🌿 Senate funding bill includes hemp ban delay, FAA reviews cannabis rules for aviation personnel, and Thailand moves toward medical cannabis only limits

Happy Friday 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:

…and more. Let’s get to it.

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Delayed high. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced that the Senate’s bipartisan government funding bill includes language delaying the federal hemp product ban until December 11, 2026, giving hemp businesses additional time while Congress works toward a longer-term regulatory solution.

The delay, based on bipartisan legislation backed by Klobuchar, and Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), would postpone the broader ban but still prohibit synthetic hemp-derived cannabinoids, with Klobuchar arguing the extension will help protect farmers, brewers, and small businesses while allowing states to implement sensible safety regulations rather than forcing an immediate nationwide crackdown.

Sky high. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is beginning a review of its cannabis policies for pilots and air traffic controllers following the Trump administration's move to federally reschedule marijuana. Working with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the FAA will convene a series of expert meetings to evaluate issues including impairment, drug testing, cognitive performance, and how long cannabis effects may last, with the goal of developing scientifically supported “fitness-for-duty standards” for safety-sensitive aviation personnel.

The review reflects growing pressure on federal agencies to update workplace policies as cannabis laws evolve, though current FAA and Department of Transportation rules prohibiting cannabis use by pilots and other safety-sensitive employees remain unchanged.

Thai high. Thailand is moving closer to formally restricting cannabis to medical use under a draft bill expected to be sent to the cabinet. The legislation would create the country's first comprehensive cannabis law, establishing a single regulatory framework for cultivation, production, imports, exports, and retail sales, while limiting cannabis use to medical purposes, banning advertising, and creating a national cannabis committee to oversee licensing and enforcement.

The proposal follows a series of regulatory crackdowns on recreational cannabis and is intended to replace the country’s patchwork of rules with a unified legal framework focused on public health and medical access.

Maryland: The state’s highest court ruled that while the smell of cannabis alone cannot justify a police search, officers may conduct a search when the odor is combined with other specific facts that create probable cause that a crime is being committed.

New Jersey: A major cannabis company has sued the state, arguing that the law requiring licensed cannabis businesses to sign labor peace agreements with unions as a condition of keeping their licenses is unconstitutional and unlawfully compels association with organized labor.

North Carolina: House leaders postponed a vote until November on a bill that would effectively ban most intoxicating hemp products after hundreds of advocates crowded the legislature to urge lawmakers to replace the ban with a regulatory approach focused on age limits and safety standards.

AIR Global gambles on Greentank

The publicly traded flavored inhalation technologies company made a $20 million strategic investment in the vaporization technology company to accelerate product development, expand its reduced-risk inhalation portfolio, and strengthen their partnership.

High Tide takes the helm

The international cannabis business acquired four Ontario cannabis retail stores from Northern Helm, expanding its Canadian retail footprint and bringing its total Canna Cabana locations to 228 nationwide, including 103 in Ontario.

SNDL pays for parts of Parallel

The Canadian cannabis company completed its acquisition of assets from the U.S. vertically integrated cannabis operator, gaining indirect majority economic exposure to medical cannabis operations in Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts and positioning itself to potentially become one of the first Nasdaq-listed companies to consolidate U.S. medical cannabis operations.

Vireo ventures into Ohio

The multistate cannabis operator revealed four transactions to establish a presence in Ohio, including acquisitions of licensed cultivation, processing, and retail assets that are expected to expand its national footprint and strengthen its position in one of the country’s emerging cannabis markets.

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Stay tuned for more cannabis industry news next week!

💚,

The Pre Roll Team

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