Senator: Saving hemp “uphill path”; VA gov family “displeased” w marijuana veto; Poll: US backs legal cannabis; Codifying Trump’s psychedelic move
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there.
Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The attorneys general of Indiana, Nebraska and Louisiana have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration’s marijuana rescheduling move—and it has been consolidated with a separate challenge brought by a prohibitionist group and drug testing industry association.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told hemp industry advocates that it will be a “very uphill path” to prevent the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products this year—but said the chances for reform will be better in 2027 when Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is gone.
- “If Mitch is leaning in really hard, saying, ‘don’t do anything on this’—you know, I’m not someone to blow smoke up your ass—that means the votes probably aren’t there.”
Reps. Lou Correa (D-CA) and Jack Bergman (R-MI) discussed the importance of codifying provisions of President Donald Trump’s psychedelics executive order into law via legislation so they can’t be reversed by future presidents.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said that members of her own family and her friends are “displeased” with her veto of legislation to legalize recreational marijuana sales—and acknowledged that “it’s entirely possible that the things I’m worried about, maybe I’m worried about too much.”
A new poll from the Pew Research Center shows that “the vast majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana” for either recreational or medical use—and that backing for cannabis reform “has increased dramatically in recent decades.”
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) nominated a new chair for the Cannabis Control Commission, picking the administrator of the state’s Cannabis Office for the role.
/ FEDERAL
Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) tweeted, “Congressman Horsford, Senator Booker, and I led my colleagues in calling on the President to commute the sentences of people serving non-violent marijuana sentences. Too many lives have been derailed by outdated laws that no longer reflect our nation’s views— nearly 9 in 10 Americans support some form of legal marijuana.”
Rep. Lou Correa (D-CA) tweeted that the Department of Veterans Affairs’s launch of a study on MDMA “is an important step forward in addressing the mental health needs of our veterans. Our servicemembers deserve access to innovative, evidence-based treatments that can help heal the invisible wounds of war. I’ll continue pushing to expand mental health care and support for those who served our country.”
/ STATES
Colorado’s attorney general touted the closure of a store for allegedly illegally selling a kratom product to a minor.
A Connecticut senator authored an op-ed urging Gov. Ned Lamont (D) to veto legislation to increase cannabis product THC potency limits.
Missouri regulators announced a recall of marijuana products that were not tested in accordance with requirements.
A former Nebraska notary who was found guilty of misconduct related to his work on medical cannabis legalization ballot petitions is appealing his convictions.
New York regulators published a report on how young people are learning about cannabis.
California generated nearly $248 million in cannabis tax revenue in the first quarter of the year.
New Jersey officials announced that approximately $5 million in funding is still available through the Cannabis Business Development (CBD) Grant Program.
The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission will meet on Thursday.
/ INTERNATIONAL
Germany’s commissioner on narcotic drugs said he is “open to” potential marijuana sales pilot projects.
Gabonese lawmakers approved a decree on regulation of iboga and its derivatives.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “there was no measurable next-day cognitive impairment [from cannabis smoking], despite some subjective intoxication” but that “higher THC potency and elevated cannabinoid concentrations were associated with poorer verbal memory and processing speed, suggesting potential next-day impairment with high-THC products.”
A case study documented “transient multidomain functional improvement in advanced Alzheimer’s disease following psilocybin administration.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA posted an alert about recent Department of Transportation guidance on medical cannabis use for safety-sensitive workers.
/ BUSINESS
Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. fully repaid its outstanding $282 million of senior notes.
Make sure to subscribe to get Marijuana Moment’s daily dispatch in your inbox.
Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.
