Author: News Room

The failure of a minor bill that would have helped CBD producers in South Dakota won’t have much of an effect on the overall hemp industry in the state, where farmers have pinned their hopes on fiber and seed. The State Senate recently upheld Gov. Kristi Noem’s veto of a proposed law that would have revised rules for the handling of partially processed hemp flower material. The rules would have increased the amount of THC that can be present in hemp during the processing of hemp flowers into CBD and other cannabinoids from 0.3% to 0.5%. The flexibility provided in…

The Illinois Senate has approved legislation that would prevent the smell of marijuana from being used as probable cause to search a vehicle or its passengers. The Senate voted 33–20 on Thursday to pass the bill, SB 125. It’s now set to be considered by the state’s House of Representatives. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Rachel Ventura (D), said in a statement issued by Senate Democrats that the proposal would protect Illiniosians’ rights against unreasonable searches. “People—especially people of color—are unnecessarily pulled over far too often,” Ventura said. “The odor of cannabis alone shouldn’t be one of those reasons. Cannabis is…

By Ed Rosenthal Since my early youth I had dreamed of becoming a writer and plant scientist. However, during high school and college I was drawn to other matters and studied in a totally different area. Somehow, my natural inclinations broke through. My work as a writer for HIGH TIMES has helped me live a fantasy. I have visited gardens and farms on five continents, and been given the opportunity to experience some interesting, unusual and even extraordinary places. India I visited India in the fall and winter of 1979, when marijuana was still legal there. It was taxed by…

Dreu is the owner of VanHoose Hemp Co in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.“My aunts and uncles, they were really big on herbal natural alternative medicines as a way of healing oneself. So I’d like to say I come from a family of healers all the way from my grandfather, which comes full circle.”Dreu VanHooseBorn and raised in the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), Dreu VanHoose attended Drexel University, where she developed a fascination with plant science. Having endured chronic back pain, Dreu began researching plant cannabinoids and the human endocannabinoid system.Upon moving back to D.C., where growing weed was…

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is reportedly removing marijuana from its list of banned substances and will no longer drug test players for it as part of a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement. The move, first reported on Saturday by Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, formally codifies what has been the league’s decision to temporarily suspend cannabis testing for the past three seasons. Sources: NBA players will no longer be prohibited for marijuana under the new seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement. It’s been removed from the anti-drug testing program, a process that began during 2019-20 season. — Shams Charania…

Well, here’s some positive news to cap off your week, Leafly Nation!Earlier today, Kentucky became the 38th state to legalize medical cannabis when Governor Andy Beshear (D) signed Senate Bill 47 into law.The victory follows failed attempts to pass similar legislation in 2020 and 2022.While SB 47 provides a substantial overview of how the program will operate, we caution our friends in Kentucky from getting too excited: It’s gonna be a hot minute before qualifying patients can purchase medical marijuana in the Bluegrass State.Read on to learn more about the qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Kentucky, the types of…

The captain of cannabis cultivation shares his passion for these strains from ILGM.Next time you get high, spare a thought for the humble grower whose passion and care created the bud you’re lighting up. Or better yet, why not try your hand at growing cannabis yourself for an even deeper connection to the plant?That connection is well known to master growers like Robert Bergman, who dedicate their lives to pursuing the passion of growing cannabis. Bergman, the founder of the legendary seed source I Love Growing Marijuana, has built the company into one of the leading lights of growing access…

The Maryland Senate passed a bill to regulate marijuana sales on Friday as the state prepares for the launch of legalization on July 1. Bicameral lawmakers will now work to resolve the measure’s differences with a separate version of the legislation that was approved by the House of Delegates earlier this month. The Senate bill from Sens. Brian Feldman (D) and Antonio Hayes (D) passed on third reading on Friday in a vote of 32-12, an action that comes one day after the measure was given initial approval on the floor and days after it cleared a committee stop. The…

German officials are planning to proceed with a scaled-back version of cannabis legalization, having abandoned—at least for now—a more sweeping proposal that would have ushered in legal cannabis sales across the country. The country’s health minister, Karl Lauterbach, had pledged to unveil new cannabis legislation by the end of the first quarter of the year. And although he was scheduled to give a press conference on Friday to discuss the measure, the event was canceled due to illness and scheduling conflicts. Nevertheless, details of the forthcoming reformulated plan are being reported by German media. “We are on the right track.…

A bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers filed a bill this week to clarify that federal “Right to Try” (RTT) laws give seriously ill patients access to Schedule I drugs, including marijuana and psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA. While the bipartisan measure would make a technical amendment to the text of existing law, the primary purpose is to clarify—in the face of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) objections—that RTT policy as signed into law by then-President Donald Trump already means that patients with terminal health conditions should be able to obtain and use investigational drugs that have undergone clinical trials, even if…