Cannabis News

macbill

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
His_Highness

His_Highness

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
Pretty sure I saw a posting about an article awhile back where someone involved with drug sniffing dogs stated they might be put down due to cannabis legalization. The article/link below says that euthanizing a drug sniffing dog due to cannabis legalization was retracted.

The article mentions that drug sniffing dogs that were trained to react to multiple drugs, including cannabis, pose a legal problem in states where cannabis is legal. The issue stems from using the dogs to establish probable cause for a search.

"Even though no marijuana was found in the truck, the three-judge panel said Kilo’s signal was no longer a reliable indicator of illegal activity. The court ruled that officers therefore had no legal grounds to search the truck and the conviction was overturned".

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/business/marijuana-legalization-police-dogs.html
 
macbill

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
GetLeft

GetLeft

Well-Known Member
Dang. I guess I was getting ahead of myself earlier regarding NJ recreational:

"Goldstein warned that it could take several years beyond legalization to see retail sales begin. 'Any legislative body wants to see it done faster than that, but I wouldn't expect adult-use sales to start before 2020.'"

As for Ed Forchion...

"Ed Forchion, perhaps the Garden State's best-known marijuana advocate, testified against the bill. Forchion, a Rastafarian also known as NJWeedman, said there was 'no provision for religious use' of cannabis included in proposed law. And he saved his most pointed attack for corporate interests that would take over sales from the illegal market…"

There are plenty of unsavory things about the black market that I ignore for my personal convenience. But I'm not convinced I'll be able to suck up and support corporate. Maybe I'll just finally pull out the guide, roll up my sleeves (I read those insects can put up a heck of a good fight) and figure out how to grow my own.
 
C No Ego

C No Ego

Well-Known Member
His_Highness said:
Pretty sure I saw a posting about an article awhile back where someone involved with drug sniffing dogs stated they might be put down due to cannabis legalization. The article/link below says that euthanizing a drug sniffing dog due to cannabis legalization was retracted.

The article mentions that drug sniffing dogs that were trained to react to multiple drugs, including cannabis, pose a legal problem in states where cannabis is legal. The issue stems from using the dogs to establish probable cause for a search.

"Even though no marijuana was found in the truck, the three-judge panel said Kilo’s signal was no longer a reliable indicator of illegal activity. The court ruled that officers therefore had no legal grounds to search the truck and the conviction was overturned".

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/24/business/marijuana-legalization-police-dogs.html
Click to expand...
as many dogs as they have killed with " Raids" I am not sure I'm feeling bad about that.
that beginning scene on " The culture High " comes to mind
 
macbill

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
looney2nz

looney2nz

Research Geek, Mad Scientist
macbill said:
Weedmaps Announces The Museum of Weed
Visitors will immerse in a series of informational and inspirational exhibits that tell the story of the underground activists, growers, smokers, and patients who maintained and expanded knowledge of one of the most powerful, controversial plants, through decades of governmental prohibition.

Expect dioramas of SF hippy pads, stoner art, and Greatful Dead Music
Click to expand...

Weedmaps as arbiters of anything is scary :(

What a crappy broken system.
It's like watching idiots from the 80's try to learn a relational database for the 1st time :(

Hire some designers and coders who know what the hell they are doing.

I LOATHE having to use their system, and each time I do it reinforces how bad it is.

THIS is a huge opportunity for someone to drink their milkshake (eat their lunch, whatever)...
I don't know that they are looking to improve what they have, so the are ripe for acquisition or market disruption.

What would you like to see in a 'blue-sky' (no limits) type of design?

I'd like to able to search to find who has a product in stock, and then be able to verify it is in stock and place a hold on it (either for delivery or pickup). You can't do that now.

Say, Kaneh Co 'Best of Both Worlds' 1000mg brownies. or Syringes of concentrate, say 'Trainwreck' from
ROVE (which would probably bring up a 'not available' message). These are simple fundamental things for a relational database hooked into a point of sale system and web interface.

But beyond that, fundamentally, the rating/ranking system in Weedmaps is corrupted by the construction of their system (it would appear intentionally, since it has been there since day one)... do ANY of you TRUST the ratings of storefronts/delivery services and the products their carry? This is an endemic problem to all systems of this kind, be it Amazon ratings, Yelp, etc. You have to do your level best to keep the system from being gamed, and that starts with the design. Otherwise you turn your BS filter up onto EXTREME TURBULENCE to try and filter out the paid shills and trolls :( Too much noise in the system, it increases the difficulty of using the system, BAD design. But I guess it's profitable, hmm?
Man, the profits roll in, folks just don't care :(

Competence counts.
 
CarolKing

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
I live in WA state. In my area, my gripe is that many of the cannabis stores don’t keep updated on their online menu. They sell out and get new merchandise at a quick pace. I’ve complained at my fave shop and they say they will fix things. We have a great selection in these parts so I can’t complain about that.

Lack of supply seems to be the problem in new legal cannabis areas. I anticipated that Canada would have low supply just like everywhere else in the beginning.
 
looney2nz

looney2nz

Research Geek, Mad Scientist
CarolKing said:
I live in WA state. In my area, my gripe is that many of the cannabis stores don’t keep updated on their online menu. They sell out and get new merchandise at a quick pace. I’ve complained at my fave shop and they say they will fix things. We have a great selection in these parts so I can’t complain about that.

Lack of supply seems to be the problem in new legal cannabis areas. I anticipated that Canada would have low supply just like everywhere else in the beginning.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they have section that tells you it's been x hours since the menu was last updated.
they seem to update 1x a day with extremely perfunctory information :(

They don't even include product descriptions, sometimes it's a generic picture and very little describing something, let alone it's potency or test results.
This is the job of at least one person in every dispensary on Weedmaps, now tell me if you think folks are keeping up.

Wondering why there appears to be some disconnect from their inventory to you the public...
A good system has multiple facets to it, and one of them should be access to the inventory system to reflect what is 'in stock' and ready for purchase. Inventory systems/Point of Sale are connected, where is the web component? Rather than relying on 'someone' to do a job, and do it competently, build the system so it does the job FOR you (faster and better). Eventually someone will break the Weedmaps jogjam with a product that performs better, and the users feel is more USEFUL. 'cause ultimately, that makes the difference from OK to 'oh HELL yeah!'.
 
Tranquility

Tranquility

Well-Known Member
As I wrote in another thread on the topic, now that marijuana business are legal, false advertising is a crime. (At least in California.) It is under the consumer fraud provisions of the Business and Professions code.

IF they actually put in what they have and are reasonably supplied to sell to all comers in the system and then list the time they did it, that's one thing. Just having low-paid Sally kinda think about what might be in stock and, instead, just puts in the whole listing of everything they've ever sold, that's something else.

The entire system is supposed to be seed to sale on inventory. I cannot believe there isn't some inventory and sales report generated from the software they already have. It would be great to directly integrate the systems (seed to sale/inventory/menu), but it cannot happen because of security. But, you might be able to get a daily dump to update things. Right now, most people are as @looney2nz --people just trying to get the system working properly. However, if the dispensaries continue to put profit over service, not only will they not be successful in general as a business, but also they might find themselves on the wrong end of some consumer suits and prosecutions.

The best part is when you call about a specific item. I think many who answer are trained to never say no. Even if they don't have it they say something to the effect of, "if we don't have it, we have something the same." Like a salesman, it seems they are trained to just get people in the door and hope something general will work for them.

Everyone has basically the same stuff right now. No dispensary can really claim to distinguish themselves on the quality of the product--although I'm sure there are a few boutique services out there with a good supply chain of small farmers. Service and price are how they can differentiate themselves between the myriad of dispensaries that are close enough to try without real penalty. Since they've just put in a ton of money into their businesses, many don't find fighting on price to be the best. That leaves service. I'd go to a place that costs a bit more if the owner is going out and finding the product people want and not just that is most profitable and then puts up a fair listing of what he has.

That is how someone can make a brand. That is how someone can make a business that thrives among the multitude.
 
CarolKing

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
I think the stores want you to come in so they can talk you into buying something else if they don’t have the product or strain that you are looking for. Sometimes they are so busy they don’t answer the phones and have a leave a message recorded. I like good customer service and in some places that is lacking.

I have a handful of stores that I’ve weeded it down to that I shop at.
 
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macbill

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
It's always Florida!
Florida Sheriff on Fox News: Weed is ‘Ruining Families and Killing’ Americans ‘Every Day’

A Florida sheriff who appeared on Fox News this morning claimed — without evidence — that marijuana is both “killing people every day across the United States” and causing overdoses.

Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd appeared on the network to discuss a 12-year-old Florida boy who gave his classmates THC-infused gummies. Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy kicked off the segment by calling the incident “a warning signal” against legalizing the recreational use of marijuana.

“It is ruining families and killing people every day across the United States and we stand here in denial thinking that it’s not a gateway drugs to drugs killing people,” he added.
 
macbill

macbill

Oh No! Mr macbill!!
Staff member
CANADA NEEDS CENTRAL AMERICAN MIGRANTS TO HELP IT GROW LEGAL WEED
As Central American asylum seekers remain in limbo at the Mexican border with the United States and President Donald Trump continues to attack the migrants as “invaders” and “criminals,” some Canadian pot producers have been hiring Guatemalan workers to meet a labor shortage. Vic Neufeld, CEO of Aphria Inc., told Bloomberg that he hired laborers from Guatemala and the Caribbean after he failed to find workers in Canada.
 
Tranquility

Tranquility

Well-Known Member
The number of immigration issues conflated in that article makes it seem like it was written by a child who thinks he's clever. How are illegal immigration in the U.S. and legal immigration in Canada alike? Some of the people involved are from Central America.
 
Tranquility,
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cybrguy

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
Hey, I'm just pleased for the Guatemalans that they were able to get to a country who wasn't afraid to do the right thing and that had a leader that didn't behave like a petulant 6 year old.

BTW, here is a nice summery of the current status of Medical Cannabis from the eyes of Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Treatment with medical cannabis
Originally published October 4, 2018 at 8:00 am

In states where its use is legal, medical cannabis is prescribed to treat a variety of conditions.

Q: Medical marijuana is now legal in the state where I live. What conditions can it be used for and how effective is it? Do people who use medical marijuana need to be concerned about addiction?

A: Medical marijuana, also called medical cannabis, can be helpful in treating a variety of conditions. The specific disorders it can legally be used to treat vary from state to state. To date, it appears to be most effective for treating muscle spasms, chronic pain and nausea. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved a form of medical cannabis to treat severe childhood epilepsy. There is no convincing evidence that cannabis used to treat medical conditions leads to cannabis dependence.

Marijuana comes from the Cannabis plant. In its leaves and buds are substances called cannabinoids. The plant contains more than 100 cannabinoids, but two are of particular interest for medical purposes: THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is the primary mind-altering ingredient in marijuana that makes people “high.” CBD does not trigger changes in the brain that lead to a high.

Possession of marijuana is illegal under federal law in the U.S. However, 30 states — including Washington — and the District of Columbia currently have laws legalizing medical cannabis in some form. To obtain medical cannabis in those states, your health-care provider certifies that you have a condition that allows you to buy medical cannabis from an authorized dispensary.

The conditions that qualify for treatment with medical cannabis differ considerably among the states where it’s legal. Some states have only a few qualifying conditions, while others have dozens.

A recent report from the National Academies of Science reviewed and summarized the medical literature published about medical cannabis, specifically examining its effectiveness and safety. It concluded that medical cannabis was particularly effective for easing chronic pain, especially pain caused by nerve damage. It can effectively control nausea and vomiting and is often used to manage those symptoms in people undergoing chemotherapy. Medical cannabis also has been shown to be useful in relieving painful muscles spasms caused by conditions such as multiple sclerosis or spinal-cord injuries.

The drug approved by the FDA for epilepsy is a liquid medication that’s sold under the brand name Epidiolex. It can be used for patients age 2 and older to treat two rare and severe forms of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Epidiolex is a pharmacy-grade product composed almost entirely of CBD. It’s the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance that comes from marijuana.

Examples of additional conditions that may benefit from treatment with medical cannabis, and are approved for its use in some states, include anxiety and depression, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), inflammatory bowel disease, Tourette syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder and autism. Additional study is needed to further define the specific benefits medical cannabis may have for these and other related disorders.

If you are interested in exploring medical cannabis as a treatment option for a disease or condition you have, talk with your health-care provider. If your provider isn’t familiar with it, ask if there’s another clinician in his or her practice who can answer your questions. In states where medical cannabis is legal, the state’s department of health often has a website with details and resources to help patients who want to learn more about the benefits and risks of medical cannabis.
 
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J.R. Bob Dobbs

J.R. Bob Dobbs

Well-Known Member
Scientists validate what we have known all along...

Vaporized Marijuana Produces A Stronger High Than Smoking It, Study Finds

Vaping marijuana gets you higher than smoking it, according to a new study published in an American Medical Association journal.

To test the difference, researchers started by recruiting 17 people who’d consumed cannabis in the past year but had abstained for at least the last month. Each individual participated in six sessions that lasted eight and a half hours—three where they smoked marijuana and three where they vaped it. There were three THC concentrations for both rounds of testing: 0mg, 10mg and 25mg.

After smoking or vaping, the participants were asked to fill out questionnaires to self-report their experience and then the researchers administered a series of physical and cognitive tests. Their blood was also subsequently analyzed.

The most obvious result was that when people smoked or vaped the 0mg control substance, it didn’t have a physical or psychological effect. But at 10mg—and especially 25mg—the participants got pretty stoned. They reported feeling hungry, sleepy and pleasant. Their mouths were dry. Some became anxious or paranoid. Three participants experienced adverse events like vomiting after consuming the 25mg cannabis.

Most regular consumers can probably attest to experiencing at least some of these things from time to time. But what might come as a surprise is that vaporized cannabis “produced significantly greater subjective drug effects, cognitive and psychomotor impairment, and higher blood THC concentrations than the same doses of smoked cannabis,” the study authors wrote in the paper published by JAMA Network Open on Friday.

In previous studies, researchers allowed participants to adjust their THC dose, which is likely why earlier results suggested that smoking got people higher than vaping. But when you hold the THC dose constant, vaping seems to be a more efficient delivery system, probably because smoking requires combustion that can deplete THC.

“Vendors and consumers of cannabis products should be aware that inhaling cannabis with a vaporizer could produce more pronounced drug effects and impairment than traditional smoking methods.”

That’s relevant information as the marijuana market continues to expand. More people are opting for vaporizers, and the study indicates that infrequent or new cannabis consumers should probably approach vaporizers with a bit more caution, start low and go slow.
 
cybrguy

cybrguy

Putin is a War Criminal
Well... Looky here:

Canopy Growth Enters Cannabis Vaporizer Market with C$220 Million Acquisition of Volcano Manufacturer
Based in Germany, Storz & Bickel are designers and manufacturers of medically approved vaporizers, like the Volcano® Medic and the Mighty® Medic


December 6, 2018
Press Release
Business and finance Canada Mergers and Acquisitions News
SMITHS FALLS, ON, Dec. 6, 2018 /CNW/ – Canopy Growth Corporation has finalized an all-cash transaction to acquire Storz & Bickel GmbH & Co. KG, related entities, and IP for a purchase price of up to approximately €145 million. With a 22-year track record of breakthrough innovations, Storz & Bickel is widely recognized as a leader in vaporizer design and manufacturing.

Based in Tuttlingen, Germany, Storz & Bickel are designers and manufacturers of medically approved vaporizers, most notably the Volcano® Medic and the Mighty® Medic. Storz & Bickel has spent the last two decades developing an automated and internationally certified factory, achieving ISO 13485 certification in 2009. The company has exported devices to 50 markets around the world.

The acquisition will see Storz & Bickel’s eponymous founders Markus Storz and Jürgen Bickel remaining as a part of the organization to continue driving the business forward alongside Canopy Growth’s management.

“I am looking forward to actively shaping this development personally in a senior leadership position. On the one hand to ensure continuity and on the other hand to accelerate the development together with the Canopy team to lead it to unprecedented heights," Bickel said.

Storz & Bickel is a global business with proven products and consistently increasing revenues. Its IP portfolio of 17 filed patents will improve Canopy Growth’s existing vaporizer design operations, overseen by Chief Technology Officer, Peter Popplewell, PhD.

Drawing on talent from Ottawa’s world-renowned tech ecosystem, Canopy Growth has a team of hardware and software engineers developing a line of advanced vaporizing devices.

An ISO 13485 certification means that the Storz & Bickel facility has been scrutinized by external auditors and found to be compliant with all requirements needed to produce medical devices. It is a prestigious and onerous standards designation that will give Canopy Growth a multi-year lead in the medically approved vaporizer market. The German facility has the capacity to satisfy growing product demand and based on Canopy Growth’s existing international footprint and access to Storz & Bickel’s production expertise, the Company is now well-positioned to lead the vaporizer segment moving forward.

In addition to strengthening Canopy Growth’s path to market with advanced vaporizing technology, bringing Storz & Bickel under the canopy strengthens the Company’s German operations. With European headquarters in Frankfurt, Canopy Growth also operates a GMP-certified import and export facility in St. Leon-Rot where medical cannabis is imported from Canada, packaged, labeled, and distributed to approximately 2,000 pharmacies in Germany and other European markets.

Canopy Growth’s substantial cash reserve is amongst its greatest strategic advantages. Management will continue to add to the largest and most sophisticated international production platform with strategic acquisitions that improve its IP portfolio and give Canopy Growth subsidiaries access to new markets by further strengthening supply capabilities.

During the acquisition process Greenhill & Co. Canada Ltd. acted as financial advisor to Canopy Growth and provided a fairness opinion to the Canopy Growth Board of Directors.
 
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