Recent studies suggest that newly-legalized hemp may help a critically important species – bees.

Scientists have been warning about the consequences of dwindling bee populations for years as these pollinators are responsible for about 70% of all food crops.

And humans aren’t the only species that depends on the pollination provided by bees – a host of other animals depend on the plants pollinated by these creatures.

Colony collapse disorder (CCD), which affects beehives around the world, results in significant economic losses and is a serious threat to the ecosystem.

Marijuana companies have many battles towards profitability, causing investors to sour on cannabis stocks.

Making money in the marijuana industry isn’t easy. Due to the plant’s federally illegal status, it prohibits cannabis companies from accessing many financial services available to other entrepreneurs. Failure is not an option, as bankruptcy or short-term loans aren’t accessible in many cases. Instead, companies have relied on capital infusions from investors to grow in the market.

As we enter into the second half of the month, it seems as though a few marijuana stocks are attempting to make their mark. This is characterized by shifts in business models as well as the trading patterns from pot stock investors. For anyone who has been trading marijuana stocks know that last year was not kind to the bulls. But, since the beginning of January, we have seen quite the uptick in bullish sentiment in the industry. This is a solid sign for future growth and something that has gotten many investors excited recently.

A surprising thing could close the loop in the green economy and make it more sustainable – its waste.

A rumor has it that no one managed to calculate precisely how much waste the industry is leaving behind.

Some estimates are that there were 1 million tons of green “leftovers” in 2019, in North America alone.

And when we imagine all the packaging, often described as excessive, needed to distribute green goods, the pile seems to raise even more alarming questions.

Canopy Growth Corp.’s cannabis-infused products may have been delayed in Canada, but they keep popping up south of the border.

The foray into U.S. markets, which began late last year with the roll out of First & Free, a hemp-derived CBD product line, now appears to include items under the BioSteel Sports Nutrition label, a brand that Canopy purchased a 72 per cent stake in last October.

Cannabis tech company GemmaCert Ltd. has revealed a new product that it claims can test the level of tetrahydrocannabinol (aka THC, the intoxicating compound in the cannabis plant) in just minutes.

This, the company noted, would allow law enforcement and other agencies to quickly establish whether a crop qualifies as hemp, defined under U.S. federal rules as cannabis that contains less than 0.3 per cent THC. The Israel-based test makers said the product can detect THC content as low as 0.2 per cent.

The beauty of cannabis cultivation is in its complexity. Small adjustments to the growing environment can mean big payoffs come harvest time. It's a space for calculated creativity in order to get ideal yields under specific growing conditions.

Yet, tweaking the process until perfect means a lot of record-keeping, mathematical calculations, and analysis. All of these meticulous details are close to impossible to analyze without the introduction of automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology into the grow room.

E-cigarettes and vaping devices made news several times last year as deaths caused by vaping-related illness raised a new round of questions about the safety of this trend.

One recent survey reported that upwards of 66% of those who suffer from MS may use cannabis in their efforts to control the disease.   

Multiple sclerosis, also known as MS, is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS) — brain and spinal cord — by damaging the fatty myelin sheaths that surround our nerve cells. Those with multiple sclerosis may experience a wide array of symptoms, including a worsening lack of coordination, trouble walking or getting around, muscle spasms and pain, dizziness, and changes in mood or sleep. 

CBD can alleviate anxiety symptoms and help motivate users, suggesting a possible link to helping those with ADHD.