How weed is being embraced by women and the wellness movement

BAGS OF WEED Local Police raiding a cannabis producer. Despite what you might have read 1) Icelanders don't smoke more weed than others and 2) authorities don't turn a blind eye to pot. Photo/Valgarður Gíslason.

The day when recreational marijuana will be available for purchase in Oregon is fast approaching. At the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, jobs are being created to get ready for implementing recreational marijuana policies.

Some context: On Oct. 1, medical marijuana dispensaries in most areas will begin selling some kinds of marijuana products to consumers. On Jan. 4, the state will begin accepting permit applications for marijuana businesses. Oregonians voted to legalize recreational marijuana through Measure 91, which passed in 2014.

As America's multibillion dollar cannabis industry continues to expand, the nation's drug cops are seizing less weed.

In 2009, the first summer of Barack Obama's presidency, a record 10.4 million marijuana plants were eliminated in America, according to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

California alone accounted for 7.5 million plants that year, according to the DEA's annual report on its "Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program," one of the biggest multi-agency law enforcement efforts in the country.

Over the last five years, Spain has come to rival the Netherlands as Europe's cannabis hub. The country's legal framework around weed, which allows its use and sale within private members clubs, has been fully taken advantage of in the north of the country, particularly in the Catalonia region, where clubs reportedly make an estimated $6 million in sales each month.

Justice Ministry's Historic Exemption Clears Path For Competition

Rastafari Rootzfest organizers and High Times magazine have jointly announced that Rastafari Rootzfest will host the High Times 2015 Jamaican World Cannabis Cup in Negril on November 12th through 15th 2015.

Rastafari Rootzfest is a comprehensive, educational and well-organized event that celebrates Rastafari ideology, livity and culture, that tells the story of the Rastafari struggle for the legalization of ganja and celebrates the decriminalization of ganja in Jamaica. Rastafari Rootzfest is the first ganja-exempt event since Jamaican government legally recognized Rastafari Sacramental and Religious rights earlier this year.

Proponents argue that easily grown and robust Cannabis Hemp is one of the best if not the very best plants overall for fuel, building supplies, medicine, fiber, food, paper, and substitute for wood. Some go so far as to argue that it could be one of the best solutions for carbon sequestration.

From about 6,000 years ago, to around 100 years ago, a huge number of products were made from Cannabis Hemp; for example: clothes, rugs, drapes, curtains, diapers, canvas, string, rope, sails, building materials and the list goes on into the thousands.

Pipadas y Buenos Humos aka The golden Oil of Spain is a new documentary set to release this fall. 

KICK-IT BONGS traveled to Spain to make a documentary bringing viewers closer to the life in a Cannabis Social Club, the culture aroud cannabis and the production of the "golden oil". What's interesting to see is how small the world is, and how our weed-smoking friends in Europe have the same struggles, and the same rewards.

We'll keep you all posted once we learn more about release dates, including whether or not it's available to watch online or on Netflix.

The Food Processor Question: Is Marijuana a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) Food Additive?

Following is a free preview of a Regulatory Focus feature article, normally exclusively available to RAPS members. For information about becoming a member, visit Join RAPS. This article presents an overview of Canada's medical marijuana regulations regarding individual prescription access and compliance measures for licensed producers.