Deadlines, Decoded
Enacted cannabis and hemp effective dates in one place: what takes effect, when, and where to read the law itself. Plus selected open comment windows on proposed rules.
Reviewed August 10, 2026
Alabama: Comments close on the state marijuana rescheduling objectionAugust 5, 2026▸
Written public comment closes on the Alabama State Committee of Public Health's reconsideration of whether to adopt the federal marijuana rescheduling at the state level or keep its May 21, 2026 objection. This is a comment deadline on a proposed state scheduling decision, not an effective date.
Rhode Island: New adult use retail licensing portal and social equity interest form openAugust 7, 2026▸
The Cannabis Control Commission opens the revised Adult Use Cannabis Retail Licensing process. The Social Equity Applicant Status Certification Interest Form becomes available, and those who submit it receive a link to the certification portal. The Adult Use Retail Licensing Portal opens to all applicants and stays open through November 23, 2026. The retail cap remains 24.
Rhode Island: Statutory deadline to open the new cannabis retail license process, met ahead of timeAugust 10, 2026▸
Rhode Island H8544 and S3313, signed June 10, 2026, void the original retail application round and direct the Cannabis Control Commission to open a new license application process within 60 days. Commission counsel stated on the record on July 24, 2026 that the 60 day date is August 10, 2026. The Commission met it with three days to spare: a press release on August 6, 2026 launched the revised process, opening the portal and the social equity interest form on August 7, setting September 11 as the social equity certification deadline, and November 23 as the close of the retail window. This event remains as the statutory marker; the applicant facing dates are tracked separately.
Maine: Comments close on adult use cannabis testing rulesAugust 14, 2026▸
Comment deadline at 5 p.m. on Maine Office of Cannabis Policy routine technical rulemaking amending 18-691 C.M.R. ch. 40, Rules for the Testing of Adult Use Cannabis, proposal filing 2026-P172. The rule is proposed, not final.
Maine: Comments close on cannabis testing facility certification rulesAugust 14, 2026▸
Comment deadline at 5 p.m. on Maine Office of Cannabis Policy routine technical rulemaking amending 18-691 C.M.R. ch. 5, Rules for the Certification of Cannabis Testing Facilities, proposal filing 2026-P171. The rule is proposed, not final.
Utah: Comments close on cannabinoid product processor rules (R66-30)August 14, 2026▸
Public comment closes on the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's amendment to R66-30, Industrial Hemp Program: Cannabinoid Product Processors, published in the July 15, 2026 Utah State Bulletin. The agency anticipates an August 21, 2026 effective date. The rule is proposed, not final.
Utah: Comments close on hemp cannabinoid product testing rules (R66-31)August 14, 2026▸
Public comment closes on the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's amendment to R66-31, Industrial Hemp Cannabinoid Product Testing, covering testing tables, microbial and mycotoxin action levels, a heavy metals table for animal products, and standardized COA terminology. The rule is proposed, not final.
Utah: Comments close on hemp retailer permit rules (R66-34)August 14, 2026▸
Public comment closes on the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's amendment to R66-34, Industrial Hemp Retailer Permit, conforming the retailer permit rules to HB 385 of the 2026 General Session. The rule is proposed, not final.
Utah: Comments close on cannabinoid product registration and labeling rules (R66-35)August 14, 2026▸
Public comment closes on the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's amendment to R66-35, Cannabinoid Product Registration and Labeling. Of the four Utah filings closing this day, this is the one that bears most directly on hemp beverage and cannabinoid product manufacturers selling into Utah. The rule is proposed, not final.
Virginia: Hemp products above 2 mg total THC per package bannedAugust 15, 2026▸
Under Virginia HB 30 (2026) a product with more than 2 mg total THC per package can no longer be produced or sold as a hemp product, because the 25 to 1 CBD to THC ratio exception is eliminated. Hemp regulation also transfers from VDACS to the Cannabis Control Authority. Seven hemp businesses filed a federal suit on July 31, 2026 in the Western District of Virginia seeking to block this date. Judge Robert S. Ballou ordered expedited proceedings on August 3, expressly because the statute takes effect August 15, and the docket sets a hearing on the restraining order and preliminary injunction motions for August 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. in Roanoke. No restraining order has issued and nothing has been enjoined, so this date stands.
Federal: DEA marijuana rescheduling post hearing briefs dueAugust 17, 2026▸
Post hearing briefs of up to 50 pages, which may include closing arguments, and proposed transcript corrections are due to the Chief Administrative Law Judge in the DEA proceeding to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. The judge then drafts a recommended decision; the final decision rests with the DEA Administrator and has no published timeline.
Nebraska: Medical cannabis product manufacturing applications closeAugust 17, 2026▸
The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission closes its application window for medical cannabis product manufacturing licenses. The Commission's own How to Apply page now states this date, resolving a contradiction carried here through early August, when the same page said no application periods were open and the manufacturer period was pending legislative action. Dispensary licensing remains unscheduled.
California: San Francisco cannabis cafe permit ordinance takes effectAugust 23, 2026▸
San Francisco Ordinance No. 131-26 creates a new Cannabis Cafe permit administered by the city's Office of Cannabis, authorizing the sale of cannabis for consumption on the premises alongside non cannabis food and nonalcoholic beverages, and exempting cannabis cafes from the prohibition on smoking in business establishments. No alcohol or tobacco may be sold or consumed on the premises. The ordinance takes effect at 12:00 a.m. on the 31st day after the Mayor approved it on July 23, 2026. For the first year only holders of a storefront cannabis retailer permit, or entities with the same owners, may apply.
Montana: Comments close on cannabis rules cross reference cleanup (MAR 2026-444.1)August 24, 2026▸
The Montana Department of Revenue proposes housekeeping amendments to ARM 42.39.602, 42.39.607, 42.39.608, 42.39.613 and 42.39.617, removing residual references to the state laboratory and updating cross references. Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. No hearing is contemplated unless one is requested by the same deadline. The rule is proposed, not final.
Montana: Comments close on video monitoring recording requirements (MAR 2026-129.1)August 24, 2026▸
The Montana Department of Revenue proposes to amend ARM 42.39.121 so that a marijuana licensee's video monitoring system must be capable of giving the department a recording in one of a defined list of common file formats. The department says it repeatedly receives unviewable recordings that need vendor specific players, which delays inspections and investigations. It estimates 354 affected licensees. Comments are due by 5:00 p.m. and no hearing is contemplated unless one is requested by the same deadline. The rule is proposed, not final.
Ohio: Public hearing on the Division of Cannabis Control rules package (1301:18)August 24, 2026▸
Public hearing on the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control rules package under O.A.C. 1301:18, filed as an original filing on July 21, 2026. The package covers new and rescinded definitions, an amended fee schedule, and related cannabis program rules. This is a public testimony opportunity on proposed rules, not an effective date. The Register of Ohio publishes the date but not a start time.
Colorado: Permanent rulemaking hearing on the 2026 annual marijuana rules and feesAugust 26, 2026▸
Permanent rulemaking hearing at 2:00 p.m. Mountain time in Lakewood on the Marijuana Enforcement Division's 2026 annual rulemaking and fee setting, 1 CCR 212-3, tracking number 2026-00310. Subjects include application requirements, transfer restrictions, accelerator eligibility, testing and sampling, testing facility certification, and license fee increases. This is a hearing on proposed rules, not an effective date.
Montana: Hearing on day to day operational control of marijuana businesses (MAR 2026-155.1)August 31, 2026▸
Public hearing at 11:30 a.m. Mountain time in Helena on the Montana Department of Revenue's proposed amendments to ARM 42.39.102 and 42.39.105, clarifying what day to day operational control of a marijuana business means. This is a public testimony opportunity on proposed rules, not an effective date. Written comments on the same docket close September 8, 2026.
Montana: Hearing on licensee disclosure of third party contracts (MAR 2026-902.1)August 31, 2026▸
Public hearing at 12:00 p.m. Mountain time in Helena on a proposed new Montana Department of Revenue rule implementing Senate Bill 74 of 2025. Marijuana licensees would have to disclose third party contractual relationships to the department before any work begins, reaching management, consulting, financing, staffing, revenue distribution and any arrangement giving a third party access to the licensed premises, the books and records, or the seed to sale tracking system. This is a public testimony opportunity on proposed rules, not an effective date. Written comments on the same docket close September 8, 2026.
Montana: Hearing on the dispute resolution rules that govern marijuana appeals (MAR 2026-169.1)August 31, 2026▸
Public hearing at 11:00 a.m. Mountain time in Helena on the Montana Department of Revenue's proposal to amend ARM 42.2.613 through 42.2.621 and repeal ARM 42.2.620, the rules of its Office of Dispute Resolution. The package revises the definition of marijuana matters and keeps the delegation of authority to issue a final agency decision in them, so it sets the procedure a cannabis licensee follows to contest department action. This is a public testimony opportunity on proposed rules, not an effective date. Written comments on the same docket close September 8, 2026.
Virginia: Cannabis Control Authority must promulgate adult use regulationsSeptember 1, 2026▸
Under the 2026 budget cannabis language, the Cannabis Control Authority is to promulgate adult use program regulations and have application materials ready. This is the first step in the Virginia 2027 retail launch timeline. The date traces to a pre enactment announcement and is being re derived from the enacted budget bill. The Commonwealth's own July 1, 2026 guidance does not mention it, and as of July 6, 2026 the Authority was still gathering stakeholder feedback on future regulations.
Utah: Independent medical cannabis pharmacy applications closeSeptember 2, 2026▸
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food closes the application period for the second of two independent medical cannabis pharmacies required by HB 54 of the 2025 session. The window opened August 3, 2026. After eligibility review the Specialized Product Authority Licensing Board selects one applicant, and the license must be issued before January 1, 2027.
Montana: Comments close on day to day operational control of marijuana businesses (MAR 2026-155.1)September 8, 2026▸
Written comment closes at 5:00 p.m. Mountain time on the Montana Department of Revenue's proposed amendments to ARM 42.39.102 and 42.39.105, clarifying what day to day operational control of a marijuana business means. A public hearing on the same docket is set for August 31, 2026. The rule is proposed, not final.
Montana: Comments close on licensee disclosure of third party contracts (MAR 2026-902.1)September 8, 2026▸
Written comment closes at 5:00 p.m. Mountain time on a proposed new Montana Department of Revenue rule implementing Senate Bill 74 of 2025, which would require marijuana licensees to disclose third party contractual relationships before any work begins, including any arrangement giving a third party access to the seed to sale tracking system. A public hearing on the same docket is set for August 31, 2026. The rule is proposed, not final.
Montana: Comments close on the dispute resolution rules that govern marijuana appeals (MAR 2026-169.1)September 8, 2026▸
Written comment closes at 5:00 p.m. Mountain time on the Montana Department of Revenue's proposal to amend ARM 42.2.613 through 42.2.621 and repeal ARM 42.2.620, the rules of its Office of Dispute Resolution. The package revises the definition of marijuana matters and the delegation of authority to issue a final agency decision in them, and adds a disclosure requirement for filings created using artificial intelligence. A public hearing on the same docket is set for August 31, 2026. The rule is proposed, not final.
Missouri: Microbusiness license lottery, round threeSeptember 9, 2026▸
The Missouri Lottery conducts the random drawing for 77 microbusiness licenses in round three, with results posted by congressional district. License issuance is expected in December 2026.
Illinois: Adult use dispensaries may opt in for a medical dispensary licenseSeptember 10, 2026▸
A delayed provision of Public Act 104-0463 opens the medical opt in: any adult use dispensary holding an active license in good standing may opt in for a medical dispensary license, allowing sales to medical patients at the medical tax rate up to the patient's allotment. This is distinct from the Illinois hemp cannabinoid cap that lands November 12, 2026.
Rhode Island: Social equity applicant status certification applications closeSeptember 11, 2026▸
Deadline to submit a Social Equity Applicant Status Certification application to the Cannabis Control Commission under the revised retail licensing process announced August 6, 2026. Applicants reach the certification portal by first submitting the interest form that became available August 7. This deadline falls well before the November 23, 2026 close of the general retail window, so an applicant seeking social equity status has the earlier of the two deadlines.
U.S. Virgin Islands: Cannabis license applications close in the territory wide cycleSeptember 15, 2026▸
The Office of Cannabis Regulation licensing cycle closes for cultivation and manufacturing licenses on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, dispensary licenses on St. Croix, and micro cultivation and research and development licenses territory wide. The deadline is carried by territorial press and is not yet posted on the Office's own site.
Connecticut: Public Act 26-100 cannabis and hemp omnibus takes effectOctober 1, 2026▸
The primary effective date of Connecticut Public Act 26-100, which revises cannabis and hemp THC limits, packaging, labeling and testing. Some provisions take effect immediately or in 2027 and later.
Connecticut: Infused beverage THC caps raised and the concentrate potency cap eliminatedOctober 1, 2026▸
Under Public Act 26-8, infused beverage THC caps rise to 5 mg per container for package stores and 10 mg per container for cannabis retailers, and the concentrate THC potency cap is eliminated.
Missouri: Comments close on the dispensary curbside pickup rule (19 CSR 100-1.180)October 1, 2026▸
Public comment closes on the Division of Cannabis Regulation's proposed amendment to 19 CSR 100-1.180, which would establish curbside pickup at licensed dispensaries and set the requirements governing curbside transactions. The Division states comments are accepted from September 1 through October 1, 2026. The rule is proposed, not final.
California: Pesticide residue testing action levels take effectOctober 1, 2026▸
Department of Cannabis Control rulemaking DCC-2025-03-R updates the action levels for testing pesticide residues in cannabis products. It was approved and filed with the Secretary of State on July 27, 2026, and the final text and final statement of reasons are posted. The rulemaking ran from a notice of proposed rulemaking in May 2025 through three rounds of modified text, drawing on Department of Pesticide Regulation memoranda.
Delaware: THC infused beverage framework takes effectOctober 21, 2026▸
House Bill 373, signed July 23, 2026 and enacted as Volume 85, Chapter 394, takes effect 90 days after enactment. It creates a regulated framework for THC infused beverages covering authorized manufacturers, delivery to licensed importers with notice and testing before transport, off premises sale by authorized package stores, and sales by licensed retail marijuana stores. It also classifies CBD, CBG, CBN and CBC as nonintoxicating cannabinoids.
Illinois: Cannabis product labels must show total THC and full cannabinoid disclosureNovember 1, 2026▸
Department of Agriculture compliance deadline for label changes under amendments to 8 Ill. Adm. Code 1300. Labels must state total THC calculated as THC plus THCa multiplied by 0.877, list all cannabinoids above 0.3 percent by weight or above 0.4 mg per the certificate of analysis, and disclose that a product contains hemp. This is the licensee implementation deadline, not the rule effective date.
Oklahoma: Medical marijuana packaging restrictions, THC labeling and edible potency capsNovember 1, 2026▸
HB 4454 takes effect. Medical marijuana edible and drinkable products may not be attractive to children, must label THC content per serving and per package, and are capped at 10 mg THC per serving and 100 mg per package, with beverages up to 20 mg per serving. Enforcement applies to products packaged on or after this date.
Virginia: Selling products above the THC limits becomes a prohibited practiceNovember 1, 2026▸
Under SB 543 it becomes a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act to sell for human consumption or inhalation any product above 0.3 percent total THC or above 2 mg total THC per package. Companion law enforcement training standards take effect January 1, 2027.
Massachusetts: Statewide vote on Question 8, prohibiting retail sale of adult recreational use marijuanaNovember 3, 2026▸
Massachusetts voters decide Question 8, which would prohibit the retail sale of adult recreational use marijuana. The Secretary of the Commonwealth assigned ballot numbers on July 21, 2026 and certified nine statewide questions for the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Federal: Federal hemp restrictions take effect under Section 781November 12, 2026▸
The federal hemp redefinition in Section 781 of P.L. 119-37 takes effect one year after enactment. Industry estimates put the share of current hemp derived cannabinoid products that become federally unlawful at roughly 95 percent. This remains the operative date in enacted law. The Senate passed a continuing resolution on August 8, 2026 by 90 votes to 6 that carries a Section 781 carve back: its Section 2019 would, until December 11, 2026, apply Section 781 only to products containing cannabinoids the plant cannot naturally produce. An amendment to strip that provision was tabled 61 to 32. The bill still needs a House vote and the House does not return until the first week of September, so it is not law and this date has not moved.
Illinois: Hemp cannabinoids capped at 0.4 mg total THC per containerNovember 12, 2026▸
The Illinois Hemp Act, Public Act 104-463, repeals the Industrial Hemp Act. Hemp cannabinoid products are capped at 0.4 mg total THC per container, over cap products are reclassified as cannabis and restricted to dispensaries, synthetic and semi synthetic cannabinoids are banned, and new cultivation, processor and manufacturer licenses are created. Existing Industrial Hemp Processor registrations terminate with the repeal.
Missouri: Intoxicating hemp restricted to licensed dispensariesNovember 12, 2026▸
Under HB 2641, the Intoxicating Cannabinoid Control Act, hemp products with more than 0.4 mg total THC per container are reclassified as marijuana and may be sold only through state licensed dispensaries, pulling them from convenience stores, bars and restaurants.
New Jersey: Intoxicating hemp beverage sales by licensees prohibited as the transition endsNovember 13, 2026▸
The New Jersey transitional period under A.5051 ends. After this date, plenary wholesale, retail distribution and retail consumption licensees and licensed cannabis businesses may no longer sell intoxicating hemp beverages, and the transitional possession window for hemp producers closes.
Rhode Island: Adult use retail license applications closeNovember 23, 2026▸
The Cannabis Control Commission's Adult Use Retail Licensing Portal closes. The window runs August 7 through November 23, 2026 and is open to all applicants, following the statutory amendments that removed the residency requirement and voided the original round. The retail cap remains 24 licenses. Applicants seeking social equity status face the earlier September 11, 2026 certification deadline.
Connecticut: Intermediate hemp derivative allowed in infused beveragesDecember 1, 2026▸
Under Public Act 26-8, infused beverage manufacturers may incorporate intermediate hemp derivative, bringing CBG, CBN and approved manufactured cannabinoids into the supply chain.
New York: Provisional CAURD and adult use licenses expire without a final licensure submissionDecember 31, 2026▸
Cannabis Control Board Resolution 2025-65 extended all provisional CAURD and adult use licenses through this date. Provisional licensees who do not submit a complete post selection application by then lose the license and cannot proceed to final licensure. Applications submitted on time continue to be processed past the deadline.
2027 and beyond12 items▸
Colorado: Seed to sale tracking may no longer require RFID tagsJanuary 1, 2027▸
Section 44-10-203 C.R.S., as amended by SB 24-076, requires the Marijuana Enforcement Division to promulgate seed to sale tracking rules that do not require radio frequency identification technology, and provides that from this date a licensee is not required to use RFID tags.
Georgia: Department of Public Health must adopt medical cannabis vaporization rulesJanuary 1, 2027▸
The Putting Georgia's Patients First Act requires the Department of Public Health to adopt rules implementing the medical cannabis ingestion and vaporization provisions no later than this date. The core provisions, including vaporization for registered patients 21 and older and a 12,000 mg cumulative THC possession ceiling, took effect July 1, 2026.
Georgia: Synthetic cannabinoids banned under the Georgia Hemp Farming ActJanuary 1, 2027▸
SB 33 bans synthetic cannabinoids such as HHC by classifying them as restricted dangerous drugs and excluding them from the definition of consumable hemp product, and revises certificate of analysis requirements and penalties. It does not ban delta-8.
Minnesota: Ratio hemp infused cannabis product category and macrobusiness license beginJanuary 1, 2027▸
Phase two of SF 4401 authorizes a new ratio hemp infused cannabis product category, replaces the medical combination license with a macrobusiness license, and merges the medical and adult use supply chain.
Oregon: Medical marijuana permitted in hospice and palliative care settingsJanuary 1, 2027▸
HB 4142, known as Ryan's Law, expands the definition of debilitating medical condition to include the need for hospice, palliative, comfort or other symptom management care, and requires hospice, palliative and home care organizations and residential facilities to adopt policies permitting registered patients to use medical cannabis. Hospitals and their affiliated clinics are exempt. Written policies are required by June 30, 2027 and staff training by December 31, 2027.
Delaware: Second statutory effective date for the THC infused beverage actFebruary 1, 2027▸
House Bill 373 carries two effective dates on the General Assembly's bill page: October 21, 2026 for the Act generally and February 1, 2027 for a delayed portion. Which provisions take effect on this date is not itemized on the bill page and should be confirmed against the final engrossed text.
Virginia: Cannabis Control Authority begins accepting adult use license applicationsFebruary 1, 2027▸
Under the 2026 budget cannabis language the Authority begins accepting adult use license applications, with a retail cap of 350, at least half of new licenses reserved for social equity and impact applicants, and awards by qualified lottery. The date traces to a pre enactment announcement and is being re derived from the enacted budget bill.
Virginia: Deadline to issue up to 100 microbusiness cannabis licensesMay 1, 2027▸
Under the 2026 budget cannabis language this is the deadline by which the Cannabis Control Authority may issue up to 100 vertically integrated microbusiness licenses, each covering up to two locations. The date traces to a pre enactment announcement and is being re derived from the enacted budget bill.
Montana: New cannabis licenses may be issued again as the moratorium endsJuly 1, 2027▸
Section 16-12-201 MCA, as amended by SB 27 of 2025, directs the Department of Revenue to begin accepting applications for and issuing licenses to cultivate, manufacture or sell marijuana to applicants not previously licensed and for premises not previously licensed. The statutory moratorium known as freeze the footprint runs through June 30, 2027, so this is the first day the new license market reopens.
Virginia: Adult use cannabis retail market opens with seed to sale trackingJuly 1, 2027▸
The Virginia adult use cannabis retail market opens, as authorized by House Bill 30 and confirmed by the Commonwealth's July 1, 2026 guidance. Legal retail sales begin with seed to sale tracking and mandatory reporting, following up to 100 microbusiness licenses from May 1, 2027.
California: Intoxicating hemp folded into the licensed cannabis marketJanuary 1, 2028▸
The full implementation date for most provisions of AB 8. Intoxicating hemp cannabinoids are integrated into the licensed cannabis market: dispensary only sales, seed to sale tracking and the 15 percent cannabis excise tax apply, and synthetic cannabinoids and inhalable hemp THC products outside the licensed market are prohibited.
Hawaii: Cannabis cultivator license required as Part IV takes effectJanuary 1, 2028▸
Part IV of Act 241, Session Laws of Hawaii 2025, makes it unlawful to cultivate cannabis in Hawaii without a cultivator license issued by the Department of Health. The effective date was moved in conference from January 1, 2027 to January 1, 2028.
Pending / Watching
- Federal The Senate passed a continuing resolution on August 8, 2026 by 90 votes to 6 carrying a Section 781 carve back. Its Section 2019 would, until December 11, 2026, narrow Section 781 to products containing cannabinoids the plant cannot naturally produce. An amendment by Senators Budd and Ricketts to strip that language was tabled 61 to 32. The bill is not law: the House must still vote and does not return until the first week of September, and the language can be amended out. The November 12, 2026 date is unchanged.
- Federal Representatives Barr and Craig introduced a bipartisan bill on July 22, 2026 to establish a federal regulatory framework for hemp derived consumer products in place of the Section 781 ban. A Senate companion is expected.
- AR A proposed update to the state controlled substances list would reach intoxicating hemp. No comment deadline has been published.
- CO The Marijuana Enforcement Division adopted retail marijuana tax rules at 1 CCR 201-18, tracking number 2026-00230, on August 4, 2026. No effective date has been published yet.
- DE H.B. 395 would cap hemp products at 0.4 mg total THC per container. It passed the House and is before the Senate.
- IA Iowa keeps a 4 mg per serving and 10 mg per container hemp standard, roughly 25 times the incoming federal 0.4 mg per container cap. HSB 753 cleared committee in February 2026 but did not become law, so no state date exists.
- ID Negotiated rulemaking 02-0107-2601 on rules governing hemp is in its pre proposal phase, with written input closing August 14, 2026. Informal input phases are not tracked as deadlines here; a date follows only if a formal proposed rule publishes one.
- IL HB 5784 and SB 20 would further restrict the hemp market beyond the Illinois Hemp Act. Both are pending.
- LA The Department of Health notice of intent on consumable hemp registration is published in the Louisiana Register of July 20, 2026. Third party trackers report a hearing on August 10, 2026 and a comment deadline of August 19, 2026, but the agency's own text has not been read, so neither date is calendared.
- MA The Cannabis Control Commission is taking written comment on its cannabis testing regulations and protocols from August 5 until 5 p.m. on August 25, 2026, with a hybrid public hearing at its Worcester headquarters on August 25. The agency describes this as initial feedback to guide a holistic review beginning in September under Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2026, so there is no proposed rule text yet. Its separate review of the core rules at 935 CMR 500.000 and 501.000 has no published comment deadline.
- MI The Cannabis Regulatory Agency's full rewrite of the Marihuana Rules, covering processors, product manufacturing, testing, transportation, labeling and the statewide monitoring system, has cleared its hearings and written comment and now sits with the legislative committee. The effective date could land on short notice.
- MN The Office of Cannabis Management has formal rulemaking under way on hemp products. No dates have been published.
- MO Rules implementing HB 2641 have not been proposed. The statute itself takes effect November 12, 2026.
- MT Department of Revenue rules on marijuana packaging and labeling implementing HB 792 were proposed as MAR Notice No. 2026-93.1 on June 2, 2026. The department has not published an adoption notice or an effective date. Its proposed seed to sale tracking reconciliation rules, MAR Notice No. 2026-445.1 of April 22, 2026, are likewise still awaiting adoption.
- NC H328 would conform North Carolina hemp law to a total THC standard, bar sales to anyone under 21, and cap finished hemp derived cannabinoid products at 0.4 mg total THC per container. It has not been enacted.
- NE Proposed Department of Agriculture adulterated food regulations would classify any food containing any amount of tetrahydrocannabinols as adulterated or misbranded, a zero THC standard reaching gummies, drops and beverages. A hearing was held June 18, 2026 and adoption is pending.
- NE The Medical Cannabis Commission has published no date for the first dispensary licensing window and no lottery date for manufacturing licenses.
- NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission rules implementing A.5051 have not been proposed. The statutory transition ends November 13, 2026.
- OH A federal judge preliminarily enjoined enforcement of the SB 56 intoxicating hemp ban against ten hemp beverage companies on July 13, 2026 and later declined to stay that order pending appeal. On July 24, 2026 the Sixth Circuit denied an administrative stay and referred the stay motion to the merits panel. A second and broader suit, brought by fourteen more companies against the State and roughly ninety five county prosecutors, was filed on July 30, 2026 after the court denied those companies leave to join the first case. A memorandum opinion and order was entered in that second case on August 7, 2026; it is not publicly available, and trade press reported the same day that one of the plaintiffs had won a restraining order. The ban remains in force as to everyone not covered by a court order.
- PA Philadelphia Bill No. 260163 would cap hemp products at 0.4 mg total THC per container citywide, with an effective date aligned to the federal Section 781 date. It passed City Council on June 4, 2026 and awaits the Mayor.
- SC H.3924 would add a chapter regulating hemp derived consumables, barring chemically derived cannabinoids and setting serving size and product appearance rules. It has not been enacted.
- TX The July 31, 2026 schedules date took effect on time with no stay, making delta-8, delta-10, THCP and other non delta-9 isomers Schedule I in Texas. Three plaintiffs filed suit in the Southern District of Texas on July 31 arguing that the 2018 Farm Bill preempts the state rules, and asked for an emergency order halting arrests and seizures. Responses were filed August 6 and the reply August 7, so the emergency motion is fully briefed and a further entry was docketed August 9. A separate challenge to the 2025 consumable hemp rules remains before the Fifteenth Court of Appeals with the trial setting vacated.
- VA Seven hemp businesses filed suit in federal court on July 31, 2026 seeking to block the August 15, 2026 restrictions as an uncompensated taking under the Fifth Amendment. Judge Robert S. Ballou ordered expedited proceedings on August 3, expressly because the statute takes effect August 15, and the docket sets a hearing on the restraining order and preliminary injunction motions for August 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. in Roanoke. No restraining order has issued and nothing has been enjoined.
- VA Three calendared Virginia dates, September 1, 2026, February 1, 2027 and May 1, 2027, trace to legislation that was vetoed and re enacted through the budget bill. They are being re derived from the enacted budget text and are carried here with that caveat. The Commonwealth's July 1, 2026 guidance confirms only the August 15, 2026 hemp standard and the July 1, 2027 retail launch.
- WA Liquor and Cannabis Board rulemaking implementing 2SHB 1701 has not reached a formal proposal, and no comment date has been published.
- WA The Liquor and Cannabis Board is taking informal feedback on draft rule language implementing ESSB 5403 on financial interest agreements, due August 28, 2026, and is holding draft rule feedback sessions on cannabis producer cooperatives under HB 1941 on August 26 and 28, 2026. Informal feedback phases are not tracked as deadlines here; a date follows at the formal proposal stage.
About this list. Every date above comes from an enacted law or an official agency schedule. Bills still moving, and agencies that have not committed to a day, stay under Pending / Watching. Each row expands to a short summary and a link to its primary source: the statute, the rule, the docket. Comment entries are deadlines to submit public comments on proposed rules, not effective dates; they are a curated selection relevant to our practice areas, not every open comment period. Federal items are marked in red.
This countdown runs each morning in Policy, Decoded, alongside analysis of what the dates mean.
Questions about how one of these dates applies to your business? Contact us.
Dates reflect enacted laws and scheduled regulatory milestones as of the last review.
Pending legislation may change them. Provided for general information, not legal advice.