TESTSTSARDSARWhat Does Cannabis Tech Mean for Consumers? by Sponsored Due to its numerous benefits, cannabis has gained interest from agricultural businesses, research organizations, and universities after a protracted period of obscurity brought on by prohibition. In addition to more cutting-edge industrial areas like bioplastics, biofuels, green building, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, cannabis finds use in more conventional industrial sectors like paper, textile, and food. However, due to consumer feedback and the ability of consumers to now identify the unique characteristics of the products generated from the processing of this crop, the position of the industry and the governmental regulatory environment are continually changing. So, what will the cannabis industry look like in the future? Here’s a peek at how technology influences the growing cannabis market worldwide. Online Shopping and DeliveryThe change has already started. New apps allow you to choose whatever cannabis product you like, then have it delivered right to your home in just a few hours. This is actually possible in a few states and countries where cannabis is legal. Developers working on technology like augmented reality apps that inform customers about available options. This is a huge difference if we compare it to the traditional cannabis transactions that occurred during prohibition, where identifying a source before you even buy the product may be incredibly challenging, risky, and even dangerous. Offering people a place where they can buy third-party tested CBD products, for example, such as Fab CBD, means they can rely on what labels say and what they’re putting in their bodies. Educating employees on the wide range of goods, the specifics of how cannabis works, and the complexities of compliance and legislation is one of the major difficulties facing cannabis companies today. To address this, a large number of educational platforms and programs have appeared, offering a wide range of courses on topics including how cannabis affects the body, dosage guidelines for various consumer types, and in-depth analyses of the properties of the plant. Different Consumption MethodsThe trendiest and most visible examples of how technology and cannabis are interacting are, without a doubt, vaping devices, transdermal patches, and dosed inhalers. But technology is pushing everything even beyond. Imagine a situation where your doctor utilizes a saliva test to select the ideal cannabis combination and strain for your therapy instead of detecting drug use as a punitive measure. You would then be able to consume this medication through something as simple as a gel pill. It’s yet another illustration of how technology will enable the business to scale and improve products for new cannabis customers as the practice spreads. CultivationImagine cultivating one or two plants in the corner of your living room using personal grow boxes that are fully automated for optimal results. Yes, that is correct. Thanks to technology, we can now easily grow cannabis in our homes using specialized equipment that will keep the plant healthy. Every step of the process is now guided and automated, thanks to new technology, so even if you don’t have access to a garden or outdoor space, you can still enjoy the personal satisfaction of growing your cannabis without having to undergo the steep learning curve that is typically required to produce a quality harvest. The prospects for technologists to contribute to the cannabis sector are numerous and varied, and we have only just begun to explore them. It must be noted, though, that outsiders observing the cannabis sector must be modest and receptive to understanding its particular requirements and culture. Contributing to the Development of BlockchainBecause cannabis is still illegal in many countries and companies are not allowed to accept money from cannabis-related businesses legally, they are now turning to blockchain. They are making transactions using cryptocurrencies for using certain services or buying goods. This is a wonderful system that allows successful tracking of the growth of the plant and its selling. In conclusion, we are all witnesses that technology is revolutionizing the use and production of cannabis. Most people have many misconceptions and worries that need to be dispelled by up-to-date facts and trustworthy information. We still need a lot of information that will be obtained from scientific research, but the existing data makes everything much easier in deciding on cannabis use. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/what-does-cannabis-tech-mean-for-consumers/
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TESTSTSARDSARStudy: In-Utero Cannabis Exposure Not Linked to ADHD in Children by Frank Schuler Few topics, if any, in the cannabis world are as sensitive as cannabis use during pregnancy, for obvious reasons. An expecting mother that consumes cannabis may be the most stigmatized type of cannabis consumer on earth. If an expecting mother is suspected of consuming cannabis in any form in any manner, they run the risk of being put into a system that will likely have no mercy, and that is unfortunate for many reasons. To be clear, I am not advocating for cannabis consumption during pregnancy. I am pointing out the obvious public health issues that arise from expecting mothers living in fear, and as a result, presumably being less-than-candid with their doctor(s) due to the fear of possible prosecution and/or eventually being separated from their child. The fact of the matter is that some expecting moms consume cannabis for various reasons, often for medical reasons via smokeless consumption methods, and they should feel free to talk to their doctors about it in order to receive the best medical advice possible for themselves and their baby. As with all things cannabis, science should lead the way and political hype and fearmongering should be avoided. Fortunately, cannabis use during pregnancy is being researched more often as cannabis reform spreads, with a recent example of that coming out of Canada. Below is more information about it via a NORML news release: Quebec, Canada: Prenatal cannabis exposure is not associated with an increased risk of attention deficit disorders among children, according to data published in the journal BMJ Open. Canadian investigators evaluated the relationship between in-utero marijuana exposure and attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder in a cohort of 2,408 children. Researchers reported “no significant association” between either occasional or regular prenatal cannabis exposure and ADHD after adjusting for potential confounders. “In our study, we did not find any association between in-utero occasional or regular exposure to cannabis and the risk of ADHD in children, as well as overall exposure to cannabis and the risk of ADHD in children,” authors concluded. “Further research focusing on the timing of exposure during pregnancy (e.g., first, second, third trimester), as well as using different methods for quantifying prenatal cannabis exposure (e.g., biological samples), is needed to better understand the impact of cannabis use during pregnancy and developmental outcomes in children.” Full text of the study, “Is in-utero exposure to cannabis associated with the risk of attention deficit with or without hyperactivity disorder? A cohort study within the Quebec Pregnancy Cohort,” appears in BMJ Open. Additional information is available from NORML’s fact sheet, “Maternal Marijuana Use and Childhood Outcomes.” This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/study-in-utero-cannabis-exposure-not-linked-to-adhd-in-children%ef%bf%bc/ Welcome to our Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD Oil review! They’re certainly not the first hemp brand to have rolled out a sleep CBD tincture, but pharmacist-led Green Roads is unique in how they enrich each product with absorption-boosting compounds and other enhancers. Such is the case with their Green Roads Sweet Sleep tincture, a broad-spectrum extract (meaning it contains no detectable THC) that pairs cannabinol (CBN) and CBD to facilitate evening relaxation. After sampling the product ourselves, we found this tincture effective for promoting relaxation and helping sleep come faster at night, though the lack of THC is noticeable. Table of Contents
Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD OilConcentration375mg: 15mL x 25mg/serving 750mg: 30mL x 25 mg/serving
IngredientsVitamin E (as tocopherols), Hemp Derived Cannabidiol (CBD), Hemp Derived Cannabinol (CBN), Melatonin, Vegetable Glycerin, MCT Oil (Fractionated Coconut oil), Natural Blueberry Flavor, Hemp Seed Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Helianthus annus (Sunflower) seed oil. Coupon CodeUse code CBDINSIDER for 15% off Pros and ConsLet’s start with the pros:
And now the cons:
QualityIn addition to end product quality, we award products and brands credit for the practices and policies they have in place to ensure consistency of quality, such as (but not limited to):
Green Roads collaborates directly with hemp farmers in North Carolina, California, and Oregon, and each of these partners uses organic methods. After harvest, Green Roads abides by the industry gold standard of hemp extraction – CO2 extraction – to safely draw their extracts out of the plant biomass. Each product batch is then tested by an ISO-17025 accredited facility, Kaycha Labs, for cannabinoid density, residual solvents, toxins, and other potential contaminants. Both on the brand website and their packaging, Green Roads provides QR codes linking to certificates of analysis from the third-party lab. There’s no shortage of technical knowledge among the formulation team, which is populated by multiple pharmacists (including owner Laura Fuentes). Finally, Green Roads upholds GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices, an FDA-ready designation) and over-the-counter certifications on their hemp products. Taking all of this into account, we have little criticism to offer for integrity of sourcing, manufacturing, testing standards, or expertise. ConcentrationWe received the 15mL bottle of Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD + CBN Oil, which, at 25mg of CBD per single-milliliter dropper, yields a total of 375mg of CBD. Sweet Sleep is also available in a 30mL/750mg bottle (same 25mg concentration) and in 12-packs of 25mg “nightly dose” packets. Here is the cannabinoid breakdown according to the Kaycha lab report for our 375mg bottle (values reported as “per serving/per bottle”):
As this product is a broad-spectrum extract, total THC levels were listed as “non-detectable,” meaning any trace amounts were below the calibration level of the lab’s instruments. The CBD is underdelivered but to a negligible degree. If you’re looking for a highly potent hemp extract that leverages the entourage effect to provide relief from discomfort, stress, and more, this tincture may seem too limited in its scope, i.e., it’s cannabinoid profile. However, as a sleep tincture, Green Roads Sweet Sleep Oil makes a compelling argument for targeted potency with a >1:10 ratio of CBN to CBD. ValueOur 15mL/375mg of Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD + CBN Oil retails on the Green Roads site for $39.99, which reduces to 10.6 cents per milligram of CBD. As usual, we have a few factors to balance here in terms of accurately perceiving this tincture’s value, including, but not limited to:
On the one hand, broad-spectrum extracts typically have a weaker case for charging a premium, but considering the targeted formulation and the above-average potency of non-CBD cannabinoids, we see these points as canceling each other out in the case of this sleep tincture. The ingredient and formulation quality is high (rare to see vitamin E, melatonin, etc.), and Green Roads’ reputation bodes well for the perceived value. Finally, most competing sleep tinctures from trusted brands will generally cost between $0.08-$0.14/mg, so this price point, while not hyper-competitive, is certainly reasonable. PackagingOur Green Roads Sleep CBD Oil arrived in darkly tinted glass tincture with a demarcated dropper lid, all of which was housed in a small box. The box, bottle, and both labels were of higher-quality materials, and between the box and bottle labels, we found the following info:
Considering the smaller (15mL) bottle and proportionally smaller box, we were impressed with how much information Green Roads was able to provide without making the font illegibly small. We had no issues with the bottle or dropper lid throughout our use of the product, so it’s an ace for packaging quality in the case of Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD Oil. IngredientsHere is the ingredient list for our Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD + CBN Oil tincture: Vitamin E (as tocopherols), Hemp Derived Cannabidiol (CBD), Hemp Derived Cannabinol (CBN), Melatonin, Vegetable Glycerin, MCT Oil (Fractionated Coconut oil), Natural Blueberry Flavor, Hemp Seed Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Helianthus annus (Sunflower) seed oil. In targeted formulations especially, we’ve seen the odd (non-CBD) botanical addition here and there, such as ashwagandha or ginger, but it’s rare to see this many in a single ingredient list. Namely, the vitamin E, melatonin, and vegetable glycerin make a strong case for enhanced absorption and efficacy in the vein of sleep improvements. For anyone less familiar with CBD tincture ingredient lists, the vast majority of products follow a very simple two-ingredient formula: carrier oil + extract. As mentioned, some products will add in enhancers, but Green Roads is the only brand that consistently elevates their formulations, regardless of targeting, with multiple oils to enhance absorption, micronutrients, and more. Flavor and TextureConsidering the universal importance of fat in CBD absorption, the vast majority of hemp oils are thick and viscous because of the fatty carrier oils used. This is even more so the case with this tincture, which was more full-bodied than usual, but not to the point that it was difficult to work the oil out of the dropper. The taste was sweet and a little bitter, aptly representing the blueberry flavoring added. The hemp bitterness was necessarily canceled out by the flavoring, but it merged with the slight bitterness of the blueberry to create a pleasantly smooth combination. Overall, sweet tooths may be a tad turned off by the bitterness, but as hemp veterans, we found both the taste and the texture of this Green Roads Sweet Sleep Oil to be very enjoyable. EffectivenessWe try to stay away from hard-and-fast judgments regarding product potency out of respect for the many circumstantial factors that can influence how effective a product is for any given person, such as body weight, medical history, concurrent medications and more. Speaking more to our review team’s personal experience, then, we will say that one dropper (25mg) of the Sweet Sleep CBD Oil didn’t quite get us there in terms of feeling a deep sense of relaxation. Many customers may find the 25mg mark (and remember, about 2.6 grams of CBN added) satisfactory, but others like us may need a dropper and a half or two full droppers to achieve deep relaxation. It’s also important to note in the case of sleep formulations like this one that working with your body’s circadian rhythm can significantly boost potency. In other words, try taking the tincture about 2.5 hours before bed, and whether or not dinnertime falls in this time period, it’s always helpful for absorption of lipophilic (fat-loving) CBD to take it with food. Overall, we felt this tincture working at a single dropper or less, but some people may require more to effectively promote improvements in sleep. ConclusionGreen Roads has proven their mettle as a pharmacist-led formulation team with an absorption-optimized ingredient list that works in melatonin, vitamin E, and other enhancers. What this tincture lacks in variety of cannabinoids, it makes up for in a strong ratio (little over 1:10) of CBN to CBD. Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD oil may not be the cheapest on the market, but it’s more than a little difficult to find an ingredient list like this at a more competitive price point. Everything from the packaging to the taste and texture indicated a pro-consumer approach to the user experience, and though we CBD veterans would need more than a dropper to notice dramatic improvements, many may get there with a single dropper. Our overall impression is a positive one, and we’ll recommend Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD Oil to anyone looking for a safe and effective way to fall asleep faster. Green Roads Sweet Sleep CBD + CBN OilConcentration375mg: 15mL x 25mg/serving 750mg: 30mL x 25 mg/serving IngredientsVitamin E (as tocopherols), Hemp Derived Cannabidiol (CBD), Hemp Derived Cannabinol (CBN), Melatonin, Vegetable Glycerin, MCT Oil (Fractionated Coconut oil), Natural Blueberry Flavor, Hemp Seed Oil, Sunflower Lecithin, Helianthus annus (Sunflower) seed oil. Coupon CodeUse code CBDINSIDER to get 15% off via The CBD Insider https://thecbdinsider.com/review/green-roads-sweet-sleep-cbd-oil-review/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=green-roads-sweet-sleep-cbd-oil-review Employees of the federally operated U.S. Forest Service were warned by a notice from the agency’s human resources department on Monday (Aug 22nd) that, despite states slowly legalizing various forms of marijuana consumption, U.S. Forest Service workers are still subject to administrative action if they test positive for THC. As Marijuana Moment reported, the U.S. Forest Service explains that “There have been no changes to the panel of drugs contained in the list of Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act,” meaning federal employees are not exempt based on the laws governing their states of residence. The agency’s current policy is to randomly drug test workers who are suspected of marijuana use, and some “test-designated positions” are subject to regular testing regardless of the employee’s behaviors. While the U.S. Forest Service didn’t explicitly prohibit CBD products in the notice they released to their workers, they did admonish workers against using non-FDA-regulated CBD products, as these (namely, full-spectrum CBD extracts) still have the potential to flag a drug test for THC. There does appear to be a movement within Washington to better accommodate federal workers who live in states where marijuana use is prohibited, as the House Appropriations Committee has advocated for policy reform in the past that would incorporate state-level legality into the testing (and most likely, disciplinary) standards. On a broader level, the American Federation of Government Employees, a massive union of more than 700,000 workers, is working on a resolution to remove “responsible off-duty marijuana usage” from the suitability criteria for federal workers. For now, both marijuana and most CBD products, on-duty or off-duty, are to be avoided by U.S. Forest Service Workers and other federal employees. via The CBD Insider https://thecbdinsider.com/news/despite-state-legality-us-forest-service-workers-cautioned-against-marijuana-cbd-use/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=despite-state-legality-us-forest-service-workers-cautioned-against-marijuana-cbd-use TESTSTSARDSAR‘Runner’s High’ May Result From Cannabinoids – the Body’s Version of THC and CBD by Hilary A. Marusak Hilary A. Marusak, Wayne State University Many people have experienced reductions in stress, pain and anxiety and sometimes even euphoria after exercise. What’s behind this so-called “runner’s high”? New research on the neuroscience of exercise may surprise you. The “runner’s high” has long been attributed to endorphins. These are chemicals produced naturally in the body of humans and other animals after exercise and in response to pain or stress. However, new research from my lab summarizes nearly two decades of work on this topic. We found that exercise reliably increases levels of the body’s endocannabinoids – which are molecules that work to maintain balance in the brain and body – a process called “homeostasis.” This natural chemical boost may better explain some of the beneficial effects of exercise on brain and body. I am a neuroscientist at the Wayne State University School of Medicine. My lab studies brain development and mental health, as well as the role of the endocannabinoid system in stress regulation and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. This research has implications for everyone who exercises with the aim of reducing stress and should serve as a motivator for those who don’t regularly exercise. Health benefits of exerciseSeveral decades of research has shown that exercise is beneficial for physical health. These studies find a consistent link between varying amounts of physical activity and reduced risk of premature death and dozens of chronic health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, cancer and heart disease. More recently – over about the past two decades – mounting research shows that exercise is also highly beneficial for mental health. In fact, regular exercise is associated with lower symptoms of anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s disease and other common mental health or neurological problems. Consistent exercise is also linked to better cognitive performance, improved mood, lower stress and higher self-esteem. It is not yet clear what is behind these mental health boosts. We do know that exercise has a variety of effects on the brain, including raising metabolism and blood flow, promoting the formation of new brain cells – a process called neurogenesis – and increasing the release of several chemicals in the brain. Some of these chemicals are called neurotrophic factors, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF is intricately involved in brain “plasticity,” or changes in activity of brain cells, including those related to learning and memory. https://www.youtube.com/embed/lk3mrNqhn24?wmode=transparent&start=0 From the Dana Foundation: “How Exercise Affects The Brain” Scientists have also shown that exercise increases blood levels of endorphins, one of the body’s natural opioids. Opioids are chemicals that work in the brain and have a variety of effects, including helping to relieve pain. Some early research in the 1980s contributed to the long-standing popular belief that this endorphin release is related to the euphoric feeling known as the runner’s high. However, scientists have long questioned the role of endorphins in the runner’s high sensation, in part because endorphins cannot cross into the brain through the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from toxins and pathogens. So endorphins are not likely to be the main driver for the beneficial effects of exercise on mood and mental state. This is where our research and that of others points to the role of our body’s natural versions of cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids. The surprising role of endocannabinoidsYou may be familiar with cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol – better known as THC – the psychoactive compound in cannabis (from the Cannabis sativa L. plant) that causes people to feel high. Or you may have heard of cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, an extract of cannabis that is infused in some foods, medicines, oils and many other products. But many people do not realize that humans also create their own versions of these chemicals, called endocannabinoids. These are tiny molecules made of lipids – or fats – that circulate in the brain and body; “endo” refers to those produced in the body rather than from a plant or in a lab. Endocannabinoids work on cannabinoid receptors throughout the brain and body. They cause a variety of effects, including pain relief, reduction of anxiety and stress and enhanced learning and memory. They also affect hunger, inflammation and immune functioning. Endocannabinoid levels can be influenced by food, time of day, exercise, obesity, injury, inflammation and stress. It’s worth noting that one should not be tempted to forgo a run or bike ride and resort to smoking or ingesting cannabis instead. Endocannabinoids lack the unwanted effects that come with getting high, such as mental impairment. Understanding the runner’s highStudies in humans and in animal models are pointing to endocannabinoids – not endorphins – as the star players in the runner’s high. These elegant studies demonstrate that when opioid receptors are blocked – in one example by a drug called naltrexone – people still experienced euphoria and reduced pain and anxiety after exercise. On the flip side, the studies showed that blocking the effects of cannabinoid receptors reduced the beneficial effects of exercise on euphoria, pain and anxiety. While several studies have shown that exercise increases the levels of endocannabinoids circulating in the blood, some have reported inconsistent findings, or that different endocannabinoids produce varying effects. We also don’t know yet if all types of exercise, such as cycling, running or resistance exercise like weightlifting, produce similar results. And it is an open question whether people with and without preexisting health conditions like depression, PTSD or fibromyalgia experience the same endocannabinoid boosts. To address these questions, an undergraduate student in my lab, Shreya Desai, led a systematic review and meta-analysis of 33 published studies on the impact of exercise on endocannabinoid levels. We compared the effects of an “acute” exercise session – like going for a 30-minute run or cycle – with the effects of “chronic” programs, such as a 10-week running or weightlifting program. We separated them out because different levels and patterns of exertion could have very distinct effects on endocannabinoid responses. We found that acute exercise consistently boosted endocannabinoid levels across studies. The effects were most consistent for a chemical messenger known as anandamide – the so-called “bliss” molecule, which was named, in part, for its positive effects on mood. Interestingly, we observed this exercise-related boost in endocannabinoids across different types of exercise, including running, swimming and weightlifting, and across individuals with and without preexisting health conditions. Although only a few studies looked at intensity and duration of exercise, it appears that moderate levels of exercise intensity – such as cycling or running – are more effective than lower-intensity exercise – like walking at slow speeds or low incline – when it comes to raising endocannabinoid levels. This suggests that it is important to keep your heart rate elevated – that is, between about 70% and 80% of age-adjusted maximum heart rate – for at least 30 minutes to reap the full benefits. [Over 140,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.] There are still a lot of questions about the links between endocannabinoids and beneficial effects from exercise. For example, we didn’t see consistent effects for how a chronic exercise regimen, such as a six-week cycling program, might affect resting endocannabinoid levels. Likewise, it isn’t yet clear what the minimum amount of exercise is to get a boost in endocannabinoids, and how long these compounds remain elevated after acute exercise. Despite these open questions, these findings bring researchers one step closer to understanding how exercise benefits brain and body. And they offer an important motivator for making time for exercise during the rush of the holidays. Hilary A. Marusak, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/runners-high-may-result-from-cannabinoids-the-bodys-version-of-thc-and-cbd/ TESTSTSARDSARInternal Docs Show Unethical Practices at a Major Dispensary by Aron Vaughan Cannabis multi-state operator (MSO) Trulieve is under fire on social media after an employee allegedly leaked an internal document showing how the company’s dispensaries operate. Twitter user @EyesOnMJ posted a photo of a flow chart they allege Trulieve uses for training employees outlining how they rotate the highest THC batches to the back of the store and sell low-THC flower on the sales floor. Because the higher THC product is displayed on Trulieve’s website, all orders shipped to online customers would have to receive strains with those higher advertised THC levels. This means walk-in customers are getting the short end of the stick, according to the people who took to social media to protest the practice. Many customers are drawn to physical stores through the website, which misrepresents what is available at Trulieve’s many locations throughout Florida, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. Customers are not informed that lower potency strains are featured in the front windows of dispensaries, raising questions about the ethics of the company. Further, according to Reddit user Due_Paramedic_426, employees will often inform customers that a strain or brand they asked for is out of stock, when it is being reserved for online orders. This less than transparent model could lead to patients and consumers losing faith in the corporate cannabis industry as a whole and urge potential buyers to go to the black market. A former Trulieve corporate employee, who we confirmed but asked to remain nameless, echoed some of the sentiments of social media users, telling Cannabis & Tech Today the company “does not walk the walk or talk the talk,” and that they are aware of “several unethical business practices at the firm.” Multiple attempts to contact Trulieve were not returned prior to publishing. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/internal-docs-show-unethical-practices-at-a-major-dispensary/ TESTSTSARDSARCannabis Conference Welcomes Attendees on Day One by Patricia Miller Las Vegas in August isn’t everyone’s idea of a good time. But for cannabis insiders, there is one compelling reason to visit Nevada this time of year. The Cannabis Conference is a powerful educational and networking event for cannabis professionals. Like-minded attendees are eager to discuss their expertise and educational seminars offer quality insights into the industry. The annual event is produced by Cannabis Business Times, Cannabis Dispensary, and Hemp Grower. This year’s Cannabis Conference is hosting more than 90 industry experts in 40 sessions. Educational tracks include cultivation, hemp, extraction & research, and dispensary. Day One Educational SeminarsDay one offered seminars featuring industry experts from companies such as New Frontier Data, Headset, Trulieve, and Surna Cultivation Technologies. The keynote presentation from Chris Conrad and Mikki Norris offered insights from decades in cannabis advocacy. Conrad worked with Jack Herer to create the best-selling book The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a work widely credited with being foundational in the cannabis and hemp legalization movements. Norris authored Shattered Lives: Portraits of America’s Drug War, detailing the devastating impacts of the War on Drugs. The book looked at cannabis offenders as political prisoners and helped create a global dialogue around the unjust persecution of non-violent cannabis offenders. Norris said the publication helped her discover the power of the personal story to give life to abstract statistics around non-violent incarceration rates. Cannabis Conference Looks at the State of the IndustryLeading up to the keynote, the Welcome Address discussed the state of the industry from the perspective of Noelle Skodzinski, editorial director for Cannabis Business Times. Some important takeaways included the industry’s prolific job creation (more than 400,000 jobs in the U.S.), with more opportunities becoming available each day. Skodzinski also noted that while industry sales have decreased from their pandemic highs, they are stabilizing to pre-pandemic growth levels with continued growth year-over-year. Sales are expected to double by 2025. The event is hosting more than 180 exhibitors in an 85,000-square-foot exhibit hall. The expo floor opens on day two of the conference and is sure to facilitate connections between investors, start-ups, and many of the industry’s largest brands such as FOHSE, Accelerated Growth Solutions, Rocket Seeds, and Agrify. Visit Cannabis & Tech Today at Booth #1136Stop by Booth #1136 to speak with Cannabis & Tech Today and STM Canna about advertising opportunities in the next issue of Cannabis & Tech Today. You can find the latest issue in the magazine bins at the entrance to the exhibitor hall. We are currently offering competitive advertising packages for the fall issue, debuting at MJBizCon this November. Email Charles Warner at [email protected] with the subject line “MJBiz Ad Special” to learn more. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/cannabis-conference-welcomes-attendees-on-day-one/ TESTSTSARDSARHong Kong Taking First Steps to Crack Down on CBD by Frank Schuler Earlier this summer government officials in Hong Kong announced that they are pursuing a plan to prohibit CBD entirely. The announcement came after it was determined that as many as one-third of CBD products in Hong Kong contain trace amounts of THC. Hong Kong is home to a number of CBD companies and not just those that infuse CBD into such products as drinks and foods. The City’s first CBD cafe opened in 2020. Since then, a number of other similar businesses have popped up in Hong Kong. With a CBD ban winding up, businesses in Hong Kong that have built their models on the popular cannabinoid will likely have to close. Per Bangkok Post:
Several peer-reviewed studies have found that CBD is effective at treating a number of conditions and is safe for human consumption. For that matter, studies have also determined the same to be true for THC. Hong Kong should be embracing the CBD industry, not seeking to destroy it. CBD is legal in a growing list of other countries, and the CBD market is worth billions of dollars at the international level. It’s a shame that reefer madness is ruining it in Hong Kong. This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/hong-kong-taking-first-steps-to-crack-down-on-cbd/ TESTSTSARDSARCannabis Prohibition in France Over the Past 50 Years has Disproportionately Punished its Muslim Minority by David A. Guba, Jr. In recent years, France has come closer to ending its national prohibition of cannabis, which has been in place since 1970. The rise of “CBD cafés,” the growing public calls for an end to drug prohibition and an ongoing medical marijuana pilot program signal that, in the near future, France – the European Union’s leading cannabis-consuming member state – may legalize cannabis. But as a scholar of the centuries-old links between cannabis and colonialism, I know that the movement to legalize the drug has largely ignored the groups most impacted by France’s historical war on drugs, which, as in the U.S., has disproportionately targeted ethnic and religious minorities. France’s hidden war on drugsEvidence suggests that cannabis prohibition over the past 50 years has disproportionately punished France’s Muslim minority. About one-fifth of current French prisoners were convicted for drug offenses, according to the French Ministry of Justice – a rate comparable to that of the United States. Nearly all of them are men. There is no demographic breakdown of this population, because the French credo of “absolute equality” among citizens has made it illegal since 1978 to collect statistics based on race, ethnicity or religion. But sociologist Farhad Khosrokhavar, who studies France’s prison system, has found that roughly half of the 69,000 people incarcerated today in France are Muslims of Arab descent. Muslims make up just 9% of France’s 67 million people. According to a January 2018 study commissioned by the French National Assembly, of the 117,421 arrests for drugs in France in 2010, 86% involved cannabis. Cannabis arrests are rising quickly, too. The same study reported that the number of people arrested annually for “simple use” of cannabis in France increased tenfold between 2000 and 2015, from 14,501 to 139,683. Taken together, this and other data suggests that up to 1 in 6 prisoners in France today may be an Arab Muslim man who used, possessed or sold cannabis. Hashish assassinsThe disproportionate impact of French drug laws on Muslim men is unsurprising considering the French have long associated Muslims with cannabis – specifically hashish, a cannabis resin. As I argue in my book, “Taming Cannabis: Drugs and Empire in 19th-Century France,” the 19th-century French believed this mild drug caused insanity, violence and criminality among Muslim North Africans. Writing in the early 1800s, the famed French scholar Antoine-Isaac Silvestre de Sacy popularized the idea that the word “assassin” was derived from the Arabic word “hashish” and that both originated with a Muslim sect called the Assassins of Alamut, which operated during the Crusades. First described in the 1300 Italian travelogue “The Travels of Marco Polo,” the Assassins of Alamut were rumored to use an “intoxicating potion” to dupe devotees in Iraq and Syria into becoming assassins. Sacy believed the potion was made from hashish, citing contemporary Arabic references to the sect as the “al-Hashishiyya,” or “hashish-eaters.” These assassins, Sacy argued, “were specifically raised to kill” by their leader, known as the Old Man of the Mountain. They were fed hashish to ensure “absolute resignation to the will of their leader.” Though largely a fiction, Sacy’s contentions about cannabis-eating Muslim assassins gained traction in France, particularly in medicine. In the mid-19th century, dozens of doctors cited Sacy’s work in their research. They believed that Western pharmaceutical science could “tame” hashish for use by physicians to treat diseases including insanity, plague and cholera. Medical hashish, primarily in the form of a tincture, flourished in France during the 1830s and 1840s. But the French soon grew disillusioned with their wonder drug. Cannabis, we now know, eases the symptoms of some diseases, but it did not cure cholera, one of the most feared diseases of the 19th century. As failed treatments mounted and many of the medical philosophies that underpinned the use of hashish became obsolete in France by the late 19th century, its use as medicine largely ended. In 1953, France made medicinal hashish illegal. Colonial reefer madnessThe link between hashish and violent Muslims, however, was ingrained in the national consciousness. And it influenced French public policy for decades. Officials and physicians in French colonial Algeria, viewing hashish use as a cause of insanity and violent criminality, filled psychiatric hospitals across Algeria with local Muslims supposedly suffering “folie haschischique” – basically, “reefer madness.” Such thinking also helped justify the creation of the Code de l’Indigènat in 1875, a French law that institutionalized racism and apartheid in French North Africa by officially designating Muslims as subjects rather than citizens. In the name of promoting “colonial order,” France established separate and unequal legal codes that promoted the segregation, forced labor and civil rights restrictions of Muslims and other Africans. The stigmatizing association between Muslims, hashish and criminality persisted after the end of the French Empire in 1968. It followed North Africans who emigrated to France, who were believed to be prone to violence and criminality and, as such, subject to government surveillance, interrogation and excessive police force. French parliamentarians seeking to criminalize cannabis in the late 1960s embraced these discriminatory views. They described the nation’s growing drug problem as a “foreign plague” spread by Arab drug traffickers. One French National Assembly member even cited Sacy, reminding fellow lawmakers that cannabis had supposedly once inspired a cult of Muslim murderers called the “Hachichins.” French lawmakers today probably would not use such discredited research or stigmatizing language to connect Muslims to cannabis. But the number of Muslims imprisoned for drug-related crimes suggests that this historic racism is alive and well in France. If France moves to regulate legal cannabis, many doctors, pot smokers and libertarian economists will surely rejoice. But it may be French Muslims who benefit the most. This is an updated version of a piece that was published on August 7, 2019. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/cannabis-prohibition-in-france-over-the-past-50-years-has-disproportionately-punished-its-muslim-minority/ TESTSTSARDSARThe International War on the Rights of Medical Cannabis Users by Marguerite Arnold In the United States, the Biden Administration is in favor of banning gun ownership for medical users. In Germany, there is an ongoing debate about driving limits. Such policies rely on outdated criteria to penalize cannabis users’ rights. The push to fully and federally legalize cannabis in places like the U.S. and Germany right now is leading to some very unfortunate (and certainly rights-infringing) regulations. In the U.S., as various cannabis bills languish in both the House and Senate, and Brittney Griner cools her heels in a Russian prison for possession of less than one gram of cannabis oil, the Biden Administration is (shamefully) defending a federal gun ownership ban for medical cannabis users. The issue is now front and centre in a legal battle launched by Florida agricultural commissioner Nikki Fried (a Democrat) to challenge the same. Fried is running as a Democratic challenger to the sitting Republican governor, Ron DeSantis. No matter how one feels about gun control, the idea of punishing a sick person who takes a certain kind of medication (which could be any medication, beyond cannabis) is highly worrying. Not to mention represents grotesque discrimination against those with disabilities requiring medication. In Germany, with a federal government now in the process of figuring out how to craft legislation for the full legalization of cannabis, one of the most controversial aspects of the same is setting drugged driving limits. Currently, drivers are charged with drugged driving if they are caught with even one nanogram of THC in their bloodstream – the smallest measurable amount possible. Both ADAC, the German version of AAA, and the working group of Traffic Court Day, an annual and highly influential congress that recommends new driving regulations to the government, are in support of the smallest limit possible. That said, there is beginning to be a debate here about how problematic that is for medical users – particularly as they have a continual THC presence in their blood, even if not “high.” Beyond these heavier users of course, even a light recreational user can show traces of cannabinoids in their blood up to 60 days after their last joint. While nobody wants stoned drivers on the speed limit-free Autobahn, there needs to be some kind of compromise – not to mention some kind of technology deployment to the police – which can differentiate between recent enough use to impair driving and a THC blood level that shows constant use. No matter where this kind of debate is taking place, however, it is clear that such questions have never been answered – and any new regulations are likely to be controversial enough to end up in court. Legislators are unlikely to be able to figure this out on their own. This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is syndicated here with special permission. A link to your site, with your site's name and description as anchor text. Via https://cannatechtoday.com/the-international-war-on-the-rights-of-medical-cannabis-users/ |
ABOUT MEHallo, ik ben Renz Verspaget, ik ben een betrouwbare administratief medewerker in de gezondheidszorg met 4,5 jaar ervaring met patiëntendossiers, medische facturering, werkschema's van ziekenhuizen en gezondheidszorgbeleid. Ziekenhuiskosten met 13% verlaagd door nieuwe factureringsmethoden te implementeren. Archives
April 2023
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