California

California learns the marijuana industry is far from dope – Washington Examiner

Published

1 year ago

August 16, 2024

California learns the marijuana industry is far from dope – Washington Examiner

It turns out the legal marijuana business in the Golden State is not golden at all.

For all of the promises that legalizing marijuana would create a boon for tax revenue and allow a previously underground industry to flourish as a legitimate business, California marijuana vendors have faced so many problems that they are now shifting to selling hemp, a legal form of marijuana that has much lower THC than conventional marijuana.

The main problem for California’s dope sellers is that there is simply not enough demand for recreational marijuana. This is, of course, a shocking development for marijuana vendors who were utterly convinced that everyone and their mother wants to smell like a skunk and inhibit their mental faculties.

Various marijuana buds for sale are displayed at The Green Cross cannabis dispensary in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

The vendors, who entered the market about six years ago, believed the industry would only grow exponentially over time. But as it turns out, the market for legal marijuana users is finite, and the regulated market must compete for a number of morally flexible customers who are still perfectly content with buying from unsanctioned dealers.

Luckily for these entrepreneurs, there is a solution: hemp. Unlike regular marijuana, hemp, which comes from a different part of the marijuana plant, is legal on the federal level, largely unregulated, and is easily sold to the masses, including in many beauty products and skincare creams.

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One marijuana vendor told the California outlet SFGate that the shift in product emphasis provides the ability to sell online and in 30 states, something that cannot be done with regular marijuana. And the best part is vendors can pass off hemp as practically the same thing as regular marijuana without paying the same vendor costs to the state, all the while ensuring that their old customers won’t go elsewhere.

California, much like other states that have legalized marijana, is learning that the industry is not so lucrative for the state as it seemed. Instead, all the legalized industry did was offer short-lived profit while making public spaces smell bad.

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California

California orders Tahoe Truckee schools to leave Nevada sports over transgender athlete dispute

Published

5 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

California orders Tahoe Truckee schools to leave Nevada sports over transgender athlete dispute

The California Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to follow state law in another clash over transgender athletes in youth sports in the state.

Currently, student-athletes in Tahoe Truckee Unified play sports in Nevada because of how close they are. But Nevada now bans transgender athletes in girls’ sports, which is against California state law.

So after decades of playing in Nevada, California’s Department of Education is requiring the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District to compete in California to comply with state laws that allow student athletes to compete based on their gender identity.

David Mack is the co-founder of Tahoe Pride and describes the new youth sports divide in the Tahoe region.

“So no one’s happy, it’s really sad, it’s quite tragic in that way,” Mack said. “People feel really upset that the school moved so fast on this. They feel blindsided, they feel not listened to, and then other people, like the trans kids, are getting steamrolled over like they’re not recognized in this argument.”

Nevada state lawmakers passed a law in April requiring a mandatory physical signed by a doctor to deem the athlete male or female based on their birth sex.

“This is a politically manufactured issue to try to divide people,” Mack said.

The Tahoe Truckee Unified School District is responding to the California Department of Education with a solution that the district legally join the California Interscholastic Federation in 2026, but continue to play in the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association through 2028.

When asked if transgender athletes would be able to compete while operating in the NIAA, the district said it’s “still in the early stages of this transition, and many details are still being developed.”

In an October letter addressed to the California Department of Education, the school district’s attorney, Matthew Juhl-Darlington, said the Tahoe Truckee Unified is “not aware of any transgender youth who have expressed interest in participating in its 2025-2026 athletic programs.”

“While the NIAA recently updated its polices to define ‘male’ and ‘female’ based on sex assigned at birth and not as reflected in an individual’s gender identity, as required under California law, the District is interpreting and implementing this policy in a manner consistent with California’s legal requirements,” Juhl-Darlington said in the letter.

California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley is opposed to the state order, arguing the weather conditions in Tahoe need to be considered.

“So in order to compete in a California league, you have to deal with this snowy weather and the travel dangers and so forth,” Kiley said.

The school board was expected to explain its solution to both join California’s CIF while playing in the NIAA through 2028 to parents and students Wednesday night at a board meeting.

So far, the California Department of Education has not said if it will accept this as a solution.

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California

California wants Verizon to compromise more on DEI

Published

17 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

California wants Verizon to compromise more on DEI

A CA judge recommends approval for Verizon/Frontier but thinks more DEI commitments are neededNotably, the judge determined Verizon’s letter to the FCC doesn’ | A state judge recommended California approve the Verizon/Frontier deal, if the operator agrees to some DEI and workforce commitments.

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California

California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) As the race for California’s next governor intensifies, uncertainty looms with the primary election just six months away.

A recent Emerson College poll shows Republican Chad Bianco leading by a narrow margin of one point, while 31% of voters remain undecided.

California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises (KBFX)

“The field remains wide open,” said Tal Eslick, owner of Vista Consulting. “There’s a half dozen credible Democrats in the race. There’s really a couple – two – namely Republicans.”

Eslick noted that Bianco’s lead is more reflective of the crowded Democratic field than a shift toward Republicans statewide.

California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises (Photo: AdobeStock)

He suggested a “black horse candidate” could still emerge, possibly from Hollywood or outside politics.

With rising energy and gas prices, affordability is expected to be a key issue for voters.

California governor race heats up with uncertainty and potential surprises (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada, File)

“I think that you could also see voters vote with their pockets,” Eslick said, highlighting the potential for a non-traditional candidate to gain traction.

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