Category: All Medical Marijuana News

Wednesday: Anti-Drug War Activist Anthony Papa Releases His New Book “This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency”

Anthony Papa will release his new book, This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency at the New York office of the Drug Policy Alliance (131 W. 33rd Street) on May 25th 2016.

This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency is a riveting, compelling tale about the life of activist, writer and artist Anthony Papa. He tells firsthand of his experience of returning home after serving 12 years of a 15-to-life sentence for a non-violent drug law violation, sentenced under the mandatory provisions of the Rockefeller Drug Laws of New York State. While behind bars, Papa found his passion for art and his haunting self-portrait “15 to Life” ended up showing in the Whitney Museum. Papa used his art and personal story to generate a wave of media attention and in 1997 he was granted executive clemency by New York Governor George Pataki. Papa literally painted his way to freedom.

Papa says that the freedom he fought so hard to get smacked him swiftly in the face, overpowering him. He struggled with his own freedom while fighting to free those he left behind. Papa goes through heart-wrenching trials and tribulations as he seeks to rebuild his life and continue his fight to end the war on drugs. Along the way he meets an array of individuals from famous movie stars to politicians and the very rich, enlisting their help in doing away with mass incarceration and draconian sentencing laws that have destroyed America’s criminal justice system.

Papa’s book launch event will coincide with a celebration for his 10-year anniversary at the Drug Policy Alliance, where he is manager of media and artist relations. His stinging editorials about the drug war have appeared in news sources across the country and world. He is a frequent public speaker and college lecturer on his art and criminal justice issues.

In addition to his new memoir, Papa is also author of “15 to Life: How I Painted My Way to Freedom” (2004) a memoir about his experience of being sentenced to state prison for a first-time, nonviolent drug offense under New York’s draconian Rockefeller Drug Laws. He has been interviewed by a wide range of national print and broadcast media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, National Public Radio, Democracy Now, and Court TV, among others. He has appeared on nationally syndicated talk shows such as MSNBC’s “Melissa Harris Perry”, CNN’s “Your Money,” Charles Grodin, Geraldo Rivera, and Catherine Crier Live. Papa’s art has been exhibited widely, from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York to many smaller cultural centers around the country.Papa has worked to end the war on drugs through many mediums, including as an artist, writer, co-founder of Mothers of the New York Disappeared and his ten years at the Drug Policy Alliance.

Advance praise for This Side of Freedom: “Anthony Papa’s work, beginning with his incredible paintings, continuing with his ground-breaking memoir, “15 to Life,” and now this new offering, “This Side of Freedom,” is almost single-handedly documenting one of the greatest civil and human rights disruptions in our nation’s history: the human destruction caused by the war on drugs policies. Papa brings us, in living color and painful authenticity, what these gross violations of human rights do to the spirit, but more, how the spirit can still soar despite mountains of adversity. His is truly on a hero’s journey and one we should all take with him,” said asha bandele, author of “The Prisoner’s Wife.”

What: Book Release Event for “This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency”

Where: The Drug Policy Alliance 131 W.33rd Street, NYC Office 15th Floor

When: May 25th, 2016 5-8pm

This Side of Freedom: Life After Clemency
by Anthony Papa
ISBN-978-1530731640 6 x 9 236 pages
$12.95
Paperback Pub Date: April 8, 2016

Anthony Papa¹s website: www.15tolife.com
available on Amazon

Author:
Date Published: May 23, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

I will match your donation to the Maine Legalization Initiative

I’ve worked hard to help legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana for adult recreational use in Washington State (where I live) and in Oregon. This November, Maine voters will have the opportunity to approve a ballot initiative that will end prohibition and replace it with a sensible marijuana policy in their state too.

As a NORML Board Member, I am proud to announce that NORML is endorsing this initiative. And to demonstrate my commitment, I am going to match every donation up to $50,000, dollar-for-dollar. This October, I’ll be visiting Maine to speak about the initiative and help build support for legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana in the state.

If you donate $50, $100 or even $500, I’ll double it. Click here to make a donation through the campaign website today.

Through my travels in Europe, I’ve learned that pragmatic harm reduction makes much more sense than legislating morality. And I believe in civil liberties. Responsible adults should be able to use marijuana, just as they can use alcohol. Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska have demonstrated that it is possible to build a system of marijuana control and regulation that works.

This isn’t about being “soft” or “hard” on drugs. This is about being smart – and controlling and regulating marijuana the right way.

Please consider making a donation today. Together, we can make history in Maine. (And I hope to see you in October!)

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Contact
David Boyer, Campaign Manager, Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol
207-274-4633, dboyer@nullregulatemaine.org

Nation’s Oldest Marijuana Policy Organization – and One of Its Most Widely Recognized Board Members – to Throw Support Behind Initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Maine

In an email announcing NORML’s endorsement, internationally renowned travel writer and television personality Rick Steves said he will match up to $50,000 in contributions to the campaign and visit Maine in October to help promote the ballot measure

PORTLAND, Maine – Internationally renowned travel writer and television personality Rick Steves announced on Wednesday that he and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) are throwing their support behind the initiative to regulate marijuana like alcohol in Maine. Steves serves on the board of directors for NORML.

In an email announcing NORML’s endorsement to initiative supporters, Steves offered to match every contribution to the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol dollar-for-dollar up to $50,000. He also said he plans to visit Maine in October to help promote the ballot measure, which would end marijuana prohibition in Maine and establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol.

“Through my travels in Europe, I’ve learned that pragmatic harm reduction makes much more sense than legislating morality,” Steves said in the email. “And I believe in civil liberties. Responsible adults should be able to use marijuana, just as they can use alcohol.

“Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Alaska demonstrate that it is possible to build a system of marijuana control and regulation that works,” he continued. “This isn’t about being ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ on drugs. This is about being smart – and controlling and regulating marijuana the right way.”

Steves actively campaigned in support of the ballot initiatives that successfully ended marijuana prohibition in Oregon in 2014 and his home state of Washington in 2012.

“NORML is pleased to be working with the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, and with our colleague Rick Steves, to help ensure that Maine joins the growing list of states to legalize the responsible adult use of marijuana this November,” said NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre. “Our board of directors has enthusiastically endorsed this measure and we will continue to work for its passage.”

NORML, founded in 1970, is a national organization with state and local chapters operating throughout the country. It is the nation’s oldest and most widely recognized marijuana policy reform organization.

“NORML has spent decades educating the public about marijuana and advocating for sensible marijuana policy reform,” said campaign manager David Boyer. “We are proud to have their support, and we are very grateful for Mr. Steves’ exceptionally generous offer. A lot of celebrities express support for ending marijuana prohibition, but few put their money where their mouth is.”

# # #

The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol is supporting a 2016 statewide ballot initiative to end marijuana prohibition in Maine and replace it with a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. For more information, visit http://www.RegulateMaine.org.

Will Congress Allow for Science Over Hype Around “Synthetic” Drugs?

On Tuesday the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on novel psychoactive substances (NPS), focusing on synthetic cannabinoids (aka “Spice,” “K2,” etc.), cathinones (aka “Bath Salts”), and opioids (fentanyl). The hearing included testimony from two law enforcement representatives, the father of a teenager who died tragically from drug-related causes, and Professor David Nichols, a medicinal chemistry researcher.

Though much of the opening testimony by Committee members and the perspectives echoed by law enforcement were reiterations of the same misinformed and proven to fail drug war ideology, even among them there was recognition that the system is broken. Dr. Nichols offered testimony grounded in science, as an expert with decades of experience studying different psychoactive compounds, but the committee failed to effectively make use of his expertise.

Issues around NPS highlight flaws in the prohibition approach to drug control, most notably the shortcomings of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s scheduling of drugs according to their perceived “abuse potential” and “lack of evidence for medical use.” The lengthy process has more to do with advancing through various bureaucratic hurdles than an actual practice in science-led policy, and often has resulted in disastrous and unintended consequences like mass incarceration and the stifling of legitimate research.

When committee hearings on new drug trends were held in the past, like for crack cocaine and later MDMA (aka “Ecstasy”) in the 1980’s, it was often a sign of impending legislative overreaction. While response was certainly needed, as there usually are genuine concerns raised by early indicators of potentially problematic trends in drug use, like sudden increases in emergency room visits and calls to poison control centers regarding previously unheard of substances.

But the response to crack saw the rollout of mandatory minimum sentencing and the disproportion of harsher penalties compared to powder cocaine, which clear racial disparities of overincarceration caused generations of harm to the black community that reformers have spent decades working to reverse. And the rush to criminalize MDMA almost permanently stunted efforts at developing what may soon become the first approved treatment for PTSD, and with at least 22 veterans committing suicide every day relief may have been available much sooner if MDMA were not already Schedule I.

We’ve seen this play out before and it’s happening again – hyped up media coverage of what are usually the most rare and extreme (and sometimes completely false) horror stories involving new drugs alerts law enforcement officials. They claim “limited options” to combat the new “epidemics” without immediate designation of these poorly understood compounds to Schedule I of the controlled substances act, the strictest classification for drugs that don’t belong on the street. Though merely placing drugs in Schedule I does little to nothing toward eradicating illicit drug supply.

Next month in New York City, a summit on NPS will take place to gather experts from science, healthcare, media, and policy to share and promote dialogue on how to look beyond the prohibition approach to dealing with what is most certainly the future of drug use trends in the U.S. and around the world.

Regulatory response to NPS is the next big issue for drug control. With the U.K set to enact the most overarching and unenforceable drug policy in response to NPS, here in the U.S. there’s still a chance to try something different.

Kevin Franciotti is a Program Associate at the Drug Policy Alliance.

View more blog posts.

Author: Kevin Franciotti
Date Published: May 19, 2016
Published by Drug Policy Alliance

Two New Studies That Help Estimate Tax Revenue and Getting It Right with DUID

Two new studies helpful to those who are advocating for marijuana legalization came out over the past few weeks. One quantifies the enormous potential tax revenue generated from a legal marijuana system, which should encourage additional states to reconsider their marijuana policies; the second confirms that per se DUID laws are scientifically baseless, and concludes that no one should face conviction of a DUID charge without a showing of impairment.

Tax Revenue Left on the Table

The Tax Foundation, a Washington, DC-based think-tank, released a series of reports (on 4/20, no less) quantifying the potential state and federal tax revenue from a nationally legal marijuana market. Their conclusion: $28 billion annually!

That’s right. The states and the federal government are losing that much tax revenue annually as a result of their reticence to embrace a legal marijuana market. The states would raise an estimated $20.5 billion through the collection of excise, sales, income and payroll taxes. The federal government is losing another $7.5 billion from income, payroll, and excise taxes.

Tax experts reached figures from an estimate that a nationally legal marijuana market would generate $45 billion in annual sales. This is obviously relevant information for any elected officials who might be considering supporting marijuana legalization. We know from the experience with legal gambling in the US that initially only one state (Nevada) was willing to raise tax revenue by legalizing and regulating gambling, and then a second (New Jersey) elected to jump on board the gaming bandwagon. The other states knew this could be a helpful source of tax revenue, but so long as the issue was considered too controversial (or in some states, considered immoral conduct), they were unwilling to take advantage of the potential revenue stream.

But today, some form of gambling is available in almost every state. The aura of impropriety has gradually given way to the reality that people gamble regardless of whether it is legal and regulated or remains illegal. The primary difference is that with illegal gambling the government realizes no tax revenue.

That scenario is one that is almost certain to be repeated in state after state over the coming years, as marijuana smoking is increasingly seen as no big deal, and the enormous tax revenues are more and more crucial for states struggling to balance their budgets without cutting essential services. With every new state that adopts full legalization, there are a larger number of neighboring states that will be forced to reconsider their marijuana policies with a view towards keeping that tax revenue in their own states.

Fair DUID Policies

The second piece of good news came from the respected American Automobile Association (AAA) Foundation for Traffic Safety, a somewhat unexpected source. Following a thorough review of the scientific evidence, AAA concluded that motorists are being convicted of driving under the influence of marijuana based on arbitrary state standards – called “per se” laws — that have no connection to whether the driver was actually impaired.

Under these laws, if the driver is found to have a certain level of THC in their system, they are convicted of a DUID offense, without any showing of impairment.

Five states (Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Washington) presently impose per se limits for the detection of specific amounts of THC in blood, while eleven states (Arizona, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin) impose zero tolerant per se standards — meaning any THC in the system is sufficient for a conviction. In Colorado the presence of more than 5 nanograms per millimeter of THC in the blood gives rise to a permissible inference that the driver was impaired.

The problem with these laws is that residual levels of THC may be present in the blood for extended periods of time (days or even weeks) after the last use of marijuana, although the impairment from smoking generally lasts no more than 90-minutes.

The AAA finding is similar to that of the US National Highway Safety Administration that has previously found “It is difficult to establish a relationship between a person’s THC blood or plasma concentration and performance impairing effects … It is inadvisable to try and predict effects based on blood THC concentrations alone.”

This study confirms the position that NORML has taken for years, arguing for impairment testing, rather than per se THC standards. As NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano has written, “[R]ecently adopted statewide per se limits and zero tolerant per se thresholds in the United States criminally prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle by persons with the trace presence of cannabinoids or cannabinoid metabolites in their blood or urine are not based upon scientific evidence or consensus … [T]he enforcement of these strict liability standards risks inappropriately convicting unimpaired subjects of traffic safety violations, including those persons who are consuming cannabis legally in accordance with other state statutes.”

Information is Power

Information is power, and both of these new reports provide us with tools to better shape the debate over the advantages of marijuana legalization, and to assure that new legalization laws do not unfairly treat responsible marijuana smokers as dangerous drivers. Now if we can get our elected officials to focus on the facts, we can continue to refine the image of fair marijuana legalization.

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This column was first published on Marijuana.com.

Grassroots Support for NORML’s Congressional Lobby Day

Today marijuana activists, patients and business owners from around the country are gathering in our nation’s Capitol to officially kickoff NORML’s 2016 Conference and Lobby day in Washington DC. We’re extremely excited about our line up of speakers and panelists for our conference, followed by a busy day of meetings with members of the House and Senate.

To start off, NORML members and supporters will be meeting at George Washington University, for a full day of presentations and panel discussions with policy experts and seasoned lobbyists. I’m especially excited to hear from John Hudak with the Brookings Institute. He recently wrote an open letter to presidential candidates urging them to take the issue of marijuana law reform more seriously. You can read more, here!

Tomorrow morning, NORML members will gather at the Longworth building on Capitol Hill where they will be addressed by: Congressman Blumenauer (D-OR), Congressman Polis (D-CO) and Congresswoman Delbene (D-WA). They are expected to speak in detail about the various pieces of legislation that are highlighted below. With more than twenty pieces of federal legislation aimed at reforming America’s archaic marijuana and hemp laws, it is imperative that we do our part by educating them on the many benefits of embracing a new approach. The same applies to everyone who will not be able to attend, except the focus will be on making phone calls, writing letters and/or sending emails using our online action center.

To access the information below, simply click on any of the links and you’ll be directed to a three-page document that includes everything you and your fellow activists will need to assist us with our lobbying efforts (talking points, phone script, letter template etc.). Feel free to contact your representatives about each one, or pick a few that you’re most passionate about!

House:

H.R. 3561: The Fair Access to Education Act

H.R.1013: The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act

H.R.1538: The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act

H.R.1940: The Respect State Marijuana Laws Act

Senate:

S. 2557: The Stopping Unfair Collateral Consequences from Ending Student Success Act

S. 2237: The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act

S.683 – Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act

During last year’s congressional letter writing campaign, our network of affiliates and chapters generated more than 2000 letters and emails to congressional offices so I hope we can do the same or better this year!

5 Facts About Marijuana and Driving High

With more and more states legalizing marijuana, it’s time to take a hard look at driving while under the influence.

Some states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Others have passed laws allowing for limited use of medical marijuana. Still other states have laws that are even broader, such as Colorado and Washington.

So how do these cannabis laws come into play when you’re driving under the influence? And, what effect does marijuana actually have on your driving skills?

Get to know the laws in your state and, more importantly, understand how marijuana affects your ability to drive.

1. Marijuana slows your reaction time and ability to make decisions

Marijuana affects the part of the brain that controls body movement, balance and coordination. THC is also known to impair judgment and memory.

Studies show that driving while under the influence of marijuana negatively affects attentiveness, perception of time and speed. What’s more, your ability to draw from past driving experiences is compromised when you smoke weed.

On the other hand, research shows that THC causes more impairment in occasional users than it does for people who smoke regularly. Experts believe this may be due to the tolerance that frequent users of cannabis often develop.

2. The higher you are, the more risks you take while driving

Studies show that drivers who smoke only a small amount of weed can feel the effects and often rate themselves as impaired — even when they’re not.

In fact, research suggests that people with only a small amount of THC in their blood tend to be safer and more cautious drivers. For example, in simulated driving tests, they drive slower than they normally would and are less likely to overtake another vehicle. They also tend to allow for more space between their vehicle and others.

But driving high can still be dangerous. Problems seem to arise when larger doses of THC are present in the blood. These drivers tend to weave in and out of lanes more, react slower to traffic lights and unexpected obstacles and are less aware of their speed.

Overall, studies have concluded that higher doses of marijuana tend to cause greater impairment when it comes to driving.

3. The effect of marijuana is strongest during the first hour

Research suggests that people who drive immediately after using marijuana may double their risk of getting into an accident. This is because the effects of THC on driving are strongest during the first hour.

On the other hand, studies show that people who smoke a single joint of marijuana may be okay to drive 2-3 hours later.

But it’s important to note that THC remains in the blood even after its effects have worn off. In addition, people will often metabolize THC at different rates, which means some may feel the effects for up to five hours later. In fact, people who only smoke weed occasionally can have traces of THC in their blood for up to seven days.

Typically, law enforcement officers collect blood 90 minutes after an arrest and 3-4 hours after an accident.

4. Drivers can be tested for THC after being pulled over

Just like drunk driving, driving under the influence of drugs is a crime — even if your impairment happened due to prescription drugs.

In the United States, law enforcement officers are trained to recognize signs of driving under the influence of marijuana through bloodshot eyes and increased nervousness. To measure levels of THC, states conduct chemical screening tests by collecting blood, urine, and/or saliva.

In Canada, the police use a standard sobriety test for marijuana that includes looking at a driver’s eyes and asking the person to walk, turn and stand on one leg.

Recently, police have been testing saliva-based roadside devices on suspected drug-impaired drivers. Two other devices, developed in Canada, test THC levels on a driver’s breath, similar to a breathalyzer. But neither device has been adopted by law enforcement yet.

Some states such as Colorado and Washington have established a legal limit for THC of 5 ng/ml. Other states are waiting for research that better defines THC and driving impairment before establishing a testing protocol.

5. Combining alcohol and marijuana is even more dangerous

Only 29 percent of Americans think that driving while high on marijuana is dangerous, according to a recent Gallup poll. Yet, when it comes to alcohol, 79 percent of Americans think that driving while intoxicated is a very serious problem.

Still, marijuana is the second most common drug used with alcohol. So it’s important to be aware of how dangerous this combination can be when driving.

Alcohol is a depressant. It works by slowing down the central nervous system, which means that normal brain functions are delayed. It also impairs hand-eye coordination and how you process information. Now, combine those effects with the effects of THC and you get a recipe for disaster.

Indeed, studies show that drivers who take alcohol and marijuana together experience greater impairment than drivers who use either substance on its own.

The post 5 Facts About Marijuana and Driving High appeared first on Leaf Science.

Leafly Staff Debates: How Should You Talk to Your Family About Cannabis?

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 Leafly chats published largely unabridged. Viewpoints expressed are participants’ own. Enjoy!

Whether you’re coming out to your parents as a cannabis consumer, suggesting medical marijuana to your sister, or determining when and how to broach the topic with your kids, talking to your family about cannabis isn’t always easy. While some family members may routinely kick back and enjoy a joint together, others may not even feel comfortable bringing it up.

Yet talking to your parents, relatives, and children about cannabis in an open, mature manner not only helps advance the societal cannabis conversation, it can bring you closer to your family members and help you better understand one another. Below, you’ll find a chat transcript where Leafly employees discuss how old their kids were when they first talked to them about cannabis, whether and how they consume cannabis with their parents, and more.

These Cancer Survivors Share Their Preferred Cannabis Strains

The fortitude demonstrated by cancer patients and survivors is truly remarkable. With numerous reviewers on Leafly using cannabis to combat the effects of various types of cancer, chemotherapy, and related medications, we’re constantly inspired by the positivity, bravery and determination that shines through their stories.

Today, on National Cancer Survivors Day, we honor these individuals. The following are just a sampling of the strains that have helped cancer patients deal with the physical, emotional, and psychological effects of their condition as they fight toward joining the ranks of hundreds of thousands of cancer survivors across the nation and around the world.

AK-48

“AK-48 has helped me in so many ways with respect to my cancer. My appetite has resumed as normal, I sleep GREAT, less depression, moments of bliss, less pain and increased level of hope for survival. It is, without a doubt, my personal favorite.” –Good-juju

Ingrid

“The first strain I tried for chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite. After first use I went from nearly heaving at the thought of any food to craving – and eating – Mexican food (peppers and all).” –gobby

ACDC

“No brain fog, no paranoia, and doesn’t make me want to eat all of the things. I am in remission from cancer and this helps with remaining painful side effects.” –kamina

Harlequin

“This is, by far, one of my favorite medicinal strains…there is a complimentary THC content and effect that I find helpful as opposed to purely CBD strains. Mix it with some Sour Diesel (not enough to kill the CBD effects), vape away, and it’s my ‘morning coffee’ when on chemo.” –bravo2kilo

Blueberry Kush

“Every time I get this strain, I specifically save it for my friend with cancer. She says it’s her favorite for the pain.” –HebiMidori

Flo

“My left breast was diagnosed a couple months ago with breast cancer. Flo has me feeling better than I have in the two months…my body is relaxed. I did not realize how much tension I have been holding. The future looks better and easier at the moment. Wow.” –dataqueen11

Mr. Nice

“Using this for my back pain and for my golden retriever who has cancer. Works great for both of us!” –dyeager105

Jack the Ripper

“Absolutely fantastic sativa! One of the best strains I’ve had in the past 10 years. The high THC content will knock your socks off and the high lasts for 3-4 hours solid. I have brain cancer so I deal with different health issues…and this strain works extremely well controlling pain, nausea, and vertigo.” –jfu5129

Blueberry

“Super relaxing, pain relieving, joyful, floaty. I am a cancer survivor, have fibro, serious anxiety, and advanced degenerative disc disease and 17 herniated discs in my spine paired with scoliosis, and I feel like a carefree kid.” –DabaDharma

Chemo

“My mom is going through chemotherapy…She suffers from extreme appetite loss, nausea and abdominal discomfort from the chemotherapy. She says this strain is incredible for nausea, probably the best she has ever used and induced a great appetite for her instantly. I haven’t seen her in that much relief regarding nausea in ages.” –rachels95

Black Jack

“This strain has been like a little miracle in my life. Cancer treatment related pain keeps me from sleeping most nights. I literally was pain free for the entire evening allowing me to finally sleep for the first time in weeks. I’m grateful for Black Jack!!!” –karmagirl

Sour Diesel

“I love this strain a lot. I find myself in my own little creative world, giggling, always forgetting what I was doing then remembering…zoning out to music by Soundgarden (“Black Hole Sun”)…I always smoke with my dad because he gets real funny when he’s medicated. He has cancer so it’s better seeing him happy then depressed and in pain. Speaking of, I think he is lost in the kitchen wondering about which entrée he should devour next. I’m gonna go stop him before he eats us out of house and home, or most likely, I will end up eating a tub of ice cream along side him.” –Thecode007

Don’t Miss The MCBA Networking Rally In Portland One Week From Today

If you are in the Portland area, I strongly urge you to check out the Minority Cannabis Business Association networking rally, which is occurring one week from today. Below is more information, via the event’s Eventbrite page: Join MCBA and local cannabis leaders and government officials at the first MCBA Networkwing Rally. This event is

Sex After 50: Can Cannabis Help Older Adults Rejuvenate Their Intimacy?

Meet the Fockers came out in 2004, my senior year of high school. I remember watching Barbra Streisand’s character, a senior sex therapist, thinking, “Wow. I love that she’s so enthusiastic and open about sex for older adults! I’ve never met anyone like that!” Fast forward nine years, and I’m at a sex conference face-to-face with Joan Price, a passionate writer, educator, and advocate for all things related to sexuality for the over-50 crowd. She was wearing a black t-shirt with the words “Naked At Our Age” proudly emblazoned upon it, and I knew right away I’d met a solid role model.

Joan has authored three books on the topic, the most recent being The Ultimate Guide to Sex After 50: How to Maintain – or Regain! – a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life. In her introduction she shares a piece of wisdom that hit me right in the feels:

“Part of embracing our sexuality across the lifespan means redefining what sex means at different stages of our lives. I celebrated my sexuality in my late fifties and early sixties with my beloved Robert, who was my lover and then my husband. I celebrate it now, widowed–as many of us are–with drawers full of sex toys and occasional lusty dates. Things change. We change. But with knowledge and creativity, sex can remain a part of who we are.”

I reached out to Joan to see if she had some additional insights into the growing trend of cannabis use in the older adult population.

Joan Price, senior sex writer, educator, and advocate

Ashley: CBS recently ran a story about cannabis use increasing among seniors. What have you noticed in terms of shifting attitudes related to cannabis in your communities, peer groups, and folks you’ve worked with?

Joan: The CBS story doesn’t surprise me for two reasons. First, pain and the avoidance of pain are huge issues as our aging bodies challenge us. Of course we’ll try something that alleviates pain and helps us sleep!

Second, many of the people we’re calling seniors now are the Boomers who were smoking pot when today’s Millennials weren’t even a gleam in their parents’ eyes! I don’t hear much from people who are discovering cannabis for the first time. Rather, people who used it in the past (some still do, some don’t) are asking, as I am, “Why is medical marijuana, which helps people, legal in only 24 states – while cigarettes, which kill people, are legal in every state?” I do hear from women in their 50s, 60s, and 70s who read my review of Foria and want to try it for increased sexual pleasure, but it is illegal in their state and they can’t.

Ashley: Do you think cannabis could positively impact senior sexuality when used mindfully? How might it be helpful?

Joan: Yes, if products like Foria and recreational cannabis were legal in all states, and the stigma of doing something shady and illegal were removed, seniors could benefit from the increased sensation and relaxation and decreased pain during sex. They’d also probably be interested in having sex more often because it would be so pleasurable! That’s just my guess, though.

Ashley: What’s one common misconception about seniors and sexuality that you’d like to see corrected?

Joan: The most serious misconception is that we have an expiration date when it comes to sexual expression and sexual pleasure. We do not! We are lifelong sexual beings.

As Joan points out, pain and avoiding pain are two major challenges for the aging population. Cannabinoids like CBD hold much promise in this area, even in states where THC-infused products are still illegal. One Denver-based company, Apothecanna, used CBD derived from industrial hemp, so they’re able to ship their products to all 50 states. My father, 60, speaks highly of the extra-strength pain spray for relief of arthritis and joint pain.

What are some ways you’ve found cannabis helpful for sex after 50? Tell us in the comments!

Joan Price calls herself an advocate for ageless sexuality. She has been writing and speaking about senior sex since 2005. In 2013, Joan conceived and edited the steamy anthology, Ageless Erotica. Her latest book is The Ultimate Guide to Sex after Fifty: How to Maintain – or Regain! – a Spicy, Satisfying Sex Life. Joan continues to talk about senior sex — partnered or solo – in speeches and workshops, and on her blog about sex and aging, NakedAtOurAge.com, which includes senior sex news, views, and reviews of more than 80 sex toys from a senior perspective. She also writes the “Sex at Our Age” column for SeniorPlanet.org. Joan received the 2014 Catalyst Award for “inspiring exceptional conversations about sexuality.”

Got a sex, relationships, or intimacy dating question for Ashley Manta? Send it to tips@nullleafly.com and we may address your request in a future article! (Don’t worry, we’ll keep your queries anonymous.)

Why Do Some Cannabis Strains Smell Like Cheese?

Cannabis is a flower. And like flowers, cannabis exhibits strong, diverse odors that will stimulate your mind and elicit different sensations based on those smells (and, when smoked, flavors). These smell- and flavor-inducing chemicals are known as terpenes, which are representative of potential effects inside each unique flower. Linalool, for example, is a powerful terpene most commonly associated with lavender. It’s known for its relaxing, sedative effects — the same thing people hope to inspire when they place a pouch of lavender under their pillows before bed.

Cannabis is a flower. Lavender is a flower. So what? Flowers smell like flowers.

Wait. Hold your horses, y’all. Here’s where it gets weird.

Of all the terpenes, of which more than 200 are found in cannabis, many evoke smells that don’t occur naturally in nature. Today, we are going to focus on a few terpenes near and dear to my heart (and stomach): CHEESE!

The “cheesy” terpenes are easily some of the most pungent and challenging. But the strains reward the adventurous palate with brilliant, uplifting effects that are pleasantly stimulating and luscious.

Such terpenes include octanoic acid, (methyl thio) butyrate, ethylmethyl acetic acid, hexanoic acid, isovaleric acid, and methyl mercaptan. These chemicals traverse the scale of cheesiness from the sweet, vanilla ice cream elements of Dairy Queen to the significantly cave-aged earthiness of OG Cheese and UK Cheese.

But cheese strains aren’t exclusively savory. Like many fine cheese plates, fruit notes add a complementary sweetness to the umami qualities of a truly robust queso. Strains like Blueberry Cheesecake, Blue Cheese, Sweet Cheese, Bubble Cheese, and many more incorporate sweet elements that can bring creeping indica effects to this primarily sativa-hybrid family.

Cheese terpenes may not be the most pleasant to smell, but they are everywhere. Check out this quote by THCFarmer.com pertaining to one of the many cheese-like terpenes:

“Isovaleric Acid has a strong, pungent, sour, stinky feet, sweaty cheese smell. It is a major component of the cause of unpleasant foot odor. However, its volatile esters have pleasing scents and are used widely in perfumery. Used as a flavoring it is cheesy, dairy, sweet creamy, fermented, waxy and berry. It has shown effectiveness as an anticonvulsant and antidepressant.”

This isn’t a recommendation to huff your stinky socks in an effort to conquer depression, but a simple illustration of the fine line between the refined and the repulsive. So go on: Grab a bowl, smile, and say, “cheese!” Looking for some options? Check the “cheese” filter in our strain explorer for some pungent options!

New Strains Alert: Chem Jong Ill, Afternoon Delight, Slazerbeam, Blueberry Muffins, and More

Check out the new strains added to the Leafly database! This week’s batch hails from Colorado, bringing potency that will have you thinking you’re a mile high. Starting with his superior dankness, Chem Jong Ill, this dictatorial strain demands respect with a potency suited for pros. But if totalitarianism isn’t quite your speed, maybe tuck into some Blueberry Muffins, yielding fruit-forward fire that would make the Pillsbury Doughboy consider cannibalism. A strain named after America’s #1 single of 1976 couldn’t possibility be this potent, right? Wrong! As Afternoon Delight so aptly put it: “…Thinkin’ of you’s working up an appetite,” and then you eat the whole fridge (f you can get off the couch, that is).

But there’s more! Check out all our newly added strains and share your experiences in a review!

1. Chem Jong Ill

This sativa-dominant cross is for cannabis pros looking to take the top third of their head clean off! Chem Jong Ill is a powerful hybrid by Colorado Seed Inc. that was bred using Chemdawg #4 and Gupta Kush genetics. Built for potency and longevity, this strain is an excellent option for extended physical activity, offering an uplifted, airy high in the body that is easy on the joints. The aroma is thick with a chemical funk and floral notes typical to Kush varieties.

2. Afternoon Delight

Afternoon Delight is a difficult strain to track down. Noted for its small, dense nuggets and an aroma of pine and pungent terpenes, Afternoon Delight is described as an indica-dominant hybrid with a hazy aura that engulfs the mind and body. But indulge with caution, as this hybrid has also been known for its potency.

3. Flo Limone

Flo Limone is Colorado Seed’s twist on a cannabis classic. Flo, the 1996 Cannabis Cup winner known for its light and bright buzz, is crossed against Nina Limone (Super Lemon Haze x Rebel God Smoke) to create an outstanding, full-flavored sativa that is motivating without an aggressive raciness. The terpene profile has also been described as aroma therapeutic, with notes of citrus incense intermixed with Moroccan hash.

4. Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins is the thoroughly baked indica-dominant hybrid of parent strains Afghani and Blueberry. The complimentary genetics make for a strong yet functional indica that exhibits a classic aroma of — you guessed it — blueberry muffins. Its fruity palate and functional body buzz helps curb anxiety, chronic pain, and nausea.

5. Slazerbeam

A sativa-dominant hybrid of Super Lemon Haze and Gupta Kush, Slazerbeam is loaded with dense, zesty buds. This combo is sweet and lemony while exhibiting hints of OG Kush on the inhale. The flower also packs potency, with an average THC content above 20%. Count on latent Haze and Kush effects that ground this 70% sativa with functionally heavy body effects.

6. Bootlegger

Bootlegger is a potent cross of AK-47 and Rugburn OG from Rare Dankness Seeds. The front-end parentage of AK-47 offers famous potency, but the addition of Rungburn OG (Ghost OG x Rare Dankness #1) improves bud growth and structure, leading to pungent, oily colas that mature in about 8 to 9 weeks. Expect a sweet, earthy aroma with effects distinct to hybrid crosses: creative, cerebral, and mood lifting, along with the functional sedation common among many OG strains.

7. Big Holy Nina

Big Holy Nina from Helping Hands Herbal is a sativa-dominant cross of S.A.G.E. and Nina Limone (Super Lemon Haze x Rebel God Smoke). This stout sativa blend is infused with energy and will ignite your appetite and brighten your mind.

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

California Moving Quickly to Tax Medical Cannabis

Medical marijuana advocates are calling on California patients and caretakers to oppose a pair of bills in the Legislature that would raise costs by imposing taxes and fees on medical cannabis.

The bills are moving quickly through the Capitol and have garnered broad support from lawmakers. This week the Assembly and the Senate both passed separate measures, one of which would take effect immediately upon receiving the governor’s signature.

The more substantial of the two bills, Senate Bill 987, introduced by Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), would charge patients a 15 percent “user fee” on cannabis purchases. It’s essentially an excise tax, and it was called such in the initial version of the bill, but lawmakers amended the language to refer the tax as a fee in an effort to dodge a state requirement that tax increases earn a two-thirds majority vote from lawmakers.

The shift in jargon ultimately proved unnecessary. The full Senate passed McGuire’s bill on Wednesday with a supermajority vote, 27–10–3, indicating a broad base of support for the added tax. SB 987 now goes to the Assembly for consideration.

Advocacy group Americans for Safe Access has come out sharply against the bill. “We do not assess ‘user fees’ on insulin, heart medications, or chemotherapy,” the organization said in an email to supporters.

“Imposing additional tax will be bad for public safety,” ASA’s California Director Don Duncan said. “Inflating the cost of legal medical cannabis will force some patients to buy less expensive cannabis from the unregulated illicit market — where there are no safety standards or oversight. That is the opposite of what regulations are supposed to accomplish.”

Meanwhile, the Assembly passed its own separate MMJ taxation measure on Thursday. Assembly Bill 2243 would tax the distribution of cannabis flowers at $9.25 per ounce, leaves at $2.75 per ounce, and immature plants at $1.25 each. Prior to passage, lawmakers amended the bill, introduced by Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), to include a so-called urgency clause, meaning the tax would take effect immediately upon passage.

California medical marijuana transactions already incur ordinary sales tax, which is between 7.5 percent and 10 percent, depending on the jurisdiction. Cities and counties can levy additional taxes, and some jurisdictions charge up to 15 percent on top of state rates, according to Americans for Safe Access.

The group sent out an action alert last weekend asking residents to contact their senators and oppose the bill. The group pointed out that even The Tax Foundation, a third-party tax policy research organization, found that high taxes on medical cannabis create an incentive for patients to turn to the black market.

Other cannabis advocacy groups, including the Marijuna Policy Project, have also come out against the bills and are encouraging residents to contact their legislators.

While the proposed changes would mean higher costs for patients, not all in the medical marijuana community oppose it. When the bill was introduced in February, Eddie Miller, chief strategy officer at GreenRush.com, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he found the proposed tax scheme “excessive” but understandable.

California last year passed an ambitious package of statewide regulations to bring order to the state’s medical marijuana industry, which has been largely unregulated since voters first approved the use of medical cannabis in 1996. The new regulatory scheme, set to take effect in 2018, establishes an elaborate licensing system and sets up an oversight body — all of which will cost the state money.

“We made a commitment last year as we were working through the huge undertaking of setting statewide regulations for medical marijuana that we would follow up on a statewide excise tax,” Sen. McGuire said when he introduced SB 987.

“These are the steps necessary to have a quality industry and a safe industry for the consumer,” Greenrush.com’s Miller told the Chronicle. “It really provides a budget for the state to make it a legitimate industry like alcohol, tobacco, or even gambling.”

But alcohol, tobacco, and gambling are recreational pursuits — not medical ones. And states that allow both medical and adult-use cannabis tend to reflect that distinction.

In Oregon, for example, the state adds a 25-percent tax to recreational purchases. Purchases of medical cannabis by patients and caregivers, however, are tax free. In Colorado, both medical and retail sales are subject to the state’s 2.9-percent sales tax, but retail cannabis incurs an additional 10-percent state marijuana tax.

“Legitimate medicine should be taxed differently than a vice, such as alcohol, tobacco, or cannabis used for non-medical purposes,” Americans for Safe Access says on its SB 987 factsheet.

Some California officials continue to frame the proposal in prohibitionist terms, however, arguing that higher taxes are justified in order to make up for problems they blame on the gray-market system, such as environmental degradation and pesticide use. It’s worth pointing out that for the first 20 years medical cannabis was permitted California, state lawmakers failed to provide clear guidelines for cultivation practices or product testing. For decades it was unclear whether third-party testing labs were even allowed under state law, and operators risked shutdowns or worse.

George Runner, a former Republican state senator who now serves as vice chair of the Board of Equalization, coauthored AB 2243 and has urged the Legislature to pass a tax. “I’m the first to admit that government is too bloated and that Californians are overtaxed,” he said in a statement last year. “But the fundamental question here is who should pay the steep costs of marijuana-related activities that include trespass on public lands, water theft, and unregulated use of pesticides.”

The answer to that fundamental question, according to SB 987 and AB 2257 supporters? Patients, apparently.

Book Review – The Newbie’s Guide To Cannabis And The Industry

By Phillip Smith Legal marijuana is a big deal and it’s only getting bigger. It’s already a billion dollar-plus industry in the medical marijuana and legal states, and with California and a handful of other states poised to go legal in November, it’s only going to get bigger. With growing legality comes growing acceptance. Marijuana

Why Belgians Urge You to 'Pull Your Plant'

ANTWERP — The Belgian cannabis movement, a small but powerful force, is still recovering from the shock caused by the unexpected death of legalization advocate and long-time resident of the country, Joep Oomen, in March. Oomen was a pivotal figure in the broader European drug reform movement and founded Belgium’s first Cannabis Social Club (CSC). Members gathered at the 11th annual Cannabis Liberation Day in Antwerp last month and considered how Oomen’s legacy will inspire the European legalization movement going forward.

Cannabis Liberation Day, where cannabis can sometimes be smelled but is rarely ever seen, is organized by Belgium’s Antwerp-based “Trekt Uw Plant,” the country’s first CSC. The name translates literally as “pull your plant” and figuratively means “make up your own plan.”

Compared to Spain, where the communal clubs are widespread, the movement in Belgium — one of the smallest countries in the European union — is tiny. There are now five registered CSC’s across the nation. Trekt Uw Plant is the largest, with around 400 members. The club launched in 2006, when a government directive ended the prosecution of Belgians in possession of up to 3 grams of cannabis or one female plant.

These legal changes were all Joep Oomen needed to get busy. Fluent in Spanish, he linked Belgium and Spain, where clubs were already popular. And with that, Belgium’s era of Cannabis Social Clubs had begun.

Oomen, a native of the neighboring Netherlands, moved to Antwerp in the ‘90s and ran the office of ENCOD, the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies. He reasoned that if you’re allowed to grow one plant, you could also have that plant cared for by someone else, outside your home.

All that was needed were name tags on every plant in the communal grow room.

Oomen and the members of Trekt Uw Plant went to court twice, but in 2010 the club’s organizers were finally acquitted. Since that last victory, the club has functioned without interference from authorities.

Club members gather once every two to three months at the ruilbeurs, or exchange market, where they receive the yield of their plants. They pay membership fees as well as costs for the care of the plants. This comes down to about €7 per gram, which is very cheap compared to both the black market and the licensed coffeeshops in neighboring Holland.

So far so good, but…

Trekt Uw Plant has generated lots of positive publicity, and more clubs are now trying to follow its example. One of them was Mambo Social Club, founded by Michel Degens, a Trekt Uw Plant member. He worked closely with Oomen, who didn’t see other clubs as competition but as a sign of success for the non-commercial, transparent system that is a Cannabis Social Club. The pair tirelessly explained and promoted the model and its benefits: no criminal involvement, clean cannabis without pesticides, accurate product information, an enforceable age limit, direct contact between growers and consumers, and the creation of new, legitimate jobs.

Mambo Social Club got off to a flying start. Degens made the case for Cannabis Social Clubs on national TV and was soon flooded with so much interest, he had to create a waiting list for new members. But tragedy struck in December 2013, when police searched him as he was carrying the dried buds of 60 plants to the club, where just as many members were waiting. Police also searched his house and found 27 plants, all with name tags. A month after the bust, another caretaker of the plants was raided and all the plants were confiscated.

The Mambo trial and subsequent appeal ended in disaster. This past February, the club’s organizers were acquitted of “inciting and facilitating drug use” but convicted for possession, production, and sale of cannabis. The court denied that the right of possession for personal use can be extended to a communal growing space, as clubs had argued. After long discussions with members, lawyers, and others involved, Degens decided to suspend the operation of Mambo Social Club.

“We’ve suspended cultivation because we’re legally obliged to do so,” he said at the Antwerp Cannabis Liberation Day. “We’re now awaiting the next lawsuit, which will probably be decisive. Our members now have to resort to the black market — even the sick people.”

His message was clear. “It’s time for the cannabis user to come out of the closet. It is crazy to just silently undergo the situation, and it will only keep the current system in place. People need to realize that they’re making criminals of themselves if they stay in the closet.

“This madness must stop. People should not quietly accept being made into criminals for choosing the softest drug over one of the hardest, alcohol.”

Reflecting on the current atmosphere in the cannabis movement after the verdict and the passing of Joep Oomen, Degens said: “The biggest shock has been absorbed. It’s beautiful to see how other people are now taking up the challenge and trying to fill a bit of the void that Joep has left behind. People take their responsibility [seriously], and Trekt Uw Plant has a competent team at the helm. The atmosphere is good, but we miss Joep and we all realize that we don’t even reach to his ankles. It’s impossible to replace him, but everyone is doing their utmost.”

Since Mambo and Trekt Uw Plant operate in exactly the same manner, the Mambo verdict could spell trouble for Belgium’s oldest Cannabis Social Club. But Trekt Uw Plant is ready to go to court a third time in the event of a new raid or investigation. They have a firm belief in the CSC model, a decade of experience, a spotless track record, and a war chest to fund a legal team if needed.

But their most powerful weapons might be their solidarity and their dedication to the club and its founder.

The Definitive Cannabis Travel Guide to Seattle

Welcome to Leafly’s travel series, our definitive 24-hour cannabis-infused guides to the best cities in the world.

Call me biased as I write this from the historic heart of the city itself, but Seattle is ahead of the game on a lot of things. Social values are progressive; music scenes of all genres thrive here; tech giants and startups bring big ideas and talent to town; the coffee is some of the best in the world; cultures and cuisines of all kinds collide; outdoor activities abound; the natural beauty is breathtaking; oh yes, and cannabis is totally legal.

While the Emerald City is beautiful year-round, the best time to visit is between May and October. Forget all the rain-powered stereotypes ­– when the sun shines (and it does, for the majority of the summer), the whole metropolis comes out for boating, beach picnics, bonfires, and more – and trust me, you want to be here (and high) for all of it.

Seattle Vitals

Cannabis legality: Recreational (21+, ID required)

Nicknames: Jet City, Emerald City, Seatown, The 206

Population: 662,400

What people think of: Coffee, rain, Microsoft, Nirvana, the Space Needle

Dispensaries on Leafly: 41

For the record: When I-502 made recreational cannabis legal, Seattle cops celebrated by handing out Doritos at Hempfest.

Day One

At 4:20 p.m., you are: Admiring the airy space and the array of strains at Dockside Cannabis in Seattle’s SoDo (south of downtown) neighborhood.

It’s on your way into the city from Sea-Tac airport. In addition to picking up a vape pen and cartridge (it’ll come in handy at your hotel), we recommend ordering off the curated “blends” menu, which offers package deals designed to pair with certain excursions – for instance, an infused soda and cookies perfect for an afternoon picnic.

While you’re here: Be sure to browse the miniature on-site cannabis museum before you grab a cab to your accommodations.

At 5:20 p.m., you are: Checking in at Bacon Mansion, a cannabis-friendly B&B in Seattle’s most happening neighborhood, Capitol Hill.

Photo credit: the Bacon Mansion

Before you get overly excited imagining all-you-can-eat bacon buffets, be advised that the stately Tudor is named for its architect, Cecil Bacon. However, the cannabis-friendly part is no empty promise – guests may vape in their rooms, or smoke on the porch as they please. We recommend doing just that before heading out for the evening.

At 6:20 p.m., you’re strolling: Down Broadway (of “My Posse’s On Broadway” fame), the main north-south drag through Cap Hill, and stopping for a shot in a paper cup at the Espresso Vivace sidewalk bar.

In a city famed for coffee, Vivace is one of the few indisputable crown jewels: not only do some suggest that its espresso is the world’s best, American latte art was born here all the way back in the 80s.

Fun fact: Locals love the combination of THC and caffeine so much, it’s called a Seattle speedball.

At 6:50 p.m., you’re marveling over: The selection at The Elliott Bay Book Company.

Photo credit: Brooke Fitts

Since 1973, this beloved local family-owned bookshop has offered a huge selection of brand-new books as well as bargain copies, and hosted an immense number of authors (from rookies to presidents) for talks, readings. and signings.

Insider tip: Seattleites are friendly yet famously introverted, so the best way to blend in is to pretend you don’t want to talk to anyone as you people-watch surreptitiously over the pages of your page-turner.

At 7:20 p.m., you are: Next door at Oddfellows Café + Bar, one of superstar restaurateur Linda Derschang’s many local properties.

Photo credit: Dorothée Brand

It’s quintessentially Seattle: the elevated comfort food menu, printed on compostable paper, is peppered with organic, seasonal, sustainably sourced ingredients from local purveyors; hipster and artist types fill the benches and chairs; and the historic space has been referred to as Capitol Hill’s living room. Assuming it’s nice out, snag a table on the secret brick-walled back patio.

At 9:00 p.m., you are: Trying to keep your jaw from dropping as you walk in the door at nearby Canon, which houses the largest whiskey collection in the Western hemisphere.

Photo credit: Canon

There’s a good chance it’ll be crowded, but belly up to the bar (tinted with Angostura bitters rather than wood stain) and watch the bartenders stir and shake up some of the best cocktails in the world.

What you’re ordering: The Campfire in Georgia cocktail. I’m not going to spoil the surprise, but trust me – it’s worth it.

At 10:00 p.m., a bouncer is: Letting you into Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room (just call it Neumos).

Photo credit: Laura Musselman Duffy via Flickr

This concert venue’s location at the intersection of 10th and Pike marks the epicenter of young Seattle, and serves as the beating heart of the city’s independent music scene. The grungy interior is part of the charm, and there’s a band on the schedule every night of the week: browse upcoming shows and buy tickets ahead of time here.

Take note: The quiet-ish section of 10th between Union and Pike streets is a good place to re-up on your vape pen.

At 12:00 midnight, you are: Still awake (thanks, Vivace!) and heading a block up the street to check out the famous Unicorn (with a basement club known as the Narwhal), where you’ll find the trippy, off-kilter circus décor from Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” video.

You won’t be able to hear yourself think on either level, but downstairs is always rowdier. Also, there’s no cover charge.

Pro tip: Tell them it’s your birthday and ask to wear the sequined unicorn helmet.

At 2:00 a.m., you are: Desperately in need of munchies. At this point, you have two equally tantalizing options. The first is the city’s signature 2:00 a.m. dish: a five-dollar Seattle Dog grilled at a sidewalk cart, pressed into a cream cheese-smeared bun, topped with caramelized onions and jalapeños, and smothered in mustard (sauerkraut optional). There are about eight of these carts within a one-block radius of the Unicorn.

The second option is the beloved Dick’s Drive-In: it’s been slinging classic burgers, fries, and shakes since 1953, and is on your walk back down Broadway to your B&B. No substitutions allowed here, and it’s cash only, but you won’t need much: for reference, a hamburger is $1.40.

Photo credit: Joe A. Kunzler Photo, AvgeekJoe Productions via Flickr

The third option? Follow your heart stomach and eat it all.

Bonus stop: Right before you reach Dick’s, you’ll come to the intersection of Broadway and John Street. Turn right; about a block down you’ll see Seattle’s famous mystery soda machine.

Photo credit: A Klar via Flickr

No one knows how it got there or who keeps it stocked, but the real mystery is what you’ll get when you insert 75 cents and push the “Mystery?” button. Go ahead – try it.

Day Two

At 10:30 a.m., you are: Waking and vaping. Why not? You can do that in bed. You’re also hungry, so once you’re up, head on down the street to Americana for a hearty brunch.

Photo credit: sea turtle via Flickr

There are always compelling weekly specials, but sometimes you just have to go with the maple-glazed pork belly, served alongside a corn and mozzarella pancake and scallion scrambled eggs.

At 11:45 a.m., you are: Cabbing to Uncle Ike’s, Seattle’s most well-known pot shop.

Pick up a bottle of Drift sublingual spray (a fun, fast-acting alternative to smoking or vaping), a few pre-rolls, and a couple of mouthwateringly delicious Goodship Cookies (whose packaging is so subtle you can take them, and eat them, pretty much anywhere). Then grab a cab back on down to Lake Union.

At 12:45 p.m., you are: Casting off from the dock at Moss Bay atop a rented stand-up paddleboard ($16 per hour).

Photo credit: Moss Bay

Float around on your knees a bit to get your bearings, then take a stab at standing (it’s easier than you think). Paddling across the lake takes about 20 minutes (barring strong breezes) and you’ll be met with views of the Space Needle, Mount Rainier, and Gas Works Park. Be sure you bring those pre-rolls and a lighter – on a sunny day, there’s nothing better than lying back on your board, lighting up a joint, and savoring your surroundings.

What to bring: You’ll need an ID for rental collateral. Dry bags are available for your shoes and valuables. Though it’s unlikely you’ll fall in, it’s not impossible, so wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet.

At 2:45 p.m., you are: Feeling good about spending money at Miir, a one-of-a-kind store/craft beer bar/coffee shop in Wallingford (just north of Lake Union) where every purchase funds a “trackable giving project.”

Photo credit: Miir

Picking up an insulated growler or tumbler? Proceeds go toward providing communities with clean water access. Want to splurge on a beautiful bike? Miir donates a second bike to an individual without transportation. Whatever you buy, your receipt comes with a tracking number, and if you hold onto it for at least a few months, you can look the number up on the Miir website later to see GPS coordinates and photos of exactly how your purchase helped make a difference.

What you’re skipping: The elevator to the top of the Space Needle. Yes, the view is gorgeous, but the trip up is expensive, as is the bourgeois turning restaurant at the top.

At 3:20 p.m., you are: Strolling over to Seattle’s funkiest neighborhood: Fremont, also known as the Center of the Universe. Once an old-school hippie haven, the neighborhood has accumulated an eccentric collection of art over the years, and lends itself readily to a walking tour.

Photo credit: Via Tsuji via Flickr

Attractions include a giant concrete troll clutching a VW Beetle under the bridge; a bronze likeness of local clown J.P. Patches; a massive statue of Lenin (rescued from Czechoslovakia after the Velvet Revolution); People Waiting for the Interurban (dressing them up is a favorite local pastime); a rocket; numerous celestial bodies; and two friendly topiary dinosaurs.

How to find them: This map may come in handy, but if you get lost, the Center of the Universe sign at 35th and Fremont can point you in the direction of the above points of interest, as well as Machu Picchu, Timbuktu, and the Bermuda Triangle.

At 4:20 p.m., you are: Nomming on as much chocolate as you want – for free!

The tasting room at original bean-to-bar manufacturer Theo Chocolate (a block up from those topiary dinosaurs – just follow your nose) offers samples of their numerous bars, and they won’t frown at you for trying them all more than once – so don’t be shy.

Don’t forget: As we all know, chocolate pairs beautifully with cannabis, so pick out a few bars to bring with you when you head on your way.

Unboxing the G Pen Elite Vaporizer

PGT #302-MI-Legalize Makes History in Michigan

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- “Michigan made history yesterday as the first grassroots cannabis legalization petition in the history of the […]

S 02, Ep 08: He smokes and tells jokes; He manufactures edibles

Published: Jun 2, 2016, 4:03 pm • Updated: Jun 2, 2016, 4:03 pm By Vincent Chandler, The Cannabist Staff Featured guests: Stand-up comedian Sam Tallent and Marqaha co-founder Skip Meador. Podcast: Play in new window | Download LOTS TO TALK ABOUT •  The longstanding comedy-cannabis connection. •  Which part of the plant is best for […]

Gender Related Differences in the Acute Effects of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in Healthy Humans: Sub-Study I

Verified June 2016 by Yale University Sponsor: Information provided by (Responsible Party): Mohini Ranganathan, Yale University ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02811510 First received: June 2, 2016 Last updated: June 20, 2016 Last verified: June 2016 The purpose of the study is to characterize the acute effects of cannabinoids in women relative to men and to begin probing […]

“Gum Disease” Study Finds Cannabis Users are Generally Healthy and Fit

Another cannabis study is getting some play in the media this week. This time it’s about cannabis consumers raising their risk of periodontal disease. Or, as those timid bet-hedgers at the Daily Mail put it:

Anyone who works with cannabis science can tell you that it’s worth reading these headlines with your skept-o-meter cranked to 10 because the study itself often doesn’t bear out the screaming takeaway. In some cases, the data actually disprove the scary “news.”

Such is sort of the case with the gum disease study.

The study was published on Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry, one of the field’s most respected peer-reviewed journals. The researchers, a team from Arizona State University, Duke, and other institutions, scraped statistics from the Dunedin Study, a famous data set that followed 1,037 people born in 1972 and 1973, in the town of Dunedin, New Zealand. The subjects have been tested and re-tested for decades. It’s one of the most-cited longitudinal studies in medical science.

The researchers mined the Dunedin data for adverse health effects among cannabis consumers at age 38. In other words: of those who regularly used cannabis up to age 38, were there any health problems associated with that use?

The answer: not really. All they could find was a slightly higher instance of gum disease. The reason, the researchers guessed, was that cannabis consumers tended to brush and floss less than others.

In fact, the shocker in the study was this: cannabis consumers actually exhibited better overall fitness than non-cannabis users. “Cannabis use was associated with slightly better metabolic health,” the researchers wrote. Cannabis users had smaller waist sizes and lower body mass indexes. To put it in the crudest possible Daily Mail terms:

That’s overstating the case. But it makes as much sense, scientifically, as the “teeth fall out” headline.

“Our findings show that cannabis use over 20 years was unrelated to health problems in early midlife.” I’m quoting directly from the study here. “The general lack of association between persistent cannabis use and poor physical health may be surprising,” the scientists wrote. So surprising, in fact, that they racked their brains to come up with possible reasons. “One explanation is that healthy youth select into cannabis use,” they wrote. “Another explanation is that cannabis users may have healthier adult lifestyles.”

Another explanation might be that cannabis users in this cohort found a way to incorporate cannabis into a healthy lifestyle. They successfully avoided repeating the stoner stereotype—the fat slob, the loser, the burned-out head.

It’s a shame the reporters and editors writing up the results couldn’t do the same. Coverage in health news wire services and medical news sites foregrounded the gum disease angle. JAMA Psychiatry put out a press release headlined, “Long-term Marijuana Use Associated with Periodontal Disease.” The Guardian offered a more balanced headline, but defaulted to a classically stupid photo of a person in purple weed glasses.

Curiously, one of the few places we saw even-handed coverage of the study was on the Facebook page of the Jacobs Foundation, the nonprofit Swiss organization that partially funded the study, which said, “Long-Term Study Finds No Ill Effects of Cannabis Smoking on Physical Health, Apart From Gum Disease.”

Well done, Jacobs Foundation. Your Facebook page just became one of the world’s most accurate medical news outlets.

Toronto Update: “More Raids Coming,” but Some Dispensaries Stay Open

At Cannabis Culture, a Toronto dispensary that remains one of the city’s few open cannabis storefronts, the line of customers went out the door and down the block yesterday. One week after Toronto police raided 43 medical marijuana dispensaries and arrested 90 owners and employees, patients are scrambling to find access points—and when they do, they often confront long lines and limited inventory.

The mood at this Queen Street dispensary—which actually had its grand opening the day after the raids—was cordial but grim. Co-owners Jodie Emery and Erin Goodwin, well-known Canadian cannabis activists, greeted customers and encouraged staff members. Raymond Hathaway, a paralegal, sat at a desk near the door, explaining to a patient how his denial of access to cannabis entitled him to file a human rights complaint. “Tell me where else in the world do you need the help of a paralegal just to access your medicine?” he said. Later that day, Hathaway sent a letter to the city announcing his intention to sue over rights infringement.

As patients streamed in to Cannabis Culture, many seemed upset, bewildered, or just plain angry at the situation.

Cannabis Culture in Toronto, after the crowds.

“I came from across town to get my medicine,” said one patient, who had seen local media coverage that Cannabis Culture was serving anyone 19 or older who needed marijuana. “Wow, look at all the people!”

“Thank you, thank you so much” several customers said as they left.

Just yesterday, store staff were rattled when Toronto police came in to investigate the long line down the block. While they left without laying charges, patients are not lingering. They hustle in and out as quickly as they can.

Co-owner Erin Goodwin said she was resolved to stay open as long as possible.

Cannabis Culture co-owner Erin Goodwin: standing firm.

“We have long lineups here at the store, people are thrilled to be getting their medicine, and we’re happy to be helping them,” she told me yesterday. When asked about the prospect of being raided, Goodwin said, “We’ve been told by the police that more raids are coming, but the staff at Cannabis Culture are going to stand firm. Even if we get charged we will keep opening. We’re proud of what we’re doing.”

“We’re demonstrating what legalization should look like,” co-owner Jodie Emery told Leafly. “Peaceful, open, honest transactions between consenting adults. No force, no coercion. Simple supply and demand. And until the government can prove demonstrable harm from these businesses, we deserve to stay open, especially considering dangerous, deadly drugs are sold in bars and restaurants every single day.”

As rumors of another round of raids abound, Toronto’s dispensary community is recovering from last week’s police action and bracing for more. Some dispensaries have shuttered their doors, while others remain defiantly open to serve patients. One week ago Toronto had many well-functioning neighborhood dispensaries. Today the city has an unreliable patchwork of stores with unpredictable medicine supplies and long lineups at the few locations still open. In this tense environment, controversy also swirls around who called for the raids—and why.

Across the city, dispensary owners are trying to understand the rationale for the harsh law enforcement approach instead of civil discourse. Many dispensaries had operated for years without issues with police. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to who got raided and who didn’t. It was initially thought that dispensaries that only served patients registered with the Health Canada’s MMPR (Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations) program would avoid police action, but that wasn’t the case. Whatever the rationale, one common comment about the police who conducted the raids was that they were very polite. Many were even apologetic, saying, “We’re so sorry” over and over.

At last weekend’s Lift Cannabis Expo in Toronto, dispensary owners uneasily mingled with licensed producers.

In Canada, licensed producers like Bedrocan and Tilray operate under Health Canada’s MMPR, and their patients receive medicine through the mail. Storefront dispensaries are not licensed by Health Canada, and their federal legal status remains unclear. Dispensary owners argue that while their operations may be technically illegal, so is the federal government’s MMPR program, which was ruled unconstitutional by Canada’s Supreme Court in February. (Full disclosure: Leafly is owned by Privateer Holdings, which also owns Tilray.)

Among the many conversations, there was much discussion on how the raids came about. The dispensary community initially directed its anger at Mayor John Tory and Police Chief Mark Saunders. Dispensary advocates argued that their response was far too harsh to address a reported 50-60 complaints. Why not, dispensary owners wondered, reach out and talk to the dispensaries the way Victoria and Vancouver city officials had done prior to regulating?

After the passage of a week, though, the focus seems to be shifting towards the role former Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair may have had in encouraging the raids. Blair is now a Toronto MP. Five months ago Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Blair as his government’s point man on recreational cannabis legalization.

On Tuesday, May 24, Blair met with a group of licensed producers and financiers at a high-end hotel in Toronto. Blair gave the audience a damning assessment of all the dispensaries. “The current licensed producers are competing with people who don’t care about the law, who don’t care about regulations, don’t care about kids, they don’t care about communities, don’t care about health of Canadians,” he said. “They’re pretty reckless about it. And so they’re selling anything to make a fast buck before we get the regulations put in place.”

Two days later, Toronto police initiated the first raids in “Project Claudia.”

Regardless of how the raids were initiated, the repercussions will be felt more months and years to come. At a meeting earlier this week with a local criminal defense attorney, a group of dispensary owners arrested in the raids worried about the fate of many young staff members who now face criminal charges. “These are just young kids starting their lives, trying to do something positive, looking for their first job,” one said. “They don’t deserve to pay for that with a criminal record.”

State of the Leaf: Illinois Extends MMJ Through 2020, Maine Battle Catches Fire

New this week in cannabis reform: California finds a rising racial disparity in arrests, and Oakland is hoping to make amends. Delaware will be holding an open forum on cannabis, Maine’s legalization opposition just got a new leader of the pack, North Carolina is trying to expand their medical law and Illinois and Ohio MMJ measures are awaiting signatures from their respective governors (but both will become law even if they don’t sign).

On the international scene, Barbados sees an uptick in cannabis decriminalization support, Bulgaria strikes out for medical cannabis, and Israel’s Justice Minister considers decriminalizing soft drugs. Are you in the know?

U.S. News Updates

California

• Despite the relaxing of cannabis laws in California in recent years, new data compiled by the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU of California found a disturbing trend in racially motivated arrests, with black citizens four times as likely to be arrested for a marijuana-related offense than white citizens. The racial disparity is actually growing worse. In 2010, blacks were just 2.2 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession.
• The Oakland City Council took measures to ensure that minority-owned businesses are a top priority in the cannabis industry, voting to allot half of all medical marijuana permits to applicants who have either been arrested for cannabis and/or lived two years or more in an area of East Oakland with high marijuana arrest rates. http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/06/01/california-marijuana-enforcement-4-times-more-severe-for-black-people-study-finds/

Delaware

• The Coalition to Regulate Cannabis in Delaware will be joining forces with the Marijuana Policy Project, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, and the Cannabis Bureau of Delaware for a town hall forum on June 7^th at 7pm to discuss changing the state’s cannabis laws. MPP will hold an open discussion for all members from the community to explore topics related to legalization, such as taxation and regulation for a legal retail marijuana market, the benefits of ending prohibition, infrastructural models from other legal states and how to pass legislation in Delaware. The event will be held at the New Ark United Church of Christ on June 7^th at 7pm. If you’re interested, please find more details here.

Illinois

• After much consideration, Illinois lawmakers voted to extend the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program, which was set to expire in 2017. The program will now run through July 2020 and will include two new qualifying conditions, post-traumatic stress disorder and terminal illness. The extension makes a number of significant changes to the law. It will allow authorization cards for patients and caregivers to last three years, rather than just one, and will also excuse repeated fingerprinting for criminal background checks. The bill will speed up the authorization approval process for patients with terminal illnesses, approving within 14 days, rather than the current six to seven weeks. Governor Rauner initially protested that the program needed to sufficient evaluation before being considered for an extension, but his approval on this measure marks an about-face from the usually cannabis-shy politician.
• A bill to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana passed through the House of Representatives and is now on the desk of Gov. Rauner. Senate Bill 2228 would reduce the penalty for the possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana from an arrestable offense to a ticket with a fine between $100 and $200 per offense. Many advocates have been wondering if the bill will obtain the elusive signature of Gov. Rauner, who has remained lukewarm, at best, on the topic of cannabis in the Land of Lincoln, although he has made statements that he would “probably be comfortable” passing a decriminalization bill. Gov. Rauner has 60 days to sign the bill or veto it before it becomes state law.

Iowa

• The Iowa Court of Appeals just made a major ruling on the classification of cannabis in Iowa. Carl Olsen, a cannabis activist and would-be medical patient, requested in 2013 that the Iowa Board of Pharmacy reclassify cannabis as a controlled substance known to have medicinal benefits. The Appeals Court ruled in favor of the Pharmacy Board, saying that they had the proper authority to deny his request for reclassification. The Iowa Legislature also rejected an earlier attempt to expand the state’s limited medical cannabis oil laws. The failed proposal would have allowed patients to procure medicine from other states.

Maine

• An opposition group has formed a new coalition to defeat Maine’s legalization initiative. Mainers Protecting Our Youth and Communities is led by Scott Gagnon, chairman of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Maine. Gagnon declined to name any members of the group and said the leadership is still forming. “This initiative to legalize marijuana poses significant threats to our youth and communities,” said Gagnon, citing the “highly addictive and dangerous products” that come with legalization.
• Meanwhile, David Boyer, manager of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Alcohol, wasn’t surprised by Gagnon’s claims. “It’s unfortunate that they’re already bringing out scare tactics and wild exaggerations,” Boyer said. “It’s unfortunate that they’re using Reefer Madness 2.0 to stretch the truth.”

North Carolina

• North Carolina may be getting a chance to expand their limited CBD medical cannabis program. House Bill 983 is cosponsored by Representative Greg Murphy (R-Pitt), a medical doctor who believes that medical cannabis could be used as a tool for physicians to ease the suffering of patients with chronic pain or other diseases and conditions. If the bill passes, it would legalize and tax medical marijuana at $8 per ounce.

Ohio

• The Ohio legislature just approved House Bill 523, which would legalize limited forms of medical cannabis for patients who suffer from one of 20 qualifying conditions. The group Ohioans for Medical Marijuana has been against the bill since it was announced, calling it a “moderately good piece of legislation,” but criticizing it for not containing strong patient protections. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana had collected more than 100,000 signatures for their own campaign, which would have placed a new initiative on the November ballot, but the group has suspended their efforts in lieu of the expected passage of HB 523. The bill is awaiting the signature of Governor John Kasich, but will become law within 10 days with or without his approval.

International News Updates

Barbados

• A new study from the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Research Services found more support for the decriminalization of cannabis than the last public opinion poll taken in 2008, but a majority remains opposed to legalizing cannabis. The poll, conducted on behalf of the Attorney General, found that 30 percent of Barbadians support partial legalization for medicinal and religious purposes, 15 percent support full legalization, and 37 percent think cannabis should remain illegal. This is a significant jump from the 2008 survey, in which 73 percent of Barbadians believed marijuana should remain illegal, with just 9 percent in support of legalization.

Bulgaria

• Bulgarian lawmakers considered legalizing medical marijuana last week, but the proposal was rejected in an overwhelming show of opposition. Only three members out of 240 supported the proposal, which would have allowed the use of oral spray infused with cannabis oil. The bill was proposed by Velizar Enchev, a former intelligence officer and member of the nationalist Patriotic Front coalition. He cited a number of studies and research that shows the medicinal benefits of cannabis as treatment for cancer, multiple sclerosis and to mitigate chemotherapy side effects. About 70 lawmakers voted against the proposal, while 22 abstained from voting entirely.

Israel

• Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked announced today that the Justice Ministry will be exploring the possibility of decriminalizing soft drugs such as cannabis. Under the potential changes, those caught using soft substances would be subject to a fine, but would not face criminal charges. Shaked has been considering a change in drug policy since she was elected into office last year, and has already made extensive progress on the issue. The new proposed legislation would decriminalize the possession up to 15 grams of cannabis for anyone over the age of 21, with a charge of NIS 300 ($77 USD) for private possession and a charge of NIS 1,500 ($389 USD) for public possession.

Oregon Cannabis Growers’ Fair Is Coming To The Oregon State Fairgrounds

I have lived my entire life in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon. It’s one of the most beautiful places on earth, and home to the Oregon State Fairgrounds. I have gone to the Oregon State Fair, and events at the fairgrounds, as far back as I can remember. My community college graduation was held there,

Poland is Slowly Warming to the Healing Properties of Cannabis

The Polish capital of Warsaw saw as many as 10,000 people turn out over the weekend for the city’s annual cannabis legalization demonstration, a peaceful march called Marsz Wyzwolenia Konopi (Cannabis Liberation March). The turnout, according to one of the organizers, Joanna Rutkowska, proves that more and more Polish people are fed up with prohibition.

The relationship between cannabis and Poles — there are 40 million of them — is a complicated one. Poland, by far the biggest and most populous country in Central Europe, is well known for its strong Catholicism and conservative traditions, both of which color attitudes against any illegal drug: In the eyes of most Poles, cannabis is a dangerous drug, like heroin or meth. But the tide might finally be turning as a result of an unprecedented increase in the number of sick people treating themselves with cannabis products, mostly extracts high in THC.

There are more objective media reports on the topic lately, thanks largely to the work of a new generation of Polish cannabis activists. With the influx of reliable information, public opinion on therapeutic use of cannabis seems to be shifting.

In 2011, the Polish government amended the drug law and officially decriminalized possession of small amounts of cannabis. But offenders are still arrested, and it’s up to the prosecutor alone whether to press charges or dismiss the case.

In March, former President Alexander Kwasniewski came out in favor of decriminalization. He encouraged considering all available options and noted that some jurisdictions have legalized cannabis without international repercussions.

Only a few years ago, if you’d have asked passersby in Warsaw about their views on medical cannabis, the vast majority would have either replied, “I don’t know” or “What are you talking about?” Today the situation is different. Medical professionals are becoming more and more interested in cannabis compounds, and patients are demanding legal access to the promising treatments. Media are not just presenting reefer madness; they’re also highlighting patients’ heartbreaking stories. And politicians are, at last, opening their eyes to possible forms of legalization.

Cannabis is starting to be seen as a medicine first and a drug second. Even some members of the clergy are now defending medical use of cannabis.

The case of Dr. Marek Bachánski, however, shows there’s still a long way to go. Bachánski, a renowned pediatrician, had to quit his position at a Warsaw hospital this past October after admitting he was treating young epileptic patients with cannabis preparations.

Like in most countries, the change has had to come from the bottom up. Just a few years ago, Polish activists repeatedly made dangerous journeys to the Czech Republic to smuggle back kilograms of cannabis extracts intended for seriously sick and dying patients. “Although it didn’t work for everybody, the positive results were overwhelming, and the word started to spread incredibly fast,” said Jakub Gajewski, a prominent Polish activist and the director of NGO Wolne Konopie (Free Cannabis).

Gajewski is currently facing up to fifteen years in prison for bringing “highly dangerous substances” — meaning cannabis extracts — from the Czech Republic to Poland. “I have never made any money on it and only gave it to sick people who needed it,” he said, “so I refuse all the accusations and I will fight our government at the International Court of Justice if necessary.”

Polish police did not take Gajewski into custody after he was arrested last year, and because his trial has not yet started, he and his fellow activists have been able to run a nationwide campaign for liberalization of cannabis laws in the country. They’ve organized dozens of seminars, medical conferences, and marches all around the country, and have even helped open a discussion in the Polish Parliament about legalizing medical cannabis.

Piotr Liroy-Marzec, also known as Liroy, a Polish parliamentarian and former hip-hop artist, earlier this year put forth a bill to legalize medical cannabis. But hopes of a fair law and access to medical cannabis faded in March, when Deputy Health Minister Krzystof Łanda announced the government will only refund payments for prescription cannabinoid spray Sativex and for dried flower from Dutch producer Bedrocan, and only if the doctor confirms that cannabis is the best medical option for a particular patient.

According to Polish journalist Jasiek Bluz, officials introduced the changes mainly to “get the activists off their backs and pretend they are actually doing something positive in this regard.” The reality, Bluz wrote, is that “doctors are scared as hell to prescribe cannabis, and so far there were just about four patients whose medical cannabis was refunded.”

Disappointing? Sure. But the genie of medical cannabis is out of the bottle in Poland, and it looks to be quite impossible to get it back in.

US CA: Column: Cannabis For Life

East Bay Express, 01 Jun 2016 – What Five Years in Prison Taught California Former Dispensary Owner Dale Schafer, and Why He’s Thinking About Getting Back into the Marijuana Biz A judge sentenced Dale Schafer to 60 months federal prison in 2008, but now the attorney and celebrity drug-war is out – and getting back into marijuana.

Meet Loopr: Denver’s New Dab Bus

FDA Approves Candy Amphetamines for Kids, but THC Edibles for Adults Remain Controversial

Cannabis-infused edibles have fought a steep uphill battle against policymakers who claim they appeal to children, but the FDA just approved a candy-flavored amphetamine meant for children with ADHD. The dissolvable orange-flavored medication, called Adzenys, is a slow-release amphetamine similar to Adderall and Ritalin – only this rendition is a tastier formulation for children six years and older.

Sure, the stimulant medication is meant for children while cannabis treats are most definitely not, but there’s still something wrong with this picture.

The latest government statistics show that 75 percent of children diagnosed with ADHD are being treated with amphetamine-based drugs. That figure is already astonishingly high. Now render those drugs into a sweet, easy-to-eat candy and you have to wonder how prescription and overdose rates might change.

Think about it. Cannabis-infused treats have been continually under fire because children might accidentally consume them. Thankfully, there have been no recorded fatal THC overdoses, but this is not the case with stimulants.

Even at low doses, amphetamines can induce the following overdose effects:

• Increased heart rate and irregular heartbeat
• Increased blood flow and unusual blood pressure
• Alter the brain’s dopamine “reward” pathways
• Tremors, shaking, twitching, and spasms
• Rapid breathing
• Aggressive behavior
• Nausea and vomiting
• Fever
• Stomach cramping
• Hallucinations

And in rarer instances, amphetamines can induce convulsions, coma, and death. The list of short- and long-term side effects is even longer.

Cannabis consumption can lead to an array of unpleasant effects from paranoia to panic to hallucination, and these products should absolutely be stored securely and packaged in child-proof packaging. But even with these precautions in place, their appeal toward children remains an argument against cannabis legalization.

In legal states, cannabis edibles are sold in child-proof packaging that might as well be a locked iron gate. Adzenys, however, comes in blister packets–just bend along the perforated line and peel the packaging back. You don’t have to be a child prodigy to figure out how to bust into that.

The product is a polarizing force among pediatric psychiatrists. Some insist that a candy formula of an already overprescribed and addicting drug is asking for trouble, while others are of the mind that Adezenys is simply an alternative delivery method for kids who hate swallowing pills.

Despite the controversy, Adzenys’ sales team at Neos Therapeutics is having no problem finding its foothold in the medical market. Physicians are listening and biting the bait. This comes as no surprise when you consider the fact that ADHD medication has boomed into a $12.7 billion industry as of 2015. Compare that to the legal marijuana industry, worth $5.7 billion in the same year.

No doubt the drug is going to hit the market with vigor, but with what consequences?

Hat tip to STAT News and High Times for the story.

5 Ways Runners Can Incorporate Cannabis into Their Training

Despite the impressive progress that’s been made over the past few years to legitimize cannabis as a safe, effective medical option and wellness aid, a few stereotypes persist. One such falsehood is that cannabis consumers are lazy and unmotivated, content to fuse their Taco Bell wrapper-blanketed bodies to their couches while binge-watching Netflix. In reality, consumers are comprised of all different types. Yes, some prefer to shy away from exercise, but others intentionally utilize cannabis as a tool to aid their training efforts, which is what I do with running.

I started running regularly in 2007, slogging through my first half marathon on little training and in horribly inefficient clothing (cotton is not your friend for endurance sport attire). Since then, I’ve completed six marathons, two Ironman triathlons, and countless other races of varying distances. When I joined Leafly in 2013, my cannabis consumption increased (it wasn’t a job requirement, just a personal choice), and at first I was a bit worried that my ability to stay fit and chase personal records would decline. To my surprise, supplementing my run training with cannabis has actually helped both my motivation and my recovery, and I improved my marathon time enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon, which I ran this year (in Leafly gear, of course).

For all of the runners out there who are curious about cannabis consumption, you’re not alone — I know plenty of runners who are fast, fit, and canna-friendly (I’m pretty sure most elite trail runners are no stranger to the product), and neither their health nor their training has been compromised. Here are some ways you can utilize cannabis while you train.

1. Energetic Strains Pre-Run Can Give You a Little Pick-Me-Up

I’m not much of a joint smoker, as I find that particular consumption method to be too harsh on my lungs (which we need to be nice and healthy while we bust out our aerobic efforts). Instead, I prefer to use a vaporizer, as it heats your flower or concentrate and converts it into vapor at a lower temperature than the material’s combustion rate. The result is a much smoother experience that doesn’t compromise your breathing or lung health.

If you’re looking for a little boost before your run, you can pick up an energetic strain to vape beforehand. While an uplifting sativa will get your mind racing, it may not provide as much of a body boost, so I recommend a balanced hybrid that can bump up your motivation while delivering active body effects as well. Here are some strain recommendations to inspire you to grab your run shoes and head out the door.

2. An Edible Pre- or Mid-Run Can Help You Find Your Rhythm

One of my guilty pleasures is popping a 10mg edible either before my run or during a long run to help me get through a 20-miler I’ve been dreading. I keep the dosage low so I feel enough of the effects to have a pleasant body high without melting into a puddle of goo a block from my house. The sensation is fantastic — it feels like a typical runner’s high, and I often forget that I’m stoned until I stop running and my mind hones in on the waves pulsating through my body. I’m a fan of EdiPure’s dried pineapples and often have a couple in my fuel belt on “standby” in case I need a power up to bail me out of a long run that’s not going well.

3. Infused Topicals are Just What Your Sore Muscles Need

Is your booty aching from hill repeats? Quads burning thanks to those long descents? Calves tight from a high-mileage week? If your legs are begging for mercy after an especially punishing run, a cannabis-infused topical can help soothe your tired muscles. Although you may feel a tingle in the spot where you apply it, topicals are non-psychoactive so you won’t get high from using them. The cannabinoids infused into them are great for easing pain, soreness, and inflammation.

After a run, I’ll typically stretch, roll any tight or sore spots with a dense foam roller or lacrosse ball, and finish my regimen by working an infused topical into the area that needs a little TLC. My favorite is Vida Verde’s sport soothe-ice, although their fire balm is another potent tool you should consider adding to your arsenal. Kush Creams and Cannabis Basics also make some fantastic topicals that I’ve successfully used to subdue my aching legs.

4. Need to Quell Your Post-Run Gut Woes? There’s a Strain for That!

Every runner has experienced the dreaded post-run sour stomach at some point, myself included. Thankfully, there are numerous strains that help remedy stomach pain, and once I’ve showered, eaten, and stretched, I pack my vape to settle any nausea or gut woes that were brought on from a tough run. A good strain helps every time, allowing me to enjoy the rest of my day feeling relaxed and happy instead of hobbling to the toilet every 20 minutes.

5. Soreness Keeping You Up at Night? There’s a Strain for That, Too!

It can be extremely difficult to get a fulfilling night’s sleep after a punishing workout or a race where you gave it your all. Each time you turn in bed can feel like an exhausting effort to shift your aching body into a comfortable position, leaving you tired and cranky in the morning. Thankfully, a potent indica can help you get the sleep your body desperately needs to help rebuild your muscles and recover for your next feat. After a bowl of Northern Lights, I’m ready to face-plant into my pillow and temporarily forget how much pain I inflicted upon my legs (typically 26 miles’ worth).

Do you enjoy running? Share how you supplement your training regimen with cannabis — what’s your favorite consumption method or strain to pair with your runs?

I Spent 3 Hours on Loopr, Denver’s New Dab Bus. Here’s Who I Met.

The bus stopped in front of Little Man, Denver’s wildly popular ice cream shop, at a few minutes past 8 p.m. The door opened and the driver waved me aboard.

“Welcome to Loopr,” he said.

For the next three hours I romped around Denver, rolling joints, taking dabs, making friends, and dancing in a smoked-out club on wheels.

Loopr is a cannabis-friendly bus — BYOC, please — that drives in a continuous loop around Denver on weekends, charging $25 for a 24-hour “membership.” It’s been called the “Uber for Stoners,” but that’s not quite true. Most Uber drivers don’t have an ergonomically designed dab rig built into the center console.

The heavily customized bus (more on that in a minute) winds along a designated route, passing major bar districts, hotels, munchie hotspots, dispensaries, and concert venues. Once you download the app, you can watch the tiny bus move along a map of the city. Owner Bryan Spatz conceived the bus as a way to solve Colorado’s consumption problem: Tourists can legally purchase cannabis, but they have no place to legally consume. Only a handful of hotels advertise as cannabis-friendly, and public consumption is illegal. But a bus is considered a private space, one of the only safe havens available in which cannabis tourists can legally partake.

It’s taken a while to get the service up and running. The app was glitchy in its early days, but by last weekend Loopr seemed to have found its groove.

As you climb aboard, the first thing you notice is the driver, Angel, who’s sort of hermetically sealed off from the rest of the bus. Because contact high. Seated in a plastic bubble, he’s protected further from the secondhand-smoke by a locking door. The door slides open and you walk into a space drenched in bright lights and lasers. TV screens play music videos above booths and tables, where crews of friends roll joints. The classic limousine-style sideways seating fills the rest of the space. Spatz designed the bus to feel as comfortable and club-like as possible.

The interior features glassware that won’t tip over and can be used while the bus is in motion. Photo by Lindsey Bartlett

Spatz was sitting on the bus when we climbed aboard, along with resident glass blower Hal Taback, and Delaney, the evening’s Loopr concierge.

What makes Loopr unique is the bus’s dab rig system; it is the sun around which all riders seem to be drawn. Three glass bongs are anchored using water within weighted glass. The glass goes deep, fitting 6 inches down inside a hole cut in the table. They don’t tip over and can be easily employed when the bus is moving.

What makes the Loopr experience memorable, though, are the people who ride it.

Two young women caught the Loopr moments after I came aboard. Essence and Carolyn were dressed to impress. They were taking the bus to a nightclub in LoDo. They claimed a booth, rolled a joint, and fired up.

On a nearby couch, a character named Mars introduced himself. “Denver’s awesome. I’m only here for five or six hours then I’m on my way to Vegas,” he said. Mars was a 30 year-old martial arts instructor from California. He wore a ninja headband, a lavish fur coat, and enjoyed hovering and dancing near the bong rig table. “We use weed to channel energy and work out all day.”

“I’ve died 12 times,” Mars proclaimed. The self-described Viking samurai found the Loopr on the street and decided to take a ride. His energy and presence enveloped the bus. “Right before I met y’all, I just saved 27 people,” he told us. “I saved their spirit.”

Mars, a martial arts professor from California who uses cannabis “to channel energy and work out all day.” Photo by Lindsey Bartlett

As the bus passed by City Park in the center of town, large and cloaked in night, the conversation grew more intense.

Victoria hit a joint passed to her by Mars. A former hairstylist from New Jersey, she’s been in Denver for less than a year. Victoria is the whimsical stoner mermaid girl of your dreams. She told me she made her way to Colorado “as soon as possible” to work in the industry. After all, she said, marijuana is her calling.

At another stop, we welcomed Kyle. A three-year dread head from Florissant, Colo., Kyle also happened to be a cannabis grower. He brought with him two friends and the largest dollop of shatter I’d ever seen in one piece. “This is my baby,” Kyle said as he whipped out a mason jar containing about two ounces of his own freshly cured bud.

As the clock struck 9, Natalie hopped aboard. Born in Canada, she spent time living in Ghana before making her way to Colorado six years ago. She’s a gem and mineral curator for natural history museums. Natalie’s not her real name. She has to remain anonymous, she told me, because of the “double life” she leads, being a professional and a cannabis consumer. She talks about the changing face of cannabis culture and what it means to break down the “lazy stoner” stereotype. It’s not just a theory for Natalie. She lives it. “One lady dab, that’s all I can do,” she said.

By 10 p.m., we’d made our way to Emerald Fields, a store open late because of its location in Glendale, a 0.6-square-mile town that acts as the Vegas of Denver. Cannabis stores in Denver have to close by 7 p.m., but Glendale plays by its own rules: Dispensaries in the tiny municipality can stay open until midnight.

Riders replenished their cannabis and wax stock at Emerald Fields, then it was back on the bus.

Around 11 p.m., I decided to call it a night. The elevated cast of characters remained on the bus as I bid adieau, still taking in the night and thankful for a sober ride back to my neighborhood. Loud laughter echoed from the bus as I parted. As I walked home, I realized one of the few drawbacks of a cruise in Loopr: I reeked. I smiled and thought, Small price to pay for a memorable evening.

Cannabis Tourism 101: What to Know and Where to Go

With cannabis reform sweeping the world, canna-friendly vacations are becoming possible in many different scenic and exciting locations. Recreational use is now legal in four different states and the District of Columbia, while at least a half dozen more states will vote on legalization this year. Latin America and the Caribbean is opening up too, with Uruguay, Mexico, Jamaica, and Colombia leading the way toward ending the Drug War completely. Across the pond, the Czech Republic, Spain, and Portugal have joined Holland in decriminalizing personal use, while Germany just legalized medical marijuana – a sign that other major European countries will be falling like dominos soon.

But because cannabis laws are confusing even in the most progressive places, like Colorado (where smoking in public can still land you a $999 fine), cannabis tourism is still far from a free-for-all: there is plenty you need to know before you simply pack and go. Whether you’re looking for canna-friendly accommodations where you can toke to your heart’s delight without getting hassled, or would like advice on how to find bud, edibles, and accessories while on vacay, we hope this basic guide to cannabis travel will inform, educate, and inspire you.

Bud and Breakfasts and Cannabis-Friendly Hotels

One of the easiest ways to ensure that you can enjoy your medicine without worry is to stay in an accommodation that is designated 420-friendly by its owners. Colorado is pioneering this movement with luxury digs like Nativ Hotel downtown, where half the rooms come with balconies where smoking and vaping is allowed, and the B&B Adagio, which offers six historic suites designed specifically with the cannabis connoisseur in mind.

But a Rocky Mountain high is just the tip of the cola for the fast expanding cannabis-friendly accommodation market. Check out the listing site Bud and Breakfast for an Airbnb-style selection of international rooms and properties, including everything from cabanas on the white sand beaches of Ibiza, Spain, to lodges in the temperate rainforests of Homer, Alaska. Every listing is completely cannabis friendly and many come furnished with bongs, vaporizer rigs, or infused welcome mints, so you don’t even have to travel with your paraphernalia.

Buying Cannabis and Edibles Hassle-Free

The current worldwide legal landscape of cannabis is a patchwork quilt of different regulations and laws that is anything but clear and comforting to the casual consumer. The best way to steer clear of problems is to contact local dispensaries and cannabis clubs before leaving home. You should be able to get an authoritative rundown on what the current local rules are and make valuable insider contacts that can put you in touch with quality herb and other products.

In places where cannabis remains illegal, like England for example, organizations like the London Cannabis Club hold meetups and events, including smoke-outs in public locations and private dinner parties where marijuana is cooked right into the main dish. Organizations like this are also intensely active in the fight to legalize cannabis locally, and can both inform and connect you before you arrive in “The Big Smoke” (as London is nicknamed).

Even in countries that do not persecute cannabis, like Spain, where gorgeous Barcelona is earning a reputation as the “New Amsterdam” due to the proliferation of cannabis clubs, connecting before arriving is an intelligent move. Almost all of Barcelona’s 350-plus cannabis clubs are members only, meaning you cannot simply show up and join the party unannounced. However, Cannabis Barcelona can set you up before your trip with everything you’re going to need to smoke out like a local when you arrive.

Buying on the street can be problematic but it can also be the best deal in town, especially in developing countries like Colombia and Mexico where personal possession is decriminalized but there are no dispensaries or formal clubs. Your best insurance is to fully research the particular laws in the places you are visiting before engaging in any street transactions, as prohibitions and punishments vary greatly by location and quantity of possession. The Citizens’ Guide to State by State Marijuana Laws by Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML, is a great resource for anyone planning a trip in the U.S. To find individual dispensaries on your travels, use Leafly’s dispensary finder.

Enjoying Cannabis Travel and Tourism Responsibly

Whether sampling cheeses and wines in the finest restaurants in Paris with your taste buds enhanced by a puff of Girl Scout Cookies or taking an introspective stroll through the ancient Redwood Forest of Humboldt County, California under the semi-psychedelic influence of a Jack Flash infused brownie, cannabis can be integrated into almost any travel plan with amazing results. Just be careful to respect local laws and customs, keeping consumption out of the view of families and children in traditionally conservative cultures and passing the joint when among like-minded locals.

In fact, the riskiest part of cannabis tourism is in the travel itself, as cannabis remains illegal at a federal level in the U.S., which unfortunately governs airports, flights, and other forms of transportation like Amtrak (an incredible way to travel while fully loaded, by the way). If you’re going to travel with cannabis, it’s best to have some sort of medical card or official legal documentation ready to show authorities.

As the world embraces cannabis like never before and cannabis travel begins to evolve, there’s no time like the present get out there and enjoy it.

The Shake: This is What 48 Hours on Edibles Feels Like

Edibles legal in Oregon starting tomorrow! Because… nobody… has been able to obtain or consume them… prior to this… at all? Ahem. According to state rules that take effect June 2, licensed dispensaries may now sell edibles that contain up to 15mg of THC. Customers are limited to buying one “unit” — or 15mg of THC — per day. Which is kind of like limiting customers to a single can of Budweiser. But I guess it’s progress. (The state’s also pushing a “Try 5” campaign to encourage novice users to start low and go slow — good advice when it comes to edibles.)

Potlander eats nothing but infused foods for 48 hours. Celebrating the impending legality of edibles in Oregon, Willamette Week writer Tyler Hurst went 48 hours consuming only infused foods. “I came through this fine,” he reports, with an ever-present buzz punctuated now and then by a sugar high.

Ohio MMJ bill sits lonely and ignored on governor’s desk. The bad news: The governor is John Kasich, who spent much of his time as a presidential candidate defending cannabis prohibition. The good news: If Kasich takes no action within 10 days, the bill will automatically become law.

Yes, it’s possible to lose money in the cannabis biz. Just ask the former employees of MediJean, a British Columbia cannabis producer that recently went belly-up. Now the company’s assets, including 350 cannabis grow lights, 50 air ventilators, and two dozen giant fans, are being auctioned at a warehouse in Richmond, B.C.

Mystery in San Jose: What happened to the cannabis czar? Nobody in San Jose, California, knows what happened to Angelique Gaeta, the longtime administrator who ran the city’s medical marijuana program. But apparently she’s gone. “City Hall is mum about why Gaeta, who’s been with the city 15 years, was shown the door,” reports the San Jose Mercury News

Sign o’ the times: Board shop closing, cannabis shop opening. In Anchorage, Alaska, the AK Boardroom on Fourth Avenue is closing because there hasn’t been enough snow in recent years. In its place: a cannabis retail shop called Alaska Fireweed, owned by an oil industry engineer who just got laid off from his job up on the North Slope. Oil prices are falling. Snow isn’t. And cannabis is rising.

NCIA And ArcView Criticize NASDAQ In Letter After MassRoots Rejection

I stand with MassRoots. MassRoots was recently rejected by NASDAQ, and the National Cannabis Industry Association and ArcView Group issued a joint letter criticizing NASDAQ’s decision, and supporting MassRoots’ appeal. I don’t know a lot about the stock market, and all the details of NASDAQ’s application process, but I do know flawed logic based off

'We’re Gonna Poke Everyone with Pitchforks': Dutch ‘Medical Social Club’ Pushes Limits

A social club for medical cannabis patients in the northern region of the Netherlands is about to open its third illegal location in less than a year, a testament to the Dutch demand for quality cannabis.

The club, Medical Social Club Suver Nuver, has more than 1,200 members and supplies cannabis oil to roughly 2,500 people. All this is technically against the law, but founder Rinus Beintema believes he’s come up with a way to align the club’s activities with existing Dutch cannabis policy. “We steer our own course,” he said. “We’re stubborn farmers here in the north, and we’re gonna poke everyone’s ass with our pitchforks.”

Although the Netherlands officially legalized medical cannabis in 2003, a large number of patients do not buy the cannabis available in pharmacies, which is produced by a company called Bedrocan. Patients have complained that the five strains offered by Bedrocan are too limited, that the cannabis is treated with gamma radiation, and that only a few insurance companies will cover the cost. Many Dutch patients simply don’t want to smoke and are looking for cannabis in a different form.

Cannabis oil is available at only one Dutch pharmacy, which produces it in-house from Bedrocan buds. Bedrocan has stated that it’s working on cannabis oil, but it’s not yet available. As a result, the Netherlands, like a lot of European countries, is home to an underground system for producing and distributing medicinal cannabis oil. And it’s growing every day.

It’s important to remember that the cultivation of cannabis is still illegal in the Netherlands. To make matters worse, hash oil, another term for cannabis oil, has been listed as a Class A drug since the ‘70s. Apart from the one pharmacy in The Hague that makes its own oils, any production of cannabis oil also is illegal.

The situation hasn’t stopped Rinus Beintsema, 49, from starting what he calls a “medical social club” to connect patients, growers, and extractors. Beintsema started working in an Amsterdam coffeeshop around 1980, but he said he only discovered the medicinal properties of cannabis oil about three years ago. To his surprise, the father of one of his friends, who was suffering from severe arthritis, asked him to make cannabis oil. Beintsema had been doing it for years, but only for recreational purposes.

The oil had almost instant effect. Within a week, his friend’s father cut his medication in half. “It really opened my eyes,” Beintsema recalls. “I thought, Maybe those Americans are not con men, like I thought. About medical cannabis and dispensaries I used to actually think, They say they’ve hurt their finger so they can smoke a joint, you know? Like a disguised coffeeshop.”

Within weeks, ten more arthritis patients came to his door. So Beintsema started a Facebook group. “Everyone came running towards me. Before I knew it, I was providing 200 people with cannabis oil,” he recalled, “and this was all still from my attic at home.”

With a few friends he started Medical Social Club Friesland. In addition to making great cheese and dairy products, Friesland, a northern Dutch province, has a reputation for independence and stubbornness. In October 2015, the group opened an establishment in the provincial capital of Friesland, Leeuwarden, leading to a further increase in membership. “After three months, we upped the ante and invited local media to explain what we are doing,” Beintsema said. “From that moment on, the snowball really started rolling downhill.”

The club now has a second branch, in the city of Groningen, and a third opening in Zwolle in July. “Every week, about eight kilograms of coconut oil extraction goes out the door,” said Beintsema. His aim is clear: a test trial, leading to full legalization of medical cannabis.

“My strategy in this case is that [of] a bull in a china shop. You stir things up as much as you can and see where the ship will run aground,” he said. “And it’s so far, so good, as they say. We’re moving at top speed, and you have to keep that momentum going so they don’t get a grip on you.

“Unfortunately we haven’t seen or heard anything from the Justice Department,” he continued.

“We keep going one step further; I told one newspaper literally that we would like a confrontation, because it’s part of the plan.”

Beintsema has met with the mayor of Leeuwarden, Ferd Crone, once. The mayor liked the concept, Beintsema said, but is worried about the concentrates the club offers.

To stay within the limits of the Dutch cannabis policy, Beintsema has come up with a plan. He will start producing so-called Neder-Marok, a combination of a concentrate, Moroccan hash powder, and oil made of cannabis from Moroccan landrace strains. The finished product will be a piece of hash that can be mailed as long as it weighs no more than 5 grams, the maximum amount tolerated for personal use. After delivery, the hash can easily be turned into oil with the use of some alcohol and a coffee filter. “This is Neder-Marok, a hybrid that’s the fruit of cooperation between Moroccan and Dutch growers,” he said. “We strongly believe that land races in the countries of origin have the highest medicinal value.”

An intervention by the Dutch authorities seems inevitable, but Beintsema and the members of Medical Social Club Suver Nuver are convinced the experiment will eventually lead to a breakthrough. The club will have a booth at Cannabis Liberation Day, the biggest cannabis event in the Netherlands, on June 12 in Amsterdam’s Flevopark.

“We’ve put together a nice team of volunteers and will share our booth with the 710 Crew from Denmark,” Beintsema said. “We’re taking a bunch of e-nails and a big pile of wax. We’ll be making some sweet smoke clouds over the park.”

Vape Coolers and Coloring Books: The Best Cannabis Products of May 2016

Welcome to Leafly’s cannabis products roundup for the month of May, where we take a look at a few of the many different products that are making a splash in the industry. From herb and accessory storage to topicals and vaporizers, we’ve highlighted the interesting, innovative, or just plain fun items that caught our attention. You can find almost all of these products through our own Products section for further information.

StashLogix ProStash Carry Case

First up, we have the StashLogix ProStash carrying case. As a new owner of one, this case has worked wonders for me with organizing my stoner arsenal of various strains, pipes, papers, vape pens, cartridges, and everything in between. The ProStash is the biggest out of three cases from StashLogix, and the numerous pockets, straps, dividers, and outside lock will guarantee to keep your items safe and secured all in one place. It even comes with some stash jars, a pen, and a stash journal for keeping track of your different strain experiences (which you’re totally going to add to Leafly’s strain reviews, right?).

Cost: $80 USD

ZEUS Iceborn Vapor Quality Boost

Next, we have the ZEUS Iceborn Vapor Quality Boost. It’s a really cool (no pun intended) accessory that uses the power of ice to give you a much smoother and substantial vaping experience. Even if you aren’t into blowing big clouds of vapor, the Iceborn will allow you to smoothly experience the full flavor and quality of the buds you are vaping, making this both a fun and useful accessory to your desktop vape.

Cost: $69.99

Toob Loob

Now let’s take a look at Toob Loob from the good people at VapeXhale. If you’ve ever felt the frustration and fear of trying to ease a resin-stuck bowl piece free from the downstem without shattering it, this is the product for you! Toob Loob helps keep your bowl and downstem functional and lubricated from resin buildup between cleanings, and is also non-toxic and odorless.

Cost: $3.95

Mary’s Medicinals Topical Compounds

Mary’s Medicinals Topical Compounds are another great product for those seeking pain relief through topical applications. As someone who deals with chronic knee pain, Mary’s Medicinals Topical Compound has helped bring me quick and tingling relief with its CBD and THC-infused balms. This topical would be a great addition to anyone who’s looking for other ways to deal with physical pain. Please note that Mary’s Medicinals is only currently available in Washington, Colorado, and California, with further expansion into Oregon, Arizona, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine soon.

Cost: Varies; check your local dispensary to see if it’s in stock

The Stoner’s Coloring Book

For some artsy fun after you’re freshly baked, try out The Stoner’s Coloring Book! This book comes packed with 36 trippy patterns and illustrations from nine artists for you to fill with color. It’s sure to provide hours of stoned fun, and you can even easily rip out the pages when you’re done to hang as artwork!

Cost: Varies; currently listed on Amazon for $15.00

Stay tuned next month for a new roundup of cannabis products! Got a suggestion in mind? Send your favorite products to tips@nullleafly.com and we may include them in future roundups!

Delaware: Town Hall Discussing Cannabis Regulation Next Tuesday

If you are in the area, I received the following alert out of Delaware: The Coalition to Regulate Cannabis in Delaware is holding a town hall forum next week onTuesday, June 7 at 7:00 p.m.. Come join MPP and the coalition to hear from: — Neill Franklin: Executive director, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition — Tom

The Shake: Ohio’s MMJ Campaign Shuts Down

Ohio’s MMJ campaign calls it quits. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana announced over the weekend that it’s suspended its effort to put a medical cannabis legalization measure on November’s ballot. Some are greeting the announcement as a sign the campaign’s goal was to put pressure on the state Legislature to pass an MMJ law, as the move came immediately after lawmakers passed a measure of their own. The bill, which the campaign called a “moderately good piece of legislation,” still awaits the signature of Gov. John Kasich. If he doesn’t sign, cannabis legalization efforts in Ohio will (again) have to wait until next year.

Meanwhile, new group — TACO — wants to decriminalize in Ohio. A group of Athens, Ohio, residents are circulating a petition to put a decriminalization measure on November’s ballot. The initiative is calling itself The Athens Cannabis Ordinance, or, more deliciously, TACO. TACO wants to remove the penalty for minor cannabis offenses and lower the fine for felony offenses to a fine of $1. Suddenly we’re craving $1 tacos.

Racial disparities continue, this time in California. Black and Latino people in the state were hit with disproportionately high rates of cannabis-related infractions compared to whites, according to the latest data-crunching by the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU of California. Analyzing numbers from the Los Angeles and Fresno police departments, the groups found that police issued infractions to black people at four times the rate of white people. Latinos were cited at 1.5 times the rate of whites. That’s despite the fact that cannabis use is roughly equal across racial and ethnic lines, the groups note. It’s not only California: Racial disparities persist in Oregon, Colorado, and nearly every other legal state that’s released enforcement data. (It’s also an issue in terms of industry representation.) It’s a disillusioning situation for advocates who saw legalization as a way to address the longtime racial inequities of the drug war.

Toronto fallout continues. Last week’s widespread raids by Toronto police led to nearly 90 arrests at dispensaries in the city and stirred up no small amount of controversy among patients and advocates. Mayor John Tory, who had warned of a crackdown on unlicensed dispensaries, said over the weekend he played no role in ordering the raids. The shakeup has also aggravated existing divisions in Canada’s legalization movement, with advocates already arguing over how to respond to the police actions. (Here’s the Toronto PD press release, a map of the dispensaries raided, and how to contact the department.)

Edmonton entrepreneurs are gearing up. “Women Grow Edmonton is already looking at how female entrepreneurs, in particular, can get in on the green,” CBC News reports. The local chapter of the national organization launched last month and is already attracting upward of 100 people to its events. Next meeting: This Friday afternoon at the St. Albert Rugby Club.

Illinois looks to extend MMJ program to 2020. Since its beginnings, the state’s medical marijuana pilot program planned to sunset at the end of 2017. But the Illinois House recently passed a measure that would extend the end date to July 1, 2020. The measure now goes to the Senate, where it’s expected to pass.

Louisiana fisherman lands unusual catch. Capt. Theophile Bourgeois was fishing with buddies on a Louisiana barrier island when he came across a rectangular brick, wrapped in plastic. The cannabis brick, seeds stems and all, was clearly, in the words of the fisherman, “skunk weed.” The brick was quite old and waterlogged, with no indication of its origin, the fisherman said: “There was no labeling on it like, ‘Uncle Joe’s pot’ or anything.”

“Cannabis damages DNA” study called out as bunk. An Australian study last week claimed that cannabis users are damaging their DNA and passing on altered genes to future generations. Upon closer examination, however, critics found the researchers performed no actual tests to back up their controversial claim. Ethan Russo, a leading cannabinoid researcher, stated that cannabis does not produce DNA mutations, birth defects, or cancer. The study’s claims, Russo said, are unequivocally false.

Anti-legalization group launches in Maine. Scott Gagnon, chairman of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Maine, today announced the creation of prohibitionist organization Mainers Protecting Our Youth and Communities, which opposes cannabis legalization. Gagnon ticked off a laundry list of common prohibitionist concerns: pot gummy bears, increased hospital admissions, and children, children, children. (All of which legalization advocates are concerned about, too — they just want to address them with a better plan than prohibition.) Centralmaine.com has the story.

NCIA and ArcView urge Nasdaq to reconsider MassRoots listing. The industry group and investor network, respectively, wrote an open letter to Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld, urging him to “treat cannabis companies fairly.” They warn that Nasdaq’s precedent set by denying MassRoots stock listing effort “could prevent nearly every business in the regulated cannabis industry from listing on Nasdaq” and other major exchanges.

Will This Report Open the Door to Legal Cannabis Growing in the Netherlands?

A new study by Radboud University in the Netherlands paves the way for legalizing cannabis production to supply the country’s famous coffeeshops. The study, commissioned by 27 Dutch cities that favor legalization and published Monday, concludes that international treaties do not prevent Holland from taking this long-awaited step.

Regulated production will improve health and safety, according to the report. As such, legalization isn’t only justified — it’s obligatory on the part of governments “on the basis of their positive human rights obligations for the protection of individual and public health, the security of citizens and crime control,” the report says.

The title of the 396-page study, authored by professor Piet Hein van Kempen and Masha Fedorova, is a mouthful: International law and cannabis II. Regulation of cannabis cultivation and trade for recreational use: positive human rights obligations versus UN Narcotic Drugs Conventions. But its contents could spur a breakthrough in the political debate around legalization in the Netherlands.

“This report enables us to take a sorely needed step,” Victor Everhardt, alderman of public health for the city of Utrecht, told newspaper De Volkskrant. “Legalization of cannabis will give local governments insight into what is now unseen. With legalization we can combat the excesses of the tolerance policy.”

Dutch ministers of justice have claimed for years that international drug treaties leave no room whatsoever for the regulation of cannabis cultivation. The stubborn opposition has resulted in a stalemate, and it feeds the so-called “backdoor paradox.” Coffeeshops are allowed to sell cannabis under strict conditions, but cultivation and wholesale distribution remain strictly prohibited. Dutch police now spend more than half their time and resources fighting cannabis.

The situation has been compared to legalizing milk while prohibiting cows.

Virtually no one expects current Prime Minister Mark Rutte to take progressive steps on cannabis, but national elections are scheduled for less than a year away, March 2017. Many feel it’s unrealistic for a new government to continue pretending the cannabis sold in the Netherlands’ 582 coffeeshops simply falls from the sky.

The study, including an executive study in English, can be found here as a PDF.

Paraguay Grants Historic Import Permit to CBD Hemp Oil RSHO as Medication for Epilepsy

This article is sponsored by CMW Media, the premier public and media relations agency proudly serving the cannabis industry worldwide.

Medical Marijuana, Inc. (MJNA) announced today that its flagship product Real Scientific Hemp Oil™ (RSHO™) has been authorized by Paraguay’s government for import into the country as a prescription medication for refractory epilepsy.

“We are extremely proud of the wonderful news that RSHO has been approved for import by the government of Paraguay,” states Dr. Stuart Titus, Ph.D. and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Marijuana, Inc. “In the U.S., we enjoy the ability to easily access RSHO and many other CBD hemp oil products online. However, in other countries, we must respect their regulations and handling of cannabis-based products including hemp.”

Paraguay’s import permit makes it the fourth Latin American nation, after Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, to approve the company’s cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil for import with a doctor’s prescription.

Making History in Paraguay: The Story of Mathias Alejandro Gonzalez

15-year-old Mathias Alejandro Gonzalez of Paraguay suffers from a rare form of epilepsy that causes severe seizures, which are difficult to treat with pharmaceuticals and lead to physical and cognitive disabilities. Gonzalez is now importing RSHO from the U.S.

This first shipment of RSHO into Paraguay will be used to treat 15-year-old Mathias Alejandro Gonzalez, who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and suffers from Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a rare type of epilepsy that causes him to have multiple types of seizures. Gonzalez’s tonic and atonic seizures have caused him both physical and cognitive deterioration.

Treatment for Gonzalez’s type of epilepsy is difficult because his seizures don’t respond well to standard medications. The medications his family have been able to procure are extremely cost-prohibitive, and must be ordered and shipped from Spain to Paraguay. The approval of RSHO import by the Paraguayan government will help Gonzalez and his family move away from expensive and ineffective pharmaceutical treatments for his condition.

Medical Marijuana, Inc.: Establishing the World’s First CBD Hemp Oil Supply Chain

“MJNA is a ‘company of firsts’,” says Titus. “It took many years to establish and streamline a standardized commercial system while developing the world’s first CBD hemp oil pipeline. We are extremely grateful to our investors who also saw and continue to see the vision of CBD hemp oil access in the U.S. and around the world. We couldn’t be more excited that South America is requesting our CBD hemp oil brand as the first for government-approved importation. It brings full-circle the efforts of creating [these] systems and infrastructure.”

In February of 2015, HempMeds® received official authorization to export Real Scientific Hemp Oil-X™ (RSHO-X™) to individuals in Mexico with government-issued import permits. Raul and Mayela Elizalde from the Por Grace Foundation, based in Mexico, helped explain their daughter Grace’s need for the cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil product in a case similar to that of Mathias Gonzalez’s family in Paraguay — and were instrumental in the process of securing the permit. Since 2014, the government of Brazil has also continued to issue import permits for RSHO, as well as waive import taxes and subsidize payments for the product under the federal government’s healthcare system.

The Future of CBD Hemp Oil in Latin America and Beyond

The fact that indications including epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, and cancer have all been approved for treatment with RSHO in different Latin American nations marks a step in the right direction for Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s vision of “access for all” as the future for the company’s CBD hemp oil.

RSHO is derived from the mature stalk of the hemp plant and is considered a food nutrient delivering the benefits of cannabinoids without the psychotropic effects of THC. It contains no pesticides, herbicides, genetic modifications, or heavy metals. Before becoming a finished product, it goes through multiple quality tests by top cannabis industry and food laboratories.

About Medical Marijuana, Inc.

The mission of Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC Pink: MJNA) is to be the premier hemp industry innovator, leveraging its team of professionals to source, evaluate, and purchase value-added companies and products while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. It strives to create awareness within the industry and develop environmentally-friendly, economically sustainable businesses while increasing shareholder value. For more information on Medical Marijuana, Inc. and the portfolio company brands that it promotes, please visit the company website.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Medical Marijuana, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.

FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.

LEGAL DISCLOSURE
Medical Marijuana Inc. does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). These companies do grow, sell, and distribute hemp-based products and are involved with the federally legal distribution of medical marijuana-based products within certain international markets. Cannabidiol is a natural constituent of hemp oil.

Why Cannabis-Growing Techniques Differ So Much Between the U.S. and Europe

The exact origins of the cultivation of cannabis under artificial light are hard to pinpoint. But it’s sure that the United States, especially California, and the Netherlands were the indoor culture’s nurseries in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Breeders like Old Ed Holloway, Dave Watson (aka Sam the Skunkman), Wernard Bruining, Nevil Schoenmakers, Robert C. Clarke and Ben Dronkers as well as a few other pioneers met and worked in Amsterdam to create the basis for the thousands of strains that cannabis patients and recreational users enjoy worldwide today.

Because the main players—except the Australian Schoenmakers—were all either Dutch or American, the first steps to grow potent plants under artificial light developed almost simultaneously in both countries. But the legal part of the business took place in Amsterdam. While in the Netherlands it was still almost legal to grow cannabis on a large scale, even liberal U.S. states had draconian penalties for cultivation at this time. And while in the U.S., the triumph of the indoor culture in California started with the first law legitimizing medical cannabis in 1996, Dutch wholesalers were already exporting equipment and knowledge to neighboring countries in the early ’90s.

But due to differences in laws, electricity prices, suitable climate and some other factors, the European and the U.S. indoor culture developed on separate tracks.

Here are the main differences between U.S. and European growers:

Seeds or clones?

In most EU countries, seeds are legal. Even in countries where there are laws against cannabis seeds, they’re still easily available due to the Schengen Agreement. Professional and 100 percent legal seed banks, most of them by now breeding in Spain, are responsible for the development of new varieties since more than three decades.

In the U.S., most varieties are of illegal origin, selected by private breeders or medical collectives that tend to guard their seeds. In Europe, growers may take advantage of the feminized or even “Auto-Fem” (autoflowering and feminized) strains. In U.S. states where cannabis is legal, most plants are bred from clones and seed banks are rare. Where cannabis is still prohibited, clones and pollen are exchanged on a private basis to produce mini-batches of illegal private seed and/or select new strains.

This kind of “guerrilla breeding” culture is rare among European growers. In the EU, many growers work from feminized seeds, which saves them the trouble of maintaining a vegetative chamber. Only large producers or ambitious amateur gardeners grow mother plants from regular seeds to populate their grow rooms with cuttings. A large part of the final product in Europe comes from feminized seeds.

Lighting

In North America, energy is cheaper than in Europe. Cars have larger engines and cannabis growers use larger lamps. While cannabis is mostly grown under 400 or 600 watts in Europe, 1,000 watt-bulbs are the first choice in North America. LED technology is on the rise on both sides of the pond.

Tents

Although white reflects better than silver, American growers use growboxes with a silver inner layer almost exclusively. In Europe, white boxes are common. The reason: the first white replicas of the German original, which appeared on the U.S. market in 2007, were coated with PVC instead of food-safe and heat-resistant PE (polyethylene). The softener in the PVC led to plants dying inside these tents in some cases—and, consequently, a bad reputation for white-coated growboxes on the U.S. market. According to Jorge Cervantes’ “growers bible,”’ first published back in 1998, white reflects the light inside the tent a lot better than silver. Recent new measurements in the Czech Republic have confirmed this.

Units

For hoses, fittings and pots, different measuring units are used in North America and Europe. Also, all electronic devices in Europe run on 230 volts, instead of the 120 volts used in the U.S. The electrical conductivity is not specified in PPM (parts per million) in Europe, but in mS /cm, or micro Siemens per square centimeter.

Harvesting

In the U.S. and Canada, trimming machines do not have a good reputation among patients and consumers. Even large-scale producers have their buds trimmed by hand. Many growers in Europe even trim their mini-grow setups with harvesting equipment, and large harvests are almost always trimmed with the aid of machines.

When it comes to processing the crop and trichomes, the U.S. and Canada are years ahead of Europe. In Europe, the first silicone mats and accessories for extraction just appeared in the shops and many people still use denatured lighter gas and cheap plastic tubes to make extracts, while a manifold dabbing culture has developed overseas.

Despite these minor differences, European and North American indoor experts have quite a lot in common. In the end, they’re dealing with the same plant and similar problems on both sides of the Atlantic.

Oregon: It’s Getting Much Harder For Marijuana Entertainment Events And Venues

One of my favorite niches or sectors of the marijuana industry in Oregon is the marijuana entertainment sector. The first one that I had ever heard of was the World Famous Cannabis Cafe (WFCC). It has since been shutdown due to new indoor air rules, but at one point in time it was thehotspot destination

Are White Cheddar Cheez-Its the Perfect High Snack? We Debated the Best Munchies Ever

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 Leafly chats published largely unabridged. Viewpoints expressed are the participants’ own. Enjoy!

Pretty much every cannabis consumer has eaten something while high and thought, “This is literally the best munchie the world has ever seen.” But really, with such a subjective topic, who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong?

In the interest of fostering intellectual discussion, we took to the office Slack channels to debate the issue – because these are the pressing sorts of questions we’re here to help answer. Our discussion transcript is below. (Spoiler alert: cheese figures heavily.)

Header image source: Mike Mozart via Flickr

Why New York’s Top Cop is as Phony as a Stoned Welsh Sheep

Two curious stories came across the news desk here at Leafly World Headquarters last week.

The first had to do with a herd of stoned sheep going on a psychotic rampage in a Welsh village. I know you are thinking Oh come on, but here is the actual headline in The Telegraph, which is an actual respected newspaper in London:

‘Stoned’ sheep go on ‘psychotic rampage’ after eating cannabis plants dumped in Welsh village

So I exaggerate not.

The Telegraph piece even had a photo of one of the sheep in question, wagging its tongue in a pose that indicated both wacked-out stoniness and a cheeky stick-it-to-the-man attitude.

Image via The Telegraph

Because we all know what tongue-wagging means about a person’s consumption preferences.

A photo posted by Miley Cyrus (@mileycyrus) on Mar 19, 2016 at 7:34am PDT

‘Nuff said.

The second story had to do with the leader of the New York City Police Department, Bill Bratton, who — well, read the New York Post headline yourself:

Bill Bratton blames drug violence in NYC on pot

Follow his reasoning if you can.

“Here in New York, the violence we see associated with drugs, the vast majority of it, is around the issue of marijuana, which is ironic considering the explosion in use of heroin now in the city,” the chief said Sunday on a local New York City radio show. “Interestingly enough, here in New York City most of the violence we see — violence around drug trafficking — is involving marijuana, and I have to scratch my head as we are seeing many states wanting to legalize marijuana, and more liberalization of policies,” he added.

This is nonsense.

Two years ago New York Mayor Bill de Blasio instituted a policy mandating that people possessing less than 25 grams (just under one ounce) of cannabis be given a ticket rather than arrested. Since then, cannabis arrests have plummeted. The effect on violent crime in the city has been zero. In 2015, NYC police recorded 1.2 percent fewer felony offenses than the previous year, a statistically insignificant change. There is no crime spike. In fact, violent crime in New York City has fallen by 35 percent since 2001, and by 80 percent since 1990. Where am I sourcing my data? The NYC Police Department. In Seattle and Denver, police data are showing that the only connection between cannabis legalization and crime is that many fewer people get arrested for possessing it. Crime rises or falls regardless of whether cops are arresting people for marijuana.

Blaming cannabis for a rise in crime — even one that the chief’s own data show doesn’t exist — is a time-honored ruse that dates back to New Orleans in the 1930s. Back then, voters were up in arms over a wave of vice sweeping the city. New Orleans District Attorney Eugene Stanley blamed cannabis. It wasn’t merely a mild intoxicant, he claimed; it actually caused crime. “Its use sweeps away all restraint, and to its influence may be attributed many of our present-day crimes,” he wrote. You can read Stanley’s insights for yourself here.

Which brings me back to the stoned sheep.

Kudos to the Telegraph copy desk. Killer headline. But when you read the story you discover that the suspect sheep have actually been roaming the village of Rhydypandy, in South Wales, for quite some time. Years, perhaps. They might’ve gotten lost since it’s Wales and the signs out of Rhydypandy probably say something like “Yr Wyddgrug y ffordd hon.”

For that or perhaps other reasons, the sheep are in foul temper. “They are getting in people’s gardens and one even entered a bungalow and left a mess in the bedroom,” moaned County Councillor Ioan Richard.

Whence the cannabis? Apparently somebody “fly-tipped” (illegally dumped) the remains of an illegal grow on the village outskirts. “I dread to think what will happen if they eat what could well be cannabis plants,” Richard warned. “We could have an outbreak of psychotic sheep rampaging through the village.”

Wait a minute. So you’re telling me that no sheep in Rhydypandy have consumed cannabis. And you’re not even certain it’s cannabis. It could be a rogue gang of kale for all you know, Ioan.

Oh, you’ve got a photo? Let’s have a look.

Image via The Telegraph

THAT’S. NOT. CANNABIS.

Come on, Ioan. That’s a load of cracked stones mixed with elm prunings.

At the end of the day, we’ve got a cranky sheep (singular) pooping in somebody’s parlor, and a load of harmless junk left by the side of the road. No cannabis. No psychosis. In fact, if it had been cannabis, Coucillor, you might have been better off, as the ruminates probably would have enjoyed the leaves and then had themselves a nice long nap.

In fact, I’ll bet that’s not even a genuine Rhydypandy sheep. Hang on. (Googling.) Ah. There she is. Getty Images, photo taken by Chris Jackson, March 11, 2010, in Brecon, Wales, a solid 44 miles north of Rhydypandy.

Image via Getty Images

Actually, I’m kind of impressed that you found a Welsh sheep for the image slot, Telegraph. Well done.

This is where we are in 2016. Local politicians, be they from towns large or small, are still relying on the boogeyman of cannabis to sow fear among their constituents, just as they have for decades. Only now it doesn’t work so well. Because we have this thing called the internet, which we can use to look up crime statistics, scientific research, and the Getty Images search engine.

So to Police Commissioner Bratton, and County Councillor Richard, we say:

Image via Getty Images

How to Pair Fresh Spring and Summer Produce with Cannabis

Enjoying seasonal produce can be a joyous sensory overload. Not only do we nourish ourselves with every bite, we’re offered a cerebral indulgence at the same time: we taste the abundant flavor, we touch each item as we hand-pick what’s in season, we smell what’s ripe, and we spot the perfect selections by their vibrant colors. Each selection ends with the sound of satisfaction as we consume the produce, so what better way to heighten the entire sensory and cerebral experience than through cannabis strain pairings?

We invite you to take your dining to the next level and savor what’s in season with the following pairing suggestions, which match seasonally fresh fruits and veggies with the perfect strains to complement them. The terpenes that give these strains their unique aroma and flavor profiles accentuate flavor nuances in late spring and early summer produce, while cannabinoids augment your enjoyment of flavors and textures. Suddenly, getting the recommended daily servings of fruits and veggies doesn’t seem like such a chore, does it?

Mangoes

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Myrcene, Limonene

Strain Flavors: citrus, earthy, sweet

Whether you enjoy your mangoes fresh, in a salsa poured over fish, or stirred into your gelato, the flavor will almost certainly meet your lips at some point this season. This exotic fruit needs something that can keep up, so we’ve paired it with Green Crack. The sativa keeps you alert and the citrus notes of the strain coincide beautifully with the sweet notes of the mango.

Tomatoes

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Caryophyllene

Strain Flavors: sweet, earthy, pungent

Juicy plump tomatoes are in abundance this season, and we can’t get enough of them. Girl Scout Cookies fits right in with tomato dishes: the acid from the tomatoes cuts those potent notes of pepper, wood, and spice in the strain.

Blueberries

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Myrcene

Strain Flavors: grape, sweet, berry

Blueberries are bountiful during this time of year. The purple-black pigment always stains your hands in a satisfying moment of tasty tart deliciousness. Enjoy them fresh, or nestled inside a decadent pastry, and consume with Grape Ape for the ultimate cerebral experience.

Peaches

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Linalool, Limonene

Strain Flavors: mango, tropical, sweet

Peaches are one of the best stone fruits on the market, and we can’t get enough of these furry, succulent gems. Whether you eat them fresh or incorporate them into a recipe, they’re best enjoyed with summer just around the corner. Connect those sweet flavors with a tropical finish characteristic of Mango Kush.

Lemons

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Limonene, Linalool

Strain Flavors: earthy, sweet, honey

Lemons are bright and bursting with acidity. They’re tart to the taste and begging to be paired with something sweet. As such, they’re best enjoyed by making fresh-squeezed lemonade. Pair your beverage with Willy’s Wonder: this indica strain offers a sweet, honeyed flavor to balance everything out.

Avocados

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Linalool, Pinene

Strain Flavors: butter, flowery, sweet

Bumpy creamy avocados pair perfectly with Liquid Butter (or anything else, for that matter). You can taste the sweet buttery notes in the cannabis right alongside the healthy fats in this rich green fruit. The strain’s indica effects keep you mellow, but its pinene-laden terpene profile ensures continued alertness as you savor this moment.

Cherries

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Limonene, Pinene

Strain Flavors: citrus, lemon, sweet

Pairing cherries with the Cherry Pie strain was too easy, so we thought outside the box. Naturally, Lemon Pie brings a sweet lemon taste to the table, playing in the cherries’ juicy sweetness. This pairing offers a strong limonene terpene presence, relieving your stress and naturally making you happy. And really, who wouldn’t be happy consuming cannabis with fresh seasonal cherries?

Cucumbers

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Limonene

Strain Flavors: lemon, citrus, sweet

Cucumbers are invariably refreshing: you can slice them up and infuse your water, sneak them into a salad, or use them to accent fresh ceviche dishes. My favorite way to take advantage of this seasonal favorite is to place chilled slices over my eyelids and spark up a joint loaded with Super Lemon Haze. As the citrus notes of the strain burst into a sweet lemon taste and mingle with the cucumber aromas, your mood is guaranteed to be elevated.

Oranges

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Limonene

Strain Flavors: diesel, pungent, earthy

We’re sure this isn’t the first time you’ve been told to eat an orange while consuming cannabis. One moment with this pairing and you’ll understand why. The sweetness of the orange balances out the Sour Diesel as the pungent, earthy flavors of this strain work in sync with the citrus.

Beet Greens

Strain Pairing:

Terpene Profile: Caryophyllene, Myrcene

Strain Flavors: earthy, diesel, pungent

Beet greens plus roasted beets, goat cheese, and candied walnuts make for a delicious summer-ready salad, and the hybrid strain Chemdawg is the perfect companion to these greens. The earthiness of the bud plays into the peppery notes of the greens, and it all finishes with a little spice. The combo creates a pungent, woodsy aroma that is simply intoxicating.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Cannabis Growing: 3 Key Differences

Cannabis has long been cultivated outdoors and is one of the oldest agricultural crops in existence. Growing indoors, however, has been around for less than a century and came about as a result of prohibition. Most advancements in cannabis production have occurred during the era of indoor cultivation; staying out of sight was initially a way to protect the grower from the laws against cannabis. As technology advanced, the industry was able to expand its knowledge of the plant by leaps and bounds, and this was also true for areas where outdoor farming managed to succeed like Southern Oregon and Northern California.

The differences are not only important to aspiring cannabis farmers, but to the consumer comparing outdoor and indoor grown products at the dispensary counter. How does the environment affect the outcome of a strain, and what considerations must a grower make when choosing between the two?

Controlled vs. Natural Climates

There are many reasons to grow indoors over outdoors. The freedom to choose your location with minimal constraints and the ability control of your environment are just a few. Indoor farming allows for complete control of your environment. Controlling temperature, light source, CO2 production, and humidity creates a stable habitat to optimize your plants’ growth without having to risk outdoor elements. The indoor grower typically finds cosmetically pristine flowers with higher THC percentages. On the other hand, no bulb can produce the same spectrum of light unique to the sun which, in turn, limits indoor gardens with smaller yields and less vigorous plants. Outdoor farming, however, requires a climate suitable for cannabis production – good sun exposure, hot days, warm nights, and low humidity.

Nevertheless, growing indoors has complications as well. When the grower tries to create a natural environment indoors, there are factors in the natural process that cannot be replicated. For example, plants grown outside have substantial help against mites from natural predators who share the habitat. Wasps, ants, and ladybugs are some of “nature’s helpers” that keep mite populations at bay. Indoors, the grower cannot hope to completely mimic the incredibly complicated natural environment. If mites appear in an indoor grow space, they can be a challenge to control. With the ever-increasing consumer concerns about the overuse of pesticides and insecticides, some cultivators might find the trade-offs of growing outdoors worth investigating.

Cost Comparison of Indoor and Outdoor Gardens

Both indoor and outdoor grows demand substantial up-front costs, but the difference becomes apparent long-term. Indoor climate control systems can cost a small fortune to operate, whereas a majority of the costs associated with outdoor grows are in the startup of the operation.

Labor costs for indoor and outdoor gardens also varies drastically. With continual turnover in an indoor garden, there’s always work to be done. Pruning, trellising, watering, feeding, and harvest work are ongoing and more demanding for smaller yields. Outdoors, the grower is working one crop throughout the season. Many outdoor farms with large outputs can operate with up to four employees full-time until harvest, when additional workers need to be brought in.

The high costs of indoor farming may be recouped through breeding projects, year-round harvests, and potent products that have higher selling points. Furthermore, manufactured indoor environments allow growers to cultivate strains that would otherwise be unsuitable for their local outdoor environment and climate. However, with the rising cost of energy and an increasing demand for more flower in the marketplace, outdoor farming may be able supply the market with quality products at a more reasonable price.

Quality of Cannabis Grown Indoors vs. Outdoors

Indoor flower has long been recognized as the top-of-the-line product. Being able to control your environment and expedite breeding has resulted in aesthetically beautiful strains with magnificent flavor profiles. Introducing higher CO2 levels than in the natural environment increases bud growth and produces THC levels that are difficult to obtain outdoors. Additionally, indoor cannabis does not have to deal with rain, wind, or any of the other natural elements that can damage an outdoor crop. The buds remain in pristine condition and only start to degrade once handling begins. The scale of most indoor operations generally allows for crops to be harvested in peak conditions and for the product to be cured in a controlled climate.

Outdoor flower is, of course, subject to the whims of the natural environment. Though the end product may not look as perfect, the taste, effects, and aroma should still be there. Some consumers find sun-grown organic cannabis to be preferable to the cosmetically pristine indoor alternative. Many stereotypes about outdoor cannabis exist for one key reason: legality. A large majority of outdoor cannabis seen by consumers has gone through a gauntlet of post-harvest abuse. Partly due to conflicts between state and federal law, many outdoor cannabis farms have to take risks to cultivate their product. As a result, oftentimes the harvest is rapid, curing is nearly non-existent, and aggressive handling is necessary to get it to market. As the laws change and outdoor facilities are able to take their time in processing, the market should see an increase in quality from outdoor grows.

Recently there has been an emergence of commercial greenhouse farming that strikes a balance between the two methods. This style of farming is producing quality results, which is exciting to see in this emerging industry. As we have seen, all styles of farming offer positives and negatives, and as a consumer or a producer, it’s always important to continually educate yourself. Step outside of your routine to try something new, and keep an open mind.

US CA: Pot Growers Leery Of Big Alcohol Takeover

Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2016 – North Coast Cannabis Cultivators Fear the Moneyed Establishment Shouldering into Their Scruffy Livelihood REDCREST, Calif. – For the Humboldt farmers, Sonoma County’s subterranean tasting rooms and Tuscan affectations offered a glimpse into a rarefied realm of legal intoxicants.

How Does Cannabis Consumption Affect Insomnia?

There’s a reason more insomnia sufferers are turning to cannabis. You toss and turn, count sheep, and negotiate (“If I can fall asleep by 3 a.m., I’ll at least get four hours of sleep”). Ten minutes becomes a half hour. A half hour becomes an hour. Before you know it, the sun is coming up. Insomnia is its own unique agony, but now that the stigma of cannabis is slowly lifting, more people are seeking out its therapeutic sedating properties.

Acute insomnia — which usually only lasts a night or two — happens to nearly all of us. It’s usually triggered by a stressful external event. But, chronic insomnia — regularly having three or more restless nights per week over the course of the month — affects a billion people worldwide.

Interestingly, insomnia affects women at twice the rate as men. And, it doesn’t get better with age. Half of all seniors are regularly affected by insomnia. Beyond feeling sleepy and irritable the next day, chronic insomnia is associated with some serious long-term health issues: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

So what causes insomnia, what are the traditional treatment options, and in what ways might cannabis be a healthier, viable alternative?

Causes of Insomnia

Insomniacs can have either primary or secondary insomnia.

• Primary insomnia is a standalone condition — it wasn’t caused by another health condition.
• Secondary insomnia is associated with a secondary health condition or substance (for example, depression, pain, alcohol, or a prescription medication).

The number one cause of insomnia is stress. While we can’t control every stressful external factor in our lives, there are healthy ways to deal with the stress. Dr. Rachna Patel, a physician from Walnut Creek, California, who has personally dealt with years of insomnia, notes, “Anything you can do to reduce stress will also help you sleep better. Get out for a jog. Swim. Eat better. Do relaxation exercises or meditate. Even if you still need a sleep aid like cannabis, lifestyle changes will improve your overall health!”

Traditional Treatment Options for Insomnia

Dr. Patel suggests, “Before trying medication, consider making lifestyle changes including setting a regular sleep schedule, getting more exercise, [and] eating healthier.” Nonetheless, Patel has observed that “some patients have so much difficulty sleeping that they just need a medication to help them.”

Prescription medications such as Zolpidem (Ambien) and Zaleplon (Sonata) have grown in popularity over the years, but they may not be that effective. One study by the National Institutes of Health found that sleeping pills, on average, only add 11 minutes of sleep time and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep by a mere 13 minutes.

Worse, they can come with serious adverse side effects and health consequences. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, over the last two decades there’s been a dramatic increase in prescription sleep aid-related emergency room visits.

Likewise, benzodiazepines such as Xanax and Valium, which are approved for sleep, are highly addictive and potentially dangerous. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2013 benzos were involved in 30% of lethal drug overdoses, second only to opioids.

Some also claim that natural supplements, such as melatonin, valerian root, lemon balm, or chamomile are helpful in falling asleep.

Can Cannabis Treat Insomnia?

Dr. Patel turned to cannabis after being prescribed Ambien. Afraid of the potential side effects, she found research validates what cannabis users have long suspected: cannabis helps people sleep.

Strangely, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Big Pharma’s Sanofi-Aventis may agree. They funded a study that showed consuming THC enabled subjects to fall asleep easier and more quickly.

Here’s more of the evidence:

• Easier time falling asleep. As far back as 1973, research has documented subjects falling asleep quicker after ingesting THC. More recently, a 2013 study of healthy subjects validated earlier findings.
• Sleep longer and better. Early studies have demonstrated the efficacy of cannabinoids in aiding sleep. One study of THC found that subjects experienced fewer interruptions over the night and some decrease in awakenings during the first half of the night.
• Enjoy deeper sleep. Cannabis can positively impact the sleep cycle. Studies prove THC can increase deep sleep. Why is this important? Because scientists believe deep sleep plays a vital role in our body’s natural restoration process.
• Better breathing while sleeping. Roughly 17% of men and 9% of women regularly have breathing problems when they sleep – a condition called sleep apnea – and most are never diagnosed. However, early research published in January 2013 by Frontiers in Psychology shows cannabis may help people breathe easier when they sleep. Who knows? Maybe someday sleep apnea sufferers can swap out their CPAP mask for a THC-infused brownie (but don’t count on Medicare to cover the cost yet).

How Does Cannabidiol (CBD) Affect Sleep?

Evidence of cannabidiol, or CBD, as a sleep aid has been contradictory. In one study, CBD – which is non-psychoactive – seemed to be effective as a “wake-inducing agent,” meaning it can make you feel more alert, the opposite effect of what an insomniac wants.

However, others who participated in the study reported that ingesting CBD-rich extracts or tinctures a few hours prior to bed had a relaxing effect that allowed them to sleep better at night. According to Project CBD, some patients with sleep issues report that “ingesting a CBD-rich tincture or extract a few hours before bedtime has a balancing effect that facilitates a good night’s sleep.”

The key is finding the right strain, blend, product, and dose for you. Everyone’s body responds to cannabis differently, so it may take a little trial-and-error before finding the perfect fit. Try a heavy indica or an edible. Consider something with a little CBD. See what happens when you dose a little instead of a lot. You might be surprised to find that your ultimate sleep remedy isn’t what you thought it would be.

Colombia Close to Legalizing Medical Cannabis

Latin America is taking bold steps to break free of the failed war on drugs, and Colombia is leading the way. With an overwhelming majority of 84 lawmakers in favor and just four against, Colombia’s Congress on Wednesday approved a bill that will legalize cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes.

The bill still needs the signature of President Juan Manuel Santos to become the law of the land.

The road to medical cannabis legalization has been long and winding in Colombia. It took Congress almost two years to pass all seven voting rounds needed to approve the new law. President Santos, a proponent of more lenient drug laws to reduce crime, stabilize the economy, and bring peace to the country, had decreed medical marijuana legal in December. That decree will now be replaced by the new law.

Colombia is ahead of the Latin American pack in the effort to institute a well defined system to regulate medical cannabis.

In an interview with El Tiempo newspaper, Liberal Party senator Juan Manuel Galan, who sponsored the bill, explained why it was necessary to replace the decree with a proper law. “The government decree refers to a law that is quite old, the Statute of Narcotics or Law 30 of 1986, which in many respects had completed its life cycle,” he said. “Also the regulator of the licenses would be the Narcotics Council, which is a consultative entity and does not have regulatory or technical capacity.”

Under the new law, three ministries will monitor the issuing of licenses for cultivation: justice, health, and agriculture. The real work starts now, Galan said: “After this comes a huge effort to train doctors. Ninety-eight percent of all doctors in Colombia have not investigated the issue of medical marijuana, are not familiar with it. So it’s a huge challenge to work with them and with the pharmaceutical guilds.”

The law requires the state to protect and strengthen small- and medium-size cannabis producers and retailers. But some in the Colombian cannabis scene have little trust that the system will work out fairly, especially for former underground producers.

Jorge Montoya is CEO of Cannalivio, a local company that’s been producing cannabis in a legal gray area since 2005. Montoya welcomes the changes, but stresses that many things are still unclear. “Local producers are confused, as it is unclear how this will be implemented,” Montoya said. “Seeing how the process has evolved up till now, unpleasant surprises can be expected by the hands of politicians and their hidden interests.”

Ahead of the vote, the government of the central Boyaca province announced it wants to become the first legal producer of medical marijuana, the website Colombia Reports recounted this week. The Boyaca government, Canadian laboratory Canavida, and the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia (UPTC) have been promoting the project that seeks to grow cannabis in greenhouses across the province.

Until now, cultivation in Colombia took place in a legal gray area, as a 1986 law allowed medical and scientific use of marijuana, but this was never formally regulated until December 2015. The old law set a maximum of 20 plants as a legal amount for personal use. Using this limit, recreational and therapeutic users and underground medical growers produced their cannabinoids. The big question is what will happen to them now.

The bill was discussed in four debates in the House of Representatives and authorizes export and import of cannabis for medical and scientific uses. To legally cultivate, candidates must apply for a license and meet requirements for security protocols, legal representation, and insurance. During the debates, the number of different licenses grew from four to 11 and now include: cultivation, production, manufacture, purchase, import, export, storage, transport, marketing, distribution, and possession and use of the seeds of the cannabis plant, its derivatives, and products containing active compounds — for scientific and medicinal use only.

The Shake: Toronto Expo Kicks Off Under Crackdown Cloud, Legalization Foes Forget the Children

Canada’s largest cannabis conference starts off in solemnity. The Lift Cannabis Expo will kick off Saturday at the Metro Toronto Convention Center with more than 130 exhibitors. The weekend’s festivities, however, will proceed in a somber manner, after the largest targeted mass crackdown on cannabis in Toronto in more than 20 years, with raids on more than 40 dispensaries, arrests of more than 90 dispensary employees and owners, and more than 200 charges laid out for the possession and trafficking of medicinal marijuana. The raids, dubbed “Project Claudia,” have drawn the ire of cannabis advocates across Canada, who descended upon Toronto police headquarters this morning in protest.

Federal cannabis smuggling hits an all-time low. The United States Sentencing Commission released data on the latest drug-trafficking statistics, which showed a remarkable decline in federal trafficking offenses. The sharp decline begins in 2012, when Colorado and Washington legalized cannabis, and continued on a steady downward trend.

A new study shows that those who protest legalization the loudest are worried about money, not children. A study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that opponents of cannabis policy reform, particularly those who tend to spout rhetoric about “saving the children” are actually far more concerned about their own paychecks and contributions from lobbying groups dedicated to prohibition. “Think of the children?” More like “Think of my wallet!”

Ricky Williams of NFL fame joins the ganja-gym. Ricky Williams has had a storied past with cannabis use, having received multiple suspensions for it during his time as a star running back with the Miami Dolphins, but now he’s putting his sports and cannabis knowledge to good use. Williams is partnering with Power Plant Fitness, the new 420-friendly gym, and will be the official spokesman when the gym opens this fall.

Trans veteran credits cannabis for saving her life and helping her transition. Transgender Iraq War veteran Zooey Zachow suffered from PTSD upon returning from Iraq, but discovered that cannabis not only relieved symptoms of anxiety, but also helped with her “gender and sexual awakening.”

Swiss scientists jump on the vape train. Swiss chemists have formulated a cannabis e-cigarette for “therapeutic cannavaping,” using butane hash oil mixed with commercially available e-cigarette liquid at varying concentrations to deliver microdoses of cannabinoids as an alternative method for smoking medical cannabis. Vape contest on the Alps, anyone?

Sign in Maine stirs up controversy with cannabis slogans. An electronic sign outside the Frosty Delite ice cream shop in Mexico, Maine, startled ice cream patrons with some outspoken opinions in flashing fluorescent yellow: “WeedThePeople.com,” “Cannabis oil cures cancer” and “Natural cures.” The sign has been alight for months, but the proximity to the ice cream shop has sparked a debate amongst the townspeople.

And finally, a Texas toker gets his butt bit by a thunder-spooked pup. A Groesbeck man was smoking cannabis on his porch when a loud thunderclap spooked his dog so severely that the dog latched onto the owner’s left buttock, leading the man believed he’d been shot by a firearm. The man felt compelled to call police (who were likely doubled over laughing upon leaving the scene). He was treated and released by EMS, but not without one hell of a headline.

Cannabis Road Trip Tips: See Sights and Stay Safe with These 7 Rules

Cannabis tends to spark a desire for adventure, and with recreational and medicinal cannabis legal in more locations than ever, this summer is a perfect time to combine your love of the open road with your love of America’s favorite herb.

While pairing any type of travel with cannabis can be a little tricky, trips that require driving present a unique set of challenges. However, following a few simple rules makes it easy to stay safe and compliant with local laws as you take the high road, and incorporating cannabis can make for a wonderful trip if you do things right. Let the following tips guide you as you gather your crew, pack up the car, and head out on your next great adventure.

Rule #1: Trade Off Being the Designated Driver

For every day you’re on the road, you’ll want at least one person to stay completely sober, so the more buddies you bring, the more people in the car will have the option of being high for the ride. For the lucky passengers, riding high has many benefits. The hours will fly by; the scenery will be especially beautiful; you’ll laugh at pretty much everything along the way; you’ll jam out to music; and some strains even quell nausea in passengers prone to carsickness.

If you’re planning on riding solo you don’t have to take cannabis out of the picture completely, but it’s never okay to drive under the influence (no matter how deserted the lonely desert roads may seem), so plan your consumption for when you arrive at each day’s destination. Bonus: it gives you something to look forward to as the miles slip away beneath your tires.

Rule #2: Don’t Bring It Across State or Country Lines

Bringing cannabis across any state lines is illegal federally – even if you’re driving across the bridge from legal Washington to legal Oregon, it’s technically a no-no. Are you likely to get stopped if you’re driving safely? Nope, but just be aware of what’s officially acceptable and what’s not. It’s especially unwise to cross international borders with cannabis, even on accident. If you’re driving from Washington state to British Columbia, for instance, be sure you triple-check your purse or suitcase for wayward joints you might have forgotten about before you arrive at the border.

Don’t lament the fact that you can’t bring your homegrown bud along for the whole trip; use it as an excuse to check out the local selection in the cannabis-friendly places you visit.

Rule #3: Keep It in the Trunk

If you’re driving with cannabis – especially pungent raw flower – keep it in the trunk while you’re moving. That way, if you get pulled over because your tail light is out, it’s best not to raise any questions with a skunky car, even if cannabis is completely legal where you are. Police officers don’t have a good way of testing whether a driver is high, so a mere whiff could be enough to raise suspicions and cause trouble. No one should be smoking in the car while it’s moving: if you want to re-up on the go, pack some edibles for passengers to munch on.

Rule #4: Brush Up on Local Stores, Strains, and Regulations

It’s always best to know before you go – before you set off on your journey, determine where cannabis is legal and where it’s not, whether you’ll need a medical card to procure some, and what any local penalties entail. If you have a medical card, figure out which other states will accept your out-of-state authorization. Are you looking to stop at a rec store while you’re in, for instance, Colorado? Keep in mind that even where cannabis is legal state-wide, some cities have banned local sales, so use our dispensary finder to pinpoint the places you’d like to visit.

Once there, use our strain explorer to figure out which strains are available nearby, or ask your budtender to recommend local favorites that you can’t get anywhere else.

Rule #5: Plan Around the Scenery

Road trips were made for getting away from your day-to-day routine, and perhaps more than any other form of travel, they’re about the journey over the destination. Pick a drive with beautiful foliage, ocean views, mountainous elevation gains, or unique geographical formations, sit back in the passenger seat, and enjoy the view out the windows. The more unique, peaceful or colorful the scenery, the better. Roadside points of interest or elevated vantage points make for great places to stop, stretch, and smoke, too.

Rule #6: Bring Good Music, Podcasts, and Snacks

Good things to eat and listen to are a must for any road trip, and for a cannabis-centric road trip that’s especially true. Download all the new albums you’ve been meaning to get through, and stock up on podcasts from the likes of This American Life, Radiolab, On Being, and TED Radio Hour on topics such as “what is beauty,” “the unknown brain,” “how it all began,” and “are you sure?” – you’ll be transfixed and amazed at how fast the miles pass. As you listen, chow down on everything from white cheddar popcorn to apple slices to those tasty peanut butter pretzels – and be sure to stop at fun, funky restaurants that you come across off the beaten path.

Rule #7: Choose the Perfect Destination

If you live in a state where cannabis is illegal, a road trip is the perfect excuse to visit a legal state and shop for edibles, concentrates and strains to your heart’s content. Just remember to consume them without breaking any rules. To that end, there are numerous canna-friendly bed and breakfasts popping up in legal states, and if you’re bringing a camper van or plan to pitch your own tent, so much the better for enjoying your freshly purchased herb.

If cannabis is already plentiful where you’re living or traveling, other great destinations include awe-inspiring natural wonders (think Redwoods, Niagara Falls, or the Grand Canyon), secluded campgrounds where you can enjoy your cannabis meditatively, hot springs where you can stargaze with your sweetheart and let the world slip away, or fantastic restaurants where the meal will be better than ever when you’re medicated. Wherever you go, whether on a day trip or a cross-country drive, remember to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Signal Bay Acquires Cannabis Testing Facility

Signal Bay (OTCMKTS:SGBY) has completed its acquisition of Oregon analytical services, a full services cannabis testing facility.

As quoted in the press release:

Oregon Analytical Services has been providing full service analytical cannabis testing lab services in the greater Eugene area since 2014.  With a perpetual client base of over 500 cultivators, extractors, processors, edible manufacturers, and dispensaries, OAS has positioned itself as one of the dominant testing companies in Western Oregon.   Offering full compliance analytical testing services, including residual solvent and pesticide testing, OAS is centrally located to expand the service offering of EVIO Labs existing and proposed expansion labs within Oregon.

Signal Bay CEO William Waldrop said:

We are very proud to have achieved our goal of acquiring OAS in Eugene, Oregon, extending our cannabis lab footprint throughout Southern Oregon.  This acquisition complements our acquisition last year of Cannalytical Research in Bend, Oregon and our pending acquisition of Kenevir Research, another full-service cannabis test lab in Medford.  The acquisition Oregon puts EVIO Labs in a strong revenue position in the burgeoning Oregon cannabis marketplace. The next steps in the continued growth of EVIO Labs is to complete our acquisition of Kenevir Research, identify a prospective location in the Portland metropolitan area and open our previously announced lab testing facility in the Emerald Triangle of Northern California.

Click here for the full press release.

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Toronto Totals: 43 Dispensaries Raided, 90 Arrested Over 'Quality Control'

Toronto woke up to the aftermath of “Project Claudia” this morning to find more than 250 criminal charges leveled against 90 people arrested at 43 medical marijuana dispensaries across the city yesterday.

In a news conference at Toronto police headquarters earlier this morning, Police Chief Mark Saunders said the operation came about as the result of “significant community concern and public complaints” regarding the drastic increase of “unlawful storefronts selling marijuana” in recent months. City officials, he said, had “a genuine health concern” over the “quality control” of the products sold in the dispensaries.

In a protest outside police headquarters prior to the news conference, members of Toronto’s cannabis community denounced the citywide crackdown. “It’s unfathomable because marijuana is a very safe substance,” longtime cannabis activist Marc Emery told the Toronto Sun. “These dispensaries meet the demand of citizens who are there voting with their dollars and their feet to buy. There’s no harm going on, there’s no coercion.”

Marc Emery outside Toronto police headquarters. Photo by Richard Sharp

Steve Watts, acting inspector with the Toronto Police’s drug unit, laid out the amount of inventory seized yesterday from the 43 dispensaries. It included:

• Just under $160,000 in cash
• 269 kilos of dried cannabis
• 30 kilos of resin
• 24 kilos of hash
• 27 kilos of THC pills
• 72 kilos of chocolate
• 142 kilos of cookies
• 129 kilos of candies
• 64 kilos of sodas and liquids
• 126 kilos of oils and spreads

Twenty-three grams of powdered cocaine were also seized at one location, Watts said.

There’s an unusual scent inside police hq today. Police setting up display for “project Claudia” pot raid newser. pic.twitter.com/zT0SNFRez9

— Linda Ward (@LindaWardCBC) May 27, 2016

At this morning’s news conference, police officials displayed a monumental amount of merchandise seized at local dispensaries, as law enforcement agencies often do in the aftermath of a gang or illegal gun raid. The items on display are all commonly found in medical marijuana dispensaries in other Canadian cities and throughout the 24 legal medical marijuana states in the U.S.

Where the busts were pic.twitter.com/lOBvvo103e

— Jeff Gray (@jeffreybgray) May 27, 2016

At the news conference, several members of the audience pressed Chief Saunders on the police action. “No harm is being done,” one said. “Where are the victims?” another asked. “You have fifty-some complaints, yet you have tens of thousands of people feeling better.”

“I knew this was going to be a hard decision,” Saunders said, and added that he was not pressured politically to carry out the raids. “I do not want to impede on anyone that wants medical marijuana, but there’s an avenue through which you have to go to do that,” he added, referring to the Health Canada medical marijuana program, which requires patients to purchase only from federally licensed providers. Most storefront dispensaries in Toronto operate without a Health Canada license.

Saunders said he justified the raids based on public health concerns. “You don’t know if you go into one store and you purchase one brownie, muffin or cupcake, how much THC is in this one or that one. You don’t know. You don’t know what the quality control is in the place that made it.” Quality control and proper labeling, he said, were nonexistent.

Enforcing the law and addressing issues of community safety and quality of life is never a waste of time or resources.

— Mark Saunders (@marksaunderstps) May 26, 2016

Those arrested for selling the products without quality control and labeling will face charges — the kinds of charges that traditionally accompany drug crimes, not product labeling errors — that could result in significant jail time. Their first court appearances will be on June 19. Property owners involved in yesterday’s actions could face fines from $25,000 to $50,000.

Tania Cyalume, co-owner of Toronto’s Queens of Cannabis dispensary, protested outside police headquarters this morning. Photo by Richard Sharp

As the morning’s news conference unfolded, there was no shortage of outcry by observers, including Toronto residents and cannabis advocates.

Someone please explain how #ProjectClaudia ISN’T a huge waste of @TorontoPolice resources. Serious problems in TO & this isn’t one of them

— Arisa Cox (@arisacox) May 26, 2016

“Raids were done to protect children.” -TPS
“Have any kids been found to ingest weed.”-Media
“We have no data on that.” -TPS#ProjectClaudia

— Jamie MacKinnon (@MacKinnon08) May 27, 2016

Oh my. @Jeffreybgray found out why police called the pot-shop raids “Project Claudia.” pic.twitter.com/SpNKV49muZ

— Selena Ross (@seleross) May 27, 2016

project Claudia went off.. i’m vexed. dealers are rejoicing though http://t.co/1y629De1ed

— Deej (@deejdesign) May 27, 2016

My pal @johnsemley3000 wrote his councillor a pretty kickass letter about #ProjectClaudia: pic.twitter.com/0BwgH43o56

— Jonathan Goldsbie (@goldsbie) May 27, 2016

Image via Women Grow Toronto on Facebook

PGT #301-Hip Eponymous

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- The Michigan legislature has passed SB 776 which will limit the ability for citizens to engage […]

Cannabis Craftsmanship: How to Make Infused Chocolate Truffles

Trial of Dronabinol Adjunctive Treatment of Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) (THC-AD)

Primary Outcome Measures: Symptoms of agitation as measured by the Pittsburgh Agitation Scale [ Time Frame: 3-weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] Symptoms of agitation as measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, Clinician Version [ Time Frame: 3-weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ] Secondary Outcome Measures: Adverse events in Dronabinol treatment as compared to placebo [ Time Frame: 3-weeks ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ] All AEs occurring after randomization and during the 3-week treatment period, regardless of […]

BREAKING NEWS: Toronto Police Raiding Dispensaries in Citywide Crackdown

UPDATE (5/26/16 3:25 p.m. PST):

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders will hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. EDT at police headquarters, news sources reported on Thursday evening, when he will reveal the names and locations of the dispensaries raided today, the charges, and the material seized. Earlier this month, The Star reported, the city’s licensing department issued warning notices to 78 of 83 known dispensaries operating in Toronto.

Also, Canadian cannabis activist Marc Emery has called on members of the community to gather at police headquarters (40 College Street) at 10:00 a.m., thirty minutes prior to Saunders’ news conference, to protest the raids.

PROTEST POLICE RAIDS ON DISPENSARIES at TORONTO POLICE HQ @ 40 COLLEGE ST. 10 am FRIDAY. pic.twitter.com/1TgBHgkvMS

— Marc Emery (@MarcScottEmery) May 26, 2016

Toronto Mayor John Tory had no comment about the raids, but the previous night, on CP24’s “The Mayor,” a call-in show, he called the storefronts “these so-called dispensaries, which are bogus.”

“You know what they are? They are the people who were chased out of Vancouver when they brought in a licensing system and they all said that’s no problem we’ll go down to Toronto,” Tory said.

“They’re conducting activities that are not within the law and I just think we can’t have them popping up on every street corner and near schools and messing up the livelihood trying to be earned by small business.”

You can watch Tory’s segment on CP24 here; the dispensaries bit starts at 2:12.

ORIGINAL STORY CONTINUES BELOW:

Toronto police raided a number of dispensaries around the city this morning as part of an investigation known as “Project Claudia.”

Police are targeting 45 dispensaries, according to The Globe and Mail. Owners are being charged with municipal infractions and could face fines up to $50,000. “They targeted various locations that have been identified as trafficking in marijuana outside of marijuana for medical purposes regulations,” Toronto Police Cons. Caroline de Kloet said.

#Toronto police raiding Eden on Queen St. West. Staff are in handcuffs. Reports say cops are raiding 40 pot shops pic.twitter.com/dcfuQkNIOW

— Cannabis Culture (@CannabisCulture) May 26, 2016

Here are some of the dispensaries that have been raided:

• Eden Medicinal Society
• Canna-Connoisseurs
• The Green Room
• Weeds Glass & Gifts
• Toronto Holistic Cannabinoids (THC)
• BC CannaMed
• Kind Supply Dispensary
• Toronto Cannabis Dispensary
• Cannawide

Toronto police launch massive raids on pot shops in Toronto http://t.co/EPFP6rWko9 pic.twitter.com/J6RA3ciQvD

— Tubeline News (@aenewsline) May 26, 2016

Images have been posted on social media of dispensary employees in handcuffs while police officers confiscate cannabis and cash, and there have been reports that dispensary owners and employees are being arrested and charged with cannabis trafficking.

Soooo…. Uhhh ….. Where’s all this stuff goin? #projectclaudia #crackdown

A photo posted by Jesse Ship (@shipdip) on May 26, 2016 at 12:32pm PDT

Jodie and Marc Emery, noted cannabis advocates, have come forward to support their fellow cannabis business owners and to condemn the actions of Saunders, Toronto Mayor John Tory, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for allowing the raids and arrests to take place under an administration that promised federal legalization.

SHAME on the @TorontoPolice for raiding & arresting PEACEFUL people at various dispensaries in #Toronto #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/Q7VCmM6rdu

— Jodie Emery (@JodieEmery) May 26, 2016

Reports say dispensary employees are ALL being arrested AND charged, too @weedporndaily @JohnTory @BillBlair @TorontoPolice @TorontoTaxpayer

— Jodie Emery (@JodieEmery) May 26, 2016

The Emerys’ own Cannabis Culture, a cannabis franchise based out of Vancouver, had plans to oversee the opening of two dispensaries in Toronto.

Reactions around the internet came fast and fierce:

The city must stop the crackdown on marijuana dispensaries. Waste of taxpayer money. Our statement: http://t.co/kgZyDX4v7Y #TOpoli

— TO Taxpayers (@TorontoTaxpayer) May 26, 2016

@JohnTory is wasting money on raiding dispensaries instead of lookin into all the missing Indigenous peoples.#ProjectClaudia @TorontoPolice

— Charlotte Higgins (@eirelandlily) May 26, 2016

Extremely regretful I support @JustinTrudeau legalization around the corner n thousands still getting marijuana charges #projectclaudia

— I AM THE NORTH (@JustMac11) May 26, 2016

Toronto police attempting to make criminals out of entrepreneurs . news at 11 #cdnpoli #projectclaudia

— Kim May (@ugottabekiddin) May 26, 2016

I can’t be the first to say this, but it feels like someone really dropped the ball not calling it Project Mary-Jane #ProjectClaudia

— claudia sanchez (@claudvandamn) May 26, 2016

Cannabis Craftsmanship: How to Make Infused Chocolate Truffles

Few things go together better than chocolate and cannabis. Cacao beans are even known to produce similar feelings to the pleasant effects of cannabis. That’s why we were so excited to learn more about the many ways the two can be combined when we were invited to the E’Claire Chocolates kitchen in Seattle, Washington.

Claire McKenzie, a professional chocolatier and cannabis aficionado, shows us how she infuses her gourmet chocolate truffles with cannabis oil. The combination creates a deliciously potent treat that’s as much fun to make as it is to eat! Using high-quality chocolate and heavy cream, Claire creates a chocolate ganache that can be used in a variety of ways. In the video she uses the ganache as the base of her chocolate truffles, which can then be rolled and coated with any number of toppings.

Have you ever wanted to make your own chocolate-cannabis infusions? Watch the video for Claire’s step-by-step guide to her process and share your own experiences in the comments section below. When you’re done, don’t forget to subscribe to Leafly’s video channel for the next episode of the Cannabis Craftsmanship series and more!

Cannabis and Impulsive Behavior: How CB1 and CB2 Receptors Regulate Our Animal Instincts

This article is sponsored by PlusCBD Oil, a product line from CV Sciences (formerly CannaVest). CV Sciences is one of the leading suppliers and manufacturers of agricultural hemp-derived CBD bulk and finished products.

Impulsive behaviors are commonly associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders. For example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse disorders are all associated with maladaptive levels of impulsivity.

Even those of us without a documented psychiatric or neurological disorder can be negatively affected by impulsive behaviors. Compulsive gambling and shopping, overeating, and regular participation in high-risk activities can lead to serious financial loss, legal difficulties, excessive weight gain, and even physical injury. It stands to reason that impulse control leads to improved executive planning, letting us evaluate alternative actions, anticipate negative consequences from poor choices, and ultimately direct our attention to achieve an ideal outcome.

CB1 and CB2 Receptors’ Role in Moderating Impulsivity

Broadly speaking, the endocannabinoid system comprises two receptors (CB1 and CB2), two endogenous compounds that activate these receptors (endocannabinoids N-arachidonoylethanolamide [AEA] and 2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG]), and two metabolic enzymes (fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol lipase) that control the synthesis and breakdown of these endocannabinoids. Over the past decade, research in rats and mice along with supportive evidence in cannabis users has shown that CB1 and CB receptors located in the prefrontal cortex or the ventral tegmental area play key roles in regulating impulsive behaviors.

As noted by Wiskerke and Pattij, cannabinoid signaling in these areas of the brain can modify the activity of several neurotransmitter systems, including the dopamine, glutamate, and GABA systems. In one study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, Spanish scientists examined the actions of two cannabinoid drugs that affect the CB2 receptor in a particular mouse breed that displays high levels of impulsivity. Their results indicated that modulating the CB2 receptor reduced impulsive behavior in the mice. In addition, chronic administration of the drug tended to modify the genetic expression of CB2 levels such that they resembled breeds that had normal levels of impulsivity.

Conversely, activation and overexpression of CB1 receptors have been linked to increased impulse control problems, including eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Animal studies have also demonstrated that blocking CB1 receptor signaling leads to improvements in impulse control and nicotine- or alcohol-seeking behavior.

Potential Effects of CBD on Impulsive Behaviors

So, can manipulating the ECS with cannabidiol (CBD) and other phytocannabinoids reduce the severity of impulsive behaviors? Given the known polymorphisms in cannabinoid-related genes that affect impulsivity and impulse control disorders, as well as inter-individual differences in responses to phytocannabinoid administration, time and more research will tell. That said, to say we are cautiously optimistic would be an understatement. Modulating the endocannabinoid system’s tone via lifestyle change, nutrition, exercise, and use of phytocannabinoid CBD-rich hemp extract could all be potential tools in the wellness toolbox used to address impulsive behavior.

Resources:

Wiskerke and Pattij (2015). The cannabinoid system and impulsive behavior (pp. 343-364). In Cannabinoids in Neurologic and Mental Disease. Elsevier Inc.

Francisco Navarrete, José M, Pérez-Ortiz y Jorge Manzanares. “Regulación de la conducta de tipo impulsivo mediada por el receptor cannabinoide CB2 en ratones DBA/2”. British Journal of Pharmacology 165:260-273, Jan 2012.

Frieling H, Albrecht H, Jedtberg S, Gozner A, et al. Elevated cannabinoid 1 receptor mRNA is linked to eating disorder related behavior and attitudes in females with eating disorders. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 May;34(4):620-4.

de Bruin NM, Lange JH, Kruse CG, Herremans AH, Schoffelmeer AN, van Drimmelen M, De Vries TJ. SLV330, a cannabinoid CB(1) receptor antagonist, attenuates ethanol and nicotine seeking and improves inhibitory response control in rats. Behav Brain Res. 2011 Mar 1;217(2):408-15.

The Shake: 420 Gym to Open (With Smoking Deck), Rick Steves Backs Legalization Bid in Maine

If Kasich signs, Ohio will become the 25th medical-marijuana state. After the ResponsibleOhio snafu of last year, Ohio voters have been wondering if the time is nigh for cannabis to take a spotlight in the Heart of It All. The Ohio Legislature has been debating, amending and ultimately approving a medical-marijuana initiative, which is headed to Republican Gov. John Kasich for a signature this week. The bill has been hotly debated—particularly among cannabis supporters—as it contains several controversial clauses, including a provision that allows employers to fire employees for legally using MMJ. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a competing campaign, is collecting signatures for a more comprehensive medical cannabis amendment to be on the ballot this November, but the group will need to collect 305,591 signatures before July for the amendment to have a fighting chance.

Oregon wants you to start low and slow with edibles. The new “Try 5” campaign from the Oregon Responsible Edibles Council encourages first-time cannabis consumers to start with a low dose of 5 milligrams of THC to prevent novice cannabis consumers from trying too much, too fast. The campaign begins just in time for Oregon to start rolling out edibles for purchase by adults, which will be available in Oregon’s dispensaries starting June 2.

Rick Steves wants to see Maine legalize. Rick Steves, everyone’s favorite travel guide—and NORML board member—will be matching any and all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000 to support Maine’s legalization initiative. He’s planning a tour in October to speak to Maine citizens about the benefits of legalization.

The VA refuses to let physician present lecture on cannabis. Dr. Sue Sisley is the only physician in the United States to have received a federal grant to study the effects of cannabis as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, but medical staff at the Phoenix Veteran Affairs Medical Center would not allow her to make a presentation, despite approval of her work from the Food and Drug Administration. The recent vote to allow VA doctors to discuss medical cannabis has not been signed into law yet, but if it does receive the go-ahead, the Phoenix VA said it would reconsider.

Federal cannabis-trafficking busts plunge since 2012. The number of people sentenced in federal court for moving cannabis has plunged since 2012, according to the United States Sentencing Commission. Christopher Ingraham has the story in The Washington Post.

Medical cannabis accounts for more than one-fifth of Canadian veterans’ drug reimbursements. Data from the Veteran Affairs Canada shows a sharp increase in the amount of money being reimbursed to veterans for prescribed drugs went to medical marijuana—of $91,557,485 in reimbursements, $20,583,153 was for cannabis for vets. America, please take note.

Teen cannabis problems dropping, study says. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report that the number of adolescents (age 12 to 17) who had problems related to cannabis—such as becoming dependent or having trouble in school or relationships—declined by 24 percent between 2002 and 2013. The number of kids who reported using cannabis in the past 12 months also dropped, by 10 percent in the same time period.

Is your property really returned if it’s destroyed? Pueblo County, Colorado, Sheriff Kirk Taylor is cracking down on suspected illegal cannabis farms, seizing hundreds of plants in the past few months. If those suspects are acquitted, the plants are returned—dead and desiccated. Now people are worried that exonerated suspects may sue over destroyed property, and cost the county a lot of money.

Toke up before you work out? A new 420-friendly gym is coming soon to San Francisco through Power Plant Fitness, and will allow members to experiment with cannabis consumption to enhance their workout in pursuit of optimal performance. The gym will incorporate a smoking deck, as well as other forms of cannabis consumption.

Oregon: ‘Right To Grow’ Cannabis Group To Sue Jackson County

By Keith Mansur,Oregon Cannabis Connection Right To Grow, USA, an organization representing cannabis growers in Oregon, is filing a lawsuit against Jackson County. The complaint, which will be filed in the next day or two, seeks an injunction to force the County into a different interpretation of the newly passed cannabis law that was adopted

BREAKING: Ohio MMJ Legalization Now on John Kasich’s Desk

A medical marijuana legalization bill has been sent to Ohio Gov. John Kasich in an effort by state lawmakers to offset support for a proposed fall ballot measure.

The measure cleared the Ohio Senate by just three votes, and the House followed by OK’ing Senate changes 67-28.

The proposal, which Kasich has not committed to signing, would bar patients from smoking marijuana or growing it at home, but it would allow its use in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions.

It garnered both support and opposition among Republicans and Democrats.

Supporters recalled emotional testimony from chronic pain sufferers and parents of sick children as influencing their decisions to support the legislation.

“There is no reason why we should make Ohioans suffer any longer,” said state Sen. Kenny Yuko, a Richmond Heights Democrat who worked with Republican Sen. David Burke, a pharmacist from Marysville, to clinch the bill’s Senate passage.

Lawmakers fast-tracked the measure as a way to head off a medical marijuana issue headed toward fall ballots.

But the Ohioans for Medical Marijuana campaign painted lawmakers’ approval as only bolstering its issue’s chances in the fall.

“Their support for medical marijuana speaks volumes for eliminating any remaining biases against allowing doctors to recommend this life-enhancing treatment to patients in need,” spokesman Aaron Marshall said in a statement.

Regardless of whether Kasich signs the bill, Ohioans for Medical Marijuana said it will move forward with a voter initiative that would legalize medical cannabis through a constitutional amendment. The campaign, which needs to collect more than 300,000 signatures by July to get the measure on November’s ballot, says the Legislature’s bill “omits a number of critical issues.” Some of the problems, the group says, are that the bill’s list of qualifying conditions is too limited and that patients and caregivers wouldn’t able to grow cannabis themselves.

Sen. Jay Hottinger, a Newark Republican, was among opponents of the measure. He said there is inadequate proof of the medical benefits of marijuana and expanding access runs too many risks.

Gov. John Kasich’s spokesman was noncommittal on the governor’s support, saying he would look at the bill in its final form.

It’s unclear which way Kasich is leaning today. Earlier this year he told Ohio voters, “medical marijuana, I think we can look at it.” But as a Presidential candidate, Kasich took a hard line against cannabis in general, and especially recreational legalization, calling it a “terrible idea.” When pressed by Stephen Colbert, in an infamous encounter earlier this year, Kasich said: “The problem with marijuana is this: We don’t want to tell our kids, ‘Don’t do drugs, but by the way, this drug’s okay.’”

Colbert replied: “Isn’t that what alcohol is?”

The measure assigns the State Department of Commerce to regulate marijuana cultivation and distribution and requires each dispensary to employ a registered pharmacist. The state medical board would oversee recommending doctors and provide them with continuing education.

The bill also sets parameters for the placement of dispensaries, including prohibiting them from being placed within 1,000 feet of a daycare facility and giving communities the ability to opt out of having one move in. Employers who want to maintain drug-free workplaces would be provided immunity.

Sen. Bill Seitz, a Cincinnati Republican, urged fellow Republicans — especially conservatives — to support the measure. He pointed to a provision calling on the federal government to remove marijuana from its list of Schedule I dangerous substances as a move to restore states’ rights.

“Nobody with a straight face could actually claim that marijuana is more harmful than cocaine, yet marijuana is on Schedule I and cocaine is on Schedule II,” he said. “Now if that isn’t nuts, I don’t know what is.”

Leafly's Roadmap to 2016 Summer Music Festivals

Spring is in high gear and summer is fast approaching, which means we’re about to dive headfirst into one of the greatest times of the year: music festival season! We put together all the best music festivals happening from Memorial Day weekend through the first few days of fall, plus some strains and dispensaries to hit up while you’re there. Don’t miss this “baked dozen lineup” — we skipped over the mainstays like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and the Governor’s Ball in favor of some more diverse offerings.

Click on the map for an enlarged version

Going to be at any of these festivals? Keep your eyes peeled for Leafly and come say hello! In the meantime, be sure to stock up on rolling papers, sunscreen, comfortable shoes, and some stylish shades for maximum festival comfort and enjoyment. Now what are you waiting for, click on an event below to find out more about it!

• Sasquatch (May 27-30, WA)
• Movement: Detroit (May 28-30, MI)
• Boston Calling (May 29-30, MA)
• Roots Picnic (June 4, PA)
• What the Festival (June 17-20, OR)
• Taste of Chicago (July 6-10, IL)
• Northern Nights (July 15-17, CA)
• Panorama Music Festival (July 22-24, NY)
• Arise Music Festival (August 5-7, CO)
• Time Festival (August 6, Toronto)
• Project Pabst (August 26-28, OR)
• Decibel Festival (September dates TBD, WA)
• Austin City Limits (September 30-October 2, TX)

May 27-30: Sasquatch! Music Festival in Washington State

Big Grams (photo via Julio Enriquez)

Why we love this festival: Sasquatch takes place at the Gorge Amphitheatre in eastern Washington, and the venue is easily the most breathtaking on this list (and quite possibly the world),. In addition to enjoying the many acts performing, you can also hike nearby and swim in the Columbia River.

Acts we’re excited about: M83, Big Grams, Børns, Tacocat

Strain pairing: Monster Cookies are what we imagine Sasquatch eats (and smokes).

Dispensary shout outs: Ellensburg’s “cutest rec shop,” Cannabis Central, is also the closest to the Gorge Amphitheatre. Its super friendly service is worth the pit stop.

Festival tips: Bring sunscreen, a big hat, and a good canopy for your campsite. The Gorge is located in high desert, so things start heating up as early as 6:30 a.m. If you want to class up your festival, head just south of the campgrounds for a tasting at Cave B Winery, which has air conditioning (a hard-to-find luxury in Washington).

Event details: Sasquatch

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May 28-30: Movement Detroit in Michigan

Matthew Dear (photo via Concert Photos)

Why we love this festival: Pay tribute to electronic music history and the scene that changed it by checking out the three day Movement Detroit. There are some big hitters on the lineup, but make sure to attend the official after parties to really get the full experience.

Acts we’re excited about: Matthew Dear, The Black Madonna, Heidi, Caribou

Strain pairing: Really get your groove on with Euforia.

Dispensary shout outs: The ever classy Jazz Club is not only music themed, its building is super unique, making it a tourist stop on its own!

Festival tips: While this festival is outside, it isn’t a camping festival. Rather, it takes place on the Detroit waterfront, which means you have the opportunity for some urban exploration and as much sightseeing as you can manage. Movement: Detroit has offered up discounts with Metro Cars as well as Uber to get around while you’re in town. Also, did you know that as you look across the river while you’re cutting a rug, you’re staring at Canada? Wave to our friendly northern neighbors!

Event details: Movement Detroit

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May 29-30: Boston Calling in Massachusetts

Courtney Barnett (photo via Aurelien Guichard)

Why we love this festival: We feel like this festival has been flying under our radars, delivering an east coast sneak attack of amazing headliners. What Boston Calling lacks in underground bands, it makes up for with everyone knowing at least one song by every act on the lineup. There’s also a large number of ass-kicking female headliners each day — woo hoo!

Acts we’re excited about: Courtney Barnett, Robyn, Haim, Battles

Strain pairing: Don’t miss the tangy East Coast Sour Diesel.

Festival tips: This day festival prohibits large backpacks, so pack smart and come prepared with our Leafly drawstring bag.

Event details: Boston Calling

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June 4: Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, PA

The Roots (photo via Tibor Kovacs)

Why we love this festival: The Roots Picnic is basically exactly what it sounds like: the Roots get together a bunch of really amazing musician friends (like Usher) and play a festival. Talk about some hometown love!

Acts we’re excited about: The Roots (obviously), Leon Bridges, Ibeyi, Blood Orange

Strain pairing: Flo

Festival tips: This is where we don’t offer advice on the best Philly cheese steak, since there is no unanimous decision on that topic. Sorry if that was the tip you wanted.

Event details: The Roots Picnic

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June 17-20: What the Festival in Dufur, OR

Claude VonStroke (photo via Keisuke Shingu)

Why we love this festival: If you like Burning Man but prefer less dust and more budding SoundCloud artists, What the Festival is for you. Enjoy the magic of summer time in the woods of central Oregon with the festival’s splash parties and a lot of delightful food choices. If you’re coming from Portland or Seattle, hop on a Wolf Runner bus and find some camping friends before you even arrive!

Acts we’re excited about: Claude VonStroke, FKJ, Motez, Pomo

Strain pairing: Dance World

Dispensary shout outs: Make a quick stop in Hood River at Gorge Greenery and be sure to enjoy the scenery.

Festival tips: Be ready to enjoy nature, eating, and moving around. Don’t bother doing a pre-fest grocery store run — there are at least 23 food vendors offering everything from kombucha to poutine to a solar-powered shaved ice vendor. Also, take the capoeira class (it’s free!) and bust out your new dance-fighting moves on the dance floor later (just don’t actually fight anyone).

Event details: What the Festival

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July 6-10: Taste of Chicago in Illinois

Elle King (photo via Bruce)

Why we love this festival: Music and food are some of our favorite things, and both are in abundance at the Taste of Chicago. This isn’t your average “Taste” event, as it features a killer lineup and the iconic Chicago food scene. Rumor has it you can even get chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick!

Acts we’re excited about: Elle King, The Decemberists, The Isley Brothers

Strain pairing: Fill both your lungs and tummies with Cherry Pie while you rep a Leafly Cherry Pie strain tee.

Dispensary shout outs: Dispensary 33 is a intensely beautiful location that provides all the medical info you’ll need.

Festival tips: Come hungry. The fare for this fest is top-notch, with food trucks and pop up restaurants in addition to amazing tunes. For $45, you can attend a three-course celebrity chef dinner. That’s basically free compared to what you’ll pay in Vegas for the same thing.

Event details: Taste of Chicago

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July 15-17: Northern Nights in Garberville, CA

Gorgon City (photo via Steven PIsano)

Why we love this festival: When given the option, we prefer to enjoy music while also floating along a lazy river, so Northern Nights’ river stage is one of the best festival stages in existence. Better yet, become one with some of the highest beings of all while camping among the redwood trees of northern California.

Acts we’re excited about: GRiZ, The Knocks, Dawn Richard, Gorgon City, NoMBe

Strain pairing: Get down with GRiZ Kush

Dispensary shout outs: This fest is in the middle of the forest, so make sure to come prepared. Coming from the north? Arcata’s The Heart of Humboldt has a fantastic and knowledgeable staff. Heading up from the south or east? Check out NorCal Med2You in Chico for your medical needs.

Festival tips: Don’t forget some floaties! We recommend you and your camping buddies get a bunch of blow up pizza slices for a floating pizza party. You’ll make friends, we promise.

Event details: Northern Nights

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July 22-24: Panorama Festival in Randall’s Island, NY

LCD Soundsystem (photo via Emanuele Rosso)

Why we love this festival: Taking place on the same grounds as the Governor’s Ball, this will be the inaugural Panorama Music Art & Technology Festival. The Coachella-does-the-east-coast festival is zeroing in on the tech scene, so there will be no shortage of great interactive art and fun festival gadgets.

Acts we’re excited about: LCD Soundsystem, Holy Ghost!, FKA Twigs, AURORA

Strain pairing: NYC Diesel tastes like taxis smell.

Festival tips: First-year fests are always a gamble, but we have faith in this one thanks to its festival parents (the same folks behind Coachella). Be prepared for some hiccups and come with some patience, an open mind, and a good attitude.

Event details: Panorama Festival

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August 5-7: Arise Music Festival in Loveland, CO

Ziggy Marley (photo via Bruce Tuten)

Why we love this festival: Arise, which proclaimed itself to be “Colorado’s Best Music Festival,” is the only one on the list that’s serving up reggae, hip hop, and electronic music on the same bill. Plus, trying saying Punchy Drunk Munky Funk three times fast.

Acts we’re excited about: Jurassic 5, Del the Funky Homosapien, Dirtwire, Ziggy Marley

Strain pairing: Lamb’s Bread will get you in touch with your roots.

Dispensary shout outs: If you’re coming from Denver, stop by the Native Roots in Longmont on your way out of town. The wait will likely be shorter, and you’re still guaranteed high-quality service. If you’re coming in from the north, hit up Organic Alternatives in Ft. Collins, which also happens to be sponsoring the festival!

Festival tips: Remember, Colorado summers aren’t exactly known for having “predictable” weather, so make sure you pack a good rain jacket if there is even the slightest chance in the forecast (and maybe even if there isn’t).

Event details: Arise Music Festival

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August 6: Time Festival in Toronto, ON, Canada

Run the Jewels (photo via Treefort Music Fest)

Why we love this festival: Even though the Time Festival is only a day long, it packs quite a lineup.

Acts we’re excited about: Run the Jewels, TOKiMONSTA, Kehlani

Strain pairings: You’ll forget to stop dancing with Timewreck.

Dispensary shout outs: Hit up Toronto’s only female-owned dispensary Queens of Cannabis.

Festival tips: The Toronto fashion scene is fantastic, so don’t think that people are going to dress down for an all day event. Accessorize with some phenomenal Jane West jewelry, or check out our Leafly gear.

Event details: Time Festival

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August 26-28: MusicFestNW Presents Project Pabst in Portland, OR

Ice Cube (photo via Eva Rinaldi)

Why we love this festival: We like to keep it simple, so no longer having to choose between the two big summer festivals in downtown Portland is a big plus. With their powers combined, MusicFestNW and Project Pabst have booked what might be the most eclectic lineup of the summer.

Acts we’re excited about: It’s the only fest on the list where you can see Duran Duran, Ice Cube, and Andrew WK in the same place. Talk about eclectic!

Strain pairings: Make sure to smell like you belong in Portland courtesy of Oregon Diesel.

Dispensary shout outs: Visit our friends at Bridge City Collective’s southeast Portland location — they’re wicked friendly and are just across the river from the festival grounds.

Festival tips: Make sure to buy your Night Show tickets early! You don’t need to be a festival ticket holder to get access to tickets, and some of the showcases are really cool. We’d hate for you to miss out on someone like David Bazan or Digable Planets.

Event details: MusicFestNW Presents Project Pabst

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Mid-September (Dates TBD): Decibel Festival in Seattle, WA

The Decibel Festival (photo via Joe Mabel)

Why we love this festival: The ultra-hip Decibel Festival takes over the Seattle music scene for an entire week in September, meaning your chances of seeing phenomenal world-class talent are high whichever night you’re free. Take a few days off and don’t forget to attend the after parties, before parties, yoga parties and any other parties people end up stumbling into at 6 a.m.

Acts we’re excited about: While this fest doesn’t announce its lineup until mid-July, we already know we’re excited for it considering past epic performances from Lindstrom, Nicholas Jaar, Com Truise, Zola Jesus, Baths, Nils Frahm, and some girl you may have heard of who goes by Lorde.

Strain pairings: Dancehall will make you the happiest dancer on the floor.

Dispensary shout outs: Stash Pot Shop in Ballard definitely keeps the ultra-hip vibes rolling while also offering superior service.

Festival tips: Definitely buy the weekend pass; otherwise, before you know it, you’ve attended five shows and spent twice the cost of a festival pass. It’s happened to everyone at least once. Plus, you might not know a single name on the bill, but it’s totally worth it to head to some of the local music showcases and check out Seattle’s emerging talent.

Event details: Decibel Festival

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September 30-October 2: Austin City Limits in Texas

Bomba Estereo (photo via Clement Caron)

Why we love this festival: It gets a gold star for featuring the best lineup on the list. While Austin City Limits does the two weekend festival thing, it does vary slightly by weekend and feels like a more sincere outreach to bring great music to the residents of Austin. They don’t call it the live music capital of the world for nothin’!

Acts we’re excited about: Bomba Estereo, Die Antwoord, Foals, and, of course Willie Nelson

Strain pairings: Show Willie Nelson some respect.

Festival tips: Buy your tickets sooner rather than later, as it’s bound to be a completely sold-out fest. Seriously. Also, do more to support the Austin community and peruse the wares at the Art Market. You can also hit up Hatbox: A Modern Haberdashery and get a new festival hat for next year!

Event details: Austin City Limits

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Power Plant Fitness, The World’s First Cannabis Gym, Is Coming To California

In an era of health and fitness, as well as a national cannabis boom, The 420 Games has become the latest “it” event series. The athletic themed marijuana events have taken root and quickly become a national phenomenon. Ironically, when Jim McAlpine first came out with The420 Games many people were skeptical.“Most people would just

US CA: Column: The Trouble With Cannabis Reparations

SF Weekly, 26 May 2016 – For decades, being a marijuana advocate required that you be a combination of outlaw, policy wonk, and social-justice warrior. You were pushing illegal conduct, because ending an expensive and racially biased experiment was the right and sensible thing to do – a position backed by data. This came at a cost: The real problems of holding down a job – to this day, casual pot smokers remain closeted for fear of their employers’ legal, courts-upheld right to terminate them – while also avoiding undue attention from authorities in government and law enforcement meant most out-there cannabis advocates looked a certain way: mostly white, mostly male. (Quick: Name a female legalization advocate. Now name a black one.) These days, “cannabis advocates” are customers of a multibillion-dollar cannabis industry, which is attracting attention and investment from financiers in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street. Saying you like weed or want legalization barely gets a rise out of cops or lawmakers; these days, you have to have a business plan for anyone to take notice. Social justice has taken a clear back seat. And for those keeping score, the owners of most cannabis businesses look just like the advocates: white and male (although, generally speaking, much better-dressed).

US OR: Column: Who Hates Cannabis? And Why?

Portland Mercury, 26 May 2016 – It’s Easy to Forget About Anti-Weed Prohibitionists. Don’t. AS WE APPROACH the one-year anniversary of recreational cannabis legalization in Oregon, it’s easy to forget about the prohibitionist forces that aren’t happy about it. This is a mistake, though-these opponents are spending massive amounts of time, money, and energy to roll back the progress that’s been made.

S02, Ep. 07: The Cannabist Show: He helped Colorado get legalized; She covers the NFL

Published: May 25, 2016, 4:59 pm • Updated: May 26, 2016, 5:05 pm By Vincent Chandler, The Cannabist Staff Featured guests: Christian Sederberg, a cannabis industry attorney who helped draft Colorado’s marijuana legalizing Amendment 64, and Denver Post reporter Nicki Jhabvala, who covers the NFL and other sports. Podcast: Play in new window | Download […]

State of the Leaf: Canadian Patients Get Same-Day Delivery, and Louisiana Expands Qualifying Conditions

Here’s the latest on cannabis legalization and legislation: In Kansas, the Republican governor acted to lower penalties for cannabis possession. In Louisiana, the state’s list of qualifying medical marijuana conditions was expanded. In Maryland, efforts to launch that state’s MMJ program have run into new delays, and dispensaries continue to struggle to get legal standing in Michigan. In New Jersey, with no MMJ program, lawmakers may be leaving $300 million in tax revenues on the table. And efforts to launch an MMJ program in North Carolina are scuffling for traction. Good news in Ohio, though, where lawmakers are attempting to craft MMJ legislation ahead of a public vote on this issue this fall.

Internationally, same-day MMJ delivery is coming soon to Canada—or, at least for now, Calgary and Toronto. And the Philippines, historically one of the harshest anti-cannabis countries, the president is—in the face of longstanding opposition from the nation’s Catholic leadership.

U.S. News Updates

Kansas

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback signed a measure that will reduce the penalty for a first-time cannabis possession charge from up to a year in jail to no more than six months. The penalty for a second offense would be reduced from a low-level felony to a sentence of up to a year in jail. Subsequent offenses would range from 10 to 42 months in jail, the current penalty for a second possession offense. Baby steps forward are better than no steps forward!

Louisiana

Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a bill into law this week to expand the state’s medical-marijuana program. Senate Bill 271 was introduced by state Sen. Fred Mills (R-St. Martin’s Parish), a pharmacist-turned-politician. The bill would broaden the law and expand the qualifying medical conditions, which were previously limited to glaucoma. The new MMJ conditions will be:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• A chronic, debilitating disease or treatment that may produce cachexia/wasting syndrome
• Seizure disorders
• Epilepsy; and
• Severe muscle spasms, including those characteristic of Crohn’s disease or multiple sclerosis

The bill also revises the language from the original medical marijuana bill to allow physicians to “recommend” medical cannabis. The previous language used the phrase “prescribe,” an act which is forbidden by the federal Controlled Substances Act, and which tied the hands of physicians who might otherwise be able to allow access for qualified patients.

Maryland

How do you solve a problem like Maryland? Maryland’s medical-cannabis bill was signed into law last May, but has faced numerous hurdles along the path to creating a workable infrastructure. The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission accepted applications for growers, processors and dispensaries through last November, but before the applications could be properly considered, Executive Director Hannah Byron unexpectedly resigned. The program did not get a new executive director until this month, when Patrick Jameson signed on and promptly gave conflicting statements on Maryland’s troubled timeline. He first claimed that the licenses will be issued in late summer or early fall, before backtracking and saying that the Commission will issue licenses within “weeks” of evaluating applications in July.

Michigan

Michigan’s dispensaries just took another blow when a ruling found that patients can only access MMJ through home cultivation or through a registered caregiver who can serve up to five patients at a time. Two men were charged with distributing MMJ and took a plea, which led to the ruling. They may take the case to Michigan’s Supreme Court, but in the meantime, the ruling could have dire implications for dispensaries. Michigan’s MMJ law is unique in that the law contains no mention of dispensaries, leaving dispensary owners and employees essentially operating in a legal gray area, and meaning store owners are at risk for closure and raids by law enforcement.

New Jersey

A new report from the New Jersey United for Marijuana Reform and New Jersey Policy Perspective showed that a legal cannabis marketplace could net the state a cool $300 million, if they were to legalize. Based on federal studies, about 365,900 New Jersey adults use cannabis illegally on a monthly basis, meaning that a 25 percent on cannabis sales could gain the state $300 million annually.

North Carolina

State Rep. Kelly Alexander, Jr. (D-Mecklenburg) has introduced a new bill that would legalize medicinal marijuana in the state of North Carolina. This is not the first time Rep. Alexander has proposed a bill for medical cannabis, but it has failed to gain traction last year in committee, leading to its inevitable demise. Unfortunately, supporters fear that the same thing may happen to House Bill 983 this year, due mostly to a short legislative session and lack of support from Republican lawmakers in the Committee on Health.

Ohio

The state’s MMJ initiative has passed through the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee, and is headed to the Senate floor for a full vote. The committee made several crucial changes to the bill before approving it, including putting the program back under the supervision of the state Commerce Department, rather than the Board of Pharmacy. The House plan will also create a nine-member Medical Marijuana Control Commission tasked with regulating the cultivation, distribution and licensing of cannabis businesses. Ohio lawmakers are rushing to approve the bill before the end of the legislative session in the hopes that this bill will reign supreme over a well-funded MMJ push for the ballot this November.

International News Updates

Canada

For the first time, medical cannabis will be legally available for same-day delivery through Health Canada’s Licensed Producer (LP) program. Patients have had to order from LPs and wait for the cannabis to arrive through the mail, but two LPs recently announced plans to offer same-day delivery as a service for registered patients. Aurora Cannabis and Bedrocan Canada will now deliver cannabis the same day in certain geographical areas. Aurora Cannabis will offer deliveries for orders placed before noon to residents of Calgary (and the surrounding region), while Bedrocan will make deliveries by 8 p.m. for orders placed before noon to Toronto. They will start accepting same-day orders on May 26.

Philippines

The Philippines have some of the harshest drug laws in the world—the possession of a joint can get you sent to rehab for six months, and subsequent offenses could land you between six and twelve years in jail. However, new President-elect Rodrigo Duerte has come forward in favor of medical marijuana, indicating that it is already an ingredient in modern medicine. House Bill No. 04477, or the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Act was filed in 2014 by Isabela Rep. Rodolfo Albano III, which has sparked debates between the Philippine Medical Association and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. Interestingly, the Catholic association was more willing to accept MMJ than the Philippine Medical Association, who were quoted as saying that there is no sufficient evidence to prove its benefits.

The Shake: Is Cannabis the ‘Worst Kept Secret in Athletics’?

Steve DeAngelo calls cannabis the “worst kept secret in athletics.” The high-profile cannabis advocate and co-founder of Oakland’s Harborside Health Center (which recently came out on top in a long-running legal battle with the feds) has an op-ed post at The Weed Blog about the widespread use of cannabis by professional athletes and the leagues’ worrisome reliance on prescription opioids.

Trying to make it big in the cannabis industry? Willamette Week‘s “Potlander” has a roundup of 19 common traps that might torpedo your big idea.

How did the NYPD chief get cannabis so wrong? Earlier this week, Chief Bill Bratton said cannabis is behind “most of the violence we see” in the city. Advocates immediately challenged the claim, and now The Atlantic‘s Conor Friedersdorf is out with a piece about why Bratton’s logic is completely upside-down.

Los Angeles has lots of potholes, and they’re not all literal. Changes to state law, controversial local rules, and the impending possibility of adult-use legalization in California have combined to create a tense situation in Los Angeles, the L.A. Weekly‘s Dennis Romero writes.

Washington will allow out-of-state cannabis financing. Sort of. A new rule adopted last week by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board has confused industry stakeholders since it was proposed earlier this year, cannalawyer Hilary Bricken writes in a Canna Law Blog post that spells out the specifics.

2 Chainz digs into a half million dollars’ worth of cannabis products, because YOLO. For the latest season of GQ’s Most Expensivest Shit, the rapper sampled from a $500,000 collection of wares, including a $50,000 bong, THC crystals that cost $2,500 a jar, and an assortment of other opulent offerings. Check out the episode to immediately feel poor and sober.

What’s up in Wyoming? As part of a special, six-topic series, WyoFile is digging into the status of cannabis — medical and otherwise — in the Equality State. (Yes, the “Equality State.” Fun fact: Wyoming was the first U.S. territory to adopt women’s suffrage.)

Vietnamese quiz President Obama on past cannabis use, president waffles. On a recent state visit, a Vietnamese youth asked the president whether reports of his cannabis consumption as a young man are true. “I don’t know if that’s true,” Obama replied, according to ABC. “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.”

And finally, this guy likes to dress up like a dog. You do you, sir.

Ohio Lawmakers Scramble to Pass Medical Cannabis Bill Before Recess

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A proposal to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio squeaked through a critical Senate panel Wednesday over opposition of some Republicans and Democrats, signaling a busy day of political deal-cutting ahead as lawmakers head into their summer break.

The Senate Government Oversight & Reform Committee’s 7-to-5 vote set the stage for probable passage of the marijuana bill out of both legislative chambers by the end of the day. Many legislators were anticipating a long night, as the House and Senate planned votes on dozens of bills before they recess until after the November election.

Lawmakers are rushing the marijuana bill out before their summer recess as ammunition against a well-funded medical marijuana issue working its way to fall ballots.

The final bill bars patients from smoking or growing their own marijuana for medical use, but allows its use in vapor form for certain chronic health conditions.

Late changes to the measure bar dispensaries within 1,000 feet of a daycare center, rather than the earlier 500 feet, and prohibit housing discrimination against patients.

Cannabis Terpenes: The Benefits of Humulene, Caryophyllene, and Trans-Nerolidol

This article is sponsored by Tilray, one of the largest and most sophisticated producers of premium medical cannabis in the world. Tilray is dedicated to providing safe, consistent, and reliable products to patients and furthering clinical research.

Terpenes are a group of fragrant essential oils – secreted alongside cannabinoids like THC and CBD – that contribute to the complex aroma of cannabis. They are also generally responsible for many of the distinguishing characteristics of different strains, and this discovery has led to a sharp increase in interest among researchers, producers, and consumers alike.

Though cannabis contains up to 200 different terpenes, there are about 10 primary terpenes that occur in significant concentrations. We’d like to introduce you to three of those primary and secondary terpenes: humulene, caryophyllene, and trans-nerolidol.

What is Humulene?

Humulene naturally occurs in clove, basil, hops, and cannabis sativa. It carries a subtle earthy, woody aroma with spicy herbal notes you might recognize in some of your favorite strains. Though cannabis is commonly associated with appetite simulation, humulene is actually known to suppress hunger.

Humulene’s other potential effects include:

• Anti-bacterial
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-tumor
• Pharmacokinetic

Some strains that are known to test high in humulene include White Widow, Girl Scout Cookies, and Headband. Among Tilray’s crop, high-humulene varieties include Pink Kush, Sour Diesel, and Skywalker OG.

What is Caryophyllene?

Caryophyllene (or β-Caryophyllene) is a spicy, peppery terpene found in many different edible plants. Spices like black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, as well as herbs like oregano, basil, hops, and rosemary, are known to exhibit high concentrations of caryophyllene. Due to its affinity to the peripheral CB2 receptors, caryophyllene often appears in anti-inflammatory topicals and salves.

Caryophyllene has the following potential medical benefits:

• Anti-inflammatory and analgesic
• Alcohol craving reduction
• Anti-cancer
• Anti-anxiety and anti-depressant

Strains known to exhibit heightened levels of caryophyllene include OG Kush, Bubba Kush, and Chemdawg. Tilray currently carries Rockstar, Skywalker OG, and Sour Diesel, which are also shown to be high in this terpene.

What is Trans-Nerolidol?

Trans-nerolidol is a secondary terpene found in many strong aromatics like jasmine, tea tree, and lemongrass. As such, it delivers a subdued and nuanced floral aroma with notes of fruity citrus, apples, and rose. This terpene is believed to produce sedating effects, and is being investigated for the following medical benefits:

• Inhibits growth of leishmaniasis
• Antiparasitic
• Antifungal
• Antimicrobial

Tilray’s very own Island Sweet Skunk, Jack Herer, and Skywalker OG are known to contain high levels of this sweet and flowery terpene.

To view all Tilray strains, visit Tilray’s website.

As More States Legalize Marijuana, Adolescents’ Problems With Cannabis Decline

A survey of more than 216,000 adolescents from all 50 states indicates the number of teens with marijuana-related problems is declining. Similarly, the rates of marijuana use by young people are falling despite the fact more U.S. states are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use and the number of adults using the drug has increased. Researchers

Today: Barriers To Cannabis Research Expert Panel Event At UNLV

One of the first things that marijuana opponents offer up when railing against cannabis is to say ‘there needs to be more research first.’ Don’t be fooled, this is nothing more than a delay tactic. Opponents know that if they just drag their feet, that marijuana prohibition will stay in place because after all, if

NCIA To Launch Knowledge-Sharing Platform Connecting Industry Experts With Entrepreneurs

The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) and Brainsy, Inc., are collaborating to launch theCannabis Expert Calling Network (ECN®), a knowledge-sharing platform connecting cannabis industry experts with entrepreneurs and information-seekers online and via paid telephone consultations. NCIA members who are experts in their area of the cannabis industry will be invited to set up personalized profiles

Los Angeles Cannabis Task Force Responds To City Council’s Attempts To Fix Proposition D

The Los Angeles Cannabis Task Force issued a statement today responding to last week’s news that Los Angeles City Council president Herb Wesson had directed city staff to explore a ballot measure that would extend Proposition D’s gross receipts tax to all cannabis-related businesses. The LA Cannabis Task Force is a coalition of cannabis operators

Cannabis: The Worst Kept Secret In Athletics

By Steve DeAngelo, author of The Cannabis Manifesto For years, cannabis use has been the worst kept secret in athletics. It’s widespread in just about every amateur and professional arena from universities to the Olympics to the major leagues; it can be found in every sport imaginable from basketball and football, to swimming, snowboarding, martial

Ohio Scraps Plan for Pharmacy Board to Oversee Medical Cannabis

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A legislative proposal to regulate medical marijuana through Ohio’s pharmacy board was scrapped Tuesday over concerns the rare setup nationally would create an undue burden on the state.

Republican Sen. David Burke, a Marysville pharmacist behind the idea, called the arrangement the most responsible way to oversee cannabis as medicine. He said changes introduced in the Senate Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday were needed to strike a workable compromise.

“This bill doesn’t give me everything I want, but it does give the people of Ohio what they need — and that’s the most important thing,” Burke said. The legislation comes as the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature seeks to head off a prospective medical marijuana ballot question this fall.

GOP Sen. Bill Coley, who chairs the committee considering the fast-tracked medical cannabis bill, said the new plan still requires pharmacists at dispensaries but leaves doctors under the medical board and places cultivation and processing under the state Commerce Department. Republican senators planned a caucus Tuesday evening; it wasn’t clear whether the compromise language would have the votes to clear the chamber.

The House plan, approved May 10, created a nine-member Medical Marijuana Control Commission to set rules for cultivating, distributing and licensing cannabis. That’s more in line with what other states have done and more closely mirrors the regulatory setup favored by medical cannabis advocates. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy says only Connecticut and Louisiana regulate medical marijuana through their pharmacy boards. Most states establish control commissions that distance federally licensed doctors and pharmacies from distribution.

The Drug Enforcement Agency licenses doctors and registers pharmacies that prescribe controlled substances. Those authorizations don’t currently allow prescriptions of marijuana because it hasn’t been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration. It is still a Schedule I substance, deemed unsafe and addictive by the FDA. For that reason, medical cannabis bills, including Ohio’s, generally call for physicians to “recommend,” not “prescribe,” medical cannabis.

Burke said pharmacies, not individual pharmacists, are certified by the DEA, so the requirement retained under Tuesday’s bill revisions for a pharmacist to be placed at every dispensary wouldn’t be risky. He said they’re not in jeopardy of losing a license or being prosecuted for distributing cannabis.

In prepared testimony Tuesday, Ohio Pharmacists Association director Ernest Boyd said his members had been on the fence about supporting pharmacists even working at dispensaries because of the drug’s legal status — let alone the pharmacy board overseeing the whole program. But it’s been decided that if medical cannabis legalization is inevitable, pharmacists have a role in keeping it safe, he said.

Carmen Catizone, executive director of the national pharmacy boards association, said despite the potential value of involving pharmacists in the process, the approach runs risks that many other states have been unwilling to take. He said the Justice Department’s current policy of selective enforcement against legalized marijuana is merely “a gentleman’s agreement” that could evaporate after President Barack Obama leaves office next year.

“The overriding principle for pharmacies and pharmacy boards is that, under federal law, it is still illegal,” he said.

NFL Player Eugene Monroe Calls Out League’s Opioid Use, Endorses Cannabis

You’ve heard that football players are pumped full of painkillers. Ever wonder what that looks like? Baltimore Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe wants to show you.

In a piece yesterday for The Players’ Tribune, Monroe demystifies what players call the T Train—“nothing more than a bunch of really large guys waiting to pull their pants down to get shot in the butt with Toradol, a powerful painkiller that will help them make it through the game and its aftermath.”

That’s just the beginning. After a concussion suffered during a game in Denver, Monroe was dosed with Tylenol, Ambien, and Topiramine to ease his headache and help him sleep. “They didn’t seem to do much,” he writes, and “their list of side effects seemed endless.”

“There has to be a better way,” he concludes. “There is a better way.”

In March, Monroe became the first active NFL player to openly advocate for the use of medical cannabis to treat chronic pain and head injuries. As he explains in the Players’ Tribune:

“The NFL relies heavily on opioids to get players back on the field as soon as possible, but studies have shown medical marijuana to be a much better solution; it is safer, less addictive and can even reduce opioid dependence. Some studies have also shown that cannabidiol (CBD) — one of the more than 100 cannabinoids found in marijuana — may function as a neuroprotectant, which means it can shield the cells in the brain from injury or degeneration. We need to learn more about this.”

A growing number of athletes have started pushing back against the league’s official restrictions on cannabis. But while other NFL players have held off until retirement to take up the cause, Monroe isn’t waiting. He wants the league to remove cannabis from its list of banned substances, fund research into cannabinoids and brain injuries, and curb the prescription of opioid painkillers.

“How can a league so casual about the use of addictive opioids take such a hard line on a drug that might provide a safer alternative?” Monroe writes.

The NFL, for its part, is borrowing a play from the federal government: stall, stall, stall.

“We believe it’s the correct policy, for now, in the best interest of our players and the long-term health of our players,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said at a news conference in February. “I don’t foresee a change in that clearly in the short term, but we’ll continue to be in touch with our medical personnel. If that changes, we’ll discuss it.”

The league told ESPN that the policy on medical cannabis is guided by medical advisers who have not indicated a need to change it.

As more states legalize marijuana, adolescents’ problems with pot decline

A survey of more than 216,000 adolescents from all 50 states indicates the number of teens with marijuana-related problems is declining. Similarly, the rates of marijuana use by young people are falling despite the fact more US states are legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana use and the number of adults using the drug has increased.

The Shake: Chong Gets Burned by Bernie Campaign, Canada to See Same-Day Delivery

Tommy Chong stood up by Sanders campaign. Hours before a rally in East Los Angeles yesterday, the Bernie Sanders campaign reportedly uninvited Tommy Chong as the event’s introductory speaker. “They don’t want to endorse what I stand for and what I’ve stood for all my professional career,” the comedian told The Hollywood Reporter. (Chong turns 78 today. Happy birthday, brother.)

Hope to continue my support, reschedule, and continue activism, political change and promoting peace anywhere possible.

— Tommy Chong (@tommychong) May 23, 2016

Ready for the Keurig of cannabis? Set to debut early next year, KannaCorp’s single-use cannabis “pods” promise to offer all the convenience and environmental headaches of the original K-Cup. (Folks over at The Influence wonder whether the launch is a sign that legal cannabis is getting “depressingly square.”)

GOP congressman in California admits to using cannabis. U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said he was given a cannabis-infused treatment for his arthritis — an admission that could make him the first sitting member of Congress to acknowledge using cannabis while in office, Tom Angell reports. Rohrabacher made the mention, first reported by Russ Belville, at a kick-off event for NORML lobbying push. “Now, don’t tell anybody I broke the law,” the congressman said. “They’ll bust down my door and, you know, and take whatever’s inside and use it for evidence against me.”

Should you brush your teeth with bud? Elite Daily’s latest lifehack is all about brushing with medicated coconut oil. Why? It doesn’t say. But here’s the recipe, prepared sous vide!

Canada to see same-day cannabis delivery. By law, patients have to get their medicine by mail, which can sometimes take a while. Aurora Cannabis wants to change that by offering same-day delivery in some markets.

New York’s police chief makes “dubious” cannabis claims. NYPD Chief Bill Bratton said on a local radio show that “the violence we see associated with drugs, the vast majority of it, is around marijuana.” Talking heads are trying to make sense of the claim, with doesn’t jibe with research around cannabis and violence. The Marijuana Policy Project’s Morgan Fox called the statement “extremely dubious” and says that if there’s any truth to it, it should be an argument for legalization, not against it.

Denver police issue 18 tickets for public consumption at rescheduled 420 Rally. That’s less than a third of the 60 they gave out on April 20, and far fewer than the 150 citations issued at last year’s two-day rally. Cops this year also wrote two tickets for flying drones in a public park.

Legalization could bring New Jersey $300M in tax revenue. That’s according to advocacy groups New Jersey United for Marijuana and New Jersey Policy Perspective. There’s a legalization bill before the Legislature, but Gov. Chris Christie has said he’ll never sign it into law. “I don’t care about the tax money that may come from it,” he said in 2014.

Cannabis crowdfunding is finally here. New rules at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission took effect yesterday, opening the floodgates for small-scale investment in cannabis ventures. The new rules allow companies to collect up to $1 million dollars per year in amounts as small as $2,000. Vince Sliwoski at Canna Law Blog has a brief explainer, and his firm’s putting on a webinar tomorrow ($40-65).

Going to the Cannabis Business Summit in Oakland next month? Consider hobnobbing with the cannabis movement’s future leaders by dropping in a night of drinks and dancing with Students for Sensible Drug Policy. You can RSVP on Facebook.

Barcelona's First Female Mayor Grants Amnesty to Cannabis Clubs, but Will It Stick?

Barcelona’s first-ever female mayor has just accomplished another first: proposing to keep the city’s famous Cannabis Social Clubs in business by implementing workable official regulations.

Last summer, Ada Colau became mayor in the historic Catalan capital. This week, she granted amnesty to existing clubs, allowing more than a hundred that were slated for permanent closure to remain open and continue shared cannabis cultivation and distribution.

But it’s an open question as to whether Mayor Colau’s move will allow the city to keep the title of Europe’s New Amsterdam, as the rules seem to change with each new municipal government.

The cannabis social clubs had their first golden years in the last decade. But lack of regulation led to bad operating procedures and conflicts with neighbors, and many locations were forced to shut down.

But the independent spirit of Catalan, it seems, can’t be kept down.

Catalonia is a state of Spain, but has its own language, a thriving economy, and its own way of doing things. Barcelona is traditionally cannabis-friendly and welcoming to small-scale grow ops, even as Spain’s criminal code strictly forbids cannabis cultivation, transportation, and public consumption. This means that, like Dutch coffeeshops, Barcelona’s clubs have had to break the law to operate.

Another wave of new clubs swept Catalonia in 2014 as operators said the new clubs, using the legal construct of associaciones culturales (cultural associations), are legitimate places for Spanish citizens to gather in private and do what they like.

The sharp rise in new cannabis clubs prompted former Barcelona Mayor Xavier Trias to try to shut them down.

Trias aimed to eliminate 112 of the 123 clubs that had been established quasi-legally in the city. To achieve this, he proposed a minimum distance of 150 meters between clubs and places frequented by minors, such as schools, libraries, and playgrounds. He stopped giving new licenses to clubs and promised a proper policy. That’s where his influence came to an end.

Colau inherited Trias’s plan. But instead of supporting repression, her municipal government presented a regulation proposal: The minimum distance between clubs and places frequented by minors will be reduced to 100 meters. More importantly, the rule will no longer be retroactive. This allows authorities to grant amnesty to most of the clubs that, under the old proposal, would have had to close.

Two federations of Catalan cannabis clubs, FEDCAC and CatFAC, have created a platform on which political parties, authorities and the clubs themselves discussed proposals.

Eric Asensio, spokesperson of CatFAC, the Federation of Cannabis’s Associations of Catalonia, welcomed the new plan. He blamed public disapproval of the clubs on “ignorance and malpractice by some associations.”

But authorities are also concerned by canna-tourism. Most Barcelona clubs cater mostly to tourists despite existing, from a legal perspective, to serve locals. Such clubs clearly violate the basic principles of the Cannabis Social Clubs, in which the members form a real club and should know each other at least casually. Some clubs in Barcelona have well over 10,000 members and operate like big, coffeeshop-style businesses, generating social unrest and controversy, especially in popular neighborhoods.

Whether politicians like it or not, Spain has become a new paradise for cannabis enthusiasts, including growers and patients, growshops and seedbanks, and clubs.

Colau’s move may simply be recognition that if Catalonia is to promote economic growth and contain youth unemployment — which in Spain is over 40 percent and among the highest in Europe — accepting cannabis businesses may be inevitable.

But time is of the essence. If the new plan is not approved by June 13, the city will return to the previous moratorium on new licenses. If that happens, more than a hundred clubs will be shut down, leaving the city to pay 14.4 million euros in compensation to club operators, according to Deputy Mayor Janet Sanz.

Marijuana Activist Toolbox Update: Cannabis And The Brain Research

While doing research for an article being featured in print later this year, I’ve accumulated a nice little body of quotes and research regarding the brain, its chemistry and the methods through which cannabis interacts with it- specifically, how cannabis can inspire creativity and thought. Quotes included are from the abstract and are not meant

Canopy Growth: Bedrocan to Offer Same Day Delivery

Canopy Growth (TSXV:CGC), parent company of Tweed and Bedrocan, announced that Bedrocan will be offering same-day delivery services in Toronto as of Thursday May 26.

As quoted in the press release:

Starting Thursday May 26th, Bedrocan Canada will be offering same-day delivery to its registered customers located within Toronto (i.e., a postal code starting with “M”). Customers who place their order by noon will receive their order by 8pm on the same day, while patients ordering after noon will be able to receive their order in the morning the following day. Same-day delivery builds on Bedrocan Canada’s commitment to focusing on patients’ needs, customer service, and affordability. Full details will be available shortly at www.bedrocan.ca.

Bruce Linton, chairman and CEO of Canopy Growth, said:

Torontonians who are seeking a reliable supply of medical cannabis can now turn to the most affordable solution in the City, delivered same-day to their door, and rest assured there is no question about the legality and origins of their cannabis supply. Working with partners like Canadian Cannabis Clinics, we can ensure that any patient who requires access to doctors specializing in cannabis as a treatment, can find the support they need to access the legal system where medically appropriate.

Click here for the full press release.

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Nasdaq Denies Cannabis Technology Company MassRoots And Shuns The Regulated Cannabis Industry

MassRoots, Inc. (OTCQB: MSRT), one of the largest and fastest growing technology platforms for the cannabis industry, received notification on Monday, May 23, 2016, that the Nasdaq has denied MassRoots’ application for listing, which was filed in August 2015. The Nasdaq determined that as MassRoots may be deemed as “aiding and abetting” the distribution of

Attend The Minority Cannabis Business Association Networking Rally In Portland Next Month

The need for diversity in the cannabis industry is great. That’s why I support the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA). MCBA is holding a networking rally next month. Below are the details, via the event’s Eventbrite page: Join MCBA and local cannabis leaders and government officials at the first MCBA Networking Rally. This event is

Pittsburgh NORML Endorses US Cannabis’ Seminars Coming To Pittsburgh In June

US Cannabis Pharmaceutical Research and Development is honored to announce a strategic partnership with Pittsburgh NORML for sponsorship of the US Cannabis Medical Marijuana Business Seminar Series being held in PittsburghJune 11thand 12th. Registration for all seminars is atuscprd.com. “We only work with the best, and NORML sets the standard for professionalism and results. They

California Teamsters to Oppose Cannabis Legalization in November

A new BuzzFeed News report highlights some of the hurdles faced in the fight to legalize cannabis in California in November.

Barry Broad, a representative from the California branch of the Teamsters union, tells BuzzFeed that the union was set to oppose legalization in the Golden State because of concerns around how cannabis would be transported and distributed. The Teamsters want it to be handled in much the same tightly regulated way as alcohol is now in California, he added.

The Teamsters union predominantly represents truck drivers and warehouse workers, with around 1.4 million members across the country.

Broad cited logistical concerns with the current proposal, and told BuzzFeed that the union could potentially endorse a legalization proposal if it were restructured. “We could be supportive of an initiative if the regulatory structure was one that we thought appropriate,” he said.

The Teamsters’ opposition joins police and prison guard associations, as well as the California Small Farmers Association, in opposing the legalization proposal and instead donating to John Lovell’s Coalition for Responsible Drug Policies.

The Shake: Reefer Badness in NYC and a Republican in South Carolina Touts Medical Cannabis

Cannabis is responsible for violence in New York City, says NY Police Commissioner. New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton spoke during a radio show this weekend, expressing his belief that recreational legalization in other states has caused a majority of the violence seen in the city. “Interestingly enough, here in New York City most of the violence we see–violence around drug trafficking–is involving marijuana and I have to scratch my head as we are seeing many states wanting to legalize marijuana or a liberalization of policies,” said Bratton on The Cats Roundtable Sunday radio show on AM 970 New York. “Which is ironic considering the explosion in the use of heroin.” Ironic, indeed.

Millennials want to grow their own cannabis. About 18 percent of millennial adults and 40 percent of self-identified gardeners responded to a Harris Poll saying that if it were legal in their state, they would want to grow their own cannabis.

Has the DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz finally turned the corner for medical marijuana? A new article examines the recent vote by the notoriously anti-cannabis Democratic leader in favor of increasing access to medical cannabis for veterans. Some advocates speculate that Wasserman Schultz is feeling pressure from the progressive wing of her party to evolve on the issue.

Melissa Etheridge will be headlining the High Times Cannabis Cup. In Vienna Township, Michigan on June 11 and 12, the singer and entrepreneur—who owns a line of cannabis-infused wines—will perform at the event. Attendees must be 18 or older and have a medical-marijuana recommendation.

Tugging at the heartstrings with medical cannabis patients. A South Carolina state senator—a straitlaced Republican—is introducing sad stories of citizens who would benefit from medical marijuana with the hopes that it will encourage his fellow lawmakers to pass the S.C. Medical Marijuana Program Act, which was already shot down once this year.

Nebraska delays petition for medical marijuana (again). State Sen. Tommy Garrett has repeatedly sponsored bills to legalize medical marijuana, but the time and expense of nearly $1 million for advertising and signature gathering has caused an inevitable delay, forcing advocates to look to 2018 for a renewed petition drive.

Canadian pharmacists want to dispense medical cannabis. A new op-ed from the director of professional affairs for the Canadian Pharmacists Association argues that cannabis ought to be dispensed by medical professionals through licensed pharmacies in order to avoid drug interactions and to provide counsel and oversight to patients.

High Times takes on the most notorious (untrue) cannabis rumors. An impressive compendium of a number of false, misleading, or almost-true myths are examined and debunked, thanks to the hard work and research from the good people at Snopes.

Should animals be treated with cannabis? Well-intentioned owners swap stories on the emotional trials and tribulations while veterinarians weigh in on the benefits and risks of treating a beloved pet with cannabis safely.

Prominent Physicians’ Organization Throws Support Behind Effort To End Marijuana Prohibition In Rhode Island

Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, an organization led by some of the most prominent physicians in the country, has formally endorsed the effort to legalize and regulate marijuana for adult use in Rhode Island. The addition of DFCR to the Regulate Rhode Island coalition comes at a pivotal time, just as state lawmakers are considering legislation

Macedonia Set to Become 14th EU Country to Legalize Medical Cannabis

The government of Macedonia, a small country in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe, announced this month that it will legalize cannabis for people suffering from serious illnesses. The move means a break from the purely repressive policies that have prevailed in the region for decades.

Macedonia was once one of the largest and most powerful empires in the world, for those who remember reading about Alexander the Great and his famous conquests. Nowadays it’s a small inland country in a poor and troubled region. Cannabis laws in the Balkan states are generally repressive and knowledge of the medicinal benefits has been slow to spread among authorities and the general public. But change is in the air.

On May 15, Macedonian health minister Nikola Todorov announced amendments to the Law on Control of Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, making cannabis legal for “people suffering from serious illnesses, such as malignant diseases, multiple sclerosis, HIV, and childhood epilepsy.” Different from other medical cannabis programs around Europe, doctors will, at least in the beginning, prescribe extracts instead of dried herbal cannabis.

To find out more about the proposed changes, Leafly contacted Macedonian legalization activist Filip Dostovski, who lives in the capital city of Skopje. “A few years ago, most Macedonians didn’t know anything about medical uses of cannabis,” he said. “But the word started to spread quickly after we had organized a couple of seminars about the healing properties of cannabis extracts according to Rick Simpson’s method and experiences.” Simpson was living in the nearby Czech Republic at the time. It was real results, not just theory, that changed the minds of people and politicians, according to Dostovski. Thanks to cannabis extracts, hundreds of seriously ill Macedonians were significantly helped or even cured, and among them were a good few politicians and members of justice and law enforcement.

Dostovski added:

“We are a very small country of two million people where everybody knows everybody and nothing stays secret for a long time. This is the main reason why only 50 percent of Macedonians supported the legalization of medical cannabis some two years ago, while today it is more than 70 percent. And of course, politicians have suddenly realized they need to jump on the legalization train too.”

As for recreational use of cannabis in Macedonia, growing, distributing, and possessing any amount and the use itself is still illegal. “On the other hand, the judges are usually pretty liberal and decide case by case,” said Dostovski, “which means that being caught with smaller amounts will only lead to a a fine in 90 percent of all cases.”

There have been more signs of progress in Central and Eastern Europe recently, with Slovakia—another post-Communist country—finally moving from heavy repression to decriminalization of small amounts of cannabis and other drugs. Following the precedent-setting decision of a regional court in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, Department of Justice spokesman Peter Bubla announced that “the government will introduce a more effective approach towards illegal substances with regard to distinguishing between small and large amounts and intention of use.”

How Austria Became Europe's Cannabis Clone Superstore

For those who want to legally grow huge amounts of cannabis in Austria, business is booming — but not yet blooming.

The Austrian Narcotics Act prohibits the cultivation of cannabis only for the purpose of obtaining narcotics, and THC can be obtained only from cannabis flower. But if you promise your intent isn’t for consumption or sale, and swear you won’t let the plants flower, you can buy truckloads of clones. More than 250,000 clones are sold annually in the capital city of Vienna alone.

The trade has made Austria, home of Mozart, chocolate cake Sachertorte, and deep-fried schnitzel, home to Europe’s only cannabis clone superstores. They attract locals and foreigners alike. In most European Union countries, cannabis seeds are legal and home growing is the name of the game. But Germany and Switzerland don’t allow the sale of cannabis seeds. So growers in these countries simply visit neighboring Austria, where not just seeds but cannabis cuttings are legal.

In Vienna, where the first cannabis growers opened their greenhouses more than a decade ago, sales by major vendors already surpass seven-digit figures. And numerous smaller vendors specialize in niche offerings, such as organic cuttings or breeding female seedlings from feminized seeds.

A Visit to “Hemp & Hemp”

When strolling through the storied cobblestone streets of Vienna, you may pass by Hanf & Hanf, one of Vienna’s premier clone shops. You’ll know you’re near when you catch a whiff of the sweet smell of freshly trimmed mother plants. And luckily, despite being home to many pungent garden centers, in Vienna there is no “Nasal Ranger” patrolling the streets like there is in Denver.

Strains prized in the U.S., like Bubble Gum, Cheese, Shiva Skunk, Herijuana or White Satin, exude their specific aromas, hinting at what’s to come once the baby plants are allowed to mature at home. But remember, the intention must remain pure — no abuse of narcotics.

In Europe’s “clone capital,” LED lights ensure short internodes on the seedlings, making the clones suitable for the Sea of Green growing method popular in large-scale cultivation operations. Outdoor strains and fully stocked growboxes are widely available. The staff at Hanf & Hanf has nearly 20 gardeners who grow cannabis legally in a facility thousands of square feet in size. The greenhouse extends over two floors in a contorted building behind the store. It’s home to a maze of mother, grow root, pre-grow, and fog rooms where more than 80 carefully selected varieties of the continent’s leading breeds are cultivated.

If visiting Vienna, come for a weekend. Once a month, it’s “Green Friday,” with special discounts on all cuttings. Business is so strong that Than Drazen, founder of Hanf & Hanf and an Austrian cannabis pioneer, sometimes has to lock the shop door despite long lines of people waiting on the sidewalk for clones. Sometimes vans with foreign license plates pull up to buy clones en masse.

A few subway stops away, you can even find flowering plants under artificial light in the Hemp Embassy. Stivi Wolyniec, owner of cannabis cultivation superstore Growcity, founded the Hemp Museum’s Club last year, which operates the Hemp Embassy in Vienna’s Esterhazygasse.

Austria is Simply Peculiar

Besides allowing clones but prohibiting the intent to consume, the country’s Narcotic Substances Act also defines when allowing your plants to flower is allowed. If the buds aren’t destined for consumption, cannabinoid extraction, or sale, the blooming plants are — at least theoretically — still legal by the letter of the law. That interpretation of the rules allows the Hemp Embassy to showcase lovely flowering cannabis plants sealed behind glass.

“It is not forbidden to possess or exhibit hemp flowers,” Wolyniec said of the Hemp Embassy’s permanent exhibition. “It’s about the purpose behind it. If the purpose is abuse, then both the growing and the flowering plant are prohibited. If the purpose is not abuse, but another — in our case an exhibition — cannabis buds are legal.”

But all good things must come to an end. Once the plants on exhibition lose their luster, they’re destroyed in an incinerator under a notary’s watchful eye.

The legal cannabis-clones business has spread across Austria. Only in the most conservative parts — such as Salzburg and Tirol in the Alps — does the justice system sporadically prosecute openings of so-called hemp greenhouses, as the stores are called in Austria. But only operators of really large, obviously commercial operations are punished with prison sentences — small-time growers usually face court hearings and probationary punishments.

Attend The Sensible Celebration At NCIA’s Cannabis Business Summit

I love Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Please show them some love next month if you are attending the Cannabis Business Summit (which you should be!). Below are details, via the event’s Facebook page: Enjoy a night of drinks and dancing to benefit Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the 4000-member international network of students dedicated

5 Facts About Marijuana and Driving High

With more and more states legalizing marijuana, it’s time to take a hard look at driving while under the influence. Some states have decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Others have passed laws allowing for limited use of medical marijuana. Still other states have laws that are even broader, such as Colorado and […]

Nabilone Effect on the Attenuation of Anorexia, Nutritional Status and Quality of Life in Lung Cancer Patients

Primary Outcome Measures: anorexia [ Time Frame: from the start of consumption until 8 weeks. ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ] Lack of desire to eat food. Will be obtained through a questionnaire Anorexia / Cachexia scale from Functional Assessment of Anorexia Cachexia Therapy (FAACT) (score ≤24 diagnosis of anorexia) percentage weight loss [ Time Frame: from the start of consumption until 8 weeks. ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ] percentage […]

Can Cannabis Change Capitalism? VICE Columnist, Author Thinks So.

David Bienenstock was writing about cannabis when cannabis writing wasn’t cool. Or at least when it wasn’t so legal.

Bienenstock, a 41-year-old New Jersey native who escaped the East to become the West Coast editor for High Times, now writes the Weed Eater column for VICE and produces the video series, “Bong Appetit.”

For the past few weeks he’s been touring the country to promote his new book, How To Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High, published by Penguin/Random House. Part how-to book, part political manifesto, and part memoir, How To Smoke opens a friendly door to the world of cannabis for readers new to the subject, and will inspire a hearty hell yeah from those who possess more experience.

I sat down with Bienenstock this week, a few hours before his reading at Third Place Books near Seattle, to ask how the book’s been received.

The most interesting thing he’s learned, he said, is how large the gap is between states that have a long history of legalization—California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon—and those that don’t, like New York.

“I’ve done book events in New York and D.C.,” he said, “and there’s a line in the book that I usually read. It’s a simple statement: ‘We’ve come to the beginning of the end of marijuana prohibition.’ And on the East Coast, that line gets a standing ovation. I mean cheering and stomping feet.”

“Whereas people here on the West Coast are like, ‘Yeah, man,’” he said, smiling broadly and slowly nodding his head like no big thing.

“I use that as an opportunity to remind people out here in legal states: It’s great that we’re used to this idea, but not everybody has the same freedoms,” Bienenstock added. “It’s incumbent on people who have that freedom to work even harder. Because it’s not as risky for them to come out, be honest, and be an advocate.”

The classic social justice line about “nobody’s free until everyone is free” definitely applies, he said.

Anyone who’s ever been to a cannabis book event can testify to the entertaining nature of the questions. So I asked Bienenstock: What’s the strangest question you’ve gotten?

He laughed. “They’re too weird to acknowledge with anything other than a nod of the head and a ‘Thank you for your question.‘ “

“But that would be true for any book reading,” he added. “I’ve checked with the people who run the events. Those questions are not unique to cannabis books.”

The most common question? That’s easy.

“It’s ‘What’s your favorite strain?’” he said. “That’s right up Leafly’s alley.”

His answer?

“Whatever you want to share.”

It’s kind of flippant, he said, but it’s the truth. “The difference between some and none dwarfs the difference between OG Kush and Sour Diesel.”

The biggest piece of advice he gives to readers is to take notes. Write down your experience.

“When you find something you like, or something you don’t particularly connect with, write that information down. Bring those notes to you with your retailer, or wherever you’re sourcing, and ask for the same stuff. Individualize the experience.”

Bienenstock has been writing about cannabis since the 1990s. His interest, he says, grew out of a personal awakening to both cannabis, the nonsense of prohibition, and the importance of fighting for social justice.

“Early on, my personal experience with pot didn’t match up to what I was being told,” he said. “And because of that, it became one of the first things I endeavored to research. I had such a positive experience with it, so I started to look into the details. Whatever information I could find. And by doing that I discovered that the claims against it just didn’t hold water.”

With a majority of Americans now favoring legalization, and more states setting up legal regulated cannabis markets, a once-united movement finds itself increasingly fractured. Some medical marijuana advocates resist recreational legalization. Old-school cannabis crusaders want to set the plant free for home growers, but balk at the commercialization of the product.

Bienenstock sees it as a natural outgrowth of success. “When we were all getting our asses kicked, everybody was on the same page,” he said. Now there’s room for disagreement. “We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable, though,” he added. He expects the upcoming campaign for California legalization to be tumultuous. “We’re going to see friction, just as we did with Prop 19,” the state’s failed 2010 legalization measure. “One thing I would ask is that we don’t gloss or dismiss the legitimate concerns that people are going to have.”

One of those concerns is about corporate America taking over an industry built by small entrepreneurs who risked their lives and liberty.

The legalized industry isn’t perfect, he said. But it’s emerging within the existing imperfections of American capitalism.

“We have to fight really hard to make this an inclusive industry,” said Bienenstock. “In the book I say that cannabis should transform capitalism, not the other way around.”

“Because this industry is just getting established, legally, and because there are progressive people involved, we have the opportunity to create a new industry that actually does work for workers, that nurtures small businesses, that uplifts these communities that have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs. But it’s going to be hard. Because the rules of capitalism still apply.”

“Capitalism has problems. It’s harder for people without capital to get into this industry, just as in other industries. It shouldn’t be.” And that’s the challenge, Bienenstock said. “Let’s use this industry as a model to change things we don’t like about capitalism.”

It starts with a basic ethic of sharing, he said. Capitalism is about competition, but cannabis culture is about collaboration. “This culture is about sharing and inclusion,” he said. “It’s about bringing people in, allowing them to be part of the shared experience. At its heart, pot culture is about this one simple gesture: This is what I have,” he said, mimicking the offer of a shared joint. “It’s not much, but I’ll share it with you.”

Tomorrow: Don’t Miss Day 2 Of The FREE Virtual Cannabis Entrepreneur Summit

The first ever Virtual Cannabis Entrepreneur Summit started today, streaming live on the internet for the world to see for free. I was not able to watch all of the event (which took place from 9 am to 5 pm PST), but the parts that I was able to catch were outstanding. I also followed

United Patients Group Conference Panel To Discuss Opiate Dependency, Brain Injuries, And How Cannabis Can Help

When someone gets hurt, chances are they are prescribed some type of painkiller or are directed to get an over the counter pain reliever to treat their injury/injuries. That was the case each time that I got hurt and had to see my doctor, usually for something that required x-rays. Every time they would try

US PA: Medical Cannabis Poised For Growth

The Times Herald, 22 May 2016 – Legalization Has Patients and Businesses Seeing Green Pennsylvania joined the growing list of states to legalize medical marijuana when Gov. Tom Wolf signed Senate Bill 3, the Medical Marijuana Act, into law on April 17. To date, 23 other states and Washington D.C. have legalized either medical marijuana, recreational marijuana or both.

Feds: Marijuana Trafficking Falls Following Statewide Legalization

Federal marijuana trafficking prosecutions have declined significantly since the passage of statewide laws regulating the plant’s production and retail sale to adults, according to data provided by the United States Sentencing Commission.

According to the new report, the number of marijuana trafficking offenders prosecuted at the federal level fell dramatically after 2012 — declining from over 6,000 annually to fewer than 4,000 in 2015.

“The number of marijuana traffickers rose slightly over time until a sharp decline in fiscal year 2013 and the number continues to decrease,” the report concludes.

The period of decline overlaps with the passage and enactment of adult marijuana sales in various US states, including Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.

Federal data also reports a similar decline in cocaine trafficking since 2012. By contrast, federal prosecutions for heroin and methamphetamine trafficking have slowly risen over the better part of the past ten years.

Those convicted of marijuana trafficking spend an average of 29 months in prison, the report found.

A copy of the USSC report is available for download here.

NORML’s Legislative Round Up May 20th, 2016

This was a huge week for marijuana law reform. Congress voted for the first time to expand medical cannabis access to military veterans, and Governors in numerous states signed cannabis legalization and depenalization measures into law. Keeping reading to get the latest news and to learn what you can do to take action.

Federal:

Members of the US House and Senate voted yesterday for the first time to expand military veterans’ access to medicinal cannabis in states that allow it. House members voted 233 to 189 last week in favor of the Veterans Equal Access Amendment. The amendment, offered by Rep. Blumenauer (D-OR) to the Fiscal Year 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, prohibits the federal government from sanctioning V.A. physicians who wish to recommend cannabis therapy to their patients. Members of the US Senate Appropriations Committee previously voted in April in favor of a similar provision and the full Senate also signed off on their version of the bill yesterday. The House and Senate versions of FY 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations now await a concurrence vote prior to being sent to the President.

State:

Colorado: House and Senate lawmakers have overwhelmingly approved legislation, House Bill 1373, to permit qualified patients access to the use formulations of medical cannabis while on school grounds. The measure now awaits action by Gov. John Hickenlooper, who indicated that he would sign the bill into law. Once enacted, a primary caregiver may administer non-inhalable formulations of medical cannabis to a qualifying patient while that patient is on the grounds of a pre-school, primary, or secondary school in which the student is enrolled. Medical marijuana patients may not be denied eligibility to attend school because of their cannabis use.

Connecticut: Democrat Gov. Dannel Malloy this week signed legislation expanding patients’ access to the state’s medicinal cannabis program. House Bill 5450 permits qualifying patients under the age of 18 to possess and consume medical cannabis preparations. The proposal also expands the list of qualifying illnesses eligible for cannabis therapy to include: ”uncontrolled intractable seizure disorder,” ”irreversible spinal cord injury with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity,” “cerebral palsy,” “cystic fibrosis,” or “terminal illness requiring end-of-life care.” Other provisions in the bill seek to establish a statewide clinical research program, and protect nurses from criminal, civil, or disciplinary sanction if they choose to administer marijuana to a qualifying patient in a hospital setting. The new law takes effect on October 1, 2016.

Illinois: Members of the House voted 64 to 50 on Wednesday, May 18, in favor of Senate Bill 2228, legislation to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Members of the Senate had previously voted 44 to 12 in favor of the measure, which makes the possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana a civil violation punishable by a fine of $100-$200 — no arrest and no criminal record.

Currently, those caught possessing that amount could face up to six months of jail time and fines of up to $1500. The bill also amends the state’s zero tolerance per se traffic safety law. Senate Bill 2228 now goes to Gov. Bruce Rauner. Last year, the Governor issued an amendatory veto to a similar bill. However, this year’s language addresses the Governor’s past concerns.

Kansas: Governor Brownback recently signed House Bill 2462 into law to amend marijuana possession penalties. The law reduces criminal penalties for first-time marijuana possession offenses from a Class A misdemeanor (punishable by up to one year incarceration and a $2,500 fine) to a Class B misdemeanor (punishable by no more than six months in jail and a $1,000 fine). Second convictions will no longer be classified as a felony offense. You can read the full summary of the engrossed bill here. The sentencing changes take effect imminently.

Louisiana: Governor John Bel Edwards signed legislation yesterday amending the state’s dormant medical marijuana law. Senate Bill 271 permits physicians to ‘recommend’ rather than ‘prescribe’ medical cannabis therapy. The change allows doctors to authorize cannabis without running afoul of federal law, which prohibits the prescription of a schedule I controlled substance.

The measure also expands the pool of conditions eligible for cannabis therapy to include the following: “cancer, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, cachexia or wasting syndrome, seizure disorders, epilepsy, spasticity, Crohn’s disease, muscular dystrophy, or multiple sclerosis. Separate legislation, SB 180, which explicitly immunizes the program’s participants from state criminal prosecution, remains pending in the House and is anticipated to be voted on as early as next week.

Maine: Governor Paul LePage has signed legislation, LD 726, into law permitting qualified patients to use medical marijuana while admitted in Maine hospitals. This measure does not require hospital staff to administer medical marijuana to a patient and will only allow for patients to consume cannabis preparations in a smokeless form. The law also establishes licensing protocols for marijuana testing facilities and the labeling of medical cannabis products.

New Hampshire: Members of the Senate on Thursday, May 19, sent House-backed decriminalization provisions to conference committee rather than engage in an up/down vote of the bill. Members of the House previously voted 298 to 58 to amend Senate Bill 498 to make first-time offenses a civil violation rather than a criminal offense. The civil penalty would be limited to a fine only: no arrest, prosecution, or criminal record. Subsequent offenses would continue to be classified as misdemeanors. In past years, the Senate has been consistently hostile to any House efforts to decriminalize marijuana possession penalties.

The conference committee, consisting of members of the House and Senate, will now try to agree upon a finalized version of SB 498. It is important that Senate members hear from you and are urged to keep the House provisions in SB 498. #TakeAction

Oklahoma: Governor Mary Fallin signed legislation into law on Friday, May 13, to expand the pool of patients eligible to possess cannabidiol (CBD) under a physician’s authorization. House Bill 2835 extends existing legal protections to the following patients: those with “spasticity due to multiple sclerosis or due to paraplegia, intractable nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulation with chronic wasting diseases.” The measure also removes the age requirement limitation from existing law so that adults with various forms of epilepsy are eligible for CBD therapy. The expanded law takes effect on November 1, 2016.

Rhode Island: On Thursday, May 19th members of the Senate approved legislation, Senate Bill 2115, to make post-traumatic stress patients eligible for medical cannabis treatment and to accelerate access to those patients in hospice care. The measure will now be sent to the House for consideration. #TakeAction

Illinois Set to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

The Illinois House of Representatives voted Wednesday to remove criminal penalties for possession of a personal amount of marijuana in a vote of 64-50. The bill — SB 2228 — will now be sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner for his signature.

Sen. Heather Steans

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans and Rep. Kelly Cassidy, represents a historic change in Illinois. Instead of arresting and jailing people in possession of up to 10 grams of marijuana, those found in possession would simply pay a fine of up to $200. Perhaps more importantly, people would not be stuck with harmful criminal records for the rest of their lives.

Rep. Kelly Cassidy

This bill is a huge improvement over the current law, which is costly, harmful, and applied unequally around the state. In fact, well over 100 local communities have already lowered criminal penalties. In many respects, SB 2228 simply makes the law more consistent.

Once the governor officially receives the bill, he will have up to 60 days to sign it into law. It reflects changes he requested last year in an amendatory veto, so we are optimistic it will become law.

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