Legal Affairs
Massachusetts Lawmakers Push Forward Psychedelic Therapy Programs
BOSTON – Massachusetts lawmakers have advanced legislation that would set up pilot programs for regulated psychedelic therapy, with one measure clearing a key committee in September 2025 and related proposals still under review. The Senate ...
Ohio Enacts New Cannabis and Hemp Regulations After Referendum Effort Fails
COLUMBUS – Updated rules for Ohio’s recreational Cannabis market and a statewide ban on most intoxicating hemp products outside licensed dispensaries took effect, closing the chapter on a citizen campaign to reverse legislative tweaks to ...
San Francisco Considers Ordinance for Cannabis Cafes
SAN FRANCISCO – Customers at licensed Cannabis retailers here could soon relax in dedicated Amsterdam-style cafes, consuming products on site while ordering prepared food and nonalcoholic drinks, following legislation introduced this week by Board of ...
Starting a Cannabis Business: The Real-World Founder Guide for an Industry That Gives You ZERO Margin for Error
LOS ANGELES - Starting any business is hard. Starting a Cannabis business is harder. A founder in a typical startup may need to deal with branding, hiring, websites, customer acquisition, and cash flow. A founder ...
LEGAL UPDATE: California Cannabis & Hemp Industry: What Operators & Investors Need to Know
LOS ANGELES- California’s cannabis and hemp markets are navigating a perfect storm of declining retail sales, shifting local tax policies, and a federal hemp reckoning that could reshape the competitive landscape for years to come. ...
How the Irish Helped Shape — and Continue to Shape — the Modern Cannabis Industry
LOS ANGELES -For a small island, the Irish have a remarkable habit of turning up everywhere. From politics and literature to science and business, the Irish diaspora has left fingerprints across the modern world. Cannabis ...
Women’s History Month: Supporting the Woman Who Supported Me
By Guy Rocourt. LOS ANGELES-March is Women’s History Month, and with International Women's Day celebrated earlier this month, it’s a good moment to reflect on the women whose strength, leadership, and resilience shape our lives ...
Massachusetts Lawmakers Push Forward Psychedelic Therapy Programs
BOSTON – Massachusetts lawmakers have advanced legislation that would set up pilot programs for regulated psychedelic therapy, with one measure clearing a key committee in September 2025 and related proposals still under review. The Senate ...
Ohio Enacts New Cannabis and Hemp Regulations After Referendum Effort Fails
COLUMBUS – Updated rules for Ohio’s recreational Cannabis market and a statewide ban on most intoxicating hemp products outside licensed dispensaries took effect, closing the chapter on a citizen campaign to reverse legislative tweaks to ...
San Francisco Considers Ordinance for Cannabis Cafes
SAN FRANCISCO – Customers at licensed Cannabis retailers here could soon relax in dedicated Amsterdam-style cafes, consuming products on site while ordering prepared food and nonalcoholic drinks, following legislation introduced this week by Board of ...
Missouri Trade Group Report Finds 96% of Tested Hemp Products Exceed THC Thresholds
KANSAS CITY – A new investigation by the Missouri Cannabis Trade Association (MoCannTrade) has concluded that nearly all hemp-derived products sold at unregulated retailers in the state contain illegal levels of THC, raising questions about ...
New Mexico Cannabis Market Edges Toward $2B in Total Sales
ALBUQUERQUE – New Mexico's Cannabis industry has recorded $1.9 billion in combined medical and adult-use sales since recreational legalization took effect in April 2022, according to the latest figures from the state’s Regulation and Licensing ...
Fairfax Bank Retreats from Servicing Cannabis Businesses
FAIRFAX – MainStreet Bancshares Inc., a community lender with $2.2 billion in assets, has shelved its Cannabis banking program just eight months after unveiling it as a growth driver. The decision, disclosed by CEO Jeff ...
Stiiizy Halts Sales at Catalyst Outlets as Leadership Clash Deepens
LOS ANGELES – Stiiizy, California's dominant Cannabis brand with a footprint in Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada, has stopped supplying its products to Catalyst Cannabis Co. stores, marking a sharp break in what was once a ...
Arizona Funds Nation’s First Whole-Mushroom Psilocybin Trial Targeting PTSD in Veterans & First Responders
PHOENIX – State officials in Arizona have authorized and financed what amounts to the country's initial controlled study of whole psilocybin mushrooms as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among police officers, firefighters, and ...
Bioxyne Reports Record Revenue, Yet Cash Outflows Climb on Expansion Push
SYDNEY – Bioxyne Limited, an Australian life sciences and wellness products company, posted its highest quarterly revenue on record for the period ended September 30, with sales reaching A$14.1 million, a 210% jump from the ...
Kansas Poll Shows Broad Support for Cannabis Reform
TOPEKA – A recent survey of Kansas residents highlights growing public enthusiasm for Cannabis policy changes, with nearly seven in ten adults endorsing medical use and close to six in ten favoring recreational access. A ...
Cybin Raises $175M in Direct Offering, Reinforcing Psychedelic Pipeline
TORONTO – Cybin Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on psychedelic-based treatments for mental health disorders, disclosed a $175 million registered direct offering, drawing commitments from a roster of established biotech investors. The deal, priced ...
MariMed Steps Away from Missouri Operations
NORWOOD – In a sharp turn from expansion plans, MariMed Inc. announced it is shutting down its Missouri operations, ending a yearlong effort to build a foothold in the state's burgeoning recreational market and opting ...
Lebanon Legalizes Cannabis, Forms Oversight Body, Targeting $1B in Annual Revenue
BEIRUT – In a significant step forward in leveraging its Cannabis sector for economic relief, the Lebanese government established a dedicated committee to regulate the cultivation and sales of Cannabis under a long-dormant 2020 law. ...
Verano Shareholders Approve Corporate Home Relocation to Nevada
CHICAGO – Verano Holdings Corp. secured strong backing from investors to move its parent company's legal base from British Columbia, Canada, to Nevada. The approval came during a special shareholder meeting, clearing a key hurdle ...
Week in Review: Cannabis & Psychedelics Industry Highlights
LOS ANGELES – Executives and operators in the Cannabis and psychedelics sectors wrapped up another fortnight with a mix of regulatory headwinds, financial maneuvers, and market validations that underscore the sector's resilience. From bipartisan efforts ...
MariMed Strikes Licensing Deal to Bring Edibles Line to New York Market
NORWOOD – MariMed Inc. has signed a licensing agreement with Farm 2 Hand, LLC, a licensed cultivator and processor in New York, to roll out its lineup of edibles across the state starting in 2026. ...
Germany Boosts Medical Cannabis Import Cap
BERLIN – German health authorities have increased the annual limit on medical Cannabis imports to 192.5 metric tons, in an effort to keep up with the rapid growth in patient demand while the country navigates ...
Emerald Intel Acquires Cannabiz Media, Expanding Reach in Cannabis Intelligence Sector
ANNAPOLIS – Emerald Intel, a key player in Cannabis market data, revealed its purchase of Cannabiz Media, a long-standing directory of licensed operators and decision-makers in the North American Cannabis space. The transaction, announced via ...
Whiskey Maker Trims Footprint as Buyers Turn to Cannabis
SEATTLE – Heritage Distilling Company, a craft spirits producer based in the Pacific Northwest, disclosed plans this week to streamline its operations, pointing to changing buyer habits that favor Cannabis products over traditional liquor. The ...
Circle K Eyes National Expansion for Hemp THC Drinks in 2026
LOS ANGELES – Circle K, the convenience store chain with nearly 7,000 locations across the United States, disclosed plans this week to distribute hemp-derived THC beverages in up to 3,000 stores starting next year. The ...
Manitoba Cannabis Sales Accelerate, Leaving Liquor in the Rearview
WINNIPEG – Cannabis revenues in Manitoba posted double-digit gains, handily surpassing liquor sales and underscoring the steady climb of the province's legal Cannabis trade. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, the corporation charged with distributing both products, ...
FLUENT Consolidates NY Retail Presence
NEW YORK – FLUENT Corp., a Cannabis operator with roots in Florida and Pennsylvania, has completed the rebranding of two key dispensaries in New York, bringing its retail operations in the state under a single ...
Australian Policy Group Cautions TGA on Medicinal Cannabis Restrictions, Fearing Shift to Illicit Sources
SYDNEY – A prominent drug policy organization in Australia has urged federal regulators to avoid curtailing access to prescription medicinal Cannabis, arguing that such steps could drive patients toward unregulated street supplies and erode the ...
Revolving Credit Lines Break New Ground in Cannabis Debt Markets
LOS ANGELES – Two leading multistate Cannabis operators, Verano Holdings Corp. and Curaleaf Holdings Inc., have closed pioneering revolving credit agreements in recent weeks, marking a quiet but telling step forward for the sector's access ...
Alcohol Giants Intensify Capitol Hill Push on Hemp THC Drinks
WASHINGTON – Major players in the beer, wine, and spirits sectors disclosed a sharp increase in federal lobbying during the third quarter of 2025, zeroing in on regulations for hemp-derived THC beverages that some executives ...
Pre-Rolls Claim Top Spot in Canadian Cannabis Sales, Signal Shift Across the US
LOS ANGELES – Pre-rolled Cannabis joints have quietly moved ahead of loose flower to become the leading product in Canada's $5.8 billion 2024 legal market, a milestone that underscores a broader turn toward convenience in ...
LinkedIn Research Study: People Don’t Trust What You Say — They Trust What Others Say About You
LOS ANGELES- According to LinkedIn’s 2025 B2B Marketing Benchmark, video is now the #1 driver of trust — outperforming every other content format for credibility and conversion. The study shows that brands using video and ...
What’s Changing Now for Cannabis Operators: Lessons from Anaheim’s IgniteIt 2025
LOS ANGELES- The cannabis industry has always been about resilience, reinvention, and relentless adaptation. At this year’s IgniteIt Market Spotlight: California (formerly the Benzinga Cannabis Conference) in Anaheim, that message was louder than ever. The ...
