Let’s dive into the top stories shaping the conversation this week. Summaries of each article are listed below.
1. Oppositional Alabama Hemp Restriction Bill Signed into Law by Governor
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a hemp restrictions bill that has received much opposition from the hemp industry. The bill is known as HB 445 and will implement new requirements for testing and labeling hemp products, prohibit smokable tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) products, and place a cap on edible products that contain 10 mg of THC per individually wrapped product and 40 mg per package. Additionally, a 10% excise tax on consumable hemp products and the “state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board will be tasked with licensing hemp companies.” Consumable product hemp sales will only be able to be purchased from those licensed hemp companies.
In May 2025, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management published a study on medical cannabis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The 41-page report, titled “Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program: Experience of Enrollees During the First Five Years,” provided data on medical cannabis purchases, symptoms, side effects at the time of purchases, and more.
“Among patients with moderate to severe disturbed sleep, 60.8% saw a ≥30% reduction in disturbed sleep symptoms within four months,” the report stated.
3. Texas House Passes Senate Bill 3, a Prohibition on Hemp-Derived THC
On May 21, 2025, Senate Bill 3 (SB 3) passed in the Texas House of Representatives. If passed, the law would go into effect in September 2025. As outlined by the Texas Cannabis Policy Center, the policies of the new bill include prohibition on cannabinoids other than CBD or CBG in hemp products. Additionally, microbial testing would be required, as would reporting of cannabinoid content and concentration to DSHS. Labels would need to display cannabinoid content and would not be allowed to suggest the product is for medical use.
“We are deeply disappointed by the Texas House’s passage of SB 3, a bill that dismantles the legal hemp industry and ignores the voices of small businesses, farmers, veterans and consumers across the state who rely on hemp-derived products for their livelihoods and well-being,” began a statement from Texas Hemp Business Council.
4. Trump Administration’s FDA Commissioner Makes Psychedelics a Top Priority
Psychedelics and cannabis have experienced similar woes at the federal level. Both have received Schedule I classifications which places red tape on medical professionals seeking alternative treatments for their patients and expanding research that could prove the medicinal benefits of the cannabis plant or psychedelics, such as the psilocybin mushroom.
Recently, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Marty Makary said in a NewsNation interview on the FDA’s new initiative on psychedelics, “We have to listen to doctors who have these experiences, and this is one of our top priorities at the FDA, to listen to doctors, to listen to patients and to make sure we don’t get in the way with red tape. We want to do proper independent evaluations, but we’ve got to do it quickly.”
Dr. Makaray referenced that psychedelics have been used for a variety of conditions such as traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and severe refractory depression. Although he did not provide further information, he mentioned that these conditions have been “significantly helped” by psychedelics. For example, psilocybin, ibogaine, and MDMA.
5. Study Indicates Sperm Quality Not Affected by Cannabis Use
A recent study published in Andrology, explored if cannabis use may affect sperm quality such as motility. Researchers examined 1,654 semen samples that were provided from 921 male participants that were a part of a North American preconception cohort study called Pregnancy Study Online (PRESTO). Participants over the age of 21 years old were asked to fill out a baseline questionnaire asking if they had any cannabis use in the past two months. 23% of participants were reported as having “currently consumed cannabis.”
The study found that men who use cannabis do not experience lower counts of sperm or in sperm quality. Additionally, there were no “differences in sperm concentration, volume, or motility in cannabis consumers versus non-consumers.”
Here, we bring you our top five recent articles covering hemp restrictions in Alabama and Texas, data on medical cannabis patients and sleep apnea, FDA making phychedelics a top priority, and research on cannabis use and sperm quality. Read More
