What’s old is new again. The beginning of the year has brought us a sense of renewal, and taking a cue from Congress, we are revisiting some issues in a new light. Congress recently dusted off a bill that failed to pass in its previous forms for various reasons, including concerns about the bill’s constitutionality.
It’s that time of year again. Our annual round-up featuring some of the most read content on Budding Trends in the past year. This year’s edition has a little something for everyone: marijuana, hemp, mushrooms, state law, federal law, banking, intellectual property, and more!
Before we dive right in, we want to plug our January
I suspect my entry into the hemp market was similar to many of yours. I have never been a regular consumer of THC and consider myself a rule follower. A few years ago, I noticed new cannabis boutiques popping up in my neighborhood. Then canned hemp drinks started to appear at grocery stores around town.
On August 11, 2025, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officially transmitted a request to the Department of Health and Human Services to loosen the federal restriction on psilocybin, seeking to move one of the better-known psychedelics from Schedule I to Schedule II under the Controlled Substances Act. The petition was submitted by a familiar
Drugs are bad, m’kay. But what if they’re not? Psilocybin continues to be in the limelight for its potential medicinal uses, including most particularly its potential to combat the nation’s growing mental health crisis. Last week, we reported on the fact that President Trump’s surgeon general nominee was a potential proponent of the use
Earlier this month, President Trump tapped “physician-turned wellness influencer” Casey Means as his nominee for surgeon general. Means has close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Trump has touted her “impeccable” Make America Health Again (MAHA) credentials. We’ve written previously on what impact Trump’s second presidency could
As the hallowed cannabis holiday for stoners-turned-business-entrepreneurs falls upon us, we find ourselves in the shifting sands of change in the cannabis industry as usual. Not surprisingly, many states have seen legislation brought to the table, decisions made at the courts, and commentary presented by politicians that will directly impact cannabis businesses, medical marijuana dispensaries
It’s funny how things work out – sometimes you find yourself living in a sort of butterfly effect where the tail seems to wag the dog. In 2023, when we first started writing about the traction psychedelics were gaining as medicine, our goal was not to end up spending years covering the winding legal battle
2024 was a banner year for cannabis lawmakers and business operators. From Kamala Harris advocating for marijuana reforms to California’s clash of titans between hemp and marijuana markets, there was no shortage of drama in the cannabis industry. Vice President Harris vocally championed marijuana legalization on various platforms, emphasizing its importance for social justice. Meanwhile
As a