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Montana Governor Vetoes Tribal Cannabis Agreements HB 952
June 30, 2025
https://www.cannabissciencetech.com/view/montana-governor-vetoes-tribal-cannabis-agreements-hb-952
A bill known as House Bill 952 (HB 952) was recently vetoed by Montana Governor Greg Gianforte (1,2). The piece of legislation was going to allow tribal nations and the governor’s office “to establish compacts to legalize and regulate cannabis on individual reservations,” (1).
Governor Gianforte wrote a letter to Speaker of the House, Brandon Ler, and Senate President, Matt Regier, regarding his decision to veto (1,3). In the letter (3), Governor Gianforte says, “House Bill 952 aims to ensure tribal-state collaboration on the regulation of marijuana within tribal communities, but the bill is unnecessary and duplicative. While I appreciate the intentions of the bill sponsor, that authority already exists under the State-Tribal Cooperative Agreements Act, the State has entered into over 400 agreements with Montana’s eight tribal nations addressing a broad scope of matters, including the regulation and taxation of marijuana.”
Ganjapreneur reported that Jeffry Stiffarm, president of the Fort Belknap Indian Community, wrote a letter to the Montana Governor, expressing the need to veto HB 952 (1,3). Stiffarm said that the bill undermines “sovereign rights” of the tribe through (1,3) “conditioning the exercise of tribal regulatory on state approval, mandating state control over cannabis licensing and revenue sharing, and imposing frameworks that treat tribes as subordinate entities rather than equal sovereign governments.”
Additionally, Stiffarm expressed in the letter (1,3), “We believe tribal-state compacts regarding cannabis, gaming, taxation, and other issues must be negotiated on a government-to-government basis, with voluntary participation and respect for tribal sovereignty at the forefront.”
“I also have serious concerns about the bill’s potential impact on tribal sovereignty and self-determination, as well as the government-to-government relationship between the State of Montana and tribal nations,” Governor Gianforte mentioned in his letter (1,3). “By Channeling negotiations through a new statutory process, House Bill 952 may constrain the scope and flexibility of negotiations, introduce unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, and impose State priorities to engage in open, meaningful, and equal negotiations as sovereigns, potentially weakening cooperation and collaboration.”
Governor Gianforte referred in his letter that aside from Stiffarm’s disapproval of the bill, several tribes also shared these issues (3) and likely added some insight to Governor Gianforte’s decision to veto.
Are THC potency caps a move toward marijuana prohibition? Debate is brewing
By Margaret Jackson, Reporter
July 1, 2025
https://mjbizdaily.com/are-thc-potency-caps-a-move-toward-marijuana-prohibition/
With many consumers demanding high-potency cannabis, a debate is swirling over whether states where marijuana is regulated should implement caps on THC content in flower, concentrates and edibles.
While many states regulate the amount of marijuana products that can be purchased, few impose direct caps on the THC potency of the products themselves, particularly for cannabis flower.
States with specific THC potency caps for certain product types include:
· Connecticut and Vermont, which have 30% caps on flower and 60% caps on concentrates.
· Massachusetts, which doesn’t limit THC content for flower but restricts concentrates to 70% and edibles to 5.5 milligrams per serving.
· Oregon, which doesn’t have a limit on flower but caps concentrates at 2,000 milligrams per package and edibles at 10 milligrams of THC per serving and 100 milligrams per package.
David Hammond, a researcher at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, said Canada’s model for edibles, which sets a limit of 10 milligram of THC per package, prevents consumers from ingesting too much.
“Consumers in Canada – not public health folks, but the people who use it – are supportive of THC limits on edibles,” Hammond told MJBizDaily.
But the discussion around potency is more nuanced when considering different product types.
While a 30% THC cap is often suggested, Hammond said it’s irrelevant for cannabis flower, which rarely, if ever, exceeds that percentage.
The main impact of caps falls on vaping liquids, which can range from 70% to 90% THC, and wax or shatter also will have high concentrations of the cannabis plant’s psychoactive ingredient.
“The problem is that our concept of what high THC is really differs across products,” Hammond said.
THC caps could be a move toward prohibition
Dr. Byron Adinoff, president of Doctors for Drug Policy Reform in Denver, said he has reservations about THC caps, arguing that they risk pushing the market back toward prohibition.
“As soon as you get into saying we’re capping it, anything above the cap is illegal,” Adinoff said, raising concerns about penalties and the potential for a new illicit market.
Adinoff points to Colorado’s proposal a few years ago for a 15% cap, which he said would have wiped out 90% of the industry and sent marijuana back to prohibition.
Adinoff also questions the scientific basis for cap proposals, noting the variability in high-potency studies and lack of conclusive research on what constitutes a good level for caps.
Steve Rolles, a senior policy analyst for the United Kingdom-based Transform Drug Policy Foundation, said that if high-potency products are associated with greater risks, policies should strive to discourage their use or encourage lower-potency alternatives.
The faster onset of high-potency products could lead to more compulsive use and dependency, making THC content a reasonable target for regulation, Rolles said.
“There should be a specific goal of education – warnings on packaging, special training for vendors – that acknowledges the increased risks of high-potency products and provides guidance about how to manage those risks,” he said.
“It’s not about curtailing people’s choice.”
‘Would you be guillotined at dawn?’
Strategies to regulate marijuana potency range from THC caps on certain products to higher taxes for more potent products.
Setting a higher-age threshold, such as 25, for access to stronger products is another alternative.
Rolles said it’s challenging to grow and test cannabis plants to precisely calibrate THC content.
“If you did sell something that was 28% and there was a 25% limit, what would happen? Would it be confiscated? Would you go to jail? Would you be guillotined at dawn? Would you lose your license?” Rolles said.
“The main problem with caps is if you put a cap on THC and there is established demand, you’ll create a parallel illegal market.
“That’s sort of defeating the purpose. You have to meet the market where it’s at.
“Once you’re there, you can use tools like progressive tax increases.”
Using Hemp Flour And Oil Can Make Gluten-Free Baked Goods With ‘Optimal’ Texture And ‘Significant’ Nutrition, Study Shows
By Ben Adlin
June 30th, 2025
A new study suggests that hemp seed and hemp oil can be made into a promising gluten-free flour mix that offers an “optimal baked texture” along with “significant nutritional impact.”
The research, from a six-person team at the University of Calabria, in Italy, used hemp seed flour and oil to make gluten-free cupcakes, testing various parameters to explore the feasibility of hemp as an alternative flour.
Initially, authors found that replacing butter with hemp oil in a traditional recipe—made with 00 wheat flour—reduced the consistency of the cupcake batter. But when the wheat flour was replaced entirely with hemp flour, the batter’s consistency “was restored.”
Only 1 in 10 Americans Say Marijuana Should Be Illegal.
“Replacing butter with CBD-enriched hemp oil reduced batter consistency. The subsequent, gradual incorporation of hemp flour led to a further decrease,” the paper, published in the journal Molecules, says. A mix of hemp and maize (corn) flour didn’t meaningfully improve the consistency.
“However, when hemp flour was used exclusively, the consistency of the batter was restored to a level comparable to the traditional formulation,” the study says, “resulting in an optimal baked texture.”
In addition to detailing a process authors described as “an efficient method for extracting CBD-rich oil”—which involves maceration along with the use of microwaves—they found that hemp oil “presents a viable alternative to traditional oils and fats for creating functional foods.”
Evaluating various physical properties of the resulting hemp flour–oil mix, researchers concluded that “hemp oil and hemp flour are viable ingredients for traditional cakes and desserts, notably contributing increased nutritional value through the CBD-enriched hemp oil and the beneficial profile of hemp flour.”
The study comes as more research evaluates the nutritional value of hemp in both humans and animals.
Late last year, for example, scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Agricultural Research Service said they were working to “unlock this plant’s amazing nutritional benefits for consumers and new economic benefits for the farmer.”
A USDA video also touted the many uses of hemp, including for fabric, paper, construction materials and a wide range of nutritional products. Novel ways of processing the plant, it predicted, could one day incorporate nutrients from hemp into even more everyday foods.
“The hemp plant is a very robust plant,” researcher Sean Liu said in the USDA video, noting that hemp grows in a range of different conditions, requires comparatively few agricultural inputs and can be processed into all sorts of products.
Nutritionally, seeds contain a variety of amino acids and are rich in protein, Liu added, while hempseed oil contains both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. “It has a lot of unsaturated fatty acids that’s good for your heart, and it also can lower your blood pressure,” he explains.
But as Liu said in the video, there’s more work do be done to unlock hemp’s nutritional potential.
“We want to fully utilize the hemp seeds,” he explained. “Oil is a good part of the hemp seeds, but there are other things that we want to utilize to maximize the benefits of the hemp seeds, such as the proteins and the dietary fibers. They are all good food ingredients that can be used for a lot of healthy food.”
“There’s a couple ways of utilizing hemp seeds,” Liu added at the time. “One is that you use the whole grains, the whole seeds… The other way to do it is to take out some of the components to incorporate the formulation of a lot of common foods.”
Also last year, an organization of livestock feed control officials voted to allow commercial farmers to begin using hemp seed meal as food for egg-laying hens. Under the new policy, which was recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), hemp meal can account for up to 20 percent of hens’ diet.
Since hemp’s legalization federally under the 2018 Farm Bill, there’s been a renewed interest in utilizing the plant for nutrition, fiber and even intoxicating cannabinoids. As part of that, some have eyed hemp seed meal as an attractive option for livestock.
In late 2023, for example, New York lawmakers sent Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) a bill that would have legalized hemp seed as a feed ingredient for horses, llamas and household pets, though the governor ultimately vetoed the measure, citing lack of safety information on the practice.
The topic is nevertheless gaining attention in the research community.
Separately, FDA in 2022 sent warning letters to a number of businesses marketing CBD products for animals, cautioning that there’s a “lack of data on what levels of potential residues are safe for a person consuming the foods that come from CBD-treated animals.”
In April 2023, however, the USDA found that cows that are fed hempseed cake retain very low concentrations of THC and CBD in their bodies, indicating that meat products from hemp-fed cattle are safe for human consumption.
Another federally funded study published in 2022 found that feeding cows hemp in fact reduces their stress levels. Researchers have also previously looked into how CBD affects stress and pain in horses.
MORE MONTANA NEWS
Hedalen apologizes after DUI arrest
by Mara Silvers
06.30.2025
https://montanafreepress.org/2025/06/30/hedalen-apologizes-after-dui-arrest/
Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction has apologized for a “lapse in judgment” that led to her being arrested and charged with driving under the influence in late June.
Republican Susie Hedalen, who was elected to the statewide office for the first time last November, was pulled over in the early hours of Sunday, June 22, by a Belgrade police officer, according to court filings.
Hedalen’s arrest was first reported by Lee newspapers.
In a court affidavit, the arresting officer recounted observing a vehicle driving 50 miles per hour in a 35 MPH zone northbound on Jackrabbit Lane. The car then approached an intersection to make left turn and “almost cut off several vehicles that had the right of way,” the officer said.
During the subsequent traffic stop, according to the affidavit, the driver, later identified as Hedalen, was slow to roll down the window and appeared to have a “dazed expression.” The officer described the driver’s eyes as “bloodshot and watery,” said he smelled “the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the vehicle,” and said Hedalen was “slurring her speech” during their conversation.
Hedalen reportedly acknowledged having “one glass of wine,” according to the court filing. The officer said that, after completing field sobriety tests, Hedalen was determined to be “under the influence of alcohol.” She declined to provide a breath sample and was later taken to Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital for a blood alcohol test to be sent to the Montana State Crime Lab for assessment, court records said.
An attorney for Hedalen did not respond to a request for comment Monday afternoon.
Hedalen’s chief of staff said the event occurred while the superintendent was not on official business, and provided a prepared statement on her behalf.
“I apologize and take full responsibility for my lapse in judgment that led to this incident. I want to thank the Belgrade Police for their professionalism and commitment to public safety. As I move forward from this personal issue, it will in no way impact my service to the people of Montana,” Hedalen said.
The Montana Democratic Party on Friday said Hedalen’s arrest “undermines public confidence in her leadership” and called for her resignation.
“Hedalen made a dangerous decision to put lives at risk, and we demand full accountability and believe she must step down immediately,” said party Board Chair Robyn Driscoll.
A spokesperson for the Montana GOP declined Monday to comment on the matter and referred to the superintendent’s previously issued statement.
Court records indicate that the charge is Hedalen’s first DUI offense and that she does not have any prior convictions. She was released from the Gallatin County Detention Center the same day as her arrest after posting an $885 cash bond.
Hedalen is scheduled to appear in court for an arraignment July 8.
Montana fire departments reflect on killing of Idaho firefighters
Mon, June 30th 2025
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/montana-fire-departments-reflect-on-killing-of-idaho-firefighters
MISSOULA, Mont. — Reaction is pouring in after authorities say a gunman in northern Idaho started a fire Sunday before shooting and killing firefighters responding to the scene.
Many Montana fire stations showed support for the victims of Sunday’s shooting and the community of Coeur d’Alene. NBC Montana spoke with Missoula Rural Fire District Chief Paul Finlay about the tragedy.
Finlay said he was “surprised and shocked."
“And that’s part of the tragedy is that our own responders would face the same type of a situation,” he told NBC Montana. “It's just if someone is hell-bent on taking lives or whatever the case may be, it’s very difficult to stop that from happening initially.”
Each month first responders have an active attack integrated response meeting, Finlay said, involving training on active shooter situations. This has strengthened communication about the responses of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services in these scenarios.
The Missoula Rural Fire District is equipped with bullet proof vests and helmets, but they sometimes require advance notice. Finlay told NBC Montana the fire district has some experience with incidents where a gun is involved. However, law enforcement typically ensures conditions are safe beforehand.
Finlay is thankful for the Missoula community's support.
“Tax dollars pay for what happens as far as training and our resources and availability and personnel goes, and so the continued support is appreciated, that’s for sure,” he said.