Want to make the most of your weed? Here’s how compact discs, honey, pennies, and other common objects can help.
By the time you’ve become a seasoned marijuana consumer, you’ll likely learn all of the little tricks you need to help make the most of your weed. From extending the life of your stash, grinding your own flower when you’re in a pinch, and enhancing your experience in general, here are some hacks that will improve your smoking significantly.
When the munchies strike, there’s very little you can do except indulge. Seasoned cannabis users usually learn to curb their urges, but for newcomers, mints are a good option. Mints can help you focus on something else, distracting you from the urge of eating food. Just like people who stop smoking tend to chew gum, mints can help keep your mind off blowing your diet.
A Penny
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While you should always invest in a grinder, there are ways of cutting your marijuana neatly and evenly when in a bind. Take a penny and clean it thoroughly, then put your marijuana in a pillbox, drop the penny inside, close it up, and shake. Keep on shaking. After a vigorous workout, you’ll be left with some evenly cut marijuana.
Honey is a great companion for marijuana. After you’ve finished rolling up a joint or a blunt, be sure to coat it with a small amount of honey. This will ensure that your joint/blunt burns more slowly and evenly while also adding some sweetness.
Compact and Floppy Discs
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If you’re visiting your parents’ house, you’ll probably run into some floppy discs. These can be used to neatly pack bowls by using the middle hole of the discs. Easy, fast, and you’ll give use to something that is otherwise trash.
While there are many studies that exist pointing to the ability of cannabis compounds to aid in COVID recovery, we have to keep in mind that many of them are still in their infancy.
COVID-19 has taken countless lives worldwide, but thankfully with the vaccine, many have also been able to survive it.
However, surviving COVID-19 is not an easy feat. In many cases, the dreaded virus leaves damage in the bodies which we can feel for far long after we have tested negative. There are the usual symptoms such as dry cough, fever, colds, and shortness of breath.
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The duration and severity of symptoms differs from one person to another, but there are also some people who will experience symptoms that will linger for a longer period of time. Depending on the case, the fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pains, stomach pains, brain fog, muscle pain, headaches, and heart palpitations among others.
When the symptoms persist for as long as 12 weeks after the infection, this is known as long COVID, and these conditions are not yet well understood. Doctors and researchers don’t know why it happens, who it will happen to, and how to prevent it. Of course, getting your vaccine helps reduce any complications, and a booster shot even if you have gotten COVID will also help.
There is not much you can do to help treat it other than rest as much as you can, and for as long as it takes. Additionally, seeing your doctor to check for any complications will also help. These can prevent us from going back to a normal, healthy life. But what else can we do?
How Cannabis Can Aid In COVID Recovery
The compounds in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), have both shown to be promising in earlier studies for preventing and treating COVID. There are also hundreds of other compounds within the cannabis plant called cannabinoids that can help, like aiding in quicker recovery.
A 2021 study found that CBD, as well as another cannabinoid known as cannabivarin (CVN), can help treat long COVID. Researchers for the study found that when CBD and CVN are taken together, they work to down-regulate the proteins known as ACE2, TSP, NRP1, and IL-6, which COVID up-regulates or damages during the infection.
Another 2021 study, conducted by researchers at the Rabin Medical Center, analyzed the impact of CBD on 11 patients with serious COVID. Eight patients reported improvements in the infections. However, Dr. Moshe Yeshurun, who heads the hospital’s bone marrow unit, said that the findings required more research with a larger group of participants.
“After giving the cannabis oil we saw a drop in signs of the infection and this is definitely encouraging and gives a foundation to continue the research,” said Dr. Iliya Kagan, who oversees the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Kagan explains that once the CBD oil was given to the patients, it seemed to stop “although it is still premature to determine with certainty that it is a result of the cannabis.”
Another study from Austria, where doctors were using cannabis to treat COVID patients, found that CBD was promising as a treatment. “We administered CBD to 50 patients and observed that the infection levels disappeared more quickly,” said Dr. Rudolf Likar, who oversees the Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Medicine at the Klagenfurt Hospital, the only clinic in Austria that uses CBD to treat COVID-19 patients.
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He and his team began administering 200mg of CBD to ICU patients, then eventually increased the dosage up to 300MG, for three weeks. They found that the patient group who was given CBD healed from the COVID virus much faster compared to those who were given other medications.
They explained that CBD could be helpful in boosting the immune system because of its anti-inflammatory compounds. Their objective with COVID-19 therapy was to prevent other complications and even death.
The researchers at Oregon State University utilized a screening tool to discover these compounds, which had possessed the molecular properties they were looking for, which had the potential for blocking the spike protein of the virus from binding to a human cell.
The compounds were first tested in a petri dish with human cells. They used epithelial cells which are the cells that are found to line the walls of tissues including the lungs. Both the cannabinoids were found to reduce the ability of the protein to bind to epithelial cells which works the same way that monoclonal antibodies do, which are found in known COVID-19 treatments.
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“CBDA and CBGA are produced by the hemp plant as precursors to CBD and CBG, which are familiar to many consumers. however, they are different from the acids and are not contained in hemp products,” said Richard van Breemen, lead researcher for the study. “These compounds can be taken orally and have a long history of safe use in humans,” he adds. “They have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2.”
Conclusion
While there are many studies that exist pointing to the ability of cannabis compounds to aid in COVID recovery, we have to keep in mind that many of them are still in their infancy.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about how COVID mutates and reacts, but if you are interested in using CBD to aid in your recovery, it can be done under the supervision of your doctor who can advise you with the proper consumption methods for this.
“[The bill] will ensure the little guy — especially those most disadvantaged by the prohibition on cannabis — receive the seed funding and startup support necessary to slingshot small Virginia businesses into economic success,” said Sen. Adam Ebbin.
Adults in Virginia will be able to legally buy cannabis starting on Sept. 15 if a 451-page bill passed by the state Senate on Tuesday afternoon becomes law. Though its path remains uncertain in the House of Delegates, where the GOP-controlled committees have so far avoided taking up the issue, the bill would launch recreational marijuana sales early by letting current medical cannabis and hemp businesses enter the adult-use market.
A handful of companies would be able to begin selling cannabis in September under the bill from Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria): the three companies that currently control Virginia’s medical marijuana market (MMJ) as well as up to ten registered, industrial hemp processors, reported the local public radio network VPM.
Under current law, medical marijuana processors in Virginia are allowed to open five additional retail sites aside from the place where they grow and process cannabis. Those stores would also be allowed to sell to all adult customers under Ebbin’s bill. The industrial hemp sites would be allowed to open up two additional retail sites aside from the place where they grow marijuana.
Other retailers would have to wait nearly 15 months, until January of 2024, to begin sales. Ebbin says the transition period will help curb the black market. Ebbin’s bill requires medical marijuana companies to “incubate five qualified social equity applicant retailers for a period of six months or support and educate qualified social equity applicants that wish to participate in the cannabis market.”
“It will ensure the little guy — especially those most disadvantaged by the prohibition on cannabis — receive the seed funding and startup support necessary to slingshot small Virginia businesses into economic success,” Ebbin said.
Equity and free-market advocates have pushed for everyone to start at the same time, arguing that the headstart gives big players an unfair advantage. In a report published last week, the Minority Cannabis Business Association noted similar arrangements in other states have resulted in “a lack of diversity and the proliferation of the legacy market.”
Despite its complexity, the Senate spent less than 20 minutes debating Ebbin’s bill. Three Republicans voted in favor of the bill and one Democrat sat out the vote.
A pair of studies show that while boosters provide protection from the virus, their effectiveness wanes over time.
COVID-19 boosters extend the protection granted by COVID-19 shots. But for how long? Two new studies found that while boosters protect a significant amount, their benefits wane after a certain amount of time.
Researchers examined the records of more than 200,000 visits to the emergency room and urgent care and over 90,000 hospitalizations, all taking place between August 2021 and January 2022. Researchers were able to notice more protection after patients had their third dose but were also able to pinpoint the moment where protection waned.
Two months after the third dose, there was 87% protection in emergency and urgent care visits, and 91% protection against hospitalizations. By the fourth month, these numbers fell to 66% and 78% respectively.
Evidence of waning immunity was not only present in Omicron cases. Previous data, from the time when Delta was the dominant strain, also showed that patients lost their immunity with the passage of time.
The CDC concluded their findings by stating that the “underscore the importance of receiving a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to prevent both COVID-19-associated ED/UC encounters and COVID-19 hospitalizations among adults.”
Veterans are encouraged to speak with their VA providers about medicinal cannabis, but clinicians in the VA cannot prescribe or recommend marijuana for medicinal use.
Veterans can use medical marijuana without losing their eligibility for care and services, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, reported KVIA.com
In a post on the department’s website, the VA clarified that although marijuana use is still considered federally illegal, “Veteran participation in state marijuana programs does not affect eligibility for VA care and services. VA providers can and do discuss marijuana use with Veterans as part of comprehensive care planning, and adjust treatment plans as necessary”.
Veterans are encouraged to speak with their VA providers about medicinal cannabis, but clinicians in the VA cannot prescribe or recommend marijuana for medicinal use.
In the post, the department included a list of recommendations about marijuana and the VA.
Marijuana And The VA
VA health care providers will record marijuana use in the Veteran’s VA medical record in order to have the information available in treatment planning. As with all clinical information, this is part of the confidential medical record and protected under patient privacy and confidentiality laws and regulations.
VA clinicians may not recommend medical marijuana.
VA clinicians may only prescribe medications that have been approved by the FDA for medical use.
VA clinicians may not complete paperwork/forms required for Veteran patients to participate in state-approved marijuana programs.
VA pharmacies may not fill prescriptions for medical marijuana.
VA will not pay for medical marijuana prescriptions from any source.
The use or possession of marijuana is prohibited at all VA grounds. When you are on VA grounds federal law is in force, not the laws of the state.
Veterans who are VA employees are subject to drug testing under the terms of employment.
The IRS clarified that it does not have discretionary authority to adopt policies that would allow cannabis-related deductions while the plant remains illegal under federal law.
As we all know, the marijuana industry has grown substantially in recent years, with sales expected to hit $25 billion by 2025.
Revenue growth has been driven by more and more states legalizing the plant. In states like Illinois, cannabis sales pulled in nearly $1.4 billion in 2021, exceeding liquor taxes by nearly $100 million over the same period, after outpacing it for the first time in February.
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However, with the plant still illegal under federal law — something that might change when/if Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his colleagues file the long-awaited bill this April — conflict and ambiguity regarding the tax policy persist, creating “significant problems” for IRS and financial regulators, not to mention cannabis operators and companies.
With tax season upon us, confusion over whether medical marijuana is tax-deductible has come up, writes Marijuana Moment.
In an interview with C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, IRS taxpayer advocate Erin Collins was asked by a caller from Nevada, where cannabis is fully legal, why he couldn’t find an option on TurboTax to deduct his cannabis purchases.
Collins, appointed during the Trump administration, said she’d have to “plead ignorance on the marijuana” question “unless you’re saying it’s a medical deduction. If it is a medical expense, and then you have an option on your Schedule A, you could potentially put it there.”
“If it is a medical expense, and then you have an option on your Schedule A, you could potentially put it there,” she continued.
She was not exaggerating when she pled ignorance.
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Not Deductible After All
In a statement to Marijuana Moment, Collins said medical marijuana purchases are not deductible after all.
“I had not previously studied the federal tax treatment of marijuana, and I speculated that marijuana might ‘potentially’ be deductible as a medical expense in certain circumstances,” Collins said. “After the program, I checked the law. To clarify, medical marijuana is not tax-deductible for federal purposes under current rules.”
The IRS clarified that it does not have discretionary authority to adopt policies that would allow cannabis-related deductions while the plant remains illegal under federal law.
Keep in mind that you should go with your tolerance. Mixing cannabis strains is usually a practice done by individuals who are already seasoned cannabis consumers.
Everyone has their favorite cannabis strain. Or maybe two, three, or even more. Then there are those strains that you like, but aren’t super stoked on. After all, with the hundreds of cannabis strains out in the world today, it really is crazy to choose just one.
You could have one strain that you like waking and baking with, and another one for winding down after work. But have you ever thought about combining strains and smoking them up together?
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The Practice Of Mixing Cannabis Strains
Many cannasseurs know that smoking two or more strains together is a simple and easy way to experience the effects of multiple strains at once. Also known as a ‘salad’, this is a great way to sample multiple strains in one go. Whether you’re a recreational or medical user, you can benefit from trying this out.
What you’ll get is not just an entirely new high, but also amazing health benefits thanks to the terpenes and cannabinoids in both strains that you’re smoking. It will also give you a one-of-a-kind experience in both the flavor and aroma departments. This is essentially what breeders do when they create new strains except that you don’t have to go through the complicated process of breeding and growing a completely new strain on your own. It could, however, give you a peek into what a hybrid strain would feel and taste like. Given that there are thousands of cannabis strains in the market, there are virtually limitless ways you could combine strains.
Benefits Of A Salad
Aside from a unique taste, there are many other benefits to experimenting with a salad. For one, a different high. You can look forward to a better high when smoking multiple strains. There are so many cannabinoids and terpenes involved that make this experience so much better.
For example, you can try two energizing strains at once to amplify your brain power before you head out into work. Similarly, you could also try two strong indica strains for a more potent insomnia-killer right before bed. There is also the possibility that using a higher CBD strain with a strong THC strain will help reduce paranoia and anxiety caused by the THC, taking the edge off and giving you a more balanced hit.
There’s also the flavor and taste aspect to consider. The terpene profile in each cannabis strain is responsible for the delicious smells and tastes, so imagine combining several? You could try a sweet strain with a lemony strain to give you a candy-like taste.
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In addition, mixing cannabis strains can be a breath of fresh air. You might be tired of smoking the same old strains for the past few weeks, but you happen to have so much of it at home. Simply buy a smaller amount of a new strain and then try a new combo out.
Overall, perhaps the most important point, is that you might just end up loving what you come up with. So many cannabis lovers out there already mix some of their favorite strains after discovering that many simply pair so well together.
How To Mix Cannabis Strains
There’s no right or wrong way to mix cannabis strains. Some prefer to mix those with opposing effects and different qualities, like a strong sativa balanced out by some indica. However, what you should be paying careful attention to is the ratio. If you are after a perfectly balanced high, you should be combining half and half of each.
What you shouldn’t be doing is mixing different types of products, such as flower and edible. This part requires some common sense to navigate, because you could end up with an extremely strong high that would leave you couch locked for several hours. Stick to the same type of product when mixing strains.
Also, keep in mind that you should go with your tolerance. Mixing cannabis strains is usually a practice done by individuals who are already seasoned cannabis consumers.
If you are pairing two high-THC strains, you might end up getting very stoned and it could be a negative experience. Trying something new with pot requires caution so as to avoid injuries, so this is best done when you are at home and don’t have to operate any machinery. You might also want to do this on a weekend or when you don’t have to work. The idea is to have some fun but also, don’t throw safety out the window.
Furthermore, remember to take care of your flower if you’re mixing bud. When it’s time to divide your stash to combine strains, use sharp scissors or a grinder so that you can efficiently cut the herb instead of using your fingers. Keep the terpenes in good condition by always storing your weed in a place that is free from air, heat, and light for the best effects — and this is a practice that you should be doing at all times, not just when you’re mixing them up.
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Here are other tips to try when mixing strains:
Start with the strains you like the most, and experiment pairing them up with others that have opposing or similar flavors.
Fuels should go with fuels. This would give you a top-of-the-line pungent experience because the terpenes would complement each other.
Mix strains in the same family, or have the same parents / grandparents. Their flavors would definitely complement each other for a delicious smoke.
Mix fruity flavors together. For example, Tangie with a Strawberry Banana would be a delicious one!
Pair based on the sought effects. As we discussed earlier, study the known effects of the strains you want to mix to see if the end results are something that you’re after.
Given these tips, we hope you can have a fun time trying out new combinations.
Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives formally attached a cannabis banking reform amendment to large-scale legislation dealing with innovation and manufacturing.
Following the approval of the amendment from sponsor Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) on a voice vote as part of an ‘en bloc group’ with other amendments, the chamber passed the package on Feb. 3 in a 262-168 vote.
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One Way Or Another
On the heels of its latest and sixth attempt to get the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act across the finish line, Perlmutter discussed some of the prospects of his proposal in an interview with Yahoo Finance on Friday.
While Senate leadership has pushed to pass comprehensive legalization first, the congressman is optimistic regarding his bipartisan incremental reform, Marijuana Moment writes.
“Every [House] Democrat and at least half the Republicans have supported SAFE Banking, and I am confident that the Senate will take it up,” Perlmutter said.
Commenting on efforts of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and his colleagues to legalize the plant and their prioritization of the broad legalization legislation, which they plan to officially file in April, he said that he’s “questioned whether they have the votes to get something of that magnitude through the Senate, which has not even had a hearing really on marijuana in 50 plus years.”
Nevertheless, Perlmutter, who is retiring at the end of the session, said that he intends to “keep working with the Senate, working with Schumer’s office, working with [Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ)] office working with [Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)], a Republican who is championing this bill in the Senate, and we’re going to get it across the finish line.
“I am really pretty confident about it, whether it’s with the [the America COMPETES Act] or something else, we’re going to get it done,” Perlmutter continued.
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What’s Next?
Looking ahead, the congressmen said that the proposal might be further amended now that Democratic leadership is suggesting that it’s too narrow.
“They’re in support of it, but they just want to try to get some bigger pieces to it,” Perlmutter said. “If they can add research, if they can add some criminal justice reform, if they can add some taxation components, I’m all for it. But we need to get something passed and on to the president this year.”
A New Hampshire ruling shows some support for medicinal cannabis use in the work place.
Cannabis use in the workplace is a complex issue with many layers. While some states may have cannabis programs in place, workplace laws are a different thing entirely. In a recent case, New Hampshire voted in favor of a plaintiff, who sued a company that fired him for his medical cannabis use.
The plaintiff, Scott Paine, used cannabis as prescription medication for his PTSD. Paine worked at Ride-Away, and had to be tested for drugs regularly. He requested an exemption of drug tests when off-duty, never asking to consume cannabis on the job. Ride-Away denied Paine’s request and terminated his employment.
Paine sued the company, claiming that they failed to accommodate the treatment of his disability. Ride-Away claimed that they didn’t need to accommodate his treatment since cannabis remains a controlled substance. Surprisingly, the court disagreed with Ride-Away; they said that while illegal drug use is not a protected disability, the law does not prevent the treatment of conditions with cannabis.
New Hampshire’s decision is a small step, yet a significant one, setting precedent for medicinal cannabis and its use in the work place. While it doesn’t argue that people can smoke on the job, it supports cannabis’ standing as medicine and will likely be used as reference for a variety of workers who use therapeutic cannabis while off duty and have found themselves in trouble at their jobs. It also puts an emphasis on a case by case review when it comes to situations that involve medicinal cannabis use.
While Paine’s case is a good step forward, it still doesn’t provide any clarification for medical cannabis and drug testing in the work place, which doesn’t mean that someone is using cannabis while on the job.
Despite the fact that cannabis is earning legal status in a variety of states, employers can still stick to their personal drug policies, terminating employees if they consider their cannabis use inappropriate. Even in legal states, cannabis remains a federally illegal drug, meaning that drug use in the work place is a risk, no matter which way you look at it. A medical marijuana card may provide some protection and leeway, but courts will approach each case on an individual basis.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. This factor can triple your odds of developing it.
Heart health is impacted by most things you do. Your eating habits, how much you sleep and your level of activity are key factors that will have a hand in shaping your cardiovascular health. And now, a new study shows that poor sleep can increase your odds of heart disease by a significant margin.
The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports and conducted by researchers from the University of South Florida, reviewed sleep data of over 6,000 adults with a median age of 53. These subjects provided reports on their sleep habits and cardiovascular history. A group of around 600 people wore a device on their wrist that captured their rhythms more precisely.
Researchers explained they selected subjects that were primarily middle-aged since this subgroup tends to have more stressful life experiences. Participants were asked different questions about their health, whether they had any heart conditions, and whether there was cardiovascular disease in their family history. They were also asked about smoking practices, physical activity, depression, and other matters that could affect their heart health.
Researchers measured a variety of factors related to sleep, like satisfaction, regularity, and more. They found that the more issues a person had, the likelier it was for them to experience adverse heart health side effects. Subjects who wore sleep monitors and reported sleep problems showed a 141%of increase in heart disease probability, tripling their odds of heart disease.
“These findings show the importance of assessing ‘co-existing sleep health problems’ within an individual to capture the risk of heart disease,” said lead author Soomi Lee. “This is one of the first studies showing that, among well-functioning adults in midlife, having more sleep health problems may increase the risk of heart disease.”
“The higher estimated risk in those who provided both self-report and actigraphy sleep data suggests that measuring sleep health accurately and comprehensively is important to increase the prediction of heart disease,” he continued.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, affecting over 30 million people in the year 2018. Studies like this one can provide new parameters for the treatment and prevention of the disease, especially since sleep is a factor that can be regulated and improved upon.
