Federal cannabis policy is creating sharply different signals for operators: the DEA is moving to deny medical marijuana registrations in several major markets, while a coalition of governors is pressing Congress to open the regulated banking system to state-legal businesses. In Los Angeles, the investigation into the deadly North Hollywood Metro station crash advanced with the driver’s arrest on suspicion of DUI and murder.
DEA Moves to Deny Medical Cannabis Registrations Across Multiple States
The Drug Enforcement Administration has sent orders to show cause to medical marijuana businesses in California, Delaware, Illinois, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington, D.C., according to Marijuana Moment. The reported actions expand beyond the agency’s previously disclosed move against an applicant in Minnesota.
The orders generally question state systems that combine medical and adult-use operations or permit patients to obtain cannabis without the written certification required under the federal registration framework. The notices represent proposed denials rather than final decisions, leaving affected applicants an opportunity to respond or request hearings.
Why It Matters: Analysis: The broader action suggests federal registration may remain inaccessible to many operators in dual-use markets, even after the federal government moved state-licensed medical marijuana into Schedule III. That could divide the industry between businesses operating inside the new federal system and companies that remain dependent solely on state authorization.
Source: Marijuana Moment
Sixteen Governors Urge Congress to Pass Cannabis Banking Protections
A coalition led by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore asked congressional leaders to advance the SAFE Banking Act of 2026, arguing that state-sanctioned cannabis businesses should be able to use federally regulated financial institutions without exposing banks to federal penalties.
The letter was signed by governors from 16 states, including California cannabis-market peers such as Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Washington. The governors said states have collected more than $27.6 billion in cannabis tax revenue since 2012 while businesses and regulatory agencies continue to encounter barriers involving deposits, payments, lending and cash management.
Why It Matters: Analysis: The appeal adds state-level political pressure at a moment when federal rescheduling has not resolved the industry’s banking problems. Passage would reduce regulatory risk for financial institutions and could expand access to deposits, payment processing, payroll services and commercial credit, although congressional action remains uncertain.
Source: Office of Maryland Governor Wes Moore
Driver Arrested on Suspicion of DUI and Murder in North Hollywood Crash
Los Angeles police arrested the driver whose minivan struck pedestrians and food vendors outside the North Hollywood Metro station, killing three women and critically injuring two others. He was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of murder.
Police said the vehicle was traveling at an unsafe speed before leaving the road and coming to rest beneath a vendor’s tent. The case had not yet been presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office as of Wednesday afternoon, meaning the arrest allegations had not become formally filed charges.
Why It Matters: Analysis: The arrest materially changes the status of the investigation from an unexplained mass-casualty crash to a potential criminal prosecution. Investigators’ findings and the district attorney’s charging decision will determine whether prosecutors pursue murder counts under California’s implied-malice standard for fatal impaired-driving cases.
Source: Associated Press
What We’re Watching
Over the next 24 to 72 hours, watch for responses or hearing requests from cannabis businesses receiving DEA orders, any congressional movement following the governors’ banking appeal, and a decision by Los Angeles County prosecutors on whether to formally charge the North Hollywood driver.
