Newsletter
Surprising senator votes to keep hemp THC products legal (Newsletter: November 12, 2025)
Veterans medical marijuana provisions deleted; VA senator “optimistic” on legalizing cannabis sales; TX hemp rules checklist; MO microbusinesses
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) explained his decision to be one of only two Republicans to support an amendment to keep hemp THC products federally legal in an historic first Senate standalone roll call floor vote on the issue of cannabis, saying that “regulation of hemp and marijuana products should rest with each individual state.”
- Democrats, meanwhile, were nearly evenly divided on the vote.
On Veterans Day, congressional leaders have abandoned an effort to allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to issue medical cannabis recommendations to their patients—even though the reform was approved by both the House and Senate earlier this year.
A Virginia senator who has sponsored legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales says he’s “very optimistic” the reform can be enacted now that voters elected a supportive new Democratic governor to replace the Republican one who vetoed his bills.
The Texas Department of State Health Services published a new hemp law checklist list to help businesses comply with recently enacted state cannabis rules—including age-gating to prevent the sale of intoxicating cannabinoid products to youth.
Missouri marijuana microbusinesses run by social equity applicants are beginning to harvest their first crops, but many are struggling to succeed as they navigate restrictive rules and an inability to get bank loans.
/ FEDERAL
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said he doesn’t think Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) should have gotten a vote on his amendment to remove hemp product ban provisions from a spending bill.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said he “detest[s] the tactics that are being used to try to get this [hemp product] ban enacted into law.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) tweeted, “Should we really be regulating [hemp] from the federal level? We’ve had the debate already in Texas. I’m sure we will continue to have it. Passing [Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY)] amendment would allow states to keep having that debate.”
Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) said he would oppose a spending bill if hemp product ban language was removed.
/ STATES
Texas’s lieutenant governor and agriculture commissioner cheered the advancement of hemp product ban legislation in Congress.
New Mexico’s attorney general sent a letter warning retailers about potentially illegal cannabis products that purport to be legal hemp.
Minnesota lawmakers expressed concerns about advancing federal legislation to recriminalize hemp products.
Washington, D.C. regulators adopted changes to medical cannabis rules.
Maine regulators published guidance about a cannabis tax increase.
Nevada regulators will consider changes to marijuana rules on November 20.
Changes to Colorado medical cannabis rules will take effect on December 15.
Vermont regulators will host cannabis business development workshops in December.
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/ LOCAL
Springfield, Colorado voters rejected a ballot measure to allow marijuana businesses to operate, while voters in Craig approved a question to allow local officials to increase cannabis taxes.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Canadian officials published a report on an effort to prevent youth marijuana use and to reduce the size of the illegal market.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study suggested that a long-acting injectable formulation of CBD “may overcome key limitations of oral CBD and support its further development as a long-acting therapeutic option for epilepsy.”
A study suggested that “a broad scope of benefits can be achieved by using flexible dosing schemes of cannabis extracts in managing diverse [chronic pain syndrome] conditions in female patients.”
A review concluded that “cannabidiol is generally well tolerated and has been shown to effectively reduce seizure frequency in children with [developmental and epileptic encephalopathies] whose seizures are refractory to concomitant antiepileptic medications.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Cato Institute published a blog post arguing that in advancing legislation to recriminalize hemp products, “Congress has once again mistaken prohibition for prudence.”
/ BUSINESS
The Cannabist Company Holdings Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $79.9 million and a loss of $14.7 million.
Rubicon Organics Inc. secured $4 million in financing.
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