Legal Marijuana, In All 50 States—No Legalization Required? How Hemp Companies Are Hacking Federal Drug Laws. – Forbes

Texas, home to some of the most punitive marijuana laws in the United States, is also home to more than its fair share of companies dealing in hemp and CBD products—which, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, are legal in all 50 states (even Texas).

Hemp and marijuana are both cannabis, but the distinction is a matter of law, not botany. Marijuana (illegal) has more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight, according to the 2018 Farm Bill; hemp (legal) has 0.3 percent or less. More to the point: Marijuana and THC get you high. Hemp and CBD do not.

Or so the distinction is supposed to go. Because if what Lukas Gilkey is telling me is correct, the hemp-derived gummy I have in my hands—and am about to put into my body—is one of a wave of cannabis products that can get you high while remaining legal in all 50 states.

Gilkey is CEO of Austin-based Hometown Hero CBD. Hometown Hero sells CBD products as well as products containing Delta-8 THC, a synthetic molecule similar to the federally banned Delta-9 THC found in the cannabis plant. (Whenever you see references to “THC,” it’s almost always Delta-9 THC.)

Edibles with Delta-8 THC get you high, but states are getting hip to this and passing bans on Delta-8. But then Gilkey realized something.

The Farm Bill doesn’t outlaw all THC, it just outlaws THC above the 0.3 percent threshold. What if you extracted enough THC from hemp and put it into a gummy? Couldn’t you consume enough THC to get a buzz—and since the product came from hemp, and was just 0.3 percent THC (and 99.7 percent other stuff), wouldn’t it still be legal?

MORE FOR YOU

That’s the theory behind Hometown Hero CBD’s “Select Spectrum” products. These gummies, about the size of a thick and oversized quarter, have 10 milligrams of THC and 10 milligrams of CBD—just like some of the cannabis edibles you’d find at a legal dispensary or sold illegally on the street.

But those edibles come from cannabis (or “marihuana,” if you’re the federal Controlled Substances Act). Cannabis is only legal in that quantity in states that have adult-use marijuana laws.

Select Spectrum products come from hemp—lots and lots of hemp, enough hemp to produce enough THC to get you stoned. And according to Gilkey—and Gilkey’s attorneys—all that is then perfectly legal: legal to ship across state lines, legal to buy online and at gas stations and smoke shops, and legal to do all this in all 50 states.

“I will be the first to say we are taking a big risk and putting a massive target on your backs,” said Gilkey, who claims to have spent the last year and “hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers” to ensure that Select Spectrum doesn’t trigger a Drug Enforcement Administration raid—and even more time on perfecting the process.

“It’s very critical how you do it,” he adds. “The Delta-9 level can never cross 0.3 percent. So we’re extracting straight into the mix for the gummies.”

And the result? “It’s the real deal,” he promised me. “It’ll put you on your ass—it’s strong. And it’s from hemp, and federally legal.”

When we talked in early August, Gilkey predicted that Select Spectrum would trigger a rush of other companies who’d reached similar conclusions. And he seems to be right, but Hometown Hero wasn’t the first to the punch. The legal loophole that allows federally legal THC products has drawn some attention, and there are a few other companies, including Utah-based Trojan Horse Cannabis, that are testing the waters, using the same legal theory.

But none of that will matter unless the product is popular. And in order to be popular, it has to work.

So does it work? Will it get you ripped? On two occasions, I put the theory to the test: once in the city, and another time on a Sunday escape to the woods. And the answer is… sort of.

Both times, I definitely felt something. An evening subway ride was pleasantly altered. I felt looser and a little loopy and silly in the familiar way when a strong edible is about to kick in… and then not much else. (These are 1-to-1 THC-to-CBD edibles, after all, and CBD is supposed to ameliorate THC’s effects.)

So I popped another one. The conversation flowed, the Spotify selection on the ride home hit a little different. Things felt enhanced.

I wasn’t sober! But was I high? And either way, did it matter?

The next week, out hiking with a friend, I packed some more Select Spectrum gummies along with my water, spare socks, and protein bars. Midway through the jaunt, old knees aching, I popped another one. (For all the hemp supposedly in these things, they don’t taste any different than your typical edible.)

I loosened up a bit, the knee barked less. They didn’t quite change the channel like the THC-only edibles I’d packed to the Mets game a few nights before—then again, I’d also had more than one or two on that occasion—but they definitely did something.

And for some people, that will be plenty. The main value-add here seems to be “a THC product that is legal in all 50 states,” but marijuana legalization has also created a new genre of personal essay: the “I ate too much edible and I got too high” narrative. And Select Spectrum’s Delta-9 gummies did not do that.

For someone looking to alter the dial of reality a bit without going too far over the edge, these might be perfect. For someone living in a state like Texas, these might be perfect. (For the rest of us, we’ll probably smoke weed.)

Marijuana laws are constantly evolving. On Sept. 1, the amount of THC allowed in CBD oil in Texas will double—from 0.5 percent to 1 percent. And there’s a federal marijuana legalization bill sitting around in the U.S. Senate, waiting for a hearing.

When the walls of federal prohibition finally fall, a THC product made solely from hemp might be too niche to compete. Until then, hemp-derived Delta-9 THC products are exploiting the cannabis industry’s main market inefficiency. And it stands to reason there will be more coming.

Legal Marijuana, In All 50 States—No Legalization Required? This Texas Company Says It Has Hacked Federal Drug Laws – Forbes

Texas, home to some of the most punitive marijuana laws in the United States, is also home to more than its fair share of companies dealing in hemp and CBD products—which, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, are legal in all 50 states (even Texas).

Hemp and marijuana are both cannabis, but the distinction is a matter of law, not botany. Marijuana (illegal) has more than 0.3 percent THC by volume; hemp (legal) has 0.3 percent or less. More to the point: Marijuana and THC get you high. Hemp and CBD do not.

Or so the distinction is supposed to go. Because if what Lukas Gilkey is telling me is correct, the hemp-derived gummy I have in my hands—and am about to put into my body—is the nation’s first hemp-derived product that can get you high, and is still legal in all 50 states.

Gilkey is CEO of Austin-based Hometown Hero CBD. Hometown Hero sells CBD products as well as products containing Delta-8 THC, a synthetic molecule similar to the federally banned Delta-9 THC found in the cannabis plant. (Whenever you see references to “THC,” it’s almost always Delta-9 THC.)

Edibles with Delta-8 THC get you high, but states are getting hip to this and passing bans on Delta-8. But then Gilkey realized something.

The Farm Bill doesn’t outlaw all THC, it just outlaws THC above the 0.3 percent threshold. What if you extracted enough THC from hemp and put it into a gummy? Couldn’t you consume enough THC to get a buzz—and since the product came from hemp, and was just 0.3 percent THC (and 99.7 percent other stuff), wouldn’t it still be legal?

MORE FOR YOU

That’s the theory behind Hometown Hero CBD’s “Select Spectrum” products. These gummies, about the size of a thick and oversized quarter, have 10 milligrams of THC and 10 milligrams of CBD—just like some of the cannabis edibles you’d find at a legal dispensary or sold illegally on the street.

But those edibles come from cannabis (or “marihuana,” if you’re the federal Controlled Substances Act). Cannabis is only legal in that quantity in states that have adult-use marijuana laws.

Select Spectrum products come from hemp—lots and lots of hemp, enough hemp to produce enough THC to get you stoned. And according to Gilkey—and Gilkey’s attorneys—all that is then perfectly legal: legal to ship across state lines, legal to buy online and at gas stations and smoke shops, and legal to do all this in all 50 states.

“I will be the first to say we are taking a big risk and putting a massive target on your backs,” said Gilkey, who claims to have spent the last year and “hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawyers” to ensure that Select Spectrum doesn’t trigger a Drug Enforcement Administration raid—and even more time on perfecting the process.

“It’s very critical how you do it,” he adds. “The Delta-9 level can never cross 0.3 percent. So we’re extracting straight into the mix for the gummies.”

And the result? “It’s the real deal,” he promised me. “It’ll put you on your ass—it’s strong. And it’s from hemp, and federally legal.”

When we talked in early August, Gilkey predicted that Select Spectrum would trigger a rush of other companies who’d reached similar conclusions. And he seems to be right: the legal loophole that allows federally legal THC products has drawn some attention, and it appears there are a few other companies, including one in Utah, that are testing the waters, using the same legal theory.

But none of that will matter unless the product is popular. And in order to be popular, it has to work.

So does it work? Will it get you ripped? On two occasions, I put the theory to the test: once in the city, and another time on a Sunday escape to the woods. And the answer is… sort of.

Both times, I definitely felt something. An evening subway ride was pleasantly altered. I felt looser and a little loopy and silly in the familiar way when a strong edible is about to kick in… and then not much else. (These are 1-to-1 THC-to-CBD edibles, after all, and CBD is supposed to ameliorate THC’s effects.)

So I popped another one. The conversation flowed, the Spotify selection on the ride home hit a little different. Things felt enhanced.

I wasn’t sober! But was I high? And either way, did it matter?

The next week, out hiking with a friend, I packed some more Select Spectrum gummies along with my water, spare socks, and protein bars. Midway through the jaunt, old knees aching, I popped another one. (For all the hemp supposedly in these things, they don’t taste any different than your typical edible.)

I loosened up a bit, the knee barked less. They didn’t quite change the channel like the THC-only edibles I’d packed to the Mets game a few nights before—then again, I’d also had more than one or two on that occasion—but they definitely did something.

And for some people, that will be plenty. The main value-add here seems to be “a THC product that is legal in all 50 states,” but marijuana legalization has also created a new genre of personal essay: the “I ate too much edible and I got too high” narrative. And Select Spectrum’s Delta-9 gummies did not do that.

For someone looking to alter the dial of reality a bit without going too far over the edge, these might be perfect. For someone living in a state like Texas, these might be perfect. (For the rest of us, we’ll probably smoke weed.)

Marijuana laws are constantly evolving. On Sept. 1, the amount of THC allowed in CBD oil in Texas will double—from 0.5 percent to 1 percent. And there’s a federal marijuana legalization bill sitting around in the U.S. Senate, waiting for a hearing.

When the walls of federal prohibition finally fall, a THC product made solely from hemp might be too niche to compete. Until then, hemp-derived Delta-9 THC products are exploiting the cannabis industry’s main market inefficiency. And it stands to reason there will be more coming.

10 Best CBD Cream Brands: Pain & Inflammation Relief – Washington City Paper

You’ve finally moved past believing you’re invincible and have started taking your health much more seriously. Your diet is cleaner than it’s ever been, your sleep schedule is consistent, and you’re working out regularly. Yet the curse of aging leaves no one behind and though you’re doing your part to keep your body in good health, wear and tear on your muscles and joints can cause pain to bubble up and burst on your lap, leaving you hunched over and trying to breathe deeply through it.

These scenarios are far too common and they’re even worse when you’re injured mid-exercise. Are you kidding? Here you are, sweating out toxins and challenging your body and you’re rewarded with intense pain that sets you back because you need to keep pressure off your joints. There are a couple of pain management solutions you can try, like elevating a swollen ankle and applying an ice pack on it. You can reach for an over-the-counter pain killer and hope your liver can handle it. Or you can drift off into an opioid daze that keeps you from working on anything requiring focus.

And when you have so many responsibilities, laying back to wait for your body to heal itself feels like torture, especially if what you’re taking to feel better has side effects that make you feel worse. How exactly are you supposed to win in these scenarios and why are they so common? There has to be something better, right? There is. CBD took long enough to come onto the scene, but it’s been taking the world for a pain-free spin and people from all over the globe are experiencing relief that doesn’t cost them their focus or their ability to drive.

We get it – sometimes strong painkillers are helpful, especially if your injury is severe. But they’re addictive and not meant to be used for long-term pain management so it’s worth investing in a product that helps relieve pain and doesn’t land you in a recovery group. We discovered the top 10 brands that offer CBD creams for pain and other topicals so you can experience relief from joint pain or chronic pain and get back to enjoying your active lifestyle.   

Top 10 CBD Cream for Pain Options

  1. CBDfx – Editor’s Choice
  2. Extract Labs – Best CBD-Infused Face Cream
  3. Joy Organics – World Class Customer Service
  4. Charlotte’s Web – Most Targeted Pain Relief Formulas
  5. CBDistillery – Top Warming and Cooling Formulas
  6. Receptra Naturals – Award-Winning Formulas for Serious Relief
  7. Sol CBD – Best Hand-Crafted, Nourishing Topicals
  8. Aspen Green – Certified USDA Organic
  9. NanoCraft CBD – Top-Rated CBD Lip Balm
  10.  MedTerra – Best Deeply Penetrating Formulas

How Did We Decide Which CBD Creams Make the Top 10 List?

When you’re looking for relief, the last thing you want to deal with is a crooked company with products that are just downright terrible. The idea is relief, not more headaches. So, we found our top 10 CBD creams for pain by keeping the following considerations in mind:

  • Confirmed Third-Party Testing

It’s not that we don’t believe brands when they tell us about what’s in their products, it’s that we’ve been online shopping for long enough to know that third-party accountability makes for better products.

  • CBD Source

There are a couple of CBD types, including full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum, and isolates. We provided a well-rounded list of CBD creams to suit your preferences.

  • Ingredients List

We look for American grown hemp and formulas that contain organic and natural ingredients. We also check for additional ingredients that support CBD in its quest to bring you comfort and pain relief.

  • Potency Variety

Since pain levels vary drastically, we looked for CBD cream products that offer a variety of potencies.

Top 10 CBD Cream for Pain Options – Reviews

1. CBDfx – Editor’s Choice

Pros:

  • Use code “wellness” for up to 25% off
  • Broad spectrum with cooling menthol
  • Vegan and cruelty free formulas
  • 60-day guarantee

Cons:

  • Consumers state they wish the products came in bigger sizes

Being condemned to bed rest is like being forced to stare at the corner in a time out while all your friends are out enjoying the day. Their laughter trickles into your ears as you’re filled with anger that they’re not the ones having to endure this life-sapping indoor punishment. Pain can bring you to your knees and make you want to curl up into a fetal position for comfort. It feels like the clock stops ticking, like you’re stuck in an alternate universe where the minutes are longer and you’re just not yourself.

Whether you’re dealing with irritated skin, pains, or aches, CBDfx offers CBD creams for pain and balms that contain a special blend of supporting ingredients that are infused with the natural benefits offered by CBD. Improve your skin’s appearance, relieve the intensity of the pain and aches you feel, and moisturize your skin so you look as good on the outside as you’ll feel on the inside with these clever CBD topicals. In no time, you’ll be back out there enjoying the sunlight and feeling like a million bucks.

  • CBD Balm for Muscle & Joint: Cooling Formula (500 – 3000MG of CBD)

This CBD cream formula absorbs quickly into your skin and delivers powerful, anti-inflammatory botanical extracts like menthol, white willow bark, and caffeine – all of which are proven effective in the treatment of joint discomfort and muscle aches.

  • CBD Balm Stick Muscle & Joint (750MG – 3000MG of CBD)

Reach for this balm stick when you need intense relief. It contains the pain-relieving benefits of essential oils like black pepper and wintergreen and delivers comforting relief with the cooling force of menthol.

Learn more at CBDfx.com

2. Extract Labs – Best CBD-Infused Face Cream

Pros:

  • Free domestic shipping
  • American grown hemp
  • Natural properties for nourishing results
  • Lab tested for quality and purity

Cons:

  • High price point when compared to other products

It’s always relieving to find a good CBD product but when they’re loaded with cooling and warming ingredients and other components that could irritate the delicate skin on your face, you may wonder what you can use to not only nourish your skin, but also relieve it. Extract Labs saw this opportunity and ran with it, creating a line of CBD-infused topicals, including a full spectrum CBD cream to use on your face.

  • CBD Rescue Rub (2000MG of CBD)

Extra strength CBD cream for pain that’s vegan and THC free. It was created based on a 2,000 year old herbal recipe for blunt force trauma inflammation – this rub is heavy duty.

  • CBG Rescue Rub (1000MG of CBG and 1000MG of CBD)

This formula contains an exclusive blend of 12 terpene-rich herbs at a 1:1 ratio of CBG to CBD. It’s ideal for relieving tight joints and sore muscles.

  • Muscle Cream (1500MG of CBD)

Formulated with simple, all-natural ingredients, this muscle pain cream is beloved by professional athletes, but the truth is, it’s made for anyone dealing with discomfort. Each tin contains CBD, soothing menthol, and herbaceous arnica in a concentrated form.

  • Face Cream (1500MG of CBD)

A perfect fit for your skincare routine, the formula used for this CBD cream was made specially for the delicate skin on your face and is suitable for everyday use.

Learn more at ExtractLabs.com

3. Joy Organics – World Class Customer Service

Pros:

  • Subscribe and save 20% off
  • USDA certified organic
  • 90-day satisfaction guaranteed
  • Excellent customer service team

Cons:

  • Because of their premium ingredients, their products may be pricier than others

When you find a product you love, it can be a devastating blow when you realize their customer service department isn’t up to par. You’re stuck wondering if you should keep buying from them even though they don’t deserve your loyalty. With Joy Organics, you get the best of both worlds. Their customer service team is trained to be helpful as you look through their topicals to find one that fits your needs.

  • Organic CBD Topical Salve (500MG or 1000MG of CBD)

Premium CBD is combined with organic beeswax and aromatic essential oils, lavender and eucalyptus, to make a salve that benefits your skin and joints in a variety of ways. Slather it on your skin to bask in a spa experience and relieve the tension in your muscles and stiffness in your joints.

  • CBD Bath Bombs (25MG of CBD per bath bomb)

These bath bombs contain lavender oil, organic coconut oil, and cocoa seed butter to soothe your skin and promote relaxation. Pop this into your bath and submerge yourself in paradise to melt the stress of the day away, relax sore muscles, and support your joints.

  • CBD Sports Cream (400MG of CBD)

Use it before, during, or after exercise to stay active all day. To ease discomfort, apply this cooling formula to joints or muscle strains whenever and as often as you need to. Stiff joints shouldn’t hold you back – soothe them with this CBD cream and feel the benefits that reach deep past the surface.

  • CBD Balm (250MG of CBD)

Ditch dry, itchy skin and enjoy the benefits of a CBD-infused cream that nourishes and moisturizes your entire body. Use it to revitalize your muscles and joints and apply it liberally anywhere you need it for fast results.

  • CBD Salve Stick (250MG of CBD)

When you’re on the run, this is a great way to keep your skin healthy. Use this high-quality CBD Salve Stick whenever you need it, day or night.

Learn more at JoyOrganics.com

4. Charlotte’s Web – Most Targeted Pain Relief Formulas

Pros:

  • Vegan; no animal testing
  • Made with all natural ingredients
  • Formulated without artificial colors
  • Targeted formulas

Cons:

  • Hemp is not 100% organic

If you’re an artist, you need a canvas – if you’re an athlete, you need the challenge. When pain strikes in any capacity and you’re kept from doing what you love, it feels like the world is dimmer and your mood understandably dips. Charlotte’s Web is committed to helping you keep doing everything you love to do, from moving your paint brush effortlessly on a new canvas to beating your last rep count. They have several hemp-infused products starting at reasonable prices, each crafted specifically for your needs.

  • Hemp-Infused Cream with CBD (300MG or 750MG of CBD)

This body cream will revitalize, restore, and renew your skin. The botanical formula is gentle enough to use on bigger portions of the body and is gentle enough to use on delicate skin.

  • Back and Neck Pain Relief Ointment (200MG of CBD)

This CBD cream for pain can relieve minor upper and lower back pain, such as muscle tightness, strains, sprains, and bruising. Apply on the neck, back, shoulders, or waist.

  • Arthritis Aches and Pain Relief Ointment (200MG of CBD)

This joint ointment was developed to relieve arthritis-related aches and pains. Apply this CBD cream for pain straight to troublesome spots to reduce pain and stiffness in your joints, then get back to doing what you love. 

  • Active Sport Pain Relief Stick (200MG of CBD)

Discover a new method of recovering. This sport pain stick was created to relieve aching muscles and stiff joints. Sore muscles won’t slow you down with this practical on-the-go formula, which may be applied before, during, and after exercise for fast relief.

  • Muscle and Joint Pain Relief Ointment (15MG of CBD)

This ointment comes in 10 ready-to-use, individually wrapped packets to provide temporary relief to painful muscles. It was made with natural components to ease your aches and pains.

Learn more at CharlottesWeb.com

5. CBDistillery – Top Warming and Cooling Formulas

Pros:

  • Subscribe to monthly deliveries and save
  • Risk free satisfaction guarantee
  • Wide product selection at different price points
  • US Hemp Authority Certified

Cons:

  • Especially during sales, some products may sell out

At this very moment, there is someone enjoying a luxurious massage that you’re probably more deserving of. Yet here you are, looking for a pain-relieving product that can just bring a bit of comfort to the end of your day when your feet are exhausted, when your muscles ache from your laborious job, and when your joints are screaming for relief. Luckily for you, CBDistillery has a great line of CBD creams. Some are formulated to bring you intense relief while others can be used as part of your daily regimen to keep stiffness at bay, especially if you regularly type on a laptop and your hands and fingers start to ache by the afternoon.

  • CBDol® Topical – CBD Salve (500MG of full spectrum CBD)

This CBD salve was designed with your ultimate relief in mind. Put it in your workout bag or purse to enjoy the benefits of a CBD topical whenever you want.

  • CBDefine® Skin Care Cream (500MG of full spectrum CBD)

Formulated for restoration and rejuvenation, this CBD cream can be added to any skincare routine. It’s gentle and luscious and delivers the relieving benefits of high-quality hemp derived CBD.

  • CBD Isolate Relief Stick – 0% THC (1000MG)

For targeted pain relief, this stick combines CBD isolate with the soothing effects of menthol to give you relief when you’re on the go. It’s a popular product because it provides localized respite while it deeply nourishes dry skin.

  • Broad Spectrum CBD Relief Stick – 0% THC (1000MG)

Similar to the CBD isolate, except with CBD for added benefits. The no-mess stick is easy to use, portable, and ideal for everyday use.

  • Broad Spectrum CBD Topical Warming Cream 0% THC (300MG)

Melt the tension of your day away with this cream that delivers CBD with a warming sensation that’s perfect for soothing the tight spots on your body.

  • Broad Spectrum CBD Topical Cooling Cream 0% THC (300MG)

Like an ice bath on the go, this cooling cream refreshes your skin and brings topical relief to areas that need a little soothing comfort.

  • Nourishing All-Day Body Lotion + Avocado Oil (400MG)

Vitamins A, C, D, and E give critical nutrients that soothe your skin, while this all-day body lotion absorbs fast into your skin. Reduced redness and ultra-hydrated skin can be obtained because of the outstanding moisturizing properties contained within this CBD-infused lotion. 

  • Age Defying Hand Lotion + Apricot Kernel Oil (150MG)

Hemp extract, plant-based components, and a non-greasy composition that absorbs rapidly are included in this age-defying lotion. Natural emollients and essential fatty acids soothe and nourish dry skin for hands that look as good as they feel. 

CBDistillery’s impressive product list doesn’t stop there. To check out all the other topical CBD products they offer, as well as their top-quality CBD oil, you’ll have to hop onto their website. There are too many for us to list here but you get the idea – they’ve got the goods.

Learn more at TheCBDistillery.com

6. Receptra Naturals – Award-Winning Formulas for Serious Relief

Pros:

  • Award-winning 0% THC formula
  • 30-day satisfaction guaranteed
  • Multiple products and formulas
  • Save 15% on your first purchase

Cons:

  • Some of their products are limited edition

Imagine heading out to the beach with hopes of getting a nice tan and returning red as a lobster, wincing at every movement – the fact is sunscreen doesn’t work unless you apply it. Same with relief from CBD topicals. Receptra Naturals has a complete list of seriously relieving CBD creams for pain that are carefully infused with CBD and designed to be absorbed through your skin.

  • Serious Relief + Arnica Targeted Topical Stick (640MG)

Easy to use and convenient, this topical stick blends organic ingredients to target irritated areas of your skin while supporting speedy muscle recovery and joint relief. It’s compact and portable, perfect for stashing in your gym bag.

  • Serious Relief + Arnica Targeted Topical (400MG or 800MG of CBD)

Arnica and jojoba are included in this CBD hemp topical to help reduce swelling and inflammation. Natural scents of jasmine, ylang-ylang, and camphor encourage fast muscle and joint rehabilitation while also opening pores for enhanced CBD delivery.

  • Seriously Relax + Arnica Body Oil (200MG of CBD)

This oil moisturizes your skin while it eases tension. Lavender and vanilla create a delightful scent while jojoba oil, vitamin E, and camphor soothe your body and your mind. This is ultimate relaxation in a bottle – ideal for soothing massages.

  • Serious Relief + Arnica Targeted Topical (400MG of CBD)

Specially formulated to promote fast recovery following your time spent challenging your body through physical exercise, this naturally scented topical will keep you moving so you can continue taking your fitness to the next level.

  • Serious Relief + Arnica Targeted Topical 0% THC

This topical is ranked #1 by CBD Insider – it has zero THC and blends organic ingredients to help minimize inflammation and bring on much needed pain relief.

Learn more at ReceptraNaturals.com

7. Sol CBD – Best Hand-Crafted, Nourishing Topicals

Pros:

  • Hand-crafted in small batches
  • Creates a youthful glow
  • Secure ordering and fast delivery
  • 100% satisfaction guaranteed

Cons:

  • Product description doesn’t include total CBD in milligrams

After a full year of only seeing others through their filtered photos online, it’s easy to wonder if everyone really is as radiant as their photos or if the quarantine year is also showing on their skin. SolCBD has created two CBD topicals to nourish your skin and give it the extra care it needs, so you can radiate a youthful shine – without the need for a filter.

  • Nourish Formula

Help your skin bounce back with this nourishing blend of herbs of cannabinoids – it’s packed with 22 ingredients, which makes it a great addition to your balancing and moisturizing skincare routine.

  • Extra Care Formula

When your skin is needing some TLC, this extra care formula comes to the rescue. Revitalize your skin and uncover that youthful glow with this blend of 23 herbs and cannabinoids.

Learn more at SolCBD.com

8. Aspen Green – Certified USDA Organic

Pros:

  • Certified USDA organic
  • Grown in Colorado, USA
  • Certified and tested
  • Full spectrum CBD hemp extract

Cons:

  • Selling out quickly; only a handful left in stock

This moisturizing body butter is the ideal everyday choice for revitalizing troubled skin all over your body, thanks to a rich, soothing blend of organic seed butters and oils. It absorbs swiftly to trap in moisture and relieve your skin from the inside out, all while restoring balance and a smooth, plump, healthy texture. This formula contains 500MG of full spectrum CBD hemp extract and is made with 100% natural, food-grade ingredients. It’s toxin free, gluten free, and non-GMO.

Learn more at AspenGreen.com

9. NanoCraft CBD – Top-Rated CBD Lip Balm

Pros:

  • Trade your email for 10% off your first order
  • Made in the USA
  • Lab tested
  • 30-day money back guarantee

Cons:

  • Some customers mentioned a greasy consistency

NanoCraft CBD’s topicals have been scientifically developed to penetrate the skin’s outer layers. Their products are free of any synthetic components that could prevent CBD from being absorbed, and they are devised to provide tangible benefits.

  • CBD Roll-On Stick for Muscle and Joint Recovery (250MG or 500MG of CBD)

Improve your game with this roll-on stick that contains a variety of natural herbs and calming essential oils along with broad spectrum hemp-derived CBD oil. This stick promotes calm and well-being during your recovery periods so you can rest, relax, then get back at it.

  • CBD Natural Beeswax Lip Balm (25MG of CBD)

Say goodbye to chapped lips! This minty CBD lip balm has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, as well as a relaxing effect on the skin.

  • Cooling CBD Sports Cream (500MG of CBD)

This cream contains menthol and arnica, which work together to offer a soothing and cooling effect; an ideal pain relief cream for over-worked muscles and stiff joints.

  • Cooling CBD Roll-On Gel (250MG)

This mess-free topical combines the benefits of ginseng, aloe, menthol, and broad-spectrum hemp to deliver phytocannabinoids where they’re most needed.

  • All-Purpose CBD Skin Stick (200MG of CBD)

To make this skin stick for scrapes, wounds, burns, and injured skin, NanoCraft CBD combines broad spectrum hemp CBD with vitamin E, lavender, chamomile, and a number of other natural, helpful ingredients.

Learn more at NanoCraftCBD.com

10. MedTerra – Best Deeply Penetrating Formulas

Pros:

  • Free of plasticizers and artificial preservatives
  • Backed by science
  • Powerful results without any guilt
  • Sustainably sourced ingredients

Cons:

  • Customers have requested product size options be expanded

When brands don’t know what they’re doing, they forget to include the ingredients that help CBD absorb into the skin. But MedTerra is experienced and formulated several CBD topicals to penetrate the outer layers of your skin and deliver some of the most advanced ingredients in skincare today. Each product is available in different concentrations, ranging from 250MG to 1000MG of CBD.

  • Pain Relief Cream

Medterra defies standard pain cream clichés that rely solely on menthol. This formula is ideal for aching backs and stiff necks, as well as arthritis and joint stiffness.

  • Relief and Recovery Cream

This blend of CBD and organic components, including menthol and arnica, is a potent mix. It has a fast-acting cooling action, so the pain cream can be used for joint and muscle support.

  • CBD and Manuka Cream

This medicinal honey is precisely combined with CBD, organic ingredients, and over 20 botanical components to soothe and rejuvenate your skin.

  • Relief and Recovery Roll-On

Like the relief and recovery cream, except with a convenient roll-on applicator. Perfect for when you’re on the go.

Learn more at MedTerraCBD.com

What is CBD Topical Cream?

CBD creams are topicals that are infused with CBD to be applied onto your skin. Other topicals include salves and balms, which differ in their formulations, but are ultimately also designed to be used on your skin. In 2016, a study was conducted to identify the results of topical CBD application on rats. The results were incredibly promising, as inflammation and pain related to arthritis was reduced in the subjects. 

The texture of CBD topicals is the main difference between them. It’s truly up to your preference, just like with any other moisturizing products. CBD creams might be a little more effective for extremely dry skin because they are thicker. Creams may also absorb more quickly than other topical options, which makes them a better choice for alleviating muscle pain.

What Are the Benefits of CBD Topicals?

There’s a growing number of verified studies that point to CBD as a pain-relieving natural wonder. CBD cream helps to reduce inflammation and swelling, which subsequently reduces pain sensations. Topical CBD application has also been studied on people with nerve damage. Every person in the study reported reduced pain levels, whether they were experiencing sharp, intense pain, or itchy and cold pain sensations.

CBD topical products may also help to reduce facial pain that’s concentrated on the jaw area. After a two-week period, participants who used CBD topicals to alleviate their jaw pain noticed a lot less pain. Topical CBD products continue to show tons of promise and can help to alleviate pain wherever it is concentrated on your body too. It’s strong enough to reduce nerve pain, which is one of the most agonizing types of chronic pain to have to endure. So, if you’re looking for a product to help you tackle muscle and joint aches post-workout, CBD creams are a great addition to your health supplies.    

How to Use CBD Topical Cream

The best CBD creams are designed to be applied directly onto your skin and massaged in to relieve pain wherever it’s located. For example, if you generally experience arthritis-related pain in your fingers and hands, apply the cream on your hands throughout the day so the CBD can soak in and provide you with pain relief.

Check the ingredients list in your CBD cream to see if any of the ingredients produce a cooling or warming effect. This feeling can be a welcome effect of the CBD topical, but on sensitive skin, it may feel uncomfortable. Reserve these formulas for large, sore muscles.

If you have extremely sensitive skin, you may want to do a quick patch test before lathering yourself up in a cream. Just dab a little bit onto the inside of your wrist and wait to see if you experience any irritation. If all looks good, proceed with application where you need it the most.

Potential Side Effects of CBD Topicals

Research confirms that topical CBD creams and other topical products can be applied and reapplied as often as needed without any adverse effects. Keep in mind topicals should not be ingested and should only be applied onto your skin. Also, be sure to keep CBD topicals away from cuts and other open skin, especially if they contain cooling or warming ingredients, as the application could further irritate your skin.

Though you won’t notice any kind of psychoactive effect, even if the CBD cream or stick contains full spectrum or broad spectrum, you may be one of the few who experiences side effects like diarrhea, nausea, or drowsiness. The likelihood of you experiencing any of these side effects is drastically lowered with CBD topicals because they don’t make it to your bloodstream the way other CBD products do.

One important consideration if you’re new to CBD: check with your doctor, as CBD is known to interact with some medications. So long as you’re given the green light, you’re good to go!

Conclusion

Scrolling through social media and discovering a photo of friends and family at an event you weren’t invited to is like a punch in the gut. Being left out of anything feels awful so that’s why we did the work and laid out the best CBD creams we could find. You shouldn’t be left behind, reaching for pain-relieving products that are just not cutting it. We hope at least one of the CBD creams or other CBD topical products we highlighted above caught your eye, though we also encourage you to try different kinds before you settle on your favorite!

Stop Censoring CBD – Dealbreaker

Companies selling hemp-derived products, including cannabidiol-infused products, have been faced with significant marketing challenges. For the past 18 months, the industry has been hit with a wave of suspensions, deletions, and warnings for advertising hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products. Yet, depending on the platform, the reasons for such actions vary.

Facebook, for example, does not offer public terms and conditions or policies that expressly prohibit CBD advertisements on that platform. Instead, the company justifies its ban by stating on its website: “Ads must not promote the sale or use of illicit or recreational drugs, or other unsafe substances, products or supplements, as determined by Facebook’s in its sole discretion.” Interestingly, the list of problematic products and substances Facebook provides does not include CBD.

Other social media companies, such as Twitter, offer CBD-specific policies that are overly restrictive. In the U.S., Twitter permits “approved CBD topical advertisers” provided they meet the following requirements:

  • Advertisers must be licensed by the appropriate authorities and pre-authorized by Twitter.
  • Advertisers may only promote noningestible, legally derived CBD topical products.
  • Advertisers may only target jurisdictions in which they are licensed to promote these products or services online.
  • Advertisers may not target Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, or Virginia.
  • Advertisers are responsible for complying with all laws and regulations.
  • Advertisers may not target customers under the age of 21.

These are extremely restrictive and paternalistic regulations. Ironically, Twitter’s advertising policy places more constraints on CBD advertisers than many states do on CBD companies. These terms are so broad it is likely that most companies advertising CBD on Twitter are in clear violation of those requirements, and therefore, are at risk of seeing their accounts suspended or deleted.

This level of risk is hugely problematic, especially for small CBD companies. Any small business owner knows that getting social media followers takes time and money. With the risk of seeing an account shut down and losing all the good will associated with that account, social media advertising can be a serious gamble for CBD businesses. There is no clear right of appeal for these denials, and the idea of taking a social media giant to court (or forced arbitration) is just unfathomable for most CBD companies.

Regrettably, social media companies are not the only group creating marketing obstacles for the CBD industry. The Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA), a nonprofit that monitors SHAFT (Sex, Hate, Alcohol, Firearms, and Tobacco) content and reports violations to the FCC, recently added CBD to its list of illicit substances and prohibited content. CTIA deems that while a growing number of states have legalized medical or recreational cannabis, including CBD use, “Federal law still prohibits cannabis use”, and thus, companies “cannot send text messages with cannabis- or CBD-related content.” This means that carriers will suspect any short code that sends CBD-related content, despite the legal distinction between hemp-derived CBD, which is lawful, and marijuana-derived CBD, which remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance under the Federal Controlled Substances Act.

Notwithstanding the fact that the FDA has publicly acknowledged that there may be a regulatory pathway to marketing certain products containing hemp-derived CBD, such as cosmetics, many social media companies and organizations like CTIA have apparently taken it upon themselves to step into the shoes of regulators and ban all hemp-derived CBD products. To add insult to injury, many social media companies have yet to publish formal guidance on this issue and are choosing to arbitrarily censor CBD.

These overly restrictive and widely disparate regulations against hemp-derived CBD products reflect the confusing legal landscape of these products. As I have previously explained, the lack of federal regulations, combined with the patchwork of state-by-state regulations, has created a great deal of confusion regarding the legality of these products — but also contributed to the misinformation surrounding the legal status of hemp-derived CBD, resulting in more confusion in the consumers’ minds.

In response to these discriminatory marketing policies targeting CBD, a coalition of hemp-derived CBD brands, including Prima, a leading B-Corp, have organized a “Stop Censoring CBD #freeCBD” initiative to help bring awareness to this pervasive issue. The coalition’s main objectives are to encourage lawmakers to pass the Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act (S. 1698), which proposes to establish legal and regulatory pathways for the sale of hemp-derived products; and to pressure the FDA to recognize the legal distinction between hemp-derived and marijuana-derived CBD and to develop a regulatory framework for the manufacture, sale, and marketing of those products.

This initiative shows, once again, that the industry is determined to legitimize its lawful commercial activities by advocating for federal standards and regulations that will provide consumers access to safer CBD products. For now, one thing is clear, social media companies and nonprofits like CTIA should step out of the shoes of the government and let CBD companies advertise products that are lawful or ban content of their choosing but provide clear and legitimate guidelines for such policies that align with existing CBD regulations.

Nathalie Bougenies chairs Harris Bricken‘s hemp CBD practice group and focuses her practice on health and wellness, in addition to corporate transactions and regulatory compliance. For the past three years, Nathalie has helped clients navigate the complex regulatory landscape of hemp products intended for human consumption and advises domestic and international clients on the sale, distribution, marketing, labeling, and importation of these products. Nathalie frequently speaks on these issues and has made national media appearances, including on NPR’s “Marketplace.” She also authors a weekly column for “Above the Law” that features content on cannabis policy and regulation and is a regular contributor to her firm’s “Canna Law Blog.” For three consecutive years, Nathalie has been named Rising Star by Super Lawyers.

For more of the latest in litigation, regulation, deals and financial services trends, sign up for Finance Docket, a partnership between Breaking Media publications Above the Law and Dealbreaker.

What Are the Benefits of CBD Edibles? – Green Prophet

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural health supplement that can benefit your health in a number of ways. It may relieve pain and information, reduce stress and anxiety, improve your quality of sleep, and may help supplement other treatments and medication for a variety of health conditions. 

One of the most popular kinds of CBD products you will find are edibles. You’ll often find chocolates and gummies and other D8 edibles at most retailers, manufacturers, and dispensaries. There are a few important reasons for why it is so popular over other kinds of products such CBD oil, vapes, or topicals. Here are the three main reasons why.

#1) Long-Lasting Effects

One of the main benefits of CBD edibles is that they have a slower-release, but their effects last longer. That means the CBD kicks in so you feel the effects slower than other methods, as they are slowly digested. This means that the CBD chemicals within the food are released slower, and enter your system at a more constant but gradual rate. However, it also means the benefits of CBD will last longer than other methods.

CBD me to relax

How long it lasts depends on your personal tolerance for CBD, as well as the quality and potency of CBD. On average, when you take edibles, the effects can last for eight to 10 hours. Taking CBD oil drops or vaping CBD usually only lasts four to six hours, making edibles better suited for longer lasting effects as opposed to quick relief.

#2) Tasty and Versatile

The other benefit of taking edibles is that they are very versatile. Not everyone will like the taste of natural CBD oil, which can be very earthy and a little bitter. Not everyone will like smoking joints or vaping CBD oil, either due to the cost or just not enjoying the activity.

You can infuse CBD into almost any food imaginable. It just needs some kind of oil or fat. Candy, gummies and chocolate are the most common types of edibles you will find, but you can also infuse CBD into baked goods, chips, cheese, or salad dressing. 

#3) Health Benefits

In addition to the common benefits you receive from CBD, your serotonin production may be enhanced since serotonin is largely produced in your stomach. Consuming a CBD edible may have a more powerful effect on things like your mood, sleep quality, and reducing nausea as opposed to smoking or vaping it. 

If you want to try CBD for the first time, starting with edibles is a good idea. You can pick a food you enjoy with CBD infused into it to test how much it can help with your specific or general health issues. Starting with gummies or individual pieces of candy is best, since you can more easily control the dose you take. 

One note of caution is to consult with your doctor about trying any CBD if you are on medications. While CBD has minimal to no side effects, it can have a bad reaction with some prescriptions.

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Comparing THC compounds: What we know about THC-O versus delta-9 & delta-8 – Leafly

Comparing THC compounds: What we know about THC-O versus delta-9 & delta-8 – Leafly










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THC-O acetate is even stronger than regular THC. Here’s what you need to know to try it safely.


From delta-8 to delta-10, cannabinoids from hemp are having a moment. And now there’s a new kid on the block poised for a takeover: THC-O. But while the deltas are gentler versions of the classic THC, or delta-9 of cannabis fame, THC-O can be three times stronger than its more mainstream cousin

Because it’s made from hemp, THC-O occupies a different legal status than cannabis products, especially in many states that don’t have a recreational market yet. That being said, there is still some debate about whether THC-O constitutes “synthetic THC” under federal law, which is still a controlled substance and illegal even when derived from hemp, so proceed with caution.

There’s still a lot we’re learning about THC-O, although there’s research on it dating back as far as the 1940s. As its popularity rises, it’s critical to keep up with the facts—and how to find safe, effective, reputable products.

Related

Meet THC-O, a hemp-derived compound three times stronger than THC

Here’s what we know about THC-O and how you can make sure it’s coming from a trusted source before you give it a try.

THC-O
Courtesy of five™

What is THC-O and where does it come from?

THC-O’s full name is THC-O acetate, and the earliest research we have on it dates back to American military experiments on non-lethal incapacitating agents in the 1940s. Researchers tested the compound on dogs. At the end of the experiment, the dogs had lost significant control of their motor function.

To derive THC-O from hemp, first CBD is converted to delta-8 or a similar THC modification. But it goes one step further. By adding Acetic Anhydride to the mix, it becomes an acetate—specifically, THC-O.

Related

What is delta-8?

But don’t try this at home! Acetic Anhydride is highly corrosive and flammable, and puts your health, safety, and environment at risk unless it’s made in a highly-controlled lab environment. This is one of several reasons why you should only buy THC-O if you know it came from a reputable source.

How do you take THC-O?

Once finished, THC-O acetate is a kind of thick brown liquid. You can take it in a vape cartridge, a tincture, or an edible. It takes about 20-30 minutes to kick in.

THC-O
Courtesy of five™

What does THC-O feel like? How is it different from delta-8, -9, and -10?

Delta-8 and delta-10 are both milder, and generally less intoxicating, than traditional delta-9 THC. Delta-8 is known for more sedative effects, while delta-10 has a reputation for a more active, sativa-like high.

THC-O is significantly stronger than not only delta-8 and -10, but also regular THC. Some consumers have reported a more spiritual high with strong effects that can even border on hallucinogenic. Like any drug, effects and tolerance are going to vary from person to person.

Related

What is delta-10?

How to buy THC-O safely

With THC-O largely unregulated, there are a lot of risks to buying THC-O from a mystery source. Cannabis researcher James Stephens told Leafly that sometimes producers don’t even know, or claim to not know, what’s in their own product: “I ask, ‘What’s the rest of the stuff?’, and they say, ‘We don’t know’…That’s what usually shuts down the conversation.”

There’s a possibility of toxic additives in THC-O oil, too—and we’ve already seen sketchy additives cause serious health problems. Because it’s so much stronger than other forms of THC, you’ll especially want an accurate potency.

You’ll want to buy from a company that’s completely transparent, with clear lab results and a high level of accountability to its customers. five has been making trusted, transparent, full-spectrum products that combine CBD with other beneficial hemp compounds for years, and they were one of the first companies to offer products containing delta-9 and delta-10. They know how to create perfect mixes of cannabinoids—and they’re experienced at making them safely, with the consumer’s experience in mind. They even offer certificates of analysis from third-party labs so you know that what it says on the bottle matches what’s inside the product.

THC-O
Courtesy of five™

five has been hard at work developing THC-O products that meet their high standards. For now, you can get to know them through their fan-favorite offerings—and if THC-O appeals to you, you’ll know that you have a producer that you can trust for a great experience.

Right now, five is offering a special deal for Leafly readers. Hit the link below to try a full size product for free. You just pay shipping, and five covers the rest.

Daily Buzz Gummies: five’s flagship gummies are both delicious and powerful, with a full suite of beneficial plant compounds and 5mg delta-9 THC per gummy. Like all their gummies, they’re vegan, too. *Availability subject to local laws.

Sleep Gummies: five’s gummies for better rest add natural sleep aid melatonin to their perfect blend of hemp-derived cannabinoids—with up to six times the minor cannabinoids as other brands.

THC+CBD Liquid Capsules: Get all the benefits of full-spectrum hemp in an easy-to-use capsule packed with CBD, THC, CBN, and CBC.

Full Spectrum THC+CBD Chocolate: For a more luxurious edible experience, five offers their signature blend of cannabinoids in two flavors of chocolate: Milk Chocolate and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate.

Full Spectrum THC+CBD Oil: This is the oil that started it all. Two flavors of tinctures, citrus and mint chocolate, are packed with CBD, THC, CBN, CBC, and terpenes.

THC-O
Courtesy of five™

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‘It’s Gonna Be A Bloodbath’: Epic Marijuana Oversupply Is Flooding California, Jeopardizing Legalization – Forbes

If you want to get into the cannabis industry in California—where more than $5 billion worth of legal, adult-use cannabis is on pace to be sold this year, according to tax figures—and you want to do it quickly, don’t bother with selling adult-use cannabis. Instead, you want to grow it.

Most cities in the state still don’t allow retail adult-use sales. Many of those that do cap the number of dispensaries allowed within city limits. And almost everyone running a retail storefront says that high taxes and an abundance of cheap, illicit-market weed is killing them. It’s not a good way to make money!

The quickest way to get into the cannabis business, then, is to get a cultivation permit and start growing massive amounts of cannabis. That’s what big companies in the Salinas Valley and Santa Barbara County did.

And what they’ve done, according to interviews with industry experts, is grow entirely too much cannabis. Exact figures are not known, but according to one rough estimate, California’s legal cultivators grow more than three times as much cannabis as is sold in legal dispensaries.

Whatever the exact figure, the common belief is that it’s so much cannabis that the market is flooded, prices are crashing, and legal growers—in the red this year—may finally be forced out of business.

“It’s gonna be a bloodbath,” said one industry insider, who works in wholesale sales and distribution, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely.

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Exactly how much cannabis is grown within the state of California is still a state secret, known only to state regulators and select elected officials. But using available data, you can hit at some estimates.

According to the most recent public estimate—published in 2017—the state’s appetite for cannabis is about 2.3 million pounds. That includes medical and adult-use consumption.

That’s roughly consistent with the amount of cannabis on which the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration reported collecting cultivation taxes between July 2020 and July 2021, according to the most recent data available.

But in mid-2021, the state may be producing up to three times as much cannabis as the state can consume, according to Natalynne DeLapp, executive director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance.

That estimate comes from tallying up the total acreage of permitted grows registered with the state Department of Cannabis Control. When the total acreage of indoor grows, outdoor grows, and mixed-use grows is tallied up, the permitted, legal cultivation capacity in the state tops 6 million pounds.

“And that’s real back of the napkin math,” said DeLapp, who advocates for small farmers up in the forested hills and mountains, the state’s traditional “cannabis basket.”

And they can’t compete with massive greenhouses producing lower-quality but higher-margin cannabis in valleys in Salinas and Santa Barbara.

So the reward for the more than 2,500 Humboldt County farmers who pursued state licenses in 2016, even before adult-use cannabis was legalized? With the price of an outdoor pound of cannabis dipping under $1,000, and last year’s harvest returned, unsold, “They’re selling their farms and selling their businesses,” she said.

But on top of threatening small businesses still trying to grab a foothold in an emerging industry, this surfeit of cannabis also threatens the integrity of marijuana legalization itself.

According to other industry insiders, despite too much cannabis already in California, higher quality cannabis grown in Oregon—where production costs are cheaper—is supposedly crossing state lines and appearing in California dispensaries. If true, that would violate all kinds of laws: state, federal, you name it.

But if that’s true, and if there’s too much weed grown in the state—where is the California cannabis going?

No one but state regulators and law-enforcement (and whomever is moving the stuff) can say for certain, but the conventional wisdom is that it’s either being sold off-books within state lines for half the price of heavily taxed legal cannabis—or it’s appearing in New York, Florida, and other states where California cannabis fetches a premium.

“The legal market is still one-quarter what the illicit cannabis market is,” said Mark Ponticelli, the founder and owner of the People’s Remedy, a dispensary in Modesto, California, in the state’s agricultural Central Valley—where the illicit, underground market cannabis is both cheaper and better.

“The black market is still coming here,” he said, noting that the greenhouse-grown cannabis produced in the massive farms that are killing the small growers just isn’t as good. It’s not cured right. The nutrient mixes are wrong. It’s grown at scale, and it’s just not as good as the traditional growers’ product.

On the illicit market, “You can get pounds in the streets, $2500 to $3000, all day,” he said. “And it’s fire, fire weed. And then you can sell it over in Florida for $4,000, $5,000 on the streets.”

Too much cannabis. The wrong cannabis. Cannabis that’s too expensive. And cannabis that’s not profitable.

There’s no one factor that led to this particular situation. There are loosened regulations after legalization that allowed for massive grows. There are environmental quality regulations that favor big producers. And there’s also the natural cycles of the market, which may seesaw between too much and too little before settling into some groove resembling equilibrium.

But that’s not where California is right now. And after an imbalance, comes an inevitable correction. And with the state busy with COVID-19 and a recall election, it appears the market will be left to itself to figure out what to do with all this extra weed—and whether the people who grew it can stay in business.

How Much Legal Cannabis Is In California? It’s A State Secret. – Forbes

The legal cannabis industry in California is big. As it should be: California is very big—more people live there than anywhere else in the United States—and California has the oldest and most well-established marijuana industry of any other state.

But how big? Nobody really knows, aside from certain state regulators and select elected officials.

For everyone else, data from California’s legal cannabis industry is a state secret. And that’s hurting the industry, experts said.

Though every other agricultural sector enjoys data on crops harvested and sold—and this informs decisions made by industry players—state law prohibits the Department of Cannabis Control from sharing this vital data, an agency spokesman confirmed. This leaves the rest of us to grope around in the dark and hazard guesses.

“We really don’t have numbers,” said Natalynne DeLapp, executive director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, which advocates for the state’s small outdoor farmers in that region.

This data gap makes cannabis unique among agricultural commodities like wine grapes, almonds, and milk. It makes it harder for entrepreneurs, bankers, and regulators when deciding how much cannabis to grow, how much money to invest and how much returns to expect, and how many cannabis businesses to license.

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And there doesn’t appear to be any plans to release these still-secret cannabis numbers.

It’s not that there’s no data. It’s that what data is available is imprecise. According to tax information published by the state Department of Taxation and Finance, legal cannabis is at least a $5 billion industry in California. In the second quarter of 2021—the most recent data available—there was more than $1.3 billion recorded in “taxable sales.”

If those figures stay steady for four quarters, legal sales will exceed $5.2 billion.

We do have some idea as to what was sold, and how much—but only some.

Between July 2020 and July 2021, the 2020-2021 fiscal year, more than 11,501,212 ounces of cannabis flower and more than 11,586,026 ounces of cannabis leaves entered the market. Another 14,221,561 ounces of “fresh cannabis plant” entered the market. Added together, that’s all of the cannabis flower and cannabis trim that was eventually packaged and sold as grams or eighths, extracted into oil and processed into edibles, and extracted into other concentrates, according to industry observers.

So how much weed does California consume? That’s far less clear. The above is cannabis entering the wholesale system, not all sold at retail. Point-of-sale data isn’t available, and it’s unknown how much end product the above figures equate to.

According to DeLapp, “total demand” for cannabis flower could be 2.3 million pounds in the state. As per Daniel Sumner, a distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis where he directs the UC Davis Agricultural Issues Center, it could be closer to 1 million “pounds equivalent,” with the understanding that different end products like vape pens, edibles, and flower have similar source products.

In the meantime, the state secret of California’s cannabis industry is making things more difficult. Growers enter the market unsure what products are in demand, or already unsold. Lenders aren’t sure how big loans should be. There are some sales estimates, but those are put out by industry organizations—and so they really can’t be trusted, Sumner said.

California is also an outlier in this. Other states, including Washington and Oregon, have made their cannabis industry data public, even when it is granular or requires processing to be useful for industry observers or participants.

“I know what the price of peaches are every day, and certain parts of peaches,” Sumner said. “But we have none of that for cannabis.”

Some industries, like California’s wine growers, create that data themselves and then report it—going as far as to pay extra to have someone collect and process that data. Growers could do that—but that might not be as reliable as state data, which the state has spent as much as $100 million to collect.

A spokesman for the state Department of Cannabis Control says it’s simply state law that track-and-trace data can’t be publicly released. That may be the law, but that does not mean it’s good policy.

“I think a lot of people would be very interested in it and would like to get it,” Sumner said. “Industries are more efficient when you know something about the industry as a whole.”

“I don’t know why the state of California doesn’t make that more available.”