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These Alcohol, Pharmaceutical And Food Companies Lobbied Congress On Marijuana And Psychedelics, New Records Show
While there’s been limited action in Congress on marijuana legislation so far this year, that hasn’t stopped a variety of interests—including advocacy organizations, industry stakeholders, prohibitionists, beer distributors, pharmaceutical companies and more—from putting dollars toward federal lobbying on the issue.
A look at the latest lobbying disclosures for the 2nd quarter of 2025, which covers April 1-June 30, reveals a wide range of activity around cannabis policy. Some descriptions of certain entities’ lobbying focus identify specific bills and issues, while other reports more vaguely name “cannabis” or “marijuana” as the topic of interest, without necessarily indicating a pro- or anti-reform position.
Several themes emerged in the disclosure reports, with cannabis banking reform and rescheduling being focal points in much of the marijuana-related lobbying over recent months. Many firms also described work that specifically targeted must-pass appropriations legislation, rather than standalone bills that some feel are unlikely to advance in the GOP-controlled House and Senate.
Among the notable entities reporting lobbying on cannabis are Mondelez Global, the parent company of multiple major snack brands like Oreo and Sour Patch Kids, the beer giant Anheuser-Busch Companies, PayPal and the University of Mississippi.
The last quarter also saw a handful of institutions and companies disclose lobbying on psychedelics issues—a subject of increasing bipartisan interest in Congress over recent sessions.
Here’s who disclosed lobbying on marijuana and psychedelics policy issues, with direct quotes from the latest filings on what they focused on:
Cannabis and psychedelics stakeholders and advocacy organizations
- National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA): Discussed potential cannabis-related appropriations amendments to CJS and FSGG subcommittee bills, including the reauthorization of the “Joyce-Blumenauer Medical Amendment”, as well as the State Legal Cannabis Protections Expansion (McClintock Joyce Blumenauer Amendment) and SAFE Banking Amendment; Lobbied offices on comprehensive marijuana reform, including provisions related to criminal, restorative, and economic justice for communities most impacted by cannabis prohibition; Lobbied against S. 471 and H.R. 1447, the No Deductions for Marijuana Businesses Act; Also discussed FY26 Ag/FDA subcommittee bills, particularly portions pertaining to hemp, quantifiable amounts of THC, and report language.
- NORML: Support Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025; Support HR-966 Safe Cannabis Use for Veterans; Support HR-2934 STATES 2.0 Act; Support HR-2935 Prepare Act; Oppose HR-1447 No Deductions for Marijuana Businesses Act; Oppose HR-875 Immigrants with DUID conviction eligible for deportation.
- Drug Policy Alliance (DPA): Federal marijuana reform, primarily descheduling legislation, such as the MORE Act and CAOA, as well as narrower related legislation.
- Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP): Opposition to S. 331 HALT Fentanyl Act; Support for cannabis decriminalization and retroactive justice (including H.R.6028 – States Reform Act, S.4226 – Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, H.R.5601 – MORE Act, H.R.2677/S.4161 – HOPE Act, H.R.10248 – Weldon Angelos Presidential Pardon Expungements Act, H.R.3082 – Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act, H.R.2772 – GRAM Act, H.R.7094/S.3671 – Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act, S.2650/H.R.2598 PREPARE Act, H.R.2934 – STATES 2.0 Act, H.R.966 – Veterans Cannabis Use for Safe Healing Act); S.5111 Fair Future Act; Support for psychedelic research and therapy.
- U.S. Cannabis Council (USCC): Related to cannabis industry.
- American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH): Treatment of hemp-derived intoxicants as related to farm bill and appropriations packages.
- Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation (CPEAR): Issues pertaining to government-wide federal regulation of cannabis H.R. 2934 STATES 2.0 Act.
- Trulieve: Cannabis and cannabis related legislation, including SAFER Banking Act.
- Cresco Labs: The SAFER Banking Act, Section. 2860 – Issues related to cannabis laws and regulations.
- Curaleaf: Proposals to create protections for depository institutions that provide financial services to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and services for such businesses (SAFE Banking Act).
- U.S. Cannabis Roundtable (USCR): Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act – SAFE(R) – To be introduced in the 119th Congress, the bill provides protection for banks and credit unions from federal penalties when they provide services to legally operating cannabis businesses; The rescheduling of cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Ending needless arrests and incarceration for cannabis conduct; The farm bill and any language addressing hemp.
- Weedmaps: Issues related to healthcare and cannabis.
- Verano Holdings: Provide strategic counsel and advocate on issues related to SAFE Banking Act, other related tax issues, and cannabis rescheduling
- Good Day Farm: Legislative and regulatory issues related to medical cannabis; Farm Bill Reauthorization; FY2025 budget reconciliation process; FY2026 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.
- Curio Wellness: Educate policymakers on the need for cannabis banking reform; Monitor updates surrounding Section 280e of the Internal Revenue Code and the reintroduction of “Small Business Tax Equity Act” draft; Educate policymakers and regulators on the impact of rescheduling versus de-scheduling cannabis; Educate policymakers and regulators on synthetically derived intoxicating hemp products.
- Reason for Hope: Issues related to psychedelics research and psychedelic-assisted therapy.
- Compass Pathways: Discussions regarding legislative and regulatory issues, including appropriations, pertaining to the use and application of psychedelic medicines.
Alcohol companies and organizations
- Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA): Intoxicating Hemp/ cannabis Policy Issues; Prepare Act, H.R. 2935.
- Anheuser-Busch Companies: Differentiation of beer from cannabis and hemp in tax and regulation.
- National Beer Wholesalers Association: Issues related to legal banking and effective regulation for cannabis products.
- Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S.: Cannabis and regulatory issues.
Pharmaceutical companies
- Jazz Pharmaceuticals: FDA regulation of CBD Issues related to the regulation of cannabis and CBD, research and development of cannabis-derived therapies Farm, Food, and National Security Act; Issues related to the research and development of cannabis-derived therapies and FDA’s regulatory framework for CBD; Issues related to the regulation of hemp-derived cannabinoids, including H.R. 4121, FY26 Agriculture, FDA and Related Agencies Appropriations.
- Otsuka America Pharmaceutical: Psychedelics treatments for PTSD and mental health.
Prohibitionists
- Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM): Issues related to STATES Act to legalize marijuana; Appropriations amendments related to marijuana legalization; and criminal justice reform related to marijuana; Issues related to SAFE Banking Act regarding marijuana banking and investment; The effects of marijuana on children and the nexus between marijuana and psychosis; Safety issues surrounding marijuana. Marketing of high potency marijuana products to children; Federal role in marijuana laws; the legalization of marijuana; and criminal justice reform.
Cities and counties
- Humboldt County, California: Farm Bill Reauthorization, Cannabis Legislation.
- Medford, Oregon: Support legislation to remove banking restrictions on recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries.
Financial institutions and services
- PayPal: Issues related to cannabis banking, S. 1357, SAFE Banking Act, all provisions.
- National Association of State Treasurers (NAST): Banking issues related to marijuana policies.
- Credit Union National Association (CUNA): Issues related to marijuana banking
- National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies: Legislation affecting the regulation of insurance products and companies, including issues related… cannabis-related banking.
- Michigan Credit Union League: While MCUL takes no position on the issue of cannabis legalization, it supports the introduction and passage of legislation that would provide a safe harbor for financial institutions to serve their members needs in states where cannabis use has become legal.
- Community Bankers Association of Illinois: Federal Safe Harbor for Banking Cannabis-Related Businesses. Without taking a position on the legalization of cannabis, CBAI supports a federal safe harbor from sanctions for financial institutions that choose to serve legally compliant cannabis-related businesses (CRBs) and ancillary businesses that have commercial relationships with CBRs, in states where cannabis is legal. Allowing these businesses access to the traditional banking system and its services, versus operating exclusively in cash, is a public safety issue.
Miscellaneous
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) and Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act – federal drug policy reform.
- University of Mississippi: Federal regulation of cannabis research.
- Mondelez Global: Issues related to cannabis edibles.
- Johns Hopkins University: Psychedelic Research.
- New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center: Psychedelic research related issues.
- American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry: Cannabidiol and Cannabis related issues.
- American Psychological Association: Psychedelic assisted therapy.
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL): Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.
- Epilepsy Foundation: Support rescheduling and safe and legal access to cannabis.
Again, not every firm detailed a specific position on the issues they lobbied on, but in general the descriptions indicate that the bulk of those working on marijuana and psychedelics policy are vying for reform. To the extent those dollars will translate into action in the 119th Congress largely remain to be seen.
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Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
AI is bringing changes and advancements to most industries – including cannabis
Whether you are a doctor in Nebraska, a restauranteur in Baltimore or senior engineer in Bellevue, Washington, it is upending how you do your job – both good and bad. Most areas of life are being touched and here is how AI is changing the cannabis industry. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is quietly reshaping nearly every corner of modern life, and the cannabis industry is no exception. From cultivation and retail to consumer transparency, AI is bringing new efficiency, accuracy, and trust to a market long been clouded by misinformation and stigma.
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One of the most visible changes is how AI helps consumers track cannabis products. In an industry where strain names and effects can vary widely, AI-driven platforms are stepping in to provide clarity. Apps now use AI to analyze lab results, customer reviews, and even chemical profiles to match consumers with products best suited to their needs—whether it is better sleep, anxiety relief, or a more social buzz. Instead of relying on word-of-mouth or vague descriptions, consumers can access personalized recommendations grounded in hard data.
AI is also helping consumers find accurate, verifiable information in a marketplace which has sometimes struggled with exaggerated claims. Machine learning models can scan thousands of lab tests, regulatory filings, and scientific studies to identify trustworthy patterns. This gives guidance so customers are less likely to fall for marketing hype and more likely to discover which products are safe, effective, and compliant with state rules. For a generation used to researching everything from skincare ingredients to fitness supplements online, AI-driven cannabis insights are a welcome tool.
On the cultivation side, AI is revolutionizing how cannabis is grown. Smart sensors, combined with predictive algorithms, can monitor temperature, humidity, and light in real time. Farmers use these insights to maximize yield while minimizing water and energy use—an especially important consideration in an era of climate concerns and sustainability demands. By predicting plant health before problems arise, AI also reduces the need for pesticides and allows for more consistent harvests.
Retailers are benefiting as well. AI-powered inventory systems can predict which products will sell fastest, helping dispensaries avoid shortages or waste. Chatbots and virtual budtenders are guiding customers through product choices, mimicking the experience of a knowledgeable staff member but available 24/7 online. These digital assistants are especially appealing to Millennial and Gen Z consumers who prefer research-based shopping and minimal in-store pressure.
RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life
Looking ahead, AI could play a role in shaping cannabis policy and public health, too. By analyzing patterns in consumption data, researchers and regulators can better understand how cannabis affects communities, potentially leading to smarter regulations and safer use guidelines. In medical marijuana research, AI is proving especially powerful. Machine learning tools can process vast sets of patient data, clinical trial results, and genetic information to identify which cannabinoids or terpenes may be most effective for specific conditions such as chronic pain, epilepsy, or anxiety. This not only speeds up research but also helps doctors personalize treatment options for patients in ways not possible even a decade ago.
AI is doing more than making cannabis more high-tech—it’s making it more transparent, sustainable, and consumer-friendly. For an industry still overcoming decades of misinformation, which is a game-changing development.
Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
A dozen New York-licensed cannabis dispensaries are taking regulators to court over a screw-up by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) related to their storefront locations being too close to schools.
The 12 petitioners filed the complaint on Aug. 15 in the New York Supreme Court in Albany County, against the OCM and the state’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) over a school proximity correction that the office issued July 28. The correction, which impacts 108 dispensary licensees and 44 applicants with provisional licenses, intends to realign the OCM’s 500-foot measurement guidelines with state law.
Instead of continuing an entrance-to-entrance measurement between dispensaries and schools from the OCM’s erroneous 2022 guidance, the office now plans to measure the buffer zone from the entrance of a cannabis store in a straight line to the nearest property line boundary of a school’s grounds to move into compliance with New York’s cannabis law.
Following the proximity correction issuance, OCM Acting Executive Director Felicia A.B. Reid sent a letter on Aug. 6 to the 152 impacted businesses, clarifying that the 108 licensees may remain open or continue to work toward opening in their current locations as state officials push lawmakers for a legislative fix to grandfather in their locations. The 44 applicants, meanwhile, will need to move locations and will have access to $250,000 each from a $15 million relief fund to lessen their burdens.
Despite the assurance that the 108 licensees can remain put—and even continue to operate while the OCM delays reviewing any license renewals pending the legislative fix—the petitioners are asking the state Supreme Court in Albany to annul the OCM’s revised interpretation of Cannabis Law § 72(6) and declare that their locations remain compliant under a lawful reading of that law as well as the OCM’s 2022 guidance.
The 12 cannabis businesses are also asking that a State Supreme Court judge issue a preliminary and permanent injunction preventing the OCM from taking any enforcement actions against them based on the office’s new interpretation of the law, forcing the OCM to instead keep its previous interpretation that regulators used to review and approve site plans to issue licenses.
“Relying on those approvals, petitioners poured their life savings into launching their businesses,” the complaint states. “They signed leases, completed build-outs, hired employees and opened their doors to the public under the state’s very detailed framework. But now, in a complete about-face, OCM incredulously claims it got the law wrong all along.”
Furthermore, the petitioners claim that the OCM changed its guidance based on a new interpretation of the law without any formal rulemaking process or public notice. They argue that the informal rulemaking violates the State Administrative Procedure Act and that state officials arbitrarily redefined their own regulations.
Seven of the 12 businesses suing the state are either open or have received their final licensure to open, meaning the state has assured them they do not need to move locations and can remain open even with expired licenses—the OCM indicated it cannot approve their license renewals until state lawmakers act. However, some businesses fear that insurance companies and banks may refuse to service them if their licenses have expired, even in an interim phase.
“Petitioners face numerous collateral consequences as a result of OCM’s unlawful reinterpretation of Cannabis Law §72(6),” the complaint states. “Specifically, petitioners are required as part of their leases to be in compliance with all cannabis laws. OCM’s arbitrary and capricious actions have placed them at risk of falling into material breach with their lessors and, if allowed to continue, will cause them irreparable harm.”
These seven businesses include: ConBud (Manhattan), The Cannabis Place (Queens), Summit Canna (Bronx), Hush (Bronx), High Fade (Manhattan), Housing Works Cannabis Co. (Manhattan) and Common Courtesy Dispensary (Queens).
Meanwhile, the other five petitioners in the lawsuit are cannabis business applicants who received provisional licenses that are not yet finalized and will therefore be forced to pack up and change locations. These businesses include: Rezidue, Elise Pelka, Toastree, Monarch NYC and Luxe Leaf Boutique.
According to the lawsuit, while each of the five applicants has incurred significant buildout expenses, Rezidue, Elisa Pelka and Lux Leaf Boutique have completed their buildouts and were ready to begin operating upon a virtual inspection and gaining final licensure.
The petitioners’ construction costs ranged from $500,000 to $1,000,000, falling short of the $250,000 available per applicant in the state’s relief fund, according to the lawsuit.
“Petitioners have each expended nearly and in some cases over $1 million in preoperational expenses, and several million dollars each in post-operational expenses in reliance of OCM’s assurances,” the complaint states. “If OCM’s new and unlawful interpretation is allowed to remain in force, petitioners will also lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in deposits and lease termination penalties that cannot be recouped.
“Additionally, petitioners have all executed personal guarantees on their commercial leases, which would not only bankrupt the businesses, but also the individuals who guaranteed these leases.”
The petitioners argue that these expenses represent irreparable harm, which the court has the authority to prevent.
Other arguments the 12 cannabis businesses made in the lawsuit include:
- Retroactively revoking their license rights without notice or hearing violates due process;
- The OCM violated the equal protection clause of the state’s Constitution by revoking their proximity protections and thereby allowing competing applicants to gain favorable locations (in addition to the 500-foot school buffer zone, dispensaries must adhere to bigger buffer zones between other dispensaries).
- By pre-emptively denying licensees renewals, the OCM has engaged in unlawful “taking” without affording the petitioners due process of the law by way of a fair hearing;
- The plaintiffs’ investments have been rendered valueless by the OCM’s retroactive policy change, amounting to a “regulatory taking” under the New York Constitution; and
- The OCM’s new interpretation of the state’s cannabis law as it relates to school proximity requirements disproportionately harms those who were already disproportionately harmed by the drug war, which violates the state’s Marihuana Taxation and Regulation Act (MRTA) provisions to prioritize the inclusion, participation and sustainability of equity applicants.
“OCM’s reinterpreted rule disproportionately harms these stakeholders and licensees and undermines the very purpose of this law,” the complaint states about the latter bullet point. “Petitioners do not come from generational wealth and therefore cannot sustain such a hit. Their lives would be shattered while the OCM simply says ‘I’m sorry.’”
In particular, 11 of the plaintiffs are conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) licensees who were prioritized by the state because their businesses were owned by justice-involved individuals who reside in New York.
The 12th plaintiff is a social and economic equity (SEE) licensee, a category reserved for justice-involved individuals, minority- or women-owned businesses, distressed farmers, or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.
“Petitioners would experience harm unlike anything they have faced before and would be relegated to levels of crippling debt, the likes of which they could never escape,” the complaint states. “The purpose of the MRTA was to undo these past injustices, not to exacerbate them.”
Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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Author: mscannabiz.com
MScannaBIZ for all you Mississippi Cannabis News and Information.
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