Category: Marijuana News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to VER-01, a cannabis-derived, full-spectrum drug for chronic low back pain produced by German company Vertanical. The designation follows two randomized, controlled Phase 3 trials, which demonstrated significant pain reduction, a favorable tolerability profile, and no evidence of dependence.  

In a direct Phase 3 head-to-head comparator study, the drug also showed superior pain reduction and better gastrointestinal tolerability than opioids.  

In a statement, Dr. Clemens Fischer, CEO of FUTRUE Group and founder of Vertanical, said the FDA designation “is a major recognition of its potential to address the significant unmet need in chronic pain.” 

“Patients have waited far too long for meaningful progress. We believe VER-01 has the potential to change how chronic pain is treated and offer physicians a much-needed non-opioid solution.” — Fischer in a press release 

The Phase 3 results were published last September in the journal Nature Medicine. The trial demonstrated that the drug “provides meaningful pain reduction compared to the placebo, accompanied by distinct improvements in physical function and sleep quality” and that prolonged treatment “was associated with further reductions in pain intensity, as well as continued improvements in physical function, sleep quality and health-related quality of life.” 

The company expects marketing

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Pot Brothers at Law, Round Table Discussions, and an Exclusive Q&A with the Office of Cannabis Management Highlight This Year’s Event

ST. PAUL, MN — CannaCon, the nation’s leading B2B cannabis conference and expo, returns to the Saint Paul RiverCentre on June 26–27, 2026, bringing together cannabis entrepreneurs, cultivators, retailers, processors, manufacturers, investors, and industry service providers from across Minnesota and beyond.

As Minnesota’s adult-use cannabis market continues to evolve, CannaCon St. Paul offers attendees a unique opportunity to connect directly with industry experts, regulators, and business leaders while exploring the latest products, services, and innovations shaping the future of cannabis.

One of this year’s featured attractions is an appearance by the nationally recognized Pot Brothers at Law, attorneys Marc and Craig Wasserman, known for their viral “Shut the F*ck Up” campaign educating cannabis consumers and businesses about their legal rights. Attendees will hear firsthand insights on navigating interactions with law enforcement and regulators while protecting themselves and their businesses.

In addition to a robust seminar program, CannaCon St. Paul will feature interactive Round Table Discussions designed to foster meaningful conversations among cannabis professionals. These peer-to-peer sessions will allow participants to exchange ideas, share experiences, and discuss real-world challenges and

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Rhode Island lawmakers are poised to pass legislation removing the state’s residency requirements for cannabis industry license-holders, the Rhode Island Current reports.

The legislation, sponsored by state Democrats Rep. Scott Slater and Sen. Jacob Bissaillon, removes the requirement that state-licensed cannabis businesses be majority-owned by Rhode Island residents. The proposals come after U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose halted cannabis industry licensing after multiple lawsuits challenged the requirements as unconstitutional.

“This language that we have in this bill would get this licensing process back on track and allow the Cannabis Control Commission and board to do their job and rectify this situation.” — Slater, in a statement, via the Current

The legislation also removes some social equity provisions, like the designation of “disproportionately impacted” areas for social equity licenses. However, it also broadens the definition of social equity applicants to include individuals with at least 51% ownership of a company that has been disproportionately impacted by cannabis-related law enforcement.

The Senate bill soared through the House in a 63-0 vote on Monday, while the Senate was scheduled to take up the House version of the bill at the end of its session on Tuesday.

There are 20 licenses

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If the New Jersey Spotlight was any indication, the IgniteIt Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago is shaping up to be a significant moment for the industry.

From Jersey City to the Magnificent Mile

IgniteIt‘s recent New Jersey event sold out, drawing more than 500 operators, investors, and service providers to a one-day program in Jersey City built around curated introductions, concierge networking, and structured meetups. Attendees and organizers described hallway conversations as substantive as the panels themselves — coffee lines turning into working sessions, introductions leading to follow-up meetings.

The Spotlight series is designed as an on-ramp to Chicago, giving emerging brands, multistate operators, and investors a chance to meet and compare notes before stepping onto the bigger stage. The idea is that relationships started in Jersey City have somewhere to go — Chicago is where the follow-up email becomes a term sheet, a pilot partnership, or a multistate expansion conversation.

Where Capital Shows Up Ready to Work

The Chicago conference has developed a reputation as a gathering where serious cannabis capital actually moves. Over three days on the Magnificent Mile, the expected attendee mix includes CEOs, fund managers, family offices, and institutional players — along with the founders and

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) last week signed into law legislation streamlining the state’s medical and adult-use cannabis supply chains. 

The law eliminates the state’s current combination medical and adult-use cannabis license, sets a new plant canopy cap of 38,000 square feet for indoor cultivation – down from the maximum of 90,000 square feet for combination licenses – with 60,000 square feet reserved for medical cannabis products. The bill also creates a new cannabis microbusiness license in turn, which will be available starting in 2027. 

Additionally, the legislation allows companies to hold both hemp and cannabis business licenses. In a statement, state Rep. Nolan West (R) called the previous regulations “absolutely brutal” for businesses and that the bill would fix “the litany of problems” in the state’s cannabis market and open it up so the state “can have a thriving market that isn’t dominated by just a few players.”  

Additionally, the legislation requires the Office of Cannabis Management to develop a feasibility study to explore a therapeutic psilocybin program. The report for that study is due by January 15, 2027. 

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The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) announced last week that the agency will begin auditing the THC potency levels of retail cannabis products, WWLP reports.

The audits will test products from the regulated market for THC potency, and if the test results report something outside of 75 to 125% what is listed on the label, the product will be removed from store shelves.

The agency said the process will help consumers and public safety.

“Verifying that marijuana and marijuana products are accurately labeled is critical to the Commission’s mission of safely, equitably, and effectively providing Massachusetts residents access to this industry. This effort aims to improve patient and consumer awareness statewide and takes into consideration that THC potency is variable for marijuana flower products, it degrades over time when it is stored, and other factors.” — CCC Executive Director Travis Ahern, in a statement

Meanwhile, Gov. Maura Healey (D) appointed three new CCC commissioners last week. The appointments came about a month after Healey signed a law reducing the number of commissioners from five to three, all of whom are appointed by the governor.

The Commission now includes Christopher Harding, Xiomara DeLobato, and Anthony Wilson, with Harding designated

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The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has frozen the license of cannabis testing lab Legend Technical Services for failing to address “security and testing requirements,” the Star Tribune reports.

Legend was originally licensed to test cannabis products under the state’s medical program. However, to help facilitate the launch of adult-use sales, regulators approved the lab in September 2025 to begin testing products for both markets. The lab was also allowed to continue using its testing methodologies for adult-use products despite different requirements under the new regime — regulators sent a letter this week notifying Legend and its clients that the lab’s special approval had expired.

“Our commitment to public health and safety requires us to hold all license holders to the same standards, and there are steps that Legend must take to address the issues identified in the variances. These requirements are no different than what is required of all licensed testing facilities.” — OCM spokesperson Josh Collins, in the report

Tom Barrett, the vice president of Legend Technical Services, told the Tribune that the company has delivered most of the information requested by the OCM. The rest of the info should be sent over by the end of

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High-end joints, doinks, and blunts have become one of the fastest growing categories in cannabis, and few products generate more demand than Hash Holes. Known for premium flower, concentrated hash centers, and a connoisseur-level smoking experience, Hash Holes have traditionally been expensive, difficult to make, and nearly impossible to scale. Until now.

RollPros is introducing a new Hash Hole capability for the Blackbird XXL, creating a semi-automated path to producing these premium infused pre-rolls with greater speed and consistency. Using a firmware-based process update, the XXL stages flower in two steps, allowing operators to place the hash center during production before the machine completes the fill and roll sequence.

No hardware modifications. No complicated retrofit. Just a much smarter production process.

“I am really stoked to introduce hash holes into our lineup. Ever since I tried my first hash hole, I’ve been dying to get that into our system,” said Kyle Loucks, CEO of RollPros and inventor of the Blackbird XXL.

The result is a streamlined workflow that helps producers move beyond labor-intensive hand rolling and into repeatable, scalable Hash Hole production. Early testing demonstrated production output between 100 and 150 units per hour, dramatically outperforming traditional hand-crafted methods.

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Sixty-seven percent of Gen Zers consume cannabis, with 28% reporting daily use, according to an EduBirdie survey published last month. Eighteen percent of respondents said they consume cannabis a few times a week, with 8% saying they used it a few times a month, 13% saying they only consumed cannabis on special occasions, and 6% saying they only tried cannabis once. 

Twenty-seven percent of those polled said they have never tried cannabis.  

Over a quarter (27%) said they spend between $50 and $100 monthly on cannabis, while 21% spend between $100 and $200; 16% spend between $20 and $50; 12% spend less than $20; 11% spend between $200 and $500; 10% spend nothing at all; and 3% spend more than $500.  

According to the survey, nearly half (48%) had consumed cannabis before a family event, while 36% had consumed cannabis before a date; 26% had used cannabis before a work meeting; 27% had consumed before an exam; 25% before a job interview; 22% before a class or lecture; and 15% before a team building event. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they had not consumed cannabis before any important event. 

The majority (55%) of respondents said they don’t consume cannabis while working from home, in the office, or on campus; while 35%, 17%, and 12% of respondents, respectively,

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Researchers at the University of Connecticut (UConn) and Purdue University have developed a non-toxic hemp plastic derived from CBD. The study, published last month in the journal Chem Circularity, demonstrated a stretchy, hemp-derived thermoplastic that can extend up to 1,600% of its size with a high “glass transition temperature,” which allows the alternative plastic to stay dry and durable when coming into contact with boiling water. 

It is the first time a hemp-based polycarbonate material has shown high-temperature stability and melt processability at this scale.

In a statement, Gregory Sotzing, one of the study authors and a UConn Department of Chemistry professor, said that “very few, if any, plastics made from natural resources have [the glass transition temperature] quality.” 

“Current day polycarbonate is made from bisphenol-A, a known endocrine disruptor. The hope here is that cannabidiol can take the place of bisphenol-A found in today’s processed plastics.” — Sotzing in a statement  

The hemp-derived plastic could replace common materials made from petroleum-based materials such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), including transparent films, coatings, water bottles, food packaging, and substrates for flexible electronics. 

Author Mukerrem Cakmak, of Purdue University, said the research establishes “CBD-based colycarbonates as sustainable replacements for widely used thermoplastics such as PET.”  

“We have developed a rigorous processing science framework that links molecular architecture to melt

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