A new study published in the journal Epilepsy & Behavior has demonstrated significant seizure reduction in adults with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) using cannabidiol.

Conducted by researchers at Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Department of Neurology, the research offers promising results for a condition known for its treatment resistance.

Epileptic encephalopathies, such as LGS, are severe childhood-onset epilepsy disorders that can severely impair cognitive and motor functions. Despite advancements in medical and surgical treatments, many patients continue to experience uncontrolled seizures. In December 2019, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved cannabidiol as an adjunctive treatment for LGS-related seizures.
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Ohio’s officials have approved numerous provisional licenses for current medical marijuana operators to transition to dual-use licenses, moving the state closer to launching its recreational cannabis market.

The Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) has granted 62 provisional dual licenses for dispensaries, cultivators, processors, and testing labs as of Friday, just two weeks after the application process began. Prior to the application opening, the department released guidelines to help potential applicants understand the regulatory requirements for obtaining a hybrid license.
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It’s now the halfway point for the public comment period on the DEA’s marijuana rescheduling proposal, which began on May 21 and ends on July 22.

Approximately 24,000 comments have been submitted on the DEA’s proposal to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This change would make marijuana’s compounds eligible for prescription nationwide once they receive regulatory approval, while also providing federal protections to medical marijuana patients and businesses following state law.

Of the nearly 24,000 comments submitted, just over half advocate for the DEA to deschedule marijuana entirely, rather than simply rescheduling it. The roughly 51% in favor of descheduling has remained consistent since before the 10,000-comment mark.
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A recent projection by advocacy organization FTI Consulting suggests that Pennsylvania could generate over $2.8 billion in sales and create over 45,000 jobs with marijuana legalization.

FTI Consulting emphasizes the economic benefits, noting the positive impact on the Commonwealth’s economy.

Brendan Casey of FTI Consulting explains, “As a result, jobs are supported in the supply chain, then those jobs supported in the supply chain and those original jobs go to those workers who need to buy groceries, go to sporting events, go to restaurants, they support jobs in their local communities.”
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The legalization of recreational marijuana in Colorado aligns with a decline in teen marijuana use, data from the Department of Public Health shows.

The latest Healthy Kids Colorado Survey reveals that the proportion of high school students who reported using marijuana in the past month dropped by 37% from 2013 to 2023. Additionally, the number of teens who found marijuana “easy” to obtain decreased by 27% during the same period.

In 2012, Colorado tied Washington as the first state to legalize recreational marijuana. The first licensed marijuana retail outlet opened in 2014.
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A group of former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) leaders has called on the agency to hold a public hearing on a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

In a recent federal filing, the former officials described the move as “likely the most consequential rulemaking DEA has ever attempted.”

The group, which includes six former DEA administrators and three former acting administrators, emphasized the need for a hearing in light of the ongoing drug overdose crisis in the United States. “Given the magnitude of the impact of the proposed rule and considering we face an unprecedented drug overdose crisis in this country, we write to emphasize that a hearing on this rulemaking is in the public interest,” they stated.
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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says that President Biden commends and welcomes Maryland’s move to pardon over 170,000 marijuana-related charges.

On Monday, Maryland Governor Wes Moore signed an executive order enacting one of the country’s most extensive clemency measures for marijuana-related offenses. The move is expected to impact 100,000 people and pardon 175,000 charges. It comes less than a year after the state legalized recreational marijuana.

“I’m ecstatic that we have a real opportunity with what I’m signing to right a lot of historical wrongs,” said Governor Moore. “If you want to be able to create inclusive economic growth, it means you have to start removing these barriers that continue to disproportionately sit on communities of color.” He described the pardons as “the most extensive and assertive” executive action nationwide in addressing criminal justice disparities as more states relax marijuana laws.
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North Carolina’s full Senate has given initial approval to legislation that would make medical marijuana legal.

By a vote of 33 to 9, the Senate has passed House Bill 563 through its second reading. The measure will receive a third and final reading on Monday, with expected passage sending it to the House of Representatives.

Originally introduced to regulate the hemp industry and ban hemp products from school grounds, the Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill to include medical marijuana provisions.
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