New York has issued 74 additional adult-use marijuana licenses, pushing the state’s total to 1,510 licensed businesses.

(Photo credit: Getty Images).

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) also announced that only about 150 applications from the November 2023 submission period remain under review.

Among the newly approved licenses: six were awarded to distributors, 10 to microbusinesses, 39 to processors, and 16 to retailers. Additionally, three more Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees received final approval.

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A recent Change Research poll commissioned by ResponsiblePA reveals that 68% of registered Pennsylvania voters support the legalization of adult-use cannabis, including a majority of Republicans.

The survey, conducted from January 25 to30, 2025, included 1,129 participants. Support was highest among Democrats at 85%, followed by independents at 62%, and Republicans at 53%.

When informed about different legalization models, overall support increased to 74%, with Republican backing rising to 62%. Additionally, 63% of respondents believe that state policymakers should advance legalization legislation this year, while 30% prefer more time for evaluation.
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New York State Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman (D) introduced Assembly Bill 5647 today, known as the Cannabis Community Reinvestment Act.

The bill would require marijuana businesses in the state to allocate a portion of their revenue to support communities disproportionately impacted by past prohibition policies.

Under the proposed legislation, licensed cannabis operators would be required to contribute at least 2% of their annual profits to community reinvestment efforts. Each operator would need to submit a reinvestment plan outlining how they intend to support affected communities, including, if applicable, the area where their business is located. The New York State Cannabis Control Board would oversee compliance, establishing criteria and a scoring system for evaluating these plans.
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Tennessee’s Senate Bill 489, known as the Medical Cannabis Act, is scheduled to be discussed and potentially receive a vote in its committee of origin on February 25.

Sponsored by State Senator Janice Bowling (R) and filed on January 29, SB 489 has been scheduled for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee during their February 25 meeting that begins at 3pm CST. The committee’s placement on the calendar means that it will be discussed by members, and potentially receive a vote.

If enacted, the bill would legalize the possession, use and licensed distribution of medical cannabis, with rules and licensing handled by a newly-created Medical Cannabis Program Commission. This would make Tennessee the 40th medical marijuana state.
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A key committee in the Oklahoma Senate gave unanimous approval today to legislation that would establish gun right protections for medical cannabis patients.

Oklahoma Senate Bill 39 was unanimously approved by the Senate Public Safety Committee today in a 6 to 0 vote. The bill, introduced by State Senator Julie Daniels, prohibits individuals from being automatically disqualified from obtaining a handgun license solely based on their status as a medical cannabis patient.

SB 39 also modifies existing firearm laws by adding medical marijuana to the list of substances under which carrying a firearm is prohibited if the substance impairs mental, emotional, or physical faculties. However, it explicitly states that possessing a valid medical marijuana patient license cannot be used as grounds to deny an individual’s eligibility for a handgun license.
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The Virginia Senate has approved House Bill 1989, a measure updating medical marijuana product labeling requirements and expanding delivery options for registered patients.

The bill passed the Senate today in a 30 to 10 vote. Given it was amended slightly in the Senate, the measure will now return to the House of Delegates for a final concurrence vote before heading to the governor’s desk.

Sponsored by Delegate Alex Askew (D), the legislation updates labeling rules for medical marijuana products, requiring pharmaceutical processors to provide clearer cannabinoid content information. Specifically, labels would need to display:

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A coalition of doctors and researchers advocating for marijuana rescheduling has petitioned a federal court to intervene in what they argue is a secretive and biased process led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The group, known as Doctors for Drug Policy Reform (DDPR), filed its petition Monday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, seeking to force the DEA to revise key steps in its handling of marijuana’s classification under federal law.

Led by Dr. Bryon Adinoff, a clinical researcher and professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, DDPR contends that the DEA’s decision-making has excluded key stakeholders without justification. The group was among 138 parties denied the opportunity to participate in an administrative hearing regarding the potential move of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has included a proposal to legalize marijuana in his 2025-2027 budget request, marking another push to regulate and tax cannabis similar to alcohol.

On the same day, bipartisan legislation—Assembly Bill 50 and Senate Bill 45—was introduced in the state legislature to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use.

“Legalize, regulate, and tax the sale of marijuana for recreational use, much like Wisconsin already does with alcohol,” said Governor Evers’ office The proposal estimates $58.1 million in revenue for fiscal year 2026-27, with increasing amounts expected in subsequent years.
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