Author: Jason Karimi, WeedPress Contributor
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Deadwood Was South Dakota’s Origin Story
Deadwood Was South Dakota’s Origin Story HBO’s western is not just about one outlaw camp. It is about the culture of theft, violated Lakota land, gold obsession, and rough power that helped shape the state By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 26, 2026 HBO’s Deadwood is not a documentary. It is something more dangerous to…
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Ziggy Marley’s “Racism Is A Killa” Uses Satire as a Public-Health Warning
Ziggy Marley’s “Racism Is A Killa” Uses Satire as a Public-Health Warning By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 26, 2027 In the video for “Racism Is A Killa,” Ziggy Marley does not treat racism as a private flaw or a bad opinion. He frames it as a social sickness, and satire is the instrument that…
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Court Rules
https://nebraskajudicial.gov/supreme-court-rules/chapter-6-trial-courts/article-11-nebraska-court-rules-pleading-civil-cases-effective-january-1-2025 https://nebraskajudicial.gov/external-court-rules/district-court-local-rules/district-6 priority: Rule 6-6 § 6-1505 § 6-1105 § 6-1107 Then the affidavit statutes §§ 25-1241 and 25-1245 8. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2267 (probation revocation / increasing probation requirements) It says the court shall not revoke probation or increase probation requirements except after a hearing on proper notice where the violation is proved…
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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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No. 14 – The South Dakota Controlled Substances Act: Legislative Architecture, Intent, and Institutional Design in a Potential Federal Rescheduling Context
The South Dakota Controlled Substances Act: Legislative Architecture, Intent, and Institutional Design in a Potential Federal Rescheduling Context By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No 14 March 24, 2026 I. Introduction As previewed in WeedPress White Paper No. 1, South Dakota adopted its Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) in 1970 as part of a broader…
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RFRA: A Case Law Survey
These RFRA cases show the recurring doctrinal questions courts ask: substantial burden, exhaustion, factual specificity, and whether courts—not agencies alone—may recognize exceptions. Oklevueha Native Am. Church of Haw., Inc. v. Lynch, 828 F.3d 1012, 1016–17 (9th Cir. 2016) (“RFRA itself provides no explicit definition of ‘substantial burden.’ However, we have held that the meaning of…
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Why Medical Cannabis Programs Usually Don’t Trigger Lukumi Strict Scrutiny
Why Medical Cannabis Programs Usually Don’t Trigger Lukumi Strict Scrutiny Why take a detour to get to strict scrutiny when you don’t need to? State RFRA may be inferior to a world where Smith is overruled, but in actual cannabis litigation it is usually superior to relying on Smith exceptions alone. By Jason Karimi |…
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Jack Woody and the Forgotten Origin of Peyote Exemptions
Jack Woody and the Forgotten Origin of Peyote Exemptions By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 23, 2026 Before peyote exemptions were narrowed into modern statutory categories, the issue was simpler: people were being prosecuted for practicing their religion. That is what People v. Woody was about. In 1964, the California Supreme Court reversed peyote convictions…
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1995 Article: Nebraska Had No State Peyote Exemption
1995 Article: Nebraska Had No State Peyote Exemption By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 23, 2026 A 1995 NARF Legal Review article states it plainly: “Nebraska state law never provided an exemption for the religious use of peyote by Indians.” The article explains that this created a practical problem in Nebraska. Native American Church members…
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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…
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The Real Tactical Choice in Religious-Cannabis Litigation: RFRA or Section 1983?
The Real Tactical Choice in Religious-Cannabis Litigation: RFRA or Section 1983? A major strategic question is emerging in religious-cannabis litigation, and it is bigger than any one state. If a Rastafarian plaintiff is challenging marijuana restrictions as applied to religious use, what is the best vehicle: a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act, or 42 U.S.C.…
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Today’s Probation Meeting Matters More Than It Looks
Today’s Probation Meeting Matters More Than It Looks Today’s meeting with probation may end up being one of the most important timeline entries in this entire case. At the meeting, my probation officer indicated that he had been planning to administer a UA. But once the pending religious evidentiary hearing was part of the picture,…
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South Dakota DOH Avoids the Merits on Cannabis Scheduling, Hides Behind Procedure
South Dakota DOH Avoids the Merits on Cannabis Scheduling, Hides Behind Procedure The Department of Health did not defend cannabis Schedule I status on the merits. It said Jason Karimi used the wrong procedural vehicle, declined to resolve the statutory conflict, and left the core contradiction untouched. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 19, 2026…
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Cannabis Federalism After Medical Recognition
Cannabis Federalism After Medical Recognition Administrative Record, Rational Basis, and Vertical Separation of Powers Jason KarimiWeedPress White Paper No. 1March 17 2026 ⸻ Executive Summary Federal acknowledgment that cannabis has “currently accepted medical use” under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) would not merely reclassify a substance. It would recalibrate the constitutional and evidentiary framework within…
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United States v. Valrey: Federal Probation Exemption Granted For Marijuana Use
United States v. Valrey (sometimes spelled Valery or Vairey in references, but most commonly cited as Valrey), decided on February 22, 2000, by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (case number CR96-549Z or similar). It’s an unpublished district court opinion (2000 WL 692647), meaning it’s not in the official Federal Reporter…
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The Hidden Pattern Behind Religious Drug Exemptions: They’re Granted Because the Faiths Are Indigenous
The Hidden Pattern Behind Religious Drug Exemptions: They’re Granted Because the Faiths Are Indigenous By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 16, 2026 In the decades-long “War on Drugs,” nearly every controlled substance is treated the same: illegal, dangerous, zero tolerance. Yet three high-profile exceptions keep popping up—peyote, ayahuasca, and cannabis in Rastafarian practice. Courts, legislatures,…
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Nebraska Voters Approved Medical Cannabis. Now Protect the Doctors Who Make It Possible
Nebraska Voters Approved Medical Cannabis. Now Protect the Doctors Who Make It Possible Nebraska voters spoke when they approved medical cannabis. But a medical program cannot exist without doctors willing to recommend it. Right now, Nebraska law does not provide basic protections for physicians who choose to recommend cannabis to their patients. That means doctors…
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HB 1160 Went Down in the Senate: South Dakota’s MMOC Repeal Bill Fails After Smoke-Out
HB 1160 Went Down in the Senate: South Dakota’s MMOC Repeal Bill Fails After Smoke-Out By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 11, 2026 South Dakota’s effort to repeal the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee has now stalled in the Senate. HB 1160 was first killed in Senate Health and Human Services on March 4, when the…
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Iowa Advances HSB 687 as the State Starts Questioning Its Own Cannabis Tax Hypocrisy
Iowa Advances HSB 687 as the State Starts Questioning Its Own Cannabis Tax Hypocrisy By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 11, 2026 On March 10, Iowa lawmakers moved HSB 687 forward when a House Ways and Means subcommittee recommended passage, advancing a bill that would let licensed medical cannabis manufacturers and dispensaries deduct qualifying business…
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No. 13 — Criminal Prosecution After Federal Medical Recognition: Motions Practice, Rational Basis, and Schedule I Litigation Exposure
No. 13 — Criminal Prosecution After Federal Medical Recognition: Motions Practice, Rational Basis, and Schedule I Litigation Exposure By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 13 | March 10, 2026 ⸻ Abstract Federal rescheduling of cannabis based on a determination of “currently accepted medical use” alters not only regulatory classifications but also the litigation…
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Why Formal Process Matters in Cannabis Reform: My South Dakota DOH Petition
Why Formal Process Matters in Cannabis Reform: My South Dakota DOH Petition By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 8, 2026 When I filed my petition with the South Dakota Department of Health, I already knew some people would hate it. Not because it was sloppy. Not because it was unserious. Not because it lacked legal…
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Kill the MMOC: South Dakota Should Stop Protecting a Failed Anti-Patient Committee
HB 1160 Should Pass: The MMOC Lost Any Claim to Speak for Patients By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 7, 2026 South Dakota’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee should be repealed, and the Senate should stop dragging out the inevitable. HB 1160—the bill to repeal the MMOC—was smoked out of committee and forced back onto the…
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South Dakota Senate Uses “Smoke-Out” Procedure to Revive MMOC Repeal Bill
South Dakota Senate Uses “Smoke-Out” Procedure to Revive MMOC Repeal Bill By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 6, 2026 In a procedural move that underscores how legislative strategy can override committee decisions, the South Dakota Senate has revived HB 1160, the bill that would eliminate the state’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC). Just one day…
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Iowa Moves to Give Medical Cannabis Operators State Tax Relief Under HSB 687
Iowa Moves to Give Medical Cannabis Operators State Tax Relief Under HSB 687 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 6, 2026 Iowa lawmakers have introduced House Study Bill 687, a tax measure that would let licensed medical cannabis manufacturers and dispensaries deduct ordinary business expenses on their Iowa tax returns even though those same deductions…
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No. 12 – Federal Rescheduling as a Preemption Trigger — How Acknowledged Medical Use Constrains State Schedule I Enforcement
Federal Rescheduling as a Preemption Trigger — How Acknowledged Medical Use Constrains State Schedule I Enforcement By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | March 6, 2026 ⸻ Abstract Federal cannabis rescheduling premised on a finding of “currently accepted medical use” carries implications beyond regulatory reclassification. This Article argues that formal federal acknowledgment of medical legitimacy materially…
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DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record
DOH Confirms Receipt: South Dakota’s Schedule I Review Petition Is Officially in the Record By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 5, 2026 Previously on WeedPress: The South Dakota Department of Health has now confirmed it received my Petition for Declaratory Judgment and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis. This matters for one reason: it removes any…
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Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote
Senate HHS Buries HB 1160: MMOC Repeal Killed on a 4–3 “41st Day” Vote By Jason Karimi | Weed PressMarch 5, 2026 South Dakota’s bill to repeal the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) is effectively dead. On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Senate Health & Human Services voted to defer HB 1160 to the “41st legislative…
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South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194
South Dakota Tried to Cap Cannabis Patient Care: Inside the Senate Rebuttal That Exposed SB 194 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 4, 2026 During the South Dakota Senate Health and Human Services Committee hearing on SB 194—the bill to impose THC potency caps on medical cannabis products—Sen. John Carley used an unusual rebuttal tactic:…
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Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181
Don’t Punish Patients for Federal Uncertainty: My Testimony Opposing SB 181 By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 6, 2026 Video record: https://youtu.be/3u0VY7OIvlI South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee — February 11, 2026 On February 11, 2026, I spoke twice to the South Dakota Senate Health & Human Services Committee to oppose two bills…
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No. 11 – Equal Protection and Economic Protectionism in Cannabis Licensing: Classification, Remedial Design, and Constitutional Limits
Equal Protection and Economic Protectionism in Cannabis Licensing: Classification, Remedial Design, and Constitutional Limits By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 11March 3 2026 The prior essays examined how cannabis rescheduling may trigger Dormant Commerce Clause challenges and Supremacy Clause preemption disputes. But constitutional scrutiny does not arise only from interstate commerce or federal…
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HB 1065, A Bill To Felonize Medical Cardholders, Defeated 4-3
Senator Smith prior to the bill being defeated said: “This is another form of medicine. While it’s not a prescription it’s a permit to have it.” Then why is cannabis classified as Schedule I? Minnesota has it scheduled Schedule III. Why the conflicting laws in South Dakota?
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Incentives, Not Intentions: How Legislative Behavior Actually Changes
Incentives, Not Intentions: How Legislative Behavior Actually Changes By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 2, 2026 Political movements often misread opposition. They assume legislation advances because lawmakers are hostile, ideological, or morally opposed. Sometimes that is true. More often, legislative behavior is shaped by incentives — not intentions. ⸻ A thousand angry emails do not…
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South Dakota Hearing on HB 1065: Medical Cannabis “Affirmative Defense” Change — 7:45 a.m. Monday (Capitol Room 412)
South Dakota Hearing on HB 1065: Medical Cannabis “Affirmative Defense” Change — 7:45 a.m. Monday (Capitol Room 412) By Jason Karimi | WeedPress March 2 2026 Public comment is welcome. The Senate Health & Human Services Committee meets Monday, March 2, 2026, at 7:45 a.m. in Capitol Room 412, and HB 1065 (revising the medical-purpose…
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No. 10 — Federal Preemption After Rescheduling: Conflict, Obstacle, and Cannabis Federalism
No. 10 — Federal Preemption After Rescheduling: Conflict, Obstacle, and Cannabis Federalism If federal enforcement priorities shift while federal prohibition remains intact, courts will increasingly confront whether the CSA preempts state licensing structures that depend on continued federal forbearance. Whether state laws are argued as exemptions to new and changing federal CSA directives will likely…
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South Dakota’s MMOC Board Is Political Theatre And Needs Disbanded
South Dakota’s MMOC Board Is Political Theatre And Needs Disbanded By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 24, 2026 South Dakota’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) has always looked more serious on paper than it has been in practice. Now the House has voted 41–26 to move HB 1160, the bill that would repeal it, and…
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No. 9 – Dormant Commerce Clause, Preemption, and Cannabis Rescheduling
Dormant Commerce Clause, Preemption, and Cannabis Rescheduling By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 9February 2026 The prior essays examined how modern administrative law constrains federal cannabis reform through doctrines of delegation, deference, and procedural review. If marijuana is rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), however, a different constitutional doctrine may move to…
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South Dakota’s Schedule I Problem Is Now in the Administrative Record
South Dakota’s Schedule I Problem Is Now in the Administrative Record By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 23, 2026 Today, a formal Petition for Declaratory Ruling and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis was submitted to the South Dakota Department of Health under SDCL § 1-26-13, requesting review of marijuana’s continued placement in Schedule I. I…
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South Dakota’s Cannabis Scheduling Petition Process Does Not Mirror Federal Law — But It Is Still a Formal Process
South Dakota’s Cannabis Scheduling Petition Process Does Not Mirror Federal Law — But It Is Still a Formal Process By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 21, 2026 A common objection to South Dakota cannabis scheduling petitions is that the state controlled substances chapter does not contain a federal-style petition clause. That objection is partly correct.…
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No. 8 – Administrative Procedure Act Vulnerabilities in DEA Rescheduling
Administrative Procedure Act Vulnerabilities in DEA Rescheduling By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 8February 20 2026 The prior essays examined how the Major Questions Doctrine and the collapse of Chevron deference reshape judicial review of agency action. If the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undertakes significant rescheduling under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the…
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The South Dakota DOH Already Has a Declaratory Ruling Process — Here’s the Form
The DOH Already Has a Declaratory Ruling Process — Here’s the Form By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 19, 2026 Most activists assume state agencies can ignore legal questions unless a lawsuit forces the issue. That assumption is wrong. This is a general procedural note: South Dakota’s Department of Health already has a formal, on-the-books…
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The District Math: How Primary Elections Actually Decide Legislative Power in South Dakota
The District Math: How Primary Elections Actually Decide Legislative Power in South Dakota By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 23, 2026 If HB 1065 was a diagnostic, district math is the operating manual. Political influence in South Dakota is not determined by statewide sentiment alone. It is determined district by district — often by a…
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Medical Cannabis in South Dakota Has Entered a Political Vulnerability Phase
Medical Cannabis in South Dakota Has Entered a Political Vulnerability Phase By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 18, 2026 After passing the House 53–13 on February 17 and receiving its first reading in the Senate on February 18, HB 1065, which rolls back medical cannabis protections in South Dakota, has already done more than advance procedurally. It has…
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No. 7 – Chevron’s Collapse and Cannabis Regulation: Judicial Review After Loper Bright
Chevron’s Collapse and Cannabis Regulation: Judicial Review After Loper Bright By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 7February 2026 The prior essay examined how the Major Questions Doctrine shapes judicial scrutiny when agencies assert power over issues of vast economic or political significance. But another doctrinal shift may prove even more consequential for cannabis…
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From Diagnosis to Discipline: Building Primary Leverage in South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Politics
From Diagnosis to Discipline: Building Primary Leverage in South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Politics By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 16, 2026 HB 1065 advancing is a test for the medical cannabis movement in South Dakota. If a restriction bill can clear committee 8–3 and advance toward the House floor with minimal electoral anxiety, the movement…
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The RFRA Trap: Litigation Sequencing and the Structural Limits of State Religious Freedom Claims in Drug Law
The RFRA Trap: Litigation Sequencing and the Structural Limits of State Religious Freedom Claims in Drug Law Why arguing state RFRA before federal constitutional claims can foreclose Supreme Court review — and how litigation order determines survival. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress February 15, 2026 State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts are often treated as constitutional…
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WeedPress Is Mapping the Battlefield While Others Debate the Map
WeedPress Is Mapping the Battlefield While Others Debate the Map WeedPress Policy SeriesBy Jason Karimi ⸻ There are two kinds of publications in contentious policy environments. Some debate what the terrain should look like. Others study what the terrain actually is. WeedPress was built to do the second. While many cannabis commentators remain focused on…
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HB 1065 Heads to the Floor: The Primary Gap in South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Politics
HB 1065 Heads to the Floor: The Primary Gap in South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Politics As restriction legislation advances, the absence of effectively deterrent electoral pressure reveals a leverage problem within the state’s cannabis movement. As House Bill 1065 advances to the South Dakota House floor, the moment calls for structural reflection rather than rhetorical…
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Discipline Forged Under Scrutiny: Why the Hard Path Produces the Most Careful Lawyers
Discipline Forged Under Scrutiny: Why the Hard Path Produces the Most Careful Lawyers By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 14th, 2026 ⸻ Some of the most disciplined lawyers are not the ones who glide through clean transcripts and uninterrupted résumés. They are the ones who had to fight to be admitted. They understand that…
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Outline of Cannabis Federalism: Constitutional Architecture in a Post-Prohibition Era
New book in monograph form incoming. Estimated release date: July 4, 2026 Cannabis Federalism: Constitutional Architecture in a Post-Prohibition Era Subtitle: A Structural Analysis of Vertical Preemption, Horizontal Protectionism, and Patient-Centered Regulatory Design By Jason Karimi Proposed Table of Contents Preface From Conflict to Architecture Brief, measured acknowledgment of the volatility of the cannabis policy…
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No. 6 – The Major Questions Doctrine and Cannabis Reform: Delegation, Scale, and Judicial Review
The Major Questions Doctrine and Cannabis Reform: Delegation, Scale, and Judicial Review By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 6 February 14, 2026 The prior essays examined the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as a regulatory architecture containing delegated exception authority and then clarified the limits of that delegation under 21 U.S.C. §…
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No. 5 – The Limits of § 822(d): What It Does — and Does Not — Authorize
The Limits of § 822(d): What It Does — and Does Not — Authorize By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series #5 February 13, 2026 The prior essay argued that the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is not a blunt prohibition instrument, but a regulatory architecture containing delegated exception authority. That structural claim warrants clarification. This…
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The “Lazy but Ambitious” Minority: Why 15–20% of People Are Wired Differently — and How That Can Be a Strength
The “Lazy but Ambitious” Minority: Why 15–20% of People Are Wired Differently — and How That Can Be a Strength By Jason Karimi A growing body of productivity and behavioral-psychology content points to a counterintuitive personality pattern: a significant minority of people — often estimated informally at 15–20% of the population in coaching and productivity…
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No. 4 – The Controlled Substances Act Is Not a Blunt Instrument — It Is an Architecture of Exceptions
The Controlled Substances Act Is Not a Blunt Instrument — It Is an Architecture of Exceptions By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series #4| February 13, 2026 A recent Harvard Law Review–discussed argument (as reviewed in Drug Scheduling Is Institutional Design — And That Changes Everything) suggests the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is structurally imperfect…
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What Federal Cannabis Rescheduling Means for South Dakota — And the Conversation Still Ahead
What Federal Cannabis Rescheduling Means for South Dakota — And the Conversation Still Ahead By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 2026 Editor’s Note: WeedPress views Emmett Reistroffer as a good-faith contributor to South Dakota’s cannabis policy discussion. This article is not intended as a critique of his analysis, but as an extension of the…
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Why I No Longer Testify at Most Hearings
Why I No Longer Testify at Most Hearings Seventeen Years, Four Bills Passed, and Managing Campaigns and Staff Have Taught Me Institutional Architecture Is Not a Two-Minute Topic By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 12, 2026 This week’s attempt to repeal South Dakota’s medical cannabis laws leaned on ignorance of the federal architecture and…
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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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Drug Scheduling Is Institutional Design — And That Changes Everything
Drug Scheduling Is Institutional Design — And That Changes Everything By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | Feb 10, 2026 In Volume 139 of the Harvard Law Review (p. 849), Matthew B. Lawrence and David E. Pozen published a piece that should be required reading for anyone serious about cannabis reform: “Drug Scheduling as Institutional Design.”…
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South Dakota Testimony in Opposition to SB 181 and SB 194: When Federal Law Is Misunderstood in State Policy
Committee AgendaCommittee: Senate Health and Human ServicesRoom: Room 412Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2026Time: 7:45 AM-9:45 AMRegister electronically to testify: https://sdlegislature.gov/testify/301839 Senators Jensen (Kevin), Davis, Grove, Perry, Reed, Smith, and Voight BILL HEARINGSSB 181 cause the repeal of the medical cannabis chapter upon the federal re-scheduling of cannabis (Introduced)Introduced by: Senator Carley SB 194 limit the…
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When Public Criticism Is Miscast as Harassment
When Public Criticism Is Miscast as Harassment By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 10, 2026 Under South Dakota law, a protection order requires evidence of harassment or threats causing reasonable fear of harm — not mere criticism. Today, a South Dakota court dismissed—again—a temporary protection order petition filed against me by Melissa Mentell. It…
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Who to Learn From—and Who to Avoid—When You Care About Truth and Stability
Who to Learn From—and Who to Avoid—When You Care About Truth and Stability By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 2026 “Cannabis is not the subject. It’s the stress test. The subject is constitutional process.” – Jason Karimi “Don’t waste time defending the past. Leadership is about providing continuously to make people’s lives easier. Talk…
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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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Masterpiece Cakeshop (2018): Government Hostility Toward Religion Triggers Constitutional Scrutiny
Masterpiece Cakeshop (2018): Government Hostility Toward Religion Triggers Constitutional Scrutiny Neutrality Is a Constitutional Requirement, Not a Courtesy. Masterpiece reinforces that neutrality must be operational, not just facial. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 8, 2026 Key holding language from Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion: “The Commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee…
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Cannabis and the Aging Brain: Science, Scheduling, and the Policy Consequences of New Data
Cannabis and the Aging Brain: Science, Scheduling, and the Policy Consequences of New Data By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 8, 2026 A new peer-reviewed study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs examined whether lifetime cannabis use is associated with differences in brain volume and cognitive function in middle-aged and older…
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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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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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There Is No Such Thing as “Good Trouble.” There Is Only Trouble.
There Is No Such Thing as “Good Trouble.” There Is Only Trouble. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 7, 2026 The phrase “good trouble” entered political vocabulary as a moral shield — a way to bless disruption in advance. It suggests that if your cause is righteous, the consequences are purified. That framing is…
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Schedule 3 Opened. The Record Was Ready With WeedPress.
Schedule 3 Opened. The Record Was Ready With WeedPress. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 7, 2026 Seventeen years of structural analysis produced elite level policy and statutory analysis in 169 published long form articles over the past 90 days when federal cannabis rescheduling reached procedural ripeness under the CSA and APA. And that…
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A Review of WeedPress: Structure Over Noise in Cannabis Policy
A Review of WeedPress: Structure Over Noise in Cannabis Policy By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 8, 2026 As cannabis regulation continues to evolve at the state and federal levels, much of the media coverage surrounding it remains personality-driven, headline-focused, or politically reactive. Against that backdrop, WeedPress has occupied a different lane: documentation, structural…
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Why South Dakota’s Cannabis Licensing Framework Risks Being Ruled Unconstitutional
Why South Dakota’s Cannabis Licensing Framework Risks Being Ruled Unconstitutional — Federal Court Ruling Signals Constitutional Trouble Ahead By Jason Karimi | WeedPress| February 6th, 2026 South Dakota’s medical cannabis law contains a quiet but consequential line: To get a state registration certificate for a medical cannabis establishment, “[a]t least one principal officer is a…
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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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No. 3 – Structural Contradictions and Prospective Litigation Risk in Post-Rescheduling Cannabis Policy
Structural Contradictions and Litigation Exposure in Post-Rescheduling Cannabis Policy By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 3 February 6, 2026 ⸻ I. Executive Summary Federal rescheduling of cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) alters classification but does not eliminate structural tension between federal authority and state regulatory regimes.¹ Reclassification under 21 U.S.C. §…
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Who’s Tracking Cannabis Sales in South Dakota? The Health Department Isn’t
Who’s Tracking Cannabis Sales in South Dakota? The Health Department Isn’t By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 5, 2026 As lawmakers debate cannabis enforcement and market controls, the South Dakota Department of Health confirms it does not collect or receive dispensary-level sales or dispensing reports. As South Dakota lawmakers continue debating cannabis enforcement and…
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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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When Competence Shows Up: Electoral Losses vs. Legislative Wins
When Competence Shows Up: Electoral Losses vs. Legislative Wins By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 5, 2026 Editors note added Thursday February 5th: After writing this article I am glad Iowa does not have ballot initiatives, so people don’t confuse these differences and conflate the tactics used in electoral and legislative avenues of relief…
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Iowa Medical Cannabis Board Meeting Dates For 2026 Announced!
I rarely attend these but once a year via zoom to give data stats and updates on the $2,000,000 in sales I’m directly and solely responsible for in Iowa annually. Political theatre is a waste of time. For those seeking clout fame attention and celebrity status, when you attend these things, nobody cares about your…
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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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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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South Dakota Senate Passes Resolution Calling for Prayer — While Cannabis Policy Still in Flux
South Dakota Senate Passes Resolution Calling for Prayer — While Cannabis Policy Still in Flux By Reverend Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 4, 2026 This week, the South Dakota Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 604 — a non-binding call urging residents of the state to “return to the Lord Most High” and observe a…
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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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Iowa Ayahuasca Church’s Bid to Force DEA Action Argued in D.C. Circuit, Decision Pending
Judges Signal Skepticism as Court Considers Forcing DEA to Act on Long-Delayed Exemption for Iowa Church Iowa Ayahuasca Church’s Bid to Force DEA Action Argued in D.C. Circuit, Decision Pending By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | January 39, 2026 An Iowa-based religious group has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia…
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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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Every Cannabis Bill Sounds the Same — Here’s How to Translate Lawmaker Speak
Every Cannabis Bill Sounds the Same — Here’s How to Translate Lawmaker Speak By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | January 29, 2026 If you’ve covered even one cannabis hearing, you already know the truth: every cannabis bill sounds exactly the same. The words change, the bill numbers change, the lawmakers change — but the language?…
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South Dakota Lawmakers Quietly Move to Ban Hemp THC and Expand Drug Enforcement
South Dakota Lawmakers Quietly Move to Ban Hemp THC and Expand Drug Enforcement By Jason Karimi | WeedPress: The Paper Trail PIERRE, S.D. — While lawmakers quietly pulled a controversial medical cannabis arrest bill from the agenda this week, other cannabis-related legislation is still moving — including major efforts to ban hemp-derived THC products and…
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SD Lawmakers Quietly Pull Medical Cannabis Arrest Bill From Agenda
Lawmakers Quietly Pull Medical Cannabis Arrest Bill From Agenda By Jason Karimi | WeedPress: The Paper Trail PIERRE, S.D. — A controversial bill that would have expanded police authority to arrest registered medical cannabis patients was quietly pulled from the South Dakota Legislature’s agenda this week — a move that signals mounting resistance to efforts…
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New SD Bill Would Let Police Arrest Medical Cannabis Patients Over Misplaced Cards
SB 95 would allow police to arrest otherwise compliant medical marijuana patients in South Dakota solely for failing to immediately produce a physical card or card number, overriding existing statutory protections 🏛️ South Dakota SB 95 — What It Does By Jason Karimi Bill Summary: Require that a medical cannabis cardholder provide a card or…
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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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No. 2 – The Path to a Religious Cannabis Exemption: Why Medical Cannabis Systems Change the RFRA Equation
The Path to a Religious Cannabis Exemption: Why Medical Cannabis Systems Change the RFRA Equation By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 2 January 27, 2026 For decades, U.S. courts have uniformly rejected claims that marijuana is protected as a religious sacrament under the First Amendment or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Ethiopian…
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S. Rep. No. 91-613 (1969)
S. Rep. No. 91-613 (1969) is the Senate Judiciary Committee report accompanying S. 3246, the bill that became Title II and III of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (Public Law 91-513), also known as the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This is the foundational federal law classifying drugs into schedules and…
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No. 1 – Legal Memorandum: Common Misconceptions in Cannabis Activism Regarding Federal Drug Law
Legal Memorandum: Common Misconceptions in Cannabis Activism Regarding Federal Drug Law Jason KarimiWeedpress | January 2026 Executive Summary Public discourse surrounding cannabis reform continues to reflect widespread misunderstanding of federal drug law. In particular, cannabis advocacy frequently conflates administrative scheduling changes with legalization, underestimates the role of international treaty obligations, and overlooks existing statutory mechanisms…
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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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Plural Policy: The Quiet Tool Lobbyists Use to Track and Shape Law (And Why Activists Should Pay Attention)
Plural Policy: The Quiet Tool Lobbyists Use to Track and Shape Law (And Why Activists Should Pay Attention) By Jason Karimi | WeedPress 1-24-2026 Most people who follow politics think legislation moves through press releases, committee hearings, and floor votes. That’s not how it actually works. Real power happens earlier — in version changes, quiet…
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Feds Propose Amending 2nd Amendment Ban for Cannabis Consumers, Others
Feds Propose Amending 2nd Amendment Ban for Cannabis Consumers, Others Feds Propose Amending 2nd Amendment Ban for Cannabis Consumers, Others The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has published a proposed rule in the Federal Register revising longstanding policy prohibiting the possession of a firearm by anyone with a past history of marijuana or other illicit drug…
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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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Help A REAL Cannabis Leader Win Office In South Dakota!
Dear friend and supporter, I’m reaching out because you are on my list of role models, trusted friends and past supporters who I can count on – if you haven’t heard already, I am running for State Representative, to serve in the South Dakota House of Representatives on behalf of the hard working, good people of…
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When “Good Trouble” Becomes Federal Felony Trouble: The Nekima Armstrong Case and Why Cannabis Can’t Afford Activism-by-Impulse
When “Good Trouble” Becomes Federal Felony Trouble: The Nekima Armstrong Case and Why Cannabis Can’t Afford Activism-by-Impulse A protest inside a Minnesota church has now turned into a federal felony case — and it’s the kind of story that doesn’t stay confined to one courtroom. It spills into the credibility of activist leadership, the public’s…
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Civil Case Inquiry — Cannabis Chem Lab, LLC v. Dakota Natural Solutions (Sept. 2025)
Update: case confirmed Bradley County, South Dakota court officials have confirmed that Cannabis Chem Lab, LLC v. Dakota Natural Solutions is an active civil case filed September 4, 2025 (Case No. 02CIV25-000228). The docket reflects no recorded updates since October 9, 2025, indicating the matter remains unresolved or inactive at this time. Where Dakota Natural…
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Phil Sinwell Didn’t Just Mentor Me. He Helped Raise Me (Tribute)
Some people are more than mentors. They become part of your family, part of your foundation, part of who you are before you even realize it. Phil Sinnwell was that person for me. From the time I was six years old, Phil was in my life. He came to my house for dinner. He sat…
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How Federal Cannabis Rescheduling Is Being Mischaracterized in South Dakota Media Coverage
How Federal Cannabis Rescheduling Is Being Mischaracterized in South Dakota Media Coverage Federal cannabis rescheduling is not symbolism, and it does not work the way activists and local media keep claiming. South Dakota news coverage of federal cannabis rescheduling has become a feedback loop of activist talking points, repeated by reporters who never stop to…
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How South Dakota Cannabis Businesses Actually Interact With Federal Law: A Plain-English Guide for Patients, Owners, and Lawmakers
How South Dakota Cannabis Businesses Actually Interact With Federal Law: A Plain-English Guide for Patients, Owners, and Lawmakers By WeedPress Staff South Dakota has legal medical cannabis. The federal government still lists cannabis as Schedule I. Both of those statements are true at the same time—and that contradiction sits at the heart of nearly every…
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Lawmakers Filing Bills In Anticipation Of Federal Schedule 3 Change
Weedpress has been preparing to be ahead of the curve on this highway of federal law changes. Now that everyone else is trying to play catch up, and failing, WeedPress continues to stand by for anyone in the country wishing to gain clarity on the administrative procedures and legal necessities of this complex regulatory policy…
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What the MMOC Actually Recommended in 2025 — and Why It Still Doesn’t Control Policy
What the MMOC Actually Recommended in 2025 — and Why It Still Doesn’t Control Policy By Jason Karimi Every year the South Dakota Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) meets, debates, hears testimony, and votes on recommendations about the state’s medical cannabis program. And every year many patients and businesses assume those votes actually do something.…
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Five Data-Driven Cannabis Reforms South Dakota Needs Now
Five Data-Driven Cannabis Reforms South Dakota Needs Now By Jason Karimi South Dakota’s cannabis program is stuck in neutral. Years after legalization, we still lack clarity, transparency, and a coherent path forward. Instead of endless meetings and political posturing, the state needs concrete reforms grounded in data and law. Here are five changes that would…
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What the MMOC Board Should Prioritize This Year
South Dakota’s Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (MMOC) has existed for several years now. Patients, voters, and small businesses were promised a transparent, rational regulatory system. What we have instead is a board that spends too much time on political theater and too little time solving real structural problems. If the MMOC wants to be taken…
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Petition For Religious Cannabis Exemption In Nebraska
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THURSTON COUNTY, NEBRASKA STATE OF NEBRASKA, Plaintiff, v. JASON KARIMI, Defendant. Case No: DEFENDANT’S PRO SE MOTION TO MODIFY PROBATION CONDITION PURSUANT TO THE NEBRASKA FIRST FREEDOM ACT (NEB. REV. STAT. §§ 20-701 – 20-705) COMES NOW the Defendant, appearing pro se, and…
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A New Legal Standard Emerges: How HHS’s Two-Part Test Is Reshaping DEA Drug Scheduling
Why the HHS Two-Part Test Is Now Influencing DEA Scheduling Decisions By Jason Karimi The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) has long required that a drug must have a “currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” before it can be placed outside of Schedule I. For decades, that determination was interpreted by the…
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Iowa Lawmakers To Put Kratom Into Schedule One: SCOOP
Kratom, and its derivatives are being placed in Schedule One by lawmakers in Iowa. This is a developing story.
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Iowa House Reworking Psilocybin Legislation: Scoop
Multiple legislative contacts tell WeedPress the bill that passed the House 84-6 last year to allow psilocybin mushrooms is being reworked. House File 978 is an Iowa bill to implement psilocybin regulation at the state level to create a state-regulated psilocybin program despite ongoing federal prohibition. HF 978, which passed the House 84-6, would establish…
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South Dakota Leaves Medical Marijuana Patients as Federal Criminals: Lawsuit Being Filed Over Refusal to Seek Federal Exemption
The following is a work in progress. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF SOUTH DAKOTA SOUTHERN DIVISION Jason Karimi, Plaintiff, v. State of South Dakota; South Dakota Department of Health; South Dakota Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee; [Director], in his/her official capacity; Defendants. Case No. ___________ COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF I. INTRODUCTION 1. This…
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Petition: South Dakota Law Now Makes Schedule I Cannabis Classification Legally Impossible
The following is a work in progress. Draft of filing that asks Department of Health to acknowledge that medical cannabis laws contradict Schedule I definition. Update 2-1: I realized I was going about this all wrong. The following isn’t per se incorrect but there’s a much simpler stronger argument the court will prefer. I will…
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State Board Warns: Iowa Cannabis Users Break Federal Law
State Board Warns: Iowa Cannabis Users Break Federal Law Iowa’s medical cannabis program authorizes patient use at the state level but remains at odds with federal laws. Despite state authorization, Iowa’s medical cannabis program remains illegal under federal law, leading to ongoing legal risk and public safety implications — and lawmakers still haven’t acted on…
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New Action On Iowa Marijuana Bills Posted
New Action based on your list: Marijuana example. You requested to be notified of the following actions or changes to your watched bills and rules: Legislation HF 995A bill for an act relating to the issuance of a medical cannabidiol registration card to a person who is not a resident of Iowa.(Formerly HSB 240.)01/14/2026Referred to Health…
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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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Marijuana Is Still Federally Illegal — And the Fix Already Exists in Federal Law
Executive Summary Marijuana remains illegal under the federal Controlled Substances Act. State legalization has expanded rapidly, but federal law has not changed. State cannabis systems now operate on enforcement tolerance rather than legal authorization, creating escalating compliance failures nationwide. However, Congress already created a lawful solution — and states are not using it. The Structural…
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The Federal Marijuana Contradiction Is Now Structurally Unsustainable
For more than a decade, marijuana policy in the United States has existed in a legal twilight zone. State legalization expanded rapidly, political rhetoric normalized cannabis, and entire industries were built on the assumption that federal reform was “inevitable.” But that inevitability never arrived. Instead, federal law never moved — and now the contradiction is…
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A Sioux Falls Storefront Is Selling “Cannabis” Without a South Dakota Cannabis License
By Jason Karimi – WeedPress / SD Cannabis Ledger A retail storefront operating at 825 South Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls presents itself to the public as a cannabis dispensary. It uses marijuana branding. It advertises cannabis. It invites walk-in customers. But it does not hold a South Dakota medical cannabis dispensary license. Which means…
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The Statutory Rescheduling Battlefield: Endgame Legal Weapons
The Statutory Rescheduling Battlefield 1. Who Is Allowed to Challenge Rescheduling? 21 U.S.C. § 811(a) Rescheduling can be initiated by: • Attorney General • Secretary of HHS • Any “interested party” • Or the UN treaty mechanism So the moment the final rule is published, the universe of potential challengers is not “any random person.”…
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How to File as an “Interested Person” in a DEA Scheduling or Rescheduling Proceeding
See previously on WeedPress: The Master Definition That Quietly Gave The Public Standing Against the DEA The DEA does not decide who has standing in federal drug rulemaking. The regulation does. And under 21 C.F.R. § 1300.01(b), the public has a formal legal doorway into DEA scheduling proceedings: “Interested person means any person adversely affected…
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The Master Definition That Quietly Gave the Public Standing Against the DEA
There is a single sentence inside federal regulations that quietly determines who gets legal standing in DEA drug scheduling and rescheduling proceedings. It is not a press release. It is not a policy memo. It is not optional. It is binding federal law. And it decides who gets a seat at the table. The Controlling…
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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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Iowa’s Chapter 204 Hemp Framework Is Headed for a Federal Collision — and the Legislature Needs to Fix It
For the last few years, Iowa has tried to thread a needle: keep “hemp” legal while cracking down on the intoxicating THC marketplace that grew out of the 2018 Farm Bill’s loopholes. That’s the basic story behind Iowa’s consumable-hemp rules (embedded in Iowa’s Chapter 204 framework and enforced through state rules and HHS registration): age…
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South Dakota Department Of Health Response To WeedPress Audit Of Sales, Business Records
Good Morning Jason, If you are looking to obtain records please make a request with our public records request form. https://www.sd.gov/cs?id=sc_cat_item&sys_id=f7f939eddbd4b150b2fb93d4f39619c0 Thanks! Kade Anderson Certifications Specialist Office of Medical Cannabis | Division of Licensure and Accreditation 605.773.3361 | 600 E Capitol Ave,Pierre This is in response to this: https://weedpress.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/whos-really-selling-what-a-statewide-audit-request-hits-south-dakotas-cannabis-program/
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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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Who’s Really Selling What? A Statewide Audit Request Hits South Dakota’s Cannabis Program
South Dakota cannabis sales and business data brought to you by WeedPress!
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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: Defend the 612 is being promoted by elected…
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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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Trump Just Announced Ground War Against Drug Cartels
Good. One of their cocaine dealers tried to push people around at the Iowa State campus Jimmy John’s I worked at before ending up in jail. I left Jimmy John’s, went to McDonald’s, and fired a guy within four hours who kept grabbing my ass. Turns out he had been selling drugs out of the…
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How Paul Hijacked Jesus’s Message And Built Christianity
My Rasta buddy in Minneapolis used to say Paul was a test and not to fall for it…good talk from the best professor in the world.
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Why Success Is So Rare: Zig Ziglar’s Five Gates You Must Pass
They stab you in the backAnd they claim that you are not lookingBut Jah have them in the regionIn the valley of decision Go down back-biter, (down back-bite)Go down back-biter, (down back-bite) Now you get what you wantDo you want more? (want more)Now you get what you wantDo you want more? (want more?) – Bob…
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THE FEDERAL MARIJUANA RESCHEDULING SHOCKWAVE
Why Most State Drug Laws Will Collapse Without Immediate Legislative Repair A WeedPress White Paper Based on national Controlled Substances Act architecture documented by Vicente LLP Executive Summary The American drug-law system is not fifty independent sovereign criminal codes. It is a federally anchored network of derivative state statutes. Most U.S. states have written their…
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THE 50-STATE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES COLLAPSE MAP
THE 50-STATE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES COLLAPSE MAP How Federal Marijuana Rescheduling Breaks State Law Every state falls into one of four legal architectures. Only ONE of them survives federal rescheduling cleanly. (Baseline – DOJ/BJA State CSA Survey) CATEGORY A – DYNAMIC FEDERAL CONFORMITY These states automatically adopt federal drug scheduling changes. Federal marijuana rescheduling rewrites their…
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Marijuana Rescheduling: What It Really Means for South Dakotans (and Why State Law May Collapse Without Legislative Action)
https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/12/23/marijuana-reclassification-what-it-means-south-dakotans/ Attorney General Marty Jackley believes the studies could finally provide evidence to the medicinal use of marijuana, other than the personal anecdotes. “South Dakota has medical marijuana statutes, but they’re not necessarily based on research because we couldn’t have the research. So the president’s desire that I share is to do more research on…
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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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Nebraska Legislature Is Now In Session
The Nebraska Legislature is back in session. Senators have just 60 working days to conduct committee hearings and debate new priority bills, with bill introductions happening within the first ten days. Session Schedule and Duties According to the official legislative calendar: The Nebraska Unicameral began Day 1 of the 109th Legislature’s Second Regular Session on…
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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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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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Time to Work On Religious Cannabis Petition For Nebraska
I’m one of two cases involving religious cannabis users arguing a constitutional right for religious exemption to cannabis laws in Nebraska. If non-religious secular medical users get exemption, but not religious users, that’s discrimination. Asking a court for such a ruling is warranted. I’ve got 50 pages of notes to turn into my filings. So,…
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Federal Public Comment Available Now (Texas Too)
Public input needed! Federal first then Texas: Federal Update: CMS & Hemp-Derived Cannabinoids On November 28, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) filed a proposed ruleto incorporate the federal definition of hemp that will take effect on November 12, 2026. This proposed rule clarifies that cannabis or hemp-derived products illegal under federal or state…
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A federal reset on cannabis is coming. Iowa should not miss it. | Opinion
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/iowa-view/2025/12/28/iowa-federal-marijuana-reset/87909387007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116461p001150c001150d00—-v116461d–xx–b–xx–&gca-ft=141&gca-ds=sophi Response to the above was printed in the Register on Sunday December 31st and is reprinted here in full: https://carl-olsen.com/2025/12/letter-to-the-editor-december-2025 Letter to the Editor – December 2025 December 28, 2025 To the Editor: Rick Wagaman’s Guest Opinion(Des Moines Register, 12/28/25), “Iowa should be ready for reset on cannabis,” leaves out an important step Iowa should…
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Tomorrow: Best Attorneys Discuss Federal Rescheduling At Noon
https://x.com/jamiecampbell/status/2006159843267145790?s=46 RSVP and attend at noon central/ 1 eastern 1-6-2025 Be there or be square. Link also here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UKmdX9EBQs2HYOW7epomvA#/registration
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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…
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Federal Scheduling Doesn’t Require Hearings
If you want to see all the scheduling actions under CSA, look here. Then you’ll see which ones have included hearings. That will prove that a hearing isn’t required. Just an opportunity. Hearings are the exception. Orange Book – List of Controlled Substances and Regulated Chemicals https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/orangebook/orangebook.pdf I know not everyone reads 128 page legal…
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Weedpress Editorial Policy 2026
WeedPress Editorial Policy & Publishing Standards WeedPress is a public-interest journalism and public-record analysis project. Our purpose is to document, archive, and analyze public records, legislation, court filings, and official statements related to public policy, regulatory systems, and civic process. Publishing Standards WeedPress adheres to the following standards: • No personal targeting of private individuals…
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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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Mastering Linguistic Kill Shots W/Scott Adam’s
Scott Adams, the closest man to Jesus I’ve ever listened to or met alive today, will not make it through the end of January. Tributes are pouring out worldwide while Scott, whose battle with cancer has passed a turning point, is still kicking. Scott has been gracious kind and considerate in his handling of his…
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Proceeding Pro Se Quote
Because Respondent proceeds pro se, their pleadings are entitled to a liberal construction and “held to less stringent standards than formal pleadings drafted by lawyers.” Erickson v. Pardus, 551 U.S. 89, 94 (2007); Haines v. Kerner, 404 U.S. 519, 520–21 (1972). The question is not whether Respondent will ultimately prevail, but whether they are entitled to offer evidence in support of their…
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Teen Marijuana Use Continues Historic Decline
I said during the 2009 Iowa Board of Pharmacy cannabis hearings logic said legalization would reduce youth usage. I told you so: Federally Funded Survey: Teen Marijuana Use Continues Historic Decline Federally funded survey data compiled by the University of Michigan reports that teen marijuana use has declined significantly since states began regulating adult-use cannabis markets and is now…
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Two Religious Cannabis Cases Now Proceeding in Nebraska
My case, and a church member of mine, are proceeding in Nebraska. Mine is a probation challenge stating probation can’t restrict private not for profit religious use when the state is allowing and legislating secular medical exemptions. The second case I won’t report on so as not to screw up important litigation strategies but I…
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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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Nebraska First Freedom Act Floor Discussion
LB43 Floor Debate (January 23, 2024) KELLY: Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Senator Sanders, you are recognized open on LB43. SANDERS: Good morning, Mr. President, and members of the Legislature. I stand here today to bring LB43 before you. Earlier on in our education, we were taught about the separation of powers among three branches…
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Filing structure for Nebraska RFRA Challenge
When in Rome…. FILING PACKAGE — COMPLETE STRUCTURE 1. Motion (Captioned, Filed in Your Criminal Case) Title: Motion to Modify Conditions of Probation Pursuant to Nebraska Religious Freedom Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 20-403 to 20-404) and Neb. Rev. Stat. § 29-2263 What it asks for (clean framing): A narrow, as-applied modification of one probation…
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Nebraska RFRA (First Freedom Act) — Probation Condition Challenge
Nebraska’s Religious Freedom Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 20-403 to 20-404) imposes strict scrutiny on state actions that substantially burden religious exercise. That means: The State must prove BOTH: A compelling governmental interest, AND That the burden is the least restrictive means of achieving it. Probation conditions are state action and are subject to RFRA…
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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…
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Dead Sea Scrolls Prove Book of Enoch Was Canonical During Jesus Time
The Dead Sea Scroll Proof Between 1947–1956, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered at Qumran. Among them were at least 11 distinct Enoch manuscripts — more copies than many Old Testament books. That tells us something critical: Enoch was not fringe. It was core scripture for major Jewish communities before Jesus. What the Scrolls show:…
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New Research: Cannabis Could Cure Ovarian Cancer
According to new research published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were found to interfere with the growth and spread of ovarian cancer cells. Full article to download: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1693129/full?utm_source=chatgpt.com Selective anti-cancer effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol via PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibition and PTEN restoration in ovarian cancer cells Siyao Tong1,2Watcharin Loilome1,3Nisana Namwat1,3Poramate Klanrit1,3Arporn Wangwiwatsin1,3Zar…
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Studies Showing Cannabis Can Cure Cancer
Cannabinoids, including Δ9-THC, CBD, and CBG, exhibit significant anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, autophagy stimulation, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferation, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition. Clinical trials have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care. However, challenges such as variability in cannabinoid composition, psychoactive effects, regulatory barriers, and lack of standardized…
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The Medical Case For Rescheduling Cannabis: Dr. Grinspoon
https://x.com/peter_grinspoon/status/2005319703628284085?s=46 https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drpetergrinspoon_the-wall-street-journal-chose-not-to-publish-activity-7409331214001528832-ySCz
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APA Concerns Delayed Rescheduling
Not surprising. Makes a lot of sense if you’ve studied administrative law for a few thousand hours.
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Americans for Safe Access Explain Schedule 3
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/trump_executive_order_rescheduling
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The American Medical Cannabis Access Map (AMC-AM)
THE PROJECT The American Medical Cannabis Access Map (AMC-AM) A permanent public national archive showing: • Which states allow medical cannabis • What conditions qualify • What protections patients actually have • Where doctors can recommend • Where dispensaries can legally operate • Where federal law still blocks access • Where patients are forced into…
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Part 3: The Soft Wall
Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. Part 1: https://weedpress.wordpress.com/2025/12/23/the-difference-between-authority-and-control/ Part 2: https://weedpress.wordpress.com/2025/12/23/the-architecture-of-moral-power/ The Soft Wall There is a kind of censorship that does not look like censorship. It does not ban speech. It does not raid offices. It does not seize printing presses. It simply makes certain voices hard to…
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The Architecture of Moral Power
Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. Modern influence is no longer built primarily on results. It is built on positioning. Who is perceived as “good.” Who is framed as “safe.” Who is considered “above scrutiny.” These perceptions now function as a form of political armor. Moral Positioning as Infrastructure Reputation…
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The Difference Between Authority and Control
Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. The Difference Between Authority and Control There is a silent confusion happening in modern leadership culture. Many people believe authority and control are the same thing. They are not. Authority is granted. Control is imposed. And history is ruthless to leaders who confuse the…
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Negotiations Conquer Armies: The Haile Selassie Lesson from Law 3 of The 48 Laws of Power
Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. By Jason Karimi There is a persistent myth in modern political culture: that power is seized primarily through confrontation. Through resistance. Through force. History tells a far more dangerous—and far more instructive—truth. Empires are not usually conquered by armies. They are conquered by negotiations.…
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Why Consumers Prefer Walmart to Small Businesses
“Mom-and-pop” shops aren’t better. Amazon refunds you in 30 seconds while the indie biz ghosts you. Local cafes open whenever the owner feels like it. The neighborhood market is expensive and always out of what you need. CVS fills prescriptions on time; the independent pharmacy closes for lunch. You don’t have to worry about being…
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New JAMA Study: Cannabis & Schizophrenia
🧵 New JAMA Study: Cannabis & Schizophrenia Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. A population study of 13.5 million people in Ontario examined how cannabis policy changes relate to schizophrenia diagnoses. Here’s what they found ⬇️ 1️⃣ After cannabis became more accessible, the share of new schizophrenia cases linked to…
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What Schedule III Means Under Federal Law
What Schedule III Means Under Federal Law Reader note: This blog post protected by the constitution’s first amendment. Schedule III substances are defined under the Controlled Substances Act as drugs with: Accepted medical use Moderate to low potential for physical dependence Potential for psychological dependence Examples currently include ketamine, anabolic steroids, and certain codeine-containing medications.…
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South Dakota Marijuana Laced With Fentanyl: One Case Reported Found
In February 2025, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and Division of Criminal Investigation issued a public warning about marijuana discovered in eastern South Dakota that appeared laced with opioids and possibly fentanyl. A man experienced overdose-like symptoms after smoking it (noting an unusual chemical taste and blue-white tint), went to the ER, tested positive…
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Request for South Dakota to Petition U.S. Attorney General for Waiver Under 21 U.S.C. § 822(d)
South Dakota’s medical cannabis setup (under Department of Health via SDCL 34-20G) is tightly regulated, low-diversion, and focused on patients—ideal for arguing a 21 U.S.C. § 822(d) waiver to exempt state-licensed operators from DEA registration, as long as it aligns with public health/safety. No one’s filed yet (day zero), but SD could slot in after…
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Alaska Requests Help From WeedPress
I was just contacted with a request to assist an Alaskan activist with legislation to reschedule cannabis following today’s historic Trump rescheduling order. I am not an attorney. This is not legal advice. Here is Alaska law from my notes: 105 Alaska Stat § 17.38.900(10). http://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#17.38.900 106 Alaska Stat. § 11.71.190. http://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp#11.71.190. 107 Alaska Sat.…
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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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Utah Court Grants Standing To Intervene For Sugarleaf Church Member
A church I am a member of has received approval to intervene in Utah in an ongoing case. Attached is the ruling:
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If People Are Going To Keep Using Marijuana, We Need To Start Studying It
Schedule 3 rescheduling is a hot trending topic right now. The biggest argument for Trump removing cannabis from schedule 1 is the need for better research protocols. Schedule 1 restrictions limit policy makers ability to study cannabis thoroughly. Trump is going to reschedule it seems, and WeedPress predicts the main reason that will be given…
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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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Gateway Drug Theory Rejected By DEA and HHS: Federal Register
81 Fed. Reg. 53767, 53784 (Aug. 12, 2016) (concluding that “research does not support a direct causal relationship between regular marijuana use and other illicit drug use” and emphasizing that “[l]ittle evidence supports the hypothesis that initiation of marijuana use leads to an abuse disorder with other illicit substances”). Full text of the decision available…
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Reminder: Rising to the Moment: Protecting and Advancing Cannabis Legalization in a Changing America
Rising to the Moment: Protecting and Advancing Cannabis Legalization in a Changing America Date & TimeDec 17, 2025 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Webinar ID815 7712 0875 Description BGM and Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) invite you to join us for a timely discussion on the current state of the national legalization landscape. We will…
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After Four Months of Terror Meth User Brande Black of Sioux Falls Loses in Court
Just gonna flick a quick booger here. My fiance had cancer surgery earlier this year. During that time an open meth user got angry at my fiance and targeted harassment and threats daily for months until we finally filed a protective order. She accused me and my fiance of turning her in for beating her…
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Truck Drivers Can Use Cannabis Under Schedule 3 Absent Policy Interventions
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/drug-testing-industry-group-is-sounding-the-alarm-about-marijuana-rescheduling-as-trump-plans-action/ I’m now a solo advocate and quit representing other people as the entire weed movement and all its groups desire criminality, rebellion, and cool kid ego games and I can’t do it any longer. When I say that, as cannabis advocates, we cannot unleash regulations that don’t respect public health and safety, or programs…
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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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How Will Federal Exemption Impact Business Revenue? 20%? 50%?
“Being Thoughtful About Cannabis Legalization and Social Equity: Some Opportunities, Puzzles, and Trade-Offs” by Beau Kilmer (a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation). Published in 2020 in The International Journal of Drug Policy, it examines the broader economic and social implications of cannabis legalization, with a specific focus on how federal legalization could disproportionately disadvantage…
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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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Trump Is Definitely Rescheduling And Also Descheduling: Magnificent Leadership From The Best President For Marijuana In Our Lifetime
This is without question the BEST PRESIDENT IN MY LIFETIME and before my lifetime on marijuana law reform. THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP!!!!! https://themarijuanaherald.com/2025/12/trump-advisor-says-cannabis-descheduling-commission-still-planned-announcement-expected-by-summer/
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DEA Lawyer To Judge: 21 USC 822(d) Is Statute Governing Federal Exemption Applications
Clarity here: https://weedpress.wordpress.com/2025/11/24/iowaska-church-of-healing-oral-argument-in-dc-court/
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Alabama RFRA, Constitution, Amendment
Alabama Religious Freedom Restoration Act Article I, Sec. 3.01 Alabama Religious Freedom Amendment. SECTION I. The amendment shall be known as and may be cited as the Alabama Religious Freedom Amendment. SECTION II. The Legislature makes the following findings concerning religious freedom: (1) The framers of the United States Constitution, recognizing free exercise of religion…
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Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act
An organization I have worked for as a paid intern and volunteered for for almost two decades is running a governor candidate in Wyoming. Here’s the state RFRA. 9-29-101. Religious Freedom Restoration Act; short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Wyoming Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” History 2025 ch. 122,…
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Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act
This one has a good intro: BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. This Act shall be known and may be cited as the “Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” SECTION 2. The General Assembly finds and determines that: (1) Whereas the framers of the United States Constitution and the people of…
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Trump Might Reschedule Today by Executive Order
I privately thought that may be what happens is an executive order. Marijuana Moment says rumor says today’s the day….fingers crossed
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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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Ewwwww: Live Bug Discovered In Hemp Product In South Dakota. GROSS
Previously on WeedPress: Limited Public Input, Transparency Failure: South Dakota Cannabis Board Not Serving Public, Patient Concerns A live bug was found in a hemp product purchased by investigators. This report also found high levels of heavy metals and toxins dangerous to patients. Disgusting.
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The Federal Exemption Process Protects Pot Users Needing Organ Transplants…
Imagine a doctor denied your father life saving surgery because he’s a medical cannabis user: Pot Can Get You Kicked Off Transplant Lists — Even In States Where It’s Legal (Buzzfeed) How would you feel? Here’s how to ensure loved ones never have to again face denial of medical life saving surgeries for being cannabis…
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Neil Rockind’s Challenge to Schedule I Status in Michigan
Neil S. Rockind, a prominent criminal defense attorney based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, successfully argued for the dismissal of charges in People v. Richmond (also referenced as the “Clinical Relief Dispensary Case”). This case centered on marijuana-related charges tied to the operation of a medical marijuana dispensary (Clinical Relief) in Michigan. Rockind challenged the validity…
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How To Send Statewide Press Releases To South Dakota Media Outlets
Woke up to news reporters in my inbox this morning. Im filing an ethics complaint next. I’m just gonna leave this here: https://www.sdna.com/press-releases $75 is cheap.
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Assessment of the Impacts of Marijuana Legalization in Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2018, by Michael Lynch)
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3668&context=etd&utm_source=chatgpt.com
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Ilhan Omar’s Office Called WeedPress For Help On Federal Exemption To State Cannabis Laws!!!!
Just a brief note, but I was asked this last week by Ilhan Omar’s Congressional office for info on a bill I wrote the bill summary for in 2021 that passed the Minnesota House. Read the bill here: House File 1023. The bill was introduced by Young Americans for Liberty endorsed House Rep Jeremy Munson.…
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Popular South Dakota Cannabis Advocate Running For House Seat
A well known cannabis advocate is running for House District 35 (which covers parts of Rapid City, Rapid Valley, Box Elder, and surrounding areas). Here is some info on House candidate Emmett Reistroffer: Political & Public-Policy Positions + Self-Presentation — What He Emphasizes When he launched his House campaign in 2025, Reistroffer presented a platform…
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South Dakota’s Lack Of Testing Labs For Marijuana: Cause For Concern?
Number of testing labs in South Dakota According to the state’s official cannabis-licensing site, as of early 2025 there are two independent medical cannabis testing laboratories licensed by the South Dakota Department of Health (SD-DOH). Of those two labs: Cannabis Chem Lab Inc. — located in Flandreau, South Dakota — is described as the “only licensed cannabis…
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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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FDA Says Iowa’s Medical Marijuana Law Doesn’t Risk Federal Funds For Academic Institutions
POLITICS FDA Says Iowa’s Medical Marijuana Law Doesn’t Risk Federal Funds For Academic Institutions https://www.marijuanamoment.net/fda-says-iowas-medical-marijuana-law-doesnt-risk-federal-funds-for-academic-institutions/
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Re: Ilhan’s Federal Exemption For State Hemp/Cannabis Industries In Minnesota
WeedPress note: Posting here at 4:20 am for quick reference to Maine (sched z) Colorado Georgia and Illinois (not scheduled) ND MN Arkansas North Carolina and Tennessee anomalies Here is the 1980s THC Therapeutic Research Act, upon which Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research Act was roughly based upon. https://www.scribd.com/document/226270524/Memorandum-to-Governor-s-Office-Re-Medical-Marijuana “For the purposes of this section, THC is…
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New Iowa Cannabis Lobbyist Network Incorporates
A new Iowa marijuana lobbying organization has incorporated as of November 22, 2025. Meet the Iowa Cannabis Action Network: Started by this lady: I’ve talked a few times with Gina over the past few years. I’ll let her do her own introductions. But I liked Gina, she’s very likable and approachable, and recall having encouraged…
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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,…
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Iowaska Church Of Healing Oral Argument In DC Court
Case 2: 25-1140 In re: Iowaska Church of Healing Friday, November 14, 2025 9:30 A.M. USCA Courtroom 31 Judges Henderson, Katsas, Garcia Karen LeCraft Henderson Gregory G. Katsas Bradley N. Garcia 25-1140 In re: Iowaska Church of Healing 10 minutes per side Arguing: Simon A. Steel, Lowell V. Sturgill Jr. (DOJ)…
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Why Ilhan Omar’s “Fed Exemption for Hemp” Has No Application Process
21 USC 822(d) has no application process. 21 USC 822(d) covers a class of activity, such as religious use of peyote. 21 USC 822(d) should be between a state and the federal administration, like it is between that church and the federal administration. There is no application, but a state attorney general…
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Opening Statement
Good morning your honor. Good morning counsel. The State has not met its burden of demonstrating a compelling interest in prohibiting the Petitioner’s possession of cannabis for religious use. The State has the burden under the Iowa Religious Freedom Restoration Act to show the Petitioner’s possession of cannabis for religious use is a threat to…
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Email To South Dakota House Joint Appropriations Committee Member
Mr. Muckey, I live in Sioux Falls. I would like to request assistance with getting the following in front of the medical cannabis board. Please advise at your convenience on any thoughts you can share. Gratefully, Jason Karimi Copy To: President of the South Dakota Senate Copy to: Speaker of the South Dakota House This…
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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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Petition To South Dakota Legislature Senate And House Leadership
Copy To: President of the South Dakota Senate Copy to: Speaker of the South Dakota House This petition is submitted pursuant to: South Dakota Constitution 0N-6-4§ 4: § 4. Right of petition and peaceable assembly. The right of petition, and of the people peaceably to assemble to consult for the common good and make known their opinions, shall never be abridged.…
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Lander Case, Certiorari Filed By National Sheriffs Association
Explains RLUIPA a bit, 1983 claims Click to access 20251001235510035_LaNsa_Amicus%20Document%20October%201%202025%20EFile.pdf The sheriffs say Landor should have used 42 U.S.C. 1983.
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Unnamed YET Tennessee Black Student Brandishes Screwdriver At Turning Point USA RIOT (Video)
Who had the screwdriver? Which student? What’s his parents names? I want this students name. Voicemail left with Tennessee presidents office demanding the student name who brandished a screwdriver as well as expulsion of all students in the video. Tennessee congressman has tweeted about defunding this ghetto trash school as well updates soon I used…
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Uh-Oh: Nebraska Marijuana Patients Call Sabotage – Lawmakers Fail Cannabis Commission
If you haven’t been following the Medical Cannabis Commission, the Nebraska Examiner’s recent article on the Medical Cannabis Commission (“Medical Cannabis, Liquor Control Commissions seek to combine resources as frustrations flare”). confirms what we’ve been saying for months: the Medical Cannabis Commission is unprepared, underfunded, and on a path to fail both patients AND voters. As a reminder, Governor…
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Thurston County Nebraska Courthouse Is Understaffed And Not Functioning As A Result
I called today to ask Thurston County clerk of court if they received my Monday motion on whether Nebraska probationers are allowed to use medical cannabis or not. I didn’t get an answer but a voicemail from a Marcie saying due to understaffing the courthouse isn’t functioning and if you leave a message she will…
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Nebraska Probationer Requests Medical Cannabis Be Allowed In Court Filing
Filing motion with district court judge here today to find out if Nebraska probation has to let medical cannabis be used which the law seems to say it does Here’s the motion below: Per Thurston County Clerk of Court direction this motion is filed via email. August 4 2025 4:20 pm Motion To…
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DEA Brief in Iowaska Healing Church Iowa Lawsuit July 2025
Download the DEA brief at the above link. Case concerns an ayahuasca church demanding religious exemption to use ayahuasca in ceremony as their sacrament. Interesting brief.
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Olsen v. DEA, 878 F.2d 1458, 1461 (D.C. Cir. 1989)
The DEA’s contention that Congress directed the Administrator automatically to turn away all churches save one opens a grave constitutional question. A statutory exemption authorized for one church alone, and for which no other church may qualify, presents a “denominational preference” not easily reconciled with the establishment clause. See Larson v. Valente, 456 U.S. 228, 245,…
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Pekin Federal Prison Inmates Reporting Toilet Paper Out of Stock At Prison
Non-violent drug prisoner informs WeedPress the Federal Pekin prison in Illinois has notified inmates they will not be able to provide toilet paper as the prison has entirely ran out of toilet paper. News media needs to investigate, making calls now.
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Recent DEA Footnote Acknowledges Two Part CAMU Test!
For those following mj rescheduling, pg 7 fn 13 of this DEA doc temporarily placing 3 synth opioids in schedule I may be of interest. DEA acknowledges the existence of and authority for the 2-part test for CAMU, though it also applies its own 5-part test: https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-11462.pdf?utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&utm_medium=email&utm_source=federalregister.gov
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WeedPress: The Paper Trail 