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Yale and McGill collaborate to expand cannabis research

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The Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (YC-SCAN²) announced on March 11 a new collaboration with the McGill Research Center for Cannabis (MRCC), taking an important step in strengthening international collaborations in cannabis and cannabinoid research.

As part of this partnership, MRCC will sponsor and help promote YC-SCAN²’s monthly educational webinar series. The webinars feature talks from leading researchers and clinicians who explore the science of cannabis and cannabinoids from a variety of perspectives. Open to the public, the series creates a platform where experts can present emerging findings, discuss key scientific questions, and engage researchers, clinicians, students, and the wider academic community.

The partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing rigorous evidence-based research in a rapidly evolving field. By connecting researchers from different institutions and disciplines, the two centers aim to accelerate scientific discovery while promoting the exchange of knowledge across borders.

Deepak C. D’Souza, MD, the Vikram Sodhi ’92 Professor of Psychiatry and director of YC-SCAN², said the collaboration builds on a longstanding professional relationship with colleagues at McGill.

“Romina (Mizrahi, director of the MRCC) and I have shared a long-standing interest in advancing rigorous research on cannabis and cannabinoids, and have collaborated for several years to achieve this goal,” he said. “This collaboration between Yale and McGill reflects the importance of bringing together researchers across institutions to exchange ideas, support trainees, and accelerate scientific progress in this rapidly evolving field.”

Mizrahi emphasized the opportunities the partnership creates for future collaboration and training.

“I’m excited about this new chapter for our centers,” he said. “This partnership brings together complementary expertise and creates new opportunities for joint training, knowledge exchange and collaborative research excellence. By working together, we can strengthen the scientific foundation across the full spectrum of cannabis research, from plant science to understanding the effects of cannabis on the body, brain and society.”

Going forward, both centers plan to expand the webinar initiative with virtual “Lunch and Learn” sessions specifically designed for interns and junior researchers. These sessions will provide opportunities for early career researchers to present their work, network with peers and learn from top scientists in the field. The programming will focus on mentoring, interdisciplinary learning and strengthening skills in communicating scientific findings.

The partnership reflects YC-SCAN²’s broader goal of developing long-term partnerships with organizations that share a mission to advance cannabis science. By building networks between universities and research centers, the initiative aims to support high-quality research, promote innovation and help translate scientific findings into informed public policies.

Founded in 2023, YC-SCAN² works to advance the understanding of cannabis and its derivatives, commonly known as cannabinoids. The center serves as a center for research, education and dissemination of information in the field. His work explores the potential therapeutic applications and risks associated with cannabis and cannabinoids, while helping to inform public policy through evidence-based research.

Source: Yale School of Medicine

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BatchNav launches cost-saving cannabis ERP alternative

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In what has become a challenging time for operators, BatchNav, a costing and operations system tailored specifically for cannabis cultivation and production companies, recently launched its integrated platform to provide growers and processors with end-to-end visibility into costs, workflows and inventories to increase profitability.

Built by growers, financial experts and technologists, BatchNav provides growers and processors with complete end-to-end transparency by integrating costs, operations, inventory and labor. The platform provides a unified database designed to increase margins, optimize processes and reduce guesswork.

© BatchNavOptimize margins with BatchNav’s cropping software. Capture labor, materials, and overhead to provide accurate batch-level COGS, determining actual costs and profitability.

“BatchNav gives growers a clear and practical way to measure profitability at every stage of production, including true cost and margin visibility at the individual strain level, while providing the financial transparency CFOs expect,” said co-founder Clark Charlton.

Key features include a task manager; Batch and strain tracking synchronized with Metrc at all stages from raw material to finished products; supply module with real-time tracking of raw materials; a job tracker; and a costing module that integrates labor, material, and overhead to determine real-time cost-of-goods clarity at every process stage.

Founded by Kate O’Connor Masse, Mike Masse and Clark Charlton, BatchNav launched at MJBizCon in December 2025 and is now working with operators in the US and tribal nations.

© BatchNavKate O’Connor Masse

“This platform started with growers frustrated by a lack of clear visibility into their true costs. BatchNav was created to give growers a more accurate and practical way to measure profitability at every stage of production,” said Charlton.

For more information:
BatchNav
Email: (email protected)
https://batchnav.com/

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Idaho Medical Marijuana Campaign Says Legalization Ballot Measure Would Generate $100 Million In Annual Sales

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Idaho could see more than $100 million in medical marijuana sales and up to $28 million in new revenue for state coffers under a legalization measure activists are working to put on the November ballot, according to a new economic analysis released by the campaign.

The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho (NMAI) announced this last week collected enough signatures for an initiative to legalize medical cannabis To pass the statewide threshold for ballot qualification, it commissioned the firm Younger Associates to do two fiscal projections of the proposal, using Utah’s medical marijuana program as a model.

“Based on Utah’s participation trajectory, Idaho supports approximately 63,000 active patients and $108.5 million in annual retail sales by Year 6,” the analysis states.

Under the first revenue scenario, a 6 percent state sales tax would be applied to marijuana sales and there would also be a $100 annual patient registration fee, which would generate about $6.5 million in sales tax revenue and $6.3 million by the program’s sixth year.

The second revenue scenario includes the same patient registration cost and sales tax, but also adds an additional 14 percent fee collected at the point of sale. It would generate about $21.7 million a year in tax and fee revenue, in addition to about $6.3 million in annual patient card fees, to bring in $28 million a year from the state.

“Actual revenue will ultimately depend on the final program design and implementation decisions made by the State.” the report he says

In addition to the economic analysis, the NMAI also released a new short video this month saying the measure proposes “strictly regulated market access” for cannabis and treats patients “with dignity rather than fear or stigma.”

The video also features medical marijuana as an “alternative to the devastating effects of opioids” and the initiative “supports local jobs, Idaho agriculture and generates tax revenue while maintaining strong enforcement standards to prevent misuse.”

“This is not about recreation, it’s about care,” he said he says. “The law provides medical freedom to patients to consult with their physician about their health conditions and assert their right to make choices about their own care.”

But since it’s unclear how many signatures the campaign has collected so far and whether activists have met another requirement for petitions to be distributed regionally, NMAI continues to hold signature-gathering events across the state to expand its coalition of supporters ahead of the May 1 submission deadline.

Amanda Watson, communications manager for NMAI, told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday that organizers “feel very confident that we will qualify for the ballot in November.”

As of this week, NMAI has collected more than 73,000 total signatures — surpassing the statewide requirement of 70,725 for valid petitions — according to the campaign’s website.

To be certified on the ballot, the group must also submit the signatures of at least 6 percent of registered voters in at least 18 of the state’s 35 legislatures. Marihuana Moment reached out to NMAI for a status update on progress toward that goal, but a representative was not immediately available.

Meanwhile, groups of paid and volunteer applicants they are expanding across the state to high-traffic areas to collect signatures, and the NMAI website has a map showing where registered voters can go to sign.

The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, introduced by NMAI last October, would provide patients with access to marijuana from a limited number of dispensaries and provide a regulatory framework for the market.

Here are the main provisions Idaho Medical Cannabis Law:

  • Healthcare practitioners may recommend medical cannabis to patients with conditions including cancer, anxiety and acute pain.
  • Medical marijuana patients or designated caregivers can purchase up to 113 grams of cannabis for smoking or 20 grams of THC extract for vaporization per month.
  • The state would issue three vertically-integrated cannabis business licenses, and then potentially six licenses in total.
  • Marijuana would be reclassified under state law, Title II.
  • State and local law enforcement would be prohibited from assisting in drug enforcement activities related to the state’s illegal cannabis program.
  • There would be anti-discrimination protections for those who use or sell marijuana in compliance with state laws, preventing adverse actions by employers, landlords and educational institutions.
  • There does not seem to be any equity-based reform, nor will the initiative be given the opportunity to grow at home.

“We believe Idahoans deserve access to legal, compassionate and natural care right at home,” NMAI’s website states. “Our mission is to provide patients with a legal path to natural medicine to relieve suffering and restore dignity without the fear of addiction.”

“The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act is our first step. It creates a safe and strictly regulated medical program that allows qualified Idahoans to seek medical treatment for cannabis with a valid diagnosis from a health care provider.” he says. “It supports Idaho agriculture, generates tax revenue to reinvest locally and ensures patients can find natural relief.”

Last month, the campaign also released the results of a statewide poll shows that 83 percent of likely voters support the legalization of medical cannabisincluding 74% of Republicans, 95% of Democrats and 92% of independents.

When asked how they would vote if the current legalization of cannabis appears on the November ballot, 76% of respondents said “yes”. Of that cohort, 50 percent said they would “definitely” vote yes, while only 21 percent said they would vote “no.”

After introducing the medical cannabis initiative last year, a separate 2024 campaign, Kind Idaho, told supporters it would cancel its signature drive. ballot initiative to legalize the personal possession and cultivation of marijuana the adults

Pleasant Idaho previously put medical marijuana ballot measures before voters Both in the 2022 and 2024 elections, but the efforts were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, this year voters will see a different type of proposal on the ballot: the constitutional amendment approved by the legislature to make it so. only members of the legislature can legalize marijuana or other controlled substances.


It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.


Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access

Lawmakers held a separate hearing last March to discuss it bill to legalize medical cannabisbut in the following months there has been no significant action on the matter.

Separately, it would be a bill from last year by Rep. Bruce Skaug (R). set a mandatory minimum fine of $420 for possession of cannabisremoving judges’ discretion to apply lower sentences. Skaug said the bill, which ultimately stalled in committee, would send a message that Idaho is tough on marijuana.

Members of the House of Representatives were also admitted bill to ban marijuana adsalthough the Senate later defeated the measure.

user photo Max Pixel.

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We are forecasting 2026 legal revenues to be $30.5 billion, an increase of 4.9% since 2025

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Whitney Economics (WE), a global leader in cannabis and hemp business consulting, data and economic research, today announced the release of its US cannabis revenue forecast for the period 2025 – 2030.

“We forecast legal revenue to reach $30.5 billion by 2026, a 4.9% increase from 2025,” said WE Founder and Chief Economist Beau Whitney. “This is a welcome change from just one year ago, when the US legal cannabis market experienced its first year-over-year revenue decline in the history of the legalized market.”

That decline, Whitney said, would have been worse nationally had it not been for strong growth in New York and Ohio, where consumers gained greater retail access to cannabis products. Although unit volumes and legal share rates remained strong, supply saturation resulted in price compression and reduced overall revenue in the U.S. “Growth rates are still positive, not as much as in previous years, when we forecast 13.4% growth by 2026,” he said.

In addition, price deflation has again reduced near- and medium-term sales expectations, with forecasts for 2026 and 2027 down from last year. “Whitney Economics’ forecast accuracy has always been in the mid-to-high 90% range, so when it dropped to 85% in 2025, we knew we had to update our models,” Whitney said. “Accounting for price compression was a major part of this adjustment.”

In the past, the key driver for predicting cannabis retail revenue was spending multiplied by the number of consumers. However, with price compression becoming a major factor in the US cannabis market, forecasts must account for market deflation, and WE has updated its model to include price declines.

Whitney’s prediction is that cannabis consumer behavior has changed significantly since the end of the Covid-19 era, with consumers spending essentially the same amount each month. Cannabis spending patterns underwent a major shift in 2023 and 2024, with cannabis spending now beginning to reflect broader consumption patterns.

“In times of uncertainty and higher inflation, consumers are no longer adding to their carts; instead, they are buying only what they need and saving on other cannabis-related purchases,” Whitney said. “As a result of this change, for the first time, price compression has become a major variable in the cannabis forecast equation.”

Since 2014, when Washington and Colorado states rolled out the first state-based adult cannabis regulation programs, the growth of individual markets, fueled by an influx of legal consumers, has overshadowed any price compression taking place. Market growth outpaced the impact of price declines. However, as markets began to mature and the pace of consumer conversion to the legal market slowed, price compression had a greater impact on market growth.

“We’re approaching the point where the growth rates of legal share are slowing while price declines have accelerated,” Whitney said. “Consequently, price compression will play an important role in advancing market value. This is a sign of market maturity.”

With the level of price compression and its suppressive effect on market growth, states must factor this into their tax revenue projections, which are expected to decline. States can no longer expect to raise taxes to make up for lost revenue because those increases will reduce demand, just like in any other industry, Whitney said.

Despite the importance of price compression, US cannabis revenue projections still point to growth for the remainder of the decade. But given the falling prices, legislators and regulators will be forced to encourage consumers to participate in the legal market; otherwise, retail and tax revenues will continue to decline.

“Perhaps this will lead to a move away from the marijuana dispensary model and opening up sales through other distribution channels, such as grocery stores and big box retailers,” Whitney said. “The US market is at a crossroads where the market is normalizing and no longer experiencing exponential growth. Single-digit growth will become the norm moving forward.”

For more information:
Whitney Economics
Beau Whitney
(503) 724-3084
www.whitneyeconomics.com

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