Feb 27 2025

Florida Court Rules Employers Must Accommodate Off-Duty Medical Marijuana Use

In a landmark decision, a Florida state court has ruled that employers must accommodate off-the-job medical marijuana use.

The case involved Angelo Giambrone, an emergency medical technician for Hillsborough County Fire Department, who was placed on unpaid administrative leave after testing positive for marijuana during a random drug screening. Despite presenting a valid medical marijuana card, the county refused to accommodate his off-duty use.

Giambrone, who uses medical marijuana to manage anxiety, PTSD, and insomnia, filed a lawsuit alleging disability discrimination under the Florida Civil Rights Act. He argued that the county’s refusal to accept his state-issued medical marijuana card as justification for the test result violated his rights. The court sided with Giambrone, granting summary judgment in his favor and affirming that Florida law requires employers to accommodate medical marijuana use outside of work hours.
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Feb 26 2025

New Jersey Governor Proposes 500% Increase to Marijuana Social Equity Tax

Governor Phil Murphy has proposed a steep increase in New Jersey’s social equity excise fee on marijuana, raising it from $2.50 to $15 per ounce.

The additional revenue, estimated at $70 million, would be directed toward social service programs and violence intervention efforts.

The proposal follows a recent tax hike in December, when the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission increased the fee from $1.24 to $2.50 per ounce. The tax is paid by cannabis cultivators.
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Feb 26 2025

Rhode Island Bill to Allow Terminally Ill Patients to Use Medical Marijuana in Healthcare Facilities Filed With 10 Sponsors

Rhode Island lawmakers have introduced House Bill 5630, also known as the Compassionate Access to Medical Cannabis Act, which would allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana in certain healthcare facilities.

Cannabis tincture.

The bill, introduced today with ten sponsors led by State Representative Susan Donovan, has been referred to the House Health & Human Services Committee for consideration.

Under the proposed legislation, healthcare facilities would be required to permit medical marijuana use by terminally ill patients while maintaining specific restrictions. The bill prohibits smoking or vaping as a method of consumption, mandates that patients provide identification and medical marijuana documentation, and requires that cannabis be stored securely. Facilities must also establish written guidelines to regulate its use within their premises.
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Feb 26 2025

Florida Bill Filed to Legalize Recreational Marijuana, Establish Statewide Regulatory System

Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith (D-Orlando) introduced legislation today that would legalize and regulate adult-use marijuana statewide.

This legislation would establish a comprehensive framework overseeing the cultivation, processing, and retail distribution of marijuana to individuals aged 21 and older.

Key provisions of SB 1390 include the implementation of a licensing system for Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs), mandating separate licenses for cultivation, processing, and retail operations. The bill also proposes that sales tax exemptions for marijuana and related devices be limited exclusively to purchases by qualified medical patients and their caregivers.
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Feb 26 2025

Iowa Republican Lawmaker Files Bill to Legalize Psilocybin for PTSD

A new bill introduced in the Iowa House today would legalize psilocybin for individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dried psilocybin.

House File 620, sponsored by Representative John Wills (R), proposes creating a regulated system for the production and administration of psilocybin, the psychedelic compound found in “magic mushrooms”.

If passed, the legislation would allow psilocybin to be administered under professional supervision to patients with PTSD. The bill also includes provisions outlining penalties for unauthorized production or use of psilocybin. Supporters argue the measure could offer a breakthrough treatment option for individuals struggling with PTSD, pointing to research suggesting psilocybin can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression.
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Feb 26 2025

New York Senate Bill Introduced to Restrict Cannabis Retail Outlets Near Opt-Out Municipalities

New York State Senator Jack Martins introduced Senate Bill 5637 today, which has been referred to the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee.

The legislation would amend the state’s cannabis law to prohibit cannabis retail storefronts and on-site consumption venues from operating within a quarter mile of municipalities that have opted out of allowing such businesses.

The bill would modify Section 72 and Section 77 of the cannabis law by adding provisions preventing cannabis retail licensees from operating within a quarter mile of any town, city, or village that has enacted local laws requesting the Cannabis Control Board to prohibit retail dispensary and on-site consumption licenses within their jurisdiction. If enacted, the bill would take effect immediately.
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Feb 26 2025

States Most Likely to Legalize Medical Cannabis in 2025

39 states have legalized medical cannabis. Here’s a look at the states most likely to become the 40th in 2025.

Although efforts to legalize medical marijuana are ongoing in most of the 11 states without medical marijuana, the below five states are the most likely to do so this year.

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Feb 26 2025

Tennessee Bill to Restrict THCp and THCa in Hemp Products Approved by House Subcommittee

A Tennessee House subcommittee has voted to advance House Bill 1148, which would restrict the sale of hemp-derived products containing tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCp) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa).

The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee has advanced HB 1148 with a 7 to 2 vote, recommending its passage with amendments and referring it to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration. The bill, sponsored by Representative Ed Butler and 25 Republican cosponsors, aims to strengthen oversight of hemp-derived cannabinoids, particularly tetrahydrocannabiphorol (THCp) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa).

If enacted, HB 1148 would redefine hemp regulations in Tennessee by requiring total THC content to be measured using decarboxylation, a process that converts THCa into its active THC form. This adjustment is designed to prevent manufacturers from exploiting legal loopholes that allow high-THCa hemp products to be sold under the state’s existing hemp laws. Additionally, the bill explicitly authorizes law enforcement to seize and forfeit any product containing THCp or THCa that exceeds the state’s legal THC threshold.
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Feb 26 2025

Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Releases Industry Report Assessing Adult- and Medical-Use Cannabis Markets

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (Commission) this week published the “Review and Assessment of the Massachusetts Adult- and Medical-use Cannabis Industries” report, a comprehensive review of the Commonwealth’s adult- and medical-use cannabis landscape based on more than six years of data.

The Industry Report, drafted and published to satisfy the Commission’s statutory research mandate, covers topics from product sales trends and testing data to demographic information for license owners and employees working in the regulated industry. The Commission’s Research Department, led by Chief of Research Dr. Julie Johnson, presented the report using datasets beginning with the inception and implementation of Massachusetts’ adult-use marijuana retailers in November 2018 up to April 2024. 

The Industry Report, which was presented to Commissioners and the public at the agency’s Feb. 25 public meeting, also includes the first release of data on the medical market and patients, as well as cannabis product testing. The report was released prior to the Commission’s public listening session on the Medical Use of Marijuana Program on Feb.27, where the agency will hear from patients and Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MTCs) about the program and patient experience, as well as potential policy changes that could increase access to the program.
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Feb 26 2025

Ohio Senate Passes Bill to Reduce Marijuana Grow Count, Limit THC Content in Concentrates, Place a Cap on Marijuana Stores

The Ohio Senate has passed a bill that would impose significant restrictions on the state’s recreational marijuana law, despite widespread opposition from advocates and industry stakeholders.

Senate Bill 56, which cleared the full Senate today, would reduce the number of marijuana plants adults can cultivate at home from 12 to six, and it would lower the maximum THC concentration allowed in concentrates from 90% to 70%. The bill would also cap the number of licensed marijuana retailers at 350, a move critics argue is arbitrary given the thousands of active liquor licenses in the state.

Additionally, the legislation would eliminate social equity licenses and strip the Division of Cannabis Control of its ability to establish regulations for marijuana delivery services and online sales.
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