Featured Analysis
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Rep John Carley – Who Has Dirt On Him? Tyrant Alert…
Watching the boring and rigged MMOC meeting lie about cannabis science and civil rights in South Dakota this week I noticed the SAM females nodding and smirking knowingly when Carley’s name was mentioned. That was cute, and informative, that body language. Carley wants to play politics. Fine. Let’s play. Opp research for any and all…
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Nebraska Built a Medical Cannabis Program That Sells Nothing Patients Can Actually Use
Nebraska voters approved a medical cannabis law that lets qualified patients possess up to five ounces. The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission then adopted permanent rules that ban several familiar forms of medical cannabis, including flower, vaping products, and infused foods, while the regulated supply chain remains incomplete.¹ Under the permanent rules approved by the Attorney…
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Iowa Proposes State Schedule III Placement for Qualifying Medical Marijuana Products. South Dakota Still Has a Separate Scheduling Question.
Iowa’s Board of Pharmacy is proposing to temporarily place certain medical marijuana products in Schedule III under the Iowa Controlled Substances Act, following the federal government’s April 28 rescheduling order.¹ The proposal, published September 30 as Regulatory Analysis RA 26-323, would add qualifying marijuana, marijuana extracts, and naturally derived delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinols to Iowa’s Schedule III when…
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South Dakota’s Attorney General Answered the Schedule III Question. The Department of Health Still Has Its Own Statute to Answer.
Official Opinion 26-06 concludes that the April 28, 2026 federal order moving certain state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III will likely have a negligible impact on South Dakota’s medical-marijuana program.¹ The opinion finds that 21 C.F.R. § 1301.13(k) supplies a registration pathway for manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers holding a qualifying state license, and that federal…
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South Dakota Attorney General Says Federal Schedule III Has “Negligible Impact” on State Medical Program; MMOC Receives Patient and Advocacy Materials
The Legislative Research Council posted the packet for the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee’s October 13 meeting in Room 362 of the State Capitol. Among the materials are Official Opinion 26-06 from Attorney General Marty Jackley, a 72-page presentation from Americans for Safe Access, three handouts from patient Aaron B. Cooper, and the Department of Health’s…
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South Dakota Attorney General Publishes Opinion Concerning Impact Of Federal Rescheduling
https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/OfficialOpinions/opinionhtml.aspx?id=1779#gsc.tab=0 OFFICIAL OPINION No. 26-06 Official Opinion Concerning Impact of Federal Rescheduling of Marijuana October 6, 2026 Senator John CarleySouth Dakota State SenatorVice Chair, Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee500 E. Capitol Ave.Pierre, SD 57501Via email: john.carley@sdlegislature.gov OFFICIAL OPINION 26-06 Re: Official Opinion Concerning Impact of Federal Rescheduling of Marijuana Dear Vice Chair Carley, In your capacity…
Policy
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MMOC Agenda For October 13 2026 Meeting Includes Federal Rescheduling Discussion By AG Office
The discussion continues. Federal and international law matters. All of us need to work together to make the state regulate and implement its own program and laws and not be lead by the Feds without state input. To register to speak during public comment, go here: Register at https://sdlegislature.gov/testify/307903. The form is on the October…
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Authorized Partnerships: Lay Participation in Administrative Process and the South Dakota Cannabis File
A July 2026 working paper by Anthony M. Bertelli treats lay participation in administration as more than a courtesy window on a proposed rule.¹ The claim is institutional, not sentimental. Carefully designed participation, he argues, can function as an “authorized partnership”: a legally structured encounter in which ordinary people help keep public administration tied to…
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South Dakota’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee Meets October 13.
The South Dakota Legislature’s public schedule now lists a meeting of the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 362 at the State Capitol in Pierre.¹ For weeks the committee page showed the 2026 roster and the August materials and nothing else.² The date is now on the…
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The Advantage Is Not Knowing More. It Is Knowing What to Do Next.
How mistakes, limited resources, and administrative law taught me to turn public information into decisions. There was a time when I thought the advantage was knowing something other people did not know. I do not think that anymore, after 17 obsessed years studying cannabis law and admin law as best as I can as often…
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Pure Bliss Planned for Medical, Recreational and Expansion. Now Its Tea Dispensary Is Reportedly Closing.
Update 1: Pure Bliss confirmed via phone at the store on 9-27-26 is their last day and they are closing the dispensary permanently. A Reddit tip says the store will close September 27 while Pure Bliss Farms keeps growing. The closure is not yet confirmed—but the company’s original business plan raises a larger question about…
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South Dakota Wants to Rewrite Its Corrective-Action Rule. The Fine Can Still Come With It.
The first article counted the amendments. This one reads the two enforcement sections together. South Dakota’s Department of Health is proposing to replace the first-offense dollar amounts for two categories of medical-cannabis violations with corrective-action plans.¹ That sounds straightforward until the Department’s proposed enforcement provisions are read together. Proposed § 44:90:12:11 says a first Category…
Law
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Rep John Carley – Who Has Dirt On Him? Tyrant Alert…
Watching the boring and rigged MMOC meeting lie about cannabis science and civil rights in South Dakota this week I noticed the SAM females nodding and smirking knowingly when Carley’s name was mentioned. That was cute, and informative, that body language. Carley wants to play politics. Fine. Let’s play. Opp research for any and all…
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Nebraska Built a Medical Cannabis Program That Sells Nothing Patients Can Actually Use
Nebraska voters approved a medical cannabis law that lets qualified patients possess up to five ounces. The Nebraska Medical Cannabis Commission then adopted permanent rules that ban several familiar forms of medical cannabis, including flower, vaping products, and infused foods, while the regulated supply chain remains incomplete.¹ Under the permanent rules approved by the Attorney…
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Iowa Proposes State Schedule III Placement for Qualifying Medical Marijuana Products. South Dakota Still Has a Separate Scheduling Question.
Iowa’s Board of Pharmacy is proposing to temporarily place certain medical marijuana products in Schedule III under the Iowa Controlled Substances Act, following the federal government’s April 28 rescheduling order.¹ The proposal, published September 30 as Regulatory Analysis RA 26-323, would add qualifying marijuana, marijuana extracts, and naturally derived delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinols to Iowa’s Schedule III when…
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South Dakota’s Attorney General Answered the Schedule III Question. The Department of Health Still Has Its Own Statute to Answer.
Official Opinion 26-06 concludes that the April 28, 2026 federal order moving certain state-licensed medical marijuana to Schedule III will likely have a negligible impact on South Dakota’s medical-marijuana program.¹ The opinion finds that 21 C.F.R. § 1301.13(k) supplies a registration pathway for manufacturers, distributors, and dispensers holding a qualifying state license, and that federal…
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South Dakota Attorney General Says Federal Schedule III Has “Negligible Impact” on State Medical Program; MMOC Receives Patient and Advocacy Materials
The Legislative Research Council posted the packet for the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee’s October 13 meeting in Room 362 of the State Capitol. Among the materials are Official Opinion 26-06 from Attorney General Marty Jackley, a 72-page presentation from Americans for Safe Access, three handouts from patient Aaron B. Cooper, and the Department of Health’s…
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South Dakota Attorney General Publishes Opinion Concerning Impact Of Federal Rescheduling
https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/OfficialOpinions/opinionhtml.aspx?id=1779#gsc.tab=0 OFFICIAL OPINION No. 26-06 Official Opinion Concerning Impact of Federal Rescheduling of Marijuana October 6, 2026 Senator John CarleySouth Dakota State SenatorVice Chair, Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee500 E. Capitol Ave.Pierre, SD 57501Via email: john.carley@sdlegislature.gov OFFICIAL OPINION 26-06 Re: Official Opinion Concerning Impact of Federal Rescheduling of Marijuana Dear Vice Chair Carley, In your capacity…
Science
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When Public Advocates Attack Motives Instead of Answering Evidence
Public policy debates should be resolved by evidence, not by assumptions about the motives of the people participating in them. Yet it is common for substantive criticism to be met with claims that the critic is motivated by jealousy, a desire for power, or some other personal grievance rather than by the merits of the…
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Online Workshop – Candidate Vulnerability Assessment
Every candidate enters a race with potential vulnerabilities. These may include previous statements, professional history, financial records, social media activity, personal relationships, policy positions, or inconsistencies in the candidate’s public record. https://leadershipinstitute.org/event/701VL00000xvu8MYAQ Campaigns often devote significant time and resources to researching their opponents while failing to conduct the same level of research on their own…
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Professional Eyes on WeedPress: What an Exiger Referral Means
Analytics occasionally reveal more than pageviews. One recent referral to WeedPress came from insight.exiger.com. That domain belongs to Exiger, a global risk, compliance, and investigative intelligence firm. Their Insight platform is used by corporations, law firms, financial institutions, and investigative teams to conduct due diligence, monitor public information, and assess risk. When traffic arrives from…
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Working in Huron’s Federal Building Today — and a Reminder of What Rounds’ Staff Said Last Summer
I’m in Huron today working at the federal building, troubleshooting and repairing an IT failure for the offices here. While on site, conversations with staff turned to cannabis policy and federal rescheduling. It brought back a discussion I had last summer while installing computers in Senator Mike Rounds’ offices in Pierre. During that work, staff…
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Cannabis Is Being Rebuilt From the Ground Up: Closed Technology Systems and Medical Gaps Force a New Foundation
The cannabis industry is still operating on incomplete infrastructure—both technological and scientific. That was the central message of a recent Trade to Black episode from The Dales Report, featuring Flowhub founder and CEO Kyle Sherman and Dr. Paul Shields.¹ The conversation made clear that many of the systems currently supporting cannabis retail and medical use…
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Iowa Medical Cannabis Board Public Meeting This Friday July 24 (DETAILS) (YOUTUBE)
Update: video is linked below of this meeting: Meeting Information for July 24, 2026 Medical Cannabidiol Board Meeting Beginning at 10:00am on Friday, July 24, the second Medical Cannabidiol Board meeting of 2026 will be held virtually using the information below: Zoom Link Telephone: 669-254-5252 Webinar ID: 165-677-2462 * For those who wish to participate in the public comment period…
Current Events
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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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Weedpress – About, Mission, Vision
Weedpress is an independent public-interest policy publication focused on cannabis law, regulatory accountability, and state-federal compliance issues in South Dakota and the Upper Midwest. We publish statutory analysis, regulatory conflict reporting, and legal policy commentary on issues where state cannabis programs intersect — and at times conflict — with federal law, constitutional limits, and due-process…
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The South Dakota Cannabis Ledger
Once WeedPress receives state sales data, within ten minutes the data will be uploaded here: https://sdcannabisledger.netlify.app/ That site will output tables for rankings, trends, actual sales, and other insights. Reporters, lawmakers, and investors/entrepreneurs can use this resource freely to make better informed decisions and public policy discussions will benefit as well. Read more:
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Paid Protestors Of Minnesota: Receipts Proving Taxpayer Fraud Here
Many people have noticed that agitators in Minneapolis are well-organized, sporting identical whistles, vests, and signs. Is this a grassroots organic movement? Of course not. Let’s take a look at the organizers and sponsors. The front facing group is called “Defend the 612.” In part, they recruit: ICE Watch Rapid Response ICE Watch Defense Training…
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Campaign to Discredit WeedPress Policy Work: Observed Tactics in Public Discourse
To me, the shift in the public conversation about WeedPress’s policy work over the past 20 months appears to reflect a pattern that tends to prioritize personal criticism over substantive engagement with statutory and policy arguments. In my view, this sort of discourse can undermine constructive policy debate and may contribute to reputational challenges for…
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The Work Continues
Dear MAPS community & supporters, “We must sustain resilience and passionate persistence in the face of adversity.” https://maps.org/news/bulletin/from-ricks-desk-2025/In my last letter to the Bulletin, I wrote this quote as a response to the challenging times MAPS and the psychedelic ecosystem faced after the FDA rejected the New Drug Application for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and the Massachusetts Natural Plant…
Legislation
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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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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…
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The Rural Access Question South Dakota’s New Pharmacy Rules Raise for Medical Cannabis
As regulators embrace telepharmacy and remote prescription pickup, policymakers may eventually face similar questions about medical cannabis access in rural communities. South Dakota’s Board of Pharmacy is advancing updated rules under Article 20:51 of the Administrative Rules of South Dakota (ARSD) that formalize the use of remote drop sites for prescription medications and introduce a…
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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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Why Cannabis Operators Can’t Afford to Ignore the Federal Rescheduling Details — And What You Must Do Now
The federal government has split cannabis into two tracks. FDA-approved drug products containing marijuana and marijuana activity tied to a qualifying state-issued medical marijuana license under the new federal framework now occupy a different federal posture, while broader marijuana remains in Schedule I pending further proceedings.¹ That split is real, immediate, and carries tax, compliance,…
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WeedPress Looked Deeper: Congress’ Quiet Move to Block Trump’s Cannabis Rescheduling — and Why It Threatens Operators
The quietest threat to the federal cannabis shift is not coming from DEA’s June hearing. It is coming from the House appropriations process. On May 13, 2026, the full House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up the FY2027 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) bill after the CJS subcommittee approved its version on April 30. Buried…
RFRA Updates
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“Exorcism:” Why Spiritually Attuned Paths Reject Fear-Based Rituals of Casting Out
This article examines why exorcism, as commonly understood and practiced across traditions, often represents a spiritually mistaken approach. It externalizes power that belongs to the individual’s divine spark, frequently misattributes psychological or energetic imbalances, and can reinforce fear-based dualism instead of the living reality of “I and I”—the recognition that the Divine dwells within and…
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Iowa Injunction Petition 2025-2026 (Ongoing Updates Here)
Iowa District Court, Polk County Carl Olsen, Petitioner Case No. 05771 CVCV068508 File DateDocumentFiled By06/20/2026Motion for Judicial Notice United States v. Hemani, No. 24–1234, June 18, 2026 Carl Olsen06/17/2026Motion for Judicial Notice Federal Administrative Law Judge 1988 Federal Office of Legal Counsel 2024 Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board Report 2026 Carl Olsen06/11/2026Motion for Judicial Notice United States Controlled…
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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…
Upcoming Events
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Online Workshop – Candidate Vulnerability Assessment
Every candidate enters a race with potential vulnerabilities. These may include previous statements, professional history, financial records, social media activity, personal relationships, policy positions, or inconsistencies in the candidate’s public record. https://leadershipinstitute.org/event/701VL00000xvu8MYAQ Campaigns often devote significant time and resources to researching their opponents while failing to conduct the same level of research on their own…
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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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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…
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South Dakota’s Schedule I Marijuana Prohibition Heads to Court This Summer: Lawsuit Will Seek Declaration That State Law No Longer Satisfies Its Own Criteria
This summer I intend to file a civil action against the State of South Dakota seeking a judicial declaration that the state’s Schedule I classification of marijuana no longer satisfies the statutory criteria required for Schedule I placement under South Dakota law.¹ The claim is straightforward: once the factual predicate of “no accepted medical use”…
For The Record (2026), By Jason Karimi
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South Dakota Faces Risk of Automatic Rescheduling Under Existing Statutory Language
The recent action by Wyoming’s Attorney General demonstrates that states are increasingly recognizing the legal significance of federal marijuana rescheduling where state statutes incorporate federal scheduling decisions. South Dakota’s existing statutory language raises similar questions that should be addressed before federal reform takes effect. WeedPress has previously warned that South Dakota law contains automatic trigger…
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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…
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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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Call for Prosecutions Raises Concerns About Politicization
Call for Prosecutions Raises Concerns About Politicization When criminal law becomes a first-resort response to disagreement, institutional trust is at risk By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | January 17, 2026. In recent weeks, prominent progressive commentators have openly discussed the need for criminal accountability for political opponents. On a podcast appearance with CNN’s Jim Acosta,…
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Why So Much Cannabis Activism Burns People Out — and Why Mine Doesn’t
Why So Much Cannabis Activism Burns People Out — and Why Mine Doesn’t By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 4, 2026 If this work can be energizing, why do so many advocates flame out, disappear, or turn bitter? The answer isn’t workload.It’s structure. Burnout Is a Design Failure Most activist burnout isn’t personal weakness…
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Why WeedPress Exists the Way It Does: How I Learned to Navigate Hostile Systems — and Still Publish Solutions
WeedPress focuses on documented facts, public records, and procedural analysis, not personal vendettas or speculation. Why WeedPress Exists the Way It Does: How I Learned to Navigate Hostile Systems — and Still Publish Solutions By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | January 29, 2026 WeedPress wasn’t built by someone who grew up with a safety net.…
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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…
Patient Perspectives
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Can You Lose Child Custody for Medical Marijuana in South Dakota? What the Law Actually Says
Can a medical marijuana card be used against you in a South Dakota child custody case? South Dakota law specifically protects medical cannabis patients—but the Legislature changed an important protection that voters originally approved. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress A South Dakota medical cannabis patient recently asked a question on Reddit that many parents may…
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My Written Comments to South Dakota Health: Put the Numbers in the Rulemaking Record
September 10, 2026Whitney BrunnerMedical Cannabis Program AdministratorSouth Dakota Department of Health600 East Capitol AvenuePierre, SD 57501MCQuestions@state.sd.us Re: Written comments on proposed amendments to S.D. Admin. R. art. 44:90Public hearing September 23, 2026; written comments due October 3, 2026 Dear Ms. Brunner: Please place this letter and the attached exhibits in the official written-comment record for…
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Iowa Court of Appeals: A Medical Cannabidiol Card Does Not Automatically Defeat a Drug-Dog Alert
Patients who carry a valid Iowa medical cannabidiol registration card often assume the card creates a meaningful shield during traffic stops. A new decision from the Iowa Court of Appeals shows the limits of that assumption. In State v. Leonard, the court held that officers had probable cause to search a vehicle after a drug…
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Understanding High-Conflict Personalities: When You Become the Target of Blame
High-conflict personalities are individuals who consistently turn disagreements into prolonged, intense, and destructive battles. Unlike people who simply disagree or become emotional during conflict, high-conflict personalities tend to escalate disputes, externalize blame, and struggle to resolve conflict in a healthy or proportionate way.¹ Over the past several months, nearly a year straight now, I have…
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New Approach South Dakota’s Damaged Credibility, Lies To Judges To Get Political Competitor Arrested: Court Transcripts
Transcript PDF of Mentele v Karimi court hearing round 4 in full: You folks out there can do what you want. As for me, I’m going to go back to focusing on federal exemption advocacy as I have since 2009, before Mentele told me to stop and then got me arrested for continuing advocating, by…
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New Approach South Dakota Pivots And Rebrands With New Leadership Amid Ongoing Concerns
Following publication of this article, New Approach South Dakota publicly clarified that the anticipated leadership changes referenced in an earlier discussion concerned the Marijuana Policy Project, not New Approach South Dakota itself. New Approach states it is adding partners and expanding resources but will remain under its current leadership. Multiple conflicting statements in 2026 about…
