The worsening outbreak of vape-linked illnesses and deaths has spurred lawmakers across the U.S. to take action, with officials in New Jersey and Massachusetts the latest to propose bans and other measures to curb vaping. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders are looking at a phased-in... Read more
Two members of Florida’s delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill on Thursday that would expand research into the medicinal use of marijuana. The measure, titled the Expanding Cannabis Research and Information Act, was filed by Democratic Rep. Donna Shalala and her Republican colleague Rep. Matt... Read more
On Thursday, Congressman Greg Steube, who represents Florida’s 17th district, introduced a bill that would downgrade the controlled substance scheduling for marijuana. Steube’s bill, the Marijuana 1-to-3 Act of 2019, would reclassify cannabis as a Schedule III controlled substance. Currently, the federal government considers cannabis a Schedule I drug... Read more
The State Medical Board of Ohio rejected petitions on Wednesday to add autism spectrum disorders and anxiety to the list of conditions qualifying a patient to use medical marijuana. The board’s vote follows a recommendation last month from the state Medical Marijuana Expert Review Committee not to approve the... Read more
Now that the recent, unexplained vaping-associated death toll in the United States has risen to six victims, tensions are running high when it comes to illegal vaping products. Today, such unlicensed THC products have a poster boy: 20-year-old Tyler Huffhines of Wisconsin, whose business law enforcement officials say was... Read more
It has been nearly three years since California voters overwhelmingly approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana use, opening the door for boutique pot shops and cannabis bakeries. But a report this week found that the state’s illicit market is still plenty active in its own right. In fact, according... Read more
The audit, conducted by the United Cannabis Business Assn., found approximately 2,835 unlicensed dispensaries and delivery services operating in California. By comparison, only 873 cannabis sellers in the state are licensed, according to the Bureau of Cannabis Control. The figures are the latest sign of California’s rocky rollout of... Read more
As states across the country develop regulated cannabis programs, more and more are incorporating social equity programs. Illinois’ new adult-use cannabis law, for example, made waves for its broad social equity program. Here in California, cannabis social equity is not a central part of the state-level regulations, but many of the larger cities throughout the state…
The New York Department of Financial Services has announced that it will be issuing dozens of subpoenas to individuals and companies associated with the pharmaceutical opioid industry. State Governor Andrew Cuomo did not mince words when referring to the pharmaceutical companies’ tendency to obscure their products’ highly addictive nature.... Read more
Louisiana has awarded business licenses to 775 companies that want to sell CBD products. The state’s Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control (ATC) received more than 1,000 permit applications after passage of a law outlining how retailers can sell products containing CBD. The ATC started the process in June. Liquor stores, gas stations... Read more
