Study: Psilocybin May Aid Recovery in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients

A new study published in the journal Journal Brain Sciences highlights psilocybin’s potential as a therapeutic tool for those recovering from traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Researchers from Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine and JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute conducted a narrative review of existing literature published between 2000 and 2025. After screening research databases and relevant references, they analyzed 45 studies, including several focused on psilocybin’s legal landscape.
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Maine Approves Marijuana Tax Hike While Cutting Cultivation Fees in New Budget

Maine’s marijuana sales tax will rise from 10% to 14% starting January 1 as part of the $11.3 billion state budget signed this week by Governor Janet Mills.

The change marks a 40% increase and brings Maine in line with the highest cannabis sales tax rate in New England, matching Vermont and topping Massachusetts’ 10.75%.
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Canada’s Legal Cannabis Industry Reaches $9.2 Billion in GDP Contribution as Illicit Market Shrinks

Canada’s legal cannabis industry added $9.2 billion to the nation’s GDP in April 2025, a steady rise from $9.1 billion in March, according to new government data.

Legal cannabis producers alone were responsible for $8.2 billion of that total, representing a 9.8% increase from April 2024. Meanwhile, the contribution from unlicensed producers fell 4% year-over-year to $1.7 billion, continuing a trend of declining influence from the illicit market since national legalization in 2018.
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Poll: Majority of Texas Voters Oppose Legislature’s THC Ban, Support Expanding Medical Marijuana Access

A new University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll finds that most Texas voters oppose a legislative effort to outlaw hemp-derived THC products, with just 31% in support of such a move.

According to the poll, 53% of Texans oppose banning the sale of hemp-derived cannabis products, including consumables, while just 31% support the policy. Among Republicans, views are divided: 46% support a ban, while 39% are opposed. A strong majority of Democrats (68%) and independents (58%) reject the ban.
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Study: Cannabis Extract Doesn’t Impact Fertility or Early Pregnancy, Even at High Doses

A new study published in the journal Reproductive Toxicology found that cannabis sativa extract did not affect fertility or early embryonic development in an animal model, even at high doses.

Cannabis extract.

“Currently, there are reservations regarding the medicinal use of Cannabis sativa extract and its potential to impact fertility”, states the study’s abstract. “Certain cannabinoids, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC), can modulate both male and female sex hormones, potentially leading to alterations in fertilization viability.”
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Study: High-Dose CBD May Protect the Brain After Repeated Concussions by Reducing Stress and Cell Death

According to a study published recently by the journal Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao, cannabidiol (CBD) may help protect the brain following multiple concussions by reducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and preventing neuronal cell death.

Researchers from Shuozhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital used a rat model of repeated mild traumatic brain injury, or multiple concussions (MCC), to examine the effects of both low and high doses of CBD (10 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg, respectively). Over a two-week period, the researchers assessed changes in brain tissue related to ER stress and apoptosis, or programmed cell death—two biological processes strongly linked to brain injury.
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Study: Nanofiber System Combining CBD and Levosulpiride Improves Brain Delivery for Anxiety and Depression Treatment

A new preclinical study published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics has found that combining cannabidiol (CBD) with levosulpiride in a novel nanofiber-based delivery system significantly enhances brain-targeted therapy for anxiety and depression.

Researchers from the School of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in India developed a supramolecular inclusion complex (Levo-CBD-C-P-IC), incorporating CBD and levosulpiride within a cyclodextrin-phospholipid structure, which was then embedded into electrospun nanofibers. The formulation displayed favorable particle characteristics, including a mean size of 222.8 nm and a zeta potential of −17.58 mV, and maintained nanofiber integrity with observed diameters between 177 nm and 350 nm.
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Illinois Marijuana Sales Top $171 Million in May, Pushing 2025 Total Past $778 Million

Illinois marijuana retailers sold a combined $171.1 million worth of product in May, according to new data released by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Of the total, $149.7 million came from adult-use purchases, while $21.4 million was from medical marijuana patients. Recreational sales climbed slightly from April’s $146.6 million total and marked the highest single-month figure so far in 2025.
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Mike Tyson, Kevin Durant, Ricky Williams and Dozens of Athletes Urge Trump to Reschedule Marijuana, Expand Clemency and Fix Banking Access

Retired boxing champion Mike Tyson is leading a group of athletes, musicians and entertainers in calling on President Trump to make marijuana reform a priority.

In a letter sent to Trump, the coalition praised his past clemency actions and urged him to go further by rescheduling marijuana, granting mass pardons, and ending the banking restrictions hurting state-legal cannabis businesses.
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Former Texas Governor and U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry Says “I’m Dedicating My Life to Fighting for a Psychedelic Drug”

Former Texas governor and U.S. energy secretary Rick Perry says he’s dedicating the rest of his life to advocating for ibogaine, a psychedelic derived from a West African shrub that he believes could revolutionize the treatment of addiction, trauma, and brain injury.

In a Washington Post op-ed, Perry called the recent decision by Texas lawmakers to allocate $50 million in public funding for clinical trials of ibogaine “a bold, bipartisan move rooted in science and urgency.” The funding marks the largest-ever government investment in psychedelic research, with the goal of testing ibogaine’s ability to treat substance use disorders and neurological damage.
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