Newsroom
Off the wire.
An independent desk on the people, policy, and money moving cannabis, plus the science that cuts through the noise.
PolicyThe DEA just made its closing argument for Schedule III — and eight opponents made theirs
Post-hearing briefs filed August 17 show exactly how each side will fight for the record before a judge writes his recommendation.
2mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyNorth Carolina's top court just ruled — again — that weed smell alone justifies a search
The state's Supreme Court upheld a conviction built on cannabis odor for the third time this year, even though legal hemp smells identical to marijuana.
2mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyRhode Island is redoing its cannabis license lottery — this time without the rule that got it sued
A federal court blocked the state's first retail licensing round; the do-over drops the in-state ownership requirement and reopens applications through November.
2mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyMinnesota's cannabis rulebook just got a rewrite — most of it kicked in August 1
Hemp beverages got bigger bottles, hemp operators got a bridge into the licensed market, and the bigger restructuring is still a year away.
2mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyTexas just made delta-8 possession a felony overnight
A five-year-old legal fight ended July 31, and Texas's 14,000-plus hemp retailers have to figure out what's left to sell.
2mo ago · 5 min read
PolicySan Francisco's cannabis cafes are law now. The first one still has to pass inspection.
Lurie signed on July 23, the ordinance takes effect August 23, and for the first year only the city's existing retailers can apply.
2mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyThe acting AG won't say whether adult-use rescheduling is coming
Todd Blanche declined to commit past April's medical-only order, days after the DEA's hearing record closed with no decision date attached.
2mo ago · 3 min read
PolicyHouse Republicans are quietly drafting their own weed bill
A GOP-only proposal would strip marijuana from the federal drug schedule entirely — with none of the expungement or equity provisions Democrats have pushed for years.
3mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyThe DEA hearing is done. Now the paperwork fight starts.
Judge Derek Julius gave both sides until Aug. 17 to file closing briefs on rescheduling — and still won't say when he'll actually rule.
3mo ago · 4 min read
PolicyMissouri's hemp THC ban just got dragged into federal court
A coalition led by CBD Kratom's parent company is suing to stop HB 2641 before it wipes out the state's intoxicating-hemp market on November 12.
3mo ago · 4 min read
PolicySchumer's back with full legalization — aimed straight at Trump's Schedule III
Senate Democrats reintroduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act with 17 cosponsors, betting that descheduling — not rescheduling — is the fight worth having.
3mo ago · 5 min read
PolicyThe DEA hearing is over. The government's own witness just handed cannabis a win.
Three weeks of testimony ended July 15 with an unexpected concession from an opposition witness — and now the fight moves from a courtroom to paperwork nobody outside D.C. will read.
3mo ago · 5 min read