North Dakota Senate to Hold Hearing on House-Backed Kratom Study Bill

House Bill 1566, which would initiate a legislative study on kratom regulations, is set for a public hearing in the North Dakota Senate.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee will review the measure on March 14 at 9:15 a.m, with the public open to give comment on the proposal.

The bill, which passed the House last month in a decisive 79 to 6 vote, directs the legislative management to examine kratom’s potential uses and regulatory framework. The study’s findings and any proposed legislation would be reported to the next legislative session.
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Survey: 84% of UK Doctors Would Prescribe Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain If NHS Allowed It

A new survey has found that 84% of UK doctors would be willing to prescribe medical cannabis for chronic pain if it were an available option through the National Health Service (NHS).

The findings come as experts warn that chronic pain cases in the UK could rise by 1.9 million by 2040.

Commissioned by the medical cannabis clinic Alternaleaf, the survey also revealed that 78% of doctors believe opioids are overprescribed for pain relief in the UK, with nearly a third (29%) expressing concern that the NHS is unprepared for the expected surge in chronic pain patients.

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Ohio: Over 7 Million Legal Marijuana Transactions Between August 7 and March 8, $569 Million in Total Sales

Ohio’s legal marijuana market has recorded more than 7.1 million transactions and over $569 million in sales between August 7 and March 8, according to updated data released today by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control.

During this period, there were 5,107,590 adult-use transactions and 2,049,935 medical marijuana transactions, totaling 7,157,525. Adult-use sales accounted for $376,482,070, while medical marijuana sales reached $192,822,608, bringing the combined total to $569,304,678.

As of March 8, the average price of dried flower remains steady at $7 per gram. Since the start of Ohio’s licensed medical marijuana program in 2019, all-time sales have now reached $2.5 billion across more than 23 million transactions.
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Missouri Generates Over $115 Million in Marijuana Sales in February

There was Over $115 million in legal marijuana sold in February in Missouri, according to state officials.

According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, there was $116.16 million worth of marijuana and marijuana products sold in February 2025, a modest increase over the $113 million sold in February 2024. The vast majority of February’s sales was for recreational use, at $102.46 million, with medical marijuana patients purchasing $13.77 million worth of medicine.

January’s marijuana sales resulted in over $10 million in taxes for the state. In 2024, the stater garnered over $120 million in taxes from over $1.3 billion in total sales.
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Virginia Governor Sent Bill to Update Medical Marijuana Labeling Requirements and Expand Home Delivery for Patients

Legislation that would update medical marijuana product labeling requirements and expand delivery options for patients has been sent to Governor Glenn Youngkin for consideration.

House Bill 1989 was given approval last month by the (84 to 14) and Senate (30 to 10). On Friday, the bill was officially sent to the desk of Governor Youngkin, who now has the option of signing it into law, vetoing it, or allowing it to become law without a signature. If Youngkin does veto the measure, the legislature can overturn it with a two-thirds majority, a threshold the bill could likely reach given its widespread support in the legislature.

Sponsored by Delegate Alex Askew (D), the legislation would update labeling rules for medical marijuana products, requiring pharmaceutical processors to provide clearer cannabinoid content information. Specifically, labels would need to display:

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New Mexico: Second House Committee Passes Bill to Restrict Workplace Cannabis Testing for Patients

A second committee in the New Mexico House of Representatives has given approval to legislation that would prevent random cannabis testing and to ensure that cannabis metabolites in someone’s system can’t by itself be considered  impaired.

House Bill 230 states that “An employee shall not be considered to be impaired by cannabis solely because of the presence of metabolites or components of cannabis.” The measure was given approval by the House Judiciary Committee, three weeks after it was passed by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The proposal now advances to the full House of Representatives.

“Random drug testing of an employee shall not include testing for cannabis”, states the proposed law. However, an employer “may require a drug test for cannabis if the employer has a reasonable suspicion of the employee’s impairment by cannabis at work or after an accident involving the employee and at least one other person or an accident causing significant damage to property if the employer has a reasonable suspicion of the employee’s impairment by cannabis at the time of the accident.”
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Texas Bill Would Mandate Study of MDMA, Psilocybin and Ketamine for Treating PTSD and Depression

Legislation has been filed in Texas that would direct state health officials to study the potential of psychedelic therapies such as MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine, for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Texas State Capitol Building.

House Bill 4014, filed yesterday by State Representative John Bucy (R), would require the Department of State Health Services to conduct a comprehensive study on the use of MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine in treating PTSD, depression, and other co-occurring conditions. The research would be carried out in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine and the Center for Psychedelic Research and Therapy at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin.

The bill mandates a review of clinical trials and scientific literature on psychedelic therapies, as well as an evaluation of potential treatment guidelines. It also directs the department to assess patient access to existing treatments for PTSD and depression and recommend legislative actions to improve access to psychedelic-assisted therapy if the substances receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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The States Most Likely to Become the 25th to Legalize Cannabis

Efforts to legalize recreational marijuana continue to gain momentum across the country, with several states on the cusp of becoming the next to join the 24 that have already embraced legalization.

Whether through legislative action or ballot initiatives, the states listed below stand out as the most likely to legalize marijuana in the near future. Whichever state is next, they will become legal cannabis state #25, marking half of the entire country.
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Hawaii Senate Resolution Calls on U.S. Congress to Deschedule Cannabis, Ensure Banking Access for Cannabis Businesses

Hawaii State Senator Joy San Buenaventura (D) has introduced Senate Resolution 68, urging the U.S. Congress to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act.

Filed today, the resolution also calls for federal action to ensure marijuana-related businesses have access to banking services, and it calls on the government to support state-level efforts to expunge cannabis-related offenses.

The measure highlights Hawaii’s existing marijuana policies, including the legalization of medical use in 2000, the establishment of a dispensary system in 2015, and the decriminalization of small possession amounts in 2019. Despite these reforms, thousands of individuals in the state have been arrested for marijuana possession in the past decade, with arrests continuing even after decriminalization. The resolution argues that federal prohibition prevents full economic and legal integration of marijuana into society, leaving businesses and individuals vulnerable to legal and financial obstacles.
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New Hampshire Committee Unanimously Approves Bill to Decriminalize Psilocybin

Legislation to decriminalize the possession of psilocybin for those 21 and older has been passed unanimously by a key New Hampshire committee.

Today, the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee voted 16 to 0 to pass an amended version of House Bill 528, filed by State Representative Kevin Verville (R).

As filed, House Bill 528 would have legalized obtaining, purchasing, transporting, possessing, or using psilocybin. However, the committee amended the bill so that instead of legalizing psilocybin, it decriminalizes it. Under the new version of the bill, a first psilocybin offense would be a civil infraction, subject to a fine of up to $100. Second and third offenses would be class a B misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000, but no possibility of jailtime.
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