Few areas of law have been able to expose the contradictions of federal cannabis policy quite like the Dormant Commerce Clause. The Constitution’s long-standing rule against state economic protectionism has recently found itself in the middle of cannabis licensing disputes. The result is a body of case law that is fractured, just like the state-by-state
There’s a scene just before the final firefight in Platoon, Oliver Stone’s unflinching view into the experiences of a group of young Americans fighting in Vietnam, that reminds me of the state of the potential rescheduling of marijuana by the federal government. In the scene, as Sgt. “Red” O’Neill (played with the typical
A congressional committee has approved a spending bill that contains provisions to block the Justice Department from rescheduling marijuana. The legislation would also maintain a separate long-standing rider protecting state medical cannabis programs from federal interference — though with new language
![North Carolina Governor Forms a [High] Council on Cannabis](https://www.buddingtrendsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2025/07/North-Carolina-Sign-GettyImages-1417021384.jpg)
On June 4, North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein issued an executive order creating the North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis. Stein elaborated on this decision in a recent interview with WRAL News.
The High Council (yes, that’s what we’re calling it now) is made up of 24 bipartisan members drawn from various governmental agencies, the
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it
Most of the annual state legislative sessions have ended or are nearing an end, and it would be an understatement to say that the hemp industry has ever experienced a more widespread and seemingly coordinated effort to roll back consumable hemp programs. In some states, those reforms were dramatic. Others, substantial but not existential. Add to
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
Often wrong, never in doubt. That’s our promise here at Budding Trends. A little over a year ago, we wrote these words: “DEA will reschedule marijuana from Schedule 1 to Schedule III.” We later acknowledged we (may have) jumped the gun on that and modified our prediction to be that rescheduling won’t happen in
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
In November 2023, we pondered whether 2024 might be “the year” for medical marijuana legalization in North Carolina. Well, it wasn’t.
Why, you ask? How can a state whose population has expressed overwhelming bipartisan support for medical marijuana legalization still have nothing to show for it? How can a state whose Senate has shown