For the holidaze season, we’re ending the year on a high note. To show our appreciation for both our followers and small businesses, we’re hosting 12 very special giveaways to support and highlight a variety of small, local, BIPoC, female, LGBTQ+ and family owned brands and companies. 

This giveaway series will occur over the course of the first two weeks of December, where one item or bundle will be given away each day. There will be a winner for each of the 12 days until the last day.

While the giveaways are underway on Weedmaps’ Instagram account, we want to highlight each of the featured business owners and entrepreneurs creating unique products that are loved by the cannabis community. 

Umudyok Designs

To kick off Day 1 of the giveaway, we are pairing with Umudyok Designs, a queer, Filipina, woman-owned woodshop business. Cassey Dela Pena, owner and designer, operates her company in Oakland, California where she crafts unique wood products that range from kitchen cutting boards and propagation stations to rolling trays.

Cassey’s love for wood-working stemmed from her father’s innovative, simple crafting solutions, which inspire the sleek, functional wood designs she creates today.

Stashlogix

On Day 2, we have a Colorado-based company, Stashlogix,  founded by Skip Stone, a father who wanted to ensure his young kids wouldn’t be able to get into his medicine. His solution was to develop a brand of bags, containers, and accessories — all equipped with smell-proof technology. 

Stashlogix takes pride in their efforts to break the negative stigma around cannabis and create “thoughtful, secure, and discreet” products that aim to promote a responsible cannabis connoisseur.

I AM STEVANA

For our Day 3 giveaway, we teamed up with Stevana Vaughn, a Black, female yoga instructor from Chicago, Illinois. What began as a physical practice and mental healing has evolved into a way of life. Vaughn is a mother, cannabis consumer, and self-taught flexibility trainer, as seen in her viral videos of her bendy moves. 

She now teaches virtual yoga classes that will be offered as part of the giveaway. 

Sackville & Co.

Day 4 will feature Sackville & Co., a woman-owned brand designed for the contemporary, feminine eye. Founders Hayley Dineen and Lana Van Brunt’s combination of experience in various business marketing fields helped lift off their cannabis brand where they now sell stylish grinders, papers, CBD sprays, clothes, and more. 

Sackville & Co. believes that cannabis is a tool to help strengthen creativity and curiosity within the fashion, art, and music industries, and can encourage diversity within the global art community.

Kicky Mats & Jane Parade

Our Day 5 giveaway features two noteworthy women-owned businesses. Kicky Mats is based in Houston, Texas where owner Eboni Roberts designs fun, custom doormats. Jane Parade is a lifestyle brand from Brooklyn, New York and caters to the style of the playful, female cannabis connoisseur. 

Eight winners will receive a “Keep blazing, stay amazing” doormat from Kicky Mats and “Smoke Weed” shoe charms from Jane Parade. 

Ethel’s Club

For Day 6, we’re boosting Ethel’s Club: a Brooklyn based, Black-owned, social wellness club giving away seven memberships. 

Naj Austin formed Ethel’s Club after being inspired by the caring environment her grandmother, Ethel, fostered in her community. This was the foundation of the club, as Naj and her team continue to provide a space for people of color to heal, create, connect, and celebrate their cultures. 

Elevate Jane

Day 7’s giveaway is a POC, woman-owned, family-run business specializing in contemporary-style smoke products called Elevate Jane. They sell glass, ceramic, and crystal pipes, along with joint holders, rolling papers, and grinders, and their very own bong, Mimi.

Located in Long Beach, California, all of Elevate Jane’s pipes are made in the USA, and they believe that form and functionality are fundamental to their product. 

Lux Eros

Lux Eros is our Day 8 giveaway. It’s a woman-owned ceramic brand based in Los Angeles, California. Owner Desanka Fasiska originally worked in fashion and was in search of a more nurturing environment for artistic expression, so she decided to transition to a ceramic business where she began hosting creative workshops in order to build community. 

Fasiska now designs and sells chic, custom, ceramic pieces ranging from tabletop and drinkware to home decor — each with their own signature, yet unique designs.  

MUNISA Ceramica

On Day 9 of the giveaway, we’ve teamed with a Latinx, woman-owned ceramic smoking accessory shop located in Venice Beach, California. 

Born and raised in Juarez, owner Isabela Munoz has always had a strong love for her culture’s beauty, which she heavily incorporates into her product design. After gaining some experience in a bakery, and attending a POC-run pottery school in LA, she began crafting pipes and rolling trays in the shapes of fruits inspired by her Mexican culture.

Bear Mountain Studios

Our Day 10 giveaway is Bear Mountain Studios, a small glass business in Colorado run by husband and wife duo, Evan and Cassandra. 

Evan began blowing glass in 2013 and started experimenting with different shapes and figures of smoking pieces. His out-of-the-box designs were inspired by antique styles in his own home growing up — he describes his product embodying “antique shapes with modern function.” One of these locally blown, handcrafted pieces will be a part of the giveaway.

Ardent

For Day 11, we feature a patient-focused, Black, woman-owned company, Ardent. Owner Shanel Lindsey was a cannabis patient looking to accurately dose her medicine by decarboxylation. 

After realizing these methods were more complicated than she expected — and with Massachusetts’ legalization of medical cannabis in 2012 — she began working with scientists in labs where she ultimately perfected the decarboxylation process using one device: The NOVA is the first decarboxylator that provides patients with pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis dosages. 

Apothecarry

Day 12 includes Apothecarry: a Black, woman-owned company run by CEO Whitney Beatty. The brand began with Beatty, a former TV executive from LA, who used cannabis to treat her anxiety, but wanted a secure and sophisticated form of stashing her green. 

With that in mind, she established a collection of luxury carrying cases and accessories with built-in technology that keeps your bud safe and fresh. 

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post A shoutout to the businesses featured in Weedmaps' '12 Days of Giveaways' appeared first on Weedmaps News.

For the holidaze season, we’re ending the year on a high note. To show our appreciation for both our followers and small businesses, we’re hosting 12 very special giveaways to support and highlight a variety of small, local, BIPoC, female, LGBTQ+ and family owned brands and companies. 

This giveaway series will occur over the course of the first two weeks of December, where one item or bundle will be given away each day. There will be a winner for each of the 12 days until the last day.

While the giveaways are underway on Weedmaps’ Instagram account, we want to highlight each of the featured business owners and entrepreneurs creating unique products that are loved by the cannabis community. 

Umudyok Designs

To kick off Day 1 of the giveaway, we are pairing with Umudyok Designs, a queer, Filipina, woman-owned woodshop business. Cassey Dela Pena, owner and designer, operates her company in Oakland, California where she crafts unique wood products that range from kitchen cutting boards and propagation stations to rolling trays.

Cassey’s love for wood-working stemmed from her father’s innovative, simple crafting solutions, which inspire the sleek, functional wood designs she creates today.

Stashlogix

On Day 2, we have a Colorado-based company, Stashlogix,  founded by Skip Stone, a father who wanted to ensure his young kids wouldn’t be able to get into his medicine. His solution was to develop a brand of bags, containers, and accessories — all equipped with smell-proof technology. 

Stashlogix takes pride in their efforts to break the negative stigma around cannabis and create “thoughtful, secure, and discreet” products that aim to promote a responsible cannabis connoisseur.

I AM STEVANA

For our Day 3 giveaway, we teamed up with Stevana Vaughn, a Black, female yoga instructor from Chicago, Illinois. What began as a physical practice and mental healing has evolved into a way of life. Vaughn is a mother, cannabis consumer, and self-taught flexibility trainer, as seen in her viral videos of her bendy moves. 

She now teaches virtual yoga classes that will be offered as part of the giveaway. 

Sackville & Co.

Day 4 will feature Sackville & Co., a woman-owned brand designed for the contemporary, feminine eye. Founders Hayley Dineen and Lana Van Brunt’s combination of experience in various business marketing fields helped lift off their cannabis brand where they now sell stylish grinders, papers, CBD sprays, clothes, and more. 

Sackville & Co. believes that cannabis is a tool to help strengthen creativity and curiosity within the fashion, art, and music industries, and can encourage diversity within the global art community.

Kicky Mats & Jane Parade

Our Day 5 giveaway features two noteworthy women-owned businesses. Kicky Mats is based in Houston, Texas where owner Eboni Roberts designs fun, custom doormats. Jane Parade is a lifestyle brand from Brooklyn, New York and caters to the style of the playful, female cannabis connoisseur. 

Eight winners will receive a “Keep blazing, stay amazing” doormat from Kicky Mats and “Smoke Weed” shoe charms from Jane Parade. 

Ethel’s Club

For Day 6, we’re boosting Ethel’s Club: a Brooklyn based, Black-owned, social wellness club giving away seven memberships. 

Naj Austin formed Ethel’s Club after being inspired by the caring environment her grandmother, Ethel, fostered in her community. This was the foundation of the club, as Naj and her team continue to provide a space for people of color to heal, create, connect, and celebrate their cultures. 

Elevate Jane

Day 7’s giveaway is a POC, woman-owned, family-run business specializing in contemporary-style smoke products called Elevate Jane. They sell glass, ceramic, and crystal pipes, along with joint holders, rolling papers, and grinders, and their very own bong, Mimi.

Located in Long Beach, California, all of Elevate Jane’s pipes are made in the USA, and they believe that form and functionality are fundamental to their product. 

Lux Eros

Lux Eros is our Day 8 giveaway. It’s a woman-owned ceramic brand based in Los Angeles, California. Owner Desanka Fasiska originally worked in fashion and was in search of a more nurturing environment for artistic expression, so she decided to transition to a ceramic business where she began hosting creative workshops in order to build community. 

Fasiska now designs and sells chic, custom, ceramic pieces ranging from tabletop and drinkware to home decor — each with their own signature, yet unique designs.  

MUNISA Ceramica

On Day 9 of the giveaway, we’ve teamed with a Latinx, woman-owned ceramic smoking accessory shop located in Venice Beach, California. 

Born and raised in Juarez, owner Isabela Munoz has always had a strong love for her culture’s beauty, which she heavily incorporates into her product design. After gaining some experience in a bakery, and attending a POC-run pottery school in LA, she began crafting pipes and rolling trays in the shapes of fruits inspired by her Mexican culture.

Bear Mountain Studios

Our Day 10 giveaway is Bear Mountain Studios, a small glass business in Colorado run by husband and wife duo, Evan and Cassandra. 

Evan began blowing glass in 2013 and started experimenting with different shapes and figures of smoking pieces. His out-of-the-box designs were inspired by antique styles in his own home growing up — he describes his product embodying “antique shapes with modern function.” One of these locally blown, handcrafted pieces will be a part of the giveaway.

Ardent

For Day 11, we feature a patient-focused, Black, woman-owned company, Ardent. Owner Shanel Lindsey was a cannabis patient looking to accurately dose her medicine by decarboxylation. 

After realizing these methods were more complicated than she expected — and with Massachusetts’ legalization of medical cannabis in 2012 — she began working with scientists in labs where she ultimately perfected the decarboxylation process using one device: The NOVA is the first decarboxylator that provides patients with pharmaceutical-grade medical cannabis dosages. 

Apothecarry

Day 12 includes Apothecarry: a Black, woman-owned company run by CEO Whitney Beatty. The brand began with Beatty, a former TV executive from LA, who used cannabis to treat her anxiety, but wanted a secure and sophisticated form of stashing her green. 

With that in mind, she established a collection of luxury carrying cases and accessories with built-in technology that keeps your bud safe and fresh. 

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post A shoutout to the businesses featured in Weedmaps' '12 Days of Giveaways' appeared first on Weedmaps News.

The U.S. House of Representatives is planning to vote on the MORE Act in the first week of December.

The process for getting licensed will be competitive.

Chrissy Teigen Claps Back At Twitter Troll Who Slammed Meghan Markle For Miscarriage Op-Ed

Chrissy Teigen has been a Twitter ally for Meghan Markle, who recently shared she experienced a miscarriage back in July.  

The post Chrissy Teigen Claps Back At Twitter Troll Who Slammed Meghan Markle For Miscarriage Op-Ed appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Amsterdam is known the world over for their famous coffeeshops,  easy access to weed, and safe consumption spaces. But what is the history behind Amsterdam’s storied cannabis establishments and its seemingly permissive and lenient laws, especially given that, even in Amsterdam, cannabis remains illegal? Let’s take a look behind the scenes. 

First things first: As mentioned earlier, despite all evidence that suggests otherwise, cannabis is not legal in Amsterdam locally, nor the Netherlands in general. What the Netherlands does have is progressive drug policy that distinguishes hard drugs from soft drugs. 

According to the Netherlands government, hard drugs like LSD, heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, and ecstasy are incredibly hazardous to your health and have a much higher level of risk associated with their use. On the other hand, soft drugs, which include substances like cannabis, hash, sleeping pills, and sedatives, are considered to be less hazardous to your health. While not specifically decriminalized, the “more or less” official policy is one of non-enforcement for small use and possession.

Prior to the distinction between hard and soft drugs, the Dutch government passed the Opium Act in 1953,  which criminalized possession and consumption of drugs that bore “unacceptable risk,” cannabis among them. However, an amendment to the act in 1976 brought about the distinction of hard and soft drugs, and was also one part of broader drug policy reforms. 

How drug policy and reform shaped cannabis in the Netherlands

Interestingly, an abstract on the Opium Act of 1976 amendment says that the policy not only establishes basic principles and operating practices for contemporary drug policy, but that Dutch policy is “pragmatic and non-moralistic…Within the ideology of normalization, illegal drugs are seen as a limited and manageable social problem rather than as alien threat forced on an otherwise innocent society.” 

In other words, a complete 180 from federal drug policy in the United States. 

The amendment to the 1976 Opium Act created a more welcoming landscape for coffeeshops, never mind that Amsterdam’s first cannabis coffeeshop, The Bulldog, opened its doors in 1975. But the amendment provided tacit permission for all other coffeeshops to follow. In the 1990s, the Netherlands had more than 1,500 coffeeshops. Today, there are about 570 shops throughout the country, approximately one-third of which are in Amsterdam alone. 

Even with all the stark differences between Dutch and U.S. drug policy, there are some similarities. For example, the government does indeed monitor and regulate the industry with measures that will sound familiar to U.S. consumers: No selling to people under the age of 18, no sales in excess of five grams per person per day, and no sales or consumption near schools. However, one policy that is specific to the Netherlands (but de facto in the U.S) bans the sale of hard drugs.  

Another familiar regulation tactic could be pulled right out of the U.S. drug policy playbook, and that is patchwork regulation policies, whereby each municipality can decide their own local policies. Some may have no coffeeshops at all, while others espouse “no growth” policies, and create ever wider “no coffeeshop” zones. This has the accumulated effect of confusing and discouraging consumers, forcing them (and their wallets) to more lenient jurisdictions. 

The ins and outs of Amsterdam’s booming cannabis tourism 

There have been efforts to forbid tourists from consuming at coffeeshops, a money-losing proposition given that approximately 65 percent of travelers ages 18—35 said that cannabis was the primary motivator for their visit (caveat: this number was unearthed pre-COVID). In defense of the Netherlands, lawmakers in Amsterdam have been looking for ways to decrease nuisance complaints that often accompany overtoursim to cannabis cafes and brothels, and to preserve cultural treasures and maintain quality of life for the locals. 

Nonetheless, visitors spanning the globe set their sights on Amsterdam — who have fewer limitations on their coffeeshops — for a rare cannabis cultural experience. In a coffeeshop, consumers can partake in food, non-alcoholic drink, and enjoy some local ganja, all while law enforcement looks the other way. 

However, the weed that finds its way to the coffeeshop isn’t grown in the backyard. Even the most up-and-coming coffeeshop owners have to do legal contortions to run regulated establishments while having to procure their product on the illicit market. 

Despite lax soft drug laws in the Netherlands, cannabis raids by law enforcement are ongoing, putting the farmers supplying coffeeshops at legal risk. The government itself has recognized the limitations and contradictions of this policy, and has enacted “an experiment with controlled supply of cannabis” to ascertain how a regulated supply chain affects crime, safety, public nuisance, and public health. 

Covering 10 municipalities, legally produced cannabis cultivated by 10 selected growers will be sold in participating coffeeshops. The experiment, which will take place over the course of four years, will be monitored by an independent guidance and evaluation committee overseeing the researchers, who will then take the results of their findings and recommendations back to  government officials. After that, the fate of Dutch coffeeshop policy will be in their hands. 

Will enjoying weed in the marijuana capital of the world continue to be a foregone conclusion? We shall see. 

Featured image by Steven Bostock 

The post Cannabis tourism in Amsterdam coffeeshops appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Cannabis activist and legal market pioneer, Andrew DeAngelo, has been fighting the good fight long before it was trendy to do so. In his thirty years spent working on the front lines of cannabis legalization, his diplomatic and equity-minded approach to policy reform has been instrumental in shaping the market we enjoy today. 

Not only did he co-found Oakland dispensary Harborside with his brother Steve DeAngelo (where they helped develop childproof packaging and set standards of lab testing), DeAngelo worked to help to pass Props 215 and 64, which legalized cannabis in California, and also co-founded The Last Prisoners Project, a nonprofit that works to free cannabis offenders. 

“I’m working to create better frameworks for regulation and taxation and access to consumers for legal adult-use cannabis in California,” DeAngelo told Weedmaps. “When Harborside opened, we were one of the first six retail licenses for cannabis anywhere in the world. We had a unique vision for cannabis retail at that time. And much of what we pioneered, whether it be lab testing or child-resistant packaging for edibles, senior outreach, any number of other things that we pioneered with respect to public policy and Oakland, have now sort of set the standard for the whole industry.” 

Pioneers in the cannabis industry

Prior to DeAngelo’s work building Harborside, the California legal market existed in a wild west state characterized by the pre-Prop 64 era. Lab testing had yet to be standardized, meaning products sold legally often had amounts of contaminants or pesticides that weren’t being caught because the labs themselves weren’t regulated. Packaging had yet to be homogenized. Inventory was a mess. 

Through Harborside, DeAngelo and his brother worked to set systems in place for cannabis to operate like any other legitimate industry. “Lab testing is now part of pretty much every framework, everywhere, childproof packaging too. I think the regulators went a little out of control with that particular one, similar with taxes, which we unfortunately also pioneered. Not a lot of people know that, but we pioneered the first local tax for cannabis and Oakland.”

DeAngelo no longer works with Harborside, having exited last year to become an independent strategic consultant for the cannabis industry and focus on his epic nonprofit, The Last Prisoner Project. 

The responsibility of the industry and the Last Prisoner Project

Founded in 2019, the Last Prisoner Project is a nonprofit that works to free all cannabis prisoners and help reintegrate them into society. “Our mission is pretty simple,” said DeAngelo. 

“Get all cannabis prisoners on earth out of jail and successfully reenter them into society.” 

He continued, “There’s a whole bunch of ways that we do that and people can learn about that on our website. I’m proud to say the organization is blowing up. We’re raising more money than ever. We’re actually getting people out of prison. I think our industry has a moral obligation to do that, and it’s been an extremely rewarding thing to work on.” 

When asked what changes he would like to see in the industry in the next five years, DeAngelo said, “I want to see an industry that has small, medium and large companies owned by Black people, brown people, queer folks, straight women and privileged white men.” 

He continued, “We need to show the world that industries can be diverse. No industry in America right now is diverse really, and our industry has an opportunity to lead by example. We’re not leading by very good example right now, because only 4% of the cannabis industry is owned by people of color. So, we have a lot of work to do to correct the wrongs of the past. It’s similar to getting people out of prison. We have a moral obligation to do this, and it’s not that hard.” 

Andrew DeAngelo’s favorite weed

Here are equity-minded and POC-owned cannabis brands that Andrew DeAngelo can’t live without. 

The Congo Club 

“As you can imagine, I’m supporting mostly legacy-owned, Black-owned, queer-owned, women-owned, or just little micro businesses with my cannabis purchases,” said DeAngelo.

“On the flower side, there’s a group called The Congo Club here in Oakland. They’re doing something I think is terrific. They have a grower who is a legacy grower who Harborside was buying weed from in the early, early days, and they specialize in landrace strains from Africa like Red Congolese and the Congolese strains.” 

Founded by Amber Senter of Supernova Women, an organization formed by and for women of color to foster community empowerment in the cannabis industry, and grown by Red Top Farms, The Congo Club produces high quality flower from rare and sought after landrace strains with a dedication to environmental preservation. 

“I love their flower and that smoke because it’s a very creative smoke,” said DeAngelo. “I like to take The Congo Club products before I sit down to write. 

Check out The Congo Club

SF Roots 

“Another flower brand I love here in the Bay is SF Roots,” said DeAngeo. “I smoked some of their weed a couple of weeks ago, and it really got my attention. You know, when you smoke a lot of weed like I do, not every batch or every eighth or every joint gets your attention. These folks got my attention right away.” 

SF Roots is an equity cannabis brand specializing in fire weed products and uplifting the POC community within cannabis. He continued, “They’ve got terrific strains, terrific flower, a terrific smoke on all ends.” 

Check out SF Roots

Guild Extracts

Known for high quality products with a focus on cannabinoid isolation, Guild Extracts has made a name for themselves in the highly competitive (and judgmental) world of concentrates, as well as continuing to help push that corner of the cannabis industry into the future. 

“Guild is cool because they’re hispanic owned-and-operated. There’s not many Latinx cannabis companies, so I like to support them,” said DeAngelo. 

Check out Guild Extracts

Blue River Extracts 

“And finally, for the super high-end hash that I can’t afford to smoke, Blue River Extracts,” laughed DeAngelo. Blue River Extracts is renowned in the industry for their ability to produce solvent-quality extracts without the use of solvents. 

Founded by Tony Verzura, a cannabis inventor with over 80 awards in the industry, Blue River produces extracts mechanically, including water, which is all but unheard of. This proprietary method of extraction produces an insane level of terpene preservation, all with zero impact on the environment. 

“These concentrates are $70-$90 dollars before you even pay the taxes on them, but it’s because they’re so handcrafted. The amount of time and energy it requires to achieve this level of concentrate with no solvents used at all makes them worth it.” 

Check out Blue River on Weedmaps

Featured graphic by David Lozada/Weedmaps

The post 4 weed brands Andrew DeAngelo can't live without appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Top 10 Benefits Of Vaping Over Smoking

In almost every country, people are vaping rather than smoking. However, some still do not believe in its benefits.

The post Top 10 Benefits Of Vaping Over Smoking appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

5 Things To Know Before Going On A Road Trip

Road trips are becoming more popular due to COVID-19. Here are 5 things you should account for before signing on.

The post 5 Things To Know Before Going On A Road Trip appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Actor, comedian, and well-known stoner Seth Rogen has said, “I smoke weed all day and every day and have for 20 years. For me, it’s like glasses or shoes.” If the work of Seth Rogen — most famous for the films Knocked Up and Pineapple Express and TV show Freaks & Geeks — isn’t ringing a bell, then you’ve probably heard the Dr. Dre song, “Smoke Weed Every Day.” You’ve definitely heard of  cannabis entrepreneur and pot culture icon Snoop Dogg, who reportedly smokes a whopping 81 blunts per day. 

There’s no question that there are plenty of celebrities and consumers who smoke weed every day. But it begs a separate question: is smoking weed every day a good idea? If so, what actually happens? 

THC and your body and brain

To learn more, we spoke with Dr. Adie Rae, an assistant scientist at the Portland, Oregon-based Legacy Research Institute. She is also the resident subject matter expert in cannabis science and pharmacology here at Weedmaps.

Undoubtedly, cannabis consumption has many benefits, including, but not limited to: managing chronic pain, ameliorating PTSD, helping people gain weight, managing epilepsy and anxiety, and so much more. And let’s not forget, cannabis consumption can spark creativity and productivity, and just be fun without any justifications thanks to THC, the cannabinoid that gets you high.  

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Nonetheless, according to Dr. Rae, there are more reasons not to smoke weed every than to consume with such regularity. While the definition of what constitutes heavy consumption is up for debate, Rae says that heavy cannabis use may increase the risk for the following conditions: 

• Hyperemesis: a rare condition that leads to repeated and severe vomiting, it is associated with daily use of cannabis.
• Cannabis use disorder: a diagnosis given for problematic marijuana consumption.
• Schizophrenia/psychosis: schizophrenia is a rare, chronic brain disorder that includes delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and thoughts. Psychosis is but one symptom of schizophrenia that affects how the brain processes information. Early and excessive cannabis use can express symptoms of schizophrenia.
• Abuse of other substances (which Rae emphasizes is correlation and not the gateway theory that cannabis causes other drug abuse).

You may have  heard the quote, “Physician, heal thyself,” and some hold that all cannabis use is ultimately medicinal, whether intentional or not. However, in some instances, heavy cannabis consumption could make some aspects of our health worse. “There is the possibility that daily consumption could worsen depression and interfere with both male and female reproduction,” Rae added. “But the data is fuzzy and more research is needed.” 

Building THC tolerance and the endocannabinoid system  

A fact that needs no explanation to consumers is that regular cannabis consumption inevitably leads to tolerance. During weed consumption, THC attaches to CB1 receptors, located throughout the body as part of the endocannabinoid system, a physiological process that helps the body create and maintain bodily harmony. When THC locks into the CB1 receptor, we not only get the feeling of being “high,” but other systems are modulated, including sleep, pain, and appetite. 

But when THC is regularly consumed or for prolonged periods of time, the sensitivity of the CB1 receptor becomes reduced, which leads to reduced effects. How long it takes for tolerance to set in depends on a few factors, including how often you consume, the level of THC you’re consuming, and your own personal biology. 

“Tolerance means that you need more and more to achieve the desired effect,” Rae explained. “This can get pretty ugly, where folks can no longer get high from flower, and they can only feel something if they use high-dose edibles or dabs. Increased frequency and high doses of THC are also associated with all the potential risks mentioned earlier.”

Developing cannabis tolerance can also be expensive. Once you’ve developed the tolerance, in order to meet the same desired effect, you’ll have to do one of two things: 1) spend more money to consume more frequently, or 2) consume higher potency THC products, which can reach $75 or more for an eighth.

To avoid tolerance, Rae said consumers should take a “T-break,” a deliberate break from cannabis consumption to reset the body’s tolerance to THC. “By taking regular tolerance breaks — at least 48 hours every 30 days — a person can keep their endocannabinoid system sensitive to THC,” she added. “Increasing doses aren’t required to feel the effects of cannabis, avoiding dose escalation, and thereby avoiding risks and costs.”  

Should you smoke weed every day? Probably not. Make sure you carve out time for a t-break to gain the most benefits both financially and for your good health. 

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post What happens if you smoke weed everyday? appeared first on Weedmaps News.