It’s been a rocky road getting the federal government onboard with anything weed-related. Luckily the pendulum swings, even if slowly. In the latest news, after an initial paltry pardoning of a few cannabis crimes earlier, Biden has upped the federal game, with pardons for everyone with simple possession convictions. What does this say for the state of cannabis in general? Thanks for joining us. Stay up-to-date by signing up for the The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, and enjoy access to deals on everything like cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more including popular cannabinoid compounds. Please enjoy responsibly! Alright Biden, what’d you do?That Biden is now offering pardons for low-level cannabis crimes like simple possession, isn’t a showing of personal acceptance, or anything like that. But it is the fulfilling of a campaign promise, in a growing climate of weed acceptance. Not all campaign promises are fulfilled, so in the very least, the guy is specifically attending to something that he said he’d do. Perhaps we should expect this to happen more frequently than it does. In this particular following of government-made promises, on Thursday, October 6th, 2022, Biden announced pardons for all cannabis simple possession cases on a federal level. This comes about one month ahead of the November congressional elections, where cannabis legalization is now a big topic. Though Biden has no power over what state governments choose to do, he did implore them to consider their own pardons for the same crimes. This announcement did nothing to change the legality of cannabis in the US. The plant sits in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances list, despite at least half the country living in weed-legal states. According to the federal government, as a Schedule I controlled substance, there is no medical or recreational value to cannabis, and it’s a dangerous drug. ![]() However, the sweeping pardons just made, tell a different story, which now completely breaks with federal government policy, creating a contradiction. Do these pardons also mean that no new simple possession charges will be filed? Without a change in law, there’s no reason to expect this, and this means even if prior cases are pardoned, there’s nothing stopping law enforcement from racking up new ones. The farthest the president went in the direction of actual change last week, was to say that the Department of Health and Human Services along with Attorney General Merrick Garland, are under order to go over current cannabis scheduling in an effort to find a way to loosen restrictions. And they’re supposed to do it quickly. This isn’t surprising as the optics are pretty bad for the US government, with so many states going against it. Let’s remember that besides recreational legalizations, nearly 40 states have medical programs, which also break with federal policy. For a federal government which has dragged its feet pretty intensely thus far, Biden’s statements make it sound like he represents freedom fighters looking to right someone else’s wrong. On Thursday, as part of his video announcement, Biden stated: “No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana… It’s legal in many states, and criminal records for marijuana possession have led to needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. And that’s before you address the racial disparities around who suffers the consequences. While white and Black and brown people use marijuana at similar rates, Black and brown people are arrested, prosecuted, and convicted at disproportionate rates.” And yet, he says this as the head of the government, which did these things. A government that refused to legalize for decades; and which went as far as to target users in legal states, even when it was for severe medical issues. This is the same government that put out Reefer Madness to raise fear about cannabis almost 100 years ago, and now, after multiple smear campaigns have failed to revive that fear, we’ve got a president making statements that sound like the US government is trying to help poor, wrongly-convicted people. Is this progress?I hate saying it, but no, not really. Progress implies moving forward. This is an example of what happens when a government has a losing stance, and must quickly jump onboard with the popular idea, so as not to look weak. 19 states are legal for recreational use, including the most populous California and New York. Nearly 40 states have medical programs. Up to six states have ballot measures for weed legalization (Missouri, South Dakota, Maryland, Arkansas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma) this election season. ![]() The federal government is losing to its states, and there’s nothing it can do, but pretend it agreed the whole time. Make no mistake, this about-face isn’t about the government changing its stance, nor is it because Biden supports reform. It’s about the government looking paltry and pathetic. This announcement is a follow-up to an announcement made on April 25th of this year, when Biden went ahead and pardoned one whole person, and commuted the sentences of 8 others, for cannabis crimes. Those, of course, are ridiculously small numbers when it comes to weed crimes, making it sound like a joke. If you’re wondering what the difference is between those terms, a pardon is like an entire deletion of a conviction, as if it never took place. A commuted sentence doesn’t mean the conviction disappears, but it does eliminate (or bring down) the punishment for it. The more recent announcement of pardons for simple possession crimes, at least does away with the convictions entirely. The April 25th announcement wasn’t about a wide-ranging policy, but was related to clemency grants, which all presidents handle in their first year. These provide ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ type situations for limited cases. These instances of clemency run the gamut, and are not associated with weed crimes specifically. In total, there were three pardons given, and 75 commuted sentences for the year. I don’t think this even qualifies as a drop in the bucket. According to an FBI Uniform Crime Report from 2019, there were more arrests made for cannabis, then for every type of violent crime combined. Of the 10,085,207 arrests made that year, 495,871 accounted for violent crime, and 1,558,862 for all drug-related crimes. Of those drug-related crimes, 36.3% (565,866) were for cannabis, and 32.1% for possession. Let’s remember, by 2019 much of the population was already living in a legal state. If we go ahead a bit, it doesn’t get better. A September 2021 report makes clear how little the government cares about states legalizing. At the time the report came out, 18 states were legal, making for about half the population living in legal locations. Yet, somehow, this didn’t stop 350,150 cannabis arrests from going down. How much for possession crimes? 91% of these (317,793). ![]() What can we expect?This is one of those interesting times in history, and sadly, many people will never understand what’s going on. We hit a point where it can visually be seen how uncomfortable the federal government is, and essentially, how hog-tied. If you really pay attention to the ongoing battle, what you see is the federal government doing everything it can to warn people away from weed. The thing it’s been doing since the original smear campaigns and prohibition of the 1930’s. And there’s just so much money behind this. The industrial capacity is so huge when considering the ability of hemp to replace environmental plagues like plastic and oil drilling, that big business doesn’t want it. So much money, that despite the ridiculousness of the danger claims, and despite thousands of years of history that back up its safety and effectiveness, we still have fear thrown at us. Things have changed though, and despite all its dirty tactics, governments can’t any longer sway populations into thinking that cannabis is bad or dangerous. To the extent that all that money coming into the government for special interests, can’t outdo the public opinion that weed should be legal. This puts the government in a catch 22. If it continues to ban the drug, all its states go against it. If it legalizes it, it means 1) taking an about-face from a policy it pushed for decades, and 2) making it harder for competitor industries that pay up, to keep weed out of the spectrum. Even as the government made no official policy update, it’s now erasing convictions for the thing it says is illegal. Biden announced that current policy is to be reviewed in an effort to head closer to a decriminalization, and two bills are still in action in congress that could legalize cannabis as well (though one is weirdly called a decriminalization, even though it sets up a tax schedule). Whether either the MORE act or The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act pass, is hard to say, but what is for sure, is that cannabis reform is coming to the US. ConclusionThe pardons Biden instituted for simple possession cannabis charges are just the start to a new trajectory concerning the federal government and cannabis. We should see even more changes coming up with elections next month, and in the months to follow. Welcome readers!! Thanks for making your way to Cannadelics.com; an independent news site focused on bringing you the best in cannabis and psychedelics reporting. Join us whenever possible to stay up-to-date on everything important, and sign up for our Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you’re always first to get the news. The post Let the Pardons Begin: Biden Exonerates Those with Simple Possession Charges appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/13/let-the-pardons-begin-biden-exonerates-those-with-simple-possession-charges/
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If you’re a cannabis consumer, you’re familiar with the topic of different strains. But when it comes to magic mushrooms, all the different strains are less frequently discussed. What are the differences between Psilocybe cubensis strains, and which ones are the strongest?Scroll down to learn more about the most potent magic mushroom strains. And to stay current on everything important happening in the industry, as well as gain access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more (various cannabinoids to choose from), make sure to subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Enjoy responsibly! What exactly are “strains”?Strains can occur naturally or selective breeding can be used to create new strains that boost specific characteristics and effects of the plant. In biology, a “strain” refers to a subtype, genetic variant, or culture within a biological species. A group of similar strains can also form sub-species within the species. In that case, the sub-species would come before “strains” and after “species” in the scientific classification. Here’s a couple examples of the correct orders when it comes to both cannabis and mushroom types: CANNABIS: Kingdom (plantae) – order (rosales) – family (cannabaceae) – genus (cannabis) – species (sativa/indica/ruderalis) – possible subspecies – strain (blue dream). MUSHROOMS: Kingdom (fungi) – division (basidiomycota) – class (agaricomycetes) – order (agaricales) – family (hymenogastraceae) – genus (psilocybe) – species (P. cubensis) – possible subspecies – strain (Penis Envy). ![]() Now, let’s zero in on psilocybe. Nearly all species of mushrooms within the psilocybe genus contain the psychedelic compounds psilocybin, psilocin, and baeocystin. Narrowing it down even further, the most popular species of psilocybe is cubensis. There are well over a hundred species of p. cubensis alone, and many different strains as well. A cube’s a cubeAgain, psilocybe cubensis mushrooms are the most sought-after magic mushroom species, so if you’ve eaten psilocybin mushrooms, but had no idea what species it was, chances are it was a cube. That’s because “cubes” are the easiest magic mushroom to cultivate indoors. In fact, due to decades of selective home breeding, there are now 60 different strains of P. cubensis (that we know of), like Golden Teachers, B+, Penis Envy Mushrooms, and Pink Buffalo. You may have heard the phrase before “a cube’s a cube”, because all the cubensis strains are psychoactive, but that’s not necessarily accurate, as potency can vary. Different types of cubensis strains grow easily in the wild and can be found all over the globe, particularly throughout the southern US, into Mexico, Central American, and South America, but they also grow in Cuba, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia. While these can be quite potent, indoor-grown strains are known to be stronger because they’re bred for potency and cultivated in very specific conditions (certain substrates, clean environment, consistent temps and humidity, etc.). As for the medical benefits of different mushroom strains… it’s hard to say. Although some clinical trials testing the efficacy of psilocybin for mental health have emerged in recent years, the subjects in these studies actually receive synthetic psilocybin, rather than psilocybin extracted from the whole mushroom. Knowing what we know about the entourage effect, it’s safe to say that the effects of using natural, full-spectrum mushroom extract (or just eating the entire mushroom itself) could have vastly different effects than the isolated compound. Potent mushroom strainsThe varieties, or strains, vary in how well and how fast they grow, what conditions they prefer, their color, size, and shape, and in the quality and intensity of the experience they give to users. Psilocybin concentration does differ from one mushroom to the next, and it’s likely that each strain does have a distinctive typical potency. However, the difference is likely subtle, and there is a lot of overlap between strains due to individual variation. That said, let’s take a look at a handful of the more popular cube strains that shroomers are more likely to encounter: Penis Envy: Named for their noticeably phallic shape, Penis Envy mushrooms have grown quite a following because of their remarkable potency. I’m also partial to them because they are the first and only strain of shrooms that I’ve grown myself. As the story goes, Penis Envy mushrooms were discovered by Terence McKenna in 1971, when he found a flush of mushrooms growing on a pile of cow droppings in the Amazon. ![]() He brought some spore prints back home with him and the rest is history (a complicated history that we’ll save for a later time). Today, Penis Envy mushrooms are the second most searched P. cubensis strain on google, and the best-selling among spore retailers. Golden Teachers: Golden Teacher mushrooms are another sought-after strain that are said to be particularly easy to grow, compared to other strains that need more specific conditions and are more easily contaminated. As such, they’ve been the most widely used and cultivated magic mushroom strain for quite some time, and they’re commonly referred to as a “beginner strain” because many people try Golden Teachers for their first time shrooming. Liberty Caps: Liberty Caps (also known as Blue Legs, Pixie Caps, and Witches Hats) are another very common strain of P. cubensis. My first soiree into the world of magic mushrooms was with Liberty Caps many years ago, and it was a lot of fun. They grow in fields and pastures around the world and are partial to slightly colder temperatures than other strains. Liberty Caps have one of the most extensive and colorful histories among shroom varieties. They were documented for the first time in 1799, after a family picking mushrooms in a London Park accidentally ate them for dinner and began experiencing symptoms of the psilocybin. Local chemist Augustus Everard Brande wrote about the family’s experience in an article titled “On A Poisonous Species of Agaric”, that was published the London Medical and Physical Journal. Final thoughtsAlthough there might not always be a huge difference between strains, there are some variations that are noticeable enough that people are still able to develop preferences. I’m partial to Penis Envy mushrooms, mainly because I’ve grown quite familiar with them and I enjoy the effects, whereas other mushrooms I’ve tried sometimes didn’t do much of anything at all. It’s hard to say what or if there are any therapeutic advantages to using certain magic mushroom strains, but more research on natural, whole-mushroom medicine will one day help us to make sense of it all. Do you have a favorite shroom strain? Is it your preferred strain to grow, consume, or both? Drop us a line in the comment section below, we’d love to hear your thoughts! Thanks for stopping by!! Welcome to Cannadelics.com; an independent news platform where we work hard religiously to bring you the best in cannabis and psychedelics reporting. Hang out with us frequently to stay aware of all updates, and subscribe to our Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always first to get the news. The post Different Magic Mushroom Strains – Which Ones Are the Strongest? appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/13/different-magic-mushroom-strains-which-ones-are-the-strongest/ It happens every year. The kids among us get to dress up like fairies and monsters, and collect candy from neighbors. This year, let’s throw a little twist in things; lets make it trick-or-treating for adults. That’s right, this ain’t just for kids anymore. With adult-themed trick-or-treating, you can make it a super buzzy Halloween. Thanks for stopping by. Keep current by subscribing to the The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, and get first-rate access to offers on tons of merchandise like cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, smoking paraphernalia, cannabinoid compounds, and much more. Please enjoy responsibly! The Halloween candy connectionIf you take a step back, it’s a bit odd, and sounds dangerous. Every year we dress up our children in crazy outfits, and then send them out to collect food gifts from unknown people. And we’re pretty excited to do it. Which makes sense, of course, as very few children turn down the chance to fill a bag with candy, especially when there’s no work attached. Where does this strange custom of having our children go around asking random people for sweets come from? It’s a two-part story. In fact, Halloween in the way we know it today, was born in the early 1900’s, in America. Back in the day, Halloween wasn’t about candy, or at least, not more than other celebratory holidays. You could find candy at annual parties, mostly of the candy corn or taffy varieties. The holiday in general was more one for playing pranks. ![]() The idea of playing pranks was a big part of it, and possibly the impetus for Mischief Night (aka Hell’s Night, Devil’s Night etc..), which now takes place the night before Halloween, and is based around the idea of being mischievous. Up until the 1930’s, mischief took place on Halloween, and for a time, this was manageable. In the 1930’s, however, things took a turn for the worst, and these behaviors started to spread to bigger cities, and became more destructive (like the Mischief Night of today). It was bad enough that civic groups in different locations thought of banning the holiday. Instead, a different idea was offered, and subsequently taken up. In order to keep kids happy, the practice started of buying children off with candy and other sweets. Kids were essentially sidetracked with costumes, parties, and trick-or-treating, to keep them in line. By the mid-1930’s, the term ‘trick-or-treat’ appeared, with its first official mention in 1936. Back in this time, the treats given out were usually homemade, like doughnuts or popcorn. World War II temporarily brought an end to this, as sugar was rationed; but upon its end, Halloween and trick-or-treating came back in a big way. The two were spurred on by popular television shows offering Halloween episodes; and big candy companies, which capitalized on the idea that pre-packaged foods were thought of as safer, and easier for busy moms. Why do we collect candy from neighbors?Candy associated with a holiday is one thing, but that doesn’t explain the act of trick-or-treating, wherein kids knock on door after door to add a Snickers to their pile. When it comes to this, it actually harks back to much older traditions, which is the first part of the story. The traditions that predate our version of Halloween. Halloween goes back over two thousands years, when it was called Samhain, and celebrated by the Celts as a harvest holiday. End of harvest was associated with the dead returning, and celebrations saw some dressing up, and others leaving out foodstuffs for wandering souls. This turned into specifically dressing up as ghosts and monster-types, and performing tricks in exchange for treats – get it? Back then it wasn’t called trick-or-treating, but ‘mumming’. When Celtic traditions were taken over by Christian traditions, the holiday changed. Christians had their own version, which involved something called ‘souling’. In this tradition, the poor visited the rich and offered to pray for the souls of the dying in their families, in return for ‘soul cakes’. In time, it became specifically children sent to do this job. In England and Ireland, it turned into going from house to house to sing and tell jokes, and to trade off services for treats (‘guising’). ![]() These traditions made it to the US upon immigrants coming to the New World. Though candy didn’t quite factor in, the idea of going from house to house, and having parties, did. In the post war era, when things really picked up again, this practice of going from house to house became more widespread, and when the candy companies got in on it, candy became the offering of choice, and the reason for the door-to-door adventures. By the 1960’s, candy was a big deal in the trick-or-treating world, and by the 1970’s, the prepackaged goods had cemented their place, partly for safety reasons. Sugary candies might not be the healthiest thing, but the prepared nature was preferable to parents who were afraid that homemade goods might be tampered with. This was mainly because of a case in the 1970’s that revolved around a father poisoning his own son’s candy in an effort to get insurance money. These fears were accompanied by more stories, like razor blades in chocolate bars, and though it really wasn’t a problem in the end, pre-packaging won out. Halloween and candy are so completely tied at this point, that drug store and supermarket candy shelves go bare this time of year in preparation. According to Huffington Post, approximately 600 million pounds of candy are sold yearly for Halloween, which means approximately 16 billion fun size candy bars. That’s a lot of sweetness. Trick-or-treating for adultsWhen looking at the history of Halloween and trick-or-treating, its about both adults and children, even if now the trick-or-treating it left solely for the kids. This year, let’s change that. Let’s bring trick-or-treating back for the adult community, and let’s do it in a bang up way. I have the perfect idea for a cannabis-infused, trick-or-treating experience for the adults among us. A game we can all play. Don’t worry though, this isn’t a game with a lot of rules. This Halloween, go to your local dispensary and pick up some high-flying weed edibles to hand out to your friends. Or, alternately, go back to the old-school mentality and bake up some super-sweet infused edibles. Whether store bought or homemade, the one thing for sure is, you won’t be working off a sugar high this year. ![]() Next, while leaving one responsible adult at home to dole out the munchie-inducing munchies, the rest can go out and do some… trick-or-treating, the adult way. Just go round to all your friends houses who are participating, and pick up what they’re handing out. At the end of the night, you’re sure to have a sack full of some super dope edibles, and the best part is, you’ll have a variety of options. Now, if you’ve got kids at home, best to make sure they’re taken care of before starting your own trick-or-treating for adults experience. But once everything is set up (kids taken care of, work done, house presentable, chores finished, and whatever else is necessary), its all about you in your grown-up princess dress, cat outfit, or vampire teeth, doing Halloween the grown up way. ConclusionI’m not trying to tell anyone what to do. We all see fit to celebrate things in our own way. Maybe for you it means curling up on the sofa with some Rocky Horror, or making it a monster movie marathon. Maybe you prefer handing out candy to kids, or rocking out at Halloween parties. For those still in the trick-or-treating spirit, don’t let being adults put a kibosh on the fun. Get your edibles ready, and do some trick-or-treating in the only way adults should. For more adult-themed fun, check out this guide for a super-awesome, weed-infused Halloween. Hello and welcome!! Thanks for dropping by Cannadelics.com; where we work hard to bring you the best in independent reporting for the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Stop by frequently to stay in-the-loop on important happenings, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you always know what’s going on. The post Trick-or-Treating For Adults: Weed Style appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/12/trick-or-treating-for-adults-weed-style/ Sound like a strange headline? Oh, it is. But it’s also true, and acts as a great lesson to all those wondering about the ability to inject shrooms. This is a story of negative self-exploration, and a cautionary tale for anyone willing to jump into new territory, when nothing is yet written. Read on to find out about the guy who ended up with magic mushrooms growing in his blood, after he made the bad decision to inject shrooms. Did you think it might be a good idea to inject shrooms? Perhaps you should think of another way of ingestion, as this is not a good idea. This is a cannabis and psychedelics news platform that focuses on independent reporting of these fields and beyond. Play along by subscribing to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, for regular updates, as well as a selection of deals on all kinds of merchandise. This is what happens when you inject shroomsIn early 2021, a story came out with pretty shocking headlines blurting out about magic mushrooms growing in a guy’s blood. As it turns out, the story is the true result of what happened to a guy when he decided to inject magic mushrooms directly into his blood stream. He did this move by making the mushrooms into a tea, and then injecting the tea into his veins. The basic result of all this is that the guy spent 22 days in a hospital, with eight days specifically in intensive care due to organ failure of multiple organs like the liver and kidneys. He also spent some time on a ventilator due to acute respiratory failure, because of built up fluid in the air sacs of his lungs. Apparently also a result of his little experiment. Luckily, he lived, but upon release from the hospital, he was still required to take antibiotics and antifungals on a long-term basis. Just in case you’re thinking ‘no, I don’t believe any of this. I think Sarah made it up’, have no fear, you can find a detailed description of the case here through ScienceDirect. It was published January 11th, 2021 in the Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. ![]() If you’re wondering, ‘did the guy get super high from this experience?’, its best to remember that whatever high he might have felt would have been completely overshadowed by the extreme medical issues that ensued. Unless someone is being fed opioids, not many people in intensive care are excited about their predicament, or feeling really good. However, the report didn’t make a mention of this aspect, so we really don’t know for sure. Who is this guy and why did he do it?What drives a person to inject shrooms into their veins? In this case, it wasn’t just a random experiment that came from boredom and nothing to do, but more of a medical experiment. The 30-year-old in question (name not given) suffered from bi-polar disorder, as well as being an opioid addict, and hoped that this was a way to cure himself of his afflictions. While this man did do reading to establish the possible psychiatric benefits of using magic mushrooms, he clearly didn’t investigate the ways they’re taken. Instead, he opted for the tea in the vein idea, first filtering the tea with cotton swabs. The negative reaction wasn’t immediate. It took a few days for symptoms to build, but within a few days time, he was experiencing a yellowing of his skin, nausea, and lethargy. This soon turned into diarrhea, and even more concerning, vomiting blood. He didn’t actually opt to go to the hospital, but was found in a highly confused state by his family, who brought him in. He presented with so much confusion that he couldn’t take part in a normal conversation. What did test results for this pioneer in mushroom-injecting show? Both bacterial and fungal infections in his blood. The bacterial infection was caused by the bacterium Brevibacillus, and the fungal infection was found involving the Psilocybe cubensis fungus he had injected. This infection implies that injecting the mushrooms, led to their growth in his blood. That was NOT the first time a person tried to inject mushrooms!Funny thing is, if you look a little harder, there’s a similar case file that pops up from 1985, also involving a 30-year-old guy injecting mushrooms. Less was said in this case about the growing of fungal infections in the guy’s blood, but he did present in an emergency room with similar symptoms. He was vomiting, as well as showing signs of “severe myalgias, hyperpyrexia, hypoxemia, and mild methemoglobinemia.” According to that paper, the patient recovered quickly once in supportive care, meaning in both cases, the patient was lucky enough to survive their injection. The other interesting aspect about the 1985 write-up, is that it cites two examples previous to that case, in which two other people made the same mistake of injecting mushrooms, and had similar symptoms. In all cases, magic mushrooms were used for injection, but it suffices to say that injecting any mushroom could lead to the same response. ![]() In the world of drug exploration, particularly psychedelics, self-experimentation has been at the crux of new discovery. Take Albert Hofmann and his finding and testing of LSD. This compound might never have been introduced to us, or learned about, without the guy being brave enough to administer it to himself. And this was the case with tons of other psychiatrists in the mid-1900’s. Before giving it to patients, they tried LSD themselves to understand its capabilities. Having said that, we are not all trained professionals. Expecting a lay person to understand these compounds like a scientist is not a good bet, and that can mean misinterpreting where danger lies. Sure, if the guy who decided to inject magic mushrooms, had eaten them instead, I wouldn’t have had ammunition for this article. But he did inject, and in doing so, made a cautionary tale out of himself, as to what can happen when an untrained person seeks to do a medical experiment outside of their knowledge purview. If you can’t inject shrooms, how should you take them?For the sake of clarity, it is possible to inject psilocybin, just not the actual magic mushrooms, or an extract made from them. Pure psilocybin isn’t often injected, but it can be, as it has no fungi in it, and certainly no spores. This has happened under medical supervision for different studies. It only applies to the pure psilocybin, and should never be done with the mushrooms themselves, as the above story indicates. Mushrooms are usually ingested orally, although this happens in different ways. In terms of just eating the mushrooms, a person can eat them fresh, or dry them out and eat them that way. A dried mushroom can also be made into a powder and used for tea. Another option is to soak the mushroom in alcohol to draw out the psychedelic constituents, and make it into a tincture. Mushrooms can also be incorporated into different edible recipes and eaten like this. New research is opening doors to other forms of use, and there are new delivery methods on their way. Recently, the company Madrigal Mental Care released a psilocybin nasal spray, which works like any nasal spray; up through the nostril. The new device was unleashed at Biomed Israel Life Science and HealthTech conference in Tel Aviv, earlier this year in May. The nasal spray uses nano-technology and gets to the brain through the nostrils, which means the compounds don’t go through the digestive tract. This is the second product of its kind, following Silo Wellness’s 2019 psilocybin nasal spray. Other companies are going a different way, developing skin patches for use with psilocybin. Several companies are currently in the R&D phase for such products, including Nova Mentis and Mycrodose who teamed up to formulate these skin patches for fragile X syndrome. The companies Ei.Ventures and Tioga Research are also in on it, creating their own team to investigate transdermal patches for medicine delivery. ![]() The idea of psilocybin skin patches has even been improved on by the partnership of The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) and Pharma Ther, Inc., which are employing the use of microneedle patches for this delivery. These patches differ from standard transdermal patches which use an adhesive mixed with medicine; and instead use a layer of microneedles that go into the surface of the skin to release medicinal compounds. Just in case you’re wondering, smoking shrooms isn’t an option, though less dangerous than injecting them. When it comes to smoking, psilocybin doesn’t last long in high heat, meaning its unlikely a mushroom smoker will ever get any good effects. And just like with injecting, it is possible to introduce fungi into the lungs, which can go on to cause infection. ConclusionNot every experiment in life needs to be done, as emphasized by this recent case in which the guy did inject shrooms, and suffered many medical issues because of it. Without intervention, the multiple organ failure indicates that he likely would have died. And death is way worse than what he was trying to accomplish with the injection in the first place. If you’re interested in a drug, please, please, please do your research. Know what you’re doing, and how to do it. This guy is a cautionary tale, and the rest of us should be smart enough to heed that warning. As a quick last note, I have yet to see anything published about positive results of mushroom injections. Sometimes good and bad stories go alongside each other showing the different results of the same compound. In this case, all written-about instances of this happening, resulted in a negative response. Thanks for making it over!! Welcome to Cannadelics.com; a fully independent news site bringing you the best in independent reporting for the cannabis and psychedelics industries. Come by regularly to stay on top of these quickly-changing landscapes, and sign up for our Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you’re never late on getting a story. The post The Magic Mushroom Blood Guy, And Why We Don’t Inject Shrooms appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/12/the-magic-mushroom-blood-guy-and-why-we-dont-inject-shrooms/ Halloween is on its way and horror film suggestions are in full flow. Is there anything better than a scary movie, a bowl of sweet and salted popcorn and a freshly rolled joint? I mean genuinely, everything considered, is there actually much better than that? Of course there is – world peace for example – but that’s besides the point. Today I’ll be giving my top 6 horror films to watch this Halloween, made before the turn of the century. The pre 2000s were a historic time for scary movies and a period that any film buff should explore. Every trope and technique of horror was trialed and tested before the 2000s, making these films the rawest and most authentic of them all. Grab yourself a gram of your finest weed, probably a friend to protect you, and delve into this spooky and intense film list. To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, as well as gain access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more (various cannabinoids to choose from), make sure to subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Enjoy responsibly! The Golden Era for HorrorThe pre-2000s are often considered to be the golden era for horror films. A time where all of the usual tropes – the jump scares and spooky narratives – were perfected. The 80s especially were a key evolutionary time for the genre. With the creation of slasher movies, came a new wave of scary movies. These films, in essence, contained blissfully unaware teens being brutally murdered in creative and brilliant ways. They laid the way for a lot of gory chase films to follow in the post-2000s. Skill Set Mag writes: “It’s a fact that 80s horror movies will always be the best. There, we said it. We can hear the young voices crying out, “What about “Saw”?… Yes, we know there are plenty of horror movies with dark-haired girls crawling out of televisions that are creepy. We enjoyed those as well, but they wouldn’t exist without the foundation of success studios enjoyed with the horror movies of the 1980s.” The pre-2000s not only birthed some of the most common tropes of horror, but also some of the greatest ever characters. These include the likes of Freddy Krueger in Friday the 13th and Michael Myers in Halloween. With televisions being more commonly found in households, these characters were becoming iconic household names. The world of horror was getting a name for itself. That is why, if you love scary films, it would be a disservice to yourself to avoid the pre-2000s. There are hundreds to choose from, but these are my top 6. Make sure to watch at least one of these this Halloween, with a joint to surely enhance the fear factor. 1. The Exorcist (1973)The Exorcist is considered one of the scariest – if not the scariest – movies of all time. Nothing really compares to the 2 hours and 12 minutes of pure and lasting horror that this film induces. It doesn’t need jump scares, it doesn’t need cliches, the Exorcist is in a league of its own. A girl is left possessed and in need of an exorcism after playing with a Ouija board. ![]() It won an Oscar award for best adapted screenplay and was nominated for countless others. Many younger people – including myself – may only know the Exorcist from the parody exorcism scene in the first Scary Movie film. However, I implore you, to see beyond this and watch the actual film itself. Roll up a joint, beg a friend to join you, and enjoy watching horror history this Halloween. 2. Blair Witch Project (1999)Whilst the Blair Witch Project only barely makes it into the pre-2000s list in regards to the date it was released, this film most definitely deserves its place. A major reason for this is the way it was filmed. The film tells the story of three student filmmakers who decide to film a documentary about a forest they believe, light heartedly, to be haunted. The movie is filmed by them – shaky, unprofessionally and personally. Whilst this style of horror film takes a little bit of time to get used to, it subsequently makes the scary moments a million times more effective. It watches like a genuinely true story, and you feel as if you’re there with them. You’re made aware that you’re watching recovered footage, which makes it all the more haunting. The Blair Witch Project was one of the most successful indie horror films of all time and led to many other directors using this found footage film technique, such as Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield. The whole experience will only be heightened by the presence of some Mary Jane. 3. The Shining (1980)The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on Stephen King’s novel, is considered by some as the best film ever made – all genres included. This movie unnervingly sticks with you, with most of the story feeling more psychological than gory. Although, there are plenty of slasher moments too. Jack Nicholson plays a father who takes his family to an abandoned hotel for the winter. Due to the isolation and something sinister about the hotel, he slowly begins losing his mind and becomes an unsafe presence for the rest of the family. Nicholson is unmatched in this movie and his portrayal of the deterioration of the mind is haunting. Many will know the movie for its iconic scene where Jack hacks a hole in a door and pokes his head through, shouting: ‘here’s Johnny’. This memorable line was supposedly improvised by Nicholson and yet will never be forgotten by horror film fans. Do yourself a favor, get stoned and watch the Shining this Halloween. You will not regret it. 4. Scream (1996)Ever wondered where the Scream mask that everyone wears at Halloween originates from – well this film is the culprit. Well actually, to be pedantic, its more genuine origin comes from the 1893 painting by Edvard Munch. Nonetheless, this film – a true staple of the slasher genre – is definitely worth a watch. Even if only for nostalgia. ![]() Scream is certainly not the most critically acclaimed on this list, but it still remains a classic for its wit, jump scares, gore and creativity. The film revolves around a high school serial killer who wears a mask and is unknown by everyone – but Sydney aims to find out the true identity. This is probably the closest thing to a stoner horror film on this list. “Whatsaaaaaaaap?” 5. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a key example of a pre-2000 classic that birthed one of the greatest horror characters of all times. Leatherface – a cold blooded killer that literally wears his victims faces – is iconic and unforgettable. The movie follows a group of students whose car breaks down in the wrong place at the wrong time. A family of cannibals find them and aim to murder them all. The film slogan fittingly reads: ‘who will survive and what will be left of them?’. This movie was actually banned in many countries when it came out for its major moments of disgusting gore. There are quite a few of these films, with another one released only this year, but the true praise should be given to the 1974 original. If you’re looking for a horror classic that will surely fill you and your friends up with fear and masochistic fun, then watch this. 6. Silence of the Lambs (1991)Similar to the Shining, Silence of the Lambs deserves recognition as an all-out incredible movie. Not only do Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster’s outstanding performances make the film what it is, the story is also a thrilling psychological exploration into a serial murderer. A young FBI agent (Jodie Foster) must receive the help of cannibal murderer Hannibal Lechter (Anthony Hopkins), in order to catch a different criminal. With 95% on Rotten tomatoes, this film is one of those that you have to watch in your lifetime. Hopkins won the Oscar for best actor and it won the best picture award too. This one is definitely for the film lovers out there, and may not make you jump out of your seat, but will definitely make your seat less pleasurable to sit in. Roll up and watch this Halloween. Final ThoughtsIt’s hard taking film recommendations at the best of times, it’s even harder when a holiday comes along and you want to ensure you enjoy your time off. Too often do people shy away from older films, fearing they may be less engaging or too out of touch. These films will not leave you disappointed. They are classics for a reason and will certainty – with the help of cannabis – make for a memorable Halloween. Thanks for stopping by!! Welcome to Cannadelics.com; an independent news platform where we work hard religiously to bring you the best in cannabis and psychedelics reporting. Hang out with us frequently to stay aware of all updates, and subscribe to our Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always first to get the news. The post Top 6 Pre-2000 Horror Films to Watch Stoned this Halloween appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/11/top-6-pre-2000-horror-films-to-watch-stoned-this-halloween/ Fall is the season of cool brisk weather, colorful leaves, comfort foods, and feelings of change and new beginnings. Thereâs just something fresh about those sudden temperature drops and the way the landscape around you so quickly turns into a beautiful palette of reds, yellows, and oranges. Another great thing about fall is Halloween, and all the spooky fun that comes along with it. Although itâs not one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States, in my opinion, itâs one of the best. Below are a few of my favorite Halloween activities to do, as a stoner⦠check them out and have a fun fall season! To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, as well as gain access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more (various cannabinoids to choose from), make sure to subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Enjoy responsibly! Visit something hauntedHalloween is all about scary fun, so what better way to accomplish that then by getting stoned and going somewhere haunted. Now âhauntedâ can mean a couple of different things in this context. One, you could check out a fake haunted house, maze, hotel or similar. These attractions rely on special effects and jump-scare tactics to freak people out. But just because theyâre not real, doesnât mean theyâre not scary. Some are so intense that you have to sign a waivers and release forms before participating, like at Mckamey Manor in San Diego, California. Or two, if youâre looking for something more realistic, you could go somewhere thatâs known to actually be haunted. Graveyards and old burial grounds top the list of easy to find, possibly haunted locations, but most cities have some older, historical buildings with a creepy story too. Some will be set up for tourism, like the Whaley House (also in San Diego), and others are just local landmarks like a haunted bridge in Avon, Indiana, that many Hoosiers know about. Horror movie marathonOne of the best things about October is the flood of horror movies that become available â new releases, old classics, or, best yet, franchises like Texas Chainsaw Massacre (thereâs a total of 10 movies here both old and new, and if you watch them in the correct chronological order â not by order of release date â each one begins exactly where the previous one ended making it like one super long movie), Friday the 13th and Halloween (both of which of 12 films), The Conjuring (or Conjuring Universe, up to 8 movies now with more on the way) and so on. ![]() Whether you have streaming services or cable TV, youâre sure to find a decent scary movie marathon somewhere. Grab your weed, get your snacks ready, jump into some comfy clothes and youâre ready to spend your Halloween being both scared, but totally chill and secure in the comfort of your own home. Get lost in a corn mazeIn many places around the United States (such as the Midwest), exploring corn mazes and pumpkin patches and going on hayrides are quintessential fall pastimes. All these activities can be either fun and festive â if you go a nice fall-themed one during the day or early evening, or it could the vibes could be creepier if you go to a âhauntedâ one thatâs set up at nighttime. Either way, getting stoned beforehand or bringing some edibles or a vape pen for discreet medicating during, is an absolute must. Light a bonfireAnother staple on the list of fall favorites. I mean really, whatâs better than bundling up in your favorite sweater and boots on a nice, crisp night and hanging out around a bright, beautiful, crackling fire. Theyâre perfect for telling scary stories, making smores, having a couple drinks, and joking around with friends⦠but regardless of what you plan on doing, make sure youâre passing a joint or blunt around while you do it. You may have to check your local ordinance on bonfires. For example, in California, there were quite a few restrictions for lighting fires on private property â and with the weather out there, rightfully so. But in more humid states throughout the South and Midwest, there are little to no bonfire restrictions, so youâre free to gather up all the loose brush and branches from your yard, grab any paper trash like those big cardboard boxes youâve been needing to get rid of, and toss them all in the fire. Play around with stoner-themed costumesCannabis has become seriously mainstream over the last decade. And as much as some of the old-school stoners may cringe at current trends, one of the positives about pot being popular, is apparel! Not only can you find some great cannabis-inspired everyday clothing items these days, but you can even find some really fun stoner Halloween costumes⦠so you donât have to make your own anymore! If you want to be super literal about it, you could simply dress up as a giant pot leaf, joint, or bag of nugs. If youâre doing a coupleâs thing, opt for a famous stoner duo like Cheech and Chong, Rick and Morty (not really a stoner pair per se, but a stoner show for sure), Abbi and Ilana, or Jay and Silent Bob. The possibilities are really endless here, as there is no short supply of famous potheads to choose from. Carve a pumpkin bongAside from being super fun and relatively easy to do, itâs also very instagrammable once itâs finished and you have a nice downstem and bowl sticking out of the pumpkin. All you need is a handful of items, seven simple steps, and you can have one of your own to pass around at the next Halloween gathering. What you need:
Instructions: Step 1: Pick your pumpkin, make sure itâs not too round or too large so you can have room for the downstem and mouthpiece, but still be able to hold and maneuver it comfortably. Step 2: Mark your pumpkin with the sharpie. Make note of where to cut the top (so you can hollow it out and still keep the top portion intact), and where to will put the downstem and mouthpiece. Step 3: Use a sharp blade to cut open the top of the pumpkin. Itâs best to cut ina circular pattern to minimize the surface area of the cut and reduce air intake in the pumpkin. Step 4: Clean out the pumpkin. Use the spoon to scoop out all the guts and seeds. Once youâre done, flush the inside of the pumpkin out with some water and wipe it down to make sure itâs as clean and smooth as possible. Step 5: Carve out a hole for the downstem. To this is, itâs very important that you cut the lower portion of the hole at a 45 degree angle point down, to keep the downstem properly positioned and prevent splashback and issues taking hits. Place the downstem in the hole, and the bowl piece into the downstem. Step 6: Like the previous step, carefully carve out a small hole for the mouthpiece and stick it in there. Step 7. Add some water, and toke away! Bake some Halloween treatsNot everyone enjoys baking, but almost everyone enjoys eating. And stoners most definitely like to eat. If youâre a whiz in the kitchen, you could have a lot of fun getting high and baking some Halloween-themed cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and other treats. If youâre not trying to do all that, but still want a fun, unique snack, go for an easier option like Halloween chex mix muddy buddies, which require few ingredients and not a lot of steps or effort. Final thoughtsHello readers! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so youâre always up on whatâs going down. The post Fun Stoner Activities for a Memorable Halloween appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/11/fun-stoner-activities-for-a-memorable-halloween/ We hear warnings all the time for these compounds, usually labeled ‘K2’ or ‘spice’, and how dangerous they are; despite a lack of actual deaths directly related to them. But the most interesting part of these warnings, is that they come with no information. If you want to know how synthetic cannabinoids are made, where, or by who, it’s as if the information doesn’t exist, even with our wide-ranging internet. What does this all mean? To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, as well as gain access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more (various cannabinoids to choose from), make sure to subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Enjoy responsibly! What are synthetic cannabinoids?These days there are three types. Two get a bad rap, despite not being that bad, and one gets pushed directly at consumers. A real cannabinoid is something like THC, CBD, or CBN which is naturally made by the cannabis plant, and can be extracted in its natural form, without any change to the compound. A synthetic cannabinoid is a cannabinoid that is made using processing techniques that either change the original molecule, or create a molecule by using component parts, and synthesizing them together with synthetic processes. Therefore, a synthetic cannabinoid is either a direct replica of a real cannabinoid, just made synthetically (like delta-8 THC), or it’s a compound that doesn’t exist in nature, and is simply closely-related to the natural cannabinoids – like delta-10 THC. Synthetic or not, some synthetic compounds mirror compounds found in nature, while some don’t exist in nature at all. One of the big debates in this industry, is whether these compounds fit under the definition of hemp, a definition that doesn’t allow for synthetic processing of compounds. There are also issues of too-high THC amounts in preparations, as well as additive chemicals. The latter issue has shown to be the actual problem in cannabinoid-related deaths. Something even stated by a recent UK report, though this was about vapes specifically, not synthetic cannabis. As the two fear campaigns for vapes and synthetic cannabinoids are similar, its still interesting to note. ![]() The 3 kinds of synthetic cannabinoids we deal withWhat are the three types we deal with today? Technically they could all be lumped together, but essentially they make up three different industries. The first has to do with what’s referred to as the cannabinoid market. The biggest products in this market are delta-8 THC and HHC. Though the compounds are sold under the term ‘hemp-derived’, meaning they came from the hemp plant, this doesn’t mean they’re not synthetic. As only CBD exists in high enough quantities for direct extraction from hemp (in amounts usable for product manufacturing), these compounds are not directly extracted, but made through processing from CBD. Or through some other process not made clear. Whether they are technically legal or not, they are openly sold all throughout the US in stores. How many direct deaths have they caused? None. The second type is considered downright illegal cannabinoids, and they’re the main reference point when bringing up ‘synthetic cannabis’. These compounds are nicknamed ‘spice’ and ‘K2’, and the reality is that we don’t know much about them. It’s often said that the main chemical constituent is a compound called cannabicyclohexanol (aka (C8)-CP 47,497), or rather, a derivative of it called CP 47,497. The interesting thing about this compound, is that its related to HHC, which was actually discovered by the US government in an attempt to make a watered down version of THC. We are constantly warned about these drugs. Sometimes we’re told they’re super strong and can therefore cause a bad reaction, sometimes we’re told they’re poisonous. But, are they? Usually, synthetic weed comes as broken up foliage with something sprayed on it. I, myself, once got very sick from fake weed, a story detailed here. But the reaction was so isolated (smoked it a million times, this happened only once), that blaming it on the compound that got me high, is silly. However, if I had died, it would’ve been blamed on the synthetic THC, no doubt. Thing is, when a drug is sprayed on random foliage, the foliage could have anything on it from rat poison to insecticide; and breathing in chemicals of this nature, can be deadly. It seems no one died directly from the synthetic cannabinoids, but rather from other additives or chemicals used to make the product. The synthetic cannabinoids are directly related to THC, and as of yet, none of the researched cannabinoids – synthetic or not – have ever been associated with causing such problems. They might not have been taken up by the government, but the research around them never showed a deathly issue. The last type of synthetic cannabinoid? The one sold directly to us. That involves approved pharmaceutical medications like dronabinol and nabilone. Yup, we’re told to fear cannabis synthetics, right alongside being told that if we buy them from a pharmaceutical company, somehow the danger disappears. Pharmaceutical companies are not in the business of providing non-synthetic medications by default, because they can’t. ![]() Their legal inability to patent a plant dictates that they must create synthetics if they want to use similar compounds. So automatically, these companies are making the same things as the cannabinoid market sells, yet we’re told its totally cool. These, of course, aren’t any more or less dangerous than any of the other cannabinoid compounds, whether synthetic or not. But they do create a logical discrepancy. It’s not advertised to us that these medications are synthetics, but they are. Just as much as the compounds we’re constantly warned away from. Which means the government, even without legalizing cannabis for medical use, allows the sale of synthetic cannabinoid medicines, while telling the public that synthetic cannabinoids are dangerous. Okay, so how are synthetic cannabinoids like K2 and spice made?And this is where it really gets interesting. I want everyone reading this to open an internet browser page, and type in any of the following terms: “how is K2 made”, “how is spice cannabinoid made”, or “K2 recipe”. Seriously, go for it. You’ll find what I did. Tons of fear articles, tons of explanations of how its sprayed on foliage, and tons of stories of injury, sometimes without explaining the idea of additives and other chemicals involved, yet never explaining how exactly the cannabinoids caused the death either. What you fundamentally won’t find, is how these synthetic cannabinoids are made, where they’re made, or by who. A search of Tic Tok videos turned up some videos of wetting paper in chemicals, which still doesn’t help us at all. And this paper by EMCDDA, which gives about the most detail possible in terms of the compounds, still falls short of explaining how they’re actually made, only giving a few thoughts on it. However, what it does do, is say nothing bad about these compounds, likening them for the most part, to THC. It doesn’t even have a section on danger. If you’re thinking that this information is never provided for illicit drug markets, you’re wrong. Go back to the browser page. Now search these terms: “meth recipe”, “crack recipe”, and “fentanyl recipe”. You’re going to find plenty of information, even if you specifically don’t have the skills to make them. Sure, it can involve high level chemistry, but the point, is that the information is there. You can also find plenty of information about where these drugs are illegally made, and by who. So easy, that I was able to give a little overview here, in an article about making delta-8 THC, because even that has instructions online. We have the internet, guys. Even if no step-by-step process is given for making fentanyl, you can gather so much information, that this can be gleaned by those who understand the science. The information is there. And meth? Meth actually kills about 19,447 people a year according to 2020 data. ![]() And yet finding instructions for it…super easy. When it comes to how to make synthetic cannabinoids, where this is done, and with what methods, it’s like all of a sudden, an internet blackout. So we’re told of this danger repeatedly, yet given no backup information for what the stuff really is. To the point that it must be questioned if any of the information we’re given, is correct. Maybe it’s made by the government and put out on the street. Maybe its fully known that approved or not, there’s no danger. Maybe it’s just used as a fear campaign to drive people toward pharmaceutical options which we’re told are safer, even though they’re essentially the same thing. Let’s not forget how many FDA approved medications consistently must be recalled due to safety issues. And this after passing safety trials, which doesn’t say much for our drug approval process, or the safety of what’s on the market. If not one death has come directly from these compounds, and just from additives, or other chemicals involved, then any of these removed FDA medications, are way worse than spice or K2 could ever be. Its way easier to scare someone off something, if you control all the information about it. With not one word online about how the stuff is made, the only thing we have, are government fear campaigns telling us of addictions, poisonings, and lack of medical benefit. ConclusionHow are synthetic cannabinoids made? Well, unlike drugs like meth and crack, the internet doesn’t have a recipe. Or information about who is making it. Or where. It’s kind of like there’s a story out that’s being pushed on us, but all real information is withheld. I want to take a minute to say that I don’t love this industry. I doubt there’s a problem with any synthetic cannabinoid thus far. But I do understand the detriments of added chemicals, and for this reason, this industry can be dangerous. How dangerous? People have certainly died. However, on its very worst day, it’s not even in the same danger ballpark, realm, or universe, as opioids, meth, benzodiazepines, or cocaine. Two of these are highly prescribed, one is still legal medically, and one is completely illegal, but anyone can find instructions to make it. Just something to keep in mind. Also, I’ve repeated over and over that no deaths have come directly from a cannabinoid compound, whether natural or synthetic. This is based on no articles being able to specify that the cannabinoid compound was responsible, with the majority actually mentioning the other chemicals involved that did the poisoning. This is highlighted by the CDC itself, which has a page on lung injury from vapes, where it admits that its an additive issue, and literally can’t say that injury came from either tobacco or cannabis directly. Welcome to the site!! Thanks for dropping by Cannadelics.com; an independent news source bringing you the best in cannabis and psychedelics coverage. Join us whenever possible to keep updated on all happenings, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you always know what’s going on. The post The Interesting Lack of Info on How Synthetic Cannabinoids Are Made appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/11/the-interesting-lack-of-info-on-how-synthetic-cannabinoids-are-made/ We hear a lot about magic mushrooms, but we also hear a lot about magic truffles. Are they the same thing? Are they completely different? And which is best for what? Read on to find out about truffles vs magic mushrooms, and which is the better choice for you. To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, as well as gain access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more (various cannabinoids to choose from), make sure to subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Enjoy responsibly! Magic mushrooms – the lowdownWhen it comes to mushrooms, there are sure a lot of them. You might like dicing up champignon mushrooms for your salad, or frying up a portabella with some garlic and rosemary. Maybe you prefer a nice shitake, baked to perfection. Mushrooms are a valued and nutritious part of cuisine, and most everyone has eaten their share of these fungi in their lives. Fungi are a grouping of eukaryotic organisms, which include mushrooms, along with microorganisms like mold and yeast. Fungi, in fact, are at the top of their very own kingdom, called Kingdom Fungi. If you’re thinking that plants and animals make up the two kingdoms in biological taxonomy, you’re incorrect. In 1990, a new proposed system was accepted that put a level above kingdom, called ‘domain’. There are technically three domains: archaea, bacteria, and eukarya. Fungi are a kingdom under eukaryotes, and are defined, among other things, by a cell wall and ubiquitous nature. Magic mushrooms are fungi that produce the psychedelic compounds psilocybin and/or psilocin, which is actually the compound of interest. While we call these mushrooms psilocybin mushrooms, psilocybin is a prodrug that doesn’t exert effects in the human body. It, instead, turns into psilocin, which is the active compound. However, the more psilocybin in a mushroom, the more psilocin upon decarboxylation (how it converts). And since psilocybin shows up in larger quantities, the mushrooms are often categorized by this name. They’re also referred to as psychedelic mushrooms, or simply shrooms. ![]() In the human body, psilocin exerts its forces primarily on serotonin receptors. It acts as an agonist, meaning the compound forces the receptors to fire out more serotonin. This is similar to other psychedelics, which are also serotonergic, like LSD, DMT, and mescaline. Psilocin creates subjective experiences in the form of hallucinations. These hallucinations can be auditory (sound), visual (sight), tactile (touch), olfactory (smell), and/or gustatory (taste). The compound is also associated with producing life-changing experiences, promoting feelings of connectedness, euphoria, general well-being, spirituality, for causing distortions in reality, and promoting altered cognition. Like other psychedelics, these mushrooms come with the possibility of a bad trip. While the internet is currently not the best tool to find good information on what really causes a bad trip, it seems more or less to be an anxiety reaction to the stimulant effect, caused by the increase in serotonin. It’s good to remember that people don’t take mushrooms and lie down for a nap. That stuff will keep you up all night, and that’s a stimulant response. Those with sensitivities to stimulants should take this into account if considering taking mushrooms. So, what’s that truffle thing?If you want to do a standard mushroom trip, you just need to find or buy psilocybin mushrooms, eat them fresh, or dry them and eat them that way. The mushroom part eaten consists of the thin stem and cap, which looks a bit like a brown umbrella. It’s standard when consuming mushrooms to eat all of this. There happens to be another option, though. The part of the mushroom we eat when shrooming, is called the fruiting body. This might seem like a weird term, since mushrooms don’t produce what we consider as fruit, but in the world of biology, a ‘fruiting body’ is merely the part of a plant that produces spores, also called a sporocarp. In this case, it’s an ‘epigeous’ fruiting body as it appears above ground. But there is also part of the mushroom that resides below the ground, and this is where we get to truffles. Truffles are also related to fruiting bodies, but they grow amongst the fruiting bodies that occur under the ground, called sclerotia. Sclerotia is not comprised of the same material that makes up an above-ground sporocarp. Rather, its a mass of mycelium, which hardened, and has within it, fruiting bodies containing psilocybin and psilocin. Not all magic mushrooms have truffles underneath. Truffles are currently found with the following three species: Psilocybe mexicana, Psilocybe tampanensis, and Psilocybe galindoi, though its quite possible other species exist that are not accounted for yet. ![]() Magic truffles are a much newer find, with their first identification in 1977 by mycologists Stephen Pollock and Gary Lincoff. They were discovered in Tampa, Florida as part of Psilocybe tampanensis. They are sometimes regulated differently than standard magic mushrooms in different countries. A look at where both truffles and magic mushrooms are legal, decriminalized, or their use is ignored, look here. Non-magic truffles exist as well, and are a coveted ingredient in cooking, often coming with a large price tag. This is because they don’t appear nearly as often as standard mushrooms. Truffles vs magic mushroomsThere are a few things to consider when it comes to truffles vs magic mushrooms. The first thing is that regular magic mushrooms are way more common. There are tons of species of psilocybin mushrooms, but only three known species that produce truffles, and these don’t include the most common species Psilocybe cubensis. In terms of access, regular magic mushrooms are much more accessible to the masses than truffles. Another thing to consider, is effects. Sure, the above ground and below ground fruiting bodies both contain the psychedelic compounds necessary for a trip experience, but are they created equally? In terms of effects, yes. A trip taken on truffles or mushrooms should feel about the same, as the same chemicals are producing it. All the basics of a trip should be standard, including hallucinations, trip duration, and the possibility of a bad trip experience. What about potency? When it comes to exact knowledge, there’s still a lot of gray area here, but its often thought that truffles contain less of the psychedelic compounds than their above-ground compatriots, making for a weaker option. This mainly comes from anecdotal evidence which point to truffles producing a less intense experiences in relation to their dry weight, leading to the thought they contain less psychoactive compounds. However, there isn’t anything further to confirm this. In general, mushrooms vary in their potency between species, and grows, and its thought that truffles do as well, making it harder to make a potency designation between the two. The thing about potency, is that if a person wants a stronger amount than a low-potency plant offers, they can always just take more. This simple concept makes the idea of a possibly lower potency version, not indicative of a less intense trip, depending on how much the user consumes. When dealing with something like mushrooms however, it should be taken into account that eating too much can make a person feel sicker. In terms of dosing truffles, this can vary, just like it does for mushrooms. It goes something like this: 0.5 – 2.0 grams for a micro dose, and between 7.5 grams – 10 grams for a standard doses. 10 grams is often noted as a good dose for accessing a good hallucinogenic trip. In the Netherlands they’re generally sold in 15-gram packages. Its this thought of a lower potency that allows the continued sale of truffles in the Netherlands. Though the Netherlands is the only country with such a specific allowance for truffles, countries like Jamaica and Brazil, which allow magic mushrooms in general, also allow truffles. In the Netherlands, regular magic mushrooms are still illegal as of 2008, while their truffle counterparts, are not. ![]() As a last note when looking at truffles vs magic mushrooms, their cultivation is different, and comes with different requirements. Sclerotia and standard fruiting bodies differ in an important way. Whereas a mushroom cap is specifically for procreation, sclerotia is more about self-preservation. Mushroom fruiting bodies appear in a short-lived stage, and die easily. Sclerotia is resilient, and meant to protect the fungal genetics for long periods of time. The core of sclerotia contains enough nutrients to survive in bad conditions for years, and is meant as a way to maintain life. Sclerotia even resemble seeds in functionality with a hard outer covering that protects the more sensitive material inside. It looks like a bundle of seeds stuck together as well. As such, things like humidity and temperature are regulated differently than growing regular mushrooms, as sclerotia requires different growing conditions. Interested growers should check out this guide here, for more information on truffle cultivation; and this guide here, for options to buy spores. The mushroom part is also easier to harvest, when the time comes. Harvesting mushrooms involves nothing more than picking the ripe mushrooms. Truffles on the other hand must be dug out after the fruiting bodies are harvested, and this can be difficult. Truffles, like the mushrooms, require a drying period, but as they have less moisture, this part goes much faster. ConclusionIf you’re thinking of truffles vs magic mushrooms, one reality is that they both work fine. The other reality is that unless you’re growing truffles yourself, have a hookup, or are in a place where they are legally produced (or produced without legal intervention), you’re probably best off just finding yourself the much more prevalent magic mushrooms. Thanks for stopping by!! Welcome to Cannadelics.com; an independent news platform where we work hard religiously to bring you the best in cannabis and psychedelics reporting. Hang out with us frequently to stay aware of all updates, and subscribe to our Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always first to get the news. The post Truffles VS Mushrooms: The Full Lowdown appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/08/truffles-vs-mushrooms-the-full-lowdown/ What is it about tripping that can make even the most experienced recreational users slightly nervous? Psychedelics are now more than ever being used for therapy and mental health conditions, but why are people still frightened of them? If you’re a drug connoisseur, then you’ll know very well the varying effects that different substances can trigger in you.You’ll know the euphoria of MDMA, you’ll know the slowness and anti-anxiety feelings of ketamine, you’ll know the chill of cannabis and you’ll know the stimulation of cocaine. But, reputation suggests there’s something slightly unpredictable about psychedelic drugs. Hallucinations, emotions, hidden secrets – these can all come to the surface after taking acid or magic mushrooms. There are, of course, psychonauts out there who find the entire trip therapeutic and who love these realizations. But deep down, what is the real reason for this fear that surrounds psychedelic trips? To stay current on everything important happening in the industry, as well as gain access to deals on cannabis flowers, vapes, edibles, and much more (various cannabinoids to choose from), make sure to subscribe to The Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter. Enjoy responsibly! The History of the TripThe war on psychedelic drugs has existed for a long time. But when there’s a strong belief about anything, it’s always worth looking back at the history of it to understand where it came from and whether the view is justified. For centuries, governments and those in power have successfully spread fear and hatred around people and substances that they deem to be against what they believe in. You only need to look at the civil rights movement, the suffragettes or basically any example of minority oppression to see it. Nonetheless, tripping had a beginning, and it wasn’t viewed then as it is now. Natural PsychedelicsThere are two types of psychedelic drugs - the ones that are synthesized in a lab, and the ones that naturally grow outside. Within the natural psychedelic drugs you have: magic mushrooms, toad venom, DMT, ayahuasca and mescaline. These drugs are as old as the earth and have had a long history of being used in religious and spiritual ceremonies. Terrence Mckenna - a psychedelic advocate - theorizes in the Stoned Ape theory that shrooms may have existed before humans. Nonetheless, there is evidence that these natural occurring drugs were being used in very early periods. Psychedelic Spotlight writes: “In the Nahuatl language, which was spoken by Mayan and Aztec people, psilocybin was called Teonanácatl, which translates to “flesh of the gods.”... they were given to their ancestors by the serpent god Quetzalcoatl who was honored as the creator of all life. These ancient societies continued to keep records of Psilocybe mushrooms and their spiritual powers in both art and myth. However, in the 1500s, Spanish missionaries attempted to destroy all evidence of their use.” ![]() It might sound strange that people centuries ago would’ve understood what psychedelics even were. But, when you consider it, we have never been less at one with nature and the planet than we are now. We may claim to know everything and be technologically advanced but, in reality, the instinctual unity between human and the natural world was far greater back then. We are a generation stuck behind screens these days. Therefore, it is no surprise that past civilizations were experimenting with their plant surroundings and discovering what worked and what didn’t. Magic mushrooms were a way for those communities to open their minds and be at one. The intensity of the trip and the intensity of the effects was the whole point. Synthetic PsychedelicsNext you have the other kind of psychedelic drugs. The kind that were accidentally made in a lab. The most common type of these is LSD or acid. LSD was not around before humanity, in fact, it’s barely been around for a century. Albert Hoffman, an innocent Swiss scientist, was the creator of this intense substance in 1938. He was studying a chemical found in ergot, a specific fungus that grows naturally on grains. It wasn’t until 1943 that Hoffman really understood what he had unintentionally discovered. History writes: “He accidentally ingested a small amount and perceived “extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors”. On April 19, 1943, he took a larger dose of the drug. As Hofmann rode home from work on his bicycle—World War II restrictions made automobile travel off-limits—he experienced the world’s first intentional acid trip.” It wasn’t long before the news of LSD was known by government officials, and quickly they decided to turn it into a weapon. In a project known as Project MK-Ultra in the 50s, the CIA tried to experiment the drug on people to see if they could use it as ‘mind control’ in warware. The experiment was deemed a failure but one of the volunteers was Ken Kesey - the author of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - who decided to make it his mission to spread the message of LSD to the world. Kesey and his friends would drive around offering free ‘acid tests’, giving people the chance to experience a life-changing trip. This began the psychedelic, free-thinking 60s. The FearThe power of fear-mongering is often underestimated. I ask you to find an example where an establishment has used all its media, power and status to make the majority of people think something and it hasn’t worked. That’s not to say that everyone believes it, but simply enough. LSD was outlawed in 1968 - with Nixon, Reagan and most of America declaring a war on drugs. Slate writes: “By the end of the decade, LSD and other psychedelic drugs, along with marijuana, were linked in the public imagination with the 1960s counterculture, the antiwar movement, the crusade for sexual liberation, and the rising popularity of Eastern mysticism, yoga, and meditation. It was the decade of sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll.” ![]() As you can see, it was political. Psychedelic drugs were part of the free-thinking counterculture, which essentially stood against everything the government believed in. Naturally, in retaliation, the media decided to begin a furiously successful anti-drug campaign. It was successful and for decades not the ‘trip’ has been considered a scary concept. However, 50 years on, the war on drugs has not done what it set out to do. People still take drugs, people still love drugs, people are still addicted to drugs - but the information they all need and deserve is harder to get ahold of due to an outdated conservative approach. Now, it’s important to point out that psychedelic trips aren’t always beautiful and therapeutic. Whilst there has evidently been a war against the substances, it would be also irresponsible to ignore the issues. Magic mushrooms and acid are extremely potent drugs, causing intense experiences, and therefore must be handled with care. It’s often a good idea to consider your “set” and “setting”. Set is your mindset before taking it, and setting is your environment during the trip. These two factors will often affect how successful the trip is. So if you can get a guide or trip sitter, make sure to speak through these things with them. The New & Old ResearchBefore LSD was being tested for ‘mind control’ properties by the CIA, it was actually considered a miracle drug. Supposedly it had a 70% success rate of curing alcoholic addiction. In the 50s, Bill Wilson, the creator of Alcohol Anonymous, reportedly stopped his alcoholism due to an acid trip. LSD helped his life turn around in a positive way. Inverse writes: “Wilson believed other recovering alcoholics could benefit from taking LSD as a way to facilitate the “spiritual experience” he believed was necessary to successful recovery. We know this from Wilson, whose intractable depression was alleviated after taking LSD; his beliefs in the power of the drug are documented in his many writings.” However, the drugs soon became available to the world and the research was ended due to the war on drugs. However, the year is now 2022, and Michael Pollan and other leading advocates are beginning to change the world’s perception on psychedelics once more. Psychedelic therapy is becoming more respected for its positive effects on mental health conditions, such as depression, PTSD and addictions. It is believed that the mystical and intense experiences created by these substances can cause a complete mind shift in a person. In addition, the increased susceptibility and neurotransmitter changes in the mind also make the drugs useful. In 2016, 29 people suffering with cancer - who subsequently had depression and anxiety - were given psilocybin and 60-80% of them reported improvements in their mindset. It is studies like this that cannot be ignored. ThoughtsThe psychedelic trip has been demonized for decades and this is the main reason why people look at it with fear. Whilst all hallucinogenic drugs should be taken with care, it is definitely time we - as a world - severely shift our views on these substances. Drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms have the potential to help people, and the ‘war on drugs’ has been blocking that for too long. Overall, the reason why people are afraid of tripping is because they have been told to be. Handle with care, proceed responsibility, but don’t fear. Hello readers! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down. The post Why are People Afraid of Psychedelics Trips? appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/07/why-are-people-afraid-of-psycadelic-trips/ //]]> Markets change over time; it’s a necessity of the business world. As populations, fads, and cultural paradigms change, so must the tactics of those who sell us things. Otherwise, how does a company stay relevant? Sometimes these tactics bring a company into new markets, and sometimes they result in failure; but they always represent the need and desire to adapt to a new situation. In the cannabis world, the new way to get more money? With dispensary slotting fees. Read on to find out more about what these fees are, where they’re applied, and how they affect your purchase. Slotting fees? What are they?Slotting fees are pretty basic, although we can certainly argue about where they apply. A slotting fee (aka shelving fee, or shelving allowance) is the fee a business pays to have its merchandise on display in a store. As you can imagine, different strategic locations cost different amounts of money. If you just need the bare minimum of getting your product on a shelf, it might be a bottom shelf, out of most people’s view. But it won’t cost as much. On the other hand, a company that pays out more, can have its product in a more viewer-friendly location, which means more chance of sale. Slotting fees are not an ongoing fee usually, but rather a one-time payment made by a company. The more in-demand a retail location is, the more it can charge for its shelf space. Because of this, smaller brands often have a harder time making it into the best high-traffic locations. These fees are sometimes quite large, and difficult for a fledgling business. They were not always around, but rose in popularity in the 1980’s, as a way for retailers to mitigate losses on new and untested products. According to FTC research from nearly 20 years ago (but which should be just as relevant today), about 80-90% of new products fail. ![]() The whole point of these costs is because retailers don’t know how products will sell, and don’t want to lose revenue by having low-selling products taking up their shelf space. The fee is like a piece of automatic revenue that the retailer gets, regardless of how the product performs. If a product sells well, the retailer knows to keep the company onboard. And if it doesn’t, the retailer likely won’t allow the product to stay further, especially if it has better options to fill its shelf, which offer more sales ability. These charges, therefore, are more necessary when dealing with small and emerging brands that still have to prove themselves, but it also means, this creates a huge obstacle that new brands must get through. How much do companies need to pay out?How much are they? It varies widely. The product, category, and level of demand play in, and the price is usually somewhere between $250-1000 per item, for a place like a supermarket. If a company has products in several stores, it is required to pay the slotting fee for each place its product appears, which means a company might have to pay many thousands, even up to hundreds of thousands, or more. These fees run alongside other fees that a company must consider, like restocking fees or promotional fees. Not everyone is excited about these fees. It keeps smaller or newer businesses out of many locations, making it harder to get established, and limiting competition in that way. Many manufacturers are unhappy that these slotting fees end up as a larger point of income for retailers, than actual sales. Particularly when talking of new products. The cannabis retail market is an incredibly competitive arena. In order to get a product on any shelf, a company must pay a myriad of other fees beyond standard production costs. Once its there, its got about a zillion competitor products right next to it for sale. The more competition that exists between brands, the more a dispensary can charge for things like slotting fees, in order to enlist the best businesses. What do slotting fees mean to the cannabis market? This is a great time for dispensaries as slotting fees give them guaranteed income. And as the products market expands faster than the dispensary market, it allows retailers to really pick and choose who they deal with. Whereas normal slotting fees in a place like a supermarket are usually one-time fees, in the cannabis industry, its more like a monthly rate. Which means it’s less about a brand proving itself for continued shelf space, and more about paying rent for your merchandise. And that means smaller companies have to shill out even more, before they’ve established themselves. ![]() How much now? According to different sources, this fee can be anywhere from $1000 to $15,000 a month, with some saying it goes as high as $50,000. How many small operations can foot this kind of a bill? And what does that mean for what’s on your dispensary’s shelves? The answer to the former is that not that many small companies compared to larger brands can afford such a price, and the answer to the latter is that it means the products of bigger corporate entities are way more common, with less mom and pop options. The biggest reason for these slotting fees, is not competition within the legal market, but competition with the black market. According to one unnamed operator referenced in cannabislaw.report, “If I weren’t competing with the black market, I could decide what to stock and where to put it based on my personal preferences.” He continued that in the end, if he wants to break even, he needs to take the slotting fees. He said he often likes certain products, but he can’t stock them if the company can’t, or won’t, pay the fee. Slotting fees are not allowed in all industries, and different states have different laws for their legality. In California, for example, slotting fees are illegal for alcohol, but not mentioned for cannabis. Any time something isn’t mentioned, it creates a gray space where the operation is semi-legal; as nothing rules it out, but nothing exists to govern it. In California, supermarkets and other retailers can use these fees, so its debatable whether cannabis products should have them or not. As of yet, no high court has ruled on the matter. These fees don’t always have to apply, and sometimes they’re bypassed. Cannabis lawyer Hillary Bricken brought up an important point in 2018, when she said, “The bigger cannabis brands may not even face the prospect of these contracts from retailers because the retailers desperately want to carry them on their shelves anyway.” The big question seems to be around whether these laws are anti-competitive. As in, whether the need to ensure no losses, outweighs the ability for fair competition between companies. While an argument goes on over this, it seems to be for optics primarily; as it pretty obviously has an anti-competitive effect, if its specifically keeping smaller companies out. Do slotting fees effect consumers?Pretty much anything that affects price, affects consumers in the end, even if not directly. Think about excise taxes. They’re taxes that are not put directly on consumers, and are instead factored into the retail price of a product. But we pay them as part of that retail price, even if we never know where in the product chain it’s put on, and between which operators. It’s an extra business cost, and business costs get factored into pricing. ![]() The more a cannabis company has to pay out to jump through all the hoops, the more it must increase prices if it wants to make a profit. And let’s be honest, that’s the goal. So, if expenses are creeping into the profit margin, the price goes up. A company doesn’t have to do this. It can attempt to undercut a market, or take a small loss if it believes this will lead to a gain. The reality, however, (and this is mirrored in the overall overtaxed industry), is that very few companies choose to do this, and most just up the price. So yeah, none of this helps the buyer. Not only does it mean an increase in price to cover costs, but it means possible corner-cutting by companies that are even more strapped for cash now. Businesses have expected costs, but when things get exorbitantly high, it can throw off financial planning. If a company finds itself in a hole it didn’t expect, it might do what it can in other ways to cut costs. Logically, and historically, this is not good for consumers. ConclusionPerhaps the biggest issue with slotting fees, is what they say about an industry. It makes sense for stores to charge something, to ensure some amount of income if a product fails. But monthly rates? At exorbitant prices? If this is the optimum the legal weed industry can do, best to get out of it now. Hello to all! We appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com; where we work to bring you all-inclusive news coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics spaces. Head over to the site regularly for updates on stories, and sign up for the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, to ensure you’re never late on getting the news. The post Slotting Fees? It Ain’t Cheap Getting High appeared first on Cannadelics. Via https://cannadelics.com/2022/10/06/slotting-fees-it-aint-cheap-getting-high/ |
ABOUT MEHallo, ik ben Rosalina Klerkx, ik ben een RHIA-gecertificeerde zorgbeheerder met meer dan 6 jaar ervaring in het creëren van een productieve omgeving voor zorgprofessionals. Leiding gegeven aan een team van 12 opname- en verkoopmedewerkers in een instelling voor langdurige zorg met meer dan 170 patiënten. Opstellen van complexe HIPAA-conforme rapporten aan patiëntendienstcoördinatoren in een zorgkliniek. Archives
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