How To Treat Eczema With Cannabis

Cannabis has an ever-growing list of medical applications. In the 29 states with medical marijuana programs, dermatologists are explaining to patients with skin conditions, such as eczema, that cannabis can be an effective, and all-natural treatment. Here’s a definitive guide on how to treat eczema with cannabis.

Eczema: A Brief Overview

Eczema is the overarching name for a variety of dry skin conditions. Namely, eczema includes redness, itchiness and dry patches. It’s often located on joints, hands and feet, but can occur anywhere including the face, scalp and eyelids. Eczema is common in both children and adults, who generally experience sporadic flare-ups.

There is no longterm cure for eczema. Typically, dermatologists recommend using sensitive skincare soaps and moisturizers. Many cases, however, require prescription ointments and creams that often contain steroids.

People develop eczema for a number of reasons, many of which are difficult to detect. Environmental factors, allergies and stress can cause outbreaks. For many with eczema, dry, cracked skin, itchiness and redness are a lifelong issue. Most eczema care is preventative with moisturizing and avoiding certain soaps and toxins.

How Cannabis Can Treat Eczema

According to the National Eczema Association, cannabis can be an effective treatment for eczema. Research demonstrates that cannabinoids have anti-itch, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties–all of which make it an effective tool for coping with eczema.

Cannabis’ use as an eczema treatment goes as far back as Dr. Henry Granger Piffard, the founder of the world-renowned journal, JAMA Dermatology. Dr. Piffard, who lived from 1842 to 1910 was a leader in the study of dermatology.

He writes in the first textbook ever published on dermatological remedies, “a pill of cannabis indica at bedtime has at my hands sometimes afforded relief to the intolerable itching of eczema.”

Cannabis is effective largely because the skin contains cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are part of the endocannabinoid system, a web of neurotransmitters and receptors that exists throughout the whole body. The body’s endocannabinoid system, which has cannabis receptors that interact with other naturally forming cannabinoids, such as those found in cannabis, make’s marijuana such an effective medicine. Through communication with the skin’s cannabinoid receptors, phytocannabinoids found in cannabis can reduce itching and redness.

Cannabis also treats eczema by controlling a bacteria that commonly causes it. Staphylococcus aureus colonization is a normal bacteria found in humans. Its side effects don’t always require treatment, but can lead to severe cases of eczema. According to the National Eczema Association, the most common cannabinoids can control outbreaks of this type of bacteria.

Another benefit of cannabis when it comes to eczema is that topical THC lotions can reduce inflammation. Not only can cannabis reduce the look and itchiness associated with eczema, but it can control the bacteria responsible for the infection. Cannabis’ effectiveness goes beyond homeopathy.

Why Cannabis Is Better Than Traditional Eczema Medication

For some cases of eczema, dermatologists will prescribe steroid creams. Over time, the body builds up a resistance to this type of cream, which means you have to use larger amounts and up the dosage of your prescription.

Steroid cream can thin your skin, and can even cause rosacea. Worse than that, steroid cream can seep into your bloodstream through the skin. This can increase your blood pressure and blood sugar levels and affect your hormones over time.

Steroid cream is not meant for continued use, though it’s often prescribed as an indefinite cure for eczema. This is why knowing how to treat eczema with cannabis could be better for your health in the long run.

How To Treat Eczema With Cannabis Topicals

Just because cannabis can treat eczema doesn’t mean that any cannabis cream will work. People with eczema typically have sensitive skin, which means that certain terpenes can cause skin irritation.

Look for products that are designed for irritated and inflamed skin. Don’t use cannabis topicals made for joint pain, for instance. Stick with something that is mostly CBD rather than THC.

As always, be wary of where you’re buying your topicals. Cannabis regulation is in its infancy, which means that anything could be in your moisturizer. This could include pesticides, heavy metals or other skin irritants. As with any moisturizer or oil you purchase at a drug store, go for the most organic topical you can find.

To avoid something that will aggravate, rather than soothe, your eczema, go to a dispensary rather than buy something online. States with legal medical or recreational marijuana have better regulations. Remember that the FDA has not approved medical marijuana for anything, including eczema.

Final Hit: How To Treat Eczema With Cannabis

Refrain from using steroid cream by treating eczema with all-natural cannabis topicals. Through the interchange between marijuana’s cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in the skin, you can reduce inflammation, redness and itchiness. However, take time to research the topicals before trying to remedy any skin condition with cannabis.

Death Count From Synthetic Cannabis Consumption Keeps Rising

Despite efforts from law enforcement, the death count from synthetic cannabis consumption keeps rising in Illinois. The latest victim to fall prey to the dangerous chemical cocktail was a young woman who died on March 28. Although officials have not yet determined the 22-year-old’s cause of death, her autopsy revealed the tell-tale signs of poisoning found in several similar cases of severe reactions to synthetic cannabis use across the state.

Chemicals Used In Synthetic Cannabinoids Linked To Severe Internal Bleeding

Going back to early March, Illinois’ Department of Public Health has received more than 89 reports of hospitalizations due to severe bleeding.

After recognizing a pattern in the cases of severe bleeding, state health officials began linking them to synthetic cannabis use.

Typically branded as “Spice” or “K2,” synthetic cannabinoids are lab-made analogs to the cannabinoids marijuana plants naturally produce, such as THC. But the less-than-perfect copies often produce unpredictable and sometimes lethal consequences.

Synthetic cannabinoids are more “potent” than natural plant cannabinoids and can, therefore, more powerfully affect the brain. Highs from the synthetic drug can be much more intense, longer-lasting, and debilitating.

Oftentimes, however, the adverse reactions to synthetic cannabis use stem just as much from the chemicals used to make the faux cannabinoids. And that seems to be the case for the 22-year-old woman whose recent death health officials have linked to her use of synthetic cannabis.

Specifically, the woman’s autopsy indicated the presence of the lethal anti-coagulant brodifacoum. Simply put, brodifacoum is a poison and widely used in pesticides and to kill rats and other rodents.

When ingested, brodifacoum causes severe internal bleeding. Its effects can last from weeks to months and are often fatal.

“Symptoms may range from unexplained bruising, bleeding from the nose or gums, blood in the urine or stools, coughing up or vomiting blood, to bleeding in the brain,” said toxicologist Dr. Jenny Lu.

Even if symptoms do not manifest, brodifacoum massively impairs blood’s ability to clot, increasing the risk of dangerous bleeding. Dr. Lu encourages anyone who has used synthetic cannabis to seek immediate medical attention, even without signs of bleeding.

Third Death Linked To Synthetic Cannabinoid Use In Illinois

Brodifacoum is a highly lethal rat poison. And it seems to be the common denominator linking the recent rash of severe bleeding cases in Illinois. Patients who admit to using synthetic cannabis are testing positive for the poison.

No official cause of death has been declared for the 22-year-old woman who died on March 28 from excessive internal bleeding. But state health officials are finding more evidence that chemicals used in “Spice” are the culprit.

For their part, Illinois law enforcement agencies have begun cracking down on stores selling “Spice” or “K2” products.

Chicago police have already shut down a handful of convenience stores suspected of selling synthetic cannabis. But officials have not yet linked those stores to the products causing the bleeding.

The Final Hit: Death Count From Synthetic Cannabis Consumption Keeps Rising

As the death count from synthetic cannabis consumption keeps rising, state health officials in Illinois are searching for answers. The March 28 death of a young woman at Advocate Christ Medical Center represents the third synthetic cannabis-related death since severe bleeding cases began spiking in early March.

But the problem with “Spice” is its easy availability. It’s a problem that’s only compounded by the perception that “Spice” is a legal alternative to natural plant cannabis. Cannabis use is illegal in Illinois except as a medicine. By identifying the common ingredient in the synthetic drug that’s causing the bleeding, however, state health officials are one step closer to a solution.

Canadian Province Lays Out Harsh Penalties For Illegal Weed Sales

Not all weed will be legal in Canada by the end of this summer. As the federal government gives provinces the green light to implement local marijuanaregulation, this Canadian province lays out harsh penalties for illegal weed sales, impaired driving, selling to the underaged, and where you can smoke. Following legalization, Nova Scotia will be cracking down on weed.

A Brief Overview of Canadian Legalization

Last year, Canadian officials introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana by summer 2018. Though this projection was a little optimistic, it looks like the Canadian Parliament will cast the final vote in early July.

This means that by September, the sale, cultivation and use of recreational marijuana will be legal everywhere. Canadians over 18 years old can have up to 30 grams of cannabis, grow a maximum of four marijuana plants and buy marijuana from licensed stores.

However, national legislation (Bill C-45) does not specify who will have cannabis licenses, where it can be sold, where you can smoke it or how the police will enforce it. The provinces are left to determine these regulations.

Nova Scotia’s Cannabis Control Act

Nova Scotia’s Justice Minister Mark Furey proposed the Cannabis Control Act on Tuesday. If passed, this legislation will have some serious consequences for people who use or sell marijuana.

The Cannabis Control Act includes measures that address driving under the influence, selling marijuana (especially to the underaged) and smoking in rented properties.

Driving Under the Influence

Under this Cannabis Control Act, neither the driver nor passengers can smoke marijuana in a car. The minimum fine for doing so is $1,000 but can go as high as $2,000. The police will suspend the driver’s license for a year for the first offense.

The consequences for the second offense are even more extreme. If caught driving under the influence in Nova Scotia, a second offender is looking at a minimum of thirty days in jail and over a year with a suspended license.

Whether or not to charge someone with driving under the influence is at the police’s discretion. Per the Cannabis Control Act, the Nova Scotia police can test your saliva or blood. They can also suspend someone’s license for weeks at a time.

The only legal way to transport weed in a car will be in a sealed container. These laws will also apply to other motorized vehicles.

Justice Minister Furey told CBC News, “Let me be clear, driving while high is not only dangerous, it is a crime and the legislation provides strong sanctions for those who drive while impaired.”

Only The Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. Can Sell Weed

Not only are the driving regulations intense, but Canadian province lays out harsh penalties for illegal weed sales. As is the case in Quebec, the provincial government will have a monopoly on weed sales. To ensure this remains the case, the Cannabis Control Act has some harsh penalties for those selling weed illegally.

Stores caught selling weed will face fines ranging from a $10,000 minimum to $25,000. Individuals selling weed are fined $10,000. Buying cannabis from an illegal retailer earns a maximum of $250 fine.

Furey justifies that these policies aren’t that different from what’s currently in place. “Dispensaries are illegal presently, dispensaries will be illegal once legislation is rolled out,” he explains.

Fines For Selling Weed to the Underaged

Justice Minister Furey told the press, “Our main priority has been the health and safety of Nova Scotians, especially children and youth.” This seems to be true as the Cannabis Control Act includes some hefty fines for selling weed to people under 19.

Per Nova Scotia law, only people aged 19 and up will be allowed to purchase weed. This is in line with the drinking age in Nova Scotia. The legal age for cannabis and alcohol in Canada ranges from 18 to 19 depending on the province.

The fine for selling to someone under 19 can be up to $10,000. For people under 19, the fine for marijuana possession is $150. Additionally, the police will issue fines to anyone selling drug accoutrements–rolling papers, bongs…–to the underage.

Enforcing These Policies Will Require More Resources

Even Furey admits that the Cannabis Control Act as it is today will require more police work. “We may see a spike in [enforcement],” Furey told CBC News.

Nova Scotia isn’t the only province having to pay for enforcing strict legalization laws. Ontario recently pledged $40 million dollars to fund law enforcement agencies ahead of legalization. Though legalization is supposed to diminish police spending, this hasn’t always been true in practice.

Final Hit: Canadian Province Lays Out Harsh Penalties For Illegal Weed Sales

As this Canadian province lays out harsh penalties for illegal weed sales, driving while high and selling to the underage, everyone is looking to see how Canada implements, and enforces, marijuana legalization.

Some organizations, such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), are in favor of Nova Scotia’s new policies. MADD CEO Andrew Murie puts forth, “What we do for alcohol, we should be doing for cannabis. Impairment by drugs by alcohol or a combination is the same.”

Though cannabis and alcohol will be equally legal under Canadian law, cannabis is facing harsher legislation. For instance, the Cannabis Control Act will also permit landlords to ban smoking weed. Public places will also bar marijuana consumption.

Legal Marijuana Sales Could Surpass Soda Sales by 2030

Experts are predicting a huge increase in marijuana sales. According to Cowen & Co, a research company, U.S. marijuana sales will rise to $75 billion in the next twelve years. As soda’s popularity wanes, legal marijuana sales could surpass soda sales by 2030.

Weed Is More Popular Than Ever. Soda Isn’t.

Recreational marijuana is legal in 9 states, and more are expected to follow suit this year. In addition to these states that allow recreational marijuana use, medical marijuana accessibility is on the rise. According to Bloomberg, over 1/5 of Americans can smoke the herb whenever they want.

More Americans and Canadians than ever are taking advantage of legalization. In 2016, Americans and Canadians combined spend $53.3 billion on weed. This makes Cowen & Co’s initial report that the marijuana market will make $50 billion annually by 2026 alone seem low.

The soft drink market is experiencing the opposite trend. North American soda consumption fell to a 31-year low in 2017. Euromonitor International calculated that the soft drink market went from $78.3 billion in 2016 to $76.4 billion in 2017.

Data analysts expect the trend towards weed, which has numerous health benefits, and away from sugary soft drinks to continue.

Predicted Weed Sales in 2030

This means big profits for legal recreational weed. Noting the sharp increase in weed consumption, Cowen & Co amended its initial prediction of $50 billion per year. Analyst Vivien Azer tells Bloomberg, “New forecasts suggest that the market is already that size.”

The firm now predicts that the weed market will earn $75 billion by 2030. This is closely behind the soft drink market in 2017, which made $76.4 billion. Furthermore, experts expect the profits reaped by soft drink companies to diminish while the weed industry grows.

Will Weed Impact Alcohol Sales?

Legal marijuana sales could surpass soda sales by 2030 not because weed is replacing soda, but because people are considering healthier options. Comparatively, marijuana legalization could have a direct impact on alcohol sales.

Two studies suggest that marijuana reduces, rather than increases, alcohol consumption as was previously believed. Published in 2017, Helping Settle the Marijuana and Alcohol Debate: Evidence from Scanner Data looks at the correlation between the two. This study found that legalizing marijuana reduced alcohol sales by 13.8 to 16.2 percent. the study concludes, “We find that marijuana and alcohol are strong substitutes.”

A second study only recorded data from states where medical marijuana is legal. Researchers still discovered that legal medical marijuana decreased alcohol sales. Georgia State University economics professor Alberto Chong explains, “The drop in [alcohol] sales is so huge—it’s like 13 percent—that there has to be some leakage.”

Liquor companies are well aware of the negative impact recreational marijuana can have on liquor sales. California’s Proposition 19, failed to pass in 2010 due to the efforts of the liquor lobby. Wikileaks divulged that Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America contributed to political forces against legalization.

Final Hit: Legal Marijuana Sales Could Surpass Soda Sales by 2030

It’s hard to imagine the scale or the effects that legal marijuana will have in the near future. With federal legalization, marijuana sales could eclipse soft drink sales and take a chunk out of the alcohol industry’s profits. But for the time being, it looks like marijuana will be making $75 billion annually in twelve years.

Weekly Legislative Schedule: Marijuana Bills in CO, CA, and NJ, Get Hearings

Colorado lawmakers schedule a hearing on consumption club licenses for Tuesday; two California bills will also go before a committee this week, the first proposes banning certain types of butane sales, the second seeks to unbind hemp’s restrictive definition. And in New Jersey, another bill considers removing their 2-ounce limit for medical marijuana.

It’s Springtime in North America – and the fluctuation of political might is on full display. As Trump hunkers down for another Stormy week and Ted Nugent lashes out at the Parkland teens for speaking truth to power, this week’s legislative efforts to reform America’s marijuana laws seems … perfectly logical by comparison.

Colorado

A bill to create public consumption licenses for marijuana shops in Colorado will receive a hearing on Monday before the Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee. First assigned to the committee on March 19, Senate Bill 211will be heard at noon in committee room 271.

Co-sponsored by State Sen. Vicki Marble (R-23rd District) and Rep. Jovan Melton (D-41st District), the bill proposes to allow licensing for individuals who operate retail marijuana shops. Under the proposed bill, those licensed for public consumption would be prohibited from serving prepared food or alcohol on-site. All marijuana products consumed on-site would need to be purchased from the licensed marijuana business/club for individuals over 21. In other words, patrons would be prohibited from bringing their own supplies.

California

California AB 3112 was introduced by Assemblyman Tom Grayson (D- 14th District) and is scheduled for hearing at 9 a.m. April 3, before the Assembly Public Safety Committee. Held in room 126 at the state capitol, the committee will consider the bill’s proposal to institute new state regulations for the restricted sale of butane. While the sale of small canisters utilized for personal lighters would still be considered lawful, the sale of larger canisters would be deemed unlawful under this proposed legislation. According to California Assembly Bill 3112, anyone who violates the proposed legislation would face a civil penalty of $2,500.

California Senate Bill 1409, a bipartisan bill that proposes changes to California’s industrial hemp laws, will receive a hearing at 9:30 p.m. March 3 before the Senate Agriculture Committee. SB 1409 suggests the deletion of an exclusionary mandate that industrial hemp seed growers be certified on or before January 1, 2013. Furthermore, the bill proposes to modify the current and restrictive definition of “industrial hemp.” Under Chapter 1 of the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act, industrial hemp is strictly viewed as a “fiber or oilseed crop.” This legislation would nullify and remove the requirement that industrial hemp be cultivated as a fiber or oilseed crop only. Ostensibly, this bill could allow California’s industrial hemp growers to utilize their harvest for the production of hemp-derived CBD products.

New Jersey

In New Jersey, A 3421, seeks to remove the current 2-ounce limit and expands access to edibles and oils. Designated as “Jake Honig’s Law,” this legislation will receive a hearing at 7 p.m., March 5, before the Assembly Appropriations Committee.

The legislation stipulates that alternative treatment centers may make medical marijuana available to patients in oil form, removes a restriction that made edible forms of medical marijuana available only to qualifying patients who are minors, and removes the current 2-ounce limit on the quantity of medical marijuana that may be dispensed in a 30-day supply. Additionally, the bill proposes authorizing a patient’s physician be allowed to recommend “medical marijuana in any quantity” for their 30-day supply. And if the recommending physician fails to specify a quantity, “the amount dispensed will be at the discretion of the alternative treatment center,” according to the proposed legislation.

Also on the calendar this week

Marijuana legislation introduced to the 2018 Connecticut General Assembly will receive a public hearing on Tuesday at noon. House Bill 05582 provides for the taxation of retail marijuana products, after legalized sales are authorized. HB 05582 will receive a public hearing before the Finance, Review and Bonding committee.

Legislation introduced in Tennessee seeks to enact the “Medicinal Cannabis Act” and would establish a medical marijuana commission for the regulation of cannabis-related healthcare. Tennessee Senate Bill 1710 is scheduled for a Senate Judiciary Hearing March 3, at 1 p.m. in the Cordell Hull Building.

On March 4 at 10:30 a.m., two Hawaiian bills will be heard in conference room 211 by the Senate Ways and Means committee. Hawaii House Bill 2741 proposes making the cost of medical cannabis a reimbursable expense to be covered by health insurance companies, and House Bill 2742 seeks to establish the Office of Medicinal Cannabis Control and Regulation within the state’s Department of Health. The proposed legislation would designate the Office of Medicinal Cannabis Control to regulate and administer the registration of qualifying patients and primary caregivers –  and all medical marijuana dispensaries.

Studies Link Legal Marijuana With Fewer Opioid Prescriptions

 Can legalizing marijuana fight the problem of opioid addiction and fatal overdoses? Two new studies in the debate suggest it may.

Pot can relieve chronic pain in adults, so advocates for liberalizing marijuana laws have proposed it as a lower-risk alternative to opioids. But some research suggests marijuana may encourage opioid use, and so might make the epidemic worse.

The new studies don’t directly assess the effect of legalizing marijuana on opioid addiction and overdose deaths. Instead, they find evidence that legalization may reduce the prescribing of opioids. Over-prescribing is considered a key factor in the opioid epidemic.

Both studies were released Monday by the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

One looked at trends in opioid prescribing under Medicaid, which covers low-income adults, between 2011 and 2016. It compared the states where marijuana laws took effect versus states without such laws. The comparison was done each quarter, so a given state without a law at one point could join the other category once a law kicked in.

Results showed that laws that let people use marijuana to treat specific medical conditions were associated with about a 6 percent lower rate of opioid prescribing for pain. That’s about 39 fewer prescriptions per 1,000 people using Medicaid.

And when states with such a law went on to also allow recreational marijuana use by adults, there was an additional drop averaging about 6 percent. That suggest the medical marijuana laws didn’t reach some people who could benefit from using marijuana instead of opioids, said Hefei Wen of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, one of the study authors.

The other study looked at opioid prescribing nationwide for people using Medicare, which covers people 65 years or older and those with disabilities. Every year from 2010 through 2015, researchers compared states with a medical marijuana law in effect to those without one. Fourteen states plus the District of Columbia had such a law from the beginning of that time; nine other states joined them during the years the study covered.

Researchers found that Medicare patients in states with marijuana dispensaries filled prescriptions for about 14 percent fewer daily doses of opioids than those in other states. Patients in states that only allowed them to grow pot at home showed about 7 percent fewer doses.

W. David Bradford, an economist at the University of Georgia in Athens who’s an author of the second study, said the results add to other findings that suggest to experts that marijuana is a viable alternative to opioids. The weight of that evidence is “now hard to ignore,” said Bradford, who said he thinks federal regulations should be changed to allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for pain treatment.

The two studies have some limitations, Dr. Kevin Hill of Harvard Medical School and Dr. Andrew Saxon of the University of Washington in Seattle wrote in an accompanying editorial.

For one thing, they don’t reveal whether individual patients actually reduced or avoided using opioids because of the increased access to marijuana. The findings in Medicaid and Medicare patients may not apply to other people. And the results may have been skewed by some characteristics of the state populations studied, they wrote.

They called for states and the federal government to pay for more studies to clarify the effect of marijuana use on opioid use, saying such research is needed for science to guide policy-making.

Follow Malcolm Ritter on Twitter at @MalcolmRitter. His recent work can be found here.

The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

This City in Canada Wants To Ban All Public Cannabis Consumption

Months away from national legal recreational marijuana, this city in Canada wants to ban all public cannabis consumption. Lawmakers in Calgary, the capital and largest city in Alberta, and hoping to pass a bylaw that would only allow marijuana smoking indoors.

The Bylaw: What We Know So Far

If approved, Calgary residents would face $50 to $100 in fines in caught smoking marijuana outside. The only place where residents would be able to consumer cannabis would be a private home.

If passed by a council committee, this law would strictly limit legal cannabis consumption. If you live in an apartment or don’t own your home, you may not be able to smoke indoors in the first place.

This legislation would not apply to those with medical marijuana licenses or to specifically designated ‘cannabis gardens’. The concept behind these spaces is similar to a beer garden. They will also be strictly regulated.

So far, the rule for a cannabis smoking area is that it has to be separate from beer and cigarette designed areas.

You’ll also have to bring your own weed because Alberta law dictates that you can’t smoke cannabis in the same place where you bought it.

The Problem With Banning Outdoor Cannabis Use

This law will be difficult, and probably costly, to enforce. How do you distinguish between medical and recreational users? To police everyone smoking marijuana outside will require more police and more government funds.

Les Hagen, described as a tobacco control advocate by the Calgary Herald, argues, “We think it’s [the bylaw] impractical. It’ll lead to widespread violations and stigmatization as well. Anyone who is using cannabis in public, it will be seen as breaking the law.”

Not only does would this legislation be difficult to enforce, but it would also stigmatize a substance that will be completely legal by the end of the summer. This is just one example of how provincial governments are discriminating against cannabis, despite upcoming legalization.

Others are critiquing this measure for unjustly limited legal cannabis consumption for those living in shared spaces and for those who do not own homes.

Even Those Supporting This Legislation See Its Flaws

City Council member Shane Keating supports this legislation but believes that the city should create spaces for outdoor marijuana use. Keating explains, “I have no sympathy for those who deem that they have to smoke cannabis regardless of how it affects others around them.”

This does not, however, mean that Keating is completely against cannabis. He believes that edibles and inhalers are a better solution, though the former won’t be legal until 2019.

Keating is in favor of cannabis-specific locations, describing, “There may need to be certain places where you consume it like a lounge.” This sort of policy is already in place in Ontario.

Marijuana Divides Calgary Residents

This city in Canada wants to ban all public cannabis consumption, though its residents are conflicted on the matter. In a report on cannabis published in February, 55 percent of Calgary residents surveyed supported regulating marijuana like alcohol. This would mean barring public consumption. Only 32 percent voted to treat cannabis like tobacco in public places.

Contrastingly, 43 percent those surveyed in late 2017 voted to permit outdoor cannabis use. 19 percent of Calgary residents in that survey hoped that cannabis would be controlled like alcohol.

Final Hit: This City in Canada Wants To Ban All Public Cannabis Consumption

Next week, a committee will decide on the legislation that would ban public marijuana consumption in Calgary.

Considering the restriction already placed on indoor cannabis consumption, some are saying that this bylaw is impractical. It would also be a step in the wrong direction in terms of cannabis tolerance.

With Calgary residents divided on the issue of outdoor smoking, we’ll have to wait and see what happens next week.

What is BHO?

BHO stands for butane hash oil. It is a potent form of cannabis concentrates that comes in various consistencies including budder, shatter, wax and more. The name comes from the fact that butane is the solvent used to extract the oils from cannabis.

There are dangers involved with using butane to extract, including a risk of explosion. Not to mention, any pesticides, mold or other contaminants that were in the processed weed will end up concentrated in the extract. This means there are risks to both extractors and consumers.

To ensure your safety, the task of making BHO is best left to experts with the proper materials and equipment. There are a lot of errors that can be made during the extraction process that will lead to contaminants in the extract even if the flower used was clean. So if you are a consumer, you’ll want to make sure your butane hash oil is coming from a reliable source.

How Is It Extracted?

Plant material is loaded into a tube and it is soaked in butane as a solvent to separate the oils out. However, there are more than one ways to make butane hash oil.

Open Blasting

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The original method of making BHO, which commercial extractors have stepped away from, is called open blasting.

Open blasting is an outdated technique that is considered both dangerous and wasteful. The danger comes from the fact that there is nothing to contain the flammable solvent. As a result, any ignition near where you are open blasting will result in a fiery explosion.

Closed-loop

 Best Value Vacs

There are advantages of closed-loop systems other than having no openings for flammable gas to leak out of. All solvents are filled into a pressurized tank then attached to the extraction tube where all the plant materials are held. It’s worth noting that even though a closed-loop system is safer than open blasting, safety checks, precautions and measures must be taken to ensure nothing goes wrong. Seemingly small issues like a blown gasket can cause much larger issues.

The next advantage is the fact that solvents can be reused. Residual solvents collect in the recovery tank where they can be stored and recycled.

How To Consume It

Consider this a warning, if you are not a heavy cannabis consumer and you have no experience with cannabis concentrates, start slow. They call consuming extracts “doing a dab” for a reason. You only need a “dab” or a small amount to feel the potency.

The most common way to consume BHO is with the assistance of a torch flame, dab rig and nail. Most modern concentrate users prefer low temp dabbing with the addition of a carb cap. E-nails are a great way to enjoy the advantages of low-temperature dabbing without the need for a torch or butane. An e-nail usually consists of two parts: the controller where you can adjust the temperature and the heating element that wraps around a nail.

When BHO first gained popularity, titanium nails were used to drop super hot dabs, seconds after the nail is torched. Since then, dabbing has evolved to more effectively vaporize cannabis oils with minimal compromise to the flavor.

Low Temp Dabbing

Low-temperature dabs involve getting your nail about as hot as can be and waiting for it to cool before dropping the extract in.

Depending on your specific nail and the amount of time you spent heating, you can wait anywhere from about 20 seconds to over a minute. It all depends on how much heat the nail can retain. Once the nail is cool enough to vaporize the oil without completely burning the terpenes and cannabinoids away instantly, it’s safe to drop the dab.

Add the carb cap once the extracts have melted onto the nail. If it was harsh and burnt tasting, with stickiness to your lips or teeth, you went in too hot. If it was smoother and more flavorful than a high-temperature dab, you did it right and there should be some leftover oil to Q-tip up. You have to constantly clean your nails if you want to keep the flavors prominent and maximize vaporization.

Quartz Insert

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The next step in the evolution of low temp dabbing is the quartz insert. Quartz inserts take things a step further by forcing the concentrates to rapidly go from a low-temperature to a higher one. This allows you to experience cannabinoids and terpenes at a temperature that you previously couldn’t with a nail and cap alone.

Quartz inserts come in different shapes and sizes. The ones we are talking about are in the shape of cups that fit into any of the best quartz bangers on the market.

To taste as much of your terpenes as possible while maintaining a constant level of vaporization, we recommend trying the insert drop technique. Pre-fill the insert with your concentrate and set it aside.

Next, heat up the banger for about a minute all around. Depending on your bangers heat retention and the size of your dab, you can drop the insert in 5 to 30 seconds after you cut the torch flame. Bigger dabs should be dropped sooner. Wait a little longer on fresh nails with thick quartz.

Different Consistencies Of BHO

There are over a dozen different kinds of cannabis concentrates. Even if you use butane every time, the consistency of the material will vary. This is due to the material and techniques utilized during the extraction process. Many look like wax while others have a glassier appearance.

Oil

Oil is what we call the loosest consistency of butane hash oil. It’s sticky and only a bit thicker than a liquid. Oils that are slightly thicker than normal are called saps. Oils and saps are difficult to handle compared to other consistencies. As a result, they have become one of the least popular forms of BHO on the market.

Budder

Budder is a consistency that can be attained by introducing agitation during the extraction process. The name comes from the fact that it is similar in consistency to butter. It looks a little wet and it can be easily scooped and spread. There’s no real advantage to having a budder over a crumble or shatter. It all depends on preference. Wax pen users might prefer budder, crumble or shatter over a sappier oil.

Crumble

Crumble is named after the fact that it crumbles like dry cheese when you scoop some. Everytime you scoop from a wad of crumble, tons of tiny bits that are harder to scoop up break off. Crumble easier to handle than oils but less desirable than budder and shatter.

Shatter

Shatter is pretty much the only form of cannabis concentrate that can be handled without the assistance of a tool. The name comes from the fact that it shatters like glass. In fact, the real glassy stuff will end up breaking and flying off with a tool. Shatter can come in a looser “pull ‘n snap” consistency which is easier to handle with a tool.

Live Resin

Live resin concentrates are almost always made with butane. They differ from other extracts because of the material used. Nugs or trim that was just harvested and cryogenically frozen is used in the extraction process. They can take on different consistencies including THCa crystalline, sauce, sugar, shatter and budder.

Final Hit: What Is Butane Hash Oil (BHO)?

Butane hash oil is the most common method of making cannabis extracts. Most of the concentrates on the shelves of dispensaries are made with it. If you’re not comfortable with consuming or working with hydrocarbons, there is a cheap, easy and non-explosive way to make dabs at home called the rosin technique. Extractors can also make hash without putting themselves at risk of physical harm. Combine the rosin technique with hash making techniques to end up with connoisseur-quality products like live rosin.

Legal Medical Marijuana In South Carolina Is Closer Than Ever

In major medical cannabis news out of South Carolina, a bill that would legalize the drug for seriously ill patients made it out of committee on Thursday and will soon be under consideration in the full Senate. Now that it’s possible for the bill to get a floor vote in both chambers before the end of the current session, legal medical marijuana in South Carolina is closer than ever.

South Carolina’s Compassionate Care Act Clears Committee

On Thursday, the Senate Medical Affairs Committee voted to approve S 212, a bill that would grant qualifying patients access to medical cannabis with a physician’s recommendation.

Next up, the bill will face consideration before the full Senate. It will very likely come to a floor vote before the current legislative session’s April 10 deadline.

S 212 would task the Department of Health and Environmental Control with regulating and licensing cultivators, processors, dispensaries, and testing labs. Additionally, the department would establish a patient and caregiver registry and distribute registration cards to those enrolled.

The Compassionate Care Act, however, prohibits patients from smoking medical cannabis. For patients, the herbaceous form of cannabis is the most cost-effective, but dosing can be more challenging. Healthcare professionals also view smoke inhalation as a health hazard.

Law Enforcement Lobbying Hobbles South Carolina’s Medical Marijuana Bill

Other restrictions in S 212 would make South Carolina’s one of the most carefully regulated medical cannabis programs in the country. Those restrictions are the result of lobbying efforts by some in law enforcement.

As a result, legislators introduced several additional safeguards and amendments to address law enforcement concerns. And that has upset many supporters of the bill. They feel lawmakers are caving to pressure from police and ignoring testimony from prominent medical professionals.

Other law enforcement officials, however, have spoken out in favor of S 212. Jeff Moore, former executive director of the South Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, said: “it is presumptuous, irresponsible, and arrogant for law enforcement officials to take it upon themselves to determine what medical resources should be available for the citizens of South Carolina who are suffering and in need of relief.”

Indeed, State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel has made repeated statements claiming marijuana has no medical value. He also vowed not to support any legislation that went against the federal ban on cannabis.

The bill’s supporters, like Moore, have criticized Keel for “hiding behind dubious federal policy.”

Moore’s son, a combat veteran, uses medical cannabis to treat his PTSD. He lives in Michigan, one of the 29 states, along with D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico, with legal medical cannabis.

So while medical marijuana in South Carolina is closer than ever before, advocates will likely have to continue to struggle to expand access for ill patients.

State representatives who support the bill have broad public support. According to a September 2016 poll, 78 percent of South Carolina residents approve legalizing medical cannabis.

The Final Hit: Legal Medical Marijuana In South Carolina Is Closer Than Ever

Despite the Compassionate Care Act’s progress, there’s still a chance the bill won’t make it out of the legislature this session.

The Senate is moving forward.

But the House has so far declined to hear its own version of the medical cannabis bill. And that could mean it stalls on S 212. The deadline for S 212 to advance is April 10.

Woman Accused of Running A Cannabis Empire Sues California City

In California cannabis news: A woman accused of running a cannabis empire sues California city for creating cannabis monopolies. Months after the police shut down and raided her grow house that allegedly made millions per month, Stephanie Smith asserts that San Bernardino’s new marijuana licensing ordinance is unfair to certain cannabis businesses.

The Massive Grow House

Last December, Stephanie Smith became famous for her ‘weed fortress‘ in San Bernadino. After locals complained to police and authorities discovered that a ‘derelict’ warehouse was paying $67,000 per month for electricity, the police began an investigation.

What the police found was a massive grow facility. Someone had installed a twelve-foot fence, concrete walls, a high tech surveillance system and fortified doors.

Not only that, but the police seized 35,000 marijuana plants, which amounts to 18,000 pounds. San Bernadino police officer Mike Madden told CBS News, “In my 26 years, it was the biggest grow that I’ve ever seen.”

Authorities Have Not Charged Smith

Despite her connection to the grow house, Stephanie Smith has not charged with a crime. The mother of five has positioned herself as a real estate developer, rather than a cannabis grower. Smith claims that she rents the space to tenants who grow commercial cannabis.

Her lawyer said, on her behalf: “I am a well-known and recognized leader in large-scale cannabis real estate development and I am proud of the State of California’s position on cannabis.”

Though Smith hasn’t faced any charges, eight grow house employees were initially arrested.

Smith Is Suing San Bernardino

A few months after the police raided these massive weed facilities, this woman accused of running a cannabis empire sues California city. This month, San Bernardino approved a regulation that only allows the city to issue 17 cannabis business licenses in the first year of legalization. It also prevents any marijuana businesses categorized as in conflict with authorities from qualifying for such a license. This violates California’s Prop. 64 according to Smith.

Smith explains that San Bernardino’s new regulation will prevent “any person who has ever had anything to do with cannabis … from entering the legal market,” thus creating monopolies.

Smith has allegedly operated her grow facility without any permits. Despite the lack of charges levied against her, she wouldn’t qualify for such a license from the city of San Bernardino. Authorities still perceive Smith as being in opposition to the law.

Other Cities in California Are Helping, Not Hindering, Those Convicted of Marijuana Possession

San Bernardino’s cannabis legislation is markedly different from Oakland and Los Angeles’ policies. These two cities are giving opportunities to those with cannabis convictions. San Bernardino, on the other hand, is preventing their involvement in legal weed business.

While this isn’t necessarily illegal, it continues the legacy of the war on drugs. By preventing those with weed convictions for operating legal establishments, San Bernardino is discriminating against minorities, who are much more likely to have been arrested for weed.

Are Smith’s Claims Valid?

Potentially. One of the tenets of Prop 64 is that you can get your record expunged for certain marijuana possession. Though San Bernardino has not charged Smith with anything, this new ordinance could potentially contradict Prop 64’s focus on ending discrimination against those caught with marijuana.

Final Hit: Woman Accused of Running A Cannabis Empire Sues California City

The alleged proprietor of San Bernardino’s weed empire is suing the city for their new cannabis business ordinance. This isn’t the first California lawsuit involving marijuana: The famed California cannabis church is suing the police.

Though the lawsuit’s outcome isn’t definite, it will certainly shed light on San Bernardino’s controversial marijuana laws, and make Stephanie Smith even more of a weed celebrity.