Product Fraud Is Alive And Well In The Cannabis Industry

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April 14, 2021

Product Fraud Is Alive And Well In The Cannabis Industry

Like most new industry you have 99% great players and a few bad ones

You seem them Instagram, Pinterest and other sites, the product looks great until it arrives. Then you realize you have been had. Like other industry, the cannabis market is going through a patch as it continues to grow and development. Product fraud is alive and will in the cannabis industry.

Leading the case of fraud is the 1,500+ unlicensed dispensaries in New York City selling real and “faux” products. Earlier issues of allegedly synthetic cannabinoid products being sold at truck stops, which were actually a green leafy substance sprayed with a chemical that caused agitation and hallucinations, were really the first instances of product fraud.

In 2019, the vaping crisis hit the industry, where investigations revealed that there were groups of people packaging oils into cartridges that were actually cut with a substance that turned to tar inside the lungs of the user.

Bootleggers sold, and continue to sell, fake oil cartridge products filled with questionable oils and using packaging of legitimate manufacturers, like Kingpen, Heavy Hitters, and Dank Vapes. Dank Vapes is a vape cartridge seller and an empty cartridge wholesaler, and was named by the CDC in their investigation as one of the vape culprits responsible for the outbreak.

Making cannabis oils is not that hard to do. Many early oil manufacturers and extractors did it in their kitchens before cannabis was legalized. Diluting it with some chemical additive helps stretch the batch.

Making the product look like an official industry compliant product is pretty easy, too. Just go to labelvalue.com. There you will see a number of purported California Proposition 64 regulatory or warning labels that anyone can buy and stick on a package. No license from the state is needed, just an Amazon account. Or go to instocklabels.com and you can buy state compliant labels for eight other states.

4 Tips To Help You Avoid Online Shopping Scams — Photo by Westend61/Getty Images

Anyone can buy these labels. Some say indica or sativa, or allow you to check a box for indica or sativa. Some allow you to fill in a box for the THC level, and fill in another box for strain name.

Hey, it’s legitimate. A quick bottom-of-the-page disclaimer (“Note: LabelValue is not responsible for adherence to labeling guidelines or regulations for any industry application. Please ensure your use of labels is compliant with the regulations in your industry.”) allegedly gets the label maker off the hook.

And there you go — a legitimate looking cannabis product straight from the dispensary that some guy put together in his basement that has who-knows-what in it.

If you are a somewhat integrity-challenged dispensary owner and sales are slumping, then you hear that Blue Dream is a top seller in the area? No problem. Just write “Blue Dream” in the strain label box, stick it to a bottle, dump in whatever strain you need to move, and sell it.

Sure, California cannabis labeling law is pretty specific about what should and should not be on the label, even describing the point size of the copy. But they can only do so much against the thousands of bad players in the state.

In contrast, Oklahoma’s labeling laws are pretty basic. Labeling models are a low priority for that state.

It’s you, the buyer, who must be on the watch. Don’t buy from a guy at a party or a dude from the local frat house. There are plenty of legitimate operators who actually want to help the industry get over these growing pains, create good and safe products, and beat down the illicit market. It just takes time. And due diligence.

Cancer Patients Say Cannabis Is Just As Effective Or Better Than Cancer Treatments

Medical Marijuana

Terry Hacienda

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April 14, 2021

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Cancer Patients Say Cannabis Is Just As Effective Or Better Than Cancer Treatments

Many doctors also believe that cannabis is best used together with other forms of medicine, so don’t use this as an excuse to no longer see your oncologist.

Data from the journal Gynecologic Oncology Reports reveals that most gynecologic oncology patients find cannabis products to be either just as effective or even more effective compared to prescription meds that are aimed at reducing cancer symptoms.

Yale New Haven Hospital investigators polled 31 patients of gynecologic oncology about their medical cannabis consumption. A total of 74% of respondents were either undergoing immunotherapy or chemotherapy during the time of study. A staggering 83% of them reported that marijuana was effective for managing symptoms especially in the areas of insomnia, neuropathy, appetite, and anxiety while most of them also believed that its efficacy and safety was just the same or even better than conventional prescription medications.

Is Enduring Justice For Medical Marijuana Coming Soon? — Photo by Esther Kelleter/EyeEm/Getty Images

“The majority of patients in our study felt that medical cannabis was equivalent or superior in efficacy to other medications (e.g. opioids, antiemetics, anxiolytics, and sleep aids) in relieving their symptoms… Of the subset of patients using medical cannabis for pain, 63 percent reported a reduction in opioid use… These data suggest medical cannabis may be a reasonable alternative or adjunct to medications frequently used for cancer or treatment-related symptoms,” concluded the authors.

No Surprise There

While there are dozens, perhaps even hundreds of ways to medicate with cannabis for a range of illnesses, it seems to be particularly effective for those dealing with the Big C.

And doctors are agreeing.

A 2019 study shared at the American Society for Clinical Oncology annual meeting revealed that a significant majority of oncology specialists believe that cannabis can help their patients. However, in the same study it revealed that medical providers weren’t confident in recommending the proper dosage to their patients, but this is a common sentiment among many.

Despite the ongoing challenges, there are clearly so many advantages to using cannabis for cancer treatment especially complementary to existing therapies including those that are approved by the FDA. Marijuana is well-tolerated and safe for a great majority and any adverse effects are rare. It helps cancer patients improve their appetite, deal with nausea caused by chemotherapy, and sleep well. These issues often arise among cancer patients who are undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.

The patients see the benefits as well, even if not all doctors are convinced just yet about its benefits.

Ask Dr. Green: How Can I Use Marijuana To Deal With Chemotherapy? — Photo by Caiaimage/Sam Edwards/Getty Images

“Physicians don’t usually advocate for the use of cannabis products, but if you ask patients, it’s astonishing the number of people who are already on them or are contemplating using them,” says Dr. Charu Agrawal, who specializes in palliative care at the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center. “Most patients say they heard about it from friends or family.”

There are certain things to be cautious about when using cannabis for cancer treatments, such as how it possibly reacts with medications the patient is already taking. For example, CBD tends to inhibit receptors that are responsible for metabolizing common drugs such as methadone, antidepressants, opioids, and statins which causes much higher levels of the medications in the blood.

“I tell my patients, you need to let us know if you’re on THC or CBD, just like any over-the-counter drugs or herbal supplements,” says Agrawal. “Be open and honest about what you’re doing and how much.”

“We have to take away the stigma,” she said. “I will let my patients know what the evidence shows. But if a patient feels its helping them, I’m not going to tell them to stop taking it unless it interferes with treatment.”

Medical Marijuana Not Always An Affordable Alternative To Prescription Drugs — Photo by Matthew Lloyd/Getty Images

Tips for Using Cannabis as Cancer Medication

If cannabis is legal in your state and you want to begin experimenting with it as medicine, why not?

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Opt for whole plant medicine. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive compound) and CBD (cannabidiol, non-psychoactive) are both equally famous components of cannabis. CBD is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and vast array of health benefits though there are many other compounds in the plant that are just as beneficial. For example, there are terpenes and cannabinoids that can play an important role in supporting your healing and wellness while enhancing each others’ benefits.

And while THC is famous for giving you the high, it also has important medicinal properties that shouldn’t be overlooked. This is why it’s always better to medicate with whole-plant medicine instead of isolates because you will be missing out on the therapeutic benefits of the others.

Use cannabis as a complementary treatment instead of a cure-all. Studies show that while cannabis does help speed up healing for numerous illnesses, it’s best not to use it as a cure-all. Many doctors also believe that cannabis is best used together with other forms of medicine, so don’t use this as an excuse to no longer see your oncologist.

Be open to trial and error. For people who are new to cannabis, it takes a while to find out the delivery method, strain, and dose that works best for your specific needs. Don’t be afraid to try new things for as long as you experiment in the safety of your home, and make sure that you don’t do hazardous things such as driving if you’re new to it.

For fast results, vape. There are many ways to consume cannabis but for patients who require the quickest onset and results, vaping is the way to go. You can expect results in as little as 5 minutes, ideal for those struggling with chronic pain, nausea, or vomiting. On the other hand, if you’re after quick results, stay away from edibles which could take effect in as long as an hour, or even more.

Let your doctor know. This is extremely important; if they don’t feel confident prescribing cannabis to you, they could refer you to someone who is. You also don’t want to take the risk of the cannabis interacting with other drugs.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.

Cannabis Sales Expected To Hit $370M In Days Leading Up To 420

Cannabusiness

Benzinga Staff Writer

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April 14, 2021

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Cannabis Sales Expected To Hit $370M In Days Leading Up To 420

According to a new report, sales will be higher among males than females, while customers between the age of 30 to 40-years-old will be the most interested in purchasing cannabis products.

By Jelena Martinovic

Cannabis software firm Akerna Corp (NASDAQ:KERN) expects national cannabis retail sales to reach $95 million on 4/20, the unofficial marijuana holiday. That’s according to a new Flash Report out of the Denver-based company.

Flower Power

Akerna says the top-selling product category on Tuesday, April 20, will be flower, accounting for 49% of all legal sales. To put this into perspective: flower has claimed 45% of all legal cannabis sales daily in 2021.

When Unemployment Checks Stop, Will Weed Sales Plummet? — Photo by Jp Valery via Unsplash

Vape pens and cartridges will be the second most popular product among the customers on 4/20, the firm anticipates.

In addition, concentrates and infused edibles are expected to account for 11% and 8% of all cannabis sales, respectively.

The average order total will be roughly $10 higher than usual, with each customer spending $105 on average, versus the $93.48 2021 average.

Furthermore, customers are poised to purchase an average of 3.69 products. The average basket in 2021 so far has carried 2.83 products.

According to the company’s report, sales will be higher among male than female, while customers aged between 30 and 40 will be the most interested in purchasing cannabis products.

Green Wednesday Cannabis Sales Blow Away Black Friday — Photo by Ivan-balvan/Getty Images

The report suggests that the five days ending April 20 are expected to yield $370 million in cannabis sales.

“Elevated sales mean traffic will be at a high, making it critical for retailers to prepare their inventory, staff, and space for these upticks,” concluded James Ahrendt, business intelligence architect at Akerna.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Uber Wants To Explore Marijuana Delivery Once It’s Federally Legal

Maria Loreto

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April 13, 2021

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Uber Wants To Explore Marijuana Delivery Once It’s Federally Legal

Uber is interested in the “types of deliveries that a high percentage of consumers are going to want delivered fast into their home and are quite frequent,” which includes weed.

Your future cannabis purchase may be as easy as ordering take-out. The CEO of Uber said that the company would “absolutely” explore including marijuana deliveries to its services once the drug has been legalized federally.

Dara Khosrowshahi explained in an interview with CNBC that while the company’s current focus of interest lies in mobilizing passengers and delivering groceries and alcohol, once marijuana is legalized, providing delivery of another good could absolutely be an option. This question was asked in light of marijuana’s legalization in New York.

Are Amazon, Uber, Etc. The Future Of Post-Pandemic Cannabis? — Photo by Kai Pilger via Unsplash

Uber has been one of the most rapidly expanding companies in the country, having recently acquired Drizly and Postmates, big names when it comes to food and alcohol delivery.

According to Khosrowshahi, Uber is interested in the “types of deliveries that a high percentage of consumers are going to want delivered fast into their home and are quite frequent.” It’s a service that seems perfectly suited for cannabis.

Could you get your weed delivered through Uber? CEO Dara Khosrowshahi discusses the potential business strategy: “When the road is clear for cannabis and federal laws come into play, we’re absolutely going to look at it.” (via @CNBCTechCheck) https://t.co/6VM454ugka pic.twitter.com/bRjpv7vvhU

— CNBC (@CNBC) April 12, 2021

“When the road is clear for cannabis when federal laws come into play, we’re absolutely going to take a look at it,” Khosrowshahi said. “But right now with grocery, with food, with alcohol, etcetera, we see so much opportunity out there and we’re going to focus on the opportunity at hand.”

While the federal legalization of marijuana is likely a ways off, Uber’s interest is a sign of the cannabis industry’s capability for growth. While smaller businesses should be prioritized in a nascent industry, it never hurts to tack a name like Uber onto the list.

Does Consuming Marijuana Help With Weight?

David Hodes

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April 13, 2021

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Does Consuming Marijuana Help With Weight?

A 2015 study found that obese mice actually lost weight from ingesting cannabis because THC caused changes in the gut microbiome that regulates weight loss and digestion.

Cannabis consumers have known for years about the effects of cannabis on appetite.

In fact, one of the more enduring stereotypes of the side effects of cannabis usage is the consumer getting the “munchies” after consumption, which is often a highlighted feature of modern U.S. television situational comedies, such as an episode of “The Big Bang Theory” and others.

But there is a more serious side to the munchies mania. This side-effect of cannabis consumption is now the focus of studies by researchers in clinical trials using cannabis in cancer patients who typically lose their appetites and, thus, lose weight.

get high and lose weight — Photo by Melissa Ross/Getty Images

One such study, published in the Internal Medicine Journal, found that patients were enthusiastic about the results on increasing their appetite using cannabis in tablets, mouth sprays or vaporizers (smoking is generally not considered a medically correct method for people with compromised immune systems).

A 2014 study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed that when cannabis is consumed, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor signaling smell increases odor detection and promotes food intake, linking hunger to increased smell capability and thus more food intake.

THC has been shown to be an effective treatment for anorexia in animal studies, as well as severe weight loss in humans suffering from AIDS, but more work needs to be done. For example, a 2011 study published in Biological Psychiatry showed that people with anorexia and bulimia have a misfiring brain cannabinoid system. According to the journal’s editor, Dr. John Krystal, “The role of endocannabinoids in appetite control is clearly important. These new data point to important connections between this system and eating disorders.”

Another issue is the actual taste of cannabis, which has become the focus of most edible and infused cannabis manufacturers. For example, edibles producers are using lots of garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg and other substances to disguise the taste of cannabis in an attempt to suit some consumers’ requests. “Most of the bad taste in edibles is likely due to phytol (a terpene that creates a mild sedative effect), chlorophyll (a green photosynthetic pigment in plants), and oxidized (rancid) plant fats,” said Michael Backes, editor of the book Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana.

Consumer demand for cannabis-infused edibles is strong today, and getting stronger as more first-timers are beginning to see the medicinal value of cannabis to treat aches and pains.

Scram, Scale: Here's How To *Really* Tell If You're Overweight — Photo by rawpixel.com

There are now 1, 2, and 5 mg micro-dose edibles, powdered THC that you can add to any food or drink, as well as edibles that are designed to control the timing of the effect within 2 to 15 minutes using a better bioavailability feature.

Regulations for edibles are still evolving, in part because of ongoing health concerns with their consumption, as reported in U.S. News.

Colorado edibles regulations are fairly typical of most states where THC-infused edibles are legal: Any THC-infused product cannot have more than 10 mg of THC per individual serving.

One company in the state making non-alcohol 5 and 10 mg THC-infused lagers (and other non-THC infused beers), Ceria Brewing, has explored making a 100 mg infused beer. But that would have to come in a resealable bottle with a small cup attached to measure out the proper 10 mg serving amount, according to Ceria Brewery co-founder Keith Villa.

So can consuming cannabis help you actually lose weight? The jury is still out, though a 2015 study found that obese mice actually lost weight from ingesting cannabis because THC caused changes in the gut microbiome that regulates weight loss and digestion.

Feel free to explore your universe of munchies, and try to balance that with exercise during this COVID-19 era. Because even if you eat too much, maybe marijuana can help you lose that weight later. It’s simply another layer of cannabis karma, a plant that researchers are finding is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma of positive human health discoveries.

Adult-Use Cannabis Is Now Legal In New Mexico

Benzinga Staff Writer

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April 13, 2021

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Adult-Use Cannabis Is Now Legal In New Mexico

Signed bill HB2 also regulates the production and sale of recreational cannabis while including measures to incentivize populations disproportionately impacted by prohibition to enter the industry.

By Natan Ponieman

On Monday, New Mexico became the latest state to legalize adult-use cannabis, after Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed the Cannabis Regulation Act.

Sales are expected to begin before April 2022.

Following a legalization wave led by New York and Virginia, this approval now puts more than 43% of Americans living in legal cannabis jurisdictions, according to the Marijuana Policy Project.

New Mexico Moves Closer To Marijuana Legalization — Photo by Sean Pavone/Getty Images

“The successful bill signing today of adult-use cannabis legislation in New Mexico would not have been possible without the leadership of Governor Lujan Grisham and the tireless support of the State Legislature,” said David Culver, vice president of global government relations at Canopy Growth (NYSE:CGC).

The Bills

Signed bill HB2 allows New Mexicans 21 and over to possess up to two ounces of cannabis, and cultivate six mature and six immature plants at home. The bill also regulates the production and sale of recreational cannabis while including measures to incentivize populations disproportionately impacted by prohibition to enter the industry.

“We are going to increase consumer safety by creating a bona fide industry. We’re going to start righting past wrongs of this country’s failed war on drugs. And we’re going to break new ground in an industry that may well transform New Mexico’s economic future for the better,” said Gov. Grisham, a strong proponent of cannabis reform.

Senate Bill 2, a complementary bill signed in the same session, provides automatic expungement opportunities for individuals charged with low-level cannabis convictions.

“Today’s signing—coupled with last month’s signing into law of New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act and news that Virginia has legalized three years ahead of schedule—shows state-level policymakers are listening to their constituents and embracing the promise of a safe and well-regulated cannabis market,” concluded Canopy’s Culver.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

Study Shows Medical Cannabis May Help With Chronic Pain

Benzinga Staff Writer

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April 13, 2021

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Study Shows Medical Cannabis May Help With Chronic Pain

The study found that higher THC consumption was connected to pain relief, while CBD intake was related to mood improvement.

By Nina Zdinjak

Cannabis treatment can significantly help with chronic pain, according to a new study conducted by Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital in Boston.

Thirty-seven patients enrolled in the study with various chronic pain conditions such as neuropathy, joint pain and arthritis, reports Pain News Network. The group was observed for six months while taking cannabis products. Patients had either never used cannabis, or sustained from using it for a minimum of one year prior to the research.

Should Chronic Pain Patients Use Metered Doses For Most Effective Treatment? — Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

The study revealed that those who used medical cannabis daily for six months experienced notable advancements in their overall health status: less pain and anxiety, better sleep and mood.

What’s more, patient usage of opioids dropped by 13% and 23% on average after three and six months of medical cannabis treatment, respectively.

The drop in opioid usage wasn’t enough to be marked as fundamental, the report said.

“This naturalistic study of medical cannabis (MC) patients with chronic pain provides preliminary evidence that ‘real world’ MC treatment may be a viable alternative or adjunctive treatment for a least some individuals with chronic pain,” wrote lead author Staci Gruber, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

“As results also revealed that individual cannabinoids appear to exert unique effects on pain and comorbid symptoms, more research is needed to potentially optimize cannabinoid-based treatments for pain.”

Medical Marijuana Is Too Strong For Pain Relief, Says Researchers — Photo by roungroat via rawpixel

TCH For Pain Relief, CBD For Mood Enhancement

The study found that higher THC consumption was connected to pain relief, while CBD intake was related to mood improvement.

“Interestingly, we have found that many patients aim to achieve symptom alleviation without experiencing the intoxicating effects of THC. Therefore, it is likely that patients are able to achieve adequate pain relief using lower doses of THC over time than initially utilized,” said Gruber, who heads the Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery program at McLean Hospital.

The study ran a control group with nine patients also suffering from chronic pain who didn’t use medical cannabis, and the group did not show a similar improvement, according Pain News Network.

Researchers said more exploration and larger studies are needed to confirm the findings and further explore further the effects THC and CBD have on pain and mood.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been reposted with permission.

President Biden Is Too Busy To Legalize Cannabis? That’s What VP Harris Claims

Terry Hacienda

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April 12, 2021

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President Biden Is Too Busy To Legalize Cannabis? That’s What VP Harris Claims

Despite all of the resistance, the fact is that cannabis legalization is happening right now. State by state, country by country, it’s going global.

When the Biden Administration took the White House, the headlines all clamored that it will be a “good time for cannabis”.

Stocks seemed to echo the sentiment.

Yet, since the administration took office, they fired staffers for admitting they smoked weed in the past, Kamala Harris rolled back her “pro pot stance” to align with the President’s, and now the entire “weed thing” has been put on the back burner.

kamala harris snoop dogg lie is the dumbest political controversy of 2019 — Photo by Win McNamee/Staff/Getty Images

“Honestly, right now, we’ve been focused on getting people food, helping them stay in their apartments or in their homes, getting kids back to school, getting shots into arms,” she said in an interview with The San Francisco Chronicle. “That has been all-consuming.”

However – does legalizing cannabis actually conflict with Covid relief? More importantly – how much “input” does the Biden Administration really need to have when it comes to legalization?

Congress has been mulling over cannabis regulations for years now – independent of the administration. It’s a bipartisan issue. There is relatively little to nothing that President Joe Biden needs to do with legislation other than sign it when the time comes.

And they can simply use a Robopen for that.

The only thing that Biden and his administration can do to assist with the entire legalization process is in fact very simple and requires virtually no effort.

They simply have to endorse the idea.

Legalizing Cannabis can help mitigate damages of COVID

We can all agree that the most affected by COVID-19 is the state of the global economy. Millions of people have lost their jobs or have been made redundant due to the pandemic.

One of the few industries who have actually been thriving during COVID is the cannabis industry. Legalization could serve as a vehicle to help kick start the economy, provide new jobs to the millions who have lost their employment and free up state resources to move things forward.

Of course, getting people medicine is important, but while the government is focusing on the apparent health crises…

The economic clusterf**k that will follow is going to create a real problem.

President Biden’s Marijuana Agenda Seems Destined For Trouble — Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

When unemployment rises, so does crime and things generally become more dangerous. People tend to revert back to their basic survival instincts which is a “dog-eat-dog” way of living.

Legalizing cannabis could provide the release of pressure on the economy, giving people something else as their old ways of earning a living got murdered by COVID.

Cannabis can help keep people healthier & indoors

Not only are cannabis users skinnier on average than their non-smoking counterparts, they also tend to be more active and get sick less.

Furthermore, cannabis users can entertain themselves for hours with enough weed on hand meaning if the Biden Administration really wants to keep people indoors they’d legalize home cultivation.

One would think that Biden Admin would jump on this opportunity, rather, they remain steadfast on their position.

Why are they resisting change so much?

At this point, I cannot speculate anymore. Perhaps Biden truly believes that people do not have the ability to decide for themselves what they can and cannot consume.

However, this would put him at odds with the rest of America. Hell, weed is more popular than Biden.

Perhaps, there are some money interests behind the president that do not want cannabis legalized yet and would much rather prefer him to push against the will of the people to maximize profits.

While we may never know for sure, the longer that they maintain their position against cannabis, the longer people are suffering the Casualties of War — the Drug War, that is.

How Marijuana Legalization Will Greatly Benefit The Criminal Justice System — Photo by Gleti/Getty Images

America keeps on pushing

Despite all of the resistance, the fact is that cannabis legalization is happening right now. State by state, country by country, it’s going global.

Senators, Congress people and the likes have all said that “irrespective of Biden’s resistance” to legalization, they will continue to introduce bills that are aligned with the will of the people.

COVID has become a blanket excuse for politicians to dodge their responsibilities.

The Biden Administration is at odds with the rest of the world. They have flip-flopped on the subject matter that the people can now see that they are simply “more of the same”.

For some people, this is a relief from the Orange Menace that sat on the throne before Sleepy Joe.

However, if you recall in 2019, the whole world was in protest against “the same”.

The pandemic shut all that down — for now!

But what happens when the hunger sets in due to the loss of jobs? What happens when people are forced out of their homes and into the streets due to their inability to sustain their current lifestyles?

Will “the same” still be seen as the “timely relief from Trump” or will it reignite the pre-pandemic dissonance that’s still lingering like a time-bomb in the collective minds of the masses?

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been reposted with permission.

History Explains Why Getting 8 Hours Of Sleep A Night May Not Be Realistic

Maria Loreto

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April 12, 2021

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History Explains Why Getting 8 Hours Of Sleep A Night May Not Be Realistic

Historical evidence indicates sleeping for eight hours a night wasn’t what people used to do.

Sleeping eight hours a night is a much desired goal for a lot of us. In order to achieve better sleep, we are willing to create bedtime habits and schedules, helping us stay rested and energetic for the coming day. But a growing body of evidence suggests sleeping for eight consecutive hours every night may be unnatural.

The BBC spoke with Roger Ekirch, who published a study that revealed that back in the day, humans slept in two separate chunks of time. This information, gathered from diaries, court records, medical books and literature, suggests people went to bed at some point after dusk. This was then followed by a wake up period of one or two hours and then another sleeping period.

Waking periods are assumed to have been active, with reports of people getting up from bed, smoking and even visiting with friends. For the most part, people stayed in bed, doing low key activities like reading, writing or praying. If they had partners in bed, they also used this time to have sex, with a 16th century manual advising that the best time to conceive was “after the first sleep,” which would allow them to have more enjoyable sex.

All of these activities sound like appropriate things to do when faced with a bout of insomnia, especially since experts are now advising against staying in bed and trying to force yourself to get back to sleep.

In ancient years, nighttime used to be associated with criminal activity, making it not appetizing for people to spend their time out of their house, no matter their wealth or social standing. “Even the wealthy, who could afford candlelight, had better things to spend their money on. There was no prestige or social value associated with staying up all night,” explains historian and author of Evening’s Empire, Greg Koslofsky.

Ekirch reports that during mid 17th century, the habit of sleeping twice a night started to disappear from the collective unconscious, more and more until there was no updated record of it. Contributing factors could be attributed to street lighting, domestic lighting and a surge of coffee houses, which would sometimes be open all night. “People were becoming increasingly time-conscious and sensitive to efficiency, certainly before the 19th Century,” he explains. “But the industrial revolution intensified that attitude by leaps and bounds.”

Maybe next time you’re laying awake in bed and start to feel the tingles of sleep less anxiety, use this time to relax and distract yourself with other activities that aren’t all that strenuous. If it’s still dark, you’ll likely get sleepy within a short span of time.

What To Know If Caught Driving While High

David Hodes

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April 12, 2021

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What To Know If Caught Driving While High

Marijuana is like a road test ninja. THC that could indicate intoxication remains in your body for days, even weeks, as small amounts continue to be released into your bloodstream.

Nearly every discussion by lawmakers looking to shoot down cannabis legalization includes concerns about driving while high: Get us a roadside testing device or we’re done here.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, there were an estimated 10,511 alcohol-impaired driving deaths in 2018, but “the contribution of marijuana and other illicit drugs to these and other impaired driving deaths remains unknown.” The NSDUH also reported that during 2018, 12 million U.S. residents reported driving under the influence of marijuana in the past 12 months.

Industry manufacturers are scrambling for a roadside testing device to measure THC intoxication — the Draeger Drug Test 5000, the Securetec Drug Wipe, to name just a couple — but the reliability of those devices has come into question, according to a study. Too many false positives are found—just getting second-hand exposure to cannabis smoke can result in a positive test for THC using a roadside testing device.

Roadside testing is done with these devices using swabs of saliva checking for an established level of intoxication. And it isn’t clear if a CBD-only product with, say, .5% THC or so, would affect the testing measurements and create false positives.

Traffic Searches — Photo by bluegame/Getty Images

This amazing, complex plant is like a road test ninja. THC that could indicate intoxication remains in your body for days, even weeks, as small amounts continue to be released from where they are stored in your body’s fat into your blood while you go about your everyday business. You are not high, but a saliva or blood test could indicate you still hit a limit set by local law enforcement for THC intoxication.

Some 11 states have adopted a per-se measurement scheme (similar to the intoxication level of a drunk driver, measured as a concentration of 5 or 10 nanograms per liter depending on the state) or zero tolerance scheme (meaning that any amount of THC detected in a fluid sample) to measure if you are too high to drive. But the Foundation for Traffic Safety determined that “the scientific evidence of impairing effects of THC on driving performance and crash risk is not clear or uniform.”

Police then are left to conduct the usual field sobriety tests they use for alcoholic-induced impairment, looking for indications of THC intoxication—the smell or marijuana (which some jurisdictions say is not a good enough reason to pull someone over), distracted speech, stopping too long at a stop sign, red eyes—or so-called behavioral impairment.

medical marijuana cardholders can still be busted for stoned driving — Photo by Ed 259 via Unsplash

Can you beat it? Well, you can simply refuse to do the field sobriety test and the breathalyzer. Penalties in most states for that kind of refusal includes surrendering your driver’s license for a period of time. But guess what? That leaves the subjective observations by the law enforcement officer who pulled you over as the only indication of your guilt. And any good lawyer should be able to make that particular subjective analysis go away.

What’s more, the instructor guide for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says roadside sobriety tests should be done “under ideal conditions,” another loophole for a clever defense lawyer to explore.

Plus, chances are if you have to deal with the court about a hearing on your DUID (driving under the influence of drugs), you are going to get a fresh new court-appointed prosecutor who has little or no experience on the legal challenges you—or your attorney—present to him or her.

So take your chances — even the casual consumer knows driving while high has its challenges. Know your rights, but don’t become another statistic just because you want to stick it to The Man.

The Fresh ToastThe most trusted name in cannabis

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