2017 was a year of frustration but also incremental progress for military veterans, veterans’ organizations and supporters, as they continued to lobby federal and state politicians to expand legalized medical marijuana research — as well as greater veteran access to legal pot for treatment of a variety of ailments, including chronic pain and Post-Traumatic Stress…
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Hawaii is laid back, right? Well, that may be so… but not when it comes to medical cannabis. Even though residents on the island legalized marijuana for medical purposes early on—back in 2000—its program remains one of the most tightly regulated in the country. Hawaii’s medical marijuana regulations are so detailed, they serve as wallpaper…
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When Florida’s medical marijuana industry was starting a few years ago, business owners had a big problem: Where could they find a bank to take their millions? For marijuana distributors, opening bank accounts isn’t easy. The federal government still considers cannabis an illegal substance without medicinal value, so most banks haven’t been willing to take…
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It’s been more than a year since Massachusetts residents legalized recreational marijuana, but there is little outward evidence of the promised changes. There are no downtown pot cafes. There are no licensed retailers selling cannabis products in storefront windows. Homegrowers remain wary of the social stigma associated with adding marijuana to their gardens, and confused…
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Last April, British Columbia declared the first public health emergency in the province’s history. That month alone, 71 people died from opioid overdoses. Some were the result of illicit drug use like heroin, and others were from prescription medications like fentanyl and methadone. In the end, the drug’s legal status is irrelevant. Canada’s nationwide opioid…
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The current narrative around the opioid crisis goes something like this: Drug companies got thousands of people hooked on legal opioids for pain. Those people eventually abused pills or turned to heroin to satisfy their addiction, and now we see record overdoses as a result. Dr. Josh Bloom is the Senior Director of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences at…
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A common fear among weed enthusiasts is that there are pesticides on their products. Is this a legitimate concern or more fear mongering from an anti-cannabis crowd? The truth is complicated. As with most things we put in our bodies, the best bet is to stay away from pesticides altogether. But that’s not always possible, especially…
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this month issued a new directive for clinical programs that frees its doctors and pharmacists to discuss marijuana with military vets taking part in state-approved medical marijuana programs. The directive, dated Dec. 8 and first reported by Forbes, changes policy to support “the Veteran – (health) provider relationship…
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Cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid found in marijuana, now appears to be a promising form of treatment for patients with psychosis, according to a new double-blind study. The study, recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, administered either 1000 milligrams of CBD or placebo to 88 patients with psychosis. After six weeks, the volunteers who…
DetailsMassRoots’ volatile autumn is wrapping with the firm facing eviction from its Lower Downtown Denver office space. The company hasn’t paid rent since August for its second-floor office at Market Center, 1624 Market St., according to a notice taped on the locked, glass doors. If MassRoots doesn’t pay $39,742 by Thursday, the company will be…
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Over 90 percent of the state’s medical dispensaries vanished in just one year. In 2016 Oregon had over 400 medical marijuana dispensaries, but as of summer 2017, state records list only 30 — and not all of them are still in operation. State officials say the current laws allow for a robust medical cannabis economy, but…
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In the marijuana community, strains are typically organized into three main categories: indica, sativa, and hybrid. If you’ve ever purchased weed from a dispensary, you might have noticed that every strain on the menu has been assigned to one of these distinct groups. This is because cannabis plants from each category not only share physical…
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