Bluntly Zen / Lifestyle

The people behind the higher life.

Comedians, growers, educators and travelers who make cannabis culture worth showing up for. Start with a comic worth knowing, then meet the creators to follow this season.

Cannabis news

What's happening right now.

The stories shaping cannabis culture and travel this fall. Updated November 5, 2026.

CultureOct 13, 2026

Netflix's TYSON goes deep on Mike's second act

Netflix's four-part docuseries TYSON, directed by Floyd Russ, follows Mike Tyson from "Baddest Man on the Planet" through prison, addiction and money troubles to where he is now. Tyson says he has been "California sober," off hard drugs and liquor, for more than a decade. The final episode ends with him taking "the toad," a psychedelic he credits with keeping him off cocaine and alcohol, and says it told him to fight Jake Paul.

Catch the TYSON 2.0 vibe in person: Heavyweights Comedy at the TYSON 2.0 lounge in Brooklyn, Oct 29.

Sources: Netflix Tudum · What's on Netflix

ElectionNov 5, 2026 · New

What the election means for cannabis

Democrats won both chambers of Congress, but federal legalization would still need 60 Senate votes and the President’s signature, and the new Congress isn’t seated until January. In Texas, Vikki Goodwin unseated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who led the hemp THC ban push. Nothing changes for travelers this week, and the federal hemp THC limit still starts Dec. 11. Read our full breakdown.

Sources: Marijuana Moment · The Texas Tribune

CreatorsNov 3, 2026 · New

Reggie Kush wins a Kill Tony golden ticket

Our spotlight comic Reggie Kush is Kill Tony’s newest golden ticket winner, earned with a set that mixed stand-up and battle rap on Tony Hinchcliffe’s live comedy show. The St. Louis-born, New York-based comic and rapper was on the Heavyweights lineup at TYSON 2.0 in Brooklyn last week. Watch the moment in his spotlight.

Source: Comedy Curated on Instagram

LoungesNov 4, 2026 · New

Haverhill approves Massachusetts’ first voter-backed cannabis café

Haverhill voters approved Question 10, about 12,600 to 10,500 in unofficial results, allowing on-site cannabis consumption where it’s sold. It’s the first time a Massachusetts community has approved social consumption by public vote. Stem, the local dispensary that petitioned for the vote, is building a lounge, which still needs a state license. Statewide Question 8, which would have overridden it, failed.

Sources: The Weed Blog · Northshore Magazine

LoungesNov 2026 · New

Lounge watch: where on-site consumption is heading next

Massachusetts: social consumption rules are final, but no town has finished opting in, and the first cafés aren’t expected before 2027. Sacramento: the city’s lounge pilot caps rooms at 1,500 sq ft, requires odor-control ventilation and only allows products bought on site; staff said openings would come late this fall at the earliest. Nevada City, Calif.: the council moved to let existing shops add ventilated, 21+ lounges and to lift its cap on pop-up cannabis events. New York: lounges are legal on paper, but the state still hasn’t opened applications, so places like TYSON 2.0 run as private clubs.

Sources: Mass. Cannabis Control Commission · Abridged (Sacramento) · The Union (Nevada City)

FederalNov 3, 2026 · New

AMA presses the FDA on botanical drugs, backs a research schedule for cannabis

The American Medical Association told the FDA it has concerns about the scientific standards used to develop marijuana, kratom and other plant-based drugs. At the same time, it supported creating a new “special schedule” meant to make it easier to study cannabis’s potential medical uses.

Source: Marijuana Moment

BusinessNov 2, 2026 · New

Trulieve and Vireo get their first DEA registrations

The first wave of federal registrations under the new Schedule III framework is reaching big operators. Trulieve says its medical dispensaries received DEA registrations, and Vireo Growth says all 41 of its Florida medical dispensaries were approved. More than 900 dispensaries in seven states are in this first round.

Source: The Marijuana Herald

StatesNov 2026 · New

New rules in Delaware, Ohio and Oregon

Delaware: starting Nov. 11, licensed growers can make pre-rolls from their own flower and sell them to retailers without a separate manufacturing license (no infused pre-rolls, no direct sales to consumers). Ohio: since Nov. 2, processors can turn already-packaged flower into concentrates and other products to clear extra inventory, with testing rules still in place. Oregon: proposed rules would add hospice, palliative and comfort care as qualifying medical conditions starting Jan. 1, 2027; public comments are open through Nov. 23. Several Oregon cities also voted Nov. 3 on local cannabis and psilocybin taxes or bans.

Sources: The Marijuana Herald · Oregon Capital Chronicle

InternationalNov 2026 · New

Ontario targets illegal shops; Nepal’s top court orders a medical cannabis framework

Ontario proposed giving its regulator power to inspect suspected illegal storefronts, seize products and issue fines; the province estimates about 30% of its retail market is still illicit. Legal retailers welcomed it but say there’s no budget or timeline yet. In Nepal, the Supreme Court gave the government three months to build rules for growing cannabis for medical, scientific and industrial use.

Sources: CP24 · The Kathmandu Post

ResearchNov 2026 · New

Review: inhaled cannabis helps about 1 in 5 chronic pain patients

A review of 13 randomized trials found inhaled cannabis raised the odds of at least a 30% drop in chronic non-cancer pain by about 60% compared with placebo. The researchers concluded it probably gives meaningful relief to roughly one in five patients. Separately, a study of cancer patients found many use cannabis and believe it helps, but often don’t tell their care team.

Sources: The Marijuana Herald · Marijuana Moment

FederalOct 30, 2026 · New

DEA registers 900+ medical dispensaries, Texas included

The Justice Department says the DEA has issued its first federal registrations to more than 900 medical marijuana dispensaries in seven states: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. Registered shops must meet federal security and record-keeping rules, and the change covers medical sales only; recreational marijuana stays in Schedule I. The DEA says it can’t register medical businesses in states that also license recreational sales or let patients self-certify. More registrations will roll out in phases.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice · Marijuana Moment

New YorkOct 29, 2026 · New

Court keeps New York’s fund for social equity dispensaries

A unanimous state appeals court panel threw out a lawsuit claiming New York’s Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund clashes with federal drug law. The court found that funding state-licensed shops doesn’t require anyone to break federal law, so financing for social equity dispensaries stays in place. The ruling doesn’t shield those shops from federal enforcement.

Source: The Marijuana Herald

OklahomaNov 1, 2026 · New

Three new Oklahoma cannabis laws are now in effect

Oklahoma moved THC, including synthetic THC made from hemp, to Schedule I under state law; the attorney general’s office says licensed medical patients and businesses aren’t affected. Edibles can no longer look like candy, cartoons or animals, and labels must show THC per serving. Employers also gained more room to act on positive tests under written policies, though a medical card alone still can’t be grounds for discrimination.

Source: The Marijuana Herald

The Texas State Capitol in Austin — LoneStarMike, CC BY 3.0

TexasUpdated Sept 2026

Is THCA flower legal in Texas? It depends where you are.

Since July 31, the state health department lists delta-8, delta-10 and THCA as banned, while state law still exempts hemp under 0.3% delta-9. An appeals court let the state's smokable-hemp rules take effect in June, and lawsuits continue. Enforcement varies: Austin police say they don't arrest over products at or under the 0.3% delta-9 limit, while Round Rock police suggested possession could be a felony.

Source: KERA News · Texas law card

FederalNov 12 & Dec 11, 2026

The federal hemp THC crackdown arrives in two steps

A ban on synthetic cannabinoids made from hemp starts Nov. 12. A stopgap law signed Sept. 2 pushed the rest to Dec. 11: a 0.3% total-THC limit that counts THCA, and a cap of 0.4 mg of THC per container, which would wipe out most intoxicating hemp gummies and drinks. UPS will require extra paperwork for hemp shipments starting Dec. 11.

Sources: Vicente LLP · Marijuana Moment

ElectionNov 3, 2026

Voters reject both cannabis rollbacks

Massachusetts Question 8, which would have repealed adult-use sales and home growing, failed by about 3 to 1, so legal sales continue. Idaho’s HJR 4, which would have let only the legislature legalize cannabis, failed with about 66% voting no, so citizens can still bring cannabis measures to the ballot. Results are unofficial. What the results mean.

Sources: NORML · NORML on Question 8

FederalOct 22, 2026

Rescheduling inches along

In April, the Justice Department and DEA directed that state-licensed medical cannabis be moved to Schedule III and ordered new hearings on all marijuana. On Oct. 22 the DEA judge refused to reopen those hearings but asked for more briefs. In its Oct. 29 brief, the DEA argued that a federal watchdog report finding gaps in how drugs are reviewed shouldn’t slow the change. Replies are due Nov. 5.

Sources: Marijuana Moment · NORML

MarketsOctober 2026

New York passes $4 billion in legal sales

New York's licensed dispensaries have now sold more than $4 billion in adult-use cannabis since the market opened. Elsewhere, Rhode Island approved later delivery hours, and Missouri's own study found its market meets demand without new licenses.

Source: Marijuana Moment

Coming upNov–Dec 2026

Conference season is here

Hall of Flowers lands in Sacramento for the first time Nov. 4–5, the Harvest Cup hits Worcester Nov. 13–14, CHAMPS takes over Fort Lauderdale Nov. 17–19, and MJBizCon fills the Las Vegas Convention Center Dec. 1–4.

See every conference in the Directory

Spotlight

Reggie Kush

Comedian, rapper and battle rapper from St. Louis, now working New York. Reginald “Reggie Kush” Edwards calls himself the GOAT, and the act backs it up two ways: laid-back stand-up and real bars.

He grew up on the north side of St. Louis and started comedy in 2012, at 20, at a downtown open mic where the host let him go up even though he was too young for the bar. Four years of grinding and competition wins later, including the Westport Funny Bone contest, he moved to New York in 2016.

Since then he has worked rooms like The Stand, Broadway Comedy Club and Gotham, played comedy festivals in New York, Burbank and DC, battled on the New York Comedy Festival’s Battle Rap night, and been featured on Sway in the Morning on SiriusXM. He has also released a double-disc hip-hop and comedy album. Most recently, he won a golden ticket on Kill Tony, Tony Hinchcliffe’s live comedy show, with a set that mixed stand-up and battle rap.

Home baseNew York, by way of St. Louis

The actStand-up, rap and battle rap

Golden ticketKill Tony

Smoke-friendly nightHeavyweights at TYSON 2.0

The golden ticket moment

Watch Reggie Kush win his Kill Tony golden ticket on Instagram

Follow @reggie_kush TikTok reggiethegoat.com Read his story Past shows

Creators to follow

The MJBizCon 2026 creator class

MJBizCon, the cannabis industry's biggest trade show, runs Dec. 1–4, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. These 28 creators are on its official 2026 content-creator roster, covering the plant and the people from the show floor. Follow them for live coverage, then plan your own Vegas trip with our lounge listings and Nevada law guide.

Andrea Maglione@officialstonerbabeInstagram Ashley Richoux@ashleyrichouxInstagram Brandon Johnson@We.BTravelinInstagram Breanna Bates@the.ebonyhempressInstagram Buni Dabs@bunidabsInstagram Christina Verschueren@st0ned_cmInstagram Daniel Bridges@booneskiwomackInstagram Dominique Miller@bakedbougiebestieInstagram Francesca Cserr@dabcowgirlInstagram Janiris Almonte@terpyjaniInstagram Jasper Pittman II@simply_dope_tvInstagram Jeff Hooten@casedgodInstagram Joe Casey@gzgrowshopsInstagram Kelly Graffin@shortandst0nedInstagram Kessi Osborne@ganjaisfemInstagram Krysta Jones@thehighcountrygirlsInstagram Luke Barbara@lukebarbaraInstagram Melisa Hampton@themeltedsiren710Instagram Nicole Dobson@_theterpqueen_Instagram Nikki Drake@She.is.nikkiInstagram Ranchera Mami@rancheramamiInstagram Sabrina Rebolledo@wholetmebeamomInstagram Samantha Seagaard@samanthasensiInstagram Samm Maben@sammwithtwommInstagram Summer Skyler Peggie@summer_skyyyyInstagram Taylor Mitchem@thatgardenmommaInstagram Thunder Walker@iamthunderwalkerInstagram Victoria Burkard@beautywhoburnsInstagram

Source: MJBizCon 2026 content creators. Creators are listed for discovery only; inclusion doesn't mean they partner with or endorse Bluntly Zen.

Creator directory

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From the blog

Stories from the higher life.

Places

The Gallery Nomad: where art meets cannabis, now in Dumbo too

A NoMad dispensary built around community and local art opens a second shop in Brooklyn.

Creators

Reggie Kush: the GOAT from St. Louis

From a downtown St. Louis open mic to Heavyweights at TYSON 2.0.

Creators

28 cannabis creators to follow before MJBizCon 2026

The official roster, plus how to do Vegas legally.

Culture

Where you can actually light up: lounges in 2026

A city-by-city look at the lounges open now.

Read all stories

Looking for a show you missed? Browse our past events archive.

Live it

Ways to live it.

Laugh

Smoke-friendly comedy

Heavyweights, Puff Puff Laugh and lounge comedy nights. Find them in the Directory and the members-only Events calendar.

Travel

Plan around the law

Every state's rules on one page, plus lounges and 420-friendly stays where they're legal. Start with Laws.

Flow

Dose with intention

Terpenes, tolerance and low-dose rituals, explained plainly in our wellness guide.

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