Newsletter
DEA links cannabis to mental health issues (Newsletter: May 30, 2025)
HI & OR govs sign marijuana bills; TX veterans push gov to veto hemp ban; State legalization tax revenue reports; Study: Cannabis for treating pain
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Drug Enforcement Administration is promoting a claim that marijuana could be more likely to cause psychosis than methamphetamine is—at a time when the agency is supposedly the proponent of a pending cannabis rescheduling proposal.
Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) signed a bill to expand medical cannabis caregiver rights, including by allowing them to grow marijuana for up to five patients instead of just one.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) signed a bill to allow marijuana businesses to provide samples of their products at trade events and to remove restrictions on wholesale transactions between cannabis companies at those gatherings.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced a new online directory that lets people see where medical cannabis dispensaries will be opening near them—and he signed an executive order to waive renewal fees for patients who get their cards this year.
Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars is calling on Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to veto a bill to ban consumable hemp products with any amount of THC, saying it “would cause irreversible harm to communities across the state.”
A new Marijuana Policy Project analysis shows that states have collected $24.7 billion in tax revenue from legal adult-use cannabis sales since the first markets launched in 2014—including $4.4 billion in 2024 alone.
Pennsylvania stands to generate up to $2.1 billion in recreational cannabis tax revenue within five years if it enacts legalization, according to a new analysis from the Marijuana Policy Project.
A new study shows that long-term medical marijuana use is a “stable and well-tolerated option for managing chronic musculoskeletal pain”—with more than “93% of respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that [medical cannabis] improved their primary symptoms.”
/ FEDERAL
Sara Carter, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, published an article about the Federal Bureau of Investigation revisiting a probe into cocaine discovered in the White House during the Biden administration.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that the smell of marijuana alone is not enough to establish probable cause to arrest or search a person unless a police officer can link it to the suspect.
/ STATES
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop, currently Jersey City’s mayor, expressed support for legalizing psilocybin therapy for military veterans and legalizing marijuana home cultivation.
Florida’s attorney general defended his role in steering Medicaid funds toward a campaign to oppose a marijuana legalization initiative on the state’s 2024 ballot.
The House side of the Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy advanced legislation to downsize and restructure the Cannabis Control Commission and to address issues such as retail license limits, intoxicating hemp products and restrictions on medical marijuana businesses.
The chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Law & Justice Committee discussed his plan to “bring bipartisan support to legalizing cannabis.”
An Iowa court rejected state officials’ motion to dismiss a man’s lawsuit seeking an injunction barring enforcement of the state’s drug laws against his religious use of cannabis.
Montana’s top marijuana regulator dismissed a request to suspend testing requirements for marijuana products.
New York regulators launched a statewide “listen & learn” series focused on engaging young people and trusted adults to shape the future of cannabis education.
Missouri regulators sent a newsletter with updates about various cannabis issues.
The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission will meet on Friday.
Washington State regulators will begin accepting registrations for the Cannabis Social Equity Program on Monday.
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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
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/ LOCAL
The Easton, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania City Council is considering a marijuana decriminalization proposal after a previous measure failed.
/ INTERNATIONAL
The UK’s deputy prime minister said the government does not support decriminalizing marijuana and is “not going to be changing our policy there.”
Germany’s new commissioner for addiction and drugs deleted his position on cannabis from his website.
A British Columbia, Canada lawmaker pressed the minister of finance about cannabis tax revenue and enforcement.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study on medical cannabis use by older adults provided “evidence of momentary improvements in pain, anxiety, depression, and indirect benefits for sleep quality.”
A review concluded that “despite their Schedule I classification in the U.S., mounting evidence from contemporary clinical trials and neuroimaging studies suggests psychedelics may offer a safe and effective approach to treating complex mental health disorders.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
A poll of UK adults found that they support decriminalizing marijuana, 54 percent to 34 percent.
The UCLA Labor Center and Cannabis Worker Collab published a report on the California cannabis industry, including “unsafe working conditions, wage theft and how diversity and organizing is transforming jobs.”
/ BUSINESS
Rubicon Organics Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$12.4 million and a net loss of $322,000.
Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. closed a private placement of $50 million of its senior secured notes.
Apollo Technology Capital Corporation issued a warning about “alleged extensive securities act disclosure violations committed by” the MediPharm Labs Corp. board of directors and management team.
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