SwissX CEO Alki David said the company is in talks to take over Everton’s shirt sponsorship this year.
An English Premier soccer team could soon wear a marijuana company’s logo on the front of their jerseys. SwissX, a leading retailer in the CBD market, is in talks to take over as Everton’s new shirt sponsor, according to SwissX CEO Alki David.
Everton would become the first Premier team with a cannabis company sponsorship should the deal go down. If the name sounds familiar to you, that’s because SwissX previously announced interest in naming rights to Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium. Barcelona put the naming rights up for sale as a fundraiser for coronavirus relief aid.
“I’m not walking away from Barca, I’m keeping the door wide open,” David told Insider. “But we are now engaged with Everton to take over their shirt. The front of their shirt.
Media reports frequently mislabel SwissX as Mike Tyson’s marijuana company. This is likely due to David’s ties to the former boxer, as the SwissX CEO has appeared on Tyson’s Hotboxin’ podcast. However, Tyson representatives denied any former business connection with SwissX.
Photo by Tevarak Phanduang via Unsplash
Everton is currently sponsored by Sportspesa, a sports betting company, though the two sides agreed to the contract agreement early. That opened the door for SwissX. Everton has not commented on the possible deal and Barcelona’s CampNou denied any connection with SwissX last week, saying they have not yet received an offer.
“They are just being d—-,” David said. “My door is open. The bottom line is they are being really precious about this being a cannabis brand. But they’ve got to realize that UFC embraces cannabis, and other major sporting leagues accept cannabis.”
David also added that Swiss X “is not a f—ing marijuana brand, it’s a wellness CBD brand based on health, not based on recreation.”
Although ketamine clinics may provide a roadmap for psilocybin clinics, a key difference is that psilocybin remains a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.
Earlier this year we wrote about the movement to decriminalize psilocybin – noting its success in Denver, Oakland, and Santa Cruz – and that nearly 100 other cities are looking at decriminalizing psychedelics. (The Psilocybin Movement is Like the Cannabis Movement (Except When It’s Not)). That article posited that psilocybin would move along two tracks similar to cannabis (medical and pharmaceutical) before approaching the “retail model” initiatives that became standard with adult use cannabis.
We also have been tracking the use of ketamine to treat depression and litigation related thereto:
In the first article, we noted the proliferation of ketamine clinics and the larger trend of the health care provider community in exploring alternative therapies and emerging medicine, including the use of psilocybin.
A paper recently published by the National Academy of Scientists may prove groundbreaking in helping us understand why psilocybin is “showing considerable promise as a therapeutic intervention for neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and addiction,” according to its authors. I’ll be the first to confess that the science described in the paper is beyond me, but this article by Georgia Perry does a good job. Ms. Perry writes that “an international team of scientists created a biophysically realistic whole-brain model . . . [which] enabled them to observe how psilocybin impacts the activity of neurons and neurotransmitters.” The researchers found that psilocybin disrupted neural networks and neurotransmitters formed new pathways.
Although ketamine clinics may provide a roadmap for psilocybin clinics, a key difference is that psilocybin remains a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. This means psilocybin is defined as having a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical uses. (Marijuana is defined the same way and this did not stop legalization efforts.) Ketamine is a defined as Schedule III drug. So in the near term, the differing treatment between ketamine and psilocybin likely will prevent an explosion of clinics offering treatment.
Photo by Moha El-Jaw/Getty Images
That said, let’s hope scientific research into psilocybin as a treatment for depression continues and that research results are taken seriously by legislators and others who have the ability to change our laws and policies.
For more reading on psilocybin, check out the following:
Stress and anxiety have a lot to do with getting a good night’s rest, which is why CBD might provide helpful results.
When you’re stressed out or anxious, one of the most common things to be negatively affected is your sleep routine. Whether this means weird and vivid dreams, a shift in your sleep schedule or uncomfortable bouts of insomnia, your quality of rest has likely been affected by the pandemic. Can CBD help you sleep during coronavirus?
In recent weeks, the internet and other news outlets have reported a spike in strange dreams and people who can’t settle down to sleep for their usual eight hours. While the pandemic might be forcing us to talk things out more openly and consider each shift in our routines an event, psychologists do think that fears and anxiety like the ones triggered by the coronavirus have an effect on our quality of sleep.
“People are reporting an increase in anxiety and fears related to uncertainty. Those feelings often translate to sleep disturbances,” Dr. Julie Kolzet told Psycom.
Cannabis and sleep have a strong connection, particularly strains or products that have a high level of THC.
Although some research has been conducted on CBD and the effect it has on our bodies, not a lot is known about CBD and sleep. There’s some anecdotal evidence of people using CBD as a sleep aid, but that’s not enough to draw significant conclusions.
A literary review of cannabinoids found that THC and CBD were the compounds most cited as sleep aides, which is promising. But unless more studies are conducted, there’s no way of knowing if the compounds themselves are the ones causing the sleepiness, or if this just occurs due to the entourage effect that marijuana produces.
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The fact that CBD provides anxiety and stress relief might influence your quality of sleep and the kind of concerns you go to bed with, which tend to seep into your dreams. A 2019 study conducted on CBD, anxiety and sleep says that when CBD was given to patients battling with anxiety and trouble sleeping, over 80% of patients reported sleep improvements within a month. CBD was given to them in a controlled clinical setting in addition to the patient’s usual treatment.
More research is needed in order to draw concrete results between CBD and sleep. Although the connection between CBD and sleep is not the first one that comes to mind when speaking about CBD’s main benefits, the connection between CBD and anxiety is significant. With the coronavirus pandemic, it’s very likely that your sleep issues have popped up due to stress. It doesn’t hurt to try out something new.
At home workouts can be efficient, but they can also pose some health risks.
The pandemic has made us reorient ourselves and get back to basics in terms of mental and physical health, with varying degrees of success. Quarantine moods fluctuate, with many days being productive and fulfilling and others consisting of tons of staring off longingly into space.
Now that most of our fitness is limited to our homes, it’s very important to avoid injuries. “I’ve had about four Achilles ruptures in the last two weeks. I would probably get maybe two a month before this, and I’ve had four in the last two weeks, and it’s people that are either trying to play basketball with their kids outside or they’re trying to do something new that they’re watching on YouTube,” explains a doctor to the Chicago Tribune.
While most of these injuries are harmless enough and wouldn’t derail every day life, right now is not the best time to visit the ER. First, because it’s anxiety inducing and second because we should be especially considerate to our hospitals right now.
Here are some tips that can help you have safer at home workouts:
Fitness enthusiasts recommend using all sorts of household items as weights, whether they’re wine bottles or babies. While you could do this and get great results if you have a strong and precise grip, it’s safer to stick to inanimate objects, preferably ones that won’t break or severely affect your life if they’re dropped (leave your baby or dog alone). Laundry detergents, milk cartons, bags of beans or rice make for some safe and efficient weight options.
Ensure your chairs are sturdy
Chairs are very good for at home workouts, allowing you to do lunges, steps, planks, lifts and even pullups if you’re creative enough. Still, make sure your chair is sturdy and that it won’t break down when used. Also be sure to place it someplace that’s stable when trying out more elaborate routines.
While we’re all getting a little stir crazy, a good sweat session is not an excuse for you to break down your fragile furniture. Be aware of your space, your stuff and neighbors if you live in an apartment. Stick to workouts that will deliver results and that you can complete without harming yourself.
3 New studies show marijuana branding is a myth, so what can you do to sell your brand?
More and more evidence points to branding being a waste of time and money for cannabis companies.
A few months ago a Canadian survey came out from the Brightfield Group that showed that almost 33% of Canadian cannabis consumers couldn’t name the brand of cannabis they bought, and 50% couldn’t tell you what the dosage is that they bought of each cannabis item. We covered the survey in a piece called, “The Cannabis Branding Myth” and looked at why consumers were more worried about end results and pricing as opposed to packaging and fonts.
Next, new articles came out about dispensaries charging for shelf space and premium locations in their store, just like all regular retail shelf space at grocery stores, and stores like Walmart and Target. Brands pay extra for end-cap aisle space and shelf space at 3 to 5 feet high. This was another nail in the coffin for the idea of cannabis branding, as consumers were literally buying “what was in-front of them and at arm’s length”, hence, dispensaries charging for high traffic spots in their stores.
Now, New Frontier Data has released a survey of US cannabis consumers that shows marijuana buyers are much more price and quality conscious than anything else. Branding finished dead last as far as what consumers considered important in making a cannabis choice.
With millions being spent on cannabis branding and many marketing gurus from the millennial generation telling us that cannabis packaging must be “slick, sleek, and clean”, what are we to believe?
Are some experts and websites just making up an entire industry that doesn’t really need to exist?
Photo by Stefan Rodriguez via Unsplash
Problem #1
Cannabis is a plant, much like a tomato plant or broccoli plant. It grows to maturity in 12 to 16 weeks. A few new scientific reports came out recently stating there is no difference between what the industry calls “sativa” and “indica”. That in the end, most cannabis buds and strains are very similar and do the same job in the human body. Many of the perceived affects may be in our heads and part of a placebo effect of being told what to expect, or being told what the strain you bought is going to make you feel X, Y, and Z.
Branding your tomatoes as super special is a tough sell in the supermarket. Yes, you have “hot house” or “organic” that tries to command a higher price point, but most people just look at the tomato pile and pick the ripest, biggest one to buy. On the vine, cherry, and other variations try to distinguish themselves by appealing to a certain recipe or dish, not so much on taste and quality.
Branding a commodity like corn, tomatoes, wheat, or even oil is tough. Do you only go to Exxon gas stations or Mobile gas stations because the gas is better? Is the high octane 91 gas at Exxon better than the 91 octane at Mobile? Cannabis is a plant, a commodity, it can be grown around the world in an indoor or outdoor setting. The consumer is now showing us price matters, and final result matter, the rest is not important. They want the best value for a product that will deliver that high or relief they want, the rest they can’t even remember. What color was the package? How much did you take? No idea.
Problem #2
Welcome to the beer and wine world. With cannabis being for adults, many people liken it to the alcohol industry. 90% of the beer sold in the US falls under one of 4 brands, brands with massive distribution and low prices points like Budweiser, Coors, Bud Light, or Miller Light. Are their microbrews and niche brands, you bet, but they are a very small percentage of a very large market.
Beer, and to a slightly lesser extent, wine consumers, want a product that is reasonably priced and gets the job done. Whether that is a 6-pack in the woods, two glasses of chardonnay when the kids go down, or a couple of pints at the local pub after work, it comes down to price and quality, ie, getting the intended job done.
Cannabis, due to the ease of growing the plant and lax law enforcement around hemp and marijuana, will be no different. As laws loosen around the cannabis plant and with CBD from hemp already fully legal, the market will only continue to get more saturated with legal and illegal cannabis plants and goods.
Photo by Enecta Cannabis extracts via Unsplash
So, What Can a Brand Do?
How do you distinguish your cannabis products from a million other similar cannabis products all claiming to do the exact same thing? That is the $100 million question. If a consumer just cares about how much they have paid and if they get high or relaxed, how can you raise prices and get your brand noticed?
1. Shelf Space – Just like grocery stores and end-cap space on aisles, cannabis dispensaries are now beginning to make a nice income by charging brands for premium shelf space. This just confirms our thesis that cannabis branding is a waste of time, as dispensaries are now proving that consumers just buy what is in front of them or convenient, not searching for particular brands and products. Hence, they charge you extra to be next to the register or by the checkout area if you are a brand. If you are a cannabis brand, welcome to the world of Tide detergent, Hershey chocolate bars, and Campbell soup cans.
2. Cut Margins, Cut Pricing – If 82% of consumers are price conscious, attack them on what they care about, pricing. Cannabis is a commodity, so win the race to the bottom. Budweiser is not considered a great beer, it gets the job done a good price, and has a massive marketing budget. If the consumer is looking for the “cheapest” price, which will only be emphasized in a recession, be the cheapest price. Win market share and worry about margins later.
3. Reward Programs – Don’t recreate the wheel here, look at credit card companies, another commodity and see how they distinguish themselves, because, isn’t a Visa, a Visa, and just another Visa? Rewards programs were created gamify regular buying and create customer loyalty. Chase Rewards program is the most popular credit card rewards program in the world because of the generous points and bonuses given when using the card. Figure out which segment of the cannabis community you want to appeal to and design your rewards program around that age group. Supermarkets scan your key chain, gyms scan your bar code, credit card companies keep track of points, airline miles are a reward program the world runs on, the list is endless. Get a good rewards program going so that people look and ask for your brand is a dispensary. Maybe you have a grand prize each month, maybe a consumer can scan a QR code for a price (see twist-off soda caps), what about creating super fans or top customers after so many purchases. People love social praise and acknowledgement; awards they can share on social media and such. Get going early on this idea, not later.
Many experts in the industry have hung their hat on being adept cannabis branding experts, when in reality, the consumer can’t tell you who they are or what products they helped design or promote.
Listen to the consumer, not the so-called experts.
Britney Spears is one of the most iconic pop stars of all time. Does she smoke weed?
Britney Spears is one of those celebrities who needs no introduction. Aside from inspiring some of the most iconic imagery of the late 90s/early 2000s, she’s also led a chaotic life, which she’s managed to bounce back from — even if she burned down her home gym while in quarantine. We know this pop superstar likes to have a good time, but does include smoking weed?
Britney Spears was a child star, starting her career at age 11 in the “Mickey Mouse Club” along with Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. Like all Disney stars, she had a publicity team that curated her image, so news about her using weed only popped up after her career peaked.
In 2009, her opinion on marijuana wasn’t the best. While performing in Vancouver, BC, Spears reportedly stopped the show due to the large amount of marijuana smoke that was surrounding the stage.
Rolling Stone reports that an announcement was made mid show. “After performing the final encore, Spears walked offstage with the words, “Thanks Vancouver. You were wonderful. Drive safe. Don’t smoke weed!”
During an appearance on “The Jonathan Ross Show” in 2016, Spears discussed her past with weed a bit more, claiming that even while working in Vegas she steered clear of all kinds of substances, from marijuana to alcohol.
Photo by Vivien Killilea/Stringer/Getty Images
“I am aware of the partying that’s going on [in Las Vegas], a lot of the people are very intoxicated at my shows. I actually got contact high [at a show],” she said. “I haven’t smoked weed since I was like 17 years old and all of a sudden towards the end of the show it was so strong I couldn’t function, just from the contact of it, I was like, “Oh my goodness”, I had to leave, I had to go. I just said I can’t do it.”
While Spears’s relationship with marijuana doesn’t sound like the most amicable one, the herb wasn’t exactly as widely accepted back then as it is now. Who knows if her thoughts have evolved along with the world’s perspective?
There’s no better time for getting high and forgetting about your problems than during self-quarantine.
Quarantine is the perfect time for pursuing all sorts of creative endeavors, whether that means putting together tons of puzzles or reading all the books you never had time to. That or laying around the house trying not to have an anxiety attack.
The taxing effect that the pandemic has had on our health can’t be overstated. Not only are we spending all of our time trapped in the same space, depriving us of nature and movement — two factors that are hugely influential to our health — we’re also cut off from friends and family.
Quarantine provides all of us with a different set of challenges, no matter whether we’re quarantining alone, with our partners or with our families. On the one hand you can be as lonely as you’ve ever been. On the other, the only way to be alone is by locking yourself in your bathroom.
Different reports have shown how much people have used alcohol to cope with their emotions, an understandable result to all of this stress. But, while alcohol may be a fun distraction, it’s also one substance that takes a toll on your mental and physical health. Maybe you should give marijuana a shot.
Photo by Matthew Henry via Burst
Marijuana is surprisingly effective and malleable when consumed alone. If you challenge yourself, it can be used for different activities, whether they’re creative, social or physical. When getting the dosage right, weed can act as a stimulant for your brain, helping you journal and doodle, or for your body, pushing you to workout or clean and sort through your closet.
Marijuana can help you bond with friends over Zoom video chats or with roommates with whom you’ve run out of things to talk about. If you’re isolated with your partner, marijuana can also add a new dimension to your sex life.
The best part about weed is that there’s no hangover the day after and that it provides a nice escape from the doom and gloom that’s plagued us for the past couple of months. Before diving in to your solo marijuana journey and all of the perks it can result in, here are the best & safest practices you should be aware of.
Yes, Duchess Kate had a personal hair stylist for the Big Day, but her husband-to-be did some of the heavy lifting. Literally.
When Kate Middleton walked down the aisle on April 29, 2011, she was the picture of royalty. Not only was her gown breathtaking, so was her hair. Soft, loose curls made Kate look like a true princess as she exchanged vows with Prince William. But for the reception later that evening, she opted for a more glamorous blowout.
Now, of course Kate had help with her glow-up. Stylist Richard Ward was tasked with making her look “just married” flawless. But he did have a surprise assistant when it came time to show Kate the end result of all of his hard work.
“I wanted to show Kate the back of her hair [getting ready at Clarence House for the evening party] and I was struggling to walk with this 500-year-old mirror,” Ward told PEOPLE Magazine, adding that Prince William jumped in to help. “He just said, ‘Let me give you a hand,’ and I said, ‘No, no, honestly,’ but he took one end and I’ve got the other and we’re shuffling along with this mirror – he’s great, he really is.”
Ward revealed that the couple was completely down to earth behind the scenes, and that William made him a cup of tea the first time he visited their home. As for Kate, he says she has a “wicked sense of humor.”
Photo by Chris Jackson/Staff/Getty Images
“It’s quite dry, there’s no airs and graces – you can have a good joke with her,” he told PEOPLE.
A secret memo released as part of a recent lawsuit demonstrates how the Trump Administration has quietly blocked marijuana research in the United States.
Lawmakers like Joe Biden have lamented not enough marijuana research exists to end federal prohibition, but scientists have just as often lamented tight regulations from the federal government inhibits legitimate research from occurring.
Since 1968, scientists pursuing marijuana research have had to obtain their cannabis from a 12-acre farm located at the University of Mississippi. The Obama Administration signed legislation late in 2016 that would expand the number of facilities growing marijuana for research, but the Drug Enforcement Agency hasn’t granted any licenses four years later.
Thanks to a lawsuit spearheaded by the Scottsdale Research Institute (SRI) and cannabis researcher Sue Sisley, the public now understands why. A 2018 secret memo, released as part of the lawsuit settled, reveals the Trump Administration believes the nearly 50-year-old program in Mississippi has always been illegal. In fact, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) suggest the restrictions around marijuana research aren’t harsh enough.
The issue revolves around the United Nations’ 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs Act. According to the OLC’s interpretation of the UN treaty, only one federal government entity may handle drugs cultivated for research purposes. The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) manages the University of Mississippi program while Obama’s plan would run through the DEA. Furthermore, both NIDA and DEA have split oversight responsibilities of federally licensed marijuana spanning back several decades. Under these programs, the OLC determined neither agency “owns” the marijuana grown for research, a stipulation the international treaty requires.
Essentially, the OLC memo states that the United States federal government has been breaking international law for about 50 years.
“We conclude that DEA must change its current practices and the policy it announced in 2016 to comply with the Single Convention,” reads the memo. “DEA must adopt a framework in which it purchases and takes possession of the entire marijuana crop of each licensee after the crop is harvested. In addition, DEA must generally monopolize the import, export, wholesale trade, and stock maintenance of lawfully grown marijuana.”
Photo by Aaron Kittredge via Pexels
That the DEA wasn’t granting marijuana licenses for research purposes first came to light back in 2018. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions had first obstructed this process—an atypical act, as previous attorney general never involved themselves in the research program. Lawmakers like Sens. Orrin Hatch and Kamala Harris sent a letter to the DOJ and Sessions, known to be a longtime anti-cannabis crusader, instructing them to stop blocking marijuana research. This secret memo now clarifies the DEA’s holdup in granting marijuana licenses.
Sisley’s lawsuit argued that marijuana provided by NIDA wasn’t suitable for research. An independent laboratory analysis found these cannabis samples were moldy and didn’t resemble what consumers would buy in stores. Upon release of the OLC memo, the SRI and Sisley argued that keeping this memo secret and blocking cannabis research deserves serious scrutiny.
“Boiled down, the fact that a secret re-interpretation of an international treaty from 1961 has blocked the advancement of marijuana science in this country for the past three years is absurd,” the Scottsdale Research Institute said in a statement. “Allowing American scientists to cultivate or acquire marijuana grown in this country under strict DEA regulation and supervision is pro-science, pro-veteran, and pro-law enforcement. It puts America First and promotes public health and safety.”
CBD is the perfect compound to try during quarantine, providing relief from anxiety, stress, dry skin and achy muscles.
If you’re someone who has never tried CBD, there’s probably never been a better time to get started.
The compound, for those who are not acquainted with it, is part of the cannabis plant and it provides pain relief, anti inflammatory effects and manages symptoms like depression and anxiety. One of the reasons why CBD has grown so popular is because it doesn’t produce psychoactive effects, making it the perfect product to reach a wide variety of people.
There’s a lot we don’t know about CBD but it’s understood that the compound interacts with our endocannabinoid system and accumulates over time. The longer you use CBD, the more effective the compound reacts with your body.
Now that we’re all stressed out with life, learning to use CBD might be a nice quarantine project that might help us cope with stress and anxiety.
Here are 5 CBD products newbies can try, whether investing in CBD for the long haul, or simply looking for some temporary fun:
Home workouts are different for people who are used to playing sports or using machines like the treadmill and the elliptical. In-home workouts tend to rely on makeshift weights and the use of your own body weight to build muscle, utilizing muscles that you rarely use. This is awesome, but also painful, which is why different CBD balms might provide plenty of relief. Topical CBD helps with inflammation and pain management, providing very effective results.
Skincare
There are plenty of CBD skincare products that can help with the treatment of cracked skin, acne, and more. Within the CBD industry, beauty is one of the most promising ones, with partnerships with well regarded and reviewed brands. CBD skin care products are also some of the least invasive products for people to try.
CBD bath bombs provide all of the nourishment and hydration that CBD is known for while also providing a fun experience, because everyone loves bath bombs. There’s also not a better time to luxuriate in the bathtub than right now
Gummies
There’s plenty of CBD gummies out there for people who are curious about the compound’s benefits. These products can help treat mild symptoms of anxiety, depression and more. The most important aspect when it comes to purchasing gummies is to do some research and to trust the company that is making the product.
