Cannabis News
Fact Checking CNN’s Claim That Some Cannabis Products Now Have 90% THC Levels
Sniping CNN’s Reefer Madness Article
One would think that in 2023, Reefer Madness articles would be essentially non-existent. However, here we are with CNN publishing some unscientific anti-reefer nonsense, most probably sponsored by their sugar daddies – Pfizer.
Nonetheless, it’s my duty as a cannabis activist to dismember the propaganda and show people just how insidious these media companies are. Even though no one really takes CNN seriously anymore.
Throughout this article, I’ll be breaking down specific parts of the original CNN article which can be found HERE in its entirety.
CNN:
Marijuana and other products containing THC, the plant’s main psychoactive ingredient, have grown more potent and more dangerous as legalization has made them more widely available. Although decades ago the THC content of weed was commonly less than 1.5%, some products on the market today are more than 90% THC.
The buzz of yesteryear has given way to something more alarming. Marijuana-related medical emergencies have landed hundreds of thousands of people in the hospital and millions are dealing with psychological disorders linked to cannabis use, according to federal research.
But regulators have failed to keep up.
Reginald:
Firstly, while there are some truths mixed within this opening statement, there are also plenty of falsehoods scattered about. For example, the statement that “Although decades ago the THC content of weed was commonly less than 1.5%, some products on the market today are more than 90% THC.”
This is inherently false. Most people did not smoke weed with 1.5% THC or less decades ago. There have always been the knowledge that “some cannabis strains are more potent”, and people knew this in the 1950s and 1960s. Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, and people have used it for its psychoactive properties.
In fact, the use and manipulation of the plant into its many forms have been intertwined with the fabric of our global society. Every culture at some point in time utilized cannabis as a medicine and for industrial purposes.
Therefore, the assumption that during the early 1900s up to the 1960s, there was no understanding of potency, selective breeding, etc – is ludicrous.
While it’s true that most weed available to the markets were either “ditch weed” which was low potency, or cannabis shipped from Mexico. Mexican weed does have a lower than average percentage of THC, however, you’d still see on average potency between 4.5% – 9%.
CNN:
Pot has changed profoundly since generations of Americans were first exposed to it.
Cannabis has been cultivated to deliver much higher doses of THC. In 1980, the THC content of confiscated marijuana was less than 1.5%. Today many varieties of cannabis flower — plant matter that can be smoked in a joint — are listed as more than 30% THC.
At one California dispensary, the menu recently included a strain posted as 41% THC.
Legalization has also helped open the door to products that are extracted from marijuana but look nothing like it: oily, waxy, or crystalline THC concentrates that are heated and inhaled through vaping or dabbing, which can involve a bong-like device and a blowtorch.
Today’s concentrates can be more than 90% THC. Some are billed as almost pure THC.
Reginald:
While it’s technically true that there was low THC in the 1980s – the confiscated cannabis were often left in dismal conditions. Testing wasn’t done immediately. THC degradation happens immediately and don’t be fooled – they did NOT test for THC as stringently as they claimed.
During the 1980s, THC was not their main concern. Look at the D.A.R.E PSAs and you’ll see that they didn’t talk about THC. They talked about “marijuana” or “pot” in general terms because the average consumer wasn’t too savvy about the lingo.
Of course, there was certainly a culture of breeders that were creating more potent strains via selective breeding – the fact of the matter was that law enforcement data integrity on the subject matter is very shotty to say the least.
Additionally, recent research has pointed out that a vast majority of advertised or listed cannabis potency is oftentimes over exaggerated. Realistically, most potent strains sold in dispensaries sit between about 15%-20% .
Furthermore, cannabis consumers tend to regulate their consumption. If they buy high potency cannabis, they tend to consume less of the substance. Therefore, even the mention of potency is irrelevant for the majority of consumers. However, the mainstream wouldn’t say this.
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t “problematic” consumers, but it does mean that CNN is wilfully using alarmist rhetoric to hype up the “challenges” of the industry.
CNN:
Higher concentrations pose greater hazards, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “The risks of physical dependence and addiction increase with exposure to high concentrations of THC, and higher doses of THC are more likely to produce anxiety, agitation, paranoia, and psychosis,” its website said.
In 2021, 16.3 million people in the United States — 5.8% of people 12 or older — had experienced a marijuana use disorder within the past year, according to a survey published in January by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
That was far more than the combined total found to have substance use disorders involving cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, prescription stimulants such as Adderall, or prescription pain relievers such as fentanyl and OxyContin.
Other drugs are more dangerous than marijuana, and most of the people with a marijuana use disorder had a mild case. But about 1 in 7 — more than 2.6 million people — had a severe case, the federal survey found.
Reginald:
Firstly, cannabis has always been consumed more than the other drugs combined. Secondly, the vast majority of the “16.3 million people” were “older” than the age of 18. In fact, if you take a look at the statistics, you’ll notice that there have been a decline in use within younger generations.
While college use has risen, 18 & under has seen a slight decline.
Secondly, “Marijuana Use Disorder” is a loose term. You have to smoke like 2 joints a week to be considered “an addict” which makes anyone who is “busted with weed” essentially “addicted” according to this rhetoric.
Finally, even this article admits that the vast majority of consumers don’t have a negative experience. And their line of questioning ends there.
Why didn’t they ask, “Why did the 6 out of 7 have a good experience?” What where the differences between these people? Did it have anything to do with set and setting, history of psychotic disorders, etc?
All of these issues have practical solutions, but when you drum the “alarmist” drum, you can’t hone in on the actual important elements, you have to keep the ethereal boogieman in the center frame so that you can continue to operate with impunity.
CNN:
Uneven State Regulation
Medical use of marijuana is now legal in 40 states and the District of Columbia, and recreational or adult use is legal in 22 states plus D.C., according to MJBizDaily, a trade publication.
Early in the covid-19 pandemic, while much of America was in lockdown, marijuana dispensaries delivered. Many states declared them essential businesses.
But only two adult-use states, Vermont and Connecticut, have placed caps on THC content — 30% for cannabis flower and 60% for THC concentrates — and they exempt pre-filled vape cartridges from the caps, said Gillian Schauer from the Cannabis Regulators Association, a group of state regulators.
Some states cap the number of ounces or grams consumers are allowed to buy. However, even a little marijuana can amount to a lot of THC, said Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, a professor of health policy, economics, and law at the University of Southern California.
Some states allow only medical use of low-THC products — for instance, in Texas, substances that contain no more than 0.5% THC by weight. And some states require warning labels. In New Jersey, cannabis products composed of more than 40% THC must declare: “This is a high potency product and may increase your risk for psychosis.”
Reginald
It’s true that due to cannabis prohibition on a federal level, there is no universal regulation. However, the evidence linking high potency cannabis caps and the impact on people consuming them is limited.
Whether it’s legal or not – high potency cannabis is now a thing. Meaning, people will get it iether on the black market or the legal market.
The truth of the matter is that if you are going to “cap” how much cannabis you can buy under the guise of public safety, shouldn’t that apply to alcohol which has a higher body toll than cannabis?
Alcohol is tied to 40% of all violent crimes and domestic abuse. If there’s a candidate to “limit” in terms of potency, and availability it’s alcohol.
Yet the reason we don’t do this is due to the failed experiment of prohibition. We know that if you limit or try to prohibit certain goods – the black market steps in.
Therefore, the best approach is education. Teaching people “how” and informing them of the risks. Creating protocols for those who have “gone over the edge” and provide them with the tools to get back on track.
CNN:
The FDA has “all the power it needs to regulate state-legalized cannabis products much more effectively,” said Lindblom, the former FDA official.
At least publicly, the FDA has focused not on THC concentrates derived from cannabis or weed smoked in joints, but rather on other substances: a THC variant derived from hemp, which the federal government has legalized, and a different cannabis derivative called cannabidiol or CBD, which has been marketed as therapeutic.
“The FDA is committed to monitoring the marketplace, identifying cannabis products that pose risks, and acting, within our authorities, to protect the public,” FDA spokesperson Courtney Rhodes said.
“Many/most THC products meet the definition of marijuana, which is a controlled substance. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulates marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act. We refer you to the Drug Enforcement Administration for questions about regulation and enforcement under the provisions of the CSA,” Rhodes wrote in an email.
The DEA, part of the Justice Department, did not respond to questions for this article.
Reginald:
That’s because, for anyone who understands how the FDA and the DEA operate, they are the gatekeepers to legalization. It’s because of this catch-22 situation that exists between the DEA and the FDA.
They have used this system for decades to stagnate research, stop any attempts of decriminalization, de-scheduling, etc.
While the FDA could regulate cannabis, I’d rather not. Since the pandemic, we have seen that the FDA is essentially an extension of big pharma. We have enough historic evidence to at the very least suggest a “heavy collaboration” between the regulatory body and those they “allegedly” regulate.
From a consumer perspective, the trust in the FDA is at an all time low. We know more about how they operate now especially due to how they handled the pandemic.
Therefore, it would be best to create a special regulatory agency apart from the FDA. Under what scheduling is alcohol and tobacco again?
CNN:
In the meantime, said Coleman, adviser to the National Cannabis Industry Association, states are left “having to become USDA + FDA + DEA all at the same time.”
And where does that leave consumers? Some, like Wendy E., a retired small-business owner in her 60s, struggle with the effects of today’s marijuana.
Wendy, who spoke on the condition that she not be fully named, started smoking marijuana in high school in the 1970s and made it part of her lifestyle for decades.
Then when her state legalized it, she bought it in dispensaries “and very quickly noticed that the potency was much higher than what I had traditionally used,” she said. “It seemed to have exponentially increased.”
In 2020, she said, the legal marijuana – much stronger than the illicit weed of her youth – left her obsessing about ways to kill herself.
Once, the self-described “earth-mother hippie” found camaraderie passing a joint with friends. Now, she attends Marijuana Anonymous meetings with others recovering from addiction to the stuff.
Reginald:
Then Wendy the earth mother should grow her own cannabis shouldn’t she? After all, she is an “earth mother”. And why would she suddenly be attending a marijuana anonymous meeting? If she’s been smoking all her life, then she had access to cannabis pre-legality.
Meaning that she has a direct link to her “OG” weed.
Something just smells way too fishy with these unprovable sob stories about weed grannies and teenagers losing their shit because of the “potent weed” when 6 in 7 have no issue with high potency weed according to the very article.
This is a tactic that was used by Randolph Hearst when he tried to smear cannabis. He invented these stories that “could be true” and since he owned the newspapers, he didn’t have to prove it to be true.
CNN, being a tool for Pfizer would most certainly advocate against cannabis for the sole reason that legalization of cannabis equals massive loss of potential revenue for pharma.
Furthermore, people often times “red pill” themselves when they smoke weed, especially, when they learn about the messed up history of cannabis prohibition.
Therefore, from what I see from this article is no different than from what Hearst and DuPont wrote about cannabis in the 1930s leading up to Reefer Madness..
The Sticky Bottom line
At the end of the day, I think that most people don’t take CNN too serious anymore. Nonetheless, they spam this into the psyche of the masses which forms social opinions. This is why I take it upon myself to eviscerate their propaganda and show a more nuanced version of the truth.
CNN AND CLICKBAIT CANNABIS HEADLINES, READ ON…
Of Guns and Ganja: America’s Constitutional Conundrum
If there’s one thing America is famous for, it’s guns – and lots of ’em! In the land of the free and home of the brave, firearms aren’t just a right, they’re practically a national pastime. With over 400 million firearms floating around a nation of 330 million people, it’s safe to say that guns are as American as apple pie and baseball.
But you know what else Americans love? Drugs. The US remains the world’s largest drug market, with an particularly passionate affair with cannabis. Mary Jane has come a long way since the “Just Say No” propaganda of the D.A.R.E. days. Now, millions of Americans legally light up in their home states, transforming from “criminals” to “consumers” faster than you can say “tax revenue.”
Here’s where things get sticky though. Despite the Biden administration’s vague promises of reform, cannabis remains stubbornly classified as a Schedule I substance at the federal level. This creates a peculiar predicament for freedom-loving Americans who appreciate both their Second Amendment rights and their evening toke.
You see, there’s this obscure interpretation of federal law that says if you consume cannabis – even legally in your state – you’re technically not allowed to own firearms. Let that sink in for a moment: in a country with more guns than people, where cannabis is legally sold in most states, you’re forced to choose between your constitutional right to bear arms and your state-sanctioned right to consume a plant.
As you might imagine, telling Americans they can’t have their guns AND their ganja isn’t exactly going over well. It’s a uniquely American saga that pits state rights against federal law, personal freedom against bureaucratic overreach, and common sense against, well… whatever you’d call this situation.
Let’s dive into this bizarre legal battleground where constitutional rights and cannabis collide.
As America’s cannabis landscape evolves, we’re witnessing a fascinating legal tug-of-war between state sovereignty and federal authority. The latest battleground? The constitutional rights of cannabis consumers to bear arms.
In a groundbreaking decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently reaffirmed that banning occasional marijuana users from owning firearms is unconstitutional. The case, known as U.S. v. Daniels, centers around a man who was sentenced to four years in prison after police found trace amounts of cannabis and firearms during a routine traffic stop. Talk about wrong place, wrong time!
The federal government, particularly under the Biden administration, has been performing some impressive mental gymnastics to justify their position. Their argument? Cannabis users with guns “endanger public safety,” “pose a greater risk of suicide,” and are more likely to commit crimes “to fund their drug habit.” They’ve even argued that cannabis consumers are “unlikely to store their weapons properly.” I guess they never met my ex-military uncle who meticulously organizes his gun safe while enjoying his evening edible.
But here’s where it gets really interesting. The Department of Justice claims the restriction is perfectly constitutional because it aligns with the nation’s history of disarming “dangerous” individuals. They’re essentially putting cannabis users in the same category as folks with domestic violence restraining orders. As someone who’s spent considerable time around both cannabis users and domestic abusers (professionally, of course), I can tell you there’s a slight difference in temperament.
The courts, however, aren’t buying it. As the Fifth Circuit pointed out, the government failed to prove that Daniels was “presently or even regularly intoxicated at the time of arrest.” They noted that even if the government had proven frequent intoxication, they offered “no Founding-era law or practice of disarming ordinary citizens ‘even if their intoxication was routine.'”
The ruling doesn’t completely invalidate the federal statute (known as § 922(g)(3)), but it does expose its shaky constitutional foundation. As the court stated, “This is not a windfall for defendants charged under § 922(g)(3),” but rather a recognition that the government’s enforcement approach is fundamentally flawed.
Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association (NRA) – not exactly known for their progressive stance on substances – acknowledges the absurdity of the situation. They point out that “marijuana use is no longer limited to the domain of indigenous religious customs or youth-oriented counterculture and now includes a wide variety of people who use it for medicinal or recreational reasons.” When even the NRA is suggesting your gun control measure might be a bit extreme, you know something’s amiss.
The result of all this legal wrangling? A patchwork of confusion where state-legal cannabis users must choose between their Second Amendment rights and their medicine or recreational preference. It’s a prime example of how federal prohibition creates more problems than it solves, forcing otherwise law-abiding citizens to become unwitting criminals simply for exercising multiple legal rights simultaneously.
Welcome to America, folks, where you can have your guns or your ganja, but apparently not both – at least until the courts finish sorting out this constitutional cannabis conundrum.
Let me be blunt – we’re caught in a classic American political pretzel. The Biden administration dangles the carrot of rescheduling cannabis to Schedule III, making vague promises that sound good on the campaign trail but do little to address the fundamental issues plaguing cannabis consumers, including their right to bear arms.
While some celebrate these baby steps toward reform, I’ve been around this block enough times to know that rescheduling is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. It might stop some bleeding, but it doesn’t address the underlying trauma. The gun rights issue is just one of many complications that arise from cannabis’s continued inclusion in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: there’s only one real solution, and it runs straight through the halls of Congress. The same body that created this mess with the CSA in 1971 is the only one with the power to truly fix it. Congress needs to completely remove cannabis from the CSA – not reschedule it, not modify its status, but fully deschedule it.
Think about it. Rescheduling to Schedule III would still leave cannabis in a weird legal limbo. Sure, it might make research easier and give Big Pharma more room to play, but what about the millions of Americans who use cannabis medicinally or recreationally in their state-legal markets? They’d still be federal criminals, still banned from purchasing firearms, still caught in the crossfire between state and federal law.
The only path forward is complete removal from the CSA, coupled with a federal framework that respects state markets while establishing basic national standards. This would resolve the gun rights issue overnight – no more choosing between your Second Amendment rights and your medicine or recreational preference.
Would I love to see Congress completely overhaul the CSA? Absolutely. The entire scheduling system is based on outdated science and political theater rather than actual harm reduction principles. But let’s be realistic – that’s about as likely as finding bipartisan agreement on… well, anything these days.
Instead, we need to focus on what’s achievable: complete cannabis descheduling. This isn’t just about guns and ganja – it’s about fixing a broken system that’s created countless legal paradoxes and unnecessary criminal penalties. It’s about acknowledging that the emperor has no clothes, that cannabis prohibition has failed, and that it’s time to move forward with a sensible federal policy.
Until Congress acts, we’ll continue to see these legal battles play out in courts across the country, watching judges try to reconcile constitutional rights with outdated federal drug laws. It’s a waste of judicial resources, taxpayer money, and most importantly, it’s a waste of Americans’ time and freedom.
The solution is clear. The only question is: how many more Americans need to get caught in this legal crossfire before Congress finally does its job?
Inspiration:
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/federal-court-reaffirms-that-ban-
on-gun-ownership-for-people-who-occasionally-use-marijuana-is-unconstitutional/
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/nra-says-federal-ban-on-
marijuana-amid-state-level-legalization-has-created-confusing-legal-landscape-for-gun-owners/
CANNABIS AND GUN RIGHTS, READ ON…
Cannabis News
No Smoking, No Vaping – What’s the Safest Way to Consume Cannabis Based on Your Genetics and Science?
The Safest Way To Consume Cannabis For Health, According To Science and Genetics
Marijuana legalization continues to help thousands of people.
Most especially those who need marijuana to treat conditions in a safer, more natural, and more cost-effective manner compared to pricey, addictive, and dangerous pharmaceutical medications. That said, not all weed is made the same: depending on where you get your weed, some of it may be grown using pesticides, which can be bad for your health especially when smoked. So yes, it does matter what kind of weed you’re smoking and where you got it from.
In addition, not all methods of consumption are also the same. Many consumers, particularly extremely health-conscious individuals, prefer not to smoke weed. Smoking weed that’s been grown with pesticides can also be dangerous for one’s health. It’s especially not recommended if you are immunocompromised,
That’s why a growing number of consumers prefer to explore the variety of other consumption methods available these days, such as edibles, tinctures, beverages, and cannabis oil to name a few.
Now, the results of a new study have just been published, suggesting that cannabis oil extracts may be the safest way to consume weed. Researchers studied MCT oils that contained high concentrations of CBD with some THC.
“Several studies have found damage to various chromosomal associated with cannabinoid use,” said the researchers. “Considering numerous studies demonstrating the genotoxicity of cannabis, it is noteworthy that many of these investigations have focused on individuals who consume cannabis through smoking or in cigarette form, normally rich in THC,” they said.
The researchers specifically found that extracts of cannabis sativa don’t exhibit genotoxic or mutagenic potential in doses that are commonly used by patients to manage anxiety, pain, epilepsy, and other conditions. “Although the current literature on cannabis sativa extract remains inconsistent, most evidence suggests that these extracts are safe for cells and DNA under both acute and chronic experimental conditions, even at high doses, in studies involving both male and female animals,” wrote the researchers.
Some consumers were alarmed recently when studies, albeit weak in nature, were published, which suggested that cannabis smoke had the potential to be genotoxic. That said, it still isn’t recommended for individuals who may be immunocompromised but there is no strong evidence that cannabis can indeed cause genetic mutations.
Since oral consumption of cannabis oil bypasses the respiratory system and allows patients a more accurate way to dose, it’s become the preferred method of consumption for many medical cannabis patients. Whether you’re young or old, the safety profile of cannabis oil has been proven; this is especially true if you wish to avoid respiratory harm.
The Role Of Quality Cannabis In Health
As cannabis consumers, there are many ways you can ensure that you’re medicating with clean, safe cannabis that’s free from dangerous contaminants. Pesticides aren’t the only contaminants to be aware of; street cannabis sold by dealers can be laced with toxic additives and even fatal ingredients, such as in the notorious case of the tainted THC vapes containing Vitamin E acetate. Other undesirable ingredients to take note of include residual solvents and heavy metals.
It’s also your role as a consumer to do research about the quality of cannabis you buy. Of course, it makes sense to only buy from licensed cannabis dispensaries since they can easily supply laboratory-tested cannabis products. From edibles to oils, flowers and more, licensed dispensaries can provide products that have a Certificate of Analysis or COA, which can either be printed on the packaging itself, accessed online, or via a QR code. A cannabis product with a COA can give you peace of mind that the product meets stringent testing and quality standards.
In addition, you can also seek out certified organic cannabis products. Of course, the fact that cannabis still isn’t federally legal means that there is nothing similar to a USDA Organic certification for weed, though some manufacturers make it easier for consumers these days to know if they are buying organic or not. For example, if you live in California, you can look for Clean Green Certified or OCal (weed that has been grown in standard that are comparable to organic).
Conclusion
If you are older or have pre-existing medical conditions, the best way to medicate with marijuana is by taking cannabis oil orally. It’s also extremely versatile, since it can be used to treat an array of conditions ranging from nausea to chronic pain, headaches, muscle pain, and so much more. While it may have reduced bioavailability compared to smoking, cannabis oil extracts do provide fairly quick relief for several conditions.
Smoking weed in any form, whether by flower, vape oil, or concentrates, should be avoided or limited altogether. There are also other potential consumption methods that are safer and more suitable for the immunocompromised, such as sprays, edibles, and topicals.
It also helps to carefully consider the type of cannabinoids you are consuming. For patients that need to medicate during the daytime, CBD or high-CBD products are always preferred. One must be careful with THC especially if you are older, operate machinery, or have no previous experience with psychoactive drugs. Always start with the lowest dose possible, and work your way to a higher dose slowly.
SAFEST WAY TO USE WEED, READ ON…
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