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Could Blockchain Give Cannabis The Legitimacy It Seeks?

Brendan Bures
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Could Blockchain Give Cannabis The Legitimacy It Seeks?

Chances are you’ve heard the words cryptocurrency and cannabis next to one another in financial investment circles. That’s because over the past five years these two properties have been the hottest assets within the investment world, producing dramatic ROIs and luring millennials, a generation previously lukewarm about trading stocks, into the trading world.

The success of these two types of assets are from different catalysts, however. Marijuana stocks and their newfound lucrative nature is more easily explained: As more states legalize, more business becomes available, raising more capital, and so forth. At the same time, Americans have never been more in favor of cannabis, especially as a medicine.

Cryptocurrencies have more complex reasons why they have risen so dramatically over the past year. As Business Insider notes, however, much of the success can be tied to the blockchain technology that underpins cryptocurrencies. “Blockchain is the digital, distributed, and decentralized ledger that underlies virtual currencies and is responsible for recording all transactions without the need for a third-party, such as a bank,” writes Business Insider.

While blockchain and cryptocurrencies have long flirted with replacing the problematic all-cash systems the cannabis industry currently uses, it appears one small-cap marijuana stock might have found a solution in Emerald Health Therapeutics, a Canadian cannabis company that’s  poised to become one of the biggest marijuana suppliers.

But this February, Emerald Health announced it was in the process of finalizing a joint venture with DMG Blockchain Solutions—named CannaChain Technologies—and will “provide blockchain-based supply chain and e-commerce marketplace for the marijuana industry.”

Here’s the important nugget from their press release:

The new solution will provide extensive plant, growing, third-party testing, and handling data, as well as offer enhanced trust of origin, quality, and safety based on the blockchain’s ability to maintain immutable records as cannabis products flow from seed to sale through the supply chain. Relevant stakeholders for this technology alone include producers, distributors, shippers, government agencies, and consumers.

Blockchain could provide a transparency and authenticity that would legitimize the cannabis industry to the larger business world. However, blockchain technologies are just as unproven as cannabis when it comes to scaling to the large proportions angled by the two companies. Already in Canada, the cannabis industry is struggling in its incipient stages. Because distributors, retailers, and growers aren’t yet in sync, the sale of legal marijuana could experience a three-month delay.

So while we’ll have to wait to realize the efficacy of such a plan, it remains another intriguing development in the relationship between blockchain and cannabis.

The Country’s First State-Licensed Cannabis Spa Is About To Happen

Amy Hansen
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The Country’s First State-Licensed Cannabis Spa Is About To Happen

How great would it be to visit a spa where you could get cannabis-infused massages, ganja yoga and other wellness activities? It is looking like it might be a reality in Denver.

Owners of the Utopia All Natural Wellness Spa and Lounge have already submitted a social consumption application that, if approved, would make them the first fully licensed, state-legal cannabis spa in the nation.

If approved, Utopia will offer patrons “cannabis infused massages, ganja yoga, and other cannabis-friendly activities to patrons 21 and older, as well as meditation coaching, educational seminars, and patient support and networking groups,” according to a press release. It will not sell, however, any cannabis or cannabis-infused products.

Owner Cindy Sovine says she also plans to offer meditation coaching, educational seminars and support and networking groups, not to mention “cannabis-friendly cooking classes, corporate retreats and other private functions,” according to a press release. There will also be designated consumption areas (for 21 and older guests) for vaporizing, but smoking will not be allowed as it’s prohibited by the Colorado Clean Indoor Act.

“Our mission,” says Sovine, “is to provide a place of retreat for cannabis consumers and access to high-quality products and services for those who wish to explore natural options for self-care.”

She says she looks forward to opening the doors of Utopia, not just to cannabis consumers, but to all adults interested in natural self-care and making healthy changes to their lifestyle.

The Only Primer You Need: Butane Vs. CO2 Cannabis Extractions

Mary Schumacher
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The Only Primer You Need: Butane Vs. CO2 Cannabis Extractions

Butane, or butane hash oil (BHO), gets a lot of flack in the cannabis community and press for its volatility and health risks during and after extraction, yet it’s the most popular method of cannabis extraction. How does it really work and is CO2 really safer? Let’s examine the facts and evidence.

Cannabis extractions isolate the psychoactive components of the plant and fuse them into what’s known as dabs or oil. Dabs are most commonly extracted using butane, while vape pen oil is usually concentrated via CO2.

If you’ve never experienced either one, dabs are powerful sheets of concentrate that often come by the gram and have different consistencies depending on how they were treated post extraction. It only takes a little bit on the end on a dabber to be dipped onto a hot nail to get one flying into outer space. On the other hand, vape pens are discreet concentrates that come with greater control of the high.

One of the main concerns when making concentrates using the BHO method is that the producer may not allow for all of the butane to evaporate off and out. Having residual solvents in the final product is irritating to the lungs and can leave pollutants in the body. However, the method of making dabs has come a long way in the educational department and most extractors know the P’s and Q’s of making concentrates by now.

CO2 is a gentler extraction process, with less volatility, but it’s much harsher on the cannabis plant itself. Often this means missing out on terpenes that some say enhance the high and all say contribute to the flavorful aromas we love so much about cannabis. CO2 also does not extract as much THC as butane. For many, though, the pluses outweigh the minuses. CO2 extraction is cleaner with less of a chance of ingesting residual solvent, it’s more environmentally friendly and is nonflammable.

Not to imply that butane and CO2 are the only extraction methods out there. There are other solvents, like alcohol, that are used to make concentrates, but there are also solventless methods. Solventless is considered by many to be the superior way when it all comes down to it. There are no residuals, the flavors are out of this world and, though more difficult to press into dabs, it is more often than not worth the extra effort to go the solventless route.

Is This Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress Designer?

Maria Loreto
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Is This Meghan Markle’s Wedding Dress Designer?

We’re not experts on the fashion industry, but we can say with certainty that designing Meghan Markle’s royal wedding dress is one of the most important and sought after jobs a fashion designer could ever have.

Rumors of which designer will make the wedding gown abound. Vanity Fair reported that last week, people thought the designer would be Erdem, a British brand beloved by Kate Middleton, or Ralph & Russo, the brand responsible for designing Markle’s engagement outfit. This week, bets are on Alexander McQueen.

These rumors stem from Betfair, a betting website. Yes, the British like to bet on rumors, especially ones that relate to the royal family. They’re weird.

Via Vanity Fair: 

We previously had Ralph and Russo as the 2/1 [favorites] and there’s also been a lot of talk of Erdem as a big front-runner. However, we’ve now suspended this market after seeing some interesting betting on Alexander McQueen this morning who went from 16/1 to 8/1 in a very short space of time.

Kate Middleton wore an Alexander McQueen gown for her wedding, so it would make sense if Markle were to follow in her footsteps. Or maybe she’ll surprise us all with her decision in designer, going against royal traditions once more.

From The WTF Files: Inside Instagram’s Avocado Marriage Proposals

Amy Hansen
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From The WTF Files: Inside Instagram’s Avocado Marriage Proposals

There’s a new relationship trend and it involves avocados and Instagram. Swoon, right? If that doesn’t have you nostalgic for Nora Ephron movies, wait until you hear about guys who actually use avocados, not to make their SOs avocado toast in the morning, but as a ring box. Surprise! You’ve been avocadoed!

It all started with this guy, @taylorselbyyoga, who, we assume, used the fruit to propose to his (still?) girlfriend last October.

PSA: If your guy is going to propose to you using an avocado, just make sure it’s at least fresh. A decaying avocado does not speak highly of your future together.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BL1IQMChEyw

Then this photo popped up recently.  It’s already garnered more than 100K “likes.” What’s to like?

https://www.instagram.com/p/BfAte9clPGC

Using avocados as engagement props may not be the most romantic maneuver, but it’s better than cutting your hand open while trying to deseed one or gauging whether or not you’re dateable using guacamole as your guide. And it sure is fun to watch social media suck the life out of this so-called trend. Once Twitter throws shade, your time is up.

https://twitter.com/MrSmithRadio/status/966444357980213248

British supermarket Asda is now putting stickers on avocados that are “perfect for proposals.” The dude above could have used this handy trick. As The Independent reports:

…the avocados are chosen based on Asda’s own version of the ‘four Cs’ – whilst someone choosing a diamond ring might look for colour, clarity, carat and cut, when choosing the avocados, Asda has assessed colour, complexion, cut and creaminess.

Avocado expert Adrian Kurzynski takes it one step further. And, no, this is not a joke:

From a soft, yet firm avocado to keep the ring in place, to a perfect pear-shape that allows for symmetrical slicing, our ‘Perfect for Proposal’ sticker system will help the increasing number of avocado proposals go as smoothly as the flesh of the fruit they’re holding.

Guys, just make sure when you cut open the avocado to remove the seed, you don’t actually slice your hand open. A brown avocado is better than a red one any day.

Meghan Markle Helping Kate Middleton During Difficult Pregnancy

Maria Loreto
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Meghan Markle Helping Kate Middleton During Difficult Pregnancy

It’s no secret that Kate Middleton has suffered severe morning sickness during her third pregnancy, forcing her to miss out on several royal engagements. Now seven months pregnant, the International Business Times reports that Middleton is experiencing these symptoms again, and that Meghan Markle has been at her side, helping her overcome these difficulties.

The two women next to each other in different apartments within the Royal Palace, where they visit and keep each other company during these stressful times. While Middleton is pregnant with her third child, Markle is entering the world of British royalty and has been using this time to adapt to her new life.

Both women have demonstrated nothing but support for each other during the past couple of months. Regarding Prince Harry and Markle’s engagement, Middleton claimed that she and William were “absolutely thrilled,” and that the news was very exciting; she gushed about how happy this time is for any couple, saying, “We wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this happy moment.”

It’s believed that Middleton will help Markle prepare for her role as a new member of the royal family. Earlier this month, People spoke to several of those close to the Duchess, including a source from her hometown of Bucklebury, England, who said, “I’m sure Kate will do all she can to help Meghan.”

Even though Middleton and Markle, both 36, grew up in wildly different upbringings — Kate on the English countryside and Meghan in Los Angeles — both have reportedly bonded over, you know, falling in love with a Prince.

Thank You, Dennis Peron, For Always Fighting The Good Fight

Martin A. Lee
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Thank You, Dennis Peron, For Always Fighting The Good Fight

Editor’s Note: This book excerpt from Martin A. Lee’s Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific describes the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers’ Club, the first medical marijuana dispensary in America, which Dennis Peron established and ran in open defiance of federal and state law.

To accommodate a deluge of new members, Dennis Peron moved the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club in 1995 to a converted five-story warehouse at 1444 Market Street, a busy locale near the San Francisco Civic Center.

Entering this expansive, well-lit concrete-and-glass structure, marked only by a red cross in the front window, was a mind-altering experience in and of itself. To join the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers’ Club, one had to produce a photo ID and a doctor’s note certifying that one had a condition that could be helped by marijuana. Senior citizens were granted automatic admission. (“People in the autumn or sunset of their lives have a right to any medicine that helps them feel better,” Peron insisted.) The walls and ceilings of the top three floors, where patients congregated, were cluttered with masks, fans, found art, marionettes, rainbow flags, and origami paper birds. Bulletin boards posted notices about AIDS treatments, wheelchair maintenance classes, and memorials to those who recently passed away. Half of the club’s 11,000 members and most of the staff were people with AIDS.

The San Francisco Cannabis Buyers’ Club employed close to one hundred people—food servers, “budtenders,” janitors, clerical workers, carpenters, security guards. The club featured a Jerry Garcia elevator with piped-in rock music and several large rooms where members lounged on mismatched secondhand couches and easy chairs, casually passing joints and pipes while engaging in animated conversation. After they inhaled a few puffs of a doobie, the disabled and the dying seemed to forget their most onerous symptoms. Raucous laughter often filled the air, which reeked of thick, aromatic fumes. “People are smoking pot openly here!” blurted a breathless CBS 48 Hours correspondent.

Patrons lined up at counters to choose from a daily menu of pot specials—smokables, edibles, tinctures, and topicals. Several strains of bud were displayed beneath a sign that read “The Island,” a memento from Peron’s first cannabis café in the Castro. Wholesome food went for a dollar a plate; the cooler stored juice and liquid supplements. For dessert or snacks, the “Brownie Mary Bar” offered baked goods with a range of potencies. The club also sold hemp clothing and smoking paraphernalia, along with copies of Brownie Mary’s Marijuana Cookbook & Dennis Peron’s Recipe for Social Change, which included some homegrown advice: “Mix, in a big country, a magic herb, a blend of people (do not separate), and lots of chutzpah. Pour off prohibition, strain out and discard unjust laws. Use no DEA. Whip media into frenzy. Smoke remainder for several days. Serve.”

The bustling pot dispensary was always crowded on Tuesdays and Thursdays when Peron gave away free bags of marijuana to poor patients—not just people with AIDS, but also those suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, glaucoma, arthritis, and other degenerative conditions. Nor did Dennis dismiss those suffering from “common afflictions” just because their pain or disability didn’t entail chemo or a wheelchair.

The San Francisco Cannabis Buyers’ Club wasn’t only about smoking grass. “Marijuana is part of it, but the biggest part of healing is not being alone,” said Peron, who intuitively grasped a profound truth that experts often overlooked in the age of high-technology medicine: social isolation is bad for one’s health. The pot club was therapeutic by design—a setting where wheelchair-bound patients and other chronically ill individuals could hang out, smoke reefer, make new friends, and interact with those who shared their plight. It was a place where people came to laugh for the last time before they died.

“Sick people tend to withdraw, and that’s the worst thing they can do,” Peron explained. “We don’t have a delivery service, because we want them to get out of the house.” His club pioneered what sociologists would later refer to as the “San Francisco model”—the marijuana dispensary that allows on-site medication and encourages patients to socialize, form support networks, and avail themselves of counseling and recreational facilities. The social aspect of the Cannabis Buyers’ Club played a crucial, salutary role, improving the quality of life and perhaps even prolonging the life of many of its members.

Excerpted from Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana – Medical, Recreational and Scientific by Project CBD Director Martin A. Lee

The Best Way To Ditch Your Marijuana At The Vegas Airport

Terry Hacienda
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The Best Way To Ditch Your Marijuana At The Vegas Airport

“What Happens Here, Stays Here” has been the official tourism slogan for Las Vegas for nearly 15 years. This week, a new twist was added to one of the most successful ad campaigns.

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas installed more than a dozen marijuana amnesty drop boxes, which give passengers the opportunity to toss their cannabis before going through the security checkpoint. The green receptacles are located in high-traffic areas and are securely bolted to the ground. An amnesty box is also located at the airport’s consolidated car rental facility.

McCarran spokesperson Christine Crews told the Las Vegas Sun:

The drawer pulls out; you drop your stuff in and you close it. You can’t really get your hand in there. If you start tampering with them, you’d be detected pretty quickly.

Nevada’s recreational cannabis retail program launched last month. But, of course, marijuana still remains federally illegal. Transporting cannabis via airplane also remains illegal, since a federal agency (FAA) regulates the industry.

McCarran is not the first airport to install these amnesty receptacles. Travelers departing from Denver International also will find the boxes throughout the terminals. In Southern California, a cannabis company placed ads in the bottom of the bins at the security checkpoints at Ontario International Airport. The message was clear: “Cannabis is legal. Traveling with it is not. Leave it in California.”

Las Vegas’ creative slogan was adopted in the summer of 20o3. The tourism board was looking for a way to promote something other than gambling.

The case study of the campaign stated:

The emotional bond between Las Vegas and its customers was freedom. Freedom on two levels. Freedom to do things, see things, eat things, wear things, feel things. In short, the freedom to be someone we couldn’t be at home. And freedom from whatever we wanted to leave behind in our daily lives. Just thinking about Vegas made the bad stuff go away. At that point the strategy became clear. Speak to that need. Make an indelible connection between Las Vegas and the freedom we all crave.

Freedom. It smells like cannabis.

What The Anthrax Prank Means For Meghan Markle And Prince Harry

Amy Hansen
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What The Anthrax Prank Means For Meghan Markle And Prince Harry

Three months shy of their nuptials, newlyweds-to-be Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are dealing with some unwelcome news. Scotland Yard is investigating an anthrax scare after a letter containing a suspicious white powder was sent to the couple’s Kenginston Palace residence.

According to the Evening Standard, the letter, which contained a racist message, was intercepted before it reached the couple, though they were informed of the incident.

The letter arrived February 12, one day before a similar package had been sent to Parliament, reportedly to the office of Home Secretary Amber Rudd. And while neither material was found to be deadly anthrax, police are trying to figure out if the two incidents are linked.

The Evening Standard says even though the palace letter is being “played down” by police, it’s put security on high alert prior to the May 19 wedding in Windsor.

So far, there are no plans to tweak the ceremony in any way, including a post-wedding carriage procession through town.

This is the first security alert connected to Markle, who already has 24-hour protection before officially becoming a royal.

7 Super Simple Ways To Add Marijuana To Your Coffee

Danielle Guercio
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7 Super Simple Ways To Add Marijuana To Your Coffee

People have their coffee in a myriad of ways, but spiked with cannabis is one of the all-time greatest hits of psychoactive experimentation. Some people use the combination of cannabis and coffee to kick off mornings pain free, others use for a laser sharp focus. No matter your reason for this pairing, it’s a satisfying way to get your dose of both substances.

Coffee is an integral part of daytime activity in countless cultures. First prepared in samovars across Semitic countries before dominating Southern Europe via Italy and France, it’s part of the story of global exchange. Now we know that cannabis was too. Combining it with caffeine is done to increase euphoric feelings and hopefully work output as well.

1.Non-Dairy Creamer

If you are a routine follower, you probably already know exactly how much creamer you need on a weekly basis. Simply adding a glycerin tincture to that coconut or almond milk creamer will enhance the flavor and be safe on the fridge shelf for the duration. Measure if you’re a perfectionist, eyeball if you’re more chill.

2. Bulletproof Canna-style Coffee

This much-touted ‘brainhack’ includes a dose of either butter or coconut oil in your morning cup. Those are two things you’re likely to have around if you cook with cannabis even occasionally.

You may need to use some type of blender to get the consistency right, but people go crazy for it as-is. Imagine how good it is with some THC!

3. Cannabis Whipped Cream 

We squirted this on everything from hot cocoa to golden milk*, but having a canister of Canna-Whip in the fridge leaves you likely to add a swirl to your coffee. Each squirt is a pretty low dose, so you wind up with just the right amount per cup.

That’s a bit of a feat for many, until overindulging in edible cannabis finally gets the analysis it needs to keep everyone high and healthy. Something this chill will be a nice boost but also incredibly delicious and gourmet feeling.

4. Cannabis Cold Brew Ice Cubes 

Check out my recipe for Cannabis Cold Brew for up to a week’s worth of generous and strong pours of glorious pre-iced coffee. Making cold brew is so easy that it qualifies as hipster meal prep. Put the last cup into an ice cube tray for simple microdosing your virgin coffee.

5. Hash Honey

Have you actually had coffee with honey? It’s amazing. Mix .25g of decarboxylated hash with 1 cup of gently warmed honey for 4mg THC per teaspoon of honey that you can add to anything.

6. Chocolate Melt

Got weed chocolates? Put one in the bottom of a mug before you pour over your hot coffee. You don’t need to add cream or sugar to have a tasty treat, simply stir and enjoy.

7. Boozy Coffee

Alcohol based weed tinctures are usually very strong tasting and therefore aren’t always pleasant to consume. Add yours to a 1oz pour of rum and make some pirate coffee. It’s actually a halfway decent hangover cure!

Now you can always use the entourage effect with the extra points you get from coffee’s beloved stimulant, caffeine. There’s not much better than coffee and spliff, even if it’s a 2-in-1.

Illustrations by Danielle Guercio

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