United States
Higher than US
Lower than US
US Average
Past-month marijuana use ages 12 and older, 2017-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health State Estimates.
Marijuana & Legalization
Artisanal CBD not as effective as pharmaceutical CBD for reducing seizures
2/27/20--Children and teens with epilepsy who were treated with pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) had much better seizure control than those who were treated with artisanal CBD, according to a preliminary study. Read Encouraging transparency in the hemp CBD product industry
3/1/20--Center for Food Safety's updated Hemp CBD Scorecard evaluates many of the top hemp CBD producers on their production methods, testing protocols, and transparency to consumers. Read Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the US, is lobbying on hemp
2/10/20--Grocery store giant Kroger, which has a large footprint in the midwest and south, is lobbying the federal government on hemp. It's the first company of its kind to do so, and indicated it is lobbying on “issues related to the regulation of topical products containing CBD oils and hemp derived products following the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill,” according to its Q4 2019 disclosures. Read Hemp rules give Minnesota farmers little room for error with law enforcement
2/17/20--Hemp farming drew heavy interest from Minnesota farmers as a fast-growing market for CBD oil emerged from nowhere. More than 500 growers and processors secured licenses under the state’s industrial hemp pilot program last year, but the business is perilous, and the rules give farmers little room for error. In fact, thirty growers in Minnesota were ordered to destroy their crops in 2019 after they tested too high for THC. Read The role of cannabidiol (CBD) in chronic pain management: An assessment of current evidence
2/3/20--Given the growing challenges in chronic pain management coupled with the ongoing consequences of the opioid epidemic, pain management practitioners are looking into more effective, innovative, and safer alternatives to treat pain. The use of CBD and its potential role in pain management was investigated by examining recent literature, but based on the available literature, it was deemed difficult to make a recommendation for the use of CBD in chronic pain management. Read Marijuana & Health
Controls to enhance the cultivation of marijuana for research in the United States
3/23/20--The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to amend its regulations to comply with the requirements of the Controlled Substances Act, including consistency with treaty obligations, in order to facilitate the cultivation of marihuana for research purposes and other licit purposes. Read Daily use of high-potency cannabis is associated with more positive symptoms in first-episode psychosis patients: the EU-GEI case–control study
3/18/20--Daily use of high-potency cannabis has been reported to carry a high risk for developing a psychotic disorder. However, the evidence is mixed on whether any pattern of cannabis use is associated with a particular symptomatology in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients. Findings of a conducted study indicates that patients with a history of daily use of high-potency cannabis present with more positive and less negative symptoms, compared with those who never used cannabis or used low-potency types. Read Adolescent treatment admissions for marijuana following recreational legalization in Colorado and Washington
5/1/20--There is concern that recreational marijuana legalization (RML) may lead to increased cannabis use disorder (CUD) among youth due to increased marijuana use. This study investigates whether adolescent substance use disorder treatment admissions for marijuana use increased in Colorado and Washington following RML. Read Mapping cannabis potency in medical and recreational programs in the United States
3/26/20--The current lack of knowledge surrounding advertised potencies in the legal cannabis market limits the ability to generate clear policies regarding online advertising to protect patients that are willing to use cannabis for their condition. Mary Catherine Cash, Katharine Cunnane, Chuyin Fan, and E. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval evaluated the advertised THC and CBD content of cannabis products offered online in dispensaries in the United States to determine products’ suitability to medicinal use and compare the strength of products offered in legal medical and recreational programs. Read Opinion: What’s really driving the homelessness crisis
3/1/20--According to a op-ed by Christopher Rufo of The Daily Signal, there has been little clarity on what’s really driving the homelessness crisis in West Coast cities. For the past decade, progressive political leaders, activists, and media organizations have insisted that housing costs are the primary cause of homelessness. Yet, as an emerging body of evidence shows, homelessness in America’s West Coast cities is driven by three interrelated phenomena: addiction, mental illness, and permissive public policies. Read Marijuana & Safety
Appeals Court rules that New Jersey company must cover employee’s medical cannabis costs
1/17/20--An appeals court in New Jersey has ruled that an employer must reimburse a former employee for the cost of medical cannabis in a move that could have far-reaching effects for the industry. Steve Schain, senior attorney at Hoban Law Group, views the New Jersey ruling as a monumental moment for the medical cannabis industry and its patients for other reasons, too; namely, that it may encourage private insurance companies—and perhaps even government insurance—to also cover medical cannabis. Read Driving under the influence of marijuana and illicit drugs among persons aged ≥16 Years — United States, 2018
12/20/19--According to a report published by the CDC, during 2018 approximately 12 million (4.7%) U.S. residents aged ≥16 years reported driving under the influence of marijuana, and 2.3 million (0.9%) reported driving under the influence of illicit drugs other than marijuana during the past 12 months. Thus, further indicating that the use and co-use of alcohol and drugs has been associated with impairment of psychomotor and cognitive functions while driving. Read Car crashes in pot-legal states have soared
11/13/19--Car crashes in the first three states to legalize recreational marijuana have soared as law enforcement and regulators struggle to define driving high, let alone determine how to fight it. Colorado, Oregon, and Washington saw a combined 5.2% increase in the rate of police-reported crashes after legalizing recreational marijuana, compared with neighboring states where such sales are illegal, according to data compiled and analyzed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Researchers tallied crash rates between 2012 and 2016. Read EPA announces review of pesticide applications for hemp
8/21/19--The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Wednesday that it is seeking public input on 10 pesticide applications for hemp. The pesticides under consideration are already approved for use on other crops, but that approval does not yet extend to hemp. In a draft notice set to be published in the Federal Register, EPA said providing hemp farmers with this tool “will likely be essential to supporting the success of this industry going forward.” Read Highway Accident Brief: Collision between passenger train and refuse truck at active grade crossing, Crozet, Virginia
3/20/19--The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the crash in Crozet, Virginia, was the truck driver’s decision to enter an active grade crossing and his inaction when he encountered obstacles while attempting to cross the railroad tracks, most likely due to his impairment from the combined effects of the drugs marijuana and gabapentin. Read Marijuana & Commerce
Coronavirus crisis shows marijuana is ‘essential’ and mainstream
3/23/20--In state after state, governors and public health officials are deeming cannabis businesses “essential” operations that can stay open amid coronavirus-related forced closures and stay-at-home mandates. Interestingly, in the era of expanding legalization, cannabis providers in many states are held up as vital members of the community who are providing a valuable service on par with picking up prescription drugs at a pharmacy or filling up your car at a gas station. Read Is marijuana an ‘essential’ like milk or bread? Some states say yes
3/24/20--Over the past week, more than a dozen states have agreed that while “nonessential” stores had to close; however, pot shops and medical marijuana dispensaries could remain open — official recognition that for some Americans, cannabis is as necessary as milk and bread. Read Marijuana businesses are ineligible for Coronavirus disaster relief, Federal Agency confirms
3/24/20--The federal Small Business Administration (SBA) reiterated on Monday that marijuana companies are not eligible for disaster relief loans to lessen the blow of the coronavirus outbreak. Because cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, the marijuana industry is being denied access to these aid opportunities, including programs administered by SBA. Read Pot stores deemed ‘essential’ businesses in some states during coronavirus lockdown
3/25/20--Marijuana made 'essential" in some states amid COVID-19. Alex Berenson, author of 'Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness and Violence.' reacts during a segment on FOX news. Read COVID-19 a ‘net positive’ for marijuana producer Curaleaf, says analyst
3/25/20--The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a boon to U.S. marijuana producer Curaleaf Holdings Inc. with roughly a 20% boost in sales, as sales jump and many states say that cannabis is an essential service. However, Curaleaf also rescinded its 2020 outlook as a result of the virus, telling investors Tuesday that its stores were closed in Massachusetts for the time being and will likely experience a falloff in sales in Nevada because of decreased tourism. Read Marijuana & Culture
Elizabeth Warren has a new plan for legalizing marijuana
2/23/20--US Senator Elizabeth Warren unveiled a plan for federal marijuana reform Sunday, calling for legalization as well as a series of policies aimed at righting the wrongs of the drug war and promoting involvement in the legal industry by communities harmed by prohibition. Read Nuclear missile guards under investigation for marijuana use
2/15/20--Security guards at an Air Force base responsible for protecting strategic nuclear missiles in three states are under investigation for alleged marijuana use. They are part of the same security force whose members were caught using the hallucinogen LSD four years ago. Those under investigation have been removed from their duties until the probe is completed, the Air Force said. Read Mayor Pete’s ‘Plan B’ to legalize marijuana involves flying Air Force One around the country
2/2/10-- 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg recognizes that there are disagreements on the issue of marijuana legalization within Congress. Ideally, Buttigieg's would like to work with members of Congress from across the aisle on the issue, but if that approach doesn't work, he would put his hyperbolic “Plan B” into action for legalization by visiting the home district of any member standing in the way of his own voters and have a conversation with the voters about why this needs to happen. Read Indicted Parnas associate was set to partner with VA on cannabis research
2/3/20--Ukraine-born cannabis investor Andrey Kukushkin, who was working on a medical cannabis research deal with the Department of Veterans Affairs, is facing federal charges over an alleged plot to trade political donations for help obtaining marijuana licenses around the country. Kukushkin was indicted alongside the businessmen Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman and their associate David Correa. All four men have pleaded not guilty. Read ‘High Times’ will open two cannabis dispensaries
1/21/20--High Times is getting into the retail game by opening two cannabis dispensaries in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. These flagship dispensaries will carry a variety of High Times-branded merchandise alongside locally sourced cannabis products that have previously won awards at Cannabis Cup events. Read Marijuana & Enforcement
Analysis: DEA releases long-awaited rules for federal cannabis research
3/20/20--In 2016, the US Drug Enforcement Administration said it would, for the first time, open applications for those hoping to become federally-licensed cannabis researchers. The details came four years later. The DEA announced Friday, to “expand opportunities for marijuana growers who seek to grow marijuana for research purposes and outline the agency’s proposed process for administering the new program, consistent with applicable law.” There will then be a public comment period. Read Proposed class action targets CBD maker over ADA website accessibility
2/7/20--Last month, a putative class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court against Charlotte’s Web, Inc., a Colorado-based maker of cannabidiol (“CBD”) oils, balms and gummies claiming that its website is not accessible to visually impaired shoppers, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”). Read Large-scale marijuana operation with Mass. ties shipped drugs in golf cart boxes, Feds say
1/19/20--William P. Murphy and Claudio Cardaropoli, co-conspirators in a $20 million nationwide marijuana trafficking ring, often shipped drugs in boxes purporting to contain golf carts, according to an FBI agent who testified at a hearing in U.S. District Court. Both have been charged with marijuana trafficking conspiracy, money laundering, and drug distribution. Read Study: Legalized recreational marijuana has little effect on crime in two states
10/17/19--A study by researchers at several universities finds that crime statistics haven’t changed much in two U.S. states that legalized recreational marijuana use and sales. The study focused on Colorado and Washington, the two first states to legalize recreational marijuana, and looked specifically at property-related and violent crimes. Read Black market pot entered CannTrust facility, flowed into legal market last year: Sources
9/6/19--Senior operating staff working at CannTrust Holdings Inc.’s Pelham, Ont. facility late last year brought marijuana seeds from the black market into production rooms, leading to some illicitly-grown pot flowing into the legal market, according to internal company documents obtained by BNN Bloomberg and four sources directly familiar with the matter. Read