Crowds, travel, traffic and family – all part of the biggest holiday over the summer…maybe marijuana can help

July 4th is the American Summer holiday – most people wrap some time off and so it can be chock full with activities, travel, friends and family.  But sometime it can be too crowded, too busy and too much on the road. Marijuana may become part of your July 4th tradition to not only have fun, but to cope with some of the hassle.

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Some 70 million will be hitting the roads for the holidays, over 40% will watch fireworks at the 14,000 firework displays.  Marijuana can be a partner to make the holiday whether it is avoiding hangovers, travel stress, anxious dogs during the fireworks, or just enjoying the moment.  Microdosing will help you take the edge of while focusing on enjoying the holidays.

Marijuana helps your brain relax, focus and be in the moment.  Fireworks and concerts will be more alive, more vibrant and engage your mind in ways alcohol will not. But avoid mixing the two, you don’t want a messy end of the day.

Holiday stress can happen with family members, travel, traffic and crowds. Microdosing can help reduce the anxiety while focused on the task/activity at hand. Research has shown THC at low doses, 2.5-5 mg, reduces stress. Vapes and gummies are discreet, easy ways to consume and manage the dose without broadcasting to the crowd around you.  It an be a perfect way to deal with the extra bumps during the holiday.

The 4th is a big drinking holiday.  While marijuana might make you a bit more tired the next day, you want have the hangover where your head throbs and pounds for part of hte day.  Additionally, if you decide to drink instead of consume, marijuana’s anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, and nausea-reducing properties can help make hangovers more bearable. Its ability to boost energy and improve sleep can also help to alleviate those unpleasant hangover symptoms.

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If you are traveling via air, vapes and gummies are the easiest and most discreet things to pack in your luggage.  During the flight, a gummy is the least noticeable and can make the middle seat way more tolerable.

Fireworks and pets are not compatible, but you should never give THC to an animal. Rather, consider CBD, which can be made specifically for animals to help them during fireworks to remain calm.

All in ally, have a great holiday weekend and maybe a little green to the red, white and blue.

Delta-9 can pack a punch and are huge in states like Texas.  So what are the key differences between Delta-9 and Delta-8

With marijuana become legal and offered in mom and pop dispensaries, it can be a bit confusing. It is becoming increasingly popular, but also a bit confusing – especially since Delta-8 is hitting the market in a big way. In states where cannabis isn’t fully yet, there is a concern Delta-8 will absorb part of the market before the marijuana industry has a chance to make major inroads.  Already in Texas, you can buy Delta-8 beverages at Total Wine.  Bayou City has done a great job building a distribution system in mainstream outlets throughout the Lone Star state. Customers find it convenient to buy it when it is alongside beer, bourbon and other intoxicants. So what is the key info on Delta-9 and Delta-8.

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Hemp is a key crop – originally made popular by used for rope, it is makes paper, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, and animal feed. Marijuana has been around thousands of years and used for medical, mystical and recreational. Marijuana and hemp plants contain many active ingredients, but the big consumer focus today is on two specific natural compounds found in these plants.  Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), THC gets you high and CBD can give other benefits without the psychedelic effects. Delta-9 comes from the cannabis and hemp plants, Delta-8 comes from him.

Delta-8 THC is naturally occurring in cannabis plants, both hemp and marijuana. Although it occurs in very small concentrations, it can still be derived thanks to distillation. It has a unique molecular structure and exhibits unique effects when consumed.

Delta-9 is also naturally occurring in cannabis plants. The more popularly used term for it is simply THC. Whenever you see labels or information with THC it’s, Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. This is the molecule that can induce elation and a classic “high” feeling.

Delta-9 can exhibit very high neuroprotective potential and help relieve chronic pain. Due to its profound effects, it can act as an appetite stimulant and prevent nausea, among medical benefits.

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The two compounds have similar properties and effects and regarding molecular structure, they are almost identical apart from a couple of electrons. However, there are some key differences.

Overindulging in Delta-9 THC can induce feelings of anxiety and paranoia. It can also impact the performance of mental work. The “too much high” effect is only tied to Delta-9 THC.

Delta-8 THC is less psychoactive than Delta-9. People who experience these unpleasant feelings should instead try Delta-8. It is far less potent than Delta-9 and can enable people to enjoy cannabis or cannabis-based products carefree.

Due to its potency, Delta-9 THC is more likely to induce elation rather than relaxation. After taking Delta-9 THC, people report the “high” which can build up to euphoria. It can elevate moods and give an intense relaxation.

On the other hand, if the goal is to minimize tension without experiencing a high effect, Delta-8 THC might be a better option. It has a significantly milder effect when compared to Delta-9.

Another key difference is they don’t only induce different effects, but they also do it at a different pace. Delta-9 THC is absorbed quickly, and it can induce the feelings mentioned above quite fast after consumption. This is an important thing to note as it can alter your plans for the afternoon or evening.

Unlike Delta-9, Delta-8 THC is a slow kicker. It delivers a significantly smoother experience than Delta-9. After the consumption, the feelings of relaxation gradually come on, and there is considerably less risk that it can induce anxiety.

Another key difference, is you can find Delta-8 in states like Texas….which makes it more available to the general public.

It is been find in the Karma Sutra – but did Vikings play a role with weed in North America?

While cannabis is having a moment globally as Canada, the US, Europe and more are looking to embrace the plant and invest in research to unlock more medical benefits, it has long be part of the global culture. The plants was first domesticated about 12,000 years ago in East Asia during the early Neolithic period. It has been part of documented ancient history in prehistoric societies in Eurasia and Africa. In appears in China, the Middle East, use spread throughout the Islamic empire to North Africa. In the mid 1500s, it spread to the western hemisphere.  And now, there may be a clue about it in North America.

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Archaeologists excavating and analyzing a Viking settlement in Newfoundland one substance raising some high-minded questions — cannabis. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers focused on L’Anse aux Meadows, a site in northern Newfoundland, Canada where Vikings landed and settled around the year 1000. Previously scientists believed Vikings only stayed in this spot a short time, but their work uncovered the possibility Vikings may have stayed until the 12^th or 13^th century. And they might have had marijuana with them.

An archaeological team excavated a peat bog about 100 feet from the Viking settlement.  They found a layer of “ecofacts,” which are “environmental remains which may have been brought to the site by humans.” This layer was radiocarbon dated to the early Middle Ages and is where researchers discovered cannabis pollen, a plant not native to the area.

The question propose how was the cannabis used? Were they producing clothing from the plant’s fibers or smoking it for medical or potentially recreational reasons? It also could mean none of these things, reminded the study’s lead author and postdoctoral fellow at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Paul Ledger.

Earlier, marijuana was inhaled by Daoists, who burned it in incense burners. So it was used not only in religious ceremonies, but also for medical use including pain and other issues.  And in the Karma Sutra, it was used recreationally. Considering the hard life of a marauding Viking, a little pain relief and relaxation would be highly valued.

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More research is being done to see if humans local to the Newfoundland area and not Vikings could have been the ones responsible for the cannabis pollen. Viking scholars are curious about the find and will continue to investigate.