For the Culture By The Culture
Governor Josh Stein didn’t legalize weed, he just moved the goalposts. By creating a Cannabis Advisory Council stacked with experts, enforcers, and tribal leaders, North Carolina is skipping the legislature and designing legalization from the top down. This isn’t a bill. It’s a blueprint, and it might be the only way forward in a state stuck in denial.
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.
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.
Congressman Dave Joyce wants credit for fixing weed. But his new legislation might just carve up the movement and hand it to corporate stakeholders. Behind the clean language is a blueprint for state-by-state chaos, not freedom. If this is legalization, it’s legalization without justice—and the people who built the culture are still waiting outside the gates.
The DEA is dragging its feet on cannabis rescheduling despite over 43,000 public comments and a formal Schedule III recommendation from HHS. What’s the hold-up? This deep-dive exposes the legal limbo, political stall tactics, and why America’s weed policy is still frozen in time.
The Ann Arbor Hash Bash, held annually since 1972, symbolizes the ongoing fight for cannabis rights and culture. Headlined by Tommy Chong in 2025, it embodies protest and celebration against restrictive drug laws. The event attracts diverse generations, emphasizing the fight for freedom and autonomy amid the commercialization of cannabis culture.
