Daily Cannabis News Brief for 8/27/2026

California generated $261.7 million in marijuana tax revenue during the second quarter of 2026, according to new data from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. The total, nearly identical to Q2 2025, included $152 million in cannabis excise taxes and $109.7 million in sales taxes. Since recreational sales began in 2018, the state has collected nearly $8.4 billion in marijuana taxes.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has established a briefing schedule in a lawsuit challenging a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services program that allows certain health care providers to furnish eligible patients with up to $500 annually in qualifying hemp-derived cannabinoid products. The appeal follows a May ruling dismissing the case for lack of standing, with briefing scheduled to conclude December 16.

At least two licensed Illinois marijuana dispensaries are now operating drive-through pickup lanes following the enactment of a state law authorizing the service. Village Dispensary in Godfrey opened its lane Thursday after receiving approval from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, joining Seven Point Cannabis Dispensary in Danville, which opened what was widely reported as the state’s first marijuana drive-through in July.

Cannabigerol (CBG) prevented long-term memory impairment in a model of schizophrenia, according to a study published online ahead of print in Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. Researchers found that CBG prevented memory deficits caused by a drug commonly used to reproduce schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment in animal research, with the authors saying the results support further investigation into CBG’s therapeutic potential for cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia.

The percentage of substance use treatment admissions involving marijuana as the primary substance has fallen by roughly 20% since 2020, according to newly released federal data. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration data continue a multiyear decline in marijuana-related treatment admissions, although the agency cautions that the figures should not be used as a direct measure of marijuana use or marijuana use disorder in the general population.

A Florida grand jury concluded that $10 million in taxpayer money was misappropriated through the Hope Florida Foundation, which is tied to First Lady Casey DeSantis, with $8.5 million ultimately going to a political committee that fought the state’s 2024 marijuana legalization initiative. The grand jury described the transfer as part of a “sophisticated scheme to fund political activities,” but found insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges.

Humboldt County, California, has agreed to erase millions of dollars in disputed marijuana-related fines and overhaul its enforcement procedures as part of a settlement resolving a federal lawsuit brought by five property owners. The county must implement new warning and appeal procedures, limit when fines can accumulate and pay $350,000 toward the plaintiffs’ expenses and attorneys’ fees, while admitting no wrongdoing.

Kentucky now has 25,209 active medical marijuana patients, nearly double the 12,745 reported at roughly the same point last year. As of August 25, the state had 23 dispensaries open, with a 24th scheduled to open August 28, along with 11 operating cultivators, five processors and two testing facilities. Kentucky also has 487 registered practitioners, while monthly medical marijuana sales are approaching $2 million.

A study published in Drug Science, Policy and Law found significant improvements in chronic pain, anxiety and PTSD symptoms among 522 patients prescribed medical marijuana, along with improvements in sleep, mood and quality of life. Among participants with chronic pain and anxiety who completed longer-term follow-up, benefits were maintained for up to 12 months. Researchers said randomized controlled trials are needed to more definitively determine efficacy.

Minnesota has issued 350 cannabis business licenses and granted preliminary approval to another 1,255 applicants, according to updated data from the Office of Cannabis Management. Microbusinesses account for 254 of the licenses issued so far. The state has nearly tripled its number of licensed cannabis businesses since the end of 2025, when 118 licenses had been issued.

Florida congressional candidate Mark Davis publicly acknowledged that he uses cannabis while demanding accountability over $8.5 million in taxpayer-derived funds that ultimately went to Keep Florida Clean, a political committee that fought the state’s 2024 marijuana legalization initiative. Davis, a no-party-affiliation candidate for Florida’s 16th Congressional District, called for the money to be returned and criticized the lack of criminal charges.

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management and Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Montefiore Medical Center have opened registration for the third annual Cannabinoids in Clinical Practice and Research Symposium, scheduled for November 19 and 20 in Tarrytown. The event will bring together researchers, healthcare practitioners and public health professionals and will include scientific presentations, panel discussions and a free medical cannabis practitioner course.

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board has released draft rules allowing licensed marijuana producers to form agricultural cooperatives. The proposal would allow up to three producer or producer/processor licenses to operate collectively, with a second public feedback session scheduled for August 28.

A systematic review of 329 studies found marijuana legalization is consistently associated with reductions in marijuana-related enforcement, particularly possession arrests, while researchers found no uniform increase in adolescent marijuana use. Published in Substance Use & Misuse, the review also found that adult use and legal purchasing generally increased following legalization and that outcomes depend heavily on how individual jurisdictions regulate their markets.

West Virginia health officials have filed modified rules governing medical marijuana growers and processors following review by the Legislature’s Rule-Making Review Committee. The proposal covers cultivation, processing, security, transportation, packaging and allowable products, while retaining restrictions on marijuana products resembling conventional foods or candy. The rule remains listed as “In Progress” and the latest filing does not itself make the changes effective.