News

  • Congressman Pledges To Help Virginia Hemp Farmers As Federal THC Product Ban And State Marijuana Changes Loom
    by Marijuana Moment on May 9, 2026 at 3:56 pm

    “You’re a constituent. Let’s see what is in the realm of possibility.” By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury “We needed this rain,” farmer and entrepreneur Graham Redfern said from his front porch in Caroline County Wednesday as U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA), who represents Virginia’s 7th District in Congress, approached. The lawmaker was there to learn about the crops and products at Redfern Hemp Co., one of the state’s small businesses whose future hangs in the balance between soon-to-start federal restrictions on hemp THC products and Virginia’s not-yet-finalized retail cannabis . . .

  • Bulk Hemp Warehouse Releases Free Hempcrete Calculator to Help Builders Estimate Materials in Seconds
    by Industry Articles on May 9, 2026 at 2:57 pm

    The new browser-based tool removes a long-standing barrier for builders, architects, and DIYers working with one of the world’s most sustainable building materials. Bulk Hemp Warehouse, one of North America’s leading suppliers of bulk hemp materials, today announced the launch of a free Hempcrete Calculator – a simple online tool that instantly estimates how much hemp hurd, lime binder, and water a builder needs for any hempcrete project. The calculator is available now at no cost at bulkhempwarehouse.com/hempcrete-calculator. Hempcrete: a carbon-negative, fireproof, breathable building . . .

  • Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana And Hemp Regulation Bill Sets The State Up For Broader Recreational Legalization, GOP Senator Says
    by Marijuana Moment on May 9, 2026 at 1:22 pm

    “This bill does not legalize adult-use cannabis, but eventually we probably will. If we have this board set up ahead of time, they can do it in a professional manner.” By Ian Karbal, Pennsylvania Capital-Star A state Senate committee has advanced a bill to create a Cannabis Control Board that would allow more oversight of the existing medical marijuana program. It would also regulate hemp-derived products, which contain intoxicating cannabinoids and are currently sold in head shops and gas stations around the commonwealth. The bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie), who has . . .

  • Newsbrief: Okla. tells licensees to register with DEA
    by Week_admin on May 9, 2026 at 3:24 am

    Following the Trump administration’s rescheduling of MED last month, Oklahoma’s top drug cop is telling businesses in the state’s MED industry to register with the DEA or face penalties including potentially having their licenses revoked. Citing state laws, Donnie Anderson, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD) wrote in a letter that “every registrant who is a distributor or manufacturer of medical marijuana products must comply with federal . . . Log in or become a WeedWeek Member to read this article. The post Newsbrief: Okla. tells licensees to . . .

  • Oklahoma Officials Say Medical Marijuana Businesses Must Register With Federal DEA To Avoid Punishment
    by Tom Angell on May 8, 2026 at 8:12 pm

    Oklahoma drug officials have issued guidance warning medical marijuana businesses that they must register with the federal government in order to avoid facing punishments, including potentially having their state registrations revoked. Donnie Anderson, director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD) said in a letter to cannabis industry operatives on Friday that they are required to fill out a new Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration form that was launched in conjunction with the Trump administration’s move to federally reschedule cannabis. . . .

  • Aprio Acquires Price Kong, Enters Cannabis Accounting and Expands Arizona Footprint
    by Industry Articles on May 8, 2026 at 6:44 pm

    Aprio, the 20th-largest business advisory and accounting firm in the U.S., has agreed to acquire Phoenix-based Price Kong, a long-standing CPA and advisory firm with deep experience serving cannabis businesses. The deal, effective June 1, 2026, expands Aprio’s Arizona footprint, unites its legal, accounting, audit, and wealth capabilities in the Phoenix market, and formally marks the firm’s entry into cannabis accounting and advisory. By bringing more than 40 Price Kong professionals into the fold, Aprio is positioning itself as a go-to partner for Arizona entrepreneurs navigating complex . . .

  • NJ Court Rules Cops Can’t Be Fired for Off-Duty Cannabis Consumption
    by Dan Ulloa on May 8, 2026 at 4:24 pm

    A New Jersey Superior Court has ruled in a decision that police officers’ off-duty consumption of cannabis is not grounds for termination. Police Consuming Cannabis Cases The case Patten v. Jersey City Police Department has been an ongoing issue for years, along with those against other officers of the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD). They also [ . . . ] Source: NJ Court Rules Cops Can’t Be Fired for Off-Duty Cannabis Consumption from Heady NJ

  • Minnesota Lawmakers Pass Bill To Legalize Psilocybin Therapy
    by Kyle Jaeger on May 8, 2026 at 4:23 pm

    Minnesota House lawmakers have voted to legalize the regulated therapeutic use of psilocybin for adults 21 and older. The reform was added to broader health policy legislation via an amendment on the floor of the House of Representatives that was adopted by a vote of 114-15 on Thursday. The amended legislation now heads to the Senate for consideration. The psilocybin provisions that are advancing are similar to those of a standalone bill that was approved earlier this year by the House Health Finance and Policy Committee, though that legislation had also contained language to reschedule the . . .

  • FBI Raids Dispensary Co-Owned By Virginia State Senator
    by Graham Abbott on May 8, 2026 at 3:19 pm

    Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday raided a medical cannabis dispensary co-owned by Virginia state Sen. Louise Lucas (D), the Virginia Mercury reports. Carried out by SWAT teams and federal FBI agents, the raids targeted the senator’s Portsmouth-based cannabis retailer, The Cannabis Outlet, as well as the senator’s office, which is adjacent to the business. The officers entered the shop with their weapons drawn, ordered everyone to exit, and arrested three individuals, according to the report. Lucas initially told reporters that she had no idea why she was . . .

  • Investigation Deems Kentucky Medical Cannabis Licensing Process ‘Transparent and Fair’
    by Graham Abbott on May 8, 2026 at 3:19 pm

    The Kentucky Office of the Inspector General announced Thursday that it has concluded an investigation into the medical cannabis licensing process implemented by the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC). “After independently reviewing the program, the licensure process it created in regulation, and the relevant regulations and statutes, this office found that OMC created an effective program that was fully transparent and fair to all licensure applicants.” – Excerpt from the report The report comes one year after the OMC requested the investigation into the process. Gov. Andy Beshear . . .

  • More Older Adults Are Using Marijuana As An Alternative To Pharmaceuticals, Federally Funded Study From American Medical Association Shows
    by Tom Angell on May 8, 2026 at 3:01 pm

    Most older adults who seek out marijuana do so to avoid negative effects associated with traditional pharmaceuticals or because they’ve exhausted other options to treat conditions like pain or sleep disorders, according to a new federally funded study released by the American Medical Association (AMA). The study, published in JAMA Network Open on Friday, examined the motivations that have driven older adults to become the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis consumers in the U.S. Researchers at the University of Utah Health and the University of Colorado Boulder also looked at product . . .

  • The Mothers Building Cannabis
    by Hannah Eko on May 8, 2026 at 2:20 pm

    Cannabis has long been spoken about in feminine terms: the Green Goddess, lunar cycles, pot girls, and canna-moms. Cannabis growers speak about the “mother plant,” the living genetic anchors from which entire harvests emerge. A healthy mother plant is not rushed. She is protected, tended to carefully, relied upon for consistency, resilience, and future growth. And yet, despite the cannabis industry’s dependence on the language and labor of caregiving, motherhood itself is still frequently underestimated inside the business. Mothers are often treated as peripheral to innovation rather than . . .

  • White House Drug Czar Clarifies That Marijuana Is ‘Still Illegal’ Following Trump Administration’s Rescheduling Move
    by Tom Angell on May 8, 2026 at 2:17 pm

    The Trump administration’s drug czar is clarifying that move to federally reschedule marijuana doesn’t make cannabis broadly legal. “It’s still illegal,” Sara Carter Bailey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said in an interview with Newsmax this week. “Executive-level Schedule III allows for doctors and research and for medicine, for medicinal purposes.” She was answering a reporter’s question about the potency of marijuana products during an interview about the administration’s new National Drug Control Strategy. That document, released this . . .

  • Louisiana House Passes Bill To Create Psychedelic Therapy Pilot Program Funded By Opioid Settlement Dollars
    by Tom Angell on May 8, 2026 at 12:25 pm

    Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill to create a psychedelic-assisted therapy pilot program, using opioid settlement dollars to fund clinical trials aimed at developing alternative treatments such as psilocybin and ibogaine, also adopting a new amendment that adds MDMA to the scope of the legislation. The proposal from Sen. Patrick McMath (R) was amended and approved by the House of Representatives in a 97-0 vote on Thursday, weeks after passing the Senate in a unanimous vote. Because an amendment adopted on the House floor added MDMA to the bill, and the Health and Welfare Committee . . .

  • Massachusetts Supreme Court Hears Case Challenging Marijuana Legalization Rollback Initiative (Op-Ed)
    by Marijuana Moment on May 8, 2026 at 11:42 am

    “Even if the the court ultimately rules against the plaintiffs and allows the petition to be placed on the ballot, this litigation challenge has already served a vital public purpose.” By Christine Baily, C Bailey Law LLC The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) heard arguments concerning the fate of ballot initiative petition that threatens to eliminate the legalized adult-use marijuana industry on Monday. The case, Caroline Pineau, et al. v. Attorney General and Secretary of State, SJC-13927, involves a challenge to the certification and summary of the petition by the state attorney . . .

  • Rehashed: The 2026 Oregon Leaf Bowl
    by Oregon Leaf Staff on May 8, 2026 at 6:30 am

    Every year, the best growers and processors in Oregon meet for a showdown of meteoric proportions – flower against flower, concentrate against concentrate, edible against edible. Producers compete in a number of categories, vying for first-place and runner-up trophies in a harrowing gauntlet against their peers in recreational Cannabis. Let’s get ready to rumble because it’s time to rehash the 2026 Oregon Leaf Bowl. With over 2,000 attendees present throughout the day’s festivities, 2026’s Leaf Bowl represented the biggest and best iteration of the event yet. Throughout half a decade of . . .

  • MSOs sued over health claims – Newsletter 5/8/26
    by Week_admin on May 8, 2026 at 2:11 am

    THE BIG IDEA Hi all, It was another not-boring week in the cannabiz. Don’t miss next week’s WeedWeek Wonks where I’ll be discussing the industry’s ongoing accounts receivable crisis with Brett Gelfand of CannaBiz Collects and FundCanna’s Adam Stettner. Read up, Alex Send tips, press releases, concerns, feedback and criticism to hello@weedweek.com. Sensitive material to share? Contact Alex on Signal. FROM WEEDWEEK “Unscientific, false, fraudulent, illegal”: Lawsuit challenges MSOs’ health claims A federal lawsuit filed against three big MSOs alleges the companies have made unsupported claims . . .

  • Grow Tour: Heavenly Buds
    by Northwest Leaf Staff on May 7, 2026 at 11:43 pm

    Heavenly isn’t just a Cannabis garden; it’s an experience – from its in-house designed and engineered state-of-the-art water-chilling system to the years of experience utilized to develop one of the most efficient gardens we’ve seen. It is no surprise that Heavenly is regarded as one of the most premium brands in Washington. Things started out great on this tour. We were greeted with terrific vibes by general manager Clarissa Curtis and an adorable Boston terrier, Stella, who is obviously the one really in charge of everything. Fresh-frozen flower is a priority here. It is the base . . .

  • High Eats: Yaad Style Jamaican Cuisine and Magic Number
    by Amanda Day on May 7, 2026 at 11:29 pm

    Yaad Style Jamaican Cuisine is a Portland-based restaurant owned and operated by Jacqueline Das. “Six or 7 was the very first time I remember cooking,” Das recounted. “My mom is a good cook, and my dad used to work in the restaurant industry as a chef in Jamaica, so I grew up around people who love to cook.” Terpodactyl Media Terpodactyl Media In 2007, Das migrated from Jamaica to New York. Then in 2015, she moved from New York to Portland. Originally pursuing a career in education and planning to stay in the Pacific Northwest for just six months to accommodate her job at the time, she found . . .

  • The best travel weed gear of 2026
    by Morgan Rosendale on May 7, 2026 at 8:04 pm

    Recommendations on the best travel weed gear are made by Leafly Picks editors after firsthand tests, extensive research, and internal debate. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Jetsetting. Galavanting. Roamin’ and ramblin’. Whatever you call getting from here to there, it’s better with weed, and we’re here [ . . . ] The post The best travel weed gear of 2026 appeared first on Leafly.

  • Lights, Camera, Light Up: Stoned Movie Night
    by Northeast Leaf Staff on May 7, 2026 at 7:24 pm

    One of the most tried-and-true celebratory stoner traditions is something we’re calling “infused movie night.” With the infamous “Reefer Madness” having premiered nearly 90 years ago, I wanted to revisit the stoned cinema with some updated tips for 2026. As a seasoned plant lover, I think the most important thing when hosting fellow Cannabis consumers for any celebration is a sense of intention. While any typical Tuesday can feel like a movie after a few special tokes, hosting friends for a more elevated experience is worth the time and effort putting in those finishing touches. I always . . .

  • ASA Partner Spotlight: Tetragram
    on May 7, 2026 at 7:18 pm

    In this installment of ASA Partner Spotlight, we feature Tetragram, a company building the foundation for integrating cannabis into healthcare.

  • Budtender of the Month: Mike the Highest
    by Northeast Leaf Staff on May 7, 2026 at 6:43 pm

    Mike “the Highest” (@mikethehighest) is easy to spot in a crowd: He’s tall, usually high, often smiling and always carrying at least one Puffco device. His first job as a kid was in a glass shop, and his last career before this was as an audio engineer in a big-name studio. The throughline has always been weed. You can find him anywhere the headies are, but The Flowery on Veterans Road in Staten Island is where he calls home. So how did you become Mike the Highest?It was my production name for making beats. It was supposed to be like, “I smoke weed, and I’m the highest.” But I was also really . . .

  • Jersey City Council Approves Xena for 1st Legal Cannabis Lounge in City
    by Dan Ulloa on May 7, 2026 at 6:06 pm

    The Jersey City Council approved Xena dispensary in McGinley Square on the West Side to open the first legal cannabis consumption lounge in the city. Jersey City Cannabis Lounge Details Questions They first debated the issue during their Caucus on Monday before voting on Wednesday. Commerce Director Maynard Woodson explained the resolution for Xena dispensary [ . . . ] Source: Jersey City Council Approves Xena for 1st Legal Cannabis Lounge in City from Heady NJ

  • Bipartisan Lawmakers Push FDA To Speed Up Approval Of Psychedelic Therapies
    by Tom Angell on May 7, 2026 at 5:26 pm

    A bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress is urging federal health officials to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies. “For many individuals, current treatment options remain insufficient, deepening an already urgent public health crisis,” the lawmakers, led by Reps. Jack Bergman (R-MI) and Lou Correa (D-CA), co-chairs of the Congressional Psychedelics Advancing Therapies Caucus, wrote in a letter to the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). “As Members of the House of Representatives, we have heard from countless Veterans, clinicians, and families seeking . . .