BudDigest

American basketball player Jarred Dwayne Shaw was arrested in Indonesia earlier this month for allegedly smuggling cannabis-infused candies into the country, NBC News reports. The Southeast Asian nation’s strict drug laws include severe punishments for drug-related charges, including potentially execution by firing squad.

Shaw — originally from Dallas, Texas — was arrested May 7 following a police raid on his apartment outside the capital city of Jakarta. Police said they seized 132 cannabis candies during the raid — enough for prosecutors to seek life imprisonment or the death penalty, the report said. The candies were believed to have been shipped from Thailand, where cannabis has been decriminalized.

In a video circulated on social media capturing the lead-up to Shaw’s arrest, the 34-year-old was seen shouting “Help” as he was taken by police.

“We are still running the investigation to uncover the international drugs network behind this case and to stop its distribution.” — Ronald Sipayung, Soekarno-Hatta Airport police chief, via NBC News

The Indonesian Basketball League has banned Shaw from playing in the league ever again. “We don’t tolerate players, administrators, or anyone in the field involved in drugs,” said the league chair Budisatrio Djiwandono. “There is no room for

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The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that the state’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force — dedicated to stopping illicit cannabis operators — seized 105,700 plants and 22,057 pounds of illicit cannabis products during an enforcement action earlier this month. Officials said it was the task force’s largest cannabis seizure yet, with an estimated $123.5 million in total value.

“Let this be a reminder to all who grow cannabis illegally: we won’t tolerate the undermining of our legal industry and impacts to our environment. I appreciate the multi-agency, cross-county efforts to take on the illicit market.” — Gov. Newsom, in a press release

Co-lead by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Cannabis Control, the operation included 71 search warrants issued by officers from 15 state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies throughout Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties. More than 200 sworn officers and staff were involved, the state said.

“The scale of this enforcement effort reflects the strength of our partnerships and our shared commitment to holding illicit operators accountable while protecting communities and ecosystems across the state,” said Nicole Elliott, director of the Department of Cannabis Control.

Since its creation in 2022,

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Chris Day has spent his career at the intersection of storytelling, strategy, and social impact. After decades in media, PR, and marketing, he brought his expertise to the cannabis industry—drawn by its potential to right historical wrongs, drive sustainable innovation, and redefine global wellness. As co-founder of the Global Cannabis Network Collective and a key voice behind Cannabis Means Business, Day now helps cannabis leaders navigate complex markets, build lasting brands, and prepare for international expansion. In this interview with Ganjapreneur, he discusses the urgent need for U.S. reform, what sets New York’s cannabis market apart, and why true success in this space demands not only resilience—but a willingness to think globally and act with purpose.

Read the full interview:

Ganjapreneur: You’ve had a diverse career spanning media, marketing, and business strategy—what led you to cannabis, and what’s kept you here?

Chris Day: After two decades in PR, marketing, and advertising—some fulfilling, some just for a paycheck—I wanted to apply my skills to something with real purpose.

Cannabis offered that: an industry with the potential to do good, build equitable businesses, and make a global impact. What keeps me here, even when it’s tough, is the belief

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The Minnesota House on Saturday passed the omnibus cannabis policy bill that makes changes to the state’s adult-use cannabis law and will set up the marketplace, moving it to Gov. Tim Walz (D) for his signature. The bill passed the state Senate on May 5. 

The bill creates a lower-potency hemp wholesaler license, allows individuals with adjudicated cannabis-related sentence to be social equity applicants, allows vendors to provide samples at cannabis events, allows manufacturers in Minnesota to export low-potency hemp products out of the state that aren’t compliant in Minnesota, allows testing facilities to begin testing while in the accreditation process, and allows a beverage to be one serving with no more than 10 milligrams of THC. 

In a press release, state Rep. Nolan West (R), who collaborated with bill sponsor state Rep. Zack Stephenson (D) on the legislation, pointed out that Ohio legalized cannabis six months after Minnesota in 2023, but Minnesota doesn’t yet have a licensed adult-use cannabis store.  

“We could do a lot better. Thankfully, this bill does help. We have a hopelessly convoluted regulatory system based on this fantasy that you can create a craft cannabis market based on

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Amid legislative roadblocks, Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) announced last week his administration’s intentions to provide support and resources to the newly-created Medical Cannabis Commission (MCC) through the Policy Research Office (PRO) and Department of Administrative Services (DAS), consistent with the support those agencies provide to other agencies during the regulatory process. 

The MCC was created through voter approval of two initiatives, but launching the medical cannabis program has so far been blocked by lawmakers who cannot agree on legislation to enact the reforms. Earlier this month, state Attorney General Hilgers urged lawmakers to reject proposals to create the program, alleging that regulating the medical cannabis industry would “supercharge the black market,” fuel adult-use cannabis reforms, and “make Nebraska less safe, more dangerous.”   

“I have appointed two experienced, well-qualified individuals to the Medical Cannabis Commission, who will ensure this new industry is strongly regulated to the letter of the law the people of Nebraska enacted. I urge the Legislature to promptly confirm them so they can take up the urgent work of writing strong and effective ‘rules of the road’ for the medical cannabis industry.” — Pillen in a press

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The Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) last week unveiled a map of tribal cannabis and hemp programs. In collaboration with cannabis law firm Vicente LLP, the map was developed through research and interviews with tribal leaders. The map shows the locations of Indigenous cannabis programs in blue and hemp programs in red. There are currently 52 tribal communities that operate federally approved hemp programs, and dozens have created custom systems to regulate cannabis for both medical and adult use. 

About 26% of Indigenous communities in the continental U.S. are involved with cannabis or hemp programs, according to ICIA data. 

In a statement, ICIA Founder Rob Pero said the project “will highlight the thoughtful work that has gone into these sovereign regulatory programs as well as how these businesses affect local employment and revenue for community service.”     

“Together, we hope to inform, inspire and empower other Indigenous communities considering cannabis as well as policy makers around the world.” — Pero in a press release 

Andrew Livingston, director of economics and market analysis at Vicente LLP, added that “Indigenous cannabis programs are a vital piece of America’s cannabis movement.” 

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Albuquerque, New Mexico, this month launched a pilot program for guaranteed basic income funded partly by cannabis industry tax revenue, according to a Business Insider report.

The program was implemented by the City of Albuquerque’s Cannabis Equity & Community Reinvestment Fund, which the City Council voted to establish in 2023. Officials have allocated $4.02 million for the three-year program, with over $2 million coming from taxes on legal cannabis sales.

Unlike a universal basic income, which would provide payments for all local families, Albuquerque’s guaranteed basic income program prioritizes families living in areas that historically were impacted more by cannabis prohibition laws. The program launched this month with 80 participating families from two districts in Albuquerque — the families will receive $750 with no strings attached in monthly payments over the course of the program.

“This program puts money where it’s needed most, into the hands of struggling families working to build a better future. Albuquerque is a city that will always fight to correct injustices and will push to help families get the tools they need to succeed with dignity.” — Mayor Tim Keller, in a press release to announce securing the funds

Proponents of universal or guaranteed basic income

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Two U.S. Representatives from Florida — Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor and Darren Soto — are calling on the federal government to launch a Medicaid fraud investigation into the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and political groups that last year campaigned against the state’s adult-use cannabis legalization initiative.

In a letter sent last week, the lawmakers called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General and the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services to investigate a legal settlement between Florida and the state’s largest Medicaid managed care operator, Centene, which the lawmakers believe was “inappropriately diverted to unrelated political committees,” including the Hope Florida Foundation, which was founded by Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, wife of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

The letter tracks a series of settlements, payments, and donations that started with a settlement related to Centene overbilling Florida’s taxpayers and resulted in the company sending $10 million to Hope Florida, which dispersed the funding into political committees in a manner that “appears to run afoul of federal law,” the lawmakers wrote.

“As members of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee that provides oversight of Medicaid, we can assure you that Congress is very focused

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The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) acknowledged in a Facebook post on Wednesday that thousands of state-issued medical cannabis licenses had been inadvertently canceled overnight due to a software glitch.

The agency said the issue was caused by a glitch with Tentia, the state’s software provider for occupational licensing, and that regulators were “working as quickly as possible to figure out what led to this and the inconvenience it put on thousands of businesses.”

“If you are one of the thousands of businesses that received this notification, you can continue operating. Let us know you were impacted via our contact form at omma.ok.gov/contact.” — OMMA statement, via Facebook

Meanwhile, the number of Oklahoma medical cannabis operators dropped by one-third in 2024, continuing a significant downturn for the industry that was sparked in 2022 when lawmakers put a moratorium on new cannabis licenses in the state. The moratorium is scheduled to remain in place until 2026, and in the meantime, anyone looking to acquire a medical cannabis license in the state will have to purchase one from an existing licensee, and regulators must approve the transaction.

A report found in 2023 that the state’s licensed cannabis cultivators were producing 64 times

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Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) on Wednesday signed into law a proposal to regulate consumable hemp products, the Alabama Reflector reports.

Sponsored by state Rep. Andy Whitt (R), the bill, HB 445, sets new testing and labeling requirements for consumable hemp products and bans the sale of smokable THC products, including vaporizers. Edible products, meanwhile, will be capped at 10 milligrams of THC per individually wrapped product and 40 milligrams per package. The proposal also imposes a 10% excise tax on consumable hemp products, and the state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board will be tasked with licensing hemp companies. Only licensed companies, however, will be allowed to conduct retail consumable hemp sales.

Whitt told WSFA 12 News that the proposal stops short of legalizing cannabis but also doesn’t set an outright ban on hemp products, noting that “If you take gummies to help you sleep or help you with your arthritis or anxiety, you will still be able to go get these products but it’s not at your local gas station or convenience store.”

Hemp industry operators vehemently opposed the proposal and called on the governor to use her veto powers to protect the businesses and livelihoods of the Alabama

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