Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we take a look at a proposal for a more systematic way to discuss what constitutes high-quality cannabis, new legislation in the U.S. Senate to legalize cannabis at the federal level, the public’s rapid response to the opening of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana market, and more. Enjoy.
Toward A Systematic Way To Grade Cannabis
For many mature consumers, discussing what constitutes high-quality cannabis can be a bit like the often quoted, and misquoted observation of Supreme Court Justice Potter Stuart that he couldn’t define pornography, but he supposedly knew it when he saw it.
Often, the discussion will focus on personal experience after the product has been consumed. While this can be interesting, it’s not always helpful when it comes to developing an observable, systematic way to discuss what constitutes a product of high quality.
To help move the discussion toward a more objective way of grading marijuana before you purchase it, Deborah Agboola, in an article for CannabisTech.com, has proposed that consumers should become familiar with a number of characteristics that seem to be shared by high-quality cannabis.
Here are three:
Flower Structure: The flower or “bud” is the smokable section of the cannabis plant. Agboola points out that in a dispensary, the flowers are often referred to as “top shelf,” “mid-shelf” and “bottom shelf.”
The top-shelf flowers—the highest quality—are characterized by geometrical shaped buds and a sticky or spongy feel.
The mid-shelf flowers have varying characteristics based on their curing duration and might be dry or wet and might contain a few stems.
The bottom-shelf flowers are the lowest grade quality having a brownish or off-color appearance, are very dry to the touch, and have an earthy odor due to poor environmental conditions, which cause the oxidation of THC to CBN (cannabinol).
Trim: In cannabis cultivation, trimming is the act of shearing off long leaves from the plant post-harvest. This is often seen as an indicator that more care was invested in the cultivation of the plant. High-quality cannabis often comes with a good trim, while low- or mid-quality plants usually have less time put into their care.
Curing and Burning: According to Agboola, high-quality cannabis is most times cured for an adequate period to expel excess moisture, causing it to burn well without going out on its own. With lower-quality grades, the curing process is often hurried through before the product is brought to market. As a result the moisture content can remain relatively high.
You can learn more and sound like you know what you are talking about when it comes to cannabis by reading Deborah Agboola’s detailed and helpful article in the July 29, 2020 issue of Cannabis Tech.
www.cannabistech.com/articles/is-there-a-cannabis-grading-system/?
Spotlight on Legislation
A Democratic senator has filed a new bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level. The legislation, sponsored by U. S. Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and direct several federal agencies to develop regulations for the plant.
According to Kyle Jaeger, reporting for Marijuana Moment, the bill, called the “Substance Regulation and Safety Act,” would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “regulate cannabis products in the same manner, and to the same extent,” as it does tobacco, create a national research institute to evaluate the risks and benefits of cannabis and require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to impose quality control standards and mandate that the Department of Transportation study methods for detecting THC-impaired driving.
Under the bill a federal age requirement for marijuana sales would be set at 21.
For more information on the bill, you can read Kyle Jaeger’s detailed article in the July 31, 2020 issue of Marijuana Moment.
Quote of the Week
“This is a therapy that has proven successful.”
So said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in defense of using cannabis to maintain wellness during the pandemic. More specifically, she was speaking in defense of including marijuana banking protections in Democrats’ latest coronavirus relief bill.
According to Kyle Jaeger, in another article for Marijuana Moment, Speaker Pelosi was responding to Republican criticism of various provisions of the legislation as “not germane to the health crisis.” Pelosi took issue with the suggestion and held to her position that there is a role for marijuana reform as part of the federal government’s response to the pandemic.
To learn more on the issue, we suggest you read Kyle Jaeger’s article in the July 31, 2020 issue of Marijuna Moment.
Stats of the Week
Nearly 8 percent of Oklahomans, 7.9 percent of the population, have registered as medical cannabis patients. That has been achieved within 24 months of legalization at a rate that is more than twice any other state
That’s the word from Molly McCann, Ed.D., Director of Industry Analytics, New Frontier Data; and Kacey Morrissey, Senior Director of Industry Analytics, New Frontier Data, in an article for New Frontier Data’s “library of global cannabis and hemp analysis.”
In their analysis of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana market, McCann and Morrissey make the point that Oklahoma does not require qualifying conditions for medical recommendations. Instead, it effectively permits any board-certified physician in good standing to recommend cannabis to a patient for any reason according to “accepted standards a reasonable and prudent physician would follow when recommending or approving any medication.”
Oklahomans legalized medical cannabis in June 2018 by a state ballot initiative. Sales began 95 days later.
If you want to learn more, we urge you to read McCann and Morrissey’s insightful analysis in the August 2, 2020 issue of Cannabyte.
newfrontierdata.com/cannabis-insights/oklahomas-rapid-medical-cannabis-ramp-up/
Cannabis News and Notes
Consumers have come to accept the concept of shelf life for a wide variety of edible items, from baked goods to dairy products and more. So it should come as no surprise that cannabis edibles face similar challenges as many other processed or perishable foods when it comes to safety, potency and quality control.
Margaret Jackson makes this point in a recent article for Marijuana Business Daily. She says it’s important for manufacturers of infused cannabis goods such as candies, beverages and creams to understand how their products’ makeup can change over time.
Drew Hathaway, senior scientist at Colorado-based Stillwater Brands, told Marijuana Business Magazine, “shelf-life stability in the world of cannabis-infused edibles is essentially no different than it is in the world of regular food products or dietary supplements.”
He believes manufacturers need to follow what he calls the three key pillars of shelf-life stability. They are: understanding how a product’s physical, chemical and microbial stability can potentially change over time. That calls for quality control during the manufacturing process and using appropriate packaging.
For their part, consumers need to look for quality packaging and labeling when it comes to safety and getting their money’s worth when purchasing edibles.
More information is available in Margaret Jackson’s article in the August 2, 2020 issue of Marijuana Business Daily.
mjbizdaily.com/how-to-improve-shelf-life-for-cannabis-infused-products/?
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. They can be reached at joe.kohut@gmail.com or at 347-528-89753.
