California’s most mainstream cannabis competition has announced the 2025 medalists for the state’s top cannabis products. Judges for the California State Fair Cannabis Awards handed out 150 medals across nine categories and newly expanded 50 subcategories, including indoor, outdoor, and mixed light flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, cartridges, edibles, beverages, wellness products, and new additions, including blunts, …
Category: News
Cannabis Company Trulieve Announces Registration Statement Filing
Trulieve Cannabis Corp., one of the nation’s largest marijuana operators, filed a shelf registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today, though the company says it has no current plans to sell any securities. Filed on June 30, the Form S-3 shelf registration would, once approved by the SEC, give Trulieve the …
Pennsylvania Bill Filed to Create Cannabis Control Board, Overhaul Medical Marijuana Oversight
Today, a bipartisan group of 17 Pennsylvania state senators introduced legislation that would create a Cannabis Control Board to oversee and regulate the state’s medical marijuana industry. Filed as Senate Bill 49 and referred to the Senate Law and Justice Committee, the measure would centralize regulatory functions, establish new permit categories, and broaden oversight of …
Study: Microwaves and Ultrasound Boost CBD Extraction, Enhance Gluten-Free Hemp Cupcakes
A new study published in the journal Molecules demonstrates how microwave and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods can maximize cannabidiol (CBD) yields from hemp, while also demonstrating how CBD-enriched hemp oil can be successfully incorporated into gluten-free cupcakes as a nutritious fat alternative. Researchers from the University of Calabria used dynamic maceration supported by both microwave irradiation …
Rhode Island House Approves Kratom Regulation Bill in 40 to 24 Vote
The Rhode Island House of Representatives has approved legislation to regulate the sale and distribution of kratom, a plant-based product with stimulant and opioid-like properties that’s used both recreationally and medicinally. The vote was 40 to 24. The measure, titled the Rhode Island Kratom Act, was introduced by Representatives Brian Kennedy, John Edwards, and Grace …
Alabama Bill Would Restrict Hemp Products to In-State, Lab-Tested Sales in Certified Pharmacies
Senator April Weaver has prefiled legislation for Alabama’s 2026 session that would establish new restrictions on the sale and distribution of hemp-derived products. Senate Bill 1, filed ahead of the session’s January 13 start and referred to the Senate Committee on Healthcare, targets nonpsychoactive hemp compounds like CBD, creating new rules for testing, tracking, and …
North Carolina Senator Michael Lazzara (R) Publishes Op-Ed Endorsing Marijuana Rescheduling, Says “I Side with President Trump”
North Carolina State Senator Michael Lazzara, a Republican and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, has publicly endorsed rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance under federal law. In a recently published op-ed, Lazzara says the move would strike a balance between sound medical science, public safety, and conservative principles. “As a veteran …
Cannabis Taxes Increase in Maryland and California Tomorrow, July 1
Both Maryland and California will increase taxes on marijuana sales starting tomorrow, Tuesday, July 1. In California, the marijuana excise tax will jump from 15% to 19%, one of the steepest state-level tax hikes in the industry’s history. The increase is triggered automatically under state law due to a dip in cannabis excise tax revenue. …
Study: Psilocybin May Aid Recovery in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
A new study published in the journal Journal Brain Sciences highlights psilocybin’s potential as a therapeutic tool for those recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Researchers from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute conducted a narrative review of existing literature published between 2000 and 2025. After screening research databases and relevant …
Maine Approves Marijuana Tax Hike While Cutting Cultivation Fees in New Budget
Maine’s marijuana sales tax will rise from 10% to 14% starting January 1 as part of the $11.3 billion state budget signed this week by Governor Janet Mills. The change marks a 40% increase and brings Maine in line with the highest cannabis sales tax rate in New England, matching Vermont and topping Massachusetts’ 10.75%.
