Top Stories (2026) -
(618 items)
(All links open in new tab)
| Apr 30, 2026 |
GOP-Led Congressional Committee Votes To Block Marijuana Rescheduling, Defying Trump A key congressional panel has voted to block the federal rescheduling of marijuana—even though the Trump administration announced last week that it is moving ahead with enacting the reform. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies on Thursday approved a funding bill containing a provision that, if enacted, would prevent federal officials from taking further steps to carry out cannabis rescheduling. “SEC. 591. None of the funds appropriated under this Act or otherwise made available by this Act may be used to reschedule marijuana (as such term is defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802)) or to remove marijuana from the schedules established under section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812).” |
|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2026 |
They Said Weed Would Destroy America. They Were Wrong. They’re Still Cashing In. Key Takeaways Six years after Alex Berenson’s predictions of cannabis-driven crime and psychosis epidemics, the data show neither materialized. Being wrong has not ended his media career — subscriber-driven revenue models reward narrative consistency over factual accuracy. National violent crime data for 2024 show continued declines, including a 14.9% drop in murder. |
| Apr 30, 2026 |
Jamaica: Growers association welcomes US cannabis reclassification The Ganja Growers and Producers Association of Jamaica (GGPAJ) has welcomed the recent reclassification of cannabis under United States (US) federal law from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance, describing the development as a significant global shift with both opportunity and urgency for Jamaica's ganja industry. |
| Apr 30, 2026 |
How cannabis legalization reshaped illicit markets in the Western Balkans Before 2016, North Macedonia acted primarily as an important transit hub for Albanian cannabis destined for countries such as Türkiye, Greece and Serbia. The introduction of legislation to legalize the drug for medical purposes, however, opened the door to illicit cultivation, and quietly transformed the existing trafficking geography. |
| Apr 29, 2026 |
Trucking Industry in Grey Area as Marijuana is Reclassified Federally A directive signed by Acting AG Todd Blanche on April 22 and put into force the next day shifts two categories of cannabis from Schedule I of the CSA to Schedule III. One includes marijuana-based medications approved by the FDA. The other applies to cannabis produced, distributed, or sold under state-issued medical licenses. The second group carries particular relevance for trucking. It covers legally sanctioned dispensaries where drivers with valid medical authorization can purchase cannabis in most states. |
| Apr 29, 2026 |
Indiana spends $1.8 billion on illegal cannabis, renewing legalization debate Residents of Indiana, one of the few remaining U.S. states with no legal cannabis access, spend an estimated $1.8 billion annually on the drug, according to a recent state-commissioned study. A quantification of that sizable appetite, coupled with federal marijuana rescheduling, could change Republican Gov. Mike Braun’s stance on cannabis legalization, he told reporters on Tuesday. |
| Apr 29, 2026 |
Multipacks are reshaping Canada’s cannabis edibles market In less than a year, edibles sold in multipacks have gone from a niche format to a defining force, changing how consumers buy, how retailers stock, and how brands compete. What started as a regulatory adjustment has quickly become one of the most meaningful shifts the category has seen since legalization, say some familiar with the category. “Multipacks have grown from just 2% of category sales to 28% in under a year,” says Matt Wowk, Sales Director at Olli Brands. “That’s not just growth; that’s a fundamental shift in how consumers are shopping for edibles.” |
| Apr 29, 2026 |
There’s ‘Strong Public Demand’ For Bigger Marijuana Reform Than Trump’s Rescheduling Move, Federally Funded Study Shows The Trump administration’s move to reschedule marijuana is popular, but most people support even broader cannabis reforms, according to a new federally funded study that examines public comments received during the government’s official consideration of the proposal. |
| Apr 29, 2026 |
Industry Publishes New Guidance for Patients Travelling with Medical Cannabis The Cannabis Industry Council has published a new patient-focused guide, Travelling with Medical Cannabis, offering practical advice for UK patients navigating the complex and often inconsistent rules around travelling with prescribed medical cannabis. |
| Apr 29, 2026 |
World’s Oldest Cannabis Plant May Have Been Found in a Berlin Museum — and It’s 56 Million Years Old A fossilized leaf imprint found near Eisleben, Germany, may be 56 million years old, doubling the previously accepted timeline for the Cannabis genus and raising new questions about where the plant actually came from. Researchers say further investigation is underway. The implications are enormous either way. |
| Apr 28, 2026 |
Two Laws, One Plant On April 23, 2026, the United States federal government did two things that do not belong in the same sentence. The Department of Justice, acting under a December 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump, issued a final order rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana products and state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. It was the most significant shift in federal drug policy in more than 50 years. Hours later, on the same day, the same president posted to Truth, urging Congress to act quickly to preserve Americans’ access to full-spectrum CBD products. |
| Apr 28, 2026 |
Cannabis Europa London 2026: The First Major Gathering Since Rescheduling Changed the Game Yet Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s announcement has done something more profound than adjust a tax position or ease a research barrier. By moving Schedule III, cannabis is officially recognised as having medical benefits for the first time. In essence, this brings the US’ federal policy far closer to its European counterparts. The legal mechanism underpinning the rescheduling order, a provision of the Controlled Substances Act designed to bring US drug law into compliance with the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, is the same international framework that governs medical cannabis regulation across Europe. |
| Apr 28, 2026 |
Cannabis retailers uses medical experts to bridge the advice gap
Plantlife Cannabis is collaborating with an Edmonton, Alberta-based certified holistic cannabis nurse to address health-related questions customers have that budtenders are not allowed to answer. The program started last fall, Ian Scott, VP Operations at Plantlife Cannabis, told StratCann, as a way to give customers an avenue to have their more health-related questions answered that regulations prevent budtenders from answering |
| Apr 28, 2026 |
Chinese Researchers Reveal Ancient Use Of Cannabis As ‘Indispensable’ Crop That Was ‘Deeply Integrated’ Into Daily Life China’s agricultural history with cannabis is deeper than previously believed, with a new study placing the staple crop among “the five grains” (alongside rice and barely, for example) that were foundational to the ancient Eurasian economy and “deeply integrated into the daily lives of the inhabitants.” |
| Apr 28, 2026 |
The State of Indigenous Cannabis: Sovereignty, Healing, and the Future We’re Building Now The most exciting future for cannabis in the U.S. isn’t coming out of Congress or corporate boardrooms. It’s happening in Indigenous communities across North America. Tribal Nations are organizing and making moves to destigmatize plant medicine, build sustainable and generational wealth, and plan for a better future for cannabis, as the Ojibwe say, in a good way. |
| Apr 28, 2026 |
Authorized for abuse: The math behind Canada’s medical cannabis “loophole” In May 2023, the Provincial Joint Forces Cannabis Enforcement Team (PJFCET) and local police arrived at a greenhouse near St. Catharines, Ontario, for what appeared to be a garden-variety illicit bust. But when the paperwork came out, the narrative shifted. While the facility was registered with Health Canada for fewer than 1,000 plants, the reality inside was over 11,800. The nearly $12 million seizure wasn’t just a case of a rogue grower colouring outside the lines; it was a glaring symptom of systemic exploitation within Canada’s medical framework. |
| Apr 27, 2026 |
Will Reclassifying Medical Marijuana Have Any Impact on Criminal Justice Reform? The Trump administration's historic move to reclassify state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug was cheered by some advocates but for others, it fell far short for the thousands still incarcerated on federal cannabis-related convictions. The executive order, which acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed Thursday, does not address current penalties for possessing and selling marijuana or those jailed with yearslong sentences. |
| Apr 27, 2026 |
"We're big believers in the power of cannabis" "We're big believers in the power of cannabis," said CEO Mike DeGiglio of Village Farms last Friday during the opening of the new indoor cultivation facility in Groningen, Netherlands. "All plants created have a purpose, and so does cannabis." |
| Apr 27, 2026 |
The Fight for Cannabis Rescheduling Is Far From Over Last week’s rescheduling announcement came as a surprise to many, not least to us here at Business of Cannabis. Despite the flurry of reporting from multiple sources that an announcement was imminent, the last two years of stock swings, ambiguous or outright hollow promises, and bureaucratic red tape meant it was a bet we were reluctant to take. But the surprise wasn’t just because it had finally happened, but, perhaps naively, because it wasn’t what we were expecting. |
| Apr 27, 2026 |
Health Canada, Public Safety Canada provide updates on personal/designated medical cannabis licences New data released by Health Canada provides a detailed look into the landscape of personal and designated production registrations for medical cannabis across Canada. The information comes in response to a request for information tabled in the House of Commons asked in March by Todd Doherty (MP for Cariboo—Prince George, BC), who asked a series of questions regarding the monitoring and inspection of personal and designated production of cannabis for medical purposes under the Cannabis Act and associated regulations. Such licences allow individuals with authorization from a medical professional to grow cannabis for themselves for medical purposes, or to designate someone to grow it for them on their behalf. Such licences have been established through several court cases in Canada going back more than twenty years. Such licences are also often a point of controversy as they often operate in residential areas and have, at times, been found to be abused by criminals operating under such licences while diverting cannabis into the illicit market. |