Dewey S. Richards
Cannabis policy writer
Dewey S. Richards writes on US state cannabis statutes, legislative-session bill tracking, and federal regulatory developments. His coverage focuses on the operational mechanics of state programs (possession caps, qualifying-condition lists, caregiver frameworks, and patient-access bottlenecks) and on how proposed bills change those mechanics in practice.
Dewey S. Richards writes for mmjnow on US cannabis statutes and program operations.
His coverage focuses on:
- Primary statute and regulator-rule analysis for state medical and adult-use programs.
- Legislative-session bill tracking. What's moving, what's stalled, and the political mechanics behind each disposition.
- Federal regulatory developments. DEA scheduling, FDA actions on cannabinoid drugs, Department of Justice enforcement posture.
For corrections, source-substitution requests, or editorial inquiries, contact [email protected].
Articles
The June 29 marijuana rescheduling hearing: what it can decide, what it cannot, and why the participant list is now locked
The DEA administrative-law-judge hearing on whether all marijuana follows the April 22 medical-only order down to Schedule III begins June 29, 2026. The deadline to request participation closed May 28, so the roster of who gets heard is now fixed. This is a preview of the proceeding mechanics: what the hearing is structurally able to do, what it is not, and the constitutional cloud hanging over any result.
Medical cannabis and chronic pain: the strongest evidence base in the field, the opioid-substitution question, and what the DEA rescheduling actually changed
Chronic pain is the single most common qualifying condition across the US medical-cannabis map, listed in 42 state programs. It is also the indication with the strongest published evidence. The 2017 NASEM consensus report rated cannabis efficacy for chronic pain in adults as conclusive or substantial, its highest tier. This article walks the prevalence, the evidence, the opioid-substitution debate, the CDC guideline update, and the rescheduling implications.
The 2026 state cannabis legislation tracker: eight bills that actually matter
A snapshot of the most consequential cannabis bills moving (and stalling) across US state legislatures during the 2026 session: Virginia retail sales, Pennsylvania SB 120, Hawaii low-dose, North Carolina ballot questions, and the medical-expansion bills patients are watching.
Where federal marijuana rescheduling actually stands in May 2026
The DOJ moved FDA-approved and state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III on April 22, 2026. Everything else is still Schedule I. A June 29 ALJ hearing will decide whether the rest follows. Here is what changed, what didn't, and what the June hearing can and cannot do.
Medical cannabis reciprocity, state by state: which cards travel, which do not, and what happens if you cross a state line with product
A comprehensive matrix of US medical cannabis reciprocity rules as of May 2026. Only a handful of states recognize out-of-state cards for purchase. A wider group recognizes them only for possession. Most do not recognize them at all. Federal law continues to prohibit interstate transport regardless of state status.
Medical cannabis certification via telehealth: state rules, payment models, and the COVID-era flexibilities that stuck around
Most US medical cannabis programs allow physician certification via telehealth. A few notable exceptions require in-person evaluations for initial certifications (Florida) or for specific patient categories. This is a state-by-state guide to telehealth certification, the federal flexibilities that govern controlled-substance prescribing, and the payment models patients should expect.
Mississippi's medical cannabis program at the two-year mark: 60,000 patients, 190 dispensaries, and a potency-cap fight
Mississippi's Medical Cannabis Program crossed 60,000 active patients in late 2025, a 41% year-over-year increase. Dispensary count exceeds 190. The 2026 legislative fight is over the program's potency caps and a proposed 'right to try' framework. The Bible Belt's most-restrictive-state-that-said-yes is finding its rhythm.
Five years after MRTA, New York's adult-use market still looks like a slow-motion rollout
Five years on from MRTA, New York has a functioning adult-use market (by 2026 standards, a meaningful one) but the rollout has been one of the slowest among legalized states. The medical program's quieter expansion may be the more consequential story for patients.
Texas HB 46 quietly turned the Compassionate Use Program into something almost medical
The 2025 Texas Legislature added chronic pain, Crohn's disease, and TBI to the Compassionate Use Program; and authorized vaporization for the first time. The state still does not have a comprehensive medical-cannabis program. It is closer than it was.