Painting a better way forward for New York cannabis 🗽

“If the SBA (Small Business Administration) is going to sit on the sideline and not back small business loans for cannabis like they do for the rest of the economy, then New York State needs to step in and be what the SBA is on the federal level,” Kaelan Castetter, of the Castetter Cannabis Group and Growv told Jeremy on Wednesday’s Cultivated Live.

Kaelan and Jeremy chatted about the way forward for New York cannabis — it’s worth a watch:

Michigan sales are stabilizing — for now 📈

Prices in Michigan went up in May compared to the previous month, which is a rare occurrence in the state. That trend may only last through the summer, though. Farmers in the state have about 12% more plants in the ground than they did in May last year, meaning there's a good chance for a major supply jump this Croptober. 

Missouri hemp businesses look for deregulation through the ballot 📥

A group of hemp business owners are preparing a petition to put cannabis deregulation on the ballot in the Show Me State. The stated intention of the organizers is for the state to allow the sale of cannabis and hemp in stores that are already allowed to sell alcohol and tobacco. 

Researchers say it might be quicker to deschedule through the legislature 🏃

The Congressional Research Service released a report last week that shows it would be quicker for Congress to directly change the scheduling of cannabis — where it’s considered a Schedule I drug, the most restrictive category — than to wait on the administrative rescheduling process that was started under the Biden administration. If only the legislature could find a majority interested in cannabis reform of any sort…

Texas hemp advocates collect 150,000 signatures to urge veto 👀

The Texas Hemp Business Council said it collected nearly 150,000 signatures to urge Gov. Greg Abbot to veto SB 3, which would ban intoxicating hemp THC products in the state. The group says that 47% of Republican primary voters oppose the ban, while only 37% support it. Meanwhile, a Republican pollster found that nearly 70% of Texas voters want hemp to remain legal. Gov. Abbott has a deadline of Sunday to sign the bill. 

Minnesota issues first cannabis license 🥊

After many delays, Minnesota officially issued its first cannabis license, to an outdoor grower in Pine County: Herb Quest LLC.

JOIN US
Smarter HR for Cannabis: How AI-Driven Tech Can Streamline Your Workforce

Today at Noon Eastern, discover how UZIO’s newly revamped, AI-forward platform is transforming HR and payroll operations for cannabis businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees.

In this exclusive webinar, we’ll showcase how UZIO is helping operators reduce manual workloads, improve compliance, streamline onboarding and payroll, and make smarter decisions using real-time data and automation.

Whether you're scaling your team, juggling multi-state compliance, or simply trying to do more with less, this session will show how the right technology can help you stay ahead—while saving time and money.

→ Register on LinkedIn.

Oregon to appeal court order against labor peace agreements 🧑‍⚖️

State officials have filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in the hopes of overturning a lower court's ruling last month that struck down Oregon's voter-backed labor peace agreement law for cannabis companies. Other states have similar rules in place, but the court ruled that Oregon's particular version of the requirement hindered certain types of protected speech, according to the court order.

Hawthorne Collective to takes control of Fluent 💼

Fluent shareholders approved new board members and the Hawthorne Collective taking control of the Florida-based cannabis company in a special shareholder meeting on June 18. Scotts Miracle-Gro recently spun off the Hawthorne Collection in order for the parent company to separate itself from cannabis investments. 

And more:

• Edibles brand Grön and Head Change teamed up to launch hash-infused rosin edibles in Missouri. 

• Cannabis firm MariMed rebranded three of its Massachusetts dispensaries from Panacaea Wellness to Thrive Dispensary. The locations are in Quincy, Middleborough, and Beverly. 

• Cannara Biotech is paying down debt and said it reduced the rate on its credit facility from BMO by 50 basis points, bringing its overall cost of debt to 6%.

Aurora reports loss for Q2 📉

Canadian firm Aurora Cannabis reported a $17 million (CAD) loss on $90.5 million of revenue for the second quarter of 2025. The company said it pulled in $2.49 million in free cash flow. The stock fell over 20% on Wednesday, after execs said they expect international cannabis exports to decline. Full results here.

Researchers say cannabis could be tough on the heart 💔

In a study published in the journal Health, researchers found that cannabis users had a 29% higher risk for heart attacks and a 20% higher risk for strokes when compared to non-cannabis users. The research was the result of an analysis of 24 studies published between 2016 and 2023. Of course, there are limitations to observational studies such as this — the researchers say more studies are needed to draw conclusions.

Tennessee Hemp Industry Decries New Regulations | Nashville Scene

Another broken promise: Trump is targeting states’ power over medical marijuana | The Hill