ESG 101 & the Cannabis Industry

Healthcare organizations increasingly rely on digital tools to engage patients, streamline intake, and improve care coordination. At the same time, regulators are closely scrutinizing whether online interfaces, consent mechanisms, and patient-facing technologies improperly influence or manipulate patient choices through so-called “dark patterns.”

As of Jul. 31st, Texas is enforcing tough new restrictions on hemp-derived THC products, and it’s changing the game for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across the state. This isn’t one new law; it’s the Texas Department of State Health Services’ (DSHS) messy revival of dormant 2021 rules after a Texas Supreme Court ruling, on top of separate consumable-hemp regulations that kicked in earlier this year and are still being fought over in court. Bottom line: the rules have shifted more than once in 2026, and businesses need a clear picture of what’s banned, what’s still fine, and what’s still up in the air.

The SEC has approved Nasdaq’s new $5 million Market Value of Listed Securities (MVLS) continued listing standard, while temporarily staying its effectiveness pending potential Commission review. Although the final rule retains Nasdaq’s accelerated delisting framework, it expands the Nasdaq Hearings Panel’s authority to grant limited relief, giving certain issuers additional time to demonstrate compliance with Nasdaq’s more stringent initial listing standards.