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- This Week in Cannabis News | May 16, 2025
This Week in Cannabis News | May 16, 2025
Key cannabis news stories from this week
Welcome to our new Friday program, This Week in Cannabis News, powered by Dutchie.
Each Friday at 10 a. m. Eastern, we'll deliver an overview of this week's cannabis news.
We will be quick, we'll be comprehensive, we'll send you into the weekend as a more informed cannabis professional, and it's all made possible by our friends at Dutchie.
The bill in Pennsylvania to legalize cannabis, which passed the House last week, failed to pass the Senate this week. And…Governor Josh Shapiro wasn’t happy about it. In a radio interview following the defeat of the bill in the Senate he said: “Look, I have been clear about this for years. Pennsylvania needs to compete, and we’re surrounded by states that have legalized, and they’re reaping the benefits…I think this is an issue of liberty. I think it’s an issue of economic opportunity and competitiveness, and I’ve put forward now—during my time as governor, multiple times—the key goals of any legalization bill.” The cannabis drama continues in the Keystone State.
Trump’s nominee to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terrance Cole, declined to specifically endorse reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III drug in written testimony, per Marijuana Moment. Last month, Cole, in a confirmation hearing, said restarting the rescheduling process would be one of his first priorities, though he didn’t indicate where the process would end up.
New York added more full-time cannabis industry jobs than any other state, according to a new report from Vangst, a recruitment firm. The state added 8,450 jobs last year, for a total of 12,500 — a 209% increase over 2023. New York’s job growth was followed by New Jersey, which added 2,763 jobs, and Ohio, which added 2,496 jobs. The report noted that overall, the cannabis industry supports 425,002 jobs in the US, down 3.4% last year, amid consistent regulatory challenges and what Vangst says are companies shifting to leaner operations.
Each week, we share exclusive insights from Cultivated’s Official Insights Partner Lit Alerts in our Tuesday newsletter. This week, Lit Alerts shared leading brands, by units sold, across key cannabis categories by borough. You can see who is winning where and in what categories in New York City through a link in the comments. But here’s a look at Manhattan. Interesting to note: Dank. By Definition. and ayrloom appear as category leaders in each borough.
Whoopi Goldberg is launching a hemp-derived THC drink, called Whoop Tea. She’ll unveil the product at the Cannabis Means Business conference in New York City next month and it seems like an Arnold Palmer, but with THC.
In case you missed it: Boris Jordan, Curaleaf
Last week, right after the news on This Week in Cannabis News, our Editor-in-Chief Jeremy chatted with Curaleaf Chairman and CEO Boris Jordan on Cultivated Live. Jordan discussed his opposition to the $15 million fee that Curaleaf and other existing medical cannabis operators must pay to convert up to three stores from medical to the recreational market in New York. “I feel like it’s a racket,” Jordan said.