Featured Analysis
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DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record
DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 5, 2026 The South Dakota Department of Health has now confirmed it received my Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis. This matters for one reason: it removes any ambiguity about whether…
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South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194
South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 4, 2026 During the South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing on SB 194—the bill to impose THC potency caps on medical cannabis products—Sen. John Carley used an unusual rebuttal tactic:…
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Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181
Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 6, 2026 Video record: https://youtu.be/3u0VY7OIvlI South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee — February 11, 2026 On February 11, 2026, I spoke twice to the South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee to oppose two bills…
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No. 11 – Equal Protection and Economic Protectionism in Cannabis Licensing: Classification, Remedial Design, and Constitutional Limits
Equal Protection and Economic Protectionism in Cannabis Licensing: Classification, Remedial Design, and Constitutional Limits By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 11March 3 2026 The prior essays examined how cannabis rescheduling may trigger Dormant Commerce Clause challenges and Supremacy Clause preemption disputes. But constitutional scrutiny does not arise only from interstate commerce or federal…
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Incentives, Not Intentions: How Legislative Behavior Actually Changes
Incentives, Not Intentions: How Legislative Behavior Actually Changes By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 2, 2026 Political movements often misread opposition. They assume legislation advances because lawmakers are hostile, ideological, or morally opposed. Sometimes that is true. More often, legislative behavior is shaped by incentives — not intentions. ⸻ A thousand angry emails do not…
Policy
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DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record
DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 5, 2026 The South Dakota Department of Health has now confirmed it received my Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis. This matters for one reason: it removes any ambiguity about whether…
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Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote
Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote By Jason Karimi | Weed PressMarch 5, 2026 South Dakota’s bill to repeal the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) is effectively dead. On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Senate Health & Human Services voted to defer HB 1160 to the “41st legislative…
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HB 1065, A Bill To Felonize Medical Cardholders, Defeated 4-3
Senator Smith prior to the bill being defeated said: “This is another form of medicine. While it’s not a prescription it’s a permit to have it.” Then why is cannabis classified as Schedule I? Minnesota has it scheduled Schedule III. Why the conflicting laws in South Dakota?
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South Dakota Hearing on HB 1065: Medical Cannabis “Affirmative Defense” Change — 7:45 a.m. Monday (Capitol Room 412)
South Dakota Hearing on HB 1065: Medical Cannabis “Affirmative Defense” Change — 7:45 a.m. Monday (Capitol Room 412) By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 2 2026 Public comment is welcome. The Senate Health & Human Services Committee meets Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7:45 a.m. in Capitol Room 412, and HB 1065 (revising the medical-purpose…
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No. 10 — Federal Preemption After Rescheduling: Conflict, Obstacle, and Cannabis Federalism
No. 10 — Federal Preemption After Rescheduling: Conflict, Obstacle, and Cannabis Federalism If federal enforcement priorities shift while federal prohibition remains intact, courts will increasingly confront whether the CSA preempts state licensing structures that depend on continued federal forbearance. Whether state laws are argued as exemptions to new and changing federal CSA directives will likely…
Law
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Why Ilhan Omar’s “Fed Exemption for Hemp” Has No Application Process
21 USC 822(d) has no application process. 21 USC 822(d) covers a class of activity, such as religious use of peyote. 21 USC 822(d) should be between a state and the federal administration, like it is between that church and the federal administration. There is no application, but a state attorney general…
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Petition To South Dakota Legislature Senate And House Leadership
Copy To: President of the South Dakota Senate Copy to: Speaker of the South Dakota House This petition is submitted pursuant to: South Dakota Constitution 0N-6-4§ 4: § 4. Right of petition and peaceable assembly. The right of petition, and of the people peaceably to assemble to consult for the common good and make known their opinions, shall never be abridged.…
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Lander Case, Certiorari Filed By National Sheriffs Association
Explains RLUIPA a bit, 1983 claims Click to access 20251001235510035_LaNsa_Amicus%20Document%20October%201%202025%20EFile.pdf The sheriffs say Landor should have used 42 U.S.C. 1983.
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Nebraska Probationer Requests Medical Cannabis Be Allowed In Court Filing
Filing motion with district court judge here today to find out if Nebraska probation has to let medical cannabis be used which the law seems to say it does Here’s the motion below: Per Thurston County Clerk of Court direction this motion is filed via email. August 4 2025 4:20 pm Motion To…
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DEA Brief in Iowaska Healing Church Iowa Lawsuit July 2025
Download the DEA brief at the above link. Case concerns an ayahuasca church demanding religious exemption to use ayahuasca in ceremony as their sacrament. Interesting brief.
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Olsen v. DEA, 878 F.2d 1458, 1461 (D.C. Cir. 1989)
The DEA’s contention that Congress directed the Administrator automatically to turn away all churches save one opens a grave constitutional question. A statutory exemption authorized for one church alone, and for which no other church may qualify, presents a “denominational preference” not easily reconciled with the establishment clause. See Larson v. Valente, 456 U.S. 228, 245,…
Science
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Cannabis and the Aging Brain: Science, Scheduling, and the Policy Consequences of New Data
Cannabis and the Aging Brain: Science, Scheduling, and the Policy Consequences of New Data By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 8, 2026 A new peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs examined whether lifetime cannabis use is associated with differences in brain volume and cognitive function in middle-aged and older…
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Big questions still unanswered about medical cannabis use
The biggest political show in Iowa, which hosted WeedPress for an hour long discussion in 2018, is discussing medical cannabis again: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/river-to-river/2026-01-14/big-questions-still-unanswered-about-medical-cannabis-use Amusing watching what WeedPress predicted and helped bring to fruition – removing schedule one federally – being discussed. WeedPress is so far ahead on this discussion. For the tip of the spear on…
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Teen Marijuana Use Continues Historic Decline
I said during the 2009 Iowa Board of Pharmacy cannabis hearings logic said legalization would reduce youth usage. I told you so: Federally Funded Survey: Teen Marijuana Use Continues Historic Decline Federally funded survey data compiled by the University of Michigan reports that teen marijuana use has declined significantly since states began regulating adult-use cannabis markets and is now…
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New Research: Cannabis Could Cure Ovarian Cancer
According to new research published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were found to interfere with the growth and spread of ovarian cancer cells. Full article to download: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1693129/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com Selective anti-cancer effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol via PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibition and PTEN restoration in ovarian cancer cells Siyao Tong1,2Watcharin Loilome1,3Nisana Namwat1,3Poramate Klanrit1,3Arporn Wangwiwatsin1,3Zar…
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Studies Showing Cannabis Can Cure Cancer
Cannabinoids, including Δ9-THC, CBD, and CBG, exhibit significant anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, autophagy stimulation, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferation, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition. Clinical trials have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care. However, challenges such as variability in cannabinoid composition, psychoactive effects, regulatory barriers, and lack of standardized…
Current Events
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Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana, Longtime Advocacy Group, Submitted These 65 Policy Suggestions To Decriminalize Des Moines Task Force
Good afternoon, Thank you for inviting us to take part. Having reached out to colleagues across the country, we offer the following, and look forward to making ourselves available in the future to help make our communities safer. Thank you again, Jason Karimi Executive Director, Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana 515.509.8883 7688 NW 86th…
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Des Moines Register: “In decades as an Iowa warden, I learned how mandatory sentences, ill-considered programs and more keep inmates and prisons from success”
Writes former prison warden John Mathes in today’s Des Moines Register: “My recommendation is to decriminalize simple possession of marijuana and implement a system of regulating, licensing, and taxing this like we do for alcohol.” Read the full article here in today’s Des Moines Register (Monday, August 17th, 2020). It has 8 policy proposals or…
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Retired Waterloo Police Chief Bernal Koehrsen Says Decriminalize Marijuana In Today’s Waterloo Courier
Read all about it here in The Courier
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Iowa Patients For Medical Marijuana Sends First Email To Supporters About Decriminalize Des Moines
https://mailchi.mp/e49863f4606e/help-iowa-patients-decriminalize-dsm-marijuana-possession Subscribe to Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana Emails Iowa Patients have never been criminals. Decriminalize DSM 2020 Fellow Iowa Patients and advocates, we truly need your help and ideas here! So, I was invited to provide suggestions for policy proposals on decriminalizing marijuana in Des Moines. If you could, can you read our…
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First Draft For Decriminalize Des Moines Has 30 Policy Points. Anyone Have Any More?
Ok! So, I was invited to provide suggestions for policy proposals on decriminalizing marijuana in Des Moines. The following is my first final draft, due August 24th, to be sent to the Des Moines Marijuana Enforcement Task Force. If you have any suggestions for how Des Moines should decriminalize marijuana that you would like included…
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Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s August 5th Racial And Ethnic Impact Statement On IP 44, The 2020 Drug Addiction Treatment and Recovery Act
Downloaded and retrieved from https://www.theskanner.com/images/stories/2020/August/IP44-REI-Statement-Supplement.pdf; accessed August 14 2020 at 12:31 pm. IP44-REI-Statement-Supplement Click the above link titled “IP44 REI Statement Supplement” to download, or read below: Click to access IP44-REI-Statement-Supplement.pdf
Legislation
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Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote
Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote By Jason Karimi | Weed PressMarch 5, 2026 South Dakota’s bill to repeal the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) is effectively dead. On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Senate Health & Human Services voted to defer HB 1160 to the “41st legislative…
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South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194
South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 4, 2026 During the South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing on SB 194—the bill to impose THC potency caps on medical cannabis products—Sen. John Carley used an unusual rebuttal tactic:…
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Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181
Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 6, 2026 Video record: https://youtu.be/3u0VY7OIvlI South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee — February 11, 2026 On February 11, 2026, I spoke twice to the South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee to oppose two bills…
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HB 1065, A Bill To Felonize Medical Cardholders, Defeated 4-3
Senator Smith prior to the bill being defeated said: “This is another form of medicine. While it’s not a prescription it’s a permit to have it.” Then why is cannabis classified as Schedule I? Minnesota has it scheduled Schedule III. Why the conflicting laws in South Dakota?
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South Dakota Hearing on HB 1065: Medical Cannabis “Affirmative Defense” Change — 7:45 a.m. Monday (Capitol Room 412)
South Dakota Hearing on HB 1065: Medical Cannabis “Affirmative Defense” Change — 7:45 a.m. Monday (Capitol Room 412) By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 2 2026 Public comment is welcome. The Senate Health & Human Services Committee meets Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7:45 a.m. in Capitol Room 412, and HB 1065 (revising the medical-purpose…
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Medical Cannabis in South Dakota Has Entered a Political Vulnerability Phase
Medical Cannabis in South Dakota Has Entered a Political Vulnerability Phase By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 18, 2026 After passing the House 53–13 on February 17 and receiving its first reading in the Senate on February 18, HB 1065, which rolls back medical cannabis protections in South Dakota, has already done more than advance procedurally. It has…
RFRA Updates
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The RFRA Trap: Litigation Sequencing and the Structural Limits of State Religious Freedom Claims in Drug Law
The RFRA Trap: Litigation Sequencing and the Structural Limits of State Religious Freedom Claims in Drug Law Why arguing state RFRA before federal constitutional claims can foreclose Supreme Court review — and how litigation order determines survival. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 15, 2026 State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts are often treated as constitutional…
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South Dakota Senate Passes Resolution Calling for Prayer — While Cannabis Policy Still in Flux
South Dakota Senate Passes Resolution Calling for Prayer — While Cannabis Policy Still in Flux By Reverend Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 4, 2026 This week, the South Dakota Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 604 — a non-binding call urging residents of the state to “return to the Lord Most High” and observe a…
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Iowa Ayahuasca Church’s Bid to Force DEA Action Argued in D.C. Circuit, Decision Pending
Judges Signal Skepticism as Court Considers Forcing DEA to Act on Long-Delayed Exemption for Iowa Church Iowa Ayahuasca Church’s Bid to Force DEA Action Argued in D.C. Circuit, Decision Pending By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | January 39, 2026 An Iowa-based religious group has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia…
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No. 2 – The Path to a Religious Cannabis Exemption: Why Medical Cannabis Systems Change the RFRA Equation
The Path to a Religious Cannabis Exemption: Why Medical Cannabis Systems Change the RFRA Equation By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 2 January 27, 2026 For decades, U.S. courts have uniformly rejected claims that marijuana is protected as a religious sacrament under the First Amendment or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Ethiopian…
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Petition For Religious Cannabis Exemption In Nebraska
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THURSTON COUNTY, NEBRASKA STATE OF NEBRASKA, Plaintiff, v. JASON KARIMI, Defendant. Case No: DEFENDANT’S PRO SE MOTION TO MODIFY PROBATION CONDITION PURSUANT TO THE NEBRASKA FIRST FREEDOM ACT (NEB. REV. STAT. §§ 20-701 – 20-705) COMES NOW the Defendant, appearing pro se, and…
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Time to Work On Religious Cannabis Petition For Nebraska
I’m one of two cases involving religious cannabis users arguing a constitutional right for religious exemption to cannabis laws in Nebraska. If non-religious secular medical users get exemption, but not religious users, that’s discrimination. Asking a court for such a ruling is warranted. I’ve got 50 pages of notes to turn into my filings. So,…
Upcoming Events
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Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Launches Statewide Town Hall Tour
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Launches Statewide Town Hall Tour By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 7, 2026 Scottsbluff to Lincoln: Advocates Take Patient Access Conversation Across the State Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) is hitting the road this week with a statewide town hall tour aimed at updating patients, families, and community members on…
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Federal Public Comment Available Now (Texas Too)
Public input needed! Federal first then Texas: Federal Update: CMS & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids On November 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) filed a proposed ruleto incorporate the federal definition of hemp that will take effect on November 12, 2026. This proposed rule clarifies that cannabis or hemp-derived products illegal under federal or state…
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Tomorrow: Best Attorneys Discuss Federal Rescheduling At Noon
https://x.com/jamiecampbell/status/2006159843267145790?s=46 RSVP and attend at noon central/ 1 eastern 1-6-2025 Be there or be square. Link also here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UKmdX9EBQs2HYOW7epomvA#/registration
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Reminder: Rising to the Moment: Protecting and Advancing Cannabis Legalization in a Changing America
Rising to the Moment: Protecting and Advancing Cannabis Legalization in a Changing America Date & TimeDec 17, 2025 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Webinar ID815 7712 0875 Description BGM and Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) invite you to join us for a timely discussion on the current state of the national legalization landscape. We will…
For The Record (2026), By Jason Karimi
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Chapter 9: The Record vs. the Narrative
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 10: What Remains
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 8: What the Media Gets Wrong
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 7: Why I Never Left
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 6: Staying Power
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 5: The Apprenticeship
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 4: Learning the Language of Power
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 3: Becoming a Problem
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 2: Before the File Was Opened
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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“For The Record” Chapter 1: The First Arrest
The following 8,580 word book is ten chapters long and written for future advocates. FOR THE RECORD How Power Actually Works—and Why Documentation Outlasts the Narrative By Jason Karimi Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted…
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On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval
On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval By Jason Karimi At 19, I ended up in a homeless shelter. Not because I committed a crime.Not because I was addicted.Not because I couldn’t work. I was there because I stood up in court for religious cannabis rights, made the front page…
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Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog
Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog By Jason Karimi | WeedPressJanuary 24, 2026 WeedPress was not created to be polite. It was not created to echo press releases, recycle activist talking points, or play nice with institutions that have repeatedly failed cannabis patients, small operators, and civil liberties. WeedPress exists to document,…
Commentary
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Updates From Visiting South Dakota Capitol So Far Today
From recent official remarks and events: The Supreme Court is hosting treatment court sessions at the Capitol Drug court policy and funding is a major legislative talking point Drug Court Advisory Council met Jan 27 (yesterday) This ties directly into: – Cannabis vs. criminal justice – How the state frames “treatment” vs. legalization – Budget…
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On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval
On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval By Jason Karimi At 19, I ended up in a homeless shelter. Not because I committed a crime.Not because I was addicted.Not because I couldn’t work. I was there because I stood up in court for religious cannabis rights, made the front page…
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Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog
Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog By Jason Karimi | WeedPressJanuary 24, 2026 WeedPress was not created to be polite. It was not created to echo press releases, recycle activist talking points, or play nice with institutions that have repeatedly failed cannabis patients, small operators, and civil liberties. WeedPress exists to document,…
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Who Actually Holds Power?
Who Actually Holds Power? Another hit master piece by Jason Karimi, WeedPress News Scroll social media for five minutes and you’ll see the same illusion repeated in different forms: whoever controls the narrative controls the system. Influencers, viral posts, cultural momentum — these are presented as the new centers of power. The message is simple:…
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Give Them What They Want: How to Truly Connect With Your Audience
Most people think influence is about being louder, sharper, or more controversial. Chapter 7 of The 50th Law quietly destroys that myth. Its central message is simple but ruthless: Power grows when your value grows to others. That single idea changes how we understand influence, loyalty, reputation, and even conflict. If people don’t need what…
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Truth Telling = Treason ? Thought on Fixing Propagandized Divisive Narrative Spreading
The real problem in the world today and as always is not “bad people.” It’s broken information systems. And the most effective, non-destructive way to fight that is not rage, humiliation, or ideological warfare — it’s: • calm clarity • good-faith reasoning • source literacy • pattern awareness • explaining how manipulation works • slowing…
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How Paul Hijacked Jesus’s Message And Built Christianity
My Rasta buddy in Minneapolis used to say Paul was a test and not to fall for it…good talk from the best professor in the world.
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Why Success Is So Rare: Zig Ziglar’s Five Gates You Must Pass
They stab you in the backAnd they claim that you are not lookingBut Jah have them in the regionIn the valley of decision Go down back-biter, (down back-bite)Go down back-biter, (down back-bite) Now you get what you wantDo you want more? (want more)Now you get what you wantDo you want more? (want more?) – Bob…
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Haile Selassie and the Highest Art of Power: Winning Without Drawing the Sword
History remembers emperors for their conquests. Haile Selassie I is remembered for something rarer — for proving that the highest art of politics is not domination by force, but mastery of legitimacy, symbolism, patience, and law. His reign stands as one of the clearest demonstrations in modern history that enduring power does not come from…
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Why Choosing Your Enemies Wisely Is Crucial in Politics
Politics is as much about strategy as it is about ideas. Whether you’re running for office, advocating for a cause, or steering public policy, the opponents you pick — and how you engage them — can make or break your efforts. This lesson is captured succinctly in The Laws of the Public Policy Process: “Choose…
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Tribute To Ras Jamison Arend, Lion.
Jamison Arend Jamison Arend was my best friend, with a great view of life. We’ve taken the dogs to the river park in St.Paul. When I was lead lobbyist for medical cannabis in 2014, and getting screwed by a rigged legislature and a terrible medical bill and program, I made weekly pilgrimages to Jamison’s house…
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All My Law Classmates Hate Being Lawyers
Lawyer note: This article is a personal reflection on my own experiences and beliefs, not a factual survey of anyone else. In two years of being the best student in 30 years at paralegal school (the programs assistant heads words, and unsolicited meritorious praise, were not mine) I learned that my next step, law school,…
Patient Perspectives
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DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record
DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 5, 2026 The South Dakota Department of Health has now confirmed it received my Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis. This matters for one reason: it removes any ambiguity about whether…
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Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote
Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote By Jason Karimi | Weed PressMarch 5, 2026 South Dakota’s bill to repeal the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) is effectively dead. On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Senate Health & Human Services voted to defer HB 1160 to the “41st legislative…
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South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194
South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 4, 2026 During the South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing on SB 194—the bill to impose THC potency caps on medical cannabis products—Sen. John Carley used an unusual rebuttal tactic:…
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Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181
Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 6, 2026 Video record: https://youtu.be/3u0VY7OIvlI South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee — February 11, 2026 On February 11, 2026, I spoke twice to the South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee to oppose two bills…
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HB 1065, A Bill To Felonize Medical Cardholders, Defeated 4-3
Senator Smith prior to the bill being defeated said: “This is another form of medicine. While it’s not a prescription it’s a permit to have it.” Then why is cannabis classified as Schedule I? Minnesota has it scheduled Schedule III. Why the conflicting laws in South Dakota?
WeedPress: The Paper Trail 