Cannabis

Christopher Columbus And Cannabis – The Fresh Toast

Published

2 days ago

October 14, 2024

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He is honored for helping open the new world…and a certain plant had helped a quite a bit.

There are so many myths and stories around Columbus. Did he discover North America (spoiler -looked like the Vikings beat him to the continent)? He wasn’t about gold and glory, he was about bringing religion to the world in honor of Catholic Spain. The other big myth is he was Italian, but now it is believed he was Spanish and Jewish, and hid it to avoid being prosecuted. But what about Christopher Columbus and cannabis.

Cannabis played a significant role in 16th century society, particularly in England and Europe. It was considered the “golden age of hemp”, especially under the reign of King Henry VIII. In 1533, the king introduced a hemp cultivation law requiring landowners to dedicate 1/4 acre for every 60 acres to growing hemp, or face fines. European herbals and pharmacopoeias of the time listed various medical applications for cannabis. The number of reported medicinal uses for cannabis doubled during this period as travelers brought back information from the East. And, it helped make Columbus’s journey possible.

three masted sailing ship, christopher columbus, sails

Hemp fiber was in high demand for producing durable sails, ropes, and nets for the expanding English navy…and the Spanish noticed. The sails and ropes of his three ships the La Santa Clara (Niña), La Pinta, and La Santa Gallega (Santa Maria), were made of hemp. The cracks between the planks were filled with hemp to make the ships watertight. No other natural fibre can withstand the forces of the open ocean and the stresses of salt water.

The hold of the Santa Maria, his flagship, was filled with hemp seeds. The ship had a supply of food provisions including salted meats, dried fish, hardtack biscuits, beans, lentils, and cheese, meant to last the duration of the voyage. And hemp served as a protein-rich source nutritious snack for the crew, aldditionally the hemp seeds could be planted in any newly discovered regions.

The ships’ lamps were fuelled using hemp oil and these lamps lighting the way and most clothes had hemp fiber. But it is doubtful they used the cannabis hemp for fun. The ships were roughly 60 feet long and 20 feet wide. And they had carried around 88 men. So their was a ton of focus in the open ocean…and very little privacy.

Hemp’s contribution is displayed in Barcelona at the base of the statue honoring the explore. It has cannabis leaves. So this Columbus Day, now the humble cannabis plant helped out quite a bit.

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ALL the SMOKE

Kamala Harris’s Evolving Take On Legalizing Cannabis

Published

49 mins ago

October 16, 2024

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Presidential candidates relationship with the marijuana industry has involved – now she wants to deliver the winning goal.

The cannabis industry has been nervously waiting for some federal action to let the industry move to the next level. While consumer use is growing and taking a bite out of the alcohol industry, federal resections have put a significant hold on the profitability and growth of cannabis. President’s Biden made a promise to support the industry in 2020, but waited until 2023 to make a move with no noticeable action taking place until 2025. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is making an announcement on rescheduling in the first part of December, after the election. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has leaned in the DEA not to reschedule and made it clear he firmly opposes cannabis. This would go against all precedents as both the Food and Drug Administration and Health and Human Service has said it should be done.

There will be a new president and a new set of rules in December, and the DEA will be watching the political winds. So what is Kamala’s Harris Take on legalizing cannabis? With almost 90% of the country believing it should be legalized in some forms and groups like the American Medical Association, AARP, and the American College of Physicians supporting it, it is not a hot pototo, except for a few in power.

marijuana legalization — Photo by Alexander Sanchez/Getty Images

The latest take is Harris proposed legalizing marijuana nationally for recreational use and ensuring Black entrepreneurs have access to the growing cannabis industry. She made the announcement while in California. She has become the first sitting vice president to encourage legalizing it and has become a public champion. This is more open and aggressive than the current Biden administration’s approach. During a wide-ranging conversation on the podcast “All the Smoke” with former NBA stars Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Harris expressed her belief that marijuana should be legalized.

Harris stated, “I believe we have reached a moment where it is crucial to recognize that we need to legalize it and cease the criminalization of this activity.” She emphasized her conviction that individuals “should not face incarceration for using marijuana”

Harris has been critical of the current federal classification of marijuana. During a White House roundtable, she pointed out the absurdity of cannabis being considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl under current law. During her 2020 presidential campaign, she expressed support for marijuana legalization and admitted to having used it herself in the past. This shift from her earlier career as a prosecutor demonstrates a changing perspective on cannabis policy.

The $23+ billion industry is full of mom and pop businesses. Democrats have been traditionally been more of ally to the industry. Republican blocked SAFE Banking for 7 times and then the GOP Speaker coup ended any chance for movement last year. Some marijuana industry leaders don’t have faith in Biden or Harris, but the congressional GOP has not be the support to cannabis and the other party.

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Cannabis

Project 2025’s Take On Marijuana

Published

2 hours ago

October 16, 2024

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Should the GOP Presidential candidate win the election, the Heritage Foundation will have influence on policy….what’s their stance on cannabis.

The marijuana industry potential survival hinges on the next election. Federal restrictions have hammed mom and pop business and the lack of tax benefits, which benefit other small business, has been brutal. Biden’s slow actions toward is promises have allowed the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to delay their ruling on rescheduling until December, after the election. This gives the DEA some wiggle room on their decision. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is taking Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) role in trying to stop the cannabis industry. He has made it clear to the DEA they should reject any help to cannabis. So, if the GOP candidate wins, what does it mean for cannabis? The Heritage Foundation has produced a plan for the future administration embraced by senior leaders, including VP candidate J.D. Vance who wrote an opening statement. So what their Project 2025’s take on marijuana?

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank founded in 1973, has consistently taken a strong stance against the legalization of marijuana. Their position is rooted in concerns about public health, safety, and social consequences. The Heritage Foundation has not stayed current in cannabis research or public opinion, but the plan lays out a clear roadmap of a complete change of government.

The Heritage Foundation And Marijuana

The American Medical Association, AARP, and the American College of Physicians are some of the organizations who believe marijuana has a legal role at the table since it provides medical benefits. Roughly 90% of the general public believes it should be legal in some form. The Veteran’s Administration has altered policy to support veterans with PTSD. The Heritage Foundation argues marijuana is an addictive substance with significant negative impacts on physical and mental health

While science and data among legal states have disproved the myths including about it being a gateway drug for the young, the Heritage Foundation clings to old tropes. They stand by the argument consumes leads to the consumption of harder, more dangerous substances. This perspective forms a crucial part of their opposition to legalization efforts.

They argue that legalization could lead to increased crime rates. Legal states have disproven this based on data and crime rates. An additional benefit has been the decrease in alcohol as people are relaxing with gummies.

The Heritage Foundation advocates for a comprehensive drug policy with strengthened law enforcement, treatment, and prevention and education. This align’s with House Speaker Mike Johnson’s stance.

The Heritage Foundation’s stance on marijuana legalization falls in with their broader conservative principles, emphasizing personal responsibility with a dash of government oversight. Their arguments continue to influence the ongoing debate surrounding marijuana policy in the United States.

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alcohol

Fun Facts About Halloween – The Fresh Toast

Published

15 hours ago

October 15, 2024

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The longer nights, the wind, the chill – all great for Halloween.

Halloween is big in the US with 96.95% of 25 to 34 planning to celebrate in some form – this is more than the 18-24 crowd (93.18%). The holiday come to the US in the 19th century was with my traditional coming from the Irish and Scots, and^{Cajuns. It is now a huge season and worth a record $12.2 billion in spending. This is a significant increase the $8 billion spent in 2020. It is also one of the top 5 drinking and top 10 marijuana holidays in North America.}

The word “Halloween” is derived from “All Hallows’ Eve,” which refers to the evening before All Saints’ Day. As Irish immigrants brought their traditions to America in the 19th century, Halloween evolved into a community-centered holiday characterized by activities like trick-or-treating, costume parties, and pumpkin carving. Interestingly, the first jack-o’-lanterns were made from turnips, not pumpkins, as they are today. The traditional colors of black and orange with black symbolizing death while orange represents the fall harvest.

lighted Jack-o'-Lantern

Halloween costumes were originally vampires, ghosts, skeletons, scary looking witches, and devils.^{Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, popular memes, ninjas and princesses. In the 1940s, Halloween retailers Ben Cooper, H. Halpern Company (Halco), and Collegeville started licensing costumes for existing characters like Superman and Donald Duck. These store bought outfits were more appealing and easier for kids and adults. You didn’t have to think, everything was all put together. The Ben Cooper company were the first to premier the very popular Richard Nixon mask in the late 1960s, which sold as equally well as its Ronald Reagan mask even in the late 1980s. The women’s lib and gay revolution introduced the sexy costume in the 70s. These cultural events made way for the normalization of sexy costumes today.}

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On average, children eat around 7,000 calories and three cups of sugar on Halloween, which is equivalent to almost 169 sugar cubes. Adults eats about 3.4 pounds during the time around the holiday – about 222 sugar cubes.

The most popular candy for Halloween is: