Jan 31 2025
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro is set to include marijuana legalization in his upcoming budget request, marking the third consecutive year he has advocated for the reform, with House Leader Matt Bradford (D) saying he sees “a path forward”. Next week, Governor Shapiro is set to release his proposed 2025-2026 budget, which he has promised will …
Jan 31 2025
Virginia has approved legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana. By a vote of 21 to 19, the Senate advanced Senate Bill 970 to the state’s House of Representatives. Approval through the House would send the measure to Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has promised to veto the bill. The legislature can override a veto, but only …
Jan 31 2025
A new systematic review highlights the potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy for substance use disorders, finding psilocybin to be the most promising treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Researchers from King’s College London, the University of Birmingham, and the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust reviewed 37 studies involving 2,035 participants, assessing treatments with LSD, …
Jan 30 2025
A bill to prohibit employers from considering an employee impaired based solely on the presence of cannabis metabolites in their system has been filed in New Mexico. House Bill 230, introduced today by Representatives Reena Szczepanski (D) and Elizabeth Thomson (D), has been assigned to the House Health & Human Services Committee. The proposal bans …
Jan 30 2025
A bill to legalize the medical use of psilocybin in New York was introduced today by Assemblymember Patrick Burke (D) and referred to the Assembly Health Committee. The measure, Assembly Bill 3775, serves as a companion to Senate Bill 495, which was filed on January 8 and sent to the Senate Finance Committee. The legislation …
Jan 30 2025
Legislation to create a program for the medicinal use of psilocybin was introduced today in the New Mexico Senate. Senate Bill 219, the Medical Psilocybin Act, would allow those in New Mexico to receive psilocybin-assisted treatment for certain behavioral health conditions, including major treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, end-of-life care, and other …
Jan 30 2025
A study being published soon by the International Journal of Drug Policy, published online ahead of print by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, analyzes the impact of recreational marijuana retailer allocation on emergency department visits in Ontario. Researchers from York University, Western University, and the University of Toronto conducted a longitudinal study using health …
Jan 30 2025
The Great Smoky Cannabis Company in Cherokee, North Carolina—the only legal marijuana retailer in the state—has been open for nearly 150 days, generating millions in sales without any reported arrests. The store, operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), remains the state’s sole outlet where recreational marijuana can be legally purchased, as North …
Jan 30 2025
A study published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence suggests that co-using alcohol and cannabis does not produce additional changes in brain connectivity compared to heavy alcohol use alone. For the study, researchers from the University of California conducted a secondary analysis of three clinical laboratory studies, examining resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in 60 individuals. Participants …
Jan 30 2025
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. is preparing to separate its cannabis-focused subsidiary, Hawthorne Gardening Co., into a fully independent company—a decision executives believe will enhance its financial value. This marks a departure from the previous stance of Scotts CEO Jim Hagedorn, who had favored keeping Hawthorne within the parent company despite the marijuana industry’s instability, according to …
