Legal Affairs
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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, ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
HBA Pushes for Regulatory Framework on Hemp-Derived THC Beverages in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG – The Hemp Beverage Alliance (HBA), a trade group with close to 400 members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, has launched an initiative to set up guidelines for hemp-derived THC ...
Morocco Approves Licenses for 67 Cannabis-Based Products
RABAT – Moroccan regulators have cleared 67 Cannabis-derived products, signaling steady progress in the country's push toward a structured legal framework for the plant. The batch includes 26 cosmetic items and 41 dietary supplements, each ...
LSD Shows Promise in Prolonged Reduction of Anxiety Symptoms
LOS ANGELES – A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) on September 4, suggests that a single dose of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) may significantly reduce symptoms of generalized ...
Cannabis MSOs Face Manageable 2026 Debt Maturities, Viridian Analysis Shows
LOS ANGELES – Major Cannabis operators are navigating a once-daunting wave of debt due in 2026 with greater ease than anticipated, according to a recent chart from Viridian Capital Advisors. The analysis examines cash sources ...
The Scrappy Cannabis Retailer’s Playbook
LOS ANGELES- A Practical Guide to Building a Smarter Marketing System by Tim Naughton. The Cannabis retail landscape is competitive, taxed heavily, and increasingly crowded by new entrants including Hemp and THCA brands selling direct ...
NY OCM Shifts to Metrc for Inventory Tracking
NEW YORK – New York's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has decided to replace BioTrack and announced transition to Metrc as the state's official seed-to-sale tracking system, following a review prompted by a corporate deal ...
Curaleaf Set to Join S&P/TSX Composite Index
STAMFORD – Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. announced it has been selected for inclusion to the S&P/TSX Composite Index later this month, marking it as the initial U.S.-headquartered company in the sector to achieve this status. The ...
Maryland Collects $18.4M in Cannabis Tax Revenue for April-June Quarter
ANNAPOLIS – The Maryland Comptroller's Office issued a quarterly report showing the state gathered more than $18.4 million in sales tax from adult-use Cannabis between April and June 2025, a period that saw the Central ...
Delta-8 THC Consumption Peaks in States Lacking Adult-Use Cannabis Access, Study Finds
SAN DIEGO – A new study conducted by researchers at the University of California San Diego reveals that adults, residing in states where recreational Cannabis remains illegal, are almost twice as likely to use delta-8 ...
NORML Calls for MORE Act Support to Transform Federal Cannabis Policy
LOS ANGELES – On August 29, a group of Democratic lawmakers reintroduced the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act (H.R. 5068). The legislation seeks to remove (deschedule) Cannabis entirely from the Controlled Substances Act ...
SHF Holdings Introduces Banking Solution for Cannabis Businesses and Financial Institutions
DENVER – SHF Holdings, Inc. operating as Safe Harbor Financial, has launched a new Fully Managed Cannabis Banking Program, designed to streamline financial services for banks and credit unions serving the regulated Cannabis industry. Announced ...
Canadian Legal Cannabis Industry Contributes $16 Billion to GDP in 2024, Report Reveals
TORONTO – A new report from Organigram Global Inc., in collaboration with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, details the substantial economic role of Canada's legal Cannabis industry last year. The sector added more than $16 ...
Cultivation Sector Outshines Modest Cannabis Capital Drop, Viridian Capital Advisors Reports
LOS ANGELES – Capital raising in the Cannabis industry has dipped slightly this year, with year-to-date (YTD) totals reaching $1.54 billion as of September 2025, a 2.4% drop from $1.58 billion in the same period ...
Delaware OMC Reports $7.4M in First Month of Recreational Cannabis Sales
DOVER – Retailers in Delaware sold about $7.4 million worth of Cannabis products in the first month after recreational sales began on August 1, according to a report from the state's Office of the Marijuana ...
AYR Locks In $50M Bridge Loan to Strengthen Restructuring Efforts
MIAMI – AYR Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated multistate Cannabis operator, has finalized a senior secured bridge credit agreement offering up to $50 million in funding to maintain operations and advance its restructuring plan. The ...
NY Regulators Delay Hearing in Bid for Settlement with Cannabis Dispensary Owners
NEW YORK – New York state Cannabis regulators have postponed a key hearing on a disputed proximity rule, aiming to negotiate a resolution with affected dispensary operators. The move comes after a lawsuit from business ...
Cannabis Stocks Rally but Remain Undervalued Relative to Peers, Viridian Report Finds
LOS ANGELES – U.S. Cannabis companies have posted impressive gains this year, yet their valuations still trail those of comparable industries, a new analysis from Viridian Capital Advisors indicates. The Weekly Chart by Viridian plots ...
Week In Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Recent developments in the Cannabis and psychedelics sectors point to a period of cautious optimism, marked by stock gains, legal battles, and innovative expansions. From property value boosts tied to legalization to ...
Case Study: Navigating Cannabis Tax Hikes in California & New Mexico
LOS ANGELES- In July 2025, cannabis operators in California and New Mexico woke up to another line item tightening their margins: higher excise taxes.California’s excise tax jumped from 15% to 19% — a 25% increase. ...
Opinion: Rolling Toward a Greener Future: The Case for Industrial Hemp Toilet Paper
LOS ANGELES–When most people think about sustainability, they imagine renewable energy, electric cars, or organic farming. I don’t know many who stop to consider the humble roll of toilet paper. But TP production has a ...
Trulieve Opens Dispensary in Cincinnati, Strengthening Ohio Market Position
TALLAHASSEE – Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a major multi-state Cannabis operator, has launched its first dispensary in Cincinnati, marking the company's 7th location in Ohio and its 238th nationwide. The facility stocks a range of Trulieve's ...
Jushi Sues Pennsylvania Retailers Over Unregulated Hemp-Derived THC Products
PHILADELPHIA – Jushi Holdings Inc. has initiated legal action against 10 hemp companies in Pennsylvania, alleging they sell intoxicating products disguised as legal hemp that violate state laws and erode profits for licensed operators. The complaint, ...
STUDY: Cannabis Consumers Engage in Greater Levels of Physical Exercise
OKLAHOMA CITY–Middle-aged adults are more likely to engage in physical activities on days when they also consume cannabis, according to data published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. Researchers affiliated with the University of Oklahoma assessed the relationship between cannabis use ...
Agrify Corp Rebrands to RYTHM Inc Following $50M Green Thumb Brands Portfolio Acquisition
CHICAGO – Agrify Corporation has acquired a portfolio of intellectual property from Green Thumb Industries (GTI) for $50 million, including cannabis brands like RYTHM, Dogwalkers, Beboe, incredibles, &Shine, Doctor Solomon’s, Good Green, and Señorita. Concurrently, ...
DPA Petition Urges Trump to Fully Deschedule Cannabis Amid Rescheduling Discussions
LOS ANGELES – The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) has launched a petition urging the Trump administration to remove Cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), arguing that a proposed shift to Schedule III fails to ...
