Filed under: Weekly Burn
DUMBEST POLICY MOVE
Connecticut Turns Cannabis into Contraband
Connecticut is cracking down on smoke shops like it is 1995 again. Lawmakers approved a new enforcement squad to raid businesses accused of selling “imitation cannabis” products, and it is already sparking lawsuits.
Small business owners say the laws are so vague they do not even know what is legal anymore. CBD and delta-8 products are suddenly treated like contraband, and perfectly legitimate shops are being shuttered.
This is not consumer protection. It is prohibition dressed up in a shiny new uniform, and the casualties are the same small businesses the state claims to support.
SHITSHOW OF THE WEEK
Michigan Blows Weed Tax Money on Lawsuit
In Mecosta County, Michigan, officials decided to take nearly two hundred thousand dollars in cannabis tax revenue and funnel it into a township’s private lawsuit against an electric vehicle battery manufacturer.
The public outcry was immediate. One commissioner resigned in protest, calling it “a slap in the face to every cannabis consumer in Michigan.”
This tax revenue was supposed to support public safety and infrastructure. Instead, voters are watching their weed money bankroll corporate legal battles.
FOR THE CULTURE BY THE CULTURE
Reefer Report Card Vol. 28: The Rescheduling That Wasn’t
This week’s Reefer Report Card cuts through the hype around cannabis “rescheduling,” exposing how a label change left federal prohibition…
THE SCHEDULE III SCAM
Federal officials claim cannabis is moving forward, but Schedule III changes nothing that matters. This investigation breaks down what rescheduling…
STONER ODDITY OF THE WEEK
Mike Tyson Appeals to Trump for Cannabis Reform
Mike Tyson joined Kevin Durant and a group of pro athletes this week with a surprising request. They are asking Donald Trump to help fix federal cannabis laws.
In an open letter, they blasted President Biden for doing “almost nothing” on marijuana justice and urged Trump to support rescheduling cannabis and fixing banking access for legal businesses.
It is hard to imagine a stranger alliance. Trump helped build the system they are now desperate to dismantle, yet here they are asking him to be their savior.
POLICY SPOTLIGHT
Maryland’s Mass Pardon Stalls Out
Governor Wes Moore made headlines with a promise to pardon more than one hundred seventy-five thousand cannabis convictions. But so far, only about seven hundred records have actually been cleared.
A bureaucratic gap left thousands of paraphernalia charges untouched, and advocates warn the plan could fail without stronger follow-through.
This was supposed to be a landmark reform. Right now, it looks more like a headline grab.
COMMUNITY WATCH
Santa Barbara Ends Cannabis Enforcement, Funds Legal Aid
Santa Barbara County shut down its cannabis enforcement unit this week, citing dwindling tax revenue. The money will now go to immigrant legal services instead.
Supporters are calling this a progressive move. Critics warn the illicit market will surge without oversight. Either way, the county’s cannabis playbook has taken a hard turn.
FINAL GRADE FOR THE WEEK: B
Connecticut acts like it is still running a war on drugs. Michigan steals weed tax for lawsuits. Maryland stalls on justice. Santa Barbara surprises everyone by pivoting to community aid. And Tyson’s Trump letter? It is ridiculous enough to earn this week a solid B.
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