Newsroom
Off the wire.
An independent desk on the people, policy, and money moving cannabis, plus the science that cuts through the noise.
Vireo's third deal in a week would make it the biggest dispensary chain in America
An all-stock deal for Planet 13 gets Vireo to roughly 265 stores across 15 states — assembled almost entirely out of other people's distress.
2mo ago · 4 min read
SNDL just erased $842 million in debt to grab 56 dispensaries in three states
A multi-year restructuring of the failed Parallel empire closed July 27, handing SNDL majority economic control of a medical-cannabis platform across Florida, Texas and Massachusetts.
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
CultureNebraska still can't legally sell you weed. Support for it just hit a new high anyway.
A statewide survey found 47% of Nebraskans now back recreational legalization, with medical support pushing past 80%.
2mo ago · 3 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
BusinessSurterra is closing the greenhouses that supply its own stores
211 jobs and 330,000 square feet gone in Florida while all 44 dispensaries stay open — the flower has to come from somewhere.
3mo ago · 4 min read
ScienceThe NFL paid for a cannabis study. The results made the case for less stigma, not more testing.
Elite athletes told researchers cannabis beats painkillers for recovery — and that teams still won't give them a straight answer about using it.
3mo ago · 4 min read
DropsB-Real's first national hemp gummy ships to 21 states — for about 15 more weeks
KANHA and INSANE put out a 15mg Sour Black Cherry collab, sold direct into a channel Congress has already voted to close.
3mo ago · 3 min read
BusinessIllinois sold more weed than ever in the first half of 2026 — and it's still getting cheaper
Unit sales grew faster than the year before even as average prices kept sliding, six years into adult-use.
3mo 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
BusinessHemp drinks grew 133% last year. In November, most of them become illegal.
1.6 million cases, 305,000 points of distribution, and a federal 0.4mg-per-container cap that lands on November 12.
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