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Researchers Extracted Cannabinoids Using A Keurig

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Keurig’s are amazing and have revolutionized coffee. They same to be everywhere and are branching into other beverages.  What is next? Mixed drinks? Soda water? Now researchers extracted cannabinoids using a Keurig!

A group of researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain have concocted a method for extracting cannabis compounds with a Keurig.

Their thesis describes quick “extraction of cannabinoids in marijuana samples by using hard-cap espresso machines,” such as a Keurig or Nespresso.

In a study published by the journal Talanta,  “A simple, quick and low-cost procedure was developed for the extraction of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol, and cannabinol from marijuana samples, based on the use of a hard-cap espresso extraction with 2-propanol.”

Researchers detail that, “After extraction, cannabinoids were directly determined after appropriate dilution by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry.”

Additionally, “a reference methodology based on ultrasound-assisted extraction,” was used.

Funding for the research was provided by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness).

Their concept is the first of its kind in Europe, however, it may be awhile before any table-top cannabis extraction machines are available on the market. In the United States, the closest equipment comparison is the Levo diffuser. In the meantime, you can still put cannabis coffee pods in your Keurig.

The original single-serve brewer and coffee-pod manufacturing company, Keurig, Inc., was founded in Massachusetts in 1992. It launched its first brewers and K-Cup pods in 1998, targeting the office market. As the single-cup brewing system gained popularity, brewers for home use were added in 2004. In 2006, the publicly traded Vermont-based specialty-coffee company Green Mountain Coffee Roasters acquired Keurig, sparking rapid growth for both companies. In 2012 Keurig’s main patent on its K-Cup pods expired, leading to new product launches, including brewer models that only accept pods from Keurig brands.

From 2006 to 2014, Keurig, Inc. was a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. When Green Mountain Coffee Roasters changed its name to Keurig Green Mountain in March 2014, Keurig ceased to be a separate business unit and subsidiary, and instead became Keurig Green Mountain’s main brand. In 2016, Keurig Green Mountain was acquired by an investor group led by private-equity firm JAB Holding Company for nearly $14 billion. In July 2018, Keurig Green Mountain merged with Dr Pepper Snapple Group in a deal worth $18.7 billion, creating Keurig Dr Pepper, a publicly traded conglomerate which is the third largest beverage company in North America.

Sacramento Is Awarding Cannabis Licenses To Those Impacted By Drug War

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Sacramento is now the fourth city in California to implement measures to ensure that people living in certain zip codes, who have been most impacted by the War on Drugs, can now prosper from cannabis rather than be prosecuted for it.

“We have a goal of having 50 percent of all licenses be awarded to those who were impacted by the war on drugs,” Malaki Amen of the California Urban Partnership told KCRA 3, “If you were sent to jail or arrested and you were in an area that was disproportionately impacted — you experienced generational poverty. It doesn’t matter if you are Black, White, Latino or Asian. You will be able to qualify for this program.”

Eight neighborhoods in nine zip codes qualify certain people for the program. The California Urban Partnership stated that they hope to award 50 percent of all cannabis business licenses to those who’ve been most affected.

To qualify, between 1980 and 2011 you must have been arrested or jailed for a non-violent cannabis offense, have an immediate family member who has experienced the former or lived in one of the nine zip codes for over 5 years. Because of the disproportionate rate of which people were prosecuted for pot, there will be opportunity for many people.

Californians have been able to legally purchase marijuana since January 1 of this year. Since then Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland have already implemented similar cannabis equity programs.

The fight to end cannabis prohibition has always at its core been about keeping innocent people out of jail and especially stopping the excess of arrests of black and brown persons. When a teen is caught smoking a simple joint, it still has the potential to ruin their chances of going to college and sometimes even getting a decent job.

Fostering poverty and a cycle of arrests for victimless crimes has been a travesty on our nation and the example we set for other countries. As the cannabis movement continues to expand, already with 30 states and the District of Columbia having legalized cannabis in some capacity, these social reform measures will become the norm in more and more cities and then states and then hopefully the nation.

Activists and proponents continue to have feet on the ground, as is made obvious by this latest move by Sacramento to help those who’ve suffered most under draconian drug laws that are finally starting to fade away, every step forward counts.

MoviePass Is Ignoring People Who Want To Cancel Their Accounts

In a sleazy move, MoviePass managed to reactivate the subscriptions of some users who cancelled their accounts due to the app’s poor performance.

According to MoviePass’s new rules, a user’s new billing plan would start by the end of August, once their current billing cycle ended. If you didn’t opt in to the new plan or you had cancelled it, your MoviePass card would stop working the minute your old cycle ended. In the interim, you were free to use the perks of the old service, which included the ability to watch one movie a day. Even though the app was faulty over the previous weeks, you might have managed to watch a couple of movies. In order to access the app, you would have stumbled upon a notification stating MoviePass’s new rules. There was some text and an “I Accept” button at the bottom.

Users who had cancelled their accounts were shocked to discover that that wasn’t the case when their credit cards were charged, marking the beginning of a new billing cycle. In a recent email, MoviePass explained how their new plan works and all the new features that would be included. At the bottom, they added “If you had previously requested cancellation prior to opting in, your opt in to the new plan will take priority and your account will not be cancelled.”

While nothing is being hidden, it’s easy to see how this would trick a lot of users, since a lot of people don’t read every email they get from an app. There have been so many MoviePass updates in the past couple of weeks that it’s plausible that some people would just delete the email with out reading it.

MoviePass hasn’t addressed the issue directly, but people are outraged. The more situations like this arise, the harder it looks for the company to be able to make some sort of comeback.

Picnic With These Easy And Portable Marijuana Cheesecake Bites

Cheesecake is my favorite memory of my star-baker grandma. She makes such good cakes and pies, I could definitely see her on ‘Great British Baking Show!’ Her red raspberry cheesecake bites were always my go-to, with fresh and barely sweetened whipped cream surrounding each tart and rich morsel of the cake itself. I always loved gathering tips when she is at the oven.

One thing I learned is that cheesecake should not be no-bake. It’s too delicious when done the right way! There’s nothing wrong with cutting corners when you have to, but if you are going to take the time to make cannabutter, you’ll want the best tasting cake possible to deliver a delicious treat, not a sugary cop out that won’t taste as fabulous.

Cannabis Cheesecake Bites

Adapted from the Philadelphia Classic Recipe, Danielle Guercio 2017
Makes 48 bites, 4mg THC per bite

  • 2 blocks Cream cheese
  • 1 c Graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup plus 2 tbs Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla bean paste
  • ⅓ c Cannabutter*
Photo by Danielle Guercio

Take the butter and cream cheese out to soften while you prepare your molds. Mist silicone square molds with cooking spray, don’t use a complicated mold as it won’t hold it’s shape after removal. Use them with cookie sheets or baking sheets so you can take them out of the oven easily.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the graham crumbs, 2 Tbs of the sugar and the cannabutter until the crumbs are wet. Press 1 tsp each into the bottom of the molds. Use an electric mixer with a high sided bowl to whip together the sugar and cream cheese. Add the vanilla and one egg at a time, stop once the mixture is uniform, too much air will change the texture of the dessert.

Pour evenly over the crumbs and clean the edges with a spatula. Bake for 4 minutes before rotating the trays and continuing for another 4 minutes. Check the center of one with a toothpick, if it comes out mostly clean, you can remove. If you want to go for a little longer, 4 more minutes should be the max to make sure it stays soft.

Refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours before removing from the mold. Serve two at a time for a nice weekend dose and drizzle with some toppings if you like, but as plain vanilla goes, this is exquisite enough to not need any fruits, chocolates, or creams.

Photo by Danielle Guercio

*Cannabutter

Decarboxylate 3.5g of finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees for 20 minutes in a tightly sealed, oven safe container. Put cannabis in lidded mason jar or vacuum sealed bag with cannabis and one stick of butter. Heat in water bath just under boiling for at least 1 hour. Strain and chill to use in recipes.

Making these in individual doses is like doing meal prep on a month’s worth of dastardly desserts. Or they make a fabulous gift or party favor, as long as you let people know what’s inside!

Photos: Danielle Guercio

Rethinking Your Work Emails

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It’s 8 p.m. and you hear the sound of an email notification. You run to your laptop, as you’ve been conditioned to do, and see a work email sitting in your Inbox. What do you do? Many of us wouldn’t hesitate to answer the email, assuming it’s expected. In an age of social media, texting and FaceTime, it’s implied that we’re all within arm’s reach of our mobile devices. Why wouldn’t be respond to an email that we clearly saw?

According to a new study, this habit could ruin your relationships outside of work.

Researchers at Virginia Tech surveyed the health of nearly 300 university employees and found that all of them had varying levels of anxiety that could be damaging to their health.

Related: Woman Fired For Consuming Cannabis After Work Is Not Going Down Without A Fight

The kicker is that the employees didn’t even need to be spending actual time working in their off-hours to feel the effects; they were negatively affected simply by the mere expectation of being available.

These “flexible work boundaries” create a slippery slope in which the smallest task, like checking an email, could turn into “work without boundaries” with bosses expecting their employees to be “on” all the time, according to the study.

And this stress, says researchers, can easily spread to family and friends, who are witness to the inability of their loved one to psychologically detach from work-related issues.

“The competing demands of work and non-work lives present a dilemma for employees, which triggers feelings of anxiety and endangers work and personal lives,” said study co-author William Becker.

Employees today must navigate more complex boundaries between work and family than ever before. Employer expectations during non-work hours appear to increase this burden, as employees feel an obligation to shift roles throughout their non-work time.

Becker adds, “Efforts to manage these expectations are more important than ever, given our findings that employees’ families are also affected by these expectations.”

How To Pick The Perfect Marijuana Retail Store For You

Are you among the 60 percent of Americans living in one of the 29 states that has legalized medical marijuana? Or are you among the lucky citizens residing in one of the eight  legal recreational states?  If so, chances are there is a dispensary within driving distance to your home. But before selecting your “go-to” cannabis retailer or dispensary, you should do a little homework and see which establishment is right for you. Like wine shops, craft beer outlets or other niche retailers, dispensaries vary widely. Here are seven questions to ask yourself when finding the perfect marijuana retail store for you:

1. Is It Conveniently Located?

Your go-to dispensary should be along your regular daily route. Ideally, it will be near your home, your place of work, or on located along your regular commute.

If getting to the store is a hassle (or if parking is impossible), you may want to think twice before making this your regular spot.

But just because the store is the closest one to your home, it doesn’t necessarily mean it is the right one for you. Location is just one of the criteria, but it is an important one.

Note: In some states, deliver service is an option. So for patients unable to easily travel, this may be an option.

2. How Knowledgeable Is The Staff?

An experienced budtender is extremely valuable. Even if you are a cannabis connoisseur, it’s important to talk with someone familiar with all the products available in the store. A good budtender will walk you through the buying experience. He or she will listen to your questions and inquire about your needs.

If the budtender seems to be pushing you something you don’t want or dismisses your questions, walk out.  Sometimes, it’s worth calling before going to the store to see assess the customer service.

3. Does The Vibe Jibe With You?

For some customers, a modern, high-tech aesthetic is the thing. For others, the old-time feel of a Berkeley headshop feels right. Some patients prefer a more antiseptic, medical environment. Different strokes for different folks.

What is the background music? What artwork is on the wall? How does it smell? It may sound trivial, but it’s important to feel comfortable inside the store. If you feel like a stranger, it may be worth checking out other retailers.

4. Is The Product Tested?

Ask the budtender to see the testing results of the product. If they don’t test, ask why. As more states regulate the selling of cannabis, testing for potency and pathogens is becoming standard. Most states require testing of some kind.

As a consumer, you have a right to know what you are putting in your body. Ask to see the testing results before purchasing.

5. Is The Price Right?

Some states regulate the price (and tax rate) of legal cannabis. But prices do vary from store to store.

Many stores have an online menu with prices. Do a little homework before venturing out. Compare stores in your area to see the variance. Remember, there is a wide range of products available, from edibles to beverages to bud to concentrates. Find out what works best for you and shop around.

Buying in bulk is an option for some smart shoppers. For others, searching for weekly deals may be the answer.

6. Is The Retailer Involved In The Community?

I like to shop at stores that give back to the community. Does your dispensary donate to charities like food banks, senior homes or local events?

There are some dispensaries that provide deep discounts to patients unable to afford medicine. Some offer educational classes, yoga or other wellness opportunities.

7. What Do The Neighboring Businesses Say?

Talk to nearby stores and see what they have to say. Is the dispensary courteous and respectful of its neighbors? Is there tension in the community? Try to get an holistic view of the store and assess its reputation.

4 Simple Ways To Get Marijuana Out Of Your System

Drug tests are a necessity sometimes. An annoying one, but still, inescapable, especially if you work for the Federal Government. Maybe you need because you handling dangerous equipment or it’s a requirement for your new job. Whatever the case, it’s important to understand what a drug test entails and how it works. And here are 4 simple ways to get marijuana out of your system. 

When you consume cannabis, THC stays in your body long after the “high” feeling goes away. Things get even more complicated because there’s also no clear cut way of knowing how long the THC will stay in your system, considering that every person’s body is different and factors like metabolism, weight, body fat, physical activity, frequency of use, potency of the strain, etc., carry an important weight.

You must also know which drug test you’ll take because results fluctuate depending on what sample the test is analyzing. Saliva tests have a short reach, measuring the presence of THC consumed a couple of days ago, while hair samples can show THC that was consumed over 3 months ago. This particular test is quite expensive, so unless you’re getting some big wig government job, you’re in the clear. If not, sorry. And congratulations on the cool job.

Now, for the important part: Here are 4 ways that’ll help you get clean for a drug test. Be aware that the more time you have to prepare, the more successful these methods will be. They’ll help your body get rid of toxins, but they also can’t work miracles.

Dilution Method

https://giphy.com/gifs/angry-snape-severus-slpBOxNwDUuS4

This method works best for urine tests, because it’ll dilute the concentration of THC metabolites in there. You must have at least 3 days before the test, so you can build up your creatinine by eating a lot of red meat – sorry vegans – and taking supplements.

You must also drink lots of water, so you get rid of toxins, and then, when taking the test, be sure to deposit your urine “midstream”, which is a fancy way of saying that you must pee first into the toilet and then into the cup. Really complex stuff. 

Alter Your hair

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If someone’s testing the follicles in your hair, you can simply shave it off and claim to be an olympic swimmer, or some sort of athlete. This isn’t a very smart move if the interviewer has already seen you with a head full of hair, so if this is your method of choice, be cautious and consistent. Go to your interview bald. You heard it from us.

Stall For Time

https://giphy.com/gifs/gilmoregirls-netflix-gilmore-girls-l2YWx3gtrWLKSQjcc

Try to postpone or reschedule your test if you still feel like you’ll fail it. Every extra day gives you more time to get yourself clean.

Be Wary Of What’s Online

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There are a million methods and marijuana detox kits that seem silly at best and dangerous at worst. Don’t fall for them and do your research. Most importantly, if you have a drug test coming up soon, get clean a few weeks in advance and be healthy for a little while. It’s not forever, and it’ll do your body good to take a break and eat right for once.

How Trump’s Trade War Will Affect The Cannabis Vape Market

As China and the U.S. exchange blows in an all out trade war, many products, including the vape pens that we use for cannabis oil, will face taxes of up to 25 percent. While there are different ways for companies to deal with the financial blow about to be dealt, the most likely outcome is that consumers will be the ones absorbing the expense.

Another option is vape companies themselves absorbing the cost of the additional tax to remain competitive, but the profit margin on pens isn’t going to always be broad enough to justify said absorption. Thus, a price hike could be seen in the near future.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have either implemented medical or recreational laws to protect cannabis imbibers from punitive penalties. Since then, a new market has opened up and one of its best sellers is the vape pen.

Vape pens are amazing in many ways. First of all, they look like e-cigs and have little to no odor, so they’re stealthy and ready to come with you to an outdoor concert, walking around the neighborhood, taking a hike or even flying because they themselves fly right under the radar.

There’s no telling what a price increase will do to the vaping market, but if prices do go up there’s bound to be some grumbling at the very least. It’s doubtful people will put down their pens due to the additional tax, but it’s an expense that patients especially don’t need.

Estimates are that by 2020, the cannabis industry will be pulling in $20-$30 billion dollars. When vaping devices and other parts and pieces that relate to the cannabis industry are factored in, they will contribute to a kushy tax revenue for Chinese importers.

At least it can be said that the product that goes into cannabis pens – ones with THC in them and some CBD ones as well – is grown and manufactured in the U.S., where the oil will only be subject to the taxes already implemented. California, however, is already facing challenges keeping up with projected growth and profit, so the trade war could affect their economy, the fifth largest in the world, the most.

Unfortunately, the compassionate care program is already greatly impacted by high California taxes on seed to sale cannabis. Which is to say all of their cannabis, as every bit of marijuana is now accounted for from the time of embryo to fruition and taxes apply at every stage. Just another reason why the latest Trump moves in the China/U.S. trade wars really stink – and not in that good, skunky way, at all.

Moldy Marijuana Is The New Reefer Madness

There has been a lot of buzz in the cannabis industry lately about mold. The threat of mold is the primary, invasive scare tactic used to drive black market cannabis consumers into the legalized market. Obviously, nobody wants mold in their weed, but how much of a threat really is it? Is it worth paying up to four times as much for marijuana that has been lab tested? Can marijuana get moldy after it leaves the lab?

Mold is a part of life on this planet. It is everywhere. There is probably microscopic mold growing on some part of your body or visible mold on expiring fruit in your fridge at this moment. Spoiled veggies are easy to spot and discard. Anyone might have accidentally eaten a piece of moldy bread in your lifetime, and it did not kill them. One of your crusty roommates might have even removed the moldy part and eaten around it. Then there is black mold – the deathly scary kind. So what kind of mold is in your weed and how bad is it?

Have you ever coughed your brains out after a bong hit? A “kif cough” can be an indication that you inhaled too deeply or held the smoke in for too long. However, lingering chest pains can also be a sign of potentially contaminated weed, not just mold, but perhaps chemical-laden pesticides and fertilizers; which are the real danger.

Scott’s Miracle-Gro is not organic, and they have delved deeply into the weed market, especially in California. Miracle Gro’s ingredients might not matter to someone growing tulips, but it is definitely not meant for consumption in any form.

According to Mike Leiberman of Urban Organic Farmer, “The majority of Miracle-Gro’s product line is filled with chemicals and synthetics. They do have some product that is organic and certified by OMRI. Scott’s, the parent company of Miracle-Gro, is in bed with Monsanto and are the exclusive agent of Round-Up. … It’s not just about being organic.”

The current antithesis of antiquated “reefer madness” is the marijuana mold madness. We are hearing executives say that compliant cannabis is the healthy thing and grey-market, Prop 215 cannabis is dangerous, while six months ago the story was the complete opposite.

R.J. Falcioni, CEO of outspoke.io agrees, “The mold issue is something of a marketing ploy and not always accurate because I have gone into dispensaries post-legalization and found powdery mildew in cannabis.”

There are definitely moisture issues with growing plants meant for consumption, especially in outdoor environments and in mixed site cultivation. It is going to be a growing problem with cannabis, no pun intended.

Sometimes, even the healthiest, purest harvests from ital,  Jamaican Rastafarian-grown cannabis, for example, won’t be adequately cured because the humidity can cause mold can to accrue post-harvest.

“People are zeroing in on mold and honing it as a marketing ploy that ‘we test the cannabis, so it has to be better for you.’ It is a quagmire. The Labs are arbitrary, and the baseline is an arbitrary concept. There is no federal lab testing standard,” says Falcioni.

This situation occurred recently with Lowell Smokes. Cannabis flowers they purchased from one of their partner farms was tested by two separate labs, who couldn’t agree on its purity. The discrepancy ended with them conscientiously issuing a recall of two strains.

With the way cannabis is cultivated under the new licensing standards, the mixed light “hoop house” or greenhouse type of growing environment is desirable. The mold issue is being blamed more on off-the-grid farmers, than in highly invested operations.

“Even in highly stylized grows, sometimes there isn’t sufficient airflow in those tubes or tunnels which can create bud rot or mold,” says Falcioni. “

Now that pesticides are illegal, and use of them prohibits the bud from being sold, cannabis companies either accept a bud product with either mold or bud rod and process the cannabis into a concentrated form through the remediation process; or spray it with pesticides and hope it isn’t detected; or is organic enough to pass the testing process.

If a crop of bud fails the test, it can be processed, scrubbed and re-tested for compliance. Depending on how reliable a cannabis company is, the final option would be to for them to destroy the contaminated bud and accept the inventory loss, as was the case with Lowell Smokes.

Naturally, this drives up the cost of the final product, which is why Californians, in particular, are experiencing skyrocketing prices.

Either way, nobody wants contaminated cannabis in their body.

“I don’t think there are too many farmers left these days that spray their crops with Eagle or Avid, unless they are black market,” Falcioni says hopefully. “That came from a place of just not knowing the long-term effects on people’s health.”

There are also companies such as Trifecta, that make organic “pesticides” from other natural herbs that are a healthier alternative to crop dusting.

The long-term effects of pesticides on the human body can be just as detrimental as some types of mold,  if not moreso. Mold thrives in moist environments, like lungs. Some adverse health issues that aggressive mold causes can be successfully treated with antifungal medication, while other mold infections can be fatal. Treating cancer is tenacious as well.

Have you gotten sick from moldy bud?  Let us know!

Introducing Doja Cat, Who Raps About Being A Cow And Inspires Memes

If you’ve been wondering why people keep saying “Bitch I’m a cow” on your timeline, look no further than internet rapper Doja Cat. Perhaps you’ve already seen the zany NSFW music video for her new song “Mooo!” and read the cheeky description for the video — “My hide is not your prom dress”— and are here for necessary explanation.

After listening to “Mooo!” and hearing Doja Cat repeat how she is actually “a cow,” you’re likely struck by how catchy the tune is. It is completely nonsensical and yet the type of content engineered to go viral in 2018. The first time I watched it, my initial reaction wasn’t about cows or the giant anime chests bouncing in the background. Nope. My first reaction was, “This is going to blow up.”

The song’s momentum is already growing. Even Chance the Rapper and Sango are tweeting about it.

https://twitter.com/CharlyBGay/status/1028854297478483968

You can’t help but be reminded of similar aggrandizing moments from quote-unquote Soundcloud rappers like Lil Yachty or Lil Pump, whose work appeals to the flippant ironic stance of a younger generation and simultaneously rankles hip-hop elders with misguided purist sensibilities. Doja Cat is inviting all of these reactions.

“I like to disappoint woke-hip-hop people,” she wrote on Twitter as the song blew up this past weekend. “I love that the majority of you guys are healthy and normal and then all of the people who don’t like moo are taking their lives and a song I wrote about cows all too seriously, losing hair over it. MOOOOOOOOOOOO,” she added.

Doja Cat isn’t all jokes, though. She signed to RCA Records back in 2014 has released two different projects, including her debut album Amala in March of this year. She is “equal parts Tumblr kid, Los Angeles Black hipster, and aspiring pop-rap diva,” as Uproxx described her. On her Soundcloud, Doja Cat allows her true quirk to shine through with tracks like “Muffin Man” and “Nintendhoe,” the latter of which samples the Nintendo Gamecube’s start-up screen. (Warning: The cover art for “Nintendhoe” is also NSFW.)

Whether you can’t get past the joke or find yourself randomly saying, “Bitch I’m a cow,” Doja Cat’s song and music feels very appropriate for 2018. Let’s hope this moment inspires everyone to moooove on to greener pastures. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

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