CCT Staff

National Cannabis Legalization Update

December 22, 2017 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

2017 is coming to a close and there are more than a handful of states that currently allow for the legal purchase and consumption of recreational marijuana, and even more on board for medical marijuana. But now that the elections are over for 2016, the focus is on, what’s next.

The East Coast

We saw states like Massachusetts and Maine vote for the end of marijuana prohibition, in 2016, and now many of their neighbors are poised to follow. From Vermont to Rhode Island the Eastern seaboard is not taking legal marijuana lightly.

Maryland- In 2014, Maryland passed a law allowing for the medicinal use of marijuana, which was a victory! But now speculations are pointing to all out legalization of marijuana, including recreational usage. With the support of 61% of voters, according to a Washington Post poll in 2016, recreational marijuana has a good chance of passing during the next vote.

While medical marijuana has been a little bit slow moving with getting started, supporters are hoping that with the addition of recreational usage, things would start to move more quickly. Thus far, 15 preliminary licenses to grow, 15 licenses to process marijuana, and 102 approvals to companies have been granted.

Verdict: Look for recreational marijuana on the ballot in 2018 for Maryland!

Rhode Island- This tiny state has a big taste for marijuana. At only 1,212 square miles, the smallest state also had the highest rate of cannabis consumption in 2014 and 2015. With well over 50% of public support in most polls, it seems like a no-brainer that the ocean state could be next to legalize recreational marijuana.

Most recently in 2015, a bill supporting the cause failed to pass. But, after the 2016 election and the win in Massachusetts, Rhode Island’s governor has vowed to take a stronger look at the issue. Since neighboring Massachusetts will be selling legal recreational weed to adults 21 and over, there is a good chance that RI will miss out on revenue and tax money from the cause.

Verdict: Even if the cause is fueled by tax incentives, it is likely to be pushed through to a vote in 2018.

The Midwest

In the middle of America people love their weed just as much as anywhere else. With strong support in even some of the more religious states, cannabis is becoming a more talked about subject throughout the Midwest. There are already a handful of states allowing for medicinal usage of cannabis, but who will be next with recreational use?

Michigan- One of the more liberal states in the Midwest, Michigan has allowed for medical use of marijuana since 2008. Even more recently, cannabis has been decriminalized in the state. With progressive towns like Ann Arbor and Keego Harbor leading the way allowing for the use of recreational marijuana, with little or no consequence, it isn’t hard to see Michigan enacting legal recreational marijuana very soon.

Currently supporters are collecting signatures for the matter to be put on the ballot in 2018. They will need 250,000 signatures for the case to even be taken up by the state, but that’s not out of the question! In a recent poll 57% of voters are looking to pass a law legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

Verdict: While still in the early stages, the movement to legalize recreational marijuana is stronger than ever. With support and signatures, it very well could come up in the 2018 election.

Missouri- While currently both medical and recreational use of marijuana is illegal in Missouri, steps are being taken to change that. Signatures are being gathered by multiple groups to get marijuana on the ballot in 2018. A solid effort was made for the 2016 election, but was not enough to make it to a vote. Decriminalization of marijuana was however voted through in 2016, and put into place in January 2017. This step in the right direction is a reminder to supporters that legal marijuana is not too far out.

Verdict: 2018 is a possibility for at least medical marijuana and hopefully recreational won’t be far behind.

Updates on the Most Recent Recreational Marijuana States

Massachusetts- In 2016 Massachusetts joined the likes of Alaska, California, and Nevada in legalizing the recreational use and sale of marijuana for adults 21 and older. Although this landmark bill passed the public vote there have been a few hiccups since the election. For starters, the governor has signed a bill pushing back opening of recreational dispensaries 6 months. This in turn takes the ability to purchase legally into 2018. There has also been push back from the governor pertaining to the Cannabis Control Commission which is imperative for the budding legal recreational market. For now, sales are scheduled to start in July of 2018 and include taxes from the state, local precinct, and an across the board marijuana tax as well.

California- California has been on the forefront of marijuana use for years. They were the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use in 1996. And even before that it was decriminalized in the state in 1973. But, the biggest win for cannabis enthusiasts in the golden state came at the end of 2016 when it was voted legal for recreational use. Since the vote passed adults 21 and older have been legally allowed to be gifted marijuana or seeds. The big changes will come in 2018 when dispensaries can sell to adults.

For now, you can enjoy marijuana in your private residence, that has been gifted to you of course. Regulations are being formed currently for the new market and are likely to be finalized by the end of the year.

Alaska- Although it is the largest state in the union, it is also one of the least populated. Nonetheless in 2014 Alaska passed a law allowing for the use and sale of recreational marijuana. Measure 2 not only allows for the use of recreational marijuana, but also allows for marijuana cafes. This is a unique to Alaska option, which is hoping to draw in tourism. Since shops have setup for sales legally in 2016 there have been a handful of dispensaries put in place, and more on the way.

DEA Fog “Clarification” Of Hemp Extract Legality

December 20, 2017 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

On January 13th, 2017 the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued the drug code 7350, a new drug code for marijuana extract that went into effect immediately. Drug Code 7350 allows DEA and DEA-registered entities to track quantities of marijuana extract separately from the quantities of marijuana.

In essence, the DEA is creating a new drug code for marijuana extract. How they’re defining the new drug code is as follows, “an extract containing one or more cannabinoids that has been derived from any ‘plant’ of the ‘genus’ Cannabis, other than the separated resin (whether crude or purified) obtained/extracted from the plant.”

As per DEA, the extracts from any part of cannabis remains as a Schedule I controlled substance. When Drug Code 7350 went into effect there was a lot of confusion over the specific implications of the code. Several extracts of the plant only include traces of cannabinoids (CBD) and have huge medical benefits.

Are these included in the new drug code? Additionally, the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) establishes a definition of marijuana, does the new drug code ignore that definition?

The public confusion over Drug Code 7350 prompted the DEA to release a memorandum to clarify the new drug code. Unfortunately, the memorandum did little to clarify the new drug code and only brings up more questions.

Summary of the Memorandum

The Memorandum (memo) makes three broad “clarifications:”

The new code does not include materials or products that are excluded from the definition of marijuana in the CSA.
The new drug code includes only extracts that fall within the CSA definition of marijuana (a little redundant, tbh).
If the product consists solely of parts of the marijuana plant excluded from the CSA definition of marijuana, then it does not fall under the drug code of marijuana extracts (7360).

The DEA is clarifying that this new drug code is not adding any new extracts or materials to the definition of marijuana.

What they are doing is only meant to further “clarify” the separation between:

The marijuana plant used for recreational purposes;
Marijuana extracts used for medicinal drugs;
Forms of recreational use that don’t involve the entire plant;
and any other purposes for extracting materials from the plant.

However, this attempt at clarification has created a lot of legal confusion surrounding marijuana.

CSA Definition of Marijuana

In order to understand the legal implications of the memorandum it is important to know how the government defines marijuana.

Title 21 USC, the CSA defines marijuana as:

“All parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin. Such term does not include the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.”

The updated drug code makes the marijuana plant as a whole fall under Drug Code 7360, but use of the marijuana extracts in any form (excluding those specifically listed) fall under Drug Code 7350.

Cannabinoids (CBD)

One of the major controversies of this clarification involved the extraction of CBD from the plant’s resin. It is not illegal to use the resin, the sticky organic substance exuded by the marijuana plant, of the fully matured stalk. Resin contains small traces of CBD.

The question becomes, can you produce a CBD product that comes from solely the resin of the marijuana (hemp) stalk? According to the memo, the answer is no. In order to understand this conclusion, let’s take a further look at CBD and resin.

CBD is a cannabis compound (molecule) that provides all the medical benefits of the plant, without giving the user a “high” or “stoned” feeling. In fact, it can actually counteract the psychoactive effects of THC. CBD has been linked to giving relief for pain, inflammation, anxiety, seizures, spasms and several other conditions.

It can be used in the treatment of MS, arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, chronic pain, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and even possibly, has anti-cancer properties. It’s no wonder the public wants to further explore its potential, but unfortunately you cannot legally experiment with this substance as a member of the general public.

While the use of resin is legal, the use of any CBD is not. When you extract resin from the plant, there are small traces of CBD in the resin (not enough to have any significant impact).

If someone could potentially extract enough CBD from the resin to make it useful, then it would fall under the definition of an illegal marijuana extract under Drug Code 7350. Essentially, you would be exploiting the legal product of the plant to reproduce the extract of the plant that is illegal. Regardless of how you produce the CBD it is still illegal.

This was determined in Hemp Industries Association v DEA (2004) and further clarified in the memorandum to Drug Code 7350. While a memorandum typically holds the weight of the law, a verification of that law through judicial precedence makes the memorandum even more powerful in a legal sense.

Drug Code 7350

While the Drug Code 7350 is unclear and further extends the reach of the DEA to measure marijuana extracts in products, it can also be seen as a step forward for the legalization of marijuana. The government has acknowledged that marijuana extracts have separate effects and implications than the plant as a whole.

This diversification allows for a new basis of legal challenges and ramifications. While it currently has no effect on the use and separation of CBD, it is at the very least an acknowledgement of the different uses of the marijuana plant extracts.

At the end of the day, do we need to worry too much? And the answer is, like the states have been ignoring the Federal government, I feel like we will also be ignoring the DEA on how they choose to classify and control, yet, another layer of cannabis.

Should You Be A Cannabis Activist If You Have A Family?

December 4, 2017 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

There are many cannabis activists doing great things for the legalization movement in the United States. These activists have made a noticeable impact in influencing not only government policies, but also the attitudes people hold towards medical and recreational cannabis. However, as with just about every type of positive activism, doing so can come with a hefty price to pay.

The consequences of activism can be hard enough on someone who is single and doesn’t have children – but for those who have families, they can be devastating. Should you become a cannabis activist if you have a family? What are the risks of cannabis activism? Are there some forms of cannabis activism that are safer than others? What are some ways you can plan for the worst-case scenario? Read on for the answers to these important questions.

The Risks Of Cannabis Activism

With the continued war on drugs and the illegality of cannabis at a federal level, activists run the risk of being ticketed, fined, and even arrested. Police and other officials tend to be standing by for protester, and those participating in “smoke-outs.” On top of that, known cannabis activists can be shunned and ostracized by their communities and other organizations. There are still some more conservative towns and cities out there, the majority of their residents clinging to an antiquated prohibitionist mindset.

The “think of the children” rhetoric is one that’s often trotted out by these individuals, repeating the either uninformed or dishonest viewpoint that legalization increases underage use. Of course these anti-pot prohibitionists rarely admit in the same sentence that alcohol and tobacco – the two legal drugs that claim the most lives year after year – are readily available in most American locales.

Activists with children, especially single parents, take on the added risk of Child Protective Services taking their children from them, or at the very least making their lives more difficult. Regardless of the level of harm or drug activity these children are being exposed to, any shred of evidence that a parent is a known user of an “illegal drug” can trigger an investigation. While many of these investigations are fair and honest, unfortunately many of them are not.

In addition to this danger, a known cannabis activist runs the risk of being denied jobs, bank loans, and the like. With all of these risks that cannabis activists are up against, it’s commendable that there are still brave people that do so with the knowledge of what awaits them.

Are Any Forms Of Cannabis Activism Safe?

With all of these risks involved, it’s natural for one to wonder – what kind of activism can you do that is safe?

There is one method of activism, one that is just about as old as time: word of mouth. Having conversations with friends, neighbors, and extended family members about the truth of the failed war on drugs and the myriad of benefits from medical cannabis certainly is not illegal; at least not yet, anyway. It might seem like doing so is small potatoes and that these conversations don’t matter, but you might be surprised at how many former prohibition supporters saw the light and came around to favor legalization after having these kinds of conversations.

Even sharing cannabis-related articles with your connections on social media can have a positive impact on the way these people perceive legalization and its supporters. While most people do in fact live in an echo chamber and shut out the majority of what they disagree with – especially when it comes to social media – there are still those open-minded few that are willing to hear new ideas and engage in points of view that contradict their own. These are the people we should be focusing on and trying to engage with in conversation.

Planning For The Worst-Case Scenario

So you’ve weighed the pros and cons about being a cannabis activist while having a family and you’ve decided that you’re going to go through with it. Your bravery is commendable. At this point, you need to make some plans should something unexpected happen. Even those with the best-laid plans can experience setbacks and unfortunate events. Thankfully, there are several steps that you can take in order to plan for the worst-case scenario. This can mean several things ranging from being incarcerated to having your children unjustly taken from you.

The first and most important thing you need to do to plan for the worst-case scenario when being a cannabis activist is having a plan of action. Create contingencies for your children to be taken care of should you be incarcerated or have something else happen to you. Communicate your intentions to a trusted family member or friend and prepare them for the possibilities.

Another important action you can take to protect yourself while being a cannabis activist is to put aside some emergency money. Create an activist fund and put as much money as you can afford into this fund. Over time, you can build up this specific account to help you pay costly court fines or cover tickets for civil infractions. Grant account access to your spouse or someone you can trust should you need assistance and be rendered unable to get to the funds – such as being jailed for activism.

Your activist fund will help you pay for another important thing you can do to prepare for unfortunate events – hiring an attorney. Depending on where you live, you may need to shop around for one who is open to representing cannabis activists. Developing a relationship with a legalization-friendly attorney will not only get some of your important legal questions answered, it will ensure that you have competent legal counsel to represent you – someone that understands your unique situation and can act as your advocate should you be arrested for your cannabis activism.

Conclusion

Whether you have a family or you don’t, you are the only person that can decide if cannabis activism is right for you and your lifestyle. Do your research, understand the risks that come with cannabis activism, and try to make an impact any way you can. Every legalization advocate has a role to play whether they realize it or not; by working together, we can keep peeling back the layers of the harms brought about by prohibition.

Cannabis Research While Federally Illegal?

November 27, 2017 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

What “Legit” Research Can We Do While Cannabis Is STILL Federally Illegal?

Layers of control keep cannabis TIGHTLY shackled and behind bars. America’s federal government continues to aggressively steer the public eye from even looking at cannabis or having a positive thought about it. Why do our authority figures behave like this?

Governments continue to behave like this because the foundation the U.S. was built with CHEAP inferior alternatives. A blatant war was waged on cannabis because of the THREAT superior cannabis would have on their current investments and profits.

Since ALL modern things can be made from cannabis, it logically rings true that ALL top industries business moguls would attempt to prevent potential harm to profits.

It’s common knowledge that cannabis is generally SUPERIOR in most all ways you can measure it. In fact, it’s SO common that the U.S. government threatened American farmers with federal prison time for NOT producing hemp for World War II. Ironically, as soon as the war ended BOOM hemp was instantly made federally illegal, again.

Why does the government bully this industry so much?

The quick truth and reason why cannabis prohibition began is because William Randolph Hearst had the potential to lose a lot of money in the paper industry. He owned a newspaper and had a lot of money tied up in wood paper.

With the invention of new hemp farming technology called the decorticator, he was at risk of losing a lot of money because hemp could made a better cheaper paper. And so the story goes, since he owned a newspaper William deployed the DIRTY strategy of yellow journalism and started spreading LIES about this new drug called MARIHUANA.

Now cannabis, and hemp, are controlled by several layers of government who have labeled cannabis as a Schedule I drug, meaning it doesn’t have any medical value. Being schedule I makes it almost impossible to research, under the Federal umbrella. The U.S. government won’t give research money to uncover the truths about cannabis because it’s considered to have ZERO medical value. And since it allegedly doesn’t have any medical value, government logic goes, why would we give them any money to research it.

Thus opens the doorway to several problems. We can’t research it to prove it has medical value because it’s illegal and since it’s illegal, we can’t research it! Then the question becomes the topic of our discussion. What legitimate cannabis research can humans do while world governments are waging physical, psychological, and emotional warfare on weed? While they are waging war on weed, who do we really listen to and how do we know?

What makes research worthy enough to apply in real life?

Two research methods we’ll look at:

Anecdotal Evidence (everyone can do)
Clinical Research (very few can do)

Anecdotal Evidence

Advantages In Potential Legitimacy

Anecdotal evidence is information gather informally and relies HEAVILY on personal testimony. Before writing, there was oral storytelling. Everything that was known was memorized. Throughout history there is essentially 100% accuracy in passing oral history down throughout the generations and thousands of years. What could make this form of intelligence gathering valid involves the echo of the same message that predates history and is verified daily.

What is verified daily is that cannabis has killed ZERO people, due to consumption, since the beginning. What makes the story of cannabis so powerful, and valid, lean almost entirely on this fact. Cannabis is only superior “medicine” because it fits the definition more appropriately than the synthetic molecules science attempts to pass off as health care. All modern health care creations have taken a life, which is why listening to them about cannabis doesn’t make too much sense.

As we listen to the miraculous stories and experience first hand the power of nature we naturally have a hard time listening to “science” when they spend countless years failing to solve our problems & pains. True health uses all known forms of healing and doesn’t shut down possibilities while turning people into felons.

The simple fact is, animals don’t take pills and some species live to be hundreds of years old! How do they do it and how can I replicate it?

Flaw & Vulnerabilities

Anecdotal evidence means we must trust people on their word. It’s like playing the telephone game from childhood. Much of the original message gets distorted and rarely comes out the other end the same way it went in.

Much like the placebo effect occurs in medicine, so does it sometimes happen in anecdotal healing.

Clinical Research

Advantages In Potential Legitimacy

Clinical research involves several phases and a lot of time and money. The benefits of this method of acquiring information leans heavily on the scientific method. What is GREAT about the scientific method involves careful consideration over each step before claiming truth and legitimacy. It’s a rigorous process and has to stand up to transparent duplication in the public light.

Flaw & Vulnerabilities

Brilliant minds, who spend 10+ years studying the human body get put into EXTREMELY awkward positions of fierce competition over resources in funding their research project. Just because you have a gifted brain that can crunch large amounts of information, doesn’t mean you are automatically chosen to be the researcher who gets approved for LARGE federal funding. These dangerously high levels of competition exerts tremendous amounts of pressure on researchers. Competition over money arouses the animal within and suppresses the creativity, cooperation, risk-taking, and original thinking that goes into unlocking breakthrough discoveries. [1]

Other very risky activity that goes along with this method of research makes verifying and replicating discoveries almost impossible. Fundamental discoveries seemingly takes a lot of time, money, equipment and book intelligence. Even if we were to look at the information, how would we know if it was true, beyond the words on the research paper CLAIMING it was true?

Perhaps real world results are how we would verify legitimacy? The problem with this is the average time it takes for drug to go from the research lab to the patient is 12 years and costs hundreds of millions to billion dollars. Even more crazy is only 1% of drugs that begin “preclinical testing” ever even makes it to human testing. [2] By the time we’re able to test safety, how many people have to die in between?

Final thought. Why would we take medical health advice from an industry of people who have the shortest life span, high suicide rates and the highest rate of drug abuse?

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[1] http://www.pnas.org/content/111/16/5773.full

[2] https://www.ca-biomed.org/pdf/media-kit/fact-sheets/CBRADrugDevelop.pdf

Cannabis Industry Future Prediction

November 20, 2017 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

How the cannabis industry MIGHT evolve as we move into full legalization?

Marijuana is becoming more and more popular, as legalization continues.

Consumption methods and availability are expanding each day. The question is: What will the future of marijuana look like? Is there a any room for improvement?

From this perspective, the future of marijuana looks very bright. Many changes have been happening in recent years. The media is becoming more and more involved with promoting cannabis. And we are also seeing more and more TV shows dedicated to PURELY to marijuana (Weeds / Workaholics).

New technologies and new products regarding cannabis are constantly being developed and improved. Research conducted by Gallup, in 2016, states that 60% of people want weed to be legalized nationally.

VERY conservative futurist predict that by 2030 ALL 50 U.S states will legalize marijuana OUTRIGHT.

Recently the term Cannapreneur and Ganjapreneur became respectable business words. These words are used to describe entrepreneurs in cannabis industry. As the cannabis industry continues to evolving at a RAPID PACE, more and more people are becoming interested in becoming a part of it. Experts estimate that the size of the legal market will be worth more than $30 billion by 2020, if not more.

Just because cannabis is legal doesn’t mean the companies that produce marijuana are regulating their products with the HIGHEST standards, most appropriate to our industry. In fact, those entrepreneurs that decide to enter marijuana industry cannot get access to financial and banking services, so they have to start their business by using cash only. Otherwise, their assets may be seized by the government. This is predicted to change in the following months, since new regulations are on the way.

According to Marijuana Business Daily, by 2021, the US it is predicted more than $70 billion dollars to be collected by cannabis industry. Predictions from ONLY cannabis sales, the total economic impact will be up to $68 billion by 2021. Comparing that with current economic impact generated from sales of marijuana, this is more than 240% of increase.

On the other hand, Cowen & Co. predicted that by 2026, there will be an economic growth of marijuana industry to $50 billion. This means the annual growth rate would be around 24% which is more than enough, considering that this effect should last for almost a decade. Marijuana is estimated to become an economic force and a big business generator that will provide many opportunities in terms of jobs, development and health benefits.

International Market Predictions

Another big prediction of future of marijuana is regarding international markets.

The legal marijuana sector is going to become even bigger, as many countries plan to legalize marijuana for recreational use. This will lead to evolution of international marijuana market which will include countries like America, Canada, Germany, Netherlands and others.

Flavored Cannabis?

When talking about the future of marijuana, have you heard about flavored marijuana?

A revolutionary technology has come to the cannabis industry that can add different flavors. Yofumo technology adds different fragrance and flavors to marijuana by enhancing terpenes which are flavor molecules in plants. The technology offers ways of modification the flavor, enhance the flavor that is already present or adds new flavors.

This technology is only a small part of future cannabis industry.

One future technology related to marijuana is breathalyzer. The idea behind this technology is to protect drivers on the road. This is a device that should detect if a driver is under the influence by detecting the levels of THC. But, it is not that simple. Since THC sticks in the blood for 30 days, the test can be positive even though a driver didn’t consume in days or weeks.

No clear measurements exists when it comes to a “dangerous” level of THC in your system. This will require a development of more guidelines and research regarding the potential dangers of cannabis while driving. If there is any danger.

THC Amount In Products

Another way to think about the future of cannabis it so consider the amount of THC in products. Nowadays, cannabis oils and concentrates contain from 20 to more than 90 percent of THC. Some word of mouth products are boasting 100% THC, if you can believe it. Would this even be desireable? Does the cannabis community want to see THIS much modification in their plants? As these products get more and more creative and interesting, this will call for more regulations and quality control standards.

Genetically Modified Marijuana?

In the meantime, companies are discussing production of genetically modified marijuana by affecting marijuana genome. This raises some concerns, since genetic modification usually comes with bad effects. The debate over GMO foods is already a hot debate. Can you image what the debates will be like when GMO weed comes into play? What if the government takes over the entire cannabis industry, like what happened in Uraguay, and they force us to ONLY buy government ganja that has been genetically modified? These are questions that will occur in the VERY near future.

Researching Medical Benefits

Recently, U.S. scientific academy reviewed more than 10,000 studies about marijuana and its medical benefits. Some key facts that were found include the use of marijuana for treating depression, cancer, chronic pain, multiple-sclerosis and epilepsy. It has been proved that cannabis treats chronic pain and help dealing with multiple-sclerosis symptoms.

In addition, GW Pharmaceuticals developed a new drug from cannabis called Epidiolex that treats childhood-onset epilepsy. The drug proved to have positive effects, but the company still needs to develop and test it more.

Future Weed Prices

One final future prediction for the cannabis industry.

The prices for cannabis are estimated to fall, as many companies and cultivators enter the market. Since the demand is going to be lower than supply, producers won’t have another choice but to lower the prices in order to stay on the market and be competitive, especially considering the fact that the black market still exists and still has very profitable sales.

Final prediction: One day weed will be cheaper than a bag of tea.

“The best way to predict the future is to to create it.” ~Abraham Lincoln

Predict the future you want by creating it.

Are You Smoking Radioactive Weed?

November 15, 2017 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

If it’s “organic” does that automatically mean it’s “more” safe than non-organic? There’s a general understanding about what it means to eat “organic” foods and ingest organic products.

A basic understanding about what “organic” could mean is that it’s more healthy or that it was grown and raised in a proper environment. To extend the definition a bit, organic could also mean that more attention and care was given to it as it made its way into the markets for human consumption.

As we dig deeper and ask the proper questions about what organic REALLY is and how the “corporations” define what it means to be organic, we begin to notice an interesting phenomenon. What we began to notice as we started to take a closer look at what “growing organic” means, we noticed some startling information that BEGS to be shared with the masses.

If we are to look at what we are NOT suppose to look at and we begin to “see” what it NOT suppose to be seen, will we trust and believe the information is coming from a reliable source? Even once we feel comfortable that the information is coming from a reliable source, will we take action and make a change to keep humanity going in the right direction?

Questions we will address in this article:

What does organic actually mean?
Is all of our cannabis being grown with the HIGHEST standards of “genuine organic” growth?
Did corporations find “subtle” loopholes that allows them to “sneak” radioactive cancer causing chemicals into our weed?
Are we “actually” smoking dangerous (poisonous) radioactive weed without knowing it?

The answer to these questions can be quite startling in their implications about what could be going on without a general ability to measure the specifics of the allegations.These questions have several answers and have a few layers we need to peel back and understand, before we get a proper understanding of the truth.

What organic really means, who defines it and how is it enforced?

The word organic has its roots in the Greek origins. Organic, at its beginning simply meant “organ,” meaning it naturally came from the organs of animals. Or the simple Google definition says organic is related to or derived from living matter.

And then chemistry has a slightly more specific definition of organic saying organic is, compounds containing carbon. Already we can begin to see there may be a LARGE gap in how “legal” definitions can bend, manipulate, duck and dodge the HIGHEST standards that is to be the most beneficial for human ingestion — all for the sake of maximizing profits.

Just because something is “legal” does that necessarily mean it is the right thing to do or that it’s safe? Who gets to define what organic means when it comes to our food?

Turns out, the answer is it is ran by NOP (National Organic Program) that is ran by the USDA (United States Department Of Agriculture) which is a form of the federal government. And then we ask, isn’t the federal government at “war” with cannabis?

Is all of our cannabis being grown with the HIGHEST standards of TRUE “organic” growth?

To answer this question quickly and bluntly: maybe. Depending on who was the grower and how the plants were cultivated to maturity will tend to yield RADICALLY different results.

You can have two people grow the same strain of cannabis and yield two very different outcomes. Why is this? This answer has quite a few answers. There are SEVERAL different variable that comes with growing cannabis. As these various variables differ even slightly between growers, so does the ultimate outcomes of the bud you smoke and the effects it produces.

To give you a few BASIC cannabis growing variable that can RADICALLY change the end result are;

Grow medium (soil, hydroponic, Rockwool, Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate (called, Hydrocorn or Grow Rock), Coconut Fiber/Coconut chips, and Perlite or Vermiculite, etc),
Lighting (natural sunlight, indoor),
Fertilizer (synthetic, organic, chemicals, etc),
Glow Location (Climate, air purity, type of water, etc).

Who grows your weed and how they grow it, may be the difference between safe natural cannabis and dangerous radioactive weed. The question then becomes…

Did corporations find “subtle” loopholes that allows them to “sneak” radioactive cancer causing chemicals into our weed?

The answer is, it’s a possibility. Even if we could prove it, what should we do, what could we do, and how to we fix the problem if it did happen?

When it comes to the industry of “organic” products, the food industry tends to have more strict regulations than any other field, such as pesticides, fertilizers, etc. What is interesting is that organic fertilizers and pesticides don’t have such a strict regulation as food products have.

An example: here is are dangerous pesticides floating around the market that have the chemical “azadirachtin” in it. Azadirachtin is considered to be a “safe organic” pesticide for the bizarre reason that the molecule was extracted from something called “neem oil,” a fruit/tree.

The federal government considers azadirachtin to be organic because it is extracted from something found in nature. That’s all it takes! The problem with “organic” azadirachtin is even if you ingest just a TINY bit (less than half a shot glass worth), it will trigger something called, HARD cyclical vomiting. Neem oil poisoning. [5]

HARD vomiting is your body telling you that it has been poisoned. What is CRAZY is that “big pharma” says that if you get poisoned by neem oil pesticide on your cannabis that, this is not actually neem oil poisoning. What big pharma will suggest is that you have developed a syndrome from chronic cannabis abuse called CHS (Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome). [3] CHS is a “syndrome” we previously dug DEEP into and debunked this crazy allegations from “pseudo-authoritative” sources. [4]

This is big pharma, once again, trying to attack cannabis instead of looking at the truth. What is the truth? Truth is, we have the big regulation companies saying that this dangerous azadirachtin molecule is “safe” because it’s “organic” because it was extracted from “living matter.”

Thus a loop hole has been exploited by the big companies looking to maximize profits by selling a dangerous pesticide to spray on your cannabis plants. How do we know if we are smoking safe weed that hasn’t been poisoned or grown with radioactive phosphate nutrient fertilizers?

Is there a way to know? Is it safe? Or…

Are we “actually” smoking dangerous (poisonous) or radioactive weed without knowing it?

Short answer: even if we were, how would we know, until it was too late? We know we are being invaded by dangerous “organic” pesticides that are deemed “safe” from the federal government.

What about the alleged “safe” organic fertilizer?

What is safe organic fertilizer, how do we know it’s safe, and what are the big business companies doing to attack cannabis from this angle? The answers to these question can be summarized in how tobacco is cultivated and the truth behind it.

It is common knowledge that tobacco smoking causes cancer and kills close to half a million people per year. What is not so common of knowledge is specifically HOW tobacco causes cancer. The answer to this could very well be the reason why we may be smoking dangerous radioactive cannabis without knowing it, as cannabis cultivation starts to become more and more commercialized.

Originally we thought tobacco caused cancer because nicotine dropped tar in your lungs and that’s what triggered it. Not true. In 1990, the U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop agreed with published studies and stated on national television that the source of tobacco causing cancer is because it is radioactive. [1]

How did radioactivity get into tobacco? The quick answer is when the tobacco was being grown, it absorbs the radioactive elements (radium-226, polonium-210, radon-222, & lead-210) from “organic” rock phosphates. [2]

Cheap “organic” rock phosphates are used in abundance by big farming companies. I can’t say with 100% conviction that, as far as we know, cannabis is free from radioactive elements. As cannabis starts becoming more and more legal worldwide, IMO, we very well could have this problem creep up on the masses. Right now, I report all of this for a specific purpose.

The purpose being is to get prepared and figure out a way to monitor ourselves without relying on big government corporations to tell us what’s safe and what’s dangerous. I’ll end with a list of what are actual “safe” organic fertilizers.

True “genuine” organic fertilizer are nutritional substances that are derived from natural animal “stuff.” Guano, manure, hoof and horn, dried blood, soot, bonemeal, fishmeal, and wood ash are all “true” organic fertilizers.

The fertilizer to stay away from are the rock phosphates and anything synthetic and chemical. In the meantime we must ponder, how will we have a future of certainty that corporations won’t take over the cannabis industry and mass grow cannabis the same way they mass grow tobacco?

—-

[1] Vilma Hunt, Harvard University 1964, first established and researched radioactivity in tobacco.

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16538141

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22150623

[4] http://coloradocannabistours.com/marijuana-legalization/cannabis-hyperemesis-syndrome-part-1/

[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3841499/

From Backstage Antics to Creating Some Sweet Sounds

July 13, 2017 by CCT Staff 1 Comment

Lance Herbstrong’s Kamal Solimon Answers Our Questions

by: Avital Norman Nathman

Lance Herbstrong — the 420-friendly party band consisting of producer and percussionist Kamal Soliman, guitarist Peter DiStefano, and engineer Bill Sarver — has been making a name for itself when it comes to creating amazing mash-ups and original tunes. The band, which has collaborated with some amazing folks from Blues Traveler’s John Popper to Karl Denson, Umphrey’s McGee and more, having recently found themselves making their intro to the movie business. You’ll be able to catch Lance Herbstrong performing an original song, featuring Big Daddy Kane, in the upcoming stoner flick, Ripped!

In addition to making some magic, the band is working on their fourth album. Fans can download Lance Herbstrong’s first three albums (The Knobturner’s Guild, Meth Breakfast, Tokelahoma) for free on the band’s website. Currently on tour with canna-preneur and reggae luminary Damian Marley, Lance Herbstrong’s Kamal Soliman took some time to answer some of our burning questions:

Who has been your favorite guest artist to sit in with you?

There have been so many. We are blessed to be a small band that has had some serious heavy hitter guests sit in with us. But, of all of them, I would say Perry Farrell meant the most to me personally because it was Perry, first with Jane’s Addiction and then with Porno For Pyros, that inspired me to pursue a career in live music. And, it was the remixing of the song “Orgasm,” that resulted in Pete becoming our guitar player. So when Perry finally sat in with us at the Lollapalooza artist after party and sang our version of “Orgasm” with us, it was a culmination of all I had been trying to put together. But, having Lance Armstrong sit in with us at the Austin Reggae Festival was pretty damn cool as well.

Can you share a favorite story or two from performing a backstage or industry party?

I was tour managing Thievery Corporation at the time and we were doing a co-headlining tour with Massive Attack. We had done four shows already and both bands were still feeling each other out and unsure of how to interact with one another. We had just come off two shows in NYC and had a day off in Miami. Lance Herbstrong was booked to play a show in the lobby of the hotel that Thievery was staying in. I believe it was the Eden Roc. The hotel had erroneously advertised our show as a Thievery show and the promoter in Miami was flipping out. Normally, the Thieves would sit in with us, as they have before, but since this was billed erroneously and the promoter for the real show was livid about it, none of the Thieves could sit in and there was a weird tension in the air. But once the show started, the vibes were right and the Massive Attack band were there getting drunk for the first time with the Thieves, enjoying our music. It was the beginning of a very fun and memorable tour we had together. That was the night everyone truly connected and became friends. The guys from Massive all jumped in with us and I will never forget Robert Del Naja banging cymbals and tambourines while we jammed out to the bitter end. We all ended up hanging out until the sun came up and were beyond hurting the next day. But as a result of our little party in the hotel, the real show had the largest walk-up sales in Bayfront Amphitheater history, selling about 2k tickets. It was a great end to a lot of undue drama, caused by the promoter’s fear of our show cannibalizing ticket sales to the real event. Legendary night.

Photo Credit: Noah Abrams

What does your songwriting process usually look like?

Typically, I’ll choose a song to be remixed or songs to be mashed up and discuss with Bill Sarver. The key to what makes Lance Herbstrong work so well is the synergy between my instincts and Bill’s engineering genius. Sometimes Bill will question if the mashup can work, but 90 percent of the time I trust my ear and keep pushing him to get it right. Eventually, he will, after hours of changing keys on a certain song or pitch shifting another, etc. By the time Bill sends me the first pass to listen to, the skeleton of the song is already in place and from there we fine tune it back and forth a few more times before sending it to Pete to record his guitar parts. When we receive Pete’s guitar, we go back and forth a few more times with the guitar layered in until I’ve listened to the song probably 1000 times and can say it’s done. Then, we send it off for mastering.

How did you get involved with writing a song for Ripped?

I received a text from a friend one day, Midi Soliz, who’s a badass fashion designer and wardrobe producer for film and TV, saying, ‘Hey, I’m working on a stoner film that wants a band to film a scene in the movie. You interested?’ Yes. We spoke to Brad Epstein (the director) after that and were onboard. Brad says, ‘I know Big Daddy Kane. We should get him onboard, too.’ Sure. Next thing I know, Kane and I are speaking about recording his vocals.

https://youtu.be/syRjHAvI7g0

How does cannabis factor into your creative process?

Cannabis plays a big part in the creative process. I think it’s safe to say that it plays a big part in most artist’s creative process. It allows you to see or hear things from a different perspective, to find an appreciation for something you may not have recognized before, to enjoy something a bit more thoroughly. Without cannabis, I may have never found the motivation to spearhead this mission we call Lance Herbstrong. As I get older, I use it less in large crowds and more in private settings, as it really causes my mind to go off and running. Oftentimes, I prefer to be alone or with close friends when smoking it.

Favorite strain to smoke while (before?) performing?

I rarely smoke before the show. I’ll get too introspective and nervous and over think the show. We always have pre-show jitters. Pete still gets them after 30 years of performing live. I think the moment you stop getting them is the day you should hang up your performance career, as it may mean you don’t care enough about it as you should. So, for that reason, I rarely smoke before the show. Although, once the show is in motion and the vibes are right, I like to light a few joints on stage and share them with the crowd. I generally prefer strains that get you up and moving versus mellow and lethargic.

Here’s another good industry story about one of our shows…

We did this show at SXSW one year for the ad agency GSD&M. The stage was in a parking garage that was at the back of the corporate lawn where the party was being held. While we were on stage playing our show, a one-armed homeless man from the streets of Austin wandered into the parking garage and made his way on stage. We looked over and saw this one-armed man playing our congas, and it couldn’t have been a funnier moment. We just let him have at it for a few songs. Famous people, friends, the audience, or even the one armed homeless are welcome onstage at a Lance Herbstrong show.

Dealing With US Customs and Border Patrol

September 19, 2016 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

In recent years, Colorado has become the new frontier and leader in legal recreational Marijuana and with that has also become an increasingly more attractive a destination not only for Cannabis enthusiasts, but also for travelers that are simply seeking to experience an emerging culture that is unique to our world. While most of our guests are US citizens, we have seen an increase in foreign nationals from around the world. We have some advice for our international guests on dealing with US Customs and Border Patrol in order to keep your entry and exit from the good ol’ US of A as hassle free as possible.

Entering the US

Once on US soil, you’ll need to go through US Customs, where you will be asked questions about the purpose and length of your stay here, and also to declare any items you may have brought with you. The purpose of these questions is to determine whether or not you are admissible to the United States. While Cannabis is legal for recreational purchase and use here in Colorado, federally it’s still scheduled as a schedule 1 controlled substance.

Admitting to a customs officer any prior use of marijuana is grounds to be deemed inadmissible to the US. So telling them that the purpose of your trip is to consume cannabis is not recommended.

Another thing to consider is that you may also need to present proof of lodging during your stay. When booking your 420 vacation, let one of our travel agents know that you need non-branded proof of accommodation from us. We will be happy to provide you with documents that do not mention cannabis, 420-friendly services and lodging.

It is legal for a customs agent to search your phone and computer without a warrant. Delete your pictures and lock your phone with a passcode. Also make sure that you do not make social media posts viewable to the public.

While you’re here

To enter a dispensary and make a purchase, a valid ID is required. If you are not a US citizen, it is recommended for you to carry your passport with you at all times. Don’t worry, dispensaries do not record or store your information, they simply check your ID to make sure it is legal to sell to you and the MED (Marijuana Enforcement Division) requires them to only accept certain government issued forms of valid ID. For visitors from outside the country, this requirement just so happens to be your passport.

Isn’t honesty the best policy?

No. Well, it depends. In this instance, probably not. Customs agents are allowed to use their discretion, but if you are deemed inadmissible the process to get a waiver is lengthy, difficult and expensive. Stay quiet, polite and casual, and do not volunteer information. Carefully respond only to what you are being asked, and do not admit to ever using or having any involvement in Cannabis, under any circumstances.

Whether it was consumed legally or not, this contradiction in state vs federal law means that an admission by a citizen or foreigner of having consumed cannabis is considered an admission to committing a controlled substance offense in the eyes of United States Customs and Border Patrol.

Summary

The current policy is being challenged, but immigration law is notoriously slow and difficult to change.

Canada is pressing US to review current the policy to bar entry to the US, because they are likely going to allow recreational pot nationwide. While our laws are playing catch-up, it’s best to avoid trouble in the first place.

Employ This

September 9, 2016 by CCT Staff 6 Comments

“You’ve got the job. You just need to pass the drug test”.

I reflexively agreed, and proceeded to act as “normal” as possible. Of course, the drug screen. I am a normal, conforming individual that will not cause trouble for you or your business. I didn’t ask any details about the test, I simply swallowed and smiled. Then I went home and told my boyfriend what had happened. Awesome, I got a job offer; shit, they want me to take a drug test. I had been referred to teach yoga at a corporate fitness club in a fancy Denver suburb. After moving to Colorado, I had basically only worked in the fitness industry. Most of my jobs had been with local businesses, where there was zero concern or budget for administering drug tests to employees. I had gotten comfortable, and basically forgotten that this kind of thing still happened. But I needed a job, and really wanted to work at this place; so I decided I would submit to the test. I figured I would just buy one of those detox kits to help me pass. Those work right?

Guess what? They don’t. The over-priced crap that I bought on the way to my appointment with Labcorp only succeeded in making me feel ill. I filled out my paperwork, peed into the cup, and went home hoping for the best.

Drug Test Results

A week later I got a phone call. The first person that I spoke to was very friendly and informed me that they were calling to give me of the results of my test. After a few key strokes on the other line, he cheerfully told me that he needed to transfer me to a nurse in order to receive my results.

Once the “nurse” got on with me, the tone of the phone call immediately shifted to extreme condescension. Ms. Mulvey, she told me, your sample came back positive for marijuana. When was the last time you used?

I was completely caught off guard. “Used”? The implication being, that I am some sort of “user”. Like I’m some dirt bag who “uses” in a back alley somewhere.

I managed to squeak out an “ummmm, the day before the test”, still internally trying to process the way I was being spoken to. My embarrassment and frustration started turning into anger. I decided to explain that I had been seen by a doctor. This was medical marijuana in my system. Not some illicit underground stuff that I “use” . This was above-board. This was legal.

“Have you been prescribed Marinol or dronabinol?” she asked. These are man-made drugs, manufactured by pharmaceutical companies. They are derived from cannabis to provide relief from the side effects of chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS, like nausea and loss of appetite. Evidently, Labcorp gives zero fucks about what your doctor prescribes unless it comes in a pill form. In fact, Labcorp’s bias is so extreme, they consider cannabis a hallucinogen.

When I told her that I hadn’t been prescribed those drugs, and that my doctor had recommended regular-ole cannabis, she informed me that my failed results would be shared with the employer. If I objected to the results, I had the option to have them independently reviewed by paying $150.

Being me, my first impulse was to protest. I wanted to argue with this insane logic and object to the way I was being treated. But as my protest bubbled up, I stopped myself. I told her I would not be paying them for any further testing, and hung up the phone.

Back when I was waiting for my test, I’d experienced an epiphany in the waiting room. As I was sitting there, I had been filled with so much anxiety and fear over whether or not I would pass, I almost started to panic. In trying to talk myself out of the attack that was on it’s way if I didn’t calm down, I started taking stock of the sensations in my body and naming the emotions that I was feeling.

I realized that the scenario and feelings I was experiencing reminded me of being a naughty child that was about to be found out by my parents. It reminded me of the way the cop that walked up to my group of friends as we were smoking a joint had treated us, like we were a bunch of criminals. It’s a natural response to be nervous in a situation like that. When a human being is confronted with those scenarios, our instincts are to conceal, to deflect, to lie and hide our activities. We don’t want to be punished. We don’t want to be bad.

But, I reminded myself, I am not a criminal. I wasn’t even breaking the law! I am a grown woman applying for a job to teach yoga, who also happened to legally smoke marijuana. This test, and the attitude that was held by this company was complete bullshit. It might be the case that certain organizations are still living in the dark ages, but I had grown up. I had moved on from the premise that cannabis use was wrong. I didn’t need to buy in any more. I didn’t need to hide parts of myself in order to fit in and get a job. I didn’t have to work there. I could work somewhere else. Arriving at that clarity galvanized me. I was going to take a stand. Any situation or organization that perpetuated the old prohibitionist mentality, was something I would no longer support.

Current Climate

When I was employed by Apple, Inc. it was the only time I didn’t need to hide my consumption of cannabis from my employers. You know the part on employment applications where they ask you to name incidents you’ve had with the law? On Apple’s application, that question has an accompanying qualifier stating that you can omit offenses related to marijuana. Apple doesn’t give a fuck if you get high. In addition to their policies regarding same-sex partners, Apple is an example of a company that “gets it”. I was proud to work there.

Unfortunately, Apple is in the minority on both of those issues. The majority of companies in America still haven’t caught up with history. In fact you can still get fired for consuming what is now a substance as legal as alcohol in several states, and is medically prescribed in many others. In 2015, in the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Dish Network had legally fired quadriplegic Randy Coats for treating his painful muscle spasms on his own time with cannabis that was medically prescribed to him. Though medical marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2000, and voters legalized it for recreational use in 2012, the court ruled that employers can fire employees because the current amendment to our state constitution only protects citizens form being prosecuted as criminals, and does not make it a lawful activity that is protected against discrimination for employment.

Stop Feeding the Beast

But attitudes are shifting. The CEO of Colorado Cannabis Tours, Michael Eymer shared with me that when the crew from Vice news was on the tour, a guest came up while he and a producer were speaking to apologize for not being able to show his face on camera. The guest expressed how much he really wanted to be involved, and that he loved Vice news. But, he explained, if his current employer happened to see it, they would drug test him and fire him immediately. “It sounds like you have a shitty job, and you should probably quit” was the response he got from the producer.

While it may be impractical for everyone to quit their jobs because of their policies in hiring and employment, we do have the ability to start standing up for ourselves as law abiding adults. Instead of submitting to insulting drug tests, wasting money on ineffective products that supposedly clean out your system, and going to lengths to use urine other than your own; we can stand up for our rights as individuals in a free country. Stop consenting to drug testing. Stop giving biased companies like Labcorp your time and money. Seek out industries and apply to work for employers that do not drug test for cannabis.

Eventually these companies will find that the pool of employable talent has dwindled for them and they will be forced to review their policies. There is anecdotal evidence that this is already happening. Be the example that intelligent, bright and capable people who consume cannabis are not criminals. Stay firm in the belief that proactively caring for your health with a natural and legal substance, is every human’s birthright.

Medicine Man Time Lapse Tour

August 26, 2016 by CCT Staff Leave a Comment

Check out the time lapse tour of Medicine Man Denver, brought to you by Colorado Cannabis Tours! Pete Williams and Mike Eymer guide you through the entire marijuana cultivation facility. Every stage of the process (except for the cure) gets featured. It moves fast, so see if you can spot each room of the grow.

Medicine Man Time Lapse Tour — Pete Williams making out with plants

Medicine Man