$38M suit alleging kickbacks, ‘sabotage’ at cannabis firm Cookies is abruptly dropped

The legal controversy swirling around prominent cannabis brand Cookies has taken an abrupt and unusual turn, with one of the litigants who sued the company earlier this year dropping a lawsuit and walking back sworn statements made in court. In a lawsuit and subsequent filings in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Paul Rock, CEO of […]

Akerna sells cannabis software businesses for $5 million

Akerna Corp. is selling its cannabis software platforms for $5 million in cash to a business called MJ Freeway Acquisition Co., after having backed out of a previous deal for the assets. Denver-headquartered Akerna did not specify who owns the acquiring company. ADVERTISEMENT However, Florida-based cannabis software company Alleaves is “participating in the financing of […]

180-plus marijuana workers unionize in Illinois and California

More than 100 employees at Illinois marijuana stores and 80 at a California cannabis delivery service are joining unions. Teamsters Local 777 reached a tentative agreement with workers at five different marijuana stores owned by Verilife, a subsidiary of PharmaCann, in the Chicagoland area. ADVERTISEMENT The collective bargaining agreement covers more than 100 workers at […]

California Bill To Legalize Psychedelics Possession And Facilitated Use Advances To Senate Floor After Skipping Committees

A California bill to legalize the possession of certain psychedelics and facilitated use of the substances is heading to the Senate floor under an accelerated process that is allowing it to skip further committee consideration. The legislation from Sen. Scott Wiener (D) cleared the Appropriations Committee without a hearing after the chairman invoked a rule […]

Minnesota Senate passes adult-use marijuana legalization bill – barely

The Minnesota Senate decided by a single vote to advance an adult-use marijuana legalization bill, but more work is required before legalization can head to Gov. Tim Walz to become law. Legalization is a priority for the Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL) party – the Minnesota affiliate of the national Democratic Party – which controls both chambers […]

Senators Celebrate Bipartisan Marijuana Banking Bill Reintroduction

Senators are urging action on a marijuana banking bill that was reintroduced last week, taking to Twitter to call for bipartisan work to enact the reform this session. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act was filed with much fanfare, earning the early applause of top legislators like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). […]

Trump Admits Marijuana Is A ‘Pretty Popular Thing’ Even As He Argues It ‘Does Damage’

Former President Donald Trump says that marijuana use does “significant damage,” although he acknowledges that legalizing cannabis is a “pretty popular thing” among voters. Trump, who is running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, was asked about marijuana policy during an interview on Newsmax’s “Greg Kelly Reports” last week. Specifically, he was pressed on what […]

Nevada Sports Regulators Send Proposal To Stop Penalizing Fighters Over Marijuana To The Governor

Nevada sports regulators have voted to send a proposed regulatory amendment to the governor that would formally protect athletes from being penalized over using or possessing marijuana in compliance with state law. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) met on Tuesday to consider the proposed change, which would codify a policy that was informally instituted […]