State of Cannabis: Weekly News Digest

Cannabis News Roundup - Podcast: Week 2025-26: Texas Expands Medical Program, California Cannabis Prices Rise, Wisconsin Voters Want Legal Weed

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28 Jun. 2025

Explore this week’s top cannabis stories across the U.S., from Arkansas' crackdown on hemp-derived THC to California's tax hikes threatening legal businesses. Texas broadens its medical marijuana program while keeping Delta-8 edibles legal. Nebraska’s restrictive medical cannabis program draws fierce criticism, and New York gives cultivators breathing room on taxes. Ohio lawmakers delay action on a bill that could limit access, while Pennsylvania debates legalization in its stalled budget. Plus, Oregon advances social lounge legalization and public opinion grows in favor of recreational cannabis in Utah and Wisconsin. (more details in the episode)

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Tags:

Cannabis News 2025, Arkansas Delta-8 Ban, Texas Medical Marijuana 2025, California Cannabis Tax, Nebraska Medical Cannabis, Ohio Cannabis Law Delay, New York Cannabis Tax Reform, Utah Cannabis Legalization Poll, Wisconsin Marijuana Legalization, Pennsylvania Cannabis Budget, Oregon Cannabis Lounges, Federal Cannabis and Gun Rights, Hemp-Derived THC, Delta-8 News, Cannabis State Laws 2025, US Marijuana Policy, Cannabis Legalization Update, Weed News June 2025, Delta-8 Crackdown, Marijuana Podcast

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SUMMARY:

  • Arkansas can once again outlaw delta-8 and similar hemp-derived THC products. A federal appeals court ruled the 2018 Farm Bill lets states set tougher rules, overturning a lower-court block on Arkansas’s 2023 ban. Retailers now have only weeks to clear their shelves, and the decision gives other Midwestern states—and Texas—a green light to pass their own bans.
  • California’s cannabis tax is going up. Starting July 1, the excise tax on legal cannabis sales jumps from 15 percent to 19 percent because lawmakers could not agree on a last-minute freeze. Governor Newsom and Assembly leaders supported the delay, but the Senate said no. A separate bill to keep the tax at 15 percent is still moving, yet wouldn’t kick in until 2026—meaning higher prices for at least the next six months.
  • Nebraska’s medical marijuana program is under fire ahead of its July 1 deadline. Advocates say state officials have failed to release regulations and are handing control to an agency that has long opposed cannabis. Patients remain without access while confusion and legal challenges mount.
  • NY just approved a bill that lets New York cannabis farmers, processors and distributors pay their quarterly excise tax 50 days after each quarter instead of 20. Sponsors say the extra time will prevent companies from owing tax before their products even reach stores. The measure is on Governor Hochul’s desk.
  • Ohio lawmakers are heading into summer recess without changing the state’s new recreational marijuana law. A House committee pulled Senate Bill 56, which would have lowered THC limits and forced hemp products into dispensaries. That means the rules voters approved in 2023—including 90 %-strength concentrates and open hemp retail—will stay in place at least until lawmakers return in September.
  • Oregon could see cannabis cafés on the 2026 ballot. A statewide campaign has submitted more than 1,400 signatures to start the official process of legalizing on-site consumption lounges. If approved, voters will decide on the measure next year.
  • Pennsylvania lawmakers are running out of time to pass a budget before the June 30 deadline, with major disagreements over transit funding, a $3 billion deficit, and whether to legalize recreational cannabis. Supporters say legalization could bring in over $500 million, but Senate Republicans have blocked the latest bill. Talks are likely to continue into the summer.
  • Texas this week became a national flashpoint in cannabis policy. The state expanded its medical marijuana program to include chronic pain and other serious conditions, while also allowing new delivery methods and mandating more dispensaries. Just a day later, Governor Abbott vetoed a bill that would have banned hemp-derived THC products—keeping businesses open and giving lawmakers time to develop smarter regulation. With billions at stake and a special session set for July, the future of cannabis in Texas now sits at the center of a broader national conversation.
  • More than half of Utah voters now support legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but state Republican leaders are holding the line against change. A new poll shows 53% in favor, while 77% continue to support the medical marijuana law. Lawmakers say the current system is working and warn that full legalization could bring unwanted consequences. For now, Utah’s cannabis policy remains strictly medical.
  • In Wisconsin, support for marijuana legalization has reached new highs. A Marquette University poll shows 67% of voters back legal weed, but Republican lawmakers continue to block reform. Governor Tony Evers says legalization could become a reality if Democrats win control of the legislature next year.
  • The Supreme Court may soon decide whether marijuana users can legally own guns. The Trump administration is defending a federal law that bans cannabis users from having firearms, calling them a public safety risk. But courts across the country are divided, and advocates say the law unfairly punishes legal medical marijuana patients. The outcome could change both gun laws and cannabis policy across the U.S.
    • On June 23rd, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed a new spending bill that would change the federal definition of hemp and ban most consumable cannabinoid products like Delta-8 THC and even some CBD items. 

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