South Dakota voters last year approved marijuana legalization with more than 54 percent of the vote—but the state’s conservative Republican Governor Kristi Noem is now leading a legal battle to overturn the decision. The marijuana resolution was a sweeping victory for pro-pot forces, as it won in a generally conservative state and called for the simultaneous legalization of both recreational and medical cannabis. Noem opposed legalization from the get go, and is leading efforts to stop it despite voter ratification: a judge appointed by Noem has ruled that the constitutional question violated a law that restricts such measures to a single topic. Noem has said she opposes legalization because it would “hurt families” and expand the role of government. But after voters overwhelmingly approved the change she should gracefully accept defeat and focus on enacting strict rules and regulations to safeguard public health.
Meanwhile, a big acquisition is shaking up the market for pharmaceutical-grade cannabis products: GW Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes the only FDA-approved CBD medication—for a rare form of epilepsy—has been acquired for $7.2 billion by Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Analysts say it may signal the start of a merger boom in the sector as more states legalize cannabis and federal-level decriminalization of marijuana gains supporters in the Congress.
And finally, CBD sales are on the rise based on bloated marketing hype that the marijuana component is a cure-all for just about everything that ails you, but Harvard Health argues otherwise. A blog post notes there’s little conclusive scientific evidence to back such claims, and that as a biologically active compound, CBD use may have unintended negative interactions with both over-the-counter and prescription medications.