WeedLife News Network

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).

Amazon certainly isn’t the first major corporation to arrive at the cannabis reform party, but it sure made one of the biggest entrances to-date when it publicly pledged to relax its drug testing policies and also to back federal legalization efforts.

And now it’s a question of how many others will follow — especially during a time when some firms are desperate for workers.

Amazon kicked off June with an announcement that it would stop testing for cannabis metabolites as part of its drug screening program for positions not regulated by the US Department of Transportation. The company also said it would back the federal Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, a recently reintroduced bill aimed at descheduling marijuana and reassessing some past cannabis-related convictions.

It’s not yet clear to what extent Amazon will fund cannabis reform efforts on the federal level as well as to what any future business endeavors in the space may be. Amazon spokespeople did not comment beyond the company’s June 1 statement and declined to respond to questions posed by CNN Business.

Some Connecticut towns and cities are already beginning to formulate studies about how and where recreational marijuana will be sold in their communities, if at all, in 2022.

The town of Prospect, Connecticut, a 10-minute drive east of Waterbury, has already made up their mind. Prospect Mayor Robert Chatfield told News Times that the Planning & Zoning Commission voted unanimously to rule out the sale of recreational cannabis in Prospect.

I would venture to guess that we will see at least one dispensary in Connecticut's largest cities, which go from one to five in this order; Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford, Hartford, and Waterbury.

The new legislation recently passed allows towns and cities to regulate where it can be sold. City officials in West Hartford, New Britain, and Bristol have already decided where recreational marijuana dispensaries should be allowed.

According to the Hartford Courant, because this new legal pot law is unchartered territory for all of Connecticut's towns and cities, officials will be conducting extensive discussions about zoning regulations to limit where these dispensaries can be. The following video from WFSB 3 digs deeper into the story of recreational cannabis in Connecticut

The array of consumption methods available might seem overwhelming if you are new to the cannabis world.  How difficult is smoking a joint after all? In fact, it is not that hard, but there are some rules and insider tips to help you consume with confidence- by yourself or with your friends. Have the most important tools like the rolling papers, a light and/or hemp wick and a grinder to have the best experience.

Joint

You may not feel comfortable rolling one if you are new. Until you get the hang of rolling your own, head to your lead dispensary for a pre-roll. If you wish to learn how to roll one, however, no worries, you can just search "How to roll a joint" and a multitude of videos on YouTube are readily available. It’s that simple. Now, to the best part, you don’t smoke a joint like a cigarette. You're going to want to roast, meaning that you light the end without inhalation. Turn it slowly over the flame for an even burn.  Now you are ready to inhale, try not to "lip" meaning don't moisten the joint with saliva.  Rest it on your lip, and then take small inhalations lightly on the joint. Just inhale, pause and exhale after 2 to 3 seconds. You will surely drink some water between hits to soothe your throat.  Then repeat to the desired effect you want.  If you have had enough and you can relight it later by letting the joint go if you want. 

Sharing with Friends

You’d be surprised by the number of etiquettes put into consuming recreational marijuana with your friends but in short “puff, puff, pass”. Or another way of saying it is to take two reasonably long puffs, ash your hit and pass it to your left. No matter who begins the rotation, going to the left (i.e. against the clock) is the traditional universal direction in which to pass a joint. Don't babysit, i.e. take an unnecessarily long time, lip the joint or blow smoke in someone's face to be a more conscientious joint sharer.

Blunts

The same steps are taken as smoking a joint. So, what's the difference and what's right for you? Blunts are visually fatter and recognised by their brown wrappers. Blunt is also made from using a cigar wrap, then adding and rolling up (whether alone or mixed tobacco). They are bigger and contain tobacco.  Blunts isn't for everybody, as the mix has a different kind of high. But it's easy to go tobacco-less blunt in today's market with hemp wraps available.

A recent bill to legalize CBD and other non-psychoactive ingredients of the cannabis plant for the use in food and dietary supplements introduced in the US Senate is just one of a landslide of initiatives that have put the hitherto demonized marijuana and its harmless cousin, hemp, into the mainstream.

The bill also highlights the fact that more and more US citizens and in fact people around the world make the plant a part of their diet. Let us briefly survey the various ways in which this natural medicine and wellness product can help you achieve and maintain a healthy body mass and contribute to your general well-being.

Blood Sugar, Body Mass, and Waist Circumference

Let’s start with the effects of the psychoactive form of medical marijuana—the one that is full of THC, produces the so-called ‘high’ in users, and more often than not is consumed by smoking.

Though a persistent stereotype pictures pot smokers as lazy couch-potatoes constantly stuffing their face with junk food, epidemiologic studies have found that marijuana users have lower prevalence of obesity and diabetes than the general population. Probably there is a link between the regular recreational use of the substance and peripheral metabolic processes. A large-scale survey of 4657 adult men and women has found that “marijuana use was associated with lower levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR, and smaller waist circumference”.

But before you decide that a visit to your local dispensary is the best way to treat or prevent diabetes and overweight, check out the study that suggests there is a double risk of a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, for marijuana smokers with type 1 (not type 2) diabetes.

The top five cities that are Google searching terms like “state cannabis legalization” are all places where cannabis is completely illegal.

As of April 2021, seventeen states, two territories and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation to regulate cannabis for adult use. In addition, Connecticut and Rhode Island seem poised to legalize adult use cannabis, Louisiana has decriminalized marijuana possession and Montana is establishing its own marketplace. Those are big gains, and they just keep coming. According to a recent analysis conducted by cannabis marketing company Digital Third Coast, consumers want even more access, more convenience, and also more restrictions, at least when it comes to advertising cannabis.

Digital Third Coast analyzed Google searches in all 50 states and 34 of the largest U.S. cities where cannabis is not yet fully legal. The analysis was rounded out by a survey of over 1,000 Americans who were asked to offer their views on cannabis legalization, use, and marketing. The drive for legality as expressed by respondents appeared centralized in the West, with Wyoming at number one and North Dakota coming in second. West Virginia took a surprising third ranking, making it an outlier among its western counterparts, including Iowa and Nebraska, which rounded out the top five.

Photo by 377053 via Pixabay

States with mixed legality that includes medicinal programs, different laws governing CBD usage and, in some cases, decriminalized cannabis, ranked lowest in “cannabis curiosity”. The Google search data revealed a high volume of interest in legalization from those living in states where cannabis is already legal.

Weed drinks have been taking off, but many would say they’re still not at the same level as other cannabis products. Vapes, edibles and stronger batches of cannabis flower have been selling well in the U.S. (and elsewhere) for a variety of users, from newbies to experienced cannabis consumers.

Cannabis drinks stand in an awkward place; while there’s a growing interest in a “California sober” lifestyle, a lot of people don’t get why they should drink cannabis from a can when they can consume it in other more traditional ways. The weedy flavour sometimes associated with the drinks may also be tough to get used to.

It’s not a given that replacing a cannabis gummy or a joint with a cannabis drink is an ideal solution. These drinks provide a different effects, something that’s much more light than what edibles are known for.

The makers of Cann seltzer told INSIDER that they wanted to create a cannabis drink that people could consume in social situations, containing between two and four milligrams of THC. With some CBD in the mix, the drink’s experience is one that Cann describes as a plateau instead of a spike.

Not all cannabis drinks are the same; some have higher amounts of THC and can produce more powerful results.

The EMCDDA’s European Drug Report 2021 highlights a significant increase in THC content of cannabis in Europe, as well as prevalent cannabis use amongst Europeans and an increase in home cultivation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marijuana can affect people in different ways. Here are some reasons why you might not be feeling the hit after a smoke session.

There’s a lot of variety when it comes to the cannabis experience. Nowadays, there are dozens of options to try, from strains to different methods of consumption. Some people prefer strains that make them sleepy while others prefer ones that produce an energetic and joyful effect. And then there are those consumers who just don’t see what the fuss is about because they’re not feeling the effects.

While cannabis can be used for multiple purposes, it should provide the consumer with an experience that’s soothing and pleasant. If every time you smoke, you’re not getting anything out of it, there must be an explanation behind it.

Here are 5 reasons why weed might not be affecting you:

You inhaled wrong

Photo by Alessandro Zambon via Unsplash

Cannabis consumption lounges will be coming to Nevada next year under a bill signed into law by Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak earlier this month. The measure, Assembly Bill 341 (AB341), was signed by Sisolak on June 4 after being passed by lawmakers in both houses of the state legislature in May. Currently, onsite cannabis consumption is only allowed at the NuWu Cannabis Marketplace on Las Vegas Paiute tribal land north of downtown.

The legislation permits two types of cannabis businesses. Retail cannabis lounges will be operated by licensed marijuana dispensaries, while independent cannabis consumption lounges will not be connected to a retailer. Both types of businesses will sell ready-to-use or single-use cannabis products for onsite consumption by adults 21 and older. Live entertainment is permitted, but alcohol will not be allowed.

“You can think of it like a bar, except obviously there will be no alcohol,” Assemblyman Steve Yeager, the sponsor of the legislation, said during a Senate Finance Committee hearing, as quoted by Forbes. “It could be a joint, an edible, it could be an infused food or infused soda, whatever the concept might be.”

Yeager added that more original concepts would also likely arise, noting that ideas such as fine dining restaurants serving cannabis-infused dishes, cannabis-friendly yoga classes, and comedy clubs offering marijuana products could all become reality. 

“Whatever you could think of could be possible,” Yeager said.

The Tiger King will be launching his cannabis brand soon. And, yes, he is still behind bars.

Joe Exotic, that guy from the Netflix series Tiger King, is getting involved in the weed business. Unlike many other cannabis entrepreneurs, he is launching his brand from jail.

Per TMZ, Exotic (real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage) has been working on this idea for a cannabis brand since last July. In a statement, entertainment lawyer Brad Small, one of Exotic’s attorneys, said that his client would be partnering up with Tango Hotel Charlie Group, LLC and Cannaxxs LTD. The collaborative brand will be called Joe Exotic Cannabis.

To make the story even weirder, Exotic is partnering with Jason Hervey, the older brother from the hit TV series the “Wonder Years.”

Photo by Nick Karvounis via Unsplash

On July 1st, recreational cannabis will become legal in the state of Virginia. But what will that actually mean?

That’s the question cannabis-enthusiasts in the state have been asking ever since Virginia legislators legalized the possession  of up to an ounce of marijuana for adult recreational use this February. Originally, retail sales were set to begin in 2024, but outcry ensued over the three-year wait before ending pot possession penalties, so in April they voted to move up legalization to this July 1.

Adding to the confusion: lawmakers included a “reenactment clause,” which means the General Assembly will have to vote again next year on major portions of the law, mainly to establish a regulatory framework for the legal marijuana marketplace.

The process has resulted in some contradictions that may not get resolved until years after legalization begins. It’s not surprising that advocacy groups have been flooded with calls from people trying to understand exactly what will be allowed under state law in July.

Sen. Adam Ebbin, one of the lead sponsors, said people need to understand the law’s limits for now. Possession of up to one ounce (28.3 grams) with no intent to distribute will become legal for adults, 21 and older. Adults will also be allowed to grow up to four marijuana plants per household. But not much else will change.

Cannabis seltzers and drinks are a good option for those who want to get high while steering clear of alcohol.

Photo by Kym MacKinnon via Unsplash

Weed drinks have been taking off, but they’re still not at the same level as other cannabis products. Vapes, edibles, and stronger batches of cannabis flower have been selling well for a variety of users, from newbies to experienced cannabis consumers.

Cannabis drinks stand in an awkward place; while there’s a growing interest in a “California sober” lifestyle, a lot of people don’t get why they should drink cannabis from a can when they could ingest it in other more traditional ways. The weedy flavor is also difficult to get used to.

Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash

Replacing a weed gummy or a joint with a cannabis drink isn’t an ideal solution. These drinks provide a different effect, something that’s much more light than what edibles are known for.

Step inside Superette's new nostalgia-fueled pot playhouse.

Image credit: Alex Lysakowski

This week, Canadian cannabis super brand Suprette opened a store in the Glebe section of Ottowa, and honestly we've never seen anything like it.

The dispensary is a technicolor, Willie Wonka-like stroll into a cannabis utopia. Part boardwalk carnival, part retro diner, and part cannabis store, the store is a joint venture between co-founders Mimi Lam and Drummond Munro. 

The creative duo has opened three cannabis stores in the past two years and won a Clio Award for their brand design. But the Glebe store takes their imagination to a whole new level. It even has a claw machine!

Cannabis is gaining more popularity in the kitchen.

So much so that one of the leading cannabis chefs in North America is now travelling across Canada hosting workshops and teaching chefs how to properly cook with it.

“This isn’t a fad. This isn’t a niche,” said chef Travis Petersen. “This is going to be here to stay. This is the new frontier in the culinary world”

Petersen made an appearance on the MasterChef Canada reality TV show before launching The Nomad Cook, a culinary brand focused on introducing the culinary world to cannabis.

TORONTO, June 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ayr Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTC: AYRWF) (“Ayr” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated cannabis multi-state operator, announced today that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (“CCC” or the “Commission”) has granted its local partner Sira Naturals (“Sira”) a provisional license for the sale of adult-use cannabis at its Boylston Street location in Boston. The CCC voted to grant the provisional license at its monthly meeting earlier today. The provisional license allows for the continued development and construction of the dispensary and marks a significant milestone toward the opening of Ayr’s first adult-use store in the Greater Boston area.     

Ayr’s flagship adult-use dispensary in Boston is located at 829 Boylston Street, in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay. The planned 4,500 ft² store is located next to the Apple Store and across from the Prudential Center, well-positioned for pedestrian traffic and easy access to the city’s public transit. The neighborhood is a popular residential community, as well as one of New England’s preeminent destinations for shopping and dining.

Jonathan Sandelman, CEO of Ayr, said, “Despite being home to 60% of the state’s population, the Greater Boston Area has been underserved in access to adult-use cannabis. As cultivators of wellness and creators of wonder, we are excited to help change that and bring more of our high-quality cannabis offerings to the City of Boston.”

The proposed Boston dispensary executed a Host Community Agreement (“HCA”) with the City of Boston’s Cannabis Board on November 16, 2020. The Company executed two additional HCAs in the Greater Boston area, one in Watertown on October 20, 2020, and a second in Somerville, where the Company currently operates a medical dispensary, on October 9, 2020. Ayr will continue to work closely with the CCC to move toward final approval to commence adult-use operations in all three locations.

The CCC’s monthly meeting also included renewals of Sira’s three Media Marijuana Treatment Center (“MTC”) licenses, each of which covers cultivation, product manufacturing, and retail for medical marijuana. The renewed licenses were related to Sira’s Somerville, Watertown and Needham dispensary locations. Additionally, the Commission addressed a settlement between Sira and the Commission, related to wholesale transportation activities during the challenging reopening of the Massachusetts adult-use market in 2020 following the COVID-19 shutdown. While no violation has been admitted, the Company thanks the Commission for its efforts and dialogue over the intervening period and appreciates the important clarifications that the settlement provides.

Edibles have been a huge part of the marijuana industry since well before recreational legalization. And it seems no two states have identical regulations for edibles that define the product’s THC limits, portion delineation requirements or the allowed shapes/colors of edibles. As federal legalization edges closer, it’s important to track and understand not just the state-to-state differences in edible regulations, but also the similarities.

Edibles are often a point of contention with lawmakers and concerned citizens, as there are common fears of over-consumption, child poisoning and accidental ingestion, and the effects of edibles on individual people seem to vary widely compared to inhalation THC products.

Different state, different rules

Many states have taken a simple approach to regulating edibles, by mandating strict limits on the milligrams of THC allowed in edibles. Most states consistently mandate a maximum serving size of 5-10 milligrams of THC and a per-package limit of 50-100 milligrams THC. Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington all have recreational regulations that fall within these limits. The package limits are much higher in Illinois and Montana, at 500 milligrams and 800 milligrams, respectively.

Many producers would like to see increased THC limits per serving, especially in states that have 5 milligram-per-serving THC limits. Those who wish to expand or change regulations often face an uphill battle, as public health advocates and other third parties form a more active opposition than in other marijuana regulation proposals.

And then there's Alaska

This can be seen in Alaska’s recent proposal to change the milligram limit from 5 milligrams per serving to 10 milligrams per serving with a package limit of 100 milligrams. There has been a ton of heated public comment debating this issue, as it would be a 100% increase from the current 5-milligram limit. Edibles are testing in Alaska with a 20% margin of error allowance, creating an effective limit of 120 milligrams per package.