WeedLife News Network

If you’re new to cannabis cooking and are ready to dump a ton of fresh bud straight into a brownie mix, stop! This is probably a bad idea, and science is here to tell you why.

Raw cannabis probably won’t get you high

Studies have shown that there are three active ingredients, or cannabinoids, that produce the effects of cannabis that you’re most likely familiar with: THC, CBD and CBG.

But they don’t start life this way.

Most people at least somewhat familiar with weed will probably be familiar with THC and CBD for their ability to get you high. But when ingested in a raw format they won’t have this effect.

Fifty years ago, "420" became part of the public lexicon and eventually grew into a worldwide celebration of cannabis and its culture. What began as a slang term among California high-schoolers is now a widely renowned expression that comprises everything from the plant and its cultural use to the multibillion-dollar industry it has nurtured around the globe.

This year, like in no other before it, there are more reasons to celebrate the mainstreaming of cannabis and cannabis culture. After all, cannabis use in some form is now the norm in all states except two, and adult-use cannabis is even legal in 17 states, plus the District of Columbia. And even more, states are expected to fully legalize within the next couple of years as the legal cannabis industry continues its meteoric rise toward an $84 billion industry by 2028.

If ever was there a time to celebrate cannabis, this year's April 20th holiday certainly is it.

But that doesn't mean everyone is joining in on the celebration.Just because more states are legalizing the adult use of cannabis, stigmatism and misunderstanding continue to surround the plant and its use, thanks to decades of racist War on Drugs propaganda.

So it's important for those of us in the cannabis industry – and even in the larger cannabis culture – to explain to others what cannabis is, especially to those residing in new adult-use states who might not readily understand anything about it.

Stoners have long had the reputation for ingenuity. We’ve honed the ability to turn almost any object into a smoking device (see the iconic apple-as-pipe, here in ceramic form), and are well-versed in using common items, like straightened-out bobby pins to clear the bowl in said pipe or a mortar and pestle to break up sticky icky, before grinders became widely available. Rolling joints in Bible pages — although not recommended — became a trope because it became so common. Smoking was illicit, and solutions were homemade. For a long time, marijuana enthusiasts weren’t a desirable market, and we got by.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when cannabis and the people who smoke it became so mainstream. Maybe it was when Colorado and Washington legalized weed in 2016 or maybe it happened even earlier in 2008, when the queen of commercial clean Martha Stewart publicly befriended Snoop Dogg, a rapper and weed business bro considered reefer royalty. By 2018, you could cop artisanal hemp kombucha from your city’s bougiest bodega as well as tincture for CBD (a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found naturally in the plant, credited with aiding everything from body pains to insomnia) from the local 7-11.

Marketers and anyone else looking to cash in on the green rush saw the writing on the wall and by spring 2021, there isn’t an everyday product or service you can think of that doesn’t have a stoner-specific iteration available for purchase — like $58 Herbivore Emerald CBD + Adaptogens Deep Moisture Glow Oil, rolling papers that shake out to ~$7/pop (quite the gamble if you’re not the most prolific roller), a sativa seed hydrating face mask going for $24 each, a spacy-yet-posh $2,000 24-karat gold ashtray, or a $450 Edie Parker Table Top Lighter with its weighty emerald marble base and sterling silver functionalities. You can spend as much or as little as you want on cannabis-related and -tangential products.

As the stoner umbrella continues to cast shade over the entire United States, there has been a proliferation of products aimed specifically at weed-doers. It’s unclear, however, if they’re all really filling pothead needs — do we have to have, say, at-home luxury apparel especially made for us?

For some products and services, of course, the answer is yes. Stoners have a need for specific cannabis and cannabis-related products/services. For example, Eaze, a cannabis product delivery service — UberEats for weed. Not only do they bring strains right to your door, they use confirmation and promo codes never exceeding six characters and typically easy-to-remember words or phrases. (The stereotype has some truth: Regular pot-doers have impacted short-term memories.) Obviously, this service wouldn’t be of use to someone who doesn’t partake, but for the average stoner, it could be essential.

Once a year, the cannabis community comes together to rejoice in all things marijuana. This 420, there are more products and events than ever and we’re bringing some of our favorites straight to you.

While this unofficial holiday has been increasing illicit sales for decades, this year sets a new precedent for legal sales. Intelligence gathered by Akerna estimates upward of $95,000,000 in retail cannabis sales for 2021’s April 20 celebrations.

In honor of this most noble of days, we’ve compiled some exciting products and events to expand your horizons and enhance your appreciation.

Innovative Cannabis Products to Elevate Your 420

Summerland’s “Stonerware” pieces are handmade in California and feature some super fun designs.

Have you ever smoked out of an apple? I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia for the sweet taste of apple core and smoke, or just an appreciation for the deceptively simple design, but I’m digging their Fruit Fantasy apple pipe.

Enterprise software company Akerna (Nasdaq: KERN) just released a Flash Report tracking buying trends related to this year’s 4/20 cannabis consumption holiday, and the news for the industry is favorable. The weekend preceding 4/20, which lands on a Tuesday this year, is pegged by Akerna’s predictive data as the most significant sales weekend of the year. On Friday, April 16, the Flash Report anticipates a 50% growth in daily sales from its 2021 average, with a total industry sales figure of $85,000,000. Saturday through Monday look strong as well, with figures ranging from $50,000,000 (on Sunday, historically the lowest cannabis sales days) to $78,000,000 on Saturday. By the time Tuesday hits, the daily retail sale of legal cannabis is expected to gross $95,000,000 nationally, bringing total 4/20-related sales to $370,000,000 in the U.S. if Akerna’s data proves accurate.

The Flash Report offers a breakdown of category sales and sales percentage by demographics such as gender (using a male and female binary) and age. Flower is forecast to top products sales in the five days of 4/20 spending, constituting 49% of sales (up 4% from the 2021 daily average). Cartridge pens are predicted to come in at 31% while Concentrates and Infused Edibles sit in third and fourth place at 11% and 8%. Men are likely to lead women in purchasing, with 63% of males stocking up to ring “Weed Day” over 38% of females.

According to Akerna’s numbers, 30-40 year-olds will make up 31% of consumers during this period, with under 30’s coming in at 29%, 40-50 year-old’s at 20%, 50-60 year-olds at 12%, and just 8% of folks over 60 hitting the dispensaries, shops and online retailers. The average order total will likely be up about $10, boosting the average spend per customer from $93.48 to around $105.00. The number of products purchased is predicted to go up as well, with a 30% increase from 2021.

The data used to inform Akerna’s Flash Reports is derived from MJ Platform, a provider of cannabis compliance software for the marijuana industry. Sales projections are based on market adjustment calculations and represent the entire US market as an aggregate. In a previous Flash Report, Akerna noted that the St. Patrick’s Day stimulus check drop led to the largest cannabis sales day of the year, which may contribute to the projected boost in 4/20 sales as well. Expanding legalization measures, a competitive retail market, and creative product development to reach a broader demographic of consumers may also contribute to the uptick. Whatever the main drivers may be, Akerna’s sales predictions herald a very happy 4/20 for the cannabis industry.

Medical cannabis products are not always what they seem, according to a new study led by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

In fact, the contents of these products can vary considerably from distributors’ claims, according to the study, published in JAMA Network Open. This is particularly important when THC, the metabolite responsible for the “high” cannabis provides, is present in medical cannabis products labeled to be CBD only.

As more states legalize cannabis sales, demand has increased. However, there is little consistency in product regulation or labeling, unlike the strict regulation of medicines purchased through a pharmacy. As a result, labeling is often not accurately informing patients of the content of the cannabis-derived products they buy.

The psychoactive metabolite in cannabis is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabis products containing THC are federally banned, but states have been passing laws legalizing these products. This has in turn led to a patchwork of laws that have varied impacts on guaranteeing that consumers get what they expect. Cannabidiol (CBD) does not come under FDA regulation.

In this study, researchers analyzed urine samples from nearly 100 patients enrolled in a clinical trial of the effect of medical cannabis for anxiety, depression, pain or insomnia. The purpose of the study was to see if these products were delivering the ingredients patients expected.

According to a new report, sales will be higher among males than females, while customers between the age of 30 to 40-years-old will be the most interested in purchasing cannabis products.

Cannabis software firm Akerna Corp (NASDAQ:KERN) expects national cannabis retail sales to reach $95 million on 4/20, the unofficial marijuana holiday. That’s according to a new Flash Report out of the Denver-based company.

Flower Power

Akerna says the top-selling product category on Tuesday, April 20, will be flower, accounting for 49% of all legal sales. To put this into perspective: flower has claimed 45% of all legal cannabis sales daily in 2021.

Photo by Jp Valery via Unsplash

Vape pens and cartridges will be the second most popular product among the customers on 4/20, the firm anticipates.

The popular TV show "Chopped," as every foodie knows, involves four chefs who face off against one another in a timed cooking contest. The goal is to prepare a three-course meal using four secret ingredients. The one who gets the best score from a panel of judges wins.

A new spinoff of that show is designed to appeal to a cannabis-loving audience. It's one of the surest signs yet of the mainstreaming of cannabis in American culture.

The new show, called "Chopped 420," will debut on Discovery+ on - you guessed it - April 20. That's because 420 is considered a holiday for cannabis users or at least a time to reflect upon how the code for cannabis by California high schoolers became a global phenomenon. 

The goal of both "Chopped 420" and another spinoff on Discovery+ called "Chopped Next Gen" is to draw in younger viewers to "Chopped"-related shows and other content, according to Variety.

The new show will run for five weeks on Discovery+.

For the initial run of the show, five episodes will stream on Discovery+. Comedian Ron Funches will host, and the judges' panel includes chefs Esther Choi, Luke Reyes and Sam Talbot. Other judges will consist of drag performer and cannabis activist Laganja Estranja and comedian Tacarra Williams.

California’s licensed marijuana shops are doing an excellent job at preventing sales to minors, according to a first-of-its-kind study commissioned by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

That means the industry is living up to a key promise advocates made when voters legalized cannabis for adults 21 and older nearly five years ago.

“Licensed marijuana retailers are clearly keen to follow the rules,” said Angela Eichelberger, a research scientist with the Insurance Institute who authored the report with University of Chicago and University of Minnesota experts. “They’re aware that the industry hasn’t won everybody over yet, and they don’t want to get shut down.”

The study did find isolated violations of state law at some legal shops, such as workers giving out free samples of edibles. And researchers offered suggestions to further boost protections for minors.

But the study’s authors said the California’s still vibrant world of unlicensed retailers is the biggest problem when it comes to selling cannabis to underage consumers. Statewide, the illicit market remains three times larger than the legal market, since the lack of taxes and regulations allows unlicensed shops to sell cheaper products to anyone who comes shopping — including minors.

When Nevadans buy marijuana at local dispensaries, it must be consumed at home.

Tourists are not allowed to do it in public, most hotels ban it, and it can’t be used in the dispensary where it is purchased.

Social use legislation would change that and create two new categories for cannabis consumption lounges: retail (attached to existing dispensaries) or independent

Existing retailers could let people buy their products and consume them on-site. Independent lounges, places not permitted to sell cannabis on their own like barber shops or nail salons, could have marijuana products delivered or people could bring it in on their own.

Oasis Cannabis Dispensary, near downtown Las Vegas sees on average about a thousand customers per day.

More women are buying cannabis, which could lead to shifts in product demand. Women still make up a minority of adult-use marijuana purchasers – 33.6 percent in February – but that’s increased almost a full percentage point from 2020. While that trend might not be a dramatic shift in the gender makeup of retail marijuana sales, it could have a lasting effect because men and women shop differently for cannabis products.

For example, female buyers are more likely to purchase products other than flower when compared to their male counterparts. Both men and women spend the most on flower, but women spend less on it, according to analysis of wallet share (the percentage of a customer’s spend on specific categories) from February 2021.

The demographic information, including age and gender, was self-reported by participants in customer-loyalty programs and collected by Seattle-based cannabis analytics firm Headset. The biggest gap was in California, where women spend $36.30 of every $100 on flower compared with $43.90 spent by men, an almost $8 difference.

Other states saw a similar breakdown in flower spending:

Women most likely spend the difference on non-flower products such as edibles, where they outspent men in each state analyzed:

For many, the jolt of caffeine and the mellowing effects of cannabis make a perfect combination. When the two meet in the body and mind, they can amplify one another, but research is limited as to how they interact on a chemical level.

Scientific studies on what happens when your morning joe meets your morning joint are scattershot and inconclusive, but they provide a rough map of what to expect of this mental terrain. But culturally, caffeine and cannabis seem like natural bedfellows, with everyone’s favorite (legal) upper most likely to be paired with cannabis from a retail perspective.

Murky Conclusions

For starters, we know caffeine operates in the endocannabinoid system – the same brain region that makes weed do its thing. Both substances have been shown to cause an uptick in dopamine activity, and some report that the kick from caffeine creates a brighter, more euphoric cannabis high.

In many ways, however, the two seem to be awkward dance partners, canceling out certain effects and amplifying others.  Caffeine can have an anxiety-producing effect, while THC can make one mellower in low doses and freaked out at high doses (CBD seems to generally have a calming effect at any dosage). It’s possible for coffee jitters to add to cannabis shakes, paranoia or couchlock for an unpleasant cocktail. But it’s also easy to find individual reports of just the opposite effect, with the two mixing for a relaxed yet upbeat feeling. As always, it is advisable to take it slow when trying new combinations and pay attention to one’s own body.

Though coffee has been shown to enhance one’s cognitive powers, combined with weed, the overall effect may actually be the reverse from coffee alone: Some studies suggest that coffee and cannabis combine to inhibit memory. Others have shown that caffeine can partially protect against the forgetfulness associated with high doses of CBD.

The cannabis industry has seen some players make big bets on beverages, but so far it hasn’t paid off. The market is definitely growing, just not at the rate many had hoped for. Plus, the slow growth of this form factor is not an indication that it won’t continue to increase and eventually gain even more market share. Cannabis tracking firm  Headset recently released a report on the cannabis beverage industry and found that in the US, “The beverage category’s market share has held fairly steady between 0.85 percent and 1.1 percent over the last several years. In fact, market share to the category was slowly decreasing through late 2019 and early 2020 before maintaining just below 0.9% during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Despite the consumers tapping the brakes on beverages, the category has begun a turnaround and Headset believes the products are poised to reach an all-time high as pandemic restrictions ease. The report also noticed that consumers are at least giving the products a try as basket data is showing more people are tossing some beverages in the bag. The report said, “We can see a relatively steady march upwards over time rising from 1.6 percent in January 2018 to 2.8 percent in February 2021. Even though market share hasn’t drastically increased, Beverages are making their way into more and more baskets each month, indicating that more customers than ever are trying THC-infused Beverages.” Only a little over 20 percent of the shopping carts are filled with only cannabis beverages, meaning the other almost 80 percent are adding beverages to a larger order. By contrast, a third of edible consumers are buying just edibles when they go to the dispensaries. 

It’s A Girl Thing 

What has been learned is that women are the big buyers of cannabis beverages. In every single age category, women outspent men when buying cannabis-infused beverages. So, hands down, the main consumer for cannabis-infused beverages are women.

Where things get even more interesting in the report is when Headset dives into dosage. The two main categories for purchases are on either side of the spectrum – either low like a microdose or very high for maximum effect. The report stated, “In fact, most of the growth in the 10mg or lighter section over the last few years has come from the 0-5mg ‘microdosed’ cohort of Beverages, which has risen from 14.4 percent category share to more than 18 percent of sales this year to date.” For example, so far in 2021 beverages with over 100mg accounted for 59.8 percent of the market share, while products with less than 5mg were the second-largest category with a 19.5 percent market share. 

California Drinking

The report stated that “California Beverage sales in January 2021 clocked in at $15.5M, nearly six times greater than the $2.7M recorded during January 2018, the first month of recreational sales.” Also, since the competition is heating up and there are more beverages to choose from, the top three selling in 2018 brands have seen their market share decline. The data showed that some brands, like Kikoko and Cannabis Quencher have held firm in the market even though new brands have entered the space. “Legal Beverages, on the other hand, was unable to keep up, falling from the third top selling Beverage brand in 2018 to a market exit in 2020.” 

Cultivating cannabis is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding forms of gardening. Whereas some crops can take weeks or even months to show some growth, the cannabis plant grows fairly quickly.

It’s almost as if every day there are new leaves, and eventually, new buds on cannabis plants, which any seasoned cultivator will be quick to point out.

That near-daily gratification makes the cannabis plant one of the most fun crops to cultivate, especially considering that the plant is absolutely beautiful when in full bloom.

Harvesting cannabis and drying it out to be consumed is also an obvious benefit. The truly savvy cannabis consumer can also infuse their harvests into all types of things, from edibles to topicals.

Unfortunately, cannabis cultivation for adult use is prohibited on a national level in all but two countries, Uruguay and Canada. Although that could change soon in Malta.

Stoned drivers and weed-smoking workers take note: marijuana Breathalyzers will soon be in the hands of police officers and employers.

In fact, marijuana Breathalyzer prototypes have already been put to use for Covid-19 testing, after some innovations allowing them to detect SARS-CoV-2 antigens in breath.

Marijuana Breathalyzers have been in development for years and are finally approaching the launching pad as commercial products. Hound Labs, based in Oakland, California, says that market release is imminent for its Hound Marijuana Breathalyzer, which can detect the presence of THC molecules in the breath.

“The first commercial units of the Hound Marijuana Breathalyzer will be in the hands of customers this spring,” Dr. Mike Lynn, an emergency room physician who is CEO and co-founder of Hound Labs, told High Times. “Production will ramp up throughout the rest of 2021.”

This is bad news for workers who get high on the job. But it’s good news for employers who want to weed out such behavior. And it’s good news for anyone with safety concerns about bong-ripping motorists.

Advocates are calling New York’s legal marijuana program the best in the nation. One called it a watershed and a new era for marijuana justice, after hard work and long odds. 

Years of wrangling and tense negotiations finally ended in victory when adult use marijuana was finally legalized on March 31, 2021.

How Great is New York’s New Legal Cannabis Program? 

Let me count the ways.

First of all, possession by adults of up to three ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrate is legal, effective immediately. 

The legacy of Charlotte Figi, the young Colorado girl whose struggle with epilepsy made CBD known worldwide, will be remembered next week with a benefit concert taking place in her honor.

The April 7 livestreamed concert, featuring performances by acts including The Avett Brothers and Jason Mraz and appearances by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta, has been dubbed Rock the RoC. The name of the event is a reference to the Realm of Caring (RoC), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting research into cannabinoids and helping patients who need them gain access to lifesaving medications.

Charlotte gained global notoriety after being featured on “Weed,” a 2013 CNN documentary by Gupta, the network’s chief medical correspondent. She had a rare form of epilepsy known as Dravet syndrome that caused dozens or even hundreds of seizures per day. After traditional treatments for the disease were unsuccessful, Charlotte’s mother Paige Figi decided to try medicinal cannabis with tremendous results, which were documented by Gupta. Sadly, Charlotte died last year at the age of 13.

“On April 7, 2020, Charlotte Figi passed away, leaving the world with her life-changing story of overcoming adversity through courage and grace, and impacting the lives of millions along the way whose wellness and dignity were in part made possible by Charlotte and the Figi family’s efforts,” Polis said in a statement to High Times. “This year on April 7, we celebrate Charlotte Figi day to honor her legacy and the battle that so many continue to fight.”

A Benefit For Realm Of Caring

Heather Jackson, the president of Realm of Caring and the host for the event, said that Charlotte’s experience is largely responsible for the popularity of CBD, a cannabinoid that is now the active ingredient of an FDA-approved medication, Epidiolex.

Before you even begin to start growing cannabis, be sure that it is legal in your state. Always check local laws to make sure you are within the legal limits in terms of the number of plants and use of the final product.

It will take months to grow your cannabis into a beautiful and healthy plant. Then there is an additional four weeks to harvest and dry your buds.

With the right items and tips, you can create a healthy growing environment and begin to produce quality plants. Growing inside is more expensive because you need more items to start, but you have full control over the growing environment and the ability to make changes as needed.

Tips & Tricks

Grow Tents are not a necessary item, but helpful for beginners to optimize the growing environment. They are easy to purchase online.

Soil is extremely important.

A new report from cannabis market data analyst Headset shows that cannabis beverage sales continue to grow in North America and new trends indicate that the sector may be poised for gains in market share. Headset’s industry report for March focusing on cannabis beverages was released last week and is available online as a free download.

In the report, Headset notes that many cannabis industry analysts have been expecting big gains for the beverage sector since the company began collecting and reporting on data from the legal marijuana industry in 2015. But sales data have shown that the bold predictions have failed to pan out.

“Over the last five years, beverage market share has maintained about 1% of total recreational cannabis sales, with sales to the category growing at roughly the same pace as the total market,” Headset wrote in the introduction to the report.

“But today, for the first time in a long time, our Headset analysts are bullish on beverages,” the report continues. “Between advancements in THC infusion technology, and a myriad of new brands catering to the occasional, low-dose consumer, there is a lot of reason to believe in the growth potential of this category.”

In Canada, beverage sales have grown to 1.5% of sales in barely more than a year on the market, while in the U.S. cannabis drinks are posting a more modest 1% share. Cannabis beverages actually saw a dip in the U.S. during 2020, but have recovered to slightly more than 1% of the market this year. Headset notes that some trends in the sales data could mean that cannabis beverages are ready to make more gains in market share.