Toker’s Guide is seeking cannabis enthusiasts to fill 30 remaining positions for marijuana reviewers across Florida, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and Washington, D.C.

The company, which operates an online dispensary directory, is offering these roles to individuals who can evaluate legal cannabis products, provide detailed reviews, and capture high-quality photos. Initially 35 roles were available in December, with five positions now filled and 30 still open to potential applicants.

Currently, five positions remain open in Florida, 14 in Maryland, four in Virginia, one in New York, and six in Washington, D.C. While most of the work can be done remotely, applicants must be able to travel for product pick-ups. In Florida, where adult-use marijuana remains illegal, applicants must hold a medical marijuana card.
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A bill introduced today in the Minnesota Senate would expand financial support for cannabis microbusinesses by increasing state-backed loan amounts and streamlining approval processes.

Senate File 1449, sponsored by State Senators Aric Putnam and Lindsey Port, was referred to the Senate Jobs and Economic Development Committee upon introduction. The bill proposes raising the maximum state contribution to cannabis microbusiness loans from $50,000 to $75,000, and from $150,000 to $200,000 if matched by private investment. It also mandates that loan applications receive a final decision within 30 days, with applicants notified within 14 days if additional information is needed.

The legislation allows microbusinesses to renew loans annually for up to six years and permits partial or full forgiveness of loan interest or principal for borrowers who meet all requirements and stay current on payments for at least three years. Additionally, nonprofit organizations administering the loan program would be allowed to retain interest payments to cover operational costs, and they must publicly report average interest rates twice a year.
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Maryland’s marijuana industry recorded $94,544,842 in total sales for January 2025, according to newly released data from the Maryland Cannabis Administration.

Of that total, $71 million came from adult-use sales, while the remainder was from medical marijuana purchases.

The average price per gram in January was $9. Dried marijuana flower led product sales, accounting for $54 million in revenue. Concentrates followed with $28.3 million, while edibles brought in $11.8 million. The remaining sales fell into the “other” category.
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Over $144 million worth of marijuana was sold legally in Massachusetts in January 2025, exactly matching the total for January 2024.

According to data released today by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), licensed marijuana stores and dispensaries sold $144.6 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products in January, the same amount as January 2024.

In January 2025, recreational marijuana sales reached $132.9 million, up from $127.4 million the previous January. However, medical marijuana sales declined from $17.2 million in January 2024 to $11.7 million in January 2025. The CCC attributes the shift to more patients opting for the recreational market.
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Senate Bill 558, introduced by State Senator Floyd Prozanski (D) in January, is scheduled for a public hearing today in the Oregon Senate Judiciary Committee.

(Photo credit: John Rosman/OPB).

The bill would expand how marijuana businesses can distribute samples, allowing them to provide products at temporary events and to their workers—giving businesses more flexibility in marketing and employee access to marijuana items.

If passed, the bill would permit licensed marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers to share samples with other licensees at trade shows and similar gatherings registered with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). Marijuana wholesalers would also be allowed to sell products directly to retailers at these events, a move that could streamline business transactions. Additionally, the legislation would let producers distribute marijuana seeds and immature plants to licensed workers, while producers, wholesalers, and processors could provide limited samples of usable marijuana, concentrates, extracts, and packaged cannabinoid products to their employees.

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A legislative committee in New Mexico has advanced a bill to prohibit employers from considering an employee impaired based solely on the presence of cannabis metabolites in their system.

House Bill 230, introduced today by Representatives Reena Szczepanski (D) and Elizabeth Thomson (D), has been given approval by the House Health & Human Services Committee by a vote of 6 to 2.

The proposed law would ban random drug testing for marijuana, allowing testing only in cases where an employer has reasonable suspicion of impairment while on the job or after an accident involving another person or significant property damage. Any positive test for marijuana would need to be reviewed by a medical review officer to determine if there is a legitimate medical explanation.
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Russia has released Kalob Byers, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen who was detained earlier this month at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on drug smuggling charges related to marijuana.

Kalob Byers.

Byers was taken into custody on February 7 after Russian authorities allegedly found cannabis-laced marmalade in his baggage. He had arrived from Istanbul with his Russian fiancée, Naida Mambetova, who was also arrested. Russian officials accused him of attempting to smuggle a “significant amount” of drugs, a charge that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence.

Following his release, Byers is now at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and is awaiting a flight home, according to reports from Russian independent news outlet Meduza. A U.S. official confirmed his release to the Associated Press but did not provide further details. It remains unclear whether Mambetova has also been freed, as she was reportedly placed in pre-trial detention on the same charges.
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A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care providers to discuss medical marijuana with their patients.

H.R. 1384, filed on February 14 by Congressmember Brian Mast (R-Florida), would authorize VA doctors to provide information and opinions regarding state-legal marijuana programs. Currently, VA physicians are prohibited from offering guidance on the potential use of marijuana, even in states where it is legal for medical purposes.

The legislation aims to remove this restriction, ensuring that veterans can have open discussions with their doctors about whether marijuana could be a viable treatment option for conditions such as chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many veterans have advocated for medical marijuana access as an alternative to opioids and other pharmaceutical treatments.
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