Best of the Week: August 22 – August 28, 2025

Let’s dive into the top stories shaping the conversation this week. Summaries of each article are listed below.

1. $3.6 Million Granted by Minnesota DEED to Help State’s Cannabis Industry

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will be granting $3.6 million in funding to help train workers and new businesses looking to enter the cannabis industry.

“Legal adult-use cannabis is an exciting new industry for Minnesota businesses and workers, and DEED's job is to make sure they have an accessible on-ramp,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “We're committed to ensuring social equity in the cannabis industry, working alongside our regulatory partners securing market integrity, and supporting Minnesota's community-focused lenders and workforce development organizations around the state.”

2. Elevated Risk of Kidney Disease Not Linked to Cannabis Use

A recent study published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research further examined the health implications that may come from cannabis use specific to kidney disease. Researchers affiliated with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (Baltimore, Maryland) and Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana), utilized longitudinal data stemming from Baltimore, Maryland.

After reviewing their results from participant data, researchers stated that, “In this Baltimore-based cohort of adults without CKD, there was no independent association between cannabis use and adverse kidney outcomes over time.” Researchers further added, “In conclusion, among a cohort of adults without CKD, we found that cannabis use was not associated with incident reduced kidney function, incident albuminuria, or rapid kidney function decline.”

3. Calls for Congress to Implement Cannabis Banking Reforms Grow

A bipartisan group of state and territorial attorneys general have called for Congress to enact the SAFER Banking Act or similar legislation to help with cannabis banking in the industry. The group sent a letter to several leaders in Congress, as well as ranking members of both the House and Senate banking committees, and territorial attorneys general asked for Congress to “enact legislation facilitating state-licensed cannabis businesses’ access to banks and other financial institutions.”

“As more states continue to consider and implement legalization efforts, the lack of access to America’s financial system by cannabis businesses — which is a direct result of federal banking law — presents a considerable safety issue for the public,” they write.

4. Phenolic Analysis of Cannabis Reveals Rare Flavoalkaloids in Leaves

Flavoalkaloids have been detected in cannabis leaves for the first time, a new study explains, noting that phenolic compounds are associated with health benefits. The study, “Comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatographic analysis of Cannabis phenolics and first evidence of flavoalkaloids in Cannabis,” was published in the Journal of Chromatography A in May 2025.

“We know that Cannabis is extremely complex – it contains more than 750 metabolites – but we did not expect such high variation in phenolic profiles between only three strains, nor to detect so many compounds for the first time in the species,” stated study author Magriet Muller, PhD, in a news article from Stellenbosch University.

5. Clinical Trial Tests Effects of CBD on Liver Enzyme Levels

A recently published clinical trial measured how cannabidiol (CBD) affected the levels of liver enzymes and endocrine hormones. Unregulated CBD use is growing, but information on the potential risks to consumers is lacking, the study explains.

“Cannabidiol and Liver Enzyme Level Elevations in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” was published in JAMA Internal Medicine in July 2025. The study was funded by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).