Trulieve, Florida’s largest distributor of medical cannabis with over 160 licensed dispensaries, is once again backing a campaign to legalize recreational marijuana.

Trulieve contributed $19.6 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee during the first quarter of 2025, according to a new report filed with the state Division of Elections. The company also provided over $84,000 in in-kind contributions during the same period.

The committee is behind a renewed effort to place a marijuana legalization initiative on the 2026 ballot. In 2024, Smart & Safe Florida led the push for a similar measure that ultimately received 57% of the vote—just shy of the 60% required for passage given it was a constitutional amendment.
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Governor Gavin Newsom has announced via press release that over $316 million worth of illegal cannabis was seized in the first quarter of 2025 through the combined efforts of the Governor’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF), the Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), and the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC).

In the release, the governor’s office said “The continued success of California’s enforcement operations demonstrate the state’s commitment to public safety and the integrity of the legal cannabis market.”

Combined key highlights from January 1 to March 31, 2025 include:
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The U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, one of the nation’s leading marijuana industry groups, says it remains in communication with the White House, saying they’re “optimistic about the president acting on cannabis perform”.

White House.

David Culver, senior vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Cannabis Roundtable, says the group has been told marijuana remains on President Donald Trump’s agenda.

“We were told very clearly at the beginning of this year that we’re going to have to wait our turn,” said Culver. “The big question is, when is this going to occur?”
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The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) has revoked 25 microbusiness cannabis facility licenses during the second round of licensing for the Missouri voter-approved regulatory program for microbusinesses, according to a press release.

Per Article XIV, microbusiness licenses are cannabis businesses that operate on a smaller scale than medical or comprehensive licenses. One of the requirements of the program is that the majority owner(s) must meet at least one eligibility qualification such as having a net worth of less than $250,000 or being a veteran with a service-connected disability. The microbusiness program is designed to provide an opportunity for cannabis facility ownership to individuals who might not otherwise easily access that opportunity.

Article XIV also requires the department to verify that microbusiness licenses were awarded to and are being operated by eligible owners. DCR must continue to monitor the details of microbusiness ownership arrangements, even if they later change, to ensure these licenses remain in compliance.

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The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) voted today to approve its final regulations governing adult-use and medical cannabis, marking a major step in the full implementation of the Rhode Island Cannabis Act.

Immediately following the vote, the CCC will submit the regulations to the Secretary of State’s Office. Per state law, they will become effective after 20 days, on May 1, 2025. On that date, the CCC will assume full authority over the regulation, licensing, and enforcement of Rhode Island’s adult-use and medical cannabis programs.

“These finalized regulations reflect my administration’s commitment to ensuring that cannabis oversight in Rhode Island is fair, transparent, and rooted in safety,” said Governor McKee. “I’m grateful to the commission members, stakeholders, and industry leaders whose collaboration helped shape a strong, thoughtful regulatory framework for our state.”
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The University of Mississippi has launched the Resource Center for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research (R3CR), a new initiative designed to support scientists across the country in navigating the regulatory and scientific hurdles surrounding marijuana research.

R3CR will operate within the university’s National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR), one of the nation’s leading marijuana research programs. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the center is a collaboration between the University of Mississippi, Washington State University, and the United States Pharmacopeia.

“R3CR is a collaborative initiative designed to serve as a central hub for cannabis research resources and expertise”, states the center’s website. “By bringing together leading institutions and experts, we are working to break down barriers and advance the scientific understanding of cannabis.”
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Hawaii Governor Josh Green has signed into law a measure to expand the state’s pilot program for automatic expungement of certain arrest records, following unanimous approval in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The Hawaii State Capitol Building.

House Bill 132 enhances the Department of the Attorney General’s expungement pilot project—first established under Act 62 of 2024—by broadening the scope of eligible offenses. The new law allows the state to automatically expunge arrest records not only for those charged with promoting a detrimental drug in the third degree, but also for those arrested for possession of any Schedule V controlled substance in any amount, provided the case did not result in a conviction.

Supporters of the bill argue that this change removes unnecessary barriers to employment, housing and education for individuals who were never convicted of a crime. Previously, those seeking to expunge their arrest records were required to navigate a complex application process with no guaranteed access to legal assistance.
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In March, legal marijuana sales across 21 recreational states and two significant medical-only states—Florida and Oklahoma—totaled more than $2.1 billion.

According to data from state regulatory agencies and commission and the research firm Headset, legal marijuana states in the U.S. sold $2.15 billion worth of marijuana and marijuana products in March, a slight increase over the $2.06 billion in January and the $1.97 billion in February. This brings 2025’s total to $6.18 billion.

The list below excludes Delaware and Minnesota, both of which have legalized recreational marijuana but have not yet launched their markets, and Virginia, which has legalized marijuana possession but not commercial sales. Alaska is also omitted due to the lack of reliable sales data for March. Oklahoma and Florida are the only medical-only states included, as no other medical state had sales data available for March.

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Legal marijuana sales in Michigan reached $276,946,009.79 in March, according to a new report released by the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA), with average prices dropping to an all-time low of $65.14 per ounce.

The total includes $276.4 million in adult-use sales and just over $502,000 in medical marijuana. The combined total represents a decline of about 4% from March 2024, when legal sales reached $288,843,279.77. At the same time, prices have dropped more sharply—down 28% from the $90 average seen in March of last year.

As of March 31, Michigan had 857 licensed marijuana retailers and 2,244 total licensed marijuana businesses.
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