Can a Hillsborough County employee lose their career for legally using physician-recommended medical cannabis while off duty—even when there is no evidence that they were impaired at work? That question drove the latest episode of The Rotation by Suncoast NORML, featuring physician, surgeon and Hillsborough County Commission candidate Dr. Neil Manimala. Manimala joined Suncoast NORML Executive Director Christopher Cano, Deputy Director Carlos Jose Angel Hermida and Director o

Cannabis legalization did not begin with dispensaries, ballot initiatives or politicians suddenly deciding that prohibition had failed. It grew from thousands of years of human interaction with the cannabis plant—and more than a century of organized resistance to laws rooted in misinformation, racial prejudice and punishment. For most of recorded history, cannabis was treated as a crop, medicine, source of food, religious sacrament or intoxicant. The idea that possessing the

Massachusetts voters appear unwilling to turn back the clock on legal cannabis. A new statewide poll conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that 55% of voters oppose or are leaning against Question 8, a November ballot initiative that would repeal major parts of the state’s voter-approved adult-use marijuana law. Only 33% support or are leaning toward supporting the proposal. That 22-point difference makes Question 8 the least popular of the nine measures

A new national Gallup poll is challenging one of the most persistent stereotypes surrounding cannabis use: The Americans most likely to report smoking marijuana are not the youngest adults surveyed. They are people between the ages of 30 and 49. According to an August 27 report from NORML, 25% of adults ages 30 to 49 acknowledge that they smoke marijuana. That is the highest percentage reported by any age group in the survey, narrowly exceeding the 23% recorded among adults a

A new randomized clinical trial suggests that a CBD-dominant, full-spectrum cannabis extract may provide meaningful relief for people living with burning mouth syndrome, a painful and often difficult-to-treat condition. As first reported by our friends at National NORML, Brazilian researchers found that patients who received plant-derived CBD oil experienced progressive reductions in both the intensity and impact of their pain. Participants also reported improvements in oral

A new scientific review suggests that cannabis and cannabinoid-based preparations may help reduce symptoms of restless legs syndrome—even among some patients whose symptoms have not responded adequately to conventional treatments. The findings do not establish cannabis as a cure or a replacement for established medical care. However, they add to a growing body of evidence indicating that cannabinoids deserve more rigorous clinical study as a potential complementary option for

New Gallup polling finds 17% of American adults report smoking marijuana, more than double the percentage recorded in 2013, while cigarette smoking has fallen to just 11%. For generations, marijuana prohibition in the United States was sold partly through fear. Cannabis consumers were portrayed as irresponsible, dangerous or existing somewhere outside mainstream American life. Meanwhile, cigarettes—a product responsible for an enormous burden of preventable disease and death—

Florida cannabis reform has never fit as neatly into partisan politics as some people pretend. Millions of Floridians across the political spectrum support medical marijuana, adult-use legalization, home cultivation, patient protections and a fairer marketplace. Yet in Tallahassee, public support does not always translate into lawmakers willing to lead. That contradiction drove the latest episode of The Rotation by Suncoast NORML, featuring Jake Hoffman, executive director of

Houston voters will have an opportunity this November to decide whether police resources should continue to be spent arresting and prosecuting people for low-level marijuana possession. According to an original report published by National NORML, the Houston City Council voted to place a citizen-initiated marijuana deprioritization ordinance on the November ballot. The proposal, known as the Houston Freedom Act, would direct the Houston Police Department to make enforcement o

For millions of people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the cycle can be exhausting: an intrusive thought arrives, anxiety follows, and a repetitive behavior or mental ritual temporarily quiets the alarm—until it starts all over again. Now, a small randomized clinical trial is adding a new question to the growing field of cannabinoid medicine: Could plant-derived cannabidiol, better known as CBD, help reduce OCD symptoms when added to a patient’s existing treatment

Cannabis prohibition has always been expensive. It costs money to enforce, prevents legal businesses from operating normally and leaves billions of dollars circulating through an underground market. Now, a new analysis from The Budget Lab at Yale University shows what the federal government could gain by finally replacing prohibition with legalization and regulation. According to the analysis, federal legalization combined with a cannabis excise tax could generate approximate

For people living with post-traumatic stress disorder, nighttime does not always bring relief. Recurring trauma-related nightmares can interrupt sleep, intensify daytime symptoms and make recovery even more difficult. Now, a randomized clinical trial offers encouraging evidence that a prescription form of THC may help. Researchers in Germany found that dronabinol—an oral medication containing synthetic delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol—significantly reduced the frequency and inten

A major national survey is adding new evidence to something many veterans, caregivers and cannabis advocates have understood for years: Cannabis use among older military veterans is not rare, and our health care system needs to be prepared to discuss it honestly. As first reported by National NORML, researchers examining data from more than 907,000 American adults found that veterans age 50 and older reported different cannabis-use patterns from non-veterans in the same age g

Florida’s medical marijuana program has reached another major milestone, with more than 939,000 qualified patients now holding active identification cards and millions of ounces of smokable cannabis dispensed during 2026. According to the Florida Department of Health’s Office of Medical Marijuana Use, or OMMU, the state had 939,381 qualified patients with active identification cards as of August 7, 2026. Florida’s licensed Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers operated a combin

Florida candidates are discovering something Suncoast NORML has been saying for years: cannabis consumers are not a fringe constituency. We are voters. And if you want our votes, you should probably come talk to us. The 2026 Florida primary election gave us an interesting reason to look back at some of the candidates who have recently appeared on The Rotation by Suncoast NORML. And, well…we noticed something. Several candidates who took the time to sit down with Florida's can

Congratulations to Robert People: From The Rotation to the General Election Another guest of The Rotation by Suncoast NORML is officially moving on to the general election. Congratulations to Robert People on winning the Democratic nomination for Florida’s 15th Congressional District. People defeated Christopher Irizarry in Florida's August 18 Democratic primary and will now advance to the November 3, 2026 general election. Current election reporting has him set to challenge

Congratulations, Fentrice Driskell When Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell joined us on The Rotation by Suncoast NORML, she was preparing to close one chapter of her political career and begin another. Now, that next chapter is here. Suncoast NORML congratulates Fentrice Driskell on winning the August 18, 2026 contest for Florida Senate District 16, the Tampa Bay seat being vacated by term-limited Sen. Darryl Rouson. During her appearance on The Rotation, Drisk

Suncoast NORML congratulates Ben Braver on advancing in the race for Florida House District 65 When Ben Braver joined us on The Rotation by Suncoast NORML, he wasn't coming on the show simply to deliver campaign talking points. He came ready to talk. Cannabis legalization. Workers' rights. Public education. Florida's environment. Corporate influence in Tallahassee. The cost of living. And perhaps most importantly, the growing disconnect between what Florida voters say they wa

Angie Nixon Talks Cannabis and U.S. Senate on The Rotation Florida State Representative Angie Nixon has never built her political identity around keeping her voice down. That was obvious during her appearance on the latest live-streamed episode of The Rotation with Suncoast NORML. Nixon, a Jacksonville Democrat, union organizer and longtime grassroots activist, joined Suncoast NORML Executive Director Christopher Cano, Deputy Director Carlos Hermida and Political Director Gar

A new clinical trial conducted by University of Florida researchers suggests that a low-THC, full-spectrum CBD formulation may control acute pain following laser eye surgery as effectively as a commonly prescribed opioid medication. Published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, the study compared oral CBD with a combination of codeine and acetaminophen in patients recovering from photorefractive keratectomy, better known as PRK. The findings add to a growing body