Legalization pushes in North Carolina (and France)

A Democratic lawmaker in North Carolina has introduced a legalization bill in the Tar Heel state. According to WCNC, the bill introduced by Representative Jordan Lopez would implement a 30% excise tax on sales, and much of that tax would go towards people and communities who have been disproportionately discriminated against for cannabis use through "Reinvestment and Repair Fund." Representative Lopez had this to say:  

"The war on drugs disproportionately affected black and brown communities. We know this. It is well documented…Ensuring that when they get out, they can get back on their feet. As we already know, reentry into society after serving for an offense is difficult and oftentimes leads to recidivism and we want to stop that pattern and provide opportunities for folks to really build better lives."

See the full story on WCNC. 

Cannabis conviction leads to deportation 🛑

In the ongoing deportation efforts undertaken by the Trump Administration, a Milwaukee woman had her permanent residency status revoked and was deported for a cannabis charge, for which she served her full sentence. The woman, Ma Yang, was deported to Laos, a country she left when she was 8 months old. The Journal-Sentinel has the story. 

Colorado bill to raise consumption age on some cannabis products dies ⛰️

A bill in Colorado that would have raised the age to purchase/use high potency cannabis products has died. The bill would have raised the legal age on products with more than 10% THC (not a typo) from 21 to 26 (also not a typo). More from the Denver Post. 

France may soon authorize medical cannabis 🇫🇷

It seems France may soon be allowing medical cannabis, beyond their current pilot program. This according to ICBC coverage. Could France follow in the footsteps of Germany on loosening their approach to cannabis? We shall see.

Wrestlers continue to praise WWE’s new policy 🤼‍♂️

Last month, we shared the WWE’s new, more lenient cannabis use policy. This month, wrestlers, including Rob Van Dam, are praising the WWE. You may have missed this news because you don’t regularly follow wrestling news in Wrestlezone or NoDQ.com as closely as we do here. 

LeafLink acknowledged in Fast Company’s most innovative 🚀

Cannabis technology company LeafLink was included in the 2025 Fast Company list of most innovative companies. In their write up of LeafLink, #4 on this year’s list, Fast Company noted, “In September 2024, LeafLink launched a first-of-its-kind payment option that guarantees payments to brands based on retailer sell-through, improving cash flow and reducing financial risks for both parties.” 

Jaunty launching concentrates in NY 🗽

NY’s Jaunty is expanding into concentrates with Jaunty Concentrates, a cold-cure live rosin. If you want a view into Jaunty’s facility in Hoosic Falls, Cultivated took a tour last summer. Check it out on our YouTube channel.

Trulieve continues their path in Florida 🆕

Continuing their lead in Florida’s medical cannabis market, Trulieve announced the opening of a new dispensary in North Miami Beach, their 163 dispensary in Florida.

Tyler Beuerlein, most recently the Chief Strategic Business Development Officer at Safe Harbor Financial, announced on LinkedIn that he is becoming the Senior Managing Director, Adjacent and Emerging Markets Business Development at Pathward. 

The new CEO of the aforementioned Safe Harbor Financial, Terry Mendez, gave an interview to MJBizDaily, where he acknowledged he wanted to bring Safe Harbor from lending to fintech. 

Interested in a cannabis holiday? The folks at Upgraded Points have compiled a list of top US cities for a cannabis vacation. Their methodology included some of the following variables: the cost of an ounce and the number of weed-friendly experiences. 

Study suggests CBD could be good for oral health 🦷

Research published in Clinical Advances in Dental Medicine and Oral Health suggests that CBD could be beneficial for your oral health. The team at Marijuana Moment took a bite of this research for you. 

Cannabis use and heart attacks ❤️

According to a published report: “...people who use cannabis are more likely to suffer a heart attack than people who do not use the drug, even among younger and otherwise healthy adults…” We await the pushback from cannabis scientists and researchers. If you want to read the report, you can find it on Medical Life Sciences News.