Category: Marijuana News

Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have killed provisions in the proposed state budget that would have established a regulated, adult-use cannabis program, the Associated Press reports. It marks the third time in as many years Republican lawmakers have jettisoned legalization priorities in Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ spending proposal. 

In a press release, Evers’ office said the reforms “would help Wisconsin compete with other states for talented workers and have more resources to invest in critical state priorities,” and pointed to a February 2024 Marquette University poll that found 60% of Wisconsin voters backed the reforms. 

The governor’s budget estimated adult-use cannabis legalization would result in $58.1 million in revenue in fiscal year 2026-27 “and growing amounts in future years” and would “create a process for individuals serving sentences or previously convicted of marijuana-related crimes to have an opportunity to repeal or reduce their sentences for nonviolent minor offenses.”   

The proposal would have imposed a 15% wholesale excise tax and a 10% retail excise tax on adult-use cannabis products. 

Wisconsin is bordered by Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota – which have legalized cannabis for adult-use – and by

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Medical cannabis businesses in New York seeking to participate in the adult-use market could face a $15 million licensing fee under a proposal in the state budget, Capitol Pressroom reports. Katie Neer, who is of counsel at Dickinson & Avella and represents the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association, told the Pressroom that a $5 million fee for three co-located shops, paid over time, would be “feasible” — but a $15 million fee is not.   

“If they codify this fee at $15 million, we won’t have a medical program within three months.” — Neer to Capitol Pressroom   

According to state data, as of May 1, there are 92,967 registered medical cannabis patients in New York and 39 registered medical-only dispensaries; however, seven of those businesses are listed as “temporarily closed.”  

Neer said that Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is “insisting” on the new fee structure and won’t negotiate with lawmakers despite members from her party controlling both chambers of the legislature. 

Neer added that if the fee were $5 million – instead of $15 million – the state would still collect $100 million from

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A proposed change to Michigan’s adult use cannabis regulations would require businesses to provide “real-time access and live monitoring” via a web-based portal, MLive reports. Under the current rules businesses are required to record certain points of their operations – sales, shipping, and access – and store at least 30 days’ worth of footage and provide it to regulators upon request.  

During a public hearing last week, Cassin Coleman, an industry consultant, said the proposal effectively gives the Cannabis Regulatory Authority (CRA) the right to conduct warrantless searches.  

“The general public goes into these places and is always on camera. And now the agency will have access to that without giving any notice to anyone that they’re doing it.” — Coleman via MLive 

Matthew Abel, a retired defense attorney and founder of the Cannabis Counsel, said allowing (CRA) access to a live feed “just seems so invasive.” 

“Especially because [cannabis sales are] still federally illegal,” Abel said during his remarks at the hearing. “We don’t really want our faces on video, live-streamed (showing) illegal transactions.” 

CRA spokesman David Harns told MLive the agency is “seriously

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Shai Ramsahai, president of Royal Queen Seeds, leads one of Europe’s most recognized cannabis genetics companies at a time of rapid global change. With roots in a family-run seed business and a background that spans cannabis, CBD, and hemp ventures, Ramsahai brings both personal history and business pragmatism to his work. Under his leadership, RQS has expanded internationally while investing in research and development. He was recently a featured speaker at the ICBC conference in Berlin, and continues to play a visible role in shaping the global conversation around cannabis policy and innovation. In this interview, he reflects on the intersection of policy, culture, and science shaping cannabis access and innovation across Europe and beyond.

Read the full interview:

Ganjapreneur: Do you think growing medicinal herbs like cannabis should be considered a basic human right? And what, if any, regulations do you think should apply to someone’s ability to grow for their own consumption? 

Shai Ramsahai: We believe that access to growing your own plants — including cannabis — is a fundamental right. That said, we also acknowledge the need for reasonable regulation to ensure safety, prevent abuse, and protect minors. A balanced approach would allow adults to

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Florida’s 2025 legislative session has ended without lawmakers reaching an agreement on a regulatory framework for intoxicating hemp products, Florida Politics reports.

Rep. Michelle Salzman (R) said the work group dedicated to the issue was unable to resolve hemp regulation proposals by the House and Senate — one major difference was that the Senate proposal included a ban on synthetic hemp products, while other differences included packaging, advertising,  and testing regulations.

“We are shifting gears,” Salzman said in the report. “We will not be focused on this legislation as we wrap up the 2025 Session.”

“Our chamber remains focused on critical issues affecting every Floridian: balancing the budget, addressing the insurance and housing crises, and ensuring condo safety. That said, our commitment to responsible hemp regulation is unwavering. We look forward to continuing this work in future Sessions to protect consumers and provide a clear path forward for the responsible players in this growing industry.” — Salzman, via Florida Politics

Florida lawmakers did approve a hemp regulations package last year, but Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed the proposal. Some political experts believed that the governor’s veto was a lifeline to the state’s burgeoning hemp industry, which then supported him in

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Arizona cannabis retailers sold $261 million worth of adult-use cannabis products during the first quarter of 2025, down more than $27 million — or about 9.6% — from last year, the Arizona Mirror reports.

The first quarter results continue a multi-year downward trend for the Arizona cannabis industry after sales slumped last year from about $1.4 billion in combined medical and adult-use cannabis sales in 2022 and 2023, to just $1.1 billion in combined sales in 2024.

According to the report, the declining sales this year were marked by a particularly dismal March with Arizonans purchasing about $20 million less that month than they did in March 2024, the report said.

Meanwhile, medical cannabis sales in the state have also continued to fall this year, with Q1 sales reaching just $52 million, about $21 million or 28.3% less than last year.

Adult-use cannabis sales in Arizona are subject to a 16% excise tax on top of the state’s standard 5.6% sales tax, and local municipalities can get an additional 2% tax on top of that. Medical cannabis sales, however, are subject to just the state’s standard sales tax.

The Arizona adult-use cannabis industry launched in January 2021. At the time, it was

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The Office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced on Thursday that the state’s ban on intoxicating hemp products has seen 99.7% compliance among the more than 11,000 businesses visited by Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) agents.

The governor introduced the emergency regulations last September, and lawmakers quickly approved the plan, which took immediate effect. Officials said at the time that the proposal — which bans hemp-based foods, beverages, and dietary products that contain any amount of THC or other intoxicating cannabinoids — would help prevent children in the state from being exposed to intoxicants.

Before the ban, alcohol retailers and other shops around the state were selling intoxicating, cannabinoid-infused hemp products, including beverages and other consumables. Officials started seizing products shortly after the ban took effect.

Earlier this year, independent testing revealed that many of the widely-available intoxicating hemp products contain synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids such as delta-8 or HHC. These compounds, which can produce psychoactive effects similar to cannabis, are often manufactured through chemical conversion processes and sold without meaningful oversight. In many cases, products were inaccurately labeled, lacked proper dosage guidance, and contained unknown contaminants — posing potential risks to consumers.

“Our licensees have overwhelmingly complied

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Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) this week called on state lawmakers to reject legislation to implement medical cannabis regulations, as was approved by over two-thirds of voters last year, according to the Nebraska Examiner.

At a press conference on Wednesday, while flanked by multiple sheriffs, Hilger claimed that regulating the medical cannabis industry would “supercharge the black market” and fuel recreational cannabis reforms.

“This is not about the will of the people. This is going to make Nebraska less safe, more dangerous. It’s going to handcuff the good men and women here that are in front of you and all their colleagues around the state.” — Hilgers, via the Examiner

The proposal in question — Legislative Bill 677, introduced by state Sen. Ben Hansen (R) — was initially rejected by the General Affairs Committee last month. The committee reconsidered the bill two weeks later with some new amendments, including new details and regulations for the state Medical Cannabis Commission, and ultimately advanced it to the full floor for consideration.

Hansen said after Hilgers’ comments that the attorney general was “turning a blind eye” to the voter-approved ballot measure, the report said.

Under the medical cannabis legalization initiative passed by

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up the challenge to Mississippi’s near-total ban on medical cannabis advertising in the state. The challenge, by Clarence Cocroft, owner of Tru Source Medical Cannabis, argued that the restrictions violate his free speech rights. 

In a statement, Cocroft said he wanted to advertise on billboards that he owns and that the advertising is essential to his business because his dispensary is tucked away in an industrial park “with no foot traffic and hardly any vehicle traffic.” 

“I was hoping the Supreme Court would hear our case so my business could be treated just like any other legal business in the state of Mississippi.” — Cocroft, in a statement 

The ruling upholds the decision from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled Cocroft does not have a First Amendment right to advertise his dispensary because cannabis is outlawed under federal law.

In a statement, Ari Bargil, a senior attorney for the Institute for Justice (IJ), which represented Cocroft, said they are “disappointed that the court declined to hear this case and make it clear that if a product is legal to sell, then it is

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Duke Rodriguez, the president and CEO of Ultra Health – New Mexico’s largest cannabis business – is considering a bid for governor, the Albuquerque Journal reports. Rodriguez, 67, told the Journal he has spoken to national and local Republicans about the viability of a campaign but that he is more than “90% confident” he will join the 2026 race. 

“I’m not hiding the fact I’m developing this conversation. It’s a real, honest possibility.” — Rodriguez to the Journal 

Rodriguez founded Ultra Health in 2010; the company currently operates 25 dispensaries in the state. He had previously served as secretary of New Mexico’s Human Services Department under former Gov. Gary Johnson and as a senior executive for Lovelace Health System. He indicated he has considered a run for governor “for more than a few decades, but it was never the right time.” 

Rodriguez said that he doesn’t “think cannabis ownership is going to be a deciding factor” for voters in the race, even for GOP-leaning voters. He indicated to the Journal that he would propose stronger Medicaid verification and eligibility requirements if elected governor, especially for non-citizens, as officials “have to be

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