Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at a new delivery system for CBD, cannabis at the movies, the cannabis policy positions of the Trump administration and more. Enjoy.
CBD Spotlight
In addition to looking for new ways for consumers to benefit from using CBD, researchers are also looking for innovative ways to deliver the drug.
For example, according to Ben Adlin, reporting for Marijuana Moment, a new study on the use of CBD-coated pillowcases found that use of the infused fabric coverings improved sleep quality for nurses.
In addition, Adlin notes, the CBD also appears to significantly reduce participants’ anxiety, which researchers say likely also aids sleep.
The research team explained in a report on the study, which was recently published in the journal Healthcare, “These observed improvements may be partly attributed to the transdermal absorption of CBD, which allows localized and systemic interactions with cannabinoid receptors, potentially influencing relaxation and sleep patterns.”
Wrote the researchers, “By offering an alternative to traditional CBD consumption methods, such as oral ingestion or vaping, the CBD-coated pillow may minimize potential side effects while still delivering therapeutic benefits. This innovative approach could provide a safer and more effective means of utilizing CBD to improve sleep quality, particularly for individuals with insomnia or those exposed to shift-work-related sleep disturbances.”
The report concluded, “Using a CBD-coated pillow cover was found to enhance sleep duration in healthy individuals experiencing poor sleep. Consequently, for adults struggling with sleep difficulties, incorporating a CBD-coated pillow cover may serve as an effective aid in improving sleep quality.”
To learn more, we urge you to read Ben Adlin’s article in the March 31, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
The Shape of Things to Come
Before too long, visiting the concession stand at a movie in New York may involve more than purchasing a box of Junior Mints and a jumbo package of red Vines.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, plans are being reviewed that would permit adults to buy and consume cannabis at movie theaters in the Empire State. Excelsior, indeed.
Jaeger notes that authorizing the sale of cannabis products at movie theaters would set New York apart as the state continues to build upon its legalization law.
Said New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Press Secretary Taylor Randi Lee in a statement to Variety, “For theaters to serve recreational marijuana at their establishments, they would need either an events permit or consumption lounge license. New York State does not have either yet but plans to in the future.”
The OCM’s comments followed Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signing a pair of companion bills into law that are meant to expand New York’s marijuana farmers market program. The expansion would allow for more partnerships between licensed cannabis businesses and standalone “pop-up” events.
In his article, Jaeger noted that New York initially authorized cannabis farmers market events in 2023, aiming to make it easier for consumers to access traditional retailers and to help producers bring their products directly to market. The farmers market events were originally authorized as a response to the slow roll-out of New York’s adult-use marijuana program.
Over time, the state’s cannabis industry has gradually expanded, with officials in January touting $1 billion in total sales since the market launched.
New York’s “cannabis goes to the movies” proposal is in the initial planning stage and would have to overcome a variety of challenges before it could be implemented, such as where to place the smoking lounge and how much candy is needed to enjoy a double feature.
To learn more, we urge you to read Kyle Jager’s article in the March 28, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Notable Numbers
This week’s notable number is $23 million. That’s the amount of cannabis tax revenue the State of Missouri recently transferred to Veterans and Health Agencies.
So says TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur. Branfalt notes that half of the funds went to the Missouri Veterans Commission, the other half went to the Department of Health and Human Services for a drug treatment program.
According to Branfalt, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) sent about $11.7 million to the state’s Missouri Veterans Commission, where the money was used exclusively for health care and other services for military veterans and their dependent families.
Branfalt also reported that DHSS received the same total – $11,681,984 – for a drug treatment program. The program is an evidence-based, low-barrier drug addiction treatment which prioritizes medically proven treatment and overdose prevention and reversal methods and treatment options. The program focuses on reintegrating recipients into their local communities, to support overdose prevention education, and to support job placement, housing, and counseling for those with substance use disorders.
According to DHSS data, adult-use cannabis sales in the state totaled about $108.2 million in January and $102.5 million in February. So far, the Missouri Veterans Commission has received about $49.7 million from cannabis-derived taxes.
It would appear that when it comes to benefitting from cannabis-generated tax revenue, it matters little if a state’s politics are an arresting azure or strikingly scarlet, the key color is green, as in cash.
You can learn much more by reading TG Branfalt’s excellent reporting in the March 21, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
Cannabis and Politics
The politics in the Trump administration that surround cannabis and issues such as legalization and rescheduling continue to be anything but straight and direct.
In fact, depending on who is speaking, the messaging can seem downright contradictory. For example, Graham Abbott, writing for Ganjapreneur reports that The Trump White House suggested in a recent document—described as a “fact sheet”— that the voter-approved cannabis decriminalization policy in Washington D.C. has led to “disorder” in the nation’s capital city.
The document, which accompanied an executive order from President Trump covering the beautification of the nation’s capital city, claimed that cannabis decriminalization was one of several policies that “opened the door to disorder.”
At the same time, Kyle Jaeger reported in Marijuana Moment that Sara Carter, slated to be President Donald Trump’s choice to serve as the next White House drug czar, has called medical marijuana a “fantastic” treatment option for seriously ill patients and said she doesn’t have a “problem” with legalization, even if she might not personally agree with the policy.
Jaeger, in his article, notes that given the role of director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) in setting and carrying out the administrative agenda on drug policy issues, the fact that Carter has gone on the record enthusiastically endorsing medical cannabis will likely be welcome news for advocates amid the Senate confirmations of officials with a mixed bag of marijuana policy positions.
At the same time, it’s important to remember that under a longstanding federal statute, the drug czar is prohibited from endorsing the legalization of Schedule I drugs in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), including marijuana.
According to Jaeger, historically Carter seems to draw a distinction between cannabis that is legally sourced and that which is grown and sold by what she describes as Chinese cartels, particularly since the latter is said to be cultivated with no regard for contaminants that can harm consumers and the environment.
So, at this point, if you are looking to pick which policy—prohibition, decriminalization or rescheduling—holds sway when it comes to the White House, you might have better luck at the $2 window.
Stay tuned. More contradictions are sure to follow.
You can learn more by reading Graham Abbott’s article in the March 31, 2025 issue of Ganjapreneur.com and Kyle Jaeger’s reporting in the March 31, 2025 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/trump-admin-derides-d-c-cannabis-decriminalization-policy
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
