Top Stories (2026) -
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| Mar 27, 2026 |
Mississippi Governor Vetoes Bills To Expand Medical Marijuana Access, But Signs Psychedelic Research Measure Mississippi’s governor has vetoed a pair of bills to expand medical marijuana access while signing separate legislation to support research in hopes of gaining federal approval for the psychedelic ibogaine as a novel treatment option. Lawmakers approved each measure by strong margins, but on Thursday Gov. Tate Reeves (R) rejected the cannabis proposals while accepting the psychedelics one. |
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| Mar 27, 2026 |
Why You Should Be Eating Hemp Seeds Right Now
Did you know a tablespoon of hemp seeds contain a serious amount of essential nutrients? Here’s everything you need to know about these special little seeds. Hemp seeds are best known for their omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Animal sources of omega-3 are salmon and sardines; vegetarian sources include walnuts, flaxseed and our dear hemp seed. Hemp seeds contain a precursor omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid, ALA) that the body converts into EPA and DHA. |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
Indiana Governor Blames GOP Leaders For Marijuana Legalization Inaction While ‘Half Of Hoosiers Probably Smoke It Illegally’ 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.” |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
CMS to Cover Up to $500 in CBD Health Program
A new initiative by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could soon allow some patients enrolled in government-backed health insurance programs to receive partial coverage for hemp-based products. The proposal would allow eligible participants to access up to $500 annually in qualifying CBD products, with initial phases possibly starting as early as April 1. |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
State's cannabis industry marks 5-year anniversary with $3.3B in sales, 600 dispensaries ALBANY | Gov. Kathy Hochul marked the upcoming five-year anniversary of the passage of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which legalized adult-use cannabis, established the Office of Cannabis Management, and laid the foundation for a regulated, equity-driven cannabis industry in New York. Since the launch of adult-use sales, New York’s cannabis market has generated $3.3 billion in total retail sales and expanded to more than 600 licensed dispensaries statewide, with Pure Blossom on Manhattan’s Upper West Side recognized as the State’s 600th licensed retail location. |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
Why does cannabis give people 'the munchies'? One of the best-known side effects of smoking cannabis is "the munchies," or an intense increase in appetite. One minute someone might feel full, and the next they appear ravenous. This effect, known scientifically as cannabis-induced hyperphagia, is powerful enough that for regular marijuana users, it can even cause weight gain, a seven-year analysis found. So what's really going on? Why can cannabis make people want to eat even when they're already full? |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
Congressman Demands Marijuana Rescheduling Update From DOJ, Three Months After Trump’s Executive Order A Democratic congressman is pressing the Department of Justice for answers to a question that’s been on the minds of many Americans since President Donald Trump ordered the quick completion of the marijuana rescheduling process late last year: What’s the hold up? |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
New Zealand sun-grown cannabis site earns endorsement from Columbia University scientist Not every cannabis farm gets visited by a Columbia University professor. Fewer still get singled out as the best place on earth to grow the plant. That is what happened when Colin Nuckolls, an organic chemistry professor at Columbia and one of the most cited independent researchers on cannabis chemistry, toured Puro's K?kereng? farm on the Kaik?ura coast earlier this year. |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
Synthetic seeds show a glimpse of the future for cannabis breeding When tissue culture laboratories first emerged in the 1970s, they quickly became standard infrastructure for propagating tomatoes, corn, and dozens of other crops. Decades of scientific literature followed, refining the formulas and SOPs that made the process reliable at scale. For cannabis, that body of knowledge simply doesn't exist, effects from the prohibition era. It's a gap that companies like Microhemp, a tissue culture lab based in Italy, are now working to close. "Tissue culture laboratories have been existing since the 70s," says Marco Bianco, founder of Microhemp. "But when it comes to cannabis, this is quite the new space." |
| Mar 27, 2026 |
Vancity Original® enters legal cannabis market with launch of Vancity® Cannabis Brand VANCOUVER, B.C. — March 27, 2026 — Vancity Original®, the iconic Vancouver brand founded in 1998 by Jeff “Mister Martini” Martin, is proud to announce its expansion into the legal Canadian cannabis market with the launch of The Vancity® Cannabis Brand, alongside cannabis industry veteran Brad Nishimura and award-winning cannabis lawyer Robert Laurie of AD LUCEM LAW CORPORATION. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
Cannabis Legalization Laws Associated With Lower Crime Rates Fairfield, CT: The enactment of laws legalizing cannabis for either medical or adult-use purposes is associated with declining crime rates over time, according to findings published in the scientific journal Economic Modeling. Researchers affiliated with the Jack Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and Barnard College in New York evaluated the relationship between statewide cannabis policies and crime rates nationwide. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
German high court rules against medicinal cannabis advertisements
Germany’s Federal Court of Justice has ruled that advertising for medical treatments with medical cannabis violates the country’s law on advertising medicinal products. In a ruling posted on March 26, 2026, the First Civil Senate of the Federal Court of Justice, which handles competition law in Germany, ruled that a company operating an online platform that brokers medical cannabis treatments and connects patients with cooperating doctors violates medicinal product advertising law by publicly advertising prescription drugs. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
Case of Mi’kmaq man facing cannabis charges moves to constitutional challenge in N.S. DARTMOUTH - The legal case of a Mi’kmaq man charged with selling unlicensed cannabis is moving ahead to a constitutional challenge. A provincial court judge has determined that Thomas Durfee’s treaty rights are not to be considered in the initial stage of the proceedings, and court dates for his constitutional challenge will be set on April 10. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
Ghana: NCC unveils 11 licence categories to regulate cannabis industry The Narcotics Control Commission has announced eleven licence categories under a new framework aimed at regulating industrial and medicinal cannabis in Ghana. According to the Commission, the move is intended to promote transparency, safety and accountability within the licensing system. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
US: Medical cannabis measure heads to Georgia governor’s desk Major changes to Georgia's medical cannabis program are now just a signature away. Senate Bill 220 passed the state House and Senate and now heads to the governor's desk for final approval. The bill removes a cap on the amount of THC in medical marijuana products. It will also legalize medical cannabis vaping products for medical use. There will also be new eligible conditions to qualify for medical marijuana, including lupus, severe arthritis and severe insomnia. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
White House Schedules Meeting for FDA’s New CBD Compliance Enforcement Policy White House officials will review a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed rule concerning CBD product compliance and enforcement policies on April 1. The White House Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) informed the public on March 13 that it received the CBD guidance recommendation from the FDA. |
| Mar 26, 2026 |
Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke says no to retail cannabis After nearly a year of deliberation, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) announced on March 25, 2026 that it will not be allowing the sale of cannabis in their community. The Ratitsénhaienhs, the elected chiefs, have formally taken a position that the number of cannabis retail dispensary licences be set to zero, thereby prohibiting the retail sale of cannabis within the Territory of Kahnawà:ke. The Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory is a First Nations reserve of the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke, located on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
US Cannabis Companies Could Finally Get Access to NASDAQ and Financial Services Under New Bill Bipartisan lawmakers have reintroduced a bill to the House of Representatives that would provide a pathway for cannabis businesses to list on the US stock exchange, accessing the institutional capital they sorely need. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
Under Trump The Drug War Becomes a Tool of Conquest While Donald Trump positions himself as tough on hard drugs, his record tells a different story. During his presidencies he has handed out pardons and clemency to some of the most notorious drug figures in recent history: former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of flooding the United States with over 400 tons of cocaine; Ross Ulbricht, creator of the Silk Road dark-web empire that moved millions in anonymous narcotics; Michael “Harry-O” Harris, the violent trafficker who helped build Death Row Records; and Larry Hoover, the Gangster Disciples leader serving multiple life sentences for running a massive drug enterprise. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
India Issues First Cannabis Research Grant That Could Help Open Up Market For the first time in over 5 decades, the Indian government has granted public funding to a cannabis research project, with ramifications which will determine ‘whether India can build a credible pharmaceutical industry’ around cannabis. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
7 States with a Chance to Legalize Marijuana in 2026 Efforts to expand cannabis laws across the U.S. remain active as 2026 unfolds, with seven states weighing proposals that range from limited medical access to full adult-use legalization. Timelines vary, but advocates in multiple regions are working against approaching deadlines to move their measures forward. In Idaho, a campaign to permit medical marijuana is gaining momentum. The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho is pushing to place the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act before voters this November and is racing to submit more than 70,000 valid signatures by May. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
US cannabis growth: "We are forecasting 2026 legal revenues to be $30.5 billion, an increase of 4.9% since 2025" Whitney Economics (WE), a global leader in cannabis and hemp business consulting, data, and economic research, today announced it has published its U.S. legal cannabis revenue forecast for the period of 2025 – 2030. "We are forecasting 2026 legal revenues to be $30.5 billion, an increase of 4.9% since 2025," WE founder and Chief Economist Beau Whitney said. "This is a welcome rebound from just a year ago, when the U.S. legal cannabis market experienced its first year-over-year revenue decline in the legal regulated market's history." |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
US: Examining the relationship between unions and the cannabis industry Cannabis was supposed to be different. Ask the budtenders at Exclusive Brands how that worked out. When Emily Hull, a budtender at the Ann Arbor dispensary of the Livonia-based chain with seven locations in Michigan, and a handful of coworkers walked off the job in August, they were asking to join a union. They wanted to join UFCW Local 876, the same union that represents 18,000 workers in grocery, meatpacking and food processing. And cannabis. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
Ex-justice minister fined for possessing illegal drugs The former Conservative MP and justice minister Crispin Blunt has been fined after pleading guilty to possessing illegal drugs, including cannabis and crystal meth. He admitted to four drugs charges at Westminster Magistrates' Court, following a police raid on his Surrey home in October 2023. The 65-year-old was found with the chemical sedative GBL, cannabis and methamphetamine - commonly known as crystal meth. Blunt, who hit out at the decision to charge him and suggested all drugs should be legal, was fined £1,200. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
UK and Germany Medical Cannabis Markets Both Double in 2025 The UK and Germany’s medical cannabis markets both more than doubled in size throughout 2025, once again cementing the countries as the engine behind European market growth. Their runaway growth, according to Prohibition Partners‘ newly released Global Medical Cannabis Market Review 2026, continues to be driven by the growing prominence of telemedicine clinics. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
US army raises upper age for recruits to 42 and scraps marijuana restrictions The US army has raised the maximum enlistment age to 42 years old and scrapped a barrier for potential recruits who have a legal conviction for marijuana or drug paraphernalia possession. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
People Who ‘Regularly Gather To Smoke Marijuana’ Could Be Deemed A ‘Criminal Gang’ And Deported Under House Bill, Congressman Warns A top congressional Democrat is warning that a committee-passed bill meant to expedite the deportation of immigrants who’ve committed certain crimes is so broad that even “high school students who regularly gather to smoke marijuana” could be defined as a “criminal gang” under its provisions. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
He May Be the Only American Sent to Prison for the Pot Tax My name is Ryan Richmond: former medical marijuana dispensary owner and now a convicted felon. I served one year in federal prison on a two-year sentence. My probation will soon be over. Here’s the part that surprises people: I didn’t go to prison for selling weed. I went because the government couldn’t make that narrative stick, so it did what it often does in that situation—it reached for another weapon and won. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
Europe Is Becoming A Center For The International Cannabis Industry The cannabis industry is in the midst of a worldwide revolution and is continuing to evolve from a patchwork of individual, siloed markets to an increasingly connected international web. That was already true, to a degree, before 2020. However, in late 2020, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. It was a major milestone, with the CND finally recognizing the medicinal and therapeutic benefits of cannabis. |
| Mar 25, 2026 |
Ohio Bans THC Drinks, Tightens Cannabis Rules in New Sweeping Changes Ohio’s cannabis market is entering a more restrictive phase less than two years after voters approved legalization, as new rules tighten how marijuana and hemp products can be sold, transported, and consumed. Senate Bill 56, which took effect after failing to be overturned by referendum, revises the 2023 voter-backed framework by introducing stricter potency limits and handling requirements, as well as new criminal penalties tied to everyday use. |
| Mar 24, 2026 |
Scathing audit for Alabama medical marijuana authority on eve of market launch Alabama’s beleaguered Medical Cannabis Commission failed to follow state procedure and open-meetings laws, overpaid an outside law firm by $204,000 and didn’t maintain records properly, a recent state audit found. The audit comes at an awkward time – just weeks before the long-awaited launch of Alabama’s medical cannabis market. Lawsuits filed by applicants who were denied licenses delayed the launch. Some of the allegations in the lawsuits are supported by the audit, according to Alabama Political Reporter. |
| Mar 24, 2026 |
Don’t leave money on the table: Medical cannabis patient tax breaks Tax season has a way of creeping up on Canadians, and for thousands of registered medical cannabis patients, it can often arrive with a largely unclaimed benefit. Despite the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) having recognized prescribed cannabis as an eligible medical expense for years, patient advocates and clinicians consistently report that many medical users have no idea they can claim it. Given that medical cannabis still lacks a Drug Identification Number (DIN) and is therefore excluded from most private insurance plans, this tax credit may represent the only financial relief many patients receive. |
| Mar 24, 2026 |
Mississippi Bills To Expand Medical Marijuana Access Head To Governor’s Desk Mississippi lawmakers have sent a pair of bills to expand medical marijuana access to the governor’s desk. One of the proposals, known as the “Right to Try Medical Cannabis Act,” would create a pathway for patients who don’t have one of the state’s specific delineated qualifying conditions to become eligible for legal marijuana access. |
| Mar 24, 2026 |
Lawmakers skeptical of ballot question rolling back recreational marijuana law Massachusetts voters legalized recreational cannabis through a 2016 ballot measure. A ballot campaign called the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts is advancing towards the 2026 ballot a question that would repeal legalization of non-medical marijuana, allow adults 21 or older to possess and gift up to an ounce of marijuana (possession of up to second ounce would carry a civil penalty), make it a civil infraction for people younger than 21 to possess up to two ounces, and allow retail marijuana stores to either apply to become medical dispensaries or sell their inventory to one. The Cannabis Control Commission would remain, but only to regulate the medical sector. |
| Mar 24, 2026 |
No Rise in Problematic Cannabis Use Among Teens Following Adult-Use Legalization State laws legalizing marijuana access for adults are not associated with any increase in the number of hospitalized teens presenting symptoms of cannabis use disorder (CUD), according to data published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. |
| Mar 24, 2026 |
Price pressure and traceability gaps are testing Portugal's medical cannabis market Portugal has built a reputation as one of Europe's more forward-thinking medical cannabis jurisdictions, with a favorable climate, established cultivation expertise, and a regulatory framework that has attracted producers from all over the world. But inside that framework, a series of structural vulnerabilities have been showing since the police raids that happened last May. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
US Cannabis Companies Could ‘Ring the Bell’ at US Stock Markets Under New Bill State-sanctioned U.S. cannabis businesses could soon list on major stock exchanges in their own country under legislation that a pair of congressmen filed on March 23. The bipartisan Capital Lending and Investment for Marijuana Businesses (CLIMB) Act, sponsored by Reps. Troy A. Carter Sr., D-La., and Guy Reschenthaler, R-Pa., would also provide a safe harbor to private financial institutions wishing to offer lending services to state-sanctioned cannabis businesses. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
Medicare Could Cover $500 Per Year in CBD, THC Products Under New Proposal The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has detailed a new plan that could allow participants to have up to $500 per year covered for hemp CBD and THC products. The Substance Access Beneficiary Engagement Incentive (BEI) is an optional program in certain CMS Innovation Center models that allows for consultation with eligible beneficiaries about the possible use of eligible hemp products to improve symptom control. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
Canadian cannabis sales, licensed space up as extracts and edibles gain market share The latest sales and inventory figures from Health Canada indicate that total cannabis sales in the medical and recreational markets were up 21% in Q3 2025 (July-September) compared with Q3 2024. Dried cannabis continued to account for the largest share of total medical and non-medical sales at 48% (12,901,920 units), although its overall share continues to shrink from 50% in Q2 2025 and 51% in Q3 2024. The second largest cannabis product category after dried cannabis flower was cannabis extracts at 28%, which includes the fast-growing vape pen category. This was up from 25% in the previous quarter and 24% year over year. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
Could Indiana be getting closer to legalizing cannabis? INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is reportedly addressing legalizing cannabis in Indiana for medical use. It's a topic he's spoken about before. "Apparently he's giving this issue some thought and consideration and I'm all on board with that," said Republican State Rep. Jim Lucas, reacting Monday to the governor's reported recent comments surrounding legalizing marijuana in Indiana. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
Virginia Lawmakers Send Marijuana Sales Bill to Governor Virginia is on the verge of establishing a legal marketplace for recreational cannabis, five years after lawmakers permitted possession but stopped short of creating a system for sales. The General Assembly approved legislation that would set up a regulated retail structure, resolving a long-running gap in state policy. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
Is Wisconsin losing millions to states where cannabis is legal?
Yes Cannabis isn’t legal in Wisconsin, so residents are purchasing it in states where it is, generating tax money for those states. Wisconsin borders three states with legal recreational cannabis: Michigan, which legalized it in 2018; Illinois, which legalized it in 2019; and Minnesota, which legalized it in 2023. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
De-Risking the Future: What’s Holding Traditional Industry Back from Cannabis Investment? Nearly a decade after the inception of what we would now consider the ‘global cannabis industry’, Prohibition Partners forecasts its total worth to be around $40bn in 2025, already larger than the entire global recorded music industry. Yet despite this scale, cannabis remains one of the most structurally misunderstood growth sectors in the global investment landscape. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
How US cannabis breeders can protect their IP before legalization Renowned cannabis breeder James Loud plans to spend the next several years developing cultivars specifically designed for pre-rolls and joints. Cannabis with enhanced shelf life better-suited for prepackaged products should be ideal for the market. The trick is ensuring nobody steals his ideas. And until cannabis is federally legal in the United States, operators have to get creative. |
| Mar 23, 2026 |
Request to pull cannabis working group debate A debate on whether Guernsey should explore legalising cannabis may be pulled after the politician leading the proposal said allegations had created a "risk" of undermining discussions. Home Affairs Committee President Marc Leadbeater confirmed he would ask the States to withdraw his requête, which called for a cross?committee working group to examine how a regulated cannabis regime could operate. |
| Mar 21, 2026 |
New Ohio Restrictions On Marijuana And Hemp THC Products Take Effect After Referendum Push Fails The changes made by Republican state lawmakers to Ohio’s voter-passed weed law have now taken effect, including new criminal charges, along with the state’s new intoxicating hemp ban—which includes THC and CBD beverages. Ohio Senate Bill 56 became law Friday after Ohioans for Cannabis Choice failed to get enough signatures to get a referendum on the November ballot for voters to block the law. |
| Mar 21, 2026 |
Five Years In: What New York Cannabis Got Wrong—and What’s Finally Going Right Five years after New York created the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the state’s legal cannabis industry is still finding its footing. When New York created the OCM, it felt like the state had a chance to rewrite the cannabis playbook and address many of the harms created by the War on Drugs. With lessons learned from markets like Colorado and California, the hope was that New York could build an adult-use system that worked differently. |
| Mar 20, 2026 |
France: A Last Bastion of Cannabis Prohibition Paris, France: While the United States Supreme Court reviews landmark challenges regarding the rights of cannabis consumers and Germany establishes a robust framework for legal adult-use, France has taken a dark, regressive turn. The French approach serves as a significant case study of the consequences of maintaining strict prohibitionist policies amid a shifting global landscape. Despite early signs of reform, recent executive decisions have led to increased friction between the state and millions of cannabis consumers. |
| Mar 20, 2026 |
Idaho Medical Marijuana Initiative Exceeds Statewide Signature Count To Make November Ballot, Campaign Reports An Idaho campaign says it’s collected enough signatures for a medical cannabis legalization initiative to exceed the statewide threshold for ballot qualification. But because it’s unclear how many are valid and whether activists have met a separate requirement for regional distribution of petitions, the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho (NMAI) is continuing to hold signature gathering events across the state to widen their coalition of supporters in the run-up to the May 1 submission deadline. |
| Mar 20, 2026 |
End of Cannabis Act funding accounts for significant Health Canada spending and staff reductions Health Canada’s 2026-27 Departmental Plan, released on March 13, 2026, outlines spending and employee reductions, with $87.8 million in reductions in 2026-27, $152.5 million in the following fiscal year and another $198.2 million in cuts in 2027-28. The planned spending reductions are anticipated to involve a decrease of 942 full-time equivalents (FTEs) by 2028-29. |