Pennsylvania House Passes Governor’s Budget Plan With Expected Revenue From
Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives has passed budget legislation proposed by the governor that relies on revenue that would be generated from recreational marijuana sales, which have not yet been legalized in the state. The Democratic-controlled House voted 107-94 on Tuesday to approve the spending plan from Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) who earlier this year included…
FDA’s New Hemp CBD Enforcement Move Is Encouraging, But Congress
“These products have the potential to reshape how Americans approach wellness by offering accessible, plant-based alternatives that complement traditional care, but realizing that potential will require more than enforcement discretion.” By Thomas Winstanley, Edibles.com For years, the hemp-derived CBD market has operated in a paradox: federally legal, widely available and increasingly normalized—yet lacking a clear…
Zurich’s Weed Trial Is Working So Well Switzerland Just Extended
It may not be Switzerland’s political capital, but it could easily be its cannabis capital. We’re talking about Zurich, one of the country’s largest cities and its main financial hub. Given its influence, it makes sense that cannabis-related developments there to draw attention. And this latest one is significant. Following a vote held in March,…
Inside Sweetlife NYC’s Elevated Cannabis Experience
A Different Kind of Dispensary Lands on the Upper East Side New York’s cannabis scene is still finding its rhythm. Some shops lean transactional, others try to mimic legacy culture, and a few attempt to split the difference. Then there’s Sweetlife NYC, a licensed dispensary on Manhattan’s Upper East Side that’s taking a different route…
Virginia Lawmaker Worries Governor’s Marijuana Resentencing Bill Amendment Will Let
A Virginia lawmaker who sponsored a bill to provide resentencing relief for people with past marijuana convictions that the governor is proposing to significantly scale back says he will accept those changes, even if he is not happy about them. As approved by lawmakers, HB 26 from Rozia Henson, Jr. (D), along with companion bill…
How Many Ice Cream Cones Does It Take to Get
A doctor breaks down the rush, the crash, and why getting “sugar-high” is more complicated than it sounds. In the Simpsons episode ‘Boy-Scoutz ‘n the Hood,’ Bart and Milhouse spend $20 on the Squishee—a milkshake that Apu loads up with syrup. From then on, as sugar wreaks havoc on their perception, they embark on a…
Massachusetts: Legislation Doubling Marijuana Possession Limits Sent to Governor Massachusetts:
House and Senate lawmakers have advanced legislation, HB 4206, raising marijuana possession limits for adults and making several other changes to the state’s cannabis legalization law. The measure now awaits action from Democratic Gov. Maura Healey. Specifically, the bill allows adults to purchase and possess up to two ounces of cannabis in public. (Current law…
Rhode Island Marijuana Officials Appeal Federal Court Ruling Blocking Licensing
No details of the commission’s conversation on the three federal lawsuits filed by out-of-state entrepreneurs, along with the commission’s next steps, were disclosed upon their return to open session. The only action taken during the special meeting was to seal the minutes of the executive session and adjourn at around 12:30 p.m. The state’s appeal…
Maryland Governor Signs Bills To Protect Veterinarians Who Recommend Medical
Maryland’s governor has signed legislation to provide legal protections for veterinarians who recommend medical marijuana for animals. Gov. Wes Moore (D) on Tuesday approved a pair of bills to make it so the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners cannot “suspend or revoke a license, reprimand or censure a licensee, or place a licensee on…
Marijuana Budtenders Could Qualify For ‘No Tax On Tips,’ IRS
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says that while marijuana industry workers are not currently eligible under the “No Tax on Tips” law signed by President Donald Trump last year to write off any gratuities they receive, that could change in the event of federal legalization. The agency discussed the issue in a final rule for…
Virginia lawmakers push back on governor’s cannabis amendments (Newsletter: April
Fed 4/20 DUI campaign; MD 1st responder medical marijuana bill passes; TN anti-cannabis bill to gov; PA medical cannabis in hospitals; Vape study Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Your support makes Marijuana Moment…
Study Finds Up to 99% Lower Byproducts With Vaporization
A PAX-authored study comparing vaporized cannabis to joint smoke found significantly lower levels of certain compounds under controlled lab conditions. A new research paper is adding fresh data to a long-running question in cannabis consumption: how vaporizing compares to smoking when it comes to chemical exposure. The research—conducted by Richard Rucker, who serves as PAX’s…
Virginia Marijuana Bill Sponsors Push Back Against Governor’s Proposed Changes
Virginia lawmakers who sponsored bills to legalize recreational marijuana sales are pushing back forcefully against the governor’s suggested changes to their legislation. On Monday, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) proposed amendments to the cannabis commerce legalization measure—including delaying the start date for sales by six months, increasing taxes and instituting new criminal penalties for cannabis consumers.…
Idaho Medical Marijuana Campaign Has More Than 100,000 Signatures For
Supporters of a proposed medical cannabis ballot initiative in Idaho said they have gathered more than 100,000 signatures and are making a final push in hopes of qualifying the proposal for November’s general election ballot by the April 30 deadline. A group called the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho is hoping to legalize medical cannabis…
High Times Cannabis Cup Hits Atlantic City, NJ: Beanie Sigel,
New Jersey is getting its first-ever Cannabis Cup. One night, one city, one stage. May 1 at Steel Pier in Atlantic City. The High Times Cannabis Cup Awards Presented by Honey Grove lands in New Jersey for the first time, turning Atlantic City’s Steel Pier into a one-night celebration of the state’s best cannabis, biggest…
She Paid $150,000 for a Florida Cannabis License and Got
GÜD Essence CEO Jasmine Johnson has been building a Black woman-led cannabis company in Florida since 2016. In an exclusive interview with High Times, she breaks down what equity in this market actually looks like in practice, and what it has cost her to find out. “I’ve been involved in this process since 2016,” says…
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How Free Do You Actually Feel as a Cannabis Consumer?
Forget what your state’s law says on paper. NORML’s new Cannabis Freedom Survey asks the question that actually matters: how free do you feel? Laws on the books and lived reality are two different things. You can be in a legal state and still worry about your job, your landlord, your custody arrangement or a…
Argentina’s Cannabis Paradox: Access First, Market Later
By Robert Hoban & Ivana Sol Vigilante Argentina has built a patient-first cannabis framework with real access, but the commercial, pharmaceutical, and regulatory pieces still have not fully aligned into a cohesive market. Argentina’s cannabis progress feels exactly like that lyric: a country that wrote the roadmap before paving the roads. On paper, it is…
Feds Launch Campaign Warning Against Marijuana-Impaired Driving Ahead Of 4/20
Federal transportation officials are rolling out a public education campaign aimed at encouraging people not to drive under the influence of marijuana on or around the upcoming unofficial cannabis holiday known as 4/20. “Relevant, timely messaging is an important addition to any communication plan, as it creates an opportunity for engagement with the community,” the…
Virginia Governor Guts Retail Marijuana Sales Bills
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger is calling upon lawmakers to drastically amend legislation regulating the retail sale of cannabis for adults 21 and older and providing resentencing relief for those with eligible cannabis-related convictions. Proposed amendments to the legislation (Senate Bill 542 and House Bill 642) seek to repeal multiple provisions of the state’s decriminalization and…
Nebraska Officials Approve Medical Marijuana Rules, Sending Them To Attorney
“There is a standard process for review of regulations which will be followed.” By Zach Wendling, Nebraska Examiner The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission unanimously signed off on formal regulations over the budding supply chain Monday, nearly a year after issuing the first regulations. Guidelines have ebbed through temporary 90-day periods since just before July 1.…
From Royal Balls to Weed Walls: Massive Grow Found in
From medical rumors to a possible upper-crust grow op, a new story is once again linking King Charles III to cannabis. This time, however, it has nothing to do with health speculation or the monarch’s well-known passion for botany. Instead, the connection comes by way of a police raid at a historic property tied to…
Tennessee Lawmakers Vote To Block Potential State Medical Marijuana Legalization
Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill to block an automatic review that could potentially legalize medical marijuana under state law following the federal rescheduling of the drug. Under current Tennessee law, federal reclassification of a substance triggers an automatic review by the state’s commissioner of health and commissioner of mental health and substance abuse services.…
Pennsylvania Lawmakers Approve Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In
As Pennsylvania lawmakers consider the governor’s proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, separate legislation to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in hospitals and other healthcare facilities is advancing. The House Health Committee approved the bill from Rep. Dan Frankel (D), who chairs the panel, in a 23-3 vote on Tuesday. If enacted into…
Vaporizing Marijuana Reduces Harmful Inhaled Byproducts By 99% Compared To
Vaporizing marijuana releases far fewer harmful chemicals than smoking joints does, according to a new study. “These results demonstrate that combustion—not cannabis itself—is the primary driver of harmful inhalation byproducts, and that controlled vaporization can significantly reduce exposure to these compounds,” the study conducted and self-published by the vape device company PAX found. Lighting marijuana…
Maryland Firefighters And Rescue Workers Could Use Medical Marijuana Off
Maryland lawmakers have sent the governor a bill to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized over their lawful use of medical marijuana off the job. The House of Delegates approved the Senate-passed legislation, SB 439 from Sen. Carl Jackson (D) in a 108-23 vote on Monday, about two weeks after passing a companion…
Virginia governor wants cannabis bill changes (Newsletter: April 14, 2026)
Feds want anti-marijuana groups’ lawsuit dismissed; PA legalization poll; Target adds new hemp THC drink licenses; NORML consumer freedom survey Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible… Hold on,…
How Smokers Use Certain Strains to Boost Their Focus
Cannabis has a bad reputation when it comes to mental focus. There’s a common perception that cannabis kills concentration, leaving smokers spacey and unmotivated. And let’s face it, there’s validity to the stigma, because it’s true that indulging in too much or smoking the wrong strain of marijuana can leave consumers in a confused place.…
Virginia Governor Wants Amendments To Marijuana Sales Legalization Bill, Including
Virginia’s governor is requesting that legislators make amendments to a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales that they sent to her desk last month. On Monday, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) returned the legislation with suggested changes—including pushing back the launch date for sales to begin by six months, from January 1, 2027 to July 1,…
International Cannabis Supply Chain Leaders for 2026
The global cannabis supply chain is entering one of its most defining periods yet. In 2026, success is no longer determined by who can grow the most cannabis. Rather, it is defined by who can move, standardize and scale it across borders in an increasingly fragmented regulatory environment. At the center of this complexity lies…
Virginia Governor Signs Bills To Protect Marijuana Users’ Parental Rights
Virginia’s governor has signed bills to allow patients to use medical marijuana in hospitals and protect the parental rights of cannabis consumers. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Monday also also recommended that lawmakers adopt amendments to legislation that is aimed at providing resentencing relief to people with prior marijuana convictions. Meanwhile, advocates are awaiting her…
Texas Hemp Flower Is Back On Shelves, For Now
A Travis County judge temporarily blocked Texas from enforcing new hemp rules that had effectively pushed smokable THCA flower and pre-rolls off shelves. For now, the fight is back in court, and back in business. Texas tried to shut the door on smokable hemp. A judge just cracked it back open. A Travis County district…
Commercial Insurance Has Failed Cannabis
In 2024, Colorado state officials announced a recall affecting 172 stores across the state. Batches of flower and pre-rolled joints from one grower exceeded mold and yeast limits. The losses were immense, including for companies that thought the money they were paying each year to insurance companies for premiums would provide, only to discover that…
Marijuana Reform Group Polls Consumers About Freedoms Where They Live
Ahead of the upcoming unofficial cannabis holiday on 4/20, a top marijuana reform group is asking consumers to take a poll about the freedoms (or lack thereof) that they experience where they live. The new 2026 Cannabis Freedom Survey from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) includes questions like “Where you…
Nebraska Senator Pushes Back Against Restrictive Hemp Rules Proposed By
“The governor, the attorney general, and now, apparently, the Department of Agriculture are going around the law to try to ban this product that is legal in Nebraska.” By Phillip Smith, The American Hemp Monitor Nebraska hemp businesses generate an estimated $10 million in sales tax revenue each year and employ around 2,000 Nebraskans, but…