Georgia's Cannabis Revolution: From Haleigh's Hope to Expanded Access in 2025
Written By Rudy Brown
In 2015, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Haleigh’s Hope Act, named for Haleigh Cox, a child whose severe epilepsy highlighted the critical need for medical cannabis access. For families like hers, this law offered a pathway to potential relief. It granted patients with certain conditions the right to possess low-THC cannabis oil.
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 Battle for Virginia's Final Cannabis License: A Struggle Between Local Dreams and Corporate Power
Written By Maxwell Cranford
While originally intending to award such licenses in June, the award date has now been postponed indefinitely. The VCCA has been tight-lipped, offering no comments beyond the FAQ on their website. This lack of transparency has left applicants in the dark, leaving multiple groups crying foul as new information comes to light, stating that such blatant pay-to-play from out-of-state billionaires is exactly the opposite of what Virginia residents want from their medical providers. It does not help that such concerns were pointed out by multiple groups in April 2024, only to fall on deaf ears at the VCCA.
An Interview with Jeremy Smith
Written By Casey Renteria
At 35 years old he was diagnosed with Crohn’s and eosinophilic esophagitis. Three weeks later he collapsed at work when blood clots hit his heart. “My CK levels skyrocketed, becoming severely anemic, herniated discs in my neck, a tumor was found on my pituitary stock, and I started to develop arthritis”, he recalled. Not long after that incident he narrowly escaped losing a child from the side effects of pharmaceuticals.
How Cannabis Saved Me: An Interview With Richard Mitchell
Written By Casey Renteria
I was introduced to Richard Mitchell a couple of months ago. Before that, I affectionately knew him as the guy who got the Fat Nugs tattoo. Dustin made the official introduction and I’ve since gotten to talk with him about his life and what his journey has been like. Going into this interview I wasn’t sure what to expect - let me tell you it's quite the story!
It affected me so deeply to hear him talk about his experiences and it took a day or two of debriefing before I was ready to listen back to the recording. I am so inspired by him and all he’s been through has turned him into a warrior! I’m so proud and thankful to be able to share that with you. Please meet Richard Mitchell.
Hawaii Now Allowing Pre-Rolls Under Their Medical Program
Written By Harrison Bard
Up until this spring, medical cannabis consumers in the Aloha State have not been able to enjoy a customer favorite that has come to help define the cannabis industry: pre-rolled joints.
But in April 2024, the state of Hawai’i began allowing pre-rolls as part of its medical marijuana program. The popular products have begun showing up in dispensaries all across the state as manufacturers are lining up to claim their share of the fastest-growing segment of the cannabis market, and the No. 1 add-on at dispensaries around the country.
Death and taxes
Written By Peter Kolakovic
Few things in life are certain. According to Ben Franklin, besides the inevitability of death, the only thing we can truly count on is being taxed. He had a point. There are taxes on the income that we make from our jobs and businesses. There are taxes on our properties. There are taxes on the goods and services we buy, and additional ‘sin’ taxes on specific goods like cigarettes and alcohol that the government says are bad for you.
My Journey Through Life With Cannabis: How Did I Get Here? Part One: The 70’s- Where It All Began
Written By Kim Cooper
I developed a seizure condition when I was 12 years old. Doctors diagnosed me with Epilepsy after recurring episodes of grand-mal seizures became more frequent over the course of a year. To control it I was placed on some very heavy pharmaceuticals: Dilantin, and Phenobarbital. The pills left me listless most times and I was always tired. They got stuck in my throat and I just hated taking them!
Native Veteran: Living Soil and Giving Back
Written By Alex Popoff
Caleb Neal was one of the first fellow veterans that I met after moving to Oklahoma. Caleb is co-owner and head grower at Native Veteran, a licensed craft living soil grower in Oklahoma. Caleb co-owns Native with his Native American partners. Caleb’s warm welcome and invaluable assistance with my own home grow was greatly appreciated, and his friendship to me and other veterans has been an ongoing source of great meaning and support. In this interview, I’ll talk with Caleb about penny grams of flower and hash for veterans, Oklahoma’s volatile medical cannabis market, and the development of Native Veteran’s solventless lab.
Life-Changing Arrest to Living Soil: A Journey
Written By Alex Popoff
The Oklahoma medical cannabis market has experienced significant fluctuations in recent years, with over 6,500 cultivators, 2,800 dispensaries, 1,800 processors, and 355,800 patients licensed*.
The market also faces challenges such as a volatile regulatory environment, oversupply, and a moratorium on licenses.
Despite these obstacles, driven individuals continue to thrive in this market. In this interview, we have the opportunity to gain insights from Jeff Ledbetter, Owner and Cultivation Director at Earthwise Organics, a licensed cultivator located in Glencoe, Oklahoma.
Jeff shares his thoughts on seed selection and quality, cannabis cultivation, and the Oklahoma industry's future.
Cannadelic Summer: A Psychedelic St. Petersburg Experience
Written By Isabella DeChard
Cannadelic Summer, advertised as the world’s largest cannabis and psychedelics convention, was hosted at The Factory art center and The Fairgrounds immersive art exhibit in St. Petersburg. I’ve been fortunate enough to now attend both the Cannadelic here and the one in Miami this year, and I have to say that this past event’s location at St. Petersburg was incredibly exceptional!
Herbie My (New) Love
Product Review By Casey Renteria
I like to think I’m an active person, at least four days out of the week. After working out, my back becomes so uncomfortably tight that it causes headaches, neck pain, and cramps. I take my self-care seriously, and one constant ordeal is tight muscles.
I love topicals for muscle recovery post-workout for this reason. I have found that it is a critical key in my recovery. Although I have so many lotions, potions, rubs, and balms I am still kind of picky about my topicals, since I use them multiple times a week.
One day, while doom scrolling on LinkedIn, I came across a post featuring Herbie Pain Balm. I knew right then and there, there wasn't a doubt in my mind, I wanted to get my hands on it. Or more like 'get it on me!
Cannarchy In The UK Part 1: The Decline of The British Hempire
Written By Dave Barton
Much like Britain and its Royal Family, here and now in 2023 the UK and cannabis have a complicated relationship. But it wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time – some half a millennium ago – cannabis, in the form of hemp, was one plant we just couldn’t get enough of on this side of the Pond.
A little later on, cannabis continued to thrive; as both a material and a medicine. Even dear old Queen Victoria allegedly partook to quell her cramps. And then, just a few decades after… boom. The seeds of criminalisation were sown.
It’s only now, some 100 years on, that the balance is being redressed; and adult use/recreational cannabis is seemingly being openly embraced everywhere… except here in Blighty (I know, I know… but stay with me on this, k?).
Feeling the Fear: Battling Cancer with Cannabis
Written By Casey Renteria
“The day after Christmas Mike had left for the hospital, assuming he’d quickly be in a room and getting ready for tests. However, the next 10 hours were full of errors and being brought in/out of tests, all of which were supposed to be done after admission. “I had no doctor,” Mike remembers. “nothing was coordinated, I was in pain, afraid, and alone.”
Mike didn't get a room until 5 pm that day, with nothing to eat or drink “due to the orders for testing.” My heart (and probably yours) aches hearing about a patient going through something this intense being left unattended. Was his health assessed? Yes, but what about him as a person, with a life and family at home?”
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.”