As a dietitian, I always receive an influx of New Year’s emails predicting upcoming food trends. This year, several experts have forecast an increase in foods and beverages containing cannabidiol, a chemical compound found in cannabis plants. More colloquially called CBD, cannabidiol has been approved by the FDA to treat some forms of epilepsy and […]
THC
How Cannabis Prohibition Has Made Marijuana More Dangerous
One of the most common arguments against legalizing cannabis is that Marijuana is a powerful psychosis-inducing drug. There is well established evidence that long-term use increases the risk of acute psychosis, particularly for people with genetic risk factors. There is further evidence that this risk increases when you smoke more potent marijuana more often. However, […]
Ticket To Ride: Pot Sellers Put Seniors On The Canna-Bus
Shirley Avedon, 90, had never been a cannabis user. But carpal tunnel syndrome that sends shooting pains into both of her hands and an aversion to conventional steroid and surgical treatments is prompting her to consider some new options. “It’s very painful, sometimes I can’t even open my hand,” Avedon says. So for the second […]
‘Real nonsense’: Why are Alaska marijuana buyers obsessed with high potency?
In Alaska’s cannabis stores, a trend has developed: Marijuana is often priced by its potency. Much like the alcohol percentage displayed on a bottle of wine, cannabis labels include THC percentages, which usually range from the low-teens to the mid-20s. But is the more expensive bud – as much as 60 to 80 percent more — worth the price? […]
Utah Officials Give Green Light For Industrial Hemp Production
Utah Farmers now have the rules and regulations in place to grow industrial hemp. Lawmakers in this year’s legislative session passed two bills giving the Department of Agriculture and Food the task of organizing an industrial hemp program for local producers. Three years ago the farm bill allowed pilot programs to grow industrial hemp for […]
Dozens of companies compete for a piece of Va.’s limited medical marijuana market
Four decades after Virginia legalized medical marijuana in a pioneering but ultimately unworkable way, dozens of companies are vying for the state’s permission to grow cannabis and make a medicinal oil out of the otherwise outlawed weed. Under emergency legislation passed early this year, Virginia will grant up to five permits to produce cannabidiol (CBD) […]
At George Washington’s Mount Vernon, a luscious crop of cannabis nears harvest time
Dean Norton, director of horticulture at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, pulls out his cellphone and cranks up some Jimi Hendrix as he walks toward the cannabis patch on the founding father’s estate. The weed is tall, planted in tight rows, and has the serrated leaf edges of your classic ganja. As Hendrix’s 1968 epic “Voodoo Child” […]
In Maine, Industrial Hemp Is The Crop To Watch
Farmer Ben Rooney spent several days last week rushing around Wild Folk Farm in Benton planting 300 seedlings of Maine’s trendiest new crop, industrial hemp. “We’re kind of in the heat of it now,” he said. It’s an apt expression; hemp is Maine’s hot new crop after nearly a century of falling by the wayside. […]
Agricultural Hemp vs. Marijuana: Cultivation Techniques
When it comes to cannabis, there is a lot of information and misinformation circling the internet. With growing support for marijuana legalization (61% in 2018 vs. 57% in 2017), America is running into the desperate need for readily available information on the plant responsible for so much controversy. One of the biggest misconceptions is that all cannabis […]
Starting In 2019, All Cannabis Products In Colorado Will Use Universal Packaging Symbol
The way that cannabis products are packaged and labeled has been both a concern for government officials and an irritant for the commercial pot industry, but now the State of Colorado believes it’s found a solution. Beginning in 2019, all cannabis packaging in this state must have a universal “THC” symbol on the label. Previous […]
Medical Marijuana Bill Passes Virginia Senate Unanimously
RICHMOND – The Virginia Senate voted unanimously Monday to pass the Joint Commission on Health Care bill SB 726, which will let Virginia doctors recommend the use of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for the treatment of any diagnosed condition or disease. This comes on the heels of Friday’s unanimous passing of the companion bill, HB 1251, in the […]
World Health Organization Gives Approval To Marijuana’s CBD Compound
A compound derived from marijuana has health benefits and should not be subject to government restrictions, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. “Recent evidence from animal and human studies shows that its use could have some therapeutic value for seizures due to epilepsy and related conditions and that it “is not likely to be abused or create dependence as for other […]
Why Not Hemp?
Ohio has legalized medical cannabis, yet hemp remains illegal. The only connection hemp has to cannabis is that they’re genetically from the same plant family. To lump the two together is akin to lumping tigers in with your domestic kitty. They may both be felines, but are vastly different. Hemp was swept up in the […]
Edibles Company Launches New Coffee Pods Infused with Cannabis
Want your morning coffee to come with a little extra buzz? Brewbudz just might do the trick. A company called Cannabiniers on Wednesday launched the Brewbudz, which is “the world’s first cannabis infused coffee, tea and cocoa pods.” The pods are compatible with all Keurig and Keurig 2.0 brewers, making your morning wake and bake as simple as pushing a button. […]
Boston Area Medical Dispensary Launches Marijuana-Infused Pizza
It has the bubbly look of a South Shore staple, but these are not your typical bar pizzas. Ermont, the non-profit that put cannabis cold-brew on shelves earlier this year, just launched THC-laced personal pies at its Quincy dispensary. The sauce atop each six-inch cheese pizza is infused with 125 milligrams of THC, the cannabinoid, […]
What Does It Mean to Be ‘Driving While High’?
While several states have legalized using marijuana, nobody is in favor of driving under its influence. But as states crack down on high driving, they’re struggling to figure out what counts as driving high, and how they can reliably test for it. Currently, if police determine they have reason to suspect a driver of being under the influence — perhaps […]
Researchers Find Marijuana Improves Memory and Learning in Old Mice
Marijuana appears to improve the memory and learning abilities of old mice. Scientists discovered low doses of its main psychoactive ingredient—cannabinoid THC—can reverse the age-related decline in cognitive abilities, a finding that could lead to scientists figuring out a way of slowing brain aging in humans. Researchers are increasingly examining THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) for its potential […]
How Strong Is Today’s Pot Compared to Back in the Day?
If you’ve ever smoked up with someone who lived through the 1960s, you may have heard them remark that marijuana is much stronger than it used to be. But is that actually true, or just a hippie myth? Here’s the straight dope. How we measure marijuana strength Because it’s too difficult to ask Willie Nelson, we’re forced to measure weed’s potency the only way we […]
