Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we take a look at tips on camping with cannabis, how to find quality CBD products, the growing popularity of THC-infused beverages and more. Enjoy.
CBD Tips
When viewed with a discerning eye, content marketing can sometimes provide consumers with useful information on how to recognize a quality product. Such is the case with an article written by Paaez Coleman for a website called CBDfx. The site promotes CBD products manufactured by a company that carries the same name as the site.
Instead of directly advertising the products made by the host company, Coleman’s article offers a number of suggestions designed to help consumers who want to make CBD part of their wellness routine navigate the increasingly complex CBD marketplace. Here are a few of her recommendations.
Look for the Lab Report
For starters, she suggests that one way consumers can avoid bogus CBD products is to check to see if the product they intend to purchase offers a third-party lab report. Third-party lab tests are conducted by independent labs and the results are used to produce a certificate of analysis, also known as a COA. Coleman contends that any reputable CBD company will make the report available to consumers.
A COA describes the complete composition of a product. For CBD, a Certificate of Analysis should include a complete list of cannabinoids, microbiological levels, terpenes, and possible contaminants, such as pesticides, solvent residue, or heavy metals. If lab results are not available for a particular CBD product it should be an indication the product may be sketchy, if not down right dangerous.
Hemp Oil and CBD are Not the Same Thing
Next, make sure the CBD product you are purchasing really contains CBD. Coleman notes that when consumers see “CBD products” advertised online or at the corner store, they are often shocked to find these products contain hemp seed oil instead of CBD.
Some people see “hemp” and immediately think it’s CBD, but this is not the case. CBD oil is pressed from the buds, leaves, and stalks of the hemp plant, the sections of the plant where the majority of the beneficial cannabinoids used to make CBD are located. Hemp seed oil comes from the hemp seeds alone and is not CBD nor does it offer the same benefits that are attributed to CBD.
Is it Natural ?
According to Coleman, some CBD companies will use solvents, such as butane, to “wash” the hemp plant matter in order to extract the ingredients used to make CBD. While the majority of the butane is removed from the final oil with a vacuum pump or heat, tiny traces of the butane can be left in the extract.
Some brands choose this option because it is fast and cheap. However, it can also present a health hazard to consumers who may end up ingesting remnants of butane along with their CBD. If a company fails to mention whether or not it uses butane as part of its extraction method Coleman believes this can be a red flag for consumers and they should avoid the product.
You can learn much more by reading Paaez Coleman’s article, “Look for These Red Flags When Buying CBD.” It was posted on May 11, 2021 on the CBDfx website. Just click on the link that follows.
learn.cbdfx.com/look-for-these-red-flags-when-buying-cbd/?
Cannabis and The Great Outdoors
If you are a mature consumer who wants to enjoy cannabis while hiking or camping, there is good news.
Bailey Rahn, a columnist who covers the lifestyle beat for Leafly, has put together a series of tips and suggestions on how to get the most out of your next outdoor escapade. Here are a few of her tips.
• Safety and etiquette are key when you hit the trail. Be respectful of other hikers. As one hiker put it, “Just like cigarettes, not everyone likes it (cannabis), and everyone should be able to enjoy the trail.” This is especially important around crowds and children.
• Leave no trace. No one wants to see cannabis or cigarette butts on the trailside, and even if it seems too small to make any big impact, get in the habit of packing out all trash no matter how small.
• Be conscientious when using fire—particularly in dry areas and seasons. Tossing a roach you thought was out—but isn’t—could have devastating effects. And, as always, be smart with your use of campfires (in other words, don’t be a stoned idiot), and adhere to the conditional fire laws in your area.
• Bring extra water. You should always bring more water than you think you’ll need so you’ll be prepared in the event of an emergency. As you may have noticed with the dry mouth phenomenon, cannabis can dehydrate you, so be sure to pack and drink a lot of water.
• Know your route. Some trails are obvious and easy to locate. Others are not. Being high while trying to navigate can make it even more challenging if you’re not particularly accustomed to using cannabis. Bring a topographical map or a GPS system, pay close attention to natural landmarks, and track your mileage.
Rahn makes the point that there can be differences in laws governing marijuana use depending on which area of wilderness you’re visiting. For example, those caught using cannabis on federal land, such as national parks, can be cited for possessing and using a controlled substance. She also notes that state fines tend to be significantly lower than federal ones, but are still something to consider. Be sure to research the laws relevant to the area you will be visiting.
You can learn much more by reading Bailey Rahn’s article in the June 5, 2021 edition of Leafly.
www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/cannabis-in-the-great-outdoors-tips-tricks-and-advice-for-hiking?
Stats of the Week
One of our favorite proverbs is the admonition, “There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip.” That being said, the number of consumers sipping from cups that contain THC-laced beverages is growing rapidly. That’s why our first stat of the week is 40.3 percent.
Reporting for the online publication The Fresh Toast on the burgeoning consumer trend of drinking beverages that contain THC, Kate-Madonna Hindes cites a study by Seattle-based cannabis analytics firm Headset that indicates sales of cannabis-infused beverages increased by 40.3 percent in 2020. That’s compared to 2019 sales across all states where recreational cannabis is legal.
Hindes goes on to make the point that viewed from another perspective, that means the submarket of cannabis beverages actually outperformed—in terms of growth—the growth of the overall cannabis market, which increased 39.4 percent during the same time period.
Should you, as a mature consumer, choose to do some personal research on this trendy way to ingest THC, remember that you are essentially drinking an edible. That being said, patience is key when eating or drinking cannabis-infused products. It can take some time to feel the effects and the last thing you want to say is,”I’ll have another” while you are waiting for the first dose to take effect.
And while you’re up, can you make that two cubes and a splash of soda?
To learn more, we suggest you read Kate-Madonna Hindes‘s revealing and entertaining article. It appears in the May 25, 2021 issue of The Fresh Toast.
thefreshtoast.com/drink/drinking-thc-what-to-know-before-you-try/
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“I’m excited for a day when I walk into a restaurant and I can choose to see the wine menu or the cannabis menu. It will be a sight to see cannabis meshed into the fabric of social gatherings to the same degree alcohol is.
On the innovation side, it’s remarkable that for a plant that has been used for thousands of years, we still know very little about its true potential, relatively speaking. From sleep to anxiety and inflammation – we continue to see profound learnings as research and studies continue to develop. It’s super exciting to visualize the benefits we can provide consumers and the planet by combining the benefits of nutritious, whole food ingredients, with micro-dosed amounts of major and minor cannabinoids.”
—Scott C. Jennings, the Co-founder & CEO of Pantry Food Co., a company that makes cannabis-infused food products.
According to its website, (https://pantryfoodco.com/), the company sees food as medicine, and through its products wants to share the power of healing through plants, mushrooms and ancient superfoods & adaptogens. It also promotes cannabis education, health and wellness.
Mr. Jennings’s comments are taken from a wide-ranging conversation he had with Matthew O’Brien, the editor and founder of our latest favorite cannabis publication, Four PM. The publication ( www.fourpm.co) takes the form of a daily newsletter that delivers cannabis industry analysis, interviews with industry leaders, and all of the latest news.
The interview with Mr. Jennings appears in the June 16, 2021 edition of Four PM.
www.fourpm.co/p/where-are-all-the-healthy-cannabis
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.
