Tag: Cannabis

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Federal Government To Increase Its Supply Of Marijuana For Clinical Research

The government is increasing its marijuana production quota from 21 kilograms to 650 kilograms to meet demand. Federal agencies are moving forward with plans to increase the US government’s production of research-grade cannabis. Last week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) publicly announced in the Federal Register that it is increasing its marijuana production quota from 21 kilograms to 650 kilograms (about 1,443 pounds) in order to meet increasing demand for the plant from clinical investigators. Federal regulations permit a farm at the University of Mississippi to cultivate set quantities of cannabis for use in federally approved clinical trials. Regulators at the DEA, the US Food and Drug Administration, PHS (Public Health Service), and the US National Institute on Drug Abuse must approve any clinical […] Read More

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2014: Marijuana Treats on the Go

Just step up to the window and buy a marijuana-laced sandwich or cup of soup. A food truck out of Seattle is giving new meaning to the foodie phrase “classics with a twist.” The truck is dishing up items like grilled three-cheese sandwiches, tomato soup and truffle popcorn. The twist? They’re made with marijuana. MagicalButter.com is the purveyor of a nifty gadget for cannabis edibles lovers—the MB2, a fully automated extractor that transfers the active ingredients from the plant into butter, cooking oils, alcohol (for tinctures) or lotions. With the 2012 legalization of marijuana in their company’s home state of Washington and in Colorado (where they debuted their food truck at the Cannabis Cup in Denver on April 19 and 20), MagicalButter.com saw an opportunity […] Read More

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2014: How the Corporate Media and Journalists Perpetuate Lies and Misinformation About Drugs

Drug panics have real and damaging consequences. The following article first appeared on Substance.com:  Journalists are no less likely to take drugs than anyone else—indeed, in my admittedly anecdotal experience, they’re more likely to use. You’d think that this would make us especially skeptical both about federal policies that failed to prevent our own drug-taking and about extreme claims about drug users. But the press may actually be one of the biggest obstacles to reform. Instead of asking tough questions, reporters tend to simply parrot conventional wisdom—and reinforce the idea that the drug war is the only way, even when drug warriors’ claims contradict the evidence of the writers’ own lives. In the last month alone, we’ve seen several particularly egregious examples of mindless reporting—including one that […] Read More

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The Surprising Truth About Driving While High

The human body does not process cannabis the way it processes alcohol. The following article first appeared in Cannabis Now Magazine:  As more and more states adopt medical and recreational marijuana policies, it seems the most feared outcome of legalization is that with the passage of laws that permit any sort of marijuana use, more impaired drivers will end up on the roads. In fact, during the Denver 4/20 celebrations last weekend, tourists learned just how easy it was to get a ticket for smoking cannabis in public because of these concerns. Under Amendment 64, establishments designed for cannabis consumption (akin to a bar or lounge where alcohol is served) are prohibited. Although loopholes have allowed some such clubs to exist (by charging a cover fee but not actually […] Read More

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Medical Marijuana Is More Effective for Fibromyalgia than Prescription Drugs

The following article first appeared in High Times: For the estimated five million Americans suffering from Fibromyalgia (FM), a chronic pain condition of unknown etiology, pain, fatigue, and depression are often a way of life. Though the US Food and Drug Administration has approved a small number of drugs to treat symptoms of FM, many patients report that these prescription pills provide little relief. By contrast, more and more patients with FM are finding effective relief from medical cannabis. So say the results of a recent online survey of over 1,300 subjects conducted by The National Pain Foundation and NationalPainReport.com. Among those surveyed, 379 subjects said that they had used cannabis therapeutically. Sixty-two percent of them rated the substance to be “very effective” in the treatment of their condition. Only five […] Read More

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Whoopi Goldberg Claims Using Marijuana Changed Her Life

Whoopi described her experience with a vape pen as ‘beautiful.’ The outspoken comedian, actress, talk show host, and now marijuana-columnist Whoopi Goldberg has penned her first article for the newly launched marijuana-related website The Cannabist. And in said article, she claims that consuming THC via pen-style vaporizers has “changed” her life. Whoopi says: The vape pen has changed my life. No, I’m not exaggerating. In fact, her name is Sippy. Yes, she’s a she. And yes, I named her Sippy because I take tiny, little sips — sassy sips, even — from her. And with each sip comes relief — from pressure, pain, stress, discomfort. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Whoopi says that after quitting cigarettes two years ago, she found it all but impossible […] Read More

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The Latest Pot Myth, Smacked Down By Science

Why do prohibitionists keep pushing lies about legal weed? Those opposed to the legalization and regulation of marijuana for any purpose, including the plant’s therapeutic use when authorized by a physician, often allege that the adoption of such laws will result in a significant increase in pot use by young people. “The damage of marijuana—and these laws—is clear,” claims David Evans, executive director of the Drug Free Schools Coalition, in a recent open letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder and DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart. “Legalization of marijuana for ‘medical’ use and recreational use in those states has resulted in more marijuana use, particularly among young people.” Adds Kevin Sabet, co-founder of Project SAM and a former senior policy advisor at the White House Office of National Drug […] Read More

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Here’s Why Advertisers Should Embrace Marijuana

Google, Facebook and Twitter have all recently come out against pot ads. But they should rethink their decision. The following article first appeared in Cannabis Now:  With the majority of Americans in favor of marijuana legalization and the recent legalization of marijuana in Washington and Colorado, Obama’s decision to allow such business models to operate legally within their states and his recent concession that the substance is no more harmful than alcohol and tobacco, it’s safe to expect these newly legal enterprises will eventually have a need for advertising and marketing efforts. Attorney General Eric Holder is even positing that the administration is about to allow banking reforms for these legal businesses and has come forward saying that he would work on the rescheduling of cannabis should congress decide to move in that direction. Recently, […] Read More

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Frequent Cannabis Consumers Are Less Likely To Engage In Problematic Alcohol Use

Investigators analyzed data from a nationwide survey on alcohol and drug use. Those who report consuming cannabis two or three times per week are less likely to engage in at risk drinking behavior, according to data published online in The American Journal of Addictions. Investigators from Sweden’s Lund University, Department of Clinical Sciences, analyzed data from a nationwide survey on alcohol and drug use conducted by the National Institute of Public Health. Over 22,000 respondents between the ages of 15 and 64 participated in the survey. Researchers reported that frequent cannabis consumers (defined as having used cannabis two or three times per week) were less likely to engage in hazardous drinking practices compared to infrequent users (those who reported having consumed cannabis fewer than four times per month). […] Read More

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The Drug War Fuels Mass Deportation of Nonviolent Migrants

250,000 people have been deported for drug offenses in the last 6 years. The drug war has increasingly become a war against migrant communities. It fuels racial profiling, border militarization, violence against immigrants, intrusive government surveillance and, especially, widespread detentions and deportations. Media and politicians have tried to convince us that everyone who gets deported is a violent criminal, a terrorist or a drug kingpin. But a newly released, first-of-its-kind report shatters that notion, showing instead that the majority (some two-thirds) of those deported last year were guilty of minor, nonviolent offenses – including thousands deported for nothing more than possessing small quantities of drugs, typically marijuana. The report, an analysis of federal immigration data conducted by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University, […] Read More