[Previously in Cannabuzz: Josh was honored to be chosen as a judge for the famous High Times Cannabis Cup—until he discovered what he’d be judging: vape pens from a mysterious source.—eds.] As a judge for the High Times Oregon Cannabis Cup, I was assigned “vape cartridges” as my product to review. Normally, that would have […]
Josh Jardine
Joshua Jardine Taylor is the Mercury's Senior Cannabis columnist and correspondent, and has written "Cannabuzz" since 2015.
Posted inCannabis
243,700 People Now Employed as Legal Weed Dealers
Oregon’s Finest Dan Cole Leafly has released their fourth annual Cannabis Jobs Report, and despite the troubling news of hundreds of recent industry layoffs, cannabis remains a fast track growth industry. The numbers and industry expansion are impressive, but are still just a fraction of what would be possible when cannabis is eventually made legal. […]
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The CBD Hall of Shame (Or, “CBD-Infused Sports Bras”??)
If you believe a CBD-infused pillow will help you sleep better, may we also sell you a CBD-infused bridge? Tara Moore / Getty As with anything new, shiny, and full of promise, CBD is being hailed as a miracle ingredient that can solve any and all things that ails you, no matter the problem. Yes, […]
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Oregon Grows Record Amount of Cannabis. Duh.
NASTASIC / GETTY IMAGES A new report by the Oregon Liquor Control Commision (OLCC) gives us a clearer answer to the question “how many cannabis growers are there and how much cannabis did the state produce in 2019?” (Albeit with data limited to licensed recreational growers, and not your “four plants” or however many your […]
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Cannabis News: Cura Pays Record OLCC Fine
HIGHGRADEROOTS/GETTY IMAGES In news from the “Department of Dubious Achievements,” local cannabis powerhouse Cura Partners, which promotes itself as the “largest cannabis oil company in Oregon and California” now lays claim to another “largest”—the largest ever fine in OLCC history, be it cannabis or alcohol. This was well covered by Pete Danko at the Portland […]
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Vapocalypse Update: The 2020 Edition
DANCHOOALEX / GETTY IMAGES Just one month in, 2020 has proved to be a… challenging… year on many fronts, but some small comfort can be taken that the EVALI crisis seems to have substantially abated. New cases have slowed to a trickle, and the educational campaign strongly encouraging people to cease purchasing and consuming vape […]
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Tennessee Man Hotboxes Courtroom to Protest Cannabis Laws, Y’all
JIRKAEJC / GETTY IMAGES When I was 20, I did some pretty stupid shit. It was barely balanced out by doing some pretty cool shit, a small fraction of which still holds up today to the merciless scrutiny of the young peoples. But much as the meme proclaiming that while “you may be cool, but […]
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Cannabuzz: High Times Cannabis Cup Chronicles (Part One)
As someone who writes for three newspapers, I’ve learned that most publications have two sides: editorial, which produces articles and artwork, and sales, which sells the ads and produces the events that pay for what editorial creates. This can lead to conflicted feelings for their readership, who might enjoy the publication’s content, but have issues […]
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Washington Wants Weak Sauce for Cannabis Consumers
MERCURY STAFF A group of Washington State lawmakers have put forth a bill which, while being well intentioned, could result in greater harm to the group of cannabis consumers they’re expressing concern over protecting. It would also drastically reduce the quality and selection of products available to cannabis consumers, and send Washington consumers south to […]
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Canadian Cannabis Consumers Crazy for Edibles and Vapes
DONALD WEBER / STRINGER / GETTY To the North, the people once again doing a better job with virtually every aspect of their society than we are, Canada, continues the development of their nationwide cannabis program with new product categories coming to market, resulting in what the Toronto Sun dubbed “Edibles Madness.” Cannabis flower has […]
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Cannabuzz: 20/20 for 4/2020
There are no shortages of new year predictions for the cannabis industry. Having just wrapped up a tumultuous year that saw a bloodbath of job and financial losses in the US and Canada, there have been a cavalcade of reports, articles, and blog pieces predicting what we can expect in 2020. Aside from the certainty […]
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Cannabis Decreasing Alcohol Sales as Alcohol Deaths Rise
Erik Wieder / EyeEm There’s been a recent flurry of news stories regarding how establishing a regulated cannabis program impacts the sale and use of alcohol. And there’s also a number of stories about how alcohol abuse is on the rise in some sectors, while on the decline in others. Let’s start with a look […]