🚨 Texas GOP splits on THC while NC courts expand police powers + DOGE cuts federal cannabis research

Built by a former cannabis regulator, Policy, Decoded is your high-signal daily briefing for operators, investors, and policymakers navigating the collision of law, regulation, and business.

We're back after the weekend with Texas Republicans publicly feuding over cannabis policy as Governor Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Patrick clash over THC regulation during today's special session, while North Carolina courts expand police search powers despite hemp being indistinguishable from marijuana without laboratory testing. Abbott's veto of Patrick's total THC ban exposed rare cracks in Texas GOP unity, with Patrick accusing the governor of wanting to "legalize recreational marijuana" after Abbott called for alcohol-style regulation instead. Meanwhile, Trump's DOGE efficiency team quietly dismantled the federal government's half-century marijuana research monopoly at University of Mississippi, and Missouri's struggle to fingerprint 16,000 cannabis workers reveals the operational chaos that retroactive compliance creates for operators. The convergence of state regulatory battles, constitutional challenges, and federal research cuts signals a shifting landscape where prohibition-era policies face pressure from both economic realities and government efficiency mandates.

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