A recent report by analyst Bobby Burleson at Cannacord Genuity, an investment banking and financial services company, concluded that “the outlook for the legal US cannabis market is improving” both state and federal levels. Burleson cites polls that demonstrate strong support for ballot initiatives in states like Arizona and South Dakota, while governors of other states such as New York and Pennsylvania are making encouraging noises about rapid roll-outs for recreational programs. Burleson also references polling by aggregator FiveThirtyEight, which shows a 75% likelihood of a Democratic majority in the senate, boding well for cannabis legalization at the federal level. Recent statements by Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris about decriminalizing marijuana further improve the outlook.

It is not overly simplistic to equate a Democratic senate majority and executive office victory with a bright future for cannabis legalization, as historically Democrats have demonstrated more consistent support for legalization in greater numbers than Republicans. In fact, legalization has been one of the stand-out campaign issues polarizing Dems and Republicans over the last decade, though this gap seems to be shrinking as Republicans look to win battleground states like Pennsylvania. There, swing voters are in support of legalization and Governor Tom Wolf is calling on legislators to expedite legalization of recreational marijuana as one means of recovering from the economic hit of Covid-19.

A November 2019 Pew Research Study showed that two-thirds of Americans support marijuana legalization, with only 32% opposing. While proportions vary in terms of those who support legalization solely for medical use (32%) or medical and recreational use (59%), a survey conducted on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel in September 2019 revealed that only 8% of those surveyed prefer to keep marijuana illegal in all circumstances. This trend showed no signs of changing course as 2019 rolled into 2020. In the run-up to the election, fifty-eight percent of all likely voters (54% of whom identified as Republican) supported legalization for adults use (Data For Progress). In addition, 60% of Republicans polled in support of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE) introduced to the senate by Kamala Harris, which would decriminalize marijuana and allow certain marijuana offenses to be expunged from an individual’s record.

As the clock ticks down to the final vote count, however long that may take, it appears that whether the executive branch and Congress go red or blue this election season, cannabis legalization is one campaign issue poised to benefit from growing bipartisan support and an impetus to be competitive in the cannabis market at the state level.

Seniors are turning to cannabis to treat common symptoms of aging, with nearly 80% of those who reported using cannabis saying they did so for medicinal reasons, according to a study from researchers at the University of California San Diego. Results of the study, “Cannabis: An emerging treatment for common symptoms in older adults,” were published this month in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.

To conduct the research, investigators surveyed 568 seniors at a geriatric clinic. All respondents were at least 65 years old, and 73% of those surveyed were older than 75. The researchers discovered that 15% of seniors had used cannabis in the last three years, among whom half reported using cannabis regularly. Cannabis was used primarily for medical reasons by 78% of those who reported its use.

“Pain, insomnia, and anxiety were the most common reasons for cannabis use and, for the most part, patients reported that cannabis was helping to address these issues, especially with insomnia and pain,” Christopher Kaufmann, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Department of Medicine at UCSD and one of the study’s authors, said in a press release.

The researchers also found that 61% of respondents who used cannabis had begun doing so at the age of 60 or older, according to Kevin Yang, a third-year medical student at UCSD and another author of the study.

“Surprisingly, we found that nearly three-fifths of cannabis users reported using cannabis for the first time as older adults,” Yang said. “These individuals were a unique group compared to those who used cannabis in the past.”

The United States cannabis industry is poised to grow exponentially. Many states have approved or decriminalized medical cannabis use; several have legalized recreational use. Only a few states have been legislatively silent about public use of cannabis. It is likely some of these holdout states soon will further decriminalize cannabis.

As a result, investment in cultivation and processing facilities has mushroomed. In some respects, the industry resembles a gold rush. Fledgling and mature companies and entrepreneurial individuals are aggressively staking claims on new cannabis-related products and businesses. As in other evolving industries, entrepreneurs would be wise to consider how to protect their market position as a part of prudent due diligence.

You need genetic authentication to get specific information on cannabis strains. And getting that genetic information may not be available now—or for years to come.

You buy your favorite cannabis strain—let’s say it’s Blue Dream. It’s a common strain, very popular and available at many dispensaries no matter where in the 33 states you go to get it.

But a lab check will tell you that the Blue Dream you got in Denver is not the same Blue Dream you got in Chicago. There may be little changes in the chemical composition. There may be big changes. Or there may just be downright deceit: “Hey, Blue Dream is popular, let’s slap a label on this generic preroll of indistinguishable origin and call it Blue Dream and voila, sales increase!”

Only a lab analysis can show you the cannabinoid and terpene combinations of a specific strain of marijuana that can help you get what you want. Most responsible dispensaries have that information.

But that only gets you close to what you want. You need genetic authentication to get more specific. And getting that genetic information may not be available now—or for years to come.

Edibles can be intimidating if you don’t know what to look for. Here are some basics you should know before visiting a dispensary.

The world of edibles can be overwhelming for those who have no previous experience with them. There are all types and dosages available, not to mention their reputation for bad highs.  It’s natural to step into a dispensary and turn away from edibles, choosing something more approachable, something you have more experience with that doesn’t have the potential to keep you couch-locked.

Despite this, a large percentage of cannabis users enjoy edibles, so much so that they choose them over all other methods of consumption. Edibles are healthier than vaping and smoking (at least for your lungs), and are capable of producing stronger results. They’re likely to provide more pain relief and a stronger response from your mind and body.

Still, these facts don’t make edibles any less intimidating, especially if you don’t know what’s in them and how they work. Here are some of the basics you should know, but first, make sure you understand Why You Need To Be Careful Using Edibles The First Time.

Cannabutter Vs. Extracts

Photo by ponce_photography via Pixabay

Any time that someone compares today’s marijuana with that of the 1960s, you can know with absolute certainty that they are lying.

One of the most successful themes in prohibitionist propaganda is the “New Potent Pot” line, which tells us that “marijuana stronger than it was back in the 60s, when everyone thought it was harmless.”   

This “new potent pot” line is intended to negate the knowledge gained by experience and thereby eliminate this type of objection. It is said that the THC levels of marijuana today are (pick a number) times higher than in the past. 

The notion that today’s marijuana that your children might smoke is qualitatively different from the marijuana in the past is obviously perfect for anxious parents who have been conditioned by decades of prohibitionist propaganda to feel guilty about their youthful “experimentation.” In this regard it is very successful. 

That there is no data to back it up is not a problem, because, when the subject is marijuana,  the usual purveyors of data — the media (right, left and center) — have been in the anti-fact business for decades.  They have enshrined the “new potent pot” line as a basic part of “conventional wisdom.” Everyone knows…. Actually, it is what everyone does not know that is important.  

In this article Dean Billington, Chief Operating Officer at Brains Bioceutical, discusses how medical cannabis can help the UK’s chronic pain problem.

Chronic pain is one of the most troubling and expensive issues for the NHS and patients. In fact, a recent study by The British Pain Society suggests that chronic pain affects more than 40% of the UK population, meaning that more than 26 million people in the UK are living with pain that has lasted three months or longer. The BMJ has suggested that this could rise to as high as 60% among those over the age of 75.

For many patients battling this silent epidemic, it is a hopeless exercise of jumping from one prescription drug to another and at a huge cost. For example, the associated treatment for these patients is estimated to account for 4.6m GP appointments each year at a staggering cost of £69m.

Unfortunately, treatment pathways often direct patients to opioid painkillers. A recent review published by Public Health England revealed that the UK now has the fastest-growing rate of opioid use across the world, with prescriptions rising by 22% over the past decade to 40 million prescriptions a year. This is despite the fact that NHS guidelines recommend that opioids should not be taken for more than a few weeks at a time as patients can become addicted to them. In addition to this, health experts have warned that opioid painkillers are not effective for 90% of people with chronic pain.

With the NHS now looking to move away from prescribing these addictive opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) –  following updated draft guidance issued by NICE last month –   there is an undeniable need for alternative medicines that are effective and affordable.

Law enforcement officers in Southern California have eradicated nearly 75,000 cannabis plants from the Los Padres National Forest over the last six months, according to a statement released by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office on Monday. A total of 18 illegal marijuana cultivation investigations were conducted by the agency on public and private land in and around the national forest during the months of May through October, according to the sheriff’s office.

Infused cannabis beverage makers are still addressing and experimenting with taste and dosing issues, and progress has been steady. But there is still a sense that all is not ready to go… just yet.

Non-alcoholic beer infused with CBD or THC sounds like a good plan. A natural fit. A new sort of buzz that doesn’t put you under the table, drooling as you slip into a moment of blanking out. It’s a more user friendlier intoxicant.

But there are a number of obstacles to overcome with cannabis-infused beverages, including taste, how much and what kind of CBD or THC to infuse, and consumer education about drinking these new cannabis products amid a mind-numbing onslaught of more and more cannabis products that clutter the shelves of most dispensaries.

Consumers know infused beverages as a sort of beer replacement product that does what beer does, only different.

Hey, why not an infused beer? Both hops and cannabis are closely related agriculture products. Both have terpenes and terpenoids (THC is a terpenoid). But hops lack an enzyme that could convert one of its chemicals to THC or CBD.

The Mexican Senate will likely vote on a bill to legalize marijuana within the next two weeks, the chamber's majority leader recently said.

Activists have been eagerly awaiting action on the reform legislation since the Supreme Court deemed personal possession and cultivation of cannabis unconstitutional in 2018—though some are pushing for a greater emphasis on social equity before lawmakers pass the pending bill in its current form.

The high court in April granted a second deadline extension to give legislators additional time to enact the policy change amid the coronavirus pandemic, pushing it to December 15. That said, Ricardo Monreal, the ruling MORENA party's leader in the Senate, said the chamber will advance the bill before the end of October.

It's not clear if the legislation will go through the committee process or straight to the floor given that tight timeline. Zara Snapp, a legalization activist with the Instituto RIA and the coalition #RegulacionPorLaPaz, told Marijuana Moment that advocates have similarly heard from senators that the plan is to quickly pass the proposal and they're “hopeful” that's the case.

If the Senate passes the legal cannabis bill it will still have to go before the other house of the nation's Congress, the Chamber of Deputies.

Employees who use medical marijuana to cope with a work-related injury can’t get reimbursed for it through workers’ compensation, Massachusetts’ highest court held Tuesday. 

If workers’ comp insurers had to pay for marijuana, they could in theory be charged with a federal crime since it’s still illegal under federal law to aid or abet someone in using pot, the court said. 

“It is one thing to voluntarily assume a risk of federal prosecution” by using pot, Justice Scott Kafker wrote in a unanimous decision, “it is another to involuntarily have such a risk imposed upon you.”

The availability of workers’ comp payments has become a hot issue as medical marijuana continues to be legalized across the country — 33 states and counting. Fueling the trend, injured workers are increasingly turning to marijuana as workers’ comp insurers and boards limit their access to opioids for chronic pain, responding to an addiction crisis that has been ravaged much of the country for years.

“We have an anti-opioid movement, but the court is now taking away the alternative,” complained the worker’s lawyer in this case, Katherine Lamondia-Wrinkle of the Law Office of Thomas Libbos in Springfield, Massachusetts. 

It seems that cannabis has never attracted this much attention. After decades of being outlawed for no valid reason, many states have legalized it again. The positive campaign attracted many users and informed the public on the positive effects of marijuana.

What role can this plant play for athletes? Are marijuana and bodybuilding connected, and can you hope to achieve fitness goals faster with this herb? Here is an overview of the potential benefits and other things you should know about THC if you are an athlete.

How Does Marijuana Work on Bodybuilders?

The working process of cannabinoids is simple. Once you ingest them, they interact with your inner cannabinoid system. Each human has this system, which is capable of affecting pain, immune functions, appetite, and other processes.

Let’s take a look at how athletes can benefit from cannabis.

Rapper and entrepreneur Jay-Z is launching his own cannabis brand in partnership with Caliva, the California-based weed company that hired the star as its chief brand strategist last year. 

Named Monogram, Jay-Z’s line of marijuana products launched its website and social media accounts on Friday.

“Monogram marks a new chapter in cannabis defined by dignity, care and consistency. It is a collective effort to bring you the best, and a humble pursuit to discover what the best truly means,” Monogram’s website highlights.

No further information on the specific products that will be sold under the Monogram brand has been released yet. 

However, according to the website, the flower used in Monogram’s products is grown in small batches, with a board of “cannabis experts” tasked with grading and hand-selecting each flower that goes into the line. 

Harvesting the crop is a straightforward business, but there are a few things to know before you start the process.

The Harvest

Before beginning, prepare a good, strong elixir of equals parts chilled vodka and water. The vodka (cooled to zero degrees celsius), will shock the roots into closing up and will actually make them stop functioning. This is exactly what you want, since the goal is to dehydrate the plant.

Vertical integration is risky business.

A vertically integrated company owns every step of a product’s value chain. The assumption is that quality and consistency can be better controlled when every step of the process occurs in-house. In some cannabis markets, it’s required by law, but vertical integration not always in the best interest of the consumer or the business.

A massive raid involving hundreds of investigators and 27 simultaneous search warrants in nine communities in Washington State has taken down an illegal weed-mailing ring based out of Seattle.

“Illegal grow operations such as these, with their extensive networks, have a wide-reaching and destructive impact to the communities they inhabit.  With these arrests and seizures of illegal marijuana grow operations, we bring down one of the largest networks in the region,” Tony Galetti, inspector in charge at the United States Postal Inspection Service, notes in a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.

The illegal operation was ambitious and targeted multiple states for receipt of millions and millions of dollars of illegal marijuana, reports Galetti, according to KIRO7. The evidence collected includes processed cannabis, thousands of marijuana plants and related documents.

Many of the targeted locations in Washington were illegal grow houses, while others were businesses that allegedly served as front companies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reports. There were also searches in New York.

Weed was being grown in homes throughout King County, Washington before being distributed through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia and Missouri, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Will Biden and Harris Be a Benefit to These Pot Stocks?

The upcoming U.S. election will have a lot of effects on marijuana stocks and the cannabis industry. While U.S. pot stocks like Scotts Miracle-Gro Inc. (SMG Stock Report) and Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (IIPR Stock Report), will see a change, Canadian pot stocks will also potentially benefit. Under President Trump, we have yet to see any major shifts in how the cannabis industry runs. But, if Biden and Harris are elected, we could see the cannabis industry reach new heights in the near future. This is because the pair seem to support legislation that backs the cannabis industry.

On day one, Kamala Harris has stated that they will decriminalize cannabis. After she announced this, the cannabis industry shot up by around 10% in value during the next trading day. While this could be just an empty campaign promise, it does seem likely that the two would do so given their past. In addition, while we do know U.S. marijuana stocks would benefit, Canadian cannabis stocks could see a boost as well. This boost may not be felt immediately, but rather in the long term of the cannabis industry. With this in mind, let’s take a look at two marijuana stocks to watch that could benefit from the upcoming election.

A Major Canadian Pot Stock to Watch: Aurora Cannabis Inc.

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACB Stock Report) is one of the largest marijuana stocks in the industry. After the U.S. government passed the Farm Bill two years ago, Canadian cannabis companies were effectively able to move into the U.S. market. In May of this year, ACB stock shot up in value after announcing that it had completed its $40 million acquisition of Reliva. For those who don’t know, Reliva is a CBD product retailer based out of the U.S. Although this in itself is not a reason to invest in ACB stock, it does present an interesting opportunity for ACB in the long term.

Unscrupulous seed dealers, lack of experience with the new crop and regulatory hurdles contributed to a rough first year for Louisiana’s industrial hemp program, state officials said Monday.

“This is a growing pain for us,” said Angela Guidry, industrial hemp coordinator with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

The state has 95 licensed growers, not counting eight that have been approved but have not yet paid the $500 annual fee and 12 pending applicants. But of the 868 acres of hemp planted, only 138 have been harvested, according to the LDAF.

CBD products continue to thrive in various industries such as healthcare, cosmetics, hospitality, food, pharmaceuticals, and pet care, among others. Hemp-derived products are expected to saturate huge industries in the years to come; in fact, the CBD market is foreseen to surpass the $20 billion mark by 2024.

This is no surprise at all, as CBD continues to gain popularity ever since the legalization of cannabis as an agricultural crop in the United States. More and more countries are considering the same, so we can all expect the market growth to remain exponential in the next few years.

Producers rely on technology to create leverage in coming up with new and innovative methods. How is technology reshaping the industry now, and what can we expect in the near future?

GMO Cannabis

Genetic engineering has been around for a while now, with food items being bioengineered in different ways; and it is probably just a matter of time before we have genetically-engineered cannabis, as well. CanBreed, an Israel-based company founded in 2017, was able to secure a patent and hold a license to use genetic-editing technology in cannabis products. CanBreed claims that using stable seeds partnered with CRISPR technology, inherent challenges in cannabis farming will be addressed. These challenges include cost, sensitivity to humidity, and genetic instability, to name a few. The company believes that they can help optimize farming by editing specific cannabis genes and traits. CanBreed still has to overcome a lot of hurdles especially in terms of regulation in order to expand, but it is worth noting that such innovation in cannabis farming is now in the works. 

Nano CBD

CBD bioavailability or the amount of CBD in one’s bloodstream as a result of traditional ways of consuming CBD products is very low. That is because CBD is naturally not soluble in water, but soluble in fat. Humans have more water than fat in our system, so most of the CBD taken in are flushed out of the system together with urine, leaving only around 20% of the CBD consumed. Enter, nanotechnology. Nano CBD is being marketed as “water-soluble.” However, that might be erroneous because CBD’s hydrophobic nature cannot change no matter how small you make its particles. But, it is worth noting that nano CBD are small enough to pass through membranes that normal-sized CBD particles cannot penetrate; so, in theory, nanotechnology can increase CBD bioavailability. Although it needs further research, we might be looking at a future where Nano CBD may be favored over regular CBD.

It’s a great time for cannabis in the U.S., with a wide variety of quality products reaching different areas of the country. While marijuana is not legal on a federal level, U.S. states seem to be more open to the possibility of cannabis as a valid option for people struggling with different illnesses or who want to consume it recreationally.

There are thousands of medicinal cannabis products available for purchase online, but the Internet can be a hard (and questionable) place to buy stuff unless well-informed aobut what you’re looking for. Here are five of the most common products that consumers may want to learn more about.

Medical cannabis oil

This product is mostly administered through an oral syringe and made up of a dark coloured liquid containing a mixture of components within the cannabis plant. Offering cannabinoids and terpenoids, many cannabis oils are high in antioxidant features and have painkilling and anti-inflammatory properties. Cannabis oils have been reported to be helpful in treating a variety of ailments and can even be prepared at home.

CBD hemp oils are easier to acquire in most U.S. states since a medical card is not needed to purchase. / Photo: iStock / Getty Images PlusPhoto: iStock / Getty Images Plus

CBD hemp oil

This product is made from hemp plants with low THC and high CBD content. Since these hemp products contain almost no THC, they’re non-psychoactive, which means that they won’t get a user high. CBD hemp oils are easier to acquire in most U.S. states since a medical card is not needed to purchase.