WeedLife News Network

Marijuana seems to only be growing in popularity as it finds its way legally into more and more states. Here’s why people are ditching cigarettes.

It appears as though the days of the Marlboro Man are numbered as the rise of the cannabis smoker has begun to eclipse big tobacco. A recent Gallup poll and its data show that there are more marijuana smokers in the United States than cigarette smokers. Times, they are a changin’.

This dramatic yet consistent drop in cigarette smokers over time, combined with a slow and steady increase in marijuana users, has brought the country to a very interesting crossroads. Tobacco, a product that is legal in every state, is less popular and generally regarded as harmful. Meanwhile, marijuana smokers are growing in number, and more people are viewing it as a beneficial substance.. 

Most interesting is that the “Harmful” drug (tobacco) is legal and the popular drug (marijuana) is still illegal on a federal level. How is it that marijuana has surpassed tobacco in popularity while there is still a federal prohibition against it?

People Are Quitting

One of the main reasons marijuana smokers have surpassed cigarette smokers is more smokers are quitting, and fewer are starting up. According to the CDC, the percentage of people who were considered “current smokers” went from 20.9% in 2005 down to 12.5% in 2020.

Gallup found that now only 11% of adults report they are smokers. The poll also stated that about 3 and 10 of the nonsmokers they surveyed used to be smokers. That’s a 30% decrease in smokers right there, suggesting that quitting is the new smoking. 

A group proposing a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana argues in a recently filed Arkansas Supreme Court reply that it not only met but exceeded state requirements when informing voters about amendments in a proposed referendum.

Responsible Growth Arkansas filed its response Friday to an Arkansas attorney general's brief that supports a decision by the State Board of Election Commissioners to keep the referendum off the November ballot. The commission's decision focused on the ballot title's not setting a limit on the level of THC in marijuana products.

An Arizona marijuana company has been ranked #1660 on the Inc. 5000 list, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.

Established in 2016, Copperstate Farms is a vertically integrated cannabis operator headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and has grown its team to more than 700 employees.

The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent businesses. Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft, Patagonia, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees on the Inc. 5000.

KANSAS CITY - A judge heard arguments Thursday in a lawsuit brought forth by an anti-drug group seeking to take a recreational marijuana legalization proposal off Missouri’s November ballot.

The suit alleges that marijuana supporters didn’t gather enough valid voter signatures to put the proposal to a vote.

Medical marijuana dispensaries across the state are hoping Missouri voters approve the measure in November.

“We think it’s something that’s exciting and new,” Fresh Karma Dispensaries Director of Marketing Jericho Heese said in an interview with FOX4 Thursday. “We think Missouri is potentially ready for that new market.”

But some state leaders, like Republican Gov. Mike Parson and U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, aren’t on board. Hawley supported medical marijuana, but he’s against recreational marijuana, calling it “terrible policy” in an interview with FOX4 Thursday. 

A health scare that arose this week when at least eight local middle school students suffered adverse effects after eating cannabis-infused gummies has sparked questions about the legality, availability and risks of such products.

At Akron's Litchfield Community Learning Center, students reported experiencing varying degrees of nausea and lethargy Tuesday after eating the gummies. One student was transported to a local hospital by ambulance.

Ohio legalized the use of marijuana for specific medicinal purposes in 2016, but its recreational use remains illegal statewide. The gummies fall into a murkier category of products; they are not legally forbidden nor do they face the regulatory oversight that the medical marijuana industry receives.

Here's a closer look at parental concerns about cannabis-infused products:

What is the difference between marijuana, hemp, cannabinoids and Delta-8 THC?

It all starts with the Cannabis sativa plant, of which marijuana and hemp are two varieties. Cannabinoids are the compounds produced by both plants. There are over a hundred known cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD), Delta-8 THC and Delta-9 THC. The latter component is responsible for the “high” people may experience from ingesting or inhaling marijuana. Delta-8 THC has gained popularity recently for its similarity to Delta-9 THC.

While Delta-8 THC is produced naturally by the cannabis plant, it is not found in significant amounts. As a result, concentrated amounts of Delta-8 THC are typically manufactured from other cannabinoids in hemp, like CBD. The chemicals used for this process have raised concerns from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

With so many beneficial compounds found in the cannabis plant, these can help supercharge your body with inflammation-fighting and immunity-boosting goodness.

Intermittent fasting is one of the most popular health trends today. Generally defined as abstaining from food and drink for a set number of hours, there are multiple ways that one can fast and still enjoy its health benefits.

Whether you choose to fast every day for at least 10 hours or more, fasting has been proven to improve health in many ways, including: autophagy (the body’s natural way of cleaning out damaged cells), promoting weight loss, improving cognitive function, reducing insulin resistance, fighting inflammation, improving heart health, and so much more. Fasting daily, or even during specific days in a week or month, is a practice that more people are doing.

In addition, it has been a growing trend for people to integrate cannabis into their healthy lifestyles. Individuals also use cannabis before or after a workout. A recent survey of 600 individuals in states where adult-use cannabis is legal showed that 81.7% of people recommended using marijuana with their workout.

“The majority of participants who endorsed using cannabis shortly before/after exercise reported that doing so enhances their enjoyment of and recovery from exercise, and approximately half reported that it increases their motivation to exercise,” said the study’s authors.

Cannabis certainly complements a healthy lifestyle in several ways:

Lisa Quarrell will join expert medical cannabis clinicians at an educational event in Edinburgh this month.

While there’s no strain that will specifically boost your immune system, you can use these strains to lower stress levels that will then strengthen your immunity.

The ongoing pandemic awoke an important discussion that people haven’t had for a while; how to boost the immune system. People are popping vitamins and eating citrus fruits in a bid to protect themselves from the virus, while some folks have been looking into marijuana as well.

But are there strains that protect against the virus or a prevention treatment that people can look into? We take a dive into what we already know and have.

Does Cannabis Work for Colds and Viruses?

First, one’s immune system would have to be compromised for them to get the virus, which then lets us know what we need to guard. While eating foods rich in vitamin C is great, people also need to manage their stress levels so as not to weaken the immune system. Cannabis helps lower stress, which in turn helps strengthen the system. If you can help it, don’t overthink the pandemic or the virus. Instead, focus on getting through one day at a time.

Second, it helps to be cautious when smoking during these times. You would be putting yourself and others at risk if you passed a joint around, even if the people you are smoking with are known to you personally. The best way to combat this virus is to eat right, observe personal hygiene, lower stress levels through cannabis if you are a user, and mask up as has been recommended. It would also do no harm to try the best cannabis strain for pain if you have inflammation or general fatigue. While it will not protect you from the virus, it will give you relief from pain.

While marijuana is known to treat conditions such as epilepsy and cancer, you don’t just get to pick up any strain and hope for the best. It is recommended that you see a doctor who will administer the right one for your condition as well as the required dosage.

Not all oils are created equal – sesame oil is perfect for stir-frying and sauteing, while olive oil is best for salads and baking.

Hemp oil, on the other hand, is in a class of its own. Hemp oil is a healthy and versatile cooking oil that can be used in many different ways. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the characteristics of hemp oil and how to use it in cooking healthy meals.  

What Is Hemp Oil?

Hemp oil comes from hemp seeds, a plant of the same species as cannabis (marijuana). However, hemp seeds lack Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that gives marijuana its drug-like effects. 

Hemp oil is extracted the same way as olive oil.  The hemp plant seeds are cold pressed to get the oil, then kept in a cool, dark location for processing and transportation. Despite not being one of the most popular seeds right now, hemp seeds have long been a staple of the diets of Chinese and Indian people.

Hemp oil has a mild, nutty flavor and a light, delicate texture that makes it perfect for salads, dressings, sauces, and dips. You can also use hemp oil for baking biscuits, cakes, and other desserts. 

Kyran Adams' face has been recognized by plenty of strangers this summer.

For Father’s Day, his wife and brother bought ads on three digital billboards to recognize him: One in Texas, where he lives, in New Mexico, where he’s near, and in his native Michigan.

“You’re famous, you’re on a billboard,” said Adams, who retired about a year ago after a quarter century as a military photographer.

His wife had problems at first finding available billboards in Texas and Michigan.

The cannabis industry and its fans have a reputation for being earth lovers, but despite its green image, legal marijuana has a massive waste problem.

However the industry’s unique passion for the environment may motivate cannabis businesses to inspire changes in packaging norms well beyond the dispensary.

Visit almost any dispensary, like the Star Buds in Louisville, and you’ll end up standing in front of a massive assortment of multicolored containers.

Edibles, joints, flower, vapes and concentrates, all sold in uniquely designed packaging made of all sorts of materials.

The Medical Council of Thailand, along with 16 other medical organisations and royal colleges, have signed a petition seeking to limit the use of cannabis to medical purposes and firmly opposing its use for recreational purposes.

They claim that the current policies, which do not consider cannabis to be a dangerous or illegal drug and allow people to grow and use cannabis for treatment by themselves, are causing problems which will lead to negative consequences in the near future.

Therefore, they have offered five suggestions on the use of cannabis and its extracts for medical treatment, which are:

They also reiterate that the use of cannabis strictly for medical purposes is for the benefit of all parties, oppose the use of cannabis for recreational purposes and seek the strict reinforcement of the cannabis-related policies to prevent the use of cannabis for recreational purposes.

Thailand decriminalised the use of cannabis and hemp on June 9th this year, which has led to a boom in cultivation, sales and use. Regulations have been issued to ban the smoking of cannabis in public, to bar the substances from schools and sales to people aged under 20 and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Recreational use is popular, despite the authorities discouraging it.

Supervisors had no evidence that the employee was sufficiently impaired and unable to complete her duties, the judge ruled.

California employers may soon be barred from discharging employees or refusing to hire individuals based on their off-duty use of marijuana, under a new bill headed to the governor’s desk.

On August 30, 2022, the California legislature passed Assembly Bill (AB) 2188, which would prohibit employers from discriminating against “a person in hiring, termination, or any term or condition of employment” based on “the person’s use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace.”

New law does not decriminalize drug.

The City of Pooler has a new marijuana ordinance in place, but that doesn’t mean it’s changing the severity of the charge for marijuana possession. What it does change is where alleged offenders may see their day in court.

The ordinance implementation was merely a formality, said council member Aaron Higgins, as Pooler did not have a marijuana ordinance already, so cases could not be tried within the municipal court. 

Up until the ordinance passage at Tuesday night’s council meeting, those who were caught with an ounce or less of marijuana within Pooler’s city limits were required to be tried in the Chatham County Superior Court, where wait times could be as long as 2 to 3 years. 

The wait for Pooler’s municipal court is around  to -3 months, according to Pooler Police Department pokesperson SHeintzman. 

However, if someone decides to pay the fine, they do not have to appear in front of a court judge. Fines for an ounce or less of marijuana possession in the state of Georgia can go up to $1,000. In Pooler, the fine is $400. 

TAMPA - The Florida Department of Health recently issued an emergency ruling on medical marijuana to limit amounts and dosage.

Some patients worry about what this could mean for future usage. “I started having what they refer to as grand mal cluster seizures in about 2012,” said Jeffery Swoyer, who uses medical cannabis.

The Mayo Clinic defines a grand mal seizure as a seizure with a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions.

“I would have those in clusters of up to five to seven at a time,” said Swoyer.

He tells ABC Action News after he got his diagnosis, he was put on heavy doses of pharmaceutical drugs, but they didn’t help.

That’s when he found a new doctor and turned to medical marijuana. He said he noticed improvements almost immediately.

This is the perfect (micro-)home to go with your cannabis car. Irish company Common Knowledge is introducing the first units of its Tigín Tiny Homes project: tiny homes built out of hemp and cork, with rubber floors and a focus on sustainability and low cost.

Like everywhere else in the world, the cost of living is on the rise in Ireland, and Common Knowledge aims to help those struggling with it by offering a halfway product. That would be the Tigín Tiny Homes, a collective name for an innovative type of tiny house that can be either be purchased as a turnkey unit or as a kit for DIY projects, including suggested materials and retailers, and a price estimate.

Tigín means “small cottage” in Gaelic, and it’s just what this is: a trailer-based tiny home that is built with locally-sourced materials that are also agricultural byproducts.

Because of this, it’s very lightweight and with a small carbon footprint, but relatively durable and comfortable. Since this tiny is only envisioned as a stepping stone towards a forever home, the compromise is ideal – especially since it comes at an affordable price.

The tiny is the result of a longstanding collaboration with Margent Farm, a hemp farm in Cambridgeshire, which provides the hemp for the wall panels.

These panels are made through a combination of cannabis plant fibers and sugar-based resin from agricultural waste, while cork is used for the insulation and natural rubber for the floors. In the future, Common Knowledge hopes to be able to offer certain customization options, which would allow customers to opt out of the cork insulation in favor of another material.