Earlier this year, Amazon was hit with a proposed class action that accused the company of violating a New York City law by testing applicants for jobs at local facilities for marijuana.
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) said it supports the federal legalization of marijuana and will drop marijuana-testing requirements for some of its workers.
What Happened: Dave Clark, CEO of Amazon’s worldwide consumer division, said in a blog post that the e-commerce giant will actively support the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 (MORE Act), which will decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The bill was reintroduced in Congress last Friday.
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Amazon also said it will adjust its corporate drug testing policy for some workers. The company will no longer include marijuana in its comprehensive drug screening program for any positions not regulated by the Department of Transportation.
Instead, Amazon will continue to do impairment checks on the job and test for all drugs and alcohol after any incident.
Why It Matters: Amazon had previously disqualified people from working at the company if they tested positive for marijuana use.The company’s marijuana policy change comes as many states in the U.S. have already passed laws and legislation to legally allow the sale and use of marijuana.
It was reported in July last year that Amazon included cannabis company Enlighten Dispensary Solutions in its AWS Data Exchange, a marketplace for data run by Amazon Web Services, for the first time ever. However, the company does not allow marijuana sales on its platform.
According to a report by Reuters in March, Amazon was hit with a proposed class action that accused the company of violating a New York City law by testing applicants for jobs at local facilities for marijuana.
Price Action: Amazon.com shares closed 0.14% lower in Tuesday’s regular trading session at $3,218.65 and further declined another 0.14% in the after-hours session to $3,214.14.
Overall, the bill would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The bill also addresses re-sentencing for cannabis offenses and prevents federal agencies from prohibiting security clearance or benefits because of cannabis use.
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This version of the bill strikes down previous barriers preventing the formerly incarcerated from taking part in the industry.
If passed, the bill would also provide extended Small Business Administration (SBA) aid for those affected by the drug war.
The MORE Act comes with the backing of over 150 organizations across the country, including the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).
“It is clear, by the overwhelming extent to which they passed the MORE Act last session, that the House understands this for the urgent racial and social justice issue it is,” said Maritza Perez, DPA Director of the Office of National Affairs.
The Senate is preparing its own reform bill.
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NORML Political Director Justin Strekal said that while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden collect feedback for their forthcoming legislation, the House is taking action now.
“The House is preparing to once again advance criminal justice-focused legislation that will bring our failed prohibitionist policies to an end while also ensuring that those Americans who are saddled with the consequences of a marijuana conviction can have their records cleared,” Strekal said.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler reintroduced the bill.
“I’m proud to reintroduce the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, remove the needless burden of marijuana convictions on so many Americans, and invest in communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs,” Nadler said.
Even though he was instrumental in legalizing industrial hemp a few years back, nothing McConnell has said in the past year suggests that he’s ready to tender his support for pot.
Cannabis advocates who are still optimistic about how Senate Democrats will fare in passing a comprehensive marijuana reform bill later this year should pay close attention to the recent vote on the commission to investigate the Capitol insurrection. That’s where Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell showed America and everyone watching that, regardless of his demotion in the upper chamber, he is still the same blood-thirsty grim reaper of Capitol Hill that he ever was.
Democrats were powerless last week when Senate Republicans destroyed an effort to establish a bipartisan commission to delve deeper into the Capitol attacks. Not only did McConnell prove he still has the clout to rally the troops in a time of need, but also that he possesses a deadly weapon known as the filibuster (an old Senate rule that requires a 60-vote supermajority on controversial issues), and he’s not afraid to use it. All but six Republicans voted against the measure, killing it dead.
McConnell has proved that he is still in control of the Senate, and that spells big trouble for weed.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is now left wondering if he has enough weight behind him to further the Democratic agenda. He still has lots to do. All the success the party has relished in so far this year was done through the budget reconciliation process, which only calls for a simple majority to pass. They didn’t need any Republican input to approve President Biden’s massive COVID-relief bill. Nor will they need any help from them to pass additional budget-oriented measures. But as far as anything else, Republicans still have plenty of blocking power.
Despite having the majority, Schumer and crew lost their first real Senate fight. Meanwhile, a popular cannabis legalization bill known as the MORE Act was recently introduced in the House, while the Senate is preparing a similar measure. This legislation would eliminate cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, clear some pot-related criminal convictions and allot a certain percentage of the federal tax revenue to reinvigorate communities most ravaged by the war on weed. The measure passed the House last year but wasn’t even considered in the Senate under McConnell’s leadership.But all hope is not lost.
The most interesting aspect of the vote regarding the January Capitol attacks is that it was a close one. In fact, without McConnell’s opposition to the bill, it would have had the 60 votes needed to win over the Senate. We know that more Republicans are starting to side with the concept of marijuana legalization or, at the very least, decriminalization. The question is: Have enough conservatives changed their tune to cripple the filibuster and advance a cannabis bill with or without the support of McConnell? You can bet Schumer is presently trying to figure out who’s on his side. Still, McConnell seems intent on stopping the Biden Administration at every turn. He recently told the press that “100% of our focus is on stopping this new administration.”
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He’s concerned that Biden’s plan means a loss of Democracy.
“We’re confronted with severe challenges from a new administration and a narrow majority of Democrats in the House and a 50-50 Senate to turn America into a socialist country, and that’s 100 percent of my focus,” McConnell said.
Some aren’t convinced that McConnell’s statement means that he plans to combat every single measure that runs through the upper chamber. But it’s no secret that McConnell is no friend to marijuana. He’s spent much of his career preventing cannabis reform from so much as being discussed in the Senate. Even though he was instrumental in legalizing industrial hemp a few years back, nothing McConnell has said in the past year suggests that he’s ready to tender his support for pot. So, when Schumer finally introduces his long-awaited bill to legalize marijuana nationwide, he’s probably going to have to contend with the wrath of McConnell, the GOP filibuster, and a lot of disappointed cannabis fans.
According to national polling data, most Americans believe the time has come for the federal government to change the country’s marijuana laws.
The District of Columbia is not a state, and a good chunk of the land is federally owned, where cannabis is not legal. D.C. currently sits in a bit of a gray area. Here’s what consumers and operators should know.
I recently relocated to Washington, D.C. to join our East Coast practice group and have been inundated with inquiries surrounding the legal framework of recreational cannabis (i.e., marijuana and hemp) in the nation’s capital. So, in light of this overwhelming interest, I thought I’d briefly summarize this issue for our readers.
Marijuana
In November 2014, D.C. residents overwhelmingly approved Initiative 71, a ballot measure that legalized the possession and cultivation of small amounts of marijuana by residents of 21-years of age or older.
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However, a few weeks following the passage of the marijuana ballot initiative, Congressional Republicans attempted to nullify the law by including a rider in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 that prohibited the District from using any funds to enact legislation taxing and regulating marijuana. Under federal law, Congress reviews all legislation passed by the Council (think of it as the equivalent of D.C.’s state legislature) and any referendum measure approved by voters before it becomes law. In addition, Congress retains authority over the District’s budget. Therefore, if Congress wishes to influence the affairs of the District, it generally does so through amendments to unrelated legislation such as spending bills.
Nevertheless, District officials, including the District’s Attorney General and Mayor Muriel Bowser, declared that the Congressional rider would not prevent the legalization of marijuana which was enacted and certified by the Board of Elections before Congress passed the spending bill.
Consequently, the District inherited of a “grey market” where local businesses began engaging in “gifting economy,” which consists of selling items unrelated to marijuana at marked-up prices and offering marijuana as a complementary gift with the transaction. This legally questionable business practice arose from a provision in Initiative 71 that states it is lawful for anyone 21-years of age or older to “transfer without payment (but not sell) up to one ounce of marijuana to another person 21-years of age or older….”
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So, while marijuana-related arrests ceased to occur in the nation’s capital (a particularly good thing in light of a 2013 report by the American Civil Liberties Union that revealed D.C. had one of the highest arrest rates of any county in the country, with blacks 9 times more likely to be arrested than whites), the District became confronted with an unregulated, legally dubious market where the commercial sale of marijuana is illegal.
In an attempt to address this ongoing issue, District lawmakers recently introduced the Comprehensive Cannabis Legalization and Regulation Act of 2021, a sweeping bill which, if enacted in its current version, would establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the production and sale of recreational marijuana, but would also address social equity by repairing the damage done by past criminal enforcement by investing in the communities most harmed by the drug war, and by creating equitable access to the new marketplace. No actions have been taken since the bill’s introduction on March 1.
Hemp
The District has yet to enact hemp-related laws or regulations, which means it does not authorize nor regulate the production of hemp nor that of hemp-derived products, including the sale of cannabidiol (CBD). Therefore, these products are not legal despite the notable presence of “CBD shops” throughout the city.
In sum, the commercial sale of recreational cannabis products is expressly prohibited in the District. This means that the vast majority of the products sold and “gifted” in the city are unregulated, and thus, may be unsafe for human consumption. Moreover, while these activities seem vastly tolerated, they nonetheless put local businesses at risk of enforcement actions by local and federal agents. Something to think about before venturing into this market.
When we try to control everything, we can set in motion the exact opposite of what we intended. The Law of Unintended Consequences.
Disclaimer:The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.
I remember a letter to the editor in a California newspaper circa 1973 during Nixon’s gasoline “shortage” from a man who told of sitting in his car waiting in line at what was ironically called a “filling station.” He said that when he looked in his rearview mirror he saw the driver behind him was smoking a joint. He quipped that we could solve two problems if we just legalized marijuana and outlawed gasoline.
Fifty years later, we have almost solved the marijuana “problem” by almost legalizing it. I say we have almost solved that problem, not just because the Feds and a few states are lagging, but because most of the states have made a mess of it by over-regulating and over-taxing it, so the black market persists. Good intentions are not enough.
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I have cited what I call the Iron Law of Prohibition demonstrating how the economics of contraband actually makes “drugs” stronger and more dangerous. Actually, I’m certain that this is not always “unintended.”
Obviously, the frustrated motorist was joking about banning gasoline, but there really wasn’t an actual gas shortage. Nixon had panicked and slammed price controls on it which kept the market from functioning. In a free market, there are never long-term shortages because the prices will rise, angering consumers (voters), but eliminating lines, pleasing voters. Unintended?
When the Colonial pipeline to the East Coast was hacked, there were suddenly lines for fuel because of another aspect of human nature. There was a “shortage” because everyone panicked and got in line to fill up their tanks so inventory was shifted to cars because… Another unintended consequence.
The hacking of the pipeline was possible because of the phenomenon called “Internet of Things”. What could possibly go wrong? The February Texas blizzard came close to wrecking the world economy because Texas politicians wanted to pretend the Lone Star State was really a lone star. Ain’t no Yankees gonna tell us what to do! An unintended consequence.
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The Biden Administration has done an excellent job of making the COVID-19 vaccine easily available and free to everyone. What could possibly go wrong? But two groups are still hesitant to get their jabs. Ironically, they can be identified by race: Black and White.
Blacks have historical reasons to distrust the medical establishment, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and general history of poor medical care. Whites think everything is a conspiracy.
What if, instead of being so proudly egalitarian, Biden had announced that the rich could jump the lines by paying $100 or maybe more for shots at country clubs? “Influencers” could pose in front of Ferraris as they sip Champagne getting their jabs.
People would be demanding that everyone must have immediate access.
Of course, “socialism” is the ultimate in unintended consequence, but the point remains that good intentions don’t necessarily produce good outcomes. On the contrary.
Like the Internet of Things, we are all connected in ways that we cannot understand or even know. When we try to control everything, we can set in motion the exact opposite of what we intended. The Law of Unintended Consequences.
Increased research into cannabis has made more people conscious of what happens inside their bodies, and this has further popularized the presence of the endocannabinoid system.
The body’s endocannabinoid system is a universal regulator for almost all other systems in the body. There are times when our bodies produce very low endocannabinoids, thus leading to a deficiency that births different health conditions. As crucial as this discourse is, you want to know what causes such defects and how you can resolve them.
It is sometimes shocking to cannabis novices to discover the connection between their body’s function and cannabis-like molecules. They are always stunned to learn that the cannabis-like molecules affect almost every part of their body.
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The human body makes chemicals similar to what is in the cannabis plant and uses these chemicals to regulate essential body functions. Some of the parts include immunity, skin health, brain function, and even our appetite.
The molecules are not random; they are a part of a massive network of enzymes, receptors, and signaling molecules called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). To know the causes and solutions for endocannabinoid deficiency, you need to understand the endocannabinoid system and how to modulate it. You can modulate it through herbs, diet, and exercise.
This system is a universal regulator in the human body that keeps our biological systems in check. All parts of our physiology work within a particular spot, and the endocannabinoid system ensures that things are not too high or low from the expected baseline.
For instance, the endocannabinoid system helps your body sustain the recommended blood pressure level, appetite, immune cell action, and bone density. So it is safe that the endocannabinoid system keeps everything in check.
Therefore, without this regulatory function and network, your body will start to malfunction. So when you think about the endocannabinoid system, think about signals that inform cells on when they can become hyperactive or increase activity. This regulatory function and state of balance are referred to as “homeostasis.”
The deficiency happens when a person cannot produce a good amount of endocannabinoids, enzymes, and receptors. The person becomes deficient in iron, and some neurotransmitters thus can no longer produce enough endocannabinoids.
Since endocannabinoids are crucial to the body, your body can experience disruptions that lead to illnesses and diseases if you don’t have enough of them. Some of the diseases caused by a deficiency include:
Migraines lead to depression and anxieties
Multiple sclerosis, which causes ADHD
Sleep disorders that degenerate into Parkinson’s
An anxiety disorder that causes post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Causes of endocannabinoid deficiency
There are different causes of endocannabinoid deficiency that arise from poor lifestyle choices to genetics and diets. Some of these causes include:
Lack of cannabinoid receptors
Endocannabinoids are naturally supposed to bind cannabinoid receptors to effect changes in your cells. If you lack cannabinoid receptors, the molecules have nothing to secure, leading to deficiencies.
Lack of sleep
Sleep is crucial for perfect health, and without sleep, you will start feeling sluggish and fatigued. When you stay awake dealing with insomnia, it negatively impacts your endocannabinoid system.
Poor diet
Our body needs good food to create beneficial endocannabinoids. If you are deficient, then it is most likely because of poor dietary choices. The nutrients you get from food modulate your endocannabinoid system, while a lack of healthy fats will cause deficiency.
Lack of activity (exercise)
After exercise, our body releases more endocannabinoids, but we start becoming deficient when we don’t get enough exercise.
Stress
Stress can lead to dysfunction and burnout because it means your system is working overtime, which negatively impacts your endocannabinoid system—the more stress, the greater your risk of endocannabinoid deficiency.
Excessive intake of alcohol
Too much alcohol in your body doesn’t do you any good, primarily, and it affects your endocannabinoid system functions, putting you at risk of contracting several illnesses and diseases.
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How to improve the endocannabinoid system
The negative sides of modern life and exposure to technology have led more people to live sedentary lifestyles, hence why we are more stressed, eat, and sleep poorly. These negative impact of the modern life affects our endocannabinoid system.
Here are ways to improve your endocannabinoid system:
Diet
You are what you eat, and eating the right food can boost your endocannabinoid system. The foods below are fantastic additions to your diet that will boost your endocannabinoid system:
Prebiotics
There are many valuable microbes in our guts, and the endocannabinoid system has close ties with them. To boost your microbes, you will need fiber-rich foods such as onions, leeks, and artichokes.
Flavonoids
These are rich antioxidants found in many foods and responsible for the pigments you see on some fruits and vegetables. You will need lots of blueberries and beetroots as these are flavonoid-rich foods that can increase your cannabinoid receptors. Other foods include grapes, apples, cherries, and raspberries.
Chocolate
Chocolate is not only a sweet treat, but it is also derived from the tropical cocoa plant, and this fruit is rich in human endocannabinoid: anandamide.
Omega fatty acids
You need a good amount of Omega fatty acids o build your endocannabinoid system. You will need about 50% of omega-6 and omega-3 for increased endocannabinoid.
Exercise
Our bodies are meant to remain active and in motion: a sedentary life is not in tandem with this idea and negatively affects your endocannabinoid system. So get moving! Keep your hearts and lungs active by engaging in different forms of exercise, from weight lifting for lean muscle mass to running for increased mood.
Reduce your stress levels
Stress affects the endocannabinoid system, so to boost your endocannabinoid, you have to examine your stress level and reduce it. Try getting a massage or engaging in acupuncture that will help reduce stress, thus raising your endocannabinoid levels.
Photo by Luke Chesser via Unsplash
Bottom line
Increased research into cannabis has made more people conscious of what happens inside their bodies, and this has further popularized the presence of the endocannabinoid system.
Endocannabinoid deficiency is a threat to health and puts the entire body at risk of contracting more illnesses and diseases.
Should federal legalization pass in the U.S., sales could boom not only because of broader demand, but because American companies are prepared for this eventuality.
By Lauri Kibby of Kings Garden
Cannabis industry optimism in the United States is mounting alongside increasing expectations for national legalization.
Skeptics, however, point to the Canadian experience and suggest we temper our enthusiasm. To be sure, years removed from 2018 legalization, most marijuana producers in Canada are still reporting losses.
Cannabis has substantial potential in Canada, but it has been a bumpy ride so far. At first, producers were not prepared with enough supply to meet demand. There was a substantial backlog in orders, and producers were not sure what products or strains would be popular and where.
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Now there is too much supply. Rosy projections have been slow to materialize in a tightly regulated distribution system that largely bans advertising and marketing. This government intervention has hindered sales and made it difficult to balance supply with demand.
Additionally, coronavirus disruption slowed retail store growth, adding to higher inventory and causing price deflation.
The U.S. is much better prepared, however, and Canada’s tribulations are part of the reason why: We have learned from our northern neighbor’s experiences. We know not to repeat the same mistakes. Equally important, we have a long runway of experience established in California, the nation’s largest state and a major cannabis market on the global stage.
California cannabis growers have been developing legal marijuana products since 1996, longer than everywhere but Amsterdam.
Driven by California and other states in recent years, legal marijuana growers in the U.S. have earned the reputation of creating the best products in the world, scientifically grown and tightly regulated for quality and safety. They have also mastered the analysis necessary to predict trends in consumption, allowing cultivators to adjust production in anticipation of shifts.
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The genetics and sophistication underlying the U.S. cannabis industry led to better-quality flower, attracting higher prices and ensuring they are able to meet the taste requirements of a diverse consumer base. Much like wine, cannabis use is driven by a desire for a specific taste and experience directly relating back to a cultivar’s composition.
U.S. companies also have in place robust production and distribution systems to meet demand efficiently and profitably. They can be scaled up as demand rises.
Several cannabis companies, including Kings Garden, are consistently and increasingly profitable.
The U.S. marijuana industry is now valued at more than $18 billion, according to the Marijuana Business Factbook. The legal market in California reached $4.4 billion in sales in 2020, surging from $2.8 billion a year earlier.
Additionally, mounting momentum at the state level in the U.S. makes national legalization increasingly likely. New York, New Mexico, New Jersey and Virginia all approved recreational cannabis laws this year. According to the Marijuana Policy Project, 18 states have now legalized recreational cannabis and 36 allow cannabis for medical reasons.
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A national legalization bill passed the U.S. House late in 2020, and support in the U.S. Senate is building this year. Should such legalization pass, sales could boom not only because of broader demand, but because American companies are prepared for this eventuality.
With federal legalization, international markets will open. BDS Analytics estimates that cannabis sales outside the U.S. and Canada could swell at a 38% compound annual growth rate to $8.3 billion by 2026.
International sales would further boost demand for U.S. crops.
U.S. cannabis companies are preparing now for the full potential of demand to avoid the pitfalls experienced by Canada. Savvy investors would be wise to take note of this.
Already, debt market terms are steadily improving as competition to lend to cannabis companies increases. This signals investor expectations for a bright future defined by expanding market opportunities, increased sales and consistent profitability.
I confidently share the same outlook.
Lauri Kibby is co-founder and chief financial officer of Kings Garden, California’s preeminent cannabis cultivation, processing, distribution and manufacturing company.
Some plants have a higher density of calyxes to leaf. Knowing which strains will produce more calyxes can significantly increase your yield.
How well do you know your cannabis? I mean, most people know the basics of what gets you high, but from there on out, it becomes a bit hazy.
Most people know what pistils are, they know what trichomes are, but what are calyxes?
In this article we’re going to be taking a closer look at the calyx in order to expand our knowledge on the cannabis plant, helping us better understand what it is we are smoking. Additionally, this will be a very informative article for cannabis growers.
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The skinny on cannabis calyxes
The calyx is the first part of a flowering bud. It consists of a small collection of leaves that spiral near the stem of the flower. These are made up by sepals, which are miniature leaves that protect the flower at its base.
The calyx can be considered to be the flower’s center and binds everything together. It provides the structure for the plants reproductive organs.
Now that we know that, we can begin to understand the importance of calyxes in the cannabis plant. But did you know that these pockets of goodness tend to have the highest ration of cannabinoids? Now you do.
Why the calyx is so important?
As mentioned, the calyx is the center of the flower, meaning this is where all buds originate from. If you look at a cola, it originated from the calyx itself.
Within the calyx, you can find many things such as “pistils” and “trichomes”. Within the calyx, the pistil density is supreme! The resin glands, where that sweet THC is being cooked up, are also found in there.
It’s very easy to spot a calyx form when the plant starts flowering. The tiny flower will begin to produce pistils (or the long white hairs) if it’s a female. On the other hand, if it’s a male, the calyxes will produce pollen sacks.
Of course, unless you’re breeding for seeds, murder the male and put it in a blender for juicing.
Photo by Yarygin/Getty Images
Choosing good genetics for more calyxes
Now that we have a firm understanding of calyxes, let’s take a look at genetics. Some plants have a higher density of calyxes to leaf. Knowing which strains will produce more calyxes can significantly increase your yield.
Strains like True OG, Northern Lights, Lemon Skunk and Master Kush all have amazing calyx to leaf ratio.
How do you find the calyxes in a cannabis plant?
If you’ve got an abundance of sugar leaf, odds are at the center you’ll find a calyx. This is because the calyx is the center of production of resin, and as it produces, it pushes itself outwards, covering the surrounding leaf.
In the vast majority of cases — especially if you’re buying in a dispensary — most of the leaf will have been trimmed off. This is because the leaf, while having some trichomes on it, is not the desired thing to smoke.
Rather, we want the flower — meaning we want the calyxes. Consumers have been conditioned to only want “top notch buds” so it would be very unlikely for you to get buds that aren’t trimmed these days.
However, for the home grower, you have options.
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For example, you could trim away the sugar leaf on a screen and collect the kief to press into hash. Or, you could leave some of the sugar leaf on the bud during the drying phase in order for the leaf to bend back in on itself, sprinkling more THC on the bud.
This really comes down to personal preference. In my case, I prefer to do a very loose wet trim in order to let the leaf curl in on itself. Then, before jarring, I give it another cut just to make sure that most “non-resin” leaf is removed.
Why it’s important to learn more about the cannabis plant?
While now you may only have a technical term for what a “bud” is made up of, it’s important to understand the anatomy of a cannabis plant — especially when growing weed.
For example, if you’re considering making your own seeds — as I have written about before — you will want to collect the pollen from a male plant and sprinkle it on the Calyxes of the female plant since this is where the sex-organs are.
Furthermore, a deeper understanding of the plant will increase the perceived sense of pleasure of growing the plant. It’s very different growing cannabis with a basic understanding of the plant anatomy than actually understanding the processes that are occurring.
Like to learn more?
I’m considering to take a deep dive on the cannabis plant anatomy. You know, really get into genetics, making seeds, cloning, etc – this is of course if there is some interest.
I’m on the verge to start an online cultivation group for people in Mexico where I’ll be teaching people how to grow from seed to smoke since it will soon be a constitutional right for Mexicans to cultivate. Yes, I do also speak Spanish. Not as good as I’d like, but you enough to teach people the ins and out of cultivating cannabis.
At some point I’ll open up an English group as well, but for now I’m only catering to the Spanish marketplace, specifically in Mexico, but anyone who speaks Spanish can join.
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As for my writings here on Cannabis.net, I aim to provide a bit more scientific knowledge about cultivation for my fellow growers out there. I believe that if enough people can come together and start growing their own medicine or recreational smoke, we’ll be conducting a major shift back to self-sufficiency.
The cannabis plant is an amazing plant — almost alien when comparing it with other plants on earth. Humans have a genetic link with this marvelous plant due to our compatibility through the endocannabinoid system.
I think it warrants a deeper understanding and I think it can only enrich the experience of cultivating and consuming cannabis.
These life hacks won’t make you instantly happy, but they’ll make your days a little brighter and easier. And couldn’t we all use that?
There isn’t a life hack to happiness, but there are ways of finding small moments of joy in your everyday life.
Activities like working out and meditating are all efficient in making your life fuller, but, in order to reap benefits, they must be included into your habits and routines; they’re not quick hacks. Fortunately, there are some things you can do that can make you feel a little bit better and create room for self care while taking only taking up a few minutes of your day.
Here are 5 life hacks to make you happier:
Listen to a happy song
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It sounds like a silly thing, but music has a big effect on the way we feel; just think about the difference that a good soundtrack makes when going for a workout. A happy song that you love or that simply makes you feel like dancing is an easy way to lift your mood when you need it most, lowering your stress and increasing your energy levels.
Thinking about people you love or trust creates oxytocin in the brain. This hormone, also known as the love hormone, is a chemical that creates happy feelings. By thinking of that person, sending them a text or calling them on the phone, you’ll release that hormone and feel like — no matter how stressed out you are — there’s someone out there who’s got your back.
Getting your most difficult task out of the way is the simplest way to feel lighter, opening yourself up to free time and getting some nagging stress off your back. Knocking that important task out of the way will make you feel accomplished. It will also make all of your remaining tasks as less challenging and difficult.
Being kind to someone, whether that means a smile on the street or a nice comment to a stranger or a waiter will boost your happiness. It doesn’t matter what the act is as long as you do it intentionally.
Go outside
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Spending some time outdoors is an easy way of making yourself feel happy and more creative. A study from the U.K. found that people who moved to greener areas had improvements in their mental health. The benefits lasted for long periods of time, having effects up to three years after the subject’s initial move to their new green neighborhoods.
This is obviously not good for CBD companies, though there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
If you’ve been reading our blog for the last few years, you know that California has taken a pretty absurd position on hemp-derived CBD for the last few years. Though the state led the charge to legalize cannabis (in California, “cannabis” is legally defined as only marijuana and not hemp), the state just can’t get its act together with anything that’s made from hemp.
In 2018, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) published an FAQ that said that hemp CBD could not be added to any kind of orally consumable product like foods, beverages, dietary supplements, or animal products, which has been the rule ever since.
You can read an older analysis of mine on the CDPH’s position here. In my opinion, the CDPH’s position was highly suspect – there is no law in the state that actually forbids adding CBD to anything; the CDPH just followed the federal Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) position. While the FAQ did not expressly say so, it appears that the CDPH actually took the position that CBD was an adulterant under the state’s Sherman Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Law (which is similar to the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act laws that the FDA enforces).
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Local agencies like the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued statements that did state that CDPH was an adulterant, ostensibly because CDPH took that position. And so without undergoing any kind of rulemaking process, CDPH effectively outlawed CBD consumables, and CDPH and local agencies actually enforced this position.
While CDPH made its stance relatively clear with respect to oral consumables, it was not totally clear with respect to cosmetics. The FAQ does not mention cosmetics once and its full title is “FAQ – Industrial Hemp and Cannabidiol (CBD) in Food Products” (that’s not my emphasis, but CDPH’s). In the wake of this FAQ, it was unclear what exactly CDPH’s position was on cosmetics. Under the Sherman Law, the state technically has authority over cosmetics, so it’s not clear what the agency’s position was and many people assumed that the agency’s silence on CBD in cosmetics meant it was okay with them.
However, in January 2021, CDPH quietly issued a revised FAQ, which is now called “CDPH Information on Industrial Hemp (IH) Derivatives Including Cannabidiol (CBD)”. The single-page revised FAQ starts out by expressly adopting the FDA’s position banning CBD as a food additive, dietary supplement, or pet food, and then goes on to expressly state that CBD is an adulterant in food and cosmetics. Here’s the relevant language:
California’s Sherman Food and Drug Law provides that any food (which includes beverages and pet food) is adulterated if it is, bears, or contains any food additive that is unapproved, and that a cosmetic (which includes lotion and salves) is adulterated if it bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it injurious to users under the conditions of use prescribed in the labeling or advertisement of the cosmetic, or under conditions of use as are customary or usual.
Hulled hemp seed, hemp seed protein, and hemp seed oil are the only components of hemp that are GRAS and allowed in food. CBD derived from hemp or any other source is currently not allowed in any of the items regulated by the Food and Drug Branch of the California Department of Public Health, including foods, drugs, and cosmetics.
And, there you go. CDPH has now taken the incredible position that CBD cannot be added even to cosmetics such as lotions or salves in the State of California. This position is even more restrictive than FDA’s stance on the same topic. In all, it seems that the agency is intent on doing everything in its power to make life difficult for the industry. There are numerous states that are doing their best to regulate CBD products and ensure they are safe in spite of the FDA’s position, but California – the largest economy in the U.S. – has decided to just ban the products. As of now though, we aren’t aware of any publicized enforcement efforts.
This is obviously not good for CBD companies, though there may be light at the end of the tunnel (a big maybe) given that there are efforts to pass actual laws that will force CDPH and other agencies to regulate CBD products. We will see if that pans out, so stay tuned to Canna Law Blog for more updates.
Griffen Thorne is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog and has been reposted with permission.
