The White House released a new National Drug Control Strategy on Monday that raises the alarm about “high-potency” marijuana and expresses concern that international cartels and criminal groups are “exploiting” state cannabis laws. It also discusses the federal recriminalization of THC hemp products, which is planned for later this year under a law signed by President Donald Trump.

The publication of the new 195-page document by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) comes after a few weeks. The Trump administration announced that it is moving forward with a plan to reschedule marijuana according to the federal law, it does not mention this reform.

Instead, sections on cannabis focus largely on concerns about health effects and commercialization as more states implement legalization.

“The marketing of addictive substances poses a significant threat to the health of young people. Legal does not mean safe, and the industries that sell nicotine, alcohol, marijuana and psychedelics have adopted strategies similar to Big Tobacco’s historical targeting of young audiences,” the ONDCP strategy states.

“The commercialization of marijuana plays a role in normalizing use, increasing access and reducing the perception of harm risk among young people,” he says. “Marijuana products today are of unprecedented potency, often highly processed, aggressively advertised and often packaged to appeal to minors.”

The White House document also states that “converging evidence from multiple sources suggests that cannabis exposure increases the risk of psychosis, and that preventing marijuana use may serve to reduce the prevalence of psychosis, in addition to reducing cannabis use disorder and other consequences.”

It also “talks about young adults with great potential whose futures were stolen by drug-induced psychosis and high-potency marijuana-related suicides.”

“Despite the different legal status of marijuana in the United States, there are still Americans who suffer from addiction and side effects of marijuana and related products, such as psychoactive hemp derivatives or other high-THC products, and they deserve help. People who are addicted to marijuana may not realize that withdrawal can cause insomnia and anxiety, rather than treating drug-induced symptoms effectively. Psychosis, if diagnosed and treated early, schizophrenia or mitigates the potential impact on the progression of another serious mental illness, also known as scromiting, due to screaming and vomiting, is a common condition related to long-term marijuana and addiction and currently there are no drugs approved by the FDA such as marijuana addiction or withdrawal However, there is help for those who want it, and the tools to quit marijuana addiction should be made more accessible.

“While all drugs carry some degree of risk, marijuana has the highest conversion rate from psychosis to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,” says Trump’s ONDCP. “Drug use is also associated with suicide, and marijuana was the number one drug found in toxicology reports of people who died by suicide under the age of 25 in Colorado and San Diego, more than alcohol or any other drug.”

“It is important that consumers are made aware of the health risks associated with marijuana use, including damage to heart health, cognition, and cancer. In a California study, from 2005 to 2019, cannabis-related diagnoses in emergency department visits increased by 1,800% for seniors 65 and older. Additionally, research indicates that marijuana can contain fungi that cause serious and often fatal infections and immunosuppressants. in people with conditions such as cancer, transplantation or HIV infection.

The document states that “marijuana smoking rates in the United States have surpassed tobacco use” and that “marijuana addiction or cannabis use disorder affected 20.6 million, or 7.1 percent, of Americans age 12 and older in 2024, and is the leading reason for seeking addiction treatment for those under 20.”

“According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2024, for the first time, the number of Americans suffering from a drug use disorder exceeded the number suffering from an alcohol use disorder. This change has been driven primarily by the increase in marijuana use and addiction rates. We need to ensure that Americans who want marijuana are a tool and addiction. Withdrawals.”

Although Trump approved an initiative to legalize marijuana that appeared on the ballot in Florida in 2024, the administration’s document raises the alarm about “transnational criminal gangs that transport, store and sell illegal drugs in American communities, including interstate distribution of illegal drugs.”

Of particular concern are China-linked groups that “exploit state marijuana laws to establish large networks of illegal cultivation and interstate distribution,” the ONDCP said.

“The marijuana trade in the U.S. is no longer a low-level, scattered problem; it has been co-opted and industrialized by sophisticated, transnational criminal organizations, especially those with ties to China. These groups systematically exploit states where marijuana has been legalized under state law, taking advantage of these lax markets and regulations to establish a massive, unlicensed Oklahoma cultivation operation. Chinese criminal gangs operate more than 80% of the state’s thousands of marijuana and hemp farms. Scale it is terrible: in 2023, the state’s marijuana production exceeded the authorized medical requirement by at least 32 times, and 85.5 million plants remain unconsumed. These operations to supply the national black market for local marijuana consumption are not only the focus of agricultural crime, the trafficking of exploited workers, sophisticated money laundering and the use of dangerous pesticides that threaten public health and the environment.

The White House drug strategy also discusses hemp products at length.

Hemp derivatives with less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC by dry weight were made federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill signed by Trump during his first term. But late last year, the president 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 November 12th.

“The administration has been given new legislative authority to address certain psychoactive hemp-derived cannabidiol substances through the “hemp loophole closure” passed as part of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Adopted Agencies Act funding bill for fiscal year (FY) 2026,” ONDCP said. the document says, “Closing these domestic sources of harmful substances is critical to degrading the overall availability of illegal drugs in our communities.”

“Psychoactive derivatives of hemp are a growing concern. Although the hemp plant itself contains small amounts of cannabinoids, such as delta-8 THC, delta-10 THC, THC-O-acetate, THCP, and other THC analogs, they are often produced in laboratories, and the latest products in the 2018 Farm Bill have proliferated. Containing these chemicals will be considered controlled chemicals under the Hemp Restriction Regulations, which take effect in November 2026. these are often sold in smoke shops and gas stations, are not regulated and may contain dangerous chemicals or psychoactive substances. In many cases of psychosis and suicide attempts, according to international conventions, cannabinoids are considered Schedule I drugs, and some states have banned these potentially dangerous products.

They say law enforcement will “increase efforts to prosecute the illegal production and distribution of dangerous substances originating in the United States,” including “targeting retail operations, such as vape and smoke shops, that illegally market harmful products, particularly to minors.”

In the meantime Trump recently asked Congress to take action to change the language of the hemp cannabinoid ban signed the law to allow sales of full-spectrum CBD products to continue, it is unclear how much he wants to reduce the scope of the scheduled federal restrictions and what kind of revised THC rules and limits he would prefer to sign into law.

Meanwhile, the ONDCP says the administration will “work to improve drug testing in clinical settings,” noting that “currently used hospital tests do not detect nitazene, psilocybin, or psychoactive hemp products such as delta-8 THC, and may not detect all fentanyl analogs.”

ONDCP Director Sara Carter Bailey has before expressed his support for medical cannabis, while stating that he has “no problem” with legalizationeven if you may not personally agree with the policy.

“I have no problem if it is legalized and controlled,” he said in 2024. “I mean, I may have my own issues about how I feel about it, but I think it’s a great way to treat cannabis for medicinal and medical reasons – especially for people with cancer and other diseases, you know – to treat the side effects of those diseases and illnesses and not the medicine. Saying we should make it illegal.”

San Jose-based family-owned cannabis dispensary, Purple Lotus, has announced the launch of Lotus NOW, a Priority Delivery Program that delivers premium cannabis from store to door in an hour or less. The program is now available at plpcsanjose.com/lotus-now and is available to adults 21 and older in more than 51 cities in Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo and Contra Costa counties.

Lotus NOW tackles the long wait times associated with traditional cannabis delivery. Orders placed through the program are prioritized instantly, fulfilled by Purple Lotus’ in-house drivers and supported by real-time GPS tracking and automatic SMS updates, giving customers complete transparency from payment to out the door.

“Our customers have been asking for faster shipping for years. Lotus NOW is our answer, not just faster, but a completely better experience. Live tracking, real inventory, our own drivers and the quality people Purple Lotus has trusted for 15 years,” said Matt Krishnamachari, founder of Purple Lotus.

Key features of Lotus NOW include express delivery in one hour or less, live GPS tracking, automatic text notifications, live sync inventory showing only in-stock products and flexible payment by debit card, cash or Treez Pay. All deliveries are handled by Purple Lotus trained staff only, with no third party courier services. Customers receive an SMS confirmation immediately after ordering, followed by additional updates when the order ships, the driver is on the way, and upon arrival.

The Lotus NOW catalog covers the full range of cannabis categories available in California, with live inventory updates that show only what’s currently in stock, eliminating the common frustration of placing an order only to find out items are unavailable. Lotus NOW currently ships to more than 51 Bay Area cities, including San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Cupertino, Milpitas, Campbell, Los Gatos and Saratoga, as the flagship service of the San Jose express delivery program.

New customers can start using Lotus NOW by visiting plpcsanjose.com/lotus-now, performing a one-time age and identity verification and placing an order from any address in the service area. Existing Purple Lotus customers can choose Lotus NOW directly from their account dashboard with no additional setup required. The program operates during all hours of licensed delivery of California cannabis, seven days a week, with availability throughout the priority routing window.

For more information:
The purple lotus
https://plpcsanjose.com/