The research published in Psychopharmacology, is the first to reliably demonstrate the short-term effects the plant has regarding motivation in humans. The researchers also tested motivation in people who were addicted to cannabis but not high during he test, and found that their levels of motivations were no different to volunteers in the control group.

“Although cannabis is commonly thought to reduce motivation, this is the first time it has been reliably tested and quantified using and appropriate sample size and methodology,” says lead author Dr Will Lawn (UCL Clinic Psychopharmacology). “It has also been proposed that long-term cannabis users might also have problems with motivation even when they are not high. However, we compared people dependent on cannabis to similar controls, when neither group was intoxicated, and did not find a difference in motivation. This tentatively suggests that long-term cannabis use may not result in residual motivation problems when people stop using it. However, longitudinal research is needed to provide more conclusive evidence.”

57 volunteers have taken part in the research, which consisted of two separate studies. The first involved 17 adult volunteers who all used cannabis occasionally. Through a balloon, they inhaled cannabis vapor on one occasion and cannabis-placebo vapor on a separate occasion. Straight after, the completed a task designed to measure their motivation for earning money. This was a real-life task as the volunteers were given money they had earned at the end of the experiment.

In each trial of the task, volunteers would choose whether to complete low- or high-effort tasks to win varying amounts of money. The low-effort option involved pressing the spacebar key with the little finger of their non-dominant hand 30 times in 7 seconds to win 50p. The high-effort option involved 100 spacebar presses in 21 seconds, for rewards varying from 80p to £2.

“Repeatedly pressing keys with a single finger isn’t difficult but it takes a reasonable amount of effort, making it a useful test of motivation,” explains senior author Professor Val Curran. “We found that people on cannabis were significantly less likely to choose the high-effort option. On average, volunteers on placebo chose the high-effort option 50% of the time for a £2 reward, whereas volunteers on cannabis only chose the high-effort option 42% of the time.”

In the second study, 20 cannabis addicted people were matched with 20 control participants who reported the same levels of non-cannabis drug use. Participants were not allowed to consume alcohol or drugs, other than tobacco or coffee, for 12 hours before the study. They were then asked to perform the same motivation tasks as participants in the first study. The results showed that cannabis-dependent volunteers were no less motivated than the control group. However, much more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between long-term use of weed and possible motivational deficits.

The first study was funded by Drug Science and the second by UCL and the Biotechnology and Biologic Sciences Research Council.

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According to My Statesman, Texas realized just how much they can gain by servicing more CBD and THC patients. As such, they are getting ready to potentially tap into this market by adding new legislation to the 2017 ballot.

Currently, Texas has legislation in place in the form of Senate Bill 339. This allows children with epilepsy to treat their condition with CBD oil, like many other states. The new proposals for the 2017 legislature would add many more qualifying conditions. It will allow both THC and CBD  as prescription medication for those who need medical cannabis.

Texas is basing its model off of Colorado’s medical cannabis system. After numerous officials did the math, it is clear that the state could make a lot of money from legal cannabis. By estimate, there are 150,000 previously undiagnosed potential medical users of CBD in Texas. If the list of treatable conditions expands beyond just a rare form of epilepsy, this could bring in $900 million for the state. Additionally, if the cannabis market grows to include THC users, an estimated 565,000 patients could be treated.

“If you look at licensing we could get – the revenue we get from licensing – as well as the fees and taxes, it’d ave a huge economic impact of a regulated medicinal market, which could mean billions of dollars to the bottom line of the state in benefits,” stated local Senator José Menéndez, a Democrat from San Antonio Texas and one of the supporters of expanding the medical program.

Texas has a reputation for being a little more conservative than some states. However, they also have a reputation for embracing ideas that can make the big bucks. “Going big or going home:” is also one of their best traits. It’s no surprise that the state is already looking for ways to expand and capitalize on legal cannabis.

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What is Diabetes?

There are three forms, all of which are characterized by too much blood sugar for a prolonged period.

1. Type 1 diabetes occurs as a result of the pancreas’s inability to produce sufficient insulin. The cause of this kind of diabetes is unknown. As insulin is responsible for taking the sugar from the blood into the fat, liver, and muscle. Having too little of it means too much sugar stays in the blood.
2. Type 2 Diabetes develops primarily because of too much body weight and too little exercise. De to these factors, cells in the body stop responding to insulin properly, causing too much sugar to stay in the blood.
3. Gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women develop high blood sugar levels, but this type results in few symptoms.

Symptoms usually include increased urination, thirst and hunger. Low blood sugar as a result of either a lack of lack of insulin or its ineffectiveness can lead to a diabetic emergency. Signs of this problem include sweating, trembling, confusion, seizure, unconsciousness, and sometimes brain damage or death.

In the long term, diabetes puts patients at risk for some complications. For example, patients are at twice the risk of cardiovascular disease. The disease also increases the risk of coronary artery disease and strike. The illness damages small blood vessels over time, potentially causing damage to the eyes, kidneys and nerves. As the illness progresses, it comes with a host of problems, including diabetic neuropathy, or intense nerve pain.

Traditional Treatment

The disease is virtually incurable, accept for a few instances when it just disappeared. As such, treatment revolves around managing symptoms and maintaining a healthy body weight. This is achieved by making lifestyle changes such as following a balanced diet and  exercising regularly. The goal is to bring blood sugar levels down to a normal level.

Medications are also used to lower blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes. For those with type 1, however, insulin shots are required. In rare cases, a pancreas transplant is offered to those with type 1 diabetes in hopes of receiving an organ that produces more insulin. Whether a patient has type 1 or 2 diabetes, however, they often suffer from nerve pain brought on by the disease.

Cannabis Treatment for Diabetic Pain

A study was conducted on rats to assess the effectiveness of cannabis for diabetic nerve pain. They found that the neuropathic pain that is symptomatic of some diabetes sufferers was effectively relieved by a cannabis-based medication. Because diabetic nerve pain is the most common of all neuropathic pains experienced around the world, the scope of its research is quite broad.

In humans, cannabis has been shown to be an effective treatment for chronic nerve pain. Given what was found in the study on rats, it stands to to reason that cannabis-based medication is also a suitable treatment for nerve pain in people.

Cannabis Prevents Development of Diabetes

Another study conducted on diabetic rats used Cannabidiol, and examined the effects. The results were shocking: incidence of diabetes plummeted from 86% in the placebo rats to just 30% in the rats receiving Cannabidiol. The researchers explain that the medication works by inhibiting and delaying insulitis, a disease of the pancreas that causes sufferers to become diabetic.

On humans, researchers just last year conducted a national survey. They observed that recent or current active cannabis smoking was inversely associated with having diabetes. In other words, people who use cannabis are less likely to develop the disease from those who don’t. What this suggests is that cannabis smoking possible protects users from developing the disorder. The study notes that while this is not conclusive, more research is needed to confirm their findings.

The Future of Cannabis for Diabetes

Studies have shown promise for using cannabis as medicine to treat the symptoms of diabetes as well as prevent it from ever developing. Unsurprisingly, surveys conducted on the subject reflect this, with cannabis users being less likely to develop the disease. More research will probably corroborate these findings, and soon cannabis may be used more commonly to treat diabetes.

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PharmLabs Hawaii LLC will be offering laboratory testing and analytic services to ensure consumers have access to safe medicine.

The ISO 17025 accredit laboratory will offer testing that is compliant with the state if Hawaii’s Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program. The main laboratory and headquarters will be located in Kahului on Hookele Street, behind Home Depot.

PharmLabs Hawaii is in the process of getting a narcotics license, DEA license and final approval with the State of Hawaii’s Department of Public Health. Company representatives say equipment is being installed and calibrated now so the lab should be up and running soon.

According to PharmLabs LLC services to the Hawaiian Island will become available late this summer of 2016.

PharmLabs officials commented that “PharmLabs Hawaii will provide services on Oahu, Maui, Hawaii and Kauai which are all of the four islands participating in the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program.”

“The expansion of PharmLabs to Hawaii will permit medical cannabis patients in Hawaii access to safe medicines ensuring the health of consumers. Soon to to open State-Licensed Dispensaries will be armed with necessary testing services to be able to provide their patients will clean, safe and appropriately dosed medicine. Using testing standards to comply with the Hawaii Administrative Rules of Title 11, Chapter 850 for the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Program, PharmLabs is synonymous with safety, compliance and accuracy,” a company announcement stated.

PharmLabs opened its first cannabis laboratory in San Diego, 2011. PharmLabs in owned and operated by native Californian Greg Magdoff. The company was one of the first ISO 17025 certified cannabis labs in the US and has received proficiency ring testing golf badges of +/- 2% in Potency and Residual Solvent testing from Emerald Scientific.

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According to the advocacy group, law enforcement in the state made nearly half a million cannabis related arrests over the last decade. Although arrests fell last year, some patterns still exist.

Perhaps most worrying is the significant racial disparity in arrest rates. Despite similar use rates across groups, authorities disproportionately arrested black and Latino people. The DPA report found that black people are twice as likely than whits to be arrested for cannabis misdemeanors and barely five times more likely to be arrested on felony charges.

“While many people believe that marijuana is essentially legal in California, data show us that thousands continue to be arrested annually for marijuana activities,” said DPA staff attorney Jolene Forman. “These arrests fall disproportionately on black and Latino Californians. The only way to begin to repair these parities is to move marijuana into a fully regulated market and to reduce or eliminate criminal prohibitions for minor marijuana activities.”

The statistics might come as a surprise given California’s global reputation for cannabis tolerance. In 1996 the state become the first in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for medical use. Lawmakers further criminal penalties for cannabis in 2011, making possession of up to an ounce of cannabis for personal use a civil infraction rather than misdemeanor.

The change led to an 86& decrease in misdemeanors, but felony arrests remained relatively stable at roughly 14,000 per year. In 2015 that number fell by a third. The report, however, doesn’t attempt to explain why.

Unfortunately, youth under 18 now account for the majority of cannabis misdemeanor arrests. Prior to 2011, when possession was decriminalized, minors accounted for only a quarter of misdemeanor cannabis arrests. As of 2015, youth account for two-thirds of misdemeanor cannabis arrests.

California will have an opportunity to legalize cannabis for recreational use this fall. Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, contains sentencing reforms that would reduce or eliminate most criminal penalties around cannabis, Another load of good news is that these reductions would apply retroactively to past offenses.

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Researchers from Quinnipiac University just published the results of a brand new survey.

The number from this study show just how many Americans think it’s time to legalize cannabis.

The survey took place from May 24 to May 30, with 1,561 respondents that were all registered U.S. voters.

The most important number to come out of this survey, would have the be the percentage of people who agree with legalizing cannabis for medical use.

Eighty nine percent of the respondents said they support the legal use of medical cannabis. Only 9% said they did not support this notion.

When it comes to recreational use, 54% said they support the full marijuana legalization. 41% were against it.

People aged between 18 and 34 voiced the most support for cannabis.

69% of people within this group support fully legalizing cannabis,while 91% said they support medical cannabis.

The survey also contained data on people’s political affiliations.

Among the Democrats, 65% support full legalization while 30% don’t. As for the Republicans, only 36% said they support full legalization while 62% said they’re against it.

However, when it comes to medical cannabis, Republicans voiced much more support. 81% of them said they support legalizing the drug for medical uses, while only 17% said they were against it.

Democrats were also in favor of legalizing medical cannabis with 94% for it with only 5% against it.

Despite the popular support for cannabis legalization, the plant is still illegal at the federal level.

Cannabis is still classified as a Schedule I drug by the DEA.

Drugs is this category are viewed as the most dangerous of all drugs, and the most heavily criminalized.

At the beginning of the year, President Obama said he wouldn’t use his last year in office to focus on changing cannabis laws. However, the DEA issued a memo in April, saying it might consider changing the status of cannabis.

So far, no changes have been made.

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Chris Sayegh, a chef, is leading to way by taking haute cuisine to a higher place with his cannabis-infused menus in private homes for as much as$500 a head, or in “pop-up” banquets around Los Angeles for $20 to $200 a person. For now though, diners must show their medical marijuana cards.

Sayegh, 23 years old, who served in the kitchens of top restaurants in New York and California, said adding cannabis into his recipes creates an entirely new consciousness for diners that goes beyond the effects of a fine wine.

“To me, this is a cerebral experience,” he said during a demonstration at his Hollywood apartment last week. “You’re eating with a different perception with each bite, with each course. You’re literally changing your brain chemistry and you are viewing this food differently that you did 5 minutes ago, 10 minutes ago.”

Edible marijuana products are in fact, nothing new, but the market has evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry. Cannabis dining, on the other hand, is a relatively new concept, and Sayegh wants to bring it to the masses.

Marijuana has been legally permitted for medical purposed in California since 1996, and voters are widely expected to pass a measure on the upcoming November election ballot to legalize pot as a recreational drug for adults statewide.

Sayegh said he began experimenting with cannabis cuisine after growing tired of pot-baked brownies and other snacks.

“It really wasn’t until I started to break it down into science that I realized that cooking with cannabis … was much, much different than baking with it,” he said.

In the kitchen, Sayegh uses oil containing an extract of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) the psychoactive component of cannabis, and a “vaporizer” to infuse ingredients with TH.

“You’ll never taste the cannabis in my cooking unless I specifically want you to taste it because it’s not a pleasant taste … It throws off the whole flavor of the dish,” he said, adding that he “micro-doses” his dishes to the desired potency of individual clients.

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Medicinal benefits of cannabis

1. Pain Relief

Studies show that THC activates pathways in the central nervous system which work to block pain signals from being sent to the brain. Likewise, cannabis has been shown to be especially effective against neuropathic pain, or nerve-related pain.

2. PTSD

People suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is another common reason to use medical marijuana. The high from THC is also associated with temporary impairments of memory.

While this may be as a drawback for some marijuana users, impaired memory is often therapeutic for those who struggle to forget painful memories, especially patients who suffer from PTSD. Recent studies have shown that oral doses of THC can help relief a variety of PTSD-related symptoms including, agitation and nightmares.

3. Nausea and Vomting

THC has been available as medication in pill form for treating nausea and vomiting in cancer patients since the 1980s.

A pill containing synthetic THC, called Marinol, was the first THC-based medication to be approved by the FDA for just this purpose. Since then, other THC pills have been developed and prescribed to patients undergoing chemotherapy, including a pill known as Cesamet.

4. Appetite Stimulant

THC is also known to work as a powerful appetite stimulant in both healthy and sick individuals. Marinol and Cesamet are regularly prescribed to boost appetitie in patients with cancer and HIV-associated wasting syndrome.

A number of studies conducted with Marinol suggest that THC can also stimulate weight gain in people suffering from anorexia.

5. Asthma

Medical marijuana might not seem safe for the treatment of asthma but as it turns out, THC’s ability to improve breathing in asthmatics is supported by research dating back to the 1970s.

Following trials that supported the research, scientists tried to develop an inhaler that could deliver THC but ultimately failed to do so. While the THC inhaler was abandoned, some say that modern-day vaporizers might be a solution.

6. Glaucoma

THC is also known for its potential to relieve eye pressure in patients with glaucoma.

After studies in the 1970s showed that smoking marijuana could reduce symptoms in glaucoma sufferers, scientist have tried to develop a way to administer THC in eye drops but they have failed. The idea proved to complicated due to the fact that THC is not soluble in water.

While some glaucoma patients rely on medical marijuana, The American Glaucoma Society maintains the position that its effects are too short-lived to be considered a viable treatment option.

7. Sleep aid

Many, both users and non-users, are aware of the sleep-inducing effect of marijuana, and research shows that THC is largely responsible. Trails conducted in the 1970s found that oral doses of THC helped both healthy individuals and insomniacs fall asleep faster.

Interestingly, more recent studies suggest THC may also improve nighttime breathing and reduce sleep interruptions in those who suffer from a common disorder known as sleep apnea. Researchers are currently working to develop a THC-based medicine for treating the condition.

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Duke University is responsible for this game-changer. Researchers headed the best possible scenario in this study: analyzing the cognitive ability, habits, successes and failures of identical twins. Twins give this study its advantage because they come from the same background, upbringing and their body chemistry is the same. The factors weed out much of the uncertainty in comparison to tests done on people with very different genetic make-ups and backgrounds.

According to the study, “The data collected from the identical twins fails to support the implication that marijuana exposure in adolescence causes neurocognitive decline.”

The data gathered from the twin study suggests that teenagers who experience “intellectual stagnation” are the ones who are most likely to develop heavy cannabis use habits later in life. This is mainly due to the boredom factor, where students with high IQ scores end up doing worse because they lack interest in school studies that are geared to their peers with lower Iqs, depriving them of essential intellectual challenge and cognitive stimulation. According to the study, these types of teens are “predisposed to intellectual stagnation in middle school and are on a trajectory for future marijuana use.”

Put differently, teenagers on the lowest and highest ends of the IQ spectrum are almost equally as likely to develop habitual cannabis use in their younger years. The teenagers on the low end of the IQ spectrum develop marijuana dependence due to a lack in brain development, while high IQ spectrum teens get there typically through boredom.

Naturally, the scientific conclusion of this study does not mean that anyone can consume as much cannabis as they want with zero side effects. Despite its various medicinal uses, treatment and applications – cannabis is still a drug on he federal level.

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The special workshop on cannabis manufacturing ended around 10:00p.m. The City Council went into a close meeting after that trying to decide what’s best for this community.

For years, the people in Coalinga have relied on petroleum field to thrive. Now they hope to strike it rich with a different kind of oil; cannabis oil.

“We need some kind of revenue, we’re hurting right now,” said Ron Ramsey, Coalinga mayor.

Since January, the City Council has been exploring the possibility of commercial cannabis cultivation. On Wednesday, the city invited Ocean Grown Extracts, a business based in California, to present a proposal.

Questions and concerns continued for several hours. One concerned resident said, “I’m more concerned about the young people in this town…”

Ocean grown is interesting in purchasing the property that used to be Claremont Custody Center. The vision is to turn that 77,000-square foot facility into a marijuana growing operation. Mayor Ramsey said the acquisition would help Coalinga recover from $3.2 million of bad debt. However, others think the city is only after the money.

Ramsey said, “We have a prison that is not being utilized. I mean we’ve talk to LA County, the state, trying to bring inmates back here, and it didn’t happen.”

“I think they are looking at this as a quick fix, and the problem with that is they won’t be able to stop because they will be so addicted to this revenue,” said Sheriff Margaret Mims, Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

The company laid out several benefits like at least 55 local jobs and the prison structure would provide extra security.

At the end of the day, the council voted 4-1 in favor of turning the prison into a cannabis cultivation facility.

Ramsey said, “I don’t want to wait until November and all these other cities jump into it tool. There’s a lot of cities hurting right now.”

The sale of the prison center is still being negotiated by the city. The final deal would only be approved once the ordnance passed. That process could take up to six months.

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Since 2014, US firms have invested about $50 million in licensing Israeli medical marijuana patents, cannabis agro-tech startups and firms developing delivery devices such as inhalers, said Saul Kaye, CEO of iCAN, a private cannabis research hub.

At iCAN’s CannaTech conference in Tel Aviv this month, one of the largest gatherings of medical marijuana experts, Kay said: “I expect it to grow to $100 million in the coming year.”

Scientists say that strict rules, some set by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), limit studies on cannabis in the United States, where the legal marijuana market is valued at $5.7 billion and expected to grow to $23 billion by 2020.

U.S. psychiatrist Suzanne Sisley said: “In the United States it’s easier to study heroin than marijuana.” She researched the effects of cannabis as a treatment for American military veterans suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“With marijuana you have to go through added layers of government red tape. It highlights the way marijuana research is being shackled by politics,” said Sisley, Director of Medicinal Plant Research at Heliospectra.

While scientific exploration may be restricted, 23 states now permit medical cannabis, while recreational use is allowed in four states and Washington D.C. Despite all this, at federal level, marijuana is still classified as a dangerous narcotic with no medicinal value.

In Israel, marijuana is an illegal drug and only 23,000 people have Health Ministry permits to purchase medical cannabis from nine licensed suppliers, creating a market of roughly $15 million to $20 million at most.

However, Israeli authorities are liberal when it comes to research. Growers work with scientific institutions in clinical trials and the development of strains that treat a variety of illnesses and disorders.

Israeli Health Minister Yakov Litzman, an ultra-Orthodox Jew, supports medical cannabis usage and has introduced steps to ease its prescription and sale.

Israel is far from being the only country in the market, however. Britain’s GW Pharmaceuticals is licensed to grow cannabis for medicine and in 2013 opted for a dual listing on NASDAQ, where it raised nearly $500 million from U.S. investors.

This month, GW announced its cannabis-based medicine Epidiolex had successfully treated children with a rare form of epilepsy. Its share price doubled as a result.

Medical cannabis is developing at a fast pace. Patients can smoke marijuana cigarettes, use inhalers,ingest oil extracts or even consume various edibles containing marijuana extracts. GW also has a multiple sclerosis treatment which is sprayed under the tongue.

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A similar bill, approved last year by the General Assembly, was allowed to die after Gov Bruce Rauner used his amendatory veto powers to propose tighter restrictions. The new bill, sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, and approved Wednesday by the Senate Criminal Law Committee, incorporates the changes Rauner suggested.

Those include lowering the threshold for being ticketed rather than arrested for marijuana possession for quantities up to 10 grams. The original bill set the threshold at 15 grams, equal to about 30 joints.

The new bill also raises the range for fines to $100 to $200 from $55 to $125 and lowers the limit at which someone can be charged with driving under the influence of marijuana. Last year’s bill put the limit at 15 nanograms per milliliter blood, and the new measure would set it at five nanograms, the level Rauner suggested in his veto message.

Steans said the bill is aimed at “providing more consistent and fair enforcement and prosecution and cannabis possession across the state.”

The measure would also automatically expunge marijuana possession citations from people’s records every six months. It would not supersede local laws enacting fines for marijuana possession.

An assistant state’s attorney from Cook County, Brandon Nemec, said prosecutors support the measure.

“It’s very much a resource-based rationale for why we support this legislation,” Nemec said. “All too often, particularly in Cook County, we have a situation where an individual is arrested for a small amount of cannabis, they are sought to appear before a court, and the case is dismissed.”

These situations use up resources that could be better spent investigating and prosecuting high-lever drug crimes and violent offenses and “put someone into the criminal justice system with an arrest on their record,” he said.

One of the three Republicans who voted against the bill, is Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon.

Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, was one of the three Republicans on the committee who voted against the bill.

Righter, a former prosecutor, said he has questions about whether the legal system would still be able direct people who need it into drug treatment and how circuit court clerks would handle expungements.

Ralph Rivera of the Illinois Family Institute testified at the committee hearing that he shares the concern about people getting the intervention or treatment they need.

“We’re always concerned about what message it is for the youth,” he said.

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Endocannabinoids

So how does the cannabinoids from cannabis have an effect on us? The body produces a group of cannabis-like chemicals called endogenous cannabidnoids (endocannabinoids). When brought together, they regulate many bodily functions, ranging from sleep, blood pressure, immune response, and bone growth, among others. When the different endocannabinoids work together in a proper way, they help to keep us balanced and healthy. Scientists have discovered that an unbalance in endocannabinoid activity is involved in many medical conditions.

Receptors

Endocannabinoids exert their own biological effects by binding to the cannabinoid receptors, which act like levers or switches to change bodily functions such as your pain responses or appetite. It is now known that cannabinoid receptors can now be found in most parts of the brain, as well as in the immune system and a variety of other organs as well. Endocannabinoids and their receptors together are called the endocannabinoid system. This system can even be found in very primitive organisms, which indicates that it might have a very fundamental and important role in basic physiology.

Plant cannabinoids and endocannabinoids

Some of the plant-derived cannabinoids bind to the endocannabinoid receptors, and can therefore include responses that are normally regulated by the endocannabinoids. The wide distribution area of these cannabinoid receptors in the human body, seems to explain many of the effects users experience when they consume cannabis.

Cannabinoids also have effects that are completely independent, without binding to the receptors. For example, some cannabinoids are known to be potent anti-oxidants. Others do not bind directly to the receptors, but they can influence the way other cannabinoids bind.

Cannabinoid receptors are mainly found in the nervous system and immune system, which makes it easy to understand why the use of cannabis may have an effect on medical conditions. It all depends on whether and where the immune system or nervous system is involved. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it is easy for scientists to translate these effects in order to development a viable medicine for some disease or ailment.

Balance

A recreational cannabis user unbalances his body, and enjoys the effects as a pleasurable experience but that is not the only way to look at it. Under a medical condition, the body is already out of balance, the use of cannabinoids may restore balance again. If you look at it in this way, the difference between recreational and medical use becomes quite clear.

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The initiative would ask Arizona voters to legalize marijuana for recreational use and establish a network of licensed cannabis shops where sales of the drug would be taxed.

The “Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol” is only a few thousand signatures away of gathering the 150,642 signatures it needs to qualify for the ballot, according to spokesman Barrett Marson on Wednesday. He also said that some signatures are likely invalid as it could be collected from people who cannot vote and the group aims to collect about 225,000 signatures.

Marson added: “Arizonans are clearly excited about this initiative.”

Many other individuals and groups are not so pleased about the initiative, including a group that has been educating the public about the negative effects of pot on children and society. The Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy has pointed to news articles and statistics and a new U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey that shows Colorado as a leading state of the nation regarding past-month cannabis use following its successful legalization in 2012.

Under the proposed Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, adults of 21 years and older could possess up to 1 ounce of pot and grow up to six plants in their homes without obtaining licenses, as long as the plants are in a secure area.

It would also create a legal distribution system that is similar to Colorado’s, where licenses businesses produce and sell marijuana.

The initiative would create a Department of marijuana Licenses and Control to regulate the “cultivation, manufacturing, testing, transportation, and sale of marijuana”. Local governments would be given the authority to regulate and ban cannabis stores. It would also establish a 15% tax on retail sales,with proceeds being used to fund education, including full-day kindergarten and public health.

Under the 2016 Arizona initiative language, driving while impaired would still be illegal, as would consuming marijuana in public and selling or giving the drug to anyone under the age of 21.

Taxation of the program would pay the state’s cost of implementing and enforcing the initiative. 40% of taxes on marijuana would be directed to the Department of Education for construction, maintenance and operation costs, including the salaries of K-12 teachers. Another 40% would be set aside for full-day kindergarten programs and the final 20% would go to the state Department of Health Services for unspecified uses.

Revenue from these taxes could not flow into the state’s general fun, allowing it to be utilized for other purposes.

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Indica vs Sativa

Indica

Indica cannabis plants usually have dens foliage and full-figured leaves, indica plants are mad to withstand a more hostile growing environment. They are a quite short and stubby, but their lack-luster appearance fool you; these plants are the best resin producers.

Originally native to the Kush mountain region, C. Indica is made to withstand much colder and more turbulent conditions. As the plant adapted to a harsh mountainous climate, it also developed the ability to produce thick cannabinoid-dense resin in order to protect itself.

In terms of potency, Indica’s are often very potent due toe their naturally high levels of THC.

Smoking Indica
If you’d like a common comparison, an indica is like a sleeping pill. It is great for people to struggle to get to sleep and they produce very sedative effects. Indica smokers often feel sleepy, relaxed, and they have a strong desire to eat.
Indicas also have a distinct skunky oder.

Growing Indica
Indicas are the plant of choice for indoor growers. Short, fast, and sweet, they are easy to grow and will quickly produce a crop. They only grow between 3 feet and 6 feet tall and their early flowering time is generally between 8 and 9 weeks.

Indicas are also known to have a deep purple color to their stocks.

Sativa

A sativa is like a cup of Joe compared to the indca. As for their appearance; a true sativa is a tall, scraggly looking plant with wiry stocks and thin leaves.

Sativas are native to the warm climates of Mexico, Central America, and Southeast Asia. The natural equatorial habitat of sativas means that these plants love the heat and outdoors. They normally grow between 8 and 12 feet high, but a healthy sativa can reach up to 18 feet tall in the right conditions.

Smoking Sativas:
A good sativa should be about as stimulating as a shot of espresso or even an energy drink. Typically used during the daytime, a sativa will energize you with their strong cerebral effects. Many marijuana lovers choose sativa when they’re looking for an uplifting and creative buzz.

Sativas tend to have a lighter, fruity aroma.

Growing Sativas
Due to the large size of sativas and because they are accustomed to warm climates, these plants produce the best yields when they are grown outside. Contrary to their stockier counterpart, sativas take a little while to flower. You can expect a flowering time of between 12 and 14 weeks.

In warm environments, it’s not unlikely for sativa buds to have a reddish shade of color. In colder climates, you can expect to see a purple shade.

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