Screentime surges, Sugar slumps, CBD gets regulated

February 18, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Americans now spend 6.3 hours daily on phones, up from 5.5 hours in early 2023, with older users driving surge

• Raw sugar futures fall to five-year low as GLP-1 drugs accelerate decline in sweet consumption while whey prices hit record highs

• Federal law caps THC in hemp products near zero in November, potentially eliminating much of $8-13B CBD market

I'm heading to LA this week for the Connected Health & Fitness Summit to host a fireside chat with Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist (parent company of Mindbody and ClassPass), on AI in fitness and the anticipated $7.5B EGYM merger. If you're attending or based in LA and want to meet up, email [email protected].

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