The Weekly Roll - May 16th 2025

Happy Friday!

Welcome back to The Weekly Roll. I hope everyone had a lovely week! Here is what’s happening this week in cannabis and art:

Swiss Success : Research from Switzerland's cannabis pilot program, involving about 370 participants, found that those who legally purchased cannabis through pharmacies showed significant reductions in problematic use compared to those using illegal sources, with researchers concluding that regulated access may decrease cannabis-related harms, particularly among those who use other drugs.  Article

PA Says No to State-Run Market : The Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee voted 7-3 against House Bill 1200 (the Cannabis Health and Safety Act). Committee chair Sen. Dan Laughlin opposed the bill's approach of having the Liquor Control Board control cannabis retail, stating it would "limit consumer choice and drive consumers out of state to legal markets like Maryland, New York, New Jersey, and Ohio," while supporters argue Pennsylvania can't afford to delay with 24 states already having legalized recreational cannabis. Article

Interesting Number : $30.1 Billion. The total retail cannabis sales in 2024 increased 4.5% year-over-year according to the third annual Vangst Jobs Report produced with Whitney Economics, though cannabis employment fell by 3.4% to approximately 425,002 full-time roles. Despite this employment decline, the report projects the cannabis industry will grow by 13.1% in 2025 to reach $34 billion, with the biggest job growth occurring in emerging markets like New York, Mississippi, and Ohio. Article

Record Auction for Dumas : Marlene Dumas's "Miss January" (1997) sold for $13.6 million at Christie's, setting a new auction record for a living female artist, surpassing Jenny Saville's previous record of $12.4 million set in 2018. The South African painter's work, a last-minute consignment from the Rubell Family collection, was won by an anonymous telephone bidder after bidding opened at $9 million and hammered at $11.5 million before fees, with the salesroom erupting in applause at the historic achievement. Article

Have a great weekend! 

Aidan