Starting tomorrow, Colorado Springs will officially join the ranks of Colorado cities that allow recreational cannabis sales—a significant shift for a city that has long resisted the state’s legalization movement.

This change comes after voters approved Ballot Question 300 in November 2024, allowing existing medical marijuana dispensaries to apply for licenses to sell recreational cannabis. The measure passed with 54.7% of the vote, while a competing initiative to ban recreational sales, Ballot Question 2D, was narrowly defeated.

As of today, 27 dispensaries have received licenses to begin recreational sales, with five more pending approval. The city anticipates that the 5% sales tax on recreational cannabis could generate up to $2 million in its first year, earmarked for public safety, mental health services, and veterans’ programs.
Continue reading

A bill filed today in the New York Senate would authorize licensed marijuana businesses to sell immature cannabis plants for personal cultivation.

Senate Bill 7387 was introduced by Senator Michelle Hinchey (D) and has been referred to the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations. The measure would allow retail dispensary licensees, microbusiness licensees, and nursery licensees to sell up to three immature cannabis plants per person for home growing.

The proposal defines an “immature cannabis plant” as “a cannabis plant that has not flowered and that does not have visible buds”, and it directs the Cannabis Control Board to establish rules and regulations for such sales.
Continue reading

Maryland’s cannabis tax rate is set to increase under a new budget bill approved by lawmakers and sent to Governor Wes Moore.

(Photo credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg).

House Bill 352, passed Monday, raises the tax on adult-use marijuana sales from 9% to 12% starting in fiscal year 2026, an increase of 25%. The new rate will remain in place indefinitely unless lawmakers take further action. Earlier in the session, some legislators pushed for an even higher rate of 15%, but that proposal was ultimately scaled back.

The tax increase comes as Maryland faces a projected $3 billion structural deficit. Supporters argue the move will help address the shortfall without major cuts to services, but marijuana reform advocates, including NORML, strongly opposed the measure. They warned that raising taxes could push more consumers back to the illicit market and financially burden licensed marijuana businesses.
Continue reading

Trulieve, Florida’s largest distributor of medical cannabis with over 160 licensed dispensaries, is once again backing a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana.

Trulieve contributed $19.6 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report filed with the state Division of Elections. The company also provided over $84,000 in in-kind contributions during the same period.

The committee is behind a renewed effort to place a marijuana legalization initiative on the 2026 ballot. In 2024, Smart & Safe Florida led the push for a similar measure that ultimately received 57% of the vote—just shy of the 60% required for passage given it was a constitutional amendment.
Continue reading

Governor Gavin Newsom has announced via press release that over $316 million worth of illegal cannabis was seized in the first quarter of 2025 through the combined efforts of the Governor’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF), the Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), and the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC).

In the release, the governor’s office said “The continued success of California’s enforcement operations demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety and the integrity of the legal cannabis market.”

Combined key highlights from January 1 to March 31, 2025 include:
Continue reading

The U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, one of the nation’s leading marijuana industry groups, says it remains in communication with the White House, saying they’re “optimistic about the president acting on cannabis perform”.

White House.

David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, says the group has been told marijuana remains on President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“We were told very clearly at the beginning of this year that we’re going to have to wait our turn,” said Culver. “The big question is, when is this going to occur?”
Continue reading

The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) has revoked 25 microbusiness cannabis facility licenses during the second round of licensing for the Missouri voter-approved regulatory program for microbusinesses, according to a press release.

Per Article XIV, microbusiness licenses are cannabis businesses that operate on a smaller scale than medical or comprehensive licenses. One of the requirements of the program is that the majority owner(s) must meet at least one eligibility qualification such as having a net worth of less than $250,000 or being a veteran with a service-connected disability. The microbusiness program is designed to provide an opportunity for cannabis facility ownership to individuals who might not otherwise easily access that opportunity.

Article XIV also requires the department to verify that microbusiness licenses were awarded to and are being operated by eligible owners. DCR must continue to monitor the details of microbusiness ownership arrangements, even if they later change, to ensure these licenses remain in compliance.

Continue reading

The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) voted today to approve its final regulations governing adult-use and medical cannabis, marking a major step in the full implementation of the Rhode Island Cannabis Act.

Immediately following the vote, the CCC will submit the regulations to the Secretary of State’s Office. Per state law, they will become effective after 20 days, on May 1, 2025. On that date, the CCC will assume full authority over the regulation, licensing, and enforcement of Rhode Island’s adult-use and medical cannabis programs.

“These finalized regulations reflect my administration’s commitment to ensuring that cannabis oversight in Rhode Island is fair, transparent, and rooted in safety,” said Governor McKee. “I’m grateful to the commission members, stakeholders, and industry leaders whose collaboration helped shape a strong, thoughtful regulatory framework for our state.”
Continue reading

The University of Mississippi has launched the Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (R3CR), a new initiative designed to support scientists across the country in navigating the regulatory and scientific hurdles surrounding marijuana research.

R3CR will operate within the university’s National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR), one of the nation’s leading marijuana research programs. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the center is a collaboration between the University of Mississippi, Washington State University, and the United States Pharmacopeia.

“R3CR is a collaborative initiative designed to serve as a central hub for cannabis research resources and expertise”, states the center’s website. “By bringing together leading institutions and experts, we are working to break down barriers and advance the scientific understanding of cannabis.”
Continue reading