This year already promises to have plenty of election drama thanks to the presidential race. But in some states -- including some of the biggest in the U.S. -- it also could prove to be a big election for marijuana. 

In other states, leaders are choosing legislative action over the ballot box. It’s setting up what should be an interesting year for cannabis advocates in 2020.

Chief among the states considering legalization are New Jersey and New York. Lawmakers in both states failed to pass legalization in 2019. Voters in New Jersey will take matters into their own hands this November. Meanwhile, New York is looking to partner on the issue with a neighboring state on legalization through legislative action.

News the ‘Don’ in the White House has secured a deal for China to buy U.S. hemp has been given an industry thumbs-up.

Certain aspects of the U.S. cannabis industry have limited protections from federal interference through annual congressional spending bills. Since the restriction of district-specific earmarks in 2015, lawmakers have used annual appropriations bills (also known as federal spending bills) to extend their policy priorities (or policy prohibitions) by inserting language that prohibits the expenditure of federal funds towards a specific program or activity.

“Landscapes are changing, and the Cherokee Nation needed to modernize its HR policies to reflect those changes,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a January 15 press release. The communication was meant to inform the public that Hoskin’s tribal association would be leaving space for its employees to undergo medicinal cannabis treatment. No longer will the group’s 4,000 workers in its Talequah, Oklahoma government offices need to fear the results of on the job testing — or exams administered during the employment application process — for THC. 

MDMA, commonly called ecstasy, is on the way. It’s just going to take some time.

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) noted that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its request to grant expanded access to the psychedelic drug more commonly associated with music festivals and raves than doctors’ offices.

The designation allows for the implementation of new therapies for patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who have not responded to currently available treatment methods, according to Merry Jane.

Emily* is an up and coming professional in the east coast, living with an invisible chronic illness that not only causes pain, but makes working 40 hours a week nearly impossible. The solution that Emily believes has saved her career, comes in the form of a vaping “pen” and THC. Living in a state without medical marijuana access, Emily feels torn.

National Institute of Health (NIH) spends an estimated $150 million per year on marijuana research. All of which is sourced from one farm at the University of Mississippi.

The federal Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is putting out a call for research on marijuana’s impact on migraines.