WeedLife News Network

The old, inefficient lighting systems used to cultivate cannabis have long proved problematic. For some time, individuals, regulatory agencies, and state governments have been looking into modern LEDs as the solution to their growing needs

All organic matter needs light to grow and flourish. The source of that light might be the sun, or it might be artificial, but without an abundant and steady supply of light, life withers and never reaches its full potential. Nowhere does this ring truer than in horticulture and farming, specifically the cultivation of a crop that has rocketed in popularity and demand in recent years — cannabis. Sourcing efficient, productive, and affordable LED grow lights for their cannabis plants has been a bone of contention for both commercial and home growers for many a moon. However, courtesy of new lighting technology introduced to the market by innovative tech company Fohse, indoor cannabis growing is a lot easier.

The old, inefficient lighting systems used to cultivate cannabis have long proved problematic. For some time, individuals, regulatory agencies, and state governments have been looking into modern LEDs as the solution to their growing needs. Companies strove in vain to produce LED grow lights that were both efficient and productive until Fohse appeared on the scene and heralded a lighting revolution. Fohse introduced technology to the marketplace that has enabled cultivators, big and small, to replace their old energy and profit sapping light set-ups with state-of-the-art LEDs that utilize less energy and produce higher yields.

Co-founder and CEO of Fohse, Brett Stevens, explained, "The cannabis industry is spreading like wildfire, and any good cannabis product rises and falls on one key aspect — cultivation! Quality cultivation relies on quality lighting, and that's our mission statement. LED is the light that will lead us towards a greener and more energy-efficient future. So it makes perfect sense that Fohse wants to revolutionize one of the fastest growing industries worldwide with a lighting source that is practical, sustainable, efficient, affordable, and, above all, works. Good lighting is the key component to any productive farm. Without it, the farm cannot succeed. It is the integral aspect that no grower can afford to ignore."

As more and more states legalize cannabis and commercial and individual growers get in on the act, Fohse believes their technology will spur the industry they love and have invested so much time into towards a brighter and better future, one LED grow light at a time.

Sources told Rolling Stone that there are guns, bullets and cannabis on the property

Rolling Stone is reporting that sources are concerned that conditions on a farm owned by U.S. actor Ezra Miller may not be safe for three children staying there.

The children and their 25-year-old mother are reportedly currently residing on the Vermont farm, which Rolling Stone notes the children’s father and two other sources with knowledge of the situation find concerning.

The publication was told by two sources that there are unattended guns on-site and one incident cited by one source involved a one-year-old child picking up a loose bullet and putting it into her mouth.

In an interview with the publication, the mother reported that firearms were for self-defence purposes and were stored in areas of the home where the children don’t go. She further noted she had a violent and abusive ex, which the father denies, and that the farm offered a healing and safe place for the children.

The two sources further alleged that there had been frequent and heavy cannabis use in front of the children, with Rolling Stone reporting that there also appears to be “a sizable cannabis farm on Miller’s property.”

Man in a skunky-smelling car pulled up right behind cruiser parked on side of roadway

A Missouri driver is likely questioning his decision to pull up behind a parked cruiser after a cop sniffed out a suspiciously skunky smell coming from his vehicle and busted him for illegal cannabis.

While on patrol earlier this month, an officer with the Smithville Police Department (SPD) spied a mama duck and her ducklings trying to cross Highway 169, according to a police statement.

Presumably wanting to serve and protect, the officer activated the patrol car lights to slow any traffic and allow time for the family to complete its treacherous trek.

However, the duck apparently changed her mind. While parked on the side of the highway to make sure the duck family made it back into the adjacent tree line, a vehicle pulled over behind the officer, SPD reports.

A short video clip posted by police shows the officer approaching the duck family in his vehicle as they safely make their way to the trees and out of harm’s way.

Here are some precautions and considerations to think about when you decide to get high and embrace the soaring temperatures.

Record heat events are starting to become the norm these days. Much of the US has already experienced multiple heat waves, and summer has only just begun. When the weather gets oppressively hot, there is not much you can do to improve the situation other than to stay hydrated, and if you consume cannabis, maybe get high and hope for a breeze. 

Enjoying some quality THC on a particularly hot day can certainly improve your mood, even if it can’t make it cooler. There may even be some physical benefits to getting high on a hot day. But there are some precautions and considerations to think about when you decide to get high and embrace the soaring temperatures. Here are five things to remember about marijuana during these brutal summer heat waves.

1. Don’t let your edibles melt

Edibles are great for all sorts of occasions. Long plane rides, might nights and days in nature can often be improved by a gummy or piece or THC chocolate. It is important to remember, however, that these products can easily melt and perish in the heat, and extreme heat can render them almost useless. 

“I recommend tinctures and flower as they won’t quickly break down in high heat,” cannabis educator Emma Chasen told MedMen. When you do purchase edibles, make sure you store them somewhere safe, and only take out what you need during the hot months.

2. Summer heat can weaken your weed

Just like with edibles, all your weed needs to be stored properly in these extreme temperatures. Remember to store your weed in a cool dark place, especially if you are an infrequent user or like to buy in bulk. As we have previously reported, sunlight can break down and weaken the product and heat can induce moisture and cause mold.

A bill to allow financial services to businesses in the legal cannabis industry was dropped from a China competition bill after passing in the House of Representatives but failing to gain the approval of Senate negotiators.

Federal legislation that would permit financial institutions to provide banking services to legal cannabis businesses has been dropped from a bill designed to foster competition with China, marking the sixth time the cannabis banking provisions have failed to gain the approval of the U.S. Senate after being passed by the House of Representatives.

Known as the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, the legislation would have permitted banks and other financial institutions to serve companies in the legal cannabis industry. Under current regulations, providing traditional banking services such as loans and payroll, checking and deposit accounts is tightly regulated by the federal government, resulting in few financial institutions agreeing to work with marijuana businesses. Critics note that the current policy forces cannabis companies to operate primarily in cash, leaving the businesses vulnerable to crime.

The SAFE Banking Act was first introduced in Congress by Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado in 2013. Since then, the House of Representatives has passed the bill six times as either a standalone bill or attached to other legislation. But the measure has failed to gain the approval of the Senate.

Most recently, the House approved provisions of the SAFE Banking Act in February as part of the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022 (America COMPETES Act), a bill to support U.S. manufacturing and improve competitiveness with China. But on Thursday, Punchbowl News reported that the cannabis banking provisions have been dropped from the latest version of the COMPETES Act, which is currently in conference committee with House and Senate lawmakers. The report noted that the SAFE Act language had been dropped at the insistence of Republican negotiators.

“In the wake of the Senate’s inaction, people continue to be killed, businesses continue to be robbed, and employees and business owners in the cannabis industry continue to be excluded from the financial system,” Perlmutter, the lead sponsor of the SAFE Banking Act, said in a statement quoted by The Hill.

As this Congress enters its final months, lawmakers warm to the idea of cannabis banking “plus.”

CBD sponsorships are now welcome for teams in the Major League Baseball (MLB) organization, which could open up many new advertisement opportunities.

The MLB stated in a conference call on June 21 that CBD is now an “approved category” which means that teams are now allowed to sell CBD sponsorships as long as the brand has received an NSF certification (a verification that a product has no THC).

According to Sports Business Journal, MLB Chief Revenue Officer Noah Garden explained the reason for the change. “We’ve been watching this category for a while and waiting for it to mature to the point where we can get comfortable with it,” said Garden.

After a dip during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, federal law enforcement agents and their partners arrested 25% more people for cannabis-related crimes in 2021, during the first year of the Biden Administration. 

But while a post-pandemic bump in arrests would have been fair to expect, the biggest jump in cannabis arrests in a decade was not. The nation’s oldest cannabis reform organization NORML noted the 6,606 marijuana-related arrests in 2021 represented the most since the 8,500 arrested in 2011. 

This followed Joe Biden’s February 2021 promise he would pursue decriminalization and mass expungements for people with prior cannabis convictions. A month after that promise, word got out that some staff may have been a little too honest with Joe about their past marijuana use, dozens of young White House staffers were asked to resign. So the hopes of cannabis policy reformers were squashed quickly, but the new soaring arrest numbers are certainly salt in the wound. 

2021 saw a similar bump in the amount of plants destroyed by the feds and partners, via the domestic eradication program. The 5.53 million cannabis plants destroyed represented 20% more plants than the previous year. 

California saw the most enforcement as usual. A total of 86% of plant seizures and 60% of arrests conducted by federal authorities happened in the Golden State. 

Binoid Delta 8, THC-O, and Delta 9 gummies are some of the most sought-after on the hemp market, and will leave you with a clean, long-lasting, and fully legal high.

Maybe you’ve heard that you can buy delta 9 THC-infused gummies legally online. And, that it’s perfectly legal to do so. “Federally compliant” delta 9 is hemp-derived, and adheres to federal law, meaning that while it uses the same cannabinoid that makes marijuana illegal, you can buy it freely online without breaking the law. Binoid has the products you need.

Government officials in Switzerland are moving forward with plans to loosen restrictions for medical weed patients.

The Switzerland government announced on June 22 that it will lift the ban on medical cannabis, as according to an amendment to the Swiss Narcotics Act that parliament approved in March 2021. According to Agence France Presse, the government “intends to facilitate access to cannabis for medical use for patients.”

“The decision to use a cannabis-based medicine for therapeutic purposes will rest with the doctor, in consultation with the patient,” the government said of the amendment. As of August 1, patients will no longer be required to obtain permission from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). However, adult-use cannabis sale and consumption will still remain illegal.

In Switzerland, medical cannabis is only allowed for patients with a doctor’s approval, or previously required approval from the FOPH. However, medical cannabis is still only allowed if the medicine contains less than 1% THC, and is licensed. Currently, only Sativex is approved for prescription to patients.

The country’s federal public law institution, Swissmedic, which is responsible for both “authorization and supervision of therapeutic products” including cocaine, methadone, and morphine could eventually be directed to manage the cannabis industry going forward.

Back in 2019, FOPH issued approximately 3,000 authorizations for cannabis patients suffering from a wide variety of medical conditions. However, the FOPH described this process as “tedious administrative procedures.” “Sick people must be able to access these medicines without excessive bureaucracy,” it stated.

Programs are in place to clear certain types of cannabis records in New York, but lawyers worry the state isn’t going far enough.

As adult-use cannabis thrives in New York, some residents say their lives are still ruined due to past cannabis convictions that haunt their records. While programs are in place to clear certain types of records, lawyers worry the state isn’t doing enough.

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) passed last year, and under the MRTA, certain people can ask the court to vacate their convictions if they are experiencing “severe or ongoing consequences related to either their conviction or the sentence,” according to the law.

To date, the state expunged or suppressed search results for nearly 400,000 cannabis-related convictions. Plus last March, the New York State Cannabis Control Board voted unanimously to propose regulations to allow the first couple hundred retail licenses to be given to people convicted of cannabis-related crimes.

Still, certain cases are being denied by county district attorney offices in the state. On June 22, Syracuse.com and NY Cannabis Insider profiled some New York cases involving people who are still trying to clear their name but not finding any luck. In some cases, small details such as the amount of cannabis can make all the difference in the expungement process.

Lawyers say everyone with a cannabis-related conviction faces “severe or ongoing consequences.”

California voters legalized recreational marijuana via a ballot initiative in November 2016, almost six years ago. Since then, the weed has evolved into something like a normal business, complete with webcasts on operating efficiently, disputes about where stores can be located and gripes about underground operators siphoning off too much of the take.

But there’s little normal about pot itself. First made semi-legal by the 1996 Proposition 15, which allowed medical marijuana use with a doctor’s “recommendation” (not a real prescription, since pharmacies never sold it), medipot operated in a kind of gray legal area for 20 years, but was nevertheless in common use.

Integrating the two best-in-class solutions, Cova and Tymber aim to empower cannabis retailers to focus on efficient in-store and online customer interactions

 Cova Software ("Cova" or "the Company"), a cannabis Point of Sale (POS) software company powering dispensaries across North America, announced the integration of Tymber's eCommerce platform with Cova's award-winning POS and Inventory tracking platform. This integration provides cannabis retailers with a user-friendly platform to offer consumers an on-brand experience with seamless in-store and online shopping options.

The Cova POS and Tymber integration allows cannabis retailers to display accurate product information for online menus, share live inventory updates with online shoppers, build and manage customer profiles, and process transactions with compliance and efficiency.

"Cova's goal is to provide cannabis retailers with beneficial tools to ensure their growth and success," said Gary Cohen, CEO of Cova Software.

"We both understand the importance of retailers being in control of their own customer data and their interactions with their base. Through this Tymber integration, we are aiding dispensaries' ability to grow their business with reliable tools that power dispensary operations and digital growth."

Tymber gives dispensaries an SEO-optimized, eCommerce platform that empowers retailers to break their dependence on iframe menus and 3rd party marketplaces with a recognizable brand and frictionless shopping experience.

NHA and HFC partner to advance hemp as animal feed

Today the National Hemp Association (NHA) and the Hemp Feed Coalition (HFC) announced the formation of a mutually beneficial partnership to accelerate the goal of each organization to obtain approvals for hemp as an animal feed ingredient.

NHA and HFC are motivated to benefit the entire industry by opening new markets for hemp and its co-products by gaining federal approval for its use as an animal feed ingredient. Historically they have successfully worked on projects together and recognize the opportunity to share resources and expand the footprint of advocacy and education centered around hemp as a nutritious animal feed product.

Since its inception, Soko's Miracle has been offering its clients natural, organic, THC-free CBD products.

With the increase in popularity worldwide for organic and natural CBD, companies are now offering natural and organic CBD products to customers. One such company is Soko's Miracle, committed to bringing natural and organic hemp-derived THC-free CBD to their customers. Since its inception, the company has been developing natural and organic CBD products for its customers.

Strict drug testing policies add to a shortage of drivers.

There is a serious truck driver shortage in the US in 2022 fueled by inflation and the pandemic. And for truck drivers who enjoy the benefits of marijuana, there is another speed bump: draconian Federal marijuana laws.

Commercial truck drivers are required to take randomized drug tests. But many who are marijuana users fail those tests because cannabis shows up in drug tests days or weeks after use.

This has kept truck drivers off the road and off cannabis, including those who live in legal states and use marijuana for recreational or medical purposes during their off-hours.

As one Alabama trucking company wrote to the Department of Transportation, according to Politico:

"Drivers who are off duty or even on vacation for a week can't enjoy marijuana in a legal state."

A recent gathering of the Texas State Republican Party issued a number of platform stances on multiple topics, including cannabis.

The 2022 Texas State Republican Convention was held last week between June 16-18 for the first time in-person since 2018. There, the party voted to establish 275 platform planks, or principal policies of the Republican party, to address a multitude of agenda topics.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke posted on Twitter some of the “extreme agenda” among these planks as: “abolish abortion, defund public schools, take away health care, repeal gun laws, deny voting rights, reject marijuana legalization.”

The Report of the Permanent 2022 Platform & Resolutions Committee policy list briefly addresses cannabis, marijuana, hemp and synthetic drugs.

It only mentions cannabis once, which is described as “Cannabis Classification: Congress should remove cannabis from the list of Schedule 1 and move to Schedule 2.”

However, it also uses the term marijuana as well. “Marijuana Remains Illegal: Oppose the legalization of recreational marijuana and offer opportunities for drug treatment before penalties for its illegal possession, use, or distribution.”

The size of the medical cannabis market in Europe is valued at around $5 billion and is expected to reach $13,4 billion by 2027.

2022 has been a banner year for the global cannabis industry and this is a trend that we are bullish on. So far this year, several countries have passed some form of legislation to allow for the sale of medical and/or recreational cannabis.

Interest in burgeoning international cannabis markets is steadily increasing and this trend has shown no signs of slowing down. From Thailand to Mexico, the capital markets are highly focused on the advancement of the cannabis industry in certain countries and have highlighted 5 emerging international markets that our readers should be aware of. (Technical 420)

Ukraine wants medical cannabis to support mental health

Although legal cannabis is one of the least significant topics of discussion in Ukraine as a war with Russia continues to escalate, the country’s Health Minister Viktor Liashko said the government supports a bill that would legalize medical cannabis. 

Ukraine’s Health Minister said the government understands the negative effects that war has on mental health and that citizens will need medical treatment to combat the increased stress. The legislation intends to improve the quality of medical services and encourage medical research on cannabis. Health Minister Liashko said those who do not support the bill want to discredit the idea of the use of medical cannabis.

Is Germany about to legalize recreational cannabis?

Following a regime change in Germany, we are more confident on the likelihood for the legalization of recreational cannabis in the European Union’s (EU) largest market (as measured by GDP). With a population of 82 million, we are bullish on the potential size of the country’s cannabis market and have noticed an increase in the number of companies that are executing on a strategy to capture market share in the EU’s largest market.

During the last year, several licensed Canadian and Latin American cannabis companies have reported a significant uptick in the amount of medical cannabis that is being exported to Germany. Going forward, we expect demand for cannabis to steadily increase and believe the legalization of recreational cannabis would be a massive catalyst for the entire sector. 

Marijuana might not be legal in Texas, but cannabis is king

Located off Bulverde Road in Northwest San Antonio is the San-A-Canna hemp farm, a verdant enclave soon to host San Antonio's first cannabis juice shop. 

Amos Lozano ran Famous Juice Company for eight years before finding a permanent home for his raw hemp-infused juices, acai bowls, and smoothies — evidently, greener pastures awaited. The shop is currently scheduled to begin service in the next few weeks, followed by a grand opening party on Sunday, July 10.