Has your cannabis been irradiated? And should you care?

Posted on May 23rd, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , , .

cannabisIrradiated cannabis? Yes, it’s a reality. While it may sound scary, industry tells us not to worry. Consumer advocacy groups, however, are raising concerns.

Peter Lamborn Wilson, underground intellectual and anarchist luminary, passes on

PLWPeter Lamborn Wilson, celebrated "underground intellectual" and a pivotal figure in the revival of American anarchism over the past 40 years, died May 23 at his home in Saugerties, NY, reportedly from a heart attack. A controversial as well as inspirational figure, Wilson was the author of several cult classics, ranging from ecstatic rants to anti-authoritarian interpretations of history and what he called "drop-out culture."

Peter Gorman, naturalist and legend of cannabis journalism, passes on

Peter GormanPeter Gorman, the acclaimed journalist, naturalist and adventurer who aggressively covered cannabis and the drug war beat for over 30 years, died at his home in Texas on April 24 at the age of 71. He had just returned from a long-planned river journey into a remote area of the Peruvian Amazon that he had first visited in 1984, and where he first encountered the psychoactive shamanic substances that would define much of his life's work.

Global industry round-up: Canada, Israel, Costa Rica, Thailand

Planet WatchThe cannabis industry is globalizing fast, which means changes for mainstays of commercial production in Europe and North America, and new players coming on line from regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Central America. Here’s a brief overview of a few entries from these categories.

Reggae star Tabby Diamond killed in Jamaica

Posted on March 30th, 2022 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

Tabby DiamondReggae group the Mighty Diamonds' lead singer Tabby Diamond (née Donald Shaw) was shot and killed in Jamaica in a drive-by attack on March 29. Five people were hit with two dying in the St. Andrew South area. Shaw was 67.

The Mighty Diamonds were founded in 1967, but didn't release their first album until 1976. Their best-known song, 1981's "Pass the Kouchie," is about smoking ganja. One year later, Musical Youth's cover of the song, retitled "Pass the Dutchie," was a No. 10 hit in the US.

Contrasts in cannabis equity: New York and Montana

Posted on March 28th, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , .

leafThe Empire State and Big Sky Country, although seemingly on opposite sides of America’s political divide, now each face the opportunity—and the challenge—of crafting a post-prohibition cannabis economy on the principle of justice for all.

Brittney Griner: celebrity cannabis bust to become Putin's geopolitical pawn?

Posted on March 10th, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , , , , , .

Brittney GrinerUS basketball star, Olympic gold-medalist and LGBTQ icon Brittney Griner was popped at the Moscow airport, supposedly in possession of cannabis oil. She faces up to 10 years—and given the anti-cannabis, anti-gay and anti-American atmosphere in Russia, things are not looking good for her. Will she be used as a bargaining chip to exact concessions from the US in the war for Ukraine?

Good news, bad news in national study on drug arrests and imprisonment

Posted on March 4th, 2022 by Bill Weinberg and tagged , , , .

prisonersIn a proverbial case of "good news, bad news," a national study finds that even as overall incarceration rates have dramatically dropped over the past decade, drug arrest rates have remained high—and racial disparities in arrests have persisted. The disparities have, nonetheless, decreased, as have overall cannabis arrests—with a big uptick in meth arrests taking up the slack.

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