Biden

Congress Smacks Russia About Marijuana

Published

11 months ago

June 15, 2023

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Nothing brings people together than a common enemy. Congress, which delights in fighting among themselves has united in issuing another message to Russia. Now if they can bring the same support back home for SAFE Banking and rescheduling.

Russia has been a thorn for decades but with the recent invasion of Ukraine, they have been at the forefront of foreign policy. From threats of withholding energy to veiled insinuations of nuclear attacks, Putin has been rattling the global stage.

Like their frenemy China, Russia has a conservative view of marijuana. Possession of up to 6 grams (or two grams of hashish) is an administrative offense, punishable by a fine or detention of 15 days. Possession of larger amounts is a criminal offense and being an important US, UK, or EU citizen caught bring additional complications.

Russia has become isolated in part of the world and is seeking allies in their war. Moscow has wrote off the debts of African states worth more than $20 billion. Many who also have very conservative views of marijuana.

Russia is also the home of vodka with the regular citizen taking 17 shots of vodka per month, the highest in the world. So, the population of the country does like forgetting its troubles and enjoying a little chill time.

Congress Approves CBD Use For Military Members — Photo by uschools/Getty Images

The U.S. House unanimously passed a resolution calling for the release of Americans wrongfully detained in Russia and expressing support for those imprisoned like Marc Fogel.

The resolution, from Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX), calls for the immediate release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and BorgWarner executive Paul Whelan. It also expresses support for people like Marc Fogel and sympathy for and solidarity with the families of citizens wrongfully detained.

Now if Congress would just look inward toward federal marijuana laws in the United States. Currently there are two key issues facing Congress and the White House. First is the bi-partisan Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act, which the cannabis industry sees as a financial necessity. The bill was introduced by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), Representative Dave Joyce (R-OH), and Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) have strongly expressed support and in Congress and Nancy Mace (R-SC) has championed the bill in the past.

burnout is now an official medical condition — Photo via rawpixel.com

Rescheduling marijuana has been something this administration has committed to doing but so far has not made a major move. Showing the grassroots bipartisan support, GOP Representative Greg Steube (R-FL) introduced a bill to push the democratic White House and Biden forward.

The American Medical Association and other global science and health organizations recognize the value and data of cannabis as a medical health and agree on it as a less dangerous recreational activity than alcohol or cigarettes. Congress’s move toward Russia is to be applauded while the industry waits for quicker, positive stuffs on US soil

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Biden

Is Cannabis Good For The Planet

Published

3 weeks ago

April 15, 2024

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As Earth Day approaches, is growing cannabis good for the planet – it is a bit of a mixed bag

As Earth Day approaches, everyone is evaluating what is good for the planet. Plastic, deforestation, fake fur, and Temu’s fast fashion are clearly bad for the planet, but others are more nuanced. Ever since Morton Hilbert started the movement, it has been a time reflect, reassess and hopefully adjust. With marijuana and CBD becoming mainstream and popular over the last few years, is cannabis good for the planet?

While cannabis has clear medical benefits and is considering a treat recreationally, it can take a toil on the earth. There are some benefits. As a fast-growing plant, cannabis can absorb significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making it a potentially valuable crop for combating climate change.

The plant’s deep roots also help prevent soil erosion, and its flowers attract pollinators like bees, supporting biodiversity. Additionally, cannabis has been shown to be effective at phytoremediation – absorbing and storing heavy metals from contaminated soils, which can help clean up polluted land. These are all related to outdoor grows.

green cannabis plants during daytime

The downside can have environmental risks which need to be managed. Both indoor and outdoor cannabis grows can be highly water-intensive, with estimates of up to 6 gallons of water per plant per day for cultivation. This water usage can deplete local water resources and pollute waterways with fertilizers and pesticides. While less than crops like citrus fruits, grapes (wine), palmists, apricots, it is still a significant impact.

Indoor grows also have a large energy footprint, with high electricity demands for lighting, HVAC, and other equipment, leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions. Cannabis farming can also contribute to deforestation and soil erosion if not done sustainably, such as by clearing land on steep slopes. And the plants themselves emit volatile organic compounds that can negatively impact local air quality.

With the right policies and farming techniques, cannabis could potentially be grown in an environmentally-friendly way which sequesters carbon, supports biodiversity, and remediates contaminated soils. But the industry will need to prioritize sustainability to fully realize the plant’s potential as an eco-friendly crop. Biden’s climate friendly adminstatration can make a difference with legalization. Southern and other farming states with experience in outdoor growing will help. Thoughtful regulation, life cycle assessments, and adoption of precision agriculture technologies will all be important to making cannabis cultivation more sustainable.

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BDSA

Is The Administration Racing To Reschedule By 4/20

Published

1 month ago

March 29, 2024

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After dragging their feet for 3 years, the Biden administration seems to be putting some juice to get the DEA to move

Is it opening the door to a new era? It seems the Biden administration has suddenly decided to follow up on their 2020 campaign promises. But does the sense of urgency reflect not only their need to engage younger voters but something else? Is the administration racing to reschedule by 4/20. President Biden brought up federal rescheduling as part of his proclamation declaring April to be “Second Chance Month.” Followed by his mentioning it in the State of the Union, this should be a signal to the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) to move on the recommendation by other agency and act.

Having made the promise, for almost the first 3 years of his tenure, Biden barely acknowledged the cannabis industry. This despite sales in the industry continues to grow and now, over 50% of the country has legal access to products. Those under 40 have an entirely different take on marijuana with Gen Z drifting away from alcohol and moving to weed. Beer sales have mirrored the societal shift. They have been out of step with the public.

joe biden kamala harris — Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Biden is struggling with younger voters. Media like the New York Times has been piling on by highlighting why he is losing and gently making it a much bigger issue. The campaign is concerned and sees to reengage this demographic. Biden is viewed favorably by only 31% of people ages 18 through 29, much worse than he fares with other age groups, according to a recent Economist/YouGov poll.

The White House begrudgingly started the process of rescheduling last year. Currently, cannabis classified as having zero medical benefit is lumped into the same category as heroin and LSD. Neither alcohol or tobacco are boxed into this category despite having zero health benefits and litany of problems the does cause.

Rescheduling would be an immediate benefit to an industry struggling with a host of issues including tough business rules around the classification, chaos in the New York and California market, and a dropping of flower prices. Some older Senators including James Risch (R-ID) and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) are making a last ditch effort to stop the process.

While 4/20 has long been a wink wink nod to marijuana use for those in the know, thanks to the legal sales it is another big media day. Like the 4th of July or Drinksgiving/Green Wednesday, it is a time where they could get the most engagement with the public.

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AMA

The Perfect James Bond Martini

Published

2 months ago

March 22, 2024

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Did James Bond make the martini famous? Or did the martini help make Bond cool?

The classic line of “shaken or stirred” has been used by men for decades. Bond instructs the bartender in the phrase “shaken and not stirred” in Diamonds Are Forever and Dr No and it has been in our lexicon ever since. But did Bond make the martini famous – or did the martini help Bond. And what is the perfect James Bond Martini?

The history of the martini is murky, “Professor” Jerry Thomas, a famous and influential 19th century bartender, invented the drink at the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco, sometime in the late 1850s or early 1860s. As the story goes, a miner, about to set out on a journey to Martinez, California, put a gold nugget on the bar and asked Thomas to mix him up something special. Thomas produced a drink containing Old Tom (sweetened) gin, vermouth, bitters and Maraschino, and dubbed it the “Martinez” in honor of the customer’s destination.

The big question is gin or vodka? Purist insist it be gin for the classic martini, but numbers say vodka is preferred. Vodka sales are about $7.5 billion annually while gin is around $5 billion. If you order a classic martini, you will probably be served gin unless you say vodka. Bond seems fairly fluid in his choice, he orders 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin martinis throughout Fleming’s novels and short stories.

Like Bond’s creator Ian Fleming, James Bond prefers his cocktails shaken and not stirred. A traditional martini is stirred rather than shaken, but Fleming’s biographer Andrew Lycett shared the author preferred martinis shaken since he believe it preserved the flavor.

Bond like celebrity chef Justin Khanna

Internationally known celebrity chef Justin Khanna has his take on the martini.

“The perfect Martini, to me, takes advantage of the “blank canvas” nature of this timeless cocktail. “Many cocktails restrict you to specific garnishes, and even fewer allow the liberty to swap the base spirit.

With the Martini, a vodka base that’s heavy on the olives and light on the vermouth is just as “right” as one made with gin and a twist of lemon, even though they couldn’t be more different once you take your first sip. Accompanied by a bowl of olives, bleu cheese or salty potato chips to snack on, and I’ll savor this iconic cocktail in bliss.

I personally love the body, complexity and herbaceous kick of vermouth, often making it a co-star in my version”

The Khanna Martini

Ingredients

2 1/2 oz vodka
3/4 oz dry vermouth
Ice
Lemon zest twist

Create

Combine vodka and vermouth in a shaker with ice.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist, first rubbing it along the rim for a burst of citrus aroma.

Dean Martin, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis’s Margo Channing, FDR, Frank Sinatra, and Jessica Walter’s Lucille Bluth are all noted martini fans. One of the most fun is the great Megan Mullally’s Karen Walker from the show Will & Grace.

The Karen Walker Martini

Ingredients

2.5 oz. High-end vodka
.5 oz. Dry vermouth
.5 oz. Olive brine

Create

Pour all ingredients into shaker with ice cubes.
Shake well
Strain in chilled cocktail glass

The Perfect James Bond Martini

Ingredients

2 ¼ ounces dry gin
1 ounce dry vermouth
1 lemon twist, for garnish
1 olive (for garnish)

Create

Combine vermouth and gin in a mixing glass filled with ice
Fill glass with ice and stir rapidly. Continue adding ice and stirring until the additional ice has been submerged within the cocktail
Strain the cocktail into the chilled martini glass
Express the lemon twist over the cocktail
Place expressed lemon twist and the skewered olive on the chilled rim

As famed writer and wit Dorothy Parker shared about martinis:

“I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I’m under the table,
after four I’m under my host.”

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