The 2026 Elections Matter More For Cannabis Than The Next Bill Filed In Congress (Op-Ed)
“The next phase of cannabis policy will not be decided by a single bill. It will be shaped by the political environment that determines whether any bill has a path.” By Jordan Isenstadt, National Cannabis Industry Association The cannabis industry loves a headline bill. The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act. Rescheduling. Federal reform. […]
Trump’s Medical Marijuana Move Focused On Helping Ailing Seniors, But Lack Of Coordination Could Cause Backlash (Op-Ed)
“The rush to provide senior citizens with medical marijuana will require considerable legal, scientific and commercial infrastructures, which, in an ideal world, would avoid repeating historical mistakes by forming with clarity and coordination.” By Emily Dufton Everyone knows that last month was historic for cannabis. Big changes are afoot with medical marijuana’s rescheduling and federal […]
Trump’s Marijuana Rescheduling Move Is A ‘Step Forward,’ But Still ‘Falls Well Short’ Of Needed Changes (Op-Ed)
“To rectify this state/federal conflict…cannabis must be removed from the Controlled Substances Act altogether.” By Paul Armentano, NORML The Trump administration’s decision to reclassify state-authorized medical cannabis products and recognize state-licensed medical cannabis providers is a historic first step toward bringing federal drug policy into the 21st century. For over 50 years, the federal government […]
The Cannabis Beverage Industry Has An Evidence Problem, With Too Few Companies Submitting Products For Independent Scrutiny (Op-Ed)
“The industry cannot ask for nuanced, evidence-informed regulation while simultaneously declining to produce the evidence that would make that possible.” By Leah Kollross, 23rd State Cannabis beverages are one of the fastest-growing segments in the hemp and cannabis marketplace, and one of the most structurally vulnerable to regulatory backlash. The reason has less to do […]
Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Will End Discrimination In Housing, Healthcare And Employment For Medical Cannabis Patients (Op-Ed)
“These products are now federally recognized as legitimate medicine… Patients and their caregivers are no longer considered criminals under federal law. They have federal rights.” By Steph Sherer, Americans for Safe Access The Department of Justice and Drug Enforcement Administration’s rescheduling of cannabis is more than just validation for the millions of Americans who rely […]
How Psychedelics Helped Me Manage Grief From A Career In Law Enforcement (Op-Ed)
“What I experienced with ayahuasca was not an escape from grief, but a direct engagement with it… It was a fundamentally different process than the one I had relied on throughout my career—not control or suppression, but forgiveness, surrender and understanding.” By: Kemmi Sadler, Law Enforcement Action Partnership Life has an interesting way of opening […]
When It Comes To Marijuana And Hemp, If You Believe In One Plant You Need To Believe In One Rule (Op-Ed)
“If the loophole persists, that trust erodes. Not because the hemp farmers are bad people. But because a system that applies rigorous standards to one channel and none to another will eventually produce a failure that damages everyone.” By Jason Leisey, Emerald Tea Supply Co. I spent years in institutional finance trading macro derivatives before […]
FDA’s New Hemp CBD Enforcement Move Is Encouraging, But Congress Still Needs To Enact Real Regulations (Op-Ed)
“These products have the potential to reshape how Americans approach wellness by offering accessible, plant-based alternatives that complement traditional care, but realizing that potential will require more than enforcement discretion.” By Thomas Winstanley, Edibles.com For years, the hemp-derived CBD market has operated in a paradox: federally legal, widely available and increasingly normalized—yet lacking a clear […]
The Hemp Industry Is Being Killed By Market Consolidation Disguised As Consumer Protection (Op-Ed)
“Something real—something built with care—is being dismantled by people who never had to love it to profit from it.” By John Grady, Slaphappy Hemp Company A recent Marijuana Moment op-ed authored by Max Jackson of Cannabis Wise Guys argues that the hemp industry killed itself and that no one—except the bad actors in the sector […]
The Hemp Industry Didn’t Get Killed By Regulators, It Killed Itself (Op-Ed)
“No outside force killed the hemp industry. The hemp industry killed itself—and dragged the legitimate full-spectrum wellness market down with it on the way out.” By Max Jackson, Cannabis Wise Guys Open any cannabis news site this week and the contradiction stares back at you from the same screen: Missouri’s Senate passes a bill to […]