Our Latest Updates – Archive

“Father of Cannabis Research” Raphael Mechoulam Dies
3/28/2023 -

Mechoulam was called “the father of cannabis research” for a lifetime of research that included discovering THC in 1964 and then in 1992 identifying the first endogenous cannabinoid (or endocannabinoid), a natural version of THC in the brain.

Accidental Cannabis Exposures in Kids Rose Dramatically
1/9/2023 -

Within just five years, accidental cannabis exposures in kids aged one to six who ate edibles increased 1,375% from 207 cases in 2017 to 3,054 in 2021.

Updated Format! Should Medical Marijuana Be Legal?
12/8/2022 -

The medical marijuana legalization debate is now updated to ProCon’s top 3 pros and cons format, complete with a history of medical marijuana and all of the informative nonpartisan resources you’ve come to rely on ProCon for.

Updated: Medical Marijuana Votes and Polls
9/29/2022 -

Explore nationwide and state-level polls on medical marijuana support and disapproval from 2000 through 2022.

Mississippi 37th State to Legalize Medical Marijuana
2/3/2022 -

Governor Tate Reeves signed legislation on Feb. 2, 2022, after both the Senate and House passed the bill on Jan. 26. The law is expected to go into effect later in 2022.

New Study: Cannabis Likely Originated in Northwest China
7/19/2021 -

A study published in Science Advances traced the origins of Cannabis sativa to northwest China and concluded that the plant likely emerged by Neolithic times (10,000-3,000 BC). The study also corroborates the widely-agreed upon conclusion that Cannabis indica is not a separate species from Cannabis sativa.

DEA to Allow More Domestic Sources for Cannabis Research
6/1/2021 -

The DEA stated that it would approve more growers pending final approval. The move will result in not only more marijuana for study, but more varieties of the plant that more closely approximate what people in the real world are using in legal states.

Alabama Legalizes Medical Marijuana
5/18/2021 -

Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed the legislation May 17, 2021, making it the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana.

Mississippi Medical Marijuana Effort Thwarted by Outdated Constitutional Requirement
5/17/2021 -

The state constitution requires supporters to collect signatures in five congressional districts. Mississippi currently only has four congressional districts, having lost one in the 2000 Census count.

Virginia’s Medical Marijuana Program to Allow Botanicals
3/22/2021 -

Governor Ralph Northam signed HB 2218 and SB 1333, which will legalize cannabis botanicals in the medical marijuana program on July 1, 2021

United Nations Commission Reclassifies Medical Marijuana
12/2/2020 -

27 of 53 member states, including the United States voted to remove medical marijuana from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which includes opioids like heroin.

Mississippi and South Dakota Voters Legalize Medical Marijuana
11/10/2020 -

South Dakota voters also legalized recreational marijuana, the first state to legalize both simultaneously.

Virginia Legalizes CBD
4/14/2020 -

On Apr. 6, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed SB 1015 into law. The law goes into effect on July 1, 2020 and will legalize CBD and THC-A medical cannabis products, protecting patients from arrest and prosecution for possession.

Medical Marijuana Sales Increase during COVID-19 Stay-at-Home Orders
3/30/2020 -

As more stay-at-home orders are issued during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, medical marijuana dispensaries have been labeled “essential” businesses, meaning they can remain open under certain guidelines while other businesses such as bookstores must close their doors to customers.

Nine in Ten Kentucky Adults Support Medical Marijuana
2/7/2020 -

A Feb. 2020 poll by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky found that 90% of adults surveyed favor allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes with a doctor’s recommendation.