Featured Analysis
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Quiet Outreach to Key Movement Leadership: Notifying Reform Voices of Incoming Schedule I Lawsuit
In the ongoing fight for a patient-first medical cannabis program aligned with science, law, and federal developments, transparency with allies matters. Today I quietly reached out to five respected voices in South Dakota’s cannabis reform and industry space to notify them of an impending lawsuit challenging South Dakota’s maintenance of marijuana in Schedule I under…
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What Rescheduling Still Doesn’t Fix for Probationers, Workers, and Patients
Editors note: this article was written prior the the April 23 final order rescheduling cannabis products into federal Schedule III. Article is published unchanged as originally drafted for clarity. April 30, 2026 Too much cannabis coverage still treats federal rescheduling like a magic wand patients should uncritically celebrate. I’ve studied these laws more than anyone…
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Formal Establishment Complaint Filed with SD DOH Medical Cannabis Program: Program Integrity Review Requested re: Licensed Establishment Agent Conduct
Sioux Falls, SD — Today, April 29, 2026, I filed a formal Establishment Complaint with South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program Administrator Whitney Brunner pursuant to SDCL Chapter 34-20G and ARSD Article 44:90. The complaint addresses a documented pattern of civil Temporary Protective Order (TPO) filings under SDCL Chapter 25-10 by Melissa…
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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”…
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South Dakota Patients and Taxpayers Deserve More Transparency in Medical Cannabis Enforcement
As federal rescheduling advances, unresolved transparency gaps remain in South Dakota’s medical market. South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Program is designed to operate through patient, caregiver, practitioner, and establishment fees rather than ordinary general-fund appropriations.¹ But a fee-funded program still creates public administrative costs. Enforcement actions require inspectors, lawyers, agency leadership, public notices, patient communications, litigation…
Policy
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What Rescheduling Still Doesn’t Fix for Probationers, Workers, and Patients
Editors note: this article was written prior the the April 23 final order rescheduling cannabis products into federal Schedule III. Article is published unchanged as originally drafted for clarity. April 30, 2026 Too much cannabis coverage still treats federal rescheduling like a magic wand patients should uncritically celebrate. I’ve studied these laws more than anyone…
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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”…
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Minnesota Was Arguing Schedule III Before Washington Caught Up
April 26, 2026 Minnesota has already done what many cannabis lawyers, reformers, and national reporters still describe as hypothetical: it moved marijuana and naturally occurring tetrahydrocannabinols into Schedule III under state controlled-substances law.¹ The change has been sitting in Minnesota law quietly, without anything close to the national attention now surrounding federal rescheduling.² That matters…
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South Dakota Values Freedom More Than Security — And We Should Be Grateful for That
April 25, 2026 In an era when governments increasingly justify expanded surveillance, paternal regulation, and administrative control in the name of “public safety,” South Dakota often reflects an older constitutional instinct: that liberty is not a secondary value to be balanced away, but a primary political commitment. That instinct is imperfectly honored, and often contested.…
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The Litigation Front of Cannabis Reform: Why Ryan Kolbeck’s Courtroom Work Matters Beyond South Dakota
April 25, 2026 While cannabis reform is often narrated through ballot initiatives, legislatures, and federal rescheduling debates, some of its most consequential work occurs in trial courts, where rights are defended one defendant at a time.¹ In South Dakota, attorney Ryan Kolbeck’s work illustrates that underappreciated litigation front.² Prohibition survives not merely through statutes, but…
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Maryland Just Drew a New Line on Veterinary Cannabis
April 24, 2026 In a new development, Maryland has protected veterinarians from professional discipline solely for discussing or recommending cannabis or cannabidiol products for animals. House Bill 452 and Senate Bill 54, signed on April 14, 2026 as Chapters 47 and 48, bar the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from suspending or revoking a…
Law
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Quiet Outreach to Key Movement Leadership: Notifying Reform Voices of Incoming Schedule I Lawsuit
In the ongoing fight for a patient-first medical cannabis program aligned with science, law, and federal developments, transparency with allies matters. Today I quietly reached out to five respected voices in South Dakota’s cannabis reform and industry space to notify them of an impending lawsuit challenging South Dakota’s maintenance of marijuana in Schedule I under…
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What Rescheduling Still Doesn’t Fix for Probationers, Workers, and Patients
Editors note: this article was written prior the the April 23 final order rescheduling cannabis products into federal Schedule III. Article is published unchanged as originally drafted for clarity. April 30, 2026 Too much cannabis coverage still treats federal rescheduling like a magic wand patients should uncritically celebrate. I’ve studied these laws more than anyone…
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Formal Establishment Complaint Filed with SD DOH Medical Cannabis Program: Program Integrity Review Requested re: Licensed Establishment Agent Conduct
Sioux Falls, SD — Today, April 29, 2026, I filed a formal Establishment Complaint with South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program Administrator Whitney Brunner pursuant to SDCL Chapter 34-20G and ARSD Article 44:90. The complaint addresses a documented pattern of civil Temporary Protective Order (TPO) filings under SDCL Chapter 25-10 by Melissa…
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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”…
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South Dakota Patients and Taxpayers Deserve More Transparency in Medical Cannabis Enforcement
As federal rescheduling advances, unresolved transparency gaps remain in South Dakota’s medical market. South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Program is designed to operate through patient, caregiver, practitioner, and establishment fees rather than ordinary general-fund appropriations.¹ But a fee-funded program still creates public administrative costs. Enforcement actions require inspectors, lawyers, agency leadership, public notices, patient communications, litigation…
Science
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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”…
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Maryland Just Drew a New Line on Veterinary Cannabis
April 24, 2026 In a new development, Maryland has protected veterinarians from professional discipline solely for discussing or recommending cannabis or cannabidiol products for animals. House Bill 452 and Senate Bill 54, signed on April 14, 2026 as Chapters 47 and 48, bar the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners from suspending or revoking a…
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Why Italian Wikipedia Cites an Old WeedPress Cannabis Science Article
April 24, 2026 Independent advocacy journalism rarely imagines itself entering the reference architecture of the internet. Most movement publishing assumes a shorter shelf life: intervention, argument, disappearance. But sometimes old work lingers. An older WeedPress article on the LD50 of cannabis—addressing the longstanding toxicology point that lethal overdose from cannabis is extraordinarily difficult to achieve—appears…
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Science Measures Outcomes. Patients Measure Survival.
April 16, 2026 Science likes clean variables. Patients rarely get that luxury. Pain is messy. Nausea is messy. Trauma is messy. Insomnia is messy. The body does not wait for the literature to become elegant. It does not wait for committees to grow comfortable. It does not wait for institutions to decide whether the suffering…
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Freud’s Dirty Secret: How Candace Book Club Is Tearing Apart the Father of Psychoanalysis
Freud’s Dirty Secret: How Candace Book Club Is Tearing Apart the Father of Psychoanalysis By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 22, 2026 The Assault on Truth and Sigmund Freud and the Jewish Mystical Tradition do not just question Freud’s legacy. They argue that modern psychoanalysis may have been built on suppression, repackaging, and intellectual disguise. Candace Owens’ book…
Current Events
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WeedPress Email Demanding South Dakota File Federal Exemption To Protect Marijuana Patients To Sioux Falls City Council
I also did a media interview this week with Kelo Land’s Bridget Bennett as well. You can watch the interview here: https://www.keloland.com/news/your-money-matters/sioux-falls-city-council-holds-first-discussion-on-medical-marijuana/ Below is my email to Sioux Falls City Council as well as video of the news coverage in which myself, the founder of the WeedPress blog, spoke to the news about federal law…
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Success: WeedPress Discusses Iowa Marijuana Laws, Federal Exemption Process (21 CFR § 1307.03 and 1308.43) At Public Medical Cannabidiol Board Hearing
Below is video of the May 21, 2021 Iowa Medical Cannabidiol board hearing. I was the first person to speak — watch below, beginning around the 3 minute mark. See more previously from WeedPress: This Email Provides A Solution To Federal Interference With South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Laws After watching what I had to say,…
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This Email Provides A Solution To Federal Interference With South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Laws
Dear South Dakota Department of Education, I did not find out about the proposed public comment period until May 15th of this year. I realize the deadline for submitting written comment was May 12th. I sincerely apologize that this email correspondence was made May 16th, 2021, four days past the deadline. I am unable to…
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Claim of recent Title 21 CFR Section 1307.03 usage by the DEA — “Wide Latitude…For Any Reason” To Provide Exemptions
“Finally, DEA has wide latitude to grant exceptions to many controlledsubstance regulations at any time, for any reason [1]. It has used thisauthority to waive the requirement that providers obtain a separateregistration in each state in which they practice but has done so onlyfor the duration of the coronavirus pandemic. There is no legal orregulatory…
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Meeting Information: May 21, 2021 Medical Cannabidiol Board Meeting
Below is the agenda and additional information related to the May 21, 2021 Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board Meeting Having trouble viewing? View this as a webpage 5/14/2021 Information for May 21, 2021 Medical Cannabidiol Board Meeting Beginning at 10:00am on Friday, May 21, 2021, the second Medical Cannabidiol Board meeting of 2021 will be held virtually using the information…
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Dear Iowa Governor, Kim Reynolds, my prescription has a warning that it may cause death.
Iowa patient Brandy Beckholm writes: I’m an Iowa native woman and I’ve made a message trying to reach out to Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds about a “normal person” seeking alternative medical pain management.I explain my side effects from taking Percocet and mind you, it was only 6 pills out of 15 prescribed.I fell out of…
Legislation
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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…
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WeedPress Blueprint Update 1
April 23, 2026 Tracker — newly surfaced / incremental developments since last sweep https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-week-in-weed-april-2026-3-9554026/ https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-week-in-weed-april-2026-3-9554026/ Priority watchlist shift: Rhode Island residency litigation + possible legislative cure is the most material new development in this run.
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Blueprint 2026
April 21, 2021 The architecture WeedPress is following to cover policy nationwide this year: Layer 1: Source monitoring Layer 2: Structured trackerGoogle Sheet with columns like: Master tracker columns Use one Google Sheet with these columns: Core identity Legal substance Source control Workflow Best values for each column Category Use only: Subcategory Examples: Item type…
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No. 19 — Religious Accommodation in Medical-Only Cannabis States
No. 19 — Religious Accommodation in Medical-Only Cannabis States: Structural Litigation Risk and Legislative Design By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 19April 20, 2026 ⸻ I. Introduction: The Unaddressed Gap Medical-only cannabis states operate within a tightly regulated framework. Cultivation is limited. Home grows require registration. Plant counts are capped. Inspections are authorized.…
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No. 17 — Federal Rescheduling and State Statutory Insulation: Indiana as a Case Study in Vertical Federalism Design
No. 17 — Federal Rescheduling and State Statutory Insulation: Indiana as a Case Study in Vertical Federalism Design By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 17April 7, 2026 ⸻ When the federal government signals that marijuana may be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act, public debate gravitates toward legalization politics. That is the wrong…
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South Dakota District 35’s Republican Primary: Who’s Best Positioned in the Four-Way Race?
South Dakota District 35’s Republican Primary: Who’s Best Positioned in the Four-Way Race? By Jason Karimi | WeedPress April 4, 2026 South Dakota House District 35 is one of the more interesting Republican primaries in the state this cycle because it is an open-seat race with four Republican candidates competing for two House nominations on…
RFRA Updates
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Attorneys, Donations Needed To Set Up Ayahuasca Church
https://churchgaia.org/so/3aPUZFirN?languageTag=en&cid=a3a84240-6042-459c-96bd-544eb7bf09eb This is one of the most important calls for support we’ve ever made—and we’re asking for your help to keep us moving forward. As many of you know, the journey to establishing this sacred community and bringing our vision to life has been a labor of deep love and commitment. For the…
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SD State Reply Brief Example RE: RFRA Motion To Dismiss Cannabis Charges
The State opposes Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, arguing: II. ARGUMENT A. State Has Compelling Interests Under Strict Scrutiny B. Burden on Religion is Not “Substantial” C. Precedent Rejects Broad Exemptions III. CONCLUSION The Motion to Dismiss should be denied because: Dated: [XX/XX/XXXX]Respectfully submitted,[Prosecutor Name][County State’s Attorney Office] Strategic Takeaways for Defense Rebuttal ************************************************* IN THE…
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Model Legal Arguments & Proposed Legislative Language for Rastafarian Religious Cannabis Protections in South Dakota
I. Model Legal Arguments for a RFRA Defense A. Establishing a Substantial Burden on Religious Exercise B. State Fails Strict Scrutiny Test C. Precedent Favoring Religious Exemptions II. Proposed Legislative Language for Religious Cannabis Protections A. Amendment to South Dakota Medical Cannabis Law (SDCL 34-20G) Add a new section: B. RFRA Clarification Amendment (SDCL 1-1-23)…
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Standing Granted In Religious Cannabis Lawsuit
A case I’m working on for a religious cannabis lawsuit demanding equal access to state authorized medical dispensaries via some remedy entailing a separate process for religious users to apply for a religious card has been granted standing following the state’s motion to dismiss. The case will now move on to the merits. I am…
Upcoming Events
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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”…
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They Don’t Get To License The Press
Recent reporting indicates a Florida judge extended a temporary restraining order involving James O’Keefe and also ordered firearm surrender pending further proceedings. Whether that order is a pure First Amendment prior-restraint problem depends on what it actually forbids. If it regulates threats, contact, or violence, that is one thing; if it blocks publication, reporting, or…
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Iowa Medical Cannabis Board Hearing Friday March 27 (DETAILS)
Meeting Information: March 27, 2026 – Medical Cannabidiol Board Beginning at 10:00am on Friday, March 27 the first Medical Cannabidiol Board meeting of 2026 will be held virtually using the information below: * For those who wish to participate in the public comment period virtually, please send an email to medical.cannabis@hhs.iowa.gov expressing your interest. You will use the zoom or…
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Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Launches Statewide Town Hall Tour
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Launches Statewide Town Hall Tour By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 7, 2026 Scottsbluff to Lincoln: Advocates Take Patient Access Conversation Across the State Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) is hitting the road this week with a statewide town hall tour aimed at updating patients, families, and community members on…
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Federal Public Comment Available Now (Texas Too)
Public input needed! Federal first then Texas: Federal Update: CMS & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids On November 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) filed a proposed ruleto incorporate the federal definition of hemp that will take effect on November 12, 2026. This proposed rule clarifies that cannabis or hemp-derived products illegal under federal or state…
For The Record (2026), By Jason Karimi
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Chapter 9: The Record vs. the Narrative
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 10: What Remains
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 8: What the Media Gets Wrong
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 7: Why I Never Left
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 6: Staying Power
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 5: The Apprenticeship
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 4: Learning the Language of Power
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 3: Becoming a Problem
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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Chapter 2: Before the File Was Opened
Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted education, faith, discipline, and early legitimacy Chapter 3 — Becoming a ProblemWork, exhaustion, collapse, and the cost of visibility Chapter 4 — Learning the Language of PowerCourts, probation, jail, campaigns, and proximity to decision-makers…
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“For The Record” Chapter 1: The First Arrest
The following 8,580 word book is ten chapters long and written for future advocates. FOR THE RECORD How Power Actually Works—and Why Documentation Outlasts the Narrative By Jason Karimi Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted…
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On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval
On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval By Jason Karimi At 19, I ended up in a homeless shelter. Not because I committed a crime.Not because I was addicted.Not because I couldn’t work. I was there because I stood up in court for religious cannabis rights, made the front page…
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Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog
Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog By Jason Karimi | WeedPressJanuary 24, 2026 WeedPress was not created to be polite. It was not created to echo press releases, recycle activist talking points, or play nice with institutions that have repeatedly failed cannabis patients, small operators, and civil liberties. WeedPress exists to document,…
Commentary
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WeedPress Warned Political Violence Was Increasing And Now A 19 Year Old Was Assassinated
I met with Governor Kim Reynolds with the head of the Iowa College Republicans and other leaders in 2017 to warn political violence with my college activist group was on the rise. My colleague at Iowa State, Ryan Hurley, former President of Young Americans for Liberty at Iowa State, testified to the Governor he was…
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“Unlocked Potential: Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry”
In 2019, senior legal fellow Paul J. Larkin Jr. provided testimony titled “Unlocked Potential: Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry” before the U.S. House Small Business Committee. Key Points on Business Impacts and Policy Recommendations • Differential Impacts: The testimony acknowledges that federal prohibition creates barriers for all cannabis businesses but notes that small operators…
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The Five Enemies Of Greatness
Spotted at a Sioux Falls Vern Eide dealership fix it ticket for camera security today.
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“Code of the West” Covers Montana’s Failed Effort To Repeal Marijuana Laws
Year: 2012 At a time when the world is rethinking its drug policies large and small, one state rises to the forefront. Once a pioneer in legalizing medical marijuana, the state of Montana may now become the first to repeal its medical marijuana law. Set against the sweeping vistas of the Rockies, the steamy lamplight…
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How Kim Reynolds Bullied Iowa City Council Members Out of Decriminalizing Marijuana
Iowa city council members who wished to decriminalize marijuana tell Iowa cannabis activists Kim Reynolds threatened to take away city funds from the state if the city council pursues marijuana decriminalization. As of today Kim Reynolds is the most unpopular governor in the country. Republicans stifling debate on a winning political issue using threats to…
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RFRA Changes The Cannabis Game; Fulfills My Prediction Religious Cannabis Constitutional Claims
Prior to RFRA state laws, I argued the first amendment right to religion would bring constitutional rulings for individuals protecting religious access to cannabis in private prayer. I think this is still the inevitable end result of cannabis litigations. There are several things to note about the RFRA.
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Patient Perspectives
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Quiet Outreach to Key Movement Leadership: Notifying Reform Voices of Incoming Schedule I Lawsuit
In the ongoing fight for a patient-first medical cannabis program aligned with science, law, and federal developments, transparency with allies matters. Today I quietly reached out to five respected voices in South Dakota’s cannabis reform and industry space to notify them of an impending lawsuit challenging South Dakota’s maintenance of marijuana in Schedule I under…
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What Rescheduling Still Doesn’t Fix for Probationers, Workers, and Patients
Editors note: this article was written prior the the April 23 final order rescheduling cannabis products into federal Schedule III. Article is published unchanged as originally drafted for clarity. April 30, 2026 Too much cannabis coverage still treats federal rescheduling like a magic wand patients should uncritically celebrate. I’ve studied these laws more than anyone…
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Formal Establishment Complaint Filed with SD DOH Medical Cannabis Program: Program Integrity Review Requested re: Licensed Establishment Agent Conduct
Sioux Falls, SD — Today, April 29, 2026, I filed a formal Establishment Complaint with South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) Medical Cannabis Program Administrator Whitney Brunner pursuant to SDCL Chapter 34-20G and ARSD Article 44:90. The complaint addresses a documented pattern of civil Temporary Protective Order (TPO) filings under SDCL Chapter 25-10 by Melissa…
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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”…
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South Dakota Patients and Taxpayers Deserve More Transparency in Medical Cannabis Enforcement
As federal rescheduling advances, unresolved transparency gaps remain in South Dakota’s medical market. South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Program is designed to operate through patient, caregiver, practitioner, and establishment fees rather than ordinary general-fund appropriations.¹ But a fee-funded program still creates public administrative costs. Enforcement actions require inspectors, lawyers, agency leadership, public notices, patient communications, litigation…
WeedPress: The Paper Trail 