May 12 2025

Oregon Bill to Allow Marijuana Sales and Samples at Events Passed by House Committee, Already Passed Senate

Oregon’s House Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade Committee has given approval to legislation that would allow marijuana businesses to share and sell products at certain events, while also expanding rules around employee access to samples.

(Photo credit: Brian Breneman).

Senate Bill 558, which has already passed the Oregon Senate in a 19 to 9 vote, was sent to the full House of Representatives following today’s committee vote. If passed by the House, it will be sent to Governor Tina Kotek for final consideration.

The bill would authorize marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers to provide samples of marijuana items to other licensed businesses and permitted workers at trade shows and similar events registered with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). It would also allow wholesalers to sell marijuana products directly to retailers at such events.
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May 12 2025

Albuquerque, New Mexico to Fund Universal Basic Income with Cannabis Tax Revenue

The City of Albuquerque, New Mexico has approved a new Universal Basic Income (UBI) initiative aimed at supporting low-income residents, funded by tax revenue from recreational cannabis sales.

(Photo credit: USA Today).

Spearheaded by Councillor Klarissa Peña, the program is an expansion of the Marijuana Equity and Community Reinvestment Fund, established in 2023 to aid communities adversely affected by marijuana criminalization.

“This money is aside from our budget, it’s a set amount of money that we’re going to be getting every year dedicated to really trying to achieve justice where there was injustice,” Peña said.
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May 12 2025

Injectable CBD Implant Shows Promise in Treating Aggressive Breast Cancer, Study Finds

A novel injectable implant delivering cannabidiol (CBD) directly to tumors has demonstrated promising results in slowing the progression of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), according to a study published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics.

Researchers at the University of Madrid developed an in situ forming implant (ISFI) designed to release CBD—a non-psychoactive component of cannabis—over a period of two months. TNBC, which accounts for up to 20% of breast cancer cases and disproportionately affects younger women, remains one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant forms of breast cancer.

The research team tested several formulations, ultimately selecting one containing 10 mg of CBD and 100 mg of polycaprolactone (PCL) as the most effective. In laboratory studies, this formulation, known as 10-CB-ISFI, significantly inhibited the growth and migration of TNBC cell lines and blocked the development of blood vessels in tumor models—an effect known as antiangiogenesis.
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May 10 2025

California Department of Cannabis Control Proposes THC Limits, Regulations for Cannabis Products Intended for Animals

The California Department of Cannabis Control has proposed new regulations that would establish statewide standards for cannabis products intended for animals.

The proposed rules, announced May 9, would clarify that animal cannabis products are subject to the same core requirements as adult-use cannabis products, but with added restrictions specific to animals. Under the draft regulations, allowed products would be limited to edibles, orally consumed concentrates, and topicals. The rules would prohibit any product type that is inhaled or contains high levels of THC.

Each package of an animal cannabis product would be restricted to no more than 1 milligram of total THC, far below the 100-milligram limit currently allowed in products for adult human use.
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May 09 2025

Rhode Island House Committee Schedules Hearing for Bill to Restrict Hemp-Derived Delta-9 THC Drinks to Licensed Cannabis Stores

The Rhode Island House Corporations Committee has scheduled a public hearing and possible vote for May 15 on legislation that would prohibit the sale of beverages containing hemp-derived delta-9 THC unless sold through licensed cannabis retailers.

The bill, introduced April 25 by Reps. Scott Slater, Grace Diaz, Brandon Potter, John Edwards, David Bennett and Michelle McGaw, aims to regulate the growing market of psychoactive hemp beverages by restricting their availability to adult-use and medical cannabis channels.

According to legislative findings in the measure, the unregulated sale of such products presents public health and safety risks and threatens to undermine the state’s existing cannabis regulatory framework.
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May 09 2025

Trulieve Workers Ratify Arizona’s First-Ever Cannabis Cultivation Union Contract

In a historic first for Arizona’s cannabis industry, cultivation workers at Trulieve’s Magnolia facility in Phoenix have officially ratified the state’s first-ever union contract for cannabis growers.

The three-year deal, approved Wednesday night, marks a significant milestone not just for Trulieve employees but for Arizona’s broader labor movement. While dispensary workers in the state have previously unionized, this is the first time cannabis cultivation workers — those who grow and process the product — have secured a union agreement.

The deal was brokered by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99, Arizona’s largest private sector union, which represents more than 25,000 workers statewide. Trulieve’s Phoenix-based cultivation team had already made headlines in January 2024 when they voted 37 to 4 to unionize — making them Arizona’s first agricultural union in nearly a quarter-century.
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May 09 2025

Oregon: Senate-Backed Measure to Allow Marijuana Sales and Samples at Events Scheduled for House Committee Vote

The House Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade Committee has scheduled a vote for May 12 on legislation that would allow marijuana businesses to share and sell products at certain events, while also expanding rules around employee access to samples.

Senate Bill 558, which passed the Oregon Senate in a 19 to 9 vote, will be sent to Governor Tina Kotek for final consideration if it’s approved by the committee and subsequently passed by the full House of Representatives.

The bill would authorize marijuana producers, processors, wholesalers, and retailers to provide samples of marijuana items to other licensed businesses and permitted workers at trade shows and similar events registered with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC). It would also allow wholesalers to sell marijuana products directly to retailers at such events.
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May 09 2025

New York Bill Would Provide Up to $400,000 Tax Credit to Cannabis Processors Facing Potency Tax

Legislation filed today in the New York State Senate would create a refundable tax credit for cannabis processors who incurred costs under the state’s potency-based tax in 2023.

Senate Bill 7838, sponsored by Senator Christopher Ryan, was referred to the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee. The bill would amend the state tax law by adding Section 496-f, titled the “Cannabis Processor Credit.”

Under the proposed legislation, licensed cannabis processors would be eligible for a refundable credit equal to three times the amount they paid in cannabis potency taxes during the 2023 calendar year. The credit would be capped at $400,000 per taxpayer.
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May 09 2025

Illinois House Judiciary Committee Approves Senate-Backed Bill to Prevent Vehicle Searches Based on Marijuana Odor

Legislation that would prohibit police from using the smell of marijuana as the sole reason to search a vehicle advanced in the Illinois General Assembly today, after the House Judiciary Committee approved it and sent it to the full House for consideration.

Senate Bill 42, which passed the Senate earlier this year in a 33 to 20 vote, would prevent law enforcement from stopping, searching, or detaining drivers or passengers based solely on the odor of cannabis, as long as they are at least 21 years old.

The bill also removes the existing requirement that marijuana must be stored in an odor-proof container while being transported in a vehicle.
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May 09 2025

Group Behind Oklahoma Marijuana Legalization Initiative to Begin Signature Gathering as Soon as August 15, or by Fall

The group spearheading a new recreational marijuana legalization initiative in Oklahoma says it could begin collecting signatures as early as August 15, but the timeline may be pushed to the fall if the measure is legally challenged.

Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA), the organization behind the proposal known as State Question 837, filed the measure with the Secretary of State earlier this year with the goal of placing it on the 2026 general election ballot. The initiative would legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older, while also including expansive protections in areas like housing, employment, healthcare access, and firearm ownership for legal cannabis users.

Jed Green, spokesperson for ORCA, told The Marijuana Herald that the initiative is currently in its first open challenge period, which runs through July 7. During this period, any Oklahoma resident can challenge the constitutionality of the measure.
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