Cannabis policy, live from the legal weeds.
The Cole Memo follows cannabis politics from the ground level, with Cole Preston moving between live comments, legal details, and industry rumors. Its strongest episodes pair Illinois-focused watchdog work with guest conversations about media, advocacy, hemp fights, and market shakeups.
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The Cole Memo covers cannabis policy with the pace and texture of a live online hangout. It is informal, but it is not casual about the stakes. Cole Preston follows the points where law, enforcement, business, and everyday cannabis culture collide. Illinois is a major center of gravity. Recent episodes have tracked licensing disputes, odor-proof container rules, a University of Illinois drug test lab issue, and confusion around what state cannabis law actually says. The show also looks outward. Indiana legalization talk, Missouri hemp conflict, Big Alcohol's role in hemp-ban debates, and Midwest cannabis forums all fit naturally into its orbit. The format often starts with a news item, then slows down to ask what the document, quote, record, or claim really supports. That makes the show useful when cannabis stories are spreading faster than the evidence behind them. Cole Preston is willing to read from public records, court filings, police statements, and online menus, then admit where the trail gets cloudy. There is also a strong community layer. Live comments, callers, recurring jokes, and direct audience reactions shape the rhythm of many episodes. Guest interviews broaden the show beyond monologue, especially when journalists, advocates, lobbyists, business owners, or industry insiders explain how decisions get made. The tone can be playful one minute and frustrated the next. That mix fits the subject, where reform victories often sit beside opaque licensing systems and contradictory enforcement. The show is blunt about cannabis use and culture without turning policy into a press release. It keeps returning to practical questions: who wrote the rule, who enforces it, who profits, and who gets caught in the gap. For people following legalization after the headline moment, The Cole Memo works as a running field report from the weeds of implementation.
Made for: The show is for cannabis reform followers, Illinois policy watchers, industry participants, and politically curious listeners who want the messy details behind legalization. It also fits people who prefer live, conversational coverage over polished institutional commentary.
What sets it apart: The Cole Memo stands apart by mixing legal-policy scrutiny with live audience interaction and cannabis-culture candor. It treats filings, police claims, licensing records, and industry rumors carefully while keeping the room loose and conversational.
The Cole Memo is your go-to source for informed, open discussion on civil liberties. Each episode tackles pressing issues, such as the decriminalization of drugs, the latest developments in the cannabis industry, and so much more. Hear from a diverse range of guests, including but not limited to: industry insiders, advocates, entertainers, and musicians, as they bring their unique perspectives to the conversation. Tune in to stay informed and engaged on the issues that matter most. Go to TheColeMemo.com to learn more!
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Cannabis policy becomes concrete through close attention to statutes, public records, enforcement claims and the gaps between them.
The Cole Memo follows cannabis policy from statutory language and regulator statements into the messier realities of traffic stops, licensing disputes, ballot access and industry change.
An Illinois cannabis claim meets a statute, and you hear the host say when the paper trail runs cold.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A law-enforcement cannabis claim is checked against Illinois code, and the argument stays grounded in the statute.
The piece takes a law-enforcement statement about Illinois cannabis rules and measures it against 410 ILCS 705 article 10. It sets out the claim that cannabis must come from a dispensary and stay sealed, then checks that reading against the code and the vehicle code.
A Michigan traffic stop opens into a careful look at Illinois cannabis policy, licensing opacity, and speculation.
A Michigan traffic stop involving an Illinois man becomes a wider review of cannabis policy, criminal justice, Senator Rachel Ventura's drug-policy proposal, dispensary branding, and market growth.
A loose, conversational hangout that moves from cannabis products to a movie trailer and stays easy to listen to.
The episode moves like a loose, in-the-room conversation, shifting from gummies and drinks to a movie trailer and then to a talk with an awesome creator. That mix works because the host keeps the pace moving and keeps the discussion tied to concrete, familiar topics.
A Tuesday livestream turns ballot access into the real story.
The Cole Memo uses its Tuesday slot to turn a congressional run into a clear lesson in ballot access and volunteer math. The episode opens with a quick news frame, then settles into the grind of 40,000 signatures, the May 25 deadline, the need for maps and volunteers, and the…
A live Illinois cannabis policy hour that keeps the stakes close to the street.
This hour centers on Illinois cannabis policy, with a live interview with Vaughn Bentley, an Illinois cannabis regulator, and a recurring focus on the detail that cannabis in a vehicle can still bring a class A misdemeanor even without consumption.
A Friday broadcast ties GrownIn's relaunch to the people still holding Midwest cannabis policy together.
The Cole Memo frames a surprise Friday broadcast around GrownIn's relaunch and the broader question of who remains invested in Midwest cannabis policy and business.
A live cannabis-policy discussion connects delta-9 confusion, hemp-market arguments, and Illinois enforcement stories.
The Cole Memo turns a Friday live stream into a plainspoken look at how cannabis-policy language can land in real enforcement stories in Illinois.
Moral questions with consequences for minds, machines, and power.
WSJ reporters unpack the Epstein files, surrogacy industry abuses, and true-crime court battles.
Dan Carlin's solo essays connecting executive power, historical collapse, and American democracy.
Host Cole Preston is joined by Brad Spearson for an impromptu episode discussing the relaunch of the cannabis news website GrownIn, which now focuses on Chicago as a global hub for cannabis commerce and culture.
This episode features attorney Ali Jubelirer discussing social equity, cannabis rescheduling, hemp regulations, and the future of the cannabis industry.
Host Tommy Chung opens a live stream discussing recent Molotov cocktail attacks on Illinois dispensaries and a hemp shop.
Host Cole replays a county budget exchange in which the sheriff's office says $55,000 in cannabis fund software and SaaS spending covers Flock cameras, a purchase made after consulting the state's attorney's office.
This episode discusses an upcoming cannabis town hall in Illinois and serious concerns from Missouri cannabis business owners about a hemp war affecting their operations.
This episode features an interview with Emmy award-winning journalist Jimmy Young, discussing media, Nixon, and the cannabis industry.
This episode discusses the relaunch of the GrownIn cannabis website and previews the upcoming Midwest Cannabis Forum with special guest Brad Spearson.
This episode of the Cole Memo discusses an Illinois licensing case heading to court and includes a personal announcement from the host about entering the industry.
This episode discusses a convicted cocaine cash launderer's involvement in Illinois' cannabis industry and provides updates on cannabis policy developments in the state.
This episode provides updates on cannabis laws, including Illinois' odor-proof container regulations, Indiana's potential legalization, and pushback against hemp bans from Big Alcohol.
The Cole Memo opens on a question about Illinois cannabis law.
The Cole Memo ties an Illinois cannabis-policy episode to a Porter County, Indiana traffic stop where police say a driver admitted buying cannabis in Michigan for friends and family.
The host goes live just after 7:15 p.m.
The show opens with the host welcoming listeners into a live Tuesday night hangout and framing a lighter, interview-driven episode.
The host opens live with an interview lined up with an Illinois cannabis regulator.
This episode discusses the cannabis rescheduling process, from its initiation under President Biden to recent developments under President Trump, featuring perspectives from critics who oppose the change.
This episode features attorney Ali Jubelirer discussing social equity, transporters, cannabis rescheduling, and the future of hemp in the cannabis industry.
This episode features an interview with Illinois Representative LaShawn Ford discussing why cannabis policy is stalled in Illinois and the prospects for hemp legislation during the current veto session.