Adding Marijuana To Your St. Patrick’s Day

Anthony Washington

-

March 15, 2024

Long associated with drinks, especially green beer…what about adding marijuana to your St. Patrick’s Day

Green rivers, big parades and lots of drinks – St. Patrick’s Day definitely has strong traditions. It is a massive festival atmosphere. It is also the top beer-drinking holiday in a bar in the United States. Meaning more people drink beer in bars (as opposed to their homes) than on any other day of the year. But as cannabis become legal and people start consuming more and drinking less….what about adding marijuana to your St. Patrick’s Day? BDSA, a leading analytics firm which covers the cannabis industry, just released numbers and data revealing the cannabis industry earned $29.5 billion dollars in 2023. That is a lot of green and a ton of consumers!

For the holiday, green beer is a staple. There is no trick to making the iconic beverage. It is a light-colored beer with a drop of green food coloring added. No flavor change just the color. It is so popular, the University of Miami students added a new tradition of Green Beer Day when a change of schedule put St. Patrick’s Day in the middle of spring break…when the students are away from campus.

Is Weed on The Weekday, Beer on the Weekend, The New Lifestyle Trend? — Photos: Maria Badasian via Unsplash; BENCE BOROS via Unsplash

Marijuana is also becoming a recreational as well as a medical staple. California sober is now a national thing and beer sales have been hit by marijuana’s increase. You might want to put down the calorie filled pint and pick up a green gummy, a green apple vape or just some old fashioned flower. If you are out and about in a crowd for a parade or a pub crawl, the gummy or vape is the most discreet and most “public” friendly.

If you are going to mix weed and alcohol, there are few things to remember. Moderate your consumption and make sure you are paying attention. Using weed before drinking alcohol may minimize the effects of alcohol. Don’t get drawn into doing shots or Boilermakers. Both weed and alcohol are depressant drugs. Their effects suppress, impair and inhibit the brain’s ability to function. When alcohol and weed are mixed together, the effects of each individual substance become exaggerated. This can result in a person losing control of their actions .

And the Chicago green river thing? It goes back to 1962 when Mayor Richard J. Daley wanted to turn Lake Michigan green in honor of the holiday. He was persuaded to dye the more manageable Chicago River instead. The Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Union have always been in and charge and use same green dye plumbers used to find sewage leaks.

Biden’s Weed Tweet Got Numbers and Feedback

Terry Hacienda

-

March 15, 2024

0

Biden’s Weed Tweet Got Numbers and Feedback

His mentioning marijuana at the State of The Union was historic, but boy did he get some feedback when he tweeted.

The State of the Union address for many years was referred to as “the President’s Annual Message to Congress“. It is believed George Washington started the tradition and the term “State of the Union” first emerged in 1934 when used by Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR). President Biden mention of marijuana was historic and also showed how the plants reputation has come a long way from the war on drugs. And when he tweeted about it, things got spicy. Biden’s weed tweet got numbers and feedback – and the administration might be wise to pay attention.

The tweet on cannabis reached 14 million and had 12,000 comments and 104,000 likes. The President mentioned his marijuana pardons which drew a significant amount of feedback. According to BDSA, a leading analytics firm covering cannabis, the industry generated $29.5 billion in revue in 2023. When talking about a need to grow the economy and taxes, here is a fresh industry the public wants, but antiquated laws are punishing small businesses.

When you subtract comments not relating to weed, they fall in three categories. The first is the remaining resentment toward Vice President Harris for her historic stance on marijuana. The industry was at first excited when Biden was elected as he indicated he would move opening up legalization for cannabis. His slow pace along with VP Harris’s previous role has frustrated the industry and it shows by the sharp remarks.

Another large batch of comments were just about making a move already! Science, the American Medical Association, and the federal departments of the Healthy and Human Services (HHS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have all said there are benefits. People are clamoring for him to act and act quickly. But, it seems to the public eye, the administration has been very slow in fullfilling this promise from over 2020.

The third big conversation is his perception his pardons did more than they actually did for prisoners. Again, there is hard feelings about it and the online community want him to understand what he did and did not do.

While the industry is expanding, it is still in growth mode and needs basic help in continuing to grow. Rescheduling would allow state cannabis operators to take federal tax deductions they’re currently barred from under an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code known as 280E. This would give immediate benefits to the cannabis industry which is 50+% small businesses.

The Effect Your Genes Have On Your Marijuana High

Amy Hansen

-

March 14, 2024

0

The Effect Your Genes Have On Your Marijuana High

Like alcohol, your genetics play a role in how you react to marijuana

Sometime you go out and a few drinks hit you must different they they usually do…there is a wide variety of reasons why, and genetics is one of them. The body is a complex systems scientists and physicians are still trying to figure out. And when you add things to your body, they don’t always know it is going to react.

Like alcohol, marijuana has been around since early man and has been used for worship, medicine and for pure recreations…but it remains unpredictable. Even seasoned users have a variation of there usually journey. But they can usually manage the effect marijuana has on them, while also staying calm during an unpredictable high. For newcomers, however, it’s different; novice users usually can’t predict how the drug will affect them, whether it’ll lead to a paranoid high or giggle fest.

Cannabis functions by binding itself to the cannabinoid receptors in our bodies, which are located in our cells, containing our individual DNA. Mutations in CB1 or CB2 receptors can make you more vulnerable to different illnesses, such as Chron’s disease or anorexia. These changes could also impact how your cells bind to different molecules including the ones in cannabis. It is one explanation on why different people have different reaction to the same strain.

In a study, published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers found a variable in the gene CHRNA2 could increase the risk of becoming addicted to cannabis. Cannabis addiction is something that’s not all that understood, with many people doubting its existence. Symptoms of marijuana withdrawal include depression, irritability, a higher heart rate and more.

While this gene doesn’t indicate whether or not someone is a marijuana addict, it does increase the odds of these kinds of responses to heavy use of the drug.

Photo by VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images

All of this means that when sharing a bong or a joint with friends, a few of them can have slightly different reactions depending on several factors including their genome, personal experience with the drug and the strain they’re ingesting.

Genes are extremely complex. Although we’re born with some genetic mutations, other mutations can occur due to the things we’re exposed to throughout our lives, such as the foods we eat, the germs we interact with, our levels of stress, and more.

There’s a lot we don’t understand about genetics yet, but organizations like the Allen Institute are doing research to under more. This will lead to a better understand of cannabis and its impact on our genes. There’s a lot of possibilities once you start playing around with these variables, hopefully resulting in more medicinal and recreational benefits.

New Jersey Is Taking A Huge Bite Of The Big Apple’s Weed

Terry Hacienda

-

March 14, 2024

0

New Jersey Is Taking A Huge Bite Of The Big Apple’s Weed

New Jersey is definitely the shining star when it comes the legal weed market.

New York City is the supposed to be the crossroads of the world…but it seems things are more headed to the Jersey shore. With their neighbor’s chaotic rollout of legal cannabis, it seems New Jersey is taking a huge bite of the Big Apple’s weed – at least the legal part of it! New Jersey’s cannabis market earned $800+ million in medicinal and recreational cannabis sales in 2023. That is compared to New York’s $174 million.

New Jeresy’s rollout of legal cannabis has been smooth and well received by the population and consumers. Their program was up and running in April of 2022 and the industry brought in a healthy $555+ million in 9 months. The tax revenue has been a boon for the state and there hasn’t been in major hiccups. This is great compared to their next door neighbor which seems to lurch from issue to issue.

Dispensary Job Market Still Strong Despite Lockdowns — Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Stringer/Getty Images

Leading analyst firm BDSA which also including cannabis predicts if New York State is able to correct the mess left in the rollout – they can be the #1 market and possibly be the first state to hit $2 billion. It is estimated the licensed businesses lost $1.2+ billion in revenue to the illegal stores just in 2023. And the state lost tax revenue on the amount.

New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC) Executive Director Jeff Brown predicts they state will be the premier region for cannabis sales. Ultimately it will be good for state coffers. The negative is the only big money difference from the Big Apple is in legal and tax revenue. New York still has over 1,500 illicit dispensaries in New York City alone. The business is there, they just are contributing to the black market which goes unregulated, unrecorded and undisciplined.

Currently, in their mid-range predictions, BDSA has faith New York will course correct and be the top state with New Jersey second.

Habitual Marijuana Users Can Have THC In This

Brendan Bures

-

March 14, 2024

0

Habitual Marijuana Users Can Have THC In This

In a bit of surprise, a study found habitual marijuana consumers have THC in this

Too much of a good thing is never good, moderation in alcohol, Krispy Kremes, shopping, video games is recommended. Now, data has found habitual marijuana user can have THC in this…and they are not sure what it means. Research from Harvard Medical School reported that THC can be detected in semen.

Published in the journal Reproductive Physiology and Disease, the study focused on 12 men between the ages 18 and 45 who identified as chronic marijuana smokers. That meant using weed at least 25 days per month. After collecting urine, blood, and semen samples, researchers found detectable THC levels in two of the men, although they weren’t sure why THC was not found in the other subjects.

An important caveat, as Marijuana Moment first reported, was that “two semen samples had insufficient volume to be analyzed.”

Overall, the researchers’ goal was to determine whether THC can cross “the blood-testis barrier” in healthy adults, referencing a 2018 study that reported 16.5% percent of men and 11.5% of women consumed marijuana while trying to conceive.

How To Pass A Drug Test Naturally — Photo by Sergey Mikheev/Getty Images

The Harvard researchers wrote, “In the setting of a growing repository of data surrounding the effects of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation and maintenance of fertility and early pregnancy, ours is the first report that the exogenous cannabinoid THC can be detected in any human reproductive matrix.”

Still, the THC levels found in sperm was significantly low and just crossed the detectable threshold. Researchers still aren’t sure how THC-laden sperm would affect pregnancy or child development, stating that, “Evidence linking marijuana to reproductive outcomes is scarce and to date, often conflicting.”

Last year, Duke University researchers found cannabis consumption lowered the quality and count of sperm in men. According to a different Duke study, serious marijuana consumption could mutate a gene strongly related to autism, PTSD, and schizophrenia. But researchers cautioned they weren’t sure what the findings of their study revealed, and needed to be replicated before wider health discussions occurred.

Who Consumes More Weed, LGBTQ Or Straights

Maria Loreto

-

March 13, 2024

0

Who Consumes More Weed, LGBTQ Or Straights

Alcohol, weed, tobacco – the “vices” appeals to most – but who uses more?

Weed, alcohol, tobacco, all the vices in indulged in by people. Tall, short, black, white, left or right handed – it has a mass appeal. But sometimes certain groups are attracted to a vice more. Generally, men (16.7%) tend to use all tobacco products at higher rates than women (13.6%). We know men are more likely to use weed over women. But who consumes more weed, LGBTQ or straights?

While most cannabis studies that look into the consumption habits of people rely on self-reporting and aren’t held within a controlled setting, different studies suggest that LGBTQ people have a more positive attitude towards the drug. A study, published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, found that gay men smoked approximately four times more than straight men. Lesbian women smoked six times more than heterosexual women.

These findings are also replicated in younger demographics, with teens that belong to the LGBTQ community being more likely to consume cannabis, while also being more inclined to consume other substances, such as alcohol and nicotine. Young LGBTQ members face more stressors than their straight counterparts, resulting in higher rates of suicide, bullying, and more.

Do LGBT People Smoke More Cannabis Than Straight People? — Photo by Stavrialena Gontzou via Unsplash

There are many reasons why these results could be occurring, but experts believe it has something to do with the fact that people belonging to the queer community are more likely to suffer from anxiety and other mental health disorders.

Maybe members of the queer community find refuge in cannabis, using it as a source of relief. It’s more likely for them to encounter the drug earlier on, and to be less prejudiced than others. There’s also the fact that gay people have kids later in life compared to their straight counterparts, giving them more time to explore and use the drug.

More research is necessary to draw significant conclusions, but it’s interesting to wonder why the LGBTQ community seems to have such an affinity for the herb.

The Best Ways To Consume Weed In A Rental

Anthony Washington

-

March 13, 2024

0

The Best Ways To Consume Weed In A Rental

Apartments and short term rentals rules can be a strict – so here is how to chill without getting in trouble

Survey data shows in 2022, 24.7% of millennials said they plan to “always rent” rather than buy a house. Add in AirBnB, VRBO and more and we put our head down in places where other people have a say in what’s goes on in the unit. Apartments became big starting in the beginning of the last century. Mid-price and luxury apartments became popular in London, New York and other major cities and it spread to the other cities.

Living in a condensed area where a resident is immediately surrounded by dozens of neighbors has been known to cause its fair share of trouble over the years. It’s the reason apartment dwellers often receive complaints about noise, pets, and, increasingly, the odor of marijuana. Here are the best ways to consume weed in a rental.

Even in states where cannabis is legal, consuming weed in an rental situation is just more problematic than in a private residence. In fact, even before you move into most places, being a marijuana user is already stacked against you.

Most leases and short term rentals have policies against the use of illegal drugs, smoking and disturbing other tenants. Most of the time, these leases do not account for legal weed at the state level. So first, read the rules. It may be necessary to be creative or somewhat clandestine in their cannabis use to keep the peace and reduce the chances of an eviction.

The best way to avoid trouble is to not smoke in the unit. In legal states, a park or somewhere outdoors if the easiest way to avoid leaving the smell in a closed space. Tobacco smokers are very clear of heading outside to enjoy a quick puff.

If you are traveling, you can pop into the neighborhood dispensary and perhaps pick up a vape, gummies or an oil Edibles are always a smart way to go, as they are completely smoke-free. But for those people who prefer to smoke weed rather than eat it, there are more discreet products available leave a lasting smell. Vaporizers offer the smoking experience without the intrusive aroma that sometimes causes neighbors to complain. Even using dabs, which are concentrates, is a better option than burning raw flower. Your neighbors will never even know you smoke weed.

But if you must smoke marijuana the old fashioned way, you’re going to need to employ a little stoner ingenuity to keep things on the down-low. Remember, unless your lease clearly states marijuana smoking is allowed on the premises, it’s probably not. And the last thing a renter wants is to start getting complaints about the pungent odor of marijuana keeps wafting into the common areas. These grievances might not get you into trouble with the law — at least not in a legal state — but they could get you kicked out.

So, make use of bathroom and kitchen fans, which will suck up the smoke and reduce the smell of marijuana. If in the bathroom, it also doesn’t hurt to turn on a hot shower, since the steam works to diminish odors. This is not full-proof, however, so you might also want to block the bottom of your doors with a towel to keep as much of the smoke as possible from escaping. If an exhaust fan is not available, try keeping your smoke session as far away from the front of the apartment as possible. It also doesn’t hurt to burn candles to mask the odor. Some longtime marijuana users even swear by a product called Ozium, which is a spray known to effectively eliminate the skunk.

Fortunately, marijuana smoke is not the same as tobacco smoke. So while consuming weed in this fashion goes against the grain of most leases, the odor of marijuana is not going to linger in the apartment long. Not like it would in a room inhabited by a person who uses cigarettes regularly. This is good news, since breaking the rules of a lease, even if the violation does not lead to eviction, can cause a renter to lose his or her security deposit when the time comes to move someplace new.

Be careful, be thoughtful and enjoy yourself when you chill out.

Should You Use CBD or Marijuana For Anxiety

Amy Hansen

-

March 13, 2024

0

Should You Use CBD or Marijuana For Anxiety

Hundreds of millions of people suffer from some form of anxiety, what is the best – least disruptive way to manage it?

It manifests in multiple ways, but if you suffer from some form of anxiety, it can be miserable. It is believed over 4% of the global population deal with it on a regular basis. Some people experience side effects with traditional medications including fatigue, tiredness, agitation, difficulty sleeping, and weight issues. Research has shown cannabis can help, but should you use CBD or marijuana for anxiety?

Used effectively, marijuana can certainly benefit anxiety patients. A study in the Journal of Affective Disorders reported that about 90% of participants experienced reduction in symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression in the short term. Repeated use, however, did not cause any long-term decrease in baseline symptoms and could increase depression over time.

At high doses, however, some studies show that marijuana can worsen anxiety. This is due to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the cannabinoid that causes marijuana’s psychoactive effect. THC makes your heart beat faster and leads to racing thoughts, both of which can exacerbate anxiety. Sometimes, you hear someone with anxiety smoking a joint at a party, thinking it will relieve symptoms. Instead it causes them to feel worse and reject cannabis as therapeutic.

A 2015 review concluded that “current evidence indicates CBD has considerable potential as a treatment for multiple anxiety disorders.” This, in part, explain why new emphasis exists on CBD for anxiety patients in recent years. Higher doses of CBD work effectively in reducing anxiety symptoms, the review found, without any of the negative side effects associated with THC.

CBD works for different types of anxiety as well. A Japanese study followed older Japanese teenagers diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Using the Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, researchers found CBD significantly decreased anxiety in both measurements.

Current recommendations for anxiety patients is to utilize a mixture of high-CBD, low-THC marijuana strains for the best results. Remember: using a little goes a long way. If you consume too much, you might regret it.

Certain Foods And Drinks Can Trigger A Bad Mood

Maria Loreto

-

March 13, 2024

0

Certain Foods And Drinks Can Trigger A Bad Mood

Food has a huge impact – hungry, hangery, full, and satisfied – but did you know it can also put you in a bad mood?

Our relationships with food is complicated. Sometimes after consuming a delicious meal that we know is bad for us, our body feels sluggish. Or sometimes you have a craving and go in search for a particular flavor profile. Some people love sweets and others love savory. Food is an important part of our daily life and drives some decisions. But did you know certain foods and drinks can trigger a bad mood?

A lot of our favorite comfort foods and beverages, like fries, mac and cheese, cookies, sodas and coffee drinks tend to provide side effects with no nutritional value. The quick burst of energy and dopamine they provide is fleeting, leaving you feeling cranky and hungry soon after.

“Emotional eating is a cyclical process where low mood leads to eating foods likely to spike your blood sugar, giving us a dose of dopamine, but then it drops at the same time as we start to feel guilty,” psychologist Lee Chambers. “This combination often makes us feel a lack of satisfaction, with feelings of guilt, shame and regret.”

Here are some foods and beverages which could be guilty of making you grumpy.

Coffee

While coffee generally makes us feel great first thing in the morning, too much of it can make us feel jittery and irritable. If you’re particularly sensitive to caffeine, you might even have trouble sleeping at night. In order to prevent this, it’s helpful to limit your coffee and caffeine intake, including teas, sodas, and the like. If you need a pick me up during the day and have already had some coffee, consider eating something filling, with protein. If you’re in a time crunch, stock up on energy bars and have them around your car and house.

Junk foods

Fries, pizza bites, chips and other kinds of comforting junk foods contain high amounts of saturated fats, refined sugars and more. These can cause energy crashes and can make you feel tired for long periods of time. While it’s unrealistic to never eat these kinds of foods, we should all aim for consuming relatively healthy foods throughout our days, keeping you energized, that way we can enjoy the times we consume those kinds of meals. Here’s why fast food makes us cranky.

Alcohol

Having a cocktail or a glass of wine is fun, until it isn’t. The substance is a depressant, slowing parts of the brain and creating a delay to how we react to outside events. It’s why drunk people are uncoordinated and can fall easily. It’s also why they should never drive. Alcohol also causes a loss of inhibition, which is why there’s angry or very emotional drunks who say things they’ll later regret. But the bad mood often kicks in the next morning, when you wake up with a crippling hangover that equally cripples your otherwise productive day.

Can CBD Help With Eczema

Amy Hansen

-

March 12, 2024

0

It’s painful, embarrassing and hard to be rid of – but can CBD help with eczema?

Eczema is a chronic skin condition that affects one in 10. It’s most common in children, although one in four people with the condition don’t have symptoms until they’re adults.

It irritates the skin, leaving it patchy and red for stretches of time. It occurs due to a combination of genetics and environmental situations. Flare ups of the condition can occur from pollen in the air or the types of foods and drinks you ingest. Some experts believe that eczema is more common in developed countries because of clean living conditions, childhood vaccines that lower infection rates, and antibiotic use. These things change your immune response and make you more likely to have atopic diseases, like eczema. But can CBD whelp with eczema.

Eczema, is traditionally treated by managing its most prevalent symptoms in order to prevent flare ups. The condition is not contagious and can be very different from person to person, with the most prevalent symptom manifesting as patches of itchy skin.

There is no cure for eczema, which is why people who suffer from this ailment have to be careful, moisturizing their skin often, while also looking for effective ways of avoiding triggers. The ways in which people treat their eczema are varied and personal, ranging from warm baths and gentle soaps to wearing soft cotton clothes to avoid pain.

Seen everywhere from Amazon to Instagram, CBD has garnered some acclaim within the beauty and skincare industry. Although there’s a lack of scientific research on CBD due to the compound’s strange legal standing, many experts are hopeful in the effect it could have on eczema.

CBD has anti-inflammatory properties which seems to help reduce irritating eczema symptoms such as itching, pain, and dry skin. Research has shown the endocannabinoid system also plays a role in skin health.

Different studies have shown CBD is effective in providing anti-inflammatory effects and managing skin irritation. There are also studies that have found CBD has antioxidant properties, which could help prevent infections when skin has been damaged by eczema and is at its most vulnerable.

There hasn’t been enough research on the use of topical CBD in people with eczema. A small study published in 2019 in Clinical Therapeutics which found. a CBD ointment helped clear skin and reduced itch and the sleep loss it caused.

Research also suggests CBD is anti-microbial, with some data showing it works about as well as antibiotics to kill Staphylococcus aureus. Staph can infect the skin of people with atopic dermatitis, triggering flares and other complications.

The Fresh ToastThe most trusted name in cannabis

Adding Marijuana To Your St. Patrick’s Day

Long associated with drinks, especially green beer…what about adding marijuana to your St. Patrick’s Day

Biden’s Weed Tweet Got Numbers and Feedback

His mentioning marijuana at the State of The Union was historic, but boy did he get some feedback when he tweeted.

The Effect Your Genes Have On Your Marijuana High

Like alcohol, your genetics play a role in how you react to marijuana

New Jersey Is Taking A Huge Bite Of The Big Apple’s Weed

New Jersey is definitely the shining star when it comes the legal weed market.

Habitual Marijuana Users Can Have THC In This

In a bit of surprise, a study found habitual marijuana consumers have THC in this

Who Consumes More Weed, LGBTQ Or Straights

Alcohol, weed, tobacco – the “vices” appeals to most – but who uses more?

The Best Ways To Consume Weed In A Rental

Apartments and short term rentals rules can be a strict – so here is how to chill without getting in trouble

Should You Use CBD or Marijuana For Anxiety

Hundreds of millions of people suffer from some form of anxiety, what is the best – least disruptive way to manage it?

Certain Foods And Drinks Can Trigger A Bad Mood

Food has a huge impact – hungry, hangery, full, and satisfied – but did you know it can also put you in a bad mood?

Coffee

Junk foods

Alcohol

Can CBD Help With Eczema

It’s painful, embarrassing and hard to be rid of – but can CBD help with eczema?

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.