WeedLife News Network

t is throwdown time, generally in Spain, over the entire cannabis conversation. 

Currently, cannabis clubs in Basque country are challenging authorities over their right to operate during the Pandemic. Meanwhile Barcelona clubs are leading their own similar challenge. These two regions are the Spanish states which have the most cannabis clubs. To add to all of the legal complexity, these are two of the most “independent” of the Spanish states, with a long history of confrontation against federal authorities.

No matter where they are, clubs (and their clients) across Spain have suffered, unsurprisingly, during the Pandemic. During the early days of the first global shutdown everywhere, most were closed, no discussion. However, some began reopening, even if on a limited, pick up basis, challenging local authorities, much as happened in U.S. states. Unlike the U.S. however, there was never really a formal discussion about how “mandatory” such services were. That said, no matter how reluctant politicians were to touch the issue, police in several countries, not just Spain, have weighed in on the fact that with clubs and/or coffee shops closed, the much more dangerous illicit market flourishes. And violence, particularly in poorer areas, has flared.

That is monumental enough. 

Here is why. The entire Spanish “social club” scene has developed, much like the situation in Holland, if not the early U.S. states—i.e., the entire state legit, federal illegal model that the Biden White House apparently also insists on perpetuating. In other words, in the grey areas of federal law. Unlike Holland and the U.S., however, the Spanish club model is a non-profit endeavor.

A vital piece of information to know before using any of this ancient medicine is that the cannabis plant has both male and female parts, and both of them have very different chemical components. While it is basically the same thing, it may have various effects on animals.

So, you need to be cautious before deciding to buy the best product. It has been proven that male and female parts of the cannabis plant can differentiate. But an important thing to know is that this percentage is not safe for cats and can cause a lot of adverse side effects.

For example, the female part of the marijuana plant can contain from five to twenty percent of THC. And some more exclusive grades can contain up from twenty-five to thirty percent THC. But in order to create a batch of cannabinoids in some countries, the THC level has to be a maximum of 0.3 percent. That is the dose that has been tested in humans, and it has been proven that they will not get the high effect.

If you want to look more into the regularities of THC level in this product, click on the following link for more info https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd.

The pros for using CBD on cats

Here is the first thing you need to know about Franjo, as he is more apt to be known to both patients and others: he is a board-certified German medical artz (physician). 

Here is the second: he is also a doctor with a disability.

As a result of this, he has a unique perspective on the topic of cannabis as medicine that few in either the scientific or medical professions can match in both his medical training and his sympathy for patients.

Because this is not a new avocation, Grotenhermen is one of the leading cannabis doctors in the country right now. Further his voice as a medical doctor is one of the most credible ones on the edge of the giant green reform that is slowly starting to take hold in Deutschland as cannabis as medicine becomes a more accepted reality.

No matter how well you know him, however, is impossible to miss that he is passionate, articulate, and takes no prisoners.

A hemp farm in Australia is reportedly on the nose, with its odour causing problems for some local residents.

The ABC reports some residents living close to a trial hemp crop in  Red Cliffs, Victoria are reporting headaches resulting from the smell – but others say the smell doesn’t concern them.

iHemp Victoria is the officially recognised trade association for industrial hemp in state. The organisation’s president Darren Christie said he had never heard of these sorts of complaints and trial crops have been grown around Victoria for the last 15 years.

For the cultivator looking to achieve the highest efficiency, most consistent yields, and most predictable revenue results, this year has been a real challenge to say the least.

“It’s a new landscape with COVID-19,” says Derek Oxford, CEO and Founder of Total Grow Control, an engineering and manufacturing company that builds reliable nutrient delivery systems and water filtration solutions. Like many companies serving the cannabis industry, Total Grow Control thrives on in-person relationships and traditional sales processes. Hence, social distancing dealt a heavy blow.

Yet, Total Grow Control (TGC) adapted. They changed how they managed vendors and how they set up the manufacturing facility. What’s more, all TGC’s latest systems have built-in cameras.

Almost 25% of patients with Parkinson’s disease reported that they had used cannabis in the prior six months in a survey from the Parkinson’s Foundation. A report on the survey, “Weeding through the haze: A survey on cannabis use among people living with Parkinson’s disease in the US,” was published last week in the journal NPJ Parkinson’s Disease.

In the report, the authors note that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder, affecting more than 1 million Americans at a cost to society of more than $50 billion dollars. The disease causes a variety of motor symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and an unstable posture. Less well-known symptoms include sleep disorders, cognitive changes, pain, anxiety, depression, and hallucinations.

Parkinson’s disease patients typically use pharmaceutical medications to treat their condition with varying degrees of success. However, common treatments do not address the non-motor symptoms and can sometimes cause side effects including dyskinesia, an abnormality or impairment of voluntary movement. 

As a result, many patients turn to complementary or alternative treatments for their disease. 

“The medicinal use of cannabis represents a novel, alternative approach toward PD symptom control,” the authors note. “Preclinical evidence suggests that cannabinoids could be widely beneficial to neurodegenerative diseases, including PD.”

Depression is an increasingly common health concern. People have often refrained from talking about depression due to the stigma around mental health issues. But, more and more people are opening up about their struggle.

A mild case of depression may not affect your life adversely. You may continue with a routine while suffering from symptoms like irritability, sadness, fatigue, and anger. But, severe cases need immediate intervention as they start affecting your daily life and relationships.

Your mental health can worsen, making you frequently think about death or suicide. Such severe cases of depression can paralyze your life and make it difficult to carry on.

Medical assistance is necessary to manage the problem. With a doctor’s guidance, natural remedies such as CBD may be used as an alternative to conventional therapies or in conjunction with them.

Symptoms of Severe Depression

Before going into how you can prevent losing control over depression, know when to take action. Here are some of the symptoms indicating the need to intervene:

Defending his stance against a bill to adopt Nebraska’s Medical Cannabis Act, Governor Pete Ricketts says “legalising marijuana” will “kill kids”.

In a press conference after discussion between lawmakers regarding Legislative Bill 474, Governor Ricketts said:

“So this is a dangerous drug that will impact our kids. If you legalise marijuana, you’re going to kill your kids. That’s what the data shows from around the country.”

It was really an over the top statement given Legislative Bill 474 is in connection to medicinal cannabis – but the Governor sees it as the thin edge of the wedge and also wants the FDA’s blessing on any medical cannabis products.

Here’s the full video, posted by The Recount:

New Mexico has not moved any closer to fully legalizing recreational cannabis, as a Senate panel has decided to pull discussions at the last minute.

Initially, a hearing was scheduled for this past Sunday, but the topic has now been pulled and won’t be discussed at this time. This is probably due to the fact that the Senate is finding it hard to agree on issues like taxation, pardoning and expungement, and licensing—the issues that often hold cannabis industries up initially. 

This is stressful for advocates, as New Mexico’s Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham wants to go ahead and get legalization under way, and only gave state senators this week to approve legislation. Then, the session will end, and cannabis legalization needs to be decided and worked out before then. 

The Status of Cannabis in New Mexico

This discussion and debate started when two proposals were introduced to legalize cannabis, one from a Republican and another from a Democrat. Those deciding on legal cannabis are also looking at how the medical industry already does things, as well as how to balance economic opportunity with best practices for equity. 

When Sticky Detroit opened its first recreational marijuana shop in March 2020, partner Chris Jackson was certain the timing could not have been worse, thinking the coronavirus pandemic would surely be a damper on sales in the first months crucial to any new business.

“We put a lot of work and time into building it from the ground up,” Jackson told The Hill. “And we were really excited to be in Detroit.”

But Michigan deemed marijuana businesses essential during the pandemic, and people with plenty of time on their hands during the lockdown decided to check out the products on offer at Sticky Detroit and at their first location in Ypsilanti, just outside the city.

CBD oil is a diluted form of cannabidiol, a chemical compound that derives from the cannabis plant. Diluting the CBD with a carrier oil makes CBD oil. By infusing this with other ingredients, manufacturers can create bath bombs or bath salts. 

Is there anything more indulgent than a warm bath? Whether you hit the tub to wash up, unwind mentally, ease stiff muscles, or promote a good night’s sleep, you know all about the healing power of a good soak. But if you thought taking a bath couldn’t get any more relaxing, think again. A CBD bath might just be the ultimate way to soothe your mind, body, and soul.

Bath bombs and bath salts can benefit the skin and provide a relaxing bathing experience. Some of these products may contain cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which may have some extra benefits for the skin.

Even if you’ve been skeptical about trying CBD in any form, a soak of aromatic, CBD-infused bath salts could be the perfect way to experience CBD’s effects without ingesting it, and while doing something you already enjoy (lounging in the tub).

CBD Bath Benefits 

So what does this calming, homeostasis-promoting, cannabis-derived plant substance have to do with bath time?

Cannabis concentrates are perhaps the trickiest form you may come across. They are highly potent, and the consumption techniques are also complicated, whether you choose to smoke, vape, or dab. Still, using the right gear can make things a lot simpler for beginners, and you get better with practice and experience. The choice of equipment depends on several factors, so you need to consider them while taking your pick. Here are some helpful tips that you can follow while choosing the right gear for using concentrates.

Size and convenience 

You will want to choose your concentrate gear according to your skill level. For a beginner, the simplest is the best because it will be easy to handle and use. Handling the potency and managing dosages for cannabis concentrates may be hard enough for you. So you will want only the gear that is easy to use. Size also matters because larger pieces can be difficult to operate. Thankfully, there are lots of choices in bongs and bubblers, from large, table-top pieces to small, handheld ones.

Method of consumption

The next factor to consider is the method of consumption and the form of concentrate. When it comes to types of concentrates, you come across a lot, from wax to shatter, resin, rosin, oil, hash, and more. Consumption methods also vary, depending on your preference, and the equipment you use will differ accordingly. For beginners who want to learn how to smoke resin, a bowl gives you a good start. You can graduate to a bong or bubbler as you learn the ropes. Similarly, you will need a vaporizer for vaping a concentrate and a dab rig for dabbing it.  

Quality of smoke

The quality of smoke makes all the difference when it comes to experience, both for beginners as well as seasoned users. You will want cooler, smoother smoke that gets you high without irritating your throat or lungs. A bong with an ice catch is a good option as it helps in cooling the smoke before you inhale it. If you are more experienced, you can work with a nail and rig as it lets control the temperature for an optimal hit. Lower temperatures deliver a smoother vapor, while higher temperatures make it harder-hitting.

Durability

When you spend on smoking or dabbing gear, you will want it to last. Durability is another factor that needs attention when you buy it as a beginner. Look for ones made with high-quality material, even if it means that you have to spend a little extra. You need to be extra careful about glass gear because there are chances of dropping the bong when you do not have much experience of using it. Always stick to a reputed seller because they go the extra mile with quality and durability.

Although we started off our journey at CBD Testers with a strong emphasis on minor cannabinoids, lately, we’ve been taking a closer look at the most abundant one – THC – and all of its many applications and benefits. Another interesting, and sometimes confusing, point about this compound is how many variations of it exist.

Most people know that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the dominant compound found in marijuana, and also the one that holds the plant’s psychoactive properties. It’s the most popular cannabis compound, for obvious reasons, and it also has numerous medical benefits that we as a society are only beginning to fully understand.

There are 4 major types of THC that are naturally occurring in the plant: THCA, THCV, Delta 8 THC and Delta 9 THC. There is also another type that was very recently discovered – Delta 10 THC. Although this one was accidentally manmade, it still has some interesting properties that are worth covering. All of these different types of tetrahydrocannabinol are chemically unique with varying therapeutic potential.

To learn more about cannabis, and for exclusive deals on Delta-8 THC and other products, subscribe to the Delta 8 Weekly Newsletter

THCA – Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid

For the sake of simplicity, we’ll start at the very beginning by looking at THC in its most natural form: THCA. In short, THCA is the type of THC found in raw cannabis plants. So, when you walk into a dispensary and start looking at different bud samples and see how much THC is in each one, what you’re actually looking at is the levels of THCA. Once heat is applied, THCA loses its carboxyl acid group (in a process known as decarboxylation) and becomes THC.

THCA is found virtually everywhere in the plant, including the stems, leaves, and flowers. On its own, it has no psychoactive properties. The mind-altering effects come into play after decarboxylation, as THCA is just a precursor to all the other tetrahydrocannabinols.

As water use complaints and violations landed on the radar of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the state decided to lean in and see if an educational approach might help course-correct the burgeoning industry. A recent audit of hemp farms’ water sources shed light on the problem: About a third of licensed hemp farmers who received a visit from the state were found to be in some form of violation.

Once the 2018 Farm Bill decriminalized hemp cultivation at the federal level, growers of everything from canola to tobacco started seeing green in the idea of dedicating acreage to the cannabis plant—which, as the source of cannabidiol (CBD), also happens to be the source of one of the most hyped botanicals to hit the health-and-wellness sector in years.

But as often occurs when entrepreneurial spirits rush in to satisfy what they suspect will be stratospheric demand, these newly minted hemp farmers overshot the mark and grew more hemp than the market could absorb.

Years after the 2018 farm bill legalized hemp production at the federal level, Idaho legislators are close to lifting the state’s ban on growing the plant.

In a 44-26 vote Monday, House members approved a bill that would authorize the production, processing, transportation and research of hemp in the state. Idaho is currently the only state that hasn’t legalized industrial hemp.

House Bill 126 also would create a dedicated fund that would collect state revenues. The bill would initially cost the state $150,000 for a program manager and operations, according to the fiscal note.

“We need long-term studies! There is a ‘painful’ parallel between medical marijuana and the past and present situation with opioids, where the short-term demonstration of efficacy on chronic pain led to the promotion and broad scale prescription of opioids in the absence of high quality evidence.” – Dr. Thorsten Rudroff

Recently, The Fresh Toast shared an article about Dr. Thorsten Rudroff’s study in partnership with the National Institute of Health and the University of Iowa that focuses on understanding how aging and mobility is linked to medical marijuana.

Already garnering attention all over the globe, the study sought participants to discuss if the use of marijuana could increase the risk of falls or cognitive impairments in aging adults.

Dr. Rudroff, whose background includes a PhD in neurophysiology and a degree in physical therapy, recently spoke in depth with The Fresh Toast about common misconceptions and barriers to research currently in place when studying medical marijuana or CBD.

Q: Other researchers often discuss the red tape that surrounds marijuana and CBD studies. Have you experienced this with your current study?

A: We have to distinguish between intervention and observation studies. Intervention studies, the investigators tell the subject how to use medical marijuana, are difficult. You need a special license to conduct these studies. To get this license can take more than 2 years. Observational studies, like this one) are easier to perform. We invite users to the lab and test them. However, it took some time to get approval from the UIOWA IRB (Institutional Review Board). For example, we had to make sure that we follow strict Iowa Marijuana laws. Furthermore, my lab is the first at UIOWA who is doing this kind of research. I hope that the next marijuana study will get approval much quicker.

Loyalty programs, long a staple of consumer marketing strategies, have found a place among regulated cannabis retailers in the United States and Canada. By offering perks such as discounts, points, special offers and new-product notifications, retail operators say loyalty programs can be a useful tool for:

Offering those perks isn’t free, but loyalty-program operators say the benefits can easily outweigh the costs.

Data shows loyalty advantage

Recent figures provided by Seattle-based marijuana analytics firm Headset illustrate how loyalty programs can drive shopping habits. Roughly 50 percent of cannabis stores in Washington state appear to use a loyalty program, according to Headset data analyst Cooper Ashley.

Over a 90-day period, the average basket spend among retailers with loyalty programs was $37.18 – 13 percent larger than the average spend at retailers without such a scheme. Loyalty-program baskets also had more items per basket and slightly higher item prices.

“That’s a pretty significant advantage to having a loyalty program right there,” Ashley said. “Your customers tend to have larger transactions.”

Marijuana, cannabis, weed, ganja. All common names for a very common drug. We know, thanks to archeological digs, that cannabis has been used by humans for millennia in rituals, for recreation, and to gain the purported health benefits. 

The effects, both good and bad, of marijuana are well known. With many of them not seeming entirely conducive to being an extraordinary essay writer or a professional in any field. So why is it that, if not for the nootropic effects, marijuana use is rising amongst college students?

For starters, marijuana use has always been high – pun intended – in this demographic. College is a time for exploration, and drug (mis)use is a common part of the journey. 

Cannabis culture is now part of mainstream culture; legalization and medicalization have thrown the limelight onto the plant. Fourteen states, two territories, and even the seat of government – the District of Columbia – have legalized marijuana for recreational use. In addition to this, thirty-five states have legalized medical uses of it. 

That means that 48 out of 50 states have a way to legally use the drug. Most of the population supports legal marijuana too: some of the most recent polls showcased support at 68%. Compare that 68% in 2020 to the 12% who supported it back in 1969. A huge rally in support has taken place as education, experimentation, and evaluation of the war on drugs have presented a strong case for regulating the drug market.

They don’t make cannabis products like they used to, and there’s an increasing number of Colorado lawmakers who think that’s problematic.

As recently as 2014, the vast majority of medical and recreational cannabis sold in Colorado was flower and only 11% was the high-potency concentrates consumed through dab rigs or vape pens. By 2019, concentrates took up a third of the market and flower was below 50%.

With the rising popularity of high-THC concentrates, which are several times more potent than flower and edibles, come worries among deep-pocketed political groups and their statehouse allies that teenagers have too much access to it without enough knowledge of the effects.

Lawmakers are working on what could be the biggest marijuana legislation in Colorado since recreational cannabis was legalized in 2012 — a bill that would more tightly regulate the state’s industry with a range of proposals, including a possible THC potency cap, a requirement that people seek medical cards in person only and improved data collection aimed at stricter enforcement of purchasing limits.

Its potential impact is enough to have the cannabis industry and its advocates warning of a so-called soft prohibition and again raising concerns about racial inequity in the business itself.