
Featured Analysis
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The Patients Left Behind: How South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Law Still Punishes the Sickest Among Us
In Iowa recently, a 91-year-old woman was told she had to leave the nursing home she called home because she used medical cannabis to manage her pain and symptoms. The facility gave her an ultimatum: stop using the medicine her doctor supported, or move out. She refused. The case went to court. What should have…
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Charlie Kirk: Outsider Threats Don’t Hurt, Betrayal By Allies Does
Watched this clip, and had some thoughts: One month before the political assassination of a man to stop him from sharing ideas peacefully, I posted on Facebook that Kirk was an idiot for being so uninformed about cannabis policy failures. Since he’s been murdered, I’ve watched him a lot. Everyone should before forming an opinion…
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South Dakota Cannabis Banking: The Persistent Cash Problem Behind the Claims
“If you’re gonna take the risk, you gotta do the frisk.” – ZipTrader Charlie South Dakota’s medical cannabis program has always operated under a difficult reality: while the state legalized medical access, the federal government still treats cannabis as a Schedule I substance (with only partial movement to Schedule III for state-regulated products in 2026).…
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5 Things to Know About the June 29 DEA Cannabis Rescheduling Hearing
If you want to know how WeedPress became the smartest, best looking without filters, and best informed cannabis activist in South Dakota, it’s because of zoom meetings about federal exemption procedures with Vicente years ago. Use them. Retain them. They have unheard of knowledge on cannabis laws amongst lawyers in this country. Believe me, WeedPressers…
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Justice for Max Leidermann: Three Years in Federal Pretrial Detention for a Non-Violent Cannabis Case — Activists, the Time to Act Is Now¹
This piece focuses on due process failures and pretrial detention, not a defense of the underlying allegations. David “Max” Leidermann, a 51-year-old California resident with no prior criminal record and no history of violence, has spent more than three years in federal custody in Nebraska — without a trial, without conviction, and without meaningful contact…
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Letter To Court June 25, 2026
Jason Karimi June 25, 2026 Honorable [Judge’s Full Name] District Court Judge Thurston County District Court Pender, NE 68047 Re: State v. Jason Karimi Case No. CR23-13 Status Inquiry – Motion for Religious Accommodation Dear Judge, I am writing regarding the above-referenced matter. An evidentiary hearing on my Motion for Religious Accommodation under the Nebraska…
Policy
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South Dakota Cannabis Banking: The Persistent Cash Problem Behind the Claims
“If you’re gonna take the risk, you gotta do the frisk.” – ZipTrader Charlie South Dakota’s medical cannabis program has always operated under a difficult reality: while the state legalized medical access, the federal government still treats cannabis as a Schedule I substance (with only partial movement to Schedule III for state-regulated products in 2026).…
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Indigenous Women’s Medicine Wheel Ride – August 9 Sturgis (Sign Up Here)
I’ll be on this ride at Sturgis this year on the marijuana Harley ultra glide. Go to the guy with the reggae blasting to link. Prayer at 8:30. Bring your safety gear as well. $60 registration. Follow Doodle On A Motorcycle on YouTube for updates. Ride starts at Outlaw Square. Register here: https://www.medicinewheelride.org/ Who We…
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The Beautiful Game as Peacemaker: How the World Cup Is Revealing America’s Greatness to the World
In 2014, I was in Indiana at a national recruiting tournament for U.S. Soccer. I spent the week meeting MLS coaches and refereeing some of the best young players in the country. Between games I sat in a giant, air-conditioned referee tent with catered organic food and a massive screen tuned to the World Cup.…
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No, South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Rules Do Not Satisfy Federal Schedule III Requirements — Operators Will Need to Make Real Adjustments
New analysis shows that South Dakota’s current licensing rules do not fully satisfy the new federal Schedule III requirements. DEA registration, security upgrades, and disclosure obligations represent real adjustments that many operators will need to make. Blanket claims that “everyone will be fine with little change” overlook these gaps. Some voices in South Dakota are…
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ILLEGAL: Homegrown Cannabis Remains Outside Federal Schedule III Protections — An Open Question With Real Consequences for Patients
The April 28, 2026 federal partial rescheduling order moved only two narrow categories of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III: certain FDA-approved products and marijuana produced under qualifying state-issued medical marijuana licenses.¹ Personal home cultivation was not included in either category. This creates a significant gap. In states that permit limited home growing for…
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Travis Ismay Responds to My Congratulatory Email: A Small Step Toward Civil Discourse in South Dakota Politics
Yesterday, Rep. Travis Ismay (R-House District 28B) replied to the congratulatory email I sent him shortly after his decisive Republican primary victory on June 2.¹ For context, here is the full exchange: My email (June 2, 2026): For context, here is the full exchange: It’s a brief, gracious response — and one I appreciate. Background…
Law
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The Patients Left Behind: How South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Law Still Punishes the Sickest Among Us
In Iowa recently, a 91-year-old woman was told she had to leave the nursing home she called home because she used medical cannabis to manage her pain and symptoms. The facility gave her an ultimatum: stop using the medicine her doctor supported, or move out. She refused. The case went to court. What should have…
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Charlie Kirk: Outsider Threats Don’t Hurt, Betrayal By Allies Does
Watched this clip, and had some thoughts: One month before the political assassination of a man to stop him from sharing ideas peacefully, I posted on Facebook that Kirk was an idiot for being so uninformed about cannabis policy failures. Since he’s been murdered, I’ve watched him a lot. Everyone should before forming an opinion…
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South Dakota Cannabis Banking: The Persistent Cash Problem Behind the Claims
“If you’re gonna take the risk, you gotta do the frisk.” – ZipTrader Charlie South Dakota’s medical cannabis program has always operated under a difficult reality: while the state legalized medical access, the federal government still treats cannabis as a Schedule I substance (with only partial movement to Schedule III for state-regulated products in 2026).…
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5 Things to Know About the June 29 DEA Cannabis Rescheduling Hearing
If you want to know how WeedPress became the smartest, best looking without filters, and best informed cannabis activist in South Dakota, it’s because of zoom meetings about federal exemption procedures with Vicente years ago. Use them. Retain them. They have unheard of knowledge on cannabis laws amongst lawyers in this country. Believe me, WeedPressers…
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Justice for Max Leidermann: Three Years in Federal Pretrial Detention for a Non-Violent Cannabis Case — Activists, the Time to Act Is Now¹
This piece focuses on due process failures and pretrial detention, not a defense of the underlying allegations. David “Max” Leidermann, a 51-year-old California resident with no prior criminal record and no history of violence, has spent more than three years in federal custody in Nebraska — without a trial, without conviction, and without meaningful contact…
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Letter To Court June 25, 2026
Jason Karimi June 25, 2026 Honorable [Judge’s Full Name] District Court Judge Thurston County District Court Pender, NE 68047 Re: State v. Jason Karimi Case No. CR23-13 Status Inquiry – Motion for Religious Accommodation Dear Judge, I am writing regarding the above-referenced matter. An evidentiary hearing on my Motion for Religious Accommodation under the Nebraska…
Science
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Reflections on a Bruised Nail: What My Left Middle Finger Injury Taught Me About Inner Worth and Boundaries
Two months ago, I slammed my left middle finger, resulting in a subungual hematoma—the dark pool of blood trapped beneath the nail that turned my fingertip into a visual reminder of sudden impact.¹ No longer painful, the nail still carries a mottled shadow of black and white as new growth slowly pushes the old damage…
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Predators Don’t Debate — They Rig the Game: How Black-Market-Friendly State Cannabis Programs Created the Perfect Environment for Predators — and Why Federal Legitimacy Is Ending It
The drug laws were rigged for decades. Prohibition didn’t eliminate the black market — it protected it. Cartels and underground operators thrived while legitimate patients and small businesses were crushed. When states began legalization without federal exemption, they didn’t fix the problem. They simply moved the rigged game indoors and gave it a state license.…
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I Spent 17 Years Arguing for Federal Cannabis Legitimacy. Now Small Operators Are About to Learn What That Means.
I have spent most of my adult life arguing that state medical cannabis programs could not survive forever as legally tolerated gray markets.¹ They needed federal recognition. They needed treaty analysis. They needed administrative pathways. They needed constitutional pressure. They needed people willing to say the uncomfortable thing before the institutions were ready to admit…
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Stork Just Sent a Researcher to WeedPress: What Academic Tools Mean for Cannabis Policy Analysis
Independent statutory deep-dives are showing up alongside peer-reviewed literature in researchers’ workflows. It’s not every day your analytics dashboard lights up with a referrer you’ve never seen before. Today, May 5, 2026, WeedPress received a visit from paper-box.co — the domain tied to Stork (storkapp.me), a specialized publication-tracking and research intelligence platform used by academics,…
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The Post-Announcement Phase of Cannabis Rescheduling: What the June DEA Hearing Means, What States May Have to Change, and What to Watch Next
The most important cannabis-law story in the country is no longer the announcement that part of the marijuana market has been moved into Schedule III. It is the implementation phase that follows. In April 2026, the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration took the unusual step of immediately placing state-licensed medical marijuana and…
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Why South Dakota’s Own Statutes Now Make Schedule I Marijuana Unlawful to Maintain
“Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is placing both FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and medicinal marijuana products subject to a qualifying state-issued license in Schedule III under his authority to reschedule drugs to carry out the United States’ obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.”¹ South Dakota, however, is not automatically bound by that…
Current Events
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Iowa Patient Speaks Her Truth
From the Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana Facebook comments: I made rso/f.e.c.o. oil for myself to control ptsd anxiety.my dog had tumors on her all over…i first rubbed rso on her lumps..but then i started her on rso/coconut oil orally, and her lumps went away after about 60 days…this is what a hit and miss…
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Iowa Rastafari Cannabis Sacrament: Update 11 From Carl Olsen Fighting For Right To Access Low-THC Cannabis For Sacramental Use
Update found a: https://www.gofundme.com/rastafari-cannabis-sacrament?viewupdates=1&rcid=r01-153850176225-a6fd215d16f3436b&utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n Rastafari Cannabis Sacrament Share Tweet 165 shares Update 11 Posted by Carl Olsen 3 days ago Share These things get complicated quickly. The state moved to dismiss, we resisted and amended our complain, the state resisted, and we just filed our reply to the state’s resistance, which you can read…
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Cedar Rapids Iowa Activists To Host “Don’t Punish Pain Rally” Representing Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Lupus, Other Emotionally Empowering Chronic Pain Syndromes
Facebook event page details and updates available here: https://www.facebook.com/events/268928997074471/?active_tab=about Details Media coverage: https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2018/09/13/chronic-pain-patients-rally-springfield-hospital-drugs/1285090002/ There is a DON’T PUNISH PAIN RALLY in Green Square Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on September 18 from 12:00 until 2:00 PM. *PLEASE REPRESENT OUR PAIN COMMUNITY IN IOWA BY FOLLOWING THESE SIMPLE RULES- 😍 NO Smoking 🚭 in Green Square…
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Carter Lake Iowa Marijuana Activists Stage Event To Gather Kim Reynolds Petition Signatures — More Events Coming Soon:
Follow Legal Marijuana Now On Facebook
Legislation
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No. 4 – The Controlled Substances Act Is Not a Blunt Instrument — It Is an Architecture of Exceptions
A recent Harvard Law Review–discussed argument (as reviewed in Drug Scheduling Is Institutional Design — And That Changes Everything) suggests the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is structurally imperfect — designed for prohibition rather than regulation — and therefore in need of legislative overhaul. That framing misunderstands the statute’s architecture. The CSA was not written as…
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South Dakota Testimony in Opposition to SB 181 and SB 194: When Federal Law Is Misunderstood in State Policy
Committee AgendaCommittee: Senate Health and Human ServicesRoom: Room 412Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026Time: 7:45 AM-9:45 AMRegister electronically to testify: https://sdlegislature.gov/testify/301839 Senators Jensen (Kevin), Davis, Grove, Perry, Reed, Smith, and Voight BILL HEARINGSSB 181 cause the repeal of the medical cannabis chapter upon the federal re-scheduling of cannabis (Introduced)Introduced by: Senator Carley SB 194 limit the…
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SD Lawmakers Quietly Pull Medical Cannabis Arrest Bill From Agenda
Lawmakers Quietly Pull Medical Cannabis Arrest Bill From Agenda By Jason Karimi | WeedPress: The Paper Trail PIERRE, S.D. — A controversial bill that would have expanded police authority to arrest registered medical cannabis patients was quietly pulled from the South Dakota Legislature’s agenda this week — a move that signals mounting resistance to efforts…
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New SD Bill Would Let Police Arrest Medical Cannabis Patients Over Misplaced Cards
SB 95 would allow police to arrest otherwise compliant medical marijuana patients in South Dakota solely for failing to immediately produce a physical card or card number, overriding existing statutory protections 🏛️ South Dakota SB 95 — What It Does By Jason Karimi Bill Summary: Require that a medical cannabis cardholder provide a card or…
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S. Rep. No. 91-613 (1969)
S. Rep. No. 91-613 (1969) is the Senate Judiciary Committee report accompanying S. 3246, the bill that became Title II and III of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-513), also known as the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This is the foundational federal law classifying drugs into schedules and…
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Lawmakers Filing Bills In Anticipation Of Federal Schedule 3 Change
Weedpress has been preparing to be ahead of the curve on this highway of federal law changes. Now that everyone else is trying to play catch up, and failing, WeedPress continues to stand by for anyone in the country wishing to gain clarity on the administrative procedures and legal necessities of this complex regulatory policy…
RFRA Updates
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Letter To Court June 25, 2026
Jason Karimi June 25, 2026 Honorable [Judge’s Full Name] District Court Judge Thurston County District Court Pender, NE 68047 Re: State v. Jason Karimi Case No. CR23-13 Status Inquiry – Motion for Religious Accommodation Dear Judge, I am writing regarding the above-referenced matter. An evidentiary hearing on my Motion for Religious Accommodation under the Nebraska…
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DEA ALJ Preliminary Order Confirms Medical Cannabis Rescheduling Is Already Done: June 29 Hearing Limited to the “Remainder” of Marijuana
On June 18, 2026, Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek C. Julius of the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a Preliminary Order that sharply narrows the scope of the upcoming expedited administrative hearing on marijuana rescheduling. The order makes clear that the rescheduling of FDA-approved marijuana products and state-regulated medical marijuana products has already occurred and will…
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Nebraska RFRA Religious Liberty Case Advances: Supplemental Authority Filed Citing Federal Schedule III Rescheduling
Defendant Jason Karimi has filed a Notice of Supplemental Authority in Nebraska District Court while his motion to modify probation conditions under the Nebraska First Freedom Act remains under advisement. The filing notifies the Court of the recent federal Schedule III rescheduling action and Defendant’s participation in the ongoing DEA administrative proceeding (Docket No. DEA-1362)…
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I Have Filed Notice to Participate in the DEA’s June 29 Rescheduling Hearing
Today I formally submitted my Notice of Intention to Participate in the DEA administrative hearing on the proposed rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III (Docket No. DEA-1362), scheduled to begin June 29, 2026. This filing continues my 17-year record of cannabis policy advocacy and public commentary. It focuses on the interaction between…
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Connecticut’s HB 5044 Is Not Just a Vaccine Bill. It Is a Legislative Rewrite of RFRA Mid-Litigation.
April 24, 2026 Connecticut’s HB 5044 is being sold as a vaccine-governance bill. In one sense, that is true: the bill deals broadly with immunization standards, the Department of Public Health’s authority, insurance coverage, and related vaccine-administration issues.¹ But buried inside that larger package is the provision that matters most for religious-liberty law: HB 5044…
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West Virginia and Mississippi Tried to Move Marijuana to Schedule III. Both Bills Reveal the Same Structural Problem.
April 24, 2026 West Virginia and Mississippi each opened the 2026 session with a bill that would have done something their existing marijuana laws still refuse to do: move cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III under state law.¹ ² Both proposals were straightforward on paper. West Virginia’s SB 809 would amend W. Va. Code…
Upcoming Events
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Indigenous Women’s Medicine Wheel Ride – August 9 Sturgis (Sign Up Here)
I’ll be on this ride at Sturgis this year on the marijuana Harley ultra glide. Go to the guy with the reggae blasting to link. Prayer at 8:30. Bring your safety gear as well. $60 registration. Follow Doodle On A Motorcycle on YouTube for updates. Ride starts at Outlaw Square. Register here: https://www.medicinewheelride.org/ Who We…
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The June 27 DEA Registration Deadline Is Coming Fast: South Dakota Operators Face a Compliance Cliff as the Safe Harbor Window Closes
With the June 27 DEA registration deadline approaching, the following analysis examines the practical timeline and compliance pressures facing South Dakota operators. South Dakota’s licensed medical cannabis operators now have roughly 29 days to secure critical federal protections before the expedited DEA registration window closes. On April 28, 2026, the Department of Justice and Drug…
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Advance Notice to South Dakota Department of Health: Petition for Scheduling Review Will Follow Federal Rescheduling Hearings
South Dakota’s medical cannabis program stands at a critical juncture following the federal partial rescheduling of certain marijuana products to Schedule III.¹ After the DEA’s June 29, 2026 rescheduling hearing concludes, the undersigned will formally petition the South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) to review and align the state’s Schedule I classification of marijuana with…
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I Have Filed Notice to Participate in the DEA’s June 29 Rescheduling Hearing
Today I formally submitted my Notice of Intention to Participate in the DEA administrative hearing on the proposed rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III (Docket No. DEA-1362), scheduled to begin June 29, 2026. This filing continues my 17-year record of cannabis policy advocacy and public commentary. It focuses on the interaction between…
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I Spent 17 Years Arguing for Federal Cannabis Legitimacy. Now Small Operators Are About to Learn What That Means.
I have spent most of my adult life arguing that state medical cannabis programs could not survive forever as legally tolerated gray markets.¹ They needed federal recognition. They needed treaty analysis. They needed administrative pathways. They needed constitutional pressure. They needed people willing to say the uncomfortable thing before the institutions were ready to admit…
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Why South Dakota’s Own Statutes Now Make Schedule I Marijuana Unlawful to Maintain
“Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is placing both FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana, and medicinal marijuana products subject to a qualifying state-issued license in Schedule III under his authority to reschedule drugs to carry out the United States’ obligations under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.”¹ South Dakota, however, is not automatically bound by that…
For The Record (2026), By Jason Karimi
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Reflections on a Bruised Nail: What My Left Middle Finger Injury Taught Me About Inner Worth and Boundaries
Two months ago, I slammed my left middle finger, resulting in a subungual hematoma—the dark pool of blood trapped beneath the nail that turned my fingertip into a visual reminder of sudden impact.¹ No longer painful, the nail still carries a mottled shadow of black and white as new growth slowly pushes the old damage…
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I Have Filed Notice to Participate in the DEA’s June 29 Rescheduling Hearing
Today I formally submitted my Notice of Intention to Participate in the DEA administrative hearing on the proposed rescheduling of marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III (Docket No. DEA-1362), scheduled to begin June 29, 2026. This filing continues my 17-year record of cannabis policy advocacy and public commentary. It focuses on the interaction between…
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DARE Poster Kid to Marijuana Regulation Advocate: My Unchanging Fight to Protect Kids
When I was in elementary school, the DARE program left a lasting impression. Officers visited regularly, warning us about the dangers of drugs and pushing the “just say no” message. I took it seriously. So when the school announced an anti-drug poster contest open to elementary students, I threw myself into creating something impactful. My…
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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 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 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…
Commentary
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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,…
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Overdose Deaths Are Plummeting (Thank God)
Joe Rogan just said the quiet part out loud about Trump’s war on drugs and it completely shatters the media’s narrative. Overdose deaths are COLLAPSING nationwide and Rogan says it’s not an accident. “They’re blowing up these f*cking boats that are bringing in all the drugs!” ROGAN: “From the time Trump’s been in office, deaths…
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Rumi: Prison For Drunks
All day I think about it, then at night I say it. Where did I come from, and what am I supposed to be doing? I have no idea. My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that, and I intend to end up there. This drunkenness began in some other tavern. When I get…
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2026 Surya Year: No Time To Mess Around
Namaste 🙏, There are certain years that quietly pass by… and then there are years that reshape destiny. As we approach 2026, the universe prepares for one such profound shift. In our latest Rudralife Podcast, we explore why 2026 will feel different for everyone, a year governed by Surya, the Sun, the eternal source of life, authority, vitality, and truth. 🌞 The…
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Cannabis Movement Ending Era Of Personalities
The cannabis world is structurally changing. It’s moving away from informal, personality-driven, relationship-based influence and toward: 1. compliance-heavy operations 2. institutional capital 3. audited finances 4. federal-facing regulatory posture 5. documentation, transparency, and risk controls That shift favors people and organizations that are: 1. procedurally clean 2. boring in a good way 3. compliance-literate 4.…
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Humans Abusing Sacred Psychedelics; Plant Teachers Aren’t Happy; Warning To Humanity
In 2026, the year of the Fire Horse (double fire incoming as horse is fire itself), psychedelics are going to correct/withdraw guidance from the humans for not respecting them. I wondered when, not if, this process of spirit realm correction would come about. Taking without reciprocal giving has never worked out with God. The gifts…
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Catholics Aren’t “Bad Religion” Nor Are The Followers
Instead, the religion serves different human needs. Education simplifies and destroys hate. And moral architecture MATTERS. So does curiosity and exposure to different world views. (Sorry to all the Catholics I accused of worshipping Lucifer in the past.) 2025 has been quite the year, let me tell ya Anyways I need to finish this book…
Patient Perspectives
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The Patients Left Behind: How South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Law Still Punishes the Sickest Among Us
In Iowa recently, a 91-year-old woman was told she had to leave the nursing home she called home because she used medical cannabis to manage her pain and symptoms. The facility gave her an ultimatum: stop using the medicine her doctor supported, or move out. She refused. The case went to court. What should have…
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Charlie Kirk: Outsider Threats Don’t Hurt, Betrayal By Allies Does
Watched this clip, and had some thoughts: One month before the political assassination of a man to stop him from sharing ideas peacefully, I posted on Facebook that Kirk was an idiot for being so uninformed about cannabis policy failures. Since he’s been murdered, I’ve watched him a lot. Everyone should before forming an opinion…
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Justice for Max Leidermann: Three Years in Federal Pretrial Detention for a Non-Violent Cannabis Case — Activists, the Time to Act Is Now¹
This piece focuses on due process failures and pretrial detention, not a defense of the underlying allegations. David “Max” Leidermann, a 51-year-old California resident with no prior criminal record and no history of violence, has spent more than three years in federal custody in Nebraska — without a trial, without conviction, and without meaningful contact…
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DEA ALJ Preliminary Order Confirms Medical Cannabis Rescheduling Is Already Done: June 29 Hearing Limited to the “Remainder” of Marijuana
On June 18, 2026, Chief Administrative Law Judge Derek C. Julius of the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a Preliminary Order that sharply narrows the scope of the upcoming expedited administrative hearing on marijuana rescheduling. The order makes clear that the rescheduling of FDA-approved marijuana products and state-regulated medical marijuana products has already occurred and will…
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From Gap to Solution: A Step-by-Step Implementation Framework for a User-Level Medical Cannabis Exemption in South Dakota
The April 28, 2026 federal partial rescheduling order created a clear compliance burden for licensed operators while leaving patients who grow or use cannabis outside the commercial system in a federal gray area.¹ Reassuring public statements that “you’ll be fine” or that “state law is already strict enough” do not close that gap for home…
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Patient Legal Risks Solved: A User-Level Exemption Model for Schedule III
The April 28, 2026 federal partial rescheduling order left a significant gap: personal home cultivation was not included in the narrow categories moved to Schedule III. Colorado attorneys Brian Vicente and Rachel Gillette have been direct about the practical consequences. Vicente noted that home grows do not qualify for the new federal registration pathway because…

