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cannabis policy

Republican Attorneys General Sue to Block Trump’s Cannabis Rescheduling Order

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Republican Attorneys General Sue to Block Trump’s Cannabis Rescheduling Order

State attorneys general from Nebraska, Indiana and Louisiana last week filed a lawsuit challenging the Justice Department’s recent order to reschedule medical cannabis. Nebraska Examiner reports.

Nebraska AG Mike Hilgers, Louisiana AG Liz Murrill and Indiana AG Todd Rokita, all Republicans, argue in the lawsuit that the rescheduling move will make it easier to push adult legalization policies. The lawsuit also challenges the expanded production of medical cannabis and tax changes under the law the new federal regime.

AG Hilgers opposed Nebraska’s campaign to legalize medical cannabis in 2024, but about 7 in 10 voters approved the reforms. Hilgers is up for re-election this year and will face Democrat Jocelyn Brasher, a former Nebraska assistant attorney general.

“Nebraskans should be outraged that taxpayer resources are being spent to challenge the Trump administration’s medical cannabis reform on an issue overwhelmingly approved by voters at the ballot box. Mike Hilgers is … interfering with decisions that families, patients and doctors have already made clear they support.” – Brasher, in a statement

In Louisiana, lawmakers created a program to make medical cannabis accessible to patients with specific debilitating conditions, while in Indiana, cannabis is not legally available for any purpose.

Meanwhile, last December, President Trump issued an executive order calling for the rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. The Justice Department issued a follow-up order last month, officially making state-regulated medical cannabis products Schedule III. The latest order, however, does not affect other forms of cannabis, meaning that state-licensed adult-use operators are still violating federal law.

The DEA is planning hearings to consider the full rescheduling of cannabis out of Schedule I, which is supposed to be reserved for drugs with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

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California

Los Angeles Votes to Raise Taxes on Unlicensed Cannabis Shops

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Los Angeles Votes to Raise Taxes on Unlicensed Cannabis Shops

During the city’s recent midterm elections, Los Angeles voters approved Measure CB, which would require unlicensed cannabis distributors within city limits to pay taxes required of city-licensed vendors. NBC Los Angeles reports.

Currently, only licensed distributors must pay the city’s 10% cannabis business tax.

Voters approved the CB measure with 72% support. The measure was projected to raise between $30 million and $35 million in new tax revenue annually.

According to the report, the city also passed Measure TC, which closes tax loopholes for online hotel reservations.

Meanwhile, in March, the Los Angeles City Council asked The Finance Office drafted language to create an “amnesty” program for the city’s licensed cannabis businesses, which at the time collectively owed more than $400 million in back taxes and fees.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Graham is the editor-in-chief of Ganjapreneur. He has been writing about the legalization landscape since 2012 and has contributed to Ganjapreneur since our official launch in…

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cannabis policy

Pennsylvania Senate Rejects Bill to Create Cannabis Control Board

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Pennsylvania Senate Rejects Bill to Create Cannabis Control Board

The Pennsylvania Senate rejected it lEGISLATION to remove oversight of the state’s medical cannabis program from the Department of Health and create a new and independent Pennsylvania Cannabis Control Board, PennLive reports.

Authored by state Sen. Dan Laughlin (R), the proposal would also give the new agency regulatory power over intoxicating hemp products, as well as any future grow-out cannabis markets in the state.

Laughlin said he knew the proposal would be opposed by some Republicans, but that he didn’t know until the last minute that Democrats would unite against the proposal. Lawmakers opposed the bill 23-27 on Wednesday, with six Republicans against and two Democrats in support.

“I knew it was a risk to put it up for a vote because there was some discussion going back and forth.” – Laughlin, in a statement

However, lawmakers followed up the rejection with a vote allowing the bill to be reconsidered later.

“We’re going to get another pass on that,” Laughlin said. “I’m not sure when, but hopefully by the end of June.”

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) supports the legalization of cannabis for adult use and INCLUDING Revenue from cannabis taxes in his 2026-2027 state budget plan.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Graham is the editor-in-chief of Ganjapreneur. He has been writing about the legalization landscape since 2012 and has contributed to Ganjapreneur since our official launch in…

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ballot initiatives

Idaho Legislative Council Approves Ballot Language to Limit Legalization Powers to Lawmakers

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Idaho Legislative Council Approves Ballot Language to Limit Legalization Powers to Lawmakers

The Idaho Legislature last week approved language for a ballot measure seeking to amend the state constitution so that only the legislature has the authority to legalize cannabis and other psychoactive or narcotic substances, Idaho Capital Sun reports.

The adopted voting language includes statements for and against the proposal.

Language supporting the proposal states:

“Drugs destroy lives, tear apart families and threaten the safety of our communities. Decisions to legalize marijuana, narcotics and other psychoactive substances are too important to be taken lightly. The proposed amendment would ensure that any proposal to legalize these dangerous substances would go through the legislative process. Public hearings would be held on the proposal and people could be harmed by the law. Lawmakers would consider carefully each proposal and would be publicly accountable for their votes.

Language opposing the proposal reads:

“The Idaho Constitution states that all political power belongs to the people. But the proposed amendment would take that power away from the people by taking away their ability to pass drug legalization laws themselves through ballot initiatives. The people are just as capable of making good and prudent decisions about drug policy as the legislators. The amendment is also unnecessary because if the people had the power to legislate or ever pass the law for drugs to change or abolish it.”

The ballot measure could appear on the same ballots as a question directed by citizen advocates to legalize medical cannabis. Idaho Natural Medicine Alliance last month submitted petition signatures to county clerks and indicated he had collected more than 100,000 signatures to place the issue on the November general ballot.

It’s unclear what would happen if voters pass both initiatives, voting to both legalize medical cannabis and put legalization reforms solely in the hands of the Legislature.

TG joined Ganjapreneur in 2014 as a news writer and began hosting the Ganjapreneur podcast in 2016. He is based in upstate New York, where he also teaches media at a local university.

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