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The military makes no confusion about its views on marijuana. Despite widespread legalization and rising positive marijuana drug tests for Army soldiers, military service members who confess to consuming cannabis just once are barred from re-enlisting under current law.

But late last Thursday the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to its USD$740.5 billion defense policy bill that could grant a second chance to those troops. Rep. Ruben Gallego submitted a proposal alongside the bill that would create a one-time reenlistment waiver for former service members who admitted to cannabis use. Approval would be granted on a case-by-case basis under the provision.

“Smoking pot just once shouldn’t prevent a patriotic American from fighting for our country,” Gallego said in a release. “We need to finally exercise some common sense when it comes to our marijuana policies, and I’m glad my amendment will lead us in that direction.”

Gallego, a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq, has submitted this proposal for the past couple years. The rider was approved in the 2019 defense spending House bill, but was removed in reconciliation with Senate defense bill.

At the time, Gallego said a conversation with a constituent inspired the provision. After studying in law school, the constituent went to reenlist in the Marine Corps and admitted to using cannabis. The recruiter told him to either lie about smoking marijuana or else forget being reenlisted.

The gigantic Planet 13 dispensary in Las Vegas was conceived as a tourist destination as much as a store.

It calls its 112,000-square-foot facility a “Cannabis Entertainment Complex,” offering “an unparalleled customer experience focused on unique interactive entertainment.” These include laser-light displays, electronic lotus flowers controlled by customers and an “aerial orb show.”  And — oh, yeah — you can buy weed there, too. The web site also telegraphs Planet 13’s ambition “to operate ultra-high-end dispensaries in tier-one markets nationwide.”

Plans like that are on hold industry-wide. Of course, Planet 13 was conceived well before the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Once it did, the company had to quickly shift resources from its “showroom” and toward the more mundane tasks of delivering weed or distributing it curbside. 

In March, Nevada authorities ordered dispensaries to close their shops to the public and offer delivery only. Planet 13 hurriedly increased its delivery fleet from five cars to a 30. 

Dispensaries could open their doors again in May, but that didn’t do much to bring customers back. In a conference call with investors last month, Planet 13 executives reported that, at $100,000 a day, sales were only half of what they had been before the lockdown. It marked a huge improvement over the $10,000 the store was generating daily in March, but with the pandemic now worsening again, things won’t get back to “normal” for a long time yet. 

According to a newly released study those who are 60 years of age or older who have a history of marijuana use generally have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those who do not have a history of marijuana use. Those with a history of marijuana use are also more likely to exercise regularly. All of this is according to a study published in the American Journal of Health and Behavior. The study is titled Exercise intervention outcomes with cannabis users and nonusers aged 60 and older.

For the study researchers studied differences in BMI as well as exercise patterns in 164 people: 28 of these were regular cannabis consumers, while 136 were matched controls who have not used marijuana. An 8-week exercise intervention trial was conducted.

According to the researchers: “Results of this analysis indicated that compared to older adult non-users, older adult cannabis users had lower BMI at the beginning of an exercise intervention study, engaged in more weekly exercise days during the intervention, and were engaging in more exercise-related activities at the conclusion of the intervention. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that it may be easier for older adults who endorse using cannabis to increase and maintain their exercise behavior, potentially because cannabis users have lower body weight than their non-using peers. At minimum, the evidence suggests that cannabis use does not hinder older adults’ ability to engage in physical activity, to participate in a supervised exercise program, or to increase their fitness as a result of physical activity.”

The study’s full abstract can be found below:

Objectives: Cannabis use is increasing among older adults. We examined whether cannabis use impacted results of an intervention to increase physical activity in sedentary adults aged 60 and over. Methods: We measured differences in body mass index (BMI), exercise behavior, and cardiovascular fitness between older adult cannabis users (N = 28) and nonusers (N = 136) participating in an exercise intervention trial. Results: BMI of cannabis users was significantly lower than non-users (p = .007). Cannabis users reported .70 more days of exercise on the Stanford 7-Day Physical Activity Recall than non-users at the 8-week timepoint (p = .068) and were 4.1 points higher on the exercise subscale of the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors at 16-weeks (p = .045). Neither baseline nor post-intervention fitness differed by cannabis use status, and cardiovascular fitness improved after intervention in the full sample. Conclusion: These preliminary data suggest that current cannabis use status is not associated with a negative impact on fitness and efforts to increase exercise in sedentary older adults. Future studies should collect more detailed information on patterns and forms of cannabis use to understand their potential health effects for older adults.

The country is slowly reopening, causing a lot of anxiety for those who feel uncertain about their health and future.

The coronavirus is here to stay. Despite rising cases all over the country, and the opening, closing and re-opening of some businesses, large parts of the U.S. are moving forward with the economy. This is daunting for many of us who aren’t sure how to move forward with our lives while under constant threat of the virus.

It’s logical to be afraid of this new phase of the virus, and to want to be safe from harm in the face of these stressful times. Here are 5 coping methods you can use if you start to feel too overwhelmed by the spread of the virus.

Take it slow

If you’re anxious about going back to “normal,” take things slow. Don’t throw yourself out into the world and try to take on more than you can. Test your limits and do what makes you feel safe and comfortable, whether that’s going back to your office while wearing a mask or simply browsing a bookstore.

Tackle negative emotions with positive behaviors

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CBD is one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S. Here are some ways to help improve your experience with the compound.

It’s understatement to say that CBD is a fast growing industry. Despite its popularity and widespread use, CBD is a compound that varies in effect depending on the person. It’s also a compound that’s shrouded in misinformation and that lacks scientific research. A survey from last year found that 60% of respondents didn’t even know what CBD was.

The scientific studies that have been conducted on CBD show that it holds some promise for  treating different kinds of conditions, from treating mental health to targeting physical aches and pains. In short, just because the compound needs more research, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it a shot.

Here are 4 things you can do to make the most of your CBD.

Keep a schedule

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The potential of medical marijuana is widely known, not only in Canada and the U.S., but also globally. Many patients find that medical cannabis has helped them with certain health issues where conventional medicine has failed, including chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn's disease, and anxiety.

Meanwhile, recreational cannabis is gaining popularity because of the variety it offers in satisfying consumers looking for an intoxicating or relaxing experience.

To take advantage of this popular and evolving market, two big names in cannabis space, Aurora Cannabis (NYSE:ACB) and Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC), are in a tight race. But before I tell you the progress each has made, let's shed light on the growth of the medical and recreational cannabis markets in Canada and the U.S.

How have medical and recreational cannabis progressed?

Worldwide legal cannabis sales have been impressive. In 2017, the number stood at $9.5 billion; that increased to $12.2 billion in 2018, per data from BDS Analytics. In 2019, medical marijuana made up 71% of total legal pot sales.

“Wellness” is the latest buzzword in town when it comes to the cannabis-munchie movement. The cannabis community wants America to know, or at least it wants it to think, that instead of scarfing down fast food and Little Debbies whenever it comes time to tame the ravenous appetite that often comes with getting high, they are grabbing fruits and vegetables instead. It’s all part of the new-and-improved stoner image 2.0. But are marijuana users really opting for healthier food choices when those high hunger pangs set in? Maybe, but then again, maybe not.

If we look at some of the latest research on the matter, it is easy to see that all of this talk about wellness, healthier munchies and the brand-spanking new pulse of the lifted lifestyle might not be real.

A 2015 study published in the journal Social Science Research Network finds that junk food sales have increased by around two per cent in states where marijuana is legal. Of course, this is not a huge uptick or anything, especially when compared to the 1.3 per cent increase in areas of prohibition. But it does show that high fat, sugary foods still have a shot at becoming a stoner staple in areas of the United States where marijuana consumption is now part of normal society.

The munchies is one of the most popular side effects of cannabis. Dietary experts, like Debbie Petitpain, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, said the reason cannabis consumers often gravitate toward junk food is because weed “hijacks the parts of your brain that make you seek pleasure.” In turn, these people are more likely to grab salty and sweet snacks to satisfy high hunger.

It also doesn’t help matters that marijuana causes a heightened sense of smell and taste. This only compounds the plate-punishing destruction, encouraging high timers to eat more, Petitpain said in an interview with the Boston Herald.

Sales of adult-use cannabis in Illinois hit a new record high last month, as recreational marijuana dispensaries sold more than $47.6 million worth of legal products — a 7.5% uptick versus the previous month.

According to Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), which tracks sales at licensed adult-use shops, nearly $240 million worth of recreational cannabis has been sold in Illinois through the first half of the year.

Meanwhile, sales of medical cannabis from 55 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in Illinois totaled $29.6 million in June, down slightly from the previous month. Concentrates and infused products made up roughly $15.9 million worth of sales, while dry flower accounted for about $13.7 million.

Medical marijuana sales in Illinois have topped $170 million on the year, according to the state, bringing total statewide cannabis sales (recreational and medical) to about $410 million through the first six months of 2020.

The record-breaking recreational sales in June comes as cannabis firms have wrestled with difficult operating conditions throughout much of the year. When adult-use dispensaries first opened in January, they struggled to maintain adequate inventory levels as initial demand outstripped supply.

In light of the impending November 2020 ballot question, in which New Jersey residents will be asked to vote on the legalization of adult-use cannabis, it is imperative now more than ever that legalization is enacted through the meticulous lens of social equity.

Meticulous in the sense that social equity programs must be more than an afterthought, more than an addendum to a bill and more than simple promises to act.

Social equity provisions must be statutorily enacted to ensure a stable foundation that will hold strong as New Jersey’s nascent cannabis industry continues to evolve.

New Jersey is no stranger to the criminalization of cannabis as it consistently ranks in the top three states in the country for the highest number of cannabis arrests and ranks 25th in the country for highest racial disparity in cannabis arrests.

Despite its incarceration history and despite spending more than $143 million of taxpayer’s money each year on cannabis arrests, New Jersey has yet to implement any social equity initiatives in the state’s eight-year history of having a medical cannabis program.

Despite COVID-19 and the illnesses associated with vaping, industry experts report that sales are doing well and are primed to do better as the year progresses.

The vaping market was on the fast track until a strange pulmonary disease appeared in 2019 and threw everyone for a loop. Then came the new year, along with COVID-19, a respiratory illness that has most government officials asking people to wear masks and maintain social distance in order to prevent the spread. With this in mind, the use of vapes and cigarettes should be fizzling out, but experts don’t think that’s the case.

While most people know that smoking harms the lungs, a lot of people are still smoking marijuana as a way to cope with the stress of the virus and long hours of boredom. Smoking marijuana may cause lung irritation and chronic bronchitis but, unlike smoking cigarettes, it’s not associated with significant abnormalities in lung functioning. While there are obvious risks, people who smoke cigarettes are the ones who are dealing more harm to their lungs, especially since this act is likely repeated several times a day.

Vaping is generally associated with less lung damage. Still, experts warn about the unknown chemicals present in the cartridges. “If you’re using a vape pen, you’re taking some chances that there’s stuff other than pure cannabis oil in that cartridge,” internal medicine specialist Erick Kaufman tells The Cut. “We should all be really protective of our respiratory tracts right now, so it’s probably not a good time to be doing any inhaling of cannabis if you can help it.”

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A vast number of cannabis enthusiasts made up of all ages have discovered the perks of exercising high—often with pleasant results. 

While decades of propaganda and a handful of less-than-conclusive studies promote the amotivational syndrome theory surrounding cannabis, a growing body of empirical evidence defies the concept that cannabis slows down the physical human body and hinders psychomotor ability.

A new study—looking at Americans ages 60 and older—found that cannabis consumers are more adept at regular exercise than non-consumers. 

The findings were published in the July 2020 issue of American Journal of Health Behavior and are published online via Ingenta. The data suggests that Americans pot smokers ages 60 and older exercise frequently and have a lower body mass index than older Americans who do not consume. The team arrived at the conclusion that cannabis did not negatively impact exercise routines among Americans who fall within that age group. 

The study was conducted by a team from the Department of Neuroscience and Psychology at University of Colorado, Boulder. “Although studies have suggested that cannabis may impair psychomotor performance and lung function, cannabis may actually enhance performance in some athletic domains,” researchers wrote. “It is important to note that the few empirical studies directly testing this association lack external validity, as they have utilized forms of cannabis that are not widely available in modern medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries.” 

Easy CBD edible recipes can be a godsend when you are looking for ways to get creative in the kitchen. Not only is making your own edibles a nice way to save money, but you can also turn this hobby into a source of income. On top of that, making your own edibles is the best way to ensure that they are made using quality and healthy ingredients, and cooking gives you complete control over the CBD concentration in each product.

You don’t need great cooking skills to make simple and delicious edibles. Here are some of the easiest CBD edibles to make yourself.

CBD Gummies

Starting with what is easily one of the most popular edibles in the world. Both cannabis and CBD gummies are easy to make. A quick online search will yield many different recipes, but most of them rely on two key ingredients: CBD itself, and gelatin. Other ingredients like honey, fruit juice, and colorants can be used to add flavor and beauty to the gummies. And different silicone molds can be used for aesthetic purposes.

But at its core, making CBD gummies consists of heating up the gelatin and then mixing it with CBD. And while a silicone mold can make it easier to pour and later extract your gummies, you can get away with using an ice tray in a pinch. Gummies can be made using CBD oil, tinctures, isolates, and even by adding ground up hemp to the gelatin. Just make sure to decarboxylate it first.

Look around for CBD gummy recipes and find one that looks delicious to you. Most of them are shockingly simple.

Choosing to smoke cannabis can be therapeutic, capable of relieving any number of conditions from insomnia to the side effects of chemotherapy. But it’s also a superb vehicle for attaining personal balance and increasing our overall sense of well-being.

Here are 10 activities that will maximize the cannabis experience.

Take a bath

If you’re dead tired or your muscles are aching, a hot bath is always inviting. Once you’ve set the scene with scented candles and some relaxing tunes, why not light a joint. Obviously, the hand that’s holding the joint dry needs to remain dry, which will require a bit of coordination when climbing into the water. But once you’ve settled in, you’ll achieve physical and psychological serenity.

Work out with weed

The gym can be a tiresome experience: the same old machines, the same old routine. What’s the solution? Freshen your exercise by catching a buzz before you sweat. Cannabis gives your metabolism a boost. For runners, it alleviates the tedium of putting one foot in front of the other. By the way, the so-called “runner’s high” is very much akin to the cannabis experience, because exercise activates the endocannabinoid system in the same way toking up does.

For those who opt for exercise machines, which are designed to isolate individual muscle groups, cannabis will allow you to focus more keenly on the contraction of those muscles. Many yoga enthusiasts swear by cannabis because it marginalizes linear thought and focuses awareness on breathing and proper alignment.

Service members who admit to using cannabis after they leave the military would be permitted to reenlist under a provision of a $740.5 billion defense spending bill approved by the House Armed Services Committee last week. 

Current Department of Defense regulations dictate that service members who leave the military and decide to return are barred from reenlisting if they admit to using any form of cannabis while separated. The prohibition remains in effect even for former service members whose cannabis use occurred in a state that has legalized marijuana.

But under a provision added to a defense spending authorization bill by Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, service members wishing to return to the military could request a waiver on a case-by-case basis. The waiver, if granted by the Pentagon, would allow reenlistment for those who have been convicted of a misdemeanor marijuana offense or who admit to cannabis use up to the level of a misdemeanor offense while not on active duty.

“Smoking pot just once shouldn’t prevent a patriotic American from fighting for our country,” Gallego said in a release. “We need to finally exercise some common sense when it comes to our marijuana policies, and I’m glad my amendment will lead us in that direction.”

‘Common-Sense Reform’

Gallego has introduced the amendment, which he characterized as “a common-sense reform to modernize our military’s restrictions on minor marijuana use,” each year since 2018. He was spurred to draft the measure by the experience of a constituent who wanted to return to the Marine Corps when he had finished attending law school. After revealing he had used marijuana in a legal state, a recruiter told him he would have to lie in order to reenlist.

The days, weeks, months and time in general feel like a vague concept in the middle of a pandemic, it’s worth remembering that we’re still in the midst of summer. But the usual beloved summer cultural events we so look forward to all winter — from parades to concerts to food festivals — aren’t happening. Theme parks are shuttered and other tourist attractions are mostly closed.

But don’t fret! Things are still happening, only in the virtual realm. We’ve rounded up some of the best online events happening in the coming months that are worth tuning into — especially when you’re stoned. 

Online baking workshop, July 26

Why not get baked and get into baking? This online workshop will teach you how to make donuts, one of the most ideal stoner snacks, after brownies and cookies. 

Category Is, Every Friday in July and August

Your First Visit to a Dispensary

The cannabis industry is rather new and is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, which means there is a learning curve for consumers. Anyone interested in buying marijuana for medical or recreational use will eventually visit a dispensary, and the first trip to a dispensary can be shocking because of the enormous selection of products available for purchase.

Follow these steps to learn how to prepare for your first trip to a dispensary.

Determine Your Goals

Before you visit the dispensary for the first time, or any time, make sure you know what goals you’d like to accomplish. For example, is there a particular medical condition you’re looking to treat, do you prefer an inhaleable or edible product, or do you prefer a cannabis strain that provides energy or calmness? These are just some questions you can ask yourself when determining your goals.

Research What Products Will Help Accomplish Your Goals

Learn about marijuana here or online by searching Google for terms such as “sativa marijuana strain” and “indica marijuana strain” or “marijuana flower vs edibles” and “marijuana dosage.”

Bring ID and Medical Marijuana Card

Dispensaries have security and receptionists that will ask for your state-issued driver’s license and your valid medical marijuana identification card when you visit.

A little-known cannabinoid called THCV can trigger your brain to eat less and avoid greasy, fatty foods.

Marijuana’s capability as an appetite stimulant is well-documented. And, no, we’re not talking about the “munchies.” We’re referring to its ability to kick-start appetite in potentially life-threatening situations.

Cancer, for instance, can induce adverse metabolic changes in patients, causing them to lose their appetites and tissue in the process, which results in a condition called “cachexia.” Chemotherapy treatment and anti-cancer drugs often exacerbate these effects, but research shows medical cannabis can boost appetite, mood, and caloric intake in cancer patients, while simultaneously battling cancer cells.

AIDS patients similarly suffer from wasting syndrome, in which someone loses more than 10% of their body weight. Multiple studies have reported increased appetite and lowered nausea symptoms for HIV-positive subjects who consumed marijuana when compared to those who took a placebo.

This positive effect on appetite is predominantly associated with THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in the cannabis plant. Marijuana contains at least 113 cannabinoids and one of them has received newfound attention for its opposite effect — suppressing appetite and potentially improving energy levels.

“As these products become increasingly used across the country, getting clearer, scientifically rigorous data is going to be important as we try to understand the overall health effects of cannabis,” notes Robert Harrington, M.D., president of the American Heart Association (AHA).

In late 2019, a report was published in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) that found, “frequent cannabis (marijuana) use among young people was linked to an increased risk of stroke” as well as an increase in heart rhythm disturbances, or arrhythmias.

Published by the AHA, the study did not look into the direct connection between stroke and cannabis use, rather it discovered it as a potential link.

The study found that younger cannabis users had a heightened risk of stroke, compared to individuals who didn’t use cannabis. Interestingly, the study also cited that, “the cannabis users were also more likely to be heavy drinkers, current cigarette users and e-cigarette users, which may have also influenced their risk, even though the researchers adjusted for those factors in their analysis.”

Study author Tarang Parekh, a health policy researcher at George Mason University in Fairfax, Vir., had this to say: “Young cannabis users, especially those who use tobacco and have other risk factors for strokes, such as high blood pressure, should understand that they may be raising their risk of having a stroke at a young age.”

Though the idea of the dumb, unproductive stoner is still steadily phasing itself out of the cannabis conversation, unfortunately, there is still a lot of conflicting information when it comes to cannabis and memory.

The average person with a working knowledge of how weed works is often led to believe that consuming it can lower your IQ and deplete your memory, regardless of how much or how often you partake. But there is evidence that shows that there is much more to consider, including the strain of weed you’re smoking, whether or not it’s THC– or CBD-dominant and the amount of time you have been consistently smoking — and that’s just for starters.

It’s also important to consider that there are different kinds of memory. For the purpose of research, most studies focus on short-term memory (also known as working memory) and long-term memory, which includes implicit (unconscious) and explicit (conscious) memory. THC, the most well-known cannabinoid in cannabis, is what can have an impact on both long-term and short-term memory.

THC vs. CBD

Most studies, like this one from JAMA Internal Medicine, offer research confirming that “long-term heavy cannabis users show impairments in memory and attention that endure beyond the period of intoxication and worsen with increasing years of regular cannabis use.” But there are others, like this one from a medical journal called the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, that suggest that “acute exposure” to cannabis can actually help enhance working memory performance.

In another study published in a journal called Addict Biology, researchers examined the relationship between memory function and cannabis consumption and found that “that sustained moderate to heavy levels of cannabis… do not change working-memory network functionality.”

In addition to surveying public perception of alcohol and marijuana use, this research also aimed to find out why people turn to each substance.

Times are changing and as more states legalize both recreational and medical marijuana, it is obvious that public opinion about the two is changing, too. At face value, it appears that more people are accepting of marijuana, both as a recreational substance and plant-based medicinal product.

What if we take a closer look? A recent survey performed by the American Addiction Center aimed to do just that and shed some light on the public opinion on weed and booze. Their results confirm what we suspected from the start — the way Americans feel about weed and booze is pretty complicated.

More People Believe Marijuana Should Be Illegal

In the survey of 1,000 people, the American Addiction Center found that 17% of those surveyed believed marijuana should be an illegal substance. This is compared to only 10% of respondents stating that they would prefer alcohol be illegal.

Interestingly enough, when the results of the survey were adjusted based on the respondents’ own use of these two substances, the overall opinion was different. Among those who don’t drink alcohol at all, 38% want it to be illegal. When the same questioned was asked about marijuana among those who don’t use it, only 30% said they would like it to be illegal.