On the 23rd of May 2022, the governor of Delaware declared that he had rejected a bill from the legislature to legalize cannabis.

This wasn’t surprising as Gov. John Carney has always been clear on his stance against cannabis even when acceptance is at an all-time high within his party. However, proponents were nursing the hope that he would at least sanction simple regulations to allow recreational use and possession of cannabis.

During a press statement, the governor affirmed that he is in support of people having access to cannabis for medical use. Neither is he against the private use of cannabis in small quantities and he strongly believes people shouldn’t be jailed solely for cannabis possession. But, he believes the present policies still serve Delaware well and the state shouldn’t move beyond that.

The governor asserted that he doesn’t think expanding and promoting the recreational use of cannabis will be what’s best for the state, particularly for young adults. He believes questions surrounding the economic impacts and long-term health effects of recreational cannabis use including concerns of law enforcement are still unresolved.

Looking at the situation of things, there’s still the possibility of the governor’s veto being overridden. The HB 371 bill which was vetoed by the governor was endorsed by Rep. Ed Osienski and at the moment has earned support from over three-fifths of lawmakers in both chambers. This level of support is more than enough to overrule the decision made by the governor.

According to the governor, he is respectful of the role of the Legislative Branch in the situation and he’s of the understanding that some have a contrary opinion to his. But, he affirmed his position about cannabis legalization in the state is quite clear even before he became the governor.

Osienski also underwrote a corresponding bill to establish the regulations for the adult-use marijuana market. The bill has also passed through the committee together with HB 371 but the bill was slightly defeated by a single vote. Osienski executed a procedural maneuver that could see the bill pass through the committee once again for another vote. If that happens, the possibility of the bill passing is high considering a supporter was absent from the previous roll call.

In a response to the veto, Osienski affirmed that over 60% of Delawareans fully support the legalization of cannabis for recreational adult use. He added that early in May, 60% of the General Assembly supported and voted against the prohibition of cannabis possession for personal use.

He went on to add that despite these supports, the governor decided to push aside the will of Delawareans by vetoing HB 371. Osienski said that he’s very disappointed in the governor’s decision, particularly given that the bill could have been enacted into law without his signature. This would have protected the will of the legislators and residents and the governor’s opposition. Osienski then concluded that he will have to review the situation and come up with the next line of action.

According to Osienski, vetoing the bill won’t stop the citizens from buying and consuming cannabis. The veto will only be criminalizing the action. He believes enough examples have been set like in New Jersey how this new industry can generate revenue and create jobs. In New Jersey, cannabis sales hit close to $2 million on the first day of legalization. Until such a market has been established in Delaware, citizens will go on to buy cannabis illegally either through the black market or from New Jersey.

Osienski made a smart decision to split up the measures given early proposals that combined both parts didn’t gain the much-needed support in the House.  Since the simple possession bill was not concerned with raising revenue, it required just a simple majority but was eventually able to gain major support from both chambers.

The governor in his initial comments about the legalization affirmed that cannabis use shouldn’t be criminalized but he still has several concerns with changes in policies. He, however, didn’t comment as to where or not he would sign the bill.

One of the Marijuana Policy Project’s senior policy analysts, Olivia Naugle, in a press release defined the veto as a serious injustice.  She asserted that the crucial legislation would help to significantly reduce police interactions, citations and searches fit cannabis possession within the state. She continued by citing that the reality of cannabis law enforcement is quite unusual and Black Delawareans bear the brunt of it. They are disproportionately searched and sanctioned for cannabis possession or the smell of it.

Here’s what the HB 371 hopes to achieve;

The bill would revise the statutes in the state by removing penalties attributed to the possession of one ounce of cannabis by adults above the age of 21 years.

The bill would also create a new section stating that adults, 21 years and above could share a maximum of one ounce of marijuana without remuneration. The section explains that cannabis could not be given away as a contemporary reciprocal transition.

It should be noted that Pete Schwartzkopf, was the sole democrat Delaware House Speaker that voted against the initial extensive legislation bill. However, he has motions that he might be prompted to support a bill that offers commerce regulatory infrastructure if the changer supports legalizing sharing and possession. Even though he voted against the bill early last month, he voted for the sales bill late last month.

Currently, possession of cannabis to a maximum of one ounce has been decriminalized within the state. Although, it is punishable by a fine with no threat of prison time using the law which was passed in 2015. In 2019, the governor also signed a bill that broadened the policy to also apply to individuals below the age of 21 years. Nonetheless, they will face severe consequences for repeat offenses.

Conclusion

The governor has always been clear on his stance on cannabis legalization. He believes cannabis to be a gateway drug to other hard drugs which is why he’s against its legalization. He asserted that a lot of money, time, and effort has been spent to stop people from using marijuana and, now there’s a sudden turn around it is ok to smoke it now. He believes it is not a good idea. Mentioning his evaluation of other states, he asserts that it doesn’t look like a positive thing to do enacting cannabis organization. But is it the worst thing in the world? Of course not, he doesn’t believe that.

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Laura Ingraham Blames Marijuana For Mass Shootings -Let Us Count The Ways This Irrational Statement Is F*d Up

We’re only halfway through the year, and there has been over 200 mass shootings all around the United States already.

The deadliest of these, the Uvalde school shooting targeting a fourth grade elementary class, was considered the worst since Sandy Hook. This is clearly a systemic problem within the United States, but Fox News host Laura Ingraham doesn’t think so: she made it clear that she’s anti-marijuana legalization by blaming the mass shootings on cannabis laws.

During her talk at The Ingraham Angle last week on Fox News, she said: “This is something that the medical community is well aware of. Yet, you get the sense that billions of dollars on the line are more important than our kids,” she said. “And what’s happening especially to young men in the United States, who are frequent users of the high-potency THC that’s now in marijuana products sold legally in dispensaries across the United States. I mean, this at the very least needs a serious national conversation,” she said.

Yes, she said that.

We’re in shock that someone in this day and age still actually believes pot psychosis is a thing. I mean, that’s so Reefer Madness. Did Laura Ingraham get her research from watching the 1936 propaganda film and nothing more? Because that sounds like it, and she makes herself sound so detached from reality.

There are just so many ways her irrational statement didn’t have any legs.  She said that she heard about some vague reports the shooter was smoking weed, but Ingraham thinks that the issue really all lies in the legalization of marijuana and the lax laws surrounding it.

Fact Check

Here are just some reasons why Laura Ingraham’s statement is absolutely absurd. Leave marijuana legalization out of it!

• Lax gun laws: According to the Small Arms Survey as reported by BBC, back in 2018 there were around 390 million firearms circulating in the United States, making the ratio of gun ownership 120.5 guns for every 100 residents. The report also states that gun ownership has increased significantly in the last few years, resulting in 11 million people exposed to guns within their homes.

In addition, the Small Arms Survey states that Americans are the #1 country whose citizens own guns. And Harvard researchers correlate this with their findings that when this many people own guns in a developed country, this will lead to many more gun homicides. And of course so many Americans own guns – it’s far too easy to get your hands on one! No matter where you live, you will come across dozens, maybe even hundreds of shops that sell guns. There are gun shows that take place almost every weekend, and you can buy a gun from a friend or family member.

Only store gun purchases require a background check, if any. That’s where firearm buyers have to fill out a form either from the ATF or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Such a background check only takes a few minutes and denials for gun ownership are rare. In fact, cannabis users can’t even own guns.

However, there are states with stricter gun laws such as in Washington DC, Chicago, and New York.  

• Marijuana legalization has been linked to a reduction in violent crime: There have been several studies documenting how legalizing marijuana has led to a reduction in violent crime rates. In one study in June 2020 conducted by the National Institute of Justice on the Effects of Marijuana Legalization on Law Enforcement, they said that “legalization has apparently coincided with an increase in crime clearance rates in several areas, suggesting that legalization may result in a net positive redistribution in police human resource allocation. In addition, fewer persons are being processed by the criminal justice system on nonviolent marijuana possession offenses.”

In Washington State, for example, the Drug Policy Alliance reports that since they have legalized marijuana in 2012, there has been a reduction in violent crime rates while overall crime rates have stayed at a 40-year low. The National Incident-Based Reporting System also says that violent crime continues to significantly decrease in Washington.  

• Shooter profiling: Scientific American released a profiling compiled by criminologists, looking at the life histories of mass shooters in the United States. Entitled, The Violence Project, one can find similarities among the shooters, and there is nothing that points to cannabis use. Some notable points here are the fact that almost half of all the shooters were able to get their guns legally from a licensed dealer, private sale, or other form of legal means while others borrowed guns and the rest have unknown origins. 

The Violence Project also identified that the most common motivation for the mass shootings was psychosis, which is a type of mental disorder wherein the person can no longer identify what’s real or what isn’t. They also tend to have difficulties with employment, interpersonal conflict with family, friends, or coworkers. More than half of the shooters already had a criminal record, while a great deal of them suffered from a history of trauma or had some form of domestic abuse.

These are the facts, and there’s nothing that links to marijuana use, not even close. Sure, individuals with psychosis shouldn’t use cannabis, but that isn’t even discussed in the profiling. The two issues here are strikingly clear and worrisome: our gun laws are far too lax, while psychiatric care is declining rapidly. Given that the average age of shooters is 18, we need to start paying closer attention to the children we’re raising, look for cues, and find a way to stop exposing them to guns.

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The Boston Beer Company, Inc., is a prominent company behind popular hard drinks like Angry Orchard, Samuel Adams, and Truly Hard Seltzer. The company, late last month, announced the launch of cannabis-infused iced teas, a new line of products called TeaPot.

Based on the press release published on the 23rd of May 2022, TeaPot is the first cannabis-infused beverage to be produced by the company. It is said that the drink will be available to the general public in selected providers across Canada from early July.

The company’s debut production will be the Good Day Iced Tea which contains Pedro’s Sweet Sativa, a strain commonly grown in Ontario Canada, and real lemon black tea. The cannabis is said to be purchased from Entourage Health Corp, a renowned licensed farm. Every bottle of  Day Iced Tea contains 5mg of THC, which makes it ideal for nighttime and daytime use.

Considering the popularity of ciders, hard iced tea drinks, and several variations, this creative thinking from Boston Beer is a forward-thinking move. Besides, it represents a seismic transition in social drinking.

Paul Weaver, the Boston Beer Company’s Head of director during an interview with High talked greatly about the new line of products. He affirmed that TeaPot is formulated to be as alluring as the brand itself. He added that cannabis beverages have done to be the highest social form of marijuana consumption. It’s as come to be changing the trend of being a solitary cannabis user. There’s no longer the need to excuse yourself to join the party later on.

Weaver affirmed that while the current hype surrounding the effects and profiles of the fill-spectrum term is significant, especially in the flower space, beverage markers are only interested in their all taste. According to Weaver, it’s a pleasant balance between lemon and tea with a sprinkle of sweetness and zero cannabis aroma or taste. He added that the company is experienced in formulations of ice tea with great taste. Not adding the cannabis flavor or aroma gives the beverage some level of discreteness.

Weaver continued by saying that Boston Beer’s expansion into the cannabis space is reflective of the continuous growth of the company. He spoke of Dave Burwick, the company’s CEO as a man who loves challenges and prompts all his staff to push the beverage firm to become the best in the world. A lofty ambition, weaver added.

This has motivated the company to move from craft beer and then venture into hard cider won’t the creation of the Angry Orchard brand. The company then evolved to formulate flavored malt beverages like hard seltzers and Twisted Tea. Now, the company has ventured into cannabis-infused beverages.

Pedro’s Sweet Sativa – the TeaPot Cannabis Strain

The cannabis strain used to formulate TeaPot is the Pedro’s Sweet Sativa. The strain is rich in terpenes such as pinene and beta-caryophyllene and it is characterized by sweet-smelling spicy undertones. The cultivar is a hybrid dominant in Sativa having a parent of White Russian, Dominican Sativa, and an unintended indica to increase THC potential.

According to Weaver Pedro’s train can be gotten in pre-rolls, as whole flowers, or in carts. He added that Pedro’s when compared to other strains in Canada is a legend. The train has been around since the era of medical cannabis legislation. And from his recollection, he asserted that when recreational use of cannabis kicked off, it was one of the first strains many people knew by name and sought after. Pedro’s indeed has a rich history.

The train is quite uplifting, and it is generally known for its excellent Sativa qualities. If you believe in Pedro’s qualities as we do, you should already know that Boston bear is offering you the best strain available. Weaver added. In his words, it only makes all the sense to pick the best strain and infuse it into the blend of daytime and nighttime iced tea.

Looking at the data published by Headset retail in 2020, shares of the cannabis-infused beverage market in Canada increased by 850% 2020. This makes it double the size of the cannabis-infused beverage market in the US courts of some federal level restrictions.

According to the CEO of The Boston Beer Company, Dave Burwick, the objective of the company is to become the most creative consumer-focused firm across the globe. He added that the company has successfully launched several beers and canned cocktails like hard ciders, hard teas, and hard seltzers. Hence, they are motivated by the constant growth witnessed by the cannabis beverage sector and strongly believe it is one of the frontiers for the next innovation.

Dave also mentioned that as the company patiently waits for further legislation in the US, it will continue to develop and formulate new products. Products that will comply with the cannabis regulations set by the Canadian government.

VinePair affirmed that the success of Boston Beer Company lies in its capacity to adapt, venturing into hard iced teas, ciders, and craft brews. In fact, Twisted Tea witnessed unparalleled success during the Covid Pandemic. Although some of the success is attributed to an unexpected event that transpired during the Pandemic.

Twisted Tea saw an increase in popularity which caused a surge in its stock in 2020. While the market was quite volatile at that time, Twisted Tea stock continued to skyrocket courtesy of an unexpected event.

A man who goes by Barry Allen went viral for knocking out a drunk racist man who went out of control and had it coming. Allen knocked out the racist drunk man with a Twisted Tea can, a turn of events that made Boston Beer Company popular. Allen who was referred to as “TeaKO” handled the situation like most people claimed they would.

Conclusion

Boston Beer Company is clearly a company that adapts with the time and this has kept the company thriving and competing for many years. Now that the firm has seized the opportunity of venturing into the cannabis market, more should be expected from the brand.

Certainly, the cannabis market will reward Boston Beer Company for such a bold step.

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I recently was smoking a joint while aimlessly drifting about in a sea of videos on Youtube when I saw this video by the MasterKeySociety read a book by the author Neville Goddard. The book entitled, “Feeling is the Secret” can be experienced in a single sitting since it takes about 40-minutes for the total narration of the book.

This is perfect for a stoner like me who, after having read and written thousands of words in a single day – don’t always want to read, but always wants to learn more. Thus, the audio format worked and I continued to smoke my joint from the beginning to the end.

This blog will attempt to achieve several things;

1. A Low-Key Stoner Review on the Book itself covering the core concepts

2. How you could potentially utilize cannabis to achieve what is being discussed in the book itself

For those of you who don’t know who Neville Goddard is, he was an author. Here’s Wikipedia’s breakdown on his character;

Goddard was born in Barbados on February 19, 1905, to Joseph Nathaniel and Wilhelmina Goddard. He immigrated to New York City c. 1922, where he initially worked as a ballet and ballroom dancer.[2][3]

In 1931, he began to study under an Ethiopian rabbi, named Abdullah who introduced him to Kabbalah.[2] He was not naturalized until around the time of World War II, when he served in the United States Army – Wikipedia

While this description doesn’t do justice on what the man achieved, I cannot tell you how many times his name came up in various different esoteric circles. From practitioners of Magick to practitioners of the Law of Attraction – Goddard impacted them all.

Now it’s important to note that Goddard did place a heavy emphasis on the Bible, but unlike your traditional Christian point of view, Goddard rather treated the Bible as if it was a magickal grimoire. In other words, it serves more as a manual for life and the evolution of consciousness, than a literal depiction on reality.

To Goddard, the parables and stories in the Bible hint at deeper truths and interactions between the conscious and unconscious mind. Therefore, when we quote things from the Bible in this article…attempt to view it in the same light as the author did.

In other words, don’t be a silly little bitch and don’t take things personally.

Now, let’s get into the meat of it!

A Stoner’s Review on “Feeling is the Secret by Neville Goddard”

The author begins the book by explaining that he doesn’t care whether you believe him or not. He notes that this book will be “short in length” since he removed all the parts of him trying to defend his ideas. Rather, he challenges the reader to “try them and see if they work”, and if they don’t to ignore him and his work.

This is a refreshing perspective that many times are lacking within the self-developmental circle. People tend to drink their own “Kool-Aid” and take themselves too seriously and when there is someone within this niche that says, “Hey, listen…this is what I know and whether you want to or not…that’s up to you!” is quite a breath of fresh air.

It also allows the author to simply remove all the chains and to just flow with the truths that he uncovered during his research.

And as you can imagine – the major conclusion the author came to is; “Feeling is the Secret!”

Not thought or action, but feeling…

The base premise of Goddard’s message in this book is that the only way to manifest your desire is to tap into the feeling of it and embody the feeling of the “wish-fulfilled” in your present moment. In other words, “How would you feel if you were to achieve your intention, desire, or wish?”

The easy answer is – “I’d feel good!” but the problem with this vague answer is, “What does good feel like?”

The trick is to tap into the emotional field of the “wish-fulfilled”. For example, if you are trying to manifest a higher paying job or a promotion at work – how would you feel the moment after your boss or the hiring manager says, “Congratulations – it’s yours!”

Or how would you feel to hit your target weight after months of dieting, training, retraining, and being disciplined? What would be the emotions that would be swimming in your body? Where are they located? How intense are they? Are there other related emotions that synergizes with the base emotion of the “accomplished state”?

According to the author, “You cannot manifest a desire, you can only manifest that what you are!” (paraphrased) meaning, that in order to obtain your desires you need to shift from “wanting” to “having”.

For many, this statement creates a glitch in their programming. “How can I have something I don’t have? Isn’t that the purpose of a desire?”

The answer – according to Goddard – is “feeling”. It’s shifting into the “feeling of having it” and removing yourself from the “feeling of wanting it”.

To do this, you project yourself into the image of your desire. Whatever that might mean to you. You simply have to imagine you obtaining your goal or objective, and then – shift your awareness from “observation” to “being”.

In other words, you’ll shoot your awareness into the image generated in your head. You’ll experience the projection from the “first person perspective” and not from the “third person perspective” (the way we typically view our memories).

When you shift your awareness into the projection, you can then utilize your mirror neurons to resonate with the projected frequency of the “accomplished state”. In other words, you begin to harmonize with that “emotional configuration” in the present moment.

You grow the feeling, you make it touch every cell of your body…and then you lock this feeling into your being.

The trick then is to remain in this general zone of accomplishment. Experience the “Peace, Security, Joy” that you would if all your desires came true right now – and the unconscious will make it so.

But how does this all work?

Fortunately, Goddard also mentions the mechanics of this in the book in where the conscious mind (the masculine energy of the self), imparts the desire unto the unconscious (feminine energy) which then from the void of creation manifests the desired reality.

The reason why “feeling” is the secret is because “feeling” is the language of the unconscious mind. To the unconscious mind, there is little importance about what’s going on in the real world. You can both see a factual display of data, and “feel” completely different about it.

Someone could say something like, “There’s no danger here, all of these protections have been tested thoroughly, you’re perfectly safe!” except in your gut you feel the opposite to be true. No matter the facts presented, the feeling doesn’t change!

This is because that’s the unconscious utilizing a different means of interacting with baseline reality. For the unconscious mind, everything felt is true…even if you don’t physically have it. Thus, if you can shift your internal frequency towards the approximate “feeling” of your desired reality – the unconscious mind assumes this is true.

In turn, the unconscious mind utilizes non-linear methods to arrange your personal reality to suit the feeling you have inside. This is why people who feel unlucky often are, and conversely those who truly feel like everything is going their way – typically find resolutions that echo the sentiment.

We don’t need to understand how it all works mainly because it’s impossible. We only have about 50-60 bits of conscious processing power per second, meaning that the vast majority of the processes and mechanisms the unconscious utilizes to make something happen is beyond our scope of understanding.

It doesn’t matter either…when you understand that the “secret is the feeling”, you can focus your conscious energy to resonate with the achieved state and trust in the unconscious to make it so.

I tried it…it didn’t work!

I know some people here who will automatically claim that “The Law of Attraction” is bullshit. This is typically because people make a few mistakes in this process;

1. They believe it’s instant

2. They lack focus on the feeling (clarity)

Firstly, when you are reorganizing the very fabric of reality – it doesn’t happen overnight. While it is possible for an overnight or instant manifestation; people have the consider the “distance” between the desired state and their current state.

If you’re attempting to manifest a million dollars and have no business opportunities, are desperately in debt, and have no rich relatives to conveniently die and leave you their inheritance…then the unconscious will have to map out a path of least resistance towards the desired goal.

This could take some time because it will require that “YOU” behave differently in order to create and sustain this new reality. Maybe you need to become better at budgeting? Suddenly, you have all these budgeting problems appearing in your field of consciousness.

These hiccups challenges you to either face the problems and overcome them, or fold under and retreat your typical behavior. The problem with most people is that when these moments occur in their lives they allow it to affect their “emotional state”.

Since the unconscious manifest that what we feel, then when our emotional state flutters and resonates with whatever’s happening in our space – we redirect our energy and begin to manifest more of what we are experiencing.

The second issue comes when the person lacks clarity. The trick is to tune into the feeling of the desire accomplished. A place where you are convinced that you have “achieved” your desire. This means doing some real soul searching and identifying the strongest emotional state of the desire fulfilled.

Clarity is key!

Okay, follow the “feels” – but how does weed help me out?

Cannabis can help us in several ways, however, it’s important to designate cannabis as a tool in this process and not as a crutch. In other words, you should attempt to achieve these states without the influence of cannabis – HOWEVER – considering that cannabis can help disrupt mental loops such as trauma, then it stands to reason that it could potentially do the same for a “shitty situation”!

Most people – when they desire “something”, it’s usually because they don’t currently have it. If you’ve been experiencing “not having it” for a long time, it becomes a base reality. You feel like shit, and deposit this shitty feeling into your unconscious, which then in turn manifest more situations that reinforce this “shitty-ness”

This is in essence the very same way that PTSD works.  You get stuck in a loop that feeds into itself sustaining the reality that you don’t want. While logically you might understand that you need to “increase your emotional frequency”, emotionally – you are incapable of seeing beyond your current veil of misery.

It’s in these moments of sheer hopelessness that a bit of cannabis can provide you with a flood of euphoria, shining light on the darkness and providing you some fresh perspective to latch onto. Sometimes, all we need is a bit of clarity and hope to get us out of a terrible situation.

Cannabis can provide some space between you and the situation, giving you some “wiggle room” to readjust your emotional resonance with the situation. It might not even be something big, but that doesn’t matter.

“The Feeling is the Secret” meaning that if you can shift your mood, you can shift your reality. Fortunately, we know that cannabis is very effective in shifting mood. Doing so with intention, can provide some significant results.

Another way that cannabis can help you is in the visualization aspect. If you need to dream up your desired state, witness yourself in your mind’s eye as “getting what you want” – cannabis can help facilitate in this process.

The trick is to not get “too” stoned, but just enough where it removes the “internal critic” from the process and where you can simply “imagine without fear”. Once you have conjured up your dream-fulfilled, you can then utilize this “plastic” state to shift your perspective into the image…and utilize your mirror neurons to embody the emotional state of your projected future-desire-fulfilled.

Don’t take my word for it…try it!

I agree with Goddard that while this could be debated until the end of days, it’s best to try these things out for yourself. Even if you are dubious on the whole “law of attraction” shtick, you can utilize this same mechanism to get fired up and train your unconscious mind to pay attention to certain outcomes you want in your life.

However, giving this an earnest try is the key to where it’s at. Maybe start small, and scale up your efforts. If it doesn’t work – you got high and visualized a good future for yourself. If it does work, you just discovered a way to manifest anything your heart desires.

All because one stoner decided to listen to a book one night while smoking a fat joint. Also, as I mentioned, you don’t have to rely only on cannabis – breathwork, meditation, visualization, etc…they all help you get into the zone.

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A lot of people look for a miracle drug to promote weight loss and improve energy. In the 1990s, the ephedra plant became popular as a likely candidate, and not till after the mid-2000s, it was a normal ingredient used in dietary supplements. Although some research has shown that it could improve metabolism and loss of weight, some safety issues were also noted.

The three species of these stubborn plants that are the source of the drug are native to China, where the aerial parts are collected in the fall and dried for medicinal purposes. The scientific name of the plant is Ephedra sinica, E. Equisetina, E. intermedia.The roots of E. Sinica or E. intermedia, known as ma huang gen, are considered drugs in their own right and are used for their sleep-inducing properties. Ma Huang is also referred to as yellow horse, ephedra, and yellow astringent.

What is Ma Huang?

Ephedra also called Ma Huang is a condiment used in the preparation of various Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) for several centuries. It is mainly used to treat bronchitis, hay fever, and asthma. The plant is also recommended for symptoms of flu and cold, as well as cough, chills, nasal congestion, and fever.

Although Ephedra is a freely growing herb, the primary active ingredient of the plant, ephedrine, can be synthesized as medicine. Man-made ephedrine compounds, for example, pseudoephedrine, are usually used in over-the-counter cold treatments and are regulated as medicines. This is different from the regularization of ephedrine alkaloids obtained from the herb itself. These are governed as dietary supplements.

Before May 2004, ephedra was marketed as an energy-boosting supplement, a weight-loss product, and an athletic performance booster. Although there is some scientific evidence suggesting that it can improve one’s weight, the overall data on the effectiveness of this herbal supplement has been regarded as controversial and inconclusive. Furthermore, products that contain ephedra and are sold for the causes have been related to a lot of cases of heart arrhythmia ( heart attack/ irregular heartbeats), cases of stroke, and cases of death even. Many of the ephedra-containing products contain caffeine as well, and the mixture of both caffeine and ephedra improves the risk of getting negative side effects.

It is crucial to take note that due to the presence of ephedrine in some products, such as dietary supplements, amateur sporting events are not allowed to use them.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned the use of dietary supplements that contain ephedrine, ma huang, Pinella, Ephedra, or Sida cordifolia. This ban does not include teas ( which are distributed as a normal food) or Chinese traditional herbal remedies that have been recommended by a traditional Chinese doctor.

Improving Metabolic Rates and Fat Burn

Quite a number of the research into the effects of ephedra on weight loss was done in the 1980s and early 2000s, before the ban on ephedrine supplements. Some components of ephedrine can affect your body, but the most notable of the effects are probably due to ephedrine.

Various studies have shown that ephedrine increases the resting number of metabolism i.e (the number of calories the body utilizes in a resting state). This may be a result of an increase in the number of calories burned by the muscles. Ephedrine can as enhance the process of burning fat in the body as well.

It was found in research that the number of calories burned off in the space of 24 hours was higher by 3.6% when ephedrine was used by adults of sound health, in comparison to when they used a placebo.

Another researcher discovered that once people went on an extremely low-calorie diet, their rate of metabolism dropped. However, this became partly avoided by using ephedrine. Added to the short-time period adjustments in metabolism, a few researchers concluded that ephedrine can encourage weight and fat loss over a longer period. In five studies of ephedrine while being compared to a placebo, ephedrine brought about a weight reduction of three pounds (1.3kg) per month greater than a placebo, for as much as four months. However, there is a lack of long-term data that can support the benefits of ephedrine for the loss of weight.

Furthermore, a lot of studies on ephedrine test the weight-loss of caffeine and ephedrine, in place of ephedrine alone.

Does it work well or not so well with caffine?

Various studies testing the weight-loss impact of ephedrine have mixed the ingredient with caffeine. The mix of the two seems to have greater impacts on your body than taking either of them alone. For instance, caffeine with ephedrine boosts the rate of metabolism more than only ephedrine.

In a study of obese and healthy overweight adults, the mixture of 24mgb of Ephedra and 79mg of caffeine increased the metabolic rate by 8% in 2 hours, in comparison to placebo. Some studies have even indicated that ephedrine and caffeine alone have no impact on weight loss, but the mixture of both produces a loss of weight. Taking the combination of ephedra and caffeine three times daily for 12 weeks reduced body fat by 7.9% compared to just 1.9% with placebo.

In another 6-month study of 167 obese and overweight individuals, dietary supplements containing ephedrine and caffeine were compared to placebo in a weight loss program. The group receiving ephedrine lost 9.5 pounds (4.3 kg) of fat in comparison to the group taking placebo, which lost only 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) of fat.

The group taking ephedrine also reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol and body weight more than the group taking placebo. Overall, the available evidence suggests that products containing ephedrine, especially when combined with caffeine, may increase weight and fat loss.

Conclusion

Ma Huang is a stimulant herb obtained from the roots of Ephedra sinica. Many people have found it beneficial for weight loss, and also treating nasal congestion, common cold, asthma, and some other conditions. However, these uses have no scientific backing. However, the herb is banned in the US as there have been reports of life-threatening conditions and even death.

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WHY THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY NEEDS TO BE WARY OF CHINA!

Have you heard this one before, “it will be so much easier for the youth to get their hands on cannabis!” This is the argument that prohibitionists have touted for decades and according to them, the moment you legalize cannabis it will be available everywhere.

Kids will be able to walk into a dispensary and some overgrown hippie would easily sell them weed….right? Well, it turns out that a recent study in California found that 100% of Cannabis dispensaries that were tested were compliant in checking ID prior to sale.

This was reported on Marijuana Moment where they covered the study.

“It was somewhat surprising that there was 100 percent compliance with the ID policy to keep underage patrons from purchasing marijuana directly from licensed outlets,” the authors of the study, published this month in the Journal of Safety Research, wrote. “However, that was consistent with what was observed in two other states, Washington and Colorado.”

In other words, the cannabis industry has no real interest in selling cannabis illegally to the youth. Compliance is their friend and what this does in turn is actually make “getting cannabis” more difficult for the kids.

This doesn’t mean that kids can’t get their hands on cannabis, it only means that the legal industry is not contributing to their consumption.

“It appears that licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California are checking young patrons for identification of their age. Therefore, it is unlikely that youth are purchasing marijuana directly from these outlets,” the new study says. “It is more likely they are using other sources, such as asking an adult to purchase it for them, obtaining it from older friends or siblings, and using it at parties where the marijuana use might be shared.” – Marijuana Moment

This is virtually the same for alcohol, and is something that you cannot stop because there will always be older adults buying stuff for younger people. An older brother, uncle, or even a home grow from a teen that doesn’t get too much parental supervision can all be sources where the youth source their weed.

The Youth in General Consume Less

The strange thing that happened since legalization is that youth consumption rates stayed pretty much the same or reduced post legalization as reported in the Guardian.

Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis surveyed 216,852 teenagers from all 50 states and found that the number of adolescents with marijuana-related disorders dropped by 24% from 2002 to 2013. During that period, overall teen pot use also decreased by 10%, despite the fact that more than a dozen states legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized the drug during that time. – The Guardian, 2016

While it’s true that this article is five years old, the fact of the matter is that the findings remain consistent. While the Youth prefer cannabis and mushrooms over alcohol, fewer of them are using cannabis. In other words, it seems that cannabis legalization removed the “edge” from the use of cannabis.

When I was a teenager, cannabis was seen as a “rebellious act” by some…not by me, I just loved smoking pot! However, others would rebel by smoking weed.

These days, rebellion takes on different forms. I’m not going speculate what is the “flavor of the day” for youth rebellion…but what conclusions we can draw from all this noise is that “legalizing cannabis” doesn’t make it easier for kids to get their hands on weed.

In fact, no legal establishment will sell cannabis due to the fines and punishments associated with selling to a minor.

This will also not change in the coming years.

Legal makes it harder…and safer!  

Legal businesses will never sell to a minor. The weed sold in these places need to go through strict standards and regulatory checks, meaning that it’s also safer to consume than untested street weed (technically).

If this works with weed…why wouldn’t it work with other drugs too? Why is it that we live in a society that frowns upon the individual’s right to get blitzed? Why can’t I buy pharmaceutical grade LSD from a store if I’m over the age of 21?

Why am I allowed to smoke weed, drink alcohol and pop pills legally – but can’t eat some mushrooms?

If every dispensary could sell “drugs” in general, compliance would still remain 100% and if you’re worried about these 3rd-party Free agents giving kids drugs…increase the penalties for them. But we should never punish the whole of society for the potential bad actions of a few people.

I believe that if we legalize and regulate all drugs like Marijuana, we would not only have a safer society…but we would begin to see a dawn of a new age of enlightenment as millions of adults would have the legal right to experience a psychedelic experience – to heal, to shift their perspectives and to explore their own consciousness.

Legalization works! Let’s do it for all drugs!

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