Trump pardons NFL star for marijuana; New Farm Bill hemp provisions; VA cannabis sales legalization; MD psychedelics; CO medical marijuana access
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/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finalized a rule to provide federal health insurance coverage for CBD, according to an executive with the hemp product company Charlotte’s Web, which has been collaborating with the agency on the initiative.
President Donald Trump pardoned former NFL player Nate Newton over a conviction for trafficking 175 pounds of marijuana, as advocates point out that there are still people in federal prison for lesser amounts of cannabis than that.
House Agriculture Committee Chairman GT Thompson (R-PA) filed a new Farm Bill that “reduces regulatory burdens” for industrial hemp producers—including by reducing testing and background check requirements and establishing a process to accredit testing labs.
The Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee amended and approved a bill to legalize recreational marijuana sales, sending it to a floor vote as similar legislation with key differences is also advancing toward passage in the House of Delegates.
The Colorado Senate Health & Human Services Committee approved a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in healthcare facilities such as hospitals.
The Maryland Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on a bill to extend the Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances for another year and require a new report with updated recommendations to ensure “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances.”
Steph Sherer of Americans for Safe Access argues in a new Marijuana Moment op-ed that the FY2026 federal budget is largely a “letdown” for medical cannabis patients who need “comprehensive federal legislation that creates a national medical cannabis framework to recognize cannabis-based therapies as part of modern healthcare.”
A Missouri bill to restrict hemp THC products stalled amid a filibuster on the Senate floor.
The Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division is considering changing rules that allow cannabis companies to choose their own product samples for testing by instead requiring independent labs or outside vendors to select them.
Mike Simpson of Lovewell Farms argues in a new op-ed that Congress should delay the impending recriminalization of hemp THC products and give officials more time to “regulate with evidence rather than panic.”
/ FEDERAL
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he “used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.”
Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) and 16 cosponsors filed a resolution noting that “the United States-backed drug war, along with economic displacement attributable in part to United States-sponsored free trade agreements, resulted in another major wave of migration from Central America and Mexico during the first two decades of the 2000s.”
The House bill to create a pathway for patients to access Schedule I drugs got one new cosponsor for a total of 15.
/ STATES
The Oregon Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health approved a bill to limit cannabis edible to 10 milligrams of THC.
The Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee deferred a bill to criminalize possession of marijuana products outside the original sealed container in the passenger area of a vehicle until next year.
Florida lawmakers are advancing legislation to decriminalize drug checking tools.
Washington State House Democrats sent a press release about the passage of a bill to allow terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in healthcare facilities.
A New York senator explained why he voted against legislation to provide greater zoning flexibility for marijuana businesses.
Colorado regulators issued an expanded health and safety advisory about marijuana products with aspergillus, yeast and mold above acceptable limits.
Massachusetts regulators published guidance on enrolling in the medical cannabis program.
New Jersey regulators took action on alleged marijuana business violations.
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office published a report about the budget request for the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel.
The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority Board of Directors will meet on Tuesday.
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/ LOCAL
Chicago, Illinois’s mayor vetoed a measure to ban hemp products.
A Cincinnati, Ohio City Council member is proposing to use marijuana revenue to fund record expungement, lead abatement, youth employment and workforce development programs in communities impacted by cannabis criminalization.
/ INTERNATIONAL
French regulators are expected to release medical cannabis pricing and reimbursement rules on Wednesday.
/ SCIENCE & HEALTH
A study found that “CBD protects human skin from [airborne particulate matter]-induced molecular damage and supports its potential as a functional bioactive ingredient for anti-pollution applications.”
A study found that “prolonged CBD exposure can precondition the tumor microenvironment toward an anti-tumor state, improving disease control and potentially lowering relapse risk,” suggesting “CBD pretreatment as an immune-modulatory strategy with high translational potential for glioblastoma management.”
/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS
The chair of the Missouri Republican Party discussed the benefits of ibogaine therapy.
/ BUSINESS
Planet 13 Holdings Inc. completed its exit from the California market.
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Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.
The post Feds finalize Medicare CBD coverage rule, hemp industry operative says (Newsletter: February 16, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment.
