WeedLife News Network

In November, taxes for recreational marijuana sales in Arizona totaled around $5.05 million, slightly above medical cannabis tax, which amounted to $5.03 million.

Arizona continues to smash cannabis sales records, with yet another milestone of over $1.23 billion of marijuana products sold during the first 11 months of 2021, Arizona Mirror writes.

After soaring to record highs in October to nearly $58 million, adult-use recreational cannabis sales hit a new peak in November by surpassing $60 million for the first time. On the medical side, after reaching $73 million in March and April, sales fluctuated throughout the year.

In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical cannabis. Since then, 36 states (and four U.S. territories) have followed suit, keeping pace with rapidly evolving policies and attitudes toward cannabis. In addition to the widespread legalization of medical cannabis, 18 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use.

As one of 14 states that have not legalized medical cannabis under state law, Tennessee is in the minority, even in the South. In fact, five of Tennessee’s neighboring states have legalized cannabis for either medical (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Missouri) or adult use (Virginia). And Mississippi appears to be on the verge of legalizing medical cannabis, too (as we’ve written about here, here, and here).

Tennessee’s current policy regarding cannabis does not appear to reflect the attitudes of its voters. According to a 2018 poll conducted by Middle Tennessee State University, most Tennesseans (approximately 81%) support some form of legalization, with 44% supporting medical use and 37% supporting adult-use legalization. This widespread popularity has even caught the attention of some Tennessee state representatives who are personally opposed to legalizing medical cannabis.

For example, Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-D75) introduced legislation last July that would have required county election commissions to place three non-binding questions on the ballot asking voters whether Tennessee should (1) decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana; (2) legalize medical marijuana; or (3) legalize adult-use marijuana. Rep. Griffey released a statement clarifying that while he was personally “against the legalization of marijuana,” his “personal opinion should not dictate” that marijuana remains illegal under state law if legalization is what Tennessee voters want.

So where does Tennessee stand on medical cannabis now? And where might it head? These questions are the focus of this article, which is the first in our series on cannabis in Tennessee.

Vaping sweet spots differ from one user to another. Achieving this phenomenon involves making a raft of adjustments on your vaporizer as well as choosing suitable e-juice.

There is plenty of vaping lingo to learn for any new or aspiring vaper. Some of these terms are relatively basic and not necessarily key to the success of your vaping sessions. However, others must be understood fully before joining in on the vaping craze.

“Sweet spot” is a common vaping-related phrase that you’ll frequently stumble upon in numerous vape-related publications. But what exactly does this term denote, and how central is it to your success as a vaper? That question shall be the focus of this post.

Your sweet spot refers to the point during vaping when you can enjoy an optimal vaping experience. It’s a combination of factors, including implementing specific settings on your vaporizer and choosing the right vape juice. The quality of your vaporizer also plays a crucial role in determining your sweet spot.

Another thing worth noting is that sweet spot varies from one vaper to another. Plus, it depends on your vaping level. Seasoned vapers more commonly experience the phenomenon compared to beginners.

Sweet Spot and Vape Quality

As we’ve just highlighted, the quality of your vaporizer plays an instrumental role in determining how efficiently you can achieve your sweet spot. With low-quality e-cigs, it’s almost impossible to experience your vaping sweet spot.

Oklahoma needs to move on from the “Wild West” that emerged with legalization of medical marijuana by strengthening regulation of the industry, a state lawmaker said.

State Rep. Sean Roberts, a Republican from Hominy, said Wednesday that he’ll introduce legislation this year to modify both the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act and Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Waste Management Act. Goals are to cut down on illegal cultivation of marijuana and to address rising influences of “foreign actors” on state interests.

“These changes that I am proposing will stop the many illegal operations in our state run by foreign actors, such as criminal Chinese enterprises or cartels, who participate in human trafficking and are smuggling their illegal narcotics out of Oklahoma to other states,” Roberts said.

If passed, Roberts’ legislation would alter Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority ownership residency requirements for businesses. Specifically, it would change OMMA residency requirements from 75% of owners living in Oklahoma to 100%. It also proposes that Oklahomans found to be acting as “middlemen” for entities outside the state would face potential suspension of business licenses.

“When medical marijuana was legalized in Oklahoma, it basically created a ‘Wild West’ situation as we did not have enough legal structure in place to address all future issues that could arise,” Roberts said.

Therapeutic hemp and cannabis products to get you through the first bacterium equinox of 2022.

Whether you’re concerned about flu season or a protracted pestilence that has likely kept you masked and hypervigilant, if not in quarantine mode, a robust cannabis medicine cabinet can help you through the first bacterium equinox of 2022. Cannabis is by no means a cure-all, but you can use it to temper certain cold and flu symptoms much in the same way you might with an over-the-counter remedy—no astro traveling necessary. Furthermore, CBD acts as a unique immune system supporter, functioning as an anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressant and immunomodulator, conceivably keeping your immune responses evergreen (as in perennially resilient AF). For the uninitiated, just as recreational cannabis is more than skunky blunts and milky bong hits, contemporary therapeutic cannabis is much more than inky tinctures and skunky salves. In fact, therapeutic hemp can be delivered in a number of holistic, novel and cutting-edge ways. Here are some standouts from our own cannabis medicine cabinet.

1. Identity CBD Bone Broths

Mercer Island, Wash.-based wellness brand Identity produces a number of alternative CBD-infused products, including an obsession-worthy Norwegian bone broth packet infused with 10 mg Oregon hemp CBD. Each package contains enough canna-bone bouillon for a relatively rich mugful of aromatic broth or toothsome addition to a more complex soup recipe.

Officially, the packages are meant to be mixed with 1 cup of water for a potent stock, but when mixed with 1.5 cups of water are much more sippable as a straight-up broth. The broths come in three flavors: Chicken, Chanterelle Mushroom and Ginger Ramen, with the mushroom being my own personal sick day standout.

2. Green Heffa Fixitea

A soothing cup of tea is a sick day necessity; Green Heffa’s Fixitea Herbal “Steam” Blend is a peppermint panacea complete with soothing antiseptic, antibacterial and antimicrobial properties. Green Heffa is a family owned and operated farm, producing not just hemp cannabis, but all the botanicals in its teas. The brand’s founder, Farmer Cee, uses Indigenous, heritage farming techniques across Green Heffa’s 14 acres, even calling on the quilters of her hometown of Wilcox, Ala., to produce the brand’s vibrant, Afro-centric packaging. Each of the brand’s teas are built upon unique therapeutic botanical medleys, so if minty relief isn’t your bag, there are multiple other tableaus to choose from.

3. Elixinol Everyday Rapid Reset

The oil-based cannabis tincture is a ubiquitous medicine cabinet addition, but Elixinol’s Rapid Reset absorption-ready CBD liposome stands apart from most dispensary tinctures for its water solubility. That means this tincture—unlike its oilier counterparts—will blend as seamlessly with a glass of plain, flat water as it will with more texturally complex drinks like smoothies or frothy hot drinks. The 1 mg of CBD in each pump is a low enough dose for beginners or those with THC aversions. It’s also easily buildable for users with more established cannabinoid tolerances.

Registered patients would be subject to purchase limits that would restrict them to no more than 3.5 grams of cannabis flower, 1 gram of concentrate, or up to 100 milligrams of THC in infused products.

A new bill to legalize medical marijuana was introduced in Mississippi on Tuesday and on Wednesday afternoon, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee approved the measure by a voice vote. The bill is expected to be taken up on the floor as soon as Thursday, reported Marijuana Moment. A medical cannabis program could start in 2022.

SB 2095, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Blackwell (R), would allow patients with about two dozen specific medical conditions (such as cancer, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, muscular dystrophy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis, Alzheimer’s, as well as chronic medical conditions) to qualify for medical marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation.

The stakes were high — and scary — at a South Dakota community center card game. A group of seniors inadvertently ate a batch of cannabis brownies brought by a 73-year-old woman who didn’t know that her adult son had baked them with THC butter. The incident happened last Tuesday in Tabor, a town with a population of 423 people, according to an affidavit obtained by The Smoking Gun. Police responded to several calls of a “possible poisoning” and found that all the patients had been playing cards at the Tabor Community Center and were “under the influence.”

Cops arrested Michael Koranda, 43, after he reportedly told them he had cooked the illicit goods with half a pound of THC butter he bought in Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal.Michael Koranda’s mother reportedly took the brownies he baked after he went to bed.

Koranda then went to bed and “his mother unknowingly took the brownies to the card game where several people ate them,” the affidavit read. He was charged with possession of a controlled drug or substance, which is punishable to 5 years in prison, according to the report.

Cannabis edibles can have a significantly stronger effect on users than smokable marijuana. Manufacturers warn that it is easy to accidentally ingest a paralyzing amount by overconsuming the tasty treats.

South Dakota voters approved an amendment to legalize recreational cannabis in November, but that referendum was struck down by the state’s high court.

When Louisiana's first legal smokable medical marijuana was made available on Jan. 1, patients like Corbet King of Wisner were excited about the product that they believed would be a more affordable option than tinctures, oils and edibles.

After all, affordability was one of the key selling points when the Legislature passed a bill last year to add the plant's unprocessed flower to the products that Louisiana's two legal growers and nine regional pharmacies could offer to patients.

But when King and other patients arrived at their pharmacies they were surprised to find the flower product in some cases was just as costly or even more expensive, depending on the pharmacy.

Marijuana breathalyzers have long been in development, producing no fruitful results. A new study shows a different path.

Researchers have found a non-invasive way of determining whether or not a person has been impaired by THC. This discovery, achieved thanks to a study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital and published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, could provide an answer for DUIs related to cannabis consumption, providing a pathway in treating these types of situations.

According to The Harvard Gazette, the technique used in the study is called functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which measures brain patterns, which researchers then correlated to THC impairment. The device in question would be designed to be portable and noninvasive, allowing people to use it on the go, measuring THC impairment in subjects.

The study had 169 cannabis users consume THC or a placebo and then submit themselves to fNIRS scans. Those who’d consumed cannabis showed higher levels of neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain when compared to those who’d consumed a placebo.

“Our research represents a novel direction for impairment testing in the field,” said lead author Jodi Gilman, associate professor at Harvard and investigator in the Center for Addiction Medicine.

“Our goal was to determine if cannabis impairment could be detected from activity of the brain on an individual level. This is a critical issue because a ‘breathalyzer’ type of approach will not work for detecting cannabis impairment, which makes it very difficult to objectively assess impairment from THC during a traffic stop.”

The company is by far the most significant REIT specializing in the marijuana industry.

The marijuana industry is not currently popular with investors, to put it mildly. That's having a knock-on effect with cannabis real estate investment trust (REIT) Innovative Industrial Properties. Despite being a consistently profitable company that doesn't actually grow or sell any weed itself, Innovative is being punished like its peers; its share price is down by over 15% so far this young year. A submerged stock price doesn't necessarily mean a company is a bargain, however. Let's explore whether Innovative stock is a good buy or a dangerous falling knife investors should avoid.

Hemp compounds identified by Oregon State University research via a chemical screening technique invented at OSU show the ability to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells.

Findings of the study led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute, were published today in the Journal of Natural Products.

Hemp, known scientifically as Cannabis sativa, is a source of fiber, food and animal feed, and multiple hemp extracts and compounds are added to cosmetics, body lotions, dietary supplements and food, van Breemen said.

Van Breemen and collaborators, including scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, found that a pair of cannabinoid acids bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.

The compounds are cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, CBDA, and the spike protein is the same drug target used in COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapy. A drug target is any molecule critical to the process a disease follows, meaning its disruption can thwart infection or disease progression.

As of Jan. 1, Oregonians can legally purchase up to two ounces of cannabis flower from licensed retailers, NORML reports.  In a Dec. 28 meeting, Oregon's Liquor and Cannabis Commission approved new rules, including doubling how much marijuana customers can purchase and giving the green light to home delivery across city and county lines, among other issues. (Click here for Benzinga article.)

The new provisions are expected to help streamline oversight of the industry, reduce violence and help keep children from accessing hemp products containing THC, the agency said.

Last year, lawmakers enacted legislation, Senate Bill 408, allowing the amount of cannabis flower that adults can possess to two ounces and more when they're in their homes. 

Ending Illegal Weed Grows & Decriminalization Efforts

The new rules have taken effect on the heels of Oregon lawmakers passing Senate Bill 893 and Senate Bill 5561 last month, with a goal of putting an end to illicit cannabis cultivation by creating better infrastructure to fight the proliferation of illegal marijuana grows in Southern Oregon.

In November, voters in Oregon approved Measure 110, which will decriminalize the possession of small amounts of all illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, methamphetamine and LSD, as well as create a support program for drug abuse and addiction.

Armed men in pickup trucks rule over vast illicit industry that has transformed rural counties, depleting water and scaring locals

Christopher Hall parks his old Toyota on a dirt road that dead-ends in a forest in Oregon’s Illinois Valley. He points out a cluster of greenhouses surrounded by piles of trash, and the hillside above, which has been terraced and entirely stripped of vegetation. Guard dogs run through a small clearing, barking at us.

Two men pull up almost instantly in a Honda with busted headlights; the driver asks Hall what he’s doing there. For a bespectacled middle-aged conservationist, Hall is surprisingly reckless. Even though he can see the men are armed, he yells back at them: “Where are you from? We know what you’re doing here is illegal! How many plants are you growing?” One man says they’re from Serbia and claims they have a license to grow as another truck pulls up.

I tell Hall I think we should move on, and he reluctantly shifts into drive but is unable to resist a few parting shots:

“Do you think you can just keep trashing our streams? Have some respect for the land!”

Pot was legalized for recreational use in Oregon in 2015, making it legal for any person to grow up to four plants. But in the past year, longtime locals have been alarmed by the rapid proliferation of unlicensed pot farms, unprecedented in terms of size and allegedly controlled by crime syndicates from eastern Europe, China and Mexico.

Ever since the popularity of vaping cannabis began to rise, the debate over which method is more effective has raged on amongst cannabis enthusiasts everywhere.

For cannabis enthusiasts, pulling out a vape pen has become preferable to rolling up a joint or a blunt for numerous reasons. Vaping is generally more convenient and discreet than smoking. There’s also research displaying evidence that vaping gets people higher than traditional methods of smoking.

Regardless, there are still many cannabis enthusiasts who aren’t fans of vaping due to the simple fact that it provides a different high than smoking. There are numerous reasons why that’s the case. Here are just a few. 

Combustion Kills Terpenes 

There are a variety of terpenes in cannabis that have a profound impact on the way cannabis enthusiasts feel when consuming marijuana. When people choose to vape cannabis it’s easier for them to enjoy the flavor of specific strains because the terpenes aren’t being burned.

Vaping Provides A Cleaner High  

Another reason the vaping experience differs from that of traditional smoking is because it doesn’t come with the harmful chemicals that come with smoking. This could be part of the reason why a vaping high can make cannabis enthusiasts seem more energetic. When smoking a joint or blunt it’s not unusual for people to spend the rest of the day on the couch. The cleaner high that vaping provides is both healthier and more conducive to having a productive day, while still being able to enjoy marijuana from time to time as it progresses.

More THC Enters The Bloodstream  

One of the biggest reasons vaping provides a different high than smoking is due to the amount of THC that enters the bloodstream from vaping. Both vaping and smoking both allow THC to enter the bloodstream directly through the lungs. Even so, recent research reveals that vaping results in higher levels of THC in the bloodstream when compared to smoking.

 A medical marijuana shop in Flint is looking to add recreational pot use to its business.

At tonight’s city council meeting, members discussed approving a license for the local dispensary located in Flint’s 8th ward.

During the meeting, Councilman of the 8th ward, Dennis Pfiffer, stated that he was not in favor of granting the dispensary a license and believes that doing so will increase crime within his ward.

Other council members were not in agreeance with Pfiffer and immediately dismissed the idea of blocking the facility from being granted a license for sell of recreational use of marijuana, citing other marijuana facilities that are operating within the community with a lack of issues.

Councilman Quincy Murphy of the 3rd ward temporarily sided with Pfiffer in his disagreement with granting the center a license, but later changed his stance.

Top Pot Stocks For Your Long Term Portfolio

Are you looking for top marijuana stocks while the cannabis sector is down? For almost a year the best cannabis stocks have been experiencing declines with most setting new lows in the last 2 months. For the most part, these declines can be attributed mostly to delays with federal cannabis reform in the US. As these delays continue the cannabis sector is pricing in 2022 without federal legalization or reform. In recent weeks one of the best performing parts of the cannabis sector has also experienced significant declines.

Maryland lawmakers are meeting this week to start their 90-day legislative session to discuss topics concerning the $4.5 billion budget surplus, COVID-19, climate change and legalizing recreational marijuana.

The Democratic-controlled Maryland General Assembly will plan how to manage the surplus for the current and upcoming fiscal years, and state Senate President Bill Ferguson said they need to be careful how they approach the budget.

"I think people have heard this $4.6 billion like it's time that we can fund everything possible, but we've got to be very, very thoughtful and moderate about how we approach it, because we don't want to set ourselves up for a fiscal cliff in two to three years from now," Ferguson said.

"The House will pass legislation early next year to put this question before the voters but we need to start looking at changes needed to state law now," Jones said.

Hogan, who is entering his last session as governor, also said he will be proposing an increase in the state's Rainy Day Fund as well as tax relief. The governor has been trying to win tax relief for retirees for years.

Florida's 2022 legislative session kicks off on Tuesday and this year lawmakers are working to pass a bipartisan medical marijuana bill.

Florida doesn’t have recreational marijuana and for its medical marijuana program, people have to have a valid medical reason and need to be able to get the marijuana prescribed.

“I think the first thing to understand about 679 is this is the first bipartisan marijuana package we’ve really run as a state in five years since the constitutional amendment passed. Just getting both sides to agree on a way forward, I count this as a win already,” said Learned.

House Bill 679 also regulates the use and sale of delta-8, a marijuana product with less THC.

“It’s still legal we’re just changing some definitions and making sure the product is safe and tested, and we’re also limiting them to the sale of over 21. Right now there’s no age limit so children can buy this stuff,” said Learned.