WeedLife News Network

Something smells funky in Florida's medical marijuana industry — and it's not coming from a smoldering joint.

Back in 2016, an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) secretly recorded Tallahassee developer J.T. Burnette — who has since married Kim Rivers, CEO of the multimillion-dollar Florida-based cannabis giant Truelieve — boasting that he and his childhood friend, then-Florida house member Halsey Beshears (R-Monticello), tweaked a cannabis bill signed into law in 2014 that governed the state's then-fledgling medical marijuana industry by cordoning off access to commercial licenses.

Mississippi patients hoping on a green light for the state’s medical marijuana program before year’s end are likely to be disappointed.

The situation to date: In 2020, the state’s lawmakers put together a ballot initiative to legalise medical cannabis – and 69.2% of voters supported it in November last year.  But Mississippi governor Tate Reeves wasn’t thrilled with the prospect and that meant trouble lay ahead.

In May this year, hopes for the program kicking off in 2021 were dashed by a Supreme Court decision ruled the ballot initiative invalid due to a technicality – and the state’s voters were overwhelmingly unhappy with the court’s decision. 70% wanted the legislature to pass the law with wording exactly matching the amendment approved by voters.

But it was back to the drawing board for lawmakers, who began to hammer out details for a re-jiggered program. That process has seen its fair share of drama, such as Mississippi State Agriculture and Commerce Commissioner Andy Gipson digging his heels in regarding a proposal his department would be tasked with medical marijuana oversight.

That issue was expected to get sorted and Governor Tate Reeves to call a special session with view to the Legislature passing the measure this year. Things haven’t turned out that way. Governor  Reeves wants stricter limits on the quantity of medical cannabis patients can buy and to limit the THC strength in products.

Recreational cannabis sales begin in less than two months in half of Montana’s counties. Regulators and retailers alike are scrambling to finalize last minute details before that January 1st deadline.

It’s another busy morning at Missoula’s Greenhouse Farmacy. The dispensary’s staff is picking dried bulk marijuana flower out of a large plastic storage container, pre-weighing and packing it for sale in small aluminum containers.

“I feel like I’m in a hamster wheel. It’s constant," Greenhouse Farmacy co-owner Brian Monahan says.

He says the cannabis industry is intense under the best of circumstances, but especially now with recreational sales on the horizon. Monahan is preparing his medical marijuana dispensary to join the new marketplace for the first legal sale of recreational cannabis to adults 21 and over. Monahan estimates his sales could triple next year. To prepare, he’s ramping-up production, updating floor plans, installing new sales kiosks and improving parking accommodations.

"It’s almost just like a marathon runner at the end of a marathon. It’s like, just a couple more miles and it’s there.”

This means marijuana sales can look different county by county.

Elevate your “green” bean casserole or mac and cheese using cannabutter, THC extract or flower

Since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, edibles have become an increasingly popular choice for buyers. In fact, edibles — a category that includes infused gummies, chocolates, cookies, candies and even beverages — accounted for 13.9% of sales in Colorado between July 9 and Oct. 7 (the most of any state, according to analytics firm Headset).

But you’re not just limited to what’s sold at the store. As the variety of edibles has increased, so too have the ways consumers can make their own at home. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, we tested three different infusion methods with popular holiday dishes — using cannabutter, marijuana concentrate and flower — so everyone can gather and giggle around the dinner table this year.

Before we dive in, let’s start with a few disclaimers: Cannabis use is a highly personal experience and the effects tend to hit differently when eating it versus smoking or vaping. The standard single serving size is 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound that produces a “high.”

If you’re new to edibles, start by eating a little rather than over-indulging. In classic Thanksgiving fashion, you can always go back for seconds.

Whacky Mac & Cheese with cannabutter

About cannabutter: Butter is one of the most well-known ways to infuse a meal with marijuana. (Brownies, anyone?) You can make your own, or you can buy some pre-made Sweet Grass Cannabutter from Colorado edibles maker Infusiam, available at LivWell Enlightened Health and other dispensaries throughout the state. The latter is great because it’s already subdivided into 10 milligrams servings. A whole stick (100 milligrams) costs $20. To dilute the recipe dosage, cut the cannabutter with un-infused butter.

Legalising cannabis could bring Germany annual tax revenues and cost savings of about 4.7 billion euros ($5.34 billion) and create 27,000 new jobs, a survey said on Tuesday as politicians thrash out rules for the budding sector.

Legalising cannabis could bring Germany annual tax revenues and cost savings of about 4.7 billion euros ($5.34 billion) and create 27,000 new jobs, a survey said on Tuesday as politicians thrash out rules for the budding sector. Chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz and his centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are in talks with the environmentalist, pro-spending Greens and the libertarian, business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) to build a three-way coalition.

More than a decade ago, the seeds of a new industry were planted in the Grand Canyon State. Voters approved Proposition 203, which created Arizona’s medical marijuana program. The law allowed patients with qualifying conditions to purchase cannabis products from licensed dispensaries. To address demand for medical cannabis, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) was given regulatory powers over the nascent sector. In the years since, a robust cannabis industry has grown in Arizona within the bounds of Prop 203.

More and more women are using weed in pregnancy but they may want to think twice.

Researchers have found a link between marijuana use by expectant mothers and autism and childhood psychosis. Now, a small study has shown how cannabis use can affect the placenta and may be linked to higher levels of anxiety, aggression and hyperactivity in children.

The US researchers looked at 322 mother-child pairs based in New York City who were part of a wider research project on stress in pregnancy. When the children were between 3 and 6 years old, hormone levels were measured from hair samples, electrocardiogram recordings were used to measure heart function, and behavioral and emotional functioning was assessed based on parental surveys.

"This new study supports a growing body of evidence that smoking cannabis during pregnancy is associated with adverse outcomes for women and their children," Dr. Daghni Rajasingam, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the United Kingdom, told the Science Media Centre in London.

"We know from previous studies that using cannabis during pregnancy is linked to impaired fetal brain development, stillbirth, low birth weight, and pre-term birth. This new evidence adds to these existing safety concerns, suggesting that cannabis use in pregnancy could lead to higher anxiety, aggression, hyperactivity, and levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the children," she said.

"There is only a small sample of women and children used in this study, and we would like to see more research done in this area."

Marijuana’s effect is not completely understood, which is why some people have adverse reactions to the drug and others don’t.

People tend to have two reactions when it comes to using marijuana: they either find it very relaxing or they don’t. Those who belong to the latter group accuse the plant of causing them tons of paranoia and anxiety, making them feel like they are too “in their heads,” or like they expect people on the street to call them out on their misbehavior.

Bad highs are almost like meltdowns. They’re moments where the consumer’s body reacts in a way that’s stressful, paranoid and even scary. While temporary, these episodes still feel terrible and can turn a lot of people away from weed. The only way to get through a bad high is to wait them out.

These anecdotes leave cannabis in an interesting spot. The same plant can produce exact opposite effects in different people, all because of genetics, experience and predisposition to the drug.

Marijuana produces effects by interacting with the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, located in different areas, like our brain and skin. Cannabinoids, such as THC, bind to the receptors in the brain, causing either relaxing or stressful effects. Some of these receptors are located in spots governed by the amygdala, a section of tissue that’s responsible for managing emotions like fear, stress and paranoia.

Studies show that the positive and therapeutic effects of cannabis are due to the influence of cannabinoids on our endocannabinoid systems. These positive results appear even more markedly on patients that have experienced trauma and PTSD, who usually have low levels of chemicals like anandamide.

In March 2021, Curaleaf Holdings, one of the largest cannabis companies in the United States, acquired EMMAC Life Sciences Group (now Curaleaf International), one of the largest vertically integrated companies in the European medical cannabis landscape.

Given his experience in the medical cannabis industry, Antonio Costanzo has noticed clear progress in the market. He also thinks European countries will allow the use of recreational cannabis in the next four years.

While Robert Califf did not share his stance on marijuana while serving with the FDA, back in 2016 at a cannabis-focused research summit, he acknowledged the healing possibilities of the plant.

The Food and Drug Administration may get a new commissioner who has experienced the medical benefits of cannabis first hand.

On Friday, President Joe Biden revealed his plans to nominate Dr. Robert Califf, a cardiologist and clinical trial specialist, as the new FDA commissioner. Califf, who served as FDA head for a short stint during the Obama administration, was prescribed a cannabinoid drug by his physician, reported Marijuana Stocks.

“We understand that people have identified a number of possible uses of marijuana and marijuana-derived products. For example, AIDS wasting, epilepsy, neuropathic pain, treatment of spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, cancer, and chemotherapy-induced nausea,” Califf said. “And I had the chance to prescribe some of this in my cardiology practice in people with extreme heart failure who get a wasting cachectic syndrome.”

At the summit, Califf highlighted that the FDA has already allowed synthetic cannabis products like Marinol.

Taking into account all that Califf has said on the topic, one might assume that if he becomes commissioner he will push the FDA to undertake further marijuana-related research. And, in view of the FDA’s influence, it could end up playing an important role in the possible rescheduling of marijuana.

Raw marijuana doesn’t have THC, but it can be consumed for some extra benefits. Here are some examples.

Amateur cannabis users likely don’t know the inner workings of cannabis. They don’t know that a key element for the “high” experience is heat, which transforms the compound THCA into THC, which is why someone might try to add raw marijuana into their sweets and expect some sort of benefit.

While this doesn’t work, raw marijuana does have some interesting health benefits.

In recent years, people have taken an interest in other parts of the cannabis plant, removing THC from their focus. There are a variety of elements present in the plant that have benefits, at times mysterious, since they haven’t been all that studied. These compounds and terpenes are plentiful and vastly different, to a point where researchers don’t even know how many there are and what their effects are in full.

For the THC in the cannabis plant to become effective — providing the high and the sensation of relaxation or creativity — the plant needs to go through a decarboxylation process. This is the step many neophyte cannabis chefs skip before cooking edibles. Decarboxylation occurs when you apply heat to the plant, be that when smoking a joint or when preheating cannabis before adding it in to your edibles.

In its natural state, cannabis doesn’t have any THC. Instead it has a compound called THCA, which has been linked with anti-inflammatory properties, the promotion of brain health, the propagation of cells, and even slowing down the growth and spread of cancer cells.

New Jersey is finally going to start accepting licenses for recreational cannabis businesses, more than a year after the measure passed.

Cannabis regulators in New Jersey announced this week that the state would begin accepting applications for marijuana business licenses next month, more than a year after voters in the state legalized recreational pot in the 2020 general election. At a meeting of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) on Tuesday, officials revealed applications for adult-use marijuana cultivators, processors and testing labs. 

The agency also announced that it will begin accepting applications for recreational cannabis dispensaries on March 15, 2022. Applications for cannabis delivery services, distributors and wholesalers will be accepted at a later date once regulations for those business types have been drafted and approved.

Applications from businesses owned by women, veterans and minorities will receive priority review, as will companies owned by individuals who have been arrested for a marijuana-related offense or who live in economically disadvantaged areas or municipalities with a disproportionate rate of cannabis-related arrests. Applications from microbusinesses with 10 or fewer employees will also be reviewed on a priority basis.

New Jersey Regulators Behind Schedule

New Jersey voters legalized adult-use cannabis with the approval of Question 1 in the November 2020 general election, which passed with 67 percent of the vote. The law set a September 2021 deadline for the CRC to begin accepting applications for business licenses. Regulators missed the deadline, however, and instead announced that they were establishing the process to accept the applications at a later date.

The legislation also mandated that legal sales of recreational cannabis begin by mid-February of next year or within six months after the commission adopted its initial regulations. But in September, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said that the launch of dispensary sales would also likely be delayed.

Medical marijuana and physicians is still a tricky situation. 

Medical marijuana is already a mainstream facet of healthcare delivery in many states in the US. Physicians in states where legal marijuana programs are fully established are saddled with the responsibility of giving certificates for approval to patients they deem fit for the program. Patients use medicinal marijuana to deal with different types of health conditions which include pain relief, inflammation, seizures, insomnia, and a host of other ailments.

A recent court proceeding witnessed the ruling of the Michigan appeal court to uphold a two-year suspension of a physician who gave out 22,000 medical cannabis certificates in a year. Read on as we visit the peculiarities of this case and why the appeal court has chosen to uphold the ruling to suspend the physician.

Medical Marijuana in Michigan

The state of Michigan following the decision by 62.7% of its voters in November 2018 became the thirteenth state in the US to legalize medical marijuana. The medical marijuana program in the state requires all patients and primary caregivers to have a state registry ID card. Between the period of October 2014 and the same time in 2015, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs had 84,785 new and renewal medical marijuana certifications.

The requirements for a patient to qualify for a medical marijuana card in Michigan are very straightforward which is why the state is always seeing a high turnover of applications and certifications. To qualify, the applicant must be a resident of the State of Michigan. The applicant must also have a written certification from a physician licensed by the state. The physician will state the condition of the patient while explaining how marijuana will help in achieving therapeutic aims in the patient. The state also has applications classified for those 18 years and older and those below the age of 18.

A closer look into the case

It is possible for you to initially doubt the authenticity of the figures seen above but you read right, the figure is 22,000. Dr. Vernon Proctor the physician in question in his defense stated that the figure is expressed to the court for certificates was not true. Instead, he refuted the claims by stating that it was more than 1,000 during the stated period. To back up these claims, Proctor stated that they went to five clinics a day and each of those clinics had about 20 to 50 patients per day.

Here’s why Canadian cannabis stocks such as Canopy Growth and Auxly can help you beat the market in the future.

Investors who buy individual stocks aim to outpace the broader markets over a period of time. But doing so requires a ton of expertise, patience, and foresight to understand long-term trends. Canadian cannabis stocks touched record highs soon after marijuana was legalized in Canada at the federal level. But these companies have grossly underperformed the broader markets in the last three years.

As environmental disasters are increasing, we need to look to sustainable building, and hemp could be the answer.

Hemp could be the building material that accelerates the sustainable industry.

The year 2020 marked a devastating time period for myriad reasons. Among the pantheon of pain was the immense damage brought on by natural disasters. In early 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released its billion-dollar disaster report, calling 2021 a “historic year of extremes.” 

The Confederation of All India Traders is urging national drug authorities to launch a probe after the company’s packaging material was found with suspects.

Madhya Pradesh Police has reportedly arrested two men in India who are alleged to have sold 390 packets of cannabis weighing 1,000 kilograms.

Praveen Khandelwal, general secretary of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), told Business Today that the group has asked that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) carry out a probe into the matter.

A CAIT statement to the publication notes that Amazon India would have received a commission if the website was used and that would represent a contravention of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Cannabis and caffeine are two very popular substances, the go-to of a lot of people for productivity. Here are 5 things you should know.

Marijuana and caffeine are substances that people are very attached to. They facilitate the productivity for many of us, making our lives easier and more manageable. Nowadays, there’s a lot of companies trying to combine the two.

Even before marijuana was embraced by the mainstream, enthusiasts of the drug were finding creative ways of mixing these two elements, adding cannabis to oil or butter and mixing it in with their coffee, perfecting recipes that resulted in a completely different high.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

More research needs to be conducted in order to understand how these two elements work together, but there’s a variety of anecdotal evidence that says that the pairing of these two results in a special high, one that adds deeper layers to the effect of marijuana. Here’s what we know about caffeine and marijuana, and the joint effect that they produce on the body.

Caffeine might increase the duration of your high

Photo by Julian Hochgesang via Unsplash