May 19 2025

Study: CBD Oil May Reduce Autism Symptoms and Oxidative Stress

A study published today by the journal Developmental Neurobiology found that cannabidiol (CBD) oil may improve core symptoms of autism and reduce oxidative stress.

Researchers from several Pakistani institutions, including the National University of Sciences and Technology and Quaid-i-Azam University, examined the effects of CBD oil on mice with autism-like behaviors induced by valproic acid (VPA) exposure during gestation.

The study used male offspring of mice exposed to 600 mg/kg of VPA on gestational day 13 to model autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These mice exhibited classic signs associated with ASD, such as increased anxiety, reduced social interaction, and delayed pain responses. Biochemical tests revealed that VPA exposure also led to lower levels of antioxidants, including glutathione.
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May 19 2025

California Issues $52.4 million Grants From Cannabis Funds to Reinvest in Communities and Increase Economic Opportunity Across the State

Today, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) awarded $52.4 million to 33 organizations through the California Community Reinvestment Grants (CalCRG) program, which serves communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies.

The funds come from the cannabis tax revenue generated by The Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64, 2016) and aid qualified community-based organizations and local health departments in a range of activities, including:
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May 18 2025

Texas Senate to Hold Public Hearing Tomorrow on Bill to Significantly Expand Medical Cannabis Compassionate Use Program

The Texas Senate has scheduled a public hearing for a medical cannabis expansion bill tomorrow, May 19, at 9 a.m. in the Senate chambers.

The hearing on House Bill 46 will be held by the State Affairs Committee. If approved, the bill will move to the full Senate, and passage there would send the measure to Governor Greg Abbott.

HB 46, which recently passed the House by a vote of 121 to 22, proposes major changes to the state’s medical marijuana program. The bill would allow licensed dispensaries to open satellite storage facilities and would increase the number of dispensing organizations from three to six. It also includes a requirement that newly licensed organizations begin dispensing low-THC marijuana within 24 months of receiving approval.
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May 18 2025

Study: 10% Price Drop Boosts Legal Cannabis Sales 14% in British Columbia

A new study has found that demand for legal cannabis in British Columbia is significantly influenced by price, with consumers responding strongly to price decreases in the post-legalization market.

Researchers from the BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food analyzed wholesale cannabis sales data from June 2022 to May 2024. The study, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, used regression models to estimate the price elasticity of demand for regulated marijuana in the province.

The results show that a 10% drop in the price of regulated cannabis led to a 14% increase in the quantity purchased. This suggests demand in the legal market is price elastic—a shift from the pre-legalization era when demand was widely considered price inelastic.
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May 18 2025

Over 700,000 Medical Cannabis Approvals Have Been Issued in Australia Since 2016, Most for Chronic Pain and Anxiety

More than 700,000 medicinal cannabis approvals have been issued in Australia since the country began allowing regulated access in 2016.

Medicinal cannabis in Australia includes products like oils, capsules, dried flower for vaping, sprays, and gummies. Patients must receive approval to use these products from a licensed physician.

A significant portion of the nation’s medical cannabis approvals—336k, or nearly half—have been for chronic non-cancer pain, a condition that affects roughly one in five Australians aged 45 and older. Around 28% of the approvals —nearly 200,000 in total— were for anxiety.
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May 18 2025

Study: Alcohol Sales Declined in Nova Scotia Following Marijuana Legalization

A new study finds that alcohol sales in Nova Scotia declined modestly following the legalization of recreational marijuana.

The research, published in the International Journal of Drug Policy and conducted by Brock University, examined monthly alcohol sales across government-owned stores over a 34-month span—17 months before and 17 months after legalization, which began in October 2018.

Stores that sold only alcohol experienced a 3% drop in sales post-legalization. In contrast, stores that also began selling marijuana saw a small initial sales increase of 0.55%, with alcohol sales rising an average of 0.29% per month.
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May 17 2025

Minnesota Legislature Approves Cannabis Reform Bill, Sending It to Governor Walz

The Minnesota Legislature has given final approval to Senate File 2370, a comprehensive cannabis policy reform bill that modifies multiple aspects of the state’s marijuana and hemp laws.

After the Senate and House both adopted a conference committee report today, the bill was repassed in each chamber—by votes of 34-33 in the Senate and 80-50 in the House. It now heads to Governor Tim Walz, who is expected to sign it into law.

SF 2370 includes a wide range of changes to Minnesota’s existing cannabis statutes. Key provisions include clarifying the responsibilities of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), adjusting regulations around hemp-derived cannabinoid products, modifying medical marijuana rules, and expanding eligibility for cannabis expungement and resentencing.
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May 17 2025

Study: Smoking Remains Most Common Way U.S. Adults Use Marijuana, Followed by Edibles, Vaping, and Dabbing

According to the results of a new study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research and e-published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, smoking remains the most common method of marijuana consumption among U.S. adults, followed by edibles, vaping, and dabbing.

Researchers from the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville analyzed data from nearly 17,000 adults who reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, drawing on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The results showed that 77.3% of current marijuana users reported smoking as their primary method of use. Edibles were second at 37.3%, followed closely by vaping at 34.8%.

The study found that following these three methods of consumption, the next most populated were dabbing at 15%, topicals at 6%, tinctures at 4.5%, and pills at just 2% (notably, adults over 50 had higher odds of using marijuana sublingually or orally).
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May 17 2025

Nevada: Assembly Committee Approves Senate-Backed Psychedelics Resolution

The Nevada Assembly’s Legislative Operations and Elections Committee has passed a Senate-approved resolution urging U.S. Congress to reschedule certain psychedelics and increase federal research.

Nevada State Capitol Building.

Senate Joint Resolution 10 was given approval by the Senate last month. With approval through the Legislative Operations and Elections Committee, it now advances to a vote of the full Assembly.

The resoltion urges Congress to reschedule psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin, MDMA, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline, and increase federal support for research into their use as treatments for conditions such as PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and chronic pain.
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May 17 2025

Study: CBD-Infused Hydrogel Contact Lenses Aid Corneal Burn Recovery by Regulating pH and Reducing Inflammation

Researchers from South China Agricultural University have developed a novel hydrogel contact lens that releases cannabidiol (CBD) and citric acid in response to alkaline conditions, offering a promising new approach to treating corneal alkali burns (CAB). The research is presented in a new study published yesterday by the Journal of Controlled Release.

As noted by the study’s researchers, CABs are notoriously difficult to treat due to lingering alkali residues, bacterial infections, inflammation, and abnormal blood vessel growth. The healing process is highly sensitive to the local pH environment, which can remain disrupted following an alkali injury. The newly developed hydrogel lens addresses this by releasing citric acid to neutralize the alkaline microenvironment and CBD to reduce inflammation and oxidative damage.

The contact lens is made from a combination of citric acid-functionalized polyvinyl alcohol and quaternary ammonium chitosan, incorporating CBD through a freeze-thaw method that creates a strong interpenetrating polymer network. In tests, the hydrogel released over half of its citric acid and CBD payload within 24 hours when exposed to an alkaline environment.
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