WeedLife News Network

The best way to make use of CBD for weight loss is to also approach it holistically, ensuring you are exercising regularly, eating nutritiously, and getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

For weight-conscious individuals, it can be confusing to navigate the CBD market. But it’s natural even for people at a healthy weight to be interested in maintaining it to avoid being overweight. After all, being overweight or worse, obese, has been associated with numerous preventable illnesses such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, coronary heart disease, and more. It’s always in your best interest to keep your weight at a healthy level as much as possible.

It’s known that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in marijuana products has been linked to inducing appetite and weight gain, albeit at healthy levels when taken in moderation or under medical supervision. So much so that it’s even being used for inducing the appetite of cancer and HIV patients, or those that struggle with eating disorders.

But when it comes to CBD, will it help you lose weight, or will it cause weight gain? The truth is, there’s no clear-cut answer, though the results can vary depending on many factors. Here’s some food for thought, based on existing studies:

How CBD Affects Metabolism

A 2016 study conducted by Korean researchers focused on the impact of CBD on preadipocytes, which are immature fat cells. Their findings suggest that CBD work in three ways to promote “fat browning” otherwise white fat tissue (scientifically known as white adipose tissue or WAT), since browned fat is more effective in weight loss as well as obesity treatments.

Additionally, brown fat is more efficient in metabolizing fat molecules and blood sugar to help us maintain our body’s temperature. The presence of more white fat in the body can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes while brown fat induces weight loss.

Senate Democrats are eyeing a cannabis banking bill that has bipartisan support as a potential vehicle for long-sought restorative justice measures.  

Prominent Democrats have been pushing to pass the SAFE Banking Act, which would enable legally operating cannabis firms to use banking services, as part of a larger China competition package being conferenced in both the House and Senate. The bill was included in House Democrats’ competition bill passed earlier this year, but not in the bipartisan Senate-passed version. 

Supporters of the banking bill say it’s urgently needed to stop a surge of violent robberies targeting cash-only pot dispensaries. But the measure, which has passed the House six times in recent years, has had trouble securing passage in the Senate due to resistance from both sides of the aisle, though for different reasons.  

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told The Hill that Democrats are working to add social equity measures to the bill, which is backed by members of both parties. 

“We’re trying to add some of the social justice provisions and see if we can come up with a compromise,” Schumer said.  

A separate bill to legalize marijuana is also backed by Democrats, but it appears unlikely to notch enough support from Senate Republicans to clear a 60-vote procedural hurdle. 

The Sixth Panel of the Superior Court of Justice of Brazil authorized three people to grow marijuana for medicinal purposes, reported O Antagonista.

“The Superior Court of Justice decided Tuesday, June 14 to grant two safe conducts that advance the regulation of artisanal marijuana cultivation in Brazil.” (Benzinga)

The case should serve as a precedent for lower courts and the advance of cannabis legalization in the potentially huge market of 200 million people. The decision contemplates the use of cannabidiol (CBD) for personal use and allows marijuana cultivation only for medicinal purposes, with a prescription. In addition, this gives home growers a legal precedent that can evolve into more comprehensive legislation as in the case of Argentina, where hemp and medicinal cannabis production are already legally produced in the country.

Three new recreational marijuana stores will be opening this week in New Jersey, including one location near the Jersey Shore. 

Sorting Robotics, an industrial cannabis-focused AI and computer vision technologies company, launched Jiko. Jiko is the cannabis industry’s first automated pre-roll infusion robot.

Approximately 70% of all cannabis manufacturing is still being done by hand, and will result in about $2B manufacturing labor spend in 2022–significantly eating into operators’ bottom-lines. With Jiko’s ability to infuse up to 800 pre-rolls per hour and reduce waste and spillage by approximately 20%-30%, Jiko has been engineered to help operators boost margins, scale, and achieve profitability. (Benzinga)

Companies using Jiko have reported being able to scale production from 10,000 to 40,0000 infused pre-rolls per month, and saving over $20,000 in labor and spillage costs during the first month of use.

“I want a world where all repetitive manual labor tasks are done autonomously; then people can focus their efforts on helping others and being creative,” stated Nohtal Partansky, co-founder and CEO, Sorting Robotics.

“Most people think robots are a bad thing. I see it completely differently. In the cannabis value chain, effectively automating repetitive manual tasks improves margins and allows operators to reinvest more into innovation and creative problem solving.”

Nohtal, a former NASA-JPL Engineer assigned to the MOXIE (Mars Oxygen In Situ Resource Utilization Experiment) project, co-founded Sorting Robotics to break through the toughest bottlenecks of cannabis brands and processors through a combination of real-time production data analytics, modern IoT hardware, and precision automation.

With the current state of uncertainty in the country and in the GOP, November elections may provide some answers as to which direction cannabis legalization is headed in this country.

The 2022 midterm elections are in full swing, and there is nothing that causes friction and clashes on issues quite like an election season. This year, the pile of political issues seems to grow by the day, and each new issue has conservatives and liberals more and more at odds.

There are even a few issues that are creating a fork in the road among conservatives this election season. As major GOP players emerge in 2022, politicians both seasoned and new are taking vastly different stances on cannabis legalization. These differing stances also seem to represent two different futures of the GOP. The midterm elections may help shed light on which type of Republican party voters are looking for moving forward, and also how the conservative base really feels about cannabis legalization. 

One of the most notable GOP candidates when it comes to the future of cannabis and the GOP is Rep. Nancy Mace. Mace has made headlines for many reasons, but most notably for being a conservative who is sponsoring cannabis legalization legislation. The States Reform Act is a bill that would decriminalize cannabis. 

Mace faces Katie Arrington in this Tuesday’s primary. Cannabis policy is not the only thing these two clash on. Arrington is backed by former President Trump, while Mace “blamed Trump for the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot, ” according to Politico. In fact, Trump has gone so far as to call Mace “nasty, disloyal, and bad for the Republican Party,” according to the article.

While Arrington has Trump’s backing, Mace and her cannabis bill have their own backing.

Cannabis decriminalization in two cities in West Virginia is being pushed for this year’s November ballot.

A West Virginia cannabis advocacy group called Charleston Can’t Wait has recently been collecting signatures to put a decriminalization measure on the ballot this November in Fairmount and Charleston.

The organization is connected to West Virginia Can’t Wait, which is led by former 2020 governor candidate Stephen Smith. Described as “a movement to win a people’s government in the Mountain State,” it strives to support political candidates who represent the people of West Virginia and aren’t accepting donations from corporations or the fossil fuel industry.

Charleston Can’t Wait is on track to collect the required 2,000 signatures for its decriminalization effort by July 14. As of May 27, the organization’s Facebook page reported an update on the overwhelming support from local residents.

“We’re a whole heap of signatures closer tonight! Why? Because nearly every single person we ask says YES,” the organization said on its social media.

If voted into law, those caught in possession of cannabis would be charged a fine similar to that of a speeding ticket.

The normalization of cannabis could indeed be in the hands of these potential consumption spaces.

Oregon will soon become the first-ever state to ban synthetic weed sales, which includes products containing lab-grown cannabinoids like delta-8.

Starting on July 1, weed shoppers won't find certain weed gummies and other products at their go-to stores, even if they're THC-free, The Oregonian reported. That's because Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission officials say they're concerned about the unregulated nature of these products, many of which exist in a federal legal loophole.

"We have testing for pesticides. We have testing for residual solvents from the extraction process. We don't have any testing for any of the whole universe of chemical reagents that you could use to synthetically turn one cannabinoid into something else, or for any of the byproducts of that reaction," Steven Crowley, the hemp and processing compliance specialist with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC), told The Oregonian.

The federal government has banned or temporarily banned certain synthetic cannabinoids like K2 or "spice," but there are hundreds that remain unregulated at the state level.

Scientists are lab-engineering naturally-occurring cannabinoids 

All cannabinoids, the chemical compounds in weed, start as CBG (short for cannabigerol), or the "mother" cannabinoid, as researchers often call it.

When exposed to environmental factors like light or heat, CBG reacts and turns into other cannabinoids, like THC, CBD, THCV, and CBN. THC, the cannabinoid best known for getting a person "high," but isn't legal everywhere, is also the most commonly occurring one in the cannabis plant.

A study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence explored the association between cannabis use and physical health among 308 sets of twins.

Research on the influence of cannabis use on cardiovascular functions, pulmonary functions, and other indicators is still growing, but one new study has shed new light on the topic. “The effects of cannabis use on physical health: A co-twin control study,” published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence explored the relationship between cannabis use and physical health among 308 sets of twins, with the results suggesting that cannabis use is not associated with detrimental physical effects.

Cannabis research is still catching up to studies surrounding tobacco and alcohol’s effect on physical health, though studies so far have indicated cannabis has an impact on respiratory health, cardiovascular health, and body mass index.

The data is from an ongoing study called “Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan Behavioral Development and Cognitive Aging,” through the University of Colorado Boulder. It is the first prospective study of cognitive aging from infancy through adulthood, with a purpose of studying “how early and current influences accumulate over one’s life to impact how well individuals build and maintain cognitive functioning,” according to the CU Boulder website.

As part of the study, researchers are tracing factors associated with decreases, maintenance or boosts in cognitive abilities. Through in-depth behavioral and health measurements, analysis of environmental settings, biomarker and genotype data, researchers are looking to assess the association of cognitive changes with possible physical and behavioral health precursors, “to trace the emergence of these associations,” researchers say on the CU Boulder site.

As part of the study, researchers are tracing factors associated with decreases, maintenance, or boosts in cognitive abilities. Through in-depth behavioral and health measurements, analysis of environmental settings, biomarker and genotype data, researchers are looking to assess the association of cognitive changes with possible physical and behavioral health precursors, “to trace the emergence of these associations,” researchers say on the CU Boulder site.

Oklahoma Smokes are rolled with hemp flowers, so they’re completely free of both nicotine and tobacco. This organically grown hemp is rich in CBD and provides a tasty and satisfying smoke. It’s nearly identical to a traditional cigarette, but it contains no tobacco, nicotine, or other additives.

These hemp cigarettes are shown to be an effective quitting aid, particularly when used in conjunction with other aids like nicotine patches or gum. And Oklahoma Smokes runs its hemp through an extensive laboratory testing process that ensures each cig is free of pesticides and other chemicals.

One of the hardest parts about quitting smoking is losing the muscle memory that accompanies the regular ritual of a cigarette. With Oklahoma Smokes, you can ditch nicotine without ditching the ritual, and you might find those cravings grow a little less intense and frequent over time until you’re ready to quit altogether. So, click here to learn more!

San Bernardino County in California is sponsoring state legislation aimed at increasing fines for illegal cannabis grows and targeting illegal cultivation operations that are polluting groundwater.

Two bills were recently introduced to prevent illegal cannabis cultivation efforts, which are using more water than ever in the wake of a historic California drought.

“Illegal cannabis farming is devastating the desert communities of San Bernardino County,” said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman in a press release.

“The County is determined to stop this terrible damage to the environment and to protect the lives and property of our residents from lawless criminals.”

The county is sponsoring Assembly Bill 2728, introduced by Assemblymember Thurston Smith, and Senate Bill 1426, introduced by Senator Anna Caballero, to tackle these concerns.

AB-2728 would increase the fines for illegal cultivation to $1,000 for each day of violation, and $2,500 for each acre-foot of water diverted (and if that measurement isn’t specified, $500 per plant). These stipulations would only take place in a “critically dry year immediately preceded by two or more consecutive below normal, dry, or critical dry years” in the event that the California state governor has issued a state of emergency.

Dr. Ashley Serfis sees dozens of pets a week at the Greenfield Animal Hospital. And while most energetic pups are high off of life, Serfis has seen more and more pets that are actually high.

According to research by PLOS One, the legalization of marijuana has led to an increase of pets getting their paws on pot resulting in cannabis-induced toxicosis.

Serfis used to see THC-related cases a couple of times a year, but recently that’s changed.

“Since edibles have become more common, we have seen cases a lot more frequently, at least a few times a month,” said Serfis.

If you're worried your pup snuck into your stash, she said there's several signs pet owners should look out for, like dilated pupils.

“Lethargy, incoordination or being wobbly on their feet; marijuana toxicity can also have urine dribbling,” said Serfis.

Joe Rogan,  a cannabis and psychedelics advocate was not pleased about the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CPB) recent seizure of a shipment containing marijuana, psilocybin and MDMA from a private vehicle. Popular for his often controversial views on the Joe Rogan Experience, the podcaster publicly slammed the agency after it posted a tweet boasting the seizure from the vehicle of two 30-year-olds returning home from vacation in Canada. “The narcotic substances field-tested positive for the presence of methylenedioxymethamphetamine, marijuana, and psilocybin,” the CBP reported.

The car didn’t pass the first inspection and was sent for the secondary inspection for further checking. The CPB tweeted photos of mushrooms in front of a canister and another with pills looking like ecstasy.

Even though marijuana is legal both in Canada and New York State, taking it across international borders is illegal. The situation got more complicated when other substances were found in the vehicle, such as “ecstasy, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms in raw form and infused in a chocolate bar.”

Nevertheless, Rogan seems to think that current drug laws make no sense and that it should not be up to lawmakers to decide what substances are legal. He tweeted some advice to the CPB.

Champlain Port Director Steven Bronson had a different opinion, stating “Our CBP Officers continue to remain dedicated and vigilant, successfully intercepting these illegal substances. I am proud of their enforcement efforts to ensure the safety of our communities.”

Precision Extraction offers comprehensive cannabis and hemp extraction solutions, including facility design and build-out, state-of-the-art equipment and technical support.

In recent years, the cannabis consumption landscape has changed from a primarily flower-dominated market to one that heavily features products made from extracts that can be vaped or infused into topicals, edibles and a myriad of other products. However, not all extracts are created equal; the extraction method directly impacts product quality and consistency. In response to this, Precision Extraction provides cannabis businesses with complete turn-key lab solutions, including facility design, installation, training and technical support.

“At Precision, we realized pretty early that cannabis concentrates were growing in popularity and that consistency and reproducibility at scale in the extraction processes was key to long-term success,” said Brian Towns, Precision Extraction’s vice president of operations.

Precision Extraction is on a mission to continue evolving the science of extraction equipment and technology. To achieve this, the Precision Extraction team uses their design, engineering and manufacturing expertise to ensure that all of their products are safe, reliable, refined, and only of the highest quality. 

Precision Extraction was recently acquired by Agrify, the cannabis and hemp market’s largest integrated total solutions provider. According to Tennant, the acquisition will provide solutions for many of the challenges customers encounter across the supply chain from a single trusted source.

Top-Tier Extraction on Every Scale

Precision Extraction offers ethanol and hydrocarbon extraction equipment. The ethanol extraction system is the fastest batch extraction method on the market and is recommended for creating full-spectrum hemp extracts.

That said, using marijuana recreationally may be beneficial for sleep onset

U.S. research exploring the relationship between self-reported recreational cannabis use and sleep outcomes found consumers fell asleep faster than non-users but experienced more nighttime awakenings.

The idea was to see if objective and subjective measures — namely sleep efficiency (percentage of time spent asleep while in bed), sleep onset latency (time it takes to fall asleep) and the number of nighttime awakenings — differed between those who used recreational cannabis and those who did not.

Study findings show the amount of cannabis consumed daily, measured in grams, was inversely related to both sleep onset latency and sleep efficiency, but positively related to how many times subjects woke up over the course of the night.

After controlling for covariates, the study author noted that regression models were statistically significant for predicting the three sleep outcomes.

“Subjective sleep measures did not differ from cannabis users versus non-cannabis users,” the study states.

Rove launched its cannabis vape products into dispensaries across Missouri. Produced locally using a solventless CO2 extraction, 10 SKUs of Rove vapes are now available across the region, with more SKUs on the way this summer. 

“Our goal is to help others get into the business as well. If we can help others avoid the pitfalls, we would gladly do it.”

Zelira Therapeutics, a global leader in the research, development and commercialization of clinically validated cannabinoid medicines, is about to begin a first-ever clinical trial of its own proprietary pain formula for the treatment of diabetic nerve pain against an as-yet-unidentified brand name pain medication, the company announced. (Benzinga)

The trial will evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of Zelira’s patent-protected product.

How is the trial set up?

The trial is designed as a multi-arm, head-to-head comparison of 60 subjects, with 20 subjects in each arm, powered to show statistical difference. A total of 20 patients in the investigative drug arm have already been enrolled. 

“This product trial exemplifies Zelira’s strategy to continue generating clinical validation for cannabinoid-based medicines,” said Dr. Oludare Odumosu, CEO of Zelira Therapeutics.

“We look forward to what we hope will be positive results in this clinical trial and continue to deliver on our ‘multiple shots on goal’ strategy for both our OTC products and our RX prescription cannabinoid products worldwide.”

Ayr Wellness (“Ayr” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator, announced that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (“CCC” or the “Commission”) has granted a final license for the sale of adult-use cannabis at its AYR Watertown dispensary in Greater Boston. The CCC voted to grant the final license at its meeting on June 9, 2022.

“With our approval today to open our Watertown dispensary, Ayr will soon have two adult-use dispensaries serving Greater Boston, which has historically been under-served in access to adult-use cannabis,” said Jonathan Sandelman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Ayr.