My Magazine

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

STRAIN OF THE DAY 06/30/2016: DUTCH TREAT HAZE (HYBRID)

CANNABIS STRAIN OF THE DAY 06/30/2016: DUTCH TREAT HAZE (HYBRID)

from
https://www.potbox.com/database/hybrid/dutch-treat-haze/

California, Rejoice! Recreational Cannabis Is Getting A Vote

In case you had not heard, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla today confirmed that he had received enough signatures from Californians to put the proposed Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) – f.k.a. the so-called Sean Parker Bill – on the general ballot this November! If approved, California would be come the fifth state to legalize recreational cannabis – and by far the largest.

Obviously this is great news for the cannabis industry, as it would legitimize businesses such as Potbox, and provide protection from mega-corporations sweeping in and taking over. It also provides provisions for protecting the environment form the effects of illegal cannabis cultivation (e.g., people who hide marijuana fields in our national parks, or illegally pump water from our shrinking rivers and streams). It’s also a giant step in the right direction towards national legalization.

It’s also great news for the government, who could realize a cost savings of up to $100 million annually in reduced taxpayer costs, and could raise an additional estimated $1 billion in new tax revenues annually. These funds would be earmarked to improve local communities, schools and infrastructure projects, fund drug abuse education programs and support related law enforcement training and operations.

For consumers, it would remove the stigma associated with cannabis, enabling you to enjoy cannabis in public similar to the way you enjoy alcohol or tobacco – responsibly and respectfully. If it passes, consumers won’t live in fear of incarceration for enjoying the flowers from a plant. Those 21+ would be allowed to purchase and possess up to an ounce of cannabis or edibles, and plant a small amount of cannabis for personal use.

It’s almost difficult to believe, but it’s true…

Of course, there is a flip-side to every coin. AUMA is not 100% perfect – there are several shortcomings and oversights to AUMA that are detrimental to the cannabis industry and restrict our right to consume cannabis. We at Potbox have several concerns that we will push to get addressed. For instance, the current AUMA framework:

Allows local governments to ban the cultivation and sale of medical cannabis – such as the cannabis you find in Potbox — which is used by millions of people to alleviate a broad range of ailments
Imposes a questionably high, 15% + tax increase on medical cannabis. We understand taxing recreational cannabis at such a rate, but taxing medicinal cannabis so severely could impact the availability of the medicine to those who need it most
Provides no oversight for cannabis tax revenue, which could be easily reallocated to other programs. California is not well known for its fiscal responsibility…
Makes it illegal to consume cannabis in any public place except for specifically licensed premises
Bans vaporization in non-smoking areas, when neither smoke nor cannabinoids are emitted

Hopefully, we’ll be able to work out these issues if and when AUMA becomes a law. California is the largest cannabis economy in the world — larger than Colorado, Washington, and Oregon combined. Other U.S. states will be looking to us as a model for their own legalization efforts, which means that we have to get AUMA right the first time – or as close to perfect as possible – in order to have the desired positive impact of influencing future legalization and legislation.

Let’s do this, California!

The post California, Rejoice! Recreational Cannabis Is Getting A Vote appeared first on Potbox.

from
https://www.potbox.com/blog/california-adults-responsible-use-cannabis-auma/

These ADHD Researchers are Reading Your Posts for Insights on Medical Cannabis

Researchers at Duke University took to online forums last month to learn more about how ADHD patients are self-medicating with cannabis, pushing over the first domino in what might become a series of novel scientific discoveries.

Research rarely starts in a lab. Instead, it begins with a story or situation that prompts a question. Before scoffing at the fact that these researchers used forum threads as the primary data point in their report, consider this: who’d think to associate cannabis and ADHD without the anecdotal evidence put forth by experimentally inclined cannabis users?

“The overall aim of this study was to systematically characterize one source of information that patients and caregivers may use to inform their opinions about ADHD and cannabis: the Internet,” the authors said. “Approximately 72% of adult and 84% of adolescent U.S. Internet users query the Internet for healthcare information.”

Currently, no clinical trials, recommendations, or research support the benefits of cannabis for ADHD. Previous studies looked at the relationship between cannabis and ADHD through the frame of abuse, fixating on the comorbidity rates of ADHD and cannabis use disorder. While this analysis doesn’t provide empirical evidence of efficacy or even demographic context, it does raise an important question that other studies have bypassed: might cannabis have benefits for adult ADHD sufferers?

Looking at 401 posts randomly selected from 258 relevant forum discussions, the researchers determined:

25% of posts indicated cannabis was therapeutic for ADHD
8% of posts indicated it was harmful
2% of posts indicated that cannabis had no impact on their ADHD

Researchers note that depending on the forum in question, attitudes might be skewed toward pro-cannabis sentiments, but the anecdotal evidence is strong enough that even healthcare professionals are coming out in favor of researching this particular behavioral application.

What makes this qualitative analysis an interesting piece of scientific literature isn’t just the statistical results, but also the source from which those were collected. It shows that (A.) the stories we share online can have an impact on scientific and public opinions on cannabis, and (B) patients must often turn to unverified online sources for information on cannabis and health.

“Indeed, more individuals indicate they are more likely to use online forums to address mental health concerns than face-to-face with another person,” the researchers noted. “These forums facilitate social interactions and allow individuals to self-disclose their unfiltered experiences, inquiries, and opinions about substance use in an anonymous format, and may be a fruitful starting point for understanding what patients and caregivers are exposed to when searching for information about the effects of cannabis on ADHD.”

With hundreds of user reviews on Leafly commenting on how different strains affect ADHD symptoms, there’s no shortage of anecdotal evidence begging to be looked into by scientists. How does cannabis change communication systems in the brain to improve or hinder neurocognitive functions relevant to those with ADHD? How might a cannabis alternative affect the U.S.’s trigger-happy approach to stimulant medications? So many questions, so little research. This analysis might be a small step forward, but any momentum in the right direction can be appreciated.

from
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/these-adhd-researchers-are-reading-your-posts-for-insights-on-med

State of the Leaf: Illinois Gets New Qualifying Condition, and the Battle for California Begins

U.S. Cannabis News Updates

California

The Adult Use of Marijuana Act has officially qualified for the November ballot, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla. The legalization initiative has support from some major players, such as Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Facebook president and Napster founder Sean Parker, as well as the Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance, California Cannabis Industry Association, and more. The measure would allow adults 21 and older to grow up to six plants for personal use and purchase up to an ounce of cannabis and infused products from licensed retailers, with a 15 percent excise tax on sales. Cities and counties would retain the right to ban cannabis businesses and impose additional taxes on sales. The latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 60 percent of likely California voters are in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana.

Delaware

A conservative Republican state senator and gubernatorial candidate shocked the legislature by calling for Delaware to formally legalize cannabis. Sen. Colin Bonini (R-Dover) helped pass House Bill 332, which would spare misdemeanor drug offenders in possession of small amounts of cannabis from criminal penalties, opting for probation instead. Bonini made waves after the bill’s passage by announcing his support for broader legalization. “The reality is we’ve legalized marijuana in Delaware and we’ve legalized it through backwards steps. I think incrementally pulling away restrictions and by default legalizing marijuana is not the best way to do it,” he said. “If we’re going to legalize marijuana, let’s legalize marijuana.” Bonini is one of two Republicans running for governor, although a Republican hasn’t won that race in Delaware since 1992.

Illinois

A court has ordered Illinois Department of Public Health Director Nirav Shah to add post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the state’s list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis. The decision was handed down by Cook County Judge Neil Cohen, who ruled in favor of an Iraq War veteran, Daniel Paul Jabs, in a lawsuit against the department. In a harshly-worded ruling, Cohen criticized Shah’s investigation and subsequent rejection of the many petitions seeking to add qualifying conditions, calling the actions “constitutionally inappropriate.” Not only did Shah deprive the plaintiff of his right to due process, the original rejection was also “contrary to the plain language of the Department’s rules.” Cohen gave the state 30 days to add PTSD to the list of qualifying conditions and has scheduled a follow-up hearing to ensure compliance. It’s the first of eight lawsuits seeking to expand qualifying conditions in the state.

Montana

Montana’s medical marijuana law was struck another blow when the state Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal challenging the 2011 law that limits cannabis providers to supplying a maximum of three patients. The ruling has essentially gutted Montana’s medical cannabis law for dispensaries and caregivers, but the Montana Cannabis Industry Association won’t take the decision lying down. Advocates asked for a delay in the enforcement date until August 31 and have sued to block the law. In the meantime, the group has an initiative that would reverse the policy, but it’s still awaiting word from the Secretary of State as to whether the submitted signatures have officially been validated for November’s ballot.

New Mexico

New Mexico’s medical marijuana program is now so clogged with unprocessed applications that desperate would-be patients are turning to the black market. Enrollment in the program has increased exponentially in the past year, and the New Mexico Department of Health can’t process applications up within the legally required 30-day period. Patients trying to apply or renew their cards now face waiting periods of up to 120 days. Meanwhile, dispensaries cannot sell cannabis to patients with an expired card, forcing patients either to go without medicine or seek illegal, black market alternatives. The Department of Health is under fire for the delays, but it says its limited staff is already working six days a week. It’s hoping to hire additional staff to get caught up this summer.

International Cannabis News Updates

Colombia

Colombia’s first legal cannabis production may be getting help from an unexpected source: former members of the rebel guerrilla group FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia). The Colombian government is nearing a peace deal with the armed militia group and hopes the medicinal marijuana venture will generate legal jobs and boost the rural economy. The Ministry of Health just granted its first license for the production and export of medicinal cannabis to Toronto-based Canadian-Colombian company PharmaCielo Ltd., a move that could create a global shift in developing the international cannabis industry.

Croatia

Croatia quietly made history when the country received the first legal shipment of cannabis extract from North America. Croatia proved to be an incredibly progressive actor among the rest of the European Union by legalizing cannabinoid therapy and implementing a functional medical marijuana program in less than a year. The country's officials approached the topic of medical cannabis pragmatically, using medical research, media coverage, and roundtable discussions to create a sustainable system for the use of medical cannabinoids. The program, which only allows oils and capsules, is still in its infancy, but the cooperation of the medical industry, foreign cannabis industry leaders, the government policymakers and, indeed, the Croatian public at large, has many optimistic.

from
https://www.leafly.com/news/headlines/state-of-the-leaf-illinois-gets-new-qualifying-condition-and-the

Here's a List of Washington Retail Cannabis Shops with Medical Marijuana Endorsements

Come July 1st, Washington state’s new medical marijuana law will bring a lot of changes to the cannabis industry for patients who have become accustomed to visiting a separate medical marijuana dispensary for their strain and product needs. Moving forward, only licensed retail dispensaries with medical marijuana endorsements will be able to sell medical marijuana to valid patients, meaning separate medical marijuana dispensaries will either be shut down or absorbed into the rec market, depending on its new licensing status.

In order to ensure that patients know where they can obtain medical marijuana, register with Washington’s new patient registry, and seek advice for using medicinal marijuana from registered dispensaries, we’ve compiled a list of the Washington state cannabis retailers that now carry medical marijuana endorsements. Please note that this is by no means the complete list. There are many retailers that have not opened yet, are opening a new location, or are still in the transition phase, so we'll do our best to update the list as new information unfolds.

Wednesday, 29 June 2016

U.S. Cannabis News Updates

California

Delaware

Illinois

Montana

New Mexico

International Cannabis News Updates

Colombia

Croatia

Location Table of Contents

Aberdeen Dispensaries

Allyn-Grapeview Dispensaries

Anacortes Dispensaries

Arlington Dispensaries

Auburn Dispensaries

Bainbridge Island Dispensaries

Battle Ground Dispensaries

Belfair Dispensaries

Bellevue Dispensaries

Bellingham Dispensaries

Bingen Dispensaries

Bonney Lake Dispensaries

Bothell Dispensaries

Bremerton Dispensaries

Buckley Dispensaries

Burlington Dispensaries

Camano Island Dispensaries

Cashmere Dispensaries

Chehalis Dispensaries

Clarkston Dispensaries

Clayton Dispensaries

Colville Dispensaries

Covington Dispensaries

Custer Dispensaries

Deming Dispensaries

Des Moines Dispensaries

Eastsound Dispensaries

Ellensburg Dispensaries

Elma Dispensaries

Everett Dispensaries

Everson Dispensaries

Forks Dispensaries

Freeland Dispensaries

Goldendale Dispensaries

Granite Falls Dispensaries

Hoquiam Dispensaries

Kelso Dispensaries

Kenmore Dispensaries

Kirkland Dispensaries

Lacey Dispensaries

Lake Stevens Dispensaries

Langley Dispensaries

Longview Dispensaries

Lynnwood Dispensaries

Moses Lake Dispensaries

Mountlake Terrace Dispensaries

Mount Vernon Dispensaries

Oak Harbor Dispensaries

Ocean Shores Dispensaries

Olympia Dispensaries

Omak Dispensaries

Port Angeles Dispensaries

Port Hadlock-Irondale Dispensaries

Port Orchard Dispensaries

Port Townsend Dispensaries

Prosser Dispensaries

Puyallup Dispensaries

Quincy Dispensaries

Raymond Dispensaries

Renton Dispensaries

Ridgefield Dispensaries

Seattle Dispensaries

Shoreline Dispensaries

Snohomish Dispensaries

South Bend Dispensaries

Spanaway Dispensaries

Spokane Dispensaries

Spokane Valley Dispensaries

Sunnyside Dispensaries