WeedLife News Network

Festival season in Austin has a pretty dope new addition: a one-day festival featuring music and highlighting a cousin of marijuana.

The first-ever Texas Hemp Harvest Festival is set for 10 am-11 pm October 23 at Carson Creek Ranch, a 58-acre event venue in eastern Travis County. Musical acts scheduled to perform include Jamaican reggae and hip-hop artist Ky-Mani Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley; country musician Gary P. Nunn; and country music band The Derailers.

Sweet Sensi, an Austin-based seller of “artisanal” CBD products, is staging the “family-friendly festival.” The event will offer food trucks, beverages for adults and children, vendor displays, and games.

The festival also will put on a “Battle of the Buds” competition. Anonymous judges will vote for their favorites in four categories of hemp products made in Texas: flower/pre-rolls, edibles, topicals, and tinctures/capsules.

Organizers say the festival is being produced by farmers, processors, manufacturers, and retailers to celebrate the hemp harvest in Texas. In 2020, the state saw its first legal hemp harvest in more than 80 years, the Austin Chronicle says.

Four years after weed became legal in California for adult recreational use, state law enforcement officials have doubled the amount of illicit marijuana plants seized and eradicated in an annual campaign. California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Monday announced that the California Department of Justice’s annual Campaign Against Marijuana Planting program, also known as CAMP, had eradicated nearly 1.2 million illegally cultivated cannabis plants this year.

That’s up from 614,267 plants seized in 2018, the first year that recreational marijuana was legal in California. The CAMP program has steadily ratcheted up enforcement over the years, with 953,459 plants eradicated in 2019 and 1.1 million plants destroyed in 2020. The numbers remain well below what agencies seized during California’s peak enforcement against illegal marijuana grows. In 2009, the CAMP program destroyed some 4.5 million plants, according to records kept by Humboldt State University. $2 for 2 months Subscribe for unlimited access to our website, app, eEdition and more CLAIM OFFER Increased enforcement comes as California’s illicit market cannabis industry is estimated to generate $8 billion in annual sales, compared to the legal market’s $4.4 billion, according to cannabis industry reporting website MJBizDaily.

Licensed marijuana growers and retailers blame the illicit dealers for hindering their growth, and have called for the state to rethink taxes levied on the industry to help them compete. Over 13 weeks this year, the CAMP program seized more than 180,000 pounds of marijuana and 165 weapons, and removed more than 67,000 pounds of cultivation infrastructure, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Bonta on Monday called for a six-month review of the CAMP program, which is conducted in partnership with local, state and federal agencies, in order to adapt the program to changes to the law since the program first was initiated in the 1980s. “Illegal and unlicensed marijuana planting is bad for our environment, bad for our economy, and bad for the health and safety of our communities,” Bonta said in a statement. “Today, I’m directing my office to review the CAMP program and ensure that we are using our resources to effectively address the environmental, labor, and economic impacts of illegal cultivation. From dumping toxic chemicals in our waterways to cheating the state out of millions of tax dollars, illicit marijuana grows have far-reaching impacts and unintended consequences.”

The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, or OMMA, released a patient advisory Monday for the state when a specific batch of pot came back positive for the compound THC-O-acetate.

In their release acting as a “smoke signal”, the governing agency said it’s a combination that could prove dangerous.

The situation all started when the OMMA received a complaint from a patient who had a bad experience on the green.

“We discovered that there was a product that tested positive for a compound called THC-O-acetate,” said Kelsey Pagonis, the communications manager for the agency. “We don’t yet have that confirmed where it happened in the supply chain.”

Wisconsin is set to become the first state to relinquish authority over its state hemp program to the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The announced transition will occur on January 1st, 2022. Starting on that date, Wisconsin farmers and hemp processors will have to comply with the final rule on hemp released by USDA earlier this year.

Facebook posts shared hundreds of times claim that "marijuana preserved with honey" cures 40 different medical conditions, including Alzheimer's, diabetes and high blood pressure. The posts are misleading; there is no evidence the purported remedy can cure these conditions. Health experts said people should see a doctor if they have health concerns. "Recipe of marijuana preserved with honey, cures 40 different diseases," reads a Thai-language Facebook post from September 18 shared more than 600 times. The post lists a variety of health conditions, including Alzheimer's, diabetes and high blood pressure. 

"Use the entire cannabis trunk, as well as leaves, root and flowers. Chop them into pieces, sundry them, and leave them for 15 days. Have a teaspoon every day before going to bed". Screenshot of the misleading claim shared on Facebook, taken on October 18, 2021 Marijuana has been used as a traditional herb for centuries in Thailand but was banned decades ago. In February 2019, Thailand legalised the use of marijuana for medical purposes.

In December 2020, marijuana was removed from a government list of "harmful drugs", meaning it is now legal to plant it domestically if government approval is obtained. A similar claim was shared here, here and here on Facebook.  The claim is misleading: experts say there is insufficient evidence to prove that the purported remedy cures any health conditions. 'No evidence' Dr Khwanchai Wisitanon, deputy director of Thailand's Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine said there was no evidence to prove the effectiveness of the purported remedy.

"Based on the medical record, there is no research to support the claim," he told AFP.  "If you are diagnosed with a certain disease, you should seek health professionals' advice for medical treatments". Dr Thiravat Hemachudha, an expert on medical marijuana at Chulalongkorn University, also said there was insufficient evidence to prove the purported recipe can "cure" diseases. "There is no evidence to suggest the claim is correct," he told AFP.

"It is true that marijuana has anti-inflammatory properties, but patients should not rely on it in order to get better. They should always seek professional medical advice." Although marijuana may have properties that can alleviate certain symptoms, it cannot "cure" diseases, according to Pakakrong Kwankhao, head of Chaopraya Abhaiphubejhr Hospital's Centre for Evidence-based Thai Traditional and Herbal Medicine. "Marijuana can help alleviate some symptoms. It can ease the patient's pain or make the patient get rested or be happy. However, it still lacks evidence that it can be used to "cure" any diseases," she told AFP.

 Mississippians prepare to protest in front of the governor’s mansion in Jackson, demanding Governor Tate Reeves to call a special session for the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act.

Reeves told lawmakers that if both sides, Republican and Democrat, were able to come to a consensus and draft a bill for a medical cannabis program, he would call a special session.

It’s been three weeks since a consensus was reached and a bill submitted, and Reeves has yet to call a special session, prompting this upcoming protest.

“I hope he’s ready for karaoke because we’ve got loudspeakers; we’ve got tents. We’re going to be there until we get our session,” said Zack Wilson, Vice President of We are the 74.

Wilson’s group We are the 74, representing the 74% of Mississippians who voted for a medical cannabis initiative in the November 2020 elections that was later overturned in State Supreme Court, is heading for Jackson on Monday afternoon.

The skeletal system is an essential of the human anatomy. We need our skeletal system to stand erect, to walk properly and function optimally. The sad reality is that, a lot of people take their bone health for granted thereby affecting the skeletal system.

For some individuals, poor bone health is caused by the strenuous activities that they engage in on a daily basis. For others, it is poor workout routines that leaves a strain on the bones.

Cannabis has emerged as a possible remedy for poor bone health in recent times, but just how?

Our bones are essential to our proper functioning as humans. Without bones, we will simply be a pool of tissues that cannot accomplish the most basic activities. Our muscles and tissues attach to the bones, giving our body shape and form. The functions of our bones can be broken into three main parts.

Best Practices for Good Bone Health

When it comes to figuring out the best practices for good bone health, there are two simple answers: movement and nutrition. Food provides your bones with the necessary nutrients and building blocks, while movement helps the bone to remodel itself in the best way to give the body a great shape.

Sen. Mitch McConnell didn’t know what he was doing when he passed the 2018 Farm Bill. The bill included his provision that legalized industrial hemp, a form of cannabis that can be made into a wide variety of products including cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating cannabis compound commonly called CBD. That part was intentional — the law quickly launched a multi-billion dollar industry that put the once-obscure CBD compound into lattes, seltzers and hundreds of CVS stores across the country.

But after three years it appears one of the law’s biggest impacts was entirely unintentional: It accidentally created a booming market for synthetic THC, marijuana’s primary intoxicant. 

But chemists warn that these drugs can contain hazardous solvents, acids and unknown compounds. When FiveThirtyEight legally purchased hemp-derived THC products for testing, we found illegal levels of THC and a variety of mystery compounds that could not be identified. There are no federal safety testing requirements for these products, and while hemp companies occasionally publish test results, some brands have been caught using fake test documents.

The 2018 Farm Bill opened the market for online retailers to sell hemp derivatives that can get you high. 

Sales data for the unregulated hemp market is difficult to track but Delta-8-THC, the most popular of these hemp-derived intoxicants, is considered by some industry insiders to be the fastest growing product in the hemp industry. Google search data indicates that interest in these hemp-derived drugs is heavily concentrated in the American South, where conventional pot remains illegal, although hemp-derived THC is also showing up in state-regulated marijuana markets. In Washington state, regulators clarified in April that it was illegal to convert CBD into Delta-9-THC after a company admitted it was converting CBD into Delta-9-THC and selling it in the recreational marijuana market. Sales at licensed dispensaries of products containing Delta-8-THC in their titles increased over 240 percent between the second quarters of 2020 and 2021, according to the data firm Headset.

There’s still deep disagreement over whether any of these hemp-derived THC products are actually legal, but McConnell’s loophole has allowed these drugs to proliferate widely across the country. The hemp industry has quickly moved past selling just Delta-8-THC and is now offering an increasingly long list of synthetic cannabinoids that they can ship directly to your door. Meanwhile, cannabis insiders are warning that the country could be on the verge of a bigger public health emergency than 2019’s vape crisis, which ultimately hospitalized thousands and killed at least 68 people.

Week after week, thousands of new patients enroll in Missouri’s fast-growing medical marijuana program. Less than a year since the start of retail sales, nearly 150,000 Missourians with cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma and 20 other qualifying conditions can now safely purchase their medicine at any of the more than 150 dispensaries approved to operate so far.

What those patients can’t now do — thanks to a vague, overly broad and confusing rule interpretation recently announced by the state Department of Health and Senior Services — is access complete information related to the manufacture, quality, safety, contents, application and pricing of medical cannabis products in Missouri.

The department’s ban on “promotional events” may be rooted in the best of intentions, but its prohibition on “any activity, advertisement or publicity designed to increase interest in purchasing medical marijuana or a particular product or brand” is an unduly restrictive burden.

Many medical cannabis patients, including those we both treat at our St. Louis practices, as well as across the state, are on fixed incomes. It’s imperative that they know which dispensaries carry their preferred products and how much those products cost so that they can locate, budget and shop accordingly. Dispensaries offer promotional pricing to help patients afford their medicine and use these opportunities to educate and inform patients.

State regulators routinely refer to the importance of patient education in an arena in which many program participants may still be unfamiliar. The ability to discuss the direct-to-patient benefits allowed by dispensary education events cannot be realized if these patients are unaware of the cannabis retail outlet’s available pricing programs and products.

The days of Reefer Madness hysteria seem long behind us as more and more states legalize recreational marijuana. (Last week, one of the most conservative Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas, said he believed federal anti-marijuana laws might no longer be necessary.) Although pot is no longer considered the mania-inducing menace of years past, it's not harm free—like many milder, legal substances such as caffeine, pot can cause negative side effects if you use too much. Here are some potential physical reactions that may surprise you. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You May Have Already Had COVID.

1. Anxiety

Marijuana has a long reputation as a relaxant. But taking too much of it can have the opposite effect, causing anxiety, paranoia, and even panic attacks, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "A fatal overdose is unlikely, but that doesn't mean marijuana is harmless," the CDC warns.

Some heavy marijuana users experience severe nausea, vomiting, and pain after using cannabis. It's called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, and the symptoms tend not to respond to drug treatment. Experts estimate 2.7 million Americans experience the condition, which is frequently misdiagnosed as a psychiatric problem or GI issue before the true culprit is discovered. (Last year, it was the subject of the Washington Post's "Medical Mysteries" column.) "CHS went from being something we didn't know about and never talked about to a very common problem over the last five years," Dr. Eric Lavonas, a spokesman for the American College of Emergency Physicians, told the New York Times. It has a simple cure: Stop smoking pot.

3. Trouble Breathing

Just like cigarettes, marijuana joints require you to inhale smoke, which can lead to breathing issues. "Marijuana smoke irritates the lungs, and people who smoke marijuana frequently can have the same breathing problems as those who smoke tobacco," says the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). "These problems include daily cough and phlegm, more frequent lung illness, and a higher risk of lung infections." However, the agency notes, smoking pot has not been found to raise lung cancer risk.

4. Rapid Heart Rate

Also surprising for a renowned chill-out drug: Smoking marijuana can increase blood pressure, says the Mayo Clinic. "Marijuana raises heart rate for up to three hours after smoking," says NIDA. "This effect may increase the chance of heart attack. Older people and those with heart problems may be at higher risk."

New Frontier Data, the premier data, analytics and technology firm specializing in the cannabis industry worldwide, publishes its latest report, Cannabis & Wellness: A New Consumer Paradigm, released in partnership with SōRSE and Jointly, examining various facets of health and wellness-related consumption patterns amongst current U.S. cannabis consumers. For each wellness practice identified in this report (medical, mental health, physical fitness and alcohol replacement), individuals represented by New Frontier Data’s cannabis consumer archetypes illustrate distinct motivations and use cases.

The study reveals, as cannabis normalization continues to build across the U.S. market, 23% of cannabis consumers now partake in support of their general wellness, while 79% report cannabis to have an overwhelmingly positive impact on their lives. From cannabis-friendly yoga to cannabis social lounges as alternatives to traditional bars, the growing acceptability of cannabis use outside of the home, as well as in regulated public and social spaces, now provides numerous options for consumers to access cannabis to enhance their physical, mental and social well-being.

“The U.S. consumer base is diversifying, and reasons for use are extending well beyond recreational use into broader medical and wellness applications,” noted Giadha A. DeCarcer, Founder and Executive Chair of New Frontier Data. “Our continued focus on data and reporting on the full spectrum of cannabis consumer behavior, now expanding into more nuanced aspects of medical use across North America and Europe, will provide industry stakeholders with a 360-degree view of the cannabis consumer opportunity.”

Key Findings:

Relaxation and stress relief are the leading reasons for cannabis use, and 52% of current consumers reported taking cannabis to improve their mental health during the pandemic.

Combining cannabis and exercise challenges the longstanding “unhealthy, sedentary stoner” stereotype, and 13% of consumers reported regular use of cannabis before exercise to improve training.

Cannabis and its effect on sex is a topic that is often discussed. But cannabis and its effect on the sex lives of seniors doesn’t get nearly as much coverage, but it should.

The range of which cannabis can affect someone’s sex life is wide, from simply helping people feel more turned on, to opening the mind to deeper intimacy and promoting mindfulness. When applied to seniors, cannabis can provide an even larger influence, offering relaxation and increased libido, while also treating symptoms that naturally appear as people grow older and their bodies start to change.

Forbes spoke with Ashley Manta, a coach that specializes in the “cannasexual.” She said, “Cannabis is so useful for seniors because it addresses the common things that get in the way of intimacy. For folks whose bodies are aging, one of the more common things is pain. Whether from arthritis, stiffness or an injury, pain can be very distracting when it comes to pleasure.”

Cannabis and its use on seniors is a topic worth pursuing and initiating. Studies show that cannabis use among seniors steadily increases year after year, with a majority of people growing more educated on the subject and learning to use the plant to their advantage. Cannabis’s influence can be beneficial for a variety of aspects in seniors’ lives, like treating chronic conditions or providing some escape from stress. Sex is the least discussed of these issues, but it’s just as important.

As more companies continue to get involved with cannabis, there will likely be more products designed to reach a variety of people, including older demographics who want to have sex because it’s fun and healthy, and it makes them happy.

 Some Stamford representatives want to prevent people from smoking marijuana in certain parts of the city, including on school property, but it’s unclear if they have to do anything to make such activity illegal.

Are you looking for top marijuana stocks to invest in for Q4 2021? For the past 8 months, the cannabis sector has experienced substantial market declines. This is mostly due to Congress not establishing marijuana legalization earlier in the year. Now in Q4 the SAFE Banking Act and the MORE Act have resurfaced and passed in the House. Although there currently is a hold up in the Senate because lawmakers have their own legislation they have been trying to advance.

On August 9, 2021, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sent shock waves through the financial markets and the world in general with the publication of its sixth assessment report.

The IPCC report, the most comprehensive of its nature since 2013, made it abundantly clear that much of the damage incurred by the global ecosystem will be irreversible, and the harm is accelerating at an alarming rate.

This has catalyzed investment funds and asset managers focusing on environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria to rethink their approach. Chris Meyer of Praxis Mutual Funds, a well-established socially responsible investment firm, said in a Bloomberg Law article that the report “changes the calculus. We will need to have a sharper focus. This report shows that investors are not moving quickly enough.”

Financial investment itself may not be able to curb the problem. However, what is certain is that fund managers focused on ESG criteria will pay extra attention to environmentally conscious companies and substantial sums of investment dollars will likely flow into those that commit to more aggressive ESG plans.

What is ESG and does it matter to cannabis companies?

ESG is a set of standards applied to a company’s operations that some firms use to analyze potential investments. In recent years, more and more investment firms have focused on ESG as a means of attracting investors. Investment firms also increasingly believe that companies exhibiting a commitment to ESG principals will be better situated to deliver outsized returns in the future.

The Palm Springs City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a new schedule for municipal fines that can be levied on cannabis-related businesses that violate the city rules governing them. 

In 2019, Palm Springs adopted a set of revised regulations for cannabis businesses, such as dispensaries and production operations, that was motivated largely by concerns raised by residents about the impact of odors those businesses can produce. 

A good amount of investors are looking at marijuana stocks from a different lens. What this means is a lot has changed in the sector in regards to how most cannabis stocks have been performing. Especially in the last year. Many investors at one point felt pot stocks were unstoppable in 2020 and early 2021. During this time many cannabis companies were able to see consistent upward trading in the market. Yet from 2018-2020 much of the momentum was built from how new and explosive the cannabis sector was.