Sha’Carri Richardson’s disqualification provides an excellent opportunity for sports organizations to evaluate their marijuana policies.

On June 28, U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended for one month by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for using cannabis, effectively disqualifying her from competing in the Olympics. The suspension of a gold medal contending athlete caught many by surprise and sparked a worldwide debate about marijuana use by athletes should be addressed. Many in the sports world quickly rushed to her defense, including Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, who called the suspension “ridiculous.”

WADA has three criteria for a drug to qualify for its prohibited substances list: (1) it represents an actual or potential health risk to the athlete; (2) it has the potential to enhance or enhances sport performance; and (3) it violates the spirit of sport.

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

According to a 2011 paper written by WADA scientists, marijuana satisfies all three of the criteria. First, “athletes who smoke cannabis or Spice in-competition potentially endanger themselves and others because of increased risk taking, slower reaction times and poor executive function or decision making.” Second, “based on current animal and human studies as well as on interviews with athletes and information from the field, cannabis can be performance enhancing for some athletes and sports disciplines.” Third, “use of illicit drugs that are harmful to health and that may have performance-enhancing properties is not consistent with the athlete as a role model for young people around the world.”

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented and worrisome impact on all businesses and sectors across the world. The cannabis and liquor businesses were not spared, and it is expected to think about the state of these businesses post-COVID-19. 

Interestingly, one of the focal points to consider is the priority people will place on both substances. Will cannabis be more prominent in use than liquor, or will it be vice versa? How will cannabis businesses fare over the liquor business? Let’s find out!

The California factor

One week after the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic, the state of California announced a statewide business lockdown. The state of Illinois also followed through with the same directive after California. 

Both states designated marijuana businesses and operators as “Essential services” with supermarkets, pharmacies, and liquor stores. These businesses were allowed to be opened while other businesses shut down. 

Other states quickly followed the California and Illinois lead by declaring marijuana operates as an important business. This move enabled a rush for such essential designations in the early weeks of the pandemic. This rush for marijuana was a progressive moment in the marijuana industry which also led to the creation of new legal state marijuana markets. 

Though public opinion has increasingly favored decriminalization of marijuana use in the last two decades, the process has been complicated by the public’s differing opinions on how marijuana should be decriminalized and for what reasons. While on a national level, marijuana distribution for any use is illegal under the Controlled Substances Act, 36 U.S. states have passed measures allowing for medicinal use, while 18 states have permitted recreational use as of June 22. A 2018 poll found that 56% of adults surveyed favored the state regulation of marijuana over federal regulation, highlighting that some wish for states to be given autonomy over decisions regarding decriminalization.

However, every state that decriminalizes marijuana for any reason sustains an “uneasy relationship” with the federal government. The federal government is unable and partly unwilling to enforce marijuana criminalization in all 36 states in which it is legal, but businesses wishing to sell marijuana encounter problems with federal tax laws, banking, and the threat of arrest if the federal government decides to crackdown. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently criticized the federal government’s approach to marijuana, saying it “simultaneously tolerates and forbids local use of marijuana” after a Colorado business appealed a ruling prohibiting the business from deducting business expenses from its federal taxes.

With public opinion in support of decriminalization, the complexity of the federal government’s relationship with marijuana may be too difficult to preserve. On June 14, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer introduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act that would legalize marijuana nationally, but passage faces challenges in both parties along with President Biden more supportive of decriminalization than legalization.

Public opinion research increasingly finds support for legalization in some form, with a 2021 Pew Research Center survey finding that 90% of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized for medical use, and 60% favored legalization for both recreational and medical use. In contrast, only 12% supported legalization in 1969 and 31% in 1999. Medical use remains the primary reason listed for legalization according to a 2019 Gallup poll and this focus may explain the challenges to full decriminalization. Likewise, a 2018 study suggests the media focus on medical use may explain why around 30% of Americans surveyed support legalization for medicinal but not recreational use. Meanwhile, few studies directly ask whether legalization should be left up to the states.

To assess public opinion of decriminalizing marijuana, we conducted a national online survey of 625 Americans, using quota sampling and administered through Qualtrics on June 22-24. Participants were asked “Which of the following best matches your opinion regarding marijuana?” and could choose one of four answers:

Nearly 88,000 marijuana convictions and pending cases have been vacated or dismissed since July 1, 2021, the New Jersey Judiciary announced on Monday.

These are the first of up to 360,000 cases and convictions that are eligible for vacation, dismissal and automatic expungement “in the coming months.”

The actions by the courts follow a state Supreme Court order that “provides for the dismissal, vacating, and expungement of certain marijuana and hashish cases involving offenses enumerated in the Marijuana Decriminalization Law” which took effect on July 1.

The order also mandates that the courts establish an electronic system to streamline the automatic expungement process as well as communicate with members of the public on whether or not their conviction has been automatically expunged.

According to the Judiciary, “Violations of probation or pretrial monitoring also will be vacated and driver’s license suspensions or revocations for failure to appear will be rescinded.”

Israel is an international leader when it comes to cannabis, and that’s been the case for many decades.

The country is home to world-renowned cannabis researcher Dr. Raphael Mechoulam who first isolated the THC cannabinoid in the 1960s.

Mechoulam is often referred to as “the godfather of cannabis research” and from a cannabis research standpoint Israel has long led the way.

Israel is also home to a robust medical cannabis program and now imports and exports a large amount of medical cannabis products annually.

Soon, Israel could join a very short list of countries that have legalized cannabis for adult use.

It wasn’t too long ago that if you asked somebody what CBD was, they would look at you with a puzzled expression on their face. Today, CBD is on everyone’s lips, dominating the conversation on medical cannabis and its therapeutic effects and being touted as a health supplement at nutrition stores. It can also be purchased online and found in department stores, drug stores, grocery stores, gas stations and, of course, dispensaries.

With CBD’s popularity comes a learning curve for the discerning consumer. In order to find the best product for their needs, consumers need to know the terminology around CBD products.

First, What Is CBD?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a non-euphoric cannabinoid found in both hemp and high-THC cannabis. Cannabinoids are a closely related group of chemical compounds, which work synergistically together and with the other chemical compounds that make up the cannabis plant. CBD can be used for symptom management for things such as anxiety, certain types of seizures, inflammation and pain. It also has been found to have value in cosmetic use.

It’s worth noting that much CBD on the market today is derived from hemp, rather than cannabis, because hemp is federally legal. Hemp and cannabis are the same species, cannabis sativa, but they’re separated by an arbitrary legal definition that defines hemp as having less than 0.3% THC when tested.

Understanding CBD

Many people like to say CBD is not psychoactive, but that would be incorrect. “Psychoactive” is a term used to describe a substance that changes a mental state by affecting the brain and nervous system. Though CBD will not cause euphoria or intoxication, it may change a person’s level of anxiety or depression, which in turn would affect their perception of the world around them.

Adult-use cannabis in Missouri could be on the horizon, as a local coalition has filed a petition to legalize. The group, Fair Access Missouri, is seeking to legalize cannabis for adults of legal age and create an “open-use market.” 

The group’s hope is that legal cannabis will help boost and support the economy and create much-needed jobs in the state. Fair Access Missouri is in the process of filing the petition with the Missouri Secretary of State’s office this week. According to members of the advocacy group, they have worked “for years to establish open markets and fair rules” for entrepreneurs, patients and consumers.

“Today’s filings are the next step in that fight,” Fair Access Missouri said in a statement. “We’ve seen across the country that smart rules and an open market are the way to go when legalizing cannabis, and that’s what we’ll be bringing to Missouri.”

However, recreational cannabis isn’t the only thing they seek to legalize. The group would also like to bring back and revise an amendment to the state constitution that would “permit state-licensed physicians to recommend marijuana for medical purposes to patients with serious illnesses and medical conditions.” The petition claims that this is the goal for the legal industry it hopes to create. 

If medical cannabis does become a reality in Missouri, qualifying conditions to start would include cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, “intractable migraines unresponsive to other treatment,” post-traumatic stress or “any terminal illness,” as well as other conditions yet to be specified. 

Purple cannabis is an umbrella term for a growing family of strains that share a colour as much as they share a distinct taste, smell and stony effect.

Purple is the colour of royalty, so it’s the perfect shade for a classic strain of cannabis that anyone who calls themselves a connoisseur should know.

Here’s everything one should know about Purple cannabis.

Origin of Purple Cannabis

What newer generations of cannabis users may not know is that Purple was once the hottest strain both in dispensaries and on the streets. The exact birthplace of Purple cannabis is unknown, but seed companies such as Purple City Genetics believe it originated in Humboldt, Calif., and was popularized in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Others point to grower Kenneth Morrow of Trichome Technologies as its creator, as he produced Purple Kush back in 1995.

With the touch of a button, CBD buyers in the Miami suburb of Doral, Florida can now have their hemp-based products automatically dispensed into their hands.

The Wellness Pantry, developed by cannabis tech firm Cultiva, allows people who download a free app from the company on their mobile phones to buy CBD remotely and pick up the products from a machine similar to one that sells soda and chips.

How it works

The machine features remote monitoring and operation, touchless payments and the use of blockchain technology to verify customers’ age, according to the Cultiva’s CEO. Unlike marijuana vending machines, which state laws restrict to operating solely inside dispensaries, CBD machines like the Wellness Pantry can operate from just about anywhere – including inside non-cannabis businesses and even housing complexes.

“We’re giving whole communities access to quality products in a fun, interactive, safe and simple experience,” said Cultiva founder and CEO Daniel Torres.

The first Wellness Pantry was became operational this weekend inside a condominium complex owned by NFC Amenity Management, one of the largest amenity management companies in the country.

Since the first legal cannabis market came to be, we’ve had a bit of a chicken or egg conundrum… you can buy weed legally, but might not have anywhere to consume it legally. Most states have laws against public cannabis consumption, so you can only smoke on private property. If you live in said state, that’s no problem. But say you’re visiting Vegas, for example, and you hit up Planet 13, the largest dispensary in the world that’s right off the strip and geared towards drawing in tourists… you do some shopping only to realize that the hotel or Airbnb you’re staying at has a ban against cannabis use.

You can’t smoke in public on the strip, and even though they have just been approved, no legal consumption lounges are open in the state yet. What’s a law-abiding stoner to do in that situation?

One way savvy cannabusiness owners have been skirting the regulatory insanity that goes along with opening a consumption lounge, is by launching cannabis-friendly campgrounds. It makes sense if you think about it. It falls under private property laws and weed typically makes for a nice addition to any outdoor adventure, but if cannabis-use is permitted can the land be legally registered as a public campground? That is where the law gets a bit confusing, so let’s take a closer look.

It’ summertime, post-shutdown, and people are going outside more than ever before. Cannabis products can really take your adventure to a whole new level, but figuring out what to bring can be a challenge.. 

Smoking in nature

Edibles are fine, and even vaping can be pretty discreet, but what about the old fashioned among us who still enjoy smoking flower and who definitely love to light up a nice joint or bowl when camping, hiking, or otherwise connecting with nature. It’s fun, it’s relaxing, and it feels like a rite of passage; but is it legal?

A strain with crazy THC levels is not needed to get the results a person is likely looking for.

With the legalization of cannabis in more and more states in the U.S., the plant has been experiencing a period of reevaluation. People are now into it for a variety of reasons, whether that’s relaxing, partying, working out or some therapeutic reasons.

But how can a person tell if his or her weed is still good? Like all things cannabis, this becomes easier the longer a person is exposed to the plant. Good quality cannabis begins with where’s its purchased, hopefully using all of one’s senses to get a full picture of what will later be consumed. Here are some things to keep in mind when making a weed purchase.

The seller matters

Now that more U.S. states are legalizing cannabis, there’s no need to smoke ugly-looking weed. Consider purchasing weed by bearing in mind that it is going into the body.

Check out local dispensaries or ask around for sellers and brands that offer quality product. The more legit the seller, the higher odds that the cannabis has of being cultivated by companies that focus on producing quality cannabis with a diverse batch of cannabinoids.

Use the senses

Use all senses to determine the quality of the product. Good-quality weed should smell good and strong, look bright and colourful and feel airy and light. The flower should separate when pressure is applied to it. Furthermore, it shouldn’t fall apart by itself or be dense and overly sticky.

For some drugs, building tolerance can mean a higher possibility of overdosing, for some drugs, it simply means the user can no longer get an effect at all. When it comes to cannabis tolerance, what does it really mean, how will it affect the user, and how to avoid it.

Cannabis tolerance is a bummer, but you can avoid it by taking a few days off, or waiting longer intervals between smoke sessions. This goes for both delta-9 THC and delta-8 THC. Delta-8 is a newer alternative to delta-9, which produces slightly less psychoactive effect, while providing a clear-headed high, and less couch locking and anxiety, which are often experienced by delta-9 users. Sound good? Check out our selection of delta-8 THC deals, and just remember to keep your tolerance down.

Tolerance

According to the site cancer.gov, tolerance indicates “A condition that occurs when the body gets used to a medicine so that either more medicine is needed or different medicine is needed.” It’s actually a pretty basic concept, and it doesn’t just apply to substances. A person who has undergone a lot of pain, can build a tolerance to further pain. A person who gains a suntan, creates a stronger tolerance to burning from the sun. It happens all the time that patients receiving medication for things like cancer, MRSA, HIV or epilepsy, have to continually switch medications when their bodies develop too much resistance to a specific medication.

In fact, medication resistant epilepsy was one of the main reasons that cannabis started to become big medically. And think of the whole disease-resistant bacteria problem, like MRSA, and antibiotic-resistance in general. In this context, it can either be a person’s body no longer responding to a medication, or, that so much of a population has been continually exposed to something (like antibiotics), that a tolerance occurs across a larger population.

Since the use of substances has skyrocketed in general, with nearly everyone swallowing down prescription pills, supplements, and illicit drugs, the idea of tolerance has become more well-known. Tolerance necessitates either a larger dose to get the same effect of something, or the necessity of using something else completely. Now think of opiates, and the huge overdose rate that occurs with them. In smaller doses these drugs are less dangerous, because the body can handle the sedative effect on the autonomic nervous system.

The terms indica and sativa were initially used to refer to the look of the cannabis plant. Here is what experts think of them today.

Some of the most popular terms within the cannabis world are indica and sativa. They are unavoidable when purchasing cannabis or when talking to someone who smokes weed regularly. As cannabis legitimizes across the country, industry experts have started to question the validity of these terms. Are they still relevant?

The terms indica and sativa are used to describe the effects of a particular strain of cannabis. Indica strains denote a more mellow experience, while sativas are meant to leave users energized and creative. For plant growers, the terms indica and sativa are meant to distinguish the way the plant looks. Indica leaves are broader, sativas are taller, with narrow leaves.

Photo by Heath Korvola/Getty Images

“‘Indica’ and ‘sativa’ were used to distinguish between cannabis varieties based on physical characteristics,” Jeff Chen, founder of UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative, told Insider. “But at some point, popular culture began attaching distinctions in the effects from consumption of indica versus sativa, despite no evidence of this.”

Marijuana Policy For Pro Athletes Should Be Changed

For international athletes who may decide to use cannabis the rules must change,”. This is what the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) stated as an answer to members of Congress. Which took place this past week following the suspension of runner Sha’Carri Richardson over a positive cannabis test. Independently, the White House is now reportedly attempting to hold a meeting with international sports regulators to review the policy.

Members of congress Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin recently sent a letter to the U.S. athletics governing body. This was in regards to the punishment against Richardson. The Olympic runner came forth about using marijuana inside of a legal state after discovering the death of her mother. Earlier this week, USADA expressed compassion for Richardson. As well they indicated that it may be time for a change in the marijuana prohibition. However the latest announcement, in a message to the legislators, explicitly calls for a policy change.

Furthermore, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is working to ensure a meeting with the World Anti-Doping Agency, This would be for cannabis policies on the international sports scene. The Financial Times reported on Friday that the Biden administration intends to discuss issues “including the timeframe for testing, and the basis for the consideration of cannabis as a performance enhancing drug.”

This past week ONDCP tried to brush off the report, with a tweet. Saying that it is not seeking to pressure WADA to “loosen restrictions” or “rethink” cannabis policies for athletes. Yet is merely seeking “additional information” on how those rules are carried out.

What Will Come Next For Cannabis Use And International Athletes

USADA, for its part, said in its letter to Ocasio-Cortez and Raskin, that it “agrees that Ms. Richardson’s exclusion from the Tokyo Olympic Games is a heartbreaking situation and that the World Anti-Doping Agency’s rules concerning marijuana must change.”

Parades, fireworks, and barbecues aside, July is notable for two other commemorative events much newer to the calendar than Independence Day. July is National Hemp Month, and the period from July 17-23 has been designated as Hemp History Week. National Hemp Month is the brainchild of cannabis company cbdMD, initiated on February 4, 2019 to promote the benefits and dispel myths surrounding hemp-based products.

Hemp History Week is in its 12th year as an industry-wide, week-long educational campaign about hemp. As stated by its website, “The campaign aims to raise awareness about the environmental, sustainability, health benefits, regenerative agricultural potential, and new technological applications of industrial hemp.”

First, a little history

Hemp is thought to have first made the scene as early as 8,000 B.C. in Asia. The Chinese were the first people to be associated with cannabis and “Ma” is the Chinese word for hemp. Once the Chinese discovered the dioecious nature of the plant, the males were called his and the females were chu. The Chinese knew that the male plants were best for fibers for clothes, while the female plants made better seeds. The men would harvest the hemp, but the women were the weavers. They would begin weaving in autumn and through winter in order to make their own clothes and to sell whatever was leftover.

Fast forward to America and most pre-Revolution pioneers processed their hemp for their own purposes leaving little left over to sell. England may have wanted its colonies to send hemp back, but little was leaving the new country. The Americans were getting so good at making their own hemp products that they began importing less from England. The Americans were even moving beyond personal production and moving towards the manufacturing of hemp products. In 1718, a number of Irish spinners and weavers arrived. These women showed the colonists how to produce even finer hemp fabrics causing a spinning craze among the Boston women. The 1765 Boston Stamp Act caused a boycott of English products, which pushed the colonists to make even more hemp clothes. 

Farmers were even required to grow hemp or be fined. Clothing, ropes, ship sails, currency, and paper were all made out of hemp in America. It was one of the most important crops in building the strength of the early days of the United States.

Cannabis opponents have a long history of trying to convince members of the public that cannabis is bad for human brains.

According to many cannabis prohibitionists cannabis is bad for human brains no matter what age they start consuming cannabis or what type of cannabis they consume.

The “dangers” of cannabis for human brains are not isolated to certain consumption methods or any other factor according to these types of cannabis opponents.

Their message seems to be that all cannabis is bad for the brain at all times in all situations. Unfortunately for those prohibitionists, science does not appear to back up their claims.

Decision making skills and cannabis

A team of researchers in Europe recently conducted what they describe to be “one of the largest longitudinal European multicenter studies on the topic” of residual effects of cannabis use on neurocognition (decision making skills).

City leaders in Amsterdam are considering ways to reinvent travel to the Dutch capital as pandemic restrictions ease, with plans to emphasize the city’s cultural amenities while playing down its reputation for partying, sex, and cannabis tourism. Dutch officials began easing restrictions in April, leading to a gradual return of the tourists who were responsible for approximately 10 percent of the Amsterdam economy before the coronavirus outbreak.

Officials in Amsterdam temporarily shut down the city’s famed “coffee shops” that sell marijuana in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across Europe, allowing them to reopen to provide take-out service only as lockdowns continued. Travel restrictions caused tourism in the city, much of which is centered on Amsterdam’s bars, coffee shops, and famous Red Light District, to plummet.

But as tourism begins to revive, city leaders would like to welcome more visitors interested in Amsterdam’s art museums, history, and other cultural attractions while discouraging hard-partying tourists who negatively impact the quality of life for residents. Unlike many other popular tourist destinations, tourism is only part of the city’s economy. Ninety percent of Amsterdam’s economy is derived from industries other than tourism, giving the city options to plan for the sector’s resurgence.

“Amsterdam is in a lucky position where it could really use the pandemic to try some new things,” said, adding, “This is the time to experiment.”

Last month, Amsterdam’s City Hall launched a publicity campaign with a price tag of €100,000 (about $118,000) to encourage visitors interested in the city’s food, art, and nature instead of those looking for sex, alcohol, and cannabis.

In this century, there are so many ways you can consume CBD and CBD Hemp. CBD can address anxiety, insomnia and aid in different types of chronic pain. Due to its benefits, people have looked for different ways to consume CBD, and chocolate is one.

Today, we will talk about everything you need to know about CBD hemp chocolate so you can feel comfortable. Then, if you are looking to purchase some, you can visit Dr. Watson to find the product for you!

Common questions about CBD Hemp Chocolate

Every chocolate product is sold differently, so keep an eye out when purchasing. You can find different flavors with different dosages of CBD Hemp. We will discuss some of the common questions about Hemp CBD in chocolate to help you decide on your purchase.

What is CBD Hemp?

CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is the second active ingredient of cannabis (marijuana). CBD comes from the hemp plant, which is considered a cousin to the marijuana plant.

Hemp CBD contains the same benefits as CBD, except – Hemp CBD contains less THC and more CBD.

Officials in Connecticut launched a new website to provide updated information on current cannabis laws and policies in Connecticut—especially adult-use policies. On July 5, Governor Ned Lamont released a press release detailing the provisions that can be found on the website, and how it can help residents navigate the new cannabis industry legally.

The information spans basic information about the adult-use freedoms that took effect on July 1 to resources for businesses that are seeking licenses for operation.

“Passage of this new law was an important step forward in ending the failed War on Drugs as adults over the age of 21 can now legally possess and consume cannabis in Connecticut,” Governor Lamont said. “Now begins the important work of standing up a fair, well-regulated marketplace for businesses and consumers that prioritizes public health, safety and social equity. We know the public will have a lot of questions about this process in the coming months, and this website will be an important resource for people who have questions about the new law or who might be interested in starting a new business in this market.”

The top categories currently on the website are the following: Basic Information and the Law, Business Information, Public Health and Safety, Social Equity and Workplace.

“This new website will be an important resource for consumers and interested business owners,” said Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull, in a statement. “We will continue to provide information about the licensing and application process as it becomes available, and we are committed to a clear and transparent process.”