Top Stories (2026) -
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| Aug 5, 2026 |
Cannabis farms are drying up California's mountain streams
Some streams in California’s Emerald Triangle have flowed every day of every year since long before anyone was measuring them. A new study suggests that’s starting to change, and not for any of the reasons you’d expect. No drought hit hard enough to blame on its own and nobody diverted the water outright. |
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| Aug 5, 2026 |
The States Looking To Turn Cannabis Facilities Into Data Centers
A growing number of states and provinces are exploring an unusual solution to two very different economic trends: Converting struggling cannabis cultivation facilities into data centers. As demand for AI and cloud computing infrastructure surges, developers are searching for sites that already have the power, cooling and security systems needed to support server operations. At the same time, following years of falling wholesale cannabis prices and chronic oversupply in many state markets, some cultivation facilities have closed or become underutilized, leaving a stock of power-intensive industrial buildings available for redevelopment. |
| Aug 5, 2026 |
Enrollment jumps after lawmakers ease access to Georgia’s medical cannabis program
Georgia’s medical cannabis program experienced an unprecedented surge of new registered patients over the past month after the law changed significantly to ease access. The patient registry grew from 36,595 patients in late June to 44,854 on Monday, an increase of more than 22% in just over a month. The increase of over 8,200 active patients marks a significant change of pace for a decade-old program that grew sluggishly under the previous law. |
| Aug 5, 2026 |
Medical cannabis compound alleviates nightmares associated with PTSD Nightmares are among the most agonizing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – a condition that can develop after exposure to severe traumatic experiences, such as disasters, serious accidents, acts of violence, or wartime experiences. Individuals affected relive the events intensely at night, as if they were real, time and time again. This results in extreme sleep deprivation and fear of going to bed. Existing pharmacological treatment approaches often fail to adequately relieve these nightmares. Researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin investigated whether a prescription medication containing THC – one of the active compounds of the cannabis plant – could help. As they report in Nature Medicine, more than half of the participants responded to treatment, while more than a third experienced a complete disappearance of nightmares. |
| Aug 5, 2026 |
Cannabis-Related Driving Fatalities in Canada See Downward Trend Post-Legalization Cannabis’ connection to driver deaths has been steadily decreasing in the years following its legalization in Canada. Although a new report from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF), an independent road safety research institute, shows a rise in drug-related road fatalities across Canada, cannabis’ contribution to driver deaths was lower in the last three years of the study, from 30.4% in 2020 to 25.2% in 2023 (h/t Driving.ca). |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
They Were Arrested for Cannabis. Now California Gives Activists Medals and Home Growers Golden Bears.
Thirty years after Prop 215, the California State Fair crowned its first home-grow champion and hung medals on the people who made growing legal in the first place. Some of them had been arrested for it. |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
Israel to Again Reopen Anti-Dumping Investigation Into Canadian Medical Cannabis
Israel is planning to again investigate claims of Canadian cannabis companies “dumping” low-cost products into the Israeli medical cannabis market, making it difficult for local producers to compete. In a formal notification from the Israel Ministry of Economy, dated August 2, 2026, and addressed to Jean-Denis Dufour of the Embassy of Canada, Israel’s Commissioner of Anti-Dumping and Safeguards Measures says it will again move forward with an investigation. |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
More Americans Report Daily Use of Cannabis than Cigarettes and Alcohol
Data from the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicates there are now more daily cannabis consumers in the U.S. than daily cigarette smokers and drinkers, according to a FOX News Health report. |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
NEPAL:Gandaki legalises cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial use Gandaki becomes country’s first province to legalise regulated cannabis cultivation for medicinal and industrial use, introducing strict licensing, monitoring and compliance requirements. |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
Cannabis Dispensaries Taking Dinner Reservations
On July 23, Mayor Daniel Lurie signed an ordinance that gives San Francisco a legal framework for what supporters are calling “Amsterdam-style cannabis cafés.” It takes effect at midnight on August 23, and 66 qualifying cannabis retailers will be able to apply for a new café permit that lets them serve food and nonalcoholic beverages and even host live entertainment. |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
Flash Survey Reveals More Employers Are Testing Applicants for Cannabis Than Two Years Ago Employer hesitation to test applicants for cannabis appears to have slowed in the past two years, according to the results from our latest FP Flash Survey. 60% of employers now test job applicants for cannabis, up from 52% when we asked the same question in 2024. And part of the reason appears to be that the hiring market will permit a stricter approach: employers that test are now less likely to report trouble finding qualified candidates than they were two years ago. Those are just a few of the surprising findings from the latest FP Flash Survey, conducted between July 20 and July 31, gathering responses from over 600 businesses across the country |
| Aug 4, 2026 |
Thailand Presses Medical-Only Cannabis Bill Toward Cabinet as Enforcement Drive Widens
Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health is pressing ahead with a draft Cannabis and Hemp Act that would restrict its liberal cannabis market to purely medical and research use cases. As the act edges closer to cabinet under the prime minister who decriminalised cannabis three years earlier, it is preemptively being enforced on the ground. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
Federally Funded Study Finds High Marijuana Taxes Boost Black Market A newly released federally-funded study suggests that states with higher taxes on legal cannabis may be unintentionally encouraging consumers to purchase cannabis from illegal sellers instead of licensed retailers. The research examined the buying habits of 1,525 Americans aged 21 and over who had used recreational cannabis within the previous month. Researchers analyzed how pricing and taxation influence purchasing decisions in both regulated and unregulated markets. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
The Contradictions of Cannabis Law: From the United States to International Treaties
Cannabis law has never been more contradictory. In the U.S., federal and state governments often regulate identical products under completely different legal frameworks. Hemp and marijuana can produce the same intoxicating effects, yet lawmakers treat them as fundamentally different. Medical marijuana now occupies a unique place under federal law while adult use marijuana remains prohibited. Internationally, countries continue to expand legalization, despite treaty obligations that appear to prohibit it. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
Cannabis NB’s $2 Pre-Rolls Seek to Compete with Black Market as Sales Cool
New Brunswick sold $25.4 million in cannabis in the first quarter of its fiscal year 2026-2027, which ended June 28, 2026, for a gross profit of $12 million and net income of $4.6 million. Product sales represented a 2% decline year-over-year compared to Q1 2025, gross profits were down 3.9%, and net income was down 20.4%. There were 433,000 transactions in the first quarter, with an average basket size of $53.67, representing a YOY increase in transactions but a decline in average basket size compared with 411,000 transactions with an average basket size of $58.77 in the same quarter in the previous year. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
Beyond the THC Number: How Cannabis Retail Can Make Room for Quality
For much of Canada’s legal cannabis market, one number has carried an extraordinary amount of weight: THC percentage. It appears prominently on product labels, retail menus and purchasing spreadsheets. Consumers use it to compare products, budtenders rely on it when sensory information is limited, and buyers use it to assess anticipated demand. Over time, this has helped create a self-reinforcing market in which higher THC is often treated as shorthand for stronger effects, better quality and greater value. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
B.C. has a craft cannabis advantage — now it needs a strategy British Columbia has built a global reputation around craft: wine, beer, cider, local food, small farms and tourism experiences that connect products to the people and places behind them. Craft cannabis should be part of that story. B.C. is home to one of the world’s most respected cannabis cultures, with more than 230 licensed producers, nearly 500 independent retailers, more than 5,000 jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue. Yet provincial policy still treats legal cannabis more like a regulatory file than an economic sector to grow. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
Alabama may opt out of federal marijuana rescheduling. What happens next? Alabama’s official objection to the Trump administration’s federal medical marijuana rescheduling push is raising questions about 280E tax relief, interstate shipping rights and whether a state can simply say no to a federal scheduling change. The answer, according to legal experts, is complicated. However, the issue shouldn’t affect the ongoing rollout of Alabama’s medical cannabis market. |
| Aug 3, 2026 |
US Hemp Industry Wins a Stay of Execution as Senate Delays Ban Until December
The US hemp industry has successfully bought itself some additional time to find a permanent solution to the incoming federal ban. Senate leaders moved to include a short delay to the sweeping hemp ban into a must-pass spending bill, giving some, but not all hemp-derived products until December 11 rather than November 12 before they’re pulled from shelves. |
| Aug 2, 2026 |
NEPAL: Inside Gandaki’s new cannabis law: Who can grow it, where, and under what rules
Gandaki Province has formally opened the door to the cultivation of cannabis for medicinal and industrial use after its province chief authenticated a landmark law that establishes one of the country’s most comprehensive regulatory regimes for the crop. |
| Aug 2, 2026 |
Is Green Thumb the Safest Cannabis Stock to Own Right Now?
The cannabis industry has taught investors a painful lesson over the past five years: Revenue growth means very little if a company can't generate cash. Dozens of operators expanded too quickly, took on excessive debt, or repeatedly diluted shareholders to stay afloat. |
| Aug 2, 2026 |
Good Times, Less Waste: Can Cannabis Clean Up the Vape Problem? Vape hardware is one of the cannabis industry’s most persistent waste problems. Fernway launched the first take-back program in 2022, and this summer opened its dropboxes to any brand’s device. |
| Aug 2, 2026 |
‘Free up the ganja’: Rastafarians in Kenya fight to decriminalise marijuana Marijuana plays a sacred role among Rastafari followers and they say criminalising it violates their rights |
| Aug 1, 2026 |
Smell of cannabis can trigger a police search if it’s not the only factor, court rules
An odor of marijuana is not normally sufficient cause for police to conduct a search, but it can be if police determine that the occupants of a car are minors and thus prohibited from possessing cannabis, according to a new court ruling. |
| Aug 1, 2026 |
The Cannabis Industry Built on Schedule III. Federal Courts Are About to Decide Whether That Foundation Holds
WASHINGTON, D.C. / ACCESS Newswire / August 1, 2026 / The cannabis industry has largely treated the Attorney General's April 2026 Marijuana Rescheduling Order as a settled foundation for future growth. The federal courts have not yet decided whether that foundation is lawful. |
| Aug 1, 2026 |
Marijuana brand launches ‘senior-targeted’ cannabis kiosk at retirement community
An Arizona retirement community is getting a senior-focused cannabis kiosk, giving residents an easier way to purchase marijuana products without traveling to a dispensary. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
RECALL: Edible cannabis products recalled due to allergen, packaging and quality concerns
Health Canada says not to consume specific edible cannabis products that were sold by the thousands in Ontario and Saskatchewan, as they are labelled with incorrect cannabinoid values and could contain allergens. The health agency says the recall is for certain Sweet Vengeance edible cannabis products due to undeclared milk and hazelnut, as well labelling issues. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
DEA Hearings on Cannabis Rescheduling Conclude
Last month, the Drug Enforcement Agency concluded its hearings related to the reclassification of Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. Analysis as to how it went is limited by restrictions that prohibited live streaming, cell phones, recording devices, or cameras in the hearing room gallery, which only had 20 seats. Hearing transcripts and audio recordings have not yet been released by the Feds. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
Largest strike in cannabis industry ends at MSO-owned Illinois cultivation operation
More than 300 workers are back on the job at a cannabis multistate operator’s cultivation operation in southern Illinois after the resolution of a monthlong strike that union organizers said was also the $30 billion national industry’s biggest-ever strike. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
The Growing Role of Cannabis Education in Agricultural Careers Agriculture has always evolved alongside advances in science, technology, and consumer demand. Today, one area attracting increasing attention is cannabis cultivation. As legal cannabis industries continue to develop in many regions, educational institutions, agricultural professionals, and aspiring growers are recognizing that cannabis is more than a niche crop. It offers opportunities to study plant genetics, sustainable cultivation, pest management, and controlled-environment agriculture through a practical, real-world lens. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
US Court Dismisses Case From Canadian Cannabis Executives Rejected at the Border
A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a company with operations and executives located in Canada that makes automated post-harvest processing equipment for the cannabis industry. The lawsuit, filed by Eteros Technologies USA, Inc. and several of its Canadian executives against the United States government, centred on what the plaintiffs described as a “dual policy,” where the government permits the importation of Eteros’s cannabis-related manufacturing equipment but consistently bars the company’s Canadian employees from entering the US. (h/t law360.com) |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
Forget the DEA and DOJ: When cannabis legalization happens, these are the feds to worry about
Federal marijuana legalization is closer than ever, but could create more problems than opportunities for your business if you're not prepared. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
FAA Considers New Marijuana Standards For Pilots And Air Traffic Controllers Under Trump’s Rescheduling Move The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is moving to develop new marijuana-related standards for pilots and air traffic controllers in light of the “operational risk” created by the Trump administration’s move to reschedule cannabis—which has furthered the “normalization” of the drug. FAA’s Office of Aerospace Medicine is partnering with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to convene a series of meetings focused on the impact of marijuana consumption on air travel professionals, an effort aimed at informing approaches the agency might take to “evaluate, update, or refine their current policies for cannabis use, particularly for determining when individuals are fit for duty.” |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
The Roots Of Marijuana Plants Have ‘Underexplored’ Medical Potential, Scientific Review Finds The roots of marijuana plants might be commonly treated as waste, but a new scientific review suggests they may be an underutilized source of bioactive compounds with potential therapeutic applications similar to the flower they help nourish. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
Ascend Wellness Teamsters Win Biggest Cannabis Strike in U.S. History
(BARRY, Ill.) – More than 300 workers at Ascend Wellness’s grow house in Barry, Ill., overwhelmingly ratified their first contract with Teamsters Local 916 and ended a 30-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike that was the largest in the history of the legal cannabis industry. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
Spain’s Tobacco Crackdown Could Quietly Wipe Out Its Cannabis Clubs
Last week, Spain’s government approved a draft tobacco law that never once mentions cannabis, yet could dismantle the everyday activity of the country’s thriving cannabis social clubs. On July 21, 2026 the Council of Ministers signed off a bill overhauling Law 28/2005, which governs smoking laws, and sent it to the Congreso de los Diputados. |
| Jul 31, 2026 |
Cannabis Did Not Always Produce THC and This Study Shows How Evolution Figured It Out
Cannabis did not evolve THC with a single, elegant molecular stroke. Instead, the plant appears to have stumbled toward it by “experimenting” chemically, copying useful genes, and slowly refining a messy process into the precise cannabinoid assembly line we recognize today. According to a new study from Wageningen University & Research, the familiar compounds THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (cannabidiol), and CBC (cannabichrome) emerged from such an evolutionary period of biochemical improvisation. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
Judge Rejects Bid to Pause Health Canada Refusal of Personal Cannabis Licence
A federal court recently dismissed a motion for an injunction to restore a registration for the personal production of medical cannabis, pending an application for judicial review. The applicant was challenging a decision by Health Canada, dated March 18, 2026, rejecting his application to renew his registration for personal production of cannabis for medical purposes and was seeking a pause in Health Canada’s refusal pending that judicial review. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
Weed costs twice as much in Vermont as it does in Massachusetts. What gives?
It’s not hyperbole to say that Vermont weed is twice as expensive as it is in Massachusetts. On average, a gram of weed sold in Vermont costs $9.59, according to data from the state’s Cannabis Control Board. Drive across the border, and a gram of Massachusetts weed averages just $3.87, that state’s Cannabis Control Commission reports. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
Daily Cannabis Use in the US Now Outpaces Alcohol as Teen Use Declines
For decades, cannabis use in the United States was portrayed as a marginal practice, confined to underground culture and considered far less common than alcohol or tobacco use. The federal government’s latest data, however, paint a very different picture. According to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 21.4 million Americans aged 12 and older used cannabis on a daily or near-daily basis. As reported by Marijuana Moment, that category includes people who used it on at least 20 of the 30 days preceding the survey. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
Retailers Challenge Cannabis Store Entry Rules for Minors
Eight years after Canada legalized recreational cannabis, one of its lesser-known retail rules continues to raise questions among consumers and retailers alike. Children are prohibited from entering licensed cannabis stores, even when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Across much of Canada, minors can accompany adults into liquor stores, pharmacies selling controlled medications, and convenience stores where tobacco products are available. Yet a parent stopping at a cannabis retailer while running everyday errands may have to abandon the purchase or find someone to watch their child first. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
Covering Medical Marijuana Through Workers’ Compensation Can Improve Health And Reduce Opioid Use, Government Study Suggests Covering the costs of medical marijuana through workers’ compensation could be a “viable” option that improves health outcomes and leads to voluntary reductions in opioid use, according to a study led by Colorado state officials. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
Study: Businesses Perform Better in States with Medical Cannabis Access A new study from University of Iowa researchers suggests that businesses do better in states that have legalized medical cannabis. The study analyzed the financial results of more than 13,000 publicly traded companies from 2001 to 2022 found that corporate valuation increased in 21 of 38 states that allowed medical cannabis access. |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
How Canada became Europe’s weed dealer A July 24 headline in London’s Daily Telegraph declared that the unintended consequences of Canada’s legalization of marijuana are turning Belgium into a “narco state.” |
| Jul 30, 2026 |
‘Everything in Our Power’: German Patient Groups Fight to Overturn Cannabis Insurance Cuts
Earlier this month (July 10, 2026), the German government voted through a sweeping set of provisions set to significantly impact medical cannabis patients who have their prescriptions covered by their statutory health insurance. Yesterday (July 29), this was published unchanged into the Federal Gazette, seeing the ban on prescribing cannabis flower through statutory health insurance take effect on 30 July with no transitional protection, even for patients whose treatment is already approved and under way. |
| Jul 29, 2026 |
Species of Cannabis: Ruderalis and Hybrids
Although it’s not nearly as popular as indica and sativa, ruderalis has become a more prevalent species in more recent years. Originating from Central Russia, it has a similar chemical profile to hemp and contains very low levels of THC. |
| Jul 29, 2026 |
Cheech and Chong are opening a cannabis shop in Milo this weekend
If you’re in the mood for some Maui Waui with a little Labrador after a trip to Gulf Hagas, Cheech and Chong are here, man. Cheech and Chong’s newest Dispensoria will have a grand opening from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday in Milo. You have to be at least 21 years old to join the festivities, including giveaways, raffles and other activities. The comedy duo’s brand licenses dozens of dispensaries across the country. That includes a storefront on Hammond Street in Bangor. A Dispensoria that opened on Exchange Street in Portland in 2024 closed after 13 months. |
| Jul 29, 2026 |
Pot in pop culture, through the ages
Although marijuana only recently became legal in Minnesota, it has enjoyed an outsized profile in pop culture for decades. Grass. Gold. Mary Jane. Pot. Reefer. Skunk. Tea. Whatever name you use, cannabis is back in the mainstream after being lauded for its medicinal benefits in the 1800s and being federally outlawed in 1937. Through it all, pot has assumed an outsized profile in society, influencing language, music, fashion and film. Here’s a peek at how the wacky baccy has influenced pop culture for more than 100 years. |
| Jul 29, 2026 |
Alberta-based retailer hit by Canadians drinking less booze, smoking less weed
'Canadians have less disposable income, and when they have less disposable income, they change their purchasing behaviour' Canadians eased off booze and cannabis this spring, hitting an Alberta-based retailer with falling sales and a nearly $8-million loss. Revenue at SNDL Inc, headquartered in Edmonton, fell by about four per cent to $235.8 million, according to second-quarter results released Tuesday. |
| Jul 29, 2026 |
Calif. Tesla worker alleges company denied him job over cannabis use
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has put his cannabis use on the highest stage possible, openly smoking weed on Joe Rogan’s podcast, but according to a new lawsuit, Tesla is far from friendly to employees who use medical marijuana off the clock. |