For the Culture By The Culture
The Netherlands is finally confronting its cannabis hypocrisy. After decades of letting coffee shops sell weed sourced from the black market, the Dutch government is expanding a state-run program that licenses legal growers. The plan could eliminate contamination, crush the illicit trade, and restore integrity to the nation that once sold the world on tolerance but never practiced it.
A hundred years after the 1925 International Opium Convention first outlawed cannabis, prohibition still stands as one of the biggest policy failures in modern history. From colonial fear and racist propaganda to Nixon’s drug war and global treaties, the cost has been human lives, stolen freedom, and wasted truth. The plant survived. The lies didn’t.
Hawaii sells itself as paradise, but when it comes to cannabis, the islands are locked in prohibition. Lawmakers have teased legalization for decades, only to betray voters and bow to cops, lobbyists, and fear. With over 70% of Hawaiians supporting legalization, the hypocrisy is glaring. Paradise is freedom, yet a joint in Waikīkī can still mean court.
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.
Oklahoma law enforcement is sounding alarms ahead of the 2026 cannabis vote, recycling old drug war myths about crime, cartels, and kids. State Question 837 could finally legalize adult-use cannabis, but police leaders are already trying to sway voters. The facts tell a different story: youth use is down, and regulation could bring order to chaos
Five plus years after legalization, Canada has pulled most consumers into the legal cannabis market. A new Waterloo study shows 78% of users buy legally, with prices converging and Ontario leading sales past $2.1B. With over 3,000 stores nationwide, Canada’s retail footprint is crushing the illicit trade while the U.S. still lags.
