CANNASWEEP

February 2025

OFW’s Cannabis Team regularly monitors cannabis news, legislation, regulation, and policy so our clients stay up-to-date on the latest developments impacting their business.

If you have any questions or would like more information about any of the items below, please contact us.

We also track cannabis-related legislation introduced in the U.S. Congress.  If you would like to learn more about our Congressional Bill Tracker, please reach out to Ben Dash. 

Executive Branch/Enforcement

• Department of the Air Force memorandum states that no individual may use, possess, distribute, or introduce marijuana on bases.
• President Donald Trump is promoting his support for executing people who sell currently illicit drugs, calling it a “very humane” policy to prevent overdose deaths that he’s “ready” to implement.
• Cannabis Industry Cautiously Optimistic Over RFK Jr’s appointment, but controversial figure remains double edged sword
• Doctors for Drug Policy Reform (D4DPR) ask the US Appellate Court for redo in DEA’s selections for cannabis rescheduling participants, arguing the DEA’s selections were arbitrary and capricious, providing ‘cure letters’ as evidence of ex parte communications.

U.S. Congress

• Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL-21) reintroduced the Veterans Equal Access Act to allow government healthcare providers to recommend medical cannabis.
• Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL-17) reintroduced legislation, the Veterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act, which aims to prohibit the VA from denying veteran benefits because of participation in a state-approved cannabis program.
• Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19), chair of the House Budget Committee, filed a bill that would continue to block marijuana businesses from taking federal tax deductions under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code 280E, even if cannabis is federally rescheduled.
• Sen. John Fetterman’s campaign (D-PA) is promoting the senator’s pro-marijuana legalization platform, urging people to sign a petition to show “just how much support he has on this issue.”
• Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV-1) tweeted, “As Co-Chair of the Cannabis Caucus, I am grateful to have @CPIatUNLV as a resource in my district. I joined a roundtable they hosted to discuss cannabis research, the future of the industry, and the potential for reform at the state and federal level.”
• The issue of marijuana-impaired driving arose again at congressional hearing last week, with a representative of the Governors Highway Safety Association emphasizing the importance of roadside drug testing as a tool to help combat deadly car crashes.

The States

• Arizona: Former U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is calling on the Arizona legislature to pass a bill to fund clinical trials into ibogaine, while pledging to personally raise $5 million in philanthropic donations to support the psychedelic research if the legislation is ultimately enacted.
• Arkansas: Arkansas Governor signs bill allocating medical marijuana tax revenue to fund school breakfasts for students.
• California: 2024-048 Cannabis Business Licensing Recommendations; Bipartisan California senators and assemblymembers have filed a bill to create a psilocybin pilot program for military veterans and first responders—the latest in a series of attempts by lawmakers to enact psychedelics reform in the state.
• Colorado: Colorado issues first psilocybin-related licenses, kicking off psychedelic industry rollout; Tempter’s, the hemp-infused beverage brand, played a role in powering the receptions at WSWA’s Access LIVE 2025, held at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.
• DC: Drug test failures fueling shortage of school crossing guards in D.C.
• Florida: Proposed legislation would allow medical marijuana patients to grow weed in their home; A Republican lawmaker in Florida who wants to let medical marijuana patients grow their own cannabis at home says the proposal is failing to get much traction among members of his own party.
• Georgia: Georgia State Legislature introduced Senate Bill 220, a significant piece of legislation aimed at expanding access to medical cannabis and establishing a framework for clinical trials involving hemp and cannabis products. This bill seeks to address the growing demand for alternative medical treatments and the need for regulated research in the state.
• Idaho: Governor Brad Little signed a new bill imposing a $300 fine as a mandatory minimum on low-level possession of marijuana; Anti-marijuana constitutional amendment heads to Idaho House.
• Indiana: Bills to legalize, decriminalize weed in Indiana fail to move forward.
• Kansas: Kansas Democrat attempts to insert narrow medical marijuana legalization into treatment bill; Senator Fagg, Represenattive Carpenter talk medical marijuana, education, and more in a town hall.
• Kentucky: How much do medical marijuana cards cost in Kentucky? What we know about certifications; Kentucky’s medical cannabis program brings in $27.5M, here’s where the money will go.
• Massachusetts: Regulators aim ‘wild west’ of cannabis host community agreements.
• Michigan: Michigan officials have announced that they’re disbursing nearly $100 million in marijuana tax revenue to over 300 cities and tribes across the state thanks to the state’s adult-use legalization law; Government Compliance Best Practice Guide.
• Mississippi: The Mississippi Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee intends to amend the House’s legislation that would require testing of hemp products intended for human consumption to ensure such products meet THC limits by inserting language from a dead Senate bill.
• Missouri: An administrative hearing commission ruling concluded Delta Extraction violated state law by importing hemp-derived THC concentrate from other states and adding it to Missouri-grown marijuana products; ‘A will to live’: Missouri considers legalizing magic mushrooms for struggling veterans.
• New Hampshire: New Hampshire House passes bills to let patients grow medical marijuana at home and annul past cannabis convictions.
• New Jersey: The NJ Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on replacing NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) Commissioner Member Charles Barker with Amelia Mapp; Dozens of New Jersey small marijuana businesses and advocacy groups are calling on the state legislature to allow adults to cultivate their own cannabis at home—seemingly contradicting repeated claims from the governor and legislative leaders that the reform could undermine the evolving legal marketplace.
• New York: Cannabis office opposes Hochul’s push to make marijuana odor a probable cause.
• North Carolina: Cannabis advocates push for clarity on NC’s bizarre cannabis law.
• Ohio: New Ohio hemp bill introduced to tighten regulations on cultivation and processing.
• Oklahoma: Lawmakers in Oklahoma advanced a bill aimed at protecting gun rights of state-registered medical marijuana patients, although federal law still bars cannabis users from owning firearms regardless of their patient status.
• Pennsylvania: Amid growing calls for marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania, a GOP state senator says prohibition has been a “disaster,” and a regulated sales model for cannabis—similar to how alcohol and tobacco are handled—could serve as an effective alternative; Top Pennsylvania Police And Health Officials Say They’re Prepared To Implement Marijuana Legalization; Gov. Shapiro tweeted, “Let’s not kid ourselves. Pennsylvanians who want to buy adult-use cannabis are just driving across the border to one of our five neighboring states where it’s legal. Up to 60% of the customers at those stores just over the border are Pennsylvanians, and we’re losing out on an industry that will bring in $1.3 billion in new revenue to our Commonwealth. Let’s work together — Republicans and Democrats alike — and legalize adult-use cannabis.”
• Tennessee: Lawmakers are continuing a years-long tug of war over what types of hemp products can be grown and sold in Tennessee, debating bills to further restrict sales or even legalize cannabis in the state.
• Texas: Texas Senate bill would criminalize owning, and making hemp-based products containing THC.
• Utah: A bipartisan bill would reform regulations on medical cannabis pharmacies by increasing price transparency and creating a new license type for independent operators.
• Virginia: Commentary – Youngkin has a second chance to do right by those in prison for cannabis crimes.
• Washington: Washington Bill to legalize marijuana home cultivation approved by house committee ahead of key deadline; Washington lawmakers propose marijuana consumption events outside the home.
• West Virginia: West Virginia lawmakers consider major expansion of medical cannabis access with House Bill 2765.
• Wisconsin: Why lawmakers are ‘hopeful’ they can reach a compromise on medical marijuana.

Cannabis Abroad

• Costa Rica: The Ministry of Health approved a new regulation that will facilitate the sale of medical cannabis products to help patients who urgently need them to treat their health conditions. 
• Canada: Statistics Canada released December retail sales for the country, with cannabis sales increasing from the November levels, up 10.0% to a record C$499.7 million; Cannabis Data Gathering Program: A comparison of legal and illegal dried cannabis products
• New Zealand: Industrial hemp regulation review gets the green light
• Nambia: High Court to hear case on whether cannabis ban in Namibia is unconstitutional

Business, Banking, Insurance

• Inside Cannabis’ $2 Billion Crash: MedMen’s Collapse Was ‘A Smoke And Mirrors Show,’ Says Ousted CEO In Upcoming Memoir
• MMJ’s innovative soft gelatin THC-CBD capsule, known as MMJ-002, is undergoing the rigorous FDA approval process to validate the safety and efficacy of cannabis-derived therapeutics for use in human clinical trials for Huntington’s disease patients.

Research

• Researchers at the George Washington University say a condition called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome occurs in people who are long-term regular consumers of cannabis and causes nausea, uncontrollable vomiting and excruciating pain in a cyclical pattern that often leads to repeated trips to the hospital.
• The use of medical cannabis products by qualified patients ages 50 and older is associated with a reduced need for prescription medications and significant health-related quality of life improvements.
• CBD boosts endurance in mice by reshaping gut bacteria and enhancing muscle performance.
• Recent studies demonstrate that psychedelics, such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, and ketamine, can significantly reduce substance use and cravings and promote psychological well-being. The integration of psychedelics with psychotherapy is critical for maximizing therapeutic outcomes.
• A new study on pregnant women found a possible link between cannabis use and smaller newborns, but says more research is needed to see if a cause-and-effect relationship exists.
• Research on the use of marijuana components to aid weight loss found that use of a combined product containing the cannabinoids THCV and CBD “was associated with statistically significant weight loss” as well as a slimmer waistline, lower blood pressure and decreased cholesterol.
• Frequent cannabis use can lead to cavities, severe tooth loss, study finds.
• Both talk therapy attendance and prescription cannabis use were associated with more severe PTSD-related outcomes.

Other Noteworthy Updates

• Exploring the Crossroads of Cannabis and Psychiatry: As cannabis transitions from an illicit drug to a multi-billion-dollar industry, psychiatry faces both challenges and opportunities in exploring its therapeutic potential while balancing the risks.
• Visiting the DEA Museum: “My excuse was to see all the lies and misinformation in one place.”

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If you are interested in exploring commercial opportunities in the cannabis space, we would be happy to assist you in any of your cannabis law questions, comments, or concerns. Please contact Tish Pahl (tpahl@ofwlaw.com), Kyla Kaplan (kkaplan@ofwlaw.com), Denise Calle (dcalle@ofwlaw.com), and Ben Dash (bdash@ofwlaw.com) for assistance.