Can we finally legalize weed, please?
Its 4/20 so we are leading the newsletter with a column about legalizing cannabis from Editor Steven Porter.
Can we finally legalize weed, please? This is ridiculous.
By Steven Porter
If you're old enough to buy booze, you could walk into a dispensary today in 18 states and buy marijuana products for recreational use. In 37 states, you could get permission to buy the drug for medicinal purposes. No need for a back-alley transaction. You could make your purchase in broad daylight in one of thousands of pot shops now operating under state rules to sell marijuana legally.
Yet, no matter which state you're in, you would still be committing a federal crime.
The brow-furrowing disconnect between federal prohibition and the patchwork of marijuana legalization rules at the state level has been an especially hot potato in the decade since Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize weed for recreational use.
While President Barack Obama was in office, the Department of Justice issued a memo signaling the DOJ would generally refrain from enforcing the federal prohibition on marijuana in states that had legalized and regulated the drug.
Ukraine's Zelenskyy went from actor to hero in Russia's unprovoked war
By Jill Lawrence
“All my life I tried to do all I could so that Ukrainians laughed. That was my mission. Now I will do all I can so that Ukrainians at least do not cry any more.”
That is how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy concluded his inaugural address on May 20, 2019.
He foresaw and foretold so much about his country – and ours – in “Servant of the People,” the television sitcom that spawned a real-life political party, platform and president. The prophesizing stopped before Russia started a brutal, unprovoked war on Ukraine. But by then Zelenskyy had also inspired real-life pride and patriotism.
There will be oceans of tears and death before the war is over, but there is still a chance for peace and justice in the end. A chance for Zelenskyy to stop the crying.
'Kindness is a superpower': What Sesame Street Muppets told Paste BN
By Kristen DelGuzzi, Jaden Amos, Carli Pierson, Thuan Le Elston
"Sesame Street" Muppets are eager to share what they've learned from their new community projects, including The Welcome Garden, and how neighbors can help each other deal with scary things, like COVID-19. Paste BN chatted with two of these neighbors: the show's first Asian Muppet, Ji-Young, a Korean American who loves her electric guitar and skateboard, and Abby Cadabby, a fairy in training with wings and a magic wand.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind "Sesame Street," on Wednesday released new bilingual videos and resources as part of an ongoing initiative to help families talk to young children about identity and inclusivity. Fresh from their new community garden, Ji-Young, 7, and Abby Cadabby, 4, spoke with Paste BN's Editorial Board members Kristen DelGuzzi, Thuan Le Elston, Jaden Amos and Carli Pierson – and Pierson's daughters Emiliana, 6, and Ines, 4. Their conversation has been edited for clarity, length and flow.
Other columns to read today
- Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis bans textbooks, keeps kids safe from math
- Police gunned down Patrick Lyoya, an injustice familiar for Black men
- Polarization in Congress doesn't reflect Americans' common ground
- GOP attacks on diversity and elections cost taxpayers millions
This newsletter was compiled by Jaden Amos.