Novel psychiatric cannabinoids legalized by the 2018 Farm Bill remain under attack by state regulators. Most recently, the Arizona attorney general opined that “Arizona law does not permit the sale of delta-8 and other...more
Following the lead of President Joe Biden’s pardon of simple marijuana possession, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy recently announced plans to issue a series of pardons for those convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession...more
If you know either of us, you know neither of us would pass up a chance to say, “I told you so.” As we looked ahead to 2024 in January, we speculated that psychedelics could be legalized as a prescription medicine. Now, not...more
In case you missed it, Fat Joe visited the White House late last week to discuss federal marijuana policy. 2024, man.
During a roundtable discussion with Mr. Joe (?), Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and several individuals who...more
Earlier this week, the Florida legislature passed a bill (SB 1698) that will limit the amount of THC in hemp-derived products and threatens to upend the novel cannabinoid industry in the state.
For the past few years,...more
3/12/2024
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Florida ,
Governor DeSantis ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government
The Alabama Medical Cannabis licensing process has officially entered Groundhog Day territory. After previously directing that the AMCC participate in limited, expedited discovery (including the deposition of up to six...more
Hold the phones, Alabama medical cannabis integrated applicants (and probably dispensary licensees). Last night the Montgomery County Circuit Court issued three orders that will at least temporarily pause the issuance of the...more
2023 was a momentous year for psychedelics, and it’s not just because we at Budding Trends started writing about them. There were wins for the psychedelic industry at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as in the...more
We told you it may be coming, though we were admittedly cynical about the ability to pass a bill funding psychedelic research given the current political landscape — a narrowly controlled Democratic Senate that is generally...more
Yesterday the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission(AMCC) awarded the five coveted licenses in the Integrated Facility category. The five licenses were awarded to:
1. Trulieve AL
2. Sustainable Alabama
3. Wagon Trail...more
12/13/2023
/ Alabama ,
Business Licenses ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
I feel like Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day. I keep writing the same blog post in some way heralding the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission’s awarding of licenses to would-be operators. Well, on Friday it happened...more
12/4/2023
/ Alabama ,
Business Licenses ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
Every election it seems like the country inches closer to cannabis being legal at the federal level. Until that day comes, however, the question of whether those in the cannabis industry can seek bankruptcy relief remains....more
11/27/2023
/ Bankruptcy Court ,
Banks ,
Business Litigation ,
Business Operations ,
California ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Commercial Bankruptcy ,
Controlled Substances ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Liquidation ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
State and Local Government
A few weeks ago, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Aggarwal v. U.S. DEA directed the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to reconsider its decision not to transfer psilocybin from Schedule I to Schedule II....more
On November 7, 2023, Ohio voters decisively passed Issue 2, putting the “high” in Ohio and becoming the 24th state to legalize adult-use marijuana. Issue 2, which goes into effect on December 7, 2023, allows adults to...more
For as long as there have been rules of evidence and courtrooms, there have been products that can impair litigants or witnesses—and products whose use carries the potential to trigger certain stigmas in the eyes of the...more
11/13/2023
/ Admissible Evidence ,
Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Controlled Substances Act ,
Crime-Fraud Exception ,
Farm Bill ,
Federal v State Law Application ,
Legalization ,
Litigation Privilege ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Marijuana ,
Rules of Evidence
Once hailed by observers as the southern state most likely to legalize marijuana first, North Carolina has not kept pace with its northern neighbors in adopting laws to promote the growth of a vibrant medicinal and...more
11/9/2023
/ Cannabis Products ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Hemp ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
North Carolina ,
Popular ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
In the coming, frenzied 90 days, the Alabama Medical Cannabis Commission likely will save or ruin the future of medical cannabis in Alabama...
Last Thursday, the AMCC voted to adopt an emergency rule that, by its terms,...more
10/31/2023
/ Alabama ,
Business Licenses ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Dispensaries ,
Emergency Rule ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
State and Local Government
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was the founder and king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). Hades punished him for cheating death twice by forcing him to roll an immense boulder up a hill only for it to roll back down every time...more
Loyal Budding Trends readers and hemp operators at large know that the 2018 Farm Bill was a watershed moment for the hemp industry. It brought centuries-old hemp products back from near-extinction and lit the fuse for an...more
As we’ve discussed, the federal government seems to be getting on board with the legal use of psychedelics. So are many states. While states across the country are moving towards expanding legal (or at least decriminalized)...more
9/25/2023
/ California ,
Cannabis Products ,
Colorado ,
Hawaii ,
Healthcare ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
New Legislation ,
Oregon ,
Prescription Drugs ,
State and Local Government
Now that the dust is starting to settle on the recent news that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) that marijuana be moved from Schedule I to...more
9/20/2023
/ Advertising ,
Banking Sector ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
State and Local Government
Maybe it was inevitable. Anyone who has seen another state award competitive licenses for a limited number of cannabis operators knew well that Alabama’s process would result in litigation. That was not an indictment of...more
9/13/2023
/ Alabama ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licensees ,
Licenses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Open Meetings Act ,
State and Local Government
Jimmy Buffett was a spirit animal of the Budding Trends blog. We don’t quote from him as often as we do the Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic, or popular movies, but maybe because in many ways his lyrics are too good for...more
9/11/2023
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil ,
Cannabis Products ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Hemp ,
Hemp Cultivation ,
Hemp Related Businesses ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Cultivation ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Recreational Use
Just as we did, the Food and Drug Administration has recognized the growing enthusiasm for exploring opportunities to use psychedelic medications to treat mental health disorders. In June, FDA issued for the first time draft...more
For years, the cannabis industry has been the purview of entrepreneurs and those willing to operate in gray areas — those willing to take some measure of risk to recover the premium on that risk. As cannabis has become legal...more