Contact highs comments are common, with a lot of people claiming lightheadedness when near people who are smoking cannabis.
The smell of weed can sometimes make you feel like you’re high, especially when in a closed environment, such as a weedy dorm room or a packed concert. But can people really get high without smoking or is this more of a mental thing?
Contact highs cause a lot of stress for people, making them wonder if they could fail a drug test or get high without meaning to. Luckily, experts know some of the answers to these questions.
A study conducted in 2015 ran two experiments where cannabis smokers and non smokers were put together in a room. In both scenarios, the smokers smoked around 10 joints each and sat around a table, surrounded by nonsmokers. The difference between the two experiments was the ventilation of the room; the first experiment had regular ventilation and the second had none at all. Results showed that nonsmokers from the second test showed some presence of THC in their urine and blood samples.
“Exposure to second-hand cannabis smoke in an unventilated chamber the size of a small room produced minor increases in heart rate, mild to moderate subjective drug effects, and minor, but detectable, levels of performance impairment on some behavioral/cognitive assessments,” wrote researchers. These results weren’t reflected in the first round of experiments.
Despite the popularity of shotgunning, it turns out that second-hand highs are very hard to stumble upon. When people smoke weed and exhale it, only a very small amount of THC comes out. With no detectable amounts of THC, there’s no high for the bystanders to pick up on and get high from, especially when located in a room momentarily or with a normal amount of ventilation.
In conclusion, it’s pretty hard to get high off marijuana if you’re not an active participant.
The FDA has broken down several of its guidelines, creating a step-by-step resource for trials being conducted in language directly to study sponsors.
In late March, the FDA issued Guidance for Industry, Investigators, and Institutional Review Boards via their Guidance Document, entitled, “FDA Guidance on Conduct of Clinical Trials of Medical Products during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.”
Created to offer direction and assistance in ensuring the safety of COVID-19 trial participants, while maintaining compliance, the guidance offered support around trials scheduled or trials occurring during the global health crisis.
Focused on maintaining safety procedures, the FDA has broken down several of its guidelines in the document, creating a step-by-step resource for trials being conducted in language directly to sponsors.
Here are two points of consideration for study sponsors, institutional review boards and investigators:
If sponsors are deviating or modifying protocol-specific procedures due to COVID-19 safety factors, the FDA has asked sponsors to document the specific changes and the reason for each change. The FDA further explained, “For a study-wide change in protocol conduct, protocol amendments that are necessary to prevent Contains Nonbinding Recommendations 12 imminent hazards to trial participants can generally be immediately implemented with subsequent submission and formal approval by the IRB/IEC and notification to FDA through filing a protocol amendment to the investigational new drug (IND) or deviation from the investigational device exemption (IDE).”
If urgent situations occur, sponsors should contact the lead reviewer of the study. If FDA feedback is needed on a proposed future study (or modifications are being requested on a current study,) the FDA is asking for sponsors to complete a Pre-Submission document. (Information around the document needed can be found here and here.)
If a trial has a specific COVID-19 impact, (due to the public health emergency,) the FDA declared that sponsors should describe three things:
Contingency measures implemented when the study is disrupted due to the pandemic
A full list of all participants affected by the disruption with a unique subject number identifier (as well as by investigational site) and also a description of how the individual’s actions or participation were altered
An analysis that cites specific information that addresses the impact of COVID-19 on the study. The FDA expands on the direction, saying, “Robust efforts by sponsors, investigators, and IRBs/IECs to maintain the safety of trial participants and study data integrity are expected, and such efforts should be documented.”
The FDA has the document in its entirety available online. Included in the document is a Q&A, addressing questions from sponsors and those involved in the studies that address remote capabilities and acceptable alternatives due to the pandemic.
The FDA is taking comments on their guidance. Insights may be submitted online here while questions on clinical trial conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic can be emailed to: Clinicaltrialconduct-COVID19@fda.hhs.gov.
Residents in legal states are using cannabis for medical needs such as anxiety, pain relief, and sleep disorders.
There was an initial rush to stockpile legal recreational cannabis when the coronavirus pandemic first hit the United States. Sales boomed at first, but leveled out once state governments considered marijuana stores an “essential business.” In places like Las Vegas and Denver where sales rely on cannabis tourism, sales even declined.
Medical marijuana sales, however, have told a different story. According to the Phoenix New Times, medical marijuana sales reached an all-time high in March. Raul Molina, who owns Mint Dispensary in Tempe, said sales have risen by 50% since the pandemic started. Data isn’t yet available from the Arizona Department of Health Services, but sales are expected to increase in April as well.
“Sales for the first two weeks was a little bit like the toilet paper sales at your local Costco,” Molina told CBS 5. “Everybody came in trying to pick up as much as they could.”
Florida has experienced a similar surge. Sales have risen by 30% since the state’s first case of the coronavirus seven weeks ago. The state has issued 300 new medical marijuana per day since mid-January, totaling 30,000 total new patients in Florida. Marijuana deliveries have doubled or tripled in the state, according to Vinit Patel, who serves as Curaleaf’s Florida Operations Manager.
Photo by beusbeus/Getty Images
“We saw a tremendous spike in sales actually. Probably the first week of April, last week of March, when all of this news really started to become real here in the state of Florida,” Patel told WTFS Tampa.
Gov. Charlie Baker closed all Massachusetts recreational marijuana stores in the state last month, becoming the only recreational state to shut down operations. Medical dispensaries remain essential businesses, though, and residents have responded by registering for medical cards. The Boston Globe reports card registrations have increased by 245% in the past month.
“The increase doesn’t surprise me — we’ve always believed that more than a majority of [recreational] customers are using cannabis for medical needs such as anxiety, pain relief, and sleep disorders,” David Torrisi, the president of the Commonwealth Dispensary Association, told the Globe. “There’s a direct relation to the recreational shutdown.”
The pandemic is forcing us to spend all of our time apart, which is why you should schedule a weed video call with your friends soon.
Social distancing guidelines have kept us from doing most of the things that bring joy to our lives. While the coronavirus has thrown a wrench in those plans for the foreseeable future, making us question the act of smoking and of sharing saliva with others, consuming marijuana among friends remains a great bonding activity, one that can still be conducted while in quarantine. So here is why you should consume marijuana with friends online.
A large part of the appeal of smoking marijuana is to share a bonding experience with friends and loved ones. Sharing a joint provides a very different high than the one you’d experience alone, similar to drinking.
When getting high with your friends, it’s common for everyone to experience the same kind of high, whether it involves a giggle fit or an introspective high where you spend hours talking about random stuff.
Here are 3 reasons why you should schedule a weed Zoom appointment with your closest friends as soon as possible.
If you’ve never smoked weed with friends through video chat, and why would you have, this is the perfect occasion. The video call will make you feel closer to your friends and once the initial awkwardness passes, you’ll feel close to normal, like you’re actually splitting a joint with friends and not stuck at home in a pandemic.
It’ll provide a nice alternative from regular Zoom appointments
Photo by Allie Smith via Unsplash
After a month spent in quarantine you might have reached your video call limit. Although apps like Zoom and Skype are helping us stay sane, it’s possible than one of your friends or family members might be abusing their video call privileges. Adding a joint in the mix might help you relax and have a good time, erasing the barrier that naturally pops up when you’re communicating through a screen.
It’ll make it less likely for you to have a bad high
Although most seasoned marijuana users don’t usually struggle with bad highs, these can occur when trying out a new strain, a new method of consuming cannabis or when you’re feeling anxious or stressed out. Our mindsets are kind of unpredictable right now, which is why smoking marijuana with friends might be your best and most comfortable option.
Stretching is not the most entertaining of activities, but it’s very helpful for keeping your body in shape. It’s also an escape for these trying times.
Stretching is probably the least popular form of a workout, if you can even call it that.
Stretch routines are not as demanding as pilates or yoga and they’re definitely something that most of us are naturally not good at. But stretching is very healthy and relaxing, especially in situations when you don’t want to commit to an intense sweat session yet are still feeling the urge to move around. You might have experienced this throughout the past month.
Stretching routines can improve anyone’s body, no matter their age or fitness level. They also require no equipment or the need to break a sweat. It’s a practice that will make you feel good and will help you get rid of any of the annoying pains and aches that might have popped up because you’ve been hunched in front of your computer for hours.
Studies show that stretching improves mobility, posture, that it helps prevent injuries and reduces soreness of all types. It increases your energy levels and de-stresses you, much like a meditating session would.
How Marijuana Can Improve Your Home Workouts
When starting off with your stretches, it’s important to be consistent and to not get too crazy before your body is ready. Allot 10 minutes a day for your stretches and practice them a couple of days a week, looking up some routines online or targeting a particular muscle group that bothers you (lower back pain, we see you). Don’t push your joints and muscles if you feel pain and stretch evenly on both sides of your body. Try to hit all major muscle groups.
Quarantine stiffness is real and you might only be seeing these painful changes now, after spending a month cooped up indoors. Start off slow with your stretches, using alarms as weekly reminders and push yourself as you feel your body start to let loose. If you’re consistent, your body will experience changes and an increased range of mobility within weeks.
Kylie Jenner, reality TV star, ‘self-made’ billionaire and part of the Kardashian clan, is one of the most famous people in the world. Does she smoke marijuana?
Kylie Jenner is pretty open on social media, advocating for the causes that interest her and giving updates on her life with baby Stormi. When it comes to cannabis, Jenner has taken to social media to shill different CBD products, including a CBD-laced drink that relieves anxiety called Happy Tea. Jenner’s social media posts are known for making or breaking companies, with most of the products she recommends earning large amounts of new followers, not to mention a ton more money for her own bank account. But so far, we’ve never seen her promote or smoke marijuana online.
Jenner’s ex-boyfriend, Travis Scott, however, has been way more open about his marijuana use.
In an interview with Desus & Mero, Seth Rogen talked about Scott and the last time they smoked weed together. “I recently was smoking weed with Travis Scott, just me and him in a weird weed-smoking circle,” he said. “We get along really well… He’s a hilarious [dude]. That was just, like, a week ago so it’s fresh in my head. You always get along pretty well with people [who smoke].”
Photo by Theo Wargo/Staff/Getty Images
The most clear indication that Jenner does indeed smoke weed comes from a Snapchat video she uploaded the night of the release of Travis Scott’s Netflix documentary. In it, Scott blows smoke into Jenner’s mouth. We assume it’s marijuana smoke since people don’t really shotgun cigarettes unless they’re in high school.
Jenner’s appearances in reality TV and Instagram posts, which tend to feature her lipstick and make up products, have taken a quarantine turn, meaning that we now see her in sweatpants and with bags of Lays chips. Celebrities, they’re just like us.
Many hemp farmers have not yet been able to access economic relief because funds made available by the CARES Act were not earmarked for agriculture-related businesses. That appears to be changing.
We recently wrote about how these economic benefits would not be available for marijuana businesses due to the continued prohibition of marijuana activities under federal law. This was recently confirmed in a tweet from a representative from the Small Business Administration (SBA) responding to a question about whether cannabis businesses would be eligible for federal Coronavirus relief:
With the exception of businesses that produce or sell hemp and hemp-derived products (Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, Public Law 115-334), marijuana-related businesses are not eligible for SBA-funded services (OMB, 2 C.F.R. § 200.300).
This is a significant burden on the marijuana industry but as you can see from the response above, hemp producers are not disqualified from federal relief thanks to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 aka the 2018 Farm Bill.
However, many hemp farmers have not yet been able to access economic relief because funds made available by the CARES Act were not earmarked for agriculture-related businesses. That appears to be changing.
On Thursday, April 23rd, the US House of Representatives voted to pass a $484 billion economic stimulus package that had previously passed the Senate and now awaits signature from Donald Trump. According to Hemp Industry Daily $321 billion is going to fund the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) including $60 billion for small lenders and community banks. In addition, Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) will be available for farms with fewer than 500 employees. These EIDLs provide up to $10,000 in advance for small businesses. To be eligible, agricultural businesses will need to show they have been hurt economically by COVID-19.
Photo by David Trood/Getty Images
This is welcome news for farmers generally as agricultural-related businesses have not yet been able to apply for EIDL offered under the CARES Act. The Amendment that passed the House included a provision that allowed agricultural businesses to participate in the EIDL. This could be especially good news for hemp businesses who already face stigma due to the crops close relationship to marijuana. After all, the difference is just the amount of THC in the plant, a compound that cannot be detected without sophisticated testing. In my experience, many hemp businesses have been denied access to basic financial services despite the 2018 Farm Bill’s passage in December 2018.
Hemp producers who want relief should plan to act fast as funds are going to run out quickly after Trump signs the amendment. There really will be no time to waste in applying for EIDLs or the PPP.
When it comes to hemp-derived CBD (Hemp CBD) focused businesses, things aren’t quite as simple because depending on the product, Hemp CBD may not be fully compliant with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and policy. The FDA’s view is that most Hemp CBD products violate the FDCA, specifically Hemp CBD foods and dietary supplements, and any Hemp CBD products (besides Epidiolex) marketed as drugs.
We’ll keep tracking relief for the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. In the meantime, if you have any questions feel free to contact our hemp team.
The future king made an appearance on Stephen Fry’s “Big Night In” and joked about life in quarantine.
There’s no better equalizer than being under quarantine. While most of us have run out of things to binge watch in order to tame our boredom, Prince William has managed to steer clear of one of the most popular shows on Netflix right now: “Tiger King.”
Raise your hand if you wish you could get those nearly seven hours of your life back?
The seven-part docuseries about a private zoo owner and a husband killer (allegedly) has been the breakout hit of quarantine. But the future king of England isn’t interested.
While making an appearance on actor Stephen Fry’s “Big Night In,” William poked fun at his self-quarantine situation, especially when it comes to home schooling his three young children, saying, “It’s been a nightmare, really.”
William then asked Fry, who had reprised his iconic role as Lord Melchett, head of the royal household, for the occasion: “By the way have you seen anything good on TV? It’s hell without ‘EastEnders.'”
“They tell me ‘Tiger King’ is rather good,” Fry (Lord Melchett) replied.
“I tend to avoid shows about royalty,” said Prince William.
Since this was a comedy sketch, we’re not sure if Wills was being serious or just reading his scripted line, but either way, he definitely has a second career as a comedian if the whole British monarchy thing doesn’t work out.
This was just amazing! Thank you your Highness for being such a good sport!
This was great! Well done to all involved. Thank you ?
Such a good sport William – and fantastic timing!
The clip aired ahead of William and his family’s participation in the weekly Clap For Our Carers, when everyone in the U.K. shows their appreciation for the workers who are tirelessly working to keep everyone safe and healthy from COVID-19.
The CIA emphasizes that smoking marijuana doesn’t make you a bad person, just maybe someone unfit for clearance.
You can’t easily or quickly characterize the relationship the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) maintains with cannabis. Like most associations with the CIA, the truth is shrouded in decades of rumors, half-truths, and misdirection. Did the CIA develop a truth serum using marijuana? What facts exist around the CIA growing fake marijuana to display at trade shows? Is the CIA the originator behind the mysterious G-13 marijuana strain?
Some answers we’ll never know. Those who previously characterized the CIA as marijuana haters, however, discovered recently that isn’t exactly the truth. In its ongoing Ask Molly series, where the CIA publicly addresses common questions asked by the public, the federal agency clarified that using illicit drugs like marijuana doesn’t automatically qualify them as a “bad” or “unworthy” person. However, it may disqualify you from acquiring a necessary security clearance.
“I’m not asserting that those who have experimented with drugs are in some way bad or unworthy, but a willingness to break federal law to engage in illicit drug use can be used as a measure of someone’s fitness to hold a security clearance,” wrote Molly Hale, the CIA’s public voice since 2002. “It should be noted that drug use and abuse is one of the most common reasons applicants are denied a security clearance.”
Someone had asked whether using illegal drugs would limit them from joining the federal agency. The CIA stated that no, they won’t automatically deny your application because you smoked a joint or popped a molly at music festival. Instead, the CIA expects any candidate not to have consumed illicit drugs within the past 12 months.
Photo by skeeze via Pixabay
This emphasis isn’t an anti-drug stance. Instead, the CIA comes from a pro-security position.
“It might seem a bit archaic, but consider the access to information we’re giving CIA employees, and consequences of granting access to the wrong person,” Hale wrote. “Officers regularly handle classified information, which, if leaked, could spell disaster for national security and endanger the life of CIA officers, assets, and their families.”
Clever individuals may wonder if smoking marijuana in a state with legal recreational access constitutes as illicit drug use. But the CIA already considered this position.
“[You may say] I live in a state where marijuana use was legalized under state law, so would any of this really apply in my case? The short answer is yes,” Hale wrote. “Marijuana remains illegal under federal law in every state. CIA is bound by federal law, which prohibits CIA from granting security clearances to unlawful users of controlled substances, including marijuana. State laws do not supersede those of the federal government.”
While there has been anecdotal talk of cannabis with THC as a potential solution to weaning opioid addicts to a less dangerous level of drug use, it has never been proven to be a fail-safe alternative.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued warning letters to two companies for illegally selling unapproved products containing cannabidiol (CBD) in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The FDA said that BIOTA Biosciences and Natures CBD Oil Distribution were claiming their CBD products could be used to treat opioid addiction.
The FDA has requested responses from the companies within 15 working days stating how they will correct the violations. Failure to correct the violations promptly may result in legal action, including product seizure and/or injunction.
“The opioid crisis continues to be a serious problem in the United States, and we will continue to crack down on companies that attempt to benefit from selling products with unfounded treatment claims,” said FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D. “CBD has not been shown to treat opioid addiction. Opioid addiction is a real problem in our country and those who are addicted need to seek out proper treatment from a health care provider. There are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, effectiveness and quality of unapproved products containing CBD, and we will continue to work to protect the health and safety of American consumers from products that are being marketed in violation of the law.”
The two warning letters were issued to:
BIOTA Biosciences, LLC of Washington state for marketing and distributing injectable CBD products as well as an injectable curcumin product. These products are marketed for serious diseases and as an alternative to opioids. BIOTA Biosciences markets private label CBD and wholesale CBD extracts, and their products include beverages, bulk CBD extracts, and water soluble CBD, as well as injectable curcumin.
Homero Corp DBA Natures CBD Oil Distribution of New Hampshire for marketing and distributing CBD products as a treatment to opioid addiction as well as other serious diseases. The firm is an own-label distributor for CBD products as well as a retailer for Green Roads CBD products.
Photo by GIPhotoStock/Getty Images
The FDA noted that Natures CBD website claimed that its product “Has had success in alleviating severe withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate dependency. Natures Pure CBD also has taken off the ball and chain around the opiate addicts’ neck and has relieved the addiction totally by using Natures Pure CBD restoring the person back to a quality of life worth living.” “The Opiate addiction rate of recovery is low and Natures Pure CBD oil offers promise for those suffering from chronic opiate use.” “Natures Pure CBD oil works for these medications which all have addictive properties to them: opium, fentanyl, heroin, hydrocodone, oxycodone, methadone, morphine and hydromorphone. Natures Pure CBD Oil has been effective in the treatment and eradication of opiate use.”
For BIOTA, the FDA pointed out claims on the website like “CBD . . . and its ability to suppress pain and aid in the detoxification processes has highlighted it as a promising therapeutic for a wide array of disorders such as epilepsy, including many challenging neuropathy conditions. When patients consider trying a new therapeutic like CBD, there are many options for delivery that can be more efficacious to the patient. One delivery option is BIOTA CBD Sterile Vial Therapy.” “Instant relief for patients that are symptomatic of inflammatory auto-immune diseases”
While there has been anecdotal talk of cannabis with THC as a potential solution to weaning opioid addicts to a less dangerous level of drug use, it has never been proven to be a fail-safe alternative. There have been no FDA evaluation of whether these products are effective for their intended use, what the proper dosage might be, how they could interact with FDA-approved drugs, or whether they have dangerous side effects or other safety concerns.
In addition, the manufacturing process of unapproved CBD drug products has not been subject to FDA review as part of the human or animal drug approval processes. In March, the FDA provided updates on its work related to CBD products with a focus on protecting public health and providing market clarity. The FDA continues to be concerned that some people wrongly think that the myriad of CBD products on the market have been evaluated by the FDA and determined to be safe, or that using CBD “can’t hurt.”
Under the FD&C Act, any product intended to treat a disease or otherwise have a therapeutic or medical use, and any product (other than a food) that is intended to affect the structure or function of the body of humans or animals, is a drug. The FDA has not approved any CBD products other than one prescription human drug product to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy.
