Hearing on multiple D.C. council medical cannabis bills coming in July
The D.C. Council will hold a public hearing on July 2 for three medical cannabis bills that would extend conditional licenses, allow dispensaries to prepare certain cannabis products on-site, and create a new endorsement for cannabis-infused beverage production. The proposals aim to expand business opportunities in the District’s medical cannabis market, including partnerships between local breweries, distilleries, and cannabis manufacturers to produce nonalcoholic infused beverages.
D.C. shutters three more unlicensed cannabis stores, pushing total closures past 110
District regulators closed three unlicensed cannabis storefronts in Washington, D.C., between late May and mid-June, seizing cannabis, THC products and psilocybin mushrooms while arresting six individuals. The actions bring the total number of illicit cannabis businesses shuttered under the District’s expanded enforcement law to 113.
- The next ABC Board meeting is June 24, 2026 : watch, agenda.
- Remember to subscribe to a paying membership to receive exclusive summaries of Board meetings and see our map of pending cannabis businesses in D.C.
Virginia’s new cannabis compromise is exposing a deep rift in the state’s hemp industry
While Roanoke retailer Derek Wall of Buffalo Hemp Company welcomes the July 2027 timeline and is shifting his business toward retail cannabis, hemp farmers and small-business advocates warn the deal could be devastating in the meantime. Caroline County farmer Graham Redfern fears tighter restrictions on intoxicating hemp products will drive customers to out-of-state sellers, and in a Marijuana Moment op-ed, Cannabis Small Business Association’s Barbara Biddle argues the compromise effectively sets an August deadline that could wipe out hemp businesses nearly a year before the legal cannabis market even opens — leaving mom-and-pop operators stranded in the gap between regimes.
- The next CCA meeting is July 22, 2026. Sign up for public comment.
- Catch up on the June 2, 2026 meeting here.
CBP intercepts 5 tons of cannabis in Baltimore bound for England
CBP officers seized more than 10,600 pounds of cannabis hidden inside a Baltimore shipping container bound for Liverpool, England, on May 29 — a $24 million load that could fetch double that once sold in Europe. No arrests have been made, but the bust is part of a broader pattern of Europe-bound smuggling attempts CBP says it’s seeing across the region, from passenger baggage at Dulles to truck shipments at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo.
ICYMI: Supreme Court Unanimously Blocks Federal Gun Ban for Cannabis Users
East Coast Roundup
Beak & Skiff’s Ayrloom has become New York’s best-selling cannabis brand, built on the same processing expertise the Brennan family used for a century of cider and spirits.
North Carolina lawmakers are bracing for lost tax revenue as Virginia’s new retail cannabis market — set to open July 2027 — threatens to pull cross-border shoppers, with one Durham legislator predicting roughly 10% of sales could shift north.
Culture & More
A personal essay explores cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, the rare condition known as “scromiting” that can develop after years of regular cannabis use, and how even a doctor’s casual reassurance didn’t account for the risk.
New research is complicating old assumptions about cannabis and the brain — researchers say moderation may depend less on how much someone uses and more on whether they’ve built consistent rules around when, where, and why they use it.
A growing community of “garden moms” is going public on TikTok about using cannabis to cope with the isolation and stress of full-time parenting, sparking debate about wellness, stigma, and what counts as self-care.
Nearly 985,000 cannabis club identity documents were reportedly exposed through public URLs tied to two membership platforms, raising fresh concerns about data security in the legal cannabis space.
Around the Country
Alabama’s medical cannabis program is drawing scrutiny after regulators implemented a requirement for women ages 11 to 50 to provide a recent negative pregnancy test before purchasing products — a policy advocates say has no parallel in any other state’s program.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is ending the executive order that let residents bring medical cannabis in from other states, meaning Kentuckians will now need to apply for an in-state medical cannabis card instead.
Minnesota’s oldest cannabis testing lab, Legend Technical Services, is exiting the industry entirely after losing its state license over unmet security and testing requirements — a move that could deepen existing testing backlogs as the state’s market matures.
From the swamp
A new GAO report finds that the federal Drug-Free Communities Support Program, which funds local coalitions aimed at preventing youth substance use, lacks the performance data needed to actually verify it’s working — prompting six recommendations to improve oversight.
DEA has selected participants for this month’s cannabis rescheduling hearing, and according to reporting, every invited party opposes the reform — raising questions about the fairness of the proceeding.
DEA officials have also begun on–site inspections at cannabis businesses that registered for federal protections under the Trump administration’s rescheduling process, with at least one state association reporting visits to its members last week.
