http://www.mona-zhang.com/contact daily 0.75 2019-08-29 http://www.mona-zhang.com/about-1 daily 1.0 2025-08-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1525471958952-QH6702IK42HTFLFSD6AL/IMG_6232.JPG About http://www.mona-zhang.com/clips daily 0.75 2026-02-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/e461fbf8-fc7c-4328-8362-4674bb2ba46d/webp+%2811%29.webp Clips - Hochul enrages environmentalists with shift to ‘all of the above’ energy policy Democrats are focusing on affordability over climate goals as midterm elections loom. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/0e7f5980-2f7e-4e40-aee8-93d51d946352/webp+%2810%29.webp Clips - Texas votes to outlaw most hemp products, potentially crippling market The vote was a stunning reversal for the House after it advanced legislation that sought to regulate — rather than ban — intoxicating hemp products. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/a6257f34-4987-4c53-8aec-3ad43ea94d82/webp+%289%29.webp Clips - Will Texas kill a multibillion-dollar industry? Lawmakers are debating proposals to ban intoxicating hemp products, which could destroy thousands of businesses. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1e145d59-6c32-4c5a-bf6a-fe6c6120410b/webp+%288%29.webp Clips - This state legalized cannabis. So why does it still have an illegal weed problem? City and state officials say they’ve shut down more than 1,300 illicit outlets. It’s believed that thousands more remain in business. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/cef72941-1648-447a-ac18-05f9dfbdcbb2/webp+%287%29.webp Clips - Colorado’s Weed Market Is Coming Down Hard and It’s Making Other States Nervous Businesses are shuttering or laying off workers as sales have plunged by $700 million. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/8fd3401f-e468-4030-ac1b-ba713f5fcc82/webp+%286%29.webp Clips - Hochul’s cannabis conundrum: Stronger action, but greater political risk New York’s governor is taking on the troubled rollout of the state’s weed market. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/3df12d79-4b31-44f2-917f-10b2e07cc891/webp+%285%29.webp Clips - Broken promises: How marijuana legalization failed communities hit hardest by the drug war States vowed that cannabis licenses would bring equity to places that suffered most in the drug war. Instead, most license holders are wealthy and white. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/03e5cd02-dd66-40b3-a5ae-63637b984025/webp+%284%29.webp Clips - A legal morass is thwarting Alabama’s medical marijuana program Businesses and patients are in limbo due to numerous lawsuits challenging the licensing process. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/7090c902-e327-4102-9a4e-95dcb4eb748a/webp+%283%29.webp Clips - New York promised to help people with weed convictions open dispensaries. Instead, they’re stuck in a legal nightmare. A lawsuit filed by disabled veterans has ground the state’s market rollout to a halt. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/2421220b-0024-4a85-97d6-540ef101af18/webp+%282%29.webp Clips - The push for legal weed faces hostile ground in red states Legalization efforts are increasingly focused on staunchly conservative states more resistant to loosening marijuana rules. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/94745ed1-ba8e-4a56-94b7-016f7ec9463d/webp+%281%29.webp Clips - Former Michigan House speaker charged with accepting bribes for cannabis licenses All four defendants signed plea deals admitting guilt to the charges. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/12f98a94-81ad-4931-9109-f944da110809/webp.webp Clips - Inside New York’s struggling weed real estate experiment Its social equity program goes further than any other legal cannabis state. It’s also contributing to a rocky rollout. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1665196005826-1B03NFTO76CMYH34R9HJ/biden.png Clips - Pardons, descheduling and the DEA: Making sense of Biden's weed actions Here’s a look at what Joe Biden’s executive actions do — and don’t do — and what it could mean for America’s burgeoning multibillion-dollar marijuana markets. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1665195884624-JCWWNXXOKOU718TNIADM/COURTS.jpeg Clips - Courts could throw state marijuana markets into disarray And only Congress has the power to stop it. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1665195794873-PONHQ2A3QKTV1AW2ZNTS/legalization+-efforts.png Clips - Where cannabis legalization efforts stand across the country Gains in state legislatures slowed down in 2022, but advocates still have the ballot. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1665195609465-TICNVYOMS2V4XL4LBUDH/denver.jpeg Clips - Inside Denver’s struggles to diversify its $700M marijuana market Despite grants and training programs, social equity businesses are struggling to survive. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1655568895462-E0O6T6WSVHTREAGQLKHE/Screen+Shot+2022-06-18+at+12.13.51+PM.png Clips - How a Chewing Gum Heir Fell Into a Sticky Situation With Weed Beau Wrigley’s cannabis company is beset by lawsuits filed by angry investors alleging fraud. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1655568503203-22BGEXM1UNHLZ811H8SX/Screen+Shot+2022-06-18+at+12.07.54+PM.png Clips - How 'magic mushrooms' could follow in the footsteps of cannabis A growing number of states are considering bills to expand research or access to the drugs. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1655567500441-QCFKLPQBO89R1TS783WY/Screen+Shot+2022-06-18+at+11.48.01+AM.png Clips - Get ready for the Northeast to become cannabis country New Jersey is likely to start sales first, but New York is poised to become the nation’s weed capital. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1655567311204-AKH9RFO1884RRCXKLWKQ/Screen+Shot+2022-06-18+at+11.47.06+AM.png Clips - The risky financial deals that shook up one of America's most promising weed companies iAnthus thought Gotham Green Partners was providing a financial lifeline, but the investment firm is now poised to seize control of the company. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1655567134247-KB4TEB9JYK8YWTJBQ2EZ/Screen+Shot+2022-06-18+at+11.45.05+AM.png Clips - Weed lounges are coming to a city near you Las Vegas hopes to become a pioneer in creating public consumption spaces. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1655566796286-53FARD3C819PZLSVYDCB/Screen+Shot+2022-06-18+at+11.38.54+AM.png Clips - New GOP weed approach: Feds must ‘get out of the way’ Republicans from statehouses to Congress are pushing legalization bills. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1624547980980-SJW6EF77Y5DNSYBSYTY4/maine-big-weed.jpeg Clips - Maine’s mom and pop weed scene sweats corporate ‘gentrification’ The state has long cultivated a small business atmosphere around medical marijuana. Now, shop owners fear state rules will favor industry giants. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1624547819656-QOPFIXV1GFNOEJ0XKX4R/conservative-states.jpeg Clips - America’s most conservative states are embracing medical pot Despite struggles in Kentucky and Tennessee, the year looks up for medical marijuana supporters. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1617841067105-7YENPMSJBRX5PFRDZVVZ/weed-the-fifty.jpeg Clips - State lawmakers warm up to weed More than 40 percent of Americans now live in states that have embraced full legalization. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1617721235789-RI3YUQ3TD7LRMDZCMFDZ/charles-koch.jpeg Clips - Koch-backed group joins effort to push marijuana legalization The Cannabis Freedom Alliance could change the dynamics of the marijuana legalization debate. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1616853659891-B8BRBWFY611C2A7MHA7R/high-anxiety.jpeg Clips - High anxiety over federal weed loophole A seeming loophole in federal law is allowing people to buy products designed to get them high. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1616853526329-7OVTWTLL9RJA3OFXKLCB/same-old-joe.jpeg Clips - Same old Joe: Rebuffing staff who smoked pot fits Biden’s MO The White House press secretary acknowledged Friday that marijuana use has led to five staffers losing their jobs. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1613493144095-C5NFTHDKBLBJHT3FBPWR/laura-kelly.jpeg Clips - Medical marijuana’s last wildernesses Only a handful of U.S. states remain holdouts. Will 2021 change that? [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1609338984383-MU2UZSEFQV7DORUMK4FH/download.jpeg Clips - Celebrities, cash and questions: A new force roils the cannabis prisoner-release movement The Last Prisoner Project brings fund-raising heft to a long-starved cause, but its fellow advocates say it isn’t necessarily a team player. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1609080208726-5EWTU1POUV5VTIMTWYO3/download.jpeg Clips - How state marijuana legalization became a boon for corruption By making local officials the gatekeepers for million-dollar businesses, states created a breeding ground for bribery and favoritism. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1605112781153-WR5FSK0Z3EDEUTA49KH4/nj-legalization-ne-story.jpeg Clips - New Jersey’s vote for weed could kickstart legalization across the Northeast States that struggled to pass legalization bills in the past now face losing marijuana revenue to their neighbors. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1600104555734-RKSY0QI9R79QKPOBR86O/2020-09-state-ballot-story.jpeg Clips - States plow forward with pot, with or without Congress November ballot measures could result in over a third of Americans having access to legal weed. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1595683237461-CD46Y432SJO68CNG2PJ1/parson.jpeg Clips - Marijuana licensing woes dog Missouri’s governor Mike Parson, who took over for a scandal-plagued predecessor in 2018, is fighting an increasingly close battle for election in his own right. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1590422211916-I6PZIJI4D612I35P0MBT/download+%281%29.jpeg Clips - Hemp was supposed to boost farmers. It’s turned out to be a flop. Oversupply and a lack of federal rules led to trouble for the industry. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1590340644780-BDGJ34YST5GW122QH8HY/mm-art.jpeg Clips - Lavish Parties, Greedy Pols and Panic Rooms: How the ‘Apple of Pot’ Collapsed MedMen was the country’s hottest pot startup—until it flamed out. Its fall has exposed the gap between “green rush” hype and the realities of a troubled industry. [POLITICO Magazine] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1589315089715-3MMH4SDOJTRFN82XUI91/download+%281%29.jpeg Clips - Cannabis employees are in high demand during economic crash The industry is looking for thousands of workers across the country. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1586449736271-DC0RAZAWHLSB1HA98C91/download_pandemic-upends.jpeg Clips - Pandemic upends pot legalization Ballot campaigns and cannabis bills get pushed aside during public health crisis. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1585332575650-1XQKNP0MTAED5IXQ7797/download.jpeg Clips - Cannabis finds its moment amid coronavirus outbreak States across the country now consider pot shops "essential" services and anxious Americans are flocking to them. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1579888514084-WTDG9MLR4B9X331N7UKK/download.jpeg Clips - Marijuana legalization may hit 40 states. Now what? Changes in state laws could usher in even more confusion for law enforcement and escalate the pressure on Congress to act. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1581179443957-SWZWQY68WEV15G2KDX1G/download.jpeg Clips - Indicted Parnas associate was set to partner with VA on cannabis research The associate, Andrey Kukushkin, is awaiting federal trial for alleged campaign finance violations. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1580069381343-30H832WP7GDHUFH3FTQ9/download.jpeg Clips - Meet the Cannabis Lawyer Beating Trump at His Own Game Joseph Bondy is an unusual attorney for an unusual client, Lev Parnas. His legal strategy is even more outlandish. [POLITICO Magazine] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1575348662898-06IVNXAIBTSY2D31YVMP/joe-biden.jpeg Clips - Biden’s wariness on marijuana puts another target on his back Biden's stance is out of step with the rest of the Democratic field. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1572018138228-74PA0YQNEDQOM2R0A11I/191024-bernie-sanders-ap-773.jpg Clips - How Bernie Sanders would legalize marijuana The presidential candidate's proposals couple legalization and criminal justice reform. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1569593139293-7IQGQFVA94SNXLB50Y12/download.jpg Clips - How McConnell’s hemp push has made pot busts harder Mitch McConnell’s big victory for his home state hemp industry may have made it easier for people busted for marijuana to get off the hook. [POLITICO] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1561493619332-YKU966R9XVT3JPZG4GJ3/Screen+Shot+2019-06-25+at+4.12.22+PM.png Clips https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1559254879054-EC5PA7KGZ6K9ADAWH2QA/20190524-w8FN0o7UNEZ2QOrg3IuZ.jpeg Clips - Here’s why it’s so hard for small businesses to sell CBD Payment startups have policies against selling hemp-derived products, but larger retailers are allowed to slide while smaller ones get their service pulled. [The Outline] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526765177032-PATN7V86303F89IIU32P/https_%252F%252Fasset-1.theoutline.com%252Fv1%252Fduotone%252Fpreview_end%3DAFFFCC%26start%3DFB6754%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Foutline-prod.imgix.png Clips - The Boring Narcs At YouTube Are Banning Marijuana-Related Channels YouTube has not heard that cannabis is cool, legal in many places, and nothing like guns or conspiracy theories. [The Outline] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526765705495-QW6QGQQS1PDZ4DGRYO5Q/960x0.jpg Clips - Groundbreaking Marijuana Media Site Loses All Its Editorial Staff The Denver Post’s pot vertical The Cannabist made waves in marijuana journalism before laying off its editorial staffers. Now, the site’s founding editor is thinking about purchasing it. [Forbes] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526765788627-XMOEMA103R1JKR1LH4AY/960x0+%281%29.jpg Clips - How A Cannabis Company Is Taking A Page Out Of The Pharmaceutical Playbook New York medical marijuana company PharmaCannis is bringing new technology to the cannabis world to maximize the drug’s effects without exceeding dosage regulations. [Forbes] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526765856522-YIUCWVRAX49KZHPQKYM1/960x0+%282%29.jpg Clips - No, CBD Is Not 'Legal In All 50 States' Cannabidiol is a trend taking the health-and-wellness world by storm. But contrary to many media reports, those who sell it still run the risk of prosecution. [Forbes] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526766353513-3Y0KU12L6QNO9UDPUCC7/https_%252F%252Fasset-1.theoutline.com%252Fv1%252Fduotone%252Fpreview_end%3D4745D1%26start%3D000000%26url%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Foutline-prod.imgix.jpeg Clips - Hemp Will Save Us From Fire, Cockroaches, Heat, And Microplastics Hemp has been illegal for decades, but it’s a huge improvement over many common materials. [The Outline] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526766540484-N1BDLWFKVBN3Y6VDBK7D/960x0+%285%29.jpg Clips - Even Before Ruling, A Judge Gives Supporters Of Marijuana Legalization Cause For Optimism Over the years, many have attempted to challenge the federal government’s classification of marijuana as a Schedule I substance. A hearing in a lawsuit filed against Attorney General Jeff Sessions offered an example of both how far the country has come on the issue and how far there still is to go. [Forbes] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526766597362-KSOK2C9PMHBHM71GXJ00/960x0+%286%29.jpg Clips - Federal Judge Dismisses Marijuana Legalization Case, Plaintiffs Vow To Appeal A federal judge dismissed a case that sought to challenge the federal prohibition of marijuana. "We will take this fight to the Supreme Court if necessary," said plaintiff and Army veteran Jose Belen. [Forbes] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526767521763-U1IF34X2U40KDN9PI5JA/rrny.jpg Clips - Behind RRNY, a campaign to legalize marijuana in New York A once-in-20-year chance to put the issue before voters. [Word on the Tree] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526767600197-2O1TIHDJXPXVIHK702VK/Misleading-Campaign-Marijuana-Legalization-New-York-Header.jpg Clips - The Misleading Campaign For Marijuana Legalization In New York Regardless of whether or not Con Con is a feasible avenue to pursue marijuana legalization in New York, state residents should take a closer look at the process and the campaigns involved. [High Times] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526768225935-QA6CZNA1H4I835P4GTBZ/suits-and-stoners-are-fighting-for-the-soul-of-the-weed-industry-body-image-1463429810-size_1000.jpg Clips - 'Suits' and 'Stoners' Are Fighting for the Soul of the Weed Industry "There's no doubt that capitalism has moved the ball forward as far as marijuana legalization goes." [Vice] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526768342924-DZPQNCYXIKFUYCQA9X6C/crimes-reefer-madness-header.jpg Clips - The Crimes of Reefer Madness Harry Anslinger was able to co-opt a number of sensational crimes and tie them to cannabis, creating an anti-cannabis campaign that left an indelible mark on the American psyche. In reality, the crimes used in furtherance of Anslinger’s crusade often had little or nothing whatsoever to do with cannabis. These are the true crimes of reefer madness. [High Times] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526767989887-XSLQS3IIW75RAU6SZ315/HTInterview-WandaJames3840.jpg Clips - The HIGH TIMES Interview: Wanda James Colorado's first black woman to own a dispensary on the challenges facing the industry, why entrepreneurs should be politically active and what she thinks of Colorado’s regulations. [High Times] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526768112160-61DKBCWXUKYYGSG10K4K/AndrewFreedman.jpg Clips - The HIGH TIMES Interview: Andrew Freedman Colorado's first 'marijuana czar' on the challenges behind Amendment 64, and why no state should legalize cannabis just for the money. [High Times] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1526768463812-CN1IH2NSL74CUBDZNAXH/Manning_troops-1038x779.jpg Clips - Mafen Madness: Busted for Cannabis in China “At this time tomorrow, we’ll be smoking a lot of hash, or I’ll be in jail!” [Freedom Leaf] http://www.mona-zhang.com/media daily 0.75 2020-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1602888515762-6FCOPX60CB2C001BAA0Q/John-Fetterman-Marijuana-Listening-Tour-02-e1551930622273-768x527.jpg Media - Should Pennsylvania legalize cannabis? Could legalizing adult-use cannabis be a step towards salvaging Pennsylvania’s COVID-ravaged economy? POLITICO’s States Cannabis Policy Reporter MONA ZHANG zooms out and tells us how other states have tackled cannabis legalization and what the process might look like for Pennsylvania. [WHYY] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1600442313562-GVFAMIRCTRKIS3W2P79D/Screen+Shot+2020-09-18+at+11.17.42+AM.png Media - Marijuana on the ballot in 2020 Mona talks to WNYC’s Brian Lehrer about New Jersey’s marijuana ballot referendum and what it means for surrounding states (and Congress). [WNYC] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1600441949257-1BKUEK52HJ2IPXMX4YWI/Screen+Shot+2020-09-18+at+11.05.17+AM.png Media - Americans support legalization, but not enough to sway their vote Mona talks to CBSN about how marijuana is a low salience issue, even though a large majority of voters support reform. [CBS News] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/56c640e53c44d8523fc80057/1600442660475-7BJ4IA08RF0FQCI5RJBM/poynter-story-cannabis-journalism.jpg Media - Burgeoning cannabis industry means opportunities for journalists Mona talks to Poynter about the opportunities and challenges of covering the cannabis beat. [Poynter]