WeedLife News Network

All eyes are on the race between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, but South Dakotans have much more at stake on the ballot than just the presidential race.

Marijuana has remained a big conversation all over America with several states legalizing it in recent years.

In November, South Dakota voters will decide whether they want it legal. There are two proposals.

Amendment A would legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana and require the Legislature to pass laws regarding hemp as well as laws ensuring access to marijuana for medical use. Supporters said it would only be for adults 21 and older and would bring new revenue to the state, create new jobs, and would reduce arrests and criminal prosecutions.

Opponents argue that marijuana is highly addictive and can have long-term health consequences.

Poland’s Institute of Natural Fibers & Medicinal Plants (IWNiRZ) has launched a program aimed at lifting the fortunes of the agrarian nation’s hemp farmers while expanding the country’s international footprint through a wide range of research, development and new business activities.

“The dynamic annual increase in the scale of hemp farming in Poland is an opportunity to improve the financial situation of Polish farmers, especially small landholders,” said Witold Czeszak, who heads the Institute’s Technology Transfer Department, and is co-founder and manager of the new initiative, the Polish Hemp Program.

At the same time, Czeszak said IWNiRZ is responding to the needs of the global industrial hemp market, setting an example for effective commercialization of intellectual property rights developed at the Institute, which marks its 90th anniversary this year.

Working globally, locally

Supervised by Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, IWNiRZ participates in a wide range of national and international projects, cooperates with numerous scientific organizations around the world, and carries out comprehensive research on the harvesting and processing of natural fibrous and herbal materials. That includes extensive R&D into machines for harvesting, and processing technology for a variety of whole-plant applications. The Institute is currently working with Polish farmers and innovators in developing threshing machines and a hemp harvester for seed material, and provides harvesting services.

Supporting Polish farmers

By offering farmers the chance to earn as much as 15,000 Polish zlotys ($3,800/€3,352) per hectare, the Institute’s outreach in the Polish farming community is creating interest among a young generation of farmers and entrepreneurs who clearly see the potential in industrial hemp. “It’s an opportunity for them to develop processing solutions aimed at producing all kinds of finished products,” Czeszak said.

Cannabis legalization advocates often tout the plant's potential to boost state coffers.

What comes to mind when you think of plant nutrition and fertilizers? For most people, the first thoughts are something along the lines of “NPK,” “CalMag,” or “micronutrients” — but these elements collectively make up less than 10% of the composition of most plants. Whether they know it or not, all cannabis growers strive to sink as much carbon into their plants as possible.

Carbon plays a key role in determining yield and quality, but it has been largely overlooked in conventional and mainstream agricultural fertility programs.

Well-known organizations like the American Cancer Society have already had frank discussions about the benefits of CBD and cannabis during cancer treatment. 

A cancer diagnosis is a life-changing event. From the confusion of understanding the road ahead to the hectic schedule of treatment protocols and never-ending appointments, many individuals struggle through treatment and beyond.

Amy S., a native of Milwaukee, shared that her breast cancer treatment took a toll not only on her body, but relationships as well.  “Exhaustion was an understatement. I didn’t have the brain power or the patience to give to my children, or my husband.” Amy went on to explain that during particularly difficult chemotherapy sessions, while they were targeting her left breast, she had continuous nausea and insomnia. One bright spot, Amy shared, was that a friend passed her some CBD oil. 

After discussing combining the oil with her other treatment, she found relief in small doses. “It didn’t fix the fear, but it gave me a little bit of my life back, between vomiting and overthinking.” Amy credits CBD oil with helping her deal with anxiety and pain during treatment. And, she’s not alone. 

Well-known organizations like the American Cancer Society have already had frank discussions about the benefits of CBD and cannabis during cancer treatment. 

The CBD Cannabis Industry Leaders

Despite Government’s declared intention to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use, the state’s main mental health institution is insisting on abstention except for medically prescribed purposes.

Director of the Psychiatric Hospital David Leacock said today his institution is firm in its position that no one should be using any type of narcotic drug whatsoever the amount.

“The hospital’s policy has been for the most part that we only believe marijuana should be used for medicinal reasons and prescribed by a medical practitioner. That still remains the case,” Leacock told Barbados TODAY this afternoon.

In fact, he warned Barbadians that marijuana poses a risk to the health of those who use it.

“We are not going to get into that discussion whether we think it is fair or unfair for those persons…whether it is within their rights to do or not to do. We deal from the medical side of things as far as how we see it, it does present a risk to persons if they are using marijuana,” the Psychiatric Hospital director stated.

Until the enactment of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, industrial hemp was a significant agricultural crop in the United States. Clothing and flags were made from it, it was a nutrient-dense source of grain, and Henry Ford built a car out of hemp that was fueled by it.

Arthritis often causes a dramatic lifestyle change that’s accompanied by depression and/or anxiety. But that doesn’t have to be the case. 

One-and-a-half million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In fact, The Arthritis Foundation estimates that three times as many women as men have the disease and it affects individuals of all ages, but primarily women ages 30 to 60. 

Commonly affecting the hands and feet of the body, RA is considered an autoimmune disease, where the body attacks joints, leading to inflammation and pain as well as a loss of motion. With a diagnosis comes a rapidly-changing lifestyle, often causing activities and hobbies that were once loved and now off-limits.

Through stories on the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society website, many individuals have shared that arthritis has caused a dramatic lifestyle change that’s often accompanied by depression and anxiety. But that doesn’t have to be the case. 

Changing perceptions around cannabis with arthritis 

With patients young and old experiencing the debilitating effects of rheumatoid arthritis, individuals like Pearl Schomburg are advocating for doctors to mention the effects of cannabis in office. Pearl explained to Newshub, “Cannabis balm was the first thing I discovered and was shocked by how well it worked.”

It is recommended that people receive 8 hours of sleep every night.

Proper sleep plays a huge role in people’s overall health and wellness.

If someone gets the proper amount of sleep it means that they spend literally one-third of their life sleeping, which further highlights how important sleep is to humans.

Unfortunately, not everyone gets the proper amount of sleep each night. 

Poor sleep can significantly lower a person’s life expectancy via an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Five years after the legalization of cannabis in Washington, D.C., racial bias is still prevalent in arrests for marijuana-related offenses in the nation’s capital, according to an analysis of police records by the Washington Post. Between 2015 and 2019, nearly 90% of those arrested for cannabis-related crimes in Washington, D.C. were Black, although African-Americans make up only 45% of the city’s population and multiple studies have shown comparable rates of marijuana use among white people and Black people.

In 2014, voters in Washington, D.C. approved Initiative 71, a ballot measure that permitted possession of up to two ounces of marijuana by adults 21 and older. The initiative also allowed adults to gift up to one ounce of weed to other adults and for the home cultivation of up to six cannabis plants. Support for the measure was bolstered by a 2013 report from the American Civil Liberties Union that showed starkly disparate enforcement of the nation’s marijuana laws, including in Washington, D.C. where Black people were eight times as likely as white people to be arrested for possession.

But Republicans in Congress, flexing their power over the city’s budget, blocked Washington from eliminating penalties on public consumption and cannabis sales. That led police in the city to continue “buy and bust” operations and other law enforcement actions aimed at marijuana.

“The goal was to not only eliminate the criminality associated with cannabis but to establish a regulatory system for distribution,” G. Malik Burnett, a leader of the effort to reform Washington’s cannabis policy, told the Post. “When there’s a gray area, police are able to enforce what they feel they should enforce.”

Between 2015 and 2019, D.C. Metro Police made 3,631 arrests for marijuana-related offenses.

Cannabis strains aren’t as important as people think they are. Still, some key effects have been associated with sativas separate from others.

As two primary cannabis forms, sativas and indicas become associated with certain behaviors and effects. However, the value of these definitions has lost weight over time. Their effects are not as clear cut as the names sativas and indicas make it out to be, with experts now understanding the multiple variations inherent in cannabis plants, as well as how these variations impact people differently.

Even though sativa strains can change depending on the user, there’s a few effects that are associated with them. To have more certainty over these effects, your safest bet is to visit a dispensary and have an open talk with your budtender. That way you can discuss the effects you’re looking for and your level of experience with the plant.

Here are 5 of the most popular benefits associated with cannabis sativa strains:

Creativity

While indicas are associated with body highs, sativas are associated with head highs, which at times can translate to bursts of creativity and thinking outside the box. These strains tend to avoid any sleepy feelings, meaning that if you feel creative and high, you also won’t feel like falling asleep when trying to get something creative done. These strains are a good idea for when you want to do something expressive, whether that’s writing, painting or making a sculpture.

2 Top Marijuana Stocks To Watch For 2020

We’ve all witnessed the epic expansion of the vaping market in recent years, with people of all ages joining in on the trend. It seems that no matter where you turn, there’s always that one a guy or a girl with a vape pod in any group of friends. 

Well, the increased popularity has caused quite a bit of a stir in the vaping industry, and there are a number of changes on the horizon. If you just want to buy vape juice online, get a colorful pod, and join the community, it’s a perfect time to do so.

Here are just some of the biggest trends that all you vapers, and soon-to-be vapers, can look forward to. 

Things Are Getting Smaller and More Efficient

Yeah, while our cell-phones have been getting bigger and bigger over the last decade, the vaping world has been hit by a shrink ray. Vape pens have gotten a lot slimmer, with some quite elegant models seen in the hands of Instagram fashionistas. 

Going with a smaller size doesn’t mean sacrificing all the power, though, as these compact devices are real workhorses. They’re easy to carry around, they have a perfect look for those who want to be a bit understated and classy, and they work just as well as their chunkier counterparts. 

There are as many ways to use cannabis as there are cannabis consumers. Unfortunately, most of those consumption methods have a major downside: They create a bunch of waste in the process.

Cannabis business attorney Sylvia Chi says the most concerning environmental issue for the cannabis consumer is excessive packaging, especially when you compare cannabis packaging to non-medicated food packaging.

“There are definitely better ways to do it,” Chi says. “There aren’t good ways to reuse or recycle; most dispensaries say they can’t accept used jars, not to mention all the other packaging. What are you supposed to do with a huge stash of glass jars? Make candles?”

Chi also questions the usefulness of recycling in general, as recent upheavals in the market have lead to more recyclables ending up in landfills.

According to a July 2018 report from the EPA, American citizens recycle about 34.7 percent of waste that can be recycled. The United States usually sends about half of that plastic overseas to be recycled, but as of Jan. 1, China stopped accepting foreign waste — thereby rerouting millions of tons of recyclable products into the landfill or the ocean this year.

While indications of the rapid growth in both medical and recreational cannabis markets continue to expand to all parts of the country, one of the most eye-catching places to watch is Michigan.

Voters there approved a measure in 2018 to make recreational marijuana legal in the state. Ten years earlier, voters approved legalizing medical marijuana. Michigan stands out as one of the leaders in the cannabis industry in the Midwest.

Connecticut could collect nearly $1 billion in taxes over five years if the state were to legalize recreational marijuana, according to a new University of Connecticut report.

A study by UConn’s Center for Economic Analysis estimated that in five years of recreational sales Connecticut could collect anywhere from $784 million to $952 million in new taxes, according to the Hartford Courant.

Since the COVID-19-fueled recession has hit the U.S., many states are looking at new ways to raise tax revenue.

Lead study author Fred Carstensen said that in addition to raising taxes, welcoming the recreational marijuana industry to Connecticut would also add 16,000 jobs to the local economy in five years.

In this article, Eleri Williams, Associate at Hill Dickinson Life Sciences team, sets out an overview of the current legal and regulatory position on the import and export of medical cannabis to and from the UK.

While doctors are now allowed to prescribe medicinal cannabis in certain circumstances, many patients, particularly those who seek prescriptions through the NHS, still face an uphill struggle in obtaining this medicine, which can effectively treat or alleviate the symptoms of some medical conditions.

One of the many hurdles to overcome is the slow and bureaucratic process of importing medicinal cannabis, which runs paradoxically to the UK’s position as the world’s largest exporter. In recognition of this difficulty and the detrimental effect on patients, in March 2020 the UK government alleviated some of the import restrictions to allow patients easier access to medical cannabis once medically prescribed.

Legal overview

The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 prohibits and criminalises various activities relating to controlled drugs in the UK, including the importation and exportation, production, supply and possession of cannabis and associated products. These activities can, however, be undertaken with an appropriate licence from the Home Office.

A definitive list of the different types of licence available is contained in the Misuse of Drugs (Licence Fees) Regulations 2010, which sets out the fees to be paid in respect of the different types of licence. Individual licences for the importation and exportation of cannabis can be obtained, though applicants may also be required to hold a domestic licence. Home Office guidance is available to applicants on the process for applying for import/export licences – National Drugs Control System – Guide for Users (October 2017).

The USDA signed off on an extension of Maine’s fledgling hemp program beyond late October, but state agriculture specialists are at a loss as to how the sector can move forward.

Hemp producers across Maine must adhere to new federal guidelines, which state horticulturalist Gary Fish stresses are written differently from current state rules. Fish said that could be problematic for those who harvest after Oct. 31, the original sunset date for the industry.

Under one new federal rule, a hemp strain’s THC level could determine whether it remains legal.

Fish said everyone in the business will be in for quite a learning experience.