WeedLife News Network

Two years ago, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) established the state’s first Industrial Hemp Ag Pilot Program so farmers, processors, and colleges and universities could grow, handle, process, and research industrial hemp. The program continued into the 2020 growing season, with 631 growers and 517 processor-handlers registered and/or licensed to grow, process, and market industrial hemp.   The bill, sponsored by Senator Dan Lauwers (R-Brockway Township) set a lot of parameters for hemp growers.

It might not make a lot of sense with marijuana being legal in Michigan, but the Feds hold a different view and want to make sure the industrial hemp grown won’t get anybody high.  The bill two years ago required that government inspectors sample the plants for THC analysis.

Today, Governor Whitmer signed another bill sponsored by Senator Brockway, that gets the state program in line with the federal guidelines, which went into effect on Monday March 22nd.

“Updating our industrial hemp growers act was a critical step in maintaining regulatory certainty for hemp cultivation in Michigan,” said Gary McDowell, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. “This helps our hemp growers and processors ensure they’re aligned nationally and signals the importance of supporting this emerging part of our agriculture economy. I appreciate the bi-partisan support and swift movement ensuring Michigan’s legislative framework meets federal requirements.” 

Key revisions and updates to the state’s Industrial Hemp Growers Act include the following: 

Unfortunately, the results of the latest study do not bode well for the immediate future of cannabis medicine.

Cannabis advocates have been screeching and screaming for the past decade about how marijuana is more effective in taming post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than any other drug known to man. But, a long-awaited, FDA-approved study dedicated to learning more about the efficacy of cannabis against this affliction shows that isn’t necessarily true. It finds that while weed is a safe and commonly used treatment option for those marred by this condition, it isn’t as effective as initially believed.

Now, before you go off the deep end and start drumming up wild conspiracy theories about how the federal government’s health agencies are holding back the truth concerning the power of cannabis, you should know that this study was overseen by Dr. Sue Sisley of the Scottsdale Research Institute. Sisley has been a massive proponent of medical marijuana for years, doing everything in her power to fight for answers to whether cannabis can help military veterans suffering from PTSD. She fought for nearly a decade to get permission from Uncle Sam to launch this research, and her team spent the past three years in the trenches digging for answers.

All for unimpressive results.

The $2 million study, funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), was as legit as they come. Researchers selected 76 vets with PTSD, giving them a mix of cannabis with THC levels between 8-12%.

While it could take several months or more than a year for marijuana and cannabis businesses to hit the ground running on sales of the product, there’s another challenge facing the industry that will take federal legislation to resolve.

Working with a bank remains one of the challenges for the industry.

Department of Agriculture officials said that 323 farmers have applied for permits to be able to grow hemp in South Carolina.

Last year, 265 farmers grew the crop.

It was first legalized in 2018 and grown by 20 people that year.

Hemp is considered to be one of the biggest trends in the farming world with research firms estimating it to be a $20 billion industry by 2027.

This year's permits will be granted next month.

With a legislative deal reportedly in place, New York is poised to become the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana use.

Bloomberg reported Wednesday afternoon that leaders in the New York state assembly and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have struck a deal that “would impose special pot taxes and prepare to license dispensaries.” Liz Krueger, chair of the state Senate Finance Committee, told Bloomberg that it was her understanding “that the three-way agreement has been reached and that bill drafting is in the process of finishing a bill that we all have said we support.”

Signs were pointing toward a deal last week, with Cuomo telling reporters that all sides were “very close.” And on Tuesday, State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said that legislators and Cuomo had overcome a major sticking point concerning how to codify traffic safety rules.

“I think we are really, really, really close on marijuana,” Stewart-Cousins said at the time.

For Cuomo, legalization was identified as a budget priority this year. 

To the surprise of many, South Dakota’s Governor Kristi Noem is considering a bill that would decriminalize cannabis in South Dakota. While Noem has been unflinchingly strict on cannabis before, she is now starting to loosen up a bit, though not enough for some advocates.

The legislation, which is being proposed by the governor’s office, would limit the number of plants medical cannabis patients could have, as well as stop the process of incarcerating people for possessing small amounts of recreational cannabis. Up to an ounce, or eight grams of concentrate, would simply get a petty offense charge, no jail time, as long as the person was 21 or older. Repeat offenses would result in a class 2 misdemeanor instead of a felony charge. 

“This is one of several draft bills being circulated for discussion and Gov. Noem has not endorsed any of them,” said Tony Venhuizen, Noem’s chief of staff.

Noem is allegedly concerned about the medical statutes that will go into effect this summer, as they don’t specify a cap for how many medical plants a patient can have in their home. Under this new proposal, the limit would be three.

A competing proposal drafted by cannabis advocates South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws sets the limit for home-grown plants at six instead, and wants less severe charges for those under 21 found to be in possession of cannabis. The competing proposal has some backing from senators who are more pro-cannabis and feel that Noem’s bill doesn’t go far enough. 

When California first passed Proposition 64 legalizing recreational cannabis, voters waited in eager anticipation for natural, quality products to purchase.

What they found instead was 84.3% of sampled cannabis tested positive for pesticide residue. 

The research, conducted by Steep Hill Labs, Inc., further concluded that 65% of cannabis samples submitted to their lab contained Myclobutanil, a pesticide that when smoked or vaporized is converted to Hydrogen Cyanide.

As the name suggests, the chemical is extremely toxic for humans to ingest. 

Discoveries like these underscore the importance of lab testing requirements for cannabis operators.

For more than 80 years, the hemp plant was prohibited and conflated with its THC-rich cousin. Though they are both from the Cannabaceae family, hemp and marijuana were historically used for very different things. Industrial hemp is non-intoxicating, has a long history with humans and has been used for millennia for textiles, paper, food and much more. Cannabis also has a long relationship with humans and is used for less hands-on applications such as medicine, ritual, and enjoyment.  

It wasn't until 2018 that hemp and marijuana became legally distinct in the US with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, finally defining hemp as separate from marijuana and allowing for its cultivation and distribution. 

Judging by the size of the US cannabidiol (CBD) market and the rapid ascent of cannabis concentrates, consumers are showing an eagerness to try new industry offerings. Now that hemp is legal, that includes smokable CBD bud or “hemp bud” — also called hemp flower or CBD flower. 

What's the difference between cannabis-derived CBD and hemp? Do hemp buds have CBD?

If getting high is what you're looking for, you won't find it with hemp flower. Hemp plants are bred for industrial purposes and to contain very little intoxicating THC. And if a medicinal level of CBD is what you're after, hemp buds are not usually CBD-rich and not a very efficient way to get the cannabinoid. 

However, CBD derived from high-THC cannabis is much more likely to have higher levels of CBD and terpenes, the aromatic compounds responsible for cannabis's distinct scent and flavor profiles. Cannabis-derived CBD offers much more medicinal benefit than hemp-derived CBD and shouldn't get you high, provided it remains below the federally legal limit of 0.3% THC. 

In a budding industry, every year seems to possess a distinct significance. As someone who has traversed the globe advising on all things cannabis for more than a decade, I can confidently say that no two years have been the same. New patterns and market fluctuations come and go rapidly - a fairly common occurrence as a nascent industry builds its foundation.

In April 1990, Jackee Winters and her 2-year-old daughter, Autumn, were driving in their new black Mitsubishi truck when they got hit by a car.

Autumn died that day. Winters was in a coma for a few days and needed to relearn how to speak and walk. Doctors reconstructed her chest after the steering wheel damaged it and bruised her heart.

Winters, who now lives in Idaho City, was eventually diagnosed with depression, and the accident left her with disabilities, pain and nightmares that she has battled since then. She takes a variety of medications for her mental health and traumatic brain injury, according to medical documents.

On a vacation to Oregon several years ago, Winters said she tried marijuana. She said she slept soundly that night. And when her teenage daughter was battling brain cancer, she took her to Oregon to let her also try cannabis. Winters said it relieved her daughter’s pain.

Winters’ daughter is now in remission. Winters said she thought about moving out of the state to access medical cannabis, but she grew up in Boise and loves the area. If her daughter’s cancer ever returned, Winters said she’d likely want to move.

The FDA said in a statement that the products that are the subject of the warning letters have not gone through the FDA drug approval process and are considered unapproved new drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued warning letters to two companies for selling products labeled as containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). Specifically, the warning letters address the illegal marketing of unapproved drugs labeled as containing CBD. The companies are Honest Globe and BioLyte Laboratories.

The letter sent to Honest Globe referenced the products “ELIXICURE ORIGINAL PAIN RELIEF with CBD” (roll-on and pump versions) and “ELIXICURE LAVENDER PAIN RELIEF with CBD” (roll-on and pump versions) (hereinafter referred to as “ELIXICURE PAIN RELIEF with CBD” products). The “ELIXICURE PAIN RELIEF with CBD” products were labeled as containing cannabidiol (CBD) and require no prescription.

The letter reads, “Your “ELIXICURE PAIN RELIEF with CBD” products are unapproved new drugs introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce in violation of sections 505(a) and 301(d) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 355(a) and 331(d). Furthermore, your “ELIXICURE PAIN RELIEF” products are misbranded drugs introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce in violation of sections 502(a), 502(ee), and 301(a) of the FD&C Act, 21 U.S.C. 352(a), 352(ee), and 331(a).” The FDA also said that although CBD was listed as an inactive ingredient in the labels of the “ELIXICURE PAIN RELIEF with CBD” products, the product labeling clearly represented CBD as an active ingredient, which is a component of a drug intended to furnish pharmacological activity or other direct effects in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or function of the body. Ultimately an inactive ingredient should not exert pharmacological effects.

In addition to the marketing, Honest Globe was cited for production issues. The letter stated, “Your Quality Unit (QU) lacked control over your topical over-the-counter drug manufacturing operations and failed to ensure that you had adequate procedures. In your response, you committed to working with your contract laboratory to investigate the cited OOS results and future OOS results. Your response is inadequate because you did not address your responsibilities to investigate potential manufacturing deficiencies that may have led to the OOS results. Your response also failed to evaluate batches with OOS test results that had been distributed and were still within expiry.”

It’s fascinating how people choose their cannabis products, especially terpenes and flower. It wasn’t that long ago when the only option was cannabis flower via a local unregulated dealer, and likely only one or two options were available at that. The “I will take what I can get” strains were the most popular because, well, that was all that was available.

Zoom forward to today, and cannabis is legally available in several markets for medical and/or adult-use purposes, and the options are staggering.

THC Hunting

Arguably, the most common factor for consumers and patients purchasing flower in legal markets is the THC level associated with the particular flower, rather than terpenes. Veteran consumers typically want the strongest THC flower available. For rookies and newbies, the opposite is often the case.

The problem with that method is that THC testing levels can be misleading. Many producers know that THC levels drive sales, so they will get multiple tests performed and go with whatever test result comes back with the greatest amount of THC, even if it’s not necessarily accurate.

Another popular method for selection is searching for specific strain names and/or indica, sativa, or hybrid designations. Those factors can also be misleading because of how much cannabis crops vary from grower to grower and harvest to harvest. A much more applicable set of criteria is becoming more popular at dispensaries, which is good news for patients and consumers.

In general, it’s wise to spend a bit of time researching different cannabis products and effects and exploring menus so you can get some sense of what you’re looking for. 

Do you want something to help lull you to sleep? A low-dose tincture to take the edge off? Or a high-THC strain that will get you super stoned? There’s not a one-size-fits-all product for anyone — especially first-timers. 

Lantern, an on-demand cannabis e-commerce marketplace and home delivery platform, gives customers the option to answer a series of questions that help steer them to the right products. “Our goal is to empower consumers to confidently navigate the cannabis shopping experience to find which products best fit their goals and needs,” says Eric Lopez, head of operations at Lantern. Unlike a direct order from a retailer, a delivery from Lantern typically takes an hour or less, and the site accepts debit cards. To learn more about Lantern’s delivery service, visit lanternnow.com.

If you know you want to try flower, but aren’t sure whether to buy Purple Urkle, OG Kush, or Sour Diesel, opt for a pre-roll first. A pre-rolled joint gives you the freedom to try different strains before committing to an entire eighth. 

If you’re thinking you might like concentrates or vaping, an all-in-one option that includes the vaping device and the concentrate is a smart bet. These products are relatively inexpensive, ready to use, and usually tell you how many doses you’ll get in each unit.

Many countries around the world have made using cannabis for medical purposes completely legal, and some also legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes.

Due to high demand, a highly competitive market has developed. So, what is all the hype about?

It Can be Used to Treat Chronic Pain

Did you know most people who use medical marijuana on a regular basis do it because of chronic pain?

First of all, it can provide them with the pain relief they need to get through the day.

Second of all, it can be an effective and safer alternative to prescription medications.

Australian medical cannabis company Bod Australia Limited (ASX:BDA) has entered into an agreement with Drug Science UK involving a trial of Bod’s MediCabilis product in managing symptoms associated with long-COVID.

“Long-COVID” is a phenomenon where symptoms continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. Far from being isolated cases, it appears long-COVID is quite common; but as with the initial illness the impacts vary patient to patient. Even asymptomatic people who had relatively mild cases are reportedly experiencing long COVID.

At the time of writing, there have been more than 122 million cases of COVID-19 globally. It’s estimated 10% of those testing positive will have symptoms for 12 weeks after diagnosis.

Common reported symptoms are lethargy, muscle aches, loss of smell and taste and shortness of breath. For some, it can be debilitating and prevent them from engaging in a normal level of activity. As well as the physical effects, there’s also the psychological impact that may manifest as anxiety.

With the illness remaining a mystery and more people experiencing it as time goes on, there needs to be ways to manage long-COVID.

For the average person, images of sunshine, rainbows, blossoming flowers and lots of green grass usually come to mind whenever it’s springtime. But for people who like to smoke, it’s another excuse to combine to the best of both worlds and indulge in some season-inspired sessions. When it comes to spring smoking, it’s nice to reach for strains that are energizing and uplifting to match the boost in the weather if the sun is out where you live and go for calming strains that help you unwind in the evening to mellow out the hyperactivity of the day.

If you like going on the hunt for strains, keep an eye out for these at your local dispensary the next time you make a trip.

Green Crack

This popular, super potent sativa is an excellent morning smoke that may even rival a cup of coffee with its undeniable kick of get-up and-go. It’s the perfect way to bring in the new spring energy without dreading any sleepiness or laziness after waking and baking. Green Crack could also be useful for a quick post-punch session to give you an extra punch of energy.

Sunshine #4

Blaze your way into your happy place with a hybrid strain that not only helps to boost your mood but can also be highly-effective with alleviating pain, headaches and nausea. Like the name suggests, it’s a bright, euphoric high that’s powerful and instantly noticeable. This is a good fit if you like deep herbal flavors.

Researchers say that cannabis may have been around for about 19.6 to 28 million years. The earliest evidence of the plant’s existence is in the form of fossilized pollen.

Fast forward to modern times, and cannabis has become a $20.5-billion global industry. Market experts project this to multiply by more than four-fold by 2026. If this forecast comes to pass, its value will exceed $90 billion.

A primary factor behind this growth is the legalization of industrial hemp in the US. Scientists also continue to unearth hemp facts that establish the plant’s beneficial effects.

Despite the available literature, there’s still a lot of confusion about hemp. We’re here to set things straight, so be sure to read on to get your hemp plant facts right.

1. Cannabis Sativa That’s Not Marijuana

One of the facts about hemp and marijuana is that both are Cannabis sativa species. That makes them botanically similar, yes, but they have genetic varietal distinctions. It’s because of these differences that people grow and use them for different things.