WeedLife News Network

With some in Seychelles being known for indulging in recreational cannabis use, its continued prohibition is government’s way of saying: do as I say, not do as I do.

With New Zealand’s referendum on the legalization of marijuana fast looming, former Prime Minister Helen Clark has become quite vocal on the topic saying she wants the referendum to pass because it would end the prohibition on the popular drug so that citizens do not have to get their supply from “tinny houses.” This while also paves the way for promoting marijuana tourism.

She has stated forcefully that older politicians who are calling for prohibition are typically Boomers who hypocritically used the drug themselves in their university days.

In December 2019, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a list of pesticides approved for use in hemp cultivation. This was the first federal guidance on what products could be used to treat hemp after it was legalized in 2018.

“Under the Trump Administration, the EPA is committed to providing much-needed certainty to farmers and ranchers across the country who rely on crop protection tools to ensure a global supply of products, while driving economic growth in agricultural communities across America,” said EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler in the release announcing the list.

Hemp. It's related to marijuana, but you don't smoke it, you make things with it. 

After being banned for more than 80 years, it's once again legal to grow it. 

However, in Florida, hemp farmers are facing a challenge insuring their crop just as hurricane season heats up. 

From paper straws to perfumes, even designer dresses, hemp is in line to become the key ingredient -- a durable fiber that thrives on sunshine, the kind Florida has in abundance, making the state nearly perfect for growing. 

If you were wondering: No, the marijuana industry hasn't lost its allure. Although the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF fell 36% in the past year, some pot stocks have reported impressive sales. With national elections on the horizon and marijuana legalization initiatives on the ballot in few U.S. states, investors are optimistic about the industry's room to grow. Medical cannabis is already legal across Canada, in 33 U.S. states, and the District of Columbia. The market should expand even more as marijuana-related therapies offer patients benefits that conventional therapies have failed to provide.

Cannabis companies are learning that to survive the pandemic, bigger isn’t necessarily better.

Specialized operations and a narrow geographic footprint are buoying marijuana providers such as Trulieve Cannabis Corp. at a time when the broader industry is struggling with falling demand and capital constraints. That’s a shift from a few years ago, when exuberance in the market pushed cannabis companies to expand their reach across the nation in a hasty land grab, which has left many onetime heavyweights overextended.

Companies with a broader reach got “punished” last quarter, said Joe Caltabiano, a cannabis entrepreneur who recently left the company he co-founded, Cresco Labs. With the industry shift, “you’re starting to see a separation of winners and losers.”

The state of New York will not submit a state hemp plan to the U.S.

For the past century, America has been in a fierce debate regarding the legal status of marijuana. And while individuals on both sides of the issue are passionate about their positions regarding the morality and safety of cannabis, those against legalization have largely had their way— until very recently.

With the legalization of hemp at the federal level with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, it wasn’t long before a new industry based on the increasing popularity of cannabidiol began to take root across the country. But the growth of that industry is at risk in Indiana and Texas, where bans on hemp flower threaten the livelihoods of farmers and small business owners alike.

Though Texas lawmakers legalized the production and sale of hemp in its last legislative session, the state has now created a framework that essentially bans the sale of “smokable” products.

Edible goods, tinctures and topicals remain okay under the new program. But farmers and cannabis activists alike have voiced concern that lawmakers violated the scope of the original legislation.

There has never been a more crucial time to automate your cannabis operation. With the COVID-19 crisis settling in for the long haul, businesses are starting to think about how to increase efficiency and profit, while operating a facility safely and comfortably for workers and managers.

As the cannabis sector becomes more competitive, the margins get tighter, and the manufacturing and production environment encounter new challenges, businesses must embrace automation to survive.

Need convincing? Here are the top five reasons to automate your cannabis business now.

How Will This Big Issue Affect Pot Stocks

As we’ve seen in 2020, the demand for marijuana has shot up dramatically. For anyone who watches the cannabis industry, they know that this demand rise is due solely to Covid-19. But, with so much marijuana demand one would think that the cannabis industry is headed in the right direction. And for the most part, this is true. Since mid-March, pot stocks have seen a major amount of growth in their share prices. And, estimates for the future worth of the cannabis industry are continuing to go up.

The cannabis start-up is a place where dreams are born. A place where exuberance pulses through the bloodstream, fueling visions of world domination. It’s a place where the new and the old, the novice and the experienced, the tried and the true have all taken their shot. And most of them have failed.

Many others are waiting for the right moment when they come off the sidelines and show the rest how it’s done. Many equate cannabis to a “gold rush” for all these reasons and more. Not the least of which is the notion that this emerging industry is a lot of fun to be a part of. The parties are sensational. What’s not to love?

Let’s talk about pain and cannabis. No, I’m not talking about medical efficacy, although that’s well proven. I’m referring to the great pains that come with regulatory compliance.

There are so many bureaucratic hoops for a business to jump through, it borders on ridiculous. 

As automation continues to change the way we get our cannabis, the future of this booming industry is growing even more exciting. 

Due to COVID-19, social distancing is crucial. That’s why so many people prefer contactless options, particularly for items like groceries or take out. Why can’t we do the same with cannabis? Exciting new developments in the world of automation are making contactless cannabis a reality.