Policy
Trump Signs Hemp THC Ban Delay
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump signed H.R. 6500, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, pushing back sweeping federal restrictions on hemp-derived THC products from November 12 to December 11, 2026. Embedded in a must-pass government funding bill, the extension keeps full-spectrum CBD, low-dose THC beverages, gummies, and other popular hemp formulations on store shelves ...
Headset Settles Federal PPP Loan Claims
SEATTLE – Headset Inc. agreed to pay more than $1 million to settle claims that it improperly received a Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program loan in February 2021, according to an announcement from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd of the Western District of Washington. The loan was later forgiven in August 2021. ...
Oregon Consolidates Psilocybin and Medical Cannabis Under One Regulator
PORTLAND – The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) officially completes its administrative consolidation of Oregon Psilocybin Services (OPS) and the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP), giving rise to a unified oversight body formally called the Oregon Psilocybin and Medical Cannabis Section (PMCS). The newly combined body brings together two programs that, for years, operated on separate ...
DEA MJ Rescheduling Transcript Goes Public
WASHINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released the complete, corrected transcript from its 11-day marijuana rescheduling hearing, giving the public its first detailed account of the testimony that will guide DEA Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius as he drafts his official recommendation. The 2,533-page record covers the full 11 days of proceedings, running ...
UMiami Hands Over Its 1994 Ibogaine Research to Washington
LOS ANGELES – The University of Miami has donated its original 1994 investigational new drug (IND) application for ibogaine to the federal government, giving Washington direct operational authority over the foundational FDA authorization that made early American research into the psychoactive compound legally possible. President Trump announced the transfer, saying that HHS Secretary Robert F. ...
DEA Opens Hearing on Adult-Use Cannabis Federal Schedule III Status
ARLINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration began hearings Monday on a proposal to reclassify Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a proceeding officials and advocates on both sides describe as among the most expected in the history of federal drug policy. The hearing is scheduled to run through ...
California Directs $227M Toward Cannabis Enforcement
SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that California has awarded $227 million in Proposition 64 grant funding to local governments working to address the public health and safety effects of Cannabis legalization. The money is meant to help cities and counties strengthen enforcement against illegal operators, fund youth prevention programs, support public health initiatives, and ...
Bipartisan Cannabis Banking Bill (SAFE) Returns to Congress Ahead of DEA Hearing
WASHINGTON – A bipartisan coalition of senators and representatives reintroduced the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, restarting a long-running effort to let banks and credit unions serve Cannabis businesses without fear of federal punishment. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) is again leading the Senate version, with Rep. Dave Joyce (R), leading the companion bill ...
Lawmakers Press IRS for Clear Tax Rules on State-Legal Cannabis Operations
WASHINGTON – Rep. Steven Horsford (D) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D) led a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and IRS Chief Executive Officer Frank Bisignano, urging the administration to provide clear, timely guidance for state-legal Cannabis businesses. The lawmakers' request comes weeks after the Treasury Department and the IRS announced they would provide guidance ...
Vireo Growth and MWBE-Led Ace Venture Announce Strategic Partnership
NEW YORK – Vireo Growth Inc. has struck a deal with minority and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) of Ace Venture of NY to hand over controlling ownership of its long-running medical Cannabis operations in the state. The agreement gives the New York-based MWBE a 51% interest in Vireo Health of New York. The step creates ...
Colorado Lawmakers Weigh Options for Cannabis Tax Bump
DENVER – Colorado legislators have introduced a bill that would put a small increase in Cannabis taxes before voters this November, aiming to generate funds for mental health programs even as the state's Cannabis market faces ongoing revenue drops. House Bill 26-1301, sponsored by Democratic Representatives Judy Amabile and Bob Marshall, calls for raising both ...
Los Angeles City Council Advances a Tax Amnesty Program for Licensed Cannabis Businesses
LOS ANGELES – The City Council voted 13-0 to instruct staff to craft a tax amnesty program for more than 500 licensed Cannabis businesses that collectively owe approximately $400 million in back taxes, penalties, and interest. The unanimous decision, with Councilmembers Traci Park and Hugo Soto-Martinez absent, advances a proposal from the Office of Finance ...
New York Bills Advance Low-THC Drinks in Liquor Stores
NEW YORK – A fresh legislative push in New York could soon let customers pick up low-dose Cannabis beverages at their neighborhood liquor store, blending two longstanding retail worlds under tight rules. State Senator Jeremy Cooney (D), who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis, introduced Senate Bill S9220 with a companion measure, Assembly Bill A10191, ...
Virginia Moves Closer to Cannabis Sales Launch
RICHMOND – Virginia's General Assembly moved forward with key Cannabis legislation, as committees approved measures to establish a regulated adult-use retail market and create a process for resentencing individuals convicted under older Cannabis laws. The House Appropriations Committee passed HB 642, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek (D), in a 16-6 vote. The bill sets up ...
Cannabis Tax Deduction Ban Bill Gains 15th Sponsor in Congress
WASHINGTON – A federal proposal to preserve strict tax restrictions on Cannabis businesses has picked up additional support in Congress. The bill that would block state-legal Cannabis businesses from claiming standard federal tax deductions, regardless of whether Cannabis is reclassified under federal drug law, has gained its 15th sponsor across the House and Senate. All ...
Ohio AG Sues Nine Cannabis MSOs for Anti-Competitive Conduct
COLUMBUS - Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has filed an antitrust lawsuit against nine major multistate Cannabis operators, accusing them of coordinated anti-competitive practices that limit product variety and sustain higher prices in the state's adult-use market. The complaint, lodged in Franklin County Common Pleas Court, names Ascend Wellness, Ayr Wellness, The Cannabist Company, Cresco ...
DOJ Keeps Silent on Cannabis Rescheduling Updates
WASHINGTON – It's been more than 40 days since President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the swift rescheduling of Cannabis, yet the Department of Justice (DOJ) remains tight-lipped on any progress. A DOJ spokesperson, Wyn Hornbuckle, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, told yesterday that the department has “no comment or updates” on ...
Virginia Lawmakers Approve Bill to Establish Regulated Cannabis Sales
RICHMOND – The Virginia House General Laws Committee voted 19-2 to approve legislation that would lay the groundwork for legal retail sales of recreational Cannabis, bringing the state closer to filling a longstanding gap in its Cannabis policy. The measure, carried by Del. Paul Krizek (D), builds directly on recommendations from the Joint Commission to ...
Hawaii Lawmakers Advance Voter Measure on Rec Cannabis Legalization
HONOLULU – A group of 15 Hawaii state lawmakers introduced companion bills in the House and Senate, seeking to amend the state constitution and send the question of recreational Cannabis legalization to voters in the November 2026 election. The measures represent the latest effort to shift Hawaii's Cannabis policy from its current medical-only framework to ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
CRS Reveals Hemp Ban Enforcement Hurdles
WASHINGTON – The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has highlighted gaps in the federal government's plans to enforce the upcoming ban on intoxicating hemp products, raising questions about the practical reach of the law amid the sector's expansion. The report examines the redefinition of hemp tucked into the November 2025 spending bill signed by President Donald ...
Virginia Panel Outlines Path to Regulated Cannabis Sales in 2026
RICHMOND – Members of Virginia's Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market presented a series of amendments to create a licensed system for adult-use Cannabis sales, targeting a launch date of November 1, 2026. The framework, built on prior legislative drafts, removes provisions allowing local governments to block ...
