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Bioactive compounds in cannabis are significantly impacted by the chemical composition of the soil the plants are grown in, according to a new federally funded study. “The outcome of this study provides outdoor growers with information on the effects soil health can have on cannabinoid and terpene content in hemp,” researchers wrote in a paper appearing in a recent issue of the Journal of Medicinally Active Plants, a peer-reviewed scientific publication. “Poor soil quality appears to result in higher levels of THC production, whereas higher soil quality may result in higher levels of the precursor cannabinoid, CBG.” This finding suggests that farmers may be able to fine-tune cannabinoid levels with soil conditions and management, not just genetics. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Penn State College of Medicine and the state-licensed medical marijuana business, PA Options for Wellness. Researchers aimed to compare two cannabis cultivars—Tangerine and CBD Stem Cell—grown separately with cover crops (CC) and with conventional tillage fields (CF). “This study specifically looks at the tilth aspect of soil-health, comparing a CC field to CF” methods, the authors wrote. “Two cultivars of hemp were grown identically in two neighboring fields, a conventional field with tilled soil and a no-till field.” “A comparison of hemp extracts of two different cultivars grown in both CC soil and CF soil revealed significant differences in specific cannabinoid and terpene concentration.” The Tangerine cultivar grown in conventional soil produced cannabidiol (CBD) levels about 1.5 times higher than those grown in cover crop soil. But in the CBG Stem Cell variety, the opposite was true — CBD levels doubled in the cover crop field. The precursor cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) was 3.7 times higher in plants grown with cover crops, while THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, was up to six times higher in plants from the tilled field. “Soil health or soil quality are often used interchangeably; however, soil health focuses not just on the inorganic properties of soil but also on the biological properties of the soil and its abilities to promote life.” The scientists concluded that “significant differences in cannabinoid content were observed between field types and cultivars, notably cannabidiol (CBD) levels.” The authors note that cannabidiolic acid levels were over six times higher in cannabis grown in conventionally tilled fields. “Tangerine CC extracts and 2.2x higher in CF extracts of CBG Stem Cell, cannabigerol (CBG) levels were 3.7x higher in CBG Stem Cell extracts from CC, and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were 6x higher for CF Tangerine Extracts,” they wrote. Soil health essentially refers to the environment in which the plant is grown. The soil’s biological life can directly shape the production of cannabinoids and terpenoids that the plant uses for defense, communication and competition. Soil itself is an ecosystem of microbes, fungi, minerals and organic matter that feeds and communicates with plant roots. Practices like cover cropping and no-till farming are known to enhance this biological web, improving carbon retention and nutrient cycling. The new study adds chemical composition of the resulting plants to the list of factors potentially shaped by soil. “It therefore appears that hemp in [cover crop] fields may help to reduce differences in terpene content despite innate differences due to cultivar genetics. This outcome adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a relationship between the genetics of the hemp cultivar and its effect on soil nutrient uptake…” The authors caution that more research is needed to determine “levels of the enzymes responsible for converting CBG into CBD, THC, and CBC,” which could offer clues into why CBG levels accumulate in plants grown in cover-crop fields. “When it comes to the biosynthesis of these compounds, studies have described shared precursors between cannabinoids and terpenoids along with evidence of genetic variation for specific enzyme synthases of individual cannabinoids and terpenoids,” the authors observed. “This is the first study to show differences in extract composition of outdoor cultivated hemp grown in different soil conditions,” the paper notes. This comes as more attention is paid to best practices for growing cannabis. Earlier this year, an industrial farmer said expanding the hemp supply chain in South Dakota will bring more small processing and manufacturing into the state, and pull heat-trapping carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. More research is being done to examine various chemical compounds of interest to scientists. Researchers have conducted the first comprehensive sensory-guided study of the odor-active compounds in dried cannabis flowers, uncovering dozens of previously unknown chemicals that shape the the plant’s distinct fragrance. The findings expand scientific knowledge of marijuana beyond the common understanding of terpenes, CBD and THC. How marijuana is handled after harvest—specifically, how the plant is dried before packaging—can have a significant impact on product quality, a study showed, including with respect to preserving terpenes and trichomes, according to a pair of recently published white papers. The post The Soil Cannabis Is Grown In Affects THC, CBD And Terpene Levels, Federally Funded Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Michigan Cannabis Industry Association argues the tax hike would either need to be approved by voters or achieve a three-fourths vote in the Legislature. By Kyle Davidson, Michigan Advance A cannabis industry trade association is challenging the state’s newly approved tax on the sale or transfer of wholesale marijuana, filing the complaint shortly after the policy was signed into law. The suit, filed with the Michigan Court of Claims Tuesday, argues that the new law, and the steps leading up to its enactment, violate several sections of the Michigan Constitution, including requirements for amending the law that legalized marijuana in the state. Voters in 2018 approved Proposal 1, creating the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, which legalized marijuana for recreational use by individuals 21 and older. The law also levies a 10 percent excise tax on the commercial sale of marijuana. In its complaint, the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association argues this law is the exclusive means for imposing an excise tax on the sale of marijuana, and that in order to modify the voter-initiated statute, the matter would either need to be approved by voters or achieve a three-fourths vote in the Legislature. The 24 percent tax was approved by the Michigan House in a 78-21 vote, with 11 members not voting, while the matter passed the Senate in a tight 19-17 vote with one member not voting and one seat vacant. Because the 24 percent was enacted through a separate law, and did not achieve three-fourths support from the 138 member Legislature, the association argues the attempt to levy a new tax is invalid. The association also argued the original title of the bill was misleading and that the policy underwent an unlawful change of purpose leading up to the final version approved by the Legislature, shifting from a policy creating a fund for road funding and revenue replacement without establishing any tax, to one imposing a 24 percent excise tax on marijuana wholesale prices. The new law also violates the state Constitution’s contracts clause, the group alleges. The Michigan Cannabis Industry Association has requested a declaratory judgment deeming the new tax law invalid and unenforceable, alongside injunctive relief preventing the state government from enforcing the act. In an email Wednesday morning, Department of Treasury spokesperson Ron Leix said the department had not been served the lawsuit and does not have any comment. This story was first published by Michigan Advance. The post Michigan Marijuana Industry Files Lawsuit Against Newly Enacted Tax Increase appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Interesting piece, Samantha! Normalizing cannabis use for moms is a powerful point. Removing the stigma around responsible use, especially for things like stress relief, benefits everyone. My Granny used cannabis oil for her arthritis; seeing it destigmatized would've made her life easier. More research & open discussion are vital for informed decisions.

An elaborate marketing stunt from a New York marijuana business evidently fooled more than a few media outlets into believing that carrier pigeons would soon be deployed to make cannabis deliveries throughout New York City. Advertisements and social media posts from the marijuana retailer The Travel Agency have been promoting the launch of “Project Pigeon,” which the business said would involve a fleet of 20 birds trained to fly cannabis to adults in Manhattan and Brooklyn beginning next year. In a press release last week, the company said it completed a successful test trial with pigeons adorned with mini-backpacks. The announcement said the birds would be able to carry up to one gram of marijuana per delivery. “As The Travel Agency, it’s only natural we’d explore all modalities of travel for our delivery service, even pigeons,” Arana Hankin-Biggers, co-founder of The Travel Agency, said. “And being in NYC, we thought there’s no better courier than the ever-present and beloved pigeon.” Our new delivery is taking flight. Carrier pigeons coming 2026. // documented by Everett Ravens (https://t.co/zia8yHwJuY) pic.twitter.com/JhrOkDKxmk — The Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store (@travelagencyco) October 1, 2025 But while outlets from Fox 5 New York to Time Out ran with the story, the retailer has since confirmed that the pigeon program was simply a marketing stunt—and, evidently, a convincing one to some, as The New York Post first reported. A PR rep for The Travel Agency confirmed with Marijuana Moment on Wednesday that the pigeon campaign wasn’t real. News about the made-up initiative even received pushback from certain animal rights activists such as Megan Walton from the Pigeons for Miles avian sanctuary. She said that, even though it ended up being a gimmick, “it’s still very upsetting to even conceptualize a campaign like this, centering on exploiting pigeons.” The press release about the test trial last week said that the “Cannabis Carrier Pigeon Program is not about putting birds to work; it’s about reimagining delivery with a very New York sense of ingenuity.” Project Pigeon (our experimental “pilot program”) was a blast. Starting this week, we’ll be sharing memories with our trainers + feathered friends. COOOO Everett Ravens (https://t.co/zia8yHwJuY) pic.twitter.com/N4pym81lD5 — The Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store (@travelagencyco) October 3, 2025 “By enlisting the city’s most iconic residents as couriers, The Travel Agency has created what might be New York’s smartest delivery system yet—using what the city already has in abundance to outfly traffic, cut through congestion, and get orders where they need to go,” it said. Part of the giveaway that the pigeon campaign was made up goes back to state and local laws on cannabis deliveries, which lay out specific safety and anti-diversion rules that licensed businesses must follow to make those deliveries. That includes ID verification upon receipt of cannabis products, which a pigeon ostensibly would not be capable of performing. But in any case, the stunt is an example of the normalization of the adult-use marijuana market in New York, which has seen over $2 billion in cannabis sales since it launched. And $1 billion of those purchases have been made in 2025 alone, state officials recently touted. 2 pigeon trainers. 20 pigeons. Millions of NYC apartments. Project Pigeon Everett Ravens (https://t.co/zia8yHwJuY) pic.twitter.com/yN1Qw04gxp — The Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store (@travelagencyco) October 7, 2025 Earlier this year, another cannabis marketing prank also pulled one over on many, with Drippy—which sells drinks with 10mg of THC and 10mg of CBN—convincing people its beverages would be made available to adults on certain domestic flights with Virgin Atlantic. And while the stunt proved effective, with certain media outlets reporting the partnership as fact, that didn’t end up being the case. Virgin Atlantic didn’t appear to have any hard feelings after the company made false and satirical claims about a deal to sell its THC-infused beverages on flights—but the airline said it had to draw a line when it came to an AI-generated video and fake letter from its CEO about the supposed partnership. Meanwhile, back in New York, given confusion within the marketplace about timelines for provisional marijuana business licenses, the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) recently said it will be extending the renewal deadline for conditional adult-use until December 31, 2026. Part of the uncertainty surrounding provisional licensees concerns a recently identified zoning issue impacting more than 100 cannabis businesses that are apparently located too close to public schools or places of worship than is allowed under current statute. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) has said that she will be pushing the legislature to amend the state’s marijuana law to address the issue. Meanwhile, both chambers of the New York legislature recently passed legislation that would extend the deadline for some marijuana businesses to file electronic tax returns, sending the proposal next to the governor’s desk. If signed into law, the measure would give cannabis manufacturers and distributors 30 extra days to submit their tax returns following the end of each quarterly tax period. Currently the companies have a 20-day window to file the documents, which the legislation would extended to 50 days. Sponsors of the bill have noted that Hochul vetoed an earlier cannabis business tax reform proposal late last year, claiming it would “pose significant operational challenges for the State and confusion for taxpayers,” but that they’ve worked to address those concerns in the current version. The earlier, vetoed measure would have allowed marijuana growers and processors to pay excise taxes on an annual basis rather than quarterly—a change that would have extended the same treatment to cannabis as the state already offers the alcohol industry. In July, meanwhile, New York officials announced the first round of grants under a $5 million program to help retail marijuana businesses owned by justice-involved people cover startup costs. About three months after opening up applications for the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) Grant Program, The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and Empire State Development (ESD) have announced that they have awarded 52 licensed dispensaries up to $30,000 each in funds meant for startup and operational costs such as rent, renovations, inventory tracking and security systems. To qualify for the program, applicants need to have been “justice involved”—in other words, impacted by a marijuana-related conviction—and have some experience running a profitable business. Separately, OCM recently launched an online map that’s meant to help adults locate licensed marijuana retailers—one of their latest efforts to encourage consumers to buy their cannabis from the regulated market. After a rocky rollout of the state’s legalization law opened the door to a proliferation of illicit marijuana shops, the governor and regulators have prioritized educating the public about the need to purchase their products from licensed dispensaries as a health and safety imperative. The broader New York campaign has also involved digital ads and educational resources, including a guide on safe consumption practices, as well as graphics and videos featuring licensed cannabis business owners and messaging about the benefits of participating in the regulated market. OCM also advises that “continued enforcement against the illicit market is critical to building a health regulated market,” pointing to what it describes as successful enforcement efforts in 2024. Last spring, for example, officials in New York City launched Operation Padlock, an enforcement initiative meant to shutter illegal storefronts. Within months, licensed shops that were open before the operation began saw sales climb 105 percent, according to an OCM survey. Regulators are also moving forward with new proposed regulations around the state’s so-called “cannabis showcase” program, which allows licensed businesses to sell to consumers at pop-up, farmers market-like events. As originally authorized, the showcase events were largely in response to the slow rollout of New York’s adult-use marijuana program, which faced multiple delays in implementation amid litigation and other matters. Separately Hochul signed state budget legislation that did not include a controversial earlier provision that would have allowed police to use the smell of marijuana as probable cause that a driver is impaired and then force them to take a drug test. Amendments made in the legislature removed the provision, which a coalition of 60 reform groups had argued in a letter to Hochul and top lawmakers would “repeat some of the worst harms of the War on Drugs” and allow law enforcement to “restart unconstitutional racial profiling of drivers.” In April, New York cannabis regulators and labor officials announced the launch of a workforce training program aimed at “providing comprehensive safety education to workers” in the state’s legal marijuana industry. Separately, OCM’s press secretary indicated the office is working on plans to expand permitting and licensing rules that could allow adults to buy and consume marijuana at movie theaters. Authorizing sales of cannabis products at theaters would set New York apart as it continues to build upon the state’s legalization law. Earlier this year, a collective of businesses licensed under the CAURD program called on Hochul to forgive tens of millions of dollars in high-cost loans issued under a governor-created social equity loan fund. A state lawmaker said in December that there’s a need to extend financial aid to CAURD license holders, many of whom are struggling under the high-cost loans. Critics—including the NAACP New York State Conference, Black Cannabis Industry Association, Minority Cannabis Business Association, Service Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association, Drug Policy Alliance, NYC NORML and VOCAL-NY—wrote to the governor earlier that month to express dismay at what they described as marijuana regulators’ “efforts in service of big corporations at the expense of small business and equity outcomes.” The post No, Carrier Pigeons Will Not Be Delivering Marijuana In New York, Retailer Confirms After Marketing Stunt Fools Media Outlets appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The governor of Texas is calling on the state Department of Public Safety (DPS) to escalate enforcement against smoke shops that are violating laws related to the sale of intoxicating hemp products, including a recently enacted emergency rule barring people under 21 from purchasing cannabis. In a directive issued on Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) ordered the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of DPS to take a series of steps to ensure industry compliance with state hemp laws, including “targeted operations” to identify and inspect smoke and vape shops suspected of running afoul of the rules. DPS CID agents would then be required to use information from those inspections to conduct “undercover operations to identify unlawful activity” and, when warranted, initiate criminal proceedings. The public safety department’s crime lab will test products from shops under investigation to determine whether they meet the legal definition of hemp, which is cannabis containing no more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight. “DPS will leverage all federal and local law enforcement partnerships to further these investigations,” the governor’s office said in a press release. Yesterday, Governor @GregAbbott_TX directed @TxDPS to strengthen enforcement efforts surrounding vape and smoke shops across Texas. Texas will continue to safeguard our children from hemp products while protecting the liberty of adults. More:https://t.co/KK5bGGfPon pic.twitter.com/tiCqUtKov2 — Governor Abbott Press Office (@GovAbbottPress) October 8, 2025 “Texas will protect children from dangerous hemp products,” Abbott said. “Today, I directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase surveillance and enforcement of any vape and smoke shop violating Texas law. Texas will prioritize protecting our children.” This comes days after Texas officials adopted a set of emergency rules meant to prevent the sale of intoxicating hemp products to people under 21. After similar restrictions were implemented by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) late last month, the state Department of State Health Services (DSHS) announced last week that they’ve moved forward with policies changes that comply with the governor’s recent executive order on hemp. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The executive order was issued following unsuccessful efforts in the legislature to impose an outright ban on hemp products with any quantifiable amount of THC. Meanwhile this month, the head of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) pushed back against a GOP senator’s “incorrect assertions” about the state’s regulatory compliance with federal hemp laws. But he also signaled that changes may be coming to measure “total THC” to determine the legality of hemp products in a way that some stakeholders worry could negatively impact the industry. Separately, a recent survey from a GOP pollster affiliated with President Donald Trump found that Texas Democratic and Republican voters are unified in their opposition to the hemp ban proposal. Image element courtesy of AnonMoos. The post Texas Governor Orders Increased Enforcement Against Hemp Product Violations appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“I hope that the individuals that receive these licenses are good people that have every intention of providing good medicine to the people of the state that so desperately need it.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission offered the state’s first medical cannabis cultivator licenses Tuesday, nearly a week after the voter-set deadline of October 1. Commissioners unanimously offered the first two of up to four cultivator licenses, a move challenging the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, which had threatened to sue the commission if it did so. The first license offerings went to Nancy Laughlin-Wagner of Omaha, on behalf of the Midwest Cultivators Group LLC, and to Patrick Thomas of Raymond. Applicants have five business days to accept the license. ‘Do right by the people’ Someone who answered the number listed on the application for Laughlin-Wagner said the group would not immediately comment. Perry Pirsch, a lawyer working with Thomas, told the Nebraska Examiner that Thomas is “grateful for the opportunity that’s been granted to him.” “I know that he will make the best out of it, responsibly, ethically, within the confines of the law, while trying to do right by the people of the State of Nebraska,” Pirsch said. Thomas said in his application that he is a lifelong Nebraskan with more than 20 years of experience in agriculture, farming and land management. He is the owner and operator of Thomas Construction, a contracting business specializing in large-scale municipal water main projects. Thomas’s application listed Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov as a reference. Thomas has a hemp cultivation license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which he wrote that he would relinquish if he got a state license to grow medical cannabis. The application for Laughlin-Wagner indicates she will serve as chief executive officer of Midwest Cultivators Group alongside Frank Hayes of Omaha as chief financial officer and Dave Kanne of Carroll, Iowa as chief operating officer. Laughlin-Wagner is a registered nurse with more than two decades of executive leadership experience in hospital operations and managed care, according to the application. Hayes is the founder and president of Hayes & Associates LLC, a certified public accounting and consulting firm. Kanne has 30 years of agricultural and business management experience as co-owner of a family farming operation since 1993, which has 1,200 acres of corn and soybeans. “We are committed to ensuring that our operations align with the commission’s standards, Nebraska law and the highest levels of compliance, safety and patient care,” the Midwest Cultivators Group leaders said in their application. Any licensed cultivator can grow no more than 1,250 flowering plants at one time under commission regulations. The Medical Cannabis Commission plans to license transporters, product manufacturers and dispensaries at a future date. Unclear rubric scoring The commission also voted 3-0 to deny two other applications: Crista Eggers, for a facility in Yutan, and Casey Sledge, for a facility in Wayne. Eggers is executive director of Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana, the group that led the 2024 ballot measures that received approval from 71 percent of voters for legalizing medical cannabis and 67 percent of voters for a regulatory system. Applicants needed an average score of more than 70 on a 100-point scale. Commissioners devised the business metrics but have not publicly released how it set them. The commission received 39 cultivator applications between September 4 and September 23, which were advanced for evaluation based on a random lottery system. The average scores were 73.33 for Patrick Thomas, 72 for Nancy Laughlin-Wagner, 63.67 for Casey Sledge and 42.33 for Crista Eggers. The commission decided that an average of more than 70 made an application eligible for licensure. Eggers’s application had the widest range, with evaluators scoring it at 11, 44 and 72 points. Commissioner Lorelle Mueting of Gretna, a prevention specialist with Heartland Family Service, told reporters after the meeting that the scores closely followed commission regulations, which included requirements for a business and financial plan, growing location, security and more. “The rubric went right through the regulations,” Mueting said, pulling out her annotated copy of the regulations. “Everything is in here that people needed to submit.” Commissioners did not explain how Eggers’s scores ranged so widely, and they told reporters they were unwilling to say which commissioners gave what scores. Public weighs in The first licenses were set to be awarded September 30 until the September 29 resignations of Commissioners Bruce Bailey of Lincoln and Kim Lowe of Kearney, both of whom were part of an internal three-member evaluation team. Bailey had been the most supportive of a regulated but more permissive medical cannabis system, including for smoking marijuana. Under the commission’s emergency regulations, set for a public hearing next week, future dispensaries could not sell raw cannabis flower, vapes, smokeables or edibles. Nearly all members of the public testifying before the commission have opposed the proposed regulations, with some arguing that the voter-approved medical cannabis laws legalized all forms of cannabis for patient use and that smoking, for instance, might provide faster relief than tinctures or pills. Maggie Ballard, also a prevention specialist at Heartland Family Service with Mueting, thanked the commission Tuesday for its work on a task she said is “as challenging as giving a cat a bath.” She said she particularly appreciated restrictions on smoking. Ballard testified in support of Gov. Jim Pillen’s (R) appointment of Mueting to the commission in May. “I just want to echo my appreciation and the appreciation of many, many Nebraskans that are either unaware of these meetings or have been way too afraid to speak up at these meetings, because they understand how polarized this topic has become,” Ballard said. Lanette Richards of Scottsbluff, executive director of Monument Prevention, another drug prevention organization, also thanked the commission for regulations she said protect children. “Even though this commission is setting guidelines for medical marijuana, we all know there is no difference between marijuana and medical marijuana,” Richards said. Christy Knorr of Omaha, a hospice nurse, said a physician’s oath to do no harm includes medicine. She spoke of her wife’s fight with multiple myeloma, for which Knorr said marijuana helped provide some relief. Her wife died almost five years ago, and cannabis was the only medication to help take the edge off so she could sleep. “People deserve choices in what medications they take,” Knorr said. Lia Post of Springfield, a longtime medical cannabis advocate who said the medication helps her avoid opiates or other addictive substances, spoke in defense of Eggers as a mom who is trying to help her son. Post said whichever commissioner scored Eggers an “11” shouldn’t be on the commission. “I would trade everyone in this room for one Crista Eggers, including myself,” Post said. Next steps and legal threats The commission’s regulations are in temporary “emergency” status, lasting up to 180 days max. The rules will go up for a public hearing at 1 p.m. October 15 at the Nebraska State Office Building for up to three hours. No commissioner will be in attendance. Commissioners will decide after that hearing whether to finalize the regulations, which would require approval from Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) and Pillen. Zachary Pohlman, a deputy solicitor general for Nebraska, in March told state lawmakers during a legislative hearing on a separate legislative bill that federal law continues to criminalize marijuana. Pohlman said that if the Medical Cannabis Commission “tries” to issue licenses, “the Attorney General’s Office will challenge that action as preempted and unenforceable.” A spokesperson for the AG’s Office declined Tuesday to comment on that previous position, which Hilgers has shared in court filings and public events. Former State Sen. John Kuehn (R) of Heartwell, a longtime marijuana opponent, continues to try to fight the laws in court, including through a similar preemption lawsuit. A Lancaster County District Court judge dismissed Kuehn’s latest lawsuit in June, which he is appealing to the Nebraska Supreme Court. In a brief Monday to the Nebraska Supreme Court on that Kuehn case, the AG’s Office, as well as an outside attorney for the Medical Cannabis Commission, did not repeat the licensing argument but suggested another legal path to the courthouse door. “The State itself could even challenge the Medical Cannabis Laws if, for example, it charges a defendant with illegal possession of cannabis, and the defendant raises the [Nebraska Medical Cannabis] Patient Protection Act as a defense,” the brief states. Since the voter-approved law took effect in December, patients have legally been able to possess up to 5 ounces of medical cannabis in Nebraska with a health care practitioner’s recommendation. The AG’s spokesperson declined to say Tuesday whether the state plans to challenge patient possession or whether any related guidance has been issued to local law enforcement. Medical Cannabis Commission members have entered closed sessions at nearly every meeting to discuss “imminent” or “pending” litigation, which included Tuesday. Commissioners declined to comment on possible legal threats. ‘Good medicine’ Eggers, while not addressing her license application, asked commissioners to release the business grading rubric while expressing her gratitude for moving forward with licensing. Said Eggers: “I hope that the individuals that receive these licenses are good people that have every intention of providing good medicine to the people of the state that so desperately need it.” The next scheduled regular meeting of the commission is 1 p.m. November 3 in the Nebraska State Office Building. Evaluator scores of initial applications Medical Cannabis Commission members, following two resignations last week, anonymously evaluated four cultivator applications over the past week. While the name of each evaluator was redacted on meeting materials, one commissioner’s evaluations ranged from 72 to 88, all passing. Scores from the other two evaluators ranged from 11 to 80. One appears to have given no passing scores, those higher than 70. Patrick Thomas (Raymond) Evaluator 1 score: 84. Evaluator 2 score: 62. Evaluator 3 score: 74. Average score: 73.33. Nancy Laughlin-Wagner (Omaha), on behalf of Midwest Cultivators Group LLC: Evaluator 1 score: 80. Evaluator 2 score: 62. Evaluator 3 score: 74. Average score: 72. Casey Sledge (Wayne), on behalf of Stonepine Works LLC: Evaluator 1 score: 56. Evaluator 2 score: 47. Evaluator 3 score: 88. Average score: 63.67. Crista Eggers (Yutan): Evaluator 1 score: 44. Evaluator 2 score: 11. Evaluator 3 score: 72. Average score: 42.33. Because commissioners denied two applications, Eggers and Sledge, they will evaluate the next two randomly selected cultivator applications. Those applications could be approved in November. Eggers and Sledge can also appeal their evaluations until Oct. 23. Bo Botelho, general counsel for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, which is assisting the Medical Cannabis Commission, said the rubric won’t be made public until after licenses are awarded. He said state agencies don’t typically disclose how evaluators score applications or contracts, partly so applicants answer equally. “Like taking a test, if you know this question is worth a lot more, you may put a lot more information in there and not so much in the other ones, but those other ones are just as valuable,” Botelho said. “That’s why we generally don’t tell them how the scores are being divvied. We want the best response across the board.” Botelho said “there’s no public purpose” to releasing who gave what score to which applicant. “If there is a public purpose, I guess that argument can be made,” he continued. “But I would be afraid of that being used to maybe intimidate or harass an evaluator.” This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post Nebraska Officials Award State’s First Medical Marijuana Business Licenses appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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“Regulators face a choice: confront inversion with meaningful oversight, or let legalization harden into monopoly and fraud.” By Damian Fagon, Parabola Center for Law & Policy New York enters the month known in the cannabis space as “Croptober” with a problem it can no longer ignore: Much of what is marketed as homegrown cannabis is not grown in state at all. The practice, known as inversion, funnels cheap cannabis from oversupplied states into New York’s licensed market, where it is falsely sold as locally produced. It is simple, profitable and increasingly brazen. With harvest season underway and oversight still weak, inversion threatens to become the norm in the nation’s fastest-growing legal market. In spring 2025, state regulators quarantined roughly $10 million in products during an inversion probe, followed by a broader recall in June. But New York’s seed-to-sale system, Metrc, will not be fully operational until late December 2025. Until then, this Croptober provides cover for tons of inverted supply. The roots of this problem extend far beyond New York. California pioneered the oversupply model. Early legalization enabled companies to stack dozens of small cultivation licenses, producing far more cannabis than local demand. When large licenses opened in 2023, production consolidated, with the top ten percent of cultivators controlling about 60 percent of acreage and millions of square feet concentrated under a handful of operators. By early 2025, California’s legal sales fell 11 percent year-over-year as its licensed oversupply spilled into New York’s legal and illegal storefronts. Michigan followed the script but went further. The state explicitly allowed stacking of Class C cultivation licenses at one site, fueling industrial-scale grows. By June 2025, regulators had licensed about 3.2 million plants, more than one and a half plants per in-state consumer. Flower that once sold for over $500 an ounce now averages $60. That same month, regulators reported the fourth straight year-over-year sales decline. California and Michigan’s surpluses do not stay contained; they are absorbed into New York’s market. Licensed New York operators explain the mechanics (including in an interview with a licensed cultivator and broker who wished not to be named): Growers pad harvest reports by recording fake bulk purchases or disposals of low-value plant matter. When out-of-state cannabis arrives, it is logged under those inflated totals and presented as part of their local production. In some cases it is outright swapped for in-state harvests. Processors mirror the scheme, reporting extraction yields far higher than the inputs could ever produce. The incentives align too neatly. Oversupplied states churn out cannabis at rock-bottom prices. New York’s tracking is delayed, its inspections limited and its penalties trivial compared to profits. Licensed farmers sit on unsold compliant harvests while inversion fills our dispensary shelves. Consumers lose trust that “New York grown” means what it claims, and safety risks rise when provenance is unknown. To put it plainly, our market cannot survive when fraud is easier than compliance. Recent research confirms that permissive regulatory climates are the strongest attractor for cannabis firms. That is why companies cluster in Michigan, Oklahoma and California, regardless of geographic affiliation. Their lax systems destabilize not only their own markets but those of neighboring states. How New York Can Shut Down Inversion Metrc can track paperwork, but it cannot stop fraud from being entered as fact. It inhibits licensed cannabis from leaking into the illicit market, but it cannot stop illicit supply from being typed in as if it were grown in New York. To close that gap, regulators must pair digital reporting with routine audits, surprise inspections and real-time checks that confirm reported yields against actual production. Structural reform is just as urgent. Stacking licenses has created surpluses no market can absorb. Soon-to-be-legal markets such as Pennsylvania and Virginia must not repeat those mistakes. Canopy caps, ownership restrictions and limits on consolidating multiple grows at one site are essential to make oversight realistic and preserve room for small, compliant growers. Finally, regulators should create true consumer-facing accountability. Today, cultivation and processing sites are reported to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) but largely hidden from the public. Making that information visible on product labels, verified through inspections and distributor-level audits, would let buyers distinguish authentic New York harvests from imports. Paired with penalties that seize ill-gotten profits rather than fines, such reforms would flip incentives and inversion would no longer be the rational business choice. State-level reforms, however, cannot fix a national imbalance. California designed this model of unchecked supply and Michigan has expanded upon it. Officials in those states have refused to align production with demand, and their neglect destabilizes markets far beyond their borders. New York cannot continue to absorb the costs of their failure. Regulators face a choice: confront inversion with meaningful oversight, or let legalization harden into monopoly and fraud. The future of craft cannabis, small farmers and equity licensees will be decided by whether officials finally enforce the systems they promised. Damian Fagon is a former New York cannabis regulator and is the executive leadership fellow at Parabola Center for Law and Policy. Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images. The post How Cannabis Regulators Can End The ‘Croptober’ Crisis Of Product Inversion (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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A leading hemp industry organization has sent a letter to President Donald Trump, applauding him for his role in legalizing the crop during his first term and imploring him to prevent Congress from “reversing” the reform by banning hemp products containing any amount of THC. In the letter—which is being accompanied by an online petition to Trump that supporters can sign—the U.S. Hemp Roundtable said that when the president signed the 2018 Farm Bill that federally legalized hemp, he “ushered in a new era for the American hemp industry.” “As hemp producers, farmers, consumers, and advocates, we are grateful and remain hopeful that your influence can save the $28.4 billion hemp industry that you helped make possible,” it says. “The recent video you shared about the extraordinary value of hemp products was important, raising awareness on the positive impact our American-grown and manufactured products have.” That’s referring to the president’s social media share of a video from The Commonwealth Project that touted the health benefits of hemp-derived CBD, particularly for senior citizens. “Here at the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, our members are focused on giving Americans choices in improving their overall health and wellness,” the letter says. “Unfortunately, the federal government hasn’t kept up. Despite a lack of federal regulation and clear guidelines, we’ve done the right thing with self-regulation and job creation, but now we need your help!” “Congress is close to passing a hemp ban, reversing the work you led in 2018 to make hemp blossom,” it continues. “A proposed definition change to hemp, being touted as protecting Americans, would wipe out 95 percent of this uniquely American industry that you are so proud of.” Bipartisan congressional lawmakers have raised similar concerns, with a recent letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) pushing back against attempts to ban hemp THC products. The members argued that such a policy reversal would “deal a fatal blow” to the industry and, as currently included in a spending bill, violates congressional rules. To that end, the members say there are plans in the works to introduce an alternative measure to regulate the market. “A more effective way to protect American consumers and jobs would be to support and demand robust hemp regulation—age restrictions along with uniform testing, labeling, and packaging requirements,” the hemp association’s letter states. “Outright prohibition is not the answer, nor would it make anyone safer. Banning legal hemp products that are already regulated at the state level will not protect consumers; it would only shift hemp to the black market and destroy a rising American industry in the process.” “Please help us save and properly regulate the powerful, impactful hemp industry. A ban would put American farmers, American businesses, American consumers, our veterans, seniors, and more than 328,000 American workers at risk,” it says, adding that in the red state of Texas, recent polling shows majority support for regulated hemp sales and increased likelihood of voting for candidates who back regulation over prohibition. The related online petition from the U.S. Hemp Roundtable says the following: “We, the undersigned, express our gratitude to President Donald J. Trump for showing his support for protecting the $28.4 billion American hemp industry. We ask that he work with Congress to ensure America’s robust hemp industry is not destroyed or banned. We support regulation to keep consumers safe and look forward to working with our elected officials to continue building this growing American industry.” At the federal level, while the Senate ultimately stripped hemp THC ban language from its version of the agriculture spending measure following a procedural protest from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), there’s still concern among stakeholders that it could wind up in the final package delivered to the president following bicameral negotiations. Meanwhile, Democratic senators also sent a letter to leadership last month that warned of the major upheaval that would happen in the hemp market if products containing any amount of THC were banned. “Consumer safety and protecting kids while promoting opportunities for national economic growth in the hemp industry can and must go hand-in-hand,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who led that letter with Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), said. “Congress needs to get serious about pursuing common-sense safeguards to protect kids and consumers and encourage innovation instead of a one-size-fits-all approach that hinders economic development and doesn’t keep kids safe.” Dozens of hemp farmers from Kentucky also recently urged their state’s senior U.S. senator, McConnell, to back off from his push to recriminalize some products that are derived from their crops. Paul, for his part, recently cautioned that the cannabis policy movement has “swung hard on the prohibitionist side” amid the ongoing debate over intoxicating hemp products. And he worries that, if things go awry, the hemp market could be decimated “within the next two weeks.” Asked about recent conversations with McConnell and Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Paul said “we’ve been working diligently” with the staff “trying to reach a compromise.” “A lot of the conversations have been constructive. They say, at least on the surface, they’re not trying to eliminate it—but I think we are, in some ways, talking past each other,” he said. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, Paul recently filed a standalone bill that would go in the opposite direction of the hemp ban, proposing to triple the concentration of THC that the crop could legally contain, while addressing multiple other concerns the industry has expressed about federal regulations. The senator introduced the legislation, titled the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act, in June. It mirrors versions he’s sponsored over the last several sessions. Harris, who championed the hemp THC ban in his chamber version of the agriculture spending legislation, told Marijuana Moment that he wasn’t concerned about any potential opposition to the hemp ban in the Senate—and he also disputed reports about the scope of what his legislation would do to the industry. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report in June stating that the legislation would “effectively” prohibit hemp-derived cannabinoid products. Initially it said that such a ban would prevent the sale of CBD as well, but the CRS report was updated to exclude that language for reasons that are unclear. The hemp language is largely consistent with appropriations and agriculture legislation that was introduced, but not ultimately enacted, under the last Congress. Hemp industry stakeholders rallied against that proposal, an earlier version of which was also included in the base bill from the subcommittee last year. It’s virtually identical to a provision of the 2024 Farm Bill that was attached by a separate committee last May via an amendment from Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), which was also not enacted into law. The post Hemp Industry Urges Trump To Stop Congress From ‘Reversing’ The Crop’s Legalization That He Signed Into Law appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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AG Pam Bondi pressed on marijuana at hearing; GOP lawmakers: Trump cannabis action would be “game changer”; Transportation sec’s marijuana concerns Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there. Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The Drug Enforcement Administration said in a new filing that the marijuana rescheduling appeal process is still on hold and “remains pending” before Administrator Terrance Cole, who previously pledged that advancing the issue would be “one of my first priorities.” Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Department of Justice will “look at” an Indian tribe’s marijuana cultivation and sales program in response to questions from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who said broader federal cannabis reform could help to “capture revenue.” Three GOP senators—Sens. Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND)—spoke to Marijuana Moment about the impact of President Donald Trump potentially rescheduling cannabis, with two of them saying it would be a “game changer.” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he’s aware President Donald Trump is “getting pressure” to reschedule marijuana but argued that cannabis has “taken lives” and is “really addictive.” “At a time when culture is pushing and celebrating the use of marijuana, we’re not talking about the risk… I’m not a supporter of legalizing it.” The Virginia Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market held a hearing on issues related to expanding from medical marijuana to a full-scale recreational cannabis market—with presentations focused on ensuring a fair and competitive industry that doesn’t disproportionately benefit existing multi-state operators while limiting opportunities for newer, smaller businesses. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States announced a partnership with cannabis company Torch Drinks to put its hemp-derived THC beverages in VFW posts around the country as an alcohol alternative—with proceeds supporting veterans services programs. “The VFW recognizes the importance of providing veterans with alternatives to alcohol consumption.” / FEDERAL Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said it’s “good to know” that Denver decriminalized psilocybin when informed about it by an interviewer. Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) are preparing to force a War Powers Act vote on the Trump administration’s military strikes on suspected drug cartel boats. / STATES Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a marijuana tax increase into law. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill to enact restrictions on online cannabis marketplaces. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) touted his signing a marijuana legalization bill in a speech at a Democratic Party fundraising event. A spokesperson for Massachusetts’s Senate president said senators are reviewing a House-passed bill to reform cannabis regulations. The Missouri Supreme Court narrowed the scope of marijuana convictions that are eligible for expungement. Washington State regulators are extending the public comment period on cannabis advertising rules. Oregon regulators published guidance about licensing for psilocybin services facilitators. New Jersey marijuana regulators clarified that they do not oversee smoke shops selling intoxicating hemp products. Delaware regulators posted an updated list of licensed businesses selling legal recreational marijuana. Georgia regulators will consider issuing medical cannabis dispensary licenses to production businesses on Wednesday. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / LOCAL New York City regulators sent an alert about synthetic-cannabinoid-related emergency department visits. / INTERNATIONAL Spain’s Council of Ministers approved medical cannabis regulations. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study “did not find evidence of a residual effect of cannabis on simulated driving performance during a short period of cannabis abstinence.” A study “supports the long-term efficacy and safety of [psilocybin-assisted therapy] in reducing depressive symptoms and improving mental health in patients with” major depressive disorder. / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center published a report on the state’s cannabis revenue and equity. / BUSINESS Canopy USA, LLC and JP Brand Advisors announced a strategic partnership to expand the distribution of Wana Wellness, LLC’s hemp-based beverages and gummies in the U.S. New York retailers sold $214.4 million worth of legal marijuana products in August. / CULTURE George Clooney said marijuana is “just not my drug.” Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post DEA gives cannabis rescheduling update (Newsletter: October 8, 2025) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says in a new filing that the marijuana rescheduling process remains stalled at the stage it has been on for months, despite the head of agency’s prior commitment to senators that he would prioritize the issue if confirmed for the role. President Donald Trump said in August that he intended to make a decision on the proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) within weeks. But more than two months later, the administration has yet to move on the reform. Amid the inaction, DEA and pro-reform witnesses in the rescheduling case that was previously before an agency administrative law judge have again submitted a joint status report saying there is mutual agreement that an appeal of the proceedings remains pending. “To date, Movants’ interlocutory appeal to the Administrator regarding their Motion to Reconsider remains pending with the Administrator,” the filing, submitted on Monday, says. “No briefing schedule has been set.” This doesn’t constitute a new delay of rescheduling’s consideration, which has been stalled out for months after legal challenges to the administrative process were raised during prior proceedings. But it does signal that there hasn’t been substantive movement between the parties with respect to the interlocutory appeal. This is the third joint status report, with largely identical language, that the parties agreed to pursuant to the administrative court’s order. But this is the first time that it was submitted with DEA Administrator Terrance Cole in charge of the agency. Cole said during his confirmation hearings that examining the rescheduling proposal would be “one of my first priorities.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Separately, Trump’s nominee for White House drug czar, Sara Carter, told members of the Judiciary Committee at a hearing last month that the administration is keeping “all options” on the table as it continues to consider the marijuana rescheduling proposal, while describing cannabis reform as a “bipartisan issue.” Three GOP senators discussed the impact of the administration potentially rescheduling cannabis in interviews with Marijuana Moment last with, with two of them describing the move as a “game changer.” Meanwhile, one of Trump’s longtime advisors, Roger Stone, recently said that his administration has an opportunity to move forward with marijuana rescheduling—or, even broader legalization—in a way that Democrats who regularly tout the reform failed to achieve when they controlled the White House and Congress. The comments came in response to the president’s social media post late last month where he shared a video that touted the health benefits of hemp-derived CBD, particular for seniors. The Republican Senate sponsor of a bipartisan cannabis banking bill said recently that Trump rescheduling marijuana would be an “important domino” to advance his legislation. Whether Trump ultimately decides to move forward with rescheduling remains to be seen. Despite his endorsement of the policy change on the campaign trail ahead of his election for a second term, he declined to restate that support when asked about it during a briefing late last month—though he did say a decision would come within weeks. Read the text of the latest joint status report on the marijuana rescheduling process below: Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post DEA Says Marijuana Rescheduling Appeal Process Remains Stalled Under New Administrator Who Pledged To Prioritize The Issue appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The Trump administration’s attorney general told senators on Tuesday that she’s committed to reviewing an Indian tribe’s practices related to the legal marijuana sales program it has launched on reservation lands. She also pledged to look into an app a GOP senator flagged that helps connect people to legal cannabis businesses across state lines. During a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) asked Attorney General Pam Bondi about cannabis policy issues, focusing on the sale of marijuana on Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI) land within his state of North Carolina that he said he has “no problem with” generally—but that he still finds “concerning” with respect to the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws. “Nearly three dozen states [have] either medical, recreational or hybrid” cannabis models, the senator said. “But this kind of feels like to me, the way the tobacco industry got attacked for advertising to young people.” “This is just this worries me, because it’s a money-making enterprise. It kind of seems like it’s preying on younger people,” he said, pointing to an app that he claims allows people in states that prohibit cannabis to order marijuana products in a legal jurisdiction and then pick it up after crossing state boundaries. “I assume that they’re not delivering it outside of the boundary, because I think that would be illegal. Would that be illegal?” Tillis asked. Bondi thanked the senator for “pointing that out” and said she was “not familiar with that app that we will certainly look at.” Tillis then presented a “hypothetical” for the attorney general, inquiring about whether it would be federally illegal if cannabis was imported into a port in North Carolina, where it’s prohibited, and then transported to a legal state such as New York. “Is that an illegal transportation of a controlled substance—unless it teleports into a legal jurisdiction, wouldn’t it have been illegally transported at some point?” he asked. Bondi replied: “Based on federal law [that’s true], senator.” “Are you familiar with the science of teleportation?” Tillis asked jokingly. “No, senator,” the attorney general said. “There’s a growing operation of western North Carolina that is a part of the tribal lands. The problem is, I can’t find any legal way to get this pot that is grown here to the dispensary that’s at another non-contiguous area of the boundaries,” Tillis said. “I’m just trying to figure out how the Eastern Band of the Cherokee are legally transporting what they’re growing at scale here to where they’re advertising in Charlotte on the billboards as one of the country’s largest dispensaries—and apparently also offering to let you buy it online.” “Can I get your commitment within the DOJ—not you personally—but can I just get a definitive answer, that there’s no there-there that they are legally transporting it, or that we do have something here that doesn’t seem to comport with federal law?” he asked. “Yes, senator, I will absolutely have my team look at that issue,” Bondi said. “And I’m not familiar with that establishment.” “Like I said, it’s an island. I really think the federal government needs to step up. We need to get rid of this neither fish nor fowl sort of status that marijuana has in this country now,” the senator said. “I think that people have spoken many red states, even your home state—my home state has, I think probably the many states… are trending towards legalizing it.” “We’ve got to get it solved at the federal level. We’ve got to capture revenue,” he said. “That revenue needs to go back to federal law enforcement, and we need to have a lot more focus on what I think are unsafe and inconsistent practices across the state. So if I could get that, I would appreciate it.” A recent infographic from an advocacy group representing Native American tribes in the legal cannabis industry showed that more than a fourth of Indigenous communities in the continental U.S., including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, are now involved with marijuana or hemp programs. Tillis also said last month that the federal government needs to “step up” and explore a regulatory framework for marijuana—and that should include a pathway to explore the “efficacy” of cannabis for certain health conditions. At a separate Judiciary Committee hearing in June, Tillis said opponents of marijuana legalization “have lost” the fight to maintain prohibition and that “it’s time” for lawmakers to address that reality by creating a regulatory framework treating cannabis “in the same way that we do with alcohol and tobacco,” so that states can set their own policies without federal intervention. Back in February, the senator also raised the issue during a Senate Banking Committee hearing, saying “we should reexamine [federal marijuana laws].” But at the same time, “we damn sure shouldn’t do it by passing” legislation that would simply prevent federal regulators from penalizing banks that work with state-legal cannabis businesses. During her confirmation hearings, meanwhile, Bondi declined to say how she planned to navigate key marijuana policy issues. And as Florida’s attorney general, she opposed efforts to legalize medical cannabis in the state. Tillis also said last December that he’s hopeful Congress will have a “discussion” about potentially creating a federal regulatory framework for marijuana in 2025, though he added that he personally wouldn’t vote to federally legalize cannabis. Last year, the senator also said he supports creating a “comprehensive regulatory framework that treats marijuana just like tobacco,” arguing that “the federal government needs to figure out a safe way to allow this market to occur.” Tillis in April joined Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) in asking federal, state and local officials what steps they were taking to enforce marijuana prohibition as an Indian tribe prepared to launch recreational cannabis sales on its lands within North Carolina. Separately, Trump’s nominee for White House drug czar, Sara Carter, told members of the Judiciary Committee at a hearing last month that the administration is keeping “all options” on the table as it continues to consider the marijuana rescheduling proposal, while describing cannabis reform as a “bipartisan issue.” Three GOP senators discussed the impact of the administration potentially rescheduling cannabis in interviews with Marijuana Moment last with, with two of them describing the move as a “game changer.” Meanwhile, one of Trump’s longtime advisors, Roger Stone, recently said that his administration has an opportunity to move forward with marijuana rescheduling—or, even broader legalization—in a way that Democrats who regularly tout the reform failed to achieve when they controlled the White House and Congress. The comments came in response to the president’s social media post late last month where he shared a video that touted the health benefits of hemp-derived CBD, particular for seniors. The Republican Senate sponsor of a bipartisan cannabis banking bill said recently that Trump rescheduling marijuana would be an “important domino” to advance his legislation. Whether Trump ultimately decides to move forward with rescheduling remains to be seen. Despite his endorsement of the policy change on the campaign trail ahead of his election for a second term, he declined to restate that support when asked about it during a briefing late last month—though he did say a decision would come within weeks. Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan. The post Trump AG Pledges To Review Tribe’s Legal Marijuana Sales As Administration Separately Considers Rescheduling appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A top veterans organization has entered a first-of-its-kind partnership with a hemp THC beverage company, with a licensing branding deal that will support a variety of veterans services and promote cannabis drinks as a potential alcohol alternative. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) of the United States on Tuesday announced it reached an agreement with Torch Drinks, a Florida-based cannabis business that produces hemp-derived THC beverages. In addition to the branding licensing agreement, the cannabis drinks will be made available at VFW posts across the country in jurisdictions where they are legal. “The VFW recognizes the importance of providing veterans with alternatives to alcohol consumption, and through this relationship the VFW can provide members in states where Torch beverages are legal with alcohol alternatives that may better benefit veterans coping with service-connected injuries, chronic pain or the invisible wounds of war,” the announcement says. This marks the first time a major veterans service organization (VSO) has collaborated in such a way with a cannabis company. Select Torch Drinks products will carrying VFW branding—and proceeds from the sale of those drinks will go toward initiatives such as the organization’s national veterans service program that provides no-cost assistance in filing health claims with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as another program delivering financial assistance to veteran families. “The VFW’s top priority is ensuring that veterans and their families receive the care, benefits and support they have earned through their service,” VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore said in a press release. “Working with Torch helps us raise funds for those vital programs while also allowing us to explore better ways to meet the needs of an evolving veterans’ community.” This relationship helps raise funds for vital VFW programs and keeps veterans’ health and wellness needs at the forefront. Torch Drinks LLC has a proven track record of creating products that are made of the highest quality, and it is committed to improving industry standards and… pic.twitter.com/DHgWaKV2zT — VFW National HQ (@VFWHQ) October 7, 2025 VFW, which describes itself as “the nation’s largest and most established major war veterans organization” has historically supported legislative reforms to expand research and access to alternative treatments for veterans, including medical cannabis, hemp-derived products and psychedelics. A representative of the organization testified before Congress earlier this year on the issue. Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered organization has more than 1.4 million VFW and auxiliary members located in nearly 6,000 Posts worldwide, it says. “Torch Drinks is proud to work with the VFW to provide veterans with a safe, federally compliant, social alternative that is like none other,” Collin Kerrigan, co-founder of Torch Beverage Company, said. “Customers tell us Torch products help promote relaxation and revitalization, which is why we want to make it more widely available to people and veterans who may enjoy it.” “It is our mission to support the men and women who serve the United States in uniform while promoting ongoing research and discussions about innovative health solutions,” he said. “It is truly an honor and a privilege to make this announcement.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, marijuana and veterans advocacy groups recently launched a campaign to mobilize veterans to help convince Republican lawmakers to embrace embrace federal cannabis reform. Federally funded research published in August on the relationship between PTSD and cannabis use in veterans found that marijuana is associated with milder PTSD symptoms and reduced negative affect—the tendency to experience frequent or intense negative emotions. Also that month, the Senate approved large-scale spending legislation that includes provisions to allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana to military veterans living in legal states. In past years, both the House and Senate have included provisions in their respective MilConVA measures that would permit VA doctors to make the medical cannabis recommendations, but they have never been enacted into law. Because both chambers again adopted differing language this year, the matter will once more be a topic of conversation in conference committee or informal bicameral negotiations and, as such, could end up being left out of the final package sent to the president this time, as has been the case in the past. Meanwhile, a GOP senator said in August that he’s “confident” that, under the Trump administration, lawmakers will help secure alternative treatment options for veterans—including access to psychedelic medicine, as multiple veterans have personally requested from him after disclosing they’ve travelled abroad for the novel therapy. The post Top Veterans Group Partners With Cannabis Brand To Promote THC Drinks As Alcohol Alternative At VFW Posts appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The head of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is suggesting that if President Donald Trump rescheduled or legalized marijuana, which he is “getting pressure” to do, it could increase traffic safety risks, particularly involving young drivers. In an interview with Fox & Friends on Tuesday, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy was asked about the proposal to move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) that Trump is actively considering, as well as the relationship between cannabis laws and roadway safety. He noted that, with alcohol, there are “telltale signs” that a person is intoxicated behind the wheel and technology to detect impairment, but that’s not necessarily the case with marijuana. “It’s hard with marijuana. We don’t have the systems in place to tell if you were smoking marijuana before you got the car,” he said. “So the systems aren’t there. At a time when culture is pushing and celebrating the use of marijuana, we’re not talking about the risk.” Duffy also said he agrees that there’s “pressure” on the president to reschedule or legalize cannabis. But as the father of nine children and former prosecutor, he said he’s “not a supporter of legalizing it.” As a prosecutor, Duffy said that he “didn’t send people to prison for a quarter ounce bag [or] eight ounce bag of marijuana. They got a city citation.” “But to legalize it and to say it’s okay for our kids and our young people to smoke it—and it’s good for them when they get behind cars—it’s dangerous,” he said. “And listen, it’s taken lives.” He added that cannabis is “really addictive.” “And by the way, it’s not the 1960s marijuana, right?” the secretary said. “This is way more dangerous stuff, and then the lacing it with other materials that are incredibly dangerous.” While there’s been growing, and increasingly bipartisan, support for enacting legalization, advocates have expressly called for education around the risks of impaired driving for anyone. But the Fox News host’s question to the secretary was also framed around rescheduling, which would not federally legalize cannabis. Its primary effects would be to recognize the medical value of cannabis, free up certain research barriers and allow marijuana businesses to take federal tax deductions they’ve been barred from under Internal Revenue Service code 280E. Duffy’s suggestion that legalization could heighten the risk of impaired driving has been contested, with research revealing mixed impacts of the reform at the state level and in other countries that have legalized. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — For what it’s worth, the head of a top federal traffic safety agency said during his Senate confirmation process that he was prepared to “double down” on increasing awareness about the risk of marijuana-impaired driving in partnership with the White House. Relatedly, prohibitionists celebrated the inclusion of language in a major spending bill that would block the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from supporting ads to “encourage illegal drug or alcohol use,” seemingly in response to previous marketing materials that leaned into cannabis culture to deter impaired driving. Meanwhile, DOT recently proposed a new rule to update its drug testing guidelines, revising terminology around cannabis in a way that provides more specificity related to THC. Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen. The post As Trump Feels ‘Pressure’ To Reschedule Marijuana, Transportation Secretary Worries About Sending Wrong Message To Youth appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net