Chronological record
The law-change timeline
Every tracked change, newest first. Red nodes are federal charges or federal law changes; amber nodes are misdemeanours and ticketable offences.
January 2027
- MinnesotaNo active alert
Minnesota's cannabis event organizer license becomes annual and renewable on Jan. 1, 2027
The Office of Cannabis Management says organizers will no longer need a new temporary license for every event, though each event will still need its own approval.
November 2026
- MassachusettsNo active alert
75.8% no: Massachusetts voters reject Question 8, keeping recreational marijuana sales legal
With about 80% of the expected vote counted, Massachusetts voters turned down a first-of-its-kind measure that would have repealed the state's regulated adult-use marijuana market. Medical marijuana was never on the line.
- TexasNo active alert
More than 70%: Houston voters approve Prop A, making marijuana possession HPD's lowest priority and banning no-knock warrants
The charter amendment does not legalize marijuana, which remains illegal under Texas law, but it requires a five-year enforcement audit and bars Houston officers from no-knock search warrants. Results are unofficial until canvassed.
- NevadaNo active alert
Nevada Cannabis Advisory Commission Prepares Final Hemp Recommendations
Nevada's Cannabis Advisory Commission is set to submit final recommendations for consumable hemp regulation to state officials by November 9, 2026.
- New YorkNo active alert
New York Governor Moves to Repeal Cannabis Wage Board
Governor Kathy Hochul has initiated efforts to scrap the state's cannabis wage board, citing concerns over operational costs and the illicit market.
- FederalNo active alert
April 16, 2027: FDA sets target date to act on a capsule form of Epidiolex, the only FDA-approved CBD drug
Jazz Pharmaceuticals says FDA accepted its application for cannabidiol capsules for Epidiolex's existing seizure uses. A target date is not an approval, and FDA's position that CBD can't be sold as a dietary supplement or added to food is unchanged.
- FederalNo active alert
Nov. 2: Federal appeals court revives California cannabis retailer's challenge to state labor peace rule
A Ninth Circuit panel said a trial judge should not have dismissed Ctrl Alt Destroy's lawsuit simply because marijuana is illegal under federal law, and sent the case back for a fuller "unclean hands" analysis. California's rule stays in effect for now.
- FederalFederal alert
Federal Hemp Definition Change and Synthetic Cannabinoid Ban
New federal regulations effective November 12 and December 11, 2026, redefine compliant hemp and restrict synthetic cannabinoids, impacting businesses nationwide.
- FederalFederal alert
Upcoming Federal Hemp Definition Changes and Market Impact
New federal standards for hemp, including a 0.4 mg total THC cap per container, are set to take effect in December, impacting the broader hemp industry.
- FederalFederal alert
DEA Issues First Federal Registrations for Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
The DEA has officially registered over 900 medical cannabis dispensaries across seven states, marking a significant step in federal oversight of medical cannabis supply chains.
- OklahomaNo active alert
Nov. 1: Oklahoma moves THC to Schedule I under state law as three marijuana-related laws take effect
SB 1257 lists THC in Schedule I and adds THCA to the state's 0.3% hemp test. HB 3127 sets a zero-tolerance standard for medical marijuana patients in safety-sensitive jobs, and HB 4454's edible shape and THC-label rules begin.
- IllinoisNo active alert
Illinois cannabis labels must show total THC and hemp content by Nov. 1
An Illinois Department of Agriculture rule approved in April gives licensed cannabis businesses until Nov. 1, 2026, to add total THC, other cannabinoids above set thresholds and a hemp disclosure to product labels.
- FederalNo active alert
704 of 899: Florida accounts for most dispensary entries cleared from DEA's medical marijuana applicant list after the first federal registrations
DEA's daily list of waiting applicants shrank by 899 dispensaries after the Justice Department announced more than 900 registrations in seven states; the list does not say why entries were removed, and Illinois and Michigan were unchanged.
- FederalFederal alert
Federal Definition of Hemp to Change December 11
A new federal law will redefine hemp to include a 0.4 mg total THC cap per container, effectively banning many currently legal products.
- MichiganNo active alert
Nov. 3: Menominee, Mich., voters decide whether to raise the city's cap on marijuana stores from 9 to 13
The initiated ordinance follows two 2025 votes that set the cap at nine, a July ruling that freed up a ninth license, and lawsuits from companies that say they are ready to open.
October 2026
- FederalNo active alert
30 days to respond: DEA says Minnesota's dual medical and adult-use licenses keep a Minneapolis dispensary out of federal medical marijuana registration
An order to show cause served Oct. 30 says Minnesota's licensing system, veteran self-attestation rule and hemp-derived product sales fall outside DEA's medical framework. The same day, DEA's first 900+ registrations went only to dispensaries in seven states without adult-use sales in operation.
- FederalNo active alert
900+: DEA grants first federal registrations to medical marijuana dispensaries in 7 states; waiting applicants face Nov. 29 supply-chain date
The Justice Department says more than 900 dispensaries in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia are in the first phase, and new DEA guidance tells pending applicants to have compliant supply chains by Nov. 29.
- TexasNo active alert
Texas Hemp Industry Files Lawsuit Against State Health Officials
Hemp industry groups in Texas have initiated legal action against state health officials to challenge new rules that count THCA toward total THC limits.
- CaliforniaNo active alert
95: California says that many cannabis retailers have split dual medical and adult-use licenses as it proposes permanent rules tied to DEA registration
The Department of Cannabis Control estimates about 1,600 retailers and microbusinesses could be eligible to separate their licenses. Written comments close Dec. 14, with a virtual public hearing Dec. 15.
- FederalNo active alert
6,983: DEA posts first list of medical marijuana businesses that applied on time for federal registration under rescheduling
The Oct. 30 file counts 4,197 dispensaries, 2,076 manufacturers and 710 distributors, led by Oklahoma, Florida and California, but names no companies; DEA says it will update the list daily.
- TexasFederal alert
Federal Court Rules Texas Marijuana Conviction Insufficient for Mandatory Detention
A federal judge ruled that a Texas marijuana conviction cannot trigger mandatory immigration detention because state law previously included hemp products.
- FederalFederal alert
Federal Ban on Synthetic Hemp Cannabinoids Takes Effect
Starting November 12, 2026, products containing cannabinoids not naturally produced by the cannabis plant, such as THC-O, will lose their exemption from federal controlled-substance restrictions.
- IllinoisNo active alert
$1.05 billion: Illinois adult-use cannabis sales top $1 billion through September as monthly sales rise 12.8% from a year earlier
State figures released Oct. 29 show $118.6 million in September sales and about one in five dollars coming from out-of-state customers; Illinois says dollar totals from before its tracking change aren't directly comparable.
- FederalFederal alert
Federal Hemp Definition Change Scheduled for December 11
A federal funding law will redefine hemp to include a 0.4mg total THC cap per container, effective December 11, 2026.