Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what's happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, there's good news for supporters of medical cannabis in Nebraska, on both the litigation and regulatory fronts. In Virginia, a new governor will be elected in a few months; will that mean a retail market could finally be established? The U.S. House of Representatives voted to attached a medical marijuana provision to a military funding bill. And finally, we have some cannabis winners at the California State Fair.
NEBRASKA
Nebraska voters passed a ballot initiative last fall legalizing medical marijuana in the state. Legal actions ensued, as we've reported, most recently here. Late last week, one of those lawsuits was dismissed. John Kuehn claimed that a state medical marijuana program would be unconstitutional, as cannabis is federally illegal. Lancaster County District Court Judge Susan Strong disagreed, holding that the small expenditure of money to implement the law does not give taxpayers a right to sue. The decision has been appealed to the state's Supreme Court, so stay tuned for more.
Meanwhile, back at the executive branch, Gov. Jim Pillen (R) has approved the Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission's emergency regulations. Effective for 90 days, the rules could be amended or become permanent, depending on further action by the Commission. Cannabis advocates have concerns about the prohibition of products for vaping or smoking.
VIRGINIA
As regular readers know, Virginia legalized adult-use cannabis several years ago. Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) strongly opposes legal cannabis, and he has refused to sign any legislation setting up a retail market. In just a few months, however, a new governor will be taking up residence in Richmond, and supporters are hoping a market will follow. A new government cannabis commission will begin meeting next week in an effort to come up with a new proposal for legal sales.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR VETERANS
The U.S. House of Representatives added an amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026 that would allow veterans to receive information about and recommendations for medical marijuana from their VA doctor. The bill would not provide funding for cannabis, but would allow veterans to participate in state-legal programs.
AND FINALLY
California's State Fair is in full swing, which means awards are being handed out. From pigs to pumpkins, the best in the state are getting medals for their agricultural efforts, and cannabis is no exception. Across nine categories and 50 subcategories, 150 medals were awarded to cannabis growers and manufacturers. Hard to be more mainstream than winning a prize at the state fair!
Be well everyone and we'll see you next week.
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