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President Donald Trump has seen a massive swing in support for his administration’s marijuana policy actions from consumers since moving to federally reschedule medical cannabis—with nearly three out of four now having a favorable view—according to a new survey. The latest quarterly presidential approval tracking poll from NuggMD and Marijuana Moment found that 73 percent of marijuana consumers now either “approve” or “strongly approve” of the Trump administration’s cannabis actions. Just 7 percent say they’re opposed, while 20 percent have no opinion. Do you approve or disapprove of the presidential administration’s actions on cannabis? n: % Strongly approve 147 30.4% Approve 207 42.8% No opinion/Neutral 95 19.6% Disapprove 28 5.8% Strongly disapprove 7 1.4% 484 Net approve/disapprove: 65.9% Compared to the last quarter of 2025, before Trump issued an executive order directing officials to finalize rescheduling, the White House made significant gains among cannabis consumers. At the time, just 6 percent said they approved of the administration’s marijuana actions, a 38 percent plurality were neutral and 56 percent disapproved. The in-progress rescheduling move is currently limited to medical marijuana authorized under state programs, as well as cannabis medicines approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but could expand depending on the outcome of an upcoming administrative hearing process set to begin next month. While somewhat limited, the decision to move medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) is clearly being embraced by cannabis consumers. The survey showed that 86 percent of respondents favor the reform, compared to 10 percent who oppose it and 4 percent who have no opinion. Recently, the administration eased federal restrictions on cannabis that’s used for medical purposes only. This means rescheduling has partially occurred. How do you feel about this policy? n: % I support it 418 86.4% I oppose it 47 9.7% I don’t have an opinion on it 19 3.9% 484 Additionally, marijuana consumers were asked how their views would change if the Trump administration went further by federally legalizing cannabis. The poll found that 61 percent would support the administration “much more” if it more fully legalized marijuana, and 12 percent would support it “a bit more.” Another 26 percent said their opinion wouldn’t change, even with legalization, and 1 percent said they’d support the administration “a bit less” or “much less.” If the Trump administration were to more fully legalize cannabis, would that change your level of support for it? n: % I would support it much more 293 60.5% I would support it a bit more 60 12.4% No change 126 26.0% I would support it a bit less 2 0.4% I would support it much less 3 0.6% 484 Net approve/disapprove: 71.9% “Our polling shows that cannabis consumers are giving the White House a lot of credit for finalizing the rescheduling process for medical cannabis, despite the narrow practical effects the policy has for consumers right away,” Andrew Graham, head of communications at NuggMD, told Marijuana Moment “Given that the final rule to reschedule made some cannabis federally legal, I’m not surprised that it’s very popular with the population we poll. I think it’s important for the movement to reflect on that incredible milestone,” he said. “I am surprised, however, at the intensity of that popularity.” “The top-lines on net approval have completely flipped over the past six months, with disapproval now near its practical floor. We have seen a net swing of 115 percent. That’s the movement you’d get if a majority of the population went from disapprove to approve.” Graham added that the polling around cannabis and the Trump administration “has consistently shown a significant political reward is available to whichever party or interest is able to pass pro-consumer reform for cannabis,” and that “remains the case, because there is still space for more reform.” The new survey involved interviews with 484 cannabis consumers who live in states with legal markets from May 7-26, with a +/-4.45 percentage point margin of error. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently said that the administration is moving forward with marijuana rescheduling because cannabis reform is “overwhelmingly popular” with voters and because doing so will help people who need access to the drug for medical purposes. In the background, three Republican state attorneys general recently filed a lawsuit challenging the federal cannabis rescheduling action announced by Trump’s Department of Justice last month. The filing from the attorneys general of Indiana, Nebraska and Louisiana claims that they will “show that this agency action fails to comport with the requirements” of federal law, “was improperly promulgated and was otherwise procedurally improper,” “exceeds or is inconsistent with pertinent authority” and “ultimately, that this agency action is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with law.” “Petitioners thus ask that this Court declare unlawful and vacate this final agency action,” the filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says. On Wednesday, the court consolidated the state attorneys generals’ complaint with a separate suit that was filed earlier this month by prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA). Named defendants in both now-consolidated suits are the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Blanche and DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. A federal judge last week dismissed separate litigation SAM brought to challenge a new Trump administration initiative to cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible Medicare patients Meanwhile, a House committee earlier this month voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. The post 3 In 4 Marijuana Consumers Now Support Trump Administration’s Cannabis Actions, Post-Rescheduling Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“Generally, the changes needed to happen so that we could bring the focus back to the intention of the program.” By Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent Lesley Turek is planning for a busy June traveling the state to educate people about the final lottery for 77 microbusiness marijuana licenses. Turek, the chief equity officer for the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation, will hold education sessions in Kansas City, Jefferson City and St. Louis, along with five webinars to outline application requirements and answer questions. The application window will open sometime in midsummer, she said. A large part of what she’ll be covering are new rules that will go into effect at the end of May—rules cannabis regulators proposed in 2024 after they revoked numerous licenses due to unconstitutional ownership deals. “Generally, the changes needed to happen,” Turek said, in an interview with The Independent, “so that we could bring the focus back to the intention of the program.” The purpose of the program, she said, is providing “a small business opportunity for those people who wouldn’t otherwise have the chance to be a part of the cannabis industry to have an opportunity for facility ownership.” The microbusiness program was established through the 2022 constitutional amendment voters approved to legalize recreational marijuana. It was “designed to expand opportunities for marginalized or under-represented individuals to participate in the state’s regulated marijuana industry,” according to a press release the division issued Tuesday. It’s been a rocky road since Missouri held its first lottery for microbusiness licenses in 2023. For nearly three years, The Independent has documented a pattern of well-connected groups and individuals flooding the microbusiness lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limit their profit and control of the business. Of the 106 microbusiness licenses issued so far, 38 have been revoked and one has been surrendered. “There’s really no question in many cases,” Amy Moore, the division’s director, said during a hearing with the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules in March. “Third parties used eligible individuals, names and circumstances to attempt to acquire licenses for themselves.” When the program first began, Turek said cannabis regulators implemented a similar application review that was used with comprehensive medical marijuana licenses. “But we had no idea there would be problems to the extent that we saw,” Turek said. The new rules, she said, allow regulators to complete an extensive review before the licenses are issued, rather than afterwards. They also provide a deeper explanation of what it means to “majority own and operate” a license, which is a requirement in the constitutional amendment. They mandate that regulators communicate directly with majority owners and that applicants take a course on compliance before applying and after receiving the license. “It’s a positive step forward for the program,” Turek said. ‘A clear understanding’ In Missouri, there are seven categories where people could qualify for a microbusiness license, ranging from a lower income level or living in an area considered impoverished to having past arrests or incarcerations related to marijuana offenses. Applicants pay a $1,500 application fee that’s refundable if they don’t get picked. The Missouri Lottery will pick 77 applicants for licenses to open up either dispensaries or cultivation facilities. The goal is to bring the total number of microbusiness licenses up to the constitutional minimum of 144 microbusiness licenses. Turek said the learning sessions will give participants access to division staff, who can answer their questions about the application. She believes the application is pretty straightforward and something people can complete on their own, unlike the much more complicated application for comprehensive licenses. “We have lots of tutorials, and we have a step-by-step guide that we provide as well,” she said. “Anybody could sit down and do the application. I don’t think it’s challenging.” The part that most people don’t often understand is everything that comes with being a marijuana facility owner. “It’s very expensive, it’s very regulated, and so it’s challenging,” she said. “I want to make sure people have a clear understanding beforehand, so that they can make a good decision about whether or not they want to apply to this program.” A big part of her presentation will be focused on the fact that the licenses must be majority owned and operated by eligible individuals, she said. They have to hold more than 50 percent of ownership and more than 50 percent of the power to direct the decisions that are made with the license. “It’s more than just ownership percentage,” she said. “It is really about being able to have that control of it.” She’ll also talk about the designated contact, and why in the new rule regulators will require the designated contact to be the applicant or an eligible person who holds majority ownership. “The simple reason is we have to get a hold of people,” she said, “We’ve discovered during our verification processes that sometimes if there’s a third party involved, it’s just really hard to get information.” Turek said she doesn’t want people to lose out on the opportunity because “someone didn’t share information with somebody else. We know that that happens.” The designated-contact role was envisioned as a way to ensure clear communication between the state and licensees. Instead, state regulators discovered many designated contacts have kept the actual eligible applicants in the dark about business and license dealings. Applicants get locked into agreements that limit their voting power and profits in the business, calling into question who actually stands to reap the rewards of the booming industry. That’s also why the state is now requiring a pre-application training, which will be a three-hour online course to ensure that applicants have an understanding of “potential predatory practices,” regulators stated in responses to public comments in the rulemaking process. Extensive review One major shift that Turek believes will help prevent so many revocations is changing when regulators conduct their extensive application review. The state issued its first round of 48 microbusiness licenses in 2023. These applicants were picked out of a lottery of 1,600 submissions, and then the division verified they met the basic qualifications—which includes having a low income, a nonviolent marijuana charge on their record, being a disabled veteran or living in a low-income ZIP code. But getting the license is currently just the beginning of the verification process. The licensees must then pass through a rigorous 60-day investigation into all financial and operating agreements to make sure the license will continue to be majority owned and operated by an eligible person, as the state constitution requires. After the investigations in 2023, the division ended up issuing 11 notices of pending revocation. The licensees had a few months to respond to the division’s concerns, but ultimately all six licenses connected to cannabis investor Michael Halow were revoked—along with two connected to a Michigan-based group—because they couldn’t prove the business would be run by an eligible person. The revocations were the division’s attempt to prevent what some legal experts have called “fronts,” or arrangements where the profits and ownership weren’t going to people that regulators had certified were eligible. In July 2024, the division awarded another 57 microbusiness licenses. But after the 60-day investigation, regulators sent out 32 notices of pending revocation. The state ended up revoking 25 licenses, 16 of them were connected to Halow. And nearly all of 25 cited ownership issues. By law, the state must award a total of 144 licenses to disadvantaged business owners, over the course of three lotteries. The state has already conducted two lotteries. With the final lottery, the extensive review process will come before the license is issued, the new rules mandate, to prevent the revocation process as much as possible, Turek said. “Do I think that will help? Yes,” she said. “Will it prevent all of it? Probably not. I’m sure that we will still run into some issues, but I do think it’s a good approach, so that we don’t end up having 30-plus revocations.” Turek said it will be exciting to welcome in “a whole new crop of licenses.” Last fall, several microbusiness facilities became operational, and she’s seeing more movement in that direction. “I really feel strongly that the microbusiness licensees are a community of people, first and foremost, that support each other,” she said. “They’re the ones that are making this program move forward, so I’m looking forward to meeting some new people and sharing as much as I can about the program. It’s a great program.” Microbusiness education outreach events In-person forums: June 8 – 6 to 8 p.m. – Jefferson City June 15 – 6 to 8 p.m. – St. Louis June 22 – 6 to 8 p.m. – Kansas City Webinars: June 5 – 6 to 8 p.m. June 11 – 6 to 8 p.m. June 16 – 6 to 8 p.m. June 24 – 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 29 – 6 to 8 p.m. Registration is required for all in-person and virtual sessions. Interested participants may register at Microbusiness Education. Additional information about the microbusiness program is available at cannabis.mo.gov. This story was first published by Missouri Independent. The post Missouri Regulators Prepare For Final Marijuana Equity Business License Lottery appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Virginia’s governor may have vetoed bills to legalize recreational marijuana sales last week, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still happen this year. Top lawmakers are openly discussing the possibility of including provisions to enact the cannabis reform in still-outstanding budget legislation that they are due to pass by July 1. Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D), for example, said the issue is not “dead” for 2026 yet. “It is possible for us, however, to put policy like that into the budget and adopt it in the budget and then put that on the governor’s desk,” Surovell, who also chairs the Courts of Justice Committee, told WJLA-TV on Tuesday. “So I wouldn’t say that the cannabis retail market is totally dead yet for this year.” The governor’s office did not respond to the news outlet’s request for comment about whether she would sign or veto a budget that includes provisions to legalize adult-use marijuana sales despite her recent veto. Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas (D) said that the governor’s vetoes of legislation on marijuana sales and other issues means that the state is “further off” in generating revenue that those reforms would have provided toward the annual budget. “But here’s the good news,” she said in a social media thread. “We are in special session so the Gov can send us bills at anytime to correct vetoes and restore the money to the budget. She’s said she supports many of these initiatives so she should send us bills that incorporate our legislative work to do them now.” But here’s the good news. We are in special session so the Gov can send us bills at anytime to correct vetoes and restore the money to the budget. She’s said she supports many of these initiatives so she should send us bills that incorporate our legislative work to do them now. — L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) May 21, 2026 “Now that you have read each bill line by line, it’s time to focus on the budget,” Lucas, whose unregulated cannabis store was the target of a recent federal raid for reasons that still have not been officially explained, said in a separate post. “Your Secretary of Finance says that we need more revenue and the House budget is negative by $400M in the out years. That’s not fiscally responsible and won’t happen on my watch.” Now that you have read each bill line by line, it’s time to focus on the budget. Your Secretary of Finance says that we need more revenue and the House budget is negative by $400M in the out years. That’s not fiscally responsible and won’t happen on my watch. https://t.co/p2zHLWi8S0 — L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) April 14, 2026 The Senate president pro tem further poked Spanberger in another post, saying the governor is “wrong on the policy and knows Virginians will cook her if there is a government shutdown.” That’s the budget hold up!! Once again, the Governor is wrong on the policy and knows Virginians will cook her if there is a government shutdown. Also still waiting on your reforecast? — L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) May 27, 2026 Lawmakers are expected to reconvene in June to tackle the budget. If they finalize that legislation close to the July 1 deadline, it could effectively force the governor to quickly sign any deal, even if she doesn’t like its provisions, in order to avoid a potential shutdown of the state government. Spanberger, for her part, pushed back on the idea that lawmakers would put marijuana in the budget as a tactic to force her to sign it. “I have certainly heard inklings of the same thing…whether it is the cannabis bill or any other bill,” the governor told The Richmond Times-Dispatch. “We could have had a bill, right? Just as the legislature didn’t like my amendments, I didn’t think their bill was ready, right?… They passed by my amendments, didn’t even take them up—their prerogative.” Lawmakers passed the cannabis sales bills in March, but the governor then suggested changes to the legalization proposal—including delaying the start date for sales by six months, increasing taxes and instituting new criminal penalties for cannabis consumers. The legislature last month declined to take up the amendments during a one-day reconvened session, however, effectively rejecting them. Spanberger then issued a veto last week. “The idea that we, that members of the General Assembly would be holding localities and their budgets in this purgatory space so that they can try and jam me with a budget is two things: one, kind of an outrageous possibility, and two, broadly something that most legislators I have spoken to wholly oppose,” Spanberger told The Times-Dispatch. “The idea that you would basically do kind of Russian roulette with our budget, or a game of chicken with the state’s budget…that is an abuse of the process,” she said. “The idea that you could rush through a cannabis bill and have, like, literal stores open by January just doesn’t recognize…everything that needs to happen. If I wanted to open an ice cream shop or a stationery store, very boring, not particularly melodramatic, certainly not a new industry, I’d be hard pressed to open one of those two shops between now and January, let alone one where the financing is a challenge…or the rent is a challenge…depending upon the mortgage constraints of the landlord. Not to mention standing up an entirely new law enforcement entity to enforce entirely new laws…the idea that you could just sort of jam that into a budget is, I think it’s unbelievable to me.” House Speaker Don Scott (D) said he was not “surprised” by Spanberger’s vetoes of the cannabis and other bills this session, but was “disappointed” by some of them. “But I’m not despair,” he said at an event about healthcare issues. “I think those issues can continue to be worked on and I think there are ways that we can continue to move forward on those issues.” “We’ve been debating this same legislation for six sessions now,” JM Pedini, development director for the advocacy group NORML and executive director for Virginia NORML, told Marijuana Moment. “Claims that the state is somehow rushing or unprepared simply fall flat. NORML is committed to exploring every possible option to get this done in 2026. It’s long past time for Virginia to stop kicking this can down the road year after year after year.” A recent survey found that bipartisan majorities of Virginia voters wanted Spanberger to sign the cannabis legislation into law, and that they specifically disagreed with her desire to slow the launch timeline for legal sales. The governor recently acknowledged in an interview that “a lot of people are not pleased” with her veto of the cannabis legislation. “Friends and family are displeased as well,” she said. Trent Woloveck, chief strategy officer with the cannabis company Jushi, told Marijuana Moment that he hopes that “both the administration and legislators understand the need for a regulated marketplace so that good actors can start to eradicate the ongoing public health and safety nightmare for Virginians across the Commonwealth.” “The differences between the bill passed by the General Assembly and the substitute proposed by the governor are not that far off, so I am hopeful a compromise is possible during the special session,” he said. Spanberger has repeatedly responded to criticism of her cannabis amendments from the bill sponsors and advocates by saying the suggested changes came after she spoke to the leaders of other states that have already implemented adult-use marijuana markets. A spokesperson for Spanberger was not able to name any other governors she talked to about cannabis in response to a question from Marijuana Moment last week, however. The governor separately recently sought to explain her veto in an earlier interview last week, reiterating that she supports launching a legal cannabis market but worried about what she called a “rushed timeline” and “far more stores across Virginia” than she thinks are appropriate. Prior to vetoing the cannabis commerce bill, the governor did sign separate legislation to provide resentencing relief for people with past cannabis convictions. Personal marijuana possession and home cultivation of marijuana has been legal in Virginia since 2021, but then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase regulated adult-use cannabis. Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), and Del. Paul Krizek (D), the sponsors of the legalization bills, had urged colleagues to vote against the governor’s amendments last month—even if that meant risking a veto from Spanberger when the legislation returned to her desk, which has now occurred. Here are the other key details of the cannabis bills—SB 542 and HB 642—as approved by lawmakers and with the governor’s suggested amendments: Lawmakers voted to allow adults to be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products as determined by regulators. That would represent an increase from the limit in current law of 1 ounce. The governor, however, wanted the amount increased to only 2 ounces. Under the legislature’s plan, legal sales could begin on January 1, 2027, but the governor proposed to push that back to July 1, 2027. Lawmakers voted to impose an excise tax of 6 percent on cannabis sales as well as a 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax, while allowing municipalities to set an additional local tax of up to 3.5 percent. The governor’s plan was largely the same, though it would have increased the excise tax to 8 percent starting on July 1, 2029. Under the legislation as approved by lawmakers, revenue would have been distributed to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund (30 percent), early childhood education (40 percent), the Department of Behavioral & Developmental Health Services (25 percent) and public health initiatives (5 percent). The governor, however, wanted to put all revenue into the general fund while earmarking it “for purposes such as early childhood education, behavioral health, public health awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery services, workforce development, reentry, indigent criminal defense, and targeted reinvestment in historically disadvantaged communities.” The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would have overseen licensing and regulation of the new industry, and would have also taken on oversight of hemp, which is currently under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Local governments could not have opted out of allowing marijuana businesses to operate in their area. Delivery services would have been allowed. Serving sizes would have been capped at 10 milligrams THC, with no more than 100 mg THC per package. The governor proposed to make public marijuana use a class 4 criminal misdemeanor instead of civil violation punishable by a $25 fine as under current law. She also wanted to make possessing cannabis by people under the age of 21 a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 or 50 hours of community service, as well as the suspension of drivers licenses for at least six months. Illegally selling or distributing 50 pounds or more of marijuana would have been a class 2 felony punishable by life in prison. The governor sought to eliminate support for the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. Existing medical cannabis operators could have entered the adult-use market if they pay a licensing conversion fee that was set at $10 million. Cannabis businesses would have had to establish labor peace agreements with workers. As passed by lawmakers, the bill would have directed a legislative commission to study adding on-site consumption licenses and microbusiness cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to conduct sales at venues like farmers markets or pop-up locations, but the governor proposed to remove that language. A coalition of cannabis reform organizations sent the governor a letter this month urging her not to veto the sales legalization legislation even though her amendments were rejected. “Together, these bills address the real issues surrounding cannabis in the Commonwealth today: an already-existing, unregulated marijuana market operating openly across the state while consumers, communities, and law enforcement are left without the protections of a legal framework,” the groups wrote. “Let’s be clear: these bills do not create a marijuana market in Virginia. That market already exists,” the letter said. “What these bills do is replace today’s predatory and unaccountable illicit operators with a regulated marketplace, enforceable rules, oversight, product safeguards, age verification, and the strict consumer safety standards already in use for Virginia medical cannabis.” The letter was signed by Virginia NORML, Marijuana Justice, Virginia Cannabis Association, Marijuana Policy Project and other groups. Separately, a coalition of hemp businesses that joined with a major alcohol retailer in asking Spanberger to veto the marijuana bill before she did so said the move presents an “opportunity” to craft better cannabis policy. Meanwhile, the governor signed several other reform bills last month—including measures to protect the parental rights of marijuana consumers and allow patients to access medical cannabis in hospitals. The post Virginia Lawmakers Weigh Putting Marijuana Sales Legalization Into Budget Bill Next Month To Force Governor’s Hand Following Veto appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Senator: Saving hemp “uphill path”; VA gov family “displeased” w marijuana veto; Poll: US backs legal cannabis; Codifying Trump’s psychedelic move Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The attorneys general of Indiana, Nebraska and Louisiana have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move—and it has been consolidated with a separate challenge brought by a prohibitionist group and drug testing industry association. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told hemp industry advocates that it will be a “very uphill path” to prevent the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products this year—but said the chances for reform will be better in 2027 when Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is gone. “If Mitch is leaning in really hard, saying, ‘don’t do anything on this’—you know, I’m not someone to blow smoke up your ass—that means the votes probably aren’t there.” Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) discussed the importance of codifying provisions of President Donald Trump’s psychedelics executive order into law via legislation so they can’t be reversed by future presidents. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said that members of her own family and her friends are “displeased” with her veto of legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales—and acknowledged that “it’s entirely possible that the things I’m worried about, maybe I’m worried about too much.” A new poll from the Pew Research Center shows that “the vast majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana” for either recreational or medical use—and that backing for cannabis reform “has increased dramatically in recent decades.” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) nominated a new chair for the Cannabis Control Commission, picking the administrator of the state’s Cannabis Office for the role. / FEDERAL Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) tweeted, “Congressman Horsford, Senator Booker, and I led my colleagues in calling on the President to commute the sentences of people serving non-violent marijuana sentences. Too many lives have been derailed by outdated laws that no longer reflect our nation’s views— nearly 9 in 10 Americans support some form of legal marijuana.” Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) tweeted that the Department of Veterans Affairs’s launch of a study on MDMA “is an important step forward in addressing the mental health needs of our veterans. Our servicemembers deserve access to innovative, evidence-based treatments that can help heal the invisible wounds of war. I’ll continue pushing to expand mental health care and support for those who served our country.” / STATES Colorado’s attorney general touted the closure of a store for allegedly illegally selling a kratom product to a minor. A Connecticut senator authored an op-ed urging Gov. Ned Lamont (D) to veto legislation to increase cannabis product THC potency limits. Missouri regulators announced a recall of marijuana products that were not tested in accordance with requirements. A former Nebraska notary who was found guilty of misconduct related to his work on medical cannabis legalization ballot petitions is appealing his convictions. New York regulators published a report on how young people are learning about cannabis. California generated nearly $248 million in cannabis tax revenue in the first quarter of the year. New Jersey officials announced that approximately $5 million in funding is still available through the Cannabis Business Development (CBD) Grant Program. The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission will meet on Thursday. / INTERNATIONAL Germany’s commissioner on narcotic drugs said he is “open to” potential marijuana sales pilot projects. Gabonese lawmakers approved a decree on regulation of iboga and its derivatives. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “there was no measurable next-day cognitive impairment [from cannabis smoking], despite some subjective intoxication” but that “higher THC potency and elevated cannabinoid concentrations were associated with poorer verbal memory and processing speed, suggesting potential next-day impairment with high-THC products.” A case study documented “transient multidomain functional improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following psilocybin administration.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA posted an alert about recent Department of Transportation guidance on medical cannabis use for safety-sensitive workers. / BUSINESS Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. fully repaid its outstanding $282 million of senior notes. 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 State AGs file lawsuit to block cannabis rescheduling (Newsletter: May 28, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Similarly, when Mattel released a "Transgender Barbie" doll in honor of transgender actress Laverne Cox, the company faced accusations of "promoting sexual confusion" and "marketing gender anxiety to children." From their very inception, trans sex dolls have been inextricably entangled in a highly polarized social climate; they are neither tolerated by mainstream conservatives nor fully embraced by progressives.

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Three Republican state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit challenging the federal cannabis rescheduling action announced by President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice last month. The filing from the attorneys general of Indiana, Nebraska and Louisiana claims that they will “show that this agency action fails to comport with the requirements” of federal law, “was improperly promulgated and was otherwise procedurally improper,” “exceeds or is inconsistent with pertinent authority” and “ultimately, that this agency action is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and not in accordance with law.” “Petitioners thus ask that this Court declare unlawful and vacate this final agency action,” the filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit says. On Wednesday, the court consolidated the state attorneys generals’ complaint with a separate suit that was filed earlier this month by prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA). “We welcome these legal challenges brought by the attorneys general, who are taking bold action to stop this illegal order,” SAM CEO Kevin Sabet said in a press release. “Our coalition is growing as leaders around the country recognize that this unprecedented order will cause significant harm to public health and safety. We won’t rest until this dangerous action is reversed.” SAM and NDASA alleged in their earlier filing that they have been “aggrieved” by the federal cannabis reform. Under an action announced by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last month, marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license immediately moved from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, as did any marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). An administrative hearing scheduled for next month will consider broader cannabis rescheduling, including for recreational products. “The AG Rescheduling Order violates the rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. §§ 551 to 559, and section 201 of the CSA, 21 U.S.C. § 811, exceeds the statutory authority of the Attorney General under the CSA, and is otherwise arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with law,” SAM and NDASA’s brief two-page petition challenging the rescheduling action claimed. It was signed by attorneys at Torridon Law PLCC, where former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, led DOJ during Trump’s first term in office, is a partner. SAM had announced in January that it was hiring Barr’s firm to legally combat cannabis rescheduling after Tump signed an executive order directing officials to complete the process expeditiously. Named defendants in both now-consolidated suits are the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Blanche and DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. A federal judge last week dismissed separate litigation SAM brought to challenge a new Trump administration initiative to cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible Medicare patients Meanwhile, a House committee earlier this month voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. Read the full new marijuana rescheduling lawsuit below: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post State Attorneys General File Lawsuit To Block Trump Administration’s Marijuana Rescheduling Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Bipartisan congressional lawmakers say they’re working to codify into law an executive order President Donald Trump issued to streamline research and access into psychedelic medicine. Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI)—co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies (PATH) Caucus—both recently spoke about the need to enact into law provisions to protect the intent of the executive action to ensure ongoing support for psychedelics research for military veterans and people with certain mental health conditions even under future president’s. During an interview with CBS News last week, Correa was asked about potential complications with the president’s action given that Marty Makary resigned as head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which plays a key role in advancing drug research and development. He are Bergman are “working jointly to make sure we put this into legislation—to move forward permanently, finding a solution for PTSD, every day in America,” Correa said, adding that he the novel therapy “will revolutionize the way we treat mental health in America” and potentially “lead to helping us with” addressing homelessness. President Trump signed an executive order last month that speeds up research and increases federal funding for psychedelic drug therapies. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA), who has been leading a bipartisan effort to advance such therapies, argued it not only could help veterans… pic.twitter.com/CE8Z0Ujg8x — CBS News (@CBSNews) May 15, 2026 “What we want to do is save veterans [and] make sure that they’re healed from those invisible wounds that they bring back from the battlefield—and this ibogaine psychedelic promises to be that magic cure that fixes not only mental health, PTSD but alcoholism, drug addiction and a host of other things,” he said. “We want medical research to answer these questions.” Separately, Voice of OC reported that Correa told the outlet he wants to “codify Trump’s executive order and create guidelines and funding for the initiative.” “We’re talking about reexamining the war on drugs, which was not based on science but politics,” the congressman told the outlet. “‘Just say no’ hasn’t worked.” Our veterans put their lives on the line to defend our country, and far too many come home carrying invisible wounds. They deserve access to every effective resource available to help treat PTSD and support their recovery. The science shows that psychedelics are delivering… — Rep. Lou Correa (@RepLouCorrea) May 13, 2026 Bergman, for his part, said at The Hill’s Rethinking Psychedelic Treatment for America’s Mental Health Crisis event this month that “when you got the top cover of the executive order and the executive order will only last, you know, as long as President Trump is in office and then the next president, we don’t know, could they rescind it?” “That’s why the time is now to get the ball rolling—to see some breakthroughs,” he said. “It’s not the time to sit around and, ‘Well, no, we can just delay a little longer. We won’t have to deal with this.’ If you’re that person, we’re coming after you. OK, you need to be doing something else for a living.” The GOP lawmaker added that he’s “product agnostic” as far as psychedelics studies are concerned. “I’m interested in outcomes.” “We tend to think about ‘Okay, what drug are we going to use? What’s the medium going to be?’ That’s only part of the equation,” he said. We have to have the centers set up and we have to have the therapists trained and ready to administer the protocols in this new way.” Correa and Bergman have been consistently advocating for continued support for psychedelics reform in the weeks since Trump signed the executive order. The two lawmakers also sponsored an amendment to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding bill on the House floor that sought to raise awareness about the benefits of psychedelic and other therapies for military veterans. They additionally led a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress in sending a letter urging federal health officials to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies. Meanwhile, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) also recently gave some across-the-aisle credit to Trump for his administration’s moves to accelerate therapeutic access to psychedelics and also federally reschedule marijuana. Shortly after Trump signed the executive order, FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions. — 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. %5C Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said recently that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.” In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience in February, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.” “Everybody in my agency…is very anxious to get a rule out there that will allow these kind of studies and will allow access under therapeutic settings, particularly [for] the military soldiers who have suffered these injuries to get access to these products,” the HHS secretary said. “We’re working through that process now. We’re all working on it and trying to make it happen.” “I think that we’re going to get it done,” he said. Last 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.” Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins also disclosed in April that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access. Bipartisan congressional lawmakers introduced legislation this session to provide $30 million in funding annually to establish psychedelic-focused “centers for excellence” at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, where veterans could receive novel treatment involving substances like psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine. A U.S. Senate committee held a hearing last month on a bipartisan bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics by creating a new office at 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. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) has said ibogaine represents an “astonishing breakthrough” in the nation’s current “sick care system” that’s left people with serious mental health conditions without access to promising alternative treatment options. Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo. The post Bipartisan Lawmakers Work To Codify Provisions Of Trump’s Psychedelics Order Into Law To ‘Permanently’ Streamline Research appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“I’m proud to continue contributing to the growth and success of Rhode Island and its cannabis industry.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Currant Gov. Dan McKee (D) has nominated the state’s top cannabis administrator to chair the panel that oversees Rhode Island’s cannabis industry, which has now been without a leader for over seven months. McKee on Tuesday nominated Michelle Reddish to the Cannabis Control Commission seat left vacant last October after then-Chairperson Kim Ahern resigned to pursue a run for state attorney general. Reddish has served as administrator of the Rhode Island Cannabis Office since her appointment by the governor in 2024. “In just two years, Michelle has demonstrated a deep understanding of Rhode Island’s cannabis landscape and how we can continue to effectively and safely regulate it,” McKee said in a statement. “I’m confident her time leading the state’s Cannabis Office—combined with her significant expertise in regulatory compliance, development, and technological advancement—will serve her well in this new role.” Reddish’s nomination for the $204,069-a-year post now heads to the Rhode Island Senate for consideration. She thanked the governor for her appointment. “I’m proud to continue contributing to the growth and success of Rhode Island and its cannabis industry,” Reddish said in a statement. McKee’s office credited Reddish with helping build Rhode Island’s cannabis regulatory framework, including developing rules surrounding retail pot and establishing the Cannabis Office as the operational arm of the Cannabis Control Commission. The announcement from the governor’s office also highlighted Reddish’s administration of the initial application process for cannabis retail licenses. Applications are now in limbo after a federal judge in April ordered the process halted amid three lawsuits challenging Rhode Island’s requirement that cannabis license holders be majority-owned by state residents. The state has since appealed the ruling, though the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston has not yet taken up the case. A hearing to establish a briefing schedule is set for June 23. Before the halt, regulators were in the midst of reviewing 97 applications vying for one of 20 new retail licenses as soon as this month. Still, Reddish said she’s ready for the work ahead if confirmed by the Senate. “I remain committed to supporting safety, transparency, and equity, and I’m sincerely thankful for the trust placed in me,” she said. Before coming to Rhode Island, Reddish was the chief operating officer for the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority—a position she took on after serving more than a year as its chief regulatory officer. From April 2021 to March 2022, Reddish was the director of compliance for C3 industries—a Michigan-based cannabis grower and retailer with facilities in Massachusetts and Missouri. She was also a regulatory compliance officer for Orlando-based Ravago Chemicals and SLB, a Houston-based global technology company. Reddish holds two master’s degrees from Tulane University—one in occupational health and safety and the other in cell and molecular biology. Reddish has a third master’s degree from the University of New Orleans in health care management. This story was first published by Rhode Island Currant. The post Rhode Island Governor Picks New Chair For Cannabis Control Commission appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Hemp farmers and industry advocates will have a challenging time stopping the planned federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that’s scheduled to take effect later this year, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) says. But, he added, it will be easier to pass legislation on the issue next year when Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who led the push for the new ban, will likely be replaced by another Republican senator who supports keeping the crop’s derivates legal. “I think the way Congress handled it and treated the hemp industry was really unfair,” Cruz said during a Zoom meeting with members of the group Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA) on Tuesday. “It wasn’t right, and it didn’t make sense. I think there are clearly abuses, and there are abuses that we need to be concerned about, but simply acting in a heavy-handed way to destroy another industry—that doesn’t make any sense.” Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, Trump signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will remain legal after November 12. Both the initial legalization and the rollback were championed by McConnell, who is retiring after this year and who reportedly sees it as a key part of his legacy to close a “loophole” that allowed intoxicating products to proliferate. Lawmakers from both parties have filed legislation to delay, reverse or alter the scheduled recriminalization, but none of those bills have gained traction with House or Senate leadership. Cruz told the hemp operatives during the meeting that if McConnell is “leaning in really hard, saying, ‘don’t do anything on this’—you know, I’m not someone to blow smoke up your ass—that means the votes probably aren’t there” in 2026. The senator said in response to a question from a hemp operator that “the right political answer would be to say ‘yes, there’s hope'” of forestalling the ban in the short term. But “if Mitch is dug in hard, it is a very uphill path,” he said. “I don’t know that it’s impossible. The best hope of something happening would be something on the Farm Bill that was a compromise. I’d be supportive of that, but…it is a difficult road.” A $50B+ industry & 475,000+ jobs are on the line. Luckily, allies in our fight are emerging. Join HIFA & Sen. Ted Cruz at 5 PM ET on May 14 to discuss MAJOR updates for the hemp industry. Register: https://t.co/dQBnWB3gkn pic.twitter.com/YByn1eAinK — Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (@hifa_health) May 22, 2026 Industry advocates are anticipating a new hemp regulation bill, from Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), who earlier this week won a primary election for the Republican nomination to replace McConnell in the Senate. Cruz said it will be an “easier road” for hemp reform with McConnell gone from the Senate next year and replaced with industry champion Barr. “I’m supportive of our doing it this year, so I’m not trying to pour poor ice on it,” he said. “I’m just trying to give you guys candor and truth.” Barr himself spoke at a HIFA meeting earlier this month and previewed his forthcoming legislation—saying it faces opposition from a coalition of strange bedfellows including sectors of the alcohol industry, marijuana businesses and cannabis legalization opponents. Cruz, for his part, was noncommittal on sponsoring or supporting a Senate companion version of the Barr hemp bill this year. “I’ve looked at his bill, and I’m keeping an open mind,” he said on this week’s HIFA call. “My general approach is to keep the feds out of it and leave it to the states.” Cruz was the only other Republican to vote against a motion to kill a hemp amendment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) last year that would have removed McConnell’s ban language from the large-scale appropriations legislation that the president ultimately signed. He described the dispute between the two Kentucky senators over the hemp issue as a “personal battle” that erupted during a closed-door lunch meeting of Senate Republicans. “I’d like to give you, you know, highfalutin reasons of policy and principle that were based on deep studies,” Cruz said. “This was—listen, Mitch is in his final months in the Senate, and he’s obviously been there 40-some-odd years, and Mitch’s health is failing, so he is much weaker than he used to be. But Mitch leaned in very, very hard with all of my Republican colleagues, and urged them to support his language.” “Rand got up and made an impassioned argument on the other side, and I’m not breaking any great news to say that Mitch and Rand have not always seen eye to eye, and that there have been real differences on this policy issue. There were very real differences at the end of the day. I ended up being the only other Republican who voted with Rand. For me, I listened to the arguments on the merits, and I thought Rand made more sense than Mitch did on this. I didn’t want to do damage to farmers, to small businesses across the country. I didn’t want Congress to be arbitrary and just slam the living crap out of people… And so it was a lunch where the two of them stood up and argued maybe 30 minutes about this. I went into the lunch with an open mind. I listened to them both. And look, I’ve got teenage daughters. I worry about products that are being marketed to kids and the harms that can come from that. I think those are real, but I also worry about farmers and people who have built businesses trusting the laws that are on the books. To then just arbitrarily yank the rug under them with no warning, that doesn’t make any sense.” “Whether something happens this year I think still depends on that personality battle between the two,” he said of Paul and McConnell. “If Mitch is actively leaning on people not to do anything, my guess is the votes don’t move significantly.” Cruz said that “next year could be a different story,” however. “Obviously, Mitch is going to be replaced—likely by Andy Barr, and he’s on the complete other side of this. I think Andy is perceived—look, Rand holds very principled positions, but they, on many issues, can be within the Republican conference on the extreme, and so Rand doesn’t often doesn’t move many Republicans. That’s just the nature of—he’s quite fine being the one vote on a 99-1 vote. I think with Andy coming in next year, you might see a different dynamic there. I think Andy will be a very different senator than Mitch is, and I think it’ll be a very different senator than Rand is, and that that might be beneficial to resolving this issue. As I said, I’d like to see us fix the damage we did last time, and so I’m supportive of efforts to do that.” The Texas senator did say it is “conceivable” that “we could see congressional action this year” on hemp reform, and that if it were to happen, “the most likely vehicle would be the Farm Bill.” “Whether the Farm Bill is going to move is an open question,” he said, however. “I hope it moves, but there’s a real possibility we are facing an environment where Democrats are in a very obstructionist mood, and so that’s that’s a challenge for the Farm Bill to move.” Leaders of the advocacy organization Marijuana Policy Project similarly said recently that they think it will be difficult to avert the ban on hemp THC products before November, though they left open the possibility that there could be a carve-out for beverages or some reforms to THC limits. Notably, while Cruz said that a blanket federal prohibition on hemp deprives states of autonomy to set their own policies, the senator has also opposed the former Biden administration’s move to simply reschedule marijuana, citing increases in vehicle injury and fatality rates that he attributed to the legalization of adult-use cannabis. He doesn’t appear to have publicly commented on rescheduling since the Trump administration moved forward with it. Cruz has been broadly critical of marijuana legalization, though he’s also said at some points that individual states should have the ability to decide how to regulate cannabis. “I think it ought to be up to the states,” he said during a 2018 debate. “I think Colorado can decide one way. I think Texas can decide another.” With respect to hemp policy, the House of Representatives recently passed a Farm Bill with provisions aimed at aiding industrial hemp producers—but without any language to delay or alter the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that’s scheduled to take effect in November. Trump last month pushed congressional lawmakers to take action to amend the currently scheduled hemp ban, which he suggested threatens to federally recriminalize full-spectrum CBD products. “I am calling on Congress to update the Law to ensure that Americans can continue to access the full-spectrum CBD products they have come to rely on, and that help them, while preserving Congress’s intent to restrict the sale of products that pose Health risks,” the president said in a Truth Social post on Thursday, the same day his administration announced it is moving forward to reschedule marijuana. “We must get this done RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who saw that CBD helps them,” he said. “Plus, I am told it will also help our GREAT FARMERS, who we love, and will always be there for.” Major retailer Target, meanwhile, recently moved to expand its sales of hemp THC drinks into more states. The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), for its part, said the House’s failure to include provisions to delay or alter the ban on hemp THC products was a “missed opportunity.” “A ban will not remove these products from the market—it will push consumers toward unregulated, online channels with no age verification, no product standards and no accountability,” Dawson Hobbs, executive vice president of government affairs for WSWA said. The post It’ll Be An ‘Uphill Path’ To Stop A Federal Ban On Hemp THC Products This Year, Ted Cruz Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A recent poll showed that most Virginia voters disagree with Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s (D) veto of legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales—but the disappointment in the move extends to members of her own family, the governor says. “I know a lot of people are not pleased with that veto,” she said in an interview with actor and content creator Tevin Davis that was posted on Monday. “Friends and family are displeased as well.” “I do think it’s an obligation to get it right, and I can’t overstate the fact that I was really dug in on the details on this bill—and it’s all about making sure that it is a market that prioritizes public health, public safety, kids’ safety,” Spanberger said. “I recognize the disappointment that the timing of this decision has made, but it’s on the question of the principles of it.” Lawmakers passed the cannabis sales bills in March, but the governor then suggested changes to the legalization proposal—including delaying the start date for sales by six months, increasing taxes and instituting new criminal penalties for cannabis consumers. The legislature last month declined to take up the amendments during a one-day reconvened session, however, effectively rejecting them. Spanberger then issued a veto last week. In the new interview, the governor acknowledged that “some people are angry” about her veto and “it’s entirely possible that the things I’m worried about, maybe I’m worried about too much.” “But it is also my responsibility to worry about the implementation, because it is a substantial change to an entirely new type of retail business in Virginia,” she said. “And I have an obligation to get it right, and I take that obligation seriously. And it is the details that really truly matter, and I am a fine-tooth comb, detail-oriented person.” When the governor sent lawmakers her amendments to the bill, she proposed them as an entire substitute rewrite of the legislation instead of suggesting specific discrete changes they could easily consider individually. She told Davis that if the legislature had “chosen to sever the amendments and take them on a more individual basis, then you know that would have been additional conversations to be had” rather than the resulting veto. A recent survey found that bipartisan majorities of Virginia voters wanted Spanberger to sign the cannabis legislation into law, and that they specifically disagreed with her desire to slow the launch timeline for legal sales. To that end, the governor also sought in the new interview to explain her thinking on timing for the launch of the market and the licensing of businesses. “If we let all the licenses go at one point in time, as soon as the market opens, it’s going to be people who have greater access to the capital and people who can move quickly to find a space, to rent the space and to be ready to establish a business,” she said. “The learning curve that might occur that would then allow for additional entrants into the market—you’ve already saturated the market and really made it a challenge for people who might choose to enter that space as an entrepreneur, precluding them from doing so.” Additionally, she again said that her position on marijuana policy was shaped by speaking to leaders of other states that have enacted legalization. “My team did a lot of outreach to other states—some that have newer cannabis markets, some that have been cannabis markets that have been there for quite some time,” she said. “What are the lessons learned? What do they wish they had known when they were just getting started? And we got a lot of really great feedback from governors, from their policy folks, and I brought that to my review of the legislation.” The governor has repeatedly responded to criticism of her cannabis amendments from the bill sponsors and advocates by saying the suggested changes came after she spoke to the leaders of other states that have already implemented adult-use marijuana markets. A spokesperson for Spanberger was not able to name any other governors she talked to about cannabis in response to a question from Marijuana Moment last week, however. The governor separately recently sought to explain her veto in an earlier interview last week, reiterating that she supports launching a legal cannabis market but worried about what she called a “rushed timeline” and “far more stores across Virginia” than she thinks are appropriate. Prior to vetoing the cannabis commerce bill, the governor did sign separate legislation to provide resentencing relief for people with past cannabis convictions. Personal marijuana possession and home cultivation of marijuana has been legal in Virginia since 2021, but then-Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to legally purchase regulated adult-use cannabis. Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), and Del. Paul Krizek (D), the sponsors of the legalization bills, had urged colleagues to vote against the governor’s amendments last month—even if that meant risking a veto from Spanberger when the legislation returned to her desk, which has now occurred. Lawmakers will now have to start the push for reform over again with new bills in the 2027 session. Here are the other key details of the cannabis bills—SB 542 and HB 642—as approved by lawmakers and with the governor’s suggested amendments: Lawmakers voted to allow adults to be able to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana in a single transaction, or up to an equivalent amount of other cannabis products as determined by regulators. That would represent an increase from the limit in current law of 1 ounce. The governor, however, wanted the amount increased to only 2 ounces. Under the legislature’s plan, legal sales could begin on January 1, 2027, but the governor proposed to push that back to July 1, 2027. Lawmakers voted to impose an excise tax of 6 percent on cannabis sales as well as a 5.3 percent retail sales and use tax, while allowing municipalities to set an additional local tax of up to 3.5 percent. The governor’s plan was largely the same, though it would have increased the excise tax to 8 percent starting on July 1, 2029. Under the legislation as approved by lawmakers, revenue would have been distributed to the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund (30 percent), early childhood education (40 percent), the Department of Behavioral & Developmental Health Services (25 percent) and public health initiatives (5 percent). The governor, however, wanted to put all revenue into the general fund while earmarking it “for purposes such as early childhood education, behavioral health, public health awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery services, workforce development, reentry, indigent criminal defense, and targeted reinvestment in historically disadvantaged communities.” The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would have overseen licensing and regulation of the new industry, and would have also taken on oversight of hemp, which is currently under the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Local governments could not have opted out of allowing marijuana businesses to operate in their area. Delivery services would have been allowed. Serving sizes would have been capped at 10 milligrams THC, with no more than 100 mg THC per package. The governor proposed to make public marijuana use a class 4 criminal misdemeanor instead of civil violation punishable by a $25 fine as under current law. She also wanted to make possessing cannabis by people under the age of 21 a class 1 misdemeanor, punishable with a mandatory minimum fine of $500 or 50 hours of community service, as well as the suspension of drivers licenses for at least six months. Illegally selling or distributing 50 pounds or more of marijuana would have been a class 2 felony punishable by life in prison. The governor sought to eliminate support for the Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund. Existing medical cannabis operators could have entered the adult-use market if they pay a licensing conversion fee that was set at $10 million. Cannabis businesses would have had to establish labor peace agreements with workers. As passed by lawmakers, the bill would have directed a legislative commission to study adding on-site consumption licenses and microbusiness cannabis event permits that would allow licensees to conduct sales at venues like farmers markets or pop-up locations, but the governor proposed to remove that language. A coalition of cannabis reform organizations sent the governor a letter this month urging her not to veto the sales legalization legislation even though her amendments were rejected. “Together, these bills address the real issues surrounding cannabis in the Commonwealth today: an already-existing, unregulated marijuana market operating openly across the state while consumers, communities, and law enforcement are left without the protections of a legal framework,” the groups wrote. “Let’s be clear: these bills do not create a marijuana market in Virginia. That market already exists,” the letter said. “What these bills do is replace today’s predatory and unaccountable illicit operators with a regulated marketplace, enforceable rules, oversight, product safeguards, age verification, and the strict consumer safety standards already in use for Virginia medical cannabis.” The letter was signed by Virginia NORML, Marijuana Justice, Virginia Cannabis Association, Marijuana Policy Project and other groups. Separately, a coalition of hemp businesses that joined with a major alcohol retailer in asking Spanberger to veto the marijuana bill before she did so said the move presents an “opportunity” to craft better cannabis policy. Meanwhile, the governor signed several other reform bills last month—including measures to protect the parental rights of marijuana consumers and allow patients to access medical cannabis in hospitals. The post Virginia Governor’s Own Family And Friends Are ‘Displeased’ With Her Marijuana Veto, She Admits appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A newly released poll from the Pew Research Center found that “the vast majority of Americans” support legalizing marijuana in some form—with an accompanying analysis finding that backing for the reform “has increased dramatically in recent decades.” The survey results, published on Tuesday, show that 55 percent of U.S. adults support legalizing cannabis for both recreational and medical use, and that another 33 percent say it should be legal for medical use only. A small minority of only 11 percent of Americans say marijuana should remain illegal across the board. There is majority support for some level of cannabis legalization across party lines, with Democrats most strongly on board with the reform. Sixty-seven percent of Americans who identify with that part back legalization for any use, and another 27 percent want only medical marijuana legalize. Among Republicans, 44 percent support legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana, while an additional 39 percent want to legalize medical use only. Via Pew Research Center. “Notably, conservative and moderate Democrats (56%) and moderate and liberal Republicans (54%) express similar levels of support,” Pew said in its analysis. “Two-thirds of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents favor legalization for both uses, compared with 44% of Republicans and GOP leaners.” When it comes to age groups, support for full is strongest among young adults under the age of 30, with 63 percent in favor. Black Americans (61 percent) are slightly more likely than whites (58 percent) to support broad legalization, while 45 percent of Hispanic Americans and 34 percent of Asian Americans favor the reform. A separate marijuana question in the poll, which was asked as part of a broader survey in January and is only being released now, asked how people feel about the strictness of their own state’s cannabis laws. “Americans are divided over whether marijuana laws in their state are too strict or not strict enough, according to the January 2026 survey,” Pew said. “More than a third of U.S. adults (36%) say these laws are about right. Another 21% say they are too strict, while 19% say they are not strict enough. About a quarter (24%) aren’t sure.” Americans’ views on the matter differ from state to state. In places where cannabis is legal for both recreational and medical use, 47 percent said the law are about right, a quarter said they aren’t strict enough and just 7 percent said they are too strict. In states where marijuana is criminalized for any use, four-in-ten say the laws are too strict, 22 percent believe they are about right and just 10 percent think they are not strict enough. About a quarter (27%) aren’t sure. “In states where marijuana is legal for medical use only, views are generally similar to those in states where the drug is prohibited,” Pew said. Via Pew Research Center. The cannabis data comes from survey of 8,512 U.S. adults, conducted from January 20 to 26, and has a margin of sampling error for the full sample of +/- 1.4 percentage points. Americans’ views on marijuana legalization “have held relatively steady since 2019,” the research center said. To that end, an earlier survey that Pew published last year similarly found that nearly nine in 10 Americans support legalizing marijuana in some form. A separate poll that Pew published this year on Americans’ views about the morality of various activities showed that more U.S. adults say using marijuana is morally acceptable—or not a moral issue at all—than those who say the same about gambling, watching pornography, having an abortion or being gay. Republicans were twice as likely as Democrats to say consuming cannabis is morally unacceptable, the survey showed. Meanwhile, a YouGov survey published last month found that 59 percent of U.S. adults want to legalize cannabis—including 75 percent of Democrats, 50 percent of Republicans and 54 percent of independents. Separately, a Gallup poll from late last year found that 64 percent of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. Another recent survey showed that three out of five Americans say it should be legal for people to grow their own marijuana plants at home. The post The ‘Vast Majority Of Americans’ Support Marijuana Legalization, New Pew Poll Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

VA launches MDMA study; Veterans secretary talks ibogaine sourcing issues; Study: Marijuana components for pain; Advocates on hemp ban reversal 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 Cannabis legalization supporters and opponents—including NORML and Smart Approaches to Marijuana—have filed notices of intent to participate in a hearing on broad federal rescheduling that the Drug Enforcement Administration is set to begin next month. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins warned that the Trump administration’s push to accelerate research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics may be slowed by difficulty in sourcing ibogaine to be used in studies. The Department of Veterans Affairs is launching a new study on whether MDMA-assisted therapy can help military veterans who are struggling with severe mental health disorders, including PTSD and alcohol use disorder. A new study of patients with fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis found that cannabis products led to “significant improvements” in pain and other symptoms—indicating that cannabinoids “may serve as an alternative to opioids.” “Participants reported substantial improvements in sleep quality, mental health conditions, and general quality of life, allowing them to engage more fully in daily activities.” Leaders of the Marijuana Policy Project said they don’t expect Congress to reverse the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that’s scheduled to take effect in November—except for perhaps “some fiddling around the edges with THC limits and maybe with beverages.” / FEDERAL The Drug Enforcement Administration promoted a student-produced public service announcement about the dangers of fentanyl. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) filed a bill to protect military servicemembers from prosecution for accidental violations of supplement ingredient rules, but with an exception that does not protect use of marijuana or other controlled substances. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) campaign launched an online petition about federal marijuana legalization. / STATES Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) signed budget legislation that converts the current tax on cannabis from a THC tax to a 10.75 percent excise tax. Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) nominated a new chair of the Cannabis Control Commission. Oregon regulators filed changes to rules on the hemp registry application process. The Vermont Cannabis Control Board will meet on Wednesday. The Guam Cannabis Control Board will meet on Wednesday. Florida regulators will hold a medical cannabis rules workshop on Friday. / INTERNATIONAL Nigerian lawmakers are reportedly drafting legislation to legalize cannabis for medical and industrial use. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “cannabis surpasses tobacco among pregnant women.” A review concluded that “compared to the controls, Psilocybin-assisted therapy was linked with a deceleration of percentages of heavy drinking days in three studies.” / BUSINESS Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. announced a one-for-three reverse stock split that the company said is expected to enable U.S. stock exchange uplisting. TerrAscend Corp. is in receivership in Michigan over outstanding debts. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post Cannabis groups file to partake in DEA rescheduling hearing (Newsletter: May 27, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Advocacy organizations on both sides of the marijuana legalization debate have filed notices of intent to participate in a hearing on broad federal rescheduling of cannabis that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is set to begin next month. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche last month issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order the acting attorning general signed, DEA will hold a hearing on the issue of more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III, starting on June 29. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) announced on Tuesday that it has filed notice of intention to participate in the proceedings. “Marijuana cannot lawfully remain in Schedule I,” Joseph A. Bondy, chair of NORML’s Board of Directors and counsel to the group, said in a press release. “But Schedule III is not the end of the road. It is, at most, an interim correction. It does not resolve the federal government’s continued failure to recognize adult cannabis consumers who are acting lawfully under state law.” The group argued in its filing that the hearing record will be incomplete without included the perspective of adult marijuana consumers that the group represents. NORML doesn’t oppose moving cannabis to Schedule III, under which cannabis would remain a medicalized substance, but it argues that a more appropriate reform would be to remove cannabis from the CSA altogether—a process called descheduling. “Adult cannabis consumers do not become patients because federal law lacks a better category for them,” Bondy said. “They are not abusing medicine. They are participating in state-regulated adult-use systems enacted by voters and legislatures.” "Consumers deserve representation in any hearing involving the future legal status of marijuana." NORML is telling the DEA that cannabis consumers cannot be excluded from one of the biggest federal marijuana policy debates in decades. Read more: https://t.co/5vbqatSGxX pic.twitter.com/2Xm2qlR7W9 — NORML (@NORML) May 26, 2026 “NORML is not appearing as an industry-tax-relief organization, and it is not appearing as a medical-only advocacy group,” he said. “NORML is appearing because cannabis consumers are directly affected by federal scheduling, and no other likely participant represents them as consumers.” Meanwhile, the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana also wants to participate in next month’s DEA hearing and has filed intent to do so. “This fight is not over, and we will not sit on the sidelines while the federal government hands Big Marijuana its biggest political win in history,” Kevin A. Sabet, the group’s president and CEO said. “Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III has no scientific basis and would hand the industry billions of dollars in rewards for targeting children.” SAM Files notice of intent to participate in the DEA rescheduling hearing. pic.twitter.com/YpXJjsIcQ8 — Smart Approaches to Marijuana (@learnaboutsam) May 26, 2026 Notices of intent to participate in the hearing, which is set to conclude no later than July 15 under Blanche’s order, needed to be filed by Sunday in order to be considered. Such requests were required to: (1) state with particularity the interest of the person in the proceeding; (2) state with particularity the objections or issues concerning which the person desires to be heard; and (3) state briefly the position of the person regarding the objections or issues. “The purpose of the hearing is to ‘receiv[e] factual evidence and expert opinion regarding’ whether marijuana should be transferred to schedule III of the list of controlled substances,” Blanche’s notice said. The acting attorney general will select witnesses who will be invited to participate, as well as an administrative law judge (ALJ) to oversee the proceedings. “The ALJ’s authorities include the power to hold conferences to simplify or determine the issues in the hearing or to consider other matters that may aid in the expeditious disposition of the hearing; require parties to state their position in writing; sign and issue subpoenas to compel the production of documents and materials to the extent necessary to conduct the hearing; examine witnesses and direct witnesses to testify; receive, rule on, exclude, or limit evidence; rule on procedural items; and take any action permitted by the presiding officer under DEA’s hearing procedures and the” Administrative Procedures Act, Blanche wrote. A prior hearing process on the marijuana rescheduling process that was initiated by the Biden administration stalled last year amid litigation over alleged improper communications and witness selection. Meanwhile, the already-enacted rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis is already having broad impacts. The Congressional Research Service published a report on the current cannabis rescheduling move explaining that certified patients who possess medical marijuana from state-licensed dispensaries now have certain protections under Schedule III. “The order appears to authorize end users to possess marijuana for medical use without a CSA-compliant prescription,” it says. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has posted a draft update to a gun purchase form to acknowledge the federally legal status of medical marijuana under rescheduling. The revised section in question notably says that only “use or possession of marijuana for recreational purposes” is federally prohibited, leaving out the prior form’s mention of medical cannabis. The U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said they plan to issue new tax guidance for the marijuana industry following rescheduling. The reform will benefit state-licensed marijuana businesses by allowing them to take federal tax deductions they’re currently barred from under an IRS code known as 280E that doesn’t apply to Schedule III substances. Even DEA, which has long opposed cannabis legalization and was accused of stalling the rescheduling process initiative by the Biden administration, has launched a registration process for state-legal marijuana businesses to take advantage of federal benefits that come with the reform. The Department of Transportation, on the other hand, issued guidance saying that use of state-legal medical cannabis is still no excuse for a positive drug test by truck drivers, pilots and other safety-sensitive workers. The post Marijuana Legalization Supporters And Opponents File Notices To Participate In DEA Hearing On Rescheduling Next Month appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching a new trial on whether MDMA-assisted therapy can help military veterans who are struggling with severe mental health disorders, including PTSD and alcohol use disorder. The study will involve approximately 80 veterans and will compare outcomes between those who take MDMA and undergo psychotherapy and those in a control group who receive identical psychotherapy without the drug. “We need an all-of-the-above strategy when it comes to improving mental health treatments, and under President Trump, that’s exactly what VA is working to deliver,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a press release on Tuesday. “This trial represents an important step in safely evaluating new approaches and innovations to treat Veterans with severe mental health conditions.” The research, which comes on the heels of an executive order President Donald Trump signed last month with the aim of expediting psychedelic therapy access, will take place at VA Providence Healthcare System in Rhode Island. VA’s press release says the health and safety of veterans who participate is the department’s “top priority.” “Investigational treatments will be delivered in a safe, controlled, clinical setting using pharmaceutical grade drugs under careful quality controls, stringent safety protocols that were developed with [the Food and Drug Administration], and in a setting that includes structured psychotherapy,” it says. “VA strongly discourages self-medicating or attempting to replace other mental health treatment options with psychedelics or any other unprescribed substances,” the release says. “Proven, evidence-based treatments, are currently available at VA facilities to treat Veterans with mental health conditions. Veterans should always consult their health care providers before making any treatment decisions.” The department is currently involved in 19 active clinical trials focused on psychedelic therapies for mental health conditions, supported by more than $23 million in external funding, the release says. The announcement of the new MDMA trial comes days after Collins, the VA secretary, told a Senate committee during a hearing that the Trump administration’s broader push to accelerate research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics may be slowed by difficulty in sourcing ibogaine to be used in studies on that substance. “That’s got to come through [the Food and Drug Administration] first. We’ll be prepared for that,” he said. “We also have to have a federal source of sourcing the ibogaine, which we don’t have a costing on at this point.” The secretary also noted that psychedelic therapies are “clinically intensive treatments” that can prove costly to carry out. “MDMA requires almost 120 hours per patient with two psychiatrists going through this,” he said. “So we’re working to work up to speed on that.” The House of Representatives, meanwhile, passed an amendment to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding bill this month that seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of psychedelic and other therapies for military veterans. FDA and the HHS last month announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said recently that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.” In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience in February, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.” “Everybody in my agency…is very anxious to get a rule out there that will allow these kind of studies and will allow access under therapeutic settings, particularly [for] the military soldiers who have suffered these injuries to get access to these products,” the HHS secretary said. “We’re working through that process now. We’re all working on it and trying to make it happen.” “I think that we’re going to get it done,” he said. Last 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.” Collins disclosed last year that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access. Photo courtesy of Pretty Drugthings on Unsplash. The post VA Launches New Study On MDMA To Treat Veterans With PTSD And Alcohol Use Disorder appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Cannabis products appear to have “beneficial effects” for people struggling with the symptoms of chronic pain, according to a new study— with the results indicating relief from both intoxicating and nonintoxicating cannabinoids. Researchers affiliated with the University at Buffalo, University of Michigan Medical School and MoreBetter recruited 64 people with fibromyalgia, 25 with rheumatoid arthritis and 75 with osteoarthritis of the knee and/or hip to participate in the trial. The participants, all of whom were California residents, were randomly assigned to take one of three different cannabinoid products via oral capsule over 12 weeks and report their pain, mental health, cognitive functioning and physical functioning using questionnaires. Product 1 contained 12.5 mg cannabidiol (CBD) and 12.5 mg tetrahydrocannabinol. Product 2 had 10 mg tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, 10 mg cannabidiolic acid (CBDa), 5 mg cannabigerol and 3 mg cannabichromene. Product 3 was comprised of 10 mg CBD and 10 mg CBDa. “There were significant improvements across all symptoms except cognitive function abilities,” the paper, published in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, says. “Effects ranged from small to large, with most not differing in magnitude across product or type of chronic pain.” “Participants reported substantial improvements in sleep quality, mental health conditions, and general quality of life, allowing them to engage more fully in daily activities,” the study found. “Results suggest that cannabinoid formulations containing both THC and cannabinoids other than THC (eg, THCa, CBDa, CBC, and CBG) may have positive effects on chronic pain symptoms of various etiologies,” the authors wrote. “Various cannabinoid combinations may have therapeutic benefits across 3 different types of chronic pain.” The three separate cannabis capsules that were tested “were remarkably similar in their effectiveness overall, with nearly identical effects” on most symptoms, the study says. There were, however, differences in effectiveness for sleep disturbance, and participants who took product 2 reported reductions in neuropathic pain intensity. The researchers noted in the paper that chronic pain is “a leading cause of seeking medical care”—affecting roughly a third of the world’s population—and that the prevalence is increasing in the U.S. and Canada. “Many existing pain medications (eg, opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) provide insufficient relief and are accompanied by adverse effects,” they said, adding that previous research has shown that chronic pain is the most common qualifying condition for participation in state medical marijuana programs in the U.S. “Cannabis products may serve as an alternative to opioids for pain management, reducing the risk of opioid dependency and adverse effects,” the paper concluded. The researchers suggested that, for patients who do not desire to experience a “high” from cannabis, “nonintoxicating cannabinoids such as CBD and CBDa may provide relief from pain and related symptoms and may be utilized when cannabis intoxication is undesirable or problematic.” The overall findings of the new study are in line with prior research indicating marijuana’s ability to treat pain and its role as an alternative to prescription opioid medications. For example, another recently study found that “medical cannabis may be a useful adjunct therapy for reducing opioid use, relieving chronic pain, and improving health-related quality of life.” A separate recently publish study found that the cannabis component CBG “has anti-inflammatory capacity and therapeutic potential in regulating neutrophil-mediated immunity in” rheumatoid arthritis. An earlier 2024 study that found, among people with rheumatic conditions such as arthritis, more than 6 in 10 patients who used medical cannabis reported substituting it for other medications, including NSAIDs, opioids, sleep aids and muscle relaxants. Most patients further said that the use of marijuana allowed them to reduce or stop using those medications entirely. A recent federally funded study found that states that legalize medical or recreational marijuana see “significant reductions” in opioid overdoses among adults with employer-sponsored health insurance—indicating that a “substitution” effect may be at play. another research study found that, as opioids continue to drive overdose deaths, making medical cannabis available and affordable seems to help patients reduce their use of the prescription painkillers. That research came on the heels of a recent study showing that using medical marijuana appears to help people reduce the use of other medications, including opioids, sleeping aids and antidepressants. They also experience far fewer negative side effects after switching to cannabis from prescription drugs, the study involving more than 3,500 patients found. About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a federally funded study published in February. Similarly, another recent federally funded study, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), added more evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment. Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.” A separate paper published in October similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.” President Donald Trump said recently that marijuana can “make people feel much better” and serve as a “substitute for addictive and potentially lethal opioid painkillers.” Last month, the Trump administration announced it is moving ahead with the federal reclassification of marijuana by moving state-legal medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The post Cannabis Provides ‘Significant Improvements’ In Pain For Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis And Osteoarthritis Patients, Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“There may be some fiddling around the edges with THC limits and maybe with beverages.” By Phillip Smith, The American Hemp Monitor Congress is unlikely to do anything to undo the hemp ban it passed last year, and that will have devastating consequences for the hemp cannabinoid industry, leaders of the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) said in a Wednesday Zoom call. Hemp—defined as cannabis containing less than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight—was legalized by Congress in 2018, but under legislation last fall, new, more restrictive definitions effectively criminalizing many hemp-derived cannabinoid products will go into effect in November unless Congress acts to delay or amend them. The new language counts not just delta-9 THC (what people generally mean when they refer to THC), but also delta-8 THC and THCA when measuring for that 0.3 percent threshold. It also limits consumer products to 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container and bans synthetic and converted cannabinoids. “Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) thought the hemp industry was out of control, and he could point to bad actors, sales to children, flashy packaging, things like that, to close the hemp loophole,” said MPP State Policies Director Karen O’Keefe. “He used the reopening of the federal government after last fall’s shutdown to rein in hemp, but instead of replacing the regulatory void that had existed since 2018 with a sensible regulatory structure, Congress effectively banned most hemp products starting in November.” That’s not likely to change between now and then, said MPP Executive Director Adam Smith. “We are unlikely to see further moves from the federal government on the cannabis front under this Congress,” Smith said. “Since Congress passed that ban on all hemp-derived products with more than a trace of THC, there has been a lot of work to try to delay or replace that ban. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) is about to introduce a hemp regulation bill, but we don’t see that happening,” he said. “There may be some fiddling around the edges with THC limits and maybe with beverages,” Smith continued. “The administration is pushing to allow a bit more THC, to bring in full-spectrum products,” Smith said, pointing to Howard Kessler as the administration figure leading the charge. “But I don’t see the administration pushing beyond that.” Kessler is a wealthy businessman and Trump friend who has advocated for years for medical marijuana and CBD and successfully pushed Trump to issue the executive order that will move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Smith, O’Keefe, and MPP Southeast Legislative Manager Kevin Caldwell all shared a gloomy outlook on the consequences of the hemp ban taking effect. “It will be a financial disaster for companies built around selling THC products from hemp,” said Smith. “Unless Congress acts, they will go away entirely.” “Companies will have to shut down completely, shift to other products or work under federal illegality,” like marijuana companies in legal states, said O’Keefe. “And that means problems with banking, and cannabis employees can be permanently inadmissible if not U.S. citizens. Even if some states choose to continue to allow this, we would need to see a dramatic restructuring of how the industry operates.” “If the ban goes into effect, I think we will see a huge drop in both tax revenue and access for consumers, and a very large increase in the number of Americans arrested again. Those products will be considered marijuana. They will become illegal, with harsh penalties in some states,” said Caldwell. “One thing we’ve seen with hemp is a reduction in cannabis arrests in prohibition states. In many states, including Florida, North Carolina and Texas, the number of arrests declined either because consumers were purchasing hemp products or because crime labs lacked the bandwidth to test them all. The new cannabinoid thresholds are so low they will wipe out whole product lines, said O’Keefe. “That 0.4 milligram limit per container—and it’s total THC, not just delta-9 THC—is a very small amount. There are a lot of products, even including nonintoxicating ones, such as topicals or full-spectrum CBD products, that will have more than 0.4 milligrams of THC,” O’Keefe noted. “And it also bans synthetic cannabinoids.” That may not be such a bad thing, said Smith. “While this is a complicated issue, we don’t think it’s a bad thing to ban synthetics,” he said. “No one really knows the impact of consuming those molecules. And we don’t think having a totally unregulated hemp cannabinoid industry was an unalloyed good. We shouldn’t be putting stuff out into the world when we don’t know its effects, and we don’t want to sell unregulated products for human consumption.” “What we need is an overall rational cannabinoid policy,” Smith continued. “Hopefully, we will get to the point where we can put this all under one umbrella that keeps people safe but preserves access to cannabinoids. Synthetics and delta 8 would not exist but for prohibition. A lot of these problems we’re trying to solve are created by the fact that naturally occurring cannabinoids remain illegal in many states.” But what about the kids? “For 30 years, we’ve heard that legalization will addict our children, but teen use is near the lowest level since the CDC started asking the question back in 1975,” Smith said. “It’s been cut almost in half, and youth access is down. It’s important to understand that the idea that we are endangering kids by regulating the market is the opposite of the truth.” The alcohol industry is interested in the future of hemp, but different sectors have diverging and sometimes conflicting interests, said Smith. “Alcohol distillers are against allowing THC beverages, but distributors favor them,” he said. “There is a lot of money going into this from distributors. We’ve seen a drop in alcohol use as cannabis use rises, but around beverages is where we get lobbying voices outside the cannabis realm who have long-term relationships on the Hill and the money to make things happen.” In the meantime, people in the industry will have to hunker down. “It’s a really difficult time for folks in this industry; everything is very chaotic, people lobbying on all sides,” said Caldwell, “but I’m certain we are not going to see a repeal of this ban, a broad opening to intoxicating products, although beverages may be a different story. The ban will go into effect relatively close to what it looks like now.” “Hemp farmers are supposed to be putting their crops in the ground right now,” said Smith. “I’m glad I’m not a farmer in North Carolina or Tennessee trying to figure out if their product will be legal or illegal. They’re having to make very hard decisions.” This story was first published by The American Hemp Monitor. The post Congress Is Unlikely To Prevent A New Federal Ban On Hemp THC Products This Year, Top Marijuana Reform Group Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The Trump administration is seeking to accelerate efforts to provide access to psychedelics for military veterans and others who may benefit from their therapeutic impact, but that push may be slowed when it comes to sourcing a particular substance to be used in studies, the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says. VA Secretary Doug Collins spoke about ongoing studies his department is conducting on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics at a hearing before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Thursday, saying that “if it helps a veteran, we’re going to look into it.” He said that he appreciates President Donald Trump “stepping forward” on the issue by signing a psychedelics-focused executive order last month, noting that the administration’s work is a “combined effort” between VA and components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). After referencing VA’s recent expansion of trials on MDMA, which he said are proceeding “ahead of the schedule,” Collins noted that “our next probably big one” is going to be focused on ibogaine. The secretary cautioned, however, that “it’s going to take a little time to get that, because we don’t have that.” “That’s got to come through [the Food and Drug Administration] first. We’ll be prepared for that,” he said. “We also have to have a federal source of sourcing the ibogaine, which we don’t have a costing on at this point.” Collins was responding to a question from Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who noted the secretary’s previous positive comments about psychedelic therapies, but also decried general funding cuts to support research under the Trump administration. “Veterans facing PTSD, TBI and treatment-resistant depression are looking to VA to move faster in evaluating and supporting therapies that are showing promising results, especially for veterans who have exhausted more traditional treatment options,” the senator said. He pointed to a bill he is cosponsoring with Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) on psychedelics as “an important step toward ensuring VA is fully equipped to evaluate and responsibly deliver emerging therapies offering real hope to veterans.” The Veterans’ Affairs Committee held a hearing last month on the bipartisan legislation to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics by creating a new office at 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. Collins, for his part, responded to Gallego’s concern about funding for research by saying he believes “the president’s budget also supports anything we need to do to support” the psychedelics executive order. “We’re developing the standards right now on how we’re going to be implementing this,” he said. Our budget…is going to facilitate that, it’s getting us forward. The big issues that we have right now is making sure that we have the proper protocols, the proper rims in place to use these different psychedelic treatments.” Gallego pushed Collins for a “commitment” to “work with Congress on closing the gap between that research on these promising innovative therapies and veterans’ access to these treatments, because that’s usually kind of the gap that does exist.” The secretary pointed out in response that psychedelic therapies are “clinically intensive treatments.” “MDMA requires almost 120 hours per patient with two psychiatrists going through this,” he said. “So we’re working to work up to speed on that.” The House of Representatives, meanwhile, passed an amendment to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funding bill this month that seeks to raise awareness about the benefits of psychedelic and other therapies for military veterans. FDA and the HHS last month announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said recently that the Trump administration is “very anxious” to create a pathway for access to psychedelics therapy and that top officials across federal agencies want to “get it out to the public as quickly as possible.” In an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience in February, Kennedy said he’s confident “we’re going to get it done,” with plans to develop and finalize rules that would enable patients with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression to access psychedelic substances like psilocybin and MDMA in a “very controlled setting.” “Everybody in my agency…is very anxious to get a rule out there that will allow these kind of studies and will allow access under therapeutic settings, particularly [for] the military soldiers who have suffered these injuries to get access to these products,” the HHS secretary said. “We’re working through that process now. We’re all working on it and trying to make it happen.” “I think that we’re going to get it done,” he said. Last 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.” Collins disclosed last year that he had an “eye-opening” talk with Kennedy about the therapeutic potential of psychedelic medicine. And he said he’s open to the idea of having the government provide vouchers to cover the costs of psychedelic therapy for veterans who receive services outside of VA as Congress considers pathways for access. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Scamperdale. The post Problems Finding Ibogaine To Be Used In Research Could Slow Trump Administration’s Psychedelic Therapy Push For Veterans, VA Secretary Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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