The Arkansas House of Representatives has voted 88 to 4 to pass Senate Bill 59, a measure that would allocate tax revenue from medical marijuana sales and licensing to support free school meals across the state.

The bill, which advances a proposal first introduced by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, has already been approved by the states Senate.

Sanders initially outlined the plan in her State of the State address, emphasizing the need for sustainable funding to support free breakfast and lunch programs for students. She stated that medical marijuana tax revenue would help ensure long-term financial stability for these initiatives.

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Switzerland’s Social Security and Health Committee has voted 14 to 9 to approve a draft law to federally regulate the cultivation, production, trade, and consumption of recreational marijuana.

While the draft law maintains that marijuana should remain classified as a narcotic, it acknowledges that consumption is a social reality and that prohibition has not been effective. The proposed framework aims to protect public health, enhance youth safeguards, and improve safety by regulating access and reducing the illicit market.

Under the proposal, adults in Switzerland would be allowed to grow, purchase, possess, and consume marijuana within set limits. Personal cultivation would be restricted to three female plants in the flowering phase, while sales to minors would remain illegal. Commercial production would require federal permits, and products would need to meet strict quality and child-proof packaging standards. The law would also prohibit vertical integration, meaning no entity could both produce and sell marijuana.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., newly confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), expressed concern over high-potency marijuana while also acknowledging the failures of past criminalization efforts.

(Photo credit: AP File Photo/Jordan Strauss).

Speaking to Fox News’s Laura Ingraham in his first major interview after securing confirmation yesterday, Kennedy said he is “worried about” the effects of potent marijuana and believes its use can have “really catastrophic impacts” on individuals. Despite his concerns, he emphasized that state-level legalization allows for research into both its risks and benefits.

Kennedy, who has been in recovery from substance abuse for over 40 years, noted that he frequently hears about the negative effects of marijuana in his daily 12-step meetings. However, he said the potential harms must be weighed against the consequences of criminalization.

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According to a new Meredith College Poll, a strong majority of voters in North Carolina support making medical marijuana legal.

The Meredith Poll, conducted in early February, gauged North Carolina voters’ opinions on policy ideas advanced by President Donald Trump, political issues in North Carolina, and voter approval of elected officials.

“Although a law legalizing medical marijuana has not passed the North Carolina General Assembly, despite repeated efforts in recent sessions, it is likely to emerge again in 2025”, states the poll’s authors. “It was recently called the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act and would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for a number of physical and mental conditions.”
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On February 13, 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) decision to deny Dr. Sunil Aggarwal’s petition to access psilocybin for therapeutic use under the federal “Right to Try” law.

Dried psilocybin mushrooms.

The three-judge panel concluded that the DEA did not exceed its authority in rejecting the petition.

Dr. Aggarwal, a Seattle-based palliative care physician, sought permission to use psilocybin for patients with terminal illnesses, citing its potential to alleviate end-of-life distress. He argued that the federal “Right to Try” law, which allows patients with life-threatening conditions to access investigational treatments not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), should permit the use of psilocybin in this context.

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There was over $11 million in legal marijuana sold in Vermont in December.

There was $11.77 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold in January via licensed marijuana stores, resulting in $1.65 million in tax revenue. This is according to data released today by the Vermont Department of Taxes

In 2024, Vermont marijuana stores sold $139.19 million worth of product, resulting in $18.48 million in tax revenue. All-time sales are now above $270 million.
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