Medical Marijuana Legalization Stalls in Michigan, South Dakota

Ann Arbor imposes moratorium on new marijuana dispensaries

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Ann Arbor is temporarily halting new medical cannabis dispensaries after more than 30 recently applied for permits to operate in the city.

The Ann Arbor News reported that the City Council voted unanimously Monday, April 16, 2018, to impose a 60-day moratorium on issuing new permits as it considers limiting the number of dispensaries allowed in the city. Dispensaries that have already received zoning approval or that have applications currently under consideration will be exempt.

Ann Arbor officials say the high interest in setting up dispensaries warrants taking time to review the city’s regulations. Council members cited concern over the effect medical cannabis facilities could have on the community over time.

The Jackson Citizen Patriot reported that petitioners in Leoni Township, 31 miles west of Ann Arbor, were also calling for a moratorium on medical cannabis application approvals until the effects and environmental impact are thoroughly examined.

Effort to bring medical marijuana to public vote fails

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Supporters of allowing medical cannabis in South Dakota have failed to bring the matter to a public vote.

A petition to put medical cannabis legalization on the November general election ballot was rejected because it didn’t have enough valid signatures.

South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs said a random sampling determined that the petition with about 15,000 names had only about 9,500 valid signatures — far short of the 13,871 required. The rejection can be challenged in court.

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.

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.

This State’s Medical Marijuana Program Might Be Delayed

Montana’s legislature seems to be suffering from some last-minute indecisiveness just weeks before the state implements changes to rules governing legal medical cannabis. Slated to take effect on April 10, now this state’s medical marijuana program might be delayed. The hangup has to do with rules governing the production end of the cannabis industry. The concern from lawmakers is that larger producers can grow so much cannabis, they’ll drive out smaller producers.

Montana Lawmakers Say “Canopy Limit” Rules Are Bad For Small Businesses

Under Montana’s current rules, producers are subject to a “canopy limit” that determines how much cannabis they can grow. The argument from legislators who want to delay the start of the state’s program is that the limits are in fact too high. This, they say, gives an unfair market advantage to large commercial growers.

Specifically, the rules set a 50 square foot limit for each patient registered with the state’s program. In other words, producers cannot grow more than 50 square feet of cannabis per patient registered with the state.

Kate Cholewa, spokesperson for the Montana Cannabis Industry Association, says that amount of canopy space is way too excessive for the state’s medical cannabis program. Cholewa points out that the 50 square feet limit is twice the space allowed for growers in Washington state. Washington has a recreational market in addition to its medical industry.

Legislators in Montana are echoing Cholewa’s concerns. Rep. Tom Jacobson (D-Great Falls) said the current rules leave the door open for larger growers to dominate the market with lower prices.

“That will force small producers out because they won’t be able to compete at that scale,” Jacobson said.

And he’s not alone. State Sen. Jill Cohenour (D-Helena) says the canopy limit decision may have been premature. “I’m concerned that some of this stuff was done quickly and maybe with limited information,” she said.

Both Democratic legislators serve on the Revenue and Transportation Interim Committee of the Montana Legislature. Committee members raised their concerns about cultivation space at a meeting Wednesday.

By the end of that meeting, the committee had approved a motion to draft a letter recommending the health department to change the rules and postpone the effective date.

This State’s Medical Marijuana Program Might Be Delayed

The letter will go under review by the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee. This committee conducts the primary oversight of the state’s medical cannabis program.

Erica Johnston, who manages operations services for the state health department, said the committee’s letter is just the latest in the deluge of feedback they’ve received about the grow area limits.

But Johnston also admitted that she wasn’t aware of the reasons for setting the canopy limit to 50 square feet per patient.

The rules, she said, “were made based on what we found in other areas and what we theoretically in design thought would be a good idea,” Johnston said.

Consistent, negative feedback about the limit, however, may compel Montana lawmakers and regulators to revisit the issue. According to Johnston, the health department is already looking at ways to modify the canopy limit rule.

And that’s why this state’s medical marijuana program might be delayed past the April 10 deadline.

In addition to concerns about cultivation space, there’s growing concern the health department isn’t ready for implementation in any case.

With less than a month to go, the Montana Health Department has its work cut out for it. They’re still interviewing facility inspectors. No clear guidelines for product testing are in place. And providers just have to register and get their license by the end of the year, not by April.

In fact, the health department wants to change the rules on how it can change the rules. This way, it will be more prepared to make quicker rule changes in the future.

Montana’s Medical Marijuana Program On Hold

No doubt, Montana is still trying to dial in the right regulations, rules, and procedures for its medical cannabis program. But newness and lack of precedent seem to have gummed up the works.

Indeed, some state lawmakers think Montana should throw the baby out with the bathwater, and start from scratch.

“We’re already in the business,” Rep Alan Refield (R-Livingston) said. “But we don’t have the rules.’

In whatever form legal medical marijuana ultimately takes in Montana, it’s certain that it will come with more rules and regulations. The hope is to set policy that works to the benefit of patients and small producers, not just large-scale commercial growers. Until then, it’s likely that this state’s medical marijuana program might be delayed.

Could Drivers Under 21 Lose Their License If Caught With Marijuana?

Both detractors and proponents of legal cannabis can, for the most part, agree on one thing—there should be a set of regulations for driving under the influence of marijuana. However, as it stands, most cannabis-legal states do not have a set of rules, or even, a viable way to accurately test drivers for cannabis consumption. Now, lawmakers in California are considering a set of regulations for one sector of the cannabis consumer community—underage users. Which begs the question: could drivers under 21 lose their license if caught with marijuana?

A New Initiative

California drivers under the age of 21 could lose their license for a year due to new regulations. Getting caught driving with cannabis could result in a year of hitchhiking and public transportation.

Much like alcohol, California residents must be 21 or over to purchase and legally consume pot. State Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) explained that the upcoming provisions will also closely mirror pre-existing legislation. Especially when it comes to underage drinking and driving.

He added that “the state will adhere to a strict ‘zero-tolerance'” policy.

“This bill will save lives by making it illegal for drivers under age 21 to drive under the influence of marijuana, just like current law for alcohol,” Sen. Hill said in a statement.

The proposed bill, titled SB 1273, would test drivers suspected of driving under the influence of cannabis for delta-9- THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana.

However, this remains a challenge as the state does not have a way to measure the plant in the body. Nor do they have a way of determining a unified standard for impairment

“We don’t have a device in the field to measure impairment by cannabis,” said the California Highway Patrol.

Final Hit: Could Drivers Under 21 Lose Their License If Caught With Marijuana?

There are potentially severe implications for underage drivers. Despite this, the bill will take exception to medical marijuana patients.

Provided they have the necessary documents to prove they use the plant for strictly medical conditions. Still, testing those without one still remains in the premature stages of development.

The bill expects officers to perform either an oral swab saliva test or another chemical field test, but no such form of testing has proven to accurately test for cannabis, especially considering the fact that THC can remain in a regular smoker’s system for over a month.

It even shows up in urine tests.  According to some of Hill’s aides, there are currently prototype devices being used in some California jurisdictions under limited use.

Michigan has also undergone a pilot program to test drivers saliva for a variety of drugs, including amphetamine, benzodiazepines, cocaine, methamphetamine, opiates and cannabis.

Airport Sets Up Amnesty Boxes For Flyers To Dispose Their Weed

Visitors to Las Vegas have a new way to help keep them out of trouble, as the local airport sets up amnesty boxes for flyers to dispose their weed or other recreational or prescription drugs, giving new meaning to the adage “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. ”

The Boxes

The bright green boxes were installed February 16 at McCarran International Airport as a way for travelers to safely get rid of cannabis or other items that might not be allowed through Transportation Security Authority checkpoints. Recreational cannabis sales were legalized in the state of Nevada on July 1, 2017, but that doesn’t mean it’s legal everywhere.

In October of last year, Clark County, home to Sin City, passed an ordinance outlawing possession of cannabis, marijuana, and THC on  McCarran grounds.

“Marijuana is prohibited on airport property,” said airport spokesperson Christine Crews in an interview with local media. “You could face a citation fine, or you could face arrest depending on what those amounts are,” she added.

The boxes are located just outside the airport terminal so items can be left before entering the building, no questions asked.

The amnesty boxes, as they are called, are about the size of a large trash can and have been bolted securely to the ground. A drawer drop, similar to those on a corner mailbox, prevents anyone from reaching inside and keeps the contents safely inside until they are removed by a contractor.

What Happens After A Drop-Off?

 Travel Weekly

That doesn’t mean a free stash for someone, however.

“They [the contractor] will be collecting whatever’s surrendered and disposing of it appropriately, depending on what contents are in these boxes,” Crews said. “We don’t want your pot; leave it somewhere else, that’d be fine.”

Crews also noted that because cannabis is still illegal under United States laws, the drop boxes will enable the airport to avoid being complicit in smuggling marijuana across state lines.

“Being a federally regulated industry, we want to make sure we are more than compliant with their standards,” Crews said.

The amnesty boxes seem to be getting a positive reaction from travelers. “I think they’re great, said Michael Aldaya, a visitor from Minnesota. “This is probably where you should dispose your drugs.”

Aldaya hedged when asked if he had anything to leave in the boxes. “Uh… I don’t want to disclose that right now,” he joked.

But Shannon, in town from San Francisco, thinks the boxes might not get much use. “I feel like anyone who probably has some sort of cannabis, weed, would probably do it before they threw it away,” she said. “I’d be interested to see how full that gets.”

In the first week of operation, the boxes have collected several vape pens and a plastic bag of pills, according to reports.

Final Hit: Airport Sets Up Amnesty Boxes for Flyers to Dispose Their Weed

So far, 13 of the amnesty boxes have been installed in high-traffic areas of the airport. Ten are located at the terminal, with three more at the car rental complex.

The Clark County Department of Aviation, the airport operator, has plans to install seven more of the amnesty boxes at other sites including the Henderson Executive Airport and the North Las Vegas Airport, bringing the total number to 20.

Everything You Need To Know About Marijuana: What Is Cannabis?

Cannabis, also referred to as marijuana, has been an integral part of human civilizations for millennia. Both as a medicine and as a recreational substance, cannabis is the most popular illicit drug in the world. Today, the legal landscape that has prohibited marijuana for much of the twentieth century is giving way to decriminalization and full legalization. Legal, commercial cannabis businesses are already making an enormous economic impact.

Thus, marijuana is re-emerging as an important cultural, social and political force, yet knowledge about the drug is incomplete, inconsistent and plagued by false information. As a result, the demand for trustworthy, accurate information about cannabis is at an all-time high.

This guide is an introduction to anyone looking to inform themselves about the reality of cannabis. It covers basic information about the marijuana plant, cannabis preparations, and the crucial elements of plant anatomy and science. This guide to marijuana also gives an overview of the most popular medical and recreational uses of cannabis. It offers a survey of the most important medical cannabis research while highlighting emerging trends in the legal cannabis market. The guide also introduces those new to cannabis to the many ways to consume marijuana, and much more.

Ultimately, this guide explains everything you need to know about marijuana, so you can be fully informed next time you answer the question, what is cannabis?

Preparing Cannabis

There are many ways to prepare cannabis for consumption. And while final marijuana products may come in many forms, each aims to provide rich concentrations of the terpenes, cannabinoids, and other desirable compounds the marijuana plant produces. From the simple process of drying and curing marijuana flowers, to the sophisticated chemistry of producing cannabis concentrates, here’s a guide to the most common forms of cannabis.

Marijuana (Flower)

The most ubiquitous form of prepared cannabis is the dried and cured flowers of female cannabis plants. The flowering portions of the marijuana plant contain the richest concentrations of terpenes and cannabinoids, the most desirable compounds of the plant for medical and recreational marijuana users.

Kief

The term kief refers to the sticky, bulbous crystalline formations on the tip of a gland called a “trichome.” Trichomes are external resin glands packed with the chemicals that give marijuana its flavors and smells, called “terpenes.” They also contain high concentrations of cannabinoids. These chemicals which interact with our body to produce marijuana’s signature effects.

Handling and grinding cannabis flower causes the tips of the delicate resin glands to break off. As a result, kief often ends up coating the bottom of the bag or container storing the marijuana. Many devices for grinding cannabis include a screen to sift out and separate kief, which also goes by the name “dry sift” or “pollen.”

Kief can be extremely potent because it almost entirely consists of terpenes and cannabinoids. This makes it ideal as the raw material for producing waxes and other concentrates. Though this requires large quantities of kief and therefore large amounts of marijuana

Hashish

There are several types of cannabis concentrates offered on the legal market today. One of the oldest forms of marijuana concentrate is hashish or hash. Hash is made by compressing the cannabinoid-rich resin of the marijuana plant.

Tincture

Tinctures are liquid concentrates made through alcohol extraction, pulling out many of the marijuana plant’s beneficial cannabinoids. In fact, until cannabis prohibition in the early twentieth century, tinctures were the most common form of medical cannabis in the United States.

Hash Oil

In addition to pressed hash, hash oil can be created using a variety of solvents like butane that extract the resinous material from the marijuana plant’s flowers. Butane extraction produces the concentrate BHO (butane hash oil), one of the strongest concentrates.

The consistency of the final product can vary from a translucent, glass-like substance, often referred to as “shatter,” to soft waxes called “honeycomb” or “crumble.”

Other extraction methods do not use toxic solvents, but instead pressure and CO2 gasses to remove terpenes and cannabinoids from marijuana flowers. CO2 oils are most popular for use in vape pens, which give users greater safety and control than dabbing BHO concentrates.

Infusions

Not all forms of marijuana are for inhaling or eating. Cannabis topicals are products designed for application on the skin. And they’re a major part of cannabis’ incorporation into health and wellness lifestyles.

Marijuana-based topicals have developed substantially since first gaining popularity years ago. Today, topicals come in the form of lotions, bath bombs, sprays, shampoos and soaps infused with THC and CBD. This makes them incredibly easy to use.

Topicals are powerful pain relievers, taking advantage of the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids without any psychoactive side-effects. In other words, users can’t get high from applying cannabis-infused topicals to their skin.

Methods Of Consuming Cannabis

The exploding recreational market for marijuana has rapidly popularized many methods of consuming cannabis that was decidedly part of the fringe just a few short years ago. Smoking marijuana remains the most widely embraced method, due to the greater accessibility of marijuana flower. But legal recreational cannabis is introducing many marijuana users to new forms of the drug, especially concentrates and edibles. Here’s a brief overview of the major methods for consuming marijuana.

Smoking

Smoking marijuana is hands down the most widely used method of consuming cannabis. It’s also the simplest: a rolling paper and some dried marijuana flower are all you need. Other, more technological methods of smoking marijuana may be rising in popularity. But for many people, the social experience of passing weed around with some friends is what cannabis is all about.

Over the ages, countless innovations have attempted to improve on the basic experience of inhaling the smoke of combusted cannabis. As a result, there are numerous ways to smoke marijuana. The rolling technique is at the root of joints, blunts, and spliffs. On the other hand, glassware and other devices are essential for smoking weed out of a pipe, bong, or bubbler.

Vaping Cannabis Oil

The onset of legal recreational markets for marijuana has led to a dramatic upsurge in the method of vaporizing cannabis, aka “vaping.” In many ways vaping cannabis has quite a bit in common with the process of vaping tobacco, such as the use of “e-cigarette” batteries and heating elements.

Concentrates used in vaping are almost always in was or oil form. Vaporizing herbaceous cannabis is also possible, though less efficient and portable than hand-held vaporizing methods.

It’s easy to see why vaping has become such a popular method for consuming marijuana. The method is remarkably discrete and produces none of the telltale “weed smells” that often betray cannabis users. Vape pens and other hand-held devices are portable and convenient. They’re free of many of the harsh marijuana plant compounds that can harm your lung health, like tars. And companies are getting better at crafting high-quality, flavorful vape cartridges with a wide array of cannabinoid profiles.

Eating and Drinking Cannabis-Infused “Edibles”

Cannabis culture has always taken pride in its epicurean delights. From the old standby of the “special brownie” to advanced gastropub techniques, culinary cannabis has attracted amateur and professional “cannachefs” alike.

Eating cannabis, however, does not involve simply ingesting dried marijuana flowers. Instead, the process involves activating and then extracting THC and other cannabinoids from ground marijuana flower using fatty substances like oils and, well, fat.

After decarboxylation, which is the process of “activating” marijuana’s cannabinoids with heat, THC and other cannabinoids become soluble in fats. Hence the enduring power of the “pot brownie;” the fats in chocolate and butter excel at sucking up the cannabinoids in the marijuana plant matter.

It’s also possible to drink cannabis. Again, drinking marijuana involves the use of oils, tinctures, or other concentrates, which are added to the consumer’s beverage of choice. From lemonade to coffee, drinkable cannabis is an easy and smoke-free way to dose.

One important thing to note, however, is that the metabolic pathway of THC is different from that of inhaling. Digestion adds another “stop” on THC’s path to the brain and produces a special form of THC, called THC-COOH, that’s longer-lasting and more potent than THC’s other metabolites.

Dabbing Cannabis Concentrates

Dabbing is the process of rapidly sublimating cannabis concentrates and inhaling the ensuing vapor. Since users are inhaling concentrates with upward of 90 percent THC, dabbing produces highs unmatched by any other method of consuming cannabis.

The somewhat crude method of dabbing has evolved over the years thanks to its rapid rise in mainstream cannabis culture. As methods have been refined, the fits of coughing, blasted out lungs, and the infamous “dab sweats” are becoming the purview of only the most diehard dabbers.

Keeping a clean rig and learning how to dial in the perfect temperature of the heated element are essential to a pleasurable dabbing experience. With practice, dabbing can produce smooth yet intensely flavorful experiences that lead to incredible and long-lasting highs.

The Effects Of Marijuana Use

The effects of marijuana use on the human body are complex and incompletely understood.

Acute Side Effects

Most of the perceptible side effects of marijuana use are a result of the body’s reaction to the psychoactive THC cannabinoid. THC stimulates or “activates” specific psychological responses generally, but not always, associated with euphoria and relaxation.

Lungs

The results of a major, long-term study into marijuana use and lung health reveal no substantive link between cannabis use and respiratory diseases like lung cancer. Additionally, lifelong marijuana users had no significantly increased risk of breathing problems.

Although marijuana smoke contains a number of carcinogens findings from a limited number of well-designed studies do not suggest an increased risk for the development of either lung or upper airway cancer from light or moderate use. However, the evidence is mixed when it comes to the carcinogenic risks of heavy, long-term marijuana users, according to this study.

Cardiovascular

Scientists simply do not know the overall impact of marijuana on cardiovascular health. Researchers in California, Pennsylvania, and New York analyzed dozens of studies into the effects of cannabis on heart health, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Their analysis revealed more problems with previous studies than answers.

However, scientists do agree that marijuana use increases the heart rate anywhere from 20 to 50 beats per minutes for up to 3 hours. Other studies have indicated links between marijuana use and increased blood pressure and hypertension. But these findings were contradicted by further studies.

Neurological

Multiple studies have concluded that the non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD imparts the significant neuroprotective effects of marijuana. This effect can shield nerve cells from damage and deterioration, making medical marijuana a promising drug for treating a range of neurological diseases.

Psychiatric

The relationship between marijuana use and mental health is not fully understood. On the one hand, research suggests that cannabis can help treat certain mood disorders. The effects of marijuana use on memory and cognition may also help patients suffering from PTSD forget traumatic memories.

On the other hand, some studies suggest that cannabis use can contribute to the onset of or exacerbate existing mental health problems. According to the WHO, marijuana use can make schizophrenia and other psychoses worse. Some marijuana users also report experiences of acute anxiety and paranoia as a side effect of the drug.

Plant Science

Knowing the anatomy of Cannabis sativa is crucial to understanding what distinguishes high-quality marijuana from its lesser varieties. It also helps patients, caregivers and recreational users understand what they’re consuming when they use cannabis, and why.

The Anatomy Of A Cannabis Plant

Cannabis plants can be male, female, or hermaphrodite. The dried marijuana flowers that humans consume, however, come from the female plant. That’s because female plants produce large resin-secreting flowers that are rich in cannabinoids and free of seeds. Hence, female plants are the ones growers prefer, though of course, male marijuana plants are a requirement for pollination.

The flowers of female cannabis plants grow in large clusters called cola, with the main cola at the top of the plant. These clusters contain the reproductive parts of the flower, which impart the marijuana plant with vibrant strands of color but do little for potency and taste.

Encasing these parts are green tear-shaped leaf-like structures called the bract. Bracts are densely coated with resin-producing glands containing the highest concentration of cannabinoids in the marijuana plant.

Finally, the entire marijuana flower structure is coated with resinous crystals called trichomes. Trichomes are translucent, mushroom-like glands that form on the entire flowering structure and even the stems of the marijuana plant. These bulb-shaped glands secrete the rich, aromatic essential oils that give cannabis its smells and flavors. Trichomes also contain cannabinoids.

Terpenes

Lovingly shortened to “terps,” terpenes are plant compounds found in all strains of cannabis—and many other plants, besides.  They play a major role in the palette of the cannabis plant, imparting smells and flavors ranging from sweet and floral to earthy and cheesy.

Today, much speculation surrounds terpenes, their role in the effects of consuming cannabis, and how to best cultivate and preserve them during production.

Knowledge about how terpenes interact with plant cannabinoids has grown significantly over the years, however.

Cannabinoids

Cannabis plants are chemical powerhouses that produce more than 400 different compounds. But of those 400 compounds, more than 100 of them are totally specific to the plant genus Cannabis sativa. Scientists call these special compounds “cannabinoids.”

Cannabinoids are chemicals that interact with cell receptors throughout the human central nervous system. This specialized network of receptors, called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), reacts to the presence of cannabinoids to produce a variety of pleasurable and therapeutic effects.

Research into plant cannabinoids constitutes the main focus of studies into the possible medical applications of marijuana.

The Most Important Cannabinoids In Marijuana

Cannabinoids naturally occur as acids. Heating them converts them to a neutral form through a process called decarboxylation. Decarboxylated cannabinoids are able to interact with receptors in the endocannabinoid system, where they stimulate and alter the release of neurotransmitters in the brain.

Scientists have recorded the presence of more than 100 different plant cannabinoids in marijuana. But only a few really matter; the ones that produce desirable and beneficial effects for users.

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)

The legendary tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has sealed cannabis’ fate for nearly a century, making marijuana one of the most persecuted plants on the planet. And all because this one compound happens to interact with the human body in such a way as to produce a complex signature of effects—a “high” unlike any other.

THC is the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. And through a complex series of reactions, it binds to nerve receptors in the brain and throughout the body.

For millennia, humans have taken advantage of these reactions for enjoyment and health. While THC is a potent medicine for cannabis patients suffering from chronic pain, sleep disorders, and inflammation, its popularity and notoriety undeniably stem from its recreational uses.

CBD (Cannabidiol)

Cannabidiol, or CBD, holds the key to the wide variety of medicinal and therapeutic effects marijuana offers. Importantly, CBD is a non-psychoactive component of marijuana. Yet it occurs in high enough concentrations that extracting it from cannabis plants is relatively easy.

Isolated from THC and other cannabinoids, CBD inhabits a legal gray area and is legal almost everywhere. With wide-ranging medical applications, cultivating CBD-heavy strains has become a priority in the industry. CBD is available in a number of forms, from edibles to concentrates to topicals.

For medical cannabis patients, cannabidiol can reduce inflammation, treat mood disorders, shrink tumors, relieve pain and stop seizures. For recreational marijuana users, CBD can help balance THC and smooth the edges of an extreme high.

CBG (Cannabigerolic Acid)

CBG, like CBD, is non-psychoactive. Yet this compound is a key precursor to both THC and CBD. It acts as a kind of vanishing mediator. As soon as CBG appears, it just as quickly converts to either CBD or THC.

Figuring out which factors control which path CBG will take has helped plant scientists “direct” cannabinoid production, leading to marijuana strains with high CBD and low THC and vice versa.

Excitingly, CBG has also shown a number of promising medical applications. Research has suggested CBG could help treat cancer and a variety of bowel and bladder diseases.

THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin)

Given its name, you might assume THCV shares psychoactive powers with its potent counterpart, THC. In reality, this cannabinoid is more like a cross between CBD and THC. From the former, it takes its modulating powers. Acting like THC “lite,” THCV like CBD can dampen the effects of a strong high. Yet at higher doses, THCV kicks into a psychoactive stimulant in its own right.

Cerebral and focusing, THCV can also intensify the euphoria THC causes. The problem is that it occurs only in trace amounts in herbaceous cannabis. But look to a future where THCV extracts are available for vaping.

CBDV (Cannabidivarin)

CBDV is an analog to CBD and is therefore non-psychoactive. But CBDV shares the medicinal use of CBD. The cannabinoid is found in higher quantities in cannabis strains that also have a high CBD concentration. The two tend to go together.

And as with CBD, researchers find good cause for pursuing the clinical development of CBDV-based treatments. Current medical marijuana research has identified CBDV as a powerful anti-convulsant. This means it can help reduce the severity of seizures for people suffering from epilepsy. The compound has also shown promise as an anti-nausea medicine.

CBC (Cannabichromene)

CBC is another lesser-known yet still crucial cannabinoid in marijuana, especially from a therapeutic perspective. While bereft of the psychoactive quality of THC (and to a lesser extent THCV), CBC is gaining popularity as an anxiety reducer. While research on cannabichromene lags behind others, there’s good reason to continue looking into its potential as a medicine.

In 1981, this study found that CBC was the second-most prominent cannabinoid found in cannabis. Therefore, while CBC may not have any particularly strong effect on its own, it could play an essential part in the ensemble effect lauded by whole-plant cannabis enthusiasts.

Growing Cannabis

Commercial cannabis cultivation has grown into a modern, technologically sophisticated operation. Yet amateur and small-scale growers can grow marijuana just as successfully with simpler setups. Recreational marijuana laws that allow for in-home cultivation have contributed to the rise of home marijuana grows.

Cannabis can grow well both indoors and out. Cultivation setups can be hydroponic or soil-based. The ideal growing conditions for cannabis depend on the specific requirements of the strain.

Growing Marijuana Indoors

Indoor marijuana grows provide the most control over growing conditions. With a simple setup including a tent, proper lighting, and an air circulation system, home marijuana growers can produce consistent yields. Both soil and hydro systems can be utilized for indoor marijuana grows. Soil setups are generally cheaper and more forgiving, but hydro systems tend to be more common.

Growing marijuana indoors usually begins with cannabis seeds or a clone which has already begun its initial growth phase. Planting cannabis seeds or rooting a clone is, therefore, the first step. Using correctly calibrated plant nutrients is essential to successful growth. Over-watering and overfeeding cannabis plants is an easy mistake to make.

Marijuana plants will give signs when things are going wrong, giving growers a chance to correct course. Indica strains of marijuana are more conducive to indoor growing due to their more efficient use of available space. Sativa cannabis strains require trellising for support and introduce the need for growth training, complicating the setup.

Growing Marijuana Outdoors

When privacy isn’t a requirement, outdoor cannabis grows can provide many advantages over indoor operations. Sunlight is the single most important factor for successful outdoor marijuana growing. It’s important to choose a plot with total sunshine throughout the day. Therefore, cannabis growers in the northern hemisphere will want plots with southern exposure, exposing marijuana plants to the sun’s arc across the sky.

The increased exposure to constant sunlight makes the feeding requirements of outdoor cannabis plants somewhat less strict. Outside, nutrients should be applied to the grow medium every third day.

Outdoor growing provides a significant advantage over indoor growing in one key area: space. The greater availability of space allows marijuana plants to spread out and produce much larger yields. A single cannabis plant grown to full-size outside can produce between four and eight pounds of cannabis.

Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponic systems are soil-less setups for growing marijuana indoors. They’ve long been a staple of large-scale agricultural industries and commercial-size grows. Indeed, hydroponic systems are easily the most widely used method of cannabis cultivation in the world.

Advances in equipment, grow mediums and nutrient mixes, however, have made hydro a less formidable method of growing marijuana than it once was. Today, small hydroponic systems are becoming more popular among home marijuana growers.

There are variety of hydroponic setups, but each method essentially involves administering water and nutrient solution directly to the roots of the cannabis plants, without the use of soil. Systems can vary from simple, pump-based setups to fully-automated, computer-regulated setups.

Soil-Based Systems

Soil grows are more affordable and accessible than many hydroponic setups. Today however, soil marijuana grows are almost exclusively used for outdoor growing. Marijuana growers face some additional challenges using soil grow mediums.

Ensuring soils have the correct amounts of required nutrients, and keeping them devoid of toxins, can be a difficult process. As a result, many outdoor marijuana growers will adapt methods from hydro growing, such as introducing buffers that make soil “airier” and more nutrient dense.

Soil grows are also much more ecologically friendly, which some cannabis growers prefer. There are many ways responsible marijuana cultivation can contribute to local ecology. At the same time, however, unscrupulous marijuana growers can threaten soil health and water resources, and damage ecosystems through the use of pesticides.

Ideal Growing Conditions

In late 2017, researchers with the University of Guelph in Canada published the first-ever study to document the ideal growing conditions for cannabis. Using liquid organic fertilizer with a PKN ratio of 1.3P–1.7K-4.0N, the experiment tested five increasing rates of fertilization. They also tested two coir-based soil-less growing media, or “substrates.”

The team found that, when it comes to growing marijuana in coco-coir, “the highest yield, cannabinoid content and plant growth were achieved around an organic fertilizer rate that supplied 389 mg N/L during the vegetative growth stage.”

The paper goes on to note that pushing the fertilizer rate up to 418 mg N/L maximized THC concentrations in dried marijuana flower, at the expense of yield and other cannabinoid content.

Strains and Breeding

Despite its centrality in human cultures across the globe, the European taxonomists who bequeathed Cannabis sativa its name didn’t quite get it right. When Carolus Linneaus came to naming the marijuana plant’s genus, he thought there was only one species, instead of the three we now know exist. Hence the confusion surrounding the fact that there are three distinct species of the genus Cannabis sativa, one of which is the sativa species.

The confusion compounds when one realizes that in today’s popular lexicon, the terms indica, sativa, and hybrid tend to indicate a set of effects, rather than the taxonomy of a particular strain. But that’s just as well. Most marijuana strains today, especially those under commercial cultivation, are genetic hybrids. Only a handful of pure, or “landrace” cannabis strains are in circulation.

Indica Strains

The indica species of cannabis gets its name from the region where it was “discovered” and classified, in this case, India. But again, in today’s parlance, calling something an “indica strain” indicates a distinct set of effects and sensations, rather than anything having to do with marijuana growth patterns, genetic lineage, or flowering times.

Put simply, “indica” strains are those associated with a strong body-high, feelings of sedation and relaxation. For this reason, indicas are often thought of as the “heavier” strains of cannabis, offering stronger highs that impact the whole body. They’re popular among marijuana users as pain relieving and sleep-inducing strains. Indicas are especially popular among medical cannabis patients.

For marijuana growers and breeders, indica indicates a plant that is short in stature, with broad leaves and darker coloration. Indicas’ shorter flowering cycles help make these marijuana strains more suitable for colder climates and shorter growing seasons.

Sativa Strains

Like indica strains, calling a strain a sativa means something different for marijuana consumers than it does for growers. If indicas are the “downers” of the cannabis family, sativas are the uppers.

Known for invigorating and uplifting sensations, with a high focus in the mind rather than the body, sativas are extremely popular as daytime-use strains and for social occasions. Sativas are also widely associated with the cerebral and creativity-enhancing effects of weed. Hence, they are lauded by artists and other inventive people who use cannabis.

From a botanical perspective, however, sativas are the skinnier, wispier counterpoint to the stocky hardiness of indica strains. They grow taller, have narrower leaves, and longer flowering cycles. In the right climate, ideally warm, those features make sativas production powerhouses.

Hybrid Strains

As the name suggests, hybrid strains of marijuana combine elements from both indica and sativa parents. As a result, cannabis users often consider their effects to fall somewhere between indicas and sativas.

So-called “pure hybrids,” while oxymoronic in name, indicate marijuana strains that are believed to offer a perfect blend or balance of sativa’s energizing and indica’s sedating effects. Other hybrid strains of cannabis tend to place the emphasis on one end of the spectrum or the other. These are called “sativa-dominant” or “indica-dominant,” accordingly.

THC-Dominant Strains

Classifications of marijuana can also indicate the relative concentration of cannabinoids in different strains.. The distinction here is especially useful for differentiating between marijuana strains which are better suited to recreational use and those more geared toward medical or therapeutic applications.

THC-dominant marijuana strains are those recreational users prize most. The following are the strongest THC-dominant strains, as of 2017.

• Godfather OG // Indica // 34.04 percent THC
• Super Glue // Hybrid // 32.14 percent THC
• Strawberry Banana // Hybrid // 31.62 percent THC
• Venom OG Kush // Indica // 31.04 percent THC

CBD-Dominant Strains

The popularization of cannabidiol’s therapeutic uses has led to a boom in cultivators who breed cannabis strains with high CBD and low THC. These strains of marijuana are not typically consumed for recreational purposes. Their low or negligible psychoactivity means CBD-dominant cannabis strains do not get users high.

Instead, CBD-dominant marijuana strains provide the raw materials for a range of CBD products, like oils, edibles and skin products.

It’s important to distinguish between CBD-dominant strains of cannabis and strains of hemp. Hemp contains only trace amounts of THC and is rich in CBD, making it a popular and legal source for CBD health products.

Landrace Strains

Landrace cannabis strains are invaluable resources. They represent the oldest and purest forms of cannabis that exist. Landrace strains occur naturally and have evolved over thousands of years. They’re perfectly adapted to the climates where they grow.

Perfected over the course of their evolution, landrace plants are large, hardy marijuana plants capable of producing massive yields. They form complex resins highly concentrated with terpenes and cannabinoids.

Landraces grow all over the globe. Except for those that grow throughout South Asia, which are indicas, most landrace marijuana strains are sativas or low-THC hemp varieties. North Africa and Central Asia are regions where ruderalis landrace strains grow.

All modern cannabis strains derive from landraces. Hence their value: landrace strains are the basis for breeding. Breeders could not create new strains without them.

Medical Cannabis

For many, the medical and therapeutic potential of cannabis is what makes legalizing the marijuana plant such an important political and social task. Federal prohibition has established barriers to comprehensive cannabis research in the United States. However, researchers in other countries continue to make significant contributions to our knowledge of the cannabis plant and how it affects the human body.

Furthermore, medical cannabis use is legal in many more places than recreational marijuana use. Current research, alongside patient and caregiver testimony, attests to the many medicinal applications of marijuana. From pain to serious neurological diseases, medical cannabis is emerging as a safe and viable alternative to many common prescription medications.

Medical cannabis products come in many forms, from flower to concentrates. Products with a high cannabidiol (CBD) content are more common among medical cannabis patients, yet THC also offers a range of medicinal and therapeutic benefits.

The Legality Of Medical Marijuana

In the United States, the legality of medical marijuana varies in substantial ways from state to state. There are currently 29 US states with legal medical cannabis laws, as well as the District of Columbia. That leaves 21 states where medical marijuana is entirely prohibited. Marijuana cultivation, possession, and use in any form is illegal at the federal level.

Popular Medical Cannabis Products

While medical cannabis products come in many forms, the most popular continues to be herbaceous marijuana. From a medicinal or therapeutic view, dried flower is extremely versatile. Many strains of cannabis are bred to bring out particular traits that make them ideal to treat a particular disease or ailment.

Edible cannabis, however, is quickly making up ground as a go-to method for consuming medical marijuana. Indeed, some states with legal medical marijuana laws still forbid smoking marijuana. Instead, medical forms of the drug are only available in pill or capsule form. Oils and tinctures, which are made from extracting cannabinoids from herbaceous material, are also commonly prescribed in the form of cannabis edibles.

Not without reason, there is a strong perception that smoking cannabis for medical use is contradictory, due to the health risks associated with smoking. Hence, smoke-free methods of cannabis consumption, including vaping, are rising in popularity among medical marijuana users.

Topicals represent a newer emerging market in medical marijuana products geared toward health and beauty. Cannabinoids can be absorbed through the skin for certain therapeutic benefits without any psychoactivity. Additionally, the essential oils in hemp and cannabis provide many benefits for skin health. From moisturizers to shampoos and deodorants, medical cannabis products continue to diversify.

Medical Cannabis Uses And Treatments

Many of the medical benefits of cannabis stem from its capacity to act as an anti-inflammatory. Inflammation is a contributing and aggravating factor in a range of diseases, including chronic pain and neurological illnesses.

Cannabis, especially the cannabinoid CBD, has also demonstrated its abilities as a powerful anti-convulsant. This property is what accounts for cannabis’ ability to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures, especially for people with epilepsy. In the United States, epilepsy is the most widely adopted qualifying condition for medical cannabis use, especially for children.

Scientists have also discovered a pathway whereby cannabis can act as a “neuro-protectant,” shielding nerve cells from degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s.

Even more remarkably, cannabidiol has shown that it can inhibit the growth of tumors. Landmark studies conclude that CBD can, therefore, slow the progression of many types of cancer, including breast, lung, prostate and colon cancer.

State Of Cannabis Research

Researchers in the United States face many challenges and barriers in conducting cannabis research. Changes in state policy and increasing access to legal medical marijuana has not altered the federal legal landscape, which still considers marijuana “Schedule I” with no medical or social value.

As a result, there is limited reliable research on the health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids produced in the US. Regulatory barriers, poor quality marijuana samples, funding limitations and logistical problems beleaguer cannabis studies in the US.

However, other nations with less restrictive policies have emerged as global leaders in medical cannabis research and development. Among them are Canada, which just authorized $1.4 million for marijuana research projects.

Israel, another example, has led the way with ground-breaking research into cannabis cultivation. The country recently recognized medical marijuana as an official part of the nation’s branch of agriculture. Israel is already one of the world’s leading exporters of medical-grade cannabis. Recognizing marijuana cultivation as an official branch of the country’s agriculture will open up even more funds to support Israeli cannabis farmers.

Cancer

According to researchers, 25 percent of all cancer patients use medical marijuana. Cancer patients are finding relief from medical cannabis. And they want to know more about it. Research conducted at St. George’s University of London, found the two most common cannabinoids in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), weakened the ferocity of cancer cells and made them more susceptible to radiation treatment. Other studies have shown that medical marijuana treatments can slow the growth of cancer cells and halt their spread to other parts of the body.

Dementia

Several animal studies have led researchers to believe that cannabis could reverse signs of aging in the brain. Aging mice treated with small daily doses of THC showed a reversal in cognitive decline. However, past studies on the effects of cannabis on human memory show less promising results. Still, with few viable treatments for dementia, medical marijuana is receiving increased attention in this area.

Diabetes

Cannabis research suggests medical marijuana could become an effective treatment for diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy is a debilitating and sometimes fatal condition caused by diabetes. Diabetics suffer from high blood sugar due to insulin resistance, and this damages nerve cells in the body, causing severe pain. Patients who consumed THC as part of a study found they experienced less pain. Findings are not definitive, however, and further research into cannabis as a treatment for diabetes and associated symptoms is required.

Epilepsy

Few studies exist examining how cannabis affects epilepsy in humans. But studies on animals offer rich and encouraging data about the effectiveness of medical marijuana as a seizure medication. In animals, both the THC and CBD cannabinoids demonstrate very potent anti-convulsant effects.

The CBD cannabinoid shows the widest effectiveness, capable of treating a variety of epilepsies without actively causing seizures or increasing there severity. THC also exerts anti-seizure properties. But in about 10 percent of cases, THC led to more and severer seizures in animals.

Glaucoma

Cannabis lowers the pressure in the eye that causes optic nerve damage leading to glaucoma. Research has shown conclusively that marijuana users experience lower internal eye pressure while the body metabolizes THC. However, the psychoactive side effects of using THC to treat glaucoma make cannabis a nonviable medication for most people with the disease.

Tourettes Syndrome

Researchers in New Zealand have studied whether cannabis can be used to treat severe motor and vocal tics in those suffering from Tourette syndrome. The study concluded that subjects who took a controlled THC-CBD medicated spray showed marked improvement in the frequency and severity of motor and vocal tics post-treatment. Although the study is only a small clinical trial, it is one of the first to specifically analyze the effects of cannabis on Tourette syndrome.

Recreational Marijuana

Marijuana is the most popular illicit drug in the world, for no reason other than the fact that it produces a psychoactive chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol. Still, recreational marijuana use, which involves pursuing the euphoric sensations produced by cannabis consumption, is steadily becoming more and more legal, both in the United States and abroad.

Recreational cannabis cultivation and consumption continue to enter the mainstream as a legal, regulated industry. And new and exciting trends have emerged in the commercial marketplace. Legal marijuana also offers unprecedented investment opportunities; the industry is the fastest-growing in the world.

Common Uses For Recreational Marijuana

Recreational cannabis use centers around one chemical: the psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Consuming this chemical induces euphoric and stimulating sensations commonly referred to as a “high.” For most marijuana users, these sensations are pleasurable and enjoyable. For some, however, THC can induce feelings of anxiety and paranoia, especially in large doses.

Recreational marijuana use is simply the consumption of cannabis for the purposes of achieving these pleasurable effects. Other common uses include improving mood, increasing creativity, easing social anxiety or other stresses, and relaxation.

Emerging Trends In The Recreational Cannabis Market

Undeniably, one of the biggest trends in the recreational cannabis community has been the surge in popularity of cannabis concentrates. From casual vaping to competitive dabbing, the concentrate market has virtually dominated the conversation among recreational users.

Going forward, another emerging trend among recreational users are wellness lifestyles built around cannabis. This is certainly part of the influence of California’s new recreational marijuana market, which went online January 1, 2018. California is already an epicenter for health and wellness lifestyles and fads. Expect to see more of the same now that cannabis is completely legal.

Whether it’s new cannabis strains boasting previously unheard of THC concentrations, new devices for obtaining and consuming concentrates, or new techniques for produces the highest quality edibles, the recreational marijuana market is no doubt one of the most exciting emerging horizons in the cannabis industry worldwide.

Economic Impact Of Cannabis

Cannabis is one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer industries. It’s currently worth $7.2 billion and expected to bloom to $20.5 billion by 2020. Legal cannabis companies have also created over 300,000 jobs, according to the data firm New Frontier.

Startups are cropping up everywhere, and investors are cautiously optimistic about the opportunities these businesses represent. Developments in technology, financing, and media have completely transformed the landscape of commercial cannabis in the United States and elsewhere.

The emerging legal marketplace is also highly competitive. Companies are vying to form partnerships with tech companies offering solutions to increase bottom lines.

Legal Status of Recreational Marijuana

Only a handful of countries have legalized recreational marijuana. Uruguay was one of the first, in 2013. The Netherlands is perhaps the country most known for legal marijuana, yet the drug is illegal there. Spain has given its citizens the rights to grow and consume cannabis privately. Peru also allows citizens to possess marijuana as long as it is for personal, private use. As in Costa Rica, where people can have a “small amount,” without legal trouble.

In the United States, 9 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult recreational marijuana use.

Usage Statistics For Marijuana

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), About 147 million people, 2.5 percent of the world population, consume cannabis. That’s compared with 0.2 percent consuming cocaine and 0.2 percent consuming opiates. The most recent decade has also seen the sharpest rise in marijuana abuse.

Public Perception of Marijuana In The United States

According to a 2017 Gallup poll, 64 percent of respondents said they support fully legalizing cannabis. The total represents a 4 percent increase over the prior year. The upward trend isn’t something new, either. Support for legal weed has grown steadily since 2012. Interestingly, support for legal marijuana is rising among Republican voters.

A Vacant Elementary School Could Soon Be A Marijuana Grow Operation

A vacant elementary school could soon be a marijuana grow operation. It seems a Michigan school district is reconsidering selling one of its school buildings to a marijuana firm. The buyer hopes to turn the facility into a medical marijuana cultivation site.

School Board Not Keen on Recreational Marijuana

The East Jackson School district has not always been keen on doing business with the cannabis industry. In fact, the original offer made by the Dromos Group of Waterford expired last year.

But the district’s Board of Education is now on the verge of accepting the company’s offer of $900,000. The details of the Bertha Robinson Elementary School transaction will be hashed out later this week, reports MLive.

The school district was originally concerned that their dealings with marijuana might be a bad influence on the students. Board members were accepting of the idea of using the school to grow medical marijuana. But that’s where the liberal attitude stopped.

School officials expressed apprehension at first. They wanted nothing to do with marijuana sales. That’s something they have not been willing to give in on since the beginning. East Jackson Superintendent Steve Doerr told local reporters, “What’s only legal today, may not be in the future.”

“The board has to do what’s best for East Jackson students and the community,” he added.

No Retail Marijuana Sales Permitted

It turns out that a little finagling in the purchase agreement was all that was necessary. The cannabis company has agreed not to grow marijuana for recreational use.

As part of the deed restrictions, the property can only for growing and processing medical marijuana. The rules will apply for the duration of the deed.

“This locks in this use now and forever, regardless of changes in legislation or ordinances or owners,” Doerr said. “No sale or dispensing of marijuana—medical or otherwise—will be allowed there ever.”

Final Hit: A Vacant Elementary School Could Soon Be A Marijuana Grow Operation

Michigan legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes back in 2008. Since then, advocates have been working to end prohibition altogether. A recent survey shows Michigan residents are in favor of this reform. Almost 57 percent of the population believes marijuana should be taxed and regulated in a manner similar to beer. It is likely that the state could vote on this issue later this year.

No matter what happens with the state’s marijuana laws, Bertha Robinson Elementary School is forever a grow-only territory. Maybe they’ll even grow organic marijuana.

The sale will be final before the end of the week.

The Dangers of Smoking Out of Plastic

How you smoke is just as important as what you smoke. In today’s increasingly marijuana-friendly world, more and more people are turning to cannabis as both holistic medicine and a healthy way to get buzzed. But it doesn’t matter if you’re buying the highest quality organic hydroponic herb if you’re smoking it wrong. The dangers of smoking out of plastic pose a serious health threat. Here’s why you should pay more attention to how you’re lighting up.

Most types of plastic are dangerous.

Many plastics can cause cancer. There are seven kinds of plastics according to The Society of Plastics Industry, each with a different level of toxicity to humans. Categories 1 (polyethylene terephthalate) which includes BPA, 3 (polyvinyl chloride), and 6 (polystyrene) are the most carcinogenic. This means that they pose the greatest health risk.

The plastic you use every day in water bottles is no exception.

This first category, polyethylene terephthalate, includes everyday items such as water bottles, and other things generally intended for single use. Think of the taste of water from a plastic water bottle left sitting in a hot car. It tastes likes chemicals because chemicals have leached into the contents of the bottle.

According to Cancer Research UK, plastic bottles heated up to 60⁰C contain unhealthy levels of toxic chemicals. Imagine what can leach into your system when you smoke from a homemade water bottle bong where the bottle is routinely heated up.

Recently, the press has focused a lot on BPA, which resembles polyethylene terephthalate. BPA is found in many reusable plastic water bottles. BreastCancer.org describes BPA as a synthetic estrogen. Because estrogen is a hormone, BPA can disrupt your body’s hormone levels, making you more susceptible to cancer.

This is especially the case with breast cancer. Another disturbing side effect of BPA consumption for women is that it can affect a baby’s development. The presence of this synthetic estrogen leads to the birth or more girls than boys, and many of these babies suffer from depression and anxiety.

If these are the health risks of drinking water from a water bottle, imagine the dangers of smoking out of plastic.

The plastic found in animal toys, plastic wrap, takeout containers and Styrofoam is also a carcinogen.

Categories 3 and 6 according to the Society of Plastics Industry are equally dangerous, and equally common, as those in Category 1. According to the EPA, polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in pipes, packing material, homewares and new cars can cause liver cancer and disrupt the human nervous system.

You can come into contact with polyvinyl chloride by drinking water that came from pipes coated with this chemical.

Category six is also carcinogenic. It includes Styrofoam, which is the brand name for plastic chemical polystyrene. This plastic is so toxic that New York City prohibits the use of containers with polystyrene.

Whenever you smoke out of low quality plastic bongs manufactured in countries with little to no health regulation, you put yourself at risk for ingesting these sorts of chemicals.

Final Hit: The Dangers of Smoking Out of Plastic

Today, the dangers of smoking out of plastic are often uncertain, but that doesn’t make them any less alarming. This is true whether you’re using a water bottle or other plastic container as a homemade water pipe or a store bought plastic bong with unknown ingredients.

Our country and many others do very little to ensure the safety of plastics. The only safe way to avoid ingesting carcinogens is to avoid plastic whenever possible.

But no need to fret. The best bongs and one-hitters are silicone or glass anyway. Make sure to give your health—and your herb—the attention it deserves.

Massachusetts Commission Weighs ‘Cannabis Cafes’

BOSTON (AP) — Could Massachusetts become the first U.S. state where adults can gather and use legal recreational marijuana at so-called “cannabis cafes?”

The Cannabis Control Commission, the five-member panel set up to regulate the state’s marijuana industry, is expected to decide later this month whether to approve draft regulations that would allow for the licensing of social consumption establishments.

The idea has received strong opposition from Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration and from law enforcement officials who warn of public safety and public health risks if such facilities were to open.

Baker has suggested the Commission at the very least hold off on licensing social operations until after the commercial pot industry is up and running later this year.

Some questions and answers about the controversy:

What’s meant by social consumption?

Simply put, it would be a place (other than a private residence) where adults could gather to buy and use marijuana legally.
While the voter-approved law legalized the sale and possession of recreational marijuana, it remains illegal to use pot in public places. That’s why any social consumption sites would have to be licensed by Massachusetts and adhere to guidelines.
Under the proposed regulations, the locations could not serve alcohol and must have rules to keep marijuana away from minors. They must also have a plan for transporting intoxicated patrons home safely.

What types of establishments are envisioned?

The Cannabis Control Commission’s draft regulations propose two types of social consumption licenses.
A primary use license would be required of any business that would derive more than half of its business from the sale of marijuana products. The term “cannabis cafe” is sometimes used to describe such an establishment: Think a coffee shop but one where you would order weed instead of a fresh brew.

Still unresolved, though, is whether smoking could be allowed at such establishments.

A mixed use license would be for a business that wants to sell marijuana as a sideline to its principle business. Examples could include restaurants wishing to add a marijuana-infused dish to its menu, movie theaters and even yoga studios.

Why is it controversial?

Baker argues that marijuana regulators already have their hands full in implementing the recreational pot law and should be focused on the licensing of retail pot shops and cultivation facilities by July 1.

Any of the more exotic, specialty licenses can wait until later, he contends.

“People should crawl before they walk and walk before they run,” Baker told reporters Monday.

Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo echoed the governor’s sentiments, but stopped well short of suggesting the Legislature would step in to prevent social consumption sites from opening.

Law enforcement officials, including the Massachusetts Association of District Attorneys, argue that social consumption sites would inevitably lead to more stoned drivers on the road and increase the chances of theft and diversion of the drug to the black market.

What do supporters say?

Proponents of cannabis cafes contend there is nothing extraordinary about the concept.

“Social sites will simply give cannabis users the same options available to alcohol users — and I have not heard Baker or DeLeo issue similar criticisms of those establishments,” said Jim Borghesani, spokesman for the Massachusetts chapter of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Shaleen Title, an associate commissioner of the CCC, argued that such establishments would provide options for people who would rather not bring marijuana home because they have children, or non-approving family members or roommates.

What have other states done?

Social consumption has been a matter of discussion in nearly every U.S. state that has legalized recreational marijuana, but the proposed regulations in Massachusetts would go further than what any state has allowed so far.
In 2016, voters in Denver approved clubs where marijuana can be consumed on the premises. But a major difference is that such clubs — if and when they open — could not legally sell marijuana. Patrons would have to bring their own pot.
To find a global model for cannabis cafes, try Amsterdam, which has dozens of legal “coffeeshops” where patrons can buy and use marijuana.