WeedLife News Network

Arguing over which strains of cannabis are the best is a time-honored tradition. In good company and armed with some basic knowledge on the seemingly endless bounty of cannabis varietals now available, the quest to defend your chosen strain as the best of the bunch is often a largely subjective exercise. But a fun one nonetheless. By contrast, a conversation on which cannabis strains deserve to be considered essential in an overall survey of the plant’s long, strange history is a different matter entirely.

While there are unquestionably many candidates worthy of consideration, telling the story of weed through but a handful of its most seminal specimens is a challenge that quickly yields some obvious answers. Even if your favorite strain is not among the five examples highlighted below, it is likely that one of these featured options is a genetic cousin, forbearer, or offspring to the strains you hold nearest and dearest.

Thus, consider these selections a series of strain stepping stones that collectively offer a brief but pertinent overview of just far cannabis has come — and where it may be headed next.

Panama Red

Before cultivators began breeding cannabis to create new crosses, consumers were smoking exclusively what is known as landrace strains. These varietals were often named for the geographic area in which they naturally grew, which is how we got Panama Red. This classic of the industry is a pure sativa that would go on to became a household name for pot fans in U.S. in the late 1960s, mostly for being widely available at a time when few strains were even on the market. Known for its lengthy flowering time (often at least 11 weeks), the desire to combine the effects of landrace strains with the shorter flowering cycles of cannabis originating from Afghanistan and other similar climates kicked off what would ultimately become a cross-breeding revolution.

Northern Lights

OG Kush

White Widow

Rivaling OG Kush in terms of name recognition is another hybrid that rose to prominence in the ’90s: White Widow. Named for its buds laden with white and crystal resin, there is no actual venom to worry about, however, a highly-potent experience is all but guaranteed from this Netherlands-born heavy-hitter. Derived from a cross between Brazilian indica and South Indian sativa landraces, White Widow has long served as a staple of Dutch coffee shops. Furthermore, the desirable effects of White Widow — often described as a mix of euphoria and energy — makes it no surprise that this strain would soon be utilized to create a host of popular offspring strains, including White Russian and Blue Widow.  

When California legalized cannabis for adult use in 2016, many supporters acknowledged that the War on Drugs had disproportionately impacted communities of color around the state. It was, in fact, one of the selling points of Proposition 64, which went into effect more than a year later. 

On the belief that the ballot initiative didn’t go far enough, though, social equity programs started springing up across the state in recent years to give special privileges to Black, Brown and low-income people who had been arrested and thrown in jail for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses and thereby barred from taking part in the new industry. 

One survey, conducted in 2017 by Marijuana Business Daily, found that about 80 percent of the founders and owners of cannabis businesses at the time were White. 

Neither the city nor the county of San Diego has a social equity program on the books and officials for both say they’re working to create one. By their own admission, they’re late to the game. 

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, considering that other municipalities in California have tried and failed to correct the injustices they previously identified. In some places, social equity programs have been portrayed as harmful to the same people they were supposed to help. 

Last week, a couple of developments took place at both the state and global levels regarding the regulation of cannabis in regards to it being something that humans put into their bodies.

LABELING GETS SPECIFIC

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board issued a policy statement last week clarifying the rules surrounding structure or function claims made about cannabis-infused products. Those are essentially claims about what a product does. For example, a bottle of daily multivitamins may say something about maintaining heart health, or a vitamin C supplement could mention that it supports the immune system. What could not be said, however, is that either product is meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

As a matter of fact, when it comes to cannabis, products making structure or function claims — like a CBD tincture formulated for pain relief — must explicitly state on the product's packaging that it is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Any packaging that includes a structure or function claim must include this exact phrase, "this statement has not been evaluated by the State of Washington. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease."

The fast-growing marijuana industry is full of opportunities for long-term investors. From growers to retailers to ancillary providers, there's something for every type of investor, no matter their risk tolerance.

While some pot stocks have earned their status as premium buys for long-term investors' portfolios, others have generated significant hype without the businesses or balance sheet growth to support it. Today, we're going to look at two fantastic investments within the marijuana space. Both cannabis stocks have generated significant returns for shareholders and are on track to achieve incredible growth in the years ahead. Let's dive right in.

Two area businesswomen want to open a cannabis growing, manufacturing and retail distribution facility in a building that once housed a Roseland charter school, but some area residents say they object to that kind of business in their neighborhood. Old School Cannabis, which has applied for permission to operate at the site, will be considered by the Santa Rosa Planning Commission during a scheduled meeting Thursday afternoon.

“We want to ... uplift the community and build jobs and uplift the culture,” co-owner and operator Nayeli Rivera said.

Rivera said she is a first-generation immigrant whose parents moved to Sonoma County in the 1970s. She added that she grew up in Petaluma and now lives in Sebastopol.

“Being Mexican-American and being a business owner in the (Roseland) community, I think, is just a wonderful opportunity and I feel very excited and very humbled,” she said. “There’s not many Latinos in cannabis and especially not women.”

Located at 100 Sebastopol Road, the former school building is bordered by industrial facilities to its north and south. Residential neighborhoods are on its other two sides.

Cannabis and empathy? You might be wondering, “what does empathy have to do with cannabis? I thought stoners were supposed to be apathetic.” Well, the answer might surprise you.

Studies suggest cannabis actually positively impacts our ability to process emotions. Cannabis opens up the potential to understand others better and be more aware of their feelings, according to experts.

However, we are not saying that you are a joint away from sainthood. As experts point out, such cannabis-induced empathy depends significantly on the cultivar type, user intention, and the amount of cannabis consumed. Take too much, and you may in turn suppress your emotions.

Note that I have used the words “empathy” and “compassion” synonymously for this article. Accordingly, it is essential to note what empathy means and what is its physiological nature.

Our neural networks let us be more receptive to the needs, experiences, and desires of other people. It enables us to appreciate other people’s emotions and feel at one with them, understand their point of view, and understand how and why it differs from ours’.

Sleeplessness. Night sweats. Anxiety. Irritability. Aches and pains.

Would smoking a little pot help women deal with these common symptoms of menopause?

A good number of middle-aged women apparently think so, because they've been turning to marijuana to help handle the change of life, a new study reports.

"Midlife women within the menopause transition period of their life are using cannabis, and they're using it for symptoms that tend to overlap with menopause," said lead researcher Katherine Babyn, a graduate student at the University of Alberta in Canada.

There's just one drawback -- little to no research has proven that pot can effectively treat menopause-related symptoms, said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

California’s state fair has struggled with two years of COVID cancellations. But planning is already underway for next year’s event.

And among the livestock and food competitions, there will be a new award handed out for top pot. We’re getting answers on just how the cannabis competition will be judged. The state fair is a Sacramento summertime tradition.

Along with all the food and fun, its purpose is to recognize the best in California. Annual competitions are held to pick the top wine, cheese, olive oil, and craft beer. But next year, a new category is being added: cannabis cultivation.

“It’s a big milestone for the cannabis industry,” said Brian Applegarth, CEO of Cultivar Brands.

Cal Expo’s board of directors approved the top pot competition.

Although Tracey Medeiros insists her new cannabis-focused cookbook is not a party book, it definitely includes a recipe for a favorite treat: pot brownies.

“I couldn’t resist,” Medeiros said of the fudgy, deeply chocolate recipe. The nod to pot brownies is just one of 125 recipes in “The Art of Cooking with Cannabis,” a handbook for understanding how elements and products of the cannabis plant can be incorporated into the kitchen. Recipes range from desserts to starters (sweet corn and cashew chowder) to mains (chicken and kale meatballs with cherry tomatoes and cannabis pesto; and mussels with roasted corn puree and peppers).

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has provided an update on its position on the use of hemp and hemp byproducts in animal feed, calling for more research.

In the USA, animal feed is regulated at a federal level by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Center for Veterinary Medicine (FDA-CVM). AAFCO is a non-regulatory body promoting the uniform regulation of feed throughout the country, working on the recommendations of the FDA.

At a state level, feed is usually regulated by each state’s Department of Agriculture. An example of a state that has allowed some hemp to be used in animal feed is Montana, but livestock (pet and horses only) fed hemp in Montana cannot enter interstate or intrastate commerce as the animals would be considered “adulterated” at a federal level.

Hemp is not yet permitted at a federal level as a stock feed. In its latest position statement, AAFCO says while it understands the enthusiasm for using hemp, stakeholders need to consider “the potential adverse impact” of allowing it in animal food before necessary research is carried out and legal processes observed demonstrating it is safe.

“Rather than unilaterally approving the use of hemp as a feed ingredient, in conflict with AAFCO’s century-old model for animal food ingredient approval, advocates should support continued research and development, and promptly submit applications to AAFCO and the FDA for review and approval on a national level,” says the body.

Stem Holdings, Inc., the first multi-state, vertically integrated Farm-to-Home™ (F2H) cultivation and technology omnichannel cannabis company, announced today that it has acquired Artifact Extracts, a premier cannabis extraction company based in Oregon known for its award-winning concentrates, as well as two dispensaries. (As Originally Seen On Benzinga)

The transaction closed on September 17th. Stem issued 8,209,178 shares of common stock at a deemed aggregate value of US$ 2,925,000.

The Las Cruces city council voted to pay the state back $400,000 that was going to go to a new hemp manufacturing company.

The city planned to invest $150,000 of its own funding in addition to $400,000 that the New Mexico Economic Development Department gave the city for 420 Valley, LLC.

The city's decision to retract the money was due to the fact that 420 valley was unable to meet its hiring goals.

"They we’re going to provide up to 55 jobs at a certain income level by 2023, December 31st," said Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima. "And then there was also another stipulation that they would have at least 18 jobs by December 31st of 2020 and we don’t believe that they’re going to fulfill that.”

“We started reaching out to people for the hiring process, getting it lined up, but we didn’t have anybody that was fully committed to come work for us," said Rick Morales the co-owner of 420 Valley.

Referendum to call for Italy to liberalise cannabis.

Italy is set for a referendum on liberalising the use of cannabis after activists gathered half a million signatures, the threshold required to trigger a public vote.

The petition gathered 500,000 signatures in the first seven days, a result described as "extraordinary but not surprising" by organisers who said the "speed of mobilisation confirms the desire for change on cannabis."

Pro-marijuana advocacy groups are calling for "15 per cent more signatures" to be added to the petition to ensure it will be accepted for approval by the Supreme Court of Cassation, Italy's highest court of appeal, by its 30 September deadline.

Antonella Soldo, from the association Meglio Legale ('Better Legal') said almost half of those who signed were aged under 25.

More people are in the emergency room for uncontrollable vomiting, also known as cyclical vomiting syndrome (CVS), following marijuana legalization, according to a new study.

According to the analysis published Friday in JAMA Network Open and sponsored by The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Colorado has seen over 800,000 emergency room reports of vomiting between 2013 and 2018, a 29 percent uptick since the state legalized marijuana. The study also found that more than a third of the vomiting cases were in people under the age of 25.

Reviewing 820,778 patients in Colorado emergency departments, this study connected cannabis legalization with an increase in vomiting-related health care visits. This increase was seen primarily in Colorado counties without existing medical dispensaries prior to legalization.

This analysis suggested the vomiting is a symptom of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), a condition marked by uncontrollable vomiting after cannabis use and usually occurs in long-term marijuana users. A 2020 study in Neurogastroenterology and Motility also found that 1 in 5 sufferers of cyclic vomiting syndrome were regular cannabis users.

Marijuana ironically has been used as an anti-nausea aid for those undergoing chemotherapy, where up to 75 percent experiencing it get nausea or vomiting.

Seed & Smith has launched a new collaboration for cannabis and music lovers, partnering with Colorado band Big Gigantic to release limited-edition THC cartridges for the company's popular line of Dart vaporizer pods.

A brand encompassing dispensaries, in-house cannabis cultivation and extracted products, Seed & Smith has worked with a handful of musicians and artists over the years, but chief operating officer Brooks Lustig is particularly excited about the Big Gigantic project.

“The one thing that was exciting about this one is the fact that Big Gigantic wanted to do something that was for charity, that could help out the situation here in Colorado,” Lustig says of the Boulder-based musical duo.

A Wood River Valley based hemp insulation manufacture plans to build a production facility in Jerome County along the interstate beginning this fall. Southern Idaho Economic Development said Hempitecture Inc., based in Sun Valley, intends to build a plant at the Northbridge Junction near the Interstate 84 and U.S. Highway 93 junction; a groundbreaking ceremony is set for early October. This is one of the first major business announcements made since a bill was signed into law earlier this year allowing the production and transportation of industrial hemp in Idaho.

While cannabis is still classified as a highly dangerous drug on the federal level, there’s no denying bud is big business.

Cannabis is one of the fastest-growing industries in the country, with a record $17.5 billion in sales last year, up 46% from the year before. Since an ounce of marijuana can cost hundreds of dollars, you may be keenly interested to know whether your home insurance would protect you if your cannabis was ever stolen or destroyed. After all, most policies cover trees and houseplants, so why not cannabis?

You might be familiar with the practice and poses of yoga, but have you ever heard of yogajuana? 

For millennia, yoga has been used to heal the mind, body, and spirit. Some use it for strength training or flexibility, but now, some members of Southwest Florida’s medical marijuana community are taking yoga to a deeper level by incorporating cannabis.

“We come to yoga to work on our own individual areas, whether we are trying to let go of something or conjure up something, heal something, so that’s really the concept,” said Tara Mina, a yoga instructor and cannabis advocate, also known as “Yoga Mama.” “It’s not so much about cannabis, it’s about treating the symptoms of why we choose to use cannabis.”

Members who attend Mina’s private yogajuana classes are prescribed medical marijuana. They don’t sit around in a circle and smoke a joint or pass around edibles. One of the main points of yogajuana is breaking the stigma that still exists around marijuana use. 

Mina recommends participants use their cannabis on their own terms as prescribed, then use yoga to hone in on the benefits.