Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at how one cannabis company is giving back to the community, a line of cannabis products developed by the estate of a former Beatle, the impact the cannabis industry is likely to have on the U.S. economy in 2022 and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Community Conservation
A Michigan-based cannabis company has put a new spin on the concept of giving back to the community. According to TG Branffalt, writing for Ganjapreneur, Golden Shores Cannabis Co. is adding beeswax containing wildflower seeds to the tips of their prerolls. The goal is to reduce waste and provide a sustainable environment for pollinators.
The company’s president, Jeff Dotson, said the seeds contained in the tip are for a “very hearty plant” that will “grow in almost any kind of soil.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service has said, “Wildflowers can improve soil health, prevent erosion, improve water quality, increase yields and enhance forage conditions for livestock.”
While there may be unintended consequences lurking around the corner, it does sound like this can be a positive side effect to cannabis consumption.
To learn more, we suggest you read TG Branfalt’s article in the April 14, 2022 issue of Ganjapreneur.
www.ganjapreneur.com/michigan-cannabis-company-including-wildflower-seeds-in-pre-roll-tips/?
Legislative Matters
Anticipating the legalization of cannabis at the federal level has become a bit like being in a road show of Waiting for Godot.
While it’s likely to happen sooner than later, sifting through the tea leaves in search of signs of congressional support can be an arduous task. However, in the spirit of “watch what they do, not what they say,” a new bill that was introduced by a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers may be an indication that even some Republicans are resigned to the inevitability of legalization.
According to Kyle Jaeger, writing for Marijuana Moment, the bill, if passed, directs the attorney general to create a commission charged with making recommendations on a regulatory system for marijuana. That proposed system would resemble what’s currently in place for the regulation of alcohol.
The bill’s sponsors say it will lead to the “development of a federal regulatory framework that will help ensure safety, accountability and economic growth among the 45+ states that have enacted cannabis legalization to some degree” while accounting for the “unique needs, rights and laws of each state.”
Said Representative David Joyce (R-OH), “With 91 percent of Americans supporting either medical or recreational cannabis legalization, it’s time for the federal government to respect the will of our voters—both Democrat and Republican alike—and begin a serious conversation about what a post-prohibition America should look like.”
Sounds like a way to get Republican legislators to board a train that is about to leave the station. Any day now, any day….
To learn more, we urge you to read the article by the always informative Kyle Jaeger. It appears in the April 14, 2022 issue of Marijuana Moment.
Stats of the Week
This week’s magic number is $99B. That’s “B” as in billion and 99 as in nearly one hundred. That’s the economic impact the cannabis industry is likely to have on the U.S. economy in 2022.
So says the data team at MjBiz Daily. The team analyzed similar industries, consulted with economists and applied a standard multiplier of 2.8 on projected recreational and medical marijuana retail sales.
The team also acknowledged that the numbers may be described as a “best guess” because the structure of the marijuana industry is, as they put it, “somewhat unique.” For instance, while the industry encompasses agricultural, manufacturing and retail activity, in some markets, it also includes events and hospitality, which tend to have even higher economic impact than other industries.
Said the data team, “In this case for every $10 consumers and patients spend at marijuana retail locations, an additional $18 will be injected into the economy, much of it at the local level. ..That impact comes directly from the day-to-day needs of workers in the cannabis industry, including spending on life’s necessities such as housing, transportation, entertainment and more.”
The team also acknowledged that the industry’s impact on a local economy could be experienced in the real estate and tax sectors as well.
If you wish to learn more, we urge you to read the article that appeared in the April 11, 2022 issue of MJBizDaily.com. Simply click on the link that follows.
mjbizdaily.com/marijuana-industry-will-add-nearly-100-billion-to-us-economy-in-2022/?
Senior Celebrity Spotlight
One can only wonder if the late George Harrison had this in mind when he composed the material for the album All Things Must Pass. Mr. Harrison’s estate is working with the cannabis company Dad Grass to create a line of cannabis-related products.
The company is known for its low-dose, organic pre-rolled joints. The products developed in collaboration with the Harrison estate will include pre-rolled joints curated specifically for the collection along with a wide variety of branded merchandise and carry the brand name “All Things Must Grass.” Of course.
According to Ariel Zilber, writing for the New York Post, the company website features a page devoted to the special collection. It includes photos from the famous shoot at Harrison’s Friar Park estate that produced the iconic album cover in which Harrison sits on a chair surrounded by garden gnomes.
Zilber notes that the company’s co-founder Joshua Katz told Forbes that being able to use the cover art from Harrison’s album All Things Must Pass made him feel “privileged.”
To learn more, we suggest you read the article by Ariel Zilber that appeared in the April 12, 2022 issue of the New York Post.
nypost.com/2022/04/12/george-harrison-estate-teams-up-with-cannabis-maker-to-sell-weed/
You can also visit the Dad Grass company website.
dadgrass.com/collections/dad-grass-x-george-harrison
CBD News and Notes
Mature cannabis consumers may remember that the Carnation food company used to claim that its canned milk products came from “contented cows.” We bring this up because a group of researchers in Kansas claim they have found a way to make cows experience less stress—feed them hemp.
According to Kellen Heavican, reporting for Brownfield Ag News.com, a recent study by Kansas State University shows that feeding industrial hemp to cattle can improve the animal’s welfare and reduce stress.
In the study cattle were fed industrial hemp for 14 days. Michael Kleinhenz, an assistant professor of beef production medicine told Heavican, “We were able to detect that cattle who were fed industrial hemp have reduced stress biomarkers.” He also noted that hemp-fed cattle had less inflammation.
Kleinhenz added that cattle who were fed hemp tended to lay down more. Said Kleinhenz, “When we started feeding (hemp), they started laying down more throughout the day and had an increase throughout the whole duration of the study.”
Keinhenz also pointed to a number of events in the animal’s life cycle, such as weaning and transportation, where animals could benefit from reduced stress, and hopefully “by reducing stress” experience a decrease in disease incidents associated with stress.
Now to be clear, we try to refrain from connecting dots that aren’t there. In this case, the researchers were not feeding the cows CBD products nor did they state that the hemp they fed the cows could be described as particularly “rich” in CBD.
However, the cow’s responses to having hemp in their diet that were noted by researchers sure sound similar to the reactions described by humans who use CBD products. Just saying.
To learn more, we suggest you read the article by Kellan Heavican. It appeared in the April 14, 2022 issue of Brownfield Ag News.com.
brownfieldagnews.com/news/study-finds-feeding-industrial-hemp-to-cattle-reduces-stress/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com or at 347-528-8753.
