Brazilian Weed Rentals & Blunt Glue
Plus: D.A.R.E. Redux.
The Broccoli Report
Monday, June 20, 2022
Time to read: 4 minutes, 3 seconds. Contains 813 words.
Good morning!
I hope everyone’s been enjoying long, late sunsets as we approach the summer solstice. We’ve been enduring a rainy Juneuary in the Pacific Northwest, and while I can’t really complain, given that the region’s properly prepared now for fire season, I can imagine that plein air growers and their plants are more than ready for steady, summer rays. I feel you, ladies.
I’ll be maximizing the extra daylight hours this week to put finishing touches on Friday’s affiliate network side-by-side, comparing popular platforms used by cannabis and cannabis-adjacent brands. This complicated realm is muddled and confusing, with plenty of “sponsored” explainers that make it difficult to understand how the layered system of affiliate publishers, merchants, and influencers really works. It’s taken me writing three Reports about different angles of the affiliate scene to wrap my head around the scope of the industry and where cannabis businesses fit in it. To get all the details, become a paid subscriber and enjoy the warm, tax-expensable fuzzies as you support independent journalism.
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
The Environmental Protection Agency reminded staff that, regardless of changing state laws and social norms, they are not allowed to partake in the plant or directly invest in the cannabis industry. It’s cruel that protectors of our natural environment aren’t able to build a relationship with this part of nature, but not unusual, given that federal employees are subject to strict prohibitions around the plant.
In an even less-warranted move, Governor John Carney of Delaware just vetoed a bill to decriminalize cannabis in the state that passed by a three-fifths majority in the House and Senate. Efforts towards reform are now extinguished for 2022. I did a double-take seeing that Carney is a Democrat, but then I read how he helped pass the state’s comprehensive indoor smoking ban in 2002—the first of its kind in the U.S.—maybe this guy just really doesn’t like smoking?
Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy kicked off a national, youth-led “Get Sensible” cannabis education campaign with a three-part illustrated booklet series to promote more informed discussions about cannabis among young people. The booklets draw on the org’s Cannabis Education Toolkit. Translations in French, Spanish, Mandarin, and Punjabi to come.
I doubt anyone will be packing vape pens on any future trips to the United Arab Emirates, but apparently, any clothing or accessories featuring cannabis imagery ought to be left at home, too. UAE police departments stated that anyone who “wears or uses any clothes or products displaying pictures of drugs” can be fined U.S.$1,300 and even get jail time for repeated offenses. *Stares at my weed sticker-emblazoned laptop.*
Speaking of international cannabis policies: On June 14, a Russian court extended Brittney Griner’s detention for drug smuggling charges until July 2. This marks four months the WNBA star has been in Russian custody. An update from the New York Times on the case mentions speculation that Griner might be part of a prisoner exchange with the United States after she is convicted.
Ohio’s Cleveland School of Cannabis made headlines last week for hosting a live hempcrete presentation on campus. This, along with a live hemp-composting demo, are ways the state-certified career school is exposing students to the quickly expanding categories within the cannabis industry. They also offer free virtual classes like an upcoming live stream on the history of cannabis in India.
In the latest episode of NPR podcast The Limits with Jay Williams, former NBA player Al Harrington talks about his cannabis company Viola, building cannabis brand legacies, a post-season sesh with the Golden State Warriors, and the challenges he's facing bringing up Black entrepreneurs in the space.
I know to check Bud and Breakfast for cannabis-friendly rentals, but I only recently discovered HiBnB, which features covertly cannabis-inclined rentals across North America and beyond. An arty apartment in Salvador, Brasil, with a glass bong and AC; a tropical rooftop retreat in Luquillo, Puerto Rico—there’s nothing like cannabis to remind us we’ve got a community (almost) wherever we go.
Canadian cannabis packaging laws are notoriously strict, extending bans of imagery that may appeal to children to celebrity endorsements that might appeal to them, too. One surprising product managed to make it through recently, though: Censored Edibles’ penis-shaped gummies.
I was fascinated to find this RollsChoice adhesive pen exists—an edible, swipeable adhesive for sealing up stiffer blunt wraps and the like. I’m sure variations can be found at generic head shops all over. If it is as safe as it claims and works well, it’s logical from a sanitary point of view. Though the branding is lackluster, and I haven’t tried the product (so I can’t recommend it), my inner child loves the tactile instrumentality of it—another tool to add to the assortment for THC tinkering.
Back to my limonene-scented laboratory,
Lauren Yoshiko
How many times will this phrase be relevant: Free Britney!!!