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An insurer sued Cresco Labs arguing the large MSO’s policy does not cover proposed class action suits which allege Cresco and rivals Green Thumb Industries and Verano made baseless claims about cannabis’ health benefits when it has been linked to heart disease and mental illness. Palomar Excess & Surplus Insurance Company claims Cresco’s general and product liability policies do not cover the lawsuit. Cresco has a policy of not commenting on active or threatened litigation. The lawsuit says Cresco contends that Palomar “has an obligation to defend . . . Log in or become a WeedWeek Member to . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is asking the Trump administration to clarify how the federal government will implement its new Schedule III framework for certain medical marijuana products, including how the change will affect patients, businesses, taxes, healthcare coverage and federal enforcement. In an August 18 letter, Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), David Joyce (R-OH), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Greg Steube (R-FL) asked President Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent . . .

Curaleaf commenced the offer Aug. 18, moving past Aurora’s leadership to put the proposal in front of investors. Cannabis MSO Curaleaf advances hostile takeover of Canadian LP Aurora is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

Curaleaf commenced the offer Aug. 18, moving past Aurora’s leadership to put the proposal in front of investors. Cannabis MSO Curaleaf advances hostile takeover of Canadian LP Aurora is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

In a case that could have implications for cannabis labor organizing nationwide, New Jersey state regulators are appealing a recent court loss to marijuana MSO Curaleaf. New Jersey cannabis regulators appeal loss to Curaleaf in labor fight is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

In a case that could have implications for cannabis labor organizing nationwide, New Jersey state regulators are appealing a recent court loss to marijuana MSO Curaleaf. New Jersey cannabis regulators appeal loss to Curaleaf in labor fight is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information Below is The Marijuana Herald’s Daily Cannabis News Brief for August 18, 2026. The Marijuana Herald publishes a new edition every weekday at around 3 p.m. Pacific Time. You can find previous editions by clicking here Kentucky’s 22nd Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens in Richmond, Here’s Where All 22 Are Located Kentucky’s medical marijuana market has expanded to 22 operating dispensaries following the opening of a Green Releaf location in Richmond. The store, located at 212 Wayne Drive, opened August 14 and is Green Releaf’s third . . .

Some strains chase trends. Girl Scout Cookies (GSC) doesn’t have to. It’s been a fixture on dispensary menus for over a decade. Plus, it’s still one of the first names newer smokers hear when they ask what to try. There’s a reason it’s stuck around this long. The Genetics Behind the Name GSC comes from [ . . . ] Source: Girl Scout Cookies Strain Review: The Classic Everyone Eventually Tries from Heady NJ

“Defendants are free to implement the law as they see fit, including accepting applications, holding a lottery, and issuing adult-use recreational and social equity cannabis licenses.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current A federal court order that blocked Rhode Island regulators from awarding cannabis retail licenses is now lifted, clearing the way for a new application process already underway. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose on Friday dissolved the preliminary injunction she issued against the Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission on April 8 now that the state’s 2022 . . .

“Opposing a workable regulatory structure because it is not comprehensive cannabis reform risks repeating the very piecemeal approach the cannabis sector has spent years criticizing.” By Dawson Hobbs, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America The cannabis industry has spent years asking Congress for something more durable than prohibition, enforcement discretion and state-by-state improvisation. That is why cannabis stakeholders should seriously consider the Beverage Regulatory Parity Act even if they have been skeptical of hemp-derived THC products or worry that new federal rules could further . . .

The number of medical cannabis patients licensed for homegrow has increased by more than 1,000 percent over four years. By Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight A South Dakota Health Department official told lawmakers Monday that the number of medical marijuana patients in the state who are licensed to grow medical cannabis at home has grown by more than 1,000 percent over the past four years. Whitney Brunner, administrator of the state’s medical cannabis program, told the legislative Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee during a meeting at the Capitol in Pierre that the number of home . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information Marijuana use among Vermont high school students declined significantly in 2025, with both current and lifetime use falling to their lowest levels in at least a decade, according to a new report from the Vermont Department of Health. The 2025 Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 18% of high school students reported using marijuana during the past 30 days, down from 22% in 2023. Current use was also below the 22% reported in 2015 and well below the 27% recorded in 2019. The Department of Health said the declines from both 2015 and . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information Finding the right dispensary in Miami takes a little more than picking the closest shop on the map. You’ll want to know what products are available, whether the quality matches the price, how helpful the staff are, and whether the overall experience makes the trip worth your time. Miami has a lot of options, from traditional flower-focused shops to more traditional smoke shops with broader product menus. Some stores are better for quick in-and-out trips, and some are better if you want help comparing products or checking out something new. . . .

The Upper Township Committee in Cape May County approved Bayside Supply Company to be the sole cannabis dispensary in their Jersey Shore town. There are few legal cannabis dispensaries open along the mostly conservative towns of the Jersey Shore. When asked about the difficulty of awarding the sole town cannabis dispensary license, Committeeman Tyler C. [ . . . ] Source: Upper Township Approves Bayside Supply Company for Jersey Shore Dispensary from Heady NJ

“There’s no ‘buyer’s remorse’ among Massachusetts’ voters when it comes to legalizing cannabis and this fact will become even clearer come November.” The post Massachusetts: Democrats Overwhelmingly Reject Ballot Proposal to Repeal Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization appeared first on NORML.

When federal officials moved state-legal medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, a number of restrictions on the plant were eased. From tax relief for operators to expanded research opportunities, rescheduling promised to ease barriers for the medical cannabis industry in several ways. Officials in Georgia believe the move opened another avenue for patient access: mail-order medical cannabis. RELATED: Senate moves to postpone federal hemp crackdown During a recent meeting of the Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission (GMCC), regulators proposed a rule change allowing licensed . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is formally urging the judge overseeing the federal marijuana rescheduling case to recommend moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, arguing that the evidence presented during the nearly three-week hearing shows the drug no longer meets the requirements for the nation’s most restrictive drug category. The government laid out its position in a post-hearing brief filed August 17 with Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek Julius. The filing came alongside a series of briefs from parties . . .

Participants in a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hearing on the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling proposal have filed their final briefs in the proceedings-setting up the judge overseeing the matter to issue his recommendation on the reform. DEA, which is charged with defending the proposed move of cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III, said in its brief that “marijuana no longer fits the statutory requirements for Schedule I because it has a currently accepted medical use within the United States and it has an accepted safety for . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information Massachusetts marijuana regulators are seeking nearly $8 million in additional funding as the state prepares to launch social consumption licenses and implement a major overhaul of its regulated marijuana industry. The Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) has requested more than $7.9 million in supplemental fiscal year 2027 funding, according to Executive Director Travis Ahern. The agency is also seeking separate technology funding to replace MassCIP, its existing licensing and registration system. Ahern told commissioners during an August 13 . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information Kentucky’s medical marijuana market has expanded to 22 operating dispensaries following the opening of a new Green Releaf location in Richmond. The dispensary opened Friday, August 14 at 212 Wayne Drive, according to the Kentucky Medical Cannabis Program, which now lists 22 dispensaries as open and operating statewide. The Richmond license is held by Ace 4 Target LLC, with the location operating as Green Releaf. The Richmond store is Green Releaf’s third medical marijuana dispensary in Kentucky, joining existing locations in Ferguson and . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information (Photo credit: Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images). A new double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study found that a hemp extract rich in cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) increased resting and reduced activity among shelter dogs with histories of reactive or anxiety-related behavior, with the changes appearing most pronounced at night. The study, conducted by researchers from Université Paris Nanterre, Agir pour la Vie Animale, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UniLaSalle and Cornell University, is currently available as a . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information A study published today in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior found that more than two-thirds of patients using medical marijuana for seizures experienced improved seizure frequency, with most participants choosing products containing both cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management, examined real-world marijuana use among 1,940 patients enrolled in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program between July 2015 and December 2023. . . .

Democratic voters in Massachusetts strongly oppose a measure on the November ballot to roll back the state’s marijuana legalization law. The new survey of Democratic primary voters from the Suffolk University Political Research Center and The Boston Globe asked, “In November, voters will be asked whether they support keeping or repealing the state law that legalized recreational marijuana sales. If the election were today, would you vote to keep or repeal the law?” An overwhelming majority of 79 percent said they would prefer to keep the state’s current cannabis laws intact, 16 percent said . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information California legislation establishing new restrictions on marijuana packaging, labeling and advertising has advanced through its second reading in the Senate, putting the measure one step away from a final vote in the chamber. Assembly Bill 2249, sponsored by State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D), was read a second time August 17 and ordered to third reading. The advancement follows an August 13 amendment and a unanimous 7-0 vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The measure previously passed the Assembly on May 26 in a 69-0 vote, with . . .

The Marijuana Herald – Marijuana news and information (Photo credit: jirkaejc/Newscom). The U.S. Department of Justice has finalized a new process for restoring federal firearm rights that specifically excludes marijuana use and addiction from drug-related grounds that would otherwise make an applicant presumptively ineligible. Under the final rule, announced August 17, people prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law will be able to apply to the attorney general to have those rights restored. The department will consider criminal history, conduct since a conviction or other . . .