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- Trump Gets Weed Love He Didn’t Ask For, Indiana Goes Full Anti-Ad, Jones Soda Fizzles
Trump Gets Weed Love He Didn’t Ask For, Indiana Goes Full Anti-Ad, Jones Soda Fizzles
Plus, toilet water to track cannabis use?
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Hey there, Benzinga Cannabis community, Maureen Meehan here, checking in from the land where weed meets Wall Street, politics and everything in between.
Today’s edition of Cannabis Daily brings you a pretty wild mix: Trump’s silent treatment gets louder, Indiana pushes for a full-on advertising blackout, and Jones Soda’s cannabis fizz is falling flat. Oh, and a pro-cannabis PAC is praising Trump while throwing shade at both Biden and Canada... because why stop at one target?
So, let’s dive in. We’ve got campaign drama, legal showdowns, new startup funding, and some fresh data from, well, your toilet. Let's get into today’s top stories. 🚬📈🌱
In today's issue:
🗳️ Politics, PACs & Policy Moves
🚨 A pro-cannabis super PAC is spending big — think seven figures — to get into Donald Trump’s good graces. The American Rights and Reform PAC is launching a multi-pronged ad campaign, hoping to turn Trump into a cannabis ally.
But, here’s the twist: Trump isn’t exactly biting. A White House official told CNN there’s “no action being considered at this time” on marijuana policy.
In true political strategy, the PAC is embracing the mantra “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” One ad criticizes President Joe Biden for failing to reschedule marijuana. Another hits Canada, accusing our northern neighbor of profiting off U.S. cannabis prohibition by letting American weed firms list on their exchanges.
Meanwhile, here’s a curious new development...
🎙️ Sara Carter, a Fox News regular and right-wing journalist, is Trump’s new pick to run the Office of National Drug Control Policy. That’s right — the drug czar.
Surprise twist? She’s actually pro-medical marijuana. On her podcast, Carter said cannabis is “fantastic” for people dealing with serious illnesses like cancer and for managing harsh medication side effects. It’s a sentiment Trump vaguely echoed during his 2016 run... but hasn't really revisited since.
🧪 Science & Public Health
🚽 Flush with data? You bet. The Nicotine and Cannabis Policy Center at UC Merced is launching a program to study what folks are smoking — by testing wastewater.
Dr. Arturo Durazo, the center’s director, says the effort will help pinpoint where smoking and vaping are most concentrated: “We’re now looking more closely at where these issues exist and how we can prioritize where to improve.”
California is already leading in lowering smoking rates — in some areas, they’re down to 8%. This new project may push that needle even further.
⚖️ Legal Landmines & Legislative Drama
🚨 Smart & Safe Florida, the group behind the failed 2024 ballot initiative to legalize weed, is in hot water again. Florida election officials slapped the campaign with a cease-and-desist and a $120,000 fine for turning in late petitions — and allegedly forged ones too.
One petition was reportedly signed by a voter who had been dead since November 2024. The campaign is trying to get a revised initiative on the 2026 ballot, but this investigation — now referred to state law enforcement — could throw a wrench in those plans.
🚫 Indiana lawmakers are moving to ban all marijuana advertising in the state — not just on billboards. This comes after complaints from legislators in border towns who say they’re bombarded by ads for legal cannabis from neighboring Michigan.
The new amendment, passed in a transportation committee, would broaden the scope significantly. No word yet on how enforcement would roll out, but the message is loud and clear: Indiana wants no weed ads, period.
📚 Ivy League intervention alert! The Yale Law Journal dropped a powerful paper calling for full cannabis decriminalization, warning that the current Schedule III rescheduling proposal won’t fix the deeper issues tied to prohibition.
The authors argue that decriminalization would better align with existing state-level legalization, reduce racial disparities, and avoid paving the way for Big Pharma dominance. “Minimal interference with state cannabis legalization regimes” is the goal, they say.
💰 Market Moves & Business Buzz
📲 Spendr, a cannabis payments fintech based in Cincinnati, just raised $2.7 million in bridge funding ahead of a planned Series A.
CEO Lucas Gould says the app — which blends rewards and payments — aims to scale big in 2025. Most of the investment came from existing backers, with more expansion ahead. Think loyalty points meets legal weed. Stay tuned.
🥤 Organigram Inc. (NASDAQ: OGI) is jumping into the THC drink scene with its C$6.2 million acquisition of U.S.-based Collective Project Limited.
If the beverage brand hits key growth milestones, the total price tag could swell to C$24 million over two years. Organigram says the move gives it a direct pipeline into the U.S. cannabis beverage market. Competition’s heating up — pass the infused seltzer.
📉 Jones Soda Co. (OTC: JSDA) reported a disappointing Q4, with revenue slipping to $2.8 million from $3.5 million last year.
Their THC segment — Mary Jones cannabis drinks — brought in just $0.2 million, a 50% drop. The company cited the loss of a U.S. discount retail partner and issues transitioning distributors in Canada. That’s a flat soda moment.
That’s a wrap for today’s Cannabis Daily, friends. 🌿
From the Trump PAC sideshow to Indiana’s ad crackdown and Jones Soda’s fizz fizzle — it’s a lot, I know. But stay tuned, because the cannabis space is moving fast. And here at Benzinga, we’ll keep you posted every puff of the way. Catch you tomorrow!
Maureen 💚
Got thoughts? Tips? Wild stories from your dispensary visits?
Hit reply or send a note to [email protected] — we love hearing from you!
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