue every year by participating in the legal marijuana market, according to a new estimate from HedgeRow Analysis. The Cannabis Media Council’s Amy Deneson argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that a congressional bill to designate cannabis as a “high-risk” online advertising category alongside gambling and cryptocurrency would be “counterproductive.” “Licensed cannabis operators aren’t the scam. They’re the safe, tested alternative.” Pennsylvania Department of Health records show that more than half of the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries are operated by just six multistate brands. / FEDERAL The Drug Enforcement Administration and Customs and Border Protection are facing a lawsuit from a company that says the federal agencies improperly seized nearly $1.4 million without explanation. / STATES Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand discussed his support for legalizing marijuana during a debate. Nebraska America First Party gubernatorial candidate Brett Lindstrom, a former state senator, discussed his support for medical cannabis. Colorado regulators sent a health and safety bulletin about marijuana products found to have yeast, mold, aspergillus and the pesticide pyriproxyfen above acceptable limits. Vermont’s top cannabis regulator discussed the difficulty of enforcing restrictions against hemp THC products. Illinois regulators launched new features allowing medical cannabis patients and caregivers to view their allotments and purchase histories. New York regulators sent a warning about cannabis-infused edibles ahead of Halloween. Washington State regulators sent a newsletter with updates about various cannabis issues. Oregon regulators will consider proposed changes to marijuana rules on Thursday. The Alaska Marijuana Control Board Laboratory Testing Working Group will meet on November 24. — 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 Atlantic City, New Jersey is facing a lawsuit from a cannabis business owner who claims he was threatened to give money to a city official. Niles, Michigan voters will decide on ballot measures concerning restrictions on the number of marijuana businesses that are allowed to operate. / INTERNATIONAL KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa officials launched a hemp seed production program. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that recreational cannabis laws “were associated with higher cannabis use and lower perceived risk, with the largest prevalence differences among young adults and adults” but that “effects among adolescents were generally small or null.” A study provided “preliminary evidence that feelings of connectedness may be a mechanism underlying psilocybin’s benefits for individuals with” major depressive disorder. / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Mindstate Design Labs and individual researchers are requesting a hearing to challenge the Drug Enforcement Administration’s move to place five psychedelics in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The vice president of Americans Against Legalizing Marijuana authored an op-ed attempting to link marijuana use to violence. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post DEA readies list of cannabis businesses that applied for federal protections (Newsletter: October 29, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is preparing to release a list of state-licensed medical marijuana business that have applied in a timely fashion for federal protections that come with the Trump administration’s move to partially reschedule cannabis. A agency webpage launched on Wednesday said the forthcoming list—which will detail the states included in applicants’ business addresses, as well as whether they are dispensaries, manufacturers or distributors—will be updated on a daily basis once it is formally uploaded. For now, however, the agency’s site links to a placeholder text file that simply says, “TEST.” “This list is current as of the date included in the file,” the DEA page says. “This list may change as Timely Applicants are granted DEA registrations, withdraw their applications for DEA registration, or are no longer considered Timely Applicants for any other reason.” DEA officials did not respond to queries from Marijuana Moment about when the list will actually be uploaded. (Shortly after this story was published, DEA removed the page in question from its website, but not before Marijuana Moment archived it on the Wayback Machine.) By “timely” applicants, it appears DEA is referring to medical marijuana businesses that applied within a 60-day window of the initial rescheduling announcement to receive expedited consideration. “To facilitate a prompt transition, the Administrator is directed to process applications submitted within 60 days of publication within six months, and early applicants may lawfully operate under their state-issued licenses during the pendency of review,” the rescheduling rule issued in April said. Days later, DEA began accepting registrations from medical cannabis dispensaries with a new form. Earlier this month, the agency launched new specialized registration forms for additional types of state-licensed medical marijuana businesses such as manufacturers, distributors and analytical labs. Businesses that fill out the new version of DEA Form 225 for manufacturers, distributors and analytical labs must answer whether they will be handling medical and/or recreational marijuana, and provide their state licensing information. They also need to specify if they will be working with marijuana, marijuana extract and/or naturally derived delta-9 THC in a cannabis product subject to a state medical license or a Food and Drug Administration-approved product. They must also answer questions about the criminal and disciplinary history of the business and key personnel. Previously, dispensaries could fill out a specialized form during the 60-day window for expedited consideration. Dispensaries that still want to register can now use the standard DEA Form 224 to do so. Meanwhile, DEA personnel are conducting inspections of medical marijuana dispensaries that previously applied for registration. One such business owner told Marijuana Moment recently that she plans to fight a decision by DEA that she says could force her to fire two good employees if she wants to register for protections under rescheduling. Nicole Huff, CEO of the Wildflower Medical Dispensary in Aberdeen, shared with Marijuana Moment correspondence that a DEA official sent about the two workers in question, who have past felony convictions. As a result of those criminal records, the business must either fire the employees, withdraw its application for federal protections, seek a waiver while becoming ineligible for expedited processing or go before an agency judge. Huff told said she will take the issue before a DEA judge. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) recently criticized the policy, telling Marijuana Moment that it is “really problematic” and “ridiculous.” “I think there should be for these nonviolent offenders who are convicted of crimes that are now legal, that we should be expunging records,” he said. “If you are a person that believes in justice, that believes in economic opportunity, fairness under the law—if you believe in economic growth, if you’re a pro-growth person—these are all things that help create jobs, build economy, keep people out of jail,” Booker said. “It’s just smart policy.” Industry sources say the way the agency has been carrying out inspections varies between DEA’s regional offices throughout the country. In June, Mississippi medical cannabis businesses spoke to Marijuana Moment about being visited by DEA officials, who told them they were among the first in the country to be seen for inspection under the registration process. In August, Marijuana Moment obtained a list of 26 questions that DEA officials are sending to medical cannabis businesses in Colorado as part of the consideration of their applications for registration. Those questions differ in many cases from ones being asked of Mississippi operators. The agency launched its initial registration form for dispensaries in April, days after 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. The post DEA Prepares To Release List Of Marijuana Businesses That Applied For Federal Protections Under Trump’s Rescheduling Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Democratic governor of Massachusetts and her Republican opponent in next week’s election both oppose an initiative on the ballot to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law. Gov. Maura Healey (D) told NBC 10 Boston that she will be voting against the measure because “the cannabis industry is important.” “It’s here and it should continue,” she said. The governor similarly said recently that she opposes the anti-cannabis initiative. “We’ve got to keep recreational marijuana here in Massachusetts,” she said earlier this month. “It’s an important industry, the cannabis industry. And I hope the voters keep cannabis.” GOP challenger Mike Minogue told NBC 10 that while he initially opposed recreational marijuana legalization in the state, he doesn’t want to roll the law back now. “I didn’t vote for it early on. Now with cats out of the bag, it’s regulated,” he said. “There’s a lot of businesses and employees, so I’m not in favor of repealing it.” The candidates’ views are in line with those of most voters in the state, according to recent polls that consistently show a majority of respondents oppose 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. A survey from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and WCVB-TV last week found that the anti-cannabis proposal has support from just 31 percent of voters, including 16 percent who say they will definitely vote yes and 15 percent who say they will probably vote yes. That’s compared to 47 percent who say they will definitely vote no and 14 percent who say they will probably vote no. A separate survey by Suffolk University and The Boston Globe shows that 71 percent of voters Just 21 percent of voters in the poll say they plan to support the anti-cannabis ballot initiative. A previous poll released last month from CommonWealth Beacon and MassINC Polling Group found that 61 percent of likely voters oppose the anti-initiative and just 27 percent support it. A separate survey released last month by The University of New Hampshire, showed that nearly three-quarters (71 percent) of respondents planned to vote against the anti-cannabis measure, while just 24 percent planned to support it. Another recent poll from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and WCVB-TV found that most believe legal cannabis has been good for the state’s economy, tax revenue, criminal justice system and local communities. Meanwhile, the No On 8 campaign continues to rack up high-profile endorsements from elected officials in addition to the governor and her Republican challenger. Last week, more than 50 state lawmakers said they will be voting against the anti-marijuana ballot measure. That includes the House speaker and Senate president. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ed Markey (D-MA) both recently told Marijuana Moment that 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.” 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… I support keeping it on the books and overwhelmingly so do the people of Massachusetts.” Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) also recently urged voters to reject the measure, saying that “keeping marijuana legal in Massachusetts is both economic justice and racial justice policy.” Boston’s mayor also said she is voting against the initiative to roll back marijuana legalization. The City Council in Worcester—the state’s second-most populous municipality—passed a resolution urging voters to reject the anti-cannabis initiative. 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 (CCC), 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 did not get enough signatures to go before voters, the state’s laws would remain the same. 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. Broken Lizard, the comedy troupe behind films such as Super Troopers and Beerfest, recently launched a video ad that explains how Massachusetts residents who want to keep cannabis sales legal should vote on the measure given its confusing wording and path to the ballot. The Massachusetts House of Representatives recently passed a bill to increase military veterans’ access to medical marijuana by allowing them to receive patient cards without having to get a doctor’s recommendation and adding additional qualifying conditions. The post Massachusetts Governor And GOP Opponent Agree That Marijuana Sales Should Remain Legal appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“Licensed cannabis operators aren’t the scam. They’re the safe, tested alternative.” By Amy Deneson, Cannabis Media Council A recently filed bipartisan bill in Congress would label cannabis advertising “high-risk.” The industry already has a better solution: self-regulations with high standards. Congress is right to take on online scams. Fraudsters target older Americans on the same platforms they use to stay connected, and platforms should do more to stop them. The Cannabis Media Council shares that goal. But the bipartisan SAFE Platforms Act (H.R. 10433) takes a wrong turn. It would designate cannabis a “high-risk” category alongside gambling and cryptocurrency, and require platforms to put cannabis advertisers through enhanced identity verification and periodic re-verification, including extra documentation and reviews of a company’s online presence and business history. Licensed cannabis operators aren’t the scam. They’re the safe, tested alternative. Seniors are increasingly choosing that alternative. Older adults are one of the fastest-growing groups of cannabis consumers: New York University researchers, publishing in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that current use among Americans 65 and older hit a record 7 percent in 2023, up nearly 46 percent in just two years. The bill aims to protect seniors, but many of them are now the customers. Cutting off licensed advertising doesn’t shield them. It leaves them to sort out a confusing market without clear information about which products are legal and tested. That’s why the Cannabis Media Council’s (CMC) award-winning campaign, “I’m High Right Now,” features elders: responsible advertising should reflect who today’s cannabis consumers actually are. And the new creative encourages them to “Buy Legal”—pointing curious consumers toward legitimate, licensed, tested products instead of relying on what friends are taking or the proverbial neighborhood “backpack guy.” Consider who actually advertises legal cannabis. These are state-licensed businesses that check IDs at the door, test their products, track inventory and answer to regulators who can pull their licenses. A dispensary isn’t an anonymous offshore account. It has a street address, a license number, security systems and regular inspections. The timing makes the bill’s approach especially counterproductive. In April, the federal government moved state-licensed medical cannabis to Schedule III. For the first time, medical operators have a federal path to reach patients through traditional channels. Labeling the whole category “high-risk” would narrow that path just as it opens. The industry already lives with heavy marketing restrictions. In CMC’s 2026 Cannabis Advertising Investments and Sentiments Survey, 56 percent of marketers said a platform had shut down their account or canceled their ads, and 69 percent named restrictions as their top frustration. More friction won’t stop bad actors, who don’t hold licenses to begin with. It will burden the businesses playing by the rules, and push consumers toward the unregulated market—where no one checks ID or shares products tests conducted by third-party labs. There’s a better model, and other age-restricted industries already use it. Alcohol has relied on voluntary advertising codes for decades, working alongside state law and platform policy. Cannabis can do the same, and it’s already started. This month CMC released Edition IV of Full Spectrum: Guidelines for Responsible Cannabis Advertising. Since 2023, Full Spectrum has set an industry standard for paid cannabis advertising, used by brands, agencies and publishers across the country. Its Seven Pillars for Responsible Advertising already ask advertisers to verify their licenses, target only adults and substantiate every claim. Edition IV goes further with the Cannabis Advertising Code, a set of core commitments, to establish a universal standard. We invite policymakers, regulators, operators, and publishers to review it and share feedback for national adoption. Why self-regulation? Because it’s precise. A blanket “high-risk” label treats a licensed dispensary like an offshore gambling site. An industry code, shaped with input from compliant operators, accountable publishers and media platforms and official regulators, can spell out what responsible advertising looks like: who sees it, what it claims and how it portrays consumption. It can evolve as fast as the market does. And it gives advertising outlets something they’ve rarely had for cannabis: a clear benchmark for saying yes to the right advertisers. Advertising is how adults learn which products are legal, which are tested and where the licensed operator nearest them is open to welcome them. For medical patients, that information is crucial for access and care. Shutting it down doesn’t make anyone safer. It hands the conversation to the illicit market and the misinformation that thrives there. Our guidelines exist to inspire cannabis businesses to hold themselves to a high standard and advertise responsibly. Before H.R. 10433 moves forward, we urge lawmakers to recognize licensed operators that meet these high standards, rather than treating the entire category as a threat. We share Congress’s goal in caring for our consumers, notably our elders. Let’s reach it without punishing the businesses that are part of the solution. Amy Deneson is the executive director and co-founder of the Cannabis Media Council, a trade association leveraging the connective power of advertising to advocate for the normalization of cannabis. She has served as a marketing leader, bridging cannabis into the mainstream, for Curio Wellness, Vireo Health, Curaleaf and more in over 30 U.S. markets since 2016. The post New Congressional Bill Wrongly Targets Cannabis As ‘High-Risk’ Industry For Online Scams (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“There’s a gravitational-like force towards consolidation in almost any industry… All I know is, I drive around Pennsylvania, I see a Curaleaf every couple blocks.” By Hannah Frances Johansson, NewsWorks Lab Daylin Leach, a former state senator, said he once knew the names of everyone running a dispensary in Pennsylvania. Now, he knows none. “There’s a gravitational-like force towards consolidation in almost any industry,” said Leach, the Montgomery County Democrat who co-sponsored Senate Bill 3, which became the Medical Marijuana Act. A decade after Pennsylvania legalized medical marijuana, multistate corporations, not locals, control many of the state permits to grow and sell cannabis. The reason stems partly from the needs of growers and dispensers to access large sums of cash, which are largely unavailable from traditional lenders because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, industry insiders said. Following a wave of acquisitions starting in 2018, multistate corporations control at least 10 of the 16 original permits initially given to cannabis companies to set up shop in the southwest region of the state, according to NewsWorks Lab’s analysis of permit applications, Department of Health documents, Securities and Exchange Commission filings and press releases. Across the state, companies from Chicago, Florida and Connecticut operate most of the state’s dispensaries. Six multistate retail brands—Curaleaf, RISE, Trulieve, Zen Leaf, Sunnyside and Beyond Hello—operate more than 100 locations, or more than half of Pennsylvania’s dispensaries, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. All six—or their parent companies—rank among the world’s biggest cannabis firms based on net revenue, according to Tom Adams Research, an industry consultant. “I saw where the industry was going,” said Chris Kohan, a founder of The Healing Center, which was a locally owned regional chain of dispensaries. “That got very disappointing.” Chicago-based Verano Holdings Corp., the company behind the Zen Leaf dispensary brand, bought The Healing Center in 2021 in a deal worth $110 million, according to media reports. Verano operates more than 160 retail locations and 14 growing and processing locations across 13 states, according to its website. “I didn’t have any choice in that matter, really, if I wanted to be as successful as I possibly could,” Kohan said. “People who held on and are sitting there now, they’re wishing they didn’t.” State Sen. Chris Gebhard, a Lebanon County Republican, introduced a 2023 bill to counterbalance the movement toward consolidation. “A program once looked to as an example of good government, promoting homegrown jobs and businesses in some of our more economically downtrodden communities, is now a program dominated by out-of-state companies,” Gebhard wrote about the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program in a prepared remark submitted to the state Senate, urging his colleagues to vote in favor of the bill. The bill succeeded, and later that year became law as Act 63 of 2023, an amendment to the Medical Marijuana law to allow independent companies to apply for an additional permit. If a company had a permit to grow, it could apply for a permit to sell, or vice versa. Around a dozen companies have received grower-processor or dispensary permits because of Act 63, according to the Pa. Department of Health. Despite the amendment, multistate companies still dominate. “All I know is, I drive around Pennsylvania, I see a Curaleaf every couple blocks,” Leach said. Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. is the biggest cannabis company in the world, according to the net revenue analysis by Tom Adams Research. It has 18 active dispensary locations in Pennsylvania, according to the Department of Health. Multistate companies and outside influence In southwestern Pennsylvania, mergers and acquisitions started soon after companies first obtained permits to grow and sell cannabis, state and federal SEC records show. Florida-based Trulieve Cannabis Corp. entered the Pennsylvania market when it bought PurePenn LLC and Keystone Relief Centers, LLC, two cannabis companies headquartered in the Pittsburgh area, in November 2020. PurePenn had a permit to grow and process cannabis. Keystone Relief Centers had a permit to run dispensaries. Trulieve now has 21 dispensaries across the state, according to its website. In 2024, multistate corporation Cresco Labs Inc. bought Keystone Integrated Care, LLC, a company with two locations, in Pittsburgh and in Greensburg, according to an exhibit filed with the SEC. Cresco operates in eight states, according to its website. Big operators are able to supply larger quantities of medicine because they can more easily bear the cost of complying with Pennsylvania’s rules for safe production, a Cresco spokesperson told NewsWorks Lab. Green Thumb Industries Inc., the Chicago-based parent company of GTI Pennsylvania, LLC (associated with the RISE dispensary brand), has hung onto permits it was awarded for growing and selling cannabis across the state, including in Westmoreland County. Green Thumb Industries now has over 120 dispensaries across the country, according to its website. National backers also have reached into the Pa. market through lending agreements, records show. The U.S. Government Accountability Office found in an August report that some cannabis companies have entered into contracts with nontraditional lenders or private investors. “Focus group participants said that potential investors structured contracts in ways that could allow them to take control of the business,” GAO found. Maitri Medicinals—a dispensary brand with locations in Uniontown, Pittsburgh and New Stanton—advertises itself as a cannabis company with deep roots in southwestern Pennsylvania. However, a form filed with the SEC on November 3, 2022, included John Mazarakis and Andreas Bodmeier—two founding partners at private credit group Chicago Atlantic—among the leadership of Maitri Holdings, LLC. The same month the company filed the document with the SEC, Maitri’s board of managers wrote that they had defaulted on their debt and lease obligations to Chicago Atlantic in a letter included in a lawsuit filed in Allegheny County’s Court of Common Pleas. FarmaceuticalRX, another permitted Pa. processor and retailer that is opening a dispensary in Oakland, has also borrowed from Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc., according to an SEC filing from this year. Representatives from Maitri, FarmaceuticalRx and Chicago Atlantic have not responded to requests for comment about the nature of their relationships or if they have continued. Why consolidation happened in cannabis UC Berkeley’s Michael Polson, director of the Berkeley Cannabis Research Center, said he sees a similar pattern across the country: After a state legalizes cannabis, investors rush to grab a piece of the market without expecting profitability at first. In California, where Polson conducts a lot of his research, this led to oversupply, which helped depress prices. In Pennsylvania, the retail price of dry leaf tanked from $14.90 per gram at the start of 2021 to $7.65 per gram in mid-2025, according to a presentation from a June 2025 meeting of the Department of Health’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board. The Advisory Board did not respond to a request for comment about what drove down the price. To survive lower prices, big companies are often able to draw capital from different parts of their operation; small shops might not have the same flexibility, Polson said. Cannabis companies and their employees told the GAO they find it difficult to access traditional banking because the drug remains illegal at the federal level, leading them to seek loans that might contain “unfavorable” terms. In April, the U.S. Justice Department rescheduled medical marijuana, reducing restrictions on the substance for medical uses; it remains illegal for recreational ones. Publicly traded companies, meanwhile, can fall back on shareholders’ investments if they need an injection of capital, Polson said. Each of the cannabis companies with the greatest number of stores in Pennsylvania are publicly traded, according to Yahoo Finance: Cresco (Sunnyside), Verano (Zen Leaf), Green Thumb Industries (RISE), Curaleaf, Trulieve and Jushi Holdings Inc. (Beyond Hello). The Healing Center At the height of his business, Kohan said he had handpicked staff, multiple pharmacists, a weekly newsletter and a monthly donation drive for local organizations, including veterans’ groups and animal shelters. For several months after selling to Verano, Kohan said he stayed to supervise the marketing transition from The Healing Center to Zen Leaf. “You know, sadly, they all morphed into kind of the same places,” Kohan said. “I mean, the place is still the place. It’s just, the people aren’t the people.” Verano cut his staff, Kohan said, and got rid of the on-site pharmacists, opting for virtual consultations. Verano employs nearly 20 pharmacists across Pennsylvania who provide both in-person and virtual consultations, Steve Mazeika, vice president of investor relations and communications, wrote in a statement. He added that the company has maintained a philanthropic culture. “Verano has a proud history of philanthropy supporting a large assortment of local and national charitable organizations,” he wrote, including pro bono support for cannabis expungement clinics, as well as support to the LGBTQ+ community and veterans. You may reach Hannah Frances Johansson at hjohansson@newsworkslab.com. NewsWorks Lab is a public-benefit company owned by Trib Total Media to produce high-impact, accountability journalism as a free, open-source resource. You may find more information at NewsWorksLab.com. Questions, tips and comments may be shared at Hello@NewsWorksLab.com. Copyright NewsWorksLab, LLC 2026. This article first appeared on NewsWorks Lab and is republished here under a NewsworkLabs License. The post More Than Half Of Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Are Operated By Just Six Companies appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

It has long been known that despite similar marijuana usage rates across races, cannabis criminalization is enforced in a racially disproportionate manner in the U.S.—with people of color being arrested at much higher rates than white people are. Now, a new analysis shows that when marijuana arrests went up in 2025 compared to the prior year’s total, Black people accounted for 83 percent of the increase. The data compiled by the criminal justice and immigration policy reform group FWD.us also shows that Black people made up nearly half (45 percent) of all cannabis arrests in the U.S. last year. The organization’s new report, “Arresting Progress,” generally looks at how criminal justice reforms achieved in recent years have begun to roll back amid what it calls “supercharged law enforcement funding under the second Trump administration.” “Arrests for drug possession rose for the first time in several years in 2025, signaling a return to the failed policies and enforcement approach at the height of the ‘war on drugs,'” the document said. “The increase includes a nearly 6% rise in arrests for marijuana possession, despite recreational or medical marijuana now being legal in 41 states.” “Black Americans were arrested for marijuana possession at nearly five times the rate of white Americans, accounting for 83% of the overall national increase in marijuana arrests in 2025.” Cannabis possession arrests in 2025 increased by more than 11,000 from the year prior, to 201,273, FWD.us said—”the first increase in at least a decade.” The rise in cannabis busts is “concentrated in states that have not legalized marijuana, with 75% of the increase occurring in just eight southern states (Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, and Arkansas),” the group said. It also highlighted Washington, D.C., where marijuana arrests more than doubled in 2025 amid a Trump administration’s National Guard surge in the nation’s capital city. When it comes to race, the report noted that despite similar usage rates, “Black people are arrested for marijuana possession at more than four times the rate (182 per 100,000) of white people (41 per 100,000).” Cannabis arrests rose by nearly 10 percent for Black people in 2025, while they “remained stable” for other groups, it said. “This means that Black people accounted for 83% of the national increase in marijuana arrests in 2025 and nearly half of all marijuana arrests were of Black people (45%).” Aside from marijuana, arrests for possession of other drugs also increased in 2025 by more than 15,000, with the report placing the blame “almost entirely” on the rollback of reforms such as Oregon’s now-repealed drug decriminalization law and the reversal of a provision of a California policy that reclassified simple drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor. “Like with the increase in marijuana possession arrests, the impact of these policy changes has been most acutely felt by Black people,” the report said, noting that drug possession busts increased by 8 percent in 2025 for Black people, compared to a 2 percent rise for white people. “Despite decades of evidence showing that drug use rates are similar across racial groups and research demonstrating the harm caused by the ‘war on drugs’ in communities of color,” the report said, “arrests for drug possession continue to fall disproportionately on the communities who have long been subjected to the most extreme enforcement and surveillance tactics and the devastating consequences of mass incarceration.” Zoë Towns, executive director of FWD.us, said in a press release about the new report that “we know what actually builds safe communities: housing, healthcare, and local violence prevention—not mass criminalization. “Rolling back smart criminal justice reforms and supercharging low-level enforcement only ruins lives, deepens racial disparities, and drains taxpayer dollars,” she said. “It is time for federal, state, and local leaders to course-correct before we lock in another era of failed enforcement policies.” The post Black People Accounted For 83% Of Last Year’s Increase In U.S. Marijuana Arrests, Report Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Native American tribes stand to generate more than $2 billion in new revenue every year by participating in the legal marijuana market, according to a new estimate. HedgeRow Analysis on Wednesday published a projection that Native American tribes that move “deliberately and early” could see $300 million to $600 million in annual revenue from cannabis market potential within five years, building up to an eventual $2 billion per year. The firm said the opportunity for tribes is driven by their sovereign status and long cultural histories with plant medicine as the number of new state marijuana legalization laws coming online slows and as full federal legalization “remains elusive.” HedgeRow is estimating that more than $50 billion in annual consumer cannabis demand is currently being met by unregulated products, including those from the criminal market and via hemp-derived THC. “While most states have legalized adult use or medical cannabis, there are many opportunities across the country for tribal nations to open a safe, legal and regulated marketplace to supplant the current illegal market,” HedgeRow CEO Matt Walter said. “Where a state prohibits adult-use sales, allows only medical cannabis or has built a system that leaves sizable populations unserved, a sovereign nation offering a tested, regulated, well-managed retail operation isn’t competing at the margins of the state market,” he said. “In those places, it is the market.” The firm laid out three different cannabis policy environments that tribes might find themselves in, each requiring a different strategy with differing revenue potential. In states that continue to prohibit marijuana for both recreational and medical use, tribal nations have the potential to become the only providers of legal and tested cannabis products within a wide geographic radius. Tribes in these prohibition states—Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming—stand to see revenues of more than $25 million a year, HedgeRow estimates. States that have legalized medical cannabis but do not allow broader recreational use “leave most adult consumers without a legal option, and their demand flows almost entirely to illicit and hemp-derived channels,” the firm said. This is particularly true of states that have very restrictive medical programs, such as Texas. Tribes in these states stand to see $8-18 million a year in revenues HedgeRow projects. In states that already allow people to legally use cannabis for both medical and adult use, there are still economic opportunities for tribes that identify “pockets of unmet demand created by municipal opt-outs, slow licensing, uneven store distribution and seasonal population surges,” the firm said. Native nations in these states could earn $4-12 million in yearly revenue, according to the analysis. A geographic breakdown that HedgeRow provided to Marijuana Moment suggests that the Southern and Gulf region of the U.S. represents the largest economic opportunity for tribes, comprising about 40 percent of the national total given that nearly 90 million Americans who live there have no legal access to recreational cannabis. “Cannabis represents the best shot at generational wealth creation and financial strength since gaming,” HedgeRow co-founder Stephen Balogh said. “Similar to gaming, the customer may travel long distances, creating opportunities for related economic development in the local hospitality industry and cultural tourism.” HedgeRow pointed to the experience of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), which launched the first marijuana dispensary within North Carolina in 2024—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers. “EBCI did not set out to bring cannabis to North Carolina; it had already been here for a very long time,” Forrest Parker, CEO of Qualla Enterprises, which manages the tribe’s Great Smoky Cannabis Company, said. “We wanted to bring high-quality, safe, tested, and regulated cannabis to consumers who had been accepting whatever they could get from the illegal market.” “The results speak for themselves,” he said. “Great Smoky created economic opportunity for thousands of tribal families, redirected tens of millions of dollars from illegal markets back into our communities, and gave consumers a quality product as an improved health care and consumption choice.” HedgeRow’s projections are based on a model the firm developed called the Cannabis Market Estimation and Location Optimization Tool (CaMELOT) that estimates potential consumer and market demand using drug survey data, demographic and economic profiles, spatial and travel-time analysis, competitive saturation and tourism patterns. A map created last year by the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) in collaboration with the law firm Vicente LLP that more than a fourth of Indigenous communities in the continental U.S. are now involved with marijuana or hemp programs. The post Entering The Marijuana Market Provides Native American Tribes With Opportunity For $2 Billion A Year In New Revenue, Analysis Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

GOP lawmaker: Put hemp provisions in key bill; KS poll shows legalization support; Study: Marijuana consumers trust dispensary staff more than doctors 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 House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has stepped up efforts to raise campaign funds from the cannabis industry ahead of the midterm elections—including at a Capitol Hill event and a fundraiser in Ohio hosted by the CEO a cannabis company, according to a review of campaign finance records and interviews conducted by Marijuana Moment. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) is suggesting that lawmakers include provisions to keep hemp THC products federally legal—with new regulations—in a filibuster-proof budget reconciliation bill that could pass in the lame duck session of Congress following the midterm elections. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is celebrating the fact that legal marijuana sales in the state have now crossed the $4 billion mark since the launch of the market. A new poll of Kansas adults found that they support legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical uses—with majority backing among Democrats, Republicans and independents. A new federally funded study found that “for many who use cannabis, dispensary staff are a more trusted source of information than healthcare providers.” “People in state and federal government had lower average levels of trust.” Nevada lawmakers are considering proposals to overhaul the state’s marijuana tax system as prices fall. / FEDERAL Kansas Democratic congressional candidate Lauren Reinhold said it is time to consider legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical uses. / STATES Michigan Republican lieutenant governor candidate Jay DeBoyer, currently a state representative, announced plans to file legislation to suspend a recently enacted marijuana wholesale tax. A Nebraska senator said marijuana is an “addictive, terrible drug.” Oklahoma regulators expanded a recall of medical cannabis products. Massachusetts regulators are considering eliminating the state residency requirement to purchase medical cannabis. Pennsylvania regulators published due dates for medical cannabis gross receipts taxes. California regulators sent updates on various cannabis issues. Oregon regulators published budget information about the psilocybin services program. The Vermont Cannabis Control Board will meet on Wednesday. The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission will meet on Thursday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL Boston, Massachusetts’s mayor appointed a new official to oversee cannabis, alcohol and restaurants. The Cincinnati, Ohio City Council is considering a proposal to use marijuana revenue to fund home repairs and other programs. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A review concluded that “cannabidiol shows promising therapeutic potential in wound healing.” A study found that “whole hemp seeds can be a valuable component of beef cattle diets, enhancing selected quality attributes and the nutritional value of beef.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and other social justice organizations are urging voters to reject an initiative on the November ballot to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law. / BUSINESS Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. reacted to the Alberta, Canada Securities Commission’s rejection of its challenge toAurora Cannabis Inc.’s at-the-market program. / CULTURE Mike Tyson discussed his use of 5-MeO-DMT. 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 Cannabis industry donates to top congressional Democrat ahead of election (Newsletter: October 28, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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