Former White House Drug Czar Says Trump Is Wrong To Reschedule Marijuana, Calling It A ‘Gateway Drug’ That’s ‘Massively Destructive’
Oklahoma House And Senate GOP Leaders Dismiss Governor’s Push To Repeal Medical Marijuana At The Ballot
Florida Marijuana Campaign Asks Supreme Court To Restore 71,000 Legalization Ballot Signatures State Officials Tossed
Virginia House And Senate Approve Differing Marijuana Sales Legalization Bills, Setting Up Final Votes And Negotiations
West Virginia Lawmaker Pushes To Allocate Medical Marijuana Revenue That’s Going Unused Amid Federal Law Concerns
AI Models Like ChatGPT Can Generate ‘Convincingly Realistic’ Psychedelic Experiences When Virtually Dosed, Study Shows
Cannabis-Infused Drinks Offer Consumers A ‘Harm Reduction’ Alternative To Alcohol, Study Shows
Marijuana Use Isn’t A ‘Red Flag’ In The Dating Scene, Three In Four Americans Say In New Survey
10 Million US Adults Microdosed Psychedelics Last Year, New Report Shows
Marijuana’s Restrictive Federal Classification Isn’t Supported By Science, New Study Concludes
DEA Promotes Anti-Marijuana PSA Contest Inviting Students To Warn Peers About THC Dangers On 4/20
Largest Entertainment Arena In US Partners With Cannabis Businesses To Sell THC Drinks At Concerts And Live Events
Woody Harrelson Got Kicked Out Of Two Bars For Smoking Marijuana With Matthew McConaughey’s Mom
State Marijuana Regulators Share Tips On How To Stay Safe And Legal Around The Holidays
One In Three Americans ‘Pre-Game’ With Marijuana Before Family Holiday Gatherings, Survey Finds
Montana Retailers Have Sold More Than $1 Billion Worth Of Recreational Marijuana Since Legalization Took Effect
Pre-Rolls Are A Key Driver Of The Cannabis Retail Market’s Success (Op-Ed)
Massachusetts Hits $10 Billion Marijuana Sales Milestone, With Top Official Saying Consumption Lounges Will Bolster Industry In 2026
Ohio Dispensaries Sold More Than $1 Billion Worth Of Legal Marijuana In 2025
Marijuana Consumers Are More Likely To Shop At Target Following Decision To Sell Cannabis-Infused Drinks, Poll Shows
GOP congressman celebrates cannabis’s ongoing Schedule I status (Newsletter: February 17, 2026)
Feds finalize Medicare CBD coverage rule, hemp industry operative says (Newsletter: February 16, 2026)
FDA head discusses cannabis benefits & concerns (Newsletter: February 13, 2026)
Cannabis businesses’ lawsuit against feds is dismissed (Newsletter: February 12, 2026)
Cannabis not a “priority” for Trump DOJ, GOP congressman says (Newsletter: February 11, 2026)
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Trump signs bill to block DC marijuana sales; VA cannabis votes; OK AG on gov’s anti-marijuana plan; ME prohibitionist measure misses deadline
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
President Donald Trump signed a spending bill containing a rider continuing to block Washington, D.C. from legalizing recreational marijuana sales as advocates await the administration’s action on cannabis rescheduling.
The Florida Supreme Court canceled oral arguments scheduled for Thursday about a marijuana legalization ballot initiative after state officials said the campaign failed to submit enough valid signatures by the deadline.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) is warning that the state would need to “reimburse” medical cannabis business owners if Gov. Kevin Stitt’s (R) plan to shut down the market is enacted, even though he would personally “love for it to be gone.”
A Maine campaign to roll back marijuana legalization failed to submit signatures for its proposed ballot initiative by a deadline this week for the 2026 ballot—but organizers can still target next year’s election.
The Virginia Senate Courts of Justice Committee approved bills to legalize recreational marijuana sales and provide resentencing relief for people with past cannabis convictions.
The Virginia Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Health approved a bill to allow patients to access medical cannabis in hospitals—but only if the federal government moves forward with a pending plan to reschedule marijuana.
The Washington State Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee approved a bill to legalize and regulate therapeutic use of psilocybin, allowing use of the psychedelic in a medically supervised environment by patients with qualifying conditions.
Crescent Canna’s Joe Gerrity argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that the federal recriminalization of hemp products threatens to undermine the growing normalization of cannabis that’s been fostered by the availability of THC drinks.
The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission released draft recommendations to ban sales of THC beverages at restaurants and bars—facing pushing back from representatives of the hospitality and liquor industry.
/ FEDERAL
The Drug Enforcement Administration sent a press release touting its activities in 2025.
Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden expressed openness to decriminalizing marijuana but voiced concerns about broader legalization of a “killer industry,” claiming that widespread use is linked to “severe and long-term mental illness.”
Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) spoke on the Senate floor about a bill he filed that was inspired by a young person who “started using marijuana and eventually became addicted to hard drugs” before dying of an overdose.
/ STATES
Oklahoma’s attorney general touted enforcement actions against “fraudulent medical marijuana licensing schemes.”
Florida’s secretary of state defended his office’s decisions to invalidate thousands of signatures for a proposed marijuana legalization ballot initiative.
The Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill to ban all marijuana billboards.
The Maine legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on a bill to enact testing requirements for medical cannabis.
The Missouri Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee held a hearing on a bill to make public marijuana consumption a misdemeanor.
Indiana marijuana reform bills died without action as the crossover deadline passed.
Illinois lawmakers filed bills to change rules on marijuana in vehicles and the allocation of cannabis revenue.
A Pennsylvania senator tweeted, “The Governor’s proposal spends billions more than we take in and leans on revenue the Legislature hasn’t approved. We need a real, sustainable solution. I’ve said it for years: it’s time to get serious about adult-use cannabis and stop passing the cost onto Pennsylvanians.”
The Hawaii Department of Health sent a press release about an analysis of the state’s medical cannabis program.
New York cannabis regulators touted an environmental initiatives award they received.
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Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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/ INTERNATIONAL
South Africa’s Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development is accepting public comments on draft cannabis regulations.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “Suk-Sai-Yat and Cannabis sativa oil demonstrated comparable efficacy to lorazepam with favorable safety profiles, supporting their role as integrative, non-benzodiazepine options for chronic insomnia management.”
A study found that “a single dose of psilocybin with unstructured support produced rapid, clinically meaningful, and sustained reductions in [obsessive-compulsive disorder] symptoms.”
/ BUSINESS
Aurora Cannabis Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$94.2 million and a net loss from continuing operations of C$1.7 million.
An Illinois judge mostly rejected Curaleaf Inc.’s effort to dismiss a former employee’s Whistleblower Act claims.
WM Technology, Inc. has new board of directors members.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
Tom Angell is the editor of Marijuana Moment. A 25-year veteran in the cannabis and drug law reform movement, he covers the policy and politics of marijuana, psychedelics and other substances. He previously reported for Forbes, Marijuana.com and MassRoots, and was given the Hunter S. Thompson Media Award by NORML and has been named Journalist of the Year by Americans for Safe Access. As an activist, Tom founded the nonprofit Marijuana Majority and handled media relations, campaigns and lobbying for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition and Students for Sensible Drug Policy.
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