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Cannabis businesses in Los Angeles, California, owe the city about $400 million in back taxes and fees, but under an “amnesty” program proposed by the city council, only about $30 million would end up in city coffers, the Los Angeles Times reports. The program would allow businesses that pay their back taxes within three years to avoid paying late fees and interest. The council on Tuesday voted unanimously to ask the Office of Finance to draft language to create the program. According to an October Office of Finance report outlined by the Times, more than 500 of the roughly 700 licensed . . .

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments in the challenge to laws prohibiting cannabis consumers from owning firearms. The government is challenging a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision to toss felony charges against Ali Daniel Hemani, a Texas man who allegedly possessed a firearm and admitted to regular cannabis use. The circuit court had dismissed the charges as a violation of Hemani’s 2nd Amendment rights, citing a landmark 2022 Supreme Court ruling that broadly expanded citizens’ gun rights. During the arguments, conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a member of . . .

A bill in Georgia seeks to limit probable cause searches by law enforcement based on the odor of cannabis, News Channel 9 reports. State Rep. Akbar Ali (D), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, told News Channel 9 that the bill would protect against unreasonable searches in the state, as hemp, which is legal in Georgia, smells similarly to THC-rich cannabis. “It makes it so that in order for a search to happen, or for something in trial to be there, that you need something a little bit more concrete and objective evidence, as opposed to just subjective evidence. So oftentimes what happens is . . .

Owed more than $400M in back pot taxes and fees, Los Angeles city council is proposing a “amnesty” program. If implemented, licensed businesses that pay what they owe over the next three years, won’t have to pay late fees and interest. Of the city’s approximately 700 cannabis businesses about 500 owe money as licensed shops have Log in or become a WeedWeek Member to read this article.

The Florida House of Representatives has passed a bill to significantly reduce the fee for military veterans to obtain medical marijuana registry identification cards. The measure from Reps. Susan Valdés (R) and Michelle Salzman (R) was approved in a unanimous 113-0 vote on Wednesday. This comes after the proposal cleared three 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 medical cannabis card-down from the . . .

The advocacy group NORML sent an email urging people to advocate for the NJ Legislature pass a bill to improve cannabis lab testing standards. Assemblymembers Michael Inganamort (R-24-Sussex), Roy Freiman (D-16-Somerset), and Cody Miller (D-4-Gloucester) introduced the bill A 1291 to address the issue. According to NORML, testing differences and financial incentives can lead to [ . . . ] Source: NORML Urges NJ Legislature to Improve Cannabis Lab Standards from Heady NJ

Hawaii senators have taken another step to advance a bill that would create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying and making policy recommendations on providing access to breakthrough therapies such as psilocybin and MDMA. About a week after the Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously approved the legislation from Sen. Chris Lee (D), members of the Ways & Means Committee followed suit on Tuesday, voting 12-0 to send the measure to the floor. The measure would create a Mental Health Emerging Therapies Task Force that’d be tasked with spending two years reviewing the . . .

Virginia lawmakers are nearing the finish line for a series of marijuana reform bills-including proposals to legalize adult-use sales, provide a pathway for resentencing past convictions and allow patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals. The House on Wednesday approved a Senate-passed measure, SB 542 from Sen. Lashrecse Aird (D), to establish a commercial marijuana market in a 66-33 vote, with amendments to more closely conform it to the House’s own measure. And the Senate cleared that House companion version, HB 642 from Del. Paul Krizek (D), in a 21-19 vote after adopting amendments . . .

As Florida officials defend their decision to invalidate tens of thousands of signatures for a proposed marijuana legalization ballot initiative, a new poll reaffirms that a majority of Floridians want to see the reform enacted. The Smart & Safe Florida campaign behind the cannabis initiative has found itself fighting in multiple court cases in hopes of giving voters another chance to decide on legalization. That currently involves a case challenging state officials over the invalidation of signatures from inactive voters and those collected by non-residents. While the signature count was . . .

Washington State Senate lawmakers have sent the governor a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Shelley Kloba (D), was passed by the Senate in a 46-2 vote on Tuesday after having previously been passed by the full House of Representatives in a vote of 89-6 last month. It next heads to the desk of Gov. Bob Ferguson (D). If enacted in to law, the legislation would mandate that hospitals and other specified healthcare facilities allow terminally ill patients to use . . .

This list includes “The Pot Smoker’s Song” by Neil Diamond, “Okie from Muskogee” by Merle Haggard and “The No No Song” by Hoyt Axton and popularized by Ringo Starr.

Michigan officials have announced they are distributing nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue to over 300 local governments and tribes across the state thanks to the state’s adult-use legalization law. The $94 million in tax dollars will support various local infrastructure, education and other programs and services in 313 municipalities, counties and tribal areas. That level of cannabis-derived funding is roughly equivalent to what the state allocated last year. “A total of 114 cities, 39 villages, 81 townships, 75 counties, and four tribes will receive payments from the Marijuana . . .

Craft & Art Wine and Spirits is making a decisive move into hemp-derived THC beverages, naming Woodstock Goods as the flagship for a new, professionally managed THC portfolio that applies spirits-style rigor to a fast-evolving category. For the broader beverage industry, this signals how established spirits operators are beginning to treat hemp-derived THC not as a novelty, but as a strategic growth lane aligned with “sober curious” and wellness-focused consumers shifting away from alcohol toward functional, mood-specific drinks. Woodstock’s low-dose, sessionable formulations-built around . . .

A proposal in the Alaska House of Representatives seeks to change the state’s cannabis tax system, phasing out the current $50-per-ounce tax on licensed cultivators in favor of a 6% sales tax paid by consumers, Anchorage Daily News reports. State Rep. Ashley Carrick (D), the sponsor of HB 91, said the legislation would help struggling businesses compete with the illicit market. Industry advocates say the cultivation tax poses an existential threat to growers. Meanwhile, another proposal introduced by state Sen. Matt Claman (D), SB 73, would reduce the current per-ounce cultivation tax from . . .

Researchers reported that those with a history of cannabis use “demonstrated significantly better cognitive performance.” Cannabis use “was not associated with increased risk of dementia” and researchers found “no supporting evidence of a causal link with [longitudinal] cognitive decline in later life.” The post Study: Lifetime Cannabis Use Not Associated with Cognitive Decline or Dementia Risk in Older Adults appeared first on NORML.

For years, medical cannabis in the U.S. has existed in this odd legal in-between. In many states, patients can get a medical marijuana recommendation for debilitating pain, nausea, muscle spasms, or even terminal illness. Yet medical cannabis in hospitals is pretty much explicitly prohibited. In 2026, that contradiction is finally meeting its moment. RELATED: Cannabis and organ transplants: what you need to know Across multiple state legislatures, lawmakers are now advancing bills to let seriously ill patients use medical cannabis inside hospitals, hospice centers, and other care facilities. . . .

Virginia lawmakers have taken more steps toward enacting legislation that would let certain patients use medical marijuana in hospitals, teeing up the reform to be sent to the governor’s desk imminently. On Monday, the Senate signed off on the House of Delegates’s changes to SB 332, sponsored by from Sen. Barbara Favola (D), and the presiding officers of both chambers formally signed the bicameral agreement. It will next head to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to be signed, vetoed or sent back with suggested amendments-but first a companion House bill from Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (D), HB 75, . . .

Texas voters have approved a marijuana legalization question that appeared on the state’s Democratic primary ballot. As part of the primary election on Tuesday, each major party was able to place several non-binding propositions on the ballot that allow voters show how they feel on key issues. The Texas Democratic Party used one of its propositions to find out where the electorate stands on legalizing cannabis and whether past convictions should be expunged. Preliminary results indicate that Texas voters who selected a Democratic primary ballot approved the cannabis question by a margin of 80 . . .

Aurora Cannabis Inc (TSE: ACB) (NASDAQ: ACB) (FRA: 21P) Chief Financial Officer Simona King just announced a major strategic pivot, revealing that the company will be shifting to focus “solely” on medical cannabis operations. She highlighted the development at this week’s TD Cowen Health Care Conference in Boston, Massachusetts. Aurora now aims to prioritize high-margin, regulated international markets like Germany, Australia and Poland while exiting lower-margin segments in Canada’s consumer cannabis space. The move includes divesting a plant propagation unit to streamline operations and . . .

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Known across the state for exceptional quality, carefully cultivated strains, and consistent potency, PurLife flower delivers a premium experience without the premium price. The post Discover new strains with 4g Super Eighths for as low as $15 at PurLife appeared first on Leafly.

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Turn up the volume for Hash Burger from Belushi’s Farm and Blues Brothers-the flavor packed-headliner that has been crowned the Leafly Strain of the Year for 2025. This isn’t just a strain – it’s a full-on jam session. Hash Burger hits with bold, gassy funk layered over savory earth and a peppery kick that lingers [ . . . ] The post Belushi’s Farm and Blues Brothers are serving up Hash Burger, the Leafly Strain of the Year appeared first on Leafly.

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Fade Co. Super Boof Greg Malcolm These big, frosty, trichome-packed nuggets look like they were rolled around in the snow before getting bagged up. Super Boof is a creation from the renowned Blockhead Genetics, crossing industry favorites Tropicana Cookies and Black Cherry Punch. Fade Co. does this product justice, with nugs that are dense and have a solid moisture content. The flavor profile is distinctly gassy with notes of stone fruit lingering in the background. After burning a joint, I feel a blissful, serene feeling of calmness paired with an urge for creativity. 36.48% Total . . .