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Following important cannabis news articles every day can be a real burn-out, we know. That’s why the Emerald rolls up a chronicle of the headiest news hits, and passes them to you at the end of each week. We Bring You: The Digital Dime.
By Samantha Wahl
CBD in Your Pee
Consumers who can’t get behind getting high still use CBD, especially now that it’s legal across the U.S. But according to Forbes, a new study shows that traces of these CBD products may still show up in drug tests. While results of the tests, which were administered by John Hopkins Medicine, did not show up positive for pure CBD, CBD containing mild traces of THC did. Even some of these legal products contain similar amounts of THC, and it’s impossible to tell what is and is not legal in a drug test. So law-abiding individuals around the country who are forced to take routine drug tests at work may be mistaken for stoners.
China: Legal to Grow, but Never to Show
China’s history with legal marijuana is, well, non-existent. It’s relationship with hemp, however, is long lasting. That is to say, the country produces and widely distributes hemp products to other countries for profit. “China produces 50% of the world’s industrial Hemp,” Stephanie Yang explains in a Wall Street Journal video, though “Anyone caught selling THC risks spending the rest of his or her life in prison, or worse, face the death penalty.” Profits from CBD products are predicted to rise to $23.7 billion within the next three years, though THC products are not expected to be legalized in the foreseeable future. Much like the U.S., risks include: the possibility of poor harvest seasons, and investing more into the growing of crops than consumers are willing to purchase. And all that from a place that produces almost exclusively for export.
Drake’s Stakes in Pot Plots
Aubrey Graham, aka Drake, is next on the long list of celebs to invest in the cannabis industry. More Life isn’t just the title of his mixtape anymore; it’s now the name of a brand new cannabis production company owned by himself and Canadian canna-business, Canopy Growth. More Life markets its services around “wellness, discovery and overall personal growth,” which, yeah, kind of defines the plant in general. Forbes noted how quick Canopy Growth’s CEO was to “offer his hosannas on the celebrity-minted partnership,” which could be a remark pointed at the company brushing off their plummeting stocks values, but, still, we’re all for famous entertainers pushing pot into the forefront of normalization.
Closer to the Culprit
It just wouldn’t be fair to report a week’s-worth of newsworthy headlines without touching on the vape crisis, right? Especially when we’re so close to finding out what’s causing the fiasco. Research on illnesses caused by vaping now shows a common link: vitamin E acetate. The thickening agent is less commonly found in clinically ok-ed cannabis vapes, and more in illegitimate products, MJBizDaily reports. The discovery is one of health officials’ first leads as to what substance is responsible for lung disease and premature deaths. Basically, it can weed out the bootleggers. Banning ingredients in vaping products must be enforced on a statewide level, so federal organizations are urging states to regulate its inclusion in vape cartridge production. While this isn’t the say-all, end-all, and we still urge caution when consuming vaping products.
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