Cannabis News

[Tranquility]

Right. What he CAN do (once elected) is get the DOJ (through the DEA) to drop cannabis off the controlled substance list, making it easier for states to overturn their own prohibitions and pardon their "offenders" if that is what they choose to do.

Illinois is about to do just that without the Federal "permission".

Illinois can deal with Illinois violators of its laws in any manner they determine. Their choice is irrelevant to other governmental agencies. aka federalism. Scheduling is not relevant to the laws they can make, although it may be relevant to the money they get for enforcing federal law. That's one real issue, how to keep the sweet, sweet federal law enforcement dollars coming in while...specifically not enforcing federal law.

The *theory* of a president being able to determine scheduling for any drug has not been tested. It is a little attenuated because the law has specific requirements for the Attorney General and FDA to follow to change scheduling. In the theory of a unitary president, the president is in charge of the entire executive branch and can order or fire anyone there if they don't follow his orders. From listening to the news, threatening to fire subordinates because they don't do what the president wants, should be cause for impeachment. Even if it is found he/she/xe could do it, it would have to be under multiple procedures under different regulatory acts that require certain findings to be able to change things.

That's where things get real fun. Like Trump's issue regarding immigration, Yang just put himself in a bad place regarding actually getting things accomplished. By Trump's campaign statements on immigration, opponents to his policies argued his official justifications in creating immigration regulations differed from what is actual intent was when he made statements on immigration during the campaign. In other words, the campaign statements need to be taken as the intent and not the official hearings and reports.

The same, if it comes up at all, will happen to Yang. It will be said he made up his mind on the matter before the findings, thus showing the findings were not used in coming to a decision on scheduling. Depending on the judge, that's apparently enough to stop the regulations or changes to being put into effect. The key questions are, can opponents find some drug-warrior judge somewhere to get a holding that determines the facts on review? And, when the sole federal judge they find in drug-warrior land holds against the government, what will the Supreme Court hold?

This will be the same battle as the immigration one except the immigration one had to deal with the president's express powers to do what he proposed that were in the law itself; while on descheduling, the law is far more ambiguous.

 

[Tranquility]

Here's a profile on Yang an his stance(s) on cannabis.

https://www.cannalawblog.com/gradin...idential-candidates-on-marijuana-andrew-yang/

The author gave him a B+.

 

[macbill]

Chocolate Complicates Marijuana Edibles Potency Testing, Scientists Find


Scientists recently discovered that there’s something about chocolate that can botch the potency testing of marijuana edibles.

 

[Tranquility]

FEDS NEED MORE GROWERS!

https://apnews.com/f5aa406acfcd4eb3a10f1fce23df8b36

FILE - In this Aug. 15, 2019, file photo, marijuana grows at an indoor cannabis farm in Gardena, Calif. The Justice Department is moving forward to expand the number of marijuana growers for federally-authorized cannabis research. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Justice Department said Monday it would move forward to expand the number of marijuana growers for federally-authorized cannabis research.

The long-awaited move comes after researchers filed court papers asking a judge to compel the Drug Enforcement Administration to process the applications to grow research pot. The DEA began accepting applications to grow marijuana for federally-approved research about three years ago, but the agency hasn’t acted on more than two dozen applications.

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have questioned why the Justice Department has taken so long to act. Attorney General William Barr had promised to look into the status of the applications in April.

For years, the University of Mississippi has been the only entity federally licensed to produce marijuana for research . Researchers have complained in recent years that the cannabis produced there is not like the cannabis sold in states where medical and so-called recreational marijuana is legal.

The move announced Monday would give researchers a wider variety of cannabis to study, Uttam Dhillon, the DEA’s acting administrator, said in a statement.

“DEA is making progress in the program to register additional marijuana growers for federally authorized research, and will work with other relevant federal agencies to expedite the necessary next steps,” Dhillon said.

The agency is also planning to propose new regulations that would govern the program and help the agency evaluate the applications, the Justice Department said.

“I am pleased that DEA is moving forward with its review of applications for those who seek to grow marijuana legally to support research,” Barr said.
​

 

[macbill]

Here's How to Tell if Your Vape Cartridge is Safe and Not Counterfeit

The potential dangers of consuming oil from a counterfeit vape cartridge are pretty straightforward. For starters, it's nearly impossible to tell what's inside of the oil without getting it lab tested. Since these counterfeits are likely bypassing state testing regulations, there's no way of telling, without proper laboratory testing, if there are cutting agents, contaminants, or even actual cannabis-derived oil in the cartridge.


Researchers create breathalyzer that can detect marijuana

The breathalyzer was developed using carbon nanotubes, tiny tubes of carbon 100,000 times smaller than a human hair. The THC molecule, along with other molecules in the breath, bind to the surface of the nanotubes and change their electrical properties. The speed at which the electrical currents recover then signals whether THC is present.

 

[GetLeft]

Philadelphia region now has 20 marijuana dispensaries. Here’s where they are.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

The Trump regime is dispelling doubts: they are party-line drug warriors, unapologetic in their political stance against science and experience....


Government warns against marijuana use for young people and pregnant women

The federal government issued new health advisories on the risks of marijuana use for youth and pregnant women, among other vulnerable groups.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Surgeon General Jerome Adams said at a briefing in Washington Thursday that the government is now looking to expand its work in research, education and prevention efforts surrounding the use of the drug.

And Azar and Adams noted that President Trump donated $100,000 of his presidential paycheck to efforts on the digital side of the department's plan to combat the marijuana culture.

The new advisory is intended to raise awareness about "the known and potential harms to developing brains, posed by the increasing availability of highly potent marijuana in multiple, concentrated forms."

While marijuana use has surged in recent years as more states have moved to relax laws on recreational use, health experts warn that pregnant women in particular face increased risks because this demographic uses marijuana more than any other illicit drug, often to try to control nausea from morning sickness.

"There is a false perception that marijuana is not as harmful as other drugs. I want to be very clear - no amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or adolescence is known to be safe," Surgeon General Adams warned.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's recently released 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data showed that marijuana continues to be the most widely used illicit drug and that further, frequent marijuana use among youth ages 12 to 17 and young adults, appears to be associated with risks for opioid use, heavy alcohol use and major depressive episodes.

In 2017 alone, approximately 9.2 million youth aged 12 to 25 reported using marijuana in the past month, and 29% more young adults aged 18 to 25 started using the substance.

Adams pointed to risks associated with brain development and marijuana use as more products with higher levels of THC, the compound found in marijuana, are becoming more accessible nationwide.

The urgent warning by the federal government comes on the heels of steps recently taken to improve access to legal marijuana for medical and scientific government researchers. The Justice Department announced just this week that it would take action on long-delayed applications to expand the number of entities certified to grow marijuana plants.

Support for more marijuana research has been growing. Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent letters to the DEA urging the agency to resolve the outstanding applications.

Currently, a majority of Americans support legalizing cannabis, but a recent CBS News poll found the issue may not have have much of an impact on voters in the upcoming 2020 election. According to the poll, 65 percent of Americans think marijuana should be legal, but 56 percent said the issue wouldn't sway them to vote for a candidate across party lines.

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

The Trump regime is dispelling doubts: they are party-line drug warriors, unapologetic in their political stance against science and experience....


Government warns against marijuana use for young people and pregnant women

The federal government issued new health advisories on the risks of marijuana use for youth and pregnant women, among other vulnerable groups.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Surgeon General Jerome Adams said at a briefing in Washington Thursday that the government is now looking to expand its work in research, education and prevention efforts surrounding the use of the drug.

And Azar and Adams noted that President Trump donated $100,000 of his presidential paycheck to efforts on the digital side of the department's plan to combat the marijuana culture.

The new advisory is intended to raise awareness about "the known and potential harms to developing brains, posed by the increasing availability of highly potent marijuana in multiple, concentrated forms."

While marijuana use has surged in recent years as more states have moved to relax laws on recreational use, health experts warn that pregnant women in particular face increased risks because this demographic uses marijuana more than any other illicit drug, often to try to control nausea from morning sickness.

"There is a false perception that marijuana is not as harmful as other drugs. I want to be very clear - no amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or adolescence is known to be safe," Surgeon General Adams warned.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's recently released 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data showed that marijuana continues to be the most widely used illicit drug and that further, frequent marijuana use among youth ages 12 to 17 and young adults, appears to be associated with risks for opioid use, heavy alcohol use and major depressive episodes.

In 2017 alone, approximately 9.2 million youth aged 12 to 25 reported using marijuana in the past month, and 29% more young adults aged 18 to 25 started using the substance.

Adams pointed to risks associated with brain development and marijuana use as more products with higher levels of THC, the compound found in marijuana, are becoming more accessible nationwide.

The urgent warning by the federal government comes on the heels of steps recently taken to improve access to legal marijuana for medical and scientific government researchers. The Justice Department announced just this week that it would take action on long-delayed applications to expand the number of entities certified to grow marijuana plants.

Support for more marijuana research has been growing. Earlier this year, a bipartisan group of lawmakers sent letters to the DEA urging the agency to resolve the outstanding applications.

Currently, a majority of Americans support legalizing cannabis, but a recent CBS News poll found the issue may not have have much of an impact on voters in the upcoming 2020 election. According to the poll, 65 percent of Americans think marijuana should be legal, but 56 percent said the issue wouldn't sway them to vote for a candidate across party lines.

© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

I came to post on the same article. Fear mongering, kudos to Trump? The whole article stinks of bullshit.

The other thing are all the comments about cannabis being harmful to the brain and harmful to mothers and harmful to breastfeeding. The reports I have seen talk about cannabis causes changes in the developing brain and very little testing and very little known at all due to lack of testing. Now they could find that it is indeed harmful in these areas, but "changes" doesn't necessarily mean "harmful".

Now I'm not promoting its use for minors or pregnant mothers, but don't say its harmful when you don't know that. Maybe someday they will test its true effects on the body and find that the changes in the brain are not harmful. Maybe someday they'll learn that mothers consuming cannabis when breastfeeding actually improves health in a fetus. No one can say now because the powers that be are stupid and corrupt. So abstinence for these people is the only appropriate choice, but these statements from the government just promotes more fear mongering. And the government needs to breed fear of cannabis, it's become a tradition for them.

 

[Tranquility]

There are certainly concerning studies out there relating to teen use and mental illness. While correlation is not causation, there is one hell of a lot of correlation out there. There are lots of other places of legitimate concern as well.

It is not unreasonable for the government to discourage drug use. Including cannabis use. I know there are some who think it a natural vitamin-like substance that improves all who use while most feel it is a drug with benefits and risks. A drug with a remarkably clean record against physical harm. Not zero harm (We don't measure solely by number of deaths associated with it.), just, less harm than many/most other "drugs" out there. There are mental effects that can be problematical as well. Most who have used and know others who have used find that, sometimes, some people shouldn't be using. The reason(s) they they shouldn't are varied and depend on the individual. Suffice to say, some people's lives are less good because of cannabis. Those issues are true for adults. For kids and infants?

The actual warning is at https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/...marijuana-use-and-developing-brain/index.html

Do you think the information in the warning is useful to the populace? I think it is. It should certainly give pause to those who think there are no risks to cannabis use. The part most could differ with is in the "You Can Take Action" portion of the warning. That's where the Surgeon General brings his opinion on all the studies and information discussed in the warning.

No amount of marijuana use during pregnancy or adolescence is known to be safe. Until and unless more is known about the long-term impact, the safest choice for pregnant women and adolescents is not to use marijuana. Pregnant women and youth--and those who love them--need the facts and resources to support healthy decisions. It is critical to educate women and youth, as well as family members, school officials, state and local leaders, and health professionals, about the risks of marijuana, particularly as more states contemplate legalization.

Science-based messaging campaigns and targeted prevention programming are urgently needed to ensure that risks are clearly communicated and amplified by local, state, and national organizations. Clinicians can help by asking about marijuana use, informing mothers-to-be, new mothers, young people, and those vulnerable to psychotic disorders, of the risks. Clinicians can also prescribe safe, effective, and FDA-approved treatments for nausea, depression, and pain during pregnancy. Further research is needed to understand all the impacts of THC on the developing brain, but we know enough now to warrant concern and action. Everyone has a role in protecting our young people from the risks of marijuana.​

To me, that seems a reasonable statement that does not depend upon a war on drugs to make.

 

[macbill]

I started smoking cannabis at 14. What was I thinking? I look at 14 yr olds today and try to imagine myself in their shoes. I don't think 14 yr olds should be using cannabis. Regrets serve no purpose, so I have none, but I wonder at times where my life would be had my early years not been so focused on getting off. I started working so I could support my drug purchases. My first job was washing dishes in a family Italian restaurant at 14. We are the sum of our experiences.

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

https://www.leafly.com/news/health/vape-pen-lung-disease-thc-oil-additive-investigation

Very interesting article on vape carts and the additives used. Raises quite a few concerns about the poor regulation of cannabis vape cartridges and their contents.

I recently bought two distillate carts from a state regulated dispensary. They advertise 85% THC distillate with terps added. Each of my carts are flavored as a cannabis strain, like one which is labeled as Tangie. It does taste like Tangie, but not quite the same. Almost like the flavor of canned cherry filling to the taste of actual cherries if you know what I mean. Also when you exhale the vapor, you can create a cloud that is much greater than you would expect for dosing a small amount of cannabis oil. Almost reminiscent of the clouds you might get from an e-juice e-cig. They say the terps added back in are all natural, but that's as much a description as you can get. The dispensary also emphasizes that there are no VG, PG's or MCT liquids used, and that is great but still, how safe is the other stuff?

I may stop using these carts as this whole thing is weirding me out. They do sell unflavored carts which they say is pure oil. But I will still ask if they use something to change the viscosity of the oil for cart use.

You might also notice the article includes many quotes and statements from the True Terps company which has been under scrutiny. They claim they don't use mineral oil in anything and the article goes on to use their feedback as expert advice on other topics.

 

[C No Ego]

https://www.leafly.com/news/health/vape-pen-lung-disease-thc-oil-additive-investigation

Very interesting article on vape carts and the additives used. Raises quite a few concerns about the poor regulation of cannabis vape cartridges and their contents.

I recently bought two distillate carts from a state regulated dispensary. They advertise 85% THC distillate with terps added. Each of my carts are flavored as a cannabis strain, like one which is labeled as Tangie. It does taste like Tangie, but not quite the same. Almost like the flavor of canned cherry filling to the taste of actual cherries if you know what I mean. Also when you exhale the vapor, you can create a cloud that is much greater than you would expect for dosing a small amount of cannabis oil. Almost reminiscent of the clouds you might get from an e-juice e-cig. They say the terps added back in are all natural, but that's as much a description as you can get. The dispensary also emphasizes that there are no VG, PG's or MCT liquids used, and that is great but still, how safe is the other stuff?

I may stop using these carts as this whole thing is weirding me out. They do sell unflavored carts which they say is pure oil. But I will still ask if they use something to change the viscosity of the oil for cart use.

You might also notice the article includes many quotes and statements from the True Terps company which has been under scrutiny. They claim they don't use mineral oil in anything and the article goes on to use their feedback as expert advice on other topics.

this is not exactly cannabis drelated but ... I use lemongrass in my green tea I make ( chop half stick of lemongrass and steep along with tea) ... well I ran out and tried lemongrass oil instead ... has a wierd taste, exactly like a few oil vapes carts I've tried... not treally like a pure taste I guess or sometthing... this is news to someone hopefully... great news = lemongrass has Myrcene! anyone who knows cannabis indica well, that myrcene

 

[GetLeft]

I wonder at times where my life would be had my early years not been so focused on getting off.

Some things you say remind me of me, macbill. In my case, I sought cannabis as a way to get away. Away was good. The times I lived in as a teen were pretty much boring. Shit had already happened. The 70s were there basically to witness the upshot of the sixties, and as much as the 80s tried to be relevant, they weren't. At 14, mid seventies, I lacked motivation without cannabis. Were it not for a bunch of buddies who felt just as bored and partied as a remedy, who knows where I'd be. Times are different now. I wouldn't want to push the snooze button these days. Too much at stake.

 

[Ramahs]

Some things you say remind me of me, macbill. In my case, I sought cannabis as a way to get away. Away was good. The times I lived in as a teen were pretty much boring. Shit had already happened. The 70s were there basically to witness the upshot of the sixties, and as much as the 80s tried to be relevant, they weren't. At 14, mid seventies, I lacked motivation without cannabis. Were it not for a bunch of buddies who felt just as bored and partied as a remedy, who knows where I'd be. Times are different now. I wouldn't want to push the snooze button these days. Too much at stake.

Today it's just "everything is shit and getting worse with no end in sight".
It's not that we're bored at all...just frustrated and feeling helpless. There's plenty to want to escape from.


...I need to get out of this fucking country before it implodes, as we have a political right here who seems hell-bent on destroying everything as long as they can make a buck along the way. I honestly fear that us "lefties" in this country may have to take up arms to defend ourself from the batshit crazies in this country one day soon.

 

[Tranquility]

Today it's just "everything is shit and getting worse with no end in sight".
It's not that we're bored at all...just frustrated and feeling helpless. There's plenty to want to escape from.


...I need to get out of this fucking country before it implodes, as we have a political right here who seems hell-bent on destroying everything as long as they can make a buck along the way. I honestly fear that us "lefties" in this country may have to take up arms to defend ourself from the batshit crazies in this country one day soon.

At least some of us batshit crazies out here would love for you to take up arms under your 2nd amendment rights for the very reason you say. It is a right guaranteed by the Constitution but, some say the Constitution only enumerated the basic human liberty. Exercise your liberty. Power to the people!

But, really, where would you go? My wife and I try to think of retiring and want to "retire" (whatever that will mean) as well-off as possible. Why not move to another country? Dollars can go a LOT further in some other places. But, where? Where do you want to go that's better? Some of the best ones that might work for us are in the Americas. Canada seems cold. I don't even want to move to the northern U.S. States on retirement. Some guys go to Panama and like it. Although being an expat apparently makes you a target for crime according to others. Mexico seems the best place, but, it seems you give up a lot for the dollar/peso advantage and cheap labor. I don't know, no matter which side's batshit crazies are in charge, this kinda still seems the best place. (At least for me.)

 

[C No Ego]

@macbill @ " where would you go?" it is hard to escape the world when we are such a part of it

 

[macbill]

I think a lot of our turmoil is magnified 1000%: we turn on cable news and they are reporting, not the good things that happen every day, but the bad things, and they amplify it, repeat it, editorialize it, etc. I've lived in Latin America, and you cannot leave your home alone without fear of being burglarized. There literally has to be someone house sitting your barred windows and doors all the time. We are not there yet, at least where I live. Not to say there isn't a lot of weird shit happening. We are not nearing collapse.

 

[C No Ego]

I think a lot of our turmoil is magnified 1000%: we turn on cable news and they are reporting, not the good things that happen every day, but the bad things, and they amplify it, repeat it, editorialize it, etc. I've lived in Latin America, and you cannot leave your home alone without fear of being burglarized. There literally has to be someone house sitting your barred windows and doors all the time. We are not there yet, at least where I live. Not to say there isn't a lot of weird shit happening. We are not nearing collapse.

I've avoided mainstream news over 20 years now purposely ... that grab you when you just need to relax shit man is a roller coaster... with the insta- you name it now we know of every horrible fucking thing everywhere instantly @ once . I laugh in peoples face who claim main stream news is Gospel... LOL

 

[BabyFacedFinster]

I think a lot of our turmoil is magnified 1000%: we turn on cable news and they are reporting, not the good things that happen every day, but the bad things, and they amplify it, repeat it, editorialize it, etc. I've lived in Latin America, and you cannot leave your home alone without fear of being burglarized. There literally has to be someone house sitting your barred windows and doors all the time. We are not there yet, at least where I live. Not to say there isn't a lot of weird shit happening. We are not nearing collapse.

The mainstream news is depressing and while I tell myself not to look, it's like a train wreck that you can't help but watch. That's one of the reasons I like cannabis related news and topics. It takes your mind away from the hard core crap. It's also one big reason why I have so many hobbies. If you spend a day researching how to best press your rosin, then it's a day not focused on how the world hates Trump America or other hate things.

I think I'll stay in the US, but drag my house deeper into the woods to get away from the mainstream.

 

[grampa_herb]

Excellent short read. Bought several copies to give away.

 

[TheThriftDrifter]

But, really, where would you go? My wife and I try to think of retiring and want to "retire" (whatever that will mean) as well-off as possible. Why not move to another country?(At least for me.)

Move over here to NZ! Not as cheap as central America, but quite safe and sparsely populated.

 

[ClearBlueLou]

I started smoking cannabis at 14. What was I thinking? I look at 14 yr olds today and try to imagine myself in their shoes. I don't think 14 yr olds should be using cannabis. Regrets serve no purpose, so I have none, but I wonder at times where my life would be had my early years not been so focused on getting off. I started working so I could support my drug purchases. My first job was washing dishes in a family Italian restaurant at 14. We are the sum of our experiences.

Excellent points: I was a couple years older than that, and honestly, smoking weed didn't fuck me up nearly as bad or for nearly as long (if ever) as Christianity. In fact, in terms of being too distracted too unproductively for too long - and amount of money wasted and personal autonomy surrendered - trying to get high was FAR MORE productive and affordable than trying to have sex. Talk about a waste of time, energy, and opportunity....

on another note, one of the things we’ve learned from study of the endocannabinoid system is that original ECS activation for an infant is provided by the mother, and that said activation is important to the proper healthy development of the child...considered in light of the fact that despite decades of solid effort into proving the harm cannabis does *especially* to the young, what they’ve done instead is fail to prove any such harm...and keep their maybes in play on the off chance they’ll find some actual harm. As a result, I’m far less concerned about young people’s encounters with the weed than I would otherwise be. And please, recognize that I’m NOT suggesting teens be allowed to smoke all the weed they want, anytime - anymore than I’m suggesting you or I stay blitzed 24/7....

 

[Tranquility]

Move over here to NZ! Not as cheap as central America, but quite safe and sparsely populated.

I'm not rich enough and I do pretty well. NZ is very particular about who they let in.

 

[macbill]

Contaminant found in vaping products linked to deadly lung illnesses, state and federal labs show
State and federal health officials investigating mysterious lung illnesses linked to vaping have found the same chemical in samples of marijuana products used by people [URL='https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/as-vaping-related-lung-illnesses-spike-investigators-eye-contaminants/2019/08/29/cfe26032-ca78-11e9-be05-f76ac4ec618c_story.html?tid=lk_inline_manual_2']sickened in different parts of the country and who used different brands of products in recent weeks.

The chemical is an oil derived from vitamin E. Investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the oil in cannabis products in samples collected from patients who fell ill across the United States. FDA officials shared that information with state health officials during a telephone briefing this week, according to several officials who took part in the call.

That same chemical was also found in nearly all cannabis samples from patients who fell ill in New York in recent weeks, a state health department spokeswoman said.
[/URL]
https://beta.washingtonpost.com/hea...eadly-lung-illnesses-state-federal-labs-show/

 

[His_Highness]

Contaminant found in vaping products linked to deadly lung illnesses, state and federal labs show
State and federal health officials investigating mysterious lung illnesses linked to vaping have found the same chemical in samples of marijuana products used by people sickened in different parts of the country and who used different brands of products in recent weeks.

The chemical is an oil derived from vitamin E. Investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the oil in cannabis products in samples collected from patients who fell ill across the United States. FDA officials shared that information with state health officials during a telephone briefing this week, according to several officials who took part in the call.

That same chemical was also found in nearly all cannabis samples from patients who fell ill in New York in recent weeks, a state health department spokeswoman said.

The article says one of the products in question came "from a dispensary". Up till now I had been hoping these issues were from black market sources......... Damn it!