The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced yesterday that the rules governing Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market have been published in the State Register – the final step in making them officially adopted and in effect.

(Photo credit: Getty Images).

The rules were approved by an administrative law judge (ALJ) without changes on April 2. Publishing the rules allows OCM to begin issuing business licenses to applicants who have completed all necessary steps in the application process.

“The adoption of rules is the most significant step to launching the cannabis market because the office cannot issue business licenses until they are in place,” said Interim Director Eric Taubel. “The judge’s approval of our proposed rules without changes shows that we did our work to engage with the prospective cannabis business community and put together a reasonable structure for ensuring consistency, safety, and equity in Minnesota’s cannabis industry.”
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Metrc, the most trusted and experienced provider of cannabis regulatory technology systems in the U.S., announced it will host in-person roadshows throughout Illinois to help licensed businesses prepare for the state’s transition to Metrc as the track-and-trace system of record.

The Illinois events will include important information to help licensees get up and running quickly while making the most of Metrc, ensuring a smooth and complete market transition by the end of June 2025. Sessions will cover how to gain access to the system and set up your business, as well as best practices for operational success. There will also be a live Q&A to address questions from attendees. Metrc will host the following sessions for all license types. Illinois licensees can secure tickets, free of charge, at the links below.
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In a unanimous vote today, the Florida House Health and Human Services Committee approved a bill that would waive medical marijuana card fees for veterans and extend the validity of all cards from one year to two.

House Bill 555 would eliminate the state’s fee for issuing, renewing, or replacing medical marijuana identification cards for veterans who have received an honorable discharge. Applicants would be required to provide a DD-214 form to verify their status.

In addition to the fee waiver for veterans, the measure would extend the expiration date for all medical marijuana ID cards—regardless of veteran status—from one year to two. The change is intended to lower costs and reduce the burden of frequent renewals for patients and caregivers.
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Red Light Holland has announced that its U.S.-based partner, Irvine Labs, has secured a 2025 psilocybin quota from the Drug Enforcement Administration, a necessary step toward importing naturally derived psilocybin from the Netherlands into the United States.

With this DEA quota in hand, Irvine Labs is now preparing to apply for an import permit that would allow it to receive psilocybin produced at Red Light Holland’s mushroom cultivation facility in the Netherlands. Once imported, the psilocybin will undergo testing and processing at Irvine Labs’ facility in California, which is both FDA-compliant and registered with the DEA for handling Schedule I substances.

The companies plan to develop shelf-stable microdosing capsules using proprietary dehydration and packaging methods aimed at preserving the integrity and extending the shelf life of psilocybin derived from natural sources. This step marks the first major milestone in their partnership, as both companies work to advance into emerging legal psychedelic markets.
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A group of lawmakers in Chile has introduced legislation that would legalize the use and cultivation of marijuana for those 18 and older, marking a significant step toward reforming the country’s cannabis laws.

The measure, filed Wednesday by the Regulation for Peace group, proposes a legal framework for personal possession, cultivation, and private use of marijuana by adults. The goal, according to proponents of the bill, is to reduce harm, support public health, protect children, and encourage scientific research.

Under the proposed law, adults would be allowed to grow up to six flowering marijuana plants for personal use, or the equivalent in indoor cultivation covering no more than two square meters. Individuals could store up to 800 grams annually.
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The Oregon House of Representatives has unanimously approved House Bill 2387, advancing legislation that would expands access to psilocybin services while strengthening regulatory oversight and transparency.

Psilocybin mushrooms.

HB 2387 allows licensed health care providers regulated by certain state boards to discuss and provide psilocybin services if they are also licensed psilocybin facilitators. The bill clarifies that such professionals cannot be penalized for incorporating psilocybin into their practices, provided they adhere to state rules and do not mix psilocybin administration with concurrent health care services.

The legislation also facilitates information sharing between the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and regulatory boards concerning psilocybin-related investigations while maintaining strong confidentiality provisions. It gives OHA authority to share relevant disciplinary data with public entities to improve oversight, barring exceptions related to reproductive or gender-affirming care.
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A study from researchers at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences has found that psilocin significantly reduced scratching behavior in an animal model of pruritus, suggesting it may have potential as a treatment for chronic itch conditions.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

The study, published in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology, tested varying doses of psilocin (which is the main active compound your body produces after consuming psilocybin) and its combination with 1-MT, a kynurenine pathway inhibitor, on mice subjected to pruritus-inducing stimuli. The researchers documented the number of scratching bouts and analyzed the presence of the head-twitch response, a common measure of psychedelic activity in rodents.

Psilocin at 1 mg/kg demonstrated the strongest antipruritic and hallucinogenic effects. Western blot analysis confirmed increased activity of 5-HT2A receptors in the skin. When combined with 1-MT, the antipruritic effects became more pronounced, suggesting a role for kynurenine pathway inhibition in the observed relief. Additionally, levels of inflammatory markers TLR-4 and TNF-α were significantly reduced in the treatment groups, along with decreased activity of the enzyme IDO.
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The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization at the vanguard of the psychedelic movement since 1986, is bringing its International Therapist Education Program (ITE) to Ukraine.

The event is organized in collaboration with the nonprofit Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association (UPRA) and will take place from April 28 to May 4 in Lviv, Ukraine.

Students will gain foundational knowledge of psychedelic-assisted therapies including the inner-directed therapeutic approach; facilitating preparation, medication, and integration sessions; building a strong therapeutic alliance; and addressing complex topics such as therapeutic touch, suicidal ideation, and the dynamics of transference and countertransference.
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