Newsletter
Pennsylvania cannabis legalization bill rejected by Senate panel (Newsletter: May 14, 2025)
TX marijuana & ibogaine; LA cannabis tax vote; Fed hemp lab testing inconsistency report; Navy vet’s psychedelics op-ed; FL ballot lawsuit; MO taxes
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee rejected a House-passed marijuana legalization bill, with the chair who supports reform in general saying its state-run dispensary model sends “the wrong message.”
The Texas House of Representatives passed bills to expand medical cannabis access and to support research on the psychedelic ibogaine, sending them to the Senate for consideration.
The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee narrowly defeated a bill that would have established a tax system for marijuana to prepare for its eventual legalization in the state.
A new federal cannabis report from the National Institute of Standards and Technology found a “wide range of moisture content reported by participating laboratories using several different drying methods”—indicating the need for a more “consistent” approach “for accurate and precise measurements.”
Navy veteran Matthew “Whiz” Buckley authored a new Marijuana Moment op-ed about how psychedelic medicine saved his life and how he got the opportunity to discuss it with Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins last week.
The Florida campaign seeking to put a marijuana legalization measure on the 2026 ballot joined a federal lawsuit against new initiative petitioning restrictions signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
The Missouri Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case on whether municipalities and counties can stack local marijuana taxes under the state’s voter-approved legalization law.
/ FEDERAL
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy has new members of its Executive Service Performance Review Board.
The Environmental Protection Agency noted that Colorado officials said it would be infeasible to include emission control requirements for cannabis cultivation operations in an air quality plan because they “involve a large number of small operators with limited experience with the regulatory process.”
/ STATES
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed a bill to restrict marijuana advertising.
Washington State Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) signed a bill to limit financial interest agreements for licensed cannabis retailers.
A former Oregon secretary of state is being ordered to pay $3,600 in fines over her decision to accept a consulting job a marijuana company involved in an audit her office conducted.
A former Maine representative authored an op-ed about the need to federally reschedule marijuana.
Connecticut regulators confirmed a recall of marijuana products with yeast and mold levels outside the acceptable range.
Minnesota regulators published guidance for hemp product businesses.
Vermont regulators posted guidance on cannabis vegetative plant sales.
Washington, D.C. regulators closed a business for allegedly growing and distributing unlicensed cannabis products while pursuing a license.
New York regulators touted a partnership with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Henrietta to close an illegal marijuana operation.
California State Parks created a flyer to encourage people to report illegal cannabis cultivation operations on public lands.
New Jersey regulators published a flyer about marijuana for municipalities.
Nevada regulators will consider marijuana business issues on Thursday.
Missouri regulators will hold learning sessions for marijuana business licensees on June 24.
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/ INTERNATIONAL
Malta’s Parliament passed legislation to amend various marijuana rules.
Danish lawmakers passed legislation to make the country’s medical cannabis pilot program permanent.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study “establishes industrial hemp as an eco-friendly alternative for dye removal, combining renewable sourcing with multi-mechanism adsorption capabilities suitable for small-scale water treatment applications.”
A study found that “medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids for chronic pain may confer similar, but modest, benefits to patients, and reduce the risk of opioid overdose without substantially increasing costs.”
/ BUSINESS
JetBlue is reportedly seeing a “spike” in positive drug tests among crew members, which the Transport Workers Union says could be caused by use of hemp products.
iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $38.1 million.
Village Farms International, Inc. entered into an agreement to privatize certain assets and operations of its fresh produce segment.
Curaleaf International received European Union medical device certification for the first handheld liquid inhalation device designed for precise medical cannabis administration.
Trulieve workers in Phoenix, Arizona ratified a union contract.
/ CULTURE
Russell Brand tweeted, “I used to take quite a lot of cocaine, crack, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy and marijuana, as well as pharmaceutical drugs, but now I’m lit up by the Holy Spirit.”
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