WeedLife News Network

Thanksgiving went virtual, Halloween is shaping up to be a hands-off experience and Christmas get-togethers might be a no-go. But that doesn’t mean gift-giving this festive season needs to suffer, particularly if one’s choice is the green stuff.

Despite COVID-19’s continuing clampdown, plenty of people are high on possibly making cannabis and pot-related products their gift for family and friends alike this coming holiday season.

So suggests the recent Maru/Blue online survey of 1,507 randomly selected Canadian adults, 453 of whom had used weed within the past five years. Commissioned by FIGR Brands Inc., the national poll results have been weighted by education, age, gender and region to match the population, as per Census data.

Indeed, just shy of a third of respondents (32 per cent) report that they would consider the gift of weed this holiday season, notes poll results provided to The GrowthOp. Friends are the most likely recipients of gifted weed, at 80 per cent, then siblings at 51 per cent and spouses and partners at 41 per cent.

In all, 27 per cent of respondents who are considering giving cannabis as a gift say that parents are potential recipients. / Getty Images

I grew up on the East Coast and my earliest weed dealers used to offer only two choices: Take it or leave it.

I always chose “take it.”

Nowadays I live in California and the modern marijuana retail experience offers so many strains, concentrates, edibles, topicals and delivery devices that it requires a concerted effort (and consistent product sampling) to keep it all straight — never mind stoned. So I included a special section on pot shopping in my book, “How To Smoke Pot (Properly):  A Highbrow Guide to Getting High.”

Whether you’re buying recreational weed in Colorado, medical marijuana in Michigan, or ordering off a coffee-shop menu in Amsterdam, the retail cannabis experience remains both delightful and disorienting to the unaccustomed. So here’s a few tips for keeping your wits about you when faced with all those wonderful choices.

Make a Budget for Getting Bud

Unless you grow your own, or have some lovely hookup, cannabis is most definitely a luxury item. And while it’s certainly OK to splurge on the herb from time to time, that’s a decision best made in advance, not once you’re faced with a menu of enticing strains, concentrates, and edibles. So decide how much you can afford to spend and how long it’s got to last in advance, and you’ll have a lot of fun weighing your options when the time comes, without stressing out about next month’s rent.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it would be hosting a public event this November, discussing the differences of sex and gender in the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids. 

The FDA’s Office of Women’s Health made the announcement, since many conditions to which CBD is marketed, such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, are more prevalent in women. 

Last week, the FDA published a notice in the Federal Register, stating the “purpose of the public meeting is to discuss potential sex (biological) and gender (psychosocial) differences in use and responses to cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids. Researchers, educators, clinicians, and patients may benefit from attending this multidisciplinary scientific conference on CBD and other cannabinoids.” 

The notice also mentions discussing the use of CBD and other cannabinoids during pregnancy, citing it as an important public health concern.

Government agency perspectives on CBD research and evaluation will also be highlighted during the event.

An international study exploring possible genetic influences on cannabis use disorder (CUD) has identified an association between the disorder and a region of DNA near the FOXP2 gene, previously linked to risk-taking behaviour.

Headed by Washington University School of Medicine, researchers analyzed DNA and other data from almost 21,000 people diagnosed with CUD and 360,000 who did not have that diagnosis, notes a press release on findings.

The team identified two regions in human DNA, the FOXP2 gene being one of them, that appear to contribute to the risk of becoming dependent on cannabis. Previously linked to CUD and nicotine addiction, the scientists also implicated the CHRNA2 gene.

“When we think about why some people who use cannabis develop problems with it, about 50 per cent of that risk is due to genetics,” Arpana Agrawal, Ph.D., a senior investigator and professor of psychiatry, says in the statement.

“While the variants that we found are not currently useful in letting someone know about their personal risk, the genetic pathways might lead to better treatments for cannabis addiction in the future,” Agrawal points out.

Preparing edibles can be easy if you have the right ingredients. Here’s what you can use if you don’t feel like baking.

Baking and preparing edibles is a fun activity if you have the right disposition and tools, even if it takes longer than other methods of consuming cannabis. The baking process is one that’s normally ruled by lots of trial and error; adding weed into the mix only makes things more complicated. Still, you shouldn’t be intimidated at the thought of preparing your own edibles, especially now that there’s more time and willingness to bake and get creative.

Baking usually requires people to prepare their own cannabutter, a process that’s time consuming and that’s only a first step in the whole baking process. If you want to make some edibles but don’t feel like spending a lot of time on them, here are some things you can try:

THC infused honey sticks

Photo by Arwin Neil Baichoo via Unsplash

THC infused honey sticks are incredibly convenient. They can be drizzled on top of cookies, cakes, tea or coffee, transforming anything you have into a sweet treat that can get you high. There are also CBD infused honey sticks, which can be used to create edibles with no psychoactive effects.

An economic impact study on the legalization of recreational cannabis in Guam — obtained by the Guam Visitors Bureau and adopted by the Cannabis Control Board — says the industry could generate more than $100 million in economic activity and hundreds of jobs.

Guam residents could spend about $10 million on cannabis during the industry's first year, and tourists could spend more than $1 million, the study states.

The cannabis board transmitted the study to the Legislature on Oct. 19. The economic impact study is required under the April 2019 law that legalized recreational marijuana on island.

The cannabis board also is working on a separate required report on how the cannabis industry will impact government operations, including staffing and resources at the agencies that are involved in regulating it.

Adults currently can possess recreational cannabis and grow and consume it at home, but selling it or trading it for anything of value is illegal until the rules and regulations are adopted and the government-regulated industry starts.

A new study reveals that almost half of those who currently use cannabis in North America are over 40, a surprising number given the narrative that most cannabis users are in younger demographics. This insight came alongside many other interesting data points about the industry. 

This information comes from Akerna, a group in the industry that works with software, compliance technology, seed-to-sale research planning, and enterprise software for the cannabis companies across North America. It dug into North American cannabis consumer habits to reveal deep insights about the industry and how it operates, in order to shed light on what businesses can expect in the coming months. 

“Akerna is an enterprise software company focused on compliantly serving the cannabis, hemp, and CBD industry,” their biography states. “First launched in 2010, Akerna has tracked more than $20 billion in cannabis sales to date and is the first cannabis software company listed on Nasdaq. The company’s cornerstone technology, MJ Platform, the world’s leading infrastructure as a service platform powers retailers, manufacturers, brands, distributors, and cultivators.”

According to the breakdown from the Akerna study, which looked at type of cannabis consumption method, as well as age and gender of cannabis users, flower is the most popular way to consume cannabis in the U.S., with edibles the least popular besides the “other category. Results also showed that more men than women consume cannabis, as men logged in at 62.5 percent and women claimed 37.5 percent. 

Self-Reported Use

In addition to looking at the numbers for sales and the type of cannabis consumed, the study also examined the numbers for reported use. In most cases, the numbers mirrored each other, showing people reported accurately about what they consume. “Some of this confirms what we already know, that flower is the most popular consumption method,” says James Ahrendt, Business Intelligence Architect, Akerna. “However, we also found some surprising data points. For example, medical consumers on average spend more and purchase more items than their adult use counterparts.”

Because it’s listed top of the schedule of abused drugs, there is an expectation that marijuana must be as highly addictive as heroin, and therefore horribly destructive.

Every time you light up a joint or inhale the vapor from a THC-infused vape or crunch down on an edible or put a couple drops of a THC-infused tincture into your coffee, you are effectively becoming part of a statistic: the marijuana addict.

There are so many ways to get THC into your system now, and researchers say that’s the problem. Having so many options, often packaged in such a way that it just seems like ingesting this psychoactive drug is harmless fun with a sort of backhanded illusion of safety, is just the sort of thing that makes anti-marijuana believers think that there is more to see here. They smell coverup. They sense capitalism overreach threatening citizen health. They see a brand new industry jostling with the rules to make a buck.

They even believe that the fun and the party jolliness and the fuck-em-all camaraderie that is part of the experience of consuming marijuana is lulling all of us cannabis enthusiasts into getting addicted—and we don’t even know it.

But wait. Let’s take a closer look at what makes an addict.

At a time when it seems like no one can see eye-to-eye on anything, there is one undeniable fact that most can agree on: something needs to change. Industry leaders are hoping that 2021 will be the turnaround after a monumentally tragic year where the lingering effects of COVID-19 changed how business was done and how we communicate with one another in the online and offline worlds. Not only did this impact high-volume in-person trade show events, but also supporting industries such as hospitality, travel, arts, and leisure. 

Toronto-based cannabis events and marketing firm, Lift & Co, (OTC: LFCOF) which produces Canada’s largest cannabis expo, recently stunned industry insiders when it declared bankruptcy after laying off employees in March and postponing their annual November event. 

With no clear idea of what the future holds, the cannabis event industry is adapting in different ways as the pandemic rolls into its second wave. The Cannabis World Congress and Business Exhibition (CWCB) canceled all in-person events until 2021, hosting a two-day digital conference on November 17 and 18. Even non-cannabis behemoths like SXSW buckled under pressure to create a virtual experience that could live up to the real deal.

MJBizCon, who transformed their trade show into a month-long digital experience leading up to a three-day online conference event December 2-4, featuring keynote speaker John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods, now run with the tagline: “The show must go online.” 

But can it, really? 

Two years ago Canada became the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana sales.

Since then, the country has also made way for the legal sales of edibles, cannabis-infused beverages, and vape pens, but the newly legal cannabis market has faced its fair share of difficulties despite initial investor frenzy surrounding marijuana stocks. 

As Canada is the first major country to have fully legalized weed, governments around the world watched on with great interest these past two years as the legal pot market began to develop there, taking notes for when the time might come to allow marijuana to be sold for recreational use in their respective countries. 

A pandemic sales boom 

In line with public opinion, Canadian lawmakers took on legalization in late 2017, while the measure took effect on October 17,  2018, after passing both the House of Commons and the Senate. 

A total of 507 producers have been granted licenses to cultivate cannabis by Health Canada during the last two years, while sales of legal marijuana products have been on the rise monthly by month. Although the newly legal weed market faced immense competition from the illicit market, the coronavirus pandemic finally managed to bridge the gap between legal and illegal weed sales earlier this year.     

Will marijuana, like a lot of the region’s agricultural exports, get out of the continent as a primary product as investors and controllers of refining technology cream off the big bucks? Will fear triumph over logic as governments stick to old anti-narcotics control laws to lock citizens out of the value chain as foreign investors are licensed to set up weed farms for profit?

These are pertinent questions in light of the enduring inequalities that have kept farmers in perpetual poverty which appears to defy all interventions. Despite their thankless task of keeping nations fed, farmers remain so poor in Africa that in most places, they are derisively called peasants.

A reformed and equitable market for this new product can help distribute wealth and improve the social status of millions. There are other compelling reasons for A-Z production and processing of marijuana. The major application for medical marijuana is the management of chronic pain in patients suffering from terminal conditions such as cancer.

In recent times, Africa, and the developing world in general, have seen a surge in the non-communicable diseases case burden. Yet poverty means that healthcare systems cannot afford these painkillers used in palliative care.

In 2014, for instance, 80 percent of the world’s population — mainly low and middle-income countries — consumed only 9.5 percent of the morphine used in palliative care. That is according to the International Narcotics Control Board which in 2018 found that 79 percent of the global population, still consumed only 1 percent of the 388 tonnes of the morphine manufactured worldwide that year.

Studies show that CBD can help regulate and stabilize skin function. It’s also anti-inflammatory. Here’s what else it can do for your skincare routine. 

The end of summer is always a bit of a bummer. With fall comes the rush of the back to (virtual) school season, upcoming family holidays to think about, and of course, cooler weather.  

As the weather turns, you’ll need more layers and will have to put the sandals and swimsuits away. But one of the biggest drawbacks of the cooler temps might be for your skin. As the weather gets cooler, your skin may feel less hydrated than it did all summer. Plus you may experience itchiness, breakouts, and even chapped lips.  

Once the weather chills, CBD applied topically can help a lot with some of your skin’s top woes. Here’s why.   

Hydrates your skin 

Studies have found that topical CBD products are effective to hydrate the skin. That’s because of the infusion of oils and Vitamins A, C, and E that can help deeply moisturize and protect skin. It’s also thanks to the antioxidant-rich properties of CBD. Antioxidants are important for dehydrated skin because they can help protect against free-radical damage which can lead to skin looking more dehydrated and with more fine lines and wrinkles.  

Although cannabis has gotten a bad reputation as a “drug of abuse” due to massive misinformation campaigns in the past, our perception of the plant is changing significantly as more research is done.

It actually appears that cannabis compounds, such as CBD and THC, can actually help manage addictive behaviors, and cannabis itself can be considered an “exit drug” instead of a “gateway drug.” (1)

There is evidence that pharmaceuticals that target CB2 receptors may be used in treating cocaine and heroin addiction (2). Certain observational studies have also shown that cannabis may be a safe substitute for substances like alcohol or nicotine (3).

But can you effectively replace CBD with nicotine? How does CBD help people who decide to go cold turkey?

Let’s dig it up!

Officials in Maine reported on Tuesday that licensed retailers sold more than $250,000 worth of cannabis products during the state’s first weekend of legal recreational marijuana sales. The first retail cannabis dispensaries in Maine opened for business on Friday, nearly four years after voters approved recreational marijuana sales for adults in 2016.

“According to preliminary data, the long weekend (sales commencing on Friday, October 9, 2020 and concluding at end of the day Monday, October 12, 2020) saw sales of adult use marijuana surpass a quarter of a million dollars,” the Maine Office of Marijuana Policy (OMP) wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.

The total sales of recreational cannabis products for the four-day holiday weekend came to $258,411.58, according to the agency. The figure represents the revenue from 6,430 transactions, which generated a total of $25,841.16 in state sales tax. The OMP noted that the results had not yet been finalized and that all of the sales tax collected might not hit state coffers until next month.

“These figures are preliminary in nature and subject to further revision. Actual sales tax returns from the month of October are not due to the State Tax Assessor until November 15,” the agency tweeted.

State Regulator Applauds Smooth Launch

OMP director Erik Gundersen said in a press release that the first weekend of sales “went smoothly” and acknowledged both businesses and consumers for their role in the successful launch.

Researchers out of Michigan say it looks like legalizing weed may lead to greater cannabis use, which means that more pregnant women who smoke could be exposing their developing babies to THC.

There was a 32.5 per cent increase in THC-exposed newborns at a Michigan hospital between 2018 and 2019, following legalization of recreational weed in late 2018, according to Healio. The findings were presented recently at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference & Exhibition.

In all, 320 newborns born in the hospital between January 2014 and January 2020 tested positive for THC in their meconium, Healio reports. But the findings also indicate a steady rise in the rate of THC in meconium dating back to 2015.

While traces of THC were detected in five per 1,000 live births at the hospital in 2014, that increased annually after 2015. That year, the rate was 4.9, while it was 5.5 in 2016, 6.8 in 2017, 8.0 in 2018 and 10.6 per cent in 2019.

Although positive tests doubled over the 2014 to 2019 period, Healio points out, the biggest hike occurred from 2018 to 2019, representing the first year after legalization of recreational weed.

Although there is a lot of talk these days over the therapeutic benefits of marijuana’s non-intoxicating compound cannabidiol (CBD), the truth is that some of the best medicine derived from the cannabis plant includes all of its components. There are so many combinations of cannabinoids, terpenes and other less popularized elements that make whole-plant therapy the only way to get the most from this medicine.

When it comes to cannabis extracts, the term “full-spectrum” is an important one to remember. Normal extractions are known to sift out certain components, which can leave the finished product missing the depth present while in plant form. So a customer might get his or her hands on some highly potent shatter, which can have well over 50% THC, only to lose flavor and other crucial aspects. In the world of full-spectrum extracts, the chemist works to bring the plant’s exact profile to the resin.

To truly understand the importance of full-spectrum, it is first necessary to get a grip on this thing the cannabis industry refers to as “the entourage effect.” Simply put, the cannabis plant consists of more than 80 cannabinoids, a variety of terpenes, flavonoids, etc. that all work in synergy to bring the plant’s unique therapeutic qualities to life.

Photo by Shopify Partners via Burst

Working in family medicine for more than 20 years, Dr. Mark Ware has long witnessed the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, not only to address physical pain and discomfort, but also to treat mental health.

Many of Dr. Ware’s patients have chronic pain and have exhausted conventional therapies. Cannabis, in some cases, has helped not only to manage their pain, but also to alleviate the accompanying stress and anxiety.

“It was obvious to me very early on that cannabis had a very broad effect on people’s health, including their mental health,” Dr. Ware, chief medical officer for Canopy Growth, told The GrowthOp. “Cannabis and mental health are intimately intertwined.”

It’s a relationship, however, that is just starting to be understood.

Cannabis is not a singular compound; there are more than 100 cannabinoids in the plant that can produce different, sometimes opposing, effects. Add to that that every person has an individual endocannabinoid system that responds differently to those compounds.

CBD, one of the main components of the cannabis plant, is now being looked at as a highly effective remedy for all kinds of conditions.

Although not enough research has been conducted to prove it can cure any specific ailments, research indicates it can be effective in treating a wide variety of health issues.

When you read about all of its benefits, it almost seems like some kind of “miracle drug.”

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a miracle drug.

Even though it is holistic and safe, CBD does have some side effects associated with its use.