For the Culture By The Culture
Strain ratings used to mean something. Now they’re just marketing bait. From THC inflation to paid placements on review sites, the numbers are rigged, the hype is hollow, and the best weed never makes the list. We pulled the receipts and lit the match. Trust your nose, not the apps.
Legal cannabis has generated nearly $25 billion in tax revenue, with $4.4 billion collected in 2024 alone. States benefit significantly, funding various community programs. However, equity issues remain, as many who contributed to legalization are still marginalized. The promise of justice is overshadowed by bureaucracy and economic barriers for legacy growers.
Celebrity weed is everywhere, flashy, overpriced, and often full of mids. This piece rips the gloss off the jars and calls out the marketing machine hijacking cannabis culture. Real smokers know the difference between herb and hype. This is your wake-up call.
While California brags about record-setting cannabis seizures, the legal market is bleeding out. This feature rips into the state’s failed enforcement-first strategy, exposing the hypocrisy of Governor Newsom’s war on “illegal” weed while licensed shops go under. Legacy growers are sidelined, consumers get shafted, and culture is burning
Legacy growers fought for legalization, only to be pushed aside by the system they helped create. This feature exposes how red tape, taxes, and policy failures are locking out the real pioneers while corporate weed cashes in. It’s not just exclusion—it’s cultural erasure. And if we’re not careful, the soul of cannabis will vanish under glossy branding and mediocre bud.
Weed is getting cheaper but it’s not a win. Behind those $49 ounces and $2 prerolls is an industry bleeding out. Overproduction, bad policy, and corporate greed are killing quality, crushing independents, and leaving consumers with less than they bargained for. This isn’t a correction. It’s collapse.
