Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed House Bill 932 into law, marking a major shift in how the state will allocate tens of millions in marijuana tax revenue for conservation.

The bill, which takes effect July 1, broadens the scope of projects eligible for funding and creates new pathways for improving wildlife habitat on both public and private land.

Previously, all $10 million in conservation-dedicated marijuana tax revenue went solely to Habitat Montana, a program managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). These funds were used to secure conservation easements, purchase wildlife management areas, and lease land for habitat protection.
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House Bill 1209, a comprehensive marijuana reform measure, has been officially sent to Colorado Governor Jared Polis after receiving final approval from both chambers of the legislature.

The bill was signed today by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, following votes last week by both the House and Senate to concur on the same version of the legislation.

Sponsored by Representative William Lindstedt and Representative Jenny Willford, House Bill 1209 introduces wide-ranging updates to Colorado’s marijuana regulations aimed at streamlining operations, cutting costs, and reducing regulatory burdens.
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Utah’s medical marijuana program has officially surpassed 100,000 registered patients, marking a significant milestone since voters first approved legalization in 2018.

According to the Utah Department of Health & Human Services, over 1,000 physicians now participate in the program, and patient enrollment continues to rise.

Health officials credit growing public and professional acceptance for the increase in patient numbers. Rich Oborn, who oversees the program for the department, says they’re working to ease physician participation and improve affordability.
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Joshua Sanderlin has been officially confirmed by the Delaware Senate to serve as the state’s new Marijuana Commissioner, a key step in moving forward the state’s adult-use marijuana program.

Joshua Sanderlin.

Sanderlin was confirmed on May 14 with a 19 to 0 vote. Two senators were absent. He was originally nominated in April by Governor Matt Meyer to lead the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner, which has gone months without a permanent head following the resignation of Rob Coupe in January.

A longtime attorney and cannabis policy expert, Sanderlin is the founder of Sanderlin Strategies, a Washington, D.C.-based firm that provides legal, compliance, and lobbying services to marijuana businesses. His firm has advised clients in seven states and the District of Columbia since 2013.
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Minnesota lawmakers have finalized an agreement on a cannabis policy bill that includes a series of changes aimed at improving the state’s marijuana laws ahead of the official launch of licensed sales.

The revisions were adopted Friday by a joint House and Senate conference committee, with Representative Zack Stephenson (DFL) and Senator D. Scott Dibble (DFL) leading the effort through legislation HF 1615/SF 2370.

The bill includes technical updates and policy adjustments requested by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Eric Taubel, the agency’s interim director, said the changes are critical to a smooth licensing rollout and broader implementation.

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A bill filed today in the New York State Assembly would explicitly authorize the use of medical marijuana by terminally ill patients in hospitals and nursing homes.

New York State Capitol Building.

Assembly Bill 8469, introduced by Assemblymember Amy Paulin (D), was referred to the Assembly Committee on Health. The measure would create a new section of public health law establishing that health care facilities must allow the use of medical cannabis by terminally ill patients, so long as it does not involve smoking or vaping.

Under the bill, health care facilities would be allowed to reasonably regulate how cannabis is stored and administered, including requiring that it be kept in locked containers and recorded in patient medical records. The legislation would not compel facilities to provide marijuana to patients, but they would be prohibited from banning its use if a terminally ill patient is authorized to possess it and provides a valid registry identification card.
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A new bill filed yesterday in the New York Senate would make it a traffic infraction to consume or possess open containers of cannabis in the passenger area of motor vehicles.

Senate Bill 8865, introduced by Senator James Skoufis (D) and referred to the Senate Transportation Committee, would amend the state’s vehicle and traffic law to explicitly prohibit the consumption of cannabis or possession of an open container of cannabis or cannabis product in the passenger compartment of a vehicle on public highways, shoulders, or rights-of-way.

The legislation defines “passenger area” as any part of a vehicle designed to seat the driver or passengers, including unlocked glove compartments and any space within reach of the driver while seated. Cannabis in sealed packaging or stored in a vehicle’s trunk or a locked glove box would be exempt.
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Marijuana industry leaders and local officials are pushing back against Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s proposal to implement a 32% wholesale tax on marijuana transactions, warning it could devastate an already strained market.

The proposal is part of Whitmer’s “MI Road Ahead” infrastructure plan and is projected to generate nearly $470 million annually for roads and bridges. But critics say it would push small and mid-sized operators out of the legal market.

“You’re going to kill the industry,” said cannabis attorney Denise Pollicella of Omnus Law during a hearing held Thursday by the House Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and Insurance and Financial Services Subcommittee. “They just can’t take it. They’re already financially burdened enough.”
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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says that a patchwork of marijuana legalization laws at the state level is creating opportunities for foreign drug cartels to exploit the system, using state-sanctioned business registrations as a front for illicit operations that involve moving cannabis into states where it remains illegal.

The agency’s latest report appears to concede that ongoing marijuana prohibition in many states is fueling the very illegal market it aims to stop.

Released Thursday, the DEA’s 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment includes a section focused on marijuana trafficking. It claims that transnational criminal organizations, particularly Asian syndicates, are bypassing legal restrictions and “hide behind state-by-state variations in laws governing plant counts, registration requirements, and accountability practices.”
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