Friday, 30 September 2016

Like Barcelona, Bilbao Is Taking Steps to Regulate Cannabis Social Clubs

Politics The latest in cannabis legalization including laws and policies, legislators’ views, election coverage, and more.

Politics

Like Barcelona, Bilbao Is Taking Steps to Regulate Cannabis Social Clubs

Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli

Following in Barcelona’s footsteps, the City Council of the Basque city of Bilbao announced this week it will start the process of regulating cannabis social clubs (CSC).

The city is already home to more than a dozen of the nonprofit associations, which supply cannabis to their members and provide safe locations to consume, but local government backing would be a huge step forward—and yet another sign that the Basque region, along with Catalonia, is leading the way on Spanish cannabis reform.

How Will Spain’s Local Elections Impact Cannabis Reform?

Certain municipal regulation of CSCs is already in place in some smaller cities in the region, such as Saint Sebastian, but progress in Bilbao would be a notable milestone for Basque country. Following major reconstructions in the city, including a spectacular Guggenheim museum building, Bilbao has put itself on the international map in recent years, drawing visitors from all over the world. At the same time, the region has long been an incubator cannabis community activism. The pioneering CSC Kalamudia was the first Spanish association to win in court the right to continue growing three plants for each of its 200 members.

“Bilbao will soon have its own ordinance… with Saint Sebastian’s as a reference!! We must have done some things good, right?”

Iker Val, co-founder of Ganjazz cannabis social club

More recently, the Pannagh CSC in Bilbao has been embroiled in a fight for the recognition of its legality and good faith. It’s an epic struggle that would deserve to be made into a movie. Bilbao traditionally has a high level of drug consumption as well as a strong political consciousness, a breeding ground to many movements for citizens empowerment.

Joseba Del Valle, a reasearcher at the foundation Renovatió who specializes in Basque-region cannabis matters, called the Bilbao City Council’s step “huge.”

“This initiative, as others that will follow, is partly due to a recent judgment of the local High Court of Justice, reaffirming the legality of the municipal ordinance of Saint Sebastian,” said Del Valle, whose group cooperates with the Complutense University of Madrid, the Basque Institute of Criminology, and local parliamentarians.

Iker Val, who co-founded the San Sebastian CSC Ganjazz in 2002, shared similar sentiments on Twitter: “Bilbao will soon have its own ordinance… with Saint Sebastian’s as a reference!! We must have done some things good, right?”

The proposed legislation is aimed at regulating the location of clubs, reducing disturbanced for the neighbors, normalizing health and safety conditions on the premises, and establishing other standardized rules. Unfortunately, however, the proposal doesn’t address the cultivation, harvest, or transportation of cannabis—nor does it weigh in on quality control issues. Why? Because those matters are the prerogative of the national government in Madrid. And while the position in the capital isn’t likely to change anytime soon, Del Valle nevertheless hopes “that all of these local pushes will boost the willingness of our politicians to address the issue at a higher level”.

But despite the legal gray zones that will continue to exist, Bilbao’s regulation will be a small revolution for cannabis social clubs that already exist. Combined with the the regional Law on Addictions adopted this past April, the change should also pave the way for further regulation of the clubs.

Similar to what happened Barcelona, the Bilbao proposal came from new populist political parties that rose to prominence after the “Indignados” demonstrations of 2011. The main difference between the measures is that in Bilbao, the proposal enjoys almost unequivocal and unanimous political support from all political movements. Bilbao’s mayor is a right-wing politician from the Basque nationalist PNV party, but he’s put his full support behind the process. In fact, the regional Law on Addiction was proposed by PNV and widely supported by the opposition. The Partido Popular, the only major party to oppose to the normalization of the cannabis clubs, lost more than 30,000 votes and a seat in the Basque Parliament in the most recent round of elections, on Sept. 25.

Spain is slowly but surely paving the way for cannabis regulation, with local initiatives pulling the country forward. The international prominence of Bilbao, like Barcelona, will likely inspire movements in other cities. Perhaps its success will even reach Bilbao’s twin city: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

barcelona bilbao cannabis social clubs Europe laws legalization politics spain

Kenzi Riboulet Zemouli

Kenzi is a French drug policy reform advocate and researcher at FAAAT (Foundation for an Alternative Approach to Addiction and Substance Dependence) who lives in Barcelona, Spain. He is involved in local campaigns in the Occitania (southern France) and Catalonia (northeastern Spain) regions and is a regular at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs meetings at the United Nations in Vienna and Geneva. He focuses primarily on harm reduction issues as they relate to cannabis and on the cannabis social club model as a health-based approach to cannabis policies.

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STRAIN OF THE DAY 10/01/2016: QLEANER (SATIVA)

CANNABIS STRAIN OF THE DAY 10/01/2016: QLEANER (SATIVA)

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We Talked to a Harvard Doctor About Sexual Dysfunction and Cannabis

Food, Travel, & Sex Everyday cannabis tips about travel destinations, recipes, and how marijuana can enhance your sex life.

Food, Travel, & Sex

We Talked to a Harvard Doctor About Sexual Dysfunction and Cannabis

Ashley Manta

This week’s mailbag question addresses a number of questions we’ve received about sexual dysfunction. Rather than try to tackle each one individually, I reached out to Dr. Jordan Tishler, an M.D. from Harvard who does great work in the field of sex and cannabis. He generously offered his wisdom and recommendations for using cannabis to help with sexual dysfunction.

One thing to keep in mind is that Dr. Tishler’s work is deeply informed by science, and at this point in human history, science is still heavily gendered and heteronormative, focusing mainly on cisgender men and women in research.

What are the most common sexual dysfunctions that you see in your practice?
“These break down a little differently for males and females. For the men, the issues revolve around low libido or early finish (premature ejaculation – although that term is not commonly used any longer). It may surprise you but men report low libido as their most common issue — 30% of men, compared to 20% for erectile dysfunction and 20% for early finish.”

Is Cannabis a Friend to the Flaccid or the Enemy of Erections?

“For women, the problems are low libido and difficulty achieving satisfactory intimacy (often associated with difficulty achieving adequate quality and frequency of orgasm).”

What sexual issues are most positively impacted/treated by the use of cannabis?
“The interesting bit is that, for both men and women, all of these problems respond well to cannabis therapy! In men, the success is a bit more tricky as the dose must be controlled more accurately. Too much and the whole thing gets shut down. I always say, it’s difficult to maintain an erection, etc., when your head is orbiting Jupiter.”

5 Tips to Safely Dose and Enjoy Cannabis Edibles

How do you determine an appropriate therapeutic dose or method of imbibing for a given condition? Can you give an example?
“Dosing is very personal, and depends on a number of factors, including whether the patient has used cannabis recently (tolerance). Again, for the men, lower is better. For the women it doesn’t matter as much (although too much can be no fun at all). I’m a big fan of inhalation as a method. I say inhalation, not smoking, as smoking just isn’t very good for you, so use a vape. Sharing a vape can be a really wonderful part of the foreplay, and you’re also less likely to burn down your bedroom when things heat up.”

Could Women be More Sensitive to and More Tolerant of THC Than Men?

“Topicals are very “in” at the moment for sex with cannabis. I’m less sold on this as it takes a while to kick in (who wants to wait?) and also only really affects the genitals. Since most of [our sexuality] occurs ‘above the neck,’ topical cannabis misses the really important sexual organ, the brain.”

Any general advice for using cannabis to treat sexual dysfunction?
“Consent, low dosing (especially in men), use protection, support each others’ needs, and have fun.”

Dr. Tishler’s pragmatic approach to sex and cannabis is a welcome addition to this relatively nascent field of study. As more states legalize recreational cannabis (go vote!), hopefully there will be opportunities for more inclusive studies to look at the many facets of cannabis-enhanced sex.

5 Promising Cannabis Studies That Explore How Cannabinoids Interact with the Human Body

Here are two great books if you want to learn more about science, sex, and society:

Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life, by sex researcher Dr. Emily Nagoski. It’s arguably one of the most important books on women’s sexuality in our generation.
Sex Outside the Lines: Authentic Sexuality in a Sexually Dysfunctional Culture, by sex therapist Dr. Chris Donaghue.

Dr. Tishler is a leading expert in the field of medical cannabis therapeutics. As an emergency physician, he has treated countless alcoholics and drug users. His observation that he had never seen a cannabis overdose led him to delve deeply into the science of cannabis safety and treatment. After years of research and learning, Dr. Tishler brings his knowledge, reason, and caring to patients at Inhale Medical Consulting, and through his advocacy work at the local and national levels. He graduated from both Harvard University and then Harvard Medical School (affectionately known together as Preparation H), trained in internal medicine at the esteemed Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and has spent many years working with the underserved, particularly our veterans. He is a frequent speaker and author on a variety of topics related to the medical applications of cannabis, and he helps establish best practices for bringing new cannabis products to market. He is also a Massachusetts spokesperson for Doctors for Cannabis Regulation (DFCR).

Do you have a sex, relationships, or intimacy dating question? Send it to tips@leafly.com and I may address your request in a future article! (Don’t worry, we’ll keep your queries anonymous.)

food travel and sex research science and tech sex

Ashley Manta

Ashley is a writer, feminist, and sexuality educator. She is a contributing writer for Leafly.

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Top 10 Cannabis Strains on Leafly and the Best Vapes for Each

Strains & Products Cannabis strain and product insights with curated strain lists, new devices, and other fun facts.

Strains & Products

Top 10 Cannabis Strains on Leafly and the Best Vapes for Each

1. Blue Dream + DaVinci Ascent

ascent-web

DaVinci, the company behind the Ascent, understands the relationship between high-quality materials and vapor quality, utilizing a retractable glass-on-glass air path—essentially two internal glass sleeves sliding snugly into one another. That, paired with a glass-lined ceramic heating chamber, means your cannabis only comes into contact with inert materials that won’t adulterate flavor. This highlights the notes of blueberry and all-around sweetness of the sativa-dominant hybrid Blue Dream, whether in flower or in concentrate form.

The other key to the Ascent’s pure vaporization is in its precise temperature control feature, which runs up to 450˚F. Temperature settings can be toggled in real time while you’re vaping, letting you find a temp that’s ideal for your herb. Using this sweet science, you’ll find the taste of Blue Dream is reminiscent of a berry lollipop when vaping below 350°.

Visit DaVinci website: http://www.davincivaporizer.com/

2. Sour Diesel + KandyPens Gravity

gravity-web

A coil-less atomizer design and four temperature options make each sleek, handmade KandyPens Gravity a powerhouse for vaping concentrates. The pen’s ceramic surface keeps material from ever making contact with a heating element, producing delectable vapor clouds.

With the Gravity, the flavors of a Sour Diesel rosin seem to melt on your palate with each draw. Sour D is one of the most widely vaped strains for a reason, with its distinct aroma of lemon and high-octane fuel energizing the consumer. To get even more out of this intoxicating herb, you can switch out the Gravity’s ceramic plate atomizer for the dual quartz rod atomizer that comes with it. This amplifies the concentrate’s powerful taste in shorter, but more poignant, puffs.

Visit KandyPens website: http://kandypens.com/

3. Girl Scout Cookies + Firefly 2

firefly2-web

In addition to temperature, the length of time your cannabis is heated affects its flavor. The Firefly 2 is capable of vaporizing flower within five seconds, allowing for “flash vaporization” of the terpenes responsible for cannabis aromatics. By just briefly holding the Firefly 2’s innovative touch sensors, you can avoid overheating your herb and taste what you’ve been missing in conduction vapes and pipe hits.

The convection design and glass bowl and air path of the Firefly 2 let you truly taste the pungent, earthy sugariness of Girl Scout Cookies. And with your device connected to the Firefly app, you can customize the flavor of GSC to suit your personal preference.

Visit Firefly website: https://www.thefirefly.com/

4. Green Crack + Herbalizer

herbalizer-web

With precision controls and lightning-fast heat up time, the Herbalizer is often touted as a medical quality device. This desktop vape works at varying temperature levels, and by starting at the low end of the spectrum and utilizing the fan function for quick spurts of hot air, the tanginess of Green Crack’s tropical, citrusy scent can actually be tasted.

In combination with the glass steamroller attachment, the Herbalizer generates intensely flavorful, unadulterated vapor. The halogen heating element is insanely quick, zipping from cold to 380° in no more than five seconds, and soon dense clouds of GC’s sweet, mango-scented vapor come billowing up the glass shaft.

Visit Herbalizer website: https://www.herbalizer.com/

5. White Widow + SOURCE Nail

source-nail-web

While the earliest generations of dabbers relied on blow torches and titanium nails to crudely vaporize cannabis concentrates, today SOURCEvapes sets the standard for electronic dab rigs and portable eNails that take the torch out of the equation, instead offering temperature-controlled batteries that make truly flavorful dabs a reality.

The SOURCE Nail delivered the woody profile of White Widow like a shot of flavor directly to the palate, especially when using the included quartz nail attachment. This portable, lightweight dabbing device (more compact than most e-nails) heats up quickly to produce lung-expanding hits with an earthy bouquet. As for effects, White Widow vaped with the SOURCE Nail sparked both creativity and conversation.

Visit SOURCEvapes website: https://www.sourcevapes.com/

6. Granddaddy Purple + Magic Flight Launch Box

magic-flight-web

The Magic Flight Launch Box gives you total control over the heating process, and thus over effects and flavor. Its rapid heat is produced by simply pressing a rechargeable NiMH battery into a port, which magically transforms even minuscule amounts of cannabis into substantial amounts of tasty vapor.

Filling the trench with just a fine grind of Granddaddy Purple releases a grape explosion that gets sweeter and sweeter with each breath. A quick tap of the MFLB shakes the ground herb up perfectly to prevent overheating. Granddaddy Purps’ complex berry aroma presents itself strikingly in the MFLB’s milky vapor, delivering a combination of pleasure and relaxation.

Visit Magic Flight website: https://www.magic-flight.com/

7. Island Sweet Skunk + Pulsar APX

pulsar-apx-web

If like your cannabis to reflect the taste of freshly sliced mango, vape Island Sweet Skunk. In combo with the APX, a lightweight portable unit from Pulsar Vaporizers, you can start your day off right with the tropical taste and invigorating qualities of this singular strain.

Equipped with five preset temperature options and an intuitive single-button interface, the APX delivers quality rips with easy operation. Waves of sweet island tanginess wash over your palate, building with mild intensity after each hit, all with just a few pushes of a button. Those flavorful puffs come thanks to the APX’s ceramic herb chamber, which ensures true vaporization unmarred by the burnt flavor combustion can bring.

Visit Pulsar website: http://www.pulsarvaporizers.com/

8. Master Kush + #ThisThingRips OG Four 2.0

og-four-2-0-web

When it comes to wax pen vaporizers, many people contend that quartz is king. If you’ve ever used an OG Four 2.0 from #ThisThingRips, it’s easy to see why. Its lava quartz heats cleaner than other materials, preserving the flavor construct of the concentrate. The taste is clean and pure, and the depth of the chamber means you can vape a lot in one go.

The OG Four 2.0 exhibits the sweet earthiness of Master Kush crumble vividly thanks to the low temperature calibration of its atomizer. Its see-through polycarbonate heating chamber is visually enticing—you can watch a surge of vapor rush to the mouthpiece as you take a hit. Couple that with MK’s relaxing aroma, redolent of incense and citrus, and you get a full sensory experience that is mellowing and euphoric.

Visit #ThisThingRips website: http://www.thisthingrips.com/

9. Lemon Haze + Vaped FOB Vaporizer

FOB-web

The Vaped FOB Vaporizer’s discreet car key design blends in with everyday life so you can keep it on hand (or keychain) at all times. The unit’s power and temperature controls are smartly disguised as “lock,” “unlock,” and “trunk open” buttons, and each of six preset temperatures is indicated by its own LED-lit color.

This sneaky vape partners beautifully with a citrusy herb like Lemon Haze, whose subtle aroma is less likely to blow your cover than ultra-skunky strains. The FOB Vaporizer’s lowest temp is excellent for terpenoid vaporization, releasing a blast of Lemon Haze’s tangy notes. Cranking the heat up releases a fragrant scope of flavors ranging from light and sweet to a pungent, almost overly ripe lemon barrage. A quick vape sesh on the go leaves you feeling uplifted, energetic, and a little euphoric.

Visit Vaped website: http://www.ruvaped.com/

10. OG Kush + 7th Floor Super Surfer

super-surfer-web For an old school company like 7th Floor, it only made sense to taste test some OG Kush through the Super Surfer vaporizer. Although this desktop vape is capable of filling up balloon bags, direct draws through the whip are the way to go for full flavor.

The hot air from the ceramic heating element rushes through the OG Kush, instantly releasing a strong piney taste followed by woody notes. The Super Surfer’s forced air filtration system, which cleans the air used to heat your herb or concentrate before it even enters the unit, lends an added purity to the thick and earthy clouds of OGK.

Visit 7th Floor website: http://7thfloorvapes.com/

blue-dream girl-scout-cookies granddaddy-purple green-crack island-sweet-skunk lemon-haze master-kush OG-Kush products sour-diesel sponsored article strains strains and products vaporizers VaporNation white-widow

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13 Things You Might Not Know About California’s Prop. 64

Microgrowers Get Protection in California

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law a bill making life easier for cannabis micro-farmers in the state.

The bill defines them as growers with less than 2500 sq. ft. canopy size for mixed-light cultivation, up to 25 mature plants outdoors, or less than 500 sq. ft. indoors.

The bill was sponsored by Assemblymember Jim Wood, whose North Coast district starts on the Oregon border and stretches down the state’s so-called “North Coast” almost to San Francisco. It includes the fabled counties of Humboldt and Mendocino.

Wood’s statement:

“We are so proud to have fought for this legislation and thankful to Governor Brown for his signature. This law will help ensure that small medical cannabis growers on the North Coast can comply with regulations as this industry moves forward, providing certainty and predictability. It’s just not fair to require the small farmers to adhere to the same standards as larger operations. Now the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will be required to develop regulations for 2018 that address the unique characteristics of small farm practices.”

The bill was called the Cottage Cannabis Farmers Bill, AB 2516. It’s part of the state’s ongoing modernization of its agriculture regulatory processes in the years since medical marijuana was passed, in 1996, most notably last year’s Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. Full legalization for California is on the ballot in November. Polls have put support for the initiative at about 60 percent.

For all HIGH TIMES’ grow news, click here.

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http://hightimes.com/news/microgrowers-get-protection-in-california/

Arizona Governor Says State-Sponsored Electioneering Email Not Electioneering

Arizona officials, including the governor, are closing ranks behind a top state official who sent a anti-pot email out to his staff from his state email account.

The screed was written by one of the chairs of the group opposing the legalization initiative on the November ballot, and passed along by the head of the Department of Economic Security, the state’s welfare office. State law clearly prohibits employees using state resources to campaign. But that didn’t stop the office of Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, from dismissing the matter.

“Our office has made it clear that electioneering using state resources is completely unacceptable,” Ducey said in a statement. “Based on our review, we do not believe this email meets that description.”

On Sunday, DES Director Tim Jeffries fired off an email to his underlings with the subject line: “Fwd: Alcohol “safer” than marijuana???????” — adding, “You be the judge.”

The rest of the email was penned by conservative radio host Seth Leibsohn, who is also a state leader in the campaign to sabotage the legalization initiative on the ballot, Proposition 205. The state passed medical marijuana in 2010.

Leibsohn speaks and writes in an orotund fashion that is sometimes hard to parse. Here’s how the email began:

“Seeing the increased trope [sic] of the MPP (Marijuana Policy Project) and various Campaigns promoting the safety of marijuana compared to alcohol, and the cleverness with which they deploy it, I did my best to blow that up here, as comprehensively as possible,” the email reads. “I couldn’t think of a normal magazine or outlet for such a piece, so I just published it myself. If you like, feel free to use or distribute at will. Thank you for all your work, thoughts, and help.”

In the email, Leibsohn included a link to an article he published in the conservative website American Greatness suggesting that the marijuana vs. alcohol argument “is a very misleading, even dangerous, message, based on bad social science and sophistic public deception.”

The Arizona Republic said that the state’s DES had “thousands” of employees.

Pro-reform forces in the state jumped on Jeffries’ obvious violation of state law.

“By circulating ‘information’ heavily slanted against Prop. 205, Director Jeffries has clearly acted in violation of the Attorney General’s July 2015 opinion prohibiting the use of public resources to influence the outcome of an election,” J.P. Holyoak, chairman of Arizona’s Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, said in a statement. “To rectify the situation, we have asked him to circulate a link to facts we have compiled on same topic as the earlier email—the relative harms of marijuana and alcohol.

Holyoak says failing to distribute the facts on marijuana proves Jefferies email was rooted in bias.

“In truth, virtually every objective study ever conducted has concluded that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol,” Holyoak added. “Marijuana is less addictive, less toxic, and far less likely to be associated with violent behavior. By providing this additional information, Director Jeffries will expose employees to both sides of this important issue so they can judge the facts for themselves.”

Ducey said that the DES director was “simply sharing an article” and in no way trying to sway the election.

Some of the latest polls indicate that 50 percent of the voters intend to support Proposition 205 later this fall.

For all of HIGH TIMES’ election 2016 news, click here.

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http://hightimes.com/news/arizona-governor-says-state-sponsored-electioneering-email-not-electioneering/

Radical Rant: A Weed By Any Other Name Would Smoke As Sweet

One of the recurring debates I get into online is with people who insist that I stop using the word “marijuana” to describe cannabis. It’s offensive, some will tell me, a Spanish slang term used to by yellow journalists to capitalize on anti-Mexican racism[i] by deceiving the American people into accepting prohibition of what they knew as cannabis or hemp. A few dedicated souls even call it “the neener-neener word” or “cannabis’ slave name,” unashamedly equating a slang term for a plant with the brutal centuries-long American enslavement of Africans and the racial epithet used to degrade, demonize and dehumanize those human beings.

Sorry, folks, plants aren’t sentient. They don’t understand language. They don’t suffer discrimination. They cannot be offended. Comparing “marijuana” to racial and ethnic slurs, though, is something very offensive to the humans who understand language and suffered because of those slurs.

Yes, cannabis sativa L. is the proper scientific name for the plant. But that doesn’t make other terms for it offensive or wrong. In casual conversation, you wouldn’t complain that your evening intake of seared ground bovine flesh and fermented hop ethanol beverage will increase your abdominal adipose tissue—you’d complain your dinner of a cheeseburger and a beer will give you love handles. There’s nothing wrong with common language; in fact, most times it facilitates better communication and understanding.

“Marijuana” is a slang term, no doubt, but it’s no more offensive than any others for “cannabis.” “Marijuana” in some contexts is more accurate than “cannabis,” since the latter refers to the entire plant from root ball to leaf-tip, and the former refers to the dried seedless flowering tops of cannabis plants prepared for smoking or vaporization. I plant cannabis so I may harvest marijuana.

“Marijuana” is also the U.S. English term for “cannabis” like “lorry” is the UK English term for “truck.” Its origin may be Spanish slang used by some to demonize and obfuscate, but that meaning and use has changed over decades.

All around the world, different cultures and eras have had their own common terms for cannabis sativa L. In South Africa, it’s known as “dagga.” In the Caribbean, it’s called “ganja.” In 1930s Harlem, it was called “jive/reefer/tea.” In 1960s San Francisco, it was called “grass/pot/weed.” In 1990s Compton, it was called “chronic/dank/kush.”

Imagine an alternate universe, where fear of Mexican immigrants wasn’t used to propagandize early 20^th century prohibition, but rather fear of Jamaican immigrants. Instead of using “marijuana” to frighten and confuse Americans, Harry J. Anslinger and William Randolph Hearst used “ganja” for the same purpose. Would the “Just Say Cannabis” people be chiding us for calling it “ganja”? Would they tell Jamaicans they’re using a “racist” word? If they’re logically consistent, they’d have to.

Aside from the few who outrageously equate “marijuana” to racial slurs, the rest of the “Just Say Cannabis” crowd likes to taunt me with one of my favorite subjects of study—neuro-linguistic framing. That’s the concept of explaining how language evokes not just the plain definitions of words we use, but also the contexts and associations of that word. The classic example George Lakoff gives is “elephant.” Sure, that means “African or Asian pachyderm,” the actual mammal called “elephant.” But it also evokes “huge,” “memory,” “Republicans,” “circus” and other associations.

The “Just Say Cannabis” framing argument is that “marijuana,” having been used as a word to denigrate cannabis, is loaded with negative associations, such as “stoners,” “hippies,” “anti-authority,” “lazy,” “drug abuse,” and so forth. If we say “cannabis,” we avoid negative connotations, which will improve chances for reform, they counsel me.

So how did we manage to pass 25 medical “marijuana” laws and legalize “marijuana” in four states? How is it that majorities now understand “marijuana” is safer than alcohol? I guess we can’t know whether those would’ve happened faster if we had been calling it “cannabis” since 1970, but it seems to me that reform is getting along quite well, with five more “marijuana” legalizations and four more medical “marijuana” initiatives on the ballot.

The problem with the framing angle is that as few people know what “cannabis” means as know what “pachyderm” means. If they’re too embarrassed to ask you what “cannabis” is, you’ve just wasted your messaging on “cannabis” legalization. If they do ask, you have to tell them that “cannabis” is the proper term for “marijuana.” Now, you’ve just activated the “marijuana” frames anyway, and you’ve added a bit of condescension toward your audience by pedantically insinuating they’re tasteless rubes who use offensive slang.

There’s also a concept I call “fig-leafing” at work. That’s when you euphemize something you find shameful or provocative to disguise it from others. Think of the “janitor” who insists he’s a “custodial sanitation engineer” or the CEO firing him in a round of “human resources reductions.” There is no shame in being a “janitor” until the speaker’s fancy-sounding euphemism implies there is. The janitor’s termination feels more demoralizing by trying to euphemize the humanity from it.

For American audiences who by 10-to-1 margins know the topic as “marijuana,” insisting they re-brand it as “cannabis” feels like a con is being pulled on them. Ironically, they sense that you’re doing what Anslinger and Hearst did so long ago: changing the name of a popularly-known herb in order to obfuscate public policy debates on it in your favor.

[i] They mean “nativism” or “nationalism” here; Mexican isn’t a race.

from
http://hightimes.com/culture/radical-rant-a-weed-by-any-other-name-would-smoke-as-sweet/

5 Best Videos to Watch When Baked | Sept. 30, 2016

In this weekly segment, HIGH TIMES brings you our roundup of the best vids to watch after indulging. Our headliner this week is our very own senior cultivation editor Danny Danko, showing you how to roll the perfect joint. Roll one up and enjoy—TGIF!

Enjoy the rest of our Best Videos to Watch When Baked from this week below!

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http://hightimes.com/culture/5-best-videos-to-watch-when-baked-sept-30-2016/

Colorado Gives Cannabis Candy a New Look to Avoid Confusion

Psychedelicatessen: Easy Pot Pudding

Enjoy a dankly decadent delight with this easy no-cook cannabis chocolate pudding from the new book The Medical Marijuana Dispensary: Understanding, Medicating and Cooking with Cannabis by veteran Oregon cannabis chef Laurie Wolf of Laurie & Mary Jane, who writes:

“With a velvety texture and a deep, rich taste, this recipe is almost too easy to be true! Keep in mind that this no-cook method calls for eggs. Although the hot coffee will slightly cook the eggs, you may not want to consume undercooked eggs if you have a weakened immune system. This recipe is gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free and vegetarian.”

You’ll love this easy recipe from chef Laurie Wolf.

Dark Chocolate Blender Pudding

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 3 hours chill time

Required Equipment: Blender

Ingredients:

12 ounces dark chocolate chips
4 eggs, at room temperature
4 teaspoons cannabutter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Pinch salt
1 cup very hot coffee
2 ounces chopped dark chocolate (optional)

In a blender, combine the chocolate chips, eggs, cannabutter, vanilla, almond extract (if using) and salt. Pulse a few times to break the chocolate chips into pieces.

Remove the lid of the blender, and pour in the hot coffee, continuing to blend at a low speed.

Replace the lid and blend for 2 minutes, until the pudding is silky smooth.

Pour the mixture into individual pudding bowls. Allow to set for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.

Before serving, top with chopped dark chocolate, if using.

Cover the remaining servings with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Dosage Test

Start with half of a serving and wait 4 hours to fully assess your reaction to its strength and effects.

Perfect for those designing a cannabis therapy program, this book teaches novice users all about the plant.

The Medical Marijuana Dispensary: Understanding, Medicating and Cooking with Cannabis

From veteran edibles chef Laurie Wolf and her mother Mary Wolf comes this valuable guide to all aspects of using cannabis as a medicine.

Forty-five recipes are accompanied by strain profiles, patient testimonials and tips for cultivating cannabis at home. This is a wonderful reference for those who need a crash course in cannabis, intended to help patients design their own medical marijuana treatment programs.

from
http://hightimes.com/edibles/psychedelicatessen-easy-pot-pudding/

Congress Screws Over Vets—Again

Some unknown Congressional anti-pot crusaders have managed once again to make it difficult for the country’s vets even to talk about medical marijuana with their doctors.

There was hope this year that Congress would effectively remove a ban that prevents Veteran Administration docs from talking to their patients—no matter what their ailments— about medical marijuana. But some backroom maneuvering removed reform from a bill Congress eventually passed.

On Wednesday, the US House of Representatives and the Senate approved a spending package intended to keep the federal government operational until the beginning of December. However, this move did not include the highly sought-after Veterans Equal Access Amendment. The budget was signed on Thursday by President Obama.

But there is some confusion as to why the Equal Access Amendment wasn’t there. After all, it was approved in the House earlier this year in a vote of 233 to 189, and a Senate committee picked it up with a vote of 20 to 10. Both houses are controlled by Republicans. By all accounts the amendment should have gone the distance, but a conference committee ultimately prevented the measure from seeing the light of day.

“It’s incredibly frustrating and disappointing that despite broad bipartisan, bicameral support, a handful of out-of-touch lawmakers put politics over the well-being of America’s wounded warriors. Our veterans deserve better,” Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer said in a statement. “We will continue to seek every opportunity to make sure they have fair and equal treatment and the ability to consult with, and seek a recommendation from, their personal VA physician about medical marijuana.”

As it stands, medical marijuana is legal in over half the nation, with several more states promising to legalize in the November election. Still, the federal government refuses to allow veterans living in medical marijuana states to participate in those programs, which has prompted many of these men and women to lean on dangerous prescription drugs and alcohol as a means to contend with debilitating conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to chronic pain.

Some of the latest research shows that the use of opioids is down in states that have legalized the leaf for medicinal purposes, suggesting that Congress could save the lives of thousands of veterans by simply supporting a reasonable proposal that allows some access.

The American Legion, the largest veterans service organization in the nation, recently published a resolution calling for the United States government to remove the cannabis plant from the confines of the Controlled Substances Act so researchers could finally begin to study the herb’s true therapeutic benefit. The organization wants to find out if science agrees with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration that cannabis has “no medicinal benefit.”

Unfortunately, the latest dismissal of the Veterans Equal Access Amendment likely means the proposal will not be considered in the federal government’s Fiscal Year 2017 spending bill—leaving veterans prone to overdose deaths from prescription painkillers for at least another year.

For all of HIGH TIMES’ marijuana news, click here.

from
http://hightimes.com/news/congress-screws-over-vets-again/

The History of Hydroponics

THC Warnings Appear on Colorado Cannabis Edibles

You’ll notice something different about cannabis edibles in Colorado starting October 1st, namely a prominent THC warning printed on all the goodies, due to the implementation of House Bill 1366, which was approved by State Attorney General Cynthia Coffman back in August 2014.

These “emergency rules,” intended to address the issue of people accidentally ingesting pot food, have been slow to roll out due to numerous complications including designing a universal THC warning symbol and deciding how to apply it to a diverse selection of cannabis-infused foodstuffs.

Last November, the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division revealed the universal symbol: a diamond shape containing the letters THC along with an exclamation point.

Cannabis Queen seared the THC warning onto their cannabis-infused beef jerky.

Applied to cannabis-infused foods by using expensive custom molds, stencils, airbrushing or frosting, the universal symbol is impracticable to imprint on bulk products like granola or liquid drinks, so those items are now limited to individually-packaged, single serving sizes of only 10 milligrams.

The new rules effectively ban recreational sales of any drinks containing over 10 mg. of THC, while medical patients can still access products with higher doses.

All edibles manufacturers must comply with this new rule by October 1st, while recreational stores and dispensaries can sell inventory without the universal symbol until December 1st. (Look for big sales on Black Friday!)

Other new rules include mandated servings sizes of ONLY 10 mg of THC each that must be scored, marked or cut; a ban on using the word “candy” on packaging or labeling; and a limit on how many edibles can be purchased at one time, so you can only walk out of a legal pot store with 80 10-mg servings of pot food, intended to be equivalent to one ounce of flower.

Colorado edibles producers have been preparing for the new rules for over a year, with many manufacturers researching innovative ways to mark their products with the THC warning. Designing new molds for cannabis-infused chocolates was a straightforward solution, but retooling production processes was costly and time-consuming.

Each segment of Blue Kudu cannabis chocolate clearly states a THC dose of 10 milligrams.

Denver-based cannabis chocolate company Blue Kudu took the opportunity to envision a complete re-design of their product line, requiring 2,000 new chocolate molds that cost upwards of $30,000. Still, the company embraced the change, confirming their commitment to public safety by going above and beyond the new requirements to also include a 10 mg dosage stamp on each chocolate segment.

“We needed to increase our chocolate bar size by 33 percent to legibly fit the THC warnings,” company spokesperson Gina Cannon explains, “This, in turn, required changing our packaging as the new bar would not fit, which then necessitated an entirely new packaging solution. Using the most advanced child-resistant packaging available from Ecobliss, we created a new box-shaped packaging that fit the bar and met the state regulations.”

: These “True Confection” peanut butter chocolate pretzel sweets get a THC warning printed on the back. (Photo courtesy of Sweet Mary Jane)

Baked goods aren’t as easy to stamp or mark compared to chocolate, so Karin Lazarus at Sweet Mary Jane had to get more creative, printing the symbol on tiny candies which were then added to her signature truffles.

“These alone are fairly expensive, however, the major cost is putting them onto the products. Along with the new packaging rules, this has added quite a bit to our costs,” Lazarus writes. “We tried about 10 different methods of getting the symbol onto our edibles and for the most part they looked so unappealing that we chose not to use them. I don’t see another way to get the symbol on the truffles or chocolates and still have them look beautiful.”

Sweet Mary Jane is still experimenting with how to apply the universal symbol to their coveted brownies and cookies while still making them fresh and visually stunning.

: Using printed candies to apply the universal symbol to her truffles was a creative solution from Colorado baker Karin Lazarus at Sweet Mary Jane.

The onerous restrictions have inspired new business models as entrepreneurs attempt to help the cannabis-infused foods industry comply. Cannamark USA, a new company out of Connecticut, devised a direct-on-edible printing process that uses all natural, FDA-approved inks.

“The entire industry is responsible to help ensure that cannabis infused food products are not accidentally or over-ingested,” states Joy Macko, the Chief Operations Officer. “CannaMark USA and its partner Code Tech provide the infused edibles market with a safer product, allowing other states considering legalization a proven way to differentiate ‘like-looking’ products.”

: CannaMark USA developed a technique to print directly onto foodstuffs.

As stated previously, these new regulations will do little or nothing to decrease accidental ingestions by toddlers, the age group most susceptible to these mishaps, because little kids don’t read or care about symbols printed on food. They’ll eat batteries, makeup or detergent pods, let alone pot brownies. Parental education campaigns and increased public awareness are the only real tools available to battle the pesky problem of kids visiting the ER due to eating cannabis-infused edibles.

Also, the new rules only effect license-holding manufacturers, not people making edibles at home, where no metered dosing, child-resistant packaging or printed THC warnings are mandated. Higher prices for professional edibles will continue to drive customers to purchase black market products which are difficult to dose correctly without the benefit of lab testing.

See also: Are Weed Gummy Bears Worth Fighting For?

from
http://hightimes.com/edibles/thc-warnings-appear-on-colorado-cannabis-edibles/

Cannabis R&D in Italy Is Building Momentum

Industry Cannabis industry information for businesses including tips, news, and advice for dispensaries.

Industry

Cannabis R&D in Italy Is Building Momentum

Enrico Fletzer

ROVIGO, Italy — For centuries Italy was one of Europe’s main hemp producers, but development stalled in the second half of the 20th century after cannabis was declared flora non grata in the country. Now, with the plant returning to the mainstream, Italians are stepping up research and development of new strains, in large part to serve the country’s fledgling medical cannabis program.

How Bologna Became the Hemp Capital of Europe

Much of the research takes place at CREA Cin, the national center for research on agricultural innovation. With its headquarters in Bologna and local branches in the municipalities of Rovigo and Osimo, the center specializes in breeding and studying various types of plants, then releasing new varieties and breeding lines.

The branch in Rovigo focuses heavily on cannabis, cultivating plants to be grown both indoors and out. Its mission is to grow a wide variety of strains, develop rapid screening tests for cannabinoids, and breed specific cannabis phenotypes for medical use. The Rovigo branch is collaborating with the Pharmaceutical Military Institute of Florence, which has begun production of medical cannabis.

During a tour of the Rovigo research center, Dr. Gianpaolo Grassi explained the center’s history and mission.

“Since 1995 our center has been supported by the Ministry of Agriculture to renew the Italian varieties to follow the EU regulation that imposes the THC limit of 0.2 percent,” he told Leafly. The first cannabis plants were so-called dioecious varieties, used for fiber production. “In the following years we have bred the first Italian monoecious varieties, suitable to produce seed and fiber,” Grassi said. “The market needs hemp food more than hemp fiber.”

The aim is to expand the catalogue of seed varieties, he explained. “In the last 12 years, we have crossed cannabis varieties to obtain cannabis lines with single cannabinoids in its chemo-type. We have THC, CBD, CBG, CBDV, THCV varieties.” Some strains contain more than 20 percent THC, others exceed 15 percent CBD, and yet others have more than 5 percent of CBG, CBDV, and THCV.

Cannabinoids 101: What Makes Cannabis Medicine?

The Rovigo branch has already doubled the number of chromosomes in the plant, and they are looking to develop sterile triploid varieties, Grassi added.

On Oct. 29, Rovigo will host an upcoming conference on cannabis, dedicated to both medical and industrial applications of the plant. It will feature Italian and foreign experts such Stefan Meyer of Phytoplant Spain and Col. Antonio Medica of the Pharmaceutical Military Institute of Florence. Experts on phytochemistry and breeding, as well as use of cannabis in clinical trials, are slated to participate at the conference. The event will also host lectures on matters relating to industrial hemp, such as new machinery suitable to harvest the top of the plant and methods to extract cannabinoids on an industrial scale.

But the use of cannabis for medical purposes in Italy is the most pressing element of the conference. According to Grassic, participants at the conference, some of whom are closely involved with Italian research efforts, will discuss bills being considered by the country’s Parliament that would legalize cannabis and increase industrial hemp production at the national level.

Italian Law Enforcement Join Push for Cannabis Legalization

Legal issues had long stymied interest in hemp and deprived farmers of what initially were high EU subsidies on hemp and flax production—subsidies that have since been largely abolished. At the end of the 1990s, Italian authorities finally decided to change course, ushering in a wave of new research.

But progress has been sporadic, frustrated by heavy regulation. Even the planting of industrial hemp is regulated by individual decrees. And Italian lawmakers haven’t succeeded in integrating relevant EU rules into national legislation. Despite the slow start, however, projects like the one at CREA Cin in Rovigo demonstrate that Italy is becoming an increasingly important player in cannabis R&D—a growing area of interest globally as more countries eye legalization.

cannabinoids Europe Hemp Industry Italy Medical research strains