Last Week in Weed: September 28-October 4, 2026 – New York Sales Grow as States Revisit Access
New York’s cumulative adult-use sales passed $4 billion as state developments put testing transparency, hospital access, and professional speech in the spotlight.
Key Facts
- New York reported $4.1 billion in cumulative adult-use cannabis sales.
- Florida’s two newly filed legalization initiatives are proposals that still face the ballot process.
- Pennsylvania’s hospital access bill advanced in committee; Maryland’s veterinary speech protection took effect October 1.
In This Roundup
- New York Reports More Than $4 Billion in Adult-Use Sales
- Two New Florida Legalization Initiatives Enter the Process
- California’s Newly Signed Law Addresses Testing Transparency
- Pennsylvania Committee Advances Hospital Access Legislation
- Maryland Protects Veterinarians’ Cannabis-Related Discussions
- FAQ
Last Week in Weed tracks cannabis developments reported during September 28-October 4, 2026, with reporting closed on October 2. This edition follows a growing regulated market and several different stages of policymaking, from newly filed proposals to a law that took effect. The distinction determines what businesses and consumers can expect next.
New York Reports More Than $4 Billion in Adult-Use Sales
New York officials announced at the October 1 Cannabis Control Board meeting that cumulative recreational cannabis sales had reached $4.1 billion since the market launched in late 2022, Marijuana Moment reported October 2. Third-quarter sales totaled $512.6 million. The figures provide a new measure of the licensed market’s growth as the state continues approving businesses.
Cumulative revenue describes sales over the market’s entire operating period, while the quarterly figure offers a more recent view. Neither number alone establishes the profitability of an individual dispensary or resolves the challenges of entering the market. For operators, the update provides a useful statewide benchmark alongside the local costs, competition, and licensing conditions that shape each business.
Source: Marijuana Moment
Two New Florida Legalization Initiatives Enter the Process
Two newly filed Florida ballot initiatives would legalize adult-use cannabis, according to an October 2 Marijuana Moment report. The proposals introduce additional approaches to legalization into the state’s initiative process. Filing is an early step, and neither proposal has become law or secured voter approval.
The First Floridians for Marijuana proposal would allow adults over age 21 to possess specified amounts of cannabis and create a path for adult-use sales through existing medical dispensaries. It also envisions additional businesses without requiring the same vertical integration structure. The proposals’ progress, ballot qualification, and eventual voter decisions remain separate questions. Businesses should treat the filings as policy developments to follow while the existing regulatory framework continues to apply.
Source: Marijuana Moment
California’s Newly Signed Law Addresses Testing Transparency
A September 28 report examined cannabis legislation signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, including AB 1965. The testing measure was signed September 27, immediately before this edition’s reporting week. Its provisions address access to certificates of analysis, off-the-shelf testing, and laboratory proficiency requirements.
The bill text requires licensed retailers to provide a product’s certificate of analysis on request to consumers and specified government entities. It also addresses procedures for testing products taken from retail shelves, creating another avenue for examining whether products meet requirements. These provisions put attention on the connection between laboratory results and what reaches consumers. Businesses will need to follow implementation details and applicable effective dates as the state’s testing oversight develops.
Source: California Legislature bill text; Marijuana Moment reporting
Pennsylvania Committee Advances Hospital Access Legislation
Pennsylvania’s Senate Law and Justice Committee unanimously advanced SB 1035 on September 29, Marijuana Moment reported. The bill would allow qualifying terminally ill patients to use medical cannabis in certain hospitals, nursing facilities, and hospice settings. Its proposed framework excludes smoking and vaping and calls for facility guidelines and secure storage.
The committee vote moves the proposal forward in the legislative process. It does not establish a statewide right to use cannabis in every care facility. Further legislative action and enactment would be required before the proposed requirements could take effect. The measure focuses attention on the practical responsibilities facilities would face, including who manages the product, where it is stored, and how use fits institutional rules.
Source: Marijuana Moment
Maryland Protects Veterinarians’ Cannabis-Related Discussions
A Maryland law protecting veterinarians who discuss or recommend cannabis-related products for animals took effect October 1, according to Marijuana Moment. The measure limits professional discipline based solely on those communications, including discussions of cannabis and CBD as potential therapeutic products or health supplements.
The change concerns the ability of veterinary professionals to speak with clients. It does not itself establish the safety of a particular product, approve a drug, or supply a treatment dose for an animal. That distinction matters as owners bring questions about cannabis products into veterinary offices. Product quality, the animal’s condition, and professional evaluation remain separate from the legal protection for the conversation.
Source: Marijuana Moment
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the new Florida filings make adult-use cannabis legal?
No. They are proposed ballot initiatives. Qualification, a vote, and any required implementation would still have to occur.
Did Pennsylvania enact its hospital access proposal?
The reported action was approval by a Senate committee. The bill still requires further action before it could become law.
Does Maryland’s law establish cannabis treatment instructions for pets?
No. The reported law protects specified professional communications. It does not establish product safety or provide a treatment dose.