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White House Raises Alarm About ‘High-Potency’ Marijuana And Its Marketing In New National Drug Strategy

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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.”

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Massachusetts CCC pauses license applications

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6 hours ago

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June 17, 2026

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The Cannabis Control Commission, the government body that oversees the marijuana business in the state of Massachusetts (USA), has decided to temporarily stop accepting new license applications for growing marijuana, both indoors and outdoors. This hiatus officially began on June 16, 2026.

Anyone planning to apply for a new marijuana cultivation license after June 16, 2026 will not be able to do so while this suspension is in effect. The Commission will not accept such requests during this period.

There are two groups that can continue normally. First, anyone who submitted an application before June 16, 2026, will continue to review and process applications as usual. Second, applicants for specific programs designed to help communities historically affected by drug laws, known as the Social Equity Program and the Economic Empowerment Program, are exempt from this suspension if they apply for a smaller-scale “Microenterprise” license.

The suspension will be in effect for 120 days from June 16, 2026, which is currently scheduled to be lifted around mid-October 2026. However, the Commission has the power to terminate earlier or extend further, depending on market conditions.

Source: Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission










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Federal Marijuana Rescheduling ‘Does Not Appear To Apply’ To Washington Businesses, State Officials Say

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7 hours ago

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June 17, 2026

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Marijuana regulators in Washington say the Trump administration’s move to re-regulate cannabis at the federal level “doesn’t appear to apply” to the state’s businesses.

US Department of Justice in April He issued an order that immediately reclassified the state’s licensed medical cannabisas well as marijuana products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under Schedule I through Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). A trial scheduled for this month will take place consider marijuana III.

“Washington does not issue licenses to producers, processors or retailers of medical cannabis,” the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) said in guidelines released Tuesday. “Instead, Washington has a single recreational market and within that market producers/processors can manufacture (DOH) compliant products, and certain retailers can sell DOH-compliant products to adult patients and all designated providers.”

“Therefore, Washington cannabis licensees do not appear to qualify as ‘state medical marijuana licensees’ and therefore may not be eligible for registration under the final Rule,” the agency said, referring to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Registration process for legal marijuana businesses in the state to take advantage of the federal benefits that come with the reform.

That said, the LCB “does not take a position if licensees decide to apply for federal registration,” the guidance continues. “If a licensee is seeking federal registration, we would be interested in learning about their experience and federal decisions.”

However, “based on our analysis, the federal reorganization in its current form does not appear to apply to cannabis licensees in Washington, primarily because of the legal framework governing recreational cannabis,” the LCB said.

The agency emphasized, however, that while it has consulted with the Cannabis Regulatory Association, the National Governors Association and industry stakeholders, its current opinion does not represent Washington’s formal opinion and “may not be our final interpretation as information is evolving and the decision may not rest with the state.”

“We await additional guidance from the federal agencies involved, new or updated federal agency processes and/or other federal procedures,” he said. he saidreferring to the next administrative hearing and Ongoing litigation calls into question the rescheduling of cannabis.

“The LCB recognizes that there are many cannabis growers, processors, and retailers actively involved in the production and sale of medical cannabis in Washington. These businesses may or may not be eligible to use the 280e tax deduction, and may also register with the DEA III. Ultimately, they have no input into whether their licensees meet the criteria for “state medical marijuana licensees,” as that determination can be made unilaterally by the DOJ within the meaning of the Final Rule. to reasonably interpret and determine that Washington cannabis licensees qualify as “state medical marijuana licensees.”

The US Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said they plan to issued new tax guidelines for the marijuana industry after reprogramming. The reform will benefit state-licensed marijuana businesses by allowing them to take federal tax deductions that are currently prohibited under IRS Code Section III, known as Section 280E.

In California, regulators recently 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 latest move to federally regulate medical cannabis.

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How New Zealand showed up in London’s cannabis industry

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June 16, 2026

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The medical cannabis market is expected to grow from $47 billion to $149 billion by 2031, and New Zealand has a real role to play in that story. And thanks in large part to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), the government’s international business development agency, Puro is starting to play.

At Cannabis Europa 2026 London, NZTE hosted an evening event at the City Arts Bar with Puro, New Zealand companies Bluelab, Rua Bioscience and CannFX. Puro called it The NZ Room.

Beyond all things Kiwiana – including Puro brand kiwifruit, Kiwi’d – the room was filled with some pretty amazing people: Ivy League scientists, company founders, patients, advocates, industry players, government officials, Maori tribal leaders and a tough Scotsman. All in the same space with the same true passion for where this industry is going.

It was one of those rooms where conversations went well when they had to end. That’s usually a sign of something well done.

Made possible by NZTE
For Puro, the NZTE relationship has been formative. With ongoing support, Puro has entered the Australian market with 47 unique product SKUs and signed a £7 million supply agreement with UK distributor IPS Pharma.

NZTE understands the potential of the New Zealand cannabis industry. The willingness to support this nascent industry and put New Zealand in the spotlight at events like Cannabis Europa is very significant. New Zealand is a small country and the country’s credibility in international markets is built from relationship to relationship, room by room. NZTE helps build those rooms.

© Cigar

what’s next
For the first time, patients in the UK have access to medicinal cannabis grown in New Zealand. That’s the direct result of years of work by Puro’s team, but it’s not worth much if you can’t connect with buyers globally. Creating international relationships that events like Cannabis Europa make this possible.

“We are grateful for the extensive support from the New Zealand Government that drives our progress, including the Ministry of Primary Industries’ support for our genetic breeding, product innovation and market access goals. This collective effort from agencies such as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, NZTE and the New Zealand Export Credit Bureau ensures that Mail that started in London will continue to grow in Puro’s international goals,” he said. a statement

For more information:
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www.puro.co.nz

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