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Marijuana Business Owner Running For Congress Says Federal Legalization Is The ‘Only Path’ For ‘National Market Stability’

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2 months ago

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Colorado-based marijuana entrepreneur Wanda James is running for Congress, pledging to push for an end to the federal ban on cannabis if elected. Anything outside of legislation (whether it’s a bill focused on industry bank access or other incremental reform like rescheduling) won’t cut it, he says.

James, who owns the Simply Pure dispensary in Denver, is challenging Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) in next year’s Democratic primary to represent Colorado’s 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He spoke about his cannabis legalization platform at an MJBizCon event on Wednesday.

“No bank bill will save us. No half-step will fix it. No amount of tweaking will correct decades of damage,” he said in a press release ahead of the speech. “Only legalization gives oxygen to this industry.”

“Only legalization ends 280E. Only legalization ends raids. Only legalization ends fear,” he said, referring to the policy that prevents cannabis businesses from taking federal tax deductions and generally puts businesses at risk of federal enforcement action. “Only legalization stops the piecemeal nonsense that destroys operators while confusing the public.”

“And let me be very clear about something else,” he said. “This is not a battle between hemp and cannabis. It’s the same plant. The same history. The same communities. The same families. The same lack of respect. It’s time to send it to Congress that will step up the momentum our industry demands.”

In a statement on his campaign site, James also said he will “champion legislation to completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA)” if elected. Rescheduling the plant or kicking the can down the road with “administrative delays” is not enough, he said.

“Full legalization. PERIOD,” he said. “This is the only way forward with federal safety standards, interstate commerce, banking access and national market stability.”

“In Congress, I will work with reform officials, veterans from both parties, and economic innovation committees to ensure that legalization is implemented quickly, safely, and with strong public health and consumer protections,” James. add.

The campaign statement also said James will push for legislative reform that boosts marijuana tax revenue for community reinvestment initiatives that support “affordable housing, mental health services, child care assistance, public school improvements and neighborhood economic development.”

“This approach ensures that legalization becomes a tool to lift up families, support workers, and rebuild ALL communities damaged by decades of discriminatory and wasteful enforcement,” he said.

The candidate also said he will “promote a federal equity framework that ensures priority licensing, business development assistance and access to federal grants and low-interest capital for communities disproportionately impacted by criminalization.”

James said the regulatory approach to marijuana he would adopt would prevent “corporate consolidation from wiping out the small operators and the pioneers who built this industry.”

“I will fight for antitrust protections, access to federal loans and fair trade rules between states that allow small businesses to compete without being crushed by multinationals,” he said. “And I will push for clear federal packaging, testing and transportation standards so entrepreneurs can responsibly scale across state lines.”

Also, as a military veteran, James said that doctors at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can recommend medical cannabis to the veteran population “without fear of penalties or bureaucratic hurdles.”

In 2023, James approached then-Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) at an event focused on higher education and higher education. supported marijuana banking legislationpointing out how black business owners in the industry broadly support additional reform to free up banks and credit unions to work with state-licensed cannabis companies.

“I would love to see more and more movement on this. Make no mistake about it, first and foremost, we need to get grassroots banking in place,” he told Marijuana Momenti at the time, adding that his personal bank accounts were recently closed due to his involvement in the marijuana industry.

James is also a regent-elect at the University of Colorado, and his role in the marijuana industry became a point of contention leading to formal censure by the Board of Regents, who criticized an ad campaign warning about the dangers of cannabis use as racist for its portrayal of blacks using marijuana.

“This is a victory for me because we have completely exposed the problems that the University of Colorado has with race,” he said. he said of the census “We’ve been able to bare it for the world to see, and I couldn’t be more proud of my community and the people who have stood up for the truth and stood up against Blackness.”

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) responded to the board’s censure action, writing that “the First Amendment protects the right to free speech,” and that “no White House executive order or university public policy can override that fundamental right.”

“I’m concerned that the CU Board of Regents did that to punish Vice Chancellor Wanda James,” she said. “To protect the right to free speech and the fair treatment of CU Regent James, the Council of Regents would do well to reconsider the actions against him. Letting this action go into effect not only raises questions about fairness, but also weakens CD1’s representation on the Council.”

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Last year, Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) called James is a “force of nature,” acknowledging his historic role in the marijuana policy debate and Colorado’s cannabis program.

DeGette, the incumbent congressman for whose seat James is running for, is also a supporter of marijuana reform. For example, legislation protects…as well as a pilot acquisitionto Avoiding federal interference with state cannabis laws.

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Vivent Biosignals & Green Laniel join forces to bring plant-driven agriculture to the US

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7 hours ago

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January 17, 2026

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Vivent Biosignals and Green Laniel Consulting have announced a partnership to accelerate plant-driven irrigation and irrigation in key U.S. agricultural markets. Green Laniel Consulting is a US-focused provider of agronomic solutions led by Mauricio Manotas.

By combining Vivent’s ability to decode plant biosignals in real-time using plant biosensors, machine learning and AI with Green Laniel’s deep experience in agronomy, grower operations and US market access, the partnership allows growers to make decisions based on what really matters: how the plant itself is responding.

© Vivent Biosignals

The partnership will cover a variety of crops and production systems, initially plant-driven irrigation and greenhouses for perennial crops, including potatoes, directly guided by plant feedback.

“By combining Vivint’s plant-level intelligence with Green Laniel’s strong presence and agronomic leadership in the US, we are enabling a new generation of plant-driven farming systems. This partnership helps growers improve yields and quality while significantly increasing resource efficiency and sustainability.” says Mauricio Manotas, Green Laniel Consulting.

For more information:
Vivent Biosignals
Tel.: +41 79 5114627
Email: (email protected)
https://vivent-biosignals.com/



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Indiana Lawmakers Approve Bill To Restrict And Regulate Hemp THC Products

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7 hours ago

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January 17, 2026

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“In India, we would like some certainty about these products so that those who manufacture and sell them know what our laws are.”

By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz, Indiana Capital Chronicle

Indiana lawmakers want state legislation to join the recently enacted federal ban on intoxicating and synthetic hemp products to counter the growing delta-8 industry.

Lengthy and complex legislation would also regulate less potent products that pass statutory muster.

But, “there will be no demand” for products below the proposed threshold, said Justin Swanson, representing the Midwest Hemp Council and 3Chi, a THC products retailer.

THC is the active ingredient in marijuana.

Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis, admitted to the committee that he would prefer to “wipe all these things off the planet, period,” but that his proposal is “whatever is possible.”

His Senate Bill 250 would mimic Congress’s shutdown of what Freeman described as the “Farm Bill loophole,” referring to 2018 legislation that defined legal hemp as any part of the plant that contains less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight. That definition allowed products containing delta-8, THCA and other intoxicating cannabinoids to proliferate, including in Indiana.

A federal funding law passed in November specifies that all types of THC count. It also limits THC products to just 0.4 milligrams per container, and completely bans those made in labs.

“I think (that’s) what the federal government wanted when they passed the Farm Bill in 2018; I think that’s what everybody had in mind when they copied that language here in Indiana,” said Chris Daniels, chief traffic safety resource attorney for the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council. “The target was very low potency THC.”

An industry group supported the changes.

“It is imperative that Indiana act to align with federal policy in the 2026 legislative session,” said Cory Harris, representative of the American Cannabis and Hemp Trade Association. “Failure to do so means that Indiana’s policy will be stricter than federal law, making Indiana a legal cannabis market.”

The federal provisions will go into effect in November. Freeman’s bill repeats those provisions, but puts them into effect four months earlier, in July.

“It’s sweet that Indiana codified a federal law that will decimate an entire industry in the state,” Swanson said. “The landscape is still unsettled.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Baird — a Republican representing Indiana — introduced a proposal to push the effective date of the federal ban to 2028. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order to expedite the reclassification of marijuana as a less dangerous and less restricted drug.

Swanson said his clients support a “responsible regulatory framework,” and told lawmakers that “the status quo is not acceptable to anyone.”

Freeman’s invoice spends dozens of pages specifically regulating low-THC “hemp-derived cannabinoid products” that would be legalized, primarily with a long-standing 21-and-over requirement.

It also puts the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission in charge of regulating the rest of the industry, establishing four types of licenses for manufacturers, distributors, retailers and carriers. They would be prohibited from advertising within 1,000 feet of schools, playgrounds and others, with retailers prohibited from operating within the same radius.

Retailers would not be able to deliver products or allow customers to consume them on the spot. Selling the products online would also be illegal, another sticking point for advocates.

Dave Colt, CEO and co-founder of Sun King Brewery, said his homegrown company spent months and more than $100,000 on equipment, research and development for its THC seltzer. Amid declining alcohol sales nationwide, seltzers have allowed Sun King to retain its employees and even grow.

“We also make products for at least a dozen Hoosier small businesses. Without that additional revenue, we would be forced to lay off people and reduce our business significantly,” Colt stated. “We believe the industry wants clear regulations to meet consumer demand.”

Other provisions relate to packaging, labeling and testing.

A fiscal impact study by the nonpartisan Service Agency estimated a financial impact of half a billion dollars annually for ATC to administer and enforce the proposal. The agency will have to hire at least one excise officer in each of the six districts plus Marion County to investigate complaints related to the new regulatory framework.

There will be additional costs for law enforcement training, procurement and online databases, the analysis noted.

The costs could be offset by the permit and other fees collected. The measure would allocate 70 percent of the proceeds to ATC administrative efforts, 20 percent to enforcement, 5 percent to the state’s 988 suicide and crisis hotline and 5 percent to the general fund.

If all tobacco sales certificate holders applied for a retail permit, for example, their application fees would generate $2.1 million. If all are approved, the state would earn an additional $4.6 million, according to LSA’s analysis.

The state seed commissioner would handle licensing for hemp growers and handlers.

Freeman also included a sentence that prevents the Indiana code from immediately reflecting the federal reclassification of marijuana, if that goes forward.

“This bill simply says that we’re not going to automatically follow what the federal government does, that we, the 150 of us, would make that decision, not the federal government for us,” Freeman told his colleagues.

The Senate Commerce and Technology committee also approved an amendment to eliminate an excise tax, as all revenue-raising provisions must be initiated in the House.

The revised legislation passed on a 7-2 party line vote, but the next bill must pass through the Senate Appropriations Committee before going to the House floor.

Previous efforts to ban and regulate intoxicating hemp products have failed.

Asked about his chances this year, Senate Republican Leader Rodric Bray told reporters, “I don’t have that crystal ball,” but added, “I think the bill is in pretty good shape right now.”

“I think in Indiana, we would like some certainty about these products, so that those who manufacture and sell them know what our laws are,” he continued, “and, most importantly, to build in some really meaningful protections for our young people across the state.”

This story was first published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Brendan Cleak’s photo.

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Creating a thoughtful cannabis environment for Colorado Springs

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1 day ago

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January 16, 2026

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In Colorado Springs, where the landscape of legal cannabis is centered around medical use, BioMeds Weed Dispensary Colorado Springs has become a destination for patients seeking high-quality cannabis products and a fair and respectful retail experience. Located at 2301 Rand Avenue, BioMeds has developed a reputation for prioritizing product integrity, patient education and consistent service in response to the brightest trends found in recreationally oriented markets.

Unlike recreational dispensaries, where the volume and variety can sometimes overwhelm, BioMeds takes a deliberate approach. The dispensary offers a good selection of medical cannabis products, including a variety of delivery formats to suit your health needs. These typically include flower strains, tinctures, capsules, topicals, and ingestibles, allowing patients to explore therapeutic cannabis without relying on inhaled methods.

BioMeds understands that patients arrive with different experiences, preferences and conditions. To meet these needs, the dispensary emphasizes informed, non-judgmental customer service based on product knowledge. The staff is trained to explain how different formats work, as well as interpret cannabinoid ratios, identify common terpenes, and select products that match specific wellness goals.

© BioMeds Weed Dispensary Colorado Springs

BioMeds’ product selection is part of the reason patients turn to cannabis. For many, whole flower remains a must-have choice, especially strains that emphasize CBD content, balanced proportions or effect-specific terpene profiles. BioMeds often sells indica, sativa, and hybrids with specific labeling, allowing patients to make informed decisions about onset time, duration, and expected outcome. Beyond flower, tinctures and capsules offer discreet, dose-controlled ways to incorporate cannabis into your daily wellness routine, especially for those managing pain, inflammation, or neurological conditions.

Topicals are also a key part of BioMeds’ offering. These include cannabinoid-infused creams, salves, and lotions intended for topical use. Patients dealing with joint discomfort, muscle tension, or skin conditions often turn to topical products for their non-toxic effects and targeted relief. These products also serve as an entry point for patients exploring cannabis for the first time, especially when faced with systemic or psychoactive effects.

Another category that sees sustained interest in BioMeds is ingestion. These may include low-dose edibles, oils, or beverages tailored to patients seeking long-lasting, absorbed beverages. While recreational edibles in Colorado may gravitate toward high-THC formats, medically focused dispensaries like BioMeds ensure that low-dose, balanced-ratio, CBD-rich formats are available and clearly labeled. Many patients prefer longer-lasting edible formats, especially for managing symptoms at night or for relief throughout the day.

Compliance is a pillar of BioMeds’ operating philosophy. As a medical-only dispensary, the group complies with all Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) guidelines. Patients must present a valid marijuana card, and all transactions are recorded and monitored according to state protocols. BioMeds does not allow recreational sales and maintains internal training programs to keep employees up-to-date on evolving regulations, labeling requirements and patient protection.

While the dispensary may not offer flashy promotions or themed events often seen in the recreational market, it has placed a special emphasis on medical integrity and personalized service in the Colorado Springs cannabis landscape. For patients who prioritize results over hype, BioMeds offers a consistent experience with proven products and a team that truly understands the nuances of using medical cannabis.

Behind the scenes, BioMeds maintains strong supplier relationships to ensure product availability and freshness. Inventory is regularly reviewed and rotated, and the team communicates directly with manufacturers to maintain transparency around sourcing, testing and packaging. The dispensary favors small and medium-sized Colorado growers who focus on consistency and compliance, with many products undergoing third-party lab testing for cannabinoid content, residual solvents and microbial contamination.

For more information:
BioMeds Weed Dispensary Colorado Springs
biomedsofcolorado.com/

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