News

Legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania under the governor’s latest budget plan could bring in nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue by 2028, according to a new analysis from the state’s Independent Fiscal Office (IFO) that estimates a significantly larger cash windfall compared to projections from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s (D) own office. With a proposed 20 percent wholesale cannabis excise tax, 6 percent state sales tax for retail and licensing fees, IFO said Shapiro’s legalization plan that he unveiled earlier this month would generate $140 million in tax revenue in the first year of . . .

Trulieve Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results with 60% Gross Margin and Record Cash Flow Generation Full year revenue of $1.2 billion, with 60% gross margin Record 2025 cash flow from operations of $273 million and free cash flow of $229 million* Record 50.1 million branded product units sold in 2025, up 5% [ . . . ]

Jersey City’s Downtown Flwr dispensary co-owner, business tycoon Benny Shabtai, has been found in the Epstein Files. Benny Shabtai, like the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, is a very wealthy businessman who owns many different companies. He has previously denied knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage girls for pedophilia, according to the Daily Mail. Heady [ . . . ] Source: Downtown Flwr Dispensary Co-Owner Benny Shabtai Found in Epstein Files from Heady NJ

Michigan data shows sales plunged in January, the first month when a new 24% tax was in place. Total REC sales were just below $226.4M in January, down 8.2% year over year and the lowest monthly total since February 2023. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had advocated for the 24% wholesale tax as a way to raise up to $420M for road repairs. Some of the January decline may have reflected consumers stocking up before the tax . . . Log in or become a WeedWeek Member to read this article. The post Newsbrief: Michigan sales plunge following tax hike appeared first on WeedWeek.

Green Thumb Industries Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Green Thumb Industries Inc. (“Green Thumb” or the “Company”) (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF), a leading national cannabis consumer packaged goods company and owner of RISE Dispensaries, today reported its financial results for the [ . . . ]

“Another example of why we should be a unicameral Legislature.” By Leslie Bonilla Muniz and Tom Davies, Indiana Capital Chronicle A ban on intoxicating and synthetic hemp-derived products died Monday after Indiana House lawmakers failed to call it down ahead of a second reading deadline. Senate Bill 250 would have mirrored a recent federal law that was designed to close a so-called loophole allowing potent delta-8, THCA and other cannabinoid products to proliferate. Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, was openly critical of his colleagues across the hall for killing his bill. All he would . . .

President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as U.S. surgeon general says that, while she wouldn’t recommend that Americans experiment with psychedelics like she has, there’s “exciting” research indicating that substances such as psilocybin can effectively treat serious mental health conditions that she would continue to follow if confirmed for the job. During a confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee on Wednesday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) pressed the nominee for surgeon general, Casey Means, on a section of a book she wrote that described an . . .

The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill to allow patients to use medical marijuana in hospitals. While both the House and Senate earlier this month approved differing versions of the cannabis legislation, the sponsors of those bills have agreed on a compromise approach which cleared the House in a 97-1 vote on Tuesday. As amended, SB 332 from Sen. Barbara Favola (D) would build upon existing state law protecting health professionals at hospices, nursing homes and assisted living facilities that aid terminally ill patients in utilizing medical cannabis treatment from punishment by . . .

While the game of what’s next in the rescheduling process continues, the Wall Street Journal takes a look at the other big cannabis fight, whether the federal hemp-derived THC ban will take effect in November. There’s speculation that low-dose beverages, now available in liquor stores in some states may be better positioned for a reprieve than some of the stronger products available online. Veteran . . . Log in or become a WeedWeek Member to read this article. The post Newsbrief: Hemp drink fight continues in D.C. appeared first on WeedWeek.

“Rescheduling . . . does not free a single person from prison, clear a single criminal record or repair the racial harm created by decades of cannabis prohibition.” By Stephanie Shepard, Last Prisoner Project Every Black History Month, we are asked to reflect on how far our country has come, and to honor progress, resilience and the long fight for racial justice. That history includes not only landmark civil rights victories, but also the policies that followed them, including the war on drugs, which for decades has been used to police, punish and destabilize Black communities under the guise of . . .

President Donald Trump delivered a lengthy State of the Union address on Tuesday, touching on a wide range of policy issues he’s championed in the first year of his second term. But to the disappointment of advocates and stakeholders, the president did not take the primetime opportunity to promote his work around marijuana rescheduling. Trump did bring up drugs in the context of militarized enforcement actions targeting alleged traffickers, preventing fentanyl smuggling across the border and the addressing pharmaceutical costs. Yet despite the bipartisan popularity of cannabis reform, he . . .

The Nebraska Legislature is set to consider a proposal to protect physicians who recommend patients to the state’s medical cannabis program from civil, criminal, or disciplinary actions related to that conduct, the Nebraska Examiner reports. Proposed by State Sen. John Cavanaugh (D), the bill was introduced last week to the Nebraska Health and Human Services Committee. There was no opposing testimony at the hearing, and of the seven lawmakers on the committee, at least four said they supported the proposal, according to the report. The bill, which outlines explicit protections for . . .

Researchers behind a recent clinical trial at Imperial College London said that participants with depression who took a dose of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) experienced reduced symptoms compared to those who took a placebo, Medical News Today reports. DMT is a naturally occurring substance that is fact-acting and has intense, but somewhat short, psychedelic side effects. The study, published in the February edition of Nature Medicine, found that a single treatment with DMT could relieve symptoms of depression for up to 6 months. The researchers also noted that DMT’s short half-life of about 5 . . .

Most commentary on the “hemp ban” included in the November funding bill has focused on two related questions: (1) which products and activities may become unlawful on November 12, 2026; and (2) whether Congress will materially amend or delay the ban before then. I recently discussed another consequence operators should be considering as the deadline approaches: bankruptcy eligibility. But focusing only on insolvency planning misses a much more immediate operational problem: inventory. Many hemp operators are currently holding large volumes of unsold material. At the same time, portions of the . . .

“It moves us closer to the day patients can speak openly with their doctors and families like mine can finally see the relief our loved ones have waited so long for.” By Juan Salinas II, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee advanced a bill onto the floor that explicitly protects physicians who recommend medical cannabis to patients. The committee on Tuesday voted 5-2 to advance Legislative Bill 933 from State Sen. John Cavanaugh of Omaha. The measure would grant medical practitioners immunity from civil, criminal or disciplinary action for stating . . .

Sunderstorm, the California-based house of brands behind KANHA and Lime, has signed a strategic agreement with New Garden Pharma to produce EU‑GMP cannabis edibles and flower for Europe and Australia, while expanding distribution with California’s Medical GmbH in Germany, FuGu Holdings in Australia, and Grow Group UK. As medical cannabis markets in Europe and Asia-Pacific grow into multi‑billion‑dollar opportunities, KANHA is leveraging its established operations in Thailand and Japan to build a fully integrated international supply chain and deliver fast‑acting, precisely dosed products to . . .

With the U.S. Supreme Court set to hear a case next week on the constitutionality of a federal gun ban for marijuana users, attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are feeling “hopeful” that justices will take their side over the Trump administration’s Justice Department and ultimately declare the current policy unlawful. Oral arguments in the case, U.S. vs. Hemani, are scheduled for Monday. And after years of litigation on the issue in courts across the country, advocates are eager to see the cannabis and firearms issue resolved in their favor with justices agreeing that the . . .

For more than 50 years, NORML has been ‘setting the record straight’ on cannabis. Today, this job is more important than ever. The post Mainstream Media’s New Era of Reefer Madness appeared first on NORML.

Kansas City could soon see some of its cannabis dispensaries open their doors 24 hours a day. Councilmember Crispin Rea has introduced a zoning amendment that would let certain medical and recreational marijuana stores apply for round-the-clock operations. The proposal focuses on businesses located at least 1,000 feet away from any residential district. City planning staff already recommend approving the change, especially for dispensaries situated in industrial areas where neighbouring businesses often run all night. Under current rules, Kansas City dispensaries must shut down by 10 p.m. and . . .

Several NJ cannabis leaders and local celebrities were honored by Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) on their top 100 influencers list during Black History Month. According to High Times Magazine, the names were not ordered to say who is more influential than someone else on the list. We used their order. Entrepreneur, Advocate, and NBA [ . . . ] Source: Several NJ Cannabis Leaders Honored by Black History Month List from Heady NJ

While U.S. operators navigate federal uncertainty at home, Europe’s cannabis sector is expanding within the constraints of European Union agreements. Medical markets across the continent are gaining traction, Germany’s import volumes are climbing sharply, and adult-use reform is unfolding through cultivation associations and regional pilot programs rather than full commercial sales. In this interview, Alex Rogers of the International Cannabis Business Conference discusses the structural differences between the U.S. and European legalization models, the markets drawing the most attention in . . .

A Florida bill to significantly reduce the fee for military veterans to obtain medical marijuana registry identification cards has cleared another legislative committee. The House Health & Human Services Committee approved the measure from Reps. Susan Valdés (R) and Michelle Salzman (R) in a 22-0 vote on Tuesday. This comes after the legislation cleared two other House panels and as separate Senate legislation to reduce medical cannabis costs for veterans is also advancing. If HB 887 is enacted into law, veterans who have been honorably discharged would need to pay a $15 fee to obtain a . . .

Talk a walk through the hall of fame with our look back at past Leafly Strain of the Year winners. This year’s winner is announced March 4th. The post A look back at the Leafly Strain of the Year hall of fame appeared first on Leafly.

Virginia lawmakers have advanced a bill to legalize marijuana sales along another step in the bicameral legislative process, with a House committee approving a substitute version of a Senate-passed reform measure. The House General Laws Committee on Tuesday took up the legislation from Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D) and replaced its contents with the text of a House-passed version that’s being sponsored by the panel chair, Del. Paul Krizek (D), with some additional changes. The bill as revised passed 16-4, sending it to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration and setting the stage for . . .

Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, has become nearly ubiquitous in the wellness industry. The hemp-derived compound does not produce the overtly intoxicating effects associated with THC, but researchers are studying its potential therapeutic benefits. From older adults taking gummies to help them sleep to spa clients adding CBD oil to massages, the cannabinoid appears to be everywhere. But how many Americans actually take CBD? According to new research published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, more than one-third of U.S. adults have tried CBD-and most of those users say they took it for . . .