Hemp cannabis products are legal due to the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp and its derivatives, provided they contain less than 0.3% delta-9 THC (just a note that it was Mitch McConnell who led this for Kentucky confirming once again politicians are talking out of both sides of their mouth). There are countless companies that are leaning heavily into hemp products that are categorized at Delta 8 because they can be purchased online, or at any store, and shipped across state lines. At Gotham, like all dispensaries in NYS, the products can only come from NYS farmers.

The majority of Long Island voted against having dispensaries in their towns, although they have plenty of liquor stores. Once again, the false narrative about cannabis has won out. Yet what is being sold in these towns, such as East Hampton, are Delta 8 products that carry 10mg of THC, just like the gummies sold at Gotham, made from a cannabis farm.

There is a store fully stocked with these products, including beer, and munchy products like potato chips. These Delta 8 and 9 products are also being sold at the pharmacy. A poll recently showed that eight in ten marijuana consumers use cannabis as a replacement for prescription medicine. How many of them are using hemp products that are not regulated vs the products that are highly regulated in the Gotham stores and other dispensaries because they are sitting on the pharmacy counter to be purchased last minute like the candy aisle at the grocery store?

A study in Japan challenged the “gateway drug” theory on cannabis. A survey among 3900 cannabis consumers moving to other illegal drugs was 2% aka low probabilities of progression towards drug use. Finally, a study that anyone who uses cannabis knows the answer to. Sure, there will always be outliers, but that is around anything.

The need to federally regulate cannabis is more important than ever as the hemp products take over our shelves with products that are not regulated, but do the same thing that cannabis does. There are no tax benefits for each state, because these products are not considered schedule 1 drugs. No regulation, and inconsistency at ever state level, is concerning. Each state is doing their own thing with no FDA oversight of Delta 8 products.

As someone in the business, I wouldn’t touch any of those products with a ten foot pole. What will it take for regulators to wake up?

I watched the Ms. Magazine doc this past week. The magazine hit the newstands in 1972 and still exists quarterly in paperform, and of course it is online. Ms. was a ground-breaking publication, that most, like Harry Reasoner declared on national tv, would fail. Ends up Ms., an all-women company, sparked a feminist movement and took on topics that most swept under the carpet such as abortion, domestic violence, workplace harrassment, and sexuality. Fifty plus years and it is still here.

All I could think about while watching the film, is we have come so far yet not far enough. I wondered what a room of 13 year old girls, 20 year old women, 35 year old women, 50 year old women and 70 year old women would say after watching the film. We forget how walking down the street in the 1970s men cackled, hooted and gaped at women, how women who made it into the workplace were groped, dismissed and ogled at, how talking about sexuality was never discussed, and how polarized women were.

Those brilliant women, Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Gloria Steinem and Suzanne Braun Levine, behind Ms. changed the narrative. They gave women a voice that was sorely needed at the national level. They started institutional change. Yet these days, I wonder, what happened to MeToo, which we all know still continues. Based on what is happening at the federal level, we need new female voices from millennials and Gen Z speaking out for female empowerment although the right has slowly chipped away at that by taking away access to abortion and pushing for women to stay home. Even though women are slowly entering powerful roles as founders, CEOs, etc., they are still precarious.

What is still holding women back isn’t men, it is women. Women who are male apologists, who are ok with being treated like a secondary citizen even though they are in a room of their peers, who are ok with men being inappropriate, are willing to take accomodations vs taking what they deserve, who are willing to put up with microaggressions from men because they do not want confrontation, who are ok with catering to their husbands or male bosses, and I could go on and on. It doesn’t take much to find them, look at the women inside the Trump administration.

I have been championing championed women and putting my voice and capital behind culture-defining ventures for decades. If every women championed each other to be anything we want to be, and stopped succumbing to right wing conservative rhetoric, which is being touted as less burnout, more babies, less feminism, more femininity at a MAGA womens event. Are all those women sheep who are only looking for a voice no matter what the voice is? It is painful.

It is time to create a new movement because if we really think about it, if women ruled the world, I am pretty sure the world would be a better place.

Years ago, we were on a family vacation, and there was only one other family there who had kids, so both of our families stood out. The other family was from Denmark, which led to a conversation about money with our family. We discussed socialism and how people may not be given the same opportunities or have the same drive to create generational wealth. There is much more to the story but it sparked my memory when Zohran was quoted in an interview saying there should not be billionaires.

In the US, there is the opportunity to become anything you want to be, and with that, create as much wealth as you want, or not. We can point to Carnegie, the titan of the steel industry, and John D. Rockefeller, who helped build the steel industry. John Astor, Henry Ford, John Paul Getty, Andrew Mellon, and then, of course, the newest billionaires, Gates, Musk, Bezos, and Zuckerberg. Those titans of the past, have not only created massive wealth for their families that has been handed down to multiple generations, they have all made a major philantrhopic impact on our country from the arts to medicine. That giving has been part of the zeitgeist for many of these families, and others that I have not named.

Much of the anger felt in our country is not only due to many struggling to make ends meet, but also to the influence of cash on our government, which we can largely attribute to the Supreme Court ruling in 2010 allowing the creation of super PACS. If we were to remove all of that from the equation, a lot would shift.

Because there are no tax incentives for many of the “new money” billionaires, many have chosen to give very little. It is those who have empathy and believe that the type of financial success they have achieved creates a responsibility to give back, like those who have done so in the past, rather than just having bigger toys to play with. Bloomberg probably has plenty of toys but he has also chosen to give back in countless ways across the globe. I find what he has done beyond inspiring, and yes he is a billionaire.

There is a reason why many of the best and brightest have migrated to the US over the years, due to the ability to create, grow, and succeed in a very different way than those in Denmark. Our culture is built on capitalism and democracy. That is what sets us apart.

We should not take away the opportunity to become a billionaire; instead, we should create a structure that incentivizes those with the deepest pockets to give back. That is what Zohran, AOC, and Bernie should be focused on, not shutting off the supply chain.

The Bezos wedding reportedly cost around $50 million, which is a drop in the bucket for someone worth $ 220 billion. The celebs poured in. Do we think that Jeff and Lauren have hung out and dined with all of these people? Are they all besties?

Bezos built an empire that changed the way the world consumes. Game-changing. Bezos doesn’t come from a wealthy family; I mean, he cooked at McDonald’s in high school. He possesses a brilliant scientific and technological mind, combined with an entrepreneurial drive. So, put these two together, there is something wild about him having the wedding he wants because he can.

On the other hand, people are being snatched up by ICE, and the money has been deeply cut, if not gone, from countless programs that each state relies on for many of its residents. America might not call itself a socialist country, but getting a social security check, being on Medicaid, having the mail delivered, free public school education, public housing, and more speaks volumes about the reality of where the taxes go, or used to go.

Between the greed at the federal level and the cuts for the wealthy, the wedding is a slap in the face to all who are reeling, or about to reel, from the lack of empathy from our leaders. It is a pure tone deaf echo chamber of access. There is a cultural disconnect. It is not pretty.

Thankfully, McKenzie Scott, Bezos’ ex-wife, has donated almost $20 million to organizations focused on economic mobility, racial equity, public health, and climate change. I hope she has taught her children to read a room.

In retail, there are a few holidays that Gotham closes, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, New Years Day, and June 19th.

As we mark Juneteenth, a day of remembrance, reflection, and resilience, I wanted to take a moment to share an inspiring initiative that brings the spirit of this day to life across NYCHA communities.

This week, the Public Housing Community Fund, in partnership with NYCHA and artist Glen Gaines, unveiled Lift Every Voice, a citywide public art installation that transforms nearly 150 basketball hoops across NYCHA developments with nets in the colors of the Pan-African flag – red, black, and green. These symbolic nets now hang at courts in every borough, serving as powerful tributes to Black pride, cultural identity, and community strength.

Glen’s work reminds us that public art has the ability not only to beautify spaces but to affirm belonging, spark intergenerational conversations, and celebrate the legacy of Black communities. While the Fund is not an arts organization, art is becoming an increasingly popular program area aiming to improve community mental and physical health and provide opportunities for storytelling. 

Basketball courts in NYCHA developments are places where youth find mentorship, where the community gathers, and where dreams begin. These are the same courts where legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chamique Holdsclaw, and Carmelo Anthony got their start. 

But these courts are also where countless others, like those who didn’t make it to the pros, gained the confidence to lead, to break cycles of poverty, to turn away from gun violence, and to do more for their families and communities. For many, the court was the beginning of a lifelong journey and a foundation for resilience, self-worth, and purpose. NYCHA staff, like Curtis Williams, and nonprofit organizations lead youth programs on these courts to build leadership skills and the courts are deserving of our attention and investment.

We have ignored the importance of these communities for too long. Rebuilding parks brings communities together and has a positive impact on mental health. We will continue to do more of this in the months ahead.

On this Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to uplifting the voices, histories, and talents of NYCHA residents through projects that affirm dignity and build connection. Many thanks to the team at NYCHA (Eva, Marcela, Audrey, Curtis, Leroy and others) and all of the property managers across the five boroughs for making this possible, and to our small but mighty team for leading this vision, Annie Valentine and Kemi Karim, and our incredible Executive Director, Alex Zablocki.

What does it mean to be an American? That is a question that is frequently asked these days. To me, being American means being free. These days, just living here, no matter how long you have, and paid your taxes, and created a life, does not equate to being an American in this administration’s eyes.

We are an incredibly diverse country, and that is the beauty of this country. People come here for a better life, as they always have from the beginning of this country’s roots.

People also ask, ‘Are you a New Yorker?’ People come to the city and after one day, know that this is what they have always been looking for, and immediately consider themselves New Yorkers. I have seen the same thing in San Francisco’s tech community. Many people come to SF and, for the first time, find themselves in a place where they finally feel at home, particularly in the tech industry.

The other night, I met Fred at Adda, which just reopened in the East Village (fyi – it is fantastic). I stopped by Gotham to say hi and catch up with everyone. One of the women who works there was taking a break and asked if I wanted to smoke, and she would walk with me to dinner. Of course, I took her up on that. She is lovely person with a good soul. She grew up in multiple homes as a foster kid. She could have ended up in a very different place. She loves working at Gotham and the opportunity, and we feel the same about her.

As we talked, she praised me for what we have built and loves watching. I said that one day she might have children who can go on to do precisely what I have done. I have seen that with two women who have worked for us for decades in our homes. Their children have gone on to be lawyers, accountants, and social therapists. That is inspiring. Isn’t that what America is about?

I came from an upper-middle-class Jewish family that got divorced, and money was scarce. Fred came from a military family, but here we are. Hard work and drive have changed our lives and the lives of our families.

I applaud every person who has found a way to come to America and create a better life for themselves and their families. Is that what being an American is? When did we become a country that stopped embracing and respecting everyone who works hard, pays their taxes, and tries to make a good life here? I don’t get it.

Instagram is a monopoly that acts like a huge magnet where it is hard to detach. Unclear how it changes. I have always been blown away by the technology behind Amazon but Insta might be even better.

Everyone knows its a deep dark sinkhole that we have all been drawn in to. Sometimes it is so hard to put down the phone, just one more scroll please. Now the ads that are subliminally pushed at you from the advertisers that do not say “sponsor” but I assume that Meta makes a piece of everything sold on the platform. We are sold on the clothes. We are sold on the politics. Everything is geared towards what repeat history needs to be grabbed. I bought some dried cherry and nuts from a small farm in Washington State and now im being slammed with other “boutique” farms.  I respect it but now that Meta is building the advertising AI behind it, it takes everything to another level.

I used to find it amusing, but now I find it scary. I was at my brother’s and sister-in-law’s house playing with my sister-in-law’s knitting kit, and then, an hour or so later, I got hit up with a knitting pitch from a young guy with his knitting book, sporadically flipping through it to see if I stopped and looked, or clicked obviously. They certainly have figured me out.

In a world where many are trying to create a hard divide, how can anyone see the other side of anything when social media only feeds you the same echo chamber that we all live in? How can anyone see other communities when I am only being fed my interests?

Not sure what the answer is, but the doom scrolling is enlightening and makes me think about the youth doing the same thing, creating an even more divided world. And then, of course, there is the book “Careless People,” about Meta, which gives the reader a glimpse into the dark world of Meta (Facebook). Puts the entire company into an entirely different perspective. It is about one thing and one thing only, money.

I had the utmost pleasure of having Amanda Feilding at our home to talk about the Beckley Foundation, an organization that we are invested in. The Beckley Foundation funds psychedelic research, and the Queen of psychedelics was Amanda Feilding.

Amanda started using LSD for the first time sixty years ago, and finally, as she said two weeks before her death, “the taboo has been broken”. Her entire life, people told her she was wacky, particularly the time she drilled a hole in her head for education, science, and understanding of psychedelics. She was amazing.

She proved what we all know is true: that change wins, evolution wins, and sometimes it takes an absurd amount of time to convince the conservative, the fear-of-change people, the older-school people who prefer to live in the past. Still, eventually, those small-minded, fearful people are always on the wrong side of history. We are witnessing it at a grander scale right now.

I did podcast #172 with Amanda, which was roughly three years ago today. It feels appropriate to give it a new listen, with a different set of eyes and ears. The title was Destructing the Taboo Around Psychedelics. I am so glad that Amanda got to see the taboo finally begin to vanish before she left us.

Here is the podcast below.

Amanda Feilding is a scientist, veteran drug policy reformer, lobbyist, and the founder of the Beckley Foundation, which initiates research into the effects of psychoactive substances on the brain and uses the results to advocate for drug policy reform. We talked about her journey advocating for drug policy reform, as she mused about the ever-evolving landscape of psychoactive substances.

You can follow the work of the Beckley Foundation.

You can also listen on Soundcloud and iTunes.

It’s not surprising that data continues to emerge now that states have legalized the plant. What is mind-boggling is the inane choices made by each state. Cannabis is a sinking ship.

Not shocking, most people using medical marijuana are for pain. There are far more consumer dispensaries than medical ones in NYC, which means people are also coming to them for pain management. With that info, it is not shocking that the spike among boomers and seniors has surged.

What conservative states are doing, not shocking, is creating the narrative that cannabis is wellness. Saying weed is the healthiest and most life-altering medicine makes people curious and perhaps will build trust. That is how the conservative states think they can sell it to their loyal cronies.

It isn’t easy to get the word out when platforms, because the plant is not federally regulated. How do you get the word out when social platforms make it so damn hard?

In New York, Hochul has just elected a new head of the OCM, who has significant experience in running unions. Once again, not doing the research on what is needed to help grow the tax-paying business intelligently.

I have been in this business now for almost four years, and it is mind-boggling that we have gotten as far as we have. As more programs are slashed and less money is coming in from the federal government, cannabis is every state’s best bet, but still, here we are with more mind-boggling decisions coming out of Albany.

Every state is struggling, and every cannabis business is struggling to see how and when they can be profitable, if ever. The illegal markets are winning, but states and the federal government reap the benefits. This is not how new industries should be started. I can only point to the tech industry, and it was given every opportunity to build. Look at it now.

I am disgusted, saddened, frustrated, and angry at the lack of any intelligent decisions being made at the government level. At one point, the money will dry up, and people will pull out, and there won’t be a legal cannabis industry. Incompetence, unions, corruption, and stupidity reign in cannabis at the government level, and unfortunately, all of us suffer.

The ones that will suffer the most are the people that thought they got the golden ticket to have a dispensary, that the government was doing the right thing with “social” good making up for the war on drugs. Telling people that this will be the ticket to generational wealth. The entire thing is bullshit, every single one of those people will end up having to close these businesses with massive debt, and/or having drained their bank accounts and the friends who put money in. It is utterly disgusting.

Last week, the data showed that girls are outpacing boys in kindergarten by 71 percentage points. Girls excel in math and literacy, as well as social and emotional skills, including emotional control and behavioral regulation, and motor skills.

Women were always treated with less praise than their male counterparts. As early as kindergarten, girls are often told they aren’t good at something, while boys are encouraged to keep trying. That behavior has slowly changed, and now things are shifting.

Yet, even though 51% of the population is women, we earn just 11% of the pay and own only 1% of the land, yet we do more than 65% of the work. Women-led businesses fuel the economy, and only 10% of CEO positions of Fortune 500 companies are held by women. Essentially women are still underrepresented.

There are many differences between genders, but the one significant fact is that only women can have children. Most women want to return to work after having children, but the support system is grim, particularly for women without deep pockets. The need for a robust childcare industry is far from where it needs to be.

Men, particularly white men, have been booted up the ladder for decades, and that is starting to wane. The shift in girls outshining boys in early education is also connected to changing roles and expectations, as well as the evolving nature of work.

Taking away abortion rights keeps women in underserved communities, creating more poverty and making it harder to rise up. All of this comes from men’s fear of women being equal, or running more companies, or not needing them.

Boys and men are struggling, but women have always struggled. The saying behind ever man is a strong woman, no shit. As women change the guard, do we once again have to help the lost men? Maybe at some level, Cher always had it right?