Federal hemp regulations would come from the FDA for the first time under bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday.
Bipartisan proposal could fulfill President Trump’s promise for CBD Medicare coverage is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Congressional leaders removed language delaying a ban on hemp THC from a spending bill released this week, complicating the picture for CBD treatments promised by President Trump.
President Trump’s promise to cover CBD via Medicaid in limbo as hemp THC protections stall is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
The draft rules also include a significant increase in licensing fees, sparking concern among small business owners and industry advocates.
Proposed Texas hemp THC regulations threaten $5.5 billion market is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Since it launched recreational cannabis sales in August 2024, the combined total reached $1.09 billion as of early January.
Ohio cannabis sales top $1 billion in first full year of adult-use is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
It’s winter time and that means the days are short, dark and cold, and your skin is in need of some extra TLC to help combat the dryness that arctic temperatures can bring. During this time of the year, it’s important to switch up your skin routine to incorporate moisturizers that are thicker in texture to help coat any skin that may get exposed to the cold. Cannabis creams offer a way to hydrate, combined with the plant’s therapeutic effects to help get you through winter feeling nourished and less tense.
Here are some of our favorite cannabis creams to keep your skin soft until the sun returns in full force.
You can use this rich, hydrating cream every day to maintain your skin’s moisture, whether it’s right after a shower or anytime throughout the day. Mandarin, cedar and geranium come together in this lotion to make a light, citrusy scent that won’t have you worried that anyone will guess that you’re using a cannabis-infused lotion at your desk.
With your feet bundled up in socks and shoes, it’s important to give them a little attention at the end of a busy day—especially if you’re been standing or walking around for the majority of it. Essential oils like peppermint and arnica combined with cannabis extract can help you reduce pain, soreness and inflammation while also getting some much-needed moisture.
Pull out this salve for those extra dry trouble areas like your elbows, knees, feet and anywhere else that needs some further attention. This salve is made with sungrown cannabis and solar-infused olive oil along with medicinal plants like calendula, comfrey, St. John’s wort, yarrow and plantain to boost the benefits and keep your skin hydrated.
For people whose work involves lots of typing or other repetitive movements with their hands, you can solve two problems with this soothing lotion that will keep your hands moisturized and help cut down on tension as you work. The muscle relief lotion is also great for post-shower moisturizing for a relaxed, pain-free body as you prepare for a rejuvenating rest.
Repair sun-damaged skin from the summer and help your skin regenerate itself with this lotion that can also salvage dry, dull skin. A medley of oils including grapeseed, avocado, jojoba, sweet almond and coconut all work together to soften your skin, stop itchiness related to lack of moisture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
This luxurious, whipped body butter is great for dry skin as well as eczema, psoriasis and other skin irritations that might get exacerbated when cold weather comes around. Its lightweight, non-greasy formula makes it easy to apply and absorb.
If you deal with cracked heels and rough feet, rubbing this on before bed and letting it absorb overnight can help make a major difference. Cocoa and shea butter give this cream its thick texture paired with tea tree, arnica, lavender and spearmint to provides long-lasting relief.
Add this fragrance-free, hypoallergenic cannabis cream to your morning and evening skincare routine to keep your face and neck nice and smooth. With hemp seed oil infused in this cream, you can combat acne and reduce wrinkles as well.
The post 8 Cannabis Creams for Treating Your Dry Winter Skin appeared first on Cannabis Now.
When the weather begins to change, it’s common for cold symptoms to start to pop up. It usually starts with a bit of congestion and little sneezing before blossoming into a full-blown mess of running or stuffy noses, high fevers, headaches and a sore throat. It can be difficult to avoid catching a cold, especially once it starts going around. It can easily spread through saliva (by sharing a drink or kissing), skin-to-skin contact (handshakes or hugs) and even through the air if someone with the virus coughs or sneezes without properly covering their mouth.
Thankfully, most people can recover from a cold in just a couple weeks with their own at-home or over-the-counter treatments. In the meantime, you can also include cannabis to help with managing symptoms. If you’re heavily congested, dealing with a sore throat or trying to avoid coughing, smoking is probably not the best option for improving your symptoms. In fact, it could exacerbate them and make you feel worse. For people who feel like they need to smoke out of preference or habit, vaping is the way to go. It will be easier on your lungs and will most likely not make you cough if you’re intentional about taking gentle, slows pulls.
You can experiment with different terpenes like pinene which can act as a powerful expectorant and antimicrobial that can improve airflow functioning in the lungs. Just look for strains that have a high pinene content to help ease respiratory issues. Just remember that during this time it is not a good idea to share any paraphernalia with another person, so you’ll need a pipe or vape that is exclusively for your own personal use during this time until your symptoms completely subside.
If necessary, you can skip smoking and vaping altogether and go for pre-packaged edibles or cannabis-infused foods and drinks made at home. Soups and hot drinks are helpful as the weather cools down and there are lots of great recipes like vegetable soup with medicated garlic croutons, kief-infused chicken soup and cannabis-infused bone broth. You can also try making your own cannabis tea made with roots and stems or make canna-honey to add to herbal tea. Tinctures are an easy way to medicate as well by taking a dose underneath your tongue or adding it to tea, soup or something else. Don’t forget that edibles will take longer to feel the effects than smoking or vaping so be patient and don’t over do it in hopes of feeling better faster.
Some people find it unpleasant to feel high when they’re under the weather, so microdosing or CBD strains and products would be a good idea. For aches and pains, a topical or infused bath salts can help you feel better. Detox baths with Epsom salt and essential oils like peppermint and eucalyptus can help speed up your recovery and the added benefits of cannabis can reduce discomfort in your body so that you can rest and relax. You can also try rubbing an infused topical into any tense areas for some relief. Some studies have shown that cannabis can help reduce inflammation, which can be helpful if you’re experiencing uncomfortable nasal pressure or throat pain, so with topicals you can still experience some of the benefits without getting any kind of buzz at all.
Keep in mind that cannabis won’t help to make your cold go away but can help you feel a little better while you recover. Whether you decide to treat your cold naturally or with over-the-counter treatments from your local drugstore, remember to pay attention to how you feel, observe your symptoms and visit a doctor if needed.
TELL US, have you ever used cannabis to support you while kicking a cold?
The post How to Combat Cold Symptoms With Cannabis appeared first on Cannabis Now.
New Jersey legislators are moving forward with a bill that could reshape the state’s market for hemp-derived cannabinoids.
Bill would allow hemp THC beverages in New Jersey liquor stores is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Ohio responded to the national ban on hemp THC by outlawing drinks after the end of 2026 and restricting other hemp THC products to licensed cannabis stores.
Ohio moves to restrict hemp THC and criminalize out-of-state marijuana is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Curaleaf Holdings will exit the hemp THC sector ahead of next year's federal ban, chairman and CEO Boris Jordan said.
Marijuana MSO Curaleaf to exit hemp THC market ahead of federal ban is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
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 […]
Report: Hemp THC ban may be unenforceable is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
It’s that time of the year when everyone is coming together to celebrate everything they are grateful for with the people they love and a lot of food. Whether you’re going to be chilling at home with your loved ones, heading to an extended family member’s house for a big Thanksgiving feast or putting together a special Friendsgiving, you definitely want to know how to handle your edibles to ensure you can enjoy the day your way without making anyone else feel uncomfortable.
If you plan on partaking in edibles to enhance your Thanksgiving experience, there are a few things to consider before you commit to your plan. Do you want to arrive before or after the edibles kick in? Should you eat enough of your edible to make it last a while or consume it in a few smaller doses to keep you nice and evenly lit throughout the celebration? The details are really up to you, although there are some basics to follow that will ensure that you not only make it through the meal but through the entire day with a little grace.
Although you might have a usual amount of THC that hits the spot when you’re eating edibles, you should plan to have a little less than normal on days when you might need to have more of your wits about you. Even if you have a long car ride ahead of you or know that you will be sitting around for a few hours until the food is finished, don’t go overboard or you most likely end up sleeping through the festivities.
Depending on when you eat your edibles, it may take a little longer than usual for you to feel the effects of them — particularly if you choose to eat them during (like with these recipes) or after you get nice and full. If that happens, then you will be a little more patient and wait to feel the way you’re typically used to. Just resist the urge to have more of your edible and you will be fine.
If you have decided you want to enjoy edibles for the day, then just stick with edibles until you’re home or the party has ended. It may be tempting to go take a puff or dab with your favorite cousin or sneak your vape with you, but for your own sake, just take it easy. The same goes for wine and spirits, so make sure you have made your choice so that you won’t regret overindulging later.
Getting higher than planned after eating an edible can happen to the best of us. If that happens, there are a couple of things you can do to make sure you are able to keep your cool and come back down to earth. First things first, have some CBD help calm things down. If things don’t settle, you can follow some of these tips for what to do if you get too high, which include finding an entertaining distraction, going for a stroll or just taking a nap.
Yes, special days do call for special treats, but it’s probably best to stick to an infused snack that you have tried before just to be on the safe side. Even if you are pretty confident about how 10 mg or 50 mg of THC makes you feel on a normal day, there’s no use taking any risks with an unfamiliar brand that may be using an oil or strain you aren’t used to. So, you will have to wait to try that new soda or spicy nut mix until you’re in an environment where you can relax and see how it affects you.
The post How to Handle Edibles In Front of the Family on Thanksgiving appeared first on Cannabis Now.
Following Congress's lead, states are moving away from hemp THC regulations and towards banning.
States abandon hemp THC regulations after federal ban is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Political victory with the Epstein files raises the profile and the political capital of key hemp THC supporter U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Epstein files victory creates opportunity for hemp THC supporter is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Cannabis operators embracing the functional THC movement may break the cycle of THC addiction.
Can ‘functional THC’ move cannabis past the potency race? is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
President Donald Trump signed a spending measure Nov. 12, funding federal operations through January and ending the longest government shutdown in US history after 43 days. The Senate had approved the measure the previous day, with seven Democrats crossing party lines to reach the needed 60-vote majority. They were won over by a Republican pledge to revisit the question of subsidies for Obamacare in December.
However, a sideshow to the fight over the Affordable Care Act is causing outrage in the hemp industry—and among farmers in hemp-producing states like Kentucky. A last-minute provision added to the spending bill will effectively ban all hemp-derived THC products.
This concerns what has been derided as a “loophole” in the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized the production of industrial hemp in the United States. The Farm Bill kept the federal ban on cannabis and cannabis products with more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC—and on Delta-9 THC itself, whether derived from hemp or “marijuana.” However, in a measure intended to legalize the CBD market, it allowed extraction and sale of cannabinoids other than Delta-9 THC, if derived from hemp.
This had an unanticipated effect. In the wake of the 2018 law, an industry suddenly boomed around hemp-derived cannabinoid products—and not just CBD but psychoactive THC. Particularly at issue was Delta-8 THC, an isomer of Delta-9, which behaves much the same way in the human organism. Products containing Delta-8 were suddenly available in convenience stores, gas stations and truck stops coast to coast.
A backlash also quickly emerged. Critics argued that because the industry was essentially using a subterfuge to skirt the law, these new products were basically unregulated.
The new law contains a provision added to Agriculture Department funding that restricts hemp and hemp-derived products to those containing low concentrations of all THC—not just Delta-9 THC. It is to take effect on Nov. 12, 2026, one year from the date of signing.
The new provision “prevents the unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp-based or hemp-derived products, including Delta-8, from being sold online, in gas stations, and corner stores, while preserving non-intoxicating CBD and industrial hemp products,” reads a Senate Appropriations Committee summary.
Media reports warn of an “extinction-level event” for the hemp industry when the provision kicks in.
Kentucky’s Republican Sen. Rand Paul pushed an amendment to strip the provision from the bill, but this failed in a 76-24 vote. And his principal opponent was fellow Bluegrass State GOP senator, Mitch McConnell—who had championed the 2018 Farm Bill as then-majority leader of the Senate.
The Louisville Courier-Journal quoted Kentucky farmers fearing that the new law could be a “death sentence.”
The move is also meeting with pushback in Texas, where the GOP-dominated political establishment is divided over an effort to ban Delta-8 at the state level. Officials with the Texas chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars told Waco’s KWTX that many vets use hemp-derived THC products to treat PTSD and other ailments related to their service.
“What in the world just happened last night?” Thus responded Mitch Fuller, legislative chair for Texas VFW, after the Congressional logjam broke. Fuller had successfully lobbied Gov. Greg Abbott to veto the Delta-8 ban in the statehouse earlier this year.
Abbott’s big rival on the question in his own administration was Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who had pushed for the state ban and enthused in a tweet about the federal one after it passed: “As part of the resolution, consumable, highly intoxicating hemp-derived THC is essentially banned in America. Farmers are protected to produce industrial products. CBD and CBG are still legal. However, Delta-8, Delta-10, and candies, snacks, and gummies with high dosages of intoxicating THC are all banned. Hemp-derived Delta-9 will only be allowed to be sold in very low, non-intoxicating dosages.” (This is a reference to the 0.3% cap, well below the threshold for any psychoactive effect.)
Mitch Fuller retorted: “Of course, safety is important, of course children not having access to this is important. But let’s not use a chain-saw approach to this, let’s use a scalpel approach to it, and regulate it.”
The VFW chapter said they will use the year before the ban takes effect to organize pressure to have it reversed.
The hemp and cannabis industries are, predictably, distressed over the new measure. Adam Stettner, CEO of financial lender FundCanna, said in a statement: “Banning intoxicating hemp through a government funding bill isn’t policymaking; it’s panic disguised as progress. You can’t erase a $28 billion market or the millions of consumers who already exist. You can only decide whether those dollars flow through legal, regulated channels or into the shadows. You’re kidding yourself if you think consumers will stop buying hemp beverages, gummies or wellness products because Congress flipped a switch.”
Stettner raised the specter of backsliding toward prohibition: “Dismantling compliant supply chains won’t make these products disappear; it will make them untraceable, untaxed and unsafe. What we need isn’t a ban, it’s balance and logic. If lawmakers want safer products and clearer rules, they need to regulate, not eradicate. The responsible path forward is to regulate hemp like we do alcohol or caffeine at the federal level, with age limits, testing and labeling. Inserting a blanket prohibition by sneaking it into a budget deal won’t work; prohibition never works.”
Thomas Winstanley, executive vice president of infused products purveyor Edibles.com, emphasized the ironic role of the former Senate majority leader, who has announced that he will retire next year.
“Mitch McConnell has once again proven himself the architect of the law of unintended consequences,” Winstanley said. “When he introduced the 2018 Farm Bill, it was celebrated as a lifeline for America’s farmers—a rare bipartisan achievement that gave rural communities a new cash crop and built a thriving, homegrown industry. What no one expected was that it would also ignite a $28 billion consumer market, create over 300,000 American jobs, and form a domestic supply chain rooted in U.S. agriculture and innovation. That was the first unintended consequence, a positive one. Today, history repeats itself, but this time, the fallout will be devastating. By attaching a sweeping hemp restriction to the government spending bill, McConnell has chosen to end his career by crippling the very industry he created.”
He too pledged to use the one-year grace period to organize resistance: “Farmers, brands, and consumers, once fragmented, are now mobilizing together to defend what they’ve built and to finally push for the federal framework the hemp industry has long demanded.”
The post New Legislation Bans Hemp-Derived THC appeared first on Cannabis Now.
Even skeptics of hemp-derived THC think that hemp beverages are here to stay.
What happens if states ignore the federal hemp THC ban? is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Congress passed a spending bill late Wednesday that also bans hemp-derived THC.
364 days until federal hemp THC prohibition as President Trump signs ban is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
In a rare win at the federal level for state-regulated legal cannabis, the Senate passed a de-facto ban on hemp-derived THC products.
Hemp THC ‘prohibition’ looms as U.S. Senate closes 2018 Farm Bill ‘loophole’ is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
A budget deal to reopen the government backed by President Trump would ban nearly all of the products now sold containing hemp-derived THC.
President Trump backs hemp THC ban included in government reopening deal is a post from: MJBizDaily: Financial, Legal & Cannabusiness news for cannabis entrepreneurs
Steve, 51, remembers well the first time he got high.
“I was a freshman in high school and my friend Chovi from India found me on the handball court where I had been spray-painting images of Alfred E. Newman with a stencil I’d made,” says Steve. “Chovi must’ve been about 4’6” and had this massive afro shaped like a square helmet that was three sizes too big for his face. The guy was hilarious based on looks alone. I had low expectations, because I had tried pot twice before and had never felt anything. And I didn’t notice much from this at first, either, but it turned out to be a creeper.”
Heading home, Steve remembers “feeling like Albert Hofmann on his famous bike ride” after discovering the formula for LSD. Then, suddenly, he found himself overly high and met with a locked door at his parent’s house – meaning he’d have to confront his mom.
“Oh God, my mom was going to have to let me in,” he recalls. “I couldn’t face my mom like that. As soon as she opened the door, I pushed past her and dashed up the stairs. She shouted up to me all concerned, ‘Is everything okay?’ And I shouted back, ‘Yep! Everything’s great, Mom!’ And I locked myself in my room and played my KISS records.”
That was 1977. Three businesses and a home in the wealthiest zip code of the Bay Area later, Steve finds himself enjoying a new wave of Mary Jane’s alluring wiles. Only these days, instead of rolling a doobie, he puffs his vape pen.
Steve’s story isn’t particularly unique. Baby boomers across the nation are getting reacquainted with cannabis after a hiatus from pot through their middle years. According to a 2012 study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration comparing trends with 2002, cannabis use among people between the ages 50-54 and 60-64 has almost doubled. Meanwhile, pot use among boomers age 55-59 has more than quadrupled. And they’re not merely dabbling. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that baby boomers are regularly consuming cannabis an average of once a week. And these numbers are expected to rise. By the end of 2015, nearly 111 million Americans over 50 were projected to be cannabis consumers, according to research by IBISWorld. That figure could jump another seven percent by 2020.
Baby boomers across the nation are getting reacquainted with cannabis after a hiatus from pot through their middle years.
Partly responsible for this reefer renaissance is the rapidly increasing social acceptance of cannabis as a medicine and recreational choice.
“When medical marijuana became a thing and I realized I could get a pot prescription and get my anxiety issues under control at the same time, that’s when I got reacquainted with pot,” says Steve.
Indeed, studies suggest that boomers are using cannabis medicinally more than recreationally, often to deal with age-related issues such as chronic pain, depression and rheumatoid arthritis. Even Steve calls his vape pen “the most entertaining anti-anxiety medicine I’ve ever been prescribed.” In fact, the only time he labels his cannabis consumption recreational is in the context of a bad trip.
“When I first came back to it around 2009, I had just met a lady, so I asked the budtender to give me the very best they had. I didn’t ask for a strain that does a particular thing, or makes you feel any particular way – just the best.”
The budtender recommended OG Kush, a name that he says he’ll always remember just so that he can avoid its super strength.
“It was unbelievably intense,” he says. “Way too advanced for my old-school roots. I brought it with me to my lady friend’s house, thinking I’d impress her with how hip I was. We had tickets to a show, but ended up just sitting on the couch for about four hours. Not talking, not moving; I wasn’t even sure she was still there most of the time. Every now and then, she would laugh, then I’d start laughing. Then it would be silent again for another hour. That was awkward. I will never smoke a strain that strong again, not unless I’m method-acting for the role of a corpse. There was nothing recreational about that experience at all.”
With potency five to 10 times greater than the Mexican swag smokers enjoyed in the ’70s, baby boomers are understandably trepidatious about coming back to cannabis.
“I miss the giggling,” continues Steve. “Pot back then used to be really light and giggly. Today’s pot is too heavy for me. It weighs me down.”
Despite the industry’s race to breed strains with the highest THC possible, options do exist for baby boomers who want to get pleasantly elevated without blasting off into the stratosphere. Cannabis with THC in the low double-digits – say, the 10-14 percent range – may provide a low-impact way to get a gentle buzz. And with the advent of the vape pen, boomers are strolling the path back to pot with more ease and grace than ever.
“Last year, I was bed-ridden after a skiing accident,” recalls Judith, a 60-year-old San Francisco travel agent. “All I could do was lay in bed taking pain killers and watching Netflix. The pain pills had me so groggy and out of it that I would suffer through [the pain] as long as I could before finally giving in and taking one. When my son came over and offered me a puff off his new vape pen – my first thought was, ‘My goodness, what kind of robot joint is this?’ But let me tell you, it literally changed my world.
“I mean, it [worked] faster than the pain pills, and it didn’t turn me into a zombie,” she says. “Pretty much one little puff every hour or two kept my pain at bay, and I have to admit, it was pretty fun, too! I mean, I was laughing at things that, on the pills, I couldn’t do more than stare at with my eyes glazed over. With that little pen, I felt like myself again. And bonding with my son, watching documentaries and laughing at movies together, was a brilliant, unexpected bonus. Now when I have friends over, we’ll have a little vape with our tea.”
Vape pens are becoming ubiquitous as a discreet way for cannabists, many of them boomers, to consume concentrated versions of the plant. Because it lends itself so easily to taking just one puff at a time, the vape pen provides users with an easier way to manage dosage. And because the oil contains such a high concentration of THC to begin with, one hit will often suffice.
“That’s just a classy way to get high, in my opinion,” says Steve about vape pens. “Mine even doubles as a stylus. It’s my new favorite way to get high.”
Originally published in the print edition of Cannabis Now.
The post Buds & Baby Boomers appeared first on Cannabis Now.
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