According to a marijuana testing lab in San Diego, almost 80% of the unregulated cannabis vape cartridges they tested were deemed “unfit for consumption”, reports ABC10 News.

Platinum Vape manufacturing company produces high-potency, pesticide-free cannabis products that go through rigorous testing, reports ABC10. Co-founder George Sadler is on a mission to spread awareness about the serious potential health risks of using products from unlicensed vape makers and sellers.

The nation's rapid shift into social distancing and isolation has been lousy for most segments of the U.S. economy, but one niche seeing significant growth in recent days is the licensed cannabis sector, home to companies like Curaleaf (OTC:CURLF), and Cresco Labs (OTC:CRLBF). 

Though cannabis/hemp and hops belong to the same Cannabaceae family, cannabis offers an even broader range of flavors and aromatics than what can be found in hops.

Since industrial hemp was made legal in the United States, police forces have been scrambling around trying to figure out the difference between it and its outlaw cousin marijuana. It’s part of the reason that hemp was lumped into prohibition in the first place. Back then, lawmakers were concerned that people would use the guise of a legitimate crop to get away with growing pot. Because, well, the two plants are basically the same. They are both similar in appearance and have the same skunky odor. The difference is hemp is defined as having less than .3% THC.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell didn’t give much consideration to the confusion factor a couple of years ago when he worked his political magic to bring industrial hemp back from the dead.

The days of “mom-and-pop shop”, small cannabis operations are becoming few and far in between as the industry demonstrates that it’s not immune to the wave of automation.

At the moment, cannabis industry employment is on the rise; and that trend can certainly continue upwards for higher-end careers. But just like any other industry, the lower end cannabis jobs are at the mercy of automation and are slowly being replaced by robots, AI, the IoT, and other modern technologies.

Before cannabis edibles arrived on the market in late 2019 and early 2020, there were heated discussions about Health Canada’s limit on cannabinoid content: 10 mg would the maximum amount of THC and CBD per package, whether it was two milligrams of five candies, or one chocolate bar containing 10 mg.

Some cannabis aficionados decried what they perceived as a far-too-low level of THC, especially for those with a higher tolerance or who had already been sampling products labelled with amounts as high as 200 mg on the illicit market. But Health Canada stayed firm, citing concerns about keeping curious children safe from harrowing accidental doses.

Dr. Rudroff recently spoke in depth with The Fresh Toast about common misconceptions and barriers to research currently in place when studying medical marijuana or CBD. 

“We need long-term studies! There is a ‘painful’ parallel between medical marijuana and the past and present situation with opioids, where the short-term demonstration of efficacy on chronic pain led to the promotion and broad scale prescription of opioids in the absence of high quality evidence.”  – Dr. Thorsten Rudroff

It’s critically important to make a distinction between FDA-approved synthetic cannabinoid medications and street synthetic cannabinoids that are used recreationally.

Cannabis produces a wide range of physical and cognitive changes by interacting with receptors designed for our own internal cannabinoids, which are called “endocannabinoids.” These effects are the product of many chemical compounds in cannabis, such as terpenes, flavonoids, and, as this article will focus on, cannabinoids like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

Strong cash positions and the ability to negotiate with suppliers will be key for cannabis companies looking to withstand any operational disruption caused by COVID-19, according to one leading cannabis analyst.

Eight Capital’s Graeme Kreindler wrote in a report Monday that the rise of coronavirus cases globally is likely to see the cannabis sector in North America face the supply chain pressures that other industries are already facing – mainly sourcing items from China and finding protective gear.

Today there are literally thousands of CBD oil products on the market, so how can consumers choose quality products?

CBD oil is an amazing supplement, but now it’s also an unregulated, fast-growing industry. That means there are unscrupulous scam-artists trying to rip off consumers, too.

Are there signs of quality CBD oil that you can use to determine if it’s reliable or snake oil?