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Weed Reader 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Winter has arrived and so has our holiday gift guide.

Are you still struggling to find something for the cannabis lover in your life? Maybe they already have everything you could think to get them. Rest assured, you aren’t alone. Because of how ubiquitous cannabis use is becoming, there is no single item for every stoner. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find the perfect gift for your loved ones.
We scoured the internet and dispensaries to find out what the most useful gifts available are. After loads of research (and lots of snacks) we think we found the best out there. This holiday gift guide has a products with a range of prices and broad appeal.
Some items in this holiday gift guide are cheap while others are extravagant. We wanted to ensure that everyone could find something that would show a lot of thought and effort to the recipient. We didn’t feature items like papers and lighters since they are kinda impersonal and transitory although some products may come with them.
The best gifts are ones that become part of everyday life for years. So we tried to focus our items on things that will be useful over the long term. You can be sure that the entries on this holiday gift guide will be used for years to come.

So here is our picks to fill out our 2017’s holiday gift guide.

  1. Gaming Weed Tray

holiday gift guideThere are a lot of retro gamers in the cannabis community. If the stoner in your life grew up with a controller in their hands, they are sure to love this kit. The tray is perfect for rolling joints and blunts with product prepared in the Pokeball grinder. And the Nintendo themed lighters will help you smoke ’em all after you are done loading/rolling.

  1. Davinci IQ Dry Herb Vaporizer

 

The Davinci IQ portable vaporizer provides a new level of customization to the vaporization experience. Using Smart Path technology to provide the exact temperature and timing adjustments means that you can tailor the experience to perfectly fit your needs. The vaporizer also connects through an app to your smartphone for even more customization.
This advanced vaporizer is the ideal gift for the person who loves tech, often outperforming even custom vape setups. But that doesn’t mean it is difficult to use. The intuitive design means that even the techno-challenged can find the perfect vaping experience. The Smart path technology also ensures that every hit is cool and delicious.

  1. Smokebuddy Personal Air Filter

2017 Stoner GiftsThere are a lot of reasons to use a Smokebuddy that don’t involve smoking in your parents house. People in the medical field, trucking and other fields can get into hot water for simply smelling like weed. And many medical patients don’t want to smell like burned weed all day.
The Smokebuddy is wonderfully portable and completely self contained. Simply take a hit like normal before exhaling into the device. The filter absorbs all odors before expunging neutral-smelling air on the other side. This means that there is no signature smell like you get from using dryer sheets or Fabreeze.

  1. Eyce Bong Mold

You know what is great in winter but only gets better as the weather gets warmer? An ice bong made with the Eyce Mold 2.0. This novel approach to cooling smoke is simply amazing. Top the mold off with water, place it somewhere it can freeze, and pop out a frigid bong ready for the coolest hits you have ever had.
The mold is reusable and made of resilient material so you can make a new bong every day of the year. or you can empty the water and pop the piece back in the freezer to use again later. This party piece is especially awesome for patients or enthusiasts who care about flavor and love cold hits.

  1. Giant Bag of Weed Pillow Cover

No holiday gift guide is complete without a big bag of weed. This bag of weed won’t get you kicked out for smell pollution but it might just send you off to dreamland. And this is going to be the cheapest bag of weed you ever bought.
The perfect gift for the open stoner with a love of snugly things, this bag of weed will never run out. It even comes in different strains so you can get just the right one.

  1. Magical Butter Machine

holiday gift guideThe Magical Butter Machine is able to produce commercial quality butter, oil and tinctures easily and reliably. This machine is perfect for the baked baker of the family or patients who don’t like to smoke or vape. Users can make butter, oil and tinctures as potent/flavorful as they want with no extra hassle.
It makes the long, difficult and messy process of creating medical-grade edibles and streamlines it to three steps; fill the tub, turn it on, empty it when done. And the stainless steel construction makes cleanup a breeze.

  1. Goldleaf Strain Tasting Journal

Some cannabis connoisseurs love tracking their usage and the effects of the weed they consume. Breeders also find this a great way to document the changes in their garden over time. But even if your loved one isn’t OCD about keeping records, this gift can help them elevate their smoking experience. Full of graphics and organized to make information easily added and accessed help stoners keep track of what they liked or didn’t.
And if your loved one plans to take a vacation, this journal can help them relate the novel strains, dispensaries and events they find being a tourist. The 2 guided entries keeps things organized in an easy to carry package.

  1. Cannador Humidifier

It doesn’t take long for weed to dry out in the open air. So many stoners try strange and ingenious ways to keep their weed in peak smoking condition. Unfortunately, many of these methods (like adding citrus peel or bread to the bag) introduce molds and fungi that can destroy weed. Not only that, it is almost impossible to keep an eighth at the ideal humidity for smoking.
The Cannador finally makes preserving weed at the perfect humidity possible. This stylish humidifier creates a micro-environment designed to preserve quality and flavor of weed. And the fact that it comes in several sizes means that you can find one to fit any consumers needs.

  1. Growbox

With more and more states legalizing recreational marijuana consumption, the opportunities to grow weed at home continue to improve. And improvements in automation and growing science means that companies can finally provide a plug and grow experience. The Growbox is one of these solutions that works for everyone from novice to commercial growers looking for micro-controlled autonomy.
This complete growing solution has lots of extras that just make life better. The clean aesthetic fits discreetly into homes while providing enough room for one to four plants. Our favorite feature is the secure lock which ensures the plant stays out of the hands of children and roommates.

  1. 5mp Digital Microscope

This digital microscope is the perfect tool for cannabis and photography enthusiasts to get a good look at what they are smoking. Growers love that they can use the device to identify minuscule garden pests without having to squint. The USB connection means that the only limit on image size is your monitor.
The 5 megapixel camera means that individual trichomes show up in vivid detail. The 8 led lights mean the image is always well lit and the 20-200x magnification gives lots of range. No plant structure will remain hidden with this small and easy to move scope that can be used with the included stand or positioned by hand.

Did you find something for yourself or a loved one on this holiday gift guide? Was it a complete whiff? What gifts are you excited about giving or receiving this season? Let us know in the comments below.

Investing in the Cannabis Industry 2017
CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Guides, Marijuana Legalization, Marijuana News by

Investing in the Cannabis Industry 2017

Marijuana stock investing in 2016 has seen a meteoric rise.

Investing in cannabis is making some major money with one especially impressive company posting gains of well over 2,000%.  This despite how fraught with risk this industry is. Since marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I substance with “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” according to the federal government, there are still some hurdles to overcome.
The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse issued a series of reports concluding that marijuana was “less a serious threat to public health than a sensitive social issue and recommended changes to federal law that would permit citizens to possess a small amount of it at a time, while still maintaining that the drug should not be legalized.” Yet investing remains risky because the people in power refuse to be moved to action.

Is $50 billion motivation enough?

Investing 101Ackrell Capital projects that the cannabinoid-based pharmaceutical market could clear $50 billion annually. Investors took special not of the prediction due to the explosive growth the industry has seen so far. They make sure to include plenty of caveats in their report that basically boil down to legalization=money.
AbbVie (ABBV) is ahead of the game in medicinal marijuana field because its drug (Marinol) is already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and in the market. Marinol is mainly used to relieve nausea and vomiting for chemotherapy patients. It has also been prescribed for AIDS patients to help stimulate appetite.
If you want to talk about AbbVie, let me just say that it has had 44 years of consecutive dividend increases. Over the past three years alone, the dividend has grown by 12.5%. the 4.13% dividend yield is considered attractive for income investors.
Just because they were first to the market doesn’t make them invincible though. Company revenues, gross profit and net income have been stagnant during the last four quarters. If Marinol can raise profits, AbbVie and others like it could be treated as an income play rather than a growth stocks for 2017.

There are currently 28 states willing to sell.

Support for use of medical marijuana is rapidly expanding along with investing opportunities. After the November U.S. elections, 28 states plus the District of Columbia now have legalized use of medical marijuana. A handful of states have also chosen to allow recreational use.
Legalization should diminish some of the institutional barriers for companies investing in the marijuana industry. Although we can see how slow the movement is by looking at recent court decisions about drug testing. The advancement of legalization on a state level presents a special opportunity for investors but at great risk.
Weed’s mis-classification as a schedule-I compound creates restrictions for patients in non-weed-friendly states. Not to mention how much of a damper it puts on investors’ plans. The chief regulator of Wall Street (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority or FINRA) blocked a S-1 filing from weed companies attempting to go public and trade stock. The ban will remain in place until the drug is re-scheduled.

There are only 3 approved options on the market.

While opportunities exist, current realities paint a stark picture. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a whopping total of three cannabinoid drugs. It took seemingly forever for another cannabinoid to join Marinol and Cesamet in the medicine cabinet.
In July of 2016, the FDA gave the go ahead for Insys Therapeutics’ (NASDAQ:INSY) Syndros to join the party. Like Marinol, the active ingredient of Syndros is the synthetic cannabinoid dronabinol. And don’t think that only drug companies are trying to get in on the action.
Investors sent shares of Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. up 48 percent last year when they saw the lawn-care company as a relatively safe way to capitalize on the cannabis trend. It sells fertilizers, lighting and other supplies for hydroponics that are used by most indoor cultivators.

One person can tip the scales.

A very important fact for investors considering investing in marijuana to remember is who the next attorney general is. And the person who got the nomination to fill that role was Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions. A man who is an adamant opponent of legalized marijuana.
In a Senate hearing last April, Sessions cited a 20% increase in the traffic deaths in some states where marijuana has been legalized to show the drug is a problem. His continued vigorous attempts to demonize cannabis users signals major disappointment for those hoping for banking reform.
Marijuana companies have continued to struggle with limited access to basic banking services since most banks fear federal prosecution for dealing with pot businesses. Being forced to operate on a cash-only basis is a security concern and an expansion inhibitor for any business. With Sessions taking the helm, there is little hope for meaningful pressure to improve access to banking services. Additionally, marijuana businesses must pay tax on their gross profits instead of net profits. This is because they’re disallowed normal corporate income tax deductions.

How should you approach the industry?

Investing in cannabis weed
It has been said that getting rich during a gold rush is to easiest when you sell shovels. With that in mind, the best figure for investors trying to turn a profit from the “marijuana rush” are the companies that have zero marijuana-related products. The smartest play might be in companies that have the potential to benefit by serving people and companies that do sell cannabis.
But before you invest in any company, get as much information about that company as you possibly can. Find out if they are a legitimate company with a good management team. Look into who’s running the company and at the company’s finances. Don’t be afraid to go over the balance sheet, the cash flow, the income statement, and the shareholder’s equity.
Look at all of the info you can before making a decision. Call the nearby Chambers of Commerce, find out if they know the people or company. Don’t forget to look at the other officers and management to make sure the engine is firing on all cylinders if you catch my drift. Do all the research you can but don’t forget to talk to your financial advisor as well before pulling the trigger.
The early bird doesn’t always get the worm.

Companies are making serious efforts to develop effective medicines using on cannabis. These companies deserve all due diligence before investing in any of them. Understand that investing in potential is risky and any of the drugs discussed in this article could fail or disappoint. Some medicinal marijuana stocks will undoubtedly succeed in 2017, so research and be vigilant when navigating this exploding industry. But don’t forget all the good that cannabis can do.
Cannabinoids have been found to have potential in treating over 40 medical issues including cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy, and glaucoma. Companies developing marijuana-related compounds rarely focus on cannabis alone. Be aware that some “mainstream” stocks may actually profit from loosened restrictions on marijuana even if they don’t grow or sell it themselves. Thanks for reading.