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Cannacurio Podcast Episode 68 with Joseph Lustberg

Cannacurio Podcast Episode 68 with Joseph Lustberg | Cannabiz Media

February 6, 2026 Published by

Cannacurio Podcast Episode 68 with Joseph Lustberg | Cannabiz Media

Discover insights from Joseph Lustberg, Managing Partner at Upwise Capital, on cannabis financing in Cannacurio Podcast #68. Learn how Upwise navigates industry challenges, secures capital for startups, and supports cannabis businesses with innovative financial solutions. © CNB Media LLC dba Cannabiz Media

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Virginia Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals Following Federal Rescheduling Advances Toward Senate Floor Vote

Virginia Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals Following Federal Rescheduling Advances Toward Senate Floor Vote

February 6, 2026 Published by

Virginia Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals Following Federal Rescheduling Advances Toward Senate Floor Vote

Virginia lawmakers have approved a bill to allow qualifying patients to access medical marijuana in hospitals—but only after the federal government finalizes a pending proposal to reschedule cannabis.

The Senate Education and Health Committee voted 14-0 on Thursday to advance the legislation from Sen. Barbara Favola (D), days after it advanced through a subcommittee. The legislation would build upon existing state law protecting health professionals at hospices and nursing facilities that assist terminally ill patients in utilizing medical cannabis treatment.

Those protections would be expanded to hospital workers under the substitute version of the bill that was approved by the subcommittee.

As originally introduced, the measure would have simply directed the state the Department of Health to form a working group to explore the reform, but its scope was expanded in the subcommittee.

Sen. Lamont Bagby (D) said at Thursday’s hearing that the bill “directs the Board of Health to promulgate regulations specifying hospital staff may store, dispense and administer cannabis oil when a patient has valid certification, and it exempts such staff from criminal penalties or possessions of cannabis oil.”

Unlike other states where similar laws are in place or being considered this session—a policy known as “Ryan’s law,” named after a young medical marijuana patient in California who passed away—the Virginia bill would only extend the protections to hospital settings if cannabis is federally rescheduled.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December directing the attorney general to expeditiously move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), but that’s yet to materialize.

Meanwhile in Virginia, lawmakers are also considering more robust reforms to the state’s marijuana laws, including proposals to legalize recreational cannabis sales.

A recent poll found that lawmakers seeking to allow commercial marijuana sales have the support of a majority of registered voters.

The survey results come as committees in the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate have recently approved bills to legalize and regulate the adult-use cannabis market.

While there are some differences between the chambers’ bills, the overall proposals largely align with recommendations released last month by the legislature’s Joint Commission to Oversee the Transition of the Commonwealth into a Cannabis Retail Market.

Since legalizing cannabis possession and home cultivation in 2021, Virginia lawmakers have worked to establish a commercial marijuana market—only to have those efforts consistently stalled under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), who twice vetoed measures to enact it that were sent to his desk by the legislature.

Newly sworn-in Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) supports legalizing adult-use marijuana sales.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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Meanwhile, Virginia lawmakers have filed other marijuana-related legislation for the 2026 session, including a proposal to provide resentencing relief for people convicted of past cannabis crimes.

Separately, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry recently published a new outlining workplace protections for cannabis consumers.

The post Virginia Bill To Allow Medical Marijuana Use In Hospitals Following Federal Rescheduling Advances Toward Senate Floor Vote appeared first on Marijuana Moment.

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A New Government-Run Marijuana Store Just Opened In Minnesota

February 6, 2026 Published by

A New Government-Run Marijuana Store Just Opened In Minnesota

The first government-run marijuana retailer in Minnesota has officially opened its doors, marking another milestone in the state’s adult-use cannabis program.

The city of Anoka announced last week that it had completed constructions of the facility. Now the shop is operational, with a “historic” soft launch on Thursday, Mayor Erik Skogquist said.

“Our residents want safe, vibrant and well maintained communities, while keeping taxes as low as practicable,” he said. “The Anoka Cannabis Company allows the city of Anoka to do just that.”

While lawmakers outside of Minnesota have previously floated proposals to have state-run dispensaries, that’s been met with resistance in states like Pennsylvania. But Anoka sees a unique opportunity to demonstrate how municipal government can leverage legalization in a way that more directly benefits local residents and initiatives.

Kevin Morelli, city manager of liquor and cannabis operations, said the retailer is sourcing its cannabis from the Prairie Island Indian Community and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

“We hope to be busy,” he said. “There’s not many open and, again, we want people to come here and just keep coming back. We want to build loyalty.”

The dispensary is open over the weekend for customers who make a reservation online, and starting on Monday the store will open up to walk-in customers.

Friday is the store’s official opening day, and a follow-up grand opening event is scheduled for Saturday.

This marks of the latest developments in Minnesota’s marijuana program since the governor signed legalization into law in 2023.

Last September, for example, Minnesota officials granted the state’s first-ever marijuana event organizer license, allowing adults to buy and consume cannabis products on-site at a festival. The first non-tribal marijuana shops opened for sales to adults 21 and older earlier that month.

Also last year, the Minnesota city of Eden Prairie sought suggestions from residents on what to name a new, government-branded cannabis gummy product to be sold at municipal liquor stores.

Minnesota’s House of Representatives circulated a poll at last year’s State Fair that asked attendees about the idea of allowing localities to enact bans on marijuana businesses within their borders. Most respondents who have an opinion on the issue agree with the policy, despite it not currently being a part of the state’s cannabis laws.

Ahead of the enactment of legalization in Minnesota, lawmakers’ separate State Fair polls found majority support for the reform.

The governor has also selected a top cannabis regulator for the state who will oversee the adult-use market rollout. Last June, June, the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) issued the state’s first recreational marijuana license for a cultivation microbusiness.

OCM said at the time that it’s taking further steps to build up in the industry and create opportunities to entrepreneurs, including opening a new licensing window for cannabis testing facilities, accepting the first applications for marijuana event licenses and verifying more social equity status requests.

Separately, after Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill to end the criminalization of bong water containing trace amount of drugs, the governor signed the measure into law last May.

The change addresses an existing policy that had allowed law enforcement to treat quantities of bong water greater than four ounces as equivalent to the pure, uncut version of whatever drug the device was used to consume.

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Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
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Meanwhile, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) said in December that the state is “exploring” how to respond to an impending federal ban on hemp THC products, which would be “very disruptive” to a “thriving industry.”

At the congressional level, Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Tina Smith (D-MN), along with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), addressed the forthcoming hemp prohibition, which they said should be corrected by replacing that policy with a regulatory framework similar to what Minnesota has implemented at the state level to prevent youth access and ensure product safety for adults.

Klobuchar, the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, called it a “pivotal moment for many farmers, workers and small business owners who have built our state’s successful hemp industry.”

The senator touted the fact that she helped secure language in appropriations legislation that provides grant funding for the University of Minnesota to explore novel ways to utilize hemp for industrial purposes such as construction materials and pet bedding.

Minnesota’s Democratic top prosecutor, Keith Ellison, was one of 39 state and territory counterparts who sent a letter to congressional leaders last month that voiced support for the hemp provisions of the spending bill President Donald Trump signed. Ellison later defended his decision, in part by arguing that states with regulations in place for cannabinoid products like Minnesota should not have to worry about hemp entering their market from unregulated, out-of-state operators.

The post A New Government-Run Marijuana Store Just Opened In Minnesota appeared first on Marijuana Moment.



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