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Elevate your “green” bean casserole or mac and cheese using cannabutter, THC extract or flower

Since marijuana was legalized in Colorado, edibles have become an increasingly popular choice for buyers. In fact, edibles — a category that includes infused gummies, chocolates, cookies, candies and even beverages — accounted for 13.9% of sales in Colorado between July 9 and Oct. 7 (the most of any state, according to analytics firm Headset).

But you’re not just limited to what’s sold at the store. As the variety of edibles has increased, so too have the ways consumers can make their own at home. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, we tested three different infusion methods with popular holiday dishes — using cannabutter, marijuana concentrate and flower — so everyone can gather and giggle around the dinner table this year.

Before we dive in, let’s start with a few disclaimers: Cannabis use is a highly personal experience and the effects tend to hit differently when eating it versus smoking or vaping. The standard single serving size is 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound that produces a “high.”

If you’re new to edibles, start by eating a little rather than over-indulging. In classic Thanksgiving fashion, you can always go back for seconds.

Whacky Mac & Cheese with cannabutter

About cannabutter: Butter is one of the most well-known ways to infuse a meal with marijuana. (Brownies, anyone?) You can make your own, or you can buy some pre-made Sweet Grass Cannabutter from Colorado edibles maker Infusiam, available at LivWell Enlightened Health and other dispensaries throughout the state. The latter is great because it’s already subdivided into 10 milligrams servings. A whole stick (100 milligrams) costs $20. To dilute the recipe dosage, cut the cannabutter with un-infused butter.

Marijuana’s effect is not completely understood, which is why some people have adverse reactions to the drug and others don’t.

People tend to have two reactions when it comes to using marijuana: they either find it very relaxing or they don’t. Those who belong to the latter group accuse the plant of causing them tons of paranoia and anxiety, making them feel like they are too “in their heads,” or like they expect people on the street to call them out on their misbehavior.

Bad highs are almost like meltdowns. They’re moments where the consumer’s body reacts in a way that’s stressful, paranoid and even scary. While temporary, these episodes still feel terrible and can turn a lot of people away from weed. The only way to get through a bad high is to wait them out.

These anecdotes leave cannabis in an interesting spot. The same plant can produce exact opposite effects in different people, all because of genetics, experience and predisposition to the drug.

Marijuana produces effects by interacting with the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, located in different areas, like our brain and skin. Cannabinoids, such as THC, bind to the receptors in the brain, causing either relaxing or stressful effects. Some of these receptors are located in spots governed by the amygdala, a section of tissue that’s responsible for managing emotions like fear, stress and paranoia.

Studies show that the positive and therapeutic effects of cannabis are due to the influence of cannabinoids on our endocannabinoid systems. These positive results appear even more markedly on patients that have experienced trauma and PTSD, who usually have low levels of chemicals like anandamide.

Raw marijuana doesn’t have THC, but it can be consumed for some extra benefits. Here are some examples.

Amateur cannabis users likely don’t know the inner workings of cannabis. They don’t know that a key element for the “high” experience is heat, which transforms the compound THCA into THC, which is why someone might try to add raw marijuana into their sweets and expect some sort of benefit.

While this doesn’t work, raw marijuana does have some interesting health benefits.

In recent years, people have taken an interest in other parts of the cannabis plant, removing THC from their focus. There are a variety of elements present in the plant that have benefits, at times mysterious, since they haven’t been all that studied. These compounds and terpenes are plentiful and vastly different, to a point where researchers don’t even know how many there are and what their effects are in full.

For the THC in the cannabis plant to become effective — providing the high and the sensation of relaxation or creativity — the plant needs to go through a decarboxylation process. This is the step many neophyte cannabis chefs skip before cooking edibles. Decarboxylation occurs when you apply heat to the plant, be that when smoking a joint or when preheating cannabis before adding it in to your edibles.

In its natural state, cannabis doesn’t have any THC. Instead it has a compound called THCA, which has been linked with anti-inflammatory properties, the promotion of brain health, the propagation of cells, and even slowing down the growth and spread of cancer cells.

Cannabis and caffeine are two very popular substances, the go-to of a lot of people for productivity. Here are 5 things you should know.

Marijuana and caffeine are substances that people are very attached to. They facilitate the productivity for many of us, making our lives easier and more manageable. Nowadays, there’s a lot of companies trying to combine the two.

Even before marijuana was embraced by the mainstream, enthusiasts of the drug were finding creative ways of mixing these two elements, adding cannabis to oil or butter and mixing it in with their coffee, perfecting recipes that resulted in a completely different high.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

More research needs to be conducted in order to understand how these two elements work together, but there’s a variety of anecdotal evidence that says that the pairing of these two results in a special high, one that adds deeper layers to the effect of marijuana. Here’s what we know about caffeine and marijuana, and the joint effect that they produce on the body.

Caffeine might increase the duration of your high

Photo by Julian Hochgesang via Unsplash

The amount of time you allow for your T-break is important, but how you spend that time away from THC can also affect the effectiveness of your respite.

Tolerance breaks, often referred to as T-breaks, are a great way to reset your body and reawaken the long-forgotten feeling you had when you first started using cannabis. If you use marijuana regularly, its effects can alter and weaken over time. When you need more and more weed to feel the same effects, you might be one of many cannabis users who could benefit from a T-break.

The saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” can certainly be applied to a tolerance break, which gives you a chance to regroup and start enjoying marijuana like you did when you first started consuming. But what if your T-break does not bring back that old feeling and you still need the same amount of product to feel its effects?

When you take a break from THC and it does not seem to affect your tolerance, you may need to rethink the way you take your T-breaks.

If your break did not lower your tolerance, or did not restore the feeling you once had when you enjoyed it for the first time, try taking a longer one. According to WebMD, cannabis breaks should be at least 21 days long. Try to last for three weeks without THC in order to effectively reset your tolerance, especially if your previous T-breaks were brief.

Photo by Ivan-balvan/Getty Images

The Greenhouse of Walled Lake is launching a home delivery service and is now hiring 12 delivery drivers but is only seeking veterans of the military.

Oakland County's first fully licensed medical and recreational marijuana dispensary is launching the new home delivery service on Tuesday, just two days before Veterans Day, and is seeking "12 good men and women" for the jobs that can pay up to $50,000 per year.

No knowledge of the cannabis industry is necessary to apply but a valid Michigan driver's license and good driving record are both required.

Owner Jerry Millen said they launched the service on Tuesday, just two days before Veterans Day.

"So I'm looking to hire up to 12 veterans. We started delivery today at the Greenhouse of Walled Lake because there's such a demand for deliveries.  It's called greenhouse to go," he said

But that's not all. Jerry wants to help veterans by giving them $10,000 from the sales of the Veterans Day infused-chocolate canna-bar

A cannabis substance known as Delta-8 has become temporarily legal in Texas after retailers challenged a ban in court.

Delta-8, short for Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, is a compound found in the Cannabis sativa plant that is known to have psychoactive effects.

Cannabis producers can concentrate Delta-8 and sell it in various forms, including as Delta-8-infused gummy sweets.

According to the Texas Tribune, many cannabis product retailers in the state had thought Delta-8 was legal under this legislation.

On Monday this week, this decision was successfully challenged by a group of companies including Sky Marketing, Create a Cig and Hometown Hero.

Rare Cannabinoid Company has launched a new website designed to help hemp and cannabis consumers learn how specific rare cannabinoids and terpenes may improve their mental and physical health. The website - rarecannabinoidco.com - offers a wealth of information and links to scientific research on THCV, CBDV, CBN, CBG, CBC, CBDA, CBD, Delta-8-THC and terpenes. People can explore the website in a variety of ways, including a new "Shop By Need" function which shows the best cannabinoids for "Sleep," "Energy and Focus," "Stress Relief," "Discomfort," "Mood Enhancers," "Appetite Suppression" and "Nausea." For those seeking even more specialized care, they can find a cannabinoid health advisor near them.

"People want to know what each cannabinoid does and how it can help them," said Rare Cannabinoid Company founder and CEO Jared Dalgamouni.

"We designed this site to make it easy and enjoyable to learn about these natural compounds and their unique properties," he said.

"Education is so important and yet so often lacking in the cannabis and hemp space," Dalgamouni said.

Rare or minor cannabinoids are compounds found in hemp, cannabis, and other plants that are believed to offer specific wellness benefits. However, unlike CBD and THC, they naturally occur in extremely small amounts. Thanks to recent advances in breeding, extraction, and technology, they can now be produced in large enough quantities to be sold on their own. Meanwhile, terpenes are oils that also produce certain effects. They are increasingly believed to be responsible for the differences in aroma and feel of different cannabis strains.

Like most cannabis related activities, the preparation of edibles requires a healthy amount of trial and error.

Making edibles is a learning experience. Aside from the fact that you’re handling and cooking with weed, you’re also baking, which is a temperamental art. While dosage may take a few attempts to get right, a bad tasting edible ruins a good amount of weed, which is something we should avoid.

While there’s no way of protecting yourself against all unexpected factors when making infused treats, there are a few simple mistakes that can be avoided with some foresight. These will prevent your edibles from tasting gross and, most importantly, from not wiping you out with a single bite.

Here are six common mistakes to watch out for when preparing edibles.

Use equal amounts of weed and oil

Photo by Tree of Life Seeds via Pexels

“Less is more” might as well be marijuana’s tag line, because it’s preferable to be a little buzzed than to have a full blown freak out because you ate an edible that was too strong. Even if you want to get crazy high, there’s only so much the lipids in oil will bind to your cannabis, so avoid wasting your weed and money.

Amsterdam is notorious for its excellent food, canals, architecture, and world-class nightlife. But the city is also world-famous for its coffee shops, otherwise known as cannabis cafes.

If you see a ‘coffee shop’ in Amsterdam, you’re probably not going to get your daily fix of caffeine. Amsterdam has 166 coffee shops, and they attract millions of visitors every year. 

However, the Mayor of Amsterdam, Flemke Halsema has introduced a proposal to ban foreign tourists from entering cannabis cafes.  

The Reason For The Ban 

Flemke Halsema is proposing a ban on foreign tourists because of antisocial behavior from tourists. Instead, she wants tourists to visit Amsterdam for the right reasons. 

She said, “We would like them to come for its richness, its beauty, and its cultural institution. The problem is: there are just too many of them. The drug tourists are the reason for an increase in demand for marijuana.”

Celebrities are getting into cannabis every week, but do their products even sell better than regular brands?

Thousands, if not millions, of individuals, reevaluate their stance on cannabis use each time a popular celebrity comes out in support of the drug. Dozens of these icons globally are influencing millions of their fans to give cannabis a try, just because they love it.

Celebrities have changed the game for good, as their impact on public opinions, foreign policies, health-related issues, and consumption habits has in many ways played a major role in the wide acceptance of marijuana laws across the United States.

Recent studies show that at least 35 percent of Gen Zers are influenced by celebs on political and social issues about cannabis. Roughly 24 percent of Gen Xers and about 32% of millennials also admitted the same.

Yearly, at least three of these celebrities establish cannabis brands or partner with other wellness companies to develop cannabis products for sale across the country.

In October, Justin Beiber and Clint Eastwood were in the news for cannabis industry-related headlines.

Edibles can swing from high to low as far as strength, so what can you do?

Homemade edibles are becoming more popular than ever with a lot of people getting creative with cannabis in the kitchen. Undoubtedly, freshly-baked canna-infused brownies do sound appealing which is why homemade edibles are becoming the new trend.

However, making edibles with a safe dose of THC is an art that requires accuracy and precision. It needs careful math, an understanding of decarboxylation, and vast knowledge of the THC content of the flower you're using. As such, manufacturers need to follow strict processes in making sure edibles contain a safe quantity of THC. But don't get discouraged just yet. This article explains how to ensure your homemade edibles are safely and consistently dosed with THC.

Why is it important to calculate THC dosage in edibles correctly?

Edibles vary from other types of cannabis delivery in several ways. To begin, you should know that the human body processes the THC in edibles differently. But, the basic digestive process of THC in the human body is the same. During digestive processes, THC is converted into 11-hydroxy-THC which is a long-lasting and potent compound with heightened sedative processes. Thanks to the digestive process, the high can last for aba out six hours or more depending on the individual.

Consuming edibles with high THC content translates to a high level of 11-hydroxy-THC in your system. This compound can make you severely impaired and highly uncomfortable. Given that a high can last up to six hours, that's you experiencing six hours of discomfort and severe anxiety. History of cannabis use, weight, age, genetics, diet, and gastrointestinal health all influence an individual's response to edibles

An overview of edible potency

Measuring the potency of edibles is quite different from that of concentrate or flower. Cannabinoid concentration in edibles is measured in milligrams. Ideally, every cannabis product identifies the CBD and THC concentrations as well as its cannabinoid content.

To get the most out of your next weed session, be sure to take these tips into consideration.

The myth of the lazy stoner is dying a well-deserved death. America is waking up to the fact that cannabis consumers are also productive and valuable members of their communities. They're parents, friends, neighbors, employers, and employees.

Yet many consumers struggle to get the results they deserve from cannabis.

Inconsistent and unreliable outcomes

We've all heard the story from the friend who ate a pot brownie that knocked them off their feet, got anxious and paranoid, and never touched weed again. 

But it's not just newbies that struggle. Experienced cannabis enthusiasts understand the difference between that perfect feeling – the mood state they're after every time – and the frustrating, inconsistent, and unreliable effects they sometimes endure in pursuit of that ideal experience.

What is that ideal experience that consumers seek? According to New Frontier Data's 2021 Cannabis Consumer Evolution report, consumers cite these reasons for their cannabis use:

Washington counties bordering Idaho had some of the highest cannabis spending per capita.

Cannabis sales in Washington continue to grow year over year, according to annual data released last month by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Consumers in Washington spent $1.49 billion on cannabis in the fiscal year ended June 30, up from $1.27 billion in fiscal 2020. This continues an upward trend in the revenue numbers, which topped $1 billion for the first time in 2019. Fiscal 2021 sales generated a record $533.9 million in tax revenue for the state.

Spokane County continues to be among the leaders in revenue produced overall and revenue produced per capita. Rounding up, $164 million was spent on retail cannabis in Spokane County over the past fiscal year, generating $60.6 million in tax revenue. That puts Spokane County third in the state, behind only King and Pierce counties. King and Pierce are the state's first and second most-populated counties, while Spokane County ranks fourth in population.

This is where things get interesting.

Looking at the county-by-county data there's a pretty clear correlation with bigger counties amounting to larger sums of money spent on cannabis. More people, more money — makes sense. But, if you break it down per capita, that correlation falls apart. Take Asotin County, for example. Located in the southeast corner of Washington, Asotin County is home to just 22,820 residents, according to the most recent Census Bureau estimate, but generated $15.3 million in cannabis sales in fiscal 2021. That averages out to $672.50 per resident. The state average is $197.13 per resident.

So, is Asotin County just high out of its mind? Or, does it happen to border a state where cannabis remains illegal?

The latter seems to be true. Spokane County ranks second in per capita spending at $310.03 per resident. Whitman County, which also borders Idaho, was third in per capita spending each of the past two years. This year it's fourth, by less than a dollar behind Grays Harbor County, at $266.79. Three of the top four counties in Washington, based on per-capita spending on cannabis, border Idaho, a state where cannabis remains entirely illegal. It appears non-residents are pumping up border-county stats.

Former NFL running back Ricky Williams and Canadian screen actor and writer Seth Rogen are pursuing fresh efforts in the cannabis space, as celebrities leverage their fame to launch marijuana-themed businesses, with mixed results thus far.

Entertainment and sports stars have been routinely flexing their entrepreneurial muscles in response to the legal cannabis business rolling out of late in states such as New York and New Jersey. Federal legalization remains a possibility in the future, as well.

New Mexico might implement new laws that would limit recreational cannabis tourism. Officials claim these limits would ensure public safety.

Regulators in New Mexico held a public hearing this week to discuss rules for the state’s forthcoming recreational cannabis market. 

The state’s Regulation and Licensing Department, as well as its Cannabis Control Division, fielded questions and comments from the public during last Thursday’s hearing over the rules that will govern cannabis retailers and manufacturers.

According to the local website NM Political Report, the comments at the hearing “varied from proposed regulations for packaging requirements, general business practices to cannabis deliveries to both businesses and residences.”

“Requiring all manufacturers to prove water rights for their application, I think, is unreasonably burdensome, because it’s just not going to be a factor for a number of them,” Duhigg said, as quoted by NM Political Report. 

Lawmakers in New Mexico passed a bill legalizing recreational pot use for adults during a special legislative session in the spring. The legislation was signed into law in April by Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. This means big things for New Mexico, as for the first time ever, they will finally have a legal cannabis industry. 

For Christopher Fevry, the CEO and co-founder of cannabis delivery company Your Green Package, October has brought a milestone of crossing 2,500 deliveries.

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.

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.