Here are five major takeaways from MJBizCon 2025 as heard by our editorial team.
The power of flower and how to prepare for reform – MJBizCon takeaways is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
For many operators, investors and ancillary businesses in the cannabis industry, major changes have been just around the corner for years.
The difference for attendees at MJBizCon 2025 was that a significant, potentially game-changing shift just happened – and with President Donald Trump still weighing marijuana rescheduling after signing a ban on hemp THC into law, more appear on the way.
But as MJBizCon attendees heard in Las Vegas, there are still fundamental rules that successful operators will follow that are reform-proof.
ADVERTISEMENT
Here are five major takeaways our editorial team heard on the ground that will portend success in 2026 and beyond.
More major federal cannabis policy reform is coming
Partisan politics – and a significant dip in support for cannabis legalization among
The post The power of flower and how to prepare for reform – MJBizCon takeaways appeared first on GrowCola.com.
DOJ memo on guns & marijuana users; Senator blocks Trump’s drug czar pick; KY gov: Medical cannabis sales “very close”; OH marijuana recriminalization
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
Hold on, just one second before you read today’s news. Have you thought about giving some financial support to Marijuana Moment? If so, today would be a great day to contribute. We’re planning our reporting for the coming months and it would really help to know what kind of support we can count on.
Check us out on Patreon and sign up to give $25/month today:
https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
A newly disclosed Department of Justice guidance memo obtained by Marijuana Moment shows that officials knew the federal law denying gun rights to cannabis consumers is vulnerable to “potential litigation risk”—a revelation that comes as the Supreme Court is taking up a case on the issue.
The post Can the feds actually enforce the new hemp THC product ban? (Newsletter: December 8, 2025) appeared first on GrowCola.com.
When planting outdoors, it’s highly probable that there will be problems that may leave plants in a less than perfect state. Even the best cocktail of nutrient and trace chemicals can still allow a nutrient deficiency. Grasshoppers may rear their ugly green heads or the nutrient will attract unsavory company, leading to an infestation that must be dealt with.
There are many variables to growing outdoors, but the most common of nutrient deficiencies will be encountered during the green foliage growth period. Lack of nitrogen is the most common deficiency. A large green leafy plant requires a very high level of nitrogen to achieve its full glory. The first sign is a gradual creep of yellow among the lowest and therefore leaves of the plant. If this happens, be sure to add a full ration of nitrogen to the next watering session. The yellow creep can be cured in only a few days if it hasn’t progressed to a point at which the tips of the leaves are curling and black or brown. At that point, it’s a permanent situation that can’t be remedied. It will be necessary to increase the amount of nitrogen so it doesn’t damage any newer leaves that would be higher on the plant. Some other symptoms of a nitrogen deficiency include red stems, smaller new leaves and slow growth.
A phosphorus deficiency rears its head by slow and stunted growth. The newer leaves of the plant will be smaller and a darker green than usual. As with nitrogen deficiency, a red color appears on the stems. The leaves may also develop a nasty red or purple color in the veins on the underside of the leaf. If phosphorous isn’t added, the older leaves will start to die. The affected leaves won’t be healed, but the progression of the damage will be stopped. The leaves will lighten in color to the beautiful green and the growth rate will pick up.
A potassium deficiency is often a tricky one to diagnose. Most of the time a potassium deficient plant will be tall and healthy looking, though they may be slightly phototropic in appearance. The indicators are the phototropic appearance and browning of the ends of the oldest leaves. A phototropic plant is one who expends all of its energy to reach a feeble light source, thus the tall spindly look they have. Recovery from a potassium deficiency is usually slow and is measured in weeks. The leaves that have been browned already usually die off. The leaves will have brown spots on them, particularly along the prominent center vein. As with most deficiencies of a serious nature, the stems and underside veins have a reddish or purple hue to them. The most common source of potassium is wood ash; so if last year the crop had a potassium deficiency, add a cup of wood ash this year to the nutrient or growing medium.
There are also deficiencies to be had with the elements iron, manganese, boron, molybdenum, zinc and copper. Because most outdoor growing mediums tend to be natural in source, nature has already included the other trace elements required for most of their life. However, adding trace elements two or three times in the life of the plant is always a good idea. If the plants don’t require them, they simply won’t take them up.
For those of growers in the country and planting in the backyard, the easiest way to keep pests and animals away from the plants is to plant geraniums around them. The common geranium secretes a substance that acts as an all-around pest repellent. This is its natural way to combat predators and has been working great for a lot longer than humans have been growing grass, so take note. Both animals and pests will shy away from your crop.
Whatever growing medium that will be used will eventually attract a pest, then many pests. This infestation of the growing medium can be tricky to get rid of. If the little critters are in the topmost inch or so of the growing medium, that medium will have to be replaced. Be gentle with the root system and deluge the area with a good garden-safe insecticide after removal of the top inch. It’s important to replace the growing medium with a chemically-inert medium. Test and alter the pH of the medium as required to hit a neutral value of seven. The growing medium will eventually adjust itself to the pH levels the plant is accustomed to over a space of about a week.
Growing outdoors is an easy and productive means to reduce or even replace the costs incurred by our green friend over the winter. With the right knowledge this year’s crop should thrive.
What are some of your outdoor growing tips? Share with our community on Facebook.
The post Re-Coup Winter Costs: Grow Outdoor appeared first on Cannabis Now.
This holiday season will be a cold one, but AmeriCannaRx is helping you and yours stay warm with hot deals all December long. They are offering a gigantic 60% off discount on select products throughout the end of the year, so you’ll have more than enough to stuff your stocking. They’ll even price match any […]
The post Stay warm with hot holiday deals at AmeriCannaRx appeared first on Leafly.
Hemp THC products will become illegal under federal law in November 2026 thanks to the spending bill President Donald Trump signed last month.
What’s still not known is which authorities will enforce the ban – or whether they’ll enforce the hemp ban at all, a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report notes.
In fact, both the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Food and Drug Administration “may lack the resources” to police banned hemp, according to the CRS.
ADVERTISEMENT
Congress moved to close the so-called “loophole” in the 2018 Farm Bill by redefining hemp under federal law.
Starting November 2026, hemp products can have no more than 0.4 milligrams of THC per container. And both THCA flower as well as synthetically derived delta-8 and
The post Report: Hemp THC ban may be unenforceable appeared first on GrowCola.com.
Ten marijuana brands took home trophies from the inaugural MJBowl, a bi-coastal cannabis competition presented by MJBizCon and social review platform Budist.
From rosin gummies to hash holes: Meet the winners of MJBowl is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Ten marijuana brands won trophies in the inaugural MJBowl, a bi-coastal cannabis competition presented by MJBizCon and social review platform Budist.
The competition, designed to spotlight the Most Valuable Products across five major product categories in two major markets, brought together licensed producers from California and New York for a cross-market showcase of craft innovation and product excellence.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We wanted to bring a level of rigor and shared language to how we assess and celebrate cannabis products,” said Jocelyn Sheltran, co-founder and CEO of cannabis product review platform Budist.
“This competition is about recognizing the hard work of producers and creatin ga platform that translates quality to consumers.”
First cannabis product competition at MJBizCon
For participating brands, MJBowl is more than a trophy.
The post From rosin gummies to hash holes: Meet the winners of MJBowl appeared first on GrowCola.com.
A Democratic senator is holding up nearly 90 of President Donald Trump’s administrative nominees—including the president’s pick for White House drug czar who he says is among many “unqualified” candidates who threaten to “undermine the rule of law and our national security.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee in October advanced the nomination of Sara Carter Bailey to join the administration as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). But when she was included in a en bloc confirmation package of 88 nominees for floor consideration, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) raised a procedural inquiry that led Republicans to stop the vote.
“I just blocked 88 Trump nominees from confirmation—including Sara Carter Bailey, a former Fox News contributor nominated to be our country’s drug czar,” Bennet said on the floor on Thursday. “Bailey was nominated by Trump, who just pardoned the former president of Honduras, as he served 45 years in prison for conspiring to distribute over 400 tons of cocaine.”
“I will not allow unqualified nominees, this White House, or the president to undermine the rule of law and our national security,” he said.
The procedural complaint Bennet raised has to do with the fact that ONDCP
The post Senator Blocks Confirmation Of Trump’s ‘Unqualified’ White House Drug Czar Pick Who Has Voiced Medical Marijuana Support appeared first on GrowCola.com.
Kentucky’s governor says the state is “very, very close” to launching its medical marijuana program, which he expects to happen “within the next couple of weeks”—a move he says will help thousands of patients find an alternative to opioids for pain management.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear (D) was asked by a reporter to provide a status update on the medical cannabis law. He said the first dispensary, based in Ohio County, is set have “product on its shelf” in weeks.
“But we believe it’s going to scale up very quickly from that first moment,” the governor said.
Beshear went through more granular details about the program’s progress, touting the fact that 23,757 patients have received their e-certifications to access cannabis, including 1,756 who qualified to treat symptoms of cancer and 15,412 with chronic pain who would have “otherwise been taking opioids, which is one of the reasons that we’ve pushed this program so hard.”
With respect to marijuana business licensing, the state has so far approved 16 cultivators, 48 dispensaries and six safety compliance facilities. Officials have additionally certified 506 doctors to issue medical cannabis recommendations.
“Our Office of Medical Cannabis had staff in three
The post Kentucky’s First Medical Marijuana Dispensary Will Open In ‘Next Couple Of Weeks,’ Governor Says, Touting Cannabis As Opioid Alternative appeared first on GrowCola.com.
As the mainstream acceptance of cannabis use rumbles ever forward across the globe, the time when families and friends can gather around the Christmas tree vaporizing top-shelf cannabis may not be as far off as it once seemed. Those who choose to honor their health and turn away from the mulled wines and spiked egg nog this year should not have to hide their enjoyment of our favorite flower.
That signature scent of most flowers and plants, including the pine tree propped in the living room, originates from terpenes. As master horticulturalist Ed Rosenthal explains in his Big Book of Buds series, terpenes are also the components of cannabis responsible for the different effects and odors of the many varieties of marijuana.
“Pinene is the familiar odor associated with pine trees and their resin,” Rosenthal writes in the Big Book of Buds, volume 4. “Pinene probably gives true skunk varieties, the ones that stink like an animal, much of their odor… The smoke seems to expand in your lungs and the high comes on very quickly since a high percentage of the substance will pass to the bloodstream and brain.”
Pinene, which is most dominantly found in cannabis as the compound alpha-pinene, is the terpene that has established a solid reputation for tasting and smelling like a pine tree. The following three strains are sure to bring on this unique flavor so often associated with the holiday season.
Jack Herer – This world-renowned strain was named after and bred in honor of the legendary author and cannabis activist, Jack Herer. “Upon the first draw, you immediately begin to identify its complex flavors,” West says. “It’s almost as if you can roll the smoke over the different parts of your tongue and taste each one individually. After exhaling, you will enjoy the lingering taste of the haze and lemon cleaner. A single experience smoking this strain is all it takes to be able to confidently identify it in the future as well as recognize strains with which it has been bred.”
Super Silver Haze – This selection comes compliments of Strainhunter Franco Loja. Loja is the manager of Green House Seed Co. and says Super Sliver Haze offers the highest levels of alpha-pinene. This strain is an uplifting sativa and bursts with skunk-like notes alongside the sweet floral of its Haze parentage. Super Silver Haze is a great choice for keeping your energy going today.
Bubba Kush – This Green House Seed Co. offering is known for causing powerful sedative effects. Enjoy this strain after the company has left for the day. It’s a great solution towards ensuring the new year begins in a state of complete relaxation and reflection.
What are your favorite strains? Tell us in the comments below.
The post Cannabis for Christmas: Strains to Celebrate the Season appeared first on Cannabis Now.
The Biden administration was evidently concerned about potential legal liability in federal cases for people convicted of violating gun laws simply by being a cannabis consumer who possessed a firearm, documents obtained by Marijuana Moment show.
The previously unpublished 2024 guidance from former President Joe Biden’s Justice Department generally cautioned U.S. attorneys to use discretion in prosecuting federal cannabis cases, particularly for offenses that qualified people for pardons during his term. But one section seems especially relevant as the U.S. Supreme Court takes on a case challenging the constitutionality of the current federal gun statute.
Justices in that case recently granted a request from the Trump administration to extend the deadline to submit initial briefs until December 12.
The newly disclosed guidance from the Biden administration that was rescinded in September under Trump states that prosecutors “may pursue charges under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) or 18 U.S.C. § 922(d)(3) based on the unlawful use of, or addiction to, marijuana because the proclamation does not change the fact that marijuana use violates federal law,” referring to the statutes that make it a federal crime to possess a gun while being a cannabis consumer.
However, in order to “mitigate potential litigation risk,”
The post DOJ Knew Gun Ban For Marijuana Users Is Vulnerable To ‘Litigation Risk,’ Newly Revealed Memo Shows As Supreme Court Takes Up Issue appeared first on GrowCola.com.
Congressional researchers say it “remains unclear” how the federal government might enforce a newly enacted law that takes effect next year banning hemp THC products—flagging concerns about a potential lack of resources on the part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
After President Donald Trump signed appropriations legislation late last month that included language that effectively “reimposes” hemp criminalization, the Congress Research Service (CRS) published an analysis about the policy change on Wednesday.
“While the change to the hemp definition will seemingly alter the legal status of many hemp products currently available on the market, it remains unclear if and how federal law enforcement will enforce the new prohibitions when the new definition goes into effect,” the researchers said.
Part of the uncertainty around hemp is related to the federal approach to marijuana, which has been legalized in some form in the vast majority of states but remains federally illegal as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
“In marijuana’s case, the federal response has largely been to allow states to implement their own marijuana laws despite the fact that state-regulated activities may violate the [Controlled Substances Act],” CRS said. “If
The post It’s ‘Unclear’ How Feds Will Enforce Hemp THC Product Ban, Congressional Researchers Say, Citing Limited FDA And DEA Resources appeared first on GrowCola.com.
From yoga sessions with edibles to paint-and-puff nights, marijuana lounges are the next chapter for the cannabis industry.
Are consumption lounges the ‘next frontier’ for legal cannabis? is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Cannabis consumption lounges are redefining hospitality with a buzz-worthy twist.
From yoga sessions with edibles to paint-and-puff nights, dedicated consumption spaces are the next chapter for the cannabis industry, according to Dale Sky Jones, chancellor of Oakland, California-based cannabis education institution Oaksterdam University.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lounges are “the most exciting frontier for the cannabis industry,” said Jones, who’s leading a roundtable on consumption lounges at MJBizCon in Las Vegas today,
But creating these spaces isn’t just about good vibes.
A successful lounge act will master compliance, safety and customer education to craft an experience as elevated as the patrons themselves.
That can in turn build brand loyalty and unlock new revenue streams.
Crafting the experience – where cannabis meets hospitality
The foundation of a successful
The post Are consumption lounges the ‘next frontier’ for legal cannabis? appeared first on GrowCola.com.
New marijuana & psychedelics bills in Congress; MO cannabis & psilocybin legislation; GOP lawmaker on banking access; 4,000+ marijuana studies in 2025
Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day.
Your support makes Marijuana Moment possible…
Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there.
Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment
/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-chair Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) told Marijuana Moment that her questions to the Trump administration about its move to rescind Biden-era enforcement guidance “remain unanswered”—saying it’s “a step backward for commonsense cannabis policy reform.”
Rep. Troy Carter (D-LA) and other Democratic lawmakers filed a new congressional resolution calling for equity-focused marijuana policies and urging President Donald Trump to advocate for global cannabis reform at the United Nations.
The post Congresswoman demands cannabis answers from Trump admin (Newsletter: December 5, 2025) appeared first on GrowCola.com.
Medical cannabis is available from Greenlight at locations all across West Virginia. Their locations all feature a wide selection of brands and knowledgeable staff. Patients with a medical card are welcome between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. every day of the week. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. […]
The post West Virginia medical cannabis is available at Greenlight appeared first on Leafly.
A former state lawmaker believes Nebraska medical marijuana should never have happened.
Nebraska Supreme Court hears argument to cancel medical marijuana legalization is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Alleged massive fraud committed by signature-gatherers last year should mean the undoing of Nebraska medical marijuana legalization, the state’s high court heard this week.
The Nebraska Supreme Court is weighing a lawsuit filed by a former state lawmaker that seeks to force medical cannabis advocates to “prove” last year’s ballot question, overwhelmingly approved by voters, was actually valid.
ADVERTISEMENT
John Kuehn, a former Republican state lawmaker and co-founder of anti-legalization advocacy organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana, launched a quest to undo medical marijuana legalization in Nebraska months before last November’s vote.
Will the Nebraska Supreme Court cancel medical cannabis?
A lower-court state judge last fall dismissed Kuehn’s lawsuit alleging that Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana relied on fraud to collect enough signatures to qualify
The post Nebraska Supreme Court hears argument to cancel medical marijuana legalization appeared first on GrowCola.com.
Login