A judiciary and public safety bill signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over the weekend included provisions ending criminal penalties for bong water, the Minnesota Reformer reports. Previously, quantities of bong water greater than four ounces could be treated like the pure version of whatever substance the bong was used to smoke – 4 ounces of bong water used to consume methamphetamine, for example, could lead to a first-degree felony charge carrying a 30-year prison term and $1 million fine.  

The language in the bill signed by Walz, removes that provision and specifies that for charging purposes, a drug mixture “does not include the fluid used in a water pipe or any amount of a controlled substance that is dissolved in the pipe’s fluid.” The change applies retroactively to August 2023 – a broader drug paraphernalia bill that took effect at that time. 

Alicia Granse of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing in court a women charged with a first-degree felony on account of water allegedly found in her bong, told the Reformer the organization “is glad to see the legislature fixed this loophole that allowed rogue prosecutors to put people suffering from addiction in prison for smoking drugs out of a bong.” 

The state Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that bong water could be legally considered a drug, relying on the testimony of a Minnesota State Patrol officer who claimed bong water could be kept “for future use… either drinking it or shooting it in the veins.”

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The country is one of the powerhouses on the continent, but is South Africa’s current stance on cannabis?

The country and their leadership is in the news, but what is South Africa’s crest stance on cannabis? The country is undergoing a significant shift in its relationship with cannabis, a plant long entwined with its cultural and economic history. Known locally as “dagga,” cannabis has been used for generations across rural communities for medicinal, recreational, and spiritual purposes. Today, evolving legislation, court rulings, and commercial interests are reshaping how the country views and engages with this controversial crop.

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In 2024, the South African Parliament passed the Cannabis for Private Purposes Bill, providing clearer guidelines on personal use, possession limits, and cultivation rules. Yet, critics argue the bill does not go far enough in addressing the commercial potential of cannabis or in rectifying the harms of prohibition, particularly among marginalized communities disproportionately affected by past enforcement.

Economically, the potential for a legal cannabis industry in South Africa is substantial. With favorable growing conditions, experienced cultivators, and high-quality strains, the country is well-positioned to become a global player in medical cannabis exports. Several licensed producers have already begun exporting cannabis products to Europe and other regions. The industry has the potential to create thousands of jobs, particularly in rural areas where unemployment is high.

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Yet, significant challenges remain. Regulatory uncertainty, bureaucratic delays, and limited access to capital have hindered the sector’s growth. Traditional growers—many of whom have operated informally for decades—often find themselves excluded from the legal market due to complex licensing requirements and high entry costs.

There is also a broader social conversation underway. Advocates are pushing for policies that support restorative justice, equitable participation in the cannabis economy, and public education about responsible use. As South Africa navigates this evolving terrain, it faces the dual challenge of crafting laws that respect constitutional rights while unlocking the economic and medicinal potential of cannabis in a way that is inclusive and sustainable.

A new infographic from an advocacy group representing Native American tribes in the legal cannabis industry shows that more than a fourth of Indigenous communities in the continental United States are now involved with marijuana or hemp programs.

The map, created by the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association (ICIA) in collaboration with the law firm Vicente, shows the locations of more than 100 tribal marijuana and hemp programs across the country.

Overall, approximately 26 percent of the 358 federally recognized Indigenous communities in the continental U.S. are now involved in some sort of cannabis program, the groups said.

The data, they said in a press release, “shows that the Indigenous cannabis industry is trending upward in terms of jobs, community development, and overall industry growth, with many Tribes currently scaling to meet demands for global cannabis distribution.”

“Since the first regulated Indigenous cannabis storefront opened almost 10 years ago in Washington State,” the groups said, “dozens of sovereign Indigenous communities have created their own unique regulatory systems to govern cannabis cultivation, production and sales.”

Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association

The map shows both individual programs as well as clusters that “denote tribal and Indigenous-led enterprises that are already working together to create successful supply chains and distribution networks.”

“Indigenous cannabis programs are a vital piece of America’s cannabis movement,” Andrew Livingston, Vicente’s director of economics and market analysis, said in a statement. “And these businesses deserve recognition. The goal of our study is to provide information on how different Indigenous communities have established their regulated cannabis programs, the size of the economic opportunity, and the ways that regulating cannabis can be structured in the future to further the goals of each community.”

In North Carolina, for example, a single, isolated dot represents the legal marijuana market recently launched by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which now serves both tribal members and adult visitors alike. That’s despite marijuana still being prohibited in North Carolina itself, whether for medical or adult use.

It’s believed that in 2020, the Oglala Sioux Tribe, located in South Dakota, became the first tribe to vote to legalize marijuana within a U.S. state where the plant remained illegal.

In other states, meanwhile, including Minnesota, Oklahoma and much of the American West, the map is peppered with multiple tribal programs. Many of those states, notably Minnesota, have worked with Indigenous communities to incorporate tribal-run businesses into state-legal marijuana markets.

Minnesota’s 2023 cannabis law allowed tribes within the state to open marijuana businesses before the state itself began licensing retailers. Some tribal governments—including the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, the White Earth Nation and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe—entered the legal market early on.

Rob Pero, ICIA’s founder, said the joint research project between his organization and Vicente “will highlight the thoughtful work that has gone into these sovereign regulatory programs as well as how these businesses affect local employment and revenue for community services.”

“Together, we hope to inform, inspire and empower other Indigenous communities considering cannabis as well as policy makers around the world,” he said.

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Photo courtesy of Mike Latimer.