Author: Cole Preston
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High-level overview of Illinois’ Annual Cannabis Reports for 2025 – Part 1
I recently shared the 2025 annual cannabis reports for the state of Illinois. The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act requires the release of annual cannabis reports from various state agencies. The Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office compiled reporting from several state agencies overseeing cannabis regulation, enforcement, public health, and revenue. In this article, I plan to…
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Episode 249 – A Year in Review – Recapping 2025 Illinois and Federal Cannabis News
In this Three Dope Dudes crossover episode, Cole is joined by Aaron and Dave from Support Dope People to recap some of the most important cannabis stories of 2025. The conversation spans declining Illinois cannabis sales, stalled social equity licensing, continued arrests in a so called legal state, medical program updates, hemp policy confusion, and…
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Episode 248 – Live smoke session: Cole returns for the New Year!
I’ll be smoking with a surprise guest. We might even take callers! Links mentioned during show
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Illinois Releases 2025 Annual Cannabis Reports
The Illinois Cannabis Regulation Oversight Office for the state of Illinois published the 2025 Annual Cannabis Reports. The reports from 2025 can be viewed in the entirety below. The 2024 report can be viewed here, and reports from prior years can be viewed here.
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Episode 247 – What could rescheduling mean for cannabis policy?
In this live stream, I was joined by Brad Spirrison to discuss the latest potential developments in the cannabis industry. Links mentioned during show
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Episode 246 – Arrests continue in “legal” Illinois
Despite cannabis being legal in Illinois, people are still being arrested, charged, and even serving long prison sentences for marijuana related offenses. In this episode, I unpack recent reporting that highlights just how much criminalization remains baked into Illinois law and why legalization did not bring the relief many expected. We dig into possession limits,…
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Episode 245 – Live From the Oval Office: Trump Directs AG to Expedite Cannabis Rescheduling Process
President Trump announces an executive order directing the Attorney General to expedite the process of moving marijuana to Schedule III, emphasizing medical research access while rejecting legalization or recreational use. Links mentioned during show
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Episode 244 – Talking Cannabis Rescheduling With Its Harshest Critics
On December 17, as fresh reports suggested cannabis could be rescheduled any day, I sat down with Jordan Davidson, government affairs director at Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), to hear the case against moving cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III. We revisit how the rescheduling process started, review President Trump’s recent comments, and dig…
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Episode 243 – Social Equity, Transporters, Rescheduling, and the Future of Hemp With Ali Jubelirer
Attorney Ali Jubelirer returns to the show to break down two cannabis legal battles unfolding in Illinois and beyond. We revisit the independent transporter lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Agriculture, discuss new developments in discovery, and unpack what the state’s legal positions could mean for social equity licensees. We also dive into the 1500…
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Episode 242 – Trump makes a statement on rescheduling
In this episode, I briefly discuss President Trump’s recent statement on the cannabis rescheduling process. Links mentioned during show
The Cole Memo 