Category: cannabis

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope.
03 Jul, 2025
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7 min read
Marijuana plant.
Why the War on Cannabis Refuses to Die: How Boomers and the Yippies Made Weed Political
For much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, American physicians freely prescribed cannabis to treat a wide range of ailments. But by the mid-twentieth century, federal officials were laying the groundwork for a sweeping criminal crackdown. Cannabis would ultimately be classified as a Schedule I substance, placed alongside heroin and LSD, and transformed into a political weapon that shaped American policy for the next six decades.
30 Jun, 2025
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2 min read
A gas station with cannabis products on the pump with the US Capitol building in the background.
Congress Moves to Ban Unregulated, Intoxicating Hemp Being Sold at Gas Stations Nationwide
In a late-session vote last week, House Republicans advanced a sweeping change to federal hemp policy that could outlaw a wide range of intoxicating hemp products, sometimes referred to as “gas station weed,” as the hemp Farm Bill loopholes become a major policy issue in many states, including California, Tennessee and Texas.
26 Jun, 2025
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3 min read
Person walking across the street in front of the Texas Capitol Building.
TX Gov. Vetoes Hemp Bill - No Criminalization for Synthetic THC
<p>On June 23, 2025, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott shocked lawmakers and lobbyists alike by vetoing Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), a measure that would have banned hemp-derived THC products across the state.  He also called for a special session to bring lawmakers back to Austin on July 21 to craft regulations that restrict, but do not outright ban, intoxicating hemp products.</p>
23 Jun, 2025
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5 min read
Bottle with a cannabis plant on it.
Is Texas About to Be More Chill on Hemp Than California?
California has just proposed a sweeping new rule to permanently ban intoxicating hemp products — and Texas may soon follow, as Governor Greg Abbott (R) faces a June 22 deadline to sign or veto a similar bill.
19 Jun, 2025
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4 min read
Person handling cannabis in shop.
California Assembly Unanimously Approves Bill to Halt Major Cannabis Tax Hike
In a stunning show of bipartisan agreement, the California Assembly voted 74-0 on June 2 to approve legislation that would pause a significant tax increase on the state’s legal cannabis industry. 
03 Jun, 2025
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3 min read
Picture of the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin.
Texas Legislature Passes Statewide Ban on Hemp-Derived THC; Bill Heads to Governor Abbott
A sweeping bill to ban hemp-derived THC products in Texas is now headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk after final legislative approval. On May 26, the Texas Senate voted 25–6 to concur with House amendments to Senate Bill 3 (SB3), clearing the last procedural hurdle for the legislation.
27 May, 2025
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4 min read
Person cutting hemp plant.
Tennessee Governor Signs Sweeping Hemp Crackdown into Law
Tennessee's hemp industry is facing major regulatory upheaval after Governor Bill Lee signed a bill on May 21 that will significantly restrict the production and sale of hemp-derived cannabinoid products beginning in 2026.
27 May, 2025
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3 min read
cannabis inside a plastic bag with marijuana symbol on it.
California Seizes $123.5M in Illegal Cannabis in Largest-Ever Enforcement Operation
In its largest coordinated crackdown to date, California’s Unified Cannabis Enforcement Task Force seized more than $123 million worth of illegal cannabis during a sweeping, multi-agency operation across the Central Valley.
20 May, 2025
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2 min read
Cnannabis and CBD oil
Sen. Padilla Pushes, But DEA Nominee Terry Cole Won’t Commit to Cannabis Rescheduling
During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 30, DEA administrator nominee Terrance Cole declined to commit to the proposed federal rescheduling of cannabis, leaving a critical policy question unresolved as the process transitions to new leadership under the Trump administration.
30 Apr, 2025
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3 min read