Cannabis News

Photo Report: Cultivate 2026

Published

21 hours ago

July 16, 2026

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New varieties, commercial trends, packaging solutions, greenhouse developments, microbiological products, crop protection – there was a lot to see, learn, do and discover at Cultivate 2026, and we’ll be sure to share it all with you in the coming days. But first, it’s picture time (and nap time).

See the supplier photo report Cultivate 2026 here.

Find photo coverage of gardening companies on our sister site FloralDaily.

Pipp / GGS, the Berger team, the VidaWool team and Beneficial Insectary Cultivate are all at 2026.

Cannabis News

GOP Senator Says Keeping Hemp THC Products Legal Is An Issue That Can Unite Lawmakers At A ‘Hyperpartisan’ Time

Published

22 hours ago

July 16, 2026

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A Republican senator plans to introduce bipartisan legislation later this year to roll back the federal recriminalization of THC hemp products and replace it with a new regulatory system that includes age limits and taxes.

Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) said the issue is “personally important to me” as a wounded veteran who has “many friends who have gone through various stages of recovery after war” and as someone who represents an agriculture-based state.

“I’m hopeful that in a hyper-partisan age where it seems like we can’t get past anything, this can be an issue where we can see executive and legislative success,” the GOP lawmaker said Wednesday in a Zoom meeting with members of the Hemp Industry & Farmers of America (HIFA) group. “That will be good for America.”

Sheehy said there is a “bipartisan group” on the issue, citing lawmakers like Sen. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) who are collaborating on hemp reform legislation that she said will be introduced “fairly soon.”

“We’re considering some legislative action here to help the hemp industry.”

Senator, who has separately championed veteran-based psychedelic legislationnoted that the Trump administration is pushing Congress to delay, modify, or change the ban on hemp and is also taking steps to accelerate access to therapeutic substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine.

“They’ve advocated for a lot of non-standard treatments, a lot of non-standard drugs, a lot of non-standard substances that historically — I mean historically for hundreds of years — have been used for a long time, but in the last 50 years there’s been limited use,” Sheehy said.

Hemp derivatives containing less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight were made federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill signed by President Donald Trump in his first term. But late last year, Trump signed new legislation containing provisions that will redefine hemp so that only products with a total of 0.4 milligrams of THC per container will be legal starting Nov. 12.

In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) last month, White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought said The administration wants lawmakers to “ensure the correct treatment of hemp products.”—Specifically, citing legislation that would keep many of the hemp products legal to recriminalize this year, add labeling requirements and impose new sales taxes, among other regulatory reforms.

During a meeting with industry representatives on Wednesday, Sheehy noted how hemp products have “consistently proven to be effective” for veterans dealing with PTSD, traumatic brain injury and chronic pain, particularly as an alternative to opioids and alcohol.

The senator also answered questions from HIFA members who asked about the specifics of the soon-to-be-introduced hemp reform legislation.

Responding to one person who said hemp farmers often have to destroy a significant percentage of their crops because of compliance issues, Sheehy said the legislation she authored would raise the threshold for hemp crops to 1 percent THC, up from the current 0.3 percent limit.

“All of this has obviously been worked out with input from industry and farmers,” he said. “And we’ve heard from a number of stakeholders that they believe that this will provide enough certainty and flexibility to grow crops, that it will provide the security and safety net that they need to be able to invest in it.”

In response to a separate question about taxes on hemp products, Sheehy said the 5-cent-per-milligram levy on beverages currently in the bill, along with a user fee on other hemp-derived products, is “a place where business can thrive.”

“It’s still the right balance between producers and taxpayers and consumers that strikes that middle ground,” he said. “Now, of course, we have to accept this. It has to go through negotiations and conferences. That can change.”

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In that statement, the senator said the bill “will not be perfect out of the gate.”

“I think in trying to do something bipartisan and trying to get the administrators to pass it and the laws to pass, we’re going to have to pass it close enough and good enough at first, and hopefully tweak it later,” he said.

Other topics covered during the call included keeping children out of intoxicating hemp products and protecting the ability of businesses to engage in interstate commerce.

Ultimately, Sheehy expressed optimism that Congress could pass legislation this year to keep hemp products legal.

“When we have a real profitable crop, there’s real free market demand for that crop, and we have the ability to grow that crop in America and sell it profitably with a major free market company, and it’s not even subsidized by the government, it’s foolish not to grow that,” the senator said.

“Now, yeah, there’s a limit to that. We don’t want to grow opium and you know all that heroin and cocaine,” he said. “I get it, but this is not that. And I think it’s important to establish a legal framework around this, because if we don’t it will always be perceived as one of these. It will still be a bad drug that should be banned. I think if we bring it to light, we will regulate it, we will provide a framework that will accept it.”

Meanwhile, the former head of the Department of Homeland Security in the first Trump administration has just sent a letter He warned Congress against keeping hemp THC products legalHe said reversing the ban, which will take effect at the end of the year, would “undermine public health” and “empower foreign criminal actors”.

The Trump administration, however, “welcomes the opportunity to work with Congress to at least update the legal definition of the final hemp-derived cannabinoid products Americans have access to adequate full-spectrum CBD products,” OMB said last month, “maintaining Congress’ intent to limit the sale of products that pose serious health risks.”

The call to avoid a broad ban on hemp CBD products was included in the Administration’s policy statement on the annual agriculture spending bill passed by the House of Representatives.

Several members of parliament had it He introduced amendments to that legislation to keep hemp products legalbut the House Rules Committee blocked each from going to a vote or its sponsor withdrew.

“The administration supports the progress of this legislation, but hopes to address its concerns before moving forward,” OMB said in the administration’s policy statement. “The administration looks forward to working with Congress to provide further input as the bill’s legislative process develops.”

in April, the president himself has asked members of Congress to redefine hemp to prevent the recriminalization of full-spectrum CBD products.

“I call on Congress to update the Act so that Americans can continue to have access to the full-spectrum CBD products they trust and support, while upholding Congress’ intent to limit the sale of products that pose health risks,” Trump said in a Truth Social post the same day his administration announced it was moving forward with marijuana reregulation.

“We need to do this RIGHT and FAST, especially for those who have found CBD to help them,” he said. “Also, I’m told it will help our BIG FARMERS that we love and will always be around.”

Industry advocates say the law passed last year not only threatens to ban intoxicating and synthetic cannabinoids, but also take popular full-spectrum CBD products used therapeutically by many Americans off the market.

“ONE IN FIVE adults used it in the past year, and many say it dramatically improved their chronic pain,” the president said in the social media post, adding that hemp-derived CBD “has made a HUGE difference for so many people.”

The administration also referred to a new initiative launched in April Cover up to $500 of hemp-derived products annually for eligible Medicare patients. The program being implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses largely on CBD, but allows products to contain a total of 3 milligrams of THC per serving.

“In December, I signed a very important Executive Order calling for Research and Innovation into Hemp-derived CBD,” Trump said. “Our wonderful Dr. Mehmet Oz moved quickly to follow the Executive Order directive, and set a model in motion for some Seniors this month. But more needs to be done!”

“Please do it, and SOON,” the president said, referring to the sweeping recriminalization congressional fix that will take effect in November. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

It’s unclear how far Trump wants to reduce the scope of planned federal restrictions on hemp products and what kinds of revised THC rules and limits he’d prefer to sign into law.

As Marihuana Moment reported last month, a A Republican member of Congress is circulating a draft bill that would keep THC hemp drinks legal under federal law, creating a curtailment of the broad recriminalization of products derived from the crop, which will take effect later this year.

Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s (R-TX) Hemp-Derived Beverage Clarity Act, in its current form, would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and consume hemp-THC beverages with 5 milligrams of delta-9 THC per serving. It would also impose a federal tax of 10 cents per milligram of any hemp-derived cannabinoid in beverages.

The National Restaurant Association, which represents the industry, just sent a letter to congressional leaders asking for it delaying the federal recriminalization of hemp THC beverages It will come into effect at the end of the year and will be replaced by a regulatory framework that “meets growing market demand while ensuring consumer safety” as an alternative to alcohol in products.

A report from the US Department of Agriculture published in April shows this US farmers grow three billion dollars in hemp crops by 2025— 64% increase compared to the previous year.

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Cannabis News

New MÜV dispensary comes to Chicago

Published

2 days ago

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

Cannabis News

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

Published

2 days ago

July 15, 2026

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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).

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.

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.