The article argues that sovereign states, not subnational regions or metropolitan areas, are the proper unit for comparative policy analysis. It contends that politics in democracies is nationalized with unified parties and nationally recognized leaders, whereas cross-national party coordination rarely involves attacking sister parties in other countries for their policies.
A US federal appeals court ruled that cannabis supply contracts are unenforceable under federal law, overturning a $31.8 million verdict against Curaleaf in a dispute with Michigan cultivator Hello Farms. The decision exposes a legal vulnerability across the US cannabis industry, where companies can use federal illegality as a defense to avoid contractual obligations, creating what experts describe as a dangerous precedent that threatens industry stability.