For the Culture By The Culture
From Hearst’s racist headlines to DEA funded junk science, cannabis has been framed, smeared, and scapegoated for over a century. This feature exposes how lies became law, how fear fueled policy, and how the truth got buried under headlines. It's not just history, it’s a damn indictment.
Thailand promised a green revolution, but delivered chaos. After a wild two-year run as Asia’s weed haven, the country is now rolling it back hard. With new laws restricting cannabis to medical use only, thousands of dispensaries face extinction, and global smugglers are getting caught. This is what happens when a country legalizes first and figures out the rules later.
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.
New Mexico's cannabis market faces a crisis due to water hauling bans, impacting small operators while corporate farms remain unaffected. Regulatory confusion and inadequate support threaten local growers, leading to closures and potential lawsuits. The situation emphasizes the need for proper infrastructure to support small businesses in the evolving cannabis landscape.
A new Supreme Court ruling just cracked the door for civil RICO lawsuits in legal cannabis. If you think this won’t hit your dispensary, think again. Here’s what every grower, brand, and budtender needs to know.
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.
