Insights

LOS ANGELES-- South Dakota's path to legalizing cannabis took a notable step forward, as the state's Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) has officially released a draft summary of an initiative to legalize the substance. The proposal is being advocated by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML), who are targeting placement on the November 2024 ...

NEW YORK — Mind Medicine Inc., known as MindMed, has secured a licensing agreement with Catalent to utilize its proprietary Zydis orally disintegrating tablet (ODT) technology for the development of a groundbreaking psychedelic-based anxiety treatment, MM-120, according to a company press release. MM-120 is a "pharmaceutically optimized form" of lysergide D-tartrate, or LSD, and is ...

LOS ANGELES- Governor Chris Sununu (R) of New Hampshire, a known opponent of adult-use cannabis legalization, signed a bill on Tuesday to create a commission to study the possibility of selling cannabis through state-owned shops. This approach would mark a distinctive break from other states where cannabis is sold through private retailers. A Study Commission ...

LOS ANGELES-- In a surprising turn of events, support for cannabis legalization in Pennsylvania has seen a decline for the first time in a decade. The 2023 Pennsylvania Health Survey, conducted by Muhlenberg College Public Health Program, revealed a 6% drop from the previous year, with support now at 50%. The recent survey found 38% ...

LOS ANGELES-- The American Psychedelic Practitioners Association (APPA) in collaboration with BrainFutures has published reportedly the first set of professional practice guidelines for psychedelic-assisted therapy in the United States. These guidelines come as the FDA's approval of psychedelic-assisted therapies seems imminent, signaling the need for standard practices within the burgeoning field. About the Guidelines The ...

LOS ANGELES-- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is instigating a shake-up in leadership across various city agencies, including a significant management overhaul at the city's Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR). This change comes at a critical time when the department oversees a roughly $1 billion cannabis market and grapples with large-scale problems, including unlicensed cultivation ...

LOS ANGELES-- A recent survey  in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. reveals that a significant number of individuals are using CBD and THC as part of their recuperation routine following aerobic and resistance workouts, though scientific understanding remains limited. In a burgeoning trend within the fitness community, the utilization of cannabis, specifically cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ...

TORONTO— Canada's licensed cannabis producers are in financial turmoil as unpaid federal excise taxes have more than tripled in the latest fiscal year, according to figures provided by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). At the end of the fiscal year on March 31, 2023, the debt reached CA$192.7 million ($145 million), a significant increase from ...

LOS ANGELES–As psilocybin enters the list of new medical applications in Australia, a thought-provoking debate unfolds: is the enchanting world of hallucinations, or ''tripping,'' integral to its efficacy, or can we unlock the benefits of psilocybin without experiencing altered perceptions? The recent introduction of psilocybin into Australia's medical landscape has ignited a divergence of opinions ...

LOS ANGELES-- In the realm of psychiatric disorders, Anorexia Nervosa stands out as a particularly challenging condition to treat, mainly due to the resistance many patients exhibit towards change. Unlike other mental health issues where individuals often seek help eagerly, those with Anorexia Nervosa often believe they are "fixing" themselves when, in reality, they are ...

LOS ANGELES-- The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol (CRMLA), an Ohio-based coalition sponsoring a statutory measure to legalize adult-use cannabis, submitted an additional 6,545 signatures to Secretary of State Frank LaRose's office in Columbus on August 3. This number is nearly ten times the required valid signatures needed for the measure to qualify for ...

NEW YORK–In a recent revelation that may raise more than a few eyebrows, New York City has ascended to the apex of global cannabis consumption, a startling position for a metropolis renowned for its fast-paced lifestyle and towering skyscrapers. According to the 2023 Cannabis Global Price Index, an exhaustive study delving into cannabis consumption patterns ...

LOS ANGELES-- Newell resident Travis Ismay has launched an ambitious effort to convince voters to repeal South Dakota's medical cannabis law, approved with overwhelming support in 2020. However, Ismay may face an uphill battle, as the program gained significant public approval during the initial vote. Attorney General Marty Jackley revealed that Ismay's proposed ballot initiative ...

LOS ANGELES— The unanticipated success of low-dose, hemp-derived THC beverages has made Minnesota the hottest market for such products, not only in the United States but potentially worldwide, surpassing the markets in Canada and Europe. This unexpected boom in cannabis beverages is seen as a positive sign for Minnesota's nascent recreational cannabis market, which is ...

LOS ANGELES--In a recent interview with John Stossel, Colorado Governor Jared Polis expressed his positive views on the state's moves to legalize cannabis and psychedelics, stating that the experience has been "very good." Governor Polis, a Democrat with libertarian principles on drug policy issues, believes that adults should have the right to make their own ...

LOS ANGELES-- On Tuesday, a new law officially took effect in Arkansas, clarifying that medical cannabis patients in the state can obtain concealed carry licenses for firearms. The bill, signed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in April, swiftly passed through the legislature with strong majority support. Under the newly effective law, a person's status as ...

LOS ANGELES-- A recent lab study conducted by cannabis consumer research company CBD Oracle and InfiniteCAL Labs has shed light on the complexities surrounding hemp delta-9 THC products. The study analyzed 53 popular hemp delta-9 THC products and found that 26% of them sourced THC from federally-illegal marijuana plants using a proprietary analytical method. Under ...

LOS ANGELES--Shawn Collins, the executive director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, is reportedly set to resign from his position by the end of this year. Although Collins has not yet officially confirmed his departure, Commission Chair Shannon O'Brien disclosed that he took a family leave last week. The commission currently faces various challenges, and ...

LOS ANGELES-- Oklahoma's medical cannabis industry faced a significant setback when regulators discovered approximately 4,000 untagged cannabis plants and over 630 pounds of untagged cannabis at a licensed grow facility. The discovery, made during an inspection at Gold Leaf Acres by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA), came as a result of an anonymous complaint. ...

LOS ANGELES-- A groundbreaking study, published in the Nature Journal Scientific Reports and sponsored by psychedelics firm Cybin Inc. (CYBN), demonstrates Kernel's Flow technology system's capability to capture and analyze brain changes following the administration of ketamine, a psychoactive substance. The research, aimed at measuring the acute effects of subanesthetic ketamine on brain blood flow, ...

LOS ANGELES-- Almost a year since its inception, the Massachusetts fund designed to promote social equity in the state's cannabis industry has yet to receive funding, as reported by the Boston Business Journal, citing minutes from a recent meeting of Massachusetts' Cannabis Social Equity Advisory Board. Enacted into law in August 2022, the Social Equity ...

LOS ANGELES-- In a groundbreaking step towards finding effective treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN), a phase 1 clinical trial investigated the use of psilocybin, the primary psychoactive compound in hallucinogenic mushrooms, in combination with psychotherapy. AN is a severe mental health disorder characterized by an irrational fear of gaining weight, leading to extreme food restrictions ...

LOS ANGELES— A group of strategists from California has formally introduced a proposed initiative known as the "TREAT California Act." Unlike traditional efforts focused on advocating for direct legalization, this initiative aims to create a state agency with a substantial $5 billion budget dedicated to funding and advancing research on psychedelics. The primary goal of ...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a significant move for veterans' healthcare and research into therapeutic substances, the U.S. House of Representatives has greenlit amendments to a substantial spending bill. The amendments would enable U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors to recommend medical cannabis to military veterans and encourage research into substances like psilocybin and MDMA. ...

LOS ANGELES-- Ohio voters could potentially see the issue of adult-use cannabis legalization on the November ballot, but campaign organizers are facing a final hurdle before achieving that goal. The "Regulate Cannabis Like Alcohol" campaign, which aims to legalize a recreational cannabis market in Ohio, has been given a 10-day window to secure approximately 700 ...