A South Carolina teacher was arrested after a student allegedly found and took a pack of marijuana gummies from a classroom prize box, according to the local sheriff’s office. Victoria Farish Weiss, 27, is charged with possession of a Schedule I drug. On Sept. 23, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department launched an investigation after a report that a student at Rocky Creek Elementary School had taken a pack of marijuana edibles from a prize box in a teacher’s classroom. The prize box was used to reward students.
The gummies are a kind of marijuana edible or cannabis-based food product. While they are available in other states and online, they’re illegal in South Carolina, according to Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon.
“They come in many forms, but the items in this case were candy,” Koon said. “They’re often packaged in wrappers and bags with logos and colors that look similar to traditional candy brands.”
When the student took the pack of edibles, Weiss allegedly told the child to pick something else from the box. The student returned to the box and grabbed another pack of edibles.
The next day, investigators searched Weiss’ home and found packs of edibles similar to those found in the classroom.
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.
Delta 8 THC is a naturally existing compound found in the hemp variety of cannabis, and is part of a family of compounds called "cannabinoids". There are 140+ cannabinoids in the hemp plant, including another one you likely have heard of, which is CBD. Another familiar compound is Delta 9 THC, the active ingredient in Marijuana.
Where Does Delta 8 Come From?
Delta 8 occurs naturally in hemp, but it doesn't exist in large amounts. So in order to make the amounts needed for products, Delta 8 needs to be created. Fortunately, the process for making Delta 8 has been known and refined for over 80 years, dating all the way back to early research in 1941 at the University of Illinois.
And it's a relatively simple process due to the fact that many cannabinoids are so similar to one another that they can easily be changed into one another simply by modifying the processing environment for these cannabinoids. In the specific case of creating Delta 8, it can be as simple as changing the pH and temperature surrounding CBD to cause its change into Delta 8 THC.
Is Delta 8 Safe?
Because Delta 8 is a naturally occurring component of the cannabis plant, there's nothing to suggest that it is any less safe than Marijuana, which has a long history of being extremely safe. In the 80 years that Delta 8 has been knowingly produced from CBD, there have been no deaths or lasting health issues attributed to it. Some officials have recently expressed cautions based upon the potential for misuse of Delta 8 products. It's also been noted that a full agency evaluation has not yet been completed. The majority of concerns raised seem to not quantify an inherent danger of the products, but caution about risks with unrecommended or irresponsible use. They also confirm the industry's already existing position, that these products should only be used and enjoyed by adults in a responsible way.
Is Delta 8 Legal?
Yes, Delta 8 THC is legal on a federal level, as was clearly defined for hemp-derived THCs in the 2018 Farm Bill. The Bill not only allowed for all derivatives, cannabinoids, and isomers of hemp to be legal but also specifically removed all hemp-based THCs from the Controlled Substances Act, a move that confirms congress did, in fact, know exactly what they were doing and that Delta 8 is not just the result of a legal "loophole," as some might falsely suggest.
A former Boulder banker convicted in 2010, sentenced to prison and placed on the hook for $11.9 million in restitution to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for bank fraud in the collapse of BestBank in 1998 has been judged, along with his son and two companies, to be at fault in a case involving the disappearance of a hemp crop.
In a case decided in Denver District Court in January 2020 and affirmed by the Colorado Court of Appeals on Sept. 9, Thomas Alan Boyd, along with others, was determined to be liable for securities fraud, untrue statements, a scheme to defraud, false representation, nondisclosure and concealment and negligent misrepresentation.
The case was brought by Hemp Recovery Co. LLC, which was the assignee of claims belonging to Adam A. Desmond and DD Needle Rock Farms LLC, a hemp producer. Needle Rock Farms is a Crawford company.
As alleged in the lawsuit filed Feb. 6, 2019, Desmond and Needle Rock Farms, based upon representations made by Thomas Alan Boyd and his son, Christopher Boyd, agreed to transfer 4,415 pounds of hemp flower, valued at $75 per pound, to Christopher Boyd’s company, Foothills Ventures LLC of Berthoud, for processing and extraction of its CBD oil. Needle Rock and Foothills had agreed to a 50/50 split of proceeds from sale of products derived from the hemp, according to the lawsuit.
The hemp was then transferred to another company, Sling Logistics LLC, which was formed in December 2016 by Thomas Alan Boyd and Matthew Taylor. Sling was said to be in the business of wholesale brokering and transportation of marijuana and hemp. Needle Rock paid Sling $230,000 in anticipation of services.
Canopy Growth (WEED.TO)(CGC) is looking to dominate the cannabis gummies market with its latest option-based deal hingeing on pot becoming federally legal in the United States.
The Smiths Falls, Ont.-based company announced a deal on Thursday to acquire privately-held Wana Brands, a Colorado-based cannabis edibles brand that claims to lead the category by market share across North America.
Canopy says the transaction is similar in structure to its planned takeover of New York-based multi-state operator Acreage Holdings (ACRHF), a landmark deal when it was announced in 2019 that required federally permissible pot sales in order to be fully consummated.
Under the terms of the deal, Canopy has separate call option agreements with three Wana owner entities to acquire 100 per cent of the company. Canopy says it will make an upfront cash payment of US$297.5 million. When the rights to acquire each Wana entity are exercised, Canopy says it will make a payment equal to 15 per of the fair market value with cash, shares or a combination of both, at its discretion. The company did not disclose the total expected value of the deal.
"There are some extremely highly valued businesses, and there's a lot of businesses that are struggling to get profitable. And then there are some in the sweet spot. We consider Wana to be in that sweet spot," Klien told Yahoo Finance Canada in a virtual interview on Thursday.
The Greenwood Police Department (GPD) in South Carolina issued an advisory to parents this week cautioning them about a recent discovery in which a green substance tested positive as heroin, but looked quite a bit like cannabis.
The advisory posted on Facebook implores PARENTS: PLEASE READ. In a straightforward approach surely meant to get parents’ attention, police kick off by asking: “If you saw this, what would you think it was? Candy? Marijuana? This is heroin.”
One person commenting on the police post noted: “ I’d like to see one of the pieces cut open and also what the coating is, or was. It would help in keeping an eye out for crap like this.” Another poster thanked the police for providing a photo, adding “ more photos of other drugs would be helpful. ”
According to 7News, GPD public information officer Jonathan Link reports: “This is not something people just smoke a little bit and walk away. This is the kind of thing that grips people and puts them in the addiction, recovery process for the rest of your life.”
But Link notes the substance, which initially looks like cannabis that has been compressed, but when manipulated is much more of a “powdery, kind of a crystal substance,” Link adds.
While most cannabis consumers likely don’t have weed lying around the house that they don’t want to smoke, it can happen, especially if a person harvests their own marijuana or suddenly finds they have a whole lot of weed on hand.
Leftover cannabis can always be stored in glass jars and dark places for later use, but, if feeling a bit more creative, there are plenty of fun things that can be done with these leftovers, remnants that could offer different experiences to compliment that cannabis high.
Cannabutter
Whenever there’s too much weed, cannabutter is a great place to turn. For starters, it’s very easy to make; it’s also super malleable, able to be be added to coffees, teas, drinks and just about any edible treat. Making cannabutter is also simple. Just remember to decarb the weed in the oven beforehand.
Some type of concentrate
Concentrates are potent forms of cannabis, stronger than flower. They can be consumed in different ways, which is why there are so many in the market. Still, some simple ones can be made at home, like rosin, which is made by pressing flower into some parchment paper with the help of a curling iron until it crackles. This process creates some oil that can be used on a dab rig, and consumed in that way.
A huge party joint
Sometimes, though, the best response is the easiest. Consider simply using that leftover weed to make a huge joint. There are dozens of ways to make them, from cross-joints to stuffing a whole bunch of weed into some tobacco paper. Just remember to share.
An arrest warrant executed last week by the Cumbria Police in the U.K. paid off big when officers discovered a massive grow with 1,646 cannabis plants filling 23 separate rooms.
The misuse of drugs warrant and search of a property in Egremont were carried out at 8:35 a.m. on Oct. 12, the police reported on Facebook .
“If it was legal it wouldn’t force the cultivation into organised crime,” noted one poster. Added another clearly exasperated one: “What a waste it’s a plant, you hardly get stoned an go commit a crime Jesus Christ get with the times man.”
Still, Wilkinson didn’t miss the opportunity to also encourage the public to report any suspicious behaviour to the police.
“We take all suspected drugs cultivation seriously and would continue to urge anyone who has any suspicions about any buildings that might be used for illegal purposes to come forward with information,” he notes in the statement.
I'm probably never going to learn how to speak Mandarin unless our future Chinese overlords say so, but I've been smoking a ton of it lately. Mandarin Cookies, Mandarin Sunset and Mandarin Dreams have all been in season at dispensaries for the better part of three years now, and there's no sign of them departing any time soon. There have been a couple of additions to the family from the same breeder that gave us all the other Mandarin varieties, but the new kids have yet to be knighted.
Colorado's Ethos Genetics is responsible for the orange crush so many Denver dispensaries are under, crossing Herijuana and Orange Skunk that birthed Mandarin Sunset, then taking off commercially with Mandarin Cookies. Our latest citrus deity is a cross of Mandarin Sunset and Temple Kush, another Ethos creation. Mandarin Temple isn't very orange, though, instead taking after Temple Kush's background of OG Kush, Sour Diesel, Afghani and Purple Thai. While that might disappoint someone expecting the sweet orange burst from Mandarin Sunset and Mandarin Cookies, I'll happily accept this black sheep's hash qualities and dependable high.
Mandarin Cookies' ability to combine Florida oranges with heavy resin is more distinguishable than sturdy evening effects and flavors from decades past, but the fuddy-duddy in me prefers the way Mandarin Temple always hits the same. It's my glass of whiskey after work, giving me a short rush that numbs stress and increases intrigue before chipping away at my energy. The juiced-up approach toward Eastern Kush varieties is like watching a well-made period piece, giving me all the clothes, cars and music from the ’50s in clearer visuals and sound.
Mandarin Temple won't ever be Mandarin Cookies in terms of widespread notoriety, but the strain's current popularity among wholesale growers and its modern boost on older cannabis characteristics give it a bright chance to stick around. Just don't expect any orange on the tastebuds, or you'll be seeing red.
Research has consistently shown that people report using marijuana in order to feel the high, experience enhanced feelings, increase social connections or cope with certain feelings and moods.
Among young adults early in the pandemic , there were modest reductions in motivations for using marijuana for celebratory reasons and slight increases toward using marijuana because of boredom, possibly due to initial physical distancing mandates and stay-at-home orders. However, among the main reasons for using, both before the pandemic and during as well, are feelings of enjoyment or the high associated with marijuana use. We do not yet know the impact of these shifting motivations for using marijuana or whether patterns seen during the pandemic will continue after.
How many college students are actually using cannabis?
With 18 states legalizing cannabis for non-medical or “recreational” purposes – the first of which did so in 2012 – access to marijuana has increased, especially for college students over 21 years of age. While the past three reports from Monitoring the Future – a national drug use survey conducted annually by the University of Michigan – have shown that between 43% and 44% of college students report any cannabis use in the past year, over half of college students do not report use. This is important to note because research has shown that when people think “everyone” is doing something, they are more likely to start doing it themselves or do it more .
Different from any use in the past year, researchers often look at past month use as an indicator of current use. Given that about 25% of college students report use in the past month , this suggests that three-quarters of students do not report past month use, and not using marijuana is actually the most common behavior.
How does smoking weed affect academic performance?
As researchers who work with college students, we hear students say things like marijuana is “safe,” “natural” or that it’s “just weed,” but research tells a very different story about potential risks. This is particularly true with the high potency cannabis that dominates markets in legal and medical states .
Stevie Van Zandt, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, is encouraging folks to roll one up. The veteran rocker, author and actor, launches his own line of pre-rolled joints, bearing the name of his wellness brand Little Steven’s Underground Apothecary. Van Zandt’s gear is part of a holistic approach to both heal, help and educate. Many U.S. states have decriminalized or legalized medical or recreational marijuana, though cannabis remains illegal at a federal level.
That’s just not right, reckons Van Zandt.
“We need to help spread cannabis education, destigmatization, and stop unjust criminalization for a plant that not only does a lot of good, but has proven during COVID to be essential to people’s well being and quality of life,” he explains.
The pandemic gave the guitar hero and so many others a reminder on the importance of personal well-being. So Van Zandt launched his Underground Apothecary, which offers a range of holistic teas, lollipops, candles and now pre-rolls.
The ready-made doobies are created with hand-grown craft cannabis, according to a statement, and, for now, they’ll be exclusively carried at Canna Provisions stores in Lee and Holyoke, Massachusetts. You'll need to be 21-years-old to light one up.
Representatives from local, county and tribal government met last week to discuss strategies for regulating recreational marijuana sales which are set to begin Jan. 1, 2022. Montana voters approved the sale of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older during the 2020 election. HB 701, passed in the 2021 legislative session, places oversight with the Department of Revenue, “provides for a local-option marijuana excise tax” and a requirement for local government approval.
Polson City Manager Ed Meece opened the meeting by saying he hoped the various governments in attendance could benefit from working together in their approach to regulation. He shared some of the strategies being developed by Polson’s Marijuana Task Force, which include prohibition of use on city-owned property, regulation of transport, special business licensure, taxation and zoning requirements.
Regarding taxation, it is being recommended that that city work with the county government to implement a 3 percent tax via ballot initiative for recreational sales made within the county. HB 701 caps the local option tax at 3 percent and further spells out that 50 percent of revenues are retained by the county while 45 percent are apportioned to cities based on population. The remaining 5 percent is retained by the Montana Department of Revenue and placed in a “marijuana state special revenue account.”
Lake County Commissioners, who were all present at the meeting, are willing to put forth a resolution to implement a 3 percent tax on recreational marijuana sales but are seeking consensus among the county’s incorporated towns and cities prior to doing so. They’ve asked for written requests from municipalities to put forth a tax initiative as well as an agreement to bear the cost of a special election in proportion to revenues that could be gained by the resolution’s passing.
Commissioner Bill Barron said he hopes that cities and counties can come together for cohesion of regulations, “So that county residents could know wherever they are, whichever city, regulations are the same.”
Europe is beginning to take its cannabis industry seriously, and it is such a rewarding time to experience this movement. We are used to hearing cannabis news from countries like Germany, Spain but not the Czech Republic. So this information is quite informative as it shows the speed at which the marijuana sector is thriving.
This move is expected to increase calls for more marijuana reforms for all European countries. Czech President Milos Zeman signed a law in September that permits industrial hemp cultivated in the country to contain THC up to 1.0%. This prescribed level exceeds the present limit set by the European Parliament.
The prior guidelines set by the Parliament are way lesser than what is proposed (0.2% – 0.3%). Even though the changes will not happen until 2023, this move has ignited hope in millions of people that cannabis is making headway in Europe and the Czech Republic.
The changes also represent an exciting time for the global cannabis market because, with such regulations, more countries, cities, and communities will look to implementing such laws. If you are reading this, you love cannabis. If you have ever had challenges with getting marijuana, you will know it is because of severe legalization issues.
This move will affect the Czech Republic. It will also affect countries in the EU searching for lower-priced marijuana products beginning with, but not limited to, extracts.
An Australian driver initially was pulled over for dangerous driving, but later was charged for that and obstructing the police by ripping open bags of illegal drugs and trying to dump them before an officer could arrest him.
The 29-year-old driver was observed in his truck travelling in a dangerous manner about midday on Oct. 9, notes a statement from the Queensland Police.
Directed by the highway patrol officer to pull over, the driver did so but failed to comply with the officer’s instruction to remain seated inside the truck. The police then saw the man try to conceal some property under his seat.
While being arrested for non-compliance, the man “allegedly obstructed police by attempting to tear open packets of drugs on the roadside,” notes the statement.
It didn’t take long for the police to find out what the driver was trying to ditch. A search of the vehicle revealed 12 kilograms of cannabis in cryovaced packets inside a cardboard box. Police also discovered small quantities of MDMA, cocaine and cash.
Every year around Halloween time, rumors will start to creep up about “marijuana-laced” Halloween candy. Should parents be worried about there being truth behind the rumors?
Some older stories stem from the 1950s that people would “heat pennies on skillets and put them into the hands of trick-or-treaters.” This eventually turned into stories about “arsenic and pins” ending up in children’s candy in the 1960s.
This could be where the fear of marijuana-laced candy came from, but these instances can now be considered ancient Halloween sadism, according to Joel Best, the nation’s top researcher on Halloween candy contamination.
When looking further into information about marijuana-laced candy on Halloween, there have never been any real cases of it showing up in a trick-or-treater’s possession.
“I’ve done the research, and I can’t find any evidence that any child has been killed or seriously hurt by any candy picked up in the course of trick-or-treating. My view is this is overblown. You can’t prove a negative, but it seems unlikely,” Best told Vox.
The thriving and consistently crowded industrial real estate market has recently had to accommodate an increasing number of cannabis growing and processing plants in the municipalities that allow them.
However, in many cases, cannabis construction in these municipalities has led to the multi-million-dollar rehabilitation of obsolete industrial facilities.
Chicago-based Cresco Labs LLC had its first harvest two weeks ago at its newly opened, 110,000-square-foot facility at 210 Oliver Drive in Marshall, the former site of a Win Schuler and Campbell Soup Co. factory.
“A ton goes into (choosing the location) because the building has to function as an indoor horticultural facility, so it’s unique in that it has to have facilities for horticulture, product manufacturing, a distribution hub with warehousing, and you need office space, too,” Cresco Labs CEO and co-founder Charlie Bachtell told MiBiz.
At some point, Cresco plans to get into the retail side of cannabis in Michigan, whether that means opening its own dispensary or acquiring existing locations, Bachtell said.
“There are groups that are well-established and buying up smaller (retail and industrial) locations that couldn’t make it,” said Stephanie Goodman, CEO and founder of Waterford Township-based Bricks + Mortar Group LLC real estate development company. “We’re also seeing larger investment firms moving in and seeing leasebacks at some locations.”
The only business in Alaska where you can watch a football game inside, order a smoothie and spark up a joint is in a former Chili’s restaurant in Fairbanks.
“We have groups of people coming in to watch basketball, watch rugby, watch the Olympic wrestling team, and smoke a doobie,” said Brandon Emmett, one of the owners of Good Titrations, which operates the state’s lone cannabis cafe.
And it is a cafe: The lounge offers a full coffee and restaurant menu, and “just so happens to sell marijuana,” Emmett said.
Owner and president Brandon Emmett at Good Titrations cannabis cafe' and coffee shop in Fairbanks, Alaska Wednesday afternoon, October 6, 2021. The on-site marijuana consumption facility, the only one in the state, also includes a cultivation facility and retail store. Good Titrations started as a cannabis concentrate production facility and hopes to add a large-scale commercial cultivation operation.
Though Good Titrations had other cannabis ventures up and running already, the lounge didn’t open until April 20 of this year. Getting to that point wasn’t easy. Emmett said the business spent around $375,000 modifying its building to meet all the requirements spelled out in state rules governing on-site consumption, including a costly air filtration system.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has been waiting more than three decades to revenge prank his Twins costar Danny DeVito. Unfortunately for Schwarzenegger, DeVito smoked out his plot.
A little background first: Back in May, while responding to a fan's question about his favorite on-set story in his monthly newsletter, Schwarzenegger revealed that back in the 1980s, when the pair were filming Twins, DeVito gave him a stogie with a little bit of something extra.
"He'd always make me the most delicious pasta at lunch, and we'd eat and schmooze and have a cigar before we went back to work. One day, he packed my cigar with marijuana without telling me," Schwarzenegger recounted.
Unsurprisingly, the smoking sesh left Schwarzenegger "speechless."
"This month, I also got together with my friend Danny DeVito to promote our movie Triplets! Ivan Reitman, our director who you know from Twins, Kindergarten Cop, and Ghostbusters, wanted to get us together with our new, third brother, Tracy Morgan over Zoom. Naturally, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to bring back a prank Danny pulled on me all those years ago on the set of Twins," the former governor shared.
In a continuing trend across the country whereby cities are taking steps to decriminalize the possession of certain amounts of all kinds of psychedelics, Seattle joined the herd this week by voting to formalize the non-prosecution of the possession of certain entheogens, commonly known as psychedelics. We were especially gratified to see the results of the vote, as John Rapp and Mason Marks from our office have been working hard on this behind the scenes.
Resolution 32021 passed on Monday (see the actual ordinance here), and it basically renders as one of the lowest “law enforcement priorities” the “investigation, arrest, and prosecution of anyone engaging in entheogen-related activities.” More specifically, the ordinance states that:
“. . . the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of anyone engaging in entheogen-related activities, including but not limited to the cultivation of entheogens for use in religious, spiritual, healing, or personal growth practices and the sharing of entheogens with co-practitioners without financial or other consideration, should be among the City of Seattle’s lowest enforcement priorities.”
Almost more importantly, the Council openly indicates in the ordinance its full support behind decriminalization of the foregoing activities and directs the Office of Intergovernmental Relations to add to its 2022 agenda full decriminalization of psychedelics under state law.
“[e]ach of these decriminalization measures is different, but fundamentally they are the same in that they do not actually make psychedelics legal. All they really do is direct law enforcement in those cities to make enforcement of existing criminal laws a low priority, and only then for non-commercial possession and use. Decriminalization measures don’t change state or federal law, and even don’t really change local law.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill late Wednesday allowing a formal pathway for hemp-based CBD to be used legally in beverages, food and other products, such as dietary supplements. The now-signed legislation expands the hemp industry in California by legalizing retail sales of hemp-derived consumable products, according to a press release from the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA).
“We cannot thank the author enough for her tireless and unparalleled work to get comprehensive hemp regulations passed. Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry has been steadfast in her approach to create a level playing field between cannabis and hemp while protecting the health and safety of all Californians,” wrote the CCIA.
Apart from containing various requirements for testing and labeling hemp products, the bill laid out rules for the sale of products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids in California manufactured in other states.
“I knew that there was a need, and I knew that we needed to make sure that [hemp products were] safe and have been tested and had good labeling,” Aguiar-Curry told the U.S. Hemp Roundtable in a recent interview.
The California Department of Public Health is now expected to work on rules to implement legislation that also regulates the sale of cannabinoid-infused cosmetics and pet foods.
