Congress shocked the country when it passed a shutdown bill that would eliminate 99% of hemp products by 2026. Public backlash forced lawmakers to respond, and a new Senate bill now aims to replace prohibition with regulation. The fight is far from over, but pressure is already reshaping the political landscape around hemp.
N.Y. CANNABIS SCANDAL
New York’s cannabis market suffered a public collapse after regulators dropped a major case against Omnium Canna and forced out acting executive director Felicia A. B. Reid. The scandal revealed a system unable to enforce its own rules and a legal market left vulnerable to illegal competition, political pressure, and structural failure.
BAD SEEDS IN WASHINGTON
Federal lawmakers quietly inserted language into a budget bill that could criminalize countless cannabis seeds based solely on the THC profile of the parent plant. The move threatens growers, breeders, medical cultivators, and the genetic diversity that built modern cannabis culture. This seismic shift puts control of the plant’s future in the hands of federal agencies, not the people who preserved it.
Virginia Is For Tokers
Virginia just greenlit its long-delayed cannabis market. But is the launch plan built to last, or is it already showing cracks? The blueprint promises equity, protection from corporate takeover, and sustainable access. Advocates say it could be the first real test of Southern legalization. Pot Culture breaks it all down with facts, receipts, and no hedging.
HEMP 2018-2025
Congress just buried hemp inside the 2025 spending bill, redefining the crop to outlaw hemp-derived THC products that built a $28 billion market. Farmers, brands, and workers face erasure without a vote or debate. Pot Culture Magazine exposes how lawmakers quietly re-criminalized hemp and why voices from Cheech & Chong to NORML say this fight is far from over.
The South’s Quiet Cannabis Rebellion
Across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, quiet legalization is replacing old fear. Dispensaries open, hemp farms thrive, and police turn away from small possession. Lawmakers who once preached prohibition now profit from regulation. The Bible Belt’s cannabis rebellion is alive and growing, and the South is no longer waiting for Washington to catch up.