A new study finds that a simple everyday activity can help you cultivate your creativity and use it to benefit your life.
Creativity is a very elusive thing, yet one that’s required for most things in life. Whether you work in an office or you’re an artist, creativity makes your work feel more fulfilling and allows you to complete tasks in more inventive ways. According to a study, it’s also something that can be cultivated easily, like by going on a walk or moving around.
The study, published in Scientific Reports and conducted by researchers from the University of Graf, found links between physical activity and imagination. Researchers discovered that active people are able to have more and better ideas during tests of inventiveness when compared to people who are sedentary.
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The study tracked the routines of 79 adults while also measuring their creativity, trying to find points in which these two factors aligned. Participants wore activity trackers and after 5 days were asked to visit a lab in order to complete different creative tasks, like finding new uses for car tires, umbrellas, and completing partial drawings. These people were also asked to complete a questionnaire, which assessed their moods.
When this data was crosschecked and analyzed, researchers found that the more active people were, the more creative they were when performing their tasks. These findings had no relation to mood — the links were based solely on activity levels and creative performance.
Physical activity has a history of changing the way we think, reflected in animal and human studies. Movement increases blood flow, oxygenating our brains and providing it with nutrients and blood that promote the cell growth. There’s a reason why people suggest going on walks when feeling stuck at work, or being frustrated by a problem.
When it comes to creativity, the science is much more sparse. This term has always had an aura of mystery, being very abstract and difficult to quantify in scientific studies. Research like this provides more background and information to terms like creativity, which are associated with certain types of people.
Creativity is something that we all obtain, and that can be cultivated and used to our advantage, whether we’re writing a novel or adding numbers on a spreadsheet.
Taco Tuesday is a huge trend, but hot sauce is good every day! Why not add some weed heat for Taco Tuesday with jalapeños? While they don’t bring as much heat as other peppers, they certainly add a rich flavor. They are a staple of the taco bar and pickled jalapeño’s show up in Bloody Mary’s, with eggs and so much more. So why not make a marijuana sauce to give an extra kick?
74% of people like to put hot sauce on their food, but not everyone is down with high or medium heat. Most salsas sold are either mild or medium. In their green form, jalapeño peppers have a fresh, bright, green bell pepper flavor with a gentle kick, almost a nudge. If you leave them to ripen longer, red jalapeño peppers carry a slightly sweeter flavor and increase in spice.
Taco Tuesday is an invention of the US, but is celebrated in a few other countries, such as in Canada, the UK and Australia. In Norway, the terms Fredagstaco and Tacofredag are used to refer to eating tacos on Friday night. In Sweden, serving tacos on Fridays is common for Fredagsmys.
Despite the reports of more potent weed, the addiction rate remains fairly consistent at 9%. That’s roughly the same amount associated with the consumption of caffeine.
It doesn’t matter whether marijuana is purchased from the legal market or the criminal underground. A study finds that it is 25% stronger than it was more than 50 years ago.
Researchers at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom recently examined 80,000 cannabis samples from various spots in the world, including the U.S., Netherlands, U.K., France, Denmark, Italy, and New Zealand. They discovered that cannabis consumers are probably getting a lot higher these days than when Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter were still leading the country.
The findings, which were published in the journal Addiction, shows higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, since the early 1970s. THC is the psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant responsible for getting a person stoned. Researchers claim that weed has consistently gotten stronger over the past fifty years. The team found a 14% increase in flower strength between 1970 and 2017 and a 24% increase in resin potency since 1975.
Meanwhile, the concentration of America’s popular compound CBD is the same as it has always been.
The latest study is a testament to how growers sometimes look to increase potency to provide the consumer with the illusion of a quality product. But stronger doesn’t always mean better, especially when cannabis is being used to treat various medical conditions, including anxiety and insomnia. Many cannabis users throughout the years have reported better results with strains higher in CBD.
So why is weed getting stronger?
This is mostly because cannabis cultivators now have a better understanding of what makes the plant flourish during the grow process. And as a result, cannabis crops are healthier than they were back then. It is also worth mentioning that the weed of the 1970s probably only contained around 2% THC — not nearly enough to get people as stoned as they have been since legalization started across the United States.
There is also something to be said for how genetics are understood, allowing growers to essentially dictate various outcomes of the plant. The science surrounding cannabis cultivation is just more advanced than fifty years ago, plain and simple.
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However, researchers are concerned that more potent marijuana could force more people to experience addiction as legalization becomes more widespread. “As the strength of cannabis has increased, so too has the number of people entering treatment for cannabis use problems,” said Dr. Tom Freeman, director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath. “More Europeans are now entering drug treatment because of cannabis than heroin or cocaine.”
In the U.S., President Biden has promised to decriminalize marijuana possession nationwide, but has been slow for action. This is the same man who once said that comparing the weed of the 60s to what the kids are smoking today was like “comparing buckshot in a shotgun shell to a laser-guided missile.”
But is increasing potency a bad thing?
Well, some federally funded studies show that marijuana use is becoming more widespread, especially among adolescents and young adults. Legalization is supposed to diminish those numbers, and in some cases it has. Still, despite the reports of more potent weed, the addiction rate remains fairly consistent at 9%. That’s roughly the same amount associated with the consumption of caffeine.
So even if more of the population starts using marijuana as legalization spreads, it isn’t likely that it will bring about a substantial uptick in addiction rates. Nevertheless, more research is necessary so that the country has a better grip on the potential risks that lie ahead.
Marijuana proponents are ecstatic because this super THC discovery means there is higher quality medicine from this plant.
From a group of Europeanresearchers comes news of the discovery of a super-cannabis compound, a cannabinoid 30 times stronger than THC. It was discovered while they were looking for additional medicinal qualities in a host of cannabinoids among 150 known to exist.
It’s called THCP, and researchers were stunned: “The presence of this new phytocannabinoid could account for the pharmacological properties of some cannabis varieties difficult to explain by the presence of the sole Delta-9-THC.”
And there’s the rub, because that sort of statement plays into the hands of both sides of the cannabis equation.
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), an anti-legalization organization, usually points to increased use of marijuana by grade-school and high-schoolers as a sign of the bad things in cannabis (inadvertently promoting regulating it for adults, which is what advocates fight for against obstacles from the federal government). They’re cheering an “a-ha” moment as the vaping crisis claims lives, even though thecommonly held finding is that these vapes are black market products available to teens because there is no federal regulation. The cartridges are filled with products other than tobacco or cannabis that affect the lungs.
Stronger THC in cannabis products is one of the talking points from SAM, and this discovery plays right into that particular wheelhouse.
On the other hand, marijuana proponents are ecstatic because that super THC discovery means there is more and better medicine from this plant, demonstrating the range of the natural wonder of cannabis to the health of mankind. More research could find more cannabinoids to help different human health problems. This discovery plays right into their particular wheelhouse.
So the fact remains, this new super-strong THC development is giving researchers pause to consider that THC and cannabinoids have possibly made a leap into expanding more of the good that they can do, alongside a consideration by the military of the potential harm they can do with it. Stand by.
A new survey shows why some people prefer to stick to black-market cannabis.
Legal marijuana is becoming more and more accessible. Still, in countries like the U.S. and Canada, where there are legal markets in place, black market marijuana sales remain consistent. According to a new survey, the #1 reason people are still buying black market weed is price. It is crushing California and other states should see it is a big warning.
The survey, conducted between 2019-2020 and published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, polled 12,000 cannabis users in Canada and the U.S. and found that price outranked convenience, which is the second main reason people continue to opt for illegal weed.
A 2016 referendum legalized recreational use in California. A goal to eliminate illegal sellers, regulate the substance for safety, and raise tax for the state. The first dispensaries opened in 2018. But the licensed stores have not dented the size of the black market, which has remained steady at around $8 billion a year, according to Tom Adams of Global Go Analytics. The legal business is struggling. In 2022, sanctioned cannabis sales fell 8.2 percent to $5.3 billion.
In both years, the most commonly reported barriers to legal purchasing were price (Canada: 35%–36%; United States: 27%) and inconvenience (Canada: 17%–20%; U.S.: 16%–18%). In 2020 versus 2019, several factors were less commonly reported as barriers in Canada, including inconvenience and location of legal sources. Certain barriers increased in the United States, including slow delivery and requiring a credit card.
In the United States, black market cannabis sales are one of the principal wild cards in establishing a functioning legal cannabis market. States like California, which were the first to establish legal markets, have allowed the two markets to coexist, something that cannabis workers have called extremely unfair.
Alex Brough is the co-founder of Keneh Ventures, a private equity fund that invests in businesses ancillary to the legal marijuana trade. In an interview with Times Union, he compared a legal dispensary owner who ‘does everything above-book’ to a bootlegger selling cheap, untested weed.
“You don’t know any better, you’re not an industry expert, and you go to California, and you go to get an [eighth-ounce] of chronic at this place for $60, and at this place across the street, they’re selling it for $30,” he explained. “If you’re at all budget-minded, you’re going for the $30.”
States in the U.S. that are establishing new cannabis markets can use previous states as guideposts, allowing for more controlled transitions and accurate predictions of how their legal market would work. Still, cannabis black market sales have existed for decades, with businesses having built relationships with shoppers. Creating a new legal market will take time to build and to earn the trust of new shoppers.
A life-threatening illness is one of the most frightening experiences anyone can go through. No one wants to be diagnosed with a terminal illness, and no one wants someone they love diagnosed with the same thing. For almost 2 million people each year, they enter hospice for the last part of their life. It is hard on the patient and the loved ones. Should cannabis be part of hospice care? In some legal states, hospice staff are allowing marijuana to ease suffering, especially for cancer.
As Americans continue to age, the risks of terminal illnesses increase with more people getting admitted to hospitals and hospices. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced that there are an estimated 1.7+ million people in hospices receiving care from varying life-threatening illnesses. This number is a tremendous increase from what was obtainable in the last 20 years. In those hospices, the patients receive a special kind of care that slows the painful process.
The care given to patients is provided by compassionate individuals who are 100% available to make the last life phases very comfortable. While these hospices are doing their best, there are still instances where some patients don’t get better with the care they receive.
Of course, this is a problematic situation, and it has made medical experts seek solutions for hospices, and marijuana is one of the most viable ideas they explore.
Despite the good intentions, the legal status of marijuana affects its use and effectiveness in hospices. For example, although some states have legalized marijuana, it is still not legally accepted at the federal level. The federal level’s lack of support makes it difficult for some healthcare providers to prescribe cannabis for their patients in hospices.
Marijuana in hospices
Marijuana is utilized in hospice care to ease patients suffering as it plays a significant therapeutic role for patients dealing with the emotional despair that comes with a terminal illness.
Hospices are turning to marijuana as a way of reinventing their approach to Medicare for patients. These hospices want a more patient-centric care experience that eradicates the idea that they are cold, ineffective, and unwelcome.
Therefore, hospices in America need to incorporate more effective treatment and care options that help them feel like they are making daily progress. In addition to marijuana, the hospices also integrate additional treatment options such as music, thoughtful quality care, and family moments to make the treatment options relatable.
Photo by Bret Kavanaugh via Unsplash
But medical marijuana has become a new focus for these hospices. As Americans’ attitudes towards marijuana change (from suspicion to acceptance), more hospices are encouraged to consider it as a treatment option.
Currently, 87% of Americans support the utilization of medical marijuana as a treatment option for terminally sick patients. More so, three in five Americans (this is about 58%) express strong support for medical marijuana. So how do hospices use marijuana?
How hospices use marijuana
Primarily, hospices use marijuana as a care treatment alternative to ease the patient’s spiritual and existential suffering. The mild euphoria marijuana offers give the patient a sense of well-being which eases the body, mind, and spirit as they come to terms with the possibility of death.
In 2019, a study showed the impact of cannabis and CBD on hospice and palliative care places, with data drawn from over 300 care professionals from 40 American States. The professionals offered “overwhelming support” for marijuana use in hospices regardless of its legal status in the state.
With such factual details and preference for marijuana in hospices, one can only ask, “How does it help those in the hospices?” Here are answers to that question:
Pain reduction is one of the most prominent benefits of marijuana used in hospices. The patients sometimes experience excruciating pain, which masks them uncomfortable, making their stay at the hospice unpleasant.
But with medical marijuana treatment, pain is reduced and replaced with a euphoric sensation that eases the patient’s mind, thus making them numb to pain. This health benefit of marijuana can only be effective when the substance is used consistently.
Enhancement of the senses
Cannabis is an enhancer that heightens patient sensory perceptions and awareness, thus leading to a better appreciation of tastes, senses, and music. Remember that some people in hospices are older individuals who gradually lose their ability to recognize feelings and their sense of taste. But when marijuana is administered, the patient’s sense of awareness is heightened, enabling them to appreciate every moment even as their days are numbered.
The patients in hospices often struggle with their appetite because of the intense treatments (for example, cancer patients). Decreased appetite is also prevalent because they are emotionally down, with the illnesses taking a toll on their mental health. But CBD is an appetite-boosting compound that encourages them to eat regularly and also snack in between meals. A hospice patient will have a greater chance of better managing illness when he or she consistently eats nutritious meals.
Anxiety is a common symptom that hospice patients experience due to the fear of death and worries about their families. But when medical marijuana is administered the THC and CBD, it contains impacts such as anxiety levels.
THC, when given in smaller doses, decreases anxiety, and CBD also does the same, thus helping the patient feel relaxed and calm, which provides a significant boost to their health.
Bottom Line
Medical experts are increasingly excited at the enormous potential of marijuana. Globally, people are beginning to appreciate the value of cannabis. Marijuana products that have been tested and approved for use should be well-integrated into the healthcare system because of their immense benefits.
Experts and caregivers at hospices derive incredible benefits from cannabis. Both of the plant’s recreational and medicinal properties are highly valued by caregivers and patients. However, for marijuana to reach its lofty potential in hospices in the future, there must be a unified legal status of cannabis from federal to state levels.
Until we have such a unified status, marijuana will continue to impact the lives of hospice patients in the ways currently available, helping them manage their terminal illnesses.
Does the same go for CBD? The truth is that, despite sharing many properties with marijuana, cannabidiol is a much different product. For starters, legal CBD contains less than .03% THC, which means users won’t experience a psychoactive high. What do these differences mean for pregnant and breastfeeding women? Here’s what we found out.
The Research is Limited
The first, and perhaps most important, thing to establish about the use of CBD during pregnancy is that it hasn’t really been researched. The science that does exist regarding cannabis use during pregnancy is largely concerned with marijuana-derived products. The general consensus is that using cannabis during pregnancy could be dangerous and that, without more research, it isn’t worth the risk.
Even though there is no official word on the safety of CBD for pregnant and breastfeeding women, there are many women who share that it has improved their experience because of its ability to address certain symptoms specific to pregnancy.
For starters, nausea during pregnancy can become debilitating for some. Hyperemesis Gravidarum is a serious condition characterized by persistent vomiting and nausea so severe that mothers may become dehydrated or struggle to maintain a healthy weight. For these women, CBD may offer some relief due to its ability to decrease vomiting and nausea.
As noted by What to Expect, it is difficult to determine if CBD use is OK during pregnancy or while breastfeeding because research has largely focused on marijuana and THC and its effect on fetal development and infant development while breastfeeding.
That being said, there are many moms who have used CBD during pregnancy. The best way to determine if this cannabis product is right for you is to weigh your options with your healthcare provider. If together you decide CBD is the right choice for managing pregnancy or postpartum symptoms, your doctor can also assist you in deciding on an appropriate dosage.
These natural and healthy drinks can help you maintain a regular sleep cycle while also pushing your system to burn more calories and fat.
While there are many rumors that claim certain meals and drinks will make you lose weight, most of them are bogus. Sadly, there are no miracle foods. In order for these tricks to work you need to pair them with a healthy lifestyle and some sort of workout regimen. But you already knew that.
One of the most important aspects of weight loss (and physical functionality in general) is sleep. A wonky sleep schedule will make you hungrier the next day, mess with your hormones and make everything harder. Men’s Health spoke with a doctor who recommended some drinks that might help you sleep better and manage your hunger throughout the night.
Milk
Milk is pretty common drink to have before going to bed, especially when you’re a kid. While there are a lot of conflicting opinions regarding the drink and the high amounts of saturated fat it contains, it does help you sleep more soundly and make you feel full due to its protein content. Milk contains tryptophan and calcium, both of which help the body produce serotonin which then facilitates the production of melatonin, the hormone for sleep. The comfort and coziness of the drink is also not going to harm your sleep schedule.
According to Dr. Bridget Murphy, ingesting a small glass of 100% grape juice before bed might help you sleep more soundly and burn some calories. Several studies have demonstrated that grape juice fulfills several roles when consumed before sleeping, producing insulin at night – which regulates circadian rhythms – and containing resveratrol, an antioxidant that burns fat.
Chamomile tea is a great drink to consume during any time of the day, having been linked with improved glucose control, weight loss, and much less nerves. Studies also say that it’s a great way to naturally go to bed, increasing your levels of glycine, which relax your nerves and act as a mild sedative.
Soy protein shake
While a having a protein shake might not be the best option for those of us who don’t like to go to bed with full stomachs, this option keeps you full through the night it also contains tryptophan. As we mentioned before, this compound helps you sleep and has also been linked with managing your cortisol levels, thus helping you burn some belly fat.
Water
You can’t go wrong with water, especially if you’re consuming high amounts of it. Water keeps you hydrated, has no calories and has been linked with a healthy sleep schedule. Try to consume plenty of water throughout the day and avoid over-drinking before bed if you’re a light sleeper.
It seems that for some, the very idea of sharing their struggle and personal life, even with a doctor, is anxiety inducing.
It’s estimated that 18.1% of Americans are dealing with an anxiety disorder of some kind, including generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress syndrome, or obsessive compulsive disorder. Unfortunately, less than half of individuals with an anxiety disorder are seeking treatment, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Can CBD help anxiety about seeing a therapist?
Why aren’t people in therapy or at least seeing a doctor about medication? Anecdotally, there seems to be a wide variety of preventative factors, including the expense and the ability to admit there’s something wrong in the first place. Being a man seems to come with even more hesitancy about spending time with a mental health professional because of social norms that encourage men to avoid asking for help even when they need it the most.
When Anxiety Keeps You From Seeing a Therapist
It seems that for some, the very idea of sharing their struggle and personal life, even with a doctor, is anxiety inducing. For example, individuals with social anxiety might struggle to see a professional because they’re fearful of being judged. Those who have trauma in their past could very well be avoidant of therapy because they’re uncomfortable with the idea of revisiting those events or worry that talking about them might make it worse.
These concerns are completely understandable; it can be incredibly difficult to talk honestly about the most difficult things in your life. However, anxiety shouldn’t keep you from getting the help you need to live a healthy and happy life.
Photo by Sohini via Unsplash
Using CBD to Manage Pre-Therapy Anxiety
While some report that getting stoned before therapy has helped them manage their anxiety and open up about what is going on inside their head, that’s a practice that won’t work well for everyone and might be discouraged by your therapist.
Cannabidoil, or CBD, is a cannabis product that shares many beneficial properties with marijuana without the high. It’s also legal in all 50 states. Among the many benefits of CBD is its ability to lessen anxiety, which might make it a better option for use before visiting a therapist’s office.
Although many of the studies up to this point have looked at how CBD oil effects animals with anxiety symptoms, a preliminary study in 2010 looked at CBD use in individuals with social anxiety disorder. Some participants were given 400mg of CBD while others were treated with a placebo. Those given CBD appeared to experience less anxiety based on imaging taken of their brains.
In 2011, the journal Nature published a similar study looking at the effects of CBD on anxiety about public speaking. In this study, participants were treated with 600mg of CBD and experienced quick and significant relief from their symptoms of anxiety.
Hopefully, more research will be coming our way soon, but since CBD oil has been deemed safe by the World Health Organization and has few side effects, there’s no reason to avoid giving it a try to see if it works for you.
How to Start Using CBD for Anxiety
If you’re looking for a creative way to manage the discomfort or nervousness you feel before heading into the therapist’s office, here’s a few tips for consuming CBD. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to CBD oil dosages; people respond differently to this cannabis product based on their metabolism and body weight. For this reason, we recommend starting slow and working your way up from there until you experience relief from your anxiety symptoms.
For example, many CBD products have a suggested dosage of 25mg, twice a day. Start there for a few days and then increase a little at a time until you start to feel better. If you begin to experience side effects, like fatigue or diarrhea, that might indicate you’re taking too much. Since you want to be in good shape before seeing a therapist, it might be a good idea to give yourself some time to adjust to the product instead of taking it for the first time right before any appointment.
Mixologist, cannabis connoisseur and author Warren Bobrow has created a cocktail that will give summer a proper sendoff, along with your sobriety.
For many, Labor Day weekend signals the last hurrah, the week after starts to feel like the true end of summer. The beginning of fall. The start of a new school year. For the rest of us, it signals another reason to drink. Thankfully, author and cocktail maestro Warren Bobrow, a good friend of The Fresh Toast, has created the perfect cocktail to bid adieu to summer.
The cocktail, which Bobrow calls “Syncopation,” is anything but sweet. If you didn’t get the memo, we are done with sweet summer drinks. “Our palates call out for depth, balance and flavor,” says Bobrow. “With a little help, it will be fall in the glass.”
Syncopation
2 oz Mezan XO Jamaican rum
4 oz coconut water
2-3 dashes Peychaud bitters – bright red in color
Splash seltzer
Fresh mint
Coconut water ice (frozen coconut water)
DIRECTIONS
Add coconut water ice to a tall glass
Add coconut water
Pour Mezan over the top
Add Peychaud’s
Slap mint (to release the fragrant oils) and garnish
Serve
If you drink a few too many of these, Bobrow has just the cure — New Orleans style. It’s a milk punch that could not be quicker to pull together. Here’s what you do: mix together equal parts brandy, simple syrup, vanilla, heavy cream, milk, ice, and nutmeg. Shake. Serve. And then remember that your hangover is proof that you lived up the last days of summer like someone who was never going to see the sun again.
Warren Bobrow, a.k.a. The Cocktail Whisperer, is the author of four books, including his latest: Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics.
