DoorDash says orders for THC drinks are up nearly 20% 🚚

PENNSYLVANIA
Dems and Republicans snipe back-and-forth on cannabis

Driving the news: Pennsylvania lawmakers are keen on legalization — but both parties are sniping back-and-forth about how to do it. 

What happened: The state’s Republican-controlled Senate shelved HB 1200 on Tuesday, a bill that passed the Democrat-controlled House and would’ve legalized cannabis in the state. The bill proposed a state-run retail model, similar to how alcohol is sold in the Buckeye State. 

But that was a nonstarter for Republicans. And now, the governor is getting involved.

What they’re saying: “The Senate ignored the will of the people and basically shelved the bill and said they didn’t want to move on it right now. This is going to have to require bipartisan compromise,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said on Wednesday.

“I just think we can’t afford to do nothing. And the Senate, I would hope, would reconsider just shoving this bill in a drawer and ignoring it — and start listening to the people of Pennsylvania and start trying to be more competitive, and recognize that we have an ability to reap the benefits from this.”

And: “I really expected a little bit of back and forth discussions and work on these bills if we are going to truly put a product on the governor’s desk,” State Sen. Dan Laughlin, a Republican, said just before his committee voted to stop the bill on Tuesday. 

Laughlin criticized how quickly House Democrats quickly passed their cannabis bill onto the Senate with little debate and without a single Republican vote. 

What’s next: Democrats, including Sen. Sharif Street, a longtime legalization supporter, say they’re willing to work with Republicans to get legalization done. It seems that state-run cannabis sales won’t happen in Pennsylvania, but it’s now on lawmakers to come up with a compromise that works for both sides.

-JB

DoorDash says hemp orders are skyrocketing 🚚

The market for non-alcoholic beverages is booming, and hemp THC drinks are scooping up a big piece. Orders for THC drinks and edibles grew by 19% and 15% respectively between December 2024 and January 2025, DoorDash said in its new Delivery Trends Report. DoorDash began offering hemp-derived THC products on its platform in January. You can download the full report here.

“Get some good pizza, when you get the munchies, from that good cannabis that you smoked,” New York City Mayor Eric Adam said at a campaign stop at a pizza shop on Wednesday.

Toy R Us owner sues Vape R Us 🦒

TRU Kids, which owns the iconic Toys R Us brand of toy stores, sued a Connecticut vape shop in federal court on Wednesday. The company argued that Vape R Us copied its name and font style in violation of federal trademark law and they seek an order forcing the shop to change names. TRU Kids previously sued a smokeshop in Brooklyn for using the name ZaZa R Us, seeking a permanent injunction. The case ended in a default judgment against the shop owner, because he never showed up in court. 

NYC mayor touts illicit cannabis crackdown 🗽

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made multiple campaign stops touting his administration’s work in cracking down on illicit cannabis stores. Earlier this week, he visited a pizza shop that was once an illicit dispensary, and told customers to come get pizza for their “munchies.” And on Thursday, he recorded a video showing his favorite smoothie recipe, and discussed the $95 million of illicit cannabis seized through the city’s ‘Operation Padlock to Protect.” 

NY court strikes down one-license rule 👨‍⚖️

A New York court struck down the Office of Cannabis Management’s one-license-per-majority-owner policy, ruling it was an improperly enacted rule that violated the State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA). This decision could lead to the reconsideration of previously denied applications and forces OCM to follow formal rulemaking procedures for future ownership limits.

Ontario adds cannabis-industry friendly pieces to budget 🍁

Ontario’s government released its budget today, and it includes some cannabis friendly pieces: 1) Adding an ‘Ontario Grown’ logo to help consumers choose products grown in the province, and 2) rule changes that would allow stores to improve their outside visibility. Read more.

Delaware finally has a new Marijuana Commissioner 👨‍⚖️

Joshua Sanderlin was confirmed by Delaware’s State Senate as the new Marijuana Commissioner on Thursday, by a vote of 19-2. Sanderlin was nominated last month, but his confirmation had to be delayed so that he could divest from two cannabis companies in Washington DC and New Jersey.

And more: Canadian cannabis firm Rubicon Organics appointed Glen Ibbott as its interim CFO. Ibbott is the former CFO of Aurora Cannabis. Outgoing CFO Janis Risbin will transition into an advisory role over the next few months.

Over half of all senior veterans have experience with cannabis 🧓

A new study from North California Institute for Research and Education found that 59% senior veterans over 65 have tried cannabis in their lifetime. As many as one in ten of the over 4,000 interviewed used cannabis in the previous 30 days, which is close to how prevalent tobacco use was among the same cohort. About a third of those who had used in the past month showed signs of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) — though one doctor said that the definition of CUD is too expansive to be a useful diagnosis.

The Last Prisoner Project, an organization that helps support prisoners convicted on cannabis-related crimes, said Jose Sanchez is back with his family after serving four years. He will receive a re-entry grant that he can use for housing, food, and education, the organization said.

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