Florida cannabis ballot hearing canceled at Supreme Court (Newsletter: February 5, 2026)

Trump signs bill to block DC marijuana sales; VA cannabis votes; OK AG on gov’s anti-marijuana plan; ME prohibitionist measure misses deadline

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Free to read (but not free to produce)! We’re proud of our newsletter and the reporting we publish at Marijuana Moment, and we’re happy to provide it for free. But it takes a lot of work and resources to make this happen. If you value Marijuana Moment, invest in our success on Patreon so we can expand our coverage and more readers can benefit: https://www.patreon.com/marijuanamoment / TOP THINGS TO KNOW President Donald Trump signed a spending bill containing a rider continuing to block Washington, D.C. from legalizing recreational marijuana sales as advocates await the administration’s action on cannabis rescheduling. The Florida Supreme Court canceled oral arguments scheduled for Thursday about a marijuana legalization ballot initiative after state officials said the campaign failed to submit enough valid signatures by the deadline. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) is warning that the state would need to “reimburse” medical cannabis business owners if Gov. Kevin Stitt’s (R) plan to shut down the market is enacted, even though he would personally “love for it to be gone.” A Maine campaign to roll back marijuana legalization failed to submit signatures for its proposed ballot initiative by a deadline this week for the 2026 ballot—but organizers can still target next year’s election. The Virginia Senate Courts of Justice Committee approved bills to legalize recreational marijuana sales and provide resentencing relief for people with past cannabis convictions. The Virginia Senate Education and Health Subcommittee on Health approved a bill to allow patients to access medical cannabis in hospitals—but only if the federal government moves forward with a pending plan to reschedule marijuana. The Washington State Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee approved a bill to legalize and regulate therapeutic use of psilocybin, allowing use of the psychedelic in a medically supervised environment by patients with qualifying conditions. Crescent Canna’s Joe Gerrity argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that the federal recriminalization of hemp products threatens to undermine the growing normalization of cannabis that’s been fostered by the availability of THC drinks.

The Rhode Island Cannabis Control Commission released draft recommendations to ban sales of THC beverages at restaurants and bars—facing pushing back from representatives of the hospitality and liquor industry. / FEDERAL The Drug Enforcement Administration sent a press release touting its activities in 2025. Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden expressed openness to decriminalizing marijuana but voiced concerns about broader legalization of a “killer industry,” claiming that widespread use is linked to “severe and long-term mental illness.” Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) spoke on the Senate floor about a bill he filed that was inspired by a young person who “started using marijuana and eventually became addicted to hard drugs” before dying of an overdose. / STATES Oklahoma’s attorney general touted enforcement actions against “fraudulent medical marijuana licensing schemes.” Florida’s secretary of state defended his office’s decisions to invalidate thousands of signatures for a proposed marijuana legalization ballot initiative. The Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill to ban all marijuana billboards. The Maine legislature’s Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing on a bill to enact testing requirements for medical cannabis. The Missouri Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee held a hearing on a bill to make public marijuana consumption a misdemeanor. Indiana marijuana reform bills died without action as the crossover deadline passed. Illinois lawmakers filed bills to change rules on marijuana in vehicles and the allocation of cannabis revenue. A Pennsylvania senator tweeted, “The Governor’s proposal spends billions more than we take in and leans on revenue the Legislature hasn’t approved. We need a real, sustainable solution. I’ve said it for years: it’s time to get serious about adult-use cannabis and stop passing the cost onto Pennsylvanians.” The Hawaii Department of Health sent a press release about an analysis of the state’s medical cannabis program. New York cannabis regulators touted an environmental initiatives award they received. — Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments. Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access. — / INTERNATIONAL South Africa’s Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development is accepting public comments on draft cannabis regulations. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “Suk-Sai-Yat and Cannabis sativa oil demonstrated comparable efficacy to lorazepam with favorable safety profiles, supporting their role as integrative, non-benzodiazepine options for chronic insomnia management.” A study found that “a single dose of psilocybin with unstructured support produced rapid, clinically meaningful, and sustained reductions in [obsessive-compulsive disorder] symptoms.” / BUSINESS Aurora Cannabis Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$94.2 million and a net loss from continuing operations of C$1.7 million. An Illinois judge mostly rejected Curaleaf Inc.’s effort to dismiss a former employee’s Whistleblower Act claims. WM Technology, Inc. has new board of directors members.

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