Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

FORMER SEN. TOM DASCHLE: LEGALIZING CANNABIS WILL CURE AILING ECONOMY

One cure for an ailing American economy: Legalize cannabis says former Sen. Tom Daschle
One cure for an ailing American economy: Legalize cannabis says former Sen. Tom Daschle

In an Op-Ed for The Hill, former Senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) believes the reevaluation of the cannabis regulatory frameworks is imperative as our country begins the recovery process from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now more than ever, states need new businesses, new jobs and additional tax revenues. They need the next president to legalize cannabis, and the sooner, the better, according to the article.

Daschle acknowledges that legalizing cannabis — as 40 states have already done for either medical or recreational purposes— can’t cure all that ails America. Yet, for the next president, he believes it can help drive progress on multiple critical issues. Here's how Sen. Daschle sees legalization helping drive progress on critical issues facing the country right now:


1. Job Creation

null

First, legal cannabis will help create new businesses and new jobs and generate additional tax revenues. It’s already a $16 billion-dollar market where it is legal, with the total market worth an estimated $75 billion. We’re well on the path to de facto legalization on a state level; in fact, many states deemed access to cannabis to be an essential service at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The next president can take us the rest of the way.

2. Decriminalization

null

Second, criminalizing cannabis has created more social ills than it has cured. Without access to mainstream banking, the thriving illicit cannabis market is more susceptible to organized crime and poses a serious threat to public safety. America ended Prohibition because it simply didn’t work, and it is clear that the current criminalization of cannabis at the federal level doesn’t work either.

3. Ending the (Lost) War on Drugs

null

Third, the war on drugs (however well intentioned) has destroyed more lives than it has saved. Local law enforcement has been transformed into a paramilitary force focused on arresting low-level users, with overwhelming racial disparity in possession arrests skewed toward people of color. Incarceration for nonviolent drug crimes is often unjust. It creates long-term consequences throughout that person’s lifetime, namely the obvious challenge of getting a job and an average reduction of wage growth by about 30 percent for those who can find work. Nationally, police dedicate nearly $4 billion annually to enforce cannabis possession laws. Can we honestly say the staggering human and economic costs are worth it?

4. Cannabis = Medicine

null

Lastly, cannabis offers potential that legalization can help explore. While we have a handful of Food and Drug Administration-approved medications derived from cannabis, anecdotal evidence is giving way to clinical data illustrating promise in a variety of therapeutic areas. This is, of course, in addition to mounting evidence that cannabis has reduced opioid use and harm from opioid use.

Daschle points out that Politicians on the fringes will rail that nobody wants legalization and everyone fears it. However, we need to stand up and call that what it is: nonsense. Legalization of cannabis, far from being unpopular with voters, is already overwhelmingly supported by Americans and well on its way to being a de facto reality in most states.  


Are you still missing out on The Bluntness newsletter? Sign Up today to stay in the loop.

More For You

Store your psilocybin mushrooms properly for best results.
Store your psilocybin mushrooms properly for best results.
Photo by Marco Allegretti on Unsplash

Psilocybin 101: How to Store Magic Mushrooms to Maximize Potency and Shelf Life

Magic mushrooms, or psilocybin mushrooms, have been embraced for their transformative effects and potential therapeutic benefits. However, like any organic material, they are perishable and can lose potency—or worse, become unsafe—if not stored correctly. Whether you're healing depression or having trippy sex to hallucinatory entertainment, understanding how to properly store your mushrooms can help you preserve their effects for months or even years.

This comprehensive guide outlines best practices, advanced techniques, and essential tips for safely storing magic mushrooms to maintain their potency and avoid spoilage.

Keep ReadingShow less
Magic mushrooms come in more strains than you might realize.
Magic mushrooms come in more strains than you might realize.

Magic Mushrooms: An Overview of Different Psilocybin Strains and Effects

Like cannabis, magic mushrooms exist as strains and species. These terms are used to describe the physical or chemical characteristics of the plants. While they are often used interchangeably, strains and species are not the same. 

Psilocybin mushrooms contain psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. These compounds interact with the serotonin receptors to control biological and neurological processes like sleep, anxiety, cognition, appetite, nausea, learning, memory, and thermoregulation. 

Keep ReadingShow less
Magic mushroom spores are actually legal in most places.
Magic mushroom spores are actually legal in most places.

Psilocybin 101: Your Guide to Magic Mushroom Spores

Why are more people interested in magic mushrooms?

Magic mushrooms belong to a class of intoxicating mushrooms known as psychedelic mushrooms. They contain a combination of psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin, which are intoxicating. These compounds can interact with the serotonin receptors to promote relaxation with a feeling of euphoria. Recent clinical trials have shown their possible use for mental disorders, depression, and addiction. 

The practice and use of magic mushrooms started over 6000 years ago. At that time, people heavily relied on its psychotropic (mind-altering) properties to communicate with the divine and trigger trips. It was an important part of several religious rituals and was often utilized for its therapeutic benefits. 

Keep ReadingShow less
The Truth About THC Candle: Cannabis Candles & How to Make Your Own - The Bluntness

The Truth About THC Candle: Cannabis Candles & How to Make Your Own - The Bluntness

Cannabis Candle Facts & DIY

The Truth About THC Candle: Cannabis Candles & How to Make Your Own

There are several different ways to consume cannabis, and some of them don’t even involve actual consumption. Cannabis candles are beginning to take over the candle game, allowing cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy the smells they’re used to having to cover up and hide: the danky goodness of weed.

As cannabis becomes less stigmatized in modern culture, people are beginning to come out and admit to their cannabis use. While smoking weed used to be something people felt they had to keep on the down low, the culture is becoming increasingly mainstream and the scent is now sought after rather than condemned. Many cannabis candles feature complex scent profiles, including notes of amber, which contribute to a rich and layered aromatic experience.

Keep ReadingShow less
Weed Makes Me Antisocial: What To Do - The Bluntness

Weed Makes Me Antisocial: What To Do - The Bluntness

Weed Makes Me Antisocial: Help!

Many people can relate to the experience of “hitting a wall” socially. Introverts, you especially know what I mean. But when self-enforced isolation is weed-induced, does that mean it’s time to reconsider a few habits or routines? Maybe even take a break from weed entirely?

Cannabis has long been negatively associated with laziness and haziness, and although that isn’t always the case with cannabis consumers, it also isn’t that far off from the truth if you haven’t optimized your regimen. Marijuana use, in particular, has occasionally been linked to various mental health and behavioral effects, such as anxiety, paranoia, and antisocial behavior, while also being linked to alleviating these same symptoms. So it's important to understand how cannabis works with and for your body and needs.

Keep ReadingShow less