Can CBD Help With PMS?

Mary Sauer

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August 4, 2020

Because every woman is unique, the effectiveness of CBD truly depends on the kind of symptoms she’s dealing with each month.

When it’s that time of the month, you’ll reach for anything to relieve the discomfort of PMS. Between cramps, headaches, fatigue and restless nights, a cure-all sounds like something we’d trade our souls for. And while we aren’t quite there yet, ladies, CBD can at least help take the edge off. (Even goop agrees!)

PMS effects 75% of menstruating women and to be perfectly honest, it totally sucks. We haven’t nailed down the exact cause of PMS, but most believe it has something to do with the way hormones change during this time of a woman’s cycle. The symptoms vary greatly and it is now believed that as many as 150 different premenstrual symptoms exist. The most common of these symptoms include irritability, anxiety, depression, fatigue and sleep problems, and bloating — but that’s truly just the tip of the iceberg.

PMS lasts for five to 11 days before the onset of menstruation. To put that in perspective, that’s every 2 to 3 weeks of a woman’s life until she hits menopause. If you’ve found a way to manage the effects of your cycle, that’s great, but those of us with severe PMS, heavy periods, or bad reactions to birth control can start to feel kind of desperate for a solution.

How Is PMS Treated?

Talking about treatment of PMS actually isn’t quite accurate since it isn’t a disease to be cured. Instead, it’s a massive group of symptoms to be managed and what does and doesn’t work really depends on each person and their individual experience.

For example, a doctor might suggest hormonal birth control to stop ovulation with the hope of reducing the severity of PMS symptoms. Those who deal with intense mood swings may turn to an antidepressant. There isn’t one perfect approach, either. For example, these two strategies might work great for some but antidepressants can come with side effects and birth control isn’t an option for women who are trying to conceive.

PMS — Photo by Marjan_Apostolovic/Getty Images; Leaf by cheifyc via Pixabay

Can CBD Help With PMS Symptoms?

The good news is that CBD, or cannabidiol, might provide women with mild to moderate PMS symptoms with some relief. Because of the unique experience of each woman, the effectiveness of CBD truly depends on the kind of symptoms they’re dealing with each month. Here’s what we found out.

Let’s start with the mood swings. Those days leading up to menstruation can be full of anxiety, irritability, and even depression. In 2014, a research review summarized the evidence supporting the use of CBD for depression. What researchers found is that CBD does appear to have an antidepressant-like effect, however the research up until this point has been done on animals and human studies are needed to confirm these findings. A 2015 research review looked at the possibility of using CBD oil for anxiety management and found convincing evidence that CBD could help manage anxiety, including obsessive compulsive symptoms, social anxiety, public speaking, and more.

Sleep problems are also a common part of PMS and the bane of my existence. This might mean tossing and turning, waking up feeling fatigued, or straight up not sleeping more than a couple hours during premenstrual days. CBD could give some women relief, with increased sleep times observed in rats administered this hemp-based product.

If nausea and vomiting is a part of your PMS experience, CBD could address that as well. According to research published in the British Journal of Pharmacology in 2011, CBD can be used to manipulate the endocannabinoid system and in turn achieve relief from vomiting and nausea.

Last, but not least, a lot of women break out before and during their period. CBD is becoming a popular addition to skin care products because of its effect on inflammation, as observed in a 2016 study in Experimental Dermatology, which plays a big role in acne.

How To Use CBD For PMS

CBD has been deemed safe for everyday use by the World Health Organization and has mild side effects if any are experienced at all. This is a hemp-based product, which means it contains less than .3% THC and won’t create a high. Because of this, CBD is also legal in all 50 states.

Daily use of CBD for PMS is pretty simple; start with the suggested dosage on a product and increase slightly until you encounter relief. If you begin to feel fatigued or experience diarrhea, you might be taking too much and will likely see side effect diminish with a lower dose.

What A New Study Reveals About Cannabis And Migraines

Kate-Madonna Hindes

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August 4, 2020

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What A New Study Reveals About Cannabis And Migraines

One key finding determined that cannabis with THC levels over 10% became the strongest predictor of success in treating the migraine and headache-related pain with cannabis.

For the first time, researchers have focused on dried cannabis flower as treatment for headaches and migraines.

The study, published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine, examined, in real time, “the associations between different product characteristics and changes in symptom intensity following Cannabis use.”

Interestingly, results showcased that the flower was indeed effective for migraines, but the specifics of the cannabis plant (gender, age, combustion methods) may decrease effectivity. One key finding determined that cannabis with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels over 10% became the strongest predictor of success in treating the migraine and headache-related pain with cannabis.

Additionally, the “C. indica” strain offered greater success with individuals in the study over its “C. sativa” counterpart. Overall, for those seeking migraine relief and for healthcare professionals looking to treat those with headaches, the study could be an important conversation starter for better outcomes against pain.

Prolonged Cannabis Exposure Might Help Treat Migraines — Photo by Claudia Barbosa via Pexels

A secret tool for headache pain

Results of the study offer staggering insight to how cannabis not only alleviates but could eliminate migraine pain for some users. With over 94 percent of users experiencing symptom relief within two hours, the study has brought to light deeper conversations around cannabis’ role in pain and quality-of-life for those experiencing headache-related disorders.

The research joins another study that looked into the use of prolonged cannabis for individuals that suffer from migraines. Published this past May in the journal Brain Sciences, the study found that frequent cannabis use decreased migraine frequency.

“These findings indicate that MC results in long-term reduction of migraine frequency in >60% of treated patients and is associated with less disability and lower antimigraine medication intake.”

Cannabis and CBD have had rising interest in migraine treatments in the last few years with organizations looking to alternative medicine to offer a needed solution for those who want to stay away from opioids. The Migraine Research Foundation gave Dr. Nathaniel Schuster from the University of California San Diego for his research on cannabis in 2018. Additionally, the American Headache Society and the American Migraine Foundation have both expressed the need for more research around cannabis and CBD for migraine relief.

Will Weed Sales Plummet When Enhanced Unemployment Benefits End?

Brendan Bures

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August 3, 2020

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Will Weed Sales Plummet When Enhanced Unemployment Benefits End?

Uncertainty abounds in the coming weeks, as the cannabis industry will learn if its business is as resilient as alcohol.

No neat and tidy summation explains how the coronavirus impacted the cannabis industry. Due to the plant’s federal illegal status, cannabis businesses were not eligible for small business relief other sectors enjoyed and big companies scaled back many of their operations. Just don’t tell the customers.

The cannabis industry is expected to surpass $15 billion in combined recreational and medical sales, a 40% rise from the year previous, and weed workers should outnumber computer programmers by year’s end.

But the industry will now confront whether increasing sales numbers were correlated to the additional $600 benefit in unemployment checks provided by the CARES Act. These extra benefits, which were designed to ease financial burdens for out-of-work Americans under the coronavirus pandemic, ended July 26.

Republicans and Democrats are currently drafting a new round of relief funding, as more than 30 million Americans remain out of work. That $600 bonus in benefits has emerged as a primary separation between the two parties, as Democrats want to maintain the weekly benefit and Republicans would like to reduce it to $200 a week.

Outside tourist-heavy markets like Nevada, cannabis sales have steadily risen throughout the pandemic. Baby boomers and millennials reported spending about an extra $27 per week since mid-March, according to a recent poll. However, that could soon change.

“I’m confident in saying that reducing an individual’s total earnings will affect the amount of money they’ll be able to spend on cannabis,” Andrew Livingston, director of economics and research at Vicente Sederberg, a cannabis-based law firm, told MJBizDaily. “But I would expect a larger impact on adult-use sales because medical patients treat cannabis a lot like their necessary medicine.”

Is Donald Trump To Blame For Plunging Canopy Growth Stocks? — Photo by rawpixel.com

For all the proclamations about cannabis as “essential business,” this moment could indicate whether marijuana is as resilient as wine, beer, and spirits. Alcohol sales have increased around 27% since March 7, according to Nielsen data, with domestic beer and spiked seltzer being the biggest beneficiaries.

What’s helping brands like Busch Light and Miller Light increase sales? Their affordability and bulk packaging at a time when many Americans have searched for ways to cut costs. Canada’s biggest marijuana retailers, including Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis, announced so-called “value brands” the first week of March, before the severity of the coronavirus had been realized in North America. Perhaps this will become a new model moving forward in the cannabis industry.

Marijuana business have reached an interesting crossroads, one backdropped by a global pandemic. Optimism remains in the cannabis investing space, and some may find opportunity in unusual spaces.

“The industry has found itself pandemic-resistant as cannabis has been treated as an essential business allowing dispensaries to remain open and, in many cases, showing record sales during this tough period,” David Feldman, a partner at Hiller P.C., a global law firm, told The Fresh Toast. “That said, most companies in the industry are not yet at break-even, and raising money remains a major challenge, as it has for about a year.”

Prosecutorial Misconduct: The Invisible Problem Behind The Police

Richard Cowan

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August 3, 2020

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Prosecutorial Misconduct: The Invisible Problem Behind The Police

***Disclaimer:* *The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.***

We must completely reform the criminal justice system from top to bottom, starting with the current U.S. Attorney General, Bill Barr.

While I understand the pain behind the calls to “Abolish the Police” etc., I think that they are simplistic and even counterproductive. Police misconduct is really just the visible part of the problem. We have overloaded the police with problems that would be better handled by trained social workers. We have given them impossible tasks, notably the Drug War, and especially marijuana prohibition, and we have hired people who clearly should not be trusted with the power of life and death.

In the African American community, one major complaint about unjustified violence in law enforcement is the lack of prosecution even in cases where their actions seem especially egregious. And when there is a prosecution, it seems almost impossible to find a conviction. Nonetheless, in these cases the local jurisdictions end up paying huge sums in damages to the victims or their families. So who’s in charge here?

Although in the hierarchy of law enforcement the Police Chief or Sheriff is nominally in control, it is really the District Attorney, and the State or Federal Attorneys General who have the ultimate power over actual policing. (Judges may sometimes assert their authority, but only in the most extreme cases.)

And yet, this is something we almost never hear about, even in the midst of the current crisis in law enforcement.

Consider this report in The Appeal, an editorially independent project of The Justice Collaborative and a fiscally sponsored project of Tides Advocacy.

“One study found that in California, from 1997 to 2009, there were 707 instances where a judge found that a prosecutor committed misconduct. Only six of those—less than 1 percent—resulted in a public sanction by the state bar. And even that number significantly under-represents the problem: Most instances of prosecutorial misconduct do not result in a judicial finding in the first place, because the misconduct either goes undiscovered or is not taken seriously by the courts.

Marijuana Reform Intersects With Policing And Racial Justice In Vital Ways — Photo by JANIFEST/Getty Images

“Other states are no better than ours. In Massachusetts, as of April 2016, only two prosecutors had been publicly disciplined since 1980, despite at least 142 instances over that same period where a judge reversed a guilty verdict or dismissed charges based on a prosecutor’s misconduct. In contrast, over 1,400 non-prosecutors have been disciplined in Massachusetts over roughly the last 15 years. And in Louisiana, the first professional sanction against a prosecutor didn’t occur until 2005.”

The flip side of convicting the innocent would be illegally protecting police who have been rightly charged in a crime. I understand that prosecutors may be sympathetic to the police who are often in very difficult situations, and that prosecutors want the goodwill of the police, but the public interest in justice is paramount. We are all the victims when prosecutorial misconduct undermines justice.

The Innocence Project has an astonishing record of freeing people wrongly convicted, often as the result of prosecutorial misconduct or simple incompetence in cases involving police misconduct.

It doesn’t make as good a slogan as “Abolishing the Police”, but we must completely reform the criminal justice system from top to bottom, starting with the current U.S. Attorney General, Bill Barr. Next year, we will have the rare opportunity to confront this massive institutional malfeasance.

Richard Cowan is a syndicated author of the Marijuana Weekly News column and the co-founder of Real Tested CBD Reviews.

5 Ways To Turn Your Walk Into A Workout

Maria Loreto

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August 3, 2020

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Leisurely walks are a great excuse for leaving your house and getting some fresh air, but they’re also good opportunities to burn calories.

2020 might be the year walks officially became cool. Popularized by everyone who’s currently in lockdown (basically all of us), walks give us a break from our roommates and homes and allow us to clear our minds and relax.

Walks, even when done without fitness in mind, can be incredibly soothing and effective. They can make us feel better and provide us with a much needed dose of perspective. Still, they’re much easier to pull off than a regular workout because they feel like a leisurely activity.

Since many are lacking cardio options for workouts, walks can be an easy solution, just as long as you keep in mind that you’re walking for fitness and not for fun. While it can be both, if you want to get a sweat on, you’re going to have to put in some effort. Here are 5 tips that can help you transform your daily walks into a cardio workout:

Wear the right gear

Clothes always put you in a proper mindset, especially when we’re talking about fitness. Instead of going out in your jeans and a t-shirt, try to put on some workout clothes and running shoes, which will push you to walk further and for longer periods of time.

Take a longer path

How Marijuana And CBD Help Create Calm, Healing Walks — Photo by Tyler Nix via Unsplash

If you want to burn some calories on your walk, keep track of your walking distance and pace, and push yourself to walk for longer periods of time. Try using an app like Runkeeper, which tracks all the necessary data, and look for a longer route. Push yourself to get at least 30 minutes of brisk walking under your belt at least three times a week. If you want to increase that number, add a couple of extra minutes per walk.

Pay attention to your form

Form is important for running and walking, making the process easier on your joints while also reducing the odds of falls and injuries. Engage your core and focus on the work that your muscles are doing, noticing improvement along the way.

Carry weights or resistance bands

run outside walk exercise — Photo by Arek Adeoye via Unsplash

Challenge yourself by adding weights or resistance bands to your walks. These don’t have to be expensive or too heavy, they can simply be wrist weights or weighted vests, which add some strain to your body. Start out with something small and manageable and make sure that you feel comfortable before you head outside.

Use elevation

There’s no need to run or to walk fast when there’s elevation, which naturally makes you burn more calories without having to increase your pace. Walking in incline and in decline target different muscles in your body and can even be more challenging than a straightforward run. Even more challenging? Find a set of stairs to run on your walk.

Weed Workers Will Outnumber Computer Programmers By End Of 2020

Brendan Bures

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August 3, 2020

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Weed Workers Will Outnumber Computer Programmers By End Of 2020

Total combined recreational and medical cannabis sales in the U.S. is anticipated to break $15 billion by year’s end.

If you’re looking for work amid the pandemic and live in a legal state, the cannabis industry is hiring. New data published in the 2020 edition of the annual Marijuana Business Factbook reports the U.S. cannabis industry is expected to add almost 250,000 full-time jobs between 2020 and 2024.

The cannabis industry employed around 165,000-210,000 workers in 2019, but the number is expected to jump 50% by year’s end — or, 240,000-295,000 workers. These figures represent those who work directly with the plant as well as those employed in ancillary services, including consultants and lawyers, that support the industry.

Should the cannabis industry add that number of workers, it would outpace the numbers of librarians, steel workers, journalists currently employed. According to latest figures by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, weed workers would also outnumber computer programmers, which are defined as those who “create, modify, and test the code and scripts that allow computer applications to run.”

finding business opportunities in the cannabis industry — Photo by FatCamera/Getty Images

“There is the potential for cannabis sales to slow if the economic pain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic becomes more pronounced,” reads the Marijuana Business Factbook, which written by the editors of Marijuana Business Daily. “If so, growth in marijuana industry jobs might stall. So far, sales have held relatively steady through the coronavirus crisis. But that could change.”

A recent poll by Verilife dispensaries reported that millennials and boomers are on average spending $27 more per month since the pandemic outbreak. Total combined recreational and medical cannabis sales in the U.S. is anticipated to break $15 billion by year’s end, about a 40% increase from 2019 sales data. That represents more total revenue than the NBA generated in 2019.

State lawmakers in New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania have all suggested recreational marijuana legalization to boost local economies hit by the pandemic. Financial analysts have also suggested federal legalization would also become more likely next year should Democrats sweep the 2020 Election.

5 Apps To Help You Manage Anxiety

Maria Loreto

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August 2, 2020

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There’s an app for everything nowadays, including anxiety and stress. These are good options for when your problems are manageable or you can’t afford therapy.

We live in anxiety inducing times. Maybe it’s Instagram or the pandemic, or simply the fact that people are more comfortable now with openly discussing their mental health, but it feels like everyone is battling anxiety and stress to some degree. Luckily, there’s an app for that.

While none of these apps could ever replace the opinion of an expert, they are good options when your problem is not too serious or you can’t afford to go to therapy. These apps are good Band Aids for garden variety issues like stress and anxiety, but they probably won’t work if you’re clinically depressed.

From apps that transform mental health exercises into games, to ones that contact you with professionals, here are five apps that can help you cope with anxiety.

Happify

One of the most popular apps on this list is Happify, which grants you access to mobile games that claim to make you happier, establishing positive life habits. When opening the app you’ll be asked a set of questions that will determine which “track” you should follow. The app will then assign daily activities and quizzes that’ll help you reach your in-app goal.

Brain.fm

could dmt pyschedelic become a new treatment for anxiety and depression — Photo by Sasha Freemind via Unsplash.

RELATED: 5 Physical Symptoms Of Anxiety

One of the coolest concepts is the one devised by Brain.fm, which asks a mood you want to achieve and plays music that’ll you help you get there within 15 minutes. It sounds too good to be true but it was designed by neuroscientists and there’s an algorithm and everything.

Headspace

Headspace is a meditation app, providing you sessions that last 3, 5 or more minutes. The basic course is free and sends reminders for daily meditation sessions, providing vocal guidance that works a lot for beginners.

Mood path

5 gifts that are great for people with anxiety — Photo by Gift Habeshaw via Unsplash

This app was developed to see if the user has symptoms of depression, tracking their mood for a period of 14 days and judging the severity of your symptoms. At the end of this time frame, Mood Path completes a report that can be mailed to your therapist.

Talk Space

The simplest app of the bunch is Talk Space, a service that links you with licensed therapists that live in your area. It’s quick and effective, asking you to fill out a questionnaire and then linking you up with a therapist.

Major Cannabis Companies Shun Oklahoma

Debra Borchardt

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August 2, 2020

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The state recorded $365 million in sales in 2019, the first full year, and that number is estimated to grow to $950 million by 2025. So what’s the problem?

Major cannabis companies shun Oklahoma. Most legal states tend to have a handful of MSO’s who plant their flags and make a big showing. Cresco Labs in Illinois or Trulieve in Florida are great examples of this. However, Oklahoma is a massively fractured market when it comes to ownership and the jury is out on whether it’s a good idea or not.

Oklahoma’s Market Size

Medical marijuana was legalized in Oklahoma through a ballot referendum in 2018. The state looked like it was on track to move forward for full legalization, but that has been delayed by the pandemic. The state has been on a licensing frenzy with over 7,000 businesses approved.

Oklahoma is now forecast to make it to the top ten list of states for per capita spending on cannabis. The per capita spending as per a recent ArcView/BDSA report showed Oklahoma at $90.40 in 2019 spending and that is projected to grow to $226.40 by 2025.

The state recorded $365 million in sales in 2019, the first full year, and that number is estimated to grow to $950 million by 2025. That will be even bigger than Pennsylvania’s estimated $770 million in 2025. The legit market took 30% away from the illicit market almost immediately.

These numbers would seem to be enough to entice a big MSO to head to the Sooner State, but that hasn’t happened. According to Cannabiz Media, 6,088 license holders only have one license, while 619 held multiple licenses. There are none of the familiar names in the top 25 license holders list.

Oklahoma City Voting To Decriminalize Cannabis — Photo by Urbanative/Wikimedia

Everyone Gets A License

One of the biggest differences for Oklahoma’s program is the liberal approach to licensing and the low 4% tax rate. Unlike the millions of dollars that it costs in most states to procure a cannabis license. it only costs $2500 to get a license in this state. A refreshing difference, but as one unnamed cultivation vendor put it, “I expect to see my products for sale in two years on CraigsList or eBay.”

The state has registered 5.8% of the population for medical marijuana patient cards. That is expected to grow to 10% in 2025. By comparison, Nevada only registered 1.2% and Oregon was at 2.5% in 2014 at its peak. With no qualifying conditions, doctors are free to recommend medical marijuana for any reason they deem fit. Like other states, many of these patients are actually recreational users and if full legalization happens, they are likely to drop their medical cards.

Producers Paradise

The numerous dispensaries though are great for brands. Oklahoma is home to the second most dispensaries per capita, which equals 15.6 dispensaries per 100,000 residents. A new report from Verilife wrote, “It’s interesting to note that while Oklahoma has the most marijuana dispensaries per capita, it has generated the least amount of tax revenue from cannabis out of all the states where marijuana is legal. The state is home to nearly 600 dispensaries but generated only $70,000 from marijuana in 2018.”

According to LeafLink, Smokiez Edibles is the number one brand in the state. The brand also sells its products in California, Washington, and Oregon and comes from a California-based privately-held company called LoudPack Inc. This quiet brand has been amassing numerous awards for its quality and quickly looked to the state as a place to dominate.

Top Oklahoma Brands on LeafLink in 2020 – 7/29/20

Smokiez Edibles
US Cannabis Pharma
Pharmicated
Cartel Oil Co
Sublime Brands OK

Top Oklahoma Products on LeafLink in 2020

Maui Waui Outdoor Flower from Argent Cannabis
KIMBO KUSH from Happy Hour Medicinals
Sublime 100mg Caramel Chew from Sublime Brands OK
Multi-Piece Watermelon 250mg Sweet Fruit Chews from Smokiez Edibles
500mg GANJA GUMMIES from CANNA BASICS

Colorado-based edible brand 1906 said it was choosing to enter into the Oklahoma market in lieu of California and Oregon, due to the state’s burgeoning cannabis scene within its major cities such as Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and Norman. The brand is aiming to become not only the largest edibles company in Oklahoma but west of the Rocky Mountains. The promise Oklahoma holds is the brand’s first foray into becoming the market leader in the emerging region.

1906 CEO Peter Barsoom said, “Oklahoma is the most “free market” of medical and adult use markets with low barriers to entry for patients and business owners. As a result, you have a vibrant market with one of the highest per capita patient counts, competitive prices, and high accessibility (lots of dispensaries). Which had translated into one of the largest medical marijuana markets.”

He added, “The financial success of MSOs is dependent on regulatory arbitrage. Keeping competition out, prices high, and vertical integration requirements. So if those are the requisites of success for an MSO, Oklahoma is not an attractive market. The business model of most MSOs is dependent on a supply-constrained large arbitrage between the cost to cultivate cannabis and the cost the consumer/patient pays.”

This article has been reposted with permission from Green Market Report.

Does Charlie Puth Smoke Weed?

Maria Loreto

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August 1, 2020

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Puth once reminisced about eating “like a pound of marijuana cookies” and having a six-hour freakout. Did that scare him off weed for good?

At 28-years-old, Charlie Puth has already made a successful career that includes Grammy and Golden Globe nominations, with each new record exposing new layers of his talent, all resulting in music that bears his personal stamp.

This week, it was revealed that Puth is sitting on an unreleased collab with fellow singer and songwriter Zayn Malik.

Found my old hard drive…found an old song I made with Zayn that never came out….but damn his voice!!! There’s like 100 vocal layers in here!!

— Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) July 30, 2020

No word if the song will ever be released, but what we really want to know is: Does Puth smoke weed?

Puth has spoken up several times about his social anxiety, his struggles with fame, how he has a hard time dating, and how all of that has influenced his life and music. Still, he’s very tight lipped about his drug use.

RELATED: Does Harry Styles Smoke Weed?

In a 2018 interview with Billboard magazine, he explained that his rise to fame was fast and contributed to him overusing marijuana while hanging out with Wiz Khalifa. “He was like, ‘Fool, put this in your tea!’ I was like, ‘Why do I feel relaxed all of a sudden?’ It was liquid THC!” He said that for a time he was out smoking some rappers.

Everything You Need To Know About Cannabis And Hemorrhoids — Photo by Cappi Thompson/Getty Images

Puth reminisced about eating “like a pound of marijuana cookies” and having a six-hour freakout.

“I thought I had to party and date a lot of girls and just go crazy,” he said. “I thought it was what was expected of me as a musician. My mom was the one who was like, ‘You’re losing touch with why you got here.'”

In that same interview he said that he now doesn’t smoke weed in order to preserve his falsetto. So, according to his statements over the years, Puth doesn’t seem to be too interested in weed, in whatever shape it comes.

Grandma Went From Minister To CBD Evangelist

Javier Hasse

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August 1, 2020

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Grandma Went From Minister To CBD Evangelist

Joy Smith first tried CBD by recommendation of her son, during a time where she has having issues related to sleep and chronic pain.

The cannabis world is full of unlikely conversion stories, like that of former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who went from being overtly anti-cannabis to being a voice for the legal marijuana industry and an advisor to one of the largest weed companies in the U.S. today, or that of former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who opposed legalization during his presidency but now sits on the boards of a couple cannabis companies. One such conversion story is that of Joy Smith, this grandma went from minister to CBD evangelist. She went from preaching the Lord’s word as a Christian minister, to preaching the benefits of pure CBD as a hemp entrepreneur.

“I’ve always had a passion to see people healed and to help them find their purpose,” Smith said in an exclusive interview. “Being a minister was a natural result of this passion; and so is leading a CBD company. I have the distinct honor of seeing lives transformed and people truly stepping into their potential because of what CBD has done for them. Minister to CEO, believe it or not, was a very natural transition for me.”

Getting Into CBD

Joy first tried CBD by recommendation of her son, during a time where she has having issues related to sleep and chronic pain. At first, she was very hesitant, but ended up taking the leap after conducting enough research. “The relief was almost immediate and I became an instant convert.”

Following that great experience, Joy decided to start digging into CBD in detail and started testing diverse products containing the much celebrated chemical compound found in hemp and cannabis plants. It quickly became clear to her that the CBD industry was pretty much of a “hit or miss” industry. “Some products worked and others didn’t. I was also victim to some unscrupulous companies.”

Assuming many others had had similar experiences, Joy set out to create a company that not only provided the high-quality CBD, but one that also incorporated “radical transparency via stringent third-party testing and then making those results available.”

Joy Smith – Picture courtesy of Joy Organics

The goal was to reach those who could greatly benefit but might otherwise be skeptical to try CBD, she said.

Christian Cannabis?

Knowing about Joy Smith’s past as a Christian minister, one might wonder: what do religions say about cannabis?

Joy quickly brought up a few religions that consider cannabis a sacred plant.

“Many other religions find issues with things like THC or alcohol, which can alter one’s mental state,” she said. “But I haven’t heard any well-informed, anti-CBD sentiment that is founded in religion, especially considering this compound in particular lacks those potentially negative psychotropic effects.

For me and my faith as a Christian, whether or not to use a plant that God created to help heal my body seemed like an obvious decision.”

However, Joy clarified that her personal focus is entirely put on CBD and hemp, not marijuana. Having said this, she acknowledged “there’s much to be explored regarding the medicinal benefits of the plant and how to maximize them.” “Cannabis has been safely used for health and wellness for thousands of years, and we’re just beginning to discover the nuances of how all 113 cannabinoids affects the human body. It’s an exciting time to be in this industry now that the stigma is being erased.”

Organic Joy

With all of this in mind, Joy, her husband and one of her four sons, co-founded Joy Organics, a Colorado-based CBD company. The company manufactures and sells pharmaceutical grade, full-spectrum phytocannabinoid-rich hemp oil, which is THC-free and rigorously tested by third-party labs.

In addition to selling their products online and white-labeling for other brands, Joy Organics now operates three brick and mortar stores.

Picture courtesy of Joy Organics

One of the biggest challenges for Joy Organics, however, still lingers: education. “What I see is that a lack of education, and even misinformation, impedes many people who could greatly benefit from CBD from seeking out this natural alternative. It’s a shame but understandable. When I see so much capacity for good in this plant, it’s difficult to understand why so many want to impede access. This is our biggest challenge but the amount of advocates in this space, including the medical profession, reminds me that we’re not alone in this fight. That’s encouraging and makes me believe it’s just a matter of time before we see CBD products used in the same way as vitamins.”

In her opinion, the current lack of clarity in FDA regulations is not serving the industry and, more importantly, consumers. As it stands now, the guidelines focus mainly on marketing and disallowing CBD in to the food supply chain, she noted. This results in consumers being left to fend for themselves.

“I’m hopeful that the FDA creates industry standards so consumers can have confidence in what they’re purchasing and using. Once everyone is operating from the same playbook I also think we’ll see real innovations in the space to maximize what the plant has to offer,” Smith concluded.

The marijuana industry is diverse, who would have guessed this grandma went from minister to CBD evangelist, if you can make it in cannabis, you can make it anywhere.

The Fresh ToastThe most trusted name in cannabis

Because every woman is unique, the effectiveness of CBD truly depends on the kind of symptoms she’s dealing with each month.

How Is PMS Treated?

Can CBD Help With PMS Symptoms?

How To Use CBD For PMS

One key finding determined that cannabis with THC levels over 10% became the strongest predictor of success in treating the migraine and headache-related pain with cannabis.

A secret tool for headache pain

Uncertainty abounds in the coming weeks, as the cannabis industry will learn if its business is as resilient as alcohol.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.

We must completely reform the criminal justice system from top to bottom, starting with the current U.S. Attorney General, Bill Barr.

Leisurely walks are a great excuse for leaving your house and getting some fresh air, but they’re also good opportunities to burn calories.

Wear the right gear

Take a longer path

Pay attention to your form

Carry weights or resistance bands

Use elevation

Total combined recreational and medical cannabis sales in the U.S. is anticipated to break $15 billion by year’s end.

There’s an app for everything nowadays, including anxiety and stress. These are good options for when your problems are manageable or you can’t afford therapy.

The state recorded $365 million in sales in 2019, the first full year, and that number is estimated to grow to $950 million by 2025. So what’s the problem?

Oklahoma’s Market Size

Everyone Gets A License

Producers Paradise

Puth once reminisced about eating “like a pound of marijuana cookies” and having a six-hour freakout. Did that scare him off weed for good?

Joy Smith first tried CBD by recommendation of her son, during a time where she has having issues related to sleep and chronic pain.

Getting Into CBD

Christian Cannabis?

Organic Joy

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