NewsRoom Articles - CannabisNewsWire

FridayOct 09, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – New York Marijuana Sales Poised to Set New Record

New York’s legal cannabis market is on track to exceed last year’s sales record, although the industry is not growing quickly enough to meet an ambitious projection made by the state’s top marijuana regulator. Cannabis retail purchases exceeded $1.410 billion during the first nine months of 2026, according to figures presented by Kevin Brennan, deputy director of the state Office of Cannabis Management. The total puts the industry on course to surpass the $1.68 billion recorded in 2025. The pace, however, remains below the $2.6 billion that John Kagia, OCM Executive Director, suggested could be achievable. While New York has…

ThursdayOct 08, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Florida Ballots Could Have 3 Options Seeking Marijuana Legalization

Florida voters could face three separate proposals seeking to legalize recreational marijuana when the state’s 2028 election arrives. The Division of Elections gave the go-ahead to the Floridians for Marijuana initiative on September 30. A second measure, backed by Let Florida Vote IV, is still awaiting consideration by the Florida Financial Impact Estimating Conference. Both groups are led by the same political team, with Zack Whitson serving as chair and Gloria Maggiolo as treasurer. The campaigns are entering a field already occupied by Smart and Safe Florida, which is supported by medical marijuana giant Trulieve. Trulieve spent over $145 million…

WednesdayOct 07, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Hemp-Sourced THC Industry Scrambles for Reprieve as Federal Ban Looms

A growing U.S. industry built around hemp-derived THC products is confronting an uncertain future as Congress moves toward tighter federal restrictions that could force many businesses to close. In North Carolina, entrepreneur Nicholas Hohns has built a company producing high-potency THC edibles. His operation grew rapidly after the COVID-19 pandemic, after he lost a personal trainer job. Now, he is considering other products, including creatine gummies, in case new federal rules make his current business impossible. The dispute centers on a provision in the 2018 farm bill that legalized industrial hemp. The law classified hemp as cannabis containing no more…

TuesdayOct 06, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – DEA Judge Pauses Ongoing Cannabis Rescheduling Process

The federal government’s review of marijuana’s legal status is facing another delay, leaving cannabis businesses waiting longer for potential tax changes tied to broader rescheduling. A temporary pause was ordered last Tuesday by Derek Julius, the DEA’s chief administrative judge. The move came after opponents of cannabis reform requested that a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report be added to the administrative record before proceedings continue. Judge Julius has been considering how to advise the DOJ on a White House directive calling for federal cannabis restrictions to be reduced. His decision now appears unlikely before November at the earliest. The…

MondayOct 05, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – How DOT Substance Testing Could Be Impacted by Marijuana Rescheduling

A commercial driver who uses cannabis under a state medical program may still face a verified positive drug test under federal transportation rules, even if the substance was obtained legally within that state. The issue has become more significant as federal officials begin changing cannabis’ classification under the CSA. The Transport Department has made clear that a shift toward Schedule 3 does not, by itself, permit marijuana use by workers in safety-sensitive transport roles. Last December, President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to accelerate proceedings that could shift cannabis to Schedule 3. DOT said at the time that its…

FridayOct 02, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Poll Finds Massachusetts Voters Opposed to Repealing Recreational Marijuana Law

A large majority of Massachusetts voters say they would reject a November ballot proposal that seeks to undo the state’s legal recreational marijuana market, according to new polling. The Bay State Poll, released September 24, found that 71% of respondents intend to vote against the proposal, while 24% said they’d support it. Five percent remained undecided. The survey included 590 Massachusetts residents questioned online from September 17 through September 21. The proposal, Question 8, would repeal laws authorizing, regulating, and taxing retail sales of adult-use marijuana. The proposal would repeal provisions permitting home cultivation. Adults aged at least 21 would…

ThursdayOct 01, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Marijuana Policy Creeps into Nebraska’s Senate Race

An advertisement from independent Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborn’s campaign is drawing attention to Senator Pete Ricketts’ past opposition to marijuana legalization, including remarks the Republican made while serving as governor. The spot features a 2021 comment from Ricketts, who warned that legalizing marijuana could have deadly consequences for children. He made the statement during a news conference held as Nebraska lawmakers considered a proposal to legalize medical marijuana. That bill did not pass. Three years later, however, Nebraskans approved ballot initiatives establishing a framework for medical marijuana. Osborn’s latest advertisement begins with Ricketts’ earlier remarks about cannabis but largely…

WednesdaySep 30, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Scientists Discover New Compounds with Possible Therapeutic Attributes in Marijuana Leaves

Researchers investigating the chemical makeup of marijuana have uncovered a rare category of naturally occurring compounds in the plant that had not previously been recorded. The finding came from Stellenbosch University’s analytical chemists in South Africa, who examined commercially cultivated marijuana from the country. Their work indicates that the leaves, often considered a low-value byproduct, contain a broader and more chemically diverse variety of substances than previously understood. The compounds belong to the phenolic family, a large group of plant chemicals associated with functions such as pigmentation, protection, and responses to environmental stress. Flavonoids, one of the best-known categories within…

TuesdaySep 29, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Could a Generational Flip Be Unfolding in Marijuana Use?

For years, a central argument against marijuana legalization in the U.S. was that easier access for adults would encourage more teenagers to use the drug. More than ten years after the first states opened regulated recreational markets, however, national survey data show a different pattern. Marijuana use among teenagers has fallen substantially, while consumption among older Americans has continued to increase. According to data from a recent CDC survey, nearly 13% of teenagers reported using it in the last 30 days in 2025. That was the lowest figure recorded by the survey. In 2011, the share was 23.1%, meaning the…

MondaySep 28, 2026 4:20 pm

420 with CNW – Virginia Releases Draft Regulations for Adult-Use Marijuana Market

Virginia regulators have released a proposed framework for the state’s recreational marijuana industry, providing new details about where cannabis could be sold, who can enter the market, and the limits consumers will face when retail sales launch next year. The state’s Cannabis Control Authority (CCA) presented an 82-page set of draft regulations to the board on September 9. The proposal calls for as many as 350 independent recreational cannabis retailers across the state, although the full number is not expected to begin operating immediately. Regulators could also approve as many as 100 microbusinesses during the initial phase. The proposed system…