Top Stories (2026) -
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| Jul 29, 2026 |
Delaware Governor Signs Bill To Regulate And Tax Hemp THC Drinks Delaware’s governor has signed a bill that seeks to regulate hemp-derived THC beverages—including with an age limit, potency restrictions and taxes. Gov. Matt Meyer (D) signed HB 373 from Rep. Debra Heffernan (D) into law last week and announced the action on Tuesday. The legislation as enacted restricts sales of hemp THC drinks to people aged 21 and older. |
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| Jul 29, 2026 |
The new science of cannabis and sleep
Larry Mitchell never thought much about the dreams he wasn’t having. For years, while he regularly smoked cannabis, his dreams seemed to disappear. Then, last summer, he quit. Soon afterward, his nights became populated by a vivid nocturnal world unlike anything he had experienced before. |
| Jul 29, 2026 |
Cannabis medicine vital to epilepsy care Massachusetts voters are being tasked with evaluating the state’s experiment with legalized cannabis. The debate around this has understandably focused on youth access and public safety but ignores some of the most groundbreaking medical innovations of the past several years that risk being undermined by the repeal effort. Mirroring the rest of the country, the fastest growing group of Massachusetts’ medical cannabis users are seniors. For Massachusetts’ older residents, many of whom rely on the state’s Medicare, this vote will affect whether promising therapies are explored with evidence and medical oversight or stigmatized by misguided politics. And in no area is this care more critical than in epilepsy management. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
National Center for Cannabis Research and Education at the University of Mississippi and Southern Sky Brands Launch CBD Sleep Study OXFORD, Miss. and CANTON, Miss., July 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Center for Cannabis Research and Education (NCCRE) at the University of Mississippi and Southern Sky Brands have announced a collaborative clinical research initiative to evaluate the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on sleep quality among adult participants. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Canadian cannabis giant SNDL claims to be world’s largest after Parallel takeover
Former lenders to Parallel, the struggling cannabis multistate operator once led by chewing-gum heir William “Beau” Wrigley, finalized their takeover of company assets this week, according to a Monday announcement. And after acquiring “certain” Parallel assets in Florida, Massachusetts and Texas, Canadian cannabis and liquor giant SNDL now claims a retail footprint of 249 licensed locations – “the largest in the world by store count,” CEO Zach George claimed in a press release Monday. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Big Change in the Cannabis Industry
The industry was surprised Monday with a big change in teh cannabis industry. It seems it is entering another phase of consolidation, and one of the year’s most significant deals underscores how leading multi-state operators (MSOs) are preparing for the next stage of growth. Vireo Health’s acquisition of Planet 13 brings together two respected cannabis companies with complementary strengths, creating a larger footprint across several of the country’s most valuable regulated markets. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Cannabis and Cancer: What We Know, What We Suspect, and What Nobody Can Prove Yet
Key Takeaways -The evidence for cannabis in cancer care is strongest for symptom management, and weakest exactly where the internet is loudest: killing tumors. -Twenty-five years of laboratory work shows cannabinoids attacking cancer cells in dishes and in mice. In humans, the entire direct anti-tumor record is two small trials. -The 2017 National Academies review found insufficient evidence either to support or refute cannabinoids as a cancer treatment. That has not changed. ARISTOCRAT, a Phase 2 trial in the UK with overall survival as its primary endpoint, is the study that could move the question. It is still recruiting. -Rick Simpson gave his recipe away and never sold the oil. The cure claim attached to it still has no scientific evidence behind it, and rests on a lesion a surgeon had already removed. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Israel Closes Anti-Dumping Investigation Into Canadian Cannabis Due to Procedural Error, For Now
Israel has closed its newest investigation into Canadian allegations of dumping of cannabis into the Israeli market from Canada, citing human error. Israel’s Commissioner for Trade Levies and the Ministry of Economy and Industry have quietly closed their new investigation into allegations of dumping of medical cannabis into the Israeli market from Canada. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Veterans with PTSD and chronic pain will have to pay up for pot prescriptions with new government policy
There are concerns about recent changes to how much veterans are reimbursed for medicinal cannabis. In April, Veterans Affairs Canada dropped how much it covers from $8.50 a gram to $6.00 per gram. Many veterans have reported that this change affects the way they consume cannabis through the federal reimbursement program, which has been around since 2007. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Canadian Cannabis Sales Reach $485 Million in May 2026
Canada sold $485 million worth of cannabis in May 2026, according to the most recent figures from Statistics Canada. This represents a 1% year-over-year increase compared to sales in May 2025 and a 1% month-over-month decline from April 2026. National sales were down slightly from the previous month’s $490.8 million, driven by declines in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and BC. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
A Cannabis Flavonoid Stopped Up to 99% of Cancer-Cell Growth in Lab Tests
Standard Seed Corporation (SSC), a cutting edge AI botanical-research company, believes it has identified a compound native to cannabis which could inhibit the growth of cancer cells by over 90% in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer. Test results from the National Cancer Institute’s NCI-60 one-dose screen, a standard bank of 60 human cancer cell lines the institute has used for decades to screen candidate cancer treatments, found that SSC’s cannflavin-enriched extract stopped more than 95% of cell growth in an aggressive brain cancer and up to 99% in several leukaemias, with weaker but real effects across lung, breast, ovarian, kidney, colon and prostate. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Banning Hemp THC Products Drives Consumers Toward Licensed Marijuana Businesses, Poll Shows With the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products looming in November, a growing number of states are enacting their own laws to ban intoxicating cannabinoid derivates. And most cannabis consumers in those jurisdictions are shifting their purchases toward licensed marijuana businesses, according to a new poll. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Federal Bill Filed to Create Comprehensive Framework for Hemp THC Products U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) last week introduced legislation that would establish a comprehensive federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived consumable products. The bill comes as federal reforms on hemp THC sales are set to take effect in November. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Self-Checkout Approved by DCC at Perfect Union Northside, Making it the First California Cannabis Dispensary to Launch RFID-Powered Technology SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MWG Holdings Group today announced that its Perfect Union Northside dispensary in Sacramento has become the first licensed cannabis retailer in California approved by the DCC to launch RFID-powered self-checkout technology through EXO, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of cannabis retail. |
| Jul 28, 2026 |
Nepal’s Cannabis Laws Are ‘an Insult to Shiva.’ Nixon’s War on Drugs Forced Them.
On the night of Maha Shivaratri, cannabis smoke rises over Pashupatinath as it has for centuries. Nepal sold hashish under government license until 1973, when Washington leaned on Kathmandu and the shops closed. Activist Hemant Shahi and Ed Rosenthal on the fight to give the plant back to the god it belongs to. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
UK:Medicinal cannabis making policing 'more complex'
Medicinal cannabis use has made it more difficult for police officers to distinguish between legal and illegal drug use, despite fewer people being charged with drug offences, senior officers have said. States of Jersey Police said more islanders accessing prescribed medicinal cannabis had reduced demand for illegal imports of the drug. A Freedom of Information request showed the total number of medicinal cannabis prescriptions dispensed in Jersey increased from 2021 to 2025. Drug crime rates fell during a comparable period |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
How To Talk to Teens About Cannabis
Be honest — and make sure you know what you’re talking about — when you’re talking with children about cannabis use. Nobody hates talking frankly to children more than their parents — and nobody but their parents have more incentive to tell a convenient lie. You may deny it, but let’s be real: one of the “secrets” of effective parenting is the Platonic lie, the noble sacrifice of honesty for harmony. Maybe you don’t really know the right answers, maybe you’d prefer not to say, maybe it’s already 9 p.m. on a weeknight, the kitchen is still messy, and your four-year-old wants an existential treatise before bed. So you take the easy way out and make something up. These are hollow victories, won with cheap shortcuts, that ring only in the near term. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
New Labour Administration Can End Britain’s Failed Cannabis Experiment The first challenge facing a new prime minister is not whether Britain should embrace cannabis. It already has. Millions of Britons use cannabis every year despite decades of prohibition. The question facing Andy Burnham’s government is whether that market should continue operating in the shadows or be brought under public regulation. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
The cannabis industry is having a price compression crisis. What’s the solution?
U.S. cannabis sales declined year over year for the first time on record, falling from $32 billion in 2024 to $29.94 billion in 2025, according to data compiled in the MJBiz Factbook. The drop marks a turning point for an industry that has spent more than a decade posting steady and uninterrupted growth at the cash register even as valuations declined. But the cause isn’t shrinking demand or vanishing consumers. It’s collapsing prices, as cannabis consumers in some states bought more product than ever before even as sales revenue declined, analysts told MJBizDaily. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
Teen Marijuana Use Continues To Decline As More States Legalize It For Adults, Federal Study Shows Opponents of marijuana legalization often argue that allowing adults to consume cannabis without punishment will cause more underage teens to use it—but that isn’t what is happening, according to the latest results of a new federal drug survey. The 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), released on Monday, shows that 8.7 percent of people between the ages of 12 and 17 use marijuana within the past year. That’s down from 14.2 percent in 2011, the year before the first U.S. states legalized recreational cannabis. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
Texas Court Denies Emergency Request by Hemp Businesses to Delay THC Ban A Texas judge has denied hemp businesses' request to keep selling consumable hemp products under current rules while their lawsuit against the state's Department of State Health Services proceeds, clearing the way for DSHS to begin enforcing its new regulations. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
Surge in cannabis imports from the US and Canada Ireland is experiencing a significant rise in cannabis importation, with more than 3.5 tonnes of the drug confiscated to date this year. An Irish Examiner analysis of Garda and Revenue seizure data shows there have been four months this year where, each month, over 500kg of cannabis has been seized. |
| Jul 27, 2026 |
How Washington Killed the Colombian Cannabis Boom And Created the Cocaine Cartels by Accident
In the 1970s, Colombia’s Sierra Nevada became the source of the world’s most famous cannabis. Then Washington’s War on Drugs destroyed the trade and helped create the cocaine cartels that replaced it. |
| Jul 26, 2026 |
Iowa Democratic Lieutenant Governor Candidate Defends Marijuana Legalization Plan From Criticism Dave Muhlbauer, Democratic candidate for Iowa lieutenant governor, defended gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand campaign’s cannabis legalization plan and discussed the importance of accessible behavioral health treatment for children Thursday during a campaign visit to the Ember Recovery facility in Cambridge. |
| Jul 26, 2026 |
Double the limit: Vermont bets bigger cannabis buys will beat the black market
Under the new law, which ups the maximum one-day amount of cannabis purchased from 1 ounce to 2, customers at licensed dispensaries can make fewer visits and have more flexibility while they shop in the state, said state officials and some cannabis business operators. The change was intended in part to encourage Vermonters to purchase products through licensed retailers rather than the illicit market, said James Pepper, chair of the Vermont Cannabis Control Board. |
| Jul 25, 2026 |
One of N.J.’s largest weed companies is bankrupt, laying off 86 workers
One of the state’s largest cannabis companies has announced a round of layoffs as it struggles through bankruptcy. Columbia Care, also known as The Cannabist Company, notified state officials that it plans to lay off 86 employees at its Vineland facility by October, according to a notice filed with the state. The company, which operates in multiple states, filed for bankruptcy in March. |
| Jul 25, 2026 |
New Bill: Senator Cory A. Booker introduces S. 5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act We have received text from S. 5022: Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. This bill was received on 2026-07-16, and currently has 16 cosponsors. Here is a short summary of the bill: This bill would substantially change federal law around cannabis by removing many of the current criminal and regulatory restrictions and replacing them with a new federal framework for legal cannabis businesses, products, taxes, research, and public health oversight. |
| Jul 25, 2026 |
Big cannabis has cozied up to the GOP
Major cannabis companies have donated millions to PACs aligned with President Donald Trump, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings. But the donations are not just a symptom of an increasingly pro-marijuana administration; they’re also indicative of an ongoing lobbying war between the marijuana, hemp and alcohol industries. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
New congressional bill would regulate hemp instead of banning it
A bipartisan pair of lawmakers is offering the hemp industry a new path forward just months before sweeping federal restrictions on intoxicating hemp products are set to take effect. Representatives Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) this week introduced the Lawful Hemp Protection Act, legislation that would establish a federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived cannabinoid products while replacing the federal hemp restrictions scheduled to take effect on November 12. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Mass layoffs at two California cannabis manufacturers
Two major California cannabis manufacturers are laying off more than 100 workers amid a continued downturn in the country’s largest adult-use marijuana market. CraftForce Services, the manufacturing arm of Santa Rosa, Calif.-headquartered CannaCraft, will lay off nearly 60 employees at its Santa Rosa operations on Sept. 20, according to a federally mandated Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice. And NorCal Cannabis Co., operating as GB2 LLC and also based in Santa Rosa, will lay off about 49 employees on Sept. 13, according to a WARN notice first reported by The Santa Rosa Press Democrat. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Key Questions Employers Need to Ask as Marijuana Laws Evolve
As cannabis laws continue to change across the U.S., employers are facing new challenges when it comes to workplace drug policies. Growing acceptance of cannabis use, combined with increasing rates of positive drug tests, is prompting many organizations to reconsider long-standing hiring and safety practices. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
How Cannabis Legalization Is Changing Small-Town Retail in the Northeast
Adult-use cannabis has become a staple of small-town commerce in the Northeast. In 2025, New Jersey’s legal market generated $1.38 billion in retail sales across 238 licensed dispensaries. Much of this growth is occurring in boroughs and townships along the state’s commuter corridors, rather than in major cities. For towns with long-vacant storefronts, licensed cannabis retail is now a prominent indicator of Main Street revitalization. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
State fairs are the ideal place for an honest conversation about cannabis
For the first time in its nearly 200-year history, The Great New York State Fair will have a place dedicated to cannabis consumers and the rapidly growing industry that serves them. Almost one million people attended the fair last year, making it one of the largest public gatherings in the state. There is simply no better place to engage New Yorkers from every region in a necessary and ongoing conversation about cannabis consumer safety, responsible use and the importance of supporting New York’s regulated cannabis marketplace. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
‘We Don’t See a Lot of Criminality’: York Police Sergeant Defends Legal Cannabis Stores
A Sergeant with York Regional Police in Ontario says the community likely has more problems with fast food restaurants than it does with cannabis stores when it comes to issues of impaired driving. York Regional Police Detective Sergeant Bill Newton commented as a representative for a Cannabis Retail Task Force in Aurora, Ontario, as part of a review of the town’s retail cannabis bylaws on June 18, 2026 (h/t St. Catharine Standard). |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Health Canada alert: Product recall for edible cannabis products over undeclared allergens and labelling issues
Health Canada is alerting consumers about a product recall for the Social Sessions edible cannabis products due to undeclared allergens, labelling issues, and suspected quality concerns. The affected products are being recalled because they contain milk and hazelnut which are not declared on the label and the labels for the affected products have incorrect cannabinoid values, the regulator said in the product recall issued July 22. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Separating Policy and Panic: No Evidence Legal Canadian Cannabis is Turning Europe into a “Narco State”
A publication in the UK is blaming former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the increase in illicit cannabis exports into Europe. The Telegraph UK claims that cannabis that is legally grown in Canada is flooding into Europe “enriching criminal gangs” and even helping turn Belgium into a “narco state”. The article is heavy on correlating a recent increase in seizures of illicit cannabis in Europe to Canada’s legalization and regulation of cannabis in 2018. Still, it offers no evidence for its claim that the source of this cannabis is from legal, licensed cannabis producers. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Cannabis Use Among Teens Flat After German Partial Legalisation, But Medical Market Continues Rapid Expansion
Germany’s Cannabis Act (CanG) has not led to an increase in use among young people, according to new peer-reviewed research adding to the growing body of evidence contradicting the harms predicted by the reform’s critics. A new study published on July 01, 2026 in the Journal of Health Monitoring by researchers at the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG) and the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), found no statistically significant change in cannabis use among young people since CanG came into force in April 2024. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Prohibition Couldn’t Kill Craft Cannabis. Legalization Nearly Did. Legalization did not create one single Michigan market. It created a state framework filtered through local control. Municipalities could decide whether to allow cannabis businesses and under what conditions. On paper, that sounds democratic. In reality, for small operators, it can feel like building a business on top of a trapdoor. Until a municipality decides to allow cannabis businesses, certainty is impossible. Only then do the real costs emerge: fees, conditions, delays, infrastructure demands, zoning friction, and the simple cost of waiting. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Teen Cannabis Use Dropped by More than 60% in Minnesota After Legalization Cannabis use among Minnesota high school students fell by more than half between 2013 and 2025 despite the state adopting increasingly permissive cannabis policies during that period, according to a study published in Social Science & Medicine. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Adding Hemp To Dog Food Improves Digestive Health, New Study Shows A new study found that adding hemp oil or hempseed byproduct to dog food can improve digestive health without negatively impacting the overall microbial system. The study, published in the journal Veterinary Sciences, suggests that certain types of hemp derivatives could be safely incorporated into canine food as ingredients. However, the effects appear to be partly dependent on whether the cannabis is added as an oil or fiber supplement. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Cannabis is now the biggest attraction at the California State Fair
The fair’s California Cannabis experience has grown from being tucked away to the side to now being the “largest individual exhibit” at the fair, according to James Leitz, founder of FairPlay Ventures and producer of the cannabis experience. Guests enter through a castlelike gate and are then guided past living cannabis plants before descending stairs to the main exhibit area, where a massive tent holds multiple dispensary pop-ups and farm stands. Guests can examine different cannabis products, talk to farmers, purchase products like prerolled joints, and then smoke in a grassy area with seating. Nearby is a taco truck for when guests get snacky, and a live music stage provides entertainment. |
| Jul 24, 2026 |
Teen Cannabis Use Drops, Social Disparities Remain
New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School found that rates of cannabis use during adolescence have declined since 2013, though some large disparities persist. Past studies have shown that cannabis use during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative impacts - including emotional distress, adverse academic outcomes and brain development and functioning - that can persist into adulthood. Though there has been an overall decrease in cannabis use among Minnesota adolescents over the past decade, prior studies have been limited in their ability to examine the nuances in this trend - particularly the differences in use between social groups. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Weed worries: Middle and high schoolers will now learn about cannabis use this fall Minnesota’s schools are required to teach about CPR, STDs, mental health, and, beginning this fall…cannabis. Minnesota legalized cannabis in 2023 and sales began in 2025, leading the legislature to enact a requirement that middle and high schoolers learn about the dangers of cannabis use during their health education. The new cannabis education course will inform students, whose parents and friends now have easy access to the drug, about the possible effects on brain development and overall health. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Is it legal to fly with medical cannabis? Guidelines in the US and Canada
When traveling, can you take medical cannabis on board if both your destination and departure location have legalized it? The answer depends on where you’re flying from. Here’s what we know: |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
California Judge Signals Lawmakers May Not Need Voter Approval to Change Marijuana Regulations
A California judge has indicated that state lawmakers may have the authority to revise parts of the voter-approved marijuana legalization measure without asking voters to approve every legislative update. The preliminary opinion was issued last Thursday by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn during an ongoing legal dispute over changes to cannabis tax policy. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Slumber in the grass: What weed before bed actually does to your sleep
For a growing number of people, catching Zzz’s has become a joint effort. Across the country, an estimated 22 million adults use some form of weed as a sleep aid, while another 45 million have tried it in hopes of getting more shut-eye, according to the National Sleep Foundation. The bedtime ritual has plenty of believers: Roughly two-thirds of Americans who use the drug say it helps them get better rest. But behind closed eyes, the story of what happens to the brain on cannabis is far more complicated — and scientists are still figuring out whether weed is improving sleep or simply reshaping it. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Less cannabis use among adolescents, but social disparities persist
Past studies have shown that cannabis use during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative impacts—including emotional distress, adverse academic outcomes, and brain development and functioning—that can persist into adulthood. Though there has been an overall decrease in cannabis use among Minnesota adolescents over the past decade, prior studies have been limited in their ability to examine the nuances in this trend—particularly differences in use among social groups. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Overturn Intoxicating Hemp Ban and Regulate Multi-Billion Dollar Sector
The US intoxicating hemp market, thought to be worth around $28bn in annual sales, could yet be saved from a devastating ban set to be implemented in a matter of months. This week two members of congress introduced new legislation that, if passed, would repeal the looming November ban on almost all hemp-derived cannabinoid products and introduce comprehensive federal regulation. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Cannabis legalisation does not lead to increased adolescent use, German study finds
One year after Germany legalised cannabis, there is no evidence of increased use among adolescents, according to a major study published in the Journal of Health Monitoring. The research, conducted by the German Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG), found that cannabis consumption among 12 to 17-year-olds remained stable between 2023 and 2025. In 2025, 4.6% of female adolescents and 7.2% of male adolescents reported using cannabis in the past 12 months – figures that showed no statistically significant change from pre-legalisation levels. |
| Jul 23, 2026 |
Medical cannabis access under probation and parole: Removing barriers to doctor-recommended treatment Supervision systems designed to support rehabilitation and reentry should not erect barriers to medical care that is legal for all other citizens. |