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Up to 80% of pro athletes may be using cannabis

Up to 80% of pro athletes may be using cannabis

80% of pro athletes potentially using cannabis

You probably have heard about a runner’s high, but many professional athletes are actually getting high before they compete.

A former Georgia Bulldog and NFL player told Channel 2 Sports Director Zach Klein about 80% of the guys in the league are using marijuana.

Football is known for bone crushing hits. More and more players are turning to marijuana to help relieve the pain from the physicality of the sport.

“I would probably say around 80 % of the guys in our league use cannabis,” said Tavarres King, who played for the Georgia Bulldogs and spent seven years in the NFL.

“You mentioned 80% of your teammates or guys that you know in the league were using marijuana. Were you one of them?” Klein asked King.

“100 percent,” King answered, going on the record for the first time about his marijuana use during his NFL career.

King said marijuana helped him with anxiety and focus.

“Playing with it, laser sharp. I was laser sharp, laser focused,” King said.

“So, everyone knows you with the Giants, Lambeau Field, catching a touchdown pass from Eli Manning and you were high that game?” Klein asked.

“Yeah, yeah I was,” replied King laughing.

“You did your job,” Klein said.

“Yeah, I did my job,” King said.

Connecticut cannabis business applications now open

Connecticut’s first application window for businesses aiming to participate in the recreational cannabis market opened Thursday.

An educational webinar for businesses, the first of several planned as part of technical assistance aimed at helping social equity applicants, also streamed Thursday.

Non-lottery applications for cultivators in disproportionately impacted areas and lottery applications for recreational retailers are available.

Medical producers and dispensaries will also be allowed to convert to expanded licenses that allow them to participate in the medical and recreational markets. Applications for expanded producers and hybrid retailers are open.

Equity joint venture applications are also open. Equity joint ventures allow business entities to partner with applicants who meet certain social equity criteria.

Social equity status is determined by income and residency. The Social Equity Council, which is organizing technical assistance to aid businesses through the application process, is charged with ensuring the market benefits those who have been most impacted by the war on drugs.

All members of a household, regardless of relationship, will need to submit information on income for social equity applicants to meet the criteria, said Ginne-Rae Clay, interim director for the council.

This includes roommates, Clay said.

Half of all lottery licenses will go to social equity applicants. Application windows for more license types are set to open on a rolling basis over the next couple of months.

The state anticipates another lottery round in the second half of the year. Businesses that wish to participate will have to reapply for that round if they’re not selected in the first round, according to a state Department of Consumer Protection press release.

Mississippi medical marijuana legalized by Governor

Mississippi medical marijuana legalized by Governor

mississippi medical marijuana legalized

Mississippi is legalizing medical marijuana for people with debilitating conditions such as cancer, AIDS and sickle cell disease.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed the legislation Wednesday and it became law immediately. It could be months before the first marijuana dispensaries open.

“There is no doubt that there are individuals in our state who could do significantly better if they had access to medically prescribed doses of cannabis,” Reeves wrote in a statement posted to Twitter. “There are also those who really want a recreational marijuana program that could lead to more people smoking and less people working, with all the societal and family ills that that brings.”

The National Conference of State Legislatures says 36 states and four territories already allowed the medical use of cannabis. Mississippi becomes the 37th state.

“For all the people who are touched in some way by a loved one or someone they know who benefits from medical cannabis, this brings their quality of life back,” said Ken Newburger, executive director the Mississippi Medical Marijuana Association, a group that pushed for legalization.

A majority of Mississippi voters approved a medical marijuana initiative in November 2020, and it would have allowed people to buy up to 5 ounces a month. The state Supreme Court invalidated it six months later by ruling that the state’s initiative process was outdated and the measure was not put properly on the ballot.

The state House and Senate, both controlled by Republicans, passed the final version of Senate Bill 2095 last week.

The new law will allow patients to buy up to to 3.5 grams of cannabis per day, up to six days a week. That is about 3 ounces per month. It sets taxes on production and sale of cannabis, and it specifies that plants must be grown indoors under controlled conditions.

NFL to help fund research into cannabis treatment for concussions

NFL to help fund research into cannabis treatment for concussions

cannabis treatment for concussions in the NFL

Researchers from the University of Regina are getting more than $500,000 US from the National Football League to study the potential of using cannabinoids for the prevention and treatment of concussions.

Cannabinoids are the naturally occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant.

The NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee, which said it wants to better understand and improve potential alternative pain management treatments for NFL players, put out a request for research proposals in June 2021.

The NFL said the U of R study is one of two to be awarded funding out of 106 submissions from top clinicians and researchers from around the world.

A study at the University of California San Diego that will be evaluating the effects of cannabinoids on pain and recovery from sports-related injuries in elite athletes is also receiving funding.

“We are grateful that we have the opportunity to fund these scientifically-sound studies on the use of cannabinoids that may lead to the discovery of data-based evidence that could impact the pain management of our players,” NFL chief medical officer Dr. Allen Sills said in a release.

The U of R study will be led by Patrick Neary, an exercise physiologist and professor in the faculty of kinesiology and health studies, who has been working in the area of concussion prevention and treatment for more than 15 years.

Neary said his team’s selection by the NFL was “extraordinary, overwhelming news” and “a very, very humbling experience.”

Looking for optimal CBD/THC formulation

His team will try to optimize the formulation of cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) for pain management in those suffering from post-concussion syndrome and chronic pain, and for a neuroprotective treatment for concussions.

New Jersey legal cannabis delays have cannabis growers worried

New Jersey legal cannabis delays have cannabis growers worried

New Jersey cannabis growers worried about delays

Like many of New Jersey’s residents who voted to legalize weed for adult consumers, the state’s largest growers say they’ve been eager for the market to open.

In fact, they say they’re bursting at the seams with marijuana — and now, they’re worried they’ll have to take drastic measures if things don’t speed up.

“I hate to say this, but we may have to start destroying product, and we may have to start potentially letting people go because part of the anticipation is you ramp up your staffing, as well,” said James Leventis, an executive for Verano New Jersey, which has a cultivation and processing facility in Readington Township and three stores in Elizabeth, Lawrence Township and Neptune.

“You’re hired for a job with the idea that this market will develop,” said Leventis, the company’s vice president of Compliance & Government Affairs. “I’m very concerned we will continue to see these delays. It’s looking very stark right now.”

Just like any other organic material, cannabis starts to decompose after time. Even after it’s properly stored, after six months weed can get stale, loose its aroma and potency. In worst-case scenarios, the pot can get moldy.

For months, Verano along with fellow New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association members have been pressuring the state to allow them to sell to the public. The strategy has increased over the last month.

So what’s the hold up?

In no uncertain terms, the state agency created to govern the nascent cannabis industry — the Cannabis Regulatory Commission — has said these same companies demanding to open have yet to comply with stipulations in the marijuana law.

“The law has been in place since Feb. 22, 2021,” said Jeff Brown, the CRC’s executive director at last week’s public meeting. “It has noted clearly that alternative treatment centers [like Verano] need three things: municipal approval, relevant necessary supply to be able to serve their patient base, and operational capacity to continue to serve and even expand access.”

Indoor Grow Tent Setup Guide

Indoor Grow Tent Setup Guide

how to set up an indoor grow tent for cannabis

Growing indoors is a great way to protect your plants from the conditions of the outdoors. But finding the right spot for your plants inside without a specific space set aside can be difficult.

With an indoor grow tent, not only can you grow your plants indoors in a secure space. A grow tent also gives you even more control over the environment your plants will grow in throughout their cycle.

Choosing an indoor grow tent

When choosing a grow tent, the main factors are the size and features. An average indoor grow tent will be 4′ x 4′ x 6.5′, which is a great compact size that still allows for optimal growth due to the height allowance.

To make everything easier, look for a grow tent with adjustable ports for vent fans/ducting, screened vent panels, and an adjustable power cord port. Growing in a tent will still require HVAC and lighting, and you don’t want to have to cut holes out yourself and risk tears that can lead to light leaks or temperature fluctuations.

The Lighthouse 2.0 Controlled Environment Tent is the perfect all in one tent, with all the above mentioned features. It also comes in a 4′ x 8′ x 6.5′ size for a wider area allowing more plants.

There are also smaller and even larger options for indoor grow tents. However it all depends on the size of your space, how many plants you want to grow and how much energy you’ll be able to provide through supplemental lighting and ventilation.

Once you have chosen your grow tent, it is time to get it set up.

Setting up your grow tent

Setting up an indoor grow tent is easier than setting up IKEA furniture, but it’s not always as easy as snapping a few corners and velcro together. Some grow tents might be made easy to assemble, while others have poles and joints that must be connected through the fabric of the tent to hold it up.

But we’re going to focus on setting up the tent once the frame has been built. This mainly involves setting up your lighting and ventilation using the vent ports and the support poles at the top of the tent.

In a smaller grow tent, air circulation can be taken care of easily with some clip on fans in the corners of the tent. However, additional ventilation like a carbon filter will need to be fed in through a vent port and supported if hanging in the tent.

This can include the carbon filter itself, plus an inline fan, tubing and the needed hardware. Ensuring that your carbon filter is supported and set up properly is going to make a big difference.

If your tent doesn’t have any built in ports to feed your tubing and wiring through, you may need to cut them yourself.

The lights you use will also depend on the size of your tent and how many plants you have. Check out our guide for finding the best grow light to make sure you don’t spend too much on a light that won’t cut it or damages your plants!

Aside from these two essentials, the customization you add to your grow tent is really up to you. The less plants you have, the more grow gear you can fit in with them like environmental controllers or a standing fan if you have larger plants.

Irrigation can also be useful in a grow tent for those who want to automate and maximize their efficiency. But in a smaller tent hand watering is likely easier and cheaper with just a few plants.

The biggest benefit of an indoor grow tent is that it gives you an environmentally controlled space wherever you want. No designing a grow room in your house or apartment required.

With ventilation, lighting, and water, your plants are ready to go in a secure, sealed environment.