Now that a month has passed since New Jersey kicked off its long-awaited recreational cannabis sales, state regulators revealed that consumers have bought $24 million worth of cannabis, or roughly $5 million a week after a record-breaking first day when $2 million was spent.
At a Tuesday meeting, reported by the New Jersey Monitor, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved five additional permits for medical-only dispensaries to start selling adult-use cannabis.
The new retail shops include Garden State Dispensaries in Woodbridge, Union and Eatontown, The Apothecarium in Lodi and Ascend Wellness in Montclair. They’re joining the other 12 dispensaries that kicked off sales last month. The 13th location did not get final approval until two weeks ago.
“It’s really only a beginning, and I think it shows that there’s a lot of growth left in this market,” said Jeff Brown, executive director of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
In addition, a total of 46 conditional licenses were granted during the meeting, including 22 for cultivators, 13 for manufacturers and 11 for recreational retailers.
While it is not yet clear when the newly approved stores will start selling recreational marijuana products, the commission’s next gathering is expected to be held on June 23.
The state’s regulatory body initially gave the green light to sell adult-use cannabis to seven alternative treatment centers, which are multi-state operators, including Acreage Holdings, Inc., Ascend Wellness Holdings, Curaleaf Holdings, Inc., Green Thumb Industries Inc., Columbia Care Inc., TerrAscend Corp. and Verano Holdings Corp. in 13 locations across the state.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse shared that it’s looking for new partnerships to help them expand their cannabis research.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shared this past Friday that they’re on the lookout for cannabis partners who can supply them with marijuana to research. The organization has faced ongoing criticism regarding the marijuana it uses for studies, which more closely resembles hemp than the kind of product that’s used by the majority of the population.
NIDA shared a notice where they listed what they’re looking for, making it clear that the marijuana must belong to facilities that operate under the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) approval.
Marijuana facilities would have to “produce or procure cannabis, cannabis extract and other cannabis-derived materials for basic and clinical research, and conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis, stability determination, and recommended storage conditions for these products for approved research.”
The organization hopes to conduct research on all cannabis compounds, from THC and CBD, to cannabinoids like CBN, CBC, CBG, and more.
Marijuana remains difficult to analyze due to its status as a Schedule I drug. But now that the plant is getting legalized across the country, it’s become increasingly important for authorities to develop a better understanding of cannabis and what it can do to the population on a long term basis.
NIDA has historically had a conservative point of view regarding drugs, including marijuana. This makes sense, since their efforts are to control and solve drug abuse. Still, it’s about time for them to expand their understanding of the drug. Magnifying their criteria and creating new partnerships with cannabis sources is just another step in painting a more accurate picture of the drug and its impact on the population.
Brittney Griner’s wife says that support from the WNBA has brought her “comfort,” but now she’d like President Joe Biden to do whatever is necessary to secure Griner’s release from detention in Russia.
“I just keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” Cherelle Griner told Good Morning America. “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.”
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17 for allegedly having cannabis oil in her bags when she entered an airport near Moscow where she was arriving to complete her season with the Russian UMMC Ekaterinburg. As a way of supplementing her low WBNA salary, Griner had been playing in Russia for seven years where Cherelle says she was treated like a superstar.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the U.S., faces drug smuggling charges that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Earlier this month, the Biden administration said Griner is being wrongfully detained.
Cherelle has spoken with Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Griner’s case, but not the president.
“I was grateful for the call, you say she’s top priority, but I wanna see it. and I feel like to see it would be me seeing BG on U.S. soil,” Cherelle told Roberts. “At this point I don’t even know who I’m getting back when she comes back.”
“Every single day matters … to make sure that she comes back.”
Cherelle, who graduated from law school at North Carolina Central University earlier this month, has not spoken with Griner since the day she was first detained.
“I first heard the news through Brittney, actually. She started texting me around 2:00 a.m. that morning,” Cherelle said. “‘Babe. Babe. Babe. Wake up. They have me in this room. I don’t know what’s going on.’ and so I instantly text back “Who are they and what room?”
Cherelle said Griner texted back: “The customs people. They just grabbed me when I was going through, and they have me in this room.” Griner then said they were soon taking away her phone and that she’d call again when she could. Cherelle’s still waiting for that call nearly 100 days later.
“The first week I laid on this couch and cried my eyeballs out. I was numb. I couldn’t move. And then I said, ‘You got to get up now.’”
Via her lawyers, Brittney Griner sent a bouquet of roses to Cherelle to thank her for doing the GMA interview, knowing how difficult it would be for her.
A new study shows one place in particular where there’s a high risk of catching COVID-19.
By now, many of us are experts when it comes to avoiding COVID-19. But there is one place you’re more likely to catch COVID. The disease thrives in packed and closed-off environments, and our main way of protecting ourselves is to be vaccinated and masked up. But, according to a new study, there’s one place in particular that is a haven for COVID-19, and that’s the gym.
Published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study analyzed 16 people and their workout routines, looking at their exhalations while at rest and at movement. Researchers expected that they would produce more exhalations during a workout. But they were surprised by just how many more aerosol particles the subjects exhaled and how these increased depending on how intense the workout was.
Researchers found that, when people were at rest, they exhaled about 500 particles per minute. When they were moving, they exhale over 76,000 particles per minute, particularly if their workout is extenuating, like a spinning class or boot camp training. Pair this with a crowded room with poor ventilation, basically most workout classes, and it’s likely to result in a super spreader event even if there’s only one person infected.
“The study provides mechanistic data to back up the assumption that exercising indoors is a higher-risk activity when it comes to transmission of COVID-19,” Linsey Marr, an expert on airborne transmission of viruses, told the New York Times.
Despite the risks, measures like opening windows, maintaining six feet of distance, and installing air filters can help the risks. While wearing a face mask is not ideal when working out, it can help reduce your aerosol particles. Experts recommend a tight-fitting surgical mask, which can be more comfortable than others and is made of breathier fabrics.
While these measures can’t be adopted by all gyms, they’re helpful guidelines nowadays, especially when looking for a safe space to work out and when COVID rates are high in your area.
What is otherwise considered normal for the rest of us, such as making eye contact, talking to people, and interacting with others, is extremely difficult and nerve-wrecking for the socially anxious.
Being an introvert is different from having social anxiety. Whereas it’s normal for introverts to feel drained from social interactions, social anxiety is actually a type of mental illness that causes a person to experience fear during social situations. But does CBD help with social anxiety?
Also known as social phobia, people who suffer from this condition experience severe dread and fear whenever they have to do anything with other people; it could be public speaking, making a presentation, attending a party, or even a simple family gathering.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash
What is otherwise considered normal for the rest of us, such as making eye contact, talking to people, and interacting with others, is extremely difficult and nerve-wrecking for the socially anxious. These can result in physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate, trembling, dizziness, upset stomach, and brain fog. With around 7% of the American population suffering from social anxiety disorder, it’s more common than we think but treatment and diagnosis is necessary to prevent it from escalating to depression or substance abuse.
Currently, available treatments are not always successful. Data shows that just 30% of anxiety patients undergoing treatment show improvements, but it’s also not helpful that pharmacological treatments have negative side effects.
How Can CBD Help
Cannabidiol, one of the two main cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, is a non-psychoactive compound that has shown to be tremendously effective in treating many different forms of anxiety. Generalized social anxiety disorder is one of them. While using cannabis with psychoactive THC may be helpful for some, it is also known to trigger paranoia which can make anxiety even worse in others. For these reasons, CBD may be the best choice.
A study from 2011 on a small group of people diagnosed with social anxiety disorder compared them to healthy control participants. They were tasked to do a simulated public speaking test, one of the common methods that are used to test for anxiety. The researchers discovered that when CBD was given to those with social anxiety, their discomfort and nervousness were reduced so much lower that it was comparable to people in the control group.
Another study on Japanese teenagers was conducted in 2019. The researchers sought to understand how effective CBD was for these teens who suffered from avoidant personality disorder and social anxiety disorder through a double-blind study. They were given 300mg of CBD, though others in the control group were given a placebo everyday for four weeks. The researchers measured the symptoms of social anxiety disorder at the start and culmination of the treatment the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale and the Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire. They found that CBD was effective in reducing anxiety as proven by both tests.
The researchers followed up with the teenagers 6 months following treatment, but in this case none of the researchers still knew which of them were given the CBD or the placebo treatment. They were excited to report that the CBD did not lead to any negative side treatment and it was also interesting to note that 53% of those who were given CBD oil continued treatment by taking up Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and medications, while none of those in the placebo group did. This was significant because it showed that those who took CBD felt like they had the courage to seek the help necessary to overcome their anxiety by talking to a therapist and take other complementary medications.
In 2020, a group of researchers analyzed 8 studies that looked into the impact of CBD in different anxiety disorders. They found promising results which suggest CBD is effective when used alone, or with complementary medications for treating social anxiety disorder as well as PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder.
Photo by Headway via Unsplash
Also in 2020, a research team conducted clinical studies among patients with social anxiety, who were given a single dose of CBD, either 400 or 600mg. They were also tasked to do a public speaking simulation tasked. “Preliminary evidence from human studies demonstrates that CBD may reduce anxiety in healthy participants and patients with social anxiety disorder. It is important to emphasize that this data is preliminary and more research is required,” explained Madison Wright, lead researcher.
While these studies were focused on social anxiety disorder, the use of CBD for anxiety in general has been extremely positive and well-tolerated. Anyone who struggles with this condition can understand how debilitating it can be, and given that isolating oneself is not a viable solution. CBD is available in various forms and can safely be taken to help overcome social anxiety.
How to Use CBD for Anxiety
Medical experts and scientists have not yet come up with a standard dosing of CBD for anxiety, but studies have shown that 300-600mg of CBD can be an effective dose.
However, one patient’s dosage may vary greatly to the next because it will depend on the severity of their symptoms and how they take their CBD. There are many forms of CBD available including edibles, capsules, oils, vapes, flowers, and more. Taking CBD orally throughout the day can be beneficial for people with extreme cases; it can calm you down enough and give you the energy you need to face the day and all the necessary social interactions you have lined up.
The quickest way to benefit from the calming effects of CBD is by vaping or smoking CBD oil. This can help you gather the courage necessary if you have to make a speech or presentation on short notice.
Conclusion
We already have a mountain of evidence that cannabis, and CBD in particular, is powerful for treating anxiety safely. These studies only continue to grow as researchers take a deeper dive on its impact for specific anxiety disorders that afflict millions of Americans, sometimes so bad that it impacts our ability to function a normal day to day life.
He cited his decision to veto due to questions surrounding the “long-term health and economic impacts” of marijuana and “serious law enforcement concerns.”
Delaware Governor John Carney (D) vetoed a bill to legalize marijuana that the legislature had passed and sent to his desk earlier this month, which sets up a historic showdown with the General Assembly, reported DelawareOnline.
For years, Carney has not wavered in his position against marijuana legalization though he showed sympathy for the needs of those who benefitted from medical marijuana. He said in a statement that he does not “believe that promoting or expanding the use of recreational marijuana is in the best interests of the state of Delaware, especially our young people.”
Carney said he supported the use of medical marijuana as well as the decriminalization of marijuana. However, he cited his decision to veto due to questions surrounding the “long-term health and economic impacts” of marijuana and “serious law enforcement concerns.”
“Questions about the long-term health and economic impacts of recreational marijuana use, as well as serious law enforcement concerns, remain unresolved,” Governor Carney said. “I respect the Legislative Branch’s role in this process, and I understand that some hold a different view on this issue. However, I have been clear about my position since before I took office, and I have articulated my concerns many times.”
The legislature could still override the governor’s veto, which is sponsored by Rep. Ed Osienski (D), as it’s already received more than three-fifths of the vote in both chambers that would be required to overrule Carney’s decision.
Major Break With His Party
According to DelawareOnline, this is likely the most controversial veto of Carney’s tenure as governor and is being seen as a major break from those in the state and national Democratic Party. Carney said in a statement that he understands “that some hold a different view on this issue.”
Do you know what kind of weed you’re smoking? Have you ever wondered how useful labels on cannabis products are?
According to a new study that examined almost 90,000 samples across six states, they’re not very useful. While most cannabis enthusiasts rely on labels like Indica, Sativa and Hybrid to help them distinguish one marijuana category from another, the new study suggests this is somewhat misleading, reported CU Boulder Today.
The research found that “commercial labels do not consistently align with the observed chemical diversity,” of cannabis products. This compelled the authors to call for a labeling system similar to the FDA’s “nutrition fact panel” for food.
“Our findings suggest that the prevailing labeling system is not an effective or safe way to provide information about these products,” said co-author Brian Keegan, an assistant professor of Information Science at CU Boulder. “This is a real challenge for an industry that is trying to professionalize itself.”
Even though this year is the 10th anniversary of the legalization of recreational cannabis in Colorado and Washington, the first two U.S. states to legalize, no standardized labeling system has been developed.
The Importance Of Terpenes
A common association with Sativa strains is an energetic feeling, while Indica is often connected to causing a more relaxed state. But is it that simple? What about the terpenes?
Cannabis producers are not obligated to include other compound data except for THC and CBD on the label, although terpenes are known not only to impact the smell of the product but also, via an entourage effect, but also the way a product makes us feel. The entourage effect is a proposed mechanism by which cannabis compounds other than THC act synergistically with it to modulate the overall psychoactive effects of the plant.
Furthermore, marijuana brands are allowed to name their products however they choose.
“A farmer can’t just pick up an apple and decide to call it a Red Delicious. A beer manufacturer can’t just arbitrarily label their product a Double IPA. There are standards. But that is not the case for the cannabis industry,” said co-author Nick Jikomes, director of science and innovation for the e-commerce cannabis marketplace Leafly.
The research also revealed that products can fall into one of three categories: those that are rich in terpenes caryophyllene and limonene, those with high levels of myrcene and pinene, and those with most terpinolene and myrcene. But these categories can’t fall under Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid labels.
“In other words,” the authors wrote, “it is likely that a sample with the label indica will have an indistinguishable terpene composition as samples labeled sativa or hybrid.”
With marijuana legalization spreading across the country, consumption rates are also increasing. More and more people are using weed for particular reasons such as for health benefits, for which labeling standards are becoming essential.
Several factors generated a decrease in arrests, including the pandemic, which drove an 81% decline in arrests and a 77% decline in the cases charged from March to April 2020.
The U.S. Department of Justice reported that federal marijuana arrests continue to decline as more states move to legalize cannabis.
Cannabis busts dropped an average of 11% each year since 2010 when the DEA made 8,215 arrests, reported Marijuana Moment.
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According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, several factors generated a decrease in arrests, including the coronavirus pandemic which drove an “81% decline in arrests and a 77% decline in the cases charged from March to April 2020.”
Furthermore, the federal U.S. Sentencing Commission (USCC), a bipartisan, independent agency located in the judicial branch of government, released a report in March, which found that federal prosecutions over marijuana dropped in 2021, with fewer than 1,000 people charged with cannabis trafficking cases.
Marijuana Reforms Reduce Racial Injustice
A study published by the American Medical Association in November 2021, revealed that states with legalized or decriminalized cannabis have seen large reductions in race-based arrests among adults.
Researchers from Eastern Virginia Medical School and Saint Louis University analyzed data from 43 states and recognized a specific pattern indicating that removing or loosening laws around marijuana is connected to notable decreases in arrest rates compared to states that have kept cannabis illegal.
The era of triploid cannabis is here and it can easily be the solution cannabis growers sought in the 1970s. But what does triploid mean?
The world of cannabis cultivation might be in for a new paradigm shift in the form of seedless cannabis. The huge potential of triploid cannabis has gotten many in the cannabis industry hoping and rejoicing.
Though there is still much to know and understand about the application of triploid cannabis, early signs are already good. Here, we explore all there is to know about triploid cannabis which might just be the future of seedless cannabis.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon from Pexels
Triploid Cannabis
Many might be confused as to what the term “triploid” means and how it applies to cannabis. Surprisingly enough, the term triploid is quite common in the world of agriculture. Watermelons that are seedless for example are regarded as triploid watermelons. The same goes for a host of other crops like citrus, grapes, and banana. This helps us to understand that the common factor of triploid plants is that they are seedless. However, how does this apply to cannabis plants?
To fully understand the concept of triploid cannabis, we will have to go back to the basics of science a bit. We know that chromosomes carry genetic information in the form of genes. Humans possess 23 pairs of these chromosomes which make humans diploid. Cannabis plants on the other hand are diploid as well with only 10 chromosomes. Research has, however, shown that cannabis like most plants can be tetraploid (4 copies) or octoploid (8 copies) and more.
Triploid expression of plant chromosomes is a very rare variation that can occur naturally in plants. Scientists have since developed how to get this triploid expression by crossing a tetraploid with a diploid.
Cannabis Sinsemilla and the Pollen Problem
Cannabis sinsemilla in Spanish means “without seeds” which is achieved by separating female plants from male species which produce pollen. This special strain was introduced in the 1970s as a breakthrough in the quest for seedless cannabis. Growers discovered that a single male plant can easily pollinate every female cannabis plant in a growing area thereby reducing yield. This is because an unpollinated female cannabis plant has more terpenes and cannabinoids compared to its pollinated counterpart.
Consumers in the cannabis industry place a high value on seedless cannabis flowers making them the gold standard. However, there is more to triploid cannabis than just seedless cannabis flower. This is because they have a significant advantage over pollen. Clones produced from the female plant are the commonest propagation method of cannabis plants presently. Along with feminized seeds, clones are readily used by many cultivators however they still possess the problem of unwanted pollen.
Herming is a colloquial term used to characterize a female cannabis plant producing male flowers. These flowers can in turn form and produce pollen which can pollinate every female plant around. The interpretation of this is that growers have to scout for male plants and also examine female plants for male flowers. Cross-pollination is also a major problem as more cannabis farmlands are rising. Pollen from hemp and cannabis can travel as far as five miles when carried by the wind. This means that many run the risk of losing their entire yield even without male plants in sight.
Triploid Cannabis: The Solution to the Pollen Problem and More
Triploid cannabis unlike cannabis sinsemilla is both seedless and insensitive to pollen. The meaning of this is that they do not set seeds even if they have been pollinated. This means that there is no risk of a male hemp or cannabis plant running the yield of such cannabis plants. This means that by solving the problem of pollen, triploid cannabis will remove problems of crop loss. With lesser chances of crop losses, there is more room for increasing the scope and scale of cultivation. There is also an opportunity to reduce labor costs.
Photo by CRYSTALWEED cannabis via Unsplash
Beyond just eliminating the pollen problem, triploid cannabis also has the benefit of being dubbed designer plants. This is because it is possible to selectively breed the plants in order to choose which characteristics to enhance.
Triploid cannabis possesses three copies of each chromosome with two being donated from parent cultivars and an extra copy. It is therefore possible to carefully select the parents to supply these chromosomes based on desired traits. And there are multiple opportunities for breeding when it comes to triploid cannabis. The product of this growing process as expected are cannabis plants with unique genetics.
The Future of Large Scale Cannabis Production
Dark Heart Industries is one of the leading cannabis genetics companies in California and they have blessed the world with its first seedless triploid cannabis. The triploid cannabis seeds produced by the company have been tested to be unable to produce seeds even when exposed to pollen. Dan Grace, the CEO of the company believes this innovation is trailblazing and will be instrumental to promote large-scale cannabis production.
In 2021 the total US cannabis market was worth over $100 billion. Surprisingly, despite the number of legal markets across the country, the legal market accounts only for 25% of this total. This is because the cost to produce legal cannabis is quite overwhelming though its dividends are there to see. Triploid cannabis can help to turn this tide by reducing the amount being spent on production. This will help small-scale cultivators maximize their produce and get up there to compete with black markets.
Bottom Line
Cannabis cultivation, like other aspects of the industry, is experiencing the input of innovation and technology. Gone are the days when farmers were at the mercy of natural concepts such as pollination.
The era of triploid cannabis is here and it can easily be the solution cannabis growers sought in the 1970s. What is left now is to perfect the craft and have many cultivators introduce triploid cannabis to their growing process. This will surely leave the growers smiling all the way to the bank and the users getting all they ever desired from their cannabis plants.
There’s a drug that can treat COVID-19 and reduce the virus’s risk for those who need it most. But a lot of people aren’t aware of this.
A drug that dramatically reduces the risk of COVID-19 is now in circulation for everyone. Paxlovid has been around for a while, yet people still don’t know of its existence or are confused by its effects.
Paxlovid is a Pfizer drug and it’s been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization for COVID-19 by 90%. It must be taken within five days of displaying initial COVID-19 symptoms, meaning that, unlike vaccines, it’s not preventative. As of this week, the drug is now widely available, found in pharmacies across states.
Paxlovid was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December of last year. Despite its high effectiveness, in April, NPR reported that the White House was designing a plan to get people to learn more about the drug, including making it more available in pharmacies.
Newsday reports that a lot of pharmacy workers don’t know the drug or have had trouble receiving it. “Only a minority of the people who might benefit are getting it at the present time,” said Dr. Bruce Farber, chief of public health and epidemiology at Northwell Health, who’s been prescribing the drugs to his patients.
While the drug is recommended for people over the age of 65 or patients with comorbidities, it’s up to the physician’s discretion whether or not to prescribe it. Despite targeting a subset of people who are normally at higher risk for worse COVID-19 infections, there’s still a lot of reticence from people who don’t trust the drug because they’ve never heard of it.
NPR explained that the process of getting the drugs was complicated, especially since it needs to be taken within five days of initial COVID-19 symptoms. “So it is a race to get a COVID test, get someone to prescribe it, find a pharmacy that actually carries it and then start taking it,” said White House correspondent Tamara Keith.
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The Paxlovid treatment consists of taking two drugs, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir, twice a day for a period of five days. Potential side effects include an altered sense of taste, diarrhea, increased blood pressure, and muscle pains. It’s also a drug that could interact with other medications, making it important for doctors to ensure that their patients aren’t taking any other drugs that could cause further complications.
Paxlovid is not the only medication capable of treating COVID-19, but it is the simplest one. While people can get monoclonal antibodies, which are antibodies made in a lab, these must be administered by a healthcare worker through an injection or an infusion.
