WeedLife News Network

Cannabis tourism, or more colloquially, “cannatourism,” is a billion-dollar and counting industry that includes everything from cannabis lounges to posh winery-tour style getaways with 4-star meals and messages.

It’s a novel and unique industry with promise, and of a fair share of developing and yet to be fully understood risks and perils.

We covered the industry and where it’s going and the associated risks in the latest episode of our Insuring Cannabis podcast

For that podcast we spoke with Georgi Bohrod Gordon, a principal with GBG & Associates, and membership chair of the Cannabis Travel Association, and Lee Woodruff, vice president of business development for Jencap, who is a specialized cannabis insurance broker.

In the last few years, more and more countries have a positive attitude towards the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

Of course, there are laws that regulate its cultivation, sale and consumption of marijuana. Although its positive effect is emphasized a lot, there are also opponents of the use of this plant.

Its medicinal properties, such as the relief of pain and inflammatory processes, have long been known. It was still used by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. If you want to find out what Florida law thinks about the medical use of marijuana, keep reading.

What is anxiety and what are the symptoms?

Anxiety is a state of consciousness, involving the whole organism, emotions, physical sensations and perceptions, thoughts and behavior. States of fear, worry and panic have been recognized as problems since ancient times.

Constant nervousness and anticipation that something bad will happen significantly lowers the quality of life. An example of anxiety is the constant thought that we will fail in society, that we will not be able to pay the bills at the end of the month, that something will happen to a close person, etc.

Nervousness and fear lead to loss of control, because the autonomic nervous system is more easily activated in such people than in other people.

Monroe County Community College recently hosted an education session aimed at helping prevent marijuana use by Michigan’s youth.

Vicky Loveland, Development Coordinator for the Monroe County Substance Abuse Coalition, recently presented “Cannabis Overview: Protecting Our Youth” via Zoom.  Loveland is a licensed social worker, and she said that the coalition works to reduce abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs, underage substance use, and more in Monroe County.

Loveland began the presentation by offering Michigan’s history with legal marijuana, starting with the state’s legalization of medical marijuana sales in 2008.

According to data provided by Loveland, average THC levels in marijuana increased dramatically over time, meaning that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana has been more prevalent, thereby making the substance more potent.

Loveland also noted that the process to get a medical marijuana card is very easy for Michigan residents. She also offered a list of debilitating conditions that warrant medical marijuana card. Most cases cited were “severe and chronic pain.” Loveland said the original intent of the state passing medical marijuana use was to help cancer patients.

However, according to her data, less than 5% of cardholders were using THC products to relieve cancer symptoms, as of 2017. Loveland also described the different strains of marijuana – indica and sativa – as well as their intended effects on the user.

GLENDALE - Hemp has certainly gained a great deal of attention recently all over the world. Although hemp has a long history, it is only now that it is being rediscovered.

The Hemp Farm Bill was passed by the United States in 2018. A growing number of people are becoming interested in this crop. The advantages of hemp for our health, the environment, and the economy are undeniably compelling. 

HollyweedCBD was established with the assistance of professionals in the CBD industry with the goal of enhancing people's health by taking into consideration the six wellness components, namely spiritual, emotional, intellectual, environmental, physical, and social.

To encourage the responsible and transparent use of the cannabinoid, the team works on integrating the medical information relevant to the CBD market.

Let’s have a look and revisit some of the recent developments in findings around what makes these so important given that there lies a general consensus over the fact that it does carry extreme medical and health benefits, when consumed with proper consultation and knowledge.

Cannabis use has grown in popularity over the years. Surprisingly, people are increasingly turning to hemp-derived products for relieving pain and other health benefits. But what makes hemp plant products so important. 

WOOD COUNTY - The Wood County Board of Supervisors has passed an ordinance that requires people to show proof of age 21 to purchase intoxicating hemp products, such as delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in Wood County.

The ordinance went into effect Aug. 23. It also limits the proximity in which these products can be sold near youth-serving organizations and other youth-friendly locations.

“We wanted the focus of this ordinance to be on youth substance use prevention,” stated Jacob Wagner, Wood County Health Department.

Marijuana and hemp are both cannabis plants, but industrial hemp contains 0.3% or less of the psychoactive compound, THC, and marijuana has higher levels of THC. Following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized industrial hemp nationwide, a loophole was created that made any other intoxicating chemicals in the cannabis plant legal, except for no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC.

“Delta-8 THC is said to be less potent than delta-9 THC,” Wagner shared, “but products sold in this area are chemically formulated concentrates that cause very similar effects to delta-9 because of their potency.”

In spring 2022, Healthy People Wood County’s substance use prevention team, IMPACT, conducted a community scan of delta-8 THC.

A cannabis dispensary in Allegan County recently was selected as a distributer of Mike Tyson’s new product line.

The former professional boxer is offering his Tyson 2.0 products at City Hall Provisions, 222 S. Maple St. in Fennville.

The dispensary said Tyson has been “highly selective” in determining which stores around the U.S. will offer his line.

“Cannabis has always played an important role in my life,” Tyson said. “It has changed me for the good both mentally and physically, and I want to share this gift with other people who are also seeking relief.”

The Tyson 2.0 line offers pre-rolls, flower and “Mike Bite” ear-shaped gummies.

Vague legal safeguards for medical marijuana users in Pennsylvania are forcing patients to choose between their job and a drug they say has changed their life, and leaving skittish employers vulnerable to lawsuits, according to a three-month Spotlight PA investigation.

While state law protects workers from being fired or denied a job just for having a doctor’s permission to use marijuana, those protections become opaque when people actually take the drug — regardless of whether they do it in their personal time.

“It essentially makes no sense,” Pittsburgh attorney John McCreary Jr., who represents employers, told Spotlight PA.

The federal government’s decision to classify cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance without accepted medical utility is arguably “irrational,” but it is not unconstitutional, according to a ruling recently handed down by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Defendants in the case argued that marijuana’s scheduling in the US Controlled Substances Act has no rational basis because cannabis does not meet the statutory criteria for inclusion on Schedule I.

(Under the law, Schedule I substances – by definition – meet three specific criteria: “A high potential for abuse,” “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” and “a lack of accepted safety for use … under medical supervision.”)

Judges for the US Court of Appeals rejected the defendants’ argument, opining, “[T]he Act’s scheduling criteria are largely irrelevant to our constitutional review because the rational basis test asks only whether Congress could have any conceivable basis for including marijuana on the strictest schedule.

Because there are other plausible considerations that could have motivated Congress’s scheduling of marijuana, we conclude that its classification does not violate the [plaintiffs’] due process or equal protection rights.”

Judges acknowledged that the defendants “convincingly argue[d] that it is irrational for the government to maintain that marijuana has no accepted medical use.” However, they ruled that this argument alone is insufficient to compel the Court to determine that cannabis’ Schedule I status is unconstitutional.

Best terpenes to encourage out-of-the-box thinking and imagination.

Timing edibles can be tricky. There’s no exact science, but there are some tips that can help you get the most out of heightening experiences.

Edibles are growing significantly in popularity, and are finding their way into all sorts of activities. From exercise, travel, sleep and everything in between, someone is popping an edible and seeing if it enhances the experience. Edibles do, in fact, enhance all sorts of activities (when practiced safely, of course). But they also take time to work their magic.

When it comes to edibles, it’s all about timing. Too soon and you’re high before you want to be. Too late and you’re staring at your watch wishing you ate your gummy sooner and wondering how much longer it will take to feel the effects. While there’s no definitive answer, here are some helpful tricks to enhance your edibles experience.

When You Have a Long Journey Ahead

Best Time: During Pre-Boarding Announcements

Edibles are becoming a companion of the avid traveler. For those who take frequent long flights (five hours or more), or are frequent riders of long buses and trains, edibles can really take the edge off. Even if you aren’t able to sleep, the anxiety and restlessness decreases. Suddenly, looking out your window is interesting, and just like that – you’re at your destination. But timing your edible for a long journey is critical.

If you have a coast to coast flight or something similar, around 6 hours, then a standard dose edible (between 5 and 10 mg — depending on your tolerance) is perfect. 

Kief is the trichome-rich powder you’ll find at the bottom of your grinder. It’s loaded with THC, and is traditionally used as the basis of hashish.

Kief is term that refers to trichomes that have been separated from the cannabis plant. Cannabis kief contains significantly less plant matter than whole cannabis flower, and it is rich in cannabinoids, making it a highly potent cannabis product.

Kief is also commonly referred to as “keef,” “cannabis crystals,” “chief,” or simply “dust” due to its particulate nature. It can be harvested from marijuana leaves, flower, and plants by dry sifting cannabis with a kief box.

Another common way people extract kief is by grinding marijuana with a 3-chamber grinder; the powdery substance beneath the mesh screen is kief.

How to Smoke Kief

Kief is a powdery substance, so it is best to combine kief with cannabis flower when smoking. A popular way to smoke kief is to roll a kief joint, which is where you mix your flower with kief and then roll a joint. If you want to smoke kief without cannabis flower, you can use a pipe, bong, or dry herb vaporizer. Many kief aficionados prefer vaping kief.

How to Use Kief

There are plenty of ways to use kief even if you don’t want to smoke it. Here are some ideas to inspire you:

ALLENTOWN - State Reps. Mike Schlossberg and Peter Schweyer will host a town hall with Pennsylvania Board of Pardons Secretary Celeste Trusty this Friday, Sept. 16 to discuss the new Pennsylvania Marijuana Pardon Project.

The lawmakers said the event – which starts at 3 p.m. at Resurrected Life Community Church at 144 N. 9th St. – will provide residents and community members with a chance to learn about the pardon project and ask questions.

“The Pennsylvania Marijuana Pardon Project offers people convicted of extremely low-profile marijuana offenses the opportunity to move on with their lives,” said Schlossberg, D-Lehigh. “I am thrilled to work with Representative Schweyer, Mayor Tuerk and Lt. Governor Fetterman’s staff to make this event possible.”   

“Responsible recreational marijuana should be legal in Pennsylvania,” said Schweyer, D-Lehigh. “But until that day comes, we should stop punishing people for using cannabis when it is legal just on the other side of the Delaware River. I’m proud to help host this event so that many people in our region can clear their names and move on with their lives.”

“Too many people are burdened with a criminal record for something most of us don’t even think should be illegal,” Trusty said. “We are so excited to help as many people as possible get on their way to a clear record through the PA Marijuana Pardon Project. The application is free and available online – the only thing you have to lose is your record!”

“People make bad choices over the course of their lives. We believe in second chances and recognize that small mistakes can be learning opportunities,” said Matt Tuerk, Allentown mayor. “The commonwealth is giving Allentonians an opportunity for good outcomes by clearing that slate.”

New Zealand’s Greenfern Industries is part of a partnership to have received a grant to research potential high value products derived from hemp seed processing waste.

A major waste stream from processing hemp seed (which is technically a nut) is the hull – the hard outer coating. Another is hemp seed cake or meal, which is the by-product of cold-pressing hemp seeds for oil. While the latter is being used as stock feed in some parts of the world, not much is being done with the former. And there could be other, more valuable uses for hemp seed meal.

Greenfern, Hemp Connect and Callaghan Innovation have been awarded a $110,000 Bioresource Processing Alliance (BPA) grant to support work on a related project that commenced last year.

“To begin with we’re looking at a high-quality, plant-based soluble protein (peptide) made from New Zealand-grown hemp,” said Greenfern managing director Dan Casey. “The research we’ve already done tells us this product alone would be new-to-market – that there doesn’t appear to be anything like this readily available elsewhere in the world.”

The Bioresource Processing Alliance, funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, is focused on generating additional export revenue for New Zealand through better use of biological by-products.

It appears the Greenfern project is initially focused on making better use of the hulls. Other potential uses could be the extraction of lipids for food purposes or in cosmetics.

TEXAS - Retired Army Major David Bass served in the U.S. Army for 25 years from 1985 to 2006. He’s a veteran of operations, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom.

“When I returned to Fort Hood, I had these symptoms that I didn’t understand,” Bass said. “I was diagnosed by Army doctors with post-traumatic stress disorder, which was a condition that I had never thought I would be diagnosed with.

And so the doctors prescribed psychotropic medications for PTSD. And I was also prescribed opioids for chronic pain from some injuries I had on active duty. After I retired, I was being treated by the veterans administration in Temple. And after a few years, I got tired of those pills. I didn’t like the side effects. So I did some research for alternatives to the pills, and that’s when I discovered medical cannabis.”

In 2012, he told his psychiatrist at the VA that he wanted to stop taking the pills he had become addicted to. He said the psychiatrist told him he couldn’t, so he began researching cannabis on his own. He started using it illegally that year.

“By the end of 2012, I had stopped taking the pill,” Bass said. “I proved to myself that cannabis is effective medicine for PTSD. The symptoms of nightmares, sleeplessness, anger outbursts, paranoia, hypervigilance–medical cannabis took care of them.”

Bass joined a nonprofit focused on cannabis reform called Texas NORML in 2012. In 2013, he became the director of veteran outreach. Two years later, he founded Texas Veterans for Medical Marijuana in 2015. He’s been advocating for medical cannabis ever since. 

PANAMA CITY BEACH - Cresco Labs Inc. announced the opening of a new medical cannabis dispensary in Bay County.

Sunnyside Dispensary is now open in Panama City Beach, offering a local array of medical cannabis products, including flower, live rosin concentrates, vapes, tinctures, topicals and edibles.

The store is located at 10916 Hutchison Blvd., in the heart of Panama City Beach, for easy access to residents, visitors and commuters, as well as shopping, dining and the beach, which is home to numerous resorts.

“We are thrilled to expand Sunnyside’s reach in Florida’s Panhandle with our third location joining our Tallahassee and Pensacola locations,” said Cris Rivera, Florida regional president at Cresco Labs, in a news release.

Proposition 207 authors carved out money from the legalization and regulation of recreational marijuana for what they called a justice reinvestment program.

A local nonprofit is asking people to tell them how cash from a namesake fund should be spent.

Project Roots plans to seek a grant once government officials send out a request for proposals.

State law says justice reinvestment programs can be an effort to address the underlying causes of crime or a push to reduce the prison population.

Right now the nonprofit’s Executive Director Dionne Washington is inviting people to voice their thoughts at listening sessions scheduled for each Thursday in September.

At the very least, the president should decriminalize marijuana and reschedule it through executive action at the federal level.

As the U.S. midterm elections edge closer, Democrats believe they have a window to push their agenda for cannabis reform.

Per The Hill, Democrats are pressuring President Joe Biden, trying to figure out what’s possible in terms of marijuana reform before the midterms in November. They reportedly believe the momentum gained by Biden’s previous decisions that leaned liberal — student loans, health care and tax reforms — might positively impact decriminalization of cannabis.

“Now that the president has delivered on a progressive policy of student debt relief, he has seen an uptick in the polls, he’s united the base, put Republicans on the defensive, and Democrats across the country seem to be riding the wave as well,” said Iowa Democrat Stacey Walker.​

“Along with several members of President Biden’s senior leadership team, we all agreed that, at the very least, the president should decriminalize marijuana and reschedule it through executive action at the federal level,” Walker added.

In recent weeks, other Democrats have echoed these statements, focusing on the benefits that this decision could have on the millions of people who have been negatively impacted by marijuana legislation in the past.