Despite all the quality time dogs are getting with their owners, the pandemic could be affecting their stress levels and mental health.
If there’s one demographic that’s had fun over the past couple of months, it’s dogs. While our mental health has been severely challenged by the pandemic and all of the stressors that go along with that, puppies have finally gotten what they’ve always wanted: unlimited time with their owners and really, really long walks. Like, extremely long.
Despite your dog’s happy face every morning, some new data finds that they might also be influenced by the pandemic. We know CBD works to calm anxiety in humans. But could CBD also provide relief for our furry friends?
Pets are much more perceptive than we give them credit for. Sleep Standard conducted a survey, hoping to learn more about pets’ experiences over the past couple of months. When speaking with pet owners, data shows that these people are experiencing anxiety, loneliness, stress and uncertainty over their future, and that they might be passing on these feelings to their dogs. Despite all of this, 91% of pet owners were happy to have a pet while quarantined, since these animals can help them feel less lonely.
Pet owners also said that their pets were showing anxious behaviors, likely because of the large amounts of time that pets and their people have been spending together.
Photo by Mark Zamora via Unsplash
Dogs’ anxiety is hard to spot, but it can present itself through aggression, biting on furniture, barking, urinating indoors, and all sorts of behaviors that aren’t “normal” for your dog. Data collected on CBD and its effect on pets is not that extensive; there’s some anecdotal evidence, but not a lot of scientific research behind it.
Some of the research that’s available suggests CBD could help dogs control anxiety, pain, stress and even depression. “Dogs have endocannabinoid receptors within its body called CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors regulate the release of cytokine (signaling proteins) that are a contributing factor for helping regulate mood disorders, such as depression. When dogs ingests CBD, it stimulates their CB1 and CB2 which give them the sensations of wellbeing and a calm state of mind,” says Andreana Pena, founder of pet CBD brand Blooming Culture.
Some veterinarians, however, aren’t ready to say that CBD is a viable option for dogs, explaining that there’s no enough evidence to discard any potential health hazards for pets. They advise on being careful and in monitoring your pet closely if you decide to give them a dose of the product.
“However, we are truly unsure of its true safety and potential drug interactions with traditional medications. Therefore, there’s a very gray zone on this,” Dr. Adam Christman told the Huffington Post.
While CBD might work for your dog, whether you’re looking to provide them some calm as you go back to work or just want to take the edge off of some strange behavior, it’s important to be very careful. Talk to your vet and look for a product that has good reviews and a certificate of analysis (COA).
Watch as these experts discuss the cutting edge, multidisciplinary studies underway to explore just how cannabis and CBD deliver their diverse health benefits.
While there is mounting anecdotal evidence on the therapeutic benefits of cannabis and CBD, including their anti-inflammatory and anxiolytic effects, we still don’t fully understand the underlying biological mechanisms leading to their efficacy, or why they can be effective for some people, but not for others.
Groundbreaking new human studies from UC San Diego, University of Utah, and the Wholistic Research and Education Foundation are about to change all that:
How do THC and CBD influence large-scale brain networks involved in pain, stress, attention, executive function, emotion regulation, and cognition?
Why do CBD and THC have different effects for different individuals?
Does CBD hold a therapeutic promise for Autism and other neurodevelopmental diseases, and if so, how?
Watch the expert panel put together by Trailblazers, moderated by Benzinga Cannabis Managing Director and El Planteo CEO Javier Hasse, to learn about the cutting edge, multidisciplinary studies underway to explore just how cannabis and CBD deliver their diverse health benefits.
Dr Alysson Muotri, PhD – Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine + Director of the Stem Cell Program at the Institute for Genomic Medicine at UC San Diego/
Dr. Gabriel Silva, Ph.D. – Professor of Bioengineering and Neuroscience + Founding Director of the Center for Engineered Natural Intelligence (CENI) at UC San Diego + Associate Director, Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind.
Dr. Jeff Anderson, M.D. Ph.D. – Professor of Radiology and Imaging Sciences + Director of Functional Imaging at the University of Utah.
Mindful movement puts an emphasis on moving your body and not on the workout itself.
The word “mindful” is used in all aspects of everyday life, whether we’re talking about eating or meditating. It refers to a state of mind where you pause and listen to your body. Feeling hungry or anxious? Mindfulness allows you to have a better understanding of your feelings, so you get to provide your body what it needs — maybe it’s food, maybe it’s just sleep.
Mindfulness allows people to stay present and it’s a skill that has been successful in making tons of people feel happier and healthier, shifting their approach to a lot of hot button issues. It’s a term that applies to fitness, too.
Many people have complicated relationships with their bodies and, thus, with their fitness. They equate working out with a form of punishment, utilizing movement as ways of burning calories and changing their bodies.
While working out is important due to its mental and physical benefits, mindful movement puts an emphasis on moving your body and not on the workout itself. It gives people the opportunity to swap running for walking, if that’s what their bodies are telling them to do.
Photo by McKinsey via rawpixel.com
“Don’t buy a spin bike because a commercial told you it is ‘the best.’ Stop going to classes you dread showing up for. The easiest way to make movement more of a regular thing is to enjoy what you do,” fitness coach Lauren Leavell tells Huffington Post.
While you might still need to push yourself to work out and move more often during your day to day life, a focus on mindfulness allows you “permission” to give yourself a break, fostering a healthier relationship with your body and your appearance.
Our relationships with fitness and our bodies are personal and often challenging to upgrade, but tuning in to your body and trying to do what feels good, at least on occasion, can provide a much needed break for anyone who’s ever felt pressured to work out or to look a certain way.
The Seventh Circuit’s ruling is important because courts and legislatures may follow its interpretation of the 2018 Farm Bill with respect to smokable hemp.
The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”) legalized hemp by removing hemp and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The 2018 Farm Bill also provided a detailed framework for the production of hemp and directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to promulgate regulations and permitted states to maintain primary regulatory authority over hemp cultivated with their border by submitting a plan to the USDA.
In 2019, Indiana passed Senate Enrolled Act 516 (“Act 516”) to bring Indiana’s definition of hemp in line with the 2018 Farm Bill and to establish a regulatory framework for hemp production. Act 516 criminalized the possession of “smokable hemp,” which it defines as any industrial hemp product “in a form that allows THC to be introduced into the human body by inhalation of smoke.” Ind. Code § 35-48-1- 26.6. The law provides that “[a] person who knowingly or intentionally manufactures, finances the manufacture of, delivers, finances the delivery of, or possesses smokable hemp … commits dealing in smokable hemp, a Class A misdemeanor.” Ind. Code § 35-48-4-10.1.
In short, Act 516 made it a crime to manufacture, deliver, or possess smokable hemp.
Days before Act 516 was to go into effect, a group of hemp sellers and wholesalers (collectively referred to here as “CY Wholesale”) filed a federal lawsuit challenging Indiana’s prohibition on smokable hemp (we first covered that here). In its filing, CY Wholesale sought a temporary injunction to stop Indiana from enforcing the smokable hemp ban.
CY Wholesale argued that the ban was preempted by the 2018 Farm Bill’s mandate that provides that states must allow all forms of industrial hemp to be transported through their territories. CY Wholesale also argued that the ban violated the commerce clause of the constitution. The district court found CY Wholesale was likely to succeed on its preemption argument and issued an injunction blocking portions of the smokable hemp ban. The State of Indiana appealed.
Last week, the Seventh Circuit ruled that the district court’s injunction swept too broadly and it remanded the case for further proceedings. The Seventh Circuit’s ruling is important because courts and legislatures may follow its interpretation of the 2018 Farm Bill with respect to smokable hemp.
So what did the Seventh Circuit have to say about the 2018 Farm Bill and smokable hemp bans? I’ll try to simplify the arguments and try to avoid legalese for non-lawyer readers.
Photo by Bloomberg Creative/Getty Images
The part of Act 516 that prohibits the manufacture of smokable hemp does not fall within the 2018 Farm Bill.
This means that Indiana (and other states) are free to prohibit the manufacture of smokable hemp. According to the Seventh Circuit, the 2018 Farm Bill authorizes states to regulate the production of hemp and its preemption clause places no limitations on a state’s right to prohibit the cultivation or production of industrial hemp. The Seventh Circuit reasoned that Indiana’s smokable hemp ban did not conflict with the 2018 Farm Bill because the federal law expressly permits states to enact regulations that are “more stringent” than the federal rules. The upshot of this holding is that other states considering smokable hemp bans may rely on this ruling for support.
The part of Act 516 that prohibits the possession of smokable hemp is likely preempted by the 2018 Farm Bill’s provision concerning interstate transportation.
This means that Indiana (and other states) cannot enact laws that criminalize the interstate transportation of smokable hemp. The State of Indiana argued that one could transport smokable hemp through the state (e.g. from Ohio to Illinois) without violating the ban on possession of smokable hemp. Indiana tried to draw a distinction between possession of hemp and just “moving it around.” The Seventh Circuit rejected this argument – noting that a defense that “I was not in possession heroin, I was just moving heroin around” would be laughed out of court.
The Seventh Circuit ruled that any injunction must be narrowly tailored to address “transit through state, along with ancillary restrictions on the possession and delivery of smokable hemp to the extent that those provisions interfere with that transit.” This, said the Court, “is the most that would have been warranted on express preemption grounds.” What the Seventh Circuit is saying is that states cannot enact laws that have the purpose or effect of criminalizing the transportation of hemp through the state’s territory.
The argument that Act 516 violates the Commerce Clause does not show a sufficient likelihood of success on the merits to warrant a temporary restraining order.
The Commerce Clause of the Constitution prohibits states from enacting laws that clearly discriminate against interstate commerce, unless the discrimination is justified by a valid reason unrelated to economic protectionism. In layperson’s terms, the Commerce Clause works to prevent states from enacting laws that operate to protect businesses within a state by burdening out-of-state operators. For example, in Kassel v. Consolidated Freightways, the Supreme Court held an Iowa law imposed an undue burden on interstate commerce by prohibiting double trailers on its highways. In Oregon Waste Systems v. Dept. of Environmental Quality, the Supreme Court found invalid under the Commerce Clause an Oregon law placed a higher charge on waste coming into Oregon’s landfills from out-of-state.
One question courts examine when deciding whether to issue a temporary restraining order is whether the argument is likely to succeed on the merits — once the facts are more developed. The Seventh Circuit hold only that CY Wholesalers commerce clause argument was not a sufficient ground to issue a temporary restraining order. This does not mean the Commerce Clause claim is dismissed, only that CY Wholesale had not shown a likelihood of success sufficient to warrant an preliminary injunction.
Final thoughts
The Seventh Circuit was careful to say that it should not be misunderstood as saying that a properly tailored injunction is not warranted. The Court specifically referenced whether Indiana, in proscribing the possession of industrial hemp, has illegally prohibited the transportation of interstate shipments of hemp.
The Seventh Circuit further noted that Indiana has enacted a new law (“Act 335”) that attempted to fix the issues with Act 516 by clarifying that the prohibition on the delivery and possession of smokable hemp does not apply to interstate hemp shipments passing through Indiana. Nonetheless, the court questioned whether Act 335’s language permitting interstate shipments “from a licensed producer in another state . . . to a licensed handler in any state” still violates the Farm Bill’s express preemption clause. It left that question to the district court.
“I always say ‘someone,’ but Miley suggested I smoke weed. Because someone gave me an Ambien and it made me feel terrible,” Tish Cyrus recently revealed.
Miley Cyrus and marijuana have had a very public on-and-off-again relationship. They’re in an off stage right now, after Miley underwent vocal cord surgery in November of last year. Miley had to go sober prior to surgery and has remained sober ever since, according to her mom, Tish Cyrus.
“Everybody thinks Miley is like this wild thing…” Tish said on the Chicks in the Office podcast. “First of all, Miley doesn’t even smoke pot anymore. She smokes CBD only. She doesn’t drink. She’s the cleanest person I know. She’s like, she’s just so solid.”
Tish, meanwhile, never smoked marijuana until she was 42-years-old. Nowadays, her and Billy Ray Cyrus keep a weed stash that could knock out the Italian Army hidden in a safe. So how did Tish go from never using cannabis to becoming a rabid consumer?
The now-sober Miley had something to do with that, of course. Tish had trouble sleeping on tour with Miley, and her daughter suggested something special to achieve a good night’s rest.
“I always say ‘someone,’ but Miley suggested I smoke weed. Because someone gave me an Ambien and it made me feel terrible,” Tish told the podcast hosts.
“So [Miley] said, ‘I’m telling you, Mom. That’s a chemical. Why are you willing to put that in your body, but you’re not willing to smoke weed, which is natural?’ She said, ‘Mom, just come in the bathroom. Just sit right here. No one is going to know.’”
Photo by Amy Sussman/Staff/Getty Images
Assuming they were safe in the bathroom alone, Tish accepted a joint rolled by her daughter. Reader, I’m here to tell you, they were not alone.
“I took one puff and Miley opened the bathroom door. Her entire band was standing in the door. And Miley’s like, ‘Mom’s smoking pot!’”
Tish later returned the favor in 2018, when Miley had experienced another off period with cannabis. During a SiriusXM interview Miley said her mom, who “smokes a ton of weed,” convinced her to pick up the habit again.
“My mom got me back on it,” said Miley. “When I’m just working I don’t think I function at my highest, most intelligent, most being-able-to-be-as-aware-and-as-present, so I don’t smoke when I work.”
When times are hard, it’s difficult to avoid consuming depressing news. Here are 5 tips that can help you control your impulses.
The pandemic has affected all of us to different degrees, but one thing that most of us have in common is our increased exposure to the news. Spending so much time submerged in distress is bad for our health because it sparks the urge to check the news several times a day, hoping we don’t miss a thing, feeding in to some perverse curiosity. Because it’s 2020, there’s an internet term for this: doomscrolling.
Doomscrolling is a necessary evil at this point, something that’s extremely hard to avoid when restaurants and bars are closed and going out with friends requires social distancing. We have constant reminders of all that’s going wrong in the world from everywhere we look. Still, even if it’s tough and if you feel like its your civic duty to remain informed, your health should be prioritized and you should work on eliminating your exposure to stressful stuff.
Here are 5 tips to prevent doomscrolling and improve your mood.
Make a schedule
Schedules come and go, especially when working from home. Still, try your best to adjust every couple of weeks, molding your schedule into something that’s flexible but that works for you. These guidelines should allow you to work, exercise, eat healthy and have time for yourself, preferably away from your phone and computer.
If you’re finding yourself constantly checking the news and not having time to do much else, schedule some outside walks and phone calls. Give yourself deadlines that push you to get your work done early or on time. Be realistic with yourself and your plans.
If you’re feeling too caught up in negative feelings and need something to recenter yourself, try meditating. Use a guided app and disconnect from your screens for a session that will hopefully make you feel present and that can prevent you from going to that anxious place you go to after reading too many crappy news within a short span of time.
Socialize
This is a particularly difficult time to be social with friends and family, either because you’re living alone or because, despite it all, life remains as busy as it always has and it’s difficult to make time for others. During the first months of the pandemic, people were more excited to call each other and connect through Zoom. Now that we’re growing used to it, interacting with others is almost a chore. Don’t let go of your connections even if you feel like there’s nothing to discuss. Even a 5 minute talk with a friend can make everyone involved feel better.
If politics are making you anxious, try blocking these topics for a little while, at least until you’re in a better headspace to consume them. Use all of the tools at your disposal: block push notifications, mute people who get intense on social media and avoid topics that get you riled up. One effective method of filtering out news is to subscribe to a newsletter and use that as your main source of information.
Follow something online that makes you happy
If you’re having a tough time staying away from social media then make sure you engage in positive things whenever you’re scrolling. Follow accounts that make you feel happy and peaceful, that put you in touch with things that are fun, creative or simply soothing. In short, follow all the cats and dogs accounts you can. Also, here are 10 Instagram Accounts To Boost Your Mental Health.
Thanks to controversial civil asset forfeiture laws, police can often permanently seize a suspect’s vehicle if they are caught using it to transport marijuana.
Now that marijuana is becoming increasingly more legal across the United States, more of the population is dropping its guard when it comes to holding weed. But while pot possession will no longer get adults 21 and over into trouble with the law in 11 states and the District of Columbia, marijuana is still mostly banned in this country. And people are still going to jail for it.
In fact, some of the latest FBI crime data shows that, in spite of legalization becoming more widespread, well over a half a million people were still arrested for pot possession in 2018. That’s more arrests for this offense than in 2016 and 2017, the data shows. So, yeah, if you think that law enforcement won’t drag you to jail for cannabis in this day and age, you are sadly mistaken.
But more than just being taken into custody and charged with a drug crime, there are more hardships that could potentially scar a person if that bust happens on the road. Thanks to controversial civil asset forfeiture laws, police can often permanently seize a suspect’s vehicle if they are caught using it to transport marijuana. And it doesn’t have to be a large shipment either. People have lost their cars, trucks and other motor vehicles for merely having small amounts.
In Illinois, which just legalized marijuana for recreational use, police are still using this law to collect vehicles to sell at police auctions. A report from Patch shows that cops in Joliet are presently trying to add a 2006 Hyundai Sonata to their pile after catching a couple of people “sitting in the vehicle,” which just so happened to have a little marijuana in the glove compartment.
It seems that 19-year-old Tyree Levy and his uncle, Melvin Wilson, were hanging out in the Hyundai when the police showed up to investigate a burglar alarm. But when police decided to question Levy and Wilson — since they were just sitting there, minding their own business — one of the police officers, “advised that he could smell an odor of cannabis emitting from inside the vehicle,” the report states.
Levy then confessed that there was some marijuana in the car.
Photo by bluegame/Getty Images
During a search, police discovered less than an ounce of marijuana and a little over two grams of cocaine. More than enough for them to take possession of the Hyundai and eventually sell it off to benefit the department.
According to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, since the vehicle “was used or was intended to be used to transport a controlled substance or facilitate the concealment, delivery, possession and transportation of a controlled substance in a felony violation of the Controlled Substances Act,” it is now up for grabs.
The defendants in the case must now attend a forfeiture hearing to make a plea with the judge as to why they should get their car back. But there is a distinct possibility that the vehicle is gone forever. The civil asset forfeiture laws in this country have allowed police to seize cash and personal property for years without having to actually prove someone is guilty of a crime.
Suspicion alone has lined the pockets of the U.S. government and local police forces for years. But the fact that these two were actually caught in possession of illegal drugs (even one that will be legal in Illinois as of January 1) means they will likely lose their vehicle for good. They will find out more when the time comes to make their case in December. Let’s hope the judge is sympathetic.
Some states have experienced record monthly sales while tourist-dependent markets have experienced a mixed bag.
Maybe it’s the boredom. Maybe it’s the mental health benefits. Maybe it’s the preliminary research that cannabis could prevent COVID-19 infections. But several data agencies and state reports indicate marijuana sales have continued to rise during the global pandemic.
Overall, Marijuana Business Factbook projections expect combined marijuana sales to pass $15 billion by the end of 2020. That represents a 40% rise in the legal cannabis market between this year and last. Should the projections hold, the marijuana industry will produce larger annual revenue than the NBA, toothpaste and hard seltzer markets combined.
Photo by Burak K via PexelsFactbook predicts the cannabis industry will become at least a $30 billion market by 2024, if not higher. That would push the cannabis market past prescription pain medicine ($16.1 billion) and craft beer ($29.6 billion) in annual sales.
But the coronavirus pandemic has also produced a mixed bag for some markets. This is especially true in states with heavy tourism, like Nevada and California. About 80% of all Nevada cannabis sales occur in Las Vegas, which shut down in Mid-March and re-opened in June with multiple restrictions in place. Cannabis sales were down 25% in May from last year in the same month.
State lawmakers in non-legal states have certainly taken notice of the record-breaking cannabis revenue, however. New Jersey and Pennsylvania legislators characterized cannabis legalization as a “no-brainer” to boost the post-pandemic economy. New Mexico and New York have also suggested legalizing marijuana to fix budget deficits.
Most jobs don’t demand constant creativity. Still, your productivity and enjoyment can be influenced by trying new approaches and thinking outside the box.
There’s no need to have a career as an artist to find the space to be creative. Creativity is a tool that can be applied to anything, from solving a problem with a loved one to transforming your non-artistic job into something that’s more enjoyable and different.
Now that many people are working from home, your home office and personal rules are a good opportunity to rethink how you approach your work. Not being inside a stuffy office allows you to have some fun if you want to, whether that means playing music or wearing clothes that are more comfortable for you.
Here are 5 things you can do that will help you be more creative on the job, whether you consider yourself a creative person or not.
Find a space that works for you
The first thing you should do is find a space that’s comfortable and that adapts to your personal needs. Keep your area tidy and functional, but add some personality to it, whether by adding photos, posters and more. Try to work near some natural light, something that can make you feel refreshed and nourished. Make sure that your work space is pleasant and that you enjoy spending time there.
We brainstorm ideas constantly, whether we’re alone or with others, sometimes without even noticing it. One small upgrade that can make your brainstorm sessions more efficient is to add a whiteboard, a notepad or someplace where you can pin ideas down, even if they sound silly or unorthodox. This list doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to reflect your ideas so you won’t forget about them.
Follow through on your ideas
While ideas are great, it’s also important to follow through. Find a way of holding yourself accountable, whether by writing it down and pinning it on your board or, in a more extreme move, discussing your idea with your boss and eliminating escape routes. Do what works for you, but remind yourself that it’s often very easy to avoid disrupting your workload by sticking to what works, which can make you feel bored and uninspired.
When working a 9 to 5 job, it’s common for people to find a groove and stick to it. This is good, because it means that you know how to do your job and are comfortable in managing the everyday challenges of your positions. But it’s also something that holds a lot of people back, stopping them from trying out new activities and approaches that can be more fulfilling and result in better work. Don’t be afraid to speak up in your meetings and to pitch your ideas. The more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll become and the more your presence will be valued.
Go for a walk
Outdoor walks, where you get to see and smell the beauty of nature, are some of the most useful routines when channeling creativity, especially if you’ve been spending most of your time working indoors. Ideas can come from the most random interactions and things, especially if you’re actively on the lookout for them and are ready to engage with the world in different ways.
Because of the extended isolation and rising coronavirus numbers in Florida where the Disney campus is located, the players need help to maintain their mental health.
The first rule of Fight Club is don’t talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is don’t connect the dots that NBA players are smoking a bunch of marijuana in the Disney playoff bubble.
Don’t take my word for it. Check this quote from an NBA agent when asked about players smuggling cannabis into the playoff bubble in a recent Athletic story.
“You’re asking about Fight Club,” the agent said. “There’s no testing for a reason.”
If you’re a little confused, let me catch you up to speed. The NBA will finish its regular season and playoffs with 22 teams in a “bubble campus” constructed on Disney World properties. The players will remain on the campus the deeper their teams survive in the playoffs — a minimum 40 days to a maximum of 82 days. In between practice and games, they can golf, fish, play video games, and play cards with teammates.
It is an AAU-style basketball summer camp, except almost everyone is a millionaire and over six feet tall. These men have become accustomed to a way of life constructed around their every whim. And now these men must stay in average hotel rooms, eat average food, and be bored out of their minds. It’s absurd and would even be hilarious if a global pandemic did not cause such circumstances.
But the NBA announced it would not test for recreational drugs throughout the duration of the bubble. This was a signal that players could consume marijuana without reproach. “There was probably weed hidden in all kind of stuff—DVD players, shaving cream cans,” another agent joked.
Photo by Rob Carr/Staff/Getty Images
According to the Athletic story, players openly wondered among themselves if a pound of cannabis would last long enough in the bubble.
“Bring more than you think you’re going to need,” Al Harrington, an NBA veteran who reinvented himself as a cannabis entrepreneur, told The Athletic. “You might have that teammate who’s never smoked and might want to try it since they’re stuck in a bubble. So you might be supplying other people.”
Because of the extended isolation and rising coronavirus numbers in Florida where the Disney campus is located, players need tools and strategies to maintain their mental health. This is where cannabis could come in handy.
“When you think about it, it’s damn near inhumane for them not to have marijuana,” Harrington said. “These guys are going to need something to get away. Normally in the course of the season, the playoffs, if you have a bad game, you have a bad turnover to lose the game, you get to go home and see your kids. In this bubble situation, you can’t get away from the bad game. From a mental wellness standpoint, they’re going to need vices. If I had to choose as an owner, I’m choosing cannabis over them taking pills, over them drinking liquor and being dehydrated. You’re going to need THC in the bubble.”
