CannabisLink.ca - Current Affairs 2026

(2026) - Chronological (738 items)

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May 19, 2026	Can regenerative farming save outdoor cannabis cultivation? Key points: Regenerative cannabis farmers focus on cultivating in native soil with natural inputs. Higher product quality allows for premium pricing. Cooperative models help small producers increase visibility and access. But success depends on connecting with retailers who value sun-grown practices.
May 19, 2026	Louisiana Bill To Jail People For Smoking Marijuana Near College Campuses Passes, Heading To Governor’s Desk Louisiana lawmakers have voted to send the governor a bill that threatens to send people to jail for up to one year if they smoke marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school property—including a college campus.
May 19, 2026	Marijuana Legalization Is Linked To ‘Significant Reductions’ In Opioid Overdoses, Federally Funded Study Finds States that legalize medical or recreational marijuana see “significant reductions” in opioid overdoses among adults with employer-sponsored health insurance—indicating that a “substitution” effect may be at play—according to a new federally funded study.
May 19, 2026	He Used to Bust Drug Boats. Now the Feds Are Coming for His Hemp Company. Lukas Gilkey spent his early twenties intercepting drug shipments for the U.S. Coast Guard. He watched the war on drugs fail in real time. So he came home to Texas and built HomeTown Hero, a hemp company employing 150 people in a state where marijuana is still largely illegal. Now Washington is moving to ban what he built.
May 19, 2026	US cannabis revenue falls for first time in a decade as oversupply and policy shifts reshape the market After more than a decade of uninterrupted growth, the U.S. regulated cannabis market recorded its first year-over-year revenue decline, with 2025 sales estimated between $28.6 and $29.6 billion, down from $30.1 billion in 2024, according to a report by First Citizens Bank and Whitney Economics. The drop is not related to demand, as unit volumes are stable or growing. What has collapsed is price, as excess supply piles up across nearly every state market. Whitney Economics projects legal cultivation capacity at roughly 73 million pounds annually against combined regulated and unregulated demand of around 50 million pounds. That gap narrows only slowly through 2030.
May 19, 2026	U.S. Army Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Military CBD Policy for Soldiers The U.S. Army has reaffirmed its stringent military CBD policy, maintaining a zero-tolerance approach to all cannabis and cannabinoid-containing products for its service members. This directive, detailed in a recent blog post by the Army’s Directorate of Prevention, Resilience and Readiness, underscores that even hemp-derived CBD products, including lotions and gummies, are prohibited due to potential risks to soldiers and mission readiness.
May 18, 2026	Georgia Governor Signs Bill Expanding Access to Medical Marijuana Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has approved legislation that broadens access to the state’s medical cannabis program, introducing several changes aimed at expanding treatment options for eligible patients while maintaining restrictions on recreational marijuana. The measure, Senate Bill 220, adds new qualifying medical conditions, revised rules on THC limits, and expanded methods for how patients may use cannabis products.
May 18, 2026	TSA quietly updates policy on bringing marijuana through security Marijuana legalization has meant millions of Americans have easier access to cannabis than ever before. But flying with marijuana remains a tricky subject, as airports are regulated by federal law, which still forbids many pot products. That creates a challenging question for cannabis fans who may want to bring their preferred marijuana products when they travel. This is especially thorny when flying between two legal states, with travelers not knowing if a Transportation Security Administration officer will stop them from carrying a pack of edibles or joints on a route like San Francisco to New York City.
May 18, 2026	Strict Rules Keep Canadian Cannabis Brands on the World Cup Sidelines Canada is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico, an event expected to draw millions of viewers and hundreds of thousands of visitors. For most industries, it represents a once-in-a-generation marketing opportunity. But for cannabis companies, the conversation is much more complicated.
May 18, 2026	Truckers And Pilots Still Can’t Use Medical Marijuana Even Though Trump Reclassified It, Transportation Department Says Last month, the Trump administration moved to federally reclassify medical marijuana that is dispensed to patients in accordance with state programs. But that doesn’t mean truck drivers, airline pilots and other federally regulated workers can now use it without being punished, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is clarifying in a new notice. “Marijuana use is not compatible with safety-sensitive functions,” the agency said on Friday.
May 18, 2026	Cannabis Legalization Associated With Lower Crime Rates The enactment of laws legalizing cannabis for either medical or adult-use purposes is associated with declining crime rates over time, according to findings published in the scientific journal Economic Modeling. Researchers affiliated with the Jack Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and Barnard College in New York evaluated the relationship between statewide cannabis policies and crime rates nationwide. Consistent with prior studies, they reported that liberalized marijuana laws were associated with reductions in overall criminal activity. Specifically, the adoption of medical cannabis legalization is associated with reduced property crime, whereas adult-use legalization is associated with decreases in violent crime. These trends become more pronounced over time.
May 18, 2026	UWIFIC and Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority Formalise Research and Education Partnership The University of the West Indies (UWIFIC) Five Islands Campus and the Antigua and Barbuda Medicinal Cannabis Authority (MCA) have formalised a partnership aimed at advancing medicinal cannabis research and education within the country’s developing industry. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on April 17, 2026, during the third annual Antigua and Barbuda Cannabis (ABC) Festival, as reported by the Antigua Observer.
May 18, 2026	‘Big Tobacco’ Moment for Cannabis: What Insurers Need to Know About Murray v. Cresco A massive 320-page class action complaint has the attention of the cannabis sector. The insurance professionals who underwrite it should also be paying close attention. The case, Murray et al. v. Cresco Labs Inc. et al., was filed on May 4 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It represents the most ambitious legal assault yet on the marketing practices of major cannabis multistate operators (MSOs).
May 18, 2026	“End the Nightmare”—Coalition Hits DC for Cannabis Justice A national coalition of 41 advocacy groups converged on Capitol Hill for the Cannabis Week of Unity, when a coordinated lobbying blitz pressed a gridlocked Congress to act on federal marijuana descheduling, criminal-legal reform and equitable access. The mobilization, which ran from May 12-14, brought together labor unions, veterans, civil liberties advocates, legal experts, industry executives and directly impacted individuals around three core demands: federally legalizing cannabis, releasing federal cannabis prisoners, and expunging records to restore civil rights. The coalition spent three days navigating the halls of both congressional chambers to pitch a comprehensive package of 13 separate hemp and cannabis reform bills.
May 17, 2026	Strategies for Dealing with Effect of Cannabis in the Workplace The regulations surrounding cannabis changed on April 23, 2026, when the Department of Justice announced that FDA-approved cannabis products and products containing cannabis subject to a Qualifying State-issued License are moving from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act.
May 16, 2026	How to Hide Your High, According to People Who Have It Down to a Science When you’re higher than you planned, paranoia is the real enemy. Five cannabis users share their best techniques for surviving the moment you cross from private to public.
May 16, 2026	Bermuda Government Seeks Regulated Medical Cannabis Framework for Patient Access and Clinical Oversight The Bermuda Government is progressing efforts to establish a regulated medical cannabis framework, aiming to balance patient access with clinical judgment and robust safeguards. Michael Weeks, the Minister of National Security, informed the House of Assembly that the proposed structure is being developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Attorney-General’s Chambers. The objective is to create a safe and lawful pathway for patients with legitimate medical needs, while preventing misuse and diversion, according to a report by The Royal Gazette. This initiative seeks to integrate approved cannabis-based medicines and regulated medical cannabis products into the existing controlled prescription medication system.
May 16, 2026	Alabama’s First Medical Cannabis Dispensary Nears Opening, Five Years After Legalization Alabama is preparing for the imminent opening of its first medical cannabis dispensary, Callie’s Apothecary, located in Montgomery. This development occurs nearly five years after Governor Kay Ivey signed the Darren Wesley ‘Ato’ Hall Compassion Act into law on May 17, 2021, which legalized cannabis for medical use in the state. The anticipated launch, expected within days of May 15, 2026, marks a significant step in patient access, building on earlier coverage of the state’s preparations for medical cannabis sales, as reported by WHNT News.
May 16, 2026	Drug convictions no obstacle to becoming licensed cannabis dealer in Canada Canadians with past drug convictions are still eligible to become federally licensed cannabis dealers under Ottawa’s regulatory system, according to the Department of Health. Blacklock's Reporter says in a submission to the Senate committee on indigenous peoples, the department confirmed criminal records tied to marijuana or other drug offences do not automatically disqualify applicants from participating in the legal cannabis industry. “Health Canada’s regulatory framework does not automatically disqualify individuals with past cannabis or drug-related convictions from participating in the legal industry,” the department wrote in its report, Response To A Request For Information.
May 15, 2026	Aurora granted Plant Breeders' Rights in Canada Aurora Cannabis has been granted Plant Breeders' Rights in Canada for two proprietary cannabis cultivars developed through its world-class breeding program. This certification gives Aurora the exclusive rights to grow, propagate, and sell finished products produced from these varieties.

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