Author: News Room

Revenue from legal marijuana in New Jersey will cover a third of the cost of a grant program aimed at violence intervention and prevention in the state, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin (D) announced this week. Of the $15 million in grant money that will be available to community organizations for the coming fiscal year, $5 million comes from the state’s Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Fund. The fund, which was established through the state’s marijuana legalization law, consists of monies from taxes on legal sales, industry fees and civil penalties. With the…

A new study of teens and young adults at risk of developing psychotic disorders found that regular marijuana use over a two-year period did not trigger early onset of symptoms—contrary to the claims of prohibitionists who argue that cannabis causes mental illness. In fact, it was associated with modest improvements in cognitive functioning and reduced use of other medications. A team of researchers at Zucker Hillside Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Michigan and University of California at Davis carried out the study, which was published Tuesday in the journal Psychiatry Research. “Recreational cannabis use has recently gained…

“It is misleading at best and disingenuous at worst to imply that cannabis smoke exposure is either equal to or more hazardous to health than tobacco smoking.” By Paul Armentano, NORML A growing percentage of Americans perceive smoking cannabis to be less dangerous than smoking tobacco cigarettes. They’re correct, but you wouldn’t know it from reading the recent slew of media headlines. “Many Americans wrongly believe exposure to marijuana smoke is safer than tobacco,” screamed CNN. Coverage of the survey data in Everyday Health warned, “People Underestimate the Health Risks of Smoking Marijuana.” Syndicated coverage of the study by US…

By Charles Bukowski Larry awakened, got out of the twisted sheets, walked to the window which overlooked the neighborhood to the east and he saw the garage roofs and the trees with their barren branches. His hangover was about standard and he walked to the bathroom to piss, did that, turned to the basin to wash his hands, then he splashed water on his face, and then he did it: He looked at the face in the mirror, found it less than enchanting… He let the bathwater run, thinking, the problem with the History of Man is that it doesn’t…

Activists in Lubbock, Texas have launched a campaign to join the growing number of cities across the Lone Star State that have locally decriminalized marijuana. The committee behind the initiative filed paperwork for the Freedom Act Lubbock ordinance with the city secretary this week, which gives them 60 days to collect about 4,800 valid signatures, which equates to about 25 percent of registered voters who participated in the last municipal election in May. If they’re successful, the measure will first be transmitted to the city council for consideration and then, if they don’t enact it, the proposal will go on the…

When asked by my dear friend Ellen, the editor in chief of this publication, to resume writing for High Times I jumped at the request. As a journalist/educator and lifetime student I’ve always enjoyed diving into topics that I’ve covered for this magazine over the years and revisiting certain subjects as new science became available. Here I look into growing cannabis specifically for terpene production. Terpenoids or terpenes are one of the most important chemical compounds produced by the cannabis plant. They are the compounds responsible for the plant’s smell and give each cultivar their unique perfume. Terpenes, like cannabinoids,…

“Rhode Island’s cannabis legalization law is aimed at more than simply ending the policy of prohibition. It is also about righting past wrongs, and building a new industry in as fair and equitable a manner as possible.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current Rhode Island’s cannabis industry can begin getting new regulations as early as this fall as the state now has chosen the people to craft them. Gov. Dan McKee (D), along with House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D) and Senate President Dominick Ruggerio (D) on Thursday announced their long-awaited picks for the Cannabis Advisory Board. The 19-member board,…

A company focused on developing marijuana-derived pharmaceuticals is suing the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) over what it calls “exponential delays” in the agency’s process for granting licenses to grow cannabis for medical research. Rhode Island-based MMJ BioPharma Cultivation Inc. filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Friday, alleging that DEA’s yearslong licensing application process has hamstrung the company’s business and stymied innovation that could benefit patients. It’s asking the federal court to compel the agency to act. “Despite beginning this process in November of 2017,” the company says…

State marijuana regulators are telling congressional lawmakers that their investigation into the lack of federal rules for hemp-derived CBD products must take into account other cannabinoids like delta-8 THC that are emerging on the market—and they also need to provide an agency like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with enhanced regulatory authority. In response to a request for expert input on CBD regulations from key House and Senate committees last month, the Cannabis Regulators Association (CANNRA) sent lawmakers a letter on Friday that offered recommendations on creating a framework for all hemp-based cannabinoids. The submission is informed by group…

With Ohio officials set to certify the ballot language of a marijuana legalization initiative that will appear before voters in November, there are signs of splintering among GOP elected officials in the state, with the governor voicing opposition while a Republican congressman tells Marijuana Moment he plans to vote in favor of the measure The secretary of state’s office announced on Wednesday that advocates turned in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, and the next step is for the state Board of Elections at a meeting on Thursday to approve the exact summary that voters will see when they…