Cannabis News Roundup: Week 2025-14: Cannabis Crisis and Opportunity - The Big Legal Battles You Need to Know

Week of 5 Apr, 2025

Minnesota's market faces controversy ahead of its adult-use launch, Nebraska debates restrictive medical rules, and Oklahoma battles overproduction and illicit trade concerns. Connecticut's traffic stop bill raises civil rights alarms, while Pennsylvania and Maryland push for expanded legalization. Meanwhile, Michigan courts reshape search laws, Florida targets synthetic cannabinoids, and New Hampshire stalls legalization. Plus, on the national level, Trump’s administration backpedals on cannabis reform promises, leaving patients and businesses frustrated.

 

 

 

 

Covered states: CT, FL, MD, MI, MN, NE, NH, OK, PA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINNESOTA

Minnesota’s cannabis industry is bracing for disruption as lawmakers push HF 2426, a bill expanding medical cannabis businesses’ privileges ahead of the recreational market launch. Small business owners fear monopolization while patient advocates argue it will preserve access to vital treatments. This key debate could define the future of Minnesota’s cannabis market. Keywords: Minnesota cannabis market, HF 2426, medical cannabis, recreational cannabis, cannabis licensing, Minnesota marijuana laws, small cannabis businesses.

 

NEBRASKA

 

Nebraska lawmakers are divided over how broad qualifying conditions should be for the state’s new medical cannabis program, approved by voters in 2024.

Some are pushing for a narrowly limited list, while others warn that over-restricting access could defy the ballot measure’s intent and fuel future pushes for full recreational legalization.

Lawmakers are racing to pass LB 677, the bill that would set the program’s rules, before July 1. That’s when the newly created Medical Cannabis Commission officially takes over licensing—and without a framework in place, the launch of patient access and business licensing could be delayed indefinitely.

Debates over qualifying conditions, product types, and methods of consumption continue to slow negotiations. Advocates warn that if the program is too restrictive, it could be setting Nebraska up for a bigger legalization push as early as 2026.

#NebraskaCannabis #MedicalMarijuana #NebraskaPolitics #CannabisNews #MedicalCannabis #CannabisLegalization #LB677 #NebraskaLegislation #CannabisReform #CannabisIndustry

OKLAHOMA

A new report from the Texoma HIDTA task force reveals that Oklahoma is producing over 30 times the marijuana needed for its own population, triggering alarm from lawmakers and prompting calls for tighter regulation. With a vastly oversized number of growers and dispensaries, federal and state authorities are now investigating the potential for illicit trafficking and urging legislative reform. This development signals significant changes for cannabis operators, patients, and the broader Oklahoma marijuana market. 

Keywords: Oklahoma marijuana oversupply, cannabis regulation, medical marijuana, cannabis industry crackdown, Senator Lankford, Texoma HIDTA report, cannabis trafficking, marijuana dispensaries, marijuana growers, federal cannabis enforcement.

 

CONNECTICUT

Connecticut lawmakers are reviewing House Bill 7258, a controversial proposal that would allow police to stop drivers if they both see and smell cannabis use behind the wheel. While police chiefs argue it’s a necessary step to combat drug-impaired driving, civil liberties advocates warn the bill could revive racial profiling and misuse of traffic laws. The proposal also includes a plan to study a legal THC blood limit for drivers. 

Keywords: Connecticut cannabis law, HB 7258, cannabis driving legislation, marijuana traffic stops, THC blood limit, CT marijuana policy, cannabis impaired driving, law enforcement and cannabis, racial profiling and marijuana, drug recognition experts

NEW HAMPSHIRE

New Hampshire’s Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to recommend killing three cannabis reform bills, including measures to legalize adult-use marijuana, permit home cultivation for medical patients, and expand access to hemp-derived cannabinoids. The committee’s actions, though not final, reflect ongoing resistance from state leadership—particularly Governor Kelly Ayotte—despite polls showing strong public support for legalization. The decision leaves New Hampshire as the only New England state without a legal adult-use cannabis program and continues to restrict access for patients.

Keywords: New Hampshire cannabis law, NH marijuana legalization, HB 75, HB 53, HB 51, NH Senate cannabis vote, medical marijuana home grow, adult-use legalization, Kelly Ayotte cannabis policy, Granite State cannabis reform

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania lawmakers are ramping up efforts to legalize recreational marijuana, with Governor Josh Shapiro including cannabis reform in his 2025–2026 budget proposal. House Democrats, led by Speaker Joanna McClinton, are championing legalization as a revenue-generating opportunity that could benefit farmers, dispensaries, and consumers across the state. A proposal for state-run dispensaries is being floated, while polls show strong public support. However, bipartisan cooperation will be required to overcome resistance in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Keywords: Pennsylvania marijuana legalization, PA cannabis bill, Josh Shapiro budget, adult-use marijuana, state-run dispensaries, Joanna McClinton cannabis, GOP Senate marijuana vote, legal weed Pennsylvania, PA cannabis reform 2025, marijuana tax revenue

 

MARYLAND

Maryland lawmakers have passed a cannabis reform bill that would allow adults to make marijuana edibles and non-solvent concentrates at home, expanding personal-use rights under the state’s legalization framework. The bill also includes criminal justice provisions, reducing penalties for large-scale cannabis offenses and enabling individuals serving mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana crimes to seek resentencing. Governor Wes Moore is expected to sign the legislation into law.

Keywords: Maryland cannabis law, home cannabis edibles, marijuana concentrate law, cannabis sentencing reform, HB 413, SB 925, Governor Wes Moore cannabis, Maryland marijuana policy, personal cannabis production, cannabis criminal justice reform

MICHIGAN

On April 3, 2025, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the smell of marijuana alone is no longer enough to justify a police search of a vehicle, citing the state’s legalization of recreational cannabis in 2018. The 5–1 decision overturns decades of precedent and underscores the shift in how courts interpret cannabis-related probable cause in post-legalization Michigan. This ruling is expected to have broad implications for law enforcement practices and civil rights protections in cannabis-legal states.

 

FLORIDA

Florida lawmakers are advancing Senate Bill 438, a comprehensive legislative effort to regulate hemp-derived cannabinoids and THC-infused beverages. The bill proposes bans on synthetic cannabinoids like delta-8 THC and introduces strict potency limits, advertising restrictions, and product testing requirements. With support and opposition from various stakeholders, including manufacturers and small business owners, the bill seeks to address safety, youth access, and industry accountability in Florida’s fast-growing hemp market.

 

NATIONAL

 

On March 31, 2025, President Trump appointed journalist Sara Carter as the new director of the ONDCP, signaling cautious support for medical cannabis amid a broader freeze on marijuana reform. Although Carter has praised cannabis as a treatment for serious illnesses, the Trump administration later confirmed no immediate action would be taken on cannabis rescheduling or banking reforms, frustrating industry advocates and leaving the future of federal cannabis policy uncertain.