Busiest Holiday For The Cannabis Industry? It’s Not Christmas

Noemi Gonzales

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December 23, 2019

Busiest Holiday For The Cannabis Industry? It’s Not Christmas

There are the customary cultural holidays that we are all familiar with, like Christmas, along with holidays specific to cannabis users, such as 4/20.

In the grand scheme of things, the cannabis industry is still relatively young and we are still learning much about the ups and downs of this industry.

One interesting factor to consider and observe as this industry continues to grow is the effect that the holiday season has on the cannabis industry as a whole.

Let’s take a moment to compare various bits of data regarding the cannabis industry from Headset to see what we can discern from it.

First off, we must understand that in relation to the cannabis industry there are two sets of holidays to consider. There are the customary cultural holidays that we are all familiar with, meaning the time traditionally known as “Christmas”. There are also holidays specific to cannabis users such as 4/20 or 7/10 (calendar dates).

4/20 and 7/10

These two specific calendar dates are considered to be days to celebrate in the cannabis community. 4/20 has long been associated or considered to be a time to get high for years now(since the 1940’s according to some sources). 7/10 relates to cannabis concentrate oils as 7/10 upside down spells out “oil”. You can find many of these oil concentrate products to be available for consumption via pens, rigs, and vaporizers.

Reports indicate that the week leading to and the day of 4/20 show an increase of cannabis flower sales. Consuming the actual flower has a more traditional flair to it as opposed to more modern concentrated options. A factor in these increased sales is the fact that many dispensaries and shops are reportedly running deals leading up to 4/20 that contribute to these increased flower sales.

The week leading up to 4/20 showed a 25% increase in sales of cannabis products. Colorado, Nevada, Washington, and California all totaled over 100 million dollars in cannabis product sales during the week of 4/20.

The week of 7/10 does not seem to reflect any serious changes in terms of sales data. It is worth considering that 7/10 is a lesser-known cannabis day of celebration due to these concentrates being comparatively newer to the market.

Customary Holiday Season

The week of Christmas is another time of the year that has shown statistical increases with cannabis product sales. During the week of Christmas, the cannabis industry has seen an increase of around 15% in sales.

While this increase is not as large as that of the week of 4/20, it is still a considerable burst of growth for business owners in the cannabis industry.

What factors might lead to increased cannabis sales during the week of Christmas?

It appears to be more socially acceptable to gift cannabis to one another as time goes on. Many people have a little extra cash to spend due to bonuses from work and gifts from family. Many shops and dispensaries are trying out discounts and sales for the season. A wider array of options for methods of consumption will mean more people willing to try cannabis than before as not everyone enjoys the idea of smoking.

4 Ways Cannabis Can Improve Your Holidays — Photos by: Giftpundits.com via Pexels; Get Budding via Unsplash

Who’s Buying?

A separate report from Team Headset breaks down the key demographics and their percentages of cannabis products purchased.

52% of all cannabis sales since legalization occurred are from the millennial demographic. The remaining 48% of cannabis sales appear to be split evenly between the Silent Generation, Generation Z, Baby Boomers, and Generation X.

Another interesting point from this report is that from 2018 to 2019 Generation X doubled their cannabis purchase rate from 3% to 6%. This trend currently shows no sign of changing or slowing down.

Conclusion

The data from Team Headset makes it clear that the holidays do indeed have a positive impact on sales in the Cannabis industry. The most notable being the week of 4/20 with the 25% increase.

It is also interesting to learn that Millennials alone make up over 50% of total cannabis product sales as of this time.

Perhaps the sales numbers relating to the week of 7/10 will also begin to increase over the years as concentrates become more commonplace in the cannabis market and social awareness.

If you would like to download and review these detailed reports from Team Headset yourself you may find them here:

https://www.headset.io/blog/how-do-the-holidays-affect-cannabis-sales-a-look-at-the-data

https://www.headset.io/blog/cannabis-demographic-analysis-trends

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report.

This Week’s Music: Alanis Morissette, Dua Lipa And The Voidz

Maria Loreto

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December 22, 2019

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This Week’s Music: Alanis Morissette, Dua Lipa And The Voidz

This week’s music feature a new song from Alanis Morissette, the title track of Dua Lipa’s new album and new work from The Voidz.

This Week’s Music is a weekly column that discusses the weeks’ best, worst, and most interesting songs. We try to select songs of different artists and genres to keep things interesting and to please a variety of music fans.

This week’s music feature a new song from Alanis Morissette, the title track of Dua Lipa’s new album and new work from The Voidz. Have a listen.

Pop

Alanis Morissette – Reasons I Drink

Alanis Morissette has a devoted set of fans who can sing all of her 90’s and early 2000’s songs without missing a beat. The devotion she inspires is cult-like, leading to a 2019 musical based on her most famous record, which somehow feels current even if it was released in 1995. Sadly, “Reasons I Drink” doesn’t feel like her best work. Although it boasts her unique voice work it does nothing memorable with it. The lyrics are poetic and elaborate but nothing holds the song together.

Dua Lipa – Future Nostalgia

“Future Nostalgia” is the title track of Dua Lipa’s upcoming album and it features the sounds you’d expect of a song with that name. Dua Lipa raps and sings about her usual stuff — you know, breaking up with people and getting over them — and at times, the music and production is fun and smart, adding dashes of robotic voices and sounds. As the song ends, you realize that it isn’t as vibrant as “Don’t Start Now,” but it’s still a fun taste of the album to come.

Rock

The Voidz – Did My Best

The Voidz is an experimental band, fronted by Julian Casablancas, the leading man from The Strokes. Featuring a strange music video and a much more narrative style than the one allowed by The Strokes, “Did My Best” is ethereal and soothing. The best part of the band is the fact that the music will satisfy fans of The Strokes but that it’s also capable of capturing listeners who are patient and are looking for something innovative and distinct.

5 Ways To Score Marijuana In Vegas

David Hodes

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December 22, 2019

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Just like with gambling, there are rules for the visitor to follow: no consumption in any rooms, in any hotel, on any casino floor, walking around anywhere. But getting it is easy.

“We know how to do sin.”

With those words, former Nevada State Senator Tick Segerblom connected the dots in 2016 when recreational marijuana was legalized in the state. Prostitution, gambling, and cannabis — a perfect Sin City combo! And it’s turned out to be a huge regulated vice success.

As of May 2018 there were officially 47 retail marijuana stores dotting Las Vegas with potentially 60 more to come, serving 43 million visitors who stay in any of the 150,000 hotel rooms and spend $36 billion.

In just the first full year of sales (2018), visitors and residents in the state spent $530 million — way over forecasts and averaging about $50 million a month — with the majority buying their marijuana in Vegas. The first social consumption lounge opened in October, another history-making marijuana moment.

Just like with gambling, there are rules for the visitor to follow: no consumption in any rooms, in any hotel, on any casino floor, walking around anywhere. No single purchase over 1 ounce. Discretion is key. Lock it up in the safe in your room.

But getting it? Easy peasy.

Go big

Check out Planet 13 Cannabis Superstore and Entertainment Complex, the world’s biggest dispensary (for now) that opened late in 2018. This is as Vegas as Vegas gets – a stoner fantasy dispensary, operating big and proud inside a glitzy 112,000 square feet building. It’s a cannabis wonderland of 50-plus retail vendors that’s open 24/7, with free rides to the store available.

Go small

The smaller boutique shops might be your quickest get-and-go cannabis joint, and the best place for newcomers to spend a little time with a knowledgeable budtender. You can find them near 7-11s and small restaurants in the city, like ReLeaf, sometimes two and three stores in a meandering looking strip mall, and most able to deliver to you wherever you are in the city.

How Young Adults Are Misusing Medical Marijuana Prescriptions — Photo by MmeEmil/Getty Images

Go now

There are at least 30 marijuana cannabis retail stores that are open 24-7 (it’s Vegas – remember?) many providing free delivery. The Reef, The Apothecary, Oasis Cannabis, NuWu are just a few. Most others open early and close late – 8 a.m. to midnight is pretty common – and more are adding drive-thrus.

Go anywhere

Dispensaries are located just about anywhere in the greater Las Vegas area. Or you can take a hop on/hop off two hour cannabis dispensary tour that includes a stop at the first ever cannabis-themed wedding chapel.

First 24/7 Marijuana Store — Photo by masbebet via Pixabay

Go old school

Say you just got off a long cross-continent flight and don’t want to start Googling and checking your GPS and all that? No problem. Just ask your cabbie or Lyft or Uber driver. “It’s the first question I get,” a Vegas cabbie said during my last visit there. There are at least five dispensaries within a 5 minute cab ride from the airport. You can also ask you hotel concierge or doorman. Some dispensaries allegedly pay drivers to bring them customers. Just sayin’…

5 Apps To Help You Land Your Next Job

Maria Loreto

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December 21, 2019

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There are tons of job searching apps online, ranging from those that connect you with potential employers to others that offer career advice. Here are 5 of the best.

Apps allow you to do tons of different things, from helping you organize your life, to facilitating meet-ups between people who could potentially help you find work. Technology has come a long way, especially when it comes to great apps that connect you with job opportunities. No longer is LinkedIn your only source of potential employment.

Teen Vogue compiled a list of apps that are great for building connections and giving you some room to get to know people within your field of expertise. Check out 5 of our favorites.

Shapr

This app looks for mentors based on your interests. Each user has a profile that you can swipe right or left on, and if you get a match, you’ll be allowed to interact with the other person, meet up if you want, and get some quality career advice.

Let’s Lunch

Checking emails during commute should count as part of the working day — Photo by rawpixel.com

Like the name implies, Let’s Lunch takes a look at your schedule and connects you to people who have similar lunch breaks and hours, allowing you to make the most out of your free time. The app facilitates short meetings between professionals, giving you a chance to plan ahead and get to know them.

Hey! VINA

Hey! VINA is exclusively for women and tries to pair you up with someone who lives nearby and who has similar interest to you. The app asks you to fill out a questionnaire, which will gather all the necessary information on your lifestyle and goals, and will later suggest personalized connections.

Switch

Tinder Super Like — Photo via freestocks.org

More straightforward than other apps on this list, Switch is like Tinder for job positions, allowing you to swipe left or right on jobs. The app provides two services: one for those who are looking for jobs and another for those who are hiring.

ZipRecruiter

This app allows you to set up personalized job alerts, notifying you when related jobs are posted. It’s great to use on the go, allowing you to get the job you want first by applying instantly from your phone wherever you are. You can also set up notifications to get job alerts on a daily basis, helping you find a job as soon as possible.

Are Weed Moms The New Wine Moms?

Sari Frances

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December 21, 2019

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Work, childcare and household demands with limited support mean that moms carry a heavy load, taxing the body, nervous system and emotional and mental health.

The familiar meme of a baby’s pacifier lying beside a filled-to-the-brim class of Pinot Noir has come to signify #momlife. Ask any random mom how she keeps sane and she will likely answer, “wine.”

Wine is the go-to salve for frazzled nerves, exhaustion and a pressure release. It’s legal, ancient and served at dinner. Moms are encouraged, particularly by other moms, to uncork in the early evening (late afternoon?) or hit the wine bar hard on mom’s night out.

Modern motherhood has come to be defined as the improbable pursuit of “having-it-all.” Work, childcare and household demands with limited support mean that moms carry a heavy load, taxing the body, nervous system and emotional and mental health. Alcohol can take the edge off, but while some studies have shown some potentially positive effects of moderate red wine consumption, the body ultimately processes alcohol as if it were a poison.

Your body may respond to too much wine with increased depression, weight gain, hangovers, or a brain fog. Alcohol consumption with a predisposition to alcoholism is also a situation that can quickly become dangerous.

Alternatively, the medicinal properties of cannabis have been shown to be many, including benefits for pain management, anxiety relief, muscular relaxation, insomnia, migraines, sexual function and an increased feeling of general wellbeing. Moms are starting to catch on: why poison your body when you can provide it with relief and have a more elevated experience to offset stress?

For some, weed and the like may conjure up memories of dorm-room bong-rips, stoner ex-boyfriends and paranoia. But today’s world of cannabis is much more nuanced and advanced, with a wide variety of consumption methods and experiential choices to suit individual comfort level, constitution and desired effect.

Vape pens in particular, as well as CBD-infused gummies, topical creams and tinctures are helping moms to discreetly integrate medicinal cannabis into their self-care routines for stress management. Moms who responsibly use cannabis in conjunction with other wellness habits like regular exercise and good nutrition report a laid back, rebalancing experience that helps to integrate mind and body as well as alleviating the effects of overwhelm, anxiety and depression.

Marijuana, like alcohol, is contraindicated for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, even though many moms “pump and dump” after a heavy night out. Most Moms integrate cannabis into their lives after weaning from breastfeeding, although preliminary research is exploring this area. While special care must be taken while consuming cannabis products around children (no driving, buy a lockbox), some forms, such as non-psychoactive CBD products with little to no THC, offer an enhanced sense of calm without the high.

We are told as moms to practice self-care, and for some this means downing half a bottle or more of wine at a time every evening in front of the kids. But even a “microdose” of cannabis can help moms manage stress, slow down and become more patient and attuned to themselves, their partners and children, without the hangover.

Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart Launches Hash-Infused Pre-Roll

Green Market Report

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December 21, 2019

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Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart Launches Hash-Infused Pre-Roll

Space Ticket is a potent 1-gram hemp leaf wrapped pre-roll featuring Indica-leaning strains Trinity Star and D.O.G. Chem and is infused with an aromatic, artisanal ice-water hash.

Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart is expanding his cannabis brand Mind Your Head with the launch of Space Ticket, a 1-gram hash-infused pre-roll. Space Ticket is inspired by the transformation and enlightenment that fans experience at live shows.

“When we listen to music, we deepen the spiritual connection with ourselves and those around us. Concerts are where people come together to dance and share experiences,” said Hart. “The Space Ticket pre-roll is designed to elevate consciousness above ordinary levels in our collective exploration of the most powerful grooves on the planet.”

Mind Your Head Space Ticket is a potent 1-gram hemp leaf wrapped pre-roll featuring Indica-leaning strains Trinity Star and D.O.G. Chem and is infused with an aromatic, artisanal ice-water hash. In keeping with Hart’s passion for the environment, Space Ticket pre-rolls are sold in Sana Packaging’s completely reclaimed ocean plastic which is 100% HDPE and recyclable.

Mind Your Head was launched earlier this year with its first product offering of Magic Minis, pre-rolled whole-flower joints packaged in a tin adorned with Hart’s celebrated artwork. The brand was founded on the belief that cannabis grown with care can transport minds by inspiring creativity and mindfulness. Mind Your Head operates using
sustainable, just and innovative practices.

Mind Your Head Magic Minis feature Chemdog, a legendary strain discovered outside a Grateful Dead show on Shakedown Street in 1991 by a loyal fan now known as ‘Chemdog.’ The namesake strain of cannabis is renowned for boosting artistry and mindfulness. True to Hart’s vision, the Chemdog strains produced for Magic Minis were mindfully grown, pursuing kindness and care in cultivation practices.

“As a loyal Deadhead, I’m proud to see Chemdog featured in the first product from Mickey Hart,” said Chemdog. “It plays an important role in Grateful Dead history and I think it’s exciting that Mickey is bringing it full circle to fans and cannabis enthusiasts in Mind Your Head.”

“We are proud of Mind Your Head’s success and look forward to continued growth with new offerings like Space Ticket,” said Brett Cummings, CEO of Left Coast Ventures. “It’s an honor to work with Mickey, a legendary musician and activist whose innovative approach assists in the development of premium, authentic cannabis products that fans will enjoy.”

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report.

Don’t Trust Marijuana Health Claims On Social Media, It’s Probably a Bot

Brendan Bures

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December 20, 2019

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Don’t Trust Marijuana Health Claims On Social Media, It’s Probably a Bot

Falsely-reported marijuana claims from robots far outweigh science-based posts from humans on social media, study finds.

A Pew Research Center poll reported earlier this year that 55% of American adults receive their news via social media at least sometimes. And despite the fact that the same percentage of people agree that this isn’t the most comprehensive way of getting information, the number represents an 8% increase in those who use social media as their primary news source.

This spells bad news in the world of cannabis. A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health from University of Southern California scientists found that many marijuana-related health claims made on social media were bogus. Furthermore, these false claims were often made by bots, who perpetuated fake news that drowned out solid science.

“We’re in a period of time where these misleading messages are pervasive online,” Jon-Patrick Allem, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at USC and lead author of the study, said in a statement. “We want the public to be aware of the difference between a demonstrated, scientifically backed piece of health information and claims that are simply made up.”

What To Do When An Ex 'Haunts' You On Social Media — Photo by Hero Images/Getty Images

To better understand who was saying what on social media, researchers collected a sample of cannabis-related tweets between May 1, 2018 and Dec. 31, 2018. They then used a digital tool called botometer, which rates how likely a Twitter account is a bot. After separating those groups, the researchers divided the tweets further into 12 categories, including: legislation, health and medical, first-time use, mentions of edible products, and whether cannabis was used alongside alcohol, painkillers, and psychedelics.

Patricia Escobedo, a co-author of the study, noted that “the proportion of bot posts that talked about health claims was larger than the proportion among non-bot accounts.” Meaning, if you read a cannabis-related health claim on Twitter, it was more likely it was from a robot than not. Furthermore, Esbodedo said when examining their data, they couldn’t discover a single reference in these posts to scientifically proven sues for cannabis, like marijuana’s ability to treat epilepsy in children.

“Raising the issue of these false claims by social bots is an important first step in our line of research,” Allem said. “The next step will be to examine the self-reported levels of exposure and beliefs in these claims and perceived risks and benefits of cannabis use, intentions to use and actual use.”

Meme Of The Week: The Best Memes Of 2019

Maria Loreto

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December 20, 2019

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Meme Of The Week: The Best Memes Of 2019

2019 came with a lot of memes. Here are the most memorable ones.

“This year was a big one for memes” is probably a phrase that can be applied to every year since social media became a thing. But yeah, this year was a particularly big one for memes, with a lot of them lasting for a couple of weeks (that’s years in internet speak) and reaching audiences of all ages and creeds.

2019, like all years, consisted of only 365 days. But because memes have a way of keeping culturally interesting topics around for longer, it feels like a much broader period of time.

Here are the 9 of the best memes of 2019.

Baby Yoda

Baby Yoda came out pretty recently but it’s been embraced like no other meme. You may have not seen an episode of “The Mandalorian” but you’ve seen and loved Baby Yoda. That’s crazy because that’s not even the little guy’s name.

Every Mom on Christmas morning watching you open presents: pic.twitter.com/m7hI1qYoVz

— Julie Benson (@TheJulieBenson) November 29, 2019

Screaming Meryl Streep

Many eons ago, when “Big Little Lies” season 2 was released, Meryl Streep screamed in anguish in the midst of dinner. We were never the same.

when i wake up on Monday and realize I’m out of java pic.twitter.com/0pZ0CWtiYr

— bobby finger (@bobbyfinger) June 10, 2019

Ah shit, here we go again

GTA is a big game but this meme is even bigger. It works for almost any situation.

this december pic.twitter.com/xgFIR2sLNL

— Rebel Scum Finn (@realtraitorfinn) April 11, 2019

And I oop

And I oop was such a big meme that it became an expression people used in their real lives.

I edited this with And I oop and I don’t know why but I’m laughing so hard ? pic.twitter.com/BK1QvER2Yx

— ??????? ????????? ?? (@shakeelovelace) May 19, 2019

Woman yelling at cat

I don’t know who thought of pairing a photo a weird looking cat and a photo of a screaming Real Housewife, but they did it and it was great. These two are almost impossible to separate from the other.

These photos together is making me lose it pic.twitter.com/kJi9d8MpbG

— chey (@MISSINGEGIRL) May 1, 2019

Storm Area 51

The storming of Area 51 was one of those things that would have never gotten notoriety if it weren’t for the government and the fuss they put up when they saw the amount of people who’d interacted with the original post on Facebook.

The alien I stole from Area 51 showing up in my room at 3am to tell me he threw up pic.twitter.com/SnzXmozc1i

— yeet (@irritatingshit1) July 12, 2019

Kombucha girl

Kombucha girl might be the meme that was most used throughout the year. I don’t know if that’s true but it’s certainly the meme I used the most. I love it.

Looking at myself naked in the mirror pic.twitter.com/qtAJympbBi

— lil adam (@MaxxAtom) August 11, 2019

Rise and Shine

Kylie Jenner singing rise and shine was so weird that everyone took the video and went with it, photoshopping her into The Voice and writing jokes in fitting scenarios. It’s a very funny and ridiculous meme.

My ex waking me up to tell me it’s over pic.twitter.com/xmkPmvChfE

— Nick Lehmann (@NickStopTalking) October 17, 2019

Ok, Boomer

“Ok, Boomer” began as a hilarious Tik Tok that later became a phrase that was later purchased by FOX TV because the channel wanted to make a reality TV series about it. That’s basically a meta “Ok, Boomer.

My favorite yet #okboomer pic.twitter.com/zbQmXTls9b

— Amanda S (@mandy999s) November 7, 2019

Veterans Can Use Medical Marijuana, They Just Have To Pay For It

Mike Adams

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December 20, 2019

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Veterans Can Use Medical Marijuana, They Just Have To Pay For It

Congress keeps killing marijuana-related legislation that would allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with marijuana as an alternative to prescription drugs.

Every year, the cannabis advocacy community is neck-deep in the trenches fighting for the rights of veterans to use medical marijuana. You can always count on there being at least one proposal debated in Congress designed to give the men and women who have served our country legitimate access to therapeutic cannabis. And every year, Congress puts the kibosh on these measures, which has given a vast majority of the American population the idea that the federal government prevents veterans from using marijuana. Presumably, some believe that Uncle Sam is standing at the ready to dole out some cruel and unusual punishment for those vets who dare get high.

But that’s not exactly true. What’s real is that Congress does, in fact, keep killing marijuana-related legislation (even those of a temporary nature) that would allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide veterans with marijuana as an alternative to prescription drugs. This is upsetting to the part of the population that believes vets should have the option of at least participating in medical marijuana programs in states where it is legal. Most folks with any compassion at all would share in this sentiment.

But the thing is, the federal government is not stopping vets from using this drug. These men and women are more than welcome to smoke all the weed they want, they just cannot get it from the VA, and they have to pay for it out of their own pockets.

It’s true. Nobody is stopping vets from using medical marijuana. They are permitted to visit a physician outside the VA for a recommendation to participate in their state’s program. Once they have secured the necessary paperwork, they can visit a dispensary and start making regular purchases. The VA even states on its website that this sort of arrangement is more than acceptable. Vets can also discuss medical marijuana with their VA doctors for guidance if they so choose.

“VA providers can and do discuss marijuana use with veterans as part of comprehensive care planning, and adjust treatment plans as necessary,” the VA said.

Marijuana For Veterans — Photo by PeteMuller/Getty Images

And no, there are no penalties for veterans who opt to go independent in their quest for medical marijuana. No matter how much weed they smoke, they are welcome back to the VA for treatment, and they can still get prescription drugs. The VA’s website makes that clear, as well.

“Veteran participation in state marijuana programs does not affect eligibility for VA care and services,” the agency states.

But since marijuana is still illegal in the eyes of the federal government, the VA cannot prescribe medicinal cannabis to its patients. And that’s likely going to be the case until Congress and the President come to terms on a bill that eliminates pot prohibition nationwide.

Vets are really in the same boat as the rest of the medical marijuana patients across the United States. Gaining access is not always easy for civilians either. Sometimes family doctors will refuse to recommend medical marijuana to their patients, forcing them to seek an outside physician for approval. And because cannabis is not covered by any health insurance provider, everyone who participates in a medical marijuana program must pay for it out of pocket.

So really, veterans are not being treated any differently than the rest of the country when it comes to using this medicine. Maybe they should be, but they are not. Sure, there have been cases where veterans have lost some of their prescription drug privileges (mainly painkillers) as a result of pot use. But the decision to amended treatment plan comes at the discretion of VA doctors. It’s not the agency’s policy to take drugs away from patients just because they smoke a little weed.

What Scientists Are Saying About The CBD Boom

Mike Adams

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December 20, 2019

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What Scientists Are Saying About The CBD Boom

Over the years, countless reports have surfaced showing how CBD might be able to cure the disease of the week. But is it all hype?

Although it seems a vast majority of the population is fiending for marijuana’s non-intoxicating compound cannabidiol (CBD) for a variety of ailments — from anxiety to chronic pain — scientists say there is still not enough evidence to prove that this trendy chemical has any therapeutic benefits at all.

“It is a kind of a new snake oil in the sense that there are a lot of claims and not so much evidence,” Dustin Lee, an assistant professor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University, told the New York Times. Lee is planning to launch a human study to explore whether CBD can help people stop smoking.

What we know about CBD is that it seems to help control epileptic seizures in some patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a CBD-derived drug last year called Epidiolex that is now being prescribed for this condition specifically. Still, this drug is not a salvation’s wing in every case. Many children do not respond to CBD-only medicine but they have success with cannabis oils containing both CBD and THC, the part of the plant that produces the stoned effects.

Even the doctors that were part of the clinical trials that ultimately led to Epidiolex receiving FDA approval are skeptical about CBD.

“There’s a lot of hype about everything about CBD,” Dr. Orrin Devinsky, the director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, who supervised the Epidiolex studies, told the NYT. “There is certainly data that it has a variety of anti-inflammatory effects, but whether that translates into improving human health is unknown. Does it help people with eczema, rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis? We don’t know. There is a good theoretical basis, but the studies have not been done.”

CBD — Photo by Christin Hume via Unsplash

But people need something to believe in. Over the years, countless reports have surfaced showing how CBD might be able to cure the disease of the week. Cancer patients have been leaning on this stuff because they hope it will erase the tumors and allow them to live a longer life. It doesn’t seem to be helping.

And then there are those who believe the purported powers of CBD may prevent them from getting sick in the first place. This is the reason the wellness sector has blasted off, and now CBD is getting added to food, drinks, you name it. This misaligned arena of health commerce continues to take place all over the country even though the FDA has not cleared the CBD compound for anything other than seizures.

Until more is known about CBD, health officials urge the public not to be charmed by companies selling a miracle cure.

“This deceptive marketing of unproven treatments raises significant public health concerns, as it may keep some patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases,” an FDA spokesman said.

The Fresh ToastThe most trusted name in cannabis

There are the customary cultural holidays that we are all familiar with, like Christmas, along with holidays specific to cannabis users, such as 4/20.

4/20 and 7/10

Customary Holiday Season

Who’s Buying?

Conclusion

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report.

This week’s music feature a new song from Alanis Morissette, the title track of Dua Lipa’s new album and new work from The Voidz.

Pop

Rock

Just like with gambling, there are rules for the visitor to follow: no consumption in any rooms, in any hotel, on any casino floor, walking around anywhere. But getting it is easy.

Go big

Go small

Go now

Go anywhere

Go old school

There are tons of job searching apps online, ranging from those that connect you with potential employers to others that offer career advice. Here are 5 of the best.

Work, childcare and household demands with limited support mean that moms carry a heavy load, taxing the body, nervous system and emotional and mental health.

Space Ticket is a potent 1-gram hemp leaf wrapped pre-roll featuring Indica-leaning strains Trinity Star and D.O.G. Chem and is infused with an aromatic, artisanal ice-water hash.

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report.

Falsely-reported marijuana claims from robots far outweigh science-based posts from humans on social media, study finds.

2019 came with a lot of memes. Here are the most memorable ones.

Baby Yoda

Screaming Meryl Streep

Ah shit, here we go again

And I oop

Woman yelling at cat

Storm Area 51

Kombucha girl

Rise and Shine

Ok, Boomer

Congress keeps killing marijuana-related legislation that would allow the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with marijuana as an alternative to prescription drugs.

Over the years, countless reports have surfaced showing how CBD might be able to cure the disease of the week. But is it all hype?

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