Canada is opening their border to vaccinated U.S. travelers on August 9, but while cannabis is now legal in New York state and Canada, it’s still illegal to take it between the two locations.

Since Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, Mike Niezgoda with U.S. Customs and Border Protection said there have been a number of smuggling cases.

“We had an incursion that came via helicopter that landed in Grand Island, just north of Buffalo,” he said. That was in 2019 when Border Patrol agents recovered four duffel bags carrying a total of more than 100 pounds of weed with an estimated street value of more than $100,000.

However, Niezgoda said that smaller infractions, and unintended smuggling, are another matter for travelers to keep in mind.

“Say they went to Toronto to go up to see the Maple Leafs play the Sabres, they bought some marijuana, and then they forgot about it and then came back and they realized it right when they saw the booth.”

EcoCaNN, the first social media for medical cannabis patients, was launched officially in Israel this morning. The app allows patients and their families to consult and to get assistance by the best professionals in the medical cannabis field, and to get specific answers to their questions 24/7. EcoCaNN is based on a free digital platform and the information in the app is protected, anonymous, and confidential.

Delta Agriculture, the country's largest industrial producer and processor of hemp raw goods, today announced the launch of its hemp fiber line, marking a transitional growth from leader in hemp flower production into a full-scale industrial hemp supplier. The company also unveiled a new logo as part of an extensive rebrand initiative focused on its goal to make hemp the nation's leading raw good supply source, with the ultimate mission to ensure America's trajectory towards a carbon-negative future.

One local hospital says they're now treating at least a couple of young children every month for toxic exposure to edibles — and they're warning parents to lock up their pot treats

A skyrocketing number of children in the tri-state are inadvertently ingesting marijuana edibles, and legislators say there's a void in New York's emerging pot regulations that isn't helping the situation.

The scary trend began before New York State legalized recreational marijuana back in March, going from six children in the NYC metropolitan area poisoned by edibles in 2018, to 32 in 2019 and 127 in 2020, according to regional poison control officials.

"Sometimes that's in the form of candies and gummies, cookies and brownies. There are lots of forms that are out there," said Dr. Ethan Wiener, director of pediatric emergency medicine at Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone.

Two-thirds of those children are under the age of 5 — and the numbers are on track to be just as high this year.

It’s possible for a weed-consuming population to use marijuana without needing emergency medical assistance. Here’s how.

It seems that every time a state officially launches its legal cannabis market, reports showing that emergency rooms are filling up with people who can’t handle their weed start to bombard the internet. This took place earlier this year throughout Illinois, which rolled out its taxed and regulated pot trade in January. In Chicago, doctors claimed an increase in ER visits due to people overdosing on weed.

Listen, this madness might be happening, or it might not. The purpose of this article is not to debate whether legal marijuana brings about an uprising in freakouts that send people on a mad dash for the hospital. It is to serve as a guide, of sorts, intended to prevent these horrific events from happening in the first place. Because, get this, it is possible for a weed-consuming population to use marijuana without needing emergency medical assistance. It’s a novel concept, we know. But we swear that people can use cannabis products safely and responsibly.

Here’s how.

Photo by Nicole De Khors via Burst

The first thing to consider is this: Any report that comes out in the media suggesting that people are running to the ER because the weed got on top of them can almost always be attributed to edibles. We’re not going to lie, these popular pot products sold in dispensaries in states where marijuana is legal can be tricky and the source of great misery if they are not consumed correctly.

Research out of Australia is indicating the “entourage effect” associated with medicinal cannabis is likely really a thing.

So, what is the entourage effect?

Coined by Israeli researchers in the late 1990’s, the entourage effect describes medical cannabis treatment efficacy not being limited to a specific cannabinoid such as THC or CBD, but multiple compounds working together producing a therapeutic effect. These compounds aren’t just cannabinoids, but also terpenes – aromatic chemicals.

There are many who accept the entourage effect exists, but to this point scientific evidence to support it has been scant.

Research just released from Sydney University’s Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics indicates hemp extracts deliver high concentrations of cannabinoid acids in mice due to a ‘pharmacokinetic entourage’ mechanism – higher than when they are administered alone as a single molecule.

A new report suggests having accessible weed can add to your property value.

If you’ve been shopping around for a new home recently, you’ve probably noticed that real estate prices have increased. This is true, particularly in weed-friendly states. But with 91% of American adults who support cannabis legalization, it will only continue to spread throughout the country and there is no doubt it will have an impact on real estate prices.

Chuck Schumer Is Still Working To Pass His Federal Reform Bill

Image credit: Marijuanastocks.com - MarijuanaStocks

3 Political Figures Want Cannabis Federally Legalized ASAP

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at the end of the week spoke on his approach for gaining enough votes to pass his federal reform bill. He went on to explain the means of asking for feedback on the legislation from colleagues. From this, he hopes to work on including any requested “modifications” in order to get the measure passed in 2021. Just a short time ago Schumer released his draft for his new cannabis reform legislation. This reveal was done with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden and Sen. 

As the political figures made clear that public input is important. With this, they’ve created an email where people can send comments in regards to the bill until September 30th. The new comments offer a raw look into the legislative process to build backing for the bill within the Senate.

“We’re now going around to our colleagues saying, ‘Would you sign onto the bill? And if you don’t like what’s in the bill and want some modifications, tell us,’” he told ABC’s The View. “I want to get this done. And I think we will get it done because it’s so, so overwhelmingly supported by the American people.”

PHOENIX  --  The Clarendon Hotel and Spa in downtown Phoenix is open for business. Hotel managers say it is "Arizona's first Cannabis-friendly hotel."

“We are a cannabis-friendly hotel and have a cannabis-friendly event company that is elevating and educating the community about cannabis,” says Daron Brotherton, the VP of Operations at the hotel.

The cannabis sleeping rooms are located on the west side of the hotel property where guests can partake in edibles, flower and vape which have been purchased at a local dispensary. Cannabis flower usage is allowed in designated areas only. To shop for cannabis, the hotel will offer a car service to drive guests to a dispensary where they can also rent pipes and bongs.

London-listed marijuana business Kanabo (KNB.L) has struck a deal that it says will make it Europe's biggest publicly traded cannabis company.

Kanabo said on Monday it had agreed terms to buy the European operations of Canada's Materia, a cannabis processor and supplier. Exact terms weren't disclosed but Kanabo said the deal would be paid for through shares and subject to performance-related goals.

"The only part that we’re not involved in now in the supply chain is cultivation," Kanabo's chief executive Avihu Tamir told Yahoo Finance UK. "Our belief is that cultivation will be a commodity like other agricultural products. We believe the value is in the last mile."

Pharmacologists at the University of Sydney in Australia have found tantalising clues as to why low-dose CBD products containing a full-spectrum of cannabinoids seem to have therapeutic impacts at relatively low doses.

The study shows cannabinoids in a cannabis extract interact to produce much higher concentrations of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in the bloodstream than when CBDA is administered alone as a single molecule.

In fact, the cannabis extract delivered 14-times higher CBDA concentrations in the bloodstream when administered orally to mice.

Low-dose CBD products appear to reduce anxiety and are anticonvulsant agents against seizures. But it remains unclear how these products produce these results.

"Our own preclinical studies show CBDA reduces anxiety and seizures. This result provides us with a pathway to explore why some cannabis extracts yield pharmacological effects in humans at lower doses”, said the researchers.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/21/07/22112492/advocacy-coalit... York Cannabis United is calling on both the Cuomo Administration and New York State Legislators to uphold the promises made in the new law by swiftly appointing leadership to the Cannabis Control Board.

By Imani A. Dawson

To date, 19 states have voted to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. Where is the legality of recreation, marijuana production and distribution is booming, Billions of dollars Provides industry, tax revenue and work.

Meanwhile, 36 State and 4 territories Pots may be legal for some uses, but not all, as they have legalized medical pots and their numbers overlap to some extent with recreational aggregates. Two states And under federal law, cannabis is still completely illegal. In other words, you need to know from state to state whether you will be imprisoned for possessing marijuana. When you cross state boundaries, it’s a misleading patchwork of law and a legitimate minefield, and numbers continue to change.

As a nation, how will we tackle this issue at the federal level and create a fair competition for all?

Jason Flores-Williams is a Colorado-based lawyer. Jonathan wallA 25-year-old man awaiting trial on marijuana-related charges at Supermax Prison in Baltimore. Wall faces up to 15 years to distribute cannabis, which is perfectly legal in other states. Williams is trying to raise awareness of these disparities in the United States and is calling on the federal government to intervene and end the marijuana ban.

Jonathan Wall is awaiting trial in 2022 on marijuana-related charges.

It’s happened to the best of us. It’s late at night and we’ve totally underestimated the amount of marijuana at our disposal. We aren’t in a position to buy more at the moment. We look through our ashtray and our weed baggie and there’s nothing useful in sight. Then we spot the stems. Should we smoke them? Can we smoke them?

Sadly, it appears that weed stems are different from the usual bud you smoke. For starters, they don’t contain much THC, rendering them useless if you’re looking to get high. They also taste bad and woody, because there’s no plant in them, and they’re associated with a batch of negative side effects like headaches, sore throats and coughing fits, according to Healthline.

Still, just because you can’t smoke cannabis stems doesn’t mean you can’t find something useful to do with them. A lot of people find inventive ways of incorporating these parts of cannabis, using them to brew teas, to make tinctures, topicals and to even make stem butter. While there’s not much THC in stems, they are still a part of the cannabis plant, having many of the mysterious health benefits that experts and cannabis users love.

Before re-purposing your stems for any reason, it’s important to decarboxylate them, activating however small amount there is of THC and other cannabinoids. Once you’re done with this part of the process, you can infuse the stems into whatever you want.

Cannabis stems aren’t likely to get you high, but they could provide therapeutic and relaxing effects for you. There’s anecdotal evidence of cannabis stem teas treating nausea, anxiety, chronic pain, and more, all the while eliminating the unpredictable psychoactive effects of cannabis drinks. We even have a recipe for it.

https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cannabis/21/07/22108497/cbd-can-reduce-...

This week, CV Sciences (OTCQB:CVSI) released the results of a preclinical study that suggests that CBD can reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms in smokeless tobacco users.

The study, conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, San Diego and published on Springer Nature, found that CBD prevented nicotine-dependent rats from exhibiting withdrawal symptoms including increased pain sensitivity and weight gain during short-and long-term nicotine restriction.

The company also released its potential plans to develop the world’s first and only FDA-approved treatment for smokeless tobacco addiction. 

On July 12, 2021, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 141 (AB-141), which creates the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC). The DCC will consolidate the three state cannabis programs – the Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC), the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing Division, and the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch – under a single department in an effort to centralize and simplify regulatory and licensing oversight in California. Governor Newsom has appointed Nicole Elliott as the initial Director of the DCC.

The complexities associated with dealing with California’s three-headed cannabis regulatory monster – for example, determining which regulatory body to answer to, understanding how the various regulatory bodies play into vertical integration, and keeping track of each program’s frequent updates – sometimes impeded the success of entrepreneurs and businesses in the cannabis industry.

The creation of the DCC aims to eliminate these issues. AB-141 transfers the “powers, duties, purposes, functions, responsibilities, and jurisdiction” of the BCC, CDFA, and CDPH to the DCC.

“The state’s consolidation effort delivers on the commitment made by the Newsom Administration to listen to and work with California’s legal cannabis industry to streamline participation in the legal market by offering a central point of contact for licensed operators,” Lourdes Castro Ramirez, secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing (BCSH) Agency, said in a statement.

In addition to consolidating California’s cannabis regulatory bodies, the DCC will also increase licensing transparency within the cannabis industry. AB-141 will require the DCC to provide information on its internet website related to the status of every license issued by the DCC, including the county of a licensee’s address of record. Beginning January 1, 2022, AB-141 will require this information to include information on suspensions and revocations of licenses and final decisions adopted by the DCC. However, AB-141 will prohibit the sharing of personal identifying information, including home addresses, home telephone numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers.

The North Carolina Senate keeps advancing a bill that would legalize medical marijuana here, as the state remains one of the few holdouts in the country without such a law.

Senators in the Finance Committee passed the bill Wednesday, after a brief discussion about the taxes and other revenue it might bring to North Carolina if passed. No one had a solid estimate, but based on other states, it would likely bring in tens of millions of dollars a year.

Plant Growth Regulators seem nonthreatening, but this cannabis should instill fear in you as a user. Heres why. Of course, you have heard about the negative impact of fungicides and pesticides on your bud, but that is not the only risk of contamination you will experience. There is another chemical scare brewing in the cannabis industry, and you’ve got to know how to identify it.

Plant Growth Regulators (PGR) weed is a novel substance in the cannabis sector, and it came to bear because of the desire for larger buds and yields. When consumer’s demand for cannabis goes higher, farmers start cutting corners by squirting the cannabis crop with damaging PGRs. So now metal contamination should be your sole concern as a cannabis consumer; you also need to be worried about the possibility of PGR in your weed.

What is PGR?

In the 1930s, American agricultural enthusiasts were faced with a chemical revolution. At this time, the farm industry in America had accepted the use of synthetic chemicals, which includes things like:

This was also a time when new chemical applications referred to as “Plant Hormones” and regulators were applied to pineapples to boost their flower production. Farmers in this American agricultural era started to adopt these methods with other crops, hence gaining popularity.

The plant growth regulators used on crops were aimed at controlling their growth in a particular way. For example, with cannabis, it meat that cannabis growers will have denser buds, larger yields, and bushier crops, which were a sign of abundant growth.

Aside from cannabis, the plant growth regulator can be sprayed on trees to keep them short and preserve them; there are also other ways of application on crops. PGRs are chemicals utilized to change the rate at which a plant grows or alters a part of the plant.

New York Cannabis United is calling on both the Cuomo Administration and New York State Legislators to uphold the promises made in the new law by swiftly appointing leadership to the Cannabis Control Board.

By Imani A. Dawson

On March 31st, Governor Cuomo signed the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation (MRTA) into law, conceived as one of the nation’s most equitable. The law has the potential to create the country’s largest legal cannabis industry and mitigate the harms experienced by Black and brown communities in the process.

Three months later, legalization has stalled in New York. Elected officials have taken no clear and public steps to create the promised cannabis industry grounded in social justice, economic equity, and environmental renewal. Every day that goes by without the administrative structure in place to implement the MRTA harms New Yorkers. The lack of transparency around selection criteria and lack of action around proposing candidates undermines this historic victory.

New York Cannabis United (NYCU), a coalition of New York cannabis advocacy organizations, businesses, farmers, aspiring entrepreneurs and people disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, is calling on both the Cuomo Administration and New York State Legislators to uphold the promises made in the new law by swiftly appointing leadership to the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) and Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) leadership who represent the geographic and cultural diversity of New York state.

Dear Governor Cuomo and New York Lawmakers: