Feb 19 2025

Verano Announces Opening of Medical Cannabis Dispensary in North Miami Beach, Company’s 80th Florida Location, 153rd Nationwide

Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multi-state cannabis company, today announced the opening of MÜV North Miami Beach on Friday, February 21st, the company’s 80th Florida location.

The new location, located at 16635 NE 19th Ave, will be open from Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time. Once open, Verano will have 153 dispensaries operating across over a dozen states.

Located in Florida’s Miami-Dade County, the state’s largest county by population with over 2.6 million residents, MÜV North Miami Beach sits in a prime location just west of Biscayne boulevard on 19th Avenue, a bustling thoroughfare with a daily traffic count of 25,000 vehicles2. The dispensary marks a milestone as Verano’s 80th location in the Sunshine State and fourth in Miami-Dade County, complementing existing locations in North Miami – Biscayne, MÜV Miami – Kendall, and MÜV Naranja. MÜV North Miami Beach is conveniently located next to Miami’s Snake Creek Canal and a short trip from area beaches, shopping areas and other favorite attractions popular with locals, tourists and seasonal residents alike.
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Feb 19 2025

THCV and CBD Mucoadhesive Strips Linked to Weight Loss and Metabolic Benefits, Study Finds

A new placebo-controlled study found that mucoadhesive strips containing tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and cannabidiol (CBD) led to significant weight loss and metabolic improvements over 90 days.

The study involved 44 participants, including 31 women and 13 men, with an average age of 51.75 years. Researchers tested two different doses: 8 mg THCV/10 mg CBD and 16 mg THCV/20 mg CBD, taken once daily. Participants were monitored for changes in weight, abdominal girth, systolic blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.

Both dosage levels resulted in statistically significant weight loss, reductions in waist circumference, lower systolic blood pressure, and decreased LDL cholesterol compared to the placebo group. The higher dose demonstrated a greater effect on weight loss. Researchers noted that these findings align with prior unpublished studies involving THCV-rich hemp extracts.
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Feb 19 2025

California’s Legal Cannabis Market Now Has More Inactive Licenses Than Active Ones

The number of inactive marijuana business licenses in California has now surpassed active ones, highlighting ongoing struggles in the state’s legal industry.

An analysis by SFGate found that 10,828 marijuana business licenses in California are now inactive or surrendered, compared to 8,514 active licenses. Jonatan Cvetko, executive director of the United Cannabis Business Association, described the situation as a “complete failure.”

A 2023 rule change allowing cannabis cultivators to consolidate smaller licenses into larger ones accounted for 1,071 inactive licenses. The breakdown of inactive licenses includes over 1,100 distribution licenses, nearly 500 delivery licenses, and more than 300 retail licenses.
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Feb 19 2025

Study: Patients With Cancer Who Use Medical Marijuana Report Significant Improvements in Symptoms, But Affordability an Issue

A recent study published by the U.S. National Library of Medicine found that patients with cancer who use medical marijuana report substantial improvements in managing symptoms.

The study found that although most cancer patients find symptom relief from using medical marijuana, high out-of-pocket costs remain a major barrier, particularly for those already facing financial hardship.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Health, and the HealthPartners Institute Cancer Research Center surveyed 220 cancer patients enrolled in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program over a two-month period. The study examined the relationship between financial well-being and patterns of medical marijuana use, associated costs, and symptom relief.

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Feb 19 2025

Study: Cannabidiol (CBD) Disrupts Bacterial Cell Walls, Showing Potential as an Antibiotic Alternative

A new study published in the Journal of Proteomics explores the antibacterial properties of cannabidiol (CBD), revealing its potential as an alternative to traditional antibiotics.

The research focused on Bacillus licheniformis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Enterococcus faecium, using bacterial inhibition assays, label-free proteomics, and metabolomics to analyze CBD’s effects.

The findings indicate that CBD causes significant structural damage to bacterial cell walls and membranes, leading to widespread changes in protein and metabolite expression. The study identified 437, 120, and 195 differentially expressed proteins in B. licheniformis, S. aureus, and E. faecium, respectively, along with disruptions in metabolic pathways crucial to bacterial survival.
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Feb 19 2025

Kentucky Lawmaker Files Resolution Urging U.S. Congress to Allow Medical Marijuana Patients to Own Firearms

State Representative Derek Lewis (R) filed House Resolution 48 in the Kentucky House yesterday, calling on Congress to protect the Second Amendment rights of medical marijuana patients.

The resolution, which has been assigned to the Committee on Committees for further consideration, highlights the conflict between federal firearms regulations and state medical marijuana laws. Under current federal law, individuals who use a controlled substance—including marijuana, which remains federally illegal—are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms. HR 48 argues that this policy forces medical marijuana patients to choose between accessing treatment and exercising their constitutional rights.

Kentucky legalized medical marijuana in 2023 when lawmakers passed Senate Bill 47. The law, which took effect on January 1, 2025, allows qualifying patients to access marijuana for conditions such as chronic pain and chemotherapy-induced nausea. However, despite the state’s legalization efforts, patients remain subject to federal firearm restrictions.
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Feb 18 2025

Study: CBD Reshapes Gut Microbiome to Enhance Endurance in Animal Model

A study conducted by Jeonbuk National University Medical School and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology found that cannabidiol (CBD) enhances endurance exercise in mice by altering the gut microbiome and promoting muscle adaptation.

“Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive compound from Cannabis, has various bioactive functions in humans and animals”, states the study, which was published by the journal Experimental & Molecular Medicine. “Evidence suggests that CBD promotes muscle injury recovery in athletes, but whether and how CBD improves endurance performance remains unclear.”

For this study, researchers “investigated the effects of CBD treatment on exercise performance in mice and assessed whether this effect involves the gut microbiome.”
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Feb 18 2025

New Texas Bill Would Legalize Marijuana for Everyone 21 and Older

A bill to legalize marijuana for everyone 21 and older was introduced today in the Texas House of Representatives by State Rep. John Bucy (D).

House Bill 2975, titled the Texas Regulation of Cannabis Act, would allow for the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale, and possession of marijuana and related products. The legislation establishes a licensing framework for marijuana businesses, including growers, processors, testing facilities, transporters, and dispensaries. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation would oversee the industry’s regulation and enforcement.

The bill would allow local governments to regulate marijuana businesses within their jurisdictions. It would place a possession limit of two ounces of dried marijuana flower and up to 15 grams of concentrates, with sakes taxed at 10%.
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Feb 18 2025

Illinois Senate Committee Advances Bill to Prohibit Vehicle Searches Based on Cannabis Odor

A key committee in the Illinois Senate has given approval to legislation that would restrict law enforcement from searching vehicles based solely on the smell of cannabis.

The Senate Criminal Law Committee voted 7 to 3 in favor of Senate Bill 42, which would eliminate the requirement that cannabis be stored in an odor-proof container while in a vehicle. It would also bar police from using the smell of burnt or raw cannabis as the sole basis for a vehicle search if the occupants are at least 21 years old.

The bill follows two Illinois Supreme Court rulings issued last year. In September, the court determined that the smell of burnt cannabis did not provide probable cause for a search. However, in December, it ruled that the odor of raw cannabis did justify a search, as it indicated a potential violation of state law requiring cannabis to be stored in a sealed, child-resistant, odor-proof container.
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Feb 18 2025

Ohio Committee Holds Hearing on Bill to Roll Back Voter-Approved Recreational Marijuana Law, Nearly All Oppose

Ohio’s Senate General Government Committee held a hearing today on a bill that would significantly alter the state’s recreational marijuana law.

The committee held the hearing today on Senate Bill 56, which would roll back some of the state’s recreational marijuana law, which was approved by voters in 2023. Over 40 people provided testimony in opposition to the bill, with just one person in support. This pushed the committee’s chair to delay a vote on the bill to at least next week, following expectations that a vote would happen this week, and as soon as today.

“SB 56 is not the tidying-up of a citizen-initiated statute. Instead, it is a rebuke of the people and businesses that drafted the initiative, voted for it, worked tirelessly to implement it, and generated (so far) $319 million of adult-use sales”, said the ACLU of Ohio.
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