
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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What Happens After Cannabis Rescheduling? Industry Experts Warn of Major Operational, Compliance, and Structural Challenges Ahead
While much attention has focused on the DEA’s Administrative Law Judge hearing regarding cannabis rescheduling, the more difficult work begins after any final decision. In a recent discussion on the TDR channel, industry and legal experts examined the practical implications if marijuana moves to Schedule III, warning that companies treating rescheduling as the finish line…
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Here’s What Happens If This Drama Queen Files Another TPO Against WeedPress Now That the Anti-SLAPP Law Has Changed
The filer doesn’t just lose again — she risks paying the costs, watching the public record of failed claims grow longer, and handing WeedPress even stronger structural protection under the new law. Over the past seven months, Melissa Mentele filed at least four protection order petitions against me across Hanson and Minnehaha counties, full of…
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How South Dakota’s New Anti-SLAPP Law Would Have Ended Abusive SLAPP Filings From Melissa Mentele
For the Record — July 2026 Over the past seven months, Melissa Mentele has filed at least four protection order petitions against me across two counties. All four were denied after evidentiary hearings for failure to provide sufficient evidence of stalking or qualifying harassment under South Dakota law. One temporary order was granted in Hanson…
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President Trump Tells John Thune: South Dakotans Want Marijuana Banking Voted On!
Told you we needed better banking for South Dakota marijuana industry: WeedPress has long advised to not just lobby lawmakers who get unelected frequently, but to use all three branches of government. Court filings in litigation is the way:
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Calling Out A Lying Rat
Candace Owen’s writes to Andrew Kolvet today on X: I’m glad you finally came to the surface, rat. Your previous employees told me it was you and Erika that were teaming up with the YouTubers to put out the utterly fake narrative that Charlie and I were not friends and he had “anxiety”. You also…
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The 5 Signs You’re Dealing With a High-Conflict Opponent (Not Just a Difficult One)
Editors note: Mapping the battlefield is not about winning arguments online. It is about anticipating structural shifts before they manifest in enforcement, litigation, or administrative tightening. Movements that fail to understand structure are surprised by it. Movements that understand structure survive it. WeedPress exists for that purpose. https://weedpress.org/2026/02/14/weedpress-is-mapping-the-battlefield-while-others-debate-the-map/ I just watched Rebecca Zung break this…
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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Petition To White House Faith Office For Religious Protections For Rastafarians (DRAFT)
Subject: Petition for Religious Exemption for the Sacramental Use of Cannabis Under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) Date: 12-18-2025 To: The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships The White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500 Dear Director and Staff of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Mr. Karimi, the undersigned, respectfully…
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RFRA Protections: Watered Down Trap Inferior To Other Protections Or Not?
Grok AI says: The most famous and direct Supreme Court statement lamenting that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has been “watered down” or dramatically weakened comes from Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion in Employment Division v. Smith (1990) is actually the pre-RFRA case that prompted Congress to pass RFRA in the first place. After…
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Holy Smoke: Rastafarians Toke for a Higher Power (2013 City Pages Minnesota)
Holy Smoke: Rastafarians Toke for a Higher Power By Matt Peterson October 9, 2013 Hey, pass me that lighter,” Jamison Arend says to the guy in the chair next to him, a younger man with loose dreadlocks that hang down to his waist. The two men are lounging in the living room of a modest,…
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Wyoming Religious Cannabis Lawsuit Happening
Wyoming passed RFRA. Weedpress will provide details on a lawsuit we just found out about shortly. Stay…tuned…
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Why DEA Religious Guidance For Religious Mushrooms Was Issued
As my personal understanding currently stands, Agencies cannot consider constitutional issues so this DEA religious guidance is a moot point. It essentially says, write DEA a letter to ask for exemption. That is consistent with the process for states to apply for federal exemption for medical cannabis programs as well, so that is technically correct,…
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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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…
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Reminder: Weed Movement Has Good People In It Too
Something people notice in a lot of movements that grow around healing, relief, and reform rather than power and control: In spaces like that, there’s a wide surface layer — noise, posturing, hustle — and then there’s a quieter inner layer made up of people who are there for very human reasons: easing suffering, correcting…
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…