​The federal government is trying to find an accurate way to do roadside testing on individuals to determine current cannabis intoxication and impairment.

In their press release, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) acknowledge that, “currently, it is impossible to draw a correlation between driving impairment and delta-9-terahydrocannabinol (Δ9THC) concentration in blood, which is the most reliable matrix with which to determine recent cannabis use.”

The project’s funding description adds that they are looking into a two breath sample system where, as they said, “Recent cannabis use would be distinguished from abstinence by a slope consistent with acute cannabis elimination.”

The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) is thus seeking a contractor to help with recruiting participants, collecting breath samples, and sending those to the NIST for laboratory analysis. 

​As no surprise to anyone involved with cannabis, despite the legality in more than half of the country, 38 states allow medical marijuana, and 19 allow recreational use, reefer madness is still alive and well in those who have chosen to stay uneducated on the benefits of the cannabis plant.

TMZ Sports has reported that 10 year NBA veteran, and 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers champion player, Iman Shumpert was arrested in Dallas over cannabis posession.

And other NBA players are saying what everyone is thinking: enough is enough … arrests for cannabis MUST stop!

Iman Shumpert, in addition to having played ball for the Cavaliers, the Knicks, the the Kings, the Rockets, and the Nets, was also last year’s winner of “Dancing with the Stars.”

This past week he was passing through security at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, ready to board a flight to Los Angeles. At the TSA checkpoint, screeners noticed a plastic bag filled with a “sizeable” amount of something he admitted was weed. TSA then contacted the police who arrived and confirmed it was a little over 6 ounces of cannabis. They then handcuffed Shumpert and placed him under arrest without incident. TMZ stated that the police report claimed Shumpert also had a gun in his bag, specifically a Glock magazine and 14 9mm rounds in his bag, although that apparently turned out not to be true.

The offical charge against Shumpert is what they called a “State Jail Felony,” which means that if convicted, he could face a $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail.   

Former NBA player Al Harrington, who since retiring from basketball has become a CEO and Co-Founder of a Michgan based cannabis MSO caleld “Viola Brands” spoke out about the arrest. Harrington wrote on an instagram post: “Maaan…IF THEY DON’T DROP THIS DUMB ASS SHIT! Are they serious??? IN 2022 when it’s being legally sold throughout the country!!! Creating billions in tax revenue that the states are collecting! C’mon man. We can’t still be on this AMERICA (Texas). Leave [Iman Shumpert] alone man. He just danced his way into America’s heart! FATHER/HUSBAND! Good dude!”

Shumpert is not by any means the only celebrity in trouble for cannabis lately, unfortunately he’s one of many, including several other former and current basketball players. And of course there are far many more non celebrities in the same boat.

By drawing attention to the unfairness of big names, though, we can help shed light on reminding everyone that arrrests are still happening and we need our political representatives to step up and help end it. We need to use our voices and our votes to change these cannabis arrrests.

​California employees may soon be protected by a new bill which will help protect those who partake in cannabis during their free time, away from work. Assembly Bill 2188 would prevent employers from discriminating employees or potential new hires based on THC testing which use urine or hair testing which detects inactive metabolites of THC.

When drug testing currently, employers generally only test for THC metabolites, which is a waste product of THC, detected by urine and hair testing. But these metabolites can remain present in urine and hair for days or weeks later, which makes them an inaccurate way to test for current THC intoxication. The new bill would remove these tests from being used by employers, but still allow oral swab or computer-based performance testing to be used. These other methods are considered to be more reliable indicators of recent use or impairment.

California NORML issued a press release, saying, “Scientific studies have failed to show that urine testing is effective at preventing workplace accidents. Numerous studies have found that workers who test positive for metabolites have no higher risk of workplace accidents.”

California NORML Deputy Director Ellen Komp spoke about the 21 other states which have employee workplace regulations in place, and added, “California, a global leader in progressive causes, still has no protections for its workers who consume cannabis. It’s high time to change that and protect California’s workers.”

With this in mind, California NORML is urging residents to write a letter to your state senator in support of AB 2188.

Links can be found on the NORML website, or on theMnewsnow.com under the “action” tab (click here).

The new proposed bill is currently under review by an Appropriations committee and if passed there will move to the floor for a full state Senate vote. 

​The Cannabis Control Division of the Regulation and Licensing Department reported that for the month of July, licensed retailers throughout New Mexico reported more than $40 million in cannabis sales, with $23 million being from recreational adult use sales, and the remaining $17 million from medical sales.

New Mexico’s Governor, Lujan Grisham, said in a statement last week, “We’ve established a new industry that is already generating millions of dollars in local and state revenue and will continue to generate millions more in economic activity across the state, creating thousands of jobs for New Mexicans in communities both small and large.”

Rusty Poe, the manager of Sol Cannabis in Las Cruces, told local media that sales at his shop keep increasing, saying, “Sales have actually been steadily increasing for us, the more product we bring in the more sales we have.”

​Since regulated sales of adult-use cannabis began in April, dispensaries have rung up more than $88 million in recreational pot sales. 

Brittney Griner’s case in Russia has been completed. She has been found guilty, and officially sentenced to nine years in prison.

We’re going to go into detail on the controversy surrounding the case, including the criticism of Griner, and the fact that the US is supporting her case while thousands of Americans are also jailed in US prisons for the same thing.

There are a lot of strong emotions surrounding this case, and a lot of valid points to consider.

Earlier today in the Moscow court, Prosecutors wrapped up their case against Griner, and asked a judge to sentence Brittney Griner to 9 ½ years in prison, which is just short of the maximum 10 years that she is eligible to receive.

Griner’s defense team was able to then offer their closing statements, with Griner using this time to apologize to her Russian team, to her fans and to her family, for the “embarrassment she caused them."

Griner said that had no intention to break the Russian law and that she made a mistake, adding, "That’s why I pled guilty to my charges. I understand everything that’s been said against me, the charges that are against me and that is why I pled guilty, but I had no intent to break any Russian laws.” "I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn't end my life here.”

Judge Anna Sotnikova handed down the verdict at about 11:30 am Eastern Standard Time today, Thusday, August 4th.

Just after the verdict, President Biden issued a statement saying, “Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.”

US National Security Council Director for Strategic Communications John Kirby echoed President Joe Biden’s comments Thursday, calling for Brittney Griner's immediate release. “This sentence, this trial just reaffirms what we have been saying all along: Brittney has been wrongfully detained and she needs to be immediately released by Russian authorities so she can be home with her wife, her teammates, and her friends and family and the President is going to stay 100% committed to achieving that outcome,”

Kirby said during an appearance on MSNBC.  He pointed to the United States' “serious proposal” for a prisoner swap with the Russians. “We urge the Russians, again, to seriously consider that proposal, to act on it. And let’s get these two Americans home where they belong.”

Recently, the US Government reached out to Russian officials to propose a prisoner swap: Griner and former marine Paul Whelan, who is jailed in Russia for alleged spy charges, which he denies and says are trumped up, in exchange for Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer called the “merchant of death”.

Bout was sentenced in 2011 to 25 years in jail. He has so far now served eleven years behind bars. The Russian officials said they would not consider discussing a trade until after the verdict was reached.

Now that it has, they perhaps will respond to the offer from the U.S. The results of any negotiations will wait to be seen.

Ms. Griner’s incarceration in Russia has been a top news story since her arrest in February.

There have been arguments against assisting her, saying that she broke the laws of Russia and so therefore we shouldn’t help her.

People have also pointed to Griner’s political activism and stances as reason to not help her.

A reporter on the OAN network called Griner, “An American hating lesbian pothead,” and that she “spit on the flag and national anthem.”

That person is referring to the time during the summer of 2020 when the black lives matter movement first took foot, responding to deaths of George Zimmerman, Treyvon Martin, and Breonna Taylor. At the time, Griner was outspoken in support of drawing attention to racial injustices in this country, and felt that a way to draw attention to the issue would be to protest the National Anthem, as she did not feel black Americans such as herself were being given the same equality and protections as other, white Americans. She said, “I’m going to protest regardless. I’m not going to be out there for the national anthem,” she said. “If the league continues to want to play it, that’s fine. It will be all season long, I’ll not be out there. I feel like more are going to probably do the same thing. I can only speak for myself.”

And, for the record, Griner has never said she hates this country.

On the 4th of July Griner sent a letter to President Biden asking for help, and writing, ‘On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran. It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.’

She also said, “I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you [President Biden]. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore.”

Brittney Griner has volunteered and worked with many causes since her rookie season, in particular, she’s championed the causes of homeless people as well as the LGBTQ+ youth communities being a priority. Additionally, she has raised money for COVID-19 relief, and Arizona animal shelters, where her American team, the Phoenix Mercury, is based.

Ex UFC fighter Tim Kennedy expressed his disdain for the way she expressed her political perspective, but he also acknowledged that speaking your mind politically is an American’ citizen’s right, writing on instagram, "Do you remember that time that you were protesting your own government and even requesting that the National Anthem not be played at your games then going back to this same government and pleading that they intervene on your behalf to get you out of a Russian prison after you illegally brought drugs into their country. Does not get more ironic than this. Even with her despicable behavior I do believe that every American is worth fighting for even those that hate their own country."

Former President Trump said, “She went in there loaded up with drugs into a hostile territory where they’re very vigilant about drugs. They don’t like drugs. And she got caught. And now we’re supposed to get her out — and she makes, you know, a lot of money, I guess. It certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? [Bout is] an absolute — one of the worst in the world, and he’s going to be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs.”

Trump said twice that Ms. Griner was ‘loaded up’ with drugs, but as a reminder, she only had a couple of vape cartridges that contained a few grams of cannabis oil… which doesn’t really qualify as ‘loaded up.’

Trump also called her a “potentially spoiled person” and mentioned she made a lot of money. It’s discouraging to hear him dismiss her based on her personal income, her personality trait of allegedly being ‘spoiled’, and because of the subject of cannabis.

Trump isn’t the only one to point out her money or status. One paper said, “under no circumstances should the Democratic Party's identity politics allow a black lesbian millionaire athlete who broke the law in a foreign country to receive preferential treatment.”

What color she is, what sexual orientation she is, how much money she is, and her job as an athlete have nothing to do with her place as a political prisoner.

No one refers to Paul Whelan as a “white, straight, middle-class income, corporate security officer,” and instead they only call him “ex-marine”. Paul Whelan is a former marine. He was a corporate security officer. Maybe he ws a spy. That certainly would not and should not be something the U.S. government would disclose. So maybe he was guilty, and maybe he was not. But it shouldn’t matter. He is a U.S. citizen being held in a foreign, hostile, jail. The U.S. should get him out.

The same with Griner. She is a U.S. citizen being held as a polticial pawn by the hostile Russian government during a time of extreme tension with America. The U.S. needs to get her out. They both need to be returned to the U.S. No matter their situations. It is vitally important for America versus Russia, and her fame, in both countries is the biggest beacon at this time.

In Russia, Griner has been a basketball hero there, and they are completely using her name for their political prowess. Politicians from both parties have said getting Griner out of Russia is a priority.

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Joel Rubin told Fox News Digital, "If you think you can get there and get the people out, you take it.”

Rubin served in both the Bush and Obama administrations. He said the U.S. can track and monitor Viktor Bout after his release, and find ways to "mitigate future damage" if he does return to Russia.

Officials have pointed out that any negotiations are expected to take some time. One said, “The ball is in Russia’s court” right now.

It’s believed that Russia will continue to use Griner as a political pawn and milk the situation as long as they can to attempt to draw attention to their power over the U.S. in this situation.

We will have to continue to wait for updates on how potential negotiations unfold.

In the mean time, many people have continued to point out that she is not the only one in jail for cannabis, and that in fact, there are tens of thousands of people in American jails right now for the same reason.

They have also pointed out the irony of the situation, given that Griner is in jail for a few grams of cannabis oil, and the U.S. is working hard to free her, and yet… there are tens of thousands of people sitting in American jails right now for the same reason, and no government officials appear to be fighting for them as hard as for Griner.

Last week, Elon Musk tweeted in response to Griner’s case; “Maybe free some people in jail for weed here too?” with a meme about the situation expressing frustration for those incarcerated in America, who are watching the efforts to free the one celebrity.

Musk does support Brittney, as he tweeted last month “Free Brittney,” but he also clearly realizes that there are more that need attention, too.

In 2020, Musk tweeted about the irony of the cannabis legalization situation in our country, saying, “Selling weed literally went from major felony to essential business (open during pandemic) in much of America and yet many are still in prison, doesn’t make sense, isn’t right.”

Joe Rogan also recently talked about the Griner’s case, and the fact that she’s not the only one, on his hugely popular podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Like Musk, Rogan clearly supports Griner, calling her imprisonment “horrific,” but he is also extremely frustrated that the people in American jails for cannabis are not getting the same attention, saying “no one should be in jail for weed.”

Rogan said, "She's [Griner] already been over there for months. But here's what's important: People are freaking out about this, right? They're freaking out. 'Russia needs to let her go.' We have people in America right now locked up for marijuana, and they've been locked up for f***ing years – for years and years and years. There's not one, there's thousands of them. So what, they're not good at throwing a ball into a net? Is that what it is? They're not good at that one thing that we like to watch, so those f***ing people don't get let out?"

According to the Last Prisoner Project, there have been 15.7 million people arrested for marijuana offenses in the last two decades. On their website, they write: “Imagine sitting in a cell for years, decades, or even for life, convicted of an activity that is no longer a crime, while thousands of other people build intergenerational wealth doing exactly the same thing.  That is the situation that tens of thousands of cannabis prisoners face today in the United States alone, while countless others languish in jails and prisons worldwide.”

The Last Prisoner Project has one singular mission: to set them free. Their mission statement says, “WE WILL NOT REST AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL THE LAST CANNABIS PRISONER IS SET FREE.”

President Biden has said he does not support cannabis legalization, but he does say he doesn’t think anyone should be in jail for it.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) doesn’t seem to agree. In 2020, they recorded 4,992 cannabis related arrests.  Those figures rose 25% the next year, 2021, leading to the highest number of federal arrests for cannabis in a decade.

Right now, there is a tremendous amount of frustration surrounding these issues and there is not an immediate answer.

What we can do, though, is to continue to speak about the issue, and continue to draw attention to the inconsistencies with cannabis incarcerations.

Ms. Griner’s case is a spearhead on the matter, with her fame, and the United State’s tensions with Russia drawing focus on the subject.    

By speaking about Ms. Griner's case, we can also draw attention to the tens of thousands of other Americans who are also in jail for cannabis.

For more information:  
​https://www.lastprisonerproject.org/

​Kyle Jaeger, of Marijuana Moment, wrote about an interesting study on the effect of state legalization and College applications.

Researchers at Oxford College of Emory University and the University of South Carolina looked at the relationship between reforming cannabis laws and college application trends over 2008 to 2020.

What they found, in no surprise, is that colleges located in states that have legalized cannabis see larger application pools.

Researchers saw nearly a 15 percent increase in the size of the applicant pool for colleges in states that have legalized recreational cannabis use.

They also found that there was no statistically significant difference in the quality of applicants, based on standardized tests like the SAT.

Lastly, researchers further noted that retention and graduation rates seemed to be unaffected in their study of colleges in states with legalization.

​Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/colleges-in-states-that-legalize-marijuana-see-a-boost-in-application-numbers-study-finds/

​Market Watch has noted that USA Today’s editorial board has reversed it’s past position supporting cannabis prohibition.

The paper now stands behind saying that the “misguided war on drugs” continues to inflict harm on black and brown communities in the U.S.

They stated in a July 31st editorial, "Given the risks associated with marijuana, the nation needs the federal government to shift its posture from prohibition to regulation.”

The paper has previously not supported cannabis reform, for years, as confirmed in prior editorials.

​So, this change in their perspective is exciting, as an indicator of more national support continuing to shift towards cannabis legalization.

Cannabis research company, New Frontier Data, released results of their survey on cannabis home-growing in the U.S.

According to their findings, cannabis home-growers are projected to grow 11 million pounds of flower this year. That’s eight times more than the entire state of Colorado’s legal cannabis cultivation market.

The data also found that 6% of all cannabis consumers are also home-growers. That’s more than 3 million people who are trying to cultivate at home. That number also represents 1% of the total U.S. population.

The vast majority, 84%, are relatively new to growing, having just begun it in the last two years, more than likely indicative of the fact that more states are now legalizing the right to grow at home.

60% of people grow indoor only, and 45% grow outdoor. They’re averaging 1 to 2 pounds per harvest, and they harvest an average 1 to 3 times a year.

The majority also are spending less than five hours a week on growing, and have spent less than $500 setting up their home-grow, with an additional average of $200 per harvest for seeds, supplies, utilities, and more. The total amount spent by home-growers nationwide on their equipment is estimated to be $2.7 billion dollars.

Some of the reasons people gave for growing at home included things such as:
• “I enjoy it as a hobby” 
• “It is less expensive”
• “It is more convenient”
• “I don’t have to worry about contamination/pesticides”

However, as many people find, it isn’t actually as easy as many first assume, and quality levels can vary greatly. A quick look through local garage sales and online re-selling sites shows that apparently a lot of people give up the hobby, get rid of the equipment, and go back to buying higher quality cannabis from retailers.

​Source: https://www.leafly.com/news/industry/us-weed-homegrowers-produce-8x-more-than-colorado

​As a reminder, don’t attempt to take cannabis out of the country.

A cruise ship passenger attempted to disembark the “Norwegian Joy” in Bermuda, when Customs & Border Protection detection dogs alerted on the passenger. Officials then found he was carrying two pre-rolled cannabis joints in a cigarette pack, along with cocaine found in his wallet. The officials subsequently searched his cabin and found a bit more of each substance, totaling 3.4 grams of cannabis, and 0.42 grams of cocaine.

Under Bermuda laws, possessing cannabis can result in “immediate incarceration and fines of up to several thousand dollars.”

The passenger tearfully apologized and said the cannabis was for medical use and was the only thing that eased his condition.

Ultimately the passenger avoided jail time, but was fined about $2,500 in court.

​Per the High Seas Cruising website, “all cruise lines prohibit passengers from bringing cannabis products, including both recreational and medical, on their vessels,” and, “even if the cruise ship departs from a state where [cannabis] is legal, passengers cannot bring the drug on board the vessel.”

​In 2019 the island of Guam legalized recreational cannabis, but gave the territory time to figure out regulations.

By the end of August, on the 29th, Guam is scheduled to finally begin accepting applications for cultivators, manufacturers, testing labs and retailers.

Unfortunately, though, during Monday’s meeting at Guam’s Cannabis Control Board, the Revenue & Tax Director Dafne Mansapit spoke about that August 29th date and said, “We will not be able to entertain the licensing applications.”

The Daily News reported that the delay is due to a requirement that people seeking licenses must first be cleared by the Cannabis Control Board before they can apply. And at this time, the Board has not yet been able to do so, and no indication of how quickly that can be done, in light of the upcoming deadline.

The board plans to meet one more time before August 29th to discuss their plan.

​Right now, it is legal for eligible adults to grow, possess, and consume cannabis, but until it is licensed, no sales or trade are allowed. 

​Oklahoma was set to begin a moratorium on August 1st that would halt issuing new licenses for medical cannabis producers. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, or OMMA, issued a press release stating they had made an error in their understanding of the legislature.

The date change had to do with how quickly a new bill takes effect based on the number of votes it receives. They said, “the bill itself did not earn enough votes in the Oklahoma Legislature to take effect until Aug. 26,” and as a result the moratorium cannot begin until then. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority’s Executive Director Adria Berry said they were now double-checking every piece of legislation on this matter. He added, “We hold ourselves to a high standard, and we fell short in this instance. We hope the transparency in our message today is evidence that we take seriously the trust Oklahomans place in OMMA.”

The purpose of the moratorium is to help prop up the low prices in the Oklahoma cannabis market, which is harming all participants in the industry there. Republican Representative Rusty Cornwell, who first introduced the bill, said, “Since 2018, Oklahoma has seen a huge number of commercial medical marijuana grows and facilities flooding into our communities. In the initial rush to roll out a system for granting commercial licenses, we’ve failed to enforce their compliance with state law. House Bill 3208 would temporarily pause the issuance of commercial licenses so that we can confirm current operations are complying with the law."

​The new law will be in effect for two years, until August 2024, and will apply to cultivation, processing and retail licenses. Current licenses will not be impacted.  

​This week marks the beginning of a new state law in Louisiana regarding cannabis.

As of now, police will not be able to use the smell of cannabis as probable cause to do a search.

The bill was authored by New Iberia Representative Marcus Bryant who says their state’s recent legalization of smokable medical marijuana makes this law necessary because there are still warrent-less searches and arrests being made on the basis of smelling cannabis alone.

Now that the new legislation is in place, Bryant said “We do offer marijuana as a form of pain medication…so I think, going into the next session and the next governor, they are going to start looking at more ways to protect persons that have legal prescriptions for marijuana.”

This new law is a great start.

A cannabis cultivator in Pennsylvania plans to sue the state for allowing large, out of state based companies to monopolize the state market.

The cultivator, Hanging Gardens, of Johnstown, and several other cannabis companies, are now working with attorneys to get the lawsuit filed as quickly as possible, due to what they called, “the dire state of the medical marijuana program with regard to both patient access and the survival of Pennsylvania-based businesses.”

Hanging Gardens recently laid off or cut the hours of nearly half of it’s 110 employees. They say this is because of unfair competition from large multi-state operators who have taken over the market.

Kenney says six multi-state companies own more than half of all the dispensary permits in the state. Hanging Gardens owner Shane Kenney said, “I consider the Pennsylvania medical marijuana program to be in collapse. … The few remaining independent businesses who invested with the promise of fair competition may soon disappear. The existing monopoly has already resulted in some of the highest medical marijuana prices in the country and diminishing patient choice.”

Kenney said that Pennsylvania’s legislation on medical cannabis states that no company can operate more than 15 retail locations. But, Kenney says there are at least five multi-state operators who are each running more than that.

According to reporting by The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, part of the problem stems from multi-state operators acquiring other other operators. Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana industry is overseen by the state health department, and a spokeswoman for them told The Tribune Democrat that while their are limits on permit acquisitions, “that does not mean Pennsylvania can simply prevent equity transfers by those permit-holders.”

Kenney said Hanging Gardens and several other independent operators have tried to get help from the health department and state lawmakers on this issue, but were unsuccessful. Now, their only option is to sue the state.

​Kenny said, “It’s not right for the administration to allow this monopoly to continue to exist, and to take their tens of millions of dollars out of the state, while many of my former employees don’t know how they will now put food on the table.”     

Have you heard of JuicyFields? It was a firm that was to connect online investors from around the world with cannabis farms, so everyone could partake in investing in the exciting new field.

But now, there is a lot of trouble brewing, and some have reported that it’s looking more like it may actually be one of the biggest Ponzi schemes out there. JuicyFields began online in 2020, and was originally based in Germany, although they moved to the Netherlands earlier this year.

They described themselves as a “cannabis crowd-growing platform,” and made it possible for investors from all around the world, who they would call, “E-Growers,” to be a part of the burgeoning new industry. Investors could take part with as little as about $50, and up to as much as $185,000. They encouraged people to invest their savings with them with the insinuation that they would be getting rich off the new industry, and estimated returns of well over 100% on investments within a year.

As of the last count, there were up to 500,000 investors, and Spanish law firm Martinez-Bianco estimated that more than $5.1 billion has been invested with JuicyFields’.

For a while, it seemed to work. Investors could watch their cannabis investments grow online, and some elated customers reported receiving payouts. But there now are serious signs of big trouble with JuicyFields. A Spanish financial regulator issued an warning about them earlier this year. Then a German regulator, Bafin, was the first to point out inconsistencies with the company, in March of this year. A few months later, in June, they banned Juicyfields from selling any more cannabis investments on its platform in Germany, which they did not comply with.

As of July 11th, investors with the group have reported that they have been completely unable to access their accounts.

Also right around this same time, employees of JuicyFields announced a strike due to unpaid salaries.

And adding more alarm to the situation, JuiceFields corporate representatives have now become completely unreachable, their YouTube content has disappeared, and the company’s social media is all now no longer accessible.

In hindsight, it does seem that some elements of it being a Ponzi scheme are there. Participants were promised amazing returns, they were encouraged to sign up other investors by being offered bonuses, initial returns showed incredible results, and then …. they all just disappeared, and took the money with them.

Alan Glanse is the former CEO of JuicyFields, who resigned in January. He claims to have no responsibility for the alleged scam, and says he is in the same situation as the others affected, and that he is “in shock about everything that has happened.”

Ganse says that the real people responsible for what happened are Paul Bergolts, Alex Vaimer and Vasily Kandinski.

That matches with information in leaked documents allegedly from subsidiaries of JuicyFields, which says the three men hold Russian passports and did have effective control of company.

The Spanish publication, El País Financiero, also found these three men were behind JuicyFields.

Ganse said, “I’ve only met them five times. They hired me, and that’s it.” And rather than dissapearing himself, Ganse has spoken personally with some affected investors, multiple communities of victims, and the press.

Currently, the Berlin public prosecutor's office is investigating the company and it’s managing director.

​According to Finanztest, the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has so far set a penalty payment of €1 million against them.

​The Creators of the show “South Park”, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, have covered a lot of subjects on their animated show over it’s history.

One show in their 22nd season covered the subject of cannabis, when a character moved to a cannabis farm. The farm's name was “Tegridy”.

The name has become popular enough with cannabis fans, that it was even used in Colorado’s cannabis license plate auction earlier this year. The state auctioned off the rights to different cannabis themed license plates in the state, and amongst others such as blunt, thc, dope, cannabis, 420, toker, weed, and “Tegridy” was also in the group!

Recently, Stone & Parker signed one of the largest entertainment deals, for $900 million over the next six years, with ViacomCBS. The contact will have them make new episodes of “South Park” for Viacom’s Comedy Central network, and to create several spinoff movies for the company’s Paramount+ streaming service.

Matt Stone spoke with Bloomberg about the deal, and spoke about their plans in addition to the new shows and movies. He said, “We have a ‘South Park’ 3D video game, release date unknown. We’re doing deep fakes. We have a studio with a dozen people who are deep fake artists. We’re working on a little more of this deep fake movie we’re trying to piece together. … We have a horror movie. A musical.”

And then he added, “I think we’re really for the first time going to bring Tegridy Weed into real life.”

That’s one company guaranteed to be a hit with consumers for the novelty alone, but with that kind of funding, they should be able to make some quality weed that will appeal to connoisseurs as well as just fans of the show.

​No word on when or how they will start this business, yet, but we’ll look forward to that happening hopefully soon.

​President Biden says he’s “working on” cannabis reform, but we’re still waiting to see action.

Meanwhile, the White House announced they are willing to negotiate with Russia over the exchange of political prisoners in Russia, namely Basketball star Brittney Griner, who is jailed for cannabis possession and former Marine Paul Whelan who is jailed for allegedly trumped up charges of spying. They would be potentially exchanged for a Russian arms dealer nicknamed the “merchant of death,” Viktor Bout.

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged last Wednesday that the US did make a “substantial proposal” to get the pair released.

In response to this announcement, Elon Musk tweeted on Sunday about the situation, saying, “Maybe free some people in jail for weed here too?” He wrote that along with a meme of a person looking annoyed with the caption: “People in the US in jail for weed while the government trades a Russian war criminal to free a woman’s basketball player in jail for weed.”

The irony is definitely there. There are countless numbers of Americans in US jails right now, who are there for non-violent cannabis crimes that are now legalized in many states.

While it is important to get Griner out of a Russian jail for this issue, it’s also just as important to get the thousands of people in American jails out for similar so called crimes here. Families of non-famous people are frustrated that their cases are not being given the same priority as Griner, and Elon Musk used his fame to tweet this point out.