US Cannabis Legalization : January 2022

January 5, 2022

One good thing about election years (and that’s a small sample lot, isn’t it?) is that it’s always an exciting time for the cannabis industry. If you think about it in the long term, hardly an election has gone by even this century without progress in ending cannabis prohibition. Each primary election, more states legalize.

So before we get into the thick of election season this year (oh boy we can hardly wait…) January is a good time to check in and get a feel for the market. Establish where we are now, so that we can measure our progress by end of year. Think of it as “The State of the Cannabis Union” for 2022.

For supplementary US cannabis legalization info, visit our state-by-state guide to contacting authorities in charge of cannabis regulation there. If you’re more interesting in worldwide legalization, that’s a far smaller scope of an article covered there.

Just for a side note, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is opting to decriminalize cannabis in London, England. There’s a little international scope anyway.

Recap: Just 5 US States Make Cannabis Fully Illegal

Out of the 50 states of the US + Washington D.C. (in a perpetual legalization twilight zone), only 5 still prohibit cannabis fully. As we stand after 2021:

Fully legal (adult recreational use): Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington

Medical use only: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, West Virginia
CBD / hemp allowed: Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Texas, Wisconsin
Decriminalized: Nebraska, North Carolina
Still illegal and criminalized: Idaho, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wyoming

Public Support For Legalized Cannabis Grows Every Year

Around about 2012 was the last time that cannabis legalization approval was at 50%, according to polls. Since then, public support has shot up to the 70% range for legalizing cannabis entirely.

More recently, this poll of registered voters only shows support topping 80%:

Only 13% + 3% think that cannabis users or distributors should be prosecuted at all.

The US Cannabis Market is Now a $20 Billion Industry

Forbes was breathless to report in March of 2021 that US cannabis sales had reached $17.5 billion. According to many estimates, we can comfortably tack on a couple billion more. That’s a comfortable 46% increase from 2019. And as more states legalize, that number is just getting bigger.

Marijuana Business Daily says that we currently stand at a market of $20-$24 billion in cannabis retail sales. This year, we are expected to reach $24-$30 billion, with adult-use (recreational) reaching $20 billion alone and the medical cannabis market tacking on another $10 billion. Daring to peek ahead at the year 2024, we glimpse a possible $37 billion.

New Frontier Data has similar projected growth plans. Note that this graph was done in 2019, but still shows 2021 right on target at a $20 billion market. Their growth estimates are far more modest, but still showing a healthy $29 billion retail sales market in 2025.

So bottom line, the cannabis market is a huge boom, and we’re in its lap. Remember that most sales estimates are based on the “worst case” that no more states legalize. Every time a state flips and starts opening dispensaries, we have to re-compute that market forecast. Cannabis is unique in this way; most consumer products are legal in all 50 states so we have a better idea of the consumer base before we start totaling sales.

However, not all legalized states contribute to the market equally. Check out this breakdown of five states:

We see a similar growth curve for California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. As thriving as the Nevada scene is, it is actually is the smallest market of the five and is the only one to see a drop in annual cannabis sales. Could be a leveling off effect, or impact from COVID on the tourist industry. In any case, all other state markets can look up to California for now.

So when we can add another legalized state, one size does not fit all for estimating the market. Should a state like, say, Montana, come online with full legalization, the population there is just so small that it will be lucky to see ~$230 million max, while California is already pulling in $4 billion by itself.

US Cannabis Market Breakdown

So what are we all buying with all these sales? This chart is a real eye opener to start with:

Even though dabbing and vaping seem like they hog the majority of cannabis industry news (at least around here), we see that good old, humble flower is definitely king! 46% of the US cannabis market is just a sack of nugs. Vape pens (including cartridges, oil pens, pods, etc.) show a decent second at 20% for the US. The rest of the market is scattered down to the various other consumption methods.

Of course, the vape market has been plagued by the black market and health concerns, which we have famously covered on our site. It could be that consumers don’t want to take a chance on consuming mystery oil when they can buy good honest nugs and smoke or vape them as nature intended.

Here’s another chart with an interesting factoid. Among those using cannabis at least once per month, it should come as no surprise that the 18-25 age range is the biggest market. However, it’s worth noting that the women in that age bracket come in a close second to the men. Markets in the US have a distressing pattern of genderizing when they don’t have to. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen to cannabis. Dispensaries, packagers, and marketers, pay attention to the female demographic too!

US States Joining the Cannabis Market in 2022

These states passed adult-use (recreational) legalization measures in 2021 and are expected to start opening dispensaries in 2022:

Connecticut – Feb. 2022 – projected $750 million market
Montana – Jan. 2022 – projected $90 million market
New York – maybe? (projected $245 million market) but don’t hold your breath

New York is a wild card. On the one hand, the state is bogged down in ponderous legislation, damping hopes for a dispensary scene coming online in 2022 at all. On the other nug, New York has a huge projected market. Can you imagine Times Square New Years, now with cannabis?

As for new states legalizing, so far we have these states dialed in to vote on full legalization.

Delaware
Oklahoma
Maryland
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island

In addition, ballot measures and petitions are inching forward for full adult-use legalization in Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, and South Dakota.

EXTRA: Our forum post with more news about states preparing measures to legalize cannabis in some form.

Join us all year as we cover the next thrilling chapter in US cannabis history!

Readers, share your thoughts on market growth and legalization of cannabis in the US, here in the comments or in our forum.

Cannabis on the Ballot : US Marijuana Legalization 2020

Penguin Pete

September 30, 2020

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The general election is just a month away, with presidential debates (so to speak) ringing in our ears. We’ve been tracking the voter-supported efforts to legalize cannabis in more states, and so far one thing has become clear: If you want change, you’re all going to have to fight a lot harder than this!

Two-thirds of Americans approve legal pot

Let’s get this out of the way up front: Pew Research has consistently polled the issue of marijuana legalization throughout the years 1969 to the present. Support for full legalization has grown to 67% as of 2019. Furthermore, 91% of all adults polled by Pew support allowing marijuana for medical or recreational. This is different from the two-thirds figure, because legalizing for medical still keeps it restricted for recreational. Only 8% support having marijuana be illegal in all circumstances.

You would suppose that a 9/10ths popular majority would kind of force the issue. Say what you will about voter apathy, but when pot’s on the ballot, the voters show up for that one. The trick is to keep pot on the ballot, as we will show. Support for legalizing unites across all parties and demographics. Let’s keep that in mind.

Nebraska and Oklahoma measures stricken down by state supreme courts

Despite grassroots efforts in Nebraska and Oklahoma, recreational legalization of marijuana in both states have been removed from the ballot after the fact on flimsy technicalities.

First, the ambitious Nebraska petition drive collected over 100K signatures in one month, during a pandemic. Yet “a law firm representing unnamed state residents” challenged the measure. Since then, Sheriff Terry Wagner filed a challenge to the secretary of state, claiming the proposal didn’t abide by a single-subject format for ballot initiatives and “would confuse voters.” The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Constitutional Amendment was then struck down by Nebraska’s state supreme court.

You know what I find “confusing“? I find it confusing that 100K signatures from voters (in a state with barely 2 million population) are going to be ignored because of a sheriff and a few old poops on the supreme court. When 5% of your state’s population is invested enough to marshal this kind of effort, that’s a serious voting block there. Not to mention that this nice woman, braving the pandemic, volunteered her time for nothing:

The spirit of democracy would dictate that any measure with 5% approval at least gets a chance to hear the voter’s say, no matter what anybody else thinks. Nebraska activists are back at it for 2022, and need we point out, this is just for medical marijuana.

Meanwhile in Oklahoma, the supreme court there also struck down the ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana. The wording here is even more vague; State Question 813 was stricken down “because it failed to alert potential individuals signing it about changes being made to the law or provide them with sufficient information to make an informed decision about the constitutional amendment.”

The challenge was brought before the Oklahoma supreme court by Paul Tay. Who is Paul Tay? We’re kind of confused about that. He has run for office extensively according to BallotPedia, for mayor of Tulsa, US Senate, and Tulsa City Council, but has yet to hold office if I’m reading it right. We also found this and this… which we are linking without comment. But he sure doesn’t seem to speak for all of Oklahoma.

Currently five states have major legalization measures on the ballot for 2020

Those states are:

Arizona – Prop 207, Marijuana Legalization Initiative
Mississippi – Initiative 65 and Alternative 65A, Medical Marijuana Amendment
Montana – CI-118 & I-190, Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana Amendment & Marijuana Legalization and Tax Initiative
New Jersey – Public Question 1, Marijuana Legalization Amendment
South Dakota – Constitutional Amendment A & Initiated Measure 26, Marijuana Legalization Initiative & Medical Marijuana Initiative

In addition, Oregon, already legalized for recreation and medical cannabis, is voting on whether to decriminalize all drugs. We’ll see where that goes, but it’s not impossible. Don’t look now, but Ann Arbor, Michigan, just legalized psychedelic mushrooms. It’s still illegal on the state and federal, but as far as the city cops are concerned, you do you!

We can’t wait to open our sister site “TripConnection,” but let’s not get sidetracked.

Ballotpedia shows many more measures on the polls in 2022, which looks like it could be a big year for cannabis.

The big story for cannabis is in US petitions

Granted, petitions are a dime a dozen and don’t get much done unless they’re official. But Change.org has dozens of trending petitions on the subject of marijuana legalization. Here’s a few:

Federal full legalization – 13.8K supporters
Federal decriminalization – 864 supporters
Legalized medical use for veterans – 153.6K supporters
Legalized medical use nationwide – 33.8K supporters
Federal support of state cannabis laws – 912 supporters
Demand for Senator Mitch McConnell to allow the MORE Act to vote so it can pass – 31.9K supporters

Here yet again – the MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act) proposes to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances List, and enact criminal and social justice reform to expunge prior convictions. The MORE Act already passed a House Judiciary Committee, is approved by a 59% majority in polls, and is supported by 53% of Republicans, McConnell’s own party. But nope, once again, one man stands in the way of the democratic say of an entire nation.

That’s just from Change.org. All over the nation, all over public discourse, it’s the same story. We have an overwhelming majority in favor of making marijuana as legal as beer, full stop, and a mandate majority to at least legalize for medical. So why isn’t it done yet???

Readers, tell us of your grassroots efforts!

For once, let’s hear from this 91% that supports legalizing. What’s the cannabis-approval climate in your home state, how can other citizens help, and do you have any petitions or activism causes to share? Post it here and in the legalization category on our forum!

US State Legalization Update : July 2020

Penguin Pete

July 11, 2020

Nebraska_medical_cannabis_signature_drive

The US general election is only four months away, God help us all. With the many concerns voters will have going into the polls, we thought we’d try to give everybody an overview of the relative legalization processes going on in their state.

We’re not concerned with the fully legalized green states here, but only which states aren’t yet fully legal and what movement, if any, they’re making towards legalizing in full. We’re only reporting the states showing significant progress, passing bills or putting measures on the ballot.

See this as the cannabis “report card” going into the election.

Alabama – Introducing medical

The state Senate voted 22-11 in favor of a medical marijuana bill in March 2020. That has been handed to the state House. No further word on that, but so far so good. Currently Alabama has a research pilot program for industrial hemp production.

Arizona – Petition ballot for full legalization

The “Smart and Safe Arizona Act” has been placed on the November ballot! This is an initiative to legalize adult-use recreational marijuana, initiated by a petition which got enough signatures to be put up for vote. The measure at a glance looks very similar to other states’ fully legalized policies. Arizona is a very conservative state, so this is an important vote to watch for the status of national legalization.

Currently Arizona only has a weakly supported medical use program.

Georgia – Introducing decriminalization

The Georgia state Senate has introduced the Georgia Justice Act, which is aimed to decriminalize low-level marijuana possession. The act is motivated more based on new ideas of racial equality forced by the recent George Floyd activism movement than real concern about marijuana.

Currently Georgia has a controlled medical-use-only program and legalized industrial hemp and CBD.

Hawaii – 21 new bills

A hail of new cannabis legislation is proposed for Hawaii in 2020. Twenty-one new cannabis measures have been proposed, following up from decriminalization and medical approval in 2019. Measures include legalizing industrial hemp, improving the medical dispensary situation, legalizing the sale of seeds and edible products for medical purposes, and broadening the legalization measures made so far. This is an impressive amount of activity in a short time, signaling that full legalization could be on the horizon.

Kentucky – Introducing medical

In March of 2020, the Kentucky state House passed a medical cannabis bill. It is currently before the state Senate, which is making sour faces at it. Kentucky so far has a weak CBD medical policy.

More importantly in Kentucky, it is the home state of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of the biggest anti-pot brick walls in US politics (but he’s fine with industrial hemp, go figure). Kentucky Representative Charles Booker is currently running for Mitch’s seat, and so far has a four-point lead in the state’s primaries. Booker is an outspoken pro-marijuana advocate who’s making big speeches on Twitter about this position.

Louisiana – Broadened medical

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed legislation to expand the state’s medical cannabis access. Doctors may now recommend cannabis for any condition at all, and there are now no restrictions on which doctors can prescribe it. Louisiana currently only has two cultivation facilities and nine dispensaries.

Minnesota – Introducing full legalization

The state House has introduced a full adult-use legalization bill. The ambitious bill would create a business infrastructure, decriminalize possession, and create funding for health and education. It is spearheaded by Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. Currently the state has a medical cannabis program, but Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has spoken in favor of full legalization.

Mississippi – Petition ballot for medical

Medical marijuana is now on the November 2020 ballot for Mississippi! This is thanks to a grassroots effort that got over 100K signatures on a petition for the measure. Mississippi currently has a stingy medical CBD allowance.

But if you’re really pro-pot in Mississippi, you want to watch the governor’s race to see if David Singletary, an independent candidate, makes his way onto the ticket. Singletary wears pot leaf Tshirts to sing karaoke songs about cannabis, that’s how smitten he is.

Montana – Petition ballot for full legalization

Surprisingly given that the state so far has only a meager medical cannabis policy, Montana activists have started yet another petition-supported initiative onto the 2020 ballot. Dual initiatives would provide “a statutory initiative to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana as well as a second constitutional initiative that would set the age of marijuana consumption at 21 and older.” The petition drive is still contested, however, and the group is struggling to get signatures under the COVID-19 climate. This one’s a nail-biter, so if you’re in Montana, get in there!

Nebraska – Petition ballot for medical

Nebraska may get to vote on medical marijuana in 2020! Another state, another petition drive for a medical marijuana bill to land on the state ballot. Here again, they pushed through COVID-19 limitations to collect signatures across social distance and quarantine measures. And they did it! They have 182K signatures, well beyond the 121K requirement. Currently they’re verifying signatures. The initiative is expected to go on the ballot for November 2020.

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts is stiffly against cannabis.

UPDATE: In a ruling that is sure to raise cries of outrage throughout the cannabis community, the ballot medical marijuana measure has been removed from the Nebraska state ballot, voter petitions be damned. Furthermore, it was removed by the Nebraska Supreme Court under a creatively applied technicality which claims that there can’t be more than one issue presented on a ballot at a time, despite the counsel pointing out that other ballot measures have multiple issues on them all the time.

New Hampshire – Introducing legalized possession

The New Hampshire House approved a nearly-full adult-use legalization bill in February 2020. The bill would not allow sales or retail activity, but would allow individual cultivation and free gifted exchange, similar to Vermont’s model. The measure still has a long legislative way to go.

New Jersey – Introducing full legalization

So far a medical-only state with tight restrictions, New Jersey approved a decriminalization bill in June 2020.

However, the big news comes November 3^rd, 2020, when voters get to decide on a full adult-use legalization bill! Here it is on BallotPedia: “constitutional amendment to legalize the possession and use of marijuana for persons age 21 and older and legalize the cultivation, processing, and sale of retail marijuana.” It’s yours for the taking, New Jersey!

New Mexico – It’s complicated

There’s been a lot of back and forth lately in New Mexico. Wikipedia tells this one best. They were the first state to approve medical use, but depending on federal legalization. Then medical was approved in 2007, decriminalization passed, but a full legalization bill has so far evaded the state despite the support of Governor Michelle Grisham. Recently they’re on the teeter-totter about whether to allow non-state residents to use the medical program. There’s a coup going on in the state’s congress, cities and counties are passing resolutions to demand the state legalize, there’s a whole can of drama going on. Worth mentioning as a “swing state” situation, where a few more voters speaking up can tip the balance either way.

South Dakota – Petition ballot for medical and full legalization

The pressure is getting tight in South Dakota, with massive efforts by advocates getting signatures to put not one, but two cannabis reform laws on the November 2020 ballot. South Dakota has so far been one of the driest hold-out states in the union, so this is big news. Visit the headquarters for South Dakota Marijuana and watch the grassroots effort.

Vermont – Introducing full legalization

Currently Vermont has one of the weirdest legalization policies, after Washington D.C. It’s legal to grow it, own it, smoke it, and trade it with your friends – just don’t sell it. The “sell it” part has now been passed in the House as of February 2020, currently the House, Senate, and Governor have all agreed to go fully legal, it’s just a matter of hammering out negotiated details.

Summary

There is of course interesting news in every state all the time about cannabis legalization, even in the states that are hardcore prohibitionist. We have tried to highlight only the states with significant news here. Be sure to check out our state-by-state cannabis licensing directory and please do share news from your state in our activist forum.

Marijuana Legalization : A Candidate Report Card

Legal

Penguin Pete

January 31, 2020

We’re gearing up for silly political season again, with the first presidential caucus for the general election happening in Iowa on Monday, February 3^rd. While there’s many issues likely to sway voter’s favor and cannabis legalization isn’t necessarily the top priority, pro-pot voters will at least want to know where the candidates stand.

Cannabis Legalization is a Bi-Partisan Issue

There’s a myth out there that only Democrats favor marijuana legalization. That’s just not the case anymore. The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) shows that marijuana legalization has growing public support for Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Dems lead Pubs by a 27% margin, but the overall spread still pulls the average higher than 50%.

This is one thing to keep in mind about politics and pot. Money speaks much louder than anything else. The cannabis industry has generated three things that all politicians love: tax revenue, stock market performance, and new jobs. The states that have fully legalized are practically flaunting their profits, while nearby states look on enviously. Any candidate that comes out against legalization in this climate risks loses voters.

Donald Trump

For the record, incumbent president Trump has waffled on cannabis legalization, but hasn’t taken a hard line against it. Most often, his attitude seems to be “hands off” and let the states decide. Let’s just say that there seems to be bigger things on his mind lately. On the campaign trail, he’s not likely to come out against marijuana and may even take a stance favoring legalization.

Joe Biden

Former vice president Joe Biden has taken the most conservative position on marijuana among Democratic candidates, favoring only decriminalization. Biden has controversially conflated marijuana with the “gateway drug” fallacy before. At the least, he favors decriminalizing on the Federal level and bumping it down a notch on the DEA Controlled Substance List. He has no other plans for marijuana legalization and has expressed hesitancy to go farther.

Pete Buttigieg

The Hoosier mayor candidate has uttered strong favor towards marijuana legalization on several fronts. Part of his “Douglass Plan” is the removal of criminal penalties for marijuana charges. He has told the Boston Globe, “The safe, regulated, and legal sale of marijuana is an idea whose time has come for the United States, as evidenced by voters demanding legalization in states across the country.” In addition, he has expressed sympathy for struggling medical marijuana patients, and even said he’s tried it himself “a handful of times.”

Elizabeth Warren

Senator Warren has expressed disfavor to cannabis legalization in the past, but has warmed to it in recent years. In 2011 at a debate she was in favor of medical marijuana but not recreational. However, by 2019 she’s come around to general legalization. She also wrote president Trump urging him to reinstate the Cole Memo, which had been struck down by then-AG Jeff Sessions. She also headlined the STATES Act. Warren started becoming more vocal about legalizing marijuana at the beginning of her presidential campaign.

Bernie Sanders

The Vermont senator has been vocal on full marijuana legalization. At his own website, he has a long article about his plan for legalizing, while he has also raised marijuana legalization as an issue along with a bundle of others. While it’s true that he has the most detailed plan outlined, and the greatest ambition for sweeping reform out of all the candidates, there is some question as to how actionable and realistic his plans are. Be that as it may, the Senator has an excellent decades-long record of supporting legislation for legalization wherever he can on Capitol Hill, so he’s securely on the stoner’s side.

Amy Klobuchar

The Minnesota Midwestern Senator has expressed vague support for cannabis legalization in the present, but has shown a reverse stance before. In her previous term as a County Attorney, she took the kind of “tough on crime” stance one would expect of that office, which included heavy sentences for drug penalties. Recently she has co-sponsored the STATES Act but would not sign on for the Marijuana Justice Act.

Summary:

These are the major candidates polling close to the 10% mark. We’re not out to steer readers in any particular direction; we’re just putting up the links for public information. We would like to ask, given this is a political post, that we all keep our discussion civil in the comments below or in our forum.

Washington D.C. : Cannabis Legalization Is Hard To Do

Legal

Penguin Pete

January 10, 2020

While the ebb and flow of state-by-state cannabis legalization continue to inch towards progress, one district of the US is forever floundering in a legal twilight zone when it comes to cannabis. The US capitol, Washington D.C., is still struggling to find a template for legalizing cannabis.

Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2019 – denied!

December of 2019 saw the most recent setback to legalization in Washington, D.C. The House of Representatives barred the District from the use of tax dollars to regulate legal cannabis sales. The provision was originally allowed as of June 2019, as part of the regular Federal spending bill package. But at the last minute, the House had to remove the attachment in order to not jeopardize the spending bill when passing it to the Senate.

The Senate did pass the spending bill, thereby guaranteeing the operation of the federal government through the Fiscal year 2020. This was necessary in order to avoid a government shutdown, a frequent plague of Federal governance in recent years. But the casualty of this process is that Washington D.C.’s permission to regulate cannabis sales was once more left on the House floor.

The complicated history of cannabis law in D.C.

The first pass at legalizing in D.C. was Initiative 59 in 1998, a voter-approved ballot initiative to approve medical cannabis which passed with a 69% vote in favor. But the initiative was stalled by Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, which prohibited D.C. from using its funds to support the program. This block was removed in 2009, clearing the way for medical sales with a bill passed in 2010.

Then in 2014, the District council approved a measure to decriminalize cannabis possession and use. This paved the way for Initiative 71, legalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis in 2015. However, once again, the sale of cannabis was blocked from the Initiative, this time by Maryland Representative Andy Harris.

There’s still one hole in this legal situation: You can’t legally sell cannabis in the District. You can own it, grow it, transport it, and even give away up to one ounce of cannabis – just don’t trade it for cash.

Currently, Initiative 71 dictates how cannabis may be obtained in Washington DC. There, you are legally allowed to:

Grow up to 6 plants
Possess up to 2 ounces in public
Share up to one ounce with another adult (over age 21)

But it is still illegal in DC to:

Sell it
Smoke it in public (infraction if caught)
Possess it while standing on federal property (about 30% of DC)

The current situation forces the D.C. cannabis market into a “gift economy,” where loopholes allow one to give away cannabis as a “gift” – provided you first buy something legal to sell, like a Tshirt or sticker, with an inflated price to cover the cost of the cannabis.

Of course, with such a gray market status, fake and unregulated cannabis products run rampant.

The timeline of cannabis legislation in Washington D.C. looks something like this:

1906: Cannabis drugs require a prescription
1998: Initiative 59 passed allowing medical cannabis, but was blocked by Barr Amendment
2009: The Barr Amendment was overturned
2013: First legal sale of medical marijuana in Washington D.C.
2014: Cannabis decriminalized by city council vote
2014 again: Residents vote to approve recreational cannabis – Initiative 71
2015: Congressional review period on Initiative 71 expires, letting it become official policy.

While Initiative 71 was on the table, Congress fought hard to suppress it, going so far as to threaten Bowser, the mayor of Washington D.C., with arrest if she acted on Initiative 71, approved by her voters by a 64% margin. And you thought your job was complicated.

Why is Washington D.C. such a mess?

The unique political position of the nation’s capital makes it harder than normal to efficiently regulate cannabis. Unlike other areas that have legalized to varying degrees, Washington D.C. is not a state. The mayor of D.C., Muriel Bowser, is heard voicing her frustration at this state of affairs in the interview with FOX News reporting on the story in December of 2019. She talks about why we need to make Washington D.C. a state.

There’s just one problem with that plan: Washington D.C. is specifically prohibited from becoming a state in the body of the US Constitution itself, Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17 (second from the bottom). Congress is given exclusive jurisdiction over the District. The reasoning for this goes back to US founding father James Madison, in Federalist #43.

In a nutshell, it was feared that making Washington D.C. a state would give it lopsided power compared to the other states. Being in the jurisdiction of a state might taint voting on Capitol Hill, and the presence of the Federal seat of government might give the hypothetical state of D.C. overwhelming influence in legislation since it has more access to the Capitol than any other state. Intricate mechanisms of government like these give everybody headaches when it comes time to make legislative decisions.

The struggle continues…

Protests, petitions, demonstrations, and activism of all kinds continue at a vigorous pace in the District to this day. Hashtag #SafeCannabisDC on Twitter and Facebook. And then there’s this majestic demonstration:

OK, time out while we appreciate this moment in history when protesters carried a giant inflatable joint in front of the US Capitol. That’s very cool. And remember, Initiative 71 passed with 70% approval, a landslide vote by any standard. When it comes to the citizens of the District, support for full legalization is overwhelming.

But ultimately, the SNAFU of legalizing in the District has one easy answer: Legalizing at the Federal level. Once Federal prohibitions are dropped, all sorts of legal blockades to efficient cannabis regulation fall away, including in D.C., which has to be subject to Federal rule as a practical matter. Legalizing for D.C. without removing all Federal prohibition of cannabis, in general, would be a bit awkward, and in fact, the system was designed this way on purpose.

D.C.’s status as a Federal district without statehood is written into the Constitution; cannabis prohibition is not. Now which one’s easier to change?

Does anybody have ideas on how to fix this?

We’re all ears, with the understanding that James Madison probably meant well. Join us for the discussion here or in our forum.

Politics of Pot: Illinois, Michigan, and Vermont Getting Ready For Recreational Legalization

Legal

Penguin Pete

September 9, 2019

Greetings, dabbers, and welcome to another weekly feature here at Dab Connection! Every Monday, we’ll be rounding up news stories about cannabis law, mostly in the US. Join us for this exciting time in history, the gradual end of pot prohibition, and keep track of this rapidly evolving field.

This just in…

Illinois, Michigan, and Vermont Next To See Recreational Cannabis Kick In

Ah, the promise of a new frontier for the cannabis market! While the west coast of the United States has lucked out with full legalization, the rest of the country has been feeling pretty dry… But this January 1^st, the states of Illinois, Michigan, and Vermont are on track for new laws to kick in, making cannabis 100% legal for recreational use there.

Vermont isn’t as ground-breaking since neighboring Maine and Massachusetts have already been legal for a while. The real dramatic shift will be in the Midwest. Progressive attitudes are more common on both the “left coast” and Yankee New England, it’s been the flyover country that’s mostly been holding out. It will be interesting to see how this develops because this is also the prime agricultural country.

State by state: Illinois dispensaries are unsure how ready they’ll be to open their doors to business come January 1^st. Michigan, which hasn’t quite implemented legal sales yet, is still not settled on how cannabis will be regulated in the state. And Vermont rounds out the three monkeys of confusion by saying they don’t know how they’re going to implement legal sales either.

All three states have just less than four months left to get ready for 2020. The countdown to New Year has begun…

We’re Talking About Cannabis Industry Antitrust Already?

It seems that we’ve barely glimpsed the dawn of the cannabis industry in the US, and already we have to talk about antitrust law in the context of canna-business. Once again, this is a symptom of a new industry. Hadley Ford, CEO of iAnthus Capital Holdings Inc., points out that more established industries like plastics have years of established practice to fall back on. But when cannabis businesses want permission from the Department of Justice to merge, they have no former record to go on.

For those who need catching up, antitrust is the American legal policy that tries to prevent monopolies from taking over the economy. When one corporation becomes too big for the economy’s own good, the government looks at splitting it up or preventing it from getting bigger. Famous past antitrust cases have been AT&T, which was split up in the 1980s, and Microsoft, which was fined for antitrust violations in both the US and the EU.

It’s weird to hear antitrust talk in the canna-business sector though. The telecom and computer industries were going on for decades before the government stepped in on those two very obvious monopolies at the time. How can one grower/distributor be accused of monopolizing a product that can only be legally sold in a few states?

Just in case anybody isn’t keeping up, notoriously cannabis-hostile Jeff Sessions is no longer with the DoJ, so these antitrust musings have nothing to do with him.

“Get #weedwise,” Says the California Bureau of Cannabis Control

California has seen the biggest retail market yet for cannabis, with sales expected to reach $3.1 billion this year. With that great power as the nation’s leading legalized cannabis market, comes great responsibility in regulating it. California’s BCC has taken the step of launching a #weedwise awareness campaign.

The campaign hopes to reach out and educate consumers about the risks associated with cannabis purchased from unlicensed businesses. Even though this campaign launched before several deaths related to vaping bunk cartridges, it’s an aptly timed initiative. Consumers have already gone from not really caring where their THC comes from to being sharply concerned.

The SF Chronicle has gone so far as to call on Federal authorities to follow suit. Says the opinion column there:

> “Thus, while California gets #weedwise, outdated federal laws that continue to designate cannabis in the Controlled Substances Act effectively encourage growth of the black market by ensuring state-legal businesses cannot compete with it.”

We couldn’t say it better ourselves.

A Look Back At The Town That Pot Bought

When we last left the sleepy Mojave Desert hamlet of Nipton, California, the entire 120-acre town had been bought, locked, stock, and barrel. The purchaser was American Green Inc., which paid $5 million with the hopes to turn it into “the country’s first energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination.” That sounds so cozy!

So what’s happening in Nipton since? This motorcycle travel blog is the latest to visit Nipton, with a narrative not quite worthy of Hunter S. Thompson. In fact, the author seems to be downright unaware of the cannabis news and the only “weed” mentioned is of the tumbled variety.

What was the news before that? Back in October 2018, it was a stampede on the town for lottery tickets. This happens frequently with border towns in the western states, where it’s the closest point to participate in another state’s lottery. Still, not related to cannabis.

It’s almost as if a cannabis company owning a town doesn’t change anything at all. Plans to convert it into a pot-tourism destination may have been put off once Nevada kicked up tourism prospects on its side of the border.

Til next time, dab fans!

Weed Legalization and Our Presidents’ Policies Since Clinton

Culture

Niel

April 29, 2017

It’s just after 4/20 and times are changing! Love it or hate it, everyone has an opinion on weed legalization. What about the leaders of the country? Let’s explore the latest presidents and their approach to weed.

Clinton [1993-2001]

“When I was in England, I experimented with marijuana a time or two, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t inhale and never tried it again.”

Weed Legalization and Bill Clinton — Clinton [1993-2001]

Bill Clinton heavily campaigned on ‘treatment over incarceration’ during his 1992 presidential campaign. He did admit to ‘experimenting’ with marijuana a couple of times in the U.K. – but supposedly didn’t inhale. Unsurprisingly, after Clinton’s first few months in the White House, he returned to the drug war strategies of his Republican predecessors.

Crime Control

The ‘Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act’ of 1994 was a giant [$30bn] crime-control bill. This act included many provisions. A “three strikes” mandatory life sentence was implemented for repeat offenders. $9.7bn was spent on funding for prisons. 100,000 new police officers were hired. Clinton dedicated $6.1bn to ‘prevention programs’, but most of the funds went to disciplinary rather than rehabilitative or preventative measures.

According to the BBC; “Critics say the bill decimated communities of color and accelerated mass incarceration. Proponents say it contributed to the precipitous decline in violent crime in the US that began in the mid-1990s.”

Belated Support

When asked about Marijuana during a Rolling Stone interview in 2000, Clinton said;

“I think that most small amounts of marijuana have been decriminalized in some places, and should be…We really need a re-examination of our entire policy on imprisonment. Some people deliberately hurt other people and them out to be in jail because they can’t be trusted on the streets…but a lot of people are in prison because they have drug problems or alcohol problems and too many of them are getting out, particularly out of state systems, without treatment, without education skills, without serious efforts at job placement.”

NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre responded;

“President Clinton’s incredibly belated support for decriminalizing marijuana is a bittersweet moment for marijuana law reform supporters…During Clinton’s eight-year term in office, we witnessed the largest number of marijuana arrests in our history — over 4,175,357 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges between 1992-99.”

Bush [2001-2009]

Before his presidency, private conversations of Bush were secretly taped by his father’s former aide (1998-2000). The future president discussed how he refused to answer questions about using marijuana. Bush worried that such an admission might affect his race to become President.

“I wouldn’t answer the marijuana question,” he said.

“You know why? Cause I don’t want some little kid doing what I tried.”

“You gotta understand, I want to be president, I want to lead,” he continued.

“Do you want your little kid to say, ‘Hey daddy, President Bush tried marijuana, I think I will?”

Bush campaigned saying medical marijuana should be left up to the states. A position he quickly pivoted on after his election in 2000. The Bush administration ended up permitting multiple raids on both dispensaries and patients in legal states.

Rapid Escalation

According to the Drug Policy Alliance;

“The era of George W. Bush witnessed the rapid escalation of the militarization of domestic drug law enforcement. By the end of Bush’s term, there were about 40,000 paramilitary-style SWAT raids on Americans every year—mostly for nonviolent drug law offenses, often misdemeanors.”

George W. Bush arrived at the White House as the drug war was dwindling. Nevertheless, he chose to allocate more money to it.

Operation Pipe Dreams

‘Operation Pipe Dreams’ was the code-name for the 2003 nationwide investigation of the illegal sale of drug paraphernalia. Out of 55 people involved in raids, only marijuana icon Tommy Chong would experience incarceration. Chong was charged with financing and promoting ‘Chong Glass/Nice Dreams’, a family company. The Government seemed to use jailing Chong as an example for cannabis users nationwide.

The final total of necessary revenue used to fund this federal disaster was a monstrous $12 million. The resources of 2,000 law enforcement officers were also used in this ridiculous show of government power.

John Walters held the position of ‘Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy’ from 2001-2009. As the nation’s “Drug Czar” Walters was responsible for the coordination of all aspects of federal anti-drug policies and spending. Focusing on marijuana during the Bush administration, a major campaign to promote student drug testing was launched. Rates of illicit drug use remained persistent and fatalities due to overdose grew rapidly.

Obama [2009-2017]

“When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.”

Obama was open about his marijuana use as a young adult

Unlike Bill Clinton, Obama was open about using marijuana (and cocaine) when he was young. While running in 2008, Obama casually admitted; “When I was a kid I inhaled frequently. That was the point.” It was a rocky start, but in the end, Obama was the most weed-friendly president the USA ever had.

Breaking Promises

During Obama’s first term, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) wreaked havoc on medical marijuana communities. California, Colorado, and Montana were all targets. Despite his campaign promise to stop targeting state-legal pot clubs, Obama came down hard on weed.

In September of ‘12, the DEA tried to shut down 70+ medical marijuana dispensaries around Los Angeles. American’s for Safe Access outlined money spent on weed investigations, reported in 2013. Money was used to “investigate, raid, arrest, prosecute, and imprison hundreds of medical marijuana patients and their providers”;

The Obama Administration has outspent the Bush Administration by 120 Million in just 4 ½ years
Under the Obama Administration, DEA has spent 1-4% % of its budget on the medical cannabis war

A Softer Approach

With Obama’s second term, came a softening of the crackdown on medical marijuana. Restrictions were put on the Department of Justice, to keep them from continuing the attack on medical marijuana providers. Under Attorney Generals Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, the Justice Department commonly declined to contest state marijuana laws. Legal marijuana was thus able to grow quicker in the US over recent years.

In December ’16, the DEA took another swipe at marijuana, just before Obama’s departure. An amendment was made to the classification of weed as a Schedule I drug. Now, ALL EXTRACTS, including cannabidiol (CBD), are listed up there with heroin. CBD is known to help thousands of epilepsy sufferers control seizures. Even so, it has been dubbed as a “drug with no medical use”.

Evolving Point of View

When asked by Rolling Stone about the War on Drugs (Nov 2016), Obama said this on marijuana:

“I do believe that treating this as a public-health issue, the same way we do with cigarettes or alcohol, is the much smarter way to deal with it.”

Obama’s failure to reschedule marijuana to a lower schedule under the federal Controlled Substances Act was a big disappointment. People were hoping he would have done more than he did over two terms. Obama did however grant clemency to more nonviolent drug offenders than any other president in history. He also signed the 2014 Hemp Farm Bill which allowed the cultivation of hemp for the purpose of scientific study, which in turn provided the opportunity for the 2018 Hemp Farm Bill to legalize low-THC hemp and derivative cannabinoids.

Trump [2017…]

“In terms of marijuana and legalization, I think that should be a state issue, state-by-state.”

Despite Donald Trump promising to leave the legal pot alone during his campaign, he decided to appoint Jeff Sessions as attorney general. Describing marijuana as “only slightly less awful” than heroin, Sessions is known as a “drug war dinosaur”. One impossible-to-forget quote from Sessions was “good people don’t smoke marijuana”. Trump claims to have never smoked a cigarette or tried any drugs or alcohol.

The Justice Department seems ready to jump on board and reverse the Obama administration’s comparatively lax policy toward state-regulated marijuana. There doesn’t appear to be any clear plans surrounding marijuana, but Sean Spicer has mentioned that he expects states to be subject to “greater enforcement” of federal laws against marijuana use.

The Trump administration may not be able to stop the industry from developing, but they can make it much tougher to navigate. Plans to halt this growing green giant might include targeting key players with raids, property seizures, or jail time. Both users and distributors risk being prosecuted or imprisoned, even if complying with state law.

There could potentially be a disturbing transformation within the rapidly growing legal and regulated marijuana industry – watch this space.

Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization : Let It Grow Or No

Geoff

March 1, 2017

There’s a green line and the United States stands before it, wondering if they should step across. To be more precise, 41 states stand before it while 9 that have already crossed stare back. The pros and cons of marijuana legalization remains the hottest of issues in the U.S. There’s many sides and perspectives to consider for a list that is complete. Let us know if anything’s left out.

Setting Forth The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization – What Are The Main Points Of Contention?

Extremists shout from one side that marijuana breaks down moral fabric and should never be legalized. They exist on the other side too and proclaim everyone should have access to weed at anytime they like.

Debate About Pros And Cons — The Great Debate

The greater majority of people see the issue as multifaceted and they weigh the pros and cons of marijuana legalization. From a scientific standpoint, there’s never been a better time for the study of marijuana. The only test social scientists have had up to this point is a non legal model. It’s hard to study social effects of legal marijuana in a society that has deemed it against the law.

Now 26 states have some form of legal marijuana, medicinal or recreational. Scientists can study the social impact and some of the results are surprising. The fact that marijuana is now accessible to scientists without mounds of federal red tape makes testing more prevalent. New studies on marijuana seem to pop up at hospitals or universities with increasing frequency.

A proper discussion about the pros and cons of marijuana legalization should include current information and it should address the concerns that science hasn’t or can’t provide.

Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization

Pros

Financial

Marijuana is a huge industry in the U.S, legal or not. Government can take their cut when weed is legal. Costs would decrease in law enforcement and incarceration but would increase in regulation and health services. The overall tax leads to a mass amount of added state revenue as the Colorado model proves.

Medicinal

Studies and evidence suggest that marijuana benefits users as a medicinal substitute for more addictive opiate based pain killers. This contradicts the concern that legalizing weed would amplify an already existent opiate problem in the U.S.

States considering medicinal marijuana would help patients have access to a new beneficial prescription. Recreational legalization gives access to a much broader base of users. Smoking weed may be a better substitute for many than that after work drink.

Lower Crime Rate

Taking away the harsh laws that govern marijuana will lower crime rate. It’ll take marijuana off the street and allow law enforcement to concentrate on other substances. Most notably, it will take a huge chunk out of large organized crime supported by illegal marijuana sales.

There will still be a black market for marijuana that tries to get around the regulations. Crimes will likely be fines or jail time for breaking new licensing and regulatory laws.

Public Safety

Because weed will be regulated, it’ll also have certain standards. It’s already much safer to buy weed from a dispensary than some stranger off the street. The department of health has regulations of its own that will now come into play. Marijuana will be safer than it ever was.

Human Rights

There is a case that marijuana law is like the prohibition of alcohol. It’s happened over a much longer time frame, but it feels like a government control issue to many people. What exactly are the medicinal benefits of drinking alcohol? It relaxes you and makes you less inhibited. Hmmmm.

A social stigma exists for people who use weed. It can be hard to find a career job in many industries and it’s not easy to pass a test if you use marijuana. Companies lose valuable employees every year because they test dirty for nothing more than weed. Sports teams lose players too, as there have been many athletes suspended for marijuana.

Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization

Cons

Health Issues

Marijuana doesn’t have the many carcinogens that tobacco products do but smoke of any form is harmful to the lungs. Vapor products may be less damaging but they all have disclaimers denying proof of any such claims.

Prolonged cannabis use is believed to cause slowed brain function and memory loss. Marijuana can complicate mental illnesses like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. You may have heard the phrase, “Sativa causes psychosis!”

Marijuana isn’t physically addictive but psychological dependence is a risk. Childhood use alters natural brain development and can lead to addiction problems later in life.

Weed speeds up the heart rate which increases blood pressure. It joins a long list of foods and chemicals that aren’t good for heart health.

Impaired Driving

Granting free access to marijuana means more people will use it. It follows that driving under the influence of marijuana will increase as well. The driving tests for law enforcement aren’t as cut and dry when it comes to marijuana but they still hand out DUI’s for it.

Colorado hasn’t noticed a large increase in DUI’s but they have seen marijuana present in more fatality accidents. The growing popularity of marijuana concentrates may play a role in these accidents. Marijuana extracts can obliterate someone who has no tolerance to marijuana. Kids will go out and use a more potent form of weed, then get behind the wheel.

Morality And Social Makeup

This may be an extreme view but citizens of the U.S. are allowed their personal beliefs. They also have a right as a community of people to decide what’s in their best interest. States with legal marijuana have ensured the community’s right to decide whether or not weed can be sold at the city level.

The Major Concerns Of Marijuana Legalization

More Access For Children

Not to downplay other concerns but this one is written into the language of every law. Dispensaries can’t be within a certain distance of schools, churches, or any other facility where children are present.

The reservations are valid due to studies that show stunted brain development in underage users. This ties into the fears that all parents have for their children. They should be protected at all costs from anything that might hurt their ability to lead fulfilling adult lives.

Left Out Of The Cons List

A Gateway Drug

This scare tactic is used to paint marijuana as an evil substance that leads to hardcore drug use. True numbers of people who tried marijuana early in life show the great majority never used cocaine or heroin.

Scientists know without a doubt that marijuana doesn’t cause harder drug use itself. The idea that marijuana use occurs before harder drugs may be true but alcohol is the drug that is used first. Alcohol is the true gateway drug.

Marijuana alters perception while alcohol impairs reasoning and judgement. Which one sounds more likely to result in poor decision making? If youth and young adults weren’t forced to go drug dealers for weed, it wouldn’t be correlated with harder drugs.

The Latest Study Results On Medicinal Use

The Study Of Marijuana — U.S. Hemp Co Studying Marijuana

One of the major points of concern about the legalization of marijuana is the opiate epidemic present in the U.S. Opponents of legal weed claimed that free access to marijuana would further complicate the opiate problem.

The latest study reveals that opiate overdoses in states that have legal marijuana have decreased. The number of opiate related deaths didn’t drop marginally. After a few years of legal weed, states saw nearly a 25% reduction.

Studies have shown that marijuana helps reduce seizures in epileptic patients. It treats forms of epilepsy that don’t respond to modern medicine. A recent study out of Colorado shows signs that marijuana can help people who suffer from migraines.

The Major Concern Of Marijuana Legalization

The issue at the top of the list in a discussion about the pros and cons of marijuana legalization is our children. Fears that legal weed will give youth easier access abound. This is a legitimate concern but like alcohol, weed is accessible to kids.

Like alcohol, weed hurts the development of the growing brain in children. The question that faces citizens when it comes to weed is how best to keep it away from children. Opponents of legalization feel that keeping marijuana on the streets is the best method of keeping it from kids.

Another concern is marijuana edibles.

Conclusion – The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization Moving Forward

The pros and cons of marijuana legalization continue to be an important household, city, county, and state conversation. As more states turn to legalization, the results will be seen. The decision already made.

The concerns about addiction have been addressed by each state who put funding into public awareness as well as rehabilitation services. Remove the stigma and more addicts will seek help. It always costs less to help and to educate than it does to incarcerate.

The future of legal weed will surely hold consequences and people will say I told you so. The bright side of legal marijuana goes beyond allowing it for medicinal or recreational purposes. It means the U.S. (and the world) will gain a better understanding of the dangers and benefits of marijuana use.

In a country full of scientific studies, marijuana lies mostly untouched. Researchers are eager to delve into the near empty canvass that marijuana study presents. There’s no telling what the next few years of honest research will reveal about the uses of marijuana.

Marijuana Legalization In California: What Will Weed and Wax Cost in 2018?

Geoff

January 27, 2017

California Recreational Marijuana Prices

Prices of California Recreational Marijuana Might Be More Than Medical With New Marijuana Legalization

The 1996 passing of Proposition 215 in California left many questions unanswered. While it gave patients with a doctor’s recommendation the right to grow, buy, and use cannabis, it didn’t require California to provide licensing. That burden was left to each county. Nor did it allow California to receive compensation through taxation and regulation. Proposition 64 is a new step in marijuana legalization for California. It makes weed legal in California for non medical purposes and brings with it elements left out of Prop 215. As a result, most authorities predict a rise in California recreational weed and wax prices.

Current Prices Of Medical Marijuana

Currnet California Marijuana Prices — Estimates For Current Marijuana Prices in California

Before we jump into what the future of marijuana prices in California might be, let’s take a look at current prices. Marijuana prices fluctuate across the State of California. According to Price Of Weed, the average price for an ounce of weed today runs $248.35 which is for high quality marijuana. Mid range weed in California runs an average of $200.14, so not that big of a drop from high quality bud.

Compare two counties, San Diego and San Bernardino.

In San Diego county, marijuana delivery services are sometimes the only way to get weed in cities like Oceanside. Thus the dispensaries that are open in neighboring cities like Vista charge $50-60 for top shelf 1/8s of weed. A top shelf gram of wax will run you $50-90. In the actual City of San Diego, dispensaries are getting shut down all the time, which also keeps costs high and comparable to what they are in Vista.

In San Bernardino county, its easy to find a dispensary. Top shelf wax can easily be found for $35-45 per gram. One dispensary even has 10 grams of good quality solventless wax for $250, quite a deal! Top shelf weed can be found for as low as $30 an 1/8th. Half ounces can be found for $110.

What Prop 64 Says About Marijuana Taxation

Proposition 64 allows the State of California to tax weed in two ways.

California will excise a 15% sales tax on all recreational purchases of marijuana.
Growers will pay the State of California a cultivation tax of $9.25 per ounce of buds and $2.75 per ounce of leaves.

Marijuana Legalization In California — Will the whole state be legal? Probably not with county authorities able to ban the sale of marijuana outright.

*Above information as reported by the LA Times.

Just to add a bit of perspective, current California sales tax on non alcohol and tobacco products sits at a total of 7.25%. Sales tax can run as high as 9.75% after adding on district rates. Marijuana will be taxed double the amount of California’s base sales tax rate which doesn’t take into account the money they’ll get for licensing or cultivation tax.

Will Medical Marijuana Card Holders Pay Taxes?

Food and prescription drugs classify as tax free goods in the State of California so medical marijuana card holders won’t be required to pay sales tax. This is where licensing fees and cultivation tax will have an effect. It’s hard to see a path where these costs don’t end up on the consumer.

Card holders may not have to pay sales tax but they’ll pay more if the base cost of weed goes up. As it stands, the landscape of California recreational marijuana prices is a complex economic model with too many question marks. Because cities and counties have so much control over how weed can be distributed, no one really has a definitive price.

Medical Vs Recreational Marijuana – Will Dispensaries Sell Both?

Many cities in California have existing medical dispensaries created under Proposition 215. Counties will decide whether medical marijuana dispensaries can sell recreational weed. In counties like San Diego officials have hinted that this may be the best course of action.

Proposition 64 requires the creation of a new Bureau inside the Department of Consumer Affairs. The Bureau of Marijuana Control will decide upon licensing and regulation which could also affect how cities allow sales, if they do at all.

New Marijuana Licensing & Regulation

Going from only medicinal to adding recreational marijuana legalization is a big step. The Bureau of Marijuana Control formed shortly after Proposition 64 passed and employees currently work to draft all the new licensing and regulations. Licensing will break down into distribution, storage, transportation, and sale of marijuana. You may see trucks going through scales loaded with ganja.

Marijuana farmers will get licensing through the California Department of Food and Agriculture. Commercial growers and sellers will need licensing from both agencies. The California Department of Public Health will also be involved. They have the task of issuing licenses to organizations that want to grow weed for scientific study.

Final Thoughts

Proposition 64 gives the State of California until January 1st, 2018 to prepare all the necessary licensing and regulatory documents. That gives the State more than 11 months from the writing of this article to develop their policies. It also gives each city time to prepare, many of which have already banned the sale of marijuana. Proposition 64 gives each city that right to deny marijuana legalization to their residents.

Many Californians look to states like Washington, Oregon, and Colorado in an attempt to estimate California recreational marijuana prices. Colorado for example has recently seen a surplus in marijuana leading to a decrease in price per ounce while demand is high. No pun intended. However, medical marijuana prices remain steady.

As January 1st, 2018 approaches we’ll see more information about licensing and regulation coming from the State. More importantly, local information will become more prevalent and available which is where it really counts. Regardless of initial California recreational marijuana prices, one thing is for certain. We have a new industry in California which will have its own economics. Prices will change over time. Full marijuana legalization is here!

Navigating the Vaporizer Market in 2025: Tech, Trends, and Regulations

Cannabis Industry

Bert Blaze

June 3, 2025

The cannabis vaporizer market has been a hotbed of innovation since legalization began to spread across the USA. As we look towards 2025, the landscape promises even more exciting developments, driven by technological advancements, evolving consumer preferences, and the ever-present influence of regulations. For the discerning Dab Connection reader, understanding these shifts is crucial for staying ahead of the curve and making informed choices. Let’s dive into the key trends, technological leaps, and regulatory factors shaping the future of legal cannabis vaporization in the US.

Tech Innovations Fueling the Future of Vaping

The core of the vaporizer experience lies in the technology that efficiently and effectively converts cannabis material into inhalable vapor. In 2025, we anticipate several key technological trends to gain even more prominence:

Advanced Heating Technologies: Precision and Efficiency

The quest for the perfect vapor – flavorful, potent, and consistent – continues to drive innovation in heating technology. We’re likely to see a greater adoption and refinement of:

Convection Heating: Moving beyond conduction (direct contact), convection heating, where heated air flows through the cannabis material, offers more even extraction and often better flavor preservation. Expect more portable and desktop vaporizers to incorporate sophisticated convection systems for a premium experience.
Induction Heating: This technology, already present in some high-end devices, provides rapid and precise heating through electromagnetic fields. Its efficiency and speed make it an attractive option for both portable and home-use vaporizers.
Ceramic and Quartz Heating Elements: These materials are favored for their inertness and ability to deliver clean flavor. Expect further advancements in their design and integration for optimal heat distribution and durability.

Smart Vaporizers: Connected and Personalized Experiences

The “smart” trend is extending to cannabis vaporizers, offering users greater control and customization:

App Integration: Many vaporizers now connect to smartphone apps via Bluetooth, allowing users to precisely adjust temperature settings, create custom heating profiles, track usage, and even access firmware updates for improved performance.
AI-Powered Customization: While still in its early stages, we might see the emergence of vaporizers that use AI to learn user preferences and automatically adjust settings for optimal flavor and vapor production based on the specific cannabis material being used.
Dosing Control: Precise dosing is becoming increasingly important for both recreational and medicinal users. Expect more vaporizers to incorporate features that allow for accurate and repeatable dose delivery.

Concentrate-Centric Designs: Catering to Dab Enthusiasts

The popularity of cannabis concentrates continues to surge, and vaporizer technology is adapting to meet the demands of dab enthusiasts:

Dedicated Concentrate Vaporizers: Devices specifically designed for concentrates, often utilizing advanced heating elements like quartz or ceramic coils, will likely become even more prevalent. These devices prioritize flavor and potency extraction from waxes, oils, and other concentrates.
E-Rigs (Electronic Rigs) Advancements: Portable e-rigs are bridging the gap between traditional dab rigs and convenient vaporizers. Expect further improvements in their heating power, battery life, and portability, potentially rivaling the experience of traditional dabbing with enhanced ease of use and temperature control.

Battery Innovations: Powering Longer Sessions

Battery technology is a crucial aspect of portable vaporizers. We anticipate advancements in:

Increased Capacity and Efficiency: Expect batteries with higher capacities that allow for longer vaping sessions on a single charge. Improved power management will also contribute to greater efficiency.
Faster Charging Technologies: USB-C charging is becoming increasingly standard, and we might see the integration of even faster charging protocols, reducing downtime.
Swappable Battery Systems: For users who require extended use, vaporizers with easily swappable battery systems offer a convenient solution, eliminating the need to wait for a recharge.

Consumer Preferences Shaping the Market

Beyond technological advancements, evolving consumer preferences are also playing a significant role in the direction of the vaporizer market:

Emphasis on Flavor and Terpene Preservation

Cannabis consumers are becoming more sophisticated and discerning about the nuances of flavor profiles. Vaporizer technologies that excel at preserving terpenes – the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis’s distinct smells and potential effects – will be highly sought after.

Discretion and Portability Remain Key

The desire for discreet and portable consumption methods continues to drive demand for compact and easily concealable vaporizers. Expect further miniaturization without compromising performance.

Health and Safety Concerns

As the legal market matures, consumers are increasingly conscious of the health and safety aspects of vaping. Vaporizers made with high-quality, inert materials and featuring precise temperature control to avoid combustion byproducts will be favored.

Sustainability and Eco-Consciousness

Environmental concerns are growing, and this is likely to influence the vaporizer market as well. We might see a greater emphasis on recyclable materials, longer-lasting devices, and potentially even take-back programs for used vaporizers and batteries.

The Regulatory Landscape: Navigating the Rules of the Game in 2025

Regulations at the state and potentially federal levels continue to shape the legal cannabis vaporizer market. In 2025, we can expect ongoing developments in areas such as:

Product Standards and Testing

States with legal cannabis programs are likely to continue refining their product standards and testing requirements for vaporizers and the cannabis materials used in them. This includes regulations around heavy metals, residual solvents (in concentrates), and accurate labeling of cannabinoid content.

Packaging and Labeling Requirements

Expect continued scrutiny of packaging and labeling to ensure child-resistant packaging, clear health warnings, and accurate information about the product and its potential effects. Regulations may also evolve to address concerns about appealing to underage users.

Sales and Marketing Restrictions

Restrictions on how cannabis vaporizers can be advertised and marketed are likely to remain in place. Regulations may further evolve to limit online sales and ensure responsible marketing practices.

Potential Federal Regulation

While the timeline remains uncertain, any movement towards federal regulation of cannabis could have a significant impact on the vaporizer market, potentially creating more consistent standards across state lines.

What This Means for Dab Connection Readers

For the informed cannabis enthusiast, the vaporizer market in 2025 promises a wealth of options. Technological innovations will continue to enhance the vaping experience, offering greater precision, customization, and flavor. Consumer preferences for discretion, flavor, and safety will drive product development. And the evolving regulatory landscape will continue to shape the availability and standards of these devices.

Staying informed about these trends and regulations is crucial for making the best choices for your individual needs and preferences. Keep an eye on Dab Connection for the latest reviews, industry news, and in-depth analysis to navigate the exciting and ever-evolving world of legal cannabis vaporization in 2025 and beyond. The future of vaping is bright, flavorful, and technologically advanced – are you ready to explore it?

Discreet Vaping and Smoking Gear for Stealthy Stoners

Penguin Pete

May 6, 2025

Are you looking for discreet ways to enjoy vaping or smoking cannabis? We have assembled this collection of devices from Discreet Smoker that will keep your use “Top Secret”!

Why would you want to be discreet in consuming cannabis? Because, as it stands, legalization in the United States is hit-and-miss. There is still no federal legalization and individual states vary from “fully legal” to “medical only” to “criminalized for any amount and reason.” Every time you cross a state border, the laws change.

Even if you live in a fully legalized state, many of you are in living situations where you’d rather not advertise your cannabis use to relatives and roommates, or you may not want your workplace to be aware of your lifestyle.

That’s why we’re assembling this list of discreet vaping and smoking supplies. True, we’ve featured small and compact devices before, but our focus here will be on devices that disguise themselves. Take your stealth smoking to a James Bond level!

Hamilton Devices Daypipe Dry Herb Pipe (link)

This is a dry herb pipe that’s five inches long and looks just like a tube of lipstick. You could easily drop this into your purse or handbag and nobody would be the wiser. Even if you leave it lying out in plain site, it doesn’t draw attention as anything other than a make-up item. When’s the last time you even looked twice at somebody’s nightstand junk?

Penjamin Cart Pen Discreet 510 Battery (link)

You’ve heard the term “oilpen” before – now take it literally with this 510 threaded vape cartridge battery disguised as a pen. The cartridge itself hides inside the pen body. Inconspicuous buttons control the vaping action. Most clever of all, it actually writes, too! Twist the end to write with it, should you need to prove that this is actually a pen. This should pass inspection anywhere, even if somebody else handles it. Just be careful if you’re the kind of person who’s always misplacing their pen.

Pulsar 510 DL Pipe Variable Voltage Cartridge Vape (link)

We’ve seen 510 batteries in pipe shapes before, but this is the first time we found one that conceals the cartridge within the pipe “stem.” It looks exactly like an ordinary tobacco pipe to any distant observer, but it’s still stylish enough to be classy on its own too. Pulsar also makes a “wizard pipe” model with a longer stem, just in case you want to vape discreetly at a Renaissance Fair.

Ronald Hump Dry Pipe (link)

While there are plenty of novelty glass pipes out there, we give this one stealth points because it disguises itself so well. The figure stands on its own feet, with the mouthpiece on top and the bowl on the back. From the front, it’s indistinguishable from any collectible figure. When not in use, you can leave it standing on a shelf next to other figurines and it will blend right in.

Citizen Hyde Lockable, Odor resistant Crossbody Bag (link)

For stealthy portable storage, this one is our pick for calling the least attention to itself. It’s a smell-proof bag that locks with a three-digit combination. Yet for all appearances, it’s a perfectly ordinary tote purse, something anybody’s mom might carry shopping. It’s just fashionable enough to be a believable accessory, and for that matter it makes a perfectly functional purse.

Hidden Smell Proof Stash Book Combo (link)

This is secret-agent-level stealth! A locking, odor-proof “book safe,” disguised as the The New English Dictionary. The locking mechanism is a three-digit combination. Inside is a roomy stash space for your valuables of any kind. The classic book disguise makes this an undetectable safe, blending into any bookshelf. Who looks twice at a dictionary?

Protect Your Privacy!

The current cannabis scene being what it is, sometimes it’s necessary to maintain a subterfuge. After all, it’s nobody’s business what you do in your free time. Stealthy cannabis accessories are worth the investment if you’d rather not announce your habits to people who don’t need to know. In the words of Gandalf, “keep it secret, keep it safe!”

New York’s Bud Bloom: High-Grade Cannabis Finally Hits Dispensary Shelves

Reviews

Bert Blaze

March 19, 2025

New York’s cannabis scene has undergone a dramatic transformation. Remember those early days of legalization in 2023? The flower was…well, let’s just say it lacked the “oomph” many connoisseurs craved. Limited by outdoor growing restrictions and scarce greenhouse space, the state’s initial offerings didn’t quite deliver the “Zaza,” “chronic,” or “loud” that seasoned smokers sought. But times have changed, and the “pain” is finally turning into pleasure.

A new era has dawned. Indoor cultivation is now the norm, and existing brands are rapidly upgrading their menus to reflect the availability of superior bud. Plus, a wave of newly licensed cultivators from the legacy and out-of-state markets are showcasing their top-tier products on dispensary shelves, thanks to the state’s expanded micro-business and cultivation licenses. For 2025 and beyond, here’s a curated list of craft and commercial brands delivering exceptional flower to New York dispensaries:

The Reigning Champ: Runtz

(Leafly)

By unanimous decision, Runtz has seized the crown as New York’s top flower. This 2019 Leafly Strain of the Year has evolved into a national powerhouse, fueled by Lemon Cherry Gelato-adjacent genetics and masterful marketing by co-founders Ray Bama and Yung LB. The official Runtz packs, including Obama Runtz and Trump Runtz, have been flying off dispensary shelves. If you spot them, grab them!

Find Runtz: Leafly Runtz Search

Craft Excellence:

The Mechanic’s Farm: A legend in the legacy market, The Mechanic’s Farm is now partnering with top dispensaries like Good Grades and Torches for limited, highly sought-after drops. Keep an eye on their menus for restocks.
- Follow The Mechanic’s Farm: Check dispensary menus on Leafly for updates (Good Grades, Torches)
Rolling Green: Highly respected by budtenders, Rolling Green is consistently praised for its exceptional flower.
- Find Rolling Green: Leafly Rolling Green Search
Rec Roots: Led by OGs from New York’s legacy scene, Rec Roots offers top-notch genetics like Red Sangria and Sour Zkittlez.
- Find Rec Roots: Leafly Rec Roots Search
ADK: A favorite in Albany, ADK’s strains like White Truffle x Devil Driver and Alien Apple Kush are in high demand.
- Find ADK: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Synergy: Catering to high-end smokers, Synergy offers sweet and pungent strains like Blue Gushers, Sour Space Rocks, and Pink Guava.
- Find Synergy: Check dispensary menus on Leafly (Bleu Leaf, Torches, Weedside)
Rhythm: Known for its impressive nug structure and terps, Rhythm’s Zoap and Animal Mintz strains are available statewide.
- Find Rhythm: Leafly Rhythm Search
STA Exotic (Cultivated by Torrwood Farm): Grown in 200-year-old living soil, STA Exotic offers premium flower and infused pre-rolls.
- Find STA Exotic: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Super Dope: A high-demand craft brand, Super Dope offers unique strains and packaging. Check Good Grades and Happy Munkey for availability.
- Follow Super Dope: Check dispensary menus on Leafly (Good Grades, Happy Munkey)
Pinks: Working with multiple farms, Pinks delivers high-end flower and pre-rolls, including rose petal joints.
- Follow Pinks: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Sensei Cultivation: A micro-license brand with a legacy background, Sensei Cultivation’s legal flower reflects their dedication to quality.
- Find Sensei Cult: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Cookies: Featuring strains like That Badu and Apples & Bananas, Cookies brings Cali classics to New York.
- Find Cookies: Leafly Cookies Search
Heady Tree: A rare find, Heady Tree is a favorite among budtenders.
- Find Heady Tree: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Leal: Known for its pristine attention to detail, Leal delivers high-quality flower in large volumes.
- Find Leal: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Milkweed: Offering classic strains like Lemon Cherry Gelato and Sherbert, Milkweed is a favorite at GOTHAM.
- Find Milkweed: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Rolling Stoned: Featuring New York essentials like Uptown Haze, Rolling Stoned is available in limited supply.
- Follow Rolling Stoned: Check dispensary menus on Leafly (The Bronx Joint)
House of Strains Staff Picks: Visit House of Strains in Flushing for their top picks of New York flower.
- Order from House of Strains: Check their online menu or in-store.
Zizzle: With strains like Wet Dream and WAP, Zizzle is a popular choice.
- Find Zizzle: Check dispensary menus on Leafly (House of Strains)
Doobie Labs: An instant buy for true tokers, Doobie Labs is a popular brand on dispensary shelves.
- Find Doobie Labs: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.
Ghost: Offering strains like Hot Glue and BBK, Ghost’s 7-gram jars are a hit.
- Find Ghost: Check dispensary menus on Leafly.

New York’s cannabis scene is thriving, and these brands are leading the charge in delivering high-quality flower to dispensaries across the state. Happy hunting!

Cannabis Sales Top $1 Billion in 11 US States in 2024

Cannabis Industry

Bert Blaze

February 6, 2025

Cannabis Sales Top $1 Billion in 11 US States in 2024

Eleven US states surpassed $1 billion in legal cannabis sales in 2024, demonstrating the industry’s continued growth and strength. This milestone reflects the increasing normalization and acceptance of cannabis across the country, even in states without full adult-use legalization. While some established markets saw slight dips or plateaus, others experienced significant growth, highlighting diverse market trends.

Here’s a breakdown of the states that achieved this impressive feat:

Arizona: While falling short of its 2023 record, Arizona maintained its place in the “Billion Dollar Club,” with sales exceeding $1 billion. A notable trend in Arizona is the shrinking proportion of medical marijuana sales, now representing only 17% of total revenue.
California: Despite a thriving illicit market, California remains the dominant force in legal cannabis, with estimated sales of $4.27 billion. Flower continues to be the top-selling product, followed by vapes and edibles. Interestingly, medical marijuana sales account for only 8% of the state’s total cannabis market.
Colorado: Colorado’s cannabis industry faced challenges in 2024, reporting its lowest sales figures since 2015 at $1.28 billion. Falling wholesale prices contributed to this decline, a trend that has raised concerns in other states.
Florida: Despite the failure of adult-use legalization initiatives, Florida’s medical marijuana program continues to flourish, generating $2.1 billion in sales. This demonstrates the robust demand for cannabis even within a medical framework.
Illinois: Illinois experienced continued market growth, reaching a record high of nearly $1.8 billion in sales. The state has also made significant strides in expunging cannabis-related convictions, with over 20,000 expungements since 2020.
Maryland: Launching its adult-use program in July 2023, Maryland’s cannabis market quickly blossomed, generating $1.14 billion in combined medical and adult-use sales.
Massachusetts: Massachusetts also enjoyed a record-breaking year, with total cannabis sales reaching $1.64 billion. Worcester County has been identified as the state’s “cannabis capital,” accounting for a significant portion of sales.
Michigan: Despite competition from neighboring states, Michigan achieved a record $3.29 billion in sales, a 7% increase from 2023. Its impressive sales figures, relative to its population size, indicate a strong consumer base.
Missouri: Missouri’s adult-use program, launched just two years ago, is thriving, generating $1.4 billion in sales. Data suggests that men account for the majority of purchases, with millennials representing a large segment of consumers.
Pennsylvania: While adult-use legalization remains pending, Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana market continues to perform strongly, with over $1.6 billion in sales. Unlike Colorado, declining wholesale prices in Pennsylvania have spurred increased purchases.
Washington: Despite a slight decline in recent years, Washington’s cannabis market is projected to generate $1.2 billion in 2024.

These figures underscore the substantial economic impact of the cannabis industry. When factoring in the illicit market, the total revenue is likely much higher. With increasing public support for cannabis legalization, states face the choice of regulating and taxing the industry or ceding control and revenue to the black market or neighboring states.

Panicked Parents and Panicky Pups: Navigating the Cannabis Poison Control Calls

Culture

Bert Blaze

January 21, 2025

So, California legalized weed. Hooray! Now, everyone’s chillin’, right? Well, not exactly. Turns out, there’s a new kind of panic sweeping the Golden State: the “Oh My God, Did My Kid Just Eat That?” panic.

Yep, calls to poison control about cannabis incidents are skyrocketing. But before you start envisioning a state full of stoned toddlers running amok, let’s get some perspective.

First off, relax.

While accidental ingestion can be scary (especially for those tiny humans and our furry friends), cannabis overdoses are incredibly rare. We’re talking “freak out, but probably won’t die” levels of rare.

Here’s the deal:

Kids are curious: Edibles look like candy. Enough said.
Adults can be forgetful: “Wait, did I put that brownie away?”
Potency is up: Today’s weed ain’t your grandpa’s weed. It’s stronger, and even experienced users can get overwhelmed.

The numbers might seem alarming, but let’s put them in perspective:

Cannabis calls are dwarfed by calls about things that actually can kill you: Think cleaning supplies, meds, and those colorful laundry pods that almost wiped out a generation.
It’s mostly panic, not peril: Kids freak out, sure. But genuine harm? Extremely unlikely.

What to do if you think someone (human or animal) has ingested too much:

Don’t panic (easier said than done, we know).
Call your local poison control center. They’re the experts.
For pets, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.
If it’s serious, head to the ER.

Prevention is key:

Keep cannabis products locked up and out of reach. Child-resistant packaging is a must.
Educate your kids about the dangers of edibles.
Be mindful of your own consumption, especially around children.

Bottom line:

Cannabis legalization has brought about some growing pains. But with a little awareness and precaution, we can minimize the risks and enjoy the benefits of this plant responsibly.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

2025: The Year of the Green Grind (and Maybe a Little Green)

Culture

Bert Blaze

January 8, 2025

Alright, canna-curious folks, let’s dive into the murky waters of 2025 cannabis predictions. Think of it as a game of stoner bingo, but with less glitter and more government regulations.

The Good News (Probably):

Price Wars: Get ready for some serious deals! Competition is heating up, and that means lower prices for consumers. Score!
Strain Explosion: Forget boring bud. 2025 is the year of the exotic. Expect to see a mind-blowing variety of strains, from the dankest Durban Poison to the most psychedelic Purple Haze.
Hashish Heaven: Hashish is making a comeback, and it’s coming back strong. Expect to see more high-quality hash, from classic temple balls to modern rosin presses.
Homegrown Heroes: The home grow movement is gaining steam. Expect to see more folks ditching the dispensary and cultivating their own dank delights.

The Bad News (Probably):

Taxman Cometh: Prepare to cough up more cash. Politicians love to tax cannabis, and 2025 will be no exception. Expect to see higher taxes at every turn.
Regulation Nation: Get ready for more red tape. From seed-to-sale tracking to ever-changing regulations, the cannabis industry is becoming increasingly complex.
The “Stoner” Stigma (Hopefully Not): We’re still fighting the good fight against outdated stereotypes. Let’s hope 2025 brings more awareness and acceptance of cannabis as a legitimate medicine and recreational choice.

The Uncertainties:

Federal Legalization? Don’t hold your breath. While progress is being made, full federal legalization still feels like a distant dream.
Social Equity: Many states are trying to level the playing field for minorities and those impacted by the War on Drugs. But will these “social equity” programs actually work? Only time will tell.

The Bottom Line:

2025 promises to be a year of contrasts. We might see lower prices and a wider selection, but we’ll also likely face higher taxes and increased regulations. But hey, that’s the cannabis game.

So buckle up, grab your favorite grinder, and get ready for another wild ride in the world of weed.

Ohio Legal Cannabis Buyer’s Guide to 2024

Culture

Bert Blaze

September 2, 2024

Ohio’s legalization of cannabis has officially begun, but it’s important to remember that the rollout is gradual. While retail sales started on August 6th, not all stores are open at once.

Where to Find Legal Weed

Legal cannabis is available at medical cannabis dispensaries that have been approved to sell to adults 21 and older. New stores are opening regularly across the state, and you can find a list of open stores on Leafly’s Ohio weed store map. Many popular brands like Ayr Wellness, Curaleaf, Shangri-la, The Botanist, and Verano have also started selling recreational cannabis.

Supply and Purchase Limits

As of August 9th, dispensaries reported ample supplies, although some items may be sold out. You can legally possess up to 2.5 ounces of flower and 15 grams of extract. However, public consumption and driving under the influence are prohibited.

Cost and Taxes

Prices for cannabis in Ohio vary, but you can expect to pay around $3 per gram for low-grade shake. Higher-quality strains may cost up to $12 per gram. The average price is about $9 per gram, or $267 per ounce. Prices are expected to rise as demand increases, but they may eventually fall as supply catches up.

Ohio imposes a 10% excise tax on cannabis sales, in addition to the state sales tax and local taxes. The industry is projected to generate over $1 billion in annual retail sales.

Popular Strains

Some of the most popular strains in Ohio include Blue Dream, Original Glue, Super Boof, Lemon Cherry Gelato, Runtz, Gary Payton, Ice Cream Cake, Wedding Cake, Permanent Marker, and GMO Cookies.

Beyond Smoking

If you’re not interested in smoking, Ohio also offers a variety of other cannabis products, including gummies, vaporizers, dabs, and topicals. Remember to consume edibles in moderation and store them safely away from children.

Ohio’s Cannabis Brands and Stores

Ohio has a growing number of cannabis brands, including Jeeter, CANN, Stiiizy, Canamo Concentrates, Buckeye Relief, Camino, and Wana Brands. Popular stores include Guaranteed Dispensary, Herbal Wellness Center Columbus, and Story Dispensary in Cincinnati.

What’s Next?

More stores are expected to open in the coming months as they complete their paperwork. Ohio regulators will be processing applications on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tips for New Cannabis Buyers:

Research stores in your area and their product offerings.
Bring cash and a valid ID.
Be prepared to spend some time exploring the dispensary.
Use Cannabis Glossary to learn new terms.

Understanding the Growth Stages of the Cannabis Plant

Bert Blaze

February 20, 2024

Understanding-the-Growth-Stages-of-the-Cannabis-Plant

With cannabis use continuing to grow in popularity and reduce in stigma, many people throughout both the United States and Canada are looking for opportunities to legally grow their own cannabis plants. Because cannabis is cultivated primarily for consumption in a variety of ways, its care goes far beyond enjoyment of your everyday house plant. Understanding how to raise these plants, and what can be done to enhance their growth, will ultimately yield a more satisfying crop.

Here are some basics to help plant that seed of inspiration for growing your own high-quality cannabis, from start to finish.

Germination

Everything big starts from something small and the enjoyment of your cannabis is no different.

There are a variety of different ways to grow your cannabis and deciding which method works best for you can help determine how to set up your plant for success. Growing inside a room, a greenhouse, or your backyard not only determines how you plant, but also which seeds you plant and when. For those growing outside in North America, consider planting your seeds around February, depending on your specific region’s climate.

The strains you prefer to grow will also impact the growth stages of your plant (and if they will grow well in your preferred growing condition). This can be the fun part if you already have a favorite strain. Additionally, the type of seed itself matters — such as regular, feminized (female plants produce far more buds) or autoflower. This is especially critical when it comes to how your plants are taken care of and how much you can expect to yield once they are grown. All in all, expect germination to take about 3 to 10 days.

Also key, of course, is making sure that you know the laws in your city as well as state, province, or territory regarding how many plants you can grow. For example, in Saskatchewan, you can have up to four non-medical plants, while in Washington State, you can only grow plants with a medical license. This means there might be laws regarding whether or not you can order seeds online, so purchase your seeds accordingly!

The Seedling

Congratulations! Your seeds have germinated, and now the future buds are budding from the soil. Along the way, “blades” will begin to appear as the plant grows leaves and the seedlings should be a vibrant green colour.

If you transplanted your seeds, this is a time when cannabis plants need to be kept safe and secure, especially if they are autoflowers. Special attention must be given to how often they are watered and how much sunlight they receive. Plants stay in this stage for about 2 – 3 weeks.

Vegetative

The cannabis plant will hang out in the vegetative stage for a while, often about 3 to 16 weeks, depending on specific strain or whether it is sativa or indica. In a lot of ways, both the vegetative and flowering stage are where monitoring and TLC are especially important.

Working with online cannabis retailers who sell specific products for cannabis will be helpful. All plants need similar tools, but cannabis plants need different levels of humidity, light, and nutrients than other plants. They will thrive better with a different blend of the above by the time they transition out of their germination-to-seedling stage. Thanks to the increase of legalization of cannabis, it is easier to find products that best cater to the needs of a cannabis plant at different stages.

Also, the vegetative state is also where leaves will really start to grow, especially depending on whether the plant is sativa or indica. you will notice an increase in the amount of pruning needed. Pruning at this stage will ultimately help create more leading up to the main event.

Flowering

This stage can last from about 7 – 13 weeks. Throughout this process, you will see a shift from the pre-flowering stage, to when the pistils begin to appear. The rest of the flowering stage is shown in the buds continuing to grow, becoming heavier, stickier, more vibrant in colour, and of course, aromatic.

For these reasons and more, including because if you are growing outside, the outdoor growing season in North America is generally aligned with the summer season, look out for pests. While the trichomes that appear at this stage can also help as natural pesticides, no plant is completely safe. In addition, mold and other growths can make all the difference between a bumper crop or a total bust.

Generally speaking, mold is gray or white in colour. If you see what you think is mold on your plant, there are some home remedies, as well as supplies that can help either trim off or stave off the mold from the source.

Grow Where You are Planted

Many people attest that after a somewhat steep learning curve, the investment to grow cannabis yourself is well worth it. Many growers speak about their satisfaction in terms of quality and their control over it, the ease of access that comes with home-grown goodness, and, ultimately, the savings on money.

Whether growing cannabis is primarily medicinal or as a dope treatment for your writer’s block, the simple act of cultivation can be a rewarding hobby in and of itself.

Happy growing!

The Year in Cannabis 2023

Penguin Pete

December 27, 2023

Once again, we come to the end of another jaw-dropping year in the most amazing industry we could ever have the privilege of seeing unfold: The North American Cannabis Industry. Which, seeing as how we’re all branching out into psychedelics at once, we might have to start calling the “North American Retail Entheogens Industry.” But we’re not there yet quite, not this time.

I’ll just take a moment to clue you #StonerFam folks to a behind-the-scenes insight: It’s also the LOONIEST industry I’ve personally ever worked in.

On top of the conflicting and shifting fronts of legalization and regulation, we are also handicapped by being a fresh industry without experienced oversight. That much is given and unavoidable, but the true loony part is: We have a bunch of entrepreneurs desperate to sell something if only they can figure out what it is, why people want it, how to price it, how to package it, and how to sell it. Earlier on, I anticipated that – given a comparison between a veteran hippie stoner now “gone legit” but inexperienced in business – and an experienced business entrepreneur who doesn’t know marijuana from kale – the experienced business entrepreneur would do better. Because, I reckon, the bylaws of business hold true no matter what the product is, right?

A few years’ of observing this industry is starting to show that that’s not the case. Ideally, for every entheogenic retail product company launching in the future, I would strongly recommend they keep one druggie on staff at all times. Hire them off the parole board if they have to. But no company making a psychoactive product should ever again send a product out the door without having their resident druggie test it first and confirm that it’s good stuff.

cannabis entrepreneurs — Actual photo of a cannabis company shareholders’ meeting

Right now, the legalized drug market looks like this:

[board room meeting executive HQ Monday morning]

“So what is this product?” “Hell if I know, some kind of drugs.”
“Why would anyone want this?” “I think they want to get high or experience wellness or something.”
“How do we price it?” “Well they’re drugs, right? We can charge anything we want!”
“What about the packaging?” “Just make it trippy and psychedelic so people know it will mess them up really hard.”
“Uh… marketing?” “Call it Zippy Moon Space Rainbow Hash. You have to speak the hippies’ language if you want them to buy.”

I mean seriously, how many people do we have working in the cannabis industry who have never smoked a joint? And if we have this many people working in the cannabis industry who have no clue about cannabis, we explore the true Heart of Darkness when we venture out into the psychedelics industry. Currently, this industry is populated by the equivalent of Mormons running a brothel and they can’t figure out why people go to brothels.

Surely, some common factors from the successful retailing of other mind-altering substances (tobacco and alcohol) would carry over? Could we someday see cannabis packaged and sold as tastefully as a bottle of J&B scotch or a pack of Newports?

The sheer volume of boondoggles in this market nearly led me to initiate a sort of Golden Raspberry award for the cannabis industry, which I’d call the “Aphid Awards” in honor of the most common pest of weed cultivation. Look for it right around this time next year. But for now, here’s a round-up of how we all dragged through 2023 almost no worse for wear…

US Legalization Marches Forward

Four more states, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, and Ohio, legalized cannabis for recreational use this year, along with the Virgin Islands (pop. ~100K). Most recently, US president Biden pardoned all federal charges for cannabis possession – which is less sweeping than it sounds, given that most cannabis convictions are not federal, it doesn’t pardon related offenses, and we can probably count the number of these cases on two hands. But every little bit helps. In a slightly bigger step, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommended cannabis be bumped down to schedule 3 on the federal controlled substances list. This still isn’t the same thing as “just make it legal already!” but again, little biddy steps.

However, all was not blooming buds on the cannabis legalization front. The Senate stalled on the passing of marijuana banking legislation, despite Chuck Schumer’s tireless crusade. Congress, meanwhile, has been filing an absolute flurry of cannabis legalization details – touching on everything from banking reform to gun legislation – but we all know a Congress bill isn’t worth the dead tree it’s printed on until it passes upstream too. Despite this, GOP legislators seem to push back against drug policy reform even when their own constituents are demanding it at a rate of, well, 70%. The DEA and FDA continue to stonewall.

Public Support For Legalization At Record High

Gallup polls now show that 70% of Americans across the board, regardless of resident state or political party, favor full legalization. You would think, in a truly democratic system, that such news would be followed by immediate shredding of all marijuana laws and a national smoke-in the following week, but not so fast.

Here’s one important data point that I think needs to be emphasized: In fully legalized states which have enjoyed legal pot for a good decade now, these states have reported NO major issues with crime, hospital visits, truancy, test scores, traffic accidents, you name it. Whatever the horrors of marijuana preached from dozens of propaganda films in the 1930s, none of those have come to pass. Washington and Colorado have had full access to legal weed for eleven years, people walking down the street face-punching a blunt, and nobody is running around crazy from it. You can’t tell the difference between before and after legalization until you get close enough to smell the smoke (and count their tax revenue).

Anybody opposing cannabis legalization now, when listing the supposed evils of weed, have to explain why those evils have not visited Washington and Colorado. So far the worst fallout Colorado has seen is Lauren Boebert’s vape outing at the theater, but that just comes with the Rocky Mountain territory.

I have a prediction for you: FULL federal and national legalization is now inevitable. Just a question of “how long?” The process of ending marijuana prohibition is almost mirroring the end of alcohol prohibition, just with no Tommy guns and pin-striped suits. We see a clear pattern that indicates the few who oppose cannabis reform are hold-outs. As Mr. History Book reminds us, hold-outs die off, and progress moves on, which is how anything almost ever gets done.

The Major Scandals

US Cannabis companies that folded in 2023 include Skymint (Michigan), distributor Herbl (California), and the extra-nasty matter of Las Vegas’ Weedgenics, which turned out to be a Ponzi scheme with a marijuana leaf serving the same general role as once did Adam deploy the fig leaf. A $60 million dollar scheme, last they counted.

Cookies brand out in California was up to some monkey-shines that drew fraud lawsuits. Multiple lawsuits, SFGate says Cookies are piling up 3 separate lawsuits, investors accusing the company of mishandling funds, not paying out, book-cooking, and whatnot. Now, as a side matter, there was an alleged interview (a phrase that could only happen in the age of AI) with Cookies brand founder and musician Berner, published on Bezinga, then retracted by Bezinga, and we’d never know about it if several other bloggers didn’t repost the trail of public statements by Bezinga. The ghost article was supposedly written by AI. For this story’s source link, I’m going to dump you in the lap of a Twitter tweet mid-drama if you’re idly curious, but you’re not missing much. There’s so much stuff published about Berner on Bezinga already I’d be surprised if even his own mother had read it all. This has been an entire paragraph about Cookies.

We don’t use artificial intelligence here at Dab Connection, by the way. All our content is generated by natural, organic human stupidity. Artisan crafted with authentic vintage laptops.

The Crappiest Things We Reviewed in 2023

Aw heck, it’s not fair to call any brands we review here “crappy,” since even in our negative reviews we try to conduct a spirit of constructive criticism. We speak to the industry as well as the consumer.

But no, really, we do inevitably run into some crappy products. When manufacturers really go the extra mile to not just put out a lousy product, but add several more insults to injury and maybe even a few more injuries just for giggles, I don’t mind calling them crappy. There’s a big difference between an obvious well-intentioned mistake and an attitude baked into a company, from the CEO down to the product, that says “we just don’t care.” Those are the ones I call “crappy.” That makes me a few enemies in this industry, and I proudly stand by every enemy I have made as a testament to my integrity and character.

Don’t forget, careless industry standards led to dozens of deaths from harmful additives in backdoored vape cartridges a few years ago. That’s what makes commercial legalized cannabis and psychedelics so important to produce and label transparently.

I would say “better luck next time” to the companies below, but nobody there was even trying the first time.

Overpriced and Overpackaged Airhead: Airvape Legacy Pro

You know a company has shaky faith in their product when they try to distract you with a trip-toy built into the packaging. By the time you unpack the Airvape Legacy Pro, you discover that it’s an extremely expensive sarcophagus for an object almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a vape. The design suggests a repurposed 2000s cell phone case, with the rest of the unit apparently built by aliens who had learned about vaporizers from watching interpretive dance. In any case, it failed at mission one while also overheating so much that I had to drop it. At $269, any vape one-fifth of its price outperforms it.

Thought I Was Smoking Hay: Plain Jane Delta 8 Flower

Along with this point in my weed-reviewing career, I began to meditate upon aspects of freshness. Oh how little I had previously appreciated moisture packets and flavor seals. Weed can grow stale. It can dry out until it’s little more than spicy dust, and most of all it loses potency per month stored. Max shelf life, I have since determined, is a year after harvest. Using that as a benchmark, I determined that this Plain Jane blunt was rolled from Hemp last harvested during George Washington’s administration. All this in a choking blunt which was exactly like smoking compressed sawdust, and it had zero effect. The bag of loose flower: sad, crackling tumbleweeds which needed no grinding but instead a light crush in the palm. For the record, other Plain Jane products have passed muster in other reviews, but anything this dry sent to a reviewer is inexcusable.

Impressive Levels of Incompetence: Serene Tree carts

The posted COA shows delta 8. The package says Delta 9. Even for that, it was the weakest, oldest Delta 8 oil in existence. When a company botches a product sample this badly, I dig in to see what’s going on. Turns out most of their stock and COAs all conflict, and that’s just the beginning. As a matter of professional courtesy, I notified the company about all the issues I’d found and got a reply from a market droid in carefully worded market speak, the message being shaped roughly like “so who gives a hoot?” All it would have taken to fix the issue is to have their web-guy update lab sheet PDFs; surely they test a cart more often than the year-old PDFs displayed? And that’s what this company says to me, “who cares,” from the poor product to their logo, which is two stacked triangles with the name “Serene Tree” in sans serif font. I have put more effort into customizing my video game characters than these people do running a company.

Most Aptly Named Fake Cart Brand: Ghost

Even though we don’t write up fake cartridge brands that often these days, we still follow nationwide spottings through our own Reddit watchdog forum. Ghost was a brand that appeared – ah, out of nowhere. It turns out that this brand disappeared shortly after I blogged it, but while the poltergeist was still active, this brand briefly flooded the vape cart market. There is no company, owner, website, address, or even point of origin behind the Ghost brand name that our best sleuthing could uncover. It’s almost like this brand… it ghosted us.

Are They Trying To Poison Us?: Rare Cannabinoid Company

It is perhaps fortunate that these are “rare”; we’d like it even better if they didn’t exist entirely. Staff reviewer Kira tried this one and they actually made her barf, then she tried them with another roommate who couldn’t keep them down either. She declared she’d never tasted something so nasty in her life. Even the aroma, again from two people’s opinions, was described as chemical, paint chips, and rotting fruit. So from there, we can conclude that whatever potency these might have had is a moot point, since before these could fail at being infused gummies, they failed at just plain old being gummies. Fifty bucks!

Special “You Suck!” Shout-Out To Half the Psychedelic Gummies Industry

Dozens of brands of mushroom gummies, bags of sugary, gooey diabetes, and not an effect in sight. Even though the good Amanita Muscaria products I have tried have converted me into a raving shroom fanatic, those success stories are sadly rare. The good brands so far score at roughly 3 brands out of 10 – and two of the passing brands were the same company. The bottom line, we need to work on that potency! We’re still in the early days of the psychedelic gummies market, but time is running out for manufacturers to figure out how to get the potency consistent. Now that that’s out of the way, I will address this one specific company, subject of the above photo:

Extra-Super-Duper-Special “Why Are My Eyes Bleeding?” Award: Yumz amanita gummies

I don’t want the people behind Yumz brand to improve, because they’re too stupid to run a business anyway. That’s a Yumz brand product we picture above, in eyeball-rupturing packaging which deliberately obfuscates ingredients, instructions, and even warnings with its stupid “trippy hologram ink” packaging. I braved that and gulped down the contents to discover bunk gummies that had never heard of mushrooms. Yay more empty calories! Thanks for the bag of fat!

Looking ahead to 2024 – are we gonna get it together now?

Here we go, new year, clean slate, and we’re all ready to hit another year of reviewing in this fun industry. Readers, THANK YOU ALL for your continued visits and support, liking and sharing our videos, commenting in our forum to keep us on our toes, and coming to us with your stimulating questions. We love what we do (except when we’re barfing gummies in the toilet) and when we see a comment thanking us for our hard-hitting industry reporting (even giving us credit for saving a life here and there), that makes it all worthwhile. Join us in 2024; we’re going to straighten out this industry yet!

Wha.. what’s that you say, 2024 is a primary election year? Until then, keep your gunpowder dry and your sarcasm drier.

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legalization - search results

Recap: Just 5 US States Make Cannabis Fully Illegal

Public Support For Legalized Cannabis Grows Every Year

The US Cannabis Market is Now a $20 Billion Industry

US Cannabis Market Breakdown

US States Joining the Cannabis Market in 2022

Join us all year as we cover the next thrilling chapter in US cannabis history!

Two-thirds of Americans approve legal pot

Nebraska and Oklahoma measures stricken down by state supreme courts

Currently five states have major legalization measures on the ballot for 2020

The big story for cannabis is in US petitions

Readers, tell us of your grassroots efforts!

Alabama – Introducing medical

Arizona – Petition ballot for full legalization

Georgia – Introducing decriminalization

Hawaii – 21 new bills

Kentucky – Introducing medical

Louisiana – Broadened medical

Minnesota – Introducing full legalization

Mississippi – Petition ballot for medical

Montana – Petition ballot for full legalization

Nebraska – Petition ballot for medical

New Hampshire – Introducing legalized possession

New Jersey – Introducing full legalization

New Mexico – It’s complicated

South Dakota – Petition ballot for medical and full legalization

Vermont – Introducing full legalization

Summary

Cannabis Legalization is a Bi-Partisan Issue

Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2019 – denied!

The complicated history of cannabis law in D.C.

Why is Washington D.C. such a mess?

The struggle continues…

Does anybody have ideas on how to fix this?

Illinois, Michigan, and Vermont Next To See Recreational Cannabis Kick In

We’re Talking About Cannabis Industry Antitrust Already?

“Get #weedwise,” Says the California Bureau of Cannabis Control

A Look Back At The Town That Pot Bought

Clinton [1993-2001]

Crime Control

Belated Support

Bush [2001-2009]

Rapid Escalation

Operation Pipe Dreams

Obama [2009-2017]

Breaking Promises

A Softer Approach

Evolving Point of View

Trump [2017…]

Setting Forth The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization – What Are The Main Points Of Contention?

Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization

Pros

Financial

Medicinal

Lower Crime Rate

Public Safety

Human Rights

Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization

Cons

Health Issues

Impaired Driving

Morality And Social Makeup

The Major Concerns Of Marijuana Legalization

More Access For Children

Left Out Of The Cons List

A Gateway Drug

The Latest Study Results On Medicinal Use

The Major Concern Of Marijuana Legalization

Conclusion – The Pros And Cons Of Marijuana Legalization Moving Forward

Prices of California Recreational Marijuana Might Be More Than Medical With New Marijuana Legalization

Current Prices Of Medical Marijuana

What Prop 64 Says About Marijuana Taxation

Will Medical Marijuana Card Holders Pay Taxes?

Medical Vs Recreational Marijuana – Will Dispensaries Sell Both?

New Marijuana Licensing & Regulation

Final Thoughts

Tech Innovations Fueling the Future of Vaping

Advanced Heating Technologies: Precision and Efficiency

Smart Vaporizers: Connected and Personalized Experiences

Concentrate-Centric Designs: Catering to Dab Enthusiasts