What Is CBD Oil and How Can It Help You

What Is CBD Oil and How Can It Help You

Get Natural, Safe Relief with CBD Oil

You may have heard of CBD Oil, an all-natural supplement that’s taken the realm of personal health care by storm due to it’s, what some would consider, miraculous healing powers. In states that have legalized the recreational and/or medical sale, possession, and use of marijuana, CBD Oil supplements and other CBD products such as edibles and salves can be purchased from most dispensaries. In states where marijuana is still illegal, more doctors are beginning to prescribe it to their patients, resulting in fantastic reviews and higher success rates than many pharmaceuticals.

 CBD Oil – What Is It and How It Can Help You?

CBD Oil, short for Cannabidiol Oil, is a derivative of the hemp or cannabis plant that has shown a continual increase in popularity as more research is published on the wide variety of uses and benefits the plant provides.As a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, CBD provides natural, safe, and effective relief for even the most sensitive of patients, without the typical psychoactive effects associated with cannabis or nasty side effects of pharmaceuticals.

Common Uses

CBD Oil may be used for a variety of ailments but is most commonly administered for pain and anxiety relief and to protect against the development and spread of cancer. It’s also commonly used as a digestive aid or prescribed as an antipsychotic for schizophrenia. As time goes on, more and more people are taking advantage of the medicinal and therapeutic effects proven in scientific studies, some of which are detailed below.

Pain & Anxiety Relief

Perhaps the most primary use of CBD Oil is for pain relief. The CBD cannabinoid binds to CB1 receptors in the body, relieving pain and reducing inflammation. With high effectiveness, CBD Oil has begun to replace costly pharmaceuticals for many patients, even some with severe and stubborn chronic pain.

 A 2011 study indicated CBD may alleviate even the most severe social anxieties. Thorough testing, measurements, and evaluations were completed before determining the CBD group had significantly fewer symptoms of anxiety, less cognitive impairment, and lack of general discomfort. The placebo control group however, showed elevated levels of the same. Standard anxiety medications, many of which are highly controversial for their dangerous side effects and increased risk of harm if used over long periods of time, are quickly becoming replaced by the natural, safe alternative of CBD.

 Reduced Risk of Cancer

According to studies conducted by the National Cancer Institute, CBD induces tumor cell death, inhibits cancerous cell growth and the spread of cancerous cells. Good for easing symptoms of chemotherapy, CBD is also particularly effective against breast cancer as research points to CBD disabling the accountable gene and preventing cancerous cells from traveling through inhibition of the ID-1 action in the body.

 Improved Digestion

While the best way to manage your digestion and avoid problems is through a healthy diet and regular exercise, CBD Oil has been scientifically proven to improve digestion and reduce nausea and vomiting. Patients undergoing treatment for serious illnesses sometimes experience negative side effects of the digestive system. These are significantly minimized with supplemental CBD treatment.

 Natural Antipsychotic

Although a rare disease, schizophrenia often comes with severely debilitating side effects. Patients are often forced to experiment with various pharmaceuticals that may or may not improve their general condition. While other disorders may share similar or equally psychotic effects, CBD has been used as a natural, safe antipsychotic treatment to reduce such debilitating effects.

 Find Out More

If you think CBD Oil may benefit you or you’re interested in finding out more, try it for yourself! If you live in a state where marijuana has been legalized recreationally, visit a dispensary of your choice and ask to see their CBD products. If legalized for medicinal uses only, you may need to apply and register for dispensary access. If you’re among the many still waiting for their state to awaken to the healing powers of cannabis, talk to your doctor about what CBD prescriptions may be available.

Pricey Pot The 6 Most Expensive Weed Strains In The United States

Most Expensive Cannabis Strains in the United States

Cannabis Strain By Price

When people walk into a dispensary, usually they’re looking for some combination of good quality and reasonable prices. Sometimes that can be tough to accomplish, with top shelf flower costing up to $25 per gram. Interestingly, lower income recreational users make up a significant percentage of overall consumers. In 2016, a cannabis research and analytics firm, the Brightfield Group, conducted a study of 1,200 medical cannabis patients in California and found that “low-income users make up nearly a third of marijuana patients, are loyal customers, and tend to use more product per person than higher-income consumers do.” Brightfield defines “lower income” as consumers who are unemployed or making less than $30,000 per year.
So why cover a list of most expensive strains when ⅓ of California’s consumers are low income? Because it’s important to be a savvy consumer, and awareness of market prices is useful in finding the best deal for your dollar. Without further ado, here are the six most expensive strains we could find through WeedMaps strain pricing tool and Google research. These would be good strains to buy when your local shop is having happy hour specials, FTP deals, or Patient Appreciation Days.

1. Girl Scout Cookies – Highest Listed Price $420.00

A hybrid of OG Kush and Durban Poison, Girl Scout Cookies originated in California with sweet and earthy flavors. It is a high THC strain that has won numerous awards. It is said to have a positive effect on nausea, pain, and helps combat appetite loss.

2. OG Kush – Highest Listed Price $400.00

OG Kush is the ubiquitous west coast strain and there are many different phenotypes of this strain. Its predominant scents are of pine and lemon and is known for bringing on heavy relaxation and euphoria. It has been said to be helpful for migraines and ADD by many patients who use this strain.

3. Critical Plus – Highest Listed Price $400.00

Critical Plus was the winner of the first High Life Cup, held in Barcelona. It has limited popularity in the United States and is mostly found in the Pacific Northwest. It is a citrusy strain that will improve mood and offers a mostly heady high.

4. Gorilla Glue #4 – Highest Lited Price $400.00

Considered to be one of the strongest strains of all time, Gorilla Glue #4 is a hybrid whose parents include Chocolate Diesel and Sour Dubb. It was developed by GG Strains and won multiple Cannabis Cups as well as the High Times World Cup in Jamaica. It is incredibly pungent with the smell of a bud capable of filling a room quite easily.

5. Northern Lights – Highest Listed Price $380.00

Unlike some other strains on the list Northern Lights has seemed to be around forever. It first came to prominence as early as 1985 in Holland and is a pure indica that has been a parent of numerous famous hybrids including Super Silver Haze. It has a spicy taste and smell and often has purple coloring.

6. Space Queen– Highest Lited Price $380.00

Rounding out our list is Space Queen, a hybrid developed by BC Growers.  It has a funky smell that might scare off novice users. Like other strains on our list it has a number of phenotypes and is considered to be a very potent strain.

Charities Refuse Cannabis Contributions

Charities occupy a special place in modern society.

Charities function like a corporation but they are very different. They are an institutional mechanism for people and groups to affect change. They can be local, national or international organizations and often work closely with governments.

Governments even subsidize certain charities, demanding strict adherence to rules and regulations in exchange for massive amounts of money and tax write-offs. But individuals can also give money. Some mega-donors can give over $100 million at a time.

Unlike corporations or government agencies, charities can be motivated by religious, social, political or economic goals or any combination of the above. They can be organized around an idea like stopping cancer or around a person like Hillary Clinton.

But charities have a few limits on what they can do and why.

Charities function as non-profit companies with many working internationally. These international organizations rely on government assistance to achieve their goal. This can be simple like providing permits or incredibly complex like hurricane relief efforts.

 There are some Organizations like the Unicorn Children’s Foundation or the Children’s Hospital Foundation that work exclusively with children. Most rely on a few wealthy donors to keep things going while most small donations make up any shortfalls. So keeping those big donors happy is a high priority.

If the charity gets publicly shamed, big donors can pull their support almost instantly. This makes charities very cautious about alienating their biggest supporters. It also means they may turn away help because of where it comes from.

Not all help is the same.

Imagine you ran a multi-million dollar organization with 100 employees. Money is always tight but one donor provided 50% of the income needed to run the organization for a year. That donor is all about the cause and wants to help but loathes cannabis.

Now imagine that a local dispensary wants to donate a few hundred dollars to your charity. You know that if your big donor finds out you took the money, they will withdraw their support. That means ripping the carpet out from under 100 employees, their families, and likely having to close the doors. What do you do?

Would you risk losing the large donor? Would you try to hide where the money came from? Or would you refuse the money? What if the small donor was a black-market meth dealer? There is no right or wrong answer but there are clear winners and losers.

This is a real problem for the weed industry.

charities

As cannabis moves from the black market into the grey market, charities are having to make a choice more and more. Do they accept the grey-money from cannabis or do they protect their current arrangements? Depending on who governs the board, that answer may change.

Politically conservative or highly religious individuals tend to regard cannabis as a negative. Organizations with these types of individuals will resist cannabis far past the point of legality. Many feel a religious mandate to prevent cannabis from moving forward.

Even if most of the individuals in an organization have no qualms about where a specific donation comes from, they still have to remain in the good graces of their main contributors. This is especially true when the organization receives federal money like the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Wounded Warriors (WW).

It usually comes down to federal law.

Since cannabis is still federally illegal, organizations that require federal assistance cannot risk accepting questionable money. Even if the money is legit, each organization needs to take a good hard look at itself before it can accept contributions from cannabis companies.

Those of us in the industry understand the threat that Attorney General Sessions poses to the movement. We looked at the state of cannabis and decided to add our effort to the cause despite the personal risk. But not everyone wants to or even can do that.

Once federal law unambiguously declares that cannabis is legal, we may see conservative and religious organizations jumping on board with cannabis. Groups like the ACS and WW will likely stay opposed to cannabis though.

There will always be naysayers.

On their website, the ACS talks extensively about the science of cannabis and cancer. It also states that:

” The American Cancer Society supports the need for more scientific research on cannabinoids for cancer patients, and recognizes the need for better and more effective therapies that can overcome the often debilitating side effects of cancer and its treatment.”

The ACS and WW may never advocate for cannabis use. Their missions stand in opposition to many of the stereotypes and misconceptions that persist around cannabis. Without more research and changes to its federal status, cannabis donations will remain off-limits to many organizations.

There is hope though.Landrace Strain 1

Just last week, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch introduced new legislation for cannabis called the Marijuana Effective Drug Study Act of 2017 or MEDS Act. As a longtime cannabis prohibitionist, he doesn’t like cannabis, but he can see the medical effectiveness of it. If a religious conservative like him could come arou
nd to cannabis, there is hope for others.

Once cannabis becomes federally legal, more charities will start accepting donations from cannabis based businesses. Many organizations that currently refuse donations from the cannabis industry will lose the last legitimate reasons to resist legal weed and the people involved in it.

There will always be those that feel cannabis is dangerous or negative. But as long as we continue to move forward with legalization, fears and misconceptions about cannabis will be replaced with understanding and hopefully tolerance. Until then, donations from the cannabis community to these organizations will remain unwelcome.

What is your opinion on accepting donations? Should organizations accept money from anyone? Should they only accept donations from certain people? let us know in the comments below.

House Rules Committee Marijuana Vote

House Rules Committee Marijuana Vote

The House Rules Committee leaders fear vote on cannabis.

House Rules Committee
The republican-led House Rules Committee recently blocked protections for MMJ patients and banks that want to serve state-legal canna businesses. Known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, the now axed legislation was attached to a spending bill. The proposed edits prevent the Justice Department from using its budget to prosecute state-legal businesses. But all that flew out the window when the committee refused to allow a vote.
There are also a number of other proposals that were rejected. According to reports by The Hill, GOP leadership cut the proposal because “it splits the conference too much so we’re not going to have a vote on it.” But history shows that previous versions of the medical protections have passed with wide margins in the House. However, those protections expire at the end of September.
Despite several days of intense lobbying by California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R), the longtime champion of patient rights was unsuccessful. She couldn’t rally enough support to protect the legislation from the religious zealotry of Jeff Sessions. Despite repeated assertions by Donald Trump that marijuana should be a state issue, the Attorney General continues his crusade.

This move puts cannabis users in Sessions cross-hairs.

CARERS Stopping Sessions
And I’m not being cute here. If Sessions had his way, he would end cannabis consumption entirely. And Sessions belief that “good people don’t smoke marijuana” is well-documented. As is his passion for prosecuting stoners and minorities.

It wasn’t long ago that Sessions sent a letter to the DOJ directing prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious and readily provable offense” for cannabis users. But it isn’t just a bunch of stoners getting shafted by Sessions. Even the DEA is mad at Sessions for actively preventing them from researching cannabis. So it comes as no surprise that many in the community are depressed.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel though.

Burning Man
Luckily for those of us who understand the science behind cannabis use, one man’s opinion isn’t the only thing that matters. There are a total of 13 members of the House Rules Committee. It just sucks when a handful of people with no stake in the outcome decide to obliterate millions of jobs, waste billions of tax dollars on incarceration and actively cause unneeded suffering.
But not all cannabis reform was banned from voting though. Three amendments on banking were offered to the committee. Sponsored by Dennis “Denny” Heck, D-Washington, they would have allowed for marijuana businesses to access banking services. It would have accomplished this by prohibiting the punishment of financial institutions that serve licensed marijuana businesses.
The legislation could also prevent the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network from rescinding its guidance for banks that work with marijuana firms. Unfortunately, the measures were rejected on an 8-5 vote. Although in this age of partisan politics was that the four Democrats on the committee joined by Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington.

Everyone can see what is happening here.

medical grow
Rohrabacher also delivered an impassioned pitch to his colleagues on the House floor on Tuesday night. He claimed that without the amendment, “we’re changing the status quo in a way that undermines the rights of the states and the people”. Yet despite the long hours and passion, the decision to scrap cannabis protections was made without a vote.
In addition to blocking the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment, Rep. Pete Sessions and the Rule Committee also blocked several other amendments from even being considered. These measures also would have improved the state-legal cannabis environment. Another proposal that was cut was to prohibit federal funds from being used to penalize banks for serving legitimate marijuana businesses.
The Rules committee also blocked several other cannabis related proposals. The additional blocked measures would protect state-run hemp programs, ease restrictions on scientific research, allow the District of Columbia to implement adult-use and protect the states where cannabis use is legal. Because these proposals were blocked, there is little chance for voting on them in the foreseeable future.

Legalization is a long-term goal.

coco coir
While Wednesdays action was a setback, it doesn’t mean the end of cannabis. The Senate appropriations bill that was approved in July contains the same MMJ protections as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer amendment. But the current legislation is still getting hammered out in a House-Senate reconciliation committee. That also means the language or protections can still change.
Many were devastated by the House Rules Committee decision. Don Murphy, the Marijuana Policy Project director of conservative outreach said that, “Unless Congress chooses the Senate budget version, millions of seriously ill patients and the legitimate businesses that provide them with safe access to their medicine will be at risk of prosecution,” He continued by saying “This vote is a slap in the face of patients, their families, their elected representatives, and the 10th Amendment.”
While this setback will have long-reaching consequences for millions of people, the legalization movement will continue. There are also bound to be more blind corners and rough patches on the road to full legalization. But those of us that can see the light at the end of the tunnel realize that there is a lot more tunnel ahead of us.

House Rules Committee members:

Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas (chair)
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Oklahoma (vice-chair)
Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Georgia
Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Georgia
Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Alabama
Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colorado
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming
Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-New York (ranking minority member)
Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts
Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Florida
Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colorado

How do you feel about the House Rules Committee’s decision? Should MMJ be protected? Or should it remain as it is? Let us know how you feel and what you want to see happen in the comment section down below.

How to Prepare Marijuana Grows for a Hurricane

How to Prepare Marijuana Grows for a Hurricane

Water, water everywhere.

Hurricane
Hurricane Harvey just passed and Irma is making landfall at the moment. So far, there are a total of eight confirmed deaths with whole communities under water. Millions of people in Texas and Louisiana are affected by the devastation left by Harvey. The southern tip of the United States is basically under trillions of gallons of water. And there are more storms to come.
Texas declared a state of emergency as the pumps protecting Houston failed. With over 7 million people in the Houston area (almost a quarter of the entire states population) affected, there is little that isn’t decimated from the storm. Whole communities remain under feet of water as rescue efforts turn into recovery.
The volume of water unleashed over the last few days is unbelievable. Nowhere seems safe from the raging waters as highways become temporary rivers and hills become islands. Millions of people have had to evacuate their homes. Not to mention the thousands of hydroponics stores, private and commercial grow rooms and covert grows that drown in the flood.

It is obvious that the cannabis community is among the many victims of Hurricane Harvey.


For cannabis growers in the Lone Star State and other parts of the continent, these natural phenomena create unprecedented challenges and difficult choices. They could pack up and move their operations or they could batten down the hatches and try to wait out the storm.
Those in a position to move their grows had move fast and quietly. In the brave new world of climate change, superstorms and unchecked urbanization, marijuana growers are on the front lines. They have to find ways to be resilient and adapt to sudden, catastrophic conditions.
There’s no way marijuana growers (or the wider population) can totally prepare for these unprecedented conditions. Hurricanes and other large-scale weather disasters continue to increase in potency and frequency as climate change is ignored. And unless a concerted effort is made on a national level, these kinds of disasters are going to increase in frequency.

Be aware of warning signs and prepare for the worst before it happens.


Cities like Houston have had years of warning that this kind of event would happen but budgets and bureaucracy prevented the city from making appropriate adjustments to mandatory infrastructure. Scientists and city planners predicted that unless the government made major changes in the flood control system, and restricted population growth, it was only a matter of time.
Houstonians are at the mercy of the water and the government at this point. However, some tactics are useful as preventive or reactive strategies when the crap hits the fan. Some of these suggestions require advance planning while others are more reactionary. While not guaranteed to prevent loss, these methods can help indoor marijuana growers avoid total crop failure.

5 Easy Steps to Avoid Total Crop Failure

  1. Study flood maps, alternative travel routes, and other topographic, climatic, and infrastructure issues before you choose a location for your indoor grow room.
  2. Subscribe to premium weather warning services. By monitoring first responder emergency networks, you get early news about potential disasters.
  3. Have a disaster emergency plan in place before a hurricane or other natural disaster hits your area. Plan an exit strategy that maximizes your ability to save seeds, plants and grow gear.
  4. Choose a grow located on high ground, ideally in nearby foothills or mountains. Also avoid areas with dense stands of trees that are prone to fires. Tree clearing and trimming areas sensitive can help secure your location.
  5. Use a multi-story structure for your grow. Put the indoor marijuana garden on a floor above ground level to avoid flooding.

5 Difficult Steps to Avoid Total Crop Failure

  1. Have a portable backup generator on a platform above flood level and wired to provide electricity to your grow room and related equipment.
  2. Have a trustworthy friend in a safe location babysit your plants if your grow room is threatened.
  3. If relocating the grow is out of the question, consider taking clones of the plants before you evacuate. Marijuana clones are much easier to transport and keep alive, even in a hotel room or makeshift shelter for a few days.
  4. If you grow marijuana in pure hydroponics systems such as deep water culture or aeroponics, you can’t move them safely. Only plants growing in a solid root zone media that holds water, oxygen and nutrients (like rockwool, coco coir, soilless mix or soil) can expect to survive being taken out of your grow room.
  5. If you’re unable to move your marijuana plants to a safe location, you need to cut them, bag them, remove them from your house. Dismantle the grow and move equipment to a safe location. You do this to salvage equipment and so you don’t get busted. Remember that during evacuations, government officials have the right to enter any home/structure without permission. If they find a grow op in your house, you’re at their mercy. Homeowners insurance adjustors that visit your home after a natural disaster like Hurricane Harvey will deny your claim if they find grow equipment.

What do you think of the list? Is there anything you would add or take away? Have you been affected by Hurricane Harvey or Irma? What steps have you taken to protect your crop from natural disasters? Let us know in the comments below!

Is Legalization Really Responsible for More Car Crashes

Is Legalization to Blame for the Increasing Number of Car Related Fatalities?

opioid treatment

Colorado State and Federal data shows a rise in the number of drivers involved in fatal crashes who tested positive for marijuana.The overall number has doubled since marijuana legalization in 2013. The Denver Post recently launched an in-depth investigation into this issue. They are (among other things) reading coroner’s reports to determine if Colorado’s roads have become unsafe since legalization. In Front Range counties, more drivers involved in fatal car accidents are testing positive for marijuana than before 2013.

Part of what people fear is negligent drivers behind the wheel. In 2016, nearly a dozen drivers tested positive for THC with almost five times the legal amount in their systems. In 2016, a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Fatality Analysis Reporting System showed some surprising information about drivers.

It’s just plain difficult to accurately test cannabis intoxication.drivers

Drivers who survived car crashes were regularly drug tested within a few hours of the incident. This type of information is trying to show how recently drivers consumed cannabis.The problem they run into is that cannabis metabolizes slowly.

Although the high wears off after a few hours, THC remains in a persons system for up to 30 days. Especially heavy or sedentary people may find that THC remains in their system for significantly longer than that. A person could have been high days before but still test positive after an accident. This makes it look like they were high while driving when in fact, they weren’t.

According to the Denver Post, “positive test results reflected in the NHTSA data do not indicate whether a driver was high at the time of the crash since traces of marijuana use from weeks earlier also can appear as a positive result”. Nevertheless, there is a clear trend of car accidents with marijuana in the driver’s system. This trend is causing great concern with city officials and residents. Without an in-depth investigation into the specifics, everyone is left wondering if legalization is to blame.

There are studies on drivers, accidents and cannabis.

Other studies show that in 2013, 10% of drivers who were involved in fatal car accidents tested positive for marijuana. By 2016, that figure rose to 20%. Also, more drivers are testing positive for cannabis and nothing else. Slightly more than 52% of drivers had no alcohol in their system in 2013 and by 2016 that figure rose to 69%.

Of the 115 drivers involved in fatal accidents in 2016 alone, 71% had THC in their systems. Of those approximately 81 people, 63% had over 5 nanograms of THC (the legal limit) floating around in their veins. The average age of drivers in fatal accidents was between 35 and 40 years of age.

Taylor West is the former deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association. According to Taylor, “Unlike alcohol, THC can remain detectable in the blood stream for days or weeks. When any impairment wears off in a matter of hours. So, these numbers really tell us is that, since legal adult-use sales began, a larger number of people are consuming cannabis. And then at some point… (are) driving a car.”

Survivors and victims need something to fight.

Ed Wood of DUID (Driving Under the Influence of Drugs) Victim Voices, started this organization after his son’s death. He believes his son’s death was the direct result of a drugged driver. Ed feels like the system only cares about tax revenue from marijuana and not the people he feels it affects. Instead of simply complain about a system he disagrees with, he activated and found other like-minded people.

Ed Wood and other families who have lost loved ones in a fatal car accidents are compelled to seek closure. If someone can say that the driver was intoxicated, it becomes a rallying cry to purge society of that substance. Mothers Against Drink Driving (MADD), Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA) and more are reactions to the very real issue of unsafe roads. But they lead into the next issue.

The system is set up against cannabis users.

People often claim that it is too early to tell whether marijuana is the true culprit for the rising number of fatalities. And that additional data is required before any real conclusions can be done.But that is where things get sticky. You see, it’s incredibly difficult to research marijuana.

Only two universities nationwide are allowed, by the government, to conduct research on how marijuana affects the human body. But they have to get permission from the Department of Justice (DOJ) before they can start any studies. The DOJ has made it clear that they have no intention of permitting marijuana research as long as Jeff Sessions remains Attorney General.

This means that law enforcement is left with no solid way to prove that drivers are dangerous when under the influence of THC. The executive director of the Colorado-based Marijuana Industry Group (Kelly) says, “There needs to be better understanding about what constitutes impairment”. And cannabis users should want a reliable way to test for impairment.

Washington and Colorado are undergoing similar driver trends.CBD Flower 1

Since Washington’s legalization, the rise of fatal car accidents involving cannabis has risen. But the problem still remains, that there is no definitive method of testing drivers for recent use of cannabis. Yes, drivers are found with cannabis in their system, but the tests don’t show is if they were impaired while they were driving. This means that dangerous drivers hide behind innocuous drivers and cause unnecessary complications and loss of life.

Washington States policy for DUI is that they test for alcohol first. Once a driver is found with alcohol that is over the limit, they don’t bother testing for marijuana. According to Washington police, they don’t have the time and resources to do a thorough check of alcohol and marijuana. According to Denver’s coroner’s report, people are f
ound with higher levels of THC on average than before. Their toxicology tests are showing THC levels as high as 24 ng/ml; with one result showing 68 ng/ml.

Police Chief Jackson says that potency is the issue here.

That the weed of today is not the same weed that was consumed during our grandfather’s time. The levels of acute overdose is what he believes is causing the number of accidents to increase.Although there is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence supporting his claim.

Coroners disagree on whether the presence of THC should be listed on a death certificate. This is because of how people interpret as impairment. Jill Romann, Douglas County’s coroner says, “There are others across the state who feel the same way and won’t use the word intoxication with it. Despite the fact we are all coroners, everyone does as they want.”

Hopefully the Denver Post can shed some light on how cannabis users drive. It is always good to remember that correlation is not the same as causation. Just because people buy more ice cream on hot days doesn’t mean that buying ice cream makes the day hotter. Likewise, just because more people have THC in their system doesn’t mean THC is causing accidents. But scientists have to look at all the data, even the stuff that doesn’t agree with our preconceived notions.

How do you feel about driving while high? Do you think DUID, MADD or MAPDA are on crazy? Have you lost someone to an intoxicated driver and how did that change your view? Let us know in the comments below and what you think should be done.

Feds Study Effect Of MMJ On Opioid Use

Feds Study Effect of MMJ on Opioid Use

 What would you do with access to MMJ and $3.8 million dollars?opioid treatment

Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health Systems get to find out if medical marijuana reduce opioid dependence. Researchers were granted the sum to fund the first in a new round of long-term studies. While past studies have tested cannabis in pain management in HIV and cancer patients, this has a different focus.
This study will officially investigate the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating opioid addiction. Investigators explained their reasons in a media release by the associate chief of general internal medicine Chinazo Cunningham. She claims “There is a lack of information about the impact of medical marijuana on opioid use in those with chronic pain,” and “We hope this study will fill in the gaps and provide doctors and patients with some much needed guidance.”
There are many people who claim cannabis helps opioid users with chronic pain step down their use to safer levels. A minority of users also report that they can completely eliminate their opioid dependence with cannabis. The hope is that patients can remove their dependence entirely but only studies like this can prove it to be true or false.

The study focus on adults with HIV, chronic pain, and it uses real MMJ.opioid treatment

Study participants include 250 HIV- positive and negative adults with chronic pain. Subjects are also required to have a doctors recommendation for medical marijuana. This is the fist study of its kind to use state approved dispensaries to provide the cannabis.
Federal contractors in Mississippi normally provide “research grade” cannabis that has a THC content below 10%. Stored improperly by design and seemingly produced by putting a whole plant in a food processer, almost any dispensary would reject it. This cannabis is known as NIDA weed and these researchers decided they didn’t want it in their study.
Instead of using federally obtained NIDA cannabis like past studies, this one will use cannabis from New York dispensaries. This cannabis is produced and processed by master growers, passes laboratory testing, and has THC content between about 15% and 30%.

Up until now, evidence is mostly anecdotal.

Many people have moving personal stories but they fail to prove anything. We can’t forget the ‘placebo effect’ or projection when listening to a single person tell their story. This study offers 250 people the opportunity to produce the first peer-reviewed research on the safety and effectiveness of cannabis in treating opioid addiction.
This long-term study will also span 18 months and include web-based questionnaires every two weeks. The questionnaires focus on pain levels and the effect of medical and illicit cannabis on opioid dependence. Blood and urine samples get submitted every three months in-person at specified medical facilities. In-depth interviews of participants will explore their perceptions of how marijuana affects their opioid use.
HIV patients suffer from opioid addiction more than other populations. But there is conflict on how many actually suffer in silence. Past studies claim that over 90% of HIV patients suffer from chronic pain while others claim the number could be as low as 25%. With opioids as the go-to pain treatment for most doctors, there is a high risk for misuse and subsequent addiction.

The cards are stacked against cannabis reducing opioid use.

Medical marijuana has made serious strides in legitimizing itself as a treatment for pain. Twenty-nine states (plus the District of Columbia) have legal marijuana use in some way. Chronic pain and HIV/AIDS are qualifying conditions in all of those states.
Yet researchers have never explicitly studied whether or not medical marijuana reduces opioid use over time. Most studies attempt to prove marijuana doesn’t treat medical conditions but fail to do so. This looks at the possibility of treating pain with similar skepticism.
The best part about science is that all the evidence counts. Despite researchers personal desires, the results speak for themselves. This study is no different. “As state and federal governments grapple with the complex issues surrounding opioid use and medical marijuana, we hope to provide evidence-based recommendations that will help shape responsible and effective healthcare practices and public policies,” Cunningham said.

Medical cannabis promises hope to opioid abusers.

HIV and AIDS patients across the globe have claimed cannabis treats their pain. This is the first step in a new phase of medical research. Instead of using the lowest possible quality of weed, they plan to look at real people using real cannabis. The results will likely add to the mountain of evidence that supports medical marijuana.
There is still a long time to go before the results come in. Long-term studies take loads of time to analyze the data. Years pass before researchers publish results. Especially in studies like this. It may be two or more years before anyone can make a claim about the effectiveness of marijuana treating opioid addiction based on this research. We have to sit tight until then.
But if the past has taught us anything, it is that marijuana is a more powerful healer than we ever thought possible. This is just the first of a new wave of research but the results look to direct the following discussion heavily. Let’s just hope that those in power listen to the research.
 
 

cannacul

Cannabis Cultivators Struggle to Go Green

Cannabis Cultivators try and grow environmentally friendly when possible.

Currently, cannabis cultivators are struggling with the large carbon footprint that is needed to produce weed. Marijuana uses just as much energy as a hospital per square foot, and eight times more than an average commercial building. There are major monetary rewards for growers who figure out a constructive method for reducing the environmental footprint.
Cannabis cultivators are trying to reduce the amount of energy needed, water and pesticides. In the U.S. 29 states have legalized marijuana, but no state has implemented strict environment friendly growing regulations. It’s a difficult task because currently there’s no scientific study that recommends which method for cultivation is safest for the environment.

Scientists are needed for testing but are limited due to costs.

Cannabis testing labs are only required to test 0.01% of product for potency and microbes. Other facilities would like to test for more potential issues but it is expensive to do so. But the market is extremely competitive and therefore additional tests are seen as an unneeded expense. “With limited testing, and the desperation to maintain and appease their clients, a lot of the value of laboratories has been lost.” Says a laboratory owner wanting to remain anonymous.

There are problems with testing a small amount of cannabis products.

Facilities are required to check one sample instead of several samples from each batch or an annual harvest. Re-validation is only necessary if the cultivators change their growing process such as adding a new nutrient.
Some labs have manipulated their results to appease their clients, and the state won’t do anything about it. A couple in Colorado do just that. The husband owns the extraction facility and the wife runs the testing lab. They fudge their results to make it seem like they are selling the highest concentration available. The state won’t and can’t do anything about them. If cannabis was treated the same as a food or typical medicine, then 1% of all regulated product would be tested instead of the current 0.01%.
Florida House of Representative members Matt Gaetz and Darron Soto proposed a bill to move cannabis to schedule III. This act would reduce restrictions on cannabis to the same level as Vicodin, making it easier for labs to test. Not just labs, but Universities and other institutions could study marijuana as well.

A lack of organic cannabis certification makes it difficult to control quality.

Only a handful of cultivators try and go above and beyond for their clients. One of the dispensaries in Colorado called, L’Eagle Services, grow high end cannabis and can claim “100% clean cannabis”. A problem L’Eagle runs into is they can’t label their products with official organic certification because it’s not federally legal.
This makes it hard for companies like L’Eagle to offer a clear distinction for their customers. One of L’Eagle’s owners said, “There is no real, national, universal seal of organic certification. It doesn’t exist right now.” Currently, there is no real way for customers to tell the difference between organic and non-organic grade marijuana.

The Organic Cannabis Association looks to create a standard.

The Organic Cannabis Association is trying to develop a national organic seal for cultivators to be able to use. Andrle is one of the owners of L’Eagle, and one of the chair members of The Organic Cannabis Association. Andrle says that they want to change the way people buy weed. And they want to change the way people perceive cannabis.
The Organic Cannabis Association (TOCA) wants organically grown weed to be seen similar to Whole Foods produce. When people think of Whole Foods, healthy and organic comes to everybody’s minds. And that is exactly what TOCA wants consumers to start seeing organic weed as.
People who shop at Whole Foods look for pesticide free vegetables, free-range eggs, wild-caught fish and hormone free meats. TOCA wants the nation to treat organic grade cannabis as a natural, healthier version than normal store brand weed. “We are in a unique period where the cannabis industry does not have federal oversight,” says Ashley Preece. She is the new Executive Director of the Cannabis Certification Council (CCC). “The [organic] certification will give consumers a way to be assured that what they’re putting into their bodies is safe, clean, and supporting their local communities.”

An official organic seal is not the only reason to grow green.

Growers are looking for creative methods that cut down on expensive energy costs. California indoor cannabis cultivators are responsible for 3% of the entire state’s energy consumption and it continues to rise. However, there is nothing California can do to help reduce the costs for the time being.
Mrs. Darwish received a California CCC permit in 2016. After growing for 15 years in Humboldt County, her team no longer needs to hide their growing operation in the mountains. Mrs. Darwish does her best to maintain a low environmental footprint. She claims to not use pesticides or fertilizers. And she keeps track of her water consumption carefully. According to Mrs. Darwish, “We believe that sustainability extends to setting a high standard for conduct, and we are working to show the community that the emerging legal cannabis industry is contributing to society, not taking from it.”

Not all cultivators have access to Eco-friendly options.

Growing outdoors slashes the costs of energy because cultivation teams like Mrs. Darwish do not require to purchase grow lights. Warehouse growers have to pay a lot more; they require lots of energy for indoor cultivation. LED and regular grow light systems, HVAC systems, and general utility costs consume much of the environment’s resources. But not everyone is blessed with an outdoor growing option.
Many cannabis cultivators are inner city and have no other option but to continue to use expensive systems. Slowly but surely more and more cultivators will create innovative measures for growing green but for now things are in limbo. Hopefully, the federal system will embrace cannabis and allow research institutions to assist in creating ingenious cannabis Eco-friendly grow methods.

Collecting Marijuana Sculptural Glass

Collecting Marijuana: Sculptural Glass

Collecting glass is a passion shared by millions of people.

People aren’t the only ones that start collecting either. Some animals cache or horde items too. Crows are attracted to and give shiny objects as presents. Deep under the ocean certain crustaceans collect rocks. The act of collecting stems from a desire to make life easier or more bearable.
Collecting isn’t based exclusively on physical necessity either. People can collect everything from experiences like visiting all 50 United States to items like paintings. Even though these items and experiences don’t seem amazingly important, they can make all the difference to the color of the memories created with them.

Why collect glass?Collecting Glass

Glass is known for being fragile but modern advances make them far more durable than in days past. While some people still lose glass regularly, careful attention to storage and maintenance will keep a pipe around for decades. Granted, law enforcement has a habit of destroying paraphernalia when they find it.
Even if a smoker isn’t losing pipes regularly to damage or enforcement, the first pipe is rarely perfect. New users rarely know how a pipe should feel in the hand or how a bong should draw. This means many first-time purchases are based on looks and not function, leading to additional purchases.

What makes sculptural glass pieces special?

People buy sculpture because they feel it embodies some aspect of their personality or persona. Sculptural glass offers smokers the opportunity to merge their love of cannabis with other loves. What better piece to represent a SCA fighter than a steamroller in the shape of a mace or sword?
The glass sculpture also becomes a social extension of the person who owns it. A giant glass spider pipe suggests a flair for extravagance and a hint of danger. While a lewd and nude sculptural pipe reinforces acceptance of the chauvinistic tendencies of ‘that one guy’. The piece itself becomes an extension of the person collecting it.

And glass isn’t cheap either.

It is also difficult for many people to justify paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a piece of glass that has the same function as an $80 one. This is especially difficult to justify if the person might break or have to toss the piece at any given moment.
Spending $50 on a basic pipe every month because it gets dropped or has to be ditched is expensive. Over the course of a year, replacement costs add up to $600 or more. That is a lot of money to dish out regularly but it also means spending $300 on a bong once a year doesn’t feel as bad.

Remember that the smoking experience is colored by the device.

Smoke out of enough pieces and you will find one that looks cool but smokes like trash. Veteran smokers should recognize that function is more important to a smoking device than form. Even so, nobody can resist the draw of smoking out of and collecting something special.
Claiming to have a glass turtle to smoke out of is intriguing and grabs people’s attention. But if the piece is poorly made, it holds their attention for all the wrong reasons. People will critique burnt fingers and remember the stench of sizzling nose hair instead of the cool elements of the piece.
If the glass piece is masterfully crafted, it will show through on every element. Years after the fact, people will bring up the time they smoked out of your bad ass animal. They will fondly recite the story to friends as they describe the legendary status of smoking out of a spider. They won’t even remember how stellar or crappy the weed was!

There are a few key things to look for when collecting sculptural pipes.

Pipes and bongs are supposed to create thick smoke but not all can. The smoke cools as it is inhaled through the glass which allows it to expand and thicken. Denser and colder smoke fills the chamber evenly. But wide chambers aren’t able to empty as a slipstream is created between the narrow openings.
The airflow should be restricted enough to produce resistance while the flame is hitting the weed but strong enough to force the heat down and through the plant matter. Smokers should be able to draw a hit easily and the chambers should clear quickly.

Make sure it fits before you buy.

Buyer’s remorse is a real thing and stoners experience it regularly. Most glass galleries ensure that all sales are final so there is no recourse once the piece is open at home. In addition to that, nobody outside of a few Facebook groups and friends accept used glass.
The people who do accept used glass will likely offer pennies on the dollar. That’s assuming they are willing to pay for it to begin with. So make sure you really like a piece before dropping hundreds of dollars on it.

Keep an eye out for bad welds.

There are a lot of talented and honest glass galleries out there. There are also plenty of fly-by-night charlatans both online and in the real world. Instead of relying on the word of a salesman, inspect the piece for defects and shortcuts.
When two pieces of glass get fused, it creates a weld line. High quality pieces have smooth welds that create even transitions between pieces of glass. Poor quality pieces have bubbly, ridged or uneven welds. Poor quality welds create stress on the glass and can lead to spontaneous fracturing and other unpleasantness.

And make sure it’s stable!

Every piece needs to be stable when sitting on a flat surface. If a piece can’t stand on its own, it should at least have a stable stand. Nothing is quite as stunningly horrible as watching a $4000 piece crash every time a door closes.
Ideally, expensive pieces should also be easy to handle. Glass pieces need to sit well in the hand so they don’t get dropped while being used or passed. Some designs are inherently intricate and fragile but even these need to be stable enough to stand on a shelf and get moved from time to time.

10 Slang Weed Terms and Why to Use Them

10 Slang Weed Terms and Why to Use Them

Before mankind learned to write, we used slang to describe the cannabis plants.

One of the most ancient plants ever cultivated is embedded with slang. Over the last few thousand years, people have come up with a lot of different ways to describe the plant we all know and love. Every time someone comes up with a new moniker for Shiva’s Gift, the list of slang terms grows longer.
The scientific name for our favorite plant is cannabis sativa and cannabis sativa indica. These species have collectively been called cannabis since the early days of mankind. Modern governments refer to industrial cannabis grown for fiber and seed as hemp. Cannabis plants cultivated for medical or recreational usage is called marijuana. Yet most people refer to cannabis with slang.
Cannabis use transcends social and economic barriers across all continents and times. As such, there are often divergent or outright contradictory stories about every name. I tried to include some historical reference to the entries and also some context. Be sure to let everyone know in the comments below if you have heard any alternative theories.

Herb: Youtube Bong

Herb is one of the older known slangs for cannabis. Originally coined when Latin was popular, it basically meant green or crop. The term was later used by Old French speakers to refer to a more specific subset of crops. Middle English speakers also adopted the word and it maintained its meaning since. As one of the oldest known crops, cannabis was often referred to as an herb throughout historical accounts. When cannabis was criminalized, it retained the old moniker.

Ganja: MS treatment

Ganja was originally coined in Sanskrit a millennia ago. The term was eventually adopted by the Hindi and Bengali people to describe hemp (the THC-free version of cannabis). The term is still used to describe cannabis in India and across the Caribbean.

Marijuana: coco coir

Originally coined in the early 1920’s by Larry Anslinger, marijuana was a derogatory term. Created to generate and reinforce negative stereotypes about minorities and later, hippies. There are several different spellings of the word from the early propaganda produced by Anslinger and associates. Other terms that mean similar to marijuana and is used widely today is MJ and weed.

Hydro:

Hydro refers to using hydroponic (water-soaked/submerged) techniques to grow any strain of cannabis. Advances in lighting technology and electronics during the 60’s and 70’s enabled growing indoors for the first time. By the late 80’s the technology was available to the mass market and people shortened the word from hydroponic to hydro.

Chronic: slang

Chronic does NOT refer to a chronic user of cannabis. In an interview with Seth Rogan, Snoop Dogg explained that the term stemmed from a misinterpretation in the 1990’s. Unfamiliar with hydroponic technology, Snoop, Dr. Dre and company mistakenly called it hydrochronic. It was shortened to ‘the chronic’ before long. Once Dr. Dre released the era-defining album by the same name, the misinterpretation stuck.

Terpy:

Terpenes are a broad group of hydrocarbon molecules that most plants produce. The term became popular in the late 1800’s. Used to describe aromatic compounds, the term came from the German word for turpentine. Terpenes interact with our olfactory organs to create smells and cannabis produces a wide range of them. Higher concentrations of terpenes create more potent smells so weed that smells strongly are called terpy.

Hit:

Smoking cannabis flower is known as ‘taking a hit’ or ‘hitting a pipe’. The term comes from the Middle English word hitten or ‘to strike’. It was later adopted by the Dutch before arriving in the US in the mid 1900’s. A hit is a single dose of marijuana flower, or dab, consumed by smoking from a pipe, bong, or dab rig.

Dab:Vapes 2016

To dab is to apply hash oil to a heated surface in order to vaporize it. Popularized in the early 2000’s, dabbing has developed into a subculture of cannabis consumption. The trend is partly due to advances in mobile vaporizing devices and a public perception of decreased risk of harm. A person needs to buy a dab rig in order to take a dab. Another type of dab is called Live Resin. It is made differently than a dab, but a dab rig is still required to take a dab hit.

Hash:

Originating in ancient India, hash describes cannabis preparation used by ancient assassins. Hash is produced by separating the oily trichomes from the rest of the plant and can be compressed into bricks. Smoking hash produces the same effects as smoking raw flower but at high potencies.
Some people can create their own hash with the right equipment, or it can be bought from a dispensary. Rick Simpson oil is another type of hash oil. It can be used as a bowl topper, for dabbing, or as a coating on joints.

Doobie:

A cannabis cigarette is commonly called a doobie. The origins are unknown but there are a few possibilities. The word could be derived from the Latin term dubiety, which basically meant to give rise to uncertainty. It was also slang used by black slaves during the mid-1800’s to describe smoked cannabis cigarettes.
The TV show Scooby Doo is credited with popularizing the term but the source material seems unconnected to cannabis consumption specifically. Several people who knew of cannabis from the 60’s still use this term today instead of a joint or jay. Another type of cannabis cigarette is cannabis wrapped in tobacco paper, but that is called a blunt not a doobie.

There are even more ways to say cannabis!

There are so many more slang terms for cannabis that I couldn’t include them all. Terms like stoned, blazed and faded. There are also slang specific amounts of weed  like dub and QP. Let us know if we should do a follow-up to this article and dive into more slang.
Also be sure to let us know in the comments below what slang you think should have been on this list. Or help add more slang to the list using the comment below. Remember, sharing is caring and thanks for reading.