By Nicolle Callier
Cannabis icon Snoop Dogg will have more than an executive producer credit on MTV’s new 420-friendly comedy, Mary + Jane. The 44-year-old rapper will also, according to show executives, make a cameo when you least expect him.
“You don’t know when he’s going to appear,” Deborah Kaplan, one of the show’s executive producers, said at a press conference Sunday. “You have to watch all the way to the end to see him.”
The show follows two twentysomething besties, Paige (Jessica Rothe) and Jordan (Scout Durwood) as they embark on a journey toward becoming “ganja-preneurs,” operating an all-female marijuana delivery service in sunny Los Angeles.
Full Article:
https://www.leafly.com/news/headlines/snoop-dogg-and-mtv-team-up-for-cannabis-themed-sitcom
Author: Jeannie Herer
Governor Signs Bill Reducing Marijuana Penalties in Illinois
By Ivan Moren
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation Friday making marijuana possession in small amounts punishable by fines but not jail time.
The Republican’s signature means the new law takes immediate effect, making Illinois the third largest state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
Full Article:
Arkansas Extends Deadline for Medical Marijuana Signature Drive
By The Associated Press
The group behind one of two efforts to legalize medical cannabis in Arkansas won additional time to circulate petitions Thursday after falling short of the required signatures to put its proposal on the November ballot.
Secretary of State Mark Martin’s office told Arkansans United for Medical Marijuana it had verified that 72,309 signatures the group submitted came from registered voters, falling short of the 84,859 needed. But since the group had gathered at least 75 percent of the valid signatures required, it has until Aug. 29 to collect more, Martin’s office said.
Full Article:
https://www.leafly.com/news/headlines/arkansas-extends-deadline-for-medical-marijuana-signature-drive
Americans spending as much on legal cannabis as on alcohol
by Steven Green
A new report has found that Americans are now spending as much on legal cannabis as they are on alcohol.
And according to Time Money, it’s men who are predominantly reaching for the rolling papers, with $647 annually on marijuana products, while female consumers drop about $634 each year on weed.
That is in comparison with an average of $645 spent a year on alcohol and $1,000 a year on coffee (viaHeadset).
Full Article:
https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2016/07/americans-spending-as-much-on-legal-cannabis-as-on-alcohol/
3D printers can now print with hemp, beer, and coffee
By Ryan Whitwam
Most 3D printers use plastic, which usually isn’t the most environmentally friendly material available. Most forms of plastic are made from hydrocarbons like oil, and they don’t break down when you’re done with them. A North Dakota startup called 3DomFuel is looking to make 3D printing filament from other materials like coffee, beer, and even sticky icky hemp. If you just checked the calendar to see if it was April Fools, think again. 3DomFuel is actually doing this.
Full Article:
http://www.geek.com/news/3d-printers-can-now-print-with-hemp-beer-and-coffee-1663407/
Archaeological Study Finds Possible New Origin for Cannabis
by Benjamin M. Adams
A new study, released by Vegetation History and Archaeobotany on June 27, 2016, indicates that archaeologists have found traces of cannabis fibers, pollen and achenes (dried seeds or fruit) in Paleolithic Europe and East Asia. The new data indicates the presence of domestic cannabis 5,000 years ago and shatters what we’ve though about the origins of cannabis trade.
Archaeological evidence in the past suggests that sporadic cannabis use, consisting of mostly fossilized pollen and hemp fibers, goes back up to 10,000 years in many parts of the world. The discovery of cannabis achenes, or buds, suggests cannabis smoking. Researchers found cannabis achenes consistently imprinted in ceramics from the sixth millennium BCE through the third millennium BCE. This represents a flux of farmed cannabis and intercontinental trade.
Full Article:
http://ireadculture.com/archaeologists-discover-evidence-of-domestic-cannabis-during-the-bronze-age/
The Government is Stealing from Cannabis Businesses!
by Jeff Siegel
In Los Angeles County, a “cannabis tax” that was designed to provide homeless services, may soon be scrapped.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the Board of Supervisors pulled the tax due to fears that this could keep voters from passing the legalization measure in November.
I’m not sure why that would be the case, but I’m not here to defend the tax. In fact, I’m not a fan of unfair taxation in any form. And that’s exactly what the cannabis industry faces every single day.
Full Article:
http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/the-government-is-stealing-from-cannabis-businesses/8278
Derrick Morgan has researched medical cannabis, says it’s NFL’s turn
Paul Kuharsky ESPN Staff Writer
Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Derrick Morgan has done extensive research on the potential medical benefits of cannabis and said it’s incumbent upon the NFL to study it.
“I just take the NFL for their word: If they say that long-term health and player safety are top priorities of the league, then why aren’t you looking into all the options for health care that are out there?” he said in an interview with ESPN. “It’s definitely incumbent upon them to really delegate some time and some resources to look into it.”
Full Article:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/17141097/derrick-morgan-tennessee-titans-nfl-study-medical-cannabis
Florida’s first medical marijuana dispensary to open this week
Kathy Jordan is more than 30 years into a tough battle with the neurodegenerative disease, ALS.
“Life was going good, and all of the sudden she just started having problems in her hands,” said Kathy’s husband and primary caretaker Bob.
Those problems with her hands quickly turned to loss of speech and eventually being bound to a wheel chair. That’s when she stumbled on something that she says minimized her symptoms.
“Her appetite was the first thing she noticed,” said Bob, “and then the twitching stopped.”
The drug was marijuana, and today the couple grows their own plants in their backyard under Medical Necessity. That’s why they were excited when the state decided to open low-THC medical marijuana dispensaries. The first of which will open on Tuesday.
Full Article:
Driver acquitted of marijuana DUI despite high blood test
BY ROB LOW
A Denver woman has been acquitted of driving stoned, even though she tested nearly four times above the state’s legal limit for marijuana.
Melanie Brinegar’s blood came back at 19 nanograms, the state’s legal limit is 5 nanograms. “5 nanograms is not logical, it`s not fair to medical patients,” said Brinegar.
The 29-year-old was pulled over in June of 2014 for an expired license plate tag. “He (police officer) smelled marijuana, I told him I`m a medical marijuana patient,” said Brinegar.
In fact, Brinegar moved to Colorado two years ago from Indiana so that she could legally access medical marijuana.
“I’m constantly in pain if I don’t use cannabis,” said Brinegar.
Full Article:
http://kdvr.com/2015/07/17/driver-acquitted-of-marijuana-dui-despite-high-blood-test/