The Weekly Roll - February 28th 2025

Happy Friday!

Welcome back to The Weekly Roll. I hope everyone had a wonderful week and is looking forward to March. Here are some of the big stories this week in cannabis and art:

Ohio Senate Crosses Voters : Ohio's Senate has passed Bill 56, significantly altering the state's voter-approved marijuana program that passed with 57% of the vote last year. The new Bill imposes a three-day mandatory jail sentence for passengers smoking in vehicles, reduces home growing limits from 12 to 6 plants, and eliminates the social equity program. The bill also prohibits gifting home-grown cannabis, limits consumption to private residences, caps dispensaries at 350 statewide, and removes funding for substance use services. The legislation now moves to the House before potentially reaching Governor DeWine, who has separately proposed increasing the cannabis tax rate to 20%.  Article

Cutting with Cannabis : A 90-day study found that daily use of THCV/CBD oral strips produced significant weight loss without diet or exercise changes. Participants taking the cannabinoid combination lost between 5.7-9 pounds (higher doses being more effective), while the placebo group lost just 0.2 pounds. Users also experienced reduced abdominal girth, lower blood pressure, and decreased cholesterol. The findings complement other research showing cannabis users tend to have lower BMI and higher physical activity levels than non-users, contradicting the "lazy stoner" stereotype. Article

Interesting Number : $1.1 billion. Arizona’s total legal cannabis sales in 2024, down from $1.3 billion in each of the two previous years. Average product prices declined from $19.92 to $18.37 over the past year. The drop comes due to changing consumer behavior, increased competition, and unregulated sales. The state still collected $245.3 million in cannabis taxes and January 2025 sales remained substantial at $86.85 million with 4.7 million units sold, suggesting the market maintains "significant consumer engagement" despite the overall decline. Article

Murakami and Major League Baseball : Takashi Murakami is debuting a limited edition collaboration with Major League Baseball in advance of the 2025 MLB Tokyo Series, highlighting the cultural ties between the two nations. The merchandise, which includes apparel, trading cards, and sports equipment, will showcase Murakami's signature vibrant designs and will be available for purchase on March 7, 2025. This partnership reflects the growing trend of collaborations between artists and sports organizations, celebrating figures like Shohei Ohtani who bridge both worlds. Article

Have a great weekend! 

Aidan