Legal Affairs
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 ...
Chicago’s United Center Inks Deal with RYTHM Inc to Sell Hemp-Derived THC Beverages
CHICAGO – The United Center, the largest indoor entertainment arena in the United States and home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, has agreed to a multiyear partnership with Chicago-based RYTHM Inc. to sell hemp-derived ...
Village Farms Takes Top Honor at BC Export Awards
VANCOUVER – Village Farms International Inc. secured the 2026 BC Export Award in the Consumer Products category, presented by Business in Vancouver. The recognition highlights the company's sharp rise in international sales, with exports jumping ...
Indiana Residents Voice Strong Support for Medical and Recreational Cannabis Legalization
INDIANAPOLIS – A recent survey of Hoosier voters indicates broad agreement on expanding access to Cannabis, with 84% in favor of medical use and 59% supporting recreational legalization. The findings, drawn from the 2025 Hoosier ...
Bipartisan Bill Aims to Push Back Hemp Ban for Two Years
WASHINGTON – A group of lawmakers from both parties filed legislation seeking to push back a forthcoming federal prohibition on certain hemp-derived products until late 2028, offering the industry a brief reprieve to adjust operations. ...
U.S. Legal Cannabis Sales Hit $2.3B in December, Lifting 2025 Total to $27B
LOS ANGELES – Legal Cannabis sales across the United States reached $2.3 billion in December, pushing the full-year figure for 2025 to $27 billion. The month’s tally edged out November’s $2.2 billion and aligned closely ...
California DCC Grants $1.8M to UC Berkeley and Glass House Brands for Cannabis Yield Study
LONG BEACH – State regulators have awarded $1.8 million to a partnership between the University of California Berkeley and Glass House Brands to study variations in Cannabis crop yields across cultivation methods, a move that ...
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 ...
Chicago’s United Center Inks Deal with RYTHM Inc to Sell Hemp-Derived THC Beverages
CHICAGO – The United Center, the largest indoor entertainment arena in the United States and home to the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, has agreed to a multiyear partnership with Chicago-based RYTHM Inc. to sell hemp-derived ...
Village Farms Takes Top Honor at BC Export Awards
VANCOUVER – Village Farms International Inc. secured the 2026 BC Export Award in the Consumer Products category, presented by Business in Vancouver. The recognition highlights the company's sharp rise in international sales, with exports jumping ...
Colorado Governor Jared Polis Issues Pardons for Psilocybin and Psilocin Convictions
LOS ANGELES-- the Psychedelic Science 2025 conference in Denver, Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order granting full, unconditional pardons to individuals convicted under state law for possession of psilocybin and psilocin—substances that became legal for ...
Compass Pathways’ Psilocybin-Based Therapy Reaches Key Milestone in Depression Trial
LOS ANGELES- Compass Pathways has announced that its lead candidate, COMP360, achieved the primary endpoint in a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating its efficacy in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In the COMP005 study, involving 258 participants ...
Analysis: What’s Next for Texas THC Policy After Gov. Abbott’s Veto?
DALLAS - In a move that stunned the Texas political establishment and delighted the state’s burgeoning hemp industry, Governor Greg Abbott last weekend vetoed Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), a measure that would have banned ...
Maryland Governor Expands Cannabis Pardons
LOS ANGELES- Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced an additional round of approximately 6,938 pardons for individuals previously convicted of simple cannabis possession, following a 2024 executive order that granted clemency to over 175,000 convictions ...
Verano Taps Arizona Partner to Introduce Grow Sciences’ Cannabis Line in Illinois
LOS ANGELES- Verano Holdings Corp. a vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator, entered into an exclusive distribution partnership with Arizona-based Grow Sciences to launch a curated selection of premium cannabis flower and solventless extracts in Illinois. Starting ...
Court Reverses Health Canada’s Ban on Psilocybin Training for Clinicians
LOS ANGELES- A recent decision by the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that Health Canada’s 2022 refusal to grant exemptions allowing health-care professionals to participate in experiential psilocybin training was unreasonable. The court determined that ...
Minnesota Enacts Law Enhancing Employment Protections for Medical Cannabis Patients
LOS ANGELES— A new Minnesota law, Senate File 2370 (SF 2370), which took effect on May 24, 2025, introduces expanded employment protections for registered medical cannabis patients. Under the law, employers must now provide a ...
Legal Cannabis Shows Economic Gains and Stable Teen Use Trends
LOS ANGELES— A recent analysis from the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) indicates that legal adult‑use cannabis sales have generated approximately $24.7 billion in state tax revenue since legalization began in 2014, with $4.4 billion collected in 2024 ...
High-Potency Cannabis Strains Impact Legal and Health Systems
LOS ANGELES— The expansion of high-potency cannabis products—such as concentrated extracts, edibles, and potent vaping liquids is increasingly challenging health-care facilities and legal systems across North America. Emergency departments in the U.S. and Canada report ...
New Zealand Approves Psilocybin for Medicinal Use
LOS ANGELES— New Zealand’s government has authorized the prescription of psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in so‑called “magic mushrooms,” for patients with treatment‑resistant depression. This marks the first time psilocybin has been approved for medical use ...
Psyence Group Inc. Announces C$600,000 Private Share Offering
LOS ANGELES— Psyence Group Inc. a biotechnology firm focused on nature-derived psilocybin for mental health and palliative care, has announced a non-brokered private placement to raise up to C$600,000. The offering, detailed in a news ...
Texas Governor Expands Medical Cannabis Program, Vetoes THC Ban
LOS ANGELES— Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed House Bill 46 into law, significantly expanding the state’s limited medical cannabis program, while vetoing Senate Bill 3, which aimed to ban hemp‑derived THC products—including delta‑8 gummies, ...
Method Man and Zamnesia Partner to Launch Eight TICAL Cannabis Seeds in U.S. and Europe
LOS ANGELES- Zamnesia—a European online retailer specializing in cannabis seeds—has partnered with Method Man’s cannabis brand, TICAL, to launch eight exclusive premium seeds across the U.S. and Europe. The collaboration, announced in early June 2025, ...
Aurora Cannabis Denies Acquisition of MedLeaf Therapeutics
LOS ANGELES- Aurora Cannabis Inc. publicly refuted recent reports claiming it was acquiring New Zealand–based MedLeaf Therapeutics. In a statement issued on June 18, 2025, the Edmonton-headquartered company confirmed it “has not entered into any ...
MJ and MSOS ETFs Signal High Upside on U.S. Legalization Outlook
LOS ANGELES- Investment in cannabis-focused ETFs such as Amplify’s MJ and AdvisorShares’ MSOS reflects growing investor anticipation of federal legalization-driven expansion, even amid pronounced volatility and structural headwinds. Analysts argue that rescheduling cannabis from Schedule I ...
Legislative Wave Follows Growth of Hemp-Infused Beverage Market
LOS ANGELES- The market for hemp-derived cannabis beverages has expanded rapidly since the 2018 federal legalization of hemp, reaching an estimated value of over $1 billion today and projected to exceed $30 billion by 2035. ...
Canadian Cannabis Producers Expand Exports
LOS ANGELES- Canada’s licensed cannabis sector continues its move toward international markets, driven by strong global demand, especially for medical cannabis. During the 2023–24 fiscal year, Canada exported approximately CA$218 million of medical cannabis for commercial ...
Big Cannabis Companies Maintain Optimism in Florida Despite Adult‑Use Setback
LOS ANGELES- Major cannabis operators remain confident in the Florida medical market, viewing it as a strategic long‑term growth opportunity despite the failed November 2024 attempt to legalize adult‑use cannabis. In a recent analysis, Forbes ...
AYR Wellness Updates Delay of Q1 2025 Interim Filings
LOS ANGELES- AYR Wellness Inc. announced that it did not complete the filing of its interim financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis, and related CEO and CFO certificates for the three-month period ended March 31, ...
NewLake Capital Partners Declares $0.43 Second Quarter 2025 Dividend
LOS ANGELES- NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. announced on June 16, 2025, that its Board of Directors has approved a cash dividend of $0.43 per share of common stock for the second quarter of 2025. The ...
Israel’s Health Ministry Approves Expansion of Apex Labs’ Phase 2b Psilocybin Trial for PTSD
LOS ANGELES- Apex Labs Ltd. has secured approval from Israel’s Ministry of Health (MoH) and relevant ethics boards to expand its ongoing Phase 2b SUMMIT‑90 clinical trial assessing macrodose psilocybin therapy (APEX‑90) for post-traumatic stress disorder ...
Ohio’s Cannabis Revenue Trends Offer Strategic Guide for Pennsylvania
LOS ANGELES- As Pennsylvania moves closer to legalizing adult-use cannabis, Ohio’s first-year revenue data and regulatory experiences offer critical insights. Since launching sales in August 2024, Ohio has generated approximately $540 million in cannabis revenue ...
Rose Hill Apothecary Completes First Research-Grade Psilocybin Export to Brazil
LOS ANGELES- Rose Hill Apothecary, the research-grade psilocybin arm of Rose Hill Life Sciences, has executed its inaugural international export deal, shipping 18 kilograms of dried psilocybin-containing mushrooms to Biocase Brasil Importação e Comércio de ...
Emerging Programs Aim to Democratize Cannabis Cultivation
LOS ANGELES- Governments, industry groups, and educational institutions are launching a wave of initiatives aimed at lowering barriers to entry in cannabis cultivation and production—efforts collectively referred to as “democratizing cannabis production.” These programs focus ...
Planet 13 Reports Shareholder Decisions at Annual Meeting
LOS ANGELES- Planet 13 Holdings Inc. multi-state cannabis company headquartered in Las Vegas, disclosed the results of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on June 10, 2025. The meeting addressed key matters related to corporate ...
