WeedLife News Network

Cannabis advocates in Missouri who want the state to become the next to legalize cannabis for adult use have reached a new milestone in their ballot drive with two weeks to spare.

Legal Missouri 2022, a group petitioning to put recreational cannabis on the ballot, announced that it collected more than 200,000 voter signatures to date as outreach efforts escalate ahead of the May 8 signature submission deadline. 

John Payne, Legal Missouri’s campaign manager, said that the efforts are going well and are getting around 9,000 new signatures per day with the aim to collect even more before the deadline. The ballot initiative has raised $1,433,927.10 in total since its launch in 2021 with the vast majority of funds coming from Missouri cannabis companies. New Approach Advocacy Fund is the largest contributor so far, donating $300,000 in total, with BD Ventures, which owns Flora Farms, New Growth Horizon, and the Proper brand, all donating $215,000 each in total coming in second.

“I think this will help the industry grow and give great opportunities in Missouri in many ways,” Payne said. “1 out of 10 new jobs since 2020 were in the medical [cannabis] industry. There’s gonna be thousands of new jobs through legalization.”

Besides contributions, Legal Missouri 2022 is tightly connected to the state’s cannabis inidstry through personnel. The chief strategist of Legal Missouri is Alan Zagier, a principal of Democratic political consulting firm Tightlight Public Affairs. The president of Tightline is Jack Cardetti, director of communications for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association.

The ballot drive was drafted in 2020 and signatures were collected beginning in October 2021. Payne said that efforts slowed down as the omicron variant of COVID-19 began to surge. 

Where else would you expect a 420 party celebrating marijuana but in the Northern California city named Weed?

The Siskiyou County festival will be centered at a dispensary where you can rent a bong in its "consumption lounge" and there are shops on either side of Weed Boulevard that offer souvenir T-shirts and mugs that proclaim "I (heart) Weed."

The La Florista Cannabis dispensary at 242 Main St. once again will host a cannabis festival on Wednesday, April 20, that promises to attract hundreds of out-of-towners.

"We're going to have the whole street shut down," said La Florista's Jackie Jones, one of the dispensary's inventory managers.

"It's going to be a party. We're so excited."

Last year's 420 festival included the Perfect Union dispensary across the street, but Jones said that cannabis outlet shut down a month ago.

The Florida Groves Festival is going all out in celebration of music, art and cannabis.  

Organizers released the full line-up for the festival’s first year, which is scheduled for Saturday, March 16, at The Orlando Amphitheater. This event, centered around cannabis culture, will take place from 1 to 11 p.m. The music, which will be performed on the Trulieve stage, is primarily reggae with about 5 bands, from Julian Marley – the son of reggae legend Bob Marley – and The Uprising, The Expendables, Kash’d Out, Roots of Creation and Honey Hounds to DJ Lance-O. 

According to Cody Edwards of Dab Day Productions, the event will have a huge field for people to chill and watch live music from.   A few of Florida’s finest artists, including Miami’s Atomik known for his mischievous oranges, will paint live for attendees to appreciate. Additionally, Swamp City Gallery Lounge has curated a live glassblowing demo for the festival. 

There will even be a tattoo booth for those that have the itch to get inked. Pre-picked “420” designs will be available, with prices ranging from $50 to $75. 

In the same area, an interactive hemp farm, courtesy of Treadwell Farms, will educate interested individuals on best practices from the growers themselves. 

“We’ve learned that while what we farm may change, our agricultural traditions, passion and experience remain steadfast,” according to their About Us page.  

Thanks to a never-ending pandemic and more opportunities to telecommute, many Americans are picking up and moving. If you’re a weed lover, you may want to consider these cities.

The last few years have proven to be times of change for many Americans, whether it’s  starting a new job or starting over in a new city. Because of this, along with the growing legality of marijuana, previously under-the-radar cities have skyrocketed in popularity.

Moving is not always enjoyable, but if you happen to love weed and are looking for somewhere new to live, there are several cities in the U.S. that might be a good fit.

Here are 10 of them. 

Anchorage, AK

Weed enthusiasts who love the wilderness and don’t mind an extended winter might want to consider looking North. Alaska, while conservative leaning in several respects, was one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Anchorage is the most populated city in Alaska. It has plenty of great restaurants and dispensaries, but the great outdoors is never far away in America’s 49th state.

Ann Arbor, MI

Historically known as a college town, Ann Arbor Michigan is becoming a very cool small city to live in, especially now that weed is legal in Michigan. Ann Arbor has many of the conveniences of a city, but still has a small town vibe for those who don’t love the hustle. This is among the reasons it ranks as the number 6 in best places to live according to CBS News.

TAC allows you to experiment with different product ratios to decipher the concentration that gives you the best cannabis experience.

Cannabis is a highly versatile herb. As the world continues to embrace it, millions of people are being introduced to the various cannabinoids that make up the plant. Often, the tag “TAC” can be found written on the packages of cannabis products. But very few understand what this “TAC” is all about.

First of all, TAC stands for Total Active Cannabinoids. It refers to the cannabis profile of a strain. When purchasing a cannabis product or seed, consumers are able to have more insight into the total cannabinoid content of the strain. With TAC, users can customize their cannabis sessions.

The Total Active Cannabinoids of a strain take the focus away from THC alone and directs more attention to other minor cannabinoids in the plant. TAC information informs users about how potent or effective a strain may be when consumed. Most of the time, the TAC is indicated by a cumulative figure, while a few manufacturers choose to disclose the individual properties of the cannabinoids present in the strain. This way, users can effectively decide which product they need at that very moment based on its potential effects.

TAC represents the total amount and potency level of the various cannabinoids found within a specific cannabis plant. Cannabis plants contain over 50 different cannabinoids, although not all are detectable. Current testing methods can only identify a set of cannabinoids available in substantial quantities. So, in reality, the TAC figure is usually less than the exact amount of cannabinoids in the strain.

Note that the non-detectable cannabinoids in a strain are inactive or not sufficient enough to induce a notable impact. For cannabinoids to be included in the TAC means that they will have some form of influence on the effects that manifest in the user. Cannatech operators are yet to figure out a direct mechanism to identify the mechanism of an individual cannabinoid in a strain.

In a country known for cannabis exports, the Thailand cannabis community thrives despite legislative challenges.

Thailand hasn’t always prohibited cannabis; it’s part of the culture.

Ganja plants were typically grown on the side of the house and used in traditional Thai medicine and Thai massage. Even today, some grandparents cultivate a few plants and toss a couple of leaves in their Tom Yom (traditional Thai soup).

The U.S. illicit market fueled Thai Stick exports, which came from U.S. soldiers based in the Kingdom during the Vietnam War. At the time, there was no legal or moral taboo surrounding the plant in Thailand.

Then, during the 1980s, the United States’ War on Drugs pushed Thai legislators to change the law, burdening consumers and OGs (original ganjapreneurs) with the threat of severe penalties for cannabis smuggling, sales, production and consumption.

The Kingdom has made some progress over the last few years. However, its emerging legal cannabis market is still in its beginning stages, characterized by confusing legislation, empty promises and false reporting about what’s allowed.

Denver has long been a desirable travel destination. With the legalization of adult-use cannabis, tourism has been on fire and hotels have been trying to keep up. Indeed, a recent study showed an increase of 120,000 hotel rooms rented per month once tourists were able to purchase cannabis legally, yet public consumption of cannabis was banned in Denver.

Enter the Patterson Inn, the first licensed cannabis consumption lounge in a hotel, which just obtained a provisional license from the city of Denver, clearing a major cannabis licensing hurdle to operate a cannabis consumption lounge as an amenity to the adjacent hotel.

Chris Chiari, CEO and founder of the 420 Hotels, was the first to apply for a license under Denver’s new social consumption rules. Now that he’s received approval, Chiari is transforming part of the Denver-based luxurious castle into into a first in the nation, in-hotel licensed legal cannabis consumption lounge.

“The 420 Hotels sees cannabis hospitality as the most unique and exciting amenity in the hotel industry today,” Chiari said.

“We are excited to be the first cannabis lounge to be licensed as an amenity to overnight hospitality, and to provide a welcoming space for legal cannabis consumption.”

More and more professional athletes are getting high on marijuana to help them play better and recover.

Channel 2′s sports director Zach Klein first reported on the trend in February. Now changing attitudes are trickling down to the college level, with the NCAA relaxing its rules on pot.

Professional athletes are opening up about their marijuana use to help with everything from pain relief to anxiety.

“I would probably say around 80% of guys in our league use cannabis,” said Tavarres King, who played wide receiver in the NFL for seven years.

“You mentioned 80% of your teammates or guys that you know in the league were using marijuana. Were you one of them?” asked Klein.

We got in touch with the legendary rapper B-Real to talk about his new line of flower premiering at select dispensaries.

Hip-hop legend B-Real is dropping his first-ever line of flower on March 28 at Dr. Greenthumb’s and Cookies dispensaries. We chatted with the Cypress Hill rapper about how his career led to a love of cannabis, the story behind his new strain, his selection process and more. Read on to get inside the mind of B-Real.

What inspired you to start this line of flower, and why is cannabis important to you?

Dr. Greenthumb’s goes back to a time when the only people around cannabis were the ones who loved it, or perhaps trying to lock you up for it. So much has changed over the years. I just wanted to do something that I knew was going to bring the mindset back to the late 90s or early 2000s. I just think that for so many of us, that was the heart; those are the days when we talked about weed being legal, like really legal, across the country and just not even really believing it was gonna happen. 

And now, here we are, and so many of those people are washed up already, run over with taxes or regulations or just the investment needed. For better or worse, this is what legalization looks like, at least right now, and I guess I just feel like what people want are those days gone by. At the same time, there are a lot of people out there just getting access and still learning, and the right thing to do when there’s a new person is to invite them into the smoke circle. But, you teach them the culture, you share what’s important. I think that’s what I’m trying to do here. I want to point out what’s important in our history and our culture.

What was your process like selecting strains and genetics? 

Man, that’s always the fun part, right? You know, my team, they do a great job; my man Kenji has been in the game since forever. He’s out looking for those farms, those dope spots done right by the people who should be here, who should be winning in this new legal world. When he finds them, then I get samples. Really, it’s like it always has been. The sight, the smell, feeling the bud, rolling it up, that whole experience. And then, of course smoking. The flavor and high. When it’s the good stuff you know, that’s what we’re looking to highlight.

What is your favorite strain, and why? 

OG Kush—I mean, hey, a legend is a legend for a reason. It’s the whole package.

Recreational pot sales are coming to New Jersey soon.

New Jersey began accepting applications on Tuesday from individuals hoping to get in on the ground floor of the state’s coming recreational cannabis industry. By day’s end, state regulators had attracted plenty of interest.

NJ.com reported that the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission said that by 4 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, it had received 172 applications from individuals interested in opening a cannabis retail store.

“Today is the day where the CRC (Cannabis Regulatory Commission) portal opens and applicants who wish to apply for a retail license to sell cannabis … are allowed to do so,” said Michael DeLoreto, a director at Gibbons’ Government and Regulatory Affairs Department, as quoted by NJ.com. “This is a day that a lot of businesses have been waiting for.”

New Jersey voters legalized recreational adult-use cannabis in 2020 when they approved a ballot measure (three other states –– Montana, Arizona and South Dakota –– likewise passed legalization proposals at the ballot that year).

In December, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission began accepting applications for recreational cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and testing labs. The commission said that by early afternoon on the first day of the application period, “the application platform was averaging 155 new users per hour.”

From social justice activists and brand leaders to doctors and authors, here are women who are making serious moves in the cannabis industry.

It’s March, and while that certainly isn’t the only month we should be recognizing the contributions of women and femme folks in cannabis, it’s an awesome excuse to recognize some of the best in the biz. Here are a few women who are doing some seriously cool things in the world of weed.

Ru Johnson, Owner, Roux Black

Ru Johnson is a consultant, executive producer and branding operations strategist, as well as the founder and owner of Roux Black Consulting. She also has a background working with hip-hop artists, nightlife, Red Bull and The National Cannabis Festival, to name a few. Johnson is dedicated to social justice and serves as a board member at Minority Cannabis Business Association.

“Stigma begets more stigma, so yes, there is a connection between stoner stigma and fat-shaming,” she explained to High Times in a piece on dismantling social stereotypes in 2021.

“The idea that one’s body is ‘lazy’ if it’s bigger than the ‘average’—on many levels, that’s ridiculous, because ‘lazy’ is a term that engenders capitalism and is ableist at the root. I think we’re doing a great job of elevating the uses of cannabis beyond the standard ‘stoner’ stigma (lazy, ineffectual, brain-dead or foggy), and movements for body positivity also combat standard fat-shaming.

“Both sentiments take away agency and autonomy. We all deserve to do with our bodies what we will and to take care of them the best way we can with the resources we have. And for many of us, cannabis is a major component to that care.”

The famous Hash Bash returns to Ann Arbor, Michigan next month, the 50th anniversary of the cannabis activism festival.

Festival organizers and local officials in Ann Arbor, Michigan are busy preparing for the 50th anniversary Hash Bash, a celebration of cannabis scheduled to return to the University of Michigan on April 2 after two years of virtual festivities.

Since 1972, pot enthusiasts and activists have taken to an open area on the UM campus known as the Diag to protest cannabis prohibition. And even with the legalization of recreational weed in Michigan in 2018, the event still serves to shine light on the nation’s failed cannabis policies. 

The last two years, however, in-person festivities were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic and virtual events were held online instead. Now, with vaccines readily available and the pandemic appearing to be waning, Hash Bash will be returning to fill the air above the Diag with clouds of smoke once again.

It promises to be a welcome return for Ann Arbor businesses that provide goods and services to the happily high revelers. Frances Todoro-Hargreaves, executive director of the State Street District, said that Hash Bash is one of the best business days of the year for merchants in the downtown area, especially for restaurants and other food vendors.

“Anything that brings people downtown, especially a traditional thing like Hash Bash, is good for the community,” Todoro-Hargreaves told MLive.

You cannot bring edibles or any form of cannabis on a plane. Even a legal prescription from a licensed medical practitioner might not be accepted.

The full resumption of commercial flights after the long pause across the world means many people plan to get into the skies soon.

We can all admit that the acceptance of cannabis and its derived products soared throughout the pandemic. So, it is expected that thousands of cannabis lovers are unaware of the laws regulating the use and possession of cannabis in United States airports.

The widespread cannabis legislation across the country has many people asking whether or not they can carry their cannabis products with them on their next flight. Some have even tried sneaking food products containing cannabis with them on interstate travels. The simple truth is that cannabis is a federally illegal substance. According to the CSA, they’re regarded as schedule 1 drugs.

Edibles In Airports

Edibles are consumables with varying levels of THC infused in them. These food products can be created at home or bought in cannabis dispensaries in legal states. It can be any food product as long as it contains cannabinoids.

A majority of the states in the country approve of medical cannabis or drugs. So people generally assume that they would be permitted to bring their cannabis for interstate travel from one legal state to another. However, federal legislation makes it impossible to do so. Regardless of whether it is medical cannabis or adult-use cannabis.

TLC, home of the Jungle Boys, was raided by law enforcement over $66,000—which the collective had already disputed, and had a hearing date for.

Tuesday night saw one of Los Angeles’s most storied dispensaries have a rough run-in with law enforcement and The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.

TLC is famously the headquarters of the Jungle Boys. They are one of the premier examples of urban farmers bootstrapping their way to success in the modern cannabis industry, which has seen so many tragically fall short and have to sell a piece, or sell out completely. So as one of the culture’s best success stories in a world of corporate dogs, the community was pissed to see what they had to go through last night. 

Why? Because we’ve watched them jump through every hoop that’s ever existed for the legal cannabis market in L.A. and maintain a quality that is better than most. While some would say, “Well, this is legal cannabis,” in regards to the raid, and wouldn’t be wrong, those with a bit more hope in their hearts would be pissed to see someone who’s done so well up to this point be treated like this.

So what happened? We talked with Ivan from the Jungle Boys to find out. 

“At five o’clock in the evening, we’re all sitting inside of the shop. It’s the first of the month so we’re paying all our bills,” Ivan told High Times.

As experts and advocates have pointed out, liquor is strongly associated with negative long-term health issues, such as deadly alcohol poisoning.

Despite marijuana still being a Schedule I drug, while alcohol is legal for adults over 21, nearly one-third of over 10 000 Americans said they think it would be ideal if people used more marijuana and less liquor, a new poll suggests.

The results of the YouGov survey also showed that 20% of those questioned think that would be a bad idea, Marijuana Moment reported.

Most respondents (38 %) agreed that it would be neither good nor bad, while 15% were undecided.

The poll also found Democrats were more likely to say that switching to marijuana from alcohol would be good (34%), compared to 18% of Republicans and 27% Independents.

Moreover, 34% of those aged 30-44 said that substitution would be good, whereas only 17% of those over 65 held the same opinion.

Wondering whether a clone or a seed produces the best harvest is likely not a thought that occurs to the layperson, but it’s one that cannabis producers spend significant time considering. (Click for Benzinga article)

Picking between seed and clone affects almost everything about the final cannabis product. The source of the cannabis plant affects the potency of the flower, the quantity and size of the buds, and the growth-to-maturity process, all components crucial to creating a quality cannabis product. 

Despite decades of cannabis cultivation, debate on which of the two is “the best” source remains heated. Many seed growers, for example, argue that their plants are more pest resistant and have larger buds than their clone-grown counterparts, and some clone-growers argue the exact opposite. 

On a commercial scale, the divide is smaller. The majority of cannabis producers employ clone-based cannabis production and use seeds to pick strong “mothers.”

Marijuana Company of America Inc. 

Keep an eye out for a scripted feature adaptation and a non-scripted series spinoff of the documentary, ‘Lady Buds.’

Lady Buds is a 2021 film that looks deep into the lives of six diverse women in the cannabis industry, and the victories and challenges they have endured as entrepreneurs and members of the community. On February 23, it was announced on Deadline that Lady Buds’ success has inspired two more film projects.

The first project is being produced by Hellcat as a cannabis-related comedy feature, which has been compared to the 2011 film Bridesmaids. Hellcat was founded in 2020 by Pippa Lambert, whose resume also includes roles at Endeavor Content, WME, ICM Partners, and more.

“Women may not be the face of cannabis, but they’ve always been the backbone of the culture. Before legalization, 36 percent of leadership roles in the industry were held by women, and that number is now 22 percent,” Lambert said of the project.

“These growers are as dynamic as they are diverse, and they’re truly inspiring. I’m thrilled to be bringing their story, a true and still unfolding David and Goliath tale for our times, to life on the big screen.”

The second project is a non-scripted cannabis series helmed by Wally Eltawashy for Yoruba Media Labs. This particular project focuses on one of Lady Buds’ featured women, Sue Taylor aka “Mama Sue,” in her daily life as a cannabis business owner, providing cannabis access to seniors and promoting her wellness groups.

Because we can buy cannabis paraphernalia from the internet very quickly, people are wondering if smoking subscription boxes are a worthwhile investment.

Smoking cannabis has recently become one of the most popular hobbies in many states. Like any hobby, equipment and accessories are necessary to enjoy cannabis use thoroughly.

This is particularly true if one wants to smoke cannabis outdoors, at a friend’s house, or even on the go. Unfortunately, as the industry is still growing, obtaining cannabis paraphernalia can be a hassle, and that’s precisely why there’s such a thing called smoking subscription boxes.

What Are Smoking Subscription Boxes? 

Smoking subscription boxes, or stoner boxes for short, are packages that consist of various smoking supplies. These may range from disposable rolling papers and snacks, to expensive, high-quality equipment like bongs and grinders. As you might imagine, the idea of receiving everything you need in one delivery seems very convenient and hassle-free, and indeed it is.

However, convenience is not the only advantage of smoking subscription boxes. The following are some other benefits of opting for stoner boxes over buying smoking supplies individually:

Can it work for PFAS-contaminated farms?

The pair was hardly dressed like typical farmers, but this was no typical farm. Sporting white hazmat suits and respirators, Chelli Stanley and Richard Silliboy lugged 5-gallon jugs of water toward bushy plots of hemp, each 30-by-30-foot patch a stark sign of order in the otherwise overgrown field. It was a warm September day in Limestone, a small town on the edge of the Maine-Canada border, and the pair struggled to breathe in the head-to-toe protective gear. Stanley, a founder of the environmental organization Upland Grassroots, recalls telling Silliboy, vice chief of the Aroostook Band of Micmac Nation, “This will be worth it someday.”

For Stanley and Silliboy, the focus was not so much the hemp they were growing as what it was doing. Their farm, once part of the Loring Air Force Base, is also a Superfund site — an area so polluted it’s marked high-priority for federal cleanup. Later, when the Aroostook Band of Micmacs took over the site’s ownership, they found its soil was rife with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as PFAS, cancer-causing compounds that are so difficult to break down they’re commonly known as “forever chemicals.” 

Because of their ability to bind to proteins, PFAS tend to bioaccumulate — building up in soil, water, and even human bodies. Under typical environmental conditions, they can persist for hundreds, even thousands of years. But there is hope at Loring: In 2020, researchers discovered that the Micmacs’ hemp plants were successfully sucking PFAS out of the contaminated soil. This practice, known as phytoremediation, could guide farmers across the country who have had to shut down after discovering their soil is tainted with the ubiquitous class of chemicals. 

Sara Nason, one of the project’s lead researchers from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, called their results “conservatively promising.” Other researchers see the potential too. David Huff, a senior scientist at the environmental consulting firm Nutter & Associates Inc., said, “At the end of the day, the data support phytoremediation as a viable approach and definitely established proof of concept.”

PFAS were once considered to be human-made miracle compounds. Due to their oil- and water-repelling properties, they were long used in all kinds of products from firefighting foam to stain-resistant carpets to nonstick pans. They’ve been linked to a host of health problems, including kidney and testicular cancer, liver damage, and suppressed immunity. 

If you’re someone who enjoys getting high, but can’t seem to find the ambition to start a workout routine, perhaps it’s time to try one of these popular exercises proven to pair perfectly with a little pot.

As marijuana stigmas slowly fall away, the act of lighting up a joint or popping an edible is becoming as acceptable as opening a bottle of wine. Getting stoned is now an after-work nightcap equivalent, and “high” is the preferred mental state for many travelers. You might even have noticed that THC is becoming infused into some of America’s favorite workouts.

Colorado University recently published a study in which “results indicated that the majority (81.7%) of participants endorsed using cannabis concurrently with exercise.” That number is very telling, even for a state that has legalized recreational marijuana and has a thriving cannabis industry.

The same study went on to state that “approximately half reported that it increases their motivation to exercise.” So, if you’re someone who enjoys getting high but can’t seem to find the ambition to start a workout routine, perhaps it is time to try one of these five popular exercises that are proven to pair perfectly with a little pot.

Yoga

Yoga and marijuana have been friends for a long time. Many yoga practitioners speak to the mellowing qualities of THC and how they can greatly enhance a guided yoga practice.