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Women are one of the fastest-growing and most influential forces shaping the cannabis industry. In 2023, women ages 19 to 30 reported higher cannabis use than men for the first time, according to the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future study. Today, roughly one in three women in the United States consumes cannabis, and women account for more than half of users on major platforms. Women are driving demand for products rooted in wellness, microdosing, beauty and functional health. They are pushing for transparency in testing, more thoughtful retail environments and marketing that . . .

Welcome to the latest edition of “Last Week In Weed,” catching you up on the latest breaking news and industry developments in the world of cannabis. Here’s what you may have missed over the last week: Missouri Cracks Down on Unlicensed Retailers In Missouri, regulators are taking a harder stance on the illicit market. The state’s attorney general announced enforcement actions against 33 unlicensed cannabis retailers operating outside of the legal framework. The move reflects an ongoing challenge across legal states. Licensed operators face high compliance costs, while unlicensed shops often . . .

The White House now scheduled a total of four meetings with cannabis industry and research stakeholders this week to discuss a proposed enforcement policy for CBD products. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) under the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced earlier this month that it plans to review yet-unpublished guidance titled “Cannabidiol (CBD) Products Compliance and Enforcement Policy” that was submitted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Interested parties are able to request meetings to discuss the issue-and now four meetings have been . . .

According to statewide polling compiled by the campaign, over 80 percent of Idahoans support legalizing medical cannabis access. The post Idaho: Campaign to Place Medical Cannabis Question on November’s Ballot Surpasses Signature Threshold, Lawmakers Call on Voters to Reject Effort appeared first on NORML.

The governor of New York is marking the five-year anniversary of adult-use marijuana legalization in the state, touting $3.3 billion in retail sales, the opening of more than 600 licensed cannabis shops and achievements in promoting social equity in the industry while taking steps to mitigate the illicit market. In a press release on Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said “New York committed to building a cannabis market rooted in equity, safety, and opportunity” when the state enacted the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act five years ago. “We are creating new pathways for small businesses . . .

“Higher taxes do not eliminate consumer demand. They simply change where consumers buy their cannabis.” By Rodney Holcombe, LeafLink In recent piece, The New York Times editorial board called for a federal tax on cannabis and urged states to raise their own taxes to “dollars per joint, not cents.” That argument assumes cannabis is lightly taxed today-but across the country, the opposite is true. Taxes on legal cannabis are higher than almost every industry in the United States and have generated nearly $25 billion since adult-use sales commenced in 2014. Despite these rates, efforts to . . .

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said last week that after five years of adult-use sales, licensed cannabis retailers in the state have generated over $3.3 billion in sales. The governor’s office also noted there are currently 2,161 cannabis licensees in the state, including 610 active dispensaries. Additionally, 56% of the state’s adult-use cannabis licenses have been awarded to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, including 57% of licenses to women-owned businesses and 51% to minority-owned businesses. “Five years ago, New York committed to building a cannabis market rooted in equity, . . .

State and federal law enforcement agencies last month seized over 7,636 illegal cannabinoid and nicotine products from Arkansas retailers, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports. Conducted as a joint operation between the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the raids uncovered 314 hemp THC products, including vaporizers, 57 THC-infused edibles, and about three pounds of suspected cannabis or hemp flower. Agents also seized over 5,600 illegal vaporizers, over 1,200 “e-liquid” products, and 411 untaxed tobacco products. . . .

Texas Senate and House leaders are directing lawmakers to study issues related to cannabis products and psychedelic therapy during the legislature’s interim in preparation for a new session scheduled to begin in early 2027. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R), who oversees the Senate, pushed to pass legislation last session to ban hemp THC products. The legislation was approved by lawmakers but was later vetoed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R). But Patrick isn’t giving up. In his list of 2026 interim legislative charges released on Friday, he’s directing the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Under a . . .

Nancy Kurshan lived and breathed the radical movements of the ’60s and ’70s. In this except from her new book, “Levitating the Pentagon and Other Uplifting Stories: A Life in Activism,” Kurshan reviews the movie “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which featured her boyfriend Jerry Rubin.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) tore into the current U.S. drug scheduling system on Thursday-making the case that placing substances like marijuana and LSD in the most restrictive category runs counter to evidence showing their medical potential, hinders research and is associated with criminal penalties that haven’t effectively prevented harms from substance misuse. In some cases, the congresswoman said during a hearing before the House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee, classifying drugs as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) can exacerbate the overdose crisis, . . .

The legal international cannabis industry is expanding at a significant rate, with Germany serving as ground zero for global expansion. The European country is the top destination for medical cannabis product exports from other countries, having received over 201 tonnes of cannabis products from abroad in just the 2025 calendar year alone. Germany’s legal medical cannabis patient base continues to experience exponential growth year after year, and medical product import totals are reflective of increasing demand. One of Germany’s top medical cannabis companies is Sanity Group. The . . .

“The lawsuit is a tactic to distract from the fact that Indy Vapes and Abilene Vape and CBD made a business decision to ignore state law.” By Maya Smith, Kansas Reflector Three smoke and vape shops are suing the state of Kansas, accusing officials of Fourth Amendment violations in a series of October raids. The plaintiffs have filed suit against KBI director Tony Mattivi, Attorney General Kris Kobach (R), KBI agents, local law enforcement and county attorneys. They allege illegal search and seizure and defective warrants. The KBI and local law enforcement executed raids late last year on . . .

NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) Chair Dianna Houenou is stepping down with her last meeting likely this week. According to Politico NJ, she announced her resignation in a letter to Governor Mikie Sherrill. “Upon being announced as the Commission’s Inaugural Chair . . . I described my vision . . . a State agency that prioritizes equity and integrity in its [ . . . ] Source: NJ-CRC Chair Dianna Houenou Stepping Down from Heady NJ

It’s now illegal to bring any recreational-use cannabis products into Ohio, even if they were legally purchased in another state. By Frank W. Lewis, Signal Cleveland This story was originally published by Signal Cleveland. Sign up for their free newsletters at SignalCleveland.org/subscribe. Intoxicating hemp products and THC-infused beverages are now illegal again in Ohio and the maximum potency of extracts is lower, due to a law that took effect on March 20. Ohio voters legalized recreational marijuana and related products when they passed Issue 2 in 2023. Republican lawmakers vowed almost . . .

Mechanic Farms’ focus has always been getting New Yorkers access to the highest quality Cannabis. For founder and head cultivator Chris, that mission comes from his first time smoking as a teenager. At a time when your strain choices were some weed or none, Chris’ first smoke, rolled in notebook paper, is the opposite of the experience he wants for consumers. Knowing he could be smoking better is what started Chris flying across the country, trapping. If New York could not get truly fire flower, he would bring it back himself. When the near-weekly flights became untenable, Chris made a . . .

Elm Cultivation Vietnamese Lemons Maine Vietnamese Lemons hits with a bright citrus flavor that fills your mouth with pucker-inducing juiciness, amplified by a bitter tang on the exhale. This potent citron profile comes from Elm Cultivation’s practice of crossing landrace strains with modern genetics. In this case, Elm crossed a long-harvesting Vietnamese landrace with Lemon Skunk. Like a true long-flowering sativa, this strain is often stimulating and head-forward; it may send your mind buzzing. Many find Vietnamese Lemons ideal for a long creative spell or for knocking out chores around . . .

Fast Buds has become a trusted source for stable, high-resin autoflowers that perform reliably from the garden and into the extraction lab. The post The best autoflowering seeds from Fast Buds for cannabis extraction appeared first on Leafly.

This 420, The Green Standard is going all out to celebrate you-the best patients anywhere. Stock up, save big, and go all in on their biggest cannabis celebration of the year. Enjoy up to 40% off your favorite products, plus take advantage of exclusive 420 perks, including: Use one of the buttons below to shop [ . . . ] The post The Green Standard is celebrating you this 420 appeared first on Leafly.

The Republican governor of Indiana says the “crescendo will rise” in the call to legalize marijuana, with regional dynamics and even law enforcement buy-in favoring reform down the line. But for now, he says GOP legislative leadership is “not interested in doing anything soon,” even if “over half of Hoosiers probably smoke it illegally.” Gov. Mike Braun (R) gave his perspective on the cannabis policy issue during an interview with WOWO’s Fort Wayne’s Morning News, saying he feels lawmakers should take “an additional look at it” and that, while he’s personally “agnostic” on legalization, the . . .

The large Multi-State Operator (MSO) Columbia Care/ The Cannabist is preparing to go bankrupt and sell all of their assets. According to the Cannabis Business Times, they are selling assets in many states, including New Jersey! But it’s unclear who is buying them and how it will affect their New Jersey assets. MSO Cannabist Assets [ . . . ] Source: MSO Cannabist/Columbia Care Filing for Bankruptcy from Heady NJ

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators have introduced a bill to promote research into the therapeutic potential psychedelics by creating a new office in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would advance the development innovative treatments for serious mental health conditions and assist in reviewing the scheduling status of drugs like psilocybin, ibogaine and MDMA. The legislation-titled the “Veterans Health Administration Novel Therapeutics Preparedness Act”-is being led by Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) and is cosponsored by Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and John . . .

Drug offenses still account for a large number of criminal cases in the country. According to data, 1.34 million individuals get arrested each year for the sale, manufacture, or possession of illegal drugs, with at least 74 percent involving drug possession. Drug offenses take up a large share of federal prison sentences, especially if they [ . . . ] Source: Key Things to Know About Drug Crimes and Laws from Heady NJ

Jushi Holdings Inc. Refinances Former 1st Lien Credit Facility and Former 2nd Lien Credit Facility with US$160 Million Non-Dilutive Debt Financing Adds Cash to the Balance Sheet The Company to Report Fourth Quarter 2025 Financial Results on March 31, 2026 BOCA RATON, Fla., March 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Jushi Holdings Inc. (“Jushi” or the [ . . . ]

NORML Winter ’25/Spring ’26 Intern Tobey MacCachran shares how Ohio lawmakers’ repeal of legalization provisions will impact his healthcare access. The post Voters Gave Ohio Legal Cannabis. Then Lawmakers Took Away the Part That Helped Me. appeared first on NORML.