Last Week in Cannabis #5
Last Week in Cannabis
August 31 – September 5, 2026 | Issue #5
Hey friend — welcome back to Last Week in Cannabis. The US hemp story that has been building for months finally reached a major milestone this week, and the UK took a meaningful step toward a regulated CBD market. Let's get into it.
1. UNITED STATES — Trump Signed the Hemp THC Delay Into Law
President Trump signed a federal spending bill on September 2nd that delays most of the sweeping new federal restrictions on hemp-derived THC products from November 12th to December 11th. The House passed the bill 370 to 48 on September 1st after the Senate approved it 90 to 6 in August — overwhelming bipartisan margins that signal few lawmakers actually want to see an abrupt prohibition of a massive consumer category.
The delay applies to most hemp-derived cannabinoids that occur naturally in the cannabis plant. Products containing cannabinoids that cannot naturally occur in the plant are not covered by the delay and face the original November 12th deadline. The White House reportedly committed that no further extensions will be granted, putting real pressure on Congress to have a regulatory framework ready before December 11th.
Mary Jane's Take: One month is not a lot of time. Hemp-derived THC products — drinks, gummies, vapes — have become a multi-billion dollar consumer category, widely sold in places where conventional cannabis remains illegal. The question Congress now has to answer is not whether these products should exist, but how they should be regulated. Wanting to avoid a ban and having a workable regulatory answer ready are two different things. December 11th is a hard deadline. This story is far from over.
2. UNITED KINGDOM — The UK Is Finally Moving Toward Its First Regulated CBD Products
The UK's Food Standards Agency is presenting a recommendation to ministers in England and Wales on September 16th to formally authorize the first three high-purity CBD novel food applications — linked to approximately 3,000 individual products currently on the market. The FSA first announced plans to regulate CBD as a novel food back in 2019, making this a seven-year process finally approaching its conclusion. Authorization would bring those products into full regulatory compliance and give consumers confidence that what they are buying has been properly assessed for safety.
Mary Jane's Take: Seven years is a long time to wait for regulatory clarity on something that millions of people are already using daily. But formal novel food authorization matters — it means a product has passed a rigorous safety assessment, not simply been tolerated in a grey area. For CBD users in the UK, this is meaningful news. It signals the beginning of the end of the unregulated CBD market in Britain and the start of something more trustworthy for consumers. The September 16th ministerial meeting is the next step — not a guarantee, but a significant one.
3. GLOBAL — A New Study Found Cannabis Use Is Associated With Lower Risk of Diabetes and Hypertension
A large study of more than 91,000 people found that cannabis use was associated with lower risk of diabetes, hypertension, and other metabolic conditions. The findings were published this week and add to a growing body of research examining the relationship between cannabis use and cardiometabolic health outcomes.
Mary Jane's Take: A study this size carries real weight — 91,000 people is a substantial sample. The association between cannabis use and lower metabolic risk is interesting, though it is important to note that association is not causation. It does not necessarily mean cannabis prevents diabetes — there may be lifestyle or demographic factors at play that the study did not fully account for. What it does mean is that the old assumption that cannabis is straightforwardly harmful to physical health is becoming harder to sustain in the face of accumulating evidence. More research is needed, and that is exactly what studies like this one are designed to prompt.
4. GLOBAL — Portugal Exported 66 Metric Tonnes of Medical Cannabis in the First Half of 2026
Portugal exported 66.3 metric tonnes of medical cannabis in the first half of 2026 — significantly more than in the same period of 2025. Portugal has emerged as one of Europe's most important cannabis cultivation hubs, with its EU-GMP certified facilities supplying medical markets across the continent and beyond, including Germany, the UK, and Australia.
Mary Jane's Take: Portugal's rise as a global cannabis exporter is one of the less-discussed but genuinely significant developments in the international cannabis market. The country has invested heavily in EU-GMP certified cultivation infrastructure, a mild climate suited to cannabis production, and a regulatory environment that has been more welcoming to the industry than many of its European neighbours. As demand for medical cannabis grows across Europe, Portugal's position as a reliable, certified supplier becomes increasingly valuable — both for the country's economy and for patients who depend on consistent supply.
That's your week — one from the United States, one from the UK, two from the global stage. See you next Monday.
— Mary Jane
