#Budtender training in California | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

wufufu · 2 years ago

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How My Cannabis Training Led Me to Success?

What is Cannabis Training?

Cannabis Training is an educational process that provides individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to work in the cannabis industry. The curriculum for cannabis training typically covers topics such as the history of cannabis, the different types of cannabis, how to properly dose cannabis, and the various ways to consume cannabis.

A budtender is a term used to describe an individual who works in a dispensary and is responsible for providing customers with information about cannabis products and assisting them in making a purchase. Budtender training typically provides individuals with comprehensive knowledge about the cannabis plant, including its history, methods of consumption, and the various benefits and potential side effects of use.

I was raised in a religious household and was never allowed to try cannabis. I had always been interested in it, but I was never given the opportunity to experience it. After I finished college, I moved to California and started working in the cannabis industry. I was amazed by the amount of scientific research that was being done on cannabis, and I was excited to be a part of it.

I started working as a budtender, and I soon realised that I had a lot to learn about cannabis. I attended a cannabis training course, and I was amazed by the amount of information that I learned. I learned about the history of cannabis, the different strains, and the various ways that it can be consumed. I also learned about the different medical applications of cannabis, and I was blown away by the amount of research that was being done on cannabis.

Importance of Cannabis Training

I quickly realised that cannabis was a lot more than just a recreational drug. I started working as a cannabis consultant, and I soon became an expert on the subject. I have now been working in the cannabis industry for over five years, and I have never been more proud of my work. I am constantly learning new things about cannabis, and I am excited to see where the industry is headed.

Cannabis training is becoming more and more important as cannabis becomes legalised in more and more states. In order to work in a dispensary, you need to be knowledgeable about the product and the different strains. You also need to know the different ways to consume cannabis, as well as the various benefits and drawbacks of each method.

There are many different ways to become cannabis-trained. You can attend an academy, workshop, or seminar. You can also find online courses that will teach you everything you need to know about cannabis.

If you want to become a budtender, you need to be familiar with the different types of cannabis products and how to recommend the right product for each customer. You also need to be able to answer customer questions about the effects of cannabis, dosage, and how to use the products.

Things You Should Know About Cannabis Training

Budtenders are also responsible for creating an inviting and friendly environment for customers. They need to be able to create a rapport with customers and ensure that they feel comfortable asking questions.

Whether you're looking to become a budtender or just want to learn more about cannabis, it's important to get the right training. With the right training, you can feel confident in your ability to work with cannabis products and provide customers with the information they need.

Budtender Training and Certification has given me the skills I need to be successful in the cannabis industry. I have learned about the different strains of cannabis and their various effects. I have also learned about the different methods of ingestion and the best ways to use cannabis for different medical conditions. I am now a certified cannabis consultant and I am able to help patients find the right strain and dosage of cannabis to help them with their medical conditions.

Conclusion

I hope that my story about my cannabis training has shed some light on how this industry can lead to success. There are many opportunities for those who are passionate about cannabis and are willing to put in the time and effort to learn the ropes. I encourage anyone who is interested in this field to seek out cannabis training programs and get started in this exciting and growing industry.

Cannabis Training and Certification has also given me the opportunity to meet many amazing people in the cannabis industry. I have connected with growers, dispensaries, and other professionals who are working to build the cannabis industry. I am excited to be a part of this growing industry and I know that Cannabis Training and Certification will continue to play a role in my success.

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santaanacookies · 2 years ago

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The Recreational Dispensary in Santa Ana You Can Depend On

The world is ever-shifting and changing. The global pandemic shook multiple industries, including cannabis dispensaries. Thankfully, we’re a recreational dispensary in Santa Ana you can depend on. Here’s what you need to know about Santa Ana Cookies.

Consistency is Key With the world changing at the drop of a hat, it seems we’re all searching for consistency and reliability. One of our aims at Santa Ana Cookies is to provide our customers with a stable weed shop they can depend on.

Our Hours Our hours of operation are just one of the many ways we stay reliable. We keep it simple at Santa Ana Cookies; we’re open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day. You can come at 5:30 PM after work and get a pre-roll. Or, you and your girlfriends can visit us after Sunday brunch. Regardless of when you decide to come in, you can expect us to be open from 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM every day!

Daily Deals Another way we try to remain consistent and dependable is through our daily deals. Every dispensary will have its deals, discounts, and specials. At Santa Ana Cookies, we believe in providing our customers with the best product at the very best price points. Here are the daily deals you can expect to see at Santa Ana Cookies:

10% OFF WAKE N BAKE 8 AM-11 AM 10% OFF BIRTHDAY 10% OFF VETERANS HEIGHTS: BUY 1/8; GET PREROLL for $1 TRUE CLASSIC: BUY 1/8; GET PREROLL for $1 HEADSTASH: BUY 1/8; GET GRAM FOR $1 BALL FAMILY FARMS: BUY 1/8; GET 1 FREE PRE-ROLL Our Staff is Here to Help One of the many ways we remain consistent is through our staff. Our knowledgeable team of budtenders is here to guide you through the purchasing process. Whether you’re looking for edibles, concentrates, or the freshest OG Kush available, there will be someone to help! Our team of specially trained individuals is here to help if you ever need assistance.

New Products Besides everything listed above, we offer new products as often as possible. We believe in providing our customers with the very best products available. For those reasons, we’re constantly receiving new shipments of strains, concentrates, edibles, and more. If you ever have trouble deciding on a new product, don’t worry; Our staff of highly trained budtenders is here to help! Our crew knows the ins, outs, and inside scoop of what’s worth buying and not. All you have to do is ask!

Come Visit Our Recreational Dispensary in Santa Ana So, what’re you waiting for? Come visit Santa Ana Cookies today! We carry a wide variety of edibles, strains, concentrates, and more! But, if you still need a little help, Santa Ana Cookies has you covered! Our knowledgeable staff of budtenders can guide you through the process of choosing the right strain. Our budtenders are here to ensure you get the best product that matches your needs and budget. Call us at (855) 626-6543 or come visit us in person at 1821 Newport Circle, Santa Ana, California 92705 for more information!

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livehealthynewsusa · 3 years ago

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Love Island USA Season 3

It’s summer, which means heat waves, vacations, and reality dating contests. Love Island is finally back for a third season of singles in search of love … and a cash prize. Basically, a bunch of attractive people (so-called islanders) sit together on an island. To win, participants must stay connected for the duration of the show. The catch? New Islanders are constantly introduced throughout the series, testing any connections that the existing participants have already established.

Back in June, a short clip of the singles was posted on Twitter, giving some information about themselves and how ready they are for love. The answer, of course, is great.

Before you tune in to the hot drama and exciting competition, get to know the 12 cast members who team up on the island.

Olivia Kaiser, 28, Anchorage, Alaska

SARA MALLYCBS

This business owner says she is “responsible but wild”. We’ll see how that plays out on the show.

Kyra Lizama, 23, Honolulu, Hawaii

SARA MALLYCBS

Lizama is a Covid worker who revealed she was banned from a dating app. Which one? We just have to watch to find out.

Josh Goldstein, 24, Haverhill, Massachusetts

SARA MALLYCBS

This Massachusetts college athlete swears he’s a nice guy. I don’t know, people aren’t always nice when money is at stake.

Cashay Proudfoot, 25, Brooklyn, New York

SARA MALLYCBS

Proudfoot says she needs a man who can dance. These guys know better how to break a train.

Javonny Vega, 26, Boca Ton, Florida

SARA MALLYCBS

This real estate investor is so big on astrology that he got a tiger tattoo on his chest for his 21st birthday.

Trina Njoroge, 24, Hacienda Heights, California

SARA MALLYCBS

This psychiatric nurse says she can see the red flags from afar. She won’t need it as she will be up close and personal with the rest of the cast.

Will Moncada, 26, Colombia

SARA MALLYCBS

The rules specifically don’t mandate drugs, so hopefully Budtender Will Moncada has more than one way to stay calm when competing.

Christian Longnecker, 24, Oahu, Hawaii

SARA MALLYCBS

A coffee company owner says he’s ready to make real connections. But do the other candidates want more romance or money?

Melvin “Cinco” Holland Jr., 25, Ashburn, Virginia

SARA MALLYCBS

If anyone’s here to win, it’s this Virginia delivery driver. He wants to team up with someone who is just as competitive as him.

Shannon St. Clair, 25, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

SARA MALLYCBS

Shannon is all about the muscles. She says she wants to cling to it “like a little koala��.

Korey Gandy, 28, Virginia Beach, Virginia

SARA MALLYCBS

Korey says he is ready to meet the girl of his dreams. There is nothing more romantic than meeting the love of your life while trapped on an island.

Jeremy Hershberg, 27, New York, New York

SARA MALLYCBS

This self-proclaimed nerd is ready to get out of his shell. To win Love Island, he has to really show his personality.

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source https://livehealthynews.com/love-island-usa-season-3/

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elevatedsf06-blog · 5 years ago

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Is Elevated the SF Dispensary for You?

When it comes to getting the marijuana products you want in California, it’s easier than ever these days as marijuana shops are commonplace. What isn’t commonplace, however, is high-quality products and outstanding customer service. That’s why at Elevated San Francisco, we go out of our way to bring you both. Is Elevated the SF dispensary for you? We think so!

This SF Dispensary Puts You First

When you visit us at Elevated, you are guaranteed a personalized experience. You tell us what you hope to find, and we’ll make it happen. Our compassionate staff is highly trained to provide expert recommendations and advice for all your marijuana needs. It doesn’t matter if you’re a new user or a seasoned one or whether you’re a medical patient or a casual user, you’re sure to get a personalized experience and find what you’re looking for at Elevated.

A San Francisco Cannabis Shop with a Large Inventory

At Elevated, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality marijuana products. Our inventory includes a wide range of products including edibles, tinctures, vape accessories, transdermal topicals, concentrates, hash, flowers, and more, giving you plenty of options to suit your preferences and lifestyle.

Not sure what you’re looking for? That’s okay! Our budtenders are extremely knowledgeable and are more than happy to help you get something that meets your needs. Just let us know what you hope to achieve with your purchase, and we’ll recommend something.

Elevated San Francisco has a long history of partnerships with industry leaders and medical marijuana doctors, which allows us to deliver expert support and top-tier products. We’re passionate about what we do, and we look forward to sharing our passion with you. The next time you find yourself in need of marijuana products, think Elevated. We are your premier SF dispensary.

#SF Dispensary

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shirlleycoyle · 5 years ago

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At Cannabis Shops, Face Recognition Is Already a Thing

Mason Marks is a law professor at Gonzaga University and a Research Scholar at NYU Law School’s Information Law Institute. Find him on Twitter @MasonMarksMD

Imagine you are a medical marijuana patient driving to a cannabis dispensary. As you pull into the parking lot, surveillance cameras record your license plate number. You step out of the car, and walk toward the entrance.

A sign above the door reads “please look up for entry.” You crane your neck and gaze into a camera paired with artificial intelligence that analyzes your face. A red light suddenly turns green, and the door slides open. You enter the store and bypass a line of customers waiting at the register, opting instead for a self-service kiosk.

As you approach the machine, in-store cameras feed images to algorithms that analyze your appearance to determine if you might be carrying a weapon, and compare your face to millions of photos in a law enforcement database. When you finally reach the kiosk, it scans your face, identifies you as a returning customer, and greets you with a coupon for your favorite cannabis product.

This may sound like a scene from a sci-fi movie, but these tools are employed in cannabis dispensaries today. The cannabis industry is embracing new technologies like facial recognition and advanced video analytics throughout the supply chain—from grow rooms and processing facilities to distribution centers and retail dispensaries. The companies behind the technology say it benefits cannabis businesses, employees, and consumers. But in an industry marred by decades of mass-incarceration that has discriminated against communities of color, face surveillance poses serious privacy risks, and can easily be used for targeted harassment.

“It is hard, if not impossible, to find an example of a surveillance technology that has not been turned against groups that are already vulnerable in our structurally inequitable system,” said Shankar Narayan, Director of the Technology and Liberty Project at the ACLU of Washington, in an interview with Motherboard. Although legal for medical or recreational use in 33 states, cannabis remains illegal under federal law. Because it occupies a legal grey area, banks are hesitant to touch the industry, making it primarily an all-cash business and an attractive target for thieves. In Denver, Colorado, alone, there were 34 reported dispensary robberies in the first half of 2019.

Some tech companies see the risk of theft as an opportunity to sell facial recognition systems. Don Deason, VP of Sales for Blue Line Technology, claims his company’s platform has significantly reduced cannabis robberies. It works like this: When customers approach the front door of a dispensary, audiovisual cues prompt them to look up at a camera. If they comply, the system records an image of their faces, and the front door opens. If they decline or their faces are obscured, by a mask for example, then access is denied.

The system is also used to deter robberies and mass shootings in convenience stores, schools, and office buildings.

A facial recognition system from Blue Line Technology hangs above the entrance to a convenience store. Courtesy of Blue Line Technology

Deason told Motherboard that as long as customers don’t shoplift or cause a disturbance, “their information is deleted after 48 hours.” However, if a store’s management believes customers are misbehaving, they can tag each face with a unique number, and the system retains that information indefinitely. If tagged customers later return to the store, the system recognizes them and alerts employees of their arrival by email or text message. Deason said Blue Line encourages dispensaries not to confront tagged customers, but ultimately “store owners set the store security policy and procedures,” and, “the security response varies based upon store policy.”

Blue Line’s platform also controls access to restricted areas of cannabis businesses such as grow houses, cutting rooms, and safes, serving as a replacement for keys and access cards. When paired with other devices such as RFID tags, which are affixed to cannabis products, face recognition systems can track cannabis as it changes hands from one employee to the next.

“Many cannabis robberies are inside jobs,” said Matthew Heyl of Helix Security, a Denver company that provides surveillance products and services to cannabis businesses. He claimed video analytics and biometric access controls establish a chain-of-custody and deter diversion of legal cannabis to illicit markets.

For those reasons, government agencies that enforce cannabis laws are interested in facial recognition, said Steve Owens, the CEO of Adherence Compliance, a Denver consulting firm that has partnered with Blue Line. “This topic is really resonating with the regulators,” Owens told Motherboard. “When we mention it to Alameda County, they get it right away, because it helps them with their investigations.”

In addition to tracking employees and controlling access, facial recognition is used in dispensaries at the point of sale for age-verification. A Las Vegas based company called 420 Cyber markets its Badass Budtender kiosk as a replacement for human “budtenders” who check ID at the register. The kiosks can be equipped with facial recognition to ensure customers are of legal age.

Inside dispensaries, facial recognition can do far more. 420 Cyber markets what it calls “Video Active Security Monitoring” (VASM), which it says can determine whether customers carry concealed weapons, if there are warrants for their arrest, and whether their appearance matches “be on the lookout” (BOLO) alerts issued by police. It can reportedly recognize A-list celebrities if they happen to visit your store.

Consumers using 420 Cyber’s kiosks can also opt-in to personalization services: The units can scan and identify people’s faces, interpret their emotional responses to products, and help dispensaries learn which brands they prefer. 420 Cyber’s website says this data can be used to deliver targeted content “designed for individual viewing based on age, race, gender, location and daypart [the time of day a customer visits the store].”

Despite what vendors say, face recognition technology remains problematic and controversial. Algorithmic systems naturally adopt the objectives and values of their creators, and research shows that systems trained on insufficiently diverse datasets are often inaccurate and sometimes discriminate against women, racial minorities, and members of the LGBTQ community.

Even if the system is working as designed, face recognition can easily be adapted to target immigrants, activists, and other marginalized groups with little or no oversight. Citing those risks, at least three cities including San Francisco, Oakland, and Somerville, Massachusetts have banned municipal use of the technology. In June, the leading supplier of police body cameras, Axon, removed facial recognition from its services after an ethics board concluded it was “not yet reliable enough to justify its use.”

“Despite what developers may say, facial recognition technology has the potential to reinforce the racist and classist policies of prohibition”

“Technology makes a lot of promises, but there’s no guarantee they can deliver,” wrote Kamani Jefferson and Tyler McFadden in an email interview with Motherboard. The pair founded North Star Liberty Group, a DC-based government relations firm that advocates for ending cannabis prohibition while promoting racial and economic equality.

Jefferson previously served as President of the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council, where he helped push for a state-run social equity program that helps groups disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs participate in the cannabis industry through professional training and mentoring. In July, Michigan announced its own social equity initiative. California created one last year, and San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles have local programs.

“Despite what developers may say, facial recognition technology has the potential to reinforce the racist and classist policies of prohibition,” Jefferson said. “It’s a classic case of a slippery slope, and until there’s a guarantee that not one innocent person will be thrown in jail due to the faults of this technology, I wouldn’t recommend cannabis facilities waste their money.”

Grayce Bentley is the Social Equity Coordinator for Cannabis Advising Partners in Long Beach, CA. In a phone interview, she told Motherboard: “I don’t think this is right at all, especially if facial recognition has been shown to be biased based on race, gender, et cetera.” Moreover, Bentley said most dispensaries serve a clientele consisting of both medical and recreational cannabis consumers, and “facial recognition should not be used in businesses where medical patients could be present.” She argued that collecting face data could violate federal health privacy laws such as the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Data breaches will likely be a growing problem for the cannabis industry as well. In 2017, a company called MJ Freeway, a major provider of software to cannabis businesses, suffered multiple hacking attempts. In one incident, hackers obtained consumers’ date of birth, contact information, and other unspecified data. If the company had also kept images of customers’ faces, the breach could have been more disastrous.

All the companies Motherboard spoke with said they make efforts to protect face recognition data through encryption. “But encryption is not a panacea,” said Ido Kilovaty, a law professor at the University of Tulsa who specializes in cybersecurity. “Hackers can launch brute-force attacks or look for other vulnerabilities, and there is always a risk of insider threats.”

“It doesn’t matter if the developers ‘don’t see race’ when their algorithm and security staff undoubtedly do.”

Even if impenetrable cybersecurity was achievable, it wouldn’t protect consumers from discrimination based on facial recognition. In recent years, there has been a rash of troubling AI systems that attempt to make assumptions about peoples’ sexuality and potential criminality based solely on their facial features. Tech ethicists have warned that the trend threatens to revive long-disproven pseudoscience practices like physiognomy, which have historically been used to justify racism and discrimination.

Shankar Narayan said he’s concerned about mission creep—when technologies implemented for a specific purpose are shifted to another application. A cannabis business might start out using facial recognition to analyze people’s emotional responses to different products, “but you can take that further, and start analyzing people’s propensity for violence,” said Narayan. Since facial recognition may be biased against vulnerable communities, it could disproportionately mischaracterize members of those groups as dangerous.

Narayan also noted that private surveillance systems can easily be repurposed for use by law enforcement and federal agencies. One example is police use of Amazon’s Ring doorbell cameras, which was recently reported on by Motherboard. “While being operated by an individual entity, it’s a private camera, and it need not conform to any rules around surveillance that apply to government cameras. But the company may turn the data over to the government,” Narayan said. “And then for all intents and purposes, it’s functioning as a government camera.”

Some companies marketing facial recognition to the cannabis industry have deep ties to law enforcement. Blue Line was founded by Joseph Spiess, Tom Sawyer, and Marcos Silva. Spiess is Chief of Police for the St. Louis suburb of Brentwood, Missouri. Sawyer, a retired St. Louis detective and DEA agent, built his career investigating drug crimes. Silva, an Army veteran who served in the Iraq War, is a St. Louis police detective who designed, implemented, and oversees the city’s real-time crime center (RTCC).

Michael Kwet, a fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project who researches surveillance technology, expressed concerns: “For years, these officers locked people away for possession and sale of marijuana, with devastating effects on communities of color. Now they’re cashing in to protect the legal marijuana industry with facial recognition, while people previously persecuted languish behind bars.”

According to its website, the RTCC operated by Blue Line’s Silva “is focused on monitoring, deterring and evaluating criminal activity in real-time with the help of the advanced technology in the center,” which includes license plate readers, gunshot spotters, and crime analysis software. In 2015, former Police Chief Sam Dotson told St. Louis Public Radio the RTCC would tap into surveillance cameras owned by private companies and use “new software that would allow the analysts to better predict crime.”

Blue Line told Motherboard it does not have access to the face recognition databases of the cannabis businesses it serves, and therefore, it cannot share that data with law enforcement. However, because its clients set their own security policies and responses, store owners are free to turn facial recognition data over to police. Through this kind of sharing between private and public surveillance networks, police could gain access to face data stored by dispensaries even in cities where facial recognition is banned for government use.

Prior to his current role at the ACLU of Washington, Shankar Narayan was the organization’s Legislative Director, and he worked on Initiative 502, Washington State’s recreational marijuana bill. Before that, he worked on medical marijuana legislation.

“In the context of that medical marijuana law, we went through a lot of these same issues, and there was intense concern over patient privacy. Coming off of that very intense discussion, there’s some deep irony that in the name of security, entities that sell cannabis are now installing these highly invasive surveillance mechanisms. That is really the opposite of the spirit in which we had the discussions around medical marijuana dispensaries, and I think we should be deeply concerned about privacy in that context.”

Addressing concerns about bias, Don Deason told Motherboard that Blue Line’s face recognition system “recognizes everyone equally,” and that the company is “not tracking age, gender, race, or what products people buy.” He said the system sorts faces into only three categories: “known, unknown, or threat,” and people are categorized as threats based solely on their behavior inside a cannabis business, not on their physical traits or facial expressions.

Os Keyes, a doctoral researcher at the University of Washington who studies human-computer interaction, told Motherboard that Blue Line “has an incredibly shallow understanding of the concerns about bias in facial recognition.” They noted that whether security guards or police stop and search customers or accuse them of shoplifting may be influenced by personal prejudices.

“Whether someone is accurately matched by facial recognition is, similarly, something that we know has racial and gender biases,” said Keyes. “It doesn’t matter if the developers ‘don’t see race’ when their algorithm and security staff undoubtedly do.”

Despite tech company efforts to protect face recognition data and reduce bias, many cannabis industry experts remain uncomfortable with the technology.

Kamani Jefferson and Tyler McFadden implied it is unnecessary. They referenced statistics suggesting crime has decreased in states and neighborhoods with licensed cannabis dispensaries.

“There’s no reason to believe that trend won’t continue,” they added.

Griffen Thorne, an attorney with the law firm Harris Bricken, expressed doubt that adopting facial recognition technology would help businesses comply with state and local cannabis laws. “In California, cannabis businesses must have a security plan. They must have video recording, and doors that lock,” he said. “Beyond those basics, you don’t need to use fingerprint scanners or facial recognition technology.”

Shankar Narayan asked, “How can we be a free society with this level of surveillance? It kills free speech, it chills constitutional activity, it disproportionately impacts communities of color, it’s subject to abuse, [and] there’s not a lot of checks and balances here.”

One thing seems certain: legislators, government agencies, and the cannabis industry itself, should involve potentially affected communities in deciding how facial recognition should be implemented in the industry, and whether it should be used at all.

At Cannabis Shops, Face Recognition Is Already a Thing syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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lovesanimals77 · 6 years ago

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Reposted from @hempinternational - 7. Marijuana Edibles Chef: $50,000 to $100,000 per year. Sure, many people know how to make pot brownies. But what about gummy bears, lollipops and other candies? That takes a lot of skill and education. And considering that many first-time users prefer edibles to smoking, it’s also very lucrative. 6. Marijuana Sales Representative: $60,000 plus commission per year. No, marijuana sales representatives aren’t the people in the dispensaries who ring up your cannabis purchase. Instead, they are the person who helps forge relationships between growers and stores. They need to understand both the production and sales aspects of the industry. 5. Dispensary Store Manager: $75,000 per year. Running a dispensary is a little more complicated than other types of store managers. Not only do you have to run the day-to-day operations, but you also have to make sure you’re following all of your state’s obscure cannabis laws or risk getting in trouble. 4. Cannabis Extraction Technician: $75,000 to $125,000 per year. While many states in America allow medical marijuana, some of them don’t allow patients to smoke it or consume edibles. That means extraction technicians are required to convert cannabis into oils or other forms to comply with state laws. 3. Marijuana Grow Masters: $80,000 to $100,000 per year. While hypothetically anyone with the proper lighting and hydroponics equipment could grow marijuana, it requires special training to understand how to mass produce cannabis to supply dispensaries. 2. Cannabis Consultant: $100,000 or more per year. As with any industry, consultants are highly paid in order to offer advice to aspiring growers and dispensary owners on how to build their businesses. And considering that many people who enter the industry may not know all the ins-and-outs, they can be super valuable. 1. Dispensary CEO: $125,000 per year. Who would’ve thought owning a store where people can buy marijuana could be so lucrative? 🌱 ____ #Cannabis #hemp #legalization #weedjobs #cannabisjobs #cbdheals #CBD #THC #budtender #Canada #California #Michigan #Massachusetts - #regrann https://www.instagram.com/p/BsO5SVGDDuj/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15uf9cz9lqfig

#cannabis #hemp #legalization #weedjobs #cannabisjobs #cbdheals #cbd #thc #budtender #canada #california #michigan #massachusetts #regrann

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poetjenharris · 4 years ago

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The Reasons I Moved to Oregon

Nine Reasons Why….

1. Weed is legal.

a. Ghost Train Haze was named the most potent sativa strain in the world. In West Eugene, one could, say, if they so choose, buy a “pre-roll” joint of aforementioned champion strain for $6 at a dispensary that opens at 8 a.m. and shares a parking lot with a perfect espresso shot pulling walk up coffee shop. Perhaps, if we’re speculating, one could then mosey the 3 blocks back home, face to the perfect wind, salty sea air braided with whispers of conifers and evergreens, running one’s fingers along rows of bamboo so tall and wide they make the aspens quake. You can then, hypothetically, sit on your porch in your soft sandals with your hips stretched from the brief jaunt and you could sip your coffee and smoke just an teensy weensy little bit and of ol’ Ghosty and about 15 minutes later, you would perhaps, probably, likely find yourself lunging toward your computer, desperate to write (allegedly).

b. For me and my mind, body and spirit, there is no antidepressant in existence that takes place of the healing powers of CBD & THC and for perhaps the first time ever, it’s possible to enjoy marijuana for recreational purposes (as one enjoys a cold beer or two) rather than solely as a coping mechanism for last-night anxiety.

2. The state offers expanded Medicaid a.k.a. health insurance for everyone pretty much no matter what your income. I first experienced healthcare through expanded Medicaid in Denver, and I’ve never received such remarkable treatment in my life. Healthcare is a human right, so I moved somewhere which reflects that value of mine by actively putting that value into practice.

3. Oregon’s weird. There’s a lot of weird fucking people here. I don’t stick out in the slightest and it’s nice. Eugene in particular is like all the characters in my imagination got together and decided to build their own sort of Roger Rabbit Toontown / Exchange City in my honor and then lured me here under the guise of you only live once.

4. I get the chance to start fresh in a community. I love getting to know those people whom you’re not quite friends but sort of like, regulars, in one another’s life. The cashier, the budtender, the trash man, that guy on the corner, the barista, that one particular booth at farmer’s market, the venue owner, the community organizers…I like knowing where the obscure spices can be found, and who sells the most beautiful dishware, and which artists are currently underdogs but are going to skyrocket in the next few years, I just know it. I long for a future for more residencies. I have applied for jobs to work with homeless youth so I might meet more likeminded people in ways that help me grow and fulfill my desire to serve those in need.

5. Look. I haven’t posted pictures because there’s too many people suffering – this is not the time to brag – BUT THE WEATHER IS GOD DAMN PERFECT HERE AND I’LL FIGHT ANYONE WHO DISAGREES. Lol I walk, EVERYWHERE. I work in the park at least 3 days a week, a small cooler, a picnic blanket, there are always more trees than people, the moisture from the river cooling the wind. I’ve not bothered to Google WHY and I can’t remember anything from college or high school Science, but the humidity here isn’t a Midwestern wet blanket. It’s an agent of peace. It keeps the air cool and we are in love and probably gonna get married, me and the wind.

6. Jaden wanted to be here. She has always dreamed of living in Oregon, in Eugene. She gave up a lot to make this happen. She took a lot of risks. She put a lot of faith and trust in me. After all, I fled to the West Coast (alone) at her age (27) and I was scared shitless basically the entire year I lived in San Francisco but I fucking did it! and if there’s a tour guide you want, it’s the one crazy enough to have taken on the mountain alone a time or two.

Jaden and I, we banded together and made a lot of really intense, intimidating promises to one another and there’s really no way to get out of them. We have to see them through, because my success here is dependent on her success here and vice versa. We can both expand our mutual and individual dreams here. We’ve made investments and commitments and our cats are in love. We read the brochures about training to be whale watchers and how to volunteer with the organization that you call (instead of the cops) to help people who are dealing with substance use or mental health crises. Yeah, you read that right. You don’t have to call the cops here. You can call an organization that knows what they’re doing because they’ve been trained in these fields and people get the actual help they need and the cops can do they’re real and only job, which is to maintain the peace and protect citizens.

ANYWAY… Jaden could go back to school here. So, could I. We could also open a competing thrift store – animal adoption center BECAUSE THERE’S ALREADY ONE HERE AND HOLY FUCK WHAT A GREAT IDEA! I don’t know how we’d give them a run for their money, but I’d be down to figure it out. There’s a lot to see and do here. Everything is green and stimulating and easy on the eyes. There are no laws in West Eugene, just explosions of fruit trees and vines of fresh grapes. There are too many apples here. No one could eat them all if they tried. There are brambles of blackberries in every direction. We steal them by the fistful and eat them on our walks. The sky’s the limit here.

7. The violence of Kansas City’s streets became too much to bear. I alone witnessed 2 murders and 1 drive by shooting in a month’s time. In Eugene, I’ve barely heard anyone raise their voice.

8. I always wanted to come back to the West Coast. This time I treated it more like a gift I could give Jaden. We were living so meagerly before that when PUA and grant money rolled in, it became possible to repair or replace nearly everything in our own personal junkyards. And when all the adulting was done, I looked toward the future. I had a feeling that students wouldn’t be returning to campus and housing would be more widely available. I had a feeling we could have a grand adventure camping all the way across the country until we got here. I wanted to challenge myself to do something I’d never really done – enjoy the great outdoors, make the most of this chance to exhale from the 24/7 grind of entrepreneurship. I had a feeling this place in particular would feel like home for me, for her, for us. And it does. And it did. We got the first apartment we looked at, the one that’s like all our apartment dreams come true. AND FOR THE RECORD, can EVERYONE collectively PLEASE stop discouraging other people from moving someplace magical with the phrase, “But it’s so much more expensive to live there.” Please, just shut up! You know what’s expensive? Dying young and slowly of a heart condition because you spent your life stressed out in a place you didn’t like all that much because your job was there or your family was there or it is where you’re from or what the fuck ever. Please, be happy where you are. I do not begrudge anyone their conscious choice. But keeping other people from pursuing their dreams by provoking financial anxiety as an insurmountable obstacle that no one should dare broach – is bullshit. I will ALWAYS be a small-town farm kid who listened to every god damn country song about a girl escaping to California as if it were a promise. I set my watch by that promise. I waited round the sundial rather impatiently for the day I could make a break for it – and I would’ve gone a whole lot sooner if everyone who’d attempted to dampen my dreams with their insecurities and microaggressions, had given me $20. The statistical odds I’ve defied as a poor, queer, woman, a multi-tiered violence survivor, substance abuser… the number of times I should have been dead or incarcerated it a bit too much to think about for too long – but I know the truth. I’m lucky to be alive and if I have figured out how to survive THIS LONG through THIS MUCH, I’m sure I can figure out how to pay a rent increase of $300.

9. I just wanted a fresh start someplace I could imagine buying a house where wildflowers grew recklessly across the modest landscape and I could raise a child or two who went to school with kids whose families looked just like ours and there would be art and music and dancing, laughter and sunshine and that impossibly cold, vengeful ocean just an hour away so that I might be reminded of my miniscule place in it all when my fragile ego gets my heart broken, as its been prone to do on a regular basis since the dawn of time. It really is a gift, a relief, even, to stand on the edge of something mighty and know that no matter how hard you strive, you will never be as powerful or influential as the ocean and that’s ok, because it’s not another ocean we need; it’s you, it’s me, just as we are.

#writing #Poet Jen Harris #blog #august #2020

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rootslosangeles · 1 year ago

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How Tourists Can Buy Recreational Weed in Los Angeles

While marijuana isn’t legal in all states, if you are old enough to purchase alcohol in California, you are also legally old enough to buy recreational weed in Los Angeles. However, your purchase doesn’t come without rules and regulations. In other words, it’s not a free-for-all, and you will need to comply with the guidelines as you make a legal marijuana purchase.

Find a Reputable Seller of Recreational Weed in Los Angeles There are generally two kinds of dispensaries – recreational and medical. If you visit a medical marijuana dispensary, you will need to have proof that the substance has been medically prescribed. If not, you will need to visit a recreational dispensary. In either case, be sure you find a reputable dispensary so that you can be sure you are getting a quality product.

You Need Cash and an I.D. Most, if not all, dispensaries require you to pay in cash and you must have identification with you or you will be turned away. In fact, most dispensaries will check your ID at the door before you are admitted to the sales floor. Most credit card companies don’t want to be part of the marijuana purchasing process because it’s not legal on a federal level yet. Most dispensaries also refuse to accept a debit card, but they do offer an ATM so that you can access cash to make your purchase.

Purchase Quotas There are rules about the maximum amount of weed that you can buy in any given transaction, which is 28.5 grams. However, that’s a lot more than a tourist would need so make sure you consider getting it home. Limits for weed concentrates (edibles, etc.) are 8 grams at a given transaction. Leftover marijuana won’t be allowed through the airport so if you’re flying home, you will need to get rid of it somehow. In other words, don’t buy more than you can consume while you’re in Los Angeles.

Tips for Making a Marijuana Purchase There are quite a few helpful tips that you can use when you visit a dispensary in Los Angeles. It makes sense to know a little bit about the product, but beyond that, your dispensary can help guide you to a decision. The best tips are as follows:

Ask a budtender if you don’t know exactly what you want – they are trained to help you decide. Know the difference between THC and CBD. Keep the container closed until you get home – open containers are not legal, just like alcohol Do not share your purchase with any minors Don’t use weed in public places or you could get a citation and fine Don’t take your marijuana across state lines Don’t smoke anywhere where it is prohibited If you want to buy recreational weed in Los Angeles, we can help. If you are of legal age and want a high quality product from a reputable marijuana dispensary, contact Roots LA today and we will get you set with exactly what you want and need.

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leafypros-blog · 5 years ago

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How to Using Marijuana to Get High Dates Back Millennia

Leafypros is certified in the marijuana industry in budtender Maryland, Columbia. The repeated warnings about cannabis use in the post-hippie era is to be aware that what you're smoking or ingesting isn't your grandparents'cannabis.Humans have worked hard in recent decades to produce strains with powerful doses of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. the psychoactive component of the paint.

A superstrong strain of pot might overpower unwitting baby boomers, but all of this might just be a case of déjà vu. Today’s herb could be somewhat like cannabis that people cultivated about 2,500 years ago in Central Asia, a plant also bearing high levels of THC.

The earliest of example the humans to burning cannabis in a purposeful way was the uncovered as researchers worked on the solving the mystery of ancient wooden burners found at a cemetery site in the Pamir in a mountain range in eastern China.

Such a discovery adds to growing indications of an association among many cultures of cannabis with the afterworld and death.

#leafypros #Budtender Training Maryland #Marijuana to Get High Dates Back Millennia #Budtender Training Columbia #Budtender Training certification california #Maryland Budtender Training #Medical Budtender Training Columbia #Budtender Training Courses Columbia #Medical Budtender Training Maryland #Budtender Dispensary Training Columbia #Cannabis Medical Doctors Maryland #Budtender jobs in Maryland #Budtender Las Vegas #Dispensary Training #Budtender Training Oklahoma

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sandrasapp78 · 5 years ago

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How to Choose the Best Seeds for Growing Marijuana

There are good things and bad things about quarantine. The good news is, no one can stop you from hanging around and smoking weed all day. The bad news is, it’s easy to run out of weed (and not easy to replenish your stash.)

Some smokers have decided to take the situation into their own hands and homes. Growing marijuana won’t give you a lifetime supply instantly, but just a few plants can produce a serious stash. Plus, what else do you have to do now? You might as well take up gardening.

Growing marijuana will give you a task to make the days go by faster in quarantine. You’ll need to buy the right equipment, choose the growing method that is best for you, and buy the actual seeds. Let’s focus on the seeds. This guide will help you choose the best seeds for your new time-consuming hobby.

In order to choose the best seeds for growing marijuana, you’ll need to:

-Know the terms -Know the law -Think about your setup -Make a list of your favorite strains -Read reviews before you buy

Know the Terms

Shopping for seeds online can feel overwhelming at first. Sure, you recognize the names of some of your favorite strains. But what makes a Northern Light seed feminized?

Here is the rundown of common terms you’ll see while buying marijuana seeds:

Feminized:Marijuana plants are either “male” or “female.” Female plants produce the buds that you can buy, smoke, and bake into edibles. Males - well, they produce seeds, which is useful if you want to continue breeding.

If you just want to grow a few plants, you don’t need male plants. Buying feminized seeds ensures that you will only grow female plants and get the good stuff.

Autoflowering: Just like any other plant, marijuana seeds grow in phases. Most cannabis will move through these phases depending on the season. They wait for the sun to be out for a certain number of hours before they begin to flower.

This can be frustrating for indoor growers or newbies who don’t know the ins and outs of each phase. Fortunately, autoflowering seeds can help you out. These seeds begin to flower and produce buds without waiting for any changes in lighting. It takes just 10 weeks to harvest. Autoflowering seeds often produce smaller yields than photoperiod seeds, but are often a great place to start for new growers.

High-CBD: This term is pretty self-explanatory. If you are looking to grow medical marijuana, keep an eye out for high-CBD strains. These seeds may produce plants with equal parts THC and CBD, or contain no THC at all.

Know the Law

California’s growing laws may impact how many seeds you buy and attempt to germinate.

Throughout the state, people over the age of 21 can only grow six plants at a time. That might not sound like a lot, but with a high yield you could easily get a pound of marijuana out of these plants. Home growth is meant for personal consumption - unless you have a license, you cannot sell your yield.

Your local legislature cannot ban you from growing marijuana in your home, but they can set rules about outdoor growth. In general, keep your plants out of the public eye. If kids in the neighborhood can see your plants, you can get in trouble.

Think About Your Setup

There are many ways to grow marijuana. You could set up a grow room in your closet. You could buy a hydroponic grow box system. Or, you could choose to keep things natural and grow plants outside. Decide your growing method before buying any supplies or seeds. As you do some research on individual strains, you might see reviews on how different growing methods affect different strains. This isn’t a necessary step, but it’s always good to have a plan.

Make a List of Your Favorite Strains

Here’s the fun part! Think about your favorite strains. How great would it be to have a constant supply of Blue Dream, White Widow, or Ghost Train Haze right next to your bedroom?

You might already have a list of top strains - write them down and start searching!

If you’re new to smoking marijuana, consider doing some research before you buy seeds. It would be a shame to spend 10 weeks growing plants that you don’t want to smoke!

Want something to keep you energized and focused? Consider a sativa. These strains will likely have the word “Haze” at the end. (Examples include Ghost Train Haze, Amnesia Haze, Super Lemon Haze, etc.)

Want a strain that will help you sleep at night? Look for indicas. These strains provide a nice “body high” that locks you to your couch or bed. Indicas may have “Kush” in their title. (Examples include OG Kush, Pineapple Kush, Critical Kush, etc.)

Just want something with a high yield?Sativas and indicas look different when you grow them. (Sativas tend to be taller and skinnier, while indicas stay close to the ground.) While sativas and hybrids have a reputation for producing high yields, your growing method makes a big difference. Some strains are also bred to be more resilient and easy to grow. Consider any of the following strains if you aren’t picky: -Blue Dream -Dutch Treat -Northern Lights

Keep a list of these strains nearby. Price, availability, and life cycle may also impact your buying decision. You can only grow six plants, so there’s no need to buy six different strains. Start with one or two, then expand only when you’re ready to experiment.

Read Reviews Before You Buy

The grower behind your seeds may also impact your final results. Take some time and read reviews from other growers. In times of social distancing, you won’t be able to talk to your local budtender about top growers and high-yielding strains. You’re going to spend at least 10 weeks with these little seeds - you might as well spend a little extra time searching for the right ones.

And there you have it! Do your research, stay out of trouble, and you’ll have six beautiful marijuana plants in no time!

from News About Marijuana https://www.theherbcollectiveoc.com/single-post/2020/04/28/How-to-Choose-the-Best-Seeds-for-Growing-Marijuana

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thisdaynews · 5 years ago

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The budtender will see you now

New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/the-budtender-will-see-you-now/

The budtender will see you now

“There’s a lack of scientific evidence right now for anyone to be able to state exactly how much dosage an individual needs,” said Dominick Zurlo, who directs New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program. Given barriers to robust science, he said, it’s the people working in the medical marijuana field and acquiring experience who “are going to be the people who have the best information.”

Thirty-three states plus Washington, D.C., now allow medical marijuana. At least 2 million Americans are registered medical marijuana users, according to data from 26 states, meaning the nationwide number is likely higher. Millions more use hemp-derived CBD, which is now legal in some forms and omnipresent, and does not have the “high” of marijuana.

State dispensary rules vary enormously, according to numerous interviews with state medical marijuana programs,experts and advocates. More thanhalf the states with medical cannabis allow budtenders to help patients choose products to address anything from back pain to chemotherapy side effects. Other states require the dispensaries have pharmacists, doctors or a nurse practitioner on site, or on call — but those health professionals may not have a full picture of the patient’s medical history, medications and treatments.

And unless a patient brings it up, or their regular doctor asks, a patient’s care team may not know about their marijuana use, or whether a patient is using it in addition to, or as a substitute for, a prescribed treatment. The internet is full of unproven claims about marijuana being nature’s magical treatment for everything from cancer to diabetes.

All this is unfolding amid rapidly growing public acceptance of marijuana. Americans now view cannabis as much less harmful than alcohol, tobacco or e-cigarettes, according to a recent poll from POLITICO and Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. That survey was done amid the outbreak of vaping-related illnesses, which has been linked to an additive in marijuana, mostly from the black market.

Even as public opinion shifts, states have adopted a variety of regulatory approaches. Some are strict. For instance, in Minnesota, only a licensed pharmacist can suggest products at retail locations; in Pennsylvania, it must be a pharmacist or other licensed medical professional at the dispensary. Maryland lets budtenders give general information about medical cannabis, but only physicians, pharmacists or nurse practitioners employed by the shops can provide more specific advice.

Louisiana’s program requires that specially registered physicians fax their recommendations directly to a marijuana pharmacy, which dispenses the products.

In many more states like Arkansas, New Jersey and Illinois, rules are laxer and budtenders can recommend products. That concerns some doctors, who worry their patients may be getting advice from someone behind the counter with limited knowledge of medicine — or the patient.

Yet many physicians, while wary of the dispensaries, steer clear of talking to their patients about a substance they believe is still inadequately tested and that they worry comes with political, legal and ethical landmines. Even physicians who are generally on board with cannabis are divided over how much advice they should be giving, at least until there are more widely accepted prescribing guidelines.

At the same time, some doctors are now focused heavily on certifying patients for state marijuana cards, or are incorporating marijuana more heavily into their practice.

For Dr. Matthew Mintz, primary care is still the core of his practice in Bethesda, Md. But now he spends about 20 percent to 25 percent of his time conducting 30-minute evaluations to determine if patients meet Maryland’s criteria for medical marijuana.

Mintz used to send those patients to dispensaries for advice on products and doses to try. But as a physician, he said, that bothered him. “I don’t say, ‘Hey, Mr. Jones, you have [high] cholesterol, go to CVS and ask the pharmacist what to take.’” So, he started learning more about medical marijuana and writing down his own recommendations for the patients to take to a dispensary.

But many physicians still see a bridge too far between their offices and the dispensaries.

“That’s what holds a lot of other doctors back because they are like, ‘you mean, I’m going to send my patient into a dispensary? And somebody with no medical background is going to guide them on what they should use or not use,’” said Dr. Patricia Frye, who operates Takoma Park Integrative Care in Maryland, where the services include teaching patients about cannabis and certification. She said federal restrictions have “really done a lot of damage in terms of keeping doctors or nurse practitioners or health care providers in the loop.”

“Many of these patients’ doctors and nurses and pharmacists are uncomfortable having these sorts of conversations with their patients,” said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, a pro-legalization advocacy group. “The burden ends up being thrust upon those who work in the cannabis industry to respond to their patients’ questions.”

That’s left many budtenders learning what products, strains and doses to recommend through anecdotes from their patients to their own personal experiences and research they can find online. Some states require training for workers, anddispensaries can also set up their own programs, since they can’t turn to the federal government to regulate professional education about a product that’s still illegal.

“Our goal is education, so people can make informed decisions,” said Stephanie Kahn, the co-owner of the Takoma Wellness Center, a family-owned business which does employee training beyond the short course Washington, D.C., requires. She gives out her card to new patients, telling them they can email her at any time. She wants them to be comfortable — and she wants to know if they’re not.

It was a budtender who helped Tessa, of California, find relief from debilitating pain from severe endometriosis and a litany of other health problems. Nearly three years ago, she asked her doctors about trying medical cannabis. Their answer: Go for it, but we can’t help. (She asked that only her first name be used because she didn’t want her employer to know about her marijuana use.)

She found a doctor who spent about five minutes with her, at a cost of $45, and certified her for a card. At a dispensary, Tessa found a budtender who also suffered from endometriosis — and Tessa said her recommendations helped tremendously.

“I no longer worry about my work being impacted by my health, and I no longer worry about not being a responsible mom,” said Tessa, who responded to a POLITICO reader survey on medical marijuana. She’s kept her multiple doctors in the loop; they’ve watched her progress with interest.

Budtenders say they recognize they walk a fine line, delicately navigating the divide between traditional medicine and a federally illegal substance — and avoiding making blatant or irresponsible claims about marijuana.

Colorado has legalized marijuana for both recreational and medical use. So in Denver’s LoDo Wellness Center, recreational customers shop in one room of the store. A separate, nearly identical room provides a private space for medical patients to open up and seek advice. The staff is careful about talking about what might help — without overpromising, said Adam Segalis, a manager there.

“On the medical side, it’s never been like, ‘we’re going to cure what your issue is,’” said Segalis, Instead they talk about what might help, and what’s recommended.

“We’re not doctors,” he emphasized, as customers — mostly there for legal weed — flitted in and out of the busy shop on a bustling Denver strip.

#budtender #Foreign #Politics

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elevatedsf1-blog · 6 years ago

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Medical Marijuana for San Francisco Residents

For years, the marijuana plant has intrigued botanists and scientists alike. Shrouded in mystery and revered for its vast array of uses, medical marijuana provides patients with natural symptom relief from a variety of physical and emotional ailments.

Three strains of medical marijuana exist: Sativa, Indica, and Ruderalis. Each variety is unique in personality and the benefits it provides, so if you’re looking for relief from a specific ailment, be sure to let your budtender know, so you get exactly what you need.

The Sativa strain is known to deliver an uplifting and energizing effect. These characteristics make it a good choice for recreational use as well as for headache relief and gastrointestinal issues.

Indica strains provide the opposite effect. They have a calming, relaxing effect on the mind and body, making them a great choice for patients who have sleep or anxiety problems. Chronic pain and muscle spasms also respond well to the Indica strain.

The Indica strain has a high THC level, whereas the Sativa strain has a high CBD content. Recent advances have made it possible to combine the best aspects of each strain into hybrid strains that deliver a customized experience for their users.

People the world over have come to rely on the many benefits provided by the various strains of recreational and medical marijuana. From better sleep and relaxation to pain relief and symptom relief of many common ailments, marijuana offers a wide range of benefits for its users.

In California, Elevated San Francisco carries a wide range of recreational and medical marijuana products. Their team of knowledgeable and highly trained staff can help you find the right product for you to achieve your desired experience and symptom relief. Visit Elevated today and start enjoying life again.

To know more about san francisco medical marijuana and medical marijuana san francisco For more info please visit Our Website.

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5taylifted-blog · 6 years ago

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I leave for Mexico on Friday and my heart is filled with so much amor y me siento emocionada. Haven't seen my side of the family on my dad's or ma's side since I was a wee child. So many memories rush to my mind now that I'm taking the time to think about my experience growing up and living in Mexico. Born in America, raised in Costa Rica, & stayed in Mexico for a few years before returning back to live in California. Now I'm in Portland. Traveling is so so so important in my opinion. It allows you to get a feel for other cultures & lifestyles. And the great thing about traveling is that you don't need to get in an airplane & travel far. You could check out a new town in your state, or travel to a next door state. As a budtender, I've spoken with some Oregonians who have never stepped outside of their Portland bubble. They haven't even gone to the coast to see the beach. Which is fine, I get it. It's to far....it's too scary...it's to x,y,z. I am so grateful for the amazing invention of airplanes. It's being in them up in the sky that make me feel as close to a bird as I'll ever get. And what a view! Life is really beautiful & magical. You just need to train your mind to be open & receptive to it. I am so grateful for the opportunities I receive that allow me to travel far and wide, close & local, in this or another time zone. Author Gretchen Rubin states in her book, The Happiness Project, "the days are long, but the years are short." As I am nearing the end of this year I look back with appreciation & a grateful heart. 1. This year I challenged myself to do more of what makes me feel alive, happy, & thriving. 2. I learned to become more of an observer & pay attention to the impulses or nudges I receive prompting me to take action, network, put myself out there-learning to lean on myself. 3. Be willing to be honest about what I need & expect (boundaries, boundaries, boundaries). 4. Love is all that ever matters. Loving yourself, your journey you are on, & everything that funnels in from Source. 5. See things as they are, not as I am. Im curious to know what if any, have been some aha moments you have experienced as we're phasing out of 2018? #travel #bruja (at Portland, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrgDqCkBd_3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1d8oajqtxhxan

#travel #bruja

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nancygduarteus · 6 years ago

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America’s Invisible Pot Addicts

The proliferation of retail boutiques in California did not really bother him, Evan told me, but the billboards did. Advertisements for delivery, advertisements promoting the substance for relaxation, for fun, for health. “Shop. It’s legal.” “Hello marijuana, goodbye hangover.” “It’s not a trigger,” he told me. “But it is in your face.”

When we spoke, he had been sober for a hard-fought seven weeks: seven weeks of sleepless nights, intermittent nausea, irritability, trouble focusing, and psychological turmoil. There were upsides, he said, in terms of reduced mental fog, a fatter wallet, and a growing sense of confidence that he could quit. “I don’t think it’s a ‘can’ as much as a ‘must,’” he said.

Evan, who asked that his full name not be used for fear of the professional repercussions, has a self-described cannabis-use disorder. If not necessarily because of legalization, but alongside legalization, such problems are becoming more common: The share of adults with one has doubled since the early aughts, as the share of cannabis users who consume it daily or near-daily has jumped nearly 50 percent—all “in the context of increasingly permissive cannabis legislation, attitudes, and lower risk perception,” as the National Institutes of Health put it.

Public-health experts worry about the increasingly potent options available, and the striking number of constant users. “Cannabis is potentially a real public-health problem,” said Mark A. R. Kleiman, a professor of public policy at New York University. “It wasn’t obvious to me 25 years ago, when 9 percent of self-reported cannabis users over the last month reported daily or near-daily use. I always was prepared to say, ‘No, it’s not a very abusable drug. Nine percent of anybody will do something stupid.’ But that number is now [something like] 40 percent.” They argue that state and local governments are setting up legal regimes without sufficient public-health protection, with some even warning that the country is replacing one form of reefer madness with another, careening from treating cannabis as if it were as dangerous as heroin to treating it as if it were as benign as kombucha.

But cannabis is not benign, even if it is relatively benign, compared with alcohol, opiates, and cigarettes, among other substances. Thousands of Americans are finding their own use problematic—in a climate where pot products are getting more potent, more socially acceptable to use, and yet easier to come by, not that it was particularly hard before.

For Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, the most compelling evidence of the deleterious effects comes from users themselves. “In large national surveys, about one in 10 people who smoke it say they have a lot of problems. They say things like, ‘I have trouble quitting. I think a lot about quitting and I can’t do it. I smoked more than I intended to. I neglect responsibilities.’ There are plenty of people who have problems with it, in terms of things like concentration, short-term memory, and motivation,” he said. “People will say, ‘Oh, that’s just you fuddy-duddy doctors.’ Actually, no. It’s millions of people who use the drug who say that it causes problems.”

Users or former users I spoke with described lost jobs, lost marriages, lost houses, lost money, lost time. Foreclosures and divorces. Weight gain and mental-health problems. And one other thing: the problem of convincing other people that what they were experiencing was real. A few mentioned jokes about Doritos, and comments implying that the real issue was that they were lazy stoners. Others mentioned the common belief that you can be “psychologically” addicted to pot, but not “physically” or “really” addicted. The condition remains misunderstood, discounted, and strangely invisible, even as legalization and white-marketization pitches ahead.

The country is in the midst of a volte-face on marijuana. The federal government still classifies cannabis as Schedule I drug, with no accepted medical use. (Meth and PCP, among other drugs, are Schedule II.) Politicians still argue it is a gateway to the use of things like heroin and cocaine. The country still spends billions of dollars fighting it in a bloody and futile drug war, and still arrests more people for offenses related to cannabis than it does for all violent crimes combined.

Yet dozens of states have pushed ahead with legalization for medical or recreational purposes, given that for decades physicians have argued that marijuana’s health risks have been overstated and its medical uses overlooked; activists have stressed prohibition’s tremendous fiscal cost and far worse human cost; and researchers have convincingly argued that cannabis is far less dangerous than alcohol. A solid majority of Americans support legalization nowadays.

Academics and public-health officials, though, have raised the concern that cannabis’s real risks have been overlooked or underplayed—perhaps as part of a counter-reaction to federal prohibition, and perhaps because millions and millions cannabis users have no problems controlling their use. “Part of how legalization was sold was with this assumption that there was no harm, in reaction to the message that everyone has smoked marijuana was going to ruin their whole life,” Humphreys told me. It was a point Kleiman agreed with. “I do think that not legalization, but the legalization movement, does have a lot on its conscience now,” he said. “The mantra about how this is a harmless, natural, and non-addictive substance—it’s now known by everybody. And it’s a lie.”

Thousands of businesses, as well as local governments earning tax money off of sales, are now literally invested in that lie. “The liquor companies are salivating,” Matt Karnes of GreenWave Advisors told me. “They can’t wait to come in full force.” He added that Big Pharma was targeting the medical market, with Wall Street, Silicon Valley, food businesses, and tobacco companies aiming at the recreational market.

Sellers are targeting broad swaths of the consumer market—soccer moms, recent retirees, folks looking to replace their nightly glass of chardonnay with a precisely dosed, low-calorie, and hangover-free mint. Many have consciously played up cannabis as a lifestyle product, a gift to give yourself, like a nice crystal or an antioxidant face cream. “This is not about marijuana,” one executive at the California retailer MedMen recently argued. “This is about the people who use cannabis for all the reasons people have used cannabis for hundreds of years. Yes for recreation, just like alcohol, but also for wellness.”

Evan started off smoking with his friends when they were playing sports or video games, lighting up to chill out after his nine-to-five as a paralegal at a law office. But that soon became couch-lock, and he lost interest in working out, going out, doing anything with his roommates. Then came a lack of motivation and the slow erosion of ambition, and law school moving further out of reach. He started smoking before work and after work. Eventually, he realized it was impossible to get through the day without it. “I was smoking anytime I had to do anything boring, and it took a long time before I realized that I wasn’t doing anything without getting stoned,” he said.

His first attempts to reduce his use went miserably, as the consequences on his health and his life piled up. He gained nearly 40 pounds, he said, when he stopped working out and cooking his own food at home. He recognized that he was just barely getting by at work, and was continually worried about getting fired. Worse, his friends were unsympathetic to the idea that he was struggling and needed help. “[You have to] try to convince someone that something that is hurting you is hurting you,” he said.

Other people who found their use problematic or had managed to quit, none of whom wanted to use their names, described similar struggles and consequences. “I was running two companies at the time, and fitting smoking in between running those companies. Then, we sold those companies and I had a whole lot of time on my hands,” one other former cannabis user told me. “I just started sitting around smoking all the time. And things just came to a halt. I was in terrible shape. I was depressed.”

Lax regulatory standards and aggressive commercialization in some states have compounded some existing public-health risks, raised new ones, and failed to tamp down on others, experts argue. In terms of compounding risks, many cite the availability of hyper-potent marijuana products. “We’re seeing these increases in the strength of cannabis, as we are also seeing an emergence of new types of products,” such as edibles, tinctures, vape pens, sublingual sprays, and concentrates, Ziva Cooper, an associate professor of clinical neurobiology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, told me. “A lot of these concentrates can have up to 90 percent THC,” she said, whereas the kind of flower you could get 30 years ago was far, far weaker. Scientists are not sure how such high-octane products affect people’s bodies, she said, but worry that they might have more potential for raising tolerance, introducing brain damage, and inculcating dependence.

As for new risks: In many stores, budtenders are providing medical advice with no licensing or training whatsoever. “I’m most scared of the advice to smoke marijuana during pregnancy for cramps,” said Humphreys, arguing that sellers were providing recommendations with no scientific backing, good or bad, at all.

In terms of long-standing risks, the lack of federal involvement in legalization has meant that marijuana products are not being safety-tested like pharmaceuticals; measured and dosed like food products; subjected to agricultural-safety and pesticide standards like crops; and held to labeling standards like alcohol. (Different states have different rules and testing regimes, complicating things further.)

Health experts also cited an uncomfortable truth about allowing a vice product to be widely available, loosely regulated, and fully commercialized: Heavy users will make up a huge share of sales, with businesses wanting them to buy more and spend more and use more, despite any health consequences.

“The reckless way that we are legalizing marijuana so far is mind-boggling from a public-health perspective,” Kevin Sabet, an Obama administration official and a founder of the nonprofit Smart Approaches to Marijuana, told me. “The issue now is that we have lobbyists, special interests, and people whose motivation is to make money that are writing all of these laws and taking control of the conversation.”

This is not to say that prohibition is a more attractive policy, or that legalization has proven a public-health disaster. “The big-picture view is that the vast majority of people who use cannabis are not going to be problematic users,” said Jolene Forman, an attorney at the Drug Policy Alliance. “They’re not going to have a cannabis-use disorder. They’re going to have a healthy relationship with it. And criminalization actually increases the harms related to cannabis, and so having like a strictly regulated market where there can be limits on advertising, where only adults can purchase cannabis, and where you’re going to get a wide variety of products makes sense.”

Still, strictly regulated might mean more strictly regulated than today, at least in some places, drug-policy experts argue. “Here, what we’ve done is we’ve copied the alcohol industry fully formed, and then on steroids with very minimal regulation,” Humphreys said. “The oversight boards of a number of states are the industry themselves. We’ve learned enough about capitalism to know that’s very dangerous.”

A number of policy reforms might tamp down on problem use and protect consumers, without quashing the legal market or pivoting back to prohibition and all its harms. One extreme option would be to require markets to be noncommercial: The District of Columbia, for instance, does not allow recreational sales, but does allow home cultivation and the gifting of marijuana products among adults. “If I got to pick a policy, that would probably be it,” Kleiman told me. “That would be a fine place to be if we were starting from prohibition, but we are starting from patchwork legalization. As the Vermont farmer says, I don’t think you can get there from here. I fear its time has passed. It’s generally true that the drug warriors have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.”

There’s no shortage of other reasonable proposals, many already in place or under consideration in some states. The government could run marijuana stores, as in Canada. States could require budtenders to have some training or to refrain from making medical claims. They could ask users to set a monthly THC purchase cap and remain under it. They could cap the amount of THC in products, and bar producers from making edibles that are attractive to kids, like candies. A ban or limits on marijuana advertising are also options, as is requiring cannabis dispensaries to post public-health information.

Then, there are THC taxes, designed to hit heavy users the hardest. Some drug-policy experts argue that such levies would just push people from marijuana to alcohol, with dangerous health consequences. “It would be like saying, ‘Let’s let the beef and pork industries market and do whatever they wish, but let’s have much tougher restrictions on tofu and seitan,’” said Mason Tvert of the Marijuana Policy Project. “In light of the current system, where alcohol is so prevalent and is a more harmful substance, it is bad policy to steer people toward that.” Yet reducing the commercial appeal of all vice products—cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana—is an option, if not necessarily a popular one.

Perhaps most important might be reintroducing some reasonable skepticism about cannabis, especially until scientists have a better sense of the health effects of high-potency products, used frequently. Until then, listening to and believing the hundreds of thousands of users who argue marijuana is not always benign might be a good start.

from Health News And Updates https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/08/americas-invisible-pot-addicts/567886/?utm_source=feed

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