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2 US House Reps Introduce Bill to Allow White House Drug Adviser to Publicly Back Cannabis Legalization

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5 months agoon

The Democratic co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus are attempting to unzip the lips of President Donald Trump’s top drug adviser, allowing her to freely express where she stands on legalizing cannabis.
U.S. House Reps. Dina Titus, D-Nev., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 on April 29 to remove restrictions on the executive branch related to supporting research and policies on Schedule I controlled substances.
Specifically, the act would allow the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to finance and/or sponsor research related to medical or adult-use cannabis. Additionally, it would remove restrictions that force the ONDCP director to oppose legalizing Schedule I substances ahead of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval.
“The Office of National Drug Control Policy and its director should be free to sponsor research or speak about substances like cannabis based on evidence and research,” Titus said in a release announcing the legislation. “Statutory restrictions on what can be studied and a mandate to oppose any attempts to reschedule substances like cannabis make no sense. It’s time to update the law to reflect the current use of cannabis in the United States and its medical benefits. The federal government needs to catch up to the states.”
The congresswomen introduced the act on the heels of a 2024 National Academies study that recommended Congress allow the ONDCP to study the impacts of cannabis legalization.
“Our nation’s drug policies have been shaped by stigma,” Omar said. “The American people overwhelmingly support cannabis reform, and yet the federal government continues to tie the hands of its own experts. The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is about bringing our laws into the 21st century, ensuring that the Office of National Drug Control Policy can do its job guided by facts, not outdated ideology. We need drug policy to follow the science and reflect the reality on the ground in states across the country.”
If passed by this Congress, the legislation would provide Trump’s nominee for ONDCP director, Sara Carter, the opportunity to speak freely on cannabis reform, such as a Schedule III proposed rule that Trump indicated his support for during the campaign trail in late 2024.
In nominating Carter last month on Truth Social, Trump hailed her work as a former Fox News contributor covering the fentanyl and opioid crises and investigating drug cartels.
While a federal statute prohibits ONDCP directors from endorsing cannabis legalization, Carter said on her podcast in November 2023 that she doesn’t have a problem with it.
“I don’t have any problem if it’s legalized and it’s monitored,” she said. “I mean, I may have my own issues of how I feel about that, but I do believe that cannabis for medicinal purposes and medical reasons is a fantastic way of handling, especially for people with cancer and other illness, you know, of handling the illness and the side effects of the medication and those illnesses. So, I’m not saying we’ve got to make it illegal.”
The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is supported by several industry advocacy organizations and trade associations, including the Drug Policy Alliance, the National Cannabis Industry Association, NORML, the Marijuana Policy Project, the U.S. Cannabis Roundtable (USCR), the Minority Cannabis Business Association, and many others.
Charlie Bachtell, the USCR’s acting chairman and CEO of Chicago-based multistate cannabis operator Cresco Labs, said the roundtable strongly supports the legislation to “ensure researchers have the ability to conduct rigorous research on medical cannabis and cannabis legalization.”
“The Department of Health and Human Services determined in 2023 that cannabis has low abuse potential and accepted medical use, and 80% of states allow some form of legal cannabis,” he said in the release. “Our nation’s research guidelines should reflect this reality.”
While the HHS determined cannabis has currently accepted medical use in the U.S. and recommended rescheduling it to Schedule III, that decision is ultimately up to the Drug Enforcement Administration, which answers to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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Verano Proposes to Redomicile Parent Company From British Columbia to Nevada

Published
13 minutes agoon
September 15, 2025
[PRESS RELEASE] – CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2025 – Verano Holdings Corp., a leading multistate cannabis company, announced that the company’s board of directors approved, and the company will be seeking shareholder approval of, a proposed plan to redomicile Verano Holdings Corp. from British Columbia, Canada, to the state of Nevada.
Verano believes that redomiciling in the United States better aligns with its U.S.-based business and operations and streamlines its organizational and regulatory structure within the United States, among other reasons discussed in the preliminary proxy statement filed by the company on Sept. 12, 2025, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and in Canada on SEDAR+ (the “preliminary proxy statement”).
“Since inception and our 2021 go-public transaction, we’ve focused on ways to unlock shareholder value and create potential catalysts for the business, including enhancements to our corporate structure and executing a capital markets strategy that positions Verano to capitalize on near and long-term growth opportunities,” Verano Chairman and CEO George Archos said. “From our 2023 strategic decision to list company shares on Cboe Canada, a senior U.S.-based exchange with global operations, to our redomiciling in the U.S. as a newly-registered Nevada enterprise, we are prepared to leverage opportunities that benefit the company and our shareholders.”
The company’s plan to redomicile Verano Holdings Corp. in the United States is not expected to materially impact its existing manufacturing and retail business, which spans 13 U.S. states, including the location of its corporate headquarters in Chicago.
Pursuant to the company’s proposed plan of arrangement, Verano will continue from the jurisdiction of British Columbia, Canada, to the jurisdiction of the state of Nevada (the “continuance”). Upon completion of the continuance, the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares of the British Columbia-formed Verano Holdings Corp. will automatically be exchanged on a one-for-one basis for shares of common stock of the continued Verano Holdings Corp. domiciled in Nevada (“Nevada common stock”). Each of the company’s outstanding stock options and restricted stock units will be deemed to be adjusted pursuant to the terms of the company’s stock and equity incentive plan to become a stock option and a restricted stock unit to receive an equal number of shares of Nevada common stock, respectively.
The preliminary proxy statement was filed in connection with a proposed special meeting of the company’s shareholders to consider and, if thought advisable, approve a plan of arrangement implementing the continuance. The company’s board of directors may, at any time, including after receiving shareholder approval, in its discretion, decide not to proceed with the arrangement and not complete the continuance.
Upon completion of the continuance, the Nevada common stock will trade on the Cboe Canada exchange under the company’s existing ticker symbol, “VRNO,” and be quoted on the OTCQX under the symbol “VRNOF.”
For more information on Verano Holdings Corp., visit the company’s investor website: https://investors.verano.com/.

Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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New York Lawmakers Schedule Psychedelics-Focused Hearing To Discuss ‘Medicinal Value And Risks’ Of Psilocybin

Published
1 hour agoon
September 15, 2025
New York lawmakers have scheduled a hearing to discuss the medical potential of psilocybin as the state considers pursuing a pathway for regulated access to the main psychedelic component of “magic mushrooms.”
In a notice published by the Assembly Health Committee on Wednesday, Chairwoman Amy Paulin (D) noted that, while psilocybin is currently listed as a Schedule I drug, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has designated it as a “breakthrough therapy” for major depression—indicating that “the therapy may offer improved results for such conditions over currently approved treatments.”
A meeting to go over the science and potential regulations of the novel therapy is scheduled for September 30. Oral testimony is by invite only from the committee, and witnesses have not yet been announced.
“Various localities have enacted measures regarding psilocybin, including the states of Colorado, Oregon, and New Mexico which allow for its supervised use, citing its potential as a treatment for some mental health conditions,” the notice says. “However, more information is needed to better understand the medicinal value that psilocybin may have as a therapy in New York State.”
“To this end, the Committee seeks to hear from researchers, medical experts, and other stakeholders on the potential medicinal value and risks of psilocybin,” Paulin said.
The chairwoman introduced a bill to legalize psilocybin for adults last year, provided they obtain a permit after undergoing a health screening and educational course.
New York legislators have taken special interest in psychedelics reform in recent sessions.
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For example, in January, Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal (D) filed legislation calling for the legalization of certain entheogenic substances such as psilocybin and ibogaine for adults 21 and older.
The bill would amend state statute to make legal the “possession, use, cultivation, production, creation, analysis, gifting, exchange, or sharing by or between natural persons of twenty-one years of age or older of a natural plant or fungus-based hallucinogen.”
DMT, ibogaine, mescaline, psilocybin and psilocyn would fall under the definition of “natural plant or fungus-based hallucinogens” that would be legalized by the bill.
Rosenthal’s measure was introduced just days after another New York lawmaker, Sen. Nathalia Fernandez (D), prefiled a measure that would legalize psilocybin therapy for patients with qualifying conditions.
Under that proposal, people could receive psilocybin treatment from a certified facilitator in a clinical setting, or at their home if they’re unable to travel. Patients and facilitators would receive protections against state-level prosecution.
Fernandez also filed an earlier version of the bill last session, but it did not move out of committee either. Only minor technical changes have been made in the latest iteration.
Bicameral New York lawmakers said at a briefing last year that there was a “real chance” that legislation to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy would advance through committee, emphasizing that delaying action would “neglect” many “people who need help” with certain mental health conditions. That did not ultimately materialize, however.
“We’re in a mental health crisis, and so we need every tool that’s available to us,” Assemblymember Pat Burke (D), who sponsored another bill to create a psilocybin therapy pilot program for 10,000 people, said. He added that “we’re here to turn the page” on the broader drug war.
Photo courtesy of Dick Culbert.

Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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Curaleaf Opens Cannabis Dispensaries in Florida, Ohio

Published
2 hours agoon
September 15, 2025
[PRESS RELEASE] – STAMFORD, Conn., Sept. 15, 2025 – Curaleaf Holdings Inc., a leading international provider of consumer cannabis products, announced the opening of two new dispensaries: Curaleaf Apopka, located at 1809 E. Semoran Blvd., Apopka, Fla., 32703, and Curaleaf Girard, located at 801 N State St., Girard, Ohio, 44420. With these dual openings, Curaleaf expands to 69 retail locations in Florida, five in Ohio and 157 nationwide.
Curaleaf Apopka strengthens the company’s presence in Central Florida, providing convenient access for registered medical cannabis patients across the Greater Orlando region. Curaleaf Apopka offers a wide portfolio of medical cannabis products, including Curaleaf’s Select brand vapes and edibles, Florida-exclusive Reef flower, Grassroots Dark Heart Collection flower, Anthem pre-rolls, Miss Grass pre-rolls and more. To ensure patient satisfaction, Curaleaf Florida is offering a 72-hour Flower Satisfaction Guarantee on select premium eighths from Grassroots and Reef. The store will operate from 9:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.
Meanwhile, Curaleaf Girard marks the company’s first dispensary within the city of Girard, and enhances access for both medical patients and adult-use consumers across Ohio’s Northeast region. The store features a selection including Select BRIQ all-in-one vapes, Grassroots Dark Heart Collection flower, Grassroots pre-rolls, JAMS and Select XBites edibles and Find flower. Curaleaf will be introducing Grassroots and Find pre-rolls in Singles and 5-pack Shorties, as state regulations now allow for the sale of pre-rolls. Curaleaf Girard will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
“Each new store opening reflects our mission to expand safe, convenient access to high-quality cannabis across the country,” Curaleaf Chairman and CEO Boris Jordan said. “With Apopka, we are deepening our roots in Florida by serving an important new region for medical patients, and with Girard, we are proudly delivering the first licensed dispensary to the city. Together, these milestones show our commitment to patients and consumers who rely on cannabis for their well-being, while reinforcing Curaleaf’s leadership in both established and emerging markets.”
Local celebrations will mark the openings:
- Curaleaf Apopka will host a grand opening on Sept. 19, 2025, from noon to 5 p.m., featuring special promotions, giveaways and an interactive “Live Lounge” livestream with Curaleaf cultivation leaders.
- Curaleaf Girard will celebrate its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside the Girard Chamber of Commerce at a later date, featuring exclusive promotions and complimentary refreshments.
For more information on Curaleaf’s dispensaries, products and patient resources, visit www.curaleaf.com.

Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.

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