WeedLife News Network

AUSTIN - A topic seen as controversial to some is becoming a booming industry in the Lone Star State.

More Texans are turning to medical marijuana, and this is only the beginning. “We’ve sold medicine to more than 25,000 Texans,” said Morris Denton, CEO of Texas Original. Texas Original first opened their doors on Feb. 8, 2018 and has continued to grow. They are one of three licensed medical cannabis operators in the state. The company is based in Austin, but saw an opportunity in the Piney Woods.

“In East Texas and Nacogdoches in particular, basically started to grow pretty quickly for us,” Denton said. The owners say they are impressed with their dispensary’s performance in Nacogdoches, and now they are looking to expand.

“We anticipate that over the next few years we will end up having a full-time retail location in East Texas,” Denton said. But how is the growing process different from recreational marijuana, which is still illegal here in Texas? Jason Sanders, the Director of Cultivation, takes us through the process from source to dispensaries in your community.

“It all starts with our mother plants. We produce these originally from seed, and then we identify these plants as being the same ratio as what our medicine is,” said Jason Sanders, Director of Cultivation, Texas Original.

They take clippings from the mother plant to create clones. These branches will be planted, left to grow for two weeks, and transferred to a flowering room.

NORTH SIOUX CITY - Voters will decide whether or not to remove a current ordinance on the number of licensed medical cannabis facilities that can operate in city limits.

As it stands right now, the limits are four dispensaries, two growing, two processing, and two testing facilities.

Licenses for those facilities were given out using a lottery system.

If the voters say yes, those restrictions will choose to remove all restrictions on medical marijuana facilities.

The initiative began with a party who failed to secure one of the lottery licenses for the current facilities that are allowed.

“Yeah, one of the parties that was unsuccessful in the original application process, and didn’t win one of the licenses through the lottery decided to take it to a vote of the public, to see whether the public would be willing to take the limits off, which would allow them and others the opportunity to also open cannabis facilities in the city,” said Eric Christensen, North Sioux City city administrator.

NEW YORK - Hip-hop superstar and businessman Sean "Diddy" Combs is investing in the marijuana business. 

A deal estimated at $185 million is in the works in which Combs would buy cannabis production facilities and retail shops from Cresco Labs and Columbia Care in several states, including New York.

"This industry-changing transaction is rooted in Cresco's vision to develop the most responsible, respectable and robust industry possible, and advances Combs' mission to open new doors in emerging industries for Black entrepreneurs and other diverse founders who are underrepresented and underserved," a press release about the deal states. "Throughout his legendary career, Combs has solidified himself as one of the most successful business leaders and cultural icons."

New York City Cannabis Industry Association President David Holland explained why buying Cresco Labs could be huge for Combs.

"They are vertically integrated in New York — meaning they own the cultivation, the processing, the delivery and the sale of their own merchandise," Holland said. "Those are only 10 such licenses given in New York state and now he's the owner of at least one of those."

My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we've traditionally been denied access.

As we look back on a decade since Colorado’s landmark vote on legalized cannabis, we assess how arguments from both sides of the debate have borne out.

Maine clarifies new limits on medical marijuana providers.

PORTLAND - Maine delivered an October surprise to medical marijuana providers with guidance limiting the sale of pre-rolled marijuana and liquid concentrates by treating them like tobacco.

The Maine Office of Cannabis Policy released guidance on Oct. 7 that effectively bans medical marijuana caregivers without a storefront from providing those products altogether while medical marijuana dispensaries and stores must treat them like tobacco products with an age limit of 21. Previously, those could be provided to people 18 and older with a medical marijuana card.

The guidance caused an outcry because pre-rolled products and liquid concentrates for vaping are among the most popular — and profitable — cannabis products sold in medical and adult recreational stores.

Democratic Sen. Craig Hickman, co-chair of the Legislature's Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, accused the Maine OCP of "executive branch overreach and bad faith."

A spokesperson for the Department of Administrative and Financial Services said the guidance doesn't reflect a change in policy or rules. She said the guidance was simply issued to answer questions that had been raised by some medical cannabis providers and registrants.

Research from Vantage predicts America’s CBD market will reach $47.22 billion by 2028. People use hemp-derived CBD on their skin, in drinks, and even give it to pets. While hemp oil is safe, is it created safely? 

Hemp oil extraction often involves chemical solvents such as butane or ethanol — both are flammable and potentially explosive. Once extracted, any remaining biomass must be discarded as hazardous waste. 

These solvent-based processes, while popular, are not the only way to derive CBD from hemp. More sustainable and eco-friendly options are starting to find a place in the commercial market.

Oil Infusion for a Cleaner Concentrate

Left Hand Technologies in Boulder, Colorado recently started offering infusion equipment to hemp farmers. This process requires zero solvents and captures 90% of the phytochemicals in the plant while preserving the terpene profile. Left Hand’s systems use a medium-chain triglyceride carrier oil, such as coconut or sunflower oil. This room-temperature oil circulates throughout the biomass, collecting trichomes and cannabinoids.

The infusion process doesn’t leave residual solvents and eliminates the potential for an explosive work environment. The tech does have limitations, as it’s unable to produce vape-able oil. 

It’s best suited to topicals and edibles.
For consumers 65-years and older, savory edibles are a largely underdeveloped market. This tech lends itself well to cooking oils and finishing oils.

SIOUX FALLS - Another group has come forward to weigh in on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in South Dakota.

Last week a group of Sioux Falls law enforcement, elected officials and community leaders spoke out against IM 27, a ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana for anyone 21 and older in South Dakota.

Now, a group of former law enforcement officers and veterans are coming together to voice their support for legalizing marijuana in the state.

“I served as a South Dakota police officer for 12 years,” Sioux Falls resident JoAnn Jorgensen said. 

“I’m an Army veteran and a 27-year retired police officer,” Rapid City resident Roseanna Renaud said. 

“I’m an Army veteran,” Madison resident Becky Letsche said. 

Colorado identified “potentially unsafe levels of total yeast and mold and aspergillus” in a strain of flower.

The news comes on the heels of Gov. Kristi Noem (R) saying cannabis legalization can move forward if voters approve it on the Nov. 8 ballot. (Benzinga)

South Dakota regulators approved an important change in the state’s medical marijuana program. In a 5-1 vote on Tuesday, the panel approved the proposal to allow the state Department of Health to remove a requirement from how the department chooses how or if a medical condition qualifies for treatment with cannabis, reported Keloland.

In other words, the department no longer must determine if “treatments currently available for the proposed condition are either ineffective or produce harmful side effects.”

Furthermore, the state official also allowed the department to change the wording of a related requirement.

The wording was changed from “Medical use of cannabis will provide therapeutic or palliative benefits that outweigh the risks of cannabis use” to “Medical use of cannabis is determined to provide benefits that outweigh the risks of cannabis use.”

Tim Engel, an attorney representing the South Dakota State Medical Association, doesn’t support these changes and Rep. Kevin Jensen agrees, saying that there would no longer be any way to identify the benefits.

Whether it’s a morning stroll or warming up for his next marathon, Frank Falvo said part of pregame ritual is marijuana.

“If I don’t use it before I run, I cannot run as long. It takes away the pain, the inflammation, it helps me focus. It's great for running," said Falvo, a medical marijuana pharmacist.

As a medical marijuana cardholder, he’s looking forward to finally growing his own. Certified patients or their designated caregiver may now cultivate medical cannabis in their home.

“I would definitely be interested in growing my own. If you can find the strain that you really like and grow it yourself. People grow their own vegetables and it just seems to taste better," said Falvo.

Falvo said home growing will be more cost-effective and convenient for patients making long drives to dispensaries. According to the New York State Department of Health, nearly 125,000 New Yorkers are currently registered in the state’s medical marijuana access program.

“Albany to Plattsburgh, there’s nothing in between. I think there might be some medical dispensaries plan. But it’s a long drive, the product is fairly expensive too," said Falvo.

A new study analyzed the prevalence of cannabis vaping, cases of e-cigarette or vaping product-use-associated lung injury (EVALI), and marijuana laws in 13 states. (Benzinga)

Researchers used data from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BRFSS noted that "while more people reported vaping marijuana in states that have legalized it for medical or recreational use, that prevalence didn’t translate into a greater percentage of EVALI case burdens compared to non-legal states."

What Does The Study Say? Methods & Findings

The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, found that “state-level cannabis vaping prevalence was not positively associated with EVALI caseload, even after accounting for state cannabis policies.”

Researchers at Johns Hopkins, New York University and the American Heart Association reached that conclusion by looking at data from four prohibition states, seven medical cannabis states, and two states that have legalized recreational cannabis.

Indeed, there was “an inverse association between state cannabis vaping prevalence and EVALI case burden.” States that have higher levels of marijuana vaping because they have some form of legal access saw lower rates of lung injury.

Using data from the 2019 BRFSS, researchers calculated the weighted prevalence of past-month cannabis vaping among non-elderly adults (18–64 years) for each state.

Physicians certified patients for 546 million ounces of smokable marijuana last fiscal year

Medical marijuana users experienced decreased IBD symptoms and fewer visits to the emergency room.

Some find refuge in secularized churches that combine alternative rituals, such as the use of cannabis, with various humanist, ethical and spiritual orientations.

Since 2019, CBD stores and dispensaries have been cropping up all over Abilene - the year Texas legalized hemp.

This legalization caused much confusion as to which marijuana products are legal. For the moment, CBD and Delta-8 products are permitted in Texas - but what are the differences? And how do they help? Keep reading as we take a look at the differences in the marijuana plant according to The Texas Tribune.

Marijuana and hemp look and smell alike because they come from the same cannabis plant. The difference between the two is the amount of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) they contain. By law, a substance is considered marijuana when the THC concentration is greater than 0.3%.

CBD is the non-psychoactive component found in cannabis. Stores in Abilene are allowed to sell CBD as long as the concentration is below 0.3%. I know folks from miles around who swear by the benefits of CBD. It's reputed to greatly help reduce anxiety, insomnia and depression.

Delta-8 is a psychoactive part of the cannabis plant that - when concentrated in labs - can produce a "high" similar to that of marijuana. Delta-8 is also legal in Texas, contributing to its current popularity.

If you can get past our culture's initial hesitation about the use of marijuana, CBD could be worth a try. I'm all about passing along information that may help someone. If you deal with chronic pain, visit your local CBD store and talk with the pros to find out how you can benefit.

A boy who used to endure 500 life-threatening fits a month is set to celebrate his 1,000th seizure-free day, thanks to medical cannabis.

Alfie Dingley, who suffers from severe epilepsy, is one of just three people in the UK to have been handed an NHS prescription for the drug.

Mum Hannah Deacon says the cannabis – which was legalised for medicinal use on November 1, 2018 – has made a huge difference to the 11-year-old’s life.

Yet thousands of people are still unable to access funded prescriptions, with families forced to spend thousands of pounds a month to go private, or buy the drug illegally.

Hannah, 43, who co-founded MedCan Support for families looking to access the drug, said this stance has created what she described as “a block” on NHS prescriptions.

She told how medical cannabis had given Alfie back his “quality of life”, allowing him to attend school full-time and start making friends.

AUSTIN - The Texas DPS Public Safety Commission took action Thursday to expand its Compassionate Use Program so that it can accommodate a growing number of Texas patients who want to access medical marijuana.

The Compassionate Use Act was originally passed by the Texas legislature and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2015 to allow doctors to prescribe THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) products to patients with epilepsy. Since then, the original bill has expanded to allow patients with other medical conditions – such as post-traumatic stress disorder and cancer —  into the medical marijuana program.

In the next 18 to 24 months, there will likely be 100,000 patients in Texas using medical marijuana, Mueller said.

But as the number of patients rises, there are still only three licensed cannabis providers in the state, according to reporting by Austin Business Journal. In comparison, while Florida has significantly more patients enrolled in its medical marijuana program (they have over 700,000 patients), it has 22 different dispensing organizations, Mueller said.

To address the rising number of patients, the Public Safety Commission agreed to hire a consultant who could help them grow as a program and procure more licensees that can distribute medical marijuana to patients.

Any substance in the growing brain isn’t good, but this shouldn’t ‘nullify the medical benefits that have been documented in science’.

A survey offers a glimpse into cannabis and CBD use among women in midlife.

Hot flashes and sleep or mood changes are well-known, troublesome symptoms that may occur during perimenopause and menopause. Now, one survey suggests nearly 80% of midlife women use cannabis to ease certain symptoms, such as mood issues and trouble sleeping.

Mounting numbers of US states have legalized marijuana for medical or recreational use in recent years. This wave of acceptance runs alongside skepticism in some quarters concerning FDA-approved menopause treatment options, including hormone therapy. But a lack of long-term research data surrounding cannabis use has led one Harvard expert to question how safe it may be, even while acknowledging its likely effectiveness for certain menopause woes.

"More and more patients tell me every year that they’ve tried cannabis or CBD (cannabidiol, an active ingredient in cannabis), particularly for sleep or anxiety," says Dr. Heather Hirsch, head of the Menopause and Midlife Clinic at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital. "Adding to its appeal is that cannabis is now legal in so many places and works acutely for a couple of hours. You don’t need a doctor’s prescription. Socially, it may be easier to justify than using a medication. But why is there a movement toward saying okay to something that has unknown long-term effects, more than something that’s been studied and proven safe?" she asks.

Survey reports on who uses cannabis, why, and how

The new Harvard-led survey, published in the journal Menopause, looked at patterns of cannabis use in 131 women in perimenopause — the often years-long stretch before periods cease — along with 127 women who had passed through menopause. Participants were recruited through online postings on social media sites and an online recruitment platform. Nearly all survey respondents were white and most were middle-class, according to income reporting.

The vast majority (86%) were current cannabis users. Participants were split on whether they used cannabis for medical reasons, recreational purposes, or both. Nearly 79% endorsed it to alleviate menopause-related symptoms. Of those, 67% said cannabis helps with sleep disturbance, while 46% reported it helps improve mood and anxiety.