Legal Affairs
The Role of Government Relations in Cannabis Industry Success
NEW YORK — In highly regulated industries, success depends not ...
Minnesota Approves Hemp Seed Meal for Laying Hens
LOS ANGELES- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has authorized ...
Kool Cigarettes Sues Bloom Cannabis For Logo Infringement
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tobacco producer ITG has sued a California ...
Thai Cannabis Stores Face Uncertainty as Government Tightens Sales Regulations
LOS ANGELES- Thailand’s government has introduced a new order—published in the Royal Gazette on June 26, 2025—mandating that cannabis can now only be sold with a valid medical prescription from licensed practitioners. Cannabis buds have been reclassified ...
Cybin Secures Up to US $500 Million via Convertible Debentures to Fuel Clinical Growth
LOS ANGELES- Cybin Inc. has entered into a securities purchase agreement with High Trail Special Situations LLC to raise up to US $500 million through unsecured convertible debentures, aiming to strengthen its position in neuropsychiatric therapeutics ...
Atai and Beckley Psytech Report Positive Phase 2b Results for BPL‑003
LOS ANGELES- Atai Life Sciences and Beckley Psytech have announced positive topline results from their Phase 2b clinical trial of BPL‑003, an intranasal formulation of mebufotenin benzoate, in patients with treatment‑resistant depression (TRD). The multicenter, ...
Atai and Beckley Psytech Report Positive Phase 2b Results for BPL‑003
LOS ANGELES- Atai Life Sciences and Beckley Psytech have announced positive topline results from their Phase 2b clinical trial of BPL‑003, an intranasal formulation of mebufotenin benzoate, in patients with treatment‑resistant depression (TRD). The multicenter, ...
iAnthus Reports Unanimous Approval at Annual General Meeting
LOS ANGELES- iAnthus Capital Holdings, a multi-state operator in licensed cannabis cultivation, processing, and retail, announced that its shareholders unanimously approved all items at the Annual General Meeting held on June 26, 2025. The approved resolutions included ...
Kentucky Nears Operational Start for Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
LOS ANGELES- Kentucky is approaching the launch of medical cannabis sales as state regulators complete final preparations for the opening of licensed dispensaries. Although the state’s medical cannabis law took effect on January 1, 2025, ...
Mike Tyson Urges Trump to Act on Cannabis Reform
LOS ANGELES- Boxing legend Mike Tyson, alongside athletes including Kevin Durant and Dez Bryant, has urged former President Donald Trump to pursue federal cannabis reform after accusing President Joe Biden of failing to deliver on ...
Thai Cannabis Stores Face Uncertainty as Government Tightens Sales Regulations
LOS ANGELES- Thailand’s government has introduced a new order—published in the Royal Gazette on June 26, 2025—mandating that cannabis can now only be sold with a valid medical prescription from licensed practitioners. Cannabis buds have been reclassified ...
Cybin Secures Up to US $500 Million via Convertible Debentures to Fuel Clinical Growth
LOS ANGELES- Cybin Inc. has entered into a securities purchase agreement with High Trail Special Situations LLC to raise up to US $500 million through unsecured convertible debentures, aiming to strengthen its position in neuropsychiatric therapeutics ...
Atai and Beckley Psytech Report Positive Phase 2b Results for BPL‑003
LOS ANGELES- Atai Life Sciences and Beckley Psytech have announced positive topline results from their Phase 2b clinical trial of BPL‑003, an intranasal formulation of mebufotenin benzoate, in patients with treatment‑resistant depression (TRD). The multicenter, ...
U.S. Whiskey Consumption Slows as Cannabis and Wellness Trends Gain Traction
LOS ANGELES- Brown‑Forman Corp., producer of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, cites three primary factors contributing to reduced whiskey consumption in the U.S.: increasing cannabis use, the popularity of GLP‑1 weight‑loss medications, and softer demand among ...
Trump Administration Supports Psychedelic Research in Mental‑Health Efforts
LOS ANGELES- The Trump administration is showing growing support for research into psychedelics such as MDMA, psilocybin, and ibogaine as potential treatments for mental health conditions. Led by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert ...
ProStar SEO Identifies Key Google Ranking Factors for Cannabis Businesses
LOS ANGELES- ProStar SEO, a Canadian firm specializing in search engine optimization, has released new insights identifying the most influential Google ranking factors specific to cannabis industry websites. The report, based on a large-scale analysis ...
Michigan Cannabis Retailer to Pay $205K in Settlement Over Workers’ Lost Tips
LOS ANGELES— Federal Judge Matthew Leitman has approved a $205,000 settlement in a lawsuit filed by employees of Timber Cannabis, a seven-location cannabis dispensary chain in Michigan. The lawsuit alleged that management appropriated tips left ...
Malaysia Weighs Cannabis Vaporizer Manufacturing for Export
LOS ANGELES— Malaysia’s Cabinet is set to decide whether to permit the manufacturing of cannabis vaporizer hardware for export, as Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad confirmed following a multi-agency review. The proposal centers ...
North Carolina Governor Establishes Cannabis Advisory Council Amid Unregulated THC Market
LOS ANGELES- North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has issued an executive order forming a 24–30 member North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis to develop policy recommendations aimed at regulating cannabis products and formalizing legalization strategies, ...
Cannabis Stocks Decline as Federal Reform Stalls in U.S
LOS ANGELES- U.S. cannabis stocks have declined sharply as investor enthusiasm dampens amid continued delays in federal reform. The AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF dropped around 48% in 2024, with company shares like Curaleaf, Verano, ...
AYR Wellness Secures Temporary Waiver in Financing Deal
LOS ANGELES- AYR Wellness Inc. a vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, has entered into a Limited Waiver Agreement with holders of a majority of its senior secured notes . Under this agreement, noteholders temporarily agree ...
Minnesota Awards 249 Cannabis Business Licenses in State’s First Lottery
LOS ANGELES- Minnesota’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) held its inaugural lottery on June 5, 2025, awarding 249 provisional licenses for social equity and general applicants across four categories: cultivator, manufacturer, mezzobusiness, and retailer. The ...
Ukraine Advances Medical Cannabis Access with Support from Soros-Affiliated NGOs
LOS ANGELES- Ukraine’s State Service for Medicines and Drug Control issued its first license for importing medical cannabis on June 2, 2025, following the enactment of a law in August 2024 that authorized the use ...
Trump Administration Proposes Elimination of Federal Protections for State Medical Cannabis Programs
LOS ANGELES- The Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget proposal includes the removal of a longstanding provision that prohibits the Department of Justice (DOJ) from using federal funds to interfere with state-legal medical cannabis programs. ...
Psychedelic Drugs Market Projects Significant Growth Through 2029
LOS ANGELES- The global psychedelic drugs market is projected to experience substantial growth, with estimates indicating an increase from $6.39 billion in 2025 to $11.93 billion by 2029, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) ...
Village Farms Completes Divestiture of Fresh Produce Business to Focus on Cannabis
LOS ANGELES- Village Farms International Inc. has finalized the transaction to privatize its fresh produce operations, marking a strategic shift to concentrate on its cannabis ventures. The deal, completed on May 30, 2025, involves the ...
Massachusetts House Approves Cannabis Oversight Reform Bill
LOS ANGELES- The Massachusetts House of Representatives has unanimously passed legislation aimed at restructuring the state's cannabis regulatory framework. The bill, designated as H 4187, seeks to address administrative challenges and enhance oversight within the ...
Italy Enacts Security Decree Targeting Protests, Squatting, and Cannabis Industry
LOS ANGELES— Italy's Senate has passed a comprehensive security decree introduced by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing coalition, intensifying penalties for public demonstrations, unauthorized property occupations, and the commercial sale of certain cannabis products. The ...
Czech Republic Advances Cannabis Decriminalization
LOS ANGELES— The Czech Republic's Chamber of Deputies has approved a significant amendment to the nation's criminal code, decriminalizing the possession and cultivation of cannabis for personal use. The measure permits adults to grow up ...
Ascend Wellness Secures $50 Million Through Private Placement of Senior Secured Notes
LOS ANGELES- Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. a multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, has completed a $50 million private placement of its 12.75% senior secured notes due 2029. The notes, issued at 97.5% of face value, ...
Alphabet Soup: Common Acronyms in Cannabis and Why You Need to Know Them
LOS ANGELES- Running a cannabis business means speaking more than the language of cultivation and branding — it means speaking compliance, with all its acronyms. You’ve likely seen a wall of them — ADA, OSHA, ...
Financial and Regulatory Hurdles Challenge New Cannabis Enterprises
LOS ANGELES- Emerging cannabis businesses in the United States are encountering significant barriers to entry, primarily due to financial constraints, complex regulatory environments, and competition from established entities. Access to capital remains a primary obstacle ...
Cannabis Use Among Seniors Sees Significant Uptick
LOS ANGELES- A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine highlights a notable increase in cannabis use among U.S. adults aged 65 and older. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicates ...
FLUENT Corp. Expands Indoor Cultivation with Rosa Facility in Florida
LOS ANGELES- FLUENT Corp.a vertically integrated cannabis operator, has initiated cultivation at its new Rosa indoor facility in Tampa, Florida. This development adds 9,200 square feet of high-efficiency indoor canopy to the company's operations, marking ...
Atai Life Sciences and Beckley Psytech Announce Strategic Merger to Form Atai Beckley
LOS ANGELES- Atai Life Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company, and Beckley Psytech, a private UK-based biotechnology firm, have announced a definitive agreement to merge, creating a new entity named Atai Beckley. The all-share transaction values Beckley ...
Comprehensive Cannabis Pangenome
LOS ANGELES- A collaborative study led by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies has constructed the most comprehensive genetic map of Cannabis sativa to date, analyzing 193 genomes from 144 biological samples. This pangenome reveals ...
Cresco Labs Reports $30 Million in Q1 Operating Cash Flow
LOS ANGELES- Cresco Labs Inc. reported $30 million in operating cash flow for the first quarter of 2025, reflecting its ongoing emphasis on cash generation and financial discipline. This figure follows a record $132 million ...
California Cannabis Industry Pursues Self-Regulation
LOS ANGELES- In response to ongoing regulatory challenges and concerns about product safety, California's cannabis industry is exploring self-regulation measures to bolster consumer trust and ensure compliance within the legal market. The Environmental Consumer Compliance ...