Cannabis News

What does the upcoming Virginia market have in store for its workers?

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

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A union and a marijuana justice nonprofit are fighting for worker protections and fairness for small operations as the multibillion-dollar industry moves closer to coming online in Virginia.
Retail cannabis sales in Virginia could begin next November, but debate continues over how to set up the market in a way that’s fair to workers and small businesses.

A committee of state lawmakers met earlier this month to discuss the details of how to establish and regulate a retail cannabis market in Virginia. The debate has been going on for years and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin after a deadline blocked Virginia’s entry into an industry that last year had more than $30 billion in sales.

Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger has said she supports the creation of a legalized retail market, so it’s likely to happen on her watch. Virginia already has medicinal cannabis and it is legal to possess an ounce for personal use. But unlike neighboring Maryland, it’s still illegal to buy and sell cannabis, for now.

Virginia lawmakers are developing legislation to establish a retail cannabis market in Virginia. They are balancing several goals, such as ensuring that small businesses are not pushed around by massive corporations; supporting local farmers in this ag-heavy situation; Righting wrongs perpetuated by racist accusations of the war on drugs and protecting public safety.

Cannabis News

Striving for inclusivity in Caribbean cannabis market

Published

50 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

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The government of Antigua and Barbuda has reiterated its intention to build a medical cannabis sector based on local empowerment, careful regulation and cultural respect. At a stakeholder dialogue organized by the Medicinal Cannabis Authority (MCA), officials presented a new roadmap for the development of medicinal cannabis on the island.

Addressing industry stakeholders, Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin emphasized that the administration’s aim was to redirect the profits of this industry to people who have historically been shunned by foreign investors.

“I want to make it clear that my government (…) is fully committed to ensure that the economic benefits of this industry benefit the people of Antigua and Barbuda as a whole, and not just land investors,” he said, and to assure participants “that the pie is significant.”

This change comes as the authorities have acknowledged that previous economic initiatives in the country often concentrated profits in the hands of large operators. The government now wants to ensure that this trend is “ended”, with the new cannabis regulatory framework serving as a corrective model.

Cannabis News

Only Six Percent Of Marijuana Consumers Approve Of Trump’s Reform Actions, But Most Would Shift Opinion If He Reschedules, Poll Finds

Published

60 minutes ago

December 15, 2025

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Only six percent of marijuana users approve of the Trump administration’s actions on cannabis policy so far, according to a new poll. Rumors abound that the president plans to direct federal rescheduling of cannabis.

The latest version of NuggMD and Marijuana Moment’s quarterly presidential approval tracking poll also found that 51 percent of respondents would support the current administration if marijuana were rescheduled or legalized.

Some President Donald Trump calls cannabis III. Despite the recent news that plans to reclassify the drug as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act are very positive, marijuana users’ support for the president’s marijuana “actions” declined in the last quarter.

1.6 percent of respondents said they “strongly approve” of the actions, 4.5 percent approve, a plurality of 38.4 percent are neutral, 26.1 percent disapprove and 29.5 percent strongly disapprove.

“Do you approve or disapprove of the presidential administration’s actions regarding cannabis?”
	n:	%
Strongly accept	7	1.6%
accept	20	4.5%
No opinion/Neutral	172	38.4%
Condemn	117	26.1%
Very disapproving	132	29.5%
	448
Score (-50 to +50)	-19,364
Clear Accept/Reject:	-49.6%

However, the poll data also reinforced the idea that Trump could move the needle among cannabis-using voters by enacting key reforms, such as rescheduling or legalization.

It found that among respondents, 51 percent said they would change their level of support for the president if he took action on these reform proposals.

1.5 percent said they would support it less, while 47.5 percent said their opinion would not change.

“If the Trump administration were to reschedule or legalize cannabis, would that change your level of support?”
	n:	%
I would accept much more	172	38.4%
I could tolerate a bit more	56	12.5%
No change	213	47.5%
I would accept less	2	0.4%
I would accept much less	5	1.1%
	448
Score (-50 to +50):	21,652
Clear Accept/Reject:	49.3%

“I find these data to be evidence that the White House needs to take tangible action on cannabis reprogramming to capture the clear political benefit of the public we poll, cannabis consumers who participate in state legal and regulated markets,” said Andrew Graham, chief communications officer for Nugg MD, Marijuana Moment.

“The trial balloon about the imminence of the overhaul is not going to cut it,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe an executive leading the move to Schedule III “resolves the many problems with how federal law treats cannabis, a legal substance in many states.”

However, “I think it would benefit the industry and increase access, and consumers of cannabis would notice,” Graham said.

The latest quarterly poll found Trump’s overall approval rating among marijuana users down, from 11 percent in the previous quarter to around six percent this quarter.

The survey — which interviewed 448 cannabis users living in states with legal markets and has a margin of error of ±4.63 percentage points — was conducted before the president announced plans to move forward with the reorganization process initiated by the Biden administration, with deadlines for action ranging from Monday to early next year.

Trump confirmed Monday when asked by a reporter “very strongly” considering rescheduling cannabisHe said the reform “brings in enormous amounts of research that can’t be done if you don’t reclassify.”

Amid rumors of a reconsideration, top Democrats in Congress have complained that the reform would not go far enough, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) who called the move only a tentative one. president to “gaslight” voters into thinking he legalized cannabis to boost his “pathetic” approval rating.

Meanwhile, it is an important organization in the drug testing industry Amid ‘sounding the alarm’ reports Trump may soon end marijuana reregulation proposalthat the reform would have “catastrophic consequences for the safety of US workers and the transportation sector.”

Cannabis industry players are hopeful that reform will be passed as soon as possible, but opponents — including the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) and Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) — are working to dissuade the administration before a final decision is made. For what it’s worth, a White House spokesperson told Marihuana Moment that no action has been taken so far.

They have been bipartisan members of Congress weighing a possible decision to reorganize last week—Democrats like Rep. Alex Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) call the reform a “no” and others like Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) have pushed back against the proposal.

Trump said this in mid-August he would make the reorganization decision in a week. But despite that timeline and increasing rumors, a White House spokesman told Marijuana Moment last week that “no final decision has been made on rescheduling marijuana.”

The Washington Post reported Thursday afternoon that Trump planned to issue an executive order to federal agencies to move ahead with cannabis rescheduling.

The outlet also said the president met with marijuana industry executives Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this week in the Oval Office. with Secretary of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz. During that meeting, Trump called Johnson, the House Speaker, who opposed the rescheduling of cannabis,

If the administration ultimately enacts the rescheduling, it would mark one of the most significant developments in federal marijuana policy since its prohibition half a century ago, when it was banned under Article III. With a reclassification, marijuana has medical value and a lower abuse potential compared to Schedule I drugs like heroin.

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Trump endorsed the rescheduling — as well as an initiative to legalize access to industrial banking and adult use in Florida — on the campaign trail. The president had been silent on the issue since taking office for a second term, until a meeting in August where, in response to a reporter’s question, he announced that the administration would decide to reschedule in a few weeks.

The possibility of an immediate rescheduling announcement comes a few weeks later the president signed a major spending bill that would effectively ban most consumer hemp productsdrawing criticism from hemp industry players who say the policy change would wipe out the market.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Cannabis News

Virginia Hemp Businesses Consider How To Pivot With Federal Ban Looming

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

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“It’s a bad situation for a lot of hemp growers and processors and retailers.”

Author: Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

Richmond-based Bingo Beer officially entered the growing national market for hemp-derived THC products when it introduced THC seltzers earlier this year.

The non-alcoholic beverage option is growing nationwide as an alternative for people looking to cut back on or eliminate alcohol altogether. A recent Gallup poll showed that the percentage of Americans who drink alcohol has dropped to 54 percent.

Analysts and farmers say, however, that the hemp-based THC industry could come to an abrupt halt by November of next year, as Congress voted to ban most hemp-derived THC products in a last-minute government spending bill that ended a last-minute government shutdown.

THC seltzers and other hemp-based products are a “large and growing segment of the economy,” Bingo Beer co-owner Jay Bayer told the Mercury earlier this year.

“I don’t think the solution is to put the genie back in the bottle,” Bayer said on a recent call. He added that offering THC products has been an “exception” for some in the alcoholic beverage industry, as long as they meet the needs of consumers.

But like Virginia continues to explore the legal cannabis marketBayer is exploring possible ways to pivot.

“If we switched from marijuana to THC, consumers would come with us,” he said.

An uncertain future

Hemp businesses across the nation are trying to map out their next steps. In North Carolina, for example, hemp businesses are facing potential legal battles to defend their industry, as in other states where cannabis is not legal.

“We can’t pivot,” Dana Burham, co-owner of Otherside Hemp, he told NC Newsline last month.

But Virginia is in a “privileged” space, Pure Shenandoah co-owner Tanner Johnson said on a recent call. He runs the company with his siblings, whose products run the gamut of industrial hemp’s uses, from a “hemp” research contract awarded in 2023 with the US Air Force to supplying Bingo Beer’s THC seltzer.

As Congress laid out the foundations for the industry in 2018, Johnson compared the hemp-restricted provision in the government spending bill to pulling the “rug” out from under people. But companies like his have diversified portfolios and may find it easier to do business in Virginia than in states where legal cannabis markets do not exist or are forthcoming. However, he said, he is taking care of things at the national level.

As a representative of the Virginia Cannabis Association, he will also provide legislators with insights and ideas to craft and pass legislation to enable the new market.

“It’s a bad situation for a lot of hemp growers and processors and retailers,” Johnson said. “But in Virginia, we almost feel like we’re threading a needle where this industry is closing as another industry is opening.”

This story was first published by the Virginia Mercury.

Brendan Cleak’s photo.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.