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We predict that SXSW is going to be "The Happening" from March 10-19, 2023, and right on time, SXSW event coordinators are starting to push out information about what we can look forward to. Just get your tickets now and thank us later. Not surprisingly, CANNABIS IS GOING TO BE A FEATURED TOPIC, with some special deep-dives that will bring out the industry's most interesting experts to share their knowledge, strategies, and scars gained from the streetfight that ending Prohibition has become. From our perspective, the panel called "How Women will Shape Future Cannabis Branding" is going to absolutely crush it. Bro Culture has ruled the cannabis landscape for long enough - the under-represented opportunity for The Plant is older and femaler - (we know this is not a word yet, but try to keep up). We Upvoted this panel using our SXSW membership - - 1 click to pick it. Why? First of all, here's the scoop: More women are consuming cannabis. According to Brightfield Group, the portion of female cannabis users reached 51% in 2021. Additionally, it is generally believed that women drive 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions. As cannabis legalization increases and continues to normalize, it will likely be women purchasing her household’s cannabis supply, in the same way she picks up beer and wine at the store. Smart brands have realized that the future of weed is women and are already designing products, marketing materials, and other outreach with women and their needs in mind. Here from a mix of brands not only led by women, but specifically targeting women as a key audience, about their current approach and how they are planning to grow this market segment. Next, the Panel: Hillary Peckham, Chief Operating Officer, Etain Health Kristina Adduci, Founder & CEO, House of Puff Jenny Argie, Founder, Jenny's Baked at Home Beryl Solomon, Founder & CEO, Poplar Finally, (focus now, Dear Readers): Even though Kristina Adduci, Founder of House of Puff is featured on the page, keep an eye on Jenny Argie, a real rising star in the industry from the nascent NY cannabis market. Argie was one of the first people in NY to get a hemp license 7 years ago, and her leadership in the industry is indelible at this point. (Did we say The Future is Female?) What makes her unique is that this is not her first rodeo in creating a business with profound potential. She also founded and ran Argington, a children's furniture company, and ran it for 15 years. Furniture ain't cannabis, you say? Exactly right! Designing cutting edge pieces that were coveted all over the world (the client list would blow your mind), manufacturing and shipping from three dozen factories in China, branding and marketing in practically every publication in print ... What could be better preparation for the NY Cannabis market explosion that's just around the bend? So get to SXSW 2023 (March 10-19), check out the power women on the panel "How Women will Shape Future Cannabis Branding", and we'll see you there. ### IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.sxsw.com PHOTO BY TINA RATAJ

When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — “No, you move.” — Captain America, "Amazing Spider-Man #537" Captain America says this to Spider-Man in Amazing Spider-Man #537, published in 2006. A similar version of the quote appears in the 2016 movie Captain America: Civil War, but the lines are spoken by the character Sharon Carter, not by Captain America. But he certainly could have said this to cannabis loyalists, legacy operators, true believers, and anyone who fights the stigma against cannabis, fights the prohibitionists, fights the reefer madness rhetoric. Fight on, people! This quote comes from https://www.inspiringquotes.com/12-superhero-quotes-to-power-up-your-day/YVR4tTTAMwAGYi2y image source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/born-on-the-fourth-of-july-5-things-only-a-true-captain-america-fan-would-know-1720321

My story today is a blend of several, all having to do with situations in Native American communities with regard to cannabis. The lead story is from the New Mexico Political Report “Growing Forward: Tribal Governments Navigate Legal Cannabis” THE SCOOP “For years, as conversations and debates in Congress and state legislatures about legalizing cannabis took place, an often-overlooked piece of the puzzle was what legalization meant for tribal governments. “In most states that have legalized recreational-use cannabis, state governments have entered into agreements with sovereign nations, allowing tribes to set up their own cannabis programs. New Mexico recently signed on to two of those kinds of agreements, which allows both the Picuris and Pojoaque pueblos to grow and sell cannabis, which will presumably deter federal officials from intervening.” The Picuris tribe mentioned has been threatened for years by local law enforcement, that they could be prosecuted for participating in the state’s legal medical marijuana program. “That fact became evident recently when a man who lived on Picuris land but is not a member, had his entire personal use grow raided by Bureau of Indian Affairs agents. Neither that man, nor the Picuris Pueblo was ever federally charged.” The hope is that the New Mexico agreement stops this kind of nonsense. THE DEEPER DIVE Keeping the US and state governments out of Indian affairs is a major theme these days. The US Supreme Court just ruled last month to expand a state’s rights over tribes in a case centered in Oklahoma. "To be clear, the court today holds that Indian country within a state's territory is part of a state, not separate from a state," Beer-Loving BadBoy Justice Brent Kavanaugh wrote for the majority. The main effect of this ruling is to allow the States to prosecute non-Indians who commit crimes against Indians on the land. But the larger theme of allowing States to have jurisdiction over tribes, which is a decision that scholars of Native American law said was a major departure from longstanding precedent. As to how that relates to cannabis: In March, a coalition of nine U.S. senators sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging him to direct federal prosecutors to not interfere with marijuana legalization policies enacted by Native American tribes. “The senators urged the attorney general to “reinstate prosecutorial discretion and allow U.S. Attorneys to deprioritize cannabis enforcement where states and Tribes have legalized cannabis.” Just last week, a Senate committee held a listening session about tribal issues, where cannabis was featured topic. Tribes attending included: “The Seneca Nation of Indians, the Suquamish Tribe, Pueblo of Laguna, Kumeyaay Nation, Puyallup Tribe and Santee Sioux Tribe. The tribal cannabis language is one of several cannabis-related proposals that have been filed in spending bills for various agencies over the past week. “Overall, the new House cannabis provision … says that no federal funds appropriated to agencies within Interior, Justice Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs or Office of Justice Services could be used to “enforce federal laws criminalizing the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana against any person engaged in the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana in Indian country” where such activity is authorized. “However, this new section comes with contingencies not seen before, including a policy stating that “Federal funds could still be used to interfere in tribal cannabis activity if the territory is located within a state that maintains prohibition, for example. Which, again, is an infringement of tribal rights to self-determination. The question again is: Are the Tribes sovereign nations or not? But the Supreme Court and Congress are saying NO… what does this mean when the tribes want to trade with each other? THE LAST WORD Meanwhile, harkening back five years in Nevada, the Ely Shoshone Tribe and the Yerington Paiute Tribe entered cannabis compacts with the state. “Senate Bill 375 recognizes the authority of tribes to grow, sell and market marijuana in a state where the drug is legal for medicinal and recreational purposes.” And finally, the Shinnecock Nation in New York, just broke ground in Southampton. Activist Chenae Bullock said, “What we’re doing with this sacred plant is going to heal not only the Shinnecock community, but people around the world. We’re giving this plant a voice again.” Let’s hope the white community shops there, and otherwise stays out of their way. ### Image Source: https://www.newyorkupstate.com/marijuana/2022/07/shinnecock-nation-breaks-ground-on-new-long-island-cannabis-dispensary.html

My good friend Jason Beck is the longest running cannabis retailer in the United States, and a very conservative fellow by nature, which causes some lighthearted ribbing to ensue on our State of Cannabis News Hour show... You didn’t know it was his birthday today? Well here’s a little story that’s gift wrapped just for Jason: Snoop Dogg Trolls Biden With ‘Sleepy Joe OG’ Premium Cannabis THE SCOOP Snoop Dogg is arguably one of the greatest rappers of all time, having been in the music game since 1992, (I had to look that up, white boy that I am) but that’s 30 years now - - my how time flies - - He's released some of the greatest songs and collaborations of our generation, 10 consecutive gold records (9 of which went Platinum), 34 films, 25 TV series, and Martha Martha Martha Stewart … that is, sweet girl from MY hood… And all from LA, bitches, so there’s that. But now, Snoop is poking the nose of the biggest Dogg on the block: Joe Biden. Snoop posted on his Instagram a package of a new strain called SLEEPY JOE OG. The package features an image of a confused Biden with the words, “Where am I?” (This is ALL for you, Jason) Sleepy Joe OG Premium Cannabis promises to be so kick-ass, that “You won’t even remember what country you are in!” THE DEEPER DIVE Seriously though, it’s so great to see that some people have not forgotten one of the key ingredients of great weed is that it’s FUN. Yes, it’s absolutely critical medicine for some and a powerful opportunity for economics and for social justice. At the same time, at the very same time, weed takes you out of the grind for a while, puts a smile on your face, and expands your imagination. And god knows we all need that, yes she does. People love Snoop and love this new branding, I just looked at the post – there are more than 500,000 LIKES and almost 10,000 comments already, including: “Snoop hook me up I need whatever joe smokin,” one wrote. “Do I hit it and get my vote back?” “Don’t ride a bike after u hit this,” wrote a third, referring to how Sleepy Joe fell of his bike in Delaware last week. “That shit will get you high as the gas prices” Plz help a senior out. Send a care basket. Or the comment I left with Snoop: “So strong, it will make you forget to decriminalize weed” But I think we can do better!! I urge all of you, Dear Readers, to drop into Snoop’s Insta and leave the best comment possible, and tweak The President’s nose for his LACK OF ACTIVITY on cannabis. THE LAST WORD Jason, I’ve teed up a sweet story for you. Any chance you’d like to say something about Snoop’s fine new strain? But before I hand it over, there’s one more comment from Snoop’s post: “Hey, Tinos Genetics has got a Trump Strain called Rotten Peaches … LMFAO” Go Jason! ### IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf0tLBeOHxY/

Sad to have to report that the knuckleheads in our community have been busy. This story revisits one we’ve reported on at STATE OF CANNABIS NEWS & OPINION HOUR (@Twitter Spaces) before: The Case of the Missing Tip Jar. It’s from my good friend Deb Borchardt’s Green Market Report and an article titled, "More Cannabis Tip Jar News" THE SCOOP In the Massachusetts market, a dispensary company called Bud’s Goods and Provisions has reached an agreement with the state’s Fair Labor Division of the Attorney General’s office. “The popular cannabis dispensary agreed to repay numerous current and former employees as part of a $33,000 settlement … following a complaint from an employee that the company kept tips from its budtenders. Sixty-eight (68) employees who worked between March 1, 2021, and the end of 2021 will receive between $20 and $1,500.” THE DEEPER DIVE First of all, let’s be clear: the company wants you to think this is about $33,000. It’s not. It’s about the $20 that the company refused to give that employee on the bottom. It’s not about the big number, it’s about the smallest number because that shows how badly this company has lost its way. As an outside observer on this fiasco, I am tempted to borrow a phrase from Full Metal Jacket, and ask Bud’s Goods and Provisions “What is your major malfunction, Numbnuts?” Satire aside, if I were a public relations consultant for Bud’s Goods and Provisions as, a role I perform for cannabis clients, I would switch to CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS MODE if my client’s name linked to corruption of any kind … ESPECIALLY this petty cash variety, which suggests a level of desperation that’s cruel, ugly, and frightening. Stealing tips is corrupt behavior. It may not be illegal but it's certainly morally corrupt. Seriously, Bud’s Goods and Provisions: Check yourself before you wreck yourself. This sounds like a movie trailer about when lawyers and MBA’s run a business like it’s a death metal ultimate frisbee game between the Chads from Harvard and the Biffs from Yale. "They play to win, they play to the death…" and now they’re laughing stocks all across America because they couldn’t just drop-the-disk and let a budtender have his $20. America is ALL ABOUT THE LITTLE GUY. You think no one notices when you do bullshit to your employees? Look what happened to Burger King, a behemoth company, just last week, when an employee who had worked at the same location for 27 years was given a measly goodie bag full of crap? AN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE! ALSO, imagine you’re an investor in Bud’s Goods and Provisions – or a potential investor in a new raise. What are you gonna think about a company that makes such unforced errors in judgment? That fight all the way to the Attorney General’s office over a measly $20 bucks? Or even $33,000 – in the world of “popular cannabis dispensaries”, that’s like 30 seconds of revenue! I’m thinking quite a few checkbooks closed over this, AND IT’S SO UNNECCESSARY! MOVING ON TO CURALEAF “This settlement comes at the same time as cannabis giant Curaleaf recently pushed back against an employee that sued the company for the contents of a tip jar. Former employee Morgan Heller filed a complaint in March accusing the company of not giving the employees $126,000 that had been collected in tip jars. Heller says the managers took the money instead. Curaleaf wants the Illinois federal court to dismiss those claims saying it never agreed to pay those tips to workers in the first place. Curaleaf’s position is that tips were not part of the employment agreement and had told the employees as such.” Again, Chad ... Curaleaf ... KNUCKLEHEADS!!! Drop the rope and step away from the tip jar and dear Lord don’t let it get out that you’re so fucking petty. All politics is local, but CRUELTY TO EMPLOYEES IS POTENTIALLY INTERNATIONAL NEWS. Cannabis Business Owners: the following questions will be on the test: When is a tip jar NOT a tip jar? Never! Is it wrong to put out a “tip jar” that you know is not really a tip jar? Of course it is! Because now, not only are you stealing from your budtenders, but you’re stealing from your customers, taking their money under false pretenses… and what’s worse, you’ve stolen their trust. AND THE NEXT QUESTION THEY’RE GOING TO ASK IS: if you’re lying to your own employees, what are you lying to me about? THE LAST WORD This is how brands die, people. A brand is a promise, and once you break your promise to play fair, people will use those same feet to go into a different shop. Forever. STOP THIS MADNESS! ### Image Source: https://unsplash.com/@sam_truong

Good morning, Jason Beck and Rico Lamitte, and hello out there Susan Soares, we talked about going to war earlier this week, and also about your dear Father who was a Navy veteran. I know you're so proud of his memory, so this story is for you. THE SCOOP It’s 4th of July weekend in 2022, and in addition to being Ms. Jenny’s birthday, it’s a day that always reminds me of the battles that were fought on our behalf to win all these barbecues and cornhole games and fireworks. I googled “Advanced Military Systems” yesterday and learned that President Biden is ready to invest another $800 Million in weapons for Ukraine; that Lockheed Martin just won $307 Million contract for a new missile system; that the US military is working on rail guns, body armor, robotic troops, computer systems, hacking capabilities, autonomous drones, laser weapons, and goggles that can see through vehicles… All part of keeping the lid on the whole world. Major investments in the toys, what about the troops? You might know from previous stories, I’m post a lot of stories about veterans, those men and women who have put their lives on the line and made it back home, many of them wounded. Turns out the “The Veterans Administration categorizes wounded veterans into healthcare priority groups. The highest priority group is for veterans who cannot work due to severe service-related disabilities, and those with a Medal of Honor.” There are more than 2 million men and women in this category, and the expenditures for them are the highest, as they should be. And there are several million more who are not completely blown up, who are trying to make their way in life with injuries caused by the massive trauma of war. Post Traumatic Stress being an insidious but hard to see injury that still contributes to – even though the US is not involved in any shooting wars at the moment – a shameful level of veteran suicides. I also came across a new interview by Bryan Buckley, "'You Sent Me to War. Now's Your Turn to Fix Me.' How a Veteran-Owned Weed Brand is Helping Other Veterans" in Stars and Stripes. Bryan was my first interview in a series on the American Cannabis Report, and although I’ve since changed my strategy to focus on women and people of color, I’m absolutely proud to have spoken with Bryan. What an incredible man! He’s the best of the best, one of the most elite soldiers in the world. THE DEEPER DIVE Bryan left college in response to 9/11, became a Marine, became a Special Forces Marine, a Marine Raider, and a team leader in the First Ranger Battalion. He was wounded in battle and won a Purple Heart, he was also given a Bronze Star For Heroism In Battle. Best of the best. Suffers from PTSD, as you might expect from what he's been through, or as he describes it, “I’m 100% disabled.” But you know you can’t keep a good Marine down. A meeting a few years ago helped him develop a new mission: to help other soldiers with PTSD and opiate addiction. He says, "I'd transitioned out of the military and I was just having a really rough time sleeping at night," Buckley said. "And that's when someone was like, 'Hey, you want to try some cannabis?' And when I took it, [it felt like] a warm blanket hit my brain. It was kind of like my mind was finally at peace." "That same year, in a Southern California meeting with members of Congress, he made the case for cannabis' potential in helping heal the wounds of war."They were like, 'I would say right now I'm sure it works but I'm not going to walk out that door and make that statement in front of the TV or anything,'" And then, the lightbulb went off: "Literally, I looked at a Paul Newman salad dressing bottle [with its] 100% of profits to charity. … Why don't we do 100% of our profits to help fund our research?" He created and built the Helmand Valley Growing Company, and alongside, a non-profit called Battle Brothers Foundation. Bryan has channeled $57,000 in profits to Battle Brothers already, and needs a few hundred thousand more to do the things he want to, so feel free to step up and support this incredibly important mission. The priority is to get studies moving forward quickly that will allow cannabis to be used by veterans with PTSD, because still, amazingly in 2022, the VA’s position “is that "cannabis is not recommended for the treatment of PTSD.” THE LAST WORD So I ask you, Veterans Administration – with all the $billion$ being spent on laser beams and Ukrainian missiles, how about a few fucking bucks to validate that God’s Favorite Plant is effective at treating the hearts and minds of our Greatest Living Heroes, our veterans? And don’t tell me that you have to wait for Congress ... you don’t play mother-may-I for anything else. Do the Right Thing! Let our veterans that want or need cannabis to use it! ###

This story is dedicated to my friend Susan Soares, my inspiration, mentor, and wonderful friend. And a shout out to Menakah Mehajan for sourcing this story from the Great Falls Tribune. The headline is “GREAT FALLS COUPLE FILES SUIT AGAINST MARIJUANA SALE BAN WITHIN CITY LIMITS.” As a hint, I’ve added my own subhead to describe the problem “Local Control Pollutes Big Sky Country.” It seems at first to be a small, local story set in a faraway state about a little dispensary suing the big town council for a license to operate … at first blush it seems to be a David vs. Goliath story at best… Matt Damon gets chubby and plays the lead in the movie … but I think, and pretty sure Menakah would agree, that it’s emblematic of a bigger theme that’s insidiously infected the cannabis industry nationwide. And we have to be aware of it and we have to fight back. Ah... I do love a good conspiracy. THE SCOOP What happened in this story is a straightforward Town Council power-play. The Tribune says, “Janelle and Dale Yatsko have operated Green Creek Dispensary outside city limits for 14 years, where they started with medical sales, according to court documents. They were licensed by the Cannabis Control Division through the Department of Revenue to grow and dispense adult-use cannabis soon after the passage of REC sales statewide in 2021.” “The couple then filed a Safety Inspection Certificate application with the city of Great Falls to allow them to operate in a location within city limits in February. But City Manager Greg Doyon denied the application, citing how the federal law on marijuana sales has not changed and a city ordinance passed in 2010 prohibited the sale or production of marijuana within city limits. Just at that moment, Cascade County Commissioners voted unanimously to limit zoning for dispensaries to two heavy industrial zones outside of Great Falls city limits. The Yatsko’s appealed, it was denied, and City Council decided to make a referendum to “Opt-Out” of adult use sales… In accordance with HB 701, Cascade County is a “green” county, meaning the majority of its voters voted in favor of recreational legalization, and can only fully prohibit production and sale of cannabis through a ballot referendum election.” So that’s why the County is going for the referendum. THE DEEPER DIVE But hold on there, cowboys, that horse has already left the barn. “In November 2020, Cascade County had voted with 54.7% in favor to approve the law that legalized REC in Montana.” The people have spoken. Let’s be crystal clear, what Cascade County is trying to do is ignore the will of the people. The County is trying to bully them back into submission and push cannabis into the shadows, or in this case, deep into the industrial section of town which is located on the other side of the tracks … does that ring any bells among our readers? Let’s not forget that the original mythology against cannabis included the line that it’s used by jazz musicians, which is code for black men. THE LAST WORD “Local Control” is just another example of what Dr. Felicia mentioned on the State of Cannabis News Hour today: dog whistles. In plain English, “Local Control” is a classic bait-and-switch euphemism used by Prohibitionists to put the hurt on our industry. It doesn't mean local control, it is a conspiracy to control the expansion of the cannabis industry. It’s no different than “State’s Rights,” the original dog whistle / secret code for "we want to keep our slaves," now used for for abuse by gun manufacturers and lobbyists to mean "we want to keep our guns because we're afraid of black people" and now in the abortion conversation to mean "we want to control women, too" This little Montana village story is not "David vs. Goliath," it’s the Trojan Horse. Show ignorant people something shiny and sexy and they’ll bring it inside the walls. Tell people “they have the power” and they can be manipulated to exercise it in strange ways. There’s a straight line from “State’s Rights” to “Local Control” to January 6th … they’re three versions of the same corrupt thinking. Stealing the will of the people is un-American and this seductive fairy tale of “local control” must be stamped out like the disease it is. ### Image source: Photo by Evelyn Hale: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-person-splashing-water-on-the-ground-11893741/

Five years ago, I created the American Cannabis Report as a platform to share what I’d learned about the elimination of hemp in America under the false pretense of “protecting us from the evils of marihuana.” To share what I’d learned about people like Rylie Maedler, Alexis Bortell, Billy Caldwell, Boone Cutler and his comrades in arms, all of whom would have died without cannabis medicine. To share what I’d learned about the many ways our enemies continued to persecute those who use cannabis to fulfill their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. At the time, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and others amused themselves by trying to crush the nascent cannabis industry, which was already creating innovations, jobs, and wealth-building opportunities. The only way to combat the unconscionably cruel bullying of the most vulnerable Americans was to meet it with equal energy and force. Mind you, I had none of the tools I would need to fight a Jeff Sessions. I am not a lawyer or politician, I didn’t have money, I hadn’t yet built a stable of allies. At first look, I had nothing with which to fight. … until I realized that the fight wasn't against a person, it was against a mythology... and furthermore, the Reefer Madness mythology was just a monster story (admittedly one of the most successful propaganda campaigns of all time which kept cultures around the world in a state of fear for more than 80 years but still), a monster story wrapped around a big fat lie! Well, Mr. writer-by-trade and storyteller-by-nature, why not just hike up your skirt and tell a better story? Better yet, why not tell more than 500 stories (as I have since published) about how: · Cannabinoids and other components of The Plant provide relief and survivability for children with terminal epilepsy and many other qualifying conditions · Cannabis is a forbidden but viable alternative to the opioid-heavy regimens could help our treasured military veterans, who were still killing themselves at a rate of 20 per day · A robust legal cannabis system would protect children from using cannabis too soon. I felt honor-bound to do whatever I could do to help protect and support these brave people. And it was that last bullet point that clarified my mission to protect my own children (and yours by the way). What About the Children? My youngest son, 14 at the time and in middle school, asked me “why I was in the pot business.” I responded with a challenge: “Let’s have a race to see who can score some pot quickest.” Without a second’s hesitation he said, “I’d win! I’d just walk across the street to the high school, I know where the guy is… I’d be back in 10 minutes.” Exactly my point, my son. You are 14 you can buy pot from a street dealer who will NEVER ask how old you are. A robust legal cannabis dispensary system does not allow kids to purchase, and pressures street dealers to move elsewhere. The system works. "I do this to protect you and kids like you." A light-bulb moment for the lad. But the reefer-mad folks remain uninformed and afraid. I remain hopeful that I can help them understand, with the most important asset I have: the truth. And...? I have little in common with Jeff Bezos, but with the American Cannabis Report, I have also answered The Golden Question. Bezos said, "I knew that when I was 80 I was not going to regret having tried this... I knew that if I failed I wouldn't regret that--but I knew the one thing I might regret is not ever having tried and I knew that that would haunt me every day. And so when I thought about it that way, it was an incredibly easy decision." I have devoted myself to this mission to illuminate and inform anyone who will read or watch about the many (many, many) positive benefits of the cannabis plant. I have written over 500 stories; interviewed veterans, doctors, nurses, athletic champions, presidential candidates, prisoner advocates, social activists, native American royalty… I’m particularly proud of my growing library of stories and interviews featuring women and people of color. And the opportunity to communicate has expanded - I'm a correspondent on the State of Cannabis News Hour, working with the National Cannabis Party, provide content for Pro Cannabis Media in Boston and UBCTV Network in New York, and was a moderator at the 2022 CWCBE conference in New York City. The cannabis community has helped restore my belief in good people, celebrate the indomitable spirit of mothers protecting their children, and fulfill a simple desire to leave evidence that while I was here I stood up to evil, that I fought with what I had to leave a better world. The job’s far from complete, but it’s been a hell of a ride so far.

I just got back from a due diligence trip to check out a new marketing client in New York City. Things are popping off in a New York kinda way, which means big and loud … let's start with a headline from Sean Teehan at Syracuse.com. And to my good friend Rico Lamitte, hopefully this story gives you a little positivity about advances social equity in our industry, of which there are far too few! “NY Marijuana Regulators Issue New Licenses, Appoint Key Equity Officer” THE SCOOP The NY market has made some big, necessary strides recently, as reported in a major upstate news source. Our own Roz McCarthy recently brought a story to The State of Cannabis News Hour about how the $200 million fund might be entirely directed toward real estate, and we had a spicy discussion about whether this was positive or a smokescreen. But today, some very promising news: “The flurry of activity comes a day after Governor Kathy Hochul announced long-awaited appointments to the state’s cannabis advisory board, as well as the news that the $200 million Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund will be overseen by NBA Hall of Famer Chris Webber and entrepreneur Lavetta Willis, along with Suzanne Shank and William Thompson, CEO and chief administrative officer of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., LLC, respectively. Chris Weber is a name you’ll recognize. He’s a well-known former NBA all-star (I didn’t know he made the hall of fame… I have to update my database…) He announced 9 months ago that he was breaking ground on a $50 million cannabis operations and training center in Detroit. Lavetta Willis is involved via a company called Players Only, a Black-owned business that she and Webber co-founded, “which focuses on cannabis cultivation and retail, brand partnerships and content development.” She went to law school to become a sports agent, became an entrepreneur and ended up in the hottest industry in the world, so she’s got a nose for business. Both people of color, already immersed in the industry, and taking a strong role in the emerging, potentially multi-billion-dollar NY market – this is great news and I hope the governor gives them the support they need to get the job done, and doesn’t just hang them out as pretty faces. THE DEEPER DIVE Also announced, “Cannabis Control Board members unanimously approved Damian Fagon as the Office of Cannabis Management’s chief equity officer. Fagon is now responsible for developing and implementing OCM’s social equity plan.” “Fagon is a member of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association, is · a third-generation farmer who has: · Led agricultural development initiatives for castor farmers in Jamaica · Rice growers in Sierra Leone and · Coffee exporters in Guatemala. This article only scratches the surface on Fagon, so I found another article about him which digs into his background a bit more. He’s pretty much a force of nature: “After years in the Peace Corps in Guatemala and a few more in Washington, DC at the State Department, Damian Fagon wanted a change He got his Masters in Public Administration from Columbia. He taught at Medgar Evers College, a historically Black college (HBCU) in Brooklyn, balancing agriculture with business He developed an entrepreneurial cannabis incubator in the Bronx He helped launch and advise commercial weed operations in New York, South Carolina and the Caribbean. Clearly, Damian Fagon is a superstar in his own right. We need to clone talent like this. Keep an eye on DAMIAN FAGON. I've always found it fascinating how hemp growers and operators are getting the first licenses in New York for the simple reason that they’re up and running already and can more quickly make the switch from CBD to THC, rather than start from scratch. It's Go Time, people, and Governor Hochul seems to be playing for keeps. "Jenny Argie, CEO and founder of Brooklyn-based CBD edibles company Jenny’s Baked at Home, said requirements for the [new] conditional licensure [there are 13 companies in priority] largely match the steps her company had to take to maintain its hemp processing license, including getting certified as a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facility, among other requirements. Jenny said “I was basically setting up a pharmaceutical manufacturing company,” Argie said of the rigorous standards she had to meet. “The (cannabis) application is pretty identical to what I already had to do.” THE LAST WORD Phew! New York is (finally) making some really good and important moves in the social empowerment space, by engaging three POC rockstars in key positions of authority and inspiration. I'm hoping the good Governor gives them the budget and respect they need to do great things; that she throws her weight when needed; and that the "New York model" can become as great as its potential. With Chris Weber, Levetta Willis, and Damian Fagon, she's already done what California failed to do - invest in star power to legitimize and validate our community, and the future of our industry. ### Image Source: new atlas, hillrag.com ; BornRich

Samantha Kadera is an emergency room doctor who works in West Los Angeles and lives in Manhattan Beach, the sweet little whitebread beach community that was largely stolen from black families 100 years ago. Per “California’s Next Cannabis Battle May Be Coming To a City Near You”, Dr. Kadera works regular overnight shifts, which has “distorted her sleep schedule, so the emergency room doctor smokes cannabis a few times a week to relax before bed. It’s a common habit among the young parents that Kadera knows in Manhattan Beach, where she moved last year to raise her two elementary school-aged children in a more family-friendly environment. But there are no dispensaries in the city; officials banned them five years ago after voters legalized recreational cannabis in California, concerned about attracting criminal activity and advertising aimed at minors. So Kadera stops at a store on her way to and from the Westside L.A. hospital where she works. THE DEEPER DIVE This story is dear to my heart because the more I think about what the devious twits at the LEAGUE OF CITIES did to California and to our community, our elderly, our patients, our veterans, our children and our industry with their secret, Reefer Madness agenda to cripple cannabis in our state – to strangle it in the crib – which they did so successfully that other states have taken up the mission !!! the more I want to expose their evil act of promoting “Local Control” - - People, pay attention: Local Control is just the Karen version of Prohibition. Karens at the League of Cities called the manager and got local control tacked on to Prop 64 and look at what a mess they’ve made: “More than 60% of cities and counties do not allow retail sales, according to the state…” Which is a huge reason why Local growers cannot sell their product, therefore Tax revenues are down – based on original estimates of tax revenues for California we are getting $1 Billion LESS in tax revenue than expected… and the illicit market dominates the state. VAST SWATHS OF THE STATE ARE CANNABIS DESERTS. And this is true even in areas where voters have been in favor of cannabis for years… “a fall 2019 poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that public support for legal cannabis had only increased since Prop. 64. Nearly two-thirds of respondents favored allowing commercial dispensaries in their communities.” But city councils across the state have used the “Local Control” argument to go against the will of the people. Back to Manhattan Beach, “where the rising tension over the future of cannabis access in California is perhaps best captured.” 62% of the city’s voters supported Prop. 64, but City Council voted for “Local Control” and No Dispensaries. Let’s hear from “Hildy Stern, mom of 4 and temporary mayor of Manhattan Beach: She “called it “distressing” that retail cannabis sales might be imposed by outsiders whose values do not fit with Manhattan Beach’s “small-town, family-oriented nature,” and says, “I really am concerned about how access increases normalization to our youth.” And let’s hear from Amy McAvin bookkeeper Mom of 2: She worries about cannabis becoming even easier for kids to get. The community is too residential Dispensaries would attract undesirable visitors It would be hypocritical to allow cannabis sales after banning tobacco Those who want cannabis can already easily get it by delivery or driving to a nearby city. “Hirsh Jain, founder of the cannabis consulting firm Ananda Strategy, has tracked about two dozen cities over the past year — from Red Bluff to Sausalito to Santee — where citizen initiative drives are qualifying for the ballot or pressuring local officials to develop their own ordinances to regulate and tax cannabis sales. “Voters have lost their patience,” he said. “They might be willing to cut their elected officials some slack, but after a while, they’re going to take matters into their own hands.” THE LAST WORD How long will it be before California, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and all the states that have subverted democracy under the guise of "local control" will be forced to RESPECT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE? ### Image source: Alycia Fung: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-covering-face-and-mouth-of-helpless-woman-5806647

I’m joining Stone Slade for a tale of Texas today, which will be based on story from High Times: “Texas Republican Party Policies Include Opposition to Cannabis Legalization” THE SCOOP “The 2022 Texas State Republican Convention was held last week between June 16-18 for the first time in-person since 2018.” There, the party released the 40-page document called the “Report of the Permanent 2022 Platform & Resolutions Committee” and I wish I’d had a little more time to go through this because there is some truly appalling stuff in here. …altogether, there are 275 platform planks, or principal policies of the Republican party, to address a multitude of agenda topics. After a quick scan, I identified ideas that are against: Democracy and therefore seditious (it says Joe Biden is not the President); Environmental protection; Social equity and fair opportunities for underserved communities; Health-care distributed to all Texans; Women’s rights (it rejects the Equal Rights Amendment! and women's rights and freedom to have control over their own bodies Sanctity of all families to make their own decisions about their children (past, present, and future); Diversity of any kind including the ancient slander that “Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice” (WWJD?) Division of church and state (but Pro-"Original Intent of the Constitution"... really?) The United Nations … BUT by golly those holy-rollers are pro-gun, pro-Christian nation, pro-Trump Insurrection … what the hell is in the water down there? “Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke posted on Twitter about the “extreme agenda” among these planks as: “... abolish abortion, defund public schools, take away health care, repeal gun laws, deny voting rights, reject marijuana legalization.” THE DEEPER DIVE Closer to our hearts at The American Cannabis Report, “The Report of the Permanent 2022 Platform & Resolutions Committee policy list briefly addresses cannabis, marijuana, and hemp. “It only mentions cannabis once, which is described as “Cannabis Classification: Congress should remove cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 and move to Schedule 2.” Well that’s a non-starter – pushing cannabis to Schedule 2 would only serve up the entire industry to Big Pharma on a silver platter. Ironically, I believe Joe Biden has also suggested this, in one of the very few mentions of what he would actually DO with cannabis. So both of you go back under your rocks. Your ideas are useless. The Texas Republican platform “also uses the term marijuana as well. “Marijuana Remains Illegal: Oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana and offer opportunities for drug treatment before penalties for its illegal possession, use, or distribution.” So the party is against free trade, against job creation, against innovation, against catching up with the vast majority of Americans who favor legalization... the list of the lunacy of Prohibition is endless. Seems the Texas Republicans are willing to make a statement about cannabis’ utilitarian cousin, hemp, saying “Reduce Business Regulations: We believe that the following businesses should be minimally regulated at all levels,” which among a list of 14 laws in question, it states “Use of hemp as an agricultural commodity.” THE LAST WORD No mention of psychoactive Delta-8 derived from that “agricultural commodity”, so I guess they should have a plank protecting gas station operators to be able to sell unregulated drugs that may be laced with chemicals and get people high. Oh right, they can already do that. # Photo by Christopher Moon: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-leather-boots-on-brown-dried-leaves-9948748/

My story today comes from Cannabis.net: None of it will be news to the wonderfully creative and brilliant dear readers of the American Cannabis Report, but I’m going to share it anyway to make us all feel good going into this week. “Why Cannabis is Now the Drug of Choice for Smart People – The Higher the IQ, the Higher the Chance of Using Cannabis Says Study” THE SCOOP Some of this article is dated such as using “marijuana” exclusively and being very binary about genders, so I’m going to paraphrase where I can: “From executives to programmers in Silicon Valley, it’s safe to assume almost everyone is looking to elevate from reality somehow. It’s become increasingly clear that cannabis is the drug of choice for those with higher IQ’s. This is contrary to the Reefer-Mad stereotypes that users are lazy couch potatoes with no ambition in life. Paging Dr. Oz… The data tells us the opposite is true. In fact, a 2011 study conducted by researchers from the British Medical Journal analyzed the IQ’s of around 8,000 people. They were tested four times each, from age 5 to 30 years old. Their findings revealed that people who have higher IQ’s when they were children were more likely to be cannabis users by the time they hit 30. What was surprising was that the higher their IQ, the higher the probability that they would use cannabis when they got older. High-IQ women were twice as likely to be cannabis users compared to those with low IQ scores Men with high IQs were 50% more likely to be right with God’s Favorite Plant by age 30. THE DEEPER DIVE So that’s pretty cool data, but the obvious question is WHY? The article has some suggestions. #1 is Creativity: The article suggests that cannabis makes you creative – not exactly a breakthrough idea. It names creative people from Bob Dylan to Carl Sagan to Abe Lincoln… OK, waiting for an original thought and… here it is: Studies show that consuming cannabis has an impact on the kind of thinking we do because it boosts cerebral blood flow in the brain’s frontal regions, which are responsible for creativity (or lack thereof). The chemicals in cannabis are shown to boost divergent thinking, which is what promotes creative & free thoughts, as opposed to convergent thinking, which is associated with problem solving.” #2: Quiets the Intelligent Mind: People with higher IQ’s tend to struggle with many more thoughts and at a much faster pace compared to people with average intelligence. This makes it tiresome to continue debating and arguing with people, and can explain why many smart people are also quieter than others, preferring instead to be alone with their thoughts. When the thoughts get too much, smart people turn to cannabis to help turn it down a notch or two. THC or CBD compounds can do wonderful things for mental relaxation, helping to shut off the thoughts that typically force them to think about everything in the world, all at once. #3: Cannabis helps us socialize intellectually, intelligently, and responsibly: Smart people know that alcohol is not the best social lubricant – cannabis is. Whereas alcohol can make you act stupid and give you terrible hangovers, The Plant doesn’t. Which leads to #4: #4: Improved cognitive processes: Cannabis has numerous benefits for the brain and thinking, and many studies prove it. For one, whereas other recreational drugs and alcohol kill and impair the growth of new brain cells, cannabis does the opposite. It’s neurogenerative, not a neuro-assassin. The formation of these new cells help improve memory, and help to prevent mood disorders, and for some, anxiety. In addition, a study also shows that there is a link between cannabis use and better attention, executive function, working memory, psychomotor speed, and verbal learning. In other words, we can say that marijuana helps smart people become even smarter. THE LAST WORD Clearly, cannabis users are brilliant and wonderful in every way. Be well, everyone. Get some cannabis in you and have a wonderful day! ### Image source: Photo by Nadezhda Moryak from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-holding-red-heart-balloon-illustration-9162031/