DOLA's guide to cannabis concentrates

For the cannabis purist, concentrates have become more and more prevalent over the past half decade. Between crumble, shatter, oil and everything in between, we partnered with Benny's Farm to bring you our favorite concentrated products.

Benny's Farm is a quality-focused cannabis concierge collective that brings the entire menu into your home for a private consultation. We are cultivators, connoisseurs, and activists for our patients' rights and safe access to quality cannabis. At Benny's Farm, we believe your medicine should help, not hurt your body or mind. Unfortunately, not all cannabis is created equal. Lack of regulation leaves patients vulnerable to harmful chemical nutrients and foliar sprays. Our strict standards and cultivation best practices ensure everything on our menu exceeds patient expectations. Benny’s Farm aspires to a higher standard of cannabis that will mold to our members' preferences. For more info about Benny’s Farm please visit www.bennys.farm

FRENCH DAB MEDICATED ORAL STRIPS Smoking dabs can be harsh on the lungs and eating raw concentrate is less pleasant. FRENCH DAB solves these issues by infusing the highest quality CO2 oil into oral strips that resemble shatter. FRENCH DAB oral strips are the healthiest way to consume cannabis concentrate. FRENCH DAB is absorbed sublingually so that the cannabinoids in the strips are absorbed directly into the bloodstream without being digested by your liver first. You get a faster acting medicine with up to 5x the bioavailability of a traditional edible. FRENCH DAB is 100% vegan, organic, NON-GMO and hypoallergenic. FRENCH DAB creates an uplifting high and naturally prevents headaches and migraines. FRENCH DAB relaxes muscles, which is great after workouts. FRENCH DAB neutralizes nausea and has no harmful effects on the lungs. FRENCH DAB is energizing and keeps you active and creative. For more info about FRENCH DAB please visit www.frenchdab.com.

CHONG'S CHOICE CANNABIS OIL CARTRIDGES With state of the art CO2 extraction method, Chong’s Choice THC oil is guaranteed to be the one of the finest and highest quality oil products around. Their extraction method combines a high concentration of THC without sacrificing the flavor that discerning consumers look for. Find yours here.

NATIV ROSIN Native grows plants using sustainable farming practices resulting int products free of synthetic pesticides. Their techniques produce high-quality rosin with high-flavor profiles with an undeniable balance of purity and potency. Learn more about NATIV here.

CRITICAL CONCENTRATES LIVE RESIN Extracted from fresh, uncured flowers for maximum terpene preservation, Critical Concentrates’ Live Resin is their flagship product. Aimed at the most high-end concentrate connoisseurs, they spare no expense when it comes to producing this top shelf medicine. Using certified extraction equipment from the top extraction equipment companies like Precision Extraction and Emotek Labs. Learn more about Critical Concentrates here.

QUALITY CONCENTRATES KEYSER SÖZE CRUMBLE Quality Concentrates works to provide consumers with the purest, most potent and highest quality concentrates. Their year-round rotating crops are always fresh and flavorful. For crumble fans, we recommend the Keyser Söze Crumble. Learn more about Quality Concentrates here.

GUILD EXTRACTS CRYSTALLINE Guild Extract’s THCa Crystalline was developed as a means of delivering large, quantifiable doses of THCa and is known as the purest isolate anywhere on the market - testing at 99-100%. This pure THCa converts to THC when vaped and creates a clear and highly cerebral effect, or remains non-psychoactive when ingested. CBD Crystalline is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that can be ingested orally or vaporized to create a calm, clear effect without compromising cognitive function. Learn more about Guild Extracts here.

JAHNETICS X BUDDHA NECTAR COLLABORATION SHATTER Made with JAHnetics, JAHwaiian is a cross of JAH Cookies, (1st Place best Indica) and Hawaiian Gold, (1st Place best Sativa) the result offered highly acclaimed terpene profiles. Learn more Jahnetics here.

SOURCE: DOLA.COM

‘Hawaiian Pepper’ Washes Ashore

The Scoop: “Take a ride, competition take a ride.” Hawaiian Pepper, for lack of a more precise way of explaining it, is a fruity homage to Hawaiian Gold. A Sativa-heavy cross between Super Lemon Haze x Santa Cruz Golden Haze, Hawaiian Pepper is the tropical offspring of a collaborative effort between the band Pepper and Northern California’s Jahnetics.

It pays to have friends in high places. The members of Pepper, the dub-reggae/ska band with a uniquely 420-style, grew up together in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. Blessed with talent, good fortune, and access to some of the island’s best weed, they’ve been Ohana since middle-school. Once the band left the Big Island behind for the Golden State, the guys had one small problem that notoriety couldn’t cure: Finding their Kona Town favorite, Hawaiian Gold.

Thanks to a timely introduction by a Weedmaps manager at the 2016 HTCC, Michael from Jannetics was able to fulfill the band’s quest “for a taste of home.”

The Result: Loaded with terpenes and soaked in the “Aloha Spirit,” Hawaiian Pepper instills an uplifting and creative high. A new aged hippie speedball of sorts, this strain simultaneously relaxes the stressed out body while igniting an artistic mindset. Pleasing the likes of Lono, Hawaiian Pepper is nothing short of a psychological rush. Like some surf starved rippers witnessing the ‘Seven Mile Miracle’ and Pipeline for the first time – just a few deep hits and you’re stoked for hours.

Hawaiian Pepper Find Hawaiian Pepper by Jahnetics Hawaiian Pepper

Type: Sativa

Also Known As: Hawaiian Gold

Genetics: Super Lemon Haze x Santa Cruz Golden Haze

Average THC: 19-22%

Average Price Per ⅛: $50

Strain Background: After their chance meeting at the 2016 San Bernardino High Times Cannabis Cup, the skilled cultivators from Jahnetics and the guys from Pepper decided to team for a collaboration. Looking to create a one-off variation and modify the original strains used in their award-winning Hawaiian Gold, Michael from Jahnetics and Yesod Willams from Pepper began experimenting with different terpene profiles. After settling on two potent Sativas for crossbreeding, Jahnetics’ new Hawaiian Pepper began to take root.

Appearance: Now the “official marijuana strain of Pepper,” Hawaii Pepper’s resinous flowers are a sight to behold. Tightly manicured and ready for action, these spear shaped buds drip with THC-laced trichomes. Encased by psychoactive compounds, her pistils range in coloration from a pumpkin-orange to a nearly translucent amber. Pele approved, this strain’s bag appeal is nothing short of pure Hawaiian fire.

Photo courtesy of @pepperlive Photo courtesy of @pepperlive Consistency: Mean, green and more than slightly sultry, Hawaiian Pepper’s texture is a nostalgic blast from the island’s past. When breaking the strain apart, I strongly suggest the use of a grinder or scissors. Too valuable to waste and too sticky to touch, the compounds (read: terpenes and cannabinoids) from this flower act like glue on the digits.

Scent: A true island-style Sativa, Hawaiian Pepper is a creamy fruit forward strain. While her aroma maintains a strong hint of pine and tropical fruit, there’s also a subtle whiff of papaya. When releasing her pungent terpenes from captivity, consumers are instantaneously transported to their own imaginary island.

Taste: Bong hits, blunts or joints, consumers should be prepared to be hit by waves of buttery fruit on the initial inhale, as Hawaiian Pepper’s volcanic terpenes prepare an explosive exhale of tropical flavors. Never mind Kona coffee and the smell of sweet hibiscus, Hawaiian Pepper truly captures the exotic essence of the Hawaiian Islands.

Verdict: Great for surfing, skating, hiking or biking, this new strain embraces the wild power of the Hawaiian Islands. Currently available through SF Cannabis Deliveries and Jannetics, Hawaiian Pepper will soon be available at dispensaries across Southern California.

SOURCE: Marijuana.com

Marijuana VS. the opioid epidemic

Despite what the Trump administration tells you, marijuana can actually help put an end to America’s addiction to painkillers.

A new study has found that the rate of hospitalization related to opioid painkillers dropped at an average of 23 percent in states that allow medical marijuana, reports Reuters.

The study, which was published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependence report, also observed a 13 percent drop in the average of opioid overdoses in said states.

In order to find their conclusions, researchers from the University of California San Diego analyzed hospitalization records from 27 states — nine of which provide legal access to medical marijuana — from the years 1997 to 2014.

“Medical marijuana laws may have reduced hospitalizations related to opioid pain relievers,” Yuyan Shi, the study’s author and University of California San Diego public health professor, told Reuters Monday. “This study and a few others provided some evidence regarding the potential positive benefits of legalizing marijuana to reduce opioid use and abuse, but they are still preliminary.”

These findings may come as a major blow to the current presidential administration, which has put a doubt into the future of marijuana legalization. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer stated in February that he believes marijuana is actually a gateway drug to painkillers, while Attorney General Jeff Sessions considers cannabis to be “slightly less awful than heroin.”

Despite the current White House’s reefer madness, several studies have proven otherwise. A 2016 study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association found a 25 percent reduction of opioid-related deaths in states with legal medical cannabis, while last year’s Monitoring the Future survey found that college students are using more marijuana and less painkillers.

The correlation between pot and painkillers has become so pronounced that even the Centers for Disease Control instructed doctors last year to stop screening pain patients for marijuana use.

SOURCE: SFGATE.com Author: Oscar Pascual

Canada's 2018 Plan for Legalization.

The Great White North is about to become even greater next summer.

A senior government official on Monday said that Canadians should be able to legally smoke and use marijuana by July 1, 2018, reports the Associated Press.

Under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the liberal government is set to introduce legislation to legalize marijuana this week, which lawmakers say would put the bill on schedule to go into effect by the estimated date.

The government is expected to follow guidelines set by a marijuana task force that recommends adults should be allowed to carry up to 30 grams of cannabis for personal use and grow up to four plants. Strains with higher potencies could be taxed at a higher rate than weaker strains. The law would also allow alcohol-free cannabis lounges and let provinces set their own minimum age of either 18 or 21 years old.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould declined to confirm the July 2018 deadline, but said in a statement that the government is committed to introducing legislation carefully.

“This will be done in a careful way to keep it out of the hands of children and youth, and to stop criminals from profiting,” the statement said. “In order to meet our commitment to legalize, the legislation will need to pass through the parliamentary process in a timely fashion.”

Prime Minister Trudeau promised to legalize marijuana when he was elected in 2015, and the country has already seen its first marijuana TV advertisement debut last year.

SOURCE: SFGATE.COM Oscar Pascual

Tennessee blocking cities' push to ease marijuana punishment

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As some states and cities around the nation look to ease criminal punishment for marijuana possession, Tennessee's conservative Republican legislature is blocking that trend in Nashville and Memphis. As a result, police in those cities could soon lose their option of giving minor citations for carrying small amounts of marijuana. Tennessee lawmakers have agreed to bar cities from issuing civil citations for marijuana possession, and GOP Gov. Bill Haslam is deferring to the legislature, said spokeswoman Jennifer Donnals. The ban would fall in line with proposals by the Trump administration to step up enforcement of federal law against recreational marijuana. President Donald Trump won Tennessee soundly.

"I am definitely not a fan of expanded use of marijuana," U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said recently. "But states, they can pass the laws they choose. I would just say, it does remain a violation of federal law to distribute marijuana throughout any place in the United States, whether a state legalizes it or not." Eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. More than two dozen U.S. cities have passed ordinances easing penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana. The Justice Department has several options available should it decide to enforce the law, including filing lawsuits on the grounds that state laws regulating pot are unconstitutional because they are pre-empted by federal law. In recent months, Memphis and Nashville authorized their police officers to issue a civil citation for a $50 fine or community service to someone caught with a half-ounce or less of marijuana. However, police in the two cities have rarely used the option. Penalties are much stiffer under Tennessee law, which imposes a misdemeanor charge punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine on people caught with a half-ounce of marijuana or less.

Memphis City Councilman Berlin Boyd, a Democrat serving in the nonpartisan office, likened state lawmakers to the "bullies in the yard" for pushing legislation to pre-empt city authority. He said rural lawmakers need to learn the issues that face Tennessee's cities. Getting a criminal marijuana citation can mean some opportunities, including school loans and fair housing, are "gone down the drain," Boyd said. "It's different legislating to farms and pastures versus legislating to an urban city," Boyd said. "We have different issues and they don't deal with our issues." Supporters of the bill said it will prevent a patchwork of laws defining criminal conduct. They also cited a November opinion from Tennessee's attorney general that said the city marijuana ordinances conflict with state law. "If we're going to have a criminal law, it ought to be enforced uniformly throughout the state," said Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston. "No exceptions." Memphis has only issued one civil citation since passing its ordinance in October. Memphis police suspended the option after the attorney general opinion was issued. Nashville police have continued using the civil citation option, despite the opinion. Since Nashville's ordinance took effect in September, police have issued 39 marijuana civil citations and 963 state misdemeanor simple possession criminal citations. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry said she understands lawmakers' desire to keep drug laws uniform, but hopes there will be an opportunity for a larger discussion of marijuana laws statewide. "There is growing bipartisan consensus that we must revisit and reduce criminal penalties for the possession of small amounts of cannabis," Barry said in an emailed statement. The prospects for otherwise loosening Tennessee's marijuana laws look dim this year. Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, has already declared dead his bill to legalize medical marijuana. It's now legal in more than half of states, according to the National Council of State Legislatures.

Source: (ASSOSICATED PRESS) SFGATE.com