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⚖️ Cannabis Users Get A Big W In Federal Court

GM Everyone,

Gobble Gobble.

💸 The Tape

In yet another sign that America’s legal system is struggling to reconcile 18th-century constitutional text with 21st-century cannabis norms, a federal appeals court has thrown out a firearms conviction because the underlying “crime” was—wait for it—owning a gun while being a marijuana user.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the federal ban on gun possession by “unlawful users” of controlled substances—18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3)—doesn’t pass muster under the Supreme Court’s modern Second Amendment test established in NYSRPA v. Bruen. Translation: if the government wants to take away someone’s guns, it needs a historical analogue, not just vague moral panic.

The case, involving Kevin LaMarcus Mitchell, hinged on a simple question: Does the Constitution allow the government to permanently disarm someone because they occasionally use cannabis? The Fifth Circuit’s answer: Nope. Not even close.

The court found no evidence Mitchell was intoxicated at the time of firearm possession, nor any historical tradition suggesting America’s founders were in the business of disarming citizens for using substances that—had they existed at the time—Ben Franklin probably would’ve experimented with.

The ruling is especially notable because the Supreme Court is currently preparing to hear U.S. v. Hemani, the blockbuster case that could settle once and for all whether cannabis consumers nationwide can be stripped of their gun rights. The Justice Department, meanwhile, has conceded that the issue is now tangled in a “circuit conflict”—legal speak for “the courts can’t agree on anything.”

Recent decisions from the Tenth, Eleventh, Eighth, and Third Circuits have all chipped away at the cannabis-gun ban, with judges increasingly skeptical that cannabis use—especially medical use—automatically makes someone “dangerous.”

The Fifth Circuit agreed, warning that under the government’s logic, someone who admits they’ve used cannabis would be treated as permanently intoxicated, a standard that would disarm millions of Americans.

For now, Mitchell’s conviction is vacated, and the federal government’s request to bolster the record was denied as moot—a fitting conclusion for a case rooted in America’s muddled cannabis policy.

With federal prohibition collapsing in slow motion, and courts openly questioning antiquated drug-era assumptions, it’s increasingly clear: the Second Amendment and cannabis reform are on a collision course—and Congress may be the last to notice.

📈 Dog Walkers

$TLRY ( ▲ 6.52% ) Expands Vape Line

Tilray Brands is expanding its Canadian footprint once again—this time delivering a long-awaited moment for Québec’s legal market. The company announced that Good Supply vape products have officially hit shelves across the province, marking a major milestone as Québec finally opens the door to regulated cannabis vaping.

Consumers can now get their hands on Good Supply’s 1-gram 510-thread cartridges, debuting in two crowd-pleasing strains: Pineapple Express (Hybrid) and Blue Dream (Sativa). Both are compatible with standard 510 batteries and available online or in-store through Québec’s regulated retail system.

Blair MacNeil, President of Tilray Canada, called the move a win for both consumers and the industry. “This launch is a significant milestone,” he said, emphasizing that the products are fully compliant with the province’s strict regulations—an important box to check in one of Canada’s most tightly controlled cannabis jurisdictions.

Good Supply’s vape cartridges use THC distillate blended with cannabis-derived terpenes, delivering strain-specific flavor profiles built around familiar terpene combinations.

  • Pineapple Express: myrcene, humulene, linalool

  • Blue Dream: myrcene, linalool, humulene

Québec consumers looking for availability updates can check their retailer’s website as the rollout continues.

For those unfamiliar, Good Supply isn’t just another brand on the shelf—it’s one of Canada’s top-performing cannabis labels, holding #1 rankings across key categories including flower, pre-rolls, vapes and concentrates. The brand has built its reputation on accessible pricing, dependable quality, and strains that “punch above their weight.”

In short: Québec is finally joining the rest of Canada in the regulated vape era—and Tilray is leading the charge. With two of the country’s most popular strains now legally available in convenient vape form, consumers have more choice, regulators have more oversight, and the industry has another sign that provincial markets continue to mature—albeit at their own pace.

Minnesota Is A Boomin’

Luverne, Minnesota, is gearing up for a cannabis boom—just as soon as the cannabis actually arrives. After the state legalized recreational marijuana, the city quickly hit its self-imposed cap of five retail licenses, with most applicants eyeing the same stretch of streets. As part of the Sioux Falls metro area, Luverne sits in a sweet spot: cannabis is still illegal in South Dakota, but Minnesota dispensaries can sell to anyone 21+ with valid ID, no matter the state.

Mayor Patrick Baustian has heard residents worry that five shops might turn Luverne into a “hellhole.” His rebuttal: alcohol isn’t perfect either, and cannabis is simply “75 years behind in regulation.” To keep things orderly, the city adopted buffer zones—1,000 feet from schools and 500 feet from park attractions used by kids—and even left room for a possible municipal cannabis business.

Economically, Baustian sees upside: new storefronts and long-term property tax revenue, fueled by eager cross-border customers.

There’s just one snag: no product. Minnesota law requires cannabis to be grown and processed in-state, and cultivators are still scaling. High Fidelity Cannabis Company, owned by Terry Gray, is fully licensed but waiting on supply. As manager Zack Soula put it, the state “should’ve licensed cultivators a year earlier.”

Until then, Luverne’s cannabis industry remains ready—but unopened.

🗞️ The News

📺 YouTube

Hemp Industry Infighting After the Ban | TTB Powered by Dutchie

What we will cover:

Why is the hemp industry melting down and fighting with itself at the exact moment a federal ban just landed? And what does that mean for the regulated cannabis side that’s been watching this play out from the sidelines?

That’s the focus of today’s TDR Trade To Black, presented by Dutchie, live at 4 PM ET. We’re breaking down the internal friction happening across the hemp space — the lawsuits being drafted, the finger-pointing over who caused the crackdown, and how this moment could reset the conversation in D.C.

TDR Trade To Black, presented by Dutchie, goes live today at 4 PM ET with host Shadd Dales, along with Thomas WinStanley from Edibles.com and Michael Bronstein from the American Trade Association for Cannabis and Hemp (ATACH) for our weekly Insider’s Edge segment. Thomas will bring an operator-level view of what the ban means on the ground, while Michael will walk through how national trade groups and policymakers are processing this shift in real time.

The goal today is to clearly outline where things stand. The ban is now active, different parts of the hemp sector are responding in their own ways, and the next steps — legally and politically — will become clearer in the coming weeks.