Following important cannabis news articles every day can be a real burn-out, we know. That’s why the Emerald rolls up a chronicle of the headiest news hits, and passes them to you at the end of each week. We Bring You: The Dime.
Gaming Legend, Hector Rodriguez, Launches Cannabis Company
On Thursday, October 14th, Hector “HCEZ” Rodriguez, owner of OpTic Gaming, announced the launch of his cannabis brand, Pine Park. Pine Park, Chicago – a place where he used to sneak out and smoke weed — inspired the brand’s moniker. According to a press release, Rodriguez said, “Cannabis has been a central part of my life, and throughout my journey building the esports industry, I’ve developed an incredible community that I’m excited to bring along for this next chapter,” he added. “[…] I’m thrilled to be pursuing a lifelong dream of working with cannabis and to have the opportunity to educate myself and my community on how to responsibly grow this industry.” Rodriguez launched the line partnership with The Parent Company. Additionally, he also partnered with “a network of independent cannabis farmers,” the press release stated. Starting October 14th, Pine Park products are available throughout California.
Jackson County, Oregon Declares Emergency Over Illegal pot Farmers
On Wednesday, October 13th, the southern Oregon county of Jackson declared a state of emergency. This was in response to “an increase in the number and size of illegal marijuana farms,” reports AP News. In a letter to the state governor, the county Board of Commissioners “asked for assistance in its fight against illicit operators,” according to MJ Biz Daily. “Law enforcement officers and county and state regulators and code enforcers are overwhelmed and warned of an “imminent threat to the public health and safety of our citizens from the illegal production of cannabis in our county,”” AP News further reports. The threat may lie in the depletion of water resources and inhumane working conditions. Furthermore, they explained that “nearly 50% of registered hemp farms inspected in the state are illegally growing marijuana.”
Sanjay Gupta Talks Weed With Joe Rogan
Sanjay Gupta, neuroscientist, medical journalist and creator behind the docu-series WEED, sat down for an interview on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, reports Marijuana Moment. Together host Joe Rogan and Gupta discussed Gupta’s reversal of his stance on cannabis. As Gupta explained, he previously believed that the plant had no medical value. However, after diving into the research, he realized that 94% of studies he reviewed had a biased set of data; in other words, they specifically looked for harm, he explained in the interview. Rogan and Gupta further discussed the role of plant medicine, and the response to Gupta’s pro-cannabis stance.
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