For the Culture By The Culture
Reefer Report Card Vol. 14 grades the week in weed. Texas killed its hemp ban but raised the age gate, New York’s equity rules collapsed in court, Ohio towns stalled legalization, Nebraska strangled patients before launch, and Thailand’s new PM carries a cannabis legacy without clear promises.
House GOP’s Rescheduling Block is the Last Gasp of a Dying Drug War. On Sept. 11, 2025, the House Appropriations Committee advanced a bill blocking DOJ funds from rescheduling cannabis. It is a prohibition theater dressed as governance, protecting alcohol, pharma, and law enforcement donors while ignoring science and public opinion. Two-thirds of Americans back legalization, yet Congress clings to 1971. This is the last gasp of a dying drug war.
Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order GA 56 hands Texas alcohol regulators control over hemp THC, framing it as “protection” while consolidating power. The $5 billion hemp market now faces child-resistant packaging rules, ID checks, and compliance costs that favor big players. This is not about kids or health; it is about control, consolidation, and outlaw culture under fire.
New York ER visits tied to cannabis have doubled since legalization in 2021, with more than 135,000 cases logged in 2023. Prohibitionists call it a crisis, but the truth is education gaps, black-market products, and a botched rollout. Cannabis is not killing people; propaganda is. Outlaw culture says regulate, educate, and stop the panic.
The MORE Act is back in Congress, aiming to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, expunge federal convictions, and create a fair federal framework. With public support at record highs and billions wasted on prohibition, this bill could finally align federal law with reality and set the stage for true reform across all 50 states.
This week’s Reefer Report Card breaks down media fearmongering, small-town sabotage, and corruption in Boston. From The Guardian’s paranoia push to Southampton’s zoning war against legal weed, plus the ongoing federal court win for patients, it’s a reminder that reform is still a fight on every front.
