Business
Week in Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Investors and operators tuned in closely over the past fortnight as political signals rippled through boardrooms and trading floors, underscoring the sector's knack for turning headlines into hard dollars. Federal nods to CBD's role in senior care ignited a swift market lift, while statehouses wrestled with tax hikes and hemp curbs that ...
Target Quietly Enters the THC Beverage Market — As Republicans Push to Recriminalize Hemp
LOS ANGELES- Target — one of America’s largest retailers — has quietly begun stocking THC-infused beverages at select stores in Minnesota, signaling one of the most significant steps yet in the mainstreaming of Cannabis consumer products. According to reporting by Marijuana Moment, the company is piloting sales of hemp-derived THC beverages in about ten Minnesota ...
Thai PM Renews Drug Crackdown Vow as Cannabis Sector Awaits Policy Clarity
BANGKOK – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who once spearheaded Thailand's shift toward Cannabis tolerance, has recommitted his administration to aggressive narcotics enforcement, promising to "win the war on drugs" in a move that underscores the nation's ongoing battle against illicit trade. Speaking at a narcotics suppression briefing on October 4, Anutin positioned drug interdiction as ...
Germany’s Cabinet Advanced Restrictions Balancing Access and Control in Medical Cannabis
BERLIN – Germany's federal cabinet cleared a draft bill that would require in-person doctor consultations before issuing medical Cannabis prescriptions and prohibit mail-order shipments, addressing a fourfold jump in imports over the past year. The measures, part of an amendment to the 2017 Medical Cannabis Act, come as the country's Cannabis sector navigates growth following ...
Canopy Growth Shifts DOJA Site to Medical-Only Production in Canada
SMITHS FALLS, ON – Canopy Growth Corporation has repurposed its DOJA cultivation facility in Kelowna, British Columbia, to focus solely on medical Cannabis. The change positions the site as a dedicated supplier for its Spectrum Therapeutics brand, targeting patients including military veterans. Under a new micro-cultivation license, the upgraded facility will grow limited runs of ...
Spain Cabinet Greenlights Medical Cannabis Framework
MADRID – Spain's Council of Ministers on Tuesday approved a royal decree that sets rules for prescribing Cannabis-based medicines through the public health system, marking the first formal step toward regulated access for patients facing treatment-resistant conditions. The measure, proposed by the Health Ministry, allows specialist physicians in hospitals to order customized Cannabis formulas as ...
Case Study: Better Data, Better Decisions: How Clean Inputs Strengthen Cannabis Strategy
NEW YORK- In a highly regulated and competitive industry like Cannabis, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — it’s the foundation of effective decision-making. Yet many operators still struggle with messy, inconsistent, or incomplete data that undermines inventory management, complicates operations, and blunts strategic insights. No software platform, no matter how advanced, can produce ...
Verano Pushes Digital Voting as Postal Strike Disrupts Shareholder Materials
CHICAGO – Verano Holdings Corp. is telling investors to submit votes electronically for its special meeting next month, citing delays from Canada's postal workers strike. The company released a statement warning that physical copies of meeting materials, detailing a proposed shift in corporate domicile from British Columbia to Nevada, might not reach all shareholders in ...
Vireo Takes 86% Stake in Schwazze’s Convertible Notes in $62M Deal
DENVER – Vireo Growth Inc., a multistate Cannabis operator, has entered into definitive agreements to purchase about 86% of the senior secured convertible notes held by Medicine Man Technologies Inc., which operates as Schwazze, for roughly $62 million in company stock. The move comes as Schwazze navigates financial pressures in a competitive industry and positions ...
France Upholds Pesticide Ban, Guaranteeing Survival of the Bees
LOS ANGELES- Over the past decade, France has stood at the center of Europe’s fight to protect pollinators from the devastating effects of pesticides. In 2018, the nation became the first EU member to ban several neonicotinoid insecticides—chemicals long linked to colony collapse and bee mortality. These so-called “bee-killing” pesticides disrupt navigation, reproduction, and immune ...
OPINION: The People Have Spoken: It’s Time to End Federal Cannabis Prohibition (and Release the Epstein Files)
LOS ANGELES- With 87% of Americans supporting Cannabis legalization — and nearly 80% demanding the release of the Epstein files — public consensus on reform and transparency has never been stronger. The question now is whether Republican leadership will finally act. Public opinion on Cannabis has reached rare, bipartisan clarity. In the most recent Pew ...
How Professional Services Firms That Serve Cannabis Can Thrive in the Wellness Industry
NEW YORK- Professional service providers — from accountants and attorneys to brand strategists and tech consultants — have played an indispensable role in legitimizing and professionalizing the Cannabis sector. These same firms now have a once-in-a-generation chance to apply their expertise to another high-growth, fragmented market: wellness. The logic is simple. Cannabis and wellness share ...
Curaleaf Executive Vice Chairman Adopts Automated Share Sales Plan
STAMFORD – Joseph F. Lusardi, executive vice chairman of Curaleaf Holdings Inc., has put in a place an automatic securities disposition plan (ASDP) to sell company shares, a move designed to handle tax obligations tied to upcoming stock options. The company disclosed the arrangement on Tuesday, stating that Lusardi established the plan on September 30. ...
Case Study: Better Data, Better Decisions: How Clean Inputs Strengthen Cannabis Strategy
LOS ANGELES- In a highly regulated and competitive industry like cannabis, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet — it’s the foundation of effective decision-making. Yet many operators still struggle with messy, inconsistent, or incomplete data that undermines inventory management, complicates operations, and blunts strategic insights. No software platform, no matter how advanced, can produce ...
Australia’s Medicinal Cannabis Imports Hit Record Highs
SYDNEY – Figures released this week by Australia's Office of Drug Control paint a picture of robust expansion in the country's regulated Cannabis sector, with imports leading the charge alongside steady advances in domestic output and overseas shipments. The data, covering 2021 through 2024, shows imports of medicinal Cannabis climbing to 77,406kg last year, up ...
Alcohol Trade Group Welcomes Hemp-Derived THC Beverage Maker as First in Category
WASHINGTON – The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), a key advocacy organization for the beverage alcohol distribution sector, has accepted CannaBuzz, a Kentucky-based producer of hemp-derived THC drinks, as its inaugural associate member in the THC beverage category. The move, detailed in a company announcement last week, underscores efforts to integrate regulated cannabinoid ...
EU Releases Cannapol Toolkit to Aid Member States in Crafting Adult-Use Cannabis Rules
BRUSSELS – The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) unveiled the Cannapol toolkit, a set of resources intended to help national governments build regulated markets for recreational Cannabis. Developed over months of consultation with experts and regulators, the toolkit draws on data from early adopters like Germany and Malta to offer practical guidance on everything from ...
Starmer Rules Out Cannabis Legalization in UK
LIVERPOOL – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made clear during a question-and-answer session with high school students this week that his government has no plans to legalize Cannabis, a position that stands in contrast to shifting attitudes across the country. Speaking Tuesday at the Liverpool Echo offices ahead of the Labor Party's annual conference here, ...
Ohio Cannabis Health and Business Summit Returns to I-X Center October 3-4, 2025
CLEVELAND, OH – September 16, 2025 — The Ohio Cannabis Health and Business Summit (OCHBS), founded by entrepreneur and community leader Lenny Berry, returns this fall with its biggest gathering yet. Some of the organizers of OCHBS What began as a grassroots effort to bring healthcare leaders, business innovators, and the cannabis community together has grown ...
Cannabis Stocks Surge After Trump Champions CBD for Seniors — But Is It Another False Dawn?
LOS ANGELES- Cannabis and hemp company shares surged Monday after President Donald Trump publicly endorsed cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential game changer for senior healthcare. His remarks, shared on Truth Social, called for CBD to be integrated into the healthcare system and even covered under Medicare — sparking renewed optimism for federal reform. But for ...
Cracking the Code to California Cannabis Success: Anaheim Hosts Market Spotlight on October 8
LOS ANGELES- California is the largest Cannabis market in the world, setting trends that shape global culture, regulation, and business strategy. On October 8, 2025, leaders from across the industry will gather in Anaheim for IgniteIt’s Market Spotlight: California — a one-day event focused on actionable strategies for operators, investors, and policymakers. After two sold-out ...
Week In Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Wrapping up September 2025, it's clear the U.S. Cannabis sector is buzzing with a mix of encouraging expansion signs and sobering challenges, ranging from record-breaking sales in emerging markets to the frustrating realities of illicit infiltration, margin squeezes, and Trump’s tariff pressures. While psychedelics research simmers quietly without major breakthroughs, Cannabis operators ...
Texas Regulators Set Age Limit on Hemp-Derived THC Sales
AUSTIN – The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) voted unanimously on Tuesday to bar liquor-license holders from selling hemp-derived THC products to customers under 21, marking the state's initial response to Governor Greg Abbott's call for tighter controls on the multibillion-dollar industry. Enforcement of the emergency rule begins October 1, with violators facing immediate license ...
High Tide Expands Canna Cabana Footprint in Ontario and Alberta
CALGARY – High Tide, Inc. announced plans to open three new Canna Cabana stores in the coming weeks, adding dispensaries in North York and Etobicoke, Ontario, and Fort McMurray, Alberta. The move pushes the company's total to 210 locations nationwide, with 88 in Ontario and 89 in Alberta. The North York site sits in a ...
Grown Rogue Takes Full Ownership of Illinois Cultivation Project
MEDFORD – Grown Rogue International Inc. has acquired the remaining 30% stake in its Illinois subsidiary, Rogue EBC LLC, for $1.5 million. The transaction, announced Sunday, brings the company's ownership to 100% and clears the way for unencumbered development of a new indoor facility in the state. The payment structure spreads the cost over time: ...
