The Last Few Weeks: What Does All These Moving Parts Mean In The World of Cannabis 🌿

Lets start with good news please! So much has happened within these past few weeks and all we want to compile are the steps that are being taken to move this industry forward, so lets dive in shall we!? But we'll add the not so good too 😒

✅ Embrapa (Brazil’s agricultural agency) green-lights long-term cannabis research

• Embrapa recently got approval from national regulators to begin large-scale cannabis research — including establishing a seed bank and developing improved genetic strains for medical cannabis and industrial hemp.

  
  

• This marks a potential turning point for cannabis cultivation in Brazil and could turn Latin America into a significant contributor to global cannabis science, supply, and innovation.

  
  

🤝 New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) expands access to medical cannabis for out-of-state patients, expands patient privileges

• New legislation now allows out-of-state patients with valid prescriptions to purchase medical cannabis in New York. It also extends patient certifications from 1 to 2 years and permits adults (18+) to grow cannabis at home for personal medical use.

  
  

• This could expand legal access, reduce reliance on illicit markets, and broaden the patient base — positive signs for normalization and better regulatory integration.

  
  

📊 Growing momentum for broader federal reform, including potential rescheduling and regulatory clarity

• There remains sustained conversation about rescheduling cannabis federally (moving from Schedule I toward Schedule III), which could alleviate burdens like the draconian tax implications under IRS Section 280E.

  
  

• If rescheduled, legalization and legitimization could accelerate: easier access to banking, reduced compliance costs, more mainstream investment, and greater incorporation into medical research.

  
  

⚠️ Industry disruption & potential job losses in hemp sector

• Regulatory change could decimate large segments of the hemp-derived THC market, including producers, retailers, and associated supply chain participants (e.g., processors, distributors).

  
  

• Genetics and seed-based businesses — important for breeding new strains — are also threatened, which may disrupt long-term innovation and cultivation diversity.

  
  

🔍 What this means for the “better future” of cannabis — and the risks that remain

Why there is cause for optimism

• Regulatory reforms and access expansion (especially medical cannabis and home cultivation) are helping legitimize cannabis as part of mainstream healthcare and lifestyle — potentially reducing stigma and improving public health outcomes.

  
  

• If federal rescheduling or further reform happens, the industry could unlock major economic growth, investment, and ease of banking — making cannabis businesses more sustainable and credit-accessible.

  
  

What threatens that vision

• The federal hemp-THC ban undermines a large portion of the industry’s existing structure: products, supply chains, jobs, and innovation. That’s a major setback if not countered.

  
  

• Renewed enforcement risk — even around possession — creates legal uncertainty for consumers, businesses, and investors.

  
  

• Regulatory whiplash (shifting definitions, sudden bans) could push consumers back to illicit markets, reversing some of the gains made by legalization efforts.

Overall we're still pretty optimistic. Although there are major hurdles appearing we've seen a bigger shift in people wanting to learn more, which is truly where the power lays. Some of us have kept it a secret for a long time but now more than ever people are sharing their success stories.