The Cleveland School of Cannabis (CSC), located in Independence, Ohio, announced on March 6 that it is the first cannabis school in the U.S. to be recognized through the Middle States Association-CESS. “The accreditation of CSC by Middle States Association-CESS (MSA-CESS) marks a significant step forward for the cannabis industry, driven by a broader acceptance of cannabis and its related fields within the formal education system,” CSC wrote in a press release. “With over 1,100 graduates, CSC has already made substantial contributions to the workforce and knowledge base of the cannabis industry. This formal recognition could pave the way for further advancements in cannabis research, education, and professional development, bridging the gap between the burgeoning cannabis market and academic legitimacy.” Technically, the college received accreditation in December 2023, but the school only recently published the announcement.

For more than 130 years, Middle States Association-CESS has been operating as a voluntary non-profit association that evaluates and performs accreditation of both public and private schools. Accreditation demonstrates if a school is maintaining a specific level of quality and performance through five categories: foundations, governance and organization, student well-being, resources, and teaching and learning.

The press release explained that this decision was made in part because the federal government is researching and discussing cannabis rescheduling. “Following a recommendation by the U.S. Department of Health to reschedule cannabis as a Schedule III substance, CSC’s recognition by the Department of Education could be an early indicator of changing attitudes within the federal government towards cannabis,” CSC wrote. “Rescheduling cannabis would acknowledge its medical benefits and could notably impact the regulatory landscape. This could potentially ease restrictions on research, banking, and taxation within the cannabis industry.”

CSC’s accreditation was awarded in part because it recently moved into a new building with access to a grow lab, processing lab, kitchen, mock dispensary, and virtual reality lab. “CSC’s newest additions were developed to upgrade the learning experience for students to enhance student learning through practical, hands-on education in cannabis cultivation, processing, cooking, and sales,” the press release stated. “This approach not only readies students for the cannabis industry’s intricacies but also boosts their job prospects by offering a deep dive into the sector.”

Additionally, CSC utilizes more recent technological innovations such as VR and gaming engines to create digital versions of their labs for remote students to utilize. For example, it hosts a 16-week “My First Plant” virtual course to teach consumers how to grow cannabis at home.

A spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Education told The Canton Repository in a statement that while CSC is accredited, the school “is not approved by the Department to participate in Title IV or other programs under the Higher Education Act.” Students attending accredited schools are eligible for financial aid, but in this case it’s not clear that CSC would qualify.

CSC has been operating since 2017 and has had 1,100 students graduate through its various programs. On Feb. 29, Cannabis Business Times published an interview with CSC founder Austin Briggs. “It hasn’t been easy running a cannabis business in Ohio,” Briggs said. “For things as little as occupancy permits, we had to fight tooth and nail. For a largely conservative state, Ohio citizens have shown wide support for cannabis, both medical and recreational. But there still seems to be a tremendous amount of resistance from the government in supporting cannabis programs in Ohio. With the passing of Issue 2 and our accreditation, I’m hoping this will be a turning point for Ohio policy.”

CSC President Tyrone Russell also provided a statement regarding how the school trains students and connects them with jobs in the industry. “Workforce development and education is the key to socioeconomic mobility,” said Russell. “Companies have to hire people from their communities, and that only happens if those community members have access to education. In Ohio, you can go to your Ohio means jobs office, and get a grant to be a barber, welder, truck driver, contractor, or nail technician, but not to work in cannabis.”

Other educational institutions have been increasing cannabis education over the past few years.

Back in 2019, the University of Maryland announced one of the first medical cannabis Master’s degree programs. Since then, many other institutions have introduced some form of education program or degree revolving around cannabis. Last November, the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy announced a new medical degree in medical cannabis and dietary supplements.

Earlier this year in January, Roanoke College in Virginia announced its launch of a new cannabis studies program. I commend the faculty for developing a transdisciplinary academic program that fills a significant educational gap,” said vice president for academic affairs and dean of Roanoke College, Kathy Wolfe. “With this program, Roanoke College continues to lead in science, policy, business and community engagement.” 

Professor DorothyBelle “DB” Poli helped to establish the new program. “Students are interested in this industry,” Poli said. “Being the first in the state to approach cannabis from a scholarly perspective is inventive and entrepreneurial. We hope to help bring clarity to tough problems by creating a truly multidisciplinary think tank.”

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Cleveland, Ohio’s mayor announced the city would end its “antiquated” rules for employment, specifically removing the practice of drug-testing job applicants for cannabis.

Mayor Justin M. Bibb announced Dec. 7 that the City of Cleveland has “modernized” its Drug and Alcohol Testing Policy to remove certain language around pre-employment cannabis testing that previously automatically disqualified job applicants. It’s his latest move after pushing to expunge low-level cannabis convictions.

Pre-employment testing for city jobs will now be limited to only a few select positions that are identified as safety or security-sensitive, as well as positions that fall under the federal government’s Department of Transportation (DOT).  

The announcement was released on the same day that Issue 2 became law. Over 57% of voters in Ohio—and over 75% of Clevelanders—approved the bill 30 days ago. That means Cleveland residents approve of adult-use cannabis, three to one.

“The criminalization of marijuana in our state and the punitive effects it has had on education, housing, and employment opportunities have lasted far too long, but will eventually be a thing of the past—thanks to Ohioans who made their voices heard loud and clear last month when they voted to approve Issue 2,” said Mayor Bibb. “We are proud to continue leading the way by rolling out these updates, which builds on our prior marijuana reform efforts and other initiatives aimed at improving our HR policies.”

The following jobs are considered safety sensitive and will continue to drug test for pot:

• Police
• Fire
• EMS
• Department of Port Control
• Positions requiring a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
• Positions operating heavy equipment or mechanical tools

“We are constantly evaluating our policies to ensure they align with the needs and desires of both our current and prospective employees,” Director of Human Resources Matt Cole said in the release. “Pre-employment screening can oftentimes create obstacles in filling open positions by preventing otherwise qualified candidates from even applying. These policy updates are more cost-effective and will ultimately help us widen the applicant pool for several city positions.”

The city of Baltimore, as well as Washington, Nevada, and Montana have enacted similar policies, and leaders in Cleveland noticed. Despite these changes, the city will still follow rules and regulations when it comes to the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

“Maintaining a drug-free workplace is needed for obvious reasons, but it’s also important for us to be cognizant of the fact that the state is still finalizing regulation, taxation, and licensing terms and processes,” Law Director Mark Griffin said in the release. “We will be keeping a keen eye on how things get sorted out in the legislature and court system, and will adapt procedures and update policy as necessary as the situation evolves in Columbus.”

Mayor Justin Bibb

The city noted that in 2022, the Bibb Administration filed motions to expunge over 4,000 cannabis-related conviction records and then pushed for changes to State law to simplify the expungement process. 

Thanks to these efforts, Ohio Senate Bill 288 was signed into law and took effect last April, allowing city officials to expunge records more efficiently and effectively. City officials also have partnered with other agencies to hold multiple expungement clinics.  

The Bibb Administration has also spearheaded various other HR policy-related updates since the mayor took office, including opening City Hall’s first gender-inclusive restroom last June and offering employees a new comprehensive paid parental leave policy.

Bibb was young when he won office at age 34 as the city’s first millennial mayor. Last May, he moved to expunge low-level cannabis convictions. 

“I talked to so many residents who couldn’t get a job, who couldn’t get access to a student loan, who couldn’t get access to qualify for housing because they had collateral sanctions on their record, many of which stem from low-level marijuana convictions,” Bibb said.

Grants to cover filing fees and expungement clinics are rolling out to make expungements possible. “We knew we were going to face some uphill battles in the legal system,” he said.

Bibb also advocated for Senate Bill 288, which was signed into law by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine last January. The bill helps enable the city of Cleveland to provide expungements by removing barriers that previously hindered Bibb’s attempts to expunge records even earlier.  

“We try to fight on behalf of our residents,” Bibb said.

The Bibb administration also worked to notify eligible people with cannabis conviction records. After that, the city filed motions on behalf of those people using a $10,000 grant to help pay for filing fees related to expungement and the sealing of records. The city is working with organizations to host expungement clinics where people can file and close their cases, without going to court. 

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Cleveland, Ohio is speeding up the process to expunge records for low-level, misdemeanor cannabis convictions after a state bill unlocked the mayor’s power to do so. 

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, who won office at age 34 as the city’s first millennial mayor, is once again connecting with his constituents and giving them what they asked for—cannabis expungements.

“I talked to so many residents who couldn’t get a job, who couldn’t get access to a student loan, who couldn’t get access to qualify for housing because they had collateral sanctions on their record, many of which stem from low-level marijuana convictions,” Bibb said.

Grants to cover filing fees and expungement clinics are rolling out to make expungements possible. “We knew we were going to face some uphill battles in the legal system,” he said.

Bibb also advocated for Senate Bill 288, which was signed into law by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine last January. The bill helps enable the city of Cleveland to provide expungements by removing barriers that previously hindered Bibb’s attempts to expunge records even earlier.  

“We try to fight on behalf of our residents,” Bibb said.

Now that SB 288 was approved, Bibb and the city are free to take further action. The Bibb administration is working to notify eligible people with cannabis conviction records. After that, the city will file motions on behalf of those people using a $10,000 grant to help pay for filing fees related to expungement and the sealing of records. The city is working with organizations to host expungement clinics where people can file and close their cases, without going to court. 

“So now cities and counties now have legal standing to expunge those minor marijuana misdemeanors all across the state of Ohio,” Bibb said.

Spectrum News 1 reports that Bibb’s actions were applauded by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “During college, I got a firsthand look at the justice system after being arrested for simple possession,” said NORML Program Director Morgan Fox.

“I would see the people that were there that had the exact same charges me with the exact same legal history as me, but who did not look like me getting significantly larger sentences, whether it be larger fines, longer probation or in some cases even jail time, just for very simple possession of cannabis.”

Bibb’s proactive measures are an example other leaders could follow.

“I think Mayor Bibb has ever shown fantastic leadership on this issue,” Fox said. “And, you know, from a national perspective, I wish there were a lot more people like him that were leading the way on starting these programs that directly affect the communities that they have been elected to lead.”

According to the Bibb administration, 838 people have received expungements after his office coordinated with the Biden administration. The mayor announced that he had assisted with over 4,000 court cases on April 4, with the goal to seal those records. “We will continue to spread the message that the City of Cleveland stands ready to help our citizens make positive steps forward in their lives,” Mayor Bibb said at the time. 

The idea is to make the process simpler. “We understand that citizens don’t always want to engage in the criminal justice system, it’s not always user friendly. And sometimes it’s really hard for citizens to get access,” said Chief Prosecutor Aqueelah Jordan. “We can, as a city, do this on behalf of these residents who have been negatively impacted by historical inequities.” 

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By Steve Bloom

“The bus was busted!” HIGH TIMES Executive Editor John Holmstrom informed me as I walked into the office, only hours before my train to Toledo was scheduled to leave. It was March 28th—just four days before the Hash Bash, the main event on the spring Hemp Tour. I was planning to catch up with the bus in Toledo, Ohio, then hitch a ride to Lansing, Michigan, for a rally on March 30.

“What happened?” I asked. John had spoken to Ben Masel, the Hemp Tour’s primary organizer. “They tried to search the bus in Bowling Green [Ohio]. Someone was arrested and they towed the bus away,” John explained. “That’s all I know.”

The white Hemp Tour school bus had made the rounds during the previous fall’s Hemp Tour.

It wasn’t exactly psychedelic, but it certainly stood out. I was worried that the bust would grind the three-month Hemp Tour to a halt. I was also concerned that one of my friends had been arrested. With this sketchy information in mind, I left the office, walked over to Grand Central Station, and boarded my train. Next stop, Toledo.

March 30

Before leaving, I call a number in Toledo that was given to me by Doug McVey, who along with Rick Pfrommer and Debbie Goldsberry (one of the Hemp Tour’s key coordinators) wrote up the Hemp Tour ’90 Organizer’s Manual. A woman named Lara answers and promises that someone from the Tour will meet me at the train station when I arrive at 7 AM. I find that hard to believe. But believe it or not, a familiar white VW van is waiting for me as I walk out of the Toledo station that rainy morning. Ben is driving, and Monica, Shan, and Kevin are crowded into the back. Sort of a guest of honor, I’m given the passenger seat.

I quickly learn that the bus is in the possession of Debbie and members of Red Fly Nation, a hot new band from Kentucky that joined the tour in Lexington a week ago. But there’s another problem: The bus won’t run. Fortunately, Amazin’ Dave (from last year’s HIGH TIMES psychedelic bus trip to Ann Arbor) is on the scene, fixing the transmission so the bus can at least make it to Ann Arbor by the 1st.

So what happened in Bowling Green? Shan Clark, a veteran of the fall Tour, explains: “We had to park pretty far away from the rally, near a school. A cop named Cowboy, who wears a cowboy hat around Bowling Green, watched us unloading our material. Paul [Troy] was asleep on the bus while the rally was going on, and two cops knocked on the door at about 2:45 PM. They said they were coming on the bus. Paul said, ‘No, you’re not. I’m afraid you need a search warrant.’ They threw him out of the bus, onto the ground, and handcuffed him—when we saw him, he had a bloody nose and his hands were purple from the cuffs. They impounded the bus and then went ahead with a search. When we got to the tow yard the next day, the bus was trashed. They ransacked our bus, went through all our bags, and found two seeds. That’s been the low point so far.” Paul was freed on $100 bail (he pleaded no contest and accepted a year’s probation); the bus was fined $10 for a crack in the windshield and charged $50 for the tow. As far as the rally on the campus of Bowling Green State University was concerned, 500 people came to hear the news about how hemp can save the world and why marijuana should be legalized.

As we drive north to East Lansing for today’s rally, the rain subsides. Somehow, Ben finds Valley Court Park, where the rally is being held. Large black-and-white banners proclaiming HEMP FOR THE OVERALL MAJORITY OF EARTH’S PAPER * FIBER * FUEL * FOOD * PAINT * VARNISH * MEDICINE AND TO LIVE LONGER, OR THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT-CHOOSE ONE and the simpler HEMP FOR VICTORY (as well as a huge American flag) are already hanging from a baseball cage. These signs can only mean one thing: Jack Herer is here.

The burly, gruff-voiced author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes preceded our arrival by half an hour. His team, which includes Maria Farrow, Willie, Nelson, J.S. and Brenda, quickly posted the signs and are already selling books, stickers, and hemp clothing. In a particularly impassioned fashion, Shan introduces Jack to the spring break crowd. Waving a copy of The Reign of Law, which was printed on hemp paper, Jack ignites sparks with this fiery commentary: “We only have to be committed to the ideal that no human being on earth will ever go to prison again for a natural substance. People aren’t aware that the government has outlawed vegetables. There should be no laws against natural things. We have to drive a stake through the heart of prohibitionism.”

NORML’S National Director, Don Fiedler, also speaks, as do Ben and several locals. A band named 47 Tyme follows the speakers. This causes a problem. Seems that just beyond the park is a senior citizen’s residence. After receiving a few calls about the noise, the police decide to make their presence felt. Ben engages in conversation with them, then is told that someone has to accept the charge of disturbing the peace. Like a good Hemp Tour trooper, Ben takes the fall instead of the local organizers. He’s driven to the stationhouse, pays a $25 fine, and returns to the rally. No big deal. But it’s another reminder that there’s always a price to pay in the rally business.

March 31

It’s Hash Bash weekend, and Freedom Fighters from all over the country are beginning to converge on Ann Arbor. The first sight we see when we leave our hotels is a shiny purple bus in the parking lot. We decide to investigate. Inside is the West Virginia Freedom Fighter contingent, led by Roger the shaggy-bearded driver. Kind bud they call “hackweed” is being passed around. A coughing siege ensues. Now we know why they call it hackweed.

The morning papers bring good news. “Judge OK’s U-M Pot Rally Permit-Says U-M Violated Free Speech,” reads the front-page headline of the Ann Arbor News. In October, the University of Michigan granted NORML a permit to hold the Hash Bash at its traditional location—on the campus’ Diag. But in February, the school rescinded the permit. Fortunately, Washtenaw County Circuit Judge Donald Shelton recognized the impropriety of that decision and restored the permit literally at the 11th hour. “The University’s mishandling of the NORML permit application completely undermines its contention that any danger presented by the NORML rally is ‘clear’ or ‘present,’” the judge ruled.

But first things first. Saturday’s reserved for the first annual Freedom Fighters convention. Roger’s purple bus carts dozens of FFs to the picnic-style meeting, where spliffs are smoked, state chapter heads are elected, Chef RA’s rasta-riffic eats are chowed, and networking and partying are generally accomplished.

April 1

The Hash Bash begins at noon—without amplification. But thanks to the boys in Red Fly Nation, a PA is set up. Herer, Fiedler, Masel, Hash Bash organizer Rick Birkett, and Gatewood Galbraith, who introduces himself as the next governor of the state of Kentucky (he’s running in the 1991 race), all speak. Red Fly Nation plays a few songs before the PA is cut off at 2 PM. Even a midday downpour and numerous arrests can’t dampen the spirit of the 5,000-plus ralliers.

After the rally concludes at 6 PM, the scene shifts to the Heidelberg, where the HIGH TIMES contingent stages a high-energy benefit concert for NORML, featuring the Soul Assassins, the Nozems, and anti-folk artists Bobby Belfiore and Dave Herrera. The revelry continues through the night. Once again, the Hash Bash is a blast.

April 2

The backdrop for the Hash Bash was today’s pot referendum in Ann Arbor. In 1972, the city established a $5 fine for marijuana use and possession. Though the $5 fine was repealed the next year, it was written into Ann Arbor’s charter in 1974. Nine years later, another attempt to repeal it was voted down by a 61 percent majority. Now, in 1990, a referendum to raise the fine to $25 for a first offense has made it to the ballot. Hopefully, the spirit of the Hash Bash will bring voters out. A vote of no on Proposal B would keep the fine at $5.

Meanwhile, Jack, Don, and Gatewood leave for Detroit early this morning to appear on the morning show Kelly & Company. A 10 AM rally at Wayne State University is next on the agenda. (Herer’s crew handles that one.) Back in Ann Arbor, we’re moving rather slowly. Our only hope is to get to Detroit in time for a 1 PM legalization debate at the University of Detroit’s Student Union. We fill up the bus and hit the road.

Everyone on the panel is wearing a suit except for Jack, who’s wearing his tan hemp shirt (he never leaves home without it) over a tie-dyed t-shirt. Zolton Ferency, a Michigan State prof who’s running for the State Senate on a legalization platform, is there along with Rep. John Conyers and several others. Ferency quotes the following National Institute on Drug Abuse figures (1988): deaths from tobacco, 346,000; alcohol, 125,000; alcohol and drugs mixed, 4000; cocaine, 2000; marijuana, 75 (HIGH TIMES would tend to question this figure). Directing himself to Conyers, Ferency says:

“Deal with the drug problem as a public-health problem. Keep it out of the criminal justice system. It is not going to be solved by police, prosecutors, criminal courts, or prisons.”

Conyers, who is black, explains that he’s “against the way William Bennett runs the anti-drug strategy because it’s racist. When you focus on crack, you focus on blacks, by and large. The profile of the average drug user is white, middle class, and suburban. I want to change the laws that deal with the prosecution of drugs. Why don’t we get a justice system that really works—in which we get the drug dealers and the government out of it, rather than making it legal? I put treatment as a higher priority than making it all legal.”

Herer hammers away with the hemp argument. “The greatest tax on earth is the harm to the environment that the fossil fuels and synthetic fibers are causing to this planet,” Jack offers. “There is one single plant on earth that replaces 100 percent of our need for any of those—something that can be grown by American farmers, not mined by oil companies. We’re talking about hemp—the safest therapeutically active substance known to mankind.” At this point, Conyers picks up a copy of The Emperor Wears No Clothes and leafs through it.

From the audience, Ben issues his chess challenge to Drug Bizarre William Bennett or any prosecutor, narcotics officer, or anyone else who believes that marijuana is harmful to the intelligence. “I’ve been smoking it for 23 years,” he says. “If it causes permanent brain damage, I must be in bad shape—so prove it.”

Fiedler walks to the podium and addresses Conyers, who serves on several House committees that deal with drug issues. “We’re not asking you to legalize marijuana at this point, but if you’re holding hearings…”

Conyers interrupts. “Would you like to be a witness?”

“I’d love to,” Fiedler says.

“I would love to discuss the matter with you—here and in Washington,” Conyers adds.

Afterwards, Ferency tells me about his plan to legalize pot. “I’m not for taxing it. We don’t tax liquor, we sell it. In Michigan, you’re allowed to make 200 gallons of wine for personal use; I’m suggesting the same thing for marijuana. You want to grow your own pot, fine—it’s the same as wine. I deliberately came up with a plan that deals with merchandising marijuana in Michigan.

“I did that in response to our Drug Czar’s suggestion that it couldn’t be done. It can be done—very easily.”

Ferency ran for governor in 1966. He headed the state’s Democratic party for five years and was the liquor commissioner 30 years ago. He’s a lawyer by trade. “I’m the state’s best known liberal. I’ve been all over the road. I’ve been at this for 40 years. I know how it goes. I was in the anti-war movement, all the movements. What you need is middle-of-the-road presentations. People are convinced that we’re losing the War on Drugs by just reading the daily papers. They’ll listen to anybody who comes along and tells them, ‘Here’s one way we might be able to get out of this mess.’ That’s been my experience.”

Ferency’s opponent has the support of the governor. “It’s a tough struggle, it’s uphill. The governor wants that seat. All my opponent will have to do is sit in it. The governor’s raising $400,000 for her. Four hundred grand for a state legislative seat? Unheard of!” If you’d like to contribute to Zolton Ferency’s campaign—the primary is in August—send a donation to: Ferency for Senate Committee, PO Box 6446, East Lansing, Ml 48826.

Following the debate, we’re invited back to an off-campus party house. That evening, Herer is feted at a book reception at Alvin’s, a club near Wayne State.

April 3-4

Tuesday’s a rare off day for the Hemp Tour. I’m hanging out with Jack, who usually goes his separate way from the bus. He spends hours on the telephone, doing radio interviews, taking care of business. He’s a bundle of creative energy and never seems to relax.

Jack loves to see himself in print, whether he’s doing the writing or is being written about. Today’s Detroit Free Press runs a profile of Jack entitled, “Rebel With an Illegal Cause.” He’s pleased. Reporters seem to be gravitating toward the hemp issue; Jack’s book and his tireless efforts to promote the plant are the primary reasons why.

But there’s bad news, too; Ann Arbor voters, by a 53 to 47 percent majority, have decided to raise their town’s pot fine to $25.

A call from Fiedler, who’s returned to Washington, swings the mood back in a positive direction. Rep. Conyers has asked that Jack testify before the House Judiciary Committee. It’s cause to celebrate. Jack lights up a bowlful and kicks back for a few moments.

“We’re gonna win this thing, Bloom,” he barks. “No fucking way we’re gonna lose.”

Jack takes particular pleasure in converting people to his hemp message. One convert is David Hamburger, an otherwise conservative fellow who met Jack last November at the “Just Say Know” rally in Athens, Ohio. Marvin Surowitz, the organizer of the Detroit events, invited him to Athens. “Before I met Jack, I was totally on the other side—talk about quick political conversions,” says David, who is a private investor and former Bush supporter. “After the conference, I saw things differently. Cannabis, used in reasonable amounts, is an excellent natural relaxant and should be legalized. I smoke pot to increase my productivity and to take away tension headaches. But, to be honest, I find marijuana politics much more stimulating than marijuana.”

Around midnight, Jack begins mobilizing his troops for an early-morning trek to Cleveland—the next stop on the Hemp Tour. He’s scheduled to appear on The Morning Exchange TV program at 8 AM. Jack designates me as the driver. It’s an excruciating ride, but we make it right on time. A middle-aged man named Bernie Baltic is responsible for setting up the morning debate. He deposits us in a hotel and rushes Jack to the studio. Except for a change of tie-dyes, Jack’s dressed the same as he was two mornings ago. We turn the TV to channel 5 and await the debate.

The first question asked is: “Can hemp really reverse the Greenhouse Effect?” Jack rattles off all the glorious uses for hemp. The anti-drug advocate weakly challenges Jack’s hemp information and then begins reciting the standard litany about marijuana: it kills brain cells, it’s a “gateway drug,” and so on. Jack flicks these arguments away like so many marijuana ashes. From my point of view, the debate’s not even a contest.

There’s hardly any time to catch a few minutes sleep before the noon rally at Cleveland’s Public Square. Surrounded by tall office buildings and buffered by traffic, the location is perfect: No one can complain about the noise. And no one does. The rally runs five hours—Red Fly Nation plays for nearly two—without a hitch. What makes this event special is the turnout—not so much the numbers (about 400 total), but the mix of people who stop by for a quick listen. “In many ways, this has been our most successful date yet,” Ben says. “We were in front of the whole city, not just a student crowd—we had business people coming through, it was a much more mixed reception.” Even blacks, who are notably absent on the Tour, were in attendance. Thank Red Fly Nation’s funkadelic sounds for that.

John Hartman, Ohio NORML’s North Coast coordinator, who along with Ohio NORML leader Cliff Barrows organized the rally, is also excited about the “variety of people” who turned out. So where do people who attended the rally go from here? “I want them to write their representatives, take some of our literature and xerox it, pass out 100 copies here, 100 copies there—just get it out,” John says. “There’s nothing illegal about going door-to-door or standing on a street corner and handing pamphlets out. It’s a standard way of soliciting people—and the cheapest. Right now we don’t have the dollars, so it just comes down to getting out in the streets and informing people—leafletting or making calls or taking opinion polls, any contact with people.”

John invites the Hemp Tour back to his house to party and spend the night. Without people like John, the Hemp Tour would be forced to run up some pretty high hotel bills. Considering that the Tour runs on whatever it makes in sales of t-shirts and assorted products, this hospitality is invaluable.

April 5

Today’s headline in the Cleveland Plain Dealer reads, “Hemp is Given a New Twist—Fair Promotes Pot’s Many Uses.” In the article, a botanist from Case Western Reserve University admits he doesn’t know much about hemp other than its fiber is tough and it grows at a phenomenal rate. He suggests Flax, which is used to make linen and linseed oil, has similar properties to hemp.

During the ride down to the next stop—Kent State University—with Ben and Cliff, Ben says, “I want to reach the farm press and the farm researchers on this tour—make a particular effort to touch base at the agriculture schools, find the professors who might be motivated to take a closer look, and meet the kind of people who can convince the agriculture departments to give them permits to study the plant.”

Ben Masel is a professional activist. He not only runs the Hemp Tour, he also publishes The Zenger, an underground newspaper, out of his home base of Madison, Wisconsin. Ben’s style is more academic and less charismatic than Jack’s. He’s an expert polemicist and quite a good storyteller (his country twang and ironic outlook reminds me of Arlo Guthrie). Ben was the HIGH TIMES’ 1988 Counterculture Hero of the Year. I ask him to tell me when he first became politically active.

“One turning point was during the fourth grade, when we did Inherit the Wind as a class play. I was the teacher who was on trial for teaching evolution,” he laughs. “In the sixth grade, we were the first kids in the country to be bussed to integrate a black school. This was in Teaneck, New Jersey. By the 10th grade, we had been resegregated. While we were all in the same building, the classes weren’t integrated anymore. This led us to occupy the principal’s office in the spring of 10th grade. We held it for three days, and won most of our 13 unconditional demands. The principal resigned on the third day.

“Upon hearing about the shootings at Kent State, we got together a meeting of 150-200 students in the auditorium after school and we decided to call a strike. Next we heard that the Student Council wanted to join us. Then the principal came by and offered to cooperate with us if we called it a teach-in instead of a strike. A couple of days later, the Board of Education wanted to can the principal because one of the speakers at the teach-in had referred to ‘that motherfucker Nixon.’”

Appropriately, we arrive in Kent as Ben’s discussing his reaction to the events that devastated this small college town 20 years ago. Ben has a lot of personal history connected to Kent State University. He joined the May 4th Coalition in the late 70s in its efforts to prevent the University from building a gym over part of the area where the 1970 shootings occurred. They lost that battle. Perhaps today would be another.

The Hemp Tour was unable to obtain sponsorship from a student group for the rally. The Progressive Student Network balked out of fear that it would lose its registration if a legal problem arose. In addition, the school only allows use of a PA system in the plaza outside the Student Center for one hour a day—from noon to 1 PM. At 12:30, Ben plugs in the PA and begins to speak into a microphone. A crowd of about 100 congregate. By 1 PM, the local police are about to close in. Debbie warns Ben that they mean business, but he keeps talking until the police pull the plug at about 1:25. Ben races over to the PA and plugs it back in. The police grab him; the battle is on.

Ben clearly resists. They pull his hair. It takes four cops to lead Ben to their car, which is waiting about 200 feet away at the curb. The crowd chants, “Bullshit!” and “Let him go!” The cops don’t listen. In the chaos, a female frosh named Sharon Burns gets caught up in the activity. She and Ben are both arrested and taken to the nearby police station.

Sharon is charged with disorderly conduct and released on her own recognizance. Ben is hit with three charges: obstructing offical business, resisting arrest, and assault (they claim he kneed a cop in the groin). At first, we’re told that bail will be $1,250. After we make the necessary arrangements to pay a bail bondsman and drive six miles to Portage County, where Ben has been taken, we’re told the bail has been raised to $12,500. It’s fairly common to require 10 percent of the bond, but because of Ben’s long “rap sheet” and the fact that he’s from out-of-state (no doubt his previous run-ins at Kent State are also a consideration) they refuse to reduce the bond—at least until the morning. So Ben has to spend the night in jail.

Meanwhile, the Hemp Tour people are waiting for Debbie and me at a gallery on Water Street. Later on, Red Fly Nation and some local bands are supposed to play across the street at J.B.’s. There’s some anger over Ben’s decision to get arrested, but some good smoke mellows everyone out.

Water Street, it turns out, was where the calamitous events at Kent State began almost 20 years ago to the day. On May Day, 1970, Nixon announced that the US had invaded Cambodia. That night students poured out of J.B.’s and other clubs and into the streets; then they lit a bonfire and began smashing store windows. The next day, the ROTC building on the Kent State campus was firebombed. Two days later, the National Guard opened fire on the students.

Alan Canfora was there. He was shot in the wrist. He stood 50 feet in front of his friend, Jeff Miller, who took a bullet in the head. “As the guard got to the top of the hill and they stopped and they started to fire, I heard the guns go off and took a step away from them,” he tells me. “I thought, ‘Well, just in case they’re firing live ammunition, I’ll get behind a tree.’ I got behind one at the last possible second before a bullet went through my right wrist. It was the only tree in the line of fire. I’m convinced that that tree saved my life, because it was hit by several bullets and I could see many other bullets zipping through the air and ripping through the grass.”

Canfora puts today’s confrontation with the police in perspective when he explains: “Kent State remains now as it has been during the last 20 years—a very repressive institution which is controlled by the Republican interests in Ohio.”

April 6

Ben has a 9 AM hearing. A public defender named Bill Carroll shows up and asks for a reduction of the bond to $5,000. The judge agrees to that, plus he allows for 10 percent payment. Debbie counts out $500 and Ben is free.

Ben doesn’t exactly get a hero’s welcome when he returns to our Kent crash pad. There’s a noon rally slated for Athens in Southern Ohio at Ohio University. Herer has gone ahead and will run the rally. Cliff, Ben, and I again travel together; the bus is the last to leave.

For the first time on the Tour I get to see some pretty country. Southern Ohio is full of rolling hills. We take a few small roads to get there, with Ben doing the navigating. Does he regret the arrest? “Only that I resisted,” he says, proudly noting that it was his 106th arrest.

We get to Athens just as Jack is wrapping up. He applauds Ben’s arrest—’That’s how Ben teaches the kids,” Jack says. Plus, it got good press.

That evening, the University’s history and political science departments are sponsoring a debate/teach-in. It’s Jack and Gatewood versus Lois and Robert Whealy, a husband and wife prof team. The debate turns out to be quite a hoot.

The profs aren’t all that opposed. One point is well-taken: Don’t look for simplistic answers to our environmental problems. Gatewood proclaims, “I don’t apologize to anyone anymore about smoking pot. Any society that can accommodate alcohol and tobacco has room for pot.”

Later that night, Vicki Linker invites us all to her backwoods digs for a well-deserved and desperately-needed party (the type where dessert is served first). Red Fly Nation sets up in the living room and jams (I even get to play percussion on my fave songs—”Do the Feelin’” and “Strictly Wet”). Gatewood unknots his tie and opens his collar. Maria rolls the ugliest joints ever. Ben tries to recruit me to leave immediately for Indianapolis, where Farm Aid is scheduled to start in a few hours. He wants to leaflet the concert. Good idea, bad execution (the van barely made it to Vicki’s). Everyone sleeps it off.

April 7

Last stop for me—Columbus, Ohio. Everything I’ve been told to expect about the Columbus rally is right. This is one stop where there was little or no advance work, and it shows. The rally, tucked away on the campus of Ohio State University, fizzles. Hey, the Hemp Tour was due for a dud.

I’m ready to head home.

Tomorrow, Dayton hosts a rally, and then it’s off to a swing through Indiana (the Tour runs through May). Jack is packed and ready to roll. “C’mon, Bloom, you’re driving to Dayton,” he yells. Sorry, Jack, I’m booked on a flight back to New York. But he has me thinking. Should I spend just a few more days on the Hemp Tour?

At that moment, the bus pulls up; it’s being tailed by a cop. Apparently, Dean hopped a curb and is getting written up. Hey, you know what? This is one nutty Hemp Tour.

This article appears in the July 1990 issue of High Times. Subscribe here.

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A top medical cannabis official in Ohio said last week that the state would like to significantly increase the number of available dispensary licenses in a move to address widening demand. 

Cleveland.com reports that Justin Sheridan, the director of medical marijuana operations at the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, said Thursday that “regulators want to double the number of dispensary licenses in the state to satisfy patient demand, which has been much higher than anticipated since the program became operational.”

Ohio has 58 medical cannabis dispensaries at the moment, according to the website. Speaking at Ohio State University last week, Sheridan said that the board is currently “working on adding 73 new dispensary licenses,” Cleveland.com reported.

According to the website, Sheridan said that the state Board of Pharmacy “received 1,400 applications for new dispensaries” in November, and that the “Ohio Lottery conducted a drawing to determine which companies would receive provisional dispensary licenses.”

The move to expand the number of dispensaries is a testament to the success of Ohio’s medical cannabis program, which launched sales in 2019, three years after lawmakers there passed a measure legalizing the treatment. 

When the first medical cannabis dispensaries opened in Ohio, “regulators projected 12,000 to 24,000 patients in the first two years,” according to Cleveland.com.

But instead, by February of last year, “there were 136,507 registered patients,” the website said, and today “there are 252,139.”

“In addition to more patients, some areas of the state have no dispensaries, including several rural areas in Northwestern and Western Ohio. In addition, some areas in southeastern Ohio only have one dispensary across several counties,” the website said, detailing the problem facing patients in the state.

Last month, the state’s Department of Commerce Medical Marijuana Control Program reported that the medical cannabis program had generated roughly $725 million in revenue. 

Under the state’s medical cannabis law, the treatment is available to patients with a host of qualifying conditions, including: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, Huntington’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, positive status for HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, sickle cell anemia, Spasticity, spinal cord disease or injury, terminal illness, Tourette syndrome, traumatic brain injury and ulcerative colitis.

In recent years, lawmakers have grappled with whether or not to add autism to the list of qualifying conditions, as 17 other states have done. 

Two years ago, the state’s Medical Board rejected a bid to add autism to the list of qualifying conditions after hearing testimony from proponents and opponents. A group of children’s hospitals in the state were among the latter group.

“The inclusion of autism and anxiety as conditions has the potential to negatively impact the health and well being of thousands of children in Ohio,” Sarah Kincaid of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association told regulators on the board at the time. “There is little rigorous evidence that marijuana or its derivatives is of benefit for patients with autism and anxiety, but there is a substantial association between cannabis use and the onset or worsening of several psychiatric conditions.”

Last month, lawmakers in the Ohio House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow patients with autism to receive medical cannabis.

“This bill is a direct result of the needs and wants of the people of Ohio who are on the autism spectrum,” said one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Democratic state House Representative Juanita Brent. “It will help ensure legal access to a plant-based solution free from costly prescription medications or other outdated and sometimes harmful treatments.”

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City officials in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday filed motions to expunge more than 4,000 misdemeanor convictions for past cannabis offenses, making good on a 2020 ordinance to reform the city’s cannabis policy. 

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced the filing of the expungement motions at an event held at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center. The mayor, appearing with Cleveland assistant chief prosecutor Aqueelah Jordan, council president Blaine Griffin, and law director Mark Griffin, told reporters that it was a historic day for the people of Cleveland.

“Today’s event shows our commitment in the city of Cleveland to advancing criminal justice reform,” Bibb told reporters. “But it also gives folks all across the city and across this region a second chance at getting a good job and the quality of life that they deserve.”

At the event, the officials presented the expungement motions to the clerks at the Cleveland Municipal Court located at the county justice center. The motions cover 4,077 misdemeanor weed cases for possession of 200 grams (about seven ounces) or less of cannabis dating back to 2017.

“This is the natural progression of what we (at council) wanted to see; first to decriminalize, then to have records expunged. Before we passed the legislation, we put together a working group with activists and criminal justice experts,” Griffin said in a statement from the city council. “As more and more states legalized marijuana, we wanted to position the city in that direction. For me, this has always been about criminal justice reform.”

Reform Ordinance Passed Two Years Ago

Cleveland officials filed the expungement motions in response to a 2020 city council ordinance to reform cannabis policy that eliminated the threat of fines and jail time for possessing less than 200 grams of cannabis. Under Ohio state law, possession of up to 100 grams of cannabis carries a fine of up to $150, while possessing between 100 and 200 grams is punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of up to $250.

While reviewing past weed cases, the prosecutor’s office identified 455 individuals who were mistakenly charged after the passage of the 2020 ordinance. Those charges were in addition to the thousands of cases since 2017 that prosecutors have determined are eligible for expungement.

“Today, we are moving forward with a motion to expunge all cases of minor misdemeanor marijuana possession to honor the City’s legislation and eliminate criminal consequences,” said Jordan, who also called on the state of Ohio to expand its cannabis reform efforts to include recreational cannabis. Currently, the state has a limited medical weed program for patients with certain qualifying medical conditions.

City officials noted that last week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, a bill to decriminalize cannabis at the national level and expunge past federal cannabis convictions. But local measures can help move the process along.

“We are seeing progress in Washington on this issue, but it’s slow. There are immediate steps we can take right now in Cleveland to clear the names of over 4,000 residents who deserve a fresh start,” Bibb said in the statement from the city. “This is just one way we can make progress on criminal justice reform to balance the scales and remove barriers to employment and re-entry.” 

The expungement motions filed by the city will be considered by presiding judge Michelle Earley and other judges of the Cleveland Municipal Court. The court is expected to hold hearings on the motions before approving the expungements, which are not automatic under the new ordinance.

“The judges have the right to rule on the motions and we will respect those rights,” Jordan said. “Our judges are very busy, and we are going to be very supportive of whatever time they need.”

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