Hawaii’s Hemp Crackdown Hits July 1 — and the Lawsuits Are Already Flying
While Congress dithers over the federal hemp ban, the states aren’t waiting. Hawaii begins enforcing strict hemp retailer and distributor rules on July 1 — banning hemp flower, pre-rolls, and vapes, requiring registration for every seller, and threatening $10,000 fines. A lawsuit challenging the rules has already landed. Hawaii’s grace period for hemp retailer and […]
Congress Wants the Air Force and Marines to Take Cannabis Recruits
The military’s recruiting crisis is doing what decades of advocacy couldn’t. A new provision in the defense bill would push the Air Force, Space Force, and Marine Corps to create permanent military marijuana waivers for recruits who test positive for THC — bringing them in line with the Army and Navy, which already do it. […]
California Is Spending $227 Million to Hunt Illegal Weed
California just put serious money behind a problem every legal market shares. On June 25, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced $227 million in Proposition 64 grants to fight illicit cannabis in California — funding local enforcement, youth prevention, public-health programs, and environmental cleanup of illegal grow sites. The grants flow from Prop 64, the 2016 measure […]
States Have Banked Nearly $15 Billion in Marijuana Taxes, New Federal Report Shows
If you want the single most persuasive argument for legalization, it’s a dollar figure from the federal government’s own bean counters. A new marijuana tax revenue report from the U.S. Census Bureau shows states have collected nearly $15 billion in cannabis taxes since late 2021 — including $825.1 million in just the first quarter of […]
The SAFE Banking Act Is Back — Senate and House, Same Week
It’s reunion season for the cannabis industry’s most-introduced bill. The SAFE Banking Act was reintroduced in both chambers of Congress within 24 hours: the Senate version on June 24 and the House companion on June 25. The core fix is the same one operators have begged for since 2019 — stop federal regulators from punishing […]
The White House Just Asked Congress to Save Hemp Before the November Ban
In a move almost nobody saw coming, the White House told Congress to protect hemp products before a broad federal ban kicks in this November. On June 25, OMB Director Russell Vought sent House Speaker Mike Johnson a letter asking Congress to ensure the “fair treatment of hemp products” — by passing a real regulatory […]
DEA’s Marijuana Rescheduling Hearing Opens June 29 — And Only the Critics Got a Seat
The DEA’s marijuana rescheduling hearing opens Monday, June 29, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. ET in Arlington, Virginia — and the single most important fact about it is who’s not in the room. All seven designated participants oppose moving marijuana to Schedule III, and not one industry voice made the cut. The hearing decides whether the […]
The Green Lab: A Sister to the Wet Lab
It all started with a news article. The piece, I think, was in the West Seattle Blog—a call to action for cannabis consumers who would like to assist law enforcement in understanding cannabis consumption and impairment. I volunteered but wasn’t picked the first time. Luckily, I was called upon for the next round. Green labs […]
House Blocks Workers’ Comp From Covering Medical Cannabis
The federal workers comp medical cannabis question just got answered — with a hard no. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education voted 11-7 to advance an FY27 spending bill that bars the Labor Department from using any funds to “authorize, provide, reimburse, or otherwise recognize marijuana or any cannabis-derived substance as a compensable medical treatment […]
Illinois Cannabis Omnibus SB 3222: Pritzker’s 700-Page Gift
The Illinois cannabis omnibus is real, it’s 700 pages, and it’s sitting on Governor JB Pritzker’s desk. Lawmakers sent SB 3222 to the governor on May 31 after a 58-0 Senate vote, a 77-31 amended House vote, and a 47-10 Senate concurrence. If you buy, sell, grow, or regulate cannabis in Illinois, nearly every part […]