Good morning.
You may have noticed a new section at the top of the newsletter: Cultivated Calendar. ⬇️ With loads happening at Cultivated platform — online and IRL — we wanted to have a one-stop place to share details.
Of note, tomorrow is our webinar: Metrc is here. Now what? Making track-and-trace work for your New York cannabis business. Register to attend »
Let’s get to it.
-JB, JR
Today’s newsletter is 805 words or about a 7-minute read.
CULTIVATED CALENDAR
September 24 » Webinar → Metrc is here. Now what? Making track-and-trace work for your New York cannabis business
October 22 » The Highrise → Check out the second in our NYC series and apply to attend. Event details coming!
November 12 » Pot Policy and Politics → The second installation of the Midwest Cannabis Forum, this time in St. Louis. Ticket discounts through October 12.
COMING EVENTS → Las Vegas & Buffalo
Stay tuned for more Fall 2026 events coming soon!
What’s the big deal?
BUT THE KIDS
Teen cannabis use falls to all time low
What happened: Just 12.9% of high schoolers reported using cannabis in the past month in 2025, according to the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey. That's down from 21.7% in 2015 and 26.7% at the 1999 peak.
It's the lowest rate since the CDC started tracking in 1991.
What they're saying: "Sensational claims that adult-use legalization laws are linked with greater marijuana use by teens are simply not backed by reliable data," said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano.
Why it matters: Anti-cannabis groups have spent years warning that legal stores would drive up youth use. The federal government's own survey shows the opposite.
The decline happened as nearly half of US states opened regulated recreational markets.
What's next: This won't end the debate, and opponents will point out that correlation isn't causation.
But the "think of the kids" argument just got a lot harder to make. That’s especially important as anti-cannabis group Smart Approaches to Marijuana is funding a campaign to repeal cannabis sales in Massachusetts with millions of out-of-state dollars, based on this exact argument.
Quotable
As New York weighs a crackdown on hemp-derived THC beverages, our Editor-in-Chief Jeremy has a take…
Tune in
Today at 10 am Eastern, Jay sits down with Kim Sanchez Rael, CEO of Azuca, to hear more about their white paper: Beyond Nano.
Quick hits
Pennsylvania Senate Democrats schedule recreational cannabis hearing
Pennsylvania's Senate Democratic Policy Committee will hold a hearing Friday in Philadelphia on legalizing recreational cannabis, covering criminal justice, safety, and economic impacts. It's the latest push against the Republican-controlled Senate, where a bipartisan legalization bill has sat in committee without a vote.
Florida issues 22 new medical cannabis licenses
Florida health regulators issued all 22 vertically integrated medical cannabis licenses from a 2023 application round, rejecting an administrative judge's recommendation to rescore the applications. Losing applicants have 30 days to appeal, and winners must post $5 million bonds within 10 business days.
Michigan fines Muha Meds maker record $2 million, pulls its licenses
Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency fined Muha Meds producer Michigan Investment 10 LLC $2 million and pulled its recreational and medical processor licenses after an administrative law judge found it violated state rules. Among the violations, the security camera in the company's extraction room was pointed at a wall.
Deals, launches, partnerships
Trulieve joined the S&P Total Market and S&P Completion indices following its move to the New York Stock Exchange. $TRLV ( ▲ 8.44% )
Green Thumb Industries renewed its share buyback program for another year, with up to $50 million available. $GTBIF ( ▲ 2.87% )
Canadian cannabis company High Tide said 23% of Canadian cannabis consumers surveyed shop most often at its Canna Cabana stores, more than double the next-ranked retailer. $HITI ( ▲ 4.94% )
Science & research
12.5% of Michigan cannabis toxicity ER patients were hospitalized, study finds
Of 1,435 patients treated for cannabis toxicity at eight West Michigan ERs from 2018 to 2021, 12.5% were admitted or sent to a psychiatric facility, according to a study in the Medical Student Research Journal. Edibles were involved in 41.7% of hospitalizations, compared with 16.5% of patients sent home, and most children under 12 were admitted after accidental ingestion.
Frequent cannabis use tied to 73% higher odds of witnessed sleep apnea
US adults who used cannabis 16 or more days a month had 73% higher odds of someone seeing them stop breathing in their sleep, and 68% higher odds of loud snoring, than nonusers, according to a study in Sleep Health. The cross-sectional study used 2017 to 2018 federal survey data from 14,485 adults and can't show that cannabis causes the breathing problems. The authors did not distinguish edible consumption from smoking.