For the Culture By The Culture
New York’s $10 million vape quarantine just put the legal market in a chokehold. Brands are sidelined, dispensaries are stuck, and regulators are fumbling a rollout already on thin ice. Here’s what happened, who’s hurting, and why trust in the system keeps going up in smoke.
Colorado just lost $20 million in cannabis sales, and it’s not a fluke. From hemp loopholes to collapsing tourism, this feature investigates what’s really behind the budget cuts and how the cracks in Colorado’s cannabis economy could foreshadow a national unraveling. If the “gold standard” of legalization is struggling, what does that mean for everyone else?
California just raised taxes on legal cannabis by 26%, threatening to wipe out the small businesses and legacy growers who built the market. This feature breaks down how the policy is pushing operators out, fueling the illicit trade, and revealing the hypocrisy of a state that once championed cannabis culture but now treats it like a cash cow. This is economic betrayal in real 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.
Gold Flora’s implosion wasn’t a one-off—it was a warning. From ballooned budgets to influencer-backed ego trips, Big Weed’s collapse in California shows what happens when hype and hubris replace substance and sustainability. We break it all down and expose how the industry got too loud, too fast, and now can’t afford the silence.
Texas is ground zero for the next great cannabis battle. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is pushing an all-out ban on THC, doubling down on outdated drug war rhetoric. But Texas is changing—legalization is gaining ground, cities are fighting back, and Big Pharma, private prisons, and the alcohol industry are scrambling to keep weed illegal. This isn’t just a ban—it’s a war.
