PHOENIX – An MMA event at Celebrity Theatre is not unusual. Pairing that competition with a cannabis expo is.

That was the case Saturday when promoter RUF 44 hosted “RUF, Puff & Rumble, the first time the two industries have collided in the Valley.

Marijuana and sports have often had a precarious relationship. Within combat fighting, various state commissions have looked down on the plant in years past, handing out suspensions of up to five years for repeated positive tests of THC, the psychoactive property within marijuana. Times have changed however, as the Arizona State Boxing & MMA commission adopted the UFC model of testing, allowing fighters to consume marijuana freely until fight day, making more events like RUF 44 possible.

Dr. Joel Lopez, the CEO and Founder of RUF Nation, first thought of teaming MMA and marijuana two years ago but his vision finally came into fruition once Trap Culture Promotions, a local organization promoting cannabis-related events, reached out to Lopez. From there, the two sides met and turned what was once an idea into a reality.

“So I went to their office. First we passed around a good smoke. Alright, what’s up? And they’re like, `We got an idea,’” Lopez said. “This is what we do. We go to social events, mainstream events, and we provide an event itself. They go to like arcades and just provide full consumption areas. I’m like, what? Holy crap. I got it: RUF, Puff & Rumble.”

Drive-thru windows to purchase cannabis likely won’t be allowed in Manteca once marijuana dispensaries are legal.

A representative of marijuana retailers pitched the possibility of drive-thru windows saying it would be an effective marketing tool for a Manteca dispensary located near Highway 99. He noted curbside service for orders placed online had been effective and without problem at a number of dispensaries when pandemic lockdown rules were stringent.

The suggestion was made during Wednesday’s City Council workshop on ordinance that would allow marijuana dispensaries and possibly other cannabis related businesses to open in Manteca as early as 2022.

Several council members quickly batted the idea down.

“We don’t want to create another (Chick-fil-A),” said Manteca Mayor Ben Cantu in reference to the fast food restaurant that often has its drive-thru lane traffic back up onto Yosemite Avenue and even the nearby southbound Highway 99 off-ramp.

The council was open to a suggestion that dispensaries be allowed in commercial mixed use zones that allow apartments and similar residences after it was pointed out the designation covered most of the Yosemite Avenue and Main Street corridors. As such, it would exclude almost all likely locations for dispensaries to open in existing buildings in Manteca.

Looking for some Halloween fun in Denver? You have a few cannabis-centric options to choose from, and most of these spooky, smoky shindigs allow vampires, witches and regular folks to light up at the party.

The Marijuana Mansion, an old house with a haunted past and skunky future, kicks off the weekend with ghost tours and a private party, and cannabis lounges and private venues around town will stay on course with 4/20-friendly painting classes, costume contests and terp-or-treat parties.

Here are our favorite marijuana-themed Halloween events:

Haunted Marijuana Mansion Experience
Through October
Marijuana Mansion
1244 Grant Street
Denver's haunted pot-themed mansion is opening its doors for Halloween tours all month, allowing guests to learn more about the home's ghastly past as they check out the renovated and photo-worthy rooms. Thirty- and sixty-minute tours are available for $35 and $60, respectively; no smoking is allowed at the home during the tours. Learn more on the mansion's website.

HighTime Horror
Friday, October 29, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Marijuana Mansion
1244 Grant Street
Want to experience the real thing at the Marijuana Mansion? Sign up for the HighTime Horror Halloween party, a private four-hour extravaganza featuring infused hors d'oeuvres, bloody-mosas, giveaways and a $420 costume contest. Guests (21+) can bring their own cannabis and alcohol; tickets are $55 each. Hurry up, though, because tickets sales close Thursday, October 27.

Marijuana has been a hot topic for a while now. It is a controversial subject, and some people are still convinced that it’s not safe to use weed. However, the medical benefits of marijuana cannot be denied. There is evidence that shows that cannabis can help with seizures, reduce anxiety and relieve pain from conditions such as cancer or arthritis. In this article, we’ll go over a few interesting facts about the marijuana market in America today so you know about what’s going on right now.

It Is Creating Jobs

The first interesting fact about the cannabis industry is that it is quite beneficial for the economy, and one of the most impactful is job creation. To be more specific, currently, the cannabis industry is employing around 250,000 people.

You might think that this number makes sense because of the size of the industry, however, this is just the number of people that are directly involved with handling and farming the marijuana.

There Are Many Consumption Methods

When most people think about marijuana, their immediate thought when mentioning consumption methods are bongs and joints, as these are the two most iconic forms of marijuana consumption.

However, it might come as a shock to many people that there are now way more methods of consumption, such as dry herb vaporizers, dab rigs, edibles, and even glass pipes which are easily available at online sites like Grasscity where a selection of pipes can be found. There are even other more exotic products like bath bombs and tinctures, which are placed under the tongue. All of these different consumption methods have different onsets and affect the duration of effects, and more than that, there’s now practically a device for almost any consumption habit.

Switzerland has given the green light to develop a comprehensive national framework for cannabis in the country.

Burnt popcorn, hot showers, vaporizers and more. Here are a few ways to eliminate the linger scent of weed in your home.

One of the most emblematic aspects about marijuana is its smell. Equally particular as it is enticing, marijuana’s scent is one of the world’s most recognizable smells. It’s also one of the hardest to get rid of.

In order to prevent your fabrics and your home from reeking of weed, there are a few things you can do, although it’s always better to prevent the smell over having to erase it once it settles in.

Here are 5 of the most useful bits of advice when it comes to making your home as marijuana-smell-proof as possible:

Use vaporizers

Photo by Jamie Grill/Getty Images

While there’s a lot of people who prefer to smoke joints and use bongs, vaporizers are effective if you want to consume something discreet and that produces little to no smell. These devices heat up marijuana instead of combusting it, creating no weedy smell (or at least a much subtler version of it) and saving your clothes a trip to the laundry.

Does one get you higher than the other, what is the big difference between Delta-9 and Delta-10 THC?

In the cannabis industry, knowledge is important if one is to get the best out of the products available. It is also more important to ensure that accurate information is what you have in your hand so as to avoid unwanted misinformation and whatnot. We will be addressing one of the areas of cannabis that is confusing many recently and that is Delta 10 THC. Many often hear of THC and believe that anything that includes THC talks about the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis. Well, this is true in many ways and untrue in some too. Read along as we clarify and explain all things concerning Delta 10 THC.

What is Delta 10 THC?

Most of us are probably familiar with basic chemistry so we will start from there to explain what delta 10 THC is. Delta 10 THC is a structural isomer of delta 9 THC which produces psychoactive effects in the human body. Though psychoactive, delta 10 gives rise to a different type of feel compared to delta 9 THC. Delta 10 occurs in trace amounts in the cannabis plant which makes it very hard to get substantial quantities of the product available for use. The chemical difference between both compounds is the carbon-carbon double bond which is located at carbon 10 in delta 10 THC and carbon 9 in delta 9 THC.

What we call THC in the cannabis plant largely refers to delta 9 THC as it was the first psychoactive compound extracted from the cannabis plant. The origin and discovery of delta 10 THC can be classified as serendipitous because it occurred after a fire incident in California. A batch of hemp saved after the fires were unwittingly contaminated with a fire-retardant. After processing, it was discovered that a strange crystal formation had appeared in the extract which was later identified as delta 10 THC. Further testing showed this newly identified compound has similar psychoactive effects with delta 9 THC but some degree of different pharmacological effect.

Delta 10 THC comes in different ranges of products in the market which is similar to its delta 9 counterparts. Varieties of products available include disposable pens, vape cartridges, gummies, tinctures, and flower and pre-rolls with delta 10 THC sprayed on it.

Differences between Delta 9 and Delta 10 THC

As stated earlier, the difference between the chemical structure of delta 9 and delta 10 THC gives rise to different chemical effects in the body. When compared side-by-side, it is easy to see the uniqueness of delta 10 THC and why it is possible for it to be the next big thing in the cannabis industry.

Oenophiles may recognize California’s Santa Ynez Valley for its syrah and pinot noir wines, however, budtenders celebrate the region for its cannabis extracts from Raw Garden.

BRIAN WALKER FOR RAW GARDEN

Founded in 2011, Raw Garden is now reputed for producing California’s most trusted cannabis extracts, using organic techniques to create single-source terpenes and oils. In the last decade, the company expanded to produce a catalog of more than 800 strains, including flavors like Lime Mojito and Blueberry Punch, through their ever-growing seed library and breeding program. 

This past summer, the brand extended its reach with the launch of Raw Garden Social Club, designed to engage and educate budtenders—a person serving customers where cannabis is sold—and national trade. Raw Garden’s head of product, Khalid Al-Naser, explained to Forbes, “The goal is to create connections that are lasting and to impart knowledge that may help these individuals better discuss Raw Garden Products as well as cannabis more generally.”  

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (WRBL) — One Georgia man, U.S. Postal Service worker faces time in federal prison after admitting to stealing marijuana from a package.

Howard Kerns, 53, of Dearing, Ga., was sentenced to two months in prison paired with two years of supervised release. This comes after Kerns pleaded guilty to Theft of Mail Matter by a Postal Employee.

Kerns was terminated from the U.S. Postal Service.

David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia shared this is a felony crime and spoke on the integrity lost in the U.S. mail system in a news release.

“The integrity of our U.S. Mail is dependent on the honesty of postal employees,” said Estes. “Howard Kerns is the rare exception of workers who fail that test, and is being held accountable for that failure.”

Attorney Advises Businesses To Heed The Warnin

Some seven months after former Governor Andrew Cuomo signed recreational marijuana into law, New York cannabis regulators are still figuring out which rules and guidelines are needed to make this complex program function properly. (Article orginally appeared on Benzinga by Nina Zdinjak)

Just last week, the Cannabis Control Board proclaimed marijuana gifting to be illegal, writes WSKG. 

Tremaine Wright, former state Assemblymember who leads the regulatory body for the state’s cannabis industry addressed the increasingly popular cannabis gifting activity. 

“There is no gray market in New York state,” Wright said. “This conduct is not legal and must stop. Individuals who do not cease run the risk of severe financial penalties.”

HempSol CBD Gets The Ball Rolling 

In September, the Rochester-based HempSol CBD hit the headlines for giving away an eighth of an ounce of cannabis with the purchase of a $65 T-shirt. At the time, the shop owner said the promotional “gift” was legal under the state’s adult-use cannabis law, which allows for adults to gift each other up to three ounces of marijuana. 

Every year, we hear the same old myth about laced Halloween candy. But it’s just that—a myth, not a truth.

With every Halloween that passes, articles and news coverage warning parents about finding cannabis-infused edibles in their kid’s candy bags are revived. The fact is that these warnings and tall tales, while issued with good intentions, are simply not rooted in truth.

A new Snopes article dug into the myths and origin of this annual charade. While the first state to legalize medical cannabis was California in 1996, cannabis-infused edibles were largely produced as baked goods. At the time, perfecting the art of an infused gummy bear or other recognizable candy was not yet the norm. Snopes ascertains that the topic began to gain attention around 2010, when medical cannabis candies were being advertised in newspapers and other print media. 

Scare-tactic stories have real-life consequences. The Los Angeles Times reported that law enforcement confiscated cannabis-infused candies from dispensaries on October 30, 2010. 

University of Delaware Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice Joel Best recently spoke with Fox News regarding his thorough research on the topic. 

“My research stretches back to 1958,” Best shared with Fox News. “I have been unable to find any evidence that any child has been killed or seriously injured by a contaminated treat picked up in the course of trick-or-treating.” 

Cannabis has been legal for recreational use in California for nearly five years. From delivery services and storefront dispensaries to the state’s first marijiuana competition, California residents can enjoy their herb medicinally, recreationally and freely — to an extent.

While weed is legal in the state, there are limitations and penalties for some.

Also of note: Individuals 18 and older can qualify for medicinal marijuana. Minors qualify in few situations. Otherwise, you need to be 21 plus.

For example, Proposition 64, the Adult Use Marijuana Act, only allows adults 21 years old and over to possess and grow marijuana for recreational use. Those under 21 who are caught with weed that is not medically licensed can face fines, mandatory drug education or counseling and community service.

Other ways you can get in trouble with the state for having weed include the following:

The fact that the Catholic Church is receptive to medical marijuana should instill hope that their stance on recreational cannabis use could change over time.

As societal norms evolve, institutions like government and religion haven’t always been quick about catching up to the times. Often enough, traditional institutions like churches and government entities are among the very last to enact reforms based on societal changes. This has been the case with numerous issues in the past including gay marriage, stem cell research and, most recently, cannabis use.

A lot of people nowadays associate strict prohibition of cannabis with outdated War on Drugs era propaganda. But does the Catholic Church fall into that category? The answer might just surprise you.

Photo by Patrick Fore via Unsplash

Before recreational use became widely accepted, there were first efforts to prove its medicinal effects. In fact, medical marijuana use in the United States can be traced back to as early as the mid 19th century. Since that’s the case, it’s understandable that the Catholic Church has a fairly lenient stance towards using marijuana for medicinal purposes. Over the course of the last few years, some prominent church leaders have come out in vocal support of medical marijuana use. While the Catholic Church has come out in support of medical marijuana, the main caveat is that the substance is used for therapeutic purposes exclusively.

There are key differences between edibles and smoke marijuana, from their dosage to effects. Here are 7 of the most important ones.

If you’ve been consuming marijuana for a while, you know that consumption methods can greatly affect your high. While both edibles and flower contain THC, the highs they produce are different.

It’s all up to the person. While some enjoy a healthy mix of both, the majority choose a path and stick to it. People who prefer edibles tend to be older, taking advantage of powerful results while avoiding the hassle and damages of smoking. Those who smoke joints don’t need as much expertise or planning, resulting in a loose and less committed experience.

Here are 7 of the main differences between smoking flower and consuming marijuana edibles:

It’s all about THC

Photo by Cavan Images/Getty Images

While smoking cannabis is like taking a walk through a vivid park, ingesting an edible is like eating an glitter bomb. There’s a scientific explanation behind this bad metaphor. According to Green Entrepreneur, when cannabis is ingested, the THC is metabolized by the liver, transforming itself into 11-hydroxy-THC. For some reason, this compound is up to four times faster in crossing the blood-brain barrier than average THC. This is why edibles are associated with intense, vivid and hallucinatory experiences.

ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The head of the state’s Cannabis Control Board has declared businesses giving away marijuana as a promotion with the purchase of an overpriced T-shirt, lighter or other item are breaking the law.

“There is no gray market in New York state,” Wright said. “This conduct is not legal and must stop. Individuals who do not cease run the risk of severe financial penalties.”

His remarks did not elaborate on what grounds “severe financial penalties” could be leveled, but added that anyone selling marijuana products in unlicensed dispensaries, pop-up shops, or markets is not licensed, “nor are they selling safe, tested products.”

Last month, CITY published an article highlighting a Henrietta business, HempSol CBD, that was offering a “free” eighth of an ounce of marijuana with the purchase of a $65 T-shirt. The owner of the shop claimed the promotional “gift” was legal under the state’s recreational cannabis law, which allows for adults to give each other up to three ounces of cannabis without compensation.

Since the article’s publication, marijuana “gifting” arrangements have become commonplace at the city’s CBD and smoke shops.

HempSol CBD owner Jim Mackenzie said he’s seeking guidance from his attorney and declined comment for this story.

Adult-use cannabis retailers in Massachusetts amassed more than $2 billion in lifetime sales by the end of August this year, signaling an eager, and likely growing, consumer base.

And despite persistent, bad-faith tropes, and often racist stereotypes that have long dominated mainstream cannabis culture, there is no uniform customer.

Alex Mazin, president and CEO of Bud's Goods & Provisions, which operates dispensaries in Worcester and Abington, said asking who buys cannabis is kind of like asking who buys alcohol in a liquor store. 

In that time, industry stakeholders in Central Massachusetts say access to the legal market, as well as the wide variety of cannabis delivery methods that came with it, has helped reduce stigma and introduce – or reintroduce – consumers to the plant’s use. As the state’s market grows, cannabis brands are working to differentiate themselves from both each other and the country’s other large legal market on the West Coast.

Flower trends

Cannabis flower and its more convenient cousin, the pre-roll, dominate Massachusetts sales, according to CCC, which tracks sale information. Collectively, they comprised 58% of sales in the week ending Oct. 10. In second were edibles at 19% and vape products at 14%.

Flower appears to remain king in Worcester, in particular, said Beth Waterfall, principal at Beth Waterfall Creative and executive director of the Norwell-based Elevate Northeast. Waterfall works in and around the Central Massachusetts cannabis market, either through marketing or nonprofit work aimed at changing perceptions around cannabis more broadly.

Congratulations to the winners of the Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2021! Here’s what’s hot in Massachusetts!

The cannabis cup is virtual this year—virtually awesome, that is, with our People’s Choice Edition making it possible to judge safely from the comfort of your home. Here are the well-deserved winners of the Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2021.

Thank you to all the judges who put their hearts and souls into judging the competition entries to help crown the best of Massachusetts! This is the first-ever High Times Cannabis Cup to be held in “The Bay State” of Massachusetts. We can’t wait to return next year!

For more info on how to become a judge and to sign up for updates, please visit CannabisCup.com/preregister.

Courtesy of Bountiful Farms

First Place: Bountiful Farms – Secret Formula

DENVER — Several nights a week during the fall, walking tours hit the flagstone sidewalks of Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, stopping in front of old mansions to be told the tales of ghosts and hauntings. But one of those stops, one of those mansions, has an added ‘history’ that is being celebrated along with its spirited past.

“The house was built back in the 1800s for the Creswell family,” April Reed explained, showing off the scenic lobby of the Creswell Mansion on Grant Street.

Fake spider webs cover the banister, and a variety of Halloween decor fills each room of the mansion.

“We’ve basically turned the Mansion into somewhat of a haunted house in a way,” Reed, the event director of the space, told Denver7.

Reading while high is a habit that needs to be cultivated in order to be wholly understood. Here are some tips that can help you get started.

Weed is one of the most malleable substances out there. It can be used for a variety of activities, from watching movies, to going to parties, to working out better. Reading is probably one of the toughest activities you can do while high, asking some engagement from your brain that, if some factors are off, might be too difficult to achieve.

Similar to doing any other activity while high, what you really need to do in order to succeed is to practice. Marijuana can add a lot of layers to reading, making the experience more enjoyable or even helping you reconnect with it if you’ve been having a hard time reading full books.

Just like listening to music and reading, getting high and reading can help craft a better reading mood. Once you hit that stride you’ll see that you’re more relaxed and engaged with the story and that the weed is helping you get in the right zone. Here are some tips that’ll help you read while high:

If you’re just starting out pairing weed and books, you don’t want to kick it off with dense literary novels. Try to read something that feels easy to read for you, going back to something you used to read when you were young or a genre that’s simple and compulsive, like romance or horror. Good reading ideas are the Harry Potter books or something by Stephen King. A graphic novel can also make for a really good starting place.

Let go of the “right way to read”

Photo by Thought Catalog from Pexels