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The Coast Guard has set the 2021 minimum random drug testing rate at 50% of covered crewmembers because positive results crossed the 1% threshold for the third straight year. This contrasts with an earlier six-year stretch when the rate held at 25%.

“Intoxicated operations pose a serious threat to life, property and the environment in the maritime commons,” the Coast Guard said in a Federal Register notice published today. “As such, the minimum random drug testing rate is intended to deter and detect illegal drug misuse in the maritime industry.”

The agency did not give the amount over 1%.

Employers must submit test data for each calendar year by mid-March of the following year. Since 2018, mariners in safety-sensitive positions have been tested for semi-synthetic opioids in addition to marijuana, cocaine, amphetamines, phencyclidine (PCP), and opiates such as heroin.

2 Marijuana Stocks Investors Are Watching Heading Into May

A bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Louisiana advanced from a House committee Tuesday for the first time ever after three Republicans on the panel agreed to move the measure forward for a wider debate.

Mandeville Republican Rep. Richard Nelson's House Bill 524 to legalize weed cleared the House Criminal Justice Committee on a 7-5 vote and advances to the full House.

A second bill by New Orleans Democratic Rep. Candace Newell to decriminalize marijuana (House Bill 243) also cleared the committee Tuesday.

Medical marijuana is already legal in Louisiana with efforts to expand that program also gaining momentum. Last week the full House approved a bill by Pro-tem Tanner Magee, R-Houma, to add smokable marijuana to the state's medical program.

Nelson said he would have been voted least likely to carry the banner for legalizing recreational pot in high school, where he was an Eagle Scout and valedictorian.

Canada has already legalized pot; Mexico is likely to legalize it soon. The U.S. must not fall behind.

President Biden is not there yet. Neither are Republicans in Washington. But the wave of momentum toward nationally legalized cannabis only continues to mount. It is time lawmakers in the Capital get on board with what a majority of the American citizens they represent want.

There are signs of progress. The U.S. House recently passed a bill to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level, the first of its kind. When Democrats won control of the Senate this year, the change paved a potential path for legislation in that chamber as well. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said this month he intends to soon introduce a federal cannabis legalization bill.

Photo by Fokusiert/Getty Images

At the state level, the pace of acceptance is escalating. November ballots in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota all approved the legalization of recreational use – though South Dakota’s law is currently held up in the courts. More states are following suit this year, including New York, where legalization was signed into law in March.

To say 2020 was a wild ride would be an understatement.

Between a global pandemic, renewed calls for civil rights, and a dramatic election season, it was a true roller coaster of emotions.

One thing however remained clear: the cannabis community is one of resilience, inclusion, and humble passion for the plant. 

Cannabis & Tech Today has opted to declare the consumers Innovators of the Year, as they are the true driving force behind everything the industry does — and continues to strive for.

Here’s our love letter to the folks who inspire all of us to raise the bar every day and fight for safe access across the country until full legalization is finally a reality.

With often intricate, ever-shifting application rules, receiving any kind of cannabis license feels like a success. You should celebrate the huge win but as a new license holder, you are now part of a heavily regulated industry that’s filled with potential but also riddled with risk every step of the way. From help with hiring management teams to touring potential sites and complex legal demands to tapping into or creating a supply chain, there are a thousand steps ahead before it’s time to fully enjoy the accomplishment. Now, where do you start?

A study led by researchers at Syracuse University in the USA looked into the ability of CBD to reduce pain along with placebo effect impact, with interesting results.

A placebo is a substance or treatment that has no therapeutic value, but which can still trigger a positive or negative response – pretty much through the power of suggestion that it will have an effect. Placebos are often used during studies to help researchers understand the effect a medicine or treatment might have on a particular condition. Some participants in the study group will be given the real medicine, the others the placebo – and usually the participants won’t know which they have been given.

When it comes to cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating cannabinoid that has shown so much promise, there is still plenty of debate as to whether the benefits CBD users claim to experience are due to pharmacological or placebo effects; or a mixture of both.

A study carried out by Martin De Vita, a researcher in the psychology department at Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences, and Syracuse Emeritus Psychology Professor Stephen Maisto involved the use of equipment that safely induces experimental heat pain.

Participants were tested for initial response, then CBD or a placebo was administered, but also the information provided to participants was manipulated. Some who received the CBD were told it was placebo and vice-versa.

The trend on public support for legalization of marijuana in Pennsylvania is clear, with support growing for the eighth year in a row.

Pennsylvania has only legalized medical marijuana, but the numbers make it look as if it is adult use cannabis driving the sales. Cannabis data company Headset recently expanded its reach into Pennsylvania and published its first full market report based on consumer insights and real-time market data.

The report found that over the past twelve months, Pennsylvania’s medical cannabis sales have escalated, and between April 2020 and March 2021, Pennsylvania’s medical markets brought in $909.4 million. Medical sales grew 120% in the first quarter of 2021 to $267.8 million from last year’s $121.5 million for the same time period.

Photo by Ethan Miller/Staff/Getty Images

The report also determined that Pennsylvania stands out among other U.S. markets with the largest average basket sizes so far this year, at $123.88 per basket. In addition, Pennsylvania’s average basket size was two times as high as Michigan’s and one-and-a-half times as high as Oregon’s.

Marijuana legalization has gone mainstream. In November, voters in four states approved recreational cannabis, and legislators in Virginia, New Mexico, and New York followed suit in early 2021, sending bills to all three governors' desks.

But the term legalization obscures vast differences in how states regulate marijuana businesses and consumption. Oklahoma arguably passed the most free market medical marijuana rules among the states. Michigan's recreational marijuana regulations largely embrace free and open markets, while Colorado's have steadily liberalized since legalization. Unfortunately, most other states are choosing highly restrictive market structures that undercut their ability to foster economic growth and quash the black market (we're looking at you, California!).

Wielding statutes such as possession limits, allowance for home growing, tax levels, licensing regimes, and testing and labeling requirements, states are targeting real political problems or imagined market ones. But such wrangling ensures that legal markets lose out to black markets. Even in polite Canada, only 28 percent of cannabis consumers buy legally, possibly beating out some U.S. states. Here are the four biggest mistakes states make, time after time, when creating legal marijuana markets.

1. Caps on Licenses

Most states where marijuana has been legalized arbitrarily cap how many businesses can be licensed to grow, manufacture, or sell. Advocates justify these caps to limit excess supply from bleeding into black markets, despite every recreational marijuana program's extensive state-monitored inventory tracking, which uses radio frequency identification on every plant or package and mandatory continuous video surveillance. If each product from every licensed facility is tracked, why cap licenses? 

A more pernicious motivation may lurk under the surface: excluding aspiring competitors. In Nevada, which permits only 120 dispensaries statewide, regulators accepted bribes from applicants, then manipulated the application process in those applicants' favor. In Illinois, which permits only 30 cultivators in a state with more than 11 million residents, license caps created systemic shortages, raising prices well beyond those found on the black market.

To say the cannabis industry has experienced change over the past few years would be a serious understatement. Every element — from growth engineering and legalization to marketing and delivery — seems to be witnessing a revolution.

However, cannabis packaging is undergoing one of the most significant changes. As cannabis products receive more mainstream attention, retailers and packaging organizations are shifting their focus from mere shelf-presence to brand identity. 

Whether you’re looking to treat a specific skin condition, or simply want to improve your health regime, there’s a lot that hemp seed oil can do!

This article is sponsored by Real Tested CBD.

How old are you?

The number of years you’ve been alive doesn’t necessarily tell how old you are on a biological level. An international study found that some people age up to three times faster than others.

Some of the participants in the study were 38-years-old but had a biological age of close to 60! The results prove that age-related decline is already happening in young adults who haven’t even begun to encounter age-related diseases.

Photo by Tinnakorn Jorruang/Getty Images

Cannabis businesses have transformed from clandestine ventures to glossy lifestyle brands in a matter of years, thanks to an evolving regulatory and business landscape.

The majority of states now have some form of legalized cannabis, whether for medical or recreational use. The 2021 U.S. cannabis market is valued at $33 billion , according to an analysis by market research firm Grand View Research. That number is forecast to balloon to $84 billion by 2028. These trends indicate a fertile environment for seeding a new cannabis venture.

2 Marijuana Stocks To Watch Before Next Month

As marijuana stocks still battle to reach higher market levels some are still holding a decent market position. Many investors are worried about the uncertainty with the current downward trading cannabis stocks are facing. Now, this is not to say some many new and seasoned investors haven’t been loading their portfolios up with top marijuana stocks.

The new cannabis shop on Route 66 had a spa aesthetic: light-colored wood, spacious layout, greenery. Two miles outside Asbury Park, Zen Leaf Neptune was greeted warmly the other day by tourism officials of the iconic Jersey Shore town.

“It’s a revenue driver,” said Sylvia Sylvia, (@sylviasquared) executive director of Asbury Park’s Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a legal business, and that’s what a chamber of commerce does. We support businesses. We support tourism.”

But don’t look for Stone Harbor to become Stoned Harbor any time soon.

With clear evidence that cannabis can improve quality of life, more and more people are engaged in its medicinal purposes. Furthermore, states are taking into consideration the laws for the consumption of cannabis. This also explains why there is a high demand for medical marijuana autoflower seeds that leads to the supply of medical cannabis across America.

According to a CBS report, Americans over 55 frequently consume cannabis, many of them living in areas where weed is legal.

Benefits of Medical Cannabis

In other words, the use of cannabis among the elderly is on the rise. Medical researchers have found it to be safe compared to opioid drugs.

Common Diseases Of Elderly People Who Can Be Treated With Medical Cannabis

The cannabis plant contains over 100 cannabinoids, interacts with the ECS, thereby regulating pain, memory, etc. Recent surveys indicate that the number of medical prescriptions has decreased considerably following the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes in many US states.

Alzheimer’s Disease

About 5.8 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease. By 2050, that number is expected to reach 14 million. Patients usually forget important dates, events, etc., and ask the same repeatedly.

From the robots that fail miserably at their jobs to the robots dealing with our literal crap, Mashable’s Crappy Robots dives into the complex world of automation — for better or worse or much, much worse. 

Cannabis farm production is at an all-time high, but it's unlikely that robots will take over the process anytime soon.

The stereotypical weed farm is either a sprawling expanse of crop tended to by free-spirited stoners, or a clandestine basement operation built on information gleaned from online forums. Modern cannabis farm facilities, with their climate-controlled grow rooms and automatic irrigation techniques, are a stark departure from pop culture's preconceived notions of what a weed farm looks like. Though far more clinical than its cliché predecessor, the modern cannabis farm still does the bulk of cultivation by hand. Few, if any, other agricultural spaces use human labor over that of a machine's to the degree that cannabis farms do, but the quality-driven nature of weed requires fine motor skills and age-old intuition that technology hasn't adapted to yet. 

While the agricultural industry has relied on machinery for centuries, automation falls short in the cannabis sphere. The rise in states legalizing marijuana and the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized hemp ushered in a "green rush" of farmers who could grow cannabis, and consumers who could finally buy it. Despite the growing demand, high-quality bud is a fragile crop, and machinery used in conventional agriculture isn't gentle enough to handle it. 

Outdoor farming is limited to areas with consistent sunlight and temperate climates, so most brands farm their weed indoors. Marijuana Business Daily reported that in 2018, more than 80 percent of California's recreational marijuana production capacity was from indoor facilities. But even indoor facilities, unencumbered by outdoor farming's natural limits and boosted by modern technology, require people to do a majority of the work. That isn't because the technology or machinery doesn't exist, but because a trained human being just does the job better than a robot. Agricultural technology may be leaps and bounds ahead of at-home grows 20 years ago, but reaching a Monsanto-level scale of operations is out of the picture for cannabis farms. For now, ensuring high-quality bud still requires significant human involvement. 

Due to the months spent indoors due to the pandemic, a lot of people can relate to new habits brought on by loneliness or stress.

For some, it has been eating more or drinking more alcohol, and others have begun trying out substances such as marijuana.

A provider of addiction recovery resources and information, Recovery.org, polled 3,000 respondents and found that over 1 in 5 Texans, 22%, say they now have a more relaxed view towards recreational marijuana use after experiencing a year of lockdowns.

Being stuck inside has also resulted in many celebrities sharing their substance use during the pandemic: as a virtual guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in April 2020, Seth Rogen said he was smoking cannabis and doing pottery to get through lockdown days.

Although many activities were limited during lockdowns, some states such as California, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, New Jersey, and New York deemed cannabis dispensaries an essential service.

Montana moved a step closer to implementing its voter-approved recreational marijuana program last week.

On Friday, lawmakers in the Montana Senate passed a bill establishing a framework for the nascent program, including a provision that “would reserve tax revenue from sales for addiction treatment and statewide conservation efforts,” according to the Associated Press.

The bill, which passed the Montana Senate by a vote of 34-16, now heads back to the state House, where lawmakers will vote on the state Senate’s amendments. Lawmakers in the state House passed legislation to implement the new legal pot program earlier this month.

Voters in Montana passed the legalization ballot measure in November, one of four states to pass legal weed proposals in last year’s elections. Shortly after the election, Montana officials announced that they anticipate licenses being available in the fall of this year.

“There’s a lot of work ahead before the first legal sale of non-medical marijuana in Montana, and before the first license is issued,” said Gene Walborn, director of Montana’s Department of Revenue, which is overseeing parts of the new cannabis program. “We look forward to working with the public and all interested parties as we develop guidelines around this new industry to move it forward, while also protecting public safety and raising revenue for the state of Montana.”

Rules taking effect this week in the U.S. could cause serious headaches for companies making hemp-based vape products due to broad definitions in a law aimed at curbing vape sales to minors — perhaps putting a crushing burden on small producers.

The Preventing Online Sales of E-Cigarettes to Children Act (2020) comprises revisions to a previous law, the 2010 Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT Act) which bans direct sales of cigarettes to consumers through the mail.