Amendment to let military vets get medical cannabis approved at VA passes (Newsletter: May 15, 2026)

May 15, 2026

Anti-rescheduling provision advances in Congress; Lawmaker: “a lot” of colleagues smoke marijuana; LA medical cannabis in hospitals; Psychedelics poll

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Your good deed for the day: donate to an independent publisher like Marijuana Moment and ensure that as many voters as possible have access to the most in-depth cannabis reporting out there.Support our work at https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment/ TOP THINGS TO KNOWThe House of Representatives passed amendments to allow military veterans to get medical cannabis recommendations from their Department of Veterans Affairs doctors and to raise awareness about the benefits of psychedelic therapies.The House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill containing a provision to block marijuana rescheduling action by the Department of Justice—but also including a longstanding rider protecting state medical cannabis laws from federal interference.Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said “there are a lot of people who smoke cannabis in Congress”—adding that “advocacy for legalizing doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a user.”

  • “So everybody can be an advocate for legalizing it, because we understand that it is not okay for us to spend the billions of dollars we do now on incarcerating people for smoking a joint.”

The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee approved a Senate-passed bill to allow patients with terminal and irreversible conditions to use medical marijuana in hospitals, subject to certain limitations.A new poll of U.S. voters shows there’s been a “striking increase” in support for legal and regulated therapeutic access to psychedelics as well as expanded research exploring their medical potential over the last two years./ FEDERALA U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved recognition of insolvency proceedings for the Cannabist Co.Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) asked Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel and Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terrance Cole about what their agencies are doing to address Chinese-linked illegal marijuana operations in Maine and other states during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing.The House bill to regulate hemp products got one new cosponsor for a total of six./ STATESCalifornia’s attorney general touted enforcement actions against an unlicensed marijuana business.A Virginia delegate said he is cautiously optimistic that Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) will allow his recreational marijuana sales legalization bill to take effect even after lawmakers rejected her proposed amendments.Michigan regulators are opening a second public comment period on proposed changes to marijuana rules.Colorado regulators published guidance on marijuana fee setting.Nevada regulators published a demographic study of the state’s cannabis industry.A member of the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Executive Advisory Council was removed from her role.The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners temporarily suspended the license of a doctor who allegedly disregarded requirements for authorizing medical cannabis.New York regulators are recruiting participants for a study on CBD and THC in treating inflammatory bowel disease.
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/ INTERNATIONALThe Victoria, Australia Legislative Council approved a to codify the state’s approach to issuing cautions for marijuana as an alternative to arrests./ SCIENCE & HEALTHA study found that “CBD treatment was associated with statistically and clinically significant [quality of life] improvement across multiple domains in children with drug-resistant epilepsy” and that “seizure frequency reduction was observed in the majority of patients.”A case series concluded that “psilocybin may enhance motor recovery and sensory integration in incomplete spinal cord injury through amplification of existing neural pathways and warrant controlled clinical trials.”/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSISThe Pennsylvania Democratic Party tweeted, “Stacy Garrity said the quiet part out loud: if she’s elected, recreational marijuana legalization in Pennsylvania isn’t happening. While Governor Josh Shapiro is fighting to keep revenue in Pennsylvania instead of losing it to neighboring states, she’s doubling down on an out-of-touch agenda that ignores the broad bipartisan support for legalization. PA is not her priority — her toxic agenda is.”/ BUSINESSGlass House Brands Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of $40.5 million and a net loss of $17 million.Auxly Cannabis Group Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$39.8 million.Trulieve Cannabis Corp. is seeking shareholder approval to redomicile the company from British Columbia, Canada to Delaware.Stiiizy is being sued for allegedly concealing tracking tools on its website to monitor shopping habits and then selling the data to brokers./ CULTUREOpry Entertainment Group named Señorita as the official THC beverage partner for the Grand Ole Opry and other venues.

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