WeedLife News Network

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and two other Democratic senators sent a letter on Tuesday to President Biden pressing him to make good on campaign promises and pardon federal nonviolent cannabis convictions. 

“After over a century of failed and racist cannabis policies, we write to urge a change of course: we request that you use your executive authority to pardon all individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis offenses, whether formerly or currently incarcerated,” Warren said in the letter co-signed by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).

Democrats have been pushing Biden since the beginning of his presidency to reform cannabis laws, which have disproportionately affected communities of color.

"Number one, I think we should decriminalize marijuana, period," Biden said at the time. "And I think everyone — anyone who has a record should be let out of jail, their records expunged, be completely zeroed out."

The senators wrote that marijuana laws must be overhauled but that the president can also act immediately on his own. 

The House of Representatives approved a massive infrastructure bill late Friday, which includes allowing researchers to study marijuana purchased from state-licensed dispensaries. The legislation is now heading to President Joe Biden’s desk. (article originally appeared on Benzinga)

The bill will allow scientists to study research cannabis that is not exclusively government-grown, in addition to encouraging states with legal cannabis to educate people about impaired driving.

The move came on the heels of recently approved legislation that would require the VA to conduct clinical trials into the therapeutic potential of marijuana for military veterans.

Bill Removing Barriers To Cannabis Research

The new infrastructure measure requires collaboration between the transportation secretary, attorney general and the secretary of health and human services in which the three agencies are expected to complete a public report within two years of the bill’s enactment. The report is expected to contain a recommendation on establishing a national clearinghouse to “collect and distribute samples and strains of marijuana for scientific research that includes marijuana and products containing marijuana lawfully available to patients or consumers in a state on a retail basis” as well as a study that looks deeply into impaired driving. 

The measure also stipulates that scientists working in states that are not yet in the process of legalization should also have access to dispensary products available in jurisdictions that have ended prohibition.

A large majority of Americans are in favor on cannabis legalization. The time is now to tell our lawmakers that we have ‘Cannabis in Common.’

Headcount, a non-partisan organization that strives to get people registered to vote through music, has announced a new effort to legalize cannabis on a federal level and clear the records of thousands of people who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes.

On November 9, Headcount and the U.S. Cannabis Council launched a nationwide education project called Cannabis in Common to mobilize cannabis-friendly citizens to start contacting their political representatives. In one YouTube video related to the announcement, Sarah Silverman narrates the current state of cannabis in the United States, inspiring people to rise up and take action.

Courtesy Cannabis in Common

“There’s at least one thing most Americans have in common: More than two-thirds of us agree cannabis should be legalized. And we have a real shot at getting federal legalization done now if we speak up,” Silverman says in the video. “If we don’t make a change soon, settling for laws that disproportionately land people of color in prison. We’re leaving hundreds of thousands of jobs on the table and giving up tax revenue that can go toward education and other community investments.”

Rogen proposes that people hit up their representatives via email or phone to get their attention. “Legalizing cannabis for good is long past due, but if we make enough noise, we can make it happen.”

Cannabis in Common makes reaching out to House and Senate Representatives a breeze. By visiting its website, individuals can send a quick email with the click of a button or instantly locate the phone number of the desired representative to open up a discussion about federal legalization. See where each of state representative stands on the issue here.

Following the green light from the USDA, hemp should finally (legally) appear Idaho fields again next year.

Idaho was the last US state to have a ban on hemp cultivation. In April this year, the state’s senate voted in favour of HB 126, the Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act. HB 126 was subsequently signed into law by Governor Brad Little not long after.

But that didn’t mean cultivation could begin. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture was tasked with developing a hemp plan in harmony with the 2018 Farm Bill, which then required the USDA’s approval. On November 1, that approval was granted.

Regulations establishing New York State’s Cannabinoid Hemp Program make things very clear on the issue of Delta-8 THC. But this doesn’t mean it’s game over for the controversial cannabinoid.

Delta-8 THC can be created by manipulating hemp-derived cannabidiol. Its legality at a federal level is a topic of some heated debate, with a perceived loophole resulting in a flood of Delta-8 products hitting the US market. Like Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 has intoxicating effects and it is claimed to have similar potential therapeutic benefits.

Various states have clamped down on the rapidly growing hemp-derived Delta-8 industry and New York is joining them.

Regulations approved by the Cannabis Control Board for the Cannabinoid Hemp Program prohibit the sale of Delta-8 THC products, and the NYS Office of Cannabis Management urges consumer caution on buying and consuming them. However, this doesn’t shut the door, with the Office saying such products are better left to be regulated in New York State’s future Adult-Use program.

Texas Delta-8 Battle Continues

In other Delta-8 THC related news, we recently reported on Hometown Hero, an Austin company involved in a lawsuit against the state of Texas in relation to the state’s stance on Delta-8 THC. 

In a recently released video dissecting a June Town Hall with the US Department of Agriculture and Drug Enforcement Agency, Hometown Hero CEO Lucas Gilkey says it provides confirmation from the DEA that Delta-8 is federally legal; or more accurately, the DEA liaison states the Agency doesn’t consider Delta-8 THC a controlled substance. While the DEA’s position isn’t crystal clear, no specific ruling has been made and this is at a federal level,  it could have some weight in the Texas action.

A cannabis substance known as Delta-8 has become temporarily legal in Texas after retailers challenged a ban in court.

Delta-8, short for Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, is a compound found in the Cannabis sativa plant that is known to have psychoactive effects.

Cannabis producers can concentrate Delta-8 and sell it in various forms, including as Delta-8-infused gummy sweets.

According to the Texas Tribune, many cannabis product retailers in the state had thought Delta-8 was legal under this legislation.

On Monday this week, this decision was successfully challenged by a group of companies including Sky Marketing, Create a Cig and Hometown Hero.

You'd be making much more than if you had invested in an index fund.

When you're evaluating which stocks are worth holding for decades, it pays to look at a company's past performance so that you can judge its merits. In the case of an up-and-coming business like Innovative Industrial Properties, (NYSE:IIPR) sometimes a couple of years is all it takes to build the foundations of a fortune. 

As a real estate investment trust (REIT), a big part of this stock's appeal is its dividend, but its forward annual dividend yield is only 2.31%. Does that mean people who invested a couple of years ago should be disappointed in the company's dividend growth performance? Absolutely not. In fact, they should be very pleased. Here's why.

Cannabis does not need to have a large carbon footprint, but it does, and it’s not going away anytime soon.

Weed really does grow “like a weed” in some parts of the country. As states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, however, most natural growing has been tossed aside and replaced with energy-laden practices.

Some farming techniques use shocking amounts of electricity and natural resources while simultaneously pumping harmful toxins into the environment. If left unchecked, these growing methods may have lasting effects on the environment and global climate.

Rare Cannabinoid Company has launched a new website designed to help hemp and cannabis consumers learn how specific rare cannabinoids and terpenes may improve their mental and physical health. The website - rarecannabinoidco.com - offers a wealth of information and links to scientific research on THCV, CBDV, CBN, CBG, CBC, CBDA, CBD, Delta-8-THC and terpenes. People can explore the website in a variety of ways, including a new "Shop By Need" function which shows the best cannabinoids for "Sleep," "Energy and Focus," "Stress Relief," "Discomfort," "Mood Enhancers," "Appetite Suppression" and "Nausea." For those seeking even more specialized care, they can find a cannabinoid health advisor near them.

"People want to know what each cannabinoid does and how it can help them," said Rare Cannabinoid Company founder and CEO Jared Dalgamouni.

"We designed this site to make it easy and enjoyable to learn about these natural compounds and their unique properties," he said.

"Education is so important and yet so often lacking in the cannabis and hemp space," Dalgamouni said.

Rare or minor cannabinoids are compounds found in hemp, cannabis, and other plants that are believed to offer specific wellness benefits. However, unlike CBD and THC, they naturally occur in extremely small amounts. Thanks to recent advances in breeding, extraction, and technology, they can now be produced in large enough quantities to be sold on their own. Meanwhile, terpenes are oils that also produce certain effects. They are increasingly believed to be responsible for the differences in aroma and feel of different cannabis strains.

Khairy Jamaluddin says cannabis-containing products should be registered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) as prescribed by the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulation 1984 under the Sale of Drugs Act.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — The Ministry of Health (MOH) acknowledges the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in Malaysia, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said in formal recognition of medical marijuana.

The existing legislations that regulate cannabis and its by-products in Malaysia, including the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, Poisons Act 1952 and the Sale of Drugs Act 1952, do not prohibit the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes.

A product containing cannabis that is used for human medicinal purposes can be imported and consumed in Malaysia if that product complies with the requirements of the law.

On November 8, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman asked MOH to state Malaysia’s position on the use of hemp or “medical marijuana” as one of the alternative medicines that can be offered to patients.

Syed Saddiq mentioned that cannabis or hemp has been used as alternative medicines in many foreign countries and is recognised by the international medical community.

Last week marked among the most-sweeping spurts of raids aimed at cracking down on illegal cannabis farming in the High Desert in the more than two months since "Operation Hammer Strike" began.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Saturday that since Nov. 1, its five specialized Marijuana Enforcement Teams had arrested 34 people and seized various lucrative black-market goods as a result of 26 search warrants served across nearly a dozen different areas — from Barstow to unincorporated Lucerne Valley, and to Rancho Cucamonga and the city of San Bernardino.

The total number of arrests last week marked the fourth highest in a single week since Hammer Strike began Aug. 30. Sheriff's spokesperson Mara Rodriguez said Monday that she believes five of these arrestees were booked into jail on suspicion of charges, though she could not confirm their names or the context of each booking at the time.

The black-market goods seized last week add to a voluminous total that the sheriff's department has been piling up. The seizures include:

"Investigators eradicated a total of 211 greenhouses found at these locations, as well as two indoor locations," the department said, adding that they "mitigated one electrical bypass" during the raids.

Various arrestees last week list residences that are far from the High Desert, or even California.

Thousands of immigrants working on southern Oregon's illegal marijuana farms are living in squalid conditions, reported Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), prompting Jackson County and Douglas County to declare a state of emergency. County officials requested state funding and other resources, including deployment of the National Guard, to enforce cannabis laws. (Article originally appeared on Benzinga)

Oregon State Rep. Lily Morgan noted that some of the workers have no identification papers, do not speak English and have no food.

Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said workers are forced to use holes in the ground for toilets, cook in unsanitary kitchens and sleep in shipping containers.

Oregon's labor bureau is investigating wage complaints from workers at the illegal cannabis farms and advocacy groups are getting involved.

In September, $50 million in illegal marijuana was found at a grow operation in Douglas County.

The DEA needs way more marijuana and mushrooms in 2022 to do research!

The interest in marijuana globally isn't rescinding anytime soon. This has birthed confidence in the hearts of marijuana enthusiasts that it may lead to more research and possibly federal legalization. Well, such hopes for legalization steam from news like this: the DEA wanting more cannabis and psychedelics for research in the coming year 2022. 

The DEA calling for a mass increase in production 

The Drug Enforcement Administration has made an official call for a dramatic increase in research-based psychedelics and cannabis production for 2022. In a report by Marijuana Moment, the Federal agency will declare its interest in a notice scheduled for publication on Monday that has become the topic of interest within the cannabis industry. 

The DEA has already increased its 2021 quota for psilocybin and cannabis in September 2021 but is now calling for an even larger quantity of research-grade cannabis with a broader array of psychedelics for production in 2022. 

A plan to double the number of cannabis extracts, psilocin and psilocybin, quadruple mescaline, and quintuple DMT is in the works, and the most outstanding is MDMA. The DEA has proposed a massive 6,300% increase in drug production from 50 grams in 2021 to 3,200 grams in 2022. There will be more research into the therapeutic potentials of the drug. 

While LSD will have a 1.150% increase which is up to 500 grams of powerful psychedelic, cannabis will get a 60% boost under this new DEA proposal, up to 3.2 million grams in 2022 from its initial 2 million grams in 2020. 

How safe is your vaping device if heavy metals are coming through with each puff?

Vaping is heralded as the answer to the negative effects of smoking. It has proven to be safer in many different instances, however – in 2019 we did see a short-lived crises where 68 people died and 2,807 were sickened with e-cigarettes and some cannabis-related vaping devices.

Dubbed as the EVALI, there have been many attempts to make it safer, more regulated, and so forth. The major issue with the cases back in 2019 was that potentially Vitamin E acetate was added to dilute cannabis oils. These oils were primarily sold like this in the unregulated market.

Some groups tried to put the blame on legal cannabis, however virtually every case of EVALI came from states that did not have legal cannabis on the books. In other words, the unregulated market.

However, while vaping has been “safer” than smoking in general, there is some evidence to suggest that vaping could have some other unforeseen consequences as well. This according to recently published research which was titled, “Metals in Cannabis Vaporizer Aerosols: Sources, Possible Mechanisms, and Exposure Profiles”.

Essentially, researchers were looking to see if the actual devices could be releasing harmful metals into the smoke and what potential health issues this could have on end-users. Basically, with the devices heating up the elements, they could be releasing heavy metals which is then shot directly into the lungs.

Like most cannabis related activities, the preparation of edibles requires a healthy amount of trial and error.

Making edibles is a learning experience. Aside from the fact that you’re handling and cooking with weed, you’re also baking, which is a temperamental art. While dosage may take a few attempts to get right, a bad tasting edible ruins a good amount of weed, which is something we should avoid.

While there’s no way of protecting yourself against all unexpected factors when making infused treats, there are a few simple mistakes that can be avoided with some foresight. These will prevent your edibles from tasting gross and, most importantly, from not wiping you out with a single bite.

Here are six common mistakes to watch out for when preparing edibles.

Use equal amounts of weed and oil

Photo by Tree of Life Seeds via Pexels

“Less is more” might as well be marijuana’s tag line, because it’s preferable to be a little buzzed than to have a full blown freak out because you ate an edible that was too strong. Even if you want to get crazy high, there’s only so much the lipids in oil will bind to your cannabis, so avoid wasting your weed and money.

Thailand’s Public Health Minister says he wants to make cannabis a cash crop… just not the parts of the plant that get you high. Anutin Charnvirakul, who also serves as the deputy prime minister, made a visit to a cannabis learning centre in the northeastern province Bueng Kan, which borders Laos, and posted photos on Facebook of himself walking through a cannabis greenhouse. Image: Bueng Kan cannabis learning centre. | Photo via Public Health Minister

Anutin has been a vocal supporter of cannabis when it comes to the CBD, or cannabidiol, the relaxing and said to be medicinal component of the plant, but has stayed fairly quiet on actions to take regarding the psychoactive component, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol.

“We are opening a wide field to allow the use of marijuana, but it must be done as per established rules and criteria.”

A dire truck driver shortage that’s wreaking havoc on the US economy is getting worse — and it’s being fueled partly by tough federal drug-testing restrictions that were imposed nationwide last year, industry officials told The Post.

More than 72,000 truck drivers have been taken off US roads since January 2020 because they have failed drug tests that are now required by the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, a 22-month-old registry established to increase safety on US highways, according to government data.

Project PA Hemp Home, nearing completion on New Castle’s East Side, was presented at the Third U.S. Hemp Building Summit in Austin, Texas last week.

Lori Daytner, vice president of program development at DON, addressed the summit, which was attended by 200 natural building professionals, hemp building materials producers and LEED professionals.

The project has a strong following because of interest in the research and testing Pennsylvania Housing Research Center will conduct on the structure’s thermal energy performance and the air quality testing Parsons Healthy Materials Lab (HML) will perform.