WeedLife News Network

NORTH BRUNSWICK – The township's first medical marijuana dispensary will be opening on Route 1.

Garden State Botanicals' proposal to convert a 2,400-square-foot space at a shopping center at 1345-1471 Route 1 southbound was approved by the township's Zoning Board of Adjustment last month.

The dispensary will be in the North Oaks Plaza, commonly known as the Raymour & Flanigan shopping center, adjacent to North Oaks Boulevard.

The dispensary is expected to be between WindowRama and Dunkin’, in the space currently occupied by Halal Boys, according to the township.

Last year, the township established regulations for licensed marijuana facilities to operate in the strip mall. The ordinance established the Cannabis Route 1 Corridor Overlay Zone where Class 5 retail and Class 6 delivery cannabis establishments, without cannabis consumption areas, can open.

The dispensary was approved by a 6-1 vote. Board member Joe Policastro cast the lone dissenting vote.

“You all must be here for the free samples,” joked Ari Kirshenbaum, St. Michael’s professor of psychology.

Through Kirshenbaum’s research, he discovered that the effects of cannabis on a driver operating a vehicle is no laughing matter.

The McCarthy Arts Recital Hall was busy and lively, with over 40 attendees filling the auditorium for Kirshenbaum’s presentation of “Weed and the Wheel.” Among many notable awards and publications, he also receives funding from the National Health and Science Foundations for his research.

Throughout his presentation, Kirshenbaum explained how cannabis affects people, especially when driving cars. He also discussed the decriminalization of cannabis in Vermont, as recreational dispensaries in Vermont opened in the state on Oct. 1.

Kirshenbaum quotes the actor Bill Murray’s famous quote on the decriminalization of the drug, “I find it quite ironic that the most dangerous thing about weed is getting caught with it.” He noted that critical thinking is crucial when encountering quotes like these. Cannabis is dangerous, but there are legal drugs that are far more harmful. What Kirshenbaum believes is that there is a lack of knowledge of the addictive nature of weed. “People don’t have an accurate understanding of the risks. Many people misunderstand the differences between fact and opinion when dealing with the effects of cannabis,” Kirshenbaum said. He hopes that one day “smoking and driving becomes as taboo as drinking and driving.”

Kirshenbaum’s work focuses on the ability to detect if a driver is impaired after smoking weed. He created an app called Indicator. The app is a series of games, mainly reaction based, that determine how cannabis affects the user’s cognition.

Just days after Missouri approved recreational marijuana, some Kansas City area weed businesses say they are ramping up their facilities and preparing to cash in from increased sales.

Others, however, are more relieved than elated. They view legalized marijuana, which voters statewide approved Tuesday, as a lifeline in a medical industry that is oversupplied with too few customers to go around.

Businesses in the established medical marijuana industry were counting on Tuesday’s vote, which legalized recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21. They hope recreational sales, expected to start in early February, will help their businesses stay afloat.

“I don’t know that too many people would have been able to survive had that ballot initiative not pass,” said Chris McHugh, CEO of Vertical, an indoor cultivation, manufacturing facility and dispensary in St. Joseph.

While nearly two-thirds of Missouri voters approved legalizing medical marijuana in 2018, the state currently reports only about 200,000 active medical marijuana patients. Just more than 53% of voters approved recreational marijuana on Tuesday. Business owners like McHugh are cautiously optimistic that legalized recreational marijuana will increase the number of people willing to buy into the industry.

“There’s just not enough demand to keep the industry going and it’s slowly starving to death,” McHugh said.

AUSTIN - A topic seen as controversial to some is becoming a booming industry in the Lone Star State.

More Texans are turning to medical marijuana, and this is only the beginning.

“We’ve sold medicine to more than 25,000 Texans,” said Morris Denton, CEO of Texas Original.

Texas Original first opened its doors on Feb. 8, 2018, and has continued to grow. They are one of three licensed medical cannabis operators in the state. The company is based in Austin but saw an opportunity in the Piney Woods.

“In East Texas and Nacogdoches in particular, basically started to grow pretty quickly for us,” Denton said.

The owners say they are impressed with their dispensary’s performance in Nacogdoches, and now they are looking to expand.

Casey O’Neill is a cannabis and food farmer in Mendocino County who has been writing newsletters about his efforts to provide sustainable produce and marijuana.

Many people go to therapy wondering if they have an unhealthy relationship with marijuana. They ask questions like:

As of today, 19 U.S. states have legalized recreational marijuana and as many as half of all young adults in the country have used cannabis. With the stigma around recreational use crumbling, it’s important to talk about the mental-health consequences of marijuana use.

The main psychoactive cannabinoids found in marijuana, THC and CBD, are intoxicants. These compounds interact with your brain and body chemistry in complex ways to induce feelings of pleasure, relief, and well-being. Along with its positive effects, marijuana can also stir up negative feelings like anxiety and paranoia.

Moderation is the key to maintaining a healthy relationship with marijuana. Consider these 3 false but widely-held myths you need to stop believing to have a healthy relationship with marijuana.

1. "Marijuana is not harmful to your mental health."

The science is conclusive: The THC concentration in marijuana is on the rise. A recent study published in The Lancet found that this increase in potency brings a slew of serious mental health risks for marijuana users. The study revealed that high-potency cannabis use was associated with a fourfold increase in the likelihood of addiction when compared to low-potency cannabis use. The research is in line with real-world trends in cannabis addiction treatment, which, in the past decade, has seen a 76% increase. According to CDC estimates, around 30% of all marijuana users in the U.S. meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder.

In addition, those who use high-potency cannabis were found to be at higher risk for developing cannabis-induced psychosis, a serious mental health condition characterized by hallucinations and delusions.

P Diddy has recently turned into the most recent hip-hop billionaire. Now, the famous rapper wants to create turmoil in the cannabis world, announcing his plans to invest $185m in cannabis businesses.

Here’s why the cannabis industry is in the spotlight and why he might consider investing in BudBlockz.

P Diddy Wants to Create the Largest Cannabis Business

P Diddy’s planned deal for $185 million will turn into the largest cannabis business in the world, massively increasing Black participation in this industry. While 39 out of 50 states legalized weed for medicinal purposes and 19 for recreational use as well, the industry is still stained by social stigma.

The famous rapper’s initiative will further create opportunities in this field, especially as cannabis products represent the fastest-growing industry in the US. The acquired business is a multistate cannabis operator and owns the entire process, ranging from growing weed to manufacture and distribution.

BudBlockz – A Unique Player in the Global Marijuana Industry

Thanks to the large move into the cannabis world worth $185 million, BudBlockz may be next on the list. While large, established, brick-and-mortar companies are highly profitable in this industry, BudBlockz has the first-mover advantage. It combines the cannabis industry with the investment world and the booming crypto space, resulting in a win-win-win combo for consumers, businesses, and investors.

BudBlockz is a new project in this space, but it has created a massive buzz in the media thanks to its many use cases and benefits for the platform’s users. Perhaps one of the main disruptions is that BudBlockz will finally create a secure, transparent marketplace for marijuana transactions from all around the world.

The southwest side of Elgin may soon be home to a second cannabis-growing operation.

Grand Legacy Group LLC has partners who have ownership in both growing and dispensing facilities in New Mexico and New York. Now the group wants to open a growing operation in Elgin after first targeting Chicago Heights.

The group's Christine Johnson told the Elgin planning and zoning commission this week that it canceled plans to open in Chicago Heights after doing further research in Elgin and finding it to be a better fit.

The city council approved its first cannabis growing operation, at 1300 Abbott Drive, in February. That facility is still in the process of getting building permits and has not yet opened.

The Grand Legacy Group wants to move into the Burnidge Bros. Industrial Park at the northwest corner of Shepard Drive and Berkley Street.

"We can't say enough how excited we are to come to the city of Elgin," Johnson told the commission. "This property benefits us for multiple reasons. It's off the beaten path. It's more hidden."

ST. PAUL - Applications are now available online for anyone wishing to grow industrial hemp in Minnesota.

A license from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is required for individuals and businesses to legally grow or process hemp in the state.

In order to get a permit, the grower must:

Minnesota ran a hemp pilot program from 2016 to 2020 before joining a federally regulated hemp production program in 2021.

Thailand’s military government is carrying out an experiment: What happens when a country in Asia, a region where drug laws tend to be harsh, essentially legalizes marijuana overnight?

In the first few months, lots of people have opened weed dispensaries, and their customers have smoked a lot of weed.

Thailand’s marijuana industry has a joyful, freewheeling vibe on a street level. Some dispensaries offer workshops on rolling joints and brewing “weed tea.” Next week, one is holding “yoga on high” class; the ticket price includes a joint, a beverage, a snack and a yoga mat rental.

“It’s good because you can just go out and buy it whenever you want,” said Ak Sudasna, 50, who owns a real estate company in Bangkok and typically purchases about 40 grams of marijuana per month, for about $15 a gram, from shops near his home.

“It’s nice for the tourists,” he added. “It’s nice for the country.”

But the high times may not last. Sprawling draft legislation, which is expected to move through parliament in the coming weeks, will seek to regulate legal gray areas around the cultivation, sale and consumption of the drug. It could become law as early as next year.

As we previously reported, Germany’s plans to legalise cannabis were leaked on 19th October.

Key details from the unofficial documents and early-stage German proposals leaked to the press included: 

The Federal Cabinet has since met and decided on the key points of the law, presenting them in a cornerstone paper at a federal press conference on 26th October. 

There are a few noticeable differences from the original leaked plans.

The maximum threshold for possession has been raised from 20g to 30g, which has definitely received a positive reception from the German people. Alongside this, “own-cultivation” is to be treated more leniently, with an individual now allowed three, rather than two, female flowering plants. 

These restrictions are still relatively strict when compared with other countries who have legalised cannabis. For example, in Canada and Malta the growing of 4 plants is allowed, whereas in Uruguay the limit is 6. 

Each way of consumption has a high that kicks in a little differently and comes with its own set of pluses and minuses.

OXFORD - Oxford City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday night allowing for medical cannabis dispensaries to operate within the city.

However, council members added two provisions to the ordinance, one of which tightens up the requirements for setting up operations and the other earmarking any tax revenue from the dispensaries received by the city for public health services.

The move comes in the wake of the Legislature's approval in May of medical cannabis for patients with qualifying conditions and who possess a valid medical cannabis card.

Council President Chris Spurlin said he could not support the measure.

"If it was just for aiding the critically ill I wouldn't have a problem with it," Spurlin said. "I don't see how it can be illegal in the state but make it OK to do one thing with it as long as we're getting a nine percent tax off of it."

Mayor Alton Craft asked for the ordinance to include the tax the city is allowed to receive be earmarked exclusively to the Oxford Health Systems which includes EMS services.

The Cannabis Research Institute of South Africa (CRI) has sponsored a year-long study that examines the effectiveness of medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids for chronic pain management.

The Cannabis Research Institute of South Africa (CRI) has sponsored a year-long study that examines the effectiveness of medical cannabis as an alternative to opioids for chronic pain management.

New research presented this week suggests that cannabis could have certain benefits for people living with bipolar disorder.

The move affects 63 of the 150 licenses that the state planned to issue.

A federal judge has temporarily barred the state of New York from issuing the first batch of retail licenses for recreational cannabis in five regions pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by a Michigan-based company challenging the program’s selection requirements.

The decision on Thursday from the Federal District Court in Syracuse spells trouble for the state’s plan to begin recreational cannabis sales as soon as this year.

The judge, Gary L. Sharpe, said the state could not issue conditional licenses to operate dispensaries in Brooklyn, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mid-Hudson area and Western New York while the case is pending. His decision affects 63 of the 150 licenses that the state planned to issue to businesses and individuals who met a narrow criteria.

The case, brought by Variscite NY One, argues that requirements that applicants have a cannabis-related conviction under New York state law and significant ties to the state violate constitutional protections of interstate commerce.

New York legalized cannabis for nonmedical use by adults 21 and over in March 2021. Lawmakers set out to build a market that included people convicted of crimes or otherwise harmed by decades of policies targeting those who grew, sold and used cannabis.

Local option sales taxes on recreational marijuana appear to have been favored during Montana’s midterm election. 

Efforts to ban recreational sales had a more mixed response.

Up to 10 Montana counties including Granite, Sheridan, Madison, Gallatin, Mineral, Sanders, Hill, Valley, Cascade and Flathead could approve new local taxes on recreational marijuana sales. Most were on track to do so Wednesday, according to preliminary results.

Local tax on non-medical sales has received the strongest support, while proposed taxes on medical sales also did well, although generally by smaller margins. Flathead and Sanders counties were the only counties where votes to oppose medical taxes were ahead on Wednesday. The issue in Sanders county was separated by just two votes, and could be headed for a recount.

Granite county voters appear likely to uphold a ban on recreational sales in the county’s third vote on the issue since 2020.

Five communities within counties that currently allow sales voted over whether to permit dispensaries within city limits. Only the town of Cascade appears likely to agree with a city ban, with preliminary results showing voters in Great Falls, West Yellowstone, Deer Lodge and Manhattan approving of marijuana businesses in their jurisdictions. The issue in Deer Lodge has been flagged for a possible recount.

Has Germany’s traffic light government attempted to run before it could walk when it comes to possible cannabis legalisation?

On 19th October, key aspects of Germany’s plans to legalise cannabis were leaked, sparking widespread discussion regarding the direction of the final paper and the efficacy of the plans.

The Federal Cabinet has since decided on the key points of the law and presented them at a federal press conference. If successful the new law would allow possession of cannabis up to 30g for personal use, the home cultivation of up to 3 plants and the sale of the drug via licensed shops and pharmacies. 

Of course, sale and possession are only permitted for those over the age of 18, with the government considering an upper limit on the THC content of products sold to under 21s. There would also be a complete ban on advertising, as well as a graduated tax based on THC levels.  

It was rumoured that the plans could come into force as early as next year, however Burkhard Blienert, Federal Drug and Addiction Commissioner, stated it would be unlikely for cannabis to be legalised before 2024 at the earliest.

But, it appears the EU will have the final say on the future of the law… 

The Federal Health Minister has already warned that this is not yet a breakthrough for German drug policy, as concerns have been raised as to whether the plans for legalisation can be enforced at all. Numerous lawyers have pointed out that the way Germany has planned to legalise cannabis would violate various UN agreements and, most importantly, European law. 

There’s a lot more to cannabis and getting high than just joints and bongs. We asked HighHerb Club about it, and they gave us the answer—a couple, even.

HighHerb Club is a freshly opened cannabis dispensary located in Sukhumvit 4 alley (just a short walk away from BTS Nana station), run by a group of friends who discovered the same passion and vision when it comes to cannabis. It really seemed like they got high one day, then one of them said “let’s open a dispensary together,” and they really did. That’s because the result is an establishment that exudes love—both for each other and for the products they offer.

The venue looks professional, modern, yet down to Earth. An array of equipment and strains are carefully laid out on the countertop, as well as adorning the wall behind. “You can fully smoke in here,” exclaims one of the staff, without even being asked if I can. That’s how you know you’re in for a good time.

There’s a lot of ways you can use cannabis, maybe more than you’d think especially if you’re just getting acquainted with it. You don’t have to keep smoking that voodoo swamp weed from a random alley in Khaosan anymore. Here are five levels of cannabis use according to the folks at HighHerb Club.

The five levels of using cannabis, according to HighHerb Club

Level 0: CBD Oil

CBD oil is considered level zero because it is still cannabis—created by extracting the sativa plant in oil form and mixed with an inert carrier oil (e.g. hemp seed oil). However, you’re not going to experience any high like you would expect from it due to the amount of CBD rather than THC contained within.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthwhile item. CBD oil has a lot of benefits, and it is very useful for people dealing with symptoms from anxiety, depression, and to relieve pain deriving from health complications.