Cannabis not a “priority” for Trump DOJ, GOP congressman says (Newsletter: February 11, 2026)

*Congressional 280E marijuana tax penalty report; VA cannabis penalty
pushback; MD psychedelics hearing; AI & psychedelics study*

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*/ TOP THINGS TO KNOW*

Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-chair Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) told
Marijuana Moment he isn’t sure if rescheduling is a “priority” for the
Department of Justice—saying “they seem to have a lot on their plate” with
processing the Jeffrey Epstein files.

A new Congressional Research Service report on the 280E tax penalty for
marijuana businesses analyzes whether the policy blocking deductions to the
cannabis industry is unconstitutional.

The New Hampshire Senate Judiciary Committee rejected a marijuana
legalization bill that was recently passed by the House of Representatives.

The Maryland House Health Committee held a hearing on a bill to extend the
Task Force on Responsible Use of Natural Psychedelic Substances for another
year and require an additional report with updated recommendations to
ensure “broad, equitable and affordable access to psychedelic substances.”

Marijuana Justice and other advocacy groups are pushing the Virginia Senate
Finance Committee to remove new penalty amendments from a cannabis sales
legalization bill that were recently added by a different panel—saying it
“should focus on responsible regulations, not further criminalization.”

A new study in which researchers virtually “dosed” ChatGPT and other AI
models with simulations of drugs like psilocybin, DMT and ayahuasca found
that “LLMs can convincingly approximate psychedelic narratives through
learned linguistic patterns—but they do so without experiential grounding.”

- “Contemporary LLMs can be ‘dosed’ via text prompts to generate
convincingly realistic psychedelic narratives.”

The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division and other police groups
are urging lawmakers to reject a representative’s proposal to regulate
intoxicating hemp products instead of banning them.

People with marijuana convictions in Illinois can face long delays in
clearing their records even after judges approve expungement and sealing
orders.

*/ FEDERAL*

The Drug Enforcement Administration posted a profile of one of its
community outreach specialists focused on reducing drug demand.

The House bill to keep applying the 280E tax penalty on marijuana
businesses after rescheduling got one new cosponsor for a total of 11.

The House bill to delay the federal recriminalization of hemp THC products
got one new cosponsor for a total of 28.

*/ STATES*

Pennsylvania’s Senate majority leader criticized Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) for
being vague on what kind of marijuana legalization model he prefers.

A federal court began hearing a lawsuit challenging Florida ballot
restrictions brought by campaigns working on marijuana legalization and
other initiatives.

The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals dismissed a lawsuit challenging
regulators’ medical cannabis business licensing process.

The Illinois Medical Cannabis Advisory Board is recommending that
polycystic ovary syndrome be added as a medical marijuana qualifying
condition.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife sent an update on its
efforts to reduce and address environmental impacts associated with
cannabis cultivation.

Vermont regulators hosted a webinar about cannabis advertising guidance.

The Tennessee Medical Cannabis Commission will meet on Friday.





*— 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. — / SCIENCE & HEALTH*

A study found that “many veterans viewed cannabis as an important tool to
cope with or alleviate symptoms from a variety of health conditions” but
that they “obtain information about it from sources other than healthcare
professionals and may be reluctant to discuss their cannabis use with
clinicians despite its relevance to their care.”

A review concluded that “preliminary review-level evidence suggests that
individuals self-medicating with psychedelics—particularly psilocybin and
LSD—report symptom relief for conditions such as cluster headache.”

*/ ADVOCACY, OPINION & ANALYSIS*

Officials with prohibitionist organization Smart Approaches to Marijuana
previewed their strategy to fight cannabis rescheduling and other reforms
in the courts, including by suing marijuana businesses.

*/ BUSINESS*

Organigram Global Inc. reported quarterly net revenue of C$63.5 million.

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*Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.*

The post Cannabis not a “priority” for Trump DOJ, GOP congressman says
(Newsletter: February 11, 2026) appeared first on Marijuana Moment.