Legal Affairs
LRS Publishes First Cannabis Industry Retirement Report
SEATTLE – The Cannabis industry has taken a notable step toward standardizing employee benefits with the release of its first dedicated retirement report, shedding light on a benefit long limited by federal restrictions. Leading Retirement ...
Gotham NYC Launches Accelerator for Black-Owned Cannabis Brands
NEW YORK – Gotham NYC, the city's first Cannabis concept store known for blending retail with art, design and culture, has rolled out a new business accelerator aimed at supporting growth-stage Cannabis consumer-product companies owned ...
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 ...
New 2026 Farm Bill Draft Targets Industrial Hemp Burdens
WASHINGTON – House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson (R-PA) introduced a new Farm Bill draft (Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026), proposing changes that would ease certain federal requirements for industrial hemp growers. ...
Compass Pathways Advances in Second Phase 3 Trial for Psilocybin-Assisted TRD
LONDON – Compass Pathways PLC ADR, a UK-based mental health biotech company, announced that its second Phase 3 trial met the primary endpoint in evaluating COMP360, a synthetic formulation of psilocybin, for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). ...
350 Retail Cap and Tier V Cultivation Limits: What Virginia’s Scarcity Model Means for License Strategy
RICHMOND- Virginia’s adult-use design is built on scarcity and structural oversight. The 350 retail cap materially limits market density, shaping site selection and long-term valuation models. Tier V cultivation remains limited to five large operators. ...
Virginia Adult-Use Applications Expected in 2026: Operators Should Begin Structuring Now
NEW YORK- Virginia’s adult-use Cannabis legislation is now in reconciliation after both the House (HB 642) and Senate (SB 542) advanced competing sales frameworks. For operators, the question is no longer whether retail will launch—but ...
LRS Publishes First Cannabis Industry Retirement Report
SEATTLE – The Cannabis industry has taken a notable step toward standardizing employee benefits with the release of its first dedicated retirement report, shedding light on a benefit long limited by federal restrictions. Leading Retirement ...
Gotham NYC Launches Accelerator for Black-Owned Cannabis Brands
NEW YORK – Gotham NYC, the city's first Cannabis concept store known for blending retail with art, design and culture, has rolled out a new business accelerator aimed at supporting growth-stage Cannabis consumer-product companies owned ...
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 ...
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 ...
Ibogaine Gains Spotlight as Former House Speaker Calls for Wider Access
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Newt Gingrich, a Former House Speaker, has drawn attention to ibogaine, a psychedelic compound derived from the African iboga shrub, calling it a potential game-changer for treating addiction, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ...
Colombian President Pushing Congress for Swift Action on Full Cannabis Legalization
BOGOTÁ – Colombia's House of Representatives First Committee has passed a bill to legalize adult-use Cannabis, marking an early win for reformers in a country long at the center of global drug policy debates. Sponsored ...
Missouri Activists Gird Up for 2026 Ballot Measure to Unify Hemp and Cannabis Regulations
LOS ANGELES – Missouri Cannabis advocates, led by hemp business owners, plan to submit a ballot initiative in the coming days that would combine regulations for hemp and Cannabis products under a single framework for ...
Australian Cannabis Prices Drop to New Lows, Pressuring Domestic Producers
MELBOURNE – Medicinal Cannabis flower prices in Australia have fallen to a minimum of $3.30 per gram at the patient level, a development that has intensified debates over the viability of the country's homegrown industry. ...
Google Launches Limited Test of Cannabis Advertising on Its Search Platform in Canada
TORONTO – Google has started a restricted trial allowing select Canadian Cannabis companies to place ads on its search engine, marking a cautious step toward easing long-standing prohibitions on such promotions. The initiative, which went ...
Ricky Williams Urges Trump to Advance Cannabis Rescheduling Despite Policy Pushback
WASHINGTON – Retired NFL player Ricky Williams has renewed calls for President Trump to reclassify Cannabis to Schedule III, positioning the change as vital for medical access and economic stability in an op-ed that highlights ...
Cannabis Stocks Climb 79% in a Month, But Path to Past Highs Remains Uncertain
LOS ANGELES – Publicly traded Cannabis companies have seen sharp gains recently, with the AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF (MSOS) climbing about 79% over the past month. This rally prompts questions about sustainability and potential ...
Vape Users Prioritize Lab Testing for Brand Trust, Survey Finds
NEW YORK – A recent survey of 1,000 U.S. vape users reveals that nearly half (48%) consider lab testing and safety certifications the top factor influencing their trust in a brand. Conducted by EJuiceDB, the ...
SynBiotic Builds North American Ties to Secure Overseas Funding
DÜSSELDORF – SynBiotic SE, a publicly traded European company focused on medical Сannabis and industrial hemp, has formed alliances with several North American advisory firms to broaden its reach among global investors. The move aims ...
Seasoned Media Executives Launch IgniteIt Inc., a New Media and Events Powerhouse formerly operated as Benzinga Cannabis
Detroit, MI —Wednesday, Aug 20, 2025 —Today, IgniteIt Inc. (IgniteIt) announced that the cannabis industry’s premier business conference and media platform, formerly operated by Benzinga Cannabis, is entering a new chapter, separate and not affiliated ...
Cannara Biotech Secures $10M Credit Expansion for Valleyfield Facility Growth
MONTREAL – Cannara Biotech Inc., has announced a $10 million expansion of its credit facility with Bank of Montreal (BMO) to fund enhancements at its Valleyfield, Quebec, facility. This strategic move supports the company’s ambition ...
