WeedLife News Network

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.

Researchers say that cannabis may have been around for about 19.6 to 28 million years. The earliest evidence of the plant’s existence is in the form of fossilized pollen.

Fast forward to modern times, and cannabis has become a $20.5-billion global industry. Market experts project this to multiply by more than four-fold by 2026. If this forecast comes to pass, its value will exceed $90 billion.

A primary factor behind this growth is the legalization of industrial hemp in the US. Scientists also continue to unearth hemp facts that establish the plant’s beneficial effects.

Despite the available literature, there’s still a lot of confusion about hemp. We’re here to set things straight, so be sure to read on to get your hemp plant facts right.

1. Cannabis Sativa That’s Not Marijuana

One of the facts about hemp and marijuana is that both are Cannabis sativa species. That makes them botanically similar, yes, but they have genetic varietal distinctions. It’s because of these differences that people grow and use them for different things.

White House staff are being fired for admitting to past marijuana use. The Biden administration has admitted to firing at least five staff members, suspending several others, and placing even more staffers into a remote work program as punishment for previous consumption.

Vice President Kamala Harris has openly joked about her former cannabis use, yet faces no backlash from the administration. 

The Daily Beast reported dozens of White House staff members are facing penalties for disclosing past use on a federal form used as part of the background check process. This comes on the heels of a February security service update in which federal policies were changed to prevent past cannabis use from automatically disqualifying staff from serving in the White House.

The firings are drawing considerable ire from cannabis proponents. 

Florida's marijuana market consists of 22 Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs). Each center owns a vertically-integrated license that allows and requires them to grow, process, dispense, and deliver medical marijuana. Also, five laboratories are licensed to perform third-party testing of medical marijuana. 

In Florida, the medical marijuana license allows the current MMTCs to build out as big of a footprint as possible in preparation for adult use (recreational) legalization. This regulatory framework is unique from most other states, which provide specialized licenses and have a cap on the production of marijuana per license-holder.

Florida's market potential

The Total Available Market, or TAM, is one of the most critical factors for any industry. Due to marijuana being federally illegal, marijuana companies cannot ship marijuana across state lines. Thus, in the marijuana industry, the TAM is limited to the company's state. Florida's marijuana industry happens to have one of the strongest TAMs in the world.

As of December of 2020, Florida has more than 450,000 qualified patients, consistently increasing by almost 3,000 patients per week. Patient growth has made Florida the largest medical-marijuana market in the country by sales. More importantly, Florida has a population of more than 20 million and a tourist population of almost 150 million, which means it is positioned to be one of the largest marijuana markets in the world once adult-use regulations go into effect. Currently, there are almost 300 retail locations, with an expected 500 locations by the end of 2022, which will make Florida one of the most dominant markets in the world.

A full arsenal of products

In mid-2019, Senate Bill 182 became effective and allowed for the possession, use, or administration of smokable marijuana flower in Florida. In 2020, Florida established rules for the production of edibles. Demand for marijuana edibles is growing across the country due to the rise in product offerings, a smoke-free method of consumption, and a more sanitary consumption method when compared to smoking dried flower in a joint or bowl.

Unfortunately, marijuana use can still disqualify you from getting hired, even in states with fully legal weed.

The embrace of marijuana reform and using CBD in wellness spaces could cause someone to think the stigma surrounding cannabis has disappeared. While that may be true from a cultural perspective—more than two out of every three Americans support cannabis legalization—you may want to reconsider if you’re looking for a job.

According to data from Simply Hired, more than 40% of hiring managers at mid-size companies and more than 51% at large companies say they still test for marijuana in the job application process. The anonymous survey, which included hiring managers at more than 700 companies, gives valuable insight into how companies truly view employees using cannabis. The majority of hiring managers said a job applicant would be immediately disqualify after testing positive for marijuana.

Legality of marijuana in the state also has little impact in determining cannabis policies at companies. Even in fully legal states, the majority of business maintain a marijuana policy for employees. According to the survey, this appears as an act of companies covering their own tail. While 75.4% of hiring managers say an employee would be fired for smoking weed at work, 68.4% also felt employee marijuana use was fine so long as companies didn’t know about it. Think of it as a don’t ask, don’t smoke on company property policy of sorts.

Photo by Matthew Henry via Burst

Thailand. Some parts of the cannabis plant and the hemp plant are now exempted from the list of category V narcotics ("exempted cannabis" and "exempted hemp"). On 25 February 2021, the Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) issued one of the highly anticipated notifications which amended the designation of foods which are prohibited from being produced, imported or sold (the "Prohibited Food Notification"). The Prohibited Food Notification no longer prohibits the use of exempted cannabis and exempted hemp in food products.

The Prohibited Food Notification repealed the previous MOPH notification that prohibited every part of the cannabis plant and the hemp plant from being used as food ingredients and amended the list of prohibited plants or parts of plants to remove exempted cannabis and exempted hemp from the list. Business operators will be able to use exempted cannabis and/or exempted hemp as an ingredient in food products in accordance with the applicable MOPH regulations to be issued in respect of the related food quality and standards.

Accordingly, another implementing regulation prescribing food products, food quality and standard of hemp seed, hemp seed oil, hemp seed protein and food supplement which contains hemp seed, hemp seed oil, and hemp seed protein as an ingredient (the "Hemp Seed Notification") was also issued on 4 March 2021 and became effective on the following day.

We expect additional implementing regulations with respect to hemp based food products to be issued soon.

We are closely monitoring this development and will keep you informed.

More than 1 in 10 opponents of legalization say they are likely to be a customer.

NEW YORK, March 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While 61% of New York State residents support the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana sales, more than half (52%) of those living in New York City would oppose its sale in their neighborhood. This disparity between general support and willingness to actually live near one is a significant problem when communities decide where, if anywhere, they want to allow marijuana retail sales. 

With 61% of New York state residents believing a community should have the right to "opt-out" and ban marijuana sales in their community all together, the battle to site facilities is likely to require extensive community outreach and education efforts.

"Legalization is only the beginning of the battle," said Patrick Fox, CEO of Consensus Strategies, a research and strategy firm with extensive experience in the siting of cannabis facilities, "The fight to find viable sites will be intense. We often hear from cannabis entrepreneurs who think that the level of support for legalization will translate into support for siting a retail or cultivation facility. It often does not."

Local zoning and planning authorities will have the ability to decide where retail and cultivation facilities will be able to locate within their communities. They can choose to allow them in higher visibility general retail zones treating them like a liquor store. They can relegate them to more obscure, lower profile areas like an industrial park and restrict signage and visibility or they can ban the use in their community completely. The majority of New Yorkers (53%) believe that marijuana retail should keep a low profile and locate outside of high visibility retail areas.

A vital piece of information to know before using any of this ancient medicine is that the cannabis plant has both male and female parts, and both of them have very different chemical components. While it is basically the same thing, it may have various effects on animals.

So, you need to be cautious before deciding to buy the best product. It has been proven that male and female parts of the cannabis plant can differentiate. But an important thing to know is that this percentage is not safe for cats and can cause a lot of adverse side effects.

For example, the female part of the marijuana plant can contain from five to twenty percent of THC. And some more exclusive grades can contain up from twenty-five to thirty percent THC. But in order to create a batch of cannabinoids in some countries, the THC level has to be a maximum of 0.3 percent. That is the dose that has been tested in humans, and it has been proven that they will not get the high effect.

If you want to look more into the regularities of THC level in this product, click on the following link for more info https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd.

The pros for using CBD on cats

Depression is an increasingly common health concern. People have often refrained from talking about depression due to the stigma around mental health issues. But, more and more people are opening up about their struggle.

A mild case of depression may not affect your life adversely. You may continue with a routine while suffering from symptoms like irritability, sadness, fatigue, and anger. But, severe cases need immediate intervention as they start affecting your daily life and relationships.

Your mental health can worsen, making you frequently think about death or suicide. Such severe cases of depression can paralyze your life and make it difficult to carry on.

Medical assistance is necessary to manage the problem. With a doctor’s guidance, natural remedies such as CBD may be used as an alternative to conventional therapies or in conjunction with them.

Symptoms of Severe Depression

Before going into how you can prevent losing control over depression, know when to take action. Here are some of the symptoms indicating the need to intervene:

CBD oil is a diluted form of cannabidiol, a chemical compound that derives from the cannabis plant. Diluting the CBD with a carrier oil makes CBD oil. By infusing this with other ingredients, manufacturers can create bath bombs or bath salts. 

Is there anything more indulgent than a warm bath? Whether you hit the tub to wash up, unwind mentally, ease stiff muscles, or promote a good night’s sleep, you know all about the healing power of a good soak. But if you thought taking a bath couldn’t get any more relaxing, think again. A CBD bath might just be the ultimate way to soothe your mind, body, and soul.

Bath bombs and bath salts can benefit the skin and provide a relaxing bathing experience. Some of these products may contain cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which may have some extra benefits for the skin.

Even if you’ve been skeptical about trying CBD in any form, a soak of aromatic, CBD-infused bath salts could be the perfect way to experience CBD’s effects without ingesting it, and while doing something you already enjoy (lounging in the tub).

CBD Bath Benefits 

So what does this calming, homeostasis-promoting, cannabis-derived plant substance have to do with bath time?

Loyalty programs, long a staple of consumer marketing strategies, have found a place among regulated cannabis retailers in the United States and Canada. By offering perks such as discounts, points, special offers and new-product notifications, retail operators say loyalty programs can be a useful tool for:

Offering those perks isn’t free, but loyalty-program operators say the benefits can easily outweigh the costs.

Data shows loyalty advantage

Recent figures provided by Seattle-based marijuana analytics firm Headset illustrate how loyalty programs can drive shopping habits. Roughly 50 percent of cannabis stores in Washington state appear to use a loyalty program, according to Headset data analyst Cooper Ashley.

Over a 90-day period, the average basket spend among retailers with loyalty programs was $37.18 – 13 percent larger than the average spend at retailers without such a scheme. Loyalty-program baskets also had more items per basket and slightly higher item prices.

“That’s a pretty significant advantage to having a loyalty program right there,” Ashley said. “Your customers tend to have larger transactions.”

Marijuana, cannabis, weed, ganja. All common names for a very common drug. We know, thanks to archeological digs, that cannabis has been used by humans for millennia in rituals, for recreation, and to gain the purported health benefits. 

The effects, both good and bad, of marijuana are well known. With many of them not seeming entirely conducive to being an extraordinary essay writer or a professional in any field. So why is it that, if not for the nootropic effects, marijuana use is rising amongst college students?

For starters, marijuana use has always been high – pun intended – in this demographic. College is a time for exploration, and drug (mis)use is a common part of the journey. 

Cannabis culture is now part of mainstream culture; legalization and medicalization have thrown the limelight onto the plant. Fourteen states, two territories, and even the seat of government – the District of Columbia – have legalized marijuana for recreational use. In addition to this, thirty-five states have legalized medical uses of it. 

That means that 48 out of 50 states have a way to legally use the drug. Most of the population supports legal marijuana too: some of the most recent polls showcased support at 68%. Compare that 68% in 2020 to the 12% who supported it back in 1969. A huge rally in support has taken place as education, experimentation, and evaluation of the war on drugs have presented a strong case for regulating the drug market.

One of the only bright spots in 2020 was the emerging cannabis industry.

Whereas the ongoing global pandemic has negatively impacted virtually every other industry on earth, the legal international cannabis industry has powered forward.

According to data firm BDSA, spending on the legal cannabis industry is expected to top $20 billion in 2020, up from an estimated $14.8 billion in 2019.

To put that number into perspective, the international music organization IFPI estimates that the entire global music industry is worth roughly $20 billion dollars, and unlike the music industry the cannabis industry has plenty of room for growth.

As the year 2020 comes to a close, many in the cannabis community are naturally starting to look ahead towards 2021 and speculating on what the new year may bring for the emerging cannabis industry.

When it comes to cannabis consumption on the European continent, France stands above the rest of the countries in the region.

According to the United Nations, France has the highest rate of cannabis consumption among the list of European countries, over double the European average.

With that in mind, it’s unfortunate that France is not leading the charge when it comes to reforming Europe’s harmful cannabis laws.

Nations like the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy seem to be much more favorable when it comes to the possibility of passing the first adult-use cannabis legalization measure in Europe.

Strong Polling for Legalization

When it comes to support for cannabis legalization, politicians in France are clearly out of touch with popular opinion.

Hawaii is a cannabis market that the industry has been looking at with interest, and now, they may get the green light to come online. This week, the state Senate voted to approve two cannabis reform bills that are now headed to the House. 

Senate Bill 767, which would legalize and regulate recreational cannabis, passed the Senate at a 20 to 5 margin. If it becomes law, individuals 21 years of age and older will be able to purchase and possess one ounce of cannabis and grow up to six plants for personal use. 

Hawaii is already somewhat decriminalized, as 2019 laws reduced the criminal penalties for cannabis possession, but only up to three grams. Currently, instead of serving time in jail or paying a hefty fee and getting a strike against a permanent record, those who possess three grams of cannabis or less get a non-criminal violation and a $130 fine. 

The other bill being considered, Senate Bill 785, passed 24 to 1. It would increase decriminalization from three grams to 30 grams and help expunge past cannabis cases. While it wouldn’t set up a recreational industry, it would make sure that the war on drugs ceases when it comes to cannabis.

Will The Bills Make It To The Governor’s Desk?

However, while passing the Senate was a big deal, some are fearful that these bills won’t make it through the House, as elected officials there lean more conservatively. There are rumors that a key house committee member won’t hear the measure at all.