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Why Is The Cannabis Industry In Such a Slump?

Poor headwinds and outsized influence of individual investors have dropped valuations at multiple cannabis companies.

To understand why investors and financial analysts have cooled on the cannabis industry, just look at the jobs. Previously, marijuana businesses were all growth. If you needed a job and wanted to change fields, cannabis was fertile soil for a fresh start. While you can still find work in cannabis, the biggest players aren’t hiring like they used to.

Close to 600 cannabis industry workers have lost their jobs in the past few weeks, according to Business Insider. Layoffs hit everyone from CannTrust to Pax, meaning venture capital won’t save you from the recent downturn in cannabis. But in all cases a similar culprit to blame—the uneasy operating environment of a cannabis business.

Inconsistent regulations, high licensing fees, and media backlash from the vaping illness crisis all factor into the tricky variables inside the cannabis industry. Add in lower-than-expected retail sales in legal markets like Canada and California, and the inability to raise capital from regular investment means due to federal laws prohibiting cannabis banking, and you can understand why everyone isn’t as hot on cannabis as they once were.

RELATED: Here’s Why You Need To Be Careful If You’re Investing In Marijuana

Take The Marijuana Index, for example. The index is a composite of major cannabis stocks in the United States and Canada, including CannTrust, Canopy Growth, and Aurora Cannabis. After hitting a high in January this year, the index has lost 60% of its value, dropping to its around the same valuation it had close to two years ago. That’s not good, folks.

president trump could make marijuana legalization key issue in 2020
Photo by Bloomberg Creative Photos/Getty Images

Bloomberg reported that the investment community is blaming mom and pop investors for the cratering of pot stocks. Canadian retail investors, not major institutions, increasingly dominate the public float at many companies. Individual investors, as a result, carry an outsized influence than publicly traded companies would like.

“The stock price is driven by Canadian retail investors, and that Canadian retail investor is a fickle, ignorant investor that doesn’t really understand what they’re investing in,” Jeff Mascio, CEO of the Denver-based Cannabis One Holdings Inc., told Bloomberg.

RELATED: 4 Things You Need To Know Before Investing in Cannabis Stocks

One investment analyst told Business Insider the up-and-down, unpredictable nature of the cannabis industry has created a “toxic” environment for businesses. But Nicholas Vita, CEO of the New York-based Columbia Care Inc., said that could all change if certain players enter the fray.

“If the U.S. investing community, particularly the U.S. institutional investing community, decides to lean in, you’re going to see a massive spike in valuations,” he told Bloomberg.

Medical Marijuana On College Campuses Is Already A Sticky Issue

The discrepancy between federal and state laws has created a quagmire of problems for college students.

In states that have legalized recreational or medical marijuana, a gray area exists. Federal law still qualifies cannabis as an illegal Schedule I drug, which means marijuana is highly prone to abuse and has no accepted medical usage. To protect the rights of citizens in places like California or Colorado, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Corey Gardner proposed the STATES Act, which would recognize marijuana legalization in states and prohibit federal persecution.

But the STATES Act remains stalled in Congress, despite Donald Trump saying he’d likely support the bill. As a result, the gray area between federal and state marijuana laws remains. All of which has led to a wake of confusion and outcry to how policies are being enforced, according to the Associated Press.

College campuses have long struggled in its responses to legal marijuana. Oklahoma universities announced medical marijuana was banned on its campuses after it was legalized in the state. Because state universities receive federal grants to fund their programs and research, many universities believe they must follow federal law to keep that money. This has caused students at Oklahoma a litany of problems, as they can’t access their medicine if they stay on campus all day for classes.

RELATED: Youths Smoke Less Weed, Adults Smoke More Following Marijuana Legalization

Those students, however, can find workarounds to treat their medical conditions. For example, Oklahoma City Public Schools allow a primary caregiver to come on campus and deliver the medicine in a closed room, so long as no one at the school, including nurses, handles the medicine.

Photo by Vasily Koloda via Unsplash

University students pursuing degrees in nursing or other medical professions don’t have that luxury. Many school policies dictate these students undergo drug testing. Students that have received approval from health professionals at their colleges to use medical marijuana receive a different message later on. Once those tests come back positive, higher-ranking officials step in to deliver disciplinary action. Students in Arizona, Connecticut, and Florida have all suffered this problem and some have even taken to filing lawsuits against their schools.

“Universities can effectively decriminalize it, de-punish it and make it not something they focus on,” Jared Moffat, campaigns coordinator for the Marijuana Policy Project, told the AP.

5 Easy Tricks To Ensure You Eat Fruit Every Day

Fruit makes up an important part of our diets, providing fiber, antioxidants and different kinds of vitamins. Here’s how you can eat more of them.

Studies have demonstrated that eating fruit every day can help people prevent different diseases, like heart disease, some types of cancer and obesity. 1 or 2 cups a day are enough to make a difference in your health, yet only 12 percent of Americans follow through with this.

No matter your stance on fruits, odds are you likely don’t eat as much as is recommended. Although most foods contain high amounts of antioxidants and fiber, being really good for your health, they’re not as good as other types of unhealthy foods. No matter how healthy you are, a pear will never ever replace a doughnut or a cake.

RELATED: How Long Do Leftovers Last In The Fridge?

Here are five ways that can help you eat more fruit.

Start eating fruit early

The earlier you start, the easier it’ll be to consume the fruit portions of the day. Try to fit in fruits in your breakfast by adding them to your cereal or by making a fruit salad and accompanying that with a salty dish. If you don’t like to mix sweet and salty, you can try eating some fruit while preparing your breakfast.

Make them visible  

It’s easy to forget about fruits when they’re hidden and out of sight. Buy a fruit bowl and keep your fruit in a visible spot, such as having some cut and ready to eat in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. This will make it easier to snack on them since you can eat them throughout your day.

Have them frozen

Frozen fruit makes for a good snack, adding a different taste and texture to your usual fresh variety. And while frozen fruit is nearly essential to a cold and thick smoothie, be careful not to overdo it. Even if you’re drinking a healthy smoothie or juice, these drinks can’t replace the fiber that natural fruit provides. They also tend to contain high amounts of sugar and unnecessary calories.

RELATED: 5 Simple Changes That’ll Help You Eat Better Right Now

7 refreshing fruit beers to beat the summer heat
Photo by Jez Timms via Unsplash.

Buy the right kinds of fruit

If you’re not a fan of fruit, don’t buy weird kinds or ones that get spoiled quickly. Look for fruits that have a long shelf life and that require minimal prep, like apples, peaches and clementines, that way you won’t find too many excuses not to eat them.

Have them with your sweets

It’s kind of unrealistic to say that you’ll replace all kinds of sweets with fruits, because if you’re craving a doughnut then no fruit on earth will be able to replace that. Avoid having desserts every day and when you do, puree fruits into sauces and syrups that can be added onto ice creams and other sweets. While sweets tend to be bad for you, a portion of fruit will add some taste and will make for a healthier alternative than by adding chocolate sauce or syrup.

SXSW Confirms Two Dozen Marijuana Panels For 2020 Festival

SXSW 2020 Festival will feature 24 cannabis-specific panels, exploring all sorts of topics pertinent to the cannabis industry.

South By Southwest, a major music, film, video and tech festival founded in Austin, Texas, has announced their 2020 lineup of conferences and events. As of now, it features 24 marijuana panels that will explore content made for marijuana veterans and newcomers alike.

These panels are a part of SXSW’s Cannabusiness convergence track, inviting guests to learn about cannabis and the way the blooming business functions.

“Learn about the technological, cultural, financial, legal and political ecosystems that are defining the cannabis-focused enterprises of both today and tomorrow. The Cannabusiness Track includes content that will appeal to more experienced professionals in this rapidly evolving industry, as well as to newcomers who are just starting to enter this space,” reads the festival’s website. 

RELATED: Global CBD Market Expected To Grow By 40 Percent This Year

could cbd one day become an antibiotic
Photo by skodonnell/Getty Images

During the month of July, over 150 marijuana related panels were submitted to SXSW. Throughout the month of August, guests of the event reviewed the content and voted on their options, reducing the list to one with 24 panels that will be available at next year’s festival during the month of March.

Some of the topics explored on these panels include the potential problems with descheduling cannabis, what the world can learn from Canada’s legalization of marijuana, how cannabis can be used to treat women and children, and more.

RELATED: Soccer Superstar Megan Rapinoe Builds Equality For All Through Cannabis

SXSW is one of the world’s most popular festivals thanks in part to its format of holding three big events — featuring the latest in music, TV and tech — all in one place. The festival also encompasses a large bulk of the city of Austin. There’s screenings, exhibitions, conferences and panels, making the presence of so many cannabis panels a great opportunity and step forward for those who are interested or involved with the industry.

Soccer Superstar Megan Rapinoe Builds Equality For All Through Cannabis

Megan was drawn to using cannabis as part of her sports regime because she wanted a healthier and more natural option for pain management, sleep aid, and general recovery.

Olympic gold medalist, two-time Women’s World Cup champion, and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, Megan Rapinoe continues her role as an athlete and activist by partnering with Mendi, a Portland based female-led CBD sports brand co-founded by her fraternal twin Rachel. 

While numerous mostly male sports figures have endorsed cannabis and CBD products, as Rachel notes, “No other CBD brand has signed an athlete as recognizable as Rapinoe and who are still playing.” In her estimation, by signing with Mendi as an athlete, this signifies Megan also has skin in the game as an advisor and strategic partner. “She wants a robust role to help us grow from an underdog to a global CBD sports brand.”

Prior to this endorsement, Megan became known for her advocacy work off the pitch by aligning the equality and social justice movements the past several years. Rachel hopes to leverage this “badassness,” as well as the national appetite that consumers currently have to support athletes who stand for something.

As Rachel observes, “There is no better group of people than female athletes to help Mendi rise to the top. They have fought tooth and nail for every dollar made, better work environments, and every ounce of respect.” 

RELATED: 7 Celebrities Who Recently Made The Leap Into The Cannabis Biz

According to Rachel, Megan was drawn to using cannabis as part of her sports regime because she wanted a healthier and more natural option for pain management, sleep aid, and general recovery. “This message resonates with every athlete because recovery is one of the most important aspects of training.”

Soccer Superstar Megan Rapinoe Builds Equality For All Through Cannabis
Photo by Tevarak Phanduang via Unsplash

Since they are coming to market with current high profile athletes, Mendi chose to provide a line of products that are THC free, and thus safe for them to use while splaying sports. According to Rachel, “The stigma of cannabis in sports is still a very real thing, which we hope to disrupt, but for now, we are providing the highest quality all-natural, USA grown hemp CBD products that are trusted by the pros.” Athletes use their vegan gummies or soft-gels for longer-lasting pain relief, inflammation, sleeping aid, and overall calmness, and their all-natural salve stick for quick relief from pain and inflammation to a specific area of the body such as the joints or bruises. 

As a predominately female-founded organization, Mendi has fought for equality both on the playing field and in the cannabis space. In April 2019, Mendi was one of the first cannabis companies participating in The Initiative, a Portland based accelerator program designed for women cannabis entrepreneurs. Upon successful completion of this program, all graduates were awarded the opportunity to pitch their projects to investors at two major events, TechFest NW (Portland, OR) and the Arcview Investors Forum (Vancouver, BC). Mendi received the distinction of being one of the finalists invited to present their pitch on TechFestNW’s main stage.

RELATED: Proof Marijuana Has Been Part Of Professional Sports For Decades

These experiences gave Rachel and the other founder of Mendi the practical skills and networking contacts needed to take full advantage of Megan’s role spearheading Mendi’s ‘Athlete Ambassador Program.’ Rachel hopes Megan and other athletes that they bring on board will help them move the needle to destigmatize cannabis in sports. “The decision-makers need to understand that athletes want and need a much healthier option to compete at the highest levels. As the industry matures and products are more measurable and transparent, the general ‘fear’ of cannabis will subside. It needs to be normalized. It needs to be researched. And it needs to be in the hands of athletes instead of opioids and NSAIDS.” 

Global CBD Market Expected To Grow By 40 Percent This Year

CBD is the new sliced bread, toilet paper on rolls, and bottled spring water. And we can expect to see more traditional business sectors getting into CBD in the near future.

If the non-intoxicating marijuana compound cannabidiol (CBD) were a deadly virus sent to Earth by the Devil himself, it would be well on its way to rendering the global population extinct within the next few years.

If it were a stark-raving mad serial killer fresh out of the asylum, there would be a murderous rampage underway that would later be revealed as the largest massacre the planet has ever witnessed in all of history. And if it were a soul-sucking, seven-headed beast that just crawled out of the depths of Hell, well, those who didn’t run to the edge of the world and jump off would be swallowed up into the guts of evil, never to live another happy day ever again. 

A new report from Fact.MR shows that the global CBD market is expected to grow by 40% this year. It seems that so many consumers have drank the Kool-Aid that spawned the CBD craze that it is likely the substance will find its way into more medicine cabinets with each passing year.  

We suppose all of the stories published over the past several months showing how this cannabis derivative might be a salvation’s wing for those living with ailments from anxiety to cancer have stirred a proverbial pot of  soup and given life to a false idol unlike any before. 

The gates to gluttony are now open. Be afraid, be very afraid.

RELATED: CBD Market Set To Grow 700 Percent By 2020

There is just no stopping CBD from swelling into a monster. Countries like Canada and Uruguay have legalized marijuana nationwide, while somewhere around half the United States population is now living in a state with some kind of pot law on the books. The U.S. market has been amplified, too, by the nationwide legalization of industrial hemp production.

Here's How Long It Takes To Feel CBD's Effects
Photo by Sabrina Rohwer via Pexels

Some of the latest market analysis shows that the CBD market from industrial hemp could be worth in upwards of $26 billion (in the U.S. alone) within the next few years. It’s one of the reasons that many farmers have jumped into the hemp game to try and keep themselves from having to sell their souls. 

But any success the farming community finds through the cultivation of hemp will not be without sacrifice and penance. It is already suffering some unimaginable hardships by welcoming in this crop.

RELATED: Hemp Is On Its Way To Becoming An American Cash Crop, But Farmers Have Challenges

Even while there will inevitably be those unfortunate pustules sucked into the great oblivion trying to climb on the backs of CBD, there will be many others who will reign in prosperity. At least for now. 

“The significant business of cannabis is currently based in North America, which accounts for two thirds of the global cannabis market. Europe is showcasing a great premise for the market with sales doubling over the year 2018,” reads a report from Health Europa.

CBD is the new sliced bread, toilet paper on rolls, and bottled spring water. We can expect to see more traditional business sectors getting into bed with CBD in the near future. It’s nothing personal, just a quest for profit and world domination. It is a move that is already happening at a rate faster than any plague has spread since the dawn of time. Taking that into consideration, perhaps it isn’t a stretch to suggest that CBD could one day be an abbreviation for Corporations Bring Doomsday.

We can only hope.

No One Is Giving Your Kids Marijuana For Halloween

Your kid has a higher chance of being hit by a car or contracting ebola than receiving marijuana-laced candy on Halloween.

It seems like we go through this every year. In order to protect children on Halloween, local law enforcement agencies will post warnings on social media about weed-infused candies and treats. Instead of handing out fun-size Twix and Skittles, trick-or-treaters might receive drug-laced edibles, police warn.

We’ve already seen cautionary Facebook posts from cops in Johnstown, Pennsylvania regarding THC-infused Nerd ropes, and police in Florida have issued a similar warning.

RELATED: This ‘Hallo-weed’ Candy Pie Is Your New Favorite Holiday Tradition

“As Halloween approaches, always check your children’s candy!” reads a Facebook post from the Neptune Police Department. “536 grams of gummy-style soft candy laced with THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) was recently discovered during a traffic stop. This candy looks very similar to regular ‘gummy bear’ or ‘sour patch’ type products.”

its almost halloween heres a simple guide to pumpkin carving
Photo by Flickr user William Warby

To be sure, checking the Halloween candy your kids receive is always a good idea. Unwrapped treats or anything bearing suspicious labels should be examined more closely or altogether thrown out. But as marijuana legalization spreads to various states, one of the last things parents need to worry about on Halloween is someone handing their kids pot brownies.

According to the Washington Post, you’re more likely to contract Ebola on Halloween than get weed-infused candy dropped in your pumpkin while trick-or-treating. If anything, you should be far more concerned about your kid having an allergic reaction to chocolate bars with peanuts or pedestrians being hit by cars.

RELATED: How To Keep Your Kids From Getting Into Your Stash

But the most obvious reason, as both Slate and Orlando Weekly note, is that marijuana is downright expensive. A single 10 mg THC-laced gummy/candy starts for $3.25 at legal dispensaries and runs between $10-15 for gourmet chocolate products. On the black market, those prices go even higher. In addition, many legal states institute strict packing and labeling requirements. The “THC-included” logo that features a marijuana leaf can be found on many marijuana labels while Washington state requires an additional “Not for Kids” logo.

This a myth debunked again and again. But it will probably persist until full-blown legalization and regulation occur. Until then, make sure your kid doesn’t catch Ebola this Halloween. Because you don’t have to worry about any marijuana candies.

This Week’s Music: Selena Gomez, Beabadoobee And Cigarettes After Sex

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This week saw the return of Selena Gomez with two songs and accompanying music videos. There’s also Beabadoobee’s new single and Cigarettes After Sex’s intimate new song.

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 saw the return of Selena Gomez with two songs and accompanying music videos. There’s also Beabadoobee’s new single and Cigarettes After Sex’s intimate new song. Check them out!

Pop

Selena Gomez – Look At Her Now

Selena Gomez’s return to music was announced with two singles and two music videos, which are drastically different from the other. “Look At Her Now” is the most unusual one, channeling Gomez’s inner Lady Gaga. The song is another empowering anthem, following the trend set by Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus. Although it doesn’t reach the same levels of success, it’s still a good time.

 

Beabadoobee – I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus

Beabadoobee’s new single has a rock tint and a 90s vibe that she pulls off amazingly, paired with an alien and eclectic music video that’s fun and expressive. At 19-years-old, the British singer is one of the most exciting artists of her generation, creating songs of widely different varieties. Her songs can be melancholic, fun and personal.

RELATED: This Week’s Music: Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Urbani And The Knocks

Indie

Cigarettes After Sex – Heavenly

Cigarettes After Sex is one of the most romantic and intimate bands there are, with their songs always featuring the same rhythms and context. Their music’s is basically if the phrase “get a room” was a song, which is kind of fantastic. You won’t get much variety with their sound but it’s hard finding a band that embodies a vibe so well.

Delight Yourself With This Cannabis Crème Brûlée

A recipe like crème brûlée is not the best for an oil or butter infusion, so you’ll want to add either a decarboxylated concentrate or glycerin tincture in addition to normal sweeteners.

Sometimes you have had a rough or good week/day/moment and need a treat. Why not delight yourself with this cannabis. crème brûlée. This rich, creamy, custardy dessert with a hint of marijuana will be the ultimate crème brûlée and will leave your mind and taste buds happy.

This is where yummy recipes come in. With the right practice of working with basic infusions, you can apply those items into many recipes. If you have concentrates like hash and wax, you can actually straight dump them into nearly anything as long as you stay below a certain temperature (usually 300ºF-350ºF ).

A recipe like crème brûlée is not the best for an oil or butter infusion, so you’ll want to add either a decarboxylated concentrate or glycerin tincture in addition to normal sweeteners. Creamy things are lovely with hints of marijuana, and delicate vanilla flavors don’t disappear. The two flavors dance together in perfect, thick spoonfuls of dessert, scattered with smashed sugary bits.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Creme Brulee Jars

Adapted from Alton Brown
Makes 6, 9mg THC per serving estimated

  • 2 c heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • ½ c sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 Tbs glycerin tincture
Photos by Maria Penaloza


Preheat oven to 325ºF. Scrape the insides of the vanilla pod into a saucepan. Stuff the body of the vanilla into half of the sugar into a jar, shake, seal and put aside. Pour cream over the vanilla and bring to a light simmer. Don’t let it boil, especially don’t let it boil over. Put the cream off the heat to cool and start working on the rest.

RELATED: How To Make Highly Addictive Cannabis Carrot Fries

Now prepare the jars for baking by lining them up in a high sided oven safe casserole dish or roasting pan. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. Add glycerin tincture and whip until just mixed. Slowly add the cream, little by little, whisking vigorously so the egg doesn’t cook. This will take about 3 minutes, so plan on whipping and adding more cream in 30 second bursts.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Once all the cream is added, pour into containers evenly. Add boiling water to the roasting dish, halfway up the sides of the jars. Bake for 20 minutes at 325ºF, Rotate once, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Check on the jars at this time, you want to see a little jiggle, but they should seem to have congealed a bit. If they look too fluid, bake for another 5 minutes at a time until it’s where it should be.

RELATED: This Is What You Need To Do To Marijuana Before You Can Make Edibles

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Let them cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The last step is to take out of the fridge, sprinkle the remaining vanilla sugar you’ve put aside, and hit with a blowtorch. The mini ones are usually on hand if you are a dabber, so this isn’t too far fetched as equipment goes. It will make a delicious crust, and you can dig right in or refrigerate them for later.

*Cannabis Infused Glycerin Tincture

In an oven safe container double sealed with foil, decarboxylate 3.5 grams finely ground cannabis at 225ºF. Put cannabis in a mason jar or vacuum sealed bag, pour over 2 oz vegetable Glycerin and seal tightly. Place in a water bath at just under boiling for 1 hour. Strain and keep contents in a sterilized container. Cannabis tincture stores indefinitely in freezer.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

The best part about making your own crème brûlée other than having ganja in it is that you now have more than one. I hope you have self control, because I don’t. They’re like baked ice cream and the thick, luscious structure you get from this recipe is hard to resist.


Photos: Maria Penaloza

Dogs Of Instagram: The Pug

One piece of advice if interested in adopting a pug: pay close attention to its diet, as these little nuggets have a propensity to put on weight fast!

Originating in the Ming Empire, the mischievous, yet even-tempered and caring pugs were companions of Chinese emperors. Eventually the pug made its way to Western civilization in Holland, and today are adored by millions across the globe.

The pug has a smaller muscular build and a distinct wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed’s three color variations are silver or fawn with a black mask, and all black. One piece of advice if interested in adopting a pug: pay close attention to its diet, as the breed has a propensity to put on weight fast.

Here, we admire five of the cutest Pugs of Instagram.

Lou Lou

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hw86Sg0b3/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: The Affenpinscher

Lucien Et Son Vin

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrKiDi9nJMd/

Batman The Batpug

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvLVZiB4Q9/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: The Greyhound

Friday Brewster Barry

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOErERBYVe/

Chico Maru

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PUTucljv-/

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