They told us legalization was freedom. Headlines, campaigns, dispensary ads: “Weed is legal now.” But that’s not how it started. DEA vs. DEI It started with pity. Pity for veterans. Pity for cancer patients. Pity for people who looked sick…
When I first started growing cannabis back in the late 1990s, the landscape was entirely different. Cannabis was illegal, and there weren’t specialized grow stores on every corner filled with cannabis-specific nutrients. As someone who had always been drawn to…
Before any of this was about brands, before the music got packaged by record labels and the weed got logos, there was just the block. A speaker on a milk crate, a few heads from around the way, somebody’s cousin…
For years now, I’ve watched as countless individuals in the cannabis industry consistently overstate the industry’s unwillingness to examine and discuss potentially harmful aspects of cannabis consumption. You can see this happening almost daily on platforms like LinkedIn, where people…
Oaxaca de Juárez lounges in the Central Valleys, at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains. Here in the tropical savanna, when it’s not raining, the arid, blazing heat seduces you into bars, like a desert oasis. You’ll learn fast…
Sara Payan: Hello, everyone, and welcome to Planted with Sara Payan. I’m Sara Payan, your host, and today, our guest is Luke Scarmazzo. He has been a political prisoner, and he has gotten out. He has written a book, “High…
“Hemp is the only plant that can feed you, house you, clothe you, and heal you,” declares Jack Herer, a renowned hemp activist and author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes. For centuries, hemp has shaped America’s history, from crafting…
Skateboarding and cannabis, although very distinct in nature, have more in common than you might think. Both have scratched and clawed their way from marginalized and subculture activities into mainstream phenomena. They now not only continue to build and influence…
In Russia, where I am from, every human has a relationship with a bottle of vodka, ranging from blind love to burning hate; often, both. You already knew that. But do you know why? Russia, Vodka, and Ivan the Terrible …
The Paradox of Cannabis Success and Injustice The smell of success in the cannabis industry is unmistakable—billions of dollars wafting through convention halls, celebrated in glossy marketing campaigns, and toasted with craft-infused cocktails. Yet, just beyond this thriving market lies…
In 2024, the U.S. cannabis industry is soaring with a projected economic impact of $112.4 billion, while approximately 40,000 people remain incarcerated for cannabis offenses. This contradiction demands reform for individuals like Edwin Rubis, Michael Thompson, and many other people…
As the world moves toward greater acceptance of cannabis, the conversation surrounding its legalization must address deeper issues that have mostly been ignored. Legalizing cannabis is not just about lifting prohibition, or the processes involved that the next administration would…
