The Couch

The legalization of weed in California is not all bongs, bowls, and piles of cash for everyone. While the state isn’t new to the green scene – medical marijuana has been legal there since 1996, when Proposition 215 was passed – a growing list of issues is facing the industry, because of the legalization of cannabis in California.

In the last two decades, since California legalized medical marijuana, alcohol didn’t go out of business, tobacco didn’t go bankrupt, pharma didn’t slow down, and the population didn’t turn into a bunch of lazy couch stoners.

That doesn’t mean that the legalization of weed in California has been an ocean-grown, or OG, breeze. Kids were a major factor to consider when it came to the topic of legalizing weed in the state. A lot of people had the same question, as it specifically pertained to California’s youth.

A California Cannabis Legalization Conundrum

Kids and the Legalization of Weed in California  

Now, Californians face a new hurdle, thanks to the passing of Proposition 64. Establishing the legal California weed age was a challenge, and the state finally settled on a number; the legal age to buy weed in California for recreational weed is 21 and up, with a valid ID.

As of 2017, California had an estimated population of 39+ million residents. That’s a lot of people and a lot of kids. Factors like restrictions on dispensary placement and cannabis growers, in regards to their proximity to schools and daycares, had to be considered. Hours of operation, school bus stops and routes, and even the dos and do-nots of advertising all had to be carefully evaluated, keeping in mind the potential impact on kids.

Statistically, smoking trends are higher within economically challenged communities, like so many in California. They were and still are some of the hardest hit by trends like cigarettes and underage drinking. So it’s understandable that people would have the same concerns about cannabis legalization. However, with over two decades of legal medical marijuana, it’s not really surprising to note that the children in California have yet to turn into weed smoking zombies since the California weed age was set.

Cannabis and Violent Crime

Surely, it takes more than 12 weeks to conduct a study or survey on a state with 39+ million citizens. But maybe not. A January 2018 Forbes article headline read: “Violent Crime Has Dropped In Border States With Legal Cannabis: Study.” However, two months later, California had a different Forbes headline that read like this: “California Officials Say Marijuana Legalization Causing More Violent Crime.” So, which is it?

It seems that a lot of opinions about weed are being passed around in the media, in regards to California’s weed legalization.

Cannabis Growing to Perfection

Shady, Non-Compliant Businesses

As of February 2018, over 6,000 weed delivery services and marijuana dispensaries in California could be found on Weedmaps. But, the state had only licensed 580 marijuana dispensaries and weed delivery companies at that time. While some businesses were paying their fees and doing the right thing, others were just flying by the seat of their pants.

This creates all kinds of problems. Tax evasion, quality control, testing, unlicensed businesses – all of this spells trouble for legal weed. The state tried to take aim at Weedmaps, telling them they weren’t allowed to advertise unlicensed businesses, but Weedmaps fired back with a blunt, by essentially saying, “that’s not our problem”.

What so many people fail to see about cannabis is that it is medicine. It does help people with an array of problems. When there is no standard for quality and safety set, people will do some unthinkable things to boost profits, like adding chemicals to cannabis, such as Eagle 20, or selling medicine infected with spider mites.

If businesses will do this, who’s to say they won’t sell weed to kids? Shady, non-compliant cannabis businesses complicate the presence of legal cannabis in the state, as well as dilute the potential of cannabis to be used in positive ways. California needs and deserves weed businesses that abide by California state law.

These are just a few of the conundrums created by the legalization of weed in California. Do you live in California? Do you see other issues that aren’t mentioned above? If so let us know here at Medical Edibles!

The Couch

Now that we’ve got a ton of states joining the effort to legalize marijuana, you may be starting to wonder just how far certain liberties extend. In many cases, you can just go to a dispensary and pick up some cannabis, and it’s easier than ever to find those spots, thanks to the internet. But what if you don’t want to go pick it up, or what if a brand you want to try isn’t anywhere close to you? Can your favorite brand, or a brand that you just want to take for a test ride, ship their product to you? The answer is no, for the most part.

Sadly, it’s not quite as simple as a product being legal in a state, then having that legality extended, so the product is able to travel through the mail system. There are plenty of completely legal products, like perfume, that can’t even go through the mail, so you should probably assume that something that is still as hated as cannabis isn’t going to have a gentle ride on the Pony Express.

The Post Office: not the best place to bring your favorite cannabis products

Federal Laws Limit Mailing Cannabis Across States

If you’re in a state that has legalized the recreational use of marijuana, and you have the great idea of shipping edibles through the mail, the current federal laws will give you a rude awakening. Since the cannabis would be going across state lines, even if both sides of those lines having legalized it, the best way to describe the situation is that the line itself has not legalized cannabis. Bringing anything from one state to another violates federal law, which sees this action as interstate trafficking.

Thanks to cannabis not being legal at the federal level, moving the product across state lines gives up those state rights, as the cannabis becomes a schedule one substance, as it moves from state to state. So, in terms of the United States Postal Service, or any mailing service, shipping any form of ganja is not allowed.

If you decide to take your chances, watch out: shipping marijuana could count as shipping “poisonous and hazardous materials,” which can mean federal prison time on its own, besides the schedule one substance part of it. Side note: while you won’t get that hazardous and poisonous materials charge for taking marijuana across state lines in a personal vehicle, if you get pulled over with marijuana products that were purchased in a different state, you will receive a drug trafficking charge.

In-State Mailing Also Illegal

If you wanted to mail cannabis products or have them mailed to you within your own state, that’s also not going to happen. The USPS, being a federal entity, goes by federal policies at all times. FedEx also prohibits the mailing of anything that is federally illegal, so there’s not really any way to get your brand to ship mail order edibles.

You could take your chances – and many people do – but no brands are going to, and the repercussions are definitely not worth it. FedEx and UPS can’t arrest you if they decide that they’re not going to mail your weed, but there’s nothing to stop them from calling the cops, to alert them of your attempt to mail a federally illegal substance.

Your Best Bet: Direct Delivery

So, shipping edibles through the mail is an absolute no-go. You don’t want any cannabis products floating around any mailing systems with your name on them. But is there any way to get products besides in person? Thankfully, if you live in the right place, yes.

In Nevada, quickly after legalizing cannabis and getting dispensaries open, the state actually made cannabis delivery services legal. So, as long as the state licensed them, businesses in Nevada can do door-to-door delivery of their cannabis products. This doesn’t mean that your favorite brand can send a delivery boys hundreds of miles and over state lines to bring their product to you (although if it didn’t cross state lines, I guess they technically could). But, it does mean that, if you don’t have a car and really want that product from a dispensary across town, there just might be someone who can drop that off at your house.

With a license, a delivery boy can bike to your house with your cannabis purchase

As there are so many new products on the market this year, in-person delivery provides a great alternative to mail order edibles, to those with or without cars. Depending on the state you’re in, you might have legal delivery services as well, which means you can order your weed and your pizza, and, hopefully, they’ll show up at around the same time.

The Couch

Now that you’ve gotten yourself acquainted with some of the more common terpenes in part one of this series, we’re going to close it off with some other important compounds, in part two. Again, these are important to take note of, when buying any cannabis or cannabis oil THC products. Not only can being aware of what you’re buying greatly affect your high, but the medicinal effects will also differ, based on the compounds involved.

Eucalyptol

The name makes it quite obvious here, but eucalyptol oil is present in eucalyptus and is the source of that wonderful minty odor. It’s typically used topically, but it’s general presence within the body has been studied as a defense against Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also great for fighting bacteria – specifically staph bacteria – in addition to being used for antifungal and antioxidant purposes.

It’s not present in many strains of cannabis, but keep your eyes out for Super Silver Haze if you want this terpene in your flower. If you’re just looking out for it in general, plenty of mouthwashes, cough suppressants, and hand creams contain this essential oil, as does cannabis essential oil.

Eucalyptus, which is a main source of eucalyptol in oils

Pinene

Pinene is another compound with a name that gives it all away. Pinene is found in many other plants and is the source of that magical pine scent. It has a lot of similar health benefits to other terpenes, but you may want to look out for this one specifically, if you’re one of those people that feels cannabis is slowing you down.

Pinene is directly associated with promoting alertness. If you feel you have a very short-term memory from your cannabis use, then you may want to ask about strains that contain this little guy. Of course, you also want to make sure that the other terpenes you find aren’t debilitating this in your flower or cannabis essential oil. For example, if the strain you’re looking at also has a high amount of myrcene, the alertness you’re looking for (from the Pinene) will be dampened by the myrcene.

You can find Pinene in strains like Jack Herer, Trainwreck, and Blue Dream, so keep your eye out for these and for edibles made from them.

Terpineol

This little terpene, which is often hidden under a ton of pinene, replicates the scent of lilac and other soft floral aromas. Terpineol can actually help with a range of specific issues, including acne and even malaria. Several studies have also come out which suggest that this terpene is essential in the research for natural remedies, including cancer, due to its role as a tumor killer. Along with CBN, terpineol is a relaxing compound, so it may turn you into a couch potato when activated in your cannabis use. However, if you’re using it to fight a major disease, that’s a minor side effect, in comparison.

Camphene

For those who love the great outdoors or miss their wet New England forests, Camphene resembles the scent of those damp woodland areas. This is similar to Myrcene, but Camphene comes with some properties that make it important to pay attention to.

Camphene actually fights cardiovascular disease, by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream. After a 2011 study, it was concluded that camphene is a serious compound, when it comes to our heart health. As is the case with other terpenes and cannabinoids, camphene has no negative side effects and shows serious results.

If you’re interested, you can find a good amount of camphene in strains like Ghost OG.

Carene (Delta 3 Carene)

This is another woodsy-scented terpene, but it’s also a very common one. This is definitely one to keep track of, if you’re on the “dry” side, when it comes to your cannabis intake. It’s common for people to experience dry mouth or red eyes with cannabis use, and this terpene is specifically known for drying up bodily fluids. If that’s a pet peeve of yours, I would recommend being on the lookout for strains that are specifically low in this compound instead.

Carene is known to help with bone growth, so that may be another reason to consider this terpene. Both Super Silver Haze and Super Lemon Haze are good options, if you’re looking for carene.

Essential oil bottles, where you can (perhaps surprisingly) find many of these compounds

Time to Buy

Now that you’ve read though this two-part series, you should be ready to go and buy cannabis products, like cannabis oil THC or non-THC, like a pro. Of course, you can never do enough research with terpenes, as these ten only scratch the surface of what you can find in cannabis and in other plants around the world. As a safe edibles or flower consumer, you should always know what’s in your products.  

The Couch

Cannabis technology has catapulted the old school twist-and-smoke into a clean, stealthy, easy delivery system that has more people smiling than ever before. We’re referring to the exciting world of vaping cannabis, a game changer in recreational and medical marijuana application.

There is no longer a need to worry about emerging from a haze of smoke that sticks to your skin and clothes, increasing unwanted attention or detection. There is no more lurking in dark corners, while revelers legally imbibe drink after drink, in the comfort of a public bar. Vaping cannabis brings the capability of controlling your intake to the point where you are able to function on a fun, creative, healthy, stress-less ride, all below the radar of judgmental eyes.

Body Embracing

When it comes to vaping vs smoking cannabis, first off, ingesting any kind of smoke immediately raises alarms in your brain. As your lungs begin to experience smoke, they send signals of distress, creating a chain reaction in the body, to quickly do damage control.

Part of this reaction is the release of endorphins, analgesic (pain-killing) chemicals that quell discomfort, while other functions attempt to bring your body back to homeostasis (stable equilibrium). Endorphin release creates a dual high when combined with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the mind-altering chemical found in marijuana.

Such a blended high is believed to be responsible for several downsides of smoking marijuana, which include bloodshot eyes, facial muscle droopiness, confusion, and after effects like moodiness, fatigue, and lack of gumption.

Vaping cannabis removes many of these negative factors, as it is as natural as breathing the oxygen around you. No endorphins are released; instead, you experience a pure THC elevation that keeps you focused while hovering at the same time.

Vaping cannabis allows your body to fully embrace the connection of THC to natural cannabinoid receptors in the brain. It is so much of a clean, functioning high that even endurance athletes are supporting the vaping and edible effects of cannabis.

Colorado-based ultra-runner, Avery Collins – who runs about 150 training miles per week and competes in four to five races a year – reports that he, “eats edibles or vaporizes weed every day, to help his body deal with the grueling running regime.”

Collins commented to News AU, “[Cannabis] helps me live right in the moment. [..] I use it as a way to intensify and enhance the run. It makes the longevity of the runner’s high last longer because technically you’re already high.”

There is also the benefit of enjoying the multi-tastes of the many strains of cannabis through vaping, so much so that they are cannabis vaping is almost like wine tasting these days. Some flavorful oil cartridges include gelato, strawberry, pineapple, passion fruit, and banana.

Cannabis Vaporizers

Like any technology, the world of vaping cannabis has gone through a variety of design iterations, and new designs continue to emerge daily.

In the beginning, it was a boxy, plug-in-the-wall machine – similar to a pencil sharpener – attached to a long tube with a glass mouthpiece. Dry herb would be ground and placed in a chamber near the heat source. Then, hot air would flow through and allegedly vaporize, rather than combust (many believe that the herb eventually combusts, with most of these early designs).

Next, hand-held, battery-powered portable devices were created, to vape ground weed on-the-go. Eventually, even smaller designs emerged that work with cannabis oil, wax, or shatter (crystallized, amber, glass-like cannabis pieces). Although many of these delivery systems are still used, the most popular form of vaping cannabis is cannabis oil pens.

According to Cannabis Vape Reviews, here are a few of the top choices:

• Rokin Mini Tank Oil Vape Kit – Works with 510 threaded cartridges
• PAX Era Vaporizer – Uses proprietary “Era pod” cartridges
• Swan Vape Battery by S6XTH Sense – Compatible with almost all vape cartridges
• Basic Vape Pen – Inexpensive brands like Greenly, Bhang Stick, and HoneyVape

You can also check out Leafly for a wide variety of additional vaping products, including dry herb vaporizers by Davinci, Launch Box, Firefly, and PAX.

Beyond the High, Vaping Communities

Community

As a result of vaping cannabis, a new community has risen, beyond the stigma of couch-locked, lazy potheads, looking for that next unhealthy snack to scarf down. As mentioned, the vaping community includes extreme athletes. This community is discovering that vaping cannabis offers a cleaner high, to enhance an athletic experience and increase the overall effects to a more positive, beneficial level.

It is also reported that vaping cannabis helps with physical challenges such as pain and inflammation. Cannabis Net reports that “in an online survey by the National Pain Foundation, 30% of 1,300 patients reported that they have used cannabis. Out of the participants, 62% said that cannabis is “very effective” in treating [fibromyalgia inflammatory] symptoms.”

Additionally, according to a study cited by CBD Testers, “a team of Israeli scientists conducted a clinical trial of their own. It was published in the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, and the results are definitive; within a few minutes of taking the vaporized cannabis, patients reported feeling significant relief from their chronic nerve pain.”

Add in the many new, legal users and vaping cannabis becomes their first experience with marijuana. This is significant, given the controlled, clean delivery that offers all of the high without any of the unwanted side effects. Vaping technology is taking marijuana to a whole new level that leaves the days of cumbersome, conspicuous combustion up in smoke.

Vaping cannabis can be used in so many easy, enjoyable ways. It not only enhances your overall lens of the world around, you but it also offers an easy, clean application to keep you running on all cylinders, all day long.