Legalization happens when voters—not politicians—force laws to change.

The post 6 cannabis elections that changed the game appeared first on Leafly.

Updated news on candidates and marijuana legalization efforts in your state and around the nation.

The post Election 2020: All you need to know about cannabis legalization on the ballot appeared first on Leafly.

How Rock Climbers Can Use Marijuana In Recovery And Training

Improved sleep, training motivation, and reduced anxiety are just some ways in which marijuana can help climbers.

The post How Rock Climbers Can Use Marijuana In Recovery And Training appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

We can tell you if you’re registered, and get you signed up if you’re not.

The post National Voter Registration Day is Sept. 22. Here’s how to register appeared first on Leafly.

Anyone busted smoking weed on the Caribbean island of Barbados will soon be able to walk away with only a fine, instead of being sent to prison.

This week, Barbados Governor General Dame Sandra Mason announced that the country’s Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) Act will be amended to decriminalize minor cannabis offenses. Anyone caught with 14 or fewer grams of pot will now be charged with a $200 fine, which must be paid within 30 days. Cops can no longer arrest people for minor possession, or for smoking pot in public, and these offenses will not show up on permanent criminal records.

Dame Sandra said that “the conviction and incarceration of scores of young men and some women, causing them to lose their jobs, reputation, opportunity to travel, and to become stigmatized over miniscule quantities of marijuana that on the street would be called ‘a roach’ or ‘a spliff’,” is an issue “that requires compassion, understanding, empathy and the intervention of my Government,” Barbados Today reports.

“A significant amount of the time of our law enforcement officers and of our Magistrates’ Courts is taken up with dealing with individuals with small quantities of cannabis,” the governor general explained. “In 2019, 4,295 drug and drug related criminal charges were laid against accused persons. This represented 30 percent of the criminal charges laid in that year and were laid against 534 persons.”

Dame Sandra added that although these charges are minor, they “required the deployment of significant police resources in investigating, processing, taking statements and taking the cases through to trial. This process has little or no redemptive value and in human terms, a large number of our young men are forever left with the taint of the drug charges and the possible conviction.”

The new law will also allow cops to remand certain individuals to drug treatment programs. Anyone under the age of 18 who is caught with half an ounce or less will be sent to the National Council on Drug Abuse for counseling, and police can also send anyone older than 18 that they deem to be dependent on weed to counseling as well. Those sent to counseling must still pay their $200 fine, however.

Barbados is also working to implement a medical marijuana program, following the lead of several other Caribbean nations that have recently relaxed their prohibitions against weed. Jamaica, long renowned for its love of ganja, decriminalized pot and legalized medical marijuana in 2015, and many neighboring islands, including St. Vincent, the US Virgin Islands, Trinidad, and Haiti have also taken steps toward substantive cannabis reform. The islands of St. Kitts and Nevis have fully legalized personal pot use, and Bermuda is also planning to legalize full adult sales and use.

Rock superstar Robert Plant recently talked about how touring with Willie Nelson was one of the high points of his entire music career—in more ways than one.

On his own podcast, Digging Deep, Led Zeppelin frontman recalled how honored he was to participate in Willie’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour last year and what a thrill it was to meet Willie himself. He also said his “most cherished memory” of the tour itself was watching Willie spread the uplifting power of pot nonstop by sharing his stash with all comers.

“[Willie] was traveling through his tour with his big bus giving away weed to everybody,” Plant said. “He just gives it away. It’s a truckload from here to the mirrorball and beyond. Free. With doors to go in, get your little hit, and go out the other side.”

Willie, who turned 87 this year, has long reigned as icon of both music and marijuana. His generosity is also legendary, especially when it comes to getting lit.

On the official Willie’s Reserve—the singer’s weed company—website it says: “For decades, as Willie and his band travelled from town to town, pot enthusiasts flocked to his shows, their pockets stuffed with offerings from their home gardens and local communities. They happily shared their bounty. And Willie gladly returned the favor.”

Willie’s famous hazy benevolence extends from the fans he adores to celebrities like his premiere pot pal Woody Harrelson and other noteworthy figures, some of whom are pretty surprising.

Earlier this month, for example, President Jimmy Carter revealed that his own son, Chip Carter, puffed joints on the roof of the White House in 1977. And last year, revered NBA coach Don Nelson told HBO’s Real Sports that his retired life in Hawaii is spent growing weed and partaking of the potent harvest with his dear friend, Willie Nelson.

And then there’s Snoop Dogg, who once told Cypress Hill’s B-Real, “That [Willie] is the only person that’s ever smoked me under the table.”

Elaborating on a night when the two chronic kings went drag-for-drag, Snoop said, “I’m like, ‘This old motherfucker’s gonna try to out-do me.’ And he really did. It got to the point where I was like, ‘You know what? Ay Willie, let’s take a break and play some dominoes, because I think we need to do something else right now.’” Snoop added that Willie then beat him at dominoes, too.

Now, please, Willie— just run for president and save us all!

Can Artificial Sweeteners Help Us Lose Weight?

Artificial sweeteners can be found in all kinds of foods and beverages. They don’t add calories but do they subtract them?

The post Can Artificial Sweeteners Help Us Lose Weight? appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Can Artificial Sweeteners Help Us Lose Weight?

Artificial sweeteners can be found in all kinds of foods and beverages. They don’t add calories but do they subtract them?

The post Can Artificial Sweeteners Help Us Lose Weight? appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

It’s 12:47 p.m. and you’ve got a whole heap of work that you’ve been avoiding. You know none of the tasks are too hard, but for some reason, you just can’t sit still and concentrate for long enough to do them. Still, sunlight is ticking, stress is mounting, and you know you’ll feel like hot garbage if you end the day with nothing to show for your time. You think to yourself, “All I need to do is smoke a little weed and I can zone in.” 

Which strains are you picking?

There are plenty of cannabis strains that can help you focus. And with so many constant distractions in the world, I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to try them all. While I could never name every single one, here are eight that might help you block out the noise for long enough to get shit done.

White Fire OG

White Fire OG, also called WiFi OG, is a cross of Fire OG and The White. The nugs are light green and frosty with trichomes, and the smoke tastes like gassy pine needles — which is perfect for anyone that loves chemmy diesel flavors. On the high side,  WiFi OG is great for people whose thoughts are always moving at 744 mph. It’s potent yet manageable high can help clear your mind of anything that’s not immediately in front of you.

Lemon Thai

Most strains with Thai genetics are good for a clear-headed high that can help you defeat procrastination. Lemon Thai is no different. A cross of a Thai landrace and a Hawaiian sativa, this citrusy strain is great for anyone who’s been caught with that middle-of-the-day lag that makes even simple tasks feel the most daunting. If you’re the type of consumer that likes to puff on a vape pen throughout the day, Lemon Thai is a great cart to have handy.

Jack Frost

When you’re talking strains that help you focus, it’s only right that we bring Jack to the table. A cross of the famed Jack Herer, Northern Lights #5, and White Widow, Jack Frost is for those who need to get dumb stoned to focus. It hits you with a potent high that’ll have you knocking out the day’s to-do list without issue. Like most strains with Jack genetics, it usually has a citrusy and earthy aroma, however some people report that it may also have a somewhat fruity smell to it.

Dutch Treat

Believed to be a cross of Northern Lights and Haze genetics, Dutch Treat pushes out strong piney terpenes that alert your senses in the same way walking through the forest on a hike does. 

The delicious flavor is followed by a potent, clear-headed cerebral stimulation that many describe as the “hybrid high.” Old school and tasty, , Dutch Treat is a perfect suggestion for the dabbers.

Canna-Tsu

As your cannabis knowledge bag gets deeper, you’ll learn that not every desired effect comes from THC. There are plenty of CBD strains out there that can help you focus too. 

Canna-Tsu is a CBD-dominant cross of Cannatonic and Sour Tsunami. It has sweet, earthy flavors, and the effect is relaxing in the body. I get a little anxious sometimes, and anything with Cannatonic genetics usually chills me out in a way that smoking too much THC doesn’t. If you’re looking for something light and manageable, this (or either of its parents), are solid options.

Jah Goo

A lot of times, being able to focus isn’t about energizing yourself or clearing out your mind, it’s about relaxing your body. Jah Goo is a great strain for doing just that.

This cross of Goo and Purple Jasmine produces colorful flowers with purple hues and pink hairs, and a somewhat sweet and woody flavor. Its stoney high may be a little much for inexperienced consumers, but the vets may find it just right for that 10 am smoke before flipping the Go switch.

Bay Dream

If you love Granddaddy Purple then you might love Bay Dream too — it comes from the same breeders. Bay Dream, or GDP Bay Dream, is a cross of the beloved Blue Dream and a Bay 11 hybrid. Like Blue Dream, it has a sweet flavor profile, but also features woody and piney attributes. The cerebral high provides a nice, long-lasting euphoria that helps people get active for everything that needs to get done before 5 p.m.

Harle-Tsu

Harle-Tsu is another CBD strain for consumers that don’t want to get high, but still want the benefits that come with smoking weed. As its name suggests, it is a cross of Harlequin and Sour Tsunami, two of the most well-known CBD flowers. If you’re here for taste, look elsewhere, as Harle-Tsu is pretty earthy and bland; but if you’re here for effects, this strain usually makes people feel relaxed in the body and focused in the mind.

Find thousands of strains on Weedmaps

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post 8 of the best strains for focus appeared first on Weedmaps News.

The California Fires and Cannabis

For licensed growers worried about how the fires will affect them, options are available if you know the rules.

The post The California Fires and Cannabis appeared first on The Fresh Toast.