Daily Cannabis News Brief for 8/31/2026

California lawmakers have unanimously approved legislation giving state regulators new authority to obtain marijuana products directly from retail shelves for independent laboratory testing, sending the measure to Governor Gavin Newsom. The bill would also require retailers to provide certificates of analysis upon request and subject licensed testing laboratories to state performance testing.

Avecho Biotechnology has resumed recruitment for the final stage of a Phase III clinical trial examining a CBD capsule as a potential treatment for insomnia after an independent interim review supported continuing the study at its planned size. Approximately 320 additional participants are expected to be enrolled, with the trial designed to have 519 people complete eight weeks of treatment with either CBD or placebo.

The U.S. House is expected to vote this week, potentially as soon as Tuesday, on a Senate-approved federal spending bill that would delay most new federal restrictions on hemp-derived THC products from November 12 until December 11. The Senate approved the legislation 90-6, and if the House passes it without changes, the measure would advance directly to President Trump.

A Phase II/III randomized clinical trial found that a low-THC, full-spectrum cannabis extract significantly improved core and associated autism symptoms in children and adolescents compared with placebo. The 61-participant study found improvements in measures including overall symptom severity, communication, daily living skills, socialization, social responsiveness and anxiety, with no serious adverse events reported.

Connecticut regulators have issued new signage requirements for marijuana dispensaries and hybrid retailers, including notices identifying the pharmacist available to medical marijuana patients and caregivers. Businesses must post the information at their main entrance, at each register or comparable point of sale and on their website, with consultations allowed either in person or through telehealth.

Curaleaf Holdings will open a new medical marijuana dispensary in Cutler Bay, Florida, on September 1, bringing its statewide footprint to 76 locations and its nationwide total to 177. The location will be Curaleaf’s eighth in Miami-Dade County, with additional Florida openings planned through the remainder of 2026.

A study involving more than 500 young adults found no significant overall differences in arterial stiffness between marijuana users and nonusers. Researchers found one association involving a measure of arterial pressure-wave reflection after adjustment for age and sex, but cautioned that the isolated finding could reflect functional differences, unmeasured factors or chance rather than structural arterial stiffening.

Endovia Health Sciences says it plans to make its next Food and Drug Administration submission for CannEpil this week and request a pre-submission meeting with the agency. CannEpil is a pharmaceutical-grade oral formulation containing isolated CBD and THC that was originally developed for drug-resistant epilepsy, with the planned meeting representing an early step in its U.S. regulatory pathway.

Illinois regulators say state law imposes no limit on the number of cannabis seeds registered medical marijuana patients can purchase or possess, and seed quantities do not count against a patient’s adequate medical supply. The clarification does not change Illinois’ home cultivation limit, which allows qualifying patients to grow no more than five plants over five inches tall per household.

Cannabis analytics company Headset Inc. has agreed to pay $1,012,876 to resolve federal allegations that it improperly received and had forgiven a Paycheck Protection Program loan despite being ineligible because of its work with marijuana businesses. Federal prosecutors say Headset received the loan in February 2021 and had it forgiven that August, with the government alleging its marijuana industry data services made it ineligible for the federal program. Headset does not admit wrongdoing and agreed to the settlement to avoid the risks of litigation.

Nevada marijuana businesses have until September 1 to apply for a new Cannabis Tax Permit from the Nevada Department of Taxation or risk having their licenses suspended. A separate permit is required for each physical business location, and companies must remain current on applicable state taxes before receiving approval.

Oregon’s medical marijuana and psilocybin regulatory programs will officially complete their merger on September 1 as the Oregon Health Authority works to reduce costs amid budget shortfalls affecting both programs. The restructuring combines the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program and Oregon Psilocybin Services under a single section while maintaining their respective regulatory responsibilities.

Ten states accounted for roughly 60% of all marijuana-related arrests reported nationwide in 2025, according to a NORML analysis of FBI data. Texas recorded the most, with more than 29,000 arrests, while North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin each reported more than 12,000. By comparison, Alaska, Maine, Montana, Rhode Island and Vermont each reported fewer than 100 marijuana possession arrests.

A study involving more than 900,000 U.S. adults found that older military veterans use marijuana at higher rates and more frequently than nonveterans of similar ages. Among adults ages 50 to 64, 12.6% of veterans reported past-month use compared with 9.2% of nonveterans, while among those ages 65 to 80 the rates were 5.2% and 4.3%, respectively.

Washington healthcare practitioners who authorize marijuana for medical use must begin using the state’s updated Medical Cannabis Authorization Form on September 1. Among the changes, the form no longer identifies a patient’s specific qualifying condition, while practitioners must confirm that the patient has a qualifying terminal or debilitating condition and acknowledge that initial authorization visits must occur in person.