Cocaine Is ‘Not Worse Than Whiskey’ And Should Be ‘Sold Like Wine’ To Eradicate Drug Cartels, Colombia’s President Says

Cocaine is “not worse than whiskey,” Colombia’s president says, while arguing that cartels could be “easily dismantled” if the drug was legalized and “sold like wine.” During an hours-long government meeting on Wednesday, President Gustavo Petro claimed that cocaine is stigmatized and criminalized “because it is made in Latin America, not because it is worse […]
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GOP Congressman Wants To Talk With RFK Jr. About How ‘Marijuana Is Harmful’ As Trump’s Cabinet Pick Heads To Confirmation Vote

A GOP congressman says it’s “definitely” time to have a talk with President Donald Trump’s pick for head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to convince him that “marijuana is harmful” and that the way to make Americans healthy is by “limiting” its use. After Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was cleared […]
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Texas Lt. Gov. Touts Poll Result Backing Hemp Crackdown While Ignoring Support For Marijuana Legalization In Same Survey

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) this week emphasized a survey result showing that more than half (55 percent) of Texans want the state to rein its largely unregulated market for hemp-derived THC. At the same time, however, he seemed to ignore the survey’s other findings: that even more Texans want the state to legalize […]
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Arkansas Lawmakers Approve Bill To Use Medical Marijuana Revenue To Fund Free Breakfasts For Students

Lawmakers in Arkansas advanced legislation on Wednesday that would set aside revenue from medical marijuana taxes to pay for free breakfast for students. The bill, SB 59, would supplement federal free and reduced-price meal funds with money from a state Food Insecurity Fund, paid for by cannabis taxes as well as private grants and money […]
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This Was Not the Catalyst

You’re reading this week’s edition of the New Cannabis Ventures weekly newsletter, which we have been publishing since October 2015. The newsletter includes unique insight to help our readers stay ahead of the curve as well as links to the week’s most important news. We no longer send these by email as we did in […]



Pennsylvania GOP Leaders Say It’s Up To Governor To Push Marijuana Legalization Over The Finish Line

Pennsylvania GOP leaders are delivering their response to the Democratic governor’s latest budget request calling for marijuana legalization: If you want the reform enacted, you need to meaningfully come to the table with the legislature and craft a deal to get it done. Meanwhile, a top Democrat in the House suggested there’s still some splintering […]
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Cannabis banking discussed at Senate & House hearings (Newsletter: February 6, 2025)

Musk: drug test federal workers; 1st marijuana bill of new Congress; HI legalization vote; New MPP leader; Study: Legal cannabis reduces opioid Rx Subscribe to receive Marijuana Moment’s newsletter in your inbox every weekday morning. It’s the best way to make sure you know which cannabis stories are shaping the day. Your support makes Marijuana Moment […]
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Cannabis Sales Begin 2025 Shrinking Sequentially

New Cannabis Ventures offers readers this easy-to-read exclusive summary of BDSA’s monthly cannabis sales data for 15 states. Cannabis sales decreased 1.3% sequentially in January. In this review, we share the results by state, beginning with the western markets and then concluding with the eastern markets. In total, BDSA estimates that sales across the 15 […]



Bipartisan Senators Address Marijuana Industry Banking Challenges At Hearing Despite Chairman’s Focus On ‘Federally Legal’ Businesses

U.S. senators on both sides of the aisle addressed the lack of banking access for the marijuana industry at a committee hearing on Wednesday, with one GOP member suggesting that the issue warrants a broader examination of federal cannabis policies. Meanwhile, a separate House committee also met to discuss banking issues, where the marijuana industry’s […]
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Illinois Cannabis Sales Exceeded $2 billion in 2024

Illinois released sales figures for adult-use cannabis in December today, a bit later than normal. They were up 2.7% sequentially to $153.2 million. On a per-day basis, sales fell slightly. The year-over-year growth was -0.4%, worse than the last two months: Units sold increased by 7.2% from a  year ago, suggesting  lower prices or substitution of lower-priced products […]