After learning about an amendment that includes harmful limits on patient gardens, to go along with intrusive home-inspections and burdensome record-keeping, the Oregon cannabis community made their voices heard, bombarding the Measure 91 Implementation Committee with phone calls and emails. These phone calls and emails have been working! While we […]

There has been a complaint I’ve read lately that I believe originated with the estimable Michelle Alexander and her book “The New Jim Crow”, but I’m reading it echoed elsewhere. The complaint, in one form or another, is that African-Americans (and Hispanics) bore the brunt of marijuana prohibition, and when […]

I heard a rumor today, to add to the plethora of ones circulating around July 2015. It has to do with High Times Cannabis Cup. Not news to many at this point, the Cannabis Cup is coming to Portland, Oregon, this July in celebration of the implementation of Measure 91, […]

The joint legislative committee overseeing implementation of voter-approved marijuana legalization seems to have have found a new policy framework in the least democratic of places: OPEC. Apparently the 12 member states that comprise the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries — Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi […]

The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program (OMMP) had been a great success that has helped thousands upon thousands of patients and generated millions of dollars for the state.  As a medical cannabis clinic owner, I have personally seen the medical program improve the lives of thousands of patients. When the Oregon Measure […]

  One of the Zombie Lies (thanks, Bill Maher) about marijuana that just will not die is this idea that marijuana smoking will make you turn schizophrenic. While there are studies purporting to show an exacerbation of one’s already present schizophrenia by using cannabis, no study shows a causal relationship between using […]

As a businessman myself, I usually don’t begrudge people for making a profit. But as an activist, brought up under the apprenticeship of cannabis icon Jack Herer, I have to speak my mind when money and profits are put ahead of the people, the voters and disabled patients; especially under […]

Modern-day generations can always look back and admire their superiority of past generations in a number of fields. We can deem many practices as “barbaric” and can be thankful that we live in better times. I remember being horrified as a child about the fact that people actually enslaved other people, […]

While most marijuana law reform advocates have an antagonistic relationship with their US Attorney, Oregon’s cannabis community has been fortunate to have Amanda Marshall at the helm since October 7, 2011. Marshall succeeded Dwight Holton, who was not supported by the cannabis community, to say the least, as his anti-marijuana […]

Once upon a time, marijuana legalization was proposed in a state. Most of the people saw it, and it was good. But the police, the prison guards, the drug testers, and the rehabbers saw it, and it was a vision heralding the demise of their way of life. And one […]

Oftentimes, I like to reflect upon how and why the cannabis community has made such great strides in recent years. Authors, chief petitioners, spokespeople, funders and advocates associated with prominent reforms capture the headlines and media attention, but the truth is that we all stand upon the shoulders of giants […]

The plight of Shona Banda and her family in Kansas illustrates just how far we have to go to end the harmful and futile War on Marijuana. While people were celebrating newly-won freedoms on April 20th, Shona Banda had to attend a child custody hearing because here son spoke out […]

Cannabis law reformers and anyone interested in competent governance have cheered the fact that Michele Leonhart has been ousted as head of the Drug Enforcement Agency. Leonhart, a Bush appointee, should have been fired long ago as the DEA has a long list of misdeeds under her watch, she demonstrated […]

New Jersey Governor and likely 2016 Republican presidential candidate took fire from Jon Stewart on the Daily Show last night for his hypocritical stance that the federal government should crack down on states that have legalized marijuana. Christie, who has made himself public enemy #1 of the cannabis community, has […]

Michele Leonhart, fanatical, rogue DEA administrator, is forced out by sex scandal. Oh, happy day! Supposedly resigning, hopefully we will find that she was sacked as Drug Enforcement Agency head by the president who should have never appointed her. We will report further as more details of her “resignation” become […]