Marijuana

Does Marijuana Go Bad? Learn How to Store Cannabis Properly

January 27, 2022 by Austa Anderson Leave a Comment

Cannabis pricing structures tend to incentivize bulk purchases. Customers willing to buy more significant quantities are typically rewarded with a lower (sometimes significantly lower) price per gram.

And, now that legalization has allowed many people to grow their own cannabis at home so there are more reasons than ever to have large quantities of everyone’s favorite plant on hand.

This abundance is a good thing, but it also invites an important question, “Does marijuana go bad?”

In this article, we take an in-depth look, not just at the likelihood of cannabis spoiling, but also the wide range of circumstances that can have an overall impact on the quality of your bud and ways to store it properly for long-term use.

Does Marijuana Go Bad?

To begin, it’s important to mention that cannabis does not spoil in the same sense that food does. Properly harvested, dried, and cured bud will remain safe to smoke ostensibly forever assuming that you don’t introduce circumstances that might lead to mold or mildew (mostly, humidity).

However, over time, cannabis will lose its potency and develop a stale, unpleasant taste.

How long does weed stay good?

The general rule of thumb tends to be that high-quality cannabis of any variety will last for about six months if it has been stored in a dry, air-tight container.

That number can easily reach up to a year depending on the conditions of your environment, as well as the characteristics of the cannabis itself.

After that six months to a year has elapsed, there is a pretty significant range of things that may happen to your cannabis. In terms of taste, you may not notice much of a difference even after a year has passed.

Does weed lose potency?

Potency is probably the biggest casualty of aging cannabis. It will begin to decline pretty steeply. Cannabis loses THC at a rate of about 16% after one year, 26% after two years, and up to 41% by four years. Below is an infographic we created to show how much potency is left after five years for cannabis that tested in at 20% THC. You can see that after five years, your once 20% THC potent bud now only has a potency of 10.2%. Almost a 50% decrease in potency, but hey, it still can get you high.

While it’s true that the passage of five years will cut your cannabis potency in half, it’s also true that cannabis rarely has the chance to age to that extent. Most enthusiasts will be able to avoid the risk of diminished potency simply by avoiding the accumulation of more than a year’s supply at a time.

Does weed expire?

There really is not a set expiration date where cannabis is concerned. While the diminished THC capacity does put cannabis lovers on a time frame, the user’s health is not really in jeopardy when they allow their flower to age.

How Can You Tell If Your Marijuana Is Old?

There are a few different ways to tell if your cannabis is on the older side. You can examine its appearance, smell, feel, taste and overall effects when smoking it.

Appearance

The appearance of cannabis may or may not change as it ages. In general, a dry, brittle appearance will likely signify that your cannabis has aged out of freshness. However, depending on the characteristics of your cannabis, it may be difficult to determine the age of bud simply by looking at it. Wilted buds and a brownish tint or color will indicate that it has aged.

Smell

Smell is a much better indicator of the age of cannabis. While a sniff test probably won’t allow you to guess the exact age of bud, it can help you determine the overall freshness. “Good” cannabis will usually have a potent, spicy, smell.

While the actual scent will vary based on the strain, it’s usually not difficult to tell that you are in the presence of high-quality marijuana.

However, the smell of cannabis diminishes significantly as it ages. Stale cannabis may have little to no smell at all or it might just smell like dried dusty grass.

Feel

The physical sensation of touching cannabis will also change as the bud ages. Fresher bud tends to have a spongy, buoyant feel to it, while cannabis that has aged beyond its prime tends to be dry and brittle.

If the cannabis crumbles in your fingers, you can safely assume that it’s gone stale.

Taste

Taste will differ significantly between fresh and stale bud. While fresh cannabis may have a fruity or spicy flavor (depending, of course, on the qualities of the plant that it came from) stale cannabis will have a much more muted flavor. You can assume that it will probably be very harsh on the lungs and throat, but it’ll still get you high.

Effects

As previously mentioned, THC declines sharply with each year that your cannabis sits on the shelf. Naturally, this means that the psychoactive properties of the bud will not be nearly as prominent as it ages.

However, that’s not to say that older cannabis is unable to produce euphoric effects. It’s worth noting that cannabis has grown significantly more potent in the years following the proliferation of legal states. While the average THC level at most dispensaries tends to hover at around 18% it’s not uncommon for premium strains to be anywhere from 25%-30% THC. In other words, most modern cannabis has THC to spare.

While staler bud will only be a shadow of its former self, you can still expect to experience many of desired effects from older flower.

FAQs About Old Dry Cannabis

Can you smoke dry marijuana?

Answer: Yes! Dry weed will usually be harsh, but it is still smokeable.

Can old marijuana make you sick?

Answer: Older cannabis usually will pose no risk to your health. The only exception is if mold or mildew has had the chance to develop. You can detect mold through a visual examination, as well as through a sniff test. Generally, compromised cannabis will have a musty, almost hay-like smell.

Does old marijuana still get you high?

Answer: Yes. The overall effects will depend on a wide range of factors: the age of the cannabis, its original potency levels, your tolerance, etc. However, in general, you can expect to get high even from old cannabis.

How to Store Marijuana Properly and Keep it Fresh

Store at Proper Temperature

Generally speaking, 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit is considered the ideal temperature for cannabis storage. At this level, cannabis will retain the optimal moisture level that allows it to remain spongy and fresh, without creating the conditions that enable mold to fester.

While there may be some wiggle room, it’s important to note that too much heat will lead to the cannabis’s rapid deterioration (mold tends to grow very well at around 80 degrees. Sub 70 temperatures, on the other hand, may dry out your cannabis.

Keep at Right Humidity

The ideal humidity level for cannabis storage is considered to be between 59-63%. This, combined with an optimal temperature will allow cannabis to retain its freshness without risking mold and mildew exposure.

ideal humidity range for cannabis 59% to 63%

Less Air Exposure the Better

Oxygen is no friend to cannabis. The more exposure to air your bud experiences, the faster it will lose its THC levels. In fact, oxygen exposure turns THC in CBN which has its own medicinal benefits but it’s a non-psychoactive chemical.

Reduce Light Exposure

Your cannabis will also benefit from a low-light environment. Studies have suggested that exposure to UV light in particular (the type of light generated by the sun, among other sources) leads to the very rapid degeneration of THC in cannabis.

Light also just breaks down all forms of organic matter over time making it a natural enemy to the longevity of your cannabis. Cupboards, closets, and drawers are all safe, low-light environments for your cannabis.

Top Containers to Store Marijuana for Long-Term

When it comes to storage, finding the right container is critical. While cannabis lovers of the past were often forced to improvise their storage techniques, legalization has brought forth many commercial options that are optimized for efficiency.

Airtight Marijuana Containers

Most of the time when you purchase cannabis from a dispensary, they’ll be in a glass airtight container, but occasionally you’ll get some bud in a hard version of a ziplock bag. Bags are no good. It’s better to keep some of the glass containers from past purchases or buy some yourself. Look for containers with a rudder seal to get excess moisture from getting in or out.

Glass Jars or Mason Jars

Glass jars are a good, affordable way to store your cannabis in an airtight container. In addition to being affordable, they also provide the aesthetic benefit of allowing you to put your stash on display the way some people might showcase a nice bottle of wine in a decanter. That said, you should note that the glass of a mason jar likely will not provide the same protection against the light that other, more specifically optimized containers will. If you go this route, there is an even bigger premium on finding a low-light spot for your cannabis.

Stash Cannisters

Stash canisters are usually relatively small containers that may have the capacity to store an ounce or so of bud at a time. The nice thing about finding a storage canister that has been specifically optimized for cannabis is that it will likely be well suited to maintain the ideal light, humidity, and temperature conditions.

The Stash Box

Cannabis stash boxes are a long-time fixture of headshops and hobby magazines. They are often discreet in their design, assuming the shape of an everyday household item (soda cans, chip canisters, etc.).

stash box marijuana container — Image Source: Pike & Pine Creations

Others, opt for more volume, allowing for the storage of pipes and other paraphernalia along with the rest of your stash. While stash boxes are a good way to maintain privacy for a small amount of cannabis, they often fall short of some of the more sophisticated options that are now on the market. If you are interested in trying this route, there are many brand options available, including Herbguard, StashLogix, and others.

Cannador Humidor

Humidors are a great way to store cannabis using the same conditions that dispensaries apply as they store and cure their bud. Humidors are specifically optimized to maintain the right humidity levels, keeping your cannabis fresh for longer periods of time.

It is, however, important to note that you should not use a tobacco humidor for your cannabis storage. While the equipment is ostensibly the same, cedar tobacco humidors are treated with chemicals that might corrupt the quality and taste of your cannabis.

Do’s & Don’ts of Cannabis Storage

Do’s

Do: Keep your cannabis at around 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature prevents your marijuana from drying out, while also reducing the probability of mold or mildew infiltration.

Do: Keep your cannabis in an environment of about 60% humidity. This level will prevent the bud from drying without making it too moist.

Do: Store your cannabis in an airtight container that is optimized to avoid infiltration of oxygen and light. Remember, the better your container, the longer your bud will stay good.

Do: Separate your strains. While mixing and matching won’t accelerate degradation, it will take the nuance out of your stash. To preserve flavors, keep each strain in its own airtight container.

Do: Enjoy your cannabis regularly! The very best way to keep cannabis from going bad on you is to enjoy it continuously. Keep in mind that when you follow best practices you have at least a year to enjoy your bud at maximum freshness. That should be more than enough time to enjoy a high-quality strain!

Don’ts

Don’t: Keep marijuana in the freezer. While many people think this is a dependable way to ensure freshness, the opposite is, in fact, true. While cannabis can be successfully frozen in a professional environment, at home you risk moisture infiltration and other forms of degradation.

Don’t: Keep your cannabis in light. UV light not only reduces THC levels but also accelerates the overall degeneration of your stash.

Don’t: Use plastic bags. While plastic baggies are a long-time favorite method of storing cannabis on a budget, they also lack all of the protections your bud requires to maintain peak freshness.

Don’t: Keep your cannabis around electronics. While you don’t have to be a Luddite to promote the best cannabis storage practices, you should be aware that electronics emit heat and other wavelengths that might not be best for your bud.

Don’t: Use a tobacco humidor. While humidors themselves are great, those of the tobacco variety will likely have undergone treatments that are not ideal for cannabis.

15 Best 420 Movies of All Time

April 28, 2021 by Jessica Manuszak Leave a Comment

From joints and bongs to bowls and even bigger bongs, weed has become a movie character all on its own. Here are the top 15 stoner 420 movies that you can’t live (or smoke) without. We’ve added comedies, thrillers, sci-fi and some that will trip you out. Take a look, pick one and take a puff (or two) and enjoy!

**15. Super Troopers (2001)**

Syrup, shenanigans, MEOW and I’m freaking out, man. That’s all that needs to be said about this comedy. Follow the trails of five Vermont State Troopers whose goal is to beat out the local police department in everything that they do. You’ll be laughing until you pass out on the couch from that strong indica you just hit. “!” A must-watch when you’re sky-high.

**14. The Butterfly Effect (2004)**

Starring Ashton Kutcher, this movie is a sci-fi thriller that will make you question everything after watching it. Should you? Maybe but it a chance you should take after ripping the bong once or twice. What if you make a different decision in life or walked down a different side of the street, how would that change your life in the long run? This movie explores it all. Buckle up and keep the joints rolled for this one.

**13. Memento (2000)**

This is a Christopher Nolan film that will mess with your head. It’s a psychological thriller about a man who has short-term memory loss every 15-minutes. Everyone seems to have their own theory on why or how Leonard got into his situation. You’ll be asking yourself again and again, who should he trust?

**12. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)**

If you’re looking to get TRIPPED out, well this is the movie for you. Go along on the adventure Raoul (Johnny Depp) and Dr. Gonzo as they drive their red convertible across the desert to Las Vegas on a wild ride to say the least. You’ll see a lot of trippy, crazy visual scenes as they go on an LSD, drug-infused binge.

**11. Friday (1995)**

Bye Felicia! Does it get any better than Ice Cube and Chris Tucker (Smokey) in an instant stoner classic? Leave it to Smokey to say, “Ay, I know you don’t smoke weed, I know this, but I’mma get you high today, cause it’s Friday, you ain’t got no job, and you ain’t got sh*t to do.” In this movie, we learn to not eff up the rotation, it’s puff-puff-give, cause you could get killed if it was someone other than Smokey. (I think we all have experienced that a time or two.)

10. Jackie Brown (1997)

Let’s be honest: there’s something downright alluring about Melanie (Bridget Fonda) hitting her bong in her apartment. In the perfect blend of stoner and sass, Fonda smokes her way to the status of a sleepy-eyed sex symbol for stoners everywhere. The best part? Her boyfriend says that smoking too much weed will sap her ambition, to which Melanie infamously replies, “Not if your ambition is to get high and watch TV.”

9. Dazed and Confused (1993)

With weed starring as the main character in this movie, Slater uses the sticky-icky to induce some serious philosophical bouts of pondering. Rather than coming off as a burnout, Slater uses his endearing thoughtfulness to show how marijuana’s not just a sometimes activity, but rather a way to stick to The Man. As Wooderson astutely says on the way to the next party: “The older you do get, the more rules they’re gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin’, man.”

8. The Big Lebowski (1998)

This film can be perfectly summed up with Dude getting his car back from the cops, going for a ride in the sunshine, with a beer in one hand and a J in the other, blasting the music and drumming on the roof of his car. Try toking up every time the Dude does and see if you feel that same level of pure, unadulterated freedom. (Though don’t say we didn’t warn you.)

7. True Romance (1993)

Few things in this world are better than Brad Pitt and a bong, together at last. The best part? He’s a self-admitted pothead when he was younger, adding to his performance as the couch-crashing bum who buddies up to mobsters and offers them a hit out of a homemade plastic honey bear bong. We can all only aspire to that level of creativity.

6. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

We couldn’t leave out a movie that has so much ganja, Neil Patrick Harris tripping, and the words, “Didn’t we come here on a cheetah?” Best of all, this movie totally understands how sometimes you can’t just eat anything to satiate the munchies—you need White Castle. Mary J has a starring role, and better yet, she delivers with the sort of raucous laughter you can’t quiiiiiiiiiite control.

5. Easy Rider (1969)

For George Hanson, weed is the magic miracle cure that finally lets him relax and chill out. (After all, walking around with that much tension can’t possibly be healthy.) It also allows for some totally stoned ramblings about satellites in the sky, fueling our love for this movie even more. We’ll leave you with the wise words of Hanson, “I mean, it’s real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. But they see a free individual, it’s gonna scare ’em.”

4. How High (2001)

A new kind of weed that turns you into a genius? Yes, please! Method Man and Redman hit Harvard after toking with ganja fertilized with the ashes of their dead friend. (There has to be bonus points awarded for this.) The icing on the cake? When they run out of their super stash, they dig up the old remains of John Quincy Adams and smoke his bones. Harvard or not, we give ‘em an A+.

3. Half Baked (1998)

Meet the movie that’s so perfectly designed for stoners. The trio of friends decides to sell a strain of superweed to other smokers in order to raise money for bail and get their friend out of jail. Not only is this an idea catalyzed and fed by Mary J, but the jokes throughout the movie are delightfully lowbrow and completely chuckle-worthy.

2. Pineapple Express (2008)

Any time there’s a movie named after a strain of weed, you can bet it’ll deliver. When two different oddballs, Dale and Saul, are thrown together in business (and mortal danger), they finally realize they make a good team. Needless to say, zany antics abound. Sure, the dudes are different from each other, but their love of weed that smells “like God’s vagina” forges a friendship of a lifetime. James Franco (Saul) makes a sequel to this movie in a weed-induced bout of creativity in This is the End, which is a pot-smoking epic on all its own.

1. Up in Smoke (1978)

This movie has everything you could ever ask for: insane schemes and plenty of weed. To see Cheech and Chong smoke a ginormous joint filled with pot-laced dog shit is a cinematic moment you simply don’t want to miss. (Trust me.) This was the film that started it all and established the gold standard for all the wonderful pot comedies to come.

With legalization beginning to spread, weed can finally be recognized as a caretaker, a catalyst for social change, and the starring character in films. But before I get too stoney balogne philosophical, grab your favorite strain and pick a flick. (You have so much hilarity—and heart—in front of you.)

New Cannabis Laws Free Prisoners

March 8, 2018 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

Prisoners Charged With Cannabis Offenses Are Being Released

Since California’s legalization of medical cannabis, in 1996, several states have followed suit and provided a more modern approach to dealing with cannabis.

From medical use to recreational use in 22 states and Washington D.C., you can now legally use marijuana! In many states, it has also become decriminalized, protecting minor offenders (who would have previously been prosecuted for a dime bag) from the headache of an unnecessary arrest.

As a country, overall in the past 25 years, we have come a long way in the fight for legalizing marijuana. For those of us who are free and able to partake in these new legal marijuana outlets, it is wonderful and is a time for celebration.

Some of our brothers and sisters did NOT make it to the GREEN AGE of legalization, without a detour through prison.

Across the country thousands of men and women still sit behind bars, serving out time on minor marijuana offenses. Some of them are even being SLAPPED with the label of felons. Since the changing of many laws, some of these so-called “offenders” have been able to have their sentences overturned and are being set free.

There have been many “cannabis offenders” throughout the years, go to prison and be released.

Here are a few updates on those who were imprisoned due to marijuana or are currently on their way out.

Jeff Mizanskey

One of the most talked about prisoners released after new marijuana laws were implemented, Mr. Mizanskey spent two decades in prison for a non-violent marijuana charge. He was arrested in 1996 for the intent to distribute nearly 6 pounds of marijuana. Mr. Mizanskey was charged with a life sentence with no option for parole. Although it is still illegal to distribute marijuana without proper protocol and licensing, this sentence was quite harsh even for the time. Jeff was a non-violent offender who only had two previous, minor arrests on his record, which were also non-violent. In 2015, the new Governor of Missouri, where Mizanskey was serving his time, reversed the decision of the court and allowed him to walk free.

James Tranmer

In 1993 James Tranmer was sentenced to 420 months or 35 years in prison for conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana. He has continued to promote the benefits of marijuana from behind bars and is still active in his Rastafarian based faith. James was sentenced for helping his son financially with a marijuana smuggling venture. His son also served time for the same case. He pled his case to President Obama, seeking Presidential clemency. In 2017 Tranmer received his wish and was granted clemency in President Obama’s last round of clemencies. He was released on May 19, 2017, at the age of 73 after spending 24 years in prison.

Paul Free

Paul Free was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance in 1995. This non-violent charge that was weakly substantiated has led to a decades-long fight for freedom. Paul has been incarcerated in California trying to find a lawyer that can help him successfully overturn his charges for the past 22 years. When he was originally charged, there were multiple witnesses that stated he was not the person who distributed them marijuana, as well as having multiple pieces of evidence which place him away from the scene of the crime. Finally, in 2017 Free was given a glimmer of hope when he was granted clemency by President Obama. He is set to be released in the next few years and will be able to assimilate back into normal life with his brother down in Mexico.

Craig Frazier

In 2005 Craig Frazier was charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison for a non-violent offense. Frazier was caught in an unfair situation where he was charged, on the premises, that he had WAY more marijuana in his possession than he actually did. Even based off of the amount of marijuana he had, Frazier was charged with four times the mandatory minimum for his case. He was treated this way in the Montana court system. After 7 years in prison with a clean record, Frazier was granted clemency and released on December 18, 2016. He plans to attend college back in his home state of Montana.

Dustin Costa

Our last update on a marijuana prisoner does not end as well as the previous few. Dustin Costa is still incarcerated at the Lompoc prison in Lompoc, California. He was running a small-scale marijuana grow farm that catered exclusively to patients. Costa stuck strictly to the rules laid out in prop 215 but was still arrested. He was charged with several different marijuana offenses and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Costa is now 71 years old and has been in prison since 2005. Not only were his crimes non-violent, but he was also helping around 300 patients have access to the healing, medicinal qualities of marijuana at the time of his arrest. Costa is still an avid cannabis supporter and looks forward to the future when it is legalized everywhere. Although he may never see life beyond prison bars again he is grateful for the support of others through letter correspondence and continues to enjoy advocating marijuana in any way that he can.

With new laws being implemented throughout the states we can only hope for more stories the end in 100% release for non-violent cannabis charges.

The harsh, draconian laws of the past no longer need to be upheld. As marijuana becomes legalized for medical and recreational use across the country, it will at the very least lead to fewer marijuana arrests and fewer prisoners in general. Violent drug offenders should most definitely STILL be prosecuted! However, for non-violent marijuana situations, there is no need for ANYONE to serve out the rest of their life behind bars.

Prohibitions Influence On The Legal System

March 1, 2018 by Colorado Cannabis Tours Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that the US 1920’s ALCOHOL PROHIBITION did NOT work at all!

For those thirteen years, vast amounts of wealth were created illegally on the black market. The basic law of economics teaches us that where EVER there is a demand, a supply will be created.

Perhaps an even more destructive prohibition in the U.S. has that of hemp and cannabis medicine. For eighty years, cannabis prohibition has plagued the American people – a prohibition set into action based almost entirely off of lies, racism and crooked cronyism interests.

Cannabis Prohibition First Takes Hold

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was one of the most manipulatively convoluted and misunderstood laws to ever hit the books. Just about everyone who has read or seen pieces of media such as Reefer Madness can now understand how absurd these claims were. The sad part is, back then – people actually believed that ‘one toke can turn youths into marijuana addicts’ and that ‘the devil’s weed, with its roots in hell, led wealthy white women to leave their husbands for black jazz musicians.’

The ringleader spinning this web of lies was a vile man by the name of Harry Anslinger. Anslinger served as the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department‘s Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN). The FBN eventually evolved into what we now know as the DEA. He was a perhaps the most vocal and outspoken supporter of the criminalization of drugs. Without him, cannabis prohibition might never have come to pass.

Somehow, Anslinger held office for 32 years in his role as commissioner until 1962. After that, he was the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Narcotics Commission for two years. In addition to inciting racism, Anslinger told an abundance of lies to representatives of a political system that believed it. In so doing, the waters of people’s understandings of the differences between non-psychoactive hemp and cannabis medicine were so muddied; most Americans didn’t know the difference at the time. In fact, the term ‘marihuana’ was virtually invented by these government goons at this time period. Later the made-up word evolved into what most people call it today – marijuana.

Before this, the plant was mostly called hemp in the west, with some more educated people referring to it as its scientific name, cannabis. Not only did Anslinger and his cohorts prevent access to cannabis medicine, but also restricted access to hemp – which is one of the most versatile plants on the planet.

Hemp’s Historical Uses

As you might already know, the non-psychoactive hemp plant has an abundance of uses dating back centuries. More than half of states in the U.S. currently allow the growing of hemp with a license. The Federal government passed a farm bill was 2014. This legislation allows farmers in legal states to grow industrial hemp, provided it clocks in at under 0.3% THC.

Popular Mechanics magazine called hemp a “billion dollar cash crop” back in 1938.

Ironically, this was right around the time that cannabis/ prohibition was taking hold of the country. Even though cannabis prohibition has stifled much of the potential advancements involving the versatile plant, American-grown hemp has been proving itself as a cash crop once again. Sales of hemp products reached over $500 million nationwide in 2015, reports the Boulder, Colorado-based Hemp Business Journal.

How Prohibition Influences The Legal System

As previously stated, the parasite of marijuana prohibition has been embedded into all Americans for 80 years now. As destructive as it was back then, it’s arguably even worse now. According to the ACLU, marijuana arrests make up more than half of all drug arrests in the United States. Police made 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010. Of those arrests, 88% were for simple possession – not for selling it, or for property damage, or hurting anyone else.

The War on Drugs was initially put into place by President Nixon, and Regan amped it up with the “Just Say No” campaigns of the 1980’s. Along with a plethora of propaganda and fear mongering delivered to young children through the D.A.R.E. campaign, the drug war has needlessly claimed thousands of lives of otherwise law-abiding citizens that most Americans agree should be offered treatment instead of punishment for drug use if they weren’t hurting anyone else. The war on drugs has cost the American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars and has effectively taken law enforcement attention away from real crimes with real victims.

Thankfully, there are many sensible officers, current and former, who are against the war on drugs because they see how it takes away their resources that would otherwise be focused on real crimes. One of such groups is Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), formerly known as Law Enforcement Against Prohibition. To say we need more sensible, compassionate, and educated officers like these who understand the vast harms brought on by drug prohibition and advocate an end to its stranglehold on the American people.

Despite the fact that sixty percent of Americans now favor the end of cannabis prohibition, President Trump’s new drug czar Jeff Sessions has vowed to crack down on drug users, stating, “Good people don’t smoke marijuana.” Sessions even made the outright statement that there is “no evidence of medical uses for marijuana,” which is a bold-faced lie. Does Sessions actually believe these ridiculous statements, or is he pandering to the forty percent of Americans who somehow favor the continued prohibition on cannabis and the war on drugs? You be the judge.

Who Benefits From the Continued Prohibition of Cannabis?

With all of the overwhelming evidence of the destructive nature of cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs, what is taking so long to end it? Many people have made speculation and will continue to do so. Some people think it’s the pharmaceutical industry whose corporations stand to lose millions from the outright legalization of medical cannabis. Others point to for-profit private prisons making a fortune on jailing weed smokers. With so many people being arrested for marijuana possession and being pushed through the legal system by essentially being forced into plea deals that involve treatment as terms of probation, drug counseling services also stand to lose out when cannabis prohibition finally ends. Then there are also the DEA and police unions who oppose legalization because they understand how much money is being drained from arrestees in the form of fines, court costs, and legal fees.

While cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs is still very much entrenched in the American culture and the legal system, we have seen some great strides over the past few years – and we’ve come a long way. Hopefully, the senseless prohibition of cannabis won’t last too much longer, as it has a negative impact on the U.S. in so many ways.

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.

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?

————-

[1] https://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.

Doctor’s Orders

November 16, 2017 by Brittany Driver Leave a Comment

Recommendations for Lower Risk Cannabis Use.

It is no secret that the medical community at large has been a little more than hesitant to widely proclaim the benefits of cannabis. In part, because smoking anything isn’t something doctors typically recommend and in part because cannabis companies don’t offer kickbacks to doctors for recommending it like pharmaceutical companies do. And to be fair, medical school doesn’t necessarily explore the endocannabinoid system so it isn’t something that doctors have a lot of educated information on. But a group of doctors recently reviewed and updated evidence of health risks associated with cannabis use. They did so in an effort to establish a set of guidelines intended to lower the risk of experiencing negative health consequences.

It can’t be easy for a physician to go against the health establishment by not categorically declaring that marijuana is bad. But these physicians have recognized that nay-saying cannabis entirely, and not giving the public concise instruction on how to best protect themselves against health issues they may encounter from using marijuana, is not helping anyone, least of all younger users of cannabis.

In their quest for best practices in cannabis use they studied existing scientific evidence and discovered a few key things. After taking into account a plethora of studies done on cannabis use, the medical professionals conducting the analysis found that well-informed behavioral modifications by cannabis users can “substantially” reduce adverse health effects they may struggle with. The group believes that their 10 recommendations for reducing risk related to cannabis use can broadly benefit the population where cannabis use and legalization are prevalent.

So what are the behavioral changes that should be addressed in order to “best” use marijuana?

“The most effective way to avoid cannabis use–related health risks is abstinence”

Well, that is a big “no kidding.” If you don’t use cannabis, you can’t develop any health issues related to using it. So, while it is the most obvious of the changes a cannabis user can make, it is probably the least helpful for current marijuana users who are looking for ways to partake in a more healthy manner. “Just Say No” wasn’t helpful in the 80’s and it’s not particularly helpful now.

“Avoid early age initiation of cannabis use (i.e., definitively before the age of 16 years)”

Researchers also found that usage before the age of 16 can negatively impact one’s health long-term. If beginning marijuana use of after the age of 16, risk factors went down.

“Choose low-potency tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or balanced THC-to-cannabidiol (CBD)–ratio cannabis products”

This might have something to do with the psychoactive results produced by THC, and that in some studies THC has been heavily associated with an early onset of schizophrenia. Other studies, however, refute that data.

“Abstain from using synthetic cannabinoids”

Lay off the “spice” or the “K2” or whatever wacky name they are calling synthetic weed in your community. These tiny packets of NOT WEED are actually just a mix of chemicals and compounds designed to produce an extreme, though often short lived, high. Recently, a New York City driver high on a synthetic cannabis blend took to the sidewalk in his vehicle, killing one young lady and injuring 22 pedestrians.

“Avoid combusted cannabis inhalation and give preference to nonsmoking use methods”

This is a fairly obvious recommendation. As mentioned before, smoking anything is typically regarded as an unhealthy and unsafe choice for your body.

“Avoid deep or other risky inhalation practices”

Hmmm…so holding smoke in your lungs and coughing on purpose afterwards because you think it is going to get you more stoned…NOT a good tactic. Science tell us that all the relevant compounds inhaled when consuming cannabis are absorbed in the lungs within a few seconds. So if you are holding your smoke, you are doing so for pretty much no reason at all.

“Avoid high-frequency (e.g., daily or near-daily) cannabis use”

Easier said than done, am I right? Obviously, using less cannabis is going to be less risky.

“Abstain from cannabis-impaired driving”

Jury is still out on this one. Like the linkage to earlier onset schizophrenia, whether or not driving under the influence of cannabis is going to increase your odds of an accident is still being debated. However, one could argue that driving under the influence of any mind/body altering substance is likely more risky than driving totally sober.

“Populations at higher risk for cannabis use–related health problems should avoid use altogether”

I’m not 100% sure what populations are at higher risk for cannabis use related problems. Arguments about whether or not combusting cannabis can lead to mouth cancer or lung cancer are still being heard and is something cannabis advocates will deny and cannabis naysayers rely on as a crutch saying, “it causes cancer.” I guess if you’ve got a history of addiction or addictive tendencies, these doctors think it might be wise to just…get high on life?

“Avoid combining previously mentioned risk behaviors (e.g., early initiation and high-frequency use)”

Doesn’t this go without saying? If doing one of the behaviors is bad, doing them in combination would OBVIOUSLY be bad…right? But I guess 10 guidelines sounds better than 9.

According to the researchers who compiled the report, following these 10 recommendations can make a difference in your health. While there are no real revelations in this information, it is nice that a group of doctors took the initiative to review the historical data and compile what they found to be the most useful bits. Take it as you will, friends.

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] https://coloradocannabistours.com/marijuana-legalization/cannabis-hyperemesis-syndrome-part-1/

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