Cannabis Briefs for January 21, 2025

•A newly introduced California bill would legalize hemp-derived THC products in limited circumstances, allowing producers the chance to sell again in the Golden State following the emergency ban on hemp-derived THC, issued in September. Assembly Bill 8, introduced by leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, would legalize hemp-derived THC products containing less than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis, while still banning chemically synthesized cannabinoids and THC isolate. The bill accounts for THCA by defining “total THC” as both THC and THCA. While the bill would liberalize rules for the category, many previously existing products would remain illegal due to the strict limitations outlined in the law.

•Jones Soda Co. has expanded its cannabis brand, Mary Jones, to Missouri, through a new partnership with Missouri-based cannabis company Clovr. The first line of products is now available in dispensaries across the state. The initial lineup includes 100-mg. sodas in Green Apple, Berry Lemonade, Root Beer, and Orange & Cream flavors, with Cola, MF Grape, and no-calorie Berry Lemonade Zero and Cola Zero following in the second quarter. In addition, the company will bring its 20-mg. sodas to the state later this year alongside its THC-infused shooters and syrups in a variety of flavors.

•Cannabis brands Green Monké and Cookies have teamed to bring a new line of hemp THC-infused drinks to Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The new drinks will be sold under the Cookies brand and come in four flavors—California Peach Iced Tea, California Lemonade, Tequila Sunrise, and Hawaiian Rain—all at 10-mg. of hemp-derived THC and retailing for $16 a 4-pack. The tea and lemonade flavors are still and come in 16-ounce cans, while the latter two flavors are sparkling and come in 12-ounce servings. The launch is targeting 5,000 retailers, including Total Wine and Circle K, with 500,000 drinks released.

•Florida legalization proponents, including leading player Trulieve, are taking another shot at adult-use, aiming to get a new, amended measure on the 2026 ballot. The 2026 measure makes considerable changes to the failed 2024 attempt and is, once again, filed by the Smart & Safe Florida coalition. Changes in the initiative included a public ban on cannabis smoking, a ban on marketing aimed at underaged consumers, opening the market to non-vertically integrated companies, and leaving home grow laws to the state legislature. Aside from those changes, the measure remains largely the same as the 2024 initiative, which received 56% of the vote, falling just short of the 60% needed to pass.

Tagged : cannabis, Cookies, Green Monke, Mary Jones, Trulieve

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