Filed Under: Weekly Burn
The week rolled out confusion wrapped in reform. Ohio rewrote its own legalization law before it took effect. Wisconsin pretended that prohibition was compassion. Massachusetts still can’t regulate itself. The feds teased clarity on CBD while Europe doubled down on fear. Let’s grade the wreckage.
STATEHOUSE HEADLINER
Ohio rewrites legalization before it begins
The Ohio House passed a bill that folds cannabis, hemp, and intoxicating cannabinoids under one legal banner, calling it a “comprehensive fix.” Retailers call it a nightmare. The law would restrict Delta-8, tighten taxes, and hand power to a new regulatory commission that does not yet exist. Reform without a map.
Grade: D
GOVERNMENT CLOWN CAR AWARD
Wisconsin dangles medical cannabis to kill reform
Republican lawmakers unveiled a limited “medical” bill that would only allow non-smokable products for a narrow list of illnesses. It reads like a stall tactic designed to quiet pressure from voters who overwhelmingly support full legalization. Wisconsin wants credit for a conversation it refuses to finish.
Grade: F
REGULATOR ROULETTE
Massachusetts commission under fire again
After a wave of internal disputes, the Cannabis Control Commission now faces renewed calls for leadership reform and outside oversight. Auditors cited inconsistent testing standards and opaque decision-making. The agency keeps talking about modernization while operating like a rotary phone.
Grade: C-
FEDERAL STALL JOB
FDA moves on CBD, but just barely
The Food and Drug Administration announced plans to collect new data on adverse event reports tied to hemp-derived cannabinoids. That’s not reform, that’s record-keeping. It’s progress only if you count paperwork as policy.
Grade: D+
INTERNATIONAL HEAT CHECK
European Union pushes tighter import rules on cannabis products
The European Commission introduced new safety rules requiring ingredient disclosures, purity testing, and standardized THC labeling for imported cannabis goods. On paper, it sounds reasonable. In practice, it’s another wall around the market.
Grade: C
FINAL GRADE: D+
Ohio rewrote a law it hasn’t implemented. Wisconsin pulled the same old bait and switch. Massachusetts stayed messy. The FDA hid behind clipboards. Europe polished its bureaucracy. The movement keeps moving, but not forward.
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F O R T H E C U L T U R E B Y T H E C U L T U R E
The Drug Test Lie Finally Cracks in New Mexico
New Mexico’s Senate Bill 129 challenges the long standing assumption that a positive cannabis test equals impairment. By separating outdated drug testing from actual workplace safety, the bill aims to protect medical cannabis patients from job discrimination while preserving employer authority over real on the job risk and misconduct.
How Cannabis Can Cost You Your Gun
Federal law still allows cannabis use to strip Americans of firearm rights without proof of danger or misuse. As the Supreme Court weighs United States v. Hemani, courts are confronting whether the government can continue punishing people based on status rather than conduct in a country where cannabis is legal in most states.
Reefer Report Card Vol. 32: Kicking the Can Again
This week’s Reefer Report Card tracks a familiar pattern in cannabis policy: delay dressed as progress. Federal lawmakers punted again on hemp regulation, states flirted with dismantling legal markets, and patients were left waiting. Oversight weakened, accountability faded, and reform stalled. Another week in weed, graded.
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