A cannabis attorney goes to Washington

"The similarities between MMJ's stalled license application and the national rescheduling impasse are too glaring to ignore. Both involve DEA officials subverting legal processes, ignoring scientific consensus, and acting contrary to Department of Justice directives. And in both cases, the ultimate cost is borne by suffering patients and U.S. scientific progress." MMJ BioPharma press release, May 25. 

MMJ Bio Pharma, a cannabis pharmaceutical lab in Rhode Island, referred to the Drug Enforcement Administration as a "clown car" while comparing their difficulty obtaining a license to grow cannabis for research from the federal government to the reports that the DEA has internally dragged out the long-delayed rescheduling process. 

Canada retail sales up 4.9% in March 📉

Sales in Canada reached $428 million in March, up from $408 million in February. That increase is not shocking, based on seasonal trends, but the March sales also reflect a modest improvement from March 2024 when there was $417 million. New Cannabis Ventures has more. 

4Front to enter receivership 💸

4Front, which has operations in Washington, Illinois, and Massachusetts, is placing its state businesses into voluntary receivership. This comes weeks after the company failed to final a quarterly report on time, because they lacked the cash to pay auditors. 

Strong majority of Americans want casino consumption 🎲

A nationwide poll from the Cannabis Policy Institute of Nevada Las Vegas found that 70% of those surveyed want casinos to include cannabis consumption lounges, while 68% said they want hotel rooms that allow cannabis smoking. The poll comes as Nevada considers revisiting its ban on cannabis at casinos. 

Trump cuts hit international trade committee that promotes hemp ✂️

The Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Hemp, which promotes hemp internationally, is one of several committees that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has to eliminate as part of the Trump administration's stated goal of reducing government. U.S. Hemp Roundtable General Counsel Jonathan Miller noted that being on the receiving end of the same cuts other departments are facing is all a part of hemp being normalized, when discussing the cuts with Marijuana Moment.

Thirteen Minnesota municipalities seek cannabis licenses 🏛️

Minnesota, which is planning its first license lottery in June, allows towns and cities to apply for retail licenses. At least 13 municipalities have already applied, according to the Mankato Free Press. Municipalities are guaranteed licenses if they apply, meaning they do not have to subject themselves to a lottery. 

INSIGHTS
NY and NJ vape sales on the rise

This week, our Official Insights Partner at Lit Alerts shared vape sales data from New York and New Jersey. In both states, vapes sales are up and to the right when it comes to total units sold. From January 2025 through last week, vape sales in these two markets continued to increase.

Here’s a look at the data and the trend line 👇

To learn more about Lit Alerts and get a special offer only available to Cultivated readers, visit litalerts.com.

Zorn to join HHS on psilocybin policy reform 🍄

Matthew Zorn, who previously sued the federal government over its delay over cannabis rescheduling and its policies against psilocybin mushrooms, has joined his former opponent. Zorn will join the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as deputy general counsel, according to Marijuana Moment. He will reportedly be in charge of psychedelic policy.

More patients are choosing pot over pills 💊

Previous studies have shown that states with legal medical cannabis see declines in rates of opiate use. A new National Institutes of Health-funded study shows similar results with other medications, where the availability of medical cannabis caused a reduction in use of anti-anxiety, migraine and sleep medications in two-thirds of patients. There were also lesser reductions detected in the use of anti-depressants and alcohol. 

Evidence supports cannabis oil treatment for epileptic seizures 💧

A new study out of Toronto, found that medical cannabis oil was successful in reducing or eliminating seizures in patients with epilepsy. The study included 15 minors and four adults with drug-resistant epilepsy. While receiving cannabis oil treatment, the average patient experienced 245 days without a seizure. Five patients went longer than a year with no seizure.

How a cannabis shop won over a skeptical California mountain town | SFGate

With Federal Legalization Stalled, Cannabis Companies Are Finding A New Green Rush In Europe | Forbes

Hemp really is cannabis! | Cannabis Musings