CannabisLink.ca - Current Affairs 2026

(2026) - Chronological (1684 items)

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Oct 13, 2026	How Many U.S. Adults Consume Cannabis? A team of researchers affiliated with the U.S. National Institutes of Health recently conducted a study examining, among other things, the rate of cannabis use by adults in the United States. The study’s findings were published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. The study used data from the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey, which asked about past 12-month cannabis use. The survey also asked about which consumption method cannabis consumers used, such as smoking, vaping, dabbing, edibles, drinkables, and topicals. The study also asked about tobacco use. “An estimated 23.1% of US adults reported past 12-month cannabis use: 62.6% smoked, 57.6% consumed, 40.1% vaped, 15.2% applied lotion, and 12.4% dabbed, with over half (52.7%) endorsing >1 route of administration.” the study found.
Oct 13, 2026	U.S. Legal Marijuana Sales Reach $2.52 Billion in September, Bringing 2026 Total to $21.6 Billion Legal marijuana sales across the United States reached approximately $2.52 billion in September, bringing the estimated total for the first nine months of 2026 to $21.6 billion, according to an analysis by The Marijuana Herald. The September estimate was approximately 1.1% below the $2.55 billion reported for August, although daily sales were slightly higher at $84 million compared to $82 million. September’s sales were also around 8% higher than the $2.34 billion sold in September, 2025. The roughly $2.52 billion in sales brings 2026’s year-to-date total to $21.6 billion.
Oct 13, 2026	Cannabis Stocks in 2026: What Is Listed, What Is Next and How the Market Trades On April 22, 2026, US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order moving cannabis under a state medical licence and any FDA-approved cannabis drugs to Schedule III, formally recognising its medical value and unlocking DEA registration for commercial operators for the first time. While medical cannabis remained in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), a company whose primary business is growing and selling cannabis could not accurately state that it complied with federal law and thus couldn’t meet the listing requirements for both NYSE and NASDAQ. As such, until this change, cannabis operators have been effectively locked out of major US exchanges due to the federal illegality of cannabis. For the first time in the industry’s history, US cannabis operators had a path to list their stocks on blue-chip exchanges.
Oct 13, 2026	Colorado’s Weed Regulator Can Afford 84 of Its 158 Staffers: Four States on What Legalization Left Unfinished. Colorado’s cannabis regulator is authorized for roughly 158 staff positions. It has about 84 employees. The Marijuana Enforcement Division relies heavily on the application and licensing fees it collects from the industry it oversees, and as the state’s market has slowed, so has the money. Raising fees to close the gap, says Dominique D. Mendiola, the division’s senior director, “risks adding pressure to businesses already navigating a declining market.” It is the kind of problem nobody campaigned on. Legalization was sold as a finish line. More than a decade after the first adult-use sales, the governments running these markets describe it as the start of a job that keeps changing: fixing early decisions, catching up on equity, funding regulators and now bracing for whatever Washington does next.
Oct 13, 2026	Anti-Marijuana Attitudes In Sports Are Easing Up, But Ongoing Stigma Makes Athletic Trainers’ Jobs Harder, NFL-Funded Study Shows Long-held anti-marijuana attitudes in sports leagues are “evolving” as social trends are “driving more openness to cannabis” as an alternative to opioids for treating athletes’ pain—but ongoing stigma creates trust issues that makes it harder for medical staff to do their jobs, according to a new study funded by the National Football League (NFL). “Negative perceptions and longstanding stigma continue to shape how cannabis use is viewed among athletes, medical staff, and society, making open discussion difficult,” the study, published this week in the journal Sports Health, said. However, “medical professionals, particularly younger or research-focused staff, are increasingly seeing cannabis as a safer or more effective option than alcohol, opioids, or other prescription drugs.”
Oct 12, 2026	Cannabis Telemedicine in Germany: Navigating the Legal Landscape Key Points Remote medical cannabis treatment in Germany must meet medical safeguards, and advertising is subject to separate restrictions. EU cross-border telemedicine creates opportunities while leaving important questions about advertising and professional standards unresolved. Proposed changes to the Medical Cannabis Act would require in-person consultations for cannabis flowers and restrict mail-order dispensing; the amendments remain unadopted.
Oct 12, 2026	Cannabis Policy Again Overlooked in Fall Elections Despite Economic Impact As provincial and municipal elections unfold across Canada this fall, cannabis policy remains largely sidelined by broader political issues, even as the legal sector drives significant economic activity. Some provincial and municipal elections have touched on cannabis issues, but for the most part, cannabis continues to take a back seat to issues like the economy, crime, and housing. In British Columbia, the cannabis industry faces a snap election with no major party platforms addressing its concerns, though advocacy groups are pushing for economic reforms and retail regulations. In Quebec, a CAQ defeat could mean future changes to the province’s strict regulations, but that remains to be seen. In Manitoba, communities are split over local plebiscites on cannabis retail, and Ontario towns like Aurora grapple with local implementation challenges, retail task forces, and public safety debates.
Oct 12, 2026	Uganda Launches a Cooperative Dedicated to Medical Cannabis Uganda continues to structuring its medical cannabis industry with the launch of a national cooperative bringing together producers, investors, and stakeholders in the medical cannabis and hemp industries. Chaired by the minister Justine Kasule Lumumba, this new organization aims to support the sector’s development, facilitate access to markets and investments, while ensuring compliance with a strict regulatory framework.
Oct 12, 2026	Veterans call on government to reimburse medical cannabis costs Armed forces veterans are calling on the UK government to reimburse the cost of prescribed medical cannabis, with a new parliamentary petition seeking support similar to that available in Canada and Australia. The campaign, launched by Wellford Clinics in partnership with veterans, comes alongside a Veterans Access Scheme that offers free lifetime appointments and waives prescription fees for eligible former service personnel. The clinic says the scheme could save patients up to £240 a year.
Oct 12, 2026	Medical Marijuana Improves Cancer-Related Symptoms And Helps Reduce Use Of Opioids, Federally Funded Study Shows A new federally funded study shows that “most cannabis users reported that it improved their cancer-related symptoms”—including pain, appetite, mood and insomnia—while also serving as a substitute for opioids for nearly a third of them. Researchers with the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Penn State Cancer Institute and Fox Chase Cancer Center surveyed 186 patients, about a quarter of whom (26 percent) had used cannabis since their diagnosis.
Oct 12, 2026	Overseed: France's First Medical Cannabis Biotech Company Overseed is one of the startups aiming to make France a producer of medical cannabis—rather than just a market supplied by imports from Canada or the Netherlands. Founded in Orléans in 2021 by Hugues Péribère, one of the first biotech companies approved by the ANSM for R&D in pharmaceutical cannabis production, the company is patiently building the value chain that would one day enable France to have its own domestically produced 100% cannabis-based medications.
Oct 12, 2026	California Cannabis Dispensary Launch First RFID-Powered Technology Perfect Union Northside dispensary in Sacramento has become the first licensed cannabis retailer in California approved by the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) to launch RFID-powered self-checkout technology through EXO, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of cannabis retail. Following a successful observation and review by state regulators, Perfect Union Northside received confirmation that the EXO self-checkout system could remain on the sales floor and continue operating while maintaining compliance with California cannabis regulations.
Oct 10, 2026	Pipedream? Africa’s cannabis licensing push outpaces evidence of commercial returns Africa’s regulated cannabis industries are expanding through cultivation projects and processing investments, but growth in licences and production has yet to be matched by clear evidence of sales revenue, export earnings or profitability. The emerging businesses fall into distinct markets: industrial hemp, medicinal and pharmaceutical cannabis, and regulated cannabis-derived consumer products such as cosmetics and food supplements. Recreational cannabis is a separate category, governed by different rules on possession, cultivation and sales. Each market has its own customers, regulatory requirements and commercial prospects.
Oct 10, 2026	Curaleaf 'Outraged' by Reported Competing Offer for Aurora Cannabis Curaleaf may be facing some competition as it pursues a hostile takeover bid for Aurora Cannabis. According to Cultivated, Organigram Global, a Canada-based cannabis operator, has been in talks with Aurora for the past few weeks regarding a potential merger. Neither company would confirm the discussions, but Curaleaf has already blasted the idea of the two companies pursuing any type of M&A.
Oct 10, 2026	Top Cannabis Stocks To Add to Your Watchlist - October 10th Tilray Brands, Trulieve Cannabis, Glass House Brands, Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth, Cronos Group, and High Tide are the seven Cannabis stocks to watch today, according to MarketBeat's stock screener tool. Cannabis stocks are shares of publicly traded companies involved in the cultivation, production, distribution, retail, or ancillary services related to cannabis and cannabis-derived products. For stock market investors, they represent an opportunity to gain exposure to the cannabis industry but may carry heightened risks due to regulatory uncertainty, changing laws, market volatility, and evolving consumer demand. These companies had the highest dollar trading volume of any Cannabis stocks within the last several days.
Oct 10, 2026	Trump Complains That Democratic-Run Cities Smell Like Marijuana President Donald Trump has a number of complaints about cities run by Democrats—including that they smell like marijuana. During a Friday speech commemorating Columbus Day, the president criticized the “radical left” and “dirty” Democrat-run cities. “The sidewalks are disgusting. The streets are disgusting. They’re just in bad shape,” he said. “The doors going into stores are dirty. Everything’s dirty. It smells. It smells of marijuana and other things worse than marijuana.”
Oct 9, 2026	Aurora Completes Major Expansion of European EU-GMP Manufacturing Facility, More Than Doubling Expected Annual Flower Output EDMONTON, AB, Oct. 8, 2026 /CNW/ -- Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX: ACB) (NASDAQ: ACB), the leading Canadian-based global medical cannabis company, today announced the completion of a major expansion of its facility in Leuna, Germany. The expansion project establishes the Leuna facility as a manufacturing site of excellence, incorporating proven cultivation and post-harvest practices from Aurora's Canadian operations alongside the company's proprietary genetics and product catalogue. The expanded facility has increased cultivation capacity while improving product quality, consistency and operational efficiency, strengthening the facility's role in serving Aurora's growth in Europe.
Oct 9, 2026	How Many Cannabis Social Clubs Are There In Chile? In 2005, lawmakers in Chile adopted Law 20.000, which is the basis for the nation’s current approach to cannabis enforcement. The law does provide some level of protection for personal cannabis activity, but is not considered to be adult-use legalization. Medical cannabis has been legal in Chile since 2015.
Oct 9, 2026	Legacy medical cannabis cultivator Bedrocan declared bankrupt in Netherlands The Netherlands will shift to international cannabis imports for its domestic MMJ supply after a Dutch court declared Bedrocan, the country’s sole licensed cultivator and one of the oldest medical cannabis companies in the world, bankrupt on Thursday. Bedrocan’s ongoing woes follow the termination on Jan. 1 of its contract with the state health ministry, the company’s biggest client, to supply domestic medical cannabis patients, as Dutch News reported.
Oct 9, 2026	Federal marijuana rescheduling means institutional capital is coming to cannabis investing The U.S. cannabis industry has spent years waiting for a single catalyst from the federal government to change its trajectory. Investors have watched for banking reform, rescheduling, federal legalization and tax relief as though one event might suddenly erase the barriers that have kept traditional capital on the sidelines. After more than three decades in capital markets, I do not think industries mature that way. Capital tends to move when a series of risks become measurable, familiar and ultimately manageable.

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