An essay published Friday in The Yale Law Journal sharply criticizes the Biden Administration’s plan to reschedule marijuana, calling it “legally and logically indefensible” and urging full federal decriminalization instead.

The piece, written by Jennifer D. Oliva, a professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, argues that rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) would only entrench federal control over marijuana rather than dismantling the outdated and racially biased foundation of prohibition.

“Rather than remedying the federal government’s racist and scientifically unsound criminalization of marijuana,” writes Oliva, “the Schedule III approach exacerbates the problem.” She contends that marijuana was originally banned in the 1930s through a campaign rooted in misinformation, racial prejudice, and political motives, not scientific analysis.
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There was $150 million in marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in Illinois in February.

According to the Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Officer, there was $130.6 million in adult-use cannabis sold in February, with $103 million purchased by residents and $27 million by those living outside of Illinois. In addition, there was $19.7 million in medical marijuana sold in February, bringing the month’s total to $150.3.

Although the $150.3 million sold in February is a 6% drop from the $160 million sold in February 2024, prices are down over 10%, meaning the total amount of marijuana sold by weight is actually higher this year.
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Data released today by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) shows that the state’s legal marijuana industry has generated over $230 million in sales so far in 2025.

(Photo credit: Martin B. Cherry / Nashville Banner).

According to the DCC, licensed marijuana stores sold $230,383,626 in marijuana and marijuana products between January 4 and March 29 of this year, including $164,263,499 in recreational marijuana sales and $66,120,127 in medical marijuana sales. These sales were spread across 3,020,170 different transactions.

Total marijuana sales since the launch of the adult-use market on August 7 is now $628,070,076 spread across 24,267,631 transactions.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed into law a bill extending the state’s Medical Cannabis Commission until June 30, 2029, ensuring continued discussions on medical cannabis policy.

House Bill 255, which overwhelmingly passed the legislature, officially extends the commission, which was originally set to expire this July. The commission was created to study medical cannabis policies in other states and provide recommendations to Tennessee lawmakers.

In the Senate, the proposal passed 28 to 1, with a unanimous 90 to 0 vote in the House of Representatives.
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The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) has issued a product recalls for cannabis edible cookies sold under the name Lissa’s Fresh Baked Cookie Bites that do not list the allergen milk in the “Contains” statement.

The recall applies to the Snickerdoodle and Chocolate Chip versions of these cookies, according to a recent press release.

The issue was first identified by the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Food Safety Program during a routine inspection of a marijuana retailer. The edibles may have been sold by up to 37 different recreational marijuana retailers to consumers in the state from approximately November 2023 to March 2025.

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President Donald Trump has nominated  Sara Carter, a supporter of medical cannabis, as the next Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).

“It is my great honor to announce Sara Carter as our next Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)”, said Trump in a social media post. “Sara is an Award Winning Journalist, who has been on the front lines of this International Fight for decades. From Afghanistan to our Border, Sarah’s relentless pursuit of Justice, especially in tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis, has exposed terrorists, drug lords, and sex traffickers.”

Trump says “As our next Drug Czar, Sara will lead the charge to protect our Nation, and save our children from the scourge of drugs.”
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