After years of advocacy, Congress acted to close loophole allowing #IntoxicatingHemp products to proliferate with too few safeguards. Now Senate leaders propose delaying those #PublicHealth protections as the industry pushes for a reversal. #Hemp Read @forbes.com: www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...

Hemp Industry Scores Major Win To Keep Intoxicating THC Products Legal

Congress is trying to delay a law that would effectively kill the $28 billion intoxicating hemp industry.

forbes.com

1/New #MSN coverage featured our own Dr. Lynn Silver discussing growing evidence linking #cannabis use to #ardiovascularDisease. Major analysis of 24 studies found: - 2× higher risk of cardiovascular death - 29% higher heart attack risk - 20% higher stroke risk See: bit.ly/4hi4Gzy

1/Our (@publichealthinst.bsky.social's @getitrightonmj.bsky.social) study, led by #KaiserPermanente, continues to gain national attention. Medical Daily highlights our findings linking adolescent #cannabis use w. more than 2x’s risk of later #psychotic & bipolar disorders. Article: bit.ly/44iKi9N

JAMA Study Finds Teen Marijuana Use More Than Doubles the Risk of Serious Mental Illness

A JAMA Health Forum study of 463,396 teens found cannabis use doubles the risk of psychosis and bipolar disorder. Cannabis typically preceded psychiatric diagnosis by 1.7–2.3 years.

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1/Major new review in @thelancet.com Psychiatry, covered by the #Guardian’s @iansample.bsky.social, reaches striking conclusion: Commercial #cannabis markets—not decriminalization—are linked to increased cannabis use, higher-potency products, & more related #psychosis & psychiatric harms.

#BigCannabis just took a major step toward #WallStreet. #Trulieve ($1.2B in annual revenue) is now the first U.S. #cannabis company to trade on the #NYSE, per @washingtonpost.com. More capital means more expansion & influence—making #PublicHealth safeguards more important than ever.

1/New study in #PubHealthBMC by our @getitrightonmj.bsky.social team (at @publichealthinst.bsky.social) finds economic priorities outweigh #PublicHealth concerns in #cannabis policymaking. Tax revenue & economic development top officials' priorities, as health protections lag. Study: bit.ly/3QdFpeK

1/Featured in an @itvnews.bsky.social report on #MedicinalCannabis policy, @publichealthinst.bsky.social's Dr. Lynn Silver warned against "insane promotion" of #cannabis when evidence is weak—or sometimes even harmful—& urged policymakers caution about allowing a for-profit industry to emerge.

1/Thank you @abigailspanberger.com for thoughtful veto of #Virginia's #cannabis retail bill focusing on children’s health, public safety, accountability, & strong oversight! She is right: legalization should be done right—not rushed. Read @virginiamercury.com's @MSchmidtRVA: bit.ly/42K54yt

1/#UCSD research (175K + CA teens) finds adolescents consistently view #cannabis as less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes, or vapes—reinforcing our prior studies linking normalization & advertising to lower perceived risk as high-potency youth use rises. #PublicHealth Read Study: bit.ly/4nzB3uS

1/Major lawsuits against some of the nation’s largest #cannabis corporations — including Cresco, Green Thumb, Verano & Curaleaf — allege false medical claims, deceptive marketing, & downplaying serious health risks. Read @chicagotribune.com’s #RobertMcCoppin: bit.ly/4dplfai

Lawsuit claims cannabis companies intentionally made false claims about medical benefits

A federal lawsuit accuses three big cannabis companies of lying about pot’s medical benefits and hiding its serious harms.

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1/Strong reporting by San Diego Union-Tribune's #PaulSisson on major #UCSD-led study of 1K youth that found: • Slower gains in memory, focus & thinking speed among those using #cannabis • Toxicology testing strengthened accuracy • Link held even after controlling for key factors #PublicHealth

Study by #KaiserPermanente in @jamanetworkopen.com (we/@publichealthinst.bsky.social co-authored): NorCal teen #cannabis use rose post legalization—even before retail sales—& declined during #COVID, returned to “pre” levels by 24’. Norms, perceptions, & access DO impact behavior. bit.ly/4vTAFev

1/#YouthForward editorial in @capitolweekly.bsky.social: CA failing to keep #cannabis legalization promises: • ~$128M cut from prevention funding • Products packaged like candy • 469% rise in poisonings among young kids • Higher potency, rising #MentalHealth risks #AB2249 (#Irwin) needed! #CALeg

1/#AB2532 (ASM Irwin) will rein in an out-of-control #cannabis bev market. Products with up to 100mg (10 doses!) #THC per container sold as single-serving drinks—misleading consumers & increasing risks of: • Severe anxiety • Accidents & impaired driving • Pediatric poisonings #CALeg

1/New study in @tandfresearch.bsky.social we co-authored shows how #cannabis ads shape youth perceptions—& risk. Among CA youth, ads with flavors, “fun” imagery, & playful designs made it seem more appealing & less dangerous. Marketing isn’t neutral—it drives perception. And perception drives use.

1/New study in Sage Journals of #Quebec’s cannabis retail monopoly shows how legalization can prioritize #PublicHealth. In contrast to the U.S., system designed to sell #cannabis without encouraging consumption. Legalization doesn’t have to mean commercialization. Read Study: bit.ly/4rlzXmt

1/@jamahealthforum.com study by #KaiserPermanente (& @publichealthinst.bsky.social) followed ~500K teens over 8 yrs. Clinicians seeing what data shows (increase from maybe 20–30 youth a year in ER to nearly 600 in 2025). Watch Dr. Young-Wolffe on #KPBS w. @heididemarco.bsky.social: bit.ly/4cRKphW

Scientists are raising new concerns about marijuana use in teens

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association associates adolescent cannabis use with increased risk for serious mental health conditions.

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1/#NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee spotlights #KaiserPermanente's (& @publichealthinst.bsky.social, #USC, #UCSF) landmark @jamahealthforum.com study on adolescent #cannabis use & correlated increases in #MentalHealth risks. Longitudinal study follows over 460K teens for up to a decade. bit.ly/4s2GbZc

A huge study finds a link between cannabis use in teens and psychosis later

Researchers followed more than 400,000 teens until they were adults. It found that those who used marijuana were more likely to develop serious mental illness, as well as depression and anxiety.

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1/New study in #JAMAHealthForum, led by Kaiser Permanente & co-authored by researchers at @publichealthinst.bsky.social, UCSF, & USC finds past-year #cannabis use during adolescence is associated with a significantly higher risk of incident psychotic, bipolar, depressive & anxiety disorders.

1/NY Times Editorial Board just acknowledged a hard truth: #cannabis legalization w/o strong regulation has fueled sharp rises in frequent use, addiction, ER visits, psychosis & impaired driving. Legalize & regulate was the promise (one that remains unfulfilled). www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/o...

Opinion | It’s Time for America to Admit That It Has a Marijuana Problem

nytimes.com

1/Strong, deeply reported coverage by the Orange County Register’s @terisforza.bsky.social digs into our 2025 CA #CannabisPolicyScorecards, naming how Orange County cities scored — & detailing what each did & didn’t do to protect youth and public health as cannabis expands. Article: bit.ly/4tnm6hJ

Cannabis report card: Do Orange Countycities make the grade?

Columnist Teri Sforza writes: In the few O.C. cities that allow cannabis businesses, the industry generates tax revenue — up to $10 million for youth and safety programs. But public health ty…

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1/Outstanding, in-depth reporting by Record Searchlight's (#USAToday network) Michele Chandler on our new 2025 CA #Cannabis Policy #Scorecards — examins how #Redding, Anderson, & Shasta Lake are (& aren’t) protecting youth & #PublicHealth as legal cannabis expands. Read article: bit.ly/49Zirz9

Redding, Shasta Lake, Anderson fall short on keeping cannabis from youth

Current California rules on legal cannabis aren't tough enough, according to an Oakland-based research group.

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1/The #CityofPomona tops 2025’s California #Cannabis Policy Scorecards (60 pts), leading on #PublicHealth & #Equity with strict license caps, event bans, 1K-ft school buffers, in-store #HealthWarnings, equity hiring & fee deferrals, & funding for youth programs. Our Press Release: bit.ly/3Zfy2o4

1/@publichealthinst.bsky.social's @getitrightonmj.bsky.social's 2025 CA #CannabisPolicyScorecards are out! Local policies innovate yet underutilized amid rising #PublicHealth concerns. Report provides roadmap forward for cities/counties to better protect health, advance equity. Read: bit.ly/3NSzMkG

1/#rollcall: Congress moving to delay an important federal ban on #IntoxicatingHemp due these products being highly intoxicating, poorly regulated, misleadingly marketed, accessible to youth, & increasing poisonings/ER visits—all thanks to a 2018 farm bill loophole! rollcall.com/2026/01/15/c...

Comer wants spending bill to delay intoxicating hemp ban

Kentucky Republican hopes to win a two-year extension in spending legislation needed this month to head off a partial government shutdown.

rollcall.com

Insightful op-ed by Susan Shapiro in @latimes.com: a reminder that legal doesn’t mean harmless. Author connects rising #cannabis dependence to real health risks—& offers clear, compassionate guidance for recognizing a problem & getting help. #PublicHealth Read more: bit.ly/49qDPx1

Contributor: How I broke free of cannabis, and you can too

Pot is quickly becoming America's drug of choice, on track to replace alcohol, but its harms are becoming clear as well.

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1/New study of 160K U.S. teens by researchers at #Columbia published in @ameracadpeds.bsky.social's #Pediatrics finds that even #cannabis use 1-2x’s a month is linked to: • more #depression & #anxiety • worse school performance • more impulsivity Read article for more: bit.ly/4qN5zS9

For Teens, Any Cannabis Use May Have Impact on Emotional Health, Academic Performance

Even occasional cannabis use is linked to worse school performance and emotional distress for teens, finds a new study led by Columbia University.

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1/OpEd in @washingtonpost.com by #RANDCorporation’s @beaukilmer.bsky.social & #Standford’s #KeithHumphreys: Legal #cannabis markets have surged — but regs haven’t kept up. Today’s ultra-potent #THC (20%+ flower, 60–90% concentrates) means more impairment & risky driving. bit.ly/49fAVto

Opinion | States made marijuana use legal. Now they should get it off the road.

There’s no breathalyzer test for driving under the influence of cannabis. But there are other options.

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1/Must-read @nytimes.com opinion piece by #AcademyHealth's @aaronecarroll.bsky.social: #Cannabis policy moved faster than the evidence—& today’s commercial market has outpaced our #PublicHealth response. Question isn’t “legalize or not,” but whether we adjust to real harms. Read: bit.ly/3Ya3IdX

1/Op-ed in @latimes.com by @rabcarian.bsky.social captures what many in #PublicHealth have been saying for years: The #cannabis pendulum has swung from criminalization & #ReeferMadness to unchecked commercialization — & we must enact proper guardrails that put people over profits. bit.ly/4saUbkE

Column: Is the federal government finally transcending its 'Reefer Madness' view of cannabis?

Weirdly, Trump's executive order to reschedule cannabis coincides with an analysis casting doubt on whether pot actually helps with pain, insomnia and stress.

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