https://tokeativity.com/connect/rss/1-topics-events-rss.xml/enPresident Donald Trump has granted clemency to two people who are serving time for federal marijuana convictions as his administration advances the process of rescheduling cannabis. The president 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. Haymon was given a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence in federal prison for his participation in a marijuana distribution conspiracy, and has been living in home confinement for the past year. Until now, he has had about a year left to go and has experienced difficulty getting approval for jobs. For example, the private company overseeing his home confinement blocked his ability to handle social media for a cannabis company and to do research at a policy organization that touched on the issue of marijuana even though neither job would have involved him touching the plant. “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.” “I got my life back,” he said. “There are no words that can fully express what this act of clemency means to me and the people I love. I am deeply grateful to everyone who advocated for me, supported me and helped give me this second chance.” Thirty-six members of Congress sent a letter to then-President Joe Biden in support of Haymon’s request for clemency. “Jerry was a two-way football star in high school who went on to play defensive back in college, where he was majoring in economics (and even made the Dean’s List one semester),” the lawmakers wrote. “Prior to his arrest in 2017, Jerry was looking to try out for professional football. At sentencing, the trial judge regretfully noted that his hands were tied by federal mandatory minimum prison terms for marijuana.” 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. Harden, the other person that Trump granted clemency to on Thursday, has 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. While incarcerated, Harden has experienced several severe medical issues, including multiple open-heart surgeries, a seizure disorder and blood-clotting. The clemency applications from Haymon and Harden were both accompanied by a letter that boxer Mike Tyson wrote to Trump in which he praised the president for making moves to federally reschedule marijuana. “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. “It would be a legacy moment: bold, decisive, and right. I respectfully urge you to act.” The two cannabis commutations are part of a broader package of clemency grants the the president issued this 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. That included appearances from a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and a medical doctor from New Hampshire who detailed how medical marijuana provides relief to pain patients and can serve as an alternative to opioids. Weldon Angelos, founder of the criminal justice non-profit The Weldon Project who received a cannabis-related presidential pardon during Trump’s first term, said that “today is an extraordinary day for two deserving men and their families.” “These grants of clemency are about mercy, redemption, second chances and recognizing the humanity in people who have already paid an enormous price for their mistakes,” he said. “President Trump has granted clemency to two individuals serving prison time for cannabis, Jerry Haymon and Kevin Harden. Jerry, a former college football standout, has worked incredibly hard to demonstrate that a person’s worst moment should never define the rest of their life. Kevin has endured serious and debilitating medical conditions that have made his continued incarceration both extraordinarily difficult and increasingly dangerous.” “I am deeply grateful to President Trump and Alice Johnson for continuing to give deserving people a pathway home,” Angelos said, referring to Trump’s White House pardon czar who herself received clemency from Trump in 2018. “For Jerry and Kevin, and especially for the families who have waited and prayed for this day, this is life-changing,” he said. “We are also encouraged by the administration’s continued commitment to clemency and expect to see more deserving individuals receive relief in the future. This is exactly why we do this work.” Haymon said he is “eternally grateful to President Donald J. Trump and Alice Johnson for granting me a full commutation for my marijuana offense and giving me the opportunity to move forward with my life without this conviction hanging over me.” “I also want to thank Weldon Angelos and the entire Mission Green and Weldon Project team for believing in me, fighting for me, and never giving up on my case,” he said. “They stood beside me and my family throughout this process and worked tirelessly to make this moment possible.” Erik Luna, who represented Haymon on behalf of the Mission Green Initiative and serves as director of research and legal policy at the Weldon Project, said his client “received a ten-year federal sentence for conduct that is now legal in both states where the offense occurred.” “Jerry served years in prison for a first-time, nonviolent marijuana offense, while today multi-billion-dollar cannabis companies operate openly under state law—often with armed security—engaging in the very conduct for which Jerry was convicted and sentenced,” he said. “That is the definition of injustice.” 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. The post Trump Releases More Federal Marijuana Prisoners As DEA Considers Rescheduling Cannabis appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netFri, 04 Sep 2026 19:05:53 +0000The Democratic candidate running to become Texas’s next lieutenant governor is drawing a clear contrast with the Republican incumbent on the issue of cannabis. Vikki Goodwin, who is currently a state representative, will be holding what her campaign calls a “Legalize It” rally in Houston on Saturday. It will feature a performance from Grammy award-winning musician Kam Franklin and an update from an attorney helping to lead litigation against hemp THC product restrictions that were recently enacted by Texas officials. A press release from Goodwin’s campaign calls out “pharmaceutical and alcohol industry donations” to her opponent, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who oversees the Senate and has championed legislation to recriminalize many hemp products. While the bill Patrick favored was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), the governor then issued an executive order on the issue and regulators have since enacted significant restrictions on derivatives from the crop. “Join us to Ban Dan and elect the only one who can stop the THC ban, Vikki Goodwin,” the campaign said of the Houston event, which is expected to be the first of several cannabis-focused rallies in major urban areas of the state. Meanwhile, Goodwin is also endorsing a local measure on Houston’s November ballot to make misdemeanor marijuana possession the “lowest possible enforcement priority” and ban no-knock warrants. “We should not be wasting public resources and ruining lives over low-level cannabis possession. We should not be barging into people’s homes with no-knock raids that escalate danger for both residents and law enforcement,” she said. “Houston voters have an opportunity to lead the state with a smarter, safer approach to public safety. I believe in local government, and communities should have the power to demand policies that reflect their values and prioritize safety and dignity.” The Goodwin campaign is additionally encouraging cannabis reform supporters to participate in phone banking outreach to Texas voters. “Overnight, Dan Patrick made Delta-8 a Schedule I drug in Texas, the same category as heroin and put thousands of Texas hemp businesses out of work. He used the power of the Lieutenant Governor to force through a prohibition crusade backed by the alcohol lobby,” the campaign said. “Half of Texas voters, and 62% of voters under 50, say the ban makes them less likely to back Dan Patrick. They just need to hear that Vikki is the one who can undo it.” A press release from Goodwin’s team cited a poll from last year showing that a strong bipartisan majority of Texans support legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana. “Texas needs a sensible regulatory framework for THC, rather than outright prohibition,” her campaign website says. “Dan Patrick Chose Prohibition Over Protection: Delta-8, Delta-10, THCA and THCP are now Schedule I in Texas — the same category of drug as heroin. Vape pens are a felony at any amount. Purchase and possession of products that you could buy over the counter just a few weeks ago are now illegal. Thousands of Texas manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers lost their business overnight. Consumers who relied on tested, labeled products are now buying from an unregulated market.” “The Lt. Governor controls the Senate calendar. Dan Patrick used that power to force through an anti-cannabis crusade, paid for by the alcohol lobby,” the site says. “Vikki Goodwin will use it to get Texas a framework that protects people without destroying livelihoods.” Last month, Goodwin claimed that Patrick pushed to ban hemp THC products in order to benefit alcohol companies, which happen to be among his substantial campaign contributors. “We’ve seen the lieutenant governor take hundreds of thousands of dollars from the alcohol industry, and that’s what drove the policy around the ban on THC,” she said. “I am in favor of treating THC like alcohol. A part of my healthcare plan is taxing THC like we do alcohol and cigarettes and use that for healthcare.” Marijuana Moment reached out to Patrick’s campaign for comment, but a representative was not immediately available. Texas Democrats are increasingly using the cannabis issue to bash Republicans as the November elections approach—and are highlighting their opponents’ support from the alcohol industry. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, for example, wants to legalize marijuana and suggested in a recent interview that that his opponent for the seat, state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) supports banning cannabis in order to aid his political donors in the alcohol and tobacco industries. “It doesn’t make any sense until you follow the money and realize that it is big beer and big tobacco that are funding the politicians, like Ken Paxton, who turned around and banned these safe THC products in order to enrich the big beer and a big tobacco lobby,” Talarico, who currently serves as a state representative, said. In a separate interview, the Democratic candidate said that keeping marijuana illegal while also moving to restrict hemp THC products is an “insane” form of “corruption.” “Think about what industries are most worried about THC products being readily available: Big Beer, Big Tobacco, right? And so they were the ones pushing this THC ban because it hurts their bottom line,” he said. “And a lot of research shows that THC—cannabis—these products are safer and less addictive than than beer or tobacco.” “And so to me, this is a prime example of what corruption looks like when you’ve got big industries buying politicians and pushing bills that harm people, but benefit them financially,” Talarico said. The Texas Democratic Party recently called out Paxton for refusing to answer a question about cannabis policy after he was recently shown in a video posted to X being asked what his thoughts are on the “state’s THC ban.” “I don’t know the details of it, but let’s talk later,” he replied before quickly stepping away. Paxton, in fact, has sued to overturn local voter-approved marijuana decriminalization laws in several cities across Texas. His office has also defended hemp product restrictions in court against lawsuits from the industry. That includes a recently enacted ban on certain hemp-derived THC cannabis products, including those containing delta-8 and delta-10 THC. Now classified as Schedule I drugs under state law, possession is treated as a felony, carrying a punishment of 180 days to two years in prison and fines of up to $10,000. A judge last month declined hemp companies’ request to impose a temporary restraining order on the THC crackdown while the overall litigation is considered. The Texas Democratic Party pounced on Paxton’s inability to answer the cannabis question, saying in a press release that he appeared to be “in a panic” when being pressed about the “incredibly unpopular” THC ban before proceeding to “run away” from the questioner. “Ken Paxton is a coward who runs from questions because he has no answers for his wildly unpopular positions,” Texas Democratic Party Spokesperson Ryan Martin said. “Paxton knows Texans hate this THC ban he has pushed onto people with his nanny-state agenda.” The party’s press release also noted that podcaster Joe Rogan, who lives in and operates a comedy club in Austin, discussed the issue on an episode of his podcast that was posted on Thursday. “They’ve done the THC thing,” he said. “Here’s what Texas doesn’t understand. You will fuck this place up and you will turn the whole thing blue.” “Kids will turn on you if you tell them they can’t smoke weed,” Rogan said. “They know weed’s not killing anybody.” Image element courtesy of AnonMoos. The post Texas Democratic Lieutenant Governor Candidate Campaigns On Support For Marijuana Reform At ‘Legalize It’ Rally appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netFri, 04 Sep 2026 15:36:45 +0000Republican elected officials had sought to invalidate the voter-approved medical cannabis legalization ballot measures. By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld Nebraska’s two voter-approved medical cannabis laws following a legal challenge to the 2024 petition effort. Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke, in a 7-0, 49-page opinion, sided against the lawsuit from former state Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell, a longtime opponent of medical marijuana, as well as similar arguments from Nebraska Secretary of State Bob Evnen (R) and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R). The duo had alleged widespread fraud and “notarial malfeasance” in the petition process. Kuehn’s appeal sought to get around a Lancaster County District Court judge who affirmed that medical cannabis supporters had enough valid signatures to reach voters in 2024. Kuehn initially sued Evnen. But in the end, the AG’s Office defending Evnen largely joined forces with Kuehn against the Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana campaign. Had the challenge succeeded, the campaign could have sought to rehabilitate challenged signatures in a second trial phase. “Notaries are, in effect, walking stamps of approval,” Zach Pohlman, state deputy solicitor general, told the high court in December. “They are professional truth tellers. And so when they lie, that presumption of truth…gets pierced, and they become just like every other witness.” In addition to the civil trial, Hilgers’s office secured misdemeanor convictions against a circulator from Grand Island and a notary public from York. The circulator pleaded guilty, and a jury convicted the notary. The notary is appealing his convictions. Kuehn, Evnen and Hilgers named other circulators and notaries who they alleged committed wrongdoing. No other charges were filed related to the medical cannabis petitions. If the justices had reversed, the 2024 ballot sponsors would have needed to rehabilitate enough signatures to show at least 86,499 valid signatures on two petitions apiece for the voter-approved laws—to legalize and regulate the new medicine—to stand, or 172,998 total. The campaign had 6,822 more signatures validated than needed when Evnen certified the measures in September 2024. Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong, who presided over the trial in Lancaster County just days before the 2024 election, ruled that about 1,500 signatures lost a “presumption of validity” across the two petitions, but she said those challenges still fell “well short” of affecting ballot access. During oral arguments, Chief Justice Jeffrey Funke and Justice Jonathan Papik also appeared skeptical of the need for many petition signers to potentially recertify that they signed the petitions. “So does that mean they’d call 86,000 signatories to testify that the petition was read to them, they understood what they were signing and they actually signed it?” Funke asked at the time. “And do that quickly?” Papik added. Justices Stephanie Stacy and William Cassel had also both hinted the case might be “moot” because of the result of the 2024 election or because signatures had already been verified. Papik pressed whether arguments from Kuehn and Hilgers’s office had ever been used. Papik was one of two justices who dissented from a 2020 Supreme Court decision that tossed the first petition effort from Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana from the ballot, arguing it was too broad. Supporters divided the legalization and regulation efforts in 2022 and, finally, in 2024. The voter-created Medical Cannabis Commission has been rewriting its regulations to allow fees for new applications before granting any new licenses. That process is still in the early stages. The next commission meeting is scheduled for September 14. State lawmakers granted the commission the authority to collect fees during the 2026 legislative session, but the commission had already been working to finalize a previous set of regulations. The decision comes amid an ongoing criminal investigation into significant allegations of fraud on at least eight different petitions in the 2026 election cycle. That consists of three proposed amendments to the Lincoln City Charter, four statewide ballot measures and one nonpartisan petition bid for Nebraska governor. Centered in Lancaster County, six out-of-state circulators were arrested who assisted the Lincoln petition effort, and law enforcement is searching for a seventh as of August 19. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R), Evnen and election commissioners for Lancaster and Hall counties are also calling for changes to how signature gathering is operated in Nebraska. Hilgers has called the 2026 situation a “sad period in Nebraska history,” and he’s repeated his assertion that the medical cannabis campaign was “top to bottom the most corrupt, the worst run, poorly executed, most disrespectful to voters in the State of Nebraska petition I’ve ever seen.” Campaign supporters continue to stand by their campaign and push for implementation, including in the Legislature, where multiple cannabis-related bills have stalled since 2024, at least one after Hilgers’s intervention. This story was first published by Nebraska Examiner. Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post Nebraska Supreme Court Upholds Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiatives, Rejecting Legal Challenge appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netFri, 04 Sep 2026 13:46:49 +0000Now that President Donald Trump has signed a bill that contains provisions to delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products that was scheduled to take effect in November, lawmakers are debating how—and whether—the crop’s derivatives should be regulated as an alternative to prohibition. Several Republican lawmakers spoke to Marijuana Moment about the kinds of rules they would like to see enacted to keep hemp THC products legal, while one said he wants to ban them altogether. Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), who sponsoring a bill to keep hemp THC drinks legal while taxing and regulating them like alcohol, said that the market is a “burgeoning industry” and that her view is to “let people have the choice” to use the products or not—even though she has “never had a hemp beverage in my life.” “I have heard from people in my district that want to continue to be able to buy it,” the congresswoman said. “The product that’s most commonly sold in the same basket is sauvignon blanc. So it seems to me the market is a bunch of yoga moms like me.” Van Duyne told Marijuana Moment that the “White House is taking it seriously” and emphasized that her bill “does not take away from states’ rights to be able to do what they want to do as far as making it illegal or legal.” “We’re following a model that’s already recognized and that it has already proven that it works” with alcoholic beverages, she said. “I’m just trying to do a very specific bill for a very specific product with rules and regulations that have already been established.” Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), who filed a bill this Congress to regulate hemp cannabinoid products, told Marijuana Moment that he thinks his own legislation is “darn close to what we need to do, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be some compromise” with other lawmakers who are supporting different approaches. “I would like to see the White House weigh in since we got the extension” on the effective date of the ban, he said. Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that redefined hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would remain legal after November 12. Now, however, under provisions included in a funding bill Trump signed this week, the effective date of the ban for most products is being pushed back to December 11 to give lawmakers more time to craft regulations for hemp derivatives. There is a carve-out, however, to allow the recriminalization on November 12 of synthetic cannabinoids “that are not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant.” “I just want regulation,” Griffith said. “You can argue about what the limit ought to be, and I’m not passionate about it… You have to have third-party testing.” “In the meantime, the products are out there doing bad things to people who don’t understand how much THC they’re getting. Sometimes they don’t even understand they’re getting THC, and that’s bad,” he said. “These products are out there. They’re going to be sold.” “I believe you can’t get that horse back in barn but we can corral it,” Griffith said. “So let’s put the corral on.” Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), a leading opponent of marijuana reform in Congress who has led the charge to recriminalize hemp products, told Marijuana Moment that “we gotta stop poisoning children—it’s that simple.” He sees no need to craft regulations, pointing to the 2025 law he championed that redefined legal hemp by banning many products—saying that the newly enacted delay just means that “they’re poisoning children for one more month.” “Everything’s been written. We have the statute,” he said. “It’s been passed a year ago. It’s all ridiculous. This is to make money for billionaires and poison children, and I’m not into that. The laws already exist.” Van Duyne told Marijuana Moment that she thinks her beverage bill addresses the core concerns of Harris and of senators who are worried about intoxicating hemp products. “It stops the product from being marketed to kids. It puts a ton more regulations on it than it has now,” she said. “It puts it more in alignment with alcohol and beverages. It taxes it and makes sure that it’s not synthetic. It limits the amount per serving.” “We took all the concerns to heart and really tried to give a very strategic, very strict bill that solves the harms that we heard,” Van Duyne said. Griffith, for his part, said that “Andy and I disagree” but that they have talked about the issue. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, told Marijuana Moment that the federal government needs to figure out how to more broadly regulate cannabis—pointing to a bill he filed with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) that would create a commission charged with making recommendations on a regulatory system for marijuana that models what’s currently in place for alcohol. “We should have a discussion with every agency that’s involved and spend the year trying to figure out what needs what and how to get to where we need to get and what does that look like,” he said. “Come to a conclusion. At the end of the year, have the report issued. We do it we beer, we do it with wine and spirits. Why can’t we do it with cannabis?” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — The Senate last month rejected an amendment from Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) and several cosponsors that would have removed the hemp ban delay provision from the funding bill, tabling it in a vote of 61-32, and the passing the overall legislation 90-6. The House vote on the bill this week was 370-48. Harris and a handful of congressional Republicans threatened this week to upend their leadership’s agenda in protest of the hemp product ban delay advancing, but they did not succeed. The LCB contributed reporting from Washington, D.C. The post Lawmakers Debate How—And Whether—To Regulate Hemp THC Products After Trump Signs Bill To Delay Scheduled Ban appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netFri, 04 Sep 2026 13:24:59 +0000A New Hampshire Democratic candidate for governor says the state should legalize marijuana and stop adding revenue to the coffers of its neighbors that have enacted the reform. “We do need an additional revenue source, and there’s one sitting right out there: the legalization of cannabis,” Cinde Warmington, the sole Democrat running for her party’s nomination to challenge incumbent Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R), said at a town hall event on Wednesday. “There is no reason why the citizens of New Hampshire should be driving across state borders to pay taxes to Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine to purchase a product that they obviously have stated that they want to have access to in our state,” she said. “We need to get that done.” Ayotte, who is up for reelection as governor this year, opposes marijuana legalization and recently vetoed legislation to allow businesses in the state’s existing medical cannabis program to cultivate in greenhouses. Her veto was overridden by lawmakers last month, however, and now the medical marijuana cultivation measure has become law despite her objections. In June, Warmington criticized Ayotte’s veto of the medical marijuana proposal. “Come on, Kelly. Shouldn’t we be trying to make health care more affordable for Granite Staters, not less?” said in a video posted to social media. “This bill would have made medical cannabis more affordable and more accessible to Granite Staters who really need it, and she vetoed it,” Warmington said. “But honestly, this is what we’ve come to expect from Kelly Ayotte. Look what she did to the Medicaid premiums. She increased them by up to $270 a month on the most vulnerable Granite Staters. She increased prescription co-pays when other costs are already going through the roof.” “New Hampshire deserves a governor who will fight to make sure we have lower health care costs and that health care is more accessible,” the Democratic candidate, who previously served as a member of the New Hampshire Executive Council, said. “That’s the bottom line.” In a veto statement on the medical marijuana greenhouse bill, the governor simply said, “I do not support expanding the cultivation of marijuana in our state.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Ayotte has separately threatened to veto any marijuana legalization bill that reaches her desk. The governor said last year that her position on the reform would not change even as the federal government moved forward with rescheduling the plant. In 2024, then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R) vetoed a similar proposal to allow cannabis businesses to cultivate in greenhouses. The House had enough votes to override that action, but the Senate did not. The post New Hampshire Should Legalize Marijuana And Stop Sending Money To Neighboring States, Democrat Running For Governor Says appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netFri, 04 Sep 2026 12:18:35 +0000Fri, 04 Sep 2026 10:12:58 +0000“The coming weeks will show whether the one-month reprieve becomes a bridge to lasting regulatory clarity or simply a brief postponement of an existential deadline.” By Matt Ginder, Greenspoon Marder For years, the hemp industry has occupied a unique and controversial space within the broader cannabis economy. What began as a niche agricultural market under the 2018 Farm Bill has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry spanning CBD products, THC beverages, edibles and more. Today, the hemp industry faces its greatest challenge yet: a federal restriction that many stakeholders warn will fundamentally reshape—or even eliminate—a large share of the market, raising urgent questions for thousands of businesses. The threat is no longer theoretical. A federal law enacted in 2025 imposed new restrictions on hemp-derived cannabinoid products, originally set to take effect in November 2026. That deadline has now shifted, but only briefly, and only for part of the market. For readers who haven’t followed the issue closely, understanding how the industry reached this point is essential. How Hemp Became A Cannabis Success Story The modern hemp industry emerged after Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which removed hemp and the THC it contains from the federal definition of marijuana. Hemp was defined by its delta-9 THC concentration: no more than 0.3 percent by dry weight. That distinction opened the door for farmers to cultivate hemp legally at scale. The 2018 Farm Bill addressed cultivation, not finished products. It expressly preserved the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) existing authority over food, drugs and cosmetics. Yet FDA largely took a hands-off approach to hemp products intended for consumption. That combination—a new legal definition of hemp, silence on finished products and minimal FDA enforcement—created the conditions for a wide variety of consumable hemp products to emerge. What followed was explosive growth. Some companies developed brands using hemp cannabinoids (compounds of the plant) aimed at wellness consumers, while others focused on intoxicating cannabinoids such as hemp-derived THC products. Because finished hemp products were not treated as federally controlled substances, companies operating in this space enjoyed certain freedoms not offered to the marijuana industry—nationwide manufacturing, distribution and sale, unconstrained by state borders. For instance, a consumer in Florida can order an intoxicating hemp product online from a company located in Minnesota, pay with a credit card, and have it delivered to their door by a major carrier. Interstate commerce, usage of credit cards, and the shipment of products remain prohibited in the marijuana industry. Brick-and-mortar access has expanded just as quickly. While marijuana products are typically sold only through licensed dispensaries, hemp products can be purchased through traditional retail outlets, including convenience stores, liquor stores and grocery chains. As the market advanced, so did scrutiny. Regulators and lawmakers raised concerns about product safety, potency, youth access, labeling and inconsistent state regulations. Those concerns became the driving force behind the push for stricter federal oversight. The New Restrictions And Why They Matter The 2025 federal restrictions narrow the legal definition of hemp considerably. Many products currently sold nationwide would no longer qualify as hemp. This threshold change will eliminate large segments of the cannabinoid marketplace. For businesses that have invested heavily in manufacturing, supply chains and retail distribution, the stakes are high. At least one study estimates the sector generates well over $28 billion in the U.S. annually. If the restrictions take effect without modification, the sector will face severe disruption and contraction. The ripple effects would extend well beyond manufacturers. Farmers who grow hemp for cannabinoid extraction could see demand sharply decline. Retailers that depend on hemp-derived product sales could lose a significant revenue stream. And consumers who now rely on legal hemp products could see many of those options disappear. Divided Lines Critics of the current framework view it as a de facto legalization of intoxicating cannabis through an unintended loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill. They argue that today’s products are inadequately regulated and too easily accessible, particularly to minors, and that stronger safeguards are necessary, especially for hemp products that have intoxicating effects. Many marijuana industry stakeholders, meanwhile, see the hemp sector as a competitor that has operated free of the regulatory burdens the marijuana industry has long carried, and are pushing hard to reform. The politics cut across party lines. The clearest illustration may be Kentucky’s two Republican senators: Mitch McConnell, who championed the 2018 Farm Bill, was one of the leading voices pushing to close the “hemp loophole” he helped create, while Rand Paul has emerged as one of the restrictions’ fiercest opponents. The White House has also weighed in, openly opposing the restriction in a letter addressed to the speaker of the House. Even the alcohol industry is split, with certain beer and spirits manufacturers largely supporting restrictions on hemp-derived THC beverages, while distributors, wholesalers, and retailers push to keep those products on the shelf. Why The Hemp Industry Has Reason For Cautious Optimism Despite the looming deadline, recent developments in Washington, D.C. have given the hemp industry a reason for cautious optimism. Last month the Senate passed a continuing resolution, by a vote of 90–6, that would delay the effective date of most of the new hemp restrictions from November 12 to December 11. A Republican-led effort to strip the delay from the bill, spearheaded by Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), failed 61–32. Multiple outlets reported that President Donald Trump personally called Budd in the days before the vote to make the administration’s case for the delay, though a Budd spokesperson said the president did not directly ask him to withdraw his amendment. This week, the House passed the Senate’s continuing resolution, including the one-month delay language. Trump signed the measure into law the next day, giving industry stakeholders a brief but meaningful window to continue advocating for longer-term regulatory solutions. The delay is narrower than it may first appear: it applies to hemp-derived cannabinoids that occur naturally in the cannabis plant. Products containing synthetic cannabinoids (i.e., those not capable of being naturally produced by the plant) would still be reclassified as marijuana under federal law on the original November 12 date. Beyond the short-term delay, several longer-term legislative fixes are circulating in Congress. The Lawful Hemp Protection Act, from Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Angie Craig (D-MN), would establish a federally taxed and regulated framework for hemp-derived products, while the Hemp Safety Enforcement Act, from Paul and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), would shift primary regulatory authority to states and tribal governments. A third, bipartisan bill titled the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act, from Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) focuses narrowly on regulating hemp-derived beverages under a system comparable to alcohol. None of these proposals have yet to gain the traction needed to move independently, but industry groups view the one-month reprieve as a critical window to build support for a regulatory solution. What Industry Stakeholders Are Doing Now With the outcome still uncertain, hemp businesses are increasingly focused on advocacy. Trade groups, farmers, processors, manufacturers, retailers and consumers are urging lawmakers to pursue regulation over prohibition, with messaging centered on three themes: preserving jobs, protecting the hemp farming industry and establishing standards for cannabinoid products. In practical terms, companies should be using this window to stress-test contingency plans, diversify product lines and prepare for compliance changes should the restrictions ultimately take effect, whether on December 11 or a later date. The Road Ahead The next few months could determine the future of the hemp-derived cannabinoid market in the U.S. The president’s signing of the ban delay measure into law gives the industry a critical one-month window before the new December 11 deadline. What happens during that window will matter as much as the delay itself. Industry stakeholders, lawmakers and advocacy groups will have a brief but meaningful opportunity to pursue a legislative fix. Absent consensus, Congress could instead pursue another short-term delay, buying additional time without resolving the underlying policy questions. And if neither a permanent fix nor a further delay materializes before December 11, the industry would face the restrictions as originally enacted, with natural hemp-derived cannabinoids joining synthetics under the marijuana classification. As Congress weighs consumer safety, agricultural investment and market stability against each other, the hemp industry remains in an unusually precarious position, fighting not just for favorable policy, but for the survival of significant parts of its current business model. The coming weeks will show whether the one-month reprieve becomes a bridge to lasting regulatory clarity or simply a brief postponement of an existential deadline. Matthew Ginder is a partner in the Cannabis Law practice group at Greenspoon Marder LLP and represents various cannabis and hemp-related businesses where he assists in many areas of the industry, including licensing, regulatory and compliance and business transactions. He also represents ancillary businesses that provide products or services to the cannabis industry and advises individuals, investors, lenders, startups and large corporations on direct and indirect participation in state-legal cannabis markets. Photo courtesy of Brian Shamblen. The post The Next Few Months Will Determine If The Future Of Hemp THC Products Is Regulation Or Prohibition (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netThu, 03 Sep 2026 18:04:07 +0000An Idaho lawmaker is urging voters to approve a measure on the November ballot that would restrict their own ability to legalize marijuana in the future. Sen. C. Scott Grow (R), who sponsored the proposed constitutional amendment to make it so that only lawmakers could legalize cannabis or other controlled substances, said the measure is a way to push back against the marijuana industry, which he claims is trying to make money off of addiction. “The reason that people push this—the marijuana lobby, whomever—is because there’s money to be made, particularly when people become addicted,” the lawmaker told Local News 8. “They can make it look chic, make it look wonderful, say it solves all ills. But the end game is money to be made by people that are purveyors of drugs, including marijuana.” Activists in Idaho tried to place a separate initiative on the ballot this year to legalize medical cannabis, but they failed to submit enough valid signatures to qualify the measure. Meanwhile, the state’s Legislative Council recently approved ballot language for the cannabis restriction measure. It reads: “In Idaho, a law may be passed by either of two methods. The first and more common method is for the Legislature to pass a law. The second, less common method allows the people themselves to pass a law through ballot initiative. This proposed constitutional amendment would give the Legislature exclusive authority to legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances in the State of Idaho.” Grow said in the recent interview that the measure is in line with principles articulated in the state’s Constitution. “Here’s what the Constitution says, Article III, Section 24 declares, ‘The first concern of all good government is the virtue and sobriety of the people and the purity of the home. The Legislature should further all wise and well-directed efforts for the promotion of temperance and morality,'” he said. “That’s what we’re doing.” The Natural Medical Alliance of Idaho (NMAI), the campaign that worked unsuccessfully to put a medical cannabis legalization measure before voters this year, has pushed back against the secretary of state’s determination about its signature submissions—including his decision to refer allegations of possible illegal petitioning conduct to law enforcement. Aside from the proposed constitutional amendment to restrict future voter initiatives on marijuana and other drugs, Idaho lawmakers have also pushed back against reform in other ways. Both the Senate and House of Representatives passed a resolution this session urging voters to “reject” the medical marijuana petition. The measure, sponsored by the Senate State Affairs Committee, claims that cannabis legalization in other states has led to a host of harms, including “increased cartel activity, development of black market marijuana production, human trafficking, and increased crime rates” as well as “increased rates of serious health issues,” environmental harms and “safety concerns on job sites.” It argues that the marijuana initiative would not only increase costs to the state but that its list of approved medical conditions is “so broad that almost anyone could qualify.” “The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act lacks safeguards to such an extent that it would effectively legalize widespread recreational use of marijuana,” the resolution claims. “The legalization of marijuana would have devastating impacts on Idaho children and their families… The Legislature urges the citizens of Idaho to reject any effort to bring the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to the ballot.” A statement of purpose filed with the legislation says it “addresses the devastating impact that legalizing marijuana has had on other states” and “identifies the significant problems” with the ballot initiative. Contrary to the claims made about marijuana reform in the legislative resolution, advocates often point to data showing that legalizing and regulating cannabis diminishes the size of the illegal market and has not led to increases in youth use. Meanwhile, NMAI recently released an analysis showing that Idaho could see more than $100 million worth of medical marijuana sold on an annual basis and up to $28 million in new yearly revenue for state coffers if voters approved the legalization initiative. The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, which NMAI unveiled last October, would have provided patients with qualifying conditions access to marijuana from a limited number of dispensaries and provided a regulatory framework for the market. Here are the main provisions of the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act: Health practitioners would have been able to recommend medical cannabis to patients with conditions that included, but were not limited to, cancer, anxiety and acute pain. Medical marijuana patients or their designated caregiver could have purchased up to 113 grams of smokeable cannabis, or 20 grams of THC extract for vaping, per month. The state would have started by issuing three vertically integrated cannabis business licenses, after which point it could have licensed up to six total. Marijuana would have been reclassified under state law as a Schedule II, rather than Schedule I, controlled substance. State and local law enforcement would have been barred from assisting in federal drug enforcement activities related to the state-legal cannabis program. There would have been anti-discrimination protections for those who use or sell marijuana in compliance from state law, preventing adverse actions by employers, landlords and educational institutions. It does not appear that there would have been any equity-centered reforms, nor would the initiative have provided for a home grow option. The campaign in February also released the results of a statewide poll showing that 83 percent of likely voters back medical cannabis legalization, including 74 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of Democrats and 92 percent of independents. Asked how they would vote if the current medical cannabis legalization does appear on the November ballot, 76 percent of respondents said “yes.” Of that cohort, 50 percent said they would “definitively” vote yes, and just 21 percent said they’d vote “no.” After the medical cannabis initiative was unveiled last year, a separate campaign that launched in 2024, Kind Idaho, told supporters that it would be suspending its own signature gathering for a ballot initiative to legalize the personal possession and cultivation of marijuana by adults. Kind Idaho previously introduced medical marijuana ballot measures intended to go before voters in both the 2022 and 2024 elections, but the efforts proved unsuccessful. — 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. — Legislators separately held a hearing last year to discuss a bill to enact medical cannabis legalization legislatively, but there hasn’t been meaningful action on the issue in the months since. Idaho Gov. Brad Little (R) last year signed legislation setting a $300 mandatory minimum fine for marijuana possession. A prior version of the proposal, which did not pass, would have set a $420 mandatory minimum fine for possessing cannabis. The post Idaho Lawmaker Urges Voters To Approve Ballot Measure Restricting Their Own Ability To Legalize Marijuana appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netThu, 03 Sep 2026 16:08:09 +0000Thu, 03 Sep 2026 12:42:26 +0000Medical marijuana has “promising therapeutic potential” in dentistry—including for treating conditions like orofacial pain, refractory periodontal diseases and burning mouth syndrome—according to a new scientific review. “Integrating cannabinoids into dental practice represents a significant path toward improving clinical outcomes and enhancing patients’ quality of life during treatments,” the paper, written by Brazilian researchers with the Health Department of the Federal District, School of Public Health of the Federal District and Higher Education Institute of Brasília, said. The review, which involved an analysis of 59 previously published studies, generally found “theoretical and scientific support on the potential therapeutic uses of medicinal cannabis in dentistry.” One study that the authors looked at concluded that cannabinoids have a “have a therapeutic effect in reducing pain perception,” especially for trigeminal neuralgia, persistent idiopathic facial pain, burning mouth syndrome and post-herpetic neuralgia. “Orofacial pain,” the new review said, “is among the most common conditions in dental care, and the use of cannabis appears to be an important ally in treating these discomforts, potentially enhancing the action of medications already used in these treatments or even replacing them.” The paper, published in Fitos Journal, noted that endocannabinoid receptors have been “identified throughout the oral cavity, including the oral mucosa, dental pulp, periodontal tissues, salivary glands, and temporomandibular joints.” Activating those receptors could provided targeted pain relief and reduction of inflammation, as well as antimicrobial effects, the authors said. “Cannabis has promising therapeutic potential in dentistry, with its main applications in the management of orofacial pain, periodontics, burning mouth syndrome, bruxism, management of oral mucositis, among others.” The researchers cautioned that while studies to date are “promising” when it comes to cannabis’s medical effects in dentistry and that it is “considered a safe therapy,” there is a need for randomized controlled trials to “more robustly confirm its efficacy and safety.” They also noted that in Brazil and elsewhere, there is a “lack of adequate regulation” of medical marijuana that “can lead to inequalities in access to treatment, favoring only those who can afford expensive products.” An additional problem is the “lack of standardization in cannabis use and dosing, given the absence of protocols due to the individuality of each person’s endocannabinoid system,” they said. “These factors alongside the need for more robust clinical studies and the high cost of cannabis-derived medications represent challenges that must be overcome to ensure broader and equitable access to this form of therapy,” the paper concluded. “Medicinal cannabis may be effective in relieving orofacial pain, reducing gingival inflammation, and treating hard-to-manage conditions such as temporomandibular disorders, among others.” The new review adds to prior research demonstrating cannabis’s potential to aid oral health. A study published last year mouthwash containing cannabidiol (CBD) and another botanical extract maintained “homeostasis of the oral microbiome, thereby reducing the levels of bacteria that can affect periodontal health.” Prior research showed that mouthwash with CBD and CBG has “promising bactericidal activity in vitro against total-culturable aerobic bacterial content in dental plaque.” A 2023 paper concluded that “a single dose of CBD is as potent as current analgesic regimens and can manage emergency dental pain effectively.” Photo courtesy of Max Pixel. The post Integrating Medical Cannabis Into Dentistry Can Boost Patient Quality Of Life During Treatments, Study Finds appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netThu, 03 Sep 2026 12:05:12 +0000Thu, 03 Sep 2026 10:14:07 +0000130. Psilocybin and Menopause: Two Clinicians Reframe Midlife for Women Episode Summary Estrogen regulates the serotonin system, and psilocybin reaches the same receptor. That is where this Salon starts, and it is the most specific version of the psilocybin and menopause conversation I have heard in public. Kelly McGinty, a nurse practitioner, told a full room at Town Hall Seattle that the drop women feel in perimenopause is physiological rather than imagined. I asked whether that means psilocybin replaces estrogen. She said no, and that she would like more research. Her co-author, Dr. Trish Singh, added that research on menopausal women barely exists at any phase of the transition. Two clinicians describe what they see in their patients, then draw a line at the point where the evidence ends. Most people selling a reframe of midlife will not draw that line on a microphone. What sits on the other side of it: anxiety as a knock on the door rather than a malfunction, why women microdose intuitively instead of on a protocol, and the archetypes we inherit about aging women. Kelly's oldest client is 85, and she says the younger generation is watching to see how the older one heals. A woman in perimenopause deserves an explanation for what is happening in her body. Psilocybin is not what delivers that. A provider who knows the full symptom list is. Timestamps 0:00 Introduction 2:15 Why these clinicians reframe menopause as a rite of passage 6:20 Estrogen, serotonin, and what psilocybin cannot replace 10:10 Anxiety and brain fog in perimenopause 14:55 Why women microdose intuitively instead of on a protocol 18:10 What the microdosing research actually shows 19:20 Consciousness, unnaming, and identity in midlife 21:35 Ending the shame around menopause 24:25 The FDA hormone therapy warning change, explained 25:30 Goddess, crone, and the archetypes of aging women 30:35 Elders, psychedelics, and the wellness industry problem Guests Kelly McGinty, C-FNP, MSN is a family nurse practitioner accredited by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, with a master's in nursing from Gonzaga University. She spent more than a decade as an emergency department NP before training in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and she now works with first responders, people at end of life, and patients with treatment-resistant conditions. She is the clinician in this conversation who names the physiology and then names its limits. Kelly's website Dr. Trish Singh, PhD, LPCC is a licensed mental health counselor in New Mexico and California with twenty-five years in behavioral health. Her doctorate is in mind-body medicine with a specialization in integrative mental health, she is certified in psychedelic-assisted therapy through CIIS, and she founded A New Awakening Counseling, which serves people reentering society after incarceration. Her current research is on holistic weight strategies for menopausal women, and she is the reason this episode ends up talking about archetypes rather than symptoms. Trish's website Together they co-authored Mycelopause: Uncovering the Magic of Menopause with Psilocybin. Original Substack post: ⁠⁠https://aprilpride.substack.com/psilocybin-and-perimenopause Resources Psychedelic Salon at Town Hall Seattle - ⁠2026-27 Schedule⁠ ⁠⁠SetSet Psychedelic Cards⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Women in the Wild application⁠⁠ The Next Chapter virtual live screening - RSVP here More about Mycelopause on Substack + Instagram Hosted by April Pride Subscribe for April’s newsletter on Substack at ⁠⁠https://aprilpride.substack.com/subscribe⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow on IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@aprilpridecreates⁠ / YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@aprilpridecreates ⁠ Get full access to APRIL PRIDE at ⁠aprilpride.com⁠ Catch the full episode hereThu, 03 Sep 2026 00:37:50 +0000“Diagnoses are sometimes entered into medical records without…meaningful consideration of medically authorized cannabis use.” By Etienne Fontan, Veterans Action Council The 2013 release of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) introduced cannabis use disorder (CUD) as a new diagnosis, replacing the DSM-4 categories of Cannabis Abuse and Cannabis Dependence with a single, severity-based unified diagnosis. This change was framed as a modernization of psychiatric classification, but it has had significant implications within systems such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) under the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In Part 4 of our series on veterans’ cannabis issues that are illuminated by the Veterans Action Council’s (VAC) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, we turn our focus toward a problem affecting many veterans: the improper diagnosis of CUD within VHA. CUD is defined as a pattern of cannabis use that causes clinically significant impairment or distress, assessed through criteria including impaired control, cravings, continued use despite harm, tolerance and withdrawal. The DSM-5 places these criteria on a continuum, classifying severity as mild, moderate or severe according to the number of criteria met. However, the decision by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) to merge cannabis abuse and dependence into a single diagnosis did more than streamline terminology. It fundamentally altered the threshold and breadth of diagnosis. Under DSM-IV, abuse and dependence were distinct conditions with different clinical implications. Abuse generally referred to problematic patterns of use with social or legal consequences, while dependence suggested a more entrenched physiological and behavioral pattern. By collapsing these into one category, DSM-5 widened the diagnostic net, capturing a broader range of individuals under a single label. This shift was driven by concerns about inconsistency. Researchers and clinicians had long observed that the boundary between abuse and dependence was not always clear and that patients often moved between categories. DSM-5 sought to resolve this by treating substance use as a spectrum. In theory, this improved diagnostic reliability and aligned cannabis with other substance use disorders. In practice, however, it also created circumstances in which individuals who previously would not have received a diagnosis or would have received a less severe diagnosis could now be classified as having a disorder. This distinction is not merely academic. A diagnosis carries weight. It shapes treatment decisions, becomes part of a patient’s permanent medical record and influences how future providers interpret that patient’s history. Within the VHA system, the broader definition of CUD has intersected with institutional practices in ways that many veterans and advocates find troubling. Reports have surfaced describing situations in which a positive THC test, often obtained through routine screening, is followed by the assignment of a CUD diagnosis without a comprehensive clinical evaluation. Such practices raise an important question: Is CUD always being applied as a carefully considered medical diagnosis, or has it, in some cases, become an administrative label? In a proper clinical setting, diagnosis should follow a thorough assessment that considers symptoms, context, medical history and the patient’s own explanation of their cannabis use. It should involve a conversation in which the patient understands the criteria being applied and has an opportunity to explain whether their cannabis use is therapeutic, medically supervised or otherwise clinically appropriate. Yet many veterans report that this process is not consistently followed. Diagnoses are sometimes entered into medical records without prior discussion, without documentation of a structured DSM-5 assessment and without meaningful consideration of medically authorized cannabis use. This gap between diagnostic standards and real-world application undermines the principles DSM-5 was intended to advance. When patients use cannabis daily under state medical cannabis laws to manage chronic pain, PTSD or other conditions, they may satisfy certain DSM criteria despite experiencing improved functioning rather than impairment. Cannabis occupies a uniquely complex position within American healthcare. Although it remains federally prohibited, it is legal for medical use in many states and is widely used by veterans seeking alternatives to opioids or other medications. The DSM-5 framework does not explicitly distinguish therapeutic cannabis use from problematic use. As a result, individuals using cannabis as physician-guided symptom management may nevertheless fall within a diagnostic framework originally intended to identify psychiatric illness. The consolidation of abuse and dependence into a single diagnosis has also contributed to what many describe as diagnostic inflation. When criteria are broadened and applied without careful clinical judgment, prevalence rates may increase—not necessarily because more patients have a true disorder, but because more individuals satisfy an expanded definition. In large systems such as VHA—where diagnostic coding serves administrative, research and reporting functions—this creates the risk that consistency may take precedence over individualized assessment. The role of institutions cannot be overlooked. The APA establishes diagnostic criteria, but organizations such as the VHA operationalize those criteria on a national scale. Their implementation determines how these definitions affect veterans’ lives. The increasing emphasis on CUD within the VHA system has coincided with expanded drug screening practices and a historically cautious institutional approach toward cannabis. What has not kept pace, however, is the rapid evolution of scientific research examining both the potential therapeutic benefits and the limitations of medical cannabis. None of this is to suggest that CUD is not a legitimate diagnosis. For some individuals, cannabis use becomes harmful and requires clinical intervention. The concern is not the diagnosis itself, but proportionality, accuracy and adherence to accepted diagnostic standards. Additional Evidence From VAC FOIA Records Internal VA records obtained through the VAC’s FOIA request raise important questions about how VHA applies CUD. In 2022, VA correspondence reported 134,790 veterans with cannabis-positive urine drug screens and 139,336 veterans identified as having CUD. While these figures alone do not prove improper diagnoses, they warrant scrutiny when compared with national epidemiologic data. Research cited within the same FOIA records from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III) found that 7.3 percent of U.S. veterans reported cannabis use in the previous year, but only 1.8 percent met DSM criteria for CUD. This suggests that only a minority of cannabis users meet the diagnostic threshold and underscores the need for individualized clinical assessments rather than reliance on cannabis use alone. The FOIA records also reveal that VA officials recognized the complexity of the issue. In one email, VA Office of Research and Development Media Branch Chief Bruce I. Friedland acknowledged the need to “thread a needle” between addressing genuine cannabis-related substance use disorders and supporting research into cannabis as a potential therapeutic treatment. In another email, Friedland sought guidance because VA lacked cannabis-specific resources for veterans who believed they had developed cannabis dependence. Additional correspondence from UCSF physician Dr. Salomeh Keyhani recommended that veterans identified through urine drug screening be individually assessed for high-risk cannabis use and offered treatment when appropriate, consistent with the DSM-5 requirement for a comprehensive clinical evaluation rather than diagnosis based solely on laboratory findings. VA research contained in the FOIA materials also found that nearly one third of reviewed patient records contained no documented discussion of cannabis between providers and patients. Of those that did, nearly half involved medical cannabis use rather than discussions of risks or harm reduction. These findings reinforce the importance of patient-provider dialogue and individualized clinical judgment before assigning a psychiatric diagnosis. For veterans managing complex medical conditions, inaccurate psychiatric diagnoses can affect treatment decisions, disability evaluations, provider perceptions and confidence in the medical record. Restoring integrity to CUD diagnosis requires rigorous application of DSM-5 criteria, informed patient participation, consideration of therapeutic cannabis use and periodic review of institutional practices to ensure administrative efficiency never replaces sound clinical judgment. A diagnosis should ultimately serve the patient by guiding treatment and accurately reflecting clinical reality. The value of DSM-5 depends not only on how its criteria are written, but on how faithfully they are applied. Etienne Fontan is a U.S. Army Desert Storm combat veteran and co-owner of Berkeley Patients Group, one of the nation’s longest-operating medical cannabis dispensaries. He serves on the Veterans Action Council, where he works on veterans’ access to cannabis, federal policy reform and international drug policy issues. The post Newly Released VA Records Raise Questions About How ‘Cannabis Use Disorder’ Diagnoses Are Affecting Veterans (Op-Ed) appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netWed, 02 Sep 2026 18:59:03 +0000California’s governor is touting the state’s large haul of marijuana tax revenue since voters legalized recreational cannabis in 2016, saying that the money “helps fund programs that benefit Californians, including childcare and early childhood development, youth substance abuse prevention, medical research and environmental recovery.” Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday said that legal marijuana sales have generated nearly $8.4 billion in tax revenue for California communities. That includes almost $4.5 billion worth of cannabis excise taxes and nearly $3.4 billion in sales taxes. “We are building a legal cannabis market that generates billions for Californians, and going after the illicit operators who undermine it,” Newsom said. “That’s public safety—protect consumers, support the businesses playing by the rules and put the revenue to work in our communities.” The governor’s office said in the second quarter of this year alone, the state collected more than a quarter of a billion dollars ($261.7 million) in marijuana taxes. California's regulated cannabis market has generated a whopping $8.4B in tax revenue for childcare, youth substance abuse prevention, medical research, and environmental recovery. We'll keep strengthening our legal market and go after bad actors trying to undermine it. pic.twitter.com/s1iQjJxx0b — Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) September 2, 2026 Officials are also highlighting the administration’s efforts to crack down on illicit cannabis activity, singling out an August seizure of $13.3 million worth of illicit marijuana and tobacco products. “Taking illicit cannabis off the streets protects California’s law-abiding licensed businesses and is another step toward a fairer marketplace for those who follow the rules, pay their taxes, and invest in California,” California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) Director Trista Gonzalez said. “Removal and proper disposal of the illicit cannabis protects unwitting consumers while ensuring the product never makes it to the marketplace.” Earlier this week, the governor signed legislation to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children. Newsom recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis. Last October, however, the governor vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.” Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics. — 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. — Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. Meanwhile, a lawmaker spoke to Marijuana moment about her decision to put her own bill to legalize cannabis dispensary drive-thru windows on hold for now. California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.” The post California Has Generated $8.4 Billion In Marijuana Tax Revenue, Governor Announces appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netWed, 02 Sep 2026 16:22:26 +0000A California lawmaker is putting her own bill to legalize marijuana dispensary drive-thru windows on hold for now, she tells Marijuana Moment. The legislation from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D) had passed the full Assembly this session and advanced through a Senate committee, but the sponsor said she wasn’t sure it had enough support to get through the full chamber and onto the governor’s desk this year. “California cannabis retailers lack a common and accessible transaction path for consumers afforded by so many other retailers in California, including fast food, pharmacies, banks, to-go alcohol sales at restaurants and a limited number of liquor stores,” Pellerin told Marijuana Moment. “Cannabis consumers who have mobility issues or other disabilities have limited options for being able to obtain cannabis without having to step out of their vehicles.” The measure says that licensed cannabis retailers and microbusinesses with storefronts could sell marijuana products “to a customer in a motor vehicle in a drive-through located on the premises.” Under AB 2697, cannabis businesses would need approval from the local jurisdictions in which they operate in order to add the drive-thru option. “While home delivery is legal, there are service area restrictions,” Pellerin told Marijuana Moment. “I authored AB 2697 because it retained local authority while enhancing the consumer experience, increasing safety at cannabis retailers and helping expand California’s legal cannabis marketplace.” “We had great momentum with AB 2697, but unfortunately we were not confident we had the votes and decided it was best to put the bill on hold and continue the work and engagement at a later time,” the lawmaker said. The California Narcotic Officers’ Association opposed the proposal, however, with a representative testifying this session that it would be harder for dispensary workers to check customers’ IDs for age compliance or to detect signs of current intoxication at drive-thru windows. “This bill prioritizes speed of sale over public safety, while undermining current safeguards designed to prevent illegal sales and protect public safety,” he argued. Under a current policy enacted during the height of the COVID pandemic, dispensaries can already offer curbside pickup. The bill would mandate that drive-thru sales “shall occur through a fixed-pane security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism that is part of a building located within the premises.” — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this week signed separate legislation to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children. In June, the California Department of Cannabis Control rolled out a new AI tool to help businesses identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids in violation of existing state rules, which already ban cartoons on cannabis labels. California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses. The vice chair of the state Senate Budget Committee has floated the idea of putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “reverse” Proposition 64, for example, arguing that voters were misled and voicing concerns about the health impacts of marijuana use. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.” DCC recently released data showing how 97 percent of state cannabis enforcement actions in unincorporated cities have happened in counties that have locally banned licensed growers from operating. California regulators also recently adopted emergency rules changes for the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis. Newsom recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis. Last October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.” Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics. Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently engage in marijuana commerce with licensed cannabis businesses without first obtaining their own commercial license from state officials. California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects. The post California Bill To Legalize Marijuana Dispensary Drive-Thru Windows Is Put On Hold By Its Sponsor appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netWed, 02 Sep 2026 15:29:09 +0000Cannabis and its components appear to play a role in alleviating the symptoms of restless leg syndrome (RLS), according to a new scientific review. RLS is a neurological disorder that involves an urge to move the legs and that sometimes involves sensations like tingling or aching. “Cannabinoids—particularly CBD—may hold therapeutic promise in RLS through multi-system neurobiological effects,” the study, published in the Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, said. Researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences conducted a comprehensive search of previously published studies on the issue, ultimately deciding to include seven papers in their review. Current evidence indicates that cannabis, in various forms, may alleviate or prevent symptoms of RLS through multiple mechanisms,” they concluded, though they also cautioned that studies published to date are “limited to case reports, cross-sectional surveys, and post hoc analyses.” High-quality randomized controlled trials will be needed to support more sweeping conclusions and recommendations about the use of medical marijuana to treat RLS, they said. “The evidence suggests that cannabis or cannabidiol may improve or prevent RLS symptoms.” That said, the scientific review includes a number of existing studies that provide initial evidence for cannabinoids’ efficacy in addressing RLS. Every patient in one study saw “complete relief in their symptoms” after starting cannabis. Another study found that “all patients, except one, reported complete or near-complete improvement in symptoms of RLS with marijuana smoking.” A third study found that half of patients who also had end-stage renal disease reported complete relief from RLS symptoms after using cannabis. “Topical application of CBD improved RLS significantly after two weeks, and smoked marijuana had better relief in symptoms of RLS compared to medical cannabis.” “This scoping review shows that use of illicit or medical cannabis can either prevent or improve symptoms of RLS, including refractory RLS,” the authors of the new paper concluded, though they reiterated that the existing evidence base is of “low quality” due to the lack of randomized controlled trials. “Despite these limitations, existing evidence indicates a potential role for cannabis in the management of RLS, primarily when available therapies do not provide optimal relief, lose efficacy over time, or have some disabling adverse effects,” they said, adding that the results of their review “invite cautious optimism regarding the role of cannabis and cannabinoids in RLS.” “The current evidence positions cannabis and cannabinoids as a potential adjunct rather than a replacement for established therapies. They may be worth considering in carefully selected patients—particularly those with refractory symptoms or intolerance to standard treatments—but only with a clear understanding of the uncertainties involved.” A separate recently published study concluded that people with RLS could find “significant” long-term relief with cannabis treatment. That research found that a cannabis product containing 2.7mg THC and 2.5mg CBD “was effective in reducing RLS severity” among patients with multiple sclerosis and “associated idiopathic RLS.” “Improvements were observed after 1 and 3 months of treatment and were maintained after 1 year among patients who continued therapy,” the study of 18 patients with RLS showed. For those that remained on treatment after one year, 67 percent “continued to show sustained improvement.” Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer. The post Cannabis Has ‘Therapeutic Promise’ For People With Restless Leg Syndrome, Scientific Review Concludes appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netWed, 02 Sep 2026 13:35:26 +0000Wed, 02 Sep 2026 11:54:01 +0000Wed, 02 Sep 2026 10:12:37 +0000A handful of congressional Republicans threatened this week to upend their leadership’s agenda in protest of legislation to delay the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC products from taking effect. Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC on a dry-weight basis were federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill that President Donald Trump signed during his first term in office. But late last year, the president signed new legislation containing provisions that redefined hemp to make it so only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container would remain legal after November 12. The House of Representatives on Tuesday, however, approved a Senate-passed funding bill that contains provisions to delay the effective date of most parts of the ban, with an exception for synthetics, until December 11. Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) and several other members knew that they didn’t have enough votes to block that bipartisan funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, so they set out instead to block a rule for consideration of a separate package of largely partisan GOP-led legislation touching on issues such as condemning socialism, defending Israel from boycotts and the mining of mineral. Harris, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, voted against the rule on Tuesday, as did Reps. Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Chip Roy (R-TX), each of whom cited the hemp product ban as among the issues they want to take a stand against their own party’s leadership over. Dangerous “gas station weed” is being sold in convenience stores across the country — and some products can contain even more THC than marijuana. A loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill allowed these unregulated products to flood the market. I worked to close that loophole. Now, the… pic.twitter.com/5iMo1Sw4o9 — Rep. Andy Harris, MD (@RepAndyHarrisMD) September 1, 2026 But their opposition, along with that of Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA), was not enough to defeat the rule clearing the way for House leadership’s agenda for the week to advance. Two Democrats—Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) and Jared Golden (D-ME)—voted with Republicans to approve the rule, 210-208. Harris complained in a social media post that THC products are “being sold in convenience stores across the country,” saying that some “can contain even more THC than marijuana.” Sessions, for his part, said he wanted House leaders to “change” the bill by removing the hemp ban delay provision. “Let’s just make it a clean CR. I’ll vote for that,” he said. Roy, for his part, said in a letter to leadership that he had “serious concerns” about issues in the bill that “Congress should address rather than simply extend,” including its “treatment of harmful intoxicating hemp products.” I have similar concerns. Suspension, Hemp, CISA, Planned Parenthood, Surface Transportation (with no kill switch or flock fix), delay of OMB grant rule… to name a few. So Rule is an issue… https://t.co/10J7Y9zUNe — Chip Roy (@chiproytx) August 31, 2026 Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), for her part, criticized her colleagues for threatening to delay their party’s agenda over hemp. “There are a few House Republicans so upset the Continuing Resolution includes a delay in the implementation of the Mitch McConnell-backed language to ban most consumable hemp-derived products from the marketplace, they are threatening to vote against this week’s rule, which has nothing to do with the CR,” she said in a Facebook post. “Make that make sense.” Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR), who did not join other prohibitionists in voting against House leadership to protest the hemp move, said in a social media post that he opposes delaying the ban. “Congress legalized hemp in the 2018 Farm Bill for agricultural uses like fiber, not as a backdoor for intoxicating products. Modern extraction techniques turn low THC hemp into gummies, snacks and drinks; items that can particularly cause risk to children,” he said. “Unregulated, intoxicating products should not remain on the market. The currently scheduled restrictions close this gap. A delay prolongs the harm. I sincerely hope that the ban goes into effect without further delay.” I supported the Continuing Resolution to extend government funding through December 11th. It responsibly averts a shutdown and gives Congress more time for negotiation. However, I oppose the Senate provision delaying closure of the “hemp loophole.” Congress legalized hemp in the… — Rep. Rick Crawford (@RepRickCrawford) September 1, 2026 House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), said he was “sympathetic” to concerns from Harris and others about use of the funding bill to address the hemp issue. “This should not have been on here, CR should not be controversial, so I’m sympathetic with that,” he said, though he also criticized the handful of GOP holdouts for using the rule as “leverage” for their concerns. “A lot of this is we’ve got a group that wants to leverage the procedural votes to extract things that the majority of us probably don’t want to do. I find that disappointing,” he said, according to The Hill. “I mean, if you’re going to be a member of the Republican conference, you ought to be able to vote for the rule. It’s just that simple, and you shouldn’t use it to leverage things against your own team. You want to vote against the bill? That’s perfectly fine, and that’s true in any bill. Your final vote on the bill is up to you, but blackmailing your colleagues is not the way to build an effective team.” The funding bill’s provision to delay the ban, which is supported by the White House and is now headed to Trump to be signed into law, contains a carve-out to allow the immediate recriminalization on November 12 of synthetic cannabinoids “that are not capable of being naturally produced by a Cannabis sativa L. plant.” A number of lawmakers from both chambers and both parties have filed or are circulating a growing number of bills to prevent the scheduled federal recriminalization of hemp THC drinks and other products later this year. Until now, none of those proposals have gained traction with congressional leaders. For example, Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Greg Landsman (D-OH) filed a bill to keep hemp THC drinks legal while taxing and regulating them like alcohol. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is circulating legislation that would delay a planned federal ban on hemp THC products and institute some regulations—including packaging requirements, testing rules and age limits. Separately, Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), filed a lengthier proposal to prevent the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products and put in place a number of regulations for manufacturing, labeling, sales and taxation of hemp-derived products, including an age limit of 21. The post GOP Hemp Opponents Fail To Derail House Agenda In Protest Of Delaying THC Product Ban appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netTue, 01 Sep 2026 19:14:40 +0000Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:05:10 +0000Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:01:56 +0000A recently released FBI report shows that more than 200,000 people were arrested marijuana-related offenses in the U.S. last year—and more than half of those cannabis busts were made by police in just ten states. Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama police carried out more than 131,000 marijuana arrests in 2025, according to a new analysis of the federal data from NORML. That’s about 60 percent of the nationwide total. Texas alone saw more than 29,000 cannabis arrests last year—accounting for about 14 percent of the nation’s marijuana busts—with 98 percent of those being for possession alone. Police in North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin each reported more than 12,000 marijuana arrests last year—all with 90 percent or more for possession only. “Today, the threat of arrest for cannabis possession largely comes down to geography,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “In nearly half the states in this country, low-level marijuana arrests have fallen nearly to zero. Elsewhere in America, police continue to disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives and waste countless tax dollars and prosecutorial resources on activities that most Americans no longer believe ought to be a crime and that, throughout much of the United States, no longer is.” Louisiana had the highest percent of total drug arrests accounted for by cannabis possession, at 62 percent. That state’s governor recently signed legislation that threatens to send people to jail for up to one year if they smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school property—including a college campus. NORML’s analysis points out that marijuana arrests have generally decreased significantly in states that have legalized cannabis—though some jurisdictions that have enacted the reform continue to see significant numbers of marijuana busts. Illinois police, for example, reported 5,731 cannabis possession arrests last year, and Washington, D.C. police carried out 1,336 such busts. Meanwhile, the overall FBI report likely understates the true number of people busted for marijuana, given inconsistencies in the federal data and questions about the agency’s changing methodology from recent years, as well as the fact that about 13 percent of state and local law enforcement agencies did not contribute information for 2025. The full 2025 data set is based on more than 13 million criminal offenses reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which is used to document and analyze national crime trends. The report covers 96.2 percent of the U.S. population, FBI said. This latest data shows that cannabis-related offenses increased year over year, jumping to 200,960 marijuana possession busts in 2025 from 187,792 in the year prior, and to 17,192 sales or manufacturing arrests from 16,244 in 2024. All told, marijuana busts accounted for a quarter of all drug arrests in 2025—more than for any other specifically listed substance—with 92 percent of cannabis incidents stemming from possession alone. Despite the uptick in marijuana arrests from 2024 to 2025, advocates note that busts have been trending overall downward in recent years, which they attribute largely to the success of the expanding state-level legalization movement. Because not all agencies provide complete data for the reporting periods, FBI has explained that the bureau calculates estimated crime numbers, essentially extrapolating “by following a standard estimation procedure using the data provided.” In terms of total reported arrests for a category labelled “drug/narcotic,” for example, FBI said there were 858,852 arrests. At the same time, frustrations over FBI’s inconsistent data reporting on cannabis and other drug arrest trends have persisted. Various sections of the report provide different numbers for seemingly similar categories of offenses. One FBI table says that there were 1,492,005 “Drug/Narcotic Offenses” in 2025. Another uses the figure for 1,656,774 under the same heading. A third puts the total at 1,958,377. Another section says there were 845,031 arrests for drug abuse violations in 2025, accounting for about 11 percent of the approximately 7.5 million estimated arrests nationwide. Other FBI tables say, inconsistently, that there were 754,497 or 768,170 drug abuse violations in 2025. The FBI data also attempts to show trends over time, indicating that there were 1,157,129 drug offenses charged in 2016 and 645,512 drug offenses charged in 2025—a reduction of about 44 percent, though it’s not clear how much of the change is due to the agency’s shifting methodology for reporting arrests and how much is due to actual changes in enforcement practices and state drug laws over the past decade. In terms of controlled substances seized in 2024, the agency said were 408,688 marijuana seizures and 5,378 hashish seizures out of 1,122,990 total drug seizures, representing about 37 percent of enforcement actions. FBI’s arrest data is widely relied on by lawmakers, researchers and media to understand and contextualize law enforcement trends. Any inconsistencies influence not just the public’s understanding of crime and law enforcement, but also potentially how policy is crafted and implemented. The post These Ten States Were Responsible For More Than Half The Marijuana Arrests In The U.S. Last Year appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netTue, 01 Sep 2026 13:01:58 +0000High doses of THC from marijuana may have psychoactive effects that are hard to distinguish from those caused by the psychedelic psilocybin, according to a new study. The results, researchers said, could have implications for future clinical trials of psychedelics by helping to address the problem of “unblinding” where participants are able to tell whether they have received the drug being tested, a place or a comparator substance. That issued could potentially be avoided by administering cannabis products to participants in the non-psychedelic control group, the new paper indicates. The study, conducted by researchers with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, involved four adults who underwent three or four sessions during which they were given either 25 milligrams of psilocybin, 25 milligrams of THC, 50 milligrams of THC or a placebo. The THC was administered either as a synthetic (dronabinol) or a whole-plant cannabis distillate extract. Participants were told that ketamine, dextromethorphan, (DMT) and (MDMA) could also be administered, but they weren’t actually used during the study. Both the participants and the facilitators of their sessions were blinded to what was actually received at the time, and they were asked to guess afterwards. Every participant was able to correctly guess when they had received a placebo or when they had received the real psychedelic. However, “the 25 mg dronabinol condition was rated as more similar to a classic psychedelic or dissociative than a cannabinoid, while the 50 mg distillate condition was perceived as predominantly sedative- or dissociative-like, but also moderately like a classic psychedelic by the one participant who received it,” the researchers wrote. “Both participants that received distillate correctly identified the 25 mg Δ9-THC dose as most similar to a cannabinoid and the participant that received the 50 mg Δ9-THC dose of distillate indicated that the drug was most similar to either a sedative or dissociative drug, with moderate similarity to a classic psychedelic, but rating the drug as having no similarity to a cannabinoid… While one participant with prior psychedelic use history rated 25 mg THC (distillate) as most similar to a cannabinoid, the other participant with prior psychedelic use history rated 25 mg THC (dronabinol) as most similar to a dissociative or psychedelic, suggesting that prior psychedelic use history alone did not completely determine subjective experience, blinding, or drug similarity assessments.” The whole-plant cannabis distillate extract of THC was rated by participants as having “a stronger overall subjective drug effect than equivalent doses” of the synthetic dronabinol, the paper, published in the journal Psychopharmacology, said. “25 mg Δ9-THC in both forms yielded a subjective experience similar to 25 mg psilocybin.” Prior experience with psychedelics “did not appear to significantly impact” participants’ being able to correctly differentiate the effects of cannabis and psilocybin, the researchers said. “These preliminary data suggest that a 25 mg oral dose of pure, synthetic Δ9-THC can be mistaken for a classic hallucinogen, and that oral Δ9-THC can elicit a psychedelic-like experience under set and setting conditions of a typical psychedelic clinical trial,” the study said. The researchers said that comparators used in psychedelic clinical trials to date “generally fail to preserve the blinding of drug administration due to the unique nature of psychedelic drug effects, including ‘mystical-type’ experiences.” The current results suggest that “an appropriate dose of Δ9-THC may provide an adequate active comparator condition for ongoing psychedelic clinical trials,” they said. The study was designed to mimic the set and setting in which psychedelic research is typically carried out. Participants laid on a couch, wore eye shades, listened to music and were told to “turn inward and be present for whatever arises within consciousness.” “High-dose cannabis can produce psychedelic-like states.” The general lack of ability of some participants to distinguish between the effects of the substances tested demonstrates that “Δ9-THC can produce substantial alterations in consciousness under optimized set and setting and may offer a viable component in the development of improved active-control conditions in psychedelic research,” the researchers wrote. “This pilot investigation provides preliminary evidence that oral Δ9-THC, when administered under the set and setting conditions of a typical psychedelic clinical trial, can occasion subjective effects with phenomenological overlap with those of psilocybin. Subjective effects and blinding outcomes indicate that an appropriate dose of THC may partially reduce functional unblinding relative to placebo and other active comparators in randomized clinical trials.” The study was funded by the Wana Brand Foundation, which was launched by the CEO of the cannabis company Wana Brands. Image element courtesy of Kristie Gianopulos. The post High Doses Of THC From Cannabis Can Produce ‘Psychedelic-Like States,’ Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netTue, 01 Sep 2026 12:08:57 +0000Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:11:49 +0000California’s governor has signed a bill to more clearly define the types of marijuana packaging and labeling that is prohibited due to appealing to children. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) gave final approval to the legislation from Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D) on Monday, about two weeks after it passed the Assembly in a vote of 69-1 and cleared the Senate 38-0. “When voters legalized adult-use cannabis, they also made clear that California must protect children and ensure cannabis products are sold in a tightly regulated marketplace,” the governor said in a press release. “Today we are setting clearer, enforceable standards that protect kids, strengthen accountability, and give responsible businesses the certainty they need to follow the rules.” As enacted into law, AB 2249 defines “attractive to children” to mean designed or likely to appeal to people under the age of 21. Indications for that youth appeal include the use of cartoons, depictions of individuals who appear to be under 21, use of mythological creatures like unicorns or dragons or references to celebrities or characters who are primarily associated with children’s entertainment. It also includes images of consumable goods that are primarily marketed to children—such as candies, cereals, sweets and desserts—as well as the use of lettering styles resembling “overinflated bubbles or balloons” that are typical in products marketed to kids. “Cannabis and cannabis product packaging and labeling shall not imitate, mimic, or closely resemble the packaging, labeling, trade dress, or overall appearance of a non-cannabis product that is primarily marketed to children,” the legislation says. While the new law says that “edible cannabis product or vape cartridge labeling shall not include cartoon or overly stylized depictions of fruit,” one provision clarifies that “realistic depictions of fruit used to identify or accurately depict the product ingredients or production region are not prohibited.” The packaging and labeling restrictions are set to take effect on January 1, 2028 now that the measure has been enacted into law. — 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. — Under the legislation, the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is directed to adopt regulations to “address additional packaging and labeling design elements or product characteristics that pose heightened risk to children.” DCC will also be required to develop “compliance assessment resources” to help cannabis businesses self-evaluate whether their packaging and labeling at attractive to children. In June, the department rolled out a new AI tool to help businesses identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids in violation of existing state rules, which already ban cartoons on cannabis labels. Irwin, the bill’s sponsor, previously requested the California State Auditor to conduct an assessment of DCC’s enforcement of existing laws against marketing cannabis products to children. That audit “confirmed what many have long recognized: California’s cannabis industry continues to package and market products in ways which are overtly attractive to children,” the lawmaker said. “Since the passage of Proposition 64, child cannabis poisonings have increased dramatically. These exposures are often driven by cannabis product packaging that uses features which are explicitly attractive to children, leading children to consume the products unintentionally,” Irwin said. “Young children who accidentally consumer cannabis require poison control treatment consistently, and in many cases they can also expose their fellow elementary and middle school peers to cannabis.” The California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), for its part, opposed the bill. “AB 2249 would impose significant costs on the licensed businesses that already keep cannabis away from children, undermine the state’s efforts to bring consumers into the regulated market, and does not address safe at-home storage practices,” the trade association said. The measure was amended by the Senate after initially clearing the Assembly, including by delaying its effective date, narrowing the definition of “attractive to children” and removing some requirements for regulators. Meanwhile, lawmakers this session have also advanced legislation to allow marijuana retailers to offer drive-thru windows to serve customers. California’s treasurer recently said the marijuana legalization law that voters approved a decade ago has been a “complete failure” and should be replaced with a new ballot initiative that prioritizes consumers and small businesses. The vice chair of the state Senate Budget Committee has floated the idea of putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “reverse” Proposition 64, for example, arguing that voters were misled and voicing concerns about the health impacts of marijuana use. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that taxes and regulations on cannabis are “too high.” DCC recently released data showing how 97 percent of state cannabis enforcement actions in unincorporated cities have happened in counties that have locally banned licensed growers from operating. California regulators also recently adopted emergency rules changes for the state’s marijuana licensing process that are intended to make it easier for businesses to qualify for benefits in line with the Trump administration’s recent move to federally reschedule medical cannabis. Newsom recently took credit for helping to lead the push for the state to legalize marijuana and discussed his own limited experience with using cannabis. Last October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have allowed certain marijuana microbusinesses to ship medical cannabis products directly to patients via common carriers like FedEx and UPS, stating that the proposal “would be burdensome and overly complex to administer.” Newsom did sign a bill earlier that month aimed at streamlining research on marijuana and psychedelics. Last September, the governor also signed a measure into law to put a pause on a recently enacted tax hike on marijuana products. Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently engage in marijuana commerce with licensed cannabis businesses without first obtaining their own commercial license from state officials. California officials recently awarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects. The post California Governor Signs Bill Restricting Marijuana Packaging That’s ‘Attractive To Children’ appeared first on Marijuana Moment. View the live link on MarijuanaMoment.netTue, 01 Sep 2026 00:55:43 +0000