A package with no note, no return address, and nothing in it but a plastic container that once housed a vape cartridge arrived at a cannabis company in Northern California the other day.
The word had gotten out.
One area woman has received $3.5 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health to study aspects of marijuana. Another is a former martial arts athlete who ran an erotic boutique before seguing into CBD products. And a third is a former Top Chef contestant who infuses marijuana in her food and aims to write a cookbook.
Cannabusiness is attracting women of all backgrounds, from millennials to boomers, from private equity hotshots and serial entrepreneurs to planners of underground pot parties.
Over the past several years, US alcohol consumption rates have declined rapidly, leaving consumers to find new alternatives.
Notably, the cannabis industry is directly correlated with US alcohol consumption decline; Investment-bank firm Cowen & Co. reported that as of 2016, legal adult-use cannabis US states witnessed binge drinking rates fall by 9% below the national average, and 11% below non-cannabis states.
However, newly added states such as California and Nevada had higher rates of alcohol consumption and lower rates of cannabis use. Regardless, Cowen expects the rates to shift in both alcohol and cannabis consumption in those specific states. As a result, Cowen said it is reasonable to assume that as more states continue to legalise adult-use cannabis, alcohol binge drinking rates will continue to falter.
Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 17% of the US population engaged in binge drinking, meaning that one in six reported doing so four or more times a month. In states that legalised adult use, the number of binge drinking sessions per month was 9% below the national average.
For instance, the state of Washington, which was the first state along with Colorado to legalise recreational use, has seen alcohol consumption rates decline over the past several years. As of 2018, Washington reported that just under 15.6% of adults were reported having four or more drinks on one occasion in the past month compared to the national average of 17.4%, according to America’s Health Rankings UnitedHealth Foundation.
In particular, many millennials have opted to consume cannabis over drinking alcohol. According to a MarketWatch article, a millennial said that she prefers to consume cannabis over alcohol because it saves her more money and doesn’t cause the intoxicating effects of alcohol.
According to a Yahoo News poll in 2017, it was concluded that the majority of the 55 million marijuana users in the US are millennials, and as the number of alcohol consumption rates decline, the cannabis industry is expected to directly benefit as more users turn towards cannabis-based alternatives.
According to data compiled by Grand View Research, the global legal marijuana market is expected to reach $66.3 Billion by the end of 2025 while expanding at a CAGR of 23.9% during the forecast period.
While the US is experiencing declining rates of alcohol consumption, Canada seems to be unchanged. Canadian provinces with the highest rates of legal cannabis consumption don’t appear to be drinking less under legalisation.
Brock University business professor Michael Armstrong notes that the reason alcohol consumption is still relatively high in the country is that consumers are used to the characteristics associated with drinking. Having beverages that are based on water-soluble THC would better drive the marketplace forward. Nonetheless, many consumers still tend to prefer consuming traditional flower or vaping extracts and concentrates instead of imbibing cannabis-based drinks.
According to Statistics Canada, 5.3 million or 18% of Canadians ages 15 years and older reported using cannabis in the first quarter of 2019 compared to 14% who reported using just one year earlier.
While cannabis-infused beverages are expected to be a large market driver in the near future, the flower segment is still projected to account for the majority of the market.
One reason diversity has been so difficult to achieve is that most industries are established. The workers with the most experience began their careers when companies rarely discussed diversity, much less invested in it.
The Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo wrapped up on Saturday, October 26th. Held at the Haynes Convention Center in Boston, Mass., this show is focused on business-to-business within the legalized cannabis industry and is one of three CWCBE Shows held each year.
It's harvest season for California's largest cash crop - marijuana. Valued at more than $11 billion, it's worth more than the states grape and almond industries combined. California grows more pot than any place in the country.
Three years ago, voters approved a ballot measure called Prop 64 in California. It made marijuana legal for anyone over the age of 21. Advocates said a regulated pot industry would push out the black market and generate more than a half billion dollars a year for the state.
So has it worked? Not quite.
Halloween is about a week away, meaning we're all on the hunt for a few treats that can satisfy our sweet tooth. And while we may not be young enough to partake in trick or treating anymore, that doesn't mean we should rid ourselves from all the fun in the spooky holiday.
Instead of all those pieces of candy we got marching from house to house in our costumes years ago, we have some alternative options to consider -- cannabis-infused treats -- which are sure to make you just as happy now as coming home with a bag of candy as a kid on Halloween back when. Just remember to keep these away from the kids, because we wouldn't want them to get the wrong kind of "sugar high," if you catch our drift.
Image credit: Kiva Confections
1. Halloween-Inspired Blood Orange Camino (Kiva Confections)
Specifically made just for Halloween, Kiva's Blood Orange Camino gummies are guaranteed to offer a "scary good time" this October 31. Paired perfectly with either a horror movie or carving pumpkins, the intense, sweet flavor of Blood Orange alongside an exhilarating blend of sativa terpenes will awaken your inner thrill-seeker all month long.
2. INSPIRED Pastilles (Beboe)
A candied companion to the Inspired Sativa Blend Vaporizer Pen, Beboe's Pastilles use the finest organic ingredients using cold water processing to provide a clean, subtle, euphoric high. With each pastille containing 5mg of THC and 3mg of CBD, these treats have a smooth and subtle taste, while still bringing a little more vividness to the day.
3. Marshmallow Bon Bons (Greater Goods)
Infused with full spectrum hemp oil, these chewy, soft vegan marshmallows are surrounded by fudgy, organic dark chocolate and topped with chocolate sea salt to provide the most incredible flavors in just one bite. And with just 90mg of hemp derived CBD and less than .03%THC, the impact won't be too much to handle if having a couple before bedtime.
4. Salted Caramel Almonds In Dark Chocolate Bites (Satori Chocolates)
Packed with 100mg of THC in the entire package (servings per package: 12), if chocolate is where you want a little high from this Halloween, Satori Chocolates is the place to get yours. Whether it's the salted caramel option mentioned here, or one of their other flavors -- which includes California raisins in milk chocolate and Wild Strawberries in dark chocolate, among others — there are plenty of different potency levels for everyone.
5. Pomegranate 1:1 THC:CBD Hybrid Enhanced Gummies (WYLD)
When going on an outdoor adventure this fall, WYLD's Pomegranate 1:1 THC:CBD Hybrid Enhanced Gummies are an ideal travel companion to bring along. Made to provide balance and provide an enjoyable high for both mind and body, these are perfect for both beginners and regular cannabis edible users.
6. Pineapple Delight Bites (Lifted Edibles)
If you like fresh pineapple, then Lifted Edibles' Pineapple Delight Bites are the perfect treat for you, because these feel as if you bit right into the fruit itself. Packed with a ton of flavor thanks to the additional coconut coating, whether you're taking the CBD version or the higher THC version, you're going to enjoy every bite.
7. Caramel Taffy Hemp CBD Edibles (Cheeba Chews)
Colorado-based Cheeba Chews is one of America's favorite edible, and the Caramel Taffy Hemp CBD edible has to be at the top of the list. The taffy offers consistent and potent flavors, but, beware, because these treats are not for the faint of heart -- so proceed with caution if you are new to the edible scene. But for those who can withstand the potency, the award-winning flavor will bring lots of happiness.
8. Peanut Butter Chocolate Therapy Cookies (Dr. Norm's)
Each Dr. Norm’s cookie contains 15mg of 99.9 percent pure CBD isolate, meaning you will get the full benefit of CBD without tasting much of it. The result? A high-quality snack that is perfect for beginners. Ideal for pain management or anxiety, Dr. Norm's cookies have two great flavors to try out, but the Peanut Butter Chocolate option is incredibly tasty.
Economists have a bit of an image problem. People think we shamelessly massage statistics, overconfidently make terrible predictions, and are no fun at drinks parties.
Perhaps some of the blame for this lies with the man who, a century ago, was probably the most famous economist in the world - Irving Fisher.
It was Fisher who notoriously claimed, in October 1929, the stock market had reached "a permanently high plateau".
Nine days later, came the huge stock market crash that led to the Great Depression.
Struggling American farmers felt like they had just received a stay of execution last year when the word came down the pike that industrial hemp production was on its way to becoming legal again in the United States.
It meant they would no longer have to nickel and dime themselves to death by exclusively dedicating acreage to traditional crops like corn and wheat, and they might even be able to stay in the agricultural game long term without the risk of being put out to pasture.
Cannabis, hemp and CBD experts, Dr Kaveh Kahen and Dr Toby Astill, discuss the analysis process for cannabis edibles, outlining the challenges and solutions available.
In 2017, the Specialty Food Association predicted that cannabis would be a leading trend in the food and beverage industry from 2018 onwards. Since then, several global food and beverage manufacturers have shown a strong interest in this space, having explored the addition of legalised cannabis to their product portfolios.
