D.C. regulators propose prorated licensing fees for new medical cannabis businesses
D.C. cannabis regulators are proposing a rule that would prorate first-year licensing fees for newly issued medical cannabis facility licenses. The change would prevent businesses from paying a full annual fee when their license is issued late in the fee cycle and would also provide fee credits to some existing licensees who previously paid full fees for partial-year licenses.
- The next ABC Board meeting is Mar. 11, 2026: watch, agenda.
- Last week’s disposition.
Virginia advances cannabis sales legalization and resentencing legislation
Virginia lawmakers are moving forward with bills that would legalize adult-use cannabis sales and create a process for resentencing or relief for people with prior cannabis convictions. The legislation, approved by both the House and Senate, would establish a regulated commercial market for adults 21 and older, while providing a pathway for those previously convicted of cannabis offenses to seek relief under state law.
- West Virginia lawmakers passed a House bill on Mar. 4 to release nearly $38 million from the state’s medical cannabis fund—money that had previously gone unspent due to federal legal restrictions—to support university research, substance use programs and homeless services.
- The next CCA meeting is April 8, 2026. up on the Feb. 17th CCA meeting here.
Workers at The Apothecarium dispensary in Nottingham, Maryland voted to unionize with UFCW Local 27, continuing union organizing activity in the state’s cannabis industry. Union leaders said the vote follows opposition from management, and the next step will be negotiating a first collective bargaining agreement.
- Anne Arundel County’s Health Department is distributing free safe‑storage bags for cannabis and other products at community sites and through “Health‑to‑Go” machines to help keep cannabis out of the reach of children.
ICYMI: First medical D.C. cultivator shutdown for alleged illegal activity, Virginia retail progress
East Coast Roundup
Leeann Mata, the first Black woman to open a legal cannabis dispensary in Brooklyn, is now in a legal and regulatory dispute with Housing Works, the nonprofit that initially helped her launch her store, Matawana. The disagreement centers on unpaid fees, alleged mismanagement by Housing Works’s consultants, and concerns that the nonprofit undercut her business, highlighting challenges faced by cannabis licensees navigating complex partnerships in New York’s emerging market.
Cannabis prices in Massachusetts have fallen sharply over several years, with the average cost per gram of cannabis dipping to just above $4, down more than 70 percent since recreational stores opened in 2018, benefiting consumers but squeezing dispensaries and growers financially as revenues have plateaued.
Culture & More
U.S. high schools are facing rising challenges with student cannabis use, including THC vaping, as legalization and changing perceptions make enforcement and prevention increasingly difficult.
A cannabis delivery company called Life Is Chill is partnering with LoveBud to install simplified online ordering kiosks in several Phoenix‑area senior living communities so residents can more easily browse and order cannabis products for delivery.
A Killing in Cannabis tells the true story of Tushar Atre, a California tech entrepreneur whose push into the legal cannabis industry ended with his 2019 murder, highlighting both the investigation and the state’s evolving cannabis market.
Gen Z cannabis users are increasingly favoring vape cartridges over traditional flower, drawn by convenience and discreetness, while industry experts and public‑health officials raise concerns about product quality, safety, and the long‑term effects of vaping.
Around the Country
Efforts in Oklahoma to eliminate the state’s medical cannabis industry have sparked resistance from business owners and some lawmakers who argue that doing so would harm the economy, cost tax revenue, and lead to legal challenges, while supporters of repeal say the issue should ultimately go to voters.
Texas health regulators adopted new hemp regulations that will effectively ban the sale of smokable hemp and THCA flower products beginning March 31, and impose significantly higher fees on retailers and manufacturers of consumable hemp products, though many edible items will still be permitted with updated testing and packaging requirements.
Oregon lawmakers this year failed to advance a bill that would have limited how much THC could be in an individual cannabis edible, including proposals to cap servings at 10 mg, after the measure did not get enough support to move through the Legislature during the short 2026 session.
From the swamp
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a 25‑count federal indictment against the owner of a Kansas hemp‑derived THC retailer, charging him with cannabis sales and weapons offenses after authorities raided his six High Hopes ICT locations and his home, in a rare federal prosecution of a business selling intoxicating hemp products that it claimed were protected under the 2018 Farm Bill.
Wisconsin hemp farmers and sellers say they’re being forced to scale back or close operations ahead of a new federal law taking effect in November 2026 that will change the legal definition of hemp and ban most products with higher THC content, a shift they warn could devastate the state’s hemp industry and cost jobs and revenue.
Senate lawmakers are proposing an amendment to a House‑passed housing bill that would allow people who work in state‑legal cannabis industries to count their cannabis‑related income when applying for federally backed mortgage loans, treating that income the same as income from other legal jobs.
