Tokers

There are many areas of the United States that are struggling with opioid and heroin epidemics, and Ohio is one state that is definitely in the thick of it, and the epidemic there shows no signs of ending anytime soon.  In fact, it seems like there are news stories every day about addiction and overdose on opioids which begs the question: could cannabis help the Ohio opioid epidemic (both in Ohio and in other states)?

As reported by The Washington Post:

Drug overdoses have led to a spike in the number of bodies coming to the Stark County [Ohio] morgue — an increase of about 20 percent in the last year. The additional bodies led to the need for more space, so the coroner’s office borrowed a trailer from the state until it gets caught up.

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/could-cannabis-help-the-ohio-opioid-epidemic/

Although many companies have tried and failed throughout the years to create a legitimate roadside detection method for gauging marijuana impairment, a recent multi-million dollar investment in Breathalyzer technology could be an indication that an effective test is on the horizon.

According to a report from Business Insider, Silicon Valley’s Benchmark Capital, the venture capital firm that took early chances on Uber, Snap and Dropbox, has thrown more than $8 million at Oakland-based startup Hound Labs to get its new marijuana Breathalyzer off the ground.

Hound Labs made headlines back in 2014 when the company revealed that it had successfully produced the first-ever marijuana Breathalyzer that police would be able to use to “determine if an individual is impaired from recent marijuana use.”

Read More:http://hightimes.com/business/investment-company-predicts-success-of-effective-marijuana-breathalyzer/

Six months have passed since California voted in favor of Proposition 64, the recreational marijuana initiative that allows adults 21 and over to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and cultivate up to six plants indoors. And in another six months, state-licensed marijuana stores will begin selling pot purely for adult fun.

What will this mean for weed and the workplace? Can you gather with employee pals for a Friday night toke – instead of the regular beers – and not worry about any consequences on Monday morning? Can you spark up a joint or savor a vape pen on your lunch hour? What about drug testing?

The simple answer: It all depends on where you work.

Read More:http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/california-weed/article152918329.html

We’ve covered how to pass a drug test for marijuana before. But, how long does marijuana stay in your system is the most frequently asked question that we receive. While there is no definitive answer, we have presented some guidelines.

The data used to create this infographic is gathered from research on drug testing methods and the information presented by drug screen manufacturers. Some resources include Redwood Toxicology, Cannabis Drug Testing, California NORML. The information presented is only a guide or estimate since drug testing has many variables that can influence a positive or negative outcome. The only way to really know if you are positive is to test yourself. You can test yourself with a cheap test by buying a THC urine drug test.

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/how-long-does-marijuana-stay-in-your-system-infographic/

A new marijuana study joins a limited record of scientific knowledge about the harms and benefits of pot.

The research published Wednesday is the first rigorous test of a marijuana compound in treating a certain form of severe epilepsy. It found that an ingredient of marijuana — one that doesn't give pot smokers a high — reduced the number of seizures in children.

In the U.S., more than two dozen states allow medical use of marijuana. Federal drug regulators have not approved marijuana itself, but they have allowed man-made, chemically related medicines to treat loss of appetite in people with AIDS, and nausea and vomiting caused by cancer therapy. A marijuana extract is sold in Britain for nerve pain and other problems from multiple sclerosis.

Read More:http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/science-marijuana-47620827

A sweeping new report by BDS Analytics finally illustrates who is buying marijuana and for what reasons, with immense implications for topics like women’s health and wide range of industries. These findings come at time where lifting the canna-stigma and continuing to hold the line on cannabis policy reform might be more critical than ever.

Some of the biggest take-aways from the report include:

The cannabis market is a consumer driven market. Consumers in CA and CO are already starting to leave behind the stigmas and acceptance is on the rise:
80% of Rejectors (those who say they would never consider using marijuana themselves) in CO and 70% in CA believe there should be some form of legal marijuana
85% of Rejectors in CO and 81% in CA say they would want an ill loved one to use marijuana if it eased their suffering

Read More:https://www.theweedblog.com/grandmas-execs-athletes-bds-analytics-consumer-research-upends-pot-stereotypes/