New limitations on weed purchases go into effect in Ohio, a kratom regulation bill advances in Pennsylvania, and more. 

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Marijuana Policy 

Ohio Sees New Limits on Buying Legal Weed. Effective this week, Ohioans now face new restrictions on their marijuana purchases. The changes differ from the sweeping changes to recreational cannabis that took effect in March and were promulgated by the Ohio Division of Cannabis Control, which regulates the industry without the requirement for legislative input. 

Under the new rules, the amount of marijuana that can be sold in a single package is limited to one ounce of flower, and customers are limited to buying no more than three vape cartridges in one package. Vapes can contain no more than two grams and cannot have THC levels above 90 percent.

Similarly, edibles such as gummies or chocolates, as well as cannabis-infused beverages, are limited to 10 mg of THC per serving. And one cannabis patch, capsule, or pill cannot exceed 50 mg, one oral pouch or strip cannot exceed 10 mg, and oral drops and sprays cannot exceed 30 milliliters per package. Cannabis-infused cosmetic products cannot exceed three ounces.

Medical marijuana sales and purchases are exempt from these rules, but regulators imposed a 55 mg cap per serving on edibles and beverages. Previously, there were no limits. 

Ibogaine

US Advances First Government-Funded Trials for Ibogaine. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced Monday it was moving forward with the first government-funded clinical trials of ibogaine, an African psychedelic used to treat addiction and PTSD. 

The move follows President Donald Trump signing an executive order in April providing $50 million in funding for federal ibogaine research. The Department of Health and Human Services is funding the ibogaine trials through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The FDA said it has opened a public docket seeking feedback on several issues, including trial design, dose selection, patient eligibility, safety monitoring, study-stopping rules, and oversight. Interested parties have until November 20 to weigh in. 

"This is ​the most important regulatory signal ibogaine has received in decades," said Tom Feegel, CEO ‌of ⁠Beond, a Mexico-based ibogaine treatment provider.

The FDA ​has previously warned ⁠that the drug carries severe health risks, including life-threatening irregular heart rhythms and potential brain toxicity.

Ibogaine is currently scheduled as a Schedule I controlled substance under a US law, and the FDA has warned that there are severe health risks associated with it, including potential brain toxicity and irregular heart rhythms. 

"Cardiac safety is not a footnote ... it is the central challenge researchers have to solve ⁠before ​this treatment can responsibly reach the people ​who need it," said Betty Aldworth, co-executive director of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.

Kratom

Pennsylvania House Approves Kratom Regulation Bill. A bill that would regulate the sale of natural kratom products and prohibit the sale of synthetic kratom unanimously, House Bill 2657,  passed the House on Monday, the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski (D-Lackawanna), announced.

Kratom is a plant from Southeast Asia used for its psychoactive properties. While the DEA has studied kratom for years but never scheduled it, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services have recommended that a synthetic derivative, 7-OH, be classified as a Schedule 1 controlled substance – placing it in the same category as heroin and LSD. 

House Bill 2657 would create a statutory framework for the sale, distribution and quality control of kratom products within Pennsylvania. Retailers registered with the state would be allowed to sell natural-leaf kratom products to people 21 and over. Packaging would have to list the manufacturer's name and address, carry a warning that the products have not been evaluated by the FDA and make no medical claims. Packaging would also have to be child resistant and designed not to appeal to minors. Kratom products would be subject to the tobacco tax.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health would enforce standards and collect taxes.

The bill would also ban the sale of synthetic or adulterated kratom products, including those that contain more than 0.5% alkaloid composition of 7-hydroxymitragynine or 7-OH, a compound found in only trace amounts in the kratom leaf. Sellers of these illegal products would be subject to criminal penalties.

Kosierowski said that this legislation was prompted by the rising number of overdoses where kratom was found, either alone or with other drugs. There have been 33 in Pennsylvania since 2025, according to the DOH.  Calls to poison control centers regarding kratom have also risen this year, with 106 from Jan. 1 through June 30, including 41 involving 7-OH. The calls involved individuals aged 12 months to 80 years; naloxone was administered in 25 cases, and 14 individuals required mechanical ventilation.

The bill now heads to the state Senate for consideration.