Legal Affairs
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 ...
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 ...
Retail Launch in 2026 or 2027? Why Virginia Operators Must Prepare Before Reconciliation Concludes
VIRGINIA- With gubernatorial alignment and both chambers advancing sales legislation, Virginia’s adult-use market is transitioning from policy debate to execution planning. The House maintains a November 2026 activation date; the Senate proposes January 2027. Conference ...
Ownership Disclosure and 25% Change-of-Control Triggers: How Virginia Will Scrutinize Your Cap Table
VIRGINIA- Ownership transparency and anti-concentration controls remain central to Virginia’s adult-use legislation. Beneficial ownership disclosure requirements capture layered structures and indirect control arrangements. Transfers require Board approval, generally triggered at 25 percent ownership changes within ...
February Cannabis Haul Tops $9M in Rhode Island
PROVIDENCE – The regulated Cannabis market in Rhode Island recorded $9.32 million in total sales in February 2026, which is about a 4% increase from the $8.98 million tallied in February 2025, according to figures ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
