Notably, none of the initial federal registrations went to businesses in states with operating recreational marijuana markets. DEA has taken the position that businesses operating under licenses authorizing both medical and recreational sales do not qualify for federal medical marijuana registration.

I would like to see other states adopt similar policies while eliminating the unnecessary restrictions on cannabis seeds. Although Missouri’s new variance is flawed, it points in the right direction. We need more of this kind of practical reform.

For businesses shipping hemp flower, the new UPS requirements are significant. But my advice about using UPS to ship hemp remains the same: Don’t do it.

Missouri hemp businesses face a looming state deadline. Beginning November 12, 2026, several hemp-derived cannabinoid products move into the state’s regulated marijuana system. The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation recently issued guidance explaining how it intends to implement the new law.

North Carolina’s Cannabis Council is considering options and approaches to where adults could consume THC products if the state adopts a comprehensive cannabis regulatory system. Most of the recommendations get it completely wrong.

Ohio’s attempt to move federally lawful hemp products into its closed marijuana market has now produced three federal preliminary injunctions and an expedited appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. These cases are important for reasons that extend beyond Ohio.

In another example of why US cannabis policy is inherently contradictory, a federal court of appeals just voided an otherwise enforceable commercial contract solely because the contract involved marijuana.

The phrase “gas station weed” is a lazy insult, not a policy position. A cannabinoid product does not become safe because it crosses the threshold of a marijuana dispensary. It does not become dangerous because it sits behind the counter at a convenience store.

There is a big difference between establishing legitimate product standards and using marijuana laws to close a state market to federally lawful interstate hemp.