💸 The Tape

For the first time, the Ron DeSantis administration has formally acknowledged that opioid settlement funds were used to support messaging opposing Florida’s 2024 recreational marijuana amendment.

The admission came during a Senate Health Policy Committee hearing as Shevaun Harris sought confirmation as secretary of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration. Harris previously led the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF), the agency that funded a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign warning about the dangers of marijuana in the months leading up to the 2024 ballot vote.

According to Harris’ testimony, DCF allocated opioid settlement money toward what she described as a legislatively authorized “prevention campaign.” She stated that marijuana was selected as the first focus area among various drug categories because of the department’s prevention priorities.

Investigative reporting previously revealed that DCF awarded a $5.1 million no-bid contract to Strategic Digital Services, a Republican-aligned media firm, to produce advertisements addressing both marijuana and abortion. Of that total, approximately $4 million came from Florida’s opioid settlement funds. The broader anti-amendment effort reportedly involved more than $35 million in taxpayer spending.

Pressed by Senate Minority Leader Lori Berman about coordination with the governor’s office, Harris did not directly answer whether the administration collaborated with the executive branch on campaign strategy. She maintained that the department had worked with the vendor on other initiatives and emphasized that the campaign was rooted in drug prevention efforts.

Harris defended the focus on marijuana by citing concerns about gateway drug progression and anecdotal cases involving THC exposure, including infant safety incidents. She framed the campaign as an educational effort intended to “clear up confusion” about potential risks.

The confirmation hearing also revived broader scrutiny around prior controversies involving state funds and political committees, including issues tied to Hope Florida and Medicaid settlement allocations. However, the committee ultimately advanced Harris’ nomination, with Sen. Don Gaetz—who had previously delayed her confirmation—voting in favor.

Politically, the acknowledgment adds a new dimension to Florida’s ongoing cannabis debate. The 2024 adult-use amendment ultimately failed to meet the 60% threshold required for passage, despite receiving majority voter support. Now, with the administration conceding that opioid settlement dollars helped finance opposition messaging, critics are likely to question whether funds intended to address addiction were appropriately deployed in a politically charged ballot fight.

Whether this becomes a legal issue, a legislative flashpoint, or simply another chapter in Florida’s highly combative cannabis politics remains to be seen. What is clear is that the state has now confirmed what had previously been alleged: opioid settlement funds were used in the effort to defeat adult-use legalization.

📈 Dog Walkers

VA Is Progressing

Virginia is once again inching toward something that has felt perpetually “almost there” since 2021: a fully operational adult-use cannabis market.

On Wednesday, the Virginia House signaled renewed momentum as the Assembly Appropriations Committee advanced HB 642, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek (D), in a 16–6 vote. The move follows earlier progress in both a House subcommittee and a Senate panel, marking the most serious push yet to launch legal marijuana sales after years of political stall-outs.

Virginia legalized possession and limited home cultivation in 2021—but never stood up retail sales. Two previous attempts to establish a commercial market were vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), leaving the state in the awkward position of allowing cannabis ownership without any lawful way to purchase it.

The newly amended House proposal would allow adult-use sales to begin as early as November 1—a notably faster timeline than the Senate companion bill, which proposes a January 1, 2027 launch. That difference alone sets up a likely negotiation between chambers.

Under HB 642 as amended:

• Adults could purchase up to 2.5 ounces per transaction (or equivalent product amounts).

• The Virginia Cannabis Control Authority would regulate licensing, sales, and compliance.

• Cannabis would face a 6% excise tax, plus the 5.3% state sales tax, with localities able to add 3.5%.

• Local governments would not be permitted to opt out of hosting cannabis businesses.

• Delivery services would be authorized.

• Edible serving sizes would be capped at 10mg THC, with 100mg per package maximum.

• Medical operators could convert to adult-use by paying a $5 million licensing fee.

• Businesses would be required to enter labor peace agreements.

Revenue allocations would prioritize regulatory costs, a Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, pre-K programs, substance use treatment, and public health initiatives—including impaired driving prevention.

In parallel, lawmakers are also addressing the past. The Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee advanced SB 62, sponsored by Sen. Louise Lucas (D), which would create a pathway for resentencing individuals incarcerated or supervised for certain pre-legalization marijuana felonies. A House companion measure, HB 26, moved forward as well. The bills apply to conduct occurring before July 1, 2021—the date possession legalization took effect.

Notably, Virginia now has a governor who supports adult-use sales. Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), newly sworn in, has expressed support for building a regulated marketplace—removing one of the key roadblocks that derailed prior efforts.

There are still policy disagreements to resolve, particularly around amendments added in the Senate that would increase penalties for certain cannabis-related violations. Advocates are pressing lawmakers to avoid recreating punitive frameworks in a legalization bill.

But after years of fits and starts, Virginia appears closer than ever to completing what it began in 2021: moving from legal possession to a functioning, taxed, regulated cannabis marketplace—while simultaneously addressing the legacy consequences of prohibition.

For a state that has already legalized in theory, this may finally be the session where legalization becomes operational reality.

Source: Marijuana Moment

🗞️ The News

📺 YouTube

Cheech & Chong Announce Technology Partnership with Flowhub | TTB Powered by Flowhub

What we will cover:

✅ In the latest episode of Trade To Black presented by Flowhub, hosts Shadd Dales and Anthony Varrell break down the escalating cannabis battle in Ohio after Governor Mike DeWine told marijuana advocates to “stop whining” about new GOP-backed restrictions. What does this mean for Ohio’s adult-use cannabis rollout? Are new regulations reshaping the voter-approved legalization framework?

We unpack the political tension.

In our second segment, Kyle Sherman, CEO of Flowhub, joins us alongside Jonathan Black, CEO of Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Co., to discuss the brand’s expansion of its retail tech stack through Flowhub. As highlighted by Access Newswire and Forbes, Cheech & Chong are doubling down on independent dispensaries with a bold new retail strategy.