The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will accept applications for cannabis business licenses from February 18 through March 14.

Beginning February 18, those interested can apply for various marijuana license types, including microbusiness, mezzobusiness, cultivator, manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, transporter, testing facility, and delivery service. Certain licenses have statutory caps until July 1, 2026, after which the OCM may adjust the number based on market performance.

The capped licenses include:
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There was well over $80 million worth of marijuana sold legally in Ohio in January.

Ohio Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) data shows that there was $58 million in recreational marijuana sold in January, as well as $26 million in medical marijuana. Combined, there was $84 million in total licensed marijuana sales for the month.

Since the start of legal medical marijuana sales in the state, Ohio has generated $2,389,460,666 in all-time sales, spread across 22,211,023 transactions. Since the launch of the state’s recreational marijuana market on August 7, there has been $470 million in licensed marijuana sales.
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Companion bills to legalize recreational marijuana were filed today in the Tennessee House and Senate.

House Bill 836, sponsored by State Representative Larry Miller (D), and Senate Bill 809, led by Senator Jeff Yarbro (D), together form the Tennessee Cannabis Act. The legislation would allow everyone who’s at least 21 years old to possess up to 60 grams of marijuana and up to 15 grams of marijuana concentrates. The personal cultivation of up to 12 plants would also be allowed.

The bill would also establish a recreational marijuana market, overseen by the Department of Agriculture. A 15% excise tax would be applied to marijuana sales, with revenue allocated toward administrative costs and the state’s general fund.
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Today, Washington’s House Consumer Protection & Business held a public hearing on four different cannabis-related measures.

During today’s hearings, the committee covered the following four bills:

• House Bill 1346 – Removing cannabis industry barriers

House Bill 1346 modifies cannabis licensing by removing Washington residency requirements. Entities must have at least one qualifying owner with over 10% interest named on the license. Minority owners (1-10%) must be disclosed. The LCB could impose fees for nonresident investigations and deny licenses if investigations fail. Inactive producer licenses will be suspended but reissued if federal law allows interstate cannabis transfers. Directors must meet the same qualifications as licensees.
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Republican Congressmember Andrew Clyde of Georgia has withdrawn an amendment to a fentanyl bill that sought to disrupt the ongoing effort to reschedule marijuana.

Clyde introduced the measure as an addition to the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act (HALT Fentanyl Act), a bill designed to increase penalties for fentanyl-related offenses. Clyde’s proposal would have removed the U.S. attorney general’s authority to oversee drug scheduling decisions and blocked a revised scientific review standard used in the pending marijuana rescheduling process.

However, before a scheduled House Rules Committee meeting on Tuesday, Clyde unexpectedly withdrew the amendment without explanation.
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By a vote of 53 to 46, the Virginia House of Delegates today approved House Bill 2485 through its third and final reading.

The bill’s companion measure, Senate Bill 970, was passed by the Senate last week in a 21 to 19 vote. The legislation will soon head to Governor Glenn Youngkin, who has vowed to veto the measure. The legislature could override a veto, but only with a two-thirds majority.

House Bill 2485, along with its Senate counterpart, would establish a regulated retail marijuana market in Virginia, which remains the only one of the 24 states that have legalized marijuana but still prohibit retail sales.
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Today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro gave his annual budget address, in which he called for marijuana to be legalized.

“I ask you to come together and send to my desk a bill that legalizes adult-use cannabis and expunges the records of people who have been convicted for nonviolent possession of small amounts of marijuana,” said Shapiro. “I know some are going to say it’s complicated, but it’s been talked about for years. And just in the last two years, Ohio to our west, Maryland to our south, have legalized, and we keep falling further behind.”

Shapiro said “I’ve been heartened by the fact that more and more Republicans and Democrats are coming on board, embracing liberty and economic opportunity. Let’s get it done.”
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A new poll from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs finds that a majority of Texans favor marijuana reform, with strong support for both medical and recreational legalization.

According to the survey, 79% of Texans support legislation to legalize the sale and use of marijuana for a broad range of medical conditions with a doctor’s prescription. Recreational marijuana legalization also has majority support, with 62% in favor of allowing adults 21 and older to purchase and use marijuana in Texas.

Additionally, 69% back the decriminalization of marijuana possession, which would treat minor possession as a low-level offense similar to a traffic violation. Meanwhile, 55% of respondents support a proposed legislative ban on the sale of unregulated THC products, which have proliferated due to a loophole in a 2019 law focused on industrial hemp.
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Today, State Representative Aftyn Behn (D) introduced House Bill 703, known as the “Pot for Potholes Act,” in the Tennessee General Assembly.

This legislation proposes the establishment of a regulatory framework for the cultivation, processing, and retail sale of marijuana and marijuana products within the state, to be overseen by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture.

The bill outlines comprehensive guidelines for the marijuana industry, including licensing requirements for growers, processors, and retailers, as well as standards for product testing, labeling, and advertising. A notable aspect of HB 703 is its fiscal strategy: it designates tax revenues generated from marijuana sales specifically for infrastructure improvements, with a primary focus on repairing and maintaining Tennessee’s roadways.
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A bill introduced today in the Montana Legislature would require adults to obtain a state-issued identification card before they can legally purchase recreational marijuana.

Montana State Capitol Building.

Senate Bill 255, sponsored by State Senator Greg Hertz (R), passed its first reading today in the Montana Senate. The measure proposes changing the law so that individuals 21 and older must apply for and receive a marijuana identification card from the state Department of Revenue before being allowed to buy recreational marijuana or marijuana products.

Under the bill, applicants would need to submit a form, pay a $200 fee, provide proof of Montana residency, and include personal details such as name, address, and date of birth. The ID card would be laminated, display identifying information, and include a photograph of the cardholder. It would also track purchases made with the card.
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