CannabisLink.ca - Top Stories

Top Stories (2026) - (770 items)

(All links open in new tab)

May 23, 2026	Canadian Cannabis Sales Marched Higher in March Statistics Canada released March retail sales for the country, with cannabis sales increasing from the February levels, up 7.4% to C$471.4 million from the prior month. The sequential increase was down 4.0% on a per-day basis more due to the fewer days in the prior month. February, originally reported at C$440.5 million, was revised lower to C$439.1 million. The sales in March were up 6.2% from a year ago, down from the level last month at 7.6% and in May at 8.3% and 7.5% in June but better than the prior lowest annual growth rate since legalization commenced of -0.9% in September 2024 due to the BC strike. In 2024, total sales increased 4.5% to C$5.39 billion, and they were up 4.1% in 2025 to C$5.62 billion. So far in 2026, sales are up 7.7%.
May 22, 2026	Hemp THC regulation is inevitable, not a ban. Here’s how operators can prepare. Hemp-derived cannabinoids grew into a $28 billion market while operating in a gray area. This created opportunities, but also confusion and inconsistency – and, in some cases, risk for consumers. One thing is certain: That phase is ending.
May 22, 2026	Alaska Bill To Let People Seal Their Marijuana Convictions Heads To Governor Alaska lawmakers this week passed legislation that will shield people’s marijuana conviction records from being publicly released in certain circumstances. The cannabis provisions are included in a large package of criminal justice legislation that cleared the Senate in a 20-0 vote on Tuesday and was approved by the House of Representatives 39-1 on Wednesday. HB 239 now heads to the desk of Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R).
May 22, 2026	Federal Judge Dismisses Anti-Marijuana Groups’ Lawsuit Challenging Medicare Hemp Coverage Program A federal judge has granted the government’s motion to dismiss marijuana legalization opponents’ lawsuit challenging a new Trump administration initiative to cover up to $500 worth of hemp-derived products each year for eligible Medicare patients. The program being implemented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses largely on CBD but also allows a certain amount of THC in products.
May 22, 2026	Washington Proposes Letting Cannabis Growers Form Agricultural Cooperatives The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) has proposed rule changes that would allow cannabis cultivators to team up. The LCB is considering repealing, amending and creating rules to allow license cannabis producers to form agricultural cooperatives or associations made of up to three cannabis producer licenses per association. It will allow cannabis grower associations to process, handle and market their products just as other producers of agricultural products do.
May 22, 2026	It’s OK to pack medical marijuana on a flight ... sometimes. What you need to know - The TSA updated its website to reflect its long-standing policy of allowing medical marijuana in carry-on bags and checked luggage, but experts say there are caveats. It’s OK to pack medical marijuana when heading to the airport in California, but whether those products will still be with you when you land remains somewhat of an open question, experts say.
May 22, 2026	Democratic Lawmakers Push Trump To Release Federal Marijuana Prisoners As A Follow-Up To Rescheduling A coalition of Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate are pushing President Donald Trump to commute the sentences of people who are still serving time in federal prison for marijuana. The move, they say, is a logical next step now that his administration is moving to reschedule cannabis. “The inclusion of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act has resulted in tens of millions of people being sent to county, state, and federal prisons over the last several decades,” the letter sent on Friday says, noting that polling shows strong support for cannabis reform among voters.
May 22, 2026	Are Joint Filters Making You Inhale 86% More Tar? Science Says You’re Being Scammed 3 Different Ways By An Old Big Tobacco Trick. Charcoal joint filters filter out terpenes, which are both tasty and beneficial. They barely reduce the tar. Here’s what nobody’s telling you: take the terpenes out, you get less high. So you smoke more to chase what you lost, and you end up with more tar, not less. Big Tobacco got caught running this same scheme. Watch out for “Light Joints.”
May 22, 2026	Can Cannabis Companies File Bankruptcy? The New Chapter 15 Roadmap Have the doors to U.S. Bankruptcy courts finally swung open to cannabis companies? Perhaps, but still in only very limited circumstances involving a foreign debtor. Nonetheless, Judge Brendan Shannon’s recent order granting recognition of a Canadian insolvency proceeding [1] filed by a cannabis company is the first crack in the door that many bankruptcy professionals have been waiting for and may provide a roadmap for future cannabis restructurings in the U.S.
May 22, 2026	No cannabis for cabin crew - on or off duty A Quebec arbitrator has ruled in favour of Air Transat’s zero-tolerance cannabis policy for flight attendants. Nathalie Massicotte ruled that the policy is reasonable, even though it bars employees from consuming a legal product on their own time. The decision, Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique, section locale 4041 c. Air Transat (translated as Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 4041 v. Air Transat), 2026 CanLII 44306 (CA SA), dismisses a grievance filed by CUPE Local 4041, representing the airline's cabin crew (personnel navigant commercial in French).
May 22, 2026	Iowa Farmers Establish Industrial Hemp Processing and Building Block Manufacturing Facilities Farmers in Rock Valley, Iowa, are making significant investments in industrial hemp processing and manufacturing facilities, aiming to create a robust local market for the crop. Steve Vonk, a farmer near Rock Valley, expanded his hemp acreage from 100 acres last year to 1,500 acres this spring, also convincing nine other area farmers to grow hemp to supply the new operations. This initiative addresses a key challenge in the nascent hemp industry: market development. “The biggest challenge is the marketing behind everything,” said Steve Vonk, as reported by GN: industrial hemp. “It’s kind of a chicken and egg thing.”
May 21, 2026	Cannabis vape recalled due to incorrect THC labelling A cannabis vape sold in Ontario has been recalled due to incorrect THC labelling that shows lower THC content than what is in the product. On Wednesday, CannaPiece Corp. issued a recall notice for its Jays Pin Pennifer 0.4 g all-in-one vape after the company received a complaint. Health Canada stated the product’s label underreports total THC, listing 350 mg/g instead of the correct 972 mg/g.
May 21, 2026	Cannabis Extracts Reduce Obesity, Improves Glucose Levels in Preclinical Model Riverside, CA: The administration of plant-derived cannabis extracts reduces weight and improves blood sugar levels in obese mice, according to preclinical data published in the Journal of Physiology. Scientists affiliated with the University of California at Riverside assessed the metabolic impacts of both THC and cannabis extracts in obese mice for 30 days.
May 21, 2026	Thailand’s Weed Boom Is Breaking—Here’s Who Survives In 2025 alone, around 7,000 dispensaries shut down. The shakeout is already underway. A saturated market, constant regulatory shifts—Thailand’s cannabis retail scene is operating in turbulent waters. Simply selling weed is no longer enough. In a Saturated Market, Standing Out Is Everything In the early days, opening a dispensary was easy. Countless undifferentiated shops flooded the market. Today, oversupply has intensified competition, costs have risen, and weaker players are being pushed out. Shops with strong capital backing—or recognizable brands from places like the U.S. or Amsterdam—are the ones that remain.
May 21, 2026	International Code Council Approves Hemp-Lime Construction for US Residential Building Codes The International Code Council has formally approved hemp-lime construction for integration into the 2024 International Residential Code. This regulatory update allows builders in many US states to utilize industrial hemp-based materials in residential structures without requiring custom engineering variances. The decision marks a significant development for the industrial hemp sector, which has seen its products restricted for nearly a century due to federal laws that did not differentiate industrial hemp from other cannabis varieties.
May 21, 2026	Cannabis Dispensary Visibility Declines on AI Platforms Despite Google Search Gains, SOCi Report Finds The landscape of local search for businesses, including cannabis dispensaries, is undergoing a significant shift with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) recommendation systems. A recent analysis, the 2026 Local Visibility Index by SOCi, indicates a substantial gap in according to Cannabis Industry Journal, between traditional Google search performance and AI-driven visibility. This presents a particular challenge for cannabis operators, who often face restrictions on paid advertising.
May 20, 2026	US House Passes Amendment Allowing VA Doctors to Recommend Medical Marijuana The U.S. House has approved a measure that could expand healthcare options for military veterans by allowing physicians within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to recommend medical cannabis in states where it is permitted. The amendment, introduced by Representatives Brian Mast, Dina Titus, and Dave Joyce, cleared the House through a voice vote on Thursday. If it becomes law, the proposal would stop the VA from applying an existing policy that prevents agency doctors from helping veterans enroll in state-approved medical marijuana programs.
May 20, 2026	Cannabis markets worldwide are feeling price compression, oversupply pressures Many new markets are stuck in a familiar cycle: ramping up supply faster than they’re adding customers and watching prices fall as a result.
May 20, 2026	Canada’s Cannabis Advantage: Infrastructure, Innovation, and the Road to Global Dominance At the recent International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) Berlin in April, a panel of industry veterans gathered to discuss the evolution and future trajectory of the Canadian cannabis market. Moderated by Alex Revich, the discussion provided a comprehensive look at how Canada has been actively leveraging its first-mover advantage while navigating the complexities of a maturing and constantly evolving industry. The Canadian cannabis market, born from a historic federal legalization, continues to evolve from its early “green rush” days into a mature industry seeking sustainable global influence.
May 20, 2026	Cannabis edibles and alcohol may impair drivers in ways roadside tests miss There’s a number most American drivers know: 0.08. That’s the breath alcohol level that makes you legally drunk in 49 states. Fall below it, and you’re legal to drive. This number is built for a world without the edible brownie. A new study put the combination to a controlled test. The results don’t fit the assumptions enforcement is built on – and they expose a problem that a breathalyzer cannot solve.

Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39