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California’s Top Marijuana Regulator Says Local Bans ‘Benefit’ Illicit Market, With 97% Of Busts In Counties Without Legal Growers

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About 97 percent of the marijuana seized by California officials in the state’s no-go areas came from counties that continue to ban licensed growers, new data from the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) reveals.

This shows how local governments that have refused to comply with California’s legalization law passed by voters 10 years ago are “benefiting” the illegal market, the state’s top cannabis regulator told State Affairs, which has obtained and reported the data for the first time.

The DCC has repeatedly argued that the current patchwork regulatory system — where localities are able to choose or refuse to allow certain types of licensed marijuana businesses to operate in their area — is a key factor in keeping the state’s illegal cannabis trade alive.

It creates barriers to access for mature consumers, while allowing unlicensed operators to operate in a policy vacuum. To address the problem, the state created the Joint Cannabis Enforcement Task Force (UCETF) in 2022 to coordinate multi-agency enforcement actions against illegal growers, manufacturers and sellers.

Through this work, DCC has been able to put the issue of local control into perspective. Based on data from enforcement activity from October 2022 to August 2025, the department found that 96.6 percent of the illegal marijuana seized by the UCETF in unzoned areas of the state was found in eight counties, nearly all of which maintain local bans on licensed marijuana growers.

DCC Director Clint Kellum said, “Cannabis is used in every community, regardless of local regulations,” and while localities can ban licensed shops, “they can’t take away consumer demand.”

“When local governments deny consumers access to licensed retailers, they benefit the illegal market and organized crime, while harming public health and safety,” he said. say State affairs

Kellum added that the department “will continue to put pressure on illegal operators, especially when the activity involves organized crime, illegal transport and distribution, illegal manufacturing, diversion, threats to the licensed market, environmental damage, labor exploitation or conduct that crosses jurisdictional boundaries.”

The DCC released the county-level data as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) touted the state’s work in seizing 63,000 pounds of illegal cannabis worth more than $104 million and destroying more than 89,000 cannabis plants between April and June.

All told, the multi-agency task force has seized more than 841,000 pounds (or 420 tons, as the governor’s office noted in a press release) since it was formed four years ago.

“Disrupting the illegal cannabis market is about more than seizing unlicensed products: it’s about taking down criminal networks, taking illegal firearms out of the hands of dangerous people and stopping activities that threaten public safety,” the governor said. “Through strong multi-agency collaboration, California is making it clear: If you threaten our communities, we will act.”

Newsom, meanwhile, is term-limited, but California’s gubernatorial candidates from both major parties support legalization. Republican Steve Hilton, who supports President Donald Trump, recently told Marijuana Moment that The taxes and regulations on cannabis are “high”.

Not all California Republicans are on board with reform, however. The vice president of the State Senate Budget Committee has floated the idea putting a new initiative on the state ballot to “return” Proposition 64.for example, arguing that voters were misled and expressing concerns about the health effects of marijuana use.

“We have seen significant negative consequences of this legalization, both here and in other states,” the senator was speaking at a hearing with lawmakers. He passed a bill to legalize drive-thru marijuana dispensaries in Californiahe said

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, who previously served in Congress and as California’s attorney general, instead facilitated a scientific review process during his time as secretary of health and human services in the Biden administration that ultimately led to the decriminalization of cannabis under Title III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

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Meanwhile, California regulators have just approved emergency rule changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process. to make it easier for companies to receive benefits In line with the Trump administration’s recent decision to move forward with medical cannabis reregulation.

A was also launched New AI tool to help companies identify marijuana product packaging may appeal to kids violating state regulations.

Separately, Newsom recently He took credit for helping lead the state’s push to legalize marijuana and discussed his limited experience with cannabis use.

In October, however, the governor vetoed a bill that would have It allowed micro-marijuana companies to ship medicinal cannabis directly to patients Through common carriers like FedEx and UPS, he said the proposal would be “too burdensome and complex to manage.”

Newsom signed a bill earlier this month streamlining research into marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure pause on the recent tax increase on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently participate in the marijuana trade with licensed cannabis businesses without obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials have recently been rewarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

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New MÜV dispensary comes to Chicago

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8 minutes ago

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July 15, 2026

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Verano Holdings announced the grand opening of MÜV Bradfordville on Friday, July 17, 2026, increasing the Company’s Florida retail footprint to 86 MÜV locations and 163 dispensaries nationwide. Located at 6808 Thomasville Rd, MÜV Bradfordville will be open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM and Sundays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time.

On Friday, July 17, MÜV Bradfordville will hold a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the dispensary’s grand opening weekend. MÜV Bradfordville is the second MÜV dispensary in Leon County, Florida, adding another convenient location for area residents, complementing MÜV Tallahassee in the state capital.

“We are excited to continue expanding our Florida operations and welcome new patients and team members with the opening of MÜV Bradfordville, our second dispensary location in the Tallahassee region,” said George Archos, Verano’s founder and CEO. “Following the federal government’s historic announcement of medical cannabis rescheduling in April, we look forward to partnering with the local community and expanding patient access in the Capital Region to an extensive portfolio of award-winning, top-quality medical cannabis products.”

MÜV dispensaries offer online menus to browse their extensive and award-winning product selection, including the company’s Verano Reserve, MÜV and Sweet Supply flower; Encore and MÜV edibles; On the Rocks concentrates and extracts; (the) Essence, Savvy and MÜV flower, pre-rolls and extracts; HYPHEN vape pod system and more. In Florida, the Company also offers one-on-one virtual and in-store consultations at no cost to patients, and provides patient care services to resolve patient inquiries via phone, email, web chat and text.

For more information:
Summer Holdings
(email protected)
verano.com










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FDA Finalizes Guidance On ‘Unique Challenges’ Of Psychedelic Research And Schedules Hearing On Therapeutic Uses

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1 day ago

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July 14, 2026

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has called it quits guidance to assist researchers studying the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics navigate the “special challenges” of research. The agency also announced that it will hold a public hearing on psychedelic therapy issues in September.

“In recent years, interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs has increased,” says the FDA document published Monday.

“Drug development programs for psychedelic drugs are subject to the same regulatory and evidentiary standards for approval as other drug development programs,” the agency wrote. “However, designing clinical studies to assess the safety and efficacy of these products presents several unique challenges.”

Psychedelics can “produce intense perceptual disturbances and alterations in consciousness that can last for hours or days,” and “can have both immediate and long-term benefits after a single or few doses,” the FDA said.

The guidance, titled “Psychedelic Drugs: Considerations for Clinical Research,” notes that psychedelics are “an emerging area of ​​drug development” and provides considerations for sponsors of research into substances such as psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.

Among other areas, the FDA is issuing recommendations on how to handle psychedelic studies on issues such as chemistry, manufacturing, abuse potential and clinical pharmacology.

He notes that designing well-controlled studies of psychedelics can be particularly difficult “due to the often intense perceptual changes induced by drugs.”

“This increases the potential for bias due to functional distortion of patients, therapists, monitors, or assessors,” the FDA document says. “Functional blinding may lead to expectancy bias in patients experiencing or observing perceptual disturbances, which may lead the participant to expect clinical benefit; alternatively, those receiving placebo and not experiencing or observing perceptual changes may expect the participant to experience no benefit.”

the final orientation It’s based on a draft the FDA originally published in 2023 and comes months after President Donald Trump published one. executive order aimed at expanding and accelerating research into the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelics.

The agency said it had considered it the comments received in response to the draft version, and is also accepting additional public comments on the final document, the FDA said in a Federal Register. notice.

Meanwhile, the FDA also announced on Monday that it will hold a public hearing on September 14 “to obtain feedback and insights on issues related to the potential future therapeutic use of drug products containing psychedelic drug substances in a supervised and supportive environment.”

“The hearing will be chaired by an FDA panelist, including subject matter experts from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, as well as panelists from federal partners,” the agency said in a Federal Register filing. notice about hearing.

FDA invites interested parties to submit submissions on specific issues at the hearing, but has made it clear that it does not invite comments on certain issues.

“FDA and our federal partners are interested in public input on the future therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs in oversight and support settings, including: (1) provider training and credentialing, (2) promoting patient safety, (3) access considerations, and (4) best practices for data collection and standardization,” he said.

“FDA does not seek comment on the following matters: (1) the safety or efficacy of a particular drug product, or the merits of any pending or planned application to the Agency; (2) the scheduling status of any substance under the Controlled Substances Act, which is governed by separate statutory processes; (3) the legalization or decriminalization of psychedelic substances by state or local programs. It welcomes input on data collection for the programs described above. (4) religious, ceremonial or personal (non-medical) use of psychedelic substances or (5) comments and presentations on these matters will not be considered.

The FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced steps in April to help “expediting” therapeutic access to psychedelics for patients suffering from serious mental health conditions.

In May, a bipartisan coalition of 32 members of Congress sent a letter Urging the FDA to expedite ongoing reviews of psychedelic therapies.

This month, lawmakers introduced a new bill that would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to assess how it is doing. research into the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin may help members of the military.

A separate bilateral measure introduced recently is intended Make Trump’s psychedelic executive order law.

A pending amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act would be proposed extend psychedelic research at DOD for another six years.

Photo elements courtesy of the user carlosemmaskype and Apollo.

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Germany ends statutory reimbursement of cannabis flower

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2 days ago

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July 13, 2026

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The Bundestag voted on Friday to remove the cannabis flower from statutory health insurance, passing the chamber 319 to 286 with four abstentions after a closing debate in which the AfD, Greens and Left jointly attacked the substance of the rules and the speed of the procedure as part of a funding law.

The vehicle is the GKV-Beitragssatzstabilisierungsgesetz, designed by the government to close 15.3 billion euros by 2027 and around 40 billion by 2030. The law relieves 16.3 billion euros in 2027 and 3801.03 billion euros and more than 3801.03 billion euros in 2027. reduce spending on the other hand. The cannabis flower takes a line in that package, along with the exclusion of homeopathic and anthroposophic medicines from supplementary fund benefits, and the end of billing for whole-body skin cancer screening ordered without clinical indication. Co-payments increase by 50 percent, from a minimum of 7.50 euros to a maximum of 15.

© Philiprowe | Dreamstime

Nina Warken, Federal Health Minister (CDU), says that the law is a milestone in the long road to secure the finances of the statutory funds, and that what is at stake is nothing more than a paradigm shift in the health system. The account of the meeting of the Bundestag. Spending has recently grown at roughly twice the rate of income, Nina says. “We want to go out with the money we have in the future.”

The manufacturer’s rebate more than doubled from 7% to 15.5%. The dynamic component that would have replicated long-term incremental revenue was missing from the committee’s deliberations. Britta Haßelmann, parliamentary leader of the Bündnis 90/Die Grünen group, stated that promises of one billion euros were made to the pharmaceutical industry while the savings proposals of government experts remained unimplemented. Heidi Reichinn, leader of the parliamentary group of Die Linke, says the reform takes the ax to the health service in Germany, stating that the whole legislative process was a disaster, because the professional associations had almost no time to settle on the rules.

The full account contains the exclusion of flowers and nothing about cannabis
Arnau Valdovinos, founder of Cannamonitor, says: “Austerity has come to the German cannabis market. The drive to save health has overtaken the patient and industry cases of therapeutic continuity, prescriber autonomy and patient-specific formulations. But there is a twisted logic with the mandatory six-month product savings rather than the de facto monopoly of more expensive approved drugs like Exilby, even when there are already much cheaper compound alternatives, if savings are really the goal, The self-pay market shows that the answer is more competition, not less.

The six-month trial of therapy that Arnau mentions is nowhere to be found in the Bundestag’s published account of the seat, which stops short of registering the exclusion of flowers. Its operative text is contained in the committee’s amendment document, and the full summary is not reproduced. Exilby, Vertanical’s full-spectrum cannabis extract, received German marketing authorization in June. It has not reached the market, and the funds have not agreed on a price.

“This is exactly the kind of change that Cannamonitor is here to see coming,” says Arnau. “After the approval of Exilby, before the correction surfaced, we pointed out that a licensed finished product like Exilby could ‘sleep’ most of the master formulations and make the reimbursement of flowers politically questionable. We follow the picture of the German market to the end, GKV Gamsi was returning sales data, open market prices and our customers read the regulations months in advance, and not therefore in the morning.”

For more information:
CannaMonitor
(email protected)
cannamonitor.com

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