WeedLife News Network

When asked by friends and patients who express concerns about their physicians, I tell them that if they cannot trust their physician with personal information, they need to change physicians if possible.

As many patients fill out their intake forms for their health care providers, some feel a concern that their honesty about aspects of their lifestyle may cause them to receive prejudiced healthcare. Part of being a great physician or health care provider is the ability to be non-judgmental about patients and their lifestyle choices. Trust is essential to care.

The patient must trust the doctor with personal information in order for the physician to give the best advice for that particular patient. This requires the physician or other health care provider to show the patient that they have an open mind and the patient to trust the provider.

But we must realize that doctors are people with their own biases based upon their upbringing, world experience and personality.

When asked by friends and patients who express concerns about their physicians, I tell them that if they cannot trust their physician with personal information, they need to change physicians if possible.

So how do we navigate the disclosure of cannabis or any recreational drug use in the health care setting? We should begin by thinking about both explicit and implicit bias.

Medicinal cannabis reduces cancer-related pain and the need for opiate-based painkillers, reveals a new comprehensive study of its use by oncology patients.

Pain, along with depression, anxiety, and insomnia, are some of the most fundamental causes of oncology patients’ disability and suffering while undergoing treatment therapies, and may even lead to worsened prognosis.

“Traditionally, cancer-related pain is mainly treated by opioid analgesics, but most oncologists perceive opioid treatment as hazardous, so alternative therapies are required,” explained author David Meiri, assistant professor at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.

“Our study is the first to assess the possible benefits of medical cannabis for cancer-related pain in oncology patients; gathering information from the start of treatment, and with repeated follow-ups for an extended period of time, to get a thorough analysis of its effectiveness.”

Need for alternative treatment

After talking to several cancer patients, who were looking for alternative options for pain and symptom relief, the researchers were keen to thoroughly test the potential benefits of medicinal cannabis.

“We encountered numerous cancer patients who asked us whether medical cannabis treatment can benefit their health,” said co-author Gil Bar-Sela, associate professor at the Ha’Emek Medical Center Afula.

The Pet Cannabis Coalition is supporting California Assembly Bill 1885 that will formally legalize cannabis products for pets and allow veterinarians to recommend them for a range of conditions

The Pet Cannabis Coalition, a recently established advocacy group that supports legislation aimed at legalizing cannabis products for pets and creating a legal framework that will allow veterinarians to recommend these products, is announcing today its full support of California Assembly Bill 1885 (AB 1885). If passed, the bill will amend existing language to clearly specify that California veterinarians won't risk discipline by the state's Veterinary Medical Board for recommending the use of cannabis on an animal for potential therapeutic effect or health supplementation purposes.

"Cannabis can provide life-changing–-and oftentimes lifesaving–-benefits for animals," says veterinarian Dr. Tim Shu, the President of the Pet Cannabis Coalition and the Founder and CEO of cannabis-based therapy company, VETCBD. 

"Pets and their owners deserve to have access to products that can improve their lives, and veterinarians should be allowed to provide guidance on such products. We need to shed the shroud of prohibition and embrace science if we're to embark on a path of progress. This is why we created the Pet Cannabis Coalition; to ensure there is staunch political advocacy surrounding the health and wellness of our beloved pets."

Animals can benefit from the therapeutic properties of cannabis. Studies have shown that cannabinoids such as CBD can provide benefits to pets suffering from arthritis and seizures, and veterinarians across the country have reported improvements in patients with conditions such as pain, anxiety, allergies, nausea, and seizures.1,2,3

Pet owners want to discuss cannabis with their vets and receive recommendations about products and dosages. However due to the current lack of legal clarity, most veterinarians are reluctant to make any recommendations and could face disciplinary repercussions for doing so.

Utah is unique when it comes to cannabis, and the state’s program includes many unique exceptions not often seen across the rest of the country in states where medical cannabis is legal.

In Utah, dispensaries are referred to as pharmacies, and the method of which patients must apply for and obtain cannabis medicine differs. While the state of Utah is home to over three million people, only 15 pharmacies and eight cultivators are allowed to legally operate there.

Pharmacists are essential to the structure of Utah’s medical cannabis program, as they are legally the only way that medical cannabis patients can obtain cannabis products. Beehive Farmacy’s Pharmacist in Charge, Mindy Madeo, has been a pharmacist for over 20 years, but found a new calling to enter the cannabis industry after the state of Utah legalized medical cannabis. Madeo attended the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy’s cannabis program, which she will soon be graduating with a Masters of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics. It’s currently the only pharmacy school in the U.S. to offer such a degree, and furthermore, Madeo is one of the only people in Utah to have earned such a distinction.

Madeo took time to chat with High Times about what sets Utah apart from other states’ medical cannabis programs, the influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), and what the future holds for patients.

The essential pharmacist

When Madeo began her entrance into the cannabis industry, she helped one of the pharmacies, called Wholesome, open up shop. While that pharmacy was a bit more business-focused, Madeo then moved on to Beehive Farmacy where she currently works as Pharmacist in Charge. Beehive Farmacy has two locations out of the total 15 that are allowed statewide, one in Salt Lake City and another in Brigham City. “It’s been really amazing,” Madeo said of her role. “The work I do every day is really like my dream. I’ve been doing it for two years and I still say I would do it even if I wasn’t getting paid.”

Madeo explained how Utah’s medical cannabis program works for patients. Similarly to other states, patients must go to a doctor and obtain a recommendation for a cannabis card—but new patients can’t just go to a pharmacy to pick up their medicine right away. “It is required by law that every single patient that’s new to the cannabis program, has to sit down and have a consultation with the pharmacist. And that’s the unique thing. That’s the thing that no other state does,” Madeo explained.

A new book explores how weed can help and hinder the creative process

Jordana Wright had a problem.

While working on her second book, Cannabis for Creatives: How 32 Artists Enhance and Sustain Inspiration, her source material was piling up.

She had interviewed a wide range of artists about how cannabis factors into their creative processes, delved deeply into the science behind creativity and explored how cannabis and the brain interact. But she was struggling to figure out how to piece it all together.

So she smoked a joint.

“I smoked and I was stretching out and doing some yoga before bed, and I was laying and looking up at the ceiling and I just had this epiphany of what the book needed to be and how I needed to make it work to weave all these stories together and create this cohesive thing that could have more impact,” she tells The GrowthOp from her home in Belize.

The pigeon has been sent to an animal shelter to help it “resocialize” and leave behind its delivery days.

The noble, albeit now often-maligned, pigeon has been used as a message carrier during chariot races to times of war. That may be why someone in Peru tried using the bird’s impressive homing abilities to fly weed into a prison.

Perhaps parched, the cannabis-carrying bird was spotted this week when it touched down on the grounds of the Huancayo Penitentiary near the administrative building to drink some water from a puddle there.

In a tweet, the Peruvian National Police reported officers found the bird, which had a “circular package containing marijuana tied around its neck,” near the prison’s main door. The incident reportedly occurred at about 4:00 p.m. outside the prison’s administrative office.

“The little bird was put in a safe place,” a translation of the tweet assures.

Upon catching the bird, agents saw that the delivery package was made of a light blue fabric that had been wrapped in duct tape, according to Newsbeezer. To the surprise of all involved, the package held “dry green seeds, stems and leaves with a characteristic marijuana smell,” the publication reports.

Women have slowly introduced themselves into the equation, disrupting what’s traditionally thought of as a cannabis consumer.

Legal marijuana has changed the way some people think about cannabis, leading to a shift in the way in which it’s marketed. A new study explores how is promoted on social media apps, prompting the market to open up and people who don’t fit the typical stoner stereotype.

The study, published in Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal, found that women have slowly introduced themselves into the equation, disrupting what’s traditionally thought of as a cannabis consumer. These women promote cannabis in different ways, incorporating it into their daily lives and activities.

Researchers used Instagram as their social media platform of choice, analyzing illegal sellers in Switzerland with “cannabis influencers” in the U.S., and spotting any differences. Investigators found that cannabis influencers were challenging what has long been considered appealing to cannabis markets, something that could have a global impact.

“Our findings show that cannabis influencers on Instagram are changing the stereotypical characteristics of illegal cannabis culture as being almost entirely dominated by men, to one where cannabis is represented as a desirable accessory in certain feminine lifestyles,” write the study’s researchers.

These influencers painted cannabis as an activity that can be pursued by mothers, people who are invested in their physical and mental health and more.

The era of triploid cannabis is here and it can easily be the solution cannabis growers sought in the 1970s. But what does triploid mean?

The world of cannabis cultivation might be in for a new paradigm shift in the form of seedless cannabis. The huge potential of triploid cannabis has gotten many in the cannabis industry hoping and rejoicing.

Though there is still much to know and understand about the application of triploid cannabis, early signs are already good. Here, we explore all there is to know about triploid cannabis which might just be the future of seedless cannabis.

Triploid cannabis

Many might be confused as to what the term “triploid” means and how it applies to cannabis. Surprisingly enough, the term triploid is quite common in the world of agriculture. Watermelons that are seedless for example are regarded as triploid watermelons. The same goes for a host of other crops like citrus, grapes, and banana. This helps us to understand that the common factor of triploid plants is that they are seedless. However, how does this apply to cannabis plants?

To fully understand the concept of triploid cannabis, we will have to go back to the basics of science a bit. We know that chromosomes carry genetic information in the form of genes. Humans possess 23 pairs of these chromosomes which make humans diploid. Cannabis plants on the other hand are diploid as well with only 10 chromosomes. Research has, however, shown that cannabis like most plants can be tetraploid (4 copies) or octoploid (8 copies) and more.

Triploid expression of plant chromosomes is a very rare variation that can occur naturally in plants. Scientists have since developed how to get this triploid expression by crossing a tetraploid with a diploid.

The House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations unanimously advanced a bill Thursday that would protect Louisiana’s state employees who are legally treated with medical marijuana.

House Bill 988, sponsored by Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, protects state employees from negative consequences if they are diagnosed with a condition for which their doctor recommends medical marijuana that is used in accordance with state law.

The law would protect employees from being fired and would protect prospective employees from being discriminated against for their use of medical marijuana.

The bill would not apply to law enforcement, firefighters or other public safety officials.

The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy reported that there are over 43,000 medical marijuana users in the state. The first medical marijuana dispensaries in the state began operating in 2019.

“There are a lot of people who don’t want to take opioids for their long-term PTSD and pain management because of the high possibility of addiction to opioids,” Landry said.

Kamil Misztal released on $100,000 bail

Federal prosecutors have filed marijuana trafficking and gun possession charges against a popular social media influencer who runs a luxury car rental business in Illinois, court records show. Kamil Misztal, 31, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing more than 100 pounds of marijuana with intent to distribute. He was released from federal custody May 16 on a $100,000 bond, three days after arranging to turn himself in on the federal arrest warrant.

Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Brian Nehring wrote in the criminal complaint that federal authorities began investigating Misztal last October, based on the suspicion he was arranging for marijuana to be transported from California to Illinois.

“I received information that Misztal lived outside of California in Illinois where he ran an exotic vehicle rental business ‘I-94 Exotics.’ I also received information that Misztal regularly travelled to California to obtain multiple, 100-pound quantities of marijuana and then transported the marijuana back to Illinois for distribution,” Nehring wrote.

On Oct. 27, agents raided a Roseville home where Misztal was believed to be staying, seized roughly $28,000 in cash, approximately 140 pounds of marijuana in one-pound bags, and a pistol that Misztal was prohibited from possessing due to a 2007 burglary conviction, according to the complaint.

Misztal has more than 500,000 Instagram followers and has publicly spoken about his journey to becoming a “self-made millionaire,” starting with working at grocery stores and car detailing jobs when he was just 13. He also owns a legal marijuana business, according to interviews and sponsored content, including a sponsored post that was published by the Bay Area News Group.

Fun, Safe and elevated tourism experience deeply rooted in the town's history

Visit Oakland launches the Oakland Cannabis Trail – a historical, colorful travel adventure with unique retail and cannabis centric experiences for the cannasseur (a well-informed cannabis enthusiast) and canna-curious (one who is discovering the world of cannabis) alike.

Developed by Visit Oakland in collaboration with cannabis travel enthusiasts and Oakland’s leading retailers, the Oakland Cannabis Trail offers a curated, immersive trip through The Town’s diverse, amazing neighborhoods. Shared information highlights cannabis travel facts and tips for a safe, memorable experience.

The trail provides visitors a one-of-a-kind opportunity to immerse themselves in Oakland history as they explore premium cannabis retail shops, an array of restaurants, local attractions, and sensory activities including hand selected art exhibits and the great outdoors. Featured on the trail are eight cannabis shops that represent the deeply rooted past and innovative future of cannabis in Oakland.

Pioneering legacy

From Harborside that was established in 2006 and is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected cannabis retailers in the world to Root’d in the 510 – Oakland’s newest cannabis retailer that opened on 4/20 in 2022 – the trail offers numerous exploration options. Honoring Oakland’s pioneering legacy, three destinations on the trail are Cultural Landmarks – the Oaksterdam Uptown District, Blunts and Moore, and Harborside.

Evolution of emerging travel trend

Oakland has a rich, significant history with safe cannabis access and has played a prominent role in legalization. The Town continues to be at the forefront of progress with some of the best shops and most compelling cannabis offerings in the state. Visit Oakland is leading the evolution of the emerging travel trend. The Cannabis Trail is the visitors trusted guide to enjoying safe, curated cannabis experiences while spending time in Oakland.

Medical marijuana patients spent $24 million in April at the state’s 38 dispensaries to obtain 4,213 pounds, up from the 4,166 pounds sold in March. Hot Springs is home to two of the top five dispensaries for the amount of product sold.

Sales for the first four months of 2022 total $89.8 million, and 15,678 pounds, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

“The amount of product sold increased slightly from March to April,” said DFA spokesman Scott Hardin.

“On average, patients in Arkansas are spending $22.45 million each month across the state’s 38 dispensaries to purchase approximately 3,919 pounds. State tax collection on medical marijuana also increased in April with $2.98 million in total ($2.46 million collected in March).”

The state also collects a cultivator privilege tax, which means tax revenue is not always tied to how much product is bought by consumers at dispensaries and the price for the product sold to dispensary customers.

A study of the levels of atmospheric cannabis pollen in Murcia has detected a significant increase in recent years—indicating that illicit crop production has increased.

Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena in Spain have come to an interesting conclusion. Recently, the amount of cannabis pollen in the air has increased dramatically. It is not unreasonable to postulate, as the polytech scientists have now done, that the total amount of illicit cultivation in the region has increased significantly in the last four to five years.

Many within the industry have claimed that proof backing the widespread risks of high THC levels are scant and more research needs to be done.

With the legislation on cannabis at the federal level set to be brought forward in the Senate, marijuana legalized states are now undergoing new research on the risks linked with high-potency cannabis products. Among the questions being asked is the possible link between these high-potency cannabis products and psychosis.

These latest high-potency cannabis products circulating the market are commonly called shatter or wax and are known to have THC levels as high as 85%-90%. Researchers, via comparison, affirmed that the THC levels in a usual joint two decades ago were approximately 5%. Considering this high level of THC, Colorado and Washington are now looking to include potency caps in their legislation.

During a forum held in January, Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of NIDA expressed her concerns that young adults are increasingly consuming high-potency cannabis. Volkow affirmed that she is worried about the negative effects of high THC concentration on mental health. She noted that the higher the THC levels, the higher the chances of psychosis. While the research is still ongoing, Volkow affirmed that another question waiting to be answered is if such psychosis can cause permanent schizophrenia.

Bethany Moore, during an interview with NBC News, asserted that the best way forward is to tackle these concerns through adequate labeling and testing. Apart from that, she believes states should only sell cannabis via licensed dispensaries to fully informed and legal adults. By selling cannabis only via legal dispensaries, Bethany claimed the activities of the illicit cannabis market will gradually fade.

According to several public experts, proponents of the cannabis industry are responsible for the problem of high-potency cannabis products now flooding the market. This is because most industry backers were only focused on legalizing cannabis without considering a market boom in cannabis concentrates.

No settlement was announced, but actor and activist Sacha Baron Cohen reportedly will not move forward with his lawsuit against a cannabis dispensary that used an image and catchphrase of his Borat character in a billboard ad without permission.

According to The Associated Press, a document filed in Federal Court in Boston notes that both Baron Cohen, 50, and the Massachusetts cannabis company, Solar Therapeutics Inc., have agreed to dismiss the case.

WPRI reports that the suit was dismissed with prejudice.

Information from Cornell Law School explains that dismissal with prejudice means “the plaintiff cannot refile the same claim again in that court.” This type of dismissal is considered an “adjudication on the merits” and, as such, the court “made a determination on the legal and factual issues of the claim.”

What did the billboard depict?

The billboard at issue, which was displayed on an interstate highway in Massachusetts, depicted the Borat character, a fictional Kazakh journalist, offering two thumbs-up and exclaiming “It’s nice” alongside the company name and Happy 4-20! message.

A case in the Constitutional Court could bring changes to the ban of cannabis for personal use in the country. The Local spoke with Dr Helmut Graupner to understand more.

Austria has a very complex system when it comes to its drug laws and regulations, but in short: no, cannabis is not legal in the alpine country.

People are not allowed to consume, buy, sell, or grow the plant (growing it at home has some very strange specifications, such as it must never be allowed to bloom).

However, since 2016, a person caught with a small quantity of cannabis could face only small charges, similar to traffic violations.

Still, Austria won’t allow an adult to privately consume the product of the plant.

With legalisation and decriminalisation movements sweeping the globe, this might change.

Play-to-earn (P2E) games, cryptocurrency, and non-fungible tokens truly are the hottest terms when it comes to the business of digital currency, and they have had an unexpected impact on today's financial markets. These developments have taken centre stage in 2022, and we'd like to hear your opinions on what might happen if these (so far) major and global trends mix with another quite controversial industry, that surrounding cannabis.

What exactly is CanaBoyz?

CanaBoyz is a digital gaming platform that immerses users in a one-of-a-kind gangland with the sole objective of building the world's most lucrative enterprise through virtual cannabis cultivation. This game allows users to enjoy unfettered economic benefits through the sale of in-game assets. Indeed, users will be able to raise virtual crops on CanaBoyz that will earn them real-life cash through cryptocurrency. Players will have complete control over their assets, which they will manage and scale through smart decision making and tactics.

This game is built around the players' economic relationships and existing smart contracts. The players' primary goal is to develop farms and manage in-game assets. Users have access to multiple scenarios for managing their in-game assets, such as CNB and Kush tokens, seeds, bushes, artefacts, and coffee shops, via a versatile platform. Players are able to construct an internal economic zone thanks to their freedom of action, where the main goal is to raise crops and sell them profitably.

On CanaBoyz, every player will have the ability to manage in-game items while deciding on how they should grow their business. A user has the freedom to choose whether to create their virtual business on their own or in a group with other players. They can use the CanaBoyz in-game platform to manage their tokens, seeds, bushes, artefacts, and characters regardless of the kind of strategy used. CanaBoyz's biggest feature is that every in-game item is a genuine NFT.

The idea for CanaBoyz came about due to a combination of the most prominent developments over the previous several years: the metaverse, Web 3.0, NFTs, Crypto, and the now legalised cannabis industry. CanaBoyz' creators discovered that, upon unification of their ideas, they had a truly fantastic concept for a game.

Agriculture Ministry hails development as a major step toward country becoming a significant player in the global cannabis market

The first-ever export shipment of Israeli cannabis seeds has left for the US, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement Wednesday, hailing the move as a major step toward becoming a global pioneer in the field.

Efforts to arrange the “experimental and initial” shipment, which departed on Tuesday night, have been ongoing for the past year.

The cargo contained seeds from the local BetterSeeds company, which has a research license from the Health Ministry.

They will be examined on arrival “to verify their suitability for the US market,” the ministry said.

“Israel has the ability to make its mark [on the industry] and be among the world’s leaders,” Agriculture Minister Oded Forer said in the statement.