Author: News Room

Nearly $17 million in Missouri cannabis sales revenue is being routed to programs in the state aimed at veterans health, drug treatment and legal aid. Officials at Missouri’s Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) announced the agency transferred $13 million from the state’s medical marijuana program to the Missouri Veterans Commission, which will be used to provide health care and other service to military veterans and their families. Separately, DHSS said it transferred nearly $4 million ($3,836,919) to agencies from the state’s adult-use cannabis program, which Missouri voters legalized at the polls last November. Three agencies each received $1,278,973:…

It’s officially Scorpio season, Stargazers! As the days grow increasingly shorter and the nights longer, this water sign encourages us to delve into our emotions, catalyzing introspection and self-awareness. As we bundle up for November, the cosmic energies shifting will bring a much-needed sense of calmness to the signs, especially after the turbulence of the previous month. This time primes us to embrace the hidden aspects of ourselves, delve into our desires, and seek deeper connections with those around us.A significant cosmic event unfolds on November 4, as Saturn goes Direct. This planetary shift brings a sense of clarity and…

A new report looking into how CBD access affects opioid prescriptions concludes that while legalizing CBD may not itself reduce opioid prescribing rates, the ability to actually access and purchase legal CBD products has led to 6.6 percent to 8.1 percent fewer opioid prescriptions. “In general, we find that state level legalization of CBD products only leads to a statistically significant reduction in opioid prescriptions when states also allow for open and legal dispensaries,” the paper says, “suggesting that adequate supply-side access is necessary to realize the potential benefits of legalization.” Further, the study found that legal and open dispensaries…

A Pennsylvania House committee is convening an informational meeting to hear from experts about adult-use marijuana legalization as legislators chart a path for the reform, which the panel’s chairman said may involve consideration of a state-run cannabis sales model. While the House Health Subcommittee on Health Care won’t take up any specific legislation on Wednesday, members will have the chance to listen to testimony from professors, advocates and addiction specialists about the health considerations of moving forward with legalization in the Keystone State. The subcommittee is chaired by Rep. Dan Frankel (D), who has previously sponsored cannabis legalization legislation and…

Experts and advocates—including a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) official and a former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—recently convened for a Harvard University panel to discuss efforts to expand veteran access to psychedelic-assisted therapy. Speakers broadly agreed that psychedelic substances like MDMA and psilocybin hold powerful potential to help treat PTSD and curb suicide rates in service members, but they cautioned against hasty, unsupervised use of psychedelics given the possibility for further harms. “I am really excited about this,” said Rachel Yehuda, the director of mental health for the VA medical center in the Bronx…

The Trump campaign took a swipe at 2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, urging the Florida governor to pick up some marijuana edibles while visiting Nevada to de-stress from the race. Steven Cheung, spokesperson for former President Donald Trump, made the comments on Saturday, remarking on the stagnant polling numbers for DeSantis. “Maybe Ron should consider visiting a smoke shop and buy some edibles to take the stress away, something [DeSantis strategist] Jeff Roe should know about since he’s lobbying for marijuana legalization in Iowa,” he said, as Florida Politics first reported. DeSantis is unlikely to take the Trump campaign…

Super Mario Bros. games have always been fun for people of all ages, but Super Mario Bros. Wonder takes players on a delightful new journey that we can’t help but think was inspired by substances of the psychedelic variety. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is fun for everyone, but should you choose to imbibe while playing, you’ll find tons of psychedelic parallels that can’t be denied. A Wonderful World of Color In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, you’ll get choose one of the core game’s usual heroes: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Toads, and Toadette. As you traverse the Flower Kingdom, you’ll find…

Thai hemp stakeholders are pressing the new government for clarity regarding the potential rescheduling of marijuana and limiting hemp to fiber and seed products, essentially wiping out the CBD business. The Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association (TIHTA) said cannabis companies deserve to know as soon as possible if the new government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will reverse advances in cannabis policy made in Thailand over the past several years. TIHTA estimated its members have invested $200-300 million baht (~US$5.5-8.3 million) in their hemp operations, primarily in CBD. Total cannabis investments including marijuana are estimated in the tens of billions…

A Pennsylvania House committee has approved a Senate-passed bill that would allow all licensed medical marijuana grower-processors in the state to sell their cannabis products directly to patients, along with an amendment to further permit independent growers and dispensaries to expand their operations. The House Health Committee passed the legislation from Sen. Chris Gebhard (R) on Monday—about one month after it cleared the GOP-controlled Senate. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana law currently says that only 25 businesses can be licensed for marijuana growing and processing, and only five of those licensees can sell directly to patients through vertically integrated dispensaries. That’s created…

After a half century advocating for marijuana reform—including 27 years representing Oregon’s 3rd district in Congress—Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) announced on Monday that he will not be seeking reelection next year. The congressman, a founding co-chair of the Cannabis Caucus and architect of a federal marijuana legalization “blueprint,” has earned the respect of advocates, stakeholders and lawmakers across the aisle as he’s worked to navigate challenging waters on Capitol Hill, where even modest cannabis legislation has consistently stalled despite the ever-growing state legalization movement and increasing voter support. Those congressional waters remain stubbornly volatile. Even a bipartisan cannabis banking bill…