🌿 Congress reintroduces pair of prominent pieces of legislation, alcohol trade association publishes cannabis policy memo, and BeLeaf Medical announces acquisition of BesaMe Wellness

Happy Friday and early 4/20 Pre Rollers! Welcome to another edition of The Pre Roll, the cannabis newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the industry happenings you need to know.

Here’s what we’re rolling up this week:

• Congress reintroduces pair of prominent pieces of legislation

• Alcohol trade association publishes cannabis policy memo

• BeLeaf Medical announces acquisition of BesaMe Wellness

…and more. Let’s get to it.

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🚨 ROLL CALL

Policy

Big bills. A pair of prominent pieces of legislation were reintroduced this week with bipartisan support from lawmakers — the the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act and the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment (PREPARE) Act.

STATES 2.0 Act 

​Representatives Dave Joyce (OH-14), Max Miller (OH-07), and Dina Titus (NV-01) reintroduced the STATES 2.0 Act, which seeks to give states, Washington D.C., U.S. territories, and federally recognized tribal nations the authority to regulate cannabis without federal interference. The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude cannabis activities conducted in compliance with state or tribal laws, while maintaining federal oversight through the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure public safety.​

Key provisions include prohibiting the distribution of cannabis to individuals under 21, restricting persons under 18 from employment in cannabis operations, mandating the study of the effects of cannabis legalization on traffic safety, and resolving financial barriers by exempting compliant businesses from trafficking charges and Internal Revenue Code Section 280E.

Full text can be found here.

The STATES 2.0 Act was originally introduced at the end of 2023.

PREPARE Act

​Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries reintroduced the PREPARE Act, aimed at better and immediately preparing the federal government for the cannabis reforms seen across the country and inevitable end of federal cannabis prohibition.

In particular, it directs federal regulators to create a cannabis regulatory and revenue framework, addresses past injustices, supports medical research, provides hemp industry protections, and confirms cannabis remains for adult-use unless prescribed medically for minors.

Full text can be found here.

The PREPARE Act was originally introduced in the early part of 2022.

Policy

Bottoms up. ​American Beverage Licensees (ABL), a national trade association for America's beer, wine, and spirits retailers, published a policy memo urging states to regulate intoxicating THC products using structures similar to those for beverage alcohol.

Drawing from their extensive experience in managing age-restricted products, ABL recommends that states limit the sale of these products to licensed beverage alcohol retailers, require regular compliance inspections, enforce rigorous testing measures, and establish clear labeling and advertising standards. The memo also emphasizes the importance of maintaining public safety and consumer confidence while accommodating the growing market for THC-infused beverages.

Business

Operation combination. ​Vertically integrated cannabis operator BeLeaf Medical has officially acquired fellow Missouri-based business and multi-store dispensary chain BesaMe Wellness, adding five retail locations to its portfolio and rebranding them under the SWADE name.

Current BeLeaf Chief Strategy & Revenue Officer Joey Pintozzi was previously an early hire at BesaMe.

🇺🇸 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Arizona: ​Total cannabis sales went down nearly 10% in 2024, declining for the second consecutive year.

Connecticut: The Department of Consumer Protection appointed Lila McKinley, a 10-year veteran employee of the agency, to lead its new division established to oversee the regulation and inspection of medical and recreational cannabis.

Florida: The Senate unanimously approved a bill to impose new regulations on the hemp industry.

Michigan: Regulators proposed a rule allowing licensed cannabis businesses to collect and recycle used vape cartridges in an effort to reduce environmental hazards associated with disposable vaporizers.

Missouri: ​Cannabis officials revoked 25 microbusiness licenses, primarily due to concerns that they were not majority owned and operated by eligible individuals in the program designed to benefit disadvantaged business owners.

Pennsylvania: ​Bipartisan lawmakers announced a plan to advance toward legalizing adult-use cannabis this year, with the intention of establishing a well-regulated market that prioritizes public safety, social justice, and economic opportunity.

💼 BUSINESS

Curaleaf

The international cannabis company opened its first hemp-focused retail storefront — the first regulated and licensed cannabis dispensary on record to transition into a hemp-only retailer — featuring Farm Bill-compliant hemp-derived THC products.

🌏 AROUND THE WORLD

Czech Republic: All doctors are now authorized to prescribe medical cannabis to patients; it used to be only specialists that were able to.

Israel: Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, has decided to impose a tax of up to 165% on medical cannabis imported from Canada.

Netherlands: ​The government has expanded a state-run cannabis experiment to allow 80 coffeeshops in 10 municipalities to legally sell cannabis from 10 licensed producers.

💨 QUICK HITTERS

• Wana Brands President Joe Hodas revealed this is his last week at the company after more than five years; he was formerly the Chief Marketing Officer.

• A recent poll indicated that a majority of Canadians view the cannabis industry as a significant contributor to Canada's current and future economy.

• ​Trulieve has contributed close to $20 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, supporting a renewed effort to legalize recreational cannabis in the state.

• ​A former executive at cannabis track-and-trace software provider Metrc filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit alleging the company enabled illegal interstate sales and failed to flag suspicious activity.

• Curaleaf launched its new Anthem brand, a pre-roll line inspired by vintage Americana.​

• ​MWG Holdings has expanded its Blazy product line with the introduction of cannabis-infused peanut butter cups.

📚 WHAT WE’RE READING

• Will Texas kill a multibillion-dollar industry? (POLITICO)

• An all-things-cannabis update on adult-use legalization, regulation, and the possible impact of Trump’s tariffs (Pittsburgh City Paper)

• The Weed Issue: The Nightmare Rotation of Ohio's Cannabis Rules (Cincinnati CityBeat)

• Opinion: CT’s THC cap is a losing game for consumers, patients, and the economy (CT Mirror)

• Without tax relief, California cannabis stores need ‘significantly’ more customers (MJBizDaily)

🎙️ POTCASTS

• How to Win in Cannabis with Mitchell Osak (Higher Exchanges)

📽️ VIDEO OF THE WEEK

🔎 JOB BOARD

• Vice President of Revenue

  • Glorious Cannabis Company

  • $145,000

• Key Account Manager - Cannabis (Northeast US)

  • Signify

  • $107,000—$157,000

• Account Executive - Cannabis

  • HUB International

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Stay tuned for more cannabis industry news next week!

💚,

The Pre Roll Team

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