Advertise on podcast: The Cole Memo

Cannabis tax dollars are being used to fund automated license plate readers in Champaign County, Illinois. In this episode, Cole looks at public comments raising concerns about Flock cameras, surveillance, transparency, and the use of cannabis tax revenue, before turning to a debate among county board members over whether those dollars should continue funding the cameras. The discussion highlights competing views over whether license plate readers are an appropriate use of cannabis tax revenue and what role the county board has in determining how those funds are spent. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/10/01/e323/

In this episode, Cole looks at how cannabis tax revenue is being used to fund Flock license plate readers in Champaign County and raises broader questions about where Illinois cannabis tax dollars actually go. The conversation also turns to the latest federal cannabis rescheduling developments after a DEA judge paused proceedings amid new questions about the process behind the proposed move to Schedule III. Later, Cole dives into the debate over THC potency limits, including whether higher-dose cannabis beverages should be available outside dispensaries, what role age restrictions should play, and how cannabis regulations compare with the way alcohol is sold. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/30/e322/

Cole is joined by Grown In's Brad Spirrison for a wide-ranging conversation about THC beverages, hemp and the future of cannabis in Illinois. They discuss what could happen when Illinois' new hemp rules take effect, why low-dose THC drinks have reached consumers who might never visit a dispensary, and how the cannabis industry could respond to an uncertain state and federal landscape. The conversation also explores how legalization has changed cannabis culture, the differences between markets like Illinois and Michigan, and what the next chapter of cannabis legalization might look like. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/30/e321/

This episode covers a newly introduced Illinois bill that would create direct cash payments for people disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization, with Representative La Shawn Ford expected to return to the show to discuss the proposal. Cole also looks at Illinois' rollout of new medical cannabis licenses for adult-use dispensaries. Later, Cole reacts to clips from The War on Hemp: The Marijuana Monopoly, a documentary he was featured in, discussing hemp prohibition, consumer access, cannabis regulation, and cognitive liberty. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/23/e320/

The conversation covers the ongoing federal fight over hemp, including the delay of upcoming federal changes and competing proposals for regulating the industry. Brian Dombrowski joins the show to discuss THCA flower, testing and labeling, track and trace, dosage caps, consumer access and why he believes hemp offers a path toward broader cannabis access. We also revisit Brian's recent appearance on The Dales Report and dig into the growing divide between the hemp and state-licensed marijuana industries, including competition, licensing barriers and the debate over whether cannabis should ultimately be regulated through separate medical and adult-use lanes. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/23/e319/

In this episode, Cole takes a look at the growing divide between the state-legal cannabis industry and the hemp industry as competing groups push different approaches to federal cannabis policy. The conversation includes recent lobbying over federal hemp law, interstate commerce, banking and the increasingly complicated question of what cannabis legalization should actually look like. Plus, Cole shares a look at Josh’s outdoor Illinois medical cannabis grow, previews an upcoming follow-up to his home grow raid story and talks about his own latest harvest and plans to try hydroponic growing. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/16/e318/

Illinois has expanded its medical cannabis program, issuing medical cannabis dispensary licenses to 37 existing adult-use dispensaries. Cole breaks down what changed, what it means for registered medical patients and dispensaries, and why this represents the largest expansion of Illinois medical cannabis dispensaries in roughly a decade. Cole also discusses another recent development involving cannabis tax revenue being used to fund license plate reader cameras in Champaign County, along with comments and questions from the live audience. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/16/e317/

This episode follows Josh, a registered Illinois medical cannabis patient whose home was raided by police after authorities obtained a search warrant connected to his cannabis grow. We piece together what happened during the raid and the case that followed using body-camera footage, evidence, photos, court transcripts, and other records. Josh ultimately fought the charges against him and got them dropped. His story raises broader questions about home grow, law enforcement and the limits of cannabis legalization in Illinois. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/07/e313/

In this episode, Cole follows up on the recent story of Josh Anderson, a registered Illinois medical cannabis patient whose home was raided by police, and discusses some of the reactions and conversations that have followed its release. We also take a look at cannabis arrest numbers in Indiana and other cannabis and drug policy stories making news. Watch the video version or read the full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/08/e316/

This is the short version of Josh’s story, a registered Illinois medical cannabis patient whose home was raided by police after authorities obtained a search warrant connected to his cannabis grow. Using body-camera footage, evidence photos, court transcripts and other records, this condensed episode pieces together what happened during the raid and the case that followed. For the complete story, including my full conversation with Josh, additional body-camera footage, court records and more from the case, watch the full-length version of this episode at ColeMemo.com/HomeGrow. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/08/e315/

In this brief live broadcast, Cole debuts a new short video examining the case of Josh Anderson, a registered Illinois medical cannabis patient whose home was raided by police following an investigation into his cannabis grow. The video features body-camera footage, details from court records and a look at how Josh's case ultimately ended. This episode offers a preview of Josh's story and the much more extensive conversation featured in Episode 313, which includes additional body-camera footage, court transcripts, evidence photos and other records from the case. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/08/e314/

Congress has voted to delay the recriminalization of THC, sending the legislation to the President's desk. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/09/01/e312/

Illinois regulators are considering new rules for outdoor cannabis cultivation, and the renewed attention is putting Illinois' restrictive home grow laws back into the conversation. Cole discusses new coverage from the Chicago Tribune and Shaw Local, why home cultivation remains an important part of the legalization debate, and two newly approved qualifying conditions for Illinois' medical cannabis program. Plus, an open letter calls for stronger federal protections for medical cannabis patients, a man is caught with 32 pounds of cannabis at O'Hare, and the DEA releases the full transcripts from the marijuana rescheduling hearings. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/08/26/e311/

Illinois cannabis law has changed. This short video breaks the changes down at a high level. Read full show notes and watch video version here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/08/16/e310/

Illinois is moving forward with several significant cannabis policy changes. Adult-use dispensaries will soon be able to apply for licenses to serve medical cannabis patients, while newly proposed rules from the Illinois Department of Agriculture would allow licensed cultivation centers and craft growers to grow cannabis outdoors under specific conditions. Cole breaks down both developments, including what dispensaries would need to do to obtain a medical license, why outdoor cultivation has been a years-long issue in Illinois, and the state's proposal to limit outdoor-grown cannabis to extraction. Plus, a rare glimpse inside Illinois' Bureau of Cannabis Testing laboratory. Watch video version and read full show notes here: https://thecolememo.com/2026/08/14/e309/