Category: All Medical Marijuana News

Here's a List of Washington Retail Cannabis Shops with Medical Marijuana Endorsements

Come July 1st, Washington state’s new medical marijuana law will bring a lot of changes to the cannabis industry for patients who have become accustomed to visiting a separate medical marijuana dispensary for their strain and product needs. Moving forward, only licensed retail dispensaries with medical marijuana endorsements will be able to sell medical marijuana to valid patients, meaning separate medical marijuana dispensaries will either be shut down or absorbed into the rec market, depending on its new licensing status.

In order to ensure that patients know where they can obtain medical marijuana, register with Washington’s new patient registry, and seek advice for using medicinal marijuana from registered dispensaries, we’ve compiled a list of the Washington state cannabis retailers that now carry medical marijuana endorsements. Please note that this is by no means the complete list. There are many retailers that have not opened yet, are opening a new location, or are still in the transition phase, so we’ll do our best to update the list as new information unfolds.

Location Table of Contents

• Aberdeen
• Allyn-Grapeview
• Anacortes
• Arlington
• Auburn
• Bainbridge Island
• Battle Ground
• Belfair
• Bellevue
• Bellingham
• Bingen
• Bonney Lake
• Bothell
• Bremerton
• Buckley
• Burlington
• Camano Island
• Cashmere
• Chehalis
• Clarkston
• Clayton
• Colville
• Covington
• Custer
• Deming
• Des Moines
• Eastsound
• Ellensburg
• Elma
• Everett
• Everson
• Forks
• Freeland
• Goldendale
• Granite Falls
• Hoquiam
• Kelso
• Kenmore
• Kirkland
• Lacey
• Lake Stevens
• Langley
• Longview
• Lynnwood
• Moses Lake
• Mountlake Terrace
• Mount Vernon
• Oak Harbor
• Ocean Shores
• Olympia
• Omak
• Port Angeles
• Port Hadlock-Irondale
• Port Orchard
• Port Townsend
• Prosser
• Puyallup
• Quincy
• Raymond
• Renton
• Ridgefield
• Seattle
• Shoreline
• Snohomish
• South Bend
• Spanaway
• Spokane
• Spokane Valley
• Sunnyside
• Tacoma
• Tumwater
• Union Gap
• Vancouver
• Washougal
• Wenatchee/East Wenatchee
• Winthrop
• Yakima

Aberdeen Dispensaries

• Cannabis 21
• Sweet Leaf Cannabis Co

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Allyn-Grapeview Dispensaries

• North Bay Marijuana

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Anacortes Dispensaries

• High Society

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Arlington Dispensaries

• 172nd St. Cannabis
• Cascade Kropz

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Auburn Dispensaries

• The Stash Box

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Bainbridge Island Dispensaries

• Paper and Leaf

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Battle Ground Dispensaries

• Cannabis Country Store

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Belfair Dispensaries

• Ganja Vita
• The Root Cellar

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Bellevue Dispensaries

• BelMar
• Green Theory
• Greenside Bellevue
• The Novel Tree

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Bellingham Dispensaries

• 2020 Solutions
• 2020 Solutions on the Guide
• Cascade Herb Company
• Green Leaf
• The Joint Bellingham
• Top Shelf Cannabis

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Bingen Dispensaries

• Margie’s Pot Shop

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Bonney Lake Dispensaries

• 4Ever Healing

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Bothell Dispensaries

• Herbal Nation
• Local Roots Bothell
• Local Roots Brier

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Bremerton Dispensaries

• Budeez
• Destination Highway 420
• Highway 420

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Buckley Dispensaries

• The Green Door
• Mr. Bills of Buckley

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Burlington Dispensaries

• The Joint Burlington

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Camano Island Dispensaries

• Bud Hut

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Cashmere Dispensaries

• The Happy Crop Shoppe Cashmere

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Chehalis Dispensaries

• Old Toby

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Clarkston Dispensaries

• Greenfield Company

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Clayton Dispensaries

• Savage THC

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Colville Dispensaries

• Herbal E Scents

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Covington Dispensaries

• Covington Holistic Medicine

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Custer Dispensaries

• Green Leaf 2

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Deming Dispensaries

• Green Stop Cannabis

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Des Moines Dispensaries

• Greenside Des Moines

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Eastsound Dispensaries

• Token Herb

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Ellensburg Dispensaries

• Cannabis Central
• The Green Shelf

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Elma Dispensaries

• Miller’s Marijuana

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Everett Dispensaries

• Bud Hut Everett
• Bud’s Garage
• Green City
• HypeHerbally
• KushSide
• Purple Haze

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Everson Dispensaries

• West Coast Wellness

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Forks Dispensaries

• Cannabis Coast

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Freeland Dispensaries

• Island Herb

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Goldendale Dispensaries

• Golden Dispensaries

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Granite Falls Dispensaries

• Local Roots Granite Falls

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Hoquiam Dispensaries

• Pakalolo

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Kelso Dispensaries

• Freedom Market

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Kenmore Dispensaries

• Theorem

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Kirkland Dispensaries

• Higher Leaf
• Mary Jane

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Lacey Dispensaries

• 420 Carpenter
• Lucid
• T Brothers Bud Lodge

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Lake Stevens Dispensaries

• Cannablyss
• The Healing Leaf Collective
• Vault Cannabis

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Langley Dispensaries

• Whidbey Island Cannabis Co.

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Longview Dispensaries

• 420 Holiday
• Localamster
• Longview Freedom Market
• Main Street Marijuana Longview
• Westside420

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Lynnwood Dispensaries

• Euphorium Lynnwood
• High On 99
• Puget Sound Marijuana
• White Rabbit Cannabis

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Moses Lake Dispensaries

• The Green Seed
• Mary Jane’s

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Mountlake Terrace Dispensaries

• Dank’s Wonder Emporium

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Mount Vernon Dispensaries

• 221
• Loving Farms

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Oak Harbor Dispensaries

• Kaleafa

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Ocean Shores Dispensaries

• Green Outfitters

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Olympia Dispensaries

• 420 West
• A Bud & Leaf
• Green Lady
• Lucid Olympia
• Northwest Collective
• THC of Olympia

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Omak Dispensaries

• Sage Shop

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Port Angeles Dispensaries

• The Hidden Bush
• Sparket

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Port Hadlock-Irondale Dispensaries

• Herbal Access

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Port Orchard Dispensaries

• 420 Spot Shop
• Kitsap Cannabis
• Legal Marijuana Superstore

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Port Townsend Dispensaries

• Sea Change Cannabis

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Prosser Dispensaries

• Altitude
• The Bake Shop

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Puyallup Dispensaries

• Sweet Jane

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Quincy Dispensaries

• GoodBuds

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Raymond Dispensaries

• Mr. Doobees

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Renton Dispensaries

• Buddy’s
• Emerald Haze
• The Evergreen Market

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Ridgefield Dispensaries

• JDT Ventures

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Seattle Dispensaries

• #Hashtag
• Cannabis City
• Clutch Cannabis
• CPC
• Dockside SODO
• Fweedom Collective
• Grass & Glass
• The Green Door Seattle
• A Green Life NW
• A Greener Today
• Have a Heart CC
• Have a Heart Fremont
• Have a Heart Skyway
• HerbN Elements
• Herb’s House
• Mr. Green Jeans
• Nimbin Farm
• Origins
• Ponder
• Pot Stop
• Seattle Cannabis Company
• Seattle Tonics
• The Source
• Stash Pot Shop
• Stash Pot Shop Lake City
• Trees Pot Shop
• West Seattle Cannabis Company

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Shoreline Dispensaries

• 365 Recreational Cannabis
• Dockside Shoreline
• Rainier Cannabis

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Snohomish Dispensaries

• The Kushery

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South Bend Dispensaries

• Growers Outlet

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Spanaway Dispensaries

• The Gallery Spanaway

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Spokane Dispensaries

• 4:20 Friendly
• The Green Nugget
• Green Star Cannabis
• Hidden Joint
• Lucky Leaf Co
• Satori
• Spocannabis
• Spokane Green Leaf

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Spokane Valley Dispensaries

• Cinder
• Locals Canna House
• Sativa Sisters
• Treehouse Club

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Sunnyside Dispensaries

• Dave’s Place

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Tacoma Dispensaries

• Clear Choice Cannabis
• Emerald Leaves
• The Gallery
• Green Collar Cannabis
• The Herbal Gardens
• The Joint
• Mary Mart
• Triple C Collective
• World of Weed

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Tumwater Dispensaries

• Bud Commander

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Union Gap Dispensaries

• Mill Creek Natural Foods
• The Slow Burn
• Station 420

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Vancouver Dispensaries

• Green Head Cannabis
• The Herbery
• High End Market Place
• High-5 Cannabis
• New Vansterdam

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Washougal Dispensaries

• Aardvark Reeferology

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Wenatchee/East Wenatchee Dispensaries

• The Back Porch
• Green Life Cannabis
• The Happy Crop Shoppe
• The Joint Wenatchee
• The Roach 420

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Winthrop Dispensaries

• Fresh Greens

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Yakima Dispensaries

• Happy Time

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U.N. Report: Worldwide Cannabis Consumption, Perception on the Rise

Cannabis remains the most commonly used illegal substance across the globe, according to a new United Nations report, with an estimated 183 million people having used marijuana during 2014. That number has been rising — along with increased acceptance of cannabis worldwide.

In the United States, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicated that the prevalence of past-month cannabis use among those aged 12 and older increased from around 6 percent in the mid-2000s to around 8 percent during the period of 2013-2014. Available data suggest the increase was driven largely by higher use among young adults aged 18-25, though other surveys have found big increases among seniors, too.

The 2016 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) gives a global overview of the markets for various substances, as well as their impacts on population health.

Worldwide cannabis-related crime also fell, the UN report noted, though it didn’t put a figure on the decline. In the U.S., the number of arrests and prosecutions involving cannabis have declined substantially in states that have legalized, though racial discrepancies in enforcement still persist.

Adult-use cannabis markets in Colorado and Washington have grown considerably since those states have gone legal. In Colorado, recreational cannabis market profits reached nearly $600 million in 2015, compared with $313 million in 2014. The state collected $56 million in recreational cannabis taxes in 2014 and over $114 million in 2015.

The first $40 million of excise tax in Colorado goes to public schools, per state law. Additional revenue is routed primarily to the Marijuana Enforcement Division and to public health programs, such as substance abuse intervention, prevention, and education.

In Washington, during the fiscal 2015, sales of legal cannabis totaled $256 million. Eight months into the 2016 fiscal year, sales have already more than doubled, reaching nearly $580 million. The state collected $65 million in tax receipts in the fiscal year 2015 and more than $100 million during the first eight months of the 2016 fiscal year.

As cannabis use rises, evidence in the report also suggested that more consumers are seeking first-time treatment for cannabis-use disorders in several regions of the world. While the science is still catching up, currently a small subset of the population is believed to be prone to such disorders.

Moreover, the report found, the black market stubbornly persists even in states that have legalized adult use. In Washington, the medical, recreational, and illicit cannabis markets each accounts for approximately one-third of the state’s cannabis sales, while in Colorado the illicit cannabis market still supplied an estimated 40 percent of the state’s total demand in 2014.

Non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids is also on the rise, the report found, a phenomenon that can be seen in the U.S. in the form of a nationwide epidemic of overdose deaths. Some states, like Maine, have even mulled treating opioid addiction with cannabis, an alternative that doesn’t lead to fatal overdoses.

Corporate Cannabis Has Arrived – and That Might Be a Good Thing

This article is sponsored by LivWell Enlightened Health.

With 14 dispensaries, a partnership with Snoop Dogg, and over 550 employees, most would argue that Colorado dispensary chain LivWell Enlightened Health embodies “corporate cannabis” – a nebulous concept that both pro- and anti-legalization groups have been wary of for years. LivWell’s development is a symptom of the rapidly-evolving cannabis community in Colorado, where some of the country’s most experienced advocates, manufacturers, and enthusiasts continue to debate the future of the industry and who should control it. “We’ve sometimes been painted – unfairly – as lacking a heart and soul,” says LivWell CEO and founder John Lord, as we drive with him from the company’s headquarters in Denver to visit their Evans Avenue dispensary location. In reality, the brave new world of corporate cannabis is far more nuanced than that. From lobbying for sensible industry regulations to sponsoring community outreach initiatives, there’s a lot to be said for large companies’ potential to drive the industry forward.

LivWell: Family-Owned and Driven to Succeed

LivWell is propelled by the determined will and business savvy of John Lord, who moved to the U.S. from the tiny New Zealand town of Te Awamutu in 1998 to manufacture and sell baby products through his company, Basic Comfort. His knowledge of how to navigate strict regulatory controls made him uniquely suited to the cannabis industry – even if he didn’t know much about the plant when he started LivWell.

What he did know was that he was ready for a career shift. His baby products business had reached its potential by 2008, and he needed a new challenge. “I was in New York one day, and I walked into FAO Schwartz in Times Square and saw all of my products there in a display at the front of the store,” he explains. “And I thought to myself, well, that’s it. I’ve made it. What’s next?”

What was next was a foray into one of the most complicated and challenging regulatory industries in the country. LivWell started small, with a single four-person operation on South Broadway in Denver. It has grown to encompass 14 locations across the state, a 140,000-square-foot grow facility in Denver’s outer suburbs, and goals for further expansion across the U.S.

John’s son Michael joined the company in 2013 and became the company’s director of business development in 2015. The relationship between father and son has proven beneficial to both, particularly in a company like LivWell where many of the employees are millennials in their early 20s. “It’s a hell of a privilege to be able to spend time with my son and to teach him a few things about what I’ve learnt,” John says. “In turn, he is smarter than me. A lot of the things I’ve had to learn, he already knew.”

Developing Best Practices to Build a Dispensary Chain

LivWell’s grow operation and dispensaries are based on consistent manufacturing models found in non-cannabis industries. Each location is part of an evolving generation of LivWell dispensaries, and each dispensary in that generation has the same look and feel. The dominant aesthetic: clean, light, and welcoming. During our visit to the new dispensary on Evans Ave. in Denver, Michael is keen to point out its security, badging, and process aspects. “This is a generation four dispensary,” he says. “We want people to walk into a LivWell dispensary, wherever it is, and have the same safe, friendly experience they have become accustomed to.”

The same emphasis on process and standardized workflows is on display at LivWell’s enormous grow facility. The grow is one of the largest (if not the largest) in the state, and a tour of the facility reveals a dedication to product consistency through standardized processes that you would expect from a former manufacturer of baby products. As we tour the site, the most predominant activity from employees is cleaning; every workstation is constantly being swept, dusted and tidied. LivWell’s cannabis goes through five quality checks in the grow facility, then a sixth check at the dispensary.

“In such a highly-regulated industry, the only way to be successful is to be sustainable,” says LivWell marketing director Matthew Givner. “That means being in it for the long haul, and in order to do that you have to follow the rules to the letter. LivWell’s size and professionalism allows us to do a number of positive things for the industry and the communities in which we operate.”

Among the positive things that Givner is referring to are LivWell’s recent campaigns to give back to veterans. On 4/20, $1 for every customer that visited a LivWell location was donated to The Fitch Foundation, an organization that helps disabled veterans live healthy, fulfilling lifestyles. On Memorial Day, $800,000 worth of cannabis went to veterans in one of the largest promotions in cannabis history, when LivWell offered veterans high-CBD strains at a rate of $0.01 per ounce. LivWell has also developed a unique training program that instructs first responders on dealing with cannabis-related calls, an idea that was so successful when implemented in Adams County that talks have begun to replicate it in other counties across Colorado.

Promoting the Maturation of the Cannabis Industry

LivWell contends that in addition to its commitment to giving back, upholding industry standards, and following legal regulations to the letter, it’s able to make an impact by dedicating resources to attending hearings and meeting with policymakers. In such a compliance-driven industry, ensuring an industry presence at such meetings has proven vital. To contextualize the difficulty of keeping up with all these changes, more than 150 new and updated regulations were enacted in Colorado last year alone; about one every 2.5 days.

The company is also able to offer employer-paid health insurance, 401k plans, and higher-than-industry-average pay, and employees spend two weeks in intensive training at LivWell University before setting foot in a store, a concept that was new to the industry when it was introduced. “The 550 employees we have working at LivWell, well, we think of that as 550 families that we’re providing for,” Michael Lord says as he walks us between row upon row of drying bud. “That’s why it’s so important for us to keep to these standard procedures. That’s why we approach cannabis from a manufacturing perspective rather than having a master grower walking around telling us what he or she feels like we should do.”

Meanwhile, the company looks out for its customers by maintaining a dedicated research and development department, applying the kind of rigorous, science-based approach to new product development that exists in traditional business. “In the case of legal cannabis, companies like ours that are run like professional businesses are the best things that could happen to an industry that is struggling to bring a previously illegal enterprise into full compliance with the law,” says Givner.

Working Toward a National Cannabis Brand

We finish a tour of LivWell’s growing facility in the cramped kitchen space, where Leafs by Snoop edibles are being manufactured, and Michael and John are both talking about expansion. The Snoop brand was launched in November to great fanfare across Colorado. “We’re growing our kitchen space significantly in the coming year as Leafs by Snoop takes off and we see the demand for edibles continue to grow,” Michael says. “We can’t keep this many employees in a space this small for much longer,” John adds as he stands sandwiched between baking trays of chocolate truffles.

The expansion plans don’t stop at the company’s grow facility: LivWell has recently formed LivWell Oregon, and is keeping a close eye on legislation efforts in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania as November elections approach. “Leafs by Snoop was a shot across the bow,” John says. “Our ambition is to be a national brand.”

As more brands follow suit and the cannabis industry develops powerful leaders, expect to see them continue to steer the industry toward longevity through growth and development of industry best practices. After all, the future of all cannabis businesses – including their own – depends on it.

Cannabinoids remove plaque-forming Alzheimer’s proteins from brain cells

Scientists have found preliminary evidence that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of amyloid beta, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Study uses diverse sample to examine childhood weight’s link to age of first substance use

Girls who were overweight as children are likely to begin using cigarettes, marijuana or alcohol at an earlier age than their healthy-weight peers, according to a new study.

Watch This: Poet/Activist Prince EA Completely Schools Us on the History of Cannabis

Class is in session! Rapper, spoken word artist, and rights activist Prince EA graced us with a new visual work of art called “Why Weed Should Be Legal ft. Barack Obama” (not the actual president, but a convincing impersonator), and he TOTALLY schools us on the truth about cannabis. In the video, Prince EA sheds light on the politics revolved around cannabis while debunking the many myths and stigmas associated with the controversial plant.

Prince EA has well over 750,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel and has generated more than 63 million views. But he’s much more than just some internet sensation. He’s a talented rapper and an activist, using his platform to inspire and educate the masses.

He raps:

“Our marijuana laws were created on the basis of racism and corporate greed. These laws are more dangerous than marijuana itself.”

The illustrations work in perfect harmony with every line Prince EA spits, making it pretty difficult not to watch until the very end. Check it out yourself, and let us know in the comments what you think!

Brexit Shocks Europe, but How Will It Affect Cannabis Policies?

The United Kingdom voted late last week to leave the European Union, sending shock waves around the world, putting financial markets in a tailspin, and raising questions about the future of the E.U.

But what about cannabis?

Thankfully, many European countries are continuing their reform efforts unfazed, steadily moving toward legalization and broader access for medical patients. Britain’s departure may have shaken European countries’ faith in their union, but the European desire for a more perfect union with cannabis is very much intact.

In two of the EU’s largest countries, Germany and Italy, legislation to free the herb remains a top priority for some lawmakers.

Following Britain’s vote last week to leave the E.U., Italian Senator and Deputy Foreign Minister Benedetto Della Vedova sent messages of sadness to followers on social media. But in the same breath he also reiterated the need for cannabis legalization.

“We want to win this game; we must believe in it and [we must] all work for this goal,” he said, expressing support for both legalization and the cannabis-friendly parliamentary group Intergruppo Cannabis legale. Italy’s Parliament is slated to begin debate on adult-use legalization this week.

In Germany, despite the news from the U.K. and the ensuing political confusion, plans are moving forward on a medical cannabis program that would grant patients broader access to medical cannabis and could create a medical cannabis market of tens of thousands of patients as soon as next year.

Georg Wurth, director of the Deutscher Hanfverband (German Hemp Association), the largest cannabis advocacy group in Germany, said on Friday he’s happy that the German medical cannabis bill is progressing without interruption. The bill has already been approved by the German cabinet and is now in Parliament, where it’s expected to be approved by November. It would take effect early next year.

While post-Brexit talk in the media focuses on uncertainties, Wurth noted that efforts to reform cannabis policy in other countries also continue to march forward.

In Denmark, the violent police attack on Copenhagen’s pro-cannabis neighborhood of Christiania has not quashed the cannabis movement, Wurth said. Instead it’s having the opposite effect. “The raid in Christiania has revived the pro-legalization debate” in the country, he said.

In the Czech Republic, the cannabis community largely views the E.U. as a defender of civil rights. Despite some bluster from populist politicians who’ve bashed the E.U., the overwhelming fear in the country regarding cannabis is that a weakened E.U. plays into the hands of Russia — a country with draconian drug laws.

The Kremlin has waged a steady and ruthless campaign in recent years to support right-wing extremist parties in Europe, back anti-E.U. politicians, and generally sow seeds of discontent in the continent in order to expand Russian influence, part of President Vladimir Putin’s grand vision of restoring the state’s former glory.

Dispensaries Make More Money Per Square Foot Than Whole Foods

Move over, kale — there’s a new leafy green in town. According to industry data, medical dispensaries and adult-use cannabis retailers now make more revenue per square foot than Whole Foods.

On average, cannabis storefronts bring in $974 in revenue per square foot of retail space each year, according to the Marijuana Business Factbook. Whole Foods, meanwhile, brings in $930 per square foot. Cannabis retailers also saw more revenue per square foot than specialty tea stores ($893), pharmacies and drug stores ($676), and department stores ($180).

As Marijuana Business Daily explains, “Revenue per square foot is a commonly used metric to determine how efficient a retailer is in using its assets to generate sales. It is driven in large part by the size of the operation, the price point of the product and overall sales levels.”

Topping chart was Apple, whose industry-leading retail shops generate about $4,800 annually in revenue per square foot . The large dollar amount reflects both the steep price of Apple products and the relatively small size of the average store.

As you may have noticed on your most recent dispensary trip, cannabis retailers operate similarly, cramming a lot of product into a relatively small amount of space. That tends to make it easier for shops to operate in high-rent areas, as it allows a respectable income to be made from a tiny storefront.

Given analysts’ promising forecasts for the cannabis market over the next few years, stores’ annual revenue per square foot are to increase. But as the market matures, MBD reports, rents are likely to rise, too:

Karl Keich, an industry consultant who runs a Seattle recreational marijuana store, said strict zoning rules on cannabis companies in many areas of the country have led to a scarcity of available property.

As a result, many dispensaries and rec shops are stuck in buildings that are too big to merchandise effectively or too small to maximize revenue. Their annual revenue per square foot is therefore lower than the industry’s average.

Furthermore, savvy landlords who know their property is suited for the cannabis industry can command higher rent, increasing the revenue per square foot needed to operate in the black.

In 2015 alone, the industry generated just over $3 billion sales, according to the Marijuana Business Factbook, with sales this year projected to run from $3.5 billion to $4.3 billion — a 17 percent to 26 percent year-over-year increase. By 2020, some estimates put nationwide sales at $11 billion.

Savvy Redditors “CSI” the Health of a Seattle Bus Commuter's Cannabis Plant

Public transportation is often a gold mine for people-watching, and Monday in Seattle proved no exception. A metro bus commuter snapped a photo of a man hauling a trash bag filled with an uprooted cannabis plant.

Although Mr. Johnny Appleweed’s fellow riders seemed more interested in their cell phones than the haul he was carrying, some savvy subscribers of reddit’s /r/seattle community took a CSI-type approach to examining his plant, deducing that it’s probably seen better days. After cracking a few jokes (“Weed is actually one of the better smells I encounter on the bus these days”), the crew went into “Enhance that image” mode, doling out their two cents:

• “He needs to switch that plant over to flowering light cycle.”
• “Who rips a plant up, goes on public transportation and expects to be able to replant it successfully? Maybe the plant just needed a walk, they can get so restless if you don’t exercise them regularly.”
• “That is ‘weed’, in every definition. With all that broadleaf action going on, you’re not going to see any bud production. No cola = no THC concentration = no buzz. Basically, this dude is hauling around the remnants of a landscaping project.”
• “He’s probably hauling around plants that have been on a bad grow cycle. Fully grown, strong plants can be easily switched over to a better light cycle and put in good nutrient rich soil. A little trimming and a better lighting setup and these plants could probably put out some good bud. In their current state, they can be transported on the bus hardily because they probably have thick stems and you’re not risking losing leaves.”
• “Do u even trim bro?”

So how on-the-nose were these armchair horticulturalists’ assessments? According to our in-house strain researcher and former budtender Jeremiah, it’s hard to say. “You have to be up near the plant to see these problems,” he explained. “Those stalks could be bulk trim. That still has THC and stuff, so maybe he’s going to break it down and try and make something out of it. It would be pretty weak, but there are people that will go pretty far for a little buzz. But this is all a guess. There isn’t much to go on in this picture. He could be doing an arts and crafts project with the plant for all we know.”

It’s easy to speculate but hard to pin down exactly what this mystery commuter had planned for his mobile marijuana. All joking aside, one redditor named mixreality pointed out how awesome it is that nobody bats an eye to see someone hauling a huge cannabis plant through Seattle:

“LOL I love this city. Just the thought that someone would have no reservations bringing plants on the bus…elsewhere in this same country, he’d be incarcerated and have his freedom stolen.”

Indeed. Here’s hoping this sight will be as commonplace in other cities across the United States as it seemingly is in Seattle.

How to Clone Cannabis Plants

Did you know that you can clone cannabis plants? It sounds like some sort of sci-fi mad scientist experiment, but there are benefits to cloning a plant vs. growing from a seed, and cloning cannabis plants are easier than you think.

What is Cloning and Why Would You Want to Clone a Cannabis Plant?

There are two ways that you can go about breeding cannabis. The first is through sexual reproduction, where you cross a male plant with a female through pollination in order to create seeds. Those seeds can then be planted to create genetic hybrids of the two parent plants.

The second method is through cloning, otherwise known as asexual reproduction. Clones are rooted cuttings that are genetically identical to the plant they were taken from. There are many benefits to cloning that contribute to its popularity among both commercial and home growers. If executed properly, not only can cloning your cannabis be cost-saving, it has the potential to offer your garden a whole new level of stability and sustainability.

Through cloning, you can create a new harvest with exact replicas of your best performing plants. Because the genetics are identical, you’re getting a plant with the same characteristics, so if you come across a bud you really, really like, you might want to clone the plant it came from so you can produce more buds with the same effects. Consider taking clones from your garden if you are looking to select and replicate plants with desirable features such as flavor, cannabinoid profile, yield, grow time, etc.

Not only does cloning save you time and money by not having to pop new seeds, you’re also ensuring that your crop will be genetically indistinguishable. Moreover, cloning is the answer to self-sufficiency in your garden. Given the right conditions, you could perpetuate a phenotype for as many harvests as you desire, without having to start new seeds.

Cloning Cannabis Plants from Your Garden

Getting started with cloning in your garden is relatively easy and requires just a few key items:

• A razor for taking cuttings (try not to use scissors when taking cuttings as they tend to crush branches, making rooting much harder)
• Some water
• A rooting medium
• A rooting hormone

When selecting mothers to clone, look for plants that are healthy, sturdy, and about two months into the vegetative cycle. If you cant or don’t want to wait, give it at least three weeks before taking your first cutting — at this point in a plant’s growth phase, your new cuttings will have a stronger chance of rooting.

Preparing your mother plants for cutting will require a few steps:

• Make sure you withhold from fertilizing your plant within the days leading up to taking your cuttings. This will allow the nitrogen to work its way out of the leaves of your plant. When you take cuttings, an excess of nitrogen in the leaves and stems will trick your clones into attempting to grow vegetation instead of diverting energy to rooting.
• Work in a sterile environment. Do everything you can to avoid over-agitation of both your mother plants and new cuttings.
• Look for lower branches that are sturdy and healthy. If you are transplanting into rockwool, match the stem with the rooting hole of your cubes to get a proper fit. Otherwise, look to take cuttings between 8-10 inches with several nodes present.
• Cut as close to the main stem as possible with your razor at a 45 degree angle to the branch. This will increase the surface area of your rooting space, promoting faster growth.
• Place your fresh cutting immediately into water to prevent air bubbles from forming in the stem. Bubbles will prevent water from absorbing into your stem and can kill a new clone. Many growers choose to make additional incisions in the stem before this step, arguing that it helps increase rooting potential. Take this time to do that before transferring your cuttings to water.

After you have taken several cuttings and transferred them to water, it’s time to clip their leaves to help support proper photosynthesis and create a more sanitary environment for rooting to occur. Clip your fan leaves about halfway down the stem using scissors. You may also cull any unnecessary leaves towards the bottom so you won’t have any of your leaves touching the growing medium. Manicuring like this will not only help your clones with nutrient and water uptake, but will prevent leaves from touching one another.

At this point, you may wish to dip your fresh stems in a rooting hormone. Rooting gels, powders, and other hormones can provide additional support to promote healthy growth. There are a variety on the market, and many of them work very well, though make sure you do your proper research before choosing. After a quick dip in some hormone, transfer your clones to your final rooting medium.

Choosing a Rooting Medium

When it comes to rooting mediums, there are three predominant schools of thought:

Each of these schools of thought has its pros and cons. Experiment to see what method works best for your grow setting. Regardless, make sure that your new clones get plenty of humidity and light, preferably 18 hours.

To circumvent much of the work associated with feeding and caring for clones, many choose to opt for auto-cloners. These automated units take much of the work out of by consistently providing water, oxygen, and light to your clones. The downside is that they can be costly.

Transplanting Your Roots

You will know when your roots are ready to be transplanted when you start to see new vegetative growth on your clones. At this point, you may need to consider transplanting your clones to larger containers. This process will require the same care and sanitation that cloning consisted of, as you do not want to further agitate a plant into transplant shock. Transplant shock is common when cloning, so make sure you take the time to stay sanitary and do not overexert your plants during the process.

Facilitating a successful cloning regiment can do wonders for you cannabis garden by saving you time and money and ensuring a consistent crop. You don’t need much to get started, and if done correctly, you can ensure an indefinite perpetual harvest that will produce the most desirable plants for you year-round.

Rescheduling marijuana: The good, the bad and the ugly unknowns of Schedule II

Published: Jun 27, 2016, 1:16 pm • Updated: Jun 29, 2016, 6:32 pm By Ricardo Baca, The Cannabist Staff We know the Drug Enforcement Administration is thinking about rescheduling marijuana. But we don’t know what will happen to the way we regulate all things marijuana — and America’s existing cannabis industry, too — if the […]

Canopy Growth Reports Q4 and Full Year Results

Canopy Growth (TSXV:CGC) has released its fourth quarter and fiscal 2016 financial results. The company’s consolidated results include those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Tweed, Tweed Farms and Bedrocan Canada. As quoted in the press release, highlights from the fourth quarter included: Revenues of $5.0 million, representing a greater than 300% increase over the three month […]

Imaging the Neurochemistry of Drug Addiction With PET

1. Current significant medical condition such as neurological, cardiovascular, endocrine, renal, liver, or thyroid pathology. 2. History of or current neurological or significant psychiatric disorder such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (DSM-IV Axis 1). 3. History of significant head trauma. 4. Women who are pregnant or nursing, or fail to use one of the following […]

Dietary Carbohydrate Consumption on Memory Performance and Mood in Children

Verified July 2016 by Ryerson University Sponsor: Information provided by (Responsible Party): Nick Bellissimo, Ryerson University ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02820805 First received: June 27, 2016 Last updated: July 25, 2016 Last verified: July 2016 The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose levels, subjective appetite, mood, and memory performance […]

Watchdog Report Accuses New York DAs of Racism in Cannabis Cases

Earlier this month, a watchdog group found that NYPD arrests involving low-level cannabis charges have spiked this year despite long-standing promises from the city to dial back arrests and prosecutions. Now the group has taken its criticism further. In a report published late last week, the Police Reform Organizing Project accuses New York district attorneys of racial discrimination in terms of how they choose to prosecute and sentence defendants.

According to data from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, just over 27 percent of black defendants arrested for cannabis possession or sale were convicted and sentenced, PROP’s latest report found. Latinos were similarly affected, with nearly 26 percent of defendants being hit with convictions and sentences. But Asian and white defendants fared far better. They were convicted and sentenced 12.6 percent and 12 percent of the time, respectively.

Racial disparities were even more exaggerated in certain burroughs. In Manhattan, 43.8 percent of black defendants were convicted and sentenced. Only 16.5 percent of white defendants were.

PROP Director Bob Gangi, in an interview with Gothamist said the data underscore an already tarnished relationship between the NYPD and people of color:

“The DAs’ prosecutorial practices are reinforcing and rubber-stamping the racist arrest patterns of the NYPD in regard to low level marijuana infractions,” Gangi said. “92.55 percent of people the NYPD arrested last year for marijuana offenses were people of color — that is their own numbers.”

Critics like the Police Reform Organizing Project and others point to statements from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton that the city would resort to handing out more tickets and summonses in place of arrests. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s office said it would no longer prosecute most cases in which suspects were caught with less than 25 grams of cannabis.

But the group’s earlier report suggests those statements were largely lip service. Arrests for the possession or sale of small amounts of marijuana, PROP found, had actually increased by nearly 34 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

Accusations of racism by law enforcement in cannabis cases are nothing new. In nearby Boston, the American Civil Liberties Union recently endorsed a ballot measure to legalize adult-use cannabis in Massachusetts. The group said it sees legalization as an obvious step toward lessening the disproportionate impact of drug laws on people of color.

“Legalization is the smartest and surest way to end targeted enforcement of marijuana laws in communities of color, regulate who has access to marijuana, and eliminate the costs of enforcement while generating revenue for the Commonwealth,” ALCU Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose said in an endorsement statement.

A black person in Massachusetts was 3.9 times more likely than a white person to be arrested for cannabis possession in 2010, according to an ACLU report published in 2013. That’s despite the fact Massachusetts voters decriminalized possession of up to an ounce of cannabis in 2008. (A ballot measure legalized medical marijuana in 2012.)

No matter what color you are, legalization tends to lower your chances of criminal prosecution. In states where legalization has passed, such as Oregon and Colorado, cannabis arrests have plummeted for all demographics. But sharp racial disparities still exist. A black person in Oregon in 2014, a recent state report found, was still nearly 2.3 times as likely to be arrested as a white person. Legalization seems to be lessening the severity of cannabis sentences, but so far it still hasn’t managed to dole them out fairly.

Here’s Why Sex Doesn’t Sell Cannabis Legalization

Sex Sells. It’s been the mantra of mad-men advertisers since the 1950s. But does cannabis legalization really need sex to sell?

Despite the national conversation on cannabis shifting from safe medical access to broader adult use legalization, the issue of the sexualization of women to promote medicine in the nation’s oldest and largest medical cannabis market, California, has been the topic of heated debate since the industry came above-ground in 2009. While California debates legalization, other states are still awaiting medicalization. What sort of message does promoting a medical industry with stripped-down women send? What sort of message does promoting political debate about how to best legalize and regulate cannabis send when staring at a women suggestively pulling down her pants?

A new meme is circulating the web from within California’s medical cannabis industry in opposition to this year’s legalization initiative, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). Both the opponents and proponents of AUMA would largely consider themselves pro-cannabis, a running theme in the state’s inevitable trudge toward legalization.

This sort of imagery sends a sharp message to middle America, to the states with the most draconian drug policies, that the industry doesn’t really take itself seriously either. Every mostly-naked nurse promoting medical cannabis is two steps back for the families who are fighting in their state’s capitals for safe access in places like Utah, Georgia, Florida and Missouri.

Like 2010’s narrowly defeated legalization initiative, Proposition 19, AUMA has furthered the divide within the nation’s oldest, largest, most lucrative and most diverse cannabis market. Nationally, the issues of race, legalization, America’s failed War on Drugs and feminism have largely come to a head in 2016. Cannabis politics have gotten just as divisive as presidential politics, with everything on the table in light of a possible Trump presidency. For the cannabis industry, this year’s election is just as divisive. The industry as a whole is walking a fine line between free-loving hippie gardens and Wall Street funded mega grows. Just as a Trump presidency would send a message to the world that America is extremist and dangerous, the future of legalization in California will be life-altering to many who rely on it for health or wealth.

Like national politics, cis-gendered White men have largely dominated. These last few elections have threatened to up-end that. Women, LGBTQIA people and people of color have started pushing for inclusion, and in some cases even reparations, in an industry that has largely been whitewashed and has continued to commodify women in marketing medicine with no shame.

Legalization is not a hard sell and neither is cannabis itself. Sex isn’t a necessary component of sales. Further, the divisions in the industry have not been so much about the substance itself, but more about the regulation of legal businesses and who stands to benefit from the way the laws are written.

In general, the use of sexualized women to sell things is both sick and tired. Women have 85 percent of the nation’s consumer buying power, the mad men of the 50’s sexualized women not to sell to men, but to convince women that they will never be perfect and that another fad product could hold the key to beauty, and therefore, happiness. That isn’t cannabis.

It’s time for the industry to police itself, to weed out any sort of messaging that distracts from the point or marginalizes already marginalized people. This is an important election for freedom. Unity comes from compromise, from appealing to all the stakeholders, not just shareholders. In November six more states will vote to become medical, meaning within Obama’s 8 years, the total of medical cannabis states could go from 13 to 31. The tally of adult use states could climb from 4 (plus DC) to 11. This happened in spite of the industry’s flaws, not because of them, and our new president may not support the current administration’s position on the proliferation of pro-cannabis policy.

About the Author

Angela Bacca

Angela Bacca is a San Francisco Bay Area-based writer, journalist, photographer and medical cannabis patient. She has been working in cannabis media for seven years, starting with Ed Rosenthal’s Quick Trading Company, where she continues to collaborate on editorial projects. She is the former editor of Cannabis Now Magazine as well as the former managing editor of Ladybud Magazine. She currently freelances for a wide variety of cannabis media including Reset.me, Alternet.org and Cannabis Now Magazine. Bacca has a Bachelor’s in Journalism from San Francisco State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Mills College.

The post Here’s Why Sex Doesn’t Sell Cannabis Legalization appeared first on #illegallyhealed.

Washington’s New Medical Marijuana Law: What You Need to Know

July 1st brings the first day that Washington’s Cannabis Patient Protection Act will be in full effect. Although these changes have been slowly unfolding in the past year since the law was passed, come July 1st there will be enforcement for these rules and all patients, businesses, and physicians will be required to prove they are in full compliance. Here’s an overview of the changes that patients, dispensaries, and physicians need to know in order to stay on the right side of the law.

• Patient Information
  • Is my MMJ recommendation still valid?
  • How long is my MMJ authorization valid for?
  • Do I need to be registered with Washington’s MMJ authorization database?
  • What are the other benefits of being registered with the Washington state MMJ authorization database?
  • What if I need more than the amount of cannabis allotted for MMJ patients?
  • Can I join a collective garden?
  • What if I don’t want to join the MMJ authorization database?
  • Will I be required to pay taxes?
• Dispensary Information
  • We’ve been in compliance with state law but didn’t get an MMJ endorsement. What now?
  • Are there still MMJ endorsements available?
  • We have an MMJ endorsement for our retailer. What do we need to know?
  • How do I get certified as an MMJ consultant?
• Physician Information
  • Can I authorize patients for MMJ?
  • What is required for making an authorization?
  • Do I need to report to the Department of Health?
  • Am I putting myself or my practice at risk by authorizing patients?

For Patients

Is my medical marijuana recommendation still valid?

Yes. Any currently issued medical marijuana recommendations will remain valid until the expiration date listed on the recommendation. However, you will be subject to certain restrictions until you renew your recommendation and join the Washington State Patient Registry. With a previously-issued recommendation, you may:

• Grow up to four (4) plants in your domicile for personal medical use
• Possess up to six (6) ounces of usable cannabis in your domicile

How long is my medical marijuana authorization valid for?

Authorizations must expire in one (1) year for adult patients and six months for patients under the age of 18.

Do I need to be registered with Washington’s medical marijuana authorization database?

Yes.If you visit your physician to renew your medical marijuana authorization, your physician is required to enter your information into a Washington State authorization database. Patients may also visit a retail establishment holding a medical marijuana authorization and ask to see the medical marijuana consultant on staff who will enter your information into the database, take your picture, and create a medical marijuana recognition card for you.

Once you have been entered into the database, you may purchase cannabis at any retail cannabis outlet holding a medical marijuana authorization. You may purchase any combination of the following:

• Forty eight (48) ounces of marijuana-infused products in solid form
• Three (3) ounces of usable cannabis
• Two hundred sixteen (216) ounces of cannabis-infused products in liquid form
• Twenty one grams of cannabis concentrates

As a registered medical marijuana patient, you will also be authorized to grow and possess in your domicile:

• Up to six (6) plants for personal medical use
• Up to eight (8) ounces of usable cannabis produced from said plants

What are the other benefits of being registered with the Washington State medical marijuana authorization database?

Registered medical marijuana patients may participate in a cooperative garden. They are also protected from arrest, prosecution, criminal sanctions, or civil consequences pertaining to the legal amount of cannabis they are allowed to possess/consume.

What if I need more than the amount of cannabis allotted for registered medical marijuana patients?

If your physician determines that a patient’s medical needs exceed the standard specified amount, doctors may specify on the medical marijuana authorization that the patient is qualified to grow and possess in their domicile:

• Up to fifteen (15) plants for personal medical use
• Up to sixteen (16) ounces of usable cannabis

Can I join a collective garden?

Up to four patients who are registered in the medical marijuana authorization database can join together to grow the total number of plants authorized by the participants.

What if I don’t want to join the medical marijuana authorization database?

Entry into the database is voluntary, but provides additional benefits and legal protections. You may continue to purchase cannabis from retail outlets, but you will be subject to restrictions and limited in the amount of cannabis you may possess. Those who are not registered with the database may still use an affirmative defense to criminal prosecution if they possess no more than four (4) plants and six (6) ounces of usable cannabis.

Will I be required to pay taxes?

Yes and no. Patients are exempt from paying state sales tax at eight (8) percent. However, all cannabis sales, both medical and recreational, will be taxed with the full 37 percent excise tax. This includes the sales of marijuana, marijuana concentrates, usable marijuana, and marijuana-infused products, whether the products are medical or recreational.

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For Dispensaries

We’ve been operating in compliance with state law, but we didn’t get a medical marijuana endorsement. What now?

Unfortunately, if the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board did not issue a medical marijuana endorsement to your establishment, after July 1st, your dispensary will technically be illegal and face shutdown by state authorities.

Are there still medical marijuana endorsements available?

If your dispensary meets the Department of Health’s criteria, you may apply to add a medical marijuana endorsement to your existing retailer license (you must have an existing retail license to qualify). Please note that there are a limited number of endorsements available per county and endorsements may no longer be available in your area.

We have a medical marijuana endorsement for our retailer. What do we need to know?

In order to stay compliant with state law, you must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Carry concentrates and infused products identified as medical grade by the Department of Health
• You must train all employees on medical marijuana
• You must have at least one medical marijuana consultant on staff who can enter information into the medical marijuana authorization database and issue medical marijuana patient recognition cards
• You must keep records of qualifying patients and recognition cards and other records as required by the Department of Health and the Department of Revenue
• You must enter information about medical sales into Washington’s traceability system

I’ve been designated as my retailer’s medical marijuana consultant. How do I get certified?

In order to qualify to be a certified medical marijuana consultant, you must:

• Be 21 years of age or older, with proof of identification
• Complete a 20-hour training program with proof of completion:
  • Five hours on Washington state laws and rules
  • Two hours on qualifying conditions and symptoms
  • Two hours on short-term and long-term effects of cannabinoids, both positive and negative
  • Five hours on products that may benefit patients and the risks and benefits of various routes of administration
  • Two hours on safe handling of cannabis products
  • Two hours on ethics and customer privacy
  • Two hours on the risks and warning signs of overuse, abuse, and addiction
• You will be required to take an exam of five questions for each of the above subjects and must pass with at least 70 percent in each category
• Complete cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training
• Print out, complete and submit the medical marijuana consultant certification application, with the following fee(s):
  • Application for certification fee: $95.00
  • Renewal of certification: $90.00
  • Late renewal penalty: $50.00
  • Expired certificate reissuance: $50.00
  • Duplicate certificate: $10.00
  • Verification of credential: $15.00

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For Physicians

Can I authorize patients for medical marijuana?

The following healthcare professionals may authorize patients:

• Medical doctors (MDs)
• Physician assistants (PAs)
• Osteopathic physicians (DOs)
• Osteopathic physician assistants (OAs)
• Naturopathic physicians (NDs)
• Advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs)

Certified medical marijuana consultants may NOT diagnose any qualifying conditions, and may NOT authorize a new patient for medical marijuana.

What is required for making an authorization?

The healthcare professional must:

• Complete a physical examination (in person)
• Document the qualifying medical condition on the patient’s record, noting that the patient may benefit from the medical use of cannabis
• Inform the patient of alternative treatment options for their condition
• Document alternative measures attempted to treat the medical condition
• All authorizations must be printed on tamper-resistant paper on the form developed by the Department of Health
• Maintain the patient’s health record, including diagnosis, treatment plan, and therapeutic objectives

Do I need to report to the Department of Health?

Until July 1, 2016, all physicians who authorize more than 30 patients in a calendar month are required to submit a report to the Department of Health. However, after July 1, 2016, all reporting will be automated through the medical marijuana authorization database.

Am I putting myself or my practice at risk by authorizing patients for medical marijuana?

The law establishes immunity against prosecution for practitioners when properly authorizing patients under Washington State law, but not under federal law.

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Montana's Dispensary Restrictions Stand After Supreme Court Rejects Appeal

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court said Monday it won’t hear an appeal challenging a Montana law that limits medical cannabis providers to selling the drug to a maximum of three patients each, dealing a blow to advocates who are attempting to delay enforcement of the law.

The nation’s high court let stand a Montana Supreme Court ruling that upheld key provisions of a state law passed in 2011 that rolled back much of the 2004 voter-approved initiative legalizing medicinal marijuana. The state Supreme Court ordered those provisions to take effect Aug. 31, more than five years after the Montana Legislature passed the bill.

The Montana Cannabis Industry Association, which sued to block the law, said the rollbacks would force the closure of dispensaries and leave patients without a legal way to obtain the drug.

“The consequences are serious, particularly for cancer patients and those in hospice care,” said the group’s spokeswoman, Kate Cholewa.

The advocacy organization previously asked District Judge James Reynolds to delay the Aug. 31 enforcement date until either the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether to take up the matter or until the November general election.

The organization is proposing a ballot initiative asking voters to lift the three-patient limit for providers and further expand access to medical cannabis. The group’s representatives say they have submitted enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot, but those signatures must be certified by the Secretary of State’s office.

“We feel optimistic of success in November,” Cholewa said. “Montanans want an accountable, responsible program for medical marijuana access. It would foolish to shut the program down and make people with debilitating illnesses suffer unnecessarily.”

The Montana attorney general’s office, which defended the 2011 restrictions in court, opposes further delay in enforcing the provisions. State attorneys said in a court filing the only legitimate reason for another delay would be to let the U.S. Supreme Court decide whether to take up the case.

Attorney general spokesman John Barnes did not have an immediate comment on the high court’s decision Monday.

Arizona's Weird, Winding Journey Toward Legalization

Arizona has a history with cannabis that’s longer and stranger than just about any state in the union.

In the early 1900s, Mexican workers coming across the border often brought the plant with them, prompting one U.S. official to note that cannabis was “used a great deal” in the Southwest. California gets all the credit for passing the nation’s first medical cannabis law in 1996, but in fact Arizonans passed an even more progressive MMJ law in that very same election. The difference was that Arizona’s elected officials successfully quashed the law after 65 percent of voters embraced it.

A more effective and long-lasting MMJ law was finally adopted in 2010, with 50.13 percent in favor and 49.87 against — just barely squeaking by in the general election. Today dispensaries flourish around the state, even though Arizona can be one of the most conservative states in America. It is the home, after all, of Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Arizona’s cannabis scene is significantly more complex than other medical states, such as California and Nevada. One source of contention for cannabis consumers in Arizona is the lack of decriminalization. Without a medical marijuana registration card, the possession of even small amounts of cannabis is tantamount to a felony charge, with a minimum sentence of four months for the first offense — not a term to be taken lightly. The medical market, however, is thriving, with more 97,000 registered patients and 93 state-licensed dispensaries.

Legalization Within Reach

Having lived with medical cannabis for six years, the Sunset State is now ready to take on full adult use. Maybe.

Nothing in Arizona comes without a touch of weirdness. At the moment, we have a state in which some of the leading pro-cannabis crusaders are actively campaigning against their own state’s legalization measure. One of the leading donors to the anti-legalization campaign is a public utility company. Arizona’s prohibitionist-in-chief won’t say whether she’s ever tried cannabis (which means she probably has). And nobody can figure out whether Sheriff Joe is for or against the measure; his chief political guru is working as the lead strategist for the legalization campaign.

About a year ago, Arizona had two competing legalization campaigns. Arizonans for Mindful Regulation, led by Jason Medar and Dave Wisniewski, wanted a measure that would open the market to anyone who cared to join, allowing the state to cap the number of retail marijuana business licenses at 10 percent of the current number of liquor stores, or somewhere in the neighborhood of 160 retail shops.

Meanwhile, legalization advocates Barrett Marson and Carlos Alfaro led an effort for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. The campaign aims to offer the first retail licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries already operating in the state. The largest share of funding for CRMLA comes from the Marijuana Policy Project, which also had a hand in helping to pass the 2010 MMJ law. At the inception of both legalization initiatives, Marson made the prediction that his campaign would be the last one standing.

After months of fundraising and signature gathering, Marson was proved correct. In late May, Arizonans for Mindful Regulation quietly bowed out of the race. The campaign had gathered only 120,000 of the necessary 150,642 signatures. With a July 7 deadline looming, campaign organizer Medar admitted defeat.

Rather than join forces with CRMLA, however, or even quietly retire from the fight, Medar and Wisniewski turned on their erstwhile compatriots and announced that they would actively campaign against the remaining legalization measure.

“It is not real legalization,” explains Wisniewski in a video for his organization, Safer Arizona. “What we have here on the 2016 election ballot, sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project, at best is an incremental regulation. It is an out-of-state, corporate investor-driven initiative that seeks to maintain a felony-enforced oligopoly for a small group of wealthy dispensary owners.”

Leafly spoke with Alfaro of the CRMLA campaign to get his perspective on the tight race. “At the beginning of all of this, there were actually about a half-dozen different initiatives filed through the Secretary of State, so they weren’t the only ones and we weren’t the only ones,” he said. “However, after all this time and all this effort, we are the only campaign that is going to be on the ballot, and we’re focusing on being a positive, educational campaign for the people of Arizona.”

Arizona’s Coalition of Opposition

As for the true opposition to legalization, Arizona once again doesn’t disappoint. These folks are real pieces of work.

Heading up the cast is Sheila Polk, director of Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy. Polk is the Yavapai County Attorney and has a long history in the Arizona Attorney General’s office. Polk has a funny relationship with cannabis. Which is to say, she wants to talk about it right up until the moment she doesn’t. In February, during a Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce public hearing on cannabis, she refused to answer the question of whether she has used cannabis before. Polk shied away from a diplomatic response in favor of “Questions like that are inappropriate,” even as a fellow prohibitionist working with her to defeat legalization admitted to dabbling in cannabis during college.

Polk is joined in the battle by Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, who is the prosecutor in the jurisdiction overseen by Sheriff Joe Arpaio. During a recent debate on marijuana, Montgomery revealed that his opposition to legalization is rooted in religion. He referred to cannabis users as “a drag on our society” and went so far as to say to a U.S. Navy veteran and medicinal cannabis user: “You are an enemy.” His remarks were met with outrage and boos from the audience.

Fundraising on Both Sides

As in most initiative campaigns, Arizona’s legalization measure may live or die on its ability to raise money.

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Arizona has garnered $414,000 in campaign contributions thus far, with many donations coming from medical marijuana dispensaries such as Monarch Wellness Center and High Mountain Health.

Support for Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy, on the other hand, is coming from some unexpected sources. Arizona Public Service, for starters. That’s Arizona’s largest electric utility company.

Considering how much electricity is necessary for an indoor, hydroponic, large-scale growing operation, it seems counter-intuitive that an electric company would be so vehemently opposed to cannabis legalization that they would donate $10,000 to the opposition group.

When pushed for comment, Jim McDonald, the media spokesman for the utility, said that Arizona Public Service’s contributions to the anti-legalization campaign was rooted in the company’s commitment to responsibility and safety.

“Our concerns are related to the underlying employment law ramifications,” McDonald said. “It’s an important issue when you’re operating an electric grid safely and reliably, and also operating the nation’s largest nuclear power plant.”

The electric company isn’t the only odd player ponying up the cash. A couple months the Arizona Wine and Spirits Wholesale Association made a $10,000 contribution to ARDP. Legalization proponents raised an outcry as soon as the contribution became public knowledge. “Using money to fund their campaign to maintain marijuana prohibition is grossly hypocritical,” J.P. Holyoak, chairman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said at the time. “They want to continue punishing adults for using marijuana, but they have no problem accepting five-figure donations from purveyors of a far more harmful substance.”

In the end, the prohibition group kept the alcohol association’s donation. Including that money, Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy has raised at least $480,000, according to reports filed with the Arizona Secretary of State.

Odd Ducks in the Race

And what about Sheriff Joe?

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is an enigma, to say the least. In 2011, he made the policy decision not only to arrest registered, card-carrying medical marijuana patients, but he also refused to return patients’ medicine upon their release from jail. If you dig a little deeper, however, you’ll find a clip from the 2007 documentary American Drug War: The Last White Hope, in which Sheriff Joe espouses his limited support for medical marijuana: “If it’s issued by tight controls by a physician, I don’t know if I oppose that. Someone’s dying of cancer, and that’s going to help that person, I don’t know if I’m strictly opposed to medical marijuana. It can help the dying patient, but it has to be dispensed by a doctor.”

In recent months, Arpaio has played a large role in continued raids. The most recent was conducted in April on an operation growing under the guise of a medical marijuana garden.

In yet another strange twist of events, Chad Willems, longtime political guru for Sheriff Joe, having helped raise millions for Arpaio’s reelection campaign, has seemingly switched allegiances. Willems, who works for Summit Consulting Group, is now representing the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, helping to raise funds for the legalization effort in November.

An Uncertain Future

Although the campaign’s winding journey to the finish line is far from over, support for the campaign is growing. The most recent additions to their arsenal of strength come from Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Maricopa), as well as Michael Capasso, a 23-year veteran of the Drug Enforcement Administration. This kind of support is exactly what the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol will need when they are facing tough opposition amid controversy and turmoil. Marson assured Leafly that they are prepared for a battle to end prohibition in November:“We anticipate a very vigorous campaign this fall.”

Canopy Growth Reports Q4 and Full Year Results

Canopy Growth (TSXV:CGC) has released its fourth quarter and fiscal 2016 financial results. The company’s consolidated results include those of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Tweed, Tweed Farms and Bedrocan Canada.

As quoted in the press release, highlights from the fourth quarter included:

Revenues of $5.0 million, representing a greater than 300% increase over the three month period ended March 31, 2015 and a 45% increase over Q3, fiscal year 2016

Sale of Tweed 10:1 Cannabis Oil began on February 25, 2016

Supported two Canadian licensed producers through the sale of wholesale product during the fourth quarter

Over 11,000 registered patients at March 31, 2016 compared to 2,800 at March 31, 2015, and compared to over 8,200 at December 31, 2015, and greater than 16,000 as of today’s date

Tweed entered into a business partnership with entertainment and cannabis icon, Snoop Dogg

Tweed Farms’ full 375,000 ft.2 facility licensed to produce, possess and ship dried marijuana

Bedrocan launches True Compassionate Pricing program, all six standardized Bedrocan varieties priced at $5.00 per gram for all clients

Click here for the full press release.

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Resource Forecast 2016 – Expert Opinions Covering Precious Metals, Energy, Critical Metals, and More

Understand these markets and what the experts see coming in 2016 with our FREE Special Report, Resource Forecast 2016 – Expert Opinions Covering Precious Metals, Energy, Critical Metals, and More.

The post Canopy Growth Reports Q4 and Full Year Results appeared first on Investing News Network.

The Largest Cannabis Golf Tournament In The Northwest Hits The Green This Summer In Oregon

Later this month cannabis industry professionals will put down their lighters and pick up their golf clubs as the second annual Fore Twenty Golf Tournament comes to Portland on June 30th. It is a business tradition to fortify deals and build relationships on the golf course, and with the budding cannabis industry it is no

Recipe: Edibles Magazine’s 420 Irish Brownies

6 Shark-Themed Cannabis Strains That Pack a Powerful Bite

The most highly anticipated stretch of summer is here: Shark Week. It’s a seven day-long marathon where we gather around our televisions to gawk, mouth agape with terror, at the aquatic beasts staring back at use with their dead eyes and rows of razor-sharp teeth. To more adequately prepare you for a week-long bout with the only sea creature to ever kill Samuel L. Jackson, here are a few strains that will have you saying, “We need a bigger boat” (or bowl).

Great White Shark

The Great White Shark is the mob boss of the deep blue sea. Having survived for millions of years on the flesh of others, this creature doesn’t only have a taste for blood, it lives for it. If you manage to get your hands on its ravenous strain counterpart, take note of its fruity odor and dense coating of crystals. Indulge in this strain’s pleasant olfactory and visual stimuli, because it will likely be your last, right before Great White Shark takes a bite right out of your dome-piece.

Shark Shock

When I think of Shock Shark, I think of some electrified abomination with gleaming bone saws for teeth and a devil-may-care attitude. This particular strain is more stunning than shocking, leaning toward full indica genetics that stink of skunks devoured by this carnivorous lightning rod floating just below the water’s placid surface.

OG Shark

OG Shark makes more sense than people give it credit for. Ocean Grown Shark is the only kind of shark I’ve seen. So, knowing OG Shark began in Canada makes this cartilaginous predator slightly more polite, but it will still bite you right in the face. Canadian or not, this shark only knows mind-altering ferocity.

CBD Shark

CBD Shark, the only CBD strain to make the shark list, is like the squeaky rubber shark toy you might play with in the bath, except it weights two thousand pounds. While it may be less intimidating by way of its supplementary anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety effects, this 80/20 indica will straight bite your legs off, making leaving the couch or bed or floor slightly more difficult. But don’t even sweat it — you’ll be so lit on CBD Shark you’ll barely notice your missed appendages.

Shark Bite

Shark Bite is one of Leafly’s more literal shark strains. This strain is a cross of Great White Shark and Face Off OG, which is a suitable combination for this week-long television holiday dedicated to ocean predators that have the ability to remove body parts from unsuspecting victims.

Shark Attack

Shark Attack is a beautiful indica-dominant cross with rather conventional genetics. Crossing Super Skunk and White Widow, one hit of this strain will have you hearing John William’s Jaws score. Every dark corridor or unlit room become a vast, inky ocean full of razor-sharp teeth. This munchie-inducing strain will have you thanking your fridge manufacturer for the tiny interior light. (Just kidding, your fridge is full of sharks, too.)

Shark Week may only happen one week a year, but you can find potent strains that will take a bite out of your anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and laziness any time at Leafly — just check our Strain Explorer for options, or take a peek at some of our recommendations for strong cannabis strains.

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The Leafly Staff Discusses How We'd Outfit the Ultimate Cannabis Clubhouse

Just as the journey is more important than the destination, sometimes the discussion is more important that the conclusion. As such, we’re kicking off a series of informal Leafly chats published largely unabridged. Viewpoints expressed are participants’ own.

As a cannabis consumer, you probably have a certain place that you love to spend time in while high. Maybe you’ve outfitted a spare room with art, lights, pillows, speakers and snacks, or perhaps you love to hang out at a certain cozy café or friend’s house with all those same comforts.

Of course, there’s always more you could do to make it the perfect place to chill with cannabis. In this fourth Leafly SlackChat, we let our imaginations run wild as we brainstormed and dreamed up what the ultimate cannabis clubhouse would entail. (A cannabis jungle? Slow lorises? An edibles pantry? The sky’s the limit.)

What’s in your ultimate cannabis clubhouse?

Attend The Oregon Quarterly Cannabis Caucus On July 12

I attended the last Oregon Quarterly Cannabis Caucus put on by the National Cannabis Industry Association, and it was oustanding. I’m hoping to make the upcoming one as well. NCIA is putting these on all across the country, and they are a great way to get updated on the last quarter, which in the cannabis

Tomorrow: Cannabis Charity Open, Benefiting The Denver Colorado AIDS Project

If you are in the area, below is an oustanding event: Premium Pete’s Cannabis and High Rollers dispensary are partnering with The Hemp Connoisseur Magazine to host the Cannabis Charity Open benefiting the Denver Colorado AIDS Project (DCAP). As part of an industry born by the will of the voters, we feel it is important

Best Wax Pen Vaporizers of 2016

Wax pen vaporizers have come a long way since they first started appearing on headshop shelves years ago. Quartz, titanium and ceramic (materials that were once rare to find incorporated to wax atomizers) have become the industry standard. Advanced temperature control, extended battery life and better overall dependability have helped wax pens evolve into more […]

Growing medical marijuana could mean big business in Maryland

The people lining up to profit from Maryland’s legal medical marijuana market …. missing out on licenses to grow medical pot in New York and Hawaii.

How to Ask Your Budtender for Sexual Product and Cannabis Strain Recommendations

In my last column, I gave budtenders tips on how to recommend sexual cannabis products to inquisitive customers. Today we’re heading to the other side of the counter and focusing on the customer experience. What’s the best approach to asking a budtender for products and strains that may help provide a sexual boost?

Although it can feel uncomfortable or awkward asking a complete stranger for sexual product recommendations, remember that the budtender may be experiencing the same emotions. Here are some tips to make you both feel comfortable and confident in your transaction.

Obtain Consent

Either call in advance or ask the budtender upon arrival to find out if this is an appropriate space to be asking about sex-related questions. You can also request to speak to the person on staff who’s most comfortable fielding such questions. That way, if the person you’re speaking with isn’t an ideal person for cannabis and sex queries or isn’t in a space to give you support in that area, they can opt out. Everyone deserves the opportunity to opt out of sensitive conversations, and your budtender is no different.

Ask Specific Questions

Be clear on what your needs are so that you can ask specific questions when you’re at the dispensary. Don’t give your back story unless requested. Budtenders are there to provide their expertise in choosing cannabis products to suit your needs. They’re not your therapist, so don’t launch into the long story of how your partner used to want to have sex all the time but then gradually the intimacy in your relationship declined so you’re feeling like needs aren’t being met.

Instead, give them the abridged version: “I want a strain to help my partner and me reconnect intimately,” or “I need something that’s going to help me get out of my head and into my body.” You can share what’s worked for you in the past but you don’t need to get into TMI territory unless you and the budtender are both comfortable with it.

Do Your Research

There’s a lot of really great information out there that may help steer you towards strains and products that are relevant to your needs. I have a list of general sex-positive resources on my website, and many other sex educators do, too. Read books, go to workshops, and utilize as many resources as you can. See if your query is something that can be solved through home study and communication, or if you do want to utilize cannabis to deepen and enhance your sexy fun times.

Don’t be Creepy

Yep, that was my advice for the budtenders, too, but it goes both ways. Don’t walk in and open with, “So which of these strains will turn me into a bang-all-night sex machine?” It’s not cute, it’s not flirty; it’s harassing. Don’t be that person. Sometimes people try to make it a joke to diffuse perceived tension, but I’m here to tell you, it’s unnecessary. I suggest being honest and owning your experience: “It feels really edgy for me to ask you about this, but it would be incredibly helpful if you could point me to a strain/product that’s good for X.”

Do you have a preferred consumption method for pairing with sex? Share your experiences by leaving a comment! Also, do you have a sex, relationships, or intimacy dating question? Send it to tips@nullleafly.com and I may address your request in a future article! (Don’t worry, we’ll keep your queries anonymous.)

The Beatles and Cannabis: How the Fab Four Got By with a Little Help from Their Friends

The Beatles are arguably the greatest band that has ever existed, cementing their status as music icons over the course of their decade-long career together with dozens of songs that became instant classics the moment they debuted on the radio. In 1960, the Fab Four debuted with a seemingly wholesome and sweet image before evolving into more experimental (and psychedelic) sounds by the mid-1960s. But was the Beatles’ start as squeaky clean as their image suggests?

Contrary to what many may think about those boys from Liverpool with the shaggy haircuts and matching suits, even in the early days they were no strangers to experimentation. In the first few years, the Beatles were known to use amphetamines to keep their energy up during concerts.

When it comes to cannabis, however, rumor has it that the Mop Tops first tried it after a gig in Hamburg in 1960, but hardly felt anything, according to an account from George Harrison:

“Everybody was saying, ‘This stuff isn’t doing anything.’ It was like that old joke where a party is going on and two hippies are up floating on the ceiling, and one is saying to the other, ‘This stuff doesn’t work, man.'”

It wasn’t until a chance encounter with the one and only Bob Dylan that the Beatles became truly enamored with the wacky tobacky. Chronicled in Peter Brown’s Beatles biography, The Love You Make, on August 28, 1964, the boys were introduced to Dylan by a mutual friend, Al Aronowitz. Dylan requested some cheap wine and suggested that they all enjoy a joint while waiting.

Bob Dylan with Joan Baez during the Civil Rights March on Washington D.C. in 1963

The Beatles and Brian Epstein looked at each other sheepishly and admitted, “We’ve never smoked marijuana before.”

Dylan was incredulous. “What about your song? The one about getting high?”

The Beatles had no such song and finally asked, “Which song?”

Dylan replied, “You know…’and when I touch you, I get high, I get high.'”

John Lennon blushed when he realized the song in question. “Those aren’t the words. The words are, ‘I can’t hide, I can’t hide, I can’t hide…” from the sweetly innocent tune, “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

Dylan was giddy to introduce them to cannabis. They secured the hotel room with towels under the door and drapes drawn tight before Dylan rolled the first joint. He gave it to Ringo Starr to light, but Ringo, not quite understanding the “puff, puff, pass” etiquette, smoked the whole joint by himself, while Dylan just laughed and rolled a few more.

From then on, the Beatles would use a particular phrase when they wanted to smoke cannabis: “Let’s have a laugh.”

By mid-1965, the boys were well-acquainted with the sweet green grass. While filming the movie Help!, they were often so stoned that they would forget their lines, forgoing acting for giggles.

John Lennon even claimed that the foursome smoked cannabis in the bathroom at Buckingham Palace while receiving their MBEs (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a distinguished grade within the British order).

The songs in which cannabis makes an appearance are numerous. Paul McCartney was quoted in his biography Many Years From Now as calling the song “Got to Get You Into My Life” from the album Revolver an “ode to pot, like someone else might a write an ode to chocolate or a good claret.”

Another notable mention of cannabis is in the friendship anthem “With a Little Help From my Friends,” from the album Sergeant Peppers’ Lonely Hearts Club Band. The song is inspired by a conversation among the four friends, and contains the perfectly apt phrase “I get high with a little help from my friends.”

Unfortunately, the Drug War allowed no exceptions for celebrities. While staying in Ringo Starr’s basement flat in Montagu Square, John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono were arrested in London on October 18, 1968 for the possession of cannabis. Lennon pled guilty to absolve Yoko, who was pregnant at the time.

The next year, George and Pattie Harrison also faced arrest for cannabis possession on March 12, 1969. Both Lennon and Harrison maintained that the drugs were planted by London’s drug squad, led by notorious anti-drug zealot Detective Norman Pilcher. Pilcher was also famous for arresting members of the Rolling Stones and Scottish singer/songwriter Donovan, and he also had a close encounter with Eric Clapton, who escaped out the back door and avoided arrest.

The Fab Four also famously experimented with lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), which influenced many songs, including “Day Tripper” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Curiously, the song most often associated with LSD, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds,” has nothing to do with the drug according to the band.

These days, Paul McCartney has traded the cannabis in his life for alcohol, saying he’d rather not “set a bad example,” (which is quite a laugh, when you think about it).

Ringo Starr confirmed the Bob Dylan story to Conan O’Brien on his talk show, going so far as to insist that he was the first Beatle to smoke marijuana:

“I went first. The drummers always go first. That’s just how it was. We didn’t draw lots or anything like. We got high and laughed our asses off.”

He then pondered the immense changes that cannabis has undergone in the decades since their fame, saying, “It was against the law then, you know. Not like now.”

Beatles photo by United Press International (UPI Telephoto)Cropping and retouching: User:Indopug and User:Misterweiss – This image is available from the United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3c11094.

Bob Dylan with Joan Baez photo by Rowland Scherman – U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=149559

Deleware Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Calls For The End Of Cannabis Prohibition

Out of Delaware: Yesterday, state senator and Republican gubernatorial candidate Colin Bonini, publically stated he would sponsor a bill to tax and regulate the marijuana, a move that would make Delaware the first state in the nation to do so legislatively. This signals that the tide is shifting away from the failed policy of prohibition

Holland’s Former Prime Minister Was the Guest of Honor at the Country’s Biggest Cannabis Event

Cannabis Liberation Day, Holland’s biggest cannabis event, welcomed a surprise special guest this year: former prime minister Dries van Agt, who 40 years ago introduced the country’s famous policy of cannabis tolerance.

The event, which celebrated its eighth year earlier this month, is a free festival organized by the VOC, the union for the abolition of cannabis prohibition. Since the High Times Cannabis Cup abandoned Amsterdam in 2014, Cannabis Liberation Day is the only cannabis and hemp event in the Netherlands. The venue, Flevopark, is one of the oldest and biggest parks in the capital city.

This year’s Cannabis Liberation Day was special for a number of reasons. Notably, it was the first without Joep Oomen, one of VOC’s founders and the driving force behind numerous drug-reform campaigns and NGOs, such as Encod and Trekt uw Plant, Belgium’s first Cannabis Social Club. On the evening of June 12, a video commemorating Oomen, who died in March, was shown on a screen next to the event’s main stage. As it played, Oomen’s widow Beatriz and representatives of the Belgian Cannabis Social Club movement handed out bags to the audience. Inside were two female seeds, peat plugs to plant them, and a flyer quoting one of Oomen’s final writings:

“Now that years have passed during which people have employed millions of words to convince authorities of the utter madness that their drug policies are bringing the world into, it is time for the plants themselves to become actors in the debate. By growing plants for personal use we can demonstrate that it is possible to regulate the drug market in a manner that ensures transparency, accountability, honesty, sustainability, and health.”

A banner above the stage read, “Thuisteelt vrij, achterdeur open!” (“Home cultivation free, backdoor open!”) The phrase refers to the so-called backdoor paradox of Dutch cannabis policy: Coffeeshops are allowed to sell cannabis to consumers, but any form of cultivation or wholesale remains strictly illegal. The backdoor paradox has caused a range of negative effects, from gang involvement to inferior quality and inflated prices.

Former Prime Minister Dries van Agt, 85, who in the ‘70s and ‘80s led three governments as prime minister for the conservative Christian party CDA, appeared on stage to explain the origin of the policy. In 1976, when Van Agt was the youngest-ever Dutch minister of justice, he introduced a fundamental legal distinction between cannabis and other illegal substances, paving the way for today’s cannabis coffeeshops.

The 8th annual Cannabis Liberation Day was held in Amsterdam’s Flevopark. Photo by Derrick Bergman

“Of course it would have been much better if we had opened up the whole cannabis issue: no crime, no offense, no legal restriction whatsoever for cannabis,” Van Agt told the moderator. “But, my dear friend, in politics — unfortunately for the Netherlands — I wasn’t the only one who decided.’

After the initial breakthrough in 1976, he said he expected that “the whole system would start to move, and we would go further — much further.” But no Dutch government ever took the next step, and the backdoor paradox lived on. “This is the big disappointment,” Van Agt said.

But the future looks bright, he assured the audience. “The latest news is darned good, friends. The latest news is that Canada — yes, Canada — has decided to legalize cannabis.

“Why is this so important, more important than a few or even a lot of American states [that have legalized]?” he said. “Canada has an enormous political and moral influence on Western Europe. So this cannot remain unanswered here.”

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt addresses the crowd. Photo by Derrick Bergman

Van Agt stayed at the festival for over three hours, participated in one of the debates in the film tent, and relaxed backstage in the VIP lounge. For attendees, it was a rare opportunity to meet the man who played such a historic role in Dutch cannabis culture, alongside other legends like Rick Simpson, John Sinclair, James Burton, Wernard Bruining, Doede de Jong, and Mila “Hashqueen of Amsterdam” Jansen.

Not a single incident of violence or conflict was reported at the event — just like the seven Cannabis Liberation Days before it. As British author Percy Grower wrote:

“This is how a safe and enjoyable festival can exist. With the absence of alcohol, the good vibes were infectious. Parents played with kids, young groups of people were just hanging out and dapperly dressed elders made out on the grass. The festival is a magnificent example of the benefits cannabis can bring to a society and gave me a real boost of optimism; not just for the cannabis movement in Europe, but the advancement of the human race as a whole.”

Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool published an interview with Dries van Agt the following day.

“When you look around you,” the reporter asked the former prime minister, “do you feel it’s an attractive idea that more cannabis will be used?”

Van Agt replied, “The more happy people I see around me, the happier I become myself. And if this is caused by cannabis, I say: ‘Do as you please, friends. Do as you please.’”

Starting a good life with an infusion of energy and a welcoming space

Published: Jun 24, 2016, 4:42 pm • Updated: Jun 24, 2016, 4:42 pm By Shay Castle, Daily Camera If there’s one thing Colorado isn’t short on, it’s startup accelerators. If there are two things Colorado isn’t short on, it’s startup accelerators and pot. But Longmont entrepreneur Patrick O’Malley looked at the market and saw a […]

How the federal government limits valid scientific research on Cannabis sativa

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How to Survive Summer's Cannabis-Friendly Music Festivals

With so many fun and exciting musical festivals to look forward to this summer, we put together this handy Summer Festival Survival Guide to make sure you know what to do should you decide to indulge in some cannabis while you’re dancing your way to autumn. What happens if you get too stoned, or if some sketchy dude hands you a mystery joint?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

What to Do if You Get Too Stoned at a Summer Music Festival

Getting stoned with your closes friends as you watch your favorite musician perform sounds like an amazing time. But what should you do if you go a little overboard with the cannabis and begin to feel really uncomfortable? Here are some tips to bring you back down to a more comfortable state.

1. Get Some Air

If you’re feeling the overwhelming effects of that edible you devoured two hours ago, it’s probably not the best idea to remain in the mosh pit dazed and confused. Walk over to an open space where you can take a few deep breaths and sit down until you’re feeling more comfortable and less dizzy.

2. Drink Some Lemon Juice

If you happen to have an overly intense reaction to the THC, drink a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade. Did you know that lemons have the terpene limonene in it? The terpenes in lemons may reduce and alleviate the effects of THC on the brain. If you can, toss the peel of the lemon into your drink — that’s where the limonene is.

3. Listen to Your Friends

Bring your wingman/wingwoman with you if you know you’re going to be consuming at the festival just to be safe. It’s a smart idea to attend the festival with at least one friend who will remain sober and can think logically if things get a little out of control.

4. Take an Ibuprofen

Studies suggest that ibuprofen can help you feel noticeably less high. Ibuprofen affects the same receptors in the brain as THC, suppressing some of the less desirable side effects THC can have on your cognitive ability. (Just don’t go overboard with the ibuprofen, and take it with plenty of water.)

5. Bring Some Peppercorns or Another Peppery Snack

Black pepper contains beta-caryophyllene, which can affect cannabinoid receptors in the brain and work synergistically with cannnabis’s THC to quell panic and anxiety.

6. Don’t be Afraid to Seek Medical Attention

We know the normal effects of smoking marijuana: red eyes, dry mouth, increased appetite and heart rate. But if you start to feel dizzy, lightheaded, or worse and the above tips above don’t help, you should immediately stop consuming and seek medical attention. Many music festivals have emergency personnel and volunteers who are trained to assist festival-goers for a variety of medical issues, so don’t feel bad or embarrassed to ask for help. Remember that their purpose is to keep festival attendees safe and provide emergency aid to those who need it.

Be Safe and Aware of Your Surroundings

You never know who you’re going to meet at a music festival. Don’t take cannabis or any other drugs from someone you don’t know or trust. If someone offers you a substance that you’re not sure about, just say no. Be aware of your surroundings and be mindful of those around you. If anyone is persistent in making you feel uncomfortable or is harassing you, don’t hesitate to contact security personnel.

Know Your Rights and Follow the Rules

Typically, before you enter festival grounds you have to go through security, where they check you and your possessions for weapons or drugs. Be mindful that security may be patting you down before you pass the entrance gates. If you’re caught trying to enter festival grounds with drugs, festival staff has the right to confiscate them before you enter. Yes, it’s a bummer, but it’s also a risk you take when you attempt to sneak in items that aren’t allowed.

Also, remember that cannabis may be legal in four states, but it’s still a federally regulated substance. Consumption laws vary, and it’s important to know your rights and educate yourself regarding cannabis consumption and possession laws, especially if you’re visiting from out of state.

Summer Music Festival Tips

Now that you’ve brushed up on some cannabis-specific festival advice, it doesn’t hurt to go over some general tips to make sure your summer music festival experience is fun and exciting. A good way to stay organized before you leave is to prepare a checklist and write down everything you’ll want or need to bring with you. Before you leave for the event, consult your checklist, going through each item and double-checking that you have everything packed (plus any extras just in case).

Here are some recommended items to pack in your cross-body bag or backpack.

1. Your Wristbands, Passes, or Tickets to the Festival

I know this seems obvious, but you’ll be incredibly irritated and pissed off if you end up at the festival entrance, reach into your bag, and realize that you don’t have your passes. What’s even more awkward than realizing you left behind the most important item you needed to bring is having to tell your friends back home that you missed seeing your favorite band or musician perform because you forgot your tickets in your hotel room. Seriously, this is probably the ULTIMATE music festival buzzkill. Nobody wants to miss an event they’ve planned months in advance for and just dished out hundreds of dollars to attend for an easily avoidable reason.

2. Reusable Water Bottle

Bottled water can cost a pretty penny at festivals, so keep a reusable water bottle with you at all times and refill it as often as possible. The sun will be blazing and one of the last thing you’ll want to do is pass out in front of an enormous crowd of strangers because you’re severely dehydrated. Trust me, waking up in a grassy field feeling disoriented while a bunch of unfamiliar faces stare down at you can be super awkward and traumatic.

3. Money and Identification

Please don’t forget to bring your money and ID. I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but you wouldn’t believe how many people wind up forgetting to bring cash and ID. If you want to bring a credit card instead, consider a secure option like Apple Pay, where you can digitally store your banking cards in your smartphone (we all know how much of a hassle it is to call and cancel a credit card once you’ve realized you misplaced yours or it got stolen).

4. Hats, Sunglasses, and Sunscreen

Check yourself before you wreck yourself, because excessive sunlight can be bad for your health. I can’t stress enough the importance of wearing sunscreen and protective clothing, especially during the hot summer months. Sunburn is not only painful, but excessive sun exposure can lead to health problems down the line. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime, so that summer tan may look good now, but your dried, wrinkled skin and melanoma a few years down the road aren’t a good look long-term.

Make sure to pack sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. Apply the sunscreen throughout the day and be sure you protect your eyes from the beaming sun with your Leafly shades.

5. Hand Sanitizer and Tissues

Let’s be blunt here, Honey Bucket, porta-potties are disgusting. If you’ve ever had to use one, which I’m sure you have, you know how dirty and nasty they are. Bring plenty of hand sanitizer and tissues for yourself and your friends, as they’ll definitely come in handy on a hot, festival day.

6. Portable Cell Phone Charger

Let’s keep it real — you’re going to want to capture tons of moments during the festival of you and your friends having the time of your lives. By the time you get the perfect shot of everyone, and just as you’re about to upload the photo to Instagram, a notification pops up on your screen alerting you that your phone’s battery is slowly approaching death. What’s worse is that the festival’s headliners haven’t hit the stage yet and you’re already in the red.

Charge your cell phone the night before so you know it will be completely charged when you leave to go to the festival. Since music festivals are usually all-day events, make sure you invest in a portable charger (Amazon has a variety of affordable options to choose from) that you can toss in your bag and keep with you at all times. When your phone starts running low on battery life, grab your portable charger, plug it in, and you’re good to go. No longer will you have to worry about your phone giving up on you mid-Snapchat story or while you’re trying to find your friend among the massive crowd.

7. Comfortable Shoes

You’re going to be on your feet all day, so make sure you’re wearing shoes that won’t be a pain after several hours in them. Flip flops can break, so consider comfortable slip-ons or other alternatives that won’t feel bogged down if they get wet, muddy, or dirty.

Lastly, depending on the music festival’s location and how many people are set to attend, receiving service on your cell phone may be tricky. With so many people trying to use their cell phones to upload videos and images to social media, it can become extremely difficult to reach out and communicate with your squad.

If you or one of your friends get separated from the rest of the group or if service becomes terrible, you should all decide on a designated location where you all know to meet at in case of emergency or if anyone gets lost.

Which festivals or concerts are you looking forward to this summer, and what are your festival survival tips? Share in the comments!

Starbuds, One of Colorado’s Biggest Growers, Loses License Over Odor Complaints in Landmark Case

Cannabis retailer Starbuds was ordered this week to shutter its Northeast Denver grow operation after neighborhood residents reported a pungent odor escaping the second floor. The decision marks the first time a Denver-area marijuana grow operation was denied a routine license renewal.

In a statement, Starbuds owner Brian Ruden said the company plans to appeal Thursday’s decision by the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses.

“This is an attack on the cannabis industry, not just Starbuds,” Ruden said. “We are prepared to challenge this ruling in court.”

Starbuds has seven retail locations across Colorado. The shop ordered to cease its growing operation was the company’s adult-use store at 4690 Brighton Blvd., which contains both a ground-floor retail shop and a second-floor grow that houses 240 plants.

Every Colorado license for cannabis businesses must be renewed annually, but renewals don’t involve a a public hearing. In Starbuds’ case, the hearing was the result of neighborhood complaints. Residents of the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood testified that odor coming from the grow operation was affecting the quality of life of people living nearby. They described the working-class area as on the upswing and said the smell was frustrating attempts to improve the community.

Starbuds owner Ruden disputes the neighbors’ claims, but his legal argument centers on interpretations local zoning issues made by city hearing officer Suzanne A. Fasing and Denver Department of Excise and Licenses executive director Stacie Loucks. According to Starbuds attorney Jim C. McTurnan, the officials wrongly interpreted the zoning code and shouldn’t have held a public hearing on the license renewal.

In the area of the Starbuds location, the Denver Zoning Code allows “plant husbandry” as an accessory use, not as a primary use. While Fasing, the hearing officer, considered the Starbuds grow to be the property’s primary use, the company has argued the grow was an accessory use to the building’s primary purpose, which was the retail store.

Ruden said Starbuds is prepared to hammer home that point in court. Company owners “will take this as far as we need to,” he told the Denver Post.

The next appeal option for Starbuds is to seek judicial review of the decision in Denver District Court. In the meantime, the decision states that Starbuds cannot begin growing any new plants or clones at the site and must wind down cultivation and harvesting in the next 30 days, when its license expires.

As it stands, the license decision could create a slippery slope within the industry, Denver-area cannabis attorney David Rodman told Leafly.

Recently adopted zoning restrictions took roughly 70 percent of industrial properties off the table for cultivators, he said. That, combined with legal limits on how close together cannabis businesses can be — and now the very real threat of losing a license over neighborhood concerns — can turn finding a suitable location into a headache.

“I don’t think people realize how serious of an impact it is having on the industry in Denver,” he said.

Rodman added that he’s seen cultivators edging away from densely populated areas for a while now.

“As we get more and more outside grows in bigger facilities that simply would not fit in Denver, I think that you might see cultivation facilities in Denver start going away on their own because of market forces,” Rodman said.

For nearby communities, he said, the shift could be a windfall. “You are going to see a border economy where all the jurisdictions that allow it outside of Denver are going to do very well for the next year or two.”

Will New Technology Make Dabbing Approachable to Older Generations?

Last week, I facilitated my friend’s first dab. She watched me light the titanium nail with a torch, her eyes wide as if to say, “I didn’t know we needed welding tools to do this.” I placed the sticky globe over the nail and told her to her place the dab inside once the red hot metal cooled. She awkwardly took the dab rig in one hand while balancing the crumbly oil on the dabber in the other. When it met the hot nail, the crumb of wax evaporated into a thick cloud that quickly disappeared as she sucked it in her lungs. The exhale began smooth, but ended in a fit of violent coughing followed by what I call the “dab stance” (laying face-down on the floor).

This is what dabbing can look like to a first-timer. For those who have never seen or tried dabbing firsthand, mainstream media paints an even sketchier image, using words like “the crack of marijuana” to describe it. They also often conflate the consumption of cannabis extracts with the dangerous and sometimes explosive practice of home butane extraction.

These types of statements are neither accurate nor helpful to an increasingly cannabis-curious public, but the fact remains: dabbing scares off almost everyone who isn’t a cannabis heavyweight. Juggling foreign tools, knowing which oil to buy, dosing, and the transmission of misinformation in the media are all reasons for other demographics to dismiss dabbing altogether with a “no thanks, I’ll stick to flower.”

Videos of parents and grandparents dabbing almost always carry a comical tone, showing how unlikely it is for older generations to enjoy this method of cannabis consumption. But what if dabbing looked different?

Traditional Dabbing vs. New Dabbing Technology

“I don’t know…it looks like crack. Or meth,” one parent said after we showed him how to take a dab. He complained about the number of tools required, and noted that the blow torch seemed a dangerous ingredient in the process.

I agreed and thought back to the time our torch malfunction and resulted in a massive fireball, and the time it tipped over and scorched our carpet, and the time the knob got stuck and wouldn’t stop spewing butane.

“Most seniors don’t like to play with torches — shooting fire out of one of these can be scary for a novice,” another said. “E-nails are very hot and must be handled with great care. Ever touched one? Bad idea.”

Product innovators, now privy to the challenges, dangers, and stigmas of traditional dabbing methods, are seeking out new ways to harness the effects of dabbing – without the torch and nail.

VapeXhale is one of these tech-forward pioneers. Something between a bong and a vaporizer, their device known as the EVO captures the sensations of dabbing without requiring cumbersome and dangerous tools. The concentrate is placed in a glass tube, heats for seven seconds, and then the glass neck fills with smooth smoke-like vapor packed with THC – and yes, it hits like a dab, unless you consider coughing fits an essential part of the dabbing experience. When I spoke with VapeXhale’s founder and CEO Seibo Shen, he said, “We wanted to condense the vapor until it’s as thick and opaque as a bong without increasing the temperature.”

Traditional nail-and-torch dabbing can produce temperatures as hot as 1000 degrees Fahrenheit – with that amount of heat, you burn off many important flavor compounds (called “terpenes”). Not only that, the vapor off a hot nail can be pretty harsh on the throat and lungs. Using modified air pressure to lower compound boiling points, technology like the EVO delivers the potency of a dab without scorching your insides.

The Benefits of Cannabis Concentrates and Vaporization

Why bother with dabbing when you have flower?

There are advantages to using cannabis concentrates, just as bud offers its unique set of benefits.

• Extracts strip essential compounds from cannabis, leaving behind the plant matter that leaves sticky tar-like resin when smoked.
• Concentrates can have pronounced flavor profiles, especially when producers reintroduce terpenes after the extraction process.
• A little bit goes a long way. Rather than having to smoke or vaporize a lot of flower for a heavy effect, you can use a small amount of extract and get dramatically more potent effects. This is particularly useful for those treating pain, insomnia, or other stubborn symptoms.

You don’t have to dab to get the benefits of cannabis extracts, but dabbing is a great way to deliver effects quickly and with unprecedented strength. Dabs hit harder and faster than oil-filled wicked vaporizer pens, for example, and they don’t require solvents like propylene glycol.

Although edibles can be stronger than dabbing, inhalation methods are very different from ingested cannabis. For example, I’ll dab as a quick remedy for nausea and appetite loss. In my experience, an edible takes too long and doesn’t have the same nausea-relieving effects as concentrates.

As you can see, dabbing can benefit cannabis consumers of all demographics, but first we need technology that delivers controlled doses at controlled temperatures. Dabbing can be an unpleasant (and, at worst, dangerous) experience for first-timers and novices, so the key is to find ways to minimize discomfort through innovation. VapeXhale and similar producers are leading the charge, but what exciting new inventions will we see in the coming years as cannabis engineering peaks?

Delaware Cannabis Bill Prompts Calls for Full Legalization

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The passage of a bill that could spare some misdemeanor drug offenders from convictions has prompted a conservative Republican senator and gubernatorial candidate to call for the formal legalization of cannabis in Delaware.

The legislation, which would expand probation before judgment to misdemeanor marijuana possession charges, cleared the Senate on Thursday after House passage earlier this month. The bill awaits Gov. Jack Markell’s signature.

Sen. Colin Bonini, R-Dover, said the bill removes the last vestiges of holding people criminally accountable for possession of small amounts of cannabis.

Under probation before judgment, a judge defers entry of a conviction if the offender pleads guilty or no contest. If the offender complies with the terms and conditions of a probation period, no conviction will be entered on the record.

Under the bill, probation before judgment could be used in cases of misdemeanor possession of up to six ounces of marijuana, a Senate attorney told lawmakers.

“We have lowered the penalties to the point where it is relatively arbitrary whether the state actually prosecutes people on this or not, and the reality is we don’t,” said Bonini, adding that he expects cannabis to be legalized nationwide within five years.

“This is basically accepted socially and, quite frankly, politically and legally,” he said. “If that the case, we should treat it as such.”

Bonini said that he is not in favor of relaxing criminal laws for possession, but that policymakers need to accept reality.

“We’ve already made this decision, whether you like it or not,” he said. “I’m not pleased we’re here. I’m not an advocate, … but I think the reality is this is where we are.”

Bonini, who said legalization and taxation would be among the issues discussed in his campaign for governor, called for a strict regulatory framework, with tax revenue going to substance abuse treatment programs.

“Let’s create a structure that’s as beneficial to society as we can make it,” he said.

The probation bill, which cleared the Senate on a 12-to-6 vote after passing the House on 37-3 vote, now goes to Markell.

Markell said Thursday that he had not had time to review the legislation, but his office issued a statement a short time later saying he supports the bill.

Markell has previously said, and reiterated Thursday, that he would not sign any legislation legalizing marijuana before he leaves office in January.

Democratic Attorney General Matt Denn, whose office supported the probation bill, also opposes full legalization.

Last year, Markell signed legislation decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana. The measure passed the Democratic-led House and Senate on strict party line votes with no Republican support. Bonini said at the time that lawmakers would regret the move.

The decriminalization law, which took effect in December, made possession by an adult of a “personal use” quantity of marijuana, defined as an ounce or less, a civil offense punishable by a fine of $100, rather than a crime. Simple possession remains a criminal offense for anyone under 18. For those between the ages of 18 and 21, a first offense will result in a civil penalty, while any subsequent offense would be a misdemeanor.

Smoking cannabis in a moving vehicle, in public areas, or outdoors on private property within 10 feet of a street, sidewalk or other area generally accessible to the public also is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $200 and imprisonment of up to five days.

New Strains Alert: Bob Saget, Don Shula, Magnum PI, and More

This week’s New Strains Alert is a cast of unusual characters. With guest appearances by Bob Saget, Don Shula, Magnum PI, Thai Girl, and Dizzy Wright’s Dizzy OG, this alert is the type of crowd you want to start your weekend with. These distinguished strains offer a variety of effects suited, in one form or fashion, to their names. So whether you’re the father of a full house or a West Coast wunderkind dropping red-hot rhymes, these strains will light you up, chill you out, and soothe what ails you.

Bob Saget

Bob Saget is a stimulating sativa that won 2nd place at the 2016 Colorado Cannabis Cup. This addled comedian gets the heart pumping, stimulating the consumer to the point of agitation. But fear not, the energy subsides and settles into an uplifted, cerebral haze that is lucid, yet spacey. As this strong sativa fades, expect a stoney crash that represents Saget’s latent Pre-98 Bubba Kush and Afghani genetics.

Don Shula

Don Shula, 3rd place winner of Best Hybrid Flower at the 2016 Colorado Cannabis Cup, crosses The White and Diagonal (True OG x East Coast Sour Diesel) to create a hybrid that sits upright in the body and mind. Exhibiting functional OG effects, this pungent strain is a comfortable middle ground for indica-dominant enthusiasts seeking an all-day strain.

Magnum PI

Magnum PI is a sativa-dominant strain with its genetic origins cloaked in a Hawaiian shirt of pure mystery. This stimulating cross, supposedly created by Seahorse Gardens near the Puget Sound, exhibits hints of citrus and sweet earth on the nose. The effects have been described as clear-headed and stimulating, which makes this strain a perfect accompaniment for outdoor activities.

Thai Girl

Thai Girl is supposedly the result of seeds found by Gold King in Thai Stick crossed against Tres Dawg. This sativa-dominant hybrid was cultivated in the late 70’s and spread the euphoric stimulation native to Southeast Asian herb across the cannabis world. Enjoy this tropical bud in the sunshine, as it encourages physical activity without overstimulation.

Dizzy OG

Dizzy OG took 2nd place for Best Medical Hybrid Flower at the 2016 SoCal Cannabis Cup and is the official strain of Las Vegas hip-hop luminary Dizzy Wright. This strain has traditional OG qualities, including a heavy yet functional body buzz that sticks to the bones. With slightly sweeter terpenoids than traditional OG strains, this hybrid is an all-day smoke for the seasoned consumer, but can lean toward full sedation in larger doses.

Frank’s Gift

Frank’s Gift is a phenomenal phenotype of Skunk Haze that has been known to generate upwards of 20% CBD. This strain delivers a nearly mythological ratio of CBD/THC that lends itself to a variety of medical uses associated with physical discomfort, inflammation, and anxiety. Though Frank’s Gift has predominantly appeared in Oregon, it’s slowly being disseminated throughout the West Coast.

Pink Sunset

Pink Sunset is the indica phenotype of the delicious indica-dominant hybrid Sunset Sherbet. This sugary strain has roots in Girl Scout Cookies, but pushes the functional sedation of its OG Kush and Cherry Pie parentage into the realm of full-body relaxation. Use this strain after work to unwind or on the way to bed as a dreamy dessert that combats insomnia, chronic pain, and nausea.

Browse through our other new strains that were recently added to the Leafly Explorer, or check out last week’s newest additions!

MILegalize Fundraiser At Comos With Special Guest Craig Covey

For those in the area: July 1, a Friday, in Ferndale from 5 to 9 PM, at Como’s Restaurant we will have a big fundraiser with hors d’oeuvres, speakers, an auction and entertainment. Only $25 admission, but feel free to give more. Speakers include Candidate for Oakland County Sheriff Craig Covey, Cannabis Counsel Attorney Tom

Denied: Starbuds loses grow license in first-of-its-kind decision in Denver

Published: Jun 23, 2016, 6:35 pm • Updated: Jun 24, 2016, 7:41 pm By Jon Murray, The Denver Post Neighborhood pushback against a northeast Denver marijuana grow operation culminated Thursday in the city’s first-ever denial of a routine cultivation license renewal. Starbuds, a marijuana chain that grows plants on the second floor of its recreational shop […]

PGT #305 – Princess Mononoke

Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles-also providing the news, and show producer Jamie Lowell from the Third Coast Dispensary in Ypsilanti   Class-action lawsuit filed in federal court on behalf of four medical marijuana patients who challenge the way […]

Experts off guidance on medical marijuana for pain

Marijuana often is used to self treat chronic pain and, with 24 states legalizing medical use of the herb, experts have published guidance for physicians caring for patients who use cannabis. The paper also identified opportunities for future research required to better understand the health effects of cannabinoids.

Sipp Industries Announces Launch of Branded Hemp and CBD Products for the Equine Industry

COSTA MESA, CA–(Marketwired – Jun 23, 2016) – Sipp Industries, Inc. (OTC: SIPC), a diversified conglomerate corporation specializing in technology, manufacturing and distribution of commercial and consumer products announces the launch of its uniquely branded hemp and CBD (cannabidiol) products specifically developed for the equine industry. These products are slated to be available by mid to […]

Congressional Leadership Resists Bipartisan-Backed Marijuana Reforms

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressional leaders have moved in recent days to quash a number of proposed marijuana law reforms. Specifically, provisions previously voted on by Congress to expand medical cannabis access to eligible military veterans have been removed by leadership during the conference committee process. Members have yet to speak publicly as to why the language was […]

Titans’ Derrick Morgan Voices Support for MMJ in the NFL

Former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle and current free agent Eugene Monroe isn’t alone in his public support for medical marijuana in the NFL. Current Tennessee Titans linebacker Derrick Morgan has added his voice to Monroe’s call for the NFL to adopt cannabis as an alternative method of pain management for players.

The two recently sat down with Yahoo Global News anchor Katie Couric to speak about the potential benefits of the NFL adopting cannabis as an alternative to prescription painkillers.

“I think for the NFL to say that cannabis does not benefit the long-term health of its players without actually having gone and done the research — I don’t think that’s an accurate statement.” Morgan said.

He added, “What I noticed was that former players would openly speak about their experiences being addicted to opioids that they were prescribed by their team doctors.”

The two are particularly interested in the possible benefits of CBD, or cannabidiol, one of the 60-plus cannabinoids found in cannabis. CBD is non-psychoactive and does not cause a high.

Players like Monroe and Morgan are becoming more aware of the negative effects that professional football can have on the human body. Mainly, players are becoming increasingly concerned about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the neurodegenerative disease that was highlighted in the blockbuster movie Concussion and has garnered significant news coverage as more deceased players are found to have had CTE.

One of the most popular and celebrated NFL players to be diagnosed with CTE, Junior Seau, suffered from the neurodegenerative disease to the point where he committed suicide in May 2013, two years after retiring. Seau shot himself in the heart on May 2, stunning the sports community and his hometown of San Diego, where he played the majority of his career.

Though Monroe and Morgan are the only active NFL players that have spoken in support of medical cannabis, numerous ex-NFL players have come out in support of MMJ. Last year, former NFL players in support of cannabis created The Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, dedicated to the advancement of medical marijuana in football. Former players involved include Nate Jackson, Kyle Turley, and several others.

Super Bowl champion and former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon has said that medical marijuana helped him recover from the pain of his football career.

McMahon, now 56, has been plagued by debilitating health problems following a 15-year career in the NFL. Throughout his time in the league, as well as in college at Brigham Young University, McMahon suffered from several concussions and has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia. He also said he suffered a broken neck during his playing career and now deals with severe headaches, depression, memory loss, and vision and speech problems.

To add to the pain McMahon was dealing with daily, he also was dealing with a constant struggle with opioids. At one point he was taking around 100 Percocet pills a month for pain. The key to McMahon getting off of the prescription painkillers, he said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, was medical marijuana. Painkillers were doing him more harm than good.

McMahon isn’t the only high-profile former NFL player talking about the benefits of medical marijuana in the NFL. Former Heisman winner and 11-year NFL veteran Ricky Williams believes there is a better way for NFL players to handle the excessive wear and tear that goes with the job. According to Williams, rather than giving players copious amounts of painkillers, the NFL should take cannabis off the league’s banned substance list.

Recently, Williams announced that he will be opening Power Plant Fitness, the world’s first cannabis gym, in San Francisco. Not only is being high allowed at the gym, but it’s also offering its own line of edibles.

State of the Leaf: Congress Could Open Doors to MMJ Research

U.S. News Updates

National

A bipartisan effort to expand cannabis research has an unexpected sponsor. The Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2016 has the backing of a few familiar faces – Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Sam Farr (D-Calif.). But it was the addition of vehement anti-cannabis politician Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) that caused a stir on Capitol Hill. The proposal would overhaul the current federal marijuana policy, cutting “though the red tape,” as Harris put it, in order to ease the restrictions on marijuana research. Harris has been vocal in his opposition to legal cannabis. After the District of Columbia legalized recreational cannabis, he has consistently blocked the District from opening retail cannabis shops or even setting local regulations.

Arkansas

Arkansans For Compassionate Care submitted 117,469 signatures to Arkansas Secretary of State Mark Martin on Monday in support of the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act. The group needed 67,887 valid signatures in order to earn a spot on the November ballot. Little Rock attorney David Couch is still gathering signatures for a competing measure. He says he’s got more than 50,000 of the necessary 84,859 signatures for his proposed constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana, but he’ll have to collect the remaining 35,000 quickly. The deadline is July 8.

Louisiana

Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law to protect medical marijuana patients from prosecution. Sen. Fred Mills (R-St. Martinville) introduced Senate Bill 180 in March. It was amended by both the House and Senate before landing on the governor’s desk. The bill contains uncomplicated language that protects patients in legal possession of medical marijuana from criminal penalties and prosecution as long as they abide by existing state rules and regulations. The law will go into effect on August 1.

Massachusetts

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts turned in more than 25,000 signatures in support of the legalization measure, far more than the 10,792 needed at this stage of the initiative process. The extra signatures will provide a cushion in case some signatures are invalidated for various reasons (see: Maine, a cautionary tale). The proposal would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of cannabis for personal use and would impose a 3.75-percent excise tax on recreational sales. Supporters and opponents of the measure are still waiting to hear from the state Supreme Court, which is considering a lawsuit over the measure’s final ballot language.

New Mexico

The New Mexico Department of Health’s secretary-designate, Lynn Gallagher, is in hot water after State Auditor Tim Keller discovered that patients seeking entry into the state’s medical cannabis program were experiencing wait times double or triple what’s allowed by state law. The law states that the Department of Health must process applications within 30 days, but there’s been a surge in applications over the past year. The number of registered medical marijuana patients jumped from 14,000 last year to 25,000 this year. That spike has created a backlog. Keller said he sympathized, but he was firm that the department needs to step up its game and approve or deny the applications within 30 days “regardless of volume or budget constraints.” Attorney General Hector Balderas has already received a complaint on the matter and may conduct a special audit of the agency.

International News Updates

Uruguay

Uruguay celebrated its first legal harvest this week. Juan Andrés Roballo, president of the National Drug Board, announced that the country’s first legal cannabis harvest will soon reach Uruguayan pharmacies from licensed growers. The companies — International Cannabis Corp. (ICCorp) and SIMbiosys — have facilities in Montevideo, and recently harvested hundreds of plants yielding up to 300 grams each. The harvest still needs another six weeks to dry and cure, but the finished product will be available in 5- or 10-gram packages by August, with the price set at $1.20 USD per gram. Consumers can purchase up to 40 grams a month with identification and registration. Uruguay also has 15 registered cannabis clubs, where growers can raise up to 99 plants and distribute 40 grams per month to as many as 45 club members.

Denmark

For as long as the self-proclaimed “autonomous neighborhood” of Freetown Christiania has existed in the heart of Copenhagen, it has openly allowed and traded cannabis, even existing under its own law, the Christiania Law of 1989. However, a major raid last week of Pusher Street, Christiania’s cannabis market, inspired many prominent Danish politicians to urge the police and legislators to stop fighting a losing battle. Anne Birgitte Stürup, senior prosecutor for the Copenhagen Public Prosecutor Office (Statsadvokaten) was fed up with the raids and encouraged legalization. “I personally believe we should legalize the sale of cannabis because this is a fight we cannot win,” she told reporters. Denmark has considered cannabis legalization for years, having tolerated the peaceful cannabis trade, and the city of Copenhagen has requested a trial program for legalization multiple times.

BREAKING: Toronto Police Raid 'Cannabis Culture,' Arrest Staff

The crackdown on cannabis storefronts that began last month continued today in Toronto as police reportedly raided at least two businesses, including Canna Clinic in Kensington Market and Cannabis Culture’s Queen Street location.

“The police [came to the store], they were inside, they closed up the shop, and they’ve arrested people,” Cannabis Culture owner Jodie Emery told Leafly this afternoon. “As far as I know, no patients and no customers were arrested.”

Emery, an outspoken cannabis advocate, was in Vancouver, B.C., at the time of today’s raids. She and husband Marc Emery own and operate multiple Cannabis Culture locations across Canada. The company also operates a cannabis social club and a magazine widely known in Canadian cannabis circles.

Emery opened the Toronto storefront after the “Operation Claudia” raids began last month, with full knowledge that they would likely be raided. To protest both the raids and the lack of action on legalization by the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the Emerys opened their Toronto storefront as an adult recreational shop, serving anyone 19 or older.

Details on the raid remain scant. Around 1:20 p.m. local time, the Cannabis Culture’s Twitter account announced the raid had begun:

RAID IN PROGRESS at #CannabisCulture @ 801 Queen St. W #Toronto. Police have closed the shop and are trying to stop photos from being taken

— Cannabis Culture (@CannabisCulture) June 23, 2016

Shortly afterward, Emery posted an update to her personal account:

Toronto @CannabisCulture Raid Update: @TorontoPolice officers closed down 801 Queen West – waiting for more details. pic.twitter.com/ZDl4kt5yHb

— Jodie Emery (@JodieEmery) June 23, 2016

Police Chief Mark Saunders took questions about the raids during a previously-scheduled press conference. (The media event was primarily intended to provide information about the arrest of four suspects in a shooting that injured a ten-year-old boy earlier this month.)

“This has nothing to do with medical marijuana and everything to do with making money,” Saunders said in response to questions about the raids. “It’s not about medical marijuana, it’s just about people making money.”

Although police are staying mum on what prompted the raid, Emery confirmed that Cannabis Culture received a letter from Toronto law enforcement the day before the raid.

“Yesterday the letter arrived, and, as such, the stock was reduced onsite. So hopefully there wasn’t a large amount there,” Emery told Leafly. She added with a sigh, “We’re just waiting on updates.”

As for speculation on her motivation for opening a cannabis shop, Emery was adamant about the decision to continue business as planned. “It’s the same old battle as usual. These dispensaries are opening up because of basic supply and demand. Stop ruining people’s lives by enforcing a law that won’t be a law in the near future.”

Ebony-Renee Baker, a VICE Canada editorial intern, was on the scene posting updates to Twitter:

Police bagging the windows now #CannabisCulture pic.twitter.com/IGQ8OEyHRN

— Ebony-Renee (@EbonyReneeBaker) June 23, 2016

Police tell bystanders they’ll seize their phones if they take pictures #CannabisCulture

— Ebony-Renee (@EbonyReneeBaker) June 23, 2016

Employees have been taken out in cuffs. pic.twitter.com/bF9PUg8Cxq

— Ebony-Renee (@EbonyReneeBaker) June 23, 2016

How Does Cannabis Consumption Affect Neurodegenerative Diseases?

While most people associate neurodegenerative disorders with diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson disease, there are actually hundreds of different neurodegenerative diseases that affect millions of people worldwide. As legalization continues to bring cannabis to the forefront, caregivers and loved ones of patients afflicted with neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly curious about whether medical marijuana can help alleviate symptoms. How might cannabis help the millions of patients diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder?

Can Cannabis Treat Neurodegenerative Disease?

Because cannabinoids have neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory qualities, many speculate that cannabis could prove useful in preventing, halting, or reversing debilitating neurodegenerative disorder.

Juan Sanchez-Ramos, MD, PhD, a professor of molecular pharmacology and physiology at the University of South Florida, is optimistic, noting that early laboratory studies have identified cannabinoids which, by virtue of their neuro-protective and anti-oxidative actions, have the potential to “slow the onset and progression of neurodegenerative conditions.”

Sanchez-Ramos cautions we need far more human trials, but the federal government’s long-standing position on cannabis as an illegal Schedule I drug with “no known medical use” has impeded progress of researchers who face unnecessary obstacles to conduct research, a point he argued in a Tampa Bay Times op-ed. The government’s position has “hampered clinical research on cannabis for nearly half a century.”

What are Neurodegenerative Diseases?

“Neurodegenerative disease” refers to a variety of conditions that affect neurons – or nerve cells – in the brain. Neurons comprise the building blocks of our nervous system, including our spinal cord and brain.

The Harvard Neurodiscovery Center put forth a chilling observation:

“If left unchecked, 30 years from now, more than 12 million Americans will suffer from neurodegenerative diseases.”

Another staggering statistic: In 2010, the global cost of Alzheimer’s disease was $604 billion, or 1% of global GDP.

For patients and their families, these incurable, debilitating diseases can be devastating, and given the far-reaching impact of these diseases, researching cost-effective solutions should be a top priority.

Most Common Forms of Neurodegenerative Disease

The most frequently diagnosed neurodegenerative disorders are:

• Alzheimer’s
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”)
• Parkinson’s
• Huntington’s
• Multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Prion disease
• Spinal muscular atrophy

Remarkably, Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia, accounting for possibly 60-80% of cases.

Causes and Symptoms of Neurodegenerative Disease

Many researchers believe a combination of factors may contribute to an increased risk of acquiring a neurodegenerative disease, including traumatic brain injury, genetic mutations and environmental factors (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides). The one consistent risk factor of developing a neurodegenerative disorder, particularly for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease, is age.

Symptoms, which can be severe and can sometimes cause death, vary across the spectrum, but may include:

• Cognition and memory impairment
• Problems with movement
• Weakness
• Spasticity (tight muscles or exaggerated reflexes)
• Paralysis
• Rigidity or tight muscles
• Breathing problems
• Impairment of heart function

Cannabis and Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Cochrane, the “gold standard” for systematic reviews of controlled trials, last published a review on the efficacy of cannabinoids in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease in 2009.

Their conclusion? No conclusion. Not enough data. Translation: there weren’t any good studies.

Fortunately, since publication, shifting public opinion and the legalization of medical marijuana in more than half the country has encouraged a resurgence of research despite the hurdles that continue to exist. There have been key findings from several reviews in which the authors review a body of evidence from various studies while weeding out poorly conducted studies.

In August 2015, the American Academy of Neurology published an evidence-based systematic review of randomized controlled trials using cannabis or cannabinoids to treat neurologic disorders. They found several cannabinoids demonstrated “effectiveness” or “probable effectiveness” to alleviate spasticity, painful spasms, and central pain commonly associated with multiple sclerosis. They went so far as stating medical insurance should pay for cannabinoid-derived medications such as dronabinol and nabilone for patients who could benefit.

The British Journal of Pharmacology published a review in March 2014 concluding that “modulating the endogenous cannabinoid system is emerging as a potentially viable option in the treatment of neurodegeneration.”

In a 2012 research review, Dr. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo made an observation that almost seems paradoxical: cannabis, which we think of as an impairment to cognitive function, could be the exact opposite of conventional wisdom:

“At first sight, it is striking that cannabinoid agonists, substances known to impair cognitive functions, could be beneficial in neurodegenerative cognitive disorders. However, [we found] cannabinoid receptor activation could reduce oxidative stress and excitotoxicity, suppress neuroinflammatory processes and thus alleviate the symptoms of neurodegenerative motor and cognitive diseases.”

Why Cannabis Research Should be Prioritized

Could cannabis play a role in helping solve what could become a major public health crisis? The research so far is promising, but clearly we still need far more. As a society we need to make research a top priority – it’s the compassionate and fiscally responsible thing to do.

Inevitably, the DEA will remove barriers to conducting the type of rigorous research scientists want (and need) to do, and soon we should have better answers to some important questions:

• Can cannabis or specific cannabinoids boost the endocannabinoid system (ECS) enough to slow down, halt, or reverse the progression of any of the neurodegenerative diseases?
• Can the neuroprotective or anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis or specific cannabinoids prevent onset of neurodegenerative disease or significantly decrease our risk for acquiring a disease?

As anyone who has had a family member with a neurodegenerative disease knows, watching a loved one’s health deteriorate before your very eyes can be one of the most painful experiences you’ll ever go through. We can hope that we continue making advancements in understanding not just the potential role of cannabis, but of the root causes of these diseases. Perhaps then we can alleviate the suffering that millions of families across the world experience.

Failure in California Would Be Nationwide Setback, Lt. Gov. Warns

Think legalization in California is a done deal? Think again, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom warned industry representatives this week. An adult-use measure is headed for November’s ballot, but recent internal polling has Newsom worried about its chances. Failure at the ballot box, he warned, could carry dire consequences.

“If it is defeated,” he said, “it will set back this movement in California … and nationally for years and years.” Newsom spoke to an audience of industry representatives on Tuesday at an Oakland event sponsored by the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA).

The lieutenant governor said he’s frustrated that other state officials haven’t come out in support of the measure, known as the Adult Use of Marijuana Act. While the initiative recently won the high-profile endorsement of the California Democratic Party, few sitting politicians have expressed support. “I don’t want to be that guy,” Newsom said. “I don’t want to be here on a panel of ex-politicians talking about what I woulda, shoulda done when I was in office.”

The war on drugs has been a failure in the USA. It’s been a war on poor people + it’s been a war on people of color. pic.twitter.com/0DXwnQkATM

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 21, 2016

The lieutenant governor has a personal stake in legalization. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act was drafted largely as the result of recommendations from a group he created, the Blue Ribbon Commission on Marijuana Policy.

While he’s been campaigning statewide, Newsom said he’s honed his arguments at home. He told the audience that his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is “scared as hell” about the message that legalizing cannabis would send to the couple’s children. He said he’s reminded her that the measure will bar sales to anyone under 21, and there are good reasons to believe teen use will actually decrease.

Lt. Gov. Newsom says with Colorado experience on legal cannabis “you are seeing that the sky is not falling in.”

— Patrick McGreevy (@mcgreevy99) June 21, 2016

The legalization measure could run into other obstacles, Newsom said, such as a deep-pocketed donor stepping up to fight the measure. Much of AUMA’s funding has come from Silicon Valley venture capitalist Sean Parker, the founder of Napster and a friend of Newsom. “But he’s got a budget, too, and he’s not going to fund the whole thing,” the lieutenant governor said.

California is one of nine states with cannabis measures going before voters this November. If voters in all those states support them, National Cannabis Industry Association executive director Aaron Smith said at the event, one in four Americans will reside in states with legal adult-use cannabis. Three in four will live in states where medical use is legal.

If the measures, fail, however, Smith said told the audience the fallout could be disastrous:

“If we don’t win California and at least half of the other states in play right now, the public narrative around our industry will dramatically change for the worse and for quite some time, setting us back a decade or more,” Smith said

Ohio's medical marijuana law looks out for minorities, but is it unconstitutional?

Published: Jun 22, 2016, 9:32 pm • Updated: Jun 23, 2016, 8:57 am By Julie Carr Smyth, The Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — Part of Ohio’s new medical marijuana law that sets aside a piece of the state’s budding pot business for minorities appears to be unconstitutional, legal experts told The Associated Press. The provisions […]

Unboxing the Arizer Air Vaporizer

House GOP nixes bid to open banking for cannabis businesses

Published: Jun 22, 2016, 2:25 pm • Updated: Jun 23, 2016, 9:16 pm By David Migoya, The Denver Post Failing in an effort to match the success of their Senate counterparts, House members on Tuesday watched as Republicans killed a budget amendment that would have prevented federal regulators from penalizing financial institutions that worked with […]

Bedrocan Launches bedro-oils, Standardized Cannabis Oil Products

This week, Canopy Growth  (TSXV:CGC) reported that Bedrocan Canada had received its license to sell cannabis oils. As quoted in the press release: New bedro-oils are made by extracting oils from Bedrocan Canada’s line of standardized whole-flower cannabis varieties using CO2 supercritical extraction equipment. Once the crude extraction is purified, it is balanced with organic […]

Congressman ‘Appalled’ at House GOP for Rejecting Cannabis Banking Measure

Congressional sponsors of an amendment to give cannabis businesses easier access to banking services railed against the rejection of the proposal by a House committee earlier today.

“I’m appalled at House Republican leadership for denying the opportunity for a vote on the marijuana banking amendment which gets cash off the streets and prevents future crime in our communities,” said Rep. Ed Perlmutter, a Colorado Democrat. The amendment, proposed as part of the Fiscal Year 2017 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, was co-sponsored by Perlmutter and Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash).

Perlmutter and Heck both made reference to a recent incident in Aurora, Colo., where a security guard was shot and killed during an armed robbery of Green Heart Marijuana Dispensary. The shooting highlights the dangers that cannabis business operators face every day due to the nature of a cash industry.

“How many more armed robberies must we witness and security guards lives lost before we take action?” asked Perlmutter.

The amendment was blocked earlier today by the House Rules Committee.

Another blocked provision, from Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), would have allowed Washington, D.C., to spend its own funding on legalizing, taxing and regulating cannabis sales.

The Senate Appropriations Committee last week voted to approve an amendment that would prevent federal banking regulators from penalizing, prohibiting, or discouraging banks from providing services to state-legal, regulated marijuana businesses. It passed with a 16–14 vote, but the amendment did not contain any additional provisions regarding Washington, D.C., retail sales.

This isn’t the first attempt at removing banking hurdles facing the legal marijuana industry. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduced a similar amendment last year that passed through the Senate Appropriations committee with a 16–14 vote before being stripped from the final appropriations bill.

While this is a disappointing, albeit not entirely unexpected, turn of events, not all hope is lost. If the Senate passes its own appropriations bill with the cannabis banking rider, the House will have a chance to approve or reject the amendment.

American Commits Suicide in Taiwan Court Over 4-Year Cannabis Sentence

An American man convicted of growing cannabis in Taiwan slashed his throat with a pair of scissors last week after being sentenced to four years in prison.

Tyrel Martin Marhanka, 41, was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved, the Changhua District Court said in a statement. He leaves behind a wife and two children — a son in second grade and a daughter in kindergarten.

From the Taipei Times:

According to witnesses, after the Changhua District Court judge read his ruling, Marhanka turned to the translator, who told him the sentence, before Marhanka was heard saying: “Four years?”

The translator reportedly informed Marhanka that he would have a chance to appeal the decision, but the American said he wasn’t interested. According to the Central News Agency, Marhanka had lived in Taiwan several years and worked as an English teacher, but he lost his job after being charged in the case.

Court officials said Marhanka had smuggled into court a pair of scissors, which he’d separated into two sharp blades. In the video below, a witness and hospital staff member tell the New York Times what happened.

Marhanka was arrested in April of last year and charged with possession of cannabis and other narcotics. Police reportedly found more than 200 cannabis plants, 195 dried cannabis plants, and 10 opium poppies at a rented house. At the time of arrest, he told authorities he grew the plants as a hobby and that they were intended for his personal use.

The New York Times reports that the incident is likely to raise questions about security in Taiwan’s court system:

Last year, inmates in southern Taiwan used scissors from a workshop to take guards hostage. They broke into a prison armory to seize firearms, which six inmates used to kill themselves.

A four-year prison term is by no means the harshest penalty dealt to cannabis growers in Asia. Singapore, for example, treats cannabis infractions with caning, life imprisonment, and death sentences. But the sad case of Tyrel Marhanka is a reminder that cannabis prohibition, and the outrageous sentences that often accompany it, have all-too-real and profoundly painful consequences for both consumers and their families.

Leafly Product Review: The Arizer Air Portable Vaporizer

Welcome to Leafly’s Product Reviews, where we take a closer look at a cannabis gadget, accessory, or consumable, and give it a test spin. Today we’re trying out the Arizer Air portable vaporizer.

The Arizer Air at a Glance

Product: Portable vaporizer

Manufacturer: Arizer

Price: $229

Features: High-quality ceramic heating element, glass dishes, and rechargeable, interchangeable lithium batteries that offer an hour of continuous use per charge (plus the ability to use the unit while charging the battery)

Includes: 1 warming unit with battery, 1 charger with power adapter, 2 glass diffuser stems, 1 glass aroma dish, 1 carrying case, 1 clear protective silicone skin, 1 stainless steel stirring tool

Initial Impressions

The Arizer Air from Arizer is a very simple yet incredibly effective and powerful vaporizer that is more than capable of taking you wherever you need to go.

On first impression, I have to admit that I wasn’t terribly fascinated by the Arizer Air when I first took it out of the box. I noticed right off the bat that was that there was a decent amount of weight to the unit, and while this no-frills cylinder wasn’t huge (5 inches long and an inch in diameter, to be exact), I still would have an unsightly bulge in my pocket (phrasing, I know) were I to carry the Air around. As someone who values discretion and aesthetic design, this portable vape was almost too simple and “big” for my tastes. However, the performance of this thing more than made up for the perceived design flaws.

Using this vaporizer is incredibly easy and intuitive. To load my herb, all I had to do was pop open the plastic tab at the top of the vape to access the deep chamber. After packing the bowl, I easily inserted my preferred mouthpiece. One downside to the Arizer Air is that it requires you to carry the vaporizer around in two pieces, the main unit and whichever mouthpiece out of the three included that you prefer.

Turn on the unit by pressing the center of the two-directional pad button. The Air has no digital display, instead using a 5-color system to set your temperature level. Although the colors make sense (blue is the lowest setting, then white, green, yellow, and red at the highest setting), the white and yellow lights look pretty much the same, which gave me some initial confusion at first. This detraction is barely worth mentioning though, since pressing on the up or down arrow buttons make it easy for you to see which color you’re really on.

Some people may not like not being able to set an exact numerical temperature, but I really appreciated the simplicity of just pressing the button a few times to get to green. This pared down feature may be ideal for those of you who are new to vaping and aren’t really sure which temperature you would set your vaporizer to.

Full disclosure: I was not prepared for how well and how hard this thing can hit. The clear mouthpiece tube allows you to see how much vapor you’re taking in, and this portable vaporizer really packs a punch and allows you to blow some nice clouds after a quick warm up period.

The Arizer Air is a very powerful portable vaporizer that can allow you to get almost as much, if not a bit more, vapor out of your nug than some desktop vaporizers I’ve tried in the past. I also enjoyed the fact that using the longer mouthpieces allowed me to take deeper and longer pulls without the air getting too hot for my lungs. A couple strong puffs on the Arizer Air and I was already flying pretty high, and the rest of the bowl went a long way as I kept adjusting the temperature throughout my sesh.

The open airflow of the chamber and mouthpiece connection will cause some vapor to easily leak out in between pulls, but that is an extremely minor flaw to point out in comparison to how well this vaporizer gets the job done.

Our Verdict

Overall, the Arizer Air portable vaporizer is a simple but very effective and powerful portable vaporizer that isn’t so portable if you aren’t the purse or bag-carrying type. The battery during use held up for a little over an hour, but luckily you’re still able to use this vaporizer while it’s plugged in and charging. Having to carry the vaporizer and mouthpiece separately in order for it to truly be portable was a bit annoying, but the power and vaping performance more than made up for that slight inconvenience.

At $229 it is on the pricier end as far as portable vaporizers go, but in my opinion the vaping performance in a such a small package makes it worth the price to me. If you’re looking for a near-desktop vaporizer performance in a much smaller bundle, the Arizer Air portable vaporizer may be right for you.

More information about the Arizer Air:

• Arizer Air tutorial video
• Arizer Air cleaning video

Have you tried the Arizer Air? If so, leave a review on our Products page!

Ohio MMJ Law's Focus on Minorities Raises Legal Questions

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Part of Ohio’s new medical marijuana law that sets aside a piece of the state’s budding cannabis business for minorities appears to be unconstitutional, legal experts told The Associated Press.

The provisions were inserted into the fast-tracked bill at the request of Democrats, whose votes were key to its passage in both Republican-controlled legislative chambers. The law made Ohio the 25th state to legalize medicinal cannabis. It takes effect Sept. 8.

The benchmarks require at least 15 percent of Ohio’s cultivator, processor, retail dispensary, and laboratory licenses to go to the businesses of one of four economically disadvantaged minority groups — blacks, Hispanics, Asians, or Native Americans — so long as an adequate number apply.

State Rep. Dan Ramos, a Latino Democrat from Lorain who offered the proposal, said he and members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus feels it’s important to assure minority communities disproportionately punished under existing marijuana laws are allowed to benefit when medical marijuana is legalized.

“The state has been putting away little black and brown kids for selling these drugs at high rates, giving them excessive punishments, etcetera,” Ramos said. “We wanted to be sure that businesses owned by black and brown people get the immediate opportunity to sell legally once medical marijuana becomes legal.”

The provision was patterned after Ohio’s minority business enterprise targets for government contracts. However, placing race-related restrictions on government-issued licenses is different because it necessarily shuts out some non-minority applicants, said Stephen Lazarus, an associate professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

“They’re not spending state money, they’re just saying that this person cannot get a license. So, yes, it is different,” he said.

“Essentially, racial discrimination is racial discrimination, whether you think it’s for a benign purpose or malignant,” Lazarus said. “The Constitution has to be color blind. It can’t take race into account.”

Ruth Colker, a constitution expert at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, said such generalized racial preference rules have failed to hold up in court, absent documented proof of past or likely discrimination — which must be distinct for each named racial group.

“This is a novel situation because the particular industry does not yet exist, so discrimination in that industry can only be speculative,” she said. “But I know of no case law that permits a racial preference rule in a new program without a strong legislative record showing why discrimination is likely to occur in that new program.”

Both Republicans and Democrats in the two chambers said constitutional concerns about the thresholds never arose as the legislation was being debated.

Democratic state Sen. Charleta Tavares of Columbus said medical marijuana licenses have the potential to fall under a “goods and services” definition, which would be constitutionally sound. She also said, if the law were challenged, documenting the disparate treatment of minority groups under existing marijuana laws would not be difficult.

“You can look at history, you can look at all of the areas of business and see the impacts, and whether or not there’s been a negative impact for racial and ethnic minorities,” she said.

State Sen. Kenny Yuko, a Richmond Heights Democrat who helped champion the legislation through the Senate, said a top concern was avoiding what happened last year when a statewide marijuana legalization amendment was sunk amid criticism that it created a monopoly for growers.

“We wanted to make sure that everybody had a fair shot. … We wanted to make it not about money, millionaires and monopolies, but about medicine, medicine, medicine,” Yuko said.

State Rep. Kirk Schuring, who led a special task force on medical marijuana in the House, said the legislation was “duly vetted.”

“The spirit of the law is solid, which was that we wanted to give the minority community an opportunity to participate in the process,” he said.

Massachusetts Legalization Measure is a Go

Supporters of a proposal that could make Massachusetts the fifth U.S. state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana expressed confidence they would easily meet a Wednesday deadline for voter signatures and qualify for the November state ballot.

Jim Borghesani, spokesman for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said late Tuesday that the group planned to turn in more than 25,000 signatures to city and town clerks around the state ahead of a 5 p.m. deadline.

Only 10,792 certified signatures are required at this stage of the process, but sponsors of ballot initiatives typically try to gather many more as a hedge against signatures that are disqualified for various reasons.

The marijuana proposal would allow people 21 or older to possess up to 1 ounce of pot for recreational use and impose a 3.75 percent excise tax on retail marijuana sales, imposed on top of the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax.

This was the second and final round of signature-gathering in the ballot question process. Organizers were required to collect more than 60,000 signatures last year to place their initiative petitions before the Legislature. The second phase was triggered when lawmakers declined to act on them by early May.

The marijuana legalization effort still faces formidable opposition from top elected officials, including Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, also a Democrat. Reasons cited by opponents include the state’s opioid addiction crisis and the possibility of marijuana being a “gateway” leading to more dangerous drugs.

The Supreme Judicial Court has yet to rule on a lawsuit that claims voters who signed the petitions were not told marijuana products that would become legal, including food and beverages, may contain potent levels of THC, the drug’s psychoactive chemical.

Bedrocan Launches bedro-oils, Standardized Cannabis Oil Products

This week, Canopy Growth  (TSXV:CGC) reported that Bedrocan Canada had received its license to sell cannabis oils.

As quoted in the press release:

New bedro-oils are made by extracting oils from Bedrocan Canada’s line of standardized whole-flower cannabis varieties using CO2 supercritical extraction equipment. Once the crude extraction is purified, it is balanced with organic sunflower oil to create a versatile product that can be consumed on its own or used for baking or cooking.

“Many of our clients have expressed a desire to ingest cannabis oils to either compliment or substitute the inhaled route,” said Marc Wayne, President, Bedrocan Canada. “We’re proud to offer this new option for patients who, whether for convenience or for health reasons, prefer to ingest their medical cannabis.”

Along with Bedrocan Canada’s sister company, Tweed Inc., the company has committed $50,000 toward partnerships with leading organizations committed to responsible use education. $1 from every bottle of 10:1 bedro-oils sold will also go towards important initiatives such as a recently announced partnership with MADD Canada and the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition.

Click here for the full press release.

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Resource Forecast 2016 – Expert Opinions Covering Precious Metals, Energy, Critical Metals, and More

Understand these markets and what the experts see coming in 2016 with our FREE Special Report, Resource Forecast 2016 – Expert Opinions Covering Precious Metals, Energy, Critical Metals, and More.

The post Bedrocan Launches bedro-oils, Standardized Cannabis Oil Products appeared first on Investing News Network.

Medical Cannabis Advocates And CARERS Act Sponsors Hold Senate Briefing Urging Immediate Protection For Patients

Today, Americans for Safe Access (ASA) presented a briefing on the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act (S. 683/H.R. 1538) with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The briefing featured policy experts and medical cannabis (marijuana) stakeholders who would be protected by the bill. Lead CARERS Act sponsor Senator Cory Booker spoke on behalf of

DEA Official Pumps Brakes on Cannabis Rescheduling Announcement

Despite several widely circulated media reports that the DEA is planning to effectively legalize medical cannabis this August, a DEA official said no definite decision has been made.

In an interview published earlier today by aNewDomain, DEA Staff Coordinator Russ Baer declined to confirm the original Santa Monica Observer report that the DEA will reschedule cannabis as a prescription-only Schedule II drug on Aug. 1. “We aren’t holding ourselves to any artificial timeframe,” he said.

The Observer report created a stir over the weekend, and generated many skeptics, based on the fact that staff writer Stan Greene’s story relied only on an anonymous “DEA lawyer with knowledge of the matter.”

The report has served, however, to elicit more information than the DEA usually gives out. Baer went on at length about the DEA’s thoughts around legalizing medical marijuana and how rescheduling might work.

According to Baer, the decision to reschedule is a difficult one, because the biochemistry of cannabis is so complex and there are many uses and forms of medical cannabis.

“We are talking about synthetic THC, CBD, oils, extract, edibles,” he said.

The challenge for researchers and government agencies, Baer added, is to “identify the parts of the plant that might have benefit, and separating out (the beneficial) parts from the ones that aren’t beneficial or harmful.”

In another story that ran a few days ago in The Denver Post, cannabis policy attorney Tom Downey said, “[The DEA] could partially legalize medical marijuana, and the federal government could usher in a new era with a comprehensive and multi-structural approach to pot policy.” They would do this by rescheduling cannabis to a federal prescription system, which would also leave to individual states the decision of how to handle medical and recreational use.

Baer also talked about how media reports of the DEA’s potential announcement were completely false. According to him, “We are not holding ourselves to any artificial timeline.” He also mentioned that one of the main reasons the DEA wants to reschedule cannabis is to make research easier.

Either way, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, the DEA does in relation to the rescheduling of cannabis. Continue to follow Leafly News for more updates.

Special Report: Can L.A.’s Outlaw Delivery Services Survive Long Enough to Become Legal?

These are anxious times for Southern California’s booming cannabis delivery services. “Everybody’s just a little scared right now,” SpeedWeed co-founder Jen Gentile recently told Leafly. “Scared that their livelihoods, their businesses, and their patients are going to be taken away.”

If you’re a cannabis delivery service in Los Angeles, you drive around the city these days with a target on your back. After years of operating with impunity, the services now find themselves the focus of Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer, who wants to drive them out of business.

In March, Feuer’s office won an appeals court decision that upheld delivery’s outlaw status in L.A. and kept one temporarily shuttered service, Nestdrop, from reopening. Then in May, SpeedWeed, another well-known service boasting more than 25,000 patients, agreed to halt operations within city limits in the face of an ongoing lawsuit.

Watching some of delivery’s biggest companies crumble in court has others running scared. “The majority of us were shocked that the city was using its resources to go after delivery,” acknowledged one illegally operating delivery manager, who asked to go by “Skip” to protect his identity. “We’re all kind of gambling.”

“Nestdrop didn’t faze me as much as SpeedWeed did,” Skip said. “I went, ‘Oh, this could actually be a real legal problem.’”

To increase their odds of survival, many delivery services that remain open are going deeper underground — hiding their names, obscuring the locations of their businesses, and offering little information about their products. That raises concerns for patients and policymakers, but operators say they don’t have a choice. “If you stick your head out of the gopher hole,” Skip said, “it’s probably going to get lopped off.”

For delivery services, their legal troubles stem from the same law that fueled the rise of the delivery industry itself: Proposition D.

Introduced by city officials in response to neighborhood complaints about storefront dispensaries, the 2013 measure, technically a zoning ordinance, sought to cut L.A.’s more than 700 estimated dispensaries down to just 135. Los Angeles voters approved Prop. D in a low-turnout May election. The law took effect immediately.

Hundreds of dispensaries closed in the aftermath. Feuer’s website says his office has shut down more than 500 illegal storefronts. But not all those businesses stayed closed. They’d formed relationships with others in the industry, hired staff, and amassed long lists of patients, and many wanted to continue operating. In an effort to avoid detection, many reopened as under-the-radar delivery services.

Skip, who managed a combined dispensary and delivery service, saw his storefront shuttered under Prop. D. “That’s when we went straight delivery,” he said. “People started realizing they were focused on a street address.”

Proposition D contains no exception for delivery services. “The [city’s] stance has consistently been that delivery is not allowed,” said lawyer Alison Malsbury, who has advised Los Angeles-area delivery services. And the Nestdrop appellate decision backs up that view.

Yet for years, the city of Los Angeles all but ignored delivery services, even as they flourished to the point of becoming well-known brand names, as happened with SpeedWeed. Between 2012 and 2015, L.A. led a nationwide boom that saw the number of delivery services triple.

That put attorneys like Malsbury in tough position.

“The thing you’re telling your client not to do is something that hundreds of other businesses are doing and not getting in trouble over,” she said. “That’s a difficult spot to be in as an attorney.”

Then, City Attorney Feuer finally pivoted, going after some of delivery’s largest, most visible actors. It’s been a common approach in past California crackdowns, and from a prosecutor’s perspective it’s a strategy that makes sense. A high-profile enforcement action will grab headlines, the thinking goes, and send a message to the rest of the sector that authorities mean business. It’s one of the reasons federal prosecutors went after Harborside Health Center in Oakland in 2012. At the time Harborside was considered the nation’s largest dispensary. Closing its operations would have sent a loud and clear signal to smaller players in the industry.

(In Harborside’s case, Oakland officials pushed back against the feds, declaring the dispensary a community asset and warning that closing it could create a public health crisis. After years of litigation, Harborside ultimately fought off the federal action.)

If deterrence is what Feuer’s office is after, however, the delivery sector isn’t listening. Though some operators have closed shop in the face of legal threats, many simply shroud their identities and locations in secrecy. “For every one they shut down, two rise up in its place,” said Skip, the delivery service manager. Numbers are hard to pin down, but dozens of Los Angeles delivery services are still happy to take your order by phone or online and drop it off curbside.

Why are they not shutting down or going elsewhere? Blame in part the strange history of Prop. D.

The law mandated that only 135 storefront dispensaries would survive with the city’s blessing. Priority was given to dispensaries that had been operating the longest — prior to 2007 — despite the fact the city once considered even those storefronts illegal.

With that in mind, many delivery services are simply trying to survive until the day they’re declared legal. If that day comes, service owners think it’s a good bet that those who’ve been in business the longest will again receive top priority for licenses.

“That’s literally what every single one of us is hoping will happen,” Skip said. “It’s going to happen. It’s just, can you survive long enough to get to that day?”

“The Prop. D guys were illegal until the day they weren’t,” he added.

SpeedWeed co-founder Gentile said she’s been contacted by other services since her company was sued. “When they ask me for advice, it’s really hard for me to tell them, ‘Continue to be open, continue to be transparent, continue to be good operators,’” she said. “That’s what we did, and we got served a lawsuit for it.”

Feuer’s office, for its part, isn’t offering much in the way of guidance. “While each matter is evaluated on a case-by-case basis, all medical marijuana businesses are subject to a broad interpretation of Prop. D, which prohibits all delivery services,” spokesman Frank Mateljan told Leafly in an email. Attorney Asha Greenberg, he said, the office’s point person on medical cannabis, was unavailable for an interview.

The municipal code “can be modified or changed by the City Council,” Mateljan added in the email, “but as of now those are the parameters under which our office is operating.”

As it happens, the City Council just started down the path toward modifying those parameters. Last month City Council President Herb Wesson introduced a motion to begin studying policies that could eventually replace Prop D. An update to the law could be ready for voters as soon as March.

While Feuer’s office beats the drum of Prop. D being “the voters’ will,” Wesson’s office sees it differently. Press Secretary Vanessa Rodriguez described the measure as “the city’s best attempt at creating a gray area for that time.” Past tense.

“I think it’s fair to say the City Council is looking at a more permanent solution,” she told Leafly.

As introduced, the new motion is silent on delivery services. At least one advocacy group has called for an amendment to change that. Rodriguez said in an interview that “everything is on the table for my boss, the council president, right now.”

“This motion was really a first attempt for the city to proactively create a framework for what we believe is coming down the pipeline,” she said.

Big changes, after all, are coming to California cannabis. Last year the state adopted a comprehensive package of reforms to the state’s medical cannabis industry, set to take effect in 2018. The new system specifically carves out a space for licensed delivery services, though it also allows local jurisdictions to ban them.

More significantly, California voters this November will decide whether to legalize recreational cannabis. The proposed Adult Use of Marijuana Act allows for delivery services, but it, too, gives broad regulatory control to cities and counties.

Delivery services are cautiously optimistic. “We work very hard to try to make delivery a very legitimate, very regulated part of the industry,” she said, noting that SpeedWeed has worked with state groups such as the Board of Equalization and the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation. “We’re finding great success everywhere else in the state — except for here.”

As the City Council rolls up its sleeves to rehash Prop. D in the coming months, patient advocates say, it’s important delivery services be part of the conversation. Most city officials, said Sarah Armstrong, director of industry affairs for Americans for Safe Access, “don’t understand how a delivery services following best practices works.”

Gentile agreed. “Delivery has always sort of seemed like the afterthought or the bastard stepchild of the industry,” she said. “They think of the guy with the beeper who shows up in the parking lot and hands you a dime bag. But this is not what delivery is.”

The best delivery services, said Armstrong at ASA, have spent years developing practices designed to protect both employees and patients — background checks, systems to prevent drivers from carrying too much cash or product, and so on.

“It starts with education,” Armstrong said. “If [delivery services] published a white paper like that — that I could use, that other people could use, to give to City Hall, to give to the state Legislature — that might really help.”

The city might be cracking down on delivery services, but those in the industry say that, legal or not, delivery’s not going anywhere.

“The crackdown is not going to stop delivery in Los Angeles,” Gentile said. “All it’s going to do is bring it into the black market.”

If Los Angeles is serious about ensuring safe access to medical cannabis but doesn’t want to drive the industry underground, said Gentile and others, city officials need to focus less on quashing delivery services and more on building a workable, up-to-date system.

“It’s really hard to bring an entire group of people that have lived very comfortably in the shadows for decades into a regulated, open, visible industry,” she said. “That’s what we’re trying to do.”

6 Cannabis Strains to Help You Stay Productive

Cannabis and THC affect people differently. For many first-time users, cannabis can feel very sedative and “stoney,” leading many to believe these relaxing attributes are native to all cannabis. However, more seasoned cannabis consumers may employ many different strains for different situations, using cannabis like an herb or spice to add dimension to whatever activity they’re engaged in and help boost their productivity.

As a budtender, I overcome lethargy, insomnia, social anxiety, and writer’s block by pairing specific strains with particular activities so I can feel more productive. In my opinion, productivity is the surplus energy that emerges as the result of taking care of yourself (and your body). Cannabis can be a motivating force that rewards the user as they overcome their own productivity obstacles.

Here are six strains that may help boost your productivity, giving you the lift you need to exercise, tick off your to-do list, or get through a busy day.

Chemdawg

Chemdawg is one of my favorite strains to smoke before going for a run.

Very calming. Felt productive and active for a bit, then relaxed, not sleepy. -PurmaBurn

Alien Wrench

Allen Wrench brings clarity to the mind and even more energy to the body. As a budtender, I recommended this as a replacement for a cup of coffee.

Does exactly what it’s supposed to do. I was getting a bit stressed and needed something to calm me down while [cheering] me up and this was exactly what I need. Everything was great during my high and I was also still productive! Allen Wrench is now my favorite strain. -Graynug

Jack Herer

The legendary Jack Herer is similar to Allen Wrench in terms of the mental clarity it offers.

Good sativa for productivity. Not spacey or dreamy. Sitting makes me bored with this strain. I only vaporize a very small amount in a classic log vape roughly every 1.5 hours while staying busy. Great strain for the odd job around the house you’ve been putting off! (I’ve done a few today and a couple more on tap for a productive Sunday). Pain? What pain? Bummed? Who me? No! -PieceFrog

Cinex

Cinex is another clarity-enhancing strain that delivers a sustained burst of energy.

One of my favorite strains. Musty earthy aroma with a hint of citrus. Hits hard but quickly subsides to a manageable and productive high. Great strain to open up all the windows, blast music, and get some spring cleaning done! -DJkwonderbread

Durban Poison

Durban Poison is an African landrace with so much energy, even daily smokers use this sativa with care. If you want that “speedy” feeling, this is your pick.

I love this strain it uplifts my spirits and allows me to stay productive throughout the day. If you want to get things done, smoke some Durban. -HaysonA

Dutch Treat

Dutch Treat is a mid-level hybrid that ultimately transforms into a relaxing euphoria.

Very pleasant, very earthy flavor. Smoked a joint and had a wonderfully productive morning, but now people have arrived at the office and I’m extra talkative / easily distracted. …. Now after 3 joints my eyes are dry, my mouth is dry and… uhhh.. -Millenion

Looking for more productive strains? Check out our list and choose one that sounds like it could provide the effects you want.

Scammer or Entrepreneur? Washington D.C.’s Kushgod Defends His Brand

On the national cannabis map, Washington, D.C., turned adult-legal in 2015. But Congress’ control over the District has blocked the emergence of a legal, regulated market. So those of us who live here have learned to abide by an ever-shifting set of rules.

Rule One: Cannabis is still federally illegal, so beware of federal land. It’s not just parks and government buildings. Federal land includes anywhere the president and his traveling motorcade are at any given moment. Rule Two: It’s legal to possess up to two ounces, but it’s not legal to purchase cannabis. At all. Which has led to Rule Three: In the District, cannabis is often “exchanged” in a donation-based economy in which sellers give freely in exchange for contributions. “Nonprofits” on Craigslist offer cannabis as a quid pro quo for monetary “gifts.” The Washington Post recently reported that a t-shirt vendor in Columbia Heights was offering small bags of cured flower for those who left generous tips.

No one, however, has been more brazen than a D.C. entrepreneur named Nicholas Paul Cunningham, a.k.a. Nyck Paul, a.k.a. Kushgod. Cunningham, who prefers to be called Nyck Paul, has made it his business to push the boundaries of that donation economy — he’s pushed it so far, in fact, he’s now awaiting a court date at the end of June.

Last summer Paul created Kush Gods, a company established to do business on the donation-sale model. He wasn’t quiet about it. In August, the company unveiled a fleet of four luxury cars, custom-wrapped with pictures of cannabis leaves. Paul hired “Kush Goddesses” as mobile budtenders. Estimates of the company’s income ranged from $1,000 to $5,000 per week.

Not long after, the company’s employees were caught donation-selling cannabis to undercover police. In March, Paul pleaded guilty to two counts of marijuana distribution. A D.C. Superior Court judge ordered him to shut down Kush Gods — including an app that helped buyers find Kush’s cars — and to stop selling cannabis or infused products in the District. Paul was placed on probation, and the judge told him to remove the cannabis insignia from his four vehicles.

Kushgod stands next to one of his establishment’s custom-wrapped vehicles. Photo courtesy of Kush Gods

The judge’s orders didn’t take hold. Earlier this spring, Paul was cited for violating his probation by conducting business connected with cannabis. He’s set to appear in court on June 24.

In an interview with Leafly earlier this month, Nyck Paul defended his company and spoke out about his legal challenges.

“We are on the brink of a booming industry and I have branded marijuana,” Paul said. “I’m doing all this branding and marketing before anything is taxed.” A self-described “black man with dreadlocks,” he said he’s someone government authorities don’t want attached to the legal marijuana market.

It’s not just government authorities, though. In a recent Washington Post article, NORML founder Keith Stroup called Paul a “scam artist,” adding: “I don’t have a great deal of sympathy for the Gods. I think they’ll be put out of business for a long time.”

Other activists disagree. Jon Mello, executive director of Maryland NORML has come out in defense of Paul and his company.

“Demigod or demon, the Kushgod is taking a beating for the team,” Mello told Leafly. “Yes, he ran out in front of the gray line and will likely face some consequence. Whether you approve of his business practices or not, you must recognize and understand that the current framework for legalization in D.C. invites this approach.”

“Rather than vilify the brazen entrepreneur,” Mello added, “I suggest we embrace him and this challenge and use it as a catalyst as we march forth toward full legalization.”

Mello’s stance reflects growing frustration among East Coast cannabis entrepreneurs, patients, and consumers. Mello lives in Baltimore, across the state line from D.C., where Maryland’s medical marijuana patients are peeved at how long it’s taking their state to get a voter-approved program running.

Many believe the first step in solving the problem will come when Congress stops blocking the implementation of cannabis regulation in the District. Morgan Fox, communications manager for the Marijuana Policy Project, believes it’s an issue of Congressional overreach. “D.C. should be about to regulate marijuana without congressional interference,” he told Leafly.

“The fact that the Kush Gods were targeted shows Congress needs to get out of D.C. and let us regulate marijuana so people know for a fact if they are in clear compliance with the law.”

The recent half-step up from criminalization is a victory for cannabis activists. But at the same time, the District’s legal limbo has led entrepreneurs to push the envelope as they try to build companies in anticipation of the coming legal market. Nyck Paul may be a bold activist or merely a brazen scofflaw, but one thing is clear: Among the residents of Washington, D.C., he’s already established a valuable brand.

Outdoor Cannabis Grows 101: Everything You Need to Start Growing Outside

Growing your own cannabis can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it can also be challenging, frustrating, and expensive. For the first-time grower with limited resources, an indoor grow can prove too costly to be an option. The good news is that a small outdoor garden can yield plenty of quality cannabis without a large monetary investment. If you have access to a sunny spot in a private yard or even on a balcony, terrace, or rooftop, you can successfully grow cannabis. Our guide to outdoor growing will go over the different factors you need to consider in order to set up your first outdoor grow.

Step 1: Consider the Climate

It’s crucial to have a good understanding of the climate in the area where you live. Cannabis is highly adaptable to various conditions, but is still susceptible to extreme weather. Sustained temperatures above 86°F will cause your plants to stop growing, while temperatures below 55°F can also cause damage and stunting, even death. Heavy rains and high winds can cause physical damage to plants and reduce yields, and excessive moisture can lead to mold and powdery mildew, especially during flowering.

In addition to weather patterns, you need to understand how the length of day changes seasonally in your area. For example, at 32° N latitude (San Diego), you will experience just over 14 hours of daylight on the summer solstice (the longest day of the year), while at 47° N (Seattle) you will have about 16 hours of daylight on the same day.

One useful resource is Sunset Magazine’s climate zone map, which takes multiple factors like elevation and proximity to large bodies of water into consideration, unlike the USDA hardiness zone maps. It’s also a good idea to utilize local resources, as experienced gardeners in your area will have a wealth of knowledge about growing flowers and vegetables that can be applied to growing cannabis. If you have some experience gardening and growing veggies, you might also find that growing cannabis outdoors is a fairly easy endeavor.

Step 2: Pick a Location

Choosing the location for your outdoor garden will be the most important decision you make, especially if you’re planting in the ground or in large, immobile containers (some plants grow outdoors in containers that can be moved around depending on the weather and location of the sun). Your cannabis plants should receive at least 5 to 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, ideally during midday when the quality of light is the best.

If you live in an area where sustained daytime temperatures are above 86°F, you might want to choose a spot that gets direct sun early in the day and filtered sun during the hottest parts of the day. An area that gets a constant breeze is also a good choice in hot climates, although this will increase water consumption. On the other hand, if you live in an area that sees a lot of high winds, you should consider planting near a windbreak of some sort, like a wall, fence, or large shrubbery. Those who live in cooler climates can benefit from planting near a feature that retains heat, like a south-facing brick wall or fence, while those in hot areas will definitely want to avoid these spots.

Finally, you will want to consider privacy and security. Most people will want to conceal their gardens from judgmental neighbors and potential thieves. Tall fences and large shrubs or trees are your best bet, unless you happen to live in a secluded area. Some folks plant in containers on balconies or rooftops that are shielded from view, while some build heavy-gauge wire cages to keep thieves and animals at bay. Whatever you decide to do, remember that outdoor cannabis plants can grow to 15 feet tall or more, so plan accordingly.

Step 3: Acquire Some Soil

Soil is made up of three basic components in various ratios:

• Clay
• Sand
• Silt

Cannabis plants need well-drained, slightly acidic soil rich with organic matter in order to thrive. If you decide to plant directly in the ground, you’ll need to understand your soil composition and amend it accordingly.

Heavy clay soils drain slowly and don’t hold oxygen well, so they will need to be heavily amended. At least a month before you plant, dig large holes where you’ll be placing your cannabis plants and mix in large amounts of compost, manure, worm castings, or other decomposed organic matter. This will provide aeration and drainage as well as nutrients for the plants.

Sandy soil is easy to work, drains very well, and warms quickly, but doesn’t hold nutrients well, especially in rainy environments. Again, you will want to dig large holes for your plants and add things like compost, peat moss, and coco coir, which will help bind the soil together, providing food and air circulation. In hot climates, sandy soil should be mulched to help with water retention and to keep roots from getting too hot.

Silty soil is the ideal growing medium. It’s easy to work, warms quickly, holds moisture while also having good drainage, and contains a lot of nutrients. The best silty loam is found in prehistoric riverbeds and lake bottoms. This dark, crumbly soil is the most fertile, and will likely need little or no amendment.

If you really want to ensure good results and minimize headaches, having your soil tested is easy and relatively inexpensive. A soil testing service will tell you the makeup and pH of your soil, notify you of any contaminants, and also recommend amending materials and fertilizers.

Step 4: Get Some Fertilizer

Cannabis plants require a large amount of food over their lifecycle, mainly in the form of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and how you choose to feed them will depend on your methods and soil composition.

Commercial fertilizers aimed at home gardeners can be used if you have a good understanding of how they work and what your plants need, but should generally be avoided by less experienced growers (particularly long-release granular fertilizer like Miracle Gro). You can purchase nutrient solutions designed specifically for cannabis from your local grow shop, but these are often expensive and can damage soil bacteria as they are generally composed of synthetic mineral salts and intended for indoor, soil-less growing.

Many long-time outdoor growers are dedicated to organic methods of fertilization because it takes full advantage of the microbial life in the soil and minimizes harmful runoff. There are many different natural and organic fertilizers available at your local home and garden store like blood meal, bone meal, fish meal, bat guano, and kelp meal. Educating yourself about what they are and how they work will be extremely useful.

Concentrate on the products that are least expensive and most readily available. Some of these materials release their nutrients quickly and are easily used by the plant, while others take months or years to release food that is useable. If done correctly, you can mix in a few of these products with your soil amendments to provide enough nutrition for the entire life of your plants. Again, having your soil tested can provide very useful information on the types and amounts of fertilizer you should use. If you are unsure how much to use, be conservative; you can always top dress your plants if they start to show deficiencies.

Another method of fertilization being used more and more often these days is organic pre-fertilized soil, aka “super-soil,” which can be homemade or store-bought. Either way, it is more expensive than simply amending the soil in your garden, but it requires almost no thought, as all the required nutrients are already there. Simply dig large holes for your plants, fill them halfway with super-soil, and top with potting soil.

Step 5: Give Your Plants Water

While outdoor cannabis gardens have the benefits of rain and groundwater not found indoors, you will most likely need to water your plants frequently, especially in the hotter summer months. Large cannabis plants can use up to 10 gallons of water every day in warm weather. Growers who live in hot, arid places will often dig down and place clay soil or rocks below their planting holes to slow drainage, or plant in shallow depressions that act to funnel runoff towards the plants. Adding water-absorbing polymer crystals to the soil is another good way to improve water retention.

If you live in a particularly rainy climate, you may need to take steps to improve drainage around your garden, as cannabis roots are very susceptible to fungal diseases when they are in waterlogged conditions. These techniques include:

• Planting in raised beds or mounds
• Digging ditches that direct water away from the garden
• Adding things like gravel, clay pebbles, and perlite to the soil

If you’re using tap or well water, it’s a good idea to test it first. Water may contain high levels of dissolved minerals that can build up in the soil and affect the pH level, or it might have high levels of chlorine which can kill beneficial soil life. Many people filter their water for this reason.

Container gardens dry out much quicker than those planted in the ground, and will often need to be watered every day. Plants grown in hot and/or windy conditions will need to be watered more frequently as well; high temperatures and winds force the plant to transpire at a greater rate. Remember that over-watering is the most common mistake made by rookie growers. The rule of thumb is to water deeply, then wait until the top inch of soil is completely dry before watering again. An inexpensive soil moisture meter is a good tool for the beginner to have.

Step 6. Choose Your Container Gardens

Container gardens are often a good choice for people who don’t have the ideal spot to grow or have really terrible soil conditions. There are numerous benefits to growing outdoors in containers, but there are drawbacks as well. If you’re unable to perform the heavy labor involved with digging holes and amending soil, containers can be the only way for you to grow your own cannabis.

If you don’t have a suitable patch of earth to make a garden, containers can be placed on decks, patios, or rooftops, and moved around during the day to take advantage of as much sun as possible or to shield the plants from excessive heat or wind. Additionally, you may use regular cannabis nutrients designed for indoor grows, taking much of the guesswork out of fertilizing your plants.

These benefits lead many first-timers to use containers for their initial outdoor grow. However, plants grown in pots, buckets, or barrels will likely be much smaller than those planted in the ground because their root growth is restricted to the size of the container. In a broad sense, the size of the pot will determine the size of the plant, although it’s possible to grow large plants in small containers if proper technique is used.

In general, five gallons is the smallest size you would want to use, and 10 gallons or larger is recommended for hearty plants. Regardless of the size, you will want to protect the roots of your plants from overheating during warm weather, as pots of soil can rapidly reach 90°F or more on a hot day. This will severely limit your plants’ growth, so be sure to shade your containers from direct sunlight. And finally, you will need to water your container garden much more frequently, even every day during the summer. Water your plants deeply in the morning so they have an adequate supply throughout the day.

Step 7: Protect Your Plants

Without the ability to control the environment as you would indoors, outdoor cannabis growers have had to figure out how to protect their plants from storms and other weather events that could damage or even kill them.

Temperature Changes

Temperatures below 40°F can quickly damage most varieties of cannabis, so if you live in a climate where late spring or early fall frosts are a common occurrence, using cloches, hot caps, cold frames, or other protective enclosures will likely be necessary.

Wind Conditions

High winds can break branches, damage trichomes, and stress your plants, leaving them vulnerable to pests and disease. If your garden is located in a particularly windy spot, or you’re expecting a particularly heavy blow, erecting some sort of windbreak is highly recommended. This can be as easy as attaching perforated plastic sheeting to garden stakes around your plants.

Rain

While helpful for watering your garden, rain is generally seen as a nuisance by cannabis growers as it can severely damage your crop and cause mold and mildew issues, especially when plants are flowering. If summer and early fall rains are likely in your area, it’s wise to choose a variety that has a natural resistance to mold. Make sure to fully support your plants with cages or stakes because rainwater will collect on leaves and buds, weighing your plants down and breaking branches. Otherwise, you can use plastic sheeting and stakes to build temporary shelters over your plants when you know rain is on the way.

Pests

Protecting your cannabis garden from pests can be challenging. Animal pests like deer and rabbits are dealt with easily enough: fences and cages will keep them at bay. When is comes to the vast array of crawling and flying insects that can attack your plants, things get a little more difficult. The best protection is to simply keep your plants healthy; most vigorous cannabis plants have a natural resistance to pests that makes minor infestations easy to deal with. It’s also a good idea to keep your plants separated from other flowers, vegetables, and ornamentals as pests from these can easily spread.

Examine your cannabis plants daily for signs of pests. An infestation is far easier to deal with if you catch it early. Washing plants with a mild solution of soap and water can stop a minor infestation in its tracks. In the event that doesn’t work, there are many organic insecticides designed for use on cannabis, often derived from neem or other natural botanical extracts. These are quite effective when used correctly.

Step 8: Decide on Genetics

The success of your outdoor cannabis grow will depend heavily on choosing the right variety for your climate and location. If you live in an area with a history of cannabis growing, chances are good that there are many strains that have been proven successful there, or were even bred specifically for your climate.

Mismatched Climates

Some strains simply don’t produce well in unfamiliar climates, the prime example being tropical sativa varieties. Cannabis plants start flowering when days start to get shorter; these tropical plants are acclimated to areas closer to the equator where the length of day doesn’t vary as much. When you attempt to grow them in northern latitudes, they begin flowering much too late to take advantage of the late-summer sun. These strains can also take 50-100% longer to finish flowering, meaning they sometimes don’t finish until December. If you live in southern California, you may grow these varieties without any problems; in Seattle or Vancouver, B.C. they just won’t produce before being killed by lack of light, heavy rain and cold weather.

Seeds vs. Clones

While most indoor growers grow from clones (rooted cuttings that will be genetically identical to the plant they were taken from), outdoor growers often prefer to grow from seed. Both options have their advantages and drawbacks.

Cloning requires a “mother plant,” which is a plant kept under 16-24 hours of light per day to prevent it from flowering. Alternately, you may purchase clones from a local dispensary. The benefit to this route is that “mother plants” are generally proven to produce quality bud, and all clones will be female plants that exhibit the same characteristics. These clones will need to be rooted indoors, and then hardened off much like you would a seedling that was started indoors.

One drawback is that clones tend to be less vigorous than seeds, meaning plants are smaller and yield less, although you can still produce large plants by growing clones indoors in late winter and early spring to get a head start on the growing season. Also, cloned plants don’t develop a taproot, the thick central root that penetrates deep into the ground to stabilize the plant and take up ground water, so they’re more susceptible to high winds and drought.

Plants grown from seed are generally more hearty as young plants when compared to clones. Cannabis seedlings are tolerant of low temperatures and wet conditions, meaning you can plant seeds directly into the garden in early spring, even in cooler, wetter climates. If you choose to start them indoors, though, they will still need to be hardened off before transplanting.

The main drawback to growing from seed is that there is no guarantee as to what you will end up with. Each cannabis seed is unique and will produce a different plant, so unless you choose an inbred seed line, you can’t really be sure what the final product will be like. Also, regular cannabis seeds produce both males and females, so you will have to sex your plants when they reach sexual maturity and cull any males. For this reason, many people choose feminized seeds.

Autoflowering seeds are another popular choice for outdoor growing, as they start blooming as soon as they reach maturity regardless of the length of day. Many gardeners in temperate climates will get two crops every year using autoflowering seeds, one planted late winter or early spring and another planted early summer.

Hopefully you now have enough knowledge to successfully start your own outdoor cannabis garden. Cultivating and growing plants should be an enjoyable and rewarding pastime, so remember, spend lots of time with your plants, and have fun!

Wednesday: MCBA Networking Rally In Oakland

Join MCBA and local cannabis leaders in historic Oakland, CA for a Networkwing Rally. This event is for anyone who’s interested in learning more about the cannabis industry. Event topics and speakers include: — Cannabis business ownership & inspiration — State of the Northern California cannabis market — Cannabis regulation update for City of Oakland

Naturally Splendid Secures Additional $1,450,000 Purchase Order for Export

Naturally Splendid (TSXV:NSP) announce that it has received additional purchase orders for $1,450,000 CDN from the Korea Beauty & Health Care Co., Ltd. who are based in South Korea. The Company is pleased to report that with this most recent purchase order, the total value of export purchase orders to date in 2016 exceed $5,700,000 CDN. As […]

Cannabis use during pregnancy may affect brain development in offspring: Thicker prefrontal cortex

Cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with abnormal brain structure in children, according to a new study. Compared with unexposed children, those who were prenatally exposed to cannabis had a thicker prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in complex cognition, decision-making, and working memory.

Cannabis use during pregnancy may affect brain development in offspring: Thicker prefrontal cortex

Cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with abnormal brain structure in children, according to a new study. Compared with unexposed children, those who were prenatally exposed to cannabis had a thicker prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in complex cognition, decision-making, and working memory.

The NORML Business Network: The “Better Business Bureau” for the Marijuana Industry

The Emerging Legal Marijuana industry I had the pleasure of speaking at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Exposition in New York this past week; a major B2B Expo held at the Jacob Javits Center with hundreds of exhibitors displaying their products and services intended to appeal to those hoping to enter the new legal […]

Microsoft Getting Into Marijuana

This week, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced a partnership with KIND Financial, a California-based startup with ‘seed-to-sale’ tracking technology. The news comes just a few days after Microsoft announced it would acquire LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) for $26 billion. KIND bills itself as “the leader in technology for cannabis compliance,” and was chose to participate in Microsoft’s newly created Health and Human Services […]

What Situations Make You Paranoid When You're High? We Debated Cannabis Paranoia

Just as the journey is more important than the destination, sometimes the discussion is more important than the conclusion. As such, we’re kicking off a series of informal chats published largely unabridged. Viewpoints expressed are participants’ own.

Cannabis and paranoia have a curious relationship. On one hand, may people have great success using cannabis to de-stress and combat social anxiety. On the other, it’s well-established that paranoia can sometimes tag along with a cannabis high depending on the strain or situation. Sure, there are certain tricks you can try, but it’s also helpful to pinpoint exactly what makes you paranoid and determine the best way of dealing with it.

To that end, we at Leafly took to our office Slack channels to debate the situations that spook us, and how we deal with them. From public transit to the threat of raccoons, here’s what we talked about.

How Can Cannabis Help People with Sickle Cell Anemia?

Cannabis has been used medicinally for a very long time. People have employed this resinous flower to treat symptoms from minor physical discomfort to epilepsy and arthritis, and now, sickle cell anemia.

What Is Sickle Cell Anemia?

Sickle cell anemia is a blood disease. Healthy blood cells are shaped like donuts without a hole. These disc-shaped organisms are small, but contain our genetic code and, more importantly, our oxygen. Oxygen, as I’m sure you know, is what we breathe, and most times when our oxygen supply is put in jeopardy, so are our lives.

As the name suggests, sickle cell disease changes the shape of these once disc-like cells into that of crescent moons (or sickles). This reshaping makes it very difficult for blood cells’ hemoglobin to hold on to and circulate oxygen, and can also cause blockages in the circulatory system that can have fatal results.

Common symptoms of sickle cell anemia include:

• Shortage of red blood cells, causing anemia
• Bouts of “sickle pain” where congested parts of the circulatory system become swollen and inflamed, eliciting a throbbing/stabbing pain that is only abated by taking medication and/or increasing circulation
• Swelling of hands and feet
• Spleen and internal organ inflammation and damage, which can lead to frequent infections
• Slowed growth and delayed puberty
• Vision problems
• Risk of stroke

What are Treatment Options for Sickle Cell Anemia?

Currently the only potential cure for sickle cell anemia is a bone marrow transplant. Barring that, treatment options for pain and discomfort include over-the-counter pain relievers, antibiotics for infections, and Hydroxyurea, which is commonly prescribed to leukemia and cancer patients. For sickle cell patients, Hydroxyurea can help prevent the formation of the sickle-shaped blood cells and reduce pain frequency, although it causes major side effects (nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sores, dizziness, diarrhea, hair loss, seizures) and can actually increase risk of infection.

Sickle Cell Statistics

Who is affected by this illness, and how expensive is treatment of sickle cell anemia? Here are some statistics.

• Approximately 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease.
• Sick cell disease occurs in 1 of 365 black or African American births, and 1 of 16,300 Hispanic births.
• About 1 in 13 black or African American babies are born with a sickle cell trait. If that young person grows up and has a child with another person with a sickle cell trait, the likelihood of a fully formed version of sickle cell is increased by virtue of recessive/dominant traits.
• In 2005, the average medical expenditure for children admitted with sickle cell disease with Medicaid was $11,702, and those with employee-sponsored insurance was $14,772. Forty percent of either of these groups reported at least one visit to the hospital.

How Can Cannabis Help Sickle Cell Patients?

Cannabis may not be a panacea for everyone, but its usefulness and versatility cater to many, including those suffering from sickle cell disease. Alongside the mood enhancing, uplifting, and euphoric effects, cannabis also has analgesic (pain relief) and anti-inflammatory (anti-swelling) properties that are particularly useful for sickle cell patients. These attributes lend themselves to people surviving sickle cell disease. Unlike over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, a patient can grow this medicine in their home, and medical marijuana offers a strong alternative to the over-prescribed opioids.

Attend The Cannabis Business Summit And Expo

America’s Most Important Cannabis Event of the Year! Make Your Voice Heard! #CannaBizSummit is the ONLY national event where you will have an opportunity to meet with policy makers and influencers as they converge with the leading trade association shaping the cannabis economy. Network with over 3,000 of your peers – including growers, dispensaries and

Attend The Sensible Celebration At NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit

Enjoy a night of drinks and dancing to benefit Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the 4000-member international network of students dedicated to ending the War on Drugs. Kick off NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit by celebrating the young leaders of the drug policy reform movement. This event is made possible with the generous support of our

How to Recommend Sexual Cannabis Products to an Inquisitive Customer

A lot of people are interested in cannabis as a sexual aid but don’t know how to broach the topic with budtenders. It can feel awkward to ask a stranger for his or her recommendation, but a good budtender can have a great local product or strain in mind that you wouldn’t know about if you didn’t ask. What’s the best way to have this conversation from both the budtender and the patient or customer’s perspective?

In part one of this two-part miniseries, I’ll go over budtender tips for making sex-friendly strain and product recommendations for customers. Part two will focus on advice for customers on how to ask budtenders for their advice. Here are my top tips for giving “the sex talk” at your dispensary.

1. Set Boundaries and Make Referrals

If you’re a person who finds it horrifyingly awkward to talk about sex with strangers–which, let’s be honest, is most people–it’s completely okay to say, “I’m not the best person to talk with about this, let me get [name] who has more training in that area to help you.” Or “I’m not particularly confident in my knowledge about X, let me refer you to [online resource] that might have some of the answers you’re looking for.”

Encourage the manager/owner of your dispensary to hire someone to train the staff on talking to patients/customers about sexuality. It’s also helpful to have a resource list handy. Lastly, recognize when someone is describing a medical issue and check in to ensure they’ve already consulted their physician before moving forward with suggestions.

2. Develop a Poker Face

It’s really challenging for someone to ask a complete stranger about something as personal (and societally shamed) as sex. Don’t abase them. Even if it’s something outside your wheelhouse or particular comfort level, don’t make them feel bad about it. Keep your face neutral but interested. (That looks like eyebrows raised slightly, head tilted slightly toward them, and a good bit of encouraging nodding.)

For example, if your customer talks about experiencing pain with penetration and you cringe or look disgusted, you’ve just non-verbally told them that they’re disgusting. Practice your neutral interested face in the mirror. It can take a bit to develop the muscle memory, but it’s a useful skill to have.

3. Don’t Mock, Belittle, or Otherwise Express Negative Judgment

Your customer may have an issue or interest that is important to them but feels uncomfortable for you. It’s okay to be uncomfortable. What’s not okay is to respond with jokes or sarcasm. You wouldn’t eyeroll someone who came in looking for pain relief for arthritis, so don’t snicker to your colleagues if someone comes in talking about a body part not functioning they way they want it to or is complaining about painful menstrual cramps.

4. Don’t be Creepy

If the person asking for help is the type of human you find attractive, do not take them asking you about sexual concerns as an invitation to hit on them. There are few things worse than getting up the nerve to ask a sensitive question to a service provider and have them make it weird by trying to turn it into a flirt. Stay professional.

Learn more customer tips and business tactics from Leafly!

Kids Taking Medical Cannabis at School Could Soon Be a Thing

Let’s face it, it’s easy for kids to get drugs at school. This doesn’t just mean high-schoolers being able to purchase them illegally. Almost every school board in the nation allows nurses and teachers to administer ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall. These chemicals are closely related to methamphetamine — and most providers, educators, parents don’t even think twice about it.

Cannabis: Safe, Yet Out

It’s a monumental struggle, though, to get cannabis extract for ADHD administered in schools, even in states where it’s legal. In Colorado, for example, each school has the authority to allow it or not. And, even in Colorado, getting the school’s administration to allow it has been a tough row to hoe.

There are currently three states that have made it legal for children to take medical cannabis while on school property: New Jersey, Maine, and Colorado. New Jersey was first, and Maine schools are embracing the medication. Colorado, one of the more liberal states, has been slow, almost reticent.

Cannabis for Cerebral Palsy

Stacey Linn became fed up with the side effects and inefficacy of traditional cerebral palsy (CP) treatments for her son. CP can cause severe, involuntary muscle contractions that are both painful and debilitating. Linn, the executive director of Cannability Foundation, researched medical cannabis and decided to give it a try. She has seen drastic improvements in her son’s health since incorporating CBN (cannabinol) in his treatment regimen. CBN is a natural relaxant, pain reliever, and tranquilizer derived from cannabis flowers.

CannAbility was founded to provide support, resources, education and access to cannabis for parents of kids living with an illness or disability.

Since her son’s improvements, Linn has become an activist and dedicated her life to fighting for medical rights. “I will fight to the death until these kids can go to school with [medical marijuana],” she told Jordyn Taylor on Mic.com. She and other parents and activists are working to effect change in Colorado and other states.

Their work is paying off. The Colorado Senate will soon vote on a bill their House already passed that would require schools to allow students who need it to possess medical cannabis while on school property, on school buses, or at any school event. It would allow the child’s parent, legal guardian, or a medical professional to administer the medication. In addition, the bill stipulates that if the school or school district should lose any federal funds as a result of complying with the bill, the state must offset the loss.

It seems like common sense to those of us who understand the safety of cannabis medicine, especially compared to the risks of the pharmaceuticals it replaces. But we need to keep in mind that we are fighting almost 100 years of negative propaganda. The stigma associated with the plant is irrational and deep-seated, the ignorance rampant and profound.

Teetotalers, or Hypocrites?

Just recently, in honor of the de facto global cannabis day, April 20, this writer saw posts in social media such as “If you’re celebrating 4/20 as a holiday, put down the bong and do something with your life” and “If this holi-daze has you celebrating, you should move out of your mom’s basement.” (Are they really teetotalers who never touch a drop — or merely blatant hypocrites?)

For years we were fed myths that “marijuana” was evil, it was a gateway substance, it would ruin our lives like hard drugs, etc. And many of our educators have had that message drilled into their heads, and have been drilling it into other kids’ heads, and so on.

Changing the perception of cannabis and cannabis consumers won’t happen overnight, so that’s why the incremental steps of acceptance are so crucially important. It’s vital that you make your voice heard, so that politicians will feel the pressure to pass bills like this, and educators will understand that it’s okay to respect parents’ wishes and the wisdom of their doctors.

About the Author

Amber Boone

Amber considers writing the cornerstone of communication. She interviews MMA (mixed martial arts) athletes for CombatPress.com and opines on MMA at FightItOut.com. She’s passionate about helping folks tell their stories and making the world a better place, which includes working to win the freedom of Americans to partake of the herb. When not writing or playing beach volleyball, she can be found at her day job—for now. Follow Amber on Twitter @thruthetrees11

For more information on medical and discretionary cannabis use along with great recipes, how-to videos, and information on the MagicalButter machine, check out MagicalButter.com.

The post Kids Taking Medical Cannabis at School Could Soon Be a Thing appeared first on #illegallyhealed.

Mizzou Censors Student Group’s Legalization T-Shirt

After a year marred by student protests related to race, football, workplace benefits, and leadership resignations, the University of Missouri once again finds itself embroiled in conflict. This one involves cannabis-policy t-shirts.

The MU chapter of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, has been a recognized student group since 2000. They have an email list of 1,200 current students. Last September, they wanted to sell t-shirts to generate money for the chapter and raise awareness of cannabis issues.

All campus groups are required to apply for university approval to use Mizzou’s name and image on any item offered for sale. The t-shirt design featured a marijuana leaf in the form of an animal paw (the school mascot is a tiger), a depiction of the Mizzou campus skyline, and a marijuana leaf with the group’s name.

Image via FIRE

MU administrators did not approve.

On October 5, MU NORML President Benton Berigan received an email notifying him that the group’s proposed designs were rejected because of their “drug-related imagery, specifically the cannabis leaf.”

Berigan told Leafly that the group has always followed all university rules and policies. “It’s very apparent what we are doing,” he said, which is working to reform cannabis laws through political engagement and community education.

The group does not advocate the use of cannabis as a drug, Berigan said; rather, it fights for the reform of cannabis laws.

MU NORML challenged the university’s interpretation, but according to Berigan, the only response he’s received from Mizzou officials is “they are looking into it.” So they took their issue to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a nonprofit that works to defend and sustain individual rights at America’s colleges and universities.

On April 22, 2016, FIRE officials wrote to Mizzou stating that under the First Amendment, “the university may not reject MU NORML’s submissions because it disagrees with MU NORML’s viewpoint.”

Interim Chancellor Hank Foley sent FIRE a letter in response, which stated the following, “I thank you for your interest and for your letter.” FIRE then wrote a second letter on May 20 requesting a “substantive reply,” by June 3, 2016. Mizzou has yet to respond according to FIRE’s website.

This isn’t the first time a NORML university chapter has had to deal with a university infringing on its First Amendment rights. In 2014, the Iowa State NORML chapter filed a first amendment lawsuit against ISU in a nearly identical situation. Earlier this year a federal judge ordered ISU to stop censoring ISU NORML’s t-shirts this past January, something that Berigan hopes will happen with his chapter’s design.

Berigan told Leafly that the group hopes that the university comes around, admits its error, and allows the t-shirt design.

“If that does not happen,” he said, “we will have to resort to legal action.”

LA Cannabis Task Force Calls for Nine Proposals To Reform Los Angeles Cannabis Industry

Today, the Los Angeles City Council Rules, Elections, Intergovernmental Relations, and Neighborhoods Committee heard public comments on Motion 14-0366-S5 for a proposed March 2017 ballot initiative to reform Proposition D. The Los Angeles Cannabis Task Force, a coalition of cannabis operators dedicated to the creation of a fair and vibrant cannabis industry that ensures a

Leading California Medical Marijuana Oil Maker Busted

SANTA ROSA, CA — Police, including DEA agents, raided five properties associated with a well-known medical marijuana products manufacturer in Northern California’s Sonoma County Wednesday morning, detaining at least nine people and arresting one on suspicion of felony drug manufacture for his role in cannabis oil production. Although medical marijuana has been legal in the […]

Naturally Splendid (V.NSP): The wild success you may never heard of…

In a recent article Naturally Splendid (TSXV:NSP) CEO and Director Craig Goodwin highlighted how the company is building a portfolio of high quality hemp and plant-based products. As quoted in the article: Naturally Splendid has a solid business strategy. We strive to be cash flow positive with our conventional line of natural products through exporting and our […]

Vermont Governor Signs Medical Marijuana Expansion Law

MONTPELIER, VT — Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin has signed legislation into law expanding the state’s medical cannabis program. Provisions contained in Senate Bill 14 permit patients with glaucoma, chronic pain, and/or those in hospice care to be eligible for cannabis therapy; eliminate the requirement that patients must have previously tried other conventional treatments “without success” […]

Tinley Announces Board and Management Changes

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – June 16, 2016) – The Tinley Beverage Company Inc. (OTC PINK:QRSRF)(CSE:TNY) (the “Company” or “Tinley“) is pleased to announce that Jeff Pencer has joined the Company’s newly-formed Advisory Board. Jeff was previously head of product development and operations. With the company’s significant ramp up of activity in California, the company is building […]

Microsoft Getting Into Marijuana

This week, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) announced a partnership with KIND Financial, a California-based startup with ‘seed-to-sale’ tracking technology.

The news comes just a few days after Microsoft announced it would acquire LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) for $26 billion.

KIND bills itself as “the leader in technology for cannabis compliance,” and was chose to participate in Microsoft’s newly created Health and Human Services Pod for Managed Service Providers. The goal is to acquire contracts with governments and regulatory agencies to help regulate and monitor all aspects of cannabis compliance.

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Get Our Expert Guide to Cannabis Investing FREE!

Download this FREE Special Report, Investing in Medical Cannabis Information about Cannabis and Legal Cannabis Stocks.

The move is significant. As Nathaniel Popper of the New York Times points out, it makes Microsoft one of the first big companies to ‘break the corporate taboo on pot.’ While Microsoft is sticking with government compliance—staying away from banking and other services offered by KIND—it’s still dipping its toes into the water.

“Nobody has really come out of the closet, if you will,” Matthew A. Karnes, founder of Green Wave Advisors, told Popper. “It’s very telling that a company of this caliber is taking the risk of coming out and engaging with a company that is focused on the cannabis business.”

Certainly, compliance has been one of the biggest issues facing cannabis stocks. Chris Milenkevich started Gotham Cannabis Associates, a firm that specializes in due diligence on publicly traded cannabis companies, explained in a recent interview that many banks won’t work with marijuana companies in the US since pot still isn’t legal at the federal level. Even at the state level, recreational marijuana may be legal, but it is still heavily restricted, meaning that it’s easy for unwelcoming communities to find a reason to shut operations down.

What’s more, cannabis social media platform was MassRoots recently rejected for a Nasdaq listing, stating that it could aid in the use and dealing of an illegal substance. As per Reuters, MassRoots CEO Isaac Dietrich sees that decision setting up a precedent for others in the cannabis space.

Still, for KIND Financial Founder and CEO David Dinenberg, ensuring compliance with government regulations is key for moving forward.

“No one can predict the future of cannabis legalization, however, it is clear that legalized cannabis will always be subject to strict oversight and regulations similar to alcohol and tobacco; and, KIND is proud to offer governments and regulatory agencies the tools and technology to monitor cannabis compliance,” he said in a statement. “I am delighted that Microsoft supports KIND’s mission to build the backbone for cannabis compliance.”

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!

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Securities Disclosure: I, Teresa Matich, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

The post Microsoft Getting Into Marijuana appeared first on Investing News Network.

Here’s Why California Cannabis Raids Are Getting Out of Control

On June 15, 2016, a premier California medical cannabis company Care by Design was raided by law enforcement from numerous agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement.

CBD sublingual spray

Care by Design specializes in the production of cannabidiol-rich medicines, which do not cause a high and are relied upon by thousands of patients throughout California. Their organization has been remarkably transparent, having allowed numerous state officials and regulators to tour their production sites. The raid comes as a complete surprise given how good the community relations had previously been.

The raid of Care by Design is a heartless move that puts patients at risk of being without medicine. Furthermore, it sends a terrible signal to other legitimate producers of cannabis extracts. Care by Design has made every effort to be transparent and professional, so if even they get raided, what incentive do other producers have to become more open?

Hundreds of patients and supporters are gathered in front of the Santa Rosa courthouse

With the recent signing of new medical cannabis regulations in California, and the desire of the state to solicit help from the medical cannabis community, this raid could severely damage key relationships and impede California’s goals.

More information will continue to develop on this story. Thankfully, there has been one hopeful update since the raid. A founding member of Care by Design, Dennis Hunter, had been arrested and charged with felony for manufacturing a controlled substance. He was being held on a five million dollar bond. As shared by the Sonoma County Growers Alliance, Hunter was released on the night of June 16, on no bail and with charges dropped.

We will share more information as it comes out and encourage all of our supporters to help Care by Design in as many ways as possible. An attack on them is an attack on the entire medical cannabis industry, and it cannot be allowed to stand.

About the Author

Justin Kander

Justin Kander is a cannabis extract activist who has attended and presented at numerous medical conferences throughout the world. His recent book Enhancing Your Endocannabinoid System details the best ways to improve the effectiveness of cannabis medicine.

The post Here’s Why California Cannabis Raids Are Getting Out of Control appeared first on #illegallyhealed.

Coincidence? 5 of 6 Hottest Housing Markets are in Cannabis-Legal States

Cannabis legality isn’t often considered a factor driving in-state migration. But maybe it should be.

According to a tally of the America’s Hottest Housing Markets of 2016 compiled last week by Redfin, the real estate data website, five of the nation’s six hottest housing markets are in states that have legalized the adult use of cannabis.

California voters may turn that state adult-legal as soon as this November. If the Golden State is included, 9 of the top 10 housing markets are cannabis-friendly (either adult-legal or medical). Only two of the top 20 housing markets are in states where cannabis is completely illegal: Dallas-Ft. Worth, and Austin, Texas. (Sorry, Boston: Your hot housing market is technically in a medical marijuana state, but you’re nowhere near California when it comes to canna-friendliness.)

Here’s the chart Redfin put together:

Image via Redfin

What’s going on? Two things, maybe. Legalization provides a lot of jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. A recent report found that Oregon’s legal market has generated 2,100 retail jobs and $46 million in wages. At the end of 2015, the state of Colorado had issued 26,929 occupational licenses to workers in the marijuana industry, and the actual number of workers employed in the industry tends to be higher than those license figures imply, as many work in ancillary businesses that don’t touch the leaf.

But more than that, over the past three years legalization has become a powerful symbol of a state’s openness, progressive politics, and embrace of new ideas. Legalization makes a state that much more attractive to the young, ambitious, and intellectually curious. It’s exactly the kind of environment that attracts not just job seekers but job creators. A real-estate broker who moved to Denver from the South, shortly after legalization, once put it to me this way: “It’s a symbol of how open and tolerant the state is. I feel safe here.”

PGT #304 Broken Boy Soldier

Hosted by attorney Michael Komorn from Komorn Law and Chad from Birmingham Compassion   Contributions from Rick Thompson from The Compassion Chronicles-also providing the news, and show producer Jamie Lowell from the Third Coast Dispensary in Ypsilanti   Tonight- MILegalize has filed suit against the State of Michigan after the Board Of State Canvassers rejected […]

Colorado Governor Signs Bill Allowing Medical Marijuana Use in Schools

DENVER, CO — Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has signed legislation, House Bill 1373 (aka ‘Jack’s law‘), permitting qualified patients access to medical cannabis formulations while on school grounds. Stated the Governor: “My son, if he needed medical marijuana and he needed it during the day while he was in school, I’d want him to have that opportunity. […]

New Jersey Assembly Approves Adding PTSD to Medical Marijuana Conditions

TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey Assembly voted in favor of a bill Thursday that would add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of medical conditions that qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program. The bill, Assembly Bill 457, was approved by a voted 55 to 14, with seven abstentions.  Also on Thursday, a companion bill in the […]

New Jersey Assembly Approves Adding PTSD to Medical Marijuana Conditions

TRENTON, NJ — The New Jersey Assembly voted in favor of a bill Thursday that would add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of medical conditions that qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program. The bill, Assembly Bill 457, was approved by a voted 55 to 14, with seven abstentions.  Also on Thursday, a companion bill in the […]

US Senate Committee Approves Marijuana Banking Measure

U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Measure That Would Allow Banks and Other Financial Institutions to Provide Services to State-Legal Marijuana Businesses Appropriations amendment approved with bipartisan support is intended to improve public safety by reducing the number of marijuana businesses that must operate entirely in cash because they are being denied access to banking and […]

Sustainable Cannabis Packaging: How It’s Made and Why It Matters

This article is sponsored by Sun Grown Packaging. Sun Grown Packaging’s 3e CRP is the first recyclable child-resistant package for cannabis. The plastic-free package conforms to ASTM D3475 and is made from renewable resources.

As legal cannabis booms, rapidly becoming one of the largest industries in the nation, the importance of satellite industries such as cannabis packaging have been magnified along with it. And as packaging stipulations have evolved with the nascent industry, the development of sustainable packaging designs has been a game-changer in terms of legal cannabis’s appeal, environmental impact, and branding abilities.

Leading the charge on sustainable packaging design is Sun Grown Packaging, a company that came into the cannabis field as an offshoot of a well-established mainstream graphics company. With more than 30 years’ experience in packaging design, the team quickly learned that unique to the cannabis space were the absolute necessity of effective child-resistant packaging (CRP), and a desire for sustainable packaging options. Unfortunately, the latter has been largely absent from the nascent field.

“[Sustainability] is a big deal for people in the cannabis industry,” says Jacqueline Noguera, marketing manager for Sun Grown. “What separates us is our ability to innovate.” With the capacity to print in-house on heavy-duty, tear-resistant substrate, Sun Grown has been able to omit plastic from its packaging designs, something most others in the industry haven’t been able to do.

Thanks to its in-house production and focus on sustainability, Sun Grown has worked with over 30 cannabis businesses on packaging solutions to date, and as these companies have grown, Sun Grown has scaled production capabilities to match. Zoots, Humboldt Cut, and Omega Oil serve as three distinct examples of how companies in the cannabis space have used sustainable packaging to amplify their brand messaging and make a positive impact in the industry.

Zoots: Pioneers of Sustainable Child-Resistant Packaging

Zoots were “forward-thinking pioneers, and first to adopt truly green child-resistant packaging,” says Chris Giles, who worked with Zoots to create what would be Sun Grown’s first design to market in Colorado. “[They recognized] that consumers will tip their hats and reward them for making an effort to reduce plastics.”

The brand’s packaging features a reclosable design that omits plastic entirely. Giles notes that consumers tend to hold onto the reclosable packaging and re-use it for other purposes, meaning that the Zoots brand name permeates consumer consciousness for longer than a disposable plastic package would. “[Zoots] really liked that their brand would stay in the market longer than plastic,” says Giles. “They recognized the marketing play.”

Features:

• Original design
• Reusable tab closures
• Plastic-free

Humboldt Cut: Recyclable, Compostable, Locally-Made Packaging

“[Humboldt Cut] wanted to take the high road and protect their product from getting into the wrong hands,” says Brady Hanks, who worked with the Humboldt Cut team to develop the brand’s eye-catching packaging. “They were very impressed with our child-resistant box and wanted to be the first cannabis company on the market using it.”

The patent-pending box is both recyclable and compostable, and because Sun Grown is one of the few companies able to print in-house on sustainable packaging materials at their Oakland facility, the box is made locally. These features help strengthen Humboldt Cut’s “100% natural” message.

Features:

• Recyclable
• Compostable
• Patent pending

Omega Oil: Science and Craftsmanship Reflected in Packaging

Photo credit: Omega Oil

Omega Oil’s brand is about bringing science and craftsmanship together to create the purest possible cannabis oil, all of which is reflected in the brand’s imagery, voice, and web presence. Sun Grown worked with the team to design packaging that would augment these elements of the brand while maintaining environmental consciousness.

Says Hanks, “Omega Oil had an idea of what they were looking for in packaging, and we were able to take their idea make it a reality.” In addition to spot gloss used to highlight the Omega Oil logo, a soft-touch coating gives the box a high-end feel.

Features:

• Logo-shaped cutout
• Spot gloss
• Soft-touch coating

Tamales de Cana: Unique Packaging for Unique Products

“The client came to us with his idea for one-pack and three-pack cartons for his ‘corn husk’ blunts,” says John Schikora, who worked with Tamales de Cana to satisfy their packaging requests. “Using actual corn husk as the rolling paper not only has distinct advantages in controlling the burn rate, but provides an interested branding concept for the product. Looking for a package as unique as the product, our design department came up with a couple options to satisfy his request.”

Tamales de Cana wanted a triangular package and opted for an unglued folder version, which eliminated the need for a ‘false score.’ This conveyed a clean look on all three sides of the package, underscoring the uniqueness and feel of the 100-percent natural product.

Features:

• Triangle shape
• Glue-free
• Original design

To learn more about Sun Grown Packaging, visit the company website.

Header photo credit: Carrie Richards Photography

Microsoft Enters Cannabis Industry, Crashes Canna-Partner’s Website

The first major global corporation jumped into the cannabis industry earlier today, when Microsoft announced a partnership to begin offering software that tracks cannabis plants from seed to sale.

The new partnership involves Kind Financial, a Los Angeles-based startup that creates tools and other technology for marijuana-related businesses. The software will be a new product in Microsoft’s cloud computing business. Kind sells seed to sale systems, which allow growers to track their plants from planting to the point of sale, while also providing kiosks that cannabis businesses use for cash management.

As word spread, interest in both the deal and the question, “Who is Kind Financial?” caused Kind’s company website to crash. We don’t know that traffic caused the crash, but the site’s URL turned up this message this afternoon:

So apparently there’s some interest.

The announcement marked a big step forward for the cannabis industry. One Microsoft official spoke of the market’s potential to the New York Times:

“We do think there will be significant growth,” said Kimberly Nelson, the executive director of state and local government solutions at Microsoft. “As the industry is regulated, there will be more transactions, and we believe there will be more sophisticated requirements and tools down the road.”

In an interview with Times reporter Nathaniel Popper, Dinenberg said it took a long time to get Microsoft on board.

“Every business that works in the cannabis space, we all clamor for legitimacy,” said Mr. Dinenberg, a former real estate developer in Philadelphia who moved to California to start Kind. “I would like to think that this is the first of many dominoes to fall.”

The business move to partner with Kind is the second bold announcement from Microsoft this week. On Monday, the company announced it was purchasing LinkedIn, the business-focused social networking service.

Cannabis Tinctures 101: What are They, How to Make Them, and How to Use Them

Cannabis tinctures, also known as green or golden dragon, are alcohol-based cannabis extracts – essentially, infused alcohol. In fact, tinctures were the main form of cannabis medicine until the United States enacted cannabis prohibition. With a name like “green dragon,” you might think cannabis tinctures are not for the faint of heart, but they’re actually a great entry point for both recreational and medical users looking to ease into smokeless consumption methods.

How to Dose and Use Cannabis Tinctures

Tincture dosages are easy to self-titrate, or measure. Start with 1mL of your finished tincture and put it under your tongue. If you’re happy with the effects, you’re done. Otherwise, try 2mL the next day and so on until you find the volume you’re happy with (ramp up slowly while testing your desired dosage so you can avoid getting uncomfortably high).

According to The Herbal Medicine-Maker’s Handbook, tinctures will last for many years when stored in a cool, dark location. When combined with easy self-titration, the long shelf life means you can make larger quantities of tinctures at once and have a convenient, accurate way to ingest cannabis.

Compared to the traditional cannabis-infused brownie, tinctures are a low calorie alternative. If you make your tincture with 190-proof alcohol, you’re looking at about 7 calories per mL. Unless you have an extremely weak tincture, you’ll easily stay under your typical brownie’s 112 calorie count (and let’s face it, your brownies are probably far more caloric than that).

Tinctures can be incorporated after cooking into all sorts of meals and drinks:

• Juices
• Ice creams and sherbets
• Soups
• Gelatin
• Mashed potatoes and gravy
• Salad dressing

I recently added some cannabis tincture to my homemade chicken tikka masala for a delicious infused dinner.

How to Make Cannabis Tinctures

If you don’t have a full-featured kitchen or just prefer simple, mess-free preparation techniques, cannabis tinctures are a great DIY project. At a minimum, you can make a tincture with a jar, alcohol, a strainer, and cannabis products. That’s all you need!

Depending on your available time, equipment, and risk tolerance, you’ll prefer some recipes over others. All of the below recipes have been tried by yours truly and have been confirmed to work. Pick whichever one seems most convenient to you!

Traditional Green Dragon

If you’ve heard about green dragon before reading this article, this is probably the recipe you’re most familiar with.

Master Wu’s Green Dragon

This guide was first published in 2006 on cannabis.com and is one of the most comprehensive tincture recipes available online, with detailed instructions and excellent tips and tricks. Master Wu’s recipe differs from the traditional method in that it uses heat to speed up the extraction and concentration process. Unlike the traditional method, you’ll be finished with this recipe in an evening. Below you’ll find an abridged summary of the technique.

Modern Green Dragon

If you’re following some of the latest developments in online tincture recipes, you may have heard of the following recipe which sounds too good to be true, but many people (including myself) are having great results with it.

Cannabis Tincture FAQs

How do I take my tincture?

Tinctures are usually taken by putting a few drops under your tongue (sublingually). When taken this way, the arterial blood supply under your tongue rapidly absorbs the THC. That being said, you can always swallow the tincture in a drink or food, but it will be absorbed slower by your liver.

How fast is the onset?

When dosing a tincture sublingually, expect to feel the effects in 15-45 minutes and reach your peak high at about 90 minutes. If you simply drink the dose, expect a slower onset that more closely resembles traditional edibles.

How long will I feel the effects?

Expect to be high longer than when you smoke or vaporize, but shorter than when you eat a butter or oil-based edible.

Have more questions?

Ask them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to get them answered for you!

As Washington Deadline Looms, Cities Warn Unlicensed Cannabis Shops to Close

SEATTLE (AP) — With a deadline looming for the merging of Washington’s recreational and medical marijuana markets, cities around the state are warning unlicensed dispensaries to close up shop.

July 1 marks the date when, after nearly two decades of confusion about the status of medical marijuana, the industry becomes regulated for the first time. Hundreds of cannabis shop workers are being certified as medical marijuana consultants, the Department of Health is preparing a voluntary registry of patients, and the Liquor and Cannabis Board has been granting endorsements enabling recreational marijuana stores to sell for medical use.

As part of the transition, required under the Cannabis Patient Protection Act passed by the Legislature last year, unlicensed dispensaries that proliferated in the past decade need to shut down, as do the large-scale growing cooperatives that supplied them, to eliminate competition with Washington’s pioneering legal marijuana law, Initiative 502, approved by voters in 2012.

It’s unclear how many unlicensed dispensaries remain open statewide. In Thurston County, Sheriff John Snaza and a county prosecutor are visiting each dispensary to personally inform them of the expectation that they close by July 1 unless they have a state license.

“We had more than 100 stores in the city last year,” said Seattle deputy city attorney John Schochet. “We sent letters to the ones that didn’t appear to have any eligibility for Initiative 502 licenses, to tell them to close. Most of them have at this point, but we have a few that remain open.

“We’re going to be communicating with them and letting them know that June 30 is going to have to be their last day in existence.”

During a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Liquor and Cannabis Board officials said their goal is to have the unlicensed businesses close voluntarily, but their enforcement staff is prepared to help local police and prosecutors take additional steps if necessary. The shops could see civil or criminal enforcement, ranging from city-level sanctions or the seizure of inventory to drug distribution charges.

“We actually have rules in place that allow for seizure and destruction of product … that is not identified within our traceability system,” said the board’s enforcement chief, Justin Nordhorn. “The intent of that particular rule is not to clog up criminal courts and not to necessarily take criminal action against everybody that’s continuing to run a dispensary, but to … dry up the supply for those particular stores.”

Washington in 1998 became one of the first states to approve the use of marijuana as medicine, but the initiative passed by voters did not allow commercial sales. Instead, patients had to grow the marijuana for themselves or designate someone to grow it for them. The measure did not prohibit patients from pooling their resources together to have large collective gardens on a single property, which police sometimes raided.

After Initiative 502 passed, lawmakers had a financial incentive to reduce competition with the state’s recreational market, and they did so last year. The Liquor and Cannabis Board decided to boost the maximum number of licensed retailers statewide from 334 to 556 to accommodate the medical market, and it adopted a merit system for helping decide who got the additional licenses.

So far, the liquor board has issued medical endorsements to 317 stores, though it’s unclear how many of them will be ready to serve patients by July 1. Patients are also allowed to grow marijuana at home or join a small cooperative, limited to four patients.

Some medical marijuana advocates say the merit system didn’t work as intended, leaving some longstanding and well-meaning dispensaries without a license even as other relatively new businesses were approved. Several have sued the liquor board after their efforts to be licensed were rejected. Among them was John Davis, who has run a Seattle dispensary for the past five years and has long advocated for medical marijuana regulations.

“I’m trying to get whatever relief I can through the administrative system, through the superior court, I’m trying to do whatever I can, but I’ve got to close my doors at midnight on July 1,” he said. “What else am I supposed to do?”

State of the Leaf: Irish Like a Bit o' Green, and Can Cannabis Save Atlantic City?

What’s new this week: Deadlines are fast approaching for ballot initiatives in a number of states. Campaigns in Arkansas and North Dakota are scrambling to round up enough support for a ballot push, while the numbers coming out of Colorado and New Mexico prove that the cannabis industry is booming and supporting a successful economy.

U.S. News Updates

Arkansas

Three petitions make a play for cannabis in Arkansas. There are three competing measures for cannabis in Arkansas, although they don’t all stand and an equal chance. Arkansans for Compassionate Care had their measure approved in 2014. They’ve been gathering signatures ever since. An alternate medical measure from attorney David Couch was approved this year, and a third measure that would legalize cannabis for recreational use has been approved but is failing to gain widespread support.

Colorado

Colorado’s 4/20 sales broke the bank this year. Cannabis sales on the April holiday brought Colorado its most profitable day since legalization began, with $7.3 million in total sales, a 53 percent increase from last year. The month of April ended with a whopping $117 million in transactions, surpassing the previous monthly sales record of $101 million last December. The majority of the sales, $76.7 million, were in the recreational cannabis market.

Hawaii

Cannabis activist sues the state to stop dispensaries. In a strange twist of fate, longtime marijuana activist Mike Ruggles, the former operator of a cannabis collective, is suing Gov. David Ige, Health Director Virginia Pressler, Attorney General Douglas Chin, and the four companies issued licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries in an attempt to stop the forthcoming dispensaries from opening. Using federal law as the basis for the suit, Ruggles argues that the state cannot give citizens a license to break federal law (an argument used years ago, to much confusion, by a Long Beach, Calif., dispensary-license loser). Federal illegality isn’t Ruggles’ objection, though; it’s just a way to stop commercial dispensaries. “They’re basically trying to make money off the backs of sick and poor people,” he said.

New Jersey

Can cannabis save Atlantic City? New Jersey state Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) plans to introduce a legalization bill that he is convinced will produce enough revenue to breathe new life into the ailing Atlantic City. Atlantic City Councilman Frank Gilliam is on board and hopes that other council members will follow suit. Meanwhile, a marijuana decriminalization group is advocating for a statewide initiative that would eliminate penalties for possession of small amounts of cannabis in Newark. The East Central Ohio Decriminalization Initiative would remove penalties for possessing less than 200 grams of cannabis in the city. Under Newark’s current law, possessing less than 100 grams of cannabis is punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and up to 60 days in jail.

New Mexico

Medical marijuana is booming in New Mexico. With the addition of 12 new licensed producers, the cannabis economy is thriving in the Land of Enchantment. Dispensaries and licensed producers offer significant employment opportunities, with about $3 million paid out in salaries and compensation in the first quarter of 2016, an increase from $2.3 million in the same period last year. New Mexico now has more than 55,000 registered medical marijuana patients. First quarter sales soared from $5.7 million last year to $10 million over the same period in 2016.

New York

New York’s medical program is bunk at best. A new report from the Drug Policy Alliance examines the effects of New York’s medical cannabis program, which has been fraught with issues since its inception. Between the long wait for implementation, the restrictive nature of the program, the prohibitively high costs, and general inaccessibility, the program has made it incredibly difficult for many patients to access medicine. The law doesn’t allow for the cultivation or smoking of cannabis, and there are just 20 dispensaries to serve the entire state. In addition, very few physicians are certified to authorize patients, meaning that even qualified patients often must search for months in order to find a physician.

North Dakota

North Dakota ramps up signature gathering. The North Dakota Compassionate Care Act of 2016 is coming up on the state’s deadline for making the November ballot. The deadline to submit signatures is July 11, and the campaign’s supporters will need to pull out all the stops to claim a spot on the ballot. The campaign will be holding an event for last-minute signature gathering at the 33rd annual Rally in the Valley in Valley City, North Dakota this Friday, June 17, and you can also find petition locations here.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania in a tizzy over proposed fine increase. The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee postponed action on a bill that would increase the fines on the first and second offense for the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Although House Bill 1422 is technically a decriminalization measure, decreasing the penalty from jail time to a civil offense, it would also establish the current maximum fine of $500 as the minimum fine for a first offense. The bill would change the language from “not exceeding” to “not less than” and increase the fines for second and third offenses to $750 and $1,000, respectively. The committee will likely revisit the bill before the House adjourns for the summer.

International News Updates

Ireland

The Irish favor a bit o’ the green. The most recent Global Drug Survey found that cannabis is the primary (illegal) drug of choice for the Irish by a wide margin. The survey indicated that 78.6 percent of Irish respondents reported using cannabis at least once over the previous 12 months. It was a big jump from the same survey last year, where 60.8 percent of respondents affirmed their cannabis use. Another promising result from the study was the lack of use of synthetic cannabis, a dangerous substitute not related to the cannabis plant, which registered a 1.9-percent use rate.

Leveling the Playing Field in Florida with CFL NORML

After a narrow defeat in 2014, Florida voters will have another opportunity to legalize medical marijuana this November by voting YES on Amendment 2, but not before being inundated with misinformation from some of Florida’s most notorious marijuana prohibitionists. With more than $10 million dollars committed to defeating the measure, Floridians can expect a salvo of […]

Germany’s Plan to Legalize Medical Marijuana by 2017

Although we don’t hear a lot of cannabis related news from Europe, things started moving slowly in some countries. Germany has recently announced some important governmental decisions: its intent to liberalize its cannabis laws. Changes in the medical marijuana legislation will focus mainly to the patients’ needs, trying to make their lives easier. This is […]

The Definitive Cannabis Travel Guide to Los Angeles

Welcome to Leafly’s travel series, our definitive 24-hour cannabis-infused guides to the best cities in the world.

When most people think of Los Angeles, a few images come to mind: the Hollywood sign, Rodeo Drive, Malibu beaches, and TCL Chinese Theater usually among them. The other major thing L.A. is known for? A high (sorry, I couldn’t resist) concentration of medical cannabis dispensaries. You can scarcely make it a few blocks without seeing the iconic green cross indicating yet another dispensary location. To make it even more of a cannabis-friendly playground, there are glass shops everywhere, so you never have to go far to find a pipe, rig, or rolling papers and hemp wicks. If all that isn’t enough to convince you, come for the weather – Downtown L.A. had a whopping 292 days of sunshine in 2015.

Los Angeles Vitals

Cannabis legality: Medical only (doctor recommendation + valid state ID required to enter dispensaries)

Nicknames: L.A., City of Angels, LaLaLand, Hollywood

Population: 9,818,605

Pop culture claims to fame: The Big Lebowski, Pretty Woman, The Muppet Movie, and The Fast and The Furious, just to name a few. Los Angeles is the epicenter of the film industry.

Dispensaries on Leafly: 60

For the record: It is illegal to consume cannabis in public, but it’s not strictly enforced. Be smart, and when in doubt, use a vape pen.

Day One

At 4:20 p.m., you’re: Checking into The Magic Castle Hotel, perhaps the most enchanting accommodation in L.A.

Photo credit: Cavalier92

This is a neat hotel in its own right, but it’s also a means to access the incredible members-only club next door. More on that later (but go ahead and start getting excited now).

Head’s up: Lyft and Uber are the best ways to get around Los Angeles – public transportation is terrible.

At 5:20 p.m., you’re: Taking advantage of the 10% off happy hour special (Monday through Friday, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.) at La Brea Compassionate Caregivers, a cute little dispensary in Hollywood that offers a great selection of high-quality flower, plus a friendly, knowledgeable staff who remember the names of all their regulars.

You’re buying a gram of Blue Dream and an awesome new pipe to put it in, plus a pre-roll or two for convenient toking on the go.

Word to the wise: At the dimly lit ristorante you’re headed to next, no one will notice if your eyes are a bit red, so snag a hit or two of that Blue Dream from your new pipe before you arrive.

At 6:00 p.m., you’re: Walking into Miceli’s, Hollywood’s oldest Italian restaurant, which has been owned and operated by the Miceli family since 1949.

Photo credit: Miceli’s

Here, the wait staff will serenade you with Italian arias and far more in between classic courses like prosciutto with melon, chicken marsala, shrimp and scallop cacciatore, and cannelloni (don’t forget a glass of Chianti). You’ll likely be fine without reservations, but feel free to call ahead if you like (get in touch with the Las Palmas Avenue location). While you’re here, don’t miss checking out the famous piano bar, and be sure to tip the pianist when he plays your requests.

What you’re skipping: Madame Tussauds wax museum. It’s overpriced (do you really want to spend $20 apiece to see creepy wax figures?), plus you’d be fighting mobs of people trying to get selfies. If you’re itching to see a celebrity, you’re just as likely to spot one at Miceli’s.

At 7:30 p.m., you’re: Seated and waiting for the lights to dim to kick off the feature presentation at the El Capitan Theatre, a short walk down Hollywood Boulevard.

Photo credit: Loren Javier

The state-of-the-art theater seats 1,000, boasts pristine acoustics for a truly sensational experience, and screens recent and throwback Disney movies alike. In short, it’s made for people who have just come from the dispensary.

Fun fact: ¡Feliz cumpleaños, El Capitan! The landmark celebrates its 90th birthday this year.

At 9:45 p.m., you’re: Walking 10 minutes back up Hollywood Boulevard to iO West, a comedy club where some of the brightest up-and-coming improv performers put on an amazing array of shows every night of the week.

Photo credit: Ryan Coil

Shoot for the 10:00 p.m. showing (you can check out upcoming themes here).

At 11:15 p.m., you’re: Realizing that you just time-warped back to four decades ago.

Photo credit: Luke Gibson

Good Times at Davey Wayne’s is a straight-out-of-the-70s living room of a bar, complete with exactly the sort of psychedelic color scheme, radical rock walls, far-out wallpaper, righteous back patio, retro drinks, and groovy clientele you’d expect of the most canna-tastic decade of them all. Among the menu items: Choco Tacos and cocktails with names like “Some People Call Me Maurice.” There’s a reason Davey Wayne’s lands on virtually every “best bars in LA” list – any place you have to enter through a refrigerator door is straight-up awesome. Don’t miss it.

Head’s up: On weekend nights, this place is likely to be busy. If you have to wait to get in, take advantage of the free time and step into the alley around the corner to smoke your pre-roll – you’ll want to be high for time-travel this trippy.

At 12:45 a.m., you’re: Hopping in a cab and heading to Wi Spa, a 24-hour family-friendly Korean spa in Koreatown.

Wi Spa has gender-segregated floors where guests must disrobe entirely (yes, I mean get naked) and shower before soaking in one of the warm, hot, or cold tubs, or using the dry or steam saunas. There is also a mixed-gender floor (don’t worry, they give you shorts and a t-shirt to wear) called the Jimjilbang, where you’ll find five dry saunas at different temperatures (including an ice sauna). The co-ed floor has a restaurant, children’s area, and free WiFi, and is the best possible spot to relax after a long day. By the time you grab a ride share home, you’re going to be completely and entirely ready to face-flop into bed.

Day Two

At 10:15 a.m., you’re: Starving, so you head to The Ivy to brunch with the best of Beverly Hills.

Photo credit: The Ivy

This lionized establishment is as gorgeous as it is spendy. Menu items like fig, apricot, and pecan brioche French toast (adorned with Italian ricotta di bufala cheese) will set you back a hefty $25 – but what better time to splurge? After all, it is fig, apricot, and pecan brioche French toast we’re talking about here. Reservations are a good idea; make them on OpenTable.

Don’t want to splurge? If you’re here on a Sunday, the Mud Hen Tavern is a neighborhood fave that rocks a classic L.A. cool-casual vibe, and a Sunday brunch menu with mouthwatering options like lemon poppy seed waffles (with raspberries and coconut syrup) and chile relleno breakfast burritos.

At 11:45 a.m., you’re: Back at your hotel and finally ready to investigate it in full (request a late check-out so you don’t have to deal with your bags as you explore). The Magic Castle serves as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the practice of magic. Real talk – this is one of the coolest spots in the city. There are several bars, four theaters with multiple performances every evening, and maybe a ghost. Throughout the castle are an eclectic mix of magical artifacts from famous magicians including Houdini’s cuffs, which you’ll find in the Houdini Séance room.

Photo credit: Victor Lee

Word to the wise: There are no photos inside the castle, only out front (there’s a branded step-and-repeat) and in the lobby. You enter the Castle through a secret passageway behind a bookcase in the lobby that opens when you say, “Open Sesame.” No, I’m not kidding. Yes, it’s as magical as it sounds.

At 1:30 p.m., you’re: Stopping at Woodland Hills Treatment Center (WHTC) in Studio City for supplies before heading to Universal Studios.

The dispensary has white columns and iron fences, and looks more like someone’s house than a dispensary. You walk into the waiting area and before long you’re ushered into the gigantic main floor of WHTC. Three flat-screen TVs list the menu offerings and there are beautiful glass cases displaying the location’s high-quality products.

What you’re leaving with: Make sure you pick up some Lord Jones Sea Salt Caramels, a mouthwatering hand-crafted confection manufactured locally. Also check out the dispensary’s selection of sexual wellness products: it carries both Foria Pleasure and Foria Relief, which you can’t get outside of California and Colorado.

At 2:15 p.m., you’re: Chewing on your recently acquired caramels as you enter Universal Studios (since there are lots of kids running around, edibles are your best options, plus the lengthy high will sustain you throughout the afternoon). Universal Studios boasts experiential rides and attractions that will delight your inner child, most exhilarating of which is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Photo credit: Ana Paula Hirama

You enter through Hogsmeade, passing The Hogwarts Express, The Three Broomsticks, and even a frog choir. Pick up a wand at Ollivander’s (you can choose from interactive and plain wands) and grab a frozen Butterbeer. Make your way to the Hogwarts Castle to experience the Forbidden Journey ride. Waiting in line is a joy as you weave through the castle past the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and even Dumbledore’s study. Holograms of Harry, Ron, and Hermione guide you and portraits have conversations above your head.

Word to the wise: The ride itself is intense, awesome, and not for those prone to motion sickness. If you’re looking for something more adult-oriented, The Walking Dead Attraction opens in July, or check out the areas devoted to The Mummy or Jurassic Park.

At 4:20 p.m., you’re: Headed back down the 101 (why do locals always prefix freeways with “the”? Local channel KCET has the answer), admiring the gorgeous homes that speckle the mountains of the Hollywood Hills.

Photo credit: Looking for Janis

You’re on your way to your last stop at Barney’s Beanery, a laid-back Route 66 spot with food, beer, pinball machines, and pool tables surrounded by brightly colored booths. You might recognize the decor from the 1991 film The Doors (which is appropriate because Jim Morrison is reputed to have spent a great deal of time here). Barney’s classic all-beef chili has been on the menu since 1920, and you can enjoy each delectable bite as you ponder which of the booths Quentin Tarantino was sitting in when he wrote some of his screenplays.

Fun fact: The West Hollywood location in particular has hosted lots of celebrities over its nine decades of business, including Janis Joplin, whose favorite booth was #34.