The White House says it objects to a provision passed by a key House committee that would end marijuana testing for military recruits.

Last month, the House Armed Services Committee approved the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a significant defense bill necessary for funding national defense and military operations. Included in the bill is a provision that prohibits marijuana testing of military recruits and potential officers.

The provision, titled “PROHIBITION ON CANNABIS TESTING FOR ENLISTMENT OR COMMISSION IN CERTAIN ARMED FORCES,” states:
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New medical marijuana legislation will take effect in Mississippi on July 1.

In 2022, the state passed a restrictive medical marijuana program. Two bills aimed at enhancing patient access to cannabis care and expanding research capabilities will officially take effect on July 1.

Senate Bill 2857 focuses on improving patient access by allowing patients to possess a 30-day supply of cannabis, rather than the previous 7-day limit. This change will more than quadruple the amount of marijuana products they are allowed to possess at any given time.
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The New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB) has given final approval to rules that allow those 21 and older to grow marijuana for personal use at a private residence.

In February the CCB gave preliminary approval to rules allowing for personal home grows. The proposed rules were posted in the state’s register the following month, launching a 60-day public comment period that ended last month.

Today, the CCB voted to finalize the rules, which allows for the personal cultivation of up to 12 plants, with growers allowed to possess up to give pounds harvested from these plants.
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Smart & Safe Florida, a nonprofit political committee, has raised over $60 million for its marijuana legalization initiative, surpassing all previous statewide marijuana efforts in the United States.

According to data released by the Florida Department of State Division of Elections, Smart & Safe Florida has raised $60,158,153.76 as of May 31. This is well more than any previous statewide marijuana legalization effort has raised. For comparison, proponents of California’s Proposition 64 raised $25 million in 2016, while those behind Ohio’s Issue 2 raised just $7 million last year; both initiatives were voted into law.

Amendment 3, which would alter Florida’s constitution, would allow those 21 and older to possess and use up to three ounces of dried marijuana flower and up to five grams of marijuana concentrates. These products could be purchased from licensed marijuana retail outlets and medical marijuana dispensaries that obtain a dual license.
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A marijuana superstore, located in a former bingo hall that cost over $50 million to refurbish, will open to everyone 21 and older on tribal land in North Carolina by the end of August.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Tribal Council voted last week to legalize recreational marijuana. In September, EBCI members overwhelmingly supported a referendum asking the council to develop legislation to regulate the market.

Now, the Great Smoky Cannabis Company is planning to open their doors to everyone 21 and older by the end of August, or possible a week after, becoming the first location to legally sell recreational marijuana in North Carolina history. The outlet already made history as the first in the state to allow medical marijuana sales when they opened exclusively for patients on 4/20 this year.
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May marijuana sales in Connecticut were slightly higher than in April, reflecting a continuing trend of strong consumer demand.

The $24,713,887 in marijuana and marijuana products sold legally in May surpasses the $23.9 million sold in April and the $22.7 million sold in May 2023. This is according to data released by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. $16.5 million of the legal marijuana sold in May was purchased for recreational use, with $8.2 million purchased by medical marijuana patients.

Sales totals include the licensed distribution of marijuana flower and shake, as well as a variety of marijuana products including edibles, tinctures, and topicals.
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A key committee in the California Senate has approved legislation to legalize marijuana cafés, following its passage in the full Assembly.

The Senate’s Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee has voted 9 to 2 to pass Assembly Bill 1775, roughly three weeks after it passed the Assembly by a vote of 58 to 6. The measure will now be up for consideration by the full Senate.

Filed by State Representative Matt Haney (D), the proposed law would would “authorize a local jurisdiction, if specified conditions are met, to allow for the preparation or sale of noncannabis food or beverage products, as specified, by a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed, and to allow, and to sell tickets for, live musical or other performances on the premises of a licensed retailer or microbusiness in the area where the consumption of cannabis is allowed.”
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Republicans are seeking to ban hemp compounds such as Delta-8 THC nationwide through an amendment included in a massive spending bill.

Last month, the House Agriculture Committee approved an amendment to a $1.5 trillion Federal Farm Bill that proposes a ban on most hemp products, including all cannabinoids synthesized or manufactured outside of the plant, such as delta-8 THC. However, with the vote on the farm bill likely delayed until 2025, Republicans on a House Appropriations subcommittee have included an identical version of the amendment in a Fiscal Year 2025 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill, the text of which was published today. A vote on the bill is expected tomorrow.

The proposed amendment would prohibit nearly all products containing delta-8 and delta-9 THC, as well as other novel cannabinoids derived from hemp.

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