May 28 2025

Medical Cannabis Craft Preparation Bill Introduced in Washington D.C.

A bill introduced by Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D) would allow medical marijuana retailers in Washington, D.C. to prepare and sell certain cannabis products on-site, under a newly created “craft preparation endorsement.”

The measure has been assigned to the Committee on Business and Economic Development.

The legislation, which has been assigned to the Committee on Business and Economic Development, is titled the Medical Cannabis Retailer Craft Preparation Endorsement Act of 2025. It would allow licensed medical cannabis retailers apply for an endorsement from the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Board that allows them to produce shelf-stable edibles, topicals, and prerolls at their retail locations for sale to qualifying patients and caregivers.
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May 28 2025

Ohio’s Cannabis Museum Preserves the Plant’s Deep Roots in Medicine, Industry, and Fiber Art

Nestled in the rolling hills of Athens County, Ohio, the Cannabis Museum offers a window into a forgotten past—one where cannabis was not a controversial topic, but a staple of medicine cabinets, fabric production, and military defense.

(Photo credit: Ashley Bunton).

Through a growing collection of artifacts and hands-on demonstrations, the museum is working to restore cannabis to its rightful place in history.

At the heart of the museum’s fiber education is artist Isaac Coblentz, a 50-year-old craftsman who began working with hemp and flax just last year. During public demonstrations, Coblentz shows visitors how to process raw stalks into usable fiber, using antique and replica tools that mirror pre-industrial techniques.
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May 28 2025

Massachusetts Committee Proposes Bill to Restructure Cannabis Control Commission, Double Retail License Cap

A Massachusetts legislative committee has proposed legislation that would overhaul the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC), reduce its size, and implement changes long requested by industry stakeholders including doubling the retail license cap.

House members of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy on Wednesday approved the bill through a closed-door poll sent by email. Approval allows the measure to be formally reported to the full House.

The bill would reduce the CCC from a five-member body to three commissioners, all appointed by the governor. The governor would also select the chair, who alone would be responsible for appointing the agency’s executive director. Currently, appointments are shared between the governor, attorney general, and state treasurer.
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May 28 2025

Study: Supplemental Canopy Lighting in Marijuana Cultivation Increases THC, Terpene Yields and Standardization

Adding dedicated lighting to the middle and lower canopy levels of marijuana plants significantly improves yields and consistency, according to a new study published in Plants.

Researchers compared traditional top lighting (TL) with two supplemental approaches: subcanopy lighting (SCL), which shines light upward from below the plant, and inter-canopy lighting (ICL), which directs light horizontally at the plant’s middle and lower layers. Both strategies produced more uniform light distribution throughout the canopy and led to significant increases in the yield of inflorescences, cannabinoids, and terpenes.

Among the two, ICL produced the largest overall yield boost, increasing dry inflorescence weight by nearly 30%, THC by 24.4%, and total terpene content by 12.5% compared to TL. Both methods also dramatically improved uniformity, reducing variability in dry flower weight by up to 62%, THC yield by over 50%, and terpene content by 75%.
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May 28 2025

Study: Cannabis Extract Reduces Inflammation in Human Skin Cells More Effectively than CBD Alone

A standardized cannabis extract significantly reduces inflammation in human skin cells—more effectively than CBD alone—according to a new study published in Pharmaceuticals.

Researchers from Università degli Studi di Milano in Italy and Linnea SA in Switzerland analyzed the effects of a Cannabis sativa extract (CSE) with 5% CBD and less than 0.2% THC on human keratinocytes exposed to the inflammatory agent TNFα. Keratinocytes, the primary cells in the epidermis, are key players in inflammatory skin responses, especially in conditions like psoriasis.

The extract was shown to be non-toxic at concentrations up to 50 μg/mL. It effectively suppressed IL-8 secretion and inhibited NF-κB activity—two critical markers of inflammation—through a dose-dependent mechanism. The researchers further fractionated the extract and found that the more lipophilic fractions, which contain cannabinoids and cannflavins, were the most effective in blocking inflammatory pathways. Among individual compounds tested, CBD emerged as one of the most potent agents, along with THC and cannabigerol (CBG).
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May 28 2025

Rolling Derby Launches First-Ever Global Cannabis Joint Rolling Competition

Cannabis culture is about to celebrate one of its most essential yet underappreciated skills as the first-ever professional joint rolling competition kicks off this summer.

The Rolling Derby, the brainchild of a team of cannabis industry veterans with over 30 years of combined experience, will transform a respected but uncelebrated skill into America’s first professional speed rolling competition, according to a press release sent today.

At its core, the Rolling Derby is an authentic celebration of speed, craft, and culture, challenging participants to roll the perfect joint against the clock. The inaugural season will feature both a global online competition open to cannabis enthusiasts worldwide, as well as a series of high-profile live events across California venues. Each series will run over the course of 4 months, culminating in its own championship final featuring the sixteen fastest rollers.
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May 27 2025

Texas Senate Approves Bill to Expand Medical Cannabis Program

The Texas Senate today approved a revised version of House Bill 46, a measure that would expand the state’s medical cannabis compassionate use program.

Despite having already been approved by the full House of Representatives, the Senate made key changes to the bill, meaning it must now return to the House for a concurrence vote before being sent to Governor Greg Abbott.

The updated legislation would increase the number of licenses for medical cannabis dispensing organizations involved in the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP) from the current three to 12, while also allowing for the establishment of satellite locations with overnight storage capabilities. It introduces an expedited 90-day approval process for these satellite sites, aimed at improving patient access.
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May 27 2025

London Mayor Backs Decriminalizing Cannabis, Says Current Laws Are “Unjustified”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan says that cannabis should be decriminalized, stating that the city’s current approach “cannot be justified”.

In his remarks, Mayor Khan called on the federal government to reevaluate how cannabis possession is treated under the law.

The endorsement follows the release of a new report from the London Drugs Commission, which Khan established in 2022 and is chaired by former justice minister Lord Charlie Falconer. The report finds that the current prohibition of marijuana is “disproportionate” and contributes to racial disparities in enforcement, particularly among ethnic minority communities.
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May 27 2025

Report Finds Cannabis Consumers Willing to Pay More for Fast-Acting Edibles

A new report shows that marijuana consumers are not only embracing fast-acting edibles—they’re willing to pay a premium for them.

According to the 2025 Edibles Premiumization Report from cannabis brand Azuca and data analytics firm BDSA, fast-acting THC gummies—though still a small slice of the edibles market—are outperforming traditional edibles in price, placement, customer loyalty and overall sales impact. The report analyzed BDSA retail data across 14 legal marijuana markets.

Despite accounting for just 3% of the $2.57 billion U.S. gummy market in 2024, fast-acting gummies sold at 31% higher original prices and 39% higher sell-through prices than conventional options. BDSA data also showed that brands offering fast-acting edibles saw major boosts in national sales rankings and, in some cases, generated as much as 50% of their total sales from those products alone.
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May 27 2025

Federal Appeals Court Rejects Challenge to Nationwide Marijuana Ban, Paving Way for Potential Supreme Court Review

A federal appeals court has rejected a lawsuit brought by several marijuana businesses seeking to overturn the federal ban on marijuana, ruling that decades of state-level legalization efforts have not rendered the federal prohibition unconstitutional. The decision clears a path for the case to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Boston, ruled against the plaintiffs in a case led by prominent attorney David Boies. The court found that despite major shifts in how marijuana is regulated and sold across the country, the federal government’s authority under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) remains intact. The ruling upheld a lower court’s decision by U.S. District Judge Mark Mastroianni, who previously stated that only the Supreme Court could overturn its 2005 precedent in Gonzales v. Raich, which affirmed Congress’ power to prohibit marijuana under the Commerce Clause.

The plaintiffs—Canna Provisions, Wiseacre Farm, delivery business owner Gyasi Sellers, and multistate operator Verano Holdings—argued that Congress has effectively abandoned its intent to regulate all marijuana commerce, citing the growing number of legalization laws and funding restrictions placed on federal interference through the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment. Boies also highlighted Congress’ 2010 decision to allow medical marijuana in D.C. as further proof of shifting federal attitudes.
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