Let’s Talk About Why Cannabis Reform Is Becoming A Distant Dream

Plus, higher cannabis taxes are coming

February 14, 2025

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Welcome back cannabis colleagues, friends and readers. Javier Hasse and Maureen Meehan here to wrap up the week, which saw quite a few cannabis and cannabis-adjacent events.

In today's issue:

Big News First: Trump Taps New DEA Chief And He’s No Friend Of Cannabis

It turns out that Terrance Cole, a retired 22-year DEA veteran, is more in the camp of the late former First Lady Nancy Reagan whose 1980s-era "Just Say No" campaign helped launch the deadly War on Drugs.

Despite Trump previously expressing support during his campaign when he was up against VP Kamala Harris’s popular pro-cannabis stance, this DEA appointment indicates the president will not be embracing cannabis reform anytime soon.

Less than a month in, Trump has already appointed tough-on-crime figures to key oversight roles, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, who opposed medical cannabis in Florida and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) head Russ Vought, who supported federal intervention in cannabis shops. Read more here.

And while we’re on the subject of Trump appointments…

Robert F. Kennedy's Confirmation: Cannabis Advocates Question His New Vow To 'Follow The Science' On Marijuana's Harms

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was approved on Thursday to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). RFK, who vowed to legalize cannabis during his 2023 presidential campaign, seems to have a new plan.

He is now saying he’ll “follow the science on the harms of marijuana," reported Marijuana Moment. Follow the science? That’s something new for the conspiracy theorist vaccine denier. Kennedy also said recently that he would defer to the DEA on marijuana rescheduling, or lack thereof, in his new role. Read more here.

Oh, Why Oh Why Ohio? Gov. DeWine Wants To Double Cannabis Taxes

Ohio has made nearly $320 million since adult-use cannabis sales began last summer and that figure doesn't even include medical marijuana sales. This puts total cannabis revenues over $2.4 billion but it seems GOP Governor Mike DeWine is looking to pull in even more marijuana money by doubling cannabis taxes from 10% to 20%. It seems other states like Michigan, Maine and Maryland are proposing to do the same.

Some Good News From The Midwest…

Tribal-Led Cannabis In Minnesota: Prairie Island Indian Community's Big Bet

Javier Hasse writes about the launch of Prairie Island's Cannabis Company, a vertically integrated cultivation site designed to support economic growth while preserving the land. As part of the tribe’s commitment to self-sufficiency and sustainable agricultural practices, the Prairie Island Cannabis Campus, which spans 13 acres, will grow, extract, process and distribute over 10,000 pounds of cannabis and cannabis extracts annually.

Another piece of positive news…

Trump Administration Secures Release Of Cannabis Prisoner Marc Fogel From 14-Year Russian Sentence

Marc Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian penal colony after his 2021 arrest in Moscow for possessing medical marijuana, was released as part of a prisoner exchange on Tuesday. Fogel, who previously worked at the U.S. embassy in Moscow and later as an English teacher, legally used medical marijuana as an alternative to opioids for chronic pain following spinal surgery. Fogel, who is in his 60s, was arrested in Moscow in 2021, but he’s home now. Yay!

A brilliant exclusive by Javier Hasse…

How A German Vape Company Revolutionized Cannabis Consumption Forever: The Inside Story Of Storz & Bickel

STORZ & BICKEL pioneered cannabis vaporization with medical-grade precision and groundbreaking technology. Read all about the VENTY, the fastest and most customizable vaporizer yet, which won 2024’s Vaporizer of the Year... and much more.

We hope everyone has a wonderful, warm and restful weekend!

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