Author: News Room

The governor of Oregon has vetoed a bill that would have established a state task force to investigate the risks and benefits of creating a public bank that could, among other things, service the state’s marijuana industry. Gov. Tina Kotek (D) disapproved the legislation earlier this month saying that while she supports the overall concept of studying a public bank, the bill has “several logistical challenges,” such as mandating that the Oregon Business Development Department (OBDD) oversee the task force when it is already managing more than 80 programs. The proposal from Reps. Mark Gamba (D) and Jules Walters​ (D),…

I’ve dreaded writing about Neil Young. Ever since seeing him perform on his summer coast tour, I’ve been asked more than once, “What are you going to write about him? What are you going to say?” I stared at them blank-faced, like a total mouth-breather, and usually said, “I don’t know.” I knew what I felt while watching Young perform for the first time in my life: him alone on stage surrounded by guitars, pianos, and an organ on the stage. But what did I know after Neil Young? Honestly, I still don’t know – to an extent. What I…

Michigan marijuana sales reached yet another record high in July, with nearly $277 million worth of cannabis sold. Adult-use marijuana purchases accounted for the majority of the total, at $270,603,217. Medical marijuana sales were at $6,143,046.  This beats the prior record set in June by more than $16 million. Most of the cannabis purchases came from flower, followed by vape cartridges and infused edibles, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) data, first reported by New Cannabis Ventures, shows. The state is seeing these consistent record-setting sales even as the average cost of marijuana has remained at record lows, with the price of an ounce…

In his first major interview in four years, America’s most well-known and outspoken political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal, discusses his past, his counterculture roots with the Black Panther Party, and his hopes for a new trial and for the youth of tomorrow. Abu-Jamal, convicted of killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, has been on Death Row since 1982. This past October, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge scheduled his execution for December 2. Abu-Jamal’s lawyers, who are appealing to the federal courts, immediately filed for a stay. Abu-Jamal’s supporters argue that he received an unfair and biased trial, with a racist pro-police judge…

People increasingly view smoking marijuana or being exposed to secondhand cannabis smoke as safer than smoking or being near tobacco smoke, according to a new study published by the American Medical Association (AMA). Researchers surveyed 5,035 U.S. adults three times—in 2017, 2020 and 2021—about how they perceive the risks of both substances, and they found a “significant shift” over time as more people expressed that they felt cannabis smoke was generally safer than tobacco smoke. The survey—results of which were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Substance Use and Addiction on Friday—asked people whether they felt…

Businesses often come and go in the ever-changing cannabis industry, but Big Pete’s Treats has maintained success through its 14 years of operation. Founded in Santa Cruz, California in 2009, Big Pete’s Treats is a family-run business led by Pete Feurtado (aka “Big Pete”), his son, CEO Pete Feurtado Jr. (aka “Little Pete”), and daughter, Vice President of Sales Kate Feurtado. What started out as a humble kitchen endeavor has expanded to a multi-state infused edibles operation. Now over a decade since its inception, the founders behind Big Pete’s Treats have developed more than 10 infused cookie varieties using their…

“Why invest in a business that violates federal law and not act to change that law?” By Aaron Smith, National Cannabis Industry Association The cannabis industry is facing unprecedented challenges. People are losing money as an oversupply of product, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and higher costs for key components like fertilizer, building materials and packaging are forcing companies to streamline operations as much as possible. Meanwhile, crushing regulatory environments and tax structures far more costly than any other industry continue to make finding financial success in cannabis very difficult. In an effort to save money, cannabis businesses are moving…

A GOP congressman who has sponsored marijuana reform legislation is filing a new bill to target immigrants who’ve lied about illicit drug use on their visa applications—sending a political message amid conservative scrutiny of the UK’s Prince Harry, who has disclosed using psychedelics and cannabis before moving to the U.S. On Tuesday, Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced the Substance and Possession Abuse Restrictions for Entrance (SPARE) Act, the name of which is a reference to the duke’s memoir—titled “Spare”—about his experience growing up as British royalty. The congressman’s stunt comes after a conservative think tank sued the Department of Homeland…

Minnesota’s governor says that Iowa adults are welcome to visit his state, catch a baseball game and buy marijuana under the state’s newly implemented legalization law. In an interview with Iowa PBS that aired on Friday, Gov. Tim Walz (D) was asked whether Iowa residents could visit his state and participate in the cannabis market while their own state maintains prohibition. Walz started by saying that “prohibition doesn’t work,” that marijuana enforcement has disproportionately impacted Black communities and that the “illicit cannabis trade is also now dangerous with fentanyl and xylazine and some of the other things we see on…

The NAACP has voted to adopt a resolution that renews its support for federal marijuana legalization with a new call to protect workers’ rights in the cannabis industry. At the 114th NAACP National Convention late last month, delegates held a plenary session where they voted on a variety of measures, including one that reaffirmed the organization’s prior cannabis reform platforms while adding a new position on labor peace agreements and marijuana industry worker protections. The resolution, which was adopted without discussion during the session, notes that “the majority of people in the cannabis industry will be workers rather than owners”…