Top Stories (2026) -
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| Feb 17, 2026 |
Hawaii Senators Take Up Marijuana Legalization Bills After Key House Lawmakers Signal Reform Is Dead For 2026 Session Hawaii senators have taken up a pair of bills to legalize marijuana — with one proposal contingent on federal reform or changes to the state Constitution and the other omitting provisions allowing for commercial sales. |
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| Feb 17, 2026 |
Illinois Still Struggles to Clear Old Marijuana Criminal Records For decades, a cannabis conviction from 1980 trailed Roosevelt Myles, lingering on his record long after he served his time. Myles, an Illinois resident, spent nearly three decades behind bars for a murder he maintained he did not commit. An appellate court later overturned the conviction, and a judge granted him a certificate of innocence after finding no physical evidence connected him to the crime. |
| Feb 17, 2026 |
People who switched to cannabis drinks cut their alcohol use nearly in half Cannabis infused drinks could offer a new way for some people to cut back on alcohol, according to a small study led by public health researchers at the University at Buffalo. |
| Feb 17, 2026 |
City staff oppose Iqaluit cannabis store's relocation An Iqaluit cannabis store is facing opposition from city staff over its proposed move to a new location before its current lease expires. |
| Feb 17, 2026 |
Is Hemp the Future of Flooring?
For decades, the flooring aisle has offered a familiar tradeoff. Natural wood brings warmth and longevity but at rising cost and environmental strain. Vinyl promises affordability and convenience, yet increasingly raises questions about what it introduces into the home. As homeowners, schools, and designers reconsider those choices, hemp is beginning to surface as a credible alternative. |
| Feb 17, 2026 |
Cannabis regulators weighing licensing freeze Massachusetts cannabis regulators are considering a licensing freeze to address businesses that have been squeezed by falling marijuana prices. The Cannabis Control Commission voted Thursday to schedule a public hearing on a potential freeze of new cultivation licenses and a temporary moratorium on approving additional canopy capacity. |
| Feb 17, 2026 |
Leading Cannabis Brand PAX Returns to Canada With TRIP All-in-One Vape TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PAX, a pioneering global cannabis brand, today announced its anticipated return to the Canadian market with the launch of TRIP, PAX’s All-in-One vaporizer in the brand’s award-winning Live Rosin with Diamonds line. Products are now available in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with further expansion to come. |
| Feb 17, 2026 |
Is Congress sabotaging Nebraska medical cannabis before it begins? Medical cannabis businesses in Nebraska, where patient access has not launched more than a year after voters legalized the drug, are currently the only state-sanctioned MMJ operators at risk of federal prosecution. |
| Feb 16, 2026 |
Canadian industry, healthcare providers split on regulations for CBD as a Natural Health Product Health Canada's latest "What We Heard Report" on regulating cannabidiol (CBD) as a Natural Health Product (NHPCC) highlights both numerous areas of agreement and deep divisions on the topic among stakeholders, including industry, healthcare professionals, and provincial governments. The report once again includes no concrete path forward for any such changes. |
| Feb 16, 2026 |
Cannabis Is Quietly Reshaping Mardi Gras Culture For generations, Mardi Gras in New Orleans has been synonymous with exuberant parades, bead throws, brass bands, and free-flowing alcohol. From the krewes rolling down St. Charles Avenue to the packed revelry of Bourbon Street, the Carnival season has long been fueled by hurricanes, hand grenades, and go-cups carried through the French Quarter. But as cultural attitudes shift and younger generations redefine celebration, cannabis is quietly reshaping Mardi Gras culture. Marijuana, hemp, cod and low-alcohol alternatives are quietly reshaping how people experience the greatest free show on Earth. |
| Feb 16, 2026 |
EHIA pushes for whole plant recognition and 1% THC threshold European Industrial Hemp Association has welcomed the European Commission's proposal to clarify that all parts of the hemp plant fall within the EU agricultural framework, while reiterating its call for a harmonized 1% THC threshold under the ongoing review of the Common Agricultural Policy and the revision of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 on the Common Organisation of the Markets. |
| Feb 16, 2026 |
Cannabis use associated with better decision-making skills in people with bipolar disorder A new study published in Translational Psychiatry suggests that chronic cannabis use may not be associated with cognitive impairment in people with bipolar disorder, contrasting with its effects on healthy individuals. The findings indicate that people with bipolar disorder who use cannabis moderately may possess better decision-making skills than those with the disorder who do not use the drug. This research offers a potential explanation for why many individuals with this condition turn to cannabis for symptom management. |
| Feb 15, 2026 |
B.C. court orders former U.S. cannabis CEO to pay $7.4M after offshore deal collapses B.C.'s Supreme Court has ordered a former cannabis company executive to pay more than $7.4 million after he engaged in a high-stakes financial workaround designed to bypass U.S. securities regulations. |
| Feb 15, 2026 |
Nepal: Watch cannabis rituals unfold during Shivaratri in Kathmandu Crowds thronged Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple for Shivaratri, where worship, music and a rare legal tolerance of marijuana marked the festival. |
| Feb 15, 2026 |
Nepal Celebrates Shivaratri With Cannabis Rituals Amid Religious Fervor Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, was engulfed in religious fervor and cannabis smoke as the country celebrated Shivaratri, one of its largest Hindu festivals. While cannabis use is strictly prohibited year-round, it is permitted as part of tradition during the festival, with devotees actively participating in rituals honoring Shiva, the deity of "destruction and regeneration." |
| Feb 15, 2026 |
Study challenges negative cannabis stereotypes, claiming link to brain benefits Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus analyzed cannabis usage, brain scans and cognitive test results for more than 26,000 adults between the ages of 40 and 77, using data from the UK biobank. The study found that cannabis users — particularly those who reported moderate lifetime usage — showed larger volumes in several brain regions. |
| Feb 14, 2026 |
Scientists revive prehistoric cannabis enzymes and uncover more medical uses Long-lost cannabis enzymes are back, and they pinpoint when the plant first gained the chemistry to make THC, CBD, and CBC. These three compounds drive the psychoactive and medical effects of cannabis. |
| Feb 13, 2026 |
The Media Narrative Turning Against Cannabis? In the latest Trade To Black podcast presented by Flowhub, hosts Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell challenge the conventional media narrative around the cannabis industry. Most people believe cannabis struggles because of regulation, oversupply, and price compression. But what if those aren’t the root causes? What if the real constraint holding the industry back is capital structure and liquidity timing? Adam Stettner, CEO of FundCanna, and Kevin McKernan join the show to discuss the issues and news this week. |
| Feb 13, 2026 |
If America has a marijuana problem, The New York Times wants to make it worse In a Feb. 9 editorial, The New York Times declared that America has a marijuana problem, a sweeping declaration eagerly amplified by the usual suspects who want a return to prohibition. On several points, they're right. High-potency products have proliferated. THC-minded milligram one-upmanship distorts consumer behavior. Labeling can be inconsistent. Misleading health claims exist. Overconsumption is real. |
| Feb 13, 2026 |
Trump Pardons Former NFL Star Convicted Of Trafficking 175 Pounds Of Marijuana President Donald Trump has pardoned a former NFL star who was convicted of trafficking 175 pounds of marijuana. As advocates await action on federal marijuana rescheduling—and many people continue to endure the consequences of ongoing cannabis criminalization—Trump granted clemency to five ex-NFL players, including Nate Newton, who helped lead the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s. |