Cannabis News Roundup: Week 2025-19: Pot Politics: What's Legal, Banned, or Just Confusing in U.S. States

10 May, 2025

This week, cannabis laws are changing fast—and not always in the same direction. Alabama just cracked down on hemp, Florida is making it harder to legalize weed, and Delaware finally got the go-ahead to license dispensaries. Meanwhile, Michigan bans a bad actor for life, Indiana bans cannabis ads, and Minnesota prepares for its first weed license lottery. We also break down the high-stakes politics in Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and Nebraska—and the latest warnings about weed use during pregnancy.

 

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

ALABAMA

Alabama is on the verge of a major shift in hemp regulation. Lawmakers have passed House Bill 445, which would give the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board full authority over the hemp industry, including licensing, product testing, and sales rules. The bill bans smokable products and synthetic cannabinoids and limits THC content to 10 milligrams per serving. If signed by Governor Kay Ivey, the law takes effect this July, with enforcement beginning January 2026.

#AlabamaCannabis #HempRegulation #HB445 #CBDLaws #THCLegislation #CannabisNews #HempIndustry #AlabamaPolitics #CannabisPolicy #LegalHemp

CALIFORNIA

California Governor Gavin Newsom says that the crackdown on intoxicating hemp products is working. State alcohol regulators found that nearly all of the over 11,000 licensed businesses inspected this year are complying with emergency rules banning the sale of hemp-derived THC products. The rules, introduced to protect kids from unregulated cannabinoids, are now set to expire in September.

#CaliforniaCannabis #HempTHCBan #NewsomTHCBan #CannabisRegulations #Delta8Ban #CBDRegulations #CannabisIndustryNews #PublicHealthPolicy #THCCompliance #CannabisPodcast

DELAWARE

Delaware’s legal cannabis market is back on track. After months of delay, the FBI has approved a fingerprint service code for background checks on marijuana business applicants. This follows the passage of House Bill 110, a law that clarified who needs to be checked. Officials say this means selected applicants can now move forward, and recreational cannabis licenses may soon be issued.

#DelawareCannabis #CannabisLegalization #HB110 #FBIApproval #CannabisNews #WeedLicensing #MedicalMarijuana #RecreationalCannabis #CannabisRegulations #CannabisIndustry #SocialEquityCannabis #OMCDelaware

FLORIDA

Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a new Florida law that makes it harder for citizens to get amendments like marijuana legalization and Medicaid expansion on the ballot. The law requires groups to pay a $1 million bond, limits who can collect signatures, and imposes strict penalties. Advocacy groups have already filed lawsuits, calling it a threat to direct democracy in Florida.

 #FloridaCannabis #BallotInitiative #DeSantis #MedicalMarijuana #CannabisReform #HB1205 #SmartAndSafeFlorida #FloridaPolitic #MedicaidExpansion #DirectDemocracy

INDIANA

Indiana Governor Mike Braun has signed House Bill 1390 into law, banning all marijuana and Schedule I drug advertisements across the state. The measure aims to block cannabis marketing from nearby states like Illinois and Michigan, and violators now face fines starting at $5,000.

#IndianaCannabis #CannabisNews #MarijuanaAdvertising #HouseBill1390 #THCLaw #IndianaPolitics #WeedAdBan #MidwestCannabis #CannabisMarketing #CannabisRegulation #GovMikeBraun #NoWeedAds #CannabisIndustryNews

MICHIGAN

Michigan regulators have issued a first-time ever lifetime ban to a co-owner of a chain of dispensaries in Big Rapids and Bay City. The Cannabis Regulatory Agency found Youssef Barakat violated multiple rules, including selling marijuana to an undercover minor and failing to secure cannabis products. This marks the first time Michigan has involuntarily excluded someone from its legal marijuana industry.

#MichiganCannabis #CRA #CannabisCompliance #TreeHouseClub #CannabisNews #CannabisRegulations #CannabisIndustry #CannabisRetail #CannabisEnforcement #THCNews

MINNESOTA

Minnesota is moving ahead with its adult-use cannabis market. The state’s Office of Cannabis Management announced it will hold license lotteries on June 5 for cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, and retailers. Social equity applicants will get first access to retail licenses, with general applicant lotteries coming later this summer. It’s a key move as the state continues working to build out its cannabis supply chain and meet growing demand.

#MinnesotaCannabis #CannabisLicensing #MNWeedLottery #CannabisEquity #MinnesotaOCM #CannabisBusiness #AdultUseCannabis #MNMarijuana #SocialEquityCannabis #CannabisIndustry2025

MISSISSIPPI

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear Cocroft v. Graham, a case brought by Mississippi dispensary owner Clarence Cocroft, who challenged the state’s total ban on advertising medical marijuana. Despite cannabis being legal in Mississippi, the courts ruled the state can restrict ads due to marijuana’s federal illegality, leaving Cocroft—and other dispensary owners—unable to share basic information about their legal businesses.

#CocroftvGraham #MississippiCannabis #CannabisAdvertising #FirstAmendmentRights #MedicalMarijuana #TruSource #CannabisNews #CannabisJustice #MMJPolicy #CannabisIndustry #BlackOwnedBusiness #SCOTUS #InstituteForJustice

NEBRASKA

Nebraska’s top law enforcement officials, including Attorney General Mike Hilgers and 15 county sheriffs, are opposing new legislation that would regulate medical marijuana—even after voters approved it last year. Lawmakers are debating a bill and amendment that would establish how patients access cannabis, but critics say it’s too close to recreational use. Supporters argue the law is necessary to help patients and stop the black market. A decision must be made by June 9.

#NebraskaCannabis #MedicalMarijuana #CannabisLegislation #NebraskaPolitics #LB677 #CannabisReform #CannabisRegulations #MedicalCannabis #VoterWill #CannabisNews #NebraskaNews #THCPolicy #CannabisAccess #CannabisPatients

 

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania House Democrats moved forward with a landmark cannabis bill that would legalize recreational marijuana and sell it through state-run stores. The bill includes plans for social equity, record expungement, and reinvestment into communities harmed by past drug policies. While it's expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House, it faces strong opposition in the GOP-led Senate.

#PACannabis #CannabisLegalization #HB1200 #PennsylvaniaPolitics #CannabisEquity #MarijuanaReform #LegalWeedPA #PAHouse #CannabisIndustry #CannabisNews

WISCONSIN

In Wisconsin, Republican lawmakers have once again removed a proposal to legalize marijuana from the state budget. Governor Tony Evers' plan included taxing and regulating cannabis like alcohol, but the GOP-controlled budget committee rejected it, repeating a pattern from past years—even though a majority of Wisconsinites support legalization.

#WisconsinCannabis #MarijuanaLegalization #TonyEvers #GOPBudgetCuts #RecreationalMarijuana #MedicalMarijuana #CannabisNews #THCLaws #Delta8 #MidwestCannabis #WisconsinPolitics #WeedReform #CannabisTaxRevenue #LegalizeItWI #WisconsinNews