Texas voters approve cannabis legalization ballot measure (Newsletter: March 5, 2026)

VA marijuana sales & resentencing votes; FL legalization poll & court battle; WA & VA medical cannabis in hospitals; HI psychedelics; MI revenue

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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 KNOW Texas voters who participated in the Democratic primary election approved a marijuana ballot question that asks whether the state should “legalize cannabis for adults and automatically expunge criminal records for past low-level cannabis offenses”—by a margin of 80 percent to 20 percent. A new poll of Florida likely voters shows that 66 percent support legalizing marijuana, a result that comes as state officials are asking the Supreme Court to uphold their rejection of tens of thousands of signatures on cannabis ballot petitions. The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill to slash medical cannabis registration fees for military veterans—with the sponsor saying that marijuana helps with “managing chronic pain, alleviating the effects of PTSD, improving sleep and reducing the dependency on opioids.” The Virginia House of Delegates and Senate gave final passage to amended versions of each other’s bills to legalize recreational marijuana sales, and the House approved legislation to provide resentencing relief for prior cannabis convictions. The Virginia Senate and House of Delegates passed a bill to allow medical cannabis use in hospitals and create a new state working group to issue guidelines on the issue, teeing it up to be sent to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) after a technical error in companion legislation is fixed. Washington State lawmakers sent Gov. Bob Ferguson (D) a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes and hospices. The Hawaii Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a bill to create a psychedelics task force responsible for studying and making policy recommendations on providing access to breakthrough therapies such as psilocybin and MDMA. The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency announced that the state is distributing nearly $94 million in marijuana tax revenue to 313 municipal, county and tribal governments to support various local infrastructure, education and other programs and services. / FEDERAL The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico sent a warning to U.S. citizens traveling for spring break that “drug possession and use, including of medical marijuana, is illegal in Mexico and may result in a lengthy jail sentence.” Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said positive results in a trial of 5-MeO-DMT benzoate are “great to see. Expanding access to psychedelics was the one legislative collaboration I had with @AOC.” / STATES California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) touted efforts to combat sales of illegal kratom products. Oklahoma’s attorney general said the bond set by a court for the alleged leader of an illegal marijuana operation is too low. Kansas’s House speaker said his chamber will not take up marijuana reform unless the Senate acts first. A Pennsylvania representative is planning to file a bill to regulate hemp THC beverages. A Maryland senator discussed his bill to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being fired for off-duty medical cannabis use. A Michigan senator said the state attorney general could initiate an investigation into Menominee’s marijuana business approval process. A Virginia delegate said he is proud to have voted for a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales even as a prohibitionist organization is targeting him in an ad. Washington, D.C. officials closed a medical cannabis cultivation facility over alleged violations. Minnesota regulators published a report on tax-delinquent cannabis businesses. The Tennessee Medical Cannabis Commission will meet on Thursday. — 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. —

/ LOCAL The Los Angeles, California City Council voted to develop an amnesty program for tax-delinquent marijuana businesses. / INTERNATIONAL Canadian officials reported that the cannabis industry contributed nearly $11.6 billion to the country’s gross domestic product in 2025. / SCIENCE & HEALTH A study found that “contrary to the prevailing assumption that cannabis use exacerbates cognitive decline, our findings indicate an unexpected association between cannabis use and preserved cognitive functioning in psychosis.” A study found that “psilocybin sessions delivered under the Oregon regulatory model were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in depression, anxiety, and well-being 30-days post-session.” / BUSINESS RYTHM, Inc. reported quarterly revenue of $10.7 million and a net loss of $13.6 million. Trulieve Cannabis Corp. is laying off 58 employees at a customer service center in Clearwater, Florida. High Tide Inc. has new board of directors members. / CULTURE Wrestler Rob Van Dam said he would consider returning to the WWE now that it no longer drug tests for marijuana.

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