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6 In 10 Americans Now Support Marijuana Legalization

Brendan Bures
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6 In 10 Americans Now Support Marijuana Legalization

Over the past decade, Americans have completely changed their tune on cannabis. Once the symbol of lazy outcasts everywhere, more and more people are embracing cannabis and its legalization. Results from a new Pew Research Center study claims that six in every ten Americans now support marijuana legalization.

Back in 2000, only 31 percent of Americans supported legalization. Data from the Pew Research Center shows that figure doubling to 62 percent in 2018. That statistic is the highest ever recorded for American support of legalization from the Pew Research Center and similar polls like it.

“A growing majority of Americans are ready to end the failed policy of marijuana prohibition and move on,” said Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, in a statement. “They see states regulating marijuana for medical and adult use, and they recognize it is a much more effective approach. Laws that treat cannabis consumers like criminals and disproportionately impact communities of color are steadily losing popularity across the U.S.”

The study gathered this data from 1,754 adults who responded via telephone. As expected, generational divide heavily plays into support for cannabis legalization, with millennials leading the pack (74%), followed by Gen Xers (63%) and baby boomers (54%). Almost seven in ten Democrats support legalization (69%) while independents who lean liberal are even more in favor of legalization (75%).

“Voters are steadily moving in one direction on this issue, and elected officials are taking notice,” Hawkins said. “States are reevaluating their old prohibition laws and starting to plan their exit strategies. It is time for Congress to do the same and end prohibition at the federal level.”

Both Michigan and North Dakota will decide this November whether to legalize adult-use marijuana while Utah and Missouri voters will decide on medical use.

How Much Marijuana Can Canadians Fly With?

Mary Schumacher
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How Much Marijuana Can Canadians Fly With?

Transportation minister Marc Garneau announced on Tuesday that those flying from one part of Canada to another can pack up to 30 grams of cannabis come October 17, when Canada’s legalization status turns green for good.

By the way, 30 grams is nothing to sneeze at. Clocking in at just over an ounce, it will take up about as much space as a thick book, depending on the density and dryness of the weed, but a lot lighter to huff around than Ulysses.

Jett Hansel manages a chain of dispensaries called Weeds and she called the new limits “awesome,” expressing that she thought the rules would be a lot more strict. To demonstrate just how much 30 grams is, Hansel took half gram pre-rolled joints and tried stuffing them in her cupped hands, which ranneth over.

Loose buds would be an even more impressive-looking bounty, especially if the cured cannabis had lost some of its moisture and had fluffed up a bit. No matter how fluffy, bringing bud on an airplane is still novel. California recently changed its policy to allow for cannabis to be packed and carried out of LAX Airport in Los Angeles, so long as travelers comply with state law.

Canada is a veritable patchwork of laws and regulations from territories to provinces, so it will be a real bonus for Canadians who aren’t sure what the dispensary situation will be where they land. Or maybe they don’t have time to stop at the dispensary. Sometimes a trip is packed, not only with cannabis in the luggage, but with things to do, people to see and little time to pause in between.

Changes will wash over our neighbors to the north on October 17. It will be the biggest social experiment with a nation legalizing cannabis across the board as of yet. As of 2016 there were 36.29 million Canadian residents and of them, 18 percent clocked in as cannabis users. 

Cannabis Won’t ‘Cannibalize’ Alcohol, Says Maker Of Corona

Mary Schumacher
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Cannabis Won’t ‘Cannibalize’ Alcohol, Says Maker Of Corona

When Constellation Brands, the parent company of Corona, made a $4 billion investment in Canopy Growth, some analysts viewed it as a preemptive strike against a possibly declining beer and spirit industry. After all, millennials reportedly prefer cannabis over alcohol, and that demographic will only further solidify its purchasing power in years to come.

In general, there has been buzz in Big Alcohol circles that the popularity of cannabis could detract from the appeal of beer, wine and hard alcohol. But Constellations Brands CEO Rob Sands said there was “no evidence whatsoever” that alcohol sales in states with legalized marijuana would be eaten up by cannabis.

“This has nothing to do with the core business or defending against the potential cannibalization of beverage alcohol by cannabis. There’s really no evidence of that,” Sands told CNBC host Jim Cramer in an exclusive interview. “And our core business, as we’ve demonstrated in the first half of the year and this quarter, is stronger than ever.”

His lack of concern is understandable. For one thing, if you’re going to take that big of a slice of pie, you’d better be confident that you can eat it up to the final crumbs. But in the way of substantial evidence that blue skies are overhead, Constellation had an “unrealized gain” of $1.3 billion since they first invested in Canopy in 2017.

“We continue to be extremely bullish, if not more bullish, since we’ve announced the deal,” Sands said. He also added that Constellation was in “the best position in the world of any company” to capitalize on the green rush.

“We’re not a company that’s sitting around waiting for some element of our business to turn down or get bad before we take action,” he said. “We’re the opposite of that. When it turns bad, turning something around is 900 times harder than it is to play offense from an already very strong position.”

Their initial investments ride on the Canadian marketplace, which opens up fully to legal sales on October 17. But the company is clearly banking on the United States loosening federal marijuana laws  in the near future. Beyond not worrying about the cannabis industry biting into alcohol sales, Constellation is confident that incorporating cannabis components will put them in a unique position to enjoy proceeds from various marketplaces moving forward.

Why Medical Marijuana Is Essentially Guaranteed In Utah

Mike Adams
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Why Medical Marijuana Is Essentially Guaranteed In Utah

Regardless of how the issue of medical marijuana fares in Utah’s upcoming election, patients will have access to the herb soon. A deal was struck last week between leaders of the Mormon Church, cannabis advocates and Governor Gary Herbert intended to launch a more palatable version of a therapeutic use program than the one marked for the ballot next month. For better or worse, it is a compromise that will give way to one of the most unique medical marijuana laws in the United States.

A medical marijuana initiative referred to as Proposal 2 is expected to pass next month when voters hit the polls. Some of the latest public opinion surveys show 77 percent are in favor of medical marijuana.

But the outcome at the ballot box will not have much bearing on how the law shakes out. In a recent press engagement, Governor Herbert said he will call a special session following the mid-term election to assemble a compromise bill for a statewide medical marijuana program that has already been agreed upon by all concerned parties, including the Church of Jesus Christs of Latter-Day Saints.

“The good news here is that whether [Prop 2] passes or fails, we’re going to arrive at the same point,” Herbert said.

Although medical marijuana is essentially guaranteed in Utah, the program will be different than any other in the country. For starters, the state will have a distinct distribution model. It will allow for up to five privately owned cannabis dispensaries, while also making it available through the state’s health departments. All cannabis transactions will be handled by licensed pharmacists. The primary goal of the pre-negotiated plan is to tighten up safeguards, some of which were lacking in Proposal 2, to prevent medical marijuana from being distributed in the black market.

The compromise also chiseled away at the list of qualified conditions. Despite statistics showing that most successful medical marijuana programs service patients with “chronic pain,” the condition was mostly eliminated from the list. The law would, however, allow someone to use medical marijuana for “pain lasting longer than two weeks, under certain conditions.”

Most cannabis products will still be available under the compromise. The only exception will be edible forms of marijuana that are attractive to children—these items will be banned. There was some concern that smokable forms of marijuana would be prohibited as well, but that’s apparently not the case. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that patients will still have access to raw flower that comes in a tamper-resistant blister pack. This is being done so that law enforcement can distinguish between medical marijuana and the recreational weed purchased on the street.

Whether or not patients would have the ability to make their own edibles at home is an issue that remains unanswered. There is speculation that this activity would be illegal under the new bill.

Most cannabis advocacy groups are a bit skeptical of the compromise, though they remain optimistic. But that is only if the voters still push through and support Proposal 2. If this happens, the special session will be dedicated to enacting the compromise. If the initiative fails, state lawmakers will then begin hashing out another version, which could take longer to put on the books.

Kanye West Deleted His Social Media Account; Justin Bieber’s Friends Say He’s Having An Identity Crisis

Naughty Gossip
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Kanye West Deleted His Social Media Account; Justin Bieber’s Friends Say He’s Having An Identity Crisis

KANYE WEST DELETED HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, WHICH PROBABLY MEANS HE’S RUNNING

Kanye West is once again off of social media. The rapper appeared to have deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts Saturday night after reactivating his profiles earlier this year. West went off social media in May 2017 before reactivating his Instagram account in February, then deleting it again until reappearing on the platform in September. He began tweeting again in April and had been an active user until Saturday night. It’s unclear why he deleted his accounts.

The incident comes after West received criticism for a string of controversial comments. The 41-year-old rapper, who announced on Twitter last week he’s changing his name to Ye, delivered an impromptu speech supporting President Trump at the end of his “Saturday Night Live” performance last week. In the speech, which did not make it on the show, West again pledged to run for president in 2020 and called for a “dialogue, not a diatribe” in order to have events change in the future.

[From Page Six]

FRIENDS OF JUSTIN BIEBER SAY HE’S HAVING AN “IDENTITY CRISIS”

In December 2017, Bieber wrote on Instagram: “Jesus is changing me from the inside out everyday!” But sources close to the pop star worry that his recent erratic behavior is a sign that he’s become unhinged yet again.

One pal of Baldwin told The Post that he used to party with Bieber back in 2014 and 2015 — and that the disturbing viral video of the singer looking wobbly and wide-eyed was all too reminiscent of the bad old days.

“You could tell he wasn’t all there,” the pal recalled of Bieber’s behavior during the 30-person — many of them beautiful young women — gatherings at the singer’s Los Angeles mansion, where cellphone photos were banned. “He would be slurring his words or shaking. You could tell he was not normal.”

Bieber’s longtime manager, Scooter Braun, recently admitted during an interview on “The Red Pill” podcast that at one point, Bieber’s partying got so bad, Braun thought the singer might die.

“I thought he was going to go to sleep one night and have so much crap in his system that he would not wake up the next morning,” Braun said. “There was a time where I would go to sleep almost every night, when he had the money to fly away from me, and I was worried every night that I was going to lose him.”

KATE HUDSON SHARES PHOTO OF NEWBORN BABY DAUGHTER RANI

The star, 39, shared a photo of her newborn daughter with boyfriend Danny Fujikawa on Instagram Saturday.

“?Our little rosebud?,” Hudson captioned the snap of Rani wrapped in a blanket and wearing a hat with a bow – which has received more than 1.2 million likes and 20,100 comments.

Rani was born Oct. 2, according to an Instagram post which explained the decision behind her moniker:

“We have decided to name our daughter Rani (pronounced Ronnie) after her grandfather, Ron Fujikawa,” Hudson said in one of the images included in the post. “Ron was the most special man who we all miss dearly. To name her after him is an honor.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bome-d4g39Z/?utm_source=ig_embed

5 Tips For Talking To Your Doctor About Marijuana

Terry Hacienda
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5 Tips For Talking To Your Doctor About Marijuana

Are you one of nearly 200 million Americans living in one of the 29 states (plus the District of Columbia) that have a medical marijuana program? As more states climb aboard the cannabis treatment train, more Americans are starting to have the conversation with their doctors about marijuana and whether it is right for them. Here are five tips for talking to your doctor about marijuana.

1. Honesty Is The Best Policy

Don’t be coy. Don’t underestimate your use. Just shoot straight and provide the most accurate information you can. Remember, 29 state governments say cannabis is LEGAL. You are certainly allowed to have a frank chat with your doctor about your body and what you want to put in it. The conversation may become uncomfortable, but be clear and direct.

A good doctor is an advocate for the patient. Share your consumption habits and history with your doctor. Let him or her know the effects cannabis has on your mental and physical health.

Related: Not Telling Your Doctor About Marijuana Use Can Hurt You

Dr. Sarah T. Melton, an associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Gatton College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University, underscores this:

“It is important for patients to share details of marijuana use, including the type of marijuana used, route of administration, and frequency of use. Marijuana has potentially serious drug interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medications. By sharing details of marijuana use, the prescriber can best make decisions about medication choices and educate the patient about any potential contraindications or need for monitoring.”

Make a list of the medications you’re currently taking and how they made you feel. How severe are the side effects? Does your cannabis consumption interfere or alleviate these side effects?

Be prepared to ask questions and take notes.

2. Will It Help My Specific Condition?

Let your physician know what ailment or condition you are attempting to medicate with marijuana.

Different states have wildly different qualifying conditions for medical marijuana use. For example, some states allow cannabis as a treatment for PTSD, while other states deny patients for the same ailment. Once again, your doctor may be able to guide you if you have multiple conditions which may require cannabis treatment.

Do a little homework before going to doctor. Do an Internet search and find out which

3. Will There Be Any Side Effects?

Depending on what other medications you may be taking, cannabis will have some side effects. Once again, do a little homework before your doctor visit. Since endocannabinoid science is not taught in medical school, your doctor may not be up to speed on the latest research. Sometimes, it helps having a few talking points or research data with you when having the chat.

Also, let your doctor know what your tolerance level is. For some patients, microdosing is sufficient. For other patients suffering more severe pain, a higher dose may be best. But once again, you need to share this with your doctor.

4. What Consumption Method Is For Me?

Many doctors will steer patients away from smoking and suggest a healthier method of ingesting cannabis. Vaporization has become more popular among medical marijuana patients. Eating edibles or drinking infused beverages are also a preferred method.

Transdermal patches, tinctures, cannabis pills, lotions and other more medically standard methods are also available for those who prefer not to smoke.

For some patients, the quick-acting attributes of smoking cannabis brings relief when the pain is unbearable.

5. What Time Of Day Fits Best Into My Schedule?

Make sure you and your doctor discuss when you typically medicate. For some, cannabis is not an optimal day-time treatment because it may make the patient drowsy. For other patients, cannabis may bring on feelings of anxiety or paranoia.

Once again, sharing honestly with your doctor will help zero in on the correct treatment.

Bottom Line

Depending on your relationship with your doctor, and your willingness to have an honest conversation, this could be a difficult task. But, remember: It is legal in more states than not. Your doctor is your advocate. And it is your body.

Does CBD Really Warrant All The Fanfare?

Mary Schumacher
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Does CBD Really Warrant All The Fanfare?

Even though CBD’s legal status is yet unclear, it’s been launched into the mainstream in recent years. CBD vape pens and gummies can be found at almost any smoke shop worth its incense and big corporations, like Coca Cola, are even thinking of getting in the game. So should we all be downing and applying CBD with abandon?

Many people use CBD as an alternative to THC laden cannabis because it lacks a psychoactive effect and will supposedly not show up on a drug screen. There are companies out there that isolate CBD so that there is 0 percent THC to be screened, but most CBD is made from the hemp plant and is required to have less than 0.3 percent THC. That’s not much THC at all, but it could still potentially have you out of a job if tested.

Recently, a woman in Georgia who was using CBD for pain and anxiety for just two weeks before she was drug tested, failed. While most CBD labels claim to have no THC whatsoever, some have a disclaimer that trace amounts of THC may be found. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, also wished that she’d known the risk. She did not get the job.

Dr. Oz is calling this market explosion the “CBD oil boom.” On a recent show Dr. Oz and Dr. Sanjay Gupta sat down and talked CBD, it’s differences from THC, it’s milligrams and price per dose. They tested 9 products, which came back with results ranging from 2mg doses to 22mg doses.

“If you need hundreds of milligrams for it to do anything, two milligrams isn’t going to do anything and people are paying a lot of money for it,” extrapolated Dr. Gupta.

Unlike the CBD the woman used in Georgia, the doctors found no THC in any of the 9 products. They also encouragingly didn’t find heavy metals. Dr. Oz pontificated that if a product seems confusing, it’s meant to seem that way, while Dr. Gupta pointed out that as regulations are put into place, proper labeling, milligrams and dosages will become par for the course with time.

CBD is used in the treatment of inflammation, pain, seizure disorder and has myriad forms and applications. From topicals that everything from acne to arthritis to infused products that claim to quell anxiety and lower inflammation, until we figure out what a proper dosage is and if full spectrum CBD is the real ticket, it’s all a sort of wellness crapshoot, with CBD manufacturers coming out on top for now.

Will Clooney Be Pouring Shots At This Princess’s Wedding

Patricia Wallace
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Will Clooney Be Pouring Shots At This Princess’s Wedding

When Princess Eugenie gets married to finacé Jack Brooksbank on Friday, there may be a familiar face tending bar. It’s rumored that none other than George Clooney might be the dude getting guests drunk that night. Yep. This is definitely not your typical wedding.

Brooksbank is the Europe brand ambassador for Casamigos tequila, the label co-founded Clooney. If this was a long play to get Clooney to guest bartend at his wedding, well played, Brooksbank. Well played.

https://giphy.com/gifs/Casamigos-party-yay-3s4lT38H7yM4ZBbSm0

“I’ve not been kept out of all the planning. I get to decide some things. I’m in charge of drinks and we’ll be serving Casamigos,” he told the Daily Mail.

Those who attended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s reception this past October already got to experience the cocktail stylings of Mr. Clooney; the Hollywood actor reportedly served guests shots of Casamigos before heading off into the sunset onto the dance floor.

RELATED: Everyone Has Been Pronouncing Princess Eugenie’s Name Wrong

“I can’t say if George Clooney is coming,” Brooksbank told the Daily Mail, adding that he’s also feeling a bit anxious about the ceremony. “I’ll need to take a few minutes for myself before the speeches because I’m terrified. It’s very exciting but I’m a little bit nervous.”

Nothing like a few shots of hard liquor to calm those nerves!

Those in the U.S. will be able to catch the couple’s nuptials  on TLC’s live feed of the ceremony beginning at 4:25 a.m. ET (a tape delayed , followed by an encore three hours later at 7:25 a.m. ET/PT.)

Green Market Report: Marijuana Money Oct. 5

Debra Borchardt
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Green Market Report: Marijuana Money Oct. 5

MedMen had a busy week. The company acquired a Scottsdale Arizona cannabis company Monarch including the dispensary and cultivation operation. It comes with all the licenses and some exclusive brand agreements. MedMen also acquired Chicago-based dispensary Seven Point this week and announced that it closed on a $73 million loan facility, which immediately got bumped up another five million.

Dixie Brands is the latest to declare a reverse take over to go public in Canada. The cannabis beverage company will take over Academy Explorations. The company also completed $25 million fundraising round.

Innovative Industrial Properties (IIPR) began a public offering of 2.6 million shares. It is priced at $40.00 per share for gross proceeds of $104 million.  intends to use the net proceeds from this offering to invest in specialized industrial real estate assets that support the regulated cannabis cultivation and processing industry.

GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH) said it planned on selling $300 million of ADS’s with a possible overallotment of $45 million. GW will issue 1,900,000 American Depositary Shares, representing 22,800,000 ordinary shares of GW, at a price to the public of $158.00 per ADS on the Nasdaq Global Market, raising gross proceeds of approximately $300 million (before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses).  GW has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 285,000 ADSs at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions.  It is expected to close on or about October 5, 2018.

Cannex Capital Holdings (CNXXF) reported that its revenues increased 223% to $3.4 million in its fiscal first quarter. Net income was $2.4 million versus a loss last year of $403 thousand for the ame time period. Revenue was generated primarily by way of packaging sales and rental income. Income for the period was $2,428,507 for Q1 2019, $.01 per share, as compared to a loss of $403,027 for the comparative period.

Aleafia Health (ALEAF) applied to list on the NASDAQ. The company currently trades in Canada on the OTC markets.

Hollyweed North Cannabis acquired Women Grow for an undisclosed amount.

This article was originally posted on Green Market Report.

Is Carting The Latest Cannabis Concentrate Craze?

Mary Schumacher
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Is Carting The Latest Cannabis Concentrate Craze?

In an era when we want the most value with the least amount of effort, we proudly welcome “carting.” It’s a new concept cooked up by Ab Hanna and others at Green Rush Daily. It’s a way to get more out of a vape pen that’s just not getting you where you want to be in a timely manner.

The idea is pretty simple, pull the vape until vapor builds up inside a water pipe apparatus and then pull it through water to cool the diffusion further and snap up a good sized hit. The execution is a little more complicated, but put on your MacGyver gloves and get ready to get carting.

The easiest way to cart is to use a blunt or joint bubbler. Simply fit the rounded tip of the vape cartridge pen into “The Martian,” which was found to be the best brand for the job. It should make itself a perfect seal and you just release the vapor via the carb when it’s nice and thick. Other advantages to the joint bubbler include stealth and portability, but the disadvantage is that the pen is upside down so you’ll have to let the oil drip back down to the base between uses.

If the mouthpiece isn’t rounded or doesn’t quite fit for any of these methods, you can use tape, non-toxic putty or poster tack to fill in the gaps. A tight seal ensures that you’re getting a good pull and that you’re not losing any vapor.

Carting through a whip and adapter is probably the best way of doing things, though it takes a little ingenuity. The advantage here is that the pen is upright and thus easier to manipulate. If you choose your whip and adapter wisely, you’ll have the perfect fit and an upright pen every time, and smoking through a bong is the best way to get lifted while carting.

You’ll need plastic tubing that fits into your vape pen’s mouthpiece and a glass adapter that fits your bong and is 10mm on the other side. Fit the tubing into the 10mm opening and then put the whip into the mouthpiece. Proceed to carting.

Carting straight out of a bong is the simplest, though you’re back to upside down hits. Simply fit the mouthpiece into the bong bowl and if it doesn’t fit quite right use one of the above methods to seal it up tight. Cart away and snap the hit through when you’ve filled the chamber with the delicious and heady vapors. You’re apparently guaranteed a better high than using a cartridge on its own. What’s your take?

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