Travelers are indifferent to Chicago’s amnesty boxes, Beal University introduces cannabis-focused degree programs, and the U.S. House of Reps. passes the MORE Act.
Let’s dive into this week’s cannanews.
The roll out of Chicago’s new airport amnesty boxes has not gone according plan. The boxes made their debut in 2020 with the intention of giving travelers a place to dispose of their pot before hopping on a plane. After two years in operation the boxes have collected more internet jokes than actual cannabis from travelers.
According to the Chicago Sun Times in-fact, only 34 cannabis collections have been made from January 2020, to March 2022. That’s 22 collections at O’Hare Airport and 12 at Midway Airport TOTAL.
To make matters worse, only half of all collection logs showed that cannabis, or “suspected” cannabis was found in the boxes. What police did find a lot of in however, was plastic bags and old packages, indicating that travelers were treating the boxes more like trash cans.
So, why are Chicago’s amnesty boxes having such a hard time accomplishing their intended purpose? The main reason is that there’s no real incentive to use them.
While transporting cannabis across state lines is federally illegal—there is no punishment for being caught with cannabis in your luggage in Chicago. TSA agents at airports in Chicago are instructed to send individuals caught with cannabis to local police. However, local authorities have stated that they are not arresting passengers caught with cannabis.
There are currently 12 amnesty boxes between Chicago’s two major airports. The 12 boxes cost tax payers in Chicago roughly $29,000 to install.
What do you think of Chicago’s amnesty box issues? Let us know in the comments!
Maine’s Beal University has officially launched three cannabis-focused programs! The programs include two associate degree programs and one bachelor degree program, with the first cohort of students expected to start classes on May 2nd.
All classes in the programs will take place completely online, allowing students from anywhere in the country to join. However, that doesn’t mean that students will be receiving a lesser education.
“Our courses utilize engaging content through digital simulation and interactive experiences,” says Sheryl DeWalt, the university’s president. “This gives our students the ability to learn and retain the subject matter more easily.”
To create a comprehensive curriculum for the programs, Beal collaborated with a number of local cannabis industry mainstays on the retail, laboratory and cultivation sides of the industry. This will ensure that graduates coming out of the university will have the skills and knowledge needed to become immediately employable.
At the end of their studies students will be able to earn either an associate degree in Cannabis Business Administration or Cannabis Laboratory science, or a bachelor’s degree in Medical Plant Sciences.
Last Friday the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. If the MORE ACT becomes law, it would effectively end the prohibition of cannabis in the US.
The bill was previously approved back in December 2020, but it never made it past the Senate. This outcome was due to the bill entering the Senate so late in the legislative calendar.
This time around the MORE Act will get a chance to actually be heard in the Senate, but cannabis advocates are keeping their exceptions low. The bill needs 60 votes to make it through the Senate. That means that 10 Republicans would need to vote yes with democrats for the bill to have any chance of passing.
What do you think about the MORE Act’s chances at passing? Do you think it will die in the senate again? Let us know in the comments!
The bill will fail in the Senate. The Republicans will see this as a win for Democrats going into the primary’s. If the Republicans can’t control it. Need I say more.
I want to know where the outrage is? It’s true that there is proof of marijuana being used medically around 100 years ago. So the act of it being made a schedule one drug, is an unbelievably heinous crime! All of the people who have suffered all of this time, when they never even needed to?? Or how about the, probably millions of American lives by now, that were lost by making it a schedule one drug?? Growing up where I live, if you got caught with hardly anything, your life was basically over… And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Besides that, there hasn’t been a majority of the American people on the same page and politically active enough, for the people to have a voice in their own government! Even when the best voter turnout in history occurred, close to HALF of our people still didn’t or couldn’t vote. Without them, and with the other half tricked into hating each other, the American people’s voice in our own government is virtually silent.
The Coronavirus has been around for a few years. During this time, researchers conducted studies on a wide range of topics. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Cannabis Research explored cannabis consumption and COVID-19. Researchers found that those who consume cannabis were associated with lower COVID-19 severity among those who have been hospitalized,…
Stoner stigma and stereotypes are not just discriminatory—they are also outdated and are now being rendered invalid. Cannabis consumers, whatever their reason for consumption, are subject to being stereotyped as “lazy stoners.” Fortunately, a recent study found that cannabis consumers are no more likely to lack motivation compared to those who do not consume cannabis. …
The history of cannabis prohibition is plagued by propaganda, racism, and greed. If you’re familiar with this story, it’s likely you’re familiar with a man by the name of Harry J. Anslinger. This individual was highly influential in the implementation of cannabis prohibition in the early 20th century. Since federal prohibition was implemented, it has…
Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., American rap artist and founder/CEO of the cannabis brands Cookies and VIBES Papers, is celebrating the launch of his new Cookies store in Thailand. Gilbert, whose stage name is Berner, described the Southeast Asian nation’s first cannabis store opening as “a huge step into the global market.” Berner, who has released…
Have you wondered what the best cannabis subscription boxes are on the market today? If so, you’re not alone. Many consumers wonder which monthly box is actually worth the money, and what you can look forward to in the mail each month. There are many different types of boxes out there. Most of them only…
Is there anything that cannabis cannot do? As more research is conducted, the list of health benefits grows. One recent discovery indicates…
Question: I live in a state with legal cannabis and started shopping at my local dispensary a few times a month. I’m grateful…
Chicken soup for the soul? Well, if it’s infused with cannabis, it’s going to do more than soothe the soul! Whether you…
