Below is The Marijuana Herald’s Daily Cannabis News Brief for September 22, 2026. The Marijuana Herald publishes a new edition every weekday at around 3 p.m. Pacific Time. Previous editions can be found by clicking here.
Maryland Proposes Wide-Ranging New Marijuana Rules Covering License Renewals, Advertising, Training and Product Sales
Maryland cannabis regulators have released proposed rules covering license renewals, ownership transfers, advertising, employee training, packaging and product sales. Among the changes, businesses with unpaid taxes could be denied license renewals, micro dispensaries could employ up to 20 people and sales of expired or noncompliant marijuana would be expressly prohibited. Stakeholder feedback is being accepted through September 30.
Study Finds CBD and CBG Disrupt Cavity-Causing Dental Biofilms, Including Established Biofilms
CBD and CBG significantly inhibited the formation of cavity-causing dental biofilms and disrupted established biofilms in a laboratory study published in the International Dental Journal. Researchers tested the cannabinoids against mixed biofilms containing Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans. During biofilm formation, CBD and CBG produced a 96% reduction in metabolic activity and an 80% reduction in biofilm biomass.
Canopy Growth Expands Medical Marijuana Business Into UK With Four Canadian-Grown Strains
Canopy Growth is expanding its European medical marijuana business into the United Kingdom with four Canadian-grown flower strains. The products will be distributed by British pharmaceutical company GROW Group under Canopy’s Spectrum Therapeutics brand, marking the company’s first portfolio launch in the U.K. The expansion follows renewed European Union Good Manufacturing Practice certification for Canopy’s Ontario cultivation facility.
Medical University of South Carolina Recruiting Patients for Clinical Trial Testing CBD’s Effects on Breast Cancer Tumors
The Medical University of South Carolina is recruiting up to 84 patients for a randomized Phase 1a trial examining whether CBD produces measurable biological changes in breast cancer tumors before surgery. Participants will receive CBD or placebo for up to 56 days, with researchers examining markers of cancer cell proliferation and programmed cell death in tumor tissue removed during surgery.
Colorado Marijuana Wholesale Prices Fall 10.6% as Licensed Cultivators Drop More Than 14%
Colorado marijuana wholesale prices were 10.6% lower year-over-year in the third quarter of 2026, while the number of licensed cultivators declined more than 14% in the second quarter, according to a new state economic forecast. Officials say persistently low prices are pushing cultivators out of the market while contributing to declining sales volume and marijuana tax revenue.
Study Finds THC Directly Activates Dopamine D2 Receptors, Revealing Previously Unknown Signaling Pathway
A study published online ahead of the December issue of Biochemical Pharmacology found that THC can directly bind to and activate dopamine D2 receptors. Researchers found THC acts as a partial agonist at D2 receptors and preferentially activates a specific signaling pathway, suggesting THC may influence dopamine not only indirectly through cannabinoid receptors but also through direct interaction with dopamine receptors.
New Jersey Marijuana Advocates Accuse Governor Sherrill of Ignoring Home-Grow Push Despite Campaign Pledge
New Jersey marijuana advocates are accusing Governor Mikie Sherrill of ignoring repeated requests to advance home cultivation legislation despite supporting the policy during her 2025 campaign. Several advocacy organizations say the administration has not responded to outreach and are calling on Sherrill to publicly support a legislative hearing. New Jersey remains one of the legal-marijuana states that prohibits home cultivation.
CDC Data Show Teen Marijuana Use Falls to Record Low, Down About 44% Since 2011
Marijuana use among U.S. high school students has fallen to the lowest level recorded in more than three decades of federal surveys. Newly released Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show 12.9% of students used marijuana in the past 30 days in 2025, down from 17% in 2023 and 23.1% in 2011 — a roughly 44% decline over 14 years.
Federal Court Upholds Reinstatement of New Jersey Worker Fired After Positive Marijuana Test
A federal judge has upheld an arbitration award requiring a New Jersey concrete company to reinstate an employee who was fired after testing positive for marijuana. The court rejected County Concrete Corporation’s attempt to overturn the decision. New Jersey law generally prohibits employers from taking adverse employment action solely because cannabinoid metabolites are detected in an employee’s bodily fluid.
Nearly Half in U.S. Aged 16 to 65 Have Used CBD, Compared With 38% in Canada and 28% in U.K., Study Cof Nearly 80,000 Finds
A study involving nearly 80,000 people across six countries found that 46.4% of U.S. respondents ages 16 to 65 had used a CBD-only product, compared with 38.3% in Canada, 28% in the United Kingdom and 24% in Germany. Nearly one in five U.S. respondents reported using CBD within the past year, with pain and anxiety among the leading reasons.
Federal Appeals Court Says Hemp Legalization Doesn’t Undo Earlier Marijuana Conviction Used to Enhance Sentence
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has rejected an attempt to use federal hemp legalization to invalidate an earlier Pennsylvania marijuana conviction used to increase a federal sentence. The defendant argued that the 2018 Farm Bill narrowed the federal definition of marijuana, but the court ruled the change did not prevent the state conviction from continuing to count for sentencing purposes.
Study of Cancer Patients Finds At Least 80% of Marijuana Users Report Symptom and Quality-of-Life Improvement
A study published today in The Oncologist found that at least 80% of cancer patients who used marijuana reported improvements in symptoms and quality of life. The study surveyed 237 adults receiving radiation therapy in Kentucky, with patients most commonly using marijuana for pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, appetite and sleep problems.
Trulieve Added to S&P Total Market and Completion Indices Following NYSE Listing
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. has been added to the S&P Total Market Index and S&P Completion Index, along with their health care sector sub-indices. The additions follow Trulieve’s domestication to the United States and listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker TRLV. Index inclusion could increase exposure to institutional investors and funds that track the benchmarks.
National Cancer Institute Awards $2.47 Million to Develop CBD Treatment for Chemotherapy-Induced Nerve Pain
The National Cancer Institute has awarded Temple University $2.47 million for a three-year project developing a CBD formulation to prevent or treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Researchers will compare two nanoemulsion versions of the formulation, including one containing terpenes, to determine which provides stronger protection against chemotherapy-related nerve damage and to investigate the anti-inflammatory mechanisms involved.
New England’s Largest Chamber of Commerce Joins Campaign to Stop Massachusetts Marijuana Legalization Repeal
The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, which describes itself as New England’s largest chamber, has joined the campaign opposing Massachusetts Question 8. The November ballot measure would eliminate the state’s licensed recreational marijuana market while preserving possession of up to one ounce for adults. The chamber, representing roughly 2,100 businesses, says regulated sales provide economic benefits and a safer alternative to unregulated sources.
