Mary Jane and the movies have been a long-time pairing, from 1936's propaganda film Reefer Madness to contemporary onscreen stoners like Vancouver's Seth Rogen.

With Canada legalizing recreational cannabis use on Wednesday, here are 10 toke-filled titles to spark the mood, man:

Reefer Madness 

Worth watching just to see how far viewpoints on cannabis have changed since the '30s. Louis J. Gasnier's black-and-white fictional film became unintentional satire over the years with its melodramatic look at "the new drug menace" that is "destroying the youth of America." (Available to stream on Amazon Prime, and for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

Up in Smoke

Up in Smoke co-stars Cheech Marin, left, and Tommy Chong appear at the 2008 Sunset Strip Music Festival opening night event in Los Angeles. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)

Lou Adler's 1978 cannabis classic helped establish the stoner genre, with its depiction of Edmonton-born star Tommy Chong and American actor Cheech Marin as two pothead pals constantly baked. Hijinks — and highs — ensue when they unwittingly smuggle a van constructed out of marijuana out of Mexico. (Available for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

Dazed and Confused

The haze of weed also hovers over Richard Linklater's 1993 coming-of-age comedy about Texas teens and their giant field party on the last day of school in 1976. Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams, and Jason London are among the stars in the story of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. (Available to stream on Amazon Prime and TMN Go, and for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

Friday

Ice Cube co-wrote and co-stars in this 1995 comedy, alongside Chris Tucker as his stoner buddy who convinces him to "puff, puff, give" on the front porch to ease his unemployment woes. The simple setting, directed by F. Gary Gray, allows the hilarious script to shine as a motley mix of other comical characters enter the picture. (Available for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

Half Baked

Jim Breuer, from left, Dave Chappelle and Guillermo Diaz appear in a scene from the 1998 film Half Baked.(Universal Pictures/YouTube)

Now here's a cannabis combo for the ages — Snoop Dogg and Willie Nelson. The two recording artists, widely known for their love of pot, join Dave Chappelle and others in this 1998 comedy about a group of stoner friends who build a bud business to make bail money for their friend. (Available for rent and purchase on multiple platforms.)

The Big Lebowski

Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges appear during a cast reunion celebrating The Big Lebowski in New York in 2011. (Diane Bondareff/AP/Universal Studios Home Entertainment)

Jeff Bridges' hippie slacker, known as the Dude, is widely regarded as one of the coolest onscreen stoners. This Coen brothers' 1998 cult hit follows the Dude as he becomes entangled in the life of a man who has the same name. (Available for rent and purchase on multiple platforms.)

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

Kevin Smith's 2001 comedy oozes cannabis culture, as he and Jason Mewes star as pot-selling burnouts who try to ruin a big-screen adaptation of a comic that's based on their lives. Ben Affleck plays one of the creators of the comic. (Available to stream on Netflix and Hollywood Suite GO, and for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Getting "blitzed out" and buying burgers are the goals for the characters of John Cho and Kal Penn in this Danny Leiner-directed 2004 comedy. Neil Patrick Harris plays an alternate version of himself, causing trouble for the two as they desperately try to satisfy their munchies. (Available to stream on Netflix, and for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

Pineapple Express

Rogen takes his onscreen stoner persona from Knocked Up to new heights in this David Gordon Green-directed 2008 comedy. He plays a pot-loving process server who becomes entangled in a crime after trying the "dopest dope" at the apartment of his dealer, played by James Franco. (Available to stream on Amazon Prime, Netflix Canada, TMN Go, and for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.)

This is the End

Rogen hits the herb once again in this 2013 apocalyptic comedy, which he wrote, co-produced and directed with Evan Goldberg. Rogen and an ensemble cast play fictionalized versions of themselves. (Available to stream on Netflix, and for rent/purchase on multiple platforms.) 

A majority of physicians are in favor of legalizing marijuana nationwide, according to a newly published survey, and an even bigger supermajority back allowing medical cannabis.

The results of the poll, which was conducted by Medscape Medical News, also show strong support for marijuana reforms from other medical professionals like nurses, pharmacists and psychologists, as well as those working in health business and administration.

Here’s how the healthcare professionals responded to the question, “Should Recreational Marijuana Be Legalized Nationally?”

Physicians: 53% support

Health Business/Administration: 72% support

Nurses: 57% support

Pharmacists: 54% support

Psychologists: 61% support

And when asked, “Should Medical Marijuana Be Legalized Nationally?” they replied as follows:

Physicians: 67% support

Health Business/Administration: 88% support

Nurses: 82% support

Pharmacists: 71% support

Psychologists: 82% support

In no category did less than a majority of medical professionals support legalizing recreational or medical marijuana.

The survey, which MedScape launched in May and published on Wednesday, also asked respondents in states with legal medical cannabis whether they recommend it to patients.

Fifty-nine percent of physicians said they have recommended medical marijuana, while 59 percent of nurses and 52 percent of pharmacists said the same.

The poll, which included responses from 417 physicians, 1,054 nurses, 171 people in health business or administration, 79 pharmacists and 79 psychologists, found that minorities of each category personally engage in cannabis consumption.

Broader polling in recent years has consistently shown that a growing majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana, and the new MedScape results indicate that medical professionals’ views on cannabis laws do not significantly differ from those of the general population.

Find out why these are the top contenders for countries most likely to legalize cannabis.

Thirty states already have some form of legal cannabis law. In Canada, recreational cannabis is about to become legal for adult-use coast to coast. While it’s hard to definitively say which countries will follow suit in legalizing cannabis, these five are a safe bet. 

Colombia

David Ponce, Psychologist at the Colombian Cannabis Community and one of the organizers of the Marijuana March. As Ponce passed through the crowd, onlookers cheered and some even stuffed his pockets full of cannabis to show their appreciation for his advocacy work. Colombia is certainly one of the top 5 countries most likely to legalize cannabis next.

In Colombia, the push to legalize cannabis isn’t only a result of the widespread support and grassroots organizing. In 2016, then-president Juan Manuel Santos enacted a legal medical cannabis law as part of an effort to end the country’s over 50-year civil war.

Rural Colombian farmers have long been extorted into helping guerrilla groups—like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)—to grow illicit crops like cannabis, which are sold to fund their movement. President Santos hoped that legalizing medical cannabis farms would throw a wrench in these guerrilla groups’ drug trafficking operations. With homicide rates at an all-time low, the plan seems to be working.

While only certain forms of medical cannabis are currently legal in Colombia (i.e. extracts and oils), citizens are also legally allowed to grow up to 20 plants in their own home for personal use.

However, Colombia recently elected a new, conservative president, Iván Duque Márquez, which could slow down legalization efforts. Still, with legal medical cannabis in place, and plenty of grassroots support—over 100,000 people recently participated in Medellín’s annual Marijuana March protest—Colombia is at least on the trajectory to become one of the five countries most likely to legalize cannabis.

Jamaica

Cannabis growing in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica. 

No other country is more connected to cannabis than Jamaica, making it an obvious choice for one of the countries most likely to legalize cannabis. Anyone who lives or has visited Jamaica will find cannabis access so bountiful that it almost comes as a surprise that it’s still illegal.

And yet, legal cannabis is making progress in Jamaica.

In 2015, Jamaica amended its cannabis laws to decriminalize cannabis possession, permit the cultivation of five or less plants, and allow those who practice Rastafarianism to use cannabis for religious purposes. Jamaica also legalized medical cannabis, and in March of this year, the country’s very first medical cannabis dispensary was opened in St. Ann.

Among other economic possibilities, Jamaica sees cannabis legalization as a potential source of “wellness tourism.”

As more countries begin to relax their cannabis laws, and with the international Caribbean Community (CARICOM) also considering a widespread relaxation of cannabis laws among Caribbean nations, it seems unlikely that cannabis prohibition is destined to remain in Jamaica for much longer.

Spain

People celebrating the Global Marijuana March demanding regulation for Marijuana.

While recreational cannabis is illegal in Spain, the country is home to one of the most thriving cannabis communities in Europe. It is currently decriminalized to cultivate and possess cannabis for personal use in Spain. And while selling and importing cannabis is still a punishable offense, buying and consuming it, even in public, is only considered a misdemeanor (similar to a traffic infraction).

This legal grey area has lead to the establishment of many cannabis consumption clubs in the country—roughly 500 in all—the first of which dates back to 1991. Some even refer to Spain as the “new Amsterdam.” With a title like that, it’s no wonder it’s considered one of the next countries most likely to legalize cannabis.

Portugal

In 2001, Portugal implemented one of the most radical drug policies in the world: the decriminalization of all drugs. Seventeen years later, Portugal’s drug policy remains one of the most liberal in the world. The policy has proven successful, with the country experiencing massive drops in HIV infections, heroin use, and drug-induced deaths.

The country has long been held up as an example of not only the benefits of liberal drug laws but also a counter-narrative to supporters of the “war on drugs,” who believe that the only way to decrease drug activity is to crack down harder.

While decriminalization is a lot different than legalization, the country is currently taking baby steps in that direction. This past June, a bill to legalize medical cannabis products received overwhelming parliamentary approval. The country is known for being an early adopter of radical drug policies and has seen the benefits of these policies first hand. What’s stopping Portugal from going all in and becoming one of the next countries most likely to legalize cannabis?

The United States 

San Francisco, California. April 20, 2018- Man with a blunt behind his ear partakes in festivities at the 420 festival at Hippie Hill, Golden Gate Park.

While cannabis remains federally classified as an illegal, Schedule I drug, according to some reports, 95 percent of the U.S. population already lives in a state that grants some form of legal access to cannabis.

The country is facing unprecedented health and social crises, namely the opioid overdose epidemic and mass incarceration. Legal cannabis has been cited as a partial solution to both problems. This has lead to a surge in support for cannabis reform, which has become a significant campaign issue in major elections, such as New York’s gubernatorial race. Here, in one of the most populous and economically large states in the country, the Democratic Party has even added cannabis legalization to their platform. And in California, the most populous state, which by far produces the country’s highest GDP (and constitutes the fifth largest economy in the world), recreational cannabis is already legal.

So what’s stopping the United States from going all-in for legal cannabis? If the right administration were to take power, not much.

While the Trump administration is full of hardline cannabis prohibitionists, like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has slowed federal progress on cannabis reform, that could change rapidly if a new, pro-cannabis administration were to take power in 2020.

Already, some of the most likely contenders for the 2020 presidential election have lined up in support of legal cannabis, which has become a powerful campaign promise in recent years. As a result, some have already made up their minds: the next Democrat to get into office will legalize cannabis.

A few months after California legalized recreational use of marijuana, the Desert Hot Springs Inn in the Coachella Valley began advertising itself as cannabis friendly — a place where guests can smoke by the pool or heat up a vaporizer in the rooms.

What surprised innkeeper John Thatcher was not only that business improved by as much as 50 percent but that most of his pot-smoking guests were upper-income baby boomers.

“It was not your basement stoner crowd,” he said.

Like the rest of California, the hospitality industry in the state has moved slowly and tentatively to embrace the use of cannabis on a widespread basis. Desert Hot Springs Inn is one of only a handful of hotels in the Golden State to openly welcome smoking, vaping and otherwise enjoying pot on their properties.

Cannabis advocates and some hotel industry experts say that it is only a matter of time before vaping rooms and pot-smoking patios become as much a part of hotels as fully stocked mini fridges and cocktail bars.

“We are seeing more of it with independent hotels embracing it,” said Lynn Mohrfeld, chief executive of the California Hotel and Lodging Assn. “It’s not going away.”

He said the trade group has been getting an increasing number of calls from hotel operators in California asking the same question: What do we tell hotel guests when they ask for a recommendation for a nearby cannabis dispensary?

The group has yet to decide how its members should handle such a request, Mohrfeld said.

“I think there is an interest in this,” he said. “We should get on it sooner rather than later.”

There is definite interest from Max Groso, a Miami landlord who said he has visited the Desert Hot Springs Inn twice in the past few months on business trips.

“I love that I don’t have to worry when I smoke, and I go into that little area in the back,” he said of a patio area at the inn. “It’s very relaxing especially in the evening as the sun is going down.”

Groso said he looks forward to the day when cannabis will be as accepted at hotels as coffee, tea and wine.

“It may take a while,” he said.

In California, 57 percent of voters approved Proposition 64 last year, requiring the state to begin issuing licenses to sell recreational pot starting Jan. 1.

Smoking marijuana is prohibited anywhere conventional cigarettes are banned. The state prohibits smoking of any kind in bars, restaurants and other public places; some local laws are even tougher.

Chevyn (CQ) McClintock enjoys a joint on the back patio at the pot friendly Desert Hot Springs Inn on June 15, 2018 in Desert Hot Springs, California. (Gina Ferazzi/Los AngelesTimes/TNS)

Although small independent hotels like the Desert Hot Springs Inn are more likely to accept marijuana smokers, the big chain hotels remain resistant to the idea, industry experts said.

The primary reason for the hesitancy is the fear that pot-friendly hotels will scare away guests with children in tow or business travelers who are paying with a corporate expense account.

Some experts say cannabis smoke will create a cost burden because it will force the owners of cannabis-friendly hotels to pay to clean the smoke residue from curtains and bedsheets.

“I think you are talking about a real niche kind of thing,” said Carl Winston, director of the school of hospitality and tourism management at San Diego State University. “I can’t imagine it on a large-scale basis.”

He added that a global hotel chain that allows cannabis use in California would probably develop a pot-friendly reputation that might hurt business at the hotels it operates in countries where marijuana is illegal.

“The downside is singularly larger than the upside,” Winston said.

Don’t tell that to those hotels that have dubbed themselves cannabis friendly. They say occupancy rates have shot up since they put out the word that guests can light up without fear of condemnation.

At the Hicksville Pines Bud and Breakfast in Idyllwild, business has picked up about 30 percent since its owner Morgan Night converted the quirky 10-room lodge earlier this year into a cannabis-centric property that features a room adorned with blacklight posters and a snack-filled vending machine.

“The vending machine loves it because it gets raided frequently,” he said. “Overall it’s been great.”

Night also operates the Hicksville Trailer Palace and Artist Retreat in Joshua Tree — a motel that houses guests in trailers with names like “The Fi Fi” and “The Pony.” Instead of finding a mint on the pillows, guests of the palace are likely to find a small pot sample.

“People like free stuff,” he said, noting that it is now legal in the state to give an adult over 21 up to an ounce of pot as a gift.

Night said he isn’t done yet with his burgeoning pot empire. He hopes to one day get a permit to build a cannabis dispensary and a cafe near his Idyllwild property.

So far, only a handful of motels in California openly advertise themselves as accepting cannabis smokers.

But marijuana advocates say many hotels and inns are quietly letting it be known in pot-smoking circles that they tolerate smoking on their properties.

“They don’t want to be recognized openly,” said Mike Eymer, chief executive and founder of Colorado Cannabis Tours, which list cannabis-friendly hotels in Denver, California and Las Vegas. “They want discreet bookings.”

Among Eymer’s list of cannabis-friendly hotels in Los Angeles is a property that is described only as a “420 Friendly Boutique Hotel in West Hollywood.” (The “420” reference is a widely accepted code for marijuana.) The photos on the page seem to identify the property as the Moment Hotel on Sunset Boulevard.

Dan Brannan, the general manager of the 39-room Moment Hotel, said his property allows smoking — of cigarettes, cigars, pipes and cannabis — on the 2,000-square-foot rooftop lounge but not in any of the rooms or indoor common areas where non-smokers and children might be exposed.

“What sometimes happens is people are saying I’m pot-friendly, but I’m not really pot-friendly,” he said, adding that a better description is “pot-tolerant.”

Brannan said marijuana smokers tend to be pretty mellow customers.

“Pot smokers are not out there being screamers,” he said. “I’d rather have pot smokers than alcoholics and drunks.”

At the Desert Hot Springs Inn, Thatcher has visions of expanding his tiny nine-room hotel to become a mini pot resort.

The hotel already offers a pool filled with mineral water — set at 85 degrees — and hot tub — set at 105 degrees. Plus he has a massage room, where guests can get a rubdown with a cannabis extract oil. The guests typically smoke around a fire pit and a shaded patio that looks out onto the San Jacinto Mountains, but they are also allowed to heat up a vaporizer in their rooms.

The hotel sits on nine acres of land, with a large section that remains undeveloped. Thatcher has notions of one day adding an upscale restaurant or a “bud bar” where guests can buy cannabis. For now, he directs his guests, who hail from as far away as Chicago and Miami, to a pot dispensary down the road.

“It’s a big thing for them to come here and have the stigma of smoking be gone,” Thatcher said. “I haven’t had a problem renting out rooms.”

© 2018 Los Angeles Times. Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. By Hugo Martin.

Sacramento — California school districts could decide whether to allow their K-12 students who use cannabis for medical conditions to consume it on campus under a bill passed by the state Legislature on Monday and headed to Gov. Jerry Brown.

SB1127, by Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, would allow school districts to adopt policies allowing students with special needs or severe disabilities to use medical cannabis on campus. The bill does not require school districts to create policies but permits them to decide if they want to allow it.

Under the bill, a parent or guardian could administer medical marijuana to their child as long as it is in a nonsmoking, nonvaping form while on campus. The cannabis could not be stored at the school.

If Brown signs the bill, California would become the eighth state to allow students to use medical marijuana at school, joining Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey and Washington.

The bill, called Jojo’s Act, is named after a South San Francisco High School student with a form of severe epilepsy who must be taken off campus so that his mother may give him a dose of cannabis oil, which prevents debilitating and life-threatening seizures.

SB1127 failed its first vote in the Assembly 39-24 after 17 lawmakers refused to vote on Thursday. After being granted reconsideration, the bill passed the Assembly 42-20 on Monday, with 18 lawmakers not voting. The Senate passed the bill 32-7 in May.

Hill said students who take a dose of medical cannabis at regular intervals are forced to miss additional school time because their parents are required to take them off campus to administer it.

The bill was introduced by Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta earlier this year and quickly passed through the house. Then on Wednesday, the bill passed the state’s senate with overwhelming support of 22-8.

The text of the bill specifies that the state Department of Justice is to examine cases that took place between 1975 and 2016 to check for eligibility. It is estimated that there are nearly 220,000 cases which will either be eligible for a full expungement or a reduction from felony to misdemeanor.

The vast majority of the state’s prosecutors have been dragging their feet on the matter, insisting that they do not have time to review the cases.

Bakersfield Now reported that San Francisco County District Attorney George Gascon is one of a few prosecutors who took a special interest in reviewing these cases, and by himself, he found 3,000 misdemeanor convictions which were eligible for erasure and another 5,000 more felony cases eligible for reductions.

“The voters are giving us, as elected officials and as public officials, a clear direction. They’re tired of the war on drugs, they do not believe that was the right path to follow, and now it’s up to us to ensure that we not only implement the letter of the law, but also the spirit of the law. We want to address the wrongs that were caused by the failures of the war on drugs for many years in this country, and begin to fix some of the harm that was done, not only to the entire nation but specifically to communities of color and many others,” Gascon said.

The process will take no hearings, people will not have to hire attorneys, they will never have to come to our courts. Everything will be done proactively here, by the DA’s office,” Gascon added.

Jeff Sheehy, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, applauded the district attorney’s office for removing a “significant barrier” that people had to go through to get their convictions expunged themselves. “By proactively doing this, I think you’ve taken a huge burden off of people who, frankly, were unjustly convicted and unjustly arrested,”Sheehy said.

Similar measures are being passed all over the country, even on the east coast in places like New York.

The legalization of cannabis does raise many interesting legal questions for those caught in the system who still face obstacles in their lives because of cannabis charges. Even when cannabis laws change, if someone is behind bars for charges related to the plant, they are still considered a criminal and “lawbreaker” by the establishment, and it will require additional legal or legislative action to free them.

Additionally, people with cannabis charges on their record may still face additional difficulty while getting a job. If the plant is legal then there is no reason for these people to suffer any longer, retroactively expunging these charges is the only humane option.

CBD gummies and edibles have become monumentally popular in recent times due to positive results concerning the medical benefits of cannabis. These gummies are not another health fad or candy, but instead they’re the tastiest way to enjoy the natural benefits of cannabis without experiencing a high. CBD gummies and edibles are also legal in every state. Need more convincing on why you should try them? Here are 10 reasons why you should stop what you’re doing and treat yourself to natural CBD goodness today!

CBD Gummies Won’t Get You High

What are CBD edibles? Why don’t these gummies get you high? These are common questions that people just like you ask themselves before they give CBD gummies and edibles a try. You may have heard that CBD provides natural health benefits, but some people are hesitant to try them because they incorrectly assume that they will feel high since CBD is found in cannabis.

CBD, scientifically known as cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis and hemp plants. There are over 60 cannabinoids specific to these plants. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is the cannabinoid in cannabis that is responsible for the high associated with smoking marijuana.

Most CBD gummies and edibles have insignificant trace amounts of THC, which is why they are incapable of getting you high. Companies like Medix CBD offer a wide range of delicious CBD gummies for sale that are made from all-natural hemp. These types of edibles also contain other beneficial cannabinoids like CBN and CBG, which won’t get you high either.

Legal in All 50 States

CBD gummies and edibles are legal nationwide if they contain no more than 0.3% THC. The 2014 Farm Bill allowed state-authorized hemp research programs to be conducted. These programs cultivated over 25,000 acres of hemp which have been used to make millions of CBD edibles! This was a step in the right direction since hemp had been illegal in the United States for the past 80 years.

The updated 2018 Farm Bill will completely remove hemp from the DEA’s list of controlled substances which will put an end to any question about the legality of the plant.

Naturally Interacts with Endocannabinoid System

Unlike synthetic medicines, CBD gummies and edibles work naturally with our body’s endocannabinoid system which regulates our physiology, mood, and overall wellbeing. Scientists gave the endocannabinoid system its name after it was discovered while researching cannabis.

Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found in the brain as well as other parts of the body. CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system naturally by binding with these receptors which helps regulate our body even more!

CBD Is All Natural

CBD gummies can be a delicious all-natural remedy if they come from a trusted company like Medix CBD! Because the FDA doesn’t regulate CBD, it’s up to you to find out where the CBD used to make your infused edibles comes from. Here are a few things to look for:

First, ensure your CBD gummies contain less than 0.3% THC. If it’s higher than this, your CBD edibles can be considered marijuana which remains illegal at the federal level. Next, check that your infused edibles have gone through third party testing. Most importantly, learn about how the manufacturer extracted the CBD. You want them to use a process called CO2 Extraction, which means that there aren’t any chemical residues in the product.

CBD Gummies for Anxiety & Depression

CBD edibles and gummies are frequently used by people with mild anxiety, stress, and sleeping disorders. The Anxiety Association of America states that anxiety disorders are the most common type of mental illness in the United States.

Anxiety disorders can affect people of all ages and may cause people to live their day to day lives feeling overwhelmed and stressed. This can lead people to depression and may worsen their anxiety over time.

Courtesy of Medix CBD

CBD Gummies for Pain

One of the key benefits of CBD is its ability to help reduce pain and inflammation in a natural way. Pain is usually felt due to some form of inflammation, so CBD gummies can be taken to help lower these painful sensations.

Medical studies have shown that CBD can reduce chronic pain and may help cope with chemotherapy discomfort. Some experts believe that orally ingested CBD, like CBD gummies, is great for persistent pain because of its long-lasting effects.

CBD Gummies May Help Stop Cancer from Spreading

Although CBD research remains in its early stages, there is evidence that CBD could potentially stop cancer cells from spreading. According to the National Library of Medicine, scientists have reported that CBD may slow growth and/or kill certain types of cancer cells. However, doctors do not recommend that you solely use CBD as treatment.

CBD Gummies May Suppress Nausea & Vomiting

If nausea is something that you experience often, CBD gummies could be the solution! CBD has been very popular among cancer patients as an anti-nausea medication. A study published by the British Pharmacological Society found that CBD effectively regulated nausea for a variety of different mammals.

Other types of edibles can have a harsh taste that could potentially increase nausea, but CBD edibles and gummies are small and delicious. Medix CBD offers a vast variety of delicious CBD gummies for sale that can put an end to nausea and vomiting for good!

CBD Gummies for Preventative Care

Even if you are a relatively healthy person, CBD gummies are an easy way stay that way! Not everybody that consumes CBD gummies and edibles has a health condition. Not only can they treat already diagnosed conditions, but these gummies may prevent future health problems as well.

CBD edibles are popular with people in their twenties and thirties that take them for preventative care. Consumers love that they can get all the medical benefits of cannabis without the high in delicious treats and candies.

Medix CBD edibles are available in a multitude of great-tasting flavors and come in fun colors and shapes such as gummy bears, sour snakes, and rainbow bites! People usually take one CBD gummy a day either in the morning or at night before bed. Medix CBD gummies have generated favorable reviews throughout the nation and are made from all-natural industrial hemp.

Courtesy of Medix CBD

Keeping Healthy Has Never Tasted So Good

CBD gummies and edibles are not only an alternative to synthetic medications that could cause unwanted side effects but also to other forms of CBD that may not be very appealing to some people. CBD edibles can be purchased in mouthwatering flavors that will make you forget that they’re healthy. Medix CBD gummy bears, rainbow bites, and sour snakes are just a few of the different types of CBD infused edibles available on the Medix website! Get your CBD edibles online today!

Today, the CBD market is one of the fastest sectors of the cannabis industry for one reason: it works. Of course, if you have a medical condition, please consult a doctor first. CBD is not regulated by the FDA and research, though promising, is not conclusive on all its effects.

Brooke Adams, 5, has suffered from seizures her whole life. On Monday, she attended her first day of kindergarten — after a judge issued a ruling that she could be given medical cannabis while at public school.

Brooke has Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy that causes frequent seizures, according to NBC. She’s treated with daily doses of CBD tincture and a “rescue drug made of cannabis oil that’s high in THC,” according to KQED. A rescue drug can help stop seizures once they start.

Her mother, Jana Adams, told the Press-Democrat that Brooke has to have the THC oil with her at all times.

Brooke’s local school district, the Rincon Valley Union School District, would not let her bring her medicine on campus because possession of marijuana, regardless if it’s medical or recreational, is prohibited within 1,000 feet of public schools, according to both California’s Proposition 64, which legalized recreational marijuana in the state, and federal law, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

But the district’s stance means they’re not following laws that mandate accommodations for disabled students, attorneys for Brooke’s family said, according to the Press-Democrat.

The California Office of Administrative Hearings’ Special Education Division heard the case on July 25 and should issue a ruling by mid-November, according to the Press-Democrat.

The judge, Charles Marson, granted an order allowing Brooke to go to kindergarten and take her medication to class until the final ruling is issued, the Press-Democrat reported. The order also says the district will provide a nurse to give the medication to Brooke if she needs it.

Jana Adams told KQED that her daughter started having traumatic seizures at age 3 1/2 months. The longest seizure lasted three hours, she told the radio station, and Brooke was on a list of prescribed medications by her first birthday.

Brooke was issued a medical marijuana card when she was just over a year old, NBC reported, and her mother says that she now has fewer seizures, thanks to her medication.

Cathy Myhers, the assistant superintendent for student services at the Rincon Valley Union School District, told KQED that if the district violates the federal prohibition on having marijuana in public schools, they could lose federal funding.

“If we can’t provide her that rescue medication, we can’t serve her on a public campus,” Myhers told KQED in January, adding that the district feels like “our hands are tied.”

“Federal and state law require the district to assist a student with a disability with taking medication if such medication is necessary so that the student can attend school,” Myhers told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“Rincon Valley would like to see the restrictions changed so that students with disabilities who require medical marijuana to be administered during the school day per a physician’s (recommendation) can attend appropriate public school campuses, just as any other student would be able to do,” Myhers said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

“If we’re really looking for what’s in the best interest of the child, we’re not asking the school to do anything evasive. It’s essentially doing something that a parent feels comfortable doing at home,” Dr. Joseph Sullivan, director of the Pediatric Epilepsy Center at UCSF’s Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, told the San Francisco Chronicle.

California doesn’t currently have legislation in place that allows children to use medical marijuana at school, but other states, including Colorado, Maine and New Jersey, allow students to use cannabis in school for specific medical reasons.

n the newest development on the cannabis legislation front, Chuck Schumer introduced a bill to federally decriminalize marijuana. Although his proposal would not make weed fully legal, it could be a significant step toward relaxing national prohibition laws.

Chuck Schumer’s New Bill

New York Senator Chuck Schumer introduced a new bill yesterday. The centerpiece of the bill is a proposal to remove cannabis from the DEA’s list of Schedule I controlled substances.

De-scheduling marijuana would effectively decriminalize weed by moving into a much less severe category. Cannabis would still technically be illegal, but moving it out of its current Schedule I classification would dramatically change the way federal prohibition laws would be enforced.

Interestingly, that’s not the only change Rep. Schumer’s bill would make. It would reportedlyalso introduce a handful of other changes. If the bill is passed into law it would:

• Establish funds specifically for marijuana businesses owned by women and marijuana business owners of color.
• Set aside $750 million for highway safety programs and other public health projects.
• Allow the Treasury Department to regulate certain aspects of cannabis advertisingand marketing.
• Set up around $100 million in grants to help expunge criminal records of folks who have been convicted in the past for marijuana-related crimes.

As announced by Sen. Schumer, the bill is being co-sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders, from Vermont, Sen. Tim Kaine, from Virginia, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, from Illinois.

For those involved with the bill, it’s all about addressing problems with how weed laws are enforced. More specifically, some lawmakers see it as a way to confront racial disparities in drug policing.

“Far too many Americans are currently incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses,” said Sen. Duckworth. “And they are disproportionally people of color, despite the fact that African Americans and Caucasians use marijuana at the same rates.”

The Bigger Picture

One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Bernie Sanders, has been a longtime supporter of legalization. In fact, his home state of Vermont legalized cannabis earlier this year. Now, the state’s new recreational laws are set to go into effect on July 1.

Recently, Vermont has taken additional legal steps. In particular, it is looking at the possibility of expunging prior marijuana convictions. All told, this could potentially clear around 3,000 people of misdemeanor charges.

While many states continue changing their own local laws, things are more complicated at the national level. For starters, the Trump administration has introduced a lot of confusion.

On the one hand, Trump himself has so far steered clear of directly interfering with state laws about weed. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been a longtime opponent of cannabis.

Sessions has a long history of making off-the-wall comments about the dangers of marijuana. And he’s repeatedly hinted at initiating a federal crackdown on weed-legal states.

At the beginning of the year, he rescinded an Obama-era directive that restricted federal agents from interfering with state laws regarding marijuana.

All in all, it remains unclear where the current administration stands. Certainly, nothing has been to move any closer toward federal legalization.

Sen. Schumer’s bill isn’t the only proposal to call for changes to federal marijuana laws. Earlier this year, Rep. Barbara Lee introduced to the House a bill calling for the national legalization of marijuana.

Her bill was a companion piece to similar legislation proposed last fall in the Senate by Sen. Cory Booker. That bill, called the Marijuana Justice Act, called for sweeping changes to federal prohibition laws.

Taking a tolerance break while job searching, just in case they drug test? This may no longer be necessary with the introduction of a bill that seeks to end the denial and termination of employees who test positive for cannabis.

With the legalization of marijuana spreading from state to state – with 31 states and D.C. having legalized medical marijuana and 9 states having legalized adult use – finding employees that can pass a drug test is only going to get more difficult. This issue was raised previously by former FBI director James Comey back in 2014 – but now a real solution may soon be in place.

This week, a new federal bill called the Fairness in Federal Drug Testing Under State Laws Act (also known as HR 6589) was introduced by U.S. Representative Charlie Crist. The bill, as its name states, would end employment discrimination based solely on marijuana use in states where it is legal. With bipartisan support, as well as the support of several national cannabis advocacy organizations, this bill may be the first concrete protection from workplace discrimination for medical cannabis users.

“Medical marijuana is an issue of compassion, and in the veterans’ community, access is even more important as more and more veterans are turning to cannabis to address chronic pain and PTSD. At the same time, the federal government is the largest employer of veterans; however, private cannabis use even in states that have legalized medical marijuana is prohibited in these positions,” said Congressman Charlie Crist (D-FL).

While this legislation would be beneficial to anyone hoping to work for a government agency, one of the main reasons for the bill is to protect veterans’ abilities to gain employment, regardless of whether they medicate with marijuana. At least one-third of all federal employees are veterans, and veterans also tend to use medical marijuana at higher rates than the general public due to its effectiveness in treating both post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.

“Our bipartisan bill would protect federal employment for those in compliance with their state’s cannabis laws. Because our veterans shouldn’t have to choose between treatment options or job opportunities.”

While individual states have taken measures to reform employment laws when it comes to drug testing for marijuana, this would ensure that anywhere medical marijuana is legal, its use will not prevent employment. People should never be forced to choose between a job and the medication that works best for them – especially when that medication may make doing their job more possible.

In November 2016, California voters went to the polls and approved Proposition 64, the measure that legalized the adult possession, cultivation and sale of cannabis. One of the predictable by-products of that vote is that arrests for marijuana offenses have fallen dramatically in just the last 2 years.

In fact, according to new data from the U.S. Attorney General’s Office, total marijuana arrests in California fell from almost 14,000 in 2016 to a little over 6,000 in 2017 – a 56% drop. When you look at the numbers for felony cannabis offense arrests, you see those fell from almost 8,000 in 2016 to a little over 2,000 in 2017, a decline of 74%.

When the numbers are broken down in terms of demographics, we see that Hispanics take the brunt of enforcement. From California NORML:

Whites accounted for 24% of felony arrests, while Hispanics (40%) and African-Americans (21%) were again disproportionately arrested. The greatest percentage of felony arrests were for those aged 20-29 (39%, or 815 arrests); this age bracket was the most arrested for all ethnic groups.

Misdemeanor arrests break down much the same way, with Hispanics accounting for 46% of those arrests. In terms of age, some 45% of misdemeanor arrests were of those under 18 years old.

Of course, even under legalization, as long as there are restrictions on amounts, on who can sell and grow, etc., there are going to be some arrests.

Total marijuana arrests in California have been falling since 2012, mainly as a result of the possession of small amounts of cannabis being decriminalized in 2011, meaning those citations no longer showed up in the arrest numbers. Prior to that – in 2009 – marijuana arrests in the state reached a peak not seen since the late 1970s, with almost 80,000 total arrests.

Imagine how much time and resources are saved in a year by law enforcement in CA arresting 6,000 people for marijuana as opposed to the 80,000 just 8 years earlier. That’s 74,000 fewer useless arrests in the space of 12 months.

Those numbers will continue to approach zero in states like California until we get to a point where marijuana arrests are no more common than arrests for bootleg cigarettes or moonshine. And this is as it should be; those who grow, sell and possess marijuana are not infringing on the rights of anyone else and they should never have been treated like criminals in the first place.

Jul 25, 2018 - Study reveals specific data and stats to prove that cannabis is successfully replacing Schedule III opioid prescriptions.

What a shocker! Once more, researchers have proven that in areas where medical cannabis is legal, opioid prescriptions have dramatically decreased. The study, published July 10th of this year, looked specifically at the United States and examined rates of opioid prescriptions versus cannabis prescriptions to understand the effects on Medicaid expenses.

This study simply backs up others that have also demonstrated that reduces the use of opioids. This doesn’t make the recent study any less important though – the more studies available, the more evidence to prove, beyond a doubt, the effects of the plant. For scientific accuracy, it’s critical for researchers to study time and again, using a variety of methods and sample sizes, to ensure previous outcomes weren’t misread or skewed.

The Study

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of California and Weill Cornell Medical College and was published in the journal Addiction. The researchers examined the effects of medical cannabis on opioid prescriptions from 1993 to 2014.

They discovered that legalization of medical cannabis reduced Schedule III opioid prescriptions by 30%, though appeared to have no effect on the stronger Schedule II opioids. The pain relief achieved through cannabis is similar to that of Codeine, a Schedule III, but does not appear to be able to treat much more severe pain like that associated with the prescription of Schedule II opioids. Unfortunately for many on this class of drugs, it does not seem likely that cannabis will replace their opioids any time soon – but further research is required.

But that 30% goes a long way. Researchers concluded that the reduction in opioid prescriptions saves $7.46 million every year in federal spending for Medicaid and a further $6.54 million for state spending. This makes sense – on top of being less harmless and non-addictive, cannabis is much cheaper than opioid prescriptions.

The study then went on to state that had every state ‘legalized medical cannabis by 2014, Medicaid annual spending on opioid prescriptions would be reduced by 17.8 million dollars.’ Well, there’s no going back in time to fix that but looking forward, those financial projections can be used as a carrot to influence politicians towards legalization.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Canada is a slightly different model than the United States, having a completely different healthcare system in place. However, there’s no doubt that savings would be had on a federal, provincial, and personal level if prescribing medical cannabis became the norm (over opioids). Research needs to be conducted to understand the effects and outcomes of medical cannabis on opioid prescription in Canada. And as legalization offers greater opportunities for funding, hopefully, we will gain better insight into the effects of cannabis in upcoming years.

Other than that, it’s about tackling the ways to emphasize the analgesic effects of cannabis. It is a very effective painkiller, but many patients report that cannabis is just not enough for severe pain. An interesting problem, however, exists for patients that are using opioids and cannabis at the same time – the opioids can interfere with the binding of cannabinoids to CB1 and CB2 receptors. This means that the presence of opioids could actually reduce the effectiveness of cannabis medicine. Thus, the reports may not be entirely accurate.

Another shift that needs to happen is that of doctors using cannabis as a frontline medicine by allowing patients to try it first.  Many doctors still go for the go-to prescription of opioids. Be sure to advocate for yourself. Ask for cannabis. Try it first and see if it can effectively manage your pain. You will be saving yourself money and a probably lifetime addiction.

By rxleaf.com

Much of California’s cannabis industry was consumed Friday with reading and rereading the 315 pages of draft regulations issued by the three state agencies that oversee the state’s multibillion-dollar marijuana market.

The proposed rules, issued Friday, shed light on the direction regulators are headed in assembling a final regulatory framework for the largest marijuana market in the world.

Initial analysis by two industry experts suggests that the biggest highlights to an earlier set of emergency rules involve delivery, packaging, edibles and concentrates.

Among the key changes, the draft rules:

• Allow marijuana products to be delivered into any jurisdiction in California, a move that will expand the market for delivery companies and allow MJ businesses to serve more consumers.
• Permit an increase in potency for some manufactured edible products.
• Update the requirements covering child-resistant packaging for products.

“There’s some pretty monumental stuff in there,” said Khurshid Khoja, a veteran industry attorney who had an opportunity to scan through the Bureau of Cannabis Control’s (BCC) rules.

Legislative advocate Max Mikalonis, of Sacramento-based K Street Consulting, echoed Khoja’s sentiment and said the draft regulations – which are the highly anticipated first peek at permanent regulations – are a step forward because they help clarify many questions posed by companies.

“Each set of regulations has tried to be more clear than the previous set,” Mikalonis said.

The entire California industry has been operating under emergency regulations since they were first issued last November, but state law mandates that the rules must be finalized by the end of 2018.

In addition to the BCC, the other two agencies involved in rulemaking are the Department of Public Health and the Department of Food and Agriculture.

Neither Khoja nor Mikalonis had time to closely review the Department of Food and Agriculture’s new regulations.

However, the agency left in place a controversial loophole allowing for no limits on “small” cultivation licenses for any given business, in essence allowing for huge commercial-scale grow facilities.

There were also a host of clarification changes in the regulations, “tinkering around the edges,” as Mikalonis put it, to help smooth out operations for companies.

Delivery win

The biggest change, according to Mikalonis and Khoja, was an explicit clarification from the Bureau that allows cannabis delivery into any jurisdiction in California.

“That’s a big win,” Mikalonis said.

More than 400 municipalities or counties had banned medical or recreational cannabis companies or both, according to the industry website CannaRegs, essentially forcing consumers from those areas to drive to a region in California that allows for marijuana commerce.

The step will dramatically expand the marketplace and access to consumers for delivery companies, Khoja said.

“It’s also going to do wonders for … businesses that need more of an entry point into the industry,” Khoja said. “They don’t need to have the kind of bankroll you need to have for several cultivation licenses.

“You can get your foot in the door through these delivery-only retail licenses.”

Potency increase for some products

Mikalonis also pointed to a slight rollback on potency caps for manufactured products from the Department of Public Health, which will now allow some medical cannabis products (but not recreational) to have up to 500 milligrams per package, an increase from the previous limit of 100 milligrams per package.

However, it’s not a complete win for edibles companies. The 500-milligram potency applies only to “orally dissolving products” such as sublingual strips. And the doses still must be in 10-milligram increments.

That means 1,000-milligram brownies won’t be making a comeback anytime soon.

Packaging change

Another big course correction was on child-resistant packaging.

The BCC’s new rules state that exit packaging – the bags of products that consumers leave the store with – must be child-resistant, resealable and opaque, a switch from a previous requirement that all products be in their own child-resistant packages, Mikalonis said.

It’s another pivot that will be required of the industry, because many companies have already invested tens of thousands of dollars in child-resistant packaging for edibles, concentrates and other types of products.

“This would go and undo that,” Mikalonis said. “So for some folks who work on packaging or for some companies that spent heavily on their packaging, they may experience a bit of whiplash from how fast the proposed regs changed again.”

Clarification for distributors

Another indicator that regulators are listening to the industry, Khoja said, is language that clarifies that distributors are, for instance, allowed to manufacture pre-rolled joints.

“Those are the kinds of things distributors have been asking, ‘Can we do this, can we do this?’” Khoja said. “They’re accommodating some business practices that are just rational and make sense.”

Another such clarification was that distributors are also allowed to transport lab-tested product to other distributors and not only to retailers, Khoja noted.

Advertising questions

Khoja believes one of the areas that will have to be clarified further is what is allowed in advertising and on packaging, due to a vague prohibition on ads that may be appealing to minors.

One operator he knows was told by a regulator that a product package featuring an illustration of a piece of pizza was forbidden because it could be attractive to kids.

“That is a little bit broad, perhaps too broad,” Khoja said, “and there’s some subjectivity in what is likely to be appealing to minors.”

Clock still ticking

Mikalonis and Khoja agreed that the regulations are almost certain to evolve further as regulators receive feedback and are lobbied by industry insiders.

The only question is, to what extent will the rules change?

“It could be another big business cost if the packaging rules keep on changing,” Mikalonis warned.

The biggest takeaway, from Khoja’s point of view, is that licensed operators need to get involved before the regulations are set in stone.

“If all goes well, we should see these permanent regs adopted before year’s end. But between now and then, there are going to be comment periods,” he said.

Below are links to the draft rules from the three regulatory agencies:

From the Bureau of Cannabis Control:

• Text of the new proposed regulations
• Summary of the changes

From the Department of Food and Agriculture:

• Text of the new proposed regulations

From the Department of Public Health:

• Text of the new proposed regulations

John Schroyer can be reached at johns@mjbizdaily.com

Experienced cultivators have amassed treasure chests of incredible strains over the years. Here are some of our favorites. View top 25 strains list below.

How does one define an essential strain? Is it based on a strain’s strength or the way its smell hits your nose? Now more than ever, the cannabis consumer is educated, searching for the finest flower on the market and in a position to know exactly why they love what they’re smoking.

The Cannabis Now editorial team has spent years comparing the numerous strains we’ve smoked from around the world. We compiled this list to highlight many of the best from the modern era and a few timeless classics. This list doesn’t claim to determine the exact marijuana mountaintop, but rather to present a spectacular selection from the thousands of strains that have been produced since cannabis law reforms really got moving in the right direction with California’s Proposition 215in 1996.

While we spent plenty of time judging these strains, we know it’s nothing compared to the generations of time that master breeders have spent — under the threat of arrest — to progress the cannabis genome. Their lifetimes of effort are clear in the caliber of cannabis today, which all of the strains on this list have demonstrated whenever we’ve had the privilege of getting our hands on them.

Today, in states with legal adult use cannabis, these experienced cultivators are taking their efforts to the stratosphere now that they don’t have to protect themselves as they did under prohibition. Things are so good on the hunt for new strains nowadays that folks are popping thousands of the same seed in hopes of getting their hands on a golden ticket phenotype. So, while you’ll notice some new faces on this list that you might not have come across yet, we assure you they’re up to snuff.

Just as we did before we promised 3rd Generation Family’s Rozé would blow up before it placed second in the 2017 Emerald Cup and won the accompanying Breeder’s Cup, we’ve compared these strains against the fullest landscape possible. It wasn’t too hard to give Rozé a stamp of approval, given its mother is Zkittlez, which was among the top strains of the last few years and arguably the most hyped cut on the planet since the original Girl Scout Cookies pheno many years ago. But then again, one could definitely argue Supernova Gardens’ Purple Punch is beginning to nip at Zkittlez’s heels, as every major U.S. pot publication selected Purple Punch as their Best Strain of 2017.

We definitely weren’t just going to toss something on this list because it tested 30 percent THC. In the same sense that 99.9 percent THC-A crystalline dabs aren’t that fun, there is a lot that more that goes into the cannabis plant than just THC, so our grouping assembles a very diverse palate of cannabinoids and terpenes.

For example, deep purples like Forbidden Fruit and God’s Gift will provide a grapey myrcene content, which brings along sweetness and some of the most narcotic, full-bodied highs of all. On the other end of that flavor and feeling spectrum is Durban Poison, which also made the list because of its legendary history. Famed Canadian author Dana Larsen wrote he bought more than two ounces of the South African classic for $12 Canadian while visiting Johannesburg in 1994. These days, a top-shelf eighth is likely still going to set you back $60 bucks, but luckily, you can still get your hands on this premium landrace sativa.

Much of the list contains far more balanced hybrids than the above examples. Cult classics like Mr. Sherbinski’s Mochi Gelato have a beautiful purple hue and a nice gassy overtone on top of an already complex smell. For an even deeper adventure into terpenes like pinene and humulene, Titan OG and Sour Headband will have you mistaking the jar for a gas station after you pop it open the first time.

On this list, you’ll see plenty of awards winners with accolades from every newspaper, magazine and sesh imaginable. But in the end, no matter the trophy, title or accolade, it’s all great cannabis because it connects with us. We recognize it as special because it makes us feel special, and here at Cannabis Now, these 25 strains are definitely exceptional to us.

PHOTO T.C.

Roze

Type: Hybrid
 Hot Take: Rosewater terps.

PHOTO Martin Henderson

Gorilla Glue #4

Type: Sativa Hybrid
 Hot Take: Don’t let your fingers get stuck together!

PHOTO Wade Preble

Sirius Black

Type: Indica
 Hot Take: Oregon’s less drowsy purple.

PHOTO Dabsel

Sour Banana Sherbert

Type: 50/50 Hybrid
 Hot Take: The original Sour Diesel gets a flavor upgrade.

PHOTO Chris Romaine

Forbidden Fruit

Type: Indica Hybrid
 Hot Take: San Jose’s most famous strain!

PHOTO Northern Emeralds

Titan OG

Type: Indica Hybrid
 Hot Take: Smells like a gas station in the woods.

PHOTO Gracie Malley

Super Lemon Haze

Type: Sativa
 Hot Take: An Amsterdam classic and the best lemon strain ever.

PHOTO Dabsel

Do-Si-Dos

Type: 50/50 Hybrid
 Hot Take: A great high from the Cookies lineage.

PHOTO T.C.

Zkittlez

Type: Indica Hybrid
 Hot Take: Actually tastes like the rainbow.

PHOTO Jared Delello

Purple Punch

Type: Indica
 Hot Take: Strain of the Year 2017.

Jack Herer

Type: Sativa Hybrid
 Take: A classic ingredient.

PHOTO Ian Stout

Lemon Meringue

Type: Sativa
 Hot Take: Exotic Genetix’s Cookies and Cream sequel.

PHOTO Jared Delello

Wedding Cake

Type: Hybrid
 Hot Take: Cookies x Cherry Pie and a lot of cup wins.

PHOTO Dabsel

Tangie

Type: Sativa Hybrid
 Hot Take: Crockett Family Farm’s jewel, loaded with terpenes.

PHOTO Dabsel

Cherry Pie

Type: Hybrid
 Hot Take: South Africa meets NorCal Purple.

PHOTO Allie Beckett

Mochi Gelato

Type: Indica Hybrid
 Hot Take: One of the most developed lines of Gelato.

PHOTO Gracie Malley

Durban Poison

Type: Landrace Sativa
 Hot Take: A true smokable panic attack.

PHOTO Martin Henderson

Mimosa

Type: Hybrid
 Hot Take: Ultra-rare Chalice winner by Symbiotic Genetics.

PHOTO Gracie Malley

Raspberry Cookies

Type: Indica Hybrid
 Hot Take: Keepers of the Craft’s championship GSC x Cherry Pie.

PHOTO Gracie Malley

Sunset Sherbert

Type: Hybrid
 Hot Take: Accident from Sherbinksi’s grandma’s basement.

PHOTO Jared Delello

Sundae Driver

Type: Indica Hybrid
 Hot Take: $2,500 packs of seeds. Worth it!

PHOTO Martin Henderson

Kosher Kush

Type: Indica Hybrid
Hot Take: The LA Jewish Community brings the heat.

PHOTO Gracie Malley

Sour Headband

Type: Sativa Hybrid
 Hot Take: A more intense version of Headband, but Diesel lite for sure.

PHOTO Martin Clifford

Scooby Snacks

Type: Hybrid
 Hot Take: The best pairing of OG Kush and Cookies.

PHOTO Dankshire

God’s Gift

Type: Indica
 Hot Take: The Scorpion Crew’s outrageous purple.

By Jimi Devine from cannabisnow.com - Published on June 29, 2018

Ever heard of the Cannabis Trail?

Someday soon people will be able to download an app on their smartphones, hop in a car and visit 30-plus spots throughout Northern California to discover the rich history, unique people, and stories tied to the cannabis movement.

That’s a plan Brian Applegarth, a cannabis historian and tour operator, says is going to be a reality in the next few years.

Applegarth has been raising funds, interviewing artists, and building consensus to create the Cannabis Trail, planned as a self-guided, 640-mile-long tour running from Santa Cruz to Arcata.

The tour as currently envisioned would take roughly 14 hours of drive time, and include 30 to 50 monuments honoring cannabis pioneers, significant events, and folklore.

Applegarth, founder of the California Cannabis Tourism Association, and his partners have used out-of-pocket money for startup expenses to create the nonprofit foundation that will launch the trail. Their investment covers legal fees, filing fees, a website, a logo, and other marketing initiatives.

The operation is getting to a point where it soon can begin accepting donations.

“This in the early stages of raising this capital to achieve this plan to create a historical Cannabis Trail that can act as a teacher for us for the cannabis movement and all the nuanced, layered storytelling that exits in the movement,” Applegarth told Marijuana.com.

The foundation’s fundraising efforts over the next two years will enable Applegarth to begin lobbying state and local authorities for specific monument locations, with planned placements starting in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

He estimates the first phase will require roughly $250,000 in funding. His goal is to have the first three monuments placed by the fall of 2019, with the guided trail app released the following year.

Applegarth hopes the trail is someday well-traveled enough to become part of the Northern California identity.

“It’s conceptually supposed to live along the Napa Wine Road and Marin Cheese Trail,” he said.

Applegarth decided he wanted to build the trail in 2015 after he met with Dennis Peron, a leader in the legalization movement who in 1996 co authored California Proposition 215, which allowed the use of medical cannabis. Peron died Jan. 27, 2018, at the age of 72.

Applegarth is one of many who believes that legalizing medical marijuana set the stage for legal recreational use to follow.

“He’s [Peron] the reason that cannabis is legal right now,” Applegarth said.

Peron is one of the cannabis pioneers Applegarth plans to pay tribute to along the trail. Other pioneers Applegarth wants to include are Dr. Tod Mikuriya, a well-known psychiatrist and cannabis researcher, and Brownie Mary Jane Rathburn, a cannabis rights activist known for baking and distributing cannabis brownies to AIDS patients. Other prominent activists, lawyers, cultivators and writers are also set to be celebrated along the trail.

One planned trail stop is Café Flore, where Rathbun first met Peron in 1974 in San Francisco’s Castro district. It’s said they share a joint soon after their meeting.

The pair of activists supported each other, along with the movement, as well as helping one another earn a living. Rathbun earned extra income by selling her brownies on the street and out of her home, while Peron sold her brownies at his pot supermarket in the area.

Cazadero is another planned stop along the trail. That’s where Rathbun was arrested in 1992 for possession. Her case garnered national media coverage, and she was eventually acquitted thanks to a defense based on the medical necessity of what she was doing.

“She was an old woman in glasses who was promoting cannabis as medicine on the news,” Applegarth said. “When she got interviewed, it started shifting the narrative.”

Another stop planned stop on the trail is the Sonoma coast to commemorate the Hippie Trail, a path carved out by travelers in the 1960s and ’70s who headed to exotic locales such as Nepal, Afghanistan and Thailand, and collected different varietals of cannabis seeds and returned to Northern California to cultivate in the area’s good climate.

San Rafael, believed to be the birthplace of 420, is another likely part of the trail.

Applegarth is currently in talks with several artists to build the monuments, an endeavor he sees as requiring the next 20 years at the trail grows and fills out.

“I’m trying to make it so in 20 years from now, you can look back and there’s this really beautiful trail with monuments and storytelling,” he said.

Fundraisers for the Cannabis Trail are kicking off in September. The first planned event is The Cannabis Trail Fundraiser & Auction, which includes a Sunday beer bust, with hot dogs, giveaways, and a silent auction, on Sept. 16, 2018 at the Lone Star Saloon in San Francisco. Another fundraiser is the inaugural Cannabis Trail Charity Golf Tournament in Monte Rio on Sept. 21.

Originally Posted on marijuana.com By Don Jergler

Both Californians are part of a surging new wave of senior Americans turning to cannabis to ease aches and pains as the craze for the drug spreads across the country and more states legalize it.

“They are coming in droves with curiosity and interest, looking for relief from pain and sleep problems,” said Macbeth, a consultant at Octavia Wellness, a San Francisco startup that caters to senior communities across the state, which has legalized recreational marijuana and is the country’s biggest market for legal cannabis.

Interest is such, she says, that Tupperware-like presentations to showcase cannabis products at retirement homes are overflowing with silver-haired potential customers.

The products include tinctures, sprays, edibles and topicals such as lotions and oils that provide relief for a wide range of ailments without getting users high.

“We had one presentation in San Jose (northern California) recently and there were 400 people wanting to go in,” Macbeth said. “We were overwhelmed.”

Several studies indicate that seniors are the fastest growing population in America to adopt cannabis and if the trend continues they could overtake the younger generation in terms of weed consumption.

– From arthritis to insomnia –

Marijuana use among Americans aged 65 and over increased by 250 percent between 2006 and 2013, according to the National Survey of Drug Use and Health.

Another study found a 71-percent increase in marijuana use among adults aged 50 and older between 2006 and 2016.

In California, one of 29 US states to have legalized marijuana for medical use, the industry is projected to raise $6.5 billion in sales statewide by 2020.

Experts say the older crowd is turning to the drug to treat a host of ailments — from arthritis to neuropathy, insomnia and chronic pain — and to avoid the side-effects associated with prescription drugs, including opioids.

“Some seniors are taking over 20 different prescription drugs a day … and all too often these drugs have an impact at the beginning and then wear off,” said Beverly Potter, the author of “Cannabis for Seniors,” a book that helps older people navigate the new market.

Potter said she has been swamped with requests for advice at speaking events and cautions her audience against believing marijuana is the go-to drug for all ailments, especially in light of little medical research on the effects of the drug which remains illegal at the federal level.

Still, she firmly believes that cannabis in many cases is a better alternative than traditional painkillers or sleep medication that can leave patients with bleeding ulcers or addicted.

– ‘Start low, go slow’ –

“My advice to people who want to try it is the same slogan you are hearing everywhere: start low and go slow,” Potter told AFP. “This is not about getting high. It’s about learning how to study your body.”

She said the effects of medical marijuana vary depending on whether the drug is taken as an edible — cookies or gummies — or in the form of tinctures or rubs.

Barbara Blaser, a registered nurse for 50 years and now the head of clinical services at Magnolia Wellness, a marijuana dispensary in Northern California, said the customers she encounters are not looking for the buzz of their youth but rather a new lease on life.

“Some people tell me ‘I just want to be able to work in the garden but my knees hurt’,” said Blaser, 72, who began using marijuana following a serious illness and ended up becoming an advocate.

“If properly used, cannabis can change your life and give it back to you,” she added

And as social perceptions of the drug change and the stigma associated with it evaporates, Blaser predicts its use as an alternative medicine will become more mainstream.

Take Kyle Johnson, who recently founded a cannabis club with neighbor Mary Lou Molinaro at their gated retirement community in Brentwood, north of San Francisco.

“We started the club in March and at the first meeting we had, 160 people showed up and they were worried about letting anyone else know they were using medical cannabis or that they were interested,” said Johnson, who uses cannabis for back pain and insomnia.

“Now, people stop either of us on a regular basis and say ‘Oh, can I ask you this question, I can’t sleep, I have arthritis pain’ or whatever and we help them as best we can,” she added.

Molinaro, 67, said she points to herself when questioned by someone who equates cannabis with getting stoned.

“I say ‘look at me, do I look like I’m walking around high?” she exclaimed. “In most cases, if you use the right product and see what works best for you, you will find relief and not look like a stonehead.”