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Florida already has a medical marijuana program in place, but the consensus seems to be that unleashing the leaf from its prohibition standard is the next logical step.

The presidential election is just about a year away from either making America great again, again or sending it down the path to a long recovery from the clown shoe politics of the past four years. In the midst of the madness, there is marijuana. Some claim the issue has achieved great strides in 2019, more prominent than ever before, while those of us who reside in a more real place has clearly noticed that legal weed is not really in any better position than it has been in a long time.

But 2020 is supposed to be when the powers that be across the country (whomever they may be) are supposed to get serious about taking the next step to ending a nation of prohibition. Some think that Florida could be one of those states to carry the movement forward in a big way. But just how likely is it that the Sunshine State will pull it together? 

There are a couple of groups (Make It Legal Florida & Regulate Florida) doing an admirable job seeing that the question of legalizing marijuana makes it on the ballot in 2020. Make It legal Florida seems to have the best shot at getting it done, however, since it is the initiative drawing the largest financial support. That’s the thing about trying to legalize weed through the ballot initiative process — it’s super expensive. It can cost millions of dollars to break through to the people and secure their support. Some reports show that it could take $10 million to usher in a recreational weed law next year. As of September, Make It Legal Florida has amassed around $1.1 million.

Make It Legal Florida is also doing exceptionally well at collecting signatures. It gathered somewhere around 100,000 within the first 20 days of its campaign. Still, Regulate Florida isn’t doing too shabby either. The group announced in August that it had collected 77,000 signatures. All either one of these groups has to do is secure 76,632 verified signatures to get a review by the Florida Supreme Court (a weird step that Florida has in its ballot initiative process). 

But they would have to show 766,200 verified petitions by February to be cleared for the 2020 general election. So, it stands to reason that it is going to be grind time for the next few months for Florida to have a shot.

Florida lawmakers are already preparing for the voters to be presented with the question of legal weed next year. It was earlier this week that the House Health & Human Services Committee spent some time discussing the possibility. “We’re all going to be asked by our constituents where are we on this,” said Committee Chair Rep. Ray Rodrigues, (R-Estero), according to ABC News. “We need to be equipped to take a position and articulate why we’ve taken that position.”

The goal of both petitions is to legalize marijuana for adult use the same as 11 other states have done. Florida already has a medical marijuana program in place, something that was pushed through in a ballot measure in 2016, but the consensus seems to be that unleashing the leaf from its prohibition standard is the next logical step. Some of the latest polls show that Floridians are all about it, too. Sixty-five percent of the population is in favor of legalizing for recreational use. In Florida, it will take 60 percent of the vote to pass. But the biggest challenge, as of now, will be getting one of the groups to submit the required signature count before the February deadline. 

It’s time to kick it into high gear.

Certain people in the cannabis business are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome than others who work in the industry. Just like professions that require their workers to type, cook, or use a cash register all day, marijuana trimmers suffer due to the detailed, repetitive nature of their work.

The carpal tunnel is a thin tube in your wrist, pretty much from elbow to palm of the hand, that houses the median nerve, which becomes inflamed when the syndrome kicks in. Fortunately, cannabis is here to save the day yet again.

The NSAIDs or corticosteroids that are commonly used to treat the pain associated with carpal tunnel have side effects that range from weight gain and easy bruising to osteoporosis. On the other hand (no pun intended) cannabis’ side effects are short term and include an increase in appetite, dry mouth and the potential for giggles. CBD has no side effects at all. However, depending on the severity of your carpal tunnel, you still may need to wear a splint to bed in order to combat the numb, tingling feelings.

Cannabis is a natural remedy for inflammation in soft tissues, for nerve damage and for joint pain — all associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Peter J Thompson

Another problem with using the anti-inflammatories like NSAIDs and steroids is that your body builds up a tolerance to them over time. This can lead to stronger painkillers, more discomfort and an increased moodiness. Cannabis is a known anti-inflammatory and though you may build up a tolerance if you’ve never tried it before, it evens out pretty quickly. Let’s say in a matter of weeks, though it certainly varies from person to person.

Cannabis is a natural remedy for inflammation in soft tissues, for nerve damage and for joint pain—all associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. It makes the most sense to use a substance that’s able to relieve the three symptoms of carpal tunnel and that has additional benefits like mood elevation and the alleviation of other aches and pains. If you’re using a topical cannabis product, however, it will be non-psychoactive, but it will work wonders.

THC or CBD Topicals are the best bet for workers who fear drug testing and the products work even better in conjunction with CBD tincture, gummies and/or vape pens. If you’re able to get a bit lifted, though, using an edible or smoking/vaping a good strain for pain, like Girl Scout Cookies, will provide deeper relief.

It’s no fun having a syndrome that makes what you’re used to doing either impossible or limited, but there is relief to be had. Incorporating cannabis into your wellness regime may be the difference between a good day and a bad one, a good night’s rest or an awkward tossing and turning to keep your wrists in position. Cannabis is an excellent medicine, especially when it comes to inflammation, and its potential to help mitigate carpal tunnel syndrome is no small miracle.

In Australia, the New South Wales Government is plowing $3 million into a $10 million medicinal cannabis industry study to be carried out at a secret location in the state.

The study is a collaborative affair involving the NSW and Australian Federal Governments, Cann Group Ltd, Aglive, Southern Cross University and the University of Newcastle.

According to a NSW Government release, the initiative will result in more than triple the number of researchers working to ensure cannabis plants contain the highest medicinal benefit for patients and will delve into all aspects of the supply chain – from cultivation to traceability.

“It is through this study that the NSW Government will build on its ongoing research into the agronomic parameters for cannabis plants while finding the ideal conditions for producing high quality, year-round, consistent medicinal cannabis products,” said NSW Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall.

The news was announced at the unveiling of a “top-secret” cannabis research facility located in regional New South Wales, which Minister Marshall says will hopefully lead to improved access to relief for Australians suffering serious chronic and terminal conditions. Minister Marshall commented the facility’s goal is to create the “McDonald’s of the medicinal cannabis world”.

It’s the first significant news relating to the New South Wales’ Government’s medical cannabis initiatives for quite some time. The state has a Compassionate Use Scheme for adults with a terminal illness that provides guidelines for NSW Police to use discretion for possession of cannabis not lawfully prescribed if patients and their carers are registered with the Scheme.

The pace of research is picking up in Australia and the Federal Government is also eager to be seen to be supporting the country’s medical cannabis industry.

Earlier this month, the Morrison Government announced $3 million in funding to examine the benefits of medical cannabis use in cancer patients. This has been criticised by some who state plenty of research has been carried in this area and efforts (and cash) would be better directed to improving access; which remains a complex, costly and time- consuming process for doctors and patients.

Those who keep a close eye on the marijuana stock market have seen there be better days in the past few months. This, however, is shadowed by the multi-billions worth of growth that is supposed to occur in the near future. With projections showing the market reaching triple-digit billions within the next ten years, it seems as though short term downtrends may just be that. Of course, we have to consider that pot stocks are notoriously volatile. This stems from the fact that the market is still very much in its infancy.

With such an infant market, it can at times be difficult to deduce where the value is hiding. This however, is made much easier by the amount of research that one is willing to do for a given company. With the utmost information at hand, one can have a much easier time deducing which companies have the most value moving forward. Research is also an investors best tool, and the easiest way to ensure that there are no surprises when it comes to price action of a given company. All in all, pot stocks are continuing to look up for the not too distant future.

A Global Investment Pot Stock

SOL Global Investments Corp. (SOL Stock Report) (SOLCF Stock Report) is one of the leading international investment companies currently working in the cannabis market. The company states that they have a heavy focus on both the U.S. and European hemp and cannabis markets. SOL Global Investments has made quite a name for themselves by investing in partnerships throughout cultivation, distribution, and retail components of the cannabis market. With their prestigious ties to the University of Miami for a new research and development program, the company is positioned to have a unique advantage for the future of the market.

Recently they announced that their wholly-owned subsidiary, Scythian Biosciences, will be spun off into its own entity. Those who hold shares in the parent company will receive shares of the new one as well. The new company will be known as Impact Biosciences Corp. and will work further on developing drugs utilizing cannabis within the U.S. With so much research going on, this looks like just another way that they have maximized their exposure to the pot stock market. The company remains a key marijuana stock to watch for this reason.

A Newly Listed Pot Stock

Sundial Growers (SNDL Stock Report) is an Alberta based pot stock that was only recently listed on the prestigious NASDAQ exchange. The company works on growing the raw cannabis substance and has stated that they have the potential to put out around 75,000 kilograms of cannabis when operating at full capacity.

Additionally, they have an almost 3.6 million square foot farm located in the U.K. which should give them a greater amount of access to that side of the market. As they continue to grow hemp and cannabis, they remain one of the key pot stocks to watch as we move forward for the future of the industry.

The marijuana stock market is reportedly worth double-digit billions in the present day around the world. With so much money pouring into an industry that was only just legalized a few years ago, it seems as though we are on the cusp of something large. Many of the most popular pot stocks to watch have seen some big losses recently due to a variety of factors. These factors include everything from the large vaping epidemic to some speculative issues with the market.

All of this, however, is characteristic of pot stocks as the industry is still very much in its infancy. One of the key factors of an infant market is the high volatility that we have seen with certain pot stocks to watch. The good thing about this is that many expect the volatility to slow down in the near future as the market becomes more and more established. For now, it seems to be a waiting game to find out what new laws go into place that could effectively allow the pot stock market to flourish to the greatest extent.

A Canadian Pot Stock Worth Watching

Stillcanna Inc. (STIL Stock Report) (SCNNF Stock Report) is a Canadian early-stage life sciences company that is focused on a very large scale extraction of CBD within Europe. The company has stated that they have intellectual property that effectively allows them to produce CBD at a higher rate and a much lower cost than other competitors working in the same part of the pot stock market.

Recently, they stated that they signed into an initial extraction contract in Europe that would allow them to be the exclusive extractor for Dragonfly Biosciences, a U.K. based CBD supplier. The company has also signed into several other agreements that show that they could continue to be a key pot stock to watch moving forward.

Recently, the company announced that its Polish extraction facility has been able to reach unparalleled purity levels for its CBD distillate product. Currently, there are very few standards that exist in the way of CBD production. The company, however, has aimed on its own accord, to produce some of the highest quality product that is available on the market. This has helped to bring them a large amount of notoriety in the present day. The company continues to show why they are such an important pot stock.

A Popular Pot Stock

OrganiGram Holdings (OGI Stock Report) is one of the most recent pot stocks to uplist on to a large U.S. exchange. The company is considered to be one of the largest growers of marijuana in the whole of the industry. They have stated that they have the potential to grow around 113,000 kilograms of the substance when operating at peak capacity. This means that they should be able to meet the high and growing demand for Canadian cannabis in the present day.

The company has stated that they are also yielding around 230 grams per square foot which they do through a revolutionary three-tiered growing system. Because the company is so committed to reaching the future of the pot stock market, they remain an interesting company to watch moving into the future.

U.S. health officials on Thursday reported another 180 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses and announced plans to start testing aerosols produced by e-cigarettes and vaping products as they search for the source of the nationwide outbreak that has so far killed at least 33 people in 24 states.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also said it plans to start testing lung tissue and fluids collected from people who became sick in the outbreak. The CDC said the new testing may lend insight into chemical exposures contributing to the outbreak.

The CDC now reports 1,479 confirmed and probable U.S. cases of the mysterious respiratory illness tied to vaping, up from 1,299 a week ago, an indication that the public health crisis has shown no sign of slowing.

Last week, the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said that while many patients became ill after vaping products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, some had only used nicotine vape products. They said more than one root cause may be behind the outbreak.

Investigators primarily have been testing the liquids in vape products. Testing the aerosol produced after the liquids are heated might show whether that causes a chemical reaction that produces a toxic substance.

“They might be able to see components that we don’t see in the raw materials,” said an official in the New York Health Department’s Wadsworth laboratory, which has been testing product samples for the state.

A preliminary report seen by Reuters of vaping product samples collected from Wisconsin patients and tested by the FDA showed that more than half contained THC.Of the THC-containing products, two-thirds also tested positive for Vitamin E acetate, a cutting agent believed to be used to stretch the amount of THC oil, and an early suspect in efforts to determine the cause of the injuries.

The results from Wisconsin match up with earlier reports from state and federal officials. FDA officials last week said it found Vitamin E acetate in 47% of the first 225 THC products it had analyzed.

Among the results, 14 products contained THC, nine of which also tested positive for Vitamin E acetate, while another seven contained nicotine.

New York health officials have now tested nearly 200 products.

“We’ve got nicotine pens; we’ve got THC-containing pens; we’ve got Vitamin E acetate associated with a lot of the THC pens, but we are not in a position to say what’s the cause of this dreadful illness,” the official with New York’s testing lab said.

Many of the products have no labels. Health officials in New York and Utah said they suspect many THC products that do carry labels - such as those under the Dank Vapes brand - are counterfeit.

In Utah, state epidemiologist Dr. Angela Dunn said the outbreak hit a peak in July and has not let up.

More than 90% of patients reported having vaped THC, and only a handful of cases denied using THC, Dunn said.

The state has tested 20 nicotine vape products and found nothing unexpected. Of 19 THC-containing products, 89% showed evidence of Vitamin E acetate.

None of the state officials said conclusively that the cutting agent was the cause of the injuries, but it remains a suspect.

Dunn said THC is the common denominator in most of Utah’s cases, and until an exact cause is found, the state is focusing on getting people to stop vaping THC.

“It’s the only thing we have,” she said.