Welcome to our new Friday program, This Week in Cannabis News, powered by Dutchie.

Each Friday at 10 a. m. Eastern, we'll deliver an overview of this week's cannabis news.

We will be quick, we'll be comprehensive, we'll send you into the weekend as a more informed cannabis professional, and it's all made possible by our friends at Dutchie.

Cannabis rescheduling update?

The process to reclassify cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III, initiated by former President Joe Biden, was supposed to kick off with administrative hearings in January. It’s now April, and we haven’t heard much since the hearings were delayed. It’s unclear how President Donald Trump’s Administration plans to approach the issue, despite his posts in support for cannabis reform on the campaign trail. For what it’s worth, cannabis policy didn’t appear anywhere on the list of federal drug policy priorities for new Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter earlier this week. And, in a panel hosted by Ohio State University’s Drug Policy and Enforcement Center on Tuesday, former officials shared why they’re not crossing their fingers for rescheduling anytime soon. Matthew Lawrence, a former Drug Enforcement Agency official, said rescheduling will only move forward if it’s a political priority for Trump. He expects that the DEA will kick the can down the road. Here’s what he said: “I leave that to political experts to kind of make that prediction…But if it’s not a political priority — or if it’s a mixed political thing, like it’s a win and a loss — then you’ve got to assume it’s going to be the can-kicking approach.” 

Germany’s cannabis legalization status

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the conservative Christian Democratic Union won a shaky victory in February’s election. Merz opposed Germany’s cannabis legalization policy, which went into effect last year, when he was on the campaign trail. Some in the industry feared he would work to roll it back.  It now appears his party has reached a deal with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP)  to govern the country. Which means that cannabis legalization remains unchanged in Germany, at least for now. 

Pennsylvania getting closer to cannabis legalization

It seems like Pennsylvania is in the cannabis news every single week. And this week, we have some insight from Democratic Pennsylvania State Representative Emily Kinkead. In this quote, Kinkead is referring to the ongoing battle in Pennsylvania to legalize cannabis. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is a strong supporter, but many Republicans in the state legislature are pushing back. “They’re not saying ‘no’ to the idea [of legalization] in and of itself…I think it’s a great indicator that there’s so many people talking about it, including the negative comments. They’re saying the proposal isn’t what they want it to be, but they’re not saying ‘no’ in any of it.”

Big states making big news when it comes to hemp-derived THC

First, Texas lawmakers are debating two bills that would severely restrict intoxicating hemp products in the state. SB3, passed by the Senate in March, would ban all THC products altogether while HB28 would ban synthetic THC gummies but regulate hemp-infused beverages like alcohol. 

And, Florida’s Senate passed SB438, a bill that would ban all Delta-8 THC products and limit hemp-derived Delta-9 THC products to no more than 5 mg per serving. Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed similar legislation — and – you’ll recall – he teamed up with the state’s hemp industry to fight against Amendment 3, a bill that would’ve legalized cannabis in the Sunshine State. 

Canada’s approach to cannabis working

Canada’s coherent, federal approach to cannabis policy is achieving one of its primary goals by displacing the illicit market, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy. Still, the study found that expenditures associated with the program are increasing. A majority of Canadians say that cannabis legalization is a crowning achievement of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tenure. 

ICYMI: Aurora Cannabis’ research to prevent powdery mildew:

This week, Lana Culley, VP of Innovation and International Operations joined Cultivated Live to talk about the research she and her colleagues are doing when it comes to creating powdery-mildew resistant cannabis. Watch the full segment on our YouTube channel.

That’s it for This Week in Cannabis News powered by Dutchie. 

Check back next Friday at 10 am Eastern right here on Cultivated’s LinkedIn page and YouTube channel.