Interview with Lonnie Kessler: From Fighting Stigma to Facing Death
Written By Casey Renteria
Through all the ups and downs with his health, cannabis was always there. He told me he was on 13 pills - but with cannabis, he’s down to 3 pills twice a day, and I'd say that's a huge improvement! But he also talked about how hard it was to open up to his family about his choice to use cannabis. “It's finding a balance between family, friends, society, and quality of life you have to choose and I choose the quality of life…Cannabis will be the one thing I use until the very end,” he said.
The Great Midwest Hemp Fest – 54 years of Cannabis Advocacy
Written By Daniel Crawford
The Great Midwest Hemp Fest is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate voters and advocate for change in Wisconsin’s legislation surrounding THC laws. Their goal is to deliver educational resources and awareness about the positive effects of THC legalization in Wisconsin.
Ben Masel, Founder, Yippie and cannabis activist, ran and organized the fest from its inception in 1971 to his death in 2011. Masel was a champion of Liberty and he also knew the laws better than the police who were sworn to uphold them. He pushed harder against the limits on dissent in what was supposed to be a free society.
Rising From Adversity: A Founder’s Story
Written By Colin Fraser
After my incarceration, I dedicated eight years to prison ministry, driven by a desire to help those incarcerated. This experience shaped my outlook on helping others. My journey with cannabis led to entrepreneurship when my mother, battling stage four cancer, found relief in cannabis as an alternative medication.
In Response to Calls for Cannabis Decriminalization: Evaluating the Implications of Rescheduling
Written By Tara Eveland
While HHS's recommendation is seen by the majority as a potential step forward, many cannabis industry groups are sounding the alarm and urging the public to look below the surface of yet another government promise.
One critical aspect that reform advocates underscore in this statement is that rescheduling cannabis wouldn't automatically lead to the release of current cannabis convicts or the expungement of related records. Furthermore, the unresolved issues of immigration-related consequences and eligibility for public benefits would persist. The criminalization's disproportionate impact on Black and Latino communities would continue, despite the change in scheduling
Legacy Vs. Legal: The War over the Future of Cannabis
Written By Tara Eveland
There is a place for the big dogs, and we have welcomed them into our states, but now they want to totally shut out the legacy entrepreneurs and small businesses that got them where they are today, and we will not let that happen. Those of us that love this plant, those of us that have fought for years for patients over profits.
We won’t let the people that paid that cost not have a seat at this table, especially when #bridgingthelegacytolegalgap is not unheard or unattainable.
The Warrior Spirit of Mike Robinson: Awakening Into Confusion
Written By Casey Renteria
In a blurry haze, Mike slowly came back. Even though his life seemed to have paused, his strong will could not. “I worked my way out of the hospital bed into a recliner that sat next to it.” The fog from the anesthesia was so heavy that when the nurse spoke to him, it was just a voice in the breeze.
“I had been injected with what I didn't want, but there was a true need. I was comfortably numb with the drugs they had supplied and Cannabis Oil.” The surgical oncologist came in right as Mike was putting away a syringe. The report came in. “There was conflicting data, so CT Scans and PET scans were being paired with the films of what he saw inside of me," Mike recalls. “My blood counts had dropped to 20% below the normal level.”
Your Doctor Probably Tokes, But You Would Never Know
Written By Dr. Olivia Green
“Walking into my job’s occupational health office sends my stomach into more twists than a pretzel. In my profession, an employee physical is standard. Also like many professions, a drug test is utilized for screening. When I got the job offer several years ago, I made sure that my urine was pristine.
The reason I walked into occupational health last week with an armpit full of piss was for a “lateral” promotion. You see, I’m a medical prescriber working in an outpatient clinic located in a non-legal state. I carry a little bottle of synthetic urine with me during work hours, wherever I go. Call it anxiety, call it overkill, call it smart, call it whatever you want. I call it insurance.”