Joe Rogan isn’t happy after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) for seizing a recent shipment containing cannabis, psilocybin, and MDMA from a vehicle. Once again, the podcaster is being loudly vocal about his views, saying the CPB officers should try psychedelics themselves instead.

Port of Champlain CBP officers encountered a vehicle with a 30-year-old female and 30-year-old male, both U.S. citizens, who were returning home from a vacation to Canada. The vehicle didn’t pass inspection, and was referred to the secondary inspection area for further examination.

On June 5, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol tweeted that they seized a car full of cannabis, psilocybin mushrooms and psilocybin edibles, and MDMA from the vehicle.

“On Wednesday, two U.S. citizens returning from Canada had their vehicle examined by Champlain CBP officers,” U.S. Customs tweeted. The inspection led to officers seizing ecstasy, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms in raw form and infused in a chocolate bar.”

The officers posted photos of shrooms in front of a pop-top canister, probably containing the weed. The other photo showed what looks like MDMA tablets.

While cannabis is legal—sometimes on both sides of the border—taking it over border lines is a no-no, and the punishments are entirely different. In this case, cannabis is legal on both sides of the border; in Montreal as well as New York state. The variety of drugs present in the car didn’t help out, either.

“A subsequent physical inspection of the vehicle discovered various narcotics, that included ecstasy, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms in raw form and infused in a chocolate bar,” a June 3 press release reads. “The narcotic substances field tested positive for the presence of methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA], marijuana and psilocybin.”

But for Joe Rogan, the types of drugs don’t matter; he believes the government should not decide what substances are legal. In a June 6 tweet, Rogan slammed U.S. Customs, saying that they themselves should try psychedelics for a change.

This could be a big year for Texas, as there are currently five different decriminalization measures on November ballots from five different cities. It appears that, even though progress is happening slowly, this will be a big year for decriminalization across the super-sized state. 

Last week, activists in Harker Heights with the progressive group Ground Game Texas announced that they have collected enough signatures for a decriminalization measure on their local ballot, making them the fifth city to do so in Texas thus far. All of these cities will be following in the footsteps of Austin, a city that has successfully passed decriminalization. 

In order to be on the ballot in Harker Heights, advocates needed signatures from more than 25% of registered voters, and they exceeded their goal.

“Following the success of Prop A in Austin and the recent securing of ballot initiatives in Killeen and San Marcos, Ground Game Texas is proud to give Harker Heights residents the opportunity to decriminalize marijuana,” Julie Oliver, the organization’s executive director, claimed, according to a press release. “Ground Game Texas continues to demonstrate that popular policies around issues like workers, wages, and weed can help expand and electrify the electorate in Texas when they’re put directly in front of voters.”

The goal with the Harker Heights Freedom Act is to ensure that “police officers shall not issue citations or make arrests for Class A or Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana offenses,” except in certain circumstances such as a violent felony or a felony-level narcotics case that has been “designated as a high priority investigation” by the police. In other words, the goal is to only focus on high-level drug trafficking, not regular folks using cannabis.

If this measure passes, it would also ensure that police can’t give out citations to folks who simply have resonated or otherwise used paraphernalia. This will keep the system clear of those who either have small amounts of cannabis or simply a used pipe. 

In order for this measure to become a reality, city officials will still need to formally authorize the signatures and ensure they are all valid before the measure makes it onto the ballot. This initiative is just one in a broader effort to enact cannabis policy reform one city at a time, since currently in Texas, there is no process to add this to the ballot statewide. 

In the past, Austin proved that this process can work when the city approved a ballot measure to decriminalize cannabis. It also banned no-knock warrants by police in general, all thanks to the work from Ground Game Texas. 

The group also works with Mano Amiga, a criminal justice reform group committed to freeing cannabis customers. They worked with them to make sure there were more than enough signatures to get decriminalization on the ballot in San Marcos as well, continuing the reform sweep across the state. 

Also, in May, Ground Game Texas reported that activists got enough signatures to put decriminalization on the ballot for Killeen too. Similarly, activists have collected enough signatures in Denton as well, and once they are verified, hope to also get that added to the ballot. Lastly, signature collectors have also collected enough signatures in Elgin. 

In each of these cities, local officials on city councils are also able to enact these proposals as municipal law instead of ballot measures, meaning legalization could spread even faster.

As Texas continues to take on decriminalization the slow way, one city at a time, hearts and minds are changing and the overall conversation of legalization is getting closer to become a reality nationwide. 

At an appearance at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) held June 1 – 3 in New York City, Mayor Eric Adams spoke on Friday and told millions of New Yorkers to “light up.” He told attendees to support even unlicensed businesses during the gray area time period until New York’s market matures.

Mayor Adams was announced as the keynote speaker at the New York CWCBExpo in a press release last month. Other headline speakers included Chris Beals of Weedmaps and Nick Kovacevich of Greelane Holdings. In addition, Tremaine Wright, the Chair of the NYS Cannabis Control Board, shared a rule update.

The mayor did not beat around the bush, as conference attendees were anxious to know what the market will look like. “Enjoy yourself, light up, but most importantly—spend some money,” the Mayor said.

According to Governor Kathy Hochul’s fiscal 2023 spending plan, the state is expected to rake in $1.25 billion in cannabis revenue over the next six years.

While New York’s adult-use retail market hasn’t officially kicked off, locals say there are secret and not-so-secret clubs, trucks, and gifting shops open for business all over that have been popping up since the state approved adult-use in March 2021.

The mayor went on further, saying that he doesn’t plan on cracking down during the transition stage which appears to be in the gray area. “‘Listen, you can’t do this,’ give them a warning,” said Adams. In addition, Adams allocated $5 million in funding from his executive budget to provide the needed boost for New Yorkers to apply for adult-use cultivation licenses.

He also hinted that simple cannabis crimes will be dealt with as a slap on the wrist, providing a few hints to the specifics. “If they refuse to adhere to the rules, then you have to come back and take some form of enforcement actions, such as a summons, such as, you know, talking about their ability to sell alcohol.”

Before becoming the 110th Mayor of New York City, Adams served in the New York Police Department (NYPD) as a cop. In his extended bio, Adams said he chose to join the NYPD because of an earlier incident of police brutality. Adams “was beaten by police in the basement of a precinct house at 15,” but instead of being defeated, he eventually joined the force himself to make changes and decrease the amount of racism in police forces.

Adams even acknowledged the weed trucks that are all over the place in New York City, which are not yet licensed.

“We need to incentivize those who have their illegal trucks or have the trucks going on to show them that this is a better pathway,” he said. “The goal is to not leave people behind.”

The CWCBExpo also featured specialty show floor areas including the Women Grow Pavilion, University Row featuring leading academic cannabis curriculums and programs, and the “LGBTQ+ Proud Mary Lounge.”

A lot of legislative updates were also part of the program. The day before Mayor Adams spoke at the CWCBExpo, the New York Senate, led by Senator Liz Krueger, passed a bill that would have launched a crackdown on illicit cannabis possession and sales. That bill needed approval from the state Assembly before the end of last week to move forward. But Friday came and went, without a vote, stalling the bill until next year.

Earlier this month, New York regulators approved draft regulations that will determine marketing rules under the New York Cannabis Control Board. New York’s market is ready to launch late this year or in early 2023, and New York’s mayor is certainly onboard.

The cannabis tourism industry is reported to be valued at $17 billion and could begin to grow rapidly post-COVID. A report featured in Forbes states that 50% of millennials think that adult-use cannabis access is important when making plans to travel, and that 43% of millennials specifically choose a destination because of legalization.

According to Emerald Farm Tours Co-founder Victor Pinho, cannabis tourism has a lot of potential. “They’re tourists and they’re shopping—they are here to spend money in the mecca of weed,” he told Forbes of his business, which is located in Northern California. He also estimated that tour participants sometimes spend $300-$400 when they visit dispensaries, which is much more than the average adult-use consumer.

In 2016, MMGY Travel Intelligence reported that “the net impact on consumers’ decision to travel to states with legalized cannabis use was minimal.” However, an MMGY study conducted in 2020 stated that 18% of American travelers were interested in cannabis experiences while traveling. When the survey data was reduced to include only those who are over age 21, and with an annual income of $50,000, the percentage of who are interested in cannabis experiences while on vacation increases to 62%.

Forbes estimates that $4.5 billion of the $25 billion collected in 2021 cannabis sales revenue was connected to cannabis tourism and related purchases such as hotels, food, local attractions, and more.

With nearly 20 states that have legalized adult-use, the opportunity for cannabis-related tourism rises. States such as Colorado, which was the first state to legalize recreational consumption in 2014, has a strong reputation of adult-use consumption that doesn’t require marketing. The Colorado Tourism Office only offers a little advice on safety and consumption, and doesn’t currently have any specific data in regards to cannabis-related tourism. “Cannabis is not one of the major drivers in terms of tourism to our state, compared to categories like outdoor recreation,” the office told Forbes.

In other states, the new image of cannabis tourists is beginning to form. According to a report from the Cannabis Travel Association International, the consumer breakdown by sex is fairly balanced between those who identify as male or female, 63% of tourists are millennials or younger, 59% have a college degree, and 82% have a job with an $87,000 annual household income.

Brian Applegarth, founder of the Cannabis Travel Association International, believes that the number of aging millennials is contributing to the rise in cannabis tourism interest. “By 2025, 50% of travelers in the U.S. are going to be millennials,” said Applegarth. “And their relationship to cannabis consumption is extremely normalized compared to the stigmatized industry leaders of today.”

Overall, many states are beginning to bolster and advertise their cannabis offerings to replace funds that were lost due to decreased travel during the height of the pandemic. CEO of Visit Modesto, Todd Aaronson, sees cannabis travelers as the same as any other tourist. In 2021, Aaronson partnered with Applegarth to create the MoTown CannaPass which helps visitors explore local cannabis food, entertainment, and dispensaries. “We wanted the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, if cannabis is your thing, and you’re here, we have retail shops that are legal.’ And we have experiences that you can enjoy no differently than if you went to a brewpub or wine bar,” Aaronson said. “They’re all equally regulated. You should have a designated driver for each. Every visitor is welcome. Leave your money here.” He also shared that there was a notable 11% boost in traffic to local dispensaries when the CannaPass went live.

While places like Amsterdam are seeking to discourage cannabis tourism, North America is becoming a premier legal tourism destination. Attractions such as cannabis-related historic tours, various Airbnb or Bed and Breakfast locations, fascinating museums, and countless adult-use dispensaries to explore, there’s a lot of potential to look forward to. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont even recently advertised his state’s many offerings, which includes a country song that sings about everything from online gambling to cannabis consumption.

North Carolina took another step toward finally legalizing medical cannabis on Thursday, with members of the state Senate overwhelmingly passing a bill that would authorize the treatment for a host of ailments and conditions.

The measure passed the chamber on a vote of 35-10, according to the News & Observer newspaper.

It now heads to the state House of Representatives. Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. The state’s governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat.

The bill, officially known as the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, would authorize medical cannabis for individuals with the following qualifying conditions: Cancer; Epilepsy; Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Crohn’s disease; Sickle cell anemia; Parkinson’s disease; Post-traumatic stress disorder, subject to evidence that an applicant experienced one or more traumatic events; Multiple sclerosis; Cachexia or wasting syndrome; Severe or persistent nausea in a person who is not pregnant that is related to end-of-life or hospice care, or who is bedridden or homebound because of a condition; a terminal illness when the patient’s remaining life expectancy is less than six months; or a condition resulting in the individual receiving hospice care.

Per the News & Observer, “Democrats have asked for even broader legalization, putting forward a number of suggestions ranging from adding additional ailments to the list of covered medical conditions, to passing more sweeping laws, like decriminalization or even full recreational legalization of cannabis,” but “Republicans shot those proposals down.”

Eight of the 10 votes against the bill were Republicans, according to the News & Observer, among them state Sen. Jim Burgin, who “invoked some of the previous fights against tobacco—which remains one of North Carolina’s biggest crops, including in Burgin’s district—and implied that the bill was hypocritical because of that.”

“We’ve spent billions of dollars and passed numerous laws to stop people from smoking,” Burgin said, as quoted by the News & Observer. “We’re now voting on a new version of Big Tobacco.”

The bill’s sponsor is GOP state Sen. Bill Rabon, who has sought to assuage concerns of his fellow Republicans by arguing that the bill will create the most restrictive medical cannabis law in the United States.

“We think we’ve done the right thing. We think that every provision from start to finish has been well thought out, well laid out, and put before you,” Rabon said prior to the vote on Thursday, as quoted by local television station WITN.

As quoted by the News & Observer, Rabon said that lawmakers in North Carolina “have looked at other states, the good and the bad.”

“And we have, if not perfected, we have done a better job than anyone so far,” he said, according to the newspaper.

More than a dozen states have legalized recreational pot use for adults, and a majority have legalized medical cannabis.

But in North Carolina, neither are legal, despite there being broad support for both.

A poll in April found that 72% of voters in the Tar Heel State believe that medical cannabis should be legal. The same poll found that 57% of voters in North Carolina believe that recreational cannabis should be legal, as well.

A spokesperson for Cooper, the Democratic governor, said last year that he would be inclined to support a medical cannabis bill that was under consideration by North Carolina lawmakers at the time.

“Studies have shown medical marijuana can offer many benefits to some who suffer from chronic conditions, particularly veterans, and the Governor is encouraged that North Carolina might join the 36 other states that have authorized it for use. The Governor will review this bill as it moves through the legislative process,” the spokesperson said.

The bill that passed the state Senate on Thursday could face some tough sledding in the state House, where “House Speaker Tim Moore has expressed that he won’t take it up for a vote,” according to WITN.

The New York Senate voted this week to approve a bill to crack down on the state’s cannabis gray market, giving regulators the authority to seize illicit weed and increasing fines for unlicensed operators. State Senator Liz Krueger introduced the measure on Sunday and by Wednesday, the Senate had voted to approve the bill, offering an indication of the legislature’s interest in addressing New York’s unregulated pot market before legal sales of recreational cannabis begin later this year.

Justin Flagg, a spokesperson for Krueger, said that the bill is designed to empower the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the Department of Taxation and Finance to address unregulated cannabis retailers, which have become brazenly ubiquitous in Manhattan and other areas since state lawmakers legalized adult-use cannabis last year. The OCM is currently working to establish rules for the regulated market, which should begin licensed recreational cannabis sales by the end of 2022.

“This bill is aimed at gray market operators such as retail cannabis stores that have emerged during the period after legalization but before licensed businesses begin operating,” Flagg said in an email quoted by Syracuse.com. 

Flagg added that Krueger drafted the legislation with cooperation from OCM and the tax and finance department, noting that their action was “prompted by the difficulty of enforcement against several illegal cannabis stores that have been hard to shut down under the existing statute.”

The bill gives the OCM the authority to seize illicit cannabis and expands the authority of the Taxation and Finance Department to assess fines against unlicensed cannabis operators. The measure also doubles civil penalties for anyone who knowingly possesses illicit pot, which is defined as taxable cannabis products for which no tax has been paid. Flagg clarified that the legislation applies to any cannabis product that was not grown by or purchased from a cannabis business licensed by the state.

Fines for Illicit Weed Doubled in New York

Fines for illicit cannabis would be increased from $200 per ounce of flower to $400 per ounce. Fines for other cannabis products would also be doubled, with edibles rising to $10 per milligram of THC and concentrates to $100 per gram, while the fine for each illicit cannabis plant would jump to $1,000. The bill also allows the Taxation and Finance Department to revoke certificates of registration for businesses that sell or possess illicit cannabis.

Flagg said that restraining the illicit market is in part a safety issue because unlicensed operators do not follow packaging rules and other regulations designed to curtail cannabis use by children.

“Addressing these illegal operators will help ensure that licensed equity operators have the opportunity to succeed and also help ensure that cannabis products are sold in a responsible way,” Flagg said.

Joshua Waterman, a cannabis grower and the co-founder of the Legacy Growers Association, told local media that Krueger’s bill was drafted with good intentions, but he does not support the legislation.

“Although the idea of shutting down dispensaries that are flooding the market with … products from other states is something we would support, we just don’t see that in this bill,” he said. “I’m afraid this will end up being another way for the state to fine and penalize lower-class individuals, especially minorities.”

Waterman added that the bill will strengthen legacy growers’ mistrust of legalization and make them less likely to join the ranks of the regulated market, which has been a goal advanced by lawmakers and regulators.

“The state and the OCM keep saying they want to include and incentivize legacy people to enter the legal market,” Waterman said. “Putting out a bill to stop legacy operations before releasing applications for licensing is disgraceful, and truly shows where lawmakers stand when it comes to the legends that created the cannabis industry without ever asking for their support.”