🏛️ Feds Finalize Rule to Launch Medicare CBD Coverage Pilot, Hemp Industry Says

A key hemp industry executive says the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finalized internal rulemaking for a new federal pilot program that will allow Medicare to cover certain hemp‑derived CBD products, marking one of the most significant federal shifts in cannabis policy to date. According to Charlotte’s Web co‑founder Jared Stanley, the rule was completed about two weeks ago and is expected to be formally announced ahead of an April launch, with the pilot designed to establish clearer dosing, labeling and risk‑mitigation standards for CBD while giving eligible patients access to reimbursable cannabidiol treatments. The program stems from President Trump’s December executive order directing agencies to advance both marijuana rescheduling and CBD healthcare access, and early briefings suggest the Medicare initiative will begin as a limited pilot but expand to additional patient groups over time, signaling the federal government’s growing acceptance of hemp‑derived therapeutics (Marijuana Moment)

⚕️ Op‑Ed Warns Medical Cannabis Patients Still Risk Losing Their Second Amendment Rights Under Federal Law

In a new Union Leader op‑ed, writer Nathaniel Gurien argues that medical cannabis patients remain vulnerable to federal gun‑rights restrictions because 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3) classifies anyone who uses a federally illegal substance as an “unlawful user,” meaning they can be barred from purchasing or possessing firearms even if their cannabis use is permitted under state law. Gurien warns that this conflict forces patients to choose between necessary medical treatment and their constitutional rights and notes that despite recent court decisions questioning the historical basis for disarming state‑legal cannabis users, federal rules and ATF guidance continue to treat all marijuana consumers as prohibited persons. He calls for urgent legislative reform to resolve the growing constitutional and public‑policy gap facing millions of lawful medical cannabis patients across the country. (Union Leader)

📜 GOP Congressman Claims Marijuana Rescheduling Should Take “20 Years,” Criticizes Trump Administration’s Timeline

A Republican congressman told Marijuana Moment that the Justice Department should take “about 20 years” to complete the marijuana rescheduling process, sharply rebuking President Trump’s directive for agencies to expedite moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. The lawmaker argued that the federal government must proceed slowly and exhaustively review decades of research before changing marijuana’s legal status, despite the Department of Health and Human Services having already recommended rescheduling based on scientific findings submitted in 2023. His remarks stand in stark contrast to the administration’s push for rapid action, which supporters say would bring tax relief, research accessibility and regulatory clarity, while critics like the congressman insist that speeding up the process risks overlooking potential harms and undermining traditional drug‑policy review procedures.
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🧠 Large Study Finds Teen Cannabis Use Linked to Higher Risk of Psychotic Disorders in Young Adulthood

A massive Canadian study following more than 11,000 adolescents over time found that teens who use cannabis, even occasionally, face a significantly higher likelihood of developing a psychotic disorder later in life compared with non‑users, with researchers emphasizing that adolescence is a uniquely vulnerable period for brain development. The team reported that youth who used cannabis weekly or more had the highest risk increase, but even less frequent use was associated with elevated odds of later psychosis, suggesting no clear “safe” threshold. While the study does not prove cannabis causes psychosis, the authors say the strength and consistency of the association warrants urgent public‑health attention, particularly as cannabis potency has risen and normalization has accelerated among teens. (WUSF)

🗓️ Continued Cannabis News & Events

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• Cannabis-related 'munchies' are real, and could help people with AIDS, cancer

• Cannabis jobs used to pay well. Now minimum wage is catching up.

• FDA misses cannabis deadline mandated by Congress