Pennsylvania governor says legalize cannabis for “freedom and liberty” (Newsletter: March 18, 2025)

VA legalization veto revenue impact; OH marijuana amendments pushback; NM psilocybin; Poll: cannabis consumers stressed about Trump

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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW

A new poll shows that U.S. marijuana consumers are reporting higher levels of stress since President Donald Trump was inaugurated compared to the overall American population.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) said legalizing marijuana is “an issue of freedom and liberty” and that the state is “losing out” to its neighbors that have already enacted the reform.

• “If folks want to smoke, they should be able to do so in a safe and legal way.”

The Virginia Department of Planning and Budget published a fiscal analysis showing that if Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) vetoes a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales as expected, the state will forgo tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue—including for pre-kindergarten, community reinvestment and substance use treatment.

The Maryland Senate passed a bill to protect fire and rescue workers from being penalized for medical cannabis use that occurs while off duty.

The New Mexico House Health & Human Services Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to create a therapeutic psilocybin program by legalizing the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms for use in a supervised medical setting.

Drug policy reform organizations and the ACLU of Ohio are pushing back against Republican-led efforts to significantly amend the state’s voter-approved marijuana legalization law, with one advocate calling it “a minefield of recriminalization.”

A new federally funded study published by the American Medical Association found that removing marijuana use as a reason for drug testing during pregnancy can “reduce racial bias” in screenings and reports to child protective services with “no significant” impact on newborn babies’ health.

• “There were no significant associations between the intervention and other patient demographics, neonatal outcomes, or neonatal substance-related withdrawal diagnoses.”

A Minnesota judge ruled that the state can prosecute Native Americans on most reservations for possessing large amounts of marijuana despite the state’s legalization law.

/ FEDERAL

President Donald Trump formally nominated a new Drug Enforcement Administration administrator.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission published a study of overdoses in federal drug trafficking crimes.

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) touted the Department of Government Efficiency’s cancellation of a marijuana research grant in a Senate floor speech.

/ STATES

A North Carolina representative filed a bill to legalize marijuana.

A Nebraska senator discussed legislation to revise the state’s voter-approved medical cannabis law.

Missouri regulators issued a new interpretation of medical cannabis purchase limits.

A former Massachusetts top marijuana regulator discussed efforts to find the right balance between public safety and a viable market.

The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency will hold a public meeting on Wednesday.

The Oregon Oregon Liquor & Cannabis Commission Rules Advisory Committee will consider rules on CBN on Wednesday.

—
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.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ LOCAL

An appeals court is set to take up Bell County, Texas’s lawsuit against a voter-approved local marijuana decriminalization policy in Killeen on April 1.

/ INTERNATIONAL

The Netherlands government is moving ahead with its regulated cannabis supply experiment despite concerns from some coffeeshops and local officials.

U.S. immigration records of UK’s Prince Harry must be made public by Tuesday, a judge ruled, amid a legal challenge from the Heritage Foundation that suggests he may have lied about past drug use in order to obtain a visa.

/ SCIENCE & HEALTH

A study “demonstrated that the anti-inflammatory effect of [ethanol extract of C. sativa root] was significant in both early pathogen invasion and hyperinflammation-state macrophages, pointing to the potential value of utilizing hemp roots in the development of preventive and therapeutic adjuvants for managing excessive inflammation.”

/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS

Cannabis companies and organizations spend at least $1.6 million lobbying the Pennsylvania legislature in 2024.

/ BUSINESS

atai Life Sciences reported a quarterly net loss of $39 million.

Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. declared a quarterly dividend of $1.90 per share.

Michigan retailers sold $241.3 million worth of legal marijuana products in February.

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