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Tag: American politics

2018 Farm Bill Could Fully Legalize Industrial Hemp In USA
The US Capitol building under a cloudy blue sky. An amendment to the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill could help legalize hemp in the USA. (Pixabay / inverewe, public domain)
July 3, 2018
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2018 Farm Bill Could Fully Legalize Industrial Hemp In USA

Posted in Archive, Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

An amendment to the Senate version of the 2018 Farm Bill would fully legalize industrial hemp in the United States.

“This is a big day for hemp,” said Brian Furnish, a hemp grower from Kentucky and president of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable.

The amendment legalizing hemp began as a bill proposed by Mitch McConnell, the Republican majority leader in the Senate. The “Hemp Farming Act of 2018” fully legalizes industrial hemp and all products made from it including CBD oil. Under the new law, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other government agencies would no longer be able to interfere with hemp.

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Building Power: scott crow On Asking The Right Questions After Antifa
A bearded activist in a winter coat with a fuzzy hood holds a feminist antifa flag showing black and purple flags. At the Stand Up To Racism March in London on March 17, 2018. (Flickr / Tim Dennell, CC-BY-NC license)
April 25, 2018
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Building Power: scott crow On Asking The Right Questions After Antifa

Posted in Creative Commons, and Journalism

This is the third and final part of my interview with scott crow.

We discuss what comes after antifa finish driving neo-nazis and white supremacists from our streets. In the second part of my interview, crow commented that the left is great at building “fire brigades” but less effective at building power.

I asked crow what building power looks like to him.

“I think that it starts with asking the question, ‘What does it take to build power?'”

Read moreBuilding Power: scott crow On Asking The Right Questions After Antifa
Beyond The Dumpster Fire: Political Predictions For 2018
A worn analog alarm clock with a water-stained face sits atop a cracked wooden surface. (Pixabay / Monoar, public domain)
January 6, 2018
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Beyond The Dumpster Fire: Political Predictions For 2018

Posted in Creative Commons, Gonzo Notes, and Journalism

2017 was a challenging year, but one that was actually rewarding on a personal level.

I began the year by losing my job at MintPress News, but by the end of the 2017 I’d accepted a position as editor of Ministry of Hemp, a niche media site that’s still in its early stages but rapidly growing into a respected voice.

I started Gonzo Notes in late 2016, and during 2017 it reached many new people and became an important part of my monthly output. One issue, “What Are The Antifa Doing After Harvey?” was quoted internationally.  My writing career continues to grow more rewarding in all kinds of ways, especially in the feedback and support I get from my readers.

Read moreBeyond The Dumpster Fire: Political Predictions For 2018
What Were The Most Important Hemp Stories Of 2017?
The top of an agricultural hemp plant growing in a field. (Pixabay / herbalhemp, public domain)
December 30, 2017
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What Were The Most Important Hemp Stories Of 2017?

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

2017 was an exciting year for supporters of hemp.

The stigma surrounding this plant has continued to decrease as more and more people discover hemp’s almost limitless uses. While hemp isn’t completely legal in the U.S. (yet), there’s growing bipartisan support in Congress, and at every level of our government, in support of full legalization.

And since we’re big fans of CBD oil, a healing supplement made from hemp, we were thrilled that more people learned about CBD and its many benefits. Global attitudes are changing too, with some of the most influential authorities on international drug policy also changing their tune about CBD in 2017.  

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Don’t Wait To Take The Streets, Don’t Wait To Organize (Gonzo Notes)
An armored and helmeted riot cop menacingly holds a shield as he movs down a street blocked by police vehicles. Washington, D.C. January 20, 2017. (Flickr / Joe Catron, CC NC license)
November 24, 2017
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Don’t Wait To Take The Streets, Don’t Wait To Organize (Gonzo Notes)

Posted in Creative Commons, Gonzo Notes, and Journalism

A year after Donald Trump’s election and, despite everything that’s happened, some on the left want the “resistance” to stay home.

No one expected all of the thousands upon thousands who came out for the Women’s March and other inaugural protests to stay engaged, but many have remained, protesting outside lawmakers offices against brutal cuts to health care or inhumane tax plans. Others have organized around radical, anarchist, socialist, and antifascist movements and issues of all kinds.

Overall though, the picture is grim despite some recent electoral victories (for those who put stock in voting). Each day brings some new atrocity or takes us a step closer to a pointless, brutal new war with whomever President Skidmark offends on Twitter.

Read moreDon’t Wait To Take The Streets, Don’t Wait To Organize (Gonzo Notes)
What Can We Learn From Hemp Legalization In Canada?
A scenic view of a Canadian farm on the shore of a lake, with a stunning view of mountains behind. (Pixabay / 12019, public domain)
November 14, 2017
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What Can We Learn From Hemp Legalization In Canada?

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

“My best advice is walk before you run.”

When it comes to the agricultural hemp, Shaun Crew knows more than most about what it takes to be successful. The president and founder of Hemp Oil Canada, he’s been in the hemp business longer than nearly anyone in his country and he’s seen the many hurdles the industry had to overcome since growing returned to Canada.

While industrial hemp returned to the United States on limited terms in 2014, all Canadians have been allowed to grow hemp since 1998, though the plant remains more restricted than other crops. Today, about 100,000 acres of hemp are grown annually in Canada according to experts we interviewed, and hemp is a well-established industry with government support.

Read moreWhat Can We Learn From Hemp Legalization In Canada?