Black Hempstory Month: Origins of Western Prohibition
Written by Dan Isenstein
There seems to be no end to shameless conspiracy theories about the origins of cannabis prohibition. Among the most disseminated are that William Randolph Hearst wanted to ban hemp to protect his vast timber holdings and that the DuPont corporation wanted to eliminate competition to their newly patented thermoplastic - nylon. The evidence supporting both sounds better when you’re high.
No, racism is inarguably at the root of reefer madness and ultimately cannabis prohibition. And, if racism was not the motivation for the making of cannabis illegal initially, then the execution of the law, which saw blacks and people of color arrested and incarcerated at more than double that of whites and sentenced to much longer jail terms, certainly provided the law with plenty of racist cred.
This Black History Month open your eyes, and your mind, to the reality that the easiest explanation is often the truth. Was cannabis prohibited because DuPont and Hearst conspired to protect their own self-interest or did the United States, which has been racist AF since its inception, pass a law to preserve the dominant social order?
Herban Bud Review
Product Review by Varsha Hyland
When the editors at Fat Nugs Magazine asked for a review of Herban Bud’s products, I was intrigued. I’ve tried THC and CBD, but this review was my first foray into hydrogenated and derivative cannabinoid products.
The products I received from Herban Bud included THCa flower and concentrate, as well as a disposable vape containing an oil blend consisting of an HHC base. The “Euphoria” vape contained THCp, followed by some THC-O, just enough THCjd, and "a dash of Delta-8."
Having only used CBD flower or oils as an alternative to THC when I was worried about getting drug tested for work, the Herban Bud haul was my first time experiencing a high from these alternative cannabinoids.
Medical Cannabis in the Hemp State? No Relief in Sight
Written By Dan Isenstein
Kentucky is one of just 13 states that still criminalize all marijuana use and possession. During the spring 2022 Kentucky legislative session, House Bill (HB) 136 was passed by Kentucky's lower house with bi-partisan support (59-34). Once again, however, Kentucky’s Republican controlled Senate blocked the bill to the floor for a vote.
In response to the continued Senatorial inaction in the legislature, Governor Beshear formed the Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Advisory Committee. Less than a week after the Team Kentucky Medical Cannabis Advisory Report was released, President Joe Biden announced that he was issuing pardons for all federal marijuana convictions.
So what does that mean to the average Kentuckian looking to consume cannabis legally?
Rare, Ancient Axe Handle Tree Used By Aboriginal Peoples is a Relative of Cannabis
Written By Mike Robinson
Aphananthe is a small genus of five species, one of which was discovered by the legendary French botanist Jules Émile Planchon (1823-1888), a man who named countless growing vines, twigs, and trees. He studied pharmacy and medicine in Montpellier and returned to this university as a professor of botany in 1853.
Before this, he taught and worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, better known as Kew Gardens, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Cannabis, a member of the family Cannabaceae, is grown at Kew Gardens. "How to eat to save the world," an article by their staff featuring the health benefits of hemp seeds, was just published on the Kew Website in July.