WeedLife News Network

“Our neighboring states have made efforts to address unjust marijuana laws, and it’s time for us to do the same,” said Senator Karen Tallian.

It has been said that Indiana will be one of the last states to legalize marijuana. The state is run by a bunch of holy-rolling Republicans who believe weed is the root of all evil. And they just can’t seem to wrap their heads around marijuana being good for the people and the state’s economy. 

Therefore, as long as the ultra-conservative beast continues to bed down in the Capitol, weed isn’t going to make any headway. However, some state lawmakers plan to hold the anti-pot goons accountable in the next session. They aren’t asking for full-blown legalization — like neighboring Illinois and Michigan — just the elimination of criminal penalties for those caught in possession. 

Indiana Senator Karen Tallian recently introduced legislation aimed at decriminalizing marijuana statewide. The bill, which is similar to others she’s supported over the years, would allow those caught in possession of up to two ounces to be dealt with through a ticket rather than the criminal justice system.

As it stands, Hoosiers caught in possession of any amount of cannabis can be convicted of a misdemeanor, punishable with up to 180 days in jail and fines reaching $1,000. If they have as much weed as Tallian believes should be decriminalized, they can be slapped with a level 6 felony and do as many as two and a half years in jail and pay up to a $10,000 fine. 

An advisory group is recommending new taxes on marijuana sales to raise millions of dollars that would be used to improve diversity and help disadvantaged groups succeed in the industry.

Data collected by the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency in December show that only 3.8% of those with an ownership interest in licensed recreational marijuana businesses in Michigan are Black and only 1.5% are Hispanic or Latino, according to an agency report

The voter-approved Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act of 2018 directed the agency to create a plan to "promote and encourage participation in the marijuana industry by people from communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and to positively impact those communities."

The agency's Racial Equity Advisory Workgroup released its recommendations Tuesday aimed at improving access to capital for Black and brown businesses, along with technical, educational and other forms of assistance. Implementing some recommendations would require action by the Legislature.

The agency "is committed to making Michigan the model agency in the country, including being a leader on diversity, equity and inclusion in the marijuana industry," the report said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, facing a huge budget deficit, rolled out a plan to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use in 2021.

The plan includes using tax revenue to help fill the state's nearly $4 billion budget gap for the next fiscal year. However, the CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association told FOX Business that it could go up in smoke if taxes are too high.

“We definitely want to make sure that taxes are not so prohibitive that it pushes the market back underground,” Aaron Smith told Kristina Partsinevelos. “I hope that we can come to a place where it’s taxed in a manner that it’s somewhat similar to alcohol.”

Cuomo, during his State of the State last week, said the industry will eventually lead to 60,000 new jobs, $3.5 billion in economic activity, and $300 million in tax revenue.

How Hemp Helps You During the Winter

Discover the benefits of taking hemp during the winter and how it benefits our body. 

Hemp- A Helping Hand for the Cold Winters

Winter is here and during the winter season we barely get any long sunny days, it is rather filled with long cold nights. All we want to do is lay in bed under our comfy blankets and just be lazy, wishing someone would bring us a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallow toppings.

Moreover, the gloominess outside from the pale white skies makes us depressed and we feel a lack of motivation to go by our daily routine. It is that time of the year where due to dry weather, the sale of moisturizers, lip balms, and other such products increase and become our basic need. If you think winter completely brings your spirits down then we have the perfect solution for you – Hemp.

It’s important to really monitor your symptoms rather than trying to lock in a particular milligram that you think is beneficial to you.

I think sometimes we put a little too much work into really thinking about what the starting serving size is and making sure that we’re very exact with this. Remember that CBD and other cannabinoids are plants and oftentimes you’re administering to the point that you’re seeing a return on the administration, a result rather than looking at a particular number of milligrams in the serving size.

I just wanted to bring a couple of samples to show you from my own cabinet. I get so many samples of CBD given what I do for work, and here are three different products that I just pulled up quickly before I came to speak with you today.

If I were to tell you to choose a product and then take a half a dropper full as your first serving size, you can see how that’s a completely ridiculous thing to suggest because there is such a wide variability.

And in these different bottles there’s 4,000 milligrams in one bottle, just 500 milligrams in another and 1,000 milligrams in the next.

After three straight months of declining sales, statewide medical marijuana dispensaries saw an increase in revenue in November.

According to the most recent data from the Oklahoma Tax Commission, statewide dispensaries remitted $11.8 million in total revenue in November, an increase of more than $1 million from the $10.7 million dispensaries remitted in October. The latest OTC marijuana data reflects data collected two months prior.

November marks the first month since July that statewide dispensaries remitted more revenue than the previous month.

Although revenue numbers from December have not been released, the revenue remitted by dispensaries in 2020 is on track to nearly double the revenue remitted in 2019. Through November, statewide dispensaries remitted more than $127 million in total revenue in 2020, compared to $73 million in all of 2019.

While statewide dispensaries saw a November revenue increase, Norman dispensaries saw a decrease compared to October. Norman dispensaries remitted $3.1 million in November, a decrease of $300k compared to the previous month.

While efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationally have stalled in the United States, New Zealand, Mexico and Israel, Canada's legal market continues to evolve.

Health Canada has recently been receiving suggestions for revising its cannabis product regulations. Now it must decide what changes to make.

One priority should be giving producers more packaging and labeling flexibility. This could help businesses build their reputations and help consumers find suitable products. It would also better support federal cannabis policy, as existing rules inadvertently encourage higher potency while sidelining other aspects of quality.

Restrictive rules

Current packaging regulations restrict each cannabis container to a single non-fluorescent color. It cannot have any photos or images beyond one small brand logo.

As the economy continues to struggle during the COVID-19 pandemic, marijuana dispensaries are still sprouting up across West Michigan.

Greg Maki, the owner of Park Place Provisionary, a marijuana shop in Muskegon, loves to see his customers purchase his goods. His store carries more than 670 items.

“We carry everything for everybody,” Maki said. “Both medical and adult use.”

Maki opened his store 18 months ago as a medical dispensary. He started selling recreational marijuana a year ago.

“The adult use or recreational is 80% of our sales,” Maki said.

With 2017 legislation, Argentina joined the growing number of South American countries to relax cannabis laws. At the end of 2020, that legislation was expanded, and now finally, Argentina allows cannabis self-cultivation for medical use.

You like cannabis, but want to try something a little ‘different’? Give Delta-8 THC a shot. Not only is it a great alternative to regular THC, but many report less negative side-effects, and an overall calmer experience. You be the judge! We’ve got the best Delta-8 THC deals out there, so if you want to switch up your experience, or just see what all the fuss is about, take a look at these great products.

Cannabis in Argentina

Cannabis is not legal for recreational use in Argentina, but small amounts of it were decriminalized back in 2009. In the Arriola decision, which was the result of a court case arising from the arrest of five men, the court determined that small amounts of drugs meant for personal use, that won’t affect or cause harm to anyone else, and which pose no threat of danger, are decriminalized. There is no official amount set for personal use, meaning law enforcement and judges must use their own discretion per case.

Much like Mexico and South Africa, which each have constitutional rulings related to cannabis and the right of an individual to live life as they see fit without intrusion from the government, Argentina’s court ruled that “Each adult is free to make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state.” The decision was also meant to encourage law enforcement money to be spent on bigger cases, while leaving small-time users to enter treatment programs instead.

Cannabis trafficking is illegal in Argentina and can incur a penalty of 4-15 years in prison. It’s illegal for residents to grow marijuana for commercial purposes.

Last week, our neighbor to the South took a significant step forward in cannabis reform, when Mexico’s health ministry published rules regulating the use of medicinal cannabis. This will hopefully be the first of many major cannabis reform measures in Mexico this year. 

The Mexican government issued regulations on their three-year-old medical marijuana program. This is different from the adult-use legislation currently being discussed in the Mexican Chamber of Deputies - the lower house. The April 2021 deadline for legislation legalizing recreational cannabis use still holds. 

In 2017, former Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto issued a mandate to move forward with medical marijuana legalization. That legislation created a void as there were no regulations to go along with it. In 2019, the Mexican Supreme Court mandated that the Regulatory Agencies create medical marijuana rules. 

While these regulations are three years overdue, they’re fairly straightforward. The primary focus is on cannabis cultivation both for research and for the manufacture of pharmaceutical or pharmacological products. The legislation allows for public and private research, and it provides quality control measures, including good manufacturing practices. 

I spoke with Aurelius Data’s Julie Armstrong who’s excited about the fact that this process requires institutionalized medical data going forward. Mexicans seeking permits for the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes will need to register with the National Service for Agrifood Health and Quality (SENASA). This will ultimately create a national registry of cultivators.

Not all cannabis testing is equal, but the USA’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is aiming for it.

Legally speaking, the only thing distinguishing hemp from marijuana is its THC level. Not so long ago, the presence of any level of THC in cannabis made it marijuana at a federal level in the USA, but the 2018 Farm Bill made hemp with less than 0.3% THC legal.

THC testing can be a particularly difficult task where the cannabinoid is at low levels and one lab’s results may differ from another due to different methods or even just plain old human error. There can be a lot at stake – a farmer’s crop.

“If you’re going to confiscate a farmer’s crop, or subject a person to prosecution, you want to be sure that measurement is accurate,” said NIST research chemist Brent Wilson.

NIST has issued an invitation to labs to participate in a study that will assist them to produce the accurate measurements required to make a reliable call as to whether a cannabis sample is hemp or marijuana.

Did you know that we’re supposed to get 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables every day? This equates to roughly two cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. Although this is the recommended amount of fruit and veggies we should eat according to the USDA (United States Dietary Association), most of the American population doesn’t come close to meeting these guidelines.

Fortunately, though, another plant consumed for centuries due to its plethora of medicinal, therapeutic, and nutritional benefits is cannabis. Recently, numerous researchers and physicians have labeled cannabis a superfood, worthy of incorporation into your diet in some way or another. Here’s why.

Medicinal, therapeutic, and nutritional value 

Cannabis’s many medicinal and therapeutic benefits have been well established, but the nutritional benefits of cannabis are still gaining recognition and public coverage. According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), superfoods are unprocessed foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which are often derived from fruits, vegetables, and other herbs. Under this definition, numerous doctors believe cannabis can be grouped into the ‘superfoods’ category.

Besides cannabis’s array of medicinal and therapeutic benefits, the plant is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients. In general, there are various parts of cannabis that can be consumed such as its leaves, stems, and buds whether they’re heated up or not. To reap cannabis’s nutritional benefits though, consuming raw parts of the plant is the way to go.

Superfood properties

Cannabis sativa (hemp) seeds:

Did you know that we’re supposed to get 5 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables every day? This equates to roughly two cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. Although this is the recommended amount of fruit and veggies we should eat according to the USDA (United States Dietary Association), most of the American population doesn’t come close to meeting these guidelines.

Fortunately, though, another plant consumed for centuries due to its plethora of medicinal, therapeutic, and nutritional benefits is cannabis. Recently, numerous researchers and physicians have labeled cannabis a superfood, worthy of incorporation into your diet in some way or another. Here’s why.

Medicinal, therapeutic, and nutritional value 

Cannabis’s many medicinal and therapeutic benefits have been well established, but the nutritional benefits of cannabis are still gaining recognition and public coverage. According to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), superfoods are unprocessed foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which are often derived from fruits, vegetables, and other herbs. Under this definition, numerous doctors believe cannabis can be grouped into the ‘superfoods’ category.

Besides cannabis’s array of medicinal and therapeutic benefits, the plant is an excellent source of vitamins and nutrients. In general, there are various parts of cannabis that can be consumed such as its leaves, stems, and buds whether they’re heated up or not. To reap cannabis’s nutritional benefits though, consuming raw parts of the plant is the way to go.

Superfood properties

Cannabis sativa (hemp) seeds:

Various cultures and countries have used cannabis for medical purposes going back thousands of years.

The cannabis plant is capable of providing tremendous wellness benefits and has been found to be an effective form of treatment for a variety of conditions.

One area that the cannabis plant can provide significant benefit, but is often overlooked, is when it comes to treating addiction to harmful substances.

Historically, cannabis has been portrayed as a ‘gateway drug,’ however, it is now being more commonly referred to as an ‘exit drug’ because of how it can help folks curb consumption of much more harmful substances.

Cannabidiol and tobacco

The World Health Organization estimated that tobacco use contributes to over 8 million deaths annually. 

Marijuana reform at the U.S. federal level could soon be on the way, as it won't be long before Democrats are in control of the House, Senate, and White House. And that's giving the industry a lot of hope that legislation favorable to marijuana could pass, potentially making the already hot cannabis industry an even more appealing investment opportunity. It could even pave the way for companies in other industries to start jockeying for position, partnering up with cannabis producers before legalization -- which could still be years away.

Trulieve (OTC:TCNNF), Green Thumb Industries (OTC:GTBIF), and GrowGeneration (NASDAQ:GRWG) have at least tripled investors' money over the past year alone. Those are substantial returns considering that the industry benchmark, the Horizons Marijuana Life Sciences ETF, only returned 22% over the past 12 months. Just what could be behind such amazing outperformance?