The Cole Memo

Conversations for Change

Start Here: The Cole Memo

This page brings together a sample of my best work — from expert interviews to deep dives into cannabis history, culture, and policy. You’ll also find documentaries, archives, and special projects here. Whether you’re a longtime follower or a first-time visitor, this page is designed to help you dive in at your own pace. Explore below.

Table of Contents

Listen/Watch Now

You can watch The Cole Memo Podcast on Spotify, X(formerly Twitter), and Youtube.

You can listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify, TuneInRadio, and most streaming platforms. You can also subscribe directly to the RSS feed here.

Release Schedule

New content is released semi-weekly.

Typically, new content is released on Patreon first. You can become a member here. After the content premieres on Patreon, it is released on all platforms for free streaming.

Click here to listen to podcast now.

You can listen to the latest episodes of the podcast below.

Illinois Outdoor Cannabis Rules Put Home Grow Back in the Spotlight | E311 – The Cole Memo

Illinois regulators are considering new rules for outdoor cannabis cultivation, and the renewed attention is putting Illinois' restrictive home grow laws back into the conversation. Cole discusses new coverage from the Chicago Tribune and Shaw Local, why home cultivation remains an important part of the legalization debate, and two newly approved qualifying conditions for Illinois' medical cannabis program. Plus, an open letter calls for stronger federal protections for medical cannabis patients, a man is caught with 32 pounds of cannabis at O'Hare, and the DEA releases the full transcripts from the marijuana rescheduling hearings. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/08/26/e311/
  1. Illinois Outdoor Cannabis Rules Put Home Grow Back in the Spotlight | E311
  2. Illinois Cannabis Law Changed: Here’s What You Need to Know | E310
  3. Illinois to Open Medical to All Dispensaries + Allow Outdoor Grows for All | E309
  4. Cannabis Access, Hemp Politics, and the Rise of Flock Cameras | E308
  5. The Hemp Debate: Cannabis, Decriminalization, and Where We Go From Here | E307

Guest Index

The Guest Index highlights the diverse professionals who’ve joined The Cole Memo Podcast — from regulators and lawmakers to journalists, scholars, and advocates. Explore the conversations shaping cannabis, psychedelics, and policy today. View the guest index by clicking here.

Guests from Higher Education

Conversations with faculty, researchers, and administrators from universities across the country. These guests bring a scholarly lens to questions of drug policy, public health, and the social impacts of cannabis reform. Whether it’s analyzing data, contextualizing history, or exploring the cultural role of cannabis on campuses, these episodes connect policy debates with academic insight. Watch the episodes by clicking here.

The History of Cannabis in Illinois

Illinois has a complicated relationship with cannabis — from early criminalization and uneven enforcement to the launch of a tightly regulated legal market. This section collects reporting, interviews, and research into the key moments, court cases, and community efforts that shaped the state’s path. If you want to understand where things stand today, you need to know how we got here. Click here to learn more.

Mini Doc

A short documentary exploring the first two years of legalization in Illinois. Featuring voices from advocates, patients, and industry insiders, this project captures the growing pains of a new market and the ongoing need for reform. Tune in here.

Hash Wednesday at University of Illinois

Hash Wednesday began on the University of Illinois Quad in 1977 as a student-led call for marijuana law reform. This series revisits the tradition through stories and interviews with those who were there. Tune in and learn more here.

Newspaper/Photographic Archive

A curated collection of original reporting, archival photos, and scanned documents that help tell the untold history of cannabis and protest culture in Illinois. This archive brings together rare material from newspapers, student publications, and photographers who captured the movement as it unfolded. View the archive for free here.

The professional lives of sex workers have long been discussed through politics, media, and public debate, but rarely in their own words. This series features conversations with sex workers from a variety of backgrounds, exploring their experiences, perspectives, and the realities of their work. Through interviews and on-the-ground reporting, this series explores how legality shapes labor, safety, stigma, and the economics of sex work.

You can view the multi-part series examining Nevada’s licensed brothels and the broader legal sex industry in America here.

Support

You can support The Cole Memo with a one-time, monthly, or yearly contribution of your choice at ColeMemo.com/Support.

One of the best ways to support is completely free — subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform, leave a positive rating, and share it with friends. Every bit of engagement helps the show reach more people and keeps this work going.

Browse content by topic

Published by

Cole Preston

Leave a comment