Best of the Week: June 27 – July 03, 2025

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

1. 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. 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.”

Governor Gianforte wrote a letter to Speaker of the House, Brandon Ler, and Senate President, Matt Regier, regarding his decision to veto saying: “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.”

2. Noid Knowledge Podcast Episode 27: Tracking Strains in Diverse Landscapes

Tune in to our latest podcast episode!

In this latest installment of Noid Knowledge, host Evan Friedmann is joined by Daniela Vergara, PhD, Hemp Specialist at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Anna Schwabe, PhD, Associate Lecture Professor at the University of Colorado, discussing the evolution of cannabis cultivation and the need for regional climate data. Their recent project, funded by the Agricultural Genomics Foundation, studies 10 cannabis varieties grown by farmers in different regions, specifically plant characteristics, soil type, and harvest metrics. They aim to understand how environmental factors affect cannabis yield and quality, providing actionable insights for farmers and breeders.

3. From Patchwork to Prepared: Bridging the Gap Between State and Federal Cannabis Compliance

Check out this month’s Stuck on Compliance blog!

Here, Kim Anzarut, CQA, CP-FS, CEO and founder of Allay Consulting, explains how cannabis businesses can navigate evolving regulations as federal oversight looms, emphasizing compliance with GACP, cGMP, and OSHA standards for future success.

4. CSQ Announces New Standards for Cannabis Retail, Warehousing, and Distribution

In a recent statement made on LinkedIn, Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ) announced new standards for cannabis retail, warehousing, and distribution. Beginning on July 1, 2025, a public comment period will be underway which will allow regulators, industry stakeholders, and operators to submit feedback on these new standards. The organization formed an accredited safety and quality certification program and these new standards will help grow the program.

"At CSQ we’re continuously improving and expanding our program to cover every aspect of the global supply chain from seed-to-sale, and CSQ Retail and CSQ Warehousing & Distributing get us one step closer to this goal,” said Darwin Millard, Technical Director of CSQ.

5. Enforcement Begins for Florida’s Stricter Packaging, Labeling for Hemp Products

In a recent press release, Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced results from enforcement of new hemp compliance standards for child-resistant packaging, labeling, and marketing. In its first week, he reported, nearly 11,000 packages were removed from retailers and manufacturers as part of “Operation Safe Summer.”