Good morning.
We have even more from last week’s Highrise event in NYC. You can check out the full program on our LinkedIn page.
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR, ZH
Today’s newsletter is 877 words or about a 7-minute read.
💡 What’s the big deal?
THE HIGHRISE
Experts say the science behind cannabis is only scratching the surface 🧠🌿
Cultivated hosted a panel on scientific research and medical cannabis during last week’s inaugural The Highrise event, featuring Dr. Ben Caplan, author of The Doctor-Approved Cannabis Handbook, and Victorine Deych, founder of New York cannabis company Dusted.
As anyone who closely follows cannabis science knows, meaningful research into the plant and its potential benefits has long been limited by its status as a federally illegal drug. One of the major promises of rescheduling, panelists said, is that a move to Schedule III could finally open the door to much more robust cannabis research.
What they’re saying: “I think it's important that we provide these data points and then scientists can use them to either debunk something or validate it,” Caplan said. “Through that process, really profound work is going to happen — because we’re going to find things none of us have even thought of.”
An alternative to opiates: Beyond its potential therapeutic uses, Caplan pointed to cannabis’s role in pain management as a possible tool in addressing the opioid epidemic. “We have this whole country that's addicted to opiates, and cannabis would be the cure,” he said, noting that among roughly 20,000 patients he’s seen, 91% were able to get off opiates with the help of cannabis.
Even so, medical cannabis continues to face stigma tied to federal illegality — and a severe lack of research into the plant’s biological complexity and potential applications.
Final word: “It is one of the most miraculous plants that exists in our world,” Deych said. “There are layers — terpenes, different cannabinoids, flavonoids — and we’re still only scratching the surface. We haven’t even figured out the deep science behind the buzzwords that finally gained attention over the last decade.”
You can hear more from Caplan and Deych on the future of cannabis research and medical use here.
📣 Quotable
“It’s not going to happen this year. I wasn’t going to waste a bill slot for a bill that I knew wasn’t going to move," Indiana Republican State Rep. Heath VanNatter said to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
VanNatter was referring to his decision to not file a cannabis legalization bill, because he did not believe it had any chance of passing.
⏩ Quick hits
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost approved a proposed ballot initiative that would allow voters to revert numerous changes to the state's cannabis and hemp laws that the Senate passed last year.
Cultivators in Illinois continue to battle against state regulations that prohibit outdoor greenhouses despite at least two court decisions in favor of cultivators seeking to preserve their existing screenhouses.
The campaign to roll back legalization in Maine failed to gather enough signatures by the state's Feb. 2 deadline in order to appear on November's ballot.
Lawmakers in Missouri are considering new hemp regulations that tax and age-gate hemp beverages similarly to liquor.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said he wanted to see an end to his state's medical cannabis industry while also announcing a major illicit cannabis trafficking ring bust that spanned 11 states.
Two weeks ago, we announced that Cultivated and Grown In are hosting the first-ever Midwest Cannabis Forum on March 12 in Chicago.
We opened applications to attend and the response has been overwhelming. And we’re about to open up the first round of tickets.
We’re asking our readers to get their applications in by close of business today as the first tranche of tickets will be released an early-bird, limited time price on Friday morning.
The Midwest Cannabis Forum is a curated, application-only gathering designed to bring together the people actually doing the work in the cannabis industry day in and day out — operators, investors, regulators, lenders, and service providers who are shaping the Midwest market in real time.
Event details: Salvage One, Chicago Wednesday, March 12.
👉 Apply here: Midwest Cannabis Forum
We hope to see you in Chicago.
💰 Earnings roundup
Aurora reported $7.2 million in income on $94.2 million in total revenue for the third quarter of the 2026 period, which ended on Dec. 31, 2025. The Edmonton-based company saw a modest increase in its performance in the previous quarter when the company pulled in $7.1 million on $90.4 million in total revenue. $ACB ( ▼ 9.47% )
🤝 Deals, launches, partnerships
True Terpenes launched Headstash, an aromatic product designed to preserve terpene aroma as cannabis is processed into products other than straight flower.
🔬 Science & research
A new study out of the United Kingdom using Biobank data found a correlation between cannabis use in middle-aged and older adults and larger brain volume and increased cognitive function.
📰 What we’re reading
Proposed cannabis reforms get mixed reviews from bar | Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
Opinion: Rescheduling of cannabis can stabilize an industry — and offer tax relief | Crain's Detroit
Federal Push to Reclassify Cannabis Could Transform Insurance Market for Industry | Risk & Insurance
Court Sanctions Malden $18K In Finale of Five-Year Feud With Social Equity Applicant | Talking Joints Memo
Will SCOTUS take up DCC and Cannabis? | CRB Monitor News