Culture

When marijuana first became legal in Colorado, we knew that there would be problems that arose. We hoped that they wouldn't but it was pretty inevitable. In the small town of Penrose in southern Colorado, a place with only 3500 residents, they are beginning to see some negative effects of the impactful cannabis industry. Since the town is so small and there are seven approved grow operations in the small town, the other members of the community are worried that the marijuana may be harming their small town.

 

Apple Farm being the biggest grow operation in the town, with 17 green houses on it, most of which are full of cannabis plants. That's a good amount of plants and the neighbors are beginning to complain of the pungent cannabis smell leaking from the greenhouse walls. A group of concerned citizens has taken it upon themselves to make people aware of the problems that are beginning to occur because of the greenhouses, such as the smell, the use of the lights (which are bright at night according to neighbors), and the use of the small amount of water that the town has. The co-owner of Apple Farm, a man named Edward Vasquez, stated in an 11 New article that "we have been doing everything we can to be good neighbors in terms of odor control, light pollution, and water usage. Some of these things are pretty expensive."

 

The 17 greenhouses on Apple Farm have been equipped with blackout curtains to prevent light from leaking in to neighboring yards. In addition, there have been new air filters installed to assist in the decreased amount of smell as well as new watering systems designed to conserve. All of these changes were made voluntarily, as the town has no specific ordinances regarding this kind of issue. So in all fairness, at least the greenhouses are putting in a valiant effort to keep their neighbors appeased. The problems in Penrose will eventually be smoothed over and citizens will all be able to leave in peace.

We all know that Girl Scout cookies are a hugely craved munchies snack among stoners. Thin Mints? Hell yeah, sign us up! A little girl in Phoenix discovered how much pot smokers love the Girl Scout cookies when she set up shop outside a dispensary. The 8-year-old, Lexi Menees, was given the idea by her mother, Heidi Carney, who was following the idea of a teenager who sold a ton of cookies at a dispensary in San Francisco a few days prior.

 

When the little girl showed up at TruMed Dispensary with her parents, she had somewhere between 100-150 boxes of cookies. In the few hours that they were out there, the little girl got rid of more than 50 boxes of cookies. Justin Menees, Lexi's father, said that this amount was far more then they would've sold outside of a grocery store, a valid point seeing as how you can just buy cookies inside the grocery store. A Girl Scout selling cookies right outside a dispensary gives patients a one stop shop for their meds and a snack.

 

While some people see an issue with this, the president of TruMed Dispensary and oncology nurse Lauren Gooding, says that she hopes that the presence of the Girl Scouts will help to eliminate the negative stigma attached to marijuana dispensaries. There was also a security guard on site to make sure that no one consumes or broadcasts a marijuana purchase, ensuring that Lexi was never exposed to the plant and it was pretty much just like selling at Walgreens or CVS.

 

The feelings of the Girl Scouts vary state to state. While some states, like Arizona, have had their spokesperson claim that as long as the child is safe, the parents have the choice of where to set up shop, others like Colorado have strictly prohibited members from selling at marijuana stores. The organization said that while the "recognize these are legitimate businesses, but we don't feel they are an appropriate place for girls to be selling cookies in Colorado".

Good news for all dispensary owners! Banks are beginning to relax their standing on accepting money that was used in the marijuana industry. The government recently release a set of rules for the banks to follow regarding this industry and they are going to allow the financial institutions with banking services, just like any other business. With such large amounts of cash being handled, marijuana establishments being barred from banks creates a huge public safety problem, not to mention an inconvenience for customers and patients.

 

According to the rules that have been set forth, the banks must be labeled as "suspicious" and will be investigated after the bank files a report (Suspicious Activity Reports is what they'll be called). Transactions that are believed to be legal will be reported as "marijuana limited" transactions. For other transactions that the banks believe the be illegal, they will be labeled as "marijuana priority" and will be further investigated by the bank's cannabis industry regulators.

 

While the new rules aren't going to solve everything, at least the government is taking steps in the right direction. Dispensary owners will be able to store their money in a safe place, as compared to stuffing it in their mattresses to keep it guarded or having to leave it in the safe at the store. Cannabis may still be illegal under federal law but forbidding these large amounts of money from entering bank accounts is only going to promote black market activity and other money related crimes.

By now, the majority of the stoner community is familiar with dabbing, the process of inhaling concentrated THC material that can be used as an incredibly powerful and potent medicine. Unfortunately, the process of making this substance can be extremely dangerous for those attempting it that aren't professionals. The end result can also cause problems for those that use the dabs, as the purging process can sometimes be overlooked, leaving large amounts of butane left in the product.

 

First of all, the process of making BHO can be extremely dangerous. The conditions need to be perfect, not in a kitchen, garage, or storage closet in your apartment building. All of the equipment used must be high grade. Skimping on things like tubes can result in breaking glass and explosions, leading to serious injury. If you don't know what you're doing, don't attempt to make BHO. Explosions like this are what is causing such a negative light to be shed on dabs, which are being called the "crack of marijuana".

 

If BHO is not properly purged of the leftover butane, the product can cause extreme headaches. Most people seem to think that this is the worst side effect but others do argue that the inhalation of the excess butane gas is severely harmful to the lungs and throat, causing terrible side effects. There was one report of a young girl that was dabbing when her throat suddenly swelled up, causing her to have trouble breathing. Fortunately, she was rushed to the hospital in time and was treated for chemical epiglottitis , a condition that effects the flap of skin between the esophagus and trachea. This skin flap becomes inflamed when an irritant is introduced, such as certain chemicals or high levels of heat. However, it is not thought that butane was the cause of this but some other irritant in the product of perhaps the inhalation of the heated air.

 

Products like this need to be made well, especially if it's patients that are using the substance for medical reasons. Always be sure to make BHO correctly, in well ventilated areas, and with the proper equipment. If you're going off of a YouTube video, you should probably not try to accomplish this process. Only those that are experienced should be making BHO, just to be on the safe side.

Lifting weights is popular these days, even among stoners. Especially with winter on it's way out, getting in to shape for the summer season is very important to some people. But those that are lifting weights sometimes have the worry that cannabis will decrease their desire to work out and only promote their cravings for munchies snacks that won't help to gain any muscle mass. The key for people that love lifting their minds as well as weights is moderation and to avoid actually smoking their cannabis and to enjoy it in a form like edibles, oils, and THC pills.

 

In an article published on www.illpumpyouup.com, the subject of cannabis ingestion and testosterone was brought up. In a study published in 1972, there arose concern that marijuana was connected to gynecomastia, or "male breasts". In studies conducted on animals, an inhibiting effect took place on both testosterone as well as luteninzing hormone (LH) production. But the human body reacts far differently, with more studies showing that there is no decreased testosterone levels. In 1989, another study was conducted on 17 male volunteers that were given high and low doses of THC. The results showed that there was no hormonal changes at all. Basically, there is no effect on testosterone levels if one chooses to ingest THC.

 

As always, juicing cannabis leaves also provides an amazing health benefit for the body, not to mention adding hemp seeds in to your diet. The antioxidants and amino acids contained in the seeds and leaves help to boost bodily function, immune system, and digestive health. For those bodybuilders that juice, adding a couple cannabis leaves to your recipes won't even get you stoned nor will it appear on a drug test. Just add about an ounce of juiced cannabis leaves to your smoothies or maybe half a cup of hemp seeds. You won't even be able to taste either one and your body will thank you.

 

Marijuana can be a great way for bodybuilders to relax after a tough workout. These days, even healthy foods can be turned in to amazingly uplifting dishes that will chill your body out. For bodybuilders especially, eating cannabis would be a benefit because of the body effects it provides. Simply look up healthy recipes online that can include marijuana and get to cooking! There are recipes online that are even vegan and gluten free for those that really go all out for a healthy life style.