Cannabis – Green Lifestyle Market

Pesticides In Cannabis: 5 Facts

(Natural Blaze by Wes Annac, Editor, Karma Yoga Daily) Pesticide contamination in cannabis is a big problem. Careless growing methods have been the norm for decades due to marijuana’s illegality, and sadly, this is just as much of a problem in legal states as it’s always been. High-profile cannabis users are speaking out against the widespread use of pesticides to grow the plant, and laboratory studies on samples from legal states have produced unsettling results.

This is an unfortunate and unacceptable symptom of marijuana’s decades-long criminalization. Had it been legal for the past century, this would have likely stopped being a problem a long time ago. Although its legalization in various U.S. states is a sign of much-needed change, there are growers who still aren’t subject to any federal regulation because the plant is still federally illegal. It’s like the wild west in terms of what chemicals can and can’t be used to grow weed commercially.

Related: How to Avoid GMOs in 2018 – And Everything Else You Should Know About Genetic Engineering

This article scratches the surface of a problem that’s worse than we all thought. With that said, here are five facts about pesticide contamination in cannabis.

69% of pesticide residues can remain in cannabis

WeGrow reports that a 2013 Journal of Toxicology study found that “up to 69.5% of pesticide residues can remain in smoked cannabis, which inhaled, goes directly to your bloodstream.” Pesticides can be detrimental, with hazardous “side effects” that include cancer, weakened muscles, and damage to the liver. ⁽¹⁾

Obviously, cannabis cultivation is not subject to any FDA regulations that could eliminate these hazards. ⁽¹⁾

84% of California medical marijuana samples were found to contain pesticides

Alicia Lozano at LA Weekly writes that a laboratory in Berkeley discovered that “84 percent of medical marijuana samples contained large amounts of pesticides”. The discovery concerned the researchers at the lab, known as Steep Hill, because they’d expected a much lower level. They think consumers in California should also be concerned. ⁽²⁾

The results aren’t much better in other states with legal marijuana.

Steep Hill president and CEO Jmichaele Keller explains that this makes cannabis much less safe than we assume it to be. He points out the obvious: smoking or vaping cannabis tainted with pesticides could put the body at the mercy of hazardous chemicals. He encourages the cannabis community to do something about it now. ⁽²⁾

Pesticides in marijuana have been a problem for a long time

Bruce Barcott at Leafly writes that this has been a problem for “years”, with the Los Angeles city attorney’s office discovering seven years ago that samples from area dispensaries contained “exceedingly high levels of bifenthrin”. This is a pesticide that’s harmful to bees but relatively safe for humans. Although it’s not as much of a risk (unless you’re a bee), the L.A. city attorney found that a “cannabis flower” sample had 1,600 times the lawful amount of it. ⁽³⁾

Related: Monsanto Lost! Ordered to Pay $289 million in California Roundup Cancer Trial

Chris Van Hook, founder of Clean Green (cited by Bruce at Leafly) explains that “pesticide regulators” have never been involved with marijuana because its production and sale have been illegal. Black market growers use the easiest and most successful methods no matter how harmful they are to humans or the environment. ⁽³⁾

To Chris, the difference between organic and pesticide-tainted cannabis is akin to the difference between organically grown and mass-produced basil. The latter looks prettier and retains freshness, but at the cost of consumer health. He points out that ultimately, we don’t know what chemicals cannabis users are consuming. ⁽³⁾

Contamination is worse with concentrates

Bruce at Leafly writes that a study done by the Cannabis Safety Institute found 10 times the amount of pesticides in cannabis-derived concentrates compared to the herb itself. Among other causes, this is attributed to the concentration process bringing in pesticides along with the desired cannabinoids. The results were nonetheless “surprising”, because the process only provides 2-5 times more cannabinoids in comparison to 10 times the amount of pesticides. ⁽³⁾

Bruce writes that there are several potential reasons concentrates contain so many of these harmful chemicals. Among them are:

The methods used to extract cannabinoids might concentrate pesticides more effectively ⁽³⁾
The “extraction equipment” could get contaminated and cause cross-contamination ⁽³⁾
The trim used to make concentrates could contain more pesticides than the flower ⁽³⁾

Bruce recommends this paper for anyone looking for more information.

Reggae musician Ziggy Marley recently spoke out against pesticides in cannabis

On April 16, reggae musician Ziggy Marley (son of Bob Marley) wrote an article for Rolling Stone decrying the use of pesticides for marijuana and urging consumers to take action. ⁽⁴⁾

The Marleys are no strangers to cannabis. It would require a separate article on this blog to cover all the cannabis and hemp-based products and businesses attributed to the family, from a legal pot farm in a former prison to a line of organic hemp foods and even a marijuana cookbook.

Related: In Shocking Development, Chemicals in Food and Packaging are Toxic to Children

In the article, Ziggy wrote that consumers must hold everyone in the industry to “high moral and business standards” to ensure the health of users everywhere. He also wrote that in the face of marijuana’s industrialization, we must “stay vigilant” regarding pesticide use. ⁽⁴⁾

He pointed out that if we let the cannabis industry go the way of other industries that became more about profit than consumer “welfare”, then marijuana will become another “mass-produced product” that causes a variety of health problems. ⁽⁴⁾

Concerned Consumers: Grow Your Own

The best solution for consumers in legal states is to grow their own cannabis. Ziggy Marley recommended it in the aforementioned article, and WeGrow recommends it as well:

“The appeal of home grown cannabis continues to increase as the transparency of the legislation behind the use of pesticides within commercial cultivation operations remains blurry and unclear. Growing your own cannabis indoors gives you ability to control all factors and produce clean, safe, and ultimately quality cannabis for your personal use.” ⁽¹⁾

Most consumers rely heavily on growers and dispensaries, and with legalization in its infancy, growers can get away with a lot more than if we’d reformed our drug laws decades ago. Until we can ensure that they meet the necessary standards, the best bet for consumers is to grow it themselves. This is the only way to ensure that what you’re consuming is safe.

You can spread the word by sharing this or any article, video, etc. raising awareness of this problem. The more people who become aware, the more who’ll fight for standards that should already be in place but have yet to materialize thanks to Uncle Sam. Change is happening, but we must be present every step of the way to ensure it’s a positive change.

Sources:

“Impact of Pesticides on Cannabis”, WeGrow – https://wegrowapp.com/impact-pesticides-on-cannabis/
Alicia Lozano, “Pesticides in Marijuana Pose a Growing Problem for Cannabis Consumers”, La Weekly, October 27, 2016 – https://www.laweekly.com/news/pesticides-in-marijuana-pose-a-growing-problem-for-cannabis-consumers-7526808
Bruce Barcott, “Pesticides 101: Questions and Answers for Cannabis Patients and Consumers”, Leafly, March 21, 2016 – https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/pesticides-101-questions-and-answers-for-cannabis-patients-and-co
Ziggy Marley, “We Need to Ban Pesticides in Pot”, Rolling Stone, April 16, 2018 – https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/ziggy-marley-we-need-to-ban-pesticides-in-pot-628401/

About the author:

I’m a twenty-something writer & blogger with an interest in spirituality, the environment, activism, music, and other awesome stuff. I run Karma Yoga Daily, a news blog dedicated to sharing daily wisdom.

This personal blog I run is pretty great, too.

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Study Confirms Alcohol Is 10x Deadlier Than Cannabis On The Road

(NaturalBlaze by Vic Bishop) An examination of over 3600 cases concludes that alcohol is ten times deadlier on the road than cannabis, a fact which is just now being confirmed as a result of legalization. Opponents of legalization have long argued that it legal cannabis would be a significant danger on the roads, but as can again confirm, it is indeed much safer than alcohol, a drug which has killed hundreds of thousands of people on America’s roads alone.

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The study was conducted in France, and focused on data from all fatal accidents that occurred in France in 2011.

They estimated the heightened risk of driving under the influence of various substances and found that “drivers under the influence of alcohol are 17.8 times more likely to be responsible for a fatal accident,” when compared to completely sober drivers. Drivers under the influence of cannabis, by contrast, are 1.65 times more likely to be responsible for causing a fatal accident. [Source]

The results of this study are highly relevant to the debate over cannabis legalization, and continue to affirm the arguments made by advocates of legalization.

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Those findings are in line with most recent studies of alcohol and cannabis and driving risk. Earlier this year David Bienenstock investigated the science behind drugged driving estimates, and found that THC-positive drivers have a 5% greater crash risk than drivers with no drugs or alcohol in their system. That figure came from the largest domestic case-control study to date, which was published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a federal agency. That same study found that drivers with a blood alcohol level of .08, the legal limit in most states, were 293% more likely to be involved in a crash. Texting drivers were 310% more likely to crash. [Source]

In 2015, a then first of its kind study demonstrated that cannabis had little to no significant effect on driving, and included the following four important findings:

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Drivers under the influence of only cannabis showed little driving impairment when compared to drivers under the influence of alcohol or both substances.
Drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the active ingredient in cannabis) showed similar impairment to drivers with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most states. The current legal limit for THC in Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L.
Drivers who use alcohol and cannabis together weave more on a virtual roadway than ones that used either substance independently, although consuming both does not double the impairment.
Analyzing a driver’s oral fluids can detect recent use of cannabis although it should not be considered a reliable measure of impairment.

Alcohol, however, is widely known for being highly dangerous on the road:

Alcohol is the most common drug present in the system in roadside stops by police; cannabis is the next most common, and cannabis is often paired with alcohol below the legal limits.

We know alcohol is an issue, but is cannabis an issue or is cannabis an issue when paired with alcohol? We tried to find out. ~ Tim Brown, associate research scientist at NADS and co-author of the study. [Source]

Final Thoughts

While this evidence should not be taken as a sign that cannabis-related automotive deaths are insignificant, this research does add weight to the argument that cannabis is far safer than alcohol, in many different ways. This is to support the notion that legalization would have far more positive effects on society than continuing to perpetuate the often terrifying criminalization of this natural plant, over-burdening the justice and prison system.

Read more articles by Vic Bishop.

Vic Bishop is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com and OffgridOutpost.com Survival Tips blog. He is an observer of people, animals, nature, and he loves to ponder the connection and relationship between them all. A believer in always striving to becoming self-sufficient and free from the matrix, please track him down on Facebook.

This article (Study Confirms that Alcohol is Ten Times Deadlier than Cannabis On the Road) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Vic Bishop and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement. Please contact WakingTimes@gmail.com for more info.

8 Amazing Benefits Of CBD Oil

(Natural Blaze) Marijuana contains two compounds: THC and CBD. The THC compound is well-known for its mind-alerting capacity. CBD is one of the compounds that are found in the plant named cannabinoids. The oils that are derived from cannabis plant are known as the CBD oil, as they have concentrations of CBD. When taking a name of the cannabis plant, many people confuse CBD oil with marijuana; however, they are different.

In the case of the CBD compound, it is not psychoactive. This compound neither changes the state of mind, nor the state of the body. Additionally, CBD can be made from hemp which is different from marijuana.

One study predicts that the cannabis market could grow 700% by 2020. This shows how the use of CBD is growing despite any controversy. Researchers are looking to find the therapeutic uses of the CBD.

What are some of the health benefits of CBD oil?

There are plenty of potential health benefits of CBD because of its properties. Here are some of the potential health benefits of CBD oil.

Quitting smoking and drug withdrawals

There are many people who are addicted to smoking, and this is because of the drug called “nicotine” that is found in the cigarette. And, the good news for those who want to quit smoking is that the use of CBD oil can help you quit smoking. There is plenty of evidence that supports it. The study found that the people who used an inhaler containing CBD smoked fewer cigarettes, and they felt no cravings for nicotine.

Another study showed that some of the symptoms that are seen among the people who abuse substance might be reduced with the use of the CBD.

For the First Time, NFL Acknowledges Benefits of Cannabis, Offers to Study it for Pain

Doping in sports and steroid abuse concept with a american football, a bottle of prescription pills and syringes with green and red liquid on a dark background

(The Free Thought Project) The NFL is finally acknowledging that cannabis has the potential to treat acute and chronic pain. A report out today says that the NFL has sent a letter to the Player’s Association (NFLPA) indicating it is willing to study the use of medical cannabis for pain management.

The NFLPA, apparently quicker to grasp the conclusions of science, is already studying the issue. In Jan. 2017, the National Academies of Science (NAS) released an exhaustive study on the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, with chronic pain treatment being one of the most significant.

Related: Why Chronic Pain is Such a Pain and What You Can Do About It

Players in America’s favorite sport are plagued by pain, often for the rest of their lives, and many have already turned to medical cannabis whether the league allows it or not. Soon after the NAS study, retired football players were telling their stories of lives virtually ruined by pain and the standard drugs given to them such as opioid pills – only to find relief with cannabis.

Now, former NFL players are trying to open medical cannabis dispensaries and extolling the benefits of this medicinal plant. They are on the right side of history, and the NFL may finally be catching up.

Cannabis use remains banned by the league, with players regularly tested and penalized if THC is detected. At the moment, the NFL is still stuck in the Reefer Madness mentality, thinking that because federal government prohibits the plant, then they should as well. But the letter to the NFLPA is an encouraging sign.

We look forward to working with the Players Association on all issues involving the health and safety of our players,” said Joe Lockhart, the NFL’s executive vice president of communications…

The NFL, according to one person with knowledge of the matter, wrote a letter to the union asking if, given the NFLPA’s public comments on the issue this year, it is interested in working together on research. The league’s letter outlined a few areas for potential research that included pain management for both acute and chronic conditions.”
The NFLPA is also seeking to reduce punitive measures for the use of cannabis, which is especially needed now that recreational cannabis is legal in eight states and 26 other states have legalized medical use only.

I do think that issues of addressing it more in a treatment and less punitive measure is appropriate,” said DeMaurice Smith, NFLPA’s executive director. “I think it’s important to look at whether there are addiction issues. And I think it’s important to not simply assume recreation is the reason it’s being used.”

The issue of opioid abuse is another reason why the NFL should adopt a more reasonable approach to medical cannabis. Opiates are routinely handed out to players for acute and chronic pain, making them prone to join the ever-growing ranks of those addicted to these dangerous legal drugs. We know from multiple studies that people are giving up deadly, addictive opioids in favor of cannabis in states where it is legal.

In addition to a safer method of pain management, medical cannabis can help prevent brain damage, which is also pervasive in NFL players. A recent major study found that “a vast majority of the brains of deceased players that were studied showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative condition linked to head trauma.”

Related: The Gut-Brain Connection

In response to this, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation is lobbying the NFL to change its irrational rules on cannabis. It should be noted that medical cannabis can be administered with no psychoactive effects.

There is some early data that cannabis does play a role in neuroprotection. This is the kind of science we’ve put in front of the NFL, hoping they would reconsider their antiquated policies,” Dr. Suzanne Sisley told The Chronicle. “The bottom line is that cannabinoids are clearly neuroprotective. We have preclinical data at the receptor level that cannabinoids and cannabis are not only involved with brain repair but neurogenesis, the development of new neural tissue. It’s one of the most exciting discoveries of modern neuroscience.”

The NFL appears to have taken the first step in embracing factual evidence and science. Hopefully this will continue, as other entities such as Big Pharma and the alcohol industry will surely lobby against relaxing the NFL’s current prohibitionist stance.

Groundbreaking Study Shows Cannabis Can Help Stop HIV From Becoming AIDS

Prescription for medical marijuana from family practice clinic

(Natural Blaze) With so many studies coming out on the numerous ways medical cannabis can treat health ailments, some of us may have become slightly numb to the wonders being revealed about this beneficial plant. But a new study published in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) might change that.

Researchers have found that THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, can help prevent HIV from becoming AIDS. According to the abstract, published online by the National Institutes of Health:

“Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) play a crucial role in host antiviral immune response through secretion of type I interferon. Interferon alpha (IFNα), a type I IFN, is critical for mounting the initial response to viral pathogens. A consequence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV) infection is a decrease in both pDC number and function, but prolonged pDC activity has been linked with progression from HIV infection to the development of AIDS. Patients with HIV in the United States routinely use cannabinoid-based therapies to combat the side effects of HIV infection and antiretroviral therapy. However, cannabinoids, including Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are well-characterized immunosuppressants. Here, we report that THC suppressed secretion of IFNα by pDC from both healthy and HIV+ donors through a mechanism involving impaired phosphorylation of interferon regulatory factor 7. These results suggest that THC can suppress pDC function during the early host antiviral response by dampening pDC activation.”

Much of that is Greek to those of us not in the medical field, but the results suggest something stunning. HIV patients taking cannabis have likely helped prevent their condition from turning into full-blown AIDS. This will open the door for medical cannabis to be used for the dual purpose of treating side effects and preventing disease progression.

According to HIV.gov, “More than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV today, and 1 in 7 of them don’t know it.” Although many thousands become newly infected every year, the rate declined 18 percent from 2008 to 2014.

Since the 1980s, over 1.2 million people have been diagnosed with AIDS, with 18,303 diagnosed with AIDS in 2015. 6,721 deaths were directly attributed to HIV in 2014.

Although HIV and AIDS cases are declining, they remain a significant problem. Now we find that the cannabis plant may have yet another miraculous benefit in the form of suppressing a deadly disease.

The AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s as Ronald Reagan ramped up the drug war. Doubling down on the failure and injustice of prohibition, Reagan and this fellow drug warriors stifled research into medical cannabis and denied the people the healing powers of this ancient medicinal plant.

While much progress has been made since those dark days—and the overwhelming majority of Americans now believe medical cannabis should be legal—a fervent prohibitionist now sits as the nation’s top law enforcement official.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has vowed to ramp up the drug war once again, relying on myths and falsehoods to justify his warped view of reality. Sessions is now trying to reinvigorate the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program put in place by Nancy Reagan in the ’80s.

Thankfully, most states in the U.S. now recognize the power of medical cannabis and aren’t paying much attention to the ramblings of Reefer Madness politicians like Jeff Sessions. Medical research into cannabis is continuing to grow exponentially, adding to the body of factual knowledge and leaving prohibitionists nowhere to hide.

Justin Gardner is a peaceful free-thinker with a background in the biological sciences. He is interested in bringing rationality back into the national discourse, and independent journalism as a challenge to the status quo. This article first appeared at The Free Thought Project.

Category: Cannabis