Hemp regulations become a tit-for-tat for Kentucky Republicans 🌿

"You know, they're here now, is what I can say. The regulators don’t ask us because they can’t ask us," Armory Kentucky's attorney Bradley Clark told Louisville Public Media when discussing the 2,600 mature cannabis plants that were delivered to Armory Kentucky on July 11, shortly after it became the state’s first approved medical cultivator in operation. 

“What I can say is that these are healthy plants that are here that we believe will produce clean and effective medication for the patients, and we'll be hopefully ready to go to market in early October,” said Clark.

Sen. Rand Paul blocks proposed federal hemp restrictions 🤝

Kentucky's two senators, Sens. Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, appear to have come to an agreement over a pending agriculture appropriations bill. Sen. Paul reportedly threatened to block passage of the entire appropriations unless his fellow Republicans agreed to remove language that would have banned intoxicating hemp products. Sen. McConnell, who served as Senate leader when the legislature passed the 2018 Farm Bill, has recently said he was in favor of closing the loophole in his earlier bill that allowed intoxicating hemp to be sold across the US. Read more from Politico.

Massachusetts psychiatrists group support psilocybin 🍄

In mid-July, the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, which represents most (about 1400) psychiatrists in the state, endorsed psilocybin decriminalization, penalty reduction, and medical program bills in Massachusetts. This endorsement is the first of its kind throughout the nation regarding psychedelic decriminalization for a professional psychiatric society. Psilocybin is the active chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms. 

ICE arrests 9 and OK law enforcement seize over 21,000 cannabis plants 🧊

The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics says it  seized more than 800 pounds of illicit cannabis on July 23, as part of the state's ongoing battle against straw license owners and illicit market diversion. Buried in News 9's report on the raid, was a note that nine individuals had been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Cannabis breathalyzers likely coming soon 🔜

Cannabix Technologies Inc, a Vancouver based company, was granted a notice of allowance by both Canada and the US patent offices for a cannabis breathalyzer device. This means the patent has been granted assuming they pay the required fees. Cannabis breathalyzers have been a sticking point — it’s not yet clear whether the detection of THC, the active compound in cannabis, on breath is an accurate measure of impairment, but this is at least a big step forward. 

Newton Insights launches cannabis-specific AI tool 🧠

Newton Insights has launched a new AI tool built specifically for the cannabis industry, trained on hundreds of scientific studies to help producers make better decisions. The company says it outperforms general AI models and is designed to improve efficiency and reduce waste in areas like extraction and product formulation.

New Brunswick cannabis company files for creditor protection 🏦

Stewart Farms, a cannabis company in New Brunswick, has filed for creditor protection to stay in business while it works out a plan to repay about $8 million in debt. A court has given the company until September 10 to come up with the plan, allowing operations to continue in the meantime.

Cannabis use disorder and cancer 🩺

A study of over 45,000 patients found that individuals with cannabis use disorder (CUD) had more than three times the risk of developing oral cancer within five years compared to non-CUD patients. The findings suggest a strong link between long-term heavy cannabis use and increased oral cancer risk, even after adjusting for smoking and other factors. Read the full study here ($). 

Survey finds that most consumers want clean cannabis 🧼

A survey of 516 adults found that 91.7% of them think medical cannabis should be decontaminated, and 90.7% said that all decontaminated cannabis should be labeled as such. About 73.6% of respondents said that they did not understand how cannabis is decontaminated. XRPure, a cannabis decontamination company that uses x-rays to zap dirty weed, commissioned the survey. Other methods include using radio frequency or ozone to clean product.

Dozens of Licensed Weed Shops Were Placed Too Close to Schools | The New York Times

Stop denying veterans the relief medical cannabis can provide: op-ed | Al.com

N.B. cannabis producer rebrands, seeks larger international market | CTV News