In this episode of The Cole Memo, Cole returns with a live broadcast covering breaking cannabis news from Illinois, Texas, and beyond. A surprise guest from Texas Cannabis Collective joins to unpack the whirlwind special session in Austin, where a proposed hemp THC ban collided with flood relief, redistricting fights, and a dramatic quorum break. Cole also dives into Illinois developments, including the closure of Air Wellness dispensaries, new rounds of social equity loans, and the legal loopholes allowing large operators to skirt dispensary caps.
On the federal level, Cole covers the FDA’s move to schedule 7-hydroxy (7-OH) products under the Controlled Substances Act, ongoing Senate battles over hemp language in the farm bill, and Senator Rand Paul’s push for a more balanced regulatory approach.
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Links mentioned during show
- Illinois school district introduces ‘marijuana smell’ policy
- Metrc and BioTrack Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Cannabis Technology Solutions
- Ayr Wellness to liquidate Illinois assets | Crain’s Chicago Business
- Illinois quick hits: Pritzker sends bill back to legislature; cannabis loans announced
- Question about license limits and partnerships
- https://docs.publicnow.com/viewDoc?filename=196891%5CEXT%5CA923E8496DB9410448C5C6A309EFE895676D4C89_950F4E412E09642759C8B5907848728BC75981DE.PDF
- Excerpt from Illinois cannabis regulation and tax act
- “No person or entity shall hold any legal, equitable, ownership, or beneficial interest, directly or indirectly, of more than 10 dispensing organizations licensed under this Article.”
- Senators agree to strip hemp language from ag funding bill
- FDA Takes Steps to Restrict 7-OH Opioid Products Threatening American Consumers
The Cole Memo 
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