age for hemp and CBD products, affordability has improved significantly. As a senior citizen on Medicare, I can get big pharma sleeping pills for a zero co-pay or pay upwards of $ 50 for a good quality CBD. The choice is strictly economical.
Rendall continues to explain the new program, which is good news for seniors, albeit moving slowly.“ One aim of the new program is to collect data on how people on Medicare are using and tolerating CBD, potentially widening the possibility for broader programs.”
While attending the First International Hemp Conference in America last fall on the Lower Sioux Reservation, the gentleman who ran the visitor center interrupted our conversation to take a phone call.“ We just got back another 30,000 acres,” he said, smiling.
Farewell to my Faithful Friend
According to Adam Perlman, M. D., an integrative and functional medicine specialist for Forbes Health Advisory Board,“ What this program introduces is a structured, physician-informed pathway, which is something we’ ve been missing for a long time.”
States are Moving Forward
Decriminalization efforts and greater access to cannabis are growing exponentially across the states, with changes too numerous to keep up with. I was encouraged by a recent push from state lawmakers asking the federal government to get its act together. As the feds have failed to act, the states have acted rigorously, with many states very dependent on the tax dollars coming in from the state cannabis market.
The move to Schedule III is the first to offer tax relief to cannabis businesses. On April 9, 2026, the Cannabis Business Times published the article“ Whitney Economics Refreshes Analysis of Federal Tax Impact on Legal Cannabis Operators.” Whitney, a global leader in cannabis and hemp business consulting, data, and economic research, reported,“ The amount of additional taxes cannabis operators pay is staggering,” Economics Chief Economist Beau Whitney said.“ In 2025, there was an estimated $ 2.24 billion in excess cannabis-related federal taxes due to the IRS’ s 280E tax policy. The industry is being taxed out of business.”
MoCannTrade reported in May that Missouri MJ cumulative sales( Oct. 2020 thru Apr. 2026) for medical and adult use combined reached $ 5.43 Billion. KCTV-5 reported in February that Missouri’ s legal cannabis brought in $ 255 million in tax revenue in 2025. The 280E policy is based on cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Basically, it is a federal tax paid to run a federally illegal business, which, when you say that out loud...
Tribal Hemp
And my final happy note on cannabis: Tribal Indigenous Americans have now reclaimed 56 million acres of their land. While this represents only 2.3 % of the acres they originally owned, 56 million is a lot, and the efforts the tribes are making on this land, which is mostly used to grow hemp, are the best chance of salvation for all of us.
In March, Butch and Dolores( right) visited Rachel Crawford( left) of Rustic Oil in Lee’ s Summit. Butch used Rustic Oil’ s Green Gruff Relax + CBD for his stress-related seizures. Butch was Dolores’ s faithful companion and with her everywhere. He will be missed.
On a sad note, we lost another precious member of our cannabis community this past week. Butch, my Mighty Wonder Dog, beloved by so many of you and my constant companion, has swum to the other side of the river. Butch was eleven, going on twelve. He took ill suddenly, so I am still in shock. He died with his boots on, hiking through the woods until the end. He will be missed beyond measure.
Thank you all for your condolences and for loving my faithful companion.
Dolores Montgomery Halbin, RN, BSN, and Ordained Nurse Minister, resides in SW Missouri. After her husband passed in 2015, she retired from nursing. She worked with the 2014-2018 Missouri campaigns for legalized medical marijuana. She continues as a cannabis reform activist working toward Federal decriminalization through educational speaking and freelance journalism. Doloreshalbin @ gmail. com.
Notice: The information contained herein is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, but rather a sharing of knowledge and information based on research and experience. The content is the authors opinion only and solely for general informational, entertainment purposes.
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