News and Events -

Cannabis legalisation will cost Big Pharma billions

A study by finance and economics experts at California Polytechnic State University and the University of New Mexico has concluded that legalising cannabis will reduce sales of conventional pharmaceuticals by billions of dollars. Previous studies have found that access to cannabis reduces the use of specific types of medication, but this is the first study to look at the overall effect of cannabis on pharmaceutical companies across products and types of patients. With recreational and medical marijuana now becoming legal in many states, the newly formed legal cannabis industry is impacting on the stock value of many pharmaceutical companies. The researchers argue that their findings highlight the market's recognition of cannabis as an alternative to conventional medicines, also pointing to the need for further research into the therapeutic potential of this plant.

Salaries in the cannabis industry

Barely a month ago we heard the news that the American artist Snoop Dogg had raised the salary of the full-time employee he hired to roll the joints he smokes. Knowing the rate at which the rapper consumes them (he said in an interview in 2012: "I smoke 81 joints a day") and adjusting the salary to the runaway inflation of this year, good old Snoop has established his joint-roller's remuneration at between 40,000 and 50,000 dollars a year, which is not bad at all for a job as specialised as this. Who can match that around here? But it's also a fact that shows that, as cannabis continues to be legalised or decriminalised in a growing number of states, industry wages are rising at a comparable rate. The competition for talented and experienced workers is increasing, which has led to considerable salary increases in various fields over the last year.

Ten herbs to mix with cannabis

Herbs and botanical products have been part of our spiritual and health rituals for centuries. Our ancestors harnessed the power of plants in all their forms, from eating to smoking, as a form of medicine and also for ceremonial purposes. In the same way, blends for smoking that combine cannabis with natural herbs are a good way to enhance the taste and aroma, reduce the harshness of the smoke and increase the overall effect profile of the blend. Adding certain medicinal herbs or flowers to cannabis takes the experience to a whole new level. While anecdotal experiences from the use of many of these plants have accumulated over hundreds of years on five continents, most of these plant species have not been the subject of studies, in particular when it concerns smoking them. And while this article sheds some light on how these herbs can affect our bodies and our weed sessions, it is best to do your own research before embarking on new herbal adventures.

Snoop Dogg trolls Joe Biden with 'Sleepy Joe OG'

Cannabis brand mocks the president's lucidity US rapper Snoop Dogg took Instagram by storm over the weekend by posting a photo of a weed strain dubbed 'Sleepy Joe OG', mocking President Joe Biden for his frequent mental lapses. The premium cannabis packaging features an image of Biden, along with the phrases "Where am I?" and "You won't even remember what country you are in!", accompanied by an inscription claiming that the weed is reportedly grown in Ukraine, Russia and China. Snoop Dogg posted the photo on Sunday on his Instagram feed, which is followed by 74.6 million people, amassing more than 565,000 likes and nearly 10,000 comments at the time of writing. People had a lot of fun with the post, pouring in comments such as "If I smoke it do I get my vote back?" or "Don't ride a bike after drinking this," as another wrote in reference to Biden recently falling off a bike near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

RIP Ann Shulgin, pioneering psychonaut

World-renowned American writer, activist and psychonaut Ann Shulgin, widow of Alexander Shulgin, died at the age of 91 this past Saturday, July 9th 2022. She was most famous for co-authoring, along with her late husband, two of the most important and influential books on psychedelic substances: PiHKAL and TiHKAL, which had an immense impact on the worlds of psychedelia and science.

Cannabis World Records

Setting a world record is something that many strive for, but few succeed in achieving. One only has to look at the Guinness Book of World Records to see that people have thought of every possible way to get their names in this Olympus of incredible achievements. Cannabis users are no different, and while some of these categories may never appear in the famous beer-sponsored book, they are well documented and set a very high standard for cannabis lovers who wish to beat them. The biggest weed brownie in the world

Two Spanish universities, pioneers in Europe in offering official cannabis studies

The cannabis industry has changed dramatically over the last decade, with dozens of companies directly or indirectly related to the plant operating completely legally in a number of countries, creating thousands of jobs in this emerging sector. This is a great opportunity for the plant's scholars and fans, who have gone from operating clandestinely to being a key player in the industry. Naturally, this fact has not gone unnoticed in the academic sphere, where several US universities have been offering courses, seminars, postgraduate courses and even degrees aimed at future cannabis professionals. Cases like those of these educational centres are becoming increasingly common, in a trend that - fortunately - seems to have crossed the pond and can now be seen in Europe, as is the case of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche. Let's see what they have to offer!

Cannabis and April Fools' Day

April 1st is almost here and with it comes April Fools' Day and all the anticipation of playing a hilarious yet harmless prank on somebody while trying to avoid falling victim to anybody else's joke. We all know of the classic tricks played between family members and friends, such as swapping sugar for salt or changing the yoghurt with mayonnaise, but for many years now, companies and corporations have joined in with the fun on a larger scale, turning the day into something of a marketing opportunity and a chance to show that they have a sense of humour, a quality valued by many consumers. The spread of legalisation around the world has led to an increase in social acceptance and destigmatisation of cannabis users and its use. And as it seeps into mainstream culture, our favourite plant has found itself the focus of a surprising number of these corporate April Fools' Day pranks, with varying degrees of success, as we will see in this article where we look at some of our favourites from the last few years...

A basic guide to rolling a joint

Long before cannabis became a popularly consumed substance, you probably knew cannabis in its most iconic form: rolled into a joint. And, although today we have a wide range of methods and all kinds of accessories to consume cannabis, it's always good to remember the basics. Whether you're a cannabis newbie or a seasoned veteran looking to brush up on his skills, there are a number of factors you need to consider when putting together a good joint, so it never hurts to work on your technique. Grab yourself some papers and get ready to take notes. Materials and preparation to roll a joint To begin rolling a joint, we need to have the right materials available to work with, since they are more or less essential to the task: Rolling paper. Cannabis: flowers/buds of your choice. Grinder (You could also use scissors or fingers). Filter/roach of paper, card or a tip made of glass, ceramic or hemp. Lighter or matches.

Why there's probably too much THC in cannabis

The cannabis that we consume today is much more potent than it was 40 years ago. If you follow the news about the industry you've most likely heard someone express some version of that sentiment. And it appears that the figures can confirm this: records show that, in the 80s, cannabis had THC levels of 2 to 5%, while today, we find many varieties that reach 20% THC on average, which backs up the claim that today's cannabis is 4-5 times more potent than it was in the 1980s.

RIP Frenchy Cannoli, master hashishin

Today we want to pay tribute to one of the most passionate lovers of cannabis - and, of course, hashish - that we've had the pleasure of meeting in this business, the legendary hashishin Frenchy Cannoli, who sadly passed away due to complications during a surgical operation on July 18, 2021. Born on December 13, 1956, this young man raised in Nice (France) soon felt the need to travel the world and visit the principal hashish-producing countries, an adventure that began as soon as possible and that led him to a life of constant travels for more than two decades, in which he learned all kinds of production techniques for this cannabis derivative. A life full of excitement and adventure that, unfortunately, has ended all too abruptly.

High Times, the cannabis reference magazine

In today's article, we want to discuss one of the cornerstones of cannabis culture, the American magazine High Times, a publication born in the 70s, of which you probably have heard of. The success of this magazine has changed the way the general public sees marijuana, normalizing cannabis use and cultivation, and relating these aspects to celebrities from many different backgrounds. Indeed, since 1970, High Times readers have been able to admire stunning double-page photos of cannabis plants, while dreaming of seeing this plant legalized and accepted by society. However, those were different times, and all that seemed a mere utopia, something very difficult to achieve in a society that hardly had any information about weed. Today, in 2021, and after more than 40 years of High Times history, things have changed a lot, although the spirit of the publication remains the same; the cannabis reference magazine for several generations of the plant enthusiasts.

Mila: the life of the hash queen

The cannabis community is full of charismatic people, personalities that define an era as they keep the cannabis world spinning in the right direction. Today, we'd like to present one of the people who has done the most to teach and help lovers of cannabis, and more specifically, those who appreciate resin extractions like hashish. We're sure that many of you will have heard of Ice-O-Lator, a set of mesh bags for resin extraction using ice and water that, on many occasions, has lent its name to this kind of hash. So, we invite you to get to know more about its inventor, the queen of hash, one of the cannabis sector's most positive people: Mila Jansen.

Panakeia, new THC-free strain with high CBG

Panakeia, 18% CBG and 0% THC Research and Development in the field of cannabis breeding have accomplished a new achievement thanks to Hemp Trading, a Spanish company that recently introduced a new strain high CBG content and free of THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis. This new strain has been developed in collaboration with the Universitat Politècnica de València (Technical University of Valencia), and for the time being, it will only be distributed in US territory. Listed as a hemp strain high in cannabigerol (CBG), the launch of this new specimen is a step forward in the field of medical cannabis, as this cannabinoid offers a great number of therapeutic properties that could be useful for a large number of patients. And thanks to the introduction of this new strain, CBG research will also be strengthened, as securing a large amount of this interesting compound for its study will be much easier.

Thanks to modern mobile phones, we now can enjoy a wide range of applications and games compatible with our smartphones, some of them related to cannabis. This is because smartphone software developers (and also, as we will see, for other platforms like PC) have seen a gold mine in the marijuana world, as thousands of users are downloading their apps on a daily basis. Whether they are games, cannabis seeds and strains encyclopedias, or applications to help growers improve their results, this type of apps (many of them free) are flourishing, given their success among the public. Today we are introducing you to some weed-related games for mobiles that you can easily find in the net; they will help you pass the time this summer between dives!

Juanita la Lagrimosa, the origins of CBD

The birth of CBD-rich cannabis strains Today, one can find a myriad of cannabis genetics with high CBD content on the seed market, with diverse cannabinoid ratios and thus medicinal effects. From 1:1 THC:CBD varieties to those with awesome 1:20 (even higher) ratios, breeders and seed producers have relentlessly bred new CBD strains over the past years. But where do all these new varieties come from? According to an article published by Soft Secrets, and as our friend Jimi from Reggae Seeds confirms, it all started with the creation of Juanita la Lagrimosa (Reina Madre x NYCD), the flagship strain of this seed company.