Powerful Republican Senator calls to regulate cannabis like tobacco and alcohol 🥊

“I have tried to keep pounding the table and saying, ‘Folks, those of us who were not necessarily eager to legalize pot have lost,” Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday. 

“We’ve got to get this under control. We have to realize that pot is going to be legal in this country in one form or another, and virtually every other state. We can either figure out how to regulate it by putting a U.S. Department of Agriculture regimen in [and] an [Food and Drug Administration, or FDA] regimen in the same way that we do with alcohol and tobacco are.”

Watch his comments here (around the 2:11 mark).

House approves VA doctors prescribing medical cannabis 🩺

House lawmakers approved an amendment to a big spending bill that would let Veterans Affairs doctors prescribe medical cannabis to veterans. The amendment would also increase veterans’ access to legal cannabis dispensaries in their home states. The amendment was introduced by Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL) and Dave Joyce (R-OH). 

Ohio lawmakers ‘push pause’ on cannabis regulation changes 🌿

Ohio lawmakers are heading on summer break without passing a bill that would significantly rein in the state’s legal cannabis industry. Republican lawmakers sought the changes, which include reducing the allowable amount of THC in cannabis products, limiting the number of active dispensaries, and banning smoking in most public places. It would, however, leave the right to grow cannabis at home intact. The bill, SB56, would also add regulations on hemp products.

Sen. Paul files hemp-friendly bill 👀

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul filed a bill, the Hemp Economic Mobilization Plan (HEMP) Act, that would nearly triple the allowable amount of THC in what the federal government legally defines as hemp — increasing the threshold from 0.3% to 1% — as well as other regulatory fixes for the hemp industry. This comes as other lawmakers in his party seek to rein in intoxicating hemp. Paul has filed similar bills in the past.

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Verano opens ‘bodega-style’ cannabis shop 🌿

Chicago-based cannabis firm Veranoannounced it opened a ‘bodega-style’ cannabis shop that will allow customers to browse store shelves and pick up items like any other store — most cannabis shops legally must put the inventory behind a lock and key. The company’s first bodega-style shop is in Zen Leaf Cave Creek in Phoenix, and the company says it will scale the model across Arizona.

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management will host its monthly meeting on Friday, June 27 in New York City. Those outside of the city can watch the meeting here.

Jeff Chassner will join cannabis beverage brand Cann as its VP of Sales. Chassner previously led sales teams at New Realm Brewing, SweetWater Brewing, and MillerCoors.

Cannabis and schools 🎒

Ohio State University’s The Drug Enforcement and Policy Center surveyed Ohio K–12 principals before and after recreational marijuana sales began in August 2024 and found that many anticipated impacts — like increased dropouts and safety issues — were less severe than expected. However, the 2025 survey still revealed notable concerns among middle and high school principals about rising student marijuana use and its effects on academics, health, and safety, underscoring the need for more data. Read the full study here.

I don’t know about all of you, but we’ve been seeing a noticeable uptick on our Instagram feeds of ads for THC drinks. Many of them cleverly skirt around the fact they contain (hemp-derived) THC, but it could also be a sign that Meta is slowly loosening its restrictive policies around cannabis.

Let us know if you’re seeing the same?

Here’s one that caught our eye from Seth Rogen’s Houseplant brand:

#NYCannabis Grand Rounds: Medical Cannabis for Cancer Patients | New York State Office of Cannabis Management

Ricky Williams got the Texas THC ban veto he wanted | NBC News

Out-of-State patients closing in on half of the D.C. cannabis market | Outlaw Report