WeedLife News Network

Armed with a new album and with touring back in motion, Sean Paul is staying busy this year.

Jamaica’s Sean Paul returns to the dancehall throne, and expectations are high with A-list featured guests on the album representing various facets of the music industry. Paul dropped his eighth full-length studio album and Island Records debut, Scorcha, on May 27.

Scorcha provides a party blueprint for the weekend, led by the single “Light My Fire” with Gwen Stefani and Shenseea. The new album also includes previously released songs “Scorcha,” “Only Fanz” (ft. Ty Dolla $ign), “Dynamite” (ft. Sia), “How We Do It” (ft. Pia Mia), and “No Fear” (ft. Damian Marley and Nicky Jam).

Paul recently earned a Grammy Award nomination for Best Reggae Album for his seventh studio album Live N Livin, which was released last year, after winning a Grammy Award for Dutty Rock in 2013. While Live N Livin was more of straight heavy dancehall, he’s honing in on a club vibe this time around.

High Times caught up with Paul inside Fingerprints Music, located on 420 East 4th Street in Long Beach, California, before his performance later that night at The Novo in downtown Los Angeles.

“It’s not really a formula,” Paul told High Times, referring to his methods in the studio. “It’s just what feels good at the time. Last year was more hardcore danchall feeling, and this year’s more of a scotch feeling, you know what I mean. I’m feeling to touch the clubs with it, but also there is some growth on the album on some introspective songs. I think people should enjoy it, bro.”

It may not seem like a big deal to the millions of Americans living in legal cannabis states, but Wednesday is huge for medical marijuana supporters in Mississippi. June 1 is the first day for medical marijuana patients to submit their applications for a card in the Magnolia State. Businesses will also be able to apply for licenses. (Benzinga)

Long Time Coming

In February, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed legislation into law, making Mississippi the 37th state to legalize medical marijuana. At the time the governor said, "There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis." 74% of Mississippi voters approved the medical marijuana program. 

Ken Newburger, director of the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, said the law itself did not include a directive for municipalities to report. At the same time, the lack of an official list should not embolden anyone to attempt to get around the system, he warned. 

“If you try to open a dispensary in a city that has opted out, the local officials have every power to 1. Stop you and 2. Report you to the state,” Newburger said. 

Canadian officials announced on Wednesday that a plan to decriminalize small amounts of drugs in British Columbia has been approved for a three-year test period.

British Columbia will decriminalize personal possession of small amounts of drugs for three years in an attempt to address the province’s crisis of overdose deaths. The Canadian federal government announced on Wednesday that it had approved a request from provincial officials to enact the plan, which will decriminalize possession of street drugs including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

“Eliminating criminal penalties for those carrying small amounts of illicit drugs for personal use will reduce stigma and harm and provide another tool for British Columbia to end the overdose crisis,” federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Carolyn Bennett said in a statement quoted by Reuters.

In November, British Columbia officials requested an exemption from enforcing the federal Controlled Drugs and Substances Act for a period of three years. Under the plan, personal possession of up to a cumulative total of 2.5 grams of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine, and MDMA will not result in an arrest, citation, or confiscation of the drugs. The limited drug decriminalization plan, however, will not apply at airports, schools and to members of the Canadian military.

“This is not legalization,” Bennett told reporters at a news conference in Vancouver.

“We have not taken this decision lightly.”

During a recent interview with Wrestling Inc. WWE Hall Of Famer Teddy Long revealed how he had to stop smoking marijuana for a while as General Manager of SmackDown due to the WWE Wellness Policy. Below are some highlights: Teddy Long on how he quit smoking marijuana for a while out of respect for Vince McMahon: 

“I said, ‘Hey man, my job is more important so I don’t want to let Vince down. That man gave me the opportunity of a lifetime and the reason I am where I am today is because of Vince. So, I quit, maybe about a year. I quit for a real long time. What made me start back, man, I think I just got kind of burnt out. I had been on the road for over 25 years of my life … I think I just kind of got stressed, then me and Chioda kind of started riding again.”

Keep in mind that doctors are a wealth of knowledge, but medical marijuana and its benefits are a very new science and not all medical professionals are up to date with the latest developments. 

It is completely understandable to have skepticism towards prescription pain medication. America’s opioid crisis continues to take record numbers of lives, while many others live quietly addicted to pain medication. 

If you injure yourself or require surgery, you are likely going to experience pain. You also might want nothing to do with potentially-addictive pain medication when it is offered. Marijuana, as we have previously reported, can be a great alternative to opioids. But will your doctor prescribe you weed instead of painkillers?

Health care professionals can’t actually prescribe pot because the federal government still classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 drug. In other words, your doctor can’t exactly toss out your opioid prescription and write a new one for medical marijuana. Depending on the state, however, the doctor might be able to assist you in using marijuana as medical therapy for your recovery. The bigger question is, is your doctor willing to sign off on this?

Be honest with your physician

There is no point in beating around the bush, or trying to deceive your doctor. They have seen it all, and can spot a liar. If you want marijuana instead of other pain medication, just plead your case.

The current opioid crisis in the country is not a secret. A physician is likely going to be far more receptive to a patient who is honest about not wanting to use opioids, but instead prefers the marijuana route. If you are afraid of the dangers of opioids, or their adverse side effects – be vocal. This won’t guarantee you a medical marijuana card, but it opens up a dialogue to alternative treatments.

From the worlds of sports, music, and entertainment.

Plenty of celebrities have dipped their toes in the cannabis industry. Usually, they'll do a licensing deal that allows cannabis brands to make a product and use that celeb's name, image, and likeness for marketing. Because of this, you will often see limited-edition drops where they release a product once — then you never see it again.

To spare you the heartbreak of a limited-edition drop, consider some celebrity cannabis brands with products you can try again and again.

Sports

Ricky Williams: Highsman

Highsman is football legend Ricky Williams' brand. It offers flower and infused pre-rolls. Highsman markets its strains as Pregame (sativa), Halftime (hybrid), and Postgame (indica). The Jesus Zkittlezworth and Ken Jiffy Jr. strains ain't half bad. The Berry Bonds strain is the champion though.

Available: California and Oregon

Al Harrington: Viola

Viola is former NBA player Al Harrington's brand. It also produces Allen Iverson's line of weed: Iverson. Viola has flower, pre-rolls, and concentrate — the concentrates are pretty fire, especially in Oregon.

Big Data & Content Distribution Powers Lifestyle-Focused Brand Marketing

StupidDOPE LLC announced today the launch of an in-house brand marketing, content distribution and big data advertising agency serving the Cannabis and CBD industry. With a focus on big data and content distribution partnerships within the cannabis industry, the lifestyle brand will help companies intelligently target and engage in-market Cannabis and CBD shoppers.

stupidDOPE delivers social media, photo and video, press trips, media buys, influencer marketing, and experiential event strategies since 2008. Its custom-built digital marketing campaigns are powered by a patented algorithm that delivers personalized content on behalf of 200M+ mobile users in the U.S. stupidDOPE’s in-depth experience in the Cannabis and CBD industry provides insight into reaching shoppers, while meeting certified corporate and regulatory compliance standards.

“Major advertising channels, including Google and Facebook, continue to shut down digital Cannabis and CBD campaigns in response to the complex regulatory market in the U.S.,” said LeVar Thomas, co-founder, stupidDOPE.

“At stupidDOPE, we are solving this dilemma for Cannabis, CBD brands and retailers who need to reach new customers without access to the most popular digital marketing channels available.”

Founded in 2008, stupidDOPE brings together a massive audience and top tiered content distribution partnerships with its lifestyle destination, sharing the latest in video, music, travel, culture, fashion, art and more. The company has worked with Fortune 100 companies and global brands, including AT&T, Harley-Davidson, Sony Entertainment Network, Frito-Lay, Topgolf USA, State Farm, M&M’s Racing, Nissan and many more. A Google, Bing, and Apple News publisher, stupidDOPE delivers timely content on trending topics, infused with unique advertising opportunities and custom created content.

Creating a new legal market will take time to build and to earn the trust of new shoppers.

Legal cannabis is becoming more and more accessible. Still, in countries such as the U.S. and Canada, where there are legal markets in place, black market marijuana sales remain consistent.

According to a new survey, the largest determining factor is price.

The survey, conducted between 2019 and 2020 and published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, polled 12,000 cannabis users in Canada and the U.S. and found that price outranked convenience, which is the second main reason people continue to opt for illegal weed.

The reasons behind why consumers still shop the illicit market was dependent on the year and the country.

Survey authors write: In both years, there were two most commonly reported barriers to legal purchasing. In all, about a third of Canadian repondents and 27 per cent of U.S. respondents citing price, while about a fifth of Canadian respondents and slightly less than U.S. respondents pointed to inconvenience.

The feds say there was an 11% decline in cannabis arrests from 2010-2020.

Federal law enforcement continues to make fewer and fewer arrests for weed, according to data released by the Department of Justice, a trend that dovetails with the new cannabis laws that have bloomed in the last decade.

From 2010 until 2020, there was an 11% decline in cannabis-related arrests by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officers, the report from the Justice Department said.

That same time period saw a seven percent decline in arrests for crack cocaine, and a six percent decline in arrests for powder cocaine.

In raw numbers, the DEA made 8,215 arrests for cannabis-related offenses in 2010, compared with 2,576 in 2020. 

The number of pot-related arrests declined each year in that decade.

‘Patients should be in the hands of the state and the doctors, not the drug traffickers,’ said Carola Pérez, the president of the Spanish Observatory of Medicinal Cannabis

Spain is set to become the latest European country to decriminalise the use of cannabis for medicinal use, with some eyeing a route for Europe’s biggest illegal cannabis growing nation to become the hub of a legal industry.

As law enforcement gets to grip with “hemp fever”, with legitimate farmers falling foul of strict rules on which part of the plant can be sold, a parliamentary commission is to consider legalising the use of the drug to treat conditions like multiple sclerosis or epilepsy.

In 2018, Britain changed the law to allow the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes but it requires a prescription from a doctor.

In recent years, a series of European countries have taken the same measure including France, Italy, Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic. In the United States, 37 states have also decriminalised the drug for specific medical use, while 19 have gone further, for recreational use.

The Spanish proposal is likely to garner support from the Socialist government, their junior far-left coalition partner Unidas Podemos and a series of smaller regional parties.

A recently published study has revealed that THC levels in blood or breath do not correlate to impairment or the time of last cannabis use.

A new study published this month adds further evidence that levels of THC detected in the blood or breath of cannabis users is not a reliable indicator of impairment. Researchers also found that levels of THC in blood and breath did not provide reliable evidence of how recently a test subject had used cannabis.

In their introduction to the study, the researchers noted that “finding an objective measure of recent cannabis use that correlates with impairment has proven to be an elusive goal.” Some states have enacted laws that set per se legal limits on the amount of THC a driver may have in their blood, similar to the 0.08% blood alcohol concentration limit in effect nationwide.

Critics of per se limits on THC concentrations in blood or breath have argued that such limits have little bearing on the level of impairment or intoxication, which can vary widely from person to person despite similar levels of THC concentration.

“These findings provide further evidence that single measurements of specific delta-9-THC blood concentrations do not correlate with impairment, and that the use of per se legal limits for delta-9-THC is not scientifically justifiable at the present time,” wrote the authors of the study published by the journal Scientific Reports.

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited a group of test subjects, most of whom were daily cannabis users. The scientists then determined the THC levels in their blood and breath prior to and after inhaling cannabis.

For now, it seems that cannabis will be growing in market share over the coming years and the next generations will consume it far more openly than previous generations.

It turns out that the youths of today are far more interested in consuming cannabis as they are smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. While some might think this is bad news, it is in fact much better news than you could anticipate.

A recent study, published int the Journal of Adolescent Health, revealed the following (via NORML): Researchers with the University of Washington assessed trends in alcohol, nicotine, and non-prescribed pain reliever use among a cohort of over 12,500 young adults (ages 18 to 25) in Washington State following adult-use cannabis legalization.

They reported, “Contrary to concerns about spillover effects, implementation of legalized non-medical cannabis coincided with decreases in alcohol and cigarette use and pain reliever misuse.” Researchers did find that the prevalence of past-month e-cigarette use increased post-legalization.

Authors concluded, “Our findings add to evidence that the legalization of non-medical cannabis has not led to dramatic increases in the use of alcohol, cigarettes, and non-prescribed opioids. … The findings indicate that the most critical public health concerns surrounding cannabis legalization and the evolution of legalized cannabis markets may be specific to cannabis use and related consequences.”

Commenting on the study’s findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Real-world data from legalization states disputes longstanding claims that cannabis is some sort of ‘gateway’ substance. In fact, in many instances, cannabis regulation is associated with the decreased use of other substances, including many prescription medications.”  

Although marijuana has been typically associated with younger adults, that is a stereotype according to the National Library of Medicine. People over 50 are using the drug more often now.

"As an older population grows in the United States that has a tolerant attitude toward marijuana use, the dynamics of marijuana use and the effects of marijuana on personal, social, and health outcomes among older adults require attention," the site states. And according to a study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, marijuana use in people over 65 increased by 75 percent between 2015 and 2018. That said, while marijuana does provide a lot of medicinal benefits, it does affect everyone differently and experts reveal it can cause unexpected side effects. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had COVID.

McIntosh shares, "Long-term cannabis usage causes CHS, which is characterized by severe cyclical nausea and vomiting, as well as epigastric or periumbilical abdomen discomfort. It goes unnoticed due to a lack of awareness. The prevalence rate is around 95% among users."

Cedars Sinai states, "Marijuana has very complex effects on the body. Experts are still trying to learn exactly how it causes CHS in some people. In the brain, marijuana often has the opposite effect of CHS. It helps prevent nausea and vomiting. The drug is also good at stopping such symptoms in people having chemotherapy. But in the digestive tract, marijuana seems to have the opposite effect. It actually makes you more likely to have nausea and vomiting. With the first use of marijuana, the signals from the brain may be more important. That may lead to anti-nausea effects at first. But with repeated use of marijuana, certain receptors in the brain may stop responding to the drug in the same way. That may cause the repeated bouts of vomiting found in people with CHS. It still isn't clear why some heavy marijuana users get the syndrome, but others don't."

According to McIntosh, "Chronic users are at high risk of developing chronic psychosis disorders like schizophrenia. It causes hallucinations and personality disorders in 95% of users."

Klum reportedly met with Burkhard Blienert, Germany’s federal commissioner on narcotic drugs, in a secret meeting.

Supermodel and businesswoman Heidi Klum reportedly met with a senior drug official in Germany recently to voice her support for cannabis legalization.

Per The Times, Klum met with Burkhard Blienert, federal commissioner for narcotic drugs, in a secret meeting.

According to local media reports, Blienert had been expecting to discuss drug abuse issues with the Project Runway star and was surprised to, instead, hear Klum’s pitch for legalization.

It was also reported that Finn Hänsel, 30, founder and CEO of the Berlin-based cannabis company, Sanity Group, attended the meeting.

Germany legalized medical cannabis in 2017 and some of Canada’s largest licensed producers have supply agreements in place with the country, including Canopy Growth, Aphria, Aurora, Cronos Group and others.

Some small studies and anecdotal sources suggest that autistic people may benefit from the therapeutic effects of cannabis. However, there is currently not enough evidence to support this claim.

Japan’s health ministry plans to revise current law in a way that would forbid certain substances of cannabis instead of parts of the plant, making it easier to allow certain medical marijuana products.

Could Japan be the next country in Asia to embrace medical marijuana? It’s looking that way. (Benzinga)

The country’s health ministry held a meeting Wednesday to negotiate the revision of the Cannabis Control Law from 1948. The ministry is considering legalizing cannabis for medical use and adding a provision to criminalize its consumption for recreational purposes, writes The Asahi Shimbun.

Last June, the ministry prepared a report recommending the government allow medical marijuana-based drugs to treat refractory epilepsy, as is the case in the U.S. and other countries.

This summer, the ministry intends to draft proposals amending the Cannabis Control law, which forbids cultivation and possession of cannabis as well the production of medicine made from the plant. The law bans the leaves, roots, spikes and ungrown stalks of the plant, which contain compounds that can be used to make therapeutic products.

Other members of an inter-governmental political forum, the Group of Seven (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and U.S.), permit the use of epilepsy drugs with CBD derived from cannabis.

Over recent years, the UK has been awash with cannabis events. Usually packed to the brim with smart-looking businessmen in crisp white shirts, the UK, and London in particular, has become something of a hub for corporate cannabis.

On Thursday 16th June 2022, creative cannabis agency Rounders, and drug policy think tank Volteface will aim to change this narrative when they host the first Cannapedia event at Huckletree West in White City.  Cannapedia is the brainchild of Akeem Babalola, Founder and Director at Rounders and Eleanor Phee, the Creative Director at Rounders. Eleanor’s journey into cannabis is as whimsical as the photography in the brand’s tri-annual magazine. At a photo shoot in 2020, she found a stranger searching her bag for a grinder, that stranger happened to be the founder of Rounders. As cannabis enthusiasts, the pair struck up a conversation, which led to Eleanor joining the company as well as the pair falling in love. Shortly after, the couple moved to the US, where Eleanor now spends much of her time absorbing and learning US cannabis culture, gaining inspiration and understanding she hopes can help can guide the UK.

“I’ve met an incredible array of people in the US cannabis industry doing incredible work in medical treatment, equity, wellness, branding, cultivation,” Eleanor tells us.

“What struck a chord within me is that London really lacks opportunities within cannabis, not just because it isn’t legal, but because people aren’t educated enough on the topic.”

Sensing the opportunity to drive change, the Rounders team started to connect with UK advocacy groups, think tanks and companies that shared similar values on cannabis. Through these connections, they have built a community of people with common goals around public opinion, medical access and social justice, and its this community which inspired Cannapedia.

“Our motivation for Cannapedia is to address the current state of cannabis in the UK, the lack of minority opinion and employment in cannabis and create a space for information to be delivered in a friendlier, receivable manner,” Eleanor says.

With the stroke of a pen, Rhode Island has joined its two neighboring states and 16 others in legalizing the recreational use of cannabis, becoming the 19th state in the country to end marijuana prohibition.

After months of negotiations between lawmakers, advocates, stakeholders and the governor’s office, and less than 24 hours after lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the legalization bill, Gov. Dan McKee signed the measure, which promises automatic expungement of past marijuana possession convictions and reserves a quarter of new retail store licenses for minority communities disproportionally hurt by the War on Drugs, reported the Providence Journal.

Speaking on the steps of the State House in Providence, McKee said the law was “equitable, controlled and safe” while establishing a regulatory framework that emphasizes public health and safety. “The end result is a win for our state both socially and economically.”

South Dakota state officials announced on Wednesday that an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis has qualified for the ballot for the November general election.

The South Dakota Secretary of State announced on Wednesday that a ballot measure to legalize cannabis for adults has received enough verified signatures to qualify for the November election, giving the state’s voters another chance to legalize recreational pot at the ballot box. Secretary of State Steve Barnett also announced that the proposal sponsored by the group South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) will be titled Initiated Measure 27 for this year’s general election.

The Secretary of State’s office reported that the SDBML campaign had collected a total 31,588 signatures. An analysis of a random sample of the signatures determined that approximately 79.2% were validated as coming from South Dakota registered voters. Based on the results of the random sample, 25,023 signatures were deemed valid by state officials, far more than the 16,961 signatures currently required to qualify a measure for the ballot.

“We are very pleased that we’ve qualified for the ballot and we are extremely thankful to everyone who signed our petitions, our volunteers, our staff and our supporters,” SDBML director Matthew Schweich told the Argus Leader.

“We look forward to being on the ballot in November and we’re confident we can win again and restore the will of the people of [S]outh Dakota.”

Under the proposal, adults aged 21 and older would be permitted to possess and buy up to one ounce of weed and grow up to three cannabis plants at home. Public consumption, cultivation of more than three plants, and some other cannabis-related activities would still be against the law, but violators would only face civil penalties for such offenses.

“All of a sudden, I start seeing all of my money flying away, and my house is flying away and my career is gone away."

Will Smith in an interview with David Letterman confessed to having a premonition that his career would implode while tripping on ayahuasca.

“Once you drink it, you’re going to see yourself in a way you’ve never seen yourself,” the Academy Award winner for King Richard told Letterman during an episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction. The episode was taped in advance of the Oscars on March 27.

Ayahuasca is a brew made from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub and the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, according to HealthLine.

Originally used for religious purposes by ancient Amazonian tribes, ayahuasca is still regarded as a sacred beverage by some religious communities. Its medicinal options are now being explored.

Rather than a religious experience, though, Smith recounted how one ayahuasca sesh turned nightmarish.