News
Verano Expands Medical Cannabis Footprint in West Virginia
CHICAGO – Verano Holdings Corp. has launched its sixth medical Cannabis outlet in West Virginia, targeting the heart of the state's capital to reach more patients in a market that continues to draw steady but measured demand. The new Zen Leaf Charleston began operations with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, bringing Verano's total dispensaries count to six ...
Bipartisan Poll Signals Growing Momentum for Federal Legalization
LOS ANGELES – A fresh survey of registered voters reveals that a slim majority of Americans now favor legalizing Cannabis at the federal level, with notable crossover appeal among Republicans following President Donald Trump's recent directive to ease restrictions. The JL Partners poll, conducted among 1,000 respondents and commissioned by The Daily Mail, recorded 53% ...
California Allocates $30M in Cannabis Research Grants
SACRAMENTO – California's Department of Cannabis Control has disbursed nearly $30 million to support 22 academic projects examining Cannabis's influence on public health, environmental practices, and the regulated market. The funding, drawn from taxes on legal sales, brings the state's total investment in such studies to about $80 million since 2020, covering 94 initiatives overall. ...
Cannabis Market’s Hidden Scale: New Estimates Point to $90B U.S. Potential
LOS ANGELES – Viridian Capital Advisors' latest Chart of the Week dives into recreational Cannabis sales across nine mature markets (Michigan, Montana, Alaska, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada) to gauge true consumer appetite. Using 2025 sales projections, Viridian Capital Advisors uncovers what looks like a consistent appetite among American adults: roughly $300 ...
Republican State AGs Challenge Trump’s Cannabis Rescheduling Directive
LOS ANGELES – A coalition of Republican attorneys general from eight states has publicly rejected President Donald Trump's recent Executive Order to reschedule Cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, citing persistent risks to public safety and insufficient scientific backing for the change. The move highlights deepening rifts within the GOP on drug policy, even as ...
Banks Still Hesitant on Expanding Services for Cannabis Businesses Post-Trump Rescheduling Order
LOS ANGELES – President Donald Trump's Executive Order fast-tracked the move to reschedule Cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, aiming to ease research barriers and tax deductions for state-legal operators. Yet even as this policy shift takes hold, major financial institutions show little interest in expanding services to the $43 billion Cannabis market, citing persistent ...
Atai Gains Nasdaq Biotechnology Index Spot
NEW YORK – AtaiBeckley N.V., the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical firm born from the November merger of atai Life Sciences and Beckley Psytech, has secured a place in the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index (NBI), a move that underscores its rising profile in mental health innovation. The addition follows shareholder approval for the company's redomiciliation to Delaware, a process ...
Vireo Growth Acquires Eaze, Expands into California and Florida
MINNEAPOLIS – Vireo Growth Inc. announced a definitive agreement to acquire Eaze Inc. in a stock-based transaction valued at $47 million upfront, marking the company's first push into the competitive California and Florida markets. The deal, which includes potential earn-outs reaching $53 million based on performance targets, positions Vireo to add dozens of retail outlets ...
Massachusetts Cannabis Rollback Gains Legislative Traction
BOSTON – State election officials have validated more than 78,000 signatures for a measure that would dismantle the commercial side of Massachusetts' recreational Cannabis industry, thrusting the issue back into legislative hands just as the sector nears a decade of operation. The petition, dubbed "An Act to Restore a Sensible Marijuana Policy," cleared the bar ...
U.S. Cannabis Operators Trail Canadian Counterparts in Valuation Metrics, Tied to Tax Constraints
LOS ANGELES – In the ongoing tug-of-war between regulatory challenges and market potential in the Cannabis sector, a fresh analysis underscores how a longstanding IRS provision continues to weigh on American companies. According to Viridian Capital Advisors' latest Chart of the Week, the disparity in enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiples between top U.S. multi-state operators (MSOs) and ...
Trump’s Rescheduling Order Ignites State Cannabis Momentum in Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wyoming
LOS ANGELES – President Donald Trump's directive last week to fast-track Cannabis's rescheduling has handed lawmakers in several conservative-leaning states a timely political opening to advance Cannabis reforms. The executive order, signed on December 18, directs the attorney general to complete the long-pending rulemaking process without delay, acknowledging Cannabis's accepted medical applications and lower risk ...
Week in Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Operators and investors wrapped up 2025 on a high note, with federal policy breakthroughs and corporate maneuvers signaling sustained growth potential across Cannabis & Psychedelics. Over the past two weeks, President Trump's EO on rescheduling captured headlines, while the Supreme Court's pass on a key prohibition challenge underscored the sector's reliance on ...
Texas Awards $50M Grant to Spearhead Ibogaine Trials
AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has granted $50 million to a statewide consortium led by UTHealth Houston and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, marking the formal launch of clinical trials for ibogaine, a psychoactive compound derived from an African shrub. The two-year initiative, dubbed Ibogaine Medicine for PTSD, ...
Vireo Growth Acquires PharmaCann Colorado Assets
DENVER – Vireo Growth Inc. reached an agreement with PharmaCann Inc. to buy its 17 operational dispensaries and related assets in Colorado for roughly $49 million in company shares, a move that bolsters Vireo's retail presence in one of the nation's longtime recreational Cannabis states. The all-stock transaction marks another step in Vireo's push to ...
🚨🚨 BREAKING: TRUMP RESCHEDULES CANNABIS 🚨🚨
WASHINGTON, D.C. –After months of speculation, President Trump Issues Executive Order Directing Federal Rescheduling of Cannabis to Schedule III President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to complete the rescheduling of Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This is the most significant federal Cannabis policy ...
Michigan Senate Tightens Controls on Intoxicating Hemp Derivatives
LANSING – In a bipartisan push to close regulatory gaps, the Michigan Senate approved a package of bills that would classify most high-potency hemp-derived THC items as Cannabis, folding them into the state's established Cannabis oversight system. The measures, which cleared on 27-8 votes, now head to the Republican-led House for review when lawmakers reconvene ...
Trulieve Secures $140M in Senior Notes
TALLAHASSEE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp. wrapped up a $140 million private placement of 10.5% senior secured notes, tapping into robust investor appetite to fuel its operational push. The deal, upsized from initial plans, comes just weeks after the company cleared out its entire $368 million tranche of 8% notes due in 2026, signaling a deliberate ...
Czech Republic Approves Psilocybin Therapy Guidelines for 2026
PRAGUE – The Czech Republic has taken a measured step toward integrating psychedelic-assisted therapy into its healthcare system, approving detailed rules that will permit the controlled use of psilocybin for select patients beginning in January 2026. This development, rooted in a recent amendment to the nation's criminal code, positions the country as Europe's early adopter ...
MSOS ETF Rally Hints at Bigger Gains Ahead, Zuanic Report Finds
LOS ANGELES – A recent report from equity research firm Zuanic & Associates outlines substantial financial gains for U.S. MSOs if federal regulators shift Cannabis to Schedule III status, with savings potentially exceeding hundreds of millions in back taxes alone. Authored by Wall Street analyst Pablo Zuanic, the document, titled "US MSOs: The S3 Math ...
Organigram Reports Q4 2025 Financial and Full Fiscal Year Results
TORONTO – Organigram Global Inc. released its record Q4 and fiscal 2025 results, showing substantial gains in revenue and profitability metrics despite a quarterly net loss tied to one-time charges. For the fourth quarter, gross revenue reached $123.3 million, up 76% from the prior year, while net revenue climbed 79% to $80.1 million. The adjusted ...
The Supreme Court Declines to Resolve Federal Cannabis Prohibition—And the Silence Speaks Volumes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In its December Orders List, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case that many hoped would finally force a reckoning between federal Cannabis prohibition and state-legal markets. By declining review, the Court effectively allows existing federal law to remain in place without comment, despite the widespread legalization of Cannabis at ...
Canopy Growth Acquires MTL Cannabis in Bid to Ramp Up Medical Sales
SMITHS FALLS – Canopy Growth Corp., a major player in the Canadian Cannabis sector, has signed a definitive agreement to purchase MTL Cannabis Corp. in a cash-and-stock transaction worth about $125 million on a fully diluted basis. The deal, which carries an enterprise value of roughly $179 million, aims to position the combined operation as ...
Trump Sets Plans for Cannabis Reclassification Executive Order
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is set to direct federal agencies to reclassify Cannabis from its current Schedule I status to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act, a step that would align federal oversight with drugs like certain pain relievers and anabolic steroids. The anticipated executive order would mark a significant adjustment in national ...
Mid-Cap Cannabis Operators Face Liquidity Pressures Despite Solid Leverage, Viridian Report Finds
LOS ANGELES – Public Cannabis companies with $25-100 million market values are navigating a patchwork of financial strengths and vulnerabilities, according to the latest Weekly Credit Report from Viridian Capital Advisors. It tracks eight U.S.-based cultivation and retail companies, revealing a sector where half the group can cover short-term obligations without fresh capital, but several ...
Ascend Wellness Partners with Cannabis Advocate for New Dispensary in New Jersey
NEW YORK – Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc. disclosed a partnership with Mister Jones LLC and industry advocate Lerone Jones to launch a retail dispensary in Little Falls, NJ. The arrangement, one of the initial deals enabled by state legislation expanding investment in minority- and women-owned Cannabis ventures, positions the companies to open doors on December ...
