Tag: Media

6/9/21--According to Europe’s drugs agency, the illegal drugs trade went digital to serve its customers during lockdown, and could stay that way when the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The pandemic has forced changes to every level of the drugs trade, from wholesale traffickers and smugglers to neighborhood dealers. Read

5/4/21--Scientific publishing is undergoing dramatic changes, which include the expansion of open access, an increased number of for-profit publication houses, and ready availability of preprint manuscripts that have not been peer reviewed. This opinion article covers the inequities and concerns that these changes have wrought. Read

3/31/21--In a Wednesday update posted to the company’s ad-friendly content guidelines, YouTube announced it would be easing up on the monetization restrictions for certain kinds of content dealing with “recreational drugs and drug-related content,” among other topics. Read

3/4/21--During two events Wednesday, cannabis reform advocates focused on the case for legalization and on issues with the governor’s plan, while an anti-legalization group warned of potential harms of any legalization proposal. Read

2/8/21--Dr. Laura Berman, a relationship therapist who has appeared on TODAY, is sharing a warning to parents after announcing the overdose death of her son. Berman wrote in a post, “He got the drugs (Fentanyl laced Xanax) delivered to the house. Please watch your kids and WATCH SNAPCHAT especially. That’s how they get them.” Synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Read

1/15/21--Steve DeAngelo, one of the marijuana industry’s most high-profile pioneers, formally parter ways with the medical dispensary he co-founded, Harborside. Moreover, the role of chair emeritus, which DeAngelo held starting in 2018, was eliminated. The announcement closed a significant chapter for the longtime cannabis activist-turned-businessman, who proudly notes Harborside was among the first medical marijuana dispensaries to secure a commercial cannabis license in the United States. Read

12/6/20--A commentary, authored by Carol Formica of Middletown, discusses Newport Planning Board’s rejection of the ban on marijuana sales in Newport. She questions how can the same government leaders in Newport who have used science to support their positions on climate change, advocated for a brighter future and better education for their students, and pointed to statistical guidelines to address issues of public health and safety during the pandemic, simply turn away from the science and evidence-based data regarding the societal impacts of marijuana legalization. Read

9/4/20--Constantly running afoul of authorities, High Times magazine became an icon of the counterculture and an indispensable guide to the underground world of cannabis. It also survived the suicide of its outlaw founder, the war on drugs, and three federal grand jury investigations, as reported in a Politico article. But now that cannabis has become legal across much of the country, High Times finds itself in a different kind of trouble. Read

9/10/20--Twitter is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a federal drug agency, to promote substance misuse treatment resources when users of the social media platform search for “marijuana” or certain other substance-related keywords—but no such health warning appears with results for alcohol-connected terms. Read

6/28/20--According to an article by Ben Smith published in The New York Times, the revival of The Washington Post by the executive editor Mr. Baron and its owner, the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, is perhaps the greatest news business success story of the past decade. But that journalistic revival has in some ways masked a messier story, one of many contradictions. Read

6/29/20--HBO is partnering up with major marijuana businesses to market a line of promotional cannabis edible gummies meant to bring attention to an animated series premiering next week, the entertainment giant announced on Monday.Each blend was developed to produces effects the network says reflect the personalities of the four main characters from “Close Enough,” which will be streaming on HBO Max. Read

4/28/20--The owner of pioneering cannabis magazine High Times said it is acquiring 13 operating and planned marijuana retail stores in California for $80 million. The purchase, which is being made mostly in stock, reflects an aggressive move into retail under the company’s new management team. Read

4/28/20--The owner of High Times is going to start selling marijuana after championing its use in the pages of its magazine for nearly half a century. Hightimes Holding Corp. said Tuesday is acquiring 13 dispensaries from Harvest Health and Recreation, one of the largest multi-state producers and sellers of cannabis in the U.S. Read

4/30/20--Marijuana can have serious interactions with 21+ different drugs and moderate interactions with 286+, says RxList.com. It can also trigger anxiety and paranoia, according to a study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Researchers at the University of Washington discovered that more than half of 1,500 students surveyed had experienced anxiety and/or paranoia while using cannabis. Read

1/21/20--High Times is getting into the retail game by opening two cannabis dispensaries in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. These flagship dispensaries will carry a variety of High Times-branded merchandise alongside locally sourced cannabis products that have previously won awards at Cannabis Cup events. Read

9/27/19--According to Dr. Sanjay Gupta, we are in an age of wisdom, but also an age of foolishness. Gupta further states that great strides have been made with with medical marijuana, but some of the same mistakes that led cannabis to be vilified and misunderstood in the first place have been repeated. Read

9/26/19--The Gentleman Toker, a website that many Washingtonians have come to depend on for independent advice in navigating DC’s confusing cannabis market, will shut down October 1. “I don’t feel good about the industry any longer,” says Joe Tierney, who operates the publication. Read

7/5/19--American views on marijuana have shifted incredibly rapidly. In 1988, only 24 percent of Americans supported legalization, but by 2018, 66 percent of U.S. residents offered their approval. Many state laws have changed as well. Over the last quarter-century, 10 states have legalized recreational marijuana, while 22 states have legalized medical marijuana. Read

5/10/19--According to marijuana advocate Steve DeAngelo, marijuana is the most effective medicine for most elderly health complaints and most other health complaints for every age group. However, as Dr. Francis Keefe, of Duke University Medical Center’s Pain Management Program noted almost 20 years ago, pain perception is influenced by mitigating factors, including psychological, social, and cultural norms. An article published in Pot Network states, in part, that marijuana advocates have an anti-science problem. It’s not that they don’t believe the science, it’s that they pick and choose which science to accept. Read

2/13/19--Millions of Americans died from smoking-related illnesses before legal and political pressure forced the industry to admit the truth. Now, the risk of history repeating itself, with a different drug and a new generation of conflicts of interest — but, sadly, some of the same companies. According to Alex Berenson, author of  "Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence," marijuana is another addictive smoked product, and even as its use rises, we are still trying to figure out exactly how dangerous it might be and how to discourage its use. Read

1/20/19--Scientists with a combined 70-plus years of drug education and research on psychoactive substances believe author Alex Berenson’s assertions in his new book about marijuana causing psychotic disorders leading to violent crimes are misinformed and reckless. According to Carl L. Hart, chairman and Ziff professor of psychology and psychiatry at Columbia University, evidence from research indicates that aggression and violence are highly unlikely outcomes of marijuana use. Read

1/18/19--Alex Berenson, author of 'Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence,' is taking on his critics and responding to the widespread negative feedback about his book. According to Berenson, marijuana advocates appear unwilling to accept anything less than full national legalization of marijuana – even if they must downplay or hide the drug's very real mental health risks, and overstate its potential medical benefits, to do so. Read

1/22/19--Currently, there is not enough evidence to support whether or not heavy use of marijuana causes schizophrenia or other syndromes. Even top scientists who specialize in marijuana research are divided, drawing opposite conclusions from the same data. The debate centers on the distinction between correlation and causation. People with psychotic problems often use marijuana regularly; this is a solid correlation, but it is unclear which came first, the marijuana habit or the psychoses. Read

1/10/19--Sandra S. Bennett and William M. Bennett, MD, viewers of the CBS program "Madam Secretary" were stunned and dismayed when the show promoted the use and legalization of marijuana. According to the Bennett's, the alleged “facts” as presented in the program were misleading and/or incorrect. They are urging the network to change the next episode and all future episodes of Madam Secretary to remove any references suggesting that the use of marijuana or marijuana products, not approved by the FDA, are safe or beneficial. Read

1/13/19--When the first NYC Cannabis Film Festival was held in 2015, organizers hoped to minimize the stigma surrounding marijuana use in the public's perception. Now, with recreational pot already legal in 10 states, this year's festival could be the last before New York becomes the latest state to lift its prohibition on the drug. The films appearing at the NYC Cannabis Film Festival are intended to depict a non-stereotypical view of marijuana culture, with some tackling other topics altogether. Read

1/9/19--Marijuana culture is being reframed, in part as a result of independently run magazines with modest press runs but impressive coffee-table presence. They are helping the archetype of stereotypical marijuana smokers evolve into cultured, luxury-designer-wearing members of the creative class. Publishers see an exciting opportunity in a marketplace that could reach $23.4 billion in consumer spending and employ a half-million Americans by 2023, according to the cannabis data firm BDS Analytics. Read

11/19/18--The Boston Globe launched a new section of Globe.com dedicated to covering the politics, business, use, and impact of marijuana in the Northeast with a primary focus on the New England states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The Globe will bring the resources of New England’s largest newsroom to cover the cultural, business, and legal aspects of marijuanas, and facilitate conversations across the Northeast. Read

11/5/18--This review presents a comprehensive picture of research studies about marijuana-related content in news, social media, and advertisements. Studies that examined the extent of people’s exposure to the messages and its effects were also included. Read

10/25/18--Recreational marijuana is being legalized in states across the USA, and the public relies on popular media for health information about the drug. An assessment was performed on the accuracy of reporting on health effects of marijuana use in GreenState, a specialty publication on marijuana published by the San Francisco Chronicle and the main newspaper using the Index of Scientific Quality for Health Related News Reports. Seventeen GreenState articles and four San Francisco Chronicle articles were identified for analysis. Read

10/15/18--Combustible and electronic tobacco and marijuana use frequently occurred in popular hip-hop music videos from 2013 to 2017. The genre’s broad appeal, use of branded products by influential artists, and rise of electronic product and marijuana use may contribute to a growing public health concern of tobacco and marijuana use. Read

9/13/18--High Times Holding Corp., the parent company of the iconic marijuana culture magazine High Times, is looking to attract a large number of small investors as the publication works to go public, bolster its brand, and shore up a balance sheet mired in debt. Read

7/9/18--A report, published in the journal Preventative Medicine Reports, examining how the press covers cannabis, also revealed which publications have been the most and least weed-friendly. The percentage of marijuana stories with "positive" tones in ten newspapers include, The Columbus Dispatch: 37.1%; The New York Times: 37; The Seattle Times: 35.8%, The Washington Post: 32.4%; The San Francisco Chronicle: 31.9%; Tulsa World: 28.2%; The Tampa Tribune: 21.5%; The Dallas Morning News: 21.2%; The Wall Street Journal: 17.4%; and The Denver Post: 13.8%. Read

7/5/18--Netflix has hit a low note with “Cooking on High.” The food series, in which competitors cook marijuana-infused dishes for a pair of judges, has been panned by viewers and critics alike. One Washington Post review slammed ineptitude among the show’s judges. Read

3/10/18--As marijuana use continues to become decriminalized across the United States, doctors, researchers and patients are pushing to make it an accepted part of cancer treatments. The new film Weed the People, executive-produced by Ricki Lake, follows families as they discover the benefits of marijuana for their child’s cancer and chemotherapy. Read

1/2/18--CNN reporter Randi Kaye, sporting large marijuana leaf styled earrings, lit a bong for a pot smoker during a live report from Denver broadcast on CNN’s New Year’s Eve show Sunday night that was hosted from Times Square by Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. Read

10/16/17--Cassandra Farrington, CEO and co-founder of a brand new marijuana trade newsletter, Marijuana Business Daily, a.k.a., MJBiz Daily, and its mega trade conference, MJBiz Conference and Expo, which was named to Trade Show Executive’s “Fastest 50″ the last two years. With 843% overall growth across its verticals in 2016, MJBiz Daily won accolades as a top media company by Inc., landing on its Inc 5000 list. Farrington says she never dreamed she would be running a company, let alone one in the marijuana industry. Read

9/15/17--According to a Hollywood Reporter editorial by Andy Williams, co-founder and CEO of Colorado-based retail cannabis chain Medicine Man, much of the entertainment industry still treats legal marijuana as forgettable, as opposed to the most significant drug policy shift of our lifetimes. Williams believes Hollywood writers and directors should be more responsible in their depiction of the legal and regulated cannabis business -- especially since most Americans have never experienced this industry first-hand. Therefore, inaccurate televised depictions only enforces the negative stereotypes that have already been moved beyond in post-prohibition markets. Read

8/26/17--Netflix has partnered with a dispensary in California to create marijuana strains based on 10 of its original series, including “Orange is the New Black” and “Arrested Development.” According to a press release, each strain was cultivated with the specific shows in mind, designed to complement each title based on their tone. Read

7/25/17--In a new podcast called the "Potcast," a group of journalists will look at how Americans' lives and their communities are being affected by cannabis legalization. The podcast is set to debut in fall 2017 and is hosted and produced by Jenny Kane and Brian Duggan. Based out of Reno, Nev., the Potcast will tell the stories of dealers, doctors, pastors, and grandmothers as they all come to terms with how legal ganja is changing American culture, for better or worse. Read

6/22/17--Drug testing is fairly common for media positions. Yet, drug tests in media strike many observers as odd, given that reporters typically don't do the things traditionally associated with workplace drug testing, like operating heavy machinery or driving buses full of schoolchildren. According to a national survey administered by SurveyUSA, half of Americans said that journalists should be able to use marijuana where it's legal to do so. Thirty-five percent, on the other hand, said newspapers should “punish” journalists who use pot. Read

6/1/17--High Times has been acquired by a group of investors that includes Damian Marley, son of the reggae star Bob Marley. The group, led by Adam Levin, the founder of the investment firm Oreva Capital, bought a controlling interest at a price that values the magazine at $70 million. Read

5/24/17--Soon after an impaired driver killed an 18-year-old-girl in Times Square May 18, Vox writer and pro-marijuana supporter German Lopez wrote a think piece condemning drunken driving and criticizing the media for disproportionately covering terrorism. But, after the story was published, the driver told police he was high on PCP-laced marijuana, not drunk. Lopez’s story was updated to report this fact but Vox has yet to publish a follow-up article highlighting the dangers of driving high. Read

4/24/17--The Cannabist reporter Alicia Wallace, who covers national business and policy matters along with Colorado-based topics, was recognized for her in-depth reporting, including PTSD in Colorado and lawn-and-garden giant Scotts Miracle-Gro expanding into cannabis sector. The Denver Post, which oversees The Cannabist, also picked up a number of awards for topical marijuana coverage. Read

4/15/17--Although many Americans and Canadians believe marijuana should be legal, the governments of the two countries appear to be moving in very different directions. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is a staunch opponent of legalization, recently ordered a review of an Obama-era policy under which the federal government agreed not to interfere with state laws on marijuana, as long as the states took steps to regulate its distribution and use. Sessions’s apparent goal is to make Washington the ultimate authority. Read

2/14/17--Shango Los, host of the podcast Ganjapreneur, is recording a new show in his home studio. Although he loved working with Ganjapreneur, after 54 episodes Los decided to start his own podcast called Shaping Fire. The new show focuses on cannabis innovation and disruption, something Los has been particularly passionate about and has followed since the early days of Washington’s legal recreational market. Read

11/6/16--CBS News set out to travel to five states and Canada to interview people on all sides of the issues -- from consumers to sellers, lobbyists to elected representatives to address questions about how legal pot should be marketed, sold, and regulated, in addition to what kind of businesses will dominate, how the product will be changed, and above all, how anyone can be sure the dream of legal marijuana won’t turn into a nightmare. Read

10/12/16--The Denver Post’s digital properties in August continued their pattern of month-over-month and year-over-year gains, see according to digital analytics firm comScore. The organization attracted 6.739 million unique visitors for the month, up 52.8 percent year-over-year and the third consecutive month of growth. Read

10/3/16--Former Alaska television reporter Charlo Green, who became a viral sensation in 2014 after quitting her job to advocate for the legal use of marijuana, faces 14 offenses and 54 years in prison for allegedly running an illegal marijuana shop. Read

9/27/16--Former Philadelphia Daily News gossip columnist Dan Gross launched ElevatedNation.com, the first website to focus on the region’s nascent marijuana industry. Read

9/8/16--According to an Alternet article, cheap both the Republican and Democrat parties have recognized the value of cannabis, at least medically. However, there is bigger picture. Legalizing cannabis could be the solution to America’s social, economic and even some foreign problems. Read

8/24/16--High Times, and the print and digital magazine that has been covering cannabis for more than 40 years, recently signed an agreement with United Talent Agency. The partnership is a first for both High Times and UTA. Never has a major Hollywood talent agency teamed up with a business in the cannabis industry. Read