In this episode of Dazed and Confused, we trace cannabis policy through the George W. Bush years into the early Obama presidency. Bush expanded federal crackdowns on state medical cannabis programs, even as voters and legislatures pushed reform across the country. Cases like Ed Rosenthal’s prosecution and the Heritage Foundation’s opposition reveal how federal resistance clashed with growing state-level momentum. With Obama’s election, the tone began to change: the Justice Department pulled back from raids, and Washington, D.C. finally implemented its medical program. By the end of Bush’s term, 13 states had legalized medical use — a remarkable transformation in just over a decade. This episode explores the federal-state conflict of the 2000s and the beginnings of a national shift in cannabis policy.

Links Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cpmaynard Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/christianmaynard Title: Bush’s Cannabis Crackdown, Obama’s Shift // Era of Medicalization [6] #CannabisHistory #MarijuanaReform #MedicalMarijuana #WarOnDrugs #BushAdministration

In 1992, Bill Clinton famously said he tried marijuana but “didn’t inhale.” That line became a national punchline, but his presidency coincided with a major turning point: the rise of medical cannabis. From California’s Proposition 215 to Washington D.C.’s blocked Initiative 59, grassroots activists reframed cannabis as medicine while federal leaders fought to keep prohibition intact. In this episode of Dazed and Confused, we explore how patients and advocates challenged stigma, how Clinton’s administration responded, and how the 1990s laid the foundation for the medical cannabis era.

About the Podcast:

Dazed and Confused explores the turbulent history of cannabis in the United States—from its criminalization to its medical rebranding and reemergence as a legal commodity. Told across major eras—Era of Madness, War, Medicalization, and Legalization—each episode blends historical archives, AI-narrated storytelling, and cultural analysis to examine the policies, panics, and power struggles that shaped the modern War on Drugs.

If you’ve ever wondered how a plant went from pharmacy shelf to felony charge—and now to dispensary counter—this is the story.

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Links

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cpmaynard

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/christianma...

Title: “I Didn’t Inhale” // Clinton, Cannabis, and the 1990s // Era of Medicalization [5]

#CannabisHistory #WarOnDrugs #DazedAndConfusedPodcast #DrugPolicy #marijuananews

The War on Drugs promised to curb cannabis use, especially among teens. But the numbers told a different story. National surveys showed use actually dropped, perceptions of risk climbed, and availability barely budged—even as arrests soared and legalization support lagged. This episode breaks down the data behind the panic and why the evidence didn’t match the rhetoric.

Links

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cpmaynard

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/christianmaynard

Title: Arrests Up, Use Down: The Contradictions of the War on Drugs [4]

#WarOnDrugs #CannabisResearch #DrugPolicy #TeenCannabisUse #CannabisHistory #DazedAndConfusedPodcast #DrugPolicyReform #HistoryPodcast