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“If licensed adult-use retailers disappear, consumers will continue to seek cannabis through other channels… None of the alternatives will produce the safe and regulatory tested products, jobs and tax revenue the current legal market generates.” By Steve Reilly, Insa If you are a Massachusetts voter who has not been following the debate over cannabis policy, Question 8 on this November’s ballot deserves your attention. The measure asks voters whether Massachusetts should repeal the laws that allow and regulate adult-use cannabis sales. The implications go well beyond whether a dispensary remains open. The question reaches the system of licensed businesses, product testing, taxation and regulatory oversight that Massachusetts has built over the past decade—seeking to eliminate 27,000 jobs and $300,000,000 in tax revenue that will need to be made up somewhere else. Understanding what is actually being proposed and what would replace the current system is essential before casting a ballot. Massachusetts voters approved adult-use marijuana legalization in 2016. Since then, the commonwealth has developed a regulated market overseen by the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), with licensed cultivators, manufacturers, retailers and testing laboratories operating under regulated state rules. Although there have been documented issues with regulatory oversight, the legislature recently took action to make improvements, and the ballot question could ultimately undermine that progress rather than build on it. Question 8—formally titled “An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy”—would repeal the state laws governing the possession, distribution, cultivation and taxation of adult-use marijuana. While the medical market would remain legal and adults 21 and older would still be permitted to possess up to one ounce without civil or criminal penalties, possession of more than one ounce and up to two ounces would carry a civil penalty. The effect would be to penalize possession over an ounce, while keeping lesser amounts fully legal but eliminating the commercial dispensaries where product can be purchased. The practical effect will be to sow confusion and chaos with regards to what cannabis you can possess and where you can obtain it, likely pushing consumers into the illicit market. This is intentional by those brining the initiative who hope to diminish public support. A “yes” vote is not simply a vote to change cannabis regulations or impose new restrictions on dispensaries. It would eliminate the existing adult-use retail system. So what does that mean for consumers? Today, an adult-use consumer can enter a licensed Massachusetts cannabis retailer and purchase products that are subject to state requirements for testing, labeling, packaging, security and business oversight. The regulated system also establishes rules around who can sell cannabis and where it can be sold. If Question 8 passes, that licensed adult-use retail structure would go away, giving way to an unregulated market where these products continue to be legal to possess and use. The practical question for consumers is not whether cannabis possession remains legal, rather it is whether Massachusetts will continue providing a commercially regulated, licensed place for adults to purchase cannabis products. That raises important public-safety questions. There is also an economic consequence. Since legalization, Massachusetts’s adult-use cannabis market has generated more than $10 billion in cumulative sales, including approximately $1.65 billion in 2025 alone. In 2025, the cannabis industry generated approximately $308 million in state revenue and another $51 million in local-option tax revenue for municipalities that supports cultivation and manufacturing employees, laboratory workers, security companies, construction and real estate businesses, technology providers, professional services and other vendors. Eliminating the adult-use licensing and taxation framework would fundamentally alter the businesses and public revenues that have developed around it. One of the central arguments for legalization was that a regulated marketplace could provide adults with an alternative to an illicit market. But if licensed adult-use retailers disappear, consumers will continue to seek cannabis through other channels. Whether that means medical dispensaries, personal cultivation, transfers between adults or illicit sellers will depend on how the market responds. None of the alternatives will produce the safe and regulatory tested products, jobs and tax revenue the current legal market generates. As a registered voter, the choice on Question 8 is consequential. Question 8 represents a decision between maintaining a regulated adult-use marketplace that has existed for nearly a decade and moving Massachusetts toward a different model in which marijuana remains legal but unregulated. As voters consider the question, they should look beyond campaign slogans and understand exactly what the initiative would change, what protections would remain, what would disappear and how those changes could affect consumers, communities, employees and businesses. Cannabis policy should ultimately be about public safety, responsible access, accountability and informed consumer choice, not an unregulated free-for-all market. Whatever position a voter takes on Question 8, that decision should begin with a clear understanding of what is actually on the ballot. More information is available at at stoptherepealma.com. Steve Reilly is head of government relations for Insa, a cannabis company that operates in Massachusetts and other states. The post What Massachusetts Cannabis Consumers Need to Know About Question 8, The Ballot Measure To Roll Back Legalization (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“Kuehn did not have either taxpayer standing or standing for a matter of great public concern to challenge the constitutionality of the acts.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday decided a longtime medical cannabis opponent will not have another day in court to try to overturn the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis laws, at least for now. Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke, in a unanimous 29-page ruling, agreed with a lower court judge’s decision that former state Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell did not have standing to challenge Nebraska’s medical cannabis laws. Kuehn argues that such state laws, including Nebraska’s voter-enacted legalization of medical cannabis, are “preempted” by federal law under the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause defining marijuana as a more dangerous drug that states are precluded from regulating. “We conclude that Kuehn did not have either taxpayer standing or standing for a matter of great public concern to challenge the constitutionality of the acts,” Funke wrote. “We therefore affirm the district court’s order dismissing Kuehn’s operative complaint without prejudice.” “Without prejudice” means Kuehn could bring a similar case in the future if circumstances change. For instance, since June 2025, the Nebraska Legislature has appropriated more funds to the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission and passed new legislation around cannabis. What is ‘standing’? For a case to proceed, a litigant must prove they’ve suffered an “injury in fact” by the time a case is filed or later amended. Kuehn filed his case in December 2024 and last amended it June 2025. Kuehn conceded he had not yet suffered the direct injury but sought to use exceptions. “Standing refers to whether a party had, at the commencement of the litigation, a personal stake in the outcome of the litigation that would warrant a court’s exercise of its subject matter jurisdiction and remedial powers on that party’s behalf,” Funke explained in the opinion. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong dismissed Kuehn’s case on June 26, 2025. She also presided over and ruled against a preelection challenge from Kuehn, filed in September 2024. The Supreme Court last week affirmed Strong’s ruling on the validity of Nebraska’s medical cannabis laws, also in a unanimous ruling from Funke. Shifting federal guidance During oral arguments in April in Kuehn’s preemption appeal, no attorneys or justices asked about shifting federal guidelines on marijuana. U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche federally downgraded state-licensed medical cannabis to a Schedule III drug in April, down from a Schedule I drug. Schedule I drugs, such as heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote, are drugs the federal government has classified as having a high likelihood of abuse and no currently accepted medical value. Schedule III drugs are defined as those with moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence, such as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine and testosterone. Nebraska’s Medical Cannabis Commission is working toward implementing a state-licensed program and has licensed four cultivators. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) signed off on a first set of regulations for the commission this summer. The commission is rewriting its regulations to add fees before moving to license product manufacturers or dispensaries. The Legislature authorized the commission to do so this year. Access to legally purchase medicine in Nebraska is still months, if not at least a year, away. Standing exceptions Kuehn tried to use two “narrow” exceptions to the standing rule: that he should be able to sue to try to prevent an “illegal expenditure” of public funds (taxpayer standing) or because the laws constitute a “matter of great public concern” (“great public concern standing”). “It is not enough to wait for the United States government to one day come to Nebraska and challenge these acts,” Kuehn’s attorney Eddie Greim of Missouri had told the justices. “Instead, Nebraska’s courts should be open to Nebraskans who want to hold their Nebraska state government to its constitutional limitations.” Funke wrote that other jurisdictions might find Kuehn had taxpayer standing, such as in other states, but Funke said doing so for Nebraska would be “inconsistent with our jurisprudence.” Funke also wrote that Kuehn’s claims did not present the “rare” circumstances to justify an exception for great public concern. Unlike in other taxpayer standing cases that try to block public spending alone, Kuehn sought to go further and declare the Nebraska medical cannabis laws unconstitutional. Had the case proceeded and later returned to the Supreme Court, it would take five justices to declare the laws unconstitutional. For standing, Kuehn needed a simple majority, or four judges. AG’s Office: Others could sue Zachary Pohlman, the state deputy solicitor general defending five state officials from Kuehn’s lawsuit, had argued that at least five parties would be better suited to sue than Kuehn, such as the federal government, Hilgers, a property owner, a prospective medical cannabis user or a criminal defendant charged with illegally possessing cannabis asserting the laws as a defense. The Supreme Court ruled that its finding whether Kuehn lacked standing was not related to whether others could sue in Kuehn’s place. Pillen was named in the suit, as were Secretary of State Bob Evnen, Department of Health and Human Services CEO Steve Corsi, former State Treasurer Tom Briese and Tax Commissioner Jim Kamm. Kuehn had also sued the 2024 ballot sponsors behind the voter-approved laws and current and former members of the Medical Cannabis Commission. The Nebraska Attorney General’s Office had threatened to sue the state Medical Cannabis Commission if it issued licenses. But no such challenge materialized when the commission licensed the first cultivators in October 2025. No other state lawsuits have been filed at this time. Hilgers’s office has joined a federal lawsuit seeking to challenge the DOJ’s rescheduling of marijuana, which President Donald Trump is calling for. In an unsigned statement Friday, Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana said another “desperate lawsuit, designed to erase the will of Nebraska voters and destroy medical cannabis, has failed.” “For nearly two years, people with powerful political connections and deep pockets have thrown everything they can at us,” the statement said. “Lawsuits, accusations, obstruction and delay, because they refuse to accept what 71 percent of Nebraskans overwhelmingly decided.” The group, which led the 2024 effort to legalize and regulate medical cannabis, said no matter the money, influence or political power behind the “next attack,” it won’t erase that vote. The next Medical Cannabis Commission meeting is Monday. This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Nebraska Supreme Court Rejects Another Challenge To Voter-Approved Medical Marijuana Law appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. believes there will be an “enormous demand” for psychedelic therapies as they become legally available, and he thinks President Donald Trump is unique among his predecessors in championing the issue. The secretary was speaking on the latest episode of a podcast he hosts for HHS in which he interviewed Bryan Hubbard, the CEO of Americans for Ibogaine. “One of the challenges that we will also face in the federal government [is] there’s going to be a demand for it,” Kennedy said of psychedelics. “If we do get it to the point where where it becomes available for veterans, there’s going to be an enormous demand for it and you need for every veteran treated approximately more than 100 hours of support staff. So there’s an expense attached to it.” The secretary also cited an executive order that Trump signed earlier this year to streamline research and access into psychedelic medicine. “I can’t picture any other president in American history who would have done what he did. He turned on a dime,” Kennedy said. “He got it in his head that this was something that he wanted to do.” “He talked to some of the veterans who you met in the Oval Office during the executive order signing. And Joe Rogan introduced him to some of those veterans and he just became convinced,” he said, referring to the popular podcaster who texted the president about psychedelics just days before he decided to sign the order. “I think he broke down a lot of barriers in doing that.” The president’s move “opens up all kinds of possibilities or and pathways for evidence-based research into psychedelics,” Kennedy said. Kennedy, who once said he had a “wonderful experience” on LSD while trying to see dinosaurs as a teenager, said he thinks that “most Americans” view psychedelics with a kind of negative bias. “This was hippie stuff from back in the 60s and that it was recreational,” he said of their view. “And it’s not really kind of a legitimate therapeutic treatment.” The secretary admitted that he himself is surprised to hear stories of people taking ibogaine once and changing their lives without having to use it again. “It’s hard for me to believe that you can do something once and…that you can then live off the laurels of that kind of spiritual realignment, that you don’t have to do something you know renew it on a daily basis,” he said. Could psychedelics change the way we treat opioid addiction?@w_bryan_hubbard has spent years fighting the opioid crisis and advocating for rigorous research into psychedelic medicine. On #TheSecretaryKennedyPodcast, we discuss ibogaine, addiction, veterans, the promise and… — Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) September 10, 2026 Kennedy said earlier this year 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. President Trump opened a new chapter in psychedelic medicine by creating pathways for rigorous, evidence-based research into these promising therapies. On the latest episode of #TheSecretaryKennedyPodcast, @w_bryan_hubbard and I discuss what this moment could mean for the future… pic.twitter.com/oC2HnzT1zp — Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) September 10, 2026 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. Last month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a report on recent advances in psychedelic medicine, along with recommendations for state policymakers on how to prepare for formal approval of drugs like psilocybin and MDMA. It also noted how the Schedule I status of many psychedelics has hampered scientific studies on their effects for decades. HHS and VA recently announced a partnership to collaborate on research and development of psychedelic medicines to treat people struggling with serious mental health conditions. Separately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued finalized guidance to help researchers studying the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics navigate the “unique challenges” of such investigations. The agency also announced it will be holding a public hearing on psychedelic therapy issues in September. Previously, FDA and HHS in April announced steps that they say will help with “accelerating” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients dealing with serious mental health conditions. In May, a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress sent a letter urging FDA to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies. Lawmakers recently filed a new bill that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to evaluate how ongoing research on the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin could help members of the military. A separate recently introduced bipartisan measure is intended to codify Trump’s psychedelics executive order into law. An amendment adopted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act would extend a psychedelics research effort at DOD for an additional six years. The post There Will Be ‘Enormous Demand’ For Psychedelic Treatments, RFK Says, Praising Trump’s Action On The Issue appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A medical marijuana dispensary owner in Mississippi is planning to fight a decision by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that she says could force her to fire two good employees if she wants to register for federal protections in line with the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule cannabis. Nicole Huff, CEO of the Wildflower Medical Dispensary in Aberdeen, shared with Marijuana Moment correspondence that a DEA official sent about the two workers in question, who have past felony convictions. As a result of those criminal records, the business must either fire the employees, withdraw its application for federal protections, seek a waiver while becoming ineligible for expedited processing or go before an agency judge. “I am frustrated and disappointed that, after these two individuals have worked for me for more than a year without any issues or disciplinary actions, the DEA would require me to remove them from their positions,” Huff told Marijuana Moment. Ashlie Way, a diversion investigator with DEA’s Jackson District Office, sent Huff an email last Thursday saying that “because you have the 2 employees who have felony convictions, you have the following options when it comes to your application.” “You can waive your right to the expedited application in the event you want to proceed with an employment waiver,” it said. “Or you can withdraw your DEA application.” “If you choose not to do either of those, I will send your application up for what we call an Order to Show Cause. An Order to Show cause is when an application is sent to Headquarters. They will assign it to an attorney who will send out a letter to the applicant letting them know that they have the right to request a hearing. If they choose to have a hearing, the applicant will respond to the letter, and a hearing will be set for them before the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). I believe the hearing is held in Washington DC. The applicant will then have the opportunity to present their case to the ALJ. From there, the Judge will determine if the application proceeds to a registration or if the application will be denied.” The email said the dispensary would need to make a decision by no later than the close of business four days later—on Monday, which was Labor Day. Huff told Marijuana Moment that she will take the issue before a DEA judge. “I plan to request employment waivers on their behalf,” she said. “I understand that doing so may require me to travel to Washington, D.C., and appear in federal court, and I am prepared to take the necessary steps.” “It is already extremely difficult for individuals with nonviolent felony convictions to obtain stable employment. I intend to ask the court to consider a grandfather provision for individuals who were employed before the DEA application was submitted,” Huff said. “If an employee has a nonviolent conviction, has maintained satisfactory employment and has received no disciplinary actions, I believe that person should be eligible for an exemption from mandatory removal.” The two Wildflower workers in question “have demonstrated their reliability through more than a year of successful employment,” she said. “I plan to ask that their individual circumstances and employment records be considered before a final decision is made. I hope other dispensary owners would do the same.” Huff didn’t directly respond to Marijuana Moment’s question about what kind of felony convictions her employees have. Marijuana Moment also reached out to DEA about the number of applications for registration it has received to date and how many of those are being similarly held up due to workers’ criminal records, but a representative did not respond. DEA regulations for registration to handle controlled substances state that “the registrant shall not employ, as an agent or employee who has access to controlled substances, any person who has been convicted of a felony offense relating to controlled substances.” The agency does, however, allow employers to submit requests for waivers. “A waiver will not be considered unless there are valid reasons to believe that diversion is unlikely to occur,” a DEA manual says. The agency will weigh several factors in making its determination on a waiver, it says: A detailed description of the nature and extent of the individual’s past controlled substances violations, including all pertinent documentation; Current status of the individual’s state licensure; Extent of individual’s proposed access to controlled substances. “Access” is not limited to only physical access to controlled substances, but includes any influence over the handling of controlled substances; Registrant’s proposed physical and professional safeguards to prevent diversion by the individual; Status of employing registrant regarding handling of controlled substances; Other pertinent information uncovered by DEA in its investigation of the individual’s or registrant’s handling of controlled substances; and All other relevant factors or materials. In Huff’s case, even if she asks for and receives a waiver, she will still have to waive her right to the agency’s expedited application process for registration for the federal benefits and protections that come with rescheduling, according to Way’s email. Meanwhile, the agency has been conducting inspections and follow up interviews with medical cannabis businesses that register for federal protections, but industry sources say the way the agency has been carrying out those activities varies between DEA’s regional offices throughout the country. In June, Mississippi medical cannabis businesses spoke to Marijuana Moment about being visited by DEA officials, who told them they were among the first in the country to be seen for inspection under the registration process. Last month, Marijuana Moment obtained a list of 26 questions that DEA officials are sending to medical cannabis businesses in Colorado as part of the consideration of their applications for registration. The questions on the form being sent to Colorado businesses include: Will you be ordering marijuana or marijuana products from other states? Will you be ordering synthetic cannabinoids? Will you be ordering marijuana seeds or plants in order to grow at the dispensary location? What are the specific types of products offered (e.g., gummies, extracts, concentrates, tinctures, topical products, oils, flower buds, oil cartridge vapes, dry herb vapes, pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes, etc.)? Please identify your medical marijuana supplier(s) to include name(s), address(es), and DEA registration number(s). Please provide a copy of any labeling, packaging, and sealing policies (refer to federal guidelines for medical marijuana packaging pursuant to Title 21 CFR § 1301.13(k)(8) which states that the label of all medical marijuana products shall, when dispensed to or for a patient, contain a clear, concise warning that it is a crime to transfer the drug to any person other than the patient). How is defective (e.g. mold, rot, bug infestation), expired, or discontinued/deadstock marijuana products disposed of? The agency launched its initial registration form for dispensaries in April, days after Attorney General Todd Blanche issued an order immediately moving marijuana products regulated by a state medical cannabis license from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, along with marijuana products that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A DEA hearing that recently concluded testimony is considering broader marijuana rescheduling. Meanwhile, the agency said it plans to launch new forms for additional types of state-licensed medical marijuana businesses beyond dispensaries, such as manufacturers, distributors and laboratories. The currently available registration form for state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries asks for information about their processes for storage, ordering, dispensing, inventory, maintenance of records and other aspects of their businesses. The application asks about specific details about security measures such as vaults, safes, secure storage rooms, access controls, alarm systems and on-site security personnel. Applicants can choose whether they are requesting to handle marijuana, marijuana extracts or naturally derived delta-9 THC. While only medical marijuana is currently being moved to Schedule III, the application also asks potential registrants whether their firms handle or dispense recreational marijuana. The DEA application also asks businesses to submit information about their state cannabis licenses and to answer questions about criminal and disciplinary histories. It also asks: “Has anyone who will be involved in the ownership or operation of the firm previously manufactured, distributed, and/or dispensed any controlled substance without a DEA registration authorizing such activity?” Presumably, every currently operational state-legal cannabis business has key personnel who have done so, since medical marijuana was, until recently, a Schedule I controlled substance that DEA did not broadly authorize manufacturing, distribution and dispensation of. Applicants must additionally list suppliers from which they intend to procure marijuana, and to disclose whether they anticipate repackaging or relabeling cannabis products. They also need to provide lists of individuals with the business that are anticipated to have “access to controlled substances,” including their dates of birth, social security numbers, criminal histories related to drugs. Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Marijuana Dispensary Owner Says DEA Is Forcing Her To Fire Workers In Order To Get Federal Protections Under Trump’s Rescheduling Move appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Congressman: WI can legalize marijuana in 2027; New IL medical cannabis licenses; Study: CBD for athletic recovery; CA marijuana packaging rules op-ed Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW A newly updated report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that states have collected more than $15.8 billion in marijuana tax revenue over the past five years—including more than $3.5 billion in the last year. “And the numbers keep growing,” the federal agency said. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) told Marijuana Moment that his home state of Wisconsin is poised to legalize marijuana next year—especially if his party wins control of the legislature in the November elections, but perhaps even if Republicans maintain a majority under new leadership for the 2027 session. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation issued new licenses to 37 existing recreational marijuana dispensaries that will now allow them to also sell medical cannabis—which officials called the “biggest expansion of the medical cannabis market in Illinois since 2016.” A new scientific review of CBD use by athletes found that it “supports post-exercise recovery depending on dosage and delivery but does not directly enhance performance.” “Oral or sublingual CBD reduces biochemical markers of muscle damage (creatine kinase, myoglobin) and subjective delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) within 48-72 h post-exercise.” CannaShark Consulting’s Adrian A. Holguin argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that California cannabis businesses should start taking action now to comply with the state’s new packaging rules, even though they don’t take effect until 2028. “Artwork gets locked with the printer weeks or months before the run. Then the boxes sit in a warehouse until they are used.” / FEDERAL President Donald Trump again pledged to institute the death penalty for some people who sell illegal drugs. Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) tweeted, “Our veterans took an oath to defend this country — making the ultimate sacrifice if necessary. Many bring back the invisible scars of the battlefield, with an estimated 20 to 40 veterans take their own lives every day. Congressional lag on advancing psychedelic therapy treatments cannot be tolerated. This medicine works. This medicine saves veteran lives. The time is NOW to deliver the proper care that our veterans need to heal from the invisible wounds of trauma. It’s the least we can do to thank America’s heroes for their service.” / STATES The Kentucky legislature’s Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee held a hearing on medical cannabis issues. A federal judge rejected a lawsuit challenging Connecticut hemp restrictions. A New York appeals court held a hearing on a lawsuit challenging the state’s marijuana social equity business financing policies. California regulators announced a recall of marijuana products because the cannabis used to make them was produced under unsanitary conditions and that the cultivation practices did not conform with pesticide statutes and regulations. Missouri regulators posted the results of a random lottery drawing of marijuana microbusiness license applicants. Maryland regulators issued a request for information from nonprofit organizations interested in managing the state’s Cannabis Incubator Facility. Oklahoma regulators issued a warning about fraudulent scam emails targeting medical cannabis businesses. New Jersey regulators took action on marijuana business licensing and disciplinary issues. The Nevada Cannabis Advisory Commission will meet on Monday. The Alaska Marijuana Control Board will meet on September 22. — 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 Champaign County, Illinois is using marijuana revenue to fund Flock cameras. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “purified CBD was efficacious in a broad range of pediatric epilepsies, and was well tolerated as an adjunctive antiseizure medication.” A review concluded that “psilocybin-assisted therapy may reduce heavy alcohol consumption in some individuals with” alcohol use disorder. / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS The Global Commission on Drug Policy published a brief advocating that the rights, needs, experiences and voices of children and young people be included in the development of drug policy. The Hemp Beverage Alliance elected new board of directors members. / BUSINESS Records related to Curaleaf and its investment transactions are reportedly being investigated by the British Columbia, Canada Securities Commission. Shield Compliance published a survey of cannabis business operators’ views on rescheduling, hemp and banking. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: The post Feds highlight cannabis tax revenue earned by states (Newsletter: September 11, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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Illinois officials have issued new licenses to 37 existing recreational marijuana dispensaries that will now allow them to also sell medical cannabis. The expanded opportunity for marijuana businesses comes as part of omnibus cannabis legislation that was passed by lawmakers and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker (D) this session. Last month, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) posted a new form that adult-use marijuana dispensaries can fill out in order to get permission to begin selling medical cannabis, which is taxed at a much lower rate than adult-use products. IDFPR said in a press release on Thursday that the new move “greatly increases patient access across the state, while also eliminating unnecessary red tape for regulators and consumers alike.” It additionally gives newer dispensaries approved under social equity lotteries the chance to serve medical patients, “leveling the playing field for small businesses.” “Expanding access to medical cannabis is an important step toward ensuring Illinois patients have more options to obtain the medicine they rely on,” Mario Treto, Jr., secretary of IDFPR, said. “More dispensaries means better options and increased convenience for medical patients, while still maintaining the regulatory safeguards that protect patients and promote a safe and responsible cannabis industry.” Erin A. Johnson, the state’s cannabis regulation oversight officer, said “this is a monumental day for medical patients, who have long advocated for these changes.” The news of the state’s approval of the new medical cannabis licenses was first reported by The Cole Memo. Additional licenses will be issued on a continuing basis, officials said. The recently enacted law that allows the new medical licenses also doubles the amount of marijuana that adults can legally possess, allows drive-thrus and curbside pickups at dispensaries and lets them stay open for longer hours of operation, among other changes. It is the “biggest expansion of the medical cannabis market in Illinois since 2016,” IDFPR said. Rep. Bob Morgan (D), who championed the recently enacted marijuana bill, said that “expanding the number of dispensaries able to serve medical cannabis patients is good policy for Illinois.” “It means patients have greater access and more choices, while dispensaries have new opportunities to grow their businesses and better serve their communities,” he said. This is an important step toward building a stronger, more accessible medical cannabis program in Illinois.” IDFPR said in previously issued guidance about changes made by the new cannabis omnibus legislation that “any adult use dispensary holding an active license in good standing may opt-in for a medical dispensary license,” which will allow it to “sell cannabis to medical cannabis patients at the medical tax rate up to the medical patient’s allotment.” The medical cannabis sales option for adult-use businesses is part of SB 3222, which was approved by the legislature and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker (D) in June. As enacted into law, the measure also allows residents of the state who are over 21 years of age to possess up to 60 grams of marijuana flower—double the amount in prior law. They are also able to have up to 10 grams of cannabis concentrates and infused products with up to 1,000 mg of THC—also double the earlier limit. Possession amounts for adult non-residents are also doubled under the bill and are generally set at half of what residents can carry. Additionally, people with past convictions for possession of up to 60 grams of marijuana are now able to have those records expunged—double the previous cutoff allowing only those with convictions for up to 30 grams to be eligible. The legislation also recriminalizes hemp THC products with more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container, in line with a federal ban that is set to take effect in November. The state’s list of medical marijuana qualifying conditions was also expanded to add female orgasmic disorder, endometriosis, ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids by the bill. Last month, Illinois regulators separately added sickle cell disease and polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) with chronic pain as new medical cannabis qualifying conditions. The governor held a signing ceremony for the cannabis expansion legislation at a marijuana dispensary, saying he is “proud that Illinois continues to lead the nation in showing what thoughtful, balanced cannabis policy can achieve.” In 2019, Pritzker signed the state’s initial marijuana legalization policy into law. The post Illinois Officials Approve More Dispensaries To Sell Medical Marijuana As Part Of The ‘Biggest Expansion’ Of The State’s Market In A Decade appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“2028 sounds far away. But artwork gets locked with the printer weeks or months before the run. Then the boxes sit in a warehouse until they are used.” By Adrian A. Holguin, CannaShark Consulting Last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed AB 2249, a bill that puts a much clearer line around what cannabis packaging, labels and ads can look like. The short version: no child-oriented dragons, unicorns or wizards; nobody who looks under 21; no imagery of candy, cereal, sweets or desserts primarily marketed to children; no child-style bubble or balloon lettering; and no packaging that mimics a noncannabis product marketed to kids. The new definition takes effect on January 1, 2028. Most of the coverage stopped there, and I get it. “Rules take effect in sixteen months” doesn’t make anyone spill their coffee. But operators tend to call me after a rule costs more than they expected, so here’s why 2028 is not the date that matters. First, the basics. California has banned cannabis packaging that is “attractive to children” since legal sales began, and cartoons on labels are already prohibited. The problem was that the line remained subjective and was applied inconsistently. A 2025 state audit found that Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) rules were not specific enough and that reasonable reviewers sometimes reached different conclusions about similar packaging. AB 2249 draws a clearer line. It defines “attractive to children” as designed or likely to appeal to anyone under 21, then identifies cartoons; depictions of people under 21; celebrities, influencers, characters and mascots primarily associated with contemporary children’s media or products; fantasy characters such as unicorns, wizards and dragons; imagery of candy, cereal, sweets and desserts primarily marketed to children; child-oriented bubble or balloon lettering; and packaging that mimics a noncannabis product marketed to children. Cartoon or overly stylized fruit on an edible or vape label is out. A realistic depiction of fruit that accurately reflects an ingredient or production region is allowed. The bill also authorizes DCC to adopt additional rules for design elements or product characteristics that pose a heightened risk to children, and it requires the department to develop self-assessment resources. DCC launched its AI-based Cannabis Product Image Analyzer in June. Use it as a screening tool, not a safe harbor: an automated result is advisory, not a final DCC determination. AB 2249 sets no deadline for additional rulemaking or for the required resources, so operators are still designing against a target that could move. Now here’s the part that got underplayed. Packaging isn’t bought like office supplies. Many brands buy it in runs representing six months to a year of inventory because that is how they protect unit economics. Artwork gets locked with the printer weeks or months before the run. Then the boxes sit in a warehouse until they are used. So play it forward. A brand placing a normal-sized packaging order in early 2027 may be buying stock it expects to use well into 2028. AB 2249 contains no express sell-through safe harbor for old packaging. Unless DCC issues contrary guidance, the prudent plan is to assume that product offered for sale on January 1, 2028 must comply with the new definition. That may put the artwork deadline in late 2026. In other words, somebody has to decide now whether the mascot stays. The California Cannabis Industry Association opposed the bill on cost, and that concern is real. A redesign can mean compliance review, new plates, minimum order quantities, retailer notifications and eventually paying someone to destroy old packaging. But the final Senate vote was 38-0, and the Assembly concurred 69-1. The cost is now a scheduling problem, and scheduling problems are only cheap if you start early. Handled on the front end, this is a calendar and a manageable cost. Handled on the back end, it becomes destroyed inventory, retailer disruption, potential enforcement and a bill with more zeros. The difference is almost never information. Operators knew the rule was coming. The problem is that “2028” sounds far away. If you hold a California license, this quarter looks like this: pull every SKU and flag anything with a character, creature, candy cue, child-oriented lettering or stylized fruit. If you have to argue about whether the gummy bear is a cartoon, it probably is. Get your printer’s real lead times in writing and work backward from January 1, 2028. Start the redesign conservatively, have the final art reviewed, and run it through DCC’s tool as a screen before the plates are cut. Then size your last old-look order to sell through before 2028. Nobody should build a compliance plan around the hope that the state will be generous with a pallet of dragon gummies. The state gave you sixteen months. Your printer gave you about six. Plan around the printer. Adrian A. Holguin, J.D., M.B.A., is founder and president of CannaShark Consulting. He advises cannabis operators and businesses in other highly regulated industries on licensing, compliance, finance and operations, and also serves as an expert witness. Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post California Marijuana Businesses Should Act Now To Comply With New Packaging Rules That Don’t Take Effect Until 2028 (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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States generated more than $3.5 billion in tax revenue from legal marijuana sales over the last year, according to a newly updated federal report. The analysis from the U.S. Census Bureau also shows that since the agency began tracking the issue in the third quarter of 2021, states have brought in a total of more than $15.8 billion in cannabis revenue. “While cannabis remains illegal federally, 30 states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) collect excise taxes on cannabis sales,” the agency said. “Their contributions to state tax receipts have reached new heights: an estimated $3.55 billion in combined tax revenue between July 2025 and June 2026.” “And the numbers keep growing,” it said. The Census Bureau on Thursday issued the latest periodic update to its Cannabis Excise Sales Tax Collections data to include totals from the second quarter of 2026, during which states and D.C. reported taking in a total of $987.5 million in marijuana tax revenue. Individual states reporting the highest dollar amounts from marijuana sales during Q2 of this year were California ($161 million), Washington State ($153.1 million), Michigan ($110.6 million), New York ($76.8 million), Illinois ($71.8 million) and Colorado ($55 million). The latest updated federally compiled figures also provide a look at which states have brought in the most cannabis revenue over time since the Census Bureau started tracking the issue five years ago. The more than $3.3 billion that California has generated from marijuana sales since late 2021 represents nearly than a fifth of all cannabis dollars brought into state coffers across the country during that period. Washington State comes in second place, with $2.3 billion, followed by Illinois ($1.4 billion), Colorado $1.4 billion), Michigan ($1.3 billion), Massachusetts ($879.1 million), Arizona ($831.2 million) and Oregon ($811.6 million). The federal data doesn’t include tax earnings from quarters prior to Q3 2021. While nationwide cannabis tax hauls have generally increased year over year, the bureau noted a dip in overall marijuana revenue in Fiscal Year 2023, which it said “can be largely attributed to California,” which eliminated a cultivation tax that year “to ease the tax burden, lower market prices and curb the black market.” “The nationwide decline in FY 2023 reflected California’s policy shift, but totals climbed again in subsequent years as more states began collecting cannabis taxes,” it said. Delaware and Minnesota, it said, “have rapidly growing recreational markets” that recently launched. The agency also looked at per capita cannabis tax revenues in each state, finding that Washington and Montana each collect more than $50 per resident in marijuana excise taxes each year—the highest in the nation, which is “driven by particularly high retail excise rates of 37% and 20%, respectively,” it said. Via U.S. Census Bureau. A separate recent report from Yale University researchers found that federally legalizing marijuana would generate $57.9 billion in new tax revenue over a decade—and that additional states also moving to legalize cannabis would nearly double that haul. Another report from the advocacy group the Marijuana Policy Project found that states have generated more than $28.4 billion in tax revenue from recreational marijuana sales since the first markets launched over a decade ago. While those figures reach back further than the Census Bureau’s do, they don’t account for additional revenue that states have collected from medical marijuana sales, or from cannabis business application and licensing fees. Notably, the Census tracker’s numbers lag behind the real-time market. The agency says figures shown are “based on a calendar quarter and generally represent taxes collected on sales made during the prior quarter (i.e. data released in September 2023 will cover sales during the quarter ended June 30, 2023).” While not every state with legal marijuana has consistently provided data for the national tracker, the project nevertheless represents the federal government’s growing effort to account for the size and scope of the cannabis industry—which despite the growing number of state legalization laws remains generally federally illegal, although the rescheduling reform being implemented by the Trump administration is partially changing that. In 2023, the Census Bureau separately updated its survey of private businesses to better capture marijuana-related economic activity. Together, the tracking and reporting efforts indicate an increasing willingness by the federal government to acknowledge the billions of dollars in annual economic activity generated by an industry that it continues to largely prohibit. The new state tax revenue data used to build the report “result from a complete canvass of all state government agencies,” the bureau said in a methodology note. While it refers to the revenue as “quarterly cannabis excise sales tax collections,” it also says that “taxes” are defined rather broadly. “For this dataset, the concept of ‘taxes’ is comprised of all compulsory contributions exacted by a government for public purposes,” it said. “Tax revenue is further defined to include related penalty and interest receipts of a government but to exclude protested amounts.” The bureau has two separate tax codes for marijuana revenue that it asks states to report, one for taxes on cannabis transactions and another for business license fees. The agency has said its own figures might not align perfectly with state-reported data “because the Census Bureau may be using a different definition of which organizations are covered by the term, ‘state government.’” The bureau’s definition, it explains, “refers not only to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of a given state, but it also includes agencies, institutions, commissions, and public authorities.” Meanwhile, a separate recent economic analysis by Vangst and Whitney Economics found that, for the first time since state recreational marijuana markets launched in 2014, the industry saw a year-over-year decline in national revenue from cannabis sales in 2025. The post States Have Earned Over $15 Billion In Marijuana Tax Revenue In The Last 5 Years, ‘And The Numbers Keep Growing,’ New Federal Report Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

A Democratic congressman who represents Wisconsin says the state is poised to legalize marijuana as soon as next year—especially if his party wins control of the legislature in the November elections, but perhaps even if Republicans maintain a majority under new leadership for the 2027 session. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) told Marijuana Moment that there’s a “really good chance” of legalizing cannabis in Wisconsin in the short term if Democrats can “flip the legislature,” where marijuana reform proposals have stalled under Republican control in recent sessions. The congressman was responding to a question about Wisconsin having among the highest amount of marijuana arrests in the U.S. last year, according to recently released FBI data. Pocan said, however, that he thinks cannabis legislation has a shot even if the GOP stays in control. That’s because current Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R), who the congressman said is “very anti-marijuana,” is retiring at the end of this year and is likely be replaced by someone who is more open to reform. While leadership elections have not yet been held, Majority Leader Tyler August (R) has been mentioned as a possible successor to Vos. “The incoming Republican—if they have the majority, although I think we can flip it—is far more libertarian, even more than a Republican,” Pocan said. “So I would think if he really maintains those values, that would change. But it really was kind of held back by one individual largely in Wisconsin.” August suggested last year that it is time to modernize Wisconsin’s approach to cannabis. “I don’t think anyone is naive enough to think that marijuana and THC products aren’t present in the state of Wisconsin when they are readily available over state lines, so I think we need to come to an answer on this,” he said at the time. “I’m hopeful that we can.” Pocan, for his part, told Marijuana Moment that there is a cannabis dispensary just over the border from his district in neighboring Illinois and that “all the cars are Wisconsin cars in that lot.” “Most of the folks I’ve talked to in the Wisconsin legislature want to change it because we’re surrounded by states that have it legal,” he said. “We can continue to pretend it’s the 1950s, or we can accept where society’s at. Just arresting people for that seems like a terrible waste of resources that law enforcement could do useful this with.” The congressman said the “reality” is that cannabis reform is coming one way or another. “This is a very old view that people are clinging on to, but I don’t think there’s that many people that are clinging on to it,” he said of prohibitionist attitudes. Pocan, who noted that he sponsored medical marijuana bills in the Wisconsin legislature decades ago, said that federal reform stands to benefit if Democrats can win back a congressional majority in the November elections. In particular, he said Congress could “take away some of these stupid riders” that have blocked local officials from legalizing recreational marijuana sales in Washington, D.C. In Wisconsin, meanwhile, Gov. Tony Evers (D) and Democratic lawmakers have pushed to legalize marijuana for recreational and medical purposes for years, but those proposals have been blocked by the legislature’s Republican majority. A limited medical cannabis bill did clear one committee this session, but did not advance further. Evers is not running again this year. Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crowley and other candidates competing in his party’s primary at the time appeared at a forum hosted by a cannabis reform group earlier this year. Crowley, who is currently the Milwaukee County Executive, said reform supporters “cannot wait until after the governor’s election” to push the issue, arguing that they need to “organize in making this one of the top priorities in this upcoming election.” “If you can’t change minds, you have to change faces,” he said. “I want you all to know that we’re going to work directly with you and make sure that you have a seat at the table, because if you don’t have a seat at the table, that means you’re on it.” His Republican opponent, Tom Tiffany, currently a member of Congress, has voted against bills to federally legalize marijuana and increase the cannabis industry’s access to banking services—though he has also voiced support for letting states set their own policies on the issue and has discussed how Schedule I status impedes research. Evers, for his part, recently sent a letter calling on the state’s congressional delegation to “prevent mass disruption of the hemp industry” by stopping the planned federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that’s set to take effect later this year. The governor has repeatedly pushed for broader reform—including marijuana legalization in multiple budget requests, for example—but efforts to enact it have consistently stalled out in the Republican-controlled Assembly and Senate even as adult-use markets have come online in neighboring states such as Illinois and Michigan. Evers said last year that if his party can take control of the legislature, the state can “finally” legalize marijuana so that residents don’t have to go to neighboring Illinois to visit its adult-use market. — 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. — Democratic lawmakers filed legislation in the 2026 session to broadly legalize and regulate marijuana, and bipartisan legislation to simply decriminalize cannabis possession was also filed—but neither proposal advanced. A poll released last year by Marquette Law School found that two in three Wisconsin voters support legalizing marijuana. A legislative analysis requested by lawmakers estimated that Wisconsin residents spent more than $121 million on cannabis in Illinois alone in 2022, contributing $36 million in tax revenue to the neighboring state. Meanwhile, the state Department of Revenue released a fiscal estimate of the economic impact of a legalization bill in 2023, projecting that the reform would generate nearly $170 million annually in tax revenue. The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C. The post Wisconsin Is Ready To Legalize Marijuana Next Year Under Democratic Or GOP Control, Congressman Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The cannabis component CBD “supports post-exercise recovery” for athletes “but does not directly enhance performance,” according to a new scientific review. Cannabidiol “demonstrates efficacy in modulating delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and lowering concentrations of muscle damage markers (creatine kinase and myoglobin), particularly within the 48-72 hour window following intensive exercise,” the paper, published in the International Medical Journal, found. Polish researchers with the 4th Military Clinical Hospital and the University Clinical Hospital performed a search of the PubMed and Scopus databases for previous studies published between 2021 and 2026. They said that although it was a “key turning point” when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) moved in 2017 to officially allow athletes to begin using CBD without fear of being suspended from competition, many products on the market today are mislabeled and may contain THC—creating “a real risk of inadvertent anti-doping rule violations for athletes.” CBD itself, meanwhile, is “a safe substance with a low risk of inducing side effects that could impair athlete comfort,” the review said. While CBD doesn’t have a “statistically significant impact on improving performance in endurance tests, such as time trials, maximal power output, or running economy,” the authors wrote, it has been shown to improve pain sensations related to muscle soreness. One study involving sublingual administration of 67 mg of CBD each day for 15 days “resulted in participants reporting significantly lower peak pain at rest and during movement 48 hours after induced muscle injury compared to placebo,” the review said. “The CBD group also demonstrated less impairment in muscle strength after 48 hours.” CBD can also indirectly help athletes recover by “improving sleep architecture,” the paper said. “It is postulated that CBD may reduce sleep latency (time to fall asleep) and decrease the number of nocturnal awakenings, which translates into better psychophysical readiness the following day.” “CBD may optimize athlete readiness by potentially improving sleep architecture and modifying exercise affect, which forms the foundation for so-called indirect recovery.” Interestingly, the review found that CBD’s beneficial effect on athletes seems to be “highly dependent on the delivery format,” with oral preparations providing increased bioavailability and significant aid while topical applications don’r appear to be supported for reducing muscle soreness, according to the current evidence base. “A significant finding of this analysis is the total lack of evidence supporting the efficacy of CBD creams and ointments in alleviating DOMS,” the authors wrote. “Despite theoretical premises regarding the presence of CB2 receptors and TRPV1 channels in the skin and subcutaneous tissue, topical application (even at doses as high as 1000 mg) did not influence pain thresholds or strength parameters. This suggests that the skin barrier represents a substantial obstacle for CBD, and the concentration reaching deep muscle fibers is insufficient to modulate the inflammatory cascade induced by eccentric training.” More broadly, the researchers said CBD has potential to protect people against cognitive impairment and that studies highlight its “neuroprotective role in normalizing the heart-brain axis following mild traumatic brain injuries common in contact sports.” “From the perspective of sports psychophysiology, the key areas of CBD action are neuroprotection, mood regulation, and the optimization of sleep architecture.” The review concluded by noting that many studies to date used small samples sizes. There is also an ongoing risk of THC contamination in CBD products and a lack of standardized dosing protocols that “hinder the development of precise guidelines for athletes.” A separate recently published review found that CBD “appears to have anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, analgesic, anxiolytic, and potentially performance-enhancing properties in athletes.” “CBD appears to have beneficial properties for sports recovery,” it concluded. The post CBD Helps Athletes Recover From Exercise But Does Not Boost Performance, Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Feds issue warning about traveling with marijuana; Mike Tyson thanks Trump for cannabis clemency; MA sales hit $10 billion; Cannabis safety op-ed Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… *Rattling the tip jar* Got a few dollars you can spare to help Marijuana Moment pay our writers, keep our website running and grow into the kind of robust news organization the fast-paced world of drug policy deserves? Join us for $25/month and be a part of our work: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected a request to block the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move that was filed by a drug testing industry association and a pharmaceutical company. The court also rejected a request from two medical marijuana companies that had filed a motion to intervene in the rescheduling lawsuit by joining the side of the government and opposing the litigation from prohibitionists. The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs is warning Americans against traveling overseas with marijuana or CBD—saying that “just because a cannabis, THC, or CBD product is legal in your home state does not mean you can take it abroad.” The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission reported that recreational sales have now crossed the $10 billion mark—with the state’s top regulator telling Marijuana Moment that rolling back legalization, as is proposed by an initiative on the November ballot, could “eliminate thousands of jobs, hundreds of businesses and billions in tax revenue.” Mike Tyson is thanking President Donald Trump for granting clemency to two federal cannabis prisoners last week, telling Marijuana Moment that “no one should lose decades of their life for nonviolent cannabis offenses” and that he hopes more will soon be freed. “I hope this is only the beginning for those still waiting to rebuild their lives.” Americans for Safe Access’s Steph Sherer argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that acknowledging safety issues surrounding cannabis “is not a concession to prohibition” but that “solving them is how we protect the future of cannabis access.” “Cannabis safety should not be a political weapon, and it should not be an uncomfortable subject cannabis communities avoid. It should be an area of research, innovation, collaboration, investment and competition.” Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate John James is raising money from the marijuana industry as he pledges to repeal a new cannabis wholesale tax—while Democratic contender Jocelyn Benson called it a “new and emerging issue” without taking a clear stance. A Georgia senator who sponsored a bill to expand medical cannabis access explained why he agreed to a House amendment to allow patients to vape marijuana flower. “You’ve got different additives that are put in that oil to have it hit a certain percent, and the flower is grown and there’s nothing added to it.” / FEDERAL The new director of the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research previously worked at psychedelics company Usona Institute. Rep. Maggie Goodlander (D-NH) and primary challenger Paige Beauchemin, currently a state representative, spoke about their support for federal marijuana legalization during a debate. / STATES Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand discussed his support for legalizing cannabis. Vermont’s lieutenant governor is facing a $5,000 fine for allegedly growing at least 100 cannabis plants in a location where he did not have permission to do so. A Massachusetts campaign working to pass a ballot initiative to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law has raised more than $1.6 million this year, while the main opposition campaign has raised more than $1.5 million in the same period. Pennsylvania’s auditor general published a report finding that the state’s medical cannabis program lacks proper internal controls to ensure inspections and enforcement actions were performed consistently and that it has inadequate approval processes for complaint conclusions and plans of corrections. Virginia regulators posted draft marijuana rules. Ohio regulators published standardized marijuana product label templates. Oklahoma’s top medical cannabis regulator is pushing back against claims that the state’s business approval process is too slow and enforcement is too strict. California regulators sent updates about various cannabis issues. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / INTERNATIONAL Cayman Islands officials are reviewing public comments on potential changes to cannabis laws. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “co-administered CBD increases the plasma availability of THC and its active metabolite 11-OH-THC.” A study of rats found “relevant evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of CBG for cognitive impairments associated with schizophrenia.” / ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS Whitney Economics published a report on the hemp market. / BUSINESS Shares in Curaleaf were reportedly purchased by the United Arab Emirates national security advisor. Walmart is being sued for allegedly illegally firing an employee over a positive marijuana test. Delaware retailers sold $5.6 million worth of legal marijuana products in July. Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox. Get our daily newsletter. Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human: Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Court allows cannabis rescheduling to proceed (Newsletter: September 10, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

It's great to see continued pressure on Biden for these pardons! The impact of non-violent cannabis convictions is far-reaching and disproportionately affects communities. Hopefully, they get the update they're looking for soon. Speaking of things that bring people joy, anyone else ever get lost in the endless topping combinations of papa's freezeria? It's a surprisingly deep game!

This women-focused cannabis and psychedelics conference sounds like an amazing opportunity to connect with industry leaders! I've always appreciated platforms that bring together diverse voices and expertise in emerging sectors. Events like this are invaluable for networking and staying updated on compliance trends and market developments. If you're interested in exploring industry insights and connecting with professionals in cannabis or wellness spaces, checking out community platforms like Fnaf can help you discover similar events and build meaningful connections in these growing fields. Definitely worth keeping an eye on!

A federal appeals court has rejected a request from a drug testing industry association and a pharmaceutical company to block the Trump administration from moving forward with federal cannabis rescheduling while ongoing litigation challenging the reform is considered. “Petitioners have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending court review,” the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled on Wednesday. The National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) and MMJ International Holdings and its subsidiaries had argued in briefs supporting their motion for the court to put a stay on the rescheduling reform that “marijuana abuse has dangerous, lifelong consequences—especially for adolescents and pregnant women” and that “by cutting taxes on cannabis companies,” federal rescheduling “will stimulate the industry and increase marijuana abuse.” The Department of Justice had opposed the request to pause rescheduling, noting in a brief that the entities challenging cannabis rescheduling have “pocketbook interests served by keeping all marijuana in schedule I” and are not suitable challengers to the reform because they are not the “intended beneficiaries” of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Meanwhile, the court on Wednesday also rejected a request from two medical marijuana companies that had filed a motion to intervene in the rescheduling lawsuit by joining the side of the government and opposing the litigation from prohibitionists. “Medical Marijuana Companies fail to demonstrate that their interests in this litigation are not adequately represented by existing parties,” the court’s order said, though it is allowing the companies to file amicus briefs in the case. Lawyers for NDASA and the prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) had filed a brief arguing that the cannabis businesses should not be allowed to join the suit. Aside from the question of immediately blocking cannabis rescheduling from advancing via the stay, the appeals court is weighing three separate lawsuits against the overall proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III that have since been consolidated. One suit is led by SAM and NDASA, who claim they are “aggrieved” by the reform. Another comes from a coalition of anti-marijuana activists, substance misuse professionals, doctors and MMJ, a cannabis-focused biopharmaceutical corporation. A third challenge was filed by the attorneys general of Indiana, Nebraska and Louisiana—though the latter state later withdrew from the suit. The court on Wednesday directed parties in the case to submit, within 30 days, proposed formats for briefings. “The parties are strongly urged to submit a joint proposal and are reminded that the court looks with extreme disfavor on repetitious submissions and will, where appropriate, require a joint brief of aligned parties with total words not to exceed the standard allotment for a single brief,” it said. “Whether the parties are aligned or have disparate interests, they must provide detailed justifications for any request to file separate briefs or to exceed in the aggregate the standard word allotment,” the court’s order said. “Requests to exceed the standard word allotment must specify the word allotment necessary for each issue.” Kevin Sabet, president and CEO of SAM, said that “while we disagree with the court’s decision on emergency relief, today’s ruling does not decide the merits of this case or resolve the serious legal and scientific questions surrounding this unprecedented reclassification.” “This policy sidesteps the rigorous scientific and medical standards normally required before a drug is treated as medicine,” he said. “We are confident those flaws will be fully considered as the case moves forward, and that ultimately the law and the science will prevail.” The court’s new decision on the stay comes as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other parties participating in a hearing on broad marijuana rescheduling have filed their final briefs on the issue. The federal agency, which is charged with defending the proposed rescheduling move, said in its brief that “marijuana no longer fits the statutory requirements for Schedule I because it has a currently accepted medical use within the United States and it has an accepted safety for its use under medical supervision.” The agency noted that under the law it must give “significant deference” to an “extensive ten-month study on the scientific and medical properties” of cannabis conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which recommended rescheduling. “Currently there are over 30,000 practitioners treating more than six million patients in 43 U.S. jurisdictions,” DEA said. “Such practices demonstrate that there is no longer a lack of accepted safety for use of marijuana under medical supervision, and as such, marijuana does not fulfill the requirements of being a Schedule I substance.” It also said that there is “substantial evidence sufficient to show that marijuana’s abuse and dependency profiles better align with Schedule III substances than Schedule II” or Schedule I. “The vast majority of individuals who use marijuana do so in a manner that does not result in dangers to themselves or to their communities.” In conclusion, DEA asked the judge overseeing the hearing to “expeditiously recommend” that marijuana be transferred from Schedule I to Schedule III. Opponents of cannabis reform—including the SAM; the states of Idaho, Indiana and Nebraska; NDASA and others—also filed briefs. The anti-rescheduling entities argued that a new two-part test federal officials used to analyze cannabis improperly departs from a former five-part test, that marijuana does not have accepted medical value and that the reform would undermine drug testing of safety-sensitive workers, among other things. In 2024, the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) said the prior five-part test was “impermissibly narrow” and said the two-part review “is sufficient to establish that a drug has CAMU even if the drug has not been approved by FDA and would not satisfy DEA’s five-part test.” DEA has since embraced the new approach to evaluating cannabis for CAMU and it has been used to subsequently evaluate other substances. The DEA judge will now consider the final briefs and testimony delivered during the hearing and issue a recommendation on cannabis’s scheduling status. The final decision will ultimately be up to the DEA administrator, however. Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order the attorney general signed, the hearing is considering more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. The suit from SAM and NDASA challenging rescheduling 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. Meanwhile, the House Appropriations Committee voted to block federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. Bipartisan lawmakers told Marijuana Moment, however, that they don’t expect the legislative effort to block rescheduling to succeed. Separately, SAM, MMJ and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking to block a Trump administration program to cover certain hemp-derived products through Medicare. That case was dismissed by a federal judge in May, but that decision is being appealed. Read the court’s ruling in the marijuana rescheduling lawsuit below: Photo elements courtesy of rawpixel and Philip Steffan. The post Federal Court Lets Trump Move Ahead With Marijuana Rescheduling, Rejecting Pharma Company And Drug Testing Industry Request To Block It appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

Retired boxer Mike Tyson is thanking President Donald Trump for his decision to free two people who were serving time for federal marijuana convictions last week—but he is making clear that even more acts of cannabis clemency should follow. “No one should lose decades of their life for nonviolent cannabis offenses,” Tyson told Marijuana Moment in reaction to the president’s action. Trump on Thursday commuted the sentences of Jerry Haymon IV and Kevin Harden, effectively ending their sentences and putting them on the path to being free. “I want to thank President Trump for giving Jerry Haymon and Kevin Harden a second chance,” Tyson told Marijuana Moment. “I hope this is only the beginning for those still waiting to rebuild their lives,” he said. The clemency applications from Haymon and Harden were both accompanied by a letter Tyson wrote to Trump in which he praised the president for his administration’s moves to federally reschedule marijuana, which the boxer had publicly pushed for in advance. “There are Americans still sitting in federal prison for the very conduct your order addresses, waiting to see if your historic words will extend to them,” he wrote. “With two-thirds of Americans in support of marijuana legalization, not more punishment, the politics align with common sense policy. Yet individuals remain behind bars under outdated federal laws for conduct that today would not result in prison in much of the country.” “Granting clemency to non-violent marijuana offenders would reunite families, restore lost opportunity, and write the final chapter of the federal war on marijuana—a chapter that only you have the power to close,” Tyson said in the letter. “It would be a legacy moment: bold, decisive, and right. I respectfully urge you to act.” Haymon was given a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in federal prison for his participation in a marijuana distribution conspiracy, and had been living in home confinement for the past year. “Today is an amazing day that I will never forget,” Haymon told Marijuana Moment on Friday after receiving the news of his commutation, saying it feels like he has been “reborn again.” Thirty-six members of Congress sent a letter to then-President Joe Biden in support of Haymon’s request for clemency. While Biden issued mass pardons to people who committed federal marijuana possession offenses, he did not heed calls to free people serving time in federal prison for involvement in selling cannabis. Haymon’s case was championed by Weldon Angelos, founder of the criminal justice non-profit The Weldon Project who received a cannabis-related presidential pardon during Trump’s first term. “I also recognize Weldon Angelos and The Weldon Project for their tireless work bringing people home,” Tyson told Marijuana Moment. Harden, the other person that Trump granted clemency to on Thursday, had been serving a 30-year sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. His co-defendant in the cannabis case, James Romans, was granted clemency by Trump in 2021 on the final day of his first term in office. The two cannabis commutations are part of a broader package of clemency grants the the president issued last week. Trump’s move to free a handful of cannabis prisoners comes as his administration of moving forward with the process of federally rescheduling marijuana. Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order he signed, the DEA hearing was held to consider more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. An agency judge is currently considering a recommendation on the issue, and then the DEA administrator will issue a final determination. During the hearing, DEA officials charged with defending the cannabis rescheduling proposal highlighted testimony on marijuana’s medical benefits and its relative safety compared to other substances such as alcohol and opioids. Earlier this year, Trump pardoned a former NFL star who was convicted of trafficking 175 pounds of marijuana. At the start of his second term, the president fulfilled a campaign promise by commuting the life sentence of Ross Ulbricht, a man who was convicted of running a dark web illicit drug market. Tyson, for his part, spent time talking with Pennsylvania lawmakers last year about why that state should legalize marijuana. Image element courtesy of Super Festivals. The post Mike Tyson Thanks Trump For Releasing Federal Marijuana Prisoners, Saying He Hopes More Will Soon Be Freed appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

His Democratic opponent called the cannabis tax a “new and emerging issue” and hasn’t taken a clear stance on it. By Simon D. Schuster, Bridge Michigan This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan, a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here. Republican John James is proposing to “repeal or sharply reduce” Michigan’s new 24 percent wholesale tax on marijuana and courting industry donors as he competes to be Michigan’s next governor. The new tax was a key component of the bipartisan road funding deal Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed last year, but James argues it “drives up prices, gives illegal operators a competitive edge and has already fallen far short of revenue projections.” James publicly vowed to repeal or reduce the wholesale tax in mid-August, weeks after he had discussed doing the same at a campaign fundraiser organized by marijuana industry leaders. The gathering, hosted by executives of the JARS Cannabis dispensary chain, netted his campaign nearly $90,000, according to state disclosures. That’s a small fraction of the nearly $1.2 million James raised from donors since late July, but it underscored the willingness of industry executives to back opponents of a tax they see as an existential threat. “He was clear as a bell: He wants to get rid of that 24 percent tax,” said Tim Beck, a longtime marijuana advocate who attended the fundraiser and told Bridge Michigan that about 100 people attended. Marijuana officials have said they were blindsided by the wholesale tax, which is separate from the state’s 10 percent retail excise tax and was part of a road funding deal negotiated behind closed doors by Whitmer, Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and Republican House Speaker Matt Hall. An industry group is suing to try to block it, arguing it violates the will of voters who legalized marijuana in 2018. As part of his proposal to repeal the wholesale tax, James noted state revenue collections have so far fallen short of projections. The House Fiscal Agency had projected the tax would generate $420 million annually to help fix Michigan roads as part of a promised $2 billion annual infusion, but state budget officials recently reported it had generated just $73.4 million in the first six months since implementation, below even revised estimates. James has not said how or if he’d try to make up road funding revenue if the tax is fully eliminated. His campaign did not respond to requests for comment, nor did a spokesperson for Hall, the GOP House Speaker. Benson takes wait-and-see approach Jocelyn Benson, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, has not taken a firm stance on the 24 percent wholesale marijuana tax, which her running mate, Brinks, supported in the Legislature. It’s a “new and emerging issue,” Benson said Tuesday when Bridge asked her about the tax at a campaign stop. “There’s a lot of data yet to be determined on that particular tax… We need to know where the money is going and also the impact that it’s had on the industry,” she said. “At the same time, I want to make sure that any changes we are making to our tax code do not come at the expense of driving up costs for Michiganders.” Michigan’s marijuana industry was already struggling with growing pains before the new tax, and Robin Schneider, head of a top trade group, said many business owners have told her they simply aren’t paying it. “They’re operating on a wish and a prayer right now,” said Schneider, the executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. She attended the fundraiser and her association donated $1,000 to James. Schneider told Bridge the James campaign approached her about the issue ahead of the fundraiser. “We didn’t do anything,” she told Bridge. “They made it clear that they support us.” Beck, who is a member of the industry association but has no business of his own, said he feels marijuana business owners are “pretty united” around James. Schneider said her association “repeatedly” reached out to Benson but has not heard back. The group previously supported Benson’s Democratic primary rival, Chris Swanson, who similarly pledged to repeal the tax. An industry in turmoil Michigan’s marijuana industry experienced meteoric growth after recreational sales began in 2020, but competition has been cutthroat, with rapid expansion and aggressive consolidation making it difficult for small businesses to survive, leaving all but the largest producers and dispensary chains standing. With the market seemingly saturated, industry margins remain razor-tight. In 2018, when 56 percent of Michigan voters voted to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes, James—then in his first of two campaigns for U.S. Senate—said he would vote against the proposal but would respect the will of voters if they approved it. Eight years later, James now says “state government has a responsibility to respect” the voter-approved law “while promoting workplace and community safety, keeping intoxicating products out of the hands of children, protecting consumers and enforcing the law against those who refuse to follow it.” Diversion to the black market is something that nearly every state that has legalized marijuana has struggled with. In Oregon, where marijuana is legal and regulated, some experts have estimated only about two-thirds of sales are through the legal market, and it’s unclear whether expensive state efforts to tamp down on illicit sales are making a dent. The industry has also sought other routes to reduce the financial pressure Michigan’s fiercely competitive market has brought on weed businesses. Schneider’s industry association has backed a proposal introduced by state Senate Democrats that would effectively cap production and distribution statewide, cutting off new entry into the market, much like the state-sanctioned oligopoly currently in place for alcohol wholesalers. That legislation, however, has remained stalled in committee. This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. The post Michigan GOP Governor Candidate Raises Money From Marijuana Industry While Pledging To Cut New Wholesale Tax appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“The law is very clear. You can vaporize flower and then of course vaporize the vape oil. So, the only thing that’s allowed in inhalables is vaporizing.” By Alander Rocha, Georgia Recorder Medical cannabis dispensaries are now selling the flower form of the drug in Georgia, but a new state law that took effect this summer has created some confusion over how it can be legally consumed. Lawmakers passed a measure earlier this year that overhauled the state’s medical cannabis program by dropping the confusing “low THC oil” branding, allowing dry-herb and oil vaporization, adding qualifying medical conditions and removing previous potency barriers. The changes quickly triggered significant growth in the number of patients enrolled in the program, with nearly 50,000 patients as of September 2, according to the Department of Public Health. But limits remain on how the raw cannabis flower can be used. Smoking it remains illegal under the new state law known as the Putting Patients First Act, which allows registered patients 21 and older to consume flower and oil at home strictly through vaporization. “The law is very clear. You can vaporize flower and then of course vaporize the vape oil. So, the only thing that’s allowed in inhalables is vaporizing. That’s it,” said Newnan Republican state Sen. Matt Brass, the bill’s sponsor, in a phone interview. Because flower is now being sold in Georgia’s dispensaries and independent pharmacies, retailers are finding themselves at the forefront of educating patients who incorrectly assume the availability of flower means the state legalized traditional smoking. Priya Raje, the owner of Lotus Farmacy in Suwanee, an independent pharmacy specializing in medical cannabis, said she is frequently asked about the difference between smoking and vaping and said that a part of her role is to educate patients on what’s legal in Georgia. She said that most people are familiar with smoking flower because it’s the way cannabis has been historically consumed, so she spends that extra time educating patients about what is allowed under the law. “I just tell them what the legality is and what the risks are if they choose to do anything else,” Raje said. Yolanda Bennett, who is a patient and co-head of the Georgia Medical Cannabis Society, which is an organization that advocates for medical cannabis access and educates patients, said smoking and vaporizing flower form of cannabis are entirely different methods. She said that smoking flower burns all the particles and plant matter and creates smoke from the combustion, whereas vaporization using a device only heats up the plant matter to a certain temperature without burning it, only creating an inhalable vapor. “When you take a flame and ignite the flower, that’s illegal,” Bennett said. The bill did not originally allow Georgians to vaporize the flower, but Brass said he didn’t push back after the House amended the bill to include it because he figured that vaping flower could be a healthier alternative to oil vapes. “You’ve got different additives that are put in that oil to have it hit a certain percent, and the flower is grown and there’s nothing added to it, and so that was why I agreed to it. I don’t know if that’s why [the House] added it, but to me, that makes sense,” Brass said. This story was first published by Georgia Recorder. The post Georgia Medical Cannabis Patients Can Now Vape—But Not Smoke—Marijuana appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

“Acknowledging these problems is not a concession to prohibition. Solving them is how we protect the future of cannabis access.” By Steph Sherer, Americans for Safe Access For much of the modern cannabis movement, raising concerns about safety has been politically complicated. Advocates have spent decades fighting exaggerated claims about cannabis harms, and opponents have been eager to turn every adverse event, regulatory failure or unanswered scientific question into an argument for prohibition. That history created an understandable reflex: When someone raises a cannabis safety concern, defend cannabis. It also helps explain why cannabis policy debates often center on two opposing narratives. One side presents cannabis as uniquely dangerous and promotes prohibition or restriction as the answer. The other minimizes legitimate concerns out of fear of giving opponents ammunition. Historically, medical cannabis policy has advanced by addressing public concerns. We have developed product-safety standards, improved patient and professional education, challenged government misinformation with evidence—including forcing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to remove the “gateway drug” theory and other unsupported assertions from its materials—and fought to remove research barriers. Entrepreneurs have also built cannabis-specific infrastructure where traditional systems did not exist, from specialized laboratories and manufacturing equipment to services designed for the unique needs of the cannabis marketplace. The takeaway is that facts, standards, research and practical solutions have advanced medical cannabis despite fearmongering. That lesson matters now more than ever. The future of cannabis access depends on our ability to distinguish between rhetoric designed to undermine access and legitimate questions that deserve real solutions. Confusing labels, contaminants in products, inconsistent dosing, accidental ingestion, impaired driving, youth access, inadequate professional education, gaps in testing, misinformation and barriers that push patients outside regulated systems are all real issues. Acknowledging these problems is not a concession to prohibition. Solving them is how we protect the future of cannabis access. We need to be able to say: Here is a problem. Here is what the evidence tells us. Here is what we do not yet know. And here is what we are doing about it. Medical cannabis raises the stakes The future of medical cannabis will depend on more than whether state or federal law permits a patient to obtain it. Integration into healthcare requires an infrastructure of trust. Healthcare professionals need education. Patients need understandable information. Researchers need support to answer unresolved questions. Products need greater consistency and transparency. Regulators need standards that work in practice. Patients need ways to report problems and navigate discrimination. Businesses need incentives to exceed minimum requirements through a marketplace that rewards innovation. The people and organizations building those systems today are helping define what medical cannabis will look like tomorrow. Safety is a competitive advantage The next stage of cannabis market development will not be built primarily around potency, novelty, branding and price. Companies that invest in transparency, usability, testing, quality, safety and consumer education are helping build the standards and infrastructure that a mature cannabis marketplace and the integration of cannabis into healthcare will require. Addressing safety concerns should not be viewed simply as a compliance obligation. It can strengthen patient and consumer trust, distinguish responsible businesses, reduce preventable problems and show that the legal marketplace can respond to public concerns. Legitimacy requires accountability, professional standards, continuous improvement and a willingness to solve problems before regulators, journalists, consumers or class-action lawsuits force us to. Opponents of cannabis reform are increasingly using legitimate cannabis safety concerns to argue for broader restrictions. Cannabis safety should not be a political weapon, and it should not be an uncomfortable subject cannabis communities avoid. It should be an area of innovation, collaboration, investment and competition. The Backlash is Being Organized Communities across America have legitimate questions about cannabis safety and public health. In 2024, the National Academies published Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity, which documented mounting concerns and called for cannabis policies that protect the public from potential harms, including accidental ingestion, impaired-driving crashes, secondhand smoke and environmental impacts, while also protecting people who use cannabis from harm and ensuring access to dependency treatment when needed. Public safety concerns are real and are no longer a fringe messaging problem. They are the foundation of an organized political backlash against cannabis access that is gaining steam. Opposition campaigns are using public anxiety to portray current cannabis policies as failures and build support for a return to prohibition or more restrictive approaches. Their arguments increasingly focus on impaired driving and roadway safety, contaminated products in legal markets, emergency visits and accidental exposures, workplace safety and other legitimate concerns that deserve thoughtful responses. Opponents are raising money around rescheduling and public fears, fueling support for aggressive enforcement proposals. Leadership in Congress is responding. They are organizing opposition to rescheduling and holding hearings linking cannabis safety concerns to criminal-enforcement and national-security narratives. At the state level, national organizations are backing ballot and referendum campaigns to overturn and restrict cannabis laws. They have money, infrastructure, trusted messengers and a clear policy agenda. Raising up problem-solvers Many people are stepping up to address legitimate concerns about cannabis safety, but their work does not always make its way into the public debate. Every day, researchers are expanding the evidence base, patient advocates are identifying failures in healthcare and public policy, elected officials are pursuing workable reforms and organizations are creating better public education and professional training. Companies and innovators are also tackling practical problems through safer storage, better dosing and measurement, improved product preservation, clearer testing and labeling information, whole-flower vaporization technology, sustainability efforts and tools for responding safely to uncomfortable THC overconsumption. What we choose to celebrate and highlight signals what we value as a community. Focusing primarily on revenue, expansion, potency and stock prices while overlooking innovations that address patient, consumer, professional and community concerns is a missed opportunity to shape what comes next. Recognition can help good ideas travel. It can bring attention to solutions that deserve investment, encourage companies to compete on safety as well as performance and show policymakers and the public that the cannabis community can confront difficult issues. Help identify the work worth scaling Our challenge is to identify solutions that are working and make them visible. That is why Americans for Safe Access created the first Cannabis Safety Awards. Across 18 categories, the awards are intended to shine a light on people, programs, products and innovations that identified a cannabis safety problem and decided to be part of the solution. Our goal is not simply to hand out awards. It is to demonstrate to the media, policymakers and the public that concerns about integrating cannabis into healthcare and society are being heard and that the cannabis community is already helping address them. Steph Sherer is the founder and executive director of Americans for Safe Access, which is organizing the 2026 Cannabis Safety Awards for which nominations are open through September 10. The post Addressing Cannabis Safety Issues Is A Strength, Not A Weakness, For The Legalization Movement (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

The U.S. State Department is warning U.S. citizens against traveling internationally while carrying marijuana or CBD products. “U.S. citizens are subject to local laws,” the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs said in a social media post on Tuesday. “Just because a cannabis, THC, or CBD product is legal in your home state does not mean you can take it abroad. This includes prescribed medical marijuana.” The agency wants to make sure that Americans know that many countries impose “severe criminal penalties” for cannabis, pointing them to a federal website where they can review local laws and prohibited items where they are traveling. Even if cannabis is legal or decriminalized in a destination country, however, “bringing it or any cannabis-derived products across an international border can result in arrest or other criminal penalties,” the bureau said. “Do not travel internationally with cannabis or cannabis-derived products, including marijuana, THC, CBD, edibles, vape cartridges, oils, concentrates, or other cannabis products.” It is also reminding people to “always pack from a completely empty bag” in order to avoid accidentally bringing forgotten marijuana stuffed inside of a suitcase pocket. “Americans have been arrested after unintentionally bringing cannabis products into another country, including edibles, vape cartridges, oils, and concentrates,” the post said. “Check all suitcase compartments and pockets carefully before traveling.” Do not travel internationally with cannabis or cannabis-derived products, including marijuana, THC, CBD, edibles, vape cartridges, oils, concentrates, or other cannabis products. U.S. citizens are subject to local laws. Just because a cannabis, THC, or CBD product is legal in… pic.twitter.com/G3b1KxSXNW — TravelGov (@TravelGov) September 8, 2026 A number of high-profile cases have involved Americans being detained for possessing marijuana in other countries. Basketball player Brittney Griner, for example, was jailed in Russia for about 10 months after being caught at an airport with cannabis vapes that she said were used for medical purposes in accordance with Arizona law. She was freed as part of a prisoner swap orchestrated by the Biden administration. Similarly, U.S. citizen Marc Fogel was also jailed in Russia for possessing marijuana that he says he used legally under Pennsylvania law to treat back pain. He was freed in a prisoner swap negotiated by the Trump administration. While the State Department is warning Americans about the risks of traveling with cannabis overseas, recently released FBI data shows that police in the U.S. made more than 200,000 arrests for marijuana-related offenses here at home last year. When it comes to domestic travel, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pushed back earlier this year against exaggerated headlines about a supposed change in the federal government’s policy on bringing marijuana into airports and on airplanes. “TSA’s policy on medical marijuana has not changed,” a TSA spokesperson told Marijuana Moment. “Per TSA’s website: If any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity is discovered during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.” Despite the growing number of states that have legalized marijuana for medical or adult use, cannabis largely remains illegal at the federal level—though the Trump administration is taking steps to reclassify it. Attorney General Todd Blanche in April issued an order that immediately reclassified state-licensed medical cannabis, as well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Under a separate order he signed, a hearing is considering more comprehensively moving marijuana to Schedule III. Image element courtesy of Steve Fitzgerald. The post State Department Warns Americans Against Traveling Internationally With Marijuana Or CBD Products appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.net

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