Best of the Week: October 10 – October 16, 2025

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

1. Ohio Enacts Temporary Ban on Intoxicating Hemp Products to Protect Public Health

Though a judge has now placed a temporary restraining order on the intoxicating hemp products ban, earlier this month, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine issued a 90-day emergency ban on intoxicating hemp products in Ohio to protect minors and public health. The temporary ban on the sale of intoxicating hemp products in the state of Ohio was set to begin on October 14, 2025, at 12:01am, as stated in the executive order signed by Governor DeWine on October 8, declaring an Adulterated Consumer Product Emergency.

As a press release explained, the hemp products encompassed in the order contain manipulated, intoxicating compounds sourced from nonintoxicating cannabis, but these compounds are unregulated, lack quality control, and are available for purchase by anyone, including minors. The products are also packaged and marketed as candy, cookies, and gummies similar to commercially available products.

2. New York CCB Announces Opinions on Long Island Cannabis Ordinances

The New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) deemed Long Island cannabis ordinances "unreasonably impracticable” and shared other state market updates at their monthly public meeting.

The Board announced two advisory opinions which included “finding local ordinances on Long Island, in Southhampton and Riverhead, ‘unreasonably impracticable,’ under Cannabis Law.” With these opinions, “municipalities have limited ability to impose barriers that frustrate state-licensed businesses from opening within their jurisdictions.”

In New York State, there are currently 497 legal dispensaries open to conduct businesses in the state.

3. Healer Webinar Discusses New Research on Medical Cannabis for Tourette Syndrome, Neuropathy, and Caregivers

The first part of the coverage of this month’s Healer webinar covered research on Tourette syndrome, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, and caregiver wellbeing. Dr. Dustin Sulak discussed THC and CBD treatment in adolescents with Tourette syndrome and the effect on tics and quality of life, cannabis formulations' role in reducing symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and the prevalence of cannabis use among informal caregivers of older adults, especially those with Alzheimer's or dementia.

4. Florida Court Rules Police Can't Use Cannabis Odor for Warrantless Car Searches

A recent ruling by Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal issued that police officers may not enforce motor vehicle searches due to the smell of cannabis being present. The Court of Appeal judges recognized that “the use of cannabis in certain circumstances is legally regulated statewide.” With this acknowledgement, both state and local police are no longer able to “presume” that smelling the odor of cannabis could be “probable cause of a crime.”

5. Survey Examines Cannabis Use and GP Discussions in Germany

Cannabis was legalized on April 1, 2024, in Germany, yet questions on the ongoing and future effects on cannabis consumption still remain. In order to further explore harm reduction efforts for cannabis use in Germany, researchers conducted a survey to examine how cannabis consumers talked with their general practitioners (GP) about cannabis consumption. Ultimately, the percentage of those who discussed cannabis consumption was low.

The study, “What proportion of people who use cannabis in Germany have spoken with their general practitioner about their consumption? A repeated cross-sectional representative population survey,” was published in the Journal of Cannabis Research in October 2025. The results provide a starting point for evaluating the impacts of legalization in Germany in the future, the researchers concluded.