One of Congress’ most active champions of cannabis reform legislation has just thrown his support behind an initiative to legalize psychedelic therapy. 

This Monday, Rep. Earl Blumenauer sent out an email indicating his support for Measure 109, a ballot initiative to legalize psilocybin-assisted therapy in his home state of Oregon. The ballot measure, which will appear on the state election ballot in November, would make it legal for licensed therapists to administer psilocybin as an adjunct to therapy. The measure would allow licensed producers to legally grow magic mushrooms and sell them to therapists, but would not legalize recreational use for the general public.

Rep. Blumenauer has previously shown support for the measure, but this week, he announced that he is currently helping to raise money and awareness for the initiative. In his email, he said that the measure “tackles an important issue in our community, mental health, and it does so in an innovative and responsible way,” Marijuana Moment reports. “Measure 109 gives Oregonians who suffer from depression and anxiety the opportunity to overcome their mental health challenges through a program designed for safety and support. It’s healthcare policy done right, and it will help thousands.”

The Congressman is also calling for Oregonians to donate to the campaign to help provide “resources to educate voters about its benefits and protections.” The activists behind the campaign have been working overtime this year, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to switch from in-person signature collection to online methods. The campaign succeeded in getting the measure onto this year’s ballot, but it still needs funding to help raise awareness about the initiative.

“Research at America’s top universities shows that psilocybin therapy can help people suffering from depression, anxiety, and addiction,” Blumenauer said in a statement. “Developed with therapeutic and mental health experts, Measure 109 brings this treatment to Oregon through a licensed, research-based system that supports and protects those in urgent need.”

Blumenauer is no stranger to drug reform, having co-sponsored an annual rider that protects state-legal cannabis businesses from federal intervention. The Congressman has also signed on to a number of other cannabis reform bills and amendments, only to see them shut down by the Republican-dominated Senate.

Oregon will also be voting on another landmark drug reform initiative this November – a measure that would decriminalize all drug possession in the state and redirect weed tax revenue to fund drug treatment services. Washington DC will be voting on a measure to decriminalize all natural psychedelics this year as well.

Two years after Canada opened the doors on the world’s largest adult-use weed market, the country will finally stop prohibiting student athletes from smoking pot.

The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), the non-profit that administers the country’s Anti-Doping Program, just announced that it has revised its rules for cannabis testing. Under these new rules, urinalysis drug tests for student athletes will not be analyzed for cannabis, meaning that a student can no longer be banned from a sport for using medical or recreational marijuana.

“Historically, cannabis cases in U SPORTS and CCAA have been unrelated to performance enhancement – rather, they are inadvertent violations caused by the fact that cannabis is only prohibited in-competition and can take 30 days to clear from a human body,” the CCES explained in a statement. “As a result, the CCES was motivated to use the flexibility allowed within the Code to develop the new protocol for student-athletes who meet the criteria.”

These new rules only apply to students who compete in U SPORTS (Canada’s national college sport organization) or Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) events, though. The CCES notes that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) still prohibits cannabis, and any students who participate outside of the country may still be subject to screening for weed. Because of these global rules, international sporting events still have the ability to ban Canadian students from competitions if they test positive for cannabis.

“The CCES has long advocated for the removal of cannabis from the WADA Prohibited List, and the legalization of cannabis in Canada reflects a shifting societal view of how to manage cannabis education and harm reduction,” the organization wrote. The CCES also notes that the WADA is fully aware of Canada’s decision to stop testing for weed.

Canada’s new cannabis testing policy for student athletes reflects a global shift way from pot testing in sports. Last December, Major League Baseball officials agreed to stop testing all of its players for weed, and in February, the XFL (eXtreme Football League) announced that it would also put an end to piss tests for pot. And this June, the National Basketball Association (NBA) said that they would stop testing for any recreational drug.

The WADA still requires athletes to submit to cannabis tests, but did recently allow athletes to use CBD, which is now legal in most countries. Several medical marijuana companies have also launched studies to determine if medicinal pot can help protect MMA fighters or hockey players from brain injuries.

Feds: Hemp Masks Are Good, PPE For CBD Companies Is Bad

A federal program that provides personal protective equipment (PPE) to small businesses is being denied to businesses that sell CBD products.

The post Feds: Hemp Masks Are Good, PPE For CBD Companies Is Bad appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Gov. Tom Wolf puts recreational legalization at the top of his autumn 2020 legislative agenda.

The post Pennsylvania governor calls for marijuana legalization to boost economic recovery appeared first on Leafly.

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In their first joint interview (no pun intended), Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris discussed a variety of drug policy reforms they plan to enact if elected. Legalization, unfortunately, did not come up as part of the Biden-Harris agenda.

Talking to Robin Roberts of ABC News, Harris, our VP hopeful, said one goal of the Biden administration is to establish “a policy that is going to be about decriminalizing marijuana.”

“We’re going to make sure that we change the entire system in a way in which we deal with, with criminal justice from punishment to rehabilitation, no one should be going to jail because they have a drug addiction,” Biden added. “They should be going into mandatory drug treatment that’s why I set up drug courts.”

Obviously, drug policy reform activists support alternatives to imprisonment for those caught up in substance abuse, but many also stand against court-ordered treatment, as it keeps law enforcement in control. The aim should be to remove the cops and the courts altogether when it comes to this vital health issue. Because, ultimately, one’s health has nothing to do with the law.

In 2019, Harris, a former prosecutor who once zealously locked up weed offenders, said she had evolved on the issue and declared, “Let me just make this statement very clear, I believe we need to legalize marijuana… I am absolutely in favor of legalizing marijuana. We’ve got to do it. We have incarcerated so many, and particularly young men and young men of color, in a way that we have not for the same level of use (among) other young men.”

Biden, however, has long stood opposed to what two-thirds of Americans are calling for: full federal legalization of adult-use marijuana. Instead, the candidate endorses decriminalization, legalizing medical marijuana, expunging weed convictions, and allowing states to set their own cannabis policies.

On one positive note, Biden said last month that the federal government should back state efforts to seal and expunge pot records by supplying money, technology, and other forms of support to such processes. If elected, Biden said, he’d pursue those changes.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), one of top advocates for cannabis reform in Congress, once criticized Biden’s decriminalization talk as “meaningless.” Last week, however, Blumenauer said he now believes Biden will be a “constructive player” on the road toward legalization.

While the House of Representatives is set to vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act in September, which could federally legalize cannabis, the November presidential election certainly cannot get here fast enough. Just remember: vote against Trump, so some semblance of sanity can help us move forward.

DEA Interim Final Rule: What Is ‘Synthetically Derived THC’?

Based on the information found in the DEA regulations and publications, it appears the agency refers to the ordinary meaning of “synthetic.”

The post DEA Interim Final Rule: What Is ‘Synthetically Derived THC’? appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Whether you’re looking for a simple piece of glass or something straight out of a chemistry lab, finding the perfect bong can be tricky with so many options available. And if you’ve ripped a few bongs in your life, you’ve probably heard of a percolator bong, or “perc,” before, though their purpose may still be a mystery. 

Percolators are a type of glass bong, sometimes called “water pipe,” that diffuse cannabis smoke and make it easier to inhale. Percolator bongs are a longtime staple in weed culture. 

Do percolators actually make any difference in your smoking experience, or are they just fancy additions that function just as well as plain glass bongs? You’re in luck, because these are exactly the kind of questions we’ll be answering in Weedmaps’ guide to percolator bongs. 

What is a percolator bong? 

While percolators can look complicated, they actually make your bong easier to hit. Located either in the tube of the bong or the base, a perc is basically a small glass contraption which water passes through to create a filter. 

When you inhale from a percolator bong, the smoke is diffused into tons of bubbles which make that classic bong rip sound. These bubbles increase the surface area over which smoke travels within the piece, giving it time to cool down and filter out impurities. This process produces a smoother hit, which means less coughing and more bong rips.

If you’re new to bong life, or you usually find them to be too harsh on your throat, you may want to include a perc on your list of must-haves when shopping for a bong. Plus, adding a percolator bong to your repertoire of smoking accessories can be highly cost effective. 

Bongs are great for getting you maximally stoned with a small amount of weed, and adding a perc to the mix allows you to ingest more smoke at a time, thus getting you higher than usual.

What are the different types of percolators? 

Perc bongs come in all shapes and sizes, but there are a few standard ones you’ll find in most smoke shops. Some bongs may have multiple percs that work together to provide an enhanced smoking experience. You can also find detached ash catchers that feature various percs so you can upgrade a bong you already own. 

Tree

Tree percolators are probably the easiest to recognize, made up of multiple rods connected at the top which resemble tree limbs. Air comes up from a central tube and down through the rods which are slitted at the bottom, diffusing bubbles into the bong. 

With more rods on your perc, you’ll experience maximum filtration, though a tree percolator can be a bit delicate compared to other types. It’s important to always shop from retailers who provide thick borosilicate glass bongs that won’t break easily. 

Inline

An inline percolator is simply a horizontal tube with several slits in them. As you probably guessed by now, more slits equals more percolation within your bong. These percs are typically located in the base of the bong and complement other types of percs, such as a showerhead. 

Showerhead

Shaped like a showerhead, these bad boys are a popular choice among percolator lovers. Slits or holes are placed at the bottom of a vertical tube that flares out, pulling smoke into a separate diffusion chamber above the water in the base. Usually a showerhead perc will be located in the neck of the bong, especially in beaker-shaped pieces. 

Diffused downstem 

If you want to spice up your favorite bong, a diffused downstem might be the answer. Rather than a straight glass downstem, a diffused downstem has several slits at the bottom that improve air flow into the base of your piece. Be sure to purchase the correct size downstem for your specific bong.

Honeycomb

Honeycomb percolators are arguably among the most sought after percs — and for good reason. These percs feature flat discs, usually more than one, studded with a bunch of tiny holes (hence the name). They’re typically found in straight tube bongs stacked directly above one another to create additional chambers for the smoke to pass through. 

Fritted disc

Even more powerful than the honeycomb, fritted disc percs are made up of coarse glass particles bonded together to create what seems like a million itty-bitty holes — those with trypophobia beware. They can be formed into a disc or ball shape, among others. These percs are best for the adventurous smoker who seeks the perfect bong rip, even if that means constant cleaning.

Turbine

Commonly paired with a honeycomb due to it’s disc shape, turbine percs are slabs of glass that feature slits around the edges. When you inhale, it creates a visually appealing whirlpool as water and bubbles are pulled through it. Basically, these percs diffuse your hit and also look super dope. 

How to keep your bong clean

Percs can definitely improve the quality of your bong rips, but they can also make your piece more difficult to clean. Resin will gunk up the nooks and crannies of the percs over time, rendering them useless. Luckily, you can avoid this problem altogether by cleaning your bong regularly with a mixture of salt and rubbing alcohol or a glass cleaning solution. 

A bong with one or more percs will likely require more frequent cleaning than a piece with no percs, but super smooth bong rips are worth a little extra time spent cleaning. 

Is there anything else I should know? 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of every variant of percolator out there. It never hurts to ask your local smoke shop cashier how a perc works, or if you’re shopping online, to do some research before hitting “pay now.”

Shopping for glass is a personal experience, so be sure to consider your lifestyle when choosing. Maybe you want a purely functional piece that is easy to clean, or perhaps you want a cool scientific piece with three percs for monstrous hits. Either way, the perfect bong for you is out there — you just need to find it. 

Featured image by In Green/Shutterstock

The post Everything you need to know about percolator bongs appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Dermatologists Chime In On Effectiveness Of CBD Beauty Products

CBD is a popular skincare additive, with many brands creating expensive products that highlight the compound. Here’s what dermatologist think about that.

The post Dermatologists Chime In On Effectiveness Of CBD Beauty Products appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Here’s What Happens When You Mix Marijuana And Beer

The combination results in a very specific kind of high.

The post Here’s What Happens When You Mix Marijuana And Beer appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

A new study shows that using cannabis outside of work doesn’t negatively affect how one does their job.