MERRY JANE

A large, carefully controlled clinical trial has delivered one of the clearest signals yet that marijuana-derived therapies could play a role in modern pain management. Researchers tested a new THC-based medication on nearly 800 patients suffering from chronic lower back pain, with results showing meaningful improvements in both pain and quality of life compared to placebo.

Markets leapt Monday after former President Donald Trump posted a video promoting the benefits of hemp-derived CBD for older Americans and called for expanded Medicare/Medicaid access to CBD. The move sent pot stocks—and broader investor expectations—into overdrive. In the nearly three-minute clip, Trump said CBD is a “gamechanger” for pain and stress relief among seniors, and urged physician education and expanded government healthcare coverage.

A woman-owned cannabis shop in Medford, Oregon, was violently robbed early Saturday morning. Two armed suspects entered the store, threatened staff—pointing firearms and menacing with knives—and made off with inventory. No one was shot, but the employees endured a harrowing ordeal. (kgw.com) According to responding deputies, the suspects forced open a back door during early hours when the shop was closed. Inside, staff discovered the intruders threatening them with guns and knives.

Oklahoma’s Cannabis Cautionary Tale: From Gold Rush to Crackdown Oklahoma was once the hottest cannabis story in America: ultra-low barriers to entry, no license caps, rock-bottom fees, and easy patient access after medical legalization in 2018. Within a few years, licenses exploded into the five figures, production dwarfed in-state demand, and prices cratered. Now, the state is living with the hangover—market contraction, aggressive enforcement, and a bruised reputation.

Hawaiʻi is once again weighing adult-use cannabis, with lawmakers signaling fresh interest after a bruising 2025 session that saw a legalization bill advance through House committees—only to be shelved days later. The new push comes amid mounting pressure to curb unregulated hemp-THC sales, shore up the medical program, and capture tax revenue now bleeding to the gray market.

A 50-year-old Torch Lake resident faces felony charges for allegedly failing to file state income taxes tied to an illegal marijuana grow and distribution ring that investigators say spanned multiple years. Prosecutors allege the operation—which authorities searched in October 2021—held more than 1,000 plants and over 50 pounds of processed cannabis. An arraignment held September 9 set bond at $3,000, with a probable cause hearing scheduled for September 18 and a preliminary exam on September 25.

California has taken a rare bipartisan step to ease burdens on its legal cannabis market. Lawmakers just approved a bill that cuts the excise tax on cannabis from 19% down to 15%, effective October 1, and locks that rate in through June 30, 2028. The measure heads next to Governor Newsom, who’s indicated he’ll sign it into law.