Arizona Dispensaries Association Appoints Board of Directors for 2026
The Arizona Dispensaries Association (ADA), is the leading voice for the state’s regulated cannabis industry, announced its 2026 board of directors, naming a slate of industry leaders who will help guide the association’s advocacy, regulatory engagement, and best-practice initiatives.
● Compliance Chair: Chris Ferguson of Verano/Zenleaf
● Board Members: Don Williams of Curaleaf, Sara Presler of JARS Cannabis, and Lori Hicks of Arizona Natural Concepts
Board members serve two-year terms and represent a broad range of operational, compliance, and leadership experience within Arizona’s licensed cannabis market.
“We are excited to welcome this group of leaders to the ADA board,” said Ann Torrez, executive director of the Arizona Dispensaries Association. “Each brings a valuable perspective shaped by hands-on experience in Arizona’s regulated cannabis industry. Their leadership will be critical as we continue advocating for a safe, responsible market.”
ADA’s mission is to promote and advocate for a regulated cannabis industry that prioritizes consumer safety, patient protection, and operational excellence. The association maintains a consistent legislative and regulatory presence while developing and promoting best practices for licensed dispensaries and operators statewide.
When Beer Beats Weed: Germany’s Cannabis Reform Backlash
More than a decade ago, my fitness coach and friend, Jenny, called me in distress. She had just been attacked and severely beaten by her ex-boyfriend, a member of a German police arrest unit. He had called her to return his apartment keys a few days after their breakup. She waited in the hallway outside his apartment, and he showed up drunk, fresh from Stuttgart’s massive October beer fest. He started to scream at her, then he began to beat her up. She was fit, in shape, tall, and in training to become a police officer, but she said the only thing she could do was to curl up in a ball, hoping to survive.
Neighbors called the police. Officers arrested him and searched his apartment, where they found a bag with one gram of cannabis in his safe when they took his service weapon. He immediately claimed the cannabis bag was hers.
Guess who faced the more severe consequences? The attacker received a mild disciplinary penalty. Jenny endured hair testing with a result in a “grey zone”; she nearly lost her career as a police officer in training before it even began. A drunk cop beats his girlfriend? Manageable. But the possession of a gram of cannabis? Almost career-ending.
Photo courtesy of Tim Foster via Unsplash.
Germany’s Partial Legalization is Working, But Conservatives Want it Gone
When Germany introduced the “Cannabis-Gesetz” (CanG) to partially legalize cannabis in April 2024, it faced criticism not only from conservatives but also from proponents of legalization, who argued it could not achieve its goals without a fully regulated adult-use market. The reform came in two phases: Pillar 1 legalized home cultivation and non-profit cannabis cultivation associations similar to cannabis social clubs in Spain, but without permission for a space for common consumption. Pillar 2 promised regional pilot programs for licensed retail sales.
However, after the progressive, social-liberal, andenvironmentalist “Traffic Light” government coalition collapsed, the new government, led by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with the Social Democrats (SPD) as a partner, announced a legislative revision of the CanG. Conservatives seem determined to roll back what one of their leading figures dismissively calls a “shit law” and have proposed a restrictive amendment to outlaw telemedicine services for cannabis flowers. The final readings of this amendment are anticipated for spring 2026, with a final vote in the Bundestag expected in early 2026.
But here’s what the CDU doesn’t want you to know: the reform is working. The federal government’s first official assessment, the EKOCAN interim report published in October 2025, paints a picture that contradicts every doomsday prediction. The problem is, the system is only half-built. Home growing requires space and know-how many Germans lack, and cannabis associations are rolling out slowly due to licensing delays in conservative-led federal states. So far, these associations serve less than 0.1% of the country’s demand, forcing the medical cannabis system to carry a weight it was never designed for, a pressure conservatives are now exploiting to torpedo the project.
Patient Access Has Exploded – For Now
One of the biggest achievements of Germany’s reform has been the explosion in patient access. With the reclassification of cannabis, doctors can now prescribe it on a standard prescription rather than a special narcotic one. This change alone has been a game-changer for tens of thousands of patients. Telemedicine platforms have stepped in to fill the void left by Germany’s shortage of cannabis-literate doctors, connecting hundreds of thousands of patients with physicians who understand their needs. They have also contributed significantly to patient education regarding safer and more productive use.
As a result, cannabis imports reached record levels in 2025, with official BfArM data showing over 43 tonnes imported in the second quarter alone. For the first time, a significant portion of German consumers has a safe, legal, and reliable way to access regulated cannabis products.
The Black Market is Shrinking, and Public Health is Improving
Despite the incomplete rollout, evidence shows that even this partial legalization is achieving its core goals. Police-recorded cannabis offenses have plummeted, reflecting the new legal thresholds and freeing up resources for serious crime. Meanwhile, the public health crises predicted by conservatives have not materialized, just as they didn’t in the U.S., the Netherlands, Portugal, or Uruguay after their significant legal steps towards legalizing cannabis.
Youth consumption in Germany continues a downward trend that began in 2002, and wastewater monitoring shows adult consumption remains stable. Most importantly, the black market is shrinking. The EKOCAN report explicitly states that the legal market share is growing as the illicit market contracts. While Canada took four years to reach a 78% legal market share, Germany is finally heading in the right direction.
Photo courtesy of Patrick von der Wehd via Unsplash.
A Story of Beer, Power, and Hypocrisy
So why does the CDU want to reverse this progress? One reason lies in a well-documented network of political and economic interests. The party’s actions reveal a deep-seated allegiance to Germany’s powerful alcohol industry. In 2009, when a federal drug commissioner proposed an alcohol prevention plan, the head of the Bavarian Brewers’ Association coordinated with CSU leaders (the CDU’s Bavarian sister party) to kill it. The CSU’s Peter Ramsauer later boasted, “I think with this approach we have succeeded in preventing the drug commissioner’s plans for new and completely inappropriate restrictions on alcohol consumption”.
The ties are structural. The German Brewers’ Association is an official member of the CDU’s Economic Council and regularly bestows the title “Ambassador of Beer” upon the very politicians responsible for regulating their industry. This explains the blatant double standard: at a brewery anniversary in 2022, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder (CSU) declared that people should stick with Bavarian beer as it is “much healthier” than cannabis. This is a political choice, not a scientific one, aimed at protecting an established industry from a market competitor—a playbook the U.S. alcohol industry has used for years.
The Cultural Fear of Looking Inward
This political hypocrisy is built on a deeper cultural fear. In his landmark 1966 book, On Intoxication in the Orient and Occident, the Swiss scholar Rudolf Gelpke argued that Western culture embraces alcohol because it promotes extroverted, social behaviors that serve a productivity-obsessed society. Gelpke observed that societies favor drugs that reinforce their core values. For the West, alcohol is the ideal intoxicant: it lowers inhibitions and fuels the kind of boisterous, outward-facing energy that can be channeled into work.
Cannabis, he argued, encourages introspection and contemplation, states of mind less useful to a system built on external achievement. It fosters a reflective, often critical, perspective. This inward turn potentially calls into question the relentless drive for productivity and external validation. My friend and mentor, the late cannabis expert and Harvard Associate Professor of Psychiatry Lester Grinspoon, came to a similar conclusion independently of Gelpke in his landmark book Marihuana Reconsidered in 1971.
Thus, the resistance to cannabis isn’t about protecting people from a dangerous drug; it’s about protecting a cultural worldview that privileges one kind of intoxication over another. Gelpke also predicted that Western culture would eventually dominate the Eastern hemisphere, a prediction that has largely come true, bringing shifted cultural attitudes toward cannabis with it.
A New Era of German Militancy and the Shifting Narratives of Prohibition
This cultural bias is gaining relevance as Germany enters a new historical phase. Facing a resurgent Russia, Germany is undergoing its most significant military rearmament since World War II. The nation’s leaders have declared a Zeitenwende(historic turning point), expanding the Bundeswehr to become the backbone of European defense. This shift brings a cultural emphasis on aggression, readiness, and collective defense. A substance with a reputation for making people more peaceful and introspective may be seen not just as counter-cultural, but as a national security threat.
History provides a chilling parallel in the United States. In the 1930s, Harry Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, portrayed cannabis as a drug that turned users into violent killers to back up his prohibition. Two decades later, in the anti-communist climate of the McCarthy era, his propaganda did a complete 180. Anslinger and other “Cold Warriors” claimed cannabis was a weapon used by Communist China to “pacify” the American population and undermine its will to fight. The narrative was never about the drug’s actual effects; it was about leveraging public fear to serve a political agenda.
What Happens Next
Germany stands at a crossroads. Cities like Berlin and Frankfurt are ready to launch Pillar 2 pilot projects for licensed sales. The infrastructure is ready; what’s missing is political will. If the CDU succeeds in rolling back reform, hundreds of thousands of patients will be forced back to the black market, and the country will trade a regulated, tax-paying industry for a return to failed prohibitionist policies. The world is watching. The data from Germany provides further evidence for reformers everywhere: legalization, even when partial, can work and make a profound difference for society.
The question is whether Germany’s politicians will listen to evidence or ideology, to scientifically informed public health experts or the alcohol lobby. Our attitude toward cannabis is not only rooted in cultural history but also responds to its perceived impact on society in specific historical situations.
As the case of US propaganda shows, these perceptions are usually disconnected from science and shaped by cultural biases, political opportunism, and irrational beliefs. History teaches us that prohibitions built on fear and protectionism create havoc. The haunting question is whether anyone still seeks a rational perspective in this dawning post-truth era.
This article is from an external, unpaid contributor. It does not represent High Times’ reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.
After her preroll arrest in the Cayman Islands, “Saturday Night” star Rachel Sennott joked: “You want to be arrested for something cool. You want to be arrested for like protesting, shoplifting, something awesome.” Just not for a minor cannabinoid.
Virginia General Assembly Advances Cannabis Retail Framework
After years of clearing the General Assembly only to meet a veto, legislation to create a legal, adult-use cannabis market in Virginia passed both chambers Tuesday — this time with a governor ready to sign it and retail sales poised to begin as early as November.
The votes mark the clearest signal yet that Virginia is poised to move from legal possession without legal sales to a fully regulated marketplace, a transition that has eluded the commonwealth since 2021, when lawmakers first legalized simple possession.
Tuesday morning, the House passed House Bill 642, sponsored by Del. Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax, by a 65-32 vote. Hours later, the Senate approved Senate Bill 542, introduced by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, by a narrow 21-19 margin after an initial failed vote.
Similar proposals have cleared the General Assembly in recent years — often with bipartisan backing — but were repeatedly vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin. This year, the political calculus has shifted. Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger has vowed to sign legislation establishing a regulated retail market.
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Nevada Cannabis Business Law Guide for Entrepreneurs
Nevada Cannabis Business Law: What Entrepreneurs Need to Know Before Starting
Nevada’s cannabis industry offers significant opportunity, but it also comes with serious legal responsibility. Understanding Nevada cannabis business law is essential before launching, investing in, or restructuring a cannabis operation.
From licensing to ownership disclosures and compliance requirements, cannabis entrepreneurs operate within one of the most highly regulated industries in the state. This guide provides a clear, practical overview of what business owners should know.
Nevada Cannabis Business Law Begins with State Regulation
All cannabis businesses in Nevada are regulated by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB). The CCB oversees:
Under Nevada cannabis business law, licensing is not a one-time event, it requires ongoing regulatory compliance. Most cannabis businesses employ at least one compliance specialist on staff and retain the services of an experienced cannabis attorney.
Federal Law Still Impacts Nevada Cannabis Businesses
Although cannabis is legal under Nevada state law and is currently being slated for Schedule 3 under the Controlled Substances Act, it remains federally illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, enforced by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This federal classification affects:
Access to banking services
Commercial lending
Bankruptcy protections
Risk allocation in contracts
Understanding how federal prohibition interacts with Nevada cannabis business law is critical when structuring transactions and drafting agreements.
Choosing the Right Entity Structure Under Nevada Cannabis Business Law
Selecting the proper entity structure is both a business and regulatory decision.
Most cannabis operators form:
Limited Liability Companies (LLCs)
Corporations
However, cannabis businesses must also account for ownership disclosure rules enforced by the Nevada Secretary of State and the Cannabis Compliance Board.
Entity structure should align with regulatory obligations from the beginning.
Ownership and Disclosure Requirements
One of the most important aspects of Nevada cannabis business law is beneficial ownership disclosure.
Nevada requires detailed reporting of:
Owners
Officers and directors
Financial interest holders
Changes in control
Transfers of ownership
Failure to properly disclose changes can result in investigations, fines, or license suspension.
In this industry, transparency is mandatory.
Contracts in the Nevada Cannabis Industry
Well-drafted contracts are foundational to protecting a cannabis business.
Common agreements include:
Cultivation supply agreements
Manufacturing and white-label contracts
Commercial leases
Investor agreements
Operating agreements
Nevada courts generally enforce cannabis-related contracts under state law. However, agreements must be carefully structured to account for regulatory compliance and the continuing federal prohibition.
Proactive contract drafting reduces the likelihood of disputes.
Tax Considerations for Cannabis Businesses
Cannabis operators face unique tax challenges due to Internal Revenue Code Section 280E, which limits certain business deductions.
Guidance from the Internal Revenue Service can be reviewed here:
Because 280E significantly impacts profitability, tax planning is a central component of Nevada cannabis business law strategy.
Ongoing Compliance Is Central to Nevada Cannabis Business Law
Licensing approval is only the beginning.
Cannabis businesses must maintain compliance with:
Inventory tracking requirements
Packaging and labeling regulations
Advertising restrictions
Reporting obligations
Operational audits
Nevada cannabis business law is compliance-driven. Businesses that prioritize internal controls and regulatory awareness are better positioned for long-term success.
