Federal health officials last week approved an innovative new option for Americans struggling with addiction to heroin and painkillers: a drug-oozing implant that curbs craving and withdrawal symptoms for six months at a time.
A June 2016 study inthe Journal of Safety Researchconcludes that“polydruguse, rather than marijuana, is the most common cause of drugged driving in Colorado.”
Welcome to Leafly's cannabis products roundup for the month of May, where we take a look at a few of the many different products that are making a splash in the industry. From herb and accessory storage to topicals and vaporizers, we've highlighted the interesting, innovative, or just plain fun items that caught our attention. You can find almost all of these products through our own Products section for further information.
First up, we have the StashLogix ProStash carrying case. As a new owner of one, this case has worked wonders for me with organizing my stoner arsenal of various strains, pipes, papers, vape pens, cartridges, and everything in between. The ProStash is the biggest out of three cases from StashLogix, and the numerous pockets, straps, dividers, and outside lock will guarantee to keep your items safe and secured all in one place. It even comes with some stash jars, a pen, and a stash journal for keeping track of your different strain experiences (which you're totally going to add to Leafly's strain reviews, right?).
Cost: $80 USD
Next, we have the ZEUS Iceborn Vapor Quality Boost. It's a really cool (no pun intended) accessory that uses the power of ice to give you a much smoother and substantial vaping experience. Even if you aren’t into blowing big clouds of vapor, the Iceborn will allow you to smoothly experience the full flavor and quality of the buds you are vaping, making this both a fun and useful accessory to your desktop vape.
Cost: $69.99
Now let’s take a look at Toob Loob from the good people at VapeXhale. If you’ve ever felt the frustration and fear of trying to ease a resin-stuck bowl piece free from the downstem without shattering it, this is the product for you! Toob Loob helps keep your bowl and downstem functional and lubricated from resin buildup between cleanings, and is also non-toxic and odorless.
Cost: $3.95
Mary’s Medicinals Topical Compounds are another great product for those seeking pain relief through topical applications. As someone who deals with chronic knee pain, Mary’s Medicinals Topical Compound has helped bring me quick and tingling relief with its CBD and THC-infused balms. This topical would be a great addition to anyone who’s looking for other ways to deal with physical pain. Please note that Mary’s Medicinals is only currently available in Washington, Colorado, and California, with further expansion into Oregon, Arizona, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine soon.
Cost: Varies; check your local dispensary to see if it's in stock
For some artsy fun after you’re freshly baked, try out The Stoner’s Coloring Book! This book comes packed with 36 trippy patterns and illustrations from nine artists for you to fill with color. It's sure to provide hours of stoned fun, and you can even easily rip out the pages when you’re done to hang as artwork!
Cost: Varies; currently listed on Amazon for $15.00
Stay tuned next month for a new roundup of cannabis products! Got a suggestion in mind? Send your favorite products to tips@leafly.com and we may include them in future roundups!
Ohio’s MMJ campaign calls it quits. Ohioans for Medical Marijuana announced over the weekend that it’s suspended its effort to put a medical cannabis legalization measure on November’s ballot. Some are greeting the announcement as a sign the campaign’s goal was to put pressure on the state Legislature to pass an MMJ law, as the move came immediately after lawmakers passed a measure of their own. The bill, which the campaign called a “moderately good piece of legislation,” still awaits the signature of Gov. John Kasich. If he doesn’t sign, cannabis legalization efforts in Ohio will (again) have to wait until next year.
Meanwhile, new group — TACO — wants to decriminalize in Ohio. A group of Athens, Ohio, residents are circulating a petition to put a decriminalization measure on November’s ballot. The initiative is calling itself The Athens Cannabis Ordinance, or, more deliciously, TACO. TACO wants to remove the penalty for minor cannabis offenses and lower the fine for felony offenses to a fine of $1. Suddenly we’re craving $1 tacos.
Racial disparities continue, this time in California. Black and Latino people in the state were hit with disproportionately high rates of cannabis-related infractions compared to whites, according to the latest data-crunching by the Drug Policy Alliance and the ACLU of California. Analyzing numbers from the Los Angeles and Fresno police departments, the groups found that police issued infractions to black people at four times the rate of white people. Latinos were cited at 1.5 times the rate of whites. That’s despite the fact that cannabis use is roughly equal across racial and ethnic lines, the groups note. It’s not only California: Racial disparities persist in Oregon, Colorado, and nearly every other legal state that’s released enforcement data. (It's also an issue in terms of industry representation.) It’s a disillusioning situation for advocates who saw legalization as a way to address the longtime racial inequities of the drug war.
Toronto fallout continues. Last week’s widespread raids by Toronto police led to nearly 90 arrests at dispensaries in the city and stirred up no small amount of controversy among patients and advocates. Mayor John Tory, who had warned of a crackdown on unlicensed dispensaries, said over the weekend he played no role in ordering the raids. The shakeup has also aggravated existing divisions in Canada’s legalization movement, with advocates already arguing over how to respond to the police actions. (Here’s the Toronto PD press release, a map of the dispensaries raided, and how to contact the department.)
Edmonton entrepreneurs are gearing up. “Women Grow Edmonton is already looking at how female entrepreneurs, in particular, can get in on the green,” CBC News reports. The local chapter of the national organization launched last month and is already attracting upward of 100 people to its events. Next meeting: This Friday afternoon at the St. Albert Rugby Club.
Illinois looks to extend MMJ program to 2020. Since its beginnings, the state’s medical marijuana pilot program planned to sunset at the end of 2017. But the Illinois House recently passed a measure that would extend the end date to July 1, 2020. The measure now goes to the Senate, where it’s expected to pass.
Louisiana fisherman lands unusual catch. Capt. Theophile Bourgeois was fishing with buddies on a Louisiana barrier island when he came across a rectangular brick, wrapped in plastic. The cannabis brick, seeds stems and all, was clearly, in the words of the fisherman, “skunk weed.” The brick was quite old and waterlogged, with no indication of its origin, the fisherman said: “There was no labeling on it like, ‘Uncle Joe’s pot’ or anything.”
“Cannabis damages DNA” study called out as bunk. An Australian study last week claimed that cannabis users are damaging their DNA and passing on altered genes to future generations. Upon closer examination, however, critics found the researchers performed no actual tests to back up their controversial claim. Ethan Russo, a leading cannabinoid researcher, stated that cannabis does not produce DNA mutations, birth defects, or cancer. The study’s claims, Russo said, are unequivocally false.
Anti-legalization group launches in Maine. Scott Gagnon, chairman of Smart Approaches to Marijuana Maine, today announced the creation of prohibitionist organization Mainers Protecting Our Youth and Communities, which opposes cannabis legalization. Gagnon ticked off a laundry list of common prohibitionist concerns: pot gummy bears, increased hospital admissions, and children, children, children. (All of which legalization advocates are concerned about, too — they just want to address them with a better plan than prohibition.) Centralmaine.com has the story.
NCIA and ArcView urge Nasdaq to reconsider MassRoots listing. The industry group and investor network, respectively, wrote an open letter to Nasdaq CEO Robert Greifeld, urging him to “treat cannabis companies fairly.” They warn that Nasdaq’s precedent set by denying MassRoots stock listing effort “could prevent nearly every business in the regulated cannabis industry from listing on Nasdaq” and other major exchanges.
New York’s medical marijuana program is considered one of the most restrictive in the nation, a ragtag system currently providing fewer than 4,000 patients across the entire state with access to cannabis products. However, in an attempt to prevent the newfound indus...
A new study by Radboud University in the Netherlands paves the way for legalizing cannabis production to supply the country’s famous coffeeshops. The study, commissioned by 27 Dutch cities that favor legalization and published Monday, concludes that international treaties do not prevent Holland from taking this long-awaited step.
Regulated production will improve health and safety, according to the report. As such, legalization isn’t only justified — it’s obligatory on the part of governments “on the basis of their positive human rights obligations for the protection of individual and public health, the security of citizens and crime control,” the report says.
The title of the 396-page study, authored by professor Piet Hein van Kempen and Masha Fedorova, is a mouthful: International law and cannabis II. Regulation of cannabis cultivation and trade for recreational use: positive human rights obligations versus UN Narcotic Drugs Conventions. But its contents could spur a breakthrough in the political debate around legalization in the Netherlands.
“This report enables us to take a sorely needed step,” Victor Everhardt, alderman of public health for the city of Utrecht, told newspaper De Volkskrant. “Legalization of cannabis will give local governments insight into what is now unseen. With legalization we can combat the excesses of the tolerance policy.”
Dutch ministers of justice have claimed for years that international drug treaties leave no room whatsoever for the regulation of cannabis cultivation. The stubborn opposition has resulted in a stalemate, and it feeds the so-called “backdoor paradox.” Coffeeshops are allowed to sell cannabis under strict conditions, but cultivation and wholesale distribution remain strictly prohibited. Dutch police now spend more than half their time and resources fighting cannabis.
The situation has been compared to legalizing milk while prohibiting cows.
Virtually no one expects current Prime Minister Mark Rutte to take progressive steps on cannabis, but national elections are scheduled for less than a year away, March 2017. Many feel it’s unrealistic for a new government to continue pretending the cannabis sold in the Netherlands’ 582 coffeeshops simply falls from the sky.
The study, including an executive study in English, can be found here as a PDF.
KandyPens is known for sleek and stylishvapepen models like the Donuts vaporizer. However, its latest release, the Galaxy, is certain to satisfy all your waxvapingneeds.
Ohio could have been beginning its medical and recreational program right now.Anybody—patientor not—could have been buying $50 licenses to home grow six plants. But rather than allow 10 investment groups to control all commercial grow lands, Ohio g...
This article is sponsored by CMW Media, the premier public and media relations agency proudly serving the cannabis industry worldwide.
Medical Marijuana, Inc. (MJNA) announced today that its flagship product Real Scientific Hemp Oil™ (RSHO™) has been authorized by Paraguay’s government for import into the country as a prescription medication for refractory epilepsy.
“We are extremely proud of the wonderful news that RSHO has been approved for import by the government of Paraguay,” states Dr. Stuart Titus, Ph.D. and Chief Executive Officer of Medical Marijuana, Inc. “In the U.S., we enjoy the ability to easily access RSHO and many other CBD hemp oil products online. However, in other countries, we must respect their regulations and handling of cannabis-based products including hemp.”
Paraguay’s import permit makes it the fourth Latin American nation, after Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Mexico, to approve the company’s cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil for import with a doctor’s prescription.
15-year-old Mathias Alejandro Gonzalez of Paraguay suffers from a rare form of epilepsy that causes severe seizures, which are difficult to treat with pharmaceuticals and lead to physical and cognitive disabilities. Gonzalez is now importing RSHO from the U.S.
This first shipment of RSHO into Paraguay will be used to treat 15-year-old Mathias Alejandro Gonzalez, who was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and suffers from Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a rare type of epilepsy that causes him to have multiple types of seizures. Gonzalez’s tonic and atonic seizures have caused him both physical and cognitive deterioration.
Treatment for Gonzalez’s type of epilepsy is difficult because his seizures don’t respond well to standard medications. The medications his family have been able to procure are extremely cost-prohibitive, and must be ordered and shipped from Spain to Paraguay. The approval of RSHO import by the Paraguayan government will help Gonzalez and his family move away from expensive and ineffective pharmaceutical treatments for his condition.
“MJNA is a ‘company of firsts’,” says Titus. “It took many years to establish and streamline a standardized commercial system while developing the world’s first CBD hemp oil pipeline. We are extremely grateful to our investors who also saw and continue to see the vision of CBD hemp oil access in the U.S. and around the world. We couldn’t be more excited that South America is requesting our CBD hemp oil brand as the first for government-approved importation. It brings full-circle the efforts of creating [these] systems and infrastructure.”
In February of 2015, HempMeds® received official authorization to export Real Scientific Hemp Oil-X™ (RSHO-X™) to individuals in Mexico with government-issued import permits. Raul and Mayela Elizalde from the Por Grace Foundation, based in Mexico, helped explain their daughter Grace’s need for the cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil product in a case similar to that of Mathias Gonzalez’s family in Paraguay -- and were instrumental in the process of securing the permit. Since 2014, the government of Brazil has also continued to issue import permits for RSHO, as well as waive import taxes and subsidize payments for the product under the federal government’s healthcare system.
The fact that indications including epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, and cancer have all been approved for treatment with RSHO in different Latin American nations marks a step in the right direction for Medical Marijuana, Inc.’s vision of “access for all” as the future for the company’s CBD hemp oil.
RSHO is derived from the mature stalk of the hemp plant and is considered a food nutrient delivering the benefits of cannabinoids without the psychotropic effects of THC. It contains no pesticides, herbicides, genetic modifications, or heavy metals. Before becoming a finished product, it goes through multiple quality tests by top cannabis industry and food laboratories.
The mission of Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC Pink: MJNA) is to be the premier hemp industry innovator, leveraging its team of professionals to source, evaluate, and purchase value-added companies and products while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. It strives to create awareness within the industry and develop environmentally-friendly, economically sustainable businesses while increasing shareholder value. For more information on Medical Marijuana, Inc. and the portfolio company brands that it promotes, please visit the company website.
FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER
This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Medical Marijuana, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.
FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.
LEGAL DISCLOSURE
Medical Marijuana Inc. does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). These companies do grow, sell, and distribute hemp-based products and are involved with the federally legal distribution of medical marijuana-based products within certain international markets. Cannabidiol is a natural constituent of hemp oil.
Those lucky enough to have smoked real Moroccan hash have undoubtedly noticed its subtle, intoxicating aroma that’s different from any buds or hash you can get in the USA. This difference in smell between hash and flowers has remained a mystery to the trans-Atlantic...
The exact origins of the cultivation of cannabis under artificial light are hard to pinpoint. But it's sure that the United States, especially California, and the Netherlands were the indoor culture's nurseries in the late 1970s and early ’80s. Breeders like Old Ed Holloway, Dave Watson (aka Sam the Skunkman), Wernard Bruining, Nevil Schoenmakers, Robert C. Clarke and Ben Dronkers as well as a few other pioneers met and worked in Amsterdam to create the basis for the thousands of strains that cannabis patients and recreational users enjoy worldwide today.
Because the main players—except the Australian Schoenmakers—were all either Dutch or American, the first steps to grow potent plants under artificial light developed almost simultaneously in both countries. But the legal part of the business took place in Amsterdam. While in the Netherlands it was still almost legal to grow cannabis on a large scale, even liberal U.S. states had draconian penalties for cultivation at this time. And while in the U.S., the triumph of the indoor culture in California started with the first law legitimizing medical cannabis in 1996, Dutch wholesalers were already exporting equipment and knowledge to neighboring countries in the early ’90s.
But due to differences in laws, electricity prices, suitable climate and some other factors, the European and the U.S. indoor culture developed on separate tracks.
Here are the main differences between U.S. and European growers:
In most EU countries, seeds are legal. Even in countries where there are laws against cannabis seeds, they're still easily available due to the Schengen Agreement. Professional and 100 percent legal seed banks, most of them by now breeding in Spain, are responsible for the development of new varieties since more than three decades.
In the U.S., most varieties are of illegal origin, selected by private breeders or medical collectives that tend to guard their seeds. In Europe, growers may take advantage of the feminized or even “Auto-Fem” (autoflowering and feminized) strains. In U.S. states where cannabis is legal, most plants are bred from clones and seed banks are rare. Where cannabis is still prohibited, clones and pollen are exchanged on a private basis to produce mini-batches of illegal private seed and/or select new strains.
This kind of “guerrilla breeding” culture is rare among European growers. In the EU, many growers work from feminized seeds, which saves them the trouble of maintaining a vegetative chamber. Only large producers or ambitious amateur gardeners grow mother plants from regular seeds to populate their grow rooms with cuttings. A large part of the final product in Europe comes from feminized seeds.
In North America, energy is cheaper than in Europe. Cars have larger engines and cannabis growers use larger lamps. While cannabis is mostly grown under 400 or 600 watts in Europe, 1,000 watt-bulbs are the first choice in North America. LED technology is on the rise on both sides of the pond.
Although white reflects better than silver, American growers use growboxes with a silver inner layer almost exclusively. In Europe, white boxes are common. The reason: the first white replicas of the German original, which appeared on the U.S. market in 2007, were coated with PVC instead of food-safe and heat-resistant PE (polyethylene). The softener in the PVC led to plants dying inside these tents in some cases—and, consequently, a bad reputation for white-coated growboxes on the U.S. market. According to Jorge Cervantes' “growers bible,”' first published back in 1998, white reflects the light inside the tent a lot better than silver. Recent new measurements in the Czech Republic have confirmed this.
For hoses, fittings and pots, different measuring units are used in North America and Europe. Also, all electronic devices in Europe run on 230 volts, instead of the 120 volts used in the U.S. The electrical conductivity is not specified in PPM (parts per million) in Europe, but in mS /cm, or micro Siemens per square centimeter.
In the U.S. and Canada, trimming machines do not have a good reputation among patients and consumers. Even large-scale producers have their buds trimmed by hand. Many growers in Europe even trim their mini-grow setups with harvesting equipment, and large harvests are almost always trimmed with the aid of machines.
When it comes to processing the crop and trichomes, the U.S. and Canada are years ahead of Europe. In Europe, the first silicone mats and accessories for extraction just appeared in the shops and many people still use denatured lighter gas and cheap plastic tubes to make extracts, while a manifold dabbing culture has developed overseas.
Despite these minor differences, European and North American indoor experts have quite a lot in common. In the end, they're dealing with the same plant and similar problems on both sides of the Atlantic.
With the rise of legalization and acceptance of cannabis, adventurous pig farmershave toyed with feeding their pigsleaves and stems from the cannabis industry. This potentially opens the door forgrass-feed beef, chicken and milk, but will these products ...
This isn’t the first time Ohio has tried to pass legislation to legalize cannabis. Last year Ohio tried passing legislation that would make marijuana recreationally available but it did not get voter approval. In a second chance effort, Ohio is now trying to provide medical marijuana to it’s residents. In a close vote, senators passed legislation that would allow people to use marijuana for medical conditions, but prohibit them from growing cannabis or smoking it in their homes.
John Kasich‘s signature would bring Ohio into the realm of medical marijuana states making it the 25th one. He has not been vocal on where he stands, but has shown support for children suffering from issues addressable by cannabis.
More from Cincinnati.com:
What’s in the Legislature’s medical marijuana legalization plan?
- Adults could buy and use oil, tinctures, plant material, edibles and patches with a doctor’s recommendation. Parents could purchase these products for their children younger than 18 with a doctor’s referral.
- The Ohio Department of Commerce would oversee those who grow, process and test medical marijuana. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy would register patients and caregivers and license dispensaries. The Ohio State Medical Board would handle certificates for doctors who want to recommend marijuana.
- A program to reduce the cost of medical marijuana for veterans and others too poor to pay.
- The ability to purchase medical marijuana from other states while Ohio sets up its program. This would expire 60 days after the pharmacy board establishes its rules.
- Legal medical marijuana for people with these conditions: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, pain that is chronic, severe, or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, positive status for HIV, posttraumatic stress disorder, sickle cell anemia, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and ulcerative colitis.
What’s not in the plan?
- Smoking medical marijua
- Growing medical marijuana at home
- Any details on who could grow marijuana commercially. That would be determined later by the Ohio Department of Commerce.
- Any requirement that pharmacists oversee dispensaries. That was initially added by senators then removed Tuesday.
- Protections for employees fired from their jobs because they used medical marijuana.
The post Ohio plans for Medical Marijuana passed, needs Kasich Approval appeared first on Potbox.
Just as the journey is more important than the destination, sometimes the discussion is more important than the conclusion. As such, we're kicking off a series of informal Leafly chats published largely unabridged. Viewpoints expressed are the participants’ own. Enjoy!
Pretty much every cannabis consumer has eaten something while high and thought, “This is literally the best munchie the world has ever seen.” But really, with such a subjective topic, who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong?
In the interest of fostering intellectual discussion, we took to the office Slack channels to debate the issue – because these are the pressing sorts of questions we’re here to help answer. Our discussion transcript is below. (Spoiler alert: cheese figures heavily.)
Header image source: Mike Mozart via Flickr
Hyapatia Lee answers all of your questions regarding cannabis and sexuality.
It was a productive week in the fight to legalize marijuana in the United States. Some of the most important news comes from Ohio, where the General Assembly has agreed to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes. Other highlights include some action in the North Carolin...
Having a tough time deciding on which type of concentrates or extracts you want to dab on? Take this quiz to find out!
With the rise of legalization and acceptance of cannabis, adventurous pig farmers have toyed with feeding their pigs leaves and stems from the cannabis industry. This potentially opens the door for grass-feed beef, chicken and milk, but will these products make it past in...
