RIP Lester Grinspoon: The Forbidden Cannabis Professor
Lester’s courage and intellectual integrity will always stand as a rebuke to the cowardice and dishonesty of the medical establishment.
The post RIP Lester Grinspoon: The Forbidden Cannabis Professor appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
The City Council of Kansas City, Missouri just voted to remove all penalties for cannabis possession from the city’s criminal code.
Kansas City voters already decriminalized minor cannabis possession in 2017 by way of a local ballot initiative. Under this measure, the penalty for possessing 35 or fewer grams of weed became a $25 fine, and possession of over 35 grams became a $500 fine, with no chance of jail time or a permanent criminal record.
Although the original decriminalization measure kept minor pot offenders out of jail, it didn’t stop city cops from continuing to bust people for weed. Last month, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas proposed a new ordinance that would completely strip all penalties for pot possession off the books. This Thursday, this new measure was approved by the City Council with a 9-4 vote.
“State and federal law remain clear with marijuana,” said the mayor, according to ABC affiliate KMBC News 9. “The city doesn’t need to be in that business; instead, we remain focused on how we can help open doors to new opportunities and empower people to make a decent living.”
The new policy is only the first step in the mayor’s long-term plan to reduce unnecessary interactions between the community and city cops. Lucas introduced a separate resolution to the council that directs the City Manager to review all ordinances that “undermine fairness and equality in the relationship between local government and members of the public, are impermissibly discriminatory, unreasonable, unduly burdensome, or duplicative.”
“One of the ways we improve police-community relations is by eliminating laws that for too long have led to negative interactions, arrests, convictions, and disproportionate rates of incarceration of Black men and Black women,” said Mayor Lucas, KMBC reports. “Reducing petty offenses – such as municipal marijuana offenses – reduce these negative interactions each day.”
The rest of Missouri is still lagging behind Kansas City’s progressive cannabis policy. Earlier this year, campaigners began collecting signatures to place an adult-use legalization measure on this year’s state election ballot, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the campaign to suspend its efforts until next year. And other than proposing a joke bill that would have required lawmakers to get high before every vote, it doesn’t look like legislators are ready to discuss cannabis reform on a larger scale.
State voters did approve a ballot measure to legalize medical marijuana in 2018, but although 35,000 patients have registered for the program, the state has yet to open even one single medical pot dispensary.
5 Tips That Can Help You Start Meditating Successfully
Meditating can be tough if you don’t know where to start. Here are some things that can help you.
The post 5 Tips That Can Help You Start Meditating Successfully appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
Two-thirds of Americans want to put an end to cannabis prohibition, according to Newsweek. Even so, a criminal justice task force co-created by Joe Biden did not include legalizing weed among its recommendations to the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate.
The task force was co-created by Biden’s former campaign rival Bernie Sanders. The Vermont senator does advocate full federal legalization for adult cannabis use — as do five of the eight individual members of the task force.
Regardless, a 110-page policy document issued by the task force just effectively reiterated Biden’s existing stands on the issue. Biden has come out in favor of decriminalization and legalizing medical marijuana on a federal level, but would leave recreational weed laws up to individual states.
Earlier in his campaign, Biden said cannabis should be rescheduled and the country should move away from putting people in jail for it. “[Cannabis] should be changed to a Schedule II drug. We should move in a direction to make sure it’s not a criminal offense, it’s a civil offense. Any conviction at all for marijuana now or in the future or in the past, your record should be wiped clean. It’s not something that is going to send anybody to jail.”
I think we can all agree that his statement demonstrates some progress. But, to consider cannabis an “offense” of any kind is still a demonstration of an archaic, Drug War mentality. As of now, the task force has made the following recommendations:
– Decriminalize marijuana use and legalize marijuana for medical purposes at the federal level.
– Allow states to make their own decisions about legalizing recreational use.
– Automatically expunge all past marijuana convictions for use and possession.
– Lift budget rider blocking D.C. from taxing and regulating legal marijuana and remove marijuana use from the list of deportable offenses.
– Encourage states to invest tax revenue from legal marijuana industries to repair damage to Black and brown communities hit hardest by incarceration.
Responding to the policy document, Bernie Sanders tweeted: “Though the end result isn’t what I or my supporters would’ve written alone, the task forces have created a good policy blueprint that will move this country in a much-needed progressive direction and substantially improve the lives of working families throughout our country.”
Erik Altieri, Executive Director of the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws (NORML), took umbrage with the findings and stated, ‘“It is impractical at best and disingenuous at worst for the Biden campaign to move ahead with these policy proposals. Rescheduling of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act would continue to make the federal government the primary dictators of cannabis policy, and would do little if anything to address its criminal status under federal law.”
As for President Donald Trump, he said of recreational weed legalization: “I think it’s bad, and I feel strongly about that.” So eloquent, isn’t he?…
Marc Lotter, director of strategic communications for Trump’s re-election campaign, further clarified, “I think the president is looking at this from a standpoint of a parent — a parent of a young person — to make sure we keep our kids away from drugs. They need to be kept illegal. That is the federal policy.”
But the federal policy in this country is outdated. The mindset of Americans is vastly different than it was just 50 years ago — even 20 years ago. We need to revamp the drug laws in this country — along with every other interwoven system built into the American structure — and it starts with cannabis. If federal legalization doesn’t happen, prohibition will continue to stifle the evolution of the American collective.
We don’t have time for that bullshit anymore. Give the people what they want: Legal weed without criminal offense.
COVID-19 And Cannabis: What’s The Latest In Treatment?
With the widespread impact of COVID19 on the nation’s health, alternative treatment sources are being studied with enthusiasm.
The post COVID-19 And Cannabis: What’s The Latest In Treatment? appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
Wyclef Jean is a music legend and international icon. Without this man, the world would never have heard the SHAKIRA! SHAKIRA! battle cry. Talk about cultural contributions.
Since his first album with the Fugees, Blunted on Reality, Wyclef has long been an advocate for cannabis and its legalization. Now, he’s moving into the cannabis industry as an owner and partner in order to create opportunity for his people.
“I come from Haiti, where 80% of the population is living on less than a dollar a day. And I think that the future for a lot of these third world islands and third world countries is going to be galvanizing the Farmers’s Union. The production of cannabis hemp will literally start to bring billions of dollars of export that did not exist,” he tells Weedmaps.
“So we’re hoping that this partnership we have in America with Cali Life is going to galvanize the Caribbean to do more. And we get more legislation passed moving forward so we can start organizing these farmers.”
In addition to his work in cannabis, Clef also told us some of the smokeables that he rocks with. Here are a few cannabis products Wyclef Jean can’t live without.
Cali Life Cannabis is a cannabis brand in California that was established in 2018. They produce flower, hemp pre-rolled blunts, vapes, and BOOM BAP, their hemp blunt collaboration with Wyclef Jean.
Over 45 companies have approached Jean with branding opportunities, but he felt like Cali Life’s values aligned with his mission. “I’m not in the business of building strains, I’m in the business of building countries.”
The BOOM BAP line consists of three flavors of infused hemp blunts inspired by Wyclef’s hit songs: Fast Car Banana, Faded Butterfly Clementine, and Gone ‘Til November Mango.
Fast Car Banana is labeled as a sativa, made with flower, kief, and distillate, plus added Banana flavoring from food-grade botanical terpenes. Faded Butterfly Clementine and Gone ‘Til November are the hybrids made the same, but with added Clementine and Mango terpenes, respectively.
This the one Clef be totin’. His words, not mine.
Available: California
ISLAND MAN is another one of Wyclef Jean’s cannabis brands. There is very little information about it online, but a google search leads you to this portfolio by Lindsay Hill Design where she has mockups for BOOM BAP and ISLAND MAN.
Going by this, it would appear ISLAND MAN is a line of cannabis products that includes infused beverages, CBD oil for humans, CBD oil for pets, and a moisture recovery cream topical.
You’ll need to stay tuned to Wyclef Jean and Cali Life Cannabis’ social channels for more official information on BOOM BAP and ISLAND MAN.
With most celebrities in the weed game, they aren’t going to talk too much about other products. But every now and again, they’ll keep it G with you and give props to other great brands. “I mean, I like the Cookies product. I think they make some good stuff,” Wyclef says of the California staple Cookies.
You know Cookies. But if you don’t, it’s a California brand from rapper, cannabis mogul, and Taylor Gang plant father, Berner. He came from a collective of growers in the Bay Area called the Cookie Family who gave the world G.S.C., Gelato, and Cherry Pie.
Since, Berner has gone on with Cookies as his own cannabis lifestyle brand. Originally all about merch and cannabis-adjacent products, the brand has spawned into production over the past few years, blessing the cannabis world with heavy hitters like Gary Payton, Runtz, and Cheetah Piss. There’s also a Berner’s Cookies G.S.C. phenotype floating around out there.
Available: California
Interview by Lesley Nickus. Written by Dante Jordan. Graphic design by David Lozada.
The post 3 weed products rap legend Wyclef Jean can't live without appeared first on Weedmaps News.
Biden-Sanders Task Force Does Not Recommend Legalizing Marijuana
While the unity taskforce pushed Biden farther left on cannabis policy, the former Vice President still doesn’t support ending prohibition.
The post Biden-Sanders Task Force Does Not Recommend Legalizing Marijuana appeared first on The Fresh Toast.
The Difference Between Marijuana, Hemp And Cannabis
At the end of the day, it’s up to you what you decide to call your weed. But when it comes to its legal use, most lawmakers prefer this term. Now that marijuana is earning legal status across the U.S., more people are getting involved, whether recreationally, medically or professionally. As more people discover its […]
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Today is July 10. To the mainstream world, it’s just another summer day. But in the cannisphere, it’s the international day of oil — the day in which we celebrate the evolution of cannabis and its union with technology. It’s the day when stoners across the world smoke concentrates at 7:10am and 7:10pm, and revel in the magic of delicious terpenes.
If you don’t know about 710 Day, don’t trip — a lot of people don’t. Basically, 710 spells OIL upsidedown and backwards. (Potheads have never lacked in creativity!) It is the most recent weed holiday that’s infiltrated the culture, and we’re here for it. Why? Because concentrates highlight the power of terpenes, the essential oils in cannabis (and every other plant, fruit, and vegetable) that give it an aromatic spectrum ranging from citrus to cheese to gasoline to pepper.
Studies suggest terpenes have distinct therapeutic properties. Some experts also say they are responsible for cannabis’s various highs. While more research needs to be done, what we definitively know is that terps are the reason your Super Lemon Haze smells like citrus fruit; why your Strawberry Cough smells like strawberries; why your Forbidden Fruit strain smells like pungent grapefruit; and why your favorite cheese strains smell like, well, cheese.
The power of terpenes lies at the root of this holiday and these oily compounds are truly the essence of cannabis. Creating quality, terpene-rich concentrates is an art form, much like creating high-end wine: The result is a sensuous experience that can change your perspective and palate. Ultimately, that’s why we created this product guide of our favorite extracts: We want you, dear readers, to experience the crème de la crème. Not only will these drool-worthy extracts get you lifted, but they’ll also deepen your understanding of the plant and remind you that cannabis is the dankest gift from the Universe.
Enjoy!
Willamette Valley Alchemy
Willamette Valley Alchemy’s mission is to provide the high-end cannabis community with superior cannabis products. WVA leads the industry by pairing passion with integrity. A company known for its uncompromising taste for “True-to-Strain” products, each strain is vetted for potency and quality. Supported by strong relationships with Oregon’s finest producers, they raise the bar for consumer experience and humbly serve dispensaries with friendly and knowledgeable customer service.
For more info visit: willamettevalleyalchemy.com
Glassworks Garden
Gasworks Garden is an individually owned and operated microgrowery located in Seattle, Washington. The garden focuses on cultivating just one single proprietary clone-only: Lemon Cherry. An uplifting sativa hybrid cross related to Cherry Pie and Lemon G.
The entire process from clone to harvest is specifically designed to consistently deliver Lemon Cherry flower and concentrate in small-batch style to adult-use shops across Washington State. Farmer-owned and operated, the owner proudly declares that he’s “served Seattle since 1997,” and has over 17-years of experience building gardens and growing cannabis indoors. Concentrates are processed by many of the top processors in Washington, encouraging connoisseurs to compare all the subtle nuances in processing techniques.
Follow @GlassworksGarden on Instagram for more info!
Buddies Live Resin
Buddies is a West Coast cannabis brand rooted in the core elements of cannabis. With over 20-years of experience in cultivation and processing, Buddies understands the craftsmanship that’s pushed the evolution of our industry into what it is today.
Buddies’ Liquid Diamonds come in 100 percent live resin vape carts. And, the best part about this line of delicious concentrate is that the product comes in PAX pods, 510 Carts, and Drippers. The product is made with 100 percent live resin — no cutting agents, distillate, or additives. It’s one ingredient only: 100 percent full-spectrum cannabis extract made from fresh frozen plants put away at harvest. If you want to dab on-the-go, this product is for you. You can locate their products here!
For more information visit: buddiesbrand.com
Kings Garden
Dubbed the “original Coachella Valley cannabis,” Kings Garden received the first weed licenses in Palm Springs and Cathedral City. Whether you consider that impressive or trivial information, it’s central to the brand because the owner of Kings Garden descends from one of Palm Spring’s founding families. So, their lux concentrates are a representation of California desert history, celebrating familial roots, and honoring legacy.
Plus, it’s nice when you can smoke high quality and locally grown and manufactured cannabis products. From shatter to live resin to diamonds to wax, Kings Garden extracts are ideal for minimizing pain, stimulating euphoria, and offering a well-rounded terpene experience that’s comparable to biting into ripe, tropical fruit on a warm summer day. If you’re into locally grown produce, do yourself a favor and puff on Kings Garden concentrates.
For more information visit: Kingsgarden.com
Absolute Xtracts
AbsoluteXtracts is a homegrown Northern California company committed to providing patients with pure, safe, and potent cannabis concentrates. What makes this brand excellent is the fact all their flower is sourced from small family farms in greenhouses across NorCal, then processed in their facility in Santa Rosa. They like to keep it local, which is crucial in 2020 considering we live in a highly corporate world. Supporting businesses that support their local economy is the only way small businesses and communities can survive.
Their discreet, futuristic live resin vape pens are an ideal way to hit quality concentrates on-the-go. If you’re someone who prefers the high of concentrates but doesn’t want to lug around a dab rig or Puff Co. Peak or any other device designed for smoking concentrates, ABX offers super clean oil designed to be enjoyed out in the world. Their Sour Diesel live resin pod is among our favorite products to-date. If you’re looking for a pick me up to help you get shit done, look no further. This product was made for you.
For more information visit: Abx.org
Peak Extracts
In a world that’s predominantly owned and operated by men, it’s refreshing — inspiring, even — to see women and femme-identifying folks kicking ass and taking names in business. That’s exactly what Katie Stem and Kate Black, the badass queer co-founders of Peak Extracts, are doing in Oregon and it’s impossible not to recognize their work in the space.
Peak Extracts was the first adult-use edibles producer licensed in Oregon and is currently the number 2 cannabis chocolate manufacturer in the state. Originally founded in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program in 2014, Peak Extracts is locally owned and based on principles of quality and integrity.
Using only hemp flower extract and MCT Coconut oil, Peak Extracts’ new tinctures are made in small batches in a gluten-free facility in Portland. Each tincture is vegan, alcohol-free and sugar-free, and comes in a variety of combinations: CBD + CBN, CBD, CBG + CBD. Great for microdosing, Peak’s tinctures are color-coded to allow users to choose the desired effects. For a unique strain-specific experience, try the Peak Extracts full spectrum (white label) tinctures that are rich in minor cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. They have a sativa-dominant tincture called Sour Space Candy and an indica-dominant oil called Special Sauce.
For more information visit: Peakextracts.com
Space Coyote
Maybe dabbing isn’t your thing. We get it. Lighting up a blow torch isn’t, uh, exactly chill. Truthfully, there are few things as relaxing as sitting back and inhaling the instant relief of a joint. Thankfully, there’s a brand on the same wavelength. Space Coyote is a cannabis company in a groove all its own. As California’s premier infused joint maker, each Space Coyote combines high potency herb and delicious, out of this world extracts. Crafted for stoners by stoners, Space Coyote celebrates art, equality, and the psychedelic side of cannabis.
Space Coyote just released packs of pre-roll live resin joints, and they’re to-die-for. Five juicy, whole-bud joints rolled in Field Extracts’ live resin come in a pack. Whether you go with indica or sativa, each pack is equipped with strain-specific bud and mindfully paired with a concentrate to enhance the flavor and feel of your high. Plus, a core part of their mission is to better the planet, and they uphold this duty by making environmentally-friendly packaging. We need to support more brands that incorporate this ethos into their production ops!
For more information visit: Spacecoyote.org
**This was made in partnership with Lama Brand, Buddies, Glassworks Garden, and Willamette Valley Alchemy
The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is not playing games anymore when it comes to dispensaries that dodge taxes.