Good morning.
Tune in to Cultivated Live at 10 AM where we’ll be chatting with New York Assemblymember Landon Dais.
Dais has a bill working its way through committee on cracking down on inversion, and he worked as an attorney for the Marijuana Policy Project and MedMen before elected office
It’ll be a great conversation. Find it on our LinkedIn, YouTube, and Jeremy’s X page.
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR
Today’s newsletter is 533 words or about a 4-minute read.
📣 Quotable
“I continue to support the creation of a retail marijuana market,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said, after vetoing legislation that would’ve created a retail cannabis market on Tuesday.
⏩ Quick hits
Illinois cannabis DUI case collapses over faulty lab results
Lake County prosecutors dropped charges against a man who spent over a year in jail for a fatal crash after blood test results from the University of Illinois Chicago's forensic lab — which showed THC levels more than double the legal limit — were found to be scientifically unreliable. A retest by a second lab came back well below the legal limit. The UIC lab's flawed testing methods have now prompted case reviews in Cook, DuPage, and Lake counties, with thousands of cases potentially affected across metro Chicago.
⚖️ Lawsuits
DOJ sues TerrAscend to claw back tax refund
The federal government filed suit against TerrAscend in New Jersey district court this week, seeking to recover a refund the IRS erroneously issued after the company filed an amended 2020 return claiming $64 million in business deductions. Read our friend Marc Hauser’s Cannabis Musings for more. $TSNDF ( ▲ 5.21% )
🔬 Science & research
New study links cannabis dispensaries to fewer opioid poisonings
A new study in Preventive Medicine Reports analyzing more than 107 million insured Americans finds states with medical cannabis dispensaries saw a 15% drop in nonfatal opioid poisonings; recreational legalization was tied to a 12% reduction. Effects were strongest among adults 18–34 and among people without past opioid prescriptions — suggesting substitution for illicit, not just prescribed, opioids. Authors note the claims data can't directly observe individual drug substitution. Full study here.
Older adults are turning to edibles for pain and sleep, not to get high
A new qualitative study in JAMA Network Open interviewing 169 first-time cannabis edible buyers over 60 finds most are seeking relief from pain, poor sleep, or mental health concerns — and making product decisions based on word of mouth rather than physician guidance. Most opted for combination THC/CBD products as a "best of both worlds" choice; researchers note the findings are limited to Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal, and may not generalize to medical-only states.
📊 Chart of the day
Last year was the first year legal cannabis revenue fell from the year prior since 2014, according to a new report from First Citizens Bank and Whitney Economics. The report is chock full of good insights into the cannabis market. Read it here »
📰 What we’re reading