"BLOG EDITION"

Showing posts with label Matt Roberts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matt Roberts. Show all posts

Laughing at Us, Not With Us: Why Cannabis Deserves Better Representation

 


                     Watching Snoop Dogg do a weed-themed weather report on The Today Show wasn’t just lame—it was straight-up insulting. Instead of being a real nod to cannabis culture, it turned into the same old punchline, the same tired stoner joke. The audience ate it up like they always do, laughing at weed like it’s still some quirky novelty. But here’s the thing: those of us who actually live in this community? We’re not laughing. We’re over it.

Cannabis culture is way more than rolling a joint and tossing out “420” jokes. For decades, we’ve been fighting to get cannabis legalized, regulated, and de-stigmatized. But whenever the mainstream media gets their hands on weed, it’s still treated like a sideshow. They act like it’s something funny, something to laugh at—but what they don’t realize, or maybe just don’t care about, is that cannabis is real life for millions of people. People are still in prison for petty cannabis crimes while a bunch of talking heads giggle about weed on national TV. That shit doesn’t sit right with us.

Cannabis Isn’t a Joke—It’s Medicine

Let’s get one thing clear: for a lot of people, cannabis isn’t just about getting high and chilling out. It’s medicine. It’s life-changing, sometimes even life-saving. Cancer patients use it to manage the hell that is chemotherapy. Veterans rely on it to keep their PTSD at bay. People with chronic pain, epilepsy, and anxiety—are all finding relief in cannabis where traditional medicine has failed them. But instead of elevating that conversation, shows like The Today Show bring on Snoop to reinforce the “friendly stoner” stereotype for a laugh.

Here’s the kicker: while Snoop is out there hamming it up, the real cannabis community is out here grinding for access. In some states, people still can’t legally get the cannabis they need to treat their conditions. Veterans are fighting the government to get access to a plant that actually works for them, while the same government continues to shove Big Pharma pills down their throats. And yet, mainstream media keeps pulling the same tired routine, pretending weed is nothing more than a punchline. It’s pathetic.

Snoop Dogg: From Advocate to Mascot

Snoop used to be a hero in the cannabis space, a symbol of rebellion, of going against the grain. But now? Now he’s just a mainstream mascot. There’s nothing rebellious about it anymore. Remember when he showed up at the Olympics dressed like a corporate clown? Yeah, that was the moment it was clear: Snoop sold out. He’s no longer pushing the conversation forward. He’s just cashing checks from the same establishment we’ve been fighting against for decades.

While Snoop’s out there making weed jokes for the masses, the real advocates are still in the trenches, working for cannabis reform. People are risking their freedom and their careers to push for real change—like medical marijuana access, releasing non-violent cannabis prisoners, and fighting for social equity in the industry. Meanwhile, Snoop’s out here playing the court jester, making the cannabis culture we’ve built look like a joke for people who have no idea what the struggle is really about.

The War on Drugs: Still Raging While the Media Laughs

And let’s not forget the War on Drugs. You’d think with all this giggling about weed on TV, the past would be buried, right? Wrong. The War on Drugs hasn’t gone anywhere—it’s just wearing a new mask. Black and Brown people are still disproportionately arrested and incarcerated for cannabis offenses in states where it’s perfectly legal. Entire communities were destroyed by the harsh enforcement of drug laws. And now, while some are cashing in on the green rush, there are still thousands of people locked up for doing what Snoop gets paid to joke about on TV. You don’t hear much about that on the morning news, do you?

Cannabis Deserves Better

The cannabis community isn’t your punchline. We’ve fought too long and too hard to be treated like a joke. Cannabis culture is deep—it’s diverse, it’s passionate, and it’s real. We’re not here for the stoner stereotype anymore. We’re here for the real stories: the patients who rely on cannabis to live a normal life, the activists working to free people still locked up for weed, and the entrepreneurs trying to build something meaningful out of the rubble left by decades of prohibition.

Cannabis deserves more than this. The media needs to stop reducing the entire culture to a laugh track and start respecting what this plant, and this movement, are really about. Weed has helped millions of people—whether it’s for relief, recreation, or revolution. But until the conversation stops being about giggles and stereotypes, we’ll never get the respect this community has earned.

So, let’s get one thing straight: we’re not laughing. We’re the culture. And we’re not going anywhere.

Share:

Targeted or Tactic? The Battle Over California’s Hemp Ban Hits Cheech & Chong

 


                       Welcome to the battlefield, folks. California’s cannabis crackdown is tearing through the hemp industry like a storm, and it seems Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Company is smack in the eye of the hurricane.

On September 23, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom rolled out emergency regulations banning any hemp products containing "detectable" levels of THC. This ban, intended to curb sales of intoxicating hemp-derived products like Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC, sparked outrage across the industry, particularly as it threatened to wipe out 90-95% of California’s hemp market. On October 9, state authorities doubled down by seizing THC-infused hemp products from store shelves in highly publicized raids. The images that followed prominently displayed Cheech & Chong’s beverages as trophies of the crackdown.

"X" Twitter post from the California Department of Cannabis Control


October 10: Legal Battle Begins

Just a day after these raids, Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Company, along with the U.S. Hemp Roundtable and other industry stakeholders, argued their case in court on October 10, filing for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to halt enforcement of the ban. They claimed the emergency regulations were unlawful and could decimate the hemp industry. They argued that many of the products targeted by the ban—especially non-intoxicating CBD items—had already been legal under federal law. This wasn’t just a battle for the courts; it was a battle for survival.

Paris Chong made it clear that the fight wasn’t over, stating that this legal action was a call to arms for the cannabis community:

“The recent regulatory actions in California, while challenging, aren’t just a setback; they are a call to action for us and the cannabis community.”

October 11: The Verdict

Unfortunately for the plaintiffs, their request for a TRO was denied by the court on October 11, 2024. The emergency regulations remain in place, dealing a major blow to the hemp industry. Businesses like Cheech & Chong’s now face a regulatory environment where they can’t sell THC-infused hemp products, leaving them scrambling to navigate this legal minefield.

Governor Newsom didn’t waste time taking a victory lap, posting images from the October 9 raids on social media. These images—featuring Cheech & Chong’s "High & Dry" beverages—dominated the narrative, raising suspicions that the iconic brand may have been deliberately singled out. As one of the most visible and beloved cannabis brands, Cheech & Chong’s products were being used to symbolize the crackdown.

What’s Next?

While the TRO denial is a setback, the hemp industry isn’t backing down. A trial-setting conference is scheduled for November 22, 2024, where the battle over California’s emergency regulations will continue. The outcome could set a precedent not just for California, but for hemp regulation across the country.

Cheech & Chong, along with the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, remain committed to fighting for a fairer regulatory environment. For now, however, they’re left picking up the pieces after the court’s ruling.


This story is part of Pot Culture Magazine’s ongoing coverage of California’s hemp crackdown. Check out our previous articles for more detailed updates:

  1. “The Recent Regulatory Actions in California: Cheech & Chong’s Response” – Full statement from Paris Chong and the latest on the legal response here.

  2. “California’s Crackdown Continues Cheech & Chong and U.S. Hemp Roundtable Face Setback in Court” – The full breakdown of the TRO ruling and what it means for the hemp industry here.


© 2024 Pot Culture Magazine. All rights reserved. This content is the exclusive property of Pot Culture Magazine and may not be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in critical reviews or analyses.

Share:

Pot Culture Magazine Blog Edition

Search This Blog

Featured Post

The Secret Language of Stoners: A Glossary

  The secret language of stoners with our humorous and informative glossary. Discover the slang and terms that define cannabis culture, from...

POT CULTURE MAGAZINE

Labels