420 - Cannabuzz Columnist

Someone Is Robbing Washington Cannabis Growers

- September 6, 2019April 26, 2020 0822

With all the expensive and visually intimidating security equipment and other measures that licensed cannabis producers are required install and maintain, you wouldn't think weed thefts would be a concern. Sun-grown and greenhouse crops are a different story, based on the tens of thousands of square feet they occupy. But indoor?

Federal Cannabis Legalization Still Moving Slowly

- September 4, 2019April 26, 2020 0747

Time for yet another entry my long-running series “Just Legalize the Damn Plant Already: Federal Edition.” Much like The Big Bang Theory was, it’s a terrible series with bad actors that has been going on for far too long. As you may recall, cannabis has been illegal at the federal level

This Column Was Written by a Stoned Bot

- August 29, 2019April 26, 2020 0815

[COLUMNIST’S NOTE: As a cannabis columnist, I receive endless press releases, emails, and marketing materials relating to new cannabis and hemp products, projects, events, conferences, and expos. I gathered 1,000 of these pieces, and forced a stoned bot to read them and then write the following press releases—because if there’s anything independent

The Cannabis Science Conference Is Returning To Portland

- August 28, 2019April 26, 2020 01352

Are you into the science of cannabis? No, for real though—do you bore people to tears with your excited, long-winded ravings abut weed, using fancy 75-cent words? (I don't do that, okay?) Are graphs, charts, and PowerPoint presentations about cannabis what makes you happy? Then it's time to go, get your

Vaping Crisis Update, and Don’t Fuck With Fake Cartridges

- August 26, 2019April 26, 2020 0856

At a party this weekend, I set up a vaporizer station with different kinds of flower. A woman came up and asked if it was safe. “Because I keep hearing about hundreds of people vaping and ending up in the hospital, and I understand one just died, so I’m concerned…” Yes,

Women Executives In Cannabis Outpaces Other Industries

- August 21, 2019April 26, 2020 0781

Where do women stand in the labor force, aside from underpaid? According to the US Department of Labor, "Of the 123 million women age 16 years and over in the U.S., 72 million, or 58.6 percent, were labor force participants—working or looking for work. Women comprised 47 percent of the total

Florida Having Issues With Cannabis Enforcement, Because Science

- August 19, 2019April 26, 2020 0896

The legalization of hemp as a crop has led to some great things. (Yay, hemp!) But nothing is everything all the time, and legal hemp is causing some massive headaches for officials in Florida (much like the type of headaches you get when you smoke hemp). It's a very special Florida

Portland’s Cannabis Policy Oversight Team Wants YOU

- August 16, 2019April 26, 2020 0819

Do you enjoy bitching and moaning about the things Portland gets wrong with cannabis policy? Ooooooh, me too! Grumbling about ganja and how the city deals with it is a fine way to pass some time, especially when done while burning down a fat one and holding forth with insights like,

Cannabis May Have Ability To Kill Cancer Cells

Medical Cannabis

- August 15, 2019April 26, 2020 0676

Through reports and anecdotal evidence, cannabis has been touted to offer benefits to those dealing with cancer, and to alleviate the side effects of cancer treatment. The reduction of anxiety, nausea, pain, and loss of appetite make cannabis a seeming wonder drug that many caregivers will attest to all day long. A

Checking Out Colorado’s Cannabis Scene

- August 15, 2019April 26, 2020 0964

I just returned from Colorado, where I explored a (very small) portion of the Denver cannabis scene. My schedule and budget didn't permit extensive sampling, so in no way should this serve as a comprehensive picture of what's available in the Mile High City, but I thought the differences between Colorado's and

A Medical Cannabis Opponent in Utah Makes His Money From Major Opioid Sales

- August 8, 2019April 26, 2020 0835

There are reasons why someone could be opposed to a regulated cannabis program: religious beliefs, or concerns it'll lead to the abuse of far more dangerous substances, or ignorance over pot's impact and effects. Oh, and children—won't someone please think of the children! (Just not in a Jeffrey Epstein way.)

The Right Continues To Blame Cannabis for…Everything

- August 6, 2019April 26, 2020 0647

As wonderful as cannabis can be, it's important we don't view it as the be-all and end-all to solve every issue, and its limited drawbacks should be owned. The way I see it, there are two legitimate problems with cannabis. You are welcome to @ me with your hot takes, but

Cannabis Convictions In Washington State Are Being Expunged

- August 1, 2019April 26, 2020 0747

If you were unlucky enough to be convicted for misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor cannabis offenses in Washington State prior to cannabis being legalized, well, that really sucks, and I'm sorry. The vile absurdity of how we treat those who partook of weed before it became a taxed and regulated commodity remains

California Music Fest Allowed Cannabis Sales, Consumption

- July 25, 2019April 26, 2020 0852

Last week, I wrote about how Lowell Farms' cannabis café is opening next month in West Hollywood, California. It'll be the first space of its kind in the US, allowing guests to purchase and consume cannabis onsite. Over the weekend, another first-of-its-kind cannabis event took place in Northern California, and the

Canadian Government Does Not Want “Fun” Used To Market Cannabis. Um, Okay.

- July 23, 2019April 26, 2020 0751

Oregon has some issues with how we regulate our cannabis programs, with truly baffling and seemingly self-defeating rules and regulations. For example, those who grow and process cannabis are forbidden from sharing samples with legal-aged consumers, because, um... look, don’t worry about why, they just are, okay? Rules are rules! Even if