Legal Affairs
High Times Brings Back Cannabis Cup to New York
LOS ANGELES – Josh Kesselman, the entrepreneur behind RAW® Rolling Papers and recent steward of High Times magazine, has revived the storied Cannabis Cup competition in New York, setting it up to be the first ...
Resurrected Ancient Cannabis Enzymes Pave the Way for Efficient Cannabinoid Production
LOS ANGELES – A team of biologists has brought back to life enzymes from Cannabis plants that roamed Earth millions of years ago, uncovering a blueprint for producing medicinal compounds more effectively than today's methods ...
Ten Million U.S. Adults Microdosed Psychedelics Last Year, RAND Survey Finds
LOS ANGELES – A new survey from the RAND Corporation reveals that roughly 10 million adult Americans turned to microdosing psychedelics last year, taking sub-perceptual amounts of substances like psilocybin, LSD or MDMA to manage ...
Bipartisan Poll Signals Growing Momentum for Federal Legalization
LOS ANGELES – A fresh survey of registered voters reveals that a slim majority of Americans now favor legalizing Cannabis at the federal level, with notable crossover appeal among Republicans following President Donald Trump's recent ...
California Allocates $30M in Cannabis Research Grants
SACRAMENTO – California's Department of Cannabis Control has disbursed nearly $30 million to support 22 academic projects examining Cannabis's influence on public health, environmental practices, and the regulated market. The funding, drawn from taxes on ...
Cannabis Market’s Hidden Scale: New Estimates Point to $90B U.S. Potential
LOS ANGELES – Viridian Capital Advisors' latest Chart of the Week dives into recreational Cannabis sales across nine mature markets (Michigan, Montana, Alaska, New Mexico, Massachusetts, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada) to gauge true consumer ...
Republican State AGs Challenge Trump’s Cannabis Rescheduling Directive
LOS ANGELES – A coalition of Republican attorneys general from eight states has publicly rejected President Donald Trump's recent Executive Order to reschedule Cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act, citing persistent risks to public safety ...
High Times Brings Back Cannabis Cup to New York
LOS ANGELES – Josh Kesselman, the entrepreneur behind RAW® Rolling Papers and recent steward of High Times magazine, has revived the storied Cannabis Cup competition in New York, setting it up to be the first ...
Resurrected Ancient Cannabis Enzymes Pave the Way for Efficient Cannabinoid Production
LOS ANGELES – A team of biologists has brought back to life enzymes from Cannabis plants that roamed Earth millions of years ago, uncovering a blueprint for producing medicinal compounds more effectively than today's methods ...
Ten Million U.S. Adults Microdosed Psychedelics Last Year, RAND Survey Finds
LOS ANGELES – A new survey from the RAND Corporation reveals that roughly 10 million adult Americans turned to microdosing psychedelics last year, taking sub-perceptual amounts of substances like psilocybin, LSD or MDMA to manage ...
Week In Review: Bipartisan Legislation Proposes Framework for Federal Cannabis Legalization; Village Farms International Granted 180-Day Extension to Meet NASDAQ; New Mexico Takes a Landmark Step Toward Legal Psychedelic Therapy
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Ireland Could Make Great Cannabis Policy; Massachusetts Deliberates Social Consumption Regulations for Cannabis Industry; Safe Harbor Financial and Würk Form Partnership to Enhance Cannabis Industry Services; Planet 13 Grants Restricted Stock Units to Leadership and Staff
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Federal Cannabis Trafficking Cases Reach Record Low; Blueberries Medical Corp. Secures C$1.05 Million in Private Placement; Virginia Governor Vetoes Cannabis Retail Market and Assault-Style Weapons Ban
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Maryland Generates $72 Million in 2024 Recreational Cannabis Tax Revenue; Netherlands Initiates Regulated Cannabis Sales Trial; Israel Faces Mental Health Crisis Post-October 7 Attacks: Evaluating Medical Cannabis for PTSD Treatment
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Cannabis and Psychedelic Mushroom Kiosk at Brookfield Square Mall Draws Mixed Reactions; Cresco Labs Reports: Financial Results for Q4 and Full Year ending December 31, 2024; South Africa’s Department of Health Enacts Ban on Cannabis and Hemp Food Products
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: States Propose Cannabis Tax Hikes Amid Industry Pushback; British American Tobacco Invests $86.8 Million in Organigram; Canopy Growth’s Stock Declines Amid Share Sale Plans
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Minnesota Considers Allowing Liquor Wholesalers to Distribute Low-Potency Hemp Edibles; Cronos Group Reports $8.7 Million in Operating Expense Savings for FY2024; Compass Pathways Projects FY2025 Net Cash Use of $120M-$145M
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Washington State Senate Committee Advances Cannabis Direct Sales Bill; New Hampshire House Approves Limited Cannabis Legalization Bill; Jushi Holdings Secures $9.7 Million Through ERC Refund and Debt Financing
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: TILT Holdings Divests Massachusetts Dispensaries for $2 Million; California Cannabis Industry Faces Potential Crisis Amid Proposed Tax Increase; New Mexico House Bill 331 Proposes Mandatory Labor Peace Agreements for Cannabis Businesses
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: New York’s Cannabis Regulatory Body Introduces Banking Directory; Arkansas Senate Advances Bill to Fund Free School Breakfasts Using Medical Cannabis Revenue; Tennessee Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Legalize Recreational and Medical Cannabis
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Hawaii Lawmakers Renew Push to Legalize Adult-Use Cannabis with Constitutional Amendment Proposal; PharmaCann Defaults on Innovative Industrial Properties Leases; Florida’s Cannabis Market Sees Shift as Smaller Operators Capture Market Share
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Ascend Wellness Secures $15 Million in Private Placement to Bolster Growth Initiatives; Virginia Senate Committee Advances Bill to Legalize Recreational Cannabis Sales; Leafly Holdings Delisted from Nasdaq Amid Financial Challenges
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Arkansas Governor Proposes Funding Free School Meals with Medical Cannabis Tax Revenue; Biden Commutes Sentences of Nearly 2,500 Nonviolent Drug Offenders; Hemp-Derived CBD Market Set to Expand Significantly by 2034
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Vireo Growth Inc. Secures $75 Million Financing and Acquires Four Cannabis Operators; Minnesota Approves Hemp Seed Meal for Laying Hens Agrify Divests Cultivation Business to Focus on THC Beverages; Aurora Cannabis Expands Distribution in Australia
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Cansortium Completes Merger with RIV Capital; Cannabis Industry Forecast for 2025: A Year of Transformation; MariMed Launches Wholesale Cannabis Operations in Missouri; Aurora Cannabis Expands Distribution in Australia
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Week In Review: Bipartisan Legislation for Expungement of Pardoned Federal Offenses; Trump’s Appointments & Future of Federal Cannabis Policy; Federal Restrictions on Cannabis Sales in Washington
LOS ANGELES — Welcome to the far too-exciting world of cannabis and psychedelics, where it’s a tale of two markets with some states doing amazingly well. And some, well...they're not doing so well (hello New ...
Portugal Eyes Leadership Role in Global Medical Cannabis Market
LOS ANGELES- Portugal is positioning itself as a significant player in the medical cannabis industry, leveraging its favorable climate and regulatory framework to boost production and exports. In 2023, the country exported nearly 12,000 kilograms ...
Hemp Industry Anticipates Expansion
LOS ANGELES- The U.S. Hemp Roundtable, a leading advocacy organization for the hemp sector, has strengthened its leadership by appointing two prominent figures from the hemp beverage industry. In September 2024, Art Massolo, Vice President ...
Federal Restrictions on Cannabis Sales in Washington
LOS ANGELES- A coalition of Republican lawmakers and Washington, D.C. officials is advocating for the removal of federal restrictions that prevent the District from regulating and taxing cannabis sales. During a recent House Appropriations subcommittee ...
Illinois Cannabis Market Leads in Diversity with 100th Social Equity Dispensary
LOS ANGELES- In July 2024, Illinois marked a significant milestone by opening its 100th social equity-owned cannabis dispensary, underscoring the state's commitment to fostering diversity within the industry. A comprehensive study by the Cannabis Regulation ...
Massachusetts Cannabis Market Sees Surge in Strain Diversity
LOS ANGELES- As of December 2024, Massachusetts' legal cannabis market boasts 740 active strains, marking a 29% increase from the 572 strains available in December 2023 and an 84% rise from 401 strains in December ...
Arizona Cannabis Sales and Tax Revenue: Recent Trends and Milestones
LOS ANGELES- In October 2024, Arizona's cannabis industry experienced a modest rebound, with recreational marijuana sales reaching $75.3 million, up from $67.3 million in September. Despite this month-over-month increase, sales remained below the previous year's ...
Trump’s Appointments and the Future of Federal Cannabis Policy
LOS ANGELES- The Trump administration’s recent appointments have raised questions about the trajectory of federal cannabis policy. With nominees holding diverse views on legalization and regulation, the decisions made in the coming months will play ...
Oh Cannabis, An Industry Is Yet To Land…
TORONTO—It didn’t have to be this way. I mean, in spite of what so many whinge and whine about, Canada had a lot to leverage. Canada is pretty big, with a population of about 40 ...
Dennis Peron: The Gay Revolutionary Who Pioneered Medical Cannabis in America
SAN FRANCISCO-Dennis Peron, the "Father of Medical Marijuana," is a towering figure in the history of cannabis advocacy. His relentless dedication to compassion and justice not only changed the lives of countless patients but also ...













































