A farm in Northern Thailand reports better meat, less disease, and more weather-resilient chickens after using cannabis in their food.
Could cannabis make chickens faster, better, stronger? One farm in Thailand is investigating the potential health benefits of administering the plant.
Thailand was the first Asian country to legalize medical marijuana in 2018 and continues to be at the forefront of destigmatization and social change. They are continuing to be dank disrupters, this time making headlines by using cannabis in chicken feed.
Leftover pot leaves inspire innovation in Lampang
A farmer in the northern region of Lampang, who is licensed to grow medical cannabis, was curious about what to do with all the extra biomass after his cannabis harvest. Ong-ard Panyachatiraksa decided, with the support of Thailand’s Chiang Mai University, to try using cannabis leaves for a group of chickens that weren’t responding to antibiotics for avian bronchitis.
According to The Guardian, academics at the university have been studying 1,000 chickens since last January at the farm to see how the animals responded when cannabis was mixed into their feed or water. They used leftover leaves, crushed into feed or boiled for “marijuana water”.
Stoned for science? Not really. The chickens weren’t given quantities that would (likely) cause psychoactive effects like being high.
While the completed research has yet to be published, Chompunut Lumsangkul, assistant professor at Chiang Mai University’s Department of Animal and Aquatic sciences, says the chickens given cannabis had higher quality meat and eggs, needed fewer antibiotics (or none at all!) and were more resilient to inclement weather.
In addition to the perceived health benefits, these coveted weed chickens also fetch a higher price at local farmers’ markets. According to Panyachatiraksa, chickens generally sell for 60 baht ($1.70 USD) per kg, but his chickens are selling for double.
Medicinal cannabis is part of holistic Thai tradition
“It is the local wisdom of Thai people to use cannabis [leaves] as a food additive – mixing it as an ingredient to make chicken noodles. People put it in the soup to make it taste better,” says Lumsangkul, wanting to understand the science behind the practice.
Panyachatiraksa notes the price of cannabis is still too high in Thailand for farms to easily incorporate it into chicken feed, but that recent legal reforms may change that. “As time goes by and we can grow more, it’s going to get better,” he said.
The study comes at an important time, as Thailand’s National Farmers Council warns that antibiotics in chicken and eggs can harm consumers’ health, possibly causing allergies and declining immunity. Cannabis, unlike antibiotics, doesn’t appear to leave remnants in the food people consume. At least, in these doses.
Could cannabis help reduce dependence on antibiotics?
Further research is needed to understand this correlation better. Lumsangkul, who lead the first study, notes there isn’t enough data yet to know if cannabis can replace antibiotics in chicken farming.
Lumsangkul is planning a second study where she will investigate high-potency cannabis extracts to test their impact on disease and fatality rates among chickens.
For Lumsangkul, if the results are confirmed, cannabis could become an important tool for transforming the poultry industry both in Thailand, as well as internationally. Antibiotics in meat have long been a topic of discussion, as more research shows potential health concerns.
Ashley Keenan
Ashley Keenan is the Canada editor at Leafly, as well as a freelance journalist, consultant, and patient advocate in the cannabis industry.
By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from Leafly and you agree to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.
Though cannabis has been common in Jamaica for a long time, Kaya Herb House was the first regulated medical cannabis dispensary to open in not only Jamaica, but the Caribbean—stocked with its own flower and concentrates.
It’s thanks to Jamaica’s transformation on cannabis reform that can be seen by the swift changes in law over the past several years.
In February 24, 2015, the Parliament of Jamaica voted to drastically amend the nation’s cannabis laws—making possession of up to two ounces a petty offense, establishing a licensing authority and a medical cannabis system. Cultivation of five or fewer plants is permitted, and practitioners of Rastafari can use cannabis for religious purposes—the first country to officially recognize the use of cannabis for that reason.
It was historic in that Rastafarians have fought in vain for the religious right to smoke herb for decades—one example being when former Attorney General Janet Reno denied American Rastafarians the right to do so in 1998.
Courtesy of Kaya Herb House
The new amendments to law enable the company to thrive. Kaya Herb House’s sister companies Kaya Farms, Kaya Spa, Kaya Café, and Kaya Tours are a testament to how much the company has expanded—both vertically and geographically.
Kaya Farms announced its first legal harvest on February 20, 2018, grown at Drax Hall, St Ann, to be sold at Kaya Herb House. (Timeless Herbal Care also competed for that title, releasing a harvest during the same time period.) Kaya Herb House has been both a leader in high quality cannabis on the island as well as a prime source of education on the plant.
Balram “Bali” Vaswani is Kaya Herb House’s Chief Ganja Officer, born in Jamaica and witness early on to legendary strains dating back to the 1970s, such as Lamb’s Bread.
His team follows the strict rules of Jamaica’s Cannabis Licensing Authority (CLA), and was actually subject to a random check-up during our call. But he says the systems in U.S. states prepared him well for the regulated industry in Jamaica.
“I was in, you know, I was in Colorado from around 2011 and I got a chance to see medical move to recreational and thought it was so interesting being able to be in a place and watch it happen,” Vaswani tells High Times.
After seeing how the framework in Colorado operates, Vaswani decided to participate in the formation of the licensing process in his own country as people lobbied in Jamaica to move towards the same agenda. “Both governments in 2015 were bipartisan, meaning they both kind of approved it and it had gone to Parliament, but the law has never really changed. And there was one milestone activity,” he says.
Bali with chalice / Courtesy of Kaya Herb House
Vaswani says all the legislative change in Jamaica was spurred by an incident—a clear-cut example of injustice—involving one young man who died in prison, over one joint.
Mario Deane was arrested in February 2014 for possession of a single spliff (joint), and was tragically beaten to death inside his cell at the Barnett Street Police Station in Montego Bay. Anyone who has been to Montego Bay, including myself, knows how common weed is there, which makes it even more angering. Police claim he was brutally beaten to death by his cellmates, Marvin Orr and Adrian Morgan, but his family and friends suspect police foul play could be the real reason.
“I believe the date was Friday, February 2, and he died in jail on Sunday—for one joint,” Vaswani laments. “And that triggered [action] because it was already in Parliament on February 5, went to Parliament immediately with the riots and stuff saying, this is ridiculous that we’re this far and we’re still, you know, still being brutalized. And coincidentally law was changed and enacted and decriminalized on February 6, 2015. And the government said ‘we’re going to issue based on the rules and the regulations of anybody under the U.N. treaty that we’re going to decriminalize and allow for research and development until we formed laws of what the cannabis license authority would do’.”
Vaswani was one of the first to get in early in the program, beating the odds. In 2015, he launched Ganja Labs LLC, which grew legal cannabis at the University of Technology, Jamaica in Kingston, under the UTech medical cannabis research license granted by Minister of Science, Energy and Technology Dr. Andrew Wheatley.
“I was lucky enough to get one, the exclusive one with the University of Technology, [Jamaica] in 2015. So we got that in May, 2015 and we broke ground in November,” he says. “And then we had the first harvest or legal harvest in Jamaica in 2016, but only for research and development.”
The change in laws was a significant time because they could get genetics, the software, and they could train people how to clone plants. Vaswani said that there’s a learning curve in a regulated industry, and you realize how much you have to do on a daily basis.
On March 10th, 2018—representing the first legal sale in the Caribbean—Bali recalls as many as 5,000 people lining up in front of the dispensary to buy medical cannabis. He remembers celebrating because from that day, you could buy cannabis legally with a receipt, with a medical card—instead of out of a backpack from sellers on the beach, or elsewhere.
Kingston Opening / Courtesy of Kaya Herb House
“And the only difference between the laws in the U.S. and Jamaica right now in terms of the medical side is that we don’t have edibles at all, but every other component in terms of rosin, resin, hash oils, et cetera, are all available, but just [the] ministry of health has not adopted the edibles.”
One location is in front of the cruise ship terminal about 30 or so minutes from Montego Bay. Then there’s another location two minutes away from Bob Marley’s house and across the road from T.G.I. Fridays in the heart of Kingston. In 2019, Kaya Herb House did its first export of oils, and then last year during COVID, they sent the first export of flower to Australia. “We’re not really a MSO, but we’re kind of an international company rather than a multi-state operator. And, you know, just to broaden our wings we said, ‘How can we continue to expand?’ So we launched our first franchise in December 2020 during COVID.”
Vaswani explained how they have a smoke room, and they are providing a lot of education because in Jamaica they didn’t really have the varieties of what you have in the U.S. “Our gum was finger gum that came off your finger, not really full hash, you know,” Vaswani says. “They didn’t have fresh clothes and they didn’t have kief so little by little we’ve, you know, we’ve educated a wider thing.”
The dispensary experience in his stores varied greatly from what you might see in the U.S., Vaswani says.
“In Colorado, we try to get people out between 45 seconds and a minute and a half per transaction,” he says. “Our typical transaction, our stores, for about an hour and a half they’ll come in … they’ll hit a dab, they might go for an espresso. So they might have pizza. So people might share, they might go back in and just get something else. And they’re kind of on the go. And then sometimes we see people three times a day.”
Kaya Herb House plans to build its next location in the Blue Mountain, which is four and a half thousand feet up, as their first entrance into “wellness.”
“Our mushrooms are functional and psychoactive, you know, that would be available in our new location. Imagine looking over the city at 4,000 feet, and we have 4,000 acres surrounded by UNESCOs heritage site, you know, so it’s a protected area. So we’re, we’re, we’re gonna be inside the protected area of the forest.”
Check out what Kaya Herb House offers, especially if you plan on traveling to Jamaica.
Israeli Engineers Create A Novel New Cannabis Strain With More THC…And More Terpenes Too!!!
Israeli researchers see the potential of more THC and terpenes for cannabis’ healing properties.
That’s why engineers from the University of Jerusalem have been able to create a new cannabis plant strain with 17% more THC, and 25% more CBG. The team, led by Professor Alexander Vainstein from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, were successful in increasing cannabinoids as well as terpenes from 20-30%. The intention of this project was to “intervene in the biochemical pathways in the cannabis plant” and eventually alter how active substances were produced, reports JPost.com.
“This represents an innovative use of these tools, which were constructed using synthetic biology tools,” he said. “Next, we developed an innovative technology based on infection with an engineered virus to facilitate chemical reactions that increase the quantities of desired substances. In collaboration with Mariana Bioscience Ltd., we examined infected plants and found that the levels of the substances in question had indeed risen,” Vainstein explained.
They were able to do this by toying with a neutralized active virus found within cannabis. “We examined the infected plants and found that the levels of the substances in question had, indeed, risen,” the researchers wrote. “These study results will be valuable both to industry, to increase the yield of active substances, and to medical researchers to cultivate and develop new strains for medical cannabis users,” says Vainstein.
It’s the first time researchers have been able to succeed with an experiment of this kind.
Before this, there was no known way that anyone could tailor the cannabinoids or other plant compounds within the plant.
Fast-Growing Medical Marijuana Market In Israel
According to cannabis industry analysis firm Prohibition Partners, the medical cannabis market of Israel was worth some $264 million in 2021. Several cannabis and biotech startups with marijuana-based medical products have seen tremendous growth over the last few months, and things are only expected to get greener for Israel.
Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture released a statement saying that cannabis seeds from local crop firm BetterSeeds were exported to the United States, making it the first time seeds were ever exported. US companies will then analyze the seeds for viability to market in America, though it’s safe to assume that more exports will come in the near future. This is another major step forward for Israel to position itself as a pioneer in the global cannabis marketplace, especially considering that the steps necessary to get here took around almost a year.
“Israel has the ability to make its mark on the industry and be among the world’s leaders,” said Agriculture Minister, Oded Forer. “The export of cannabis seeds invites us to expand the diversity of Israeli agriculture exports and strengthens local agriculture,” he said in the statement. In addition, these efforts “exploits Israel’s relative advantage in an area that is still considered preliminary.”
“Increasing the range of exports and expanding it to cannabis products will enable the deepening of existing markets and penetration into new markets while riding on the growing wave of demand for cannabis products with medical-health value,” the statement continues.
It’s not surprising that Israel is destined to become the global pioneer for medicinal cannabis; it is, after all, where Raphael Mechoulam, also known as the godfather of THC, first isolated the famous psychoactive compound in the plant back in the 1960’s. Even as early as then, Israelis were already researching the plant’s medicinal compounds and Mechoulam was among the best-known of them.
Aside from isolating THC, he was responsible for helping to discover the existence of the endocannabinoid system. Other notable discoveries of his include the fact that the human brain makes its own cannabinoids, which stimulate our very own receptor system. It was through Mechoulam’s body of research that the doors to studying medicinal cannabis opened worldwide.
Even their laws have been more progressive compared to other countries, and they were among the first countries to legalize the use of cannabis for medical purposes. By the early 1990’s, it was already legal for patients suffering from Parkinson’s, Crohn’s and cancer to use medical marijuana.
Israel is also home to Tikun Olam, the biggest MMJ supplier in the country and one of the world’s biggest MMJ companies. They have already developed almost 230 proprietary cannabis varieties. Meanwhile, numerous startups are focused on making marijuana more accessible through prescription at pharmacies, which they can do with the support of the government. International cannabis companies are also leaving a footprint in the Israeli marijuana landscape.
However, recreational cannabis is still illegal in Israel. But because Israel is so fertile for the growth of medical marijuana companies, it’s home to a huge concentration of startups and companies that are solely focused on developing therapeutic products for the sick, all from compounds from the cannabis plant. Successful startups especially in technology have long been a strength of Israelis thanks to the presence of numerous private investors and investment funds.
Furthermore, the country as a whole is committed to medical research, with many of the biggest breakthroughs in the last few years coming from the Holy Land. According to Michael Dor, the Ministry of Health’s medical marijuana department senior medical adviser, there are over 110 clinical trials going on. It’s certainly the one country that has the most number of clinical trials analyzing the benefits of cannabis. Many of these are being subsidized by the Israeli government, too (while much is still to be desired in this aspect in the United States).
With all these breakthroughs in Israel, they are no doubt the most powerful pioneer for cannabis in the world.
If you’re smoking legal weed this Father’s Day, you owe this activist an honorary toke.
Before you light up your Father’s Day stash, remember to spark one for Jack Herer, aka the godfather of modern cannabis.
A good godfather isn’t always there. But he’s right on time when you need him. And for much of the prohibition era, Jack Herer led the cannabis community forward with passion and brilliance.
At a time when most consumed in the closet, Herer’s example became a guiding light for the cannabis community. Even for those who didn’t agree with his bombastic vibe.
“You’ve got to be out of your mind not to smoke dope!” Herer told a crowd in 2009 at one of his final public appearances.
Although he died in April, 2010 at age 70, Herer’s legacy lives on through writings, recorded speeches, and the world-famous Jack Herer strain. Bred for medical patients of Dutch pharmacies since the 1990s, Jack’s honorary strain still measures up to his reputation for trailblazing ideas and inspiring energy.
To honor Jack’s legacy this Father’s Day weekend, here are Leafly’s top five reasons why Mr. Herer is the godfather of modern cannabis culture.
1. He paid his dues to the dank
Jack Herer’s career in cannabis goes back to his days as a pioneer of the glass pipe industry. He opened his first head shop in 1973 at 34 and began documenting everything he could about the cannabis plant. His observations would later bloom into a world-famous book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Jack began writing The Emperor while he was in prison for protesting the Ronald Regan administration.
The godfather dominated rooms with his 6’1, 225-pound presence and permanent cannabis odor. After growing up in Buffalo, New York, the military vet once believed weed was as bad as heroin. When he was around 30, a girlfriend got him to smoke, which he called “the best meal he’d ever had,” and “the best sex he’d ever experienced.” (High Times)
The non-fiction book was a counter-culture manifesto that raised questions about the validity of American propaganda, and particularly the War on Drugs.
The text offered $100,000 to anyone who could disprove its claims about cannabis. Claims included: Hemp plants are the world’s most efficient solar power source, and hemp is a sustainable solution for world hunger.
The book was published 12 times over the next 25 years, with the final edition hitting presses in 2010, the same year that Jack passed at 70 from complications following a heart attack.
2. He kept the family tight
Keeping the cannabis community united is no small task. You have growers, sellers, smokers, dabbers and munchers who all feel unique ownership of the plant. But Herer’s work as director of the organization Helping End Marijuana Prohibition (HEMP) made unity a priority.
With legalization bringing a flood of capital and competition to the legal weed market, all participants should revisit the principles that Jack preached on the path to legalization. Even with some of his loudest critiques coming from activists at NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), Jack saved his smoke for those supporting prohibition.
Some contemporaries wanted Jack to be more grown-up, and mainstream. They even challenged his sweeping declarations that hemp could save the world. Still, in 2002, NORML reversed its long-held skepticism by honoring Herer with a lifetime achievement award.
3. He stayed close to the plant
In his lifetime, Herer got his hands into every cannabis business category. The experience he gained selling pipes in the 70s, writing books in the 80s and lobbying hard for legalization in the 90s gave him a foundation of substance and complemented his natural leadership skills. Jack’s charming presence and clear voice helped him reach people with ease. But he didn’t put himself before the plant. In fact, he rarely had time to indulge in his ego because he was so busy getting baked.
In this Nov. 6, 1996 photo, Dennis Peron (right), leader of the campaign for Proposition 215, smokes a joint next to the legendary legalization advocate and author Jack Herer. (AP Photo/Andy Kuno, File)
“No one has ever died from marijuana that wasn’t shot by a cop,” Jack would often joke. The line used to scare his fourth wife, Jeanie, who tracked Jack down in the late 90s after reading his famous book and having a revelation. She found him stoned, laying under his famous vendor table on Venice Beach, and couldn’t believe this was the author of the book that had changed her life.
4. He helped blaze the legal trail
Back in 1972, Herer joined California lawyer Leo Paoli to put Proposition 19 onto California ballots. It failed to pass with 33% approval, but the votes showed Jack and others that Americans were starting to see through the propaganda of the Drug War.
Herer also created the Great American Standard System (GRASS) to educate adults about hemp with cartoons and witty copywriting. And along with his friend, Captain Ed Adair, Jack swore an oath to never rest until the plant was legal.
Now in its 14th edition, Jack Herer’s classic handmade history is one of the best selling underground books of all time.
Jack was pefectly fine with playing the long game. He pushed failed ballot measures year after year with a smile, because he loved the democratic process and enjoyed the incremental progress his work pushed forward.
Everyone enjoying decriminalized or licensed cannabis today owes an honorary puff to Jack for his political foresight and patience.
5. He planted strong roots
The godfather’s name and influence will live on for generations thanks in part to the Jack Herer Cup competition, which is held in Amsterdam, Colombia, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and Thailand each year.
But why do premium Jack Herer cultivars remain among the most popular sativa-dominant strains on the planet? Well, just a few citrusy tokes of Jack’s namesake flower will flood your brain with fresh ideas and the rush of energy you need to execute them. So this Father’s Day, light up some JH and celebrate the godfather’s legendary influence on the world of modern cannabis.
Jack was a pot star and influencer long before Instagram was a thing. (High Times)
For more on Jack, check out Tom Zoellner’s original feature profile of Herer from 2017, and listen to Leafly’s The Roll Up podcast episode dedicated to pot’s godfather.
Also, the updated 2020 Kindle edition of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, edited and annotated by Dan Herer, is available here.
Leafly Staff
Leafly is the world’s largest cannabis information resource, empowering people in legal cannabis markets to learn about the right products for their lifestyle and wellness needs. Our team of cannabis professionals collectively share years of experience in all corners of the market, from growing and retail, to science and medicine, to data and technology.
By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from Leafly and you agree to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.
