Plain-English cannabis industry updates
What changed, what did not, and why it matters — short interpretive briefings from the Pot Shop News desk.
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BUSINESS
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The Cannabis Beverage Industry Has An Evidence Problem, With Too Few Companies Submitting Products For Independent Scrutiny (Op-Ed)
by Marijuana Moment on April 28, 2026
“The industry cannot ask for nuanced, evidence-informed regulation while simultaneously declining to produce the evidence that would make that possible.” By Leah Kollross, 23rd State Cannabis beverages are one of the fastest-growing segments in the hemp and cannabis marketplace, and one of the most structurally vulnerable to regulatory backlash. The reason has less to do
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Has Rescheduling Accelerated the Cannabis M&A Wave?
by Ben Stevens on April 28, 2026
Last week’s rescheduling announcement has placed a spotlight firmly on the medical cannabis arms of North America’s largest operators. With cannabis that is subject to a state medical license now
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3 Cannabis Stocks That Could Soar After Marijuana Rescheduling
by David Jagielski, CPA on April 28, 2026
These companies are major players in the U.S. marijuana market, and they all generated more than $1 billion in revenue last year.
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As cannabis debate intensifies, CT must fully leverage its equity framework (opinion)
by Brandon L. McGee Jr. on April 28, 2026
Op-ed: Connecticut’s social equity program is key to a stable, fair cannabis market.
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What impact will rescheduling have on cannabis businesses?
by mmjdaily.com on April 28, 2026
In the days following the DOJ's April 24 order placing state-licensed medical cannabis in Schedule III, cannabis law firm Vicente LLP convened a webinar with partners from Kleinfeld, Kaplan &…
CBD
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Chinese Researchers Reveal Ancient Use Of Cannabis As 'Indispensable' Crop That Was 'Deeply Integrated' Into Daily Life
by Kyle Jaeger on April 28, 2026
China’s agricultural history with cannabis is deeper than previously believed, with a new study placing the staple crop among “the five grains” (alongside rice and barely, for example) that were foundational to the ancient Eurasian economy and “deeply integrated into the daily lives of the inhabitants.” For the study, published in the Journal of Archaeological
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Aurora expands global medical cannabis lineup
by Stock Titan on April 28, 2026
Aurora Cannabis expands its medical portfolio with new dried flower, pre-roll and pastille products across Canada, Germany, Poland and Australia, leveraging GMP-certified facilities.
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Medical cannabis patients get new Aurora products from Germany to Australia
by Stock Titan on April 28, 2026
Rollout runs through June, spanning dried flower, pre-rolls and pastilles. The wider format mix supports patient choice and supply via Aurora's GMP network.
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Federal reclassification of medical marijuana opens door to expanded access in Texas
by Zorrie Jones on April 27, 2026
The federal government is reclassifying medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, recognizing accepted medical uses.
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The Pharmacokinetics of the Last Mile: Protecting Cannabinoid Integrity in 2026
by Contributing Writer on April 27, 2026
Heat during transit can transform non-psychoactive THCA into THC and degrade terpenes within hours — and the cannabis industry is responding with pharmaceutical-grade cold chain protocols to protect therapeutic integrity all the way to the patient's door.
CRIME
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Police raid Paisley flat and find cannabis farm and 'chained' man
by Emylie Howie on April 28, 2026
A Vietnamese cannabis farmer has been jailed after cops found a £100,000 cultivation in a Paisley flat
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Crime gang jailed after running multi-million-pound cannabis farms across West Yorkshire
by Dennis Morton on April 28, 2026
A criminal gang behind cannabis farms valued at about £4 million across West Yorkshire has been jailed
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Five Jailed after £4 million Industrial-Scale Cannabis Farms Raided
by West Yorkshire Police on April 28, 2026
Five men have been jailed for their role in growing almost £4million of cannabis at sites across West Yorkshire.
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Authorized for abuse: The math behind Canada’s medical cannabis "loophole"
by Jon Liedtke on April 28, 2026
Health Canada’s medical cannabis system is being exploited through high-dose prescriptions and pooled licenses, creating dangerous grow ops and enforcement “grey zones.”
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Men who posed with stash at £1m Oldham cannabis farm jailed
by bbc.com on April 28, 2026
The three men were arrested after police found them hidden in a loft at the operation.
CULTURE
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First regulate cannabis cultivation. Licence it after
by @kathmandupost on April 28, 2026
Nepal might license cannabis cultivation. The science of what that demands must lead, not follow.
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DEA Will Start Accepting Applications From Medical Marijuana Businesses That Want Federal Rescheduling Protections This Week
by Tom Angell on April 27, 2026
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that it will begin accepting applications this week for medical marijuana businesses to apply for federal protections being granted under the Trump administration’s cannabis rescheduling process. The agency’s “Medical Marijuana Dispensary Registration Portal” is set to go live on Wednesday at 9 AM ET. The move follows last
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Opinion: Open dialogue, education can change cannabis culture in the UCLA community
by @dailybruin on April 27, 2026
This post was updated Feb. 5 at 7:07 p.m. We pride ourselves on curiosity, questioning mindsets, breaking stereotypes and expanding knowledge at UCLA. Yet one topic is often left in a cloud of haze: cannabis use and its role in higher education.
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Kal Penn Knows Exactly Why People Keep Offering Him Weed
by https://www.facebook.com/javierhasse/ on April 25, 2026
Kal Penn talks to High Times about finally meeting Cheech Marin, the strain deal he should have gotten years ago and why Harold & Kumar's accidental ambassador is still getting offered weed everywhere he goes.
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When cannabis cultural and CRE collide
by Allen Buchanan on April 25, 2026
Indulge me while I share a story about cannabis and my one and only experience with its use in an industrial building.
EDIBLES
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Hartford Hospital cafeteria menu: 4/26-5/2 | Hartford Hospital
by hartfordhospital.org on April 24, 2026
Learn more about News Detail at hartfordhospital.org
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Will SC ban intoxicating hemp drinks for everyone? State weighs prohibition
by Lucy Valeski on April 23, 2026
South Carolina lawmakers want to regulate or ban high-inducing hemp products by the end of the year. Here’s what they could do.
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St. Louis smoke shop halts sale of THC edibles packaged like candy
by Rebecca Rivas on April 23, 2026
Pressure STL sells a lookalike package of Skittles, where each piece of candy contains 20mg of THC.
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6-year-old child recovering after ingesting THC-infused gummies
by WGAL on April 22, 2026
According to the Lancaster Township Police Department, the child became lethargic and suffered seizures before being taken for treatment.
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St. Louis smoke shop halts sale of THC edibles packaged like candy
by Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent on April 22, 2026
A St. Louis smoke shop has agreed to stop selling highly potent THC edibles packaged to mimic popular candy.
JOBS
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Ensuring the high road in Cannabis: Legalization offers a chance to make the cannabis industry a model of good jobs—if workers are given a voice
by Sebastian Hickey on April 27, 2026
What this report finds: There are many potential paths for cannabis workers under broader cannabis legalization likely to come. Under the low-road scenario outlined in this report, cannabis workers are subject to the same harmful practices inflicted on nonunionized workers in agriculture and other industries with parallels to cannabis: low wages, few workplace benefits, unprotected…
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Virginia Officials Post New Marijuana Regulatory And Compliance Job Openings As Governor Nears Deadline To Act On Adult-Use Sales Bill
by Kyle Jaeger on April 2, 2026
Virginia officials are ramping up hiring for a variety of cannabis regulatory roles as the state’s pro-legalization governor prepares to take action on a bill to allow recreational sales, in addition to several other reform proposals that lawmakers have sent to her desk. In one of the latest indicators that the commonwealth is positioned to
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Cannabis Jobs Update
by Staff on April 1, 2026
Explore Canada’s cannabis jobs for April 2026. Find new roles in retail, cultivation, production, and more across every region and province.
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The Latest Cannabis Industry Stats: Jobs, Sales & Regional Growth
by @MEXC_Official on March 27, 2026
Spend enough time around cannabis operators and you start hearing the same thing. The numbers look good from the outside; get inside, and it’s a different conversation
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Cannabis company to close Denver grow facility, cut 132 jobs
by Denver Business Journal on March 23, 2026
POLITICS
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The Cannabis Beverage Industry Has An Evidence Problem, With Too Few Companies Submitting Products For Independent Scrutiny (Op-Ed)
by Marijuana Moment on April 28, 2026
“The industry cannot ask for nuanced, evidence-informed regulation while simultaneously declining to produce the evidence that would make that possible.” By Leah Kollross, 23rd State Cannabis beverages are one of the fastest-growing segments in the hemp and cannabis marketplace, and one of the most structurally vulnerable to regulatory backlash. The reason has less to do
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As cannabis debate intensifies, CT must fully leverage its equity framework (opinion)
by Brandon L. McGee Jr. on April 28, 2026
Op-ed: Connecticut’s social equity program is key to a stable, fair cannabis market.
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Indigenous Cannabis Is Shaping the Industry’s Future
by @HIGH_TIMES_Mag on April 28, 2026
Indigenous communities are redefining cannabis through sovereignty, healing, and policy—building a future the broader industry is only starting to recognize.
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North Carolina Could Legalize Medical Marijuana Now That It's Been Federally Rescheduled, Senate Leader Says
by Tom Angell on April 28, 2026
North Carolina lawmakers will take a more serious look at legalizing medical marijuana in the state following the Trump administration’s move to reschedule cannabis at the federal level, the state’s top senator says. The North Carolina Senate has passed medical cannabis bills in a number of past sessions that have later stalled out in the
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Virginia cannabis retail plan in limbo after lawmakers reject Spanberger changes
by Markus Schmidt Virginia Mercury on April 28, 2026
RICHMOND — Five years after Virginia legalized simple adult possession of marijuana, lawmakers are at an impasse over how to finally stand up a legal retail market, after the General
SCIENCE
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HHC 24/7 marks 50,000 visits in first year | Hartford HealthCare
by hartfordhealthcare.org on April 24, 2026
Learn more about News Detail at hartfordhealthcare.org
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Trump administration reclassifies marijuana, as public polls give mixed signals
by The Christian Science Monitor on April 24, 2026
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, following President Donald Trump’s call for a more “common sense” policy. But many Americans have been growing more skeptical of the drug’s effects on users and on U.S. society.
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New U.S. law promises to light up marijuana research
by newsfromscience on April 24, 2026
Biden signs bill streamlining pot studies and production for research
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News at a glance: Antibioticmaking clams, marijuana for research, and China’s ‘Friedmann’
by newsfromscience on April 24, 2026
The latest in science and policy
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US reclassifies some marijuana products as less dangerous drug
by Al Jazeera on April 23, 2026
Step is latest example of shift away from heavy penalisation that has given way to widespread legalisation efforts.