Study: One in Nine NYC Nightclub Attendees Test Positive for THCA-A, Nearly One in Eleven for CBN

A new study published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse found that 11.7% of adults entering New York City nightclubs in 2024 tested positive for THCA-A, and 8.9% tested positive for CBN—two cannabinoids not typically included in routine screenings.

Conducted by researchers from Stanford University, the University of California, and NYU Grossman School of Medicine, the study used both saliva drug testing and self-report surveys from 1,024 nightclub attendees to assess cannabinoid use. THC was the most commonly detected cannabinoid, found in 30.8% of participants.

The findings showed significant demographic disparities. Women were substantially less likely than men to test positive for both THCA-A and CBN. Black participants were more than twice as likely as white participants to test positive for THCA-A and nearly four times as likely to test positive for CBN. Education level also played a notable role—those with a high school diploma or less were four times more likely to test positive for THCA-A than those with a college degree, and nearly two and a half times more likely to test positive for CBN.
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Study Finds Marijuana Not to Blame for Brain Wave Changes in Psychosis

According to the results of a new study published in the European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, recent cannabis use does not significantly affect key brain activity patterns in individuals with psychosis.

Researchers examined 93 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, dividing them into recent cannabis users and non-users. EEG readings were compared against 86 healthy control participants with no cannabis use. The study focused on spectral entropy (SE) modulation and connectivity strength (CS) — two measures of brain function that are often disrupted in psychosis.

Both patient groups showed markedly impaired SE modulation and heightened gamma and broadband CS compared to the healthy participants. However, no meaningful differences were observed between cannabis users and non-users within the psychosis group.
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Tilray Becomes First Company Authorized to Distribute Branded Medical Marijuana Flower in Italy

Tilray Medical has made history as the first company to receive formal authorization from the Italian Ministry of Health to import and distribute its branded medical marijuana flower products across Italy.

Beginning this month, Tilray-branded flower is available for distribution to pharmacies nationwide through its subsidiary, FL Group. Three products have been approved for therapeutic use: Tilray THC 25%, Tilray THC 18%, and Tilray THC 9% / CBD 9%.

“This milestone underscores the vital role of medical cannabis as a therapeutic medicine for patients in need, supporting their health and well-being,” said Denise Faltischek, Tilray’s Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International. She credited the Italian government for establishing a regulatory framework that ensures patient access to safe and consistent cannabinoid-based therapies.
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Study Finds THC and CBD Do Not Affect Estrogen Production in Key Ovarian Cells

A new study published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology by researchers at the University of Ottawa found that cannabinoids such as THC and CBD do not impact estrogen production in human granulosa cells, which play a crucial role in female reproductive health.

“As cannabis becomes more accessible globally, its use among women of reproductive age has increased, yet the implications for reproductive endocrinology remain poorly understood and contradictory”, states the study’s abstract. “In this study, we investigated whether cannabinoids modulate basal or stimulated estradiol secretion in the human granulosa cell line KGN.”

Using the human granulosa cell line KGN, researchers first confirmed the presence of endocannabinoid system components through a meta-analysis of publicly available RNA sequencing data. The cells were then exposed to cannabinoids in both normal conditions and in the presence of activators for protein kinases PKA, PKB, and PKC—molecules involved in hormone signaling.
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Survey Finds 48% of Adults in Australia Support Legalizing Cannabis, Up 15% Since 2015

Support for legal marijuana continues to grow in Australia, with new polling showing that nearly half of all adults now believe it should be allowed.

According to survey data released by Roy Morgan, 48% of Australians now support legalizing marijuana—up 15% over the past decade, from 33% in 2015 and 42% in 2019. Opposition has dropped to 41%, also down 15% since 2015. The remaining 11% say they’re undecided.

The results are based on responses from over 69,000 Australians, who were asked between April 2024 and March 2025 whether they believe the smoking of marijuana should be made legal or remain illegal.

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U.S. House Appropriations Committee Approves Bill to Ban Hemp-Derived THC Products Nationwide

The U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved a federal spending bill that includes a broad ban on hemp-derived THC products, advancing the legislation to the House floor for further consideration.

The proposed ban is part of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2026, which the committee approved today by a vote of 35 to 27. The measure would change the federal definition of hemp to exclude any product with detectable levels of THC or any cannabinoid promoted for its intoxicating effects. This would effectively outlaw popular items like delta-8 THC, THCA, THC-O, smokable hemp flower, and other intoxicating hemp products.

Hemp-derived THC products—including gummies, infused beverages, and smokable flower—have proliferated in recent years due to the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp nationwide. These products, sold at gas stations, headshops, and online, are especially prevalent in states where marijuana remains illegal, such as Texas and Florida.
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Vermont Cannabis Sales Top $46 Million in First Four Months of 2025

Vermont’s legal cannabis industry brought in $46.2 million in taxable sales from January through April 2025, according to newly released data from the state’s Department of Taxes.

The total represents a 5% increase over the same four-month period in 2024, when sales totaled approximately $43.9 million.

April 2025 alone saw $11.78 million in taxable cannabis sales, a slight decrease from the $11.98 million sold in March, but up from the $11.38 million sold in April 2024.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott Wants To Legalize Marijuana, Says Lieutenant Governor

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick says Governor Greg Abbott is in favor of legalizing marijuana, following the governor’s veto of a bill that would have banned hemp-derived THC.

Patrick made the comments during a Monday interview with San Antonio’s News Radio 1200 WOAI, where he blasted Abbott’s surprise veto of a bill that would have outlawed hemp-derived THC products like delta-8, THCO and THCA, among others. The bill, Senate Bill 3, had passed both chambers with overwhelming Republican support and was backed by law enforcement, school officials and anti-cannabis activists.

“Apparently the governor wants to legalize marijuana,” Patrick told WOAI. “Because that’s what this is doing.”
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New Poll Finds Majority of Utah Voters Support Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

A new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll shows a growing shift in public opinion around marijuana policy in Utah, with a majority of registered voters now expressing support for legalizing recreational cannabis.

The survey, conducted last month among 805 registered voters, found that 53% support some form of legalization for adult use—a notable increase from 40% who said the same in a similar 2023 poll. The results suggest momentum is building in the deeply conservative state, where adult-use legalization has historically faced strong opposition.

While recreational cannabis remains illegal in Utah, medical marijuana has been allowed since voters approved a ballot initiative in 2018. That law continues to enjoy broad support, with 77% of respondents saying they back the state’s current medical cannabis program.
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70% of U.S. Voters Support Federal Cannabis Reform, New National Survey Finds

A strong majority of U.S. voters support ending federal cannabis prohibition and allowing states to set their own laws, according to a new nationwide poll conducted by Forbes Tate Partners on behalf of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR).

The survey of 2,051 registered voters aged 21 and older found that 70% support reforming federal cannabis laws to end prohibition, with 44% saying they “strongly support” such changes. Only 22% said they were opposed.

Support also extended to the STATES 2.0 Act, a federal proposal that would reinforce states’ rights to determine their own cannabis policies while continuing prohibition in states that choose not to legalize. The poll found 69% in favor of the bill.

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