In this episode of The Cole Memo, host Cole Preston welcomes Jason Brown, founder of Illinois News Joint, for a wide-ranging conversation covering five years of legal cannabis in Illinois, the rise of hemp, the evolution of product reviews, and his latest effort to give back: launching two scholarships for cannabis students at SIU and Oakton College. They also unpack the normalization of weed use, the state’s troubled seed policies, and why transparency and education are key to moving the industry forward. From personal stories to statewide reform, this episode blends lived experience with sharp analysis—and even a few grow tips.
- Watch the episode on Youtube here
- Stream the episode on Soundcloud here
- Stream the episode on Spotify here
- Stream the episode on Apple Podcast here
- Stream the episode on X here
Links mentioned during show
- IllinoisNewsJoint.com
- Donations to the SIU Foundation Scholarship Endowment can be made at anytime by clicking here, (place News Joint Scholarship Endowment Fund into the “Designation” box.)
- Contact Jason Brown for donations to the Oakton College Scholarship.
- For more information about the Texas Hold ‘Em Fundraiser, go here
- Molotov cocktail arsonist(s) targeting cannabis dispensaries
- ColeMemo.com/OdorProof
- Colememo.com/highereducation/
- Metrc Announces New Sustainability Measures in Press Release
- Episode 97 – Illinois’ Cannabis Per-Se Limit: An Impossible Standard as Interpreted?
- Podcasts with SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana)
- IDOA List of Craft Growers
- ColeMemo.com/MiniDoc
The Cole Memo 
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