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More women are buying cannabis, which could lead to shifts in product demand. Women still make up a minority of adult-use marijuana purchasers – 33.6 percent in February – but that’s increased almost a full percentage point from 2020. While that trend might not be a dramatic shift in the gender makeup of retail marijuana sales, it could have a lasting effect because men and women shop differently for cannabis products.

For example, female buyers are more likely to purchase products other than flower when compared to their male counterparts. Both men and women spend the most on flower, but women spend less on it, according to analysis of wallet share (the percentage of a customer’s spend on specific categories) from February 2021.

The demographic information, including age and gender, was self-reported by participants in customer-loyalty programs and collected by Seattle-based cannabis analytics firm Headset. The biggest gap was in California, where women spend $36.30 of every $100 on flower compared with $43.90 spent by men, an almost $8 difference.

Other states saw a similar breakdown in flower spending:

Women most likely spend the difference on non-flower products such as edibles, where they outspent men in each state analyzed:

For many, the jolt of caffeine and the mellowing effects of cannabis make a perfect combination. When the two meet in the body and mind, they can amplify one another, but research is limited as to how they interact on a chemical level.

Scientific studies on what happens when your morning joe meets your morning joint are scattershot and inconclusive, but they provide a rough map of what to expect of this mental terrain. But culturally, caffeine and cannabis seem like natural bedfellows, with everyone’s favorite (legal) upper most likely to be paired with cannabis from a retail perspective.

Murky Conclusions

For starters, we know caffeine operates in the endocannabinoid system – the same brain region that makes weed do its thing. Both substances have been shown to cause an uptick in dopamine activity, and some report that the kick from caffeine creates a brighter, more euphoric cannabis high.

In many ways, however, the two seem to be awkward dance partners, canceling out certain effects and amplifying others.  Caffeine can have an anxiety-producing effect, while THC can make one mellower in low doses and freaked out at high doses (CBD seems to generally have a calming effect at any dosage). It’s possible for coffee jitters to add to cannabis shakes, paranoia or couchlock for an unpleasant cocktail. But it’s also easy to find individual reports of just the opposite effect, with the two mixing for a relaxed yet upbeat feeling. As always, it is advisable to take it slow when trying new combinations and pay attention to one’s own body.

Though coffee has been shown to enhance one’s cognitive powers, combined with weed, the overall effect may actually be the reverse from coffee alone: Some studies suggest that coffee and cannabis combine to inhibit memory. Others have shown that caffeine can partially protect against the forgetfulness associated with high doses of CBD.

The cannabis industry has seen some players make big bets on beverages, but so far it hasn’t paid off. The market is definitely growing, just not at the rate many had hoped for. Plus, the slow growth of this form factor is not an indication that it won’t continue to increase and eventually gain even more market share. Cannabis tracking firm  Headset recently released a report on the cannabis beverage industry and found that in the US, “The beverage category’s market share has held fairly steady between 0.85 percent and 1.1 percent over the last several years. In fact, market share to the category was slowly decreasing through late 2019 and early 2020 before maintaining just below 0.9% during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Despite the consumers tapping the brakes on beverages, the category has begun a turnaround and Headset believes the products are poised to reach an all-time high as pandemic restrictions ease. The report also noticed that consumers are at least giving the products a try as basket data is showing more people are tossing some beverages in the bag. The report said, “We can see a relatively steady march upwards over time rising from 1.6 percent in January 2018 to 2.8 percent in February 2021. Even though market share hasn’t drastically increased, Beverages are making their way into more and more baskets each month, indicating that more customers than ever are trying THC-infused Beverages.” Only a little over 20 percent of the shopping carts are filled with only cannabis beverages, meaning the other almost 80 percent are adding beverages to a larger order. By contrast, a third of edible consumers are buying just edibles when they go to the dispensaries. 

It’s A Girl Thing 

What has been learned is that women are the big buyers of cannabis beverages. In every single age category, women outspent men when buying cannabis-infused beverages. So, hands down, the main consumer for cannabis-infused beverages are women.

Where things get even more interesting in the report is when Headset dives into dosage. The two main categories for purchases are on either side of the spectrum – either low like a microdose or very high for maximum effect. The report stated, “In fact, most of the growth in the 10mg or lighter section over the last few years has come from the 0-5mg ‘microdosed’ cohort of Beverages, which has risen from 14.4 percent category share to more than 18 percent of sales this year to date.” For example, so far in 2021 beverages with over 100mg accounted for 59.8 percent of the market share, while products with less than 5mg were the second-largest category with a 19.5 percent market share. 

California Drinking

The report stated that “California Beverage sales in January 2021 clocked in at $15.5M, nearly six times greater than the $2.7M recorded during January 2018, the first month of recreational sales.” Also, since the competition is heating up and there are more beverages to choose from, the top three selling in 2018 brands have seen their market share decline. The data showed that some brands, like Kikoko and Cannabis Quencher have held firm in the market even though new brands have entered the space. “Legal Beverages, on the other hand, was unable to keep up, falling from the third top selling Beverage brand in 2018 to a market exit in 2020.” 

Cultivating cannabis is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding forms of gardening. Whereas some crops can take weeks or even months to show some growth, the cannabis plant grows fairly quickly.

It’s almost as if every day there are new leaves, and eventually, new buds on cannabis plants, which any seasoned cultivator will be quick to point out.

That near-daily gratification makes the cannabis plant one of the most fun crops to cultivate, especially considering that the plant is absolutely beautiful when in full bloom.

Harvesting cannabis and drying it out to be consumed is also an obvious benefit. The truly savvy cannabis consumer can also infuse their harvests into all types of things, from edibles to topicals.

Unfortunately, cannabis cultivation for adult use is prohibited on a national level in all but two countries, Uruguay and Canada. Although that could change soon in Malta.

Stoned drivers and weed-smoking workers take note: marijuana Breathalyzers will soon be in the hands of police officers and employers.

In fact, marijuana Breathalyzer prototypes have already been put to use for Covid-19 testing, after some innovations allowing them to detect SARS-CoV-2 antigens in breath.

Marijuana Breathalyzers have been in development for years and are finally approaching the launching pad as commercial products. Hound Labs, based in Oakland, California, says that market release is imminent for its Hound Marijuana Breathalyzer, which can detect the presence of THC molecules in the breath.

“The first commercial units of the Hound Marijuana Breathalyzer will be in the hands of customers this spring,” Dr. Mike Lynn, an emergency room physician who is CEO and co-founder of Hound Labs, told High Times. “Production will ramp up throughout the rest of 2021.”

This is bad news for workers who get high on the job. But it’s good news for employers who want to weed out such behavior. And it’s good news for anyone with safety concerns about bong-ripping motorists.

Advocates are calling New York’s legal marijuana program the best in the nation. One called it a watershed and a new era for marijuana justice, after hard work and long odds. 

Years of wrangling and tense negotiations finally ended in victory when adult use marijuana was finally legalized on March 31, 2021.

How Great is New York’s New Legal Cannabis Program? 

Let me count the ways.

First of all, possession by adults of up to three ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrate is legal, effective immediately. 

The legacy of Charlotte Figi, the young Colorado girl whose struggle with epilepsy made CBD known worldwide, will be remembered next week with a benefit concert taking place in her honor.

The April 7 livestreamed concert, featuring performances by acts including The Avett Brothers and Jason Mraz and appearances by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has been dubbed Rock the RoC. The name of the event is a reference to the Realm of Caring (RoC), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting research into cannabinoids and helping patients who need them gain access to lifesaving medications.

Charlotte gained global notoriety after being featured on “Weed,” a 2013 CNN documentary by Gupta, the network’s chief medical correspondent. She had a rare form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome that caused dozens or even hundreds of seizures per day. After traditional treatments for the disease were unsuccessful, Charlotte’s mother Paige Figi decided to try medicinal cannabis with tremendous results, which were documented by Gupta. Sadly, Charlotte died last year at the age of 13.

“On April 7, 2020, Charlotte Figi passed away, leaving the world with her life-changing story of overcoming adversity through courage and grace, and impacting the lives of millions along the way whose wellness and dignity were in part made possible by Charlotte and the Figi family’s efforts,” Polis said in a statement to High Times. “This year on April 7, we celebrate Charlotte Figi day to honor her legacy and the battle that so many continue to fight.”

A Benefit For Realm Of Caring

Heather Jackson, the president of Realm of Caring and the host for the event, said that Charlotte’s experience is largely responsible for the popularity of CBD, a cannabinoid that is now the active ingredient of an FDA-approved medication, Epidiolex.

Before you even begin to start growing cannabis, be sure that it is legal in your state. Always check local laws to make sure you are within the legal limits in terms of the number of plants and use of the final product.

It will take months to grow your cannabis into a beautiful and healthy plant. Then there is an additional four weeks to harvest and dry your buds.

With the right items and tips, you can create a healthy growing environment and begin to produce quality plants. Growing inside is more expensive because you need more items to start, but you have full control over the growing environment and the ability to make changes as needed.

Tips & Tricks

Grow Tents are not a necessary item, but helpful for beginners to optimize the growing environment. They are easy to purchase online.

Soil is extremely important.

A new report from cannabis market data analyst Headset shows that cannabis beverage sales continue to grow in North America and new trends indicate that the sector may be poised for gains in market share. Headset’s industry report for March focusing on cannabis beverages was released last week and is available online as a free download.

In the report, Headset notes that many cannabis industry analysts have been expecting big gains for the beverage sector since the company began collecting and reporting on data from the legal marijuana industry in 2015. But sales data have shown that the bold predictions have failed to pan out.

“Over the last five years, beverage market share has maintained about 1% of total recreational cannabis sales, with sales to the category growing at roughly the same pace as the total market,” Headset wrote in the introduction to the report.

“But today, for the first time in a long time, our Headset analysts are bullish on beverages,” the report continues. “Between advancements in THC infusion technology, and a myriad of new brands catering to the occasional, low-dose consumer, there is a lot of reason to believe in the growth potential of this category.”

In Canada, beverage sales have grown to 1.5% of sales in barely more than a year on the market, while in the U.S. cannabis drinks are posting a more modest 1% share. Cannabis beverages actually saw a dip in the U.S. during 2020, but have recovered to slightly more than 1% of the market this year. Headset notes that some trends in the sales data could mean that cannabis beverages are ready to make more gains in market share.

A new draft law currently on the desk of the Ministry of Development and Investment is likely to change the equation in not only Greece itself on the cannabis question, but the rest of Europe.

Greece is a fascinating development in the entire discussion of cannabis reform. The country has moved, quietly, along with the discussion as reform has come to Europe. The industry, of course, represents an absolute boon for a country hit twice in the last 15 years with “once in a century” economic wallops. First the banking meltdown in 2008, and now Covid. Tourism plays a huge role in the overall economic health of the country. According to the Office of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), pre Covid, the sector, pre-Pandemic, was responsible for a whopping 6.8% of the economy.

For this reason, anything that can bring economic development to the country is already attractive. Cannabis is now squarely in the gunsights of the government to do just that—unlike any other place in Europe right now.

Here is why. A fully legitimate medical industry means that the country can finally participate in a high value revolution, even by taking the first medical step. Even if all the new players circling Greece can do in the next few years is get EU GMP certified crops underway, the impact on the entire European cannabis conversation will be massive. It is a new source of flower for starters. And then of, course, there is the extraction conversation.

Medical Cannabis Vacay in Mykonos, Anyone? Book it, Danno!

DES MOINES, Iowa —

A recent Iowa Poll reports a majority of Iowans who would be in favor of legalizing marijuana.

The Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll was conducted between March 7 and March 10 and 775 Iowans participated.

The poll also asked participants about expanding the medical marijuana program in the state. Of the participants, 78% said the program should include more diseases and conditions, 14% opposed the expansion, and 7% were unsure.

There was a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

A study of data from across the country has found no evidence that the legalization of medical cannabis and the establishment of dispensaries encourages marijuana use by young people. The study, “Medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and dispensary provisions not associated with higher odds of adolescent or heavy marijuana use: A 46 state analysis, 1991-2015,” was published online this week by the journal Substance Abuse.

To complete the study, researchers affiliated with John Hopkins University, Harvard University, and the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission reviewed data collected from a total of 46 states over a 25-year period. The investigators analyzed trends in cannabis use among adolescents in grades 9 through 12, using data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey collected from 1991 through 2015.

In an abstract of the study, researchers wrote that they “found no evidence between 1991 and 2015 of increases in adolescents reporting past 30-day marijuana use or heavy marijuana use associated with state MML (medical marijuana law) enactment or operational MML dispensaries.”

Lower Cannabis Use Among 9th Graders

In fact, the data revealed that overall, states with medical marijuana programs actually had fewer current adolescent marijuana users, which were defined as survey respondents reporting cannabis use within the previous 30 days, than states without medicinal cannabis.

“In the overall sample, the adjusted odds of adolescents reporting any past 30-day marijuana use was lower in states that enacted MMLs at any time during the study period, and in states with operational dispensaries in 2015,” the researchers wrote.

Take care of your weed like you do other drugs and valuable items in your home by storing it properly. Here’s how.

With so much information about the critical role and impact cannabis has on our health and general well-being, everyone wants to know if it expires. Well, weed doesn’t go bad the way your bottle of milk and other food items go bad, but it can be “moldy” sometimes.

Moldy and/or old weed, when taken, may not lead to damaging health issues, but it can affect you if you have underlying health conditions. If you are 100% healthy, you will observe that it isn’t as potent as when it was still fresh. Older weed also has a different feel, taste, and texture, making it quite unappealing to users. You wouldn’t like such moldy weed hence the reason it is advised that you don’t keep your weed for too long. So how long should you store your weed? And how long does weed stay fresh?

How long does weed stay fresh?

If you store the weed properly, it can remain suitable for six months to 1 year. After this stated period, the dried weed starts to lose its potency and aroma. Works of research suggests that weed loses 16% of THC when it is left for an entire year, and it continually drops from there.

From 16% at one year, it gets to 26% THC lost in two years, and 34% THC lost in three years. If you leave the weed for more than four years, you will lose 41% THC. What’s the purpose of weed without THC? Why would you keep the weed for that long?

With a legislative deal reportedly in place, New York is poised to become the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana use.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday afternoon that leaders in the New York state assembly and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have struck a deal that “would impose special pot taxes and prepare to license dispensaries.” Liz Krueger, chair of the state Senate Finance Committee, told Bloomberg that it was her understanding “that the three-way agreement has been reached and that bill drafting is in the process of finishing a bill that we all have said we support.”

Signs were pointing toward a deal last week, with Cuomo telling reporters that all sides were “very close.” And on Tuesday, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said that legislators and Cuomo had overcome a major sticking point concerning how to codify traffic safety rules.

“I think we are really, really, really close on marijuana,” Stewart-Cousins said at the time.

For Cuomo, legalization was identified as a budget priority this year. 

For more than 80 years, the hemp plant was prohibited and conflated with its THC-rich cousin. Though they are both from the Cannabaceae family, hemp and marijuana were historically used for very different things. Industrial hemp is non-intoxicating, has a long history with humans and has been used for millennia for textiles, paper, food and much more. Cannabis also has a long relationship with humans and is used for less hands-on applications such as medicine, ritual, and enjoyment.  

It wasn't until 2018 that hemp and marijuana became legally distinct in the US with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, finally defining hemp as separate from marijuana and allowing for its cultivation and distribution. 

Judging by the size of the US cannabidiol (CBD) market and the rapid ascent of cannabis concentrates, consumers are showing an eagerness to try new industry offerings. Now that hemp is legal, that includes smokable CBD bud or “hemp bud” — also called hemp flower or CBD flower. 

What's the difference between cannabis-derived CBD and hemp? Do hemp buds have CBD?

If getting high is what you're looking for, you won't find it with hemp flower. Hemp plants are bred for industrial purposes and to contain very little intoxicating THC. And if a medicinal level of CBD is what you're after, hemp buds are not usually CBD-rich and not a very efficient way to get the cannabinoid. 

However, CBD derived from high-THC cannabis is much more likely to have higher levels of CBD and terpenes, the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis's distinct scent and flavor profiles. Cannabis-derived CBD offers much more medicinal benefit than hemp-derived CBD and shouldn't get you high, provided it remains below the federally legal limit of 0.3% THC. 

In general, it’s wise to spend a bit of time researching different cannabis products and effects and exploring menus so you can get some sense of what you’re looking for. 

Do you want something to help lull you to sleep? A low-dose tincture to take the edge off? Or a high-THC strain that will get you super stoned? There’s not a one-size-fits-all product for anyone — especially first-timers. 

Lantern, an on-demand cannabis e-commerce marketplace and home delivery platform, gives customers the option to answer a series of questions that help steer them to the right products. “Our goal is to empower consumers to confidently navigate the cannabis shopping experience to find which products best fit their goals and needs,” says Eric Lopez, head of operations at Lantern. Unlike a direct order from a retailer, a delivery from Lantern typically takes an hour or less, and the site accepts debit cards. To learn more about Lantern’s delivery service, visit lanternnow.com.

If you know you want to try flower, but aren’t sure whether to buy Purple Urkle, OG Kush, or Sour Diesel, opt for a pre-roll first. A pre-rolled joint gives you the freedom to try different strains before committing to an entire eighth. 

If you’re thinking you might like concentrates or vaping, an all-in-one option that includes the vaping device and the concentrate is a smart bet. These products are relatively inexpensive, ready to use, and usually tell you how many doses you’ll get in each unit.

Many countries around the world have made using cannabis for medical purposes completely legal, and some also legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.

Due to high demand, a highly competitive market has developed. So, what is all the hype about?

It Can be Used to Treat Chronic Pain

Did you know most people who use medical marijuana on a regular basis do it because of chronic pain?

First of all, it can provide them with the pain relief they need to get through the day.

Second of all, it can be an effective and safer alternative to prescription medications.

For the average person, images of sunshine, rainbows, blossoming flowers and lots of green grass usually come to mind whenever it’s springtime. But for people who like to smoke, it’s another excuse to combine to the best of both worlds and indulge in some season-inspired sessions. When it comes to spring smoking, it’s nice to reach for strains that are energizing and uplifting to match the boost in the weather if the sun is out where you live and go for calming strains that help you unwind in the evening to mellow out the hyperactivity of the day.

If you like going on the hunt for strains, keep an eye out for these at your local dispensary the next time you make a trip.

Green Crack

This popular, super potent sativa is an excellent morning smoke that may even rival a cup of coffee with its undeniable kick of get-up and-go. It’s the perfect way to bring in the new spring energy without dreading any sleepiness or laziness after waking and baking. Green Crack could also be useful for a quick post-punch session to give you an extra punch of energy.

Sunshine #4

Blaze your way into your happy place with a hybrid strain that not only helps to boost your mood but can also be highly-effective with alleviating pain, headaches and nausea. Like the name suggests, it’s a bright, euphoric high that’s powerful and instantly noticeable. This is a good fit if you like deep herbal flavors.