Author: Thomas Edward

[ad_1] Elon Musk says that he benefits from the use of ketamine –– and investors should be pleased that he takes it –– but when he posts late at night on the social media platform he owns, he insists that he is rarely under the influence. The Tesla CEO made all of those comments during a well-publicized interview with the journalist Don Lemon. “There are times when I have sort of a … negative chemical state in my brain, like depression I guess, or depression that’s not linked to any negative news, and ketamine is helpful for getting one out of…

[ad_1] The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 34-year-old nonprofit research and educational organization “that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana,” announced in a press release on Monday that it “has partnered with the City and County of Denver to provide comprehensive training on psychedelic crisis assessment and intervention to the city’s first responders.”  The Psychedelic Crisis Assessment and Intervention training was “commissioned by the Denver Psilocybin Mushroom Policy Review Panel (DPMPRP), a first-of-its-kind panel that was formed after the passage of Ordinance 301 in May 2019,…

[ad_1] Calling it a “nation-leading effort,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura T. Healey on Wednesday announced her intention to take executive action to pardon misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in the commonwealth.  If it is approved by the “Governor’s Council,” Healey’s office said it “would be the most comprehensive action by a governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions and called on governors to take similar actions in their states,” and “could impact hundreds of thousands of people.” Per the official state website, the Massachhuestts Governor’s Council is “composed of eight individuals elected from districts, and the Lieutenant Governor who…

[ad_1] Lawmakers in Washington State “recently passed a bill granting an exemption from the 37% excise tax for medical marijuana patients and designated providers,” according to Forbes. The passage of the measure eliminates  what has been characterized as “one of the highest tax rates imposed on medical marijuana products.”  The bill, HB 1453, was originally introduced last year.  Per an official legislative summary of the proposal, the bill aimed to provide “a tax exemption from the 37 percent cannabis excise tax for qualifying patients and designated providers with a recognition card on purchases of cannabis products that are labeled as…

[ad_1] According to multiple reports late last week, MedMen has shuttered all but two of its stores in California. “Only MedMen stores in San Diego and near Los Angeles International Airport remain open,” MJBizDaily reported on Friday.  Green Market Report, citing a former staffer at the company, reported that “[although] no one connected with MedMen’s corporate headquarters could be reached for comment, the chain had a small fire sale to unload product this past week prior to closing down.” The outlet has more on MedMen’s precipitous decline: “The report of more closures follows a series of troubling developments for the…

[ad_1] The office of New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said Tuesday that cannabis consumers “have purchased more than $678.4 million worth of adult-use cannabis products and $331.6 million in medical products since April 1, 2022,” and that, to date, “the state has recorded more than 21 million transactions with $75 million in cannabis excise taxes going to the state general fund and local communities.” “This is a huge milestone for New Mexico’s cannabis industry,” Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Nearly two years after beginning sales, New Mexico is on the map as a premier hub for…

[ad_1] A Republican-backed proposal in Florida to impose limits on THC potency in marijuana appears to have flamed out in the state’s legislative session. GOP lawmakers there introduced two measures –– House Bill 1269 and Senate Bill 7050 –– that would “sought to preemptively ban adults’ access to cannabis flower products containing more than 30 percent THC,” according to NORML. Recreational cannabis for adults remains illegal in Florida, although voters in the Sunshine State could have the opportunity to change that come November.  The Florida Supreme Court is set to hand down a ruling on whether or not a proposed amendment to…

[ad_1] A higher dose version of naloxone, the nasal spray used to reverse opioid-induced overdoses, did not lead to more saved lives, according to a new study published earlier this month. The findings, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, indicated that “no significant differences were found in the survival of aided persons” in the new eight-milligram naloxone. According to the study, there were likewise no significant differences in “the number of doses administered by law enforcement by formulation, suggesting that, in this field test, the increased dosage did not provide added benefit, even in light of the…

[ad_1] Bank of Guam announced in a press release on Wednesday that the launch of “Cannabis Banking” will give it a “platform [to allow] cannabis clients the ability to share data from their day-to-day business activities, such as sales, inventory and required licensing documentation.”  According to The Guam Daily Post, “Cannabis Banking” will make the institution the first in the region “to serve ‘all tiers’ of cannabis-related businesses, or CRBs.” “It has always been the mission of our founder to serve the underserved and to provide access to safe and secure banking services to our communities. This now includes our…

[ad_1] A Republican-led proposal to legalize medical cannabis in the state officially died on Thursday, and although the GOP speaker of the assembly indicated that “there will still be a public hearing to build support for passage next session,” per the Associated Press, that “won’t occur until after the Assembly has adjourned for this year.” Wisconsin is one of the few remaining states in the U.S. where neither medical nor recreational marijuana are legal. It is one of only 12 states with no medicinal law, and one of 26 that has not legalized recreational pot, according to The Center Square,…

[ad_1] More than 123 million people tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs (and Taylor Swift) claim yet another Super Bowl triumph on Sunday, making it the most-watched television program in history. That’s useful grist for recently published research examining how watching the same thing can bring people together.  It is known as the “theory of the collective mind,” which refers to the human ability to take in a collective perspective.  Garriy Shteynberg, a professor of psychology at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, published the research on the theory last year, and recently expounded upon the scholarship in a piece…

[ad_1] Seventeen percent of Americans aged 18 and older reported smoking pot in 2023. That is largely unchanged from Gallup’s most recent findings on the matter. In 2022, 16% of American adults said they smoke marijuana.  But the 17% figure represents a marked increase since 2013, when Gallup first added the question to its annual survey measuring Americans’ consumption habits. That year, a mere seven percent of American adults identified as marijuana smokers.  “Age is a significant driver of the likelihood of smoking marijuana. About a quarter of young adults, those aged 18 to 34, say they smoke marijuana (26%),…