Vaporizing Cannabinoids

The civilized alternative to combusting Cannabis flowers
by Maxwell Jones I’ve noticed that when most Alaskans think of vaporizing their Cannabis, they’re thinking of dabbing concentrates. But there’s a whole subculture based around vaporizing herbs, and quite a variety of both portable and plug-in vaporizing devices are available. In this article I will go over some of the many benefits of vaporizing, and discuss the devices themselves. As a bit of background, I combusted for many years. I favored joints, one-hitters and bongs, for the most part. I later evolved into a full-time ‘vaper’, even before I was using medically.

Vaporizing is different from smoking. When you smoke you are burning your precious flowers, to be able to inhale their Cannabinoid particles from the resulting smoke. The main benefits are convenience, and instant effects. With vapor, the effects are still instantaneous but what you're inhaling is more of the particles you're actually after, suspended in water vapor. Basically the material is heated to its boiling point, and the vapor is released. It's a cleaner experience. There’s other benefits. For the health conscious, or medical users, vaporizing bypasses many of the toxic by-products of combustion, like benzine and carbon monoxide; there are many others, but these are two dangerous carcinogens. As we all know, secondhand smoke is objectionable to many human beings. Water vapor is much less objectionable than smoke for them. Vaporizing is best for medical patients, not only because of the reduced harshness to your lungs, but because of the precise dosage control that’s available. This can also help with economy of use, as it’s possible for those with lowered tolerance to “microdose”. You can also control what type of Cannabinoids you want to consume, by varying the temperature of your vaporizer. For example if it’s early in the day you might want to go with a cooler vaping temperature, as these temperatures typically just grab the terpenes, trichomes and some of the THC to lift your mood. Then come back later at night with a higher temperature, to get the sedating CBD/CBN out of those same flowers and into your receptors.

Some vaporizers have actual temperature adjustments, some just let you vary the power, and with many others you can control the temperature by varying the force of your inhalation, or draw speed. Then there’s the flame-powered models, which are the most “manual”. Finally, there’s the taste. If you really want to appreciate the subtleties of various strain flavors, you’ll want to refrain from lighting them on fire first. It’s the connoisseur's difference! There’s a lot of Cannabis-orientated vaporizers available, and the number of available models is always growing. Most vaporizers are electric, and they are divided between portable and plug-in ‘desktop’ models. Two of the original desktop stalwarts are still popular: 7th Floor’s Silver Surfer, and Storz & Bickel’s Volcano. These two vapes are very different in actual use however. As a quick sidenote, there’s two ways to vaporize for the most part. The first is with conductive heat, which transfers heat directly to the material. This is how one cooks on a stovetop, or how concentrates are typically vaporized. The other way is with convective heat, where heated air is forced through the material. This is usually preferred for taste and Cannabinoid control. There are a couple of supposed inductive vaporizers available, but they are out of the mainstream. There’s also quite a few vaporizers that utilize both conductive and convective heat.

The Volcano uses this combination of conduction and convection, and a unique delivery method that fills balloons, or bags with vapor, then you inhale the vapor from them. It’s not cheap and it’s hard to microdose, but it will extract every bit of your goodies into every bag reliably. Storz & Bickel also makes a direct-draw plug-in vaporizer called the Plenty, that’s excellent. It also uses combination heat, and can be adapted for S&B’s dosing capsules like the Volcano can. The Silver Surfer is a convection device where you inhale through a hose, but all the parts that touch the herb are glass except for the screens. You can also run that hose into a waterpipe to cool your vapor before inhalation. 7th Floor has also come out with some variations on the SS: there’s a budget version called Da Buddha, a hand-held version called Light Saber, and they even have a Super Surfer now, that can blow up balloons (kind of) like the Volcano. Other, newer desktop vapes of note include Vape Exhale’s Evo, and the Herbalizer. Newvape is another manufacturer grabbing a lot of marketshare with its modular Flowerpot system, which lets you combine an e-nail concentrate experience with the densest flower vapor available. While there’s many other desktop vaporizers available, the ones I mentioned above represent the best quality and are the most proven, in my humble opinion. But there’s many other opinions out there; I would say that fuckcombustion.com (sorry!) and reddit’s r/vaporents are the best forums for users to compare notes on various vaporizers, and vaporizing issues. As far as portables go, one of my favorite entry-level units is Dynavap’s Vapcap. It’s the perfect device for converting from ‘dugout/one-hitter’ use, as it has the exact same form factor, uses a lighter for power, and Dynavap sells the same type of wooden stash to re-make the kit. The Vapcap M is a great entry-level conduction vaporizer, and it can be found for $50 - $60. If you want a portable flame-powered convection vaporizer, Sticky Brick Lab’s offerings have been quite popular. I’ve tried one of their predecessor’s units, called the Daisy, and it’s a surprisingly civilized experience once you get past the whole using a torch thing. There’s some other flame-powered portables, notably Vapor Genie’s pipes and the Lotus system. Most portable vapes use electricity, meaning batteries. Storz & Bickel make two called Crafty and Mighty. The Crafty uses one powerful battery and the Mighty uses two. I say powerful because these are the batteries typically used in e-cig ‘mods’. These vapes are like desktops they’re so powerful, and there’s more difference than just the battery even if they vape the same. The Crafty uses Bluetooth, which some like but many users don’t want their inhale count and other usage information on the internet, available for harvest. The Mighty has also proven to be more reliable than the crafty. They use S&B’s dosing capsules without an adapter. There’s many other portable vapes. Arizer makes some good entry-level units, based on their proven Solo technology. While they’re not heavy hitters, they have been proven reliable over the years. 7th Floor makes a battery-powered portable unit that I wouldn’t recommend, but they also have a flame-powered portable called the ELEV8R that’s been garnering rave reviews. There’s a whole bunch of what I call Chinese ‘commodity’ vaporizers. For the most part, they seem to be getting better. While they’re more affordable, they can also be less reliable, and contacting many of these makers for help or repairs if anything goes wrong can be an exercise in frustration. But the main reason I don’t recommend most of them is they can be unsafe to use. The plastic can offgas if it’s substandard, or in the vapor path, or both. There’s other hazards if corners are cut. Sometimes there's even counterfeits of the major brand name units, with even less standards and obviously no warranty coverage. But there are some decent brands, if you want to check them out look for Haze and Boundless. There’s also one by Healthy Rips called the Fury, that seems to be the hot commodity portable vape of the moment. The last major category of portable vapes are the craft units. Some of them are modular, and attach to the aforementioned e-cig battery ‘mod boxes’ for power. They are for hobbyists for the most part, and usually have a waiting list, but there’s one coming to the mass market soon. It’s made by a company called RastaBuddhaTao, and it’s called the Splinter. I managed to get a hold of a beta unit and love it. It will screw onto any mod box that uses ‘510’ threading. These battery mod boxes can also power a variety of mass-produced concentrate atomizers, or ‘coils’ like a wax pen would use. That’s why it’s called modular, they adapt to varied use. RastaBuddhaTao also makes the other kind of craft vaporizer, the self-contained wooden type. He’s got one for sale called the Milaana, it’s a manual pure convection unit that’s on it’s second major iteration. I think it’s actually called the Milaana II now. They’ve been around for a few years now, and you can find models made out of exotic wood for something special. If you go to the internet forums mentioned above, there’s plenty of other craft-type vapes out there, where you get to interact with the maker and sometimes need to pay in advance. I don’t recommend starting out with this but you can get some artistic, functional gems this way. A good vaporizer can cost a fair bit of $, but Cannabis isn’t a cheap activity. A growing body of stoners and medical users are finding the investment to be worth it, for many of the same reasons. It’s the civilized, connoisseur's alternative to combusting those precious herbs.

Until Cannabis is regulated like carrots, Max’s dreams will remain sleeping.

What’s up with Hemp?

Alaska’s newest Cannabis frontier getting industrial-strength support

By Herb Growell

What’s up with Hemp? I’m glad you asked!

Here in Alaska, Governor Walker recently signed Senate Bill 6 (SB6) into law. 

What’s SB6?

"An Act relating to the regulation and production of industrial hemp; relating to industrial hemp pilot programs; providing that industrial hemp is not included in the definition of 'marijuana'; providing that cannabidiol oil is not included in the definition of 'hashish oil'; clarifying that adding industrial hemp to food does not create an adulterated food product; and providing for an effective date."

Wait, so Hemp isn’t ‘marijuana’? 

Yes, and no. Hemp is a variety of Cannabis, but it’s not psychoactive because it doesn’t contain a clinically significant amount of the cannabinoid THC. I personally dislike the word 'marijuana' because it’s a misnomer, originally a slang term used by Mexicans to describe Cannabis Sativa and Cannabis Indica, the two varieties of Cannabis that contain THC and are typically smoked for their psychoactive effects. 

Hemp is actually Cannabis Ruderalis, the third and the only variety of cannabis that can be theoretically farmed year-round outdoors in Alaska. Besides its myriad industrial uses, it contains copious amounts of a non-psychoactive cannabinoid called CBD (Cannabidiol), which is becoming widely recognized by the medical community for its many therapeutic effects. This makes Hemp a true cash crop, and its oil a commodity that can be processed locally, then exported around the world.

Hemp has been an integral part of America since the earliest days of the colonists. Indeed, Hemp arrived in Colonial America with the Puritans, and was even used for fiber in the lines, sails and caulking of the Mayflower. British sailing vessels were never without a store of Hemp seed, and Britain’s colonies in the Americas were compelled by law to grow Hemp. After the revolution, America’s Founding Fathers would continue this tradition, one that remained in place through World War II, even though 'marijuana' was prohibited by U.S. law in 1937.

US Hemp expansion challenged by lack of trade protection

Unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing for Hemp, even as Alaska joins other states like California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia in passing laws allowing for “industrial Hemp farming for research and/or commercial purposes”. This is because there are still restrictions for imports and exports in the 2014 Farm Bill, which “allows the importation of viable Hemp seeds from other countries – but doesn’t extend agricultural trade protection to them. The result? The United States has become a dumping ground for inferior Hemp seeds.

Exports are problematic as well; American Hemp seed producers say there’s an insatiable global market for American-grown CBD products derived from Hemp, not ‘marijuana’. But U.S. Customs officials routinely seize these Cannabidiol products regardless of the source, leading producers to label exports as “Hemp Oil” or even vaguer names to avoid interception.

Our President’s a businessman, and global opportunities abound in Hemp! While our domestic Hemp industry was worth $688 million in 2016, this market is expected to grow to $1.8 billion by 2020. American Hemp farmers really need Trump’s support right now as the industry is exploding worldwide – without the trade protections afforded to other crops.

Hemp industry loses case against DEA, industry in peril

While 14 forward-thinking U.S. States are trying to seize an early opportunity with Hemp, a federal appeals court sided with the Drug Enforcement Administration and upheld its decision that CBD is a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This is a major setback for American Hemp! This decision was just issued Monday by the 9th Circuit Court, means that Hemp producers can only sell cannabidiol where it is allowed under state law. It also meant that CBD is no longer “50 state legal”, and that anybody selling it is in violation of federal law.

CBD producers who brought the case vowed to appeal. It started in 2016, when the DEA issued a “clarifying rule” stating that CBD is an illegal drug, because it is extracted from ‘marijuana flowers’. Hemp producers argued that CBD can also be extracted from legal Hemp flowers, and there’s no way to tell whether extracted CBD comes from marijuana or from Hemp. 

These CBD producers also argued that the DEA was attempting to add a new substance to the Controlled Substances Act, which it cannot do. The DEA said the extract rule was simply a clarification of existing law and that it “makes no substantive change to the government’s control of any substance.” The three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit agreed. Their decision means that the DEA was within its authority to clarify CBD as a “marijuana extract.”

CBD’s legal status remains confusing – for the DEA, and the judges

But wait, there’s more. Even with this new 9th Circuit ruling that CBD is an illegal drug made from ‘marijuana’, the agency released a statement less than a month later clarifying its position and separating Hemp-derived Cannabidiol from its enforcement. The DEA’s Diversion Control Division explained that CBD from Hemp grown in compliance with federal law falls outside the purview of the Controlled Substances Act. “Such products may accordingly be sold and otherwise distributed throughout the United States without restriction.” 

The agency further clarified that Hemp products such as CBD are legal to import and export. This clarification comes in the wake of a federal court decision upholding the DEA’s position that cannabis extracts, including CBD, are illegal drugs that should be treated the same as ‘marijuana’. But the judges pointed out that the CSA does not limit Hemp grown in compliance with the 2014 Farm Bill, which allows states to experiment with the crop.

The fact that it isn’t possible to tell whether CBD molecules were extracted from Hemp or ‘marijuana’ has led to persistent confusion about the product’s legality.

Earlier this month, Michigan regulators announced CBD will be regulated like medical marijuana. And in Texas, health authorities are mulling a statewide ban on CBD in food products. But the real CBD state battle victory came out of Montana…

Just in time for Montana farmer, Hemp wins federal water battle 

If they follow Farm Bill rules for growing the crop, Hemp farmers may have access to federal water, thanks to a long battle by Montana farmer Kim Phillips, and Montana agriculture authorities to secure water rights from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

The Montana decision has enormous implications for the nascent Hemp industry across the United States. The Reclamation Bureau is the nation’s largest wholesale supplier of water, and many U.S. farmers rely on it, especially out West. Phillips received her water contract last Wednesday, just days before the deadline to plant Hemp in Montana’s short summer.

Several Western U.S. senators introduced legislation last year to address Hemp and water rights, but the bill languished in committee and was never acted upon.

After losing all 12 acres of Hemp in 2017, Phillips saw her Hemp crop wither and die when federal authorities said they couldn’t let her irrigate. The Reclamation Bureau had said last year that the 2014 Farm Bill didn’t authorize access to federal water rights. But after this latest ruling, the Reclamation Bureau now says that Hemp-related water requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to see if they comply with the 2014 Farm Bill.

What else... How about a celebrity-endorsed CBD product line?

Montel Williams is a well-known talk show host in the U.S., whose outspoken advocacy of cannabis treatments for his multiple sclerosis predates many celebrity branding attempts. But when he caught wind last year that other companies were using his name to imply endorsements for their own CBD products, Williams didn’t just call his lawyers to file a fraud lawsuit. He decided it was time to capitalize on the business of selling CBD products.

While Williams’ lawsuit is still pending, he says the case showed him he may be missing the boat on CBD therapies. He sees Hemp-derived CBD as a possible bridge toward cannabis acceptance amid a patchwork of confusing state regulations about legal THC ratios.

“We’re in this ridiculous never-never land in America” when it comes to cannabis regulations, Williams said. “It’s gotten so ridiculous it’s almost impossible to navigate. But at the same time, there are patients out there suffering, and we know there is some relief that can be had with CBD. It’s like during flu season, some people take zinc pills, some people take vitamin C. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be adding CBD to your daily holistic program.”

Hemp Bible: “The Emperor Wears No Clothes”

While CBD is getting the most press lately, don’t forget the promise of industrial Hemp. Before manufacturing pioneer Henry Ford powered (and build much of) his first automobile with it, he saw Hemp’s potential to “green” power the planet as the world’s most thermodynamically productive biomass crop; Mr. Ford also was also able to forsee the soybean’s potential to feed the world’s livestock, and saw a huge future for both crops.

If you want more info on Cannabis Hemp and its still-unrealized industrial potential, look no further than the immortal Jack Herer’s seminal tome, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes”. Published in 1985, it took 12 years to write, and has gone through 12 editions to date. 

Quoting from the book's back cover:

“If all fossil fuels and their derivatives, as well as trees for paper and construction were banned in order to save the planet, reverse the Greenhouse Effect and stop deforestation; then there is only one known annually renewable natural resource that is capable of providing the overall majority of the world's paper and textiles; meet all of the world's transportation, industrial and home energy needs, while simultaneously reducing pollution, rebuilding the soil, and cleaning the atmosphere all at the same time... and that substance is -- the same one that did it all before -- Cannabis Hemp... Marijuana!”

The book, backed by H.E.M.P. (United States), Hanf Haus (Germany), Sensi Seeds Hash, Marihuana & Hemp Museum, Amsterdam, (Netherlands), and T.H.C., the Texas Hemp Campaign (United States), offers $100,000 to anyone who can disprove the claims within.

Herer’s book title alludes to Hans Christian Andersen's classic fairy tale "The Emperor's New Clothes" (1837). He uses Andersen's story as an allegory for the prohibition of Cannabis.

Irie for Life,

Herb is a long-time Cannabis enthusiast, advocate, evangelist and self-medicating

patient, helping to spread light wherever there is darkness.

Weed 4 Noobs

If you forgot, or are just plain new to getting high

Alaska’s 21st-Century retail cannabis will blow your mind

by Maxwell Jones

In a very basic sense, not that much has changed about using Cannabis ('weed') since it first took over the scene more than half a century ago. Get the good stuff, jam it into a pipe or roll it up and light it, inhale the smoke and prepare to experience its various effects.

Here in Alaska, we have a proud tradition of supplying our own Cannabis, and protecting our right to personally use it. Having said that, if you haven’t been to one of our 21st-Century retail Cannabis shops yet, it’s past High Time (4:20pm) to check out what’s on offer these days!

First off, you get to choose what kind of Cannabis consumer you are. Will you be smoking your herbs/flowers, “dabbing” them in concentrated form, or consuming your Cannabis in an alternative manner, such as vaporizing, ingesting, or applying it topically? Smoking is simple and effective, but vaporizing the active ingredients in Cannabis lets you avoid the toxic by-products of combusting them. This can be a benefit for medical as well as other reasons.

Are you looking to unwind after a long day, or do you prefer something that will stimulate your creative side? Perhaps you’re interested in an alternative to chemical-based pain management, or have some other specific medical need. Perhaps your needs aren’t medical at all, and you just want to alter your reality “recreationally”. Alaska’s new Cannabis laws can accommodate that! Or maybe you want to limit the psychoactive effects, more concentrating on just the medical ones while keeping your head clear. 

All of this is possible with Cannabis. For effects, remember that Cannabis will be available in one of two varieties: Indica, Sativa, or a hybrid of these. Indicas are used for body relaxation or for treating anxiety. Saitivas offer the opposite effect that Indicas do, in that they are more for stimulating one’s focus and channeling energy, than they are for relaxing into the couch. There’s a lot of variety between strains of Cannabis, and although almost all are some kind of hybrid of the two main types, the term Hybrid is usually reserved for those more in the middle.

The component, or cannabinoid, in Cannabis that offers psychoactive effects is THC. No THC, no high. Cannabis has other cannabinoids however, with various other medical properties. While THC has medical properties as well, the most widely-known of the other medical cannabinoids is CBD. In fact, CBD mitigates the psychoactive effects of THC. This is a good tidbit to keep on file, in case you’re tempted to test the limits of how much THC you can comfortably consume. You would also want to have a pure CBD tincture or vape pen handy in this case.

Trichomes, the sap-containing crystals on the outside of the Cannabis flower, as well as terpenes, the essential oils of the Cannabis plant, are what give each strain its unique flavor and aroma profile. They also have a profound influence on the Cannabis plant’s effects.

The third kind of Cannabis, besides Indica and Sativa, is known as Ruderalis, or common Hemp. Cannabis Ruderalis is not psychoactive, because it doesn’t contain any significant amounts of THC. Cannabis Ruderalis/Hemp does contain CBD though, giving it significant medical promise to go along with its already well-known industrial potential.

One good thing to know before shopping is your personal tolerance. Just like with caffeine in coffee, it will take more THC to reach the effect you want with repeated use than it does the first time around, and just like with coffee taking a break resets this tolerance. In practical terms, if it’s been over a month or so since you’ve consumed any Cannabis, you should have a low tolerance. This is also known as being a ‘cheap date’, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

If you have a low tolerance, when you go into a retail Cannabis shop you can get away with spending a little less, because they tend to charge according to potency numbers. So you can afford to be more concerned about things like bud quality and flavor, as well as effect type. That 25% THC indica may be great, but if your first toke is going to knock you out for the evening, then perhaps that 13% for half the price will do the trick even better this time around.

Before heading into the Cannabis shop, it’s helpful to have a plan. If you’ve decided that, like most folks, smoking is the way you want to consume your cannabis, you still need to think about how. Will you be using a pipe, or joints? Perhaps a nice glass waterpipe? All of these techniques and devices have their time and place, as well as their advantages and disadvantages. 

Maybe you have a high tolerance, and you want to try concentrates. Like with smoking flower, you need to decide how you want to vape your concentrates. You could go with a no-muss, no fuss oil cartridge kit, or get access to waxes with a pen vape. You could even get a nice flame or electric-powered dabbing rig for that waterpipe at home, if you were so inclined.

Pre-rolled joints are available at virtually all of Alaska’s Cannabis shops, and are by consensus the easiest and most self-contained method of smoking Cannabis. These 'pre-rolls' can be found in various sizes, and work especially well in groups. Much like using a cartridge for concentrates, there is nothing to maintain or clean up afterwards. 

As flower quantity goes, a gram is basically today’s ‘dime bag’ and usually goes for $10-20. Next up is an ‘eighth’ of an ounce, which is 3.5 grams. Quantities go up to an ounce, which is the daily legal limit for flower. Concentrates are measured by the half or whole gram.

There are different types of concentrates: old school ones like kief, which is basically granulated trichome crystals from the surface of the cannabis flowers, and hashish, to modern ones like wax, budder, sugar, cookie dough, cake batter, shatter, rosin and of course, oils.

Remember to take it slowly, especially at first! No matter what your Cannabis usage level is, PROCEED WITH CAUTION especially if you're new to concentrates, or edibles. As I mentioned earlier, a dose of CBD will straighten you right out if you’ve consumed too much THC.

A couple of other things to remember before you go shopping: Bring cash, or be prepared to use the ATM at the Cannabis shop, because cash is all they take. And bring your driver’s license or other suitable photo identification card, in order to prove that you’re 21 years old.

Above all bring your Irie attitude!

Until Cannabis is regulated like carrots, Max’s dreams will remain sleeping.

Alaska Cannabis testing still in flux

By Herb Growell 

 

If you’re a Cannabis grower or a retailer, you want high THC numbers. 

If you’re a Cannabis testing lab, you make more money from inflated THC potency. It’s clear to both groups that when shopping for legal Cannabis, prospective consumers will inevitably turn to the label on the package, and zero in on the stated THC content. Higher THC numbers mean more money for the growers as well. Unfortunately, these tests have shown to be full of persistent inaccuracies. This means that our THC numbers are a still a bit muddled.

While other legal Cannabis states are having similar issues, some of our issues are unique, and Alaskan Cannabis testing is still in flux as a result. However, there are some recent events to report on. The news that Steep Hill Alaska’s labs are closing down, at least temporarily, would seem to strike a blow against our state’s medical users, who probably have the most at stake when considering how to bring our state’s disparate THC numbers closer together.

What isn’t clear is why the numbers vary so much, and what exactly Alaska’s Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office (AMCO)’s new "MCB (Marijuana Control Board) Testing/Working Group” is doing to resolve this confusion. Talking with Steep Hill partner Brian Coyle, the main disparity comes down to differing testing methodologies, which can manifest significantly different results, between Cannabis-infused edibles, and Cannabis flowers.

This is in addition to Alaska’s unique THC-A issue, which Matt Hickman discussed in last November’s “THC testing: Can Alaska potency numbers be trusted?” story. Our legislators created a THC-A controversy when, as pointed out by Mark Malagodi, PhD, partner at Anchorage’s other main Cannabis testing lab, Canntest, in that same article: “The way total THC is reported (in Alaska) is an enormous misconception, it’s very unfortunate and it started with the way the board wrote the regulations, allowing THC to be added with THC-A to create a total THC rating,” he said. “My understanding is that no other state allows that.”

According to Coyle, the consequences of this issue alone is a results discrepancy of over 8%, in favor of the testing lab using Alaska’s seemingly out-of-consensus THC-A rating protocols. The issue with edibles results in discrepancies in potency ratings as well, but the difference in this instance is because the lab that’s better able to sort through other ingredients in the edible to get to the cannabinoids (including THC), will be the lab with the higher THC rating results.

The way these discrepancies manifested between Steep Hill and Canntest meant that Canntest was rating flowers as having higher THC content than Steep Hill was, while this dynamic was reversed for edibles, with Steep Hill being the lab that offered the higher THC rating.

the obvious temporary fix would be to require the name of the lab, 

to be printed right next to their THC numbers on the label

To this Medical Cannabis consumer, the obvious temporary fix would be to require the name of the testing lab, to be printed right next to their THC numbers on the label. That way, consumers can make a more informed decision while the AMCO group figures out how to best address this controversy. Hopefully, they are at least acknowledging these differences. Because if they aren’t, then how on earth could they effectively resolve, or even address them?

In Washington State, their Liquor & Cannabis Board (WSLCB) addressed a similar controversy by proposing that growers submit three Cannabis flowers, or “buds” to labs, which would then test each bud and average the results into one THC number. The problem with this approach is the main issue with THC testing: Cannabis growers have also noticed these discrepancies. 

Indeed, Washington growers have elected to send 84% of their crops to labs rated the most “business friendly”, who have coincidentally reported higher THC levels on a consistent basis, and failed fewer crops –– or none at all –– for contaminants like pesticides, and mold. This means that the “objective” labs, offering arguably more accurate results, are flailing.

The result of Washington’s THC-ratings kerfuffle is that their top Cannabis lab, Peak Analytics, after being found guilty of “consistent and large scale inaccuracies” in an audit, was suspended in July 2017. This audit was conducted by the RJ Lee Group, and industrial forensics & scientific lab from Pittsburgh, who recommended the suspension pending a fix of deficiencies.

Back in Alaska…

According to AMCO’s Director, Erika McConnell Monday evening, “AMCO has contracted with DEC’s Environmental Health Lab to perform a lab audit of CannTest and Steep Hill, relating to the inconsistent results. That effort should be completed in the next few weeks.”

To be clear, Steep Hill’s closure resulted from an impossible-to-foresee situation resulting from their landlord’s mortgage-holder’s bias against the Cannabis Industry, which is because of Cannabis’ uncertain federal Scheduling, and entirely unrelated to testing accuracy.

In addition to the (hopefully temporary) closure of Steep Hill, in other news is there’s a new Cannabis testing lab in the Mat-Su Valley. New Frontier Research in Wasilla opened their doors a couple of months ago, and are steadily getting up to speed as they gain market share. 

Hopefully Steep Hill’s Anchorage investors can attract a new Alaskan-based business partner. According to their Facebook page, Fairbanks could use a local Cannabis testing lab. Alaska’s Cannabis industry as a whole would surely like to have these labs be more geographically distributed around the state. Southeastern Alaska could probably use one as well.

Because The New Frontier opened their doors shortly before Steep Hill was ordered to close, Alaska still has two Cannabis testing labs. The New The Frontier doesn’t perform all of Alaska’s state-required tests yet, but they are working hard to get up to speed on being certified for terpenes and residual solvents, and will have their CE certification soon. CE indicates conformity with health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within Europe (EEA) and elsewhere. Their distinctive CE “marking” is voluntary in Alaska.

All three of our Alaskan Cannabis testing labs are part of AMCO’s MCB Testing/Working Group, which is planning on releasing a report with recommendations to the full Marijuana Control Board (MCB), likely in the summer of 2018, according to their press release:

“The working group will discuss a variety of testing issues, including:

• Standardization of sample preparation methodology
• Sample selection
• Amount of product to be tested
• Proficiency testing
• Required tests for various products”

According to AMCO’s Director, Erika McConnell, “Because protecting public safety, health, and welfare is one of our agency’s goals, we value this opportunity to have experts work together through some of the testing issues that have arisen. This working group will provide important information for the Marijuana Control Board to consider.” While the MCB’s Testing/Working Group was originally scheduled to meet every two weeks since the end of 2017, because of scheduling conflicts they have only met a total of four times to date. 

Many Alaskan Cannabis consumers, both recreational and medical, are looking forward to the results of AMCO’s lab audit, and to the prospect of more accurate Cannabis labeling.

Irie for Life,

Herb is a long-time Cannabis enthusiast, advocate, evangelist and self-medicating

patient, helping to spread light wherever there is darkness.

If you seek more information like supporting videos and web links to background sources for the

above information please visit us online, or Herb at upliftingvapor.blogspot.com

 

Medical Cannabis in Alaska

Medical Cannabis in Alaska — back in play?

by Herb Growell

Medical Cannabis may be where it's at after all, if legal Cannabis states want to side-step our federal government’s recent re-consideration of outright Cannabis prohibition. We all know that our nation’s top prosecutor seems to see nothing but red when it comes to the sacred green. Never mind that his position is in outright opposition to many of the fundamental underpinnings of our democracy, including majority opinion and state’s rights, and of capitalism itself.

It’s not just about the nonsensical over-regulation of a harmless plant that does nothing but positive things for humanity. We used to know this, during our greatest war, when the phrase “Grow Hemp for Victory” was more than an official slogan; it represented nothing less than a path toward a freer world. Now that this has all been flipped around, this useful plant is under attack by the some of the same forces in our government that once sang its praises.

Back in January, we brought you a YIELD column called “Alaska’s unlikely — but totally legit way to protect legal marijuana”. In it John Arrano summarized the recent history of federal Cannabis prosecutions, and how they gave rise to what is referred to as the Cole Memo, issued by President Obama’s Justice Dept. in 2012. This memo essentially made it the policy of the federal government to abandon the federal prosecution of marijuana users. While it wasn’t quite a change of law, this memo represented more than just an advisement of priorities.

Shortly after that YIELD column came out, a federal appeals court issued an opinion, determining that a congressionally-approved provision can be invoked to block the Department of Justice from spending money to defend against appeals from people convicted of medical marijuana activity that was in compliance with state laws. This is a big deal.

The Cole Memo was put forth as re-assurance that the federal government wouldn’t interfere in the incubation of what is fast-becoming our nation’s next multi-billion dollar industry. It was written largely in response to, and to protect the states of Oregon and Washington, who had both just passed recreational Cannabis laws. In seeming response to the Cole Memo California, representing our country’s largest economy, passed their landmark Proposition 64.

California isn’t just the largest and fastest-growing state economy in our union. It also represents the sixth-largest economy in the world. Under the promise of protection by various state and federal elected legislators, there’s been a lot of money invested; not just in California but also the entire Pacific Northwest, including the 49th state. While Alaska can’t compete with California’s GDP our economy is in a tougher spot, and we could use the income.

It’s been said that depending upon state politicians, to protect an activity that is illegal under federal law, is nothing short of a fool’s errand. I would suggest that that the rescinding of the Cole memo may well support this idea. Even if the Executive Branch of our federal government has decided to throw a big legal wrench into the works (the biggest!), we still have the court system protections, at least for medical Cannabis, at least for now.

The federal government was set to shut down on March 23rd

at midnight, if action was not taken on this spending bill.

Unfortunately, in the rush to decriminalizing recreational Cannabis, Alaska did nothing to shore its Medical Cannabis protections. While these protection were semi-groundbreaking at the time they were passed back in 1998, AS 17.37.010 only provided for individuals with qualifying debilitating diseases to legally possess, use, and cultivate limited amounts of marijuana. The law did not provide any way for medical dispensaries to be licensed or operate legally.

Last year, the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer appropriations amendment was initially included as part of a Senate appropriations bill thanks to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), yet was absent from the House’s funding proposal because House Rules Committee Chair Peter Sessions (R-TX) refused to allow House members to vote on it. In the past two days as the negotiations reached their peak, over 10,000 members of NORML (National Association for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) contacted their federal officials to urge them to maintain these protections.

In a cruel twist, additional pro-Medical Cannabis language was stripped from the Senate version of the same appropriations bill, known as the Veterans Equal Access amendment. Originally passed last year in the Senate appropriations committee by a vote of 24-7, Republican Congressional leadership thought it prudent to deny American military veterans the ability to participate in state-lawful Medical Cannabis programs through their VA doctors.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, namesake on the Veteran’s amendment and the co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus said, “While I’m glad that our medical marijuana protections are included, there is nothing to celebrate since Congress only maintained the status quo. These protections have been law since 2014. This matter should be settled once and for all.”

Blumenauer continued, “Poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans, across every party, strongly favor the right to use medical marijuana. Instead, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is doubling down on the failed War on Drugs and Republican leadership in Congress—led by Chairman Pete Sessions—is stonewalling. They’re ignoring the will of the American people.”

The bill did pass by 256 to 167 in the House, as they wrapped up what may be their last major legislative achievement ahead of the midterm elections in November. But the 2,232-page spending bill remains mired in controversy as it heads to the Senate, where leaders hope to speed the bill to a vote if they can persuade all 100 senators to sign off on the plan. Hopefully Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., won’t re-visit his shenanigans from this past February.

The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) seems to disagree with the

Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA)’s Schedule I designation of Cannabis

The language of this rider prevents the Justice Department from spending federal tax dollars to investigate, arrest and prosecute all law-abiding members of statewide medical marijuana programs. It’s the only document on the books that has even comes close to keeping the world of medicinal cannabis safe from random federal raids and shady harassment tactics.

As pointed out in January’s YIELD article, “there actually is already a way to protect Alaska's marijuana industry. The legislation exists. And it comes from the unlikeliest place: the desk of arch-conservative Sen. John Coghill (R-North Pole).” Back in n early 2013, the president signed 23 executive orders addressing gun safety. Then-Speaker of the Alaska House, Mike Chenault (R-Nikiski), was watching. He introduced HB 69, which would have nullified any laws passed affecting gun rights in Alaska, in apparent violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Coghill swooped in to the rescue, offering an amended bill (SB 75). His edit was a much more laissez-faire approach, that directs the state to tell FBI agents to go right ahead enforcing new laws restricting firearms. But state officers aren’t allowed to help. Not with arrests, detainment facilities, technology – don’t even ask to borrow a cell phone. He used the Tenth Amendment toward blocking what he perceived to be threats to states' rights on gun ownership. But it could work just as well for legal marijuana. But don't take our word for it: Take California's.

When Trump became president and nominated Sessions, California Assembly member Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) lifted Coghill's bill language and applied it to marijuana. California’s Assembly Bill 266 mirrors Alaska’s HB 75, and would “prohibit a state or local agency, as defined, from... using [resources] to assist a federal agency to investigate, detain, detect, report, obtain information, or arrest a person for commercial or noncommercial       cannabis activity that is authorized or allowed under state and local law” in California.

As John mentioned in January’s YIELD article, “It's a legislative cut and paste job that would take one of our elected officials five minutes to put together”. All they would need to do is take the gun protections out, put Cannabis protections in their place, pass it and make it law.

Along these lines inside Alaska, Alaska Representatives David Guttenberg (D-Fairbanks), Jason Grenn (D-Anchorage), and Louise Stutes (R-Kodiak) are asking citizens to help them rewrite a bill opposing federal prohibition, HJR 21, through a Facebook page entitled “Alaska's Voice on Marijuana Policy.” It seems the great State of Alaska is trying to step up to the plate.

HJR 21 "FEDS RESPECT STATE REG ON MARIJUANA" was just read across the floor and voted on a few days ago. Alaskan's voices were heard loud and clear in the house, where it has been approved with 38 yeas and 0 nays. This was nothing less than a shot across the fed’s bow in support of state’s rights, hopefully our senate will have the courage to follow suit.

Our federal government still classifies Cannabis as Schedule I in the Controlled Substances Act. This means Cannabis is still viewed as severely as heroin, and treated worse than speed and cocaine, objectively much more harmful drugs. Just possession of any amount can get you up to one in year in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000, repeat offenses can result in felony charges.

Much of our federal anti-Cannabis laws have been historically enforced with racist intention, and were reportedly written as a way to get anti-Vietnam war activists under control by the Nixon Administration. Indeed, Nixon aide John Ehrlichman said (much later), “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.” Illegal oppression then became legal ‘drug enforcement’.

Support for recreational Cannabis from our current federal executive branch’s administration is uncertain. I encourage all of our Cannabis-friendly state politicians, as well as our Cannabis business associations, to consider putting forth legislation that includes regulations and protections for Medical Cannabis dispensaries, caregivers, and healthcare providers.

It may be the best way to preserve our recreational marketplace, as unintuitive as that sounds.

Irie for Life,

Herb is a long-time Cannabis enthusiast, advocate, evangelist and self-medicating

patient, helping to spread light wherever there is darkness.

Medical Cannabis and Cancer

The science behind the cure

by Herb Growell 

THC in Cannabis oil killing cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells alone
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az-_uV1-xwI)

If you’re at all informed on health matters, it’s depressingly clear that cancer is a bad disease to ‘catch’. It often ends in death or mutilation, and virtually everything we do, consume, or even think about can cause it. From drinking beer to eating bacon, many or our favorite meals are becoming examples of living dangerously. As our environment become more toxic, the places we live and even visit can harm us. Don’t forget about that cell phone that’s glued to the side of your head either, let’s just say that the jury’s still out on that one but it’s not looking good. 

While cancer is the second leading cause of death in America, the 411 isn’t all bad. Just as there are many causes, there are many ways to prevent or reverse cancer. But the news can be bewildering. Just recently I’ve read that new research shows: calcium supplements could cause cancer, eating broccoli with mustard prevents cancer, human skin bacteria has “cancer-fighting powers”, pawpaw fruit prevents colon cancer, and that coffee is a cancer preventative. 

Due to this confusion it seems the best advice for a cancer patient is to stay informed, so you aren’t constantly chasing your tail by acting on the latest headline. Because if you believe them, cancer is a simple proposition that can be reversed by making a single change to your personal routine or environment. The truth is that most cancers are complex in nature, and are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It’s hardly ever caused by a single one. 

According to the American Cancer Society, there are more than 300 activities and substances that could cause cancer, and nearly the same number that could prevent it. It’s patently impossible to keep track, especially when much of their advice seems contradictory. We do know that 30% of all cancers are currently attributed to known and avoidable risk factors.

We’ve known for decades that Cannabis can play an important role in oncology. Let’s start with the official line. According to the National Cancer Institute, the potential benefits of Medical Cannabis for people living with cancer include: nausea prevention, appetite stimulation, pain relief, and improved sleep. Physicians in the United States who recommend Medical Cannabis for their cancer patients do so predominantly from a symptom management perspective. It’s also very important to provide relief for the traditional treatments for cancer, as many of these can be quite debilitating to the patient. Chemotherapy in particular has a horrible bevy of side-effects, to go along with its anemic rate of success, and radiation isn’t much better.  

These states and territories have legalized Cannabis for medical purposes. States that have legalized 
only one cannabinoid, such as cannabidiol (CBD), are not included in the map.

Medical Cannabis has been long-known to counteract chemotherapy’s negative affect on the patient’s appetite, and it also helps with the nausea. Good nutrition is very important to cancer patients, to maintain the stamina their immune system needs to keep fighting their cancer.

What we’re (re-)learning now is that Medical Cannabis’ potential is for much more than just the management of cancer’s symptoms. The U.S. Government has known about the effectiveness of Cannabis against certain types of cancer since 1974. While the study itself went down the War on Drug’s memory hole, an article about that study published by the Washington Post survived. Written by Victor Cohn, the story was entitled, “Cancer Curb Is Studied: Doctors Eye Drug Found In Marijuana”. Cohn reported that “the active chemical agent in marijuana curbs the growth of three kinds of cancer (lung, breast, and viral-induced leukemia) in mice”.

The exciting news these days is that research into the ability of Cannabis to actually cure and prevent cancer, rather that just treating its symptoms, is finally starting to explode. Because Cannabis is still on Schedule I of the U.S. Controlled Substance Act, meaning it has “no medicinal value”, almost all of this research is being conducted in other countries. But that hasn’t stopped U.S. Citizens and alternative caregivers from pursuing these treatments, and many states have legalized Medical and even recreational Cannabis in support.

Let’s get into what everyone’s getting so worked up about. While we have long known about the potential for Medical Cannabis to treat cancer, it’s exciting to see the research being formalized, and people getting starting to be saved in larger and larger numbers. What is it about Cannabis that makes it so effective in tackling such a wide variety of diseases? In a word it’s about cannabinoids, and how they interact with our bodies’ endocannabinoid receptors.

In recent decades, the neurobiology of cannabinoids have been analyzed. The first cannabinoid receptor we discovered, CB1, was identified in the human brain in 1988. A second cannabinoid receptor, CB2, was identified in 1993. The highest expression of CB2 receptors is located on B lymphocytes and natural killer cells, suggesting a role in our immune system. Endocannabinoids have been identified and appear to play a significant role in pain modulation, movement control, feeding behavior, mood, bone growth, inflammation, neuroprotection, and memory.

Endocannabinoids are cannabinoids that our body manufactures, and exocannabinoids come from an external source. The exogenous cannabinoids produced by cannabis are also known as “phytocannabinoids,” where the prefix “phyto” comes from the Greek word for “plant.”

But what are cannabinoids? In a nutshell they are a group of unique molecular compounds, that are found in varying ratios in species of Cannabis plants. The main psychoactive constituent of Cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In 1986 an isomer of synthetic delta-9-THC was licensed and approved, for the treatment of chemotherapy-associated nausea and vomiting under the generic name dronabinol. Another important cannabinoid found in Cannabis is CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that is an analog of THC, meaning that it typically limits the psychoactive affects of THC. A product called nabiximols (Sativex), a Cannabis extract with a 1:1 ratio of THC:CBD, was approved in Canada for symptomatic relief of pain from advanced cancer and multiple sclerosis, as existing therapy has been historically unsatisfactory.

To understand how cannabinoids kill cancer, we will first look at what keeps cancel cells alive, then come back to how CBD and THC can undo their life-support system.

In every cell in our body, there is a unique combination of factors that either mean imminent death for that cell, or extends that cell’s vitality and life. If one of these factors, called cerimide, is high, cell death is imminent. If ceramide is low, the cell is strong in its vitality. Very simply, when THC connects to CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptor sites on a cancer cell, it causes an increase in ceramide synthesis which drives cell death. A healthy cell conveniently doesn’t produce ceramide in the presence of THC, thus is not affected by the cannabinoid.

Within cytoplasm of most cells, there is a nucleus, mitochondria, and various other organelles. The purpose of the mitochondria is to produce energy, in the form of the coenzyme ATP, for the cell to use to sustain itself. As ceramide starts to accumulate, turning up a mechanism called the Sphingolipid Rheostat, it increases the mitochondrial membrane pore permeability to Cytochrome C, a critical protein in energy synthesis. This means that Cytochrome C is now pushed out of the mitochondria, killing the source of energy for the cancer cell.

The key to this process is the accumulation of ceramide in the system. Ceramide also causes genotoxic stress in the cancer cell nucleus by generating a protein called p53, whose job it is to disrupt calcium metabolism in the mitochondria. As if this weren’t enough, ceramide also disrupts the cell’s digestive system, which provides nutrients for its functions. This means that ceramide actively inhibits pro-survival pathways, leaving no possibility for the cell’s survival.

Why is it that the body can take a simple plant enzyme and use it for profound healing, in many different physiological systems? This endocannabinoid system exists in all animal life, just waiting for its matched exocannabinoid activator. Our human endocannabinoid system is the messenger of information flowing between our immune system and our central nervous system (CNS). It is responsible for neuroprotection, and micro-manages our entire immune system. This is the primary control system that maintains homeostasis, or our bodies’ well being. 

Endocannabinoids have their origin in nerve cells right at the synapse. When the body is compromised through illness or injury it calls insistently to the endocannabinoid system and directs the immune system to bring healing. If these homeostatic systems are weakened, we have found that exocannabinoids are therapeutic, in the most natural way possible.

"research into the ability of Medical Cannabis to prevent and cure cancer, 

rather that just treating its symptoms, is finally starting to explode"

We can visualize the cannabinoid as a three dimensional molecule, where one part of the molecule is configured to fit the cell receptor site like a key in a lock. We have at least two types of cannabinoid receptor sites, CB1 (CNS) and CB2 (immune). In general CB1 activates the CNS messaging system, and CB2 activates the immune system, but it’s much more complex than this. Among strains of Cannabis, Sativa tends toward the CB1 receptor, and Indica tends toward CB2. So sativa is more neuroactive, and indica is more immunoactive. Another factor here is that sativa is dominated by THC cannabinoids, and indica is predominately CBD (cannabidiol).

The human body can use both THC and CBD interchangeably. When stress, injury, or illness demand more symptomatic relief than can be produced by the body, its mimetic exocannabinoids are activated. If the stress is transitory, then the treatment can be transitory. If the demand is sustained, such as with cancer, then treatment needs to provide sustained pressure to counteract that demand. This means that the cancer patient needs to be invested in taking therapeutic amounts of CBD and THC steadily, over a period of time, in order to keep metabolic pressure on the cancer cell’s ability to sustain itself, which results in its death. 

A little more detail: CBD typically gravitates to the densely packed CB2 receptors in the spleen, which is home to the body’s immune system. From there, immune cells seek out and destroy cancer cells. In addition, it has been shown that THC and CBD cannabinoids have the ability to kill cancer cells directly without going through these immune intermediaries. To do this THC and CBD hijack something called the lipoxygenase pathway, to directly inhibit tumor growth. 

An interesting side note: It’s been discovered that CBD can even help the body preserve its own natural endocannabinoid, by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down anandamide (AEA). AEA is known as the human version of THC, and has been dubbed the “bliss molecule” by William Devane. Devane discovered it while working with Raphael Mechoulam, the man who, along with his research team, discovered THC. Anandamide’s word root, Ananda, is Sanskrit for bliss :)

It’s literally impossible to cover all of the latest research concerning Medical Cannabis as a real solution for cancer in one article. But I am hoping to leave you with an appreciation for the fact that nature has designed for us a perfect medicine, that fits exactly with our immune system. 

Medical Cannabis helps us to provide for rapid and complete immune response, systemic integrity, and metabolic homeostasis. While we’re just starting to scratch the surface of all this knowledge, many people are already putting it to work toward saving their own lives.

Special bonus for our online readers:

A link to 34 medical studies, all confirming Cannabis can cure cancer!

(http://realfarmacy.com/34-medical-studies-for-the-skeptic/)

Irie for Life,
Herb is a long-time Cannabis enthusiast, advocate, evangelist and self-medicating 
patient, helping to spread light wherever there is darkness.
If you seek more information like supporting videos and web links to background sources for the 
above information please visit us online, or Herb at upliftingvapor.blogspot.com