Press & Media
Featured in CNN, NPR, Associated Press, ABC News, and more.
Coverage
- Documentary Weed 7: A Senior Moment
Gupta's CNN documentary on seniors and cannabis, covering why older adults are turning to marijuana for pain, anxiety, and sleep. Includes California seniors on bus trips to dispensaries.
- Article Orange County's City of Seniors May Allow Cannabis Businesses
Laguna Woods considers allowing cannabis retail businesses, with senior residents testifying about the medicinal benefits of cannabis for pain management.
- Article Group hopes to bring cannabis dispensary to Laguna Woods
Follows the ongoing push to bring a licensed dispensary to Laguna Woods after the collective's closure left seniors without local access.
- Article Local Laws Cut Cannabis Access for CA Retirement Community
Leafly profiles Lonnie Painter after his collective was forced to shut down, examining how the ban on cannabis businesses affected seniors who depended on it for pain relief.
- Article With medical marijuana collectives disbanded, patients feel further left behind
Reports on the forced closure of Painter's collective serving roughly 1,000 seniors after California's new licensing law eliminated protections for collectives.
- Wire Bingo And Bongs: More Seniors Seek Pot For Age-Related Aches
AP wire story on the national trend of seniors turning to cannabis for chronic pain and insomnia. Syndicated broadly.
- Article Laguna Woods cannabis collective urges repeal of city ban on dispensaries
Over 70 residents gathered at a city council meeting urging local cannabis licensing before state law eliminated protections for collectives. Painter quoted extensively.
- Article Radical Residents Of Laguna Woods Say Keep Cannabis Local
Residents rally behind Painter's collective at a city council meeting. One resident quoted: "We all rely on Lonnie Painter."
- Article Israeli marijuana researchers to open first U.S. clinic in Laguna Woods
NiaMedic plans a cannabis clinic in Laguna Woods to address the gap left by the impending closure of Painter's collective.
- Radio Could pot help keep seniors off opioids and other prescription drugs?
Profiles Painter as a former chef running an 800-member collective for nearly 10 years, visiting patients' homes for cannabis consultations.
- Article Come aboard the cannabus: More seniors are turning to weed
CNN reports on the Laguna Woods "cannabus" shuttle taking seniors to a dispensary in Santa Ana, part of the broader seniors-and-cannabis movement.
- Article Day-tripping to the dispensary: Seniors in pain hop aboard the canna-bus
Covers the monthly cannabus shuttle from Laguna Woods Village, exploring why seniors 65+ are embracing cannabis. Syndicated via KHN to NPR, KQED, and CNBC.
- Article Ticket to Ride: Pot Sellers Put Seniors on the Canna-Bus
NPR's health desk covers the cannabus story, reaching a national audience on the Laguna Woods seniors-and-cannabis phenomenon.
- Article Stellar Speakers at Medical Cannabis Conference Catering to Seniors
Covers a medical cannabis conference held in Laguna Woods featuring prominent cannabis medicine researchers and speakers.
- Article A new, older face of medical marijuana found in Laguna Woods
In-depth profile of Painter as a 70-year-old who meticulously curates lab-tested cannabis for 400 senior residents, helping normalize marijuana use among seniors in Orange County.
- Article Seniors in Laguna Woods Village are craving medical marijuana
Legal blog syndicates coverage of Laguna Woods seniors and the growing demand for medical cannabis access in the retirement community.
- Wire Ganja-smoking grandparents stir up trouble at medical marijuana collective
AP wire story profiles Painter as the collective's president who manages operations while navigating resistance from conservative community members. Syndicated to dozens of outlets including Yahoo News, Bangor Daily News, and more.
- Article Medical marijuana club in Laguna Woods Village
Covers the launch of an educational cannabis club in Laguna Woods Village, with Painter as director working to inform residents and officials about medical cannabis.
- Radio Laguna Woods seniors begin to accept medical marijuana
Early coverage of the forming nonprofit medical cannabis collective in Laguna Woods, as seniors increasingly accept marijuana for chronic pain and nausea.
Additional coverage
According to Lonnie, he has also been covered by VICE Media, Al Jazeera, UPI, and the LA Times. Archive links for these are currently unavailable.
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