The US Department of Justice recommended that marijuana be rescheduled as a Schedule III controlled substance, a classification shared by prescription drugs such as ketamine and Tylenol with codeine. It currently sits as a Schedule I substance. The same category as Heroin, LSD, and MDMA. The formal rulemaking process is lengthy, typically includes a public comment period, and could take months to complete.

The rescheduling of marijuana might mark the beginning of the end of the war on drugs. It could open the doors for Psilocybin and MDMA, which also have had many studies for medical benefits. Last fall, members of the FDA’s Controlled Substance Staff wrote in the documents that the agency recommended rescheduling marijuana because it meets three criteria: a lower potential for abuse than other substances on Schedules I and II; a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the US; and a risk of low or moderate physical dependence in people who abuse it.

Currently, 24 states have legalized cannabis for recreational use. This has led to a multi-billion dollar industry with dispensaries everywhere you look. State-licensed cannabis dispensaries and retail shops are expected to generate $32.1 billion in sales this year.

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From an economic standpoint, the bill would impose an 8 percent tax on marijuana products. It would also make Small Business Administration loans and services available to cannabis businesses while setting standards for them. By lowering law enforcement and incarceration costs and imposing new taxation, the bill would save the government hundreds of millions of dollars. Estimations from the Congressional Budget Office show that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by nearly $3 billion over the next decade.

It’s the second time the House has passed the bill. Known as the MORE Act, it will now head to the Senate, where its future is very uncertain. Democrats and Republicans seem to be evenly split on the marijuana question.

According to the CDC, marijuana is the most popular illegal drug in the U.S. The agency said 48.2 million people – about 18% of Americans – used it at least once in 2019.

The vast majority of the states in the country relaxed marijuana laws in some way. The federal government is still far behind. Other countries like Canada and the Netherlands already legalized the recreational use of marijuana for a while now. Speaking of Canada, the country’s industry players watched closely the debate. Producers and retailers are poised for the chance to both expand into the U.S. and defend their market share at home.

For many people, it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when. We will just have to wait and see what the Senate will do with the bill.

Stay tuned for more news!

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As we all know, Spotify is a big as it gets. On the other hand, Potify is a US Software Inc. service that started in 2017. It allows users to search for cannabis and connect with a local dispensary for delivery.

Spotify argued that the Potify brand is “diluting” its own brand by association and “blurring and tarnishing” it. The company also had to prove that it was the owner of a famous mark, its mark is distinctive, another trademark would dilute its mark and it had the mark first. From his side, Potify CEO pointed that “the Spotify name did not come to mind when developing the name.”

Even though board members did not find that an association between the two companies has occurred or will occur, it did not discount that as a possibility. You can read the explanation from the decision below.

“In any event, because the marks are so similar in how they look and sound, and in their structure, cadence and essential nature, applicant’s mark will cause consumers to ‘conjure up’ the opposer’s famous mark, and ‘associate the two”.

“The only difference between applicant’s mark Potify and opposer’s mark Spotify is that opposer’s starts with an ‘S’ immediately before the shared letters P-O-T-I-F-Y. In other words, as opposer points out, the applicant merely deleted the leading ‘S’ from opposer’s mark”.

Potify can still use its name in the future, but trademarking the handle is going to be prohibited.

Stay tuned for more news!

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These drug measures were included in 120 proposed state laws that were on the ballot in 32 states. These laws included a variety of topics such as racial inequalities, taxes, and education. Voters in Arizona and New Jersey voted to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and over. The next step is to set up a new marijuana marketplace that will sell the product. The law in Arizona also allows people convicted of minor marijuana crimes to seek pardon. South Dakota became the first state to pass laws on medical and recreational marijuana at the same time. Voters in Montana approved recreational marijuana legalization while Mississipi legalized medical use.

This looks like a total win for stoners and patients alike. The picture looks more friendly by the day and it is promising. Amsterdam is not that far away anymore. It is hard to remember that this was illegal in all 50 states just 10 years ago.

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If you are unfamiliar, all drugs are categorized into five schedules. 1 being the worst, and basically stating the drug has no medical use and a high potential for abuse. 5 contains the “safest” drugs and the least potential for abuse. Only 37% of survey participants correctly identified cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. After polling the demographics of the survey population, it was time to assess where they believe all the drugs line up on certain categories.

Cannabis was rated the highest for potential medical use. It was rated the lowest for causing physical dependence. According to respondents, Ketamine and Anabolic Steroids have more potential of being abused than LSD and Cannabis. Americans also believe Xanax, Valium, and Ambien have more cause for psychological dependence than LSD. It seems more and more Americans are coming around to recreational drugs. To no surprise, Heroin was ranked the worst substance, followed by Cocaine and Methamphetamine.

With Americans now believing Cannabis as the “safest” party drug, the participants rescheduled the drug schedule. 84% percent of people believed Cannabis should be classified to a lower Schedule, while 38% believed it should be entirely removed from the purview of the CSA. The new drug schedule put Cannabis in Schedule 3.

It is a pretty interesting study to read through if you have the chance.

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However, rap culture and fame comes with its own vices and downfalls. Drug culture can sometimes go hand in hand with rap culture and many rappers fall into that lifestyle. Unfortunately, Juice WRLD is one of them as well. He had tried to follow a sober lifestyle but relapsed, then swore off codeine again. That being said, drugs and alcohol are not only a problem in the rap culture, but in music culture as a whole.

“Addiction kills all but you can overcome.”

Tweet from Juice WRLD – July 8, 2019

The Findings

Authorities were alerted that the jet was carrying “weapons and narcotics on it.” TMZ reports that some time between the plane landing and authorities conducting their search, witnesses saw the rapper swallowing several Percocet pills in what they believe was an attempt to hide the contraband. He suffered from convulsions and went into cardiac arrest on Sunday at Chicago’s Midway Aiport. He was awake again after two doses of Narcan but pronounced dead after arriving to the medical center. Following his death, police found and seized 70 lbs of marijuana, codeine, and three guns from the private jet the rapper flew on. According to sources, when the police questioned the rapper’s girlfrind she stated that Juice WRLD “takes Percocet and has a drug problem.” However, there still no conclusion yet based on autopsy to report what was the definitive cause of death.

Juice WRLD was a light and genuine soul in the rap industry. Juice WRLD was scheduled to play Rolling Loud Los Angeles this Saturday. It’s unclear yet what the hip hop festival will do his timeslot. Hopefully this tragedy can serve as a wake-up call for artists and people who need it. Addiction can consume a person, and there’s no shame in getting help.

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Outside Lands and pot go hand in hand, wouldn’t you say? This year, it is finally going to be legal on the festival grounds.

San Francisco’s largest summer music festival just approved for cannabis sales during the festival. With a designated smoking area at the three day event, it begins Friday at Golden Gate Park.

“It’s going to be a landmark moment for the end of prohibition,” said Alex Fang, a co-founder of Sublime.

Sublime is an Oakland cannabis firm that sells infused mints and freeze pops. They will be a vendor at the festival.

On Wednesday, the San Francisco Office of Cannabis is granting their first permit for a temporary event to sell cannabis. Check out the recently approved new rules for events like this.

Alex Traverso, from the Bureau of Cannabis Control, states that the agency is also issuing a license for OL. Since California legalized the drug for recreational use in 2016, its public use still remains prohibited. Though, it looks like OL is about to change that for the state’s history.

If you find yourselves at the event this weekend, come to Grass Lands. An area of the park has fully transformed into a sprawling marijuana exhibit. Featuring about a dozen cannabis companies, these licensed vendors also sell on the marijuana delivery app, Eaze.

New city regulations talked about how there will be designated smoking areas on the festival grounds. This way, sellers won’t be overwhelmed by the secondhand smoke. A barrier hides these designated smoking areas from view. Attendees can purchase up to 7 grams of non-concentrated cannabis (dry plant, concentrate, edibles). Only days before the festival, vendors got approval to sell their products.

Uncertainty is a thing in the industry so this change could certainly be the start of something new. Other festivals in California also got the green light for green sales. Northern Nights, in Mendocino County, participated in cannabis vending just this past May.

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Since his retirement at 52-years old, former heavyweight champ, Mike Tyson, announces some major additions for his newfound marijuana empire. Founding Tyson Holistics in 2016, Tyson announced that he would build a marijuana ranch in 2017. The 400+ acre ranch is still in the works with some huge plans in store. Tyson Ranch is coming soon to Desert Hot Springs, California. It plans to attract tourists with a luxurious marijuana holiday resort, music festival venue, and Tyson University that will focus on the research of marijuana health benefits.

The Resort

Tyson Ranch revealed plans for a luxurious resort that hopes to attract a multitude of tourists. Photos show us that there’s a huge 1-hour long lazy river pool surrounding a hotel. There will also be 200 ‘glamping’ units spread across the resort. While still in development, Tyson Ranch aims to welcome the growing cannabis tourism industry. Guests will be able to smoke weed pretty much anywhere on the premises, except in areas where liquor is for sale, according to the law.

Music Festival Grounds

Prior to breaking grounds as Tyson Ranch, Tyson held Kind Music Festival earlier this year in February. KMF featured headlining acts like Miguel and A$AP Ferg. This is where attendees got a taste of what Tyson Ranch would soon have in-store for its future amphitheater. Tyson looks forward to building a full venue for music festivals for many events to come. Could this be the next-gen ‘Weedchella’?

Tyson ‘Weed’ University

Tyson proclaims that weed has helped him end years of substance abuse. Tyson’s business partner, Rob Hickman, states in an interview with GQ, “It changed his life. He’s the perfect person.” With that being said, Tyson’s goal is to develop a research facility aimed at educating the mass on the healing benefits of cannabis and CBD. Tyson Ranch holds a high-standard of naturally sourcing their marijuana. This procedure includes indoor cultivated strains, a 30-day curing process, and hand-trimming their product to make sure that it is pesticide free. The university will also educate people on how to grow weed and how to properly conduct business.

This is great news for the 420 community and we definitely can’t wait for the development of Tyson Ranch and all of its amenities being carried out. Tyson Ranch’s website also features a portion where you can “sign up for the keys” to the resort here. If you want a range of CBD vape pens for this event, check here.

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Heineken‘s California-based beer label Lagunitas is the latest company to break into the rising cannabis industry. Their latest brew “Hi-Fi Hops” contains zero alcohol and is instead made with THC—the driving component in marijuana.

According to Business Insider, the beer mimics the consistency of a traditional beer but provides the drinker with a high due to the THC. For those not looking to get high but still want the soothing effects of cannabis, there is a CBD option which contains no THC or psychoactive effects.

“Lagunitas is not the only alcoholic companies that are pouring a decent amount of their resources investing in marijuana and CBD-infused beverages,” added Justin Hamilton, head of Royal CBD‘s R&D, who has been working in the cannabis scene over ten years.

The beer has been on limited dispensary shelves since July 30 and is only available in California where recreational marijuana is legal.

Hi-Fi Hops runs at about $8 for a 12oz can—which is roughly the cost of a beer at a bar. It’s a steep price, but the demand for the drink is promising.

Heineken making its way early on into the flourishing marijuana industry could be a wise move that catapults their brand into the collective conscious a much younger generation of recreational weed users.

To see if Hi-Fi Hops is available near you check out the list of locations here.

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Though many will try to deny it, drugs have and always will have a commonplace in the festival and rave cultures. The real question is, to what extent and by what means? These are the questions TickPick—the online ticket-bidding website—posed in a recent cheeky survey.

TickPick surveyed 1,000 attendees at some of the country’s most well-known festivals and found out not only what the most common drug of choice was, but also a correlation of specific substances with that particular event. Take for instance, Burning Man and Bonnaroo, which were highest in prevalence for hallucinogens and marijuana use. And EDC topped the charts in the MDMA/Molly/Ecstasy trifecta; another no-brainer. But the most popular substance across all festivals? Booze, of course.

It’s a tale as old as time: you tell yourself you won’t spend too much money on concessions but an hour later you’ve sipping on a lukewarm $16 dollar beer, wondering where your life went. We’ve all been there.

Some other interesting findings from the survey were the fact that VIP attendees were significantly more likely to partake in varied drug use than those in general admission. This finding brings up images of the cliche that Coachella VIP pass-holders partake in the rampant debauchery that their privileged trust fund status allows them. A joke of course! But there may be some truth in that stereotype as it’s more likely that those with wealthier status can afford their drugs of choice.

These types of surveys are a useful resource to help festival goers make sound decisions regarding their health and safety. TickPick summed it up graciously:

“But despite this culture of collective intoxication, festivals afford singular opportunities to fans – ones you don’t want to miss because you’re too wasted. Don’t worry: We’re not looking to deliver a moralizing lecture. We simply hope you’ll keep safety in mind at the next festival you attend, so you can fully enjoy the experience you came for.”

You can read up more on the breakdown of these findings on the TickPick article below.

H/T to TickPick

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