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A new Senate bill is being filed that would promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics, aiming to create a new office in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would advance the development innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA. The legislation—titled the “Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act”—is being sponsored by Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT). It would direct the VA to take steps to streamline studies into psychedelics and other emerging therapies, according to bill text obtained by Marijuana Moment. This is one of the latest examples of congressional efforts to encourage scientific investigations into psychedelics, with a focus on military veterans with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), chronic pain and more. The bill is expected to be formally filed on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the planning. Marijuana Moment reached out to Sheehy’s office for comment, but a representative was not immediately available. “Emerging therapeutic interventions, including certain psychedelic-assisted therapies under evaluation by the Food and Drug Administration as of the date of the enactment of this Act, may significantly alter the treatment landscape for post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mental health conditions affecting veterans,” a findings section of the bill says. “The administration of certain emerging therapies may require intensive clinical engagement, interdisciplinary teams, dedicated clinical space, structured preparation, and post-treatment integration that differ substantially from traditional outpatient mental health services,” it continues, adding that VA is “uniquely positioned to deliver integrated, veteran-centered care that combines medical, mental health, and peer support services within a single system of care.” That’s the only explicit mention of “psychedelics” in the legislation, and it doesn’t list specific psychedelic substances that would be prioritized for research, but that’s a common feature of recently filed bills touching on the issue, with various other examples using catchall terminology like innovative or novel treatments or therapies effectively serving as a stand-in for “psychedelics.” Under the measure, a new Office of Novel Therapeutics would be established under the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to facilitate the research initiatives. Studies exploring the alternative treatments would focus on substances such as psychedelics that are under review for potential approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “Absent centralized governance and implementation planning, the Department may face delays, safety risks, or inconsistent access following regulatory approval of such therapies,” the bill’s findings section says. “Establishing a dedicated Office of Novel Therapeutics will ensure that the Department is prepared to responsibly evaluate, research, and implement emerging treatment modalities consistent with patient safety and evidence-based practice.” There would be at least one “Center of Excellence” to facilitate the program in each VA regional district to help develop a national model for the initiative. A Veteran Advisory Committee would be established, comprised of veterans, experts and health professionals, to advise on matters such as access barriers and safety protocols. VA would also need to coordinate with other federal agencies—including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), FDA, Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS), the Department of Defense (DOD) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)—to consider regulatory issues, possible rescheduling action for novel therapies and means of providing health care coverage for psychedelics access and treatment. VA would need to furnish annual reports to Congress updating lawmakers on its progress. Within 180 days of the bill’s enactment, the department would need to report on practical considerations such as staffing needs and regulatory barriers. The bill is somewhat similar in intent to another bipartisan measure filed earlier this month, sponsored by Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and David McCormick (R-PA), that would provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at VA facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. A House companion version of the bill—sponsored by Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus co-chairs Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI)—was introduced last year, but it has not yet advanced in the chamber. The House and Senate measures are substantively identical, with minor formatting differences. Lawmakers and advocates supporting such reform bills notably have allies in top positions within the Trump administration, including VA Secretary Doug Collins and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who have both embraced psychedelic policy reform. Kennedy recently told Joe Rogan on a podcast episode that the administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for the novel therapies and that officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.” Multiple veterans groups also recently advised congressional lawmakers about the need to continue exploring psychedelics and marijuana as alternative treatment options for the military veteran population at hearings on Capitol Hill. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) specifically cited the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act as an example of a reform they’re backing. Correa and Bergman, the House sponsors of that legislation, separately filed a bill in January that would also promote research into the therapeutic potential of certain psychedelics in the treatment of serious mental health conditions experienced by veterans. The bipartisan duo in January also discussed the importance of strategically advancing psychedelics reform in a way that mitigates bureaucratic conflict and the influence of outside interests. Even just one misstep could threaten to upend the movement, they said. Last year, the VA secretary touted his role in promoting psychedelics access for veterans with serious mental health conditions, saying he “opened that door probably wider than most ever thought” was possible. The department in 2024 faced criticism after rejecting a grant application from an organization that helps connect veterans to programs abroad where they can receive psychedelic therapy to treat serious mental health conditions. Meanwhile, in November, Kennedy, Vice President JD Vance, the FDA commissioner and other Trump administration officials attended a “Make America Healthy Again” summit that featured a session dedicated to exploring psychedelic medicine. In June, Kennedy said his agency is “absolutely committed” to expanding research on the benefits of psychedelic therapy and, alongside of the head of FDA, is aiming to provide legal access to such substances for military veterans “within 12 months.” The secretary also said in April that he had a “wonderful experience” with LSD at 15 years old, which he took because he thought he’d be able to see dinosaurs, as portrayed in a comic book he was a fan of. Last October, Kennedy specifically criticized FDA under the prior administration over the agency’s “suppression of psychedelics” and a laundry list of other issues that he said amounted to a “war on public health” that would end under the Trump administration. Read the text of the Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act below: The post GOP Senator To File Bill Promoting Psychedelics Research And Treatment For Veterans appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“There is no risk to consumers who possess or consume hemp in any form.” By Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune New state rules that eliminate natural smokable hemp products and increase licensing fees will go into effect at the end of the month. Hemp industry leaders say these new regulations will eliminate a majority of their inventory and force those who don’t have extra income to meet these new fees to close stores. Earlier this month, the Texas Department of State Health Services released regulations on consumable hemp-derived THC products that will go into effect on March 31. These new regulations include child-resistant packaging, a significant increase in licensing fees and new labeling, testing and bookkeeping requirements. The rules also codify the legal purchasing age to 21, which went into effect last year as an emergency directive. However, hemp retailers say the regulation that decreases the amount of total THC in products they sell to 0.3 percent will eliminate popular smokable hemp products, such as rolled joints and smokable flower buds, which make up more than 50 percent of some stores’ inventories. The Texas Legislature voted to ban the products out of fear that these intoxicating products were consistently getting into the hands of children. But, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) vetoed the decision last summer, before asking the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission and DSHS to increase regulations on the industry instead. The rules also increase licensing fees for manufacturers of hemp-derived THC from $258 to $10,000 per facility and retail registrations from $155 to $5,000, which industry leaders say will fulfill the ban by forcing businesses to close. “They did a ban with their own regulatory scheme,” Lukas Gilkey, chief executive of Hometown Hero, a manufacturer of hemp-derived products, said. “The way they wrote the rules, it’s going to eliminate a lot of products that are fully legal and fully fine and not harmed anyone.” What will Texans no longer be able to buy? Under the new rules and regulations, Texans will no longer be able to purchase intoxicating smokable hemp products, including hemp flower or pre-rolled joints. Consumers can still purchase edibles and beverages because they have lower THC concentrations or because they are under the purview of the TABC, which has not banned these beverages. “We estimate this will hand 50 percent of the legal market to illicit operators, making our state less safe,” Heather Fazio, director of Texas Cannabis Policy Center, said. Even though Texas law bans marijuana, lawmakers legalized hemp in 2019. State law defines hemp as containing less than 0.3 percent levels of intoxicating Delta-9 THC. To get around the law’s Delta-9 THC restrictions, manufacturers started cultivating hemp plants with another type of THC, called THCA, that, when ignited in a joint or smokable product, can produce a high. Many lawmakers have said this legal loophole has allowed a recreational THC market to appear overnight without direct approval from the state. Under the new rules, laboratories tests will now measure the total amount of any THC in a product. If the THC levels exceed the 0.3 percent threshold even if it’s only activated upon being smoked, the product will be noncompliant under state regulations. As a result, some of the most popular hemp products, like THCA flower and pre-rolled joints, will be banned. Hemp businesses caught selling noncompliant products will face a range of penalties and fines, including license revocation and up to $10,000 in violation fees for each day these products were sold in stores. “Many hemp businesses that have operated legitimately for years will have to make a hard decision about whether or not they can keep their doors open,” said Fazio. What happens if Texans are caught in possession of smokable THC products? People in Texas will not be committing a crime if they are in possession of smokable THC products after March 31. Fazio encourages Texans to take advantage of the sales on smokable hemp products over the next couple of days, as hemp retailers are scrambling to clear these items from shelves. “There is no risk to consumers who possess or consume hemp in any form,” she said. Andrea Steel, a Houston attorney for several THC businesses, said in theory customers shouldn’t get in trouble, but expects law enforcement agencies will incorrectly arrest people caught smoking hemp products because they might assume smokable hemp is banned, just like marijuana. “Just a twist of the consequences of what happens when an agency goes too far,” she said. Hemp retailers cannot sell to out-of-state customers, said Fazio, meaning store owners will be stuck with any non-compliant products that they can’t sell before the end of the month. “They can keep it for themselves, but they cannot sell it,” she said. Why are hemp industry leaders opposed to these changes? Fazio said many hemp industry leaders are grateful to see tighter restrictions from DSHS, including requiring stores to verify customers’ ages and ensure products have warning labels and child-proof packaging, because many businesses have operated with very little accountability. “Good actors welcome increased regulatory enforcement, while bad actors should be concerned about this new level of accountability that will protect consumers,” she said. “However, two major changes greatly concern us: licensing fees and regulatory product restrictions.” Restricting levels of any THC in hemp will wipe out stores’ most popular products, smokables. Raising licensing fees for hemp manufacturers from $250 to $10,000 and retailer fees from $150 to $5,000 will close businesses, industry members say. Under the new rules, hemp retailers and manufacturers will also need to keep detailed records for each product type to ensure THC levels are consistent, records for every production run, documentation of raw materials and ingredients, and formal procedures for documenting and investigating complaints, among other requirements. While larger hemp manufacturers can handle this new demand, some of the smaller THC retailers, usually located in rural areas of Texas, will close because they lack resources, staff, or time to implement those changes. These extra requirements for retailers could inadvertently cut off access to recreational THC in those regions. “This death by a thousand paper cuts,” Gilkey said. “The problem is that the desire for these products is not going to go away; they will just order them online, where it’s still legal, or off the street, where we have no testing and no guidance.” Why do state leaders want these types of restrictions? Supporters of the licensing fee increase say the new regulations are a necessary step to protect children and consumers from hemp products that have dangerously high amounts of THC in them. “Cannabis advocates say this is a billion-dollar industry. It’s fair and appropriate for the people who profit from selling a billion dollars in intoxicating products to create fees that help cover the cost associated with the regulation and societal burden of the product,” Betsy Jones, director of policy and strategy at Texans for Safe and Drug-Free Youth, told the state health agency earlier this year. Data provided from the Texas Poison Center Network confirms a sharp increase in cannabis-related poisoning calls starting in 2019, a year after hemp-derived THC was legalized by the federal government, from 923 to a 10-year high of 2,592 in 2024. However, those calls dropped to 1,485 last year. The majority of these calls involve suspected poisoning of children under the age of five and teenagers. Drug policy experts said these numbers seem alarming, but it is natural for poisoning calls to increase when a drug has become legalized, and the data needs additional context before making conclusions from it. Concerns about the safety of these high-THC products among youth led lawmakers to attempt to ban hemp-derived THC products outright last year. While the overall ban didn’t succeed, lawmakers did successfully ban vape pens containing THC and other hemp-derived intoxicating chemicals. Lawmakers banned it for everyone because they were concerned cannabis vape pens were so popular among teenagers because they can use them discreetly. Also, hemp supporters have accused law enforcement agencies of attempting to rein in the industry by unlawfully raiding stores. Law enforcement agencies accused these hemp shops of selling dangerous products, especially to children, and engaging in other unscrupulous activities such as money laundering. Many of those retailers have not yet been found guilty of any crime, according to their attorneys. What does the future hold? Multiple hemp industry leaders and advocates say a conglomerate of hemp businesses plan to sue the state to block these new regulations from taking effect. Gilkey said the hemp industry’s battle to stay alive in Texas started back in 2021 when the state health agency classified any amount of a natural intoxicating hemp compound called Delta-8 THC as illegal, leading to a lawsuit that the Texas Supreme Court is expected to consider this year. “It has been a long, hard battle,” Gilkey said. Steel predicts Texans will find workarounds to the new regulations, including smoking “semi-synthetic” or “converted” cannabis products, which are items sprayed with various chemicals to mimic marijuana’s high. “You’ll see edibles and beverages trying to take that gap, but people want to smoke, and so they’re going to fill that gap with something that complies with the law, or at least on its face appears to comply with the law,” she said. This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune. The post With Texas Smokable THCA Hemp Sales Ban Taking Effect Next Week, Consumers Stock Up appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Hawaii House committee has approved a Senate-passed bill that would create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying and making policy recommendations on providing access to breakthrough therapies such as psilocybin and MDMA. The House Health Committee advanced the legislation from Sen. Chris Lee (D), with new amendments, in a 9-0 vote on Friday. The measure, which had cleared the Senate in a unanimous vote of 24-0 earlier this month, next heads to the House Finance Committee before potentially going to the floor. The bill would create a Mental Health Emerging Therapies Task Force that would be tasked with spending two years reviewing the current scientific literature, supporting additional clinical research and “developing policy recommendations for safe, ethical, and culturally-informed implementation” of a psychedelics therapy program. “The legislature finds that addressing the mental health crisis affecting the residents of the State, particularly among veterans, first responders, and trauma survivors, is urgent,” the bill, SB 3199, states. “Suicide continues to be a leading cause of preventable death, and the State must explore all safe and effective treatment options supported by scientific evidence.” Noting that the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has already designated psilocybin and MDMA as breakthrough therapies in the treatment of serious mental health conditions, which could lend to future rescheduling under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the Hawaii legislation says the state “must proactively prepare public health, clinical, and research systems for safe and equitable implementation.” The state Department of Health said in testimony to the House committee that it supports the bill, noting that in light of FDA’s action on psychedelics, “it is prudent for Hawaii to evaluate research readiness, regulatory implications, workforce development, and culturally informed implementation pathways” in advance of any federal rescheduling of the substances. The governor’s Office of Wellness and Resilience said the bill “resents an important opportunity to begin to prepare a planful pathway for individuals in need of access to potentially life-saving treatments for trauma and other longstanding mental health challenges.” “A growing body of research demonstrates that breakthrough therapies (such as MDMA and psilocybin-assisted therapies) show significant efficacy and positive clinical outcomes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, end-of-life anxiety in terminally ill patients, eating disorders, treatment-resistant depression, and additional conditions,” it said. Members of the task force would have to include representatives of the state Department of Health (DOH), the attorney general’s office, the Office of Wellness and Resilience (OWR), the University of Hawaii’s medical school and more. As drafted, DOH would have overseen the task force, but the latest committee amendment makes the John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawaii the responsible entity, and designates JABSOM’s appointee as chair of the panel. The House committee additionally adopted amendments suggested by Department of Law Enforcement, to state that its Narcotics Enforcement Division—and not the Board of Pharmacy—would be responsible for changing state scheduling of psychedelics following any federal reclassification, and changing deadline for such action from 90 days to 30 days. Members also moved to note in the bill report that the State Health Planning & Development Agency has expressed concerns that psychedelics are illegal under federal law and that task force should proceed cautiously. Finally, the panel made technical amendments for clarity, consistency and style. If enacted, it appears the bill would build upon prior work conducted by a separate psychedelics task force that convened for the first time in 2023, with a similar goal of exploring pathways for therapeutic access into FDA-approved breakthrough drugs like psilocybin. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, although Hawaii senators recently approved a bill to legalize low-dose and low-potency marijuana, the legislation didn’t advance through required steps before a key deadline, and so is dead for the year. A separate marijuana legalization bill that contained provisions making the reform contingent on changes to federal law or the state Constitution, SB 2421, was deferred for action. Both Senate and House panels additionally deferred action on a measure to allow for the sale of certain hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Those actions comes after key House lawmakers signaled that cannabis legalization proposals would not be advancing in the 2026 session, citing a lack of sufficient support in their chamber. Earlier this month, a Hawaii Senate committee separately passed legislation to allow patients to immediately access medical cannabis once their registrations are submitted, instead of having to wait until their cards are delivered as is the case under current law. Image courtesy of CostaPPR. The post Hawaii House Panel Advances Bill To Create Psychedelics Task Force That Has Already Passed Senate appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Mississippi lawmakers have sent a pair of bills to expand medical marijuana access to the governor’s desk. One of the proposals, known as the “Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act,” would create a pathway for patients who don’t have one of the state’s specific delineated qualifying conditions to become eligible for legal marijuana access. Under HB 1152, from Rep. Lee Yancey (R), doctors could submit petitions to the state Department of Health on behalf of their patients who have chronic, progressive, severely disabling or terminal illnesses. The state health officer would then be able to approve or deny those requests. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) now has until Thursday to act on the bill, as well as separate legislation to expand the kinds of products that are legally available and to ease some rules for patients and caregivers. That measure, HB 895, also sponsored by Yancey, would remove a restriction under current law that limits medical cannabis tinctures, oils and concentrates to a potency of 60 percent THC. The bill would also remove a mandate that patients have six-month follow-up visit with their recommending physicians and would additionally extend medical cannabis caregiver registrations to two years from the current one year. Both medical cannabis bills first passed the House of Representatives last month and then were amended in the Senate, with the originating chamber then agreeing to those changes last week. HB 895 as originally introduced would have also extended medical cannabis patient card validity from one year to two years, but the Senate removed that provision. Reeves can sign the bills into law, veto them or allow them to take effect without his signature. — 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 House also passed separate legislation this session to allow terminally ill patients to access medical marijuana in hospitals, nursing facilities and hospice centers, but it stalled in the Senate. Lawmakers this session sent Reeves a bill to support research in hopes of gaining federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the psychedelic ibogaine as a novel treatment option. The post Mississippi Bills To Expand Medical Marijuana Access Head To Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“I never say never. I would certainly be open to discussion.” By Ford Turner, The Center Square If Pennsylvania decides to legalize recreational marijuana, which government agency should run the show? Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) proposed budget for 2026-27 anticipates lawmakers will legalize it and $729 million in new revenue will be generated next fiscal year. But his last budget contained a similar proposal that failed to get through the Legislature. A key disagreement was which part of government should oversee things. Now, as lawmakers start to consider Shapiro’s latest budget pitch, it appears that still no resolution has been reached in the divided Legislature. A new “Cannabis Control Board” would be formed under a bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin of Erie County, who chairs a Senate committee that is key to the process. The bill does not carry out legalization—that would be done separately—but Laughlin believes the new board is needed to oversee the state’s already-existing medical marijuana program. Recreational marijuana could be added to its duties later, he said. Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Dan Frankel of Pittsburgh, who heads an important committee in the House, believes the state Liquor Control Board (LCB) is a good choice. Public hearings on potential legalization indicated youth access and public health issues were primary concerns, and Frankel said “the LCB does a very good job” on those when it comes to alcohol. Last year, the Frankel-led House Health Committee passed a legalization bill that put recreational marijuana under the LCB. When the bill reached the Senate, it was rejected by the Laughlin-led Law and Justice Committee. Laughlin said the Cannabis Control Board bill must pass for there to be any hope of legalization this year. Frankel said he is at least willing to take a look at the bill. “I never say never,” Frankel said. “I would certainly be open to discussion.” Legalization is one of several steps proposed by Shapiro to help close a roughly $5 billion gap between what Pennsylvania spends and what it brings in. But still another faction of lawmakers thinks legalization is simply a bad choice. One of them, Republican Rep. Kathy Rapp of Warren County, said a price would be paid for human services, rehabilitation and law enforcement that would outstrip any new revenue. Rapp said she is especially concerned about youth addiction, harmful effects on mental health, impaired driving and people being high at work. She pointed out that page 34 of the Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual issued by PennDOT contains the red-letter statement: “Drugs affect your brain function and can seriously impair your ability to drive safely. For example, marijuana can slow reaction time, impair judgment of time and distance and decrease coordination.” A recent study published in JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association, said many individuals can use marijuana without major problems but 10 percent to 30 percent develop “cannabis use disorder” that can include low moods, anxiety, apathy and impaired learning and memory. The Shapiro administration, Rapp said, has significantly overestimated the financial benefits. “It doesn’t really matter to me what part of the administration they put it under,” Rapp said. “It is the product itself, and what it does to our population, that I am concerned about.” The pressure on lawmakers to approve recreational use in Pennsylvania is only increased by the fact that most bordering states have already approved a program. Frankel said legalization makes sense as a source of new revenue “that is sitting right in front of us.” Besides bringing a wealth of knowledge on marketing and regulating an intoxicating substance, Frankel said, the track record of the LCB demonstrates it would be friendly to small business – something he said is largely missing from the state’s medical marijuana dynamic. There also was an argument, he said, for “not creating an entire new bureaucracy.” A motivating factor for Laughlin is the belief that the Cannabis Control Board is needed, whether or not there is a vote on legalization. The existing medical marijuana program, which was approved by lawmakers in 2016, is regulated by the state Department of Health. There have been issues that weren’t “handled as well as they could have been,” Laughlin said, without being specific. The net effect, he said, is that half or more of the people who get doctor-approved medical marijuana cards are doing it for recreational purposes. That, he said, is an argument to move the program under a standalone entity like the Cannabis Control Board. This story was first published by The Center Square. The post Pennsylvania Lawmakers Disagree On Best Way To Regulate Marijuana If It’s Legalized appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A major alcohol industry trade association is launching a new campaign pushing Congress to call off a scheduled ban on hemp THC beverages and instead regulate the products for consumer access. Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) on Tuesday announced it has created an educational microsite on the issue that offers resources on the issue and argues that “the same regulatory system that has worked for alcohol should be applied to intoxicating hemp products.” In particular, the group is supporting an approach for hemp drinks that would include federal licensure of suppliers and distributors, a federal tax, independent testing requirements and the regulation of trade practices such as a prohibition on slotting fees, while allowing states to regulate the products in their own markets. “This framework should prioritize a safe and reliable marketplace by supporting public safeguards and consumer choice,” the WSWA microsite says. “Alcohol regulation has been an unparalleled success and can serve as a model for the regulation of intoxicating hemp products, including beverages.” At the state level, the alcohol lobby group is calling on states to create their own licensing structures and regulatory systems with components such as an age limit of 21, excise taxes, bans on synthetic cannabinoids, testing requirements, marketing restrictions and product tracking. In the meantime, WSWA wants lawmakers to pass pending legislation to delay the scheduled ban on hemp THC products for two years, which it says will provide enough time for a regulatory approach to be crafted. As it stands now under legislation signed by President Donald Trump late last year, hemp THC products are set to be federally recriminalized on November 12. They initially became legal under the 2018 Farm Bill that Trump signed during his first term. The wine and spirits group’s microsite also provides facts and figures about the intoxicating hemp market, saying it supports 320,000 jobs, has $28.4 billion in potential market activity and $1.5 billion in potential state tax revenue. It also has a countdown timer showing how long lawmakers have to act until the ban goes into effect. “If Congress fails to act, these products face a real risk of being removed from the shelves of licensed, responsible retail stores in November, but would still be available to consumers through multiple other unregulated channels” WSWA President and CEO Francis Creighton said in a press release. “Intoxicating products, including hemp beverages, need a clear, workable framework that protects public health and public safety while allowing responsible businesses to operate. This resource is designed to inform that conversation with facts, not confusion.” Earlier this month, the House Agriculture Committee advanced a Farm Bill that hemp industry stakeholders hoped could be used to delay the pending federal ban on cannabinoid products containing THC. But while the legislation does contain certain hemp provisions aimed at assisting farmers, it did not include any reforms to the impending recriminalization. WSWA recently hosted a conference at which industry stakeholders and a former congressman who owns an alcohol retail chain discussed hemp product issues. The group has been closely monitoring federal hemp policy developments, and the association was among the first in the sector to call on Congress to dial back language in the now-enacted law set to ban most consumable hemp products, while proposing to maintain the legalization of naturally derived cannabinoids from the crop and only prohibit synthetic items. Other major alcohol retailers came together in January to encourage Congress to delay the enactment of the law Trump signed that will federally recriminalize hemp-derived THC beverages and other products. Members of WSWA also met with lawmakers and staffers last year to advocate for three key policy priorities that the group says is based on “sound principles of alcohol distribution.” They include banning synthetic THC, setting up a federal system for testing and labeling products and establishing state-level power to regulate retail sales. In an op-ed for Marijuana Moment last year, WSWA’s Creighton echoed that point, reiterating the organization’s position that regulation is superior to prohibition. A separate newly launched group, the Beverage Alcohol Merchants Coalition (BAMCO), is also pushing for a delay in the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products. Its founding members include Total Wine & More, BevMo! by Gopuff, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, Spec’s Wine and Spirits & Finer Foods, as well as a group of hemp product wholesalers. A 2024 report from Bloomberg Intelligence (BI) called cannabis a “significant threat” to the alcohol industry, citing survey data that suggests more people are using cannabis as a substitute for alcoholic beverages such a beer and wine. Also that year a beer industry trade group put out a statement of guiding principles to address what it called “the proliferation of largely unregulated intoxicating hemp and cannabis products,” warning of risks to consumers and communities resulting from THC consumption. A recent government-funded study concluded that alcohol and tobacco cause far more harms to people who consume them, and to society overall, than marijuana does. The post Alcohol Industry Group Launches Push To Regulate Hemp THC Drinks Instead Of Banning Them appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Massachusetts lawmakers weighing a ballot proposal to roll back the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law had some pointed questions for a spokesperson representing the anti-cannabis campaign, with several signaling skepticism about the motivations behind the repeal measure and its implications for consumers and businesses. At a hearing before the Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions on Monday, members took testimony from both sides of the issue as they fulfill state election law that requires the legislature to review proposed ballot initiatives for potential action. If they decline to act on the initiative, the campaign will need to collected a final batch of signatures to secure placement on the November ballot. Wendy Wakeman, a spokesperson for the ballot referendum committee sponsoring “An Act to Restore A Sensible Marijuana Policy,” gave opening remarks defending the measure, arguing that the marijuana law approved by voters in 2016 has had a “negative effect on public health, public safety and public comfort and convenience.” “The upshot is that legalization of marijuana has not been a net positive for the citizens of our state,” she said, arguing that increases in THC potency over the years poses a public health risk, that marijuana use has been inadequately studied and that “the costs [of legalization] outweigh the benefits.” The initiative under review wouldn’t revert the state back to blanket prohibition; rather, it would repeal the commercial sales components of the market while still allowing adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of cannabis for personal use. Possession of more than one ounce but less than two ounces would be effectively decriminalized, with violators subject to a $100 fine. Adults could also continue to gift cannabis between each other without remuneration. Sen. Barry Finegold (D) was among the committee members who indicated they aren’t on board with the measure, asking Wakeman how she squares the proposal with the fact that legalization soundly passed under a ballot process that allows “the will of the people” to directly influence public policy—a guiding principle he said “we forget so much about.” The senator also asked what Wakeman would tell “all the people that invested all this capital into these businesses and what happens to them.” The campaign spokesperson replied they were “very tough, very good questions.” With respect to the first query, she said the measure represents another opportunity for voters to reassess the merits of the law and whether “this was a good idea.” “I’m not asking your chamber to decide, so we’re going back to the voters again,” she said. “The second question is very difficult. I know many people have invested a lot of money in building the marijuana business, and I have a lot of respect for anybody who’s building a business in this climate. I just believe that the costs outweigh the benefits.” Sen. Cindy Friedman (D) pressed Wakeman on data she presented that was framed as evidence that public support for legalization is declining “as we live with pot shops and open pot smoking in the state.” The senator noted that the datapoint didn’t appear to be Massachusetts-specific, which Wakeman acknowledged, adding that she “went through the data quickly, because data is a funny thing in this debate” given what she described as broadly inconsistent data about cannabis issues. “Why doesn’t the [ballot] question then become ‘the state will investigate and do research and look into this,’ which the state has not been able to do much of,” Friedman said. “Why isn’t that your ballot question?” Wakeman said “you’re certainly welcome to do that as a state senator,” but she wasn’t involved with the referendum committee from the beginning and couldn’t “speak directly” to the reason the initiative didn’t seek to further study the issue rather than move straight to repealing a core component of the existing law. “I can tell you that this is the question. There are more than 100,000 people in Massachusetts who believe we should roll back the recreational availability of marijuana,” she said, referring to the number of people who signed ballot petitions for the measure. Another member of the joint committee posed a different question to the spokesperson: If possessing and gifting marijuana between adults would still be legal under the measure—without a regulated sales component—wouldn’t that reinstitute a policy gap that’d benefit the illicit market by driving demand for unregulated products? “I don’t know the gift thing, but it doesn’t change the criminalization,” Wakeman said, adding that the potential impact of repealing commercial sales on the illicit market is a “great question” that she declined to answer. She was also unable to directly address questions about the sources of funding behind the anti-cannabis measure and similar proposals that have been pursued in other states such as Maine and Arizona this election cycle that are tangentially affiliated with the national prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and its 501(c)(4) arm SAM Action. She said in a response to another senator that she does believe “the vast majority of people who use cannabis can do so safely,” but that “doesn’t mean that we should ignore the fact that a very large portion of the population is affected in a way that’s so negative that it outweighs the benefit of having it freely accessible.” “So, in your opinion, the majority of people can use it safely without issue—but you’re saying the ills of a very small minority of people is what outweighs legal use by adults?” the senator asked. Wakeman said that, upon reflection, “I’ve become more uncomfortable with that statement” on the relative rates of safe versus unsafe cannabis use. “I just don’t think we know. The research on cannabis use is scant. We can all agree on that,” she said. “My friends here will agree, and I will agree. I believe it. We haven’t lived in a culture that allowed the drug and its use to be studied, and that is a problem that makes everything we do surrounding marijuana really flawed.” Not everyone agrees with that point, the senator pointed out, saying he feels marijuana use “has been well-studied,” and the research was part of what “was contemplated when [legalization] originally passed.” Asked whether there could be remedies to certain of the issues Wakeman raised around grow operator regulations and THC potency, the spokesperson said she’s “not an expert on that.” As far as the illicit market is concerned, she said it’s “obviously not” going to make it safer to buy unrelated products versus those tested for retail sale in the regulated space, but she contended that legalization is associated with its own set of issues such as “extended usage” that’s “skyrocketed” under the state-level reform. Opponents of the initiative who testified at the hearing, meanwhile, defended voters’ decision to replace prohibition with regulations, accusing the repeal campaign of pursuing an anti-cannabis agenda despite polls showing continued public support and the commercial market effectively transitioning consumers away from illicit economy. To that point, a Bay State Poll from the University of Hampshire’s States of Opinion Project that was released earlier this month found that a majority of Massachusetts adults oppose the marijuana sales and cultivation repeal initiative. The survey came months after cannabis activists filed a complaint with the State Ballot Law Commission under the Secretary of State’s office, alleging that petitioners with the anti-cannabis campaign used misleading tactics to convince voters to support its ballot placement. The commission rejected the complaint in January, however, and said advocates who challenged the ballot measure raised “unsupported allegations” about the propriety of the signature gathering process that they said warranted official scrutiny. In any case, separate polling has found that nearly half of those who signed the marijuana sales repeal petition felt misled, with many claiming that the measure was pitched to them as a proposal to address unrelated issues such as public education and expanded housing. The anti-marijuana coalition has denied any wrongdoing in the signature collection process and waved off the survey results. An association of state marijuana businesses had separately urged voters to report to local officials if they observe any instances of “fraudulent message” or other deceitful petitioning tactics. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s (D) office—which cleared the campaign for signature gathering in September—has stressed to voters the importance of reading the summary, which is required to go at the top of the signature form, before signing any petitions. The Massachusetts legislature received the initiative for consideration earlier this month when the 2026 session kicked off. Now that the state election commission has issued its ruling on the complaint, lawmakers have until May 5 to act on the proposal. If they choose not to enact it legislatively, the campaign would need to go through another round of petitioning and get at least 12,429 certified signatures by July 1 to make the November ballot. Meanwhile, the head of Massachusetts’s marijuana regulatory agency recently suggested that the measure to effectively recriminalize recreational cannabis sales could imperil tax revenue that’s being used to support substance misuse treatment efforts and other public programs. To that point, Massachusetts recently reached another marijuana milestone, with officials announcing last month that the state has surpassed $9 billion in adult-use cannabis purchases since the market launched in 2018. Massachusetts lawmakers also recently assembled a bicameral conference committee to reach a deal on a bill that would double the legal marijuana possession limit for adults and revise the regulatory framework for the state’s adult-use cannabis market. In December, state regulators also finalized rules for marijuana social consumption loungues. — 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. — CCC recently launched an online platform aimed at helping people find jobs, workplace training and networking opportunities in the state’s legal cannabis industry. State lawmakers have also been considering setting tighter restrictions on intoxicating hemp-derived products and a plan to allow individual entities to control a larger number of cannabis establishments. Also in Massachusetts, legislators who were working on a state budget butted heads with CCC officials, who’ve said they can’t make critical technology improvements without more money from the legislature. Massachusetts lawmakers additionally approved a bill to establish a pilot program for the regulated therapeutic use of psychedelics. And two committees have separately held hearings to discuss additional psilocybin-related measures. Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Massachusetts Lawmakers Grill Anti-Marijuana Campaign Spokesperson About Ballot Measure To Roll Back Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

UT gov signs psychedelics bill; Canadian Conservative leader’s marijuana stance; CO cannabis biz compliance checks; GA medical marijuana expansion 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 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the first official details about a pilot program to provide insurance coverage for hemp-derived CBD products starting on April 1—confirming that up to 3 milligrams of THC will be allowed but noting that could change if a law recently signed by President Donald Trump to recriminalize hemp THC products takes effect without delay. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed a bill to support clinical trials into the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for military veterans with serious mental health conditions. Canadian Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre said using marijuana is a “personal choice” when discussing the country’s legalization law with Joe Rogan—even though he actually voted against the policy change that was led by the Liberal Party. A new report from the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division shows that cannabis businesses had a 99 percent success rate in underage sales compliance checks. Georgia lawmakers passed a bill to expand medical cannabis access by allowing vaping, adding new qualifying conditions and increasing THC potency limits, sending it to the desk of Gov. Brian Kemp (R). A New Mexico representative celebrated newly approved funding to provide psilocybin therapy access for low-income patients, saying she’s considering further legislation to make adjustments to or address any gaps in the program next year. About $95 million in Missouri marijuana revenue that is supposed to be allocated to funding veterans services, public defenders and drug treatment programs remains unspent. / FEDERAL The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that the federal government must cover legal fees for an ayahuasca church following a settlement. U.S. Southern Command’s Gen. Francis L. Donovan said at a Senate hearing that U.S. military strikes on suspected drug boats “aren’t the answer” to the country’s drug problems. The Drug Enforcement Administration touted a “surge enforcing a ban on selling THC vape products to youth.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) reportedly spent nearly $19,000 in campaign cash last year on a psychiatrist who specializes in ketamine therapy, though it’s not clear what the sessions consisted of or who participated. / STATES Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) appointed a new acting director for the Cannabis Compliance Board. The New Jersey Senate passed a bill to change deadlines for a phased-on ban on intoxicating hemp products. The Delaware House of Representatives passed a bill to clarify that rules on distance between cannabis businesses only apply to dispensaries and not production or wholesale facilities. Colorado lawmakers are planning to file legislation to loosen restrictions on hemp THC beverages. California’s new top marijuana regulator discussed his plans for overseeing the legal market. The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors will meet on April 8. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Boston, Massachusetts Cannabis Board will meet on Wednesday. / INTERNATIONAL Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare listed cannabinol as a “designated drug,” meaning that its manufacture, import, sale and use will be banned as of June 1. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “CBD-rich cannabis oil may reduce ADHD symptoms in children with” autism spectrum disorder. A review concluded that “CBD demonstrated strong positive effects in terms of reducing symptoms associated with anxiety across various disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder).” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS March For Our Lives sent a fundraising email stating its support for the federal law banning gun possession by consumers of marijuana and other illegal drugs that is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.. / BUSINESS PharmaCann Inc. is closing a Denver, Colorado cultivation facility and laying off 132 workers. Canadian retailers sold C$466.1 million worth of legal marijuana products in January. 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 Feds announce hemp CBD and THC Medicare coverage details (Newsletter: March 24, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

It's inspiring to see Chiara Juster recognized for her dedication to cannabis law and now psychedelic justice. I've also found myself gravitating towards advocacy, though in a different field. Sometimes the sheer weight of legal issues can feel overwhelming, requiring a mental break. When I need to unwind, I often find simple mobile games really effective; a quick round of Block Blast can be surprisingly therapeutic. Chiara's work highlights the importance of legal support for emerging industries, and I admire her commitment to protecting vulnerable communities within the plant medicine space. Her journey serves as a reminder to stay passionate and persistent in pursuing justice.

“This gives the majority of patients a form of the product that provides the quickest relief possible.” By Mark Niesse, Capitol Beat New Service In the 11 years since Georgia’s medical marijuana program started, it has slowly stumbled forward, with patients restricted to low-potency oils. The Georgia General Assembly gave final approval to a bill Monday that would change that. The House voted 144-21 to lift Georgia’s limit on THC content in medical marijuana, and to allow registered patients to vape the drug to receive faster relief. Senate Bill 220 now advances to Gov. Brian Kemp (R). “These are badly needed improvements,” said Shannon Cloud, whose 20-year-old daughter suffers from seizures and is a registered Georgia medical marijuana patient. “It allows more flexibility for patients and doctors to access what’s really going to work for them, taking away the really tight restrictions.” Of the dozens of states with medical marijuana programs, Georgia’s has the lowest adoption rates, said Gary Long, CEO of Botanical Sciences, which owns five dispensaries across the state. There are about 34,500 registered patients and 2,200 registered caregivers in Georgia, according to the state Department of Health. Patients will get quicker relief from vaping rather than ingesting oil tinctures, Long said. “If you’re a patient who has chronic, intractable pain, you don’t want to wait 45 minutes for those other forms to take effect,” Long said. “This is a medicinal product. This is not a recreational product. This gives the majority of patients a form of the product that provides the quickest relief possible.” Currently, Georgia’s medical marijuana law allows patients to buy and consume products with up to 5 percent THC, the compound that gives marijuana users a high. Recreational marijuana, which is illegal in Georgia, can have THC content of 20 percent or more. Under SB 220, there would be no THC percentage cap. The name of Georgia’s medical product would be changed from “Low THC Oil” to “medical cannabis.” Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, said he has “grave concerns” about raising the THC limit and allowing people to get high. “This is not Low THC Oil to solve the problems of little girls that have serious medical conditions that modern medical science cannot otherwise solve. This is something different,” Setzler said before the 38-14 Senate vote to pass the bill last week. “It’s about getting people high on THC with concentrated THC into their lungs. That’s a very different proposition.” Sen. Matt Brass, R-Newnan, said the bill will support legitimate patients and prevent a slide toward recreational marijuana legalization that occurred in other states. “This state does it different. We have put it in medical hands,” Brass said. “We have a tight lock around those qualifying conditions, and we are taking advice from medical experts.” To qualify for medical cannabis, Georgia patients need approval from a physician to treat conditions including seizure disorders, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, and intractable pain. SB 220 would add lupus to the list and limit treating physicians to those whose principal practice of medicine is located in Georgia. Georgians for Responsible Marijuana Policy, a group that warns against the risks of marijuana expansion, said increased availability and potency of THC can lead to addiction, impair youth brain development and driving skills, and undermine worker productivity. “When cannabis use disorder takes root, it does not create freedom—it takes away the ability to choose,” wrote the group’s executive director, Michael Mumper, in a statement at the beginning of this year’s legislative session. Kemp could sign the bill, allow it to become law without his signature or veto it. This story was first published by Capitol Beat. The post Georgia Lawmakers Pass Bill To Expand Medical Marijuana Access, Sending It To Governor’s Desk appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“It doesn’t seem fair that you can only get treatment if you can afford it… It’s urgent that all New Mexicans have a chance to use this as opposed to those who can afford it.” By Leah Romero, Source NM New Mexico is setting up the statewide medical psilocybin program to be more accessible to patients later this year with the creation of a treatment equity fund, which was signed into law last week. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain mushrooms. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed the state’s annual budget, House Bill 2, on March 10. The bill includes $630,000 to create the Medical Psilocybin Treatment Equity Fund to make treatment more accessible for low-income and rural residents. “This marks the beginning of a bold new chapter in state-led health innovation,” Healing Advocacy Fund’s New Mexico Director of Strategic Support Denali Wilson said in a statement. “New Mexico is creating the nation’s first medically integrated psilocybin program because state leaders recognize the potential of this therapy to improve mental health outcomes and reduce future public health costs. With the investment in this fund, our state leadership is sending a clear message: access to treatment in New Mexico will not be based on ability to pay.” New Mexico’s medical psilocybin program was created last year through the passage of Senate Bill 219, the Medical Psilocybin Act, to offer qualifying patients another option for treating conditions such as major treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse disorders and end-of-life care, as well as any further conditions approved of by the Department of Health. The law gives the state until December 31, 2027, to implement the program, but health officials announced in December 2025 that they are aiming to open the program by the end of 2026. “This investment reflects the belief that improving access to effective treatments can generate enormous public health returns, helping people recover while reducing the long-term costs of untreated mental health conditions,” Healing Advocacy Fund Executive Director Taylor West said in a statement. The Psilocybin Advisory Board is working through the rulemaking process for the state-regulated program, considering various aspects like propagation, dosage and administration, research and training. New Mexico Rep. Elizabeth Thomson (D-Albuquerque), one of the House sponsors of the Medical Psilocybin Act last year, told Source New Mexico that the creation of the treatment equity fund is a “great step forward.” “It doesn’t seem fair that you can only get treatment if you can afford it. I mean, that doesn’t make sense,” Thomson said. “Is [medical psilocybin] going to be the be all, end all? No, but it’s going to be a good tool in our toolbox and I think it’s urgent that all New Mexicans have a chance to use this as opposed to those who can afford it.” Thomson added that she isn’t ruling out introducing further legislation next year to make adjustments or address any gaps in the program, but it may take some time once it launches to determine what the needs are. HB2 also appropriated state funds for the University of New Mexico to carry out research on psilocybin regarding treatment for palliative and end-of-life care. This story was first published by Source NM. The post New Mexico Lawmaker Celebrates New Funding To Provide Psilocybin Therapy Access For Low-Income Patients appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The Missouri Constitution contains clear language for how these funds are to be distributed.” By Rebecca Rivas and Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent About $95 million in Missouri marijuana-tax revenue that voters set aside for veterans services, public defenders and drug-addiction treatment programs sat unspent at the end of the last fiscal year. And budget projections show that unused pile of cash would still be more than $60 million over the next two years unless lawmakers authorize the intended beneficiaries to use it. The unspent money was a key criticism of a report issued last month by State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, who hammered state lawmakers and the governor for allowing the funds from sales tax on marijuana to stagnate. Under the Missouri Constitution, the money can’t be spent on anything other than those three areas. “Missouri voters passed both medical and adult-use marijuana programs with the requirement that the proceeds of these programs would provide needed resources for veterans, the public defender system and addiction programs,” Fitzpatrick’s audit says. “In addition, the Missouri Constitution contains clear language for how these funds are to be distributed. Ensuring these programs have timely access to the funding legally dedicated to them is necessary.” Gov. Mike Kehoe’s (R) budget proposes transferring $131.7 million of recreational marijuana money into the three beneficiaries’ funds. That’s $40 million each for veterans and addiction treatment programs. The public defender system would receive $51.7 million, to make up for funds that lawmakers withheld last year. But moving the money won’t address the problem if lawmakers don’t authorize the three groups to spend it. This will be the second year the public defenders system has struggled to get lawmakers to approve what the office contends is much-needed pay raises and social workers. The state agencies overseeing veterans and drug-addiction treatment programs are having more success getting their requests green lit this year. Even if lawmakers and the governor approve the budget as it’s currently proposed, there could be a combined $61.5 million sitting in those three funds that beneficiaries still can’t touch. Long-awaited pay raises Last year, the public defender’s office wanted to use some of the cannabis money to increase their attorneys’ starting pay from $65,000 per year to $70,000. That would align the salary with the attorney general’s office entry-level pay. But the House shot it down. Matthew Crowell, director of the Office of the State Public Defender, again asked for raises for all employees during a budget hearing last month. “Currently, we are dealing with about a 23 percent turnover rate, which has significant impacts on our clients that we represent, the length of the cases,” he told House Budget Committee members. “So we’re hoping that this will help that problem. The No. 1 cited reason when our attorneys leave is pay.” For several years, the system suffered from long waiting lists, which spurred a successful lawsuit that put pressure on the legislators to fund more public defender positions in 2021. Kehoe recommended $7.3 million for the pay raises, but Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton cut that amount in half in his recommendation for the marijuana money. Crowell also asked to put a mitigation specialist, or a social worker that connects clients with resources, in each district office, which would mean 35 new positions. He told House members that it’s “the greatest thing that we’ve done as public defenders,” in his 18 years as a public defender. Mitigation specialists help connect their clients with basic needs, he said, so they don’t violate probation and go back to jail. “We didn’t have that resource until now,” he said. “It’s made a world of difference.” However, the governor and Deaton have already recommended cutting that request down to 20 new positions—a nearly $800,000 budget decrease. Aside from helping clients, Crowell said these positions are much easier to fill than new attorney openings established as part of the lawsuit, which the office has never been able to fill. Overall, his office is asking to use $25.6 million of the cannabis funds to increase pay, add social work positions and improve technology. Even if Crowell got everything his office asked for, there would still be more than $33 million sitting in the state treasury fund that his office can’t touch despite the fact that the money can’t be spent on anything else. While Deaton cut the governor’s recommended funding for public defenders, he went the opposite direction for drug-addiction treatment and education programs. Deaton has recommended spending $38.5 million on these programs, with $28.2 million going to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, $1.8 million for corrections, $4.7 million for the Department of Social Services and $3.8 million to the health department. However, Kehoe has recommended $5.5 million less than Deaton—yet both would eliminate programs established in public schools and the state court system. Several House members expressed concern about the move during a committee hearing last month. Republican state Rep. John Black of Marshfield said prevention and treatment for people with substance use disorders saves the state money. “One estimate is that $1 spent on these programs ultimately saves the state $7 in terms of restoring people to productive society and preventing the disaster that a [substance use disorder] is,” Black said during the hearing. The proposals from the governor and House budget committee cut a $500,000 grant for drug and DWI courts to support programs focused on medication-assisted treatment related to alcohol and opioid addiction. It also eliminates $300,000 for drug abuse resistance education in schools. If the governor recommendations are approved, $27.6 million of cannabis funds available for these programs would be unspent. The budget legislation would give the Missouri Veterans Commission the green light to spend the entire $40 million on continued support of the Veterans Homes Program, according to a commission spokeswoman. That leaves no surplus in the veterans fund. ‘Need for additional resources’ When Missouri voters legalized adult-use marijuana in 2022, they approved using revenue from sales tax and fees—after operating expenses—to be divided evenly between three funds: for the state public defenders office, the Missouri Veterans Commission and the drug treatment programs through the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Budget officials estimate revenues will be $88.8 million in the upcoming fiscal year from July 1 to June 30, 2027. According to the audit released last month, staff in Fitzpatrick’s office found the agencies “have communicated the need for additional resources, but the full amount of the funds available have not been appropriated in the approved budgets.” Crowell said Deaton’s proposed 50 percent reduction in pay raises “will severely limit our ability” to compete with other state agencies that pay their attorneys more. “Just for reference, the House just hired a new lawyer for around $74,000, and the Senate hired a new lawyer for $80,000,” Crowell said, and both of them were previously public defenders. “We cannot compete when these same attorneys make only $62,000 at MSPD. Our proposal and the governor’s recommendation would have allowed us to boost our starting pay to $75,000.” A separate and ongoing concern, he said, is Deaton’s push to use the marijuana money to reduce the public defender’s core budget, and this year it’s by about $8 million. Crowell believes voters didn’t intend for lawmakers to take away money meant for the public defenders’ operations now that they have marijuana revenue—pointing to the line in the constitution amendment that states all revenue from the taxes and fees of recreational marijuana sales, “shall provide new and additional funding…and shall not replace existing funding.” Deaton’s argument is that the constitution refers to the public defender’s budget at the time the amendment was passed in 2022, not the current amount. “Obviously, we do not agree with this interpretation,” Crowell said. “If tax revenue decreases, shifts or the constitution of Missouri is amended to remove these provisions, [the Missouri State Public Defender System] will be in a world of hurt.” This story was first published by Missouri Independent. The post Almost $100 Million In Missouri Marijuana Revenue Earmarked For Veterans And Other Programs Remains Unspent appeared first on Marijuana Moment. 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Patients enrolled in select federal health insurance programs could have up to $500 of hemp-derived products covered each year beginning as early as April 1, according to new details about the cannabis initiative that’s being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The CBD-focused plan will also allow a certain amount of THC in products, but the agency said the planned rules are subject to change if federal hemp policy changes, as is currently expected under a law set to take effect later this year. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December that calls on the attorney general to finalize a rule federally rescheduling marijuana that also contained components to “improve access” to full-spectrum CBD products. To that end, the CMS update posted on Friday details how certain of its “Innovation Center” models will facilitate a pilot program providing coverage to regulated, hemp-derived cannabidiol. Participants would be required to ensure that CBD is sourced from “a legally compliant source and high-quality farm,” prepared as an oral solution and tested for cannabinoid content so that available products contain no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight and up to 3 milligrams of total THC per serving. CMS said that centers participating in one of three models that receive substance access Beneficiary Engagement Incentives (BEI) will be able to “consult with eligible beneficiaries about the possible use of eligible hemp products to improve symptom control.” “Participants implementing this BEI may elect to furnish such hemp products up to $500 a year, per eligible beneficiary, subject to model requirements and safeguards,” it said, while emphasizing that Medicare “does not pay the participant for the products, and beneficiaries should not be asked to submit a Medicare claim for the product.” The three eligible innovation center models are CMS’s ACO REACH Model, Enhancing Oncology Model and Long-term Enhance ACO Design (LEAD) Model. For the first two, participants can elect to utilize the BEI for CBD coverage starting on April 1. For LEAD participants, the start date is January 1, 2027. Participating organizations under those models must first elect the substance access BEI and then produce a CMS implementation plan that describes “the specific eligible hemp product(s) and dosing information, the amount/frequency of distribution, beneficiary eligibility criteria, safeguards/oversight, and other requirements outlined in participation agreements.” Those plans would need to receive CMS approval before participants could offer cannabidiol coverage. After initial details about the initiative were revealed last week, CMS faced questions about the potential impact of a law set to take effect in November that would redefine hemp in a way that would strictly limit the types of cannabis products that are currently permitted under the 2018 Farm Bill that Trump signed in his first term. That law expressly prohibits hemp derivatives containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container, which industry stakeholders say would effectively eradicate the consumable hemp market. Here’s how CMS is defining hemp products allowed through its substance access BEI: “Eligible hemp products are limited to federally legal hemp-derived products containing no more than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC and expressly excludes inhalable products, any products containing more than 3 mg per serving of tetrohydrocannabinols (such as delta-8-tetrahyrdocannabinol, delta-10-tetrahyrdocannabinol, and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) in an orally administered form, and any products containing cannabinoids not naturally produced or capable of being produced by or in the cannabis plant during its cultivation.” The agency acknowledged that its definition complies with the 2018 Farm Bill provisions and noted that its coverage plan “does not override the Controlled Substances Act or authorize Schedule I substances.” “To be eligible, hemp products must also comply with applicable state and local laws,” CMS said, raising additional questions about potential regulatory complications as multiple states have proactively moved to restrict hemp product availability in anticipation of the pending federal policy change. “If the legal limits on hemp-derived products changes…CMS will adjust its definition in accordance with the law.” CMS further explained that cannabinoid products “must be furnished and provided directly by a qualified physician affiliated with the participant organization, as specified by the model participation agreements,” and model participants “cannot instruct beneficiaries to purchase retail products and submit receipts for reimbursement under the BEI.” To be approved to provide CBD coverage, model participants must 1) meet federal, state and local “production, quality and safety laws and other mandated standards,” 2) be sourced from legally compliant farms “consistent with 2018 Farm Bill hemp requirements” and 3) be tested for cannabinoid content, as well as “contaminants and microbial hazards.” The new details about the rules for the CBD pilot program come weeks after a co-founder of the hemp company Charolette’s Web, which has been collaborating with CMS, said the agency had already finalized its plans for federal health insurance coverage of cannabidiol. Bill Morachnick, CEO of Charlotte’s Web, said in a press release on Monday that they are “grateful for CMS’s thoughtful approach in expanding access and creating space for responsible, evidence‑based hemp wellness conversations in clinical settings.” “This program aligns with our mission to advance safe, high‑quality, science‑backed hemp options for consumers, and we remain committed to supporting sensible legislation that protects patients and strengthens the integrity of our industry,” he said. “The updated guidance from CMS represents an important step in strengthening how hemp-based options are considered within care settings,” Morachnick said in a separate statement. “By reinforcing a science-driven framework centered on safety, quality, and transparency, it creates a clearer path for responsible integration into patient care. We see this as meaningful progress toward expanding access to trusted, non-intoxicating hemp solutions in a way that aligns with both clinical standards and patient needs.” CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz explained in December that the policy change will “allow millions of Americans on Medicare to become eligible to receive CBD as early as April of next year—and at no charge if their doctors recommend them.” He added that Medicare Advantage insurers CMS has contacted are “also agreeing to consider CBD to be used for the 34 million Americans that they cover.” As previously described by the administrator, the plan would involved those 65 and older who qualify for Medicare, but the specific qualifying conditions weren’t detailed. There were repeated mentions of chronic pain, specifically related to cancer, but it’s possible the CBD eligibility criteria includes additional conditions. In its latest update, CMS said patients with disqualifying conditions under the Innovation Center models, as well as those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, could not receive CBD. They must also be at least 18 years old to participate. At the signing ceremony for the marijuana and hemp executive order Trump signed in December, Oz also gave kudos to Howard Kessler, founder of The Commonwealth Project, which produced a video about the benefits of cannabidiol for seniors that the president shared on Truth Social last year and who apparently has pressed Trump to enact reform to expand cannabis access. While CMS implemented an earlier final rule last April specifically stipulating that marijuana, as well as CBD that can be derived from federally legal hemp, are ineligible for coverage under its Medicare Advantage program and other services, the agency is now revising that policy. CMS had already announced certain changes as part of a rulemaking process that was unveiled late last year, affecting “marketing and communications, drug coverage, enrollment processes, special needs plans, and other programmatic areas” for insurance programs it oversees. One of those changes dealt with cannabidiol coverage. The rule as proposed would amend regulations, which currently state that any “cannabis products” cannot be covered. The policy would prevent coverage for only “cannabis products that are illegal under applicable state or federal law, including the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.” Since hemp and its derivatives like CBD are federally legal, the change suggests patients in states where such products are legal could make valid insurance claims to pay for the alternative treatment option, as long as the product is also federally legal. Meanwhile, following the White House announcement in December, Oz spoke with NewsNation about the policy change, responding to a question about how the broader marijuana rescheduling decision squares with the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to stymie the flow of other illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl. “We think they fit hand in hand,” he said. “This is really about researching—specifically CBD, which is hemp-derived endocannabinoids [sic]—are actually worthy of Americans using them,” he said. “It’s hard to do some of this work, especially with medical marijuana. And this is not about legalization of marijuana.” “There is no legalization language at all,” he added. “It’s about rescheduling this class of product so that it can be researched more readily.” The idea that marijuana has no medical value, as its currently defined as a Schedule I drug, is “just patently wrong for marijuana,” he said, noting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain cannabis-based drugs for conditions such as epilepsy “that work quite nicely.” “That belief that it should be Schedule I is just an incorrect place to put it,” he said. “Schedule III seemed to make sense to the president. He argued that it allows us to do the research more readily.” “We’re finding a way to allow Medicare beneficiaries to get access to some of these products. And so, within Medicare, we have the ability, for the first time ever—and we delivered on this promise to the president today—to allow doctors to recommend hemp-derived CBD for patients who have cancer, for example, and have a lot of pain from that.” The administrator said surveys show a majority of seniors who take CBD for pain management find it beneficial, and the White House wants to “make it easier for patients to access this” and allow them to access the cannabinoid at “no charge” through the federal health insurance program. Meanwhile, Oz took a different tone last month when he warned that “there are going to be consequences” as more Americans choose marijuana over alcohol—including problems caused by “high-dose hemp and CBD.” In the background, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FDA recently submitted proposed regulations concerning CBD enforcement and compliance with the White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). There’s been speculation that the rule could be related to the CMS pilot program, but that hasn’t been confirmed. And it’s also possible the proposal is linked to an unrelated FDA mandate from Congress to produce a list of known cannabinoids ahead of the federal hemp redefinition. With respect to the marijuana components of Trump’s executive order, Attorney General Pam Bondi was directed to expeditiously finalize a proposal to move cannabis from Schedule to Schedule III of the CSA, which would not federally legalize it but would remove certain research barriers and let state-licensed marijuana businesses take federal tax deductions they’re currently barred from under an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code known as 280E. That rescheduling proposal remains pending, however. The post Feds Detail Plan To Cover Up To $500 In Hemp CBD And THC Products For Medicare Patients Under Program Launching Next Week appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Utah’s governor has signed a bill to promote clinical trials into the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy for military veterans with serious mental health conditions. Lawmakers passed the the legislation from Rep. Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D) and Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore earlier this month, sending it to Gov. Spencer Cox (R), who signed it into law without comment on Thursday. The measure authorizes the Huntsman Mental Health Institute at the University of Utah to conduct a clinical trial investigating the “safety and feasibility” of psychedelics—including psilocybin, MDMA and DMT—among veterans with treatment-resistant post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The trial will be able to go forward if Huntsman receives funding through legislative appropriations and donations that match or exceed the amount required for the study. Results from the trail will need to be reported to the legislature’s Health and Human Services Interim Committee. Participants in the study will need to receive the psychedelic treatment in a controlled clinical setting with a qualified therapist who can deliver “trauma-informed preparatory and integrative psychotherapy to the individual before and after administration of the psychedelic drug,” the text of the bill, HB 390, says. Under the new law signed by the governor, the study is expected to begin by January 1, 2027. However, the Huntsman Institute can continue to accept donations after that point if they are unable to reach the funding goal in time. Researchers will have to ensure compliance with both state and federal law, including conducting the trial under a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigational new drug application and maintaining Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authorization to study Schedule I drugs under federal law. The new reform comes about two years after the governor allowed a bill to become law without his signature that authorizes a pilot program for hospitals to administer psilocybin and MDMA as an alternative treatment option. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, last year, a federal judge ruled against Utah state and county officials in a lawsuit challenging their prosecution of a Provo City-based religious group that uses the psychedelic fungi as sacrament. That came after U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parrish granted Singularism’s motion for a temporary injunction and ordered police to return psilocybin that was seized last year as part of a raid at its spiritual center. Separately, a Utah lawmaker in January filed a bill for the 2026 session that would decriminalize marijuana and make it so that people caught possessing small amounts of cannabis would not face the threat of jail time for first-time offenses. Utah does have legal medical cannabis under a law the legislature passed in 2018. And that program has significantly grown in the years since, with the state confirming last year that more than 100,000 patients were registered to participate. The post Utah Governor Signs Bill To Support Clinical Trials On Psychedelics For Veterans’ Mental Health appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Colorado regulators are touting another successful year of nearly perfect marijuana business compliance with state laws prohibiting the sale of cannabis to underage youth—with 99 percent of retailers checking IDs to verify the age of covert investigators. The state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) said in a newsletter sent on Thursday that investigators conducted 469 underage compliance checks in 2025 “as part of its focus on preventing youth access to marijuana.” “The compliance rate on those checks was 99 percent,” it said. “The MED also conducted investigations into an additional 309 licenses last year related to preventing youth access.” A recent report on regulatory and enforcement activity from MED detailed the division’s broader investigatory efforts last year, including inspections of more than 2,800 cannabis business licenses (about 235 per month). Of those licensee checks, 846 resulted in administrative action by the state’s licensing authority and about $1.1 million in fine assessments. “The MED also continued to refine processes to address product and consumer safety concerns, issuing 17 Health & Safety Advisories in 2025 that alerted consumers to potential contamination risks in regulated marijuana products,” it added. “Health & Safety Advisories are issued for regulated marijuana that was sold to the public and subsequently found to have contaminants that exceeded acceptable limits established in Colorado law. Those contaminants included mold, aspergillus, pesticides, and elemental impurities such as arsenic.” With respect to the underage compliance checks, Colorado businesses have consistently proven to take the law seriously by requiring ID verification before a person can enter the store to view and purchase marijuana products, while turning away those with invalid documentation or whose IDs show they’re under 21. Colorado isn’t necessarily unique in its high scores for compliance, as other reports and studies on legal jurisdictions such as New York City have similarly found that the vast majority of retailers are doing their part by refusing service to underage youth. The statistics reinforce what advocates have long argued: Regulations are more effective than blanket prohibition in promoting public health and safety, including preventing youth access. And when adults are able to transit to licensed retailers to buy cannabis, that can undermine the illicit market where IDs aren’t being rigorously inspected for age verification purposes. That retail-level compliance is just one factor advocates and experts attribute to the fact that data shows youth cannabis use has either declined or remained stable in states that have enacted legalization. For example, last December, the nationally representative Monitoring the Future (MTF) survey—which is supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)—found that teen marijuana use “remained stable” this year even as more states have enacted legalization. A separate federally funded study out of Canada that was released last November found that that youth marijuana use rates actually declined after the country legalized cannabis. The study was released about three months after German officials released a separate report on their country’s experience with legalizing marijuana nationwide. Last July, federal health data also indicated that while past-year marijuana use in the U.S. overall has climbed in recent years, the rise has been “driven by increases…among adults 26 years or older.” As for younger Americans, rates of both past-year use and cannabis use disorder, by contrast, “remained stable among adolescents and young adults between 2021 and 2024.” A report from the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), for example, found that youth marijuana use declined in 19 out of 21 states that legalized adult-use marijuana—with teen cannabis consumption down an average of 35 percent in the earliest states to legalize. The report cited data from a series of national and state-level youth surveys, including the annual MTF survey. Another survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2024 also showed a decline in the proportion of high-school students reporting past-month marijuana use over the past decade, as dozens of states moved to legalize cannabis. At the state level, MPP’s assessment looked at research such as the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey that was released in April 2024. That survey showed declines in both lifetime and past-30-day marijuana use in recent years, with striking drops that held steady through 2023. The results also indicated that perceived ease of access to cannabis among underage students has generally fallen since the state enacted legalization for adults in 2012—contrary to fears repeatedly expressed by opponents of the policy change. In 2024, meanwhile, the biannual Healthy Kids Colorado Survey found that rates of youth marijuana use in the state declined slightly in 2023—remaining significantly lower than before the state became one of the first in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for adults in 2012. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post 99% Of Colorado Marijuana Retailers Properly Checked IDs To Prevent Youth Access, State Report Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The head of the Conservative Party of Canada says using marijuana should be a “personal choice”—even though he voted against the bill that legalized cannabis nationwide in his country that entitled adults to freedom from the threat of criminalization for consuming it. In an interview on “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast that was released on Thursday, Canadian Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre presented a philosophical idea about cannabis policy that the host said he appreciated as the two discussed their neighboring nations’ conflicting marijuana laws. Rogan lamented the fact that while rules are being finalized to reschedule cannabis under U.S. law—with the backing of President Donald Trump—the reform wouldn’t federally legalize the plant as the Canadian government achieved under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the Liberal Party in 2018. “If alcohol is legal, marijuana is far safer—it should be legal. It’s ridiculous,” Rogan said. “It’s also a personal freedom thing. Leave people alone. No one’s robbing banks smoking weed and killing their neighbors. It’s crazy.” Poilievre interjected that it’s “a personal choice thing.” When it comes to cannabis, the role of government should be essentially the same as alcohol, Rogan said. That is, “Leave them alone.” And the Canadian conservative leader agreed, saying “that’s my philosophy.” “The bottom line is, if you cannot trust a man to govern himself, how can you trust him to govern for others?” Poilievre said. “If you think that human nature is so flawed that people cannot make decisions for themselves, then how could you possibly trust human nature to make decisions for other people—to impose decisions on their lives? And who watches the watchmen?” “We’re constantly told we need to be kind of guided by these people from ivory towers. But who are these angels anyway? They’re just human beings like everyone else,” he said. “So when you give them more power, you give them the power to impose their will on people, then that ultimately gets abused.” The two were aligning on a basic libertarian principle that treats government power with skepticism and scrutiny, while upholding individual liberty as an ideal that should not be infringed. “So even you’re right—even when somebody is doing something that I don’t agree with, and I would think it would be better for all of us if they didn’t do it—the mal that is done by giving me the power to impose my decision-making on them is worse than the benefit of trying to direct them towards a better decision,” Poilievre said. “That’s my philosophy. It’s pretty simple. I think all the best things in life are simple.” “You know, we overcomplicate things. Government is way too complicated. You know, I think we need to get back to the simplicity,” he continued. “The greatest speech in the English language was Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address—271 words. Einstein compressed mass and energy into a five-character equation. Bruce Lee was an advocate of simplicity.” “Simplicity is is a virtue, and I think we have to get back to simplicity, especially in government,” Poilievre said. “Simpler, clearer, easier to manage.” Rogan, evidently enamored with the lawmaker’s stated philosophy, said, “I think your message resonates with me,” and if he was Canadian, he’d “vote for you 100 percent.” But philosophy aside, if Rogan had voted for Poilievre ahead of the Parliament’s vote to legalize marijuana, he would’ve cast his ballot for someone whose stated belief in personal freedom to use cannabis didn’t translate into support for the kind of reform that’s actually given Canadians that choice. Poilievre voted against the legislation, as StratCann noted after the interview with Rogan aired. And while he’s said that a Conservative Party in control of the Canadian government wouldn’t move to reverse legalization under his leadership, he also sharply criticized a local pilot program in British Columbia to decriminalize possession of all currently illicit drugs, saying in 2023 that the policy change made the city of Vancouver a “hell on earth.” Meanwhile, eight years after Canada enacted marijuana legalization, a nationally representative survey found that support for the reform is increasing over time. Relatively few Canadians want to legalize other drugs, however. Roughly two-thirds of Canadian adults (65 percent) now say they agree with cannabis being legal, according to the survey from Research Co. That’s up three percentage points since the firm last polled on the topic in 2024. A survey released last year also showed that a majority of Canadians feel the marijuana sector that’s emerged since cannabis was legalized nationwide is an “important contributor” to the country’s economy. Canadians seem to recognize the value of the cannabis industry to the country’s overall financial health, with 59 percent describing the sector as a valuable component of the economy in the poll conducted by Abacus Data and commissioned by the cannabis company Organigram Global. That includes 69 percent of recent Liberal voters and 58 percent of recent Conservative voters. When the research firm previously asked Canadians that question last April, 57 percent agreed about the importance of the marijuana market relative to the national economy, so this represents a slight increase. Observers have also been watching how broader adult-use legalization impacts medical marijuana in Canada, noting, for example, patient enrollment rates declining after legalization was enacted but before retailers opened for business. A study released in 2024, meanwhile, found similar marijuana use rates and support for legalization in both the U.S. and Canada despite the countries’ different national approaches to regulating the drug. Another report found that marijuana legalization was “associated with a decline in beer sales,” suggesting a substitution effect where consumers shift from one product to the other. Meanwhile, a separate survey out of Canada that was financially supported by the government recently found that youth marijuana use rates have declined after the country legalized cannabis—contradicting concerns voiced by prohibitionists. A separate Canadian government report found that daily or near-daily use rates by both adults and youth have held steady over the last six years after the country enacted legalization. The post Canadian Conservative Leader Tells Joe Rogan Marijuana Should Be A ‘Personal Choice,’ Despite Voting Against Legalization appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

IN gov on marijuana; MA psychedelics votes; NY medical cannabis bill; WNBA offers to end marijuana testing; OH hemp restrictions 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 Indiana Gov. Mike Braun (R) said the state is “probably going to have to address” marijuana legalization to “make sure that we’re not the state that’s lagging most” as its neighbors enact cannabis reform. Idaho activists have collected enough signatures for a medical cannabis legalization initiative to exceed the statewide threshold for ballot qualification—though it’s unclear how many are valid and if they’re met a separate requirement for regional distribution of petitions. The Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery approved legislation to create pilot programs allowing eligible patients to access psilocybin and other psychedelics. The New York Senate Health Committee approved a bill on reciprocity for out-of-state medical cannabis patients and pre-rolled joints in the medical marijuana program—even though both are already allowed under state law. The Women’s National Basketball Association reportedly offered to end marijuana testing as part of a collective bargaining agreement with the WNBA Players Association that has now been agreed to by league and union representatives, though the full text of the deal has not yet been released or ratified. An Ohio law adding restrictions on hemp THC products and rolling back consumers’ rights under the voter-approved marijuana legalization law took effect after a referendum effort to block the changes failed. The South Carolina Senate voted to approve a bill to keep hemp THC beverages and gummies legal, with some restrictions on where they can be sold in certain forms. The Nebraska legislature approved a bill to protect doctors who recommend medical cannabis from civil, criminal or disciplinary action—though another vote is still required for final passage. The Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District ordered regulators to award marijuana business license applications to a company—finding that scoring on its applications was inconsistent and, in one case, performed by a grader whose qualifications were never established. / FEDERAL The Department of Defense is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from a former contractor who claims he improperly lost his job after refusing to answer questions about past marijuana use. The Drug Enforcement Administration published a list of exempt chemical preparations under the Controlled Substances Act. Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and former Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA) are facing complaints alleging improper lobbying and information dissemination, respectively, related to psychedelics reform advocacy. / STATES Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) signed a bill allowing police to administer roadside saliva drug tests during impaired driving traffic stops. California regulators announced a recall of marijuana products due to the distillate being from an unknown and unidentifiable source. Separately, regulators will host a cannabis listening session on Monday. Minnesota regulators announced a recall of marijuana products that do not meet THC content or labeling requirements. Colorado regulators issued a health and safety advisory about marijuana products that exceed regulatory limits for the pesticide chlorfenapyr. Montana regulators adopted rules on marijuana testing quality assurance protocols and synthetic cannabinoids. An audit by the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts found five instances in which medical cannabis regulators did not follow state laws or regulations, including an overpayment of $200,000 for a legal contract. Michigan regulators filed a complaint against a marijuana business over alleged violations. Virginia regulators published an overview of cannabis-related legislation approved by lawmakers this session. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL The Clark County, Nevada Commission approved a hemp product regulation measure. / INTERNATIONAL Colombian President Gustavo Petro is reportedly under investigation by U.S. authorities over potential ties to drug traffickers. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “medical cannabis can enhance pain management, sleep quality, and physical function while dramatically lowering the use of opioids.” A study’s results “support a mechanistic rationale for the enhanced efficacy of whole mushroom extracts over isolated psilocybin and underscore the therapeutic potential of other constituent compounds.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Amnesty International Canada is criticizing the Ontario, Canada government’s plan to defund safe consumption sites for illegal drugs. / BUSINESS Colorado retailers sold $108.8 million worth of legal marijuana products in December. / CULTURE Jimmy Kimmel joked that Transportation Security Administration agents are going to have to start selling the marijuana they confiscate due to lapsed funding for their agency. 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 Idaho medical cannabis measure nears ballot qualification (Newsletter: March 23, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The department’s scoring criteria and the scorers’ determinations were based on the subjective valuations of the scorers. This fundamental flaw infected the entire scoring process.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent A Missouri appeals court has delivered a sweeping rebuke of the state’s marijuana licensing process, ordering regulators to award Hippos LLC 13 facility licenses after finding the 2019 scoring was inconsistent and, in one case, performed by a grader whose qualifications were never established. The unanimous ruling lands just weeks after a scathing state audit found the same flaws—erratic scoring, poor documentation and a process so opaque it cast doubt on the integrity of the results. The decision, issued last week by the Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District, does more than revive Hippos’s long-running challenge over denied cultivation, manufacturing and dispensary licenses. It also undercuts the methodology the Missouri Administrative Hearing Commission has used to resolve cannabis licensing disputes and raises new questions about potentially hundreds of rulings issued in the nearly 850 appeals filed by unsuccessful applicants. Lisa Cox, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, which oversees the cannabis program, told The Independent the agency is “evaluating all options,” in terms of appealing the decision. Hippos officials could not be reached for comment. When the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services was working in 2019 to build the framework of the state’s now multi-billion dollar industry, it hired Nevada-based company Wise Health Solutions to score the nearly 2,000 applications. “In each of Hippos’s applications, there were many instances in which identical answers to the same question received inconsistent scores,” wrote Judge Jeffrey Bates in the ruling. “That should never have occurred if Wise’s scorers had followed the instructions that they were given. Neither the department nor Wise did anything to correct this situation.” Hippos’s lawsuit challenged the department’s denial applications for two cultivation, six manufacturing and five dispensary licenses. Their first stop for appealing the denied applications was with the Administrative Hearing Commission, which attempted to rescore Hippos’ applications by picking the most common score for the questions the company was challenging. The three appellate judges felt the commission’s approach to rescoring “completely flawed.” “The raw scores provide no evidence of the scorers’ intent because there are no notes explaining why the scores were given,” the ruling states. “The conflict in these unexplained scores cannot be reconciled by simply assuming the more common score for a particular answer is the correct one.” The judges agreed with Hippos that the commission’s decisions affirming the state’s denial of the company’s applications were “arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable, and these decisions were not supported by competent and substantial evidence on the whole record.” They remanded the case back to the circuit court with directions that the lower court order the department “to grant Hippos the cultivation, manufacturing and dispensary facility licenses for which it applied.” No rebuttal A major blow in the state’s defense, the judges ruled, was that Hippos provided two credible witnesses who testified the applications should have received higher scores—and the judges felt the state didn’t fight back. The experts were cannabis consultants who had collectively prepared 83 applications in Missouri, the ruling stated, and more than half of their clients’ applications successfully received licenses. “The department offered no rebuttal to Hippos’s expert testimony and presented no other testimony showing why Hippos should not be given the higher scores about which those experts testified,” the ruling states. In the department’s response to State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s report released last month, it argued the commission did a “thorough review” of the scoring evidence and heard from many experts during hundreds of appeals. Cox said the Hippos case was among the first that the commission heard in the process of reviewing the department’s licensing decisions. “The information the Southern District is seeking—expert testimony supporting the department’s position—has been provided in all subsequent cases and supports the Administrative Hearing Commission’s determination in the Hippos case,” she said in an email to The Independent. The department’s audit response listed several cases where the commission ruled in the department’s favor, and in at least one of the other cases, the commission used the same methodology that the appeals court last week deemed “flawed.” No notes, no evidence Hippos challenged the scores given on several questions in the application. The court found it difficult to justify the scores without seeing any notes on why the grader made them. “After the commission concluded that it was required to re-score Hippos’s applications due to the noted inconsistencies, the commission stated that it was searching for any ‘evidence’ reflecting the scorers’ subjective evaluation,” the ruling stated. “Obviously, any notes from a scorer about his or her reasons for giving a particular score would have been helpful to show consistency.” Without any notes, the commission’s decision to use the old scores was “guesswork,” the ruling states. The lack of notes stems from an instruction in Wise’s training manual, the ruling stated, pointing to the lines: “Don’t write anything that you don’t want everybody to read. Past versions [something deleted] will be discoverable[.] Adhere to this axiom: Say it and forget it; write it and regret it.” The manual reminded scorers that any emails, notes or other written materials would be discoverable if any scores were challenged in court, the ruling stated. In the audit, Fitzpatrick also said these phrases and the lack of note-taking were problematic. In response to the audit, the department said that reading the sentences on their own “fails to consider this language in the context of the rest of the training manual,” and the scorers were encouraged to take notes. In the lawsuit, Hippos also successfully challenged the credentials of the scorer, which other cases have attempted to do before the commission and failed. The ruling stated that Wise was required to make sure each scorer had the requisite experience and background to perform their assigned task. In the case of the woman who scored the grades Hippos was challenging, “there is nothing in the record to show that this requirement was met.” The woman didn’t list or describe any experience or background in the cannabis industry or in business evaluation or analysis, the ruling stated. However, the department has argued that she’s a college professor with good research skills throughout the case. In a 2024 brief, the department pointed out that she also graded three other questions on Hippos applications. “Yet, Hippos does not criticize her scoring of those questions,” the brief states. “That is because she awarded scores of 10 for each of them.” The appeals court was unpersuaded. The unanimous court ruling, taken together with Fitzpatrick’s audit, amount to a devastating assessment on how Missouri awarded licenses that launched its legal marijuana market. It also raises broader questions about other cases in which the Administrative Hearing Commission relied on similar methods to review disputed application scores. “The commission correctly concluded that the department’s scoring criteria and the scorers’ determinations were based on the subjective valuations of the scorers,” the ruling states. “This fundamental flaw infected the entire scoring process.” This story was first published by Missouri Independent. Photo elements courtesy of rawpixel and Philip Steffan. The post Missouri Court Orders Officials To Award Marijuana Business Licenses Amid Application Scoring Flaws appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Compromise was needed “to make sure that we had the votes to keep this out of the hands of children… That’s the number one thing.” By Adrian Ashford, South Carolina Daily Gazette Legislation limiting South Carolina sales of intoxicating hemp products to adults over 21 passed the Senate on Thursday in a compromise that took two weeks and a do-over vote to revive the bill following a past-midnight rejection. Beyond limiting most sales to liquor stores, the amended bill restricts what’s legal to beverages and gummies with no more than 10 milligrams of THC per serving. The 35-4 vote on Thursday came almost 17 hours after the effort seemed to blow up completely. Proposals on how to rein in sales of drinks and edibles infused with hemp-derived THC—effectively legalized by the 2018 federal Farm Bill—have divided the GOP in both chambers over the past two legislative sessions. In a state where marijuana remains illegal, legislators have generally agreed they want to keep the products that provide an alternative high out of children’s hands. But they’ve been at odds over what should be legal for adults to buy. Earlier this year, a chaotic divide among Republicans on the House floor resulted in a different bill banning most hemp products getting sent back to the committee that advanced it. That bill has yet to resurface. Senators thought they’d found a compromise Wednesday, their fifth day of floor debate, with amendments that make it illegal to drive after consuming THC and allow sales of one type of edible to adults—what the bill calls a “hemp gelatin chewable.” But a 10-hour debate ended after midnight with a 15-25 “no” vote on the bill, as Republicans who wanted a complete ban on all THC products joined with Democrats, and a few Republicans, who advocated for regulations that clarified rules without threatening a growing industry. Afterward, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey (R) told reporters he expected votes to flip the next day. And they did. Senators realized killing the bill meant a wide array of THC-infused products stayed on shelves available for people of all ages to buy. “There are a lot of people who voted ‘no,’ who do not like the effect of voting ‘no,’” Massey said. Senators spent most of Thursday in huddles before agreeing to undo that “no” vote and adopting an amendment that allowed some sales outside a liquor store. The change allows 12-ounce beverages with up to 5 milligrams of THC to be sold in retail stores, whether gas stations, grocery stores or vape shops. However, the cans or bottles must remain behind the counter. They can’t be displayed anywhere else in the store. A bipartisan effort to additionally allow restaurants to keep the beverages on the menu, selling them as they do alcohol, failed. In the end, the opposition was evenly divided, with two Republicans and two Democrats voting against the bill. Many Republicans who wanted an all-out ban said they begrudgingly accepted the final compromise. Sen. Michael Johnson (R), who shepherded the process, said he’s satisfied with the outcome, even while recognizing that most senators weren’t completely happy with it. Compromise was needed “to make sure that we had the votes to keep this out of the hands of children. I mean, that’s the number one thing,” said the Tega Cay Republican. The GOP-supermajority chamber ultimately bucked the state Republican Party, which sent a flurry of emails in the last week bashing the proposal as legalizing marijuana. Last Saturday, the party’s state executive committee passed a resolution calling for a statewide ban on all “hemp-derived THC products.” “We’ve had an entire class of drugs come into our state via a legal loophole,” state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a release. The committee “calls on our Republican members of the legislature to close that loophole.” The other side includes small business owners, who have been pleading with legislators to protect their livelihood and customers by regulating, not banning, sales. Another vote in the Senate next week will return the amended bill to the House. As it passed that chamber nearly unanimously last year, the legislation more simply banned sales of hemp-derived THC products to anyone under 21. If the House agrees with the Senate’s changes, the bill will head to the governor’s desk. What’s in the bill As amended, the bill says only liquor stores can sell hemp beverages and gummies containing up to 10 milligrams of THC per serving. That’s defined as 10 milligrams per 12-ounce can or glass bottle, or up to 170 milligrams in a 750-milliliter container (the size of a regular wine bottle). For a hemp “chewable,” a serving is a single gummy. Other stores, including the vape shops and CBD stores that have sprung up statewide since 2018, could sell only 12-ounce THC beverages capped at 5 milligrams, which must stay behind the counter. Selling to anyone under 21 would be punishable by up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine on first offense. Repeated violations could result in up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and loss of all operating licenses. On the other side of the sale, anyone under 21 who possesses, buys or attempts to buy the products would face a penalty of up to 30 days in jail and a $200 fine. The bill doesn’t regulate or criminalize products with only cannabidiol, or CBD, that aren’t psychoactive. Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t impair a user, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and is often used in oils or lotions for pain relief. Total ban fails Senators who remained a steadfast “no” included Republican Billy Garrett of Greenwood. His push for a complete ban came from personal tragedy, he told senators. Garrett shared that his son became addicted to marijuana then, after a skiing accident, began using harder drugs, including opioids. He died of a drug overdose. “Had he not started marijuana, I’m convinced he would be with me today,” Garrett told his colleagues. He highlighted that the South Carolina Federation of Republican Women also advocated for a complete ban instead of regulation. Ultimately, the attempt at a complete ban failed 18-22 last week. The 18 senators who voted for a full ban last week included Massey, who told reporters he was worried about the products impairing drivers. Under his amendment, which passed Wednesday, drivers can be arrested for having 5 or more nanograms per milliliter in their blood. Drivers pulled over by law enforcement on suspicion of impaired driving could be asked for a blood sample. Refusal could result in a suspended license. If a blood test finds an illegal amount of THC, the penalty for a first offense is up to 30 days in jail and a $400 fine. The federal backdrop The Senate’s decision comes as the federal government is set to close the loophole that federally legalized intoxicating hemp. The 2018 bill passed by Congress that unintentionally created an industry around hemp-derived THC was intended to give farmers the chance to grow hemp for things like rope or clothing. It specified that legal hemp products could contain a concentration of no more than 0.3 percent of delta-9 THC “on a dry weight basis.” But vendors found ways to stay under that weight ratio and still include dosages of THC potent enough to get someone high. A last-minute addition to the stopgap spending law that ended the federal government shutdown last November is set to change that. If it goes into effect as planned this November, legal hemp-derived products could contain no more that 0.4 milligrams of THC per container. If those limitations take effect, they would be even stricter than what’s allowed in the Senate bill. But a provision in that bill says the state would adopt those federal standards. However, Johnson said he doesn’t expect the government to actually allow the rules that essentially wipe out the industry to go through. Unlike South Carolina legislators, he said, he expects the federal governor to continue to “kick this can down the road.” This story was first published by South Carolina Daily Gazette. The post South Carolina Senate Approves Bill To Keep Hemp THC Drinks And Gummies Legal, With Some Restrictions appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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