Saturday, May 9, 2026
Home Blog Page 437

What Is Hotboxing And Does It Work

0

Even if you don’t smoke weed, you’ve likely heard about hotboxing. But does this OG way of getting high work?

Hotboxing is a common activity for marijuana smokers, particularly those who are young or who’ve seen a lot of stoner movies. The term is popular even among non-smokers, understood as smoking in a small and poorly ventilated space, a practice that allows the smoke to build up and permeate all surfaces. Does it work though?

Hotboxing is commonly done in a car or in a bathroom, covering the openings in doors and windows with towels or whatever is on hand. Usually done with some friends, hotboxing is efficient, preventing the smoke from leaving said space space and getting everyone involved very, very high. Sitting in a cloud of weed smoke sure sounds like a reliable way of absorbing as much cannabis as your body can, but the little science that’s available says otherwise.

Can Members of 'The Bachelor' Smoke Weed In The Bachelor Mansion?
Photo by Jordan Tempro/EyeEm/Getty Images

A Johns Hopkins study from 2005 examined contact highs, which are the highs that occur from second-hand smoke. The study gathered some participants and split them into groups, looking into the effects of hotboxing. In one setting, six smokers and six nonsmokers entered a small and poorly ventilated space. Smokers were given 10 joints and were told to smoke over the course of an hour. The second setting involved all of these same factors with one key difference: the space was ventilated.

RELATED: 5 Marijuana Hacks To Make The Most Of COVID Winter

“Data from active smokers who participated in multiple sessions were analyzed together and are presented together because their levels of cannabinoid exposure did not significantly differ as a function of room ventilation,” concluded the researchers. Despite the difference in setting and ventilation, there was no difference in the amount of cannabinoid levels in participants, with or without hotboxing.

RELATED: How To Wake And Bake Successfully

While research doesn’t support hotboxing, anecdotal evidence says that people get higher when smoking in these clustered spaces. There are many theories as to why this might happen, whether it’s the amount of smoke that increases eye irritation and makes people feel and look more high, or the fact that you’re with friends and are experiencing a group high.

While the cannabinoid levels may stay the same when hotboxing, the experience changes, and that can make all of the difference. As long as you’re staying safe, if hotboxing works for you, keep hotboxing.

This Is How Much Exercise You Need According To WHO

0

In anticipation for the coming months of the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) released physical activity guidelines for seniors, adults and children.

With increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, we’re expecting a sheltered winter, one without a lot of physical activity. Concerned with these restraints, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a set of guidelines where they suggest that adults should get at least 2 and a half hours of moderate physical activity a week. They also provided orientation for teens and children.

These guidelines suggest more workouts than their previous statements, which suggested a minimum of 75 minutes of workout activity per week for healthy adults.

“Being physically active is critical for health and well-being — it can help add years to life and life to years,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “Every move counts, especially now as we manage the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must all move every day — safely and creatively.”

Mindful Movement Can Help You Change Your Relationship With Fitness
Photo by Dane Wetton via Unsplash

For adults 64 and younger, the WHO recommends between 150 to 300 minutes of cardio activity, which helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes and more. For adults over the age of 64, the same amount of cardio activity is recommended with the addition of prioritizing balance and strength training a few times per week.

RELATED: These People Are First In Line To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

When it comes to adolescents and kids, the WHO suggests a minimum of 60 minutes of vigorous activity for those under the age of 17. These activities should be perceived as fun and can be made up of outdoor playtime, walks, group activities with members of their household, or scavenger hunts.”Generally children/adolescents always report they like to do physical activity to: 1) be with their friends 2) have fun 3) to learn something new,” Craig A. Williams, professor of pediatric psychology and health, told CNN.

RELATED: Here’s What To Do If You Feel Guilty For Skipping Workouts Over The Holidays

While workouts are important for physical health, when it comes to children and teens, experts suggest focusing on the mental health benefits that these activities can provide. Younger demographics are less at risk for cardiovascular diseases and other kinds of illnesses but one thing they can benefit from is the distraction, confidence, and enjoyment that comes with directed movement, especially within the circumstances of the pandemic.

Green Wednesday Cannabis Sales Blow Away Black Friday

This marks the first time in four years that Green Wednesday has beat out Black Friday, which saw a 75% increase in sales.

Data from both Akerna (Nasdaq: KERN) and Headset agreed that Green Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving) sales in 2020 easily beat Black Friday sales for the first time. Cannabis consumers clearly wanted to make their purchases in advance of Thanksgiving and were less inclined to go shopping afterward.

Business intelligence from Akerna found that cannabis consumers spent approximately $238 million during the 2020 Thanksgiving weekend (11/25 – 11/28).  Green Wednesday was the single biggest sales day of 2020 with an 80% increase in daily sales. The average basket size for medical consumers was $122.64, representing a 5% increase over the daily average. Adult-use consumers spent, on average, $78.14, which is an increase of approximately 12%.

This also marks the first time in four years that Green Wednesday has beat out Black Friday, which also saw a 75% increase in sales.

RELATED: Gearing Up For Green Wednesday

“Once again, Thanksgiving ranks in the top 5 cannabis sales days of the year,” said James Ahrendt, Business Intelligence Architect, Akerna. “As we have noted throughout the year, daily sales averages have increased over the last year as a result of COVID. Since average days show such notable year-over-year growth, the percentage of growth during the holidays doesn’t seem as large. However, this is because more people, in general, are purchasing cannabis.”

Additional Insights

Sales by Product Category

  • Flower – 46.8%
  • Cartridge/Pens – 30.2%
  • Concentrates – 13.9%
  • Infused Edibles – 7.4%
  • Other – 1.7%

Sales by Age Group

  • Under 30 – 29.2%
  • 30-40 –30.6%
  • 50 – 19.3%
  • 50-60 –11.9%
  • Over 60 – 9%

Sales by Gender

  • Female – 36.7%
  • Male – 63.3%
Gearing Up For Green Wednesday
Photo by IRINA KROLEVETC/Getty Images

Headset Green Wednesday 

Here are the sales totals across all Headset Insights Premium Markets for Green Wednesday, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday 2020, plus the relative growth over last year’s totals for the same days:

Total Sales (CA, CO, NV, OR, WA)

2019 2020 YoY Growth
Green Wednesday $29.4M $33.2M 12.9%
Thanksgiving $9.7M $11.2M 15.2%
Black Friday $31.4M $31.1M -0.9%

 

Headset noted that that overall sales increased this year on Green Wednesday and Thanksgiving, but sales on Black Friday were actually slightly lower this year than last year. The company said, “This is big news because this would be the first time we’ve seen a year-over-year decrease in such an important retail holiday in cannabis.”

RELATED: Green Wednesday Is The New Black Friday of Cannabis

“Also very notable, this is the first time that total sales have been higher on Green Wednesday than on Black Friday. Headset fans may remember that data analyst Cooper Ashley predicted this in his recent interview on Cheddar TV. “

Sales Increase vs Previous 4 Weeks

2019 Sales Lift 2020 Sales Lift
Green Wednesday 59.5% 40.2%
Black Friday 16.3% -4.7%

 

“Here we can see that this year both holidays had less of an increase in sales versus the previous four weeks. Green Wednesday’s relative increase dropped from around 60% last year to 40% this year, whereas Black Friday had 16% growth in 2019 and actually had about 5% fewer sales in 2020 versus the previous four Fridays. Both of these decreases could be related to the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases and increased lockdown measures in many recreational cannabis states.

And lastly, we can see that on both holidays average basket size was much larger in 2020 than in 2019, which is something we’ve seen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Basket Size

Date 2019 2020 Growth
Green Wednesday $38.84 $48.38 25%
Black Friday $41.85 $50.56 21%

 

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report and has been reposted with permission.

Global Easing On Cannabis Could Jumpstart Markets

Earlier this week, the U.N. voted to leave cannabis and cannabis resin on the list of Schedule I drugs, which also includes cocaine, Fentanyl, morphine, Methadone, opium and oxycodone.

The United Nations has voted to remove cannabis from its classification as a dangerous drug. This week the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs voted to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from a category of the world’s most dangerous drugs. This decision could potentially jumpstart the global medical marijuana industry. Many cannabis companies have eyed global expansion, but the markets have proven to be challenging as laws have remained strict.

The Vienna-based U.N. agency said in a statement that it had voted 27-25, with one abstention, to follow the World Health Organization’s recommendation to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention on Narcotic Drugs, where it was listed with heroin and several other opioids.

The drugs that are on Schedule IV are a subset of those on Schedule I of the convention, which already requires the highest levels of international control. The agency voted to leave cannabis and cannabis resin on the list of Schedule I drugs, which also includes cocaine, Fentanyl, morphine, Methadone, opium and oxycodone, the opiate painkiller sold as OxyContin.

RELATED: United Nations Reschedules Cannabis In Historic Vote Following WHO Suggestion

5 Signs You Might Have Seasonal Depression

0

Seasonal affective disorder is triggered by the changing seasons, leaving people with less sunlight and affecting their functioning. Here are some signs you might be suffering from it.

Now that we’re deep into Daylight Saving and the sun sets early, it’s important to understand the a difference between casual winter blues, which many of us have, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is much more severe.

SAD is a type of clinical depression that usually starts and ends at the same time every year, coinciding with the seasons. Generally, SAD is triggered by the scarcity of the sun, beginning in the fall and peaking in the winter and whittling out by spring. Sunlight plays an important role in our biological clocks, regulating how much melatonin and serotonin we produce.

RELATED: 5 Virtual Ways To Stay Social This Winter

While the winter blues are common and make us feel sluggish and tired, the main difference between this and SAD is the fact that the former doesn’t interrupt your ability to conduct our daily lives. Here are a few simple guidelines that can help inform you on whether you have seasonal depression or not. Also make sure to check out 5 Ways To Prep For The Winter Blues.

You appetite changes

It’s difficult to keep track of your eating patterns, especially if you live alone, so help yourself by being mindful about it or asking someone you live with to keep an eye on you. We express a lot of our feelings through the way we eat, and it’s common for us to crave comfort foods during the winter. If you notice you tend to gain weight during these months not only because of the holidays this is usually a sign of seasonal affective disorder.

You feel consistently sad

Why Some Men Feel Sad After Sex
Photo by rawpixel.com

This season, you should be more in tune with your feelings since you’ve likely been exposed to some emotional ups and downs already. The sadness that occurs with SAD is usually consistent, lasting for the majority of the season.

It’s tough to get excited over things you enjoy

Another sign of SAD is that it gets tough to become excited over hobbies, tasks or even sex. This apathy is easily normalized, making it difficult to spot. Keep an eye out for these changes in behavior, writing down a list of hobbies that reliably make you happy if necessary and noticing your reaction to them during the fall and winter.

You have a tough time concentrating

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

RELATED: 5 Ways To Have A More Positive Social Media Experience

Brain fog and trouble getting through your daily activities is another symptom of SAD. It’s very common for people who suffer from this conditions to have difficulty getting through their days, completing their work tasks and chores.

You “hibernate”

If you find yourself sleeping and eating much more than you used to, you’re hibernating. In order to battle it, make it your mission to move as much as you can, to get some sunlight, to try to normalize your eating and to reach out for help if necessary. SAD is a serious condition that should be monitored and controlled.

San Francisco Won’t Include Marijuana In Apartment Smoking Ban

0

Although the law may say that it’s perfectly acceptable to possess and use marijuana, rental properties have their own rules a lot of times that make smoking weed a serious violation.

Although tobacco users are being forced to take it outside, the same rules do not apply to those who smoke marijuana. San Francisco won’t include marijuana in apartment smoking ban. City officials recently voted to ban smoking inside apartments and other rental properties but stopped short of lumping cannabis in the mix. Smoking weed in apartments is still permitted under the new city ordinance, according to a report from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors passed a measure that made it illegal for renters to light up at home. Initially, the proposal’s intentions were to outlaw marijuana smoking in apartments, which many landlords and property managers have tried to accomplish. But after hearing how the ban would strip away the one and only place that cannabis users have to consume, the supervisors opted to exclude it from the final ordinance. It passed Tuesday in a vote of 10-1.

Protecting the rights of the cannabis user to smoke freely in a rented dwelling was not appreciated by all. Several people felt the measure should have only applied to those who need it for medicinal purposes. Others believed that second-hand weed smoke should be treated no differently than tobacco omissions. Some argued that allowing marijuana to be smoked in apartments would expose more children to it and put them at risk of a variety of respiratory issues.

But in the end, the Board of Supervisors felt it wasn’t going to be as easy for cannabis users to find alternative places to smoke. 

“Unlike tobacco smokers who could still leave their apartments to step out to the curb or smoke in other permitted outdoor smoking areas, cannabis users would have no such legal alternatives,” Supervisor Rafael Mandelman told the Associated Press.

San Francisco Won’t Include Marijuana In Apartment Smoking Ban
Photo by berenice melis via Unsplash

More than 60 California cities have passed similar measures — a testament to just how lucky cannabis consumers are in some places. Most leases do not allow renters to smoke, and they almost always come with a provision that prohibits the use of marijuana. Yes, even in states where it is legal.

Although the law may say that it’s perfectly acceptable to possess and use marijuana, rental properties have their own rules a lot of times that make smoking weed a serious violation. And that can lead to eviction. 

RELATED: How To Smoke Marijuana In An Apartment Without Getting Evicted

It’s not so much that a property manager wants to give a renter a hard time for using cannabis; it’s the smoke they have a problem with. Many still equate weed smoke with cigarettes and do not want to be left shelling out thousands of dollars cleaning the place after the tenant moves out. 

It might take a while before there is widespread acceptance in the rental community. Therefore, it is often in the renter’s best interest to use vaporizers, edibles, and other cannabis products that do not fill rooms with smoke or leave behind odors. 

RELATED: How To Use Marijuana In Public Housing Without Issue

There are also more properties these days that are becoming weed friendly in states where it is legal. Always ask about a property’s pot policies before signing a new lease. Trust us, it will save you loads of hassles down the road.

Prince Harry And His Adorable Holiday Experience

0

A kid mistook the Duke of Sussex for someone else while Harry and Meghan were shopping for a tree near their California home.

The Duke of Sussex has been called a lot of things, but “Christmas lot worker” has not been on that list…until now.

While shopping for a tree with his wife, Meghan Markle, near their Montecito, CA home on Tuesday, an excited little boy ran up to Harry and “asked if he worked there,” according to one of the actual employees, James Almaguer, who Tweeted:

“Meghan and Prince Harry came into my work today and we sold them their Christmas Tree.”

“It was anticlimactic, but a very, very interesting experience.

“We had our lot empty when they got there — their agent promoted them a good time to come instead of us shutting it down. There was one family in there and their stoked little son ran through trees up to Harry and asked if he worked here not knowing who that is,” he explained.

All The Deets On Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Magical Wedding Cake
Photo by Chris Jackson/Staff/Getty Images

According to The Mirror, the Christmas tree lot is called Big Wave Dave’s Christmas Trees & Pumpkin Patch, “which consists of two tarpaulin tents in the car park of Macy’s department store in Santa Barbara’s North State area.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by TIANA BONN (@tianaxbonn)

The lot was reportedly supposed to be closed to the public so the royal couple could shop in private, but a family was still on site when they arrived.

RELATED: Chrissy Teigen Claps Back At Twitter Troll Who Slammed Meghan Markle For Miscarriage Op-Ed

This will be Harry and Meghan (and Archie’s!) first Christmas since they announced in January that they’d be stepping away from their royal duties. During the holiday season last year, the family rented a home on Vancouver Island in Canada with Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland.

RELATED: Former Royal Butler Spills Tea On Queen’s Falling Out With Prince Harry

As People reminds us, this isn’t the first time Meghan and Harry have been seen Christmas tree shopping. Back in 2016, just weeks after going public with their romance, they went tree shopping at Pines and Needles in London, where the couple was seen holding hands and leaving with a $70 fir tree.

Top 5 Fresh Toast Stories Of The Week: Dec. 4, 2020

0

ICYMI: Here are the headlines making news this week on The Fresh Toast.

Although COVID is the apparent threat in 2020, so is getting busted for marijuana possession; researchers of a new study note that CBD plays an important role in risk reduction for users of high THC cannabis; and these four groups of people will likely be the first recipients of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Let’s dive into these stories and more as we round up the top five headlines on The Fresh Toast this week:

COVID Might Be The Least Of Your Worries If Traveling With Weed During The Holidays

COVID Might Be The Least Of Your Worries If Traveling With Weed During The Holidays
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM via Unsplash

Millions of Americans are still traveling this holiday season, despite the pandemic. Some of the latest data shows that COVID-19 is now responsible for more than 85,000 hospitalizations per day in the United States. Yet, nobody wants to miss turkey day or any other holiday festivity this year, so they are piling into planes, trains, and automobiles to get to their families, even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that this might not be the best idea.

Many of them are under the impression that as long as they wear masks, load up on hand sanitizer and stay six feet away from others, they might escape unscathed. But none of these precautions will save them from going to jail if they happen to get caught with weed.

Wait, what?

Continue reading >>>

What Americans Can Learn From A British Study On Hashish Potency

What Americans Can Learn From A British Study On Hashish Potency
Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash

A U.K. think tank has published as study called Changes in delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) concentrations in cannabis over time: systematic review and meta‐analysis.

A meta-analysis is a fancy word for studying studies, and generally speaking, the larger the sample, the more reliable the results will be, and the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath “analysed data from more than 80,000 cannabis street samples tested in the past 50 years in the US, UK, Netherlands, France, Denmark, Italy and New Zealand.”  

Continue reading >>>

These People Are First In Line To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

Here Are The Groups That'll Get The COVID Vaccine First According To The CDC
Photo by Testalize via Unsplash

There are three promising coronavirus vaccines in the works, from Pzifer, Moderna and AstraZeneca, meaning that the release of the first round of immunizations is imminent. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) released their first guidelines on how they are making important decisions, such as who gets the first round of COVID-19 vaccines. The panel notes four groups of people who’ll likely be the recipients of these inaugural doses.

Continue reading >>>

The US Is About To Be Sandwiched Between Two Countries With Legal Weed — Is It Next?

The US Is About To Be Sandwiched Between Two Countries With Legal Weed — Is It Next?
Photo by Carol Yepes/Getty Images

Marijuana is legal nationwide in Canada, and it could soon be in Mexico, as well. But the United States government has all but refused to even consider marijuana legalization as part of the American way.

Although a slew of states has ended pot prohibition at the state level — allowing weed to be sold like booze — the feds do not have any interest in taking this concept to the big stage. But if the U.S. is about to be sandwiched between two countries with legal weed, could lawmakers have a change of heart? The answer is one part politics and two parts everything else.

Continue reading >>>

A Deeper Dive Ahead Of A Key Day In Congress For Cannabis

A Deeper Dive Ahead Of A Key Day In Congress For Cannabis
Photo by Jeff W via Unsplash

It’s time. Cannabis history is having its moment.

The election is over, cannabis had its biggest voter approval day ever on November 3, and everyone who has a stake in the cannabis industry is saying it out loud: The cannabis legalization battle is over.

In total, 15 states have now either enacted or have voted to enact adult-use legalization laws, while 36 states have either enacted or have voted to enact medical marijuana access laws.

Continue reading >>>

US Airlines Can Now Ban These On Flights

0

 Say goodbye to your emotional support animal. From now on, only this service animal is allowed on flights.

A new rule now allows airlines in the United States to ban a wide range of emotional support animals from riding in the cabin. This follows news of controversy over emotional support animals that includes pigs, turtles, peacocks and more, which have been allowed to accompany owners over the past couple of years and have caused trouble mid-flights.

The Department of Transportation stated that only dogs are now accepted as service animals. They also clarify that the term “emotional support animal” is no longer considered the same as that of a “service animal.”

RELATED: 5 Ways To Prepare Your Pet For A Flight

According to the ruling, dogs must be “individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability” in order to be considered a service animal. They must also be leashed, tethered or harnessed at all times on flight and must not show signs of aggressive behavior. All other animals must be checked into the cargo hold, most likely for a fee.

People Keep Naming Their Dogs After Marijuana Terms
Photo by Joe Caione via Unsplash

This revision was prompted by disruptions in flights caused by unusual species of animals that “eroded the public trust in legitimate service animals.” It will go in effect within 30 days and gives airlines the opportunity to choose what to do, allowing pets to board flights without paying a fee if they want to. Deciding on whether a pet is a service animal or not is a “contentious question, with strongly held views on all sides and with no perfect solution.”

RELATED: 5 Things To Know Before Going On A Road Trip

Animals on planes have long been a source of stress for airlines, but it seems like a strange time to make a decision that will upset so many possible travelers, especially since airlines have been experiencing a serious lack of business. In the meantime, no peacocks or hamsters allowed on board.

How Long Does COVID-19 Loss Of Taste And Smell Last

0

Many who’ve had COVID-19 have experienced the loss of smell and taste. Here’s what experts know about how long it can last.

COVID-19 symptoms and recovery vary dramatically from person to person. While some experience the virus and recover within a couple of weeks, others experience strange repercussions, among them the loss of taste and smell which can last from weeks to months.

Medically speaking, these symptoms are known as anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste), and they can affect people temporarily when they experience a strong cold or flu. They can also be side effects to smoking or some type of medication. When applied to COVID-19, these symptoms are more pronounced and tend to occur suddenly, producing a noticeable change.

We don’t know enough about the virus to explain why this is occurring, but experts have different theories. For short term cases, it’s believed that the congestion produced by infections on the upper respiratory tract can block smell. For long term losses of smell and taste, experts believe that the virus plays a role in inflaming the inside of the nose, causing the loss of olfactory neurons. There’s no known remedy for this except time and hoping that sooner or later your body will heal itself.

eating
Photo by Icons8 Team via Unsplash 

The Huffington Post spoke with Chrissy Kelly, founder of AbScent, a support group for people who’ve lost their sense of smell and taste. The group was founded years before the pandemic, but it has experienced a boon of interest during the year.

RELATED: Here’s What It Feels Like To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine

“It’s estimated that around half of COVID-19 patients experience changes to their sense of taste and smell,” Kelly explained. “Most will recover within two to three weeks, but many thousands are still working towards recovery many months later.”

As a way of coping with this new condition, Kelly recommends patients create textures with foods, mixing creamy and crunchy, and to practice smell training. This consists of sniffing a panel of scents twice a day for a period of at least four months, with each session being focused and mindful. “It’s safe, anyone can do it and it’s well researched and recommended by doctors,” she said.

RELATED: Besides COVID, Can Face Masks Help Protect You From This?

Individual experiences with COVID-19 change drastically, with some experiencing the return of their senses within weeks and others having to wait months in order to be able to smell and taste again.

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.